23.08.07 – (HOUSTON, TEXAS)—There were 16 evening bouts contested on Wednesday at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Boxing in the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. Contenders in the flyweight, featherweight, light welterweight, middleweight and heavyweight divisions competed to move one step closer to the Olympic team.
1984 Olympic bronze medallist and former heavyweight world champion Evander Holyfield (Atlanta, Ga.) will address the athletes as well as members of the upcoming Cadet (15 and 16-year-old) World Championships team on 1:30 p.m. on Thursday at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
2004 Olympian Rau’shee Warren (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Aaron Alafa (Visalia, Calif.) met in the flyweight division winners bracket contest. Warren held a 6-2 lead at the end of the first, but Alafa cut it to a three-point difference by the end of round two. Warren kept connecting with his punches in the third round, and had a 13-9 lead going into the fourth. He enjoyed a big final round, and went on to win the bout 21-12 to earn a spot in the final bout. “My game plan for this bout changed a little bit because we didn’t get to compete in the finals of the U.S. Championships,” Warren said. “I threw hard punches throughout the bout, at first I tried to go to the body, but my coach told me to throw the jab. I think we are going to meet up again and the next time we meet, I will use more speed and be more of the typical Rau’shee.”
In the flyweight challengers’ bracket, Qa’id Muhammad (Atlantic City, N.J.) defeated David Gaspar (Wilmington, Calif.) 44-28, and Bruno Escalante (Waimanalo, Hawaii/NMU) defeated Juan Leija (Alvin, Texas) 26-20 to set up Thursday’s flyweight contest between the two.
Raynell Williams (Cleveland, Ohio) and Hylon Williams, Jr. (Houston, Texas) put on a great show in the featherweight division winners bracket. H. Williams led at the end of the first round by a score of 5-3, and continued to land big punches in both the second and third. H. Williams led 12-8 going into the fourth, but R. Williams would not go down without a fight. Refusing to be defeated, he scored nine points in the fourth and held H. Williams to only four to take a 17-16 final decision and earn a berth in the final round. “I was tense in the early rounds, and couldn’t get my shots off, but I started letting them go in the last round,” R. Williams said. “I was hesitant to throw my punches early and the crowd was behind him. My coaches told me that if I didn’t let my hands go, that would be it and I couldn’t let that happen.”
Shemuel Pagan (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Rico Ramos (Los Angeles, Calif.) both advanced in the featherweight challengers’ bracket. Pagan defeated Troy Wohosky (Medford, Ore.) 17-10 and Ramos defeated Duran Caferro (Helena, Mont.), 16-8 to move on.
Light welterweights Javier Molina (Commerce, Calif.) and Dan O’Connor (Framingham, Mass.) faced each other in the hopes of making it to the final bout. Tied at two at the end of the first round, O’Connor took a slim 6-5 lead going into round three. Refusing to be defeated, Molina scored six points in the third and held O’Connor to only two points. Molina landed his punches in the fourth and went on to win 18-10. “I felt good, I was up three at the beginning of the fourth round and I didn’t want to stand there and trade so I started moving to maintain my lead,” Molina said. He got wild in the fourth so it was easier to dodge his punches.”
Two familiar foes will face off in the challengers bracket on Thursday following victories by Jeremy Bryan (Clifton, N.J.) and Danny Garcia (Philadelphia, Pa.). Bryan won a 7-3 decision over Andre Sherard (Milwaukee, Wis.) and Garcia rode a 17-point third round to a 29-21 victory over Michael Dallas (Bakersfield, Calif.).
Deontay Wilder (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) and Quantis Graves (Cut Off, La.) faced each other in the heavyweight division. Wilder held Graves scoreless in the first round, but he himself was only able to score one point. Wilder increased his lead in the second and was up 4-2 going into the third. Never looking back, Wilder kept connecting and won the bout 11-7 in only the 20th bout of his boxing career. “I feel great, I am glad that I can rest for two days and work on my strategy for Saturday. That’s what it’s all about, winning one for my little one,” Wilder said. “It’s amazing how far I’ve come. When you want something really bad and you finally get there, it feels like a fairy tale.”
