By Thomas Gerbasi

For a while, Neeco Macias was like a lot of fighters around the United States given the tag “ticket seller.” The Palm Desert, California native always showed up to fight, got hit more than he needed to, but he would leave the ring with a win, and his fans left the venue happy.

And there’s nothing wrong with that. Whether in California, New York, or anywhere else, a popular fighter with a grass roots following is what keeps the sport alive.

Longevity isn’t the friend of such fighters though. They build a nice record, get some local press, and eventually, the step-up fight takes place, and what results usually isn’t pretty.

But a funny thing happened to the 25-year-old Macias on the way to such a fate. He remains a ticket seller, but he’s also turned into a 154-pound prospect who is beginning to get more and more positive notices in the lead-up to his September 9 bout against fellow unbeaten Rolando Garza. He’s heard the talk.

“I have noticed the change with people telling me that and also by seeing the opponents the commission isn’t letting me fight,” Macias said. “When I first started, I’d fight people 1-5 and 2-3. And then they stepped it up. My biggest fight was Robert Crespo, who was 4-4, so he was a 50-50 fighter. And once the records started getting better, I was lucky enough to be getting better as well. After that, the competition started getting better and I had to fight veterans with 30 fights, and I stuck to the game plan and it’s actually making me better as well. My last fight, the guy was 10-2 with 8 KOs, and it drives me to train even harder.”

That last opponent, Limberth Ponce, didn’t just have an impressive record. As Macias told John Nelson of the Tehachapi News, “He was way faster than I was. He was more accurate.”

For most, if you’re outgunned like that, it’s easy to find an exit. Macias didn’t. Instead, he dominated, winning all but one of the eight rounds on all three judges’ scorecards. 

“Maybe it’s the confidence level,” Macias said. “We train real hard, and we have a saying that fights are won in the gym. So if we train real hard and we run real hard and spar real hard, you go in there with a little bit of confidence, and no matter what they throw at you, in the back of your mind, you know you’ve got this. And you go in there and you might get tagged or he might be outscoring you, but you stick to your game plan and your confidence helps get you through it.”

Confidence is nice, but what Macias may be packing even more prominently is something that doesn’t show up on a stat sheet.

neeco-macias

“I was lucky enough to be blessed with heart,” he said. “And I’ve got a lot of heart. In sparring, they come at me and they may hit me a couple times. But then I use my heart and I walk through it and I get my shots in and we go 12 rounds or more. It might be my seventh round or my tenth round, and they’re coming back in fresh, but we just got a lot of heart and overpower them with the mental game.”

Yet what may be most impressive about Macias at this point in his career is that his technique is starting to catch up with his heart, and it’s that mix that’s giving “The Rooster” the confidence that’s getting him through the tougher fights.

“Now we’re learning that boxing is hit and not get hit,” he said. “I’ve got to hide in my peek a boo style, and every punch I block with my gloves is points saved. Eventually, after a few rounds, the punches ain’t the same anymore because they’ve exerted all their energy.”

On September 9, it will be another chance to test out the lessons he’s learned against Mexico’s Garza. And it’s a big one for him. The vacant WBC USNBC 154-pound title is on the line, the fight will be televised on CBS Sports Network, and he’s basically fighting as the B-side. But if the odds are against him, he’s using that as fuel.

“It’s motivated me even more,” Macias said. “We do one more run, and I want to win this fight, so I do a little bit more and start sprinting. It (being the underdog) could be a good thing. Like when you corner a raccoon, their fear is dangerous. And not that I’m scared, but I’m more conscious because I know this guy is 9-0, it’s going to be hard to get the decision, and it’s like that is pushing me to go even harder and train even harder.”

And through it all, he keeps smiling. It’s become Macias’ calling card, and it’s impossible not to like him and root for him.

“A lot of that goes back to the confidence level,” he said. “And I’m a different kind of breed. I don’t try to go in there and look real mean and use that as intimidation. I’m here to have fun and do my job. If I was tired or feared I was gonna lose or got hit real hard, the smile would probably go away. But since we prep so hard, we go in there with confidence and that’s why I smile. Some gyms nicknamed my Smiley. It’s just a lucky thing I’ve got.”

Nah, there’s no luck involved here. It’s all work, and that’s fine with Neeco Macias, who knows that even though his career will get a boost with a win in a couple weeks, he’s not about to celebrate yet.

“We gotta go win it first,” he said. “We have another saying in the gym: ‘A little less talky, a little more doey.’ And we want to go do it. Then we can sit back and enjoy it. We’ve got to take it from this guy, we gotta bring it to him. We’re ready and we can’t wait.”