Saturday, April 24, 2004
All the action will be held at Hubbard High gymnasium beginning at 7 p.m.
HUBBARD -- The K.O. Drugs High School Boxing Tournament begins its 17th year Tuesday with 30 bouts at Hubbard High gymnasium.
Founded and organized by Chuck Nelson for the purpose of getting high school-aged youth involved with boxing, the tournament has grown beyond even his expectations.
This year's tournament will continue for an unprecedented six nights. There were 128 fighters registered for the event, from five counties in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
The tournament will be at Hubbard for third year.
"When young people are involved in supervised athletic participation it has to be a positive situation, and the years the KO Drugs have been here at our gym it has been very positive for everyone concerned," Hubbard athletic director Paul Andraso said.
Same format
The usual format of an underclass of 9th and 10th graders and an upperclass of 11th and 12th graders will continue with 18-ounce gloves, extra padded headgear and 45-second rounds.
There will be four judges and very quick reacting referees among the ringside officials with a physician always present.
"Safety and sportsmanship have always been initial concerns for this tournament," Chuck Nelson said. "Our short bouts on long cards every year are as exciting and action filled as any professional cards."
There are at least seven professional boxers that have come from the KO Drugs Tournament as it was a good introduction for all of them to boxing. Of the 60 boxers in action Tuesday, many are familiar names of recent tournaments.
The most familiar of those names is Liberty senior Mike Marvin who was a standout in football and basketball. He will be in the next to last bout Tuesday as a heavyweight.
Three-time champ
Marvin, a three-time champion in the tournament, will be looking to win a title in a fourth weight class, which will be a tournament first.
Among the upperclass veterans returning for first night action are Larry Starr from Hubbard, Kiez Smith from Boardman, Brandon Holmes from Champion and Todd Orr from South Range.
Two familiar names in the local boxing community will be in Tuesday's underclass lineup: David Castronova from Austintown Fitch fighting as a junior middleweight after an excellent showing last year; and Rocky Nolfi from Lowellville, a first time competitor in KO Drugs boxing, fighting as a super middleweight.
Castronova is the nephew of former local boxing standout Mike Castronova and Nolfi is the son of Tony Nolfi, who managed the pro career of Ken Sigurani.
There will be 14 underclass bouts and 16 upperclass bouts with the doors opening at 6 p.m. and the first bout at 7. Ticket prices are $5 for students and $10 for adults.
For more information, call Nelson at (330) 702-1122.