Bay Ridge boxer Sebastian Mazeneth has eyes on Ring Masters finals

Bay Ridge boxer Sebastian Mazeneth has big plans for this year, with his eyes on a second trip to Madison Square Garden.

The 21-year-old Mazeneth is vying to become the 147-pound open class champion of the Ring Masters Championships, which conclude on April 11 at The World’s Most Famous Arena.

Mazeneth is just one win away from making it to the finals, where city-wide bragging rights and a trip to the National Golden Gloves in Detroit will be at stake.

Mazeneth will be one of the boxers in attendance on Tuesday, April 2 for the Ring Masters Championships press conference, which takes place at Diamante's Bar, located at 410 8th Avenue (located between W30th and W31st Streets) in Midtown Manhattan. The press conference will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will include the finalists and semifinalists of the tournament, plus former champions who have gone on to excel as professionals.

“It would mean everything to take first place this year. Ever since last year where I finished second I’ve gotten right back to work on improving my craft week in and week out. It would mean to the world to win the tournament and prove to myself and everyone else that my name belongs at the top of New York amateur boxing,” said Mazeneth, who is trained by Ryan Songalia and Argenis Arce.

Mazeneth, who was born in Barranquilla, Colombia and raised in Bay Ridge since the age of 7, is no stranger to excelling at sports. Mazeneth made the All City and New York All Star Team as a cornerback and safety on the Fort Hamilton High School football team in Bay Ridge. He also was named to the “Big 44,” which lists the top 44 high school football players in the city.

So far in the double-elimination tournament, Mazaneth has won two fights - including a unanimous decision win in Bay Ridge on March 8 - and dropped just one fight.

Mazeneth splits his time between the boxing gym and the classroom, where he is a finance major at College of Staten Island. Even as he hits the books, he’s hitting the punching bags and his opponents just as hard.

“Boxing means a lot to me. There’s just something about showing your skills that compares to no other sport because when you’re in there, you’re in there by yourself,” said Mazeneth.

“Right now I hope to win the Ring Masters tournament and attend my first nationals afterwards, and make my case as the best 147-pound boxer in New York City. Hopefully I’ll inspire people by showing that, just as I’m working hard for something I want, you can do it too.”