A Left Hook At Greatness: Eduardo Rodriguez Cazares Wins Sugar Bert Boxing National Ranking Tournament

Eduardo Israel Rodriguez Cazares ’26 recently captured a national boxing championship, a major milestone in a journey defined by discipline, sacrifice, and strong support from his family and coach.

By: Fabian Anguiano and Ariana Lopez Salguero

Inspired by his stepfather, Cazares began boxing at the age of 13. What started as a new sport quickly became a life-changing commitment.

To Cazares, winning a national championship felt “Unreal, I think it was just sacrifices and choosing one thing over another,” highlighting the dedication and discipline that led him to this title.

Cazares credits much of his success to his coach, whom he describes as both “a mentor and a father.”

Preparation for the national championships was demanding.

Cazares’ training leading up to the national championships was “Very strict, a lot of stuff out of the ring.”

Just a week before the tournament, illness nearly kept him from competing.

“I would train, and I would take my clothes off right after,” said Cazares. “I think I caught a cold, and I got really sick. I didn’t know if I was going to go.”

Despite the setback, Cazares traveled to Pleasanton, California, just North of San Jose, where the championships were held.

Cazares’ overall experience at the championships was “different. Really different from anything I’ve ever seen before, and I really enjoyed it.”

Although the victory was a major accomplishment, Cazares says his journey is far from over.

“The golden gloves in March start here, and hopefully I catch another title there,” said Cazares.

Cazares’ mother, Monica Cazares, shared her perspective on her son’s journey.

Her comments below are translated from Spanish.

Eduardo’s mother, Monica Cazares, said, “Eduardo started boxing at the beginning of the year after COVID. He was playing soccer, and because of the COVID pandemic, he quit soccer and signed up for boxing.”

Mrs. Cazares’ reaction when Eduardo started boxing was, “Honestly, I wasn’t very happy about it because it’s a dangerous contact sport. For me, it’s dangerous; maybe not for him, but later, when I saw that it was something he was passionate about, I decided to support him. But yes, at first, I was afraid.”

Eduardo has changed not only as a boxer but also as a person. “He has matured as a person, he has grown emotionally, he seems like an adult, he has the maturity of someone I would say is 25 years old. It has made him mature, disciplined, and responsible, and it has changed his perspective on life. He has taken life more seriously since then.”

Seeing her son win the national championship was, “More than anything, I admire him. He is someone I admire very much, and I feel proud. But more than anything, I’m so happy that he’s in the place he wants to be and that he’s achieving his goals and objectives.”

Eduardo can reach the professional level. “He wants to be a professional. Since he started this sport, he said, ‘I want to be a professional,’ and he has fought hard to get to that point.”

“Being Eduardo’s mother is quite a challenge because sometimes I think he’s a much more intelligent person than I am, that he’s ahead of me in terms of knowledge. He’s a person who is not only good at sports, but he’s also good at school. Whatever he does, he does with great passion, he does it well, and he’s someone I admire.”

Ms. Cazares

Entrevista original en español.

La madre de Eduardo, Monica Cazares, dijo “Eduardo empezó a hacer boxeo a principios del año después del covid, estaba en soccer y debido a la pandemia el covid, dejó el soccer y se inscribió en box.”

Señora Cazares reacción cuando Eduardo empiezó a boxar fue, “honestamente, no estaba muy de acuerdo pues lo que es un un deporte de contacto peligroso. Para mí es peligroso a lo mejor para él no, pero después como yo lo vi que era lo que a él le apasionaba pues decidí apoyarlo pero sí, primero sí sentí temor.”

Eduardo no solo cambió no solo como un boxeador, pero sí también como en persona, “Ha madurado como persona, ha crecido emocionalmente es una parece un adulto tiene la madurez ya yo pienso que es un muchacho de 25 años. Lo ha hecho madurar, ser disciplinado, responsable y ha cambiado ahora sí que su perspectiva en la vida ha tomado a la vida una serie a partir de esto.”

Al ver a su hijo ganar el campionato nacional, fue, “pues más que nada, yo lo admiro, es una persona que admiro mucho y me siento orgullosa”. Pero más que nada, pues me da muchísimo gusto que esté en el lugar que él quiere estar y que esté logrando sus metas y sus objetivos.”

Eduardo, puede llegar a los profesionales, “Quiere ser profesional. Desde que él ingresó a este deporte, él dijo ‘quiero ser profesional’ y pues ha luchado mucho por llegar a a ese lugar.”

“Ser mamá de Eduardo es todo un reto porque a veces pienso que es una persona mucho más inteligente que yo, que me lleva ventaja ahora sí que en el ámbito del conocimiento, es una persona que no solamente es buena en el deporte, es bueno en la escuela, lo que hace lo hace con mucha pasión, lo hace bien y es una persona que yo admiro.”

Señora Cazares

Eduardo’s coach, Pedro Leon, who met him when he was 13, immediately noticed his dedication.

He says, “Right away, his eagerness to learn separated him from the others.”

Their relationship grew through consistent effort and trust.

“He never missed a practice and asked hundreds of questions about how to get better,” coach Leon said.

Seeing Eduardo win a national title was a defining moment.

“Seeing him win a national title was a special moment for us. Years of hard work had finally paid off.”

Coach Pedro Leon

Despite the success, the coach emphasizes that growth never stops.

Coach Leon says that it was never going to be easy, but the only possible way was through hard work. 

With a big future ahead, his coach says, “There’s always room for improvement. You can never stop learning, and that’s something that we’ve been talking about a lot lately, as the conversation of going pro here in the near future has been about.”

“Boxing is one of the toughest sports out there, and to excel in it is even harder, and he’s been able to do it. Putting himself with the best in the country.”

Coach Pedro Leon

Eager to see what the future holds for Eduardo, his coach says, “Eduardo has high expectations for himself, and I do too. Hopefully, one day we’ll see him on TV fighting for a world title.”

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