Cantu adds another GG state title to mantelpiece

Oscar Cantu’s hand is raised as the Kingsville fighter won a decision over San Antonio boxer Adam Lopez during the championship fight in the open class 114 lb. senior division of the Golden Gloves state tournament in Fort Worth this past weekend. This is Cantu’s second consecutive title in the open class senior division after having won seven in the junior class. Cantu clearly dominated all three of his opponents in Fort Worth earning decisions in each match. Oscar Cantu disposed of three opponents on his way to securing his second consecutive open class state title in the 114 pound senior division of the Golden Gloves tournament in Fort Worth this past weekend.

Cantu first won a decision over Ray Ximenez of Dallas on Thursday.

“Ximenez is a former junior national champion who is moving up to the senior league,” Head Coach Jaime Cantu said. “Basically Oscar just out-punched him, kept him on the outside, landed several combinations and power shots. Ximenez quickly went into reverse mode because he was not used to the power, so Oscar won an easy decision.”

On Friday, Oscar overwhelmed Houston fighter Josue Morales.

“Josue is a southpaw (left handed fighter) but Oscar overwhelmed him with his speed, counter-punching and power shots,” Coach Cantu said. “Morales was the most dominating fight we had of the tournament.”

Oscar was able to acquire some payback in the championship fight - on Saturday - against San Antonio boxer Adam Lopez.

Back in October of 2009, Lopez won a questionable decision over Oscar in the championship match of the National Police Athletic League event that took place in the Alamo city.

“Basically two elite level boxers fought in a highly competitive match with both counter punching one another,” Coach Cantu said about Saturday’s finale. “Oscar tried to finish each exchange by throwing one or two more punches.”

Father and son communicated during the title fight in regards of when to attack and when to contain.

“We used a strategy of moving around the ring and counter punching during the first half of the round and then - with a stopwatch in my hands - when there were thirty seconds left I would yell out the code word ‘yellow’ which is a color we have on our timer at the Twelfth Street Gym that lets us know we have thirty seconds left until the end of the round,” Coach Cantu said.

“I would either yell ‘yellow-go’ for him to go on the offensive, or just ‘yellow’, which meant for him to just manage the last thirty seconds. Oscar started pressuring Lopez more when I would yell ‘yellow-go’ and the kid was not used to it and started moving around the ring.”

Both fighters have plenty of talent and amicable history.

“The coach in Lopez’s corner is a former Olympic trainer and it was a very competitive fight,” Coach Cantu said. “But we won a clear clean cut decision - it wasn’t a brawl - as both of these boys are national champions and have been on the same international team so they know each other very well.”

Oscar fights in the national Golden Gloves tournament May 3-8 in Little Rock Arkansas.