National Golden Gloves champ Xavier Correa ready for next test in Cleveland
NEWARK, N.J. — Xavier Correa spent years putting in work without much attention outside of New Jersey. That changed in May.
Correa, a 22-year-old amateur boxer who trains at True Warriors Boxing in Paterson, won the National Golden Gloves championship at 143 pounds, announcing himself as one of the country’s best young amateurs in the process.
Now he gets a chance to build on it when he competes in the USA Boxing National Open from Sept. 26 through Oct. 3 in Cleveland, Ohio, where he hopes to break into USA Boxing’s top ten rankings and add another national title to his resume.
“It’s a different feeling because I wasn’t really known out of New Jersey until after this tournament,” Correa said of winning the National Golden Gloves. “But I paid my dues. It’s good that people are finally seeing who I am. I’m not just a scrub. I work very hard and this is my passion.”
The attention is new but he says it isn’t getting to his head.
“Honestly, the attention is cool, but at the end of the day, I’m just here to do my job, get these tournaments in, win as much as I can,” he said. “I love the support. I appreciate all of the fans, but I’m not trying to be too worried about all the attention. I just go in there and do my thing.”
Correa has been doing that almost his entire life. He began training at five years old when his father looked for an outlet for his constant energy. By eight, the minimum age to compete under USA Boxing, Correa was in the ring fighting.
“My dad, he saw that I was moving around. I was always doing something, a lot of ADHD. So he put me in the gym, and I just fell in love,” said Correa, who is trained by Peter Finn. “First time I fell in love with anything. And from there it’s been boxing, and that’s it.”
His nickname, “Macho,” has roots in those early years. Correa says Edgar “Butch” Sanchez and Alex Devia first began calling him that because of his ponytail, the way he would dance around the ring and his high-volume fighting style, all reminders of another Puerto Rican fighter – Hector “Macho” Camacho.
“He’s definitely one of my all-time favorite boxers, so it’s an honor to be called Macho and be able to follow after a great boxer like that, especially because he’s Puerto Rican.”
For Correa, the National Open is another opportunity to prove himself against the best fighters in his division ahead of his eventual professional career. Correa is one of 17 boxers currently entered, a field that includes fellow New Jersey boxer Makai Moore, former Team USA member Rene Camacho and Maximiliano Ruiz, whom Correa defeated in the National Golden Gloves final.
“I feel like I’m not only just going there just to fight, but I’m going there to defend my 143-pound title,” Correa said. “It’s important because this is racking on my resume for eventually going pro.”
Winning the National Golden Gloves changed how people looked at Correa. Another national title could change the conversation again.
“I can’t tell the future, but obviously I want to be world champion, like anyone else who’s been doing this,” Correa said. “But I know I’m gonna get there. So I’m just being patient, taking my time. I’m not rushing anything.
“I’m definitely gonna be great for sure one day.”