A Climb to the Top 

Written by Nicholas Kopp

Spoken by Maximiliano Baez

Prelude 

Sitting in the waiting room, he counts the minutes to his big moment. People are waiting around the ring, eager to watch the coming fight. The instrumental of “Let It Go” by James Bay plays through his headphones, calming him a bit. It’s a familiar sound in this unfamiliar place. He knows that the pressure is rising, but he keeps his composure. Months of training drove him to this showdown, a time to prove himself. Hours of hitting the bag, sparring, and testing his strength led him here. Life dealt him some challenging cards, but he keeps his head up. He prays, wishing himself and his opponent the best of luck, hoping that the best man wins. Putting his headgear and gloves on like a warrior donning his armor, he takes a deep breath in and lets it go. He steps through the door, ready to give it everything.  

A Love for The City 

Maximiliano Baez III has been dedicated to his city ever since he could remember. Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, in February 2004, the Berks native grew up seeing the ways of the streets, for good and for bad. “Well, Reading is definitely the hood. I’m from the hood,” says Max, who experienced the city as it was with the other youth in his community. “Some people had it worse than me,” he adds, noting that he was “blessed to have a father and a mother to support me.” Other friends of his had no father figures in their lives, forcing them to grow up quickly. Nothing could dissuade Max from loving his home, though; the city is where he grew up, and his heart will always be with his community. 

Living in Reading has had its challenges. Max touches on his younger self’s struggle to balance his academics and life outside of school. “At a young age I was around gang violence, and there was a point in my life where I never thought it would be possible to live another life…to live a better life.” Max’s heart has always been with the community around him, but his environment had, at times, pushed him down a dangerous road. “I didn’t see anything else being done,” he says when reflecting on his childhood, adding that “it was natural” to see gun violence and gang conflicts. Max has since found that other pathways are available for the youth, but the truth wasn’t always so clear. 

“The first death that I experienced was a friend of mine, and I was about 13. It’s just crazy. Little kids are growing up like this now,” he somberly adds as he sits at the desk in Star City’s front office. Gun violence has threatened the lives of Reading’s citizens, especially its youth, in the past few years. Friends and loved ones have been taken away by rash and reckless decisions. Amidst the violence, though, there is positivity and a hope for change. Max leans forward in his chair and contemplates the heavy subject. “People are here with different goals, and there's sometimes more negativity than positivity here. But positivity is what myself and other role models are trying to spread. I was at a father-son brunch the other day and heard five motivational speakers. They gave out a powerful message, not only for kids but adults too! Events like these are where it starts.” The city may be troubled with violence and pessimism at times, but young people in the community like Max are driven to see positive changes. 

Going to Northwest Middle School, Max was no stranger to the routine of city life. He and his friends would escape the classrooms after school and be pulled back to the city streets. Gang violence was not a moment-to-moment occurrence, of course, but it was frequent enough for Max to want a change.  

He and his parents decided that Max would transfer to Muhlenberg in high school, a departure from the academic atmosphere that he had grown used to for most of his life. “I feel like [Muhlenberg] definitely shaped me out to be a better person because it was a change in my environment,” he says. New faces with different perspectives opened Max’s eyes to other prospects outside of gang affiliation. He met new friends and had tried other sports by this point, including football, but it was boxing that was beginning to emerge as a major turning point in his life. 

Finding A New Road  

Max lent a hand in the restoration of the building that now houses Star City Boxing. As the nephew of Star City’s founder, Alex Betances, the family connection called him to assist in the collaborative effort. He helped to give the walls a new coat of paint and sweep off the dust. New doors were put in place and boxing equipment was hoisted in, including a full-scale ring and punching bags on the second floor. By the gym’s major opening in the summer of 2017, the building had taken on a whole new look. 

Max was not always personally involved in boxing. He grew up watching pay-per-view fights featuring fighters such as Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, but he hadn’t really given the sport a try. Watching Star City grow inspired him to attempt boxing by the summer of 2017, however, and the choice pushed 13-year-old Max down a definitive new road of his life. He recalls the things he’s loved about the sport since day one. “It’s just that feeling when you’re in the waiting room, and then walking out to see all those people looking at you. They’re cheering for you, and there’s that energy when you first step in the ring. It’s just a tremendous feeling.” 

