BYRON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Anbrocio Ledesma has an open-door policy in his boxing gym.
By door, he means garage door.
“My wife knows who you are, come in, it’s no big deal,” Ledesma explained.
He won’t let strangers in his home that doubles as a gym — only opening the door to people he sees as family.
Aneudy “Junior” Rios fits that description.
“I call him my pops. I look at him more of a father than my coach. Without him, I don’t think I’d be here right now,” said Rios.
Rios grew up without a dad in his life, but that changed about 10 years ago.
“A lady brought him and said he needed boxing, that this might be a good spot for him. He needed discipline,” recalled Ledesma.
It didn’t take long for Ledesma to see what Rios could do. He didn’t always need tips in the ring, but advice in day-to-day life.
“Growing up without a father figure, you don’t have that. You know, a father to really lean on to give that advice. He was the person to help me out,” said Rios.
In the decade Rios has been fighting, he had to step away from the sport for three years. When he returned, he won four state Golden Gloves titles. Through it all, “Pops” has been in his corner.
“I’m glad I can be there for someone that may, with all the issues and ins and outs, can support and give guidance,” said Ledesma.
Family is everything to Rios, and it’s growing. Rios has a two-year-old son, with Ledesma as his godfather.
“When he gets older, I want him to look up to me and just say, ‘I’m proud of my dad,'” said Rios.
With a pro career looming, Rios has his eyes on the top of the boxing world.
“My plan is to go on and be the biggest name in boxing. I want my name to live on. Nobody had heard of Aneudy until now.”
And he’s taking his family with him, both by blood, and by bouts.
