MILWAUKEE, Wisc. (Feb. 10) – Boxers around Wisconsin are working hard to be
as ready as they can for a busy winter season. Tournaments, shows and just
plain training is keeping athletes, coaches and fans busy and happy. Even
the pros are getting some action as one of the leading women boxers in
Wisconsin has just reversed a decision to retire that she made more than a
year and a half ago. The major tournament on the near horizon is the North
Mid-West Region (6) Senior Amateur Tournament for men and women set for next
Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 15 and 16, at Milwaukee United Community Center,
1028 S. Ninth St., Milwaukee. Contact: ISRAEL ACOSTA 414-649-4404. Just a
week later in Nekoosa the Wisconsin Rapids Boxing Club under the leadership
of Ken Hilgers will stage its second annual Nekoosa Amateur Boxing Show at 7
P.M., Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Nekoosa Senior High School, 200 Cedar St.
Contact: KEN HILGERS 715-886-4189. And during that week a private
members-only boxing smoker will be held at one of the private clubs in
Milwaukee as Al Moreland Boxing Club conducts the second of the private
shows he runs almost every year for organizations. Contact: AL MORELAND
414-263-4461.
When March comes in like
a lamb or a lion, boxing in the state will be right in its shadow as the
Chippewa Valley Boxing Club takes its show on the road March 8 and stages an
amateur program in Eau Claire at the Ramada Inn. Contact: SCOTT ROBINSON
715-726-1537. Following up a week later on March 15 Dennis Sprague's
Oshkosh Boxing Club runs another of its popular amateur boxing shows at the
old Eagles club on Washington avenue, now called Studio Hall. Contact:
DENNIS SPRAGUE 920-233-1875. A week after that, amateur boxers head to
Milwaukee March 22 for one of Duke Roufus' productions at the Rave, 2401 W.
Wisconsin Ave.. This veteran promoter of successful kick boxing shows and a
former world champion kick boxer himself, has said he is dedicated to
attracting more women to boxing. He is looking for women interested in
competing in his Rave amateur boxing show and others that will follow.
Contact: ROUFUS or SCOTT JOFFE 414-319-1151.
A week after that on March 28, Gary Pliner of the Chub's Boxing Club,
Janesville, and Bob Lynch of Ford's gym in Madison, are joining forces to
promote a pro/am boxing show at the Holiday Inn Express in Janesville.
Andrea Nelson has been signed as one side of the only pro women's bout on
the card. World champion flyweight Eric Morel will fight on this card as
well but it will not be a title defense. Both Nelson and Morel box out of
Ford's Gym with coach Lynch. Contact: PLINER 608-758-0320 or LYNCH
608-233-8854.
It's the amateurs again
in April as the Wisconsin Golden Gloves returns to Milwaukee after a long
stay in Racine, south of Milwaukee by 30 miles or so. The Golden Gloves
preliminaries are set to start April 19 at the Rave, 2401 W. Wisconsin Ave.,
in Milwaukee. The next weekend, April 26, will see the semi-finals and on
May 3 the Rave will host the finals of the long running state tournament.
Contact: HOWARD ZAFFKE 715-854-3386. A relatively new boxing club that was
opened last April in Crandon by Mark Daniels, Sr., is attracting a lot of
women, according to Daniels. Daniels is working at his Forest County
Potowatomi Warriors Youth Boxing Club, which has ten or twelve females,
hoping he can get them ready to compete in the next few weeks. There are as
many as 20 men working out at the gym, too. Contact: MARK DANIELS
715-478-5139. On the national scene the United States Amateur Boxing
Championship are March 24 to 28 in Colorado Springs. National Golden Gloves
Tournament is May 26 to 31 in Las Vegas. The Police Athletic League finals
are in Toledo, Ohio, this year from Sept. 20 to 27.
