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Olympic Trials- The Finalists

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Olympic Trials- The Finalists … with one to come

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Triumphant Flyweight Virginia Fuchs (l) and Middleweight Claressa Shields have won their respective finals at the 2015 Olympic Trials in Memphis, TN. They have earned the right to compete at the Continental Olympic Qualifier in 2016 as USA Boxing Olympians. Photo Credit: USA Boxing

Flyweight contender Virginia Fuchs had her night of relentless technical execution and determination that led to the 2-1 unseating of the 2012 bronze medalist Marlen Esparza.

Reigning Olympic gold medalist in the middleweight division Claressa Shields had her 3-0 night, fending off her challenger, Tika Hemingway, who’d loudly proclaimed that she’d take it from her. Shields had other plans and after outboxing Hemingway with an impressive performance, became the United States only two-time female boxing Olympian.

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Lighweight Jajaira Gonzales (l) lives to fight another day against Mikaela Mayer. The box-off is set for 4:00 PM on Sunday, November 1  at the Cook Convention Center South Hall in Memphis, TN. Photo Credit: USA Boxing

And lightweight upstart, 18-year-old Jajaira Gonzales, pushed the envelope in her win over Mikaela Mayer to make it one a piece. Today’s box-off will decide which of these two warriors will represent the United States in the Olympic qualifiers next year. Both fighters bring a lot to the contest. Mayer has strong technical abilities and with her longer reach can box tall, whereas Gonzalez brings aggression, pressure and fast hands that seem relentless. For all her youth, Gonzales has won impressive international titles readily matching Mayer’s competitive fire.

Stand ready to applaud them all!

Olympic Trials for Women’s Boxing Results
112 lbs: Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas, dec Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas, 2-1

132 lbs: Jajaira Gonzalez, Glendora, Calif., dec Mikaela Mayer*, Los Angeles, Calif., 3-0

165 lbs: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich., dec Tika Hemingway, Brackenridge, Pa., 3-0

*This is Mikaela Mayer’s first loss. Championship box-off between Jajaira Gonzalez and Mikaela Mayer will take place at 4:00 PM on Sunday, November 1 at the Cook Convention Center South Hall.

Olympic Trials- The Challengers!

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Olympic Trials- The Challengers!

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At 18, Jajaira Gonzalez (l) defeated veteran champion Tiara Brown, for a place in the 2015 Olympic Trials finals against reigning USA National lightweight boxing champion Mikaela Mayer. Photo Credit: USA Boxing

Each of them has endured a loss.

Each of them has fought through that loss and will meet the winner of that contest in the ring on Saturday night for a chance to come away as a prospective Olympian poised to compete on the world stage for the opportunity for a final berth at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio.

Each battle for the right to fight in the finals was hard-fought and in some cases, fraught with history as veterans who have encountered each other before in the squared circle knew it was all down to what happens in four rounds of action.

 

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Reigning Olympic flyweight bronze medalist, Marlen Esparza (r), was redeemed last night when she defeated Christina Cruz. Esparza will face Ginny Fuchs in a rematch in the Olympic Trials final. Photo credit: USA Boxing

For the reigning Olympic flyweight bronze medalist, Marlen Esparza, it meant redemption and being on a track for what seemed inevitable at the beginning of the week before she was stopped cold by Virginia Fuchs. In defeating, Christina Cruz, a fighter’s fighter who fought a brilliant outsider’s game with angles and heart, Esparza is now pumped up to rewrite the script with Fuchs and come away with what must feel like her rightful place.

In the lightweight division, the 18-year-old, punches-in-bunches phenom, Jajaira Gonzalez, who’d fought Mikaela Mayer to a 2-1 split decision in their battle, came away victorious over 2014 World Championship bronze medalist, and three-time USA Boxing National Champion, Tiara Brown. Gonzalez, a Junior and Youth World Champion, used aggression and pressure to counter Brown’s veteran technical ring savvy in carving out the 3-0 decision.

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Tika Hemmingway (l) claimed victory over Raquel Miller in the middleweight division. Hemmingway will face reigning Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields in the Olympic Trials final. Photo credit: USA Boxing

For former champion Tika Hemingway, contesting for a berth in the finals against reigning Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields, there was an inevitability to her win over Raquel Miller, even though the battle was closely contested with a lot of back and forth in momentum and opportunities to be exploited. No matter who fights Hemingway, there are always costs. She is hard-hitting and physical in the ring–and while she’s lost once to Shields in the Olympic Trials, she’ll fight just as hard tonight for a chance to win.

Win or lose, the 24 women who have come to Memphis to fight for a place at the Olympics are each momentous in their drive, determination and skills as boxers. It is no easy feat to compete at the level of Olympians, harder still for women, and, in my estimation, hardest for female boxers who not only must seek out opportunities for support during their four-year odyssey for a place on the team, but must also endure the slights and prejudices of a wider public that rarely support women in the ring. That it has come down to the three contests tonight is miraculous, but let us not forget all of the days and nights of training and competing in rinky-dink rings with barely enough money for car fare. That USA Boxing has developed a cadre of elite fighters it supports for this go around is fantastic, but there needs to be more. More excitement, more opportunity and much, much more respect.

Watching many of these young women compete at the National Women’s Golden Gloves in July, my heart was overwhelmed by the bravery and humbleness they exhibited both in the ring and out. As a body sport, boxing teaches humility and to step inside the ropes is to exhibit physical and mental strength that is honed through thousands of hours of hard, hard work.

So whatever happens tonight, who ever winds up our Olympians, do applaud all of the women who have fought and dreamed.  They deserve it.

