After nearly a full year of qualifying events, the sixty-nine athletes who will compete in the Olympic Trials for Men’s Boxing, December 7-12 in Reno, Nev., are now set. Five different qualifying events determined the athletes competing a chance to represent the United States in the 2016 Olympic Games next summer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The first four days of Olympic Trials competition will take place at the Silver Legacy Exposition Hall with final round action moving to the Reno Events Center for championship bouts on December 11 and 12.
The champions from the WSB and World Championship Team Trial in December of 2014 and the 2015 USA Boxing National Championships in January claimed the first spots in the Olympic Trials followed by the top two finishers in the three Pathway to Glory Men’s Trials Qualifiers in June, September and October. Two athletes qualified for the Olympic Trials in two weight divisions and will select the weight class they wish to compete in later this month. In addition, due to one athlete turning professional in the bantamweight division, seven boxers will compete in the 123-pound weight class.
Two champions from the 2012 Olympic Trials have returned for another run at the Olympic Games in 2016. Flyweight Eros Correa (San Jose, Calif.) and Cam F. Awesome (Lenexa, Kansas) are back for a second straight Olympic Trials in Reno. Awesome is one of the two athletes currently determining his weight division as he qualified at both the heavyweight and super heavyweight divisions.
The Olympic Trials rosters include several highly decorated athletes, both nationally and internationally. In addition to his status as a returning Olympic Trials champion, Awesome is one of two Pan American Games bronze medalists competing in Memphis. He and bantamweight Francisco Martinez (Dallas, Texas) both earned bronze medals at the key international event in Toronto in July. Yet flyweight Antonio Vargas (Kissimmee, Fla.) enjoyed the best finish at the 2015 Pan American Games, winning gold with victories over qualified Olympians from Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Bantamweight Shakur Stevenson (Newark, N.J.) enters the event as one of the most decorated junior and youth boxers in the world. The 18-year-old is the first American male boxer to win both junior and youth world titles as well as Youth Olympic Games gold. Towering teenager Darmani Rock (Philadelphia, Pa.) enjoyed success in the Youth Olympic Games as well, taking a silver medal in the super heavyweight division.
Two training partners from the 2012 Olympic Games in London are looking to earn their own berths on the U.S. Olympic Team with victories in Reno. Flyweight Gilbert Renteria (Houston, Texas) served as the key sparring partner for 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) as a youngster and light heavyweight Steven Nelson (Omaha, Neb.) worked with multiple athletes in preparation for the Olympic Games in London.
As lightweight Carlos Balderas (Santa Maria, Calif.) has received an Olympic allocation from AIBA based upon his finish in the World Series of Boxing season, the 132-pound division will not be contested at the Olympic Trials. However, USA Boxing is currently rewriting its Olympic Selection procedures to allow a competition to be held to determine a replacement athlete should Balderas not be able to compete in the 2016 Olympic Games.
A full list of Olympic Trials athletes and the tournament in which they qualified their spots can be found below. The athletes earning berths at the WSB and World Championship Team Trial and USA Boxing National Championships each won gold medals in those respective events.
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Light flyweight/108 lbs
1. Nico Hernandez, Wichita, Kansas (WSB and World Championship Team Trial)
2. Melik Elliston, Denver, Colo. (USA Boxing National Championships)
3. Pablo Ramirez, Weslaco, Texas (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
4. D’Angelo Sandate, Thornton, Colo. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
5. Leroy Davila, Princeton, N.J. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II) (two-time USA Boxing National Champion)
6. Adrian Servin, Phoenix, Ariz. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
7. Nicholas Scaturicho, Hartsdale, N.Y. (Olympic Trials Qualifier III)
8. Rondarrius Hunter, Atlanta, Ga. (Olympic Trials Qualifier III)
Flyweight/114 lbs
1. Brent Venegas III, Sacramento, Calif. (WSB and World Championship Team Trial)
2. Antonio Vargas, Kissimmee, Fla. (USA Boxing National Championships) (2015 Pan American Games champion)
3. Aarkeyse Higdon, Lansing, Mich. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
4. Gilbert Renteria, Houston, Texas (Olympic Trials Qualifier I) (2012 Olympic Training Partner)
5. Jay Crenshaw, Houston, Texas (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
6. Christian Carto, Deptford, N.J. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
7. Eros Correa, San Jose, Calif. (Olympic Trials Qualifier III) (2012 Olympic Trials Champion)
8. Khalid Twaiti, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Olympic Trials Qualifier III)
Bantamweight/123 lbs
1. Francisco Martinez, Dallas, Texas (WSB and World Championship Team Trial) (2015 Pan American Games bronze medalist)
2. Ruben Villa, Salinas Calif. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
3. Irvin Gonzalez, Worcester, Mass. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
4. Shakur Stevenson, Newark, N.J. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II) (Junior and Youth World champion and Youth Olympic gold medalist)
5. Mikhail Montgomery, Macon, Ga. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
6. Duke Ragan, Cincinnati, Ohio (Olympic Trials Qualifier III)
7. Efren Lopez, Fresno, Calif. (Olympic Trials Qualifier III)
*As the 2015 USA Boxing National Champion has turned professional, there will be seven boxers competing in the bantamweight division at the Olympic Trials
Light welterweight/141 lbs
1. Tyrek Irby, Oxon Hill, Md. (WSB and World Championship Team Trial)
2. Luis Feliciano, Milwaukee, Wis. (USA Boxing National Championships)
3. Gary Russell, Capitol Heights, Md. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
4. Rahim Gonzales, Sylmar, Calif. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
5. Jaron Ennis, Philadelphia, Pa. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
6. Jamaine Ortiz-Rodriguez, Worcester, Mass. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
7. Abraham Nova, Albany, N.Y. (Olympic Trials Qualifier III) (2014 USA Boxing National Champion)
8. Richardson Hitchins, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Olympic Trials Qualifier III)
Welterweight/152 lbs
1. Brian Ceballo, Brooklyn, N.Y. (WSB and World Championship Team Trial)|
2. Ardreal Holmes, Flint, Mich. (USA Boxing National Championships)
3. Jose Alday, Jr., Odessa, Texas (Olympic Trials Qualifier I) (two-time USA Boxing National Champion)
4. Vardges Vardanyan, Panorama City, Calif. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
5. Paul Kroll, Philadelphia, Pa. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
6. Mark Dawson, Philadelphia, Pa. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
7. Ferdinand Kerobyan, N. Hollywood, Calif. (Olympic Trials Qualifier III)
8. Rashid Stevens, Gahanna, Ohio (Olympic Trials Qualifier III)
Middleweight/165 lbs
1. Anthony Campbell, Covington, Tenn. (WSB and World Championship Team Trial)
2. Chordale Booker, Brooklyn, N.Y. (USA Boxing National Championships)
3. Marquis Moore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
4. Christopher Ousley, Middleton, Wis. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
5. Leshawn Rodriguez, Medford, N.J. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II) (Two-time USA Boxing National Champion)
6. Trevor Lattimore, Bridgeport, Conn. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
7. Charles Conwell, Cleveland Heights, Ohio (Olympic Trials Qualifier III)
8. Carlos Monroe, Snellville, Ga. (Olympic Trials Qualifier III)
Light heavyweight/178 lbs
1. Steven Nelson, Omaha, Neb. (WSB and World Championship Team Trial) (2012 Olympic Training Partner)
2. Edward Ortiz, San Antonio, Texas (USA Boxing National Championships)
3. Miguel Teo, Framingham, Mass. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
4. Richard Vansiclen, Seattle, Wash. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
5. Jonathan Esquivel, Anaheim, Calif. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
6. Elvis Figueroa, New Haven, Conn. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
7. Joseph George, Houston, Texas (Olympic Trials Qualifier III)
8. Eric Moon, Marietta, Ga. (Olympic Trials Qualifier III)
Heavyweight/201 lbs
1. Joshua Temple, St. Louis, Mo. (WSB and World Championship Team Trial)
2. Patrick Ferguson, Spokane, Wash. (USA Boxing National Championships)
3. Cam F. Awesome, Lenexa, Kansas (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)*
4. Derae Crane, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
5. Adrian Taylor, Mesquite, Texas (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
6. Hakim Lopez, Lithonia, Ga. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
7. Brandon Glanton, Atlanta, Ga. (Olympic Trials Qualifier III)*
8. Sardius Simmons, Flint, MIch. (Olympic Trials Qualifier III)
Super heavyweight/201+ lbs
1. Cam F. Awesome, Lenexa, Kansas (WSB and World Championship Team Trial (2012 Olympic Trials champion, multi-time national champion and Pan American Games bronze medalist)*
2. Darmani Rock, Philadelphia, Pa. (USA Boxing National Championships)
3. Marlo Moore, Hayward, Calif. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
4. Brandon Glanton, Ellenwood, Ga. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)*
5. Alante Green, Cleveland, Ohio (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
6. Manase Raikadroka, Inglewood, Calif. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
7. Brandon Lynch, Albany, N.Y. (Olympic Trials Qualifier III)
8. Nkosi Solomon, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Olympic Trials Qualifier III)
*Qualified for the Olympic Trials at both the heavyweight and super heavyweight divisions. Awesome and Glanton will have to declare their weight division by November 23.
