SHAWN ESTRADA WINS GOLD AT THE AMERICAS QUALIFIER, CLAIMS A BEIJING BERTH WHILE MICHAEL HUNTER DROPS SEMIFINAL BOUT (COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Middleweight Shawn Estrada (E. Los Angeles, Calif.) added a gold medal to his Olympic berth on Wednesday with a 4-1 win in his championship bout at the Americas Qualifier in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Estrada earned a 12-7 victory over Brazil’s Yamaguchi Florentine in their semifinal round match-up on Tuesday. Super heavyweight Michael Hunter (Las Vegas, Nev.) suffered a devastating loss in his semifinal bout with Venezuela’s Jose Payares at the Americas Qualifier in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The defeat eliminates Hunter from Olympic contention. Hunter, who had been battling an illness throughout his time in Guatemala, fell behind by one point after the opening two minutes before the Venezuelan extended his lead to a 5-2 margin after two rounds of boxing. Payares moved out to a four-point advantage in the third before winning a 10-3 decision over Hunter. The bout was close throughout the first three rounds with the boxers tied up after each of the first two rounds. The score was 1-1 at the midway point, but the pace quickened in the third round with Estrada pulling out to a 7-6 lead as the contest moved into the definitive final round. Estrada simply wouldn’t be denied, piling on the points over the last two minutes of action to claim the 12-7 win and a berth in the 2008 Olympic Games. With Hunter and Downs failing to qualify, the United States will take nine boxers to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. The nine boxers is the same size squad that represented the United States in Athens at the 2004 Olympic Games. The nine boxers competing in the Olympic Games will be light flyweight Luis Yanez (Duncanville, Texas), flyweight Rau’shee Warren (Cincinnati, Ohio), bantamweight Gary Russell, Jr. (Capitol Heights, Md.), featherweight Raynell Williams (Cleveland, Ohio), lightweight Sadam Ali (Brooklyn, N.Y.); light welterweight Javier Molina (Commerce, Calif.), welterweight Demetrius Andrade (Providence, R.I.), middleweight Shawn Estrada (E. Los Angeles, Calif.) and heavyweight Deontay Wilder (Tuscaloosa, Ala.). Estrada will take on Argentina’s Ezequiel Maderna in championship round competition on Wednesday.
LUIS YANEZ Weight Class: Light flyweight/106 pounds Hometown: Duncanville, Texas Birthdate: October 25, 1988 Height: 5-3 Weight: 106 pounds Reach: 26 1/4 Coach: Dennis Rodarte Club: GTO School: Duncanville High School Began boxing: 1997 Career Highlight: Winning a silver medal at the Cadet World Championships and a gold medal at the Junior Olympic International Invitational Biggest Influence: My biggest influence is Hector Beltran because I grew up with him and he has helped me train since I was little. Draw to boxing: My dad brought me to the gym Greatest strength in the ring: My mind Loves most about boxing: New experiences Goals in and out of the ring: To be the best and have respect for others Favorite Movie: RockyFavorite TV show: Martin Favorite song: Danger Hobbies outside of boxing: I work, train and go to school Something people don’t know about me: I won the Cadet Pan American Games and was the youngest silver medalist at the Cadet World Championships 2007 NATIONAL GOLDEN GLOVES CHAMPION 2007 PAN AMERICAN GAMES TEAM MEMBER 2006 NATIONAL CHAMPION TWO-TIME JUNIOR OLYMPIC NATIONAL CHAMPION 2005 CADET WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS SILVER