nStaff Reports
South Valley sixth grader Derek Shingu, 11, from Left 2 Right Boxing Club, represented Gilroy in the Manuel Torrez International Boxing Tournament last weekend in Tulare.
On Saturday, Shingu went up against hometown opponent Efrain Lopez, winning a 3-round unanimous decision. Saturday’s win advanced Shingu to another bout on Sunday. His next opponent was Ricardo Franco from Visalia.
According to trainer Jerry Rodriguez, this bout was what boxers describe as complete “toe-to-toe” boxing. Shingu came out strong and finished even stronger, once again dominating all three rounds resulting in another unanimous decision.
Although both opponents were larger than him, Shingu proved his mettle in the tournament. After receiving two first-place trophies, Shingu was pleased to return to the winners circle to receive a third trophy for being the division champion.