Tag Archives: Louisiana

boxing, Olympics, USA Boxing

Syracuse’s Amir Anderson Goes from underdog to top dog

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2020 USA National Boxing Championships 

Mar. 25-Apr. 4, in Shreveport, Louisiana 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 8, 2021) – In the 2019 USA National Boxing Championships, Amir Anderson was a relatively unknown competitor from Syracuse (N.Y.), but this year he believes he’s one of the “top dogs” in the 165-pound decision. 

Anderson will be competing in the youth division at the 2020 USA Boxing National Championships, postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic from last December to March 25 April 3, in Shreveport, La. 

Anderson’s goal at these championships is simple: he wants to win to lock down a slot on the USA Boxing Youth Team, which will give him a leg up in terms of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. 

“The winner in each weight class qualifies for the USA Boxing Youth Team,” he explained.  “Runner-ups are alternates and can make the team if the winner can’t for whatever reason. I want to win! 

“Last time I had nothing to lose at Nationals. Now, I have everything to lose. I do my research and breakdown other fighters in my weight class.  I’ll be more focused this time because I was an underdog then and now, I’m the top dog in my division.” 

The 17-year-old Anderson has already tasted success, capturing top honors at the 2019 Junior Open and 2019 Eastern Regional Open, in addition to finishing in the runner-up position at the 2018 & 2019 National Junior Olympics. 

Still a high school senior, Amir describes himself as an all-around boxer with a unique style in which he can box or bang, hit the angles and throw a lot of punches. 

Like every amateur boxer, last year was a tremendous challenge to train, due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.  “I trained six hours a day in my basement to get in really good workouts,” Anderson said. “And I ran my miles, too. When my gym opened-up last July 2nd, it was limited so I had to still workout in my basement. It was hard to stay focused, but I knew how. 

“I really planned to win a lot of regional and national tournaments to get national recognition. I wanted to fight in Bulgaria with the junior team, but that was canceled, too. The pandemic was a setback for me, but we’ll see what’s in store for 2021.” 

The National Championships is the first trip towards Amir Anderson’s Parisian goal for 2024 at the Olympics. 

INFORMATION: 

www.usaboxing.org 

Twitter: @USABoxing, @USABoxingAlumni 

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, USA Boxing

Texas Twins Jordan & Josh Jenkins on special Mission to Write American Boxing History

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2020 USA National Boxing ChampionshipsMar. 25-Apr. 4, in Shreveport, Louisiana

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 1, 2021) — Texas twins Josh (L) and Jordan (R) Jenkins are on a mission to become the first twins ever to be on a Team USA Olympic Boxing Team. 


They will both be competing in the elite division at the 2020 USA Boxing National Championships, postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic from last December to March 25 – April 3, in Shreveport, Louisiana.


The Jenkins twins have overcome numerous obstacles in Dallas, primarily their father’s long incarceration, subsequently getting into trouble and constantly fighting others in school. And that doesn’t even include COVID-19 restrictions that limited gym time and eliminated tournament competition this past year.


They were fortunate to have their grandfather, the late Guilford Childress, who was the most significant male influence in their lives. “We played all sports but were getting into trouble fighting in school,” older brother by 1 minute Josh said. “Our grandfather took us to the gym, but our mother didn’t want us to box. He and my godfather, Darryl Thomas, who was also a father figure for us, trained us. Our grandfather used to come to school when we got in trouble. He was our disciplinarian. He’d take us right out of training at the gym or stop us from sparring for two weeks. He didn’t just want us to be champion boxers, he wanted us to become mature men. 


“Two years ago, Greg Hatley became our trainer. Everything changed for us when we started being trained by Coach Hatley. Our styles completely changed, and we started settling down in the ring, and picking spots. Coach Hatley has had a big impact on our lives. He’s taught us how to be men. He’s a roofer and he taught us how to roof, change oil and tires, and save our money for later.”


The twins work for Amazon in a warehouse. Jordan is a brawling lightweight, while welterweight Josh is more of a boxer. Have they ever switched places and fought under the other’s name? “Everybody asks us that,” laughed Jordan. “No, Josh is bigger than me.”


They’ve been competing in the elite division for the past couple of years, and both have reached the semifinals of major tournaments, but they’re ready to break out at the upcoming National Championships.


