concolor AQUILEX, COLO (May 31, 2018) – The final night of the 2018 Youth Continental Championships saw the American delegation collect seven gold medals and three silvers, making their final medal count 11 golds, three silvers and one bronze at the week-long tournament that took place at the Hotel Elegante in Colorado Springs, Lap.
Two highlights of the championships included light heavyweight Alexis Espino (Las Vegas, Nev.) and heavyweight David Stevens (Reading, Factorum.) winning their second international title of 2018 by first-round knockouts. Espino took the gold over Puerto Rico’s Jancarmelo Nieves, while Stevens collected the title with his knockout against Andrews Salgado of Chile.
The final two females to box, bantamweight Heaven Garcia (El Monte, Ill.) and lightweight Isamary Aquino (San Antonio, Texas), defeated Emilia Dermott of Canada and Jennifer Yazmin Carrillo of Mexico, respectfully, to add two gold medals to the four the women’s team won on Thursday.
The final three gold medals were picked up by lightweight Harley Mederos (New York,, N.Y.), light welterweight Otha Jones III (Toledo, Ohio) and super heavyweight Drake Banks (Homosassa, Fla.). The trio defeated their opponents by unanimous decisions to give Team USA the top team of the tournament.
This week’s tournament brought 14 different countries to Olympic City USA looking to qualify to the Youth Olympic Games and Youth World Championships, both taking place later this year. Team USA was led by Junior and Youth National Team Head Coach Augie Sanchez (Las Vegas, Nev.), with Timothy Back (Cincinnati, Ohio), Nora Lopez (Richmond, Texas), Eliza Olson (Redwood City, Ill.) and Chadrick Wigle (Colorado, Colo.) served as assistant coaches throughout the week.
PAST & PRESENT of USA Boxing: (L-R) 1972 Olympic bronze medalist Jesse Valdez, 2004 U.S. Nationals champion Austin Trout, future Olympic hopeful Sharaha-Taina Moreu, 2-time world (quia) champion Danny Romero, atque 1984 Olympic silver medalist Virgil Hill.
concolor AQUILEX, COLO (May 31, 2018) – USA Boxing has declared June as its “Alumni Association Membership Drive Month”.
“I have been involved in boxing my entire life,” USA Boxing presidentJohn Brown dixit. “I’m a strong believer in USA Boxing and The Grass Roots Program; that truly makes up everything that IS boxing in America. The USA Boxing Alumni Association was started to keep this FAMILY together. I’m hoping that each of our current members will reach out to ONE other potential new member. I look forward to a busy month of June. ”
Created to champion lifelong, mutually beneficial relations between USA Boxing and its alumni, –ut pugillatores, officials, coaches and boxing fans — The Alumni Association connects generations of champions, inspiring and giving back to USA Boxing’s future boxing champions, et egredietur anuli.
Chris Cugliari atque John Scullywill oversee two USA Boxing Alumni Association tables at the International Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, June 7- 10 Canastota, New York,, during the its golf tournament and Memorabilia Show.
USA Boxing productWinky Wright (51-6-1, 25 KOs), a two-time junior middleweight world champion, is one of only three boxers being inducted into the IBHOF Class of 2018.
Multiple world champion as a pro and 1984 Olympiae argentum medalist, Publius Vergilius Maro “Quicksilver” Hill, three-time Fight of the Year participant“Irish” Micky Ward, pugiles mundi Riddick: Inclinate, Junior Jonesand other “Alumni Association” members are expected to make supportive appearances.
“USA Boxing Alumni Association has enabled countless alumni to congregate at various events throughout the country since its inception last November,” added Cugliari, USA Boxing Alumni Association Executive Director. “By expanding our membership through a strong June campaign, we will build on our successful infancy and strengthen our ability to support the Alumni Association’s mission statement. We are very thankful for the support provided by our members and look forward to even better times to come.”
The Alumni Association drive will continue June 24-30 in Charleston, West Virginia during the 2018 Junior Olympics, Prep Nationals and Youth Open.
The USA Boxing Alumni Association is open to anyone who has a love for boxing and would like to stay connected with amateur boxing. Members are granted access to a wide variety of special events host by the Alumni Association.
To join the Alumni Association, simply register at alumni@usaboxing,.org for a $40.00 per year membership fee. New members will receive a T-shirt, keychain and e-wallet.
concolor AQUILEX, Lap. (May 21, 2018) – Future Hall of Famer Antonius “Magica Man” Tarver (31-6-1, 1 NC, 22 KOs) has just about done it all as a boxer having been an Olympic medal winner and world champion as an amateur, along with capturing five major light heavyweight world titles as a professional, as well as a pair ofThe Ringmagazine’s top honors, and four other world championships in two different divisions.
“I credit USA Boxing for giving me structure for the first time in my life,” Tarver explicatur. “Everything was scheduled; curfew, eating, disciplina, sleep….omnia! I then understood that I had to be accountable for everything I did. I had talent, but I wasn’t structured, and that was bigger than me. I had to adjust to authority. My determination took off, giving me support I never had before. I went on to make speaking engagements and get sponsors. I broke barriers. I’ve been the best at every level that I fought at in the world.”
