Tag Archives: Tika Hemingway

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!

The Three Women’s Boxing U. S. Olympic Trials Champions: Marlen Esparza, Queen Underwood, Claressa Shields!

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The Three Women’s Boxing U. S. Olympic Trials Champions: Marlen Esparza, Queen Underwood, Claressa Shields!

Three Olympic Trials Champions, Marlen Esparza, Claressa Shields, Queen Underwood, Credit: USA Boxing

From the elite list of 24 women’s amateur boxing champions that came to Spokane, Washington to fulfill their Olympic dreams, it is now down to three:  Flyweight Champion, Marlen Esparza, Lightweight Champion, Queen Underwood and Middleweight Champion, Claressa Shields.

In a night of historic significance in the annals of the Olympic Sports movement and importantly, women’s sports these three champions gave everything in pursuit of their goal to represent the United States at the 2012 World Championships — with the hopes of grabbing a berth at the 2012 London Olympic Games this summer.

The non-stop action began with a thrilling battle between flyweights Marlen Esparza and challenger Tyrieshia Douglas.  Both fighters have met twice before in the USA Boxing National Championships finals, but it was Esparza’s night once again as she built up points round after round with her stinging outside/inside game and commanding ring generalship for a final score of 32-17.

Queen Underwood & Mikaela Mayer, 2/18/2012, Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Home town favorite and lighweight Olympic hopeful Queen Underwood, in her second U. S. Olympic Trials bout with challenger Mikaela Mayer fought another tough close bout through four rounds of tactical, smart fighting with her taller opponent. Mayer was able to get within three points of Underwood, but Queen prevailed with a final score of 22-19.

Claressa Shields & Tika Hemingway, 2/18/2012, Credit: James Snook/US Presswire

In the final bout of the evening, 16-year-old middleweight, Claressa Shields, continued her unbeaten record in her bruising battle with Tika Hemingway.  This was also their second meeting in the U. S. Olympic Trials. Shields fought off a constant onslaught from Hemingway which saw her pushed into the ropes, however, through sheer nerve and power she was able to claim victory with a 23-18 decision.  Claressa was also named the Outstanding Boxer of the Tournament to round out her evening of triumph.

Even in victory, the three champions must prepare for the road ahead: a tough series of matches at the 2012 Women’s World Championships in China.  The Tournament will begin in early May and only the the top eight in each weight class will qualify for the London Olympics.  According to USA Boxing, “a tripartite commission will select an additional four in each of the three weight divisions that will advance to London.”  

Let us all lend our support to these outstanding women as they work towards achieving their historical goals of being the first representatives of the United States to compete in a women’s boxing event at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Press coverage includes the following:

USA Boxing, Greg Beacham/AP for the Seattle Times, Washington Post, ESPN, Los Angeles Times, Flint Journal and Spokesman-Review. 

In case you missed any of the action, you can watch videos of the historical tournament here.

U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing Finals Results

112 lbs: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas dec. Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., 32-17

132 lbs: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., dec. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., 22-19

165 lbs: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich., dec. Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa. 23-18

Women’s Boxing Olympic Trials Day Six, 2/18/2012!

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Women’s Boxing Olympic Trials Day Six, 2/18/2012!

Tyrieshia Douglas battling Christina Cruz, 2/17/12, Credit: AP

And then there were three!  Challengers that is for tonight’s Championship round in this double elimination tournament.
Last night’s action was all about determination and slogging through the fatigue of what was for some, their fifth bout in as many days!
Flyweight boxer Tyrieshia Douglas faced Christina Cruz for the second time, but was able to edge out Cruz with focus and grit through the first three rounds.  With her laser-like accuracy and a heart that wouldn’t quit Douglas pulled ahead of Cruz in the final round and won with a score of 22-14.  Tyrieshia earned the right to face Marlen Esparza tonight.
Lightweights Mikaela Mayer and N’yteeyah Sherman both fought a confident, highly skilled, technical battle with not dissimilar styles.  N’yteeyah with the height advantage was able to pull head in the opening round, but Mayer was able to fight through to tie and eventually to grab the lead, taking the decision with a score of 26-25.  She will face Queen Underwood for the second time tonight.
For the middleweight contest, Tika Hemingway took control of the bout against Raquel Miller with quicker hands and a savvy ring style that saw her to set the pace.  Tika’s style also meant that she was able to gain a decisive lead from the first round on taking the decision with a final score of 21-6.  Tika will face Claressa Shields tonight in a repeat of their Thursday battle.
A word on double elimination:  Marlen Esparza, Queen Underwood and Claressa Shields will all be fighting as “winners” tonight.  That means if any of them lose the bout tonight, they will have the right to fight their opponents a second time on Sunday as “challengers”.  However, Tyrieshia Douglas, Mikaela Mayer and Tika Hemingway as tonight’s “challengers” must win in order to keep their Olympic dreams alive.

Press coverage includes the following:

USA Boxing, AP’s Greg Beacham in the Washington Post, FoxNews, Los Angeles Times, 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!

Friday’s Challengers Bracket Finals Results
112 lbs/challengers bracket: Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., dec. Christina Cruz, 22-14
132 lbs/challengers bracket: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., dec. N’yteeyah Sherman, 26-24
165 lbs/challengers bracket: Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa., dec. Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., 21-6
Saturday’s Championship Round Bout Sheet

112 lbs: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas vs. Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md.
132 lbs: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., vs. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif.
165 lbs: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich., vs. Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa.

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.

Women’s Boxing Olympic Trials Day Four, 2/16/2012!

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Women’s Boxing Olympic Trials Day Four, 2/16/2012!

Queen Underwood throws a right at Mikaela Mayer, 2/15/2012, Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Last night was a WAR: Twelve fighters on the precipice of elimination from the tournament fought their hearts out to claim a place on today’s bout roster, all of their hopes and dreams for Olympic glory on the line.

For flyweight Tyrieshia Douglas that meant a crescendo of battle tactics that saw her to first overwhelm and then finally stop Taversha Norwood at 1:18 in the fourth round when the referee ended the bout.  Virginia Fuchs also fought a non-stop battle from the outside to defeat Alex Love by a 21-16 decision.  Douglas and Fuchs will battle each other tonight in the Challenger’s bracket.

The lightweights were equally exciting. Tiara Brown, the 2011 USA Boxing National Championships silver medalist proved herself a winner in a very close tactical battle with Bertha Aracil that saw the momentum shift from Aracil to Brown with a final score of 12-11. In the other lightweight contest, Mikaela Mayer was relentless in her pursuit of Asia Stevenson who was given two standing eight counts at the end of the second round, one at the end of the third and was finally stopped at 1:24 in the fourth round. Mayer’s style was relentless from the outside but she showed no fear in the clinches. Stevenson fought as a southpaw and showed a nice stinging jab in the first round, only to lose momentum from the second round on.  The battle tonight between Tiara Brown and Mikaela Mayer should certainly prove to be an exciting matchup!
Franchon Crews fought a tough slugfest against Tiffanie Hearn, but managed to pull off a close decision 27-26.  Both fighters fought in close and lost points for “wrestling.”   In the last contest of the night, Raquel Miller did her best to slug it out with Andrecia Wasson, finally winning the contest by a score of 7-6 — on her birthday no less.  Neither fought a particularly clean fight, but Miller proved to be more effective. Crews and Miller will meet tonight in what will likely be another all out war.

Press coverage includes the following: USA Boxing, AP’s Greg Beacham, Detroit Free Press, ESPN, and Sarah Deming’s Day three report on Huffington Post. 

Tonight’s bouts can be viewed online at the link here.

