Kronk Gold Glovers Matched Tough
Posted: May 4, 2008
by Lindy Lindell

Just three days prior to their first round bouts in the 2008 National Golden Gloves Tournament in Grand Rapids, Kronk boxers, light-heavyweight J'Leon Love and junior-middleweight Leandre White, Detroit representatives in their weight classes, had furious fights against come-to-fight opposition at Bert's Warehouse, May 2.

Jordan Rutland (left) and Ronnie Austion do battle at 115-lbs. Photo Credit: Bob Ryder

In Lucas Welniak, out of the Border City Gym, J'Leon Love had no animal in front of him, but because he wanted the work or because he was unable to overwhelm his foe, Love had more competition than that of a mere walkover and Welniak had no trouble going the 4-round route. Love won all the rounds convincingly, but was backed up against the ropes a couple of times in the second half of the fight.

As for Leandre White, he was pressed throughout by Demare Singleton (Bull Pen) and was awarded a very close decision. Win or lose, White and Love were guaranteed their spots as the Detroit reps for first-round bouts Monday night in Grand Rapids. Thanks to Singleton pressing White, particularly in the last two rounds or their four-rounder, White found himself fighting off the ropes more than he had wished as he seemed to take the harder blows.

Roy Barringer (left) stopped Ray Harris. Photo Credit: Bob Ryder

The trainer of both Love and White defended the decision to engage in competitive bouts so close to the "real thing" in Grand Rapids: "This was a good workout for them. If they hadn't have had these fights, they would have been working out in the gym," said Javan Hill. “This was much better for them and prepares them better than any gym workout would have."

The Love and White bouts made a show, billed as pro-am, an engaging evening of boxing, despite the fact that NONE of the pro fights materialized. The crowd, thinned by half from last month's pro-am card, did not seem overly disappointed that Dominique Dolton, who turned pro last month, did not fight due to his opponent supposedly being injured the day of the fight.

Leandre White (left) and Damar Singleton. Photo Credit: Bob Ryder.

Promoter Rubin Stovall had the problem of the original Dolton opponent falling out before a 1-4 boxer (who apparently fell out the morning of the fight) was secured. It is time for an experienced and competent matchmaker to be secured, as the problem has worsened even from last month's show when only eight rounds of boxing were scheduled; a minimum of 12 is supposedly required by the State. In the main go, Dolton faced an opponent who announced to anyone who would listen that his effort would be less than his best, and sure enough, he turned his back, quitting in the second round. Dolton and the fans deserved better.

Getting fourteen boxers into the ring (for 7 fights) is now an impossible task in Michigan without the subsidy of television, and that promoters are now going to the pro-am format is a good idea, if not a necessity. In November 2007, veteran matchmaker Tom Vacca struggled mightily to put together four fights for a card in Warren, all of which were piss-poor despite his good intentions (this journalist had a hand in making two of those fights), and has vowed to forego any future assignments that might come his way in Michigan.

It remains for promoter Stovall and his co-promoters to spend the money that an experienced matchmaker requires rather than to try to save money by paying little or nothing--that will end up costing more in the long run when the sure-fire fallouts occur as they inevitably do in Michigan boxing in 2008.

Results:

J'Leon Love, 174, Kronk, W4 Lucas Welniak, 176, Border City.
LeAndre White, 153, Kronk, W4 Demare Singleton, 154, Bull Pen.
Ronnie Austion, 115, Motown, W3 Jordan Rutland, 115, Kronk.
Roy Berringer, 163, Just Us, RSC4 Raymond Harris, 154, Kronk.
Mike Rafne, 216, River Rouge, RSC2 Roko Gjokaj, 207, Kronk.

Fighter of the night: J'Leon Love.

Fight of the night: White v. Singleton.