★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience©®™

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

STEVE UPSHER CHAMBERS TO KEITH THURMAN “LET’S DO THIS ON OCTOBER 6”

Once beaten Welterweight contender Steve Upsher Chambers Is seeking an opportunity to take on undefeated Welterweight Keith Thurman for a potential fight on October 6^th in Atlantic City.

Chambers, 24-1-1 with six knockouts of Philadelphia was offered a fight with Thurman just two weeks before the July 21^st scheduled fight.

Chambers would love to get an opportunity at the Florida native but would like the same full training camp as Thurman.

“I have too much pride in my career to take the biggest opportunity on short notice” said Chambers.

“I understand that he is being positioned to fight on October 6^th in Atlantic City. Well Keith let’s make this happen. It makes even more sense now because I live just an hour from Atlantic City and I will have a full camp to prepare to beat you”

“Keith and I have been going back and forth on Twitter and now it’s time to settle this in the ring. I deserve this opportunity. A year ago Josesito Lopez pulled out of ESPN fight with me and now he is one of the hottest names in the sport. The world knows I would have won that fight and I should be the one getting the opportunities he has received and now it is my time and Thurman will be MY Victor Ortiz”, Finished Chambers

Chambers, like his brother former Heavyweight title challenger “Fast” Eddie Chambers is trained by James Ali Bashir.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

THREE ELITE HEAT BOXING TEAM MEMBERS WIN TITLES AT RINGSIDE TOURNEY

Three members of the Elite Heat Boxing team took home titles at the renowned Ringside World Championships Boxing Tournament in Kansas City.

In the 9-10 Year old / 70 lb Open division, Vito Mielnicki won three bouts; in the 11-12 /70 lb open division it was Malik Nelson had four wins and in the 13-14 Year old / 110 lb division Shakur Stevenson won four bouts to take home the title.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Zou, Campbell, Iglesias Sotolongo, Murata and Usyk claim Olympic gold medals

On day fifteen of competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games, four boxers became Olympic Champions for the very first time whilst one made history by defending his title. The atmosphere at the packed ExCeL arena was once again fantastic for five contest of the very highest quality.

The Light Flyweight (46-49kg) final saw 32-year-old Thai Kaeo Pongprayoon challenge the reigning Olympic Champion Shiming Zou for the gold medal. The Chinese orthodox began by switching stance, trying to confuse his opponent in the early stages and looking to score with that telescopic jab of his. The experienced Pongprayoon was not being overawed but Zou's expert counter-punching made the difference as he took the first by a single point, 2:1. In the second, the Chinese triple AIBA World Champion continued to use his height to repel the attacks of his diminutive opponent and edged the round 4:3. Pongprayoon showed huge endeavour in the final round, throwing some good connecting one-twos but yet again was met by those counters from Zou and the Chinese legend made history with his 13:10 victory, becoming the first ever boxer to defend his Olympic title at Light Flyweight.

The bronze medals went to Ireland's Paddy Barnes, who had pushed Zou all the way in the semi-finals, and David Ayrapetyan of Russia.

In the Bantamweight (56kg) final, it was the much anticipated showdown between Great Britain's Luke Campbell and 23-year-old John Joe Nevin, which had the crowd on the edge of their seats right from the off. The British southpaw landed a couple of good jabs and a quality right hook in a quality first round to edge it 5:3. The speed and reach of Campbell was causing Nevin quite some trouble, the Irishman getting caught early by a big left in a frenetic second but he composed himself and threw some sublime shots to take the round 5:4 and reduce his deficit by a point. The finale was electric with the measured approached of Nevin seeing him hit his target early on, but then Campbell came back with a huge right and the orthodox fighter from Ireland was sent crashing to the canvas and he had to take a standing eight count. The crowd were chanting, "Campbell, Campbell", in support of the home boxer, and the Brit responded with a sumptuous final round which saw him crowned Olympic Champion after winning the bout 14:11. He held back tears as he was declared the winner.

Campbell said later, "It is a dream come true, it is brilliant. I cannot describe the feeling, but I have got a gold medal and it feels very heavy. I am speechless. All the hard work, missing out on lots of things, it has been well worth it. I am so proud, for my family and Great Britain. The crowd were inspirational, 10,000 people shouting 'Campbell.' You cannot describe the feeling. It's once-in-a-lifetime to be part of the Olympics and represent Great Britain".

The two were then joined on the podium by Satoshi Shimizu of Japan and Cuba's Lazaro Alvarez Estrada, who both claimed bronze medals after making it to the semi-finals.

Going head-to-head for the Light Welterweight (64kg) gold medal were the experienced Cuban southpaw Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo and Denys Berinchyk of Ukraine. An action-packed first round saw the two going toe-to-toe in the centre of the ring as the Ukrainian orthodox fighter looked to draw his rival into a slug fest. The 2009 AIBA World Champion from Cuba though demonstrated an exquisite repertoire of shots and did not allow Berinchyk to impose himself, with Iglesias Sotolongo taking the round by a point, 5:4, after connecting with some crisp hooks. It was fast and furious in the second with Berinhcyk looking to overpower his opponent once more, but the Cuban kept his composure, unloading some sensational shots, including a cute right uppercut as he took the second by a point. It was real clash of styles with Iglesias Sotolongo a classy operator, full of finesse, against a pure brawler. The Cuban's technique was in a league of its own, proving he could mix it up with anyone as he recorded an impressive 22:15 victory. Iglesias Sotolongo was overjoyed, doing a lap of honour with the Cuban flag, to the acclaim of the crowd. His gold medal was a 33rd for Cuba in boxing.

The Olympic gold medallist declared afterwards, "Today is the most important day of my career. Without my family I could not have achieved this victory. I dedicate it to them".

For the medal ceremony, Italy's Vincenzo Mangiacapre and Munkh-Erdene Uranchimeg of Mongolia joined the two finalists to collect their bronze medals.

Esquiva Falcao Florentino of Brazil then faced Japanese southpaw Ryota Murata in the Middleweight (75kg) final, in what was an enthralling battle. Both boxers had skill and power and each exhibited good variations in their punches, with a huge number being thrown from all directions. Murata connected with some hard hooks to take the first 5:3. The Brazilian orthodox fighter was moving well, looking to make that jab count before unloading some good uppercuts but his rival's big frame and tight defences were extremely difficult to pierce through. Falcao Florentino's sheer persistence ensured he reduced his deficit by a point going into the third. The closing stages were riveting as the Brazilian looked to dominate by throwing a whole load of punches, one right in particular rocking Murata but the savvy Japanese came back and scored vital points right at the death to claim the gold medal by winning 14:13.

Great Britain's Anthony Ogogo and Abbos Atoev of Uzbekistan were the two semi-finalists rewarded with bronze medals for their efforts.

In the last bout of the evening, experienced Italian Clemente Russo faced the dominant force at Heavyweight (91kg), Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine, to decide who would be proclaimed Olympic Champion. The orthodox 2008 Beijing Olympic Games silver medallist from Italy was looking inspired in the first round, dictating proceeding against his taller opponent, feinting before throwing some good combinations, with his favourite overhead right scoring as he took the round 3:1. The Ukrainian 24-year-old southpaw came back with a vengeance in the second, looking to make his power and reach make the difference as he threw some thunderous hooks and a huge left to readdress the balance by claiming the round 7:5. The two were now going into the third level. A very tactical final round exploded into life midway through with both fighters throwing everything they had at each other but the poise of Usyk ensured he took the last round, triumphing 14:11 to claim the Olympic Gold medal.

"I feel absolutely great. I showed everyone what I can do, especially considering I was behind in the first round. I want to say thank you to all the spectators", said Usyk after his victory.

On the podium to collect their bronze medals alongside the finalists were Bulgaria's Tervel Pulev and Teymur Mammadov of Azerbaijan.

Sunday will mark the end of the London 2012 Olympic Games with five finals bringing this unforgettable show to a close. The Fly (52kg), Light (60kg), Welter (69kg), Light Heavy (81kg) and Super Heavyweight (91+kg) Champions will be decided.

Mike Tyson talks Broadway show Twitter threats Spike Lee critiques Hollywood blockbuster culture

Ramirez Carrazana, Lomachenko, Sapiyev, Mekhontcev and Joshua crowned Olympic Champions

Five sensational bouts brought the London 2012 Olympic Games to a close at the packed ExCel Arena with the very best putting on a spectacular show in a fitting end to an unforgettable sixteen days of top-class action.

The first final was the Flyweight (52kg) showdown between the Cuban rising star Robeisy Ramirez Carrazana and 2009 AIBA World Championships silver medallist Tugstsogt Nyambayar of Mongolia. As expected, the first round began at a frenetic pace with the supremely talented Ramirez Carrazana looking to make his speed and agility count in the opening exchanges Even though the 30-year-old Mongol was throwing some good straights and jabbing well, it was the teenage Cuban southpaw who took the first round 6:5. The scenario was repeated in round two as Nyambayar tried to dictate and use his power, but found himself expertly countered by the electric Cuban time and time again. A big right though ensured the Mongol drew the round 4:4. A sensational final round saw both boxers throw a huge number of quality shots, both taking turns being the aggressor. It was the 18-year-old Ramirez Carrazana though who scored heavily with some sublime hooks in the closing stages to triumph 17:14. There was absolute elation from the Cuban as he was declared the winner.

"It was a difficult fight. I am extremely happy. My opening was very aggressive. I am 18 years old and I am already an Olympic champion. I am becoming part of my country's history along with past Cuban champions". On his future, he said, "I am going to carry on training hard. But for now I am looking forward to seeing my family again after being away from Cuba for so long".

Also up on the podium to collect their bronze medals were Russian AIBA World Champion Misha Aloian and Ireland's fledgling talent Michael Conlan.

It was pound for pound king Vasyl Lomachenko versus South Korea's Soonchul Han in the Lightweight (60kg) final. A left straight by the 24-year-old Ukrainian set the tone early on as the 2008 Olympic Featherweight (57kg) Champion stamped his authority on proceedings, harrying his opponent all around the ring in the first, throwing some good body shots, with two hooks ensuring he went into the second 7:2 up. The powerful southpaw was giving nothing away to Han, oozing confidence as he glided effortlessly on the canvas to pick his rival apart with a sumptuous array of combination punches. The South Korean orthodox fighter was in damage limitation mode and used his jab well to only lose the second by a point, 4:3. Lomachenko was getting into his stride, alternating between body and head shots with some quality hooks finding their intended targets as he took the third and the contest in style 19:9.

Lomachenko told the press afterwards, "I would like to dedicate this win to my family and all the friends who have supported me along. A special thanks goes out to my father, trainer and idol".

Cuba's Yasniel Toledo Lopez and Evaldas Petrauskas of Lithuania were presented with their bronze medals after joining the two finalists on the podium.

European Champion Fred Evans of Great Britain battled Serik Sapiyev of Kazakhstan for the Welterweight (69kg) title. The experience Kazak southpaw was throwing a huge amount of jabs in the first with the Brit having to bide his time before looking to land with the straight one-two combination. Good tight defences by the 21-year-old Evans allowed him to soak up some of the early pressure but Sapiyev was in all-action mode, continually throwing a lot of punches to take the first 4:2. It was the exact same scenario in the second, with Sapiyev the aggressor, constantly unloading and not giving his rival a moment to find any kind of rhythm. The young Brit was being outthought and outclassed by the two-time AIBA World Champion from Kazakhstan, who took the second 6:3. Evans had to go for broke in the third but his rival was moving better, faster and simply showed more determination. The British southpaw was devoid of ideas as 28-year-old Sapiyev dominated the final round to claim the gold medal with a resounding 17:9 victory.

The Kazak was overjoyed afterwards, declaring, "I am very glad to be here and this victory is for the whole of Kazakhstan. I have been waiting for this moment for so long. In Beijing I lost in the quarter-finals but was resolute as my attention immediately turned to these next Olympics".

Joining the finalists on the podium were Ukraine's Taras Shelestyuk and Andrey Zamkovoy from Russia, who each collected bronze medals after making it to the semi-finals.

The penultimate contested pitted Russia's Egor Mekhontcev against the savvy operator from Kazakhstan Adilbek Niyazymbetov. Very evenly matched in the first, the two southpaws were simply getting a feel for each other, the tall 27-year-old European Champion from Russia tried to take the initiative with the jab but each time he went forward he was on the receiving end of some slick counter-punching, Niyazymbetov confidently taking the first 4:3. In the second, 2009 AIBA World Champion Mekhontcev was getting through, landing some powerful shots, a huge right hand and a big left hook connected as he clawed his way back to parity going into the final round. It was a fitting finale as the two went for it, the Russian seemingly connecting with some cleaner shots, the jab and the left hook continuing to produce results. In a frenetic final few moments, the two went toe-to-toe in search of the win, trading blows in the centre of the ring. The scores were level at 15:15 after three rounds and also after count-back so it went to the judges' choice, who in the end favoured Egor Mekhontcev. The Russian claiming his country's only boxing Olympic gold this year.

Esquiva Falcao Florentino of Brazil and Ukraine's Oleksandr Gvozdyk were there to get their hands on the bronze medals they had earned by making it to the last four.

The noise levels at the ExCeL went through the roof as the announcer called out Great Britain'sAnthony Joshua and reigning Olympic Champion and two-time AIBA World ChampionRoberto Cammarelle of Italy for the Super Heavyweight (91+kg) final. Making that jab do the work in the early exchanges, 22-year-old Joshua was looking comfortable, connecting with a cute left hook in the process. The Italian southpaw, ten years Joshua's senior, was mindful of the power of the local fighter and after walking onto another left hook, Cammarelle cornered his rival and unloaded some hard combinations to take the high scoring first 6:5. Joshua was showing a lot of respect to the 2008 Beijing Games gold medallist in the second, but the round bursted into life when he landed a big left hook and Cammarelle sprung into life again to unleash a flurry of punching to go into the third with a three point cushion. The Italian had a swagger about him and was landing some sly shots but Joshua was coming back with the big right hand as the crowd went wild at the spectacle. The closing stages saw the two go toe-to-toe in a fitting finale. Joshua's succession of hard rights ensuring he clawed back his deficit to win 18:18 on count-back.

The bronze medals went to Ivan Dychko of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan's reigning AIBA World Champion Magomedrasul Medzhidov.

There will be huge anticipation now as the focus switches to the Rio 2012 Olympic Games in four years time.

R.I.P. - Michael Dokes‏

AP PhotoHeavyweight boxer John Gardner of England begins to fall to the canvas following knockout punch by Michael Dokes of Akron, Ohio, in the fourth round of their scheduled 15-round bout at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena, June 12, 1981. Dokes died Saturday night.

Michael Dokes always packed a punch. Nicknamed "Dynamite," the heavyweight fighter came out of Akron in the 1970s and made an immediate name for himself in the boxing ring.

He also set off on a life of excess when it came to drugs, alco

hol and women.

Dokes, who turned 54 on Friday died in Akron on Saturday night after battling liver cancer for several years.

"It's hard to know what to say," said longtime friend Stanley Jackson of Cleveland. "I met him when he first turned pro. He was like a young son to me. I just know I loved him."

With his fast and powerful fists, Dokes was on the national boxing stage at age 15 when he made it to the finals of the national Golden Gloves tournament. He won the national AAU heavyweight championship in 1975 and the Golden Gloves title the following year.

"I remember some classic Golden Glove bouts between Michael and Cleveland's Freddie Bambino," said Clytee Dunn, veteran amateur official with USA Boxing's Lake Erie Association. "They were something."

Dokes turned professional and stopped Al Byrd in his first bout on Oct. 15, 1976 in Hollywood, Fla.

He was 25-0-1, with 14 knockouts, when he won the World Boxing Association heavyweight title with a first-round technical knockout of Mike Weaver at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nev., on Dec. 10, 1982. In a rematch five months later, the bout was judged a majority draw and Dokes retained the title.

However, Dokes disappointed his hometown fans when he lost the title to Gerrie Coetzee on a 10th-round stoppage at The Coliseum in Richfield on Sept. 23, 1983.

Dokes admitted his drug use cost him the title. In an article in Sports Illustrated years later, Dokes said he trained for the fight "on cocaine and Jack Daniels."

"That fight should never have happened," Dokes told the Akron Beacon Journal in August 2010. "It's a fight I didn't live up to. I should never have brought it home."

Promoter Don King put on that fight in Richfield.

"Michael was a great fighter," said King. "He fought the good fight. It's unfortunate."

While Dokes remained a contender, he was unable to regain the championship. He lost pivotal bouts to Evander Holyfield in March 1989 and to Donovan Ruddock in April 1990.

In that latter bout, he was knocked unconscious for several minutes in the fourth round at Madison Square Garden. It was felt by some that Dokes' career should have been put to rest at that point.

He was given one more opportunity to reach the top. But that ended just as badly, with the fighter already showing the signs of decline both in and out of the ring.

Before his 1993 Madison Square Garden title bout against champion Riddick Bowe, Dokes enjoyed the New York limelight as he dined with followers and reporters. Weighing 244 pounds, Dokes did not back off from a plate of pasta as it would not hamper his training for the big fight.

"The past is history, the future isn't here yet, and the present is linguine and clam sauce," he told The Plain Dealer.

Dokes was stopped in the first round by Bowe. He earned $750,000.

He fought five more times after that, losing his final two bouts. He was stopped in the second round by Paul Phillips in his final bout on Oct. 11, 1997 in Erlanger, Ky., to finish with a career record of 53-6, with 34 knockouts.

In 1998, Dokes was arrested in Nevada on charges that he assaulted his girlfriend and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He had pleaded guilty to attempted murder, second-degree kidnapping and intent to commit sexual assault.

He was paroled in 2008.

He lived in Las Vegas before returning to Akron to live with relatives in 2010.

Serik Sapiyev receives Best Men's Boxer Trophy‏

Impressive and dominant from start to finish, Kazak Serik Sapiyev not only claimed the Olympic Welterweight (69kg) title, but has also been awarded the coveted Best Men's Boxer at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Val Barker Trophy) by the accredited media.

The southpaw, also a two-time AIBA World Champion (2005 and 2007), beat Great Britain Anthony Joshua to the award by a single vote (11 to 10). The Super Heavyweight Olympic Champion was then preceded by Ukrainian Lightweight (60kg) Vasyl Lomachenko (seven), Flyweight (52kg) gold medallist Robeisy Ramirez Carrazana of Cuba and Ukrainian Heavyweight (91kg) Oleksandr Usyk (both five), Cuban Light Welterweight (64kg) Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo (three).

When he was told the news, the Kazak was overcome by emotion.

Sapiyev battled European Champion Freddie Evans of Great Britain for the Welterweight (69kg) title. The experienced Kazak threw a huge amount of jabs in the first with the Brit having to bide his time before looking to land with the straight one-two combination.

Good tight defences by the 21-year-old Evans allowed him to soak up some of the early pressure but Sapiyev was in all-action mode, continually throwing a lot of punches to take the first 4:2.

It was the same scenario in the second, with Sapiyev the aggressor, constantly unloading and not giving his rival a moment to find any kind of rhythm.

The young Brit was being outthought and outclassed by the soon-to-be APB boxer, who took the second 6:3. Evans had to go for broke in the third but his rival was moving better, faster and simply showed more determination. The British southpaw was devoid of ideas as 28-year-old Sapiyev dominated the final round to claim the gold medal with a resounding 17:9 victory.

After the bout he said: "I am very glad to be here and this victory is for the whole of Kazakhstan. I have been waiting for this moment for so long. In Beijing I lost in the quarter-finals but was resolute as my attention immediately turned to these next Olympics."

Friday, August 10, 2012

Claressa Shields; August issue of ESSENCE!

We're so proud of 17-year-old boxer Claressa Shields. She won the first middleweight gold medal in women's Olympic boxing! Read about her journey in the August issue of ESSENCE!

Team USA’s Claressa Shields Takes Gold in Boxing

The London 2012 Olympiad has officially been a showcase for the women of Team USA in the field of combat sports as 17 year old Clarissa Shields took gold at the inaugural women’s 75 kg tournament. Shields’ victory earlier today has marked an unusual trend: of the five combat sports held in the Olympics, Team USA has only taken home medals in the women’s divisions.

Tyson's Punches Sometimes Hit Their Mark, Critics Say

Not a TKO, but an interesting, and certainly odd, night at the theater.

That’s the consensus among critics, who say former heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson delivers an awkward, yet once-in-awhile charming spectacle in his one-man show “Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth,” directed by Spike Lee and at the Longacre Theatre through Aug. 12.

Writing about the “lazily structured biographical tour” in The New York Times, critic Neil Genzlinger said Tyson “makes you momentarily forget how ham-handed and manipulative the show is.”

“Sure, we should save our accolades for the many people who have transcended difficult beginnings without abusing drugs, racking up a rape conviction and biting off a piece of another guy’s ear. But by the end of ‘Undisputed Truth’ you may at least be willing to grant that it would be swell if Mr. Tyson has finally found a nondestructive way to exist in the world.”

In the Toronto Star, high-minded theater critic Richard Ouzounian said “Truth” was another example of how theater uses boxing as metaphor to examine the relationship between black men and power.

“From Sammy Davis Jr. in Golden Boy to James Earl Jones in The Great White Hope... you can find a gallery of black men who are groomed to win, until it becomes more expeditious to bring about their downfall,” he wrote.

One of the oddest things about the show, Ouzounian also noted, is that it was written by Tyson’s current wife, Kiki, “and tries to make a man who is a convicted rapist come across as a charming guy.”

The New York Post’s Elizabeth Vincentelli said the show’s first hour was “funny, cheeky and fast."

Wrote Vincentelli: “Tyson also talks about his... demons, starting with Robin Givens, whom he married in 1988 and split from a year later. During their divorce proceedings, he spotted her in a car with Brad Pitt, whom she had dated before. Tyson quips that they look ‘like Robert Redford and Pearl Bailey.’”

Playbill’s opening night photos can be found here.

Floyd’s Back

Boxing Champion Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. has been released from prison.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. was released from Clark County Detention Center after serving two months of a three-month sentence on a misdemeanor charge (Domestic Battery)

He look like he have been staying fit while incarcerated although he was complaining about the food and shit months ago, stating that the low-quality food and water have threatened his health.

Child boo Mayweather, looks like the food wasn’t that bad after all because you look damn good boo. Your teeth still pearly and white.

AND HE LOOKS CUTE WITH HAIR….

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Team USA’s Claressa Shields Wins Historic Middleweight Gold at the 2012 Olympic Games‏

Claressa Shields of the USA celebrates defeating Nadezda Torlopova of Russia to win gold (AFP, Alberto Pizzoli)

Seventeen-year-old Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) marked her place in the historic books with the first-ever Olympic gold medal in the women’s middleweight division. Shields concluded her run to gold with a 19-12 victory over Russia’s Nadezda Torlopova in the middleweight gold medal bout on Thursday at the ExCel Centre in London. The gold medal is the first for the United States since Andre Ward in 2004 and the first-ever in women’s action.

Shields, whose entertaining style has won many fans at the 2012 Olympic Games, fulfilled her Olympic dream with a third strong performance in London. The teenager came out disciplined in the opening round, feeling out her Russian opponent nearly double Shields’ age, and the bout was tied at three after two minutes of boxing. That was as close as Torlopova would get in the four round bout. Shields began utilizing her strong edge in hand speed to impose her will in the second and claimed a 10-7 advantage at the halfway mark. She continued to catch the Russian with strong shots and combinations in the third round on her way to a 15-10 lead with one round remaining. Shields extended her advantage to seven in the final two minutes en route to a 19-12 final decision and the middleweight gold medal.

This is something that I’ve wanted for a long time and when I felt that boxing wasn’t going right and my life wasn’t going right, I always wanted a gold medal,” she said. “I just kept working toward it and people were saying that I couldn’t do it, that I was too young, that I’ll never do it. There were going to be girls that would beat me, that had more experience and I proved them all wrong.”

The Flint native dedicated her medal to her hometown and joins Flint boxers Andre Dirrell and Chris Byrd in winning Olympic hardware. Between the three of them, they own every color of medal with Shields completing the trifecta with her gold.

“It’s always dedicated to Flint, that’s where I’m from. It’s dedicated to my coach; he deserves it. He deserves it. He trains a lot of men at our gym but none of them want to dedicate themselves. I feel that USA needed it,” Shields said. “I’m just glad that someone got a gold medal because we were all in the gym together, we all sweat together, we all trained together, we all worked hard together so we all want to see each other succeed.”

The teenager qualified won the Olympic Trials at only 16, claiming both a gold medal and the Outstanding Boxer title at the February event. The Flint Northwestern High School student will return to school for her senior year with her own piece of history to share. Trained by Jason Crutchfield, out of FWC Berston, Shields has been boxing since the age of 11 and quickly took to the sweet science under Crutchfield’s tutelage. She is the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team at only 17.

Flyweight Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) received her bronze medal on Thursday as well, giving Team USA two medals in the three women’s weight divisions.

Shields’ championship bout concludes Olympic boxing action for Team USA.

U.S. Result

165 lbs: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich./USA dec. Nadezda Torlopova, RUS, 19-12

Claressa Shields quotes

“I think I’m still numb. It feels great and unbelievable, I don’t even know if this is real right now. It feels unbelievable, I can’t believe this happening right now. I’m surprised I didn’t cry though.”

“I was thinking God knows my heart (while on the medal stand).”

“At the end of the day, when I got back from the fight, they always wished me the best. I represent myself and my teammates because if I had to count on one of them to represent me, I would hope that they would do good. I don’t think that anybody feels bad about me representing them, I did a pretty good job.”

“My game plan was to move to the right, and stay away from her right hand.”

“I haven’t been able to think past August 9, today. So having to think past that day right now, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m going to go wherever the wind blows me.”

“My life already changed because I’ve been leaving the country. I haven’t really been home a lot. I know I’m about to have a lot of publicity. I’m going in the history books, people are going to look at me as inspiration. I might have 10,000 followers on twitter when I get back. There’s a lot of stuff that’s going to change, I’m going to be able to help me family out. I have a gold medal that I can wear everyday by my choice, it’s mine.”

“My trainers, Jason Crutchfield and Ed Kendall are here. They came to every fight.”

“I didn’t want to underestimate her, I wanted to make sure that I got settled in so with the score being 3-3, I was like alright. I already knew that I was faster than her before the fight. I know that with this being the Olympics, I knew that she was going to step up. It seems like she kind of stepped up in the first round. Then after that, I think she felt that she was stronger than me so she was just going to walk in. When she saw that I had a little bit of power, she kind of stepped back a little bit. Her right hand was her bread and butter.”

“I wasn’t able to call my dad before I fought today. I called him an hour before I fought yesterday but I wasn’t able to today. He watched, he already knows. I’m just going to call him, he’s probably going to be crying or something like that. I just can’t believe this right now.”

“I don’t know, I really can’t say whether I will be back in four years. I like traveling for free, I like going to training camp. I like being able to do what I want to do. I really do love boxing. I want to be the best in boxing. If I can be a two-time gold medalist, my coach and I just have to talk about it.”

“I really wanted to represent the women well and I think I did a great job. I can always do better, I think I showed the best display of women’s boxing. I don’t think that there’s going to be anyone watching the Olympics saying that women can’t box because they saw me get down. I think I did a good job, I think more women will come in to the sport. I think the women who weren’t able to get into the Olympics are proud of me.”

“I will probably wear the medal everyday for the first year. There might be some days where I say I don’t want it to disappear from me, I earned it. This is my medal. I worked too hard, I worked really hard for this medal. I can’t even explain what I went through, all the people I had to deal with and just life period. There were people who were telling me that I couldn’t do this and when someone doubts me, it makes me push harder. So the haters kind of helped.”

“I kept looking at the medal, I tried not to look at it but I was like, there it go. It just made me laugh because I couldn’t believe that this medal was in front of me right now. When he put it on me, I was like aaaah. I started going crazy. I thought I was going to have a seizure or pass out.”

“There’s no good or bad draw. I came prepared to fight the best. If I had Savannah Marshall (reigning world champion), first, I really didn’t care because she beat me. I was in the gym steadily, constantly planning on fighting her. That’s why I beat the Kazakhstan girl so bad because she beat Savannah. I came prepared to fight the best. Girls 6-2, 6-3, girls who are strong, I came prepared. I didn’t care who I had first, second or last, I came prepared to do well. I was going to try my best to win every match.”

“My coach Jason, it’s so deep, that every summer I live with him. I stay with him and his family and whenever he sees me getting a little off track, he’s on me like white on rice. He’s not super strict, but he didn’t’ let me date. Made sure I was at the gym everyday. Sometimes when he couldn’t pick me up, he made me run to the gym. There were a lot of things that I had to sacrifice my own. I had to get up at six a.m. and run, and that was just to show how hungry I was to win. My coach did a lot, he sacrificed a lot of time with me. He used to call and come get me every morning to go run. When I learned how to do it myself, my coach and I were like half and half and we fit right together.”

“During training camp, one of the things that we were working on was patience. People used to hit me and I’d want to get it right back as soon as it happened. As you can see, in my first fight, I did a lot of thinking. The girl was tall and I knew that she didn’t want to fight me so I had to make my own plan to get in there but they told me to stay calm. She might get one point off you but you might be able to get three off in the next 10 seconds so make sure that you think. They were on me everyday to stay on my jab and make sure that I keep my hands up. They added on some tools that I felt like I needed.”

Share SBS w/Family or Friends

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Monday, August 13, 2012

Friday, August 10, 2012

Thursday, August 9, 2012