Welterweight Prospect Artemio Reyes Not Just a Boxer

ORANGE, Calif. (July 23, 2013) – As Artemio Reyes readies for his Friday fight with the veteranSergio Perez, he will do so with a lot on his mind and even more on his plate. Reyes, a welterweight out of California’s Inland Empire, is a triple-threat boxer in the non-conventional sense.

“I am a full-time boxer with Thompson Boxing Promotions, full-time business student at CSU San Bernardino and the manager at my family’s Mexican restaurant El Taquito in Colton,” said Reyes, who has knocked out his opponent in the second round in three out of his last four fights. “People ask all the time how I manage all three responsibilities. I don’t know what to tell them, I just do. I don’t really go out. I just handle my business.”

On Friday, Reyes (19-2, 15 KOs) will be looking to add to his win total when he headlines Thompson Boxing Promotion’s “Locked ‘n Loaded” boxing series against Sergio Perez (28-14, 19 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico at the DoubleTree Hotel in Ontario, CA. The bout is scheduled for 8-rounds.

To those who know Reyes, the loaded schedule is simply business as usual. “I was put to work early,” Reyes said. “My parents took me to work with them when I was six or seven years old.   At an early age, I learned the value of hard work and dedication.”

Reyes’ life would change considerably in 2008, when his father was involved in a car accident that left him in a coma for four years. “My mother and I were his unofficial registered nurses,” Reyes said. “The doctors said he’d probably hold on for about a year, but he kept fighting for four. It wasn’t until April 2012 when he passed away. Everything I do is for him. It’s all in his memory. He was the hardest working person I ever knew.”

Reyes, 26, knows his father would be proud of what he has accomplished in a short amount of time. He is scheduled to graduate with a degree in accounting by the fall of 2014 and is on the cusp of his twentieth professional victory.

“I definitely take after my parents,” said Reyes, who first discovered his passion for accounting by taking an entry-level accounting course at Riverside Community College. “They were great role models growing up. They always stressed the importance of school and education.”

“I know my boxing career will one day come to an end so I want to make sure I’m taken care of once I hang up my gloves,” Reyes said. “It’s strange how things work. I didn’t even know I liked accounting until I enrolled in the course. I got an A in the class and then researched how much accountants make and I was sold.”

In the intriguing co-feature, junior flyweights Sindy Amador, (10-0, 1 KO) of Riverside, Calif. andJolene Blackshear (7-3, 3 KOs) of San Diego will battle for the vacant interim WIBA Jr. Flyweight world title in an 8-round fight. It is the first championship fight for Thompson Boxing Promotions at the DoubleTree Hotel.

Tickets priced $100, $60 and $40 are on sale now and can be purchased by calling (714) 935-0900.  For more information please visit www.thompsonboxing.com.

The undercard features Colombian middleweight prospect Alex Theran (13-0, 8 KOs) putting his unbeaten record on the line in a 6-round bout against Juan Carlos Rojas (5-5, 4 KOs) of Mexico. Undefeated super bantamweight Jorge Ruiz (2-0, 1 KO) of San Diego will take on Alex Reyes (0-2) of Houston in a 4-round fight, while middleweights Ralph Lopez (6-1, 5 KOs) of Riverside, Calif. and German Valdez (2-1, 1 KO) of Mexico open the show in a 4-round fight.

Doors open at 6:30 pm, and the first bell rings at 7:45 pm. The DoubleTree Hotel is located at 222 N. Vineyard Ave., Ontario, CA 91764 and can be reached at (909) 937-0900.