NEWARK, N.J. – Gabriel Gerena didn’t plan to spend the last year on the sidelines. Opponents fell out, fights collapsed and the momentum he had built early in his career stalled.
Now Gerena, a New Jersey junior welterweight, finally gets his chance to pick up where he left off.
His layoff will come to an end this Friday, when Gerena, 8-1 (6 KOs), meets Rani Jalomo, 7-0-1 (4 KOs), in a six-round junior welterweight bout at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The fight will be part of the main broadcast of this week’s ProBox TV card.
Although many would want to take a tune-up to ease back into rhythm, Gerena says there was no hesitation when he was presented with an undefeated opponent.
“I don't believe in tune-ups,” said Gerena, 24, of Piscataway, New Jersey. “Someone else might be like, ‘Wow, this is a risky fight coming off a one-year layoff,’ but I don't see it that way at all. I'm just seizing the moment.”
Though Gerena hasn’t been as active in the ring as he wanted, he hasn’t wasted any time, either. He is coming off a stint as a sparring partner for IBF junior welterweight titleholder Richardson Hitchins, having sparred dozens of rounds with the unbeaten New Yorker when he was preparing for his aborted fight with Oscar Duarte in February. What started out as eight-round sessions with four-minute rounds soon evolved into indeterminate-round sessions, in which Gerena’s nonstop aggression clashed with the smooth boxing of Hitchins.
The experience reinforced Gerena’s confidence in his career prospects.
“It was great work. He’s a world champion for a reason,” Gerena said of Hitchins. “I learned a lot, and I definitely earned his respect. It just reminded me that I belong at this level. I just got to keep the process going.”
For Gerena, it was a boost of confidence that reminded him that his life and career aren’t defined by his one setback as a professional.
Three fights ago, in October 2024, Gerena was stopped in the first round by Daniel Gonzalez in a matchup of unbeaten fighters. Gerena was caught early by a right hand before a left hook put him on the canvas. Gerena beat the count and wanted to continue, but the referee stopped the fight. It was a wake-up call that taught Gerena about just how one moment can change everything.
“It just taught me that I'm human, at the end of the day, and everyone has something to fight for,” Gerena said. “It just shows that, as sharp as you could be, as hard-working as you can be, all it takes is one moment. You just get caught one time, and that could leave you on the ground. It could happen to anyone, like it's happened to all the greats.”
Friday night will be the first time that Gerena returns to the scene of his loss. Trainer Ahman Elliot-Hunter says there are no demons for Gerena to exorcise in his return to Prudential Center.
“It doesn’t matter where you’re at; it’s boxing. We’re here to work. I don’t care if we’re at a bus stop,” said Elliot-Hunter.
“Quitting is not an option. It’s not a loss unless you don’t learn from it. After that, there were things that Gabe needed to take more seriously, and he did just that.”
One area where there was no room for questioning is his determination. Prior to picking up boxing as a child, Gerena, the youngest of two boys, appeared to be on the mixed martial arts route, excelling in kickboxing and grappling while learning martial arts at Tiger Schulmann’s. Later, he also played football and volleyball, and ran track at Piscataway High School.
To improve his stand-up game, his father Edgar brought him at the age of 9 to a boxing gym in Plainfield, New Jersey, a city with a rich boxing history dating back decades. Going from a comfy martial arts chain gym to an inner-city boxing gym in a brick building with no heating or air conditioning was a wake-up call, but it was just the challenge he was looking for.
Gerena went on to fight roughly 130 amateur bouts, highlighted by a silver medal at the 2016 Junior National Championships in Kansas City. During that time, he boxed against future pros Jalil Hackett, Deric “Scooter” Davis and Travon Marshall.
Despite pursuing his boxing career full-time, Gerena has still managed to find time for life outside the gym. He has an associate’s degree in finance from Rutgers Business School, and is now working on his bachelor’s degree. He also works part-time at the wholesale retailer Sam’s Club, where, Gerena says, schedulers have been understanding of his boxing pursuits.
Now he turns his attention to Jalomo, a 29-year-old from Chicago. Jalomo has just one blemish on his record, a draw to the aforementioned Gonzalez last August in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Promoter Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna, who signed Gerena to his Rising Star Promotions roster, says he expects this matchup to give Gerena a strong push in the direction he wants to move.
“I’m really proud of him. No complaining – it was an automatic yes to the opponent,” LaManna said. “I just think this kid is gonna fight Gabe's fight. Gabe gets stronger as the fight goes on. Timing is everything, and we got the right fight on a major platform where he could be seen, so I'm really excited.”
Gerena may be amiable outside of the ring, but he didn’t mince words when asked about what will happen when the opening bell rings Friday.
“I’m gonna get him out of there early,” Gerena said. “A lot of people see an undefeated fighter, but I don’t. I just see a stepping stone to get to that world title.”
Ryan Songalia is a reporter and editor for BoxingScene.com and has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler, The Guardian, Vice and The Ring magazine. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at ryansongalia@gmail.com or on Twitter at @ryansongalia.
