Andrew Cancio gets up around 4 a.m. every weekday and goes for a pre-dawn run near his home in Oxnard. He drives 30 minutes to Simi Valley, changes into his uniform and starts his shift as a technician for the Southern California Gas Company at 6:30 a.m.
Cancio finishes work at 3 p.m., unless he gets overtime. The WBA's 130-pound champion then drives 30 minutes back to Oxnard and goes straight to the gym for a grueling 2½-hour training session.
"The days go by real quick," Cancio said with a laugh on Tuesday.
A boxing champ with a full-time day job is a rare thing in the 21st century. Even in a sport without teams, unions and health insurance, nearly all elite fighters are devoted fully to their training, particularly in the weeks before a championship bout.
But three years after he nearly quit the sport for good, Cancio is determined to provide for his family while he fights on.
Cancio (20-4-2, 15 KOs) didn't quit the gas company after he won his belt by stopping Alberto Machado in February, and he plans to keep up his grueling 16-hour days of training and gas leak repairs after the rematch on Friday at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California, outside Palm Springs. The card will be broadcast on DAZN.
"It's something that I have to do," Cancio said. "I didn't get the big signing bonus. I haven't got the big paydays yet. I've had to work my whole life. Hopefully we just continue to win, and then maybe I'll get the bigger paydays."
Cancio's $125,000 check for the rematch is a career best. He still worked for the gas company all last week and again Monday before taking vacation days for the rest of this week.
Cancio stunned the sport when he got up from a first-round knockdown and eventually stopped Machado (21-1), the rangy Puerto Rican talent who struggled to make the super featherweight limit. Cancio knocked down Machado three times with brutal body punches in the fourth round.
If Cancio repeats his performance in the rematch, he will get bigger opportunities in a sport that loves an underdog hero. But it still might not be enough to persuade him to give up the steady income and health insurance provided by the gas company.
"That's hard to say," Cancio said. "I've been there when boxing wasn't working out and I didn't have no money. Getting paid every other Friday is pretty good to me, and I'm able to train for a world title. Is it tiring? Yes. But I can do both."
Cancio's wife also works for the gas company, and her shift starts at 3 p.m. Cancio picks up his 7-year-old son at the YMCA on his way home from work and brings him to the gym almost every day, giving him a little father-son time that would otherwise be impossible.
Joseph Janik, Cancio's veteran trainer in Oxnard, has worked with world champions before. He's never had a champ with as much on his plate as Cancio, who puts in a physical shift at work before he hits the gym every afternoon.
"Some days he comes in and he's been on the jackhammer for six hours, and he's beat," Janik said. "So we have to adjust the training. It's definitely not ideal. I'd much rather if he got up and had a latte, did some Pilates and some cryo(therapy) and then came to the gym. But he likes it. He likes the guys that he works with. I think it helps keep him focused, and he appreciates his moments in boxing even more."
Cancio actually quit boxing for 18 months after the only knockout loss of his career, and he trains with the hunger of a fighter with a renewed appreciation for his sport, Janik said.
Joseph Diaz stopped Cancio at the Dallas Cowboys' stadium in September 2016 on the undercard of a Canelo Alvarez fight, and Cancio felt a frustrating finality in that defeat. He didn't put on gloves again until 2018, when he only went to the gym to lose a little weight.
"My kids told me to get back in there, and it finally clicked," said Cancio, who also has a 10-year-old daughter.
His interest rekindled, Cancio won two fights before capitalizing on his unlikely title shot as a 12-to-1 underdog against Machado.
Cancio will have plenty of support for this desert rematch: He is from Blythe, California, a border outpost between Palm Springs and Phoenix. Dozens of his gas company co-workers are also making the lengthy drive from Ventura County for the bout.
And when the rematch is over, win or lose, Cancio plans to go back to his daily fight with the jackhammer.
"I'm not stopping," he said with a laugh. "Not now. I can do both."
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/tag/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
The sexy tennis drama “ Challengers ” won the box office this weekend with $15 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Zendaya and castmates Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor have been on a globetrotting press tour to get the word out about Italian director Luca Guadagnino's original film, which opened in 3,477 locations in the U.S. and Canada.
“We’re obviously very, very happy with the number,” said Kevin Wilson, who heads theatrical distribution for Amazon Studios and MGM. “Looking at the audience who showed up, it’s really encouraging. It’s not the easiest audience to get to theaters.”