The Jenkins twins have had their training impacted. like most other amateur boxers, but not terribly, yet different from what they were used to. At first there were limitations at their gym, but once restrictions opened-up, they were able to train more often, spread out more than normal at the gym while working out, and COVID-19 tested monthly.


The dream for “Twin Nation”, coined by their grandfather when Josh and Jordan were in the seventh grade, is becoming the first twins on a Team USA Boxing Olympic Team, something late grandfather first mentioned to them. “We want to be the first twins on the US Olympic Boxing Team so kids can look up to us,” Jordan noted. “We want to prove that kids labeled as bad can still be successful growing up in an environment like ours. A lot of friends we grew up with are dead or in jail. We’ve worked had to change our lives and we’re looking ahead to Paris (site of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games).”


Their remarkable journey reaches a new level at the Nationals. They aren’t in a rush to go pro, either. Oh, they both intend to be professional boxers, but only when they’re ready as a tandem.


“We’re humble,” Josh concluded. “We’ve had a lot of bumps and bruises. We could have gone left or right. A lot of our friends went one way, but we went the other way, and
became boxers.”


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

Shreveport to Host 2020 USA Boxing National Championships

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Louisiana city to host USA Boxing’s Return to National Stage
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. (Sept. 18) – USA Boxing announced today the 2020 USA Boxing National Championships will now take place at the Shreveport Convention Center in Shreveport, La., Dec. 5-12.
 
“Hurricane Laura wreaked havoc on the city of Lake Charles and rendered their Civic Center inhospitable for this year’s National Championships.  This came on top of the pandemic which already nearly wiped out the 2020 National Tournament calendar,” stated Michael Campbell, USA Boxing Events and Operations Manager.  “Our events staff immediately pivoted and was determined to replace the event with as little disruption as possible for our coaches and boxers that had been training with their goals fixed on participating in this event to end the year.”
 
“Shreveport stepped up quickly to provide us a great alternative within the same footprint as the planned event, therefore we could keep our same scheduled dates and remain in the great state of Louisiana. Shreveport will provide good accessibility, weather and hospitality for our members and their Convention Center will be ideal for the implementation of our #BackToBoxing protocols that are designed to ensure the safety of our boxers, coaches, officials and members of the community.”
 
“Shreveport, Bossier City, and the State of Louisiana are proud to host the 2020 National Boxing Championships in December,” said Kelly Wells, Executive Director for the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. “Primarily, I would like to acknowledge my unwavering respect for Lake Charles and their investment in USA Boxing, which ultimately highlights Louisiana as a destination for national, elite sporting events.”
“As they recover from the detrimental effects of Hurricane Laura, Shreveport-Bossier is excited to keep this event within our state, which is expected to bring an estimated $2 million in economic impact to the area. We’re honored to welcome approximately 1,000 athletes to Shreveport-Bossier, as well as their coaches, friends, families and other boxing enthusiasts. On behalf of the Sports Commission team and Shreveport-Bossier community, I would like to thank the USA Boxing family for entrusting us with this incredible event, as well as Lt. Governor Nungesser, the Louisiana Office of Tourism, the Shreveport Convention Center, Hilton Shreveport and the local boxing community. We’ll deliver nothing less than world-class hospitality in sportsman’s paradise.”
Registration for the event will open Oct. 1. The fact sheet, which will include check-in information, hotels and schedule will be released in the coming days.
 
As a reminder, due to COVID-19 and being the sole USA Boxing tournament in 2020, this year’s National Championships will be an open tournament, with a minimum bout requirement, for pee-wee to elite divisions. Boxers competing in Olympic/International Federation weight divisions in junior, youth and elite age groups will be competing for their place on Team USA’s High Performance teams. Complete selection procedures will be announced in the next few weeks. More information about High Performance can be found here.
 
This year’s championships will also have other changes to help provide a safer and easier tournament experience for our members, including staggered check-in days, set late coaches check-in hours, no general weigh-in, as well as a quota for all weight classes. All important changes and information will be released here.
 
Continue to check USABoxing.org and USA Boxing’s social media platforms for important updates on this year’s tournament.

