Nine-year-old Yullicia Buenrostro, a Henderson resident who currently holds the #1 spot nationally in Peewee Boxing, trains at Pound 4 Pound boxing gym Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022.
Monday, Jan. 16, 2023 | 2 a.m.
Yullicia Buenrostro listens closely to her boxing coach’s commands, striking the red foam punch pads with a combination of blows during a sparring session at the Pound4Pound Gym off Polaris Avenue in Las Vegas.
The sounds made from her gloves connecting with the pads echoes through the facility where many youths train with Richard Barrientes Jr. The 9-year-old Yullicia could be his most prized prodigy.
Yullicia, rated first nationally in the 65-pound and third in the 55-pound female Pee Wee divisions by USA Boxing, is already a five-time national champion.
“Yullicia is very talented ... (and) a smart kid,” Barrientes said. “She can box her butt off.”
Yullicia’s family realized she was passionate about boxing when they woke up one morning to find their daughter training on a punching bag at the house, her father, Albert Buenrostro said.
She’s so determined to excel that her training regimen includes a two-hour practice session every evening, and strength and conditioning training at a fitness gym on Sundays. And on some mornings she’s up at the crack of dawn to run.
“That’s usually our schedule — just busy, busy, busy,” her father said. “(But) she’s all in. She’s mentally sharp, physically sharp, (and) keyed in at all times.”
The family moved from Utah to Las Vegas in 2020 to further Yullicia’s prospects in the sport, saying it has “propelled her boxing” to the next level because there are more gyms, mentors and a higher level of competition.
They originally enrolled her in boxing classes as a form of self-defense, but after winning nationals in Shreveport, La., she “has been hooked ever since,” her father said.
Yullicia said it helps her “stay active” and “defend (herself) at all times from bullies and stuff.”
She’s also on a flag football team and breaks away a few times each week for practice — a welcome pause from the grind of boxing that brings balance to her life, Albert Buenrostro said. She previously participated in track races, where in the 1500 meters she qualified for Junior Olympics for her age group, her father said.
“It’s kind of hard because right after school, I have to go to the house, go change, and then go straight to boxing, but it’s still fun,” Yullicia said.
And it’s also full of accolades for the fourth-grader.
Yullicia is known in the ring as “Superbad,” the moniker of her idol Seniesa Estrada, the WBA minimumweight champion and one of female boxing’s most popular pugilists. Between Silver Gloves and Golden Gloves competitions, Yullicia has won five national championships.
Yullicia’s athleticism sets her apart, as she’s got the speed and quickness that her opponents lack, her father said. She’s also very technical in her approach and able to match the aggressiveness of many competitors on the west coast. When she gets to national events, the girls she faces off against from the east coast are more skilled and technical.
“There’s definitely some girls in those age brackets at those competitions, they’re beasts themselves,” Buenrostro said. “They bring it. She’s gotta be mentally sharp, physically sharp, keyed in at all times. We respect everybody, nobody’s taken lightly.”
The walls at the Pound4Pound Gym are lined with photos and championship belts of accomplished competitors who trained at the gym, including Barrientes’ twin sons, Angel and Chavez Barrientos. They are each up-and-coming professionals.
“I think the dad-daughter (and) dad-son relationship in boxing is very important because you’re not in there playing a game where, like, if you lose, you can try next week,” the elder Barrientos said. “(Boxing) is a sport, but it’s still a little bit more intense than a sport.”
This intensity is also why Barrientes thinks that some girls are drawn away from the sport. But he said that “women’s boxing (is) kind of evolving” and has become “huge” in countries like Mexico, Venezuela and Argentina.
“For Yullicia and these girls that are starting out, in 10 years they definitely have a lot to look forward to,” Barrientos said.
Yullicia will continue participating in USA Boxing-sanctioned events like Silver Gloves, with eyes on eventually reaching the Junior Olympics. After all, like many youth boxers, the goal is to represent your country at the sport’s highest level in the Olympics.
“We’re excited for the future,” Albert Buenrostro said. “She has big dreams and we just try to help her as best we can. We’ll just keep supporting her until she decides to do something else, if she does.”
