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SAN LEANDRO, California — Why in the world would Filipino-American Joel Siapno, a bright young 22-year-old who recently graduated with a nursing degree from Oakland’s Samuel Merritt University, want to put his career on pause all for a shot at boxing, perhaps the most violent and dead-end of all sports?
To chase a dream, that’s why.
A successful amateur fighter from the past few years, the Bay Area product will fight in his first-ever professional bout on the “Friday Night Fights” event card inside San Francisco Fisherman Wharf’s historic Longshoreman’s Hall on Friday, July 18.
The narrative is compelling and carries enough weight to catch the attention of Fil-Ams throughout the Bay Area and beyond. They can take interest in that a “kababayan” is turning pro and rally to support him.
Compatriot co-headlining
Another Fil-Am, from Mandaue City, Cebu, and now San Diego, Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta is co-headlining the main event. The three-star headliner features Gesta going up against Luis Arceo (28-12-4, 18 KOs).
When the southpaw Gesta was last seen in action things did not end well for him. He suffered the first defeat of his career and clearly was out-boxed by Miguel Vazquez on the undercard of Pacquiao-Marquez 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. He bounced back to win in April to push his record to 27-1-1.
Siapno, who attended high school in Alameda at St. Joseph’s where he played varsity basketball, fights out of the Kennel Boxing Gym, the only Filipino-owned and operated club of its kind in the country, located in San Leandro, California.
The other day he wore a T-shirt that read: “When You Wanna Succeed As Bad As You Wanna Breathe.” That might say everything you need to know about his hunger.
“Quiet Storm”
First off, Siapno’s nickname, “The Quiet Storm,” is all about his calm demeanor, which according to head trainer Arvin Jugarap is definitely one of his strong suits. Siapno cannot be rattled or intimidated.
What was his parents’ reaction to his foray into boxing? Siapno laughed and said: “They weren’t too into it at first. I mean they probably went to one amateur fight. There’s not much I can say, they wanted me to do things the right way. They wanted me to go to high school, they wanted me to go to college and get a profession, a career. They’re still right now not into it.”
Who knows, maybe once he starts winning, they’ll come around to accepting it more. Siapno said his parents plan on attending Friday’s premier.
While on a training trip to Las Vegas, Siapno, who stands a sturdy 5-foot-9 and walks around close to the 147-pound limit, sometimes even more, sparred with some elite-level competition and held his own according to Jugarap. He did this at two spots in particular: Mayweather Boxing Club and Zab Judah’s HIT Factory.
“Being in that type of environment, it really shows how hungry you need to be,” Siapno said to FilAm Star only days before the fight.
After returning from Sin City he sparred with another welterweight, this one a former sparring partner of Filipino world champion boxer Manny Pacquiao.
“I was able to get some good rounds in with Karim Mayfield,” said Siapno. “We’re wrapping up training camp on a really strong note. I couldn’t be happier.”
Modest start
Soon after opening the original gym in a smallish warehouse space, in January 2009, Jugarap and his relatives, who are co-owners, gave themselves five years to groom at least one
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legitimate professional contender. At the moment, Kennel has four pro fighters under the banner.
Jugurap feels like he’s on track with Siapno, not just because he earned his degree, but because he is the gym’s first fighter they have groomed “from the ground up.”
Originally, Siapno came there as a high school senior to train, but not as a boxer. Eventually, after the suggestion of his brother he ended up taking boxing and is now in his fourth year with Jugarap. He fought a total of 16 amateur fights.
Local boy
Siapno was born and raised locally, in San Leandro, and attended St. Joseph’s in Alameda, which happens to be the same school as past NBA star Jason Kidd.
Siapno whose parents are from the Philippines’ Province of Pangasinan, has fought his amateur fights mostly at junior middleweight, and according to him is ready to “step it up.”
He’s scheduled to fight at welterweight (147-pounds) in a bout that will appear on the undercard of nationally televised cable special promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and appearing on FOX Sports Net 1.
“Great Filipino fighters have influenced me because they’ve done a lot for the sport, he said. “You don’t have to look too far back and Manny Pacquiao breaking records in the sport with like eight titles in eight different divisions. That’s crazy, you have to give them their respects.”
His nickname may infer that he doesn’t talk a lot of trash and has got some poise to him, but don’t expect Siapno to go easy on his upcoming opponent and lie back in wait.
“My style is a pressure fighter,” the orthodox fighter said. “All the fighters coach Arvin teaches, he teaches them a pressure style. It’s a smart style–you want to hold your ground and use effective counters.”
He played basketball most of his life before making the full-time commitment to boxing. The story goes that his younger brother “just started searching up some gyms, this was the gym that was convenient at first.
“I live really close and I realized the things that they teach me here can take me to the next level. I think what ultimately draws me to the sport is that it’s a true test of character.” (Follow @NvonWettberg)
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