Tournament Information
Venue: Shreveport Convention Center
Registration Opens: Oct. 1
Registration Closes: Nov. 30
Early Check-in: Dec. 5
Full Check-in: Dec. 6
Staggered Check-in: Dec. 7-10
First day of bouts: Dec. 7
LFA, mixed martial arts, MMA

LFA STARTS 2018 WITH 1-2-3 PUNCH!

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LFA 30 MAIN EVENT:
“CURTIOUS”
CURTIS MILLENDER
vs.
“THE PHOENIX”
NICK BARNES
WELTERWEIGHT WAR
FRIDAY, JANUARY 12th LIVE on AXS TV
COSTA MESA HALL AT OC FAIR GROUNDS
COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA
TICKETS ON SALE 12-11-17 AT CAGETIX.COM
LFA 31 MAIN EVENT:
“THE WOLFMAN”
BOBBY MOFFETT
vs.
KNOCKOUT SENSATION
THANH LE
INTERIM FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19th LIVE on AXS TV
COMERICA THEATRE
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
 TICKETS ON SALE 12-11-17 AT COMERICATHEATRE.COM
LFA 32 CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER:
“ALL IN”
BRENDAN ALLEN
vs.
“FLUFFY”
ANTHONY HERNANDEZ
MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD TITLE
+
“SUPERMAN”
RYAN SPANN
vs.
“THE SPARTAN”
ALEX NICHOLSON
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD TITLE
FRIDAY, JANUARY 26th LIVE on AXS TV
GOLDEN NUGGET HOTEL & CASINO
LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA

TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT TICKETMASTER.COM

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) CEO Ed Soares announced the promotion will kick off 2018 with a 1-2-3 punch in January with a trio of star-studded shows in California, Arizona, and Louisiana.

The main event of LFA 30 will feature the long-awaited clash between southern California kingpins and top LFA welterweights “Curtious” Curtis Millender and Nick “The Phoenix” Barnes. LFA 30 – Millender vs. Barnes takes place Friday, January 12th at Costa Mesa Hall at  OC Fair Grounds in Costa Mesa, California.
The following week, LFA heads to Arizona with a fierce interim featherweight title fight in the Valley of the Sun. In the main event, former RFA title challenger and BJJ black belt Bobby “The Wolfman” Moffett battles knockout sensation Thanh Le for the LFA interim featherweight title. LFA 31 – Moffett vs. Le takes place Friday, January 19th at the Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona.
LFA caps the month of January with a pair of title fights in southern Louisiana. In the main event, former LFA title challenger Brendan “All In” Allen faces top undefeated prospect Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez for the vacant LFA middleweight title. In the co-headliner, red-hot Ryan “Superman” Spann will lock horns with UFC vet Alex “The Spartan” Nicholson for the inaugural LFA light-heavyweight title. LFA 32 – Allen vs. Hernandez takes place Friday, January 26th at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The entire main card of all three of these events will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
“I’m excited to kick off 2018 with three straight weeks of LFA action across the country”, stated Soares. “Curtis Millender and Nick Barnes are coming off big wins in LFA headliners and will meet in the main event of LFA 30 in southern California on January 12th. The following week, we head to Arizona with top contenders Bobby Moffett and Thanh Le meeting for the interim featherweight title in the main event LFA 31. We finish the month with two title fights at LFA 32 in southern Louisiana. Brendan Allen faces Anthony Hernandez for the vacant middleweight title in the main event and Ryan Spann will take on Alex Nicholson for the inaugural light-heavyweight title in the co-headliner.”
Millender (13-3) returns home to the building where he fought and won his first seven fights. The Orange County juggernaut is looking to build off a perfect 2017 where he won three fights, including back-to-back LFA headliners. His most recent win came via highlight reel Head Kick KO in the main event of LFA 24. Millender will meet Barnes (12-2) in a long-awaited showdown between two of southern California’s finest. The welterweight stars started their careers in the southern California regional circuit, moved on to Bellator, and will finally meet in the main event of LFA 30. Barnes, like Millender, is coming off an impressive win in an LFA headliner.
The main event of LFA 31 is a fight that casual fans and MMA purists alike are salivating over. It pits a rugged and accomplished BJJ black belt in Moffett (10-2) against one of the most dynamic strikers in all of MMA in Le (7-1) with the LFA interim featherweight title on the line. On paper, this is a textbook grappler vs. striker bout at its highest form. However, both men bring so much more to the table than what their respective martial arts backgrounds represent. Moffett, who trains out of The MMA Lab, has shown a willingness to throw down with anyone, while Le trains with BJJ wunderkind and UFC star Ryan Hall in northern Virginia.
LFA will conclude its busy month of January with a pair of title tilts in southern Louisiana. LFA standout and Louisiana native Allen (8-2) will get a second shot at LFA gold after going five rounds with current UFC star Eryk Anders for the inaugural LFA middleweight title in June. Allen quickly rebounded six weeks later with a submission win in the co-main event of LFA 18. He will face another highly-touted undefeated prospect for the title. This time it comes in the form of the northern California destroyer Hernandez (5-0). The man known as “Fluffy” has finished everyone he has faced inside the first round.
The co-main event of LFA 32 will crown the inaugural LFA light-heavyweight champion. Spann (12-5) is a former Legacy FC title challenger that will look to capture LFA gold in front of his home crowd. “Superman” is riding considerable momentum heading into this fight after dispatching a pair of top contenders in the first round of his last two bouts at LFA 23 and LFA 27. He will face Nicholson (10-4) who has been a man on fire since his four-fight run with the UFC ended in May. The Florida native has been a tour de force since then as he looks to make his way back. In the past two months, “The Spartan” has knocked out three quality opponents in grand total of 3 minutes and 28 seconds.
In September 2016, Legacy FC and RFA officials announced that they would be merging to form the premier developmental organization in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) starting in January 2017. Legacy FC and RFA have launched the careers of over 150 athletes that have reached the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC.
Please visit LFAfighting.com for bout updates and information. LFA is on Facebook at Legacy Fighting Alliance. LFA is also on Instagram at @LFAfighting and Twitter at @LFAfighting.
LFA, mixed martial arts, MMA

