• Home
  • RSR Management Team
  • RSR Feature Writers
  • Advertise
  • CONTACT THE PUBLISHER
  • THE “BAD” BRAD BERKWITT SHOW
  • RSR VIDEO EMAIL BAG SHOW
  • The Kristen “SuperCrip” Milefchik Ringside Report Show
  • Purchase Boxing Interviews Of A Lifetime
  • TWITTER
\

The Quarantine Chronicles – Part V – Victor Morales, JR.

May 29th, 2020 Bad Brad

By Marc “Kid Huevos” Livitz

The shutdown caused by the current global pandemic has sent many into a justified panic, while at the same time delivering those of us on the safe side a super size dose of cabin fever. The theme I’ve attempted to set with this series of interviews over the past few weeks is the basic idea that professional fighters aren’t so different from most of us. We’ve all experienced our own versions of setbacks over the past two months and some within the boxing ranks have been dealt one upon the next, as I found out earlier this week when I spoke to super featherweight contender Victor Morales, JR.

As the personable 22 year-old native of the Pacific Northwest shared with me during a pleasant phone call, a broken pinky finger meant his next bout originally scheduled for late March would be scrapped. Shortly after receiving the bad news, the whole world basically got some of its own. In any case, this was likely small fries for him, as a childhood bout with Meningitis at age 4 left him paralyzed from the waist down for almost a year. He’s always credited his father Victor, Sr. with helping him stay positive throughout his life as he went on to put together an impressive amateur record of 118 wins against 12 losses.

In addition, he won three separate national championship awards as he also nabbed an ‘outstanding fighter’ prize in 2014. Perhaps the oddest thing about our chat was the fact that Morales, 13-0, 7 KO’s, was telling me how Washington state was in the midst of a heat wave, after which I replied that central Texas was getting hammered by heavy rain. It’s usually the other way around, right?

ML: Hey, Victor, great talking with you again, my friend. What have you been up to these past few months as much of the world was seemingly put on hold?

“My family runs a pressure washing business and we’ve stayed very busy. There’s been all kinds of business, such as sanitation on shopping carts at grocery stores and the concrete in parking lots. I manage it and make sure everything runs smooth.”

ML: So, what were you doing and where were you when you heard that everything had to stop due to the Coronavirus?

“I had broken my left hand just before I was all set for a fight at the end of March at the Forum in LA. I shattered the pinky bone and I needed three surgeries to fix it.”

ML: Dang! How’d you break your hand so badly?

“It was one of those heavy bags that you fill up with water. I was just training at home and I ended up leaving it outside overnight. We had a hard freeze in the area but I didn’t think anything of it. We brought it back inside and I basically punched a block of ice. I knew right away that something was wrong.”

ML: So, that pretty much shut you down before the actual shutdown.

“Yes, but for me, it was almost like a blessing in disguise. The whole card was canceled, of course. I had thoughts of having to watch all the fights with a huge cast on my hand. I’d be sitting down watching everyone else fight and I’d be even more miserable. It’s okay, though because I know that everyone’s been affected by all of this.”

ML: You last fought around Thanksgiving last year. What did you take away from your bout against Diuhl Olguin down in Indio (California)?

“It was definitely a hard lesson learned because he wasn’t my original opponent. He got lost driving up there once he passed the border. Still, this guy I fought was ready and I had no clue who he was. I learned that he’d given losses to previously undefeated fighters. I found out a day before the weigh-in, so I had to just recall back to my amateur days and remember that I always had to be ready.”

ML: Have you been able to do much in terms of training?

“My doctor slowly started to clear me for certain activities after around a month and a half. I’d been just running and shadow boxing. My gym closed at the end of February and my dad was able to pick up an Olympic weight set, so I started lifting very light weights. We’ve slowly added some things to the pot like plyometric exercises and I recently started throwing again at the heavy bag.”

ML: Have you ventured out much?

“Oh, yes. From where I live, you can go north to Seattle or go east to play in the snow and there’s a lot of beaches between Washington and Oregon. We took some quads out to the sand dunes over Memorial Day weekend.”

ML: Did any bad habits creep in while you were recovering and waiting? Anything like staying up too late or eating a little too much?

“Well, for stuff like eating, every athlete changes when things slow down. We eat a bunch of food so that we can burn it off. If you fuel up and don’t use it, then you have to find a way to get rid of it. But I’ve been staying in shape and keeping my weight under check. I’m still on track to keep fighting at 126 (pounds). I usually walk around at about 140 or so.”

ML: Well, Victor, thanks so much for your time today. I do have one last question, though and I’ve asked every fighter I’ve interviewed in this series for their opinion on former heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz, JR. joining up with the Canelo Alvarez camp. He didn’t look great in his rematch with Anthony Joshua, so do you think they can help him?

“Well, it all depends on his mentality. I was skeptical when (WBC super lightweight silver champion) Ryan Garcia moved over to them. I thought they couldn’t help him but he’s a superstar now, so we can only hope it helps out with Andy Ruiz, JR. He’s a grown man. I’m kind of just waiting. Obviously, I hope the best for him. One of his coaches, Manny Robles always said that he had trouble motivating him and that Andy’s dad would come up with excuses.”

Contact the Feature Writers
* indicates required field
CAPTCHA
Refresh
Tweet
Follow me
Posted in BOXING NEWS Tags: JR, The Quarantine Chronicles - Part V - Victor Morales
« Tainted Love: Soft Cell – Ringside Report Classic Song of the Day
Donald J. Trump Flashes a New Shiny Twitter Object To Get Americans Minds Off of Covid-19 & Fails Terribly Once Again! »
Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Comments are closed.

