The Salinas community is mourning the loss of Genaro Romero, also known as “El Maestro,” a local boxing coach who coached some of Salinas’ best boxers. Although he had 15 professional boxing matches, he ultimately decided to focus on coaching and became one of the best coaches in California, particularly renowned for his unique style and boxing technique.
Originally from Sonora, Mexico, El Maestro eventually moved to Watsonville before settling in Salinas in the 1980s, where he established himself as a respected coach. Daniel Corona, a coach for Rock Boxing Gym, where El Maestro finished his coaching career, explained how other fighters or coaches from different gyms would identify El Maestro’s fighters based on their distinctive style of fighting. El Maestro made a significant impact as a coach, but to those who knew him, he was much more than that.
“He was not just a boxing coach. He was a friend, father, uncle, grandpa, to a lot of these kids and members at the gym,” Corona said. While many may remember him for his contributions to the boxing community, Maestro’s impact extended beyond the ring. He was a caring figure who genuinely wanted to help people in any way he could.
Luis Sanchez, one of El Maestro’s pupils, recalled how his coach would call him regularly, checking up on him and asking how his family was doing. Sanchez saw El Maestro more as a grandparent than just a coach. He was grateful for the role El Maestro played in his life and will always remember him as someone who cared about people, even if it wasn’t about boxing.
El Maestro’s legacy will continue to live on in the Salinas community. Rock Boxing Gym plans to honor him by adding patches to their team’s fight shorts that commemorate his life. For El Maestro, it was never just about the sport of boxing.
He wanted to make a positive impact on the people around him, and his legacy will continue to inspire others to do the same.