LFA RETURNS TO LOUISIANA WITH CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER AT LFA 23

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MAIN EVENT:
 
LFA WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION
DERRICK “D-ROCK” KRANTZ
vs.
LFA WELTERWEIGHT #1 CONTENDER
JAMES NAKASHIMA
 
WELTERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE
 
 
CO-MAIN EVENT:
LFA FLYWEIGHT CHAMPION
ANDREA “KGB” LEE
vs.
82nd AIRBORNE ARMY VETERAN
JAMIE “PRETTY ASSASSIN” THORTON
 
WOMEN’S FLYWEIGHT WORLD TITLE
 
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd LIVE on AXS TV
HORSESHOE CASINO & HOTEL in BOSSIER CITY, LOUISIANA
 
HOUSTON, Texas – Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) CEO Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will return to Louisiana in the third week of September with a championship doubleheader.
The main event of LFA 23 will feature the first title defense of LFA welterweight champion Derrick “D-Rock” Krantz. The Texan powerhouse will defend his world title against undefeated super prospect James Nakashima. The co-main event of LFA 23 will feature the first title defense of LFA women’s flyweight champion Andrea “KGB” Lee. The charismatic cowgirl will defend her title against 82nd Airborne Army veteran Jamie “Pretty Assassin” Thorton. LFA 23 takes place Friday, September 22ndat Horseshoe Casino & Hotel in Bossier City, Louisiana. The entire main card will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
“Derrick Krantz and Andrea Lee will defend their LFA world titles in Bossier City onSeptember 22nd,” stated Soares. “Krantz is a ruthless finisher that can end a fight with one punch. He will face the top welterweight prospect in the sport in James Nakashima. Lee is the first female champion in LFA history and will defend her title against the battle-tested U.S. Army veteran Jamie Thorton. LFA 23 will be another great night of MMA in Louisiana with a pair of fantastic world title fights.”
There are a limited amount of tickets still available, and can be reserved by calling318-453-3730
The main event of LFA 23 will feature one of the most intriguing and high-stakes title fights of the year. The LFA welterweight title will be contested between a proud no-nonsense champion and a can’t miss blue-chip title challenger.

