Rio Rancho boxer McClain is back and ready to rumble vs. Sanchez

Jun. 1—When you know, you know.

Bryant McClain hadn't climbed through the ropes into a boxing ring since February 2020. Then, he heard promoter Teresa Tapia was looking for fighters to fill a card scheduled for Saturday at Isleta Resort & Casino.

In particular, Tapia needed an opponent at light heavyweight for Donald Sanchez in her main event.

McClain, 32, father of four ranging in age from 4 to 13, with a full-time job as a plumber, gave Tapia a call.

"I know a guy," he told her.

Great, she replied. Who?

"Me," he said.

So ... Rio Rancho's McClain (6-3-3, one knockout) and Albuquerque's Sanchez (5-3, three KOs) are scheduled for 10 rounds on Tapia's "Gloves on, Grudges Gone" card.

When last seen in a boxing ring, McClain was defeating friendly rival Lorenzo Benavidez by unanimous six-round decision at Isleta. It thus was neither disappointment nor discouragement nor disillusionment that led to the four-year hiatus.

"Certain circumstances in life just kind of got in the way of everything, and I had other stuff I had to take care of," McClain said during an interview in his Rio Rancho garage/gym. "So boxing kind of fell by the wayside."

Why come back now?

"Everything kind of lined up," he said. "I was already in the gym, and I saw that Donald was getting ready to headline a card. ... They'd asked me to fight him before, but stuff didn't line up at the time."

Besides, well, boxing's in his blood.

Sean McClain, Bryant's father, boxed professionally from 1988-2007 — compiling a 23-8-1 record (21 KOs) and winning the IBC cruiserweight title with a first-round knockout of Keven Wyrick in 1994.

As a father and a boxer, Sean McClain said, he understands and supports his son's decision to return. He did the same, in fact — returning once after a three-year layoff, then finishing his career with a second-round TKO of Vernon Woodard at Santa Ana Star Casino in 2007 at age 37 after a six-year hiatus.

His father never pushed him into boxing, Bryant said, instead encouraging him to follow his own path. But when that path turned out to include boxing, Sean was supportive.

His one requirement: if you're in, be all in — no halfway measures.

"Either you want to do it or you don't," the elder McClain said.

Bryant wanted it. He left Rio Rancho High School after the 10th grade, while taking pride in having earned his GED before his RRHS classmates graduated. Having joined his father in the construction business, he won two Golden Gloves state amateur titles before turning pro in 2016.

He reeled off four consecutive victories, fought to two consecutive draws, then lost by four-round majority decision to Travis Foster at Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino in Pojoaque.

After a victory by four-round majority decision over Oliver Parker, McClain fought to a draw with Benavidez, lost by first-round KO to unbeaten Jonathan Esquibel in Iowa, lost by four-round majority decision to Desmond Hill at the Marriott Pyramid, then defeated Benavidez in a rematch at Isleta.

Sean McClain has been in Bryant's corner throughout and will be again on Saturday. He's well past, though, any thoughts of living vicariously through his son.

"It's his stage," the elder McClain said. "It's about him."

Now it's about a scheduled 10-rounder. McClain has never gone past six rounds, hasn't fought in more than four years. When he steps into the ring against Sanchez, he will have had less than a month to prepare since making that phone call to Tapia.

He's OK with that, more than OK.

"It's an exciting fight," he said. "... I come to fight, and I know (Sanchez) comes to fight."

McClain has no qualms about having accepted a 10-round bout, and it should be noted that Sanchez, as well, has never gone beyond six rounds as a boxer.

"I'll be ready, no matter what happens," McClain said. "If (Sanchez) wants to go out and bang it out in the first couple rounds, I'm ready for that. But I'll be ready to go the whole 10 if I have to."

McClain has nothing but respect for Sanchez, a veteran of 50 MMA fights in addition to eight boxing matches and four recent bare-knuckle fights. The two have met, McClain said, know each other casually, and there's no bad blood.

"Absolutely not," he said. "I'm just excited to be back, and excited to go against a legend in the state like Donald.

"I appreciate the opportunity that he and Teresa are giving me, so I'll make the most of it."

THE CARD: Though McClain-Sanchez is the titular main event, welterweight Josh Torres and featherweight Jason Sanchez, two of Albuquerque's most accomplished pro boxers, also are on the card.

Torres (26-7-2, 15 KOs) is matched against Denver's Daniel Calzada (20-20-3, two KOs. Sanchez (16-5, nine KOs) is scheduled to face San Diego's Mulapi Enjani (10-8-3, six KOs). Both bouts are scheduled for eight rounds.

In a six-round heavyweight bout, Los Lunas' Cody East (4-1, four KOs) is matched against Terrell Jamal Woods (29-60-10, 21 KOs) of Forrest City, Arkansas.