(JAN 26)
(SPOKANE, WASH.) – 2014 USA Boxing National Championships action
concluded with 20 final round bouts in both men’s and women’s
action on Saturday at the Pend Oreille Pavilion at the Northern
Quest Resort and Casino on Saturday. The day’s competition
featured several rematches and action-packed contests in the 20
final round bouts.
Olympic
bronze medalist Marlen
Esparza (Houston,
Texas) broke her own record for USA Boxing National
Championships success, winning her eighth USA Boxing National
Championships title. Esparza faced off with Virginia
Fuchs (Kemah,
Texas) in a rematch of the 2013 flyweight final. The bout was a
battle for Houston supremacy and Esparza put her foot on the gas
in the third meeting between the two. She gave Fuchs a standing
eight count midway through the bout en route to a unanimous
decision victory.
The
women’s lightweight division final round contest featured a
familiar scene with 2012 Olympian Queen
Underwood (Seattle,
Wash.) battling 2012 World Championships bronze medalist Mikaela
Mayer (Los
Angeles, Calif.). In true rivalry form, the bout was hotly
contested throughout and the tension was thick as the two boxers
awaited the decision. Underwood took the victory by a 2-1 margin
for her seventh USA Boxing national championship title.
2012
Olympic gold medalist Claressa
Shields (Flint,
Mich.) took the third win of the night for the 2012 Olympic Team
in her bout with reigning titlist Franchon
Crews (Baltimore,
Md.). Shields always brings out the best in the veteran Crews
and tonight was no exception. Crews kept the bout close through
the early going, but Shields turned it up as the rounds wore on.
The 18-year-old won a unanimous decision over Crews to claim her
first USA Boxing Elite National Championships title.
Two male
boxers won TKO victories in their championship round bouts on
Saturday night. Genaro
Gamez (San
Diego, Calif.) showcased impressive power in his bout with Jousce
Gonzalez (Glendora,
Calif.). Gamez began unloading on Gonzalez early in the bout and
the referee called a halt to the bout at the 2:18 mark of the
first round, giving him the lightweight title.
In the
men’s light welterweight division, Abraham
Nova (Albany,
N.Y.) won a first round TKO as well. Nova dropped Efrain
Estrada (Hillsboro,
Ore.) with a right hand and the referee stopped the bout, giving
Nova the win at the 1:56 mark of the opening round.
2013 USA
Boxing Youth Champion Jarico
O’Quinn (Detroit,
Mich.) made a successful transition to the elite division with a
victory in the men’s bantamweight division. O’Quinn won a 3-0
decision over Sharone
Carter (St.
Louis, Mo.) for his first elite national title.
Three
defending champions claimed a second gold medal in evening
action. Bantamweight Christina
Cruz (New
York, N.Y.) defeated Amanda
Pavone (Burlington,
Mass.) by unanimous decision to claim another USA Boxing
national championship. In the men’s division, welterweight Jose
Alday (Odessa,
Texas) won his second national title in two years on Saturday.
Alday defeated Chordale
Booker (St.
Louis, Mo.) by split decision to claim the welterweight
championship.
2012
World Champion Tiara
Brown (Lehigh
Acres, Fla.) was pushed to the limit by Lisa
Porter (Valley
Village, Calif.), but Brown pulled out a 2-1 victory over Porter
to win the 2014 USA Boxing National Championship at the
featherweight division.
In the
final bout of the event, defending middleweight champion LeShawn
Rodriquez (Shirley,
N.Y.) earned a 3-0 decision over Anthony
Campbell (Covington,
Tenn.) for his second straight national title.
The
opening session was an even split of reigning and former
titlists and brand new champions taking gold medals. In women’s
light flyweight action, 2012 national champion Alex
Love (Seattle,
Wash.) returned to the top of the medal stand with a 3-0 victory
over Natalie
Gonzalez (New
Rochelle, N.Y.). Love missed last year’s event while taking care
of her duties as a member of the U.S. Army, but she was back
with a vengeance in 2013, winning the first gold medal of the
day for her Army squad.
Leroy
Davila (New
Brunswick, N.J.) put on a masterpiece in his second straight
final round bout. He won a unanimous decision over Joshua
Franco (San
Antonio, Texas) in their men’s light flyweight contest to defend
his 2013 championship.
The men’s
flyweight finale between Malik
Jackson (Washington
DC) and Shawn
Simpson (Chicago,
Ill.) in the 2013 event was one of the fan favorites of the
tournament and Saturday’s rematch lived up to their initial
battle. Once again, the contest was razor close throughout all
three rounds. Jackson was named the winner by split decision,
taking the flyweight championship for the second straight year.
