By Jake Donovan
Behind every boxer stands a remarkable story of how he or she entered the fight game. Some turn to boxing gyms in order to escape the violence and cruel reality of street life. Others are talented athletes who wind up settling on boxing after not quite excelling in other sports.
For a chosen few, like this weekend's major players Oscar de la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr, they get to ride a wave of popularity upon entering the pay ranks.
Then there are those like undefeated welterweight prospect Francisco Santana (5-0, 3KO), to which none of the above are applicable. In fact, the only wave he rode on the way to the squared circle were those on the Santa Barbara waters.
Trading in his surfboard, for boxing gloves, Santana has no regret about the life he leaves behind in exchange for the one he pursues: boxing's next big thing.
"I have a long way to go, of course, I mean I'm only 20 years old," admits Santana when projecting his potential greatness. "But I believe I have the right tools and the right team to make some noise in the sport."
There's no better chance for him than this weekend to make his voice heard loud and clear. On the eve of the sport's biggest event of the year in de la Hoya-Mayweather, Santana faces local journeyman Lester Balmores on the non-televised portion of a ShoBox card staged down the block at the Palms Casino. On a night of heavyweight action, Santana has major potential to steal the show and become the talk of the town, even if only for a night.
"There's no greater stage to showcase my talent than this weekend," exclaims Santana, who fights for the first time in 2007. "I've always admired Oscar de la Hoya for what he brought to the sport. People already begin to compare me to him, though more based on the fact that they think I'm just a pretty boy. They though the same of Oscar, but look at how many people he proved wrong. I hope to one day travel the same path."
Time will tell if he can come close to matching – or surpassing – what Oscar has achieved in the ring. But he's already making a run at the Golden Boy in attracting the sport's largest female fan base.
"He's the only guy in the gym who has more female fans than male fans," says Wayne McCullough, the former bantamweight champ-turned Vegas-based trainer who took in Santana last year after four pro fights. "He can use that to his advantage, though. People will see him as an easy mark, a pretty boy who won't fight. We're changing that perception every day. The kid is a fighter, no doubt about it."
Santana realized that even at a time in his life when all he knew was schoolwork and surfing. For Francisco, it all changed the moment he took in his first fight card.
"I remember when I was about 8 years old, my Dad took me to a local show," recalls Santana. "He was always a big time fan, so I followed it because of him. But that first card really got my attention. I took to it the moment the first fight began, and knew that it was my calling. I've worked very hard ever since then to go that extra mile to be the best fighter I could be."
Hard work and dedication led to an impressive 78-8 mark as an amateur, including titles and championships in the Silver Gloves, Junior Olympics and the Junior Golden Gloves. Rather than wait another three years to attempt a run at the 2008 Olympic team, Santana instead elected to punch for pay, turning pro in November 2005 at just 19 years old.
In a span of 5 months, Santana ran his record to 3-0, all by knockout, needing just four rounds to achieve such a mark. Still, the transplanted surfer felt like something was missing.
"I was winning fights with ease, but was very basic, very one-dimensional," admits Santana. "I wasn't setting up my punches. I just plodded forward, looking for one big shot to land. I needed to be in a better fight environment."
The demand for self-improvement led to long daily road-trips to Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym. Santana was able to improve his game, including getting in solid work against 2004 Olympian and fellow undefeated welterweight prospect Vanes Martirosyan, but felt it still wasn't enough. His next fight was a dominant unanimous decision over .500 fighter Giovanni Rubio, who was stopped by Martirosyan in his prior fight. Santana scored two knockdowns in going the distance for the first time in his career, taking a clean sweep on the scorecards (40-34 across the board).
Still, Santana felt it wasn't enough.
Enter Wayne McCullough, and a relocation to Sin City. Of course, the move meant a fond farewell to Santana's second love.
"One major difference between Vegas and Santa Barbara – no beaches, and no waves. Definitely no surfing going on out here. But I'm not here to surf, I'm here to fight."
McCullough was immediately sold, though he realized the kid was a work in progress.
"The first thing I realized was that he had talent, but was still fighting very amateurish. He was too stiff, too deliberate in his attack."
Santana co-signs on every word.
