MICHAEL PAREDES

ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES

MICHAEL PAREDES

After finding the courage to defend himself against middle school bullies, Miami Palmetto Senior High School junior Miguel (Michael) Paredes found himself falling in love with the sport of boxing.

“I’ve always watched boxing with my dad, but in seventh grade, I got bullied by an eighth grader. One day, he picked me up against the fence, and I actually headbutted him, and I broke his nose,” Michael said. “Because of that, I got into boxing.”

In seventh grade, Michael began training at Muhammad Ali Boxing Center in Tropical Park. There, he trained under world champion boxer Glen Johnson, gaining a foundation in amateur boxing skills, including the different movements, techniques and general rules of fighting.

Michael’s dad, Miguel Paredes, has remained by his side every step of the way from his daily training schedule to fights in and out of the state. Though Miguel boxed in his younger years, he has given Michael the space to forge his own path in the sport.

“I’ve always had boxing equipment at home because I boxed for the Police Athletics League when I was a kid. So there’s always been punching bags and boxing gloves and all that stuff, but I never really pushed him into it,” Miguel said. “So he was having an issue with a couple of boys in school, and he just came up to

me and he said, ‘I want to learn how to box.’”

After his time at MuhammadAli Boxing Center, Michael decided to pursue boxing with a greater range of coaches, so he booked a session with Florida Hall of Fame boxing coach Jorge Rubio.

“When he fights I am going to go with them…andrightnowIamtryingtobeinhis corner because we have a good connection, working together in the gym and working together in the fight, and I think that he’s doing good,” Rubio said.

Throughout his training with Rubio — which began about a year ago — Michael has followed a strict workout schedule to maintain his stamina. This allows him to develop as a boxer while balancing school with his passion.

“On the days I have FLVS, I wake up at 4 in the morning. I go to the gym at 4:30, and I am back at school at 7:20. Then, after school, I go to the gym again. I go for a run afterwards. The days I don’t have FLVS, I get to sleep in a little bit, so I’ll go to the gym at 6:00. And [it’s] basically the same process. So [I] try to train twice a day and go for a run,” Michael said.

In addition to training with Rubio, Michael works with Coach Jose Roman in his home gym that his dad built for him. With the mentoring and encouragement from various coaches and his dad, Michael hopes to soon advance from an amateur to a professional boxer and potentially participate in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

“I think that he has a good chance to be on the American USA Olympic team in four years. And after that, when he finishes the Olympic games, I think he’s going to professional,” Rubio said. “He’s young, still; he is 17 years old. Four years, and he’s 21; his age will be perfect for a professional, and I think that if Mike can go to that one Olympic game, I think that two years after the amateur he can become a world champion as a professional.”

During his time boxing, Michael has learned valuable lessons that he applies not only to the boxing ring, but to his personal life as well.

“It’s honestly gotten me so dedicated; it keeps me on a schedule, it keeps me focused… And if I ever feel stressed one day, I just hit the bag to release some stress and I’m good,” Michael said.

Although boxing is a physical and aggressive sport, Michael, with the help of a life coach, distinguishes himself as a kind person and displays his true character outside of the ring.

“[His life coach] said to him, ‘When you go into the ring, it is like you’re going onto stage. It’s performing, whether you’re a dancer or a singer, or an artist or an actor, because that’s your role,” Miguel said. “You go into the ring and you fight and when you walk away from the ring, you’re Michael again.’”

Allison Gould Print Editor-in-Chief a.gould.thepanther@gmail.com Sara Paredes Copy Editor

s.paredes.thepanther@gmail.com PHOTO BY RYAN MCKEAN DESIGN BY GIANNA HUTTON