The Boxing Grind

From Golden Gloves To Going Pro

Victoria Episode 6

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0:00 | 22:37

The gloves came on long before the spotlight. Growing up in Las Vegas, New Mexico, Kaleb Medina learned to turn raw emotion into focused work, guided by a father, grandfather, and uncle who lived the sport. That lineage runs through every story he tells, from childhood shadowboxing to collecting 70-plus amateur bouts and navigating a pandemic pause before landing in Albuquerque’s tight-knit boxing community.

We get into the nuts and bolts of a Golden Gloves win at 143, why moving up from 132 made sense, and how amateur tournaments punish the undisciplined with daily weigh-ins. He breaks down conditioning that actually translates, especially sprint work that builds second and third winds when fights get gritty. With one last international tournament ahead, he looks toward the pro ranks at 130, backed by coaches who emphasize smart matchmaking, real development, and accountability. He has no time for padded records or triangle theories; styles make fights, and respect is earned the hard way, round after round.

There’s a studied eye behind the swagger. He analyzes recent pro action with detail—dropped hands, tempo shifts, broadcast bias—and names current favorites like Bam Rodriguez, Nakatani, and Benavidez for their blend of craft and aggression. Beneath it all sits a steady faith shaped by family and fortified through hard years, the kind that turns road work into ritual and setbacks into fuel. If you’ve ever wanted to step into a boxing gym but hesitated, you’ll find practical advice and an open door here: start with the bag, build the habit, and let the confidence follow.

Subscribe for more conversations with rising prospects and seasoned champions, share this with a friend who loves boxing, and leave a review to help others find the show. Which topic should we dive deeper into next—weight cuts, sparring, or turning pro? Let us know.

The Boxing Grind 

Meet The Fighter

SPEAKER_00

How are you today?

SPEAKER_01

I'm doing good and yourself.

SPEAKER_00

I'm doing great. Thank you. Thank you for coming on the show.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. So before I get started with the questions, I always like to ask the fighters to give a little bit of a rundown of themselves and, you know, just their history in boxing, where they come from. Yeah. Go for it.

SPEAKER_01

All right. So I'm from Las Vegas, New Mexico, down north. So I've been boxing since well, I've been training it since I was a little little kid in diapers. But I didn't get my first fight until I was about 11. So during that time my grandpa started me off because I was going through a rough time in school, just getting suspended and stuff for fights because my parents had just went through a divorce, so I guess I was an angry child. So my grandpa told me, well, let's get you in the ring then. So I started training and taking it really serious, and I racked up about 70 to 75 to 80 fights, just boxing until about sophomore year, and I took a little break for about a year and a half, two years after COVID. And then because I moved back here to Albuquerque, so it was hard to train.

SPEAKER_00

So you said that you had been boxing since you were in diapers. Who how did that start? Was it just something that you saw the gloves and you thought it was a fun thing to do?

SPEAKER_01

Or yeah,

Family Roots In Boxing

SPEAKER_01

well, so my pops used to box, and then my grandpa and my uncle Bobby used to box, my grandpa Frankie. So my uncle Bobby, he actually fought Johnny Tapia three times in the amateurs. And they say that they're really good fights. My dad, he had about like five or six amateur fights, but he used to knock everyone out, they said. So uh when I was a little kid, he just used to have me hit his hands or mess with him, shadow boxing with him and stuff.

SPEAKER_00

So that's just something, it's something in your blood.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, it's in my blood for sure.

SPEAKER_00

Incidentally, so this is a podcast so nobody could see, but I just wanted to let the ladies out there know that I'm with like the Asuka de La Hoya of the Average Boxing World. Um are you a model by any chance?

SPEAKER_01

Sure, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

If you say so, right? Like whatever you want. Okay. So anyway, back to the topic. Did you ever get to see any of the footage of the Tapia fights?

SPEAKER_01

No, I wish. They say they have them somewhere, but I don't know. It's been a while.

SPEAKER_00

So I'm gonna I'm gonna actually I'm gonna dig them up and see if we can find those.

Golden Gloves Win And Lessons

SPEAKER_00

Now, you have had you've had over 75 fights, because I was looking at your your record, and you won the Golden Gloves. Yes, last year. Can you tell me about that experience with the Golden Gloves? And and I have like a couple of other questions about that, but yeah, it was it was fun.

