Interview Dated March 2006

Welterweight Chad Aquino

HBS - You're from Kansas City?

CA - Yeah, Kansas City, Missouri. Born & Raised. Been all over the country though but now my hometown is Houston, Texas.

HBS - How'd you first get started boxing?

CA - My brother, (Jesse Aquino) he was a fighter since he was seven years old and I was following him into the gym. So I've been in the gym since I was like, three.
Basically followed him into the sport, you know. He was a professional fighter. He went like 16-4 as a pro, he had a pretty good amateur background and so it's just been with me since I was a little kid.

HBS - What is it you enjoy about the sport?

CA - It's kind of in my blood. I had uncles that boxed. It's the one-on-one competitiveness. It's the feeling you get when you've won, like you've accomplished something. You work hard for something and when you win, that's the whole thing right there.

HBS - You're undefeated as a pro. Tell us about your last fight.

CA - Yeah I'm 6-0 as a pro with 3 KO's. My last fight, September 17th in the Coushatta Casino in Kinder, Louisiana. I'm having a little bit of bad luck. I hurt my hand in that fight and it threw me out a couple of months. I had a couple fights fall out and I'm getting ready for March 10th now in McAllen, Texas. So looking forward to that.

HBS - So describe what happened in that last fight. You broke your hand during the bout?

CA - I fractured a knuckle in like the second round. I hit the guy on top of the head and I just had to basically box throughout the (4-round) fight.

HBS - Was that your most difficult fight so far?

CA - I wouldn't say it was my most difficult. I believe my most difficult was my pro debut. I fought a pretty tough guy on my debut and I was lucky enough on that to be televised on T.V. so probably my first fight was my most difficult fight.

HBS - Tell us how that fight went.

CA - It was in December of 2004. I fought a guy that was 3-1 with 2 KO's and he brought the fight and it was my first time as a pro fighter so it was a new experience for me altogether. But I managed to take the advantage and we won a unanimous decision.

HBS - How would you describe your style? You seem to be pretty balanced between punching and boxing. Did you outbox him or outslug him?

CA - In that fight I pretty much did both. I fought him when he needed to be fought and I boxed him when he needed to be boxed. My style, I'm a southpaw, I like to box but when it's time to set down and throw the combinations I'm here to throw them and I'm going trying to hurt you and get you out of there.

HBS - What you you consider to be your best punch?

CA - I don't really know. You'd have to ask my trainer. I'm a pretty well balanced fighter.

HBS - Is there anything in particular that you're working on, any new techniques?

CA - Well I'm working with Ronnie Shields every day and every day it's something new in the gym you know and he's showing me new things every day so we're learning a lot.

HBS - Anything in connection with this upcoming fight? Do you know who you're fighting?

CA - I don't know anything about the guy. I know his name. I think he's got a record of 1-3 or 1-4 so I don't know much about him. Early in your pro career it's hard to find information on guys but we're just working on boxing and moving and setting up combinations and working off the jab.

HBS - Is there anybody you'd like to fight? Describe your ambitions.

CA - Every fighter you want to be a champion but right now I'm in the developmental stage. I'm just starting my professional career and I'm just looking to learn every day. I want to be the best one day. I haven't had my eyes set on nobody yet but your eyes are always set on being the champion.