Andrew Cancio: Boxing’s working-class hero fights for dream

Andrew Cancio is the WBA super featherweight champion of the world, but his boxing story is anything but typical. He’s boxing’s working-class hero.

In February, Andrew Cancio (20-4-2, 15 KOs) was a 10-1 underdog headed into his bout against then-undefeated WBA super featherweight champion Alberto Machado (21-1, 17 KOs). After a spectacular fourth-round knockout, Cancio realized his championship dreams.

On Friday, June 21, on DAZN, he’ll try to keep those dreams alive in his rematch with Machado. However, while some things have changed, many remain the same.

“The thing that’s changed is people asking me to take a picture or an autograph—they call me champ,” Cancio told FanSided. “All this stuff is still new to me. It excites me when people that I don’t know are out there coming up to me asking to take a picture.”

Cancio’s boxing journey has been described by some as a Cinderella story. Cancio is the WBA champion, but he isn’t living the life of luxury that Cinderella gained at the end of her fairytale. Outside of championship status and added fame, not much has changed for Cancio.

Before his first fight with Machado, Cancio’s dual life as a professional boxer and full-time employee for the Southern California Gas Company was well profiled. Cancio works daily from 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Simi Valley. His hours can extend longer if he’s putting in overtime.

You might think that because Cancio possesses a championship belt that he’s able to quit working for the gas company. You’d be wrong.

“But I still go to work,” revealed Cancio. “I’m on my way back home from work on my way to the gym. It’s changed as far as I’m a world champion, but I’m still the same old Andrew Cancio. I still stay humble. I still go to work. I still train. I still get up and run before my shift. I think people are just starting to recognize me.”

People think that the life of a world champion boxer is glamourous. It can be, but there are levels to stardom, and Cancio is in the beginning stages. His path to the title is also very different from other boxers.

Most boxers are groomed for greatness. They fight in the Olympics and sign to lucrative promotional contracts early on in their careers. Cancio had to earn his contract with Golden Boy the hard way. He has several losses on his record, but he used them as learning experiences. The fact that he endured them gave him the confidence he needed when he stepped into the ring against Machado four months ago.

“Stylistically, I seen [sic] something in all his [Machado’s] other fights,” declared Cancio. “He’s never been in a fight where he’s had to dig down deep. He’s never fought a person that could put the type of pressure that I can put on him.

“I felt like I could knock him out. I felt like I could go in there and destroy him.”

Cancio’s performance against Machado was one for the ages, but his victory didn’t come without adversity. Machado drew first blood, knocking Cancio down in the first round.

“It was a right hook followed up with a left uppercut,” recalled Cancio. “I basically told myself, ‘shit, this wasn’t supposed to happen.’ I knew I was hurt, but I was still in the fight. I listened to my corner and took the full eight seconds before I got up. I made sure my composure was good, my legs were good, and I just told myself, ‘alright, you need to start to go to work.'”

Machado proved that he’s a legitimate threat in the first fight, which means he’s just as dangerous in the rematch. Although, Cancio’s attitude revolves more around confidence than caution. He knows that he can beat Machado and he’s running with that granite-like resolve.

“I don’t think it’s going to last as long,” stated a fearless Cancio. “I’m still digging to the body harder than ever. I’m feeling more comfortable with my combinations, and this is back to back camps with southpaws.

“I more confident. I know what I have to do to take him out.”

When a boxer wins a title, they sometimes become complacent with their station in life. That’s not the case with Cancio. He has yet to earn the million dollar payday that could dramatically alter the course of his life financially. He’s a champion, but he’s still a working man.

He also has a bad taste in his mouth from the disrespect he feels he has been shown by Machado and his camp. They’ve talked about the effects of cutting weight too quickly, but Cancio views that as a cop-out.

“People still think it was a weight issue,” related Cancio. “He’s even said it. He’s making up a bunch of excuses. I feel that after beating him the second time around, I will get the recognition that I deserve.”

“I do have a chip on my shoulder about him trying to take this victory away from me saying that it was weight drain.”

If Machado’s words weren’t enough to add fuel to the fire, Cancio’s everyday actions show how dedicated he is to his boxing craft. He’s actively training and working at the gas company daily from early morning to late night. His daily grind is well beyond what the average person could handle.

"“This morning I got up at 4:30 a.m., got my miles in. Once I’m done running in the morning, I grab my lunch and all my stuff and head to Simi Valley. I get there around 6:20 a.m. I change out. From 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. I’m working for the gas company. Yesterday, we worked a leak, so I’ve been digging. Once I get off of work at 3 p.m., no overtime, I drive back home and go pick up my son from the YMCA after-school program and we head to the gym. Sparring is Tuesday, Thursdays, and Saturdays. After that, I will do pads and some bag work. I will go home and get my little man some dinner, and I eat my well-prepped dinner that I have. After that, we’ll do a little homework, shower and off to bed and we do it all over again."

It’s an exhausting schedule, but one that Cancio gladly endures to keep his boxing dreams alive. When most enter boxing, the fantasize about owning a Bugatti or perhaps a Rolls Royce, but not Cancio. His vision is much simpler.

“I have to work up to million dollar paydays hopefully,” said Cancio. “It’s expensive in Ventura County. On top of that, you never know when this will be all over. I would love to buy a house out here and continue training. Right now, it’s working for me.”

Cancio’s dreams aren’t extravagant. He wants a bit of security for himself and his family. They’re the dreams of a diligent working-class hero who has to fight and labor hard for all he has. A win against Machado keeps those dreams alive.