Osvaldo Razón: From Prison to the Ring

Osvaldo Razón knows what it's like to be behind bars. A false accusation of car theft took away two and a half years of his life, which he spent in the Neza-Bordo prison.

"Freedom is wonderful and it feels different. There's a song that says the air inside doesn't come in the same way as out here on the street. And I didn't believe it, but now that I'm here, again, I see it... Yes, it's true. The air is so different," said Chucky to La Afición. He admitted that at the beginning of his sentence, he did everything possible to stay calm. He even trained using old blankets and dirty rags to make his own punching bag and release his sadness.

In 2012, Razón was returning from China after losing the silver title against Chao Zhong Xiong, and all he wanted was to relax and go out with his friends. That night, a discussion that quickly escalated ended when police officers accused him and his friends of car theft. At first, he thought it was a joke, until he was sentenced.

Now, despite the time that has passed, Osvaldo still finds it difficult to talk about that period. But he also emphasizes the role of sports activities, elements that provide an outlet for "all the things that accumulate and only harm you."

"Training inside there makes you forget about many problems you have, about your situation. Sometimes, I forgot that I was in prison just by attending training. I said I was a boxer and then they let me bring my gloves, mouthguard, and my things. But they would also wake me up in the early hours. I had 25 fights there, and the weight didn't matter," said the man who survived all that time and also helped his family by selling cecina tacos and giving boxing lessons.

After four years absent from the ring, Chucky is back on his feet and ready to return. He has a fight scheduled for October 21st, in a boxing event in Mexico City. Although he doesn't want to repeat his time in prison, he assured that he would enter a prison to support and teach others what helped him maintain hope.