National
Golden Gloves Among the nearly two dozen athletes is one from each of the two Golden Gloves franchises representing the state – Michigan’s Jordan Shimmell and Detroit’s Erick De Leon.
The 20-year old Shimmell, of the Michigan Golden Gloves Association gym in Grand Rapids, is no stranger to the single ring of the championship finals, having been a runner-up previously. At last years tournament, held in his figurative backyard of Grand Rapids (he actually lives in the suburb of Hudsonville), Shimmell lost a decision at the hands of Detroit’s Craig Lewis who went on to national prestige and a championship ring. This year the stage is set for a reversal as the defending champion Lewis lost early. In tonights finals, Shimmell is pitted against the Windy City’s reportedly undefeated Lamar Fenner (with 25 fights under his belt). The Chicago heavyweight, the son of a firefighter, was a 160 pound wrestler, football player and newcomer to boxing at Chicago’s Leo High School in the years before his ’82 graduation. Erick De Leon of Lincoln Park is officially representing the Detroit Golden Gloves franchise while his local affiliation is slightly murkier. He trains predominantly at the recently opened Southwest Detroit Boxing Club but spars once or twice a week at the Kronk Gym in Detroit, which is whose uniform the teenager wears in the ring. Unlike Shimmell who has been here before, this is De Leon’s first National Golden Gloves attempt. But, he brings good experience and an impressive record into tonight’s final round, as well as a #1 Junior Olympic ranking by USA Boxing. No stranger to national competition, the high schooler is the current National Jr. Olympics and Ringside World Champion at the same time. De Leon’s opponent tonight is the deceptively hard-punching 21-year old Shemuel Pagan from Brooklyn, New York, who has no less of an impressive record having won bronze in 2007 and 2008 at the U.S. Championships and competing in the buildup to the 2008 Olympics. Both
Michigan boxers have the advantage of having their trainers a part
of the team that traveled this year. Shimmell is trained by his
father, Dennis, and De Leon is trained by Angel Caraballo. |