| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Ladies Roll and Paul Kroll Takes
a Welterweight Victory at Americas Qualifier
by Julie Goldsticker/
USA Boxing
March 15, 2016 |
|
|
|
|
|
(MAR 15) BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
- It was Ladies Night for the American women on Monday at the
Americas Qualifier in Buenos Aires, Argentina as all three
earned quarterfinal wins in the Olympic qualifying event.
Welterweight Paul Kroll (Philadelphia, Pa.) started the day off
with a U.S. victory in the early session while Pan American
Games champion Antonio Vargas (Kissimmee, Fla.) dropped his
flyweight contest.
Kroll was one of the surprises at the Olympic Trials, making an
improbable run to the title through the challengers bracket. He
continued his winning ways in Argentina on Monday afternoon at
the Americas Olympic Qualifier in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Kroll competed in the only American bout of the day's early
session against the Cayman Islands' Hopkins Ebanks. Kroll looked
to work his way in to the bout in the first round and clearly
landed the cleaner shots over the opening three minutes. Toward
the end of the round, a knot developed over his right hand but
cornerman Augie Sanchez went to right to work on it between
rounds and ensure it didn't affect Kroll for the remainder of
the bout. Kroll got stronger over the last two rounds and
increased his aggression as the bout were on. He began to break
Ebanks down through the last three minutes and went on to win a
unanimous decision victory in his tournament debut. He will face
a tough task in his quarterfinal match-up on Wednesday evening
as he faces 2012 Olympic champion Roniel Iglesias of Cuba.
"My jab was working today from both sides when I was orthodox
and southpaw. I could tell he didn't want to fight so I was
trying to knock him out too much. I could have gotten it done if
I would have relaxed," Kroll said. "My game plan was to
establish my jab and land punches off of my jab. When I saw that
he couldn't handle my straight left hand and right hook, I
started to step in the gas to try and stop him."
Fuchs faced off with a familiar opponent in her quarterfinal
bout on Monday evening, taking on Mexico's Sulem Urbina in the
final flyweight bout of the night. The two met just a month ago
on a World Series of Boxing card in Miami with Fuchs taking the
victory in their February match-up. Urbina came in looking to
avenge the loss but Fuchs clearly had other plans. The two
battled furiously with each looking to take control and the
referee begging for their attention. Fuchs managed to get her
punches off and win the rounds to earn her first victory of the
Americas Qualifier and advance to the semifinals. The win puts
her one victory away from qualifying for the 2016 Olympic Games.
She will meet Colombia's Victoria Ingrit Lorena Valencia on
Thursday afternoon in the qualifying bout.
"It feels good, I'm ready for the next one. Since I just fought
her (Urbina) in Miami, I knew she would bring it a little harder
and yes she did. She definitely put the pressure on a little
more," Fuchs said. "I didn't fight her fight. Yes, it was a
little bit more of a brawl here and there but I got accustomed
to it. I got the clear shots in, got back out and boxed her."
The first American boxer to compete for a second time at the
Americas Qualifier, Mayer put on a masterful performance in her
quarterfinal bout with Caroline Veyre of Canada. She
consistently landed straight shots, connecting with her accurate
punches through all four rounds. Mayer's domination grew as the
bout wore on and she seemed to land at will over the second half
of the match. Her efforts earned Mayer a 3-0 decision and a spot
in the semifinals on Thursday afternoon. She will face Puerto
Rico's Kiria Tapia for a spot in the tournament finals.
"Honestly, I envisioned this fight for a long time and I went
through every single round over and over again. I also watched
some of her tape and I knew she was going to be right in front
of me because she doesn't move her head. She likes to come
forward so I knew as long as I kept letting my hands go, she was
going to get hit. She was right lined up for my straight shots,"
Fuchs said. "I knew she was the number one seed though. I knew
she had beaten all the top girls here so I didn't underestimate
her but I've worked really hard for this and I was confident. I
didn't move around so much. I usually do a little too much
movement. I'll punch and circle too much. I think I stayed in
the middle. I stayed in front of her. I wasn't backing up. It
was working well for me. I was so relaxed from slowing down my
movement and working behind the jab. The 1-2 was landing so
nicely that it was keeping her off of me."
Olympic champion Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) closed the show
for her United States team in a middleweight showdown with
fellow world champion Athyna Byion of Panama. Byion looked to
make it difficult for Shields through the early going, moving
around the ring and holding Shields whenever she engaged. Yet
the Olympic gold medalist made the necessary adjustments and
found a home for her power shots in every opening she got. Byion
tried to make the bout ugly, holding Shields repeatedly until
the referee took a point for the infraction. Shields didn't let
Byion's dirty tactics affect her, opening the tournament with a
3-0 victory to advance to the qualifying bout on Thursday, her
21st birthday.
"I felt good. She was awkward, she really didn't want to commit
so I had to pressure her a little bit more than usual. I did
great for my first fight. I will do better in my next fight on
my birthday. In the first round, I just wanted to put my jab on
her and see what she did and she was comfortable boxing from the
outside so I brought some more pressure to her and she wasn't as
comfortable," Shields said. "Every time I threw punches, she
grabbed me. I'm excited to be one fight away from my second
Olympic Games. I'm excited about fighting on my birthday but I'm
most excited about winning this tournament."
Vargas took on the Dominican Republic's Leonel De Los Santos in
his first flyweight contest. He appeared to get off to a quick
start in the bout with the Dominican he defeated en route to Pan
American Games gold. Vargas looked to continue that in the final
two rounds but De Los Santos tried to avoid him and land shots
of his own. The last six minutes were closely contested before
De Los Santos was named the victor in the bout. The loss
eliminates Vargas from the competition but he will have two more
opportunities to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in June.
Heavyweight Cam F. Awesome (Lenexa, Kansas) will compete in
Tuesday's afternoon session with bantamweight Shakur Stevenson
(Newark, N.J.) and middleweight Charles Conwell (Cleveland
Heights, Ohio) boxing in the evening.
USA Boxing Women's National Team Head Coach Billy Walsh
(Colorado Springs, Colo.) and coaches Joe Guzman (Colorado
Springs, Colo.), Kay Koroma (Burke, Va.), Benny Roman (Brooklyn,
N.Y.) and Augie Sanchez (Las Vegas, Nev.) are leading the
American team in Argentina.
U.S. Results
112 lbs/female: Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas/USA dec. Sulem
Urbina, MEX, 3-0
114 lbs/male: Leonel De Los Santos, DOM, dec. Antonio Vargas,
Kissimmee, Fla./USA, 3-0
132 lbs/female: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif./USA dec.
Caroline Veyre, CAN, 3-0
152 lbs/male: Paul Kroll, Philadelphia, Pa./USA dec. Hopkins
Ebanks, CAY, 3-0
165 lbs/female: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich./USA dec Athyna
Bayion, PAN, 3-0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|