Maria remembers the day well. Although the specific details of it aren’t clear, the minutia isn’t important. What matters is the event that a then nine or ten year old girl saw, a harrowing occasion that struck fear into everyone within her immediate circle.
Living on Timor in the early years of her life, Maria bore witness to Indonesian troops invading the island in the 1970s. At this time, a child was forced to grow up fast, experiencing a rapid transition to adolescence marked by significant changes.
With war came the need to escape danger and the family’s forced migration to the other side of the world and back, while cruel, helped to build a resolute character.
Maria, it can be said, had become a fighter, a trait that she continues to show to this day and one passed on to her eldest son, veteran boxer Steve Gago (13-2, 6 KOs). Though some details of his mother’s upbringing are too raw to discuss and others simply unknown to the 35 year old, he believes he has inherited her ability to roll with the punches, in a metaphorical sense.
“I know bits and pieces about it,” Gago told The Journeyman.
“When she was 9 or 10 years old, she migrated to Portugal first and then from Portugal she went to Sydney, then from Sydney to Melbourne.
“Hard life they’ve had. She’s very tough.”
As if the perils of fleeing armed combat were not enough, Maria’s tale has not been without personal tragedy either. Marriage breakdowns, coupled with the loss of her late husband to cancer, has resulted in the challenge of raising six children on her own for the most part.
Still, she rises each time life lands a clean one-two. For this reason, “The Timorese Terror” is inspired to achieve great heights inside the squared circle.
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While budding pugilists look up to in-ring greats for inspiration, few can draw on the fighting spirit of a parent like Gago.
“Watching her lose a partner after another, she’s a fighter,” Gago said.
“You can see the actual Timorese blood, just raising us kids and trying to do it all on her own and then we had to step in and just try and help look after us and also look after her.
“I think that’s where we get our strength from, it’s from our mum.
“After her telling us and then my uncles telling us about the story in Timor, going through all of that stuff, we can see how she did it.”
Strength has been a central part of Gago’s professional career to date, put on full display for all to see.
It is this very feature that allowed the Perth product to rise from the canvas in the fifth round of his 2021 meeting with world rated super lightweight, Liam Paro (24-0, 15 KOs). Despite significant injuries, Gago completed the allotted 10 rounds, wearing the best shots of his highly-touted foe in the process.
When others may have wilted, he stood firm. If the smile on his face as he recounts the contest is anything to go by, it is clear that Gago has taken gratification from that fact.
“I did two bulged discs during the fight,” he recalled.
“I had sharp pains going down my spine, couldn’t move anymore, couldn’t throw my strong punches anymore. The only shot I could land on Liam was the leap hook that put less pressure on my back.
“Then in round six or seven, I actually did a hernia as well. Everything went horribly wrong in that fight.
“I’m not taking anything away from Liam, he is an exceptional fighter. He’s an awesome fighter and he punches hard. It could be all those blows that caused those injuries too.
“He knocked me down, my silly mistake looking down, you shouldn’t look down, but I got back up and I took him the distance. Not many people have gone the distance with him.
“I’m actually quite proud of it.”
Now that his body has healed, Gago will be aiming for more than an honourable loss when he meets Aketelieke Jieensi (13-4-3, 4 KOs) in the main event of Dragon Fire Boxing’s ‘Thunderdome 46’ on March 31.
With the WBC Australasian welterweight title on the line, the southpaw knows his Chinese counterpart is not a fighter to take lightly. Any slip up and dreams of competing for major belts in places like Japan, Macau and France will more than likely be dashed.
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Gago’s internal drive, fortitude and strength of will cannot be doubted. They are in his DNA. Matching these qualities with punching power and a smart tactical game however, is the key.
“I know that it’s a tough guy willing to fight, but I think I’ll have the IQ operating,” he concluded.
“I think my speed will be a little bit too much and my accuracy of punching. I can see his guard is not that tidy and I can see my body shots are far more effective. I know where to place them, I know how to time them.
“I think I’ll be operating top and bottom. Wherever I see the gaps, I’ll get them.”
Thunderdome 46 is available to stream live on Triller TV. To purchase, click here.
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