Oh the Pain....
By Kate Gardiner in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 17, 2009 7:45PM
The thing about Chicago Golden Gloves amateur boxing is that over here at Chicagoist, we've been covering the heck out of it. We've met many of the fighters, their parents, their coaches and their promoters. And it's been fantabulous.
But like just about everyone else, we've been keeping our eyes peeled for the future greats -- including young fighters like Tracy Rollins and Derek Zugic.
Focusing on the blinding lights, however, meant that we've been ignoring a few of the quieter fighters, including Junior Wright Jr., whose solid first round punches took the sparkle out of Zugic's eye, the energy from his punches in the second and sent him tumbling into the ropes in the third for a Wright win.
Wright, now the 178-Open champion, will go to the nationals with an amazing track record for age 22 -- he was the 165 Open champ two years running, and in his first year in his new weight class, he's the undisputed Chicago Golden Gloves winner. It's really cool for Wright, who's been working at Home Depot and saving up money for community college classes -- and a blow to Zugic, the favorite and a three-time Gloves winner in his own right.
Other great fights last night included a bout between Nathan Valenzuela and Limberth Vieyra. Valenzuela won, a fact his family probably hopes will set a trend - his brother, Ramon Valenzuela, Jr., fights up-and-coming fighter Rollins tonight.
According to the program, though, Rollins should be wary of his opponent, who "frequently employs illegal tactics and lets his anger get the best of him sometimes." Regardless, it's a match to be watched -- and regardless of the outcome we'll be in the corner, shooting photos.
The rest of Thursday night's results are below.
Division Winner Club Result Loser Club
139SN Sean Gee UA RSC2 Kenneth Stephens Harrison
139N Joseph McDaye Harvey DEC Joseph Hefferle Elgin
F119O Tiffany Perez Team Chgo DEC Tiffany Griffin South Chgo
132SN Juan Taurez DBB DEC Carlos Bonilla Hamlin
201+O David Latoria Leyden RSC1 Norbert Pateo Hudson
F147N Pearle Gonzalez Combatdo DEC Sarah Coix W. Chgo
165SN Ariel Martinez Torres DEC Joel Ramos Warehouse
200SN Darrick Howard Jr. Dynamite DEC Abraham Davis Hudson
152O Nathan Valenzuela Matadors DEC Limberth Vieyra Alley Cat
210+N Ricky Cook Gladiators DEC Trevor Williams Harvey
178O Junior Wright Evanston RSC3 Derek Zugic Garfield
F132SN Gabrielle Davis Pit Bull DEC Alexandra Cerda CBA
201+O Lashawn Liston Gary PAL DEC Elvia Rubio Scottsdale
*Not sure how to read the above? F means female, so Tiffany Perez fought Tiffany Griffin in a bout of 119-pound open; the bout was decided by the judges. Darrick Howard, Jr., of the Dynamite Boxing Club, fought Abraham Davis of Hudson in a bout of 200-pound senior novice. S means senior in this context, N, novice and O, open. Fighters are qualified for novice and open based on their past fight experience.
(Want to see more pictures? Check it out.)