Olympic Trials- Women’s Boxing Day 4 Challenger Results

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Olympic Trials- Women’s Boxing Day 4 Challenger Results

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Flyweight Christina Cruz (l) with the win over Giavonna Camacho in the challenger battle, has earned a rematch against Marlen Esparza on Friday. Both will battle for a spot in the finals against Virginia Fuchs.

With the first group of Finalists set – Virginia Fuchs (112 lbs.), Mikaela Mayer (132 lbs.), and Claressa Shields (165 lbs.) – the first challenger bracket bouts were held last night in the double-elimination Olympic Trials Tournament. The winners fight again tonight for the right to box in the finals on Saturday night.

The first of the three contenders for Friday night action is Christina Cruz (112 lbs.). Cruz is 32 years of age and will have her second shot at doing battle with 2012 Olympic Bronze medalist Marlen Esparza whose stunning loss to Ginny Fuchs has put in her the challenger bracket.  Cruz lost to Esparza in the second round, but given how much she has amped up her game with her renewed focus, training and diet, she might well push through Esparza on Friday. Cruz handily defeated  Giovanna Camacho for the second time to gain the right to keep on challenging for a berth in the finals.

Jajaira Gonzalez (132 lbs.), the 18-year-old who pushed hard in her battle against Mikaela Mayer in the second round only to fall in defeat, used pressure and aggression to defeat Rianna Rios 3-0.  Gonzalez will face Tiara Brown, in what promises to be a terrific battle of wills between these two fighters, for the right to face Mayer in the finals.

Tika Hemingway (165 lbs.) narrowly defeated veteran Franchon Crews 2-1. Both fighters had competed in the Olympic Trials in 2012. Hemingway used aggression to finally muscle through to take the contest though Crews was able to gain the momentum throughout the bout. Hemingway will take on Raquel Miller in the challenger contest for the right to fight Claressa Shields in the final.

Olympic Trials for Women’s Boxing Results

112 lbs/challengers bracket: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Giovanna Camacho, Colorado Springs, Colo., 3-0

132 lbs/challengers bracket: Jajaira Gonzalez, Glendora, Calif., dec. Rianna Rios, Colorado Springs, Colo., 3-0

165 lbs/challengers bracket: Tika Hemingway, Brackenridge, Pa., dec. Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., 2-1

 

Olympic Trials- Women’s Boxing Round Three

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Olympic Trials- Women’s Boxing Round Three

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Virginia Fuchs (l) with the huge upset win over Marlen Esparza to secure a spot in Saturday’s Olympic Trials Final. Esparza will have the chance to earn a challenger berth if she wins on Friday.

Talk about a big night! Flyweight boxer Virginia Fuchs, lightweight Mikaela Mayer, and middleweight Claressa Shields each clinched a berth in the upcoming Olympic Trials finals on Saturday night. All three have been undefeated in the tournament to date–earning them the right for a corner in the finals and two days off.

In the upset of the night, Virginia Fuchs defeated Olympic Bronze Medalist Marlen Esparza, 2-1 in a tough, tough battle.  This was their fourth meeting at the championship level–with Fuchs victorious for the first time. As quoted by USA Boxing, Fuchs said, “I stopped her from getting in her rhythm. I got my space and I used my jab. My jab was the key. It feels amazing. It feels so good because this is what I’ve been working for. For the past four years, this is what I’ve been working on. This is what I came here to accomplish.”

Mikaela Mayer came up a 3-0 winner in her fifth meeting against number two seeded Tiara Brown. Each boxer had two victories against her opponent coming into the match. As quoted by USA Boxing, Mayer said, “She was coming toward me and that allowed me to use my boxing skills which is what I’m good at. That 1-2-3 was landing every time.”

Claressa Shields pulled out a flawless technical performance to defeat veteran boxer, Raquel Miller. Shields said, ““She was really patient and backed up a lot of the fight. She came forward some but I landed the cleaner, harder shots. She landed a few right hands but I kept going forward, and kept landing jabs. I landed a lot of jabs.”

In this double elimination tournament, there will be two sets of Challenger bouts to chose the other finalist for Saturday night. The first set will be Thursday, with the winner in each weight category facing Esparza, Brown and Miller on Friday.

Olympic Trials for Women’s Boxing Results

112 lbs/challengers bracket: Giovanna Camacho, Colorado Springs, Colo., dec. Amanda Pavone, Burlington, Mass., 2-0
112 lbs/challengers bracket: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Alex Love, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2-0
112 lbs/winners bracket: Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas dec. Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas, 2-1
132 lbs/challengers bracket: Rianna Rios, Colorado Springs, Colo., dec.  Samantha Kinchen, Lexington, Ky., 2-0 tiebreaker
132 lbs/challengers bracket: Jajaira Gonzalez won on medical walkover over Amelia Moore, Millersville, Md., W/O
132 lbs/winners bracket: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., dec. Tiara Brown, Fort Myers, Fla., 3-0
165 lbs/challengers bracket: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., dec. Naomi Graham, Colorado Springs, Colo., 3-0
165 lbs/challengers bracket: Tika Hemingway, Brackenridge, Pa., dec. Cierra Taylor, Rochester, N.Y., 3-0
165 lbs/winners bracket: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich., dec. Raquel Miller, San Diego, Calif., 3-0

Thursday’s Olympic Trials Bout Sheet
112 lbs/challengers bracket: Giovanna Camacho, Colorado Springs, Colo., vs. Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y.
132 lbs/challengers bracket: Rianna Rios, Colorado Springs, Colo., vs. Jajaira Gonzalez, Glendora, Calif.
165 lbs/challengers bracket: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., vs. Tika Hemingway, Brackenridge, Pa.