MEDALIST 2006 JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS BRONZE MEDALIST 2006 NATIONAL GOLDEN GLOVES CHAMPION 2006 UNDER 19 NATIONAL CHAMPION 2007 U.S. Championships: dec. Jerail Singleton, St. Louis, Mo., 23-11, in quarterfinals; dec. Diego Hurtado, Reno, Nev., 14-8, in semifinals; dec. Daniel Lozano, Bowling Green, Fla., 19-8, in finals for 1st National Golden Gloves: dec. Keola McKee, 5-0, in quarterfinals; dec. Stephon Young, 5-0, in semifinals; dec. Francisco Ibarra, Brighton, Colo., 5-0, in finals for 1st Pan Am Box-offs: dec. Gabino Saenz, 14-3, in semifinals; dec. Roberto Ceron, in finals, 13-9 for 1st. Pan Am Qualifier 1: lost on points to Yampier Hernandez, Cuba, 11-10, in quarterfinals 2006 Junior World Championships: stopped Muhammad Nisar, PAK, RSCO-2, in first round; dec. Misha Aloyan, RUS, 22-8, in second round; dec. John Joe Nevin, IRL, 14-12, in quarterfinals; lost on points to Alexei Collado Acosta, CUB, 12-5, in semifinals for 3rd. Under 19 National Championships: stopped Francisco Ibarra, Brighton, Colo., RSCO-3 (1:08), in semifinals; dec. Gabino Saenz, Indio, Calif., 10-4, in finals National Golden Gloves: dec. Stephon Young, 5-0, in quarterfinals; dec. Keola McKee, 5-0, in semifinals; dec. Roberto Ceron, 3-2, in finals for 1st. U.S.Championships: stopped Keola McKee, RSC-3, in quarterfinals; dec. Vincent Montoya, 23-2, in semifinals; dec. Roberto Ceron, 18-16, in finals for 1st.
RAU'SHEE WARREN Weight Class: Flyweight/112 pounds Height: 5-4 Weight: 112 pounds Reach: 26 3/4 Born: February 13, 1987, in Cincinnati, Ohio Lives: Cincinnati, Ohio School: Harmony High School Coach: Mike Stafford Began Boxing: 1995 Career Highlight: Going to the 2004 Olympics Biggest influence: My mother because she always pushes me to keep going forward and helps me stay on top of my game Draw to boxing: My older brother boxed and I followed him to the gym Greatest strength in the ring: Speed and power Other sports played: Basketball Loves most about boxing: Winning Favorite movie: Bad Boys Favorite song: Dem Boys Hobbies outside of boxing: Going to the mall 2004 LIGHT FLYWEIGHT OLYMPIAN FIRST U.S. OLYMPIAN TO RETURN TO AMATEUR BOXING SINCE 1992 YOUNGEST MEMBER OF THE 2004 OLYMPIC TEAM IN ANY SPORT 2005 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS BRONZE MEDALIST TWO-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPION 2007 U.S. Championships: won on retirement over Bruno Escalante, Waimanalo, Hawaii, RET-3 (1:33), in quarterfinals; stopped Timothy Ibarra, Brighton, Colo., RSC-2 (1:06);, in semifinals; won on medical disqualification over Aaron Alafa, Visalia, Calif., DQ, in finals for 1st 2006 U.S. Championships: won on retirement over John Franklin, RET-4, in quarterfinals; stopped Shawn Nichol, RSCO-2, in semifinals; stopped Oscar Venegas, RSCO-2, in finals for 1st and won Outstanding Boxer of the Tournament award USA vs. Belarus Dual: won on disqualification over Bato-Munko Vanekeyeu, BLR, DQ-4; dec. Khavazhy Khatasyhau, BLR, 24-13 2005 World Championships: stopped Georgy Chigaev, UKR, RSCO-2, in first round; stopped David Oltvanyi, HUN, RSCO-3 in second round; dec. Georgy Balakshin, RUS, 31-21, in quarterfinals; lost on points to Lee Ok Sung, KOR, 31-21 for third USA vs. Ireland Dual: stopped Jaime Conlon, IRL, RSC-1 World Cup: stopped Bato-Munko Vankeev, BLR, RSCO-3; lost on points to Georgy Balakshin, RUS, 46-33 U.S. Championships: dec. Mohammad Siddiqui, 24-4, in quarterfinals; dec. Teon Kennedy, 19-5, in semifinals, stopped Aaron Alafa, RSC-3, in finals for 1st.
