Santa Fe To The Pro Ranks Eduardo Piñon

A knockout debut might look like instant success, but the real story starts years earlier in a quiet gym in Santa Fe. We sit down with a young 115-pound prospect who found boxing at twelve, stuck with it after friends quit, and turned a thin amateur résumé into a professional launch built on repetition, patience, and relentless discipline. From five amateur fights to an explosive first pro finish, he walks us through the decisions and daily habits that shape a rising career.

We dig into what most fans don’t see: six-day training weeks, twice-a-week sparring in camp, and the uncomfortable truth that the toughest fight often happens at the dinner table. He’s candid about the weight cut, learning to count calories, and breaking a stubborn sweet tooth. The plan is simple but demanding—structured meals, steady conditioning, and a calm mind on the scale. That approach translates in the ring, where he promises to take the knockout if the opening is there, without forcing chaos for the cameras.

We also talk idols, styles, and the gap between hype and craft. He grew up watching Canelo, respects how time changes a champion’s toolkit, and sees why a technician with speed and timing can disrupt even elite defenses. When it comes to dream opponents, he wants the challenge that demands the most growth. Beyond the ring, his message to younger listeners is clear: discipline wins. He frames motivation as a quiet race against an unseen rival his age and weight, and he believes boxing can help bullied kids build confidence and character—the kind that lets them walk away knowing they could fight, but don’t need to.

If you’re here for fight IQ, real training insight, and a grounded view of what it takes to rise at super flyweight, this one’s for you. Tap play, subscribe for more conversations with emerging and elite fighters, and leave a review to tell us your pick for his next opponent.

The Boxing Grind 

Transcript

Roots And First Fights

SPEAKER_00 0:00

How are you today? I'm doing good. How are you?

SPEAKER_01 0:02

Doing well, blessed and highly favored. Before we get into the questions, I wanted to just have you introduce yourself and let the audience know a little bit about yourself, where you come from, the type of boxing background that you have.

SPEAKER_00 0:14

Yeah, I was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Then I started boxing when I was around I think I was 12 when I started boxing, but my my amateur career didn't go that well because because the coaches I was with wouldn't that wasn't their priority, getting me amateur fights. So I would just stay locked in at the gym, just training and fighting maybe once a year.

SPEAKER_01 0:36

Okay. When was your f how old were you when you had your first fight?

SPEAKER_00 0:39

I was I believe 13.

SPEAKER_01 0:41

Okay. And this was all taking place in Santa Fe?

SPEAKER_00 0:44

In Santa Fe, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:45

Okay, so when you were 12 years old, how did you present that to your family that you wanted to box?

SPEAKER_00 0:50

Um yeah, I was just messing around. I didn't I didn't really wasn't I wasn't into boxing, but since I had some friends in school doing boxing and they were cool to hang out with, I wanted to go box with them. Okay, and just with the time, they they left boxing and I stood there. I just kept doing it. Uh it was just something that was in your soul, right? Yeah, I just left it with yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

I get it. No, I get it. I've been boxing 30 years. I I know I know how you feel. So you had your first fight at 13, and how did that go?

SPEAKER_00 1:19

It went it went good. I remember I dropped the kid in the first round. Okay, and the other it was three rounds I think we fought, and the those two other rounds I just Yeah. I just walked through him.

SPEAKER_01 1:31

Yeah. Now, from that moment on, you had so you I think you had a total of five amateur fights?

SPEAKER_00 1:38

Yeah, I ran there, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:39

Okay, so when you s you were talking about the coaching, and this isn't the first time that I've heard things like this. What was the problem with the coaches? Were they just not paying attention to you, or what was the deal?

SPEAKER_00 1:50

No, I don't know what's well I don't I'm not sure what's their priority back then, but like they would pay attention to me, they would work with me. But I don't know, I guess they were more focused on the pro fighters. I see.

SPEAKER_01 2:01

Okay. That's actually a pretty common thing that happens across the entire nation. Now, how did your family feel about you wanting to box?

SPEAKER_00 2:10

Well, my mom, she she feels nervous when I when I go up there. Okay. She gets scared, but she's working with it, she's getting better.

SPEAKER_01 2:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:18

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:18

And my dad gets excited. Okay. So, but I mean your mom is supporting supportive of you, though. She's still supportive. Yeah, it's scary. I I get it. Now you said you had a bad amateur career. Was it because of the number of fights, or you just what what was bad about it?

SPEAKER_00 2:34

J just the number of fights I would have I wish I would have gotten more.

SPEAKER_01 2:37

Okay. Now, is that the reason why you turned pro so soon? Because I was wondering that, you know, usually when people turn pro,

Coaching Gaps And Family Reactions

SPEAKER_01 2:45

they've had a good, you know, at least 80 fights or something like that. Like, what what happened after that fifth fight that you were like, nah, I'm just gonna go pro?

