Greyskale Multimedia Inspirational Vignette

Not exactly boxing related, but I just like the message in this video. Very inspirational. . .

"When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful.", Eric Thomas.

More from Thomas can be found here: http://www.etthehiphoppreacher.com

20 11 National Junior Olympics Finals Moses Taylor vs. James Kelleher

154lbs. division Championship between Moses Taylor and James Kelleher. Taylor is in the red corner.

2011 National Junior Olympics Kareem Martin vs. Kameron Jones

145lbs. division Championship betwen Kareem Martin and Kameron Jones. Martin is in the red corner.

Notes From the 2011 National Junior Olympics

I don't really do too many editorials on this site because I just like to present the facts and video, but with so much attention (albeit warranted) given to the Olympic trials this week, I wanted to shed some light on the future of Olympic boxing. There were many great young boxers showcased this year at the 2011 National Junior Olympics, but I came away with a few that I want to highlight.

First of all, I want to again congratulate the 3 DC area boxers that came back with titles: Gervonta "Tank" Davis, Malik Jackson and Kareem Martin. All of these young men worked hard to get it done. I recorded as many bouts as Icould, but here are my thoughts on boxers that made an big impression on me. They arelisted in no particular order:

Nico Hernandez - wins his first National Junior Olympic title in his first attempt after winning 5 consecutive National Silver Gloves. Nico is a nice young man and I always enjoy watching him box and talking to him and

his dad/coach. He showed why he's a national champion against a tough, older boxers in Melik Elliston from Colorado. Plain and simple, Nico is a winner. He also is a varsity letterman in Cross Country.

Erickson "Hammer" Lubin - I've been watching Hammer for about 7 years because he is from my Silver Gloves Region and he has continued to improve his skills. He along w/ Julian Rodriguez had the biggest margins of victories that I saw all week at the Junior Olympics. In his three bouts, he outscored his opponents 101-18!!! Again, a very nice young man and I believe that there is a direct correlation between being a successful athlete and being personable and coachable--so it might be repetitive but I will keep commending these boxers' character because it's very important to me that people know that these boxers are well-rounded athletes.

Julian Rodriguez - WOW. That's all I can say about Julian. After losing in the Junior Olympic finals last year, he made no doubts about who was the best this year. When he is in the ring, he only knows one mode: attack. I was really looking forward to seeing him in action againsts Joey Alday because Alday caught my eye in the Silvers Gloves-- but Julian was just too much. He's a machine in the ring and simply overwhelms his opponents with beautiful and precise combinations of power shots on the inside and out--from various angles. Julian will make an IMMEDIATE impact in the open division, in my opinion.

Ja'Rico O'Quinn - Ok, so I've never really payed attention to this kid, but he made me regret that because he put on a power clinic against multiple National Silver Gloves champion Hector Valdez. O'Quinn just imposed his will and he has an aire of confidence when he is in the ring. He's definintely on my radar now. I apologize Mr. O'Quinn. Please forgive my ignorance.

Jesus Luna - Again, multiple Silver Gloves titles makes for a successful Junior Olympic boxer. Like Nico Hernandez, Jesus is just a winner who keeps on winning. A very aggressive boxer, who is small in stature but attacks opponents with a calculated offensive attack. I've didn't have a chance to speak with him this week, but I know that I'll see him around for many more years.

Rahim Gonzalez - If you want to see a boxing clinic, watch Rahim Gonzalez. He is an artist at work in the ring. He put on a clinic staying on the outside and using his height (he's one of the two tallest 95 lbs. boxers I've ever seen), while almost literally not getting hit. I think the score of his first bout that I watched was 20-1. His finals matchup was an ugly wrestling match but he showed poise in doing what he had to do to get the victory. Again, a very very very personable and nice young man. Always look forward to speaking with him at tournaments.

Malik Jackson - The quiet storm is what I call Malik because he is so soft spoken outside of the ring, but he is very aggressive inside. The fact that he has won Outstanding Boxer two years in a row at the JOs speaks for itself. He continues to improve his game and I look forward to seeing him in the open division soon.

Rashida Ellis - Ok, I know that I already said WOW, but I have to say it again. This young lady can box. Period. Let me rephrase that. This young person can box. She is a great boxer, no matter what gender. I enjoyed watching her and during her three bouts she left no doubt about who the winner was. I didn't get a chance to speak with her but I know that I will be seeing her at more nationals. That is guaranteed.

Ok, so I lied saying that this was in no particular order because I'm going to be transparent with my bias and say that I left my favorite for last. . . Gary Salazar. I just may be his biggest fan. I've watched Gary step up against the best and handle each of them over and over again - impressively and in different fashion - through the National Silver Gloves and now the Junior Olympics. Gary can box, Gary can bang, Gary can move, Gary can think. I've seen him go to war (vs. Neslan Machado) and I've seen him beat slick boxers (D'andres Hockerson and Shawn Simpson) and he continues to amaze me. He's on another level in the amateur boxing game and I can't wait until he turns open to see if he can follow or exceed what the two most recent JO-to-Open success stories have done - Shawn Simpson and O'Shanique Foster. Again, Gary is another class act. An extremely personable and nice young man who also happens to be the only 16-year-old smog technician in CA and he's very proud of that fact!! He has told me (and I believe him) that the 114/119/132 boxers better get ready. . . he's coming.

