MEET OUR BOXERS

As a child, Malikai and his family moved often; always being the new kid in school was not particularly easy for young Malikai, and when his mother noticed aggression starting to build, she decided to seek out a sport that could help him to redirect his feelings in a healthier way. Boxing not only gave Malikai an outlet for his frustration over uncontrollable circumstance, but also a place to explore his competitive nature and build a legacy for himself. A strong work ethic, dedication, showmanship and desire to achieve greatness carried him from aspiring boxer to 12-0 undefeated pro with 8 KO's. "Boxing is how I'm leaving my mark on the world" said Malikai. "It gives me a responsibility to use my platform to show others how to leave the world a little better than it was found." 

Malikai's dad was his everything prior to his passing, and was a core influence through the ample lessons and values that he instilled in the young pro. Revered as not only a father, but as a friend, mentor, and biggest supporter, losing him sparked a fire in Malikai to pursue his dreams like never before. He also lists his big brothers, TJ & Shatta; his kickboxing coach, Marcus; and boxing coach, Ray Woods, for giving him IQ and guiding him on his path. Erislandy Lara, Marvin Hagler & George Foreman are amongst this pro's professional inspirations. "You always hear about the guys that won," stated Malikai, "but I wondered, 'what about the ones who lost the big fight? How did they deal with it? Do they just get thrown away? Did they quit? Come to find out, they had hard lives and inner turmoil that I could really relate to, but they came back and had Hall of Fame careers after that.'"

After a brief stint as an amateur, Malikai Johnson turned pro in 2017, and signed with Westside Promotions in 2023, debuting under our banner during our triad "Resurrecting the Palace" at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. "I have a direct and personal relationship with a promoter who helps me reach all of my goals," Malikai said when asked the impact Westside has had on his career. "I wanted to fight in an arena; they got me in the Cow Palace. I wanted to be seen everywhere; they got my fight viewed on DAZN. I dreamed of being on a billboard; they put me on one." Malikai saw a continuation of his lofty dreams become actualized in August 2024 when he came out the UD victor in his pursuit of an NBA Featherweight Championship belt during his main event fight in Long Beach, CA. With so many items checked off the wishlist in just the past year, we are excited to see what the future has in store for Malikai as he punches his way towards the top.

Hailing from a multi-generational line of boxers, Jalen Walker has always dreamt of following in the footsteps of his family patriarchs, and defines his journey into professional boxing as his destiny. "Boxing means the world to me. Boxing is my religion."

Jalen first began boxing at the age of 7, competed for the first time at 8 years old, and since then has never stopped. Empowered by his sense of destiny to become a world champion, boxing isn't just what he does, it's who he is. His father, Norman, and grandmothers, Rose & Tinkie, have been his greatest supporters along the road to his currently 12-1-1 & 10KO career. For those who know him, "disciplined" doesn't even begin to scratch the surface in describing him. "I leave it all in the ring," says Jalen. "I never back down and let my opponent take control. What's on my mind [when I step into the ring] is to completely dominate."

Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Walker is no stranger to the different paths laid out before him, and names his father's guiding hand and sacrifices over the years as some of his biggest motivators for staying out of trouble. Seeing firsthand how differently life could have gone for him is a constant reminder of how the choices he makes every day impacts his future, and how quickly it all can change. Forever humble and appreciative of what he has been able to experience and achieve in this life so far--from sparring sessions with the likes of Anthony Davis to partnerships with Adidas  to sponsorships with GymShark to receiving two silver medals at the Junior Olympic Nationals--his motivation to achieve greatness does not stem from a lack of love for his roots, but everything to do with etching his family name into the pages of history. However, Jalen  has recently discovered that success is not permanent, though failure itself would not prove fatal. While his record on the whole speaks for itself, during his last fight before signing with us at Westside, Jalen experienced his first big setback--his first loss--following a stint in the hospital for swollen nodes the week before a scheduled fight. "I should have postponed the fight," he said, "but my pride didn't allow me to do that." While this blemish to his undefeated record was a devastation at the time, it also gifted Jalen with a powerful learning lesson to take with him as his career continues to unfold. Since then, Jalen has been welcomed as one of the new faces to the Westside Promotions roster, and feels as though this new chapter has gifted him with a second chance and opportunity to redeem himself. "[I'm] a guy who's not gonna let failure define him," he told us. Whether you are a boxer or not, this mentality to power through and not let adversity define us is one we can all be inspired by.

Jacob Macalolooy is the Swiss army knife of combatants. Growing up in a family of martial artists and fighters, Jacob always dreamt of becoming a pro fighter, and had all the tools necessary at his disposal to do so. From wrestling to MMA to boxing, Macalolooy has enjoyed a well-rounded education and career to date. However, his professional boxing dreams ultimately have burned the brightest. "Boxing is a huge part of my legacy," says Jacob. "Becoming a pro boxer has ultimately made a major impact on my life--from small town fame to showing my kids how to chase a dream." From aspirations to make the 2020 Olympic team alongside four-time Team USA Olympic coach, Basheer Abdullah, to literally fighting to be named amongst the greats, Macalolooy definitely provides a lot to look up to, for both his own children and people of all ages. A natural-born showman, the number of passionate supporters who funnel through our doors to watch as he steps into the ring is a clear reflection that Jacob is well on the way towards his goals. Not one to forget his roots, Jacob can often be seen paying homage to his martial arts background by wearing his gi and black belt when entering the boxing ring. 