Welterweight Danyelle
Wolf (San
Diego, Calif.) earned her second straight championship in
Saturday’s afternoon session. Wolf took a unanimous decision
victory over Melissa
Kelly (Somerville,
Mass.) in the championship bout to retain her number one status.
Super
heavyweight champion Cam
F. Awesome (Lenexa,
Kansas) faced off with home state athlete Elvis
Garcia (Tacoma,
Wash.) in the final bout of the afternoon session. It was a
typical performance from Awesome, known for his unique style.
The referee took points from both boxers in an effort to clean
up the match, but Awesome pulled out the win by a 2-1 split
decision.
The men’s
and women’s heavyweight bouts were crowd-pleasing showdowns with
both boxers landing major shots throughout the match. Krystal
Dixon (New
Rochelle, N.Y.) upset defending champion Denise
Rico (E.
Los Angeles, Calif.) in an action-packed and entertaining
contest. Dixon took a 3-0 decision over Rico to win her first
USA Boxing national championship. In the men’s bout, 2013 USA
Boxing National Championships silver medalist Joshua
Temple (St.
Louis, Mo.) took his first gold medal in the event following a
split decision win over Sardius
Simmons (Flint,
Mich.). For the second straight day, Temple’s bout had the fans
on their feet as he and Simmons traded powerful blows.
Destiny
Chearino (Warwick,
R.I.), who defeated defending champion Bertha
Aracil (Yonkers,
N.Y.) earlier in the week, took gold in the women’s light
welterweight division with a win on Saturday afternoon. Chearino
defeated Jasmine
Singh (Anaheim,
Calif.) by a 3-0 margin to take the gold medal.
In
women’s light heavyweight competition, Dara
Shen (Alexandria,
Va.) claimed gold with a unanimous decision win over Heidi
Henriksen (St.
Louis, Park, Minn.)
Saturday’s
Championship Results
106
lbs/female: Alex Love, Seattle, Wash./U.S. Army, dec. Natalie
Gonzalez, New Rochelle, N.Y., 3-0
108 lbs/male: Leroy Davila, New Brunswick, N.J., dec. Joshua
Franco, San Antonio, Texas, 3-0
112 lbs/female: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas dec. Virginia
Fuchs, Kemah, Texas, 3-0
114 lbs/male: Malik Jackson, Washington DC dec. Shawn Simpson,
Chicago, Ill., 2-1
119 lbs/female: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Amanda
Pavone, Burlington, Mass., 3-0
123 lbs/male: Jarico O'Quinn, Detroit, Mich., dec. Sharone
Carter, St. Louis, Mo., 3-0
125 lbs/female: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., dec. Lisa
Porter, Valley Village, Calif., 2-1
132 lbs/male: Genaro Gamez, San Diego, Calif., won on TKO over
Jousce Gonzalez, Glendora, Calif., TKO-1 (2:18)
132 lbs/female: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., dec. Mikaela
Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., 2-1
141 lbs/female: Destiny Chearino, Warwick, R.I., dec. Jasmine
Singh, Anaheim, Calif., 3-0
141 lbs/male: Abraham Nova, Albany, N.Y., won on TKO over Efrain
Estrada, Hillsboro, Ore., TKO-1 (1:56)
152 lbs/female: Danyelle Wolf, San Francisco, Calif., dec.
Melissa Kelly, Somerville, Mass., 3-0
152 lbs/male: Jose Alday, Odessa, Texas dec. Chordale Booker,
Brooklyn, N.Y., 2-1
165 lbs/female: Claressa Shields, Flirnt, Mich., dec. Franchon
Crews, Baltimore, Md., 3-0
165 lbs/male: LeShawn Rodriquez, Shirley, N.Y., dec. Anthony
Campbell, Covington, Tenn., 3-0
178 lbs/male: Julius Butler, St. Louis, Mo., dec. Jasper McCargo,
Oakland, Calif., 3-0
178 lbs/female: Dara Shen, Alexandria, Va., dec. Heidi Henriksen,
St. Louis, Park, Minn., 3-0
178+ lbs/female: Krystal Dixon, New Rochelle, N.Y., dec. Denise
Rico, E. Los Angeles, Calif., 3-0
201 lbs/male: Joshua Temple, St. Louis, Mo., dec. Sardius
Simmons, Flint, Mich., 2-1
201+ lbs/male: Cam F. Awesome, Lenexa, Kansas dec. Elvis Garcia,
Tacoma, Wash., 2-1