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(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – The 2007 U.S. Championships, the premier national championship event in Olympic-style boxing opened competition on Saturday night at the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs. Seven preliminary contests kicked off the action with boxers competing in the light welterweight, welterweight and super heavyweight divisions.
2006 Junior Olympic National Champion Javier Molina (Commerce, Calif.) opened the event in impressive fashion winning an outscored stoppage victory over Alan Knight (Orlando, Fla.). Molina controlled the bout from the start, taking a 7-1 lead after the first round of action. Yet he turned up the heat in the second, scoring 13 unanswered points to win the stoppage victory at the 1:38 mark of the round. Defending lightweight champion Danny Garcia (Philadelphia, Pa.) made a successful U.S. Championships light welterweight debut in his preliminary contest with James Berry (Baltimore, Md.). After a close first round, Garcia poured on the points in the second to take a 17-5 lead at the midway point of the bout. The trend continued through the final two rounds and Garcia moved out to a 23-9 victory.
In welterweight action, the preliminary contest between Miguel Beltran (W. Jordan, Utah) and Joseph Harrington (Camp Lejeune, N.C.) ended with a bang. Beltran floored Harrington at the :57 mark of the fourth round to win the stoppage victory.
Two-time super heavyweight champion Mike Wilson (Central Point, Ore.) continued his U.S. Championships success with a dominating victory over Theron Pappas (Pahoa, Hawaii). Wilson held Pappas scoreless while building up a 20-0 lead and won the stoppage victory in the final second of the first round.
The top eight finishers in each weight division at the 2007 U.S. Championships will advance to the Olympic Team Trials – Boxing. Preliminary action will continue on Sunday with action in all 11 men’s weight division as well as women’s lightweight competition.
Preliminary Bouts – June 2
141 lbs/64 kg: Javier Molina, Commerce, Calif., stopped Alan Knight, Orlando, Fla.
141 lbs/64 kg: Hector Ramos, San Antonio, Calif., dec. Matthew Flores, Twin Falls, Idaho
141 lbs/64 kg: Ronnie Reams, Colorado Springs, Colo., stopped Thomas Buswell, Pahoa, Hawaii
141 lbs/64 kg: Danny Garcia, Philadelphia, Pa., dec. James Berry, Baltimore, Md., 23-9
152 lbs/69 kg: Miguel Beltran, W. Jordan, Utah, stopped Joseph Harrington, Camp Lejeune, N.C., RSCH-4 (:57)
152 lbs/69 kg: Marcus Willis, Ft. Myers, Fla., dec. Jesse Lubash, Munhall, Pa., 18-17
201+ lbs/91+ kg: Mike Wilson, Central Point, Ore., stopped Theron Pappas, Rapid City, S.D., RSCO-1 (1:59)
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