Cain Sandoval hears the chatter in the gym. There’s talk of the select few from his native Sacramento who made it to the top of the boxing mountain, names like Tony Lopez and Loreto Garza, and there’s hope that he will be the next. But the unbeaten 22-year-old isn’t operating on hope.
“Everybody wants to compare me (to other people) and say ‘Oh, you’re going to be the one to bring boxing back to Sacramento, you’re going to bring a world title back to Sacramento. You’re going to be the next Tony,’” he said. “And when people tell me that, I’m like, man, I’ll be the next Cain Sandoval.”
So far, being the next Cain Sandoval isn’t a bad gig. The junior welterweight is unbeaten in 13 pro fights with 11 knockouts, the buzz is growing around him, and he’s headlining Saturday’s 360 Boxing Promotions card against Romero Duno at Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez. All while doing it from the place in California that’s not exactly a boxing hotbed.
“It’s kind of a ghost town right now, to be honest,” Sandoval said. “I’m the youngest out putting on for the city, but me and this other guy named Joeshon James, we’re really the main ones taking risks, getting these big fights and showing out. I feel like I’m going to be the one to bring boxing back to Sacramento.”
If he does, it will inject life into the town just like so many boxers have done for places off the beaten path. Think Terence Crawford in Omaha, Paul Spadafora in Pittsburgh or Joe Mesi in Buffalo. Sandoval has that potential but feels no pressure.
“A lot of people fold when they have a huge responsibility like that, but I just feel like it’s already written,” he said. “I knew I was going to be put in this position one way or another in my life, so I feel like I’m ready for all of it.”
That’s a lot of confidence for a 22-year-old kid with 13 pro fights, but he’s been on this path for a while now, and it was when he was just 14 that he realized that he could be something special between the ropes.
“It hit me when I went to my first national tournament in Kansas City for the USA Junior Nationals,” Sandoval said. “I lost a close fight to this guy (Jeremy Adorno) that won 17 national titles, and I thought I won the fight, but I didn’t know who I was fighting. Then after, they said, ‘You know who that is? You almost beat a national champ.’ This was my first national tournament, so I was like, yeah, this is something that I had to pursue, for sure.”
Sandoval got used to fighting legit competition as an amateur, and he’s continued on that path as a pro. He already holds wins over Javier Molina and Wesley Ferrer, and this weekend he will square off with Filipino veteran Duro, owner of a 26-4 record with 20 knockouts. That’s impressive, but Sandoval has been trying to find the balance between ambition and patience.
“I’m ready for all those big fights, but also, patience is key,” he said.
That doesn’t mean he hasn’t started snooping around the 140-pound weight class, looking for a fight. Maybe not today, but soon.
“I look at all the guys in my division, even the Top 15 and Top 25, and there’s a lot of great fights to be made, but everything with patience,” Sandoval said. “I’m not really rushing anything, but if an opportunity comes to light. I’m going to take it.”
It’s what those past Sacramento champs would have done, and Sandoval is right there with the same attitude. As for Saturday night, if you haven’t seen him yet, he promises to get you on the bandwagon.
“The fans should expect a great performance and seeing a prospect slowly reaching into contender status,” he said. “It’s going to be my biggest fight to date, but you can expect me to come out victorious and put on a show.”
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