Grassroots in the News: July 17

Nebraska’s Largest Amateur Boxing Tournament is Back - Right here in North Platte!

(North Platte, Nebraska, July 29th, 2023) It’s back! Legion Combat Sports, sponsored in part by Visit North Platte, will be bringing back the Buffalo Bill Brawl boxing tournament this year in North Platte. The host gym is long-time local business and martial arts training facility Top Tier.

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Loughran's Olympic Boxing athletes perform well in Harrogate, Tenn. event

The USA Boxing Event, Fist of Fire Freedom Battle, was hosted by Jamaican-born former Olympian Owen Beck.

First up was 2-0 southpaw boxer and North Laurel High senior Amy Lazzara. Amy competed in a developmental bout in which no decision is rendered due to her adversary outweighing her by 20 pounds.

The match was back and forth and action packed with Amy landing clean left hands while her opponent wanted to box in close to exploit her size advantage.

The furious action excited the crowd despite being a no decision matchup.

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Glove Up Greenwich: Inaugural Charity Boxing Event Set for This Fall

Greenwich is abuzz with anticipation for Glove Up Greenwich, a unique community event from Greenwich MMA. Greenwich’s own Kastriot Xhema and Michael Vranos are ready to introduce the inaugural Glove Up Greenwich charity boxing event taking place on September 30.

Transforming the idyllic Roger Sherman Baldwin Park into an epicenter of community connection and sport once again, this debut event isn’t just about nine USA Boxing-sanctioned bouts. Alongside the boxing ring, the park will feature a jumbotron, spectator seating, VIP spaces, food trucks, beverage stands, and exhibitor tents enveloped in the spirit of camaraderie.

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One year later non-profit youth boxing gym changing Greenfield “one punch at a time”

GREENFIELD, Calif. (KION-TV)- A Greenfield youth outreach boxing program is celebrating one year in its new home.

Non-profit A.V.I.L.A (Ambition, Valor, Integrity, Loyalty and Achievement) Victory Boxing Program originated in a garage back in 2017 and the new space has allowed them to expand their program for local kids.

“I've always been a big boxing fan, I always wanted to do boxing, when I was younger, unfortunately, there wasn't nothing like this around.” A.V.I.L.A Victory Boxing Head Coach Rigo Avila said. "It's basically a youth outreach program to help all kids on all levels, whether they're troubled youth, or just looking for some kind of different outlet.

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Local boxers win amateur state championships

Guerrero’s Boxing Gym and Fitness opened in Galt in 2014. The gym is family run by Russ and Leticia Guerrero and their oldest son, Russ Jr. They currently have about 75 students ranging from age 7 to adult.

While they travel a lot for competitions on weekends, on the weekend of June 23, four of their boxers qualified to head down to Riverside to compete in the Southern California USA State Amateur Boxing Championships. The students that made it into the tournament were Cameron Ortega who attends Liberty Ranch High School, Angel Ochoa who attends Tokay, Layla Lujan who attends Arcohe and Daniel Sanchez who attends Greer Elementary School.

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Rochester's Algeria Johnson first local woman to qualify for Boxing Olympic Trials

Rochester, N.Y. (WHAM) — Algeria Johnson, 21, has done something no Rochester woman has done before.

"I can't believe it, but I can believe it," Johnson said. "I've been putting the work in for so long."

Johnson is the first local woman to qualify for the Olympic trials with the opportunity to fight for Team USA, after she just won the national Golden Gloves at 146 pounds.

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