Three years into his boxing career, Luciano Cardozo-Torres ‘25 has no plans to stop. But before getting involved in his current sport, Cardozo-Torres was involved in the martial arts form of Taekwondo. During that time the activities he was doing focused heavily on kicks, but Luciano wanted to focus his energy on something similar, but instead, using his hands.
“I started practicing [boxing] with friends outside at the park, and then from there, we would just box each other. But then I was like, I want to actually learn more, so I went to a gym and then just got a little more serious about it,” Cardozo-Torres said.
Cardozo has trained at Big George’s Boxing Gym, located in the Sycamore Mall, and has been coached by George Chamberlain all three years he’s been boxing. At the amateur level, matches are three rounds, about two to three minutes long each, with minute-long rests in between. Boxers have their coaches around during matches, but for the most part, the athletes are alone.
“People call it the loneliest sport in the world. Maybe you could put that to any sport, but with boxing, you kind of train yourself,” Cardozo-Torres said.
Besides being alone in the boxing ring, Cardozo-Torres is for the most part alone in his sport. Though some friends have gone to his gym to train, none have stuck with it the way Luciano has. Compared to the large groups of City High students practicing and competing on campus and operating through the school district, there’s no coverage of his boxing accomplishments, of which he has many.
“Here at City, if you win a competition, everybody hears about it. You know, I won state twice, but no one’s talking about it, and I don’t really go and talk about it much. It’s a great atmosphere; boxing overall is a great sport, and I do wish there was more recognition,” Cardozo-Torres said.
Of all his achievements within the sport, Luciano is most proud of winning the Iowa Golden Gloves. The Golden Gloves competition is like a state championship for young boxers, taking place all over the United States.
Cardozo-Torres wants to continue boxing for as long as he possibly can, hoping to go to college and eventually end up going professional.
“I’m taking it step by step, but I want to stick with it for sure,” Cardozo-Torres said.
For others looking to get involved in the sport, it’s about finding a gym that’s a good fit for you. Many in the Iowa City and Coralville areas offer free trials for those looking just to try out boxing.
“I would love for more people to get involved. Boxing is just a great sport, and I think that it’s a great way to de-stress, especially with school, and it’s a great way just to work out too. And you don’t have to go and spar all the time; there’s a lot more to it.” Cardozo-Torres said.
