Author: JAIME ESTRADA
Carlos Medina
Date: 10/29/2008
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Patience is said to be a virtue in life and boxing is no different. It is however usually an acquired skill that often comes with age and maturity, both in life and in boxing. For Jr. Welterweight prospect Anthony Lenk a little bit of maturity paid off on September 19 of 2008. Lenk, fighting in his fourth professional fight, found some patience and it paid off tremendously in the second round against Iowa native Jeremy Martz.
“I knew I could hurt him but I kept rushing in and missing,” said Lenk. “Between rounds my corner told me not to rush and I regrouped.”
Lenk had hurt Martz badly in round one and floored him with a right hook, but he let him off the hook and the minute rest between rounds couldn’t have come at a better time for Martz. However, some patience and observation paid off in the second round for Lenk.
“I threw a strong jab and he overreacted and I knew he was scared,” said Lenk. “(Later on) I fainted a jab and threw an uppercut. When it landed I knew it was over. I felt that punch in my arms.”
Indeed Martz had ducked right into the uppercut and the referee stepped in and stopped the contest without a count. For Lenk it brought his professional record to 4-0 with 3 KOs. The fight was promoted by Top Rank and was in the undercard of a televised card at Primm, Nevada. With many boxing executives at hand, including Bob Arum, it was a coming out party for Lenk. The 5’8” prospect who turns 21-years-old in December has been raising eyebrows since his debut on April 3rd of this year in Brooklyn, New York. In that contest he overcame a cut from a head butt to win a unanimous decision over Bernel Ayers of Harlem, New York.
Beginning his professional career in New York was an honor for Lenk. He is originally from western New York and he got his start there as a seven-year-old. Boxing wasn’t always his passion back then.
“Originally I started to please my step-father,” said Lenk. “I didn’t really fall in love with boxing until I was 12-years-old. By then I was winning championships.”
After many amateur contests Lenk moved to Las Vegas a little more than a year ago and turned professional. In Las Vegas he met his trainer John Roberts and fell in love with his coaching style.
“We work a lot on the basics,” said Lenk, who raved about the chemistry between he and Roberts.
“We can tell each other the truth,” said Lenk
The move to Las Vegas has paid dividends for Lenk in terms of quality of work. Since he’s been here he’s had the chance to spar with some of the bigger names in the sport. Champions and contenders like Vic Darchynian, Eduardo Escovedo, Hector Camacho Jr., Carlos Navarro, Antonio Mesquita and Daniel Ponce De Leon just to name a few. He will get another big boost coming up as he’s scheduled to work with Paul Malignaggi as he prepares for his up-coming showdown with Rickey Hatton.
“I moved to Las Vegas to do my job,” said Lenk.
Despite three knockouts in his first four fights, Lenk considers himself more of a boxer who studies his opponents. He likes to pattern his style after Roy Jones Jr.
“He can hit you whenever he wants to,” said Lenk.
Jones was known as a thinking man’s fighter and Lenk displayed those same qualities in the ring in September, setting up Jeremy Martz with a fainted jab and finishing him with an uppercut.
Lenk is next scheduled to perform on Halloween night in a card promoted by Top Rank at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. It could be a scary Halloween indeed for an unlucky opponent.
(4) Votes 
Uruguay
Venezuela