 

Olympic Trials- Women’s Boxing day two results

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Olympic Trials- Women’s Boxing day two results

Photo Curtesy of USA Boxing

Claressa Shields (r) takes the second round win over Tika Hemmingway in a tough, hard fought battle at the women’s boxing Olympic Trials in Memphis, TN on October 27, 2015.

Another exciting night of results with teammates and old foes Marlen Esparza and Christina Cruz battling for supremacy in the flyweight division in a close contest that still broke 3-0 to Esparza. Other winners included Alex Love who remained in the contest by DQ when opponent Jamie Mitchell came in overweight.

Both Tiara Brown and Mikaela Mayer won as well. Brown fought a decisive 3-0 win over Rianna Rios, while Mayer fought hard against an onslaught from Jajaira Gonzalez to take the 2-1 split decision. Brown and Mayer will fight each other tonight in third round action. Leaving the contest in the lightweight division is veteran boxer Lisa Porter. She will be missed.

In the middleweight division Claressa Shields fought a tough, hard fight against Tika Hemingway  with haymakers that writer Sarah Deming (@SarahDeming), who is live tweeting the event, described as coming “all the way from Flint” to take the unanimous win. Raquel Miller defeated Franchon Crews in a split decision, as this is the HH Diva’s first loss in the contest, she has a berth in the third round.

Olympic Trials for Women’s Boxing Results
112 lbs/challengers bracket: Giovanna Camacho, Colorado Springs, Colo., dec. Melanie Costa, Norton, Mass., 3-0
112 lbs/challengers bracket: Alex Love, Colorado Springs, Colo., won on disqualification over Jamie Mitchell, Las Vegas, Nev., DQ
112 lbs/winners bracket: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas dec. Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., 3-0
112 lbs/winners bracket: Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas dec. Amanda Pavone, Burlington, Mass., 3-0
132 lbs/challengers bracket: Samantha Kinchen, Lexington, Ky., dec. Stalacia Leggett, San Diego, Calif., 2-1
132 lbs/challengers bracket: Amelia Moore, Millersville, Md., dec. Lisa Porter, Van Nuys, Calif., 2-1
132 lbs/winners bracket: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., dec. Jajaira Gonzalez, Glendora, Calif., 2-1
132 lbs/winners bracket: Tiara Brown, Fort Myers, Fla., dec. Rianna Rios, Colorado Springs, Colo., 3-0
165 lbs/challengers bracket: Naomi Graham, Colorado Springs, Colo., dec. Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, Calif., 2-1
165 lbs/challengers bracket: Cierra Taylor, Rochester, N.Y., dec. Iesha Kenney, Alexandria, Va., 3-0
165 lbs/winners bracket: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich., dec. Tika Hemingway, Brackenridge, Pa., 3-0
165 lbs/winners bracket: Raquel Miller, San Diego, Calif., dec.  Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., 2-1

Tonight’s Round Three Bout Sheet:

Bout # Red Corner Wgt. Blue Corner
1 Amanda Pavone 112 lbs. Giovanna Camacho
2 Alex Love 112 lbs. Christina Cruz
3 Marlen Esparza 112 lbs. Virginia Fuchs
4 Rianna Rios 112 lbs. Samantha Kinchen
5 Amelia Moore 132 lbs. Jajaira Gonzalez
6 Mikaela Mayer 132 lbs. Tiara Brown
7 Franchon Crews 132 lbs. Naomi Graham
8 Cierra Taylor 165 Lbs. Tika Hemingway
9 Claressa Shields 165 Lbs. Raquel Miller

Olympic Trials – Women’s Boxing Day One Results

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Olympic Trials – Women’s Boxing Day One Results

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Tiara Brown (l) handily defeated Amelia Moore 3-0 on the opening night of the USA Boxing 2016 Female Olympic Trials in Memphis, Tn.

The Olympic Trials for the 2016 USA Boxing female boxing team got underway on in all three of the Olympic weight classes:  Flyweight (112), Lightweight (132) and Middleweight (165).

As expected 2012, Olympic Gold medalist, Claressa Shields easily defeated her first round opponent, Naomi Graham, 3-0.  2012 Bronze medalist, Marlen Esparza, also won 3-0 over Melanie Costa.

In the lightweight division, current USA lightweight champion Mikaela Mayer won a split decision, 2-1 over Stalacia Leggett, and the number two seeded fighter, the always tough Tiara Brown defeated Amelia Moore decisively by the score of 3-0.

Alex Love, a tough scrappy fighter from the US Army boxing team had a tough loss to an equally scrappy Virginia Fuchs who took the split decision 2-1.

Other winners included New York City’s hometown girl, Christina Cruz who won 3-0 (112 lbs.), and in the middleweight division, a particularly strong division with a slew of tough competitors, Tika Hemingway, Franchon Crews and Raquel Miller all came away decisive winners.

Tuesday’s bouts, however, will give the women who faltered last night an opportunity to continue in their quest for a berth!