SPEAKER_01

Especially I feel like I just moved up a new weight class because I was it was getting hard for me to make 132 just so many days in a row. So I moved up to 143, and I probably I think had like the biggest bracket actually in all golden gloves, but I feel like a lot of people were maybe counting me out of it. I was just like, no, this is gonna be easy work. So we went in there and it was uh it was good. Like I said, I got two unanimous decisions, one against a younger fighter, and then the other against a guy from the from another local gym out here in Albuquerque, and he's a really good boxer. He just took bronze actually in the 2025 National Open. So Jimmy Press.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

So he's a tough dude, but he went down in weight. But yeah, I fought him in the championship, and it was fun. It was a good experience, especially everyone talks about Golden Glove. It's like one of the most if you bring up amateur boxing, everyone, even if they don't know much about it, they know about the Golden Gloves. Absolutely. So it was definitely cool to put my name there in the state history.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, it is definitely a huge accomplishment on your resume, a fighting resume. Now, you said that you were having a hard time with the 132

Weight Cuts And Moving Up

SPEAKER_00

every day. What does that mean?

SPEAKER_01

Well, so in the amateurs, and when you're in the tournament, you gotta make way every day. So I'd have to make 132 one day and then the next day, and then the next day, especially if I'd be making it to the semifinals or finals in tournaments. And so it's just getting rough. Like I could make it for one day when I go pro, you know, we'll see what weight I'm going there.

SPEAKER_00

But well, was it just a fluctuation in water weight or yeah?

SPEAKER_01

It's just like I'd have I'd go get out of weights, I'd go eat. I woke up to like 138.

SPEAKER_00

What the hell are you doing?

SPEAKER_01

139. I don't even know. It's just like water drinking pediolite.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, kediolite. Okay. Well, that was probably a main factor, like the certain levels in your body. Now, you're gonna go pro. Okay. You're fighting, you're fighting soon in Colorado. Yeah, I'm sure. Can you tell me

Turning Pro And Coaching Guidance

SPEAKER_00

about that?

SPEAKER_01

So it's well, I didn't really know what I wanted to do now that this year it started, but my coach had brought up just you know, doing one more last tournament, you know, giving it all we got, and then after that we'll make the turn of pro. So of course I'm always listening to what he has to tell me, and if he thinks something's right, then I'm gonna do what he has to say.

SPEAKER_00

So who's your coach?

SPEAKER_01

Yoruba Moreo. Oh, Moreo. And Coach Manuel Anaya.

SPEAKER_00

So Manuel, okay.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I just take advice from the from them, of course, and that's what he said to do, so we're gonna do it, and then after that, we're gonna make that turnover. I'm excited about that for sure.

SPEAKER_00

So I'm just wondering what, like, how does how does a fighter determine when they're gonna go pro? I mean, I know you're going under the guidance of the coach, but you know, some fighters have 150 amateur fights. Some, I mean, I know somebody that just has five amateur fights and then they went pro. What is it that's the deciding factor?

SPEAKER_01

I mean, I guess everyone's different. For me, like my teammate says this all the time, too. My teammate Yoruba, he says, I never wanted to be like an outstanding amateur, you know, Olympian. Me growing up, that was never one of my goals either. I just always watched up or grew up watching

International Tournament Expectations

SPEAKER_01

professional boxing. Like my saw my grandpa really watched. I remember he'd love Manny Pacquiao. And so he'd always have me watching Manny Pacquiao, Pernal Whitaker. So I always wanted to be a professional, just you know, be a world champion, uh multibi multiple division world champion at that.

SPEAKER_00

So Okay. And are you so you're gonna move up in weight class for this tournament?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I'll be fighting at 143. Well, I went that my last tournament too, but I'll be at 143.

SPEAKER_00

And now are you so I guess after this tournament is when you're gonna go pro. Is that a definite?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, it's a definite for sure, for sure.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. And how do you think that this tournament is gonna compare to the Golden Gloves?

SPEAKER_01

Well, it's a big national, it's actually an international tournament. So you'll have guys from all over the country, out all over the country, out of country, you know, we'll have like the tough, tough guys from the like the Olympic teams out there. So I think it'll be good. Hopefully, we'll see some guys from Mexico, Canada, you know, Uzbekistan.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, which one of those countries do you think is going to be the toughest competition for you?

SPEAKER_01

Uh I don't know. I guess I like them um guys with like the bival type of style. Oh yes. Yeah, those guys I can't.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I get they're they they are they are wild.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, especially in the amateurs. It's like because you know, they just work off that point system like blah blah blah, pitter-patter type.

SPEAKER_00

But don't count out the guys from Mexico.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, yeah, no, for sure. But that'd be more my style of a fight.

SPEAKER_00

So yes, that's true.

Training, Road Work, And Sprints

SPEAKER_00

So, what are you doing right now to prepare for this tournament? I know that you're running every morning because I've seen some footage of you running. It doesn't look very fun. Is that like your least part? Favorite part of that.

