Scrappy prelims set stage for finals this Friday
By Glenn McBrady
For the St. Louis American
There were twenty-five fights in twenty-four hours last week inside the South Broadway Athletic Club at the preliminaries of the 2005 St. Louis Golden Gloves Tournament, and the amateur action last Thursday and Friday has boxing fans looking forward to the finals tomorrow night – Friday, May 13 – at The Family Arena in St. Charles.
Very little seemed amateur about the contest between Darrell Newbern from 12th & Park and Pagedale’s Zach Holloway. Holloway showed poise early, patiently using his gloves to block Newbern’s hard shots and then answering with short, crisp hooks of his own. Newbern continued to press the action, and when he cut off the ring to spring a trap in the corner, Holloway’s superb footwork bailed him out.
But Holloway also divided his attack evenly between the body and head, and his ticket to the finals was stamped with a decision victory.
The closest fight of that first night was between Cherokee’s Ricky Lane Jr. and Lawrence Hughes from the Warriors. Sporting red headgear with black flames, Lane landed an overhand right and a left hook that seemed to shake Hughes. The end of round one saw the beginning of a trend that would continue throughout the fight as the two fired fast lead left hooks, looking to land a telling blow.
But neither could connect, and the frantic pace would catch up as the wild haymakers thrown by both were either eluded or blocked. Both landed solid lead rights in the final frame until the bell sounded. The judges’ decision was announced, and Lane’s hand was raised as both fighters struggled to gulp in more air at the center of the ring.
The humidity was higher on Friday night, and there were even more thrilling moments for the fans.
DeAndre Latimore from 12th & Park squared off against the Warrior’s Ryan Williams, and Latimore wasted no time as he jarred William’s chin with a lead left cross and then followed up with a 1, 2, double right hook for good measure.
Williams crumpled to the royal blue canvas from an apparent body shot, but complained that it was a low blow. When his protest fell on deaf ears, he took matters into his own hands and landed a stray shot south of the border.
Latimore’s relentless attack continued, and after two standing eight counts, the referee halted the fight when Williams went down along the ropes near a neutral corner.
Back-to-back brawls in the open division provided the most excitement of the night.
First Ricky Lane Jr. returned to face Tyrone Chatman from 12th & Park. Chatman took his time, calmly studying his opponent as the two flicked their jabs. Patience paid off, and one minute into the first Chatman landed a thudding right squarely to Lane’s face, putting him flat on his back.
But as Chatman’s supporters became rowdy and swept forward from the back of the room, a first-round stoppage was sabotaged as the referee refused to restart the action until the fans regained their composure. The delay allowed the hurt fighter to pull himself together, and the bell clanged, saving Lane as the fans were brushed back by one of St. Louis’ finest.
Chatman stuck a lancing left into Lane’s stomach in the second and then late in the third, he landed a textbook 1,2 and Lane tipped over backwards with his arms spread in a hazy trust fall. The ropes saved him from a trip across the scorer’s table, and he immediately got up and begged the ref not to pull the plug, but the request was denied and Chatman was on his way to the finals.
The blistering action continued as Marquette’s Lamaar Harris faced Erico Tankins from 12th & Park in the 165 lb. weight class. Tankins opened up by landing a good lead left, but he was caught with a counter left hook on his way out the door. He punctuated the round with a stiff jab at the bell.
The two spent the next three rounds repeating a pattern of throwing wild punches and then getting tangled up. It was clear in their body language as the fight wore on how much energy they were burning through as neither refused to ease up off the pedal. In the end, a close 3-2 decision went to Harris and the crowd applauded the efforts of both fighters.
The bouts on Friday set the stage for tomorrow night’s finals, where fans can relive the excitement and catch some of the brightest young boxing stars on the horizon.
The Golden Gloves championship bouts will take place 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 13 at The Family Arena in St. Charles. For tickets, call Steve Holley at (314) 495-0820 or Metrotix at (314) 534-1111.
