Artemio Reyes Still Does It "4 Pops"

By Barbara Pinnella
Photo: Marlene Marquez
 

It could have had a storybook ending, and most people were hoping that that would be the case. Back on April 13 and just 10 days after the death of his father, Artemio “King” Reyes faced off against Alan Sanchez in a fight he promised he would win “4 Pops”. But reality got in the way of the fairy tale that evening, and Reyes suffered a first round TKO loss.

After watching a great sparring session between he and Antonio Orozco, I had a chance to spend a few minutes talking with Artemio at Capital Punishment gym. I first asked him if he really felt his head was completely in the game in his fight against Sanchez.

“I thought I was there,” he told me. “I don’t know from the outer appearance what it seemed like. I had to go in there. I signed a contract. A lot of people said to think about it and go ahead and pull out, but I went ahead with the fight because I know it’s something my dad would have wanted me to do. It didn’t come out the way we wanted it to, and I wasn’t given an opportunity to get up but hey, I learned from it.”

Following the fight the classy Artemio apologized for letting everyone down. And even though he lost the fight, he was not lacking in admiration. “I got a lot of respect from a lot of people out there. They were saying that they respect me for the decision I made to go in there and honor my father by fighting, even though he had passed away the week before.”

On June 22 Reyes steps into the ring again for Thompson Boxing Promotions “New Blood”, to be held at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, CA. This time he will be facing Northern California’s Enrique “Scorpion” Gutierrez (10-4, 8 KOs). “I know he has 10 wins, so he is a winning opponent. We’re training hard for whatever he brings – he has a different style, he kind of crouches up. As you saw I was sparring with someone who comes forward and I’ll fight him from the outside – even getting inside, I’ll mix it up with him.”

As far as after this fight, Artemio leaves it up to his team. “It all depends on what my team wants to do and how they, with promoter Thompson, want to move me. We’re looking forward to going in there and making a statement, showing that my last fight was a fluke. Take each fight as it comes, you know, win this next fight and go from there.

“Whatever opportunity comes, I’m ready for it. I’m going to come on hard June 22, give my all and come back with a vengeance – show everybody that I didn’t lose any step in my game.

“I feel great,” he continued, smiling. “Physically and mentally I feel good, there’s a lot of chapters closed. Since my father passed away we went ahead and closed that chapter. We’ll move forward from that and now we’re building a new chapter.”

Those last four years had been demanding for Reyes and his family. It was in 2008 that a car accident put Artemio Sr. in a coma from which he never recovered. “It was an on-going thing, every day, taking care of him. One day to the next he’d get sick and have to go to the ER. That was the lifestyle that we were living, and you got used to it. For four years we were taking care of him until finally his body gave out.”

And how has he dealt with all the pressure of the past several years? “You just have to breath in, take a day and just slowly control it; control the situation, whatever comes.”

If one is lucky enough to spend a few minutes talking with Artemio they will quickly see that he is an educated and well-spoken young man. And there is still a lot on his plate. Not only does he train, but he works and goes to school.

“I still work in the family restaurant (El Taquito). I have the summer off from school and go back in the fall. I’m majoring in Business Administration with an Accounting concentration. I go half time because it’s the university level, so they’re four unit courses. They’re a little more difficult than the three unit courses at the community college. I don’t want to overwhelm myself with boxing and the restaurant, so I will take it easy, you know,” he laughed.

As far as why he fights when it is obviously not a necessity for him, he simply said, “It’s something I enjoy doing – I enjoy the sport of boxing. I was very motivated by my father. He wasn’t a fighter, but he was always behind me as an amateur. He pushed me, supported me, and took me to the fights. I told him I’m going to become a champion and that’s what I’m trying to fulfill.”

At age 25, the personable Artemio is already a champion in life. But he is still determined to also be a champion in the squared circle – “4 Pops”!


Be safe and God Bless,
Viva La Raza,
Barb.