SPEAKER_01

It's definitely my least favorite part. My coach, Yoruba gets on my ass all the time. You better be putting in that road work, you better be putting in that road work.

SPEAKER_00

And I mean it does help you with your endurance.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, yes, for sure, for sure.

SPEAKER_00

Right.

SPEAKER_01

Long runs, sprints, especially. I like sprints because like I feel like when you're getting tired in a fight, you hit that second wind, and then there you even hit like a third wind. I see with them sprint workouts.

SPEAKER_00

So how many sprints are you doing though when you're doing it? Is it like a bit long?

SPEAKER_01

No, we'll do like a miles worth of sprints, like okay. Our coach has got some crazy sprint workouts, actually, those are some of the worst, to be honest. But it definitely helps you when you're in those fights and you're tired and you see that they're way get more gas than you. I'm like, oh, it's a green light on you right now.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I see you sucking for wins, so and now how long in advance do you start preparing for your fight? I mean, I know the training never ends, yeah, but when do you really turn it up a notch?

SPEAKER_01

I mean, we're always we're always here in the gym, honestly, but when we really start to hit that like camp mode, it's just my coach will let us alone like, you know, maybe like six to eight weeks out, like, okay, now it's time we're about to fully lock in. But like I said, with the amateurs, it's different because we're having so many fights,

Camp Rhythm And Fight Volume

SPEAKER_01

you know, sometimes week after week, sometimes like a month apart. So we really always kind of got to be locked in.

SPEAKER_00

So I guess psychologically, I've always wondered this. Do you ever get to the point? Well, did you get to the point of you know, fight 50 where you're like, damn, I'm at fight 50? Like, doesn't it become grueling? Like, oh, I'm at 55 now. I'm at 60.

SPEAKER_01

Kind of it just it goes by faster than what you've seen. Like before you already know it, you're like, damn, I have 60 fights, I have 70 fights. And I was younger too. Like a lot of the miles that were put on me is when I was younger because I was fighting so much in the tournaments when I was younger.

SPEAKER_00

Did you so you you had your first fight when you were 11? Was that against somebody out here, of course?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, it was actually back in my hometown in Las Vegas, New Mexico for the silver gloves.

SPEAKER_00

And who was that? Do you remember?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, his name's Angel Sandoval. He actually just he took runner up at the National Golden Gloves.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

This last year. But against him.

SPEAKER_00

What about sparring? How many times a week are you sparring?

SPEAKER_01

It really just depends. You know, there's times we sparring two times a week. There's weeks that we really don't spar that much during then, like if we don't have a fight coming up. But the times we are getting that work in a lot during camp, we're for sure sparring twice a

Early Fights And Sparring Habits

SPEAKER_01

week. Sometimes three times a week, but usually two times a week.

SPEAKER_00

And what do you think is going to be the first thing you do once you become pro? I mean, naturally you're gonna try to get a pro fight. Is there anybody that's standing out to you name-wise, that you can now like Adrian Broner said, anybody can get it.

SPEAKER_01

So ever they put it in front of me, you know, green light.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. Well, I guess I guess that also has to do with who your coaches think that would be good for you too, right? Because it is your resume. And you don't want to. I know that sometimes there are some fighters that are pro that they don't really get the recognition that they deserve because a lot of people will look at some of the people that they fought and they're like, eh, not a big deal. What do you think about that? I mean, I think that a fight is a fight, but some people just attach other names to a fighter and say, eh, not really.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, to me, styles make fights like you can't do the triangle theory type of thing with boxing, you know. If one person beats this one, that don't mean that that fighter is gonna you know what I mean? So it's just like at the end of the day, they're a trained fighter too. They're putting in that work too. So and it only takes one shot to put you to sleep.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, that's right. What about making weight? What about what about the fighters that don't make their weight? What do you think about that?

Matchmaking, Records, And Respect

SPEAKER_01

Well, I guess everyone's situation is a little different, but to me, like if you're not making weight or doing whatever you can to make that weight, then it's just unprofessional, especially once you get to those big leagues.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, I I not too long ago, there was a fighter that was I don't understand how this even happened, but he was 20 he he missed weight by 20 pounds. How is that even possible?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, no, that's just crazy.

SPEAKER_00

Like, how do you even I don't know, why did he even get in there?

SPEAKER_01

No, that's just crazy. That's just on being on discipline at the end of the day. 20 pounds is that's crazy.

