Tag Archives: Colorado

amateur boxing, boxing, USA Boxing

Team USA Learns Its Path To Gold For U19 World Championships

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PUEBLO, Colo. (October 26, 2024) — Team USA will have twelve boxers competing at the 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships. These twelve boxers learned their paths to gold, including their first-round opponents during Friday tournament draw. 

The 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships boxing tournament has 20 weight divisions, 10 men’s and 10 women’s. Competition in Pueblo, Colo. will begin on Saturday, October 26 before concluding on Saturday, November 2, at the Pueblo Convention Center.

Getting it all started for Team USA is Joscelyn Olayo-Munoz (La Cruces, N.M.) and Shamiracle Hardaway (Lagrange, Ga.). Olayo-Munoz will box Chanchal Chaudary out of India in the 48 kg weight class tomorrow afternoon around 5:30 ET. Hardaway will match up with Penelope Grochau from Germany in the 60 kg weight class.

Hardaway was on the Youth High-Performance Team last year and earned bronze at the 2023 International Invitational in Germany. If both boxers win their opening bouts, they will advance to the medal round.

Sunday, October 27, Team USA will see their first male boxer in Emmanuel Chance (East Orange, N.J.) Chance is boxing in the 55 kg weight class and received a bye and will get the winner of Juan Jin from South Korea and Kelvy da Trindade from Brazil. Chance won silver at the 2023 Youth International Invitational in Germany.

Also competing Sunday is Laila Zakirova (Staten Island, N.Y.). Zakirova is boxing in the 51 kg weight class and is boxing Xian Baguhin out of the Philippines.

Team USA will see six boxers make their 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships debuts. 

Lorenzo Patricio (Waianae, Hawaii) will represent Team USA in the 50 kg weight class and received a first-round bye and will box the winner of Seiya Nakayam out of Japan and Beau Piggott out of Australia.

 Violet Lopez (Milwaukee, Wis.) also, with a first-round bye and will box Caitlyn Wise out of England in the 54 kg weight class.

In the 70 kg weight class Malachi Ross (Grandview, Mo.) earned a bye and is going up against the winner of Festim Nimani from Germany and Sumit Sumit from India.

For Team USA in the 75 kg weight class, Joseph Awinongya (Jouliet, Ill.) will go up against Connor Anerson from Australia. 

Elijah Lugo (Marietta, Ga.) will represent the USA in the 80 kg weight class and will go head-to-head with Cristian Sarsilli out of Italy.

In the heavyweight class of 90 kg, Rishon Sims (Harrisburg, Pa.) will go up against Eris Andi Lushtaku out of Germany. Sims was on the Youth High-Performance Team last year and won gold at the 2023 International Invitational in Germany.

Mesiah Nimo (Dallas, Texas) is the lone boxer going on Tuesday, October 29, and he will box in the 65-kg weight class and was given a bye and will box the victor of Simon Stojka from Czech Republic and Assylkhan Kosherbay from Kazakhstan.

Nevaeh Williams received a bye and will go head-to-head with the winner of Aaliyah Hoppema from the Netherlands or Renee Doole out of New Zealand. Due to the bye Williams is already in the medal round and will receive at least a bronze medal.

Ticket pricing for the 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships begins at $10 for a single-day pass or $50 for an all-week pass. Fans can also purchase tickets exclusively for Saturday’s finals at the price of $25.

USA Boxing will be led by National Development coach Chad Wigle (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Assisting Wigle will be three assistant coaches in Danilo Garcia (Oakland, Calif.), Edward Fonteneaux (Fayetteville, N.C.), and Blanca Gutierrez (Pacifica, Calif.).

 INFORMATION:
www.usaboxing.org
Twitter: @USABoxing
Instagram: @USABoxing
Facebook: /USABoxing

 ABOUT USA BOXING: The mission of USA Boxing shall be to enable United States’ athletes and coaches to achieve sustained competitive excellence, develop character, support the sport of boxing, and promote and grow Olympic style boxing in the United States. The responsibility of USA Boxing is not only to produce Olympic gold, but also oversee and govern every aspect of amateur boxing in the United States. 
amateur boxing, boxing

More than 180 boxers from 30 nations will compete in 2024 U19 World Boxing Championships in Colorado

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RENES, Switzerland (June 20, 2024) — More than 180 boxers from 30 National Federations will compete in the 2024 U19 World Boxing Championships which get underway this week at the Pueblo Convention Center, Colorado, USA (October 26 – November 2, 2024).

The competition, for male and female boxers aged 17 and 18, is World Boxing’s first-ever global championships. It will feature athletes from all five Continents that compete in boxing and will be held across 10 weight categories for both men and women.

The action will run across one session per day, beginning at 15:00 MT for the first five days when there will be two rings in place. The penultimate day, Friday, 1 November, will have one session in one ring, beginning at 13:00 MT.  The final day, when the medals will be handed out, will also feature action in a single ring across one session of boxing, beginning at 13:00 MT.

The largest contingent of boxers taking part in this historic event are from the host nation, USA, along with India and Italy, who have all entered teams of 15 men and women.