Competitive boxing was a major appeal for Max since his first time putting on the gloves. Unfortunately, opportunities for amateur boxing can sometimes be difficult to find in the local area, especially for Max’s division. “We try to get a lot of fights around here, but it’s hard because of my weight and age.” As an aspiring 18-year-old fighter working to reach 112 pounds for his next bout, Max faces a specific weight class of opponents, forcing him to travel for serious matchups. One of these match-ups led him to Louisiana, where he fought in his fourth Nationals boxing event. “I beat the kid by unanimous decision. I was just really feeling it that day: my defense was on point, offense on point,” Max says as he relives the day. “I felt like I learned a lot in that fight because it was my fourth Nationals, and it was a big crowd. I was a little pressured, but I overcame that. I was calm, collected, and picking my shots.” 

The pressure is something that Max acknowledges exists in almost any fight, but his comfort in the ring helps him keep calm. “Boxing is an extremely mental sport. Yeah, you need to be prepared for anything. I’m glad I think like that, though, because it reminds me to keep on going.” The potential to be injured is always there in the world of boxing, but it’s a risk Max is willing to take. As much as the sport requires physical skill, it also demands a keen sense of focus, determination, and positivity. 

 Learning from other dedicated personalities at Star City made this clear to Max since the beginning of his boxing training. He has a strong appreciation for all of his coaches, especially Julian Cruz. “By me seeing his work ethic, I just felt I needed to be like that,” he says about his respected mentor. The two fighters met around the time of the gym’s opening, forming a strong bond that has extended for nearly six years. Max always felt that Coach Julian has been one of his top supporters, right next to his parents. The experienced mentor has helped Max at every step of the way, teaching him new moves on a daily basis. 

Steven Torres, another major role model at Star City and a professional boxer, also has helped Max over the last few years. Torres reminds him, as Max shares, that boxing is mainly a psychological challenge just as much as it is a physical one. “You have to be mentally prepared for anything. Stay positive. Keep working hard.” He sits back in the swivel chair and continues. “Some people don’t understand that it’s really easy to lose track. One mess-up and you start thinking ‘damn, I messed up.’ All those feelings that were down there start rushing up to you.” Going pro only makes these thoughts more debilitating, but Steven assures Max that he can overcome it with time and practice. 

People such as Julian, Steven and all of his coaches made Max’s transition into competitive boxing easier, but the lifestyle change-up was still an obstacle. Before diving into the sport, there wasn’t as much of an emphasis on clean diets or workout routines. The dramatic shift came as Max began to get serious about his passion. “It most definitely changed my lifestyle. I’m always checking the calories, the nutrition. And just being here makes me want to have a physique like Cbum or Baki” (Cbum refers to bodybuilder Chris Bumstead, and Baki is a character from the show “Baki the Grappler”). Max also credits the gym experience for giving him a heightened sense of discipline to hit his goals. “[The gym] taught me a lot of discipline, not just when I’m sparring or hitting a bag or working out, but life in general.” The conditioning that Max has taken on at Star City also impacts his efforts in school. He applies the same work ethic in boxing to academic work. “The discipline transfers. Whether it’s completing an assignment on time, or if I write an essay, it all transfers.”  

Though Max finds balancing time between school and training difficult at times, he feels the support of his friends and even the school administration. “Sometimes my principal comes in and checks on me,” he says, adding that he’s seen him training at the Wyomissing Fitness gym in the early morning. “One day I woke up really early for my routine before a fight. I was up at 3:30 A.M., and I saw him at 4:00 A.M. lifting.” Witnessing the motivation of those around him, including his own principal, has only pushed Max to train harder. His former principal and assistant principal from Northwest Middle School have also shown their support, coming to the gym and local fights to see his progression. 

