ROBSTOWN, Texas — Young boxers from Robstown Boxing Club are preparing to compete at the national level and are asking for community support to help fund their trip to Las Vegas.
"This one's mine, this one's mine. This one, this one," Tristen Flores said, pointing to his winning belts.
Flores has been boxing competitively since he was 9 years old. Now 12, he has already claimed two national championships in a row for the USA Boxing Junior Olympics.
When asked how it feels to represent Robstown at the national level, Flores' answer was simple.
"It feels good," Flores said.
This time, Flores and the rest of his teammates are hoping to bring back even more titles to their hometown.
"I've just been putting in that good work, and I feel like I have the skills to do it and win," Jarek Guzman, an 11-year-old boxer who is currently ranked #6 nationally, said.
Guzman is looking to win his first national title in his age division.
"I've just been training real hard, watching what I eat, so I can make weight," Guzman said.
16-year-old Gauge Lopez will be competing in the 17 to 18-year-old youth division. He acknowledges the challenge ahead, but remains confident.
"I know they're gonna fight hard,” Lopez said. “I know they're gonna be ready to fight and come bring the heat because they want that national title too, but I'm just as hungry."
For these young boxers, boxing isn't just a sport—it's a commitment. Lopez hopes to be someone other kids in Robstown can look up to.
"If they're doing it for the small town I could do exactly the same they're doing and that's what I'm trying to put on for the little kids, you know what I mean, that they can do exactly what they want if they just strive for it and they work hard enough for it," Lopez said.
The Robstown Boxing Club will be heading to Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday, June 12. Currently, they're raising money to fund their trip.
"We're gonna come and show at nationals that we work hard and we're here what to do we're there to handle business," Lopez said.
If you want to help out the Robstown Boxing Club, you can donate to their Cash App: $RobstownBoxingClub
To find out other ways you can help, you can contact their coach, Robert Vela, via their Facebook group.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