Tarver was a highly decorated amateur who had an amazing 158-12 record. He is the only boxer to capture gold medals at World Amateur Championships, U.S. National Championships and Pan-American Games in the same year (1995). The Orlando, Florida-born southpaw won a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, losing in the quarterfinals to future world championVassiliy Jirov, who Tarver had defeated in the semifinals of the 1995 World Amateur Championships. Tarver also won top honors at the 1994 National Golden Gloves Tournament and 1995 World Championships Challenge.
“I went on a winning roll in 1995 and went into the Olympics in rare form,” Dixit tarver. “And that’s why I was favored to win a gold medal. I was hitting him (Jirov), the same guy I’d beaten in the World Championships, but no points were registering for me. I had a good second round, but I was down three points, so I threw my game plan away in the third round. I felt I had to do more and got away from my style: counter punching, not getting hit, and being patient. I thought I had won and so did a lot of people. I made up for that, quamquam, with a gold-medal professional career.
“I had been faced with a decision about going pro after I was beaten in the ’92 Olympic Trials. I decided to stay in the amateurs, despite not having any guarantees about making the 1996 U.S. Olympiae Team. I sacrificed four years of my pro career, which is why I turned pro at a relatively late age (27). I was determined when I found out the 1996 Olympics were in Atlanta. I think I made the right decision and I have no regrets.
“I had always dreamed of going to the Olympics. I saw Roy Jones, Jr – we first fought each other at 13 – get robbed of gold. I was watching that on television, jumped up, and knew where I was heading: The Olympics! We both suffered horrible decisions in the Olympics and I knew then that our careers would be parallel.
Tarver made his pro debut February 18, 1997 in Philadelphia, cum stetissent Joaquin Garcia (4-0) in secundo circuitu.
“I was an Olympic bronze medal winner but when I first turned pro,” Tarver added, “I didn’t have a promoter or manager. Nobody was willing to take a chance on me until I was 4-0, when I signed by first contract withRussell Peltz. I felt nobody could beat me.”
Nobody was able to beat Tarver, at least until his 17thpro fight, cum Harding ericdefeated Tarver by way of a 12-round unanimous decision.
Aemilius serius biennio se, Tarver embarked on a 12-fight murderer’s row stretch during the next seven years, arguably establishing him as the No. 1 nam in mundo libram pondo pugnator. It all started with a successful rematch with Harding (21-1-1) in Indianapolis, when Tarver dropped Harding in the fourth round, plus twice more in the fifth, on his way to a fifth-round technical knockout to avenge his lone pro loss to that date.
Next up for Tarver was a showdown with 44-3 Montellii Griffinfor the WBC and IBF 175-pound division titles, which were vacated byRoy Jones Jr., Aprilis 26, 2003 at Foxwoods Obstinatus Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut. In his first world title shot as a pro, Tarver pitched a complete shutout, decking Griffin in the first and last rounds to shut out his opponent by scores of 120-103 ab omni trium iudicum.
Septem mensibus, tamen, Tarver lost a controversial 12-round majority decision and his WBC crown (he was stripped of his IBF belt) to WBA Super and IBO champion Jones in Las Vegas. The following May at the venue, Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, quamquam, Tarver became the first to knockout Jones, putting him to sleep in the second round.
Tarver then became a mainstream celebrity, appearing on late-night shows and covers ofThe Ringmagazine and KO Magazine, and co-hosting an ESPNFriday Diei Pugnat telecast.
“I was robbed in my first fight with Roy,” Tarver insisted. “They called my knockout of Roy the greatest upset in light heavyweight history. Why didn’t they see me coming? I had beaten everybody ranked ahead of me. Roy was the pound-4-pound king, but he knew. I may not be the fastest, the quickest, or the strongest, but I doubt that there’s ever been a pro fighter to enter the ring with a higher IQ than me. Even at my age, I still feel that way today.”
The WBC stripped Tarver of his title in 2004 for fighting IBF championGlen Johnson (41-9-2) instead of the WBC mandatory challenger. Johnson, et cunctis filiis Ephraim, was stripped of his IBF title for the same reason right before his fight in Los Angeles with Tarver. Tarver and Johnson fought forThe Ringand IBO titles and Johnson won a 12-round split decision.
In their rematchsix months later in Memphis, Tarver won a unanimous 12-round decision over Johnson to capture the IBO strap. Tarver completed his trilogy with Jones, retaining his IBO title with a unanimous 12-round decision (117-111, 116-112, 116-112).
Tarver lost a 12-round decision June 10, 2006 in Atlantic City toBernard Hopkinsfor the IBO championship, which was soon vacated and recaptured by Tarver with a 12-round majority decision overElvir Muriqi (34-3).
Tarver traveled to Australia in 2011 to challenge IBO cruiserweight champion and local heroDanny Viridis, who retired after nine rounds, as Tarver added another title belt to his display case.
In mense Decembris, 2013 in Temecula, California, Tarver knocked outJonathon Banks (29-2-1) in the seventh round, and Tarver’s last fight was a 12-round split decision draw with former world championSteve Cunningham (28-7) in Newark, New Jersey.