Again, I just wanted to share my thoughts with the group because we have been talking so much about the trials, I wanted to give our future Olympians some time too. They deserve some of the spotlight too.

2011 National Junior Olympics Joey Alday vs. Julian Rodriguez

138lbs. Championship between Joey Alday and Julian Rodriguez. Rodriguez is in the blue corner.

2011 National Junior Olympics Finals Gary Salazar vs. D'andres Hockerson

119lbs. Championship between Gary Salazar and Dandres Hockerson. Salazar is in the blue corner. Salazar wins 33-13. (I didn't record decision)

2011 Nationa Junior Olympics Finals Malik Jackson vs. Da'Reese Crawford

114lbs. Championship between Malik Jackson and Da'Reese Crawford. Jackson is in the red corner.

2011 National Junior Olymics Finals Pablo Ramirez vs. Isaias Perez

101lbs. Championship between Pablo Ramirez and Isaias Perez. Ramirez is in the red corner.

2011 National Junior Olympic Finals Nico Hernandez vs. Melik Elliston

90lbs. Championship betwen Nico Hernandez and Melik Elliston. Hernandez is in the red corner.

US Olympic Team Finals Results

The US Olympic Team Trials ended this evening with all 10 boxers keeping their undefeated streaks intact throughout this week. Rau'shee Warren becomes the first boxer in US history to make three Olympic Teams (2004, 2008) as he starts his journey towards his first Olympic Medal. Michael Hunter also repeats as a 2008 US Olympic Team member who will be vying for his first trip to the games. Hunter was unable to qualify for the Beijing Games. Raynell Williams, a 2008 US Olympic Team member was defeated by Jose Ramirez ending his hopes of repeating along with Warren and Hunter. Congratulations to all of our boxers. They will compete in the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan Sept 22 - October 10.

U.S. Olympic Team Trials Final Round Results
108 lbs: Erros Correa, San Jose, Calif., dec. Santos Vasquez, Sparks, Nev., 22-18
114 lbs: Rau'shee Warren, Cincinnati, Ohio, dec. Shawn Simpson, Chicago Ill., 31-18
123 lbs: Joseph Diaz Jr., El Monte, Calif., dec. O'Shanique Foster, Orange, Texas, 17-14
132 lbs: Jose Ramirez, AvenaI, Calif.., dec. Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio, 21-16
141 lbs: Jamel Herring, Coram, N.Y., dec. Pedro Sosa, Bronx, N.Y., 15-10
152 lbs: Errol Spence, Desoto, Texas dec. Amir Imam, Albany, N.Y., 24-19
165 lbs: Jesse Hart, Philadelphia, Pa., dec. Luis Arias, Milwaukee, Wis., 21-6
178 lbs: Marcus Browne, Staten Island, N.Y., dec. Siju Shabazz, Las Cruces, N.M., 14-12
201 lbs: Michael Hunter, Las Vegas, Nev., dec. Joseph Williams, Queens, N.Y., 28-17
201+ lbs: Lenroy Thompson, Lenexa, Kansas, dec. Laron Mitchell, San Francisco, Calif., 21-9

2011 National Junior Olympic Champions Crowned!!!

DC area boxers Kareem Martin (Headbangers), Gervonta Davis (Upton in Baltimore) and Malik Jackson (Lime Lite) were crowned 2011 National Junior Olympic Champions--the best 15 and 16-year-old boxers in the United States in their respective weigh divisions. Davis lost last year to the eventual champion, Joet Gonzalez, so this year was especially nice. Davis add the title to a list of accomplishments that include the National Silver Gloves as well. Kareem Martin wins the crown on his first attempt. He will also be eligible to compete next year. Malik Jackson repeats as not only the National Junior Olympic Champion but also as the Most Outstanding Boxer as voted by tournament officials. I am going to go out on a limb and state that no one has ever done that from this area in the history of the Junior Olympic tournament. Congrats to all three young men, who are also very humble.

A side note about one of our boxers Daquan Johnson who fell victim to the new ESS (electronic scoring system) which takes a calculated average of sorts of the three most similar scores out of the 5 judges. 4 out of 5 judges had Johnson scoring more blows than his opponent over the course of the bout, which in year's past with paper scoring would have given him the victory. However, through the accepted score he lost by 1pt. Johnson's opponent went on to win the title this afternoon.

