With all of the well-deserved attention showered on Devon Alexander during a blistering summer filled with activities related to his successful title defense, last week I decided to focus on the amateur scene that is gearing up again for a busy autumn.
The City Rec boxing program is an assembly line responsible for building the next wave of Alexander’s, so I set my sights on 12th & Park Rec Center, a sanctuary where you can always find familiar faces working hard to stay in shape or preparing for their next tests under the watchful eyes of Kenny Loehr and Harold Petty.
Damian Howard and Kenny Ursery are a pair of Vashon students who recently won belts at the Ringside National Championships, an annual event that draws novice, open and masters fighters from all over the world to compete.
During interviews with them, it was clear they are locked in on continuing their successful amateur campaigns until it’s time to turn pro.
Damian Howard is 16-years-old, but a glance at his passbook will tell of the wealth of experience he’s had inside the ropes since taking up the sport at age ten.
The 176-pound veteran of over 100 matches forced the referee to pull the plug during the championship bout that earned him another piece of hardware for his collection. He told me Manny Pacquiao is tops in his book and the self-described counterpuncher added that he enjoys the travel that comes with winning locally and advancing out of town.
Kenny Ursery may be relatively new to the fight game, but the 14-year-old southpaw with a pressure style has attacked his training the same way he turns up the heat on opponents.
A fan of Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s slippery style, Ursery made it clear that his gameplan is to pursue and take out foes as he looks forward to performing at the Missouri Black Expo, Silver Gloves, and Junior Olympic tournaments in the near future.
My visit confirmed that even through the downtime of summer vacation, the boxing pond continues to get restocked with young men headed towards long and successful careers.
Gym notes
Dannie Williams and Jamal Parram are two 12th & Park products who have since turned pro, and they were both in the house the day I dropped by. After finishing a spirited session of focus mitt work with trainer Harold Petty, “The Mailman” Parram assured me that in his next bout, “fans can expect a knockout when I put on a show and deliver.”
MBE Invitational this weekend
There will be no shortage of action during the MBE National Invitational Championships at America’s Center downtown. Some of the region’s top talent from places such as Ohio, Arkansas and Indiana will square off from 10 am to 8 pm on Saturday, with the finals taking place from 11 am to 8 pm on Sunday.
The event offers an opportunity to see local talent compete against some of the best in the Midwest and the show never fails to deliver memorable battles. General admission tickets are priced at $6.00 and kids six and under get in free.
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