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

112 lbs/challengers bracket: Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., stopping Taversha Norwood, Marietta, Ga., RSC-4 (1:18)

112 lbs/challengers bracket: Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas dec. Alex Love, Monroe, Wash., 21-16

132 lbs/challengers bracket: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., dec. Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, N.Y., 12-11

132 lbs/challengers bracket: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., stopped Asia Stevenson, Washington DC, RSC-4 (1:24)

165 lbs/challengers bracket: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., dec. Tiffanie Hearn, San Diego, Calif., 27-26

165 lbs/challengers bracket: Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., dec. Andrecia Wasson, Centerline, Mich., 7-6

Tonight’s Bouts are a combinations of the winner’s bouts from Valentine’s Day and last night’s successful challengers. There will be a total of six fights, two from each division.

Thursday’s Bout Sheet

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

Women’s Boxing Olympic Trials Day Three, 2/15/2012!

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Women’s Boxing Olympic Trials Day Three, 2/15/2012!

Patricia Manuel (L) & Tiara Brown, 2/13/2012, first round, U. S. Women's Boxing Olympic Trials, Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

What a great night of boxing!

In the middleweight division, Claressa Shields continued to impress with her decisive win over world champion Andrecia Wasson by the score of 31-12. New York’s own flyweight Christina Cruz also fought a brilliant tactical fight against Tyrieshia Douglas to pull out a 20-15 decision.  Christina Cruz will face the powerful heavy favorite Marlen Esparza on Thursday.  Esparza who had a walkover in her opening bout, fought a rough and tumble bout against Alex Love taking the decision with a score of 22-12.

In the lightweight division, Queen Underwood was truly on her game and in control taking the 27-20 decision from Mikaela Mayer who proved herself to be a tough challenger. Underwood will face N’yteeyah Sherman on Thursday who won a decisive victory over Tiaira Brown, 32-24 last night.  Underwood and Sherman last met in the 2011 USA Boxing National Championships.

Press links can be found here:  USA Boxing, The Spokesman-Review, Los Angeles Times, New York Times. Plus check out this article on the issues surrounding making weight to qualify for one of the three Olympic weight-classes open to women in the 2012 Olympics by Greg Beacham of the Associated Press.

By the way, kudos to USA Boxing for the video streaming and especially to Christy Halbert for her great commentary!

Tonight’s bouts can be viewed online at the link here.

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

112 lbs/winners bracket: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas, dec. Alex Love, Monroe, Wash., 22-12

112 lbs/winners bracket: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., 20-15

112 lbs/challengers bracket: Taversha Norwood, Marietta, Ga., won unopposed

112 lbs/challengers bracket: Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas, dec., Latonya King, Harrison Township, Mich., 14-13

132 lbs/winners bracket: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., dec. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., 27-20

132 lbs/winners bracket: N’yteeyah Sherman, Barberton, Ohio, dec. Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., 32-24

132 lbs/challengers bracket: Asia Stevenson, Washington DC, won on walkover over Patricia Manuel, Long Beach, Calif., W/O

132 lbs/challengers bracket: Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, N.Y., dec. Lisa Porter, Northridge, Calif., 16-13

165 lbs/winners bracket: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich., dec. Andrecia Wasson, Centerline, Mich., 31-12

165 lbs/winners bracket: Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa., dec. Tiffanie Hearn, Louisville, Ky., 19-15

165 lbs/challengers bracket: Franchon Crews won on medical disqualification over Dara Shen, Alexandria,
Va., DQ

165 lbs/challengers bracket: Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., dec. Tiffanie Ward, Hacienda Heights, Calif., 23-12

Tonight’s Bouts will be fought by the challengers — and will consist of six fights in total, two from each division.  Winners in this double elimination tournament will have the opportunity to continue on Thursday.

Wednesday’s Bout Sheet

112 lbs/challengers bracket: Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., vs. Taversha Norwood, Marietta, Ga.

112 lbs/challengers bracket: Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas vs. Alex Love, Monroe, Wash.

132 lbs/challengers bracket: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., vs. Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, N.Y.

