Despite some plucky performances by several visiting fighters, St. Louis’ young squad dominated in the ring and on the scoresheets last Saturday at the finals of the state Silver Gloves Tournament.
Marcus Golliday from 12th & Park set the tempo early, giving the crowd inside the Marquette Rec Center something to shout about with a busy, effective offense against his taller opponent.
The lefty Golliday drew from every part of his repertoire, firing lead crosses and 1, 2’s chased back with right hooks down the hatch on his way to a decision in the ages eight-nine, 65-pound weight class.
As the verdict was read, the young hopeful did his own version of the Lambeau Leap, scaling the ropes in his crimson corner with gloves raised towards the basketball court’s ceiling in a moment of pure exhilaration.
Orlando Hill, another hot prospect from 12th & Park, followed his teammate’s cue by making short work of his counterpart on the way to a stoppage. Hill came out of his corner like a buzz saw, barreling towards his foe like the Tasmanian Devil in a whirling dust storm of lefts and rights. The referee rightly called a halt to the bout, allowing Hill to claim supremacy of the 60-pound, ten-eleven age bracket.
Just five pounds north on the scale, Cameron Brooks from Gamble used a similar “punch first, ask questions later” approach on his way to securing a win. Brooks galloped across the canvas as the opening bell sounded and rarely let up, showing supreme conditioning as his trainer Winston Shaw watched from his perch nearby.
Cherokee’s Tyvon and Tyjuan Townsend both brought home prizes for their Southside home gym. The 75-pound Tyvon used a persistent attack focused largely upstairs to pile up points, while the 95-pounder Tyjuan used 1, 2’s and lead rights to carry him first across the finish line.
Danny McGinnist Jr. from the host gym faced a tough test in the form of Turner’s Julian Galivan, a gritty pressure pug who kept marching forward. But the Marquette product showed poise, establishing an effective stick and stringing together enough connections to deliver the “W”.
The most hotly contested match was between McGinnist’s stable mate Taylor Merriweather and Powell Cornelius, a gritty 85-pounder representing Team Calloway from St. Joseph, Mo.
Cornelius definitely didn’t make the road trip to play second fiddle to Merriweather, and he demonstrated it by hanging tough in the pocket while switching stances for the duration of three rounds.
But Merriweather’s straighter slings often arrived ahead of Cornelius’ wider, later scheduled stops, garnering favor with three of the five judges and insuring a landslide margin for the St. Louis crew.
Unbeaten Alexander
Congratulations to junior welterweight Devon Alexander “The Great” on his third round stoppage of Christopher Fernandez last Thursday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The rising contender moved to 17-0 and fans that have followed the talented southpaw since his amateur days can look for more television exposure in the new year as his stock continues to soar.
