NEW YORK (AP) — Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. doesn’t find a whole lot of humor in the old cliche that you have to learn to walk before you can run.
The junior featherweight champ and son of the great Wilfredo Vazquez Sr. wasn’t even allowed into the ring by his father for more than a year after deciding he wanted to be a boxer.
He was forced to run, then run some more, and prove how badly he wanted to fight.
It all paid off when Vazquez won a world title in just his 19th professional fight.
He’ll defend the WBO belt for the second time on Saturday night against Ivan Hernandez at the 10,500-seat Silver Spurs Arena in his adopted hometown of Kissimmee, Fla. The fight will also be available on pay-per-view television.
