For the St. Louis American
The team of fighters that St. Louis will send to the regionals of the United States Championships was decided after a series of bouts that wrapped up last Thursday evening amid a haze of cigar smoke in the cavernous second floor dining room at the downtown Missouri Athletic Club.
The action got off to a scorching start with the opening contest between West End’s Derrick Murray and Bennie Culpepper from 12th & Park. The pair mixed it up early on and then settled into a groove which saw the right-handed Murray launch pointed left hooks, while the southpaw Culpepper looked to hurt his counterpart with counter rights.
Both had gained each other’s respect by rounds three and four, with Culpepper doubling and tripling his hooks and Murray using his jab freely. The decision would rest with the judges, and in the end Murray’s glove was raised and his ticket to the regionals was stamped.
A marquee match-up of the night was the showdown between two seasoned veterans of the amateur scene: Team St. Louis’ Juzzton Hill and 12th & Park’s Tyrone Chatman.
The reach advantage between the southpaw duo belonged to Hill, and he used straight punches early to put points in the bank. Chatman countered with effective hooks to the body and head once the fight moved inside.
Chatman’s work rate ultimately tipped the scales his way in the minds of the judges, and he took the decision win.
The efforts of both fighters were rewarded with praise from the crowd that packed the room to see some of the best amateur talent push for the chance to represent St. Louis in the spring at the next rung of the USA Championships.
Congratulations to all of this year’s local winners:
106 lbs. Stephan Young (Gamble Boxing Club)
112 lbs. Barry Dennis (12th & Park Police Athletic League)
119 lbs. Derrell Dennis (12th & Park PAL)
125 lbs. Derrick Murray (West End Boxing Club)
132 lbs. Samir Simpson (12th & Park PAL)
141 lbs. Tyrone Chatman (12th & Park PAL)
152 lbs. Kenny Garcia (Knuckles Gym)
165 lbs. Jarvis Williams (Marquette Boxing Club)
178 lbs. Louis Holloway (St. Louis International ABC)
-201 lbs. Jordan McCrary (North County Athletic Association)
+201 lbs. Decarlo Lewis (Cherokee Boxing Club)
Amateur benefit cards
There will be a card this Saturday evening to benefit the Cochran Gardens Boxing program. The action will get underway at 7:30 p.m. at the Cochran facility located at 9th & Cass and will feature some of the city’s finest young fighters. Tickets will be available at the door, and more information is available by calling Brian Shaw at (314) 255-8288.
There will also be a card at the South Broadway Athletic Club on Thursday, March 8 at 7:30 pm. Individual tickets to the event are $20 and are available by calling Jim Gummersbach at (314) 638-5371.
Local fighters head north
Ozark Boxing President Juliana Neisz is traveling to a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin this weekend with a group of boxers who will look to represent St. Louis well. Stephan Young, Jarvis Williams, Darwin Price and Jherret Stansberry will be competing and gaining valuable ring experience that will hopefully help them down the road.
I’ve also been asked to put out the word to anyone who may wish to help our local amateur boxing commission by helping to pay the travel expenses for trips to tournaments that are out of town, such as the USA Championships and the National Golden Gloves. All of the athletes’ lodging and transportation are paid for out of the Ozark/LBC’s account. More information is available by calling Ms. Neisz at (314) 892-7609.
