Thursday, May 28, 2009
By Greg Gulas
YOUNGSTOWN — The 21st K.O. Drugs High School Boxing Tournament concludes Friday with 28 championship belts on the line at the ITAM Banquet Center, S. Meridian Rd.
There are 15 underclass and 13 upperclass title fights on tap with three female division belts awaiting the winners.
“It’s an exciting time because this is what the boxers have awaited all month,” said tournament founder Chuck Nelson. “We expect that every fighter will lay everything on the line with their eye on the final prize.
“When a championship belt awaits each winner, the cream definitely rises to the top. All fighters in this year’s tourney are to be commended because collectively, they’ve made our tourney one of the best in recent memory,” he added.
There will be three fights pitting two-time winners squaring off in underclass action; 17 undefeated fighters who will take part in upperclass match-ups and three undefeated hopefuls looking to walk off with a championship belt in the female division.
“It goes without saying that all three divisions have been very special this year,” said Nelson. “It will be a real challenge to the entire staff when it comes time to select the Most Promising Boxer Award in those respective divisions.”
In underclass action pitting undefeated boxers who have already won twice in the tourney, Tom “The Polish Hammer” Dziedzic of LaBrae will battle Carlos Crues of Eagle Heights Academy for the featherweight title, while Fitch’s Tyler Smith will tangle with Jason Province of Lakeview for the lightweight crown.
Columbiana’s Mardell Halas is set to take on Kyle Price of Canfield for the right to wear the junior welterweight belt.
Four upperclass fighters with 2-0 marks will be closely watched to see if they can take home a championship belt.
They include Steve Kostik of Struthers, who will meet Pat Brown (1-0) of Poland for the junior lightweight title; Melvan Saunders of Columbiana, who faces James Simon (1-0) of Cardinal Mooney in a welterweight scrap; Cody Tynon of Howland, who will battle Jordan Mohamed (1-0) of McDonald for the middleweight crown, and Darius Hull of Warren Harding, who takes on Ben Moody (1-1) of Lakeview for the heavyweight title.
For Hull and Moody, their fight is a rematch of opening round action in which Hull registered a second-round TKO.
Three titles will be decided in the female division.
In the upperclass division, Fitch’s Shayla DeMar (2-0) tangles with Warren Harding’s Julianna Currier-Queen (1-1) for the super lightweight crown, while Stephanie Rosa of Life Skills Academy and Alexandria McFarland of Badger, both winners in their lone tourney encounter, meet for the cruiserweight title.
Underclass female action will feature Angell Lipps of Champion, who will take on Brookfield’s Nicci Beatty for the lightweight crown.