STX Boxing Athletes Shine at International Competition in Puerto Rico

The sounds of gloves hitting heavy bags and jump ropes striking the floor have become more than training routines inside the USVI Boxing Gym on St. Croix. For coach Oto Ortiz and the young men he works with, they represent discipline, resilience, and what many hope is the continued revival of boxing in the Virgin Islands.

That resurgence was on display recently when a team of local boxers traveled to Caguas, Puerto Rico, to compete in the 22nd edition of the José “Cheo” Aponte Tournament, held May 14-16. The international competition brought together fighters from Puerto Rico, Colombia, Ecuador, Canada, and the Virgin Islands. The tournament, held annually in honor of a champion boxer from Caguas, also dedicated this year’s edition to Puerto Rico Boxing Federation Vice President Candy Rivera, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment after a cancer diagnosis.

Representing the Virgin Islands were Wesley Santana, Christian Diaz, and Jomar Ortiz — another opportunity, Oto Ortiz said, to rebuild a boxing culture he believes had grown quiet over the years.

“There’s been kind of like a silence when it came to traveling and the guys competing for quite some time now,” Ortiz said. “I saw that the guys had the drive for it. I didn’t want to see the talent go to waste.”