Laura Leyva promotes women’s boxing in San Miguel de Allende

Published February 12th, 2022

Fighter Laura Leyva kicked off the year with a regional tournament that brought together more than 40 Mexican boxers in San Miguel de Allende. In the original plan, the fighters were to face a Canadian delegation, which due to the pandemic postponed its visit to Mexico.

Leyva decided not to cancel, and with a list of 24 women in hand, he set out to find his 24 opponents. He did not expect to find them so soon.

“This event was like a chalice, just a taste of the tournament that awaits us, because now comes the good stuff,” warns Leyva.

Fighting from the other side

Throughout her career, Laura Leyva had the opportunity to show her ability in front of Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy promotion. She rubbed shoulders with Jackie Nava and was trained by Alfredo Matehuala. Her first encounter with ‘El Mate’ was not very successful.

“He said he wanted me to fight so I would give up, so I wouldn’t like him and wouldn’t go. But it didn’t happen, obviously,” she says.

Laura always had the support of her family, but seeing the lack of opportunities and resources faced by her fellow athletes, prompted her to turn her passion for the sport around.

Seven years ago, thanks to a call from the federal government, he consolidated the San Miguel de Allende Boxing Association, and six years ago he opened his own gym, where he trains his fighting team, ‘Los gordos’, as he affectionately calls them.

“I work from children to adults. I have a 60-year-old woman, who has impressive physical condition, strength, willpower, who every day transmits me a lot of good vibes. I have students who don’t have parents, and I’m the one who supports them in that way or in a thousand ways. When I started boxing I never imagined being on this side, being the one who sets the stage, being the one who opens the doors,” she says, moved.

Fighting her way through

“Being a woman, a female trainer, I always had the illusion of having female students, but they never wanted to fight,” confesses Laura Leyva. In and out of the ring she earned a place in a scene dominated by men, and seeks the same for other athletes.

“Yes, it’s new, there is discrimination, it’s difficult. We are not given the value, the respect, the attention like men. I think we are right at a time when things are transforming, we are getting attention. Fortunately with all this movement of gender equality, of change, of many things, at par or together, within those things is women’s boxing.”

There are new opportunities, we just have to take advantage of them, Laura believes: “Maybe I’m ahead, but I’m not alone. All of them are with me.

Covid-19 closed gyms and postponed the event that Laura was organizing with the Canadian boxers, but not even a pandemic can stop her, “it helped me to talk to my students, and tell them, do you want to fight? When they say yes, it changes the world for me, and I put more enthusiasm into it, more enthusiasm because now my ‘fat girls’, my girls, were going to fight.

The Canadian delegation will finally come from March 22 to 29 for the friendly tournament that will show all of Mexico the strength of its female boxers. “They are women who want to live that experience, to show themselves what they can do. They want to fulfill a dream. And of course, there are those who are super talented who are at the top because they need to get their boxing skills tested.”

Leyva has managed resources with the Municipality and Mayor Mauricio Trejo helped organize a fundraising dinner. However, he believes that not only the government of San Miguel de Allende should contribute, but all those places that will be represented, outside and inside the state of Guanajuato.

What’s next?
Laura Leyva’s life and career have taken unexpected turns. What is her next step? It is not clear. But it is a fact, that her main objective is to promote her students.

“I’m not going to throw in the towel, for them, for me, and for all these dreams. They deserve everything, I believe that seeing their success will be my success,” she declares with tears in her eyes.