“I started back in sixth grade,” Gabe said. “There was a summer where I kind of just did nothing and I got pretty fat. So my mom told me I had to start doing some exercise. We had a boxing bag in the basement that I never really used, but I started using that.”

Those who know boxing know it’s a never-ending hustle, but not many know what training truly looks like. Gabe is meticulous when it comes to preparation.

“I’ll do four or five rounds shadow boxing,” said Gabe. “Just to warm-up stuff like that. That changes depending on the day. Monday and Wednesday is just conditioning training, stuff like that. Tuesdays and Thursdays are sparring days.”

Sparring is a popular part of training for all boxers. It builds the required experience needed for stepping in the ring. Knowing the basics of boxing and being able to take a punch is a vital tool for all boxers.

“You just take the beating and there’s not much you can do about it,” Gabe said. “It’s just that universal experience for all boxers. At one point, somebody’s just gonna beat you up and you’re gonna be mad. It separates the people from who want to be there and who don’t.”

Sparring builds experience for the fight.

“My nose bled, but I won, and it was the coolest feeling ever,” Gabe said. “To feel that you accomplished something within an eight-month time frame, fighting in front of a bunch of people you don’t even know. It was a really cool experience.”

Behind the hours of work, the fights, and the sparring is none other than Gabe’s father, Jose Ponce. His father has been his trainer since he first began boxing.

“It’s the love of the sport and the love that I have for my son,” Jose said. “I would not have anybody else train him unless I know and I can trust that trainer. Gabriel is training in a style [where] he has an opportunity to really go places because of his ability in the game. That’s why I keep falling in love with it each and every day.”

Those hours of work don’t only include boxing. Despite being a student-boxer, for Gabe, the student always comes first. While he has aspirations for becoming a professional, he prioritizes having a strong academic career.

“I would love to, if the opportunity’s there, to turn professional,” Gabe said. “If there’s a chance for me making good money, then I would take that up in a heartbeat. But I also do want to make sure that I’m going to a good college. It’ll be tough, but I think it’ll be worth it.”

While boxing is a way for father and son to bond, knowing when to have fun and when to get to work is important to their relationship and their overall dynamic.

“When we’re at the gym, it’s almost like he’s not even my dad,” Gabe said. “He’s 100% real with me. If I have a bad day, he’ll tell me. If I have a good day, he’ll tell me. He’s just always pushing me.”

After training multiple successful fighters, Jose treats his son no differently. Jose keeps gym and home life separate. Jose does have good intentions by separating those two lives.

“I’m a lot harder on my son than I am on other fighters,” Jose said. “The reason why is because I know my son’s ability, I know what he has, and I train him harder and stronger. I’m harder on him, but I know that he can understand where I’m coming from.”

Jose is no stranger to the ring, with an impressive and lengthy career spanning almost 40 years. He has studied numerous styles of fighting in front of thousands.

“I started at the age of 10 years old in Los Angeles at the Boys and Girls Club,” Jose said. “I was taken there by a cousin of mine many moons ago and I enjoyed it. It was very nerve-wracking at first, because as a new guy in the sport, as a new kid, you don’t know what to expect, but I found something in the sport that I really liked. And to me, it was that rush.”

Jose quickly grew out of being a new kid to boxing. His love for the sport carried him further and further into his career.

“I fought in the amateur program for many years,” Jose said. “I fought in a professional environment for even longer, from boxing to professional kickboxing and Muay Thai.”

Like many backstories, there is an influence of culture. To Gabe and his family, boxing is an important part of their heritage—not just in fighting, but the representation that it provides.

“We came from that culture all the way from the Aztec culture,” Jose said. “Mexico has pride in its boxing community [and] the legacy that it leaves behind, and Gabriel sees that. This is the second time fighting on Mexican Independence Day. What other amateur in St. Louis with the Hispanic background has that opportunity? I, for example, my entire whole career, whether it be boxing or kickboxing, never have fought on Mexican Independence Day. And that to me was my ultimate goal in boxing.”

Gabe describes his firsthand experience with using boxing to represent his family and background. The ambiance and the support from those around him were key factors in his victory. Not many young people have the chance to carry on a deep-rooted legacy as Gabe did.

“I fought on Cinco de Mayo and that was such a really cool event,” Gabe said. “I had Folklorico, I had mariachi music in the background, I had my sombrero, my poncho. It was really powerful to fight on that day and represent my country.”

While he doesn’t have many fights under his belt, Gabe has still made a name for himself as a worthy competitor in the boxing community. As of October 2024, his record is 5-2, but he has multiple fights scheduled for later this year.

“I’ve had seven amateur fights so far,” Gabe said. “In my opinion, my record should have been six and one. I did get robbed in the Golden Gloves, but I can’t change that. So it is what it is. I’ve learned to live with that. I’ve had seven fights, which I know doesn’t seem like a lot, but I’ve been training super hard.”

Former boxer, coach, and owner of Boxing Therapy, Jose Jones, holds high praise for Gabe. He has been friends of the Ponce family for many years now.

“He has come a long way, not only in boxing but life in general,” Jones said. “When it comes to boxing, you can tell that this young man has grown so much with his discipline.”