By Melvin Jones
Amateur boxing falls by the wayside for some in Central Texas. But for the competitors of the Austin Golden Gloves on Friday, January 30th, the only thing that mattered was being able to fight.
11 male and female divisions were represented to go along with many divisions. This was the first night of the competition, as a total of 17 bouts started off night one. And if there was any indication that this would be an outstanding event, look no further than the attendance. At a facility that holds roughly 500 people, it was quickly a standing room only event, as fighters and spectators crowded into the Rock Sports Arena, just south of Hutto, Texas for the night’s events.
Amongst the many fighters that came in “Unattached” (ones that does not have any team represented), there were plenty of teams who were represented to begin the night. Reynoso Boxing Club was the heavyweight team of the night, bringing in many boxers to participate in the tournament, many of whom would go on to fight on the final day.
Not only were there fighters and spectators, but vendors and concessions kept everyone fed and clothed through the night. Many hats and t-shirts were on sale for the event, as well as the smell of popcorn went through the arena as the night progressed.
The night started off with a banger of a fight, as a bout in the Senior Male Novice 154-pound division started the night, and was the first stoppage of the night as the official ended the fight after three standing 8-counts that put a halt to the fight in the 2nd round. The next few fights went toe-to-toe as the next four bouts went the distance, in which every bout was three 2-minute rounds.
Overall, an outstanding night of action accelerated through the weekend, with the final day having 22 bouts overall. The winners of these weight classes in these divisions advance to the state tournament in Ft Worth in early March.
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