Edwin Sandoval ready for the world

For Edwin Sandoval, boxing was always something he knew was there for him but after completing his amateur career which included a stint on the LA Matadors of the World Series of Boxing, he wasn’t sure if he would be able to make the jump to the professional ranks. Now he prepares for a professional debut on April 24 versus Hector Barragan and reflects on his journey.

As a child Sandoval recalls watching boxing with his family and while the other kids played he was more concerned with watching the fights. “I come from a musical family where no one in my family boxed. After watching the fights as a kid I bugged my dad for years. He took me at 10 years old and I trained for a year,” said Sandoval.

Now with some training under his belt the young Sandoval wanted to test his skills but he’d have to convince his father to allow him to compete. “ I debuted in the amateurs in the Silver Gloves which is the biggest tournament for 15-year-olds and under,” said Sandoval.\

After winning his first two fights and qualifying for the State finals which he also won. “After that my dad realized that I could fight and let me go. From there it was all history, I kept going to the big tournaments. In my first nationals I medaled bronze so I was up in my first national tournament,” said Sandoval.

The early success was proof to Sandoval that maybe he had found his calling and could do well in boxing. Coming from Bakersfield, California which isn’t really known as a boxing hotbed, he knew he would have to migrate to Los Angeles in order to give himself a chance to make a successful transition to the paid ranks.

He would soon get a taste of what it would be like to compete under a structured environment when he competed under the semi-professional league known as The World Series of Boxing. The league allowed for teams to compete against some of the best amateurs in the world without headgear and paid the fighters who competed.

It was here that Sandoval first met Courage Tshabalala who was a trainer for the team. Little did he know that they would cross paths again as he would become his trainer as a professional. “It was hard because I was one of the least experienced fighters in the league. You’re fighting Olympians and champions and it’s tough because they have international experience,” said Sandoval.

Being 18 years old and getting that experience gave him some perspective into what he wanted to do next. “It was great to compete against that level of competition. I knew I belonged in the sport and could do great things if I had the right team behind me,” said Sandoval.

Upon returning home and always having trained at his local Police Activities League gym he found things would change once his original trainer died of cancer and he was no longer being allowed to train with the amateur kids.

“It was tough once my trainer Mike Dallas Sr. died from leukemia. I just fell off because I had a year of inactivity. I was getting offers but they weren’t what I was looking for. I didn’t have guidance because my coach was gone,” said Sandoval.

The inactivity led to him having to get a job to raise money if he was to move to Los Angeles to pursue his dream. “I was working and during the inactivity people would see me and ask about my fighting. I would watch guys I had fought and beat in the amateurs doing well in their pro careers and that motivated me,” said Sandoval.

That move would become a reality in late 2013 and he would soon find himself training around the various gyms. After a couple of months he would get the offer he was looking for from Sheer Sports who offered to take him into the stable and manage his career.

Now he is training for his pro debut in the bantamweight division and knows sky’s the limit if he continues to train and dedicate himself to his craft. “It feels great because everything happens for a reason. I didn’t have my mind right and now I have no doubts about turning pro,” said Sandoval.