Alliance Training Center hosts Mexican National Boxing Team

Sergio Melendrez (second from left) welcomes the Mexican National Boxing Team and their staff to the Alliance Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. To Melendrez’s right is the team’s head coach Francisco Bonilla. Also on hand coaches Eduardo Morera, Octavio Robles and Jose Estrada. Photo: J. Wyatt

Wednesday afternoon, the Mexican National Boxing team paid a visit to the Alliance Training Center on Third Avenue in Chula Vista. The host gym’s head boxing coach, Sergio Melendrez extended the warm invite and the Mexican team jumped at the opportunity to spar with San Diego’s local talent.

(l) Professional Mixed Martial Artist/boxer A. J. Matthews went a few rounds with Olympic hopeful Mario Heredia of Ciudad Juarez.

From all over San Diego the boxers and trainers came to test their mettle against a team that is destined to have quite an impact in the 2012 Olympics scheduled to take place in late July of 2012 in London. The invitees from the Mexican National team were a regular who’s who of local and national boxing. There was the Diaz family, father Greg and his two sons, Elias and Emmanuel, trainer Kalina Fernandez with boxer Mohammad Fakhreddine, trainers Manny and Chris Lerma accompanying Olympic hopeful Danyelle Wolf, trainer Ernie Johnson came with pro-boxer Emmanuel Robles, also from the pro ranks you had Christian Bojorquez and Salvador Cifuentes, along with trainers Vince and Norman “Bumpy” Parra with their light welterweight sensation Mercito Gesta.

Boxing trainer/manager Vince Parra along with his dad, former boxing great Norman “Bumpy” Parra, were on hand as their boxer, Mercito Gesta sparred with a member of the Mexican National Team. Photo: Jim Wyatt

Boxing guru Steve Casey was in the house, plus a large number of MMA fighters from the UFC to include Brandon Vera and Phil Davis. You also had all these boxers under Sergio Melendrez’s tutelage, like top amateurs Alfredo Rodriguez, Jorge Ruiz, the Adams brothers, Carlos and Andres. The place was backed with people who are serious about the sweet science.

Mexican National Team and Olympic hopeful Jordan Gutierrez.

Also sparring were (left to right) Oscar Molina (Mexican National Team) plus pro boxers Mercito Gesta (c) and Emmanuel Robles (r).

Oscar Valdez (l) went a few rounds with Jorge Ruiz (r) of the host gym.

Paulius Ritter (r) from Lithuania went a few rounds with Luis Carlos Rosas of the Mexican National Team.

Oscar Valdez (c) is once again hoping to represent Mexico. He got to spar with Elias Diaz (r) joined here by his father, Greg Diaz.

Mixed martial artist Casey Ryan (l) went several rounds with Mexican heavyweight Mario Heredia.

U.S. Olympic Team hopeful Danyelle Wolf (l) and Mexican National Team member Alma Ibarra (r) of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico sparred.

Elias Emigdio of the Mexican National Team looked quite impressive.