Belize’s Boxing Champ Fights for a Title and a Legacy

This Saturday night, the spotlight shines bright on Swift Hall in Belize City, because one of Belize’s finest is stepping into the ring for the fight of his life. Amir Rudon, the reigning national boxing champ, is chasing history. He’ll be going glove-to-glove for the coveted WBC FECARBOX Silver Super Lightweight belt. But for Rudon, it’s more about putting Belizean boxing on the global map than it is about a personal victory. From humble beginnings to national glory, Rudon’s journey is fueled by grit, heart, and a deep love for the sport. And when he’s not training for battle, he’s shaping the future, mentoring young fighters at Alpha Boxing Club. It’s a story of passion, purpose, and punching through limits. News Five’s Paul Lopez takes us ringside for a closer look at Rudon’s rise and what this weekend’s showdown means for the sport in Belize.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Professional Boxer Amir Rudon is about to take on his toughest opponent yet. On November twenty-second, Rudon will face Mexican Carlos Elvira for the World Boxing Council’s Central American Boxing Federation Silver Super Lightweight Championship. Amir Rudon is being celebrated as Belize’s very own, our first homegrown professional boxer to contend for the prestigious WBC FECARBOX Silver title. We met him training at his gym, Alpha Boxing Club.

 

Amir Rudon, Professional Boxer

“I am currently the national champion of Belize. Now, this puts us in a regional ranking, which will open many more doors for us, not only me but the other boxers coming behind me also. I have been training really hard. I have been pushing my limits in training, mentally, physically, I am a hundred percent ready.”

 

It’s the story of a young man who refused to let life’s setbacks define him. Amir Rudon’s journey to the ring is one of pure grit and determination. When we first met him back in 2022, he wasn’t training in a fancy gym. He was out in the open, under a tree in his yard, with nothing but dirt beneath his feet, a few pieces of gear, and a dream that burned brighter than any spotlight. Three years later, and what a transformation. Rudon now runs his own gym, the Alpha Boxing Club, where he’s not just training for glory, he’s building it. He’s mentoring the next generation of fighters, showing them that with heart and hustle, anything is possible.

 

Amir Rudon

“I am truly thankful for all the blessings that is coming my way. I remember we did an interview at Marion Jones and then we came here. Now, we have so much other boxers competing alongside me as well. I take great pride an honor in developing the sport.”

 

Rudon’s stepping into the ring on Saturday, and he’s making sure his team is right there with him for every moment. He has put together a group of amateur bouts for the night. Ladyville resident Akil Flowers is one of the young boxers inspired by the sport, and his mother, Tamina Flowers, says her initial reluctance, rooted in his past experiences with bullying, has since given way to pride as she’s witnessed the positive transformation boxing has brought to his life.

 

Tamina Flowers, Mother of Akil Flowers

“I see where he has grown, he has become humbler in what he was doing. He becomes more relaxed. He used to be angry a lot because of so many things. But now he takes it out on the bag. It is the best place to take it out. Many guys are picking up guns, in the gangs, and it pains your heart to see the route they are going. So, I want to encourage them, step into this, it is something you might like.”

 

For many of these amateur athletes this will be their first actual fight outside of training in the gym. And they are leaving it all on the floor during training. Erin Sosa-Montero, the only female boxer in the group, is proudly continuing the legacy of her grandfather, who was a boxer himself.

 

Erin Sosa-Montero, Amateur Boxer

“It takes a lot out of you, physically, mentally to come in every day. Sometimes I have training five thirty in the morning as I am still a student. I do training, shower, get ready to go to school, do homework, whatever I need to do, come back training again in the evening. It is tiring, but it is very rewarding.”

 

And that level of enthusiasm and passion for the sport is shared by every single boxer in the ring that is set to compete over the weekend.

 

Drew Harris, Amateur Boxer

“Boxing is a reality. You can be big, you can be small, but once you are in that ring along it is you against the next person. So it is not about talks, but about how you can perform by yourself, alone.”

 

Azim Flowers, Amateur Boxer

“I am very nervous and anxious. I don’t know who I am fighting yet. I believe it is a Mexican. But regardless I will do my best.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Are you ever afraid of being punched in the face?”

 

Azim Flowers

“No, I am not afraid, I have been punched a lot.”

 

One thing is certain; boxing is alive and well in Belize and Saturday presents an opportunity for the discipline to reach new heights. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.