A jam-packed featherweight division began competition with 12 first round contests kicking off the action at the 2007 National Golden Gloves. 2005 Junior Olympic national champion Hylon Williams Jr. (Houston, Texas) took the ring for his first Golden Gloves bout in a match-up with fellow junior star Robert Rodriguez (Evans, Colo.). The two faced off in action-packed three round bout, but it was Williams who emerged with his first Golden Gloves win, taking a 4-1 decision over Rodriguez. Prientkes Sanders (Charleston, W.Va.) put a quick end to his first contest with Indiana’s Jose Ortega. Sanders pressed the action to take a dominating first round stoppage win over Ortega at the 1:40 mark of the opening stanza. Ernesto Garza (Saginaw, Mich.) enjoyed a short evening as well, winning a second round stoppage over New Jersey’s Rashard Jennings. Garza earned the preliminary win as the referee called a halt to the bout at the 1:30 mark of the second stanza. Derrick Murray (St. Louis, Mo.) enjoyed the upset of opening day, winning a 4-1 decision over 2006 U.S. Championships silver medallist and 2007 Midwestern Trials champion Louis Ramos, Jr. (Santa Ana, Calif.).

In light welterweight action, two-time Golden Gloves Jeremy Bryan (Clifton, N.J.) opened the 2007 edition in impressive fashion in his preliminary bout with William Kamery (Marion, Iowa). Bryan controlled the contest, giving Kamery three standing eight counts before the bout was stopped at the 1:30 mark of the third round. 2006 Junior Olympic National Champion Javier Molina (Commerce, Calif.) opened his first Golden Gloves with a victory. Molina won a unanimous 5-0 decision over Leandre White (Detroit, Mich.) in their light welterweight preliminary match-up to move on in the competition. 2006 Golden Gloves semifinalist Daniel O’Connor (Framingham, Mass.) recorded a win in his preliminary bout as well, earning a 4-1 decision over Rashad Ganaway (Little Rock, Ark.) to advance to the next round.

The middleweight division featured a rematch from the final round of the 2005 U.S. Championships as 2005 National Champion Edwin Rodriguez (Worcester, Mass.) and silver medallist Jonathan Nelson (Little Rock, Ark.) battled in the opening day of action. The two faced off in an active, competitive bout through all three rounds as the final score showcased. Yet only one boxer could win, and it was Rodriguez emerging with a 3-2 victory over Nelson to advance to the next round of action. 2006 National Champion Shawn Porter (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) is still in search of his first Golden Gloves title, and he took his first step with a unanimous 5-0 decision over John Phillips (Wahaiwa, Hawaii) in their preliminary round match-up. J’Lean Love (Dearborn Heights, Mich.) won the lone stoppage victory in Monday’s middleweight action. Love recorded a first round stoppage victory over Shawn Smith (Ft. Dodge, Iowa) as the referee called a halt to the bout in the final second of the first round.

The heavyweights closed the opening day of competition with 13 first round bouts on Monday night. Cadet World Champion Isiah Thomas (Detroit, Mich.) competed in his first Golden Gloves contest, facing off with Florida’s Aleco Lawton. Thomas enjoyed a successful Golden Gloves debut, taking a unanimous 5-0 decision over Lawton. Ray Stallings (Princeton, Ind.) opened the tournament in winning fashion as well, recording a 5-0 decision over Larry Sydenstricker (Newport, Mich.) to advance to Wednesday’s action.

The bantamweight, lightweight, welterweight, light heavyweight and super heavyweight divisions will all open competition on Tuesday at the Chattanooga Convention Center. All of the winners from the 2007 National Golden Gloves will earn a berth in the quarterfinal round of the 2007 U.S. Championships, the lone direct qualifier for the Olympic Team Trials – Boxing.

