Corpus Christi Online - / Boxing event hits upswing

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Thursday, Feb. 18, 1999
Boxing event hits upswing
Number of Golden Gloves fighters rises
By GEORGE VONDRACEK
Staff Writer

   It has been five years since boxers numbered in triple digits at the Regional Golden Gloves boxing tournament. For this year's 56th annual edition, less than 100 are scheduled to compete in the three-day event, which begins tonight at Memorial Coliseum.
   But the 96 entrants from 11 area boxing clubs this year signifies an upward trend in entries, which is welcome news to Golden Gloves organizers.
   "It's coming up again," Ariel Garcia, an adviser for the tournament, said of the increase in the number of boxers. "Used to be in the good old days, it'd be in the 100s. Part of it is the females coming in. That helps a little bit."
   The annual tournament had been plagued by organizational problems as well as dwindling numbers. The addition of a regional tournament in the Rio Grande Valley also drew area boxing clubs away from the Corpus Christi tournament. Most notable of those is the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, which traditionally sent 10-20 boxers for the city's event.
   "We used to have the people from the military academy competing but they're doing their own regional in the Valley," fight night co-chairman Richard Martinez said. "It hurt a little last year but this year, this is phenominal."
   This will be the third straight year there has been an increase in participants. Ironically, it also is the third consecutive year the Gloves is being sponsored by the Southside Kiwanis Club.
   Seventeen bouts are scheduled for tonight and Saturday night and 19 are on tap for Friday night. In the open class, from which Corpus Christi will send its 12 representatives to the state Golden Gloves tournament next month, 16 boxers are entered. Only five of the 12 weight classes will be contested.
   Six of the open-class fighters are defending regional champions. One of those, Luke Leal, fighting in the 139-pound division, returns as the state's 132-pound titlist.
   A key number to organizers is 38, the number of novice fighters who are scheduled to participate.
   "I think we'll have a good crop to take to state," said Garcia, a longtime Gloves organizer who also headed the event when the Jaycees sponsored the event. "But the big thing is we've got some new boxers in the novice. So hopefully, we'll have some boxers moving up down the road."
   Joining Leal as defending regional champs are Michael Lozano, Ben Chatman, Tony De La Garza, James Elizalde and Joel Tienda.
   Lozano, who also advanced to the semifinals of last year's U.S. National Boxing Championships, and Tienda were Gloves state finalists in 1998. Chatman and De La Garza reached the state semis before bowing. Only Chatman (165) and Tienda (119) are fighting at the same weight from a year ago.
   Twelve females also have entered the event.
   The fights begin each day at 7 p.m.

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