From South Salinas to the pro ring, Alex Esquivias takes next-level boxing punch.

At eight, Alejandro “Alex” Esquivias followed his older brother into a boxing gym.

He went at first “just to mess around.” Eleven years later, the 19-year-old from South Salinas is preparing to step into the professional ring for the first time.

Following a long amateur career and a total of 135 amateur fights, Esquivias will make his pro debut on Saturday, Nov. 14 at the Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium, facing 21-year-old Jesse Medina, from Gilroy.

“I feel like I’m ready to move on to the next step and be great,” Esquivias says.

For Esquivias, boxing offers a chance to show his athleticism on his own. He played basketball, football and soccer growing up, but says the boxing ring is different.

“In other sports it's usually a team sport. When you’re in that ring, it’s you and your opponent and you have no backup, so you have to show what you're made of” he says.

His most memorable moment came at 15, when he scored his first knockout victory at a Silver Gloves tournament in Compton. Esquivias has also had to work through a back injury that required an MRI and kept him away from active training for several months.

At Rock Boxing Gym in Alisal, coaches Danny Corona and David Luna have guided him throughout his boxing journey and according to Esquivias their support went beyond training, they paid out of pocket for him to travel to his fights.

“I just want to show them that [their support] wasn’t a waste of time,” Esquivias says.

Luna, who also trains six other boxers, is proud of Esquivias progress in training him for this specific moment.

“We’ve been training super hard for the last three months,” Luna says. “Nothing is guaranteed in boxing but we’re confident.”

Esquivias is focused on the Stockton fight before looking ahead to another match in January 2027.

Before each match, Esquivias listens to Spanish corridos (traditional Mexican folk music) and says his biggest inspiration comes from boxer Ricardo  “El Fintio” López, one of Mexico’s most technical and skilled fighters, whose movement and athleticism Esquivias admires.

Representing Salinas, Esquivias hopes to show young people that opportunity can begin close to home and that a gym can offer structure and purpose.

“I feel like I can show why anyone can come out of any city and be great,” he says.

The Stockton fight does not yet have a confirmed time, according to Luna.