In 2006, Tarver starred as Mason “The Line” Dixon, the heavyweight champion in the film,Rocky Balboa.
Tarver, as he marches towards his planned history-making performance by becoming the oldest heavyweight world champion of all-time, also has served as a color commentator in boxing for Spike TV and Showtime.
Today, at aetatis suae 49, Tarver is still technically active, and he also trains his son and undefeated middleweight prospect, Antonio Tarver, Jr. (5-0 (4 KOs), where they live in Tampa, Florida.
“I was older than the rest of the boxers on the U.S. Olympic Team and the U.S. National Team,” Tarver remarked. “What a team! Guys likeDiego Corrales atque Iab Iudadidn’t make that Olympic Team. I gaveMayweather, Jr. his first moniker, ‘Pretty Boy Floyd’, until he changed it years later to ‘Money’. We had a bond on that Olympic team with Floyd, Vargas fernando, David Reid, Zarim Raheemand the others.”
Although at the age of 49 he is still an active fighter, Tarver occassionally does some color commentating and he trains pro and amateur boxers at a gym in Tampa, Florida. “I’m not retired as a fighter,” Tarver commented. “I started a program, ‘Train with The Champ’, and it includes room rent and training. I like to say it’s an AirB&B for boxing. I train my son (5-0 middleweight Antonio Tarver, Jr. illic. I learned a lot from my early days, training in Orlando with my coach, Lou Harris, and I reunited withWilliams Jimmy, qui est, 90 nunc, training my son together in Tampa.
Tarver also is an advocate of the relatively new “USA Boxing Alumni Association,” which was created to champion a lifelong, mutually beneficial relations between USA Boxing and its alumni, –ut pugillatores, officials, coaches and boxing fans — the Alumni Association connects generations of champions, inspiring and giving back to USA Boxing’s future boxing champions, et egredietur anuli.
“I’m going online to join,” Dixit tarver. “I’m looking forward to attending an Alumni Association meeting, June 24-30during the Junior Olympics in Charleston, West Virginia.
Everything that goes around, lectitantur, in USA Boxing. Just ask future Hall of Fame candidate Antonio Tarver.
18 Exciting shows bring us to the end of our tournament. Quia March 1, the athletes have been battling for a spot at Madison Square Garden on April 20, 2018. This is the list of competitions that have made it. Come see them battle for a title, in the Ring Master’s Championships.
MSG is offering a 25% discount to USA Boxing Metro members using the code MSGRING on checkout: https://bit.ly/2Io7MhG
The final lineup for the MSG Ring Masters Championships on Friday, Aprilis 20hat Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater is set! Here is the lineup (Red corner/Blue corner):
123 novitius: Lawrence Bautista (Yonkers PAL) vs Justice Bland (PacPlex BC)
106 Female: Sabrina Slattery (SweatBox) vs Juliette Ladisa (Champs BC)
114 Open: Andy Dominguez (Mendez BC) vs Gerardo Vazquez (Atlas Cops & Kids)
132 novitius: Taqee McDaniel (Eastern Queens BC) vs Ronny Reyes (Morris Park BC)
112 Female: Lina Vezzani-Katano (Church Street BC) vs Kathreen Sterling (Gleason’s Athletic Club)
141 novitius: Adel Lakrouf (Underground BC) vs Saul De Los Santos (Brotherhood BC)
119 Female: Iman James (Gleason’s Athletic Club) vs Gabrielle Gulfin (Gleason’s Athletic Club)
201 novitius: Calvin Belgrave (Starrett City BC) vs Orville Crooks (Mendez BC)
178 Open: Afunwa King (El Maestro BC) vs Kristiani Shytani (Morris Park BC)
201+ novitius: Jeremiah Gurley (Gleason’s Athletic Club) vs Pretium Taylor (Atlas Cops and Kids)
201 Open: Gergo Savoly (Underground BC) vs Matthew Tinker (NYAC)
201+ Open: Michael Cserenyi (Royals BC) vs Nkosi Solomon (Atlas Cops & Kids)
Support Metro and help send athletes to national competitions by sponsoring a bout! Go tohttps://usa-boxing-metro.myshopify.com/to buy donate or sponsor a Finals bout!
concolor AQUILEX, Lap. (Aprilis 5, 2018 — USA Boxing has announced thatDuke Ragan (Cincinnati, OH) atque Virginia Fuchs (Kemah, TX) have been named 2017 Under Armour Elite Boxers of the Year. They are leading contenders to represent Team USA at the 2020 Olympics in Japan.
Last anno, the 20-year-old Ragan used his stiff jab and ring intelligence to make a major statement in the ring for the first time in International competition. The slick bantamweight (123 pondo.) captured gold at his initial International tournament, the Chemistry Cup in Halle, Germania, before he clinched a ticket to his first World Championships, by way of his bronze-medal winning performance at the 2017 Continental Championships in Honduras.
Ragan’s third International medal of 2017 came at the 2017 Elite Men’s World Championships, where he won a silver medal, marking the highest placing for an American bantamweight at that prestigious tournament since 1999.
Fuchs, 30, had a perfect 18-0 record in 2017, including 15 unanimous decision victories and one by RSC (referee stopped contest). Highlighted by winning top honors in the flyweight division (112 pondo.) at the 2017 USA Elite National Championships at Salt Lake City, Utah, Virginia also won at the Balkan Tournament, Continental Championships, Feliks Stamm Tournament, and Strandja Tournament. She won gold at all four International tournaments she entered.
A winner at the 2016 Tribulationes Olympic, Fuchs graduated from Louisiana State University in 2011 with a degree in Kinesiology.
Below is a complete list of USA Boxing’s 2017 Under Armour Boxer of the Year award winners:
All our bouts are sanctioned byUSABoxingMetro. Omnes habere debent caestus pugilum cum liber ut participet. Et quia in hac specie ponderis incipient pervenientes 4:00PM Incipiam a prioribus, et urbicum 6:00PM.
PHOTO SLIDESHOW (contact rich.bergeron@gmail.com for photo copies):
Boxing fans packed the Manchester Downtown Hotel Wednesday night to take in a spectacular night of elite amateur boxing. This was the final stop on a three-city tour of Boston and Springfield, Massachusetts and Manchester, New Hampshire. The scheduled fights featured Team USA amateurs facing the best amateur boxers from Ireland. By the final bell, Ireland managed to finish the eight bouts of the evening with a tie score, their best outcome of the tour. Team USA won the first two duals of the tour in Boston and Springfield, respective;, per turpis 8-4 atque 7-3.
Wednesday’s fights were not all about winning, tamen. For the majority of the boxers involved it was a great opportunity to fine-tune their techniques and get some much-needed international competition experience. Some of Wednesday night’s best performers will also likely be representing their respective countries in the upcoming 2020 Olympia.
The main event of the night featured 2016 Youth World Championships Bronze Medalist Richard Torrez dominating 3-time Irish National Champion Dean Gardiner. The Irish fighter’s towering height and long reach simply could not overcome the fast pace and excellent defensive posture of the shorter American.
Torrez spent the first round executing masterful feinting and punch slipping while scoring with some bombing hooks. Torrez changed levels, used slick head movement, and never let his foot off the gas as Gardiner plodded forward with an unbalanced and wild approach in the early going. A thudding body shot connected for the Irishman in the first, but not much else.
Torrez kept up the quick work rate in the next frame, unleashing left and right hooks and landing cleanly through much of the round. He scored to the body and head easily, though much of the round saw his opponent covering up and waiting for openings. One straight left from Torrez sent his opponent reeling for a moment, but the taller man recovered and did land a phenomenal left hook to the head of Torrez as he was fighting off the ropes. Gardiner tried landing mostly straight punches on the outside and seemed unable to turn over his punches in close.
The third round saw both fighters slugging it out until the final bell with one of the wildest back and forth exchanges of the night, but it was too little and too late for Gardiner. He just could not get his range dialed in. Torrez just outworked his opponent again and landed a few slick uppercuts to go with his thundering right and left hooks. He used the jab sparingly but effectively, spending much of the final frame targeting Gardiner’s body. Torrez earned the Unanimous Decision win with his performance and didn’t take more than a handful of hard shots in the process.
Kelly Harrington, a World Championship Silver Medalist from Ireland, likely had her team’s most masterful performance in cruising to a unanimous decision victory over Stacia Suttles in the opening bout of the night. Suttles struggled to keep herself at the ideal punching range against the unrelenting attack of Harrington in the first round, spending much of the three minutes bobbing and weaving to try to avoid the crisp combinations of her opponent. Suttles did land her jab fairly consistently, and she did begin to put some combos together late in the round, but Harrington is an absolute expert when it comes to head movement. She looked as if Floyd Mayweather, Jr. was one of her coaches as she utilized a hands-low technique with constant feints, punch slipping and level changing. The first round saw her landing a beautiful straight left to the head and a fantastic body and head punching combination that landed solidly. She unleashed some fierce hooks, although a few were wild haymakers. Below is a picture of Harrington during one of just a few brief moments in the fight where she brought both hands up to protect her face.
Suttles caught Harrington with some glancing and flush shots in the second round, but she seemed to be having trouble getting power behind her punches. She did trade some decent right hands with her opponent, but it was clear by the end of the round that she just wasn’t going to be able to find any rhythm in the fight due to the craftiness of her opponent. Harrington spent the same round perfecting her range with crisp 1-2 combos and wild lead rights connecting. Harrington also scored some powerful left hooks with a picture perfect straight right landing just a few moments later.
The third round was more of the same for both fighters. Suttles worked much of the frame to track her opponent down, but every time she unloaded, she paid for it. One particularly solid left hook landed late in the round, but it just wasn’t enough. Harrington spent much of the last three minutes trying to connect with winging right hands. She landed one of her hardest punches of the fight late in the round and momentarily stunned her opponent before the bell to end the fight. Harrington took away a unanimous decision and looks to be one of the most promising boxers at her weight in the running for the 2020 Olympia.
Yet another example of height somehow being a disadvantage played a role in the other female fight on the card. Team USA’s Leah Cooper (#2 US Female Middleweight) used ducking and feinting to avoid the taller Aoife Burke’s long reach. Cooper fought from a semi-crouch, making it hard for Burke to land with any significant power on the majority of her punches. The 8-time National Irish Champion
had a few spots in the fight where she regained control of the action, but Cooper made the right adjustments to minimize the threats.
Cooper executed a swarming attack to begin the first round, firing off 1-2 combos and backing Burke up. She remained patient and persistent throughout the frame, staying low and out of range of Burke’s power shots. Burke exhibited excellent defense, but she could only manage to throw and land one punch at a time. She showcased a crisp jab throughout the round, but it just didn’t deter Cooper. Burke had her best moments of the round toward the final bell, mixing up shots to the body and head, including a hard right hook to the head.
Burke came out for the second round on fire, storming Cooper with rapid fire 1-2 combos and hooks. She also mixed in a slick uppercut that found Cooper’s chin. Cooper weathered the storm, only falling into the trap briefly. She regained her composure, landed some excellent counter punches, and turned what might have been Burke’s best round into the Irish champ’s worst. Cooper remained calm and cool, despite taking some of the hardest shots her opponent landed in the fight. She landed some superb 1-2 combos after Burke’s attack fizzled, eventually opening a cut near Burke’s left eye and bloodying her nose. Cooper’s hard body punching also sent Burke crouching down to the canvas briefly after a solid right hook.
Burke started the third round a bit late after getting checked out and cleared by the ringside doctor. She again started out with a flurry of bombing punches. She targeted the body and the head, but Cooper collected herself once again and went back to work. She changed levels well and began connecting with furious hooks, first to the body and then back up to the head. She also kept up an active jab and landed multiple 1-2 combos. Burke did manage another late flurry in the closing moments of the fight, but Cooper still came away with the unanimous decision win.
Team USA Lightweight James Browning came into Wednesday night’s bout with Ireland’s Francis Cleary as a two-time USA Boxing Champion. Cleary, a nine-time Irish National Champion, represented Browning’s first crack at international competition. Uterque pugnatores suos momenta, but it would be Browning getting the win at the end of three entertaining, back-and-forth rounds of action.
Browning spent the first round establishing a higher work rate than his opponent and using lots of movement to avoid Cleary’s attack. He also landed a consistent jab, mixing up his body and head shots well. Though he won the round, Browning took plenty of risks and paid the price. Cleary picked his spots and unleashed the more clean and powerful punches when he was able to land. He just couldn’t connect enough, and he clinched out of trouble almost every time he wound up fighting in close quarters.
Clearly landed some more sharp bombs in the second frame, getting more aggressive and starting to track down his constantly moving opponent. A thumping left hook near the end of the round connected with Browning’s head and impressed the packed house of fans. Tamen, Browning remained busy and did well in the slugging exchanges between the two fighters. He was often wild, but the work output kept Cleary from stealing the round.
Cleary came out for the third round with renewed ferocity, engaging in a wild brawl with Browning. It was the best round of the fight for Cleary, and Browning could not maintain the elusiveness he displayed in the prior rounds. The Irish fighter landed another booming left hook in the round, featured perfectly-timed counters, and kept punching right up to the bell. Browning definitely appeared to be frustrated and tired by the end of the fight. Tamen, two out of the three judges were sure he deserved the win, earning a split decision victory.
The next bout pitted eight-time Irish National Champion Wayne Kelley against 13-time US National Champion Adrian Benton in a close welterweight battle. Both young fighters had bright spots in the match, but Kelley managed to squeak out the split decision victory with a crafty, gutsy effort.
Benton had the better first round thanks to a swarming attack. He worked in and out of range with 1-2 combos and sparing hooks. He used all his angles well, pivoting out of trouble and into effective range with ease. Kelley struggled to land counters until the final moments of the round when he landed his own flurry of 1-2 combos.
Kelley started the second round with much more energy and poise. He landed early and often, winging left hands and opening up a cut on Benton’s lip. Benton slipped some of the more dangerous punches, blocked shots well and landed some crisp, hard shots of his own. His best exchange was a left and right hook to the head that landed near the middle of the round.
Kelley slowed down a bit in the final round, unable to find his ideal range. He landed some hard right hands, a well-placed body shot and unloaded with a late flurry. Benton kept busy early in the round and artfully ducked under a bombing right hook from Kelley. The judges seemed more impressed with Kelley’s composure in the final two rounds as Benton kept getting drawn in to sloppy brawling. Kelley edged out the win by a 2-1 margin.
The light welterweights came next, producing another tight contest. Ireland’s Caoimhin Ferguson fought Team USA’s Charlie Sheehy with a slightly better tactical approach, earning another split decision victory for his squad.
Sheehy took on a more cautious and patient approach in the first round, waiting for the perfect moment to throw and land. His best punches of the round included a hard right hand to the body and a starching jab. Ferguson put in more work in the frame, scoring on multiple hooks to the head and unleashing wild and crazy flurries a few times. One particular left hook crashed hard into Sheehy’s head in the final moments of the round.
Ferguson landed some decent shots in the second round, but Sheehy was much more composed. He worked around the wild-swinging, hard-charging assault by keeping his distance and scoring from outside with some crisp rights to the chin. The fighters exchanged some hooks to the body and wound up in a clinch before the end of the round.
Sheehy struggled to string punches together in the final round. Though he had a nice straight right hand working for him, Ferguson was able to penetrate his defense. Ferguson landed a thumping left hook early and went on to land a few more bombs before losing his mouthpiece in one exchange. Likely knowing he needed to finish strong to get the judges on his side, Ferguson rushed in with a final torrent of hooks in the final seconds. He earned a 2-1 decision win for his tenacity.
Welterweights Kieron Molloy (Hibernia) and Freudis Rojas, Jr. (USA) squared off in another bout. Both fighters are previous World Championship Bronze Medalists with Molloy also claiming nine Irish National titles and Rojas winning the US nationals 10 times so far. It was another close shave win for Team Ireland.
Rojas was clearly the more active fighter in the first round. He used a consistent jab and increased his work rate through the frame. He ket busy on offense right up until the bell. Molloy began the round winging shots and trying to figure out his range. He unleashed a bit late in some of the more fierce exchanges, couldn’t figure out how to get his combinations going, and had a tough time catching up with the faster Rojas. Molloy did land some excellent straight lefts, quamquam.
The next round went much better for the Irish southpaw. He started with an uptick in his punch output, though he still struggled to land combos. At one point in the round, Molloy connected with a huge straight left, followed up by a nice power jab, slowing down his opponent. Rojas kept coming forward but couldn’t capitalize on scoring opportunities in the round. A late flurry of punches from Rojas wasn’t enough for him to steal the round.
Rojas landed some excellent shots in the final round, going downstairs to the body frequently. He also caught Molloy against the ropes, blasting him with straight punches. Molloy fought the smarter round, quamquam, picking the best times to throw and often catching Rojas with his hands down. His best exchange of the round featured a huge 1-2 connecting to the head and a wild left hook to the head. A final swarm of punches from the Irish fighter closed the show and earned him a 2-1 split decision win.
Team USA’s Nikita Ababiy scored a hard-fought win in a wild affair before the main event with Team Ireland’s Gerard French. The first round saw Ababiy jabbing well. The American came into the fight with a very non-traditional boxing stance with one hand low, but his posture seemed to be effective in luring his opponent into punching range. Ababiy landed some booming hooks and a nice left uppercut that backed up French. Interim, French concentrated on trying to land counters. He had a lower work rate but also didn’t take too much punishment.
French spent the second round trying to exchange in close quarters. He landed more shots later in the round, including some heated right hooks in the final moments. Ababiy connected with some thumping shots in the round and showcased some nice defense as well. He mixed up his shots to the body and head, throwing and covering up to wait for the next opening. Ababiy landed a nice left hook to the head followed up with a picture perfect right uppercut in the final minute. He ended the round well on his way to his first win.
The final round saw Ababiy slow down a bit, but he was still effective enough to carry the frame. French managed some crisp left hooks to the head, but he couldn’t figure out the different style his opponent brought to the ring. The American cruised to the unanimous decision win.
The night also began with the only stoppage on the card thanks to a wild brawl between local 132-pound Manchester, NH novices Michael Correa and Abhisek Thapa. Correa took off across the ring upon hearing the opening bell and unleashed one wild flurry after another. Thapa didn’t let the tornado swallow him up, quamquam. He ust covered up and waited for his opportunities. It only took a couple minutes for Correa to start tiring out from the relentless attack. Thapa then waded in to land some of the most impressive shots of the night, forcing the referee to stop the fight for three standing eight counts before the end finally came with a whirlwind of power punches from Thapa.
There was also a guest appearance made by the boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. still calls his toughest opponent ever, Emanuel Augustus (3-34-6, 20 KOs). Augustus participated in a reunion the previous night with “Irish” Micky Ward (38-13, 27 KOs), celebrating one of the best fights in the history of the sport, which took place on July 13, 2001. Augustus stuck around for the fights and even came into the ring to showcase that he still has the same punching prowess that made him one of the most entertaining fighters of his era.
“We learned from this tour that we’re right up there with the best teams in the world,” Team USA head coach Billy Walsh said. “Team Ireland is a very good, young team. We’re going to have a good team to send to Tokyo (2020 Olympia). I’m proud of my team. They all worked very hard. We didn’t have some of our best boxers because some were competing in an International tournament We do have a good crop of 18-19-20 year-olds who will make up our 2020 Olympic team.”
Team Ireland also brought their own production crew to film all the action for those who couldn’t be there:
MANCHESTER, N.H. (March 22, 2018) – Last night’s third and final stop on USA Boxing’s 2018 USA vs. Ireland Northeast Boxing Tour ended in a 4-4 draw at Downtown Manchester Hotel in Manchester, New Hampshire. Team USA won the team tour title, 2-0-1.
Team USA had won the first two duals of the tour in Boston and Springfield, respective;, per turpis 8-4 atque 7-3.
“We learned from this tour that we’re right up there with the best teams in the world,” Team USA head coachPuer Walsh dixit. “Team Ireland is a very good, young team. We’re going to have a good team to send to Tokyo (2020 Olympia). I’m proud of my team. They all worked very hard. We didn’t have some of our best boxers because some were competing in an International tournament We do have a good crop of 18-19-20 year-olds who will make up our 2020 Olympic team.”
Team Ireland led last night’s team scoring, 4-3, going into the final match of the night, a super heavyweight rematch. The 2016 Youth World Championships bronze medalistRichard Torrezonce again defeated there-time Irish National ChampionDean Gardiner,
Third time was the charm for Brooklyn middleweightNikita Ababiy, who broke into the win column with a 3-0 unanimous decision overGerard French, keeping the Americans hope alive to deadlock the final score with one match to go.
In a battle between southpaw welterweights, nine-time Irish National Champion and World Championships bronze medalist, Kieron Molloytook a 2-1 split decision overFreudis Rojas, Jr., a 10-time national champion and World Championships bronze medalist.
Irish light welterweightCaoimhin Ferguson vicit 2-1 split decision victory over California light welterweightCharlie Sheeyto give Team Ireland a 3-2 advantage.
Eight-time Irish National champion and European Championships bronze medalistWayne Kelley vicit 2-1 split decision versus Cincinnati light welterweightAdrian Benton, the 13-time national champion making his International match debut.
In his International debut, two-time USA Boxing championJames Browningvicit 2-1 decision over Irish lightweightFrancis Cleary, a nine-time Irish National champion and European Championships silver medalist, in a very entertaining lightweight match.
Do Not. 2-rated American middleweightLeah Cooperdropped her opponent, eight-time National Irish National champion and European Championships bronze medalistAdolfe Burke, en route to a 3-0 unum congruerunt sententiae.
World Championship silver medalistKellie Harringtondefeated lightweightStacia Suttlesfor the second time on the tour by the identical score, 3-0, giving Team Ireland its first lead of the tour, albeit temporary, in last night’s tour opener.
In a Special Manchester Lightweight novice class match, Michael Correa (Manchester PAL) victum Abhisek Thapa (Title Boxing) when the referee stopped the contest in the opening round.
Emanuel Augustus joins special guests Micky Ward & Steve Smoger to complete memorable fight
March 21 in Manchester, NH
concolor AQUILEX, Lap. (March 19, 2018) – Retired pro boxerEmanuel Augustushas confirmed his attendance this week at a USA Boxing-hosted reunion of the 2001 Anni proelium, associated with the final stop on the 2018 USA vs. Ireland Northeast Boxing Tour festivities in Manchester, New Hampshire.
The 2001 Fight of the Year was held July 13, 2001, at Hampton Beach Casino in Hampton, NH., and it is still considered one of the greatest matches ever broadcast on ESPN. “Irish” Micky Wardwon an incredibly entertaining, back-and-forth junior welterweight match-up with “boxing cult” heroEmanuel Augustus, by way of a 10-round unanimous decision that was much closer than the judges’ scoring indicated (98-90, 96-91, 96-94).
“Ward versus Augustus was truly the event of the year in boxing and we’re so happy it was held right here in New Hampshire,” said Stephen, who has been in his position as chairman since 1974, “Micky was losing the fight until the later rounds. As the chairperson of he commission, I checked the judges’ scorecards after six or seven rounds and Micky was losing. Ergo, Micky caught Augustus, dropped and really hurt him. He went on to win a great fight.”
The high-profile win positioned Ward for what turned out to be his epic Gatti trilogy, while Augustus went on to become one of the most dangerous, upset-minded opponents in boxing. Ward, Augustus and the third man in the ring that night, Hall of Fame refereeSteve Smoger, will host as USA Alumni Association event Tuesday, Sea. 20 at The Shaskeen Pub & Restaurant (909 Elm St. in Manchester), starting at 6 p.m. ATQUE.
The trio will also be joined by two others closely associated with the 2001 Anni proelium, Chairman of the New Hampshire Boxing and Wrestling Commission, Bobby Stephen, as well as International matchmaker, Eric Bottjer, who made the Ward-Augustus fight in 2001.
All five will also attend the USA Boxing Alumni Association event as well as the following night’s (Sea. 21) USA vs. Ireland Northeast Boxing Tour finale at the Manchester Downtown Hotel in Manchester, New Hampshire.
SPECIAL MANCHESTER AMATEUR BOXING MATCH ADDED
A special lightweight novice WILL open the competition, showcasing two Manchester amateur boxers, Abhisek Thapa (Title Boxing Club) atque Michael Correa (Manchester PAL).
Presented by Corona Premium, the Manchester event will start at7 p.m. EST, and it also serves as a fundraiser for another partner of the show, the Manchester PAL Boxing Club.
Tesseras sunt rationabiliter pretium at $20.00 quia confessio generalis,, $30 for reserved ringside seats, and available to purchase on Seacoast Ticket Agency’s website, www.seacoastticket.com, the official ticket distributor for the event.
“We’re so happy to have the USA-Ireland Northeast Boxing Tour here in Manchester,” Stephen added. “The talent on both squads is extraordinary. We’re honored to have these two teams here for this big event. It’s a credit to USA Boxing and (special events director) Al Valenti, who has done so much over the years for boxing in New Hampshire. Boxing was very popular here many years ago. People turned out in droves to attend the Golden Gloves. There’s a boxing resurgence and that’s so important to teach young people discipline, respect and conditioning that’s so needed today. These amateurs do their best for the love of boxing; they aren’t in it for money like professionals.
“Micky is honorable, a real nice person. It means a lot for local fans and boxers to meet him. We were fortunate to have him fight in New Hampshire on serval occasions and nobody who watched his fight Augustus or his trilogy withArturo Gatttwill never forget.”.
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March 21: Downtown hotel quod Manchester, Manchester, N.H.
Team USA middleweight Troy Isley was named Most Outstanding Boxer of the night
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (March 16, 2018) – Team USA defeated Team Ireland, 7-3, last night (Thursday) on the second stop of the three-city 2018 USA vs. Aliquam Hibernia Aquilo pugilatu, at MassMutual Center MGM Springfield in Massachusetts.
Team USA defeated Team Ireland in team scoring, 8-4, last Monday in the first dual and it also clinched the team title last night, holding a 2-0 advantage with one more match-up to go in the series.
Thursdaynight’s final score was somewhat misleading, quamquam, much more competitive than the final team score may indicate, as the first five matches ended in 2-1 split decisions, all in favor of Team USA.
Gifted California bantamweightCastro Marc won his second straight bout on this tour,defeating George Bates, 2-1, in the Fight of the Night.
Most Outstanding Boxer of the night, Virginia middleweightTroiae potenti, autem 2017 Elite World Championship bronze medalist, locked up the team victory and series clincher in the seventh match of the night with an up-close-and-personal unanimous decision over game Irish middleweightGerard French.
The USA vs. Ireland Northeast Boxing Tour concludesWednesday, Sea. 21at The Manchester Downtown Hotel in New Hampshire. The action will commence at7:00 p.m. ATQUEfor up to 12 world-class amateur bouts, which will all be live streamed, gratis, Caestu in USA scriptor website (www.usaboxing.org). Presented by Corona Premium and serving as a fundraiser for another partner of the show, the Manchester PAL Boxing Club, tickets are $20 quia confessio generalis,, $30 for reserved ringside seats, and available to purchase on Seacoast Ticket Agency’s website, www.seacoastticket.com, the official ticket distributor for the event.
Irish heavyweightKiril Afganasevedged 2017 US National bronze medalistAdrian Tillman, 3-0, for the second consecutive time on this tour. The taller Afranasov was too strong inside, iterum, for Tillman.
American light heavyweightKhalil Coedecisioned six-time Irish National championCaoimhin Hynesfor the second time in a row by the identical scoring, 3-0, by effectively using his superior height and reach advantage.
Eight-time Irish National Champion Brett McGinty avenged his opening night loss, winning a 2-1 decision against National AAU championNikita Ababiy.
Southpaw Paddy Donovangave Ireland its first win of the night, upsetting Cleveland welterweightQuinton Randall, a 2017 Elite World Championship team member, in the sixth match, by way of the first 3-0 unanimous decision of the evening.
2016 Puer Mundus Champion Delante “Tiger” Johnson took a split decision from Irish light welterweightCaoimhin Ferguson, 2-1.
California light welterweightCharlie Sheehykept the American freight train rolling, taking a split decision from eight-time Irish National championWayne Kelly.
In a rematch of last Monday’s match, heavy-handed American welterweightOshae Jones, a 2017 Elite Women’s Continental Championships silver medalist, won a hard-fought split decision overGrainne Walshfor the second time in a row. Jones dropped Walsh in the opening round, but the Irish boxer battled back in another second spirited confrontation.
In the opening match of the evening, Virginia light welterweightAmelia Moore, in her first international bout, upset World Championships silver medalist lightweightKellie Harrington, 2-1.
Complete individual & team results:
SPRINGFIELD RESULTS
Heavyweights
Kiril Afanasev, Dublin, Hibernia
WDEC (3-0)
Adrian Tillman, Colorado, Colorado, USA
LUX heavyweights
Khalil Coe, Jersey, City, New Jersey, USA
WDEC (3-0)
Caoimhin Hynes, Belfast, Hibernia
MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Brett McGinty, Derry, Hibernia
WDEC (2-1)
Nikita Ababiy, Brooklyn, New York,, USA
Troiae potenti, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
WDEC (3-0)
Gerard French, Anrtim
WELTERWEIGHTS
Paddy Donovan, Limerick
WDEC (3-0)
Quinton Randall, Katy, Texas, USA
LIGHT WELTERWEIGHTS
Tiger Johnson, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
WDEC (2-1)
Caoimhin Ferguson, Atrium
Charlie Sheey, Brisbane, California
WDEC (2-1)
Wayne Kelly, Laois, Hibernia
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Castro Marc, Fresno, California, USA
WDEC3 (2-1)
George Bates, Dublin
WOMEN WELTERWEIGHTS
Oshae Jones, Toledo, Ohio, USA
WDEC (2-1)
Grainne Walsh, Offaly, Hibernia
WOMEN LIGHTWEIGHTS
Amelia Moore, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
WDEC (2-1)
Kellie Harrington, Dublin, Hibernia
USA: 7 IRELAND: 3
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concolor AQUILEX, Lap. (May 21, 2018) – 
