(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – The opening day of U.S. Future Stars National Championship competition moved into evening action on Sunday night at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Welterweight action opened the session with a high-speed match between Errol Spence (Desoto, Texas) and 2007 Junior Olympic National Champion Wesley Padilla (Rock Springs, Wyo.). Errol maintained a quick pace to defeat Padilla, 17-7..
The next match-up featured middleweights Shawn Porter (Stow, Ohio) and Michael Gavronski (North Bend, Wash.). Porter, the 2007 National Golden Gloves champion and Olympic Trials participant, started round one with fast and sharp combinations to give him a lead of 14-1, and went on to win by stoppage in the second round.
The United States Army’s Zacchaeus Hardrick (Fort Carson, Colo.) and Richard Hardgraves (San Francisco, Calif.) faced off in a hotly-contested bout in middleweight action. Hardrick’s agility and quickness won him the bout by decision, 15-8. Other middleweights moving on in the competition were Jesse Hart (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Ramon Valenzuela (Chicago, Ill.), who each won their respective matches by decision.
Light heavyweight Dorian Anthony (Lynwood, Calif.) started his bout strong and never let up in his match-up with Rodney Ellison. He ended the first round with 4-0 edge before taking the bout on a 17-4 final decision. Thomas Williams (Laurel, Md.) and Andrew Hernandez (Phoenix, Ariz.) will advance to the next round as well.
2008 U.S. Future Stars National Championships preliminary action will continue Monday at noon at the U.S. Olympic Training Center with 38 bouts of outstanding competition.
Evening Preliminary Results
152 lbs/69 kg: Errol Spence, Desoto, Texas, dec. Wesley Padilla, Rock Springs, Wyo., 17-7
165 lbs/75 kg: Shawn Porter, Stow, Ohio, stopped Michael Gavronski, North Bend, Wash., RSCO-2
165 lbs/75 kg: Zacchaeus Hardrick, Fort Carson, Colo., dec. Richard Hardgraves, San Francisco, Calif., 15-8
165 lbs/75 kg: Jesse Hart, Philadelphia, Pa., dec. Andre Penn, Rapids City, S.D., 13-9
165 lbs/75 kg: Ramon Valenzuela, Chicago, Ill., dec. Chap Huggins, Ft. Worth, Texas, 24-17
178 lbs/81 kg: Thomas Williams, Laurel, Md. dec. Jerry Martin, Norfolk, Va., 14-5
178 lbs/81 kg: Dorian Anthony, Lynwood, Calif., dec. Rodney Ellison, Cheyenne, Wyo., 17-4
178 lbs/81 kg: Andrew Hernandez, Phoenix, Ariz., def. Adam Axelson, Bozeman, Mont.
U.S. Future Stars National Championship Action Begins in Colorado Springs
The 2008 U.S Future Stars National Championship opened competition on Sunday afternoon at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. America’s Best Athletes have gathered in the Pikes Peak region for a week-long competition to determine USA Boxing’s Future Stars.
The competition began in lightweight action as Brett Simmons (East Cleveland, Ohio) and Cordaro Simpkins (Chesapeake, Va.) faced off. Simmons enjoyed a quick start, using his long reach and height to his advantage to take a 5-0 lead at the end of one. Simmons picked up the pace in the second round, and extended his lead throughout the bout, winning the match 20-2. New Mexico’s Fidel Maldonado (Albuquerque, N.M) and the United States Marine Corps’ Edgar Ramirez also grabbed first round victories in the lightweight division.
2007 National PAL light welterweight champion Jamal James (Minneapolis, Min.) utilized his outstanding height in reach in his opening bout of the competition as well, defeating David Russell (Pope Airforce Base, N.C .) in preliminary round action. James gained a 4-0 lead in the first round, and held on to his advantage through the second stanza. Russell looked to cut into James’ lead in the third round, but was defeated by James’ strong boxing in the fourth round as James recorded an 18-6 final decision. Fellow victors in the light welterweight division were 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials participant Samuel Martinez (Camp Lejeune, N.C.) and Michael Brooks (Oceanside, N.Y.)
The final bout of the noon session featured 2008 Olympic Team Trials participant Daniel O’Connor (Framingham, Mass.) and Jermoll Charlo (Houston, Texas). Though Charlo had a significant height and reach advantage, he could not keep up with O’Connor’s pace. O’Connor grabbed the lead in the first round, and increased it over the next four minutes for a 12-6 edge. O’Connor held Charlo scoreless in the fourth round to record a 14-6 final decision.
Preliminary round action will continue with eight bouts in the welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight division at 6 p.m. at the United States Olympic Training Center.