Other National Federations that will be taking part in the U19 Championships are Algeria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Ecuador, England, Finland, Germany, India, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Tahiti, Thailand, Ukraine, United States and Wales.

Details of the draw, schedule, and all event documents can be viewed at https://www.usaboxing.org/2024-u19-world-boxing-championships.

The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, said: “This competition is a significant milestone in the development of World Boxing, and I would like to thank USA Boxing for hosting our first global championships.

“World Boxing is committed to putting athletes first and delivering high quality competition opportunities for boxers at all levels is a significant part of this. I have no doubt that our colleagues at USA Boxing will deliver a top-class event which will provide a fantastic platform for U19 men and women from our member National Federations to showcase their skills and further their development as elite boxers.”

USA Boxing CEO and Executive Director, Mike McAtee, commented: “As we prepare to host the 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships, I could not be more excited for the opportunity to showcase the incredible talent of our youth boxers on an international stage.

“This event marks a historic moment for World Boxing and our sport. The World Boxing U19 Championships will serve as a monumental opportunity to keep Olympic-style boxing at the heart of the Olympic movement, and we are thrilled to play a pivotal role in fostering the next generation of champions from around the world. Together, we will celebrate the spirit of competition and the dedication that defines our sport.”

The Chair of the Board of USA Boxing, Tyson Lee, added: “As Chair of the Board of USA Boxing, I am honored to welcome everyone to the 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships here in Colorado.

“In a short time, World Boxing has made remarkable progress in fostering competitive international tournaments by collaborating with National Federations around the globe. We at USA Boxing are proud to contribute to this effort, and we are eager to witness the spirited competition that this event will bring.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, our dedicated staff, and the entire USA Boxing community, thank you for your participation and best of luck to all the athletes!”

The 2024 U19 World Boxing Championships will be streamed live on World Boxing’s YouTube page and World Boxing will be posting updates throughout the competition on its social media channels:

• Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/officialworldboxing/

• X / Twitter – https://twitter.com/RealWorldBoxing

• Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/OfficialWorldBoxing

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and aims to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement and currently has 44-member National Federations covering all five Continents that compete in international boxing.

On 7 May 2024 World Boxing held its first meeting with the IOC which signaled the start of formal collaboration between the two organizations aimed at establishing a pathway for boxing to remain in the Olympic Games.

boxing, Olympics, USA Boxing

Atif Oberlton representing City of Brotherly Love all the way to the World Championships

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (August 22, 2019) – There’s a new rising force on the international boxing scene and his name is Atif Oberlton, a light heavyweight from Philadelphia, who is on a mission to make a name for himself in boxing.

Oberlton will be competing at the Elite Men’s World Championships, September 7-21, in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

Lacking confidence is not an issue for the 21-year-old boxer who claims, “It’s very important for me to do well and win at the Worlds, because I know for a fact that, in my heart, I’m the best fighter in the world.  Also, I’m new on the international scene, so it’s time for me to give a piece of what they’ve been missing.”

Oberlton started boxing at the age of nine, although he didn’t start competing until he was 14, because he was the only boy in his family, and his father wanted him to learn how to defend himself.  Like so many of his teammates, he fell in love with boxing.

In the last five years, Oberlton has captured gold medals at the 2018 and 2016 National Golden Gloves Tournament, 2018 Eastern Elite Qualifier and 2014 National Junior Olympics. He also was a victor in the USA vs. Netherlands Dual.

“My greatest accomplishment so far is making Team USA and being where I’m at, because for years and years I was denied, and here I am today in the top spot where I belong.  I’m a top-spot fighter, so I deserve it, and I put down top-notch work, too”

Overlton has taken advantage of training in Colorado Springs at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, where he has shown improvement from day one, honing his skills to become a complete boxer.

“Conditioning plays a big part in my improvement; also seeing different styles, and getting top work has elevated me,” he spoke about training as a Team USA member.  “I always break new barriers on the road to greatness and this (The Worlds) is another one I’m looking to smash through.”  

In addition to representing his country, Oberlton is a proud Philly fighter continuing the long, rich boxing tradition in the City of Brotherly Love, which has produced the likes of Bernard Hopkins, Mathew Saad Muhammad, Bennie Briscoe, Joey Giardello, Mike Rossman,James Shuler, Eugene Hart and so many more great fighters over the years.

“My city is known for its great boxing history and I wear ‘The City of Philadelphia’ on my back,” Oberlton added.  “In a few more years down the line, I see myself leading the next wave of Philly boxers.  In fact, I feel like I am the wave, right now, as we speak.  Everyone’s watching me. I will do them all proud, from both the old and young generations.

“I haven’t been to Russia and I’m looking forward to going there.  It’s always good to see the world. I always like to go back where I’m from and try to convince others to see the world, because it’s much bigger than our neighborhood.”

Oberlton is like a chameleon in the ring, constantly changing and adjusting to his opponent.  “I consider my style like water,” he concluded.  “It’s wavy because I adjust to win, and I can beat any style.  I can outsmart anybody, fighting mind over matter.  Boxing is 80-percent mental, 20-percent physical, and I have it all.

