Saturday, April 12, 2008
Gyms work together to promote sport
Jeff Gilbert
Gilbert is the sports editor for The Roanoke Times
Recent columns
The guys who run the two boxing gyms in Roanoke say the sport is on its way back in this area, and they are working together to make sure this comeback story doesn't reach its climax soon.
Champs Gym and Virginia Gator Boxing Club get their fighters together for sparring sessions and are traveling together to an amateur card tonight in Pennington Gap in far Southwest Virginia.
There are 16 fights scheduled tonight. Six of them involve boxers from the Roanoke Valley, including B.J. Rucker from Champs whose 132-pound bout is the main event.
"We root for each other; we want the Roanoke guys to win," said Rick Hawkins, who operates Champs Gym. "We help each other and we spar together because there's only so much room."
Also representing Champs tonight will be Nick Viar and first-timers Tyrell Davis and Josh Brown. Fighting for Gator will be La'Torie Woodbury and 9-year-old Noah Webb.
"It's exciting to all of us because of the explosion of boxing interest here," Hawkins said.
McRay aiming for Golden Gloves nationals
Walter McRay of Lynchburg who trains at Gator, fought in the Golden Gloves regionals Friday night in Waldorf, Md.
McRay, the Virginia Golden Gloves champion, is 6-foot-5 and 165 pounds and has a 10-0 record.
"Nobody can reach him," trainer Maynard Quesenberry said.
If McRay wins, he will compete at the Golden Gloves Nationals in Grand Rapids, Mich., May 5-10.
Norwood recovering from two broken ribs
Charles Norwood, the top pro boxer in Roanoke, has been out of the ring since his last middleweight fight on Feb. 23 when he lost to Joshua Snyder (5-3) in a fourth-round TKO in Winchester.
Norwood (3-3) had suffered two cracked ribs in a sparring session before the fight but didn't know it, Hawkins said. During the Snyder fight, the ribs were broken in two.
Hawkins said he was confident Norwood was well ahead on points when the fight had to be stopped.
Norwood's recovery could take as many as four months. Hawkins hopes Norwood will be ready to compete by mid to late summer.
n Light middleweight David Novia will be looking for his first pro victories when he fights May 17 in Winchester and May 25 in Lynchburg. Novia lost his debut to VMI graduate Todd Wilson (4-0) on a unanimous decision on Feb. 23 in Winchester.
Another Ruckus event
Ruckus in the Cage, the mixed martial arts show, is making its fifth appearance at Roanoke Civic Center tonight and 13th overall in Virginia and North Carolina.
Tonight's amateur card features two Ruckus title matches, including a rematch for the heavyweight title between Bobby Thompson of Buena Vista and Chico Santiago of Jacksonville, N.C.
Thompson (2-1) won a three-round decision over Santiago (2-2) in September.
In the lighweight title match, Dennis Hayes of Roanoke takes on champion Noe Quintanilla of Rocky Mount. Hayes (6-2) is the head trainer at Hybrid Martial Arts.
There are 23 fights on the card, including a four-man welterweight tournament.
Just like boxing, some of tonight's fighters have professional aspirations. According to Ruckus promoter Chris Smith, nine former Ruckus contestants are now fighting professionally.
The Ruckus gets started at 7:30 and tickets are priced from $27 to $77.
