(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Last Chance Qualifier action moved into day four on Thursday at the Taft Masonic Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Twenty-six bouts of quarterfinal and semifinal round boxing were on tap for the lone session of the day with boxers in seven weight divisions advancing to the final round and the light welterweight, welterweight and middleweight competitors earning semifinal berths.
Light flyweights Stephen Fulton, Jr. (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Erros Correa (San Jose, Calif.) claimed the first final round berths in their semifinal contests. Both enjoyed convincing victories with Fulton defeating Daniel Ybarra, 24-9 and Correa taking a 28-12 decision over Lawrence Singh (Riverdale, Md.).
In flyweight action, Shawn Simpson (Chicago, Ill.) moved on to the championship bout with a 24-18 victory over Rogelio Garcia III (Edinburgh, Texas) in their semifinal match-up. He will face another Texan in the finals following Ernesto Degadillo’s (Dallas, Texas) win in the semifinal round. Degadillo recorded a close 15-12 decision over Carlos Suarez (Lima, Ohio).
Featherweights Joe Perez (Fountain, Colo.) and Isaac Torres (Mission, Texas) will face off in championship bout on Friday night. The duo both pulled out close decisions in their semifinal bouts with Perez winning a 26-24 victory over Carlos Chavez (Hollywood, Calif.) and Torres claiming a 22-21 win over Edwin Sandoval (Bakersfield, Calif.).
Two top lightweights will battle in a highly anticipated championship bout on Friday. 2008 Olympian Raynell Williams (Cleveland, Ohio) and 2009 National Champion Kevin Rivers, Jr. (Landover, Md.) both continued their runs through the tournament on Thursday in semifinal round action. Williams claimed his spot first, taking a 37-14 decision over Glen Dezurn (Baltimore, Md.) to advance on to the final round. Rivers joined him a few minutes later with a disqualification victory in his contest with Lavias Williams (Rochester, N.Y.).
Another former national champion advanced in the tournament in the light welterweight division. 2009 Lightweight National Champion Duran Caferro (Helena, Mont.) will battle Ryan Karl (Milano, Texas) in the first light welterweight championship bout. Both won double-digit victories on Thursday in their quarterfinal contests. Caferro defeated Domonique James (Brooklyn, N.Y.) by a 29-9 margin while Karl took a 46-33 decision over Manuel Lopez (Aurora, Colo.). Javonn Barnes (Muskegon, Mich.) and Robert Easter, Jr. (Toledo, Ohio) will face off in the second semifinal bout.
Two semifinal bouts were contested in welterweight action on Thursday night as well. Patrick Day (Freeport, N.Y.) advanced on to Friday’s action with a 20-11 victory over 2010 National Golden Gloves champion David Grayton (Washington DC) despite a furious comeback attempt by Grayton in the third round. Day will face Tony Losey (Wichita, Kansas) in Friday’s semifinals. On the opposite side of the bracket, Amir Imam (Albany, N.Y.) clinched his spot in the semifinals with a 22-14 win over William Williams (Conyers, Ga.). Imam battles Anthony Gangemi (Minehill, N.J.) in the second semifinal contest.
2010 National Champion Luis Arias (Milwaukee, Wis.) put the judges to work in his semifinal bout, scoring nearly 50 points in his 48-18 win over I.V. Anderson (Dallas, Texas). Arias’ efforts earn him a spot in the medal round where he will take on Akil Frederick-Auguste (Brooklyn, N.Y.). Kenton Sippio-Cook (Round Rock, Texas) and Demond Nicholson (Laurel, Md.) will face off in the second middleweight final.
The light heavyweight division featured a showcase bout between 2009 National Champion Robert Brant (Oakdale, Minn.) and former National Golden Gloves titlist DeRae Crane (Oakdale, Minn.). The bout was close throughout but Brant pulled out a slim 15-13 decision despite being dropped in the final round. Brant advances to the championship bout where he will take on Shaborn Ryals (Capitol Heights, Md.) in the light heavyweight final.
Robert Jekabson (Chicago, Ill.) and Bryan Daniels (Boylston, Mass.) will battle it out for the heavyweight berth in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Both took semifinal wins on Thursday to earn their berths with Jekabson taking a 25-17 decision over Joshua Temple (St. Louis, Mo.) and Daniels winning a disqualification over Christopher Campa (Ypsilanti, Mich.).
Trevor Bryan (Albany, N.Y.) won the first super heavyweight semifinal bout on a disqualification win over Javonta Charles (Memphis, Tenn.). Bryan will face Brett Rather (Las Vegas, Nev.) in Friday’s super heavyweight final.
Friday’s action will begin at 6 p.m. with the six semifinal bouts and the seven championship contests will kick off at 8 p.m. at the Taft Masonic Center. All of the champions from the Last Chance Qualifier tournament will earn the final berths in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Men’s Boxing.