Preliminary Round Results
125 lbs/57 kg: Hylon Williams, Jr., Houston, Texas - Texas dec. Robert Rodriguez, Evans, Colo. - Colorado-New Mexico, 4-1
125 lbs/57 kg: Reinaldo Rodriguez - Syracuse dec. Adrian Brown, Carrolton, Ga. - Knoxville, 3-2
125 lbs/57 kg: Jesse Carradine, Cincinnati, Ohio/NMU - Wisconsin dec. Duran Caferro, Helena, Mont. - Rocky Mountain, 5-0
125 lbs/57 kg: Prientkes Sanders, Charleston, W. Va. - Tri-state stopped Jose Artega - Indiana, RSC-1 (1:40)
125 lbs/57 kg: Derrick Murray, St. Louis, Mo. - St. Louis dec. Louis Ramos, Jr., Santa Ana, Calif. - California, 4-1
125 lbs/57 kg: Luis Del Valle, Newburgh, N.Y. - New York dec. Erick Estrada, Chicago, Ill. - Chicago, 5-0
125 lbs/57 kg: Ernesto Garza, Saginaw, Mich. - Michigan stopped Rashard Jennings - New Jersey, RSC-2 (1:30)
125 lbs/57 kg: Stephon Alexander, Norfolk, Va. - Washington DC dec. James Smith, Detroit, Mich. - Detroit, 5-0
125 lbs/57 kg: Bennie Tsosie - Nevada dec. Justin Hill - Iowa, 4-1
125 lbs/57 kg: Ralph Gramajo, Garden City, Kansas - Kansas-Oklahoma dec. Diego Mujica, Omaha, Neb. - Omaha, 5-0
125 lbs/57 kg: Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio - Cleveland dec. Craig Butler, Duluth, Minn. - Upper Midwest, 5-0
125 lbs/57 kg: Rheno Nieto, Gulfport, Miss. - Mid-south dec. Luis Esquilin, Philadelphia, Pa. - Pennsylvania, 4-1
141 lbs/64 kg: Jeremy Bryan, Clifton, N.J.- New Jersey, stopped William Kamery, Marion, Iowa - Iowa, RSC-3 (1:30)
141 lbs/64 kg: Edgar Zubia, Hobbs, N.M. - Colorado-New Mexico won on walkover over Frankie Gould, Blackfoot, Idaho - Rocky Mountain, W/O
141 lbs/64 kg: Javier Molina, Los Angeles Calif. - California dec. Jeremy Caughhorn, Toledo, Ohio - Toledo, 5-0
141 lbs/64 kg: Michael Faragon, Schenectady, N.Y. - Syracuse dec. James Berry, Baltimore, Md. - Washington DC, 3-2
141 lbs/64 kg: Jamal James, Minneapolis, Minn. - Upper Midwest, dec. Leandre White, Detroit, Mich. - Detroit, 4-1
141 lbs/64 kg: Dan O'Connor, Framingham, Mass. - New England dec. Rashad Ganaway, Little Rock, Ark. - Mid-south, 4-1
141 lbs/64 kg: Tahree Carroll, Philadelphia, Pa. - Pennsylvania dec. Omar Figueroa, Weslaco, Texas - Texas, 4-1
141 lbs/64 kg: Joseph Llovet, Bayshore, N.Y. - New York Metro dec. Rosindo Robles, Elkhorn, Neb. - Omaha, 4-1
141 lbs/64 kg: Terrence Craddock, Jr., Columbus, Ohio - Tri-state dec. David Buggs, Indianapolis, Ind. - Indiana, 5-0
141 lbs/64 kg: Federico Flores, Jr., Hart, Mich., dec. Delvaughn Williams, Cleveland, Ohio - Cleveland, 3-2
165 lbs/75 kg: Stepan Zeytunyan, Aurora, Colo. - Colorado-New Mexico dec. Jesse Hart, Philadelphia, Pa. - Pennsylvania, 3-2
165 lbs/75 kg: Edwin Rodriguez, Worcester, Mass. - New England dec. Jonathan Nelson, Little Rock, Ark. - Mid-south, 3-2
165 lbs/75 kg: Bryan Smith, Toledo, Ohio - Toledo, dec. Michael Valenzuela - Nevada, 3-2
165 lbs/75 kg: Nicholas Swan, Great Falls, Mont. - Rocky Mountain dec. Richard Bobbitt, St. Louis, Mo. - St. Louis, 3-2
165 lbs/75 kg: David Arrieta - Kansas City dec. Sidney Williams - Tri-state, 4-1
165 lbs/75 kg: J'Lean Love, Dearborn Heights, Mich. - Detroit stopped Shawn Smith, Fort Dodge, Iowa - Iowa, RSC-1 (1:59)
165 lbs/75 kg: Omar Henry, Houston, Texas - Texas dec. Donta Woods, Atlanta, Ga./NMU - Wisconsin, 5-0
165 lbs/75 kg: Shawn Porter, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio - Cleveland dec. John Phillips, Wahaiwa, Hawaii - Hawaii, 5-0
165 lbs/75 kg: Lamar Russ, Wilmington, N.C. - Knoxville, dec. Cerresso Fort, St. Paul, Minn. - Upper Midwest, 5-0
165 lbs/75 kg: Phillip Benson - New York Metro dec. Ben Williams, Benton Harbour, Mich. - Michigan, 3-2
165 lbs/75 kg: Denis Douglin, Morganville, N.J. - New Jersey dec. Raymond Lucies II, Lafayette, Ind. - Indiana
201 lbs/91 kg: Jose Garcia, Inwood, W. Va. - Tri-state, dec. Jason Grimaldo, Loveland, Colo. - Colorado-New Mexico, 3-2
201 lbs/91 kg: Marc Ward - Cleveland dec. Bruce Dollinger, Buffano, N.Y. - Syracuse, 3-2
20 1lbs/91 kg: David Imoesiri - Nevada stopped Francisco Alfaro - Kansas-Oklahoma, RSC-2 (1:39)
201 lbs/91 kg: Vincent Hadley, Springfield, Ill. - St. Louis dec. Jeremiah Graziano - Kansas City, 4-1
201 lbs/91 kg: Deontay Wilder, Tuscaloosa, Ala. - Knoxville stopped Mario Marales - New England, RSC-1 (:11)
201 lbs/91 kg: David Thompson - New York dec. Harley Kifian, Menomonie, Minn. - Upper midwest, 4-1
201 lbs/91 kg: Tyrell Wright, Jersey City, N.J. - New Jersey dec. Jordan Shimmell, Hudsonville, Mich. - Michigan, 4-1
201 lbs/91 kg: Jose Flores - Washington DC dec. Tim Skolnik, Williamsburg, Mich./NMU - Wisconsin, 3-2
201 lbs/91 kg: Akeem Holland - California stopped David Farrell, Des Moines, Iowa - Iowa, RSC-1 (1:07)
201 lbs/91 kg: Anthony Tettis, Ridgway, Pa. - Pennsylvania dec. Blake Handibode, Broadview, Ill. - Chicago, 5-0
201 lbs/91 kg: Ray Stallings, Princeton, Ind. - Indiana dec. Larry Sydenstricker, Newport, Mich. - Toledo, 5-0
201 lbs/91 kg: Isiah Thomas, Detroit, Mich. - Detroit, dec. Aleco Lawton - Floria, 5-0
201 lbs/91 kg: Danny Calhoun, Cincinnati, Ohio dec. Richard Johnston - Rocky Mountain, 5-0