Jersey City's Gaglioti a rising star in women's pro boxing

Jenna Gaglioti had somewhat of a conventional life before two years ago. The 30-year-old Jersey City resident attended St. Peter’s University, graduating in 2013 with a degree in biology. Before enrolling at St. Peter’s, Gaglioti was a student at John Jay High School in New York, where she played basketball and softball. She credits her brother Michael and sister Danielle for giving her the inspiration to become an athlete. Back then, Gaglioti was all set to attend nursing school. But something sparked a fire in Gaglioti after she was mugged a handful of times near St. Peter’s and was physically assaulted by someone she had just ended a relationship with. “I was dealing with some rough phases in my life,” Gaglioti said. “My brother always taught me to defend myself. I tried power lifting and started to get into body building. But honestly, I found those things to be a little boring.” At that time, Gaglioti just happened to be walking past Gleason’s Gym in Manhattan and had a revelation. “I wanted to learn how to box,” Gaglioti said. “I used to follow boxing all the time. I was raised by good parents who always instilled in me that women could do whatever they wanted to do, as long as they put their mind to it. That was me.” Gaglioti trained for approximately two years before a friend of hers named Johnny Lopez said he was going to a gym in Jersey City at Public School No. 6. That’s how the unlikely pairing of aspiring boxer Gaglioti and respected local trainer Luis “Mosquito” Gonzalez took flight. Gonzalez has been working with aspiring boxers in Jersey City for the Jersey City Recreation program for the last 30 years. “Johnny introduced me to Mosquito and we instantly hit it off,” Gaglioti said. Gonzalez has worked with his fair share of female boxers over the years. “I guess I’ve had about 50 or so females of all ages,” Gonzalez said. “My doors are always open for females. I’ve been watching females get involved in the sport for a long time. I always treat them equally as I treat men. It’s crazy how I got involved with Jenna. Johnny walked into the gym and told me he had a friend who was interested in getting involved. I didn’t know who she was. I just needed to take a look at her to see how serious she was. And I could tell right away that she was a boxer. Jenna had no idea that Jersey City had a boxing program. Once she knew, she came to the gym every day. And I could see that she worked harder than most men. She just doesn’t stop.” Soon after the first meeting, Gonzalez asked Gaglioti about her goals with the sport. “She said she wanted to fight pro,” Gonzalez said. “I said to her, ‘Can you do this?’ I told her that it was all about her and whether she was willing to put in the time and the work. I could see right away that she had a very professional approach. She said she didn’t want to fight as an amateur. She wanted to step into the ring and see how it goes.” “When I go into the gym, I am very disciplined,” Gaglioti said. “I think I’m harder on myself than anybody. But I felt like I was ready.” Gonzalez wanted to make sure, so he brought Gaglioti to other local boxing people like trainer/promoter Bobby Rooney of Bayonne.

“Bobby liked her and thought she had a lot of potential,” Gonzalez said. “The feedback I got from people about Jenna was all positive. I didn’t hear anything negative.” There was only one obstacle. The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic put an absolute halt to the sports world, never mind an up-close-and-personal sport like boxing. So Gaglioti had to wait out the pandemic and see what transpired. After all, she wasn’t getting any younger. The clock was ticking on a pro boxing career. “When the pandemic hit, everything was stopped,” Gonzalez said, “But the Dominican Republic opened its doors to us.” Last October, Gaglioti had her first pro bout, a four-rounder in Sousa of the Dominican Republic, where the COVID rules were a little less stringent than those in the United States. Gaglioti fought at 155 pounds against Jeanmary Martinez Paulino and won via unanimous decision. Paulino had won all three of her previous fights and the promoters there probably thought that Gaglioti would be a pushover. No such luck. And in February, Gaglioti climbed into the ring for her second pro bout, another four-rounder, again in the Dominican Republic, this time fighting under the promotion of former WBC world middleweight champion Miguel Cotto. Gaglioti won this bout via a technical knockout in the second round. Needless to say, Gaglioti is well on her way. “I just want people in Jersey City to know who she is,” Gonzalez said. “Everyone who sees her fight falls in love with her.” Her next fight is scheduled for May 21, also in the Dominican Republic against an unnamed opponent. “My goal is to get her one more fight in the D.R. and then find somewhere in the United States,” Gonzalez said. “We’ve already been offered a fight in Oakland for later this year. I want to be able to build her into a fighter that Jersey City could be proud of.” Gaglioti has a lot of family in New York and also in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, where her family originates. In the meantime, Gaglioti is keeping herself very busy in the other parts of her life. She works as a home health care aide, working with the rehabilitation of all kinds of patients. Gaglioti is also a personal trainer doing strength and conditioning with clients. She is also working with clothing brands and also dabbles as a model. Needless to say, she’s a very busy young lady. “I really would love to get into working with inner-city kids,” Gaglioti said. “I see the kids who come to work out with Mosquito’s other boxers and I don’t want to see these kids go into the streets. I want to help kids succeed in whatever they do.” And Gaglioti has now found a friend of a lifetime in a guy called Mosquito. “He’s helped me with so much,” Gaglioti said. “He’s more of a father figure to me. He’s not just my coach and trainer. He’s become a friend of mine. I think I’ve thanked him about a million times. He really pushes me hard. We’re just fine tuning things right now. The training will get a lot harder in April.”

Luis "Mosquito" Gonzalez (left) and his prized pupil Jenna Gaglioti Gonzalez is hoping to find a few people that would want to sponsor Gaglioti. If anyone or any business would be interested in sponsoring Gaglioti, you can contact Mosquito at mosquitoboxing@gmail.com. “We’re building a friendship, but it’s still very professional,” Gonzalez said. “I think she respects me for who I am. I’ll do anything for her. We do everything together. We’re a true team.” Gonzalez believes that Gaglioti’s star is certainly on the rise. “I really think she will make it,” Gonzalez said. “She does eight-to-10 rounds in training now. It’s still early in her career, but she has the desire to be among the best in the world. I think she needs about four or five fights before she can make a title bout. I think it helps that she’s getting more welk known. I see so much potential in Jenna. She’s very professional in everything she does. She takes everything so seriously. She really gets me going and makes me work harder. But she has the talent.” Gaglioti knows that the road ahead won’t be easy. But it’s a road in pro boxing that Jenna Gaglioti, the former nursing student at St. Peter’s College, is making a name for herself in pro boxing. “It’s kind of weird to think that I’m a professional boxer now,” Gaglioti said. “It’s also kind of shocking to the people who knew me when. I never thought I would become a professional. I just thought I was going to learn how to hit the bag.” Not anymore. She’s strictly into hitting opponents these days.