FORT WORTH – The Golden Gloves Regional Tournament had staged four Open Division finals bouts on Saturday night, all with the drama inherent in one-on-one boxing confrontations, when spectacle appeared.
In the second round of the 165-pound bout at Will Rogers’ Watt Arena and with a state berth on the line, defending champion Quran Barton and Antonio Hatchett were grappling near one corner when the referee ordered the two to “break.”
Hatchett did a little more holding before letting loose, and while turning away – all of this occurring simultaneously – Barton landed a couple of shots and then a final blow to the back of Hatchett’s head, sending him to the canvas face first and twisting and squirming in apparent pain.
The referee immediately called the fight, certain at once Hatchett could no longer go.
Now what? Attorneys? A mediator? Counselors?
One thing was clear to all: The blow Barton had landed was illegal. However, was it intentional and was it flagrant?
Tournament director Bill Prince, who has the final say in disputes such as these, ruled that it was not an intentional blow, putting in place the referee’s initial judgment of knockout Red Corner.
Barton was going on to a third consecutive state tournament. All of the champions of the Open divisions advanced to the state tournament, which will be held starting Wednesday at Watt Arena.
“He hit him in the back of the head, that is an illegal blow,” Prince said. “But the rules say that an illegal blow does not disqualify unless it’s ruled intentional or flagrant. We ruled it was not.
“It was illegal … it’s like a low blow. If he could have continued, the bout would have continued, but he couldn’t continue.”
A polling of the five judges afterward by Prince unanimously confirmed his judgment. One referee and judge, not involved in the match, protested the decision.
After several minutes of both fighters living in boxing limbo, Barton walked off triumphant, while angry fans wanting more of the bout expressed their disenchantment in the various ways angry fans do that.
Barton was winning the fight to that point.
“I heard ‘quit holding, quit grabbing,’” Barton said. “I didn’t hear stop. I’m trained to keep fighting until the referee comes and does his part. I’ve been in competition, too, where I’m being outpunched and think he’s holding me and I’m waiting for the ref to stop it, and I’m losing points because I’m letting him hit me. So, I’ve got to do my part to just keep fighting until the referee comes to do his part. I can’t hear the ref and then worry about the man in there fighting me.”
Said Hatchett: “I was following the referee’s instruction. I should have been smarter and not turned my head, but when the referee says, ‘break, guys,’ I turned around and saw him cocking it up, and he hit me in the back of the head.
“I got to keep my eyes on the fighter the whole time, even when the ref says ‘break.’”
While Prince and tournament officials sorted out the final decision, Barton and Hatchett, back on his feet by this time and having passed a doctor’s concussion exam, stood in their respective corners exchanging a little trash-talk.
After the final bout, the trash-talk was between two judges, including the one who protested the decision.
The actors of sport, they feel … they emote.
* * * * *
Who knows where this boxing experiment with former TCU football players will end, but title the first chapter “In the Beginning.”
Former Horned Frogs receiver Desmond White and defensive tackle Aaron Curry walked away from their first boxing tournament as champions.
White defeated Keinon Douglas in the 141-pound Men’s Novice final, while four bouts later Curry defeated Cyril Ogbeide in the super heavyweight final for boxers more than 201 pounds.
“It’s early. This is only my third fight,” White said. “I’m still learning, still getting experience. I’m going to keep getting more fights and get better the more fights I get in.”
Both guys envision a shot at the Open Division next year.
They both know there is much improvement that needs to happen before they get there, from the hands to the feet to the psychology.
“We’re used to playing in front of a lot of people,” Curry said. “But it’s the first time … you’re by yourself in the ring. That’s the first time I’ve ever experienced just being by myself. Football is a team sport. Up there it’s all on you to come up with a dub. It’s completely different.”
* * * * *
If there were an award for best tempered, most gracious boxer of a very good Regional Tournament, it’d have to go to Juan Gomez, champion of the 152-pound Open Division.
He’ll give the state tournament a dash of personality.
On his way to the ring for his championship bout with Adam Salgado, Gomez made a point to step out of his route to thank a sports writer for what he had written about him.
Gomez, who has only been back in the ring for six weeks after a two-year layoff, looked good in outpointing Salgado, though he had to hang on for dear life in the third round as Salgado, knowing he needed a knockout to win, swung for the fences.
