By Francisco Salazar

There is nothing like on-the-job training. For Edwin Sandoval, that involves sparring with some of the best fighters in boxing today.

The junior featherweight will put those skills he has learned in the gym to work tonight, when he faces Enrique Guzman in a four round bout tonight at Carnitas Tepatitlan in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

Sandoval-Guzman will be part of a 14-bout card that will be headlined by unbeaten Abraham Rodriguez facing Armando Vazquez in a 10 round minimumweight bout.

Sandoval (3-0, 2 KOs) may by new to the pro ranks, but he has impressed thus far in a short amount of time. He has displayed aggression and power, but he can also box from the outside and set up his combinations.

The Los Angeles-area resident is trained by longtime Southern California trainer Clemente Medina, who currently works with Abner Mares and has worked with Alfredo Angulo in the past. The amount of work Sandoval has received in the gym and the sparring he has gotten with the likes of Mares have been instrumental in his development as a pro.

“I have a strong relationship with Clemente Medina,” Sandoval told Boxingscene.com in a recent phone interview. “My goal is to get better with each fight. We work on timing, power, and we spar with Abner Mares. I did well against Mares, but it does open my eyes in regards to what I’m capable of. Mares is a role model to me because he is a three-time world champion. It makes me want to work harder.”

Sandoval has high aspirations and hopes to one day make the most of his career. At 21 years of age, he is eager to one day fight for a world title and he understands he has to take the long road of fighting four and six round bouts and expect the learning curve to get much difficult with every fight.

First things first, he has a veteran fighter in Guzman, who figures to provide some rounds for Sandoval.

“I don’t look ahead. I take each fight one at a time. I approach each fight as mentally strong as possible. I visualize each fight and see how it plays out. I don’t always look for the knockout. I just (focus) on what I have to do and not worry about what my opponents do.”

Francisco A. Salazar has written for Boxingscene.com since September of 2012 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (CA) Star newspaper, RingTV, and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing