Pueblo pugilist among 400 US Olympic hopefuls set to compete next week in the Steel City
Nearly 400 elite boxers from throughout the nation will chase their Olympic dreams when they enter the ring at the Pueblo Convention Center next week during the USA Boxing Last Chance Qualifier event for Olympic team trial hopefuls.
A total of 25 boxers will represent Colorado, including Isaac Alvarez, from Pueblo. Alvarez is a graduate of East High School and has been boxing since he was 7.
Alvarez has won 10 Golden Gloves awards and is a six-time national champion. Sixteen other boxers from the Colorado contingent hail from neighboring Fountain and Colorado Springs, said Brian Taylor, USA boxing spokesperson.
Notable boxers who will be competing in the event from Sept. 11-16 include Amelia Moore, two-time World Championship team member; Lupe Gutierrez, 2015 Junior World Champion and 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Champion; and Troy Nash, 2023 USA Boxing Summer Festival Champion, who is making his elite debut.
The 2023 Last Chance Qualifier will be an intense flurry of fisticuffs, jabs and kidney punches, as competitors get their final opportunity to secure a place at the U.S. Olympic team trials in Lafayette, Louisiana, in December. Those who qualify will go on to next summer's Olympic games in Paris, France.
Last September, USA Boxing used the Pueblo Convention Center when it hosted its first international tournament on U.S. soil in more than a decade. The event drew more than 200 athletes, coaches and trainers and an average of 180 attendees per session, helping the convention center mark the busiest year in its 25-year history.
"We estimate the event had $400,000 in economic impact for the community, coming from hotel stays, convention center rental and food, as well as what we estimate the attendees spent in Pueblo (specifically downtown) during that time," said Kevin Ortiz, Pueblo Convention Center general manager.
“We look forward to having USA Boxing back at the Pueblo Convention Center to host elite amateur athletes from around the country for the Last Chance Qualifier tournament,” Ortiz said. “The relationship Pueblo has built with USA Boxing has been fantastic and we always love the opportunity to work with them."
“USA Boxing is excited to bring back Olympic-style amateur boxing to the city of Pueblo,” stated Mike McAtee, USA Boxing executive director. “We look forward to showcasing the talent the United States has in boxing as we lead into the Olympic trials and the Olympic games.”
What to expect at this year's boxing tournament
Both male and female athletes will compete in two categories. The youth category is for boxers ages 17 to 18, while the elite category is for boxers ages 19 to 39.
The event will feature two sessions per day, at both noon and 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Friday and Saturday matches will be held at noon only.
Tickets can be purchased online at etix.com or in-person at the venue the day of the competition. Cost is $10 a day Monday through Friday, $25 for Saturday's finals or $50 for an all-week pass which includes the finals.
For more details about the tournament, go to usaboxing.org.
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Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at tharmon@chieftain.com or via Twitter at twitter.com/tracywumps. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo hosting 400 U.S. Olympic hopeful boxers Sept. 11-16
