Tag Archives: Marlen Esparza

Women’s Boxing Olympic Trials Day One, 2/13/2012

Leave a reply

Women’s Boxing Olympic Trials Day One, 2/13/2012!

Tiara Brown (r) & N'yteeyah Sherman arriving at Northern Quest Resort, Credit: USA Boxing

The brackets have been set for this week’s historic competition.

The four top seeds are the four top finishers from the 2011 USA Boxing National Championships held last summer.  According to USA Boxing, the “unseeded boxer each drew a ping pong ball to determine her opening round opponent in the historic event at Sunday’s manual draw.”

That is pretty heady stuff indeed with the action set to begin tonight with a total of twelve bouts starting at 7:00 PM tonight Pacific Time.

You can watch ALL THE ACTION HERE!!!  Just click on the link!

The bout sheet for tonight’s Winners Bracket Quarterfinals is as follows:

1.  Marlen Esparza (Red Corner) vs. Cynthia Moreno (Blue Corner)

2.  Taversha Norwood (Red Corner) vs. Alex Love (Blue Corner)

3.  Christina Cruz (Red Corner) vs. Virginia Fuchs (Blue Corner)

4.  Tyrieshia Douglas (Red Corner) vs. Latonya King (Wingate) (Blue Corner)

5.  Queen Underwood (Red Corner) vs. Bertha Aracil (Blue Corner)

6.  Lisa Porter (Red Corner) vs. Mikaela Mayer (Blue Corner)

7.  N’yteeyah Sherman (Red Corner) vs. Asia Stevenson (Blue Corner)

8.  Tiara Brown (Red Corner) vs. Patricia Manuel (Blue Corner)

9.  Franchon Crews (Red Corner) vs. Claressa Shields (Blue Corner)

10. Dara Shen (Red Corner) vs. Andrecia Wasson (Blue Corner)

11. Tiffanie Ward (Red Corner) vs. Tiffanie Hearn (Blue Corner)

12. Tika Hemingway (Red Corner) vs. Raquel Miller (Blue Corner)

For more information about tonight’s bouts click on the USA Boxing link here.

For live stream information, click here.   

Women’s Boxing Olympic Trials set to begin, February 13, 2012!

Leave a reply

Women’s Boxing Olympic Trials set to begin, February 13, 2012!

USA Boxing 2011 National Championships, Credit: USA Boxing

There will be just 24 women competing, 24 women who have worked harder than they ever thought possible to gain the right to compete in the first-ever Women’s United States Boxing Team Olympic Trials.  Set to run for six short days from February 13-19, 2012, the women who represent the best that elite women’s boxing has to offer will once again, box their hearts out for one of three Olympic weight divisions spots that will see them go on to the 2012 Women’s World Championship Olympic qualifier in China this coming May.

Set to compete at the Northern Quest Resort in Airway Heights, Washington, just outside of Spokane, these resilient competitors representing the Pan American Games, USA Boxing National Championships, Golden Gloves Championships and National PAL Championships, have not only fought hard-won competitions, but the long odds of battling through the lingering doubts about the sport and whether women should fight at all.  Still, they have all come to do battle, and to a person, shall be shouting out a mantra of “I want to win.”

Win or lose, these women should remain forever in our hearts as the champions they truly are!  THEY ARE THE CHAMPIONS!

U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing Qualified Athletes

Flyweight/112 lbs

1. Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y. (Pan American Games representative)
2. Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas (USA Boxing National Championships)
3. Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md. (USA Boxing National Championships)
4. Cynthia Moreno, Phoenix, Ariz. (Golden Gloves Championships)
5.Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas (National PAL Championships)
6. Alex Love, Monroe, Wash. (National PAL Championships)
7. Taversha Norwood, Marietta, Ga. (National PAL Championships)
8. Latonya Wingate (King), Harrison Township, Mich. (National PAL Championships)

Lightweight/132 lbs
1. Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash. (Pan American Games representative)
2. Tiara Brown, Lehigh, Fla. (USA Boxing National Championships)
3. Lisa Porter, Northridge, Calif. (USA Boxing National Championships)
4. N’yteeyah Sherman, Barberton, Ohio (USA Boxing National Championships)
5. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif. (Golden Gloves Championships)
6. Patricia Manuel Long Beach, Calif. (National PAL Championships)
7. Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, N.Y. (National PAL Championships)
8. Asia Stevenson, Washington DC (National PAL Championships)

