Returning New England Golden Gloves Champion Xavier Vega in action this Thursday night at Central N.E. semifinals in Lowell

For Immediate Release
LOWELL, Mass. (January 25, 2016) – Returning New England Golden Gloves welterweight champion Xavier Vega, of Lawrence (MA), leads a host of talented open and novice class amateur boxers into this Thursday night’s (Jan. 8) in the Central New England (Greater Lowell) semifinals of the 70th annual Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championship at historic Lowell Memorial Auditorium.
The 21-year-old Vega, representing Canal Street Boxing, faces Nashua (NH) challenger Michael Fontanez in one of eight open class matches.  There are also eight novice class matches scheduled.
Vega, who has a 33-3 amateur record, didn’t start boxing until he was 17 because he has only one kidney.  A construction worker by day, Vega hopes to become a professional boxer and, if not, a Lawrence police officer in order to give back to his community.

A novice super heavyweight showdown between heavy hitters Ryan Brooks, of Weymouth (MA), and Boston’s Christian Ortiz.  One of the most exciting boxers in action this Thursday evening is novice light welterweight Edwin Rozon, of Haverhill (MA). Arlington’s novice middleweight Peter Maher, representing the Somerville Boxing Club, is a promising prospect.

See Thursday night’s pairings below, as well as a remaining 2016 schedule.
$70 for ’70 – A special offer to celebrate the 70th edition of the Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championship is available to purchase: $70.00 season ticket (6 remaining events) in the balcony.  The season ticket also includes the Novice and Open class New England Tournament of Champions.  To purchase call the Lowell Memorial Auditorium box office at1.866.722.8881 or order online at www.LowellMemorialAuditorium.com. Individual event tickets are also available to purchase for $17.00, $15.00 or $12.00.   Student tickets are also available for only $7.00 (student ID required).
 

Proceeds from the Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championship go towards sending the New England Golden Gloves champions to the National Golden Gloves Championship (2016 in Salt Lake City, Utah), in addition to supporting local athletes and area gyms, the Boys & Girls Club, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, cancer funds, scholarships and many other great charitable causes.

 
CENTRAL NEW ENGLAND SEMIFINALS PAIRINGS
NOVICE CLASS
LIGHTWEIGHTS (132 lbs.)
Jacob Solomon (Brookline, MA – The Ring)
vs.
Jonathan Depina (Dorchester, MA – Peter Welch’s)
FEMALE LIGHT WELTERWEIGHTS (141 lbs.)
Katie Gregory (Boston, MA – Peter Welch’s)
vs.
Shaquanda Best (Lynn, MA – Somerville Boxing)
LIGHT WELTERWEIGHTS (141 lbs.)
Fresnel Pierre (Dorchester, MA – Redline Fight Sports)
vs.
Edwin Rozon (Haverhill, MA – Haverhill Downtown Boxing)
WELTERWEIGHTS (152 lbs.)
Daniel Isberg (Boston, MA – Boston Boxing)
vs.
Lipi Fernandez (Roxbury, MA – Peter Welch’s)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS (165 lbs.)
Peter Maher (Arlington, MA – Somerville Boxing)
vs.
Yancarlos Sanchez (Dorchester, MA – Quietman Sports)
Brian Lawrence (Dorchester, MA
vs.
Henry Gedney (Gloucester, MA – Gloucester Boxing)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS (178 LBS.)
Justin Deflumeri (Merrimack, NH – Nashua PAL)
vs.
Joshua Flood (Manchester, NH – Murphy’s Boxing)
SUPER HEAVYWEIGHTS (201+ lbs.)
Ryan Brooks (Weymouth, MA – Grealish Boxing)
vs.
Christian Ortiz (Boston, MA – The Ring)
OPEN CLASS
FEMALE FEATHERWEIGHTS (125 LBS.)
Roberta Pappas (Lawrence, MA – Intenze 978)
vs.
Michelle Egan (Boston, MA – Boston Boxing)
LIGHTWEIGHTS (132 lbs.)
Jose Tirado (Dorchester, MA – Grealish Boxing)
vs.
Brandon Higgins (Chelmsford, MA – West End)
LIGHT WELTERWEIGHTS (141 lbs.)
Alex Mercado (Gardner, MA – Paladin Martial Arts)
vs.
Abraham Nova (Braintree, MA – Peter Welch’s)
Adrian Sosa (Lawrence, MA – Haverhill Inner City)
vs.
Jeremiah Perez (Lowell, MA – West End)
WELTERWEIGHTS (152 lbs.)
Joe Meuse (Millis, MA – Nonatum Boxing)
vs.
Josniel Castro (Lawrence, MA – Haverhill Inner City)
Xavier Vega (Lawrence, MA – Canal Street Boxing)
vs.
Michael Fontanez (Nashua, NH – Nahusa PAL)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS (165 lbs.)
Julien Baptiste (Lowell, MA – West End)
vs.
Chris Davis-Fogg (Framingham, MA – Uppercuts)
Ryan Clark (Barrington, NH – Murphy’s Boxing)
vs.
Joe Penta (Newton, MA – Nonantum Boxing)
70

th annual Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championship Schedule
(Lowell Memorial Auditorium – 6:30 p.m. doors open, 7:30 p.m. first bout)
Central New England (Greater Lowell)
Open & Novice Class Semifinals, C.N.E. – Thursday, Jan. 28
Open & Novice Class Championship Finals – Thursday, Feb. 4
New England Tournament of Champions
Novice Class Semifinals – Thursday, Feb. 11
Novice Class Championship Finals – Feb. 18
Open Class Semifinals – Wednesday, Feb. 24
Open Class Championship Finals – Thursday, Feb. 25
Information:
Tournament Executive Director: Bobby Russo
Director of Contestants: Art Ramalho
Chief of Officials:  Lauri Purcell
Ring Announcer:  John Vena
Venue:  Lowell Memorial Auditorium, 50 Merrimack St., Lowell, MA
Twitter:  @LowellGloves

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