GARY RUSSELL, JR. Weight Class: Bantamweight/119 pounds Height: 5-5 Weight: 119 lbs Born: June 5, 1988 in Washington D.C. Lives: Capitol Heights, Md. Coach: Gary Russell, Sr. and Robert Martin Club: Enigma Boxing Began boxing: 1995 Family Ties: Russell's three younger brothers also box and all four are trained by their father, Gary Russell, Sr. Did you know: Russell was the youngest member of USA Boxing's 2005 Elite Team and won both the U.S. Championships and Golden Gloves at 16 Career Highlight: Winning a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships Biggest Influence: My family Draw to boxing: I was always around boxing, my older brothers boxed and my father trained them. Greatest strength in the ring: My versatility Other sports played: Football Favorite thing about boxing: Winning Goals in and out of the ring: To dominate in the ring and to be viewed as an intelligent individual Favorite movie: Menace 2 Society Favorite Song: Keisha Cole 2006 NATIONAL CHAMPION 2005 USA BOXING ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 2005 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS BRONZE MEDALIST 2005 U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS GOLD MEDALIST 2005 NATIONAL GOLDEN GLOVES CHAMPION 2004 JUNIOR OLYMPIC CHAMPION 2007 U.S. Championships: dec. Jessy Cruz, Miami, Fla., 37-14, in quarterfinals; lost on medical disqualification to Ronny Rios, Santa Ana, Calif., in semifinals. 2006 National PAL Championships: dec. Teddy Padilla, Las Vegas, Nev., 10-5, in first round; stopped Zach Watkins, Atlanta, Ga., RSCO-2, in quarterfinals: dec. Jorge Diaz, Jr., New Brunswick, N.J., 3-1 in semifinals; dec. Roberto Marroquin, Dallas, Texas, 16-7, in finals for 1st. U.S. Championships: dec. Darryl Nichols, 23-14, in first round; dec. Shemuel Pagan, 14-7, in quarterfinals; dec. Troy Wohosky, 11-3, in semifinals; dec. Leodegario Santa Cruz, 13-6, in finals for 1st. 2005 World Championships: dec. Detelin Stefanov Dalakliev, BUL, 25-21, in first round; dec. Tyson Cave, CAN, 22-9, in second round; dec. Al Gharaghir Ibrahim, JOR, 34-13; lost on points to Rustamhodza Rahimov, GER, 28-17 World Cup: dec. Chavazhi Khatsygov, BLR, 21-20; lost on points to Maksim Khalikov, RUS, 31-22 National Golden Gloves: won on retirement over John Franklin, RET-3, in first round; dec. Enrique Vasquez, 5-0, in quarterfinals; dec. Rico Ramos, 5-0, in semifinals; dec. Sergio Perales, 5-0, in finals for 1st. U.S. Championships: dec. Jorge Diaz, 13-10, in preliminaries; stopped Issac Viscarra, RSC-1, in quarterfinals; dec. Troy Wohosky, 14-5, in semifinals; dec. Sytel Wilbarn, 16-5, in finals for 1st
RAYNELL WILLIAMS Weight class: Featherweight/125 lbs Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio Birthdate: February 4, 1989 Height: 5-6 Weight: 125 Reach: 30 Coach’s name: Clint Martion Club name: S.A.B.A. School: Castle High Began boxing: 2001 National Senior Titles: Two-time National Silver Gloves Champion Who has been your biggest influence and why: My friends and family How did you get involved in boxing: One day my dad asked me if I wanted to box and I said yes, then I loved it. What is your greatest strength in the ring: My greatest strength is my speed and boxing. What do you love most about boxing: Winning What are your goals in and out of the ring: To be the best person I can be What is your favorite movie: King of New York What is your favorite TV show: Family Guy What are your hobbies outside of boxing: Working and school and college 2007 U.S. Championships: stopped Derrick Murray, St. Louis, Mo., RSCO-3 (:58); dec. Luis Del Valle, Newburgh, N.Y., 21-16; dec. Troy Wohosky, Medford, Ore., 25-3, in quarterfinals; dec. Hylon Williams, Houston, Texas, 31-21, in semifinals; dec. Rico Ramos, Los Angeles, Calif., 16-9, in finals for 1st
