Spring Hill, Florida Favorite Jose “Cheloman” Alonzo Fighting for the vacant USA Florida State super middleweight title
By Pattee Mak
On June 3, 2011, the WBA fedecentro super middleweight Jose “Cheloman” Alonzo (12-0-0 with 7 KO’s) of Spring Hill, Florida will be fighting in the main event against Adam Jaco (9-4-1 with 4 KO’s) of Indiana for the USA Florida State super middleweight title at the A La Carte Event Pavilion in Tampa, Florida. I had the pleasure to speak with Chelo concerning his upcoming fight in June.
Pattee: Chelo you will be fighting for the vacant USA Florida state super middleweight title. How are you preparing yourself mentally for this fight?
Chelo: With the help of God, I’m always mentally ready for each fight.
Pattee: Where are you currently training and who is your trainer?
Chelo: On Saturdays, I go to the 4th Street Boxing Gym in St. Petersburg, Florida with my trainer Anthony Vazquez and my father, Nelson Saldana. The rest of the week I go to the Four Corners Boxing Gym in Port Richey, Florida.
Pattee: What is a typical day of training for you?
Chelo: Everyday is different. One day we will spar. Another day do mitts. Other days it’s drills on the bag. Everyday I do core training, jump rope and run five miles a day.
Pattee: What should boxing fans expect from you on June 3, 2011 when you step in the ring to meet Adam Jaco?
Chelo: The fans expect me to win! I’ve been through a lot of things in life. I’m actually blessed and I thank God everyday for the opportunities he has given me.
Pattee: This is the first time you will be meeting your opponent Jaco in the ring. What have you studied about him?
Chelo: I’ve seen his last fight and other fights as well. I believe he does a few things wrong that I can capitalize on.
Pattee: At the end of the night it all comes down to whose hand the referee will raise in victory. If it’s yours, this will be belt number two for you. At that moment what will you be experiencing emotionally?
Chelo: I will be honored to win belt number two and thank God first for giving me the second opportunity in life and blessing me with the victory if that is what God chooses to do that night. But God has given me the will and strength, mentally and physically to be prepared for June 3, because I will be there to win but in boxing anything can happen.
Pattee: Now your music you are entering the ring to. I totally love it! It’s customized especially for you. Who is behind the music?
Chelo: My friends, Solo350 and his crew, Headnokka Media Group put together the song for me. It is called “The Champion”. Click here to listen to “The Champion”.
Pattee: Previously, you jumped around in different weight classes throughout your boxing career. Are you satisfied with your current weight class of super middleweight or do you believe you may change it up in the future?
Chelo: My goal in life is to be a world champion at 168.
Pattee: Out of all your twelve fights, which one do you feel has been your toughest and easiest?
Chelo: My toughest fight was when I fought for the WBA against Alberto Albaladejo. My easiest fight was my pro-debut against Jorge Amador. The referee stopped the fight 24 seconds in round 1.
Pattee: OMG! 24 seconds in the first round.
Pattee: Now Cheloman… tell me about your ring name?
Chelo: Actually my grandmother nicknamed me Chelo because usually all the Jose’s she knew were called Cholo, that’s why she nicknamed me Chelo.
Pattee: You won the vacant WBA Fedecentro super middleweight title on April 18, 2003 by KO. Your next fight was on February 2, 2011 against Mustafah Johnson and you won by unanimous decision. Why did you vanish from the boxing ring for so long?
Chelo: I broke my ankle two/three weeks after the fight. At that time I was with certain promoters and they showed no care for me. After that I just lost the desire to fight.
Pattee: Why come back now?
Chelo: For years my son, Jose and my daughter, Nyasia would say Papi, why don’t you get back into the ring. They would keep telling me that I got it. Then in October 2010, Carlos Rivera was training for a fight and he happened to walk in the same company of people I was with. I really didn’t know who Carlos was but I knew his mother for a long time. While I was at a picnic, my boss said he was going to the Rivera fight and that Carlos would be dropping off some tickets. So I waited there and was introduced to Carlos. In all the excitement of speaking with him, I asked him who his trainer was. He said Anthony and I asked Anthony who? He said Vazquez. So that same day I left the picnic and went to the gym and I met up with Anthony because we were in the same boxing circle. While there I met John Cassella. He’s the owner of Four Corners Boxing Gym and he’s currently a big part of “Team Chelo”. While I was there, I started hitting the bag and everyone was impressed with me and said I still got it. What’s even funnier is that they were talking about me two days earlier while looking at an old poster of me. Ever since that day I’ve been in the gym ever since.
Pattee: What will be your next endeavor after this match?
Chelo: Actually I’m looking to be fighting in Puerto Rico in July. I’m trying to squeeze in one more fight and then two more fights with Fight Night Productions this year.
Pattee: Is Fight Night Productions your promoter?
Chelo: Yes and Jim McLoughlin is one of the business partners. He was the trainer of David Santos but Santos retired so now he promotes.
Pattee: You started your professional career in boxing at the age of 22. Tell me about your amateur days?
Chelo: I won the Golden Gloves in 93 in West Palm Beach, Florida. I started boxing in Puerto Rico at the age of 7.
Pattee: Besides boxing, what other types of employment have you had?
Chelo: I’ve always been a truck driver.
Pattee: Is there anyone along the way you would like to thank?
Chelo: I want to thank first and foremost God. Secondly, I want to thank my mother, my father, my kids, my wife, Joselin Colon, Eduardo Pereira who is my employer at L & S Supplies who has helped me a lot with my training schedule and gives me the time off I need to get to the gym and train. Four Corners Boxing Gym, the whole “Team Chelo” and all of the Chelo Man fans. I also want to thank Pattee Mak for this great interview.
Pattee: And thank you so much for this interview. It was a pleasure speaking with you. You can friend request and follow Jose “Cheloman” Alonzo’s boxing career on facebook under “Chelo Man”.
As in September, I once again ran out of gas in the 10th & 11th championship rounds of October & November with this column, but I recovered to complete them and will unleash a few more flurries to close out the 12th and final round.
In the first week of October, Hassan N’Dam won a UD over Curtis Stevens in an eliminator for the right to challenge Jermaine Taylor who defeated aging Sam Soliman to regain the IBF Middleweight title. How Taylor even earned this title shot is another story altogether, but it is all irrelevant as he is now the champion. However he will not have too much time to savor his victory as he has assault and battery charges pending against him and an upcoming court fight that may turn out to be the toughest fight of his life, just when things started to look up for him in boxing, we wish him luck.
great read Pattee..didn’t know the had a florida title.. i wonder whether Roy Jones will attend
Jose “Chelo man” Alonzo: I have known you for years, and saw you go through your ups and downs. I am so proud of who you are and have become. You inspire and encourage me. No matter what anyone says, you will always be the Champion in my heart.