By Ryan Maquiñana
Wednesday’s action at the inaugural U.S. Women’s Olympic Trials was limited to the challengers’ bracket, as the two unbeaten fighters in each of the three Olympic weight classes (flyweight, lightweight, and middleweight) relished a day of well-deserved rest.
The flyweight (112 lbs.) division saw the first stoppage of the tournament, as Baltimore, Md.’s Tyrieshia Douglas accomplished the feat against Marietta, Ga.’s Taversha Norwood in the fourth and final round. Virginia Fuchs of Kemah, Tex., outhustled Alex Love of Monroe, Wash., en route to the decision win.
In the lightweight (132 lbs.) tournament, Tiara Brown of Lehigh Acres, Fla., edged Bertha Aracil from Yonkers, N.Y., while a barrage of shots from Los, Angeles, Calif.’s Mikaela Mayer prompted the referee to stop her bout with Washington, D.C.’s Asia Stevenson in the fourth.
A second Baltimore fighter, Pan-Am Games representative Franchon Crews, escaped a rough-and-tumble affair with San Diego, Calif.’s Tiffanie Hearn with the decision victory, and San Francisco, Calif.’s Raquel Miller also narrowly advanced with the judges’ nod over Centerline, Mich.’s Andrecia Wasson, the same woman who eliminated Miller in last year’s National PAL.
The winners’ bracket finals as well as the first of two challengers’ bracket finals can be seen live at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT on Universal Sports Live Stream. While the winners’ bracket champs advance straight to Saturday’s final, the losers meet Thursday’s challenger brackets’ winners on Friday.
WEDNESDAY’S BOUT SCHEDULE
(Challengers’ Bracket fights are elimination bouts/
Winners’ Bracket resumes Thursday)
FLYWEIGHT (112 LBS.) – CHALLENGERS’ BRACKET
Tyrieshia Douglas (Baltimore, Md.) stopped Taversha Norwood (Marietta, Ga.), RSC-4 (1:18)
Virginia Fuchs (Kemah, Texas) def. Alex Love (Monroe, Wash.), 21-16
LIGHTWEIGHT (132 LBS.) – CHALLENGERS’ BRACKET
Tiara Brown (Lehigh Acres, Fla.) def. Bertha Aracil (Yonkers, N.Y.), 12-11
Mikaela Mayer (Los Angeles, Calif.) stopped Asia Stevenson (Washington, D.C.), RSC-4 (1:24)
MIDDLEWEIGHT (165 LBS.) – CHALLENGERS’ BRACKET
Franchon Crews (Baltimore, Md.) def. Tiffanie Hearn (San Diego, Calif.), 27-26
Raquel Miller (San Francisco, Calif.) def. Andrecia Wasson (Centerline, Mich.), 7-6
THURSDAY’S BOUT SCHEDULE
(Challengers’ Bracket fights are elimination bouts/
Winners’ Bracket resumes Thursday)
FLYWEIGHT (112 LBS.) – WINNERS’ BRACKET
Marlen Esparza (Houston, Tex.) vs. Christina Cruz (New York, N.Y.)
FLYWEIGHT (112 LBS.) – CHALLENGERS’ BRACKET
Tyrieshia Douglas (Baltimore, Md.) vs. Virginia Fuchs (Kemah, Texas)
LIGHTWEIGHT (132 LBS.) – WINNERS’ BRACKET
Queen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.) vs. N'yteeyah Sherman (Barberton, Ohio)
LIGHTWEIGHT (132 LBS.) – CHALLENGERS’ BRACKET
Tiara Brown (Lehigh Acres, Fla.) vs. Mikaela Mayer (Los Angeles, Calif.)
MIDDLEWEIGHT (165 LBS.) – WINNERS’ BRACKET
Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) vs. Tika Hemingway (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
MIDDLEWEIGHT (165 LBS.) – CHALLENGERS’ BRACKET
Franchon Crews (Baltimore, Md.) vs. Raquel Miller (San Francisco, Calif.)
Ryan Maquiñana writes a weekly column for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (CSNBayArea.com). He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com , check out his blog at norcalboxing.net or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.