SPEAKER_00

Well, what about coaching? I guess the coach too would be a little bit responsible for that. I mean, how is he not watching?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, that's for sure. To me, at the end of the day, it's your it's your job. You know, you're the fighter, you're you're the one that has to step in the ring. So your coaches are helping you a lot. They're if they're doing their part, then you gotta be doing yours.

SPEAKER_00

So and now you said that when you were younger, that you were just going through some things, right? Your parents had gone through a divorce, and you said that you were acting up. What does that

Discipline, Missing Weight, And Accountability

SPEAKER_00

mean?

SPEAKER_01

I was just short-tempered, I guess.

SPEAKER_00

I was in like short-tempered, were you beating people up? Were you?

SPEAKER_01

I mean, I was never starting them, but like if someone was there talking too much, I guess, or trying to mess with me. Okay. Because I had also I had just moved when they did split up, I moved from my hometown, Las Vegas, here to Albuquerque. So it was kind of different too. It was like a new transition.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. And you had to start over, really. Yeah, right. Okay. So you can have to be.

SPEAKER_01

I had no friends. I was like.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. So you definitely that was definitely a challenging time in your life. And how did the boxing help you overcome that though? Was it I know it's discipline, but psychologically, how did it help you overcome?

SPEAKER_01

It's just, I fell in love with it. I mean, ever since I was a little kid, I've really loved boxing. So it just I'd do that, and then everything would just leave my mind, and I just feel in peace instead of just, you know, being out being on edge, I guess.

SPEAKER_00

Who is the toughest sparring partner you've ever had?

SPEAKER_01

Shoot, me and my boy Yoruba. You know, we get we get a big thing.

SPEAKER_00

I hear Yerubas

Boxing As Therapy And Starting Out

SPEAKER_00

a lot. Yeah. Yes.

SPEAKER_01

I've sparred with also another really good boxer, Troy Nash. Oh, yeah. And you know, it's it's that boy's an animal. He's his chess working there, you know.

SPEAKER_00

So I actually have an interview with him coming up. So what's up, Troy?

SPEAKER_01

Yes, sir. What's up, Troy? Shout out Troy Nash.

SPEAKER_00

Now, I guess we're gonna call somebody out right now. And it's no offense to anybody, but who's the easiest sparring partner you've ever had? I mean, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01

It's just there's been some easy ones, there's been some rough ones.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

No, at the end of the day, it's just sparring. So, like my coach Manny, he always tells us, he's like, you're not gonna ever, you don't win your sparring matches, you know. It's just you're gonna go in there and you work on what you need to work on.

SPEAKER_00

You know, it's I I I definitely believe that there's a certain level of camaraderie out here in New Mexico as opposed to where I'm from in New York, because some of the boxing gyms out there, they are going in to try to kill you in sparring. I mean, I there are there are actually some guys that had head injuries. Somebody actually died from sparring over in in Gleason's gym. They actually have this guy's face up on the wall that he's not allowed back in there. And I think it's just I think it's just a little bit more tight-knit of a boxing community out here. In New York City,

2026 Goals And Target Weight

SPEAKER_00

you just have people coming from all over the place. And even for myself, when I went up and sparred like upstate New York, they hated my, they hated me. They didn't even know me, but they hated me. So I'm like, okay, we aren't friends.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, we we get that dog work over here for sure, too. Like just a couple weeks ago, I spared Angela Lee. I only sparred him for two rounds. My teammate Yoruba sparred him for six, six rounds, or maybe eight rounds. But you know, it was really good work. And it's that it's dog work, you know, you're not going in there playing no games, but at the end of the day, it's just you work on what you gotta work on, and you just get that get that work in, and all that work is just gonna help you get better. So when you get in those tough fights, you're you're ready for it.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, Angelo Leo actually, I actually did an interview with him. He's he's preparing for a fight too.

SPEAKER_01

Yep, shout out my boy Angelo.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, what's up, Angelo? So now, do you have any words

Favorite Fighters And Fight Breakdown

SPEAKER_00

of advice? And I always ask the fighters this, you know, for for the guys that are out there that maybe want to get into boxing, don't know how to get into boxing, or like I I noticed that there are some guys that I've spoken with that want to get into boxing, but they have a a certain, I don't know, and maybe they feel a certain way about getting into the boxing gym. Maybe there's like not a fear, but just a level of uncomfortability. What do you suggest?

SPEAKER_01

Come show up to the gym and get a workout on and hit the bags. You know, a lot of people just because you're training boxing don't mean that you have to, you know, go get a fight. But it's it's a good thing for therapy, definitely. It's definitely my form of therapy. I would say that.

SPEAKER_00

What do you think is going to happen for the year 2026 after the tournament? Where do you see yourself going?