Thursday’s Results
108 lbs: Stephen Fulton, Jr., Philadelphia, Pa., dec. Daniel Ybarra, Texas, 24-9
108 lbs: Erros Correa, San Jose, Calif., dec. Lawrence Singh, Riverdale, Md., 28-12
114 lbs: Shawn Simpson, Chicago, Ill., dec. Rogelio Garcia III, Edinburg, Texas, 24-18
114 lbs: Ernesto Degadillo, Dallas, Texas dec. Carlos Suarez, Lima, Ohio, 15-12
123 lbs: Isaac Torres, Mission, Texas dec. Edwin Sandoval, Bakersfield, Calif., 22-21
123 lbs: Joe Perez, Fountain, Colo., dec. Carlos Chavez, Hollywood, Calif., 26-24
132 lbs: Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio dec. Glen Dezurn, Baltimore, Md., 37-14
132 lbs: Kevin Rivers, Jr., Landover, Md., won on disqualification over Lavias Williams, Rochester, N.Y. DQ-3 (2:50)
141 lbs: Ryan Karl, Milano, Texas dec. Manuel Lopez, Aurora, Colo., 46-33
141 lbs: Duran Caferro, Helena, Mont., dec. Domonique James, Brooklyn, N.Y., 28-9
141 lbs: Javon Barnes, Muskegon, Mich., dec. Donald Griffin, Pine Bluffs, Ark., 20-16
141 lbs: Robert Easter, Jr., Toledo, Ohio dec. Aceson Leseure, Corpus Christi, Texas, 29-9
152 lbs: Tony Losey, Wichita, Kansas dec. David Thomas, Houston, Texas, 29-20
152 lbs: Patrick Day, Freeport, N.Y., dec. David Grayton, Washington DC, 20-11
152 lbs: Amir Imam, Albany, N.Y., dec. William Williams, Conyers, Ga., 22-14
152 lbs: Anthony Gangemi, Minehill, N.J., dec. Moshea Aleem, Richmond, Va., 24-17
165 lbs: Kenton Sippio-Cook, Round Rock, Texas dec. Immanuwel Aleem, Richmond, Va., 23-17
165 lbs: Luis Arias, Milwaukee, Wis., dec. I.V. Anderson, Jr., Dallas, Texas, 48-18
165 lbs: Demond Nicholson, Laurel, Md., dec. Kenneth McNeil, Birmingham, Ala., 13-11
165 lbs: Akil Frederick-Auguste, Brooklyn, N.Y., dec. Jeff Camp, Dayton, Ohio, 13-11
178 lbs: Shaborn Ryals, Capitol Heights, Md., dec. Malcolm Jones, Indianapolis, Indiana, 22-14
178 lbs: Robert Brant, Oakdale, Minn., dec. DeRae Crane, Fort Carson, 15-13
201 lbs: Bryan Daniels, Boylston, Mass., won on disqualification over Christopher Campa, Ypsilanti, Mich., DQ-3
201 lbs: Robert Jekabson, Chicago, Ill., dec. Joshua Temple, St. Louis, Mo., 25-17
201+ lbs: Trevor Bryan, Albany, N.Y., won on disqualification over Javonta Charles, Memphis, Tenn., DQ
201+ lbs: Brett Rather, Las Vegas, Nev., dec. Shawn Seymore, Cincinnati, Ohio, 25-17
Friday’s Bout Sheets
Semifinals
141 lbs: Ryan Karl, Milano, Texas vs. Duran Caferro, Helena, Mont.
141 lbs: Javonn Barnes, Muskegon, Mich., vs. Robert Easter, Jr., Toledo, Ohio
152 lbs: Tony Losey, Wichita, Kansas vs. Patrick Day, Freeport, N.Y.
152 lbs: Amir Imam, Albany, N.Y., vs. Anthony Gangemi, Minehill, N.J.
165 lbs: Kenton Sippio-Cook, Round Rock, Texas vs. Demond Nicholson, Laurel, Md.
165 lbs: Luis Arias, Milwaukee, Wis., vs. Akil Frederick-Auguste, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Championship Bouts
108 lbs: Stephen Fulton, Jr., Philadelphia, Pa., vs. Erros Correa, San Jose, Calif.
114 lbs: Shawn Simpson, Chicago, Ill., vs. Ernesto Degadillo, Dallas, Texas
123 lbs: Edwin Sandoval, Bakersfield, Calif. vs. Isaac Torres, Mission, Texas
132 lbs: Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio vs. Kevin Rivers, Jr., Landover, Md.
178 lbs: Shaborn Ryals, Capitol Heights, Md., vs. Robert Brant, Oakdale, Minn.
201 lbs: Bryan Daniels, Boylston, Mass., vs. Robert Jekabson, Chicago, Ill.
201+ lbs: Trevor Bryan, Albany, N.Y. vs. Brett Rather, Las Vegas, Nev.