Middleweight/165 lbs

1. Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md. (Pan American Games representative )
2. Alyssa DeFazio, Peoria, Ariz. (USA Boxing National Championships)
3. Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa. (USA Boxing National Championships)
4. Tiffanie Ward, Hacienda Heights, Calif. (USA Boxing National Championships)
5. Tiffanie Hearn, Louisville, Ky. (Golden Gloves Championships)
6. Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich. (National PAL Championships)
7. Andrecia Wasson, Centerline, Mich. (National PAL Championships)
8. Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif. (National PAL Championships)

USA Women’s Boxers getting ready to rumble!

1 Reply

USA Women’s Boxers getting ready to rumble!

While most Americans will be at home enjoying their Thanksgiving feast with friends and family, five members of USA Women’s Boxing will be participating in one of two events:  the Olympic Test Event set to run from November 24 – November 27 at the ExCeL Olympic Stadium in London or in Surgut, Russia as part of the squad competing in the World Cup of Petroleum Countries.  That second squad will also go on to compete in Ukraine for a head-to-head dual competition.

In total there will be five women and thirteen men competing.

Olympic Test Event Roster

132 lbs/female: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash.
141 lbs/male: Jamel Herring, Coram, N.Y./Camp Lejeune, N.C.
165 lbs/female: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md.
201 lbs/male: Joseph Williams, Queens, N.Y.
201+ lbs/male: Lenroy “Cam” Thompson, Lenexa, Kansas
USA Boxing National Coach: Joe Zanders, Long Beach, Calif.
Coach: Gloria Peek, Norfolk, Va.

European Tour Roster

108 lbs/male: Eros Correa, San Jose, Calif.
112 lbs/female: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas
114 lbs/male: Shawn Simpson, Chicago, Ill.
123 lbs/male: Tramaine Williams, New Haven, Conn.
132 lbs/female: N’yteeyah Sherman, Barberton, Ohio
132 lbs/male: Jose Ramirez, Avenal, Calif.
141 lbs/male: George Rincon, Carrollton, Texas
152 lbs/male: Errol Spence, Desoto, Texas (2012 Olympian)
165 lbs/female: Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa.
165 lbs/male: Jesse Hart, Philadelphia, Pa.
178 lbs/male: Marcus Browne, Staten Island, N.Y.
201 lbs/male: Jordan Shimmell, Hudsonville, Mich.
201+ lbs/male: Laron Mitchell, San Francisco, Calif.
Coach: Ron Simms, Stafford, Va.
Coach: Ken Porter, Akron, Ohio
Coach: Ed Rivas, Abilene, Texas
Technical Advisor: Bruce Kawano, Pearl City, Hawaii
Team Manager: Ken Buffington, Marshalltown, Iowa


Women’s Boxing and the Media

Leave a reply

Women’s Boxing and the Media

Queen Underwood ahead of her Pan Am Games fight, Photo: Pat Graham/AP

With large kudos to CNN, ESPNW and even media outlets such at USA Today, women’s boxing has been hitting the media of late — and the perspective has actually been positive.

Case in point has been the skirts issues which has seen a surfeit of pieces in mainstream media running the gamut from BBC to Huffington Post.

There have also been lots of profile pieces of up and coming Olympic hopefuls alongside their sisters on the professional side of the sport, as well as pieces on the world-wide participation of women in boxing from Afghanistan to India to Uganda.

Here are some links to pieces.  Have a read and show your support if you can.  The more we advocate and respond, the greater the opportunity to keep the trend going — and maybe even find women boxing’s bouts back on ESPN, Showtime & HBO.  Hmmm, about time wouldn’t you say??

 

Skirts issue

Drawing a (hem)line in the sand by, Bonnie D. Ford, ESPN

Skirting the issue: boxing’s step backward, Kathryn Bertine, ESPNW

Skirts won’t make women’s boxing any more ‘womanly’, Christie Brennan, USA Today

 

Boxer profiles

Latina Olympic hopefuls (Marlen Esparza), Soledad O’Brien, CNN

Christy Martin a fighter at heart, David Picker, E:60, ESPN

Queen Underwood is fighting for a cause, by Meri-Jo Borzilleri, ESPNW

 

Women’s Boxing – World Wide

Afghan women strike blow for equality, Mike Thomson, BBC

Uganda’s women step into the ring, Nicole Dreon, ESPNW

Women’s Boxing Olympic Fever!

