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<\/p>\nNAMPA, Idaho \u2014 Local boxing Icon Rene ‘El Gato’ Medina is being honored at a fight night on October 17th in Nampa for his decades of dedication to the sport. <\/p>\n
At 86-years-old, he can still be found watching every punch inside a small Nampa boxing gym.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a familiar setting for a man who has spent more than half a century teaching the sport and has coached multiple generations of fighters.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s trained kids, they grow up. Those kids bring in their kids and those kids have also brought in their kids,\u201d Carmen Medina said. \u201cSo, like, he’s trained a father, a son and a grandfather.\u201d<\/p>\n
Learn more about ‘El Gato’ and his coaching career:<\/p>\n
86-year-old boxing icon to be honored after nearly six decades of coaching<\/p>\n
Medina began coaching boxers in 1968, but his connection to the sport started years when he was a teen.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen he was about 17 years old, it became a passion for him,\u201d Carmen said.<\/p>\n
When asked why he first stepped into the ring, Medina\u2019s answer was simple: \u201cBecause he was very skinny when he was a boy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tired of being bullied and looking for an avenue away from drugs and alcohol, Medina picked up a pair of gloves and began fighting.<\/p>\n
Known in the ring as \u201cEl Gato,\u201d Medina eventually reached a point in his boxing career where he fought on an undercard for Joe Frazier. But his lasting impact would come outside the ropes, where he began training the next generation.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019ll train you today and tomorrow you might become a champion,\u201d said Louie Neagle, coach at Tomorrow\u2019s Champions. \u201cThat was his philosophy. You train hard and tomorrow you might be a champion, and I\u2019ve always liked that about him.\u201d<\/p>\n
That philosophy is reflected in the name of the gym where Medina continues to coach, Tomorrow\u2019s Champions.<\/p>\n
Over the years, hundreds of men and women have trained under Medina, while dozens of coaches have followed in his footsteps.<\/p>\n
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On Oct. 17, Medina\u2019s decades-long career will be honored during a fight night in Nampa. The fight will feature a heavyweight bout between Ruben Manrajos Jr. of Idaho vs. Ryan Bailey of Washington <\/p>\n
And after 58 years of coaching, \u201cEl Gato\u201d still has no plans to leave the corner.<\/p>\n