Junior middleweight Brian Mendoza has turned to a new trainer, Bob Santos, as he aims to rebound from a recent unanimous decision loss to Serhii Bohachuk.
Mendoza, who has experienced a rollercoaster of highs and lows in the past two years, sought a change after his last defeat and has parted ways with Ismael Salas.
Santos, who has known Mendoza since his early days in Las Vegas after moving from New Mexico, sees potential in the partnership.
“I’ve known Brian for a long time, since way back in the day when he first got here to Las Vegas, out of New Mexico,” Santos said. “I had helped him a few times over at the Top Rank gym and things of that nature. So I’ve known him for quite a while, and he was looking for a change, and he came over to me, and so far, so good.”
Mendoza’s recent journey includes notable victories, such as his 2022 knockout of Jeison Rosario and his stunning knockout of Sebastian Fundora in April 2023. However, his momentum was halted by back-to-back unanimous decision losses – first to Tim Tszyu in October, followed by the short-notice loss to Bohachuk. Mendoza stepped in against Bohachuk when Fundora, the original opponent, was elevated to the main event after Keith Thurman withdrew from his fight with Tszyu due to an injury.
Santos is optimistic about Mendoza’s future under his guidance.
“I like Brian, he’s a hard worker,” Santos said. “He’s been a great addition to my team, so I’m looking forward to him and some of the things we can improve with him. I think that can elevate him just a bit more and maybe get back into world title contention and win another one.”
Despite Mendoza’s intensity and focus, both in and out of the gym, Santos recognizes the need to channel that energy more effectively.
“He’s super intense, there’s no two ways about that,” Santos said. “Even in the gym, sometimes I gotta tell him, ‘Hey, a little bit easier. Don’t be so high-strung all the time. It’s 12 rounds, 12 rounds – we gotta pick our spots sometimes.’”
Reflecting on Mendoza’s recent performances, Santos sees room for improvement, particularly with Mendoza’s inside game. He believes these adjustments are crucial for overcoming the challenges Mendoza faced against Bohachuk, while noting the attributes that saw him score a victory over Fundora, who has since become a dual belt holder in the junior middleweight division.
“He was super focused for that fight, no two ways about it,” Santos said. “He was able to pull it off, and that’s a testament to him. I think there’s some things we can improve on with his inside game, and we’ve been doing that.”
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