The full list results for the opening round is as follows:

Olympic Trials for Women’s Boxing Opening Round Results
112 lbs: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas dec. Melanie Costa, Norton, Mass., 3-0
112 lbs: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Giovanna Camacho, Colorado Springs, Colo., 3-0
112 lbs: Amanda Pavone, Burlington, Mass., dec. Jamie Mitchell, Las Vegas, Nev., 3-0
112 lbs: Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas dec. Alex Love, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2-1
132 lbs: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., dec. Stalacia Leggett, San Diego, Calif., 2-1
132 lbs: Jajaira Gonzalez, Glendora, Calif., dec. Samantha Kinchen, Lexington, Ky., 3-0
132 lbs: Rianna Rios, Colorado Springs, Colo., dec. Lisa Porter, Van Nuys, Calif., 3-0
132 lbs: Tiara Brown, Fort Myers, Fla., dec. Amelia Moore, Millersville, Md., 3-0
165 lbs: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich., dec. Naomi Graham, Colorado Springs, Colo., 3-0
165 lbs: Tika Hemingway, Brackenridge, Pa., dec. Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, Calif., 3-0
165 lbs: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., dec. Iesha Kennet, Alexandria, Va., 3-0
165 lbs: Raquel Miller, San Diego, Calif., dec. Cierra Taylor, Rochester, N.Y., 3-0
Tuesday’s bout sheet has some tough match-ups so enjoy the fireworks!
Bout # Red Corner Wgt. Blue Corner
1 Melanie Costa 112 lbs. Giovanna Camacho
2 Jamie Mitchell 112 lbs. Alex Love
3 Marlen Esparza 112 lbs. Christina Cruz
4 Amanda Pavone 112 lbs. Virginia Fuchs
5 Stalacia Legett 132 lbs. Samantha Kinchen
6 Lisa Porter 132 lbs. Amelia Mo
7 Mikaela Mayer 132 lbs. Jajaira Gonzalez
8 Rianna Rios 132 lbs. Tiara Brown
9 Naomi Graham 165 Lbs. Danyelle Wolf
10 Iesha Kenney 165 Lbs. Cierra Taylor
11 Claressa Shields 165 Lbs. Tika Hemingway
12 Franchon Crews 165 Lbs. Raquel Miller

Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing – Rio 2016 !

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Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing – Rio 2016 !

USA Boxing Women’s Boxing Olympic Team Trials set to being on Monday, October 26, 2015 in Memphis, TN. Photo Credit: USA Boxing

The Women’s USA Boxing Olympic Team Trials to represent the United States at the Rio 2016 Olympics starts today in Memphis, TN.

The United States 2012 Flyweight Bronze Medal winner, Marlen Esparza and the United States 2012 Middleweight Gold Medal winner, Claressa Shields will both be competing for a spot in the 2016 Games.

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London 2012 Women’s Boxing Gold medal winner Claressa Shields (l) and Bronze medal winner Marlen Esparza. Photo Credit: USA Boxing

As in 2012, there will only be three weight classes: Flyweight (112 lbs.), Lightweight (132 lbs.) and Middleweight (165 lbs.).  Twenty-four women spread across the three weight classes will compete:

Olympic Trials for Women’s Boxing Qualified Athletes
Flyweight/112 lbs

1. Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas (USA Boxing National Championships)*
2. Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas (USA Boxing National Championships)
3. Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
4. Amanda Pavone, Burlington, Mass. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
5. Alex Love, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)

6. Jamie Mitchell, Las Vegas, Nev. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
7. Giovanna Camacho, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
8. Melanie Costa, Norton, Mass. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)

Lightweight/132 lbs
1. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif. (USA Boxing National Championships)
2. Lisa Porter, Van Nuys, Calif. (USA Boxing National Championships)
3. Jajaira Gonzalez, Glendora, Calif. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
4. Rianna Rios, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
5. Stalacia Leggett, San Diego, Calif. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
6. Tiara Brown, Fort Myers, Fla. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
7. Samantha Kinchen, Lexington, Ky. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
8. Amelia Moore, Millersville, Md. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)

Middleweight/165 lbs
1. Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich. (USA Boxing National Championships)**
2. Raquel Miller, San Diego, Calif. (USA Boxing National Championships)
3. Tika Hemingway, Brackenridge, Pa. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
4. Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, Calif. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
5. Naomi Graham, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
6. Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
7. Iesha Kenney, Alexandria, Va. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
8. Cierra Taylor, Rochester, N.Y. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)

The bout sheet for Monday, October 26th is as follows:

Bout # Red Corner Wgt. Blue Corner
1 Marlen Esparza (2012 Bronze Medal Winner) 112 lbs. Melanie Costa
2 Giovanna Camacho 112 lbs. Christina Cruz
3 Jamie Mitchell 112 lbs. Amanda Pavone
4 Alex Love 112 lbs. Virginia Fuchs
5 Mikaela Mayer 132 lbs. Stalacia Leggett
6 Samantha Kinchen 132 lbs. Jajaira Gonzalez
7 Lisa Porter 132 lbs. Rianna Rios
8 Amelia Mo 132 lbs. Tiara Brown
9 Claressa Shields (2012 Gold Medal Winner) 165 Lbs. Naomi Graham
10 Danyelle Wolf 165 Lbs. Tika Hemingway
11 Franchon Crews 165 Lbs. Iesha Kenney
12 Cierra Taylor 165 Lbs. Raquel Miller

For further information and for online view go to the USA Boxing website!

2014 USA Boxing Nationals #Womensboxing Final Results!

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2014 USA Boxing Nationals #Womensboxing Final Results!

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Olympian Queen Underwood won the closely fought battle with Mikaela Mayer for the 2014 USA Boxing National Women’s Lightweight (132 lbs) championship gold medal in Spokane, Washington. Credit: @HerBoxing

The finals of the 2014 USA Boxing National Championships were an exciting mixture of the expected and the unexpected.

Olympians Marlen Esparza, Queen Underwood and Claressa Shields each came away with a national championship in their respective Olympic weight class, but each in her own way.