5 Replies

Women’s Boxing Olympic Fever!

The last couple of weeks have been amazing for Women’s Boxing in the United States as mainstream media has begun to pick up on the fact that we’ll actually be fielding a strong women’s team next summer in London.

The momentum will keep building too with the last round of competition before the February 2012 Women’s Olympic Trials coming up next week in Toledo, Ohio at the 2011 National PAL Championships.

The last three slots in each of the Olympic weight classes (112 lbs, 132 lbs, and 155 lbs.) will be selected, and it’s where boxers such as Cleveland’s own Cashmere Jackson will be duking it out to gain the opportunity to pursue their dreams of Olympic Gold.

Meanwhile, the fever pitch continues as seen in this fabulous ESPN piece on New Yorker, Christina Cruz’s dreams of not only winning gold as a member of the first Women’s boxing team to represent the United States at the Pan Am Games, but in her pursuit of the podium at next summer’s Olympic Games

If you have done so already, also check out Soledad O’Brien’s wonderful piece on Marlen Esparza that continues on October 1st on CNN. It is truly inspirational.

Here is the link to the teaser:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/09/13/latina.boxer.esparza/index.html

2011 USA Women’s National Boxing Champions crowned!

2 Replies

2011 USA Women’s National Boxing Champions crowned!

Saturday proved to be a banner day for women’s boxing!

Marlen Esperza wins her 6th straight National Title. Photo: Ed Andrieski/AP

Flyweight and Houston’s own Marlen Esparza made history last night when she became the third female fighter to win her sixth consecutive national boxing championship boxing title, 27-16, in a rematch of last year’s championship title match with Tyrieshea Douglas (Baltimore, MD.)

Marlen Esperza (L) and Tyrieshea Douglas, Photo: Ed Andrieski/AP

As quoted by AP, Esparza said, “It’s the big show for every athlete. It’s huge.” Esparza went on to talk about her opportunity to compete in the Olympic trials. “I’ve always wanted to be able to go to the Olympics since I won my first national championship. I’m putting everything into it, the best years of my life. It’s my life goal.”


Queen Underwood landing a left to Tiara Brown's head, Photo: Jack Dempsey/AP

Seattle’s own Queen Underwood fought a close four round contest in the Olympic Lightweight division to take her fifth national National crown by a 23-21 decision over Tiara Brown.  In a closely fought battle of wills Underwood and Brown went toe-to-toe for much of the bout trading shots and fighting in the clinches. Underwood was able to come on strong in the forth round, however, with a flurry of clean, well executed shots to bring home the crown.  Coming into the quarter-finals Queen was quoted as saying, “I’m the defending champion, so that’s a lot more pressure than being anybody’s favorite,” Underwood said. “A lot of people are expecting me to win every time. … This Queen is the Queen transforming to that gold medalist at the 2012 Games. This Queen you’re seeing is going to be a beast.” (Article link here.)

Franchon Crews

In the final women’s championship bout in the Olympic Middleweight division, former national champion and Baltimore’s own Franchon Crews fought a very close contest against former national champion Alyssa DeFazio (Peoria, AZ).  Crews however, pulled out the win with a 15-13 decision.

 

Women’s Olympic Championship Bout Results:

112 lbs/female: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas, dec. Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., 27-16

132 lbs/female: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., dec. Tiara Brown, Lehigh, Fla., 23-21

165 lbs/female: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., dec. Alyssa DeFazio, Peoria, Ariz., 15-13

Women’s Non-Olympic Championship Bout Results:

106 lbs/female: Amy Sowers, Bozeman, Mont., dec. Marina Ramirez, Las Vegas, Nev., 21-14

119 lbs/female: Haley Pasion, Waipahu, Hawaii, dec. Amanda Pavone, Burlington, Mass., 11-11 (87-86)

125 lbs/female: Heather Hardy, Brooklyn, N.Y., dec. Elizabeth Leddy, Portland, Maine, 21-12

141 lbs/female: Cashmere Jackson, Cleveland, Ohio, dec. Luvisa Matali, Denver, Colo., 27-14

152 lbs/female: Stephanie Taylor, West Hills, Calif., dec. Amournix Stamp, Milwaukee, Wis., 9-1

178+ lbs/female: Charnita Johnson, Columbus, Ohio (unopposed champion)

Women’s nationals semi-finals – Day 4!

