MEET OUR BOXERS

 Born in Posadas, Argentina, Alejandro “El Cuervo” Silva moved to Buenos Aires to chase his dream of becoming a professional soccer player until an invitation from a friend to train at a boxing gym ignited an unknown passion in Silva and changed the course of his life forever. 

As a child, Alejandro did his best to be self-sufficient, and carried with him a dream of leaving his hometown and making a name for himself in the world. In chasing that dream, Silva’s journey has been defined by perseverance and later driven by the goal of providing a better life for his family. 

After a hard knockdown in a fight many thought he would lose, Silva rose to his feet and claimed victory—showcasing not only his skill, but his mental fortitude. Being knocked down and staring down the possibility of defeat reportedly made Silva the fighter he is today in facing what he fears and coming back stronger. “When I’m in the ring, my mind thinks that the person in front of me wants to ruin my dream; he wants to ruin everything I’ve contributed every day of my life,” he says. “I wouldn’t let anyone or anything ruin it.” Silva has utilized his grit and vision to successfully obtain titles for WBC Latin American Super Welterweight and Argentinian Super Welterweight, and in doing so began creating the legacy he has pursued for so long.

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. 

Of the people you encounter every day, each has a story — and some of the most inspiring come from unexpected places. In Fresno, California, you might find Osmel Avila working at a fast-food restaurant or behind the chair at a local barbershop. What you might not realize is that he is also an undefeated professional boxer on the rise.

Osmel “El Gato” Avila began boxing at age 7, inspired by his father’s pursuit of the sport, which planted the seed for their shared dream of turning pro. To the Avila family, boxing represents more than a sport—it symbolizes hope, opportunity, and a gateway to uplifting hometown community. Already, Osmel has embraced the role of mentor for the youth at his gym by sharing lessons he first learned as a beneficiary of a local nonprofit boxing program dedicated to teaching discipline, life skills, and core values to underserved youth through combat sports. Through the support of that program, along with his family and community, Osmel developed an unshakable belief that he can do anything he sets his mind to, regardless of what life throws his way.

Like everyone, Osmel has faced adversity, but the mark of a good fighter is his ability to get back up and fight after being knocked down. Events in his personal life kept Osmel out of the ring for 3 years. Others may have gotten discouraged; Osmel grew determined. He returned to competition with purpose, winning the first 2 fights of his professional career by knockout and earning a promotional contract with Westside Promotions, who view him as a rising prospect. “I had God and my wife that supported me all the way and never let me quit,” Osmel says. 

Inspired by the technical style of Lomachenko, Osmel values sharp footwork, speed, and ring IQ. His alias, “El Gato,” was given to him by friends who recognized his smooth, cat-like reflexes in the ring. Guided by the belief that discipline surpasses talent, Osmel’s dedication to craft has earned him opportunities to spar with elite fighters including Vergil Ortiz Jr., Alexander Besputin, and world champions Terence Crawford and Mario Barrios.

Boxing is a sport of overcoming—of meeting your past head-on and refusing to be defined by it. For Whitney “Hollywood” Gomez, overcoming is a way of life.

Raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Gomez survived abuse as a child and, in adulthood, suffered multiple miscarriages—hardships she credits boxing with helping her to heal from. “Finding boxing saved me at my darkest time in my life. I was finally able to feel like I could confront the demons in my past. I finally felt like I had the power over what happens to my body,” says Gomez.

This innate fortitude would also see Gomez through a challenging postpartum recovery, two hip surgeries and a neck injury which once cast doubt over her boxing future. “I like to break down barriers, and do things that are extraordinary. So I came back, and came back stronger,” says Gomez, “I truly hope that my journey will inspire and motivate my children, other women and girls to reach for lofty goals.”

Despite Gomez’s late start in boxing, she rapidly developed high-level fundamentals that have earned her credibility and respect through two Olympic Trials and now in the professional ranks. Her alias, “Hollywood”—earned during her years as a professional model—reflects her presence, although there is nothing performative about her inside the ring. She is a composed, disciplined boxer who understands range, manages pace, and selects her shots with intention—forcing opponents to solve problems rather than survive exchanges. When tested, she does not unravel—she recalibrates. 

A devoted mother and advocate for women and amateur fighters, Gomez channels her experience into uplifting others. Now, as the first female fighter to sign with Westside Promotions, she has evolved from “one to watch” into a legitimate problem inside the ring.

Aaron Thompson’s original pursuit was football; the grandson to John Tarver and the heir to a lengthy family line of high-performing athletes, his sights were set on continuing the family tradition. However, run-ins with theft, gun violence and personal hardships during his first year playing football in junior college caused Thompson to re-evaluate and return home. It was these events and this choice that would change his entire trajectory. 

While football was no longer the goal, he continued to pursue a college degree while working a full-time job job as a cook; it was there, working at a traditional Mongolian grill, where he met a boxing trainer who urged Thompson to visit his gym. The original goal for Thompson wasn’t a career in boxing, but as he began stepping into the ring, and as the fights got tougher, so did Thompson. After placing 3rd overall at the 2023 Olympic Trials, the only logical next step was to go pro. 

While this undefeated pro is a force to be reckoned with inside of the ring, outside of it he focuses on healing and improving the quality of life for the patients he sees as a nurse’s assistant and physical therapist. Inspired by his grandfather who had Parkinson’s, Thompson has a special focus on helping those in a different kind of fight. The passion for helping other’s additionally extends to young athletes, where he is a quintessential partner in hosting the Oregon Golden Gloves. “Everyone deserves to challenge themselves to higher opportunities,” says Thompson. By sharing what he has learned through boxing about physical fitness and building the mental fortitude to overcome insurmountable odds, Thompson hopes to change lives, whether he is fighting alongside a patient or opposite an opponent.