Carlos Morales Jr. may be tearing through the amateur boxing ranks, but while he was growing up watching his dad, Carlos “The Solution” Morales Sr., he was indifferent toward the sport. Now, boxing is an obsession for Morales Jr.
“At first I didn’t really like boxing, to be honest,” Morales Jr. said. “At first, I thought it was just a violent sport that my dad did, but then after a few years, I was in love with boxing…I didn’t expect that to happen and it did.”
Though he didn’t love boxing early on, he vividly remembers the moment he recognized his competitive nature — Feb. 14, 2020, when his father was knocked out by former three-time world champion Jorge Linares.
“When my dad fought Jorge Linares and he got knocked out, immediately I remember just crying and crying,” Morales Jr. said. “The crazy part was I knew my dad wasn’t hurt. I was crying more because he lost, and it kind of just made me realize I really hate losing.”
Since that moment, “The Little Solution” has been on a tireless pursuit of excellence in the boxing world. The 15-year-old has amassed over 120 wins and currently sits as the No. 1 amateur U.S. boxer in the 114-pound weight class. Morales Jr. employs a fast-paced style and is a slick counterpuncher. He draws a lot of influence from the way his father boxed.
“I used to see that he didn’t like getting hit at all, and that’s kind of the personality I took when I started my style — I don’t like to get hit,” Morales Jr. said. “I guess that kind of helped my amateur career because not getting hit means you can’t lose.”
He added that he feels like he can adapt to any opponents’ strategy.
“I feel like I’m able to do anything in the ring…and no matter what, I will always have the same results,” he said.
The up-and-comer trains at CM Boxing Stables in Alhambra, his father’s gym that opened in 2015. Morales Sr. is his trainer, and he is impressed by his son’s amateur career so far.
“I’m super happy because he has accomplished quite a lot of stuff. More than I did as an amateur,” Morales Sr. said. “And I told him since the beginning that if he listened and learned from my good and bad experiences, that I was going to make him a good fighter.”
Morales Jr.’s success extends beyond the ring, too. He said boxing has motivated him to strive to do well in school.
“It’s honestly really hard being able to do both, but if I’m able to be the best (amateur boxer) in the nation, I feel like I’m able to do really good in school, and that kind of motivates me,” Morales Jr. said.
Morales Jr. values education and plans to go to college, but before that, his focus is solely on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. He said the thought of winning gold for Mexico or the United States pushes him to work harder in the gym and continue winning in the amateur ranks.
“At the end of the day, I want to win the Olympics,” Morales Jr. said. “I want to win gold, and then we’ll focus on things after that. But right now, that’s the main goal.”
With three years remaining before the 2028 Olympics, Carlos “The Little Solution” Morales Jr. will be a name to keep an eye on.
发表回复