The hard work is done for the elite boxers, ages 19 and above, but that doesn't mean they won't be serious tonight at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
They earned spots at the USA Boxing national tournament Dec. 3-9 in Salt Lake City with semifinal victories Friday in the Eastern Elite Qualifier and Regional Open Championships, so tonight is for the honor bestowed on champions. The pressure may be off but pride still is very much on.
Boxing begins tonight at 7 with doors opening at 5, and general admission costs $10 with ringside seats available for $20. This is the first time all week there has been a charge to watch, while the participants have been whittled from about 650 (out of 820 who registered). The event has used four rings in the previous sessions but will be down to two tonight.
Champions in the youth male division (ages 17-18) also will be crowned tonight.
Fifteen champs in the junior division (ages 15-16) were determined Friday afternoon. Chattanooga's Georral Adams from the YCAP program was the 90-pound runner-up.
Winners in the younger divisions, along with all female categories other than elite, were decided earlier in the week.
The three past youth world champions in the elite field all made it to the finals with 5-0 wins: Delante "Tiger" Johnson of Cleveland, Ohio, at 141 pounds; Marc Castro of Fresno, Calif., at 123; and Jajaira Gonzalez of Fountain, Colo., on the female side at 132.
Johnson, who competed on the USA elite team in Germany in late August, will face Jeremy Hill of New Orleans tonight, when Castro will take on Raymond Ford of Sickleville, N.Y., and Gonzalez will meet Lupe Gutierrez of Sacramento, Calif. Gutierrez and Ford also won 5-0 on Friday; Hill prevailed 4-2.
Other male elite finalists include Timothy Jarman of St. Louis at 108; Charles Williams of Colorado Springs and Saleto Henderson of Indianapolis at 114; Keyshawn Davis of Norfolk, Va., and Kevin Montano of Concord, Calif., at 132; Sean Charleston of Riverdale, Ga., and Jacquan McElroy of Flint, Mich., at 152; Nikita Abably of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Rahim Gonzalez of Sylmar, Ga., at 165; Khlalil Coe of Jersey City, N.J., and Antwan Jones of Toledo, Ohio, at 178; Marquise Williams of Newburgh, N.Y., and Gaspard Pierre of Miami at 201; and Ramel Clasablanca of Bremerton, Wash., and Leonid Grachev of Boulder, Colo. at 201-plus.
Other female finalists are Jazzelle Bobadilla of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Elimarie Torres of Springfield, Mass., at 106; Indeya Smith of Grand Prairie, Texas, and Maryqueen Vellinga of Park City, Utah, at 112; Mikiah Krepes of Niagara Falls, N.Y., and Mariana Gonzalez of Sunnyvale, Calif., at 119; Clarice Morales of Toledo and Nephateria Miller of New Haven, Conn., at 125; Destiny Jones of Austin, Texas, and Nargis Shaghasi of San Ramon, Calif., at 141; and Oshae Jones of Toledo at 152.
Winners in Utah will be on the 2018 United States team.
