On a Sunday morning in October, Riel Martinez walked into the Nelson Boxing Club ready to train. He had every reason not to.
Riel was greeted by club owner Jesse Pineiro who had been training him for the B.C. provincials set to begin later that week. Pineiro had already notified organizers that Riel may not be on the card.
Less than 24 hours earlier, Riel含羞草研究社檚 older brother Elias unexpectedly passed away just shy of his 20th birthday. But when he showed up the next day, Riel had already made up his mind: 含羞草研究社淚 wanted to fight for my brother.含羞草研究社�
The boys grew up in the ring together. Their father, Orlando, had trained in Edmonton, and when he and his wife Denielle moved to Nelson they signed their boys up at the club. The Martinez family has since been a regular fixture at local and regional competitions.
Elias, two years older and with a much bigger build, earned a reputation for being a heavy puncher with plenty of potential. He was a four-time provincial champion, a B.C. Golden Gloves champ, and won bronze and silver medals at nationals.
Riel, by comparison, has only just recently began to come into his own. Already this year the 18-year-old fought at the Canada Winter Games, won a gold at the YYC Cup in Calgary, competed in Ireland, and was preparing for his first provincials fighting against adults.
The brothers were close. At the gym when they sparred, Riel says Elias would take it easy on him 含羞草研究社� until he decided not to.
含羞草研究社淚f I brought it at him, he would come back. You can含羞草研究社檛 just let your little brother push you around.含羞草研究社�
Elias stepped away from boxing three years ago, but kept watching Riel含羞草研究社檚 fights and gave him feedback after every bout.
含羞草研究社淸Elias] was the kind of person that I try to produce in the gym,含羞草研究社� says Pineiro. 含羞草研究社淪omebody that not only doesn含羞草研究社檛 mess with people, but sticks up for people, helps people who need it.含羞草研究社�
After Elias died, Riel found his grief was salved by training. The club is tight-knit, with plenty of casual athletes but only a handful of young boxers who fight at competitions. As everyone mourned Elias, Pineiro noticed Riel含羞草研究社檚 focus was somehow providing solace to the club.
含羞草研究社淓verybody in the gym could feel it. Everybody in the gym was pushed by his energy. It含羞草研究社檚 like he took the whole community on his shoulders in a moment when people should be supporting him and he just doesn含羞草研究社檛 need it.含羞草研究社�
The club took four fighters to provincials Nov. 3 to 5 in Richmond. Porter Hansen earned a silver medal after losing to Coquitlam含羞草研究社檚 Csongor Basco. Without opponents, Lola Brouillette and Milane D含羞草研究社橝urelie each walked over as gold medallists.
But the focus was on Riel, who was fighting for the first time in the elite 67-kilogram division that featured boxers in their mid-20s.
He got a bye into the semifinal against Surrey含羞草研究社檚 Ijaaz Faheem, who Riel caught flush with a punch in the third round and earned a unanimous decision.
That moved him into the final against Ankush Panghal of Surrey. In the first round as Panghal tried to hit Riel with hooks, Riel responded with a snappy jab to the face and an uppercut.
The second round opened with Panghal connecting on a punch to the side of Riel含羞草研究社檚 head. Riel in turn used another uppercut that caught Panghal含羞草研究社檚 chin, and kept ducking as Panghal relied on sweeping hooks with both fists.
含羞草研究社淗e was loading up lots of punches,含羞草研究社� said Riel. 含羞草研究社淪o it was like easy to read, I could see them. They were telegraphing a lot too. Whenever he was throwing upper cuts he was kind of looping them, so I could see and get out of the way and counter.含羞草研究社�
Panghal tagged Riel with a right jab in the final round, but Riel finished the bout by pressuring his opponent into the ropes.
The judges awarded Riel a split-decision victory. Only eight days after Elias died, Riel was a provincial champion.
Pineiro was working in Riel含羞草研究社檚 corner for the bout and started to cry when he won. He looked around and noticed others in the crowd crying as well.
含羞草研究社淎ll the normally tough gangster people who hang around boxing clubs did the same thing. Some of them knew Elias well and some of them didn含羞草研究社檛, but they all saw Riel and they all understood what was happening.含羞草研究社�
Riel has more boxing ahead of him. He含羞草研究社檚 secured a spot on Team BC for 2024, where he含羞草研究社檒l be joined by Hansen, Brouillette and D含羞草研究社橝urelie.
But winning the provincial title was special. Elias may be gone, but that day he was in Riel含羞草研究社檚 corner.
含羞草研究社淲hen they raised my hand at the end it honestly brought peace to my heart. I honestly felt him in the room watching.含羞草研究社�
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