‘Anything is possible.’ Middletown teen boxer wins State Junior Olympic Championship
A Middletown teen is putting his hometown on the map for boxing after winning the State Junior Olympic Championship in Newburgh over the weekend.
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A Middletown teen is putting his hometown on the map for boxing after winning the State Junior Olympic Championship in Newburgh over the weekend.
News 12 caught up with 15-year-old Isaac Rodriguez in his basement, where 138-pound ninth grader trains for hours each day with a few pieces of key equipment – including a reflex bag, speed bag and a treadmill. His two younger siblings could be heard overhead during the interview playfully running and laughing.
“I have to work harder because I don’t have all the fancy gym equipment, but you know, it comes from the fighter. It comes from inside. That’s the most important part of boxing,” Rodriguez says.
Rodriguez’s family immigrated to New York from Mexico before he was born and neither completed high school in their native country. His parents earned their general equivalency diplomas in the U.S. and his father, Luis Santiago, works long hours at a local warehouse to provide for their family of five.
The teen is a black belt in karate and started boxing in 2024 after a chance encounter with Francis Santiago, aka Coach Paco, at a local recreation center.
The family says they can’t afford to pay Santiago and that he only charges them for his gasoline expenses for traveling to matches. Rodriguez’s father obtained his coaching certification so that he can help ring side during fights.
“This sport is everything for my son,” says Luis Rodriguez. “If he’s happy, I’m happy. I’m very proud of him.”
Rodriguez is an honors student at Middletown High School. He hopes to pursue boxing professionally while being the first person in his family to go to college.
“I know my parents didn’t have the same opportunities that I have growing up, so I really want to make a difference. That’s why I’m always trying to be the best in my sport and in school,” says the Rodriguez.
Rodriguez also won the New York State Boxing Championship in Brooklyn in April for his weight class.
While he continues to pursue his dreams, he hopes to inspire others to pursue theirs.
“Anything is possible,” the teen says. “It doesn’t matter where you start. It matters where you end.”
