Introduction
Piero Valdivieso is a Peruvian professional boxer, who fights out of Miami, FL, USA. He is ranked as the #1 Super Featherweight and #3 Pound-for-Pound in Peru and #365 in the world by Boxrec.com. Weighing approximately 130 lbs, he is twenty-four years old and holds a record of 7-0 with 5 knockouts. His boxing manager is Gwen Legge from California, USA. She owns Eruption Boxing and MMA Management Company. Mr Valdivieso began to box at the age of 14 years old.
Q & A
FightMatrix: Tell us about your childhood. What was it like growing up in Peru?
Piero Valdivieso: Well, in Peru I had a very beautiful childhood, around my loved ones, I lived in a neighborhood in San Martín de Porres (Palao), it was where I grew up and got to know the true flavor of the street, I lived there until I was 7 years old and Then I used to visit because my grandparents lived there. Another place where I spent my childhood was in the Cerró Azul spa, that was where I spent many important moments in my life, one of them was learning about boxing from my first personalized coach Giorgio Galiardi.
FM: Who was your mentor when you were growing up?
PV: My first coach was Giorgio Galiardi, he trained me to have personal defense on the street. Who was the one who took me to my boxing trainer Piero Aponte, was the one with whom I started when I was 14 years old, with whom I obtained several important championships in Peru at an amateur level.
FM: Who is your favorite boxer of all-time?
PV: I have two favorite boxers, JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ & MANY PACQUIAO. The two have something in common in their beginnings in boxing, apart from that I like their styles and how they manage to tame their rivals.
FM: How did you get interested in boxing?
PV: After a fight in the street, I decided to learn to defend myself and learned about boxing. From there I fell in love with the art of hitting and not being hit, to this day.
FM: When you won your first fight, what was going through your mind?
PV: Since I learned about boxing, I realized that I did it naturally and in the first fight I won by TKO. It was the youth bronze gloves championship in Peru, for that fight I had arrived just in time because the schedule was brought forward and I was not even warmed up. When I got into the ring and saw all the people in the Bombonera was something nice but at the same time I felt a little nervous, until the bell rang and I had to do my job. After that fight I knew my path was boxing.
FM: What are your hobbies apart from boxing?
PV: Well, before starting boxing, I played soccer on a competitive team in Peru, I left that sport to be fully involved once I began boxing, then I have always trained on my own since I was 10 years old (running – calisthenics).
I also really like high-adrenaline sports such as surfing, mountain biking, tracking.
Also in Peru I was studying at the same time, until this last year when I had to decide whether to continue with my professional career in Boxing or my university degree in architecture. Carrying both things was already very difficult for me because of the dedication I have to boxing.
FM: How do you stay focused while training?
PV: When I train, I tend to focus a lot on myself, on wanting to absorb the best from my coaches. Besides, I listen to the music I like when I already know the exercises I have to do.
FM: What are your short and long-term professional goals?
PV: One of my short-term professional goals is to have a name in the US. Have my first professional fight and show that I didn’t come here to play. I want to position myself to be one of the best in my weight here in this country to compete for a world title. Then in the long term to be undisputed champion (4 belts).
Conclusion
Piero Valdivieso is a promising young prospect who is looking to make a name for himself on the global scene. He has an excellent record, and should he continue in his winning ways, he may go far in this sport. We’re hoping that Piero finds success in his career in the US, and one day achieves his dream of being a world champion.
MMA & Boxing Columnist | Business Development Consultant
I have been a fan and avid viewer of all combat sports for decades. I was once a Judoka, which is what eventually piqued my interest in Mixed Martial Arts. I have been a spectator of the UFC since 2001. For 25 years I’ve worked in healthcare, and now am trying to make something that was a hobby, into a full-time endeavor.