THE RIGORS OF A LIFE IN BOXING DISPLAYED THIS PAST WEEKEND

Simon Ruvalcaba

Of the many paths a life here on Earth can take, the life of a fighter is arguably the toughest cycle of circumstance that you could possibly have? This past weekend I experienced from a distance what I was blinded of during my time as a fighter.

Alec ‘Too Quick’ McGee a Featherweight from Reno, Nevada has achieved despite the many obstacles of his personal/family life early on. On February 1st he accepted a bout for last Saturday at the Aqua Caliente Resort in Ranch Mirage, CA. The confident 3 and 1 fighter accepted the Lightweight bout and picked up his training intensity on the fly.

An Alec McGee fight is a family affair. With a chaotic life experience growing up that makes the ‘Shameless’ family look like the Brady bunch but when it comes to Alec fighting, that is a definite time when everyone is united in his support! The party of 8 loaded a rented mini van and made the trip to Rancho Mirage arriving several minutes after the official weigh in had started for Promoter Matt McGovern’s WFC 83 show. McGee weighed in at 132 pounds and 24 hours later, fightday weight was 135. His opponent, Luis Cervantes weighed in at 134 pounds and fight day weight was 146. Cervantes, a local area fighter who had experienced the opponent/journeyman circuit status in boxing between 2008-2014 when the combined record of his 8 opponents was 49-1-3 was in his 2nd comeback fight since returning last year after a 3 year layoff, such returns are common story for fighters as a fight career is never really ever over. You either are an elite fighter who after wanting to retire gets a money offer too big to refuse, or you’re a starving artist with the attitude that there’s one more fight left in you and if you catch lightning in a bottle your fortune is changed literally with just 1 punch.

Cervantes’s strength and effective punches would be the difference against the quick hands of Alec. McGee immediately afterwards pondering weather or not this was it for his career, as a 4 and 1 fighter has better options then a 3 and 2 fighter that could easily fall into the ‘opponent’ category for the rest of his career, barring some upset wins? The reality of a fighter sets in after a bout, with fellow trainers and fighter colleagues offering advice and giving praise. While other walks of life frown on him. Alec had to go get stitches at the hospital from a cut that opened up in the final round. The Doctor looking at him when finding out he was a boxer saying “You do this as a profession?” It was a statement more than a question and spoken in a tone as if he had pitty on Alec? The kind of typical response that fighters often get from what we consider the outside world.

Alec is on a forced suspension due to the cut and will ponder his future in the time off. His walk in this journey heartfelt by current and former fighters, while ‘outsiders’ may wish he find another day job? Whatever happens, this life of a fighter as Morgan Freeman said in ‘Million Dollar Baby’ is ‘a dream that no one can see but you.’

About the Editor

Simon Ruvalcaba

Army Veteran and former Professional Boxer Simon Ruvalcaba started boxing at the age of ten and Had a 71 fight amateur career which featured a 139 lbs. 1998 8th U.S. Army Boxing Championship out of Camp Casey, Korea and a spot on the prestigious Army Boxing Team at Fort Hood, TX. After a journeyman pro career of 18 fights, which included sparring sessions with many champions and contenders including Julio Cesar Chavez and Pernell “Sweat Pea” Whitaker, Simon started writing and has contributed to many publications and websites including fighthype.com, pound4pound.com, Tahoe Daily Tribune (South Lake Tahoe, CA), Nevada Appeal (Carson City, NV). He has also been the Boxing Instructor for Ken Shamrock and The Lions Den and was MMA and Bareknuckle star Paige VanZant’s first boxing coach!
Born and Raised in South Lake Tahoe, California he now resides in Sun Valley, Nevada and spends as much time as possible with his Sons Gabriel and Oscar! Beyond boxing, Simon is an all around sports fanatic and is passionate about the teams that he roots for. Simon also works as a Sportsbook Supervisor for Caesars Sportsbook in Lake Tahoe.