Champs
Crowned in First Annual Tournament Michigan’s newest and only non-advancing and International amateur boxing tournament ended last week after three evenings of action. Eric McGuire of Ann Arbor’s A-Square Fight Club was the originator and host of the annual James “Lights Out” Toney Invitational Tournament held at the city’s Veterans Memorial Park hockey rink August 22-24. The event was for open-class boxers (ten or more fights) but some non-tournament bouts were part of the mix. Twenty-two clubs representing Michigan, Ohio and Canada participated to give the tournament its international foundation: Sixteen from in-state, five from Ohio and one from Canada. Thirty-five bouts were contested over the three days in the sweltering heat of the ice-removed hockey rink with the champions receiving high quality belts as prizes. Participating clubs were less than expected – in the weeks leading up to the event, McGuire reported interest from clubs in 4-5 states and even Puerto Rico – and spectators were scarce but the quality of the competition was high and the presence of former champion and Michigan-native James Toney was certainly a highlight. Toney, for whom the tournament was named, attended all three days (he arrived late on Friday because his flight was delayed) and was always gracious, signing autographs and posing for pictures with young amateurs and adults alike. Enough can not be said about Toney’s appearance and kudos go to McGuire for arranging it.
11-12 Years: Caleb Chesternut (65-lbs) of Motown, Alex Barrientos (75-lbs) of DAC, and Tipton Walker (85-lbs) and Raheem Alexander (95-lbs), both of Benton Harbor PAL. Barrientos and Alexander were uncontested. Female boxer Jasmine Hampton (90-lbs) of A-Square was uncontested. 13-14 Years: FWC's Eddie Dean (75-lbs), James Taylor of A-Square (80-lbs) and Jaquil Short (100-lbs) of Albion were uncontested. David Jasso (106-lbs) and Zach Shamoun (119-lbs) of Casa De Boxeo, Bruce Martin (125-lbs) of Coleman Young Recreation and Benton Harbor PAL's Jermaine Futrell (152-lbs) fought and won while Toledo, Ohio's Albert Bell (112-lbs) won by walkover. Female boxer Claressa Shields (138-lbs) of FWC was uncontested. 15-16 Years: Anthony Lindsay (132-lbs) of Big Dog Boxing, Zeddie Adams (141-lbs) of Cleveland, Ohio and Brandon Love (152-lbs) of Hakeem Boxing. 17+
Years: Muskegon Area Boxing Club's Raeese Aleem (125-lbs) and Joel
Flores (132-lbs), Butzel's Michael Portillo (141-lbs), Kronk's Leandre
White (152-lbs) and Craig Lewis (201+ lbs), Toledo's Just Us' Damar
Singleton (165-lbs), Canada's Huf Gym's Jonathan Rego (178-lbs)
and A-Square's Ryan Rawls (201+ lbs). Toledo, Ohio's female fighters
Unique Carter (132-lbs) and Jenna Johlin (154-lbs). Johlin was uncontested.
Because of an error, two champions were crowned at 201+. Ibrahem
Ali / A-Square (75-lbs), Cody Hopkins / River Rouge Boxing (125-lbs),
James Taylor / A-Square (80-lbs) and Ryan Rawls / A-Square (201+).
Rawls won in both tournament and non-tournament action.
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