Hometown fighter Romeo Ponce makes a name for himself in the ring

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - The sound of jump ropes, gloves, and determination fills the room at the inside Yuma Fight Academy.

At the center of it all is a hometown fighter quickly making a name for himself: 19-year-old Romeo Ponce.

I stepped into the ring to find out what makes this young prospect so special.

At just 130 pounds, Romeo Ponce is already one of Yuma’s hardest hitters, and his record proves it. Two fights. Two wins. Both by first-round knockout.

Romeo started boxing at 14, drawn in by the energy, the challenge and the image of fighters he admired on screen.

“When I would watch any movie with fighting, I always saw that guy as the cool guy. I was drawn to boxing and wrestling and MMA, and as I got older, boxing became my passion," said Romeo Ponce.

Besides having an excellent career in the ring, outside the ring you might see him helping out young boxers in the community wanting to start their own path.

“The gym really helps get kids off the street. I think it’s important for people like me to help — give gear, motivate them, keep them going," said Ponce.

After watching his routine up close, it was clear Romeo was special. But I wanted to understand what makes him so tough, the hard way.

So I challenged him to a spar… and brought KYMA’s own Morgan Feller along for backup to see if he could guide me through this tough challenge. 

“It’s all mental. You’ve got to fight hard, stay on your feet, throw fast punches. You got this," said KYMA Sports Anchor Morgan Feller.

The plan was simple, until the punches started flying.

As Mike Tyson famously said, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.

And once I survived that, one final test remained: the body-shot challenge.

Even with the hits, sharing the ring with one of Yuma’s rising stars was an honor — and it’s clear Romeo’s story is only just beginning.

All of us at KYMA wish Romeo nothing but the best, and this won’t be the last time you hear his name.