‘In boxing, and in any part of life, the mind is more important than anything’

“Champions are made out of backbones, not wishbones,” is the motto of 21-year-old amateur boxer Larry Dixon. He ranks among the top three welterweights in the nation. Dixon, a Patrick Henry High School alumnus, once saw a flyer about boxing and decided it might be fun--he was only 7 years old. By the time he was 17, he was competing regionally and nationally. In 1988, he just fell short of the Olympics when he lost in the Western trials. He quit for a while, but through his own determination and family support, he returned to the ring. This year, he says, could be his breakthrough year because he has won a bronze medal at the national tournament and already has defeated the world champion. His ultimate goal is the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. When he’s not training in Colorado Springs, he lives in San Diego and works out daily at a gym in East San Diego. Lacking a sponsor, Dixon also works part time on a late shift at a supermarket. He is now preparing for a July tournament in the Goodwill Games, an international sports festival. Dixon spoke with Times staff writer Terry Rather in National City and was photographed by Sean M. Haffey.

Myself as a boxer? I might be in the wrong sport. I’m someone who doesn’t like to get hit. What I enjoy is the one-on-one competitiveness.

When people think of boxing, they tend to put amateur and professional together. Pro boxing is so different than amateur. It’s like night and day. We wear headgear. We use bigger gloves. We have a referee who will stop for any infraction or any good blow. The focus is more on winning, rather than knockouts. I’d rather beat someone on points than by knockout. If you’re beating a guy by a wide margin, the referee will stop the bout. You’ll never see that in pros. People pay in pro boxing to see a knockout.

I started when I was 7 when I saw a poster that said “boxing” at the Jackie Robinson YMCA. Muhammad Ali was big back then, so I thought, let’s give it a try. But my father persuaded me to stop when I was 9 or 10 years old, so I began playing baseball and football. When I started getting hurt in those sports, he let me go back to boxing.

When I started boxing again, I competed in an open category, so I had more experience than most people because of the training I already had. Back then I would make it to the regionals and then lose. But, when I turned 17, I started going to national tournaments, competing on a level with guys who had a lot more boxing experience than I did. I started off slow because the confidence factor didn’t build up. I would compete but they would always seem to find ways to pull it out from experience.

In 1988, I came so close. In 1988, everything was so hectic. The tournaments were qualifiers for the trials, so I had to do a lot of boxing in a short period of time. I lost in the Western trials. I really wanted to make the Olympic team. At first I was pretty upset, and I quit. I was really disappointed in myself. I didn’t box for six months. I ballooned up and found a job. Then I got my head on straight again. Now that I look back, I think I was just burned out.

This year I think I have a pretty good shot. In 1988, I was old enough to go but not experienced enough. I have had only 60-70 bouts, and that’s not a lot in comparison. Some of the guys I’m boxing now have had over 300 bouts.

The U.S. doesn’t really have a national team, only national-caliber people. They take the top three in the nation and send them to Colorado Springs. Every time there’s a match coming up, we all meet in Colorado Springs to train, so you have to stay in shape.

The training is so fast-paced, so intense. You train every day, so your body doesn’t have time to mend. After Saturday, you’re pretty sore, but you have to get up on Sunday and train too. You start losing track of days and the date. There’s no room for slacking.

In boxing, and in any part of life, the mind is more important than anything. A gifted athlete may not train, and maybe he can do a lot less and still beat some people. But it only takes one to stop you from going to the Olympics. And I’ve seen lots of gifted athletes come in, but they can’t stand the workouts, so they quit. You can go anywhere and hear, “Back in school, I did this and that.” That’s why I got back into boxing. I don’t like to start something and not finish it. I don’t want to be a “could-have-been” person.

I’m not really interested in professional boxing, at least I’m not ready for it now. It may be in my future, but if something were to happen to me where I couldn’t box, I don’t think I would miss it.

I only want to box for six to seven years. When I’m 30, I want to be finished with it. I want to do other things, like go to college. Right now I’m saving money, so when I do give up boxing (if he turns pro), my family will be well taken care of. I’m planning for the future.