Preliminary Round Results
132 lbs/60 kg: Brett Simmons, East Cleveland, Ohio, dec. Cordaro Simpkins , Chesapeake, Va., 20-2
132 lbs/60 kg: Fidel Maldonado, Albuquerque, N.M., dec. Jose Roman, Garden Grove, Calif., 12-9
132 lbs/60 kg: Edgar Ramirez, Camp Lejeune, N.C., dec. Adrian Martinez, Milwaukee, Wis., 2-1
141 lbs/64 kg: Samuel Martinez, Camp Lejeune, N.C. dec. Adrian Orrostieta, Brandenton, Fla., 14-6
141 lbs/64 kg: Jamal James, Minneapolis, Minn. dec. David Russell, Pope Air Force Base, N.C., 18:6
141 lbs/64 kg: Michael Brooks, Oceanside, N.Y. dec. Michael Morales, Bay Point, Calif., +16-16
141 lbs/64 kg: Daniel O’Conner, Framingham, Mass. dec. Jermoll Charlo, Houston, Texas, 14-6
Preliminary Round Action at the 2008 U.S. Future Stars National Championship
Over 270 male and female boxers have convened at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., for the 2008 U.S. Future Stars National Championship, March 9-14. Following the event draw on Saturday night, preliminary round competition will kick off on Sunday, March 9 with 15 bouts on tap in two sessions at noon and 6 p.m.
Preliminary round action will run through March 11 before semifinal round action on March 12, women’s championship bouts on March 13 and men’s final round contests on March 14. The event, which is being called the U.S. Future Stars National Championship for the first time, showcases many of the brightest hopefuls for the 2012 Olympic Games on the men’s side as well as the nation’s top female boxers.
The competition is returning to the Olympic Training Center complex after a one-year hiatus and the OTC will host all six days of action in Sportscenter I, just below the boxing gym where the 2008 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team has been training since September for the upcoming Olympic Games.
The event, formerly known as the U.S. Championships, has showcased all of the stars brightest stars over the past several decades, including: Cassius Clay, Joe Frazier, Ray Leonard, Oscar de la Hoya, Roy Jones, Jr., and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. In addition, 10 of the 11 members of the 2008 United States Olympic Boxing Team boast U.S. Championships titles.
U.S. Future Stars National Championships Schedule
Preliminary Bouts – March 9-11 (noon and 6 p.m.)
Semifinal Bouts – March 12 (noon and 6 p.m.)
Women’s Championship Bouts – March 13 (7 p.m.)
Men’s Championship Bouts – March 14 (7 p.m.)
All competition will take place in Sportscenter I at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
Sunday’s Preliminary Round Bout Sheets
Sunday Noon
Bout 1: 132 lbs: Cordaro Simpkins, Chesapeake, Va. vs. Brett Simmons, East Cleveland, Ohio
Bout 2: 132 lbs: Jose Roman, Garden Grove, Calif. vs. Fidel Maldonado, Albuquerque, N.M.
Bout 3: 132 lbs: Adrian Martinez, Milwaukee, Wis. vs. Edgar Ramirez, Camp Lejeune, N.C., USMC
Bout 4: 141 lbs:Samuel Martinez, Camp Lejeune, NC USMC vs. Adrian Orrostieta, Brandenton, FL
Bout 5: 141 lbs: Jamal James, Minneapolis, MN, PAL vs. David Russell, Pope Air Force Base, NC, USAF
Bout 6: 141 lbs: Michael Brooks, Oceanside, N.Y. vs. Michael Morales, Bay Point, Calif.
Bout 7: 141 lbs: Jermall Charlo, Houston, Texas vs. Daniel O’Conner, Framingham, Mass.
Sunday Evening
Bout 1: 152 lbs: Errol Spence, Desoto, Texas, vs. Wesley Padilla, Rock Springs, Wyo.
Bout 2: 165 lbs: Michael Gavronski, North Bend, Wash. vs. Shawn Porter, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Bout 3: 165 lbs: Richard Hargraves, San Francisco, CA. vs. Zacchaeus Hardrick, Fort Carson, CO, Army
Bout 4: 165 lbs: Andre Penn, Rapids City, S.D. vs. Jesse Hart, Philadelphia, Pa.
Bout 5: 165 lbs: Chap Huggins, Ft. Worth, Texas vs. Ramon Valenzuela, Chicago, Ill.
Bout 6: 178 lbs: Thomas Williams, Laurel, Md. vs. Jerry Martin, Norfolk, Va., Navy
Bout 7: 178 lbs: Rodney Ellison, Cheyenne, Wyo., USAF vs. Dorian Anthony, Lynwood, Calif., PAL
Bout 8: 178 lbs: Andrew Hernandez, Phoenix, Ariz. vs. Adam Axelson, Bozeman, Mont.