Complete results

90 lbs/male: Nico Hernandez, Wichita, Kan., dec. Melik Elliston, Denver, Colo., 20-11
95 lbs/male: Rahim Gonzales, Sylmar, Calif., dec. Brandon Kapner, Gravette, Ark., 17-14
101 lbs/female: Monica Vanpelt, Toledo, Ohio, dec. Dominique Siller, Abilene, Texas, 32-6
101 lbs/male: Pablo Ramirez, Weslaco, Texas, dec. Isaias Perez, Kansas City, Kan., 15-11
106 lbs/female: Marisol Lopez, Avenal, Calif., dec. Haneefa Muhammed, Lexington, Ky., 16-15
106 lbs/male: Jesus Luna, Inglewood, Calif., dec. Aarkeyse Higdon, East Lansing, Mich., 14-11
110 lbs/female: Kianna Richardson, Fort Worth, Texas, dec. Miranda Burkett, Caldwell, Idaho, 22-16
110 lbs/male: Malik Jackson, Washington, D.C., dec. Da'Reece Crawford, Kansas City, Mo., 9-4
114 lbs/female: Jasmine Hampton, Ann Arbor, Mich., dec. Ayanna Vasquez, Las Cruces, N.M., 19-16
114 lbs/male: Ja'Rico O'Quinn, Detroit, Mich., dec. Donovan Estrella, Arvada, Colo., 14-7
119 lbs/female: Rianna Rios, Alice, Texas, dec. Evelyn Borja, Fresno, Calif., 20-10
119 lbs/male: Gary Salazar, Fresno, Calif., dec. D'Andres Hockerson, Rochester, N.Y., 33-13
125 lbs/female: Jasmin Jones, Vacaville, Calif., stopped Kristal Gonzales, San Antonio, Texas, RSC-2 (1:27)
125 lbs/male: Gervonta Davis, Baltimore, Md., dec. Lamont Roach Jr., Upr Marlboro, Md., 14-6
132 lbs/female: Rashida Ellis, St. Lynn, Mass., dec. Isabella Nieves, Kenosha, Wis., 19-6
132 lbs/male: Erickson Lubin, Kissimnee, Fla., dec. Austin Dulay, Hendersonville, Tenn., 31-12
138 lbs/female: Martisa Guillen, Reno, Nev., unopposed champion
138 lbs/male: Julian Rodriguez, Paterson, N.J., dec. Jose Alday, Odessa, Texas, 28-10
145 lbs/female: Courtney Mink, Monroe, Mich., Kiera Bell, Washington, D.C., 34-17
145 lbs/male: Kareem Martin, Clinton, Md., dec. Kameron Jones, Garland, Texas, 22-16
154 lbs/female: Clarissa Shields, Flint, Mich., stopped Breanna Rautio, Rocker, Mont., RSC-1 (1:23)
154 lbs/male: Moses Taylor, Detroit, Mich., dec. James Kelleher, Coopersburg, Pa., 20-11
165 lbs/female: Taylor Carroll, Monroe, Mich., unopposed champion
165 lbs/male: Anthony Sims Jr., Ypsilanti, Mich., dec. Alex Rincon, Carrollton, Texas, 11-6
176 lbs/female: Dariahn Williams, Lexington, Ky., unopposed champion
176 lbs/male: Edel Gomez, Fremont, Neb., dec. Hakim Lopez, Lithonia, Ga., 13-12
189 lbs/male: Junior Younan, Brooklyn, N.Y., dec. Lou Grant, Loxahatchie, N.C., 10-9
201 lbs/male: Albert Fundora, Tampa, Fla., dec. Damien Rico, Los Angeles, Calif., 27-18
201+ lbs/male: Demek Edmonds, Worcester, Mass., stopped Billy Rice, Lima, Ohio, RSC-3 (1:45)

2011 National Junior Olympics Gary Salazar vs. Matthew Guerrero

119lbs. divisions semifinal betwen Gary Salazar and Matthew Guerrero. Salazar is in the red corner.

2011 National Junior Olympics D'Andres Hockerson vs. Isidro Flores

119lbs. division semifinal between D'Andres Hockerson and Isidro Flores. Hockerson is in the red corner.

2011 National Junior Olympics Donovan Estrella vs. Gary Russell

114lbs. semfinals betwen Donovoan Estrella and Gary Russel. Estrella is in the red corner.

2011 National Junior Olympics Jarico O'Quinn vs. Hector Valdez

114lbs. division semifinal between Jarico O'Quinn and Hector Valdez. O'Quinn is in the blue corner.

2011 National Junior Olympics Malik Jackson vs. Jermain Ortiz

110lbs. division semifinal between Malik Jackson and Jermain Ortiz. Jackson is in the red corner.

2011 National Junior Olympics Nico Hernandez vs. Amery Zavala

90lbs. division semifinal between Nico Hernandez and Amery Zavala. Hernandez is in the blue corner.

2011 National Junior Olympics Rahim Gonzalez vs. Anthony Fernandez

95lbs. division semifinal betwen Rahim Gonzalez and Anthony Fernandez. Gonzalez is in the red corner.

2011 National Junior Olympics Kareem Martin vs. Jelame Garcia

145lbs. division quarterfinal between Kareem Martin and Jelame Garcia. Martin is in the red corner.

2011 National Junior Olympics Julian Rodriquez vs. Jose Lopez

138lbs. division quarterfinal between Julian Rodriquez and Jose Lopez.