A Championship Belt Gives Chicago Boxer a New Measure of His Progress (Robbins, IL) — When Ronnie “Pablo” Seals won his first fight at a recent Chicago tournament, the celebration came with a reminder: he had to do it again the next day.
“Yeah, we got to do it again tomorrow,” he recalled thinking.
The second victory brought the belt he had wanted and news he was eager to share with his mother. She was in Florida and had been unable to attend. She was the first person he told.
For Seals, who trains at Glenn Hudson Boxing Gym, the championship represented a measure of progress during his return to amateur competition. In an interview, he said he had been training for about three and a half years and was in his first year back competing after a break of roughly a year.
He listed his amateur record as 2-3 and said he recently won a Power Gloves tournament in Chicago. His description of the accomplishment centered on the hours behind it.
“It showed me how much work I’ve been putting in,” he said.
That work became especially important when nerves surfaced before the tournament. Seals said his plan was to rely on his jab, study his opponent, and build the rest of his offense from what he learned.
The first fight took longer to decipher than the second. Once he began recognizing opportunities, he said, he could put his punches together behind the jab.
It is an approach that fits how he describes himself in the ring: patient while assessing an opponent, then more aggressive once he understands what is working. He was willing to explain the process during the interview, but stopped short of identifying the punches he prefers to follow with. Some details, he suggested, were better kept to himself.
Defense has demanded particular attention.
“I hate getting hit,” he said.
Seals said he practices with other boxers but also repeatedly returns to individual work on his fundamentals, including slipping and rolling. Some training sessions emphasize defense; others focus on letting his hands go. He then works on bringing those elements together.
His interest in movement also shapes whom he watches. He named Lomachenko as an influence, pointing to the way the boxer moves.
Seals said his own foundation came at Renaissance Boxing Gym in Florida, where coaches introduced him to the fundamentals and made the gym feel like family. He described finding a similar sense of belonging in Chicago.
That support matters during preparation that can leave little room for much else. Leading up to the championship, he said, he trained twice a day, Monday through Friday, passing up parties and other outings. Weekends offered time to rest, although he sometimes returned to the gym on Saturday for additional work or cardio.
His family helps keep him focused, he said, while his coach Glenn Hudson helps make sure he stays on track without overworking himself. The preparation involves both the discipline to keep showing up and the judgment to know when to recover.
Winning has changed how Seals assesses his abilities. He said he has learned more about solving problems during a fight and feels better prepared to handle three two-minute rounds without tiring.
His next ambition is to compete at nationals. He did not identify a particular event or firm timetable, emphasizing instead the experience he wants to gain.
“I want to go to nationals and get the experience,” he said.
He also wants to turn professional, but said he would prefer to spend roughly two more years developing before taking that step. A stronger amateur record is part of that goal, along with encountering more of what the sport can demand.
“I want to experience certain stuff before I go pro,” he said.
The belt gives him something tangible to show for his return. His plans still depend on the less visible work he described throughout the interview: studying an opponent, practicing his defense and returning to the fundamentals that helped him win it.
A Championship Belt Gives Chicago Boxer a New Measure of His Progress