“He got me in the third round,” said Gomez, an aerospace engineering student at UT Arlington. “I’m not going to lie, I feel like he hit me with a damn stool. But I knew that I outworked him more because he was trying to rely too much on his power. I was backing up using the ring, everything to my advantage, but he was trying to land one shot. That’s not how you win a fight, especially not amateur.”
There seems little doubt that Gomez is happiest when he’s in the ring.
“You’ve got to train like every day is your last,” he said when asked how he managed to get in shape for three, three-minute rounds in six weeks.
* * * * *
Brandon DeSpain, a Michigander until only a few months ago, dominated Gabriel Aguilar in winning his Texas debut tournament in the 141-pound Open Division.
DeSpain, 19, doesn’t lack confidence.
“Can’t be beat,” DeSpain said when asked his level of confidence heading into state. “That’s how boxers should always be. You’ve got to be cocky to win. You got to know you’re the greatest out there to go out there and do what you got to do to win.”
He will get more chances to prove his philosophy.
* * * * *
Brandon Rivas would’ve been a player among Open Division 132-pounders a year ago, but he was ineligible to compete because of the Golden Gloves citizenship clause.
You have to be a citizen to fight in the organization’s sanctioned events.
Rivas’ political status as a so-called “Dreamer” – one of the many thousands who were brought to the states as babies but never gained citizenship – has been clarified.
“I’ve been here my whole life,” said Rivas, plugging a bloody nose with cotton. “Everything is all good now. Thank God.”
Rivas, a graduate of Castleberry High School, is now a legal citizen and after Saturday, a day after his 20th birthday, a regional champ. Rivas outlasted good friend Joel Martinez, winning in a decision.
Saturday’s championship results
Bantam novice
60 pounds (8-9 years old): Daniel Segovia defeated Isael Botello, decision.
70 pounds (10): Esteban Mata d. Eduardo Gaitan, default.
75 pounds (10): Kristopher Adams d. Gavin Tijernia, dec.
Junior novice
90 pounds (11-12): Devin Franklin Jr. d. Keegan McGraw, dec.
114 pounds (11-12): Jack Damphouse d. Antonio Aguilar, dec.
Junior open
85 pounds (11-12): Iziah Garcia d. Ezekeil Mares, dec.
Intermediate novice
95 pounds (13-14): Kevin Segovia d. Donavyn Walton, dec.
Intermediate open
110 pounds (13-14): Juan Barron d. Joseph Rios, dec.
114 pounds (13-14): Emmanuel Carrillo d. Julian Maldonado, dec.
Senior novice
154 pounds (15-16): Fernando Diaz d. DeAllen Larremore, dec.
176-plus pounds (15-16): Nathaniel Huff d. Joshua Boker, dec.
Senior open
145 pounds (15-16): Jacob Reynolds d. Brandon Solis, dec.
Female senior novice
119 pounds (16-17): Yasmine Little d. Ana Ibarra, dec.
Women’s novice
132 pounds: Mercadies Ramirez d. Kayley Ryan, dec.
152 pounds: Audrey Gifford d. Shannon Matsinger, dec.
165 pounds: Paige Harris d. Bailey Siamone-Mason, referee stopped contest, first round.
Youth men’s novice
123 pounds: Andrik Trejo d. Kole Lenz, dec.
132 pounds: Miguel Martinez d. Christian Herrera, dec.
Men’s novice
132 pounds: Dearon Bursey d. Brandon Martinez, RSC, Round 2.
141 pounds: Desmon White d. Keinon Douglas, dec.
152 pounds: Dakendrick Wallace d. Mathew Gray, dec.
165 pounds: Nathaniel Primous d. Kuinteion Newman, dec.
178 pounds: Rogers Braxton d. Taylor Kervaugh, dec.
201 pounds: Dametrez Marshall d. Cesar Gomez, dec.
201-plus pounds: Aaron Curry d. Cyril Ogbeide, dec.
Men’s open
108 pounds: Jesus Guzman (unchallenged)
114 pounds: Francisco Pantoja (unchallenged)
123 pounds: Christopher Martinez d. Manuel Ochoa, dec.
132 pounds: Brandon Rivas d. Joel Martinez, dec.
141 pounds: Brandon DeSpain d. Gabriel Aguilar, dec.
152 pounds: Juan Gomez d. Adam Salgado, dec.
165 pounds: Quran Barton d. Antonio Hatchett, KO, second round.
178 pounds: Freddie Jordan (unchallenged)
201 pounds: Jurgen Deraj d. Justin Prince, dec.
201-plus pounds: Mohammed Alrasid (unchallenged).
