Boxing: FIT-NHB is site of Saturday's Golden Gloves regional tourney
Mar. 31—Golden Gloves amateur boxing state champions from New Mexico and Colorado will throw down on Saturday, the winners to form a team for nationals.
First bell for Colorado/New Mexico GG regionals is 2 p.m. at FIT-NHB, 1010 Candelaria NW.
The New Mexico team is composed of those who won their open-division weight classes at the 2023 New Mexico Golden Gloves championships, conducted in Roswell last weekend.
The two most recognizable names are Las Cruces' 139-pounder Samantha Ginithan, a defending Golden Gloves national champion, and heavyweight (203 pounds) Leroy Clark, a defending regional champion.
Ginithan is matched against Colorado veteran Heather Cirka. Clark is scheduled to face Marcus Good, who represented Colorado at 2022 nationals at a lower weight (189 pounds).
The Colorado team has benefited in the past from the presence of boxers from the U.S. Army team based at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs. That tradition continues in the form of 112-pounder Eli Lankford, 125-pounder Jeremiah Perales and 156-pounder Creighton Holmes.
Adrian Cisneros is matched against Lankford. Elijah Aragon is scheduled to face Perales. Marcelino Delgado is matched against Holmes.
Three New Mexicans, Lindsay McCabe (119 pounds), Alexa Garrobo (132) and Aleeza Mata-Hill (154), are unopposed at regionals and automatically qualify for nationals.
Golden Gloves nationals are scheduled for May 8-13 in Chester, Pennsylvania.
NEW OPPONENT FOR PEREZ: The Philippines' Jeronil Borres has stepped up to face Albuquerque's Abraham Perez (6-0, two KOs) in the eight-round main event of a Legacy Promotions pro boxing card at the Embassy Suites on April 8.
Borres (12-7-2, six KOs) replaces Tanzania's Mchanja Yohana (14-4, 12 KOs), who ran into visa problems.
Fortunately, Legacy's Aaron Perez — Abraham's father — had Borres on speed dial.
Borres is not a stranger to the area, having fought Albuquerque's Matt Griego-Ortega in the main event of a March 2020 card at Isleta Casino & Resort. He gave the still-unbeaten Griego-Ortega a tussle, losing by 10-round majority decision.
As Yohana likely would have been, Borres probably looms as the toughest test Perez has encountered thus far in his pro career.
Six bouts are planned, with Albuquerque heavyweight Leonid Grachev (5-0, three KOs) and Bosque Farms light flyweight Katherine Lindenmuth (3-1, no KOs) scheduled to fight.
Saturday
Golden Gloves Regionals: 2 p.m., FIT-NHB, 1010 Candelaria NW. $10 adults, $7 seniors/veterans, $5 students
