Gary Gomez is set on changing some things.
It's a good bet that most people in the country don't know who Gomez is.
Maybe a better bet still would be that even fewer people in his home state of Utah know who he is.
But if it were up to him, that would all change.
Gomez is a professional boxer, and generally speaking, Utah is not a boxing state. However, Gomez is trying to project a positive image of his sport.
Last December he won the WBC Continental Championship belt — the same belt held by countless other boxing champions, including Evander Holyfield — in his cruiserweight class (190-200 pounds).
Currently, Gomez is the only national title-holder in the state of Utah, and at only 30 years old, he's hitting the prime of his career. He is currently ranked 20th nationally in his weight class.
Gomez may be coming to a point in his career when some of the larger title fighters may have to consider him as a viable contender.
But his vision may be longer than his title hopes. Gomez owns and operates a small gym in his backyard, a converted garage with several heavy bags, a speed bag and pictures of his kids littered everywhere.
Gomez is giving back to the boxing community that has largely left him on his own.
The budget-conscious state of Utah hasn't contributed much to boxing over the past several years. Generally, most people consider boxing to be too violent for state or federal funding. Gomez doesn't believe that.
Boxing, he feels, may be the only way out for some of his kids.
"I'd rather give these kids a place to fight with gloves on rather than fight out in the streets," he said.
Gomez's career started in the now-defunct police athletic league, where he and others trained to learn how to fight and to avoid the trouble that now plagues many in his sport. Now the state can't afford to fund his efforts due to several key setbacks to the boxing community.
Pete Suazo, former state senator, championed the cause of boxing in Utah before his death several years ago. Suazo's death has stymied efforts to increase funding for amateur boxing. Since then, the amateur cause has fallen by the wayside with little money to further its development.
Gomez's progress inside and outside of the ring, he hopes, will help clean up a tarnished image of brawling brutes and fixed fights and bring more income back to the sport that has given so much to him.
He knows where these kids can go without a direction.
A former gang member himself, he understands that a lot of the kids that come through his door are largely at risk and often join gangs.
"I know where that goes. It goes nowhere," Gomez said.
Even as his career may be on the cusp of success or failure, his focus is equally split between his career and his kids.
Spending most of his day training and helping others, Gary gives all that he can in way of assistance. He preaches a clean lifestyle, respect for his elders and free of alcohol.
"If these kids are in gangs when they come in, they have to give all that up to be here," he said.
Gomez has dedicated 15 years of his life to boxing and feels like he has more to give. But he feels like he could use some help.
Often fighting for prize money to improve his gym, not his lifestyle, Gomez contributes all he can to the future of boxing in Utah. He tries to make his message to others positive for others to see.
He proudly displays pictures of his kids' trophies next to the belts that he's earned. Next to the poster of his title fight last December against Chad Van Sickle hangs a picture of his two children in gloves.
His belt, the WBC Contential Americas Cruiserweight title, is the most recent in a line of few belts won by Utah boxers. Gomez follows in a short list behind Gene Fullmer and Danny Lopez to win a title belt.
A small, stocky boxer, Gomez is a close-range combatant, which limits his options when choosing opponents but gives him the underdog attitude when he does decide to fight.
"Some guys are scared to take me," he says. "They gotta reach down to me, and I'll work away at the body."
His underdog mentality inside the ring extends to his training regimen outside the ring.
His early morning routine typically begins with hours of roadwork, followed by a rigorous ring session, not to mention weight work, which he's picking up for the first time, all before he starts with his kids.
Keeping focused on his workout routine may be more difficult now that he has welcome distractions. The most recent: his two sons, who are winning plenty of trophies in their smaller weight classes.
"Tell them how you did last night," Gomez says to one of his kids. "He won," he says proudly. "He wins all the time. Hopefully we'll do good at the state tournament this year."
Gomez is motivated by his abilities and recent success, but he knows that it may only take him so far until he has to hang up the gloves.
And after he's done with his career, he hopes he's changed a few minds.
E-mail: acole@desnews.com