On an international level, Macalolooy has already begun to make his mark, going viral in a video while sparring with Errol Spence Jr. in preparation for Spence's battle against Manny Pacquiao. Being brought into camp by both Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Bud Crawford to mimic the Filipino legend, Jacob Macalolooy intends to use this experience towards cementing his own name as an icon in the sport of boxing. In signing with us at Westside Promotions, Jacob has seen his name climb in rankings, laying further foundation and ground work on which his inevitable future success will lie. 

When he is not in the ring, Jacob can be found participating as an active member in his hometown community. Working as both a substitute teacher and wrestling coach, he plays a direct role in empowering and shaping the futures of our younger generations. "It's awesome to be able to get to know and help lead so many kids from my city, in the same schools and programs I learned in. Union City raised me up, so it's only right that I give back to my village," said Macalolooy. He also volunteers alongside his wife for Beat the Streets Bay Area, which is a nationwide nonprofit that creates and funds wrestling programs for kids in schools who need it. 

San Jose-born and Antioch-raised pro fighter, Julian Bridges, first got his taste for fighting in the 4th grade. "I got slapped by this kid at the lunch table," Julian remembers, "and I didn't know what to do, so I told my dad. The next day he threw me in self-defense classes, and I stuck with it ever since." Now, 5-0 undefeated with 2 KO's, we imagine Julian's 4th grade bully might think twice before trying that again. 

Boxing gave Julian a sense of work ethic and self-respect, and with the support of his father and his trainer, Sergio, Julian is ready to step into his power. "Sergio told me, 'the saddest thing in life is wasted talent. You don't want to live your life in regret, knowing you would've been great.' That really stuck with me." A new face to the Westside Promotions roster, Julian says that the newfound relationship, and knowing that he is part of a team who believes in him and has his back, only makes him want to work harder. We love to hear it, as we already anticipate great things for Julian in the near future. 

It has not always been smooth sailing for Julian, though, despite his impressive record. One big setback that he recalls was when he fought with a tear in his lung. "After my fight, I was in the hospital wondering if I will be the same again. It was definitely a scary moment." However, the tear was able to heal on its own, albeit setting Julian back nearly a year on the goals he had set for himself. Boxing requires both physical and mental fortitude, the latter of which can be particularly difficult to maintain amidst trials and tribulations such as this; Julian is thankful to the support of his family for helping him to fight through this particularly difficult chapter in his career. Now back in the ring, with his confidence soaring, this pro is motivated by all those who believe in him, and looks forward to making them proud as he steps foot into the Westside ring. 

November 13, 2010 Manny Pacquiao stepped into the ring to confront Antonio Margarito for the WBC Super Welterweight Championship in Arlington, Texas. 1,700 miles away in Woodland, CA, a 6 year old David Delgado sat, mesmerized, in front of the television. Now, 14 years later almost to the day, Delgado finds himself preparing for his own pro debut.

"I know it's just a sport, but [boxing] means the world to me," Delgado says. "When I'm in the ring, everything outside the ring fades away; I forget about all of my problems and I just become focused on my opponent and winning the fight. Growing up I feel that I didn't get the attention and love that I needed, and when I win, it almost completes what I missed. It also shows me that the hard work that I did paid off and that I did it for a reason." For Delgado, and every other professional athlete, the requirement of huge personal sacrifice in the name of success is a small price to pay in exchange for a shot at greatness. In the 6 years from the time that he first began training as a boxer to now stepping into his pro career, David has achieved state and national championship titles for himself-- having fought in the iconic Golden Gloves--and battled at the Olympic Trials for a spot on the US Team. As a late bloomer in the sport and constantly feeling behind the curve on experience, his achievements as an amateur in spite of that inspired him to push for even more. 

With the support of the patriarchs of his family, the mentorship of coach Ray Woods, and now the guidance of us at Westside, Delgado looks to deepen his commitment to the sport, gain further patronage from his local community, and push for championship titles. If only 6 year old David could see himself now.

Kevin "No Mas" Montano has fought through many perceived disadvantages along the way to get to where he is today. Adopting an above-average work ethic to overcome what would hold many others back, he has dedicated himself day in and day out to his career as a boxer, both in amateurs and now in pros. "I sacrificed my entire childhood and young adulthood for this, and I owe it to myself and my family to see it through...You could have all the talent in the world, but if you're not willing to put in the work, you'll never achieve greatness." Still early in his career, Montano is already proving to the world the value of pure grit.

