Evelyn Calado holds the B.C., Western Canadian and Canadian national Golden Gloves women’s super flyweight boxing title belts, but has yet to even raise a glove.
The 24-year-old North Burnaby fighter has won all three women’s 48-kilogram boxing titles by walkover, which means she has been unchallenged in the championship bouts. But Calado, nicknamed Lil’ ‘e’vl, by her handlers wants all that to change.
Next week, Calado travels to Kansas City in the hopes of getting in some real competition at the Ringside World Championships, which start on Monday.
“You can’t train that consistently and at that high level and not compete,” she said. “Right now, it’s all about the experience. It’s all about me getting the ring time I want and improving. I want to be the Canadian champion and get on the national team, but I want to fight to get there.”
Calado lives in Burnaby and trains with veteran Scotty Jackson at the Queensborough Boxing Club in Queen’s Park.
A former roommate took her to an all-women’s boxing class in East Vancouver five years ago and Calado’s been pursuing the “sweet science” ever since.
“I fell in love with it. I had never done anything that was so physically demanding,” said Calado, who stands 5-1 and a shade over 100 pounds.
A year later, the former BCIT student stepped into the ring for her first official fight in an exhibition bout against the reigning provincial champion.
Calado has had approximately 10 fights, mostly exhibition bouts, and all against boxers bigger and heavier than herself. In fact, she has never fought anyone from her own weight class yet.
That is why travelling to Kansas City for the largest amateur boxing tournament in the world is so important to her.
“I want to gauge where I’m at at 106 (pounds),” Calado said. “That’s why it’s so important to go there and find someone to fight.”
With a record of 2-4, she is hardly raising any eyebrows, but she believes in her handlers who like her technical ability and hard punch.
“I know that pound for pound I hit extremely hard. You have to be confident in this sport. I’m confident in my skills that I won’t get hit. I’ve never been hurt and never been knocked down.”
Calado uses her quick footwork, a persistent jab and combinations to overpower her opponents.
But finding the right opponent is costing the student/athlete more money than anticipated.
Calado shelled out $1,300 from her own pocket to go to this year’s Golden Gloves. She expects her bill in Kansas City will match that.
Calado works out anywhere from six to 10 times per week, combining morning strength or cardio workouts with afternoon sparring sessions. When she’s in school, Calado maintains a 3.90 grade point average.
“It’s a full-time job,” she said. “I work very hard at what I do. I want to get enough credits to get into kinesiology in UBC.”
But first, preparations for Boxing Canada gold at the national championships in Toronto await.
Calado is one of three Queensborough boxers, who are looking forward to the Canadian championships at the end of October. Fellow clubmates River Tucker and Darcy Hinds are the others.
To help keep Calado on her boxing journey, go to her blog http://inevscorner.wordpress.com/ or find her on Facebook at BoxerEvelynCalado.
