Hector ‘Teco’ Serrano Ready For A New Start!

For some young fighters, three consecutive losses would be good enough reason to call it quits but for (13-3) Hector “Teco” Serrano, they’re just bumps in the road on the way to a fresh start in 2012.

Standnfight’s Dominic Serna caught up with the light welterweight as he trained on Saturday in the Coachella Valley.

DS: Your coming off three consecutive losses, can you tell me about those and what was going on?

Serrano: Yea, they were tough fights. All three of them were tough. A lot of it dealt with my nose. I had my nose broken in all three of them pretty bad and it was a lot of blood. It had to do a lot with the breathing but we finally got it cauterized and I still have my head up high. I just have to keep on going, you know?

DS: You were formerly trained by Henry Ramirez, can you tell me about that?

Serrano: We still go there to spar. I left on good terms and It’s good. We still show up there and get good work with the guys there. Im glad it went that route.

DS: So your now training out of Perris with Angel Ochoa, how do you like it out there?

Serrano: I love it out there. It’s hard work, non-stop training Monday thru Friday. There’s a lot of pressure, he gives me that push. Everything a fighter is looking for, you find it there.

DS: Is there any word on your next fight?

Serrano: We’re looking at early march.

DS: Are there any names being tossed out there?

Serrano: No, nothing yet. Right now we’re just focusing on getting good wind under me, getting in shape, shedding weight and whatever pops up.

DS: You’ve fought locally your entire career, are you still fighting at Thompson Boxing?

Serrano: I’m in and out with Thompson. Usually if I get a fight, it’s with Thompson, All-Star Boxing, Roy Englebrecht or Golden Boy. We’re shifting around.

DS: Is 2012 a new fresh start for you?

Serrano: Yes. It has to be. This is my mentality. I already put it into my head you know. This is my year. I have to turn the tables coming off these three losses. I just have to do it and I’m confident I will.

I’m not going down to 130 any more. I’m staying at 142, 144 you know. So I can stay strong and not have to lose so much energy and we’ll be good.

DS: Did you feel, at times you we’re killing yourself to make weight?

Serrano: Yea, you know the last couple weeks were the worst.

Throughout my entire amateur career, I never fought under 141 and my last five pro fights were all at 138, 136. I think that really affected me.

DS: How did you feel at 138?

Serrano: My last fight was at 136 and I felt good but to lose the weight, anybody can drop the weight, It’s the result after that hurts you. You feel like a low battery, you have trouble letting go. You feel good for the first few rounds and then your drained.

It’s an experience. Thats the way I see it but now it’s 140 and up.

DS: Your First loss to Jose Reynoso (15-3, 2 KOs), That was a war. Is that when you first broke your nose?

Serrano: Yea, he broke my nose in the eighth round and they stopped the fight in that same round.

DS: I was ringside for that fight and I could see there was no way you could breath out of your nose.

Serrano: That was the same thing with the next two fights. The fight after Reynoso, (Aris Ambriz) It ended up the same way. My nose burst in the fourth round and I hung In there until the eighth round.

DS: Do you think it wasn’t fully healed, going into the second fight?

Serrano: Yea, I think, in the second fight I didn’t fully heal and in the last fight (with Juan Garcia) it happened again.

DS: In those three fights, many fighters would have chose to quit but you kept on fighting and gave it your all.

Serrano: It’s just… If you have it in you, you just keep going and if you dont, you stop. In those last three fights, it never crossed my mind that I was done or that I couldn’t go anymore. I just stayed positive and said let’s keep going.

DS: how do you see your future in 2012?

Serrano: I see a win streak in 2012. Im hoping to get in six to seven fights back-to-back and all wins… they have to be. This is it right here.

I feel a little pressure after the three losses. I’m pretty sure a lot of people are doubting me but it’s all right. I like to prove people wrong.

DS: In some cases, after a loss, fighters come back even stronger. What did you take from your losses?

Serrano: you learn a lot regardless, win or lose and yea, I did learn a lot. obviously move my head a lot more to get away from the punches to the nose and just going over the videos and fixing the mistakes. I’m confident we are going to have good results coming up.

DS: Is there anything you’d like to say to your fans and supporters?

Serrano: I love my fans and supporters. I thank all those that have supported me. from Huntington Park, Riverside, Fontana, Pomona, Long Beach… everybody. My family from Mexicali that come down. All my people from the Marines, my co-workers from UPS that support me. They all come out to see me fight.

DS: Is it hard to stay focused on training when you have a full time job?

Serrano: UPS helps me out a lot. I’ve been working there for nine years and I’ve been fighting the entire time.

A lot of people say, how do you do it because I work the graveyard shift. If I have a tough week of sparring or a tough day I wake up at 2 in the morning so beat up and have to load or unload trucks, pick up boxes, you can imagine when it comes to losing weight but like i said they help me out a lot.

It’s a sacrifice but who doesn’t get to where they want to be without sacrifice?