Esparza won a decisive and unprecedented 8th National title by out boxing her able 112 lbs. division opponent Virginia Fuchs. In the lightweight (132 lbs.) division, Queen Underwood fought a tough battle against “rival” Mikaela Mayer who gave a terrific performance. Underwood came out ahead with the split decision, 2-1, but all things being equal — both fighters deserved the crown.

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18-year-old Gold Medal Olympian Claressa Shields jumps for joy after winning the 2014 USA Boxing National Championship in Spokane, Washington. Credit: @HerBoxing

Claressa Shields for her part fought a hard an unrelenting battle against veteran Franchon Crews to take the middleweight (165 lbs.) national title — her first as an elite woman fighter, in a performance that rivaled any in her gold medal winning year.

Alex Love a member of the U. S. Army’s elite athlete team put on a terrific performance to gain the title with her 3-0 win over Natalie Gonzalez, and perennial winner Christina Cruz also won 3-0. Other winners included Tiara Brown who out-fought Lisa Porter in a tough bruiser to gain the split decision, as well as Destiny Chearino who gained her first title in her bout against Jasmine Singh.

To round out the winners, defending 152 lbs. champion Danyelle Wolf impressed with her 3-0 victory over Melissa Kelly. In the heavyweight division (178+ lbs), Krystal Dixon gained an upset winner over last year’s champion, Denise Rico, with a 3-0.  Dara Shen also impressed with a 3-0 win over Heidi Henriksen in the 178 lbs. division.

And the 2014 USA Boxing National Boxing Champions are:

106 lbs/female: Alex Love, Seattle, Wash./U.S. Army, dec. Natalie Gonzalez, New Rochelle, N.Y., 3-0

112 lbs/female: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas dec. Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas, 3-0

119 lbs/female: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Amanda Pavone, Burlington, Mass., 3-0

125 lbs/female: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., dec. Lisa Porter, Valley Village, Calif., 2-1

132 lbs/female: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., dec. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., 2-1

141 lbs/female: Destiny Chearino, Warwick, R.I., dec. Jasmine Singh, Anaheim, Calif., 3-0

152 lbs/female: Danyelle Wolf, San Francisco, Calif., dec. Melissa Kelly, Somerville, Mass., 3-0

165 lbs/female: Claressa Shields, Flirnt, Mich., dec. Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., 3-0

178 lbs/female: Dara Shen, Alexandria, Va., dec. Heidi Henriksen, St. Louis, Park, Minn., 3-0

178+ lbs/female: Krystal Dixon, New Rochelle, N.Y., dec. Denise Rico, E. Los Angeles, Calif., 3-0

 

2014 USA Boxing Nationals #Womensboxing Full Semifinal Results!

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2014 USA Boxing Nationals #Womensboxing FULL Semifinal Results!

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Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa Shields celebrates her Semifinal win over the highly skilled middleweight Raquel Miller at the USA Boxing 2014 Nationals in Spokane, Washington

 

What a GREAT showing by the female amateur boxers who fought at the 2014 USA Boxing Nationals Semifinals in Spokane, Washington!

The finals will be held in two sessions today, January 25th at Noon and 6:00 PM PT. Bouts are available to view live at the link! USA Boxing Watch Live!

The full list of semifinal bout is as follows. Opponents for the finals will be in bold! There are some GREAT matchups including champion Mikeala Mayer vs. Olympian Queen Underwood in the 132 lbs. final, Olympian Marlen Esparza vs. Virginia Fuchs in the 112 lbs. finals and the battle of the titans: Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields vs. champion Franchon Crews. Esparza comes to the final having defeated Katie Durgin by TKO in the 3rd round of their semifinal bout. Tiara Brown’s bout with Lisa Porter in the 125 lbs. final will also prove to be a terrific bout. Other matchup include Danyelle Wolf, no stranger to nationals vs. Melissa Kelly who won on a walkover over Fallon Farrar (no word yet on why) in the 152 lbs. category, and Destiny Chearino who shocked with her win over Bertha Aracil at 141 lbs. vs. Jasmine Singh.

106 lbs/female: Natalie Gonzalez, New Rochelle, N.Y., dec. Sarah Dawson, Spring, Texas, 3-0
106 lbs/female: Alexandra Love, Seattle, Wash./Army, dec. Maureeca Lambert, Glen Ellyn, Ill., 2-1

112 lbs/female: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas, won on TKO over Katie Durgin, Boston, Mass., TKO-3 (1:21)
112 lbs/female: Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas, dec. Ayesha Green, Trenton, N.J., 3-0

119 lbs/female: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Kathy McPherson, Mesa, Ariz., 3-0
119 lbs/female: Amanda Pavone, Burlington, Mass., dec. Melanie Costa, Norton, Mass., 2-1

125 lbs/female: Tiara Brown, Fort Myers, Fla., dec. Kristin Carlson, Carol Stream, Ill., 3-0
125 lbs/female: Lisa Porter, Valley Village, Calif., dec. Carmen Vargas, Houston, Texas, 3-0

132 lbs/female: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., dec. Rashida Ellis, Lynn, Mass., 2-1
132 lbs/female: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., dec. Melissa Parker, New York, N.Y./Army, 2-1

141 lbs/female: Destiny Chearino, Warwick, R.I., dec. Stacey Parker, Aurora, Ill., 3-0
141 lbs/female: Jasmine Singh, Anaheim, Calif., dec. Faith Franco, Duarte, Calif., 2-1

152 lbs/female: Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, Calif., dec. Jobette Nabarro, Keaau, Hawaii, 3-0
152 lbs/female: Melissa Kelly, Somerville, Mass., won on walkover over Fallon Farrar, Brooklyn, N.Y./Army, W/O

165 lbs/female: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich., dec. Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., 3-0
165 lbs/female: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., won on TKO over Krystal Correa, Yonkers, N.Y., TKO-1 (1:04)

2014 USA Boxing Nationals #womensboxing Semifinal Afternoon results!

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2014 USA Boxing Nationals #Womensboxing Semifinal Afternoon results!

