Daniel “The Threat” Vernaza: A Life Dedicated to Boxing

The Colombian athlete has built his path as a boxer, coach, amateur official and boxing content creator.

Daniel “The Threat” Vernaza has built his path in boxing as a fighter, coach, amateur judge and referee, and content creator, developing much of his life around the sport since he began training at 13 years old.

His introduction to boxing came during his school years. Vernaza told Fajador that he was a confrontational child who often looked for fights. However, when someone accepted the challenge, he usually ended up losing.

That situation eventually led him and his brother David to join the Bogotá Boxing League.

His nickname also originated during his early years in amateur boxing. According to Vernaza, a Bogotá-based announcer who regularly helped with amateur boxing events began associating his surname with the word in spanish amenaza, meaning “threat.”

“Vernaza and amenaza rhyme, and I think that is where the nickname came from. But one thing I know for sure is that I am a threat inside the ring,” Vernaza told Fajador.

A boxer and coach from an early age

Competition and coaching have developed side by side throughout Vernaza’s journey.

He started boxing at 13 and, only two years later, was already teaching introductory classes to people who approached boxing mainly as a recreational activity.

“My career as a boxer and coach has developed in parallel. Over the years, I have learned from my own fights as a boxer and from my students’ fights while working their corner,” Vernaza explained to Fajador.

That experience has also shaped the way he understands the sport.

Vernaza describes himself as an elusive boxer who focuses on making opponents miss and creating opportunities to counter, while always maintaining respect for the person standing across from him.

“Boxing is a game of chess,” he said.

For Vernaza, reading an opponent, using strategy and anticipating movements are essential parts of competing inside the ring.

Boxing as a way of life

Vernaza’s connection to the sport extends far beyond fighting and coaching.

He also works as an amateur judge and referee while using social media to create informative boxing content.

“My path will always be for boxing and because of boxing. This is what I breathe every day, and I will continue doing it until I no longer can,” Vernaza told Fajador.

He has also been paying attention to the changes taking place in the sport, particularly the growth of boxing events involving influencers and content creators.

While he recognizes the criticism these events receive from some boxing traditionalists, Vernaza believes they have also helped introduce boxing to new audiences.

According to Vernaza, that exposure can create opportunities for emerging fighters to attract sponsors, grow their following and pursue better financial opportunities.

For Daniel “The Threat” Vernaza, boxing is more than a competitive career. It is a sport he experiences as a fighter, coach, official and communicator, and one that continues to shape his life.