132 lbs/challengers bracket: Asia Stevenson, Washington DC vs. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif.

165 lbs/challengers bracket: Tiffanie Hearn, Louisville, Ky., vs. Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md.

165 lbs/challengers bracket: Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., vs. Andrecia Wasson, Centerline, Mich.

Women’s Boxing Olympic Trials Day Two, 2/14/2012!

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>>> UPDATE!!! 

Saw this update in the Los Angeles Times.  Link is here.

[Updated at 11:27 a.m.:  Patricia Manuel iced her injured right shoulder late Monday but after she awoke Tuesday in greater pain, she and trainer Robert Luna elected to withdraw from the double-elimination tournament rather than risk further injury. “I’m sorry my story ends like this,” Manuel wrote in a text message.]

Women’s Boxing Olympic Trials Day Two, 2/14/2012!

Women's Boxing Olympic Trials, The 24! Credit: Sarah Deming/Huffington Post

For those of you who tuned into the live video stream, you got to watch some very exciting boxing last night!  We’re talking all the drama of a prize-fight with some surprising outcomes such as Franchon Crews‘ loss to Claressa Shields, 31-19. Of course, being a New Yorker, I was cheering on Christina Cruz and was not disappointed.  She fought a terrific four-round bout against Virginia Fuchs defeating her 15-12. One thing that came shining through was the caliber of the boxing!  The competitors truly “brought it” last night!

Press links on the night’s fighting can be found here: USA Boxing,  Chicago Tribune (AP Story), The Seattle Times, and don’t miss Brooklyn’s own Sarah Deming’s piece in the Huff Post here.

The results are as follows:

U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing Results
112 lbs: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas on on walkover over Cynthia Moreno, Phoenix, Ariz., W/O
112 lbs: Alex Love, Monroe, Wash., dec. Taversha Norwood, Marietta, Ga., 24-15
112 lbs: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas, 15-12
112 lbs: Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., dec. Latonya King, Harrison Township, Mich., 34-11
132 lbs: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., dec. Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, N.Y., 22-12
132 lbs: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., dec. Lisa Porter, Northridge, Calif., 27-10
132 lbs: N’yteeyah Sherman, Barberton, Ohio dec. Asia Stevenson, Washington DC, 42-17
132 lbs: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., dec. Patricia Manuel, Long Beach, Calif., 18-13
165 lbs: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich., dec. Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., 31-19
165 lbs: Andrecia Wasson, Centerline, Mich., dec. Dara Shen, Alexandria, Va., 34-9
165 lbs: Tiffanie Hearn, San Diego, Calif., dec. Tiffanie Ward, Hacienda Heights, Calif., 18-17
165 lbs: Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa., dec. Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., 16-10

Tonight’s bouts can be viewed online at click the link here.

Tonight’s bout sheets are as follows:

U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing Tuesday Bout Sheets

112 lbs/winners bracket: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas vs. Alex Love, Spokane, Wash.

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

112 lbs/challengers bracket: Taversha Norwood, Marietta, Ga. unopposed

112 lbs/challengers bracket: Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas vs. Latonya King, Harrison Township, Mich.

132 lbs/winners bracket: Queen Underwood, Spokane, Wash., vs. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif.

132 lbs/winners bracket: N’yteeyah Sherman, Barberton, Ohio vs. Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla.

132 lbs/challengers bracket: Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, N.Y., vs. Lisa Porter, Northridge, Calif.

132 lbs/challengers bracket: Asia Stevenson, Washington DC vs. Patricia Manuel, Long Beach, Calif.

165 lbs/winners bracket: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich., vs. Andrecia Wasson, Centerline, Mich.

165 lbs/winners bracket: Tiffanie Hearn, San Diego, Calif., vs. Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa.

165 lbs/challengers bracket: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., vs. Dara Shen, Alexandria, Va.

165 lbs/challengers bracket: Tiffanie Ward, Hacienda Heights, Calif., vs. Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif.

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

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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!

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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)