Duncanville Olympic boxer Yanez ready for the pros

by Danielle Parker of Duncanville TODAY

The young fighter announced at an Aug. 20 press conference that he is ready to pursue professional ranks.

Luis Yanez

With the road to the Olympic Games behind him, Duncanville boxer Luis Yanez is back home and geared up to move on to the next big career adventure.

After a narrow defeat in the second round of competition in Beijing, Yanez, 19, arrived back in the states with his head held high.

“I went out there and did my best for myself, my family, my city and my country,” he said. “Not a lot of people can say that they have been to the Olympics. This whole experience means a lot to me.”

The young fighter announced at an Aug. 20 press conference that he is ready to pursue professional ranks.

“I don't believe it is going to take long at all for me to reach this level,” Yanez said. “I have been around pros all of my life. I have worked with them and they have worked with me and have really helped me in my game.”

Yanez, a 5-3, 106-pound lightweight, started out about 11 years ago training at Dennis Rodarte's gym. Since then, he has steadily climbed the ladder of success and his trainers are confident that he is headed in the right direction,

“It has been quite a journey, and to reach the peak of amateur boxing at such a young age is a dream come true,” Rodarte said. “We never thought it would come this quickly.”

Yanez's journey to the Olympics was heavily publicized when he was removed from the USA Olympic boxing team after missing several weeks of training and later reinstated.

Rodarte said Yanez learned a lot about himself and boxing on the road to Beijing, but believes he is ready to push forward onto the next phase.

“It's time to move on from the Olympics,” Rodarte said. “He is back home and we are ready to advance in the professional ranks. There has been a lot of interest for Luis. He has got the talent to be successful in this arena.”

Yanez is also confident that he has been properly trained to box on a professional level.

“It is going to be different in the pros,” Yanez said. “I will have my coaches right there with me. The Olympics had their own set of rules and point system, but this is completely different. The Latin Legend is going pro.”

As he pursues a new level of competition, Rodarte said Yanez will continue to be involved in the community that has helped him get to where he is today.

“One of his main goals is to be a role model for young kids,” Rodarte said. “It's important for him to be supportive to a community that has supported him.”

Sept. 12, Yanez will be recognized at Oscar De La Hoya's first annual Fight Night at QuikTrip Park, located between Lone Star Park and Nokia Theatre at 6:30 p.m.

General admission is free with a ticket from any Dallas/Fort Worth area QuikTrip store. For more information, visit www.airhogsbaseball.com or call 972-504-9383.