“My short-term goal is to win gold at The Worlds and everything else leading to the Olympics. And winning no less than gold at the Olympics.  My long-term goal is to be the greatest fighter to ever walk the universe.”

Confidence is definitely not a problem for Atif Oberlton.

INFORMATION:

www.usaboxing.org

Twitter: @USABoxing

Instagram: @USABoxing

Facebook: /USABoxing

boxing, Olympics, USA Boxing

Javier Martinez making Milwaukee proud on the way to World Championships in Russia

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (August 19, 2019) – Milwaukee isn’t known as one of the leading producers of world-class boxers, however, Team USA middleweight
Javier Martinez may be the rare exception.

 
“Milwaukee isn’t really a great place for boxing,” Martinez agreed, “but (coach) Izzy Acosta always had a great program that produced a lot of national champions. Hopefully, one day I can do what he’s done for my city. We do have a few good fighters coming out of my gym who are still on the rise. Look out for my boy, Luis Feliciano, a former USA National champion (the 26-year-old junior welterweight is 12-0 as a pro with eight wins by knockout).”
 
The most famous fighter to come out of Milwaukee is world kickboxing champion Rick “The Jet” Rufus. There have been a few Milwaukee boxers of note over the years, including Myron “Pinky” Mitchell, who became the first junior welterweight champion of the world in 1922, Robert “Caveman” Moha (1910-15), former national champion Tyrone “The Butterfly” Trice, and Pan American Games bronze medalist and two-time national amateur champion, LeChaunce Shepard.
 
Martinez is currently training in Colorado Springs at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center for the World Championships, September 7-21, in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
 
“It’s a good feeling and I plan on taking full advantage of this opportunity,” Martinez spoke about competing at the World Championships. “I love coming to Colorado; it’s like therapy for me, keeping me away from the distractions back home. I’m very excited to be going to Russia. I’m thankful to USA Boxing for all the opportunities I’ve had, and I hope to bring back a medal from Russia.”
 
Martinez says he didn’t have a normal childhood, explaining that he looked up to the wrong people. His life changed for the better when his father introduced him to boxing and meeting Coach Acosta, who was recently honored by the USA Boxing Alumni Association for his contributions to amateur boxing as a boxer and coach for the past half-century.
 
“I don’t know what I’d be doing today (if not for boxing),” noted Martinez, who turns 24 on August 24. “I just know that boxing was my way out of the ‘hood. Coach Izzy is a very loving person, and a great person to have around. He had a very good boxing career and it’s great to have a person like that in my corner.”
 
Martinez, who is the No. 2 ranked middleweight in the U.S., captured a gold medal at the 2018 Elite National Championships and silver at the 2016 & 2017 Elite National Championships. He’s also brought home bronze from the 2013 National Junior Olympics and Feliks Stamm Tournament.
 
Self-described as an awkward southpaw who can give anybody problems, Martinez’ short-term goal is to be an Olympic gold medalist, long-term to be world champion.
 
Javier Martinez is making Milwaukee proud by punchin’ his way to the top.
 
INFORMATION:
www.usaboxing.org
Twitter: @USABoxing
Instagram: @USABoxing
Facebook: /USABoxing
 
boxing, USA Boxing

Boxing brought Lamont Ingram back from deepest depths of despair to giving back to at-risk youths

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 8, 2019) – Former boxing prospect Lamont Ingram has survived hell on earth, which included him losing virtually everything in his life, and now he’s giving back to at-risk youths in Jackson, Tennessee.
 

Last month, Ingram was selected Most Outstanding Referee of USA Boxing’s 2019 National Junior Olympics.
 
Ingram’s recovery is nothing short of incredible, especially considering he went from being an outstanding amateur boxer, who competed successfully in national amateur tournaments, to homelessness, blindness in both eyes, two failed suicide attempts and, unfortunately, much more despair.
 
“I am no longer ashamed of what I went through because it made me the man I am today,” the 38-year-old Ingram said. “My life had been so hard that I was ashamed to talk about it for so long. I now understand that my struggles are my testimony for the next person to see that he or she can make it if they keep trying.
 
“Boxing is all I knew, but I couldn’t see out of one eye (cornea injury) that developed at the age of 19. I got mad at God and wanted to retire. I got depressed and didn’t understand why this had happened. In 2008, I became homeless the first time with nowhere to go. I lost everything, including my family, and then went (legally) blind in the other eye. Then, God told me to work with children, and I also opened the non-profit halfway house.
 
“Boxing taught me how to never give up no matter how hard it gets. In 2013, I lost everything for the second time: my business, my family, everything…..and I went homeless again. But I never gave up! The following year, when everyone said it was over for me, God gave me everything back times two. I lost the building I was in, but eventually I found another building. I had no money and I lost that building in 2013. God gave it back to me in 2016, when the man who bought it, gave it back to me. Now, I have the only two Federal and State halfway houses in Tennessee for special and general populations with more than 50 beds. I’m mostly at capacity all the time with men who have done 50 years calendar down to those who have done five years.”
 