Adam Willett (Bellport, N.Y.) and David Carey (Anchorage, Alaska) were the final two boxers to claim challengers bracket victories, closing Wednesday’s action with two wins. Willett earned a 20-5 victory over Anthony Tettis (Ridgeway, Pa.) while Carey defeated Joe Guzman (Fort Carson, Colo.) by a 23-11 margin.
Eleven challengers bracket round will be contested on Thursday night at 6 p.m. at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. The winners from Thursday’s action will move on to Friday while their opponents will be eliminated from the tournament.
Full middleweight results will be available shortly.
Wednesday’s Evening Results
112 lbs/winners bracket: Rau’shee Warren, Cincinnati, Ohio, dec. Aaron Alafa, Visalia, Calif., 21-12
112 lbs/challengers: Bruno Escalante, Waimanalo, Hawaii/NMU, dec. Juan Leija, Alvin, Texas, 26-20
112 lbs/challengers bracket: Qa’id Muhammad, Atlantic City, N.J., dec. David Gaspar, Wilmington, Calif., 44-28
125 lbs/winners bracket: Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio, dec. Hylon Williams, Jr., Houston, Texas, 17-16
125 lbs/challengers bracket: Rico Ramos, Los Angeles, Calif., dec. Duran Caferro, Helena, Mont., 16-8
125 lbs/challengers bracket: Shemuel Pagan, Brooklyn, N.Y., dec. Troy Wohosky, Medford, Ore., 17-10
141 lbs/winners bracket: Javier Molina, Commerce, Calif., dec. Dan O’Connor, Framingham, Mass., 18-10
141 lbs/challengers bracket: Danny Garcia, Philadelphia, Pa., dec. Michael Dallas, Bakersfield, Calif., 29-21
141 lbs/challengers bracket: Jeremy Bryan, Clifton, N.J., dec. Andre Sherard, Milwaukee, Wisc., 7-3
165 lbs/challengers bracket: Shawn Porter, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, dec. Fernando Guerrero, Salisbury, Md., 22-19
165 lbs/challengers bracket: Dominic Wade, Largo, Md. stopped Zach Hardrick, Fort Carson, Colo., RSCO-3 (0:45)
201 lbs/winners bracket: Deontay Wilder, Tuscaloosa, Ala., dec. Quantis Graves, Cut Off, La., 11-7
201 lbs/challengers bracket: David Carey, Anchorage, Alaska, dec. Joe Guzman, Fort Carson, Colo., 23-11
201 lbs/challengers bracket: Adam Willett, Bellport, N.Y. dec. Anthony Tettis, Ridgeway, Pa., 20-5
Thursday’s Bouts
106 lbs: Malcolm Franklin, Rialto, Calif. vs. Roberto Ceron, Doraville, Ga.
112 lbs: Bruno Escalante, Waimanalo, Hawaii/NMU vs. Qa’id Muhammad, Atlantic City, N.J.
119 lbs: Sergio Perales, Los Fresnos, Texas vs. Gary Russell, Jr., Capitol Heights, Md.
125 lbs: Rico Ramos, Los Angeles, Calif. vs. Shemuel Pagan, Brooklyn, N.Y.
132 lbs: Terence Crawford, Omaha, Neb. vs. Miguel Gonzalez, Cleveland, Ohio
141 lbs: Danny Garcia, Philadelphia, Pa. vs. Jeremy Bryan, Clifton, N.J.
152 lbs: Boyd Melson, Fort Carson, Colo. vs. Charles Hatley, Dallas, Texas
165 lbs: Dominic Wade, Largo, Md. vs. Shawn Porter, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
178 lbs: Angel Concepcion, East Orange, N.J., vs. Cymone Kearney, Oakland, Calif.
201 lbs: Adam Willett, Bellport, N.Y. vs. David Carey, Anchorage, Alaska
201+ lbs: Mike Wilson, Central Point, Ore. vs. Andrew Shepherd, Fort Carson, Colo.