What's next for Rio Rancho boxer Brian Mendoza?
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Talent, patience, hard work and perseverance got Rio Rancho鈥檚 Brian Mendoza where he is today.
Whatever future opportunities present themselves, and whenever, the World Boxing Council interim junior middleweight champion is confident those same attributes will get him where he needs to go.
The Mendoza left hook that knocked Sebastian Fundora into never-never-land on April 8 will always be there.
That 154-pound division is in flux right now.
Jermell Charlo, who has held the junior-middleweight title in all four of professional boxing鈥檚 widely recognized sanctioning bodies (WBA, WBC, WBO, IBF) since July 2021, is moving up in weight to challenge Saul 鈥淐anelo鈥� Alvarez on Sept. 30 at the super-middleweight limit of 168 pounds.
The WBO reacted by announcing plans to strip Charlo of its 154-pound title once he steps in the ring with Alvarez, with further plans to award Australia鈥檚 Tim Tszyu the 154-pound belt.
Tszyu had been scheduled to challenge Charlo for the undisputed junior-middleweight title, but a broken hand suffered by Charlo in training scrubbed that fight.
A story published Thursday on speculated that if the WBC were to follow the WBO鈥檚 lead and strip Charlo, to unify the WBC and WBO titles.
Mendoza isn鈥檛 buying, nor is he selling. He鈥檒l take what comes. Win or lose against Alvarez, will Charlo move back to 154? No one knows.
鈥淚鈥檇 love to fight Tim Tszyu,鈥� Mendoza said on Thursday in a phone interview from Las Vegas, Nevada, where he lives and trains. 鈥淚鈥檇 take that fight in a heartbeat. But as of now, it鈥檚 all speculation and rumors.鈥�
Meanwhile, there鈥檚 the matter of a possible rematch with Fundora, whom Mendoza knocked out in the seventh round to win the WBO interim belt.
Again, Mendoza will roll with whatever punches the boxing industry throws his way.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a rematch clause,鈥� Mendoza said. 鈥溾�� I鈥檓 just kind of seeing what plays out. I鈥檓 letting my management team handle that, so I鈥檓 kind of waiting on (that), too.鈥�
Since the Fundora fight, Mendoza said, his boxing profile has grown. He鈥檚 visited Mexico twice as a guest and representative of the WBC 鈥� treated, he said, 鈥渓ike family.鈥�
From day to day, however, little has changed. He still lives in Las Vegas, trains there at Salas Boxing Academy and maintains the same circle of close friends that 鈥渄efinitely keep me humble.鈥�
Mendoza is scheduled to be in Albuquerque this weekend to attend Saturday鈥檚 professional boxing card at Expo New Mexico. Matt Griego-Ortega, Mendoza鈥檚 friend and former Atrisco Boxing teammate, is fighting Saturday鈥檚 main event against former world champion Merlito Sabillo.
Back on his feet: Albuquerque boxer returns to the ring after nine-year hiatus
USA BOXING: Las Cruces amateurs Aleeza Mata-Hill and Amiah Mendoza took home silver medals from last week鈥檚 USA Boxing Women鈥檚 Championships in Toledo, Ohio.
Mata-Hill reached the Elite Division 154-pound finals with victories over Illinois鈥� Claire Quinn and Michigan鈥檚 Sarah Swanson before losing to Tennessee鈥檚 Christine Forkins in the championship match.
Mendoza defeated Texas鈥� Berenice Lopez in her opening match, then lost to Michigan鈥檚 Naudia Hernandez in the Bantam Division 119-pound final.
BARE KNUCKLE: The scheduled Aug. 11 BKFC card at Tingley Coliseum, already spiced by the presence of social-media influencer Bryce Hall in that night鈥檚 semi-main event, has gotten a bit spicier.
Two-division BKFC champion Lorenzo Hunt will work Hall鈥檚 corner that night in the latter鈥檚 fight against Gee Perez, the BKFC announced..
Hunt spectacularly KO鈥檇 Mike Richman at Tingley in February, claiming the BKFC 185-pound title. Hunt also holds the organization鈥檚 205-pound title.
Meanwhile, Chris Camozzi, a top contender at 205 pounds, is scheduled to work Perez鈥檚 corner.
Albuquerque鈥檚 John 鈥淭he Magician鈥� Dodson is scheduled to fight the main event against the Philippines鈥� Joshua Ridge for the BKFC flyweight title.
Several other New Mexicans, including Dodson鈥檚 younger brother, Eric, are on the card.