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Alex Love defeated Maureeca Lambert 2-1 in the 106 lbs. semifinals at the 2014 USA Boxing Nationals. Credit: Raquel Ruiz

Well … here they are so far … the afternoon session Semifinal results from the 2014 USA Boxing Nationals in Spokane, Washington!

By the way, the evening session is available live at the link starting at 5:00 PM PT! USA Boxing Watch Live!

Claressa Shields will be battling Raquel Miller in the 17th bout. Marlen Esparza, Queen Underwood, Christina Cruz, Mikaela Mayer, Franchon Crews, and Tiara Brown will also be fighting in the evening session.

106 lbs/female: Natalie Gonzalez, New Rochelle, N.Y., dec. Sarah Dawson, Spring, Texas, 3-0

106 lbs/female: Alexandra Love, Seattle, Wash./Army, dec. Maureeca Lambert, Glen Ellyn, Ill., 2-1

 

141 lbs/female: Destiny Chearino, Warwick, R.I., dec. Stacey Parker, Aurora, Ill., 3-0

141 lbs/female: Jasmine Singh, Anaheim, Calif., dec. Faith Franco, Duarte, Calif., 2-1

 

152 lbs/female: Melissa Kelly, Somerville, Mass., won on walkover over Fallon Farrar, Brooklyn, N.Y., W/O

152 lbs/female: Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, Calif., dec. Jobette Nabarro, Keaau, Hawaii, 3-0

 

AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 5/15/12!

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AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 5/15/12! – Updated (5/15/12 Afternoon Session Results)

More Preliminary Rounds!

USA’s Claressa Shields in defeat against England’s Savannah Marshall, Credit Getty Images

Well in early results from today’s bouts it seems that the USA Boxing team has had mixed results.

For the great news, Marlen Esparza (51kg) had a decisive win over Viet Nam’s Thi Duyen Luu, taking the decision by the score of 28:13.  Marlen led through out with a whopping 9:2 forth round to close out the bout.  Marlen will continue to fight tomorrow in the quarter finals for the Flyweight division against China’s much ballyhooed Cancan Ren.  Marlen’s win means that she is going to the Olympics!!!

Christina Cruz (54kg) also proved victorious in her bout against Norway’s Shora Rezaie Johroni, taking the bout by the score of 14:10. Cruz kept fair control of the fight except for the third round when Johroni came back with a 7:4 round, however, Cruz was able to beat back her advance with a 5:2 forth round. The next bout for Cruz will be in the quarterfinals against Thailand’s Sopida Satumrum, on May 16th.

In a true heartbreaker, Queen Underwood  (60kg) has lost in a very close battle with Norway’s Ingrid Egner by the score of 26:25.  Egner held a slight advantage in the first two rounds scoring 6:4 and 8:5.  Queen was able to tie up the score 6:6 in the third round and came back with a fierce fourth round scoring 6:10, however, it was not enough.  This is very, very tough for Queen, and she joins Claressa Shields in the waiting game for a place in the Olympics.

In the second of Team USA Boxing’s defeats today, Alex Love (48kg) lost a very close bout to Kazakhstan’s Nazym Kyzaybay by the score of 20:19. The bout was very close through out and will Alex led in the first round 2:3 and tied the second 5:5, Kyzaybay was able to take the third and forth rounds scoring 7:6 and 6:5 respectively to win the bout.

Set to fight in the PM session today is California’s own, Mikaela Mayer (64kg) against New Zealand’s Laura Matthews. (Results to be posted later).

One other note in the Lightweight Division, Ireland’s Katie Taylor proved successful in her bout against Kazakhstan’s Saida Khassenova, defeating her by the score of 20:8.

Bouts in the Olympic Flyweight, Lightweight and Middleweight divisions  and non-Olympic Bantamweight, Light Flyweight, Bantamweight, and Light Welterweight divisions dominate today’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Quinhuangdao, China.

Click here for the Full Bout roster for 5/15/12:

5:15:12 Full Roster

Click here for full results for 5/14/12 + 5/15/12 Afternoon Sessions:

5:14:12 Results Session 6A

5:14:12 Results Session 6B

5:14:12 Results Session 7A

5:14:12 Results Session 7B

5:15:12 Results Session 8A

5:15:12 Result Session 8B

AIBA’s article link is here: Katie Taylor Opens her World Championships in Style

Women’s boxing: all eyes on Canada

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>>>UPDATE!!!

Congratulations to the Women’s Elite Continental Boxing Champions!!!

Alex Love-48kg (USA), Marlen Esparza-51kg (USA), Clelia Costa-54kg (Brazil), Tiara Brown-57kg (USA), Adriana Araujo-64kg (Brazil), Mikaela Mayer-64kg (USA), Miriam da Silva-69kg (Canada), Claressa Shields-75kg (USA), Franchon Crews-81kg (USA), Erika Cabrera-+81kg (Brazil)!!!

