The seven Beltway amateurs heading to the National Golden Gloves in Salt Lake City, UT will attempt to join an incredible list of 16 Beltway-area boxers who have won national titles. The names represent a who's who of area legends.
1973 and 1974: Sugar Ray Leonard
1976: Louis "Heidi" Curtis
1978: William "Flip" Johnson
1979: Kenny "The Technician" Baysmore
1982: Warren "Chico" Thompson
1985: Eugene "Sonny" Speed
1986: Anthony Wilson
1988: Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson
1991: Melvin "Top Gun" Foster
1992: James Harris
1995: DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley
1995 and 1997: "Dangerous" Dana Rucker
1998: Lamont "Bay" Pearson
2001: Lamont Peterson
2003: Anthony Peterson
2005: Gary Russell, Jr.
This star-studded list went on to accomplish much later in the amateurs and in the pros. There are three Olympians on this list (Leonard and Curtis, 1976 and Russell, Jr., 2005) three pro world champions (Leonard, Johnson and Corley) and numerous regional titlists.
One other name is added to this list because although he is from Philadelphia, Steve "USS" Cunningham boxed for the US Navy when he was an amateur so he fought out of the DC Region. Cunningham went on to win the IBF Cruiserweight title.
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5 comments:
i respect this history lesson. to see ray leonard at the top of the list and gary russell at the bottom and the talent the fighters in between these 2 guys has or had makes any young fighter want to join this list. thanks 4 the lesson Gary D.
i will rate them in order: #1 Ray Leonard #2 Mark Johnson #3 Flip Johnson #4 Eugene Speed #5 Hiedi Curtis #6 Anthony Peterson #7 Kenny Baysmore #8 Anthony Wilson #9 chop chop corley #10 james harris #11 lamont peterson #12 lamomt pearson #13 gary russell jr. #14 melvin foster #15 dana rucker #16 warren thompson
all of these fighters have a shot,,,especially mcgruder! They all have to train very hard for the nationals! bring it home champs!
That's a HELL of a list. And three potential future world champs as well (Russell and the Petersons).
Dana Rucker won the national GG's twice in '95 and '97.
The year before the Olymic trials he won the GG's and the US Olympic Festival but stopped boxing right before the Olympic trials. He came back the year after and won it again.
Jim McNally
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