26.08.07 -(HOUSTON, TEXAS)—Two more boxers were named to the U.S. Olympic Team this afternoon at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. The 2008 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team is now complete.
In the bantamweight division, the trilogy between Roberto Marroquin (Dalla, Texas) and Gary Russell, Jr. (Capitol Heights, Md.) was completed. Once again, Russell, Jr. had revenge in his eyes. He came out strong and took a 7-2 lead at the end of the first. Each boxer scored four points in the second, allowing Russell, Jr. to maintain his five point lead. Russell, Jr. was up 16-9 going into the last round and although he scored only two points to Marroquin’s five, he held on to win 18-14, making him the only boxer to become an Olympic Team member boxing out of the challenger’s bracket. “I lost my first night and had to box my way out,” Russell, Jr. said. “That’s where champions come from. The key was to get up early on points, I knew when I was up, he had to come at me. I want anyone around me that had a positive influence on my life to feel as though they helped get me to where I am now.”
The second bout of the afternoon paired Raynell Williams (Cleveland, Ohio) against Hylon Williams (Houston, Texas). Beginning with the first bell and ending with the final decision, both featherweights put on an excellent show. R. Williams held a 10-3 edge over H. Williams at the end of round one. R. Williams continued to connect in the second and increased his lead 17-7. H. Williams had a big third round, scoring eight points and narrowing R. Williams’ lead to six. Despite H. Williams’ fourth round fire, R. Williams defeated H. Williams, 24-22. “It means the world to me,” R. Williams said. “It was a hard road to get here. When I lost yesterday, I was really mad, but I didn’t let it get to me. I kept him in the middle of the ring because he likes to rush me. I just let my hands go.”
With the two bouts today, the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team is now complete.
2008 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team
106 lbs: Luis Yanez, Duncanville, Texas
112 lbs: Rau’shee Warren, Cincinnati, Ohio
119 lbs: Gary Russell, Jr., Capitol Heights, Md.
125 lbs: Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio
132 lbs: Sadam Ali, Brooklyn, N.Y.
141 lbs: Javier Molina, Commerce, Calif.
152 lbs: Demetrius Andrade, Providence, R.I.
165 lbs: Shawn Estrada, Downey, Calif.
178 lbs: Christopher Downs, Fort Carson, Colo.
201 lbs: Deontay Wilder, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
201+ lbs: Michael Hunter, Las Vegas, Nev.
Day Two Championship Bouts
119 lbs/54 kg: Gary Russell, Jr., Capitol Heights, Md., dec. Roberto Marroquin, Dallas, Texas, 18-14
125 lbs/57 kg: Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio, dec. Hylon Williams, Jr., Houston, Texas, 24-22