Pro boxer Ruben Villa IV prepares to make his national TV debut, but the Salinas native keeps his eyes on his hometown.

Excerpted from a story that was originally published in the Weekly on Jan. 19, 2019.

Ruben Villa IV says he was made for boxing, or, at the very least, boxing chose him.

“It was never a question about if I was going to move on [professionally] with it,” the amateur-turned-professional boxer says.

What made him so certain of a future in the ring? His father and grandfather are both big boxing fans, and took Villa to a gym where fighters were in training – a little family outing on his 5th birthday.

The Salinas native, now 21, recalls his mother talking with the coach during their visit. Villa still remembers overhearing the coach say that the boy was too young and would never stick with the sport.

Maybe the coach had seen it before – a kid losing interest in the sport too easily once the reality of dedication and training set in. But he didn’t know Villa, who would not only stick with it, but also become good enough to represent his hometown as a professional on live television.

Villa is set to make his debut on Showtime on Jan. 11 in an eight-round featherweight feature against Carlos Vidal.

“I always remember a lot of kids right there, I guess kind of horseplaying and enjoying going every day after school,” Villa says of the gym. “It was the highlight of my day. I grew into it and I started learning without really realizing it.”

Boxing just comes naturally to him. At least that’s what Villa believes. But he also recognizes he’s been boxing for so long that he’s able to zone out and react to his opponent.

“I invested most of my childhood in boxing, trying to do better for myself,” he says. “The better competition, the more it brings the best out of me.”

And the investment paid off. His record stands at 14-0 since going pro in 2016, with five of those wins by knock out. Before that, he captured the National Golden Gloves amateur championship twice.

As impressive as this seems, however, this means Villa has a lot to lose fighting on television, squaring up against an opponent who also will be entering the ring with an unblemished professional record.

Vidal is also 14-0, with 13 KOs and a former Puerto Rican amateur title holder.

“It will really set the tone for my career,” Villa says of the upcoming bout. “And if I perform as I plan, it will open new doors.”

Those are new doors to showcase his own talent as an athlete – and his hometown of Salinas.

Villa admits that Salinas is not known as a big boxing town, yet he believes the city deserves more recognition from the boxing world. Former welterweight champion Jose Celaya is a Salinas native. Middleweight Paul Mendez is from the city, as well – and there are others.

He also sees his career as an opportunity to bring a spotlight on the city.

“There’s a lot of negative things in the press [about the city],” Villa says. He sees his primary job as showing there is more to his hometown than gang violence. It’s a mission Villa has taken to strongly, and this is echoed by his coach, Max Garcia.

“He takes pride in being from Salinas, being born and raised here,” says Garcia. “He wants to show Monterey County and Salinas something good can come out of here.

“It’s a great experience working with a young man who is self-dedicated,” Garcia says.