FRIDAY RESULTS
Championship bouts designated by *
Ring 1
Youth/108 lbs.: Jose Nieves, Avenel, N.J., dec. over Aaron Lopez, Land O Lakes, Fla., 5-0
Youth/114 lbs.: Mario Roman, Saint Cloud, Fla., dec. over Russell Wade, Hot Springs, Ark., 5-0
Youth/123 lbs.: Rajon Chance, East Orange, N.J.., dec. over Ezequiel Huaracha, Streamwood, Ill., 3-2
Youth/132 lbs.: Adrian Benton, Cincinnati, Ohio, dec. over Ramon Acosta, Victoria, Texas, 5-0
Youth/141 lbs.: Lavars Carter, Cincinnati, Ohio, dec. over Emmanuel Rojas, Las Vegas, Nev., 4-1
Youth/152 lbs.: Francis Hogan, Weymouth, Mass., dec. over Alex Donis, Cypress, Texas, 4-1
Youth/165 lbs.: Alexis Chaparro, Ridgewood, N.Y., dec. over Alejandro Wagner, Lincolnpark, Mich., 4-1
Youth/201+ lbs.: Angel Young, Gilbert, Ariz., dec. over Ty-mari Sarvis, Newburgh, N.Y., 5-0
Junior/90 lbs.: Nikolas Martinez, Cedar Hill, Texas, dec. over Georral Adams, Chattanooga, Tenn., 5-0*
Junior/101 lbs.: Eli Lankord, Jonesboro, Ga., won by walkover over Tanner Gurule, Riverton, Utah, WO*
Junior/110 lbs.: Markel Hardy, Cincinnati, Ohio, dec. over Samuel Cosio, Kansas City, Mo., 3-2*
Junior/119 lbs.: Jeremy Adorno, Allentown, Pa., dec. over Garrett Rice, Flint, Mich., 5-0*
Junior/132 lbs.: Stacey Selby, Baltimore, Md., dec. over Juliano Castellano, Spring Hill, Fla., 3-2*
Junior/145 lbs.: Obed Bartee-El, Huntsville, Ala., dec. over Adam Calixto, Tampa, Fla., 5-0
Junior/165 lbs.: Dante Benjamin, Shaker Heights, Ohio, dec. over Bryce Edwards, Muldrow, Okla., 5-0*
Junior/176+ lbs.: Donte White, Baltimore, Md., won by RSC over Lemichael Moulden, Knoxville, Tenn., RSC
Ring 2
Elite Female/106 lbs.: Jazzelle Bobadilla, Ewa Beach, Hawaii, dec. over Monica Lazalde, Kearns, Utah, 5-0
Elite Female/152 lbs.: Oshae Jones, Toledo, Ohio, dec. over Melissa Wurster, Indianapolis, Ind., 5-0
Elite Female/112 lbs.: Indeya Smith, Grand Prairie, Texas, dec. over Jacquelyn Cuddeback, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 5-0
Elite/114 lbs.: Saleto Henderson, Indianapolis, Ind., dec. over Abraham Perez, Albuquerque, N.M., split
Elite Female/119 lbs.: Mikiah Krepes, Niagra Falls, N.Y., dec. over Esmeralda Navarro, Mission, Texas, 5-0
Elite/123 lbs.: Marc Castro, Fresno, Calif., dec. over Andy Rios, Auburn, Ala., 5-0
Elite Female/125 lbs.: Nephateria Miller, New Haven, Conn., dec. over Nyisha Goodluck, Brooklyn, N.Y., 4-1
Elite/132 lbs.: Keyshawn Davis, Norfolk, Va., dec. over Joseph Macedo, Las Vegas, Nev., 5-0
Elite Female/132 lbs.: Lupe Gutierrez, Sacramento, Calif., dec. over Ashleigh Moore, Buzzards Bay, Mass., 5-0
Elite/141 lbs.: Jeremy Hill, New Orleans, La., dec. over Shamar Fulton, Philadelphia, Pa., 4-2
Elite Female/141 lbs.: Nargis Shaghasi, San Ramon, Calif., dec. over Crystal Aceves, El Paso, Texas, 3-2
Elite/152 lbs.: Sean Charleston, Riverdale, Ga., dec. over Raekwon Johnson, Columbus, Ga., 4-1
Elite/165 lbs.: Nikita Ababiy, Brooklyn, N.Y., dec. over Miguel Hernandez, Dallas, Texas, 5-0
Elite/178 lbs.: Antwan Jones, Toledo, Ohio, dec. over Atif Oberlton, Philadelphia, Pa., 4-1
Elite/201 lbs.: Marquise Williams, Newburgh, N.Y., dec. over Deangelo Leachmen, Mephis, Tenn., 3-2