"I feel like I never properly made the transition from amateurs to pros. I got rid of the headgear and the oversized gloves, but still felt like I was fighting like an amateur. I needed to learn how to throw better combinations, instead of just plodding forward and throwing just for the sake of throwing."
Francisco's only initial hesitance was concern that Wayne would teach like he fought- 100 MPH, with complete disregard for defense.
"Wayne was the human definition of perpetual motion when he fought. He took one to land three, and never stopped coming at you. But he's a completely different trainer than he is a fighter. He doesn't look to make you a clone of himself; he breaks down the game, adds new dimensions and enhances your strengths.
"He doesn't look to change your style, just to add to it and make you a better fighter. In the year I've been with him, I learned defense, and learned more boxing."
So far, McCullough is very pleased with the results.
"When he first came to my gym last summer, he was stiff and did a lot of things wrong. What made my job easier was that he knew he needed to improve and was willing to learn. Even though we've only had one fight together, everyone saw a completely different fighter."
That would be his last fight to date, a six-round shutout against Daniel Stanisavljevic last November in San Jacinto. The bout was his first in six months, with this fight ending another near-six month hiatus. But Santana has hardly been inactive during that time.
"I've been learning, obtaining knowledge. Everything Wayne has to offer, and everything Eddie had to offer him."
"Eddie" being the late, legendary Hall of Fame trainer Eddie Futch, who trained McCullough since his second pro fight all the way until his own retirement from boxing in 1997. As a fighter, McCullough absorbed as much knowledge as possible from boxing's greatest source, even if it didn't always quite translate in the ring. As a trainer, Wayne tries to carry on in the great tradition of his mentor.
Though too young to directly appreciate his influence, Santana feels as if Futch looks down upon both of them.
"It's the weirdest feeling. Sometimes Wayne and I will just be sitting around, watching tapes or whatever, and all of a sudden we'll hear the heavy bag rattling around. Rat-a-tat-tat. We look at each other like, "What the heck was that?" I feel like it's Mr. Futch reminding us that he's still around, looking over our shoulder."
In person, he has McCullough looking over his shoulder, as well as looking out for his best interests. Santana believes he couldn't be in better hands.
"Wayne is the most honest, down-to-earth guy I've ever met. It was really easy to get along with him. When I first showed up, I felt welcome right away. He's like a second father to me. I immediately took to his family."
Santana also took on a new family, officially signing with Goossen-Tutor Promotions, who promotes the card at the Palms this Friday. To Francisco, the official signing was a mere formality, though applying ink to paper did give him a greater sense of security.
"Dan Goossen has been great to me. Every card I've appeared on so far in my pro career was on a Goossen card. Still, to know that I officially have a promoter looking out for my best interests is a huge weight lifted off of my shoulder. I always knew it would be Goossen-Tutor; it was just a matter of when. Now that's no longer a worry."
Much as it is no longer a concern of trainer and fighter not being on the same page. Not that it ever was; just that Santana wasn't sure everyone was saying the same thing in the beginning.
"The only difficulty I've ever had with Wayne was adjusting to his accent at first, but we worked past that."
No doubt McCullough's easy-going nature helped bridge the gap.
"I admit, sometimes I don't even understand what I'm trying to say myself."
Wayne does understand what he has in front of him: a potential star, in and out of the ring.
"You take an event like this weekend, and realize what actually made it so big. Oscar is one of the game's best in the ring, but knew how to utilize his looks and personality outside the ring. The sport needs more stars like him to help keep itself relevant. I believe Francisco has that potential. The kid can fight, and he's a good looking kid. Cheryl ( Wayne's wife, who along with family attorney Stuart Campbell co-manages Santana) jokes all the time that not only do all of the ladies love him, but quite a few guys will as well. There's room in the sport for all types, even Metrosexuals, as long as they can fight. Francisco can fight – and he wants to be a star."
Still, the kid is grounded enough to realize it's one step at a time.
"This is a huge weekend for me, a perfect springboard for bigger and better thing," recognizes Santana. "It's my first fight in Vegas, my new home away from home. All eyes will be on Oscar and Floyd on Saturday night; hopefully some of them will get to take a look at me and like what they see.
"The sport needs future stars; my goal is to shine this weekend and have everyone looking forward to my next fight. I'm still young. I have plenty of time and so much to learn. If those interested can be patient in my progress, I promise to give them plenty to look forward to."
