Super middleweight Nathan Lugo isn’t stepping into the ring to play it safe. He’s there to hurt somebody or be hurt, if necessary, and he’s the first to say it.
A 20-year-old from Marietta, Georgia, Lugo has one mission in his Friday bout against undefeated Mardoche Ilunga: “Break some bones.”
Lugo, 2-0 (2 KOs), who will be featured on OTX 11 at Corey Studios in Atlanta, is aiming to start his career with three straight knockouts.
“I feel like a lot of people want to see brutality,” Lugo told BoxingScene. “You’re going to a fight to watch someone fight, not dance around. So I’m here to put on a show. I’m here to break some bones, I’m here to bleed. That’s pretty much it.”
Lugo, who started boxing at age 6, has devoted more than half his life to the sport. For Lugo, boxing isn’t just a sport – it’s a way of life. His dedication has earned him 25 national titles, though his younger brother Elijah recently surpassed him (at 26). Elijah also took the knockout record for most stoppages in amateur boxing, a title Nathan once held. Now Nathan is paving the way as the pro boxer in the family.
“I put my whole life into it,” Lugo said. “I couldn’t do anything else. I’m a boxer; that’s all I’ve ever been.
On a Zoom interview, with his national titles hanging on the wall in the background, Lugo talked about his new appreciation for his amateur accomplishments.
“It’s crazy. As an amateur, it was just another fight to me. But now that I’m pro, I can actually look back on it and feel really good about what I’ve done. It’s an amazing feat.”
Lugo had blunt words about Ilunga, 24, who is originally from Congo and now training in Irving, Texas.
“He’s going to get hurt – that’s about it,” Lugo said. “He’s going to be on the ground, probably rolling around from a body shot. I’m coming to hurt him. My training has been all about breaking faces, breaking ribs, breaking arms if they block. I’m coming – my hands are hammers.”
For Lugo, it’s simple: Come fight night, he’s there not just to win but also to make a statement – a violent one. Ilunga, 1-0-1 (1 KO), is the next obstacle in his way. For fans craving power and relentless aggression, Lugo promises both.
“I’ve been doing this my whole life, to where this is all I have,” Lugo said. “So I’m going to do everything I can with it.”
Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.
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