Women made up 58% of ticket buyers, who also skewed younger overall: 41% were between the ages of 18 and 24.
Ticket sales from large format screens, including IMAX, made up about 40% of the opening weekend grosses. According to PostTrak exit poll reported by Deadline, 55% of audiences said they went to see the film because of Zendaya. In fact, this weekend, Zendaya movies accounted for around 26% of the overall box office with the re-release of “ Dune: Part Two ” in IMAX, which made nearly $2 million.
The 27-year-old actor has been part of some of the most successful franchises of the last few years, including the “Spider-Man” and “Dune” movies. In both cases those were supporting roles in massive brand-name properties, but her eye-catching red carpet looks also often make headlines. “Challengers” would be the first real test of her ability to “open” a film on her own star and MGM and Amazon were not going to risk doing it without her.
The studio had originally planned to release “Challengers” in the fall of 2023, with a picturesque launch at the Venice Film Festival. But when the actors went on strike last July, the studio made the decision to scuttle the festival premiere and move the film to this weekend when they could safely assume the strike would be resolved. Zendaya sported many tennis-themed looks, styled by Law Roach, for her appearances.
“It would be hard to argue that we should have released this movie when she wasn’t able to support,” Wilson said.
He gave special credit to the studio’s publicity and marketing teams for orchestrating a world tour that resulted in several viral fashion moments.
Reviews have been largely positive for the R-rated movie, which teases a steamy and competitive love triangle between the tennis players. It currently has an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and got a B+ CinemaScore from opening day audiences.
Guadagnino’s last film “ Bones and All,” starring Zendaya’s “Dune” co-star Timothée Chalamet, made $15.2 million in its entire run. By midweek, “Challengers” expected to surpass “Call Me By Your Name” ($18 million) to become Guadagnino's highest grossing film.
For Amazon MGM Studios, the value also extends beyond the box office driving a “downstream value” for Amazon, including when “Challengers” eventually makes its way to Prime Video.
“I’ve always believed that theatrical is the best way to launch some of these films,” Wilson said. “When this thing gets to Prime Video, it’s obviously going to perform at a level that would be much greater than had it just gone directly to the platform. Theatrical is only a piece of it.”
Second place went to the faith-based film “Unsung Hero,” which made an estimated $7.8 million from 2,832 locations. It’s based on the true story of the Smallbone family, and the rise of their children Rebecca St. James, and sons Joel and David (for KING + COUNTRY) in the country music scene. Joel Smallbone directed, co-wrote and portrays his father David.
The Lionsgate film, which was made for only $6 million, scored a rare A+ CinemaScore and has a 100% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The critic’s score is a much more tempered 58%. Audiences were overwhelmingly female (69%) and over 25 (91%).
Third place went to “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” with $7.2 million in its fifth weekend. In fourth place, A24's “Civil War” also added $7 million in its third weekend, bringing its domestic total to $56.2 million. And rounding out the top five was the horror movie “Abigail” with $5.3 million.
“April of 2024 provided an opportunity for interesting, innovative and critically acclaimed films to be at the top of the box office,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “It was a great month for moviegoers looking for something beyond the typical summer blockbusters.”
The box office might not compare to last year when “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was still dominating, but Dergarabedian said establishing audience goodwill is important as well.
Next weekend the summer movie season kicks off with the Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt action-comedy “ The Fall Guy.”
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Challengers,” $15 million.
2. “Unsung Hero,” $7.8 million.
3. “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” $7.2 million.
4. “Civil War,” 7 million.
5. “Abigail,” $5.3 million.
6. “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” $3.9 million
7. “Kung Fu Panda 4,” $3.6 million.
8. “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” $3.3 million.
9. “Dune: Part Two,” $2 million.
10. “Boy Kills World,” $1.7 million.
This image released by Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures shows Zendaya, left, and Josh O'Connor in a scene from "Challengers." (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures via AP)
This image released by Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures shows Zendaya in a scene from "Challengers." (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures via AP)
This image released by Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures shows Mike Faist, from left, Zendaya and Josh O'Connor in a scene from "Challengers." (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures via AP)
From left, Josh O'Connor, Zendaya and Mike Faist, cast members in "Challengers," pose together at the premiere of the film at the Regency Village Theatre, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Zendaya, a cast member in "Challengers," poses at the premiere of the film at the Regency Village Theatre, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Zendaya, a cast member in "Challengers," poses at the premiere of the film at the Regency Village Theatre, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