SPEAKER_00 2:54

No, actually, we we got that fifth fight, and then we just I just went back to the gym, still training, thinking I was still gonna be fighting amateur fights.

SPEAKER_01 3:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:03

And then my co my coaches, Pat Holmes, sat me down and asked if I wanted to go pro. I see. And Okay.

SPEAKER_01 3:10

So Pat Holmes is your coach, and that's Holmes boxing, right? Up at Santa Fe. Okay. And now, so are you training are you training with Donald Sanchez as well? Or no, and now I don't train with them.

SPEAKER_00 3:24

I usually come up here with sparring for them. Oh, I see. How often do you spar? Right now in camp, we try to get like at least twice a week.

SPEAKER_01 3:31

Okay. And now do you ha are you also sparring up in Santa Fe? Yeah. Okay. And now what is your training like? Is it six days a week, seven days a week? What do you what are you exactly doing?

SPEAKER_00 3:42

It's six days a week, Monday through Saturday.

SPEAKER_01 3:44

Okay. And when you so you had your first pro fight, and obviously that was a really exciting knockout, right? And you won the fight of the year, congratulations, right? That was the knockout of the year. That's right. That's right. Fight of the year with somebody else. Actually, you I was looking at your your boxing record. You fought Austin Lewis.

SPEAKER_00 4:04

I was supposed to fight Austin Lewis, okay, but that fight, he didn't make weight and he had some health issues. Oh, I see. So you it wasn't, it never happened.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

Okay, because I saw the name and I'm like, oh wow, okay. Alright, so but now from that pro fight, was there anything that you thought about after the fight that you wished would have happened? Like it was it was so quick for you. Did you almost feel like you cheated yourself because like it was so quick?

SPEAKER_00 4:34

Yeah, I feel like I put in like too much work like for it to end that quick.

SPEAKER_01 4:38

And now, have you thought about that? And like with your next fight coming up, are you gonna try to pace it on a little bit more, or if you could just get the knockout, you're gonna go for the knockout? Because I think every fighter just still wants the knockout. If I see an opening and I see my chance, I'm taking it. Of course. No, right? It would be crazy if you didn't. Who are you fighting?

SPEAKER_00 4:57

I just got told his name yesterday, but I forgot.

SPEAKER_01 5:00

Okay. Yeah. And now what wake list do you fight at? 115. 115. Okay. So when you are thinking about the year 2026, is there a number of fights that you're hoping to accomplish? At least three. Okay. At least three. And now you are in obviously you're in this for the long run. Where do you see yourself going over the next three years in boxing?

SPEAKER_00 5:26

Actually, like in three years from now, I th I believe I'd

Turning Pro And Training Routine

SPEAKER_00 5:30

be a known star. Okay. That's what I believe.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

Okay. A known star in what aspect? Like, are you trying to get are you trying to get a title? Like what what's your what's your goal?

SPEAKER_00 5:40

Yeah, okay, so I I do want to get titles, but I I don't think in three years I'll manage to get a title. Okay. I still gotta work more.

SPEAKER_01 5:48

Okay. Okay. Are you interested in any specific organization? Like the WBC, WBO, anything, or you haven't even thought about it? I haven't really thought about any like specific organizations. That's all the politics stuff, right? Like, that's not even the fun stuff, right? Right? But I have to ask. Now, with your with your training, what do you think is the hardest part of your training that you have to mentally push through? Um, okay, the weight cut. The weight cut. Okay. Not the running? No, not the running. Oh, see? Okay, yeah, that's a first. Well, no, a lot, a lot, a lot of fighters say that the weight cut is hard too, but most of the guys are like, I hate that fight. Uh, I hate that running. Like they hate running. Yeah. So, but what about the what about the weight cutting is so hard? Is it just limiting the calories? What?

SPEAKER_00 6:32

Yeah, counting calories and counting calories. I feel like I've gotten better now, but I used to have a bad sweet tooth. So just saying oh, the sugar was hard to me.

SPEAKER_01 6:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:42

Was something I had to push through.

SPEAKER_01 6:44

Alright, but what about after the fight? Oh, after the fire go off. Oh, so what do you wait wait? So wait, what's your favorite sweets to eat after the fight? Chocolate. Oh, okay. See, but that's not chocolate's good for you. Chocolate's no, we're gonna say chocolate's good. We ain't no. Now, let me let me just ask you right now, your weight class, are you ever considering moving up in weight class?

SPEAKER_00 7:09

Yeah, I think as my body changes, because I'm I I think my body's still gonna change more. Absolutely as it changes, uh of course I'll I'll move up.

SPEAKER_01 7:17

Okay. And if you can fight any popular boxer right now, who would that be?

SPEAKER_00 7:28

That's a good one. I feel like a hard challenge would be annoy. Oh, we would yeah. It would be a tough fight, and I'd want to take that. You know, what do you think would be tough about him? She's just she's just really crafty. He moves, he knows how to move.

