The Next in Line

Casual boxing fans may find him a relative unknown, but rest assured, the name Denver Cuello is about to become a household name in the world of boxing pretty soon.

The 20 year-old boxer fighting out of Binangonan, Rizal is slowly turning heads for his slick and elusive boxing style reminiscent of WBC minimumweight champion Ivan Calderon. While he’s still years away and from becoming as successful a fighter as the “Iron Boy”, Cuello has shown that he has the tools to do it.

It’s just a matter of putting in the work.

As a rail-thin kid from Iloilo, Cuello sought Aljoe Jaro and asked if he could train under the promoter’s famed Jaro Gym. Noticing the stunning work ethic and humility coming from the kid, Jaro agreed to take the young pugilist under his wing. As an astute judge of boxers, Jaro quickly realized that he had a gem in Cuello. “I’ve never seen a more dedicated boxer than Denver Cuello,” he says. “He eats, drinks, and breathes the sport. He doesn’t think of anything else except boxing.”

True enough, Cuello’s hard work and determination, together with Jaro’s guidance, paid off in the arena where it meant the most – the boxing ring. Since turning pro in September 2004, Cuello has evolved into a two-way fighter – great defense and surprising power, given his diminutive 5’2” size – on his way to amassing a 12-2-4 record. In the process, he has scored five knockouts, three of which came in his last five fights.

Cuello’s last fight with challenger Rollen Del Castillo again showcased the champion’s skill-set when he scored a second round knockdown on the challenger. The fight, however, was prematurely ended when a clash of heads drew a bad gash over Cuello’s right eye, prompting referee Ver Abienza to stop the fight after the head physician deemed Cuello’s cut to dangerous for the fight to continue. As a result, the champion retained his Philippines minimumweight championship via a technical draw.

Aljoe Jaro didn’t seem to be too disappointed after the fight, although he wished it would have lasted longer. “Accidents like that are normal in boxing,” he said. “I just wish that the people in attendance got a longer fight because it was turning out to be a really good one before the clash of heads happened.”

While Cuello has shown promising skills, he is still very much a diamond in the rough. “He must learn to channel his energy better, because he has so much of it that he becomes hyper sometimes,” Jaro said. “If he can control his energy and be more patient, I have no doubt that he can finish 12 rounds with the same level of energy.”

Nevertheless, Jaro has no doubts that he has a future world champion his hands. “He’s a different fighter from a lot that I’ve seen. He has a goal of one day becoming world champion and the way he works towards achieving that goal is amazing. He’s disciplined, trains non-stop and fights like a lion in the ring. He has all the qualities of a world champion.”

For his part, Jaro is bent on giving Cuello opportunities to break into the world boxing scene. After the Del Castillo fight, the promoter is looking to give his young protégé better fights against world-class opponents. One option the is a championship fight against the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) minimumweight crown currently held by Japan’s Toshikazu Waga.

Regardless of what fight is laid out on the table, Denver Cuello has been successful in rising out of his humble background and becoming a world-class boxer. He may not be physically imposing, but Denver Cuello is bent on proving that the measure of true greatness is not how big you are, but how big your heart is.

He already made a believer out of Aljoe Jaro. Soon enough, he’ll make believers out of all of us.