Amateur boxing: Local fighters try to ring up titles in Kansas City

James Land has tried other sports.

But track and field, basketball and football never have taxed his body as much as boxing does.

"You use your whole body while you're fighting," Land said. "At the same time, you're constantly getting hit. It's crazy."

Land and other Odessa Boxing Club teammates might have to win fights on four consecutive days to win a title belt this weekend.

Marcus Soto, John Franco, Jesse Soto and Jose Ybarra, all from Odessa, will compete in the 2008 Ringside Championships that continue through Saturday in Kansas City, Mo.

Land and teammate Martin Franco, both 17 years old, begin competition at the Under-19 National Championships in Kansas City today, which includes fighters between the ages of 17 and 19.

If the fighters win titles at the Under-19 National Championships, they earn a trip to the Amateur International Boxing Association's Youth World Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico, from Oct. 25-Nov. 1.

Martin Franco has experience in high-profile boxing tournaments. He has won two Ringside championship belts and one silver medal, but he has never faced a field quite like the one he will face in Kansas City.

"It's going to be a little bit harder because of the age difference," Franco said. "I still have to go out there and do my thing."

A boxer's workload depends on how many fighters enter his bracket, but most fighters have to fight every day.

Getting rest is the No. 1 priority for a fighter during the tournament.

"You have to rest a lot after every fight," Franco said. "You also have to weigh in every day, and that can be pretty tough."

And the competition is so talented that a fighter can't save energy during early bouts.

"When you get here, you need to focus on today and today only," OBC coach Ramon Franco said.