Audrey Cheng Gonzalez Media TV interview on USC boxing rematch

In the Audrey Cheng Gonzalez Media TV interview, the Trojan Boxing athlete told Jose Gee she wants to avenge a loss to an opponent from the United States Air Force Academy when USC meets UCLA. Cheng also described winning a belt after two fights at 106 pounds, the difficult switch from Muay Thai to boxing, and why she has not decided whether to turn professional.

What did Audrey Cheng say about her USC vs UCLA boxing rematch?

Audrey Cheng knows her opponent for the Trojans’ meeting with the Bruins: it is the boxer she faced at the United States Air Force Academy, where their first matchup went against her. Cheng called the USC–UCLA event the biggest of the fall semester for Trojan Boxing and said she was excited to get another chance.

The first fight at the Air Force Academy

Cheng did not give a score or describe how the first bout was decided. She said only that the result was not in her favor. That history makes the coming fight personal, but she did not claim a result in advance.

For Cheng, the meeting also carries the weight of the Trojans–Bruins rivalry. She described it as a chance to decide who rules Los Angeles. When Jose Gee asked about the matchup, she already knew whom she would face; she would not have to wait until fight night to find out.

Cheng later described the rematch as a grudge match and said she had nothing to lose. Her account of what changed since March centered on more sparring and better preparation, rather than a prediction about the outcome.

How did Audrey Cheng switch from Muay Thai to boxing at USC?

Audrey Cheng began training in Muay Thai while living in Hong Kong and took up boxing after arriving at the University of Southern California. Her Muay Thai coach had asked her to keep doing a combat sport in college; with no Muay Thai club at USC, she tried out for Trojan Boxing instead.

Muay Thai with her brother in Hong Kong

Cheng wanted to try combat sports because she felt drawn to them, but her parents initially thought Muay Thai would be too aggressive for her. She persuaded them by starting classes with her brother as a sibling activity. He quit within a few months, while she continued.

She said her brother was more interested in academics and did not take to Muay Thai as she did. Before leaving for college, she told her coach she was worried she could not continue the sport. His request that she keep training gave her a reason to look for another option at USC.

Learning a different stance at Trojan Boxing

The boxing club offered Cheng a community as well as a place to train. It also demanded different skills and strategy. Some of her Muay Thai experience carried over, but she found the change difficult, especially moving from the square, upright stance she knew to a more bladed boxing stance.

Her coaches teased her for standing tall and square and taught her to sit down more in her stance. Cheng said she has since found her groove, while continuing to develop the technical skills that come with experience.

What are Audrey Cheng’s plans for boxing and anthropology at USC?

Audrey Cheng said she intends to continue collegiate boxing, but she needs a couple more years of experience before deciding whether to turn professional. For now, her plan is to stay with her academic major, anthropology, which she described as the study of human culture and society.

Cheng was a sophomore when she spoke about those plans. She did not commit to a professional boxing career, a return to Muay Thai or a move into MMA. Her answer kept the focus on gaining experience in the ring while pursuing her studies.

Asked which subject in anthropology interested her, Cheng brought up an idea involving an exchange route that connects Polynesian islands. Gee followed with his own account of connections among Caribbean islands and Taíno communities. Cheng said she liked anthropology because it examines how people who seem different can be interconnected.

How does Audrey Cheng approach boxing training, nutrition and mindset?

Audrey Cheng said Trojan Boxing trains six times a week on average, requiring her to balance demanding sessions with academics. She is still building her technical skills through sparring with different opponents and working with different coaches. Nutrition took particular adjustment because she had not previously planned her eating around a fight.

Six training sessions and fight preparation

Cheng described discipline as central to boxing: showing up to train and continuing in the ring through exhaustion. Because she is relatively new to the sport, she uses sparring and coaching to learn what works for her rather than treating her style as finished.

Before boxing, she felt she ate a balanced diet without paying much attention to a particular plan or image. Preparing to fight made her more conscious of which foods fuel her and what to eat or avoid in the weeks leading up to a bout.

The post-fight baguette ritual

After a fight camp, Cheng has a food ritual rather than a favorite restaurant. She gets a whole baguette, adds a slice of salami and eats it “like a banana.” She said she can nearly finish the baguette and sometimes adds brie, though she does not want too much dairy.

To settle her mind before an event, she reads, journals and visualizes. Writing helps her arrange scattered thoughts on a page or note card. When she worries about a possible outcome, she tries to picture a more realistic one or one she wants to bring about.

What did Audrey Cheng say about her mother watching her box?

Audrey Cheng said her mother is frightened by seeing her compete in boxing but also proud that she has discovered this part of herself. Cheng had not sparred while training in Muay Thai, so her mother’s earlier concern was about the sport’s perceived aggression rather than watching her exchange punches.

Boxing made that concern immediate. Her mother has now seen Cheng get punched and punch other people in fights. Cheng said her mother is learning to distinguish boxing’s aggressive reputation from the disciplined way her daughter practices it.

Her family and loved ones remained part of her support system despite being back in Hong Kong. Cheng said they would watch her fight remotely. She also credited the Trojan Boxing community with guiding her when she joined as a freshman without boxing experience.

How did Audrey Cheng win a belt before the UCLA rematch?

Audrey Cheng said she won a belt after two fights in the 106-pound beginner division at an intercollegiate tournament. She went there after her first loss to the Air Force Academy opponent, having devoted more time to improving her skills. She said that work and further sparring left her better prepared for their rematch.

Before the tournament, Cheng practiced visualizing herself getting the belt. She said she carried that image into her two fights. She did not provide the opponents’ names or the results of each individual bout.

Looking toward the UCLA event, Cheng said she had sparred with more people who could help her prepare for what she expected from her opponent. She put her assessment plainly:

I'm a different fighter than I was in March.

Cheng thanked the entire Trojan Boxing team, its coaches, and her friends and family for supporting her. Among the coaches she named were Omar, Caesar, Dante and Coach Michelle. Her aim for the rematch was to give her full effort; she did not say that preparation guaranteed a win.