SPEAKER_01 7:43

He's yeah, he's got skills. Well, he's got a lot of speed. Yeah, you know, and I think that and I I was just having a conversation with somebody else, like when people experience his speed, it really throws them off. And like it just throws off their entire plan. And you know, but since you are not uh since you're known for a knockout, if you could get him in for the knockout, I mean you would be the guy to do it because you get him blowing, yeah. Get him up against the ropes. Yeah, you just gotta get them right up against the ropes and just give them one hard crack, one hug, right in the head. When you think about boxers

Knockout Debut And What Comes Next

SPEAKER_01 8:20

as you were growing up, now you started boxing when you were 12, but had you had any exposure to it before that?

SPEAKER_00 8:27

Yeah, it's I would see the Canelo fights.

SPEAKER_01 8:29

Oh, you oh, you like Canelo. Yeah. Is he who inspired you? Yeah, he was he was part of it. What do you think about Canelo now? Uh right now, I don't you d don't you dare, because I love Canelo. I love Canelo.

SPEAKER_00 8:43

He had great fights, but I just think I just think he's like he's just on his way out of the sport.

SPEAKER_01 8:48

Yeah. Okay, because somebody said that he was like elderly now on my on my boxing show. And I was like, oh no, he ain't elderly. Um, but he does have an injured elbow. What did you think about that Crawford fight?

SPEAKER_00 8:59

I actually had Crawford to win as well. You did? Yeah, like because like just like the difference in skills, you know.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

Well, I wouldn't even say the difference in skills. I just think that I just think that Canelo really was not prepared for those hits. I mean, he even said it. He even said, I was really not expecting Crawford to hit that hard. Yeah, he underestimated. He really did underestimate. But you know what? In all fairness, it was right for him to underestimate because look at his record and look at listen, if anybody has smooth defense, it's him. Yeah, you know, and for him to not be able to overcome, I mean, you saw how winded he was getting towards the end, too. That's an that wasn't even Canelo. So I think that age definitely played a little bit, but you know, we're not gonna call him elderly, like somebody else called him elderly, elderly, and I was like, nah, we ain't going there. So is there anything that you want to tell the public to inspire them or any words of wisdom that you've received growing up or that you receive from coaches, people in this industry?

SPEAKER_00 10:04

Just I'd say discipline. Discipline's the I feel like that's the that's the number one key in boxing. Stay disciplined to your diet, stay disciplined to to your training, to your runs, discipline.

SPEAKER_01 10:19

But how do you how do you keep that discipline, right? Like it's the battle of the mind. Like, what are you telling yourself? What what what are you specifically telling yourself when you wake up in the morning on those days that you're like, fuck it, I do not want to do this.

SPEAKER_00 10:33

I just remind myself there's someone out there doing it. Someone my weight, my age, doing what I don't want to do. Like a little silent competition with the unknown.

SPEAKER_01 10:41

Okay, okay, I I feel that. What about what about boxing for you know, a lot of kids

Weight Cuts, Sweets, And Moving Up

SPEAKER_01 10:50

that are bullied? What do you think about that? Because I I feel that there should be boxing implemented in schools across the nation. Boxing saved my life, and it really helped give me some self-esteem with bullies. What do you what do you think about that and how would we go about getting it into the schools, especially in New Mexico?

SPEAKER_00 11:08

Yeah, that'd be that'd be so cool because like it boxing gives you like confidence, it gives you character. Character. And I like that. I feel like that's what they need when like when you're getting bullied, you're you're I have to maybe scared, you know, scary to stand up. Yeah, boxing definitely gives you that confidence to say, cut it out.

SPEAKER_01 11:26

Cut it out, but also I like what you said about character because knowing that you can fight is different than just saying that you can fight and like going and fighting back, yeah, right? Because you know you can beat someone's face in, right? So if even if somebody came over and started bullying you right now, your character is instilled in you from boxing, that discipline. You're you're not gonna you're probably not even gonna respond to them because you know you're gonna just knock them out.

SPEAKER_00 11:52

Yeah, I probably just trying to chill out, bro. I don't want to fight, yeah. You probably walk away.

SPEAKER_01 11:56

Yeah, and that's what I've been pushing for out here in New Mexico is to get more boxing programs for the youth. Like I come from New York City, and bullying was huge out there, but there's also a lot of programs available, and there's really not anything that's that's shining out here, so I'm working on that, and maybe one day you'll actually be coming in and and and talking to some of the kids. That'd be so cool. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I would love to have you do that, and that would be just such a great help to the community. And now, you said you're fighting January 31st, you don't remember the guy's name. I'm gonna be there covering the media. Is there anything else that you wanted to let the public know about that fight?

SPEAKER_00 12:34

Just stay tuned. Um stay tuned. I'm never I'm I never stop working, so just I'm always locked in.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

I like it. Well, thank you so much for your time. I really greatly appreciate you, and God bless you.

SPEAKER_00 12:46

God bless you too. Thank you.