Ringstar Sports, the newly formed promotional company headed up by longtime boxing executive Richard Schaefer, made another big move last week when the company signed highly touted 2016 U.S. Olympian Carlos Balderas, along with his brother Jose, to promotional agreements.
Ringstar will represent the two amateur standouts as they turn professional and guide their dreams as both fighters hope to secure lucrative futures for themselves and their family. The Balderas brothers, who signed their contracts in Ringstar’s LA-based offices last Tuesday, are the first fighters to join the company.
“Carlos Balderas was one of the most sought-after Olympians coming out of the 2016 Summer Games and I am so pleased that he, and his brother Jose, agreed to join Ringstar Sports,” said Richard Schaefer, Chairman and CEO of Ringstar Sports. “Carlos, Jose and their entire family are the type of people that we want to do business with at our company. I am going to do whatever it takes to make Carlos the face of boxing and his brother will be right there with him. Both of these young men are exceptional fighters with great skills and even better work ethics. Most importantly, they have a desire to be great and so does Ringstar. I am looking forward to getting started.”
“I’m really excited to start this partnership with Ringstar Sports and I’m looking forward to working with Richard for a long time,” said Carlos Balderas. “My brother and I chose Ringstar because we immediately felt comfortable with Richard. He was very honest with me from the beginning and I really believe he’s the best promoter in the sport. I’m ready to start my career and grow my fan base. I’m looking to do big things in this sport. It’s not just about a paycheck. I want to win world titles and build a legacy.”
“My brother and I are really comfortable with Richard and we believe he has the right vision for our careers,” said Jose Balderas. “Richard has a vision not just for himself and his company, but he has the vision that will lead to us becoming world champions. That’s what every boxer dreams of. I just can’t wait until fight time. I want to show everybody what we’re made of and the things that we can do. We’re going to leave it all in the ring and leave the fans entertained every time.”
“My whole family is very happy with this decision to join Richard and Ringstar Sports,” said Zenon Balderas, Carlos and Jose’s father. “Richard is a very smart man who is going to do amazing things for my sons. I know that my sons will be world champions, the question is, how many times? I believe that Richard has the mind to get us where we need to go.”
The Balderas brothers grew up in Santa Maria, California and are the sons of Mexican parents who immigrated to the United States. Under the care of their father and uncles, Emiliano and David, the boys were brought to a gym at a very young age to harness their energy into boxing. The brothers quickly took to the sport and combined with a strict regimen implemented by their father, began their impressive amateur careers.
Carlos was impressive in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, winning lightweight contests over fighters from Kazakhstan and Japan before a decision loss in the quarterfinals to the top seeded fighter from Cuba. He earned his spot in Rio after a stellar amateur career that saw him lose only nine times in 184 fights. His long list of accomplishments includes a Youth National Championship in 2014, four National PAL championships, a Junior National Golden Gloves championship in 2013, two Junior Olympic titles, two National Silver Gloves championships and three Adidas National tournament titles. In 2015, Balderas won four of five bouts in the World Series of Boxing, only losing due to a head butt from the top-ranked fighter from Azerbaijan in a fight in Azerbaijan that Balderas was winning. Balderas had just 10 days to recover from the injury before his next bout, but he gained medical clearance and knocked out Puerto Rico’s Javier Martinez in the second round. In October of that year, Balderas received the call from USA Boxing that he was the first American to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Jose is also a rising prospect in the sport as he made his name winning numerous tournaments in the Southern California amateur boxing circuit while racking up an impressive 80 victories in 88 fights. In addition, the bantamweight won a Junior Golden Gloves championship, two Adidas National tournaments, a National PAL title and two Junior Olympic tournaments. Jose also advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Olympic trials. Although he is a year older, Jose waited until his brother’s Olympic journey had finished to turn pro so that the two could enter the professional ranks at the same time.
Now the Balderas brothers are focusing on developing their skills so that they can one day became world champions in the professional ranks. With Ringstar Sports in their corner, Carlos and Jose are on their way to reaching the peaks of their vast potential.