Ingram operates the Second Chance “New Beginning” Halfway House and Homeless Shelter, as well as the Team Ingram Boxing & Mentoring Program.
 
Lamont started boxing when he was 14, because he used to be severely bullied to the point of having his head smashed into a brick wall, thrown into a garbage can, and jumped on repeatedly by others. Ingram’s mother sent him to a boxing coach, Rayford Collins, which turned out to be arguably the most life-changing moments of his life.
 
“I liked boxing,” Lamont remembered. “I wasn’t the best boxer, but I did beat some good boxers. I was a very determined young man, though. I was 58-10 with 35 knockouts as an amateur boxer. I got my special education high school diploma and later I graduated from Kaplan University with a 3.7 GPA in Business and Chemical Dependency.  
 
“Most kids (in the boxing program) can’t afford the fee to our summer camp or boxing program going on right now. We give them a free breakfast and lunch. I really enjoy this, but I would have never thought that I’d be doing what I’m doing.”
 
 
USA Boxing Alumni Association
 
Created to champion lifelong, mutually beneficial relationships between USA Boxing and its alumni, -boxers, officials, coaches and boxing fans — The Alumni Association connects generations of champions, inspiring and giving back to USA Boxing’s future boxing champions, in and out of the ring.
 
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 hosted by the Alumni Association, including its annual USA Boxing Alumni Association Hall of Fame reception.
 
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.
 
 
Team Ingram Boxing Club & Mentoring Program was founded in 2017, after Ingram’s long battle associated with him not wanting anything to do with boxing, because he believed God had done him wrong for taking away from what he loved to do and was good at, boxing. When his amateur coach, Collins, died in 2016, Lamont decided to take a larger role at the gym, to the point he was there every day.
 
“For some reason I wanted to be part of it and help like my coach had helped save my life,” Ingram explained. “Boxing helped me. My coach was very firm, strict and very disciplined, but he loved us and wanted only the best for us.   We have so many success stories that range from those that nobody could handle, to those who had F’s in school, plus those who had no hope at all. These youths are my world; I see myself and I know that change is possible, because I changed.
 
“The ultimate goal of my program is to instill life skills that will go with each young person throughout their individual lives like it has for me. I understand that not everyone will be an Olympic champion, or make the USA Olympic Team, become national or world champion. They can be a piece that sows the seed that never departs the one they sowed it to.”
 
Ingram has been a registered USA Boxing coach and official for three years. After becoming a level 2 official, he was chosen to referee the final day of the 2018 Eastern Qualifier, a rare feat for a relatively inexperienced official, to say the least. In 2019, he judged at the Western Qualifier and ranked No. 9 out of 100, which is an unheard-of accomplishment for a level 2 official.
 
“Boxing saved my life and it changed my life,” Ingram claimed. “I had a bad anger problem. I wouldn’t listen and I was disrespectful to my parents and authority figures. I stayed in trouble, on intensive probation, or locked up in juvenile detentions centers.
 
“I am a respectful, humble and dedicated official who loves boxing and watching people achieve their goals. People always told me what I couldn’t do; boxing showed me what I could do.”
 
And countless young men and women in Tennessee and the mid-South, not just Lamont, are the beneficiaries today of Lamont Ingram’s truly remarkable metamorphosis.

INFORMATION:
www.usaboxing.org
Twitter: @USABoxing, @USABoxingAlumni
Instagram: @USABoxing
Facebook: /USABoxing


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amateur boxing, boxing, USA Boxing

Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring Patriot, Olympian & now World Champ

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USA Boxing Alumni: (L) Jamel Herring and his stablemate, Terence “Bud” Crawford
(picture courtesy of Mikey Williams / Top Rank)
 
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 13, 2019) – Newly crowned World Boxing Organization (WBO) super featherweight champion Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring has been a fighter practically all his life as a U.S. Marine and elite boxer.
 
The 33-year-old Herring (20-2, 10 KOs), fighting out of Cincinnati, has come full circle since he started boxing at the age of 15. “I started because I was doing poorly in school, cut from the basketball team,” he explained on why he chose the Sweet Science. “I didn’t want to be in the streets. It was not my character, so I had to find something else to do. A friend introduced me to boxing and I stuck with it. I eventually got my grades back up and made high honor roll.”
 

Herring also developed into an Olympic boxer, mostly while he was serving nine years in the U.S. Marines, and even when he was deployed twice in Iraq.   He compiled an 81-15 amateur record, including top honors at the 2011 & 2012 Armed Forces Championships, 2011 U.S. Olympic Trials and 2012 US Nationals gold medalist, along with a silver medal at the 2010 World Military Games. He was the first active duty U.S. Marine to qualify for the US Boxing Team since 1992, as well as the first U.S. Marine to compete in the 2012 Olympics.
 
“I boxed a little during my second deployment during free time,” he noted. “I came back from my second deployment toward the end of 2007 and began boxing for the Marine Corps in 2008. Most of my amateur career came under the Marine Corps. I learned a lot traveling with the Marine Corps. I got to see more styles and competed in national tournaments as a Marine. They also had the funding to send me.”
 
