Charles Huerta Is Back
By William Trillo
When “Comeback of The Year” awards go out at the end of 2017 don’t be surprised to see Super Featherweight Charles Huerta (19-5, 12 KO’s) getting his share of honors. After a hiatus of 3 years Huerta has come alive in 2017. With an overpowering KO over the formerly undefeated Ivan Delgado along with a shiny new contract with Golden Boy, Huerta is well on his way to getting right back into the thick of things. With a victory at Belasco Theatre on August 10th over a rugged Miguel Gonzalez (21-2, 18 KO’s) from Los Mochis, Mexico, Huerta will be on a path to get back into the spotlight before year’s end.
It should come as no secret to our readers that I like fighters that fight. Be it Librado Andrade, Enrique Ornelas or Francisco Vargas, I have always leaned towards the guys who want to step in the ring and let the leather fly. Huerta is cut out of that same cloth, a gifted fighter who always gives the fans a great performance.
When asked about his new contract with Golden Boy, Huerta said he couldn’t be happier, “It was exciting; especially after being off for three years and not knowing if I would be back in the mix ever again.”
Huerta had good reason for concern and in the game of boxing things don’t always go as planned, “At first I was supposed to fight on a small card but that fell through. So I called Golden Boy matchmaker Robert Diaz and told him I was ready to fight and take anything he had, that I was ready to go in two weeks or three weeks, whatever was available. Diaz said he would look at what is out there and get back to us. A few weeks later he called and offered me the Carlos Morales fight, it was a ten round fight. I told him yes, I am ready to go. A lot of people told me that after a three year layoff that was a hard fight to take, but I said I am taking it anyways. I just wanted the opportunity, so I took it. The fight didn’t go our way; but I thought I did enough to win though.”
Truth be told the fight that came at the end of 2016 should have been a victory for Huerta. The fight was nip and tuck but Huerta was dominant. Not only did he cut Morales over his nose and eye, Huerta also dropped Morales in round eight and then spent the rest of the fight trying to chase down a fighter who clearly did not want to engage. Somehow Morales was awarded the split decision nod. I don’t expect “The Solution” will be looking to give Charles a rematch anytime soon.
“Even though I lost the fight against Morales I feel like I won that night”, stated Huerta, “I proved a lot of people wrong that night. I am back!”
Not letting the loss set him back Huerta looked to rebound in 2017 and it didn’t take long for him to get that opportunity. “After the Morales fight Diaz called me and offered me the Ivan Delgado fight and I was excited for that”, said Huerta, “and as you know we knocked him out. I knew these guys, (Delgado and Morales), didn’t have the experience I do. I have been in this game a while so I just wanted to go show them that they are not on my level.”
Huerta went on to say, “Diaz wasn’t there at the Delgado fight but he called me the next morning and said “Hey we have a proposal for you; I want your Dad and you to come in on Monday.” So we went in and everything looked good. We went home and looked it over and talked about. I was excited about it so we went back about two weeks later and signed the contract.”
All this came after a three year layoff that left many, including Huerta wondering where his career was headed. Reflecting on that moment in time and the reasons for the layoff Huerta shared, “It was just through frustration. The Arellano fight came up quick and I jumped on it. But fights weren’t being given to me and I just started getting frustrated. My Dad is real old school; he wants me in the gym always training hard. So it was hard focusing and dedicating myself while being in the gym not knowing if or when I would have a fight. So I just decided to take some time off and for six months I stopped completely from going to the gym. But then I started getting the hunger watching fights on TV and seeing things coming across on social media. But I wasn’t going to any fights or showing my face around, I just wanted to kind of disappear for a while. But then I got back in the gym. And you know how it is, boxing people promise you stuff and then you end up waiting. But I started training and little by little I got myself ready and by the time I took the Carlos Morales fight I was in the best shape of my life.”
Having lost the fight to Morales and dropping some other fights early in his career Huerta knows both the sweet taste of victory as well as the taste of a bitter loss. But, Charles also knows that a loss is not a death sentence. Huerta explained, “I know a lot of people want to be undefeated, and yeah not having a loss is great. But you see a fighter 20-0 against a 10-10 fighter. If the 10-10 fighter has better quality opponents there is a good chance he can beat the 20-0 guy. We have never ducked anyone. If you look up and down my record all you will see is experienced people, I have never shied away from any fight.”
The upside to a 3 year layoff is a lot less ring miles on your body and Huerta is well aware of that and he believes it will serve him well in future fights. “I feel like a very young 30”, said Huerta,” I will be turning 31 next month. I haven’t been in that many wars, I have never been cut. I feel like I am just getting into my prime in strength and maturity. The time is now and things are supposed to happen for me.”
As to the immediate future Huerta will have his hands full next month against a tough fighter from Mexico, but if his record tells us anything it’s that Charles doesn’t mind taking tough tests. “I will be fighting Miguel Gonzalez from Los Mochis his record is 21-2,” Huerta stated, “I said I wanted a decent opponent because I don’t want to take a backward step right now. I don’t want any easy fights; I want to challenge myself with each and every fight.”
The future of Huerta’s career literally rests in his own hands right now and he knows it, “If everything goes as planned Diaz told me this will be my last fight at Belasco. This is a stay busy fight but he wants me to get on ESPN in my next couple of fights. There are names at 130 pounds that Golden Boy has that he can match me up with,” said Huerta.
The business of boxing always seems to go into directions no one would expect or plan. I’m sure if you asked Huerta he would have never planned it like this and quite frankly he most likely did not see this positive twist coming. As Charles shared, “When talking with Robert Diaz, he asked me where I was six months ago? The answer was I was in the gym just hoping to get a fight. And now I am back headlining cards, I just signed with Golden Boy and there is a buzz going on about me again now. That’s a lot to have happen in just six months.”
That is a lot to have go down in half a year for any fighter, and there is still plenty of time in 2017 to make yourself known again. A victory here and a good performance on ESPN there and suddenly a career that seemed to be stalled for a moment will shift into high gear. It’s the perfect time to put the pedal to the metal for Charles Huerta.
Dedicated, hard working and a guy who brings it every time he steps into the squared circle, it’s hard not to like a boxer like Huerta. Check him out next month at The Belasco Theatre. You will not be disappointed.
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