JC boxing club continues to impress
By Marvin Birchfield
STAR STAFF
mbirchfield@starhq.com
The Johnson City Boxing Club has been making
tremendous strides in providing the top quality fighters to
compete with the region's best.
In its most recent event at the Carver Recreation
Center, the team combined for a total of nine wins with only
two losses.
One of their most prestigous fighters is Virdez
Evans, who is nationally ranked fifth in the Junior Olympic
polls.
Evans has dropped in the rankings after a disappointing
outcome in the Junior Nationals last year, but he's still
optimistic he can climb his way back to the top.
"I was rated number two last year, but it went
really bad and I thought I got cheated," said Evans. "It's
all right. I know I could have won, but I'll just have to
train harder I guess."
Virdez had an impressive showing against Jonathan
Hicks, and with his craftiness and movement in the ring it
appears his chances of making the Olympic team is very good.
"I just whipped up on him and fought a good fight,"
said Evans. "I used pressure and my skills to stun him all
three rounds, and I won a trophy called the Michael Nunley
Award that they hand out every year."
Evans has a repertoire of effective combinations,
which has led him to the ranks among the best in the 165-pound
class, and a trip to Biloxi, Miss., to fight in the regionals.
Dylan Dawson is one of the up-and-coming fighters
who keeps on progressing throughout his career.
"It's going good and I mostly want to fight pro,"
said Dawson. "I just have to train, stay in shape and do the
road work, and that's mostly what you've got to do."
Dawson was matched against one of his teammates
in an event several weeks ago in the 125-pound class, but
his skills continue shining the older and bigger he gets.
"I fought my teammate Charlie Watson, so it really
wasn't that much of a fight, because it's hard to fight your
own teammate," said Dawson. "It's like fighting your friends
or sparing, and it's not like fighting people from other states."
Randell Winteroff has already proven himself
in the ring by winning the 2002 National Junior Olympic event,
and he's always one to expect quality fighting from, as he
won in his matchup with Dominique Williams of North Carolina.
Both Winteroff and Dawson will make the trip
to the regionals, but with no one participating in their weight
classes, it will qualify them to advance toward the nationals
later on this year.
"I just found out that both Randell and Dylan
will be unopposed when we fight in the regionals in Biloxi,
Miss.," said Johnson City boxing coach Scott Vance.
Great things are expected from Julies Alberto,
who continues to improve every time he steps into the ring.
"I've been fighting for two and a half years
now, and I've improved a lot," said Alberto. "I'm in shape
and my skills are better than what they used to be."
A fight with Aaron Anderson from Knoxville headed
the main event, which proved to be a great fight.
"When I fought that guy down at Carver I thought
he was going to be good, because he had 54 fights and I just
had 20," said Alberto. "He wasn't that good. I caught him
with a couple of hooks and right hand and killed him."
His performance has earned him an invitation
to the compete in the nationals in the 132-pound class.
"I think we've got a real good shot, especially
with Virdez in winning the nationals," said Vance. "He's young
and still learning, and his record is 12-3. He has done real
well.
"He's a big kid and 15 fights is a lot of fights
for a big guy. It's good to have the quality of fighters that
you can take to these different events."
As always, the Johnson City Boxing Club would
like to give their thanks to Jeff Keeling and Edward Zimbiki
with their participation of the promotions, and also the city
of Johnson City with sponsoring the program.
Notes: Last month's inaugural Scholarship Brawl
at the Carver Park and Recreation Center, was in honor of
the late Don Marshall, legendary Golden Gloves figure from
Elizabethton. Two scholarships were awarded in his name.