6 Replies

Women’s Nationals Semi-Finals – Day 4!

We are talking really smoking hot in the Olympic divisions!!!

Flyweight!

Marlen Esperza, in training

Marlen Esperza (Houston, TZ) did not disappoint when she handily defeated New York’s own Christina Cruz 9-3.  With this victory, Esperza will be competing for her sixth straight national title in the Finals.

Tyriesha Douglas (L)

Tyrieshia Douglas (Baltimore, MD)  defeated contender Poula Estrada (Palmdale, CA) by a score of 17-11.  This will set up an exciting rematch of the Esperza v. Douglas 2010 National Championship battle!

Lightweight!

Queen Underwood

In a real barn-burner live tweeted by writer Raquel Ruiz, the momentum of the fight shifted back and forth between four-time champion Queen Underwood (Seattle, WA) and contender N’yteeyah Sherman (Barberton, OH) competing in her first national tournament.  They traded punches back and forth with Queen using her ring skill to try to outbox Sherman.  In the end, with the score tied 23-23, the judges awarded the win to Queen Underwood with a tiebreaker decision based on the punch count which was scored in Queen’s favor, 116-96.

Tiara Brown

Compared to the Underwood v. Sherman bout, the Tiara Brown (Lehigh Acres, FL) battle with Lisa Porter (Northridge, CA) was a relative “walk-over” with Brown handily defeating Porter, 13-7.  Underwood and Brown will face each other in Saturday night’s final.

Middleweight!

Franchon Crews

To round out the Olympic divisions, Franchon Crews (Baltimore, MD) defeated Tiffanie Ward (Hacienda Heights, CA) in another close contest by the score 14-13.  The former champion will meet Alyssa DeFazio (Peoria, AZ) who handily defeated the former light heavyweight champion Tika Hemingway (Pittsburgh, PA), 20-14.

A Girlboxing shoutout to all of the amazing women boxers who have participated so far!  Now it’s time to get to work so *ALL* of the female boxing weight divisions will included in the 2016 Olympics!

Here’s the full roster of semi-final women’s bouts.

106 lbs/female: Amy Sowers, Bozeman, Mont., dec. Elizabeth Rodriguez, Gilroy, Calif., 16-10
106 lbs/female: Marina Ramirez, Las Vegas, Nev., dec. Lisa Ha, Honolulu, Hawaii, 15-13

112 lbs/female: Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., dec. Poula Estrada, Palmdale, Calif., 17-11
112 lbs/female: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas, dec. Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., 9-3

119 lbs/female: Amanda Pavone, Burlington, Mass., dec. Lindsay Bartels, Omaha, Neb., 29-15

119 lbs/female: Haley Pasion, Waipahu, Hawaii, stopped Nephateria Miller, New Haven, Conn., RSC-3 (1:44)

125 lbs/female: Heather Hardy, Brooklyn, N.Y., dec. Emily Dagnan, Jasper, Tenn., 25-9
125 lbs/female: Elizabeth Leddy, Portland, Maine, dec. Lori Argumedo, Commerce, Calif., 24-10

132 lbs/female: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., dec. Lisa Porter, Northridge, Calif., 13-7
132 lbs/female: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., dec. N’yteeyah Sherman, Barberton, Ohio, 23-23 (116-96)

141 lbs/female: Cashmere Jackson, Cleveland, Ohio, dec. Kathleen Walsh, Rankankama, N.Y., 17-16
141 lbs/female: Luvisa Matali, Denver, Colo., dec. Ariel Beck, Deer Lodge, Mont., 17-11

152 lbs/female: Amournix Stamp, Milwaukee, Wis., dec. Faith Franco, Duarte, Calif., 7-6
152 lbs/female: Stephanie Taylor, West Hills, Calif., won on walkover over, Diana Wigand, Lexington, Ky., W/O

165 lbs/female: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., dec. Tiffanie Ward, Hacienda Heights, Calif., 14-13
165 lbs/female: Alyssa DeFazio, Peoria, Ariz., dec. Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa., 20-14

Women’s Nationals Results – Day 1!

