All the boxing ring's was the stage for the 81at Annual Daily News Golden Gloves Amateur Boxing Tournament, Thursdy April 17th and Friday April 18th at the WAMU Theatre at Madison Square Garden. The best amateur boxers in the New York City Metro area put their dukes up for two nights of fights, in front of thousands of fans at the world greatest arena. A total of 31 championship bouts were held over the two days, featuring 62 men and women boxers. The Daily News Golden Gloves has served as a launching point for the careers of world champion boxers such as Emile Griffith, Jose Torres, Floyd Paterson, Howard Davis and Riddick Bowe. The Golden Gloves comprises of nearly 30 nights of elimination bouts held throughout the New York metropolitan area over three months. It is the most prestigious, oldest and largest amateur boxing tournament in the world. Nearly 700 fighters- including more than 40 women- fought in the Golden Gloves this year.
For live video interviews of Nisa Rodriguez, Franchon Crews, Laura Ramirez and Livingstone Joseph, Iran Barkley, Sadam "world Kid" Ali and many more of your boxing favorites go to Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience the Channel- Online at http://www.youtube.com/ELEmpress1
165 Pound Novice- Marcus Browne 17 now (2 KO's, 2 decisions, 1 bye) of the Rockaways who is a student at Concord H.S, where he still trains Marcus Browne defeated Shaka Davidson 25 (1KO, 3 decisions, 1 bye) who is a personal trainer and lives in Mount Kisco New York.
Marcus Browne
114 Pound Women- Keisher "Fire" MCleod Wells 30 of Gleasons Gym (2 decision) a three time champion at 110 pounds, who lives in Brooklyn, won the decision over Alexis Asher 25 of Gleasons Gym (1 bye) the defending champion from Brooklyn, who is a personal trainer and dancer.
Keisher "Fire" MCleod Wells
178 Pound Novice- Joseph Smith, Jr. 18 of Vetereans Memeorial Gym (3 KO's, 1 decision, 1 bye) who is a tree cutter for the LIRR, from Mastic, L.I., won the decision over Sean Monaghan 26 of Freeport PAL (3 decisions, 1 KO, 1 bye) a bricklayer who is a resident of Long Beach.
Joseph Smith Jr.
Sean Monaghan
141 Pound Open- Livingstone Joseph 23 of NYC PAL (2 KO's, 1 decision) who is from Manhattan is a two time Golden Gloves champion. Livingstone Joseph defeated Mike Brooks 20 of Freeport PAL (2 decisions, 1, bye) who is ranked nationally, Brooks who is empolyed as a cook, lives in Oceanside, L.I.
Livingstone Joseph and the Legend Iran Barkley
119 pound Women- Christina Cruz 25 of Gleasons Gym (1 KO, 1 decision) who is a personal secretary from Manhattan defended her championship defeating Christina Rosa 29 of Westbury PAL, who is a jeweler and living in Garden Park City, L.I.
Christina Cruz
138 Pound Women- Chinazo Rena Anakwe 24 of Team Free Form (1 bye) who is enrolled in the Actors Studio AFA program at Pace University and who lives in Brooklyn New York, won a decision over Kathleen Walsh 18 of Heavy Hitters Boxing Club (1 decision) who is from Ronkonkoma, L.I., and works as a lifeguard.
Chinazo Rena Anakwe
Mr & Mrs Flaco and Keisher MCleod-Wells and Chinazo Rena Anakwe
125 Pound Open- Emmanuel Gonzalez 20 of Betances Boxing Club (1 decision, 1 bye) who is an apprentice bricklayer from the Bronx, and who was a finalist in 2007, came back in 2008 to defeat Marcos Hernandez 19 of Gleasons Gym (1 decision, 1 bye) who is a resident of Brooklyn New York, studying humman services at BMCC.
Emmanuel Gonzalez
Emmanuel Gonzalez
Team Emmanuel "Manny" Gonzalez
165 Pound Open- Phillip Jackson Benson 23 of Gleasons Gym (1 KO, 1 decision, 1 bye) who was a novice champion in 2006 and who reached the open final last year, defeated Michael O'Connor 20 of NYC PAL (2 decisions, 1 bye) who was the the novice
champion at 141 pounds in 2005, O'Connor lives in the Bronx New York.
Phillip Jackson Benson
Laura Ramirez 17 of NYC PAL (1 KO, 1 decision) who is from the Bronx, is a student at Harry S. Truman H.S., Laura Ramirez defeated Ruth O'Sullivan 32 of Gleasons Gym ( 1 decision, 1 bye) who is a social worker at the Supreme Court. O'Sullivan is a two time champion and resides in Brooklyn New York.
Laura Ramirez
Laura Ramirez and Livingstone Joseph
Super Heavyweight Novice- Daniel Torres 26, Black Hand Combat (3 decisions, 1 bye) from East Norwich, L.I., who is employed as a Carpenter, defeated Davone Jones 27 of Gleasons Gym (3 decisions, 1 bye) who is employed as a hospital worker and lives in the Bronx.
Daniel Torres
154 Pound Women- Nisa Rodriguez 17 of Betances Boxing Club (1 KO) is a student at SoBRO in the Bronx. This is Nisa Rodriguez's first Golden Gloves tournament, Rodiguez's win came over Justine Herrera 30 of Gleasons Gym (1 KO) who is an administrator at Columbia University, and who was a finalist in the 2006 Golden Gloves.
Nisa Rodriguez
141 Pound Novice- William S. Whitt 19 of Ardon Sweet Science (4 decisions, 1 bye) who is from Sunset Park Brooklyn, is a field worker for the NYC Human Rights Commission. Whitt defeated Paul Diaz-Laru 30 of Church Street Gym ((1 KO, 4 decisions) who is from the Lower East Side in Manhattan. Diaz-Laru is the manager of the Battery Park Community Center.
William S. Whitt
William S. Whitt and trainer
165 Pound Women- Christina Jensen 19 of Vetereans Memorial Gym (1 decision) who is from L.I., is studying criminal justice at Briarcliffe College. Jensen defeated Jennifer Egan 25 of Gleasons Gym (1 bye) who is a resident of Brooklyn New York. Egan is a teacher at the Shallow Middle School in Bensonhurst.
Christina Jensen
Heavyweight 201 Pound Open- Mitchell Balker 24 of Mendez Boxing Gym (2 decisions) who was born in Suriname and a citizen of the Netherlands, Balker came to New York to compete in the Golden Gloves. Mitchell Balker won a close decision over Norman Neely 18 of NYC PAL (1 bye) who is employed as an elder care worker. Neely resides in the Bronx New York.
Mitchell Balker
Norman Neely
176 Pound Women- Tressa Dugan 32 of NYC PAL (1 bye) who is a recent arrival to Manhattan from Atlanta, is a sales manager at L'Oreal. Tressa Dugan lost a close decision to Iris Y. Murillo 20 of Heavy Hitters Boxing Club ((1 bye) who is from Bay Shore L.I., and works as an administrator at the Stony Brook Hospital.
Tressa Dugan
Team Tressa Dugan
Heavyweight Novice- Jerry Gaspard 28 of Church Street Boxing Gym (3 decisions, 1 bye) who lives in Brooklyn New York, owns and operates a fitness center. Gaspard defeated Ngoli Okafor 33 of Mendez Boxing Gym (2 KO's, 2 decisions) who is employed as a personal trainer and lives in the Bronx.
Jerry Gaspard
Amanda Serrano 19 (1 KO) who is a personal trainer from Bushwick New York, and competing in her second Golden Gloves, pulled off the victory, with a decision over Jody-Ann Weller 29 of New York Boxing Gym (1 decision) who is a research scientist, from Pomona New York, this is Jody-Ann Weller's second trip to the finals. Amanda Serrano is the younger sister of Cindy Serrano who is also a professional fighter.
Amanda Serrano
Jody-Ann Weller
Emile Griffith, "Mean" Joe Green, Sadam "World Kid" Ali, Junior Jones and Brendan Smith
"Mean" Joe Green, Sadam "World Kid" Ali, Junior Jones
Nagy Aguillera and guest attends the 81st Annual Golden Gloves at Madison Square Garden, in New York City
Female fighter Franchon Crews attends the 81st Annual Golden Gloves at Madison Square Garden, in New York City
Monte Barrett Junior Jones and "Mean" Joe Green attends the 81st Annual Golden Gloves at Madison Square Garden, in New York City
Ronny Vargas and Melissa Hernandez attends the 81st Annual Golden Gloves at Madison Square Garden, in New York City
Cara Castronuova and MC Goddess attends the 81st Annual Golden Gloves at Madison Square Garden, in New York City
Aaron Davis and Chris Smith attends the 81st Annual Golden Gloves at Madison Square Garden, in New York City
Vanessa Greco Team Free Form member, attends the 81st Annual Golden Gloves at Madison Square Garden, in New York City
Tony Mitchell, the former tennis player attends the 81st Annual Golden Gloves at Madison Square Garden, in New York City
©®™ 2007, 2008 All photos by "El Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience all rights reserved
