Photo Information

Lance Cpl. Abraham Lopez puts on his boxing shoes before his Armed Forces Boxing Championship 123-pound title fight at the Chaparral Fitness Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Feb. 18.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Sharida Jackson

Marine defeats Army boxer, takes gold medal

18 Feb 2011 | Lance Cpl. Eric Quintanilla Marine Corps Training and Education Command

Hand raised in the air after the championship boxing match came to an end, all he could think was how all his hard work paid off.

Lance Cpl. Abraham Lopez, administrative clerk for the assistant chief of staff recruiting, competed in the 2011 Armed Forces Boxing Championship at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas Feb. 18. He defeated Army Spc. Guy Jean-Baptiste 16 to 5, in the 123-pound weight class and took home the gold medal.

Lopez was able to stay ahead of his opponent in points by holding out for three rounds consisting of three minutes. In order for him to score a point, he had to connect the white spot on his glove with the opponent’s face, and the judges had to agree to award a point.

The 123-pound weight class was the third match of the day and the first that the Army had lost. Although the All Army Team won the team award, the Marine Corps brought home a total of three gold medals that day.

Lopez began his training with the All-Marine Boxing team on Feb. 1, and competed in just one other match to get him to the championship.

Lopez, 19, a Calexico, Calif. native, began boxing at 12 years old when a friend asked him to accompany him to the gym. He has been in love with the sport ever since, he said.

After winning a California tournament, he was invited to try out for the Baja California, Mexico team, where he went on to win two state championships.

He began training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego fighting dojo where he was approached to join the All-Marine Boxing team. Lopez was reluctant at first due to it being based out of Camp Lejeune, N.C. However, Capt. George Mittnacht, commanding officer of special training company, explained the opportunities available to him through the team.

“I didn’t want to grow up and regret not taking this chance,” said Lopez. “I wanted to know if I could make it.” Mittnacht drove Lopez to Encinitas, Calif., to train and try out for the All-Marine Boxing Team. After just one session, he was invited to join the team in Camp Lejuene and begin his training. A typical training day for Lopez consisted of running, weights and sparring.

The most important thing to keep in mind while training is to always be challenging and stay a step ahead of the opponent at all times, said Lopez.

Due to his win in Texas, Lopez has a spot in the Olympic trials, where he will have the chance to make the United States Olympic team.

Lopez will also be flying to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, for the International Military Sports Council games in July. The games are one of the largest multi-disciplinary organizations in the world. They organize various sporting events for the armed forces for all 133 countries involved.

Lopez has now been reassigned to Camp Lejuene, where he can better focus on his training and be with his fellow teammates.

“I’m proud of myself,” said Lopez. “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime to represent the Marine Corps in a big tournament.”


Marine Corps Training and Education Command