Notes From the 2011 National Junior Olympics

I don't really do too many editorials on this site because I just like to present the facts and video, but with so much attention (albeit warranted) given to the Olympic trials this week, I wanted to shed some light on the future of Olympic boxing. There were many great young boxers showcased this year at the 2011 National Junior Olympics, but I came away with a few that I want to highlight.

First of all, I want to again congratulate the 3 DC area boxers that came back with titles: Gervonta "Tank" Davis, Malik Jackson and Kareem Martin. All of these young men worked hard to get it done. I recorded as many bouts as Icould, but here are my thoughts on boxers that made an big impression on me. They arelisted in no particular order:

Nico Hernandez - wins his first National Junior Olympic title in his first attempt after winning 5 consecutive National Silver Gloves. Nico is a nice young man and I always enjoy watching him box and talking to him and

his dad/coach. He showed why he's a national champion against a tough, older boxers in Melik Elliston from Colorado. Plain and simple, Nico is a winner. He also is a varsity letterman in Cross Country.

Erickson "Hammer" Lubin - I've been watching Hammer for about 7 years because he is from my Silver Gloves Region and he has continued to improve his skills. He along w/ Julian Rodriguez had the biggest margins of victories that I saw all week at the Junior Olympics. In his three bouts, he outscored his opponents 101-18!!! Again, a very nice young man and I believe that there is a direct correlation between being a successful athlete and being personable and coachable--so it might be repetitive but I will keep commending these boxers' character because it's very important to me that people know that these boxers are well-rounded athletes.

Julian Rodriguez - WOW. That's all I can say about Julian. After losing in the Junior Olympic finals last year, he made no doubts about who was the best this year. When he is in the ring, he only knows one mode: attack. I was really looking forward to seeing him in action againsts Joey Alday because Alday caught my eye in the Silvers Gloves-- but Julian was just too much. He's a machine in the ring and simply overwhelms his opponents with beautiful and precise combinations of power shots on the inside and out--from various angles. Julian will make an IMMEDIATE impact in the open division, in my opinion.

Ja'Rico O'Quinn - Ok, so I've never really payed attention to this kid, but he made me regret that because he put on a power clinic against multiple National Silver Gloves champion Hector Valdez. O'Quinn just imposed his will and he has an aire of confidence when he is in the ring. He's definintely on my radar now. I apologize Mr. O'Quinn. Please forgive my ignorance.

Jesus Luna - Again, multiple Silver Gloves titles makes for a successful Junior Olympic boxer. Like Nico Hernandez, Jesus is just a winner who keeps on winning. A very aggressive boxer, who is small in stature but attacks opponents with a calculated offensive attack. I've didn't have a chance to speak with him this week, but I know that I'll see him around for many more years.

Rahim Gonzalez - If you want to see a boxing clinic, watch Rahim Gonzalez. He is an artist at work in the ring. He put on a clinic staying on the outside and using his height (he's one of the two tallest 95 lbs. boxers I've ever seen), while almost literally not getting hit. I think the score of his first bout that I watched was 20-1. His finals matchup was an ugly wrestling match but he showed poise in doing what he had to do to get the victory. Again, a very very very personable and nice young man. Always look forward to speaking with him at tournaments.

Malik Jackson - The quiet storm is what I call Malik because he is so soft spoken outside of the ring, but he is very aggressive inside. The fact that he has won Outstanding Boxer two years in a row at the JOs speaks for itself. He continues to improve his game and I look forward to seeing him in the open division soon.

Rashida Ellis - Ok, I know that I already said WOW, but I have to say it again. This young lady can box. Period. Let me rephrase that. This young person can box. She is a great boxer, no matter what gender. I enjoyed watching her and during her three bouts she left no doubt about who the winner was. I didn't get a chance to speak with her but I know that I will be seeing her at more nationals. That is guaranteed.

Ok, so I lied saying that this was in no particular order because I'm going to be transparent with my bias and say that I left my favorite for last. . . Gary Salazar. I just may be his biggest fan. I've watched Gary step up against the best and handle each of them over and over again - impressively and in different fashion - through the National Silver Gloves and now the Junior Olympics. Gary can box, Gary can bang, Gary can move, Gary can think. I've seen him go to war (vs. Neslan Machado) and I've seen him beat slick boxers (D'andres Hockerson and Shawn Simpson) and he continues to amaze me. He's on another level in the amateur boxing game and I can't wait until he turns open to see if he can follow or exceed what the two most recent JO-to-Open success stories have done - Shawn Simpson and O'Shanique Foster. Again, Gary is another class act. An extremely personable and nice young man who also happens to be the only 16-year-old smog technician in CA and he's very proud of that fact!! He has told me (and I believe him) that the 114/119/132 boxers better get ready. . . he's coming.

Again, I just wanted to share my thoughts with the group because we have been talking so much about the trials, I wanted to give our future Olympians some time too. They deserve some of the spotlight too.