The bantamweight division was the next class to step in to the ring, beginning with a semifinal contest between Victor Valenzuela (Passaic, N.J.) and Juan Pablo Vargas (Chicago, Ill.).Valenzuela controlled the bout from the opening bell, holding Vargas scoreless through the first two rounds en route to an 11-0 lead. He continued to pile up the points in the final two stanzas before winning a 25-6 final decision. The second bantamweight semifinal showcased a match-up between 2004 Olympian Rau’shee Warren (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Derrick Wilson (Cincinnati, Ohio). Warren thrilled the hometown contingent who filled the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati Grand Ballroom, letting his lightning-fast hands fly on his way to a 14-0 lead after the first round. He continued to impress in the second round, causing Wilson’s corner to throw in the towel at the :43 mark of the second round. Valenzuela and Warren will meet in the bantamweight championship bout on Saturday.

In lightweight action, another battle of Ohio boxers entertained the crowd with an action-packed semifinal match-up. Miguel Gonzalez (Cleveland, Ohio) and Tony Walker (Cincinnati, Ohio) stepped through the ropes for the first lightweight bout. Walker took the early lead in the bout, holding a two-point advantage after each of the first two rounds. Yet the momentum swung in the third round of action with Gonzalez taking a three-point lead into the final round of boxing. He didn’t relinquish the lead in the fourth round, and went on to win a 25-21 final decision. A second Cincinnati boxer was hoping for more success in the second lightweight semi between Gary Russell III (Capitol Heights, Md.) and Mel Crossty (Cincinnati, Ohio). Russell enjoyed a strong first round, holding Crossty to one point and taking a 7-1 lead into the second stanza. He moved out to a 17-9 lead at the end of three rounds and despite a strong Crossty burst in the fourth, won a 20-14 final decision. Gonzalez will face off for the lightweight title in Saturday’s championship round action.

Following a walkover victory by Shawn Porter (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), Fernando Guerrero (Salisbury, Md.) and Paul Littleton (Urbana, Ill.) battled in the lone contested middleweight bout with a spot in final round action on the line. Guerrero put on a clinic, dominating every second of the action on his way to a 20-1 lead at the end of two. He completed his mission at the :18 mark of the third round, taking a 20-point lead to win the mandatory stoppage victory.

Andres Taylor (Johnstown, Pa.) grabbed the first heavyweight berth on championship night with a 14-11 victory over David Thompson (Brooklyn, N.Y.). The two boxers boxed an entire round with neither boxer scoring a point, but the pace changed in the second stanza. Taylor grabbed the advantage in the second round and never let it go. He gave Thompson a standing eight count on his way to a 14-11 final victory and a berth in championship round action. Taylor will take on Jordan Shimmell (Hudsonville, Mich.) in the heavyweight title bout. Shimmell won a 15-9 victory over Blake Handibode (Broadview, Ill.) in their semifinal match-up. Handibode took the early lead in the bout, holding the advantage after both the first and second rounds. Yet Shimmell grabbed the momentum and the lead in the third round. He took a 10-8 advantage into the final stanza, and built on his lead through the final two minutes to win the second heavyweight semifinal contest.

The super heavyweight division closed evening action with a semifinal contest between Abodurin Akinyanju (Washington DC) and Ricardo Wallers (Cincinnati, Ohio). After a relatively close first round, Akinyanju turned up the heat in the second round, taking a commanding 22-5 advantage after two. He added the needed three points in the third round, taking a 25-5 lead to cause the mandatory stoppage and win a spot in the final round. 2006 National Golden Gloves champion Felix Stewart (Columbus, Ohio) won the final championship round berth with a third round stoppage of Excell Holmes (Buffalo, N.Y.). Once again, it was a second round spurt that put the bout out of reach. Stewart moved out to a 20-3 advantage after two rounds and clinched the win at the 1:22 mark of the third round to round out the championship round bout sheet.

The light flyweight division opened the noon session with their first bout of the event.

Two former Junior Olympic national champions, Jerail Singleton (St. Louis, Mo.) and Luis Rangel (Scottsdale, Ariz.) met in the lone light flyweight semifinal bout. Both Rangel and Singleton traveled to Cincinnati with their brothers hoping to win the Midwestern Trials, and it was Singleton who moved a step closer to his goal. He took a 3-0 decision on paper scoring to move on to championship action. Yet he faces a unique challenge in the championship bout as he will have to face his twin brother, Terail Singleton in final round action.

The featherweight division featured a semifinal with a unique twist as Cincinnati natives and former teammates Jesse Carradine and Brandon Bennett faced off in the second bout of the afternoon. The contest was a nail biter throughout with Carradine taking the early lead, but Bennett pulled the bout to an 8-8 tie at the end of three rounds. The bout went into the final minute locked at 10-10, but with 45 second remaining in the contest, Carradine moved out to a 12-10 lead. Carradine held on to that lead as the final seconds ticked off to win the bout and a spot in the final round.

Carradine will face 2006 U.S. Championships silver medallist Luis Ramos, Jr. (Santa Ana, Calif.) in final round action on Saturday. Ramos put on a show in his semifinal bout, building a 24-4 lead in the second round of his contest with Micah Branch (Columbus, Ohio) to win a mandatory stoppage victory.

