Philadelphia, Penn./ORANGE, Calif. (Feb. 16, 2018) – Rising featherweight talent Ruben Villa (9-0, 4 KOs) of Salinas, Calif. faced some fight week uncertainty after his initial opponent, Ruben Tamayo, fell in and was replaced by Juan Sandoval (7-20-1, 4 KOs) of San Bernardino, Calif. late Wednesday.
The “Path to Glory” co-feature between Villa and Sandoval is set for 6-rounds and originates from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif. Tonight.
Villa, a former two-time Golden Gloves winner, gave his take on tonight’s last minute match up, his early dominance on the scorecards, and what its like sparring against heavier competition.
Your main sparring partners for this training camp were Joel Diaz, Jr. and Andy Vences. Both fight at a heavier weight class than you (135-140 lbs.). What kind of advantage will that give you on Friday night?
“It’s a tremendous advantage. My trainer, Max Garcia, wanted me to spar bigger, longer guys with respectable records. Both Joel and Andy have hit the 20-fight mark and are highly skilled. I went four-minute rounds with them to make sure I was prepared for Tamayo. They gave me excellent work.”
Is there anything specific that you dialed in on for this training camp?
“I’m trying to use more angles so I can attack in different ways. Also, trying to mix up my movements so I don’t telegraph what I’m trying to do.”
Your opponent, Juan Sandoval, was added at the last minute. How does this affect your preparation?
“It’s boxing. This type of stuff happens all the time especially when you’re first starting out. I’m not too worried. I put in an excellent training camp and I’m prepared for everything.”
Of your five wins that have resulted in unanimous decision victories, you’ve managed to win every round on every scorecard. Did you expect that kind of dominance early on?
“Staying in the gym pays dividends, but at the same time you should see that type of dominance in a prospect. The ability to impose your will boosts your confidence. I see every round of every fight going my way. It’s not arrogance, it’s confidence and you need that belief otherwise you’re in trouble.”
Villa is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.
All fights will be live streamed on TB Presents: Path to Glory via our Facebook page and ThompsonBoxing.com.
The livestream starts at 8:00 p.m. PT / 11:00 p.m. ET with Beto Duran as the blow-by-blow announcer and Steve Kim providing expert color commentary.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. local time with the first bout at approximately 8:00 p.m. The Doubletree Hotel is located at 222 N. Vineyard Ave. in Ontario, CA 91764 and can be reached at 909-937-0900.
Photo by Carlos Baeza / Thompson Boxing
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