SADAM ALI Weight class: Lightweight/132 lbs Hometown: Brooklyn, New York Birthdate: September 26, 1988 Height: 5-8 Weight: 132 pounds Coach’s name: Victor Rountree, Andre Rozier School: Canarise High School Began boxing: 8 years old National Senior Titles: J.O. Nationals and World Champion, PAL National Champion, U-19 National Champion, two-time Golden Glove National Champion, two-time New York City Golden Glove Champion Career highlight: Winning the National Golden Gloves two times in a row Who has been your biggest influence and why: Prince Naseem Hamed How did you get involved with boxing: Because of Prince Naseem Hamed What is your greatest strength in the ring: Speed Did you ever play any other sports: Football and basketball What do you love most about boxing: Winning What are your goals in and out of the ring: Being respectful What is your favorite movie: Water Boy What is your favorite TV show: Boiling Points What is your favorite song: Victory 4 What are your hobbies outside of boxing: School What is something interesting about you that most people don’t know: I am a real cool person. I have love for everybody. 2007 U.S. Championships: lost on points to Jerry Belemontes, Corpus Christi, Texas, 13-12, in quarterfinals
JAVIER MOLINA Weight class: Light Welterweight/141 lbs Hometown: Commerce, California Birthdate: January 2, 1990 Height: 5-9 Weight: 141 pounds Reach: 30 3/4 Coach’s Name: Roberto Luna Club Name: Commerce Boxing Club School: John Glenn High School Began Boxing: 1997 National Senior Titles: Eastern Trials Career Highlight: Winning bronze in the Cadet World Championships Who has been your biggest influence and why: My biggest influence is my family and coach. They believe in my and support me. How did you get involved in boxing: My dad and my older brother also boxed, so my dad got me into it. What is your greatest strength in the ring: My greatest strength is my mentality and my ability to counterpunch. Did you ever play any other sports: Football What do you love most about boxing: Traveling and meeting new people What are your goals in and out of the ring: My goal is to win a gold medal in the Olympics and to graduate from college and get my degree. What is your favorite movie: Training Day What is your favorite TV show: George Lopez What is your favorite song: No Me Se Rajar – Vincent Fernandez What are your hobbies outside of boxing: Playing different sports What is something interesting about you that most people don’t know: I have all honors classes and a 3.8 grade point average. 2007 U.S. Championships: stopped Alan Knight, Orlando, Fla., RSCO-2 (1:38); dec. Ruben Gutierrez, Camp LeJeune, N.C., 25-7; dec. Karl Dargan, Philadelphia, Pa., 31-27; dec. Jermey Bryan, Clifton, N.J., 19-12, in quarterfinals; dec. Dan O'Connor, Framingham, Mass., 21-20, in semifinals; dec. Brad Solomon, Douglasville, Ga., 17-13, in final
DEMETRIUS ANDRADE Weight class: Welterweight/152 lbs Height: 6-1 Weight: 152 lbs Born: February 26, 1988 in Providence, R.I. Lives: Providence, R.I. Coach: Paul Andrade School: Cooley High School Children: daughter Autumn Andrade Began boxing: 1994 Career Highlight: The 2005 U.S. Championships, Silver Gloves, Dual Meets and Junior Olympic International Invitational Biggest Influence: My dad because he taught me everything I know in my lifetime Draw to boxing: My dad Greatest strength in the ring: My jab Goals in and out of the ring: To be the greatest boxer