In light welterweight action, Michael Brooks (Oceanside, N.Y.) won a convincing 31-8 victory over Ramiro Carrillo (Chicago, Ill.). Brooks blew the bout open in the second round, turning his five-point lead into a commanding 12-point advantage. He doubled his point total in the final two stanzas to win the bout and a berth on title night where he will face two-time National Golden Gloves champion Jeremy Bryan (Clifton, N.J.). Bryan won a 20-14 decision over 2006 Junior Olympic National Champion Javier Molina (Commerce, Calif.) in their semifinal contest. Bryan held a slim lead throughout the four round bout, and enjoyed a four point advantage at the end of three before moving out to the 20-14 final decision.

In welterweight competition, William Jackson (Cincinnati, Ohio) pulled out a last second victory over Cruse Stewart (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). Stewart held the lead throughout the four round bout and went into the final round with a 26-23 lead, but Jackson sustained pressure on Stewart looking to make up his deficit. He pulled the bout to a 28-28 tie in the last ten seconds and scored the winning blow with just a few ticks left on the clock to win the 29-28 final decision. Jackson will take on 2006 U.S. Championships bronze medallist Ray Rivera, Jr. (Kansas City, Mo.) in the championship bout. Rivera won a 28-19 decision over Nathan Valenzuela (Chicago, Ill.) to advance to title night.

The light heavyweight division closed afternoon semifinal action with Lionel Thompson (Buffalo, N.Y.) and Angel Concepcion (E. Orange, N.J.) moving on to final round competition. Thompson faced off with Antoine Murray (Wauseon, Ohio) in the first light heavyweight semi. After a slow first round, Thompson picked up the pace in the second round to take an 8-3 lead at the midway point before winning a 14-6 final decision. Concepcion battled Dennis Hasson (Philadelphia, Pa.) in the final bout of the afternoon session. He held Hasson scoreless through two round and took an 8-0 lead into the third. Yet, Hasson turned up his point output in the third round, but trailed by a 14-6 margin at the end of three. Concepcion held off the fourth round comeback to win a 16-11 final decision.

Semifinal Results
6 p.m.

112 lbs/51 kg: Marco Rangel, Scottsdale, Ariz., stopped Robert Bell, Jr., Pontiac, Mich. , RSC-3 (1:27)
119 lbs/54 kg: Victor Valenzuela, Passaic, N.J. dec. Juan Pablo Vargas, Chicago, Ill., 25-6
119 lbs/54 kg: Rau'shee Warren, Cincinnati, Ohio won on retirement over Derrick Wilson, Cincinnati, Ohio, RET-2 (:43)
132 lbs/60 kg: Miguel Gonzalez, Cleveland, Ohio dec. Tony Walker, Cincinnati, Ohio, 25-21
132 lbs/60 kg: Gary Russell III, Capitol Heights, Md., dec. Mel Crossty, Cincinnati, Ohio, 20-14
165 lbs/75 kg: Shawn Porter, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, won on walkover over Ronald Reaves, Cincinnati, Ohio, W/O
165 lbs/75 kg: Fernando Guerrero, Salisbury, Md., stopped Paul Littleton, Urbana, Ill., RSCO-3 (:18)
201 lbs/91 kg: Andres Taylor, Johnstown, Pa., dec. David Thompson, Brooklyn, N.Y., 14-11
201 lbs/91 kg: Jordan Shimmell, Hudsonville, Mich., dec. Blake Handibode, Broadview, Ill., 15-9
201+ lbs/91+ kg: Abodurin Akinyanju, Washington DC, stopped Ricardo Wallers, Cincinnati, Ohio, RSCO-3 (:22)
201+ lbs/91+ kg: Felix Stewart, Columbus, Ohio stopped Excell Holmes, Buffalo, N.Y, RSCO-3 (1:22)

12 p.m.

106 lbs/48 kg: Jerail Singleton, St. Louis, Mo., dec. Luis Rangel, Scottsdale, Ariz., 3-0 (paper scoring)
125 lbs/57 kg: Jesse Carradine, Cincinnati, Ohio dec. Brandon Bennett, Cincinnati, Ohio, 12-10
125 lbs/57 kg: Luis Ramos, Jr., Santa Ana, Calif., stopped Micah Branch, Columbus, Ohio, RSCO-2 (2:00)
141 lbs/64 kg: Michael Brooks, Oceanside, N.Y., dec. Ramiro Carrillo, Chicago, Ill., 31-8
141 lbs/64 kg: Jeremy Bryan, Clifton, N.J., dec. Javier Molina, Commerce, Calif., 20-14
152 lbs/69 kg: William Jackson, Cincinnati, Ohio, dec. Cruse Stewart, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 29-28
152 lbs/69 kg: Ray Rivera, Jr., Kansas City, Mo., dec. Nathan Valenzuela, Chicago, Ill., 28-19
178 lbs/81 kg: Lionell Thompson, Buffalo, N.Y., dec. Antoine Murray, Wauseon, Ohio, 14-6
178 lbs/81 kg: Angel Concepcion, E. Orange, N.J., dec. Dennis Hasson, Philadelphia, Pa., 16-11