The highlight of his amateur career was representing his country at the 2012 Olympics in London as captain of Team USA. Although he lost (19-9) in the opening round to two-time Kazakh boxer Daniyar Yeleussinov, who won gold at the 2013 World Championships and later at the 2016 Olympics, the opening Olympic ceremonies was the most memorable moment of his entire amateur boxing career for a special reason.
 
“That was the anniversary of my daughter’s passing,” Herring said. “It let me know that no matter what, you can still accomplish anything, even through ups and downs.”
 
Other members of the 2012 USA Olympic Team Herring captained included present day world champions in the pro ranks such as Errol Spence, Jr., Claressa Shields and Marcus Browne, former world champion Rau’Shee Warren, and world title challengers Terrell Gausha, Michael Hunter and Dominic Breazeale.
 
 
Herring remains close to USA Boxing, saying: “USA Boxing helped me because of the relationships I created, many of which still remain today. I met other fighters from around the world that I kept good relationships with. It also helped me become more of the people-person I am today. Being team captain taught me patience, because I had to deal with a lot of personalities, I still use those traits today. And I’m still close to my Olympic teammates today.”
 

USA Boxing Alumni Association
 
Created to champion a lifelong, mutually beneficial relationships between USA Boxing and its alumni, –boxers, officials, coaches and boxing fans — The Alumni Association connects generations of champions, inspiring and giving back to USA Boxing’s future boxing champions, in and out of the ring.
 
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 hosted by the Alumni Association, including its annual USA Boxing Alumni Association Hall of Fame reception.
 
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.
 

 
“Jamel is the perfect example of resiliency and persistence,” mentioned Chris Cugliari, USA Boxing Alumni Association Director. “His hard work, sacrifice, and inability to quit no matter what obstacles he encounters will continue to inspire the next generation of champions for many years. The USA Boxing Alumni Association wants to thank him for all that he has given to others, both in and out of the ring.”
 
Nothing has ever come easy for Jamel Herring, especially his remarkable turnaround after the tragic loss of his infant daughter, Ariyanah, which happened three years to the day prior to the opening ceremonies of the Olympics.
 
“My road wasn’t easy,” Herring added, “I had my ups and downs. I’m an Olympian, but nothing was ever handed to me. I had to fight for everything I’ve gotten. This is my time!”
 
It certainly is, particularly after he defeated defending WBO super featherweight champion Masayuki Ito, this past May 25, to become world champion. Proof that good things do indeed happen to good people.


INFORMATION:www.usaboxing.org
Twitter: @USABoxing, @USABoxingAlumni
Instagram: @USABoxing
Facebook: /USABoxing
boxing, USA Boxing

USA Boxing standout bantamweight Duke Ragan fighting for his daughter’s future

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 29, 2019) – Boxers fight for a variety of reasons. Team USA bantamweight Duke Ragan is driven in the gym and ring by his two-year-old daughter, Kennedy Ragan.

 
The 21-year-old Ragan trains with his fellow elite squad members in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which is a long way from his home and daughter in Cincinnati.
 
“It is difficult being away from her,” Ragan admitted, “but she motivates me. I’m boxing for our future.”
 
Ragan’s future in boxing is bright. He is the No. 1 bantamweight in the United States, who plans to cash-out after the 2020 Olympics in Japan.
 
Although he had his first amateur match when he was seven, Ragan was practically born to box, evident by pictures of him as an infant wearing baby boxing gloves. His father and coach, Derek “Duke” Ragan, who named his son with his own nickname, had a lot of friends who were boxers. When Duke’s older brother by six years, Lewis Walker, trained at their uncle Sean Singleton‘s gym, young Duke was being trained in the house by his father.
 
“I played other sports when I was young, but I didn’t in high school,” Ragan said. “My father started training me when I was six and a year later, I was at the gym training and sparring. I didn’t want to play any sports other than boxing.”
 
Ragan has a 151-19 amateur record, highlighted by his silver-medal performance at the 2017 World Championships. He captured gold at the 2016 & 2018 Elite National Championships, qualifying him for the 2020 Olympic Trials for Boxing, as well as at the 2016 National Golden Gloves Championships.
 

In addition to winning a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships, Ragan has been successful in other International competition, taking top honors at the 2017 Chemistry Cup, runner-up at the 2018 Presidents Cup, and third place finishes in the 2017 Continental Championships and 2019 Pan American Qualifier in Nicaragua. In the latter tournament, Ragan lost in the semifinals to Ecuadorian Jean Caicedo, 3-2, to qualify for the Pan-American Games, July 27 in Lima, Peru.
 
Ragan is looking forward to avenging his controversial loss to Caicedo at the Pan-American Games. “I was the No. 1 seed at the Pan American Qualifier, and I think I’ll be the No. 1 seed at the Pan American Games,” Ragan commented. “I think I got a bad decision in the semifinals. There will be some good competition at the Pan American Games, but nobody for me to worry about.”
 