I can and give back to my fans Favorite movie: Four Brothers Favorite TV Show: BET Favorite Song: Nas Ether Hobbies outside of boxing: Playing football 2007 PAN AMERICAN GAMES TEAM MEMBER 2007 NATIONAL GOLDEN GLOVES CHAMPION 2006 NATIONAL CHAMPION 2006 NATIONAL GOLDEN GLOVES CHAMPION 2005 NATIONAL CHAMPION 2007 U.S.Championships: dec. Dominique Dolton, Detroit, Mich., 27-13, in quarterfinals; lost on medical disqualification to Mahlon Kerwick, Ft. Carson, Colo., in semifinals National Golden Gloves: dec. Miguel Beltran, 5-0, in first round; dec. Jesse Lubash, 5-0, in quarterfinals; dec. Javonn Barnes, 5-0, in semifinals; dec. Charles Hatley, 4-1, in finals for 1st Pan Am Box-offs: dec. Keith Thurman, 11-7, in semifinals; dec. Peter Haro, 32-11, in finals for 1st. Pan Am Qualifier 1: dec Norberto Gonzalez, Mexico, 23-3, in quarterfinals; dec. Jaime Cortes, Ecuador, 12-5, in semifinals. 2006 National Golden Gloves: dec. Delvaughn Williams, 4-1, in second round; dec. Anthony Martinez, 5-0, in quarterfinals; dec. Greg Carter, 5-0, in semifinals; dec. Fernando Guerrero, 5-0, in the finals for 1st. U.S. Championships: dec. Lucas Galle, 20-4, in first round; dec. Charles Hatley, 20-11, in quarterfinals; dec. Peter Haro, 20-5, in semifinals; dec. Boyd Melson, 22-10, in finals for 1st. 2005 World Cup: lost on points to Vitaliy Grushak, BLR, 27-18; lost on points to Andrey Balanov, RUS, 35-17 USA vs. Hungary Dual: dec. Szili Istvan, HUN, 2-1; dec. Kovacs Jozsef, HUN, 3-0 U.S. Championships: dec. Jason Montgomery, 16-10, in preliminaries; dec. Cecric Armstrong, 27-7, in quarterfinals; dec. Austin Trout, 18-10, in semifinals; dec. Daniel Jacobs, 18-12, in finals for 1st
SHAWN ESTRADA Weight Class: Middleweight/165 pounds Weight: 165 pounds Born: April 1, 1985 Lives: East Los Angeles, California Coach: Rodrigo Mosquera Club: Eddie Hevudit School: East Los Angeles College Began boxing: 1997 Biggest Influence: My dad Draw to boxing: My dad and uncle Goals in and out of the ring: To be a champion so kids can look up to me 2007 Pan Am Box-offs: lost on points to Shawn Porter, 17-13, in finals for 2nd. U.S. Championships: stopped Keandrae Leatherwood, Tuscaloosa, Ala., RSC-3 (1:22); dec. Jason Montgomery, Hayward, Calif., 10-8; stopped Angel Santos, Newark, N.J., RCO-3 (1:46), in quarterfinals; lost on points to Shawn Porter, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, 23-16, in semifinals. 2006 Six Nations Cup: dec. Samir Zidi Nettour, FRA, 36-18, in finals for 1st. National PAL Championships: dec. Zaid Malik, Cleveland, Ohio, 13-2, in first round; stopped William Braley, San Clemente, Calif., RSC-2 (:59), in second round; lost on points to Nick Brinson, Geneva, N.Y., 2-1 (paper scoring) in third round. Ken Goff Dual: dec. Richard Reitte, CAN, RSC-3; lost on disqualification to Richard Reitte, CAN, DQ-3. U.S. Championships: dec. Siju Shabazz, 26-11, in first round; dec. Fernando Guerrero, 16-4, in quarterfinals; lost points to Daniel Jacobs, 8-6, in semifinals for 3rd. 2005 National PAL Championships: dec. Siju Shabazz, 16-4, in quarterfinals; dec. Tristan Todd, 18-0, in semifinals; lost on disqualification to Daniel Jacobs, DQ-4 World Cup: dec. Sergey Rabchenko, BLR, 24-16 USA vs. Hungary Dual: lost on points to Nagy Andras, HUN, 3-0; lost on points to Szello Imre, HUN, 3-0 U.S. Championships: stopped William Deets, 29-16, in first round; dec. Ken Porter II, 27-13, in quarterfinals; lost on points to Jonathan Nelson, 12-10, in semifinals for 4th
