The best punch trackers on the market
8th April 2022
By: Michael Frank
SULEM URBINA
THE ROAD BACK TO WORLD TITLE CONTENDER
THE REVAMP IS HERE
Boxing Guru had the opportunity to speak with Sulem Urbina recently. In the exclusive interview, Urbina discussed her drive to revamp her career. The once title contender is looking to take all the right steps to get back to the top of the flyweight division.
The sport of boxing can be a roller coaster for all parties involved. One can quickly crash down from the mountain top. Those ups and downs help you become who you are as a human being and an athlete. How you respond to that adversity is often examined through a microscope we call critics.
Sulem Urbina (12-2-1) started off her professional career winning her first twelve fights. The hot start caught the eye of Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions, leading to her signing with them in 2019. Since then, she has suffered losses to Marlen Esparza (11-1) and Naoko Fujioka (19-2-1), followed up by a draw in her last fight.
In life people tend to be their own worst critic, when it comes to boxing that can be taken to the extreme. Sulem Urbina has fallen suspect to this as of late.
The talented flyweight, originally from Mexico, has her mind set on revamping her career. She is working on not being so hard on herself and wants to get back to enjoying the sport that she fell in love with at 10 years old. She currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband who doubles as her trainer and coach. Sulem emphasized that “he’s a great coach, we’ve been a great team, and we can be a great team again.” Working with your spouse surely has its share of advantages and flaws simultaneously. She jokingly said, “he’s the only trainer who takes my whole purse.”
In the exclusive interview Urbina told Boxing Guru that she “had to take a break, I had to take a break from boxing, I was mentally done with boxing. I took a good two months off, and I actually started to miss the sport again. I feel excited and I am working on being a different boxer both physically and mentally. I feel grateful, it’s a great privilege for me to be able to do what I enjoy.”
CHECK OUT THE BEST PUNCH TRACKERS ON THE MARKET
Sulem made her professional debut in 2016 in Tijuana, earning a split decision victory over Eloisa Martinez. She described the bout as a tough debut, suggesting that her opponents record didn’t accurately depict her skill level. When asked about the energy in Tijuana, she was quick to give praise. “I think Tijuana is such a great atmosphere for boxing. Mexico is just different, the passion it’s hard to explain, it’s like religion. Every Saturday is boxing, every household watches boxing, its mandatory.”
Urbina moved to the United States at the age of five, but her Mexican pride remains intact to this day. She loves to put on a show in the ring and has quickly become known for her scrappy fighting style. She “loves to entertain the fan base, I think it’s cool when someone wants to sit there and bang with you” but she admittedly knows how quickly the fans can turn on a fighter. “In Mexico for some reason if you’re Mexican they expect you to put on a show. And if you don’t, they’ll eat you alive.”
In her interview with Boxing Guru, she described teamwork as the key factor for getting her back to where she wants to be. With the guidance of Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar De La Hoya, Robert Diaz, and her husband, Urbina has the right tools to get back to that mountain top.
Another recent move has been the addition of manager Jason Fowler. Fowler, the owner of Elite Sports and Entertainment Management Group, currently manages rising star Montana “Too Pretty” Love, Golden Boy prospect Hector Valdez Jr. and young up and comer Figo Rameriz.
When asked about her new manager, Urbina said “Jason is a kindhearted, genuine man. People talk really positive about him. You know how people in boxing like to talk. Jason is one of the good ones, I’m excited for this new partnership.” Regaining confidence could prove to be an uphill battle for the 31-year-old, but she has the support system to help her along the way.” I think he truly believes in me, and that’s something I really need right now, a team that has my back fully”.
Let us not discount the fact that Urbina started her career by raddling off twelve straight victories. Her aggressive style combined with timely punches is how she quickly climbed the ranks in female boxing. After the closely contested bout with Marlen Esparza, she was then given the opportunity to fight for the WBA Flyweight World Title against Naoko Fujioka. At the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on the Zurdo Rameriz- Sullivan Barrera undercard, Urbina more than stood her ground.
Her team, Robert Diaz and even Fujioka’s team were expecting Urbina’s hand to be raised after the decision. The scorecards of (95-95, 94-96, 91-99) implied that the World title was remarkably close to changing hands that day. Lou Moret’s scorecard of 91-99 stood out as the outlier and ripped the belt right out of her grasp. After the decision, Fujioka’s team approached Urbina and suggested they thought she may have won the fight. They even offered to give her a rematch, but that never played out due to contractual restraints.
THE BOXING GAME YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!
Woman’s boxing is steadily becoming more popular daily. It is exciting, fast paced, and the best part is the top matchups are getting made. Urbina told Boxing Guru, “We don’t play around, women get fights made that have to get made. We don’t take a fight for a paycheck, we take a fight because we see an opportunity, and we believe we can win those fights.” This Saturday Esparza and Fujioka fight for the WBC, WBA, and vacant Ring flyweight title on the Ryan Garcia-Emmanuel Tagoe card. Urbina’s only two losses come at the hands of those title holders.
For the average boxing fan, if you have not had a chance to watch women’s boxing you’re missing out. They belong in this sport and will soon demand the attention worldwide. Urbina described it as “were so hungry, we want to get better in this sport. From the first bell you see action. Once things get heated, it’s over, women go toe-to-toe.
Sulem Urbina will look to get things back on track and revitalize her career. She has all the tools in her bag to get her back to World title contention. Look for Golden Boy Promotions to get her back in the ring as quick as possible. Matchmaker Robert Diaz has the confidence in her to put her in the ring with the top fighters, and that’s exactly what Urbina and her team are thriving for. Please welcome Boxing Guru in introducing the skillful, scrappy, and marketable Sulem Urbina!
Stay tuned for the video of the exclusive interview with Sulem Urbina.
