Artemio Reyes Jr. vs Victor Correo Set For February 24

By Ryan Maquiñana

Welterweight Artemio “King” Reyes Jr. returns to the ring for the first time since his upset of 2008 Olympian Javier Molina when he faces Mexico’s Victor Correo on Feb. 24 at the Double Tree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Reyes (14-1, 11 KOs) fought with an inspired resolve in his debut on “ShoBox: The New Generation,” simply outhustling Molina over eight rounds last October en route to his 13th straight win.

“I came in as the opponent and they thought he could use his boxing ability to keep me on the outside,” Reyes said.  “I put the pressure on him and no matter what people thought about my chances to win, I knew my hard work would pay off.   He beat me in the amateurs, and I even sparred with him, but it was a different fight that night.”

The bout with Correo (14-4, 9 KOs) will be a 10-rounder for the vacant WBC Latino 147-pound title.

“I’ll be fighting 10 rounds for the first time, but the regimen is the same,” Reyes said.  “We train hard Monday through Saturday.  I take Crossfit classes three times a week.  I’d say it’s more of a mental side going 10 rounds.  I felt great doing eight rounds.”

While Reyes has never seen film of Correo, his promotional team at Thompson Boxing have given him a quick rundown.

“He’s about 5’6’’ or 5’7’’, I’ve been told,” Reyes said.  “He’s your typical Mexican fighter who likes working the body and coming forward.  My trainer Ruben [Castanon] and I will work on keeping him at bay.”

Reyes, a native of Colton, Calif., balances his studies at California State University San Bernardino with managing his family’s restaurant (El Taquito Drive-In) as well as caring for his father, who has been in a coma since an unfortunate accident sustained on the road over three years ago.

“My father’s still comatose, but the good thing about is that his body’s not getting sick so we don’t have to call in the paramedics as much anymore,” he said.  “You know, with everything on my plate, I just take it one day at a time.

“I can’t let everything overwhelm me.  I have a tough schedule so everything’s pretty regimented.  I don’t party like I used to.  Once the accident happened, I grew up overnight and had to become a man.”

As Reyes continues to ascend the boxing ladder, his story has galvanized the local community behind him.

“Sometimes when I’m shopping and getting supplies from Costco, I get stopped and people tell me they saw my fight against Molina or talk about my story,” he said.  “It’s getting to the point where people notice me.  I never really expected that, so it’s exciting.”

Ryan Maquiñana is the boxing correspondent for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Advisory Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at www.maqdown.com, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.