  • SUPPORT OUR TROOPS

  • FBHOF

  • IBHOF

  • TWITTER

    Official Account of "Bad" Brad BerkwittFollow

    Official Account of
    BadBradRSROfficial Account of "Bad" Brad Berkwitt@BadBradRSR·
    5h

    @M19571104 Very!

    Reply on Twitter 1351096403624419332Retweet on Twitter 1351096403624419332Like on Twitter 13510964036244193321Twitter 1351096403624419332
    BadBradRSROfficial Account of "Bad" Brad Berkwitt@BadBradRSR·
    5h

    @JHoganGidley Boy bye!

    Reply on Twitter 1351096256379150337Retweet on Twitter 1351096256379150337Like on Twitter 13510962563791503371Twitter 1351096256379150337
    BadBradRSROfficial Account of "Bad" Brad Berkwitt@BadBradRSR·
    5h

    @BrisbaneMum67 Not a word!

    Reply on Twitter 1351095796712796161Retweet on Twitter 1351095796712796161Like on Twitter 13510957967127961612Twitter 1351095796712796161
    BadBradRSROfficial Account of "Bad" Brad Berkwitt@BadBradRSR·
    5h

    @RhymesRadical @KathleenChu5 @EdieBxgood @CaseLexes @RamonaTroi @LouGarza86 @eve_gaige @SARA2001NOOR @crzyfkinworld @Gr3Te4rights @mumsintheattic @PapaZ1961 @akaroa614 @MomofTwonodigit @rollbarann @BLONDIE_007_ @kellabel @GoinEasy9 @rxjef77 @simplyjustbeing Beautiful RR! Thanks for shoutout too!

    Reply on Twitter 1351093793609707532Retweet on Twitter 13510937936097075321Like on Twitter 13510937936097075324Twitter 1351093793609707532
    Retweet on TwitterOfficial Account of "Bad" Brad Berkwitt Retweeted
    RhymesRadicalRadical Rhymes@RhymesRadical·
    5h

    Crowned
    @KathleenChu5
    @EdieBxgood
    @CaseLexes
    @RamonaTroi
    @BadBradRSR
    @LouGarza86
    @eve_gaige
    @SARA2001NOOR
    @crzyfkinworld
    @Gr3Te4rights
    @mumsintheattic
    @PapaZ1961
    @akaroa614
    @MomofTwonodigit
    @rollbarann
    @BLONDIE_007_
    @kellabel
    @GoinEasy9
    @rxjef77
    @simplyjustbeing

    Reply on Twitter 1351093586671104004Retweet on Twitter 135109358667110400415Like on Twitter 135109358667110400446Twitter 1351093586671104004
    Load More...
    Custom Twitter Feeds Plugin
  • RSR VIDEO EMAIL BAG SHOW

  • Order your book now

  • Salt Talks

  • ADS

  • Log In


    Lost your password?
    Forgotten Password
    Cancel
  • ARCHIVES

  • SUBSCRIBE TO RSR

    Enter your email address:

  • CATEGORIES

    • ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI'S SALT TALKS INTERVIEWS (22)
    • BOXING NEWS (14,274)
    • COLUMNS BY "BAD" BRAD BERKWITT (176)
    • COLUMNS BY BETHANY "BST2" ARMSTRONG (31)
    • COLUMNS BY DONALD "BRAVEHEART" STEWART (161)
    • COLUMNS BY GEOFFREY HUCHEL (218)
    • COLUMNS BY HENRY S. VILLARD (47)
    • COLUMNS BY JANET GRACE (48)
    • COLUMNS BY JO-ANN "JO D NL" DUKE (143)
    • COLUMNS BY KRISTEN "SUPER CRIP" MILEFCHIK (41)
    • COLUMNS BY MARK KORUBA (16)
    • COLUMNS BY MAYA J. CARTER (18)
    • COLUMNS BY NIKKI SLUSHER (39)
    • COLUMNS BY RADICAL RHYMES (32)
    • COLUMNS BY RANDY "THE COMMISH" GORDON (29)
    • COLUMNS BY RON SIGNORE (79)
    • COLUMNS BY SETH H. BRAMSON (95)
    • COLUMNS BY STACY KORUBA (37)
    • COLUMNS BY WILLIAM KOZY (36)
    • DOCTOR CURMUDGEON® COLUMNS (133)
    • ENTERTAINMENT NEWS (1,051)
    • INTERVIEWS BY "BAD" BRAD BERKWITT (103)
    • MMA (691)
    • PACKY'S WORLD BY PACKY "BOOM BOOM" GOLDSTEIN (103)
    • POLITICAL COLUMNS (591)
    • RINGSIDE REPORT CLASSIC FIGHT OF THE DAY (287)
    • RINGSIDE REPORT CLASSIC SONG OF THE DAY (679)
    • RSR VIDEO EMAIL BAG SHOW HOSTED BY "BAD" BRAD BERKWITT (203)
    • SPORTING NEWS (164)
    • THE "BAD" BRAD BERKWITT SHOW (160)
    • THE KRISTEN "SUPER CRIP" MILEFCHIK RINGSIDE REPORT SHOW (26)
    • TWILIGHT ZONE REVIEWS (37)
    • TWITTER NEWS (1)
    • WORLD NEWS (775)
Copyright © 2004-2021 Ringside Report - "The Heart of Boxing & Entertainment"
Powered by RSR | Designed by: MMORPG Games | Thanks to RPG Game Reviews, VPS Hosting and Video Hosting