Juan Lazcano
( From Childhood and Beyond )
By David Rene Arredondo
If you visit any boxing gym in El Paso, TX and ask whichever trainer who the most excellent boxer in El Paso history is, other than former boxer Fernando Morales and heavyweight David “Nino” Rodriguez, they will certainly declare light welterweight Juan "Ernie" Lazcano.
The 5'10" boxer was born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on March 23, 1975 but was raised in El Paso. He trained in San Juan Recreation center as a young 12 year old boy and attended Clardy Elementary, Henderson Middle, and Bowie high school.
I knew Juan Lazcano, and even once fought the great boxer. Not in the ring, but in a school bathroom of an elementary school we both attended as kids. I used to think I was tougher than any kid on the block, so I challenged the pale skinned boxer to a fight one morning and learned a very humbling lesson I’d never forget, ‘There’s always someone tougher’. I remember throwing a flurry of punches but couldn't pierce Juan's concrete defense. Before I knew it, I was flat out on the cold tile floor after Juan connected me with a stiff jab that seemed to come out of no where. Lazcano permitted me time to get up, so I jumped to my feet and charged him. Again he connected me with another hard jab, and down I went for the second time.
I had prevailed in all of my prior fist fights, but I just couldn't beat Juan. We then shook hands and let bygones be bygones.
Juan Lazcano earned himself the well earned reputation as the “Hispanic Causing Panic”. Holding such a bold name in the gang riddled streets of El Paso wasn’t easy. But nobody ever messed with Juan. He wasn’t a bully in any shape or form, but if disrespected, Juan would transform into a unrelenting warrior. He didn't fight unless a fight was forced upon him.
One day after school, word got around that a gang member from Diablo (one of El Paso’s most treacherous street gangs) had challenged Juan Lazcano to a one on one fight. That was one fist fight I had to see, so I followed the colossal crowd of students to bare witness of what we all knew would be blood and blood out. Zombie was bigger than Juan, so I'm sure most of the students there predicted the gang member known as “Zombie” would surely triumph. But I knew what Juan Lazcano was all about. I knew that he had the relentless power of a jack hammer and professional boxing skills. I knew Zombie was making the same mistake I had once made by underestimating a true boxer.
Zombie never expected Juan's wicked right hand hook, nor could he handle the boxers numerous jabs and uppercuts. So the gang member did what many streetwise brawlers do when losing a fight with a boxer; he attempted to wrestle Juan down. But his efforts didn't work since he had already lost his knee coordination after receiving an uppercut to the jaw and several rib shots.
That's the Juan I knew and I'm sure he still remembers our fight in the school bathroom. A man never forgets the fist fights he got into as a kid, Never!
I am honored to have been one of those kids courageous enough to fight one of El Paso's greatest light welterweight boxers. I always knew Juan Lazcano would become a champion and take his boxing talent to an international level.
I followed all of his super fights and did some heavy gambling on every one of his fights. I was proud of him when he surprised Great Britain and the rest of the world by battering Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton at the UK's Manchester Stadium. I truly believe that fight was a draw. I also suppose that El Paso’s boxing fans should have demonstrated more pride and support for Lazcano. Instead they did the complete opposite, which is sadly typical of the forgotten city in the desert. I still love the city but don't blame Juan for abandoning El Paso and moving to Sacramento with his wife Lourdes and their four children.
Other than that unfortunate reality, Juan Lazcano has achieved a lot, earning himself rank #7 by the WBC and #11 by the WBA. His El Paso childhood trainer Moe of San Juan Gym taught him right, as well as Freddy Roach and Macka Foley. “People can say you’re the next Jordan, or whatever, but are you really doing what it takes to stay at that level and even grow more?” asks Juan Lazcano. “Sure it’s good that you get compliments, but you can’t fall into your compliments or let them get to you. You thank people for it and I just keep going. I’m on a mission in life to be the very best that I can be.”
Highlights of Juan Lazcano
