Kareem Martin, Josue Gonzales Impress At PAL Nationals
Photos by Sarah Deming for StiffJab.com
by Sarah Deming
OXNARD, Calif.–Plenty of adorableness was on display Friday night in here at Police Athletic League Nationals as the pint-sized finalists in the bantam divisions did battle. Above is Oliver Badillo, the new national champion in the 75-pound, 11-12 year-old division.
“What I love about this sport is the discipline. Even if they never do anything with boxing, they’re going to know what it is to dedicate themselves to something,” says Oliver’s trainer George Melendez of Dallas PAL.
Many of the younger female boxers won unopposed, but we were treated to one great match in the 95-pound, 13-14 year-old division. Chloe Beardsley (above) of CYC Concord went into the match 7-0, but Heaven Garcia (below) of Jerry Ortiz Boxing spoiled her record.
When asked why she won, Heaven replied, “I landed more punches.”
Charles Naone and family came all the way from Hawaii to capture the 145-pound junior title.
As the evening wore on, the boxers got bigger and the violence more earnest. The battle between Genaro Gamez and Josue Gonzales for the 132-pound, 17-18 year-old division was especially thrilling. Stiff Jab favorite Lamont Roach, Jr. (below) had previously fallen to Gonzales in a closely-contested semifinal bout. Gonzales continued his roll, edging out the superb Gamez, another boxer we have followed with interest since his brave battles in the 2012 National Championships.
(Left to right): Dwight Martin; Lamont Roach, Jr; Coach "Boogie” Harris of Headbangers; Kareem “Reemo” Marin; Coach Lamont Roach of NoXcuse
In the youth welterweight final, Kareem Martin (above) did his Headbangers thing, walking Fabian Alvarado to the ropes and letting fly downstairs. Alvarado had a tight guard, but Martin chipped away like a stone mason, finding plenty of punching room below the elbows and in between the forearms. It was a body punching clinic.
Flyweight veteran Sacred Downing (above) shook off the ring rust with a dominant semifinal win over Maryguenn Vellinga. In one of the worst decisions we’ve seen, Olympic bronze medalist Marlen Esparza was awarded all four rounds on every judge’s card in her match against fellow Texan Virginia Fuchs.
You could have made an argument for Esparza in the first two rounds, but afterward she tired visibly and was huffing and puffing while Fuchs boxed circles around her, landing multiple lead lefts and right hooks.
“It was a disgrace,” said Philadelphia coach Charlie Sgrillo.
Fuchs is no stranger to odd judging. She lost to Esparza in a close match in the 2012 Nationals that many observers felt went the other way. We scored that fight for Esparza, but only by a point or two. Again, the judges’ cards made it a shutout.
“I feel like the only way I can win is if I knock her out,” said Fuchs. “Well, there’s always Nationals.”