Samuel Contreras Jnr followed his amateur roots, returning to El Salvador, where he was undefeated while boxing for his parents’ native country.
Contreras, now 3-0 (2 KOs), is coming off a first round stoppage this past Saturday in the capital city of San Salvador against Cristopher Ramirez Moreno
Contreras is no stranger to fighting in El Salvador. He won three national tournaments in El Salvador in his quest to qualify for the 2024 Olympics. That ultimately didn’t happen after a loss at the world qualifiers to Yaroslav Khartsyz in Thailand crushed his dreams. Now, after a unanimous decision victory over Dyllon Cervantes Alvarado in May, he returned to a familiar place to gain some international experience as a pro. This was Contreras' first fight where his team couldn’t drive from their Palmdale, California, residence to his fight.
“It was nice to get back to work,” Contreras, 21, told BoxingScene. “I have some mistakes I have to fix, but it was nice to get back in the ring. It is great fighting in front of another culture, but once the bell rang, I felt at home,” Contreras said. “Hearing the people during my ring entrance, I saw a ton of support, and I felt that I belonged there. It was a powerful experience.”
With his extensive amateur background, Contreras hinted that his team could opt to stay in six-round bouts, meaning he would have only taken two four-rounders in his development. Contreras recalled the stoppage.
“The third jab I threw, I saw the expression on his face react like he felt power and didn’t want to be there,” Contreras said. “That is when I threw a jab, right-hand followed by a left hook, and it wasn’t that hard, but it told me he didn’t want to be here.”
“He got up and charged in wild, and I caught him with a hook,” Contreras said. “He didn’t get up after that.”
Contreras is hoping to return soon in the fall, with unconfirmed talks of a potential October-November date. Contreras, who has yet to make the lightweight limit of 135lbs, thought this might be his chance until the weight was changed at the last minute, as Contreras is big at 5ft 11ins.
“I feel strong at the weight,” Contreras said. “This was a great experience, and I am hoping that I can do this again in the future if the opportunity comes.”