Self-described as a pure boxer who enjoys moving around the ring snapping jabs, Ragan also has sufficient power to put opponents to sleep. He wants to become part of Cincinnati’s rich boxing history, which has produced all-time greats such as Aaron Pryor,Ezzard Charles, Adrian Broner, Rau’shee Warren and Tim Austin, among others.
 
“Pryor and Charles boxed in the same community where I grew up,” Ragan noted. “I really haven’t done anything yet, but it would be cool to be world champion like them.”
 
USA Boxing has played a major role in Ragan’s young life and, if he gets his wish, it’ll continue to be for at least another year or so. “My main focus is 2020, I’ll worry about turning pro after that,” he remarked. “Amateur boxing has brought me a long way. I’m more disciplined, better focused, and a much smarter boxer. I have a higher boxing IQ. I’ve also had to learn to make sacrifices, because I’ve got to be a man to make time for my young daughter. All of this is getting me ready to be a professional.
 
Ragan has traveled around the world as a Team USA boxer having been to Germany and Kazakhstan (twice apiece), Poland, Bulgaria and Nicaragua. Ultimately, Duke Ragan wants to continue representing his country and traveling all over the world, hopefully, booking a trip to Tokyo next year.
 
INFORMATION:
www.usaboxing.org
Twitter: @USABoxing, @Duke1Ragan
Instagram: @USABoxing
Facebook: /USABoxing
 
amateur boxing, boxing, USA Boxing

Troy Isley coming off biggest win, Preparing for 2020 Olympics

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 6, 2019) – USA Boxing middleweight Troy Isley is coming off the most significant victory of his young career, when he defeated the 2016 Olympic gold medalist, Cuba’s Arlen Lopez, at the recent Pan American Games Qualifier in Managua, Nicaragua.

 
Lopez served as a positive barometer for Isley in terms of his potential 2020 Olympic run. “Beating Lopez is my biggest win so far,” Isley admitted. “He won a gold medal at the last Olympics. I avenged my loss to him in 2017. We almost fought in The Continentals, but he lost in the quarterfinals, and I lost in the semifinals. We could face each other again in July at the Pan American Games.”
 
In 2017, Isley captured a gold medal at the Elite World Championships, which marked a first for an American elite boxer in six years. He’s progressed year-by-year, taking top honors at the 2012 & 2013 National PAL Championships, 2014 National Junior Olympics, 2016 & 2017 Elite National Championships. So far this year, in addition to winning at the Pan American Games Qualifier, he also took gold at the Strandja Tournament in Bulgaria.
 
Not too shabby accomplishments for a kid who really didn’t like boxing, especially compared to football, which was his favorite sport growing up.
 
“When I returned to the gym I trained at, Alexandria (VA) Boxing Club,” USA National Team assistant coach Kay Koromba remembered,” they needed help with a young kid, Troy Isley. I had a simple conversation with him. He said he’d come back to the gym if I was there coaching. I didn’t go back for a little while and he didn’t return. I eventually took over the gym when the coach left, and Troy returned.
 
“Troy is friends with Keyshawn Davis (USA Boxing’s No. 1-rated lightweight). They both live in Virginia (Troy in Alexandria, Keyshawn in Newport) and train with me at the Alexandria Boxing Club, when we aren’t living and training in Colorado Springs. They fought as kids and became good friends. All of the other boxers here look up to them.”
 
“I was only 8 and at first I really didn’t like boxing,” the now 20-year-old Isley spoke about his introduction to amateur boxing. “I was more interested in team sports like football, but I gave up boxing when I chose to compete in the Box-Offs. I just wanted to be a kid and you can’t play boxing. I went back to the gym and beat up everybody. Coach Kay told my father that he could make me into a national champion, and that gave me a lot of self-esteem.”
 
A self-described boxer puncher, Isley is an intelligent, well-spoken boxer with eyes on the future, outside of boxing, taking on-line business courses through DeVry University. “I can do it all,” he offered about his boxing style. “I’m working on using more jabs to be a better all-around boxer. The jab sets the offense up. I’m working on my jab because you can win fights with a jab.”
 
Promoters are lining up to pitch their companies to sign Isley, who has a definitive plan that involves making the 2020 USA Olympic Boxing Team, medal in Japan, and then turn professional.
 
“The Olympics is only a year away,” Isley noted. “I’m close with Keyshawn and Shakur(Stevenson, 2016 Olympic silver-medalist and an 11-0 pro prospect). Training with them makes things easier for all of us. We drive each other and train against different styles. I’m always picking up new stuff. We help each other training, sparring, and just talking. We’re always together, either in Alexandria or Colorado Springs. Shakur still goes there for good sparring.
 
“Shakur tells us a lot about his experiences in the Olympics and now as a pro. Me and Keyshawn have always talked about being together on the USA Boxing Olympic Team. We keep working hard and staying focused. It’s been our dream.”
 
Dreams do come true but, first, Isley is preparing for the Pan-Am Games and, possibly, his rubber match with the defending Olympic gold-medalist, Lopez.
 
