Every boxer from Kaua‘i won a medal at the 2010 Hawai‘i State Junior Olympic Boxing Championships, said Mark Ozaki, a coordinator with the Kaua‘i Police Activities League. The boxers came from both the Up and Up Boxing Club based in
Every boxer from Kaua‘i won a medal at the 2010 Hawai‘i State Junior Olympic Boxing Championships, said Mark Ozaki, a coordinator with the Kaua‘i Police Activities League.
The boxers came from both the Up and Up Boxing Club based in Kapa‘a and the K-PAL Boxing Club in Lihu‘e, said Ozaki in an e-mail.
Participating in the state championships at the Palolo District Park Gym on O‘ahu, Kaua‘i boxers finished with eight golds, two silvers and a bronze medal for their combined efforts.
C.J. Tapaoan, 11, out of the Up and Up club demonstrated his gold-medal quality in a non-title bout where he went up against Bryer Nagahama, a 119-pound champion, Ozaki said.
During the bout Ozaki described as “a three-round, rock-un, sock-um robot-type war,” Tapaoan fell just short of a decision, but proved he can compete with a boxer two weight classes above his own.
Tapaoan earned gold in the 11-year-old, 65-pound class.
Mical Lovell-Gonsalves, also of Up and Up, won two decisive bouts en route to his gold medal in the 11-year-old, 70-pound class, besting David Pitman of the Yeshua Hilo Boxing Club on the final day of competition to get his gold.
K-PAL boxer Jesse Cardenas was matched against Wilson Savedra of TNT Boxing, O‘ahu, in the 9-year-old, 85-pound class, but fell short of the gold in the finals, managing a silver for his efforts.
But Keli‘i Alcos, fighting in the 11-year-old, 65-pound class, redeemed that loss, besting Sheldon Young of Wailuku Maui Boxing Club to earn gold in the finals.
Travis Valmoja of Up and Up Boxing, was pitted against Nainoa “Baby Face Assasin” Dung in the 12-year-old, 80-pound final. Dung, the current National Pancration (MMA) and Kickboxing champion for his age and weight, did not deter Valmoja who pressed the action for three rounds.
“He never backed up,” said Ozaki. “He gave up a decision (for a silver medal), but got a lot of respect from Hawai‘i fight fans.”
Two Kaua‘i boxers, Junard Mata of Up and Up Boxing and Kainoa Simao of K-PAL met in the semifinals of their age and weight divisions.
The bout ended even on all judges’ cards at the end, the tie breaker going to Mata for being more aggressive.
Mata advanced to the finals against Cyrus Delrosario of Central Maui Boxing, dominating the Maui boxer for the gold medal in the 13-year-old, 95-pound division.
Kristopher Alcos of K-PAL earned a new name following his non-title bout between two different division champions.
Alcos was up against Logan Yoon of TNT O‘ahu Boxing, ranked No. 2 in the USA for the past two years, making it to the National RingSide Boxing Championship Finals in both 2008 and 2009.
When the bell sounded, Ozaki said Alcos appeared to dominate all three rounds with superior hand speed, but lost by decision.
Ozaki said those in attendance who didn’t previously know about Alcos do now, with fans giving him the name of “The Real Deal” following the bout.
Kaua‘i gold medalists included Jett Ozaki (KPAL), Keli‘i Alcos (KPAL), Lovell-Gonsalves (UP), Kairey Bermoy (UP), Tapaoan (UP), Kristopher Alcos (KPAL), Mahina Melandish (UP) and Mata (UP).
Silver medalists include Cardenas (KPAL) and Valmoja (UP). Simao (KPAL) was a bronze medalist.
