Power and potential: Moreu Jr. eager for his pro debut
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Yoruba Moreu Jr., his manager Jacob Maes fervently believes, is a generational talent 鈥� possessing the potential to join his fellow New Mexicans Bob Foster, Johnny Tapia, Danny Romero, Austin Trout and Angelo Leo as a men鈥檚 pro boxing world champion.
He鈥檚 got it all, Maes said on Tuesday during a news conference/open workout staged at Jack Candelaria Community Center in advance of Moreu Jr.鈥檚 scheduled pro debut on Saturday in Nashville, Tennessee.
鈥淗is style,鈥� Maes said, ticking off the attributes that move him to feel the way he does about his 20-year-old client. 鈥淗is attitude. His desire. His goals.鈥�
Above all, 鈥淭he skill and the power,鈥� Maes said. 鈥溾�� He鈥檚 got the power and I鈥檝e seen the power in the gym, knocking people out and down with headgear and 16-ounce gloves.鈥�
Whether Moreu Jr. truly rates as a prospect in the same league with the above-mentioned five world champions is not likely to be established in Nashville. He鈥檚 matched against Ndira Spearman, a Tennessean who brings a 1-16 pro record into Saturday鈥檚 scheduled four-round, 122-pound bout. Spearman has been stopped short of the prescribed distance in 13 of those 16 losses.
Spearman wasn鈥檛 the first choice, but neither Maes, Yoruba Moreu Sr., his son鈥檚 head trainer, nor promoter Christy Martin had planned to throw 鈥淟ittle Ru鈥� into the deep end in his pro debut.
The original opponent, Weusi Johnson (3-38-1), took a fight in South Carolina on July 19, got knocked out and is under suspension until mid-August.
Promoter Martin turned to Spearman, Maes said, because she needed someone who already was licensed to fight in Tennessee. 鈥淥ver there,鈥� Maes said, 鈥測ou have to be licensed (by the Tennessee Athletic Commission) at least seven days before the event.鈥�
Because of Spearman鈥檚 record, Maes said, the Tennessee Commission reduced Moreu Jr.鈥檚 bout from six rounds to four. Moreu Sr. had wanted a six-rounder for his son鈥檚 debut, aware from his research that Tapia had been held to a four-round draw in his 1988 pro debut (though against an opponent with a 6-1 record).
Moreu Jr., in any case, chooses not to worry about circumstances beyond his control 鈥� whether his opponent鈥檚 record or the duration of the bout.
鈥淣ot my problem,鈥� he said. 鈥溾�� At the end of the day, we鈥檙e playing the cards we鈥檙e dealt.鈥�
The power
Moreu Jr. didn鈥檛 display exceptional punching power as an amateur, fighting with 16-ounce gloves and against opponents wearing headgear. In 50 amateur bouts listed for him on (nowhere close to a complete list), only one of his victories came via stoppage.
The power that has so excited Maes, Moreu Sr. said, is due partly to natural growth and partly to specific work done in the gym.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been working on him sitting on his shots since Golden Gloves (Moreu Jr.鈥檚 final amateur competition in May 2024),鈥� the elder Moreu said. 鈥淟ee Sillas (the coach at sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 Power Plant Boxing) has been doing his strength and conditioning. We鈥檝e been working on his core and his legs.
鈥淚 brought in (longtime sa国际传媒官网网页入口 trainer) Manuel Anaya to have him relax with his shots instead of tensing up 鈥� that鈥檚 made a big difference with the impact of his shots. It鈥檚 devastating when he lands clean; a couple of guys can attest to that.鈥�
The southpaw thing
Moreu Jr. is a left-handed fighter in the New Mexico tradition of Trout, Holly Holm, Fidel Maldonado Jr., Bloomfield鈥檚 Elija Martinez, MMA fighter Steve Garcia, et al.
Yet, he鈥檚 naturally right-handed.
It was Tapia, he said, who persuaded him to go lefty as he was just beginning his amateur career.
Tapia (a right-hander), Moreu Jr. recalled, watched young Yoruba shadow-boxing right-handed and encouraged him to make the switch.
鈥淗e said, 鈥業f you want to be a world champion and want to go far and take (boxing) seriously, you want to go left-handed,鈥欌�� Moreu Jr. said. 鈥淔rom that day, I鈥檝e stood left-handed.鈥�
His natural right-handedness, he said, adds oomph to his right hook.
Jos in Germany
Las Cruces amateur boxer Joscelyn Olayo-Mu帽oz must wait until Thursday to make her debut at the Brandenburg Cup International Tournament in Frankfurt, Germany.
The competition is to begin Wednesday, but Danny Melendrez, Olayo-Mu帽oz鈥榮 stepfather and head coach, said there was not a full complement of entrants in her 106-pound bracket.