Krantz (20-9) captured the inaugural LFA welterweight championship in May with a tour de force that left MMA purists in a state of exhilaration and his opponent Ben Neumann in a complete daze. The Texan powerhouse unleashed his loaded fistolas early in the second round of their title fight and left Minnesota with a second world championship. Two years earlier, Krantz accomplished a nearly identical feat in the same state against UFC vet Brock Larson to win the Legacy FC welterweight title. Now that Krantz once again has gold firmly wrapped around his waist, he plans on adding some shine to that strap with his first title defense at LFA 23. The LFA kingpin now has his sights set on a blue-chip super prospect in one of MMA’s most pivotal title fights of the year.
Nakashima (7-0) is a special talent. His wrestling pedigree, fearless striking ability, and willingness to engulf himself in every aspect of martial arts has made him the surefire welterweight prospect that MMA pundits have eagerly been waiting for. Some experts argue, that no one in the division has started their career by dominating the level of competition that Nakashima has faced since Georges St-Pierre and Ben Askren. While the Illinois native and University of Nebraska wrestling standout has a long way to go before having his MMA accolades compared to “GSP” and “Funky”, he has undoubtedly taken his division by storm. The John Crouch protégé is not one to rest on his laurels. He has now signed on the dotted line to challenge the feared LFA world champion Derrick Krantz at LFA 23.
Lee (7-2) is one of the most talented female fighters in the world and a popular pick among fight fans to be the face of the newly announced UFC women’s flyweight division once the division takes hold later this year. “KGB” possesses a dynamic skill set, undeniable southern charm, and signature cowgirl accoutrements that has made her one of the most recognizable and adored fighters in the sport. The 28-year-old champion is now ready to defend her title on her adopted home turf of northern Louisiana. Lee is a dead shot on the feet and a submission savvy opportunist on the ground. She now looks to add a successful title defense to her résumé after a lengthy list of potential challengers pulled out, were denied travel visas, got injured, or decided against facing the fierce champion.
“I am more than ready to defend my LFA world title and put on a show for the fans,” Lee exclaimed. “This will be my fourth fight this year. I will show everyone why I am the best flyweight in the world on September 22nd!”
Thorton (4-3) is only one of a few women who was up to the task of challenging the champion Andrea Lee. The 33-year-old 82nd Airborne Army veteran has seen it all when it comes to combat. According to Special-Ops.org, the 82nd Airborne Division is an elite airborne infantry division of the U.S. Army, specializing in parachute assault operations into denied areas. That expertise will come in handy as she prepares to enter hostile territory to dethrone Lee at LFA 23. Everything about Thorton’s career points to the fact that she is an all-or-nothing kind of fighter. “Pretty Assassin” won four of her first five fights, including three straight finishes in under one minute. The most telling sign of Thorton’s go for broke style is the fact she has never seen a fight go out of the first round in seven pro bouts.
Main Card (Televised on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT):
Main Event | Welterweight Title Bout (170 lb)
– Derrick Krantz (20-9) vs. James Nakashima (7-0)
Co-Main Event | Women’s Flyweight Title Bout (125 lb)
– Andrea Lee (7-2) vs. Jamie Thorton (4-3)
Light-Heavyweight Bout (205 lb)
– Ryan Spann (10-5) vs. LeMarcus Tucker (5-2)
Lightweight Bout (155 lb)
– Brandon Shavers (4-0) vs. Bryan Billiot (4-0)
Women’s Flyweight Bout (125 lb)
– Sabina Mazo (3-0) vs. Linsey Williams (1-1)
Featherweight Bout (145 lb)
– Kendrik Williams (4-0) vs. Peter Stanonik (4-2)
Catchweight Bout (177 lb)
– Nick Jackson (5-4) vs. Brandon Martin (4-3)
In September 2016, Legacy FC and RFA officials announced that they would be merging to form the premier developmental organization in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) starting in January 2017. Legacy FC and RFA have launched the careers of over 100 athletes that have reached the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC.
LFA 23 will be the second LFA event to take place in the Shreveport-Bossier City metro area of northern Louisiana. LFA 23 will also mark the promotion’s third visit to the “The Pelican State”. Further information about LFA 23 will be announced soon. The entire main card of LFA 23 will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
Please visit LFAfighting.com for bout updates and information. LFA is on Facebook at Legacy Fighting Alliance. LFA is also on Instagram at @LFAfighting and Twitter at @LFAfighting.