National
Golden Gloves The third and final day of preliminary competition has ended at the 2009 National Golden Gloves (NGG) Championships in Salt Lake City with thirteen Michigan based fighters competing. Eight boxers won their bouts and advance to the quarterfinals while five fighters were eliminated. Among the five boxers from the state that lost on Wednesday was defending 201 pound champion Craig Lewis who this year moved up a weightclass to super-heavy at 201+ pounds. Advancing fighters include defending champion Ernesto “Ernie” Garza III of Saginaw at 119 pounds. Eighty-one bouts were contested in three rings narrowing the field as elite boxers from across the country move forward in their quest for a championship ring. Quarterfinal bouts begin Thursday at 6:00 pm. . Michigan MGGA’s Jordan Shimmell defeated Donovan Dennis of Iowa. It was the #10 ranked Shimmell’s second bout of the week. Saginaw Boxing’s Ernesto Garza III, the defending champion, won over Knoxville, Tennessee’s Adrian Brown in his second fight of the tournament at 119 pounds. Raeese Aleem’s first fight of the tournament was a decision win over Todd Dekinderen of Washington, DC at 132 pounds. Aleem fights out of the Muskegon Area Boxing Club (MABC). The senior member of the team, Johnny Garcia of MABC, decisioned Chicago’s Alex Martin at 141 pounds in his second fight of the week to maintain his leadership role for the team. Sugar Tony Rosario’s Kyle McNutt lost a decision to Toledo’s James Shorter in a 201+ pound contest. It was McNutt’s second bout this week and his second bid for national gold. Tyler James of Grand Rapids’ MLK Gym lost in his first fight of the tournament to Isaac Aguilar of the Rocky Mountain team at 112 pounds. This was James’ second national appearance. Defending champion Craig Lewis lost to Pennsylvania’s Bryant Jennings at 201 pounds. Detroit Erick De Leon won overTony Lee of the Upper Midwest at 132 lbs. It was the Kronk teenager’s second win of the weeklong tourney. Roberto Figueroa of the new Southwest Detroit (SWD) Boxing Club defeated Indiana’s Dewayne Wisdom. It was the 125-lb Figueroa’s first tournament fight and his first appearance at the National Golden Gloves. Leandre White of Kronk defeated New York State’s Raymond Valez at 152 pounds in White’s second fight in two days. James Smith of Butzel Recreation in Detroit defeated Luis Rosa of New England in his first 119 pound bout of the week in what is his third NGG appearance. Andriy Stankevych of the Hamtramck Boxing Club lost to Kansas City southpaw Alemeo Carter in his second 141-lb fight of the tournament. The 17-year old Warren boxer improved over last year when he lost in the first round. Heavyweight
Demetrius Banks of the Detroit Boxing Jungle lost a decision to
Javonta Charles of Mid-South. It was Banks’ first National
Golden Gloves appearance. |