Even as a professional, Michael Angeletti describes himself as a student of the sport of boxing. He credits lessons learned as an amateur for instilling in him the discipline he has shown as a professional.
Angeletti faces Judy Flores in a 10-round bout this Saturday at the Boeing Center at Tech Port, San Antonio, Texas. The bout will be telecast on ProBox TV.
The 28-year-old Angeletti, who also works as a realtor, carries the physical stature of a junior lightweight more than a bantamweight. Angeletti credits the foundation he established in the amateurs for his ability to stay consistent as a professional, both in making weight and progressing through the ranks.
“It all started with the amateur system and I had a nutritionist,” Angeletti, 12-0 (7 KOs) said. “In the amateurs, I was making 114lbs for the USA team.”
At 5ft 8ins, Houston’s Angeletti stands above most of his peers in the 118lbs weight class. For example, Flores, also 26, from the Philippines, is 5ft 5ins. Angeletti, the former No.1 seed at the 2020 Olympic Trials is a contender in his weight class with the only drawback being the lack of a top-15 ranking in one of the four major sanctioning bodies.
“I’m a student in the sport, so everything that I learned back then, I still hold those principles,” Angeletti said. “I’ve made boxing a lifestyle and pretty much my daily regular eating habits are pretty good. So having that strict diet, just as a lifestyle, makes things a little bit easier.”
Angeletti hinted at what he is working on in the build-up to his fight with Flores, 14-3 (8 KOs). Angeletti’s goal is to go to the body more often.
“I’m learning to break these guys down,” Angeletti told ProBox TV. “I know that I hurt pretty much every opponent to the body and I’ve fought in my first 12 fights. I know that that’s only going to help me. I need to go to the body a little bit earlier. That’s something that I can get better at from here on out.”
Lucas Ketelle took an unconventional path to boxing, eventually finding his stride in gyms and media. For the past decade, he has hosted the “Lukie Boxing” podcast, filmed training camps for fighters like Arnold Barboza Jnr, Mikey Garcia and Caleb Plant, and worked with top professionals such as Mike Bazzel. Ketelle is also an author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for ProBox TV, BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @LukieBoxing.
Read the full article here