DEONTAY WILDER Weight Class: Heavyweight/201 pounds Hometown: Tuscaloosa, Alabama Birthdate: October 22, 1985 Height: 6-7 Weight: 198 pounds Reach: 34 1/2 Coach’s Name: Jay Deas Club Name: Skyy Boxing School: Central High School Began Boxing: October 19, 2005 Occupation: Budweiser driver and Red Lobster Do you have any children: Naieya Wilder, 2 years old National Senior Titles: Two-time Alabama Golden Gloves Champion, 2007 Southern Golden Gloves Champion, 2007 National Golden Gloves Champion, 2007 Southeastern District Champion Career highlight: Winning National Golden Gloves Who has been your biggest influence and why: My little girl has been my biggest influence ever since she was born. She influences me even more once I found out about her condition. She serves as my motivation in life. How did you get involved in boxing: To make a long story short, I had a little girl, got out of college and got two jobs to support my child. I started talking about boxing, word got out, I found a gym and it has been on ever since. What is your greatest strength in the ring: The strong right hand Did you ever play any other sports: Football, basketball, baseball and track What do you love most about boxing: Being able to fight different guys around the world and traveling What are your goals in and out of the ring: To be successful in life goals and to become the number one man What is your favorite movie: Green Mile, Armageddon What is your favorite TV show: Maury What is your favorite song: I Can Make It – New direction gospel singer What are your hobbies outside of boxing: playing football and basketball What is something interesting about you that most people don’t know: I am gentle and kind hearted. 2007 NATIONAL GOLDEN GLOVES CHAMPION 2007 U.S. Championships: dec. Quantis Graves, Cutoff, La., 20-10, in quarterfinals; won on medical disqualification over Adam Willett, Belport, N.Y., in semifinals; dec. James Zimmerman, San Jose, Calif., 31-15, in finals for 1st
Good stuff. The profiles are too old to show Andrade and Warren's best achievements which are winning the 2007 world am championships. Both looked very, very good. Arguably, they were as good as anyone there, although I'd pick Matvey Korobov (russia) at 165 as being the best. There were no Cubans, however, so results there could be misleading and it's not uncommon for some of the best ams to skip the world championships for whatever reason. It sucks that the US doesn't have a superheavy. Really sucks.
Well is there any future...Mayweather,Vargas,Cotto,Taylor in that pile... or are they gone by a bunch of Bojado,Williamsjr, Vinson, etc...
Luis Yanez is THE TRUTH...It Remains to B Seen if America will Pay Attention to his Weight Class, but he's Gonna B a HELLUVA Fighter... He'll Turn Pro @ 108 & He Thinks he'll Max Out @ 130 by the END of his Career... REED
Perhaps, but Michael Carbajal had some box office success in his career and had some pretty good paydays as well.
Yep... By "Little Guy" Standards, Carbajal had a NICE Career...If Yanez Follows that Path, he'll B Alright... The Thing w/Yanez is his Personality & Flamboyance...He's a "Love 'em or Hate 'em" Kind of Guy...People will WANT to See him Fight, 1 Way or the Other... He's a Technically SOUND Version of Prince Naseem Hamed...Or a 106lb Version of EARLY Camacho Sr... REED
I've read your comments on him in the past and I'm looking forward to watching him in. Afterwards, hopefully he can get picked up by a good promoter. It'd be a shame in this year's class turns pro with as litle in the way of promotional interest as the last one. I think the '04 team may have suffered a bit of an over-correction from the many huge deals - like those from Dibella - and subsequent flame-outs of the 2000 class.