Elite/201+ lbs.: Leonid Grachev, Boulder, Colo., dec. over C.B. Shannon, Collinsville, Okla., 5-0
Ring 3
Elite Female/106 lbs.: Elimarie Torres, Springfield, Mass., dec. over Sabrina Slattery, Brooklyn, N.Y., 5-0
Elite/108 lbs.: Timothy Jarman, St. Louis, Mo., dec. over Xavier Rodriguez, Forth Worth, Texas, 3-2
Elite Female/112 lbs.: Marygueen Vellinga, Park City, Utah, dec. over Leslie Rosas, Fort Bragg, N.C., 5-0
Elite/114 lbs.: Charles Williams, Colorado Springs, Colo., dec. over Jonas Persaud, Concord, Calif., 3-2
Elite Female/119 lbs.: Mariana Gonzalez, Sunnyvale, Calif., dec. over Kristen Mcmurtree, Lancaster, N.Y., 5-0
Elite/123 lbs.: Raymond Ford, Sickleville, N.Y., dec. over Victor Medina, Hartford, Conn., 5-0
Elite Female/125 lbs.: Clarice Morales, Toledo, Ohio, dec. over Carmen Vargas, Houston, Texas, 4-1
Elite/132 lbs.: Kevin Montano, Concord, Calif., dec. over Travon Lawson, Auburn, Ala., 5-0
Elite Female/132 lbs.: Jajaira Gonzalez, Fountain, Colo., dec. over Amelia Moore, Alexandria, Va., 5-0
Elite/141 lbs.: Delante Johnson, Cleveland, Ohio, dec. over Bryson Nuckles, Winfield, Kan., 5-0
Elite Female/141 lbs.: Destiny Jones, Austin, Texas, dec. over Ravven Brown, San Antonio, Texas, 5-0
Elite/152 lbs.: Jaquan McElroy, Flint, Mich., dec. over Alexander Thiel, Las Vegas, Nev., 5-0
Elite/165 lbs.: Rahim Gonzales, Sylmar, Ga., dec. over Joseph Hicks, Grand Rapids, Mich., 3-2
Elite/178 lbs.: Khlalil Coe, Jersey City, N.J., dec. over Jorge Tovar, El Paso, Texas, 5-0
Elite/201 lbs.: Gaspard Pierre, Miami, Fla., dec. over Demek Edmonds, Worcester, Mass., 4-1
Elite/201+ lbs.: Ramel Clasablanca, Bremerton, Wash., dec. over Timothy Hatfield, Providence, R.I., 5-0
Ring 4
Youth/108 lbs.: Salaam Gonzales, Denver, Colo., dec. over Douglas Harris, Ellenwood, Ga., 5-0
Youth/114 lbs.: Ray Ray Robinson, Cincinnati, Ohio won by abandonment over Dylan Dunn, Parsippany, N.J., ABD
Youth/123 lbs.: Anthony Garnica, Oakland, Calif., dec. over Ronnell Johnson, Columbus, Ohio, 5-0
Youth/132 lbs.: Malik Warren, Catonsville, Md., dec. over Dominique Francis, Opa Locka, Fla., 4-1
Youth/141 lbs.: Otha Jones, Toledo, Ohio, dec. over Omar Juarez, Brownsville, Texas, 5-0
Youth/152 lbs.: Marques Valle, Wesley Chapel, Fla., dec. over Juan Vasquez, Omaha, Neb., 5-0
Youth/165 lbs.: Emmanuel Jones, Newburgh, N.Y., dec. over Edward Adams, Roseville, Mich., 5-0
Youth/201+ lbs.: Cristian Robles, Houston, Texas, dec. over Drake Banks, Shawnee, Kan., 3-2
Junior/95 lbs.: Javaughn Dula, Cincinnati, Ohio, dec. over Justice Barrios, Brooklyn, N.Y., 5-0*
Junior/106 lbs.: Patrick Cody, Spokane, Wash., dec. over Xavier Montoya, Cedar Hill, Texas, 5-0*
Junior/114 lbs.: Miguel Santana, Tampa, Fla., dec. over Jamontae Jones, Toledo, Ohio, 5-0*
Junior/125 lbs.: Joricksen Galiza, Walanae, Hawaii, dec. over Robert Garcia, Austin, Texas*
Junior/138 lbs.: Michael Garcia, Crecent City, Fla., dec. over Marquell Bradford, Toledo, Ohio, 3-2*
Junior/154 lbs.: Tristan Kalkreuth, Duncanville, Texas, dec. over Daishaun Bundrage, Detroit, Mich., 5-0*
Junior/176 lbs.: Albert Ballard, Detroit, Mich., won by abandonment over Seoul Sykes, Southhaven, Miss., ABD*