Preliminary
Action Gets Underway in Grand Rapids The first boxers entered the ring as preliminary action in the 2008 National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions got underway Monday afternoon in Grand Rapids. Michigan’s second largest city is hosting the 81st annual installment of the Golden Gloves national open-class tournament, which is often a boxer’s final amateur tournament before turning pro. The tournament, which draws amateur male boxers aged 17-34 with at least ten prior fights, from across the country, has only been held in Michigan once before – in 2000 – in the tournament’s eight decades of existence. Twenty-nine regions and 286 boxers are participating.
On Monday, the first round of prelims were conducted in three rings with four weightclasses contested: 125, 141, 165 and 201-lbs. Forty-five bouts were contested with an equal number advancing and an equal number seeing their dreams of national gold disappear. Boxers from three regions comprising Michigan clubs took part Monday: Three boxers each from the Detroit Metro and Michigan regions and one boxer from Monroe, which is part of the Toledo region. Only two of the seven young men, both from the Michigan state team, survived at the end of the day. Johnny Garcia (141-lbs) is still in the game with a decision over New Jersey’s Dustin Fleischer and Ben Williams (165-lbs) decisioned Nelson Ramos of Texas. Both fighters have Tuesday off while preliminary action continues on the other classes. Michigan’s Richard Munoz (125-lbs) lost by points to St. Louis’ Lamarkis Cowan. Detroit Metro’s team did not fare well out of the gate. James Smith (125-lbs) lost a decision to Kansas City’s Jose Saenz, Andriy Stankevych (141-lbs) lost by decision to Chicago’s Ramiro Carrillo, and Willie Fortune (165-lbs) lost to Cerresso Fort of the Upper Midwest region. Fighting with the Toledo team, Monroe’s William (Mickey) Ford-Walk lost by points to Wisconsin’s Noah Reece. The
action continues through Saturday evening at the Devos Event Center. |