Agree. The US needs a success story...a gold medalist turning into a p4p guy. Ward probably isn't that guy, but we'll see. I think Dirrell probably is, though, sans gold medal. I think Andrade has a slightly better chance than Warren, but either can be that guy.
Reading that, it seems Yanez has very little chance to win gold. Seems like he has mentally checked out and is blaming his olympic coaches for his failure. And you know what? I don't blame him one bit. He qualified for the olympics on his own, with his own coaches, in his own way. I know that's not how it works, but if his coaches have read this article, and i assume they have, then they need to make damn sure they become part of the solution, and not remain part of the problem. At the very least, they should change their program to mimic what he is comfortable with and confer with his original trainers. I am a strong believer that boxing is 90% physical/10% mental and not the bullshit other way around that is ubiquitously spit about by most in the sport. However, when you get a guy like Yanez who is obviously lacking in the mental aspect, you better damn well address it quickly and appropriately.
Yeah, I like Ward a lot but I'm not sure I see a great - p4p - future for him. Skill-wise, I think he has a lot, and he has athleticism, but his lack of power and questionable chin may be too much for him to overcome.
OBVIOUSLY, REED is BIASED about Luis, but REED Seriously DOESN'T Think Luis has "Checked Out" Mentally...When ASKED "What's your STRENGTH as a Fighter", his IMMEDIATE Response is "My MIND"....But We'll Find Out N Due Time... Luis is a TEENAGER Who's NEVER Decisively Lost a Fight N his Entire Life...As Such, His Level of Confidence is OVER the Top...& He's NOT Going to Beijing Expecting Anything LESS than Gold:nono: ... REED'll GUARANTEE Right Now that Luis @ Least MEDALS, if Not Acquiring GOLD...He's ALREADY Faced the Elite Guys N his Weight Class, so there'll B NO Surprises N Beijing...Those Cats R GROWN MEN, whereas Luis is Still a GROWING, DEVELOPING Young Man...Luis has MUCH More UPSIDE than the Cats he'll B Facing... When REED Interviewed Luis & his Trainer & HEARD their Comments about Dan Campbell, REED Gave them EVERY Opportunity to Keep their Remarks OFF the Record:: ...But they Both INSISTED that REED Quote them VERBATIM...Shit, REED Left MOST of Dennis Rodarte's (Luis' Trainer)Comments OUT of the Piece... Campbell NAGS Yanez like a Frustrated Housewife, According to them, & Like U Said, he's NOT the Guy that GOT Luis there...Some Guys NEED to Showboat to Motivate THEMSELVES....Alot of Peeps DON'T "Get" That, but it's TRUE... From what REED has Heard, NONE of the Olympians TRUE Coaches R ALLOWED to Train them on the Colorado Springs Campus...But Why WOULDN'T they B Allowed, if U Want your Fighters @ their BEST????:dunno: ...EACH Original Coach Knows their Guy BETTER than Campbell Does or EVER Will...It Doesn't Make Sense to REED... N Yanez's Case, Rodarte WILL Go to Colorado Springs just Prior to when the Team Departs to Beijing, to Get Some Last Minute HOME Training w/Luis...But it'll B OFF Campus ... From what Rodarte Told REED Last Sunday, the U.S. had a Recent Dual Meet vs Puerto Rico & Luis SHINED...He Came to the Ring DANCING to a James Brown Song & STOPPED his Opponent...It should B Posted on youtube or usaboxing.org Surprise, Surprise, Dan Campbell WASN'T There... REED:dunno:
If Anybody Wants to Check Out Luis Yanez w/their OWN Eyes, there's a Fight of his Posted on gofightlive.tv There was a USA vs Puerto Rico Dual Meet on 4/26/08... Registration is IMMEDIATE, then Click on the "Luis Yanez vs. Bryan Aquino" Link...REED would Post the Link Himself, But he DOESN'T Know how to Do All that Technical Shit... REED
