Golden Gloves: And Then There Was One...
By Kate Gardiner in News on May 9, 2009 5:00PM
The national Golden Gloves finals are tonight at Utah's Salt Palace Convention Center - and Chicago still has a man in the running. Lamar Fenner, 26, told Chicagoist he's "the littlest guy in height," but that those stats (5'10", 195 pounds) haven't mattered yet - the Leo High School alum has punched his way through to the top of the competition. "It's my first time in Utah," he said. "And I think the most important thing was to set a pattern. The first fight was the hardest because I was nervous and I didn't really know what was going on." But, he said, being in the ring fighting boxers he's never seen before wasn't really a worry.
"The guy's gotta be good if he's in the semis," Fenner (pictured right) said, talking about his competitors last night, "And I haven't seen him fight, but really, when I get in the ring, I look at the other person, put my gloves on, see what he's got and then show him what I got." The strategy seems to be working - Fenner's boxing record stands at 24-0 through last night. Fenner came into the sport his freshman year at Leo High School, where he picked up boxing in addition to wrestling and football under the tutelage of Mike Joyce, the school's coach. He said he won in the junior nationals in 2001, but hasn't really been chasing the boxing dream.
After high school, he wrestled for Lincoln College, graduated with an associate's degree and then followed his athletic prowess to its natural conclusion: Fenner's mixed martial arts record stands at 6-0. He said he hopes to win the national competition tonight, then drop 27 pounds to 168 and go professional on the boxing circuit. "My support really comes from Mike, and from the South Side Irish neighborhood," he said. "Mike's gonna come out for the finals." Fenner said his family is aware of what he's doing, and how well he's doing it, but that they don't really come out to the bouts. "They're happy enough on the phone," he said. "I just call 'em and tell 'em - I rarely lose."
If Fenner, the son of a Chicago firefighter and a retired Chase Morgan banker, wins tonight, he'll share a national title with veteran heavyweight boxer and Olympic bronze medalist Nate Jones, who won the 1994 and 1995 Golden Gloves competitions. It won't be easy - Jordan Shimmell (Hudsonville, Mich.), in action below, has a storied history and his eyes on the prize. The 20-year-old has been fighting in the Gloves since he was 17, and in the ring since he was 8. He was a silver medalist for the 2006 national title. Shimmell won the 2007 World Golden Gloves tournament.
According to the Grand Rapids Press:
"Obviously, it was a tough fight," Shimmell said. "I thought I had it, but I wasn't 100 percent sure. Knowing I would have a shot at the title, if I won, really pushed me tonight."
Chicago's other semi-finalist, Tracy Rollins, was knocked out of the running for his first national title by boxer Luis Arias. Arias will go on to fight Swede Naim Terbunja tonight.