INFORMATION:
www.usaboxing.org
Twitter: @USABoxing
Instagram: @USABoxing
Facebook: /USABoxing
amateur boxing, boxing, USA Boxing

World Class referee….. Tom Cleary     USA Boxing Alumni Association, Class of 2018 Inductee

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (November 12, 2018) – The late Tom Cleary was one of the most respected referees in the world during his illustrious career. He joins a select group in the Class of 2018 getting inducted into the USA Boxing Alumni Association Hall of Fame.

 

 

 

The second annual USA Boxing Alumni Association Hall of Fame reception, held in conjunction with the 2018 USA Boxing Elite and Youth National Championships and Junior and Prep Open, December 2-8, will be held December 7, at the Radisson Hotel (215 S. Temple St.) in Salk Lake City, Utah.

 

 

 

In addition to Cleary, the Class of 2018 also includes U.S. Olympic Team medalists and world (professional) champions Roy Jones, Jr., Andre Ward and Claressa Shields, as well as a past USA Boxing National Director of Coaching, the late Emanuel Steward.

 

 

 

The charter class inducted last year included Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield, as well as veteran coaches Roosevelt Sanders and Tom Coulter.

 

 

 

A longtime resident of Westchester, Ohio, Cleary was a USA Boxing member since 1982, and he served as Chief of Officials for the National Collegiate Boxing Association from 2002 until his passing May 21, 2017.

 

 

 

He refereed in 12 different countries, on four continents, as an International Official assigned by AIBA. Tom earned a three-star rating and he was selected to work the World Series of Boxing.

 

 

 

“Tom’s dedication to amateur boxing and respect he garnered from boxers, coaches and fellow officials are second to none,” said Chris Cugliari, USA Boxing Alumni Association Executive Director. “The Alumni Association emphatically endorsed his case for the Hall of Fame, and his induction was received both by those close to him, as well as the entire amateur boxing community. Tom’s commitment to serving USA Boxing provides a great example for all of us and we couldn’t be prouder to call him a member of this year’s Hall of Fame class.”

 

 

 

Tom never forgot where he came from, dedicating countless hours to the youth of Cincinnati, in addition to helping boxing clubs run efficiently throughout his community for more than a quarter-century.

 

 

 

The 2017 NCBA Official of the Year, Tom worked local, regional, national, International, world and Olympic levels of boxing. Highlights included working numerous U.S. National Championships, four U.S. Olympic Trials (2000, 2004, 2008 & 2012) and the 2007 World Championships in Chicago.

 

 

 

“When I was a young coach at the Air Force Academy,” USA Boxing coach Ed Weichers commented, “we needed to replace an AIBA top notch referee who was retiring. We were looking for a highly qualified person and Tom Cleary was recommended. He came out the next 25 years straight. Tom was one of the best referees. He cared so much about the safety of the boxers and Tom was also a valuable mentor.

 

 

 

“Tom was a wonderful man who everybody loved. He administered referee clinics in the United States and always helped those in need, youngsters and adults. Tom’s work in the Cincinnati area influenced so many boxers and coaches for more than 25 years. We dearly miss him.”

 

 

 

 

USA Boxing Alumni Association

 

Created to champion a lifelong, mutually beneficial relations between USA Boxing and its alumni, –boxers, officials, coaches and boxing fans — The Alumni Association connects generations of champions, inspiring and giving back to USA Boxing’s future boxing champions, in and out of the ring.

 

 

 

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, including the USA Boxing Alumni Association Hall of Fame reception.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

Tom is survived by his wife, Diane, their two children and eight grandchildren.

 

 

 

Tom Cleary’s leadership and mentor-ship inspired all those who were fortunate enough to meet him. He cared passionately about the boxers he shared the ring with, offering words of advice before, during and after bouts.

 

 

 

INFORMATION:

www.usaboxing.org

Twitter: @USABoxing

Instagram: @USABoxing

Facebook: /USABoxing

amateur boxing, boxing, USA Boxing

USA Boxing Alumni Association Profile:   1972 Olympic Bronze Medalist JESSE VALDEZ

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  (L-R) – Austin Trout, Jesse Valdez, Raphael Marquez and B.J. Flores

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (October 5, 2018) — 1972 Olympic bronze medalist Jesse Valdez, who was an outstanding amateur boxer, never turned pro because he chose security for his family rather than take a risk and parlay his amateur pedigree into a prize fighting career.

 

 

 

Valdez first went to the local Boys’ Club when he was 11. The youngest of seven children in a low-income family, headed by his single mother, in which the kids all slept in one bedroom, girls in a bed, boys on the floor, sharing space with cockroaches.

 

 

 

“I started going to the club and I guess I did well because I started beating older and bigger guys,” Valdez remembered. One day a coach asked me if I was interested in learning how to box. At 11, USA Boxing people were interested in me, not me the boxer, and they always gave me guidance. Because of my background, I knew I wouldn’t be going to college, and these people helped me and gave me guidance.

