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Boxing Program

UCC Boxing: Empowering Strength In and Out of the Ring

Over the past 54 years, UCC has built a world-class program, founded by Israel “Shorty” Acosta, a former member of the U.S. Olympic Boxing coaching staff and a representative on the 1984 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team.

The UCC Boxing Program program continues to be one of the most successful athletic and youth development programs in Milwaukee. The program not only trains participants to be champions in the ring, but also champions in life. Through hard work and dedication our athletes not only learn the fundamentals of boxing but develop positive work ethics and improved self-esteem.

Facts at a Glance

  • UCC Boxing is currently the third most winning amateur boxing program in USA Boxing history.

  • The program was founded by Israel “Shorty” Acosta, an Olympian (1984) and two-time Olympic coach (Sydney, Rio de Janeiro). He began the boxing program with Angel Villarreal Sr. 40 years ago, making UCC Boxing one of the oldest programs at UCC. 

  • Currently, four of UCC’s five competition boxers are ranked as top 5 boxers in the country: Violet Lopez (#1, 119lbs), Aldo Blancas (#2, 147lbs), Alan Blancas (#2, 138lbs), and Leonardo Blancas (#5, 114lbs).

  • UCC boxer, Violet Lopez is a 10-time national champion and a member of Team USA's Youth High Performance Team. She will train with USA Boxing's Olympic coaching staff in September 2024 and will compete in the World Championships in October of 2024.

  • UCC Boxing currently has six active professional boxers: Javier Zamarron, Daniel Blancas, Javier Martinez, Luis Feliciano, Luis Cuba Arias, and Prince Xilla.

  • Marquette Men’s basketball standout and senior guard Kam Jones began training with Angel in October 2023.

 

Meet Head Coach, Angel Villarreal, Jr.

Angel Villarreal Jr. is an amateur, collegiate, and professional boxing coach from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is currently the Head Coach of both the United Community Center Boxing Club amateur program and the Marquette University Boxing Club collegiate program. Angel joined UCC in 2010 as a volunteer and then became the assistant coach to the gym’s founder Israel “Shorty” Acosta. In 2021, Shorty, a two-time USA Boxing Olympic coach (Sydney, Rio de Janeiro) decided to retire and passed the torch to Angel. 

In his 13 years as a boxing coach, Angel has worked with several national champions and Olympic-qualifying boxers who have gone on to fight professionally including Luis Feliciano and Javier Martinez as an assistant to Shorty, and Javier Zamarron as head coach. His most prominent amateur boxer, Violet Lopez, has won 10 national championships and recently earned a spot on Team USA’s youth high-performance team and will be competing in the World Championships in October 2024. 

Villarreal Jr. holds an AIBA 1-Star Level certification, allowing him to coach internationally with Team USA. He was part of the training staff for the 2015 USA Boxing for the Pan American Games. At the professional level, he has a coaching record of 10-0 with UCC Boxer Javier Zamarron and the two have competed on nationally televised fight cards including Top Rank Boxing on ESPN, Overtime Boxing on DAZN and Gamebred Promotions on UFC Fight Pass.

 

*The UCC Boxing Program is sponsored by Catholic Financial Life.

 

Membership Information

For Membership Inquiries, please contact:

UCCBOXING@unitedcc.org

Staff Contact Information

General questions: Email us!

Head Coach: Angel Villarreal Jr.

 

Media Contacts

Media Relations and Marketing Manager: Anna Tietgen, atietgen@unitedcc.org

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