Taylor’s success lands tournament more punch
Posted on Sunday, March 12, 2006
It’s Ray Rodgers’ 30 th year as executive director of the Arkansas state Golden Gloves tournament, and this year, he’s seen an influx of amateur boxers unlike anything he’s experienced in a decade.
On Friday and Saturday night, 132 amateur boxers in 11 weight classes competed at the North Little Rock Community Center for a state Golden Gloves title and the chance to compete in the regional tournament. It was the highest number of entrants, Rodgers said, in at least 10 years.
There were 33 bouts Friday night and 28 championship bouts Saturday. Last year, there were approximately 90 boxers in the tournament.
“It’s better than staggering around trying to fill a [boxing ] card with a cardboard front,” Rodgers said. “This is genuine, legitimate, bang-up boxing. The stress and the strain of making sure your card is filled with quality bouts takes a toll on you. I’m happier than I have been in a long time. And I want the boxing fans of Arkansas and the fans of Golden Gloves who pay to see this to go home happy.”
Rodgers said he can explain the reason for the boxing boom this year in two words — Jermain Taylor.
Little Rock’s middleweight world champion has focused the state’s attention on boxing to a level that hasn’t been seen in years.
“I think it goes without saying that it’s Jermain Taylor [helping boxing’s resurgence ],” Rodgers said. “The energy he brings, and people see him succeeding, and it’s contagious. In the ’ 40 s, everyone wanted to be like Joe Louis. In the ’ 50 s, it was Rocky Marciano. Now these young kids see Jermain and they want to emulate him. And that’s admirable. If they have the work ethic that he has, they’ll get there.”
The biggest jump in entrants occurred in the lower weight classes, which typically feature the younger kids. Rodgers said there are also a number of good, young coaches who are helping attract new boxers, who are appearing from all over the state.
There’s a boxing club in Pine Bluff for the first time in 15 years. There’s one for the first time ever in Augusta and Pottsville, and Sheridan’s boxing club returned after a long hiatus.
Fort Smith has long been a boxing hotbed, but in recent years, the state’s second-largest town has only entered two or three boxers in the Golden Gloves. This year, Fort Smith entered 12.
Five boxers competed in the tournament who probably wished they hadn’t.
Jonathan Nelson (165 pounds ), Rashad Ganaway (132 ), Kortney Boden (super heavyweight ), Adam Loya (125 ) and Joey Gilliand (178 ) each competed in last week’s USA Boxing Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo. The USA Championships and the Golden Gloves are the two most prestigious tournaments
Jonathan Nelson lost in the quarterfinals, the other four lost their first bout. The semifinals and finals of the USA Championships was Thursday, Friday and Saturday, so had they advanced, they would not have been able to compete in the state Golden Gloves tournament.
All five competed at the state tournament.
Nelson, who’s ranked second nationally as a middleweight by USA Boxing, said he enjoys boxing in Arkansas, even if he wished he was still in Colorado.
“I wouldn’t say I’m pleased with it, I just know I have to get back in the gym and work harder,” Nelson said. “But quarterfinals in the nation, that’s pretty good.”
Nelson is setting his sights on the 2008 Olympics, so he will have a chance in Colorado again. Although the turnaround was fast, his coach and uncle, Ozell Nelson, said Jonathan was more than ready for the state tournament.
“I think he is disappointed, but he knows the Golden Gloves is the next road,” Ozell Nelson said. “It’s time to shake that off. He’s very focused now.”
As were 131 other amateur boxers, from all over Arkansas.
“We’ve re-energized the amateurs in the state,” Rodgers said. “The coaches are all full of vim and vigor. I’m excited about the future of amateur boxing in Arkansas. We can reassess these kids in two years, but I see good things.”
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