Inspired by his older brother's journey into boxing, Montano followed suit by strapping on his first pair of gloves at 8 years old. Going into his first fight a year later as the underdog and coming out the winner, Montano feels that particular moment was the catalyst for God's plan being put into motion, thus shaping the rest of Kevin's life to this point. Beyond his own goals for fulfilling this plan and using his passion to provide a comfortable life for himself and his family through boxing, Montano also strives to "use [his] career to show young people what can be achieved with dedication and hard work, whether their dreams are in boxing or elsewhere." He currently relates to the global community via content creation on social media, to other up-and-coming boxers by offering marketing education, and to the next generation of his local community through both substitute teaching and volunteering his time to Flawless4Youth--a non-profit that offers free self-defense lessons to kids year round. In Kevin's eyes, a rising tide lifts all ships. 

In the ring, Montano is relentless and calculated, hyper-focused on securing a win for himself. To achieve this, pain, doubt, and sacrifice are not things he fears, and he relies on the support of his family (specifically naming his older brother, Erick), his coaches, and the members of the Sacramento and Bay Area communities to help him achieve his dreams. He specifically has the people to thank for his boxing alias of "No Mas" after being dubbed with the name by the crowd after dropping his opponent in the 2nd round of his pro-debut fight. Rising exponentially through the rankings following his first fight with us at Westside, we look forward to watching this fighter for the everyman go where few men have gone before: right to the top.

There are certain words that come to mind when you think of a heavyweight boxer: formidable, impervious, powerful. However, these words were not necessarily synonymous with Jett's experience of adolescence. "I've always been bigger than everyone around me," Jett recalls. "At 7 years old, I weighed 150 lbs, and it wasn't easy for me in my neighborhood being an easy target." 

At age 15, Jett fell in love with the sport of boxing, and decided then that this would be his path in life. Since then, boxing has taught him humility, respectfulness and perseverance, while teaching him how to be emotionally bulletproof. With a number of those whom Jett grew up with, including 2 of his best friends, being either deceased or incarcerated at young ages, Jett made a decision to write a different story for himself. Doing what he can for his community, Jett worked for the city, helping to coordinate shelter for the homeless. And while, throughout his life, Jett has experienced waves of depression, he views his trials and tribulations with a growth mindset and a curiosity for what lesson he can take away from each bump in the road. For this, we admire him. 

Jett signed with Westside Promotions at 22 years old, and debuted as a pro during our "Resurrecting the Palace" series at the Cow Palace in San Francisco; since then, he has become 3-0 against 3 undefeated opponents. "As an amateur, I never felt valued as a fighter, even though I knew I has value. Westside Promotions has made me feel valuable." Jett says. He also thanks his dad and his trainer, Frank Aleman, for being his biggest supporters and seeing greatness in him since the beginning. Jett names his baby boy as his biggest inspiration--diagnosed autistic, Jett fights for him and other children who can't fight for themselves. This cumulative group is who Jett keeps in mind when he steps into the ring, armed with a passionate group of supporters and ready to come out swinging. 

"You can say I've always been a fighter at heart." Sachery Sam describes his adolescence as rough, but that experience during his childhood was the catalyst for his career as a pro boxer. "I got picked on when I was younger, but I always stuck up for myself and fought--even fought for others that couldn't fight for themselves. Going to school, you have these expectations to feel safe and accepted, so not having that was a bad feeling; I didn't like how it felt, so I didn't want others to feel that way either." It was exactly this courage to stick up, not only for himself, but for others, that led Sachery's father, Lincoln, to begin teaching boxing basics to Sachery out of their garage. When these at-home training sessions sparked a hunger in Sachery for more, however, Lincoln had his reservations. "You don't play boxing," Lincoln told young Sachery. Months of persistence on Sachery's part led Lincoln to finally concede, and thus began the journey towards professional boxing for Sachery Sam. 

These early lessons on work ethic and persistence on Lincoln's part would prove useful for Sachery later in his journey, when Covid and the birth of his daughter put Sachery's boxing career on hold. Sachery describes this period of pause as a mentally tumultuous time as he strived to fulfill his duties as a new father and provider while also grappling with whether his boxing dreams could coexist in this new chapter of life. This mental battle was ultimately won when a pastor visited Sachery's church and spoke on his own unfulfilled dreams as a professional boxer, how he lives with his regrets, and what he would have done in hindsight; it was through this sermon that Sachery found an undeniable calling to step back into the ring. Looking back on it now, Sachery appreciates the patience this period in his life taught him. "It's all in God's plan. Just have faith and keep going." Beyond his boxing dreams, Sachery feels called to serve as a missionary at some point in his life, hoping to provide the same inspiration and guidance for those seeking answers in their own lives. 

As for now, Sachery Sam is invested in a long-awaited and flourishing professional boxing career. He is currently an undefeated pro with Westside Promotions, having signed with us in 2023 following his pro debut. In the road to getting here, Sachery is thankful for his siblings and his father/coach, Lincoln Sam, who offer him unwavering support. He also has gratitude for Tony Avila, who created a home away from home for the young pro at Bad to the Bonz when Sachery was first starting out, and who supported Sachery's career as his first sponsor. While he is early in his career, the personal values and undeniable IQ that Sachery possesses in the ring will surely take him far.