Improvement, it’s what we all seek in life, some more than others. For San Francisco’s Ricardo Pinell, who trains out of Eddie Croft’s B St Boxing, it is just a standard he seeks to keep up. Pinell, a two time Northern California Golden Gloves champion who fights with an uncanny calmness for someone whom has as few of fights as he has. Pinell is slowly becoming the prospect to watch out of the bay area as he has been the most active bay area fighter to my knowledge fighting five times so far and possible getting as many as eight in by the end of the year. On top of all of this, Pinell finishes fight. After starting his career with a draw and having a tough fight with Nathaniel Richardson that many felt could of gone either way, Pinell has knocked out three straight foes leaving Mike Alexander out cold in one fight even though it was debated about whether the shot was after the bell (vimeo link you decide http://vimeo.com/67603968 ).
Pinell, who at the Paco Presents Boxing media day drew large praise for the fact that he appeared to maul anyone who got in the ring with him as he landed a straight left at well and appeared to be focusing on the Philly shell and becoming a difficult style for foes due to the fact that he crowds their personal space while handing out harsh shots liberally and seemingly at will. Pinell on last Saturday night found himself knocking out another foe this time in the form of Stanley Harvey in the third round. It is a pattern that I am sure Pinell would love for to continue.
Pinell who hopes to be back in the ring on the next Paco Presents Boxing card at Cache Creek Casino in Brooks, CA on September 28th seems content with the pace he is on. Once a slow starter, Pinell now has started his last two fights quick and improved on what many felt was his biggest weakness mainly citing the Richardson fight as an example in which he was clipped early, but rallied back.
Promoter Paco Damian accredits Pinell’s calmness to his personality, which is that of reserved person who would more than likely observe a room rather just jump right in and talk with everyone in his radius. It’s that of a smart man, a thinking man and it places him far ahead of other fighters, who are at the same stage as him. Even on the media day, Pinell sat back calmly as he performed in the ring and then proceeded and then sit in a corner with what I can only assume was his girlfriend and her friend. Pinell simply sat back for a minute and then left, it was almost mythic, a man of few words handing out beatings and then leaving.
The slick southpaw at this point is the leader in the clubhouse for Northern California fighter of the year as with Andre Ward seemingly out of action for all of 2013, Robert Guerrero catching a one sided loss and Nonito Donaire getting outclassed in primetime, Pinell maybe the only option up until this point for the Male category of this award due to his activity and constant improvement. Ricardo Pinell’s hype train is slowly beginning to board and the tickets should be cashed soon , because at this rate Pinell will have at least 8 more fights by next year and could find himself on television main cards as early as late 2014, early 2015 nonetheless, Ricardo Pinell is a man worth paying attention too.