As a chubby 13-year-old kid, Julio Acre cared more about cheese doodles than championship belts, more about Ring Dings than getting in the ring. That is until his mother got him off the couch and over to Tiger Schulmann’s in Bayside – now the former video game enthusiast is one step away from Golden Gloves glory.
Acre, 21, is now a second-degree black belt and fighting in the semifinals of the Daily News Golden Gloves on Friday, March 25. His sensei at Tiger Schulmann’s, Bryan Gotthoffer, believes the kid from Flushing has a puncher’s chance at reaching the finals at Madison Square Garden.
“I think he’s got it. I think he can go all the way and win the whole thing. As the rounds have progressed, he’s dominated everybody he’s gone against,” he said. “We can’t find anybody who wants to fight him anymore.”
Since taking to the ring, Acre is 10-0 as a super lightweight boxer. Besides that, he is a joshu – an instructor – at Tiger Schulmann’s and a feared Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter with two championship belts. It’s a far cry from his days spent snacking on the couch.
“I had no confidence. I didn’t like to do anything and wouldn’t leave my room. I was like a little pig,” said Acre. “My family pushed me into joining and the rest is history. I never saw myself getting to this level, but here I am.”
Getting to this level wasn’t easy, as Acre drives to New Jersey six days per week to train and keeps a very strict diet. What is so unique about his boxing success is that Acre only boxes a quarter of the time – the rest is spent pummeling opponents in MMA.
“He’s going against guys who do nothing but box and he’s beating them,” said Gotthoffer, adding that Acre’s discipline and work ethic is second to none.
No matter what happens in the ring this Friday, Acre will continue his disciplined work ethic on his way to a successful career beating the lights out of all challengers. His love of fighting leans more towards MMA than boxing because it allows him to use every weapon in his arsenal – and his skill might very well land him in the ring with the pros.
“If the UFC [Ultimate Fighting Championship] comes calling, I’ll be here,” he said. “But for now I just want to keep myself mentally focused and let my hands do the talking in the ring.”