Leave a reply

Women’s Nationals Results – Day 1!

2010 USA Boxing National Championships

Nationals!  

Nationals got off to a rousing start in the Olympic divisions with Queen Underwood easily overtaking her opponent, Maria Madrigal with a first round stoppage.  She will take on Darina Mims (Greensboro, N.C.) in second round action on Tuesday afternoon.  Also look for Christina Cruz to fight Noemi Bosques (Pinellas Park, Fla.) who decisively won her first preliminary bout on Monday night over Cassandra Mendoxa (Greeley, Co.).

Early favorite for a medal Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) won on walkover over, Tiffany Perez, (Hammond, Ind)

Monday Afternoon Preliminary Bouts!

132 lbs/female: Sherry Whetten, Tucson, Ariz., won on walkover over, Kymmberli Stowe, Pittsburgh, Pa., W/O

132 lbs/female: Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, NY., dec. Brenda Gutierrez, Sacramento, Calif., 35-6

132 lbs/female: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., stopped Maria Madrigal, Wenatcher, Wash., RSC-1 (1:32)

132 lbs/female: Tiara Brown, Fort Meyers, Fla., dec. Storm Chandler, New York, N.Y., 18-14

132 lbs/female: Amorena Baca, Denver, Colo., dec. Marianne Kraus, Nauvoo, Ill., 25-7

132 lbs/female: Lauren Fisher, Dania Beach, Fla., dec. Amber Smith, Fort Worth, Texas, 24-7

132 lbs/female: Ishika Lay, Jacksonville Beach, Fla., dec. Jenelle Leal, Corpus Christi, Texas, 30-7

132 lbs/female: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., dec. Robin Conroy, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 13-3

132 lbs/female: Rita Martinez, Las Cruces, NM., won on walkover over, Takesha Edward, W/O

Monday Evening Preliminary Bouts
112 lbs/female: Poula Estrada, Palmdale, Calif., dec. Ginny Fuchs, Houston, Texas, 15-9

112 lbs/female: Noemi Bosques, Pinellas Park, Fla., dec. Cassandra Mendoza, Greeley, Colo., 21-14

112 lbs/female: LaTonya King, Harrison, Mich., stopped Rhonda McGee, Vacaville, Calif., RSC-2 (1:42)

112 lbs/female: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas, won on walkover over, Tiffany Perez, Hammond, Ind., W/O 

132 lbs/female: Sherman N’yteeya, Barberton, Ohio. dec. Alecia Gutierrez, Chicago Ill., 33-19

165 lbs/female: Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, Calif., dec. Jennifer Egan, Mohopac, N.Y., 18-13

 

Women’s Amateur Boxing Updates!

Leave a reply

Women’s Amateur Boxing Updates!

>>>AIBA’s Women’s and Youth Junior World Championships are set to begin in Ankara, Turkey on April 24, 2011 – May 1, 2011!

As noted by AIBA, “A total of 264 young women boxers from 45 different countries are set to compete.”  Junior boxers as young as 14 years old will participate in a total of thirteen different weight classes under official AIBA rules. Interestingly, the United States will not be fielding a team in either division.  Participating countries will include Russian, host country Turkey, Ukraine, India, Poland, Sweden and Ireland (with women’s boxing champion Katie Taylor leading the team), among other participating nations.

For further information click here.

>>>Team USA Dual Showdown

Congratulations to Team USA Women’s Boxing for their hard-fought victories and near misses in the two dual showdown events with a superb Mexican team on April 13th & April 15th in Harvey, Illinois.

4/13/11 – Friday’s USA vs. Mexico Dual Results
112 lbs/female: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas/USA, dec. Mariana Caballero, MEX, 29-9
132 lbs/female: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash./USA, dec. Reyna Cotija, MEX, 15-13

4/15/11 – Sunday’s USA vs. Mexico Dual Results
112 lbs/female: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas/USA dec. Silvia Torres, MEX, 16-12

132 lbs/female: Erika Cruz, MEX, dec. Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash./USA, 21-13

165 lbs/female: Tiffanie Hearn, Louisville, Ky./USA dec. Alma Ibarra, MEX, 16-7

For further information click here.