Juan Carlos Burgos is Ready For Anything With Amidu

By Francisco Salazar

Déjà vu could be a psychological effect that could be hard to overcome.

Take Juan Carlos Burgos and what he went through on the night of January 19th. At the end of fighting 12 rounds against Roman Martinez, Burgos and a majority of media members thought he did enough to walk out of the ring with a world title belt around his waist.

Unfortunately, Burgos was stunned to hear Martinez would still possess the belt he thought he did enough to win.

Burgos felt a similar disappointment in coming up short over two years ago when he lost a close decision to Hozumi Hasegawa in his first world title opportunity.

Fighters yearn for an opportunity to fight for a world title belt, much less two. However, Burgos believes that an opportunity at a third could finally net him that elusive title.

Burgos could have caved in and given up psychologically as some athletes do when they fail to secure their goal. But that is not him, especially when he comes from a background where giving up is not an option.

Burgos attempts to climb the ladder towards another title opportunity, when he faces late sub Yakubu Amidu in a scheduled 12 round bout at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, CA.

The bout will headline an ESPN2 “Friday Night Fights” card, which will be co-promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.

The 25 year old Burgos, who resides in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, had that cold, empty feeling to match the cold weather outside Madison Square Garden in New York City on the night of January 19th. On that night, Burgos believed he did enough to win, but left empty-handed as the bout was ruled a split decision draw over 12 rounds.

Although Burgos rarely shows any reaction in the ring during or after a fight, it would be understandable to see him upset because of the decision rendered in the fight.

In his other attempt at a world title, Burgos could acknowledge Hasegawa was the better fighter that night, even if it meant him leaving the ring without the world title belt.

Now, it is a new chapter in his career. It is a new chapter he hopes will lead him toward fighting for a title for the third time. Only this time, he will be victorious.

First things first, he will face Amidu, a hard-hitting Ghanaian fighter who has lost his last two bouts in a row. Amidu (20-4, 18 KOs) replaces original opponent Daulis Prescott, who backed out of the fight due to an injury allegedly suffered in training.

Burgos is just eager to get back in the ring, regardless of who it is.

“I’m a little surprised by the change of opponent,” Burgos told Boxingscene.com over the phone on Monday afternoon. “But I’ve prepared myself one hundred percent. To be honest, I don’t know a lot about him and I haven’t seen any video of him. The only thing I know is his record. I’m prepared for whichever fighter is in front of me.”

To say Burgos (30-1-1, 20 KOs) was disappointed with the Martinez fight is an understatement. Burgos had entered the bout with Martinez on a five-bout winning streak and had scored an impressive third round technical knockout over Cesar Vazquez prior to the Martinez bout.

However, Burgos has come to terms with the decision that he did not agree with and has moved on, according to him, to bigger and better.

“We did the proper work in the gym to beat Martinez,” said Burgos, who is co-promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing. “Two judges did not see it the way we saw it and we now recognize and accept the decision. I was disappointed because I though I won, but now it’s in the past and now I’m focused for my return on the 26th (Friday).”

The super featherweight division has a number of talented and modest talents. Fighters like Burgos, Martinez, Diego Magdaleno, Argenis Mendez, and Takahiro Aoh are just some of the better fighters at 130 pounds.

There have been discussions of Miguel Angel “Mikey” Garcia moving up in weight to fight Martinez in the fall. As fighters jostle for position to be the top fighter in the weight class, Burgos is satisfied to be amongst the mix with the opportunity to be in high-profile bouts.

“The media and the fans recognize me as one of the best fighters at 130 pounds. The recognition humbles me and it makes me want to work hard in the gym to demonstrate that. I may not be a world champion now, but I believe that I have accomplished a lot in boxing.”

Burgos has fought on big stages in big venues from Japan to New York City to Las Vegas. He has also fought in smaller venues like Native American casinos in the United States.

However, he would consider it a dream to have a home game of sorts and fight again in his hometown of Tijuana. He has not fought there in over five years and it would be something for him to fight again before family and friends.

“I grew up there in Tijuana as a boxer and that is where I had my first 14 bouts as a professional. It would be an honor to fight there as the city has given me a lot. It would be something if both my promoters would be able to make that happen.”

Burgos is one of those good guys you root for in boxing. Well, unless you’re a family member or a fan of the fighter he may be facing.

However, Burgos does things right in boxing. He works hard in the gym, is not brash, and remains humble in and out of the ring. As much as people want to nitpick on fighters, there is little to nitpick on Burgos. 

As he has been advised about the sport from his uncle Victor Burgos to his trainer Gerardo Espinoza, the younger Burgos has taken those life lessons to better himself as a fighter in and out of the ring.

A world title opportunity and a subsequent victory will allow Burgos to come full circle since making his professional debut over eight and a half years ago.

“From a personal perspective, boxing has given me a lot. And for that, I want to one day prove that I will become the best in the division.”

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