Email   Print   Share By Daniel Cernero, Sentinel Sports Editor

Facebook Digg Delicious May 31, 2012 | Sports

Master Sgt. Edgar Fuentes, the head cornerman for the eight 41st Fires Bde. figthers competing in the finals, shouts to one of his Soldiers in the ring. 41st Fires Bde. finished with four champions of the 11 finals bouts. Daniel Cernero, Sentinel Sports Editor

Andrew Csog, 41st Fires Bde., throws a left at Jonathan Badillo, 21st Cav. Bde., during the male lightweight championship bout May 23 in Abrams Physical Fitness Center. Badillo won the fight via decision. Daniel Cernero, Sentinel Sports Editor

As units across Fort Hood took part in Phantom Warrior Week, one event, the boxing smoker, took center stage as the finale May 23.

For Soldiers in the 41st Fires Brigade, winners of the Fort Hood Combatives Tournament earlier in the year, this type of physical competition yet again proved to be right up their alley.

“I told my brigade commander, ‘we might not be that good at soccer or volleyball, but we can sure beat people up,’” Master Sgt. Edgar Fuentes, the head cornerman for 41st Fires Bde., who was also

the coach of the combatives team, said.

Out of the 22 fighters competing in the 11 final bouts, 41st Fires Bde. had the most with eight fighters, four of which went on to be named champion of their respective weight classes – Abelina Ozuna, lightweight; Bianca Valdez, welterweight; Reynaldo Texidor, lightweight; James Diaz, middleweight.

While Fuentes was the busiest corner of the night, there was one fight involving his Soldiers where he chose to sit out. Texidor took on fellow 41st Fires Soldier Waldemar Santos in the lightweight championship bout.

“They went through a division of lightweights,” Fuentes said, “and I told them that if they happen to fight each other, I couldn’t be in either corner. I didn’t feel that it would be right. They understood.”

Being from the same unit and also sparring partners, they said it was a challenge for each fighter to do something unexpected to catch the other off guard.

“He knows what I’m going to do and I know what he’s going to do,” Texidor pointed out, “so you try to do something that other doesn’t know. For example, I fought more aggressive, when I usually fight laid-back.”

One 41st Fires fighter that really caught Fuentes’ attention was Andrew Csog, who lost his light-welterweight championship bout to Jonathan Badillo, 21st Cavalry Brigade (Air Combat).

“He didn’t know anything about fighting,” Fuentes said, referring to Csog’s introduction to boxing taking place only one month ago. “He fought a top-caliber boxer in Badillo. He’s a representative of the Puerto Rico national team, and an experience fighter. Csog had 15 days of training.”

Throughout the fight, Badillo controlled the action, but Csog landed a few blows.

“Just the fact that he stood there with such an experienced boxer says a lot,” Fuentes said.