Roster complete for Saturday’s card
By Glenn McBrady
For the St. Louis American
With this year’s Missouri Silver Gloves Tournament approaching this Saturday evening at the Marquette Recreation Center, a handful of bouts were held last weekend at the South Broadway Athletic Club to complete the roster of local champs who will look to advance against their cross-state rivals.
The night’s action got off to a blistering start as Cherokee’s Theortric Dailey faced Terrell Dixon from 12th & Park in the 119-pound weight class. Dailey had no trouble letting his hands go early, landing a 1, 2 and then doubling up on the left hook and distributing those power punches equally between his opponent’s body and head. Dixon put his own stamp on the busy round with a hard 1, 2 upstairs at the bell.
Dailey reassumed his role as aggressor in the second with Dixon playing the part of a cagey counter puncher. But it was Dailey who landed the prettiest reply of the round by taking a half-step back out of harm’s way and countering Dixon’s jab with a right cross up top.
Dixon backed his rival up in the third and final frame with a stern 1, 2 to the front of Dailey’s headgear, but a slightly fresher Dailey stayed busier and won the judges’ decision and the chance to compete this weekend.
Another spirited contest involved Dailey’s Cherokee stable mate Corey Walker Jr. and the durable Donte Jordan from Pagedale in a battle at 132 pounds. Walker had the clear edge in reach and experience, and he came out firing a bundle of 1, 2, double hooks to the head with several lefts downstairs sprinkled in for good measure.
But the North Side was represented well by the marble-chinned Jordan as he refused to give up ground and took the shots while looking to inflict damage of his own.
With his father/trainer in his corner urging him to continue to fight tall, Walker stuck to the game plan, gaining entrance to Jordan’s kitchen with lead rights and then firing an endless string of numbing left hooks.
By round three I had trouble keeping count of how many hooks Walker threw in a row, but the southpaw Jordan hung in and landed a piercing straight left of his own. Even before the official verdict was read, it was clear that Walker had too much on this night for his determined cross-town foe.
One of the loudest bouts of the year followed, thanks to a boisterous table of family and friends on hand to cheer their 112-pound fighter Kirk Cruz in his showdown with 12th & Park’s Damir Howard.
Cruz came out sizzling from the opening bell, firing enough unanswered punches to force a standing eight count. But Howard bounced back in the second by finding a home for several effective power punches. The taller Cruz did a good job of keeping Howard at the end of 1,2,1,2 bursts fired in a staccato rhythm, and a right cross propelled Howard’s mouthpiece onto the floor next to the ringside officials.
Cruz’ busy work rate earned him an additional standing eight count in the last round, and he exited the ring with a decision win in his pocket and his fans celebrating as if he’d just pitched a World Series’ no-hitter.
Last weekend’s local drama set the stage for this Saturday, when our St. Louis representatives will look to continue their march towards national titles in the Silver Gloves Tournament.
The Missouri State Silver Gloves Tournament is this Saturday evening at the Marquette Recreation Center located at 4025 Minnesota. The first bell rings at 7 pm and ticket and sponsorship information is available by calling Winston Shaw at (314)368-1635 or Debra Craig at (314)353-1250.