 

 

 

In 1964, 16-year-old Valdez upset Olympic bronze medalist Quincey Daniels at the National AAU Championship in the welterweight division, and later that year he qualitied for the U.S. Olympic Team as an alternate. Valdez captured a gold medal at the1967 National Golden Gloves in the light middleweight weight class and he added a bronze medal from the prestigious Pan-American Games.

 

 

 

“I wanted to be a better boxer and that (defeating Daniels) also helped me become a better person. I had never traveled outside of Texas before then. I went to the Regionals and Nationals and then I was asked if I wanted to go to East Africa. All I knew about Africa was Tarzan, Jane and Cheetah. In high school, I was offered college scholarships, but my grades were bad because I spent more time out than in school. I didn’t have a father figure.”

 

 

 

While he served in the U.S. Air Force, Valdez won a gold medal at the 1970 National AAU Championship as a light middleweight and two years later, he became the 1972 National Golden Gloves welterweight champion. A USA Olympic Team alternate for the second time in 1968, the third time was the charm for Valdez, who qualified for the 1972 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team by defeating future world champion Eddie Mustafa Muhammad.

 

 

 

“My dream came true in 1964,” Valdez noted. “I was a USA Olympic Team alternate in 1964 and again in 1968. But in 1972, I wanted to win a gold medal, even though I ended up with bronze.”

 

 

 

Valdez became a household name in America because his Olympic fights in Munich, Germany, aired live on ABC Wide World of Sports, the award-winning Saturday afternoon show during the seventies, when legendary announcer Howard Cosell took a shine to Valdez. Unfortunately, Jessie was eliminated in the semifinals by the eventual gold medalist, Emilio Correa, by way of a controversial decision, and Jesse settled for a bronze medal.

 

 

 

The 1972 Olympics, however, is sadly remembered for the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches taken hostage and murdered by a Palestinian terrorist group, Black September.

 

 

 

“The Olympic village was built in a circle,” Valdez explained. “There were athletes everywhere from all around the world. My roommate and I had a routine after eating. We walked to digest our food and that night we started to walk, when guards with guns and rifles wouldn’t let anybody go past them. We didn’t know why and didn’t speak German. We then asked our coaches what had happened, and they said people were shot that afternoon. Later, we saw what happened on television.

 

 

 

“I was team captain and all the captains from every sport were asked what the athletes wanted to do, continue (competing) or go home. We decided to go on because, if we had stopped, that’s what they (terrorists) wanted. The Olympics were halted one day for a memorial recognizing those who had died.”

 

 

 

 

TEAM USA vs. TEAM GERMANY, OCT. 6 & 12 in CHATTANOOGA

 

 

 

Team USA and Team Germany, two of the world’s top amateur boxing programs, will meet in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for two separate duels taking place Saturday, October 6 and Friday, Oct. 12, at the Chattanooga Convention Center.

 

 

 

The duels will feature some of the top male and female elite boxers as they prepare for the lead up to the Olympics in 2020. The two events will take place alongside this year’s Eastern Elite Qualifier & Regional Open Championships, which is expected to have more than 650 boxers, aged 8-40, compete from Oct. 8-13.

 

 

 

 

After the 1972 Olympics, promoters lined-up to offer Valdez a pro contract, but he quickly turned down all offers having other options as well. He could have remained in the Air Force and been a coach. Instead, he accepted an offer from a Houston television station that wanted to benefit from hiring the Olympic bronze medalist returning home. Valdez became a reporter and the station’s ratings immediately went up, but other reporters became jealous and that became a problem for Jesse. At first, he contemplated a return to the Air Force, but Valdez liked working in television and he became a photo journalist until he retired in 2005.

 

 

 

Why not take advantage of his fame as an Olympic bronze medalist and turn pro?

 

 

 

“When I was 14 or 15 there were pros training at the gym I went to after school,” Valdez explained, “There was one professional boxer there I really liked and looked up to. He was a world champion, who will remain nameless, and I watched him work out. I’ll never forget, he asked me if he could borrow $1.00. I didn’t even have a nickel and that really opened my eyes. Here was a world champion asking me for money. It stuck in my mind. I took a job as a reporter because I really needed (medical) benefits.

 

 

 

“I try to go to clubs and help amateurs, but I don’t watch pro fights.”

 

 

 

 

USA Boxing Alumni Association

 

 

 

Created to champion a lifelong, mutually beneficial relations between USA Boxing and its alumni, –boxers, officials, coaches and boxing fans — The Alumni Association connects generations of champions, inspiring and giving back to USA Boxing’s future boxing champions, in and out of the ring.

 

 

 

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 hosted by the Alumni Association, including its annual USA Boxing Alumni Association Hall of Fame reception.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

Now 70, the Mexican-American from Houston has never regretted the decision he made nearly a half-century ago, or, of course, his experience at the 1972 Olympics. Jesse Valdez has become a valued speaker for the USA Boxing Alumni Association.

 

 

 

INFORMATION:

www.usaboxing.org

Twitter: @USABoxing, @USABoxingAlumni

Instagram: @USABoxing

Facebook: /USABoxing