Mike Lugo, a man of vision, tenacity, and persistence, is helping his sons make their mark in boxing.
Last year, I interviewed two amazing boxers, brothers Nathan and Elijah Lugo, who are making Lugo a household name in boxing. Mike Lugo, their father and boxing coach, has been with them every step of the way. I sat down with Mike recently to get his take on the development of his sons’ careers and other matters in today’s boxing world.
Nathan and Elijah Lugo (photo, Sports Illustrated)
McElwain: Describe boxing in one word.
Lugo: “Life.”
McElwain: Describe coaching in one word.
Lugo: “Art.”
McElwain: Who are your coaching influences?
Lugo: My coaching influences come from the grassroots. I came up watching Coach Montgomery from Macon. He used “code” to communicate with his sons, so I apply that to a whole system. I also used to get lots of advice from Coach Yusef and actually applied lots of wisdom from my grandpa.
McElwain: Describe your boys in one word.
Lugo: “Warriors.”
McElwain: When I sat down with Nathan, he talked about an incident with Jake Paul at your gym. What was that like, and what is your opinion of Jake? Could we see Lugo vs. Paul in the future?
(Lugo: “Do you mean the situation with Jake Paul and his team about them not paying us or giving us sparring for using my gym?” McElwain: “Both.”)
Lugo: I would love to corner any boxer against him (especially my sons). His team is fake! They follow him for money, not for love. His coach has no connection to him, and you can see that when they do mitts. His people around him hype him up instead of giving him real advice or criticism. He is bringing more money to boxing, which is great. But as a person, he’s not a boxer. Almost every real boxer has respect and, for the most part, is a man of their word.
McElwain: What is your advice for anyone trying to get into sports?
Lugo: Stay consistent. Anyone can put in work for a few months or even a year. But can you do it year after year?
McElwain: What do you want for your boys?
Lugo: I want my boys to be known as the greatest boxing duo of all time.
