A Conversation With Caleb Truax
By "The Wolfman" Marty Lindquist

Caleb Truax is currently scheduled to face Missouri's James Cook (11-3-1) on June 5th at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN.
At 11-0, Truax had already begun to make noise locally, but recently his name was catapulted to magazine shelves world wide as he was chosen as Boxing Digest's "Prospect of the Month" in April's issue.
Prior to the announcement of Truax's fight with Cook, local light heavyweight boxer Marty Lindquist caught up with Truax at the ACR Gym in Coon Rapids. Here is what Truax had to say...

Hi Caleb. With an impressive record of 11-0 with 8 knockouts you are becoming recognized as one of the best boxers around. Your hard work ethic and devotion are definitely paying off. Have you given any thought to going after a Minnesota championship?

Thanks. I'm not too sure how the MN belt situation works and if they're recognized and sanctioned or anything but I think that MN belt would look good around my waist... and I might need it to keep my jeans up when I get down to 160 cause I ain't been that light since about the 7th grade! I do feel like I'm taking the necessary steps to get in the ring with any MN middleweight in the near future and if they have the state title, great! If they don't, show me where to sign with the one that does!

There's been some talk of you taking some fights on the road. What's happening with that?

Ron, Tom and Tony G want me to get out on the road again to get more exposure outside of MN and gain some experience fighting in a hostile environment. Hopefully it will also build up the demand to see me fight when I come back home and Seconds Out can step me up to my first main event.

Is there anybody in Minnesota you'd like to fight?

I think boxing fans in MN would like to see me fight both (Andy) Kolle and (Kenny) Kost. I think they would both be excellent local fights and great tests for me.

You're in the gym every day, taking it seriously and working hard. It's paying off for you in the ring but it seems like you also use boxing as a vehicle for personal development. Is that the case?

Good question. I definitely think all the hard work in the gym pays off outside of boxing. The physical part is obvious, with all the exercise any boxer should be in good physical condition but boxing and training hard also instills discipline and character that will help out later in life.

You've taught me some really good concepts about boxing. Things like immediately returning to a tight fighting stance after throwing a combo and throwing an uppercut between your opponent's guard when they try to push you off. Along with those tricks of the trade, how important is it to have a game plan when you step in the ring?

A game plan is HUGE going into any fight, especially for a fighter like myself who tries to counter and time out his opponents. I haven't been able to plan too extensively for my opponents so far because there hasn't been much film available and opponents are switching but I look forward to the future when I can sit down with my coach Tom and break guys down on film. I think that is when I'll be at my best.

After the many hours in the gym and the anticipation of the fight, laying someone out sure can be rewarding. What moments in the ring stick out in your head?

Everything is coming at me so fast that I can't really point out too many moments that stick out more than others. My first fight on the road was kind of surreal. Before the fight I was talking with Ron and Tom and just reflecting on where we were at in such a short period of time. That was cool. It does feel great though after the fight when I go back to the corner with Tom, Ron and Jim and celebrate all of our hard work and commitment. I also love talking to everybody in the crowd after a fight and being able to thank everyone for coming out.

Well Caleb, thanks for bringing your high quality blend of hard work, devotion and entertainment to the Minnesota boxing scene. It's nice to have someone like you around who exemplifies the true spirit of a warrior by being willing to put in the time and make the necessary sacrifices that bring about success in the ring. In the immortal words of Jim Glancey - Many enter, few stay! It seems that you know where you want to go and you're willing to go to any lengths to get there. Is that what keeps you so firmly locked on your path, the belief that you can get where you want to go if you truly believe, deep down, that you're giving it all you've got?

Thanks Marty. My competitive spirit and confidence that I can achieve my goals in boxing are what keep me going. Also the hard work my team puts in for me and support they give me drive me to be at my very best for each fight.