Golden Gloves surprise
Some unexpected faces heading to nationals
By Glenn McBrady
For the St. Louis American
Predicting the winner of a match in the Sweet Science is pretty unscientific.
In boxing, two athletes may be identical in height and weight, but their difference resides between the ears and the way a fighter responds to adversity during the course of a bout. Confidence is key, and it can often propel an experienced fighter through moments that cause others to melt down.
But, if a slippery or stubborn boxer can frustrate and hang with his seasoned opponent long enough, the momentum can build as the action unfolds and the canvas slowly tilts, leading to a downhill march to victory.
Some of our area’s talented amateurs never seem to have an off night, and after watching them dominate in tournament after tournament, it’s easy to jump the gun and pencil them in for the championship every time. But, at the finals of the St. Louis Golden Gloves Tournament last Friday night, many loyal boxing fans were reaching for their erasers as a pair of upsets in the Open Division had the crowd in The Family Arena buzzing.
The drama resulted from the spirited performances that gave two boxers the chance to travel to Little Rock, Arkansas for the National Golden Gloves Tournament.
Cherokee’s Carlos Small faced Robbie Cannon from Body Shots Gym in the 132 lb. weight class, and it was obvious after the first thirty seconds that the southpaw Small wasn’t going to let Cannon walk through him on his way to Arkansas.
Small picked Cannon apart early with 1-2’s and mixed in lead lefts and a lead left uppercut that had his well-traveled opponent guessing.
In round two, Cannon turned up the heat, but Small calmly covered up and answered Cannon’s barrage with a sneaky short right hook. Small began landing his lead left at will, and by the third round he was turning his opponent and landing crisp, surgical combinations.
Cannon couldn’t seem to find his rhythm. By the time he punctuated the final frame with an effective combination, it felt like too little, too late. After a brilliant display of boxing skills, Small earned the decision victory.
Next up was a bout in the 141 lb. weight class between Tyrone Chatman from 12th & Park and Brandon Baue from St. Charles. Chatman showed his superb head movement early, and landed a stiff right uppercut, left hook combination that Baue absorbed well.
But a balanced attack allowed Baue to land effective straight punches, and by the middle of round two he had opened up the pipes and blood was spilling from Chatman’s nose. It was enough for Referee Luther Hardin to consult with the ringside physician and wait for the green light to continue.
With the result of the contest teetering, the sense of urgency lead to furious action at the beginning of the final round, with Chatman landing several lead left hands that sent his opponent’s mouthpiece skipping across the canvas. But Baue wasn’t backing down, and he stayed busy throughout the last stanza.
There was concern written on the faces of the 12th & Park faithful as the judges’ yellow carbon copy score sheets were tallied. At the end of the close race, Baue emerged with a huge win after an impressive outing.
This year’s tournament was proof that the quality of boxing in our area continues to rise and expand, and when talented fighters face a tough test every time they step through the ropes, everybody wins.
2005 St. Louis Golden Gloves Championships
Novice Division
Bout 1
125 lbs. Derrick Murray (Tandy) dec. Ramon Sykes (Cherokee)
Bout 2
132 lbs. Leon Spinks Jr. (Cherokee) dec. Ronald Freeman (12th & Park)
Bout 3
141 lbs. Kenny Garcia (Knuckles) dec. Aaron Thompson (Cherokee)
Bout 4
152 lbs. Tim Connors (Finney’s Gym) dec. Paul James (West End)
Bout 5
165 lbs. Zach Holloway (Pagedale) dec. Eric Fowler (Warriors)
Bout 6
178 lbs. Chris Eppley (21st Century) dec. Melvin Chandler (Marquette)
Bout 7
-201 lbs. Jordan McCrary (NCAA) stops Tim Bass (USA Gym)
Bout 8
132 lbs. Michelle Hurchla (Finney’s Gym) wins by walkover
Bout 9
155 lbs. Jamie O’Hare (Finney’s Gym) stops Julie Harrison (Pagedale)
Open Division
Bout 10
119 lbs. Barry Dennis (12th & Park) won by walkover
Bout 11
125 lbs. Jamal Parram (12th & Park) dec. Demarco McCrady (Cherokee)
Bout 12
132 lbs. Carlos Small (Cherokee) dec. Robbie Cannon (Body Shots Gym)
Bout 13
141 lbs. Brandon Baue (St. Charles) dec. Tyrone Chatman (12th & Park)
Bout 14
152 lbs. DeAndre Latimore (12th & Park) stops Brandon Hoskins (Hannibal)
Bout 15
165 lbs. Lamaar Harris (Marquette) dec. Nathan Kempfa (Body Shots)
Bout 16
178 lbs. Kevin Engel (Finney’s Gym) dec. Louis Holloway (Pagedale)
Bout 17
-201 lbs. Austin Ejiofor (South Broadway) stops Vincent Hadley (Springfield, Illinois Athletic Club)
Bout 18
+201 lbs. Ryan Coyne (St. Charles) dec. Terrell Harris (Tandy)
