What to do -- leave Elite Boxing in Makati and join Elorde or stay at Elite?
Should I stay or should I go?
I want a fight, another professional boxing bout, but changing boxing clubs isn't helping me in getting this because with each switch, I start from the bottom again with establishing a rapport and establishing myself. I love Elite, I'm super close with the coaches. Just the other week they had their staff Christmas party and besides the owner's one friend and the girlfriend of one of the coaches, I was the only non staff invited. That's how comfortable they are with me and I am with them. Having said this though, Elite made it clear from the start that they "don't do" pro fighters. They don't manage pro fighters. I'm now leaning on Kristian Hernandez of Hernandez boxing for that. He has sponsored me and the facility his boxing club is in, Alphaland City Club, has since sponsored my company, Empowered Clubhouse. I'm launching my small group boxing classes there in less than two weeks and that's all thanks to Kristian and City Club. With Kristian being an active pro fighter himself, managing his private boxing club and doing his DJing, he's quite the busy man though. It's hard to work our schedules out so that I train with him once a week.
I'm wondering if there's more than I could be and should be doing.
Elite doesn't sponsor me and can't get me a fight but they're not even trying to point me in any direction to help me out. Consequently, I've stopped tagging them in my Instagram Stories, Instagram posts and Facebook posts. I've had many people reach out to me because if you look up Elite on Instagram a flood of pictures from me shows up. I was "highly recommended" not to just tag places, "you're advertising for them for free", they told me and now I understand what they mean. I don't have many Instagram followers or so many Facebook fans on my fan page but those I do have are very interactive with me and that makes a huge difference. Sure, my numbers are low but I do get a lot of random people saying they recognize me from social media and many of those who have come to train alongside me or come take a picture with me because of it. I think that's pretty awesome. Still need to get my numbers up though because potential sponsors and investors love numbers and to them quantity is better than quality. I think I have quality fans, they're pretty awesome.
With me moving to The Fort next week my 3 minute walk to Elite will become a 30 minute jog, a 5km jog. I'm actually looking forward to the challenge but is it me only making things harder for myself or will it actually be worth it? I question this because what will staying at Elite really do for me if I want a fight?! Maybe my struggle with commuting every day may attract the right attention, catch the eye of those in the boxing community that could propel my career more. But maybe my struggle might just ware me down and exhaust my drive.
Having another fight would throw a lot of spotlight on Empowered and sponsors, investors, fans and potential clients would be totally drawn to it. It would launch it to a whole other level that my daily hustling just can't do.
I was at Elorde Katipunan for 3 months and after 2 months they signed me for a fight.
I've been at Elite for 6 months and no fight... and no promises of any potential fight.
I'm also now with Hernandez Boxing though so there's potential for a fight there.
Sure the fight with Elorde never happened but that wasn't because of them. That was because my opponent got scared and pulled out last minute.
So, do I stay training at Elite and Hernandez or ditch Elite to go with Elorde in BGC and continue training when I can at Hernandez?! I'm just sick of moving, that's another issue I'm dealing with in regards to this one big decision. In the past two and a half years I've lived in 3 different countries, 7 different homes and have trained at 8 different boxing clubs.
In Korea...
Hulk's Boxing -- my own boxing club where I coached and did my training
In Canada...
Paul Brown Boxing -- trained and coached part time for them until I got hurt and quit
Clancy's Boxing -- trained part time there and coached their Agency Wars Team Blue
Cabbagetown Boxing -- sparred every Friday with their female-only Fight Club
Hardknocks Boxing -- they took over managing me so they sponsored and trained me
In the Philippines...
Elorde Katipunan -- trained there for the 3 months I lived in Eastwood
Elite Boxing -- have been training there for a little over 6 months now
Hernandez Boxing -- train once a week there and they sponsor me and Empowered
So, again I ask, should I stay or should I go?
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