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Charles V. Hogren Courage & Character Award – Fres Oquendo, Fres Oquendo Boxing Academy

Updated: Oct 26, 2022


Fres Oquendo, CEO/Founder, also known as Fres “Fast Fres” Oquendo (born April 1, 1973) is a former Golden Gloves Champion and a current top ranked professional Heavy Weight Boxer.


Fres began boxing at the age of 13 and established a very notable career as an amateur boxer with a record of 105-8, 1990 178 lb., Springfield Golden Gloves Champion, 1992 178 lb., Chicago City Golden Glove Champion, 1993 Chicago City Golden Glove 201 lb.+ Super Heavyweight Champion, 1993 National Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion, and 1995 Chicago City Golden Glove 201 lb.+ Super Heavyweight Champion.


Fres after losing to Nate Jones for the 1996 Olympic Trials, went on to turn professional in 1997 establishing an illustrious career as a World Ranked Heavy Weight Boxer. Fres has a record of 37-6 with 25 KO’s.


Oquendo as of June 2011 has more rounds boxed as a Heavyweight than any of the 3 Heavyweight Champions and all of the top 10 Heavyweights in all 4 major governing bodies and is the only heavyweight in history to hold the USBA, NABA, NABF, WBC, WBA & WBO Latino belts. He is a 2 time World title Challenger and has been ranked as high as number 3 in Ring Magazine and currently the WBA number 1 World Heavy Weight Contender.


Fres, born in Puerto Rico and raised in one of Chicago’s most infamous housing projects “Lathrop Holmes”, defeated the odds through boxing. As an underprivileged and at risk youth, faced with the daily struggles of gang violence, drugs and poverty, he had a vision and was determined to create a better life for himself and family. Understanding the struggles that many underprivileged inner city youth continue to face is what motivated Fres to open up a boxing gym, not only to train the youth in boxing but also give them the life skills needed to be productive inside and outside of the ring.

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