(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – A full week of boxing culminated in the coronation of 20 new national champions at the 2010 USA Boxing National Championships in Colorado Springs on Saturday. The roster of 2010 National Champions includes several veterans and returning champions as well as first time winners of the event.
Two-time Olympian and 2007 World Champion Rau’shee Warren (Cincinnati, Ohio) regained his national champion status at his new 114 pound weight class after a disappointing third place finish at the 2009 event. Warren defeated reigning light flyweight champion Miguel Cartagena (Philadelphia, Pa.) by second round retirement in their championship round face-off on Saturday.
Two-time national champion Louie Byrd (Denver, Colo.) claimed his third straight title by defeating 2004 Olympic alternate Diego Hurtado (Sparks, Nev.) by a 31-15 margin in the new 108-pound weight class championship bout.
On the women’s side, four-time light flyweight national champion Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) carried her success into the flyweight division, defeating Tyriesha Douglas (Baltimore, Md.), 15-7, in the championship bout. Esparza is the first flyweight champion in the event following the IOC decision to allow women’s boxing into the 2012 Olympics. In addition to the flyweight division, the lightweight and middleweight classes will be contested in London.
A second veteran claimed the lightweight title as three-time light welterweight champion Queen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.) moved down a division to win her fourth straight national title. Underwood defeated reigning lightweight champion Patricia Manuel (Gardena, Calif.) to win her fourth straight national championship.
Former light heavyweight national champion Tiffanie Hearn (Louisville, Ky.) won the final women’s Olympic weight class championship, taking a 9-2 victory over Lisbet Vargas (Hillsboro, Ore.) in the middleweight final round bout.
Two reigning welterweight champions defended their crowns on Saturday. Errol Spence (Desoto, Texas) was the third male defending champion to reclaim his crown in 2010, defeating former junior star Alex Martin (Joilet, Ill.) by a 4-1 margin on paper scoring to retain the welterweight title. Women’s welterweight champion Andrecia Wasson (Centerline, Mich.) defeated Latarisha Fountain (Lindenhurst, N.Y.), 8-6 to win her second straight title.
2008 National Champions Luis Arias (Milwaukee, Wis.) and Lenroy Thompson (Lenexa, Kan.) each returned to the top of the medal stand in 2010, winning the middleweight and super heavyweight crowns respectively. Arias defeated 2009 USA Boxing National Championships silver medalist Jesse Hart (Philadelphia, Pa./NMU) by the slimmest of margins, winning a 9-8 total punch count tiebreaker after the bout ended in a 4-4- tie. Thompson won his second national championship with an 8-5 victory over Danny Kelly (Washington DC).
The U.S. Army’s Jeffrey Spencer (Fort Carson, Colo.) won his first USA Boxing National Championship with a 10-9 upset win over defending national champion Robert Brant (Oakdale, Minn.). Heavyweight Steve Geffrard (Boca Raton, Fla.) followed suit, winning a 15-6 victory over former light heavyweight national champion Siju Shabazz (Las Cruces, N.M.) for his first national championship.
Tyler Lord-Wilder (Lansing, Mich.) won the battle of former champions in women’s light heavyweight action, defeating Tika Hemingway (Bethel, Pa.), by a 9-2 margin.
Featherweight Joseph Diaz, Jr. (Elmonte, Calif.), lightweight Jose Ramirez (Avenal, Calif.), and light welterweight Pedro Sosa (Bronx, N.Y.) all won their first USA Boxing National Championships with final round victories in Colorado Springs as well.
In women’s action, light flyweight Jessica Ponce (Napa, Calif.), bantamweight Lauren Fisher (Indiana, Pa.), featherweight Jody Ann Weller (Pomona, N.Y.), light welterweight Cashmere Jackson (Cleveland, Ohio), and heavyweight Denise Rico (Los Angeles, Calif.) all earned 2010 USA Boxing National Championships.
Visit our facebook page and check out photos from the 2010 National Championship Finals at the Crowne Plaza taken by USAB Tournament Photographer, Glenn DePriest.
2010 USA Boxing National Champions
Men
108 lbs: Louie Byrd, Denver, Colo.
114 lbs: Rau’shee Warren, Cincinnati, Ohio
123 lbs: Joseph Diaz Jr., Elmonte, Calif.
132 lbs: Jose Ramirez, Avenal, Calif.
141 lbs: Pedro Sosa, Bronx, N.Y.
152 lbs: Errol Spence, Desoto, Texas
165 lbs: Luis Arias, Milwaukee, Wis.
178 lbs: Jeffrey Spencer, Fort Carson, Colo.
201 lbs: Steve Geffard, Boca Raton, Fla.
201+ lbs: Lenroy Thompson, Lenexa, Kansas
Women
106 lbs: Jessica Ponce, Napa, Calif.
112 lbs: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas
119 lbs: Lauren Fisher, Indiana, Pa.
125 lbs: Jody Ann-Weller, Pomona, N.Y.
132 lbs: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash.
141 lbs: Cashmere Jackson, Cleveland, Ohio
152 lbs: Andrecia Wasson, Centerline, Mich.
165 lbs: Tiffanie Hearn, Louisville, Ky.
178 lbs: Tyler Lord-Wilder, Lansing, Mich.
178 + lbs: Denise Rico, Los Angeles, Calif.