Women’s boxing: all eyes on Canada …

The Women’s Elite Continental Boxing Championships have been underway in Cornwall, Ontario since April 4th and will run through April 7th.  Amateur women’s boxing champions from as far away as Argentina and Brazil and including teams from Jamaica, Ecuador, Mexico, Honduras, Puerto Rico, the United States and Canada have been competing their hearts out.

The tournament has been a preview of the caliber of women’s boxing we can expect in next month’s world championships in China, and importantly, a preview of sorts of how women in the Olympic weight classes will fare.

More importantly, as women’s boxing fever begins to rise, it is offering people who are less familiar with the sport the opportunity to become “infected” by the incredible boxing skills these extraordinary women are  demonstrating night after night.

As always, it seems, women who box do so “wall-to-wall” with barely an opportunity to breathe, never mind allow the action to stop.   As Puerto Rico’s Tiffany Perez who lost a heartbreaker last night put it in an interview with a Canadian paper, “ Women’s boxing is important because women are always the underdogs and this makes them stronger and more determined.” Article link here.

Tonight’s finals will be no exception, pitting the best of that North and South America have to offer for the world to see.  Give yourself a treat and watch the bouts starting at 7:00 PM EST:  Go Fight Live TV

Bout Roster – Finals 7:00 PM EST

(48kg) RED-LOVE Alexandra USA v.  BLUE-CRUZ Claribel ARG
(51kg) RED-ESPARZA Marlen USA v. BLUE-MATOS Erica BRA
(54kg) RED-BENAVIDEZ Yanina ARG  v.  BLUE-COSTA Clelia BRA
(57kg) RED-SANCHEZ Leonela ARG  v. BLUE-BROWN Tiara USA
(60kg) RED-ARAUJO Adriana BRA v. BLUE-SANCHEZ Dayana ARG
(64kg) RED-SILVA Roselaine BRA v. BLUE-MAYER Mikaela USA
(69kg) RED-GITTENS Kimberly BAR v. BLUE-da SILVA Myriam CAN
(75kg) RED-SHIELDS Claressa USA v. BLUE-SPENCER Mary CAN
(81kg) RED BERGERON Maude CAN v. BLUE CREWS-Franchon USA
(+81kg) RED CABRERA Erika BRA v. BLUE-PEREZ Victoria USA


Female 2012 USA Boxing National Champions Crowned!

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Female 2012 USA Boxing National Champions Crowned!

Mikaela Mayer winning the 2012 USA National Championship at 141 lbs., Credit: Mark Mayer

Alex Love (106 lbs), Christina Cruz (119 lbs),Tiara Brown (125 lbs), Mikaela Mayer (141 lbs), Raquel Miller (152 lbs), and Franchon Crews (178 lbs), each veterans of the first-ever female Olympic Trials and each competing in a non-Olympic weight class, will be representing the US once again at the 2012 Women’s World Championships as winners of the 2012 USA Boxing National Championships in their respective weight classes.  They will reunite with the three US Olympic Trials champions, Marlen Esparza, Queen Underwood and Claressa Shields, to round out the US team.

Mikaela Mayer had the additional honor of being name the outstanding female boxer of the 2012 USA Boxing National tournament.

Girlboxing sends a huge shout out to these remarkable women for their accomplishments!

Saturday’s Championship Results

5 p.m. session – Winners will go on to the 2012 Women’s World Championships in China this coming May 2012!

106 lbs/female: Alex Love, Monroe, Wash., dec. Lisa Ha, Honolulu, Hawaii, 26-13

119 lbs/female: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Jamie Mitchell, Pacific Grove, Calif., 22-7

125 lbs/female: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., dec. Rashida Ellis, Lynn, Mass., 20-17

141 lbs/female: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., dec. Cashmere Jackson, Cleveland, Ohio, 20-16

152 lbs/female: Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., dec. Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, Calif., 10-5

178 lbs/female: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., dec. Tiffanie Hearn, San Diego, Calif., 27-17

178+ lbs/unopposed female: Victor Perez won unopposed

1 p.m. – Olympic Weight Classes

112 lbs/female: Ayesha Green, Trenton, N.J., dec. Anissa Vasquez, Fort Worth, Texas, 26-7

132 lbs/female: Emily Dagnan, Jasper, Tenn., dec. Katie Brunacini, Los Angeles, Calif., 16-9

165 lbs/female: Fallon Farrar, Staten Island, N.Y., dec. Dara Shen, Alexandria, Va., 22-15

Gaining spots in the Finals @ 2012 USA Boxing Nationals!

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Gaining spots in the Finals @ 2012 USA Boxing Nationals!

Tiara Brown, Credit: Sue Jaye Johnson

The roster for the 2012 USA Boxing finals is set with finalists including Olympic Team Trials contenders Christina Cruz (119 lbs), Alex Love (106 lbs), Tiara Brown (125 lbs), Mikaela Mayer (141 lbs), Raquel Miller (152 lbs), Tiffanie Hearn (178 lbs) and Franchon Crews (178 lbs). 

There will be two championship sessions today.  The three women’s Olympic weight classes will compete in final action at 1 p.m. with the remaining weight divisions, which are each advancing on to major international tournaments, boxing at 6 p.m. at the Fort Carson Special Events Center.

Today’s Championship round bout sheet is as follows:

1 p.m.

112 lbs/female: Anissa Vasquez, Fort Worth, Texas vs. Ayesha Green, Trenton, N.J.

132 lbs/female: Emily Dagnan, Jasper, Tenn., vs. Katie Brunacini, Los Angeles, Calif.

165 lbs/female: Fallon Farror, Staten Island, N.Y., vs. Dara Shen, Alexandria, Va.
6 p.m.

