Tony Luis – Blast from The Past #1

Cornwall, ON – Saturday night, (April 15th) over 3,000 boxing fans were at the Cornwall Civic Complex to experience the first ever Professional Boxing Event here in Cornwall. On the cards was our local Champion Tony “Lightning” Luis (23-3 7KOs) who was facing Noël “El Dengue” Nuñez ( 17-4-1 13 KOs ).

In October 2011, Julia and I were excited to have Tony on the cover of the Seeker (right) and the story that we had inside started with: “A strike quicker than a Lightning Bolt and a punch that hits harder than Thunder, Tony Luis is becoming quite the storm in the Boxing World. Powerful strikes had his opponent winded and gasping for air, Tony hollered at his opponent to rise and fight again. Soon after rising, Tony shot a few more punches, and his opponent on the ground, had no choice but to forfeit.” Well, our Champ, with his trademark speed and power, made Cornwall proud once again.

5 Questions with Local Boxing Champ, Tony “Lightning” Luis 

I have known Tony for a long time as he and my oldest son Kristian, went to school together, so I am especially proud of this young man’s accomplishments. I was also happy to visit with him this past week and ask him some questions in the Seeker’s 5 Question interview style.

We tried hard to get his 2 year old son Miguel to make the boxing fist that I see Tony make so often but as you can see in the photo, this is as close as we got. We were actually lucky to have the little guy stand still for a whole 2 minutes!

Here is my 5 Question interview with Cornwall’s Boxing Champ, Tony “Lightning” Luis.

Question #1. Boxing is not something that every young guy gets involved in. When did you decide to start boxing and how old were you?

I started boxing at 9 years old. At the time I was following my father who had a chance to get back to his roots teaching classes at a local gym. He was also one of my karate senseis and I was juggling both sports until I was 11. Aside from soccer, I embarked on boxing full time by then and had my first amateur fight at 12.

Question #2. Who has been your mentor?

My no.1 mentor has been my parents equally. My father has been patient and guided me through my development as a boxer and it took years for my confidence to catch up with my talent. My mother was always the guiding force behind it, always mediating between my father and I. The voice of reason and support. I know she was afraid to see me get hurt but she trusted my dad and she put my needs ahead of her’s. She knew how much I loved the sport and never let me give up on myself.

Question #3. I believe that you turned pro in 2008 so this big fight with the Mexican fighter Noe “El Dengue” Nunez, was nine years in the making. What a wonderful event for Cornwall, that saw you in action on your home turf for the very first time (and hopefully not the last). The big question is – How did you feel before the event?

I’m always nervous but it was nothing out of the ordinary. Before this fight it just felt like business as usual. I just kept telling myself it’s just another fight. My goal was to focus on the man in front of me. If I failed to do that this could’ve been the first and last show to come to Cornwall.

Question #4. How did you feel during the rounds?

The extra pressure from fighting in town hit me once the fight started. Everytime a punch grazed my opponent the crowd would erupt. I was constantly fighting the urge to not go for the kill too soon. My opponent was very strong early. I knew I had to be patient and wear him down for a few rounds before stepping up my attack.

Question #5. What was was going through your mind in the final round?

Well the final round was round 6 of 10. I had a feeling early in the fight that this would not go the distance. But I wasn’t sure when. But I felt his legs go out right at the end of round 6. He caught one too many left hooks and he couldn’t regain his balance. He was saved by the bell. But I had a feeling he would either not come out for round 7 or if he did, I would finish him.

and of course as always we have a bonus question.

What advice do you have for other young and up coming people who are looking at competing in the world of boxing or any other sport?

For the young people who have aspirations to get into pro boxing, finish school! Get an education. I finished college as I was starting my pro career. If you love it enough, you will make time in your schedule for both. Set yourself up for life after boxing. Boxing isn’t forever. And surround yourself with good people in your corner. The pro game is not a “game.” Make sure you have people around you who are positive influences and care for your health and safety and put your best interests first. And be smart with your money and never stop striving to improve yourself. You will never stop learning. And never forget your roots.


The Seeker is very proud of our Champ Tony and of course the Seeker Chicks hod no doubt that you would come out the winner last Saturday! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions and we wish you all the best in the future! 


Tony Luis receives endless support from his local fan base in Cornwall and his growing fan base outside of Cornwall. If you`d like to be a fan, join his Facebook Group `Tony Lightning Luis`. It provides an inside scoop of his recent, current and upcoming events. This page is open to the public for posts, pictures and videos.