Introducing Justin, “Stallion” Cardona, a young man from the notorious eastside Salinas who predicts that he is a future world champion. What got Justin into boxing? Well, you may be surprised, it’s his mom, who took him to train under her old boxing coach when he was 7 years old. Justin always loved full contact sports, so he knew he wanted to try it, although he was anxious and nervous at the time, in just one 1 year of training he totally fell in love with the sport. Well, 15 years later he still loves the feeling and the rush it gives him when he steps into the ring. So, it’s no wonder that Justin became a professional boxer at age 18 the day after he graduated from high school.
To date, Justin has seven professional fights, no losses, and four of them are wins by K.O. As a kid Justin’s dream was to become a world champion and has his eye on working his way up to multi-million-dollar championship fights. The “Stallion” is in the lightweight division at a sleek 130 pounds. Justin not only takes total command of his body but also his mindset which allows him to train hard with no distractions. It’s all about the discipline and now as a professional he takes his training to a much higher level which consists of working out 3 times a day, no drinking alcohol & maintaining a healthy diet based around whole foods.
So, let’s get to the interview as I know you will enjoy Justin just as much as I do.
1. What prevents you from giving up when times get hard?
When you love the sport as I do it’s my entire future. But I don’t do it on my strength alone, my family and my friends have gone above and beyond to support me and have been by my side since I started. I work hard so that someday I can reach financial success and I can provide for my family in the future.
2. Where do you see yourself in 15 years from now?
I will be 37 years old and retired as a professional boxer and I see myself as a successful business owner with multiple businesses such as owning real estate, athletic clothing, and supplements. Even though I do not drink I am a tequila and whisky enthusiast and hope to have my own brand one day.
3. How do you give back to your community?
Community means a lot to me. I love children of all ages, so I speak to young kids that are pursuing their dreams as an athlete. I like to tell them my story and make them understand that anything is possible if you believe in yourself and have support. I would love to do holiday toy drives and holiday community events. My goal is to one day have my own animal rescue foundation and a children’s cancer foundation. As I grow more successful in this sport, I would also love to be able to have a scholarship program for kids that travels teaching boxing. The east side of Salinas is close to my heart because that’s where I’m from. The love of boxing is what kept me out of trouble and has brought me to where I am today.
You can connect with Justin on Instagram at justincardona_
-Theresa Ream