WHERE R THEY NOW? FRED CING

Name: Fred Cing

Sport: Boxing

Accomplishments: Jr. Welterweight and Welterweight Champion (1984)

Family: wife Debbie and sons Larry and Freddy

GSPN: The name Fred Cing resonates with old school boxing fans on Guam. How did it all start and how would you explain your boxing career on Guam to young sports fans? (Note: Fred is one of 19 Cing children who had a boxing ring behind their family store in Chalan Pago)

Cing: I grew up with boxing, my dad (Francisco Cing) helped coach boxers like Kin ‘Guam Typhoon’ Pangelinan, Pete Petros, Frank Stein and others, but I was the only one of all the boys that my dad would not train. He said I have a soft heart!

I give a lot of credit to boxing, although that I was not very successful and that’s because I started boxing when I was 27 years of age, some will say that I had a good career, only because I was very determined to become a champion. I believe I trained harder than anybody of all the boxers, it’s just believing on yourself and having faith in God to do good in any sport or anything that you do. First, you must take your life seriously.

GSPN: What was your overall record both amateur and professional and when did you hang up the gloves?

Cing: My amateur record was 21-2 and as a pro 11-5. I retired in 1998.

GSPN: How would you describe the boxing community growing up and who did you look up to in your career?

Cing: Boxing was really big in the early 70’s but I didn’t admire none of the fighters, I don’t know why.

GSPN: Who’s your favorite pro boxer and why?

Cing:  When I started fighting in 1980, I admired Roberto Duran. Fighting mostly during my amateur fights inside the military bases, I was given the name ‘Hands of Stone’ (like Duran). It felt good to be called after someone as good as Duran, and I did fight like him. Roberto Duran is my favorite, he just has that street fight style of not fearing anybody, and I didn’t fear anybody myself.

A charcoal photo of legendary boxer Fred Cing in his prime years in the 1980’s. (photo courtesy Cing Family)

GSPN: It went down as one of the best local fights ever on Guam: Fred Cing vs. Phil Chlarson at the UOG Field House in 1986. What do you remember most leading up to that fight and the overall fight itself?

Cing: When people say Phil Chlarson’s name it gives me a smile because that fight could’ve been an easy fight for me (Chlarson was 27 and Cing was 34 at the time of the lightweight fight) A lot of people don’t know that I was not in good shape physically and mentally, and I have my reasons, but I don’t want to offend anybody, but the people involved knows what really happened on that fight, but hey, I almost won! I asked and I begged for a rematch, but I was not successful. (Note: the two warriors battered each other for eight rounds with no clear winner until Cing was unable to answer the bell to start the ninth round)

GSPN: Not many people know the struggles behind that fight, yet you took it deep into the 10-round fight. How can you describe the mental part of that fight?

Cing: Mentally, I was really mad at myself for really trying hard to go down to his weight division, which was impossible to be in good fighting condition, but I also wanted to fight him for his belt and would have been my fourth title in three weight divisions.

GSPN: Since then, what have you been up to?

Cing: My wife and I moved here to the mainland so we can be closer to our son. We both really like it here and we do plan to stay if God permits.

GSPN: MMA: like it or hate it? would you have tried it if it was around in during your time?

Cing: I like MMA! I trained a few of the first group of MMA fighters (on Guam). I would have probably fought a few fights, but it’s not my kind of fighting. Like my dad always said, I have a soft heart! I think I can win but I don’t really enjoy beating people up.

GSPN: Outside of Pacquiao and Mayweather, the mainstream fans feel boxing is dying. Do you agree?

Cing: Yes boxing is dying, it should not!

GSPN: Finally, what would you want the Guam boxing fan to remember you most for?

Cing:  I would like to be remembered as a good fighter and that I kept boxing alive and gave it a good respectable name on island! I LOVE BOXING and it was an HONOR representing Guam as an ambassador in boxing.

Final note: Cing was a sparring partner of Chlarson and even coached him on some fights for eight years. They remain good friends to this day.