Two humiliating defeats suffered in street fights in his town of Hato Mayor when he was ten years old against a rival he only remembers as “Capo”, turned out to be the genesis of the boxer who makes an entire nation proud today.
“That little boy lived at home, practiced boxing, and the two times we fought he gave me two agolpia,” says Alexis de la Cruz, who was urged by his older brother to also learn the old “Art of Fistiana.”
“Miguel Ángel told me ‘Hey, go boxing because he knows how to fight and you don’t, or stop fighting with him,'” recalls De la Cruz, after which he went to the Héctor Monegro Sports Center, in that province, to practice with Coach César –“El Patico—Mota .
His and boxing was love at first sight. Initially, he was instructed on how to move, how to stand in the ring, how to throw the rectus and other fundamentals before putting it on.
“Since I was putting my hand in my gloves, I said this is my thing,” recalls De la Cruz, whose progress was so meteoric that after three months he was part of the selection of his town, above colleagues who had six months practicing, in the exchanges they carried out against El Seybo.
As is natural, he never lost sight of the first executioner he had in his childhood. So she craved another bare-knuckle showdown for revenge. That opportunity came her way and she made the most of it.
“We did not cross gloves, but when I had been boxing for a week we fought three times in the same day and I gave him three agolpia. After that we became buddies ”, she points out with evident satisfaction about the only rival who has beaten her twice.
More than a decade later on his service record there are gold medals in the Military Games as part of the Dominican Republic Army team, as well as in the National Boxing Championship, Continental Championship, Bolivarian Games and now in San Salvador.
Likewise, he was a bronze medalist in the Central American and Caribbean Games “Barranquilla 2018”, Pan American Games “Lima 2019” and in the most important event of his career: The World Cup in Bulgaria (2021) by beating Finn Arslan in the quarterfinals. Khataev.
In passing, he joined Elio Enai Rojas (bronze in 2001), as the only boxers from the backyard to win a world championship medal.
In addition to the historic medal that hung around his neck, De la Cruz brought a $25,000 prize for finishing in third place.
“The only medal I lack is the Olympic one and with the favor of God I will give it to my country. It is the only one that I owe him”, the stellar left-handed boxer advanced about the commitment he will have in the Olympic Games, which will take place in Paris, France, between the months of July and August of next year.
Example.
Alexis de la Cruz won the first gold medal for the boxing representative and the fifth for the Dominican delegation.
The second gold plate was provided by Cristian Pinales in the 82 kilograms.
Commitment.
Today, as team captain, it is clear to him that he must work hard to lead by example.
Appointment.
“If the captain looks bad, the troop can collapse, but if he takes a step forward, the others will follow him.”