Some days Max gets two or even three workouts under his belt, a routine fueled by a pursuit of achievement. Success in boxing requires mental fortitude in addition to physical aptitude, but Max keeps a healthy mind too. The wall of his room is detailed with inspirational phrases that remind him of the goals in sight. Reminders such as “Visualize my dream every day,” “I will make it,” and “Did I give it my all today?” are written next to a large cross, giving Max the motivation to stay on his path. 

There is a clear difference between genuine passion and impostor energy that can also affect a boxer’s psyche. Max shares that he sometimes faces “fake people” during sparring and boxing shows, especially rival coaches. “I can definitely feel somebody’s presence, their energy. There will be a lot of people hating on your achievements, a lot of fake supporters. When they see you doing well, that’s when they wanna tell people they know you and act like they've always been there for you, but if you fail, all of that support goes away. In the boxing world you gotta keep your circle small & keep on progressing.” These silent doubters only motivate Max to fight harder, proving that the negative energy won’t break him down. He also has the honest and caring guidance of Star City’s dedicated coaches: Coach Bates, Coach Henry, Coach Alex, Coach Shakeem, and Coach Julian. Boxers need real criticism and reassurance to know how they can improve, not disimpassioned “thumbs-ups” after losses or mistakes. The coaches and mentors at Star City have a handle on the importance of honesty, making training for Max and others more meaningful. 

Proper technique and a sound mind have improved for the aspiring young boxer since his beginning. Max recalls his performance at Hometown Heroes Boxing in West Virginia, where he took part in the gym’s tournament in 2018. It was his third Nationals competition, and the pressure was rising. The fight was quite close. “The guy I was facing was really good. The first two rounds I thought I definitely lost. Then it was close with the third round.” He started to urge himself forward mentally, telling himself that he had to keep the pressure going. “I feel like you can’t let negative thoughts intervene because once you do, one negative thought turns into a bigger and bigger one. I just try to stay positive in every situation.” Max won the tournament fight, his healthy mindset giving him the edge. 

The Present-Day Push 

Max looks back on his numerous fights, remembering the lessons that they taught him. To date, he has competed in four different Nationals events at various locations, taking pride in his victories and learning from his losses. His confidence has grown immensely after gaining this experience. “I love fighting in front of crowds now. They’re seeing my skills get put to the test, and I like to put myself out there,” Max says.  

The up-and-coming fighter is sure of his goal to become a professional boxer, but he also wants to see others benefit from his own progress. Max refers to Reading native Lonnie Walker IV as an example of how he’d like to give back to the city. Walker, now playing for the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA, still remembers his roots. “He comes back here and helps with basketball programs,” says Max, who would love to do something similar in the future. “A lot of people know him as a good person,” he adds, explaining that he’d like others to look at him in the same way one day. 

The motivation to go pro is not only brought on by a desire to help his city, but also by a determination to honor those he’s lost. “A couple of my close friends passed over the years, all due to gun violence. They were all young… all had a good heart,” Max reflects. These were people he had grown up with, taken away far too quickly. “Their deaths made me feel like I needed to make it up [to the city]. I want to be a person who’s known for making a difference.” There is a notion of “making it out” of Reading, especially for those that have lost people. While some might prefer to move on, though, Max has no intention of leaving his home behind. Star City is integral to Max’s life, and he wants to keep it that way for years to come. 

Currently, Max is preparing for his next big tournament: the Golden Gloves boxing competition. With several major fights in Philadelphia only a few weeks away, he is working hard to drop his weight to 112 and fine-tune his technique. Obstacles sometimes arise, however; Max recently came down with a fever, and the sickness has pushed his training back. Separated from his high school and the gym for several days, he knows he needs the rest but is eager to get back to things. “This is pushing my weight loss training back, but I know everything happens for a reason,” he notes. Max turns the challenge into a positive situation as he plans to train even harder than before. With additional training sessions a day (including some workouts as early as 4am), careful dieting, and persistent motivation, he is ready to jump back into the ring. “I’ll have tons of work to do, but I know I will make it.”