In the guest corner, from New York City, the fighting pride of Delhi University, who won his debut professional bout in Star Boxing’s Rockin’ Fights series, a standout amateur with 20 wins against only five defeats, the two-time New York Ring Masters Champion, Ronny Reyes. 

Well-spoken, good looking, hardworking, a college education with lofty aspirations—you might think at 25 years old that Reyes has led a charmed life. You’d be wrong, entirely so. At age seven he and his six-month-old sister were separated from their single mom and put into foster care. Moving from home to home, as a young boy Reyes let his anger get the better of him fighting in school and in the street, for seemingly little reason.  

Reyes says not many families are interested in adopting a troubled little boy, preferring instead to mold infants like his sister. The silver lining was that their grandparents fought to keep the siblings together in the same home. This proved to be his first lifeline, as Reyes longed to give his sister a better life. When he was just 15, he got an “off the books” job enabling him and his sister to move in with their grandparents, who were of little means. At this point, he was determined to do better for the little girl. 

As a teenager he found the boxing gym, and in it, the means to release his rage. After his work outs, he felt calmer, the anger having dissipated. He loved the release it gave him, and the discipline—his second lifeline. The professional athlete admits, his was far from a normal childhood. But his need to “man up” at a young age has made him a better, stronger man. He no longer feels angry. 

Reyes graduated from high school and attended SUNY Delphi, one of the few schools with a boxing gym on campus. This gave him the ability to stay in shape, to keep his dream of winning the Golden Gloves alive. He also wanted a traditional college experience, and he recommends it to everyone. “Boxing is a tough, hard sport. It’s not for the weak. College is definitely an easier route.”  

With the help of his father figure trainer Victor and under the tutelage of the Stellates, Reyes has matured as a man and as a boxer. He feels good about his debut pro performance but is constantly looking to sharpen his skills. He also feels good about continuing to provide for his sister, including saving for her college tuition, supplementing his income by working as a personal trainer. 

Stay tuned for Matt’s FAST FIVE to find out why Southpaw is Ronny’s favorite boxing movie and to hear his clean, if silly-funny, one-liner jokes!  

@heavyhitter_ron | Instagram 

Ronny Reyes | Facebook 

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In each episode of Life’s Tough – Boxers Are TOUGHER! host Matthew Pomara, licensed amateur boxer, and boxing writer and contributor to “The Ring” magazine and “NYFights.com,” talks to men and women in the boxing industry whose hard-won victories and personal triumph and perseverance inspire listeners to fight on.  Because life isn’t about how hard you can hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.   

CHECK OUT all our inspiring podcasts at https://www.lifestough.com/.