106 lbs/female: Alex Love, Monroe, Wash., vs. Lisa Ha, Honolulu, Hawaii

119 lbs/female: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., vs. Jamie Mitchell, Pacific Grove, California

125 lbs/female: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., vs. Rashida Ellis, Lynn, Mass.

141 lbs/female: Cashmere Jackson, Cleveland, Ohio vs. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif.

152 lbs/female: Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., vs. Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, Calif.

178 lbs/female: Tiffanie Hearn, San Diego, Calif., vs. Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md.

Friday’s Semifinal Results

106 lbs/female: Lisa Ha, Honolulu, Hawaii dec. Marina Ramirez, Sacramento, Calif., 20-14

106 lbs/female: Alex Love, Monroe, Wash., dec. Amy Sowers, Bozeman, Mont., 22-13

112 lbs/female: Ayesha Green, Trenton, N.J., dec. Maryguenn Vellinga, Salt Lake City, Utah, 10-7

119 lbs/female: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Ayanna Vasquez, Las Cruces, N.M., 16-13

119 lbs/female: Jamie Mitchell, Pacific Grove, Calif., dec. Melanie Costa, Norton, Mass., 25-18

125 lbs/female: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., dec. Kirstie Simmons, Aurora, Colo., 21-9

125 lbs/female: Rashida Ellis, Lynn, Mass., dec. Karla Herrera, Los Angeles, Calif., 14-12

132 lbs/female: Emily Dagnan, Jasper, Tenn., dec. Karla Herrera, Los Angeles, Calif., 19-10

132 lbs/male: Jose Ramirez, Avenal, Calif., dec. Kenneth Sims, Jr., Chicago, Ill., 27-14

132 lbs/male: Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio dec. Toka Kahn Clary, Providence, R.I., 21-20

141 lbs/female: Cashmere Jackson, Cleveland, Ohio dec. Ariel Beck, Helena, Mont., 22-5

141 lbs/female: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., dec. Christella Cepeda, Yonkers, N.Y., 21-5

152 lbs/female: Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., dec. Tara Weisshaar, Burlington, Colo., 29-2

152 lbs/female: Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, Calif., dec. Alicia Napoleon, Lingdenhurst, N.J., 24-5

178 lbs/female: Tiffanie Hearn, San Diego, Calif., stopped Kendra Minnis, St. Louis, Mo., RSC

178 lbs/female: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., stopped Denise Rico, Los Angeles, Calif., RSC

Women’s Boxing Olympic Trials Day Five, 2/17/2012!

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Women’s Boxing Olympic Trials Day Five, 2/17/2012!

Mikaela Mayer landing a left hook against Tiara Brown, 2/16/2012, Credit: Wally Skali / Los Angeles Times

Last night’s boxing efforts are why these exceptional women are called champions!

For the six fighters in the challengers bracket it meant overcoming losses and finding the courage to make the course corrections necessary to win.  For the champions in the winners bracket it meant stepping up to bring that much more of themselves and their ring saavy to come out on top.

In the first flyweight bout Marlen Esparza did just that.  She outfought Christina Cruz’s valiant effort by literally beating her to the punch through a mixture of sheer nerve and technical prowess.  Both fighters were rangy, cagey and filled with tactical brilliance, but it was Esparza who was able to pull out with a final score of 13-10.  Tyrieshia Douglas also proved that she was in the tournament to win with her decisive “never look back” win over Virginia Fuchs.  Both competitors were fierce, however, Douglas, who will fight Christina Cruz tonight for the right to go on to the finals on Saturday, never, ever let up through four rounds of boxing.  The final score was 31-19.

Queen Underwood also brought it last night in a tough, tough match that gave her rangy opponent N’yteeyah Sherman a one point edge through the first three rounds. Queen’s constant barrage and willingness to dig in ultimately gave her the ammunition to take the fight with the final score of 25-24.  On the challenger’s side, Mikaela Mayer fought a decisive win over Tiara Brown by using her outside/inside prowess for a final score of 23-18. Sherman and Mayer will battle it out tonight for the right to go on to Saturday’s Final Round.

Claressa Shields, fighting her toughest bout in the tournament continued to impress as she strong-armed two-time light heavyweight national champion Tika Hemingway through four rounds for a final score of 23-15. In the final challengers bout of the night Raquel Miller pushed through to handily defeat top seed Franchon Crews by using her tactical prowess to avoid being trapped in a slug fest. With a final score of 26-15, Miller will go on to fight tonight against Hemingway.

Press coverage includes the following:

USA Boxing, AP’s Greg Beacham, Detroit Free Press, SFGate, Los Angeles Times, News-Press.com and Spokesman-Review. 

Tonight’s bouts can be viewed online at the link here.  By the way if you’ve missed any of the action, click on the link to watch previous night’s bouts!

The full results for Day Four of the Trials are as follows:

Thursday’s Results

112 lbs/winners bracket: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas, dec. Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., 13-10
112 lbs/challengers bracket: Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., dec. Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas, 31-19
132 lbs/winners bracket: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., dec. N’yteeyah Sherman, Barberton, Ohio, 25-24
132 lbs/challengers bracket: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., dec. Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., 23-18
165 lbs/winners bracket: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich., dec. Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa., 23-15
165 lbs/challengers bracket: Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., dec. Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., 26-15

Tonight’s Challengers Bouts will determine who survives for Saturday bouts!  This is do or die for these six exceptional fighters!

Friday’s Challengers Bracket Bout Sheet

112 lbs: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., vs. Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md.

132 lbs: N’yteeyah Sherman, Barberton, Ohio vs. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif.

165 lbs: Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa., vs. Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif.