Image details: Olympic Test Event – 2007 International Boxing Invitational served by picapp.com

Sunday was a good day for the United States Olympic Boxing Team. Both Shawn Estrada and Michael Hunter II won their bouts in the Guatemala City second Americas Olympic Qualifiers tourney while the rest of the team marched to a decisive 9-2 dual meet victory against the Puerto Rican amateur team in Philadelphia.

Shawn Estrada won his second match of the tourney with a controlling 13-2 against Colombia’s Alexander Brand. Estrada rode to an early 8-2 lead through the second round and held his adversary scoreless the rest of the way. Estrada will face Brazilian Yamaguchi Florentino on Tuesday; that fight’s winner will go to Beijing.

Super heavyweight Michael Hunter II pulled out a gutsy 4-3 win late Sunday night against Canadian Dilier Bence. He will face Venezuelan Jose Payares on Tuesday for the Beijing berth. At last month’s first America’s Qualifiers in Trinidad both Hunter and Payares lost to eventual champion Cuban Alfonso Acea. Hunter fell in the finals 9-1 while Payares lost in the semis 9-3.

Four already-qualified future Olympians competed in the Philly meet, all four recording dominating victories. Light flyweight Luis Yanez, flyweight Rau’shee Warren, and light welterweight Javier Molina all had their bouts stopped in the third round because they had opened twenty-point leads on their opponent.

Lightweight Sadam Ali went the full four but managed his own 20 point spread defeating his adversary 40-20 with the help of a boisterous Liacouras Center crowd.

On Wednesday jabandgrabble.com will list and provide profile links for the entire Olympic squad as well as update you on Hunter and Estrada’s quest. Hopefully we will have good news.

Post from: EveryJoe

United States Olympic Boxing Team Has Good Sunday

The Philadelphia event is being held at Temple University’s Liacouras Center. Tickets range from $17 to $67. There are both group and Temple student discounts. The card features a bout in all eleven weight classes and is headlined by future American stars including the flashy lightweight Sadam “World Kid” Ali, 2004 Olympian and current flyweight world champ Rau’shee Warren, and Pan Am Games gold medalist light flyweight Luis Yanez.

The event is also being advertised as streaming live online at www.gofightlive.tv

2,000 miles south of Philly middleweight Shawn Estrada, light heavyweight Christopher Downs, and super heavyweight Michael Hunter II are fighting to join their teammates in Beijing. Sadly, Guatemala City has not been kind to Christopher Downs. The 6′4″ 33-year-old U.S. Army sergeant first class lost on Friday 5-3 to Ecuador’s Cesar Castillo Torres and been knocked out of the tourney.

Downs was battling to become the oldest ever U.S. boxing Olympian but in the end a slipped disk in his back and a severely twisted ankle hindered his ability to compete against the young amateurs. Downs, an Iraq War veteran, had impressed early at last month’s first America qualifiers but his Beijing quest was not to be.

Estrada kept his dream alive with an opening bout win on Friday and Hunter begins his journey tomorrow.

Post from: EveryJoe

United States Olympic Boxing Team Battles This Weekend