SPEAKER_01

You know, soon see like putting my name as one of the top prospects in pro boxing. I wanna I wanna fight at 130, but you know, it's gonna be a big year, not just for me, but our whole our whole team, our whole stable. Uh Yoruba, Trevion, Diamond Boy. So it's it's gonna be a fun year. Fidel, it's gonna be I'm excited because I've been working for a long time, like these last two years, especially, how to see how far I've come training with my new coach, all this good sparring I've got. I've got a lot of work with Diamond Boy, like I said, with Troy, Trey, Yoruba, Anj. So

Shoutouts And The Home Gym

SPEAKER_01

Pitbull, oh yeah, Fidel. Like so, I'm I'm ready, I'm excited.

SPEAKER_00

Now, so I do have a question. You said you wanted to go to 130, but what in the in the golden gloves, you were having a challenging time staying at 132. So I'm wondering how you're going to accomplish. I know you're going to accomplish it, but what's your plan?

SPEAKER_01

So, well, for the for pros is different, you know. You just gotta wait, you gotta make way your one time, and after that you can get your rehydration and you fight the next day, or sometimes I guess you gotta fight that night. But it it'll be different for sure. I know that. And going to a full camp professional, I know I'll be a lot more disciplined, a lot more locked in just with the little things, from diet to making sure you're getting all those runs and sprints in. So I know I'll be able to make it.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. And who's your favorite boxer right now, current?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. I think it would be between Bam Rodriguez and Nakatani.

SPEAKER_00

Ah, Nakatani.

SPEAKER_01

I like David Benavidez too. He's just a dog.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, he is. What about have you did you watch the Matias Dalton Smith fight?

SPEAKER_01

Oh, yeah, that was a really good fight.

SPEAKER_00

Everyone was expecting Matias to put Smith to sleep, especially, you know, him fighting Matias' fight, but but it wasn't Matias' fight because every time that he threw, he kept dropping his hand every time after a jab, he was dropping his lead hand. So I and I just found it interesting because I I was even listening to the commentators, and I'm like, are they watching the same fight? Because they kept on saying,

Faith, Motivation, And Final Word

SPEAKER_00

Look at look at Dalton, he's scared, he's intimidated. And I'm like, no, actually, this guy is like head on with Matthias.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you could tell who the A side and who the B side was for the serve.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and it was it was definitely unexpected. But I I actually have an interview with Dalton Smith. So what's up, Dalton? Oh, shout out Dalton Smith. So do you want to give any special recognition out to anybody? Any special shout-outs?

SPEAKER_01

Just my parents for believing me and, you know, letting me chase my dreams. And shout out my coaches, Coach Rue and Coach Manny.

SPEAKER_00

So and we're here in the Jack Condelaria Community Center.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you know, best gym in the 505. Y'all need to check it out if you want to.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. It's definitely a hidden gem. I think it's underrated. Nobody really talks about it, but I actually really like it in here.

SPEAKER_01

So Yeah, if you ain't from here, you still gotta come down and check it out. It's like it's like a museum, too, you know, a boxing, a New Mexico boxing. So that's really cool.

SPEAKER_00

I do have one last question. I was I was doing a little bit of research on you, and I think that Psalm 144 came up and it said something about you having a very deep-rooted faith. Is that accurate? I mean can you just can you delve into that a little bit?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, well, so that actually comes from well, from both sides of my family, but my grandma Jackie, she's like really deep Catholic in the church, so she was always like, Well, you better get in catechism, you know, you better get in church, and she was always taking us. So I've always had a strong relationship with God, I would say, and you know, there's times I've gone through a lot, especially this last year, I would say, and he's been there. So that and boxing, I would say help me out a lot. Keep and it keeps my faith up, especially, you know, only the 1% of boxers make it to that level of world champion, you know, and making that good money. So just him keeping my faith with this and making put like putting in my mind that I'm gonna be there one day and just motivating me so I could be in the gym, be getting that road work in.

SPEAKER_00

So well, in closing, I always I always tell the fighters that have a deep-rooted faith in God that you know he didn't give you the vision for no reason.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, exactly. Right?

SPEAKER_00

So you are a world champion. You are I'm gonna be there. I'm gonna be taking pictures. Is there anything else that you would like to tell the public?

SPEAKER_01

No, just y'all watch out for me, watch out for my team. It's gonna be a big year. And thank you to everyone that's supporting. And to the ones that are hating, we're gonna put on a show for you guys too.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, hi haters. All right, thank you so much for coming on the show.

SPEAKER_01

Thank you for having me. I appreciate you.

SPEAKER_00

Absolutely, God bless.