The first light flyweight bout was contested in semifinal action with collegiate boxing veteran Michael Bennedosso (Milford, Ct.) taking on Francis Taylor (Washington DC). After a close opening round, Bennedosso picked it up in the second round, scoring 13 points en route to a 17-8 lead at the end of three. He continued to pile on the points in the third, leading to a stoppage due his 20-point advantage in the final seconds of the third round.

The bantamweight division opened competition on Friday as well with two semifinal contests. Zach Watkins (Atlanta, Ga.) took the ring looking for a victory after first round losses at the National Golden Gloves and Midwestern Trials. Waktins finally recorded an opening bout win in his contest with 2005 National Champion Marco Rangel (Scottsdale, Ariz.), recording a 17-13 victory to advance to final round action. He will face Derrick Wilson (Cincinnati, Ohio) in championship round action. Wilson battled 2005 Junior Olympic National Champion Shawn Nichol (Lakewood, Colo.) in the second bantamweight semifinal. Wilson took the early lead in the bout, moving out to a 14-7 advantage at the midway point. Yet Nichol didn’t give up, he came clawing back in the third round to pull within two points. Despite his comeback efforts, Nichol couldn’t take the lead from Wilson and the Cincinnati boxer moved out to a 19-18 final decision.

In featherweight action, two-time national champion Mark Davis (Cleveland, Ohio) recorded his second bout of the tournament, defeating 2006 Golden Gloves champion Efrain Esquivias (Commerce, Calif.). Esquivias kept the bout close with the scored tied at six at the end of one, b t after an action-packed second round, Davis enjoyed a four-point lead. He held onto his advantage over the final two rounds to win a 31-26 final decision. Chazz McDowell (Mt. Vernon, N.Y.) punched his ticket for the championship bout with a semifinal victory over Jario Delgado (Denver, Colo.). The bout was low scoring throughout with McDowell holding a 6-2 lead at the end of three rounds. He enjoyed the same four-point lead when the final bell rang, winning a 10-6 final decision to advance to title night.

Chris Green (Asbury Park, N.J.) extended his Eastern Trials winning streak to four with a semifinal win over Angelo Ward (Baltimore, Md.) to move on to the final round bout. Green enjoyed the lead throughout the four round bout, riding a strong second round to an 11-4 lead at the halfway point of the contest. His lead moved out to nine over the last two rounds to give Green the 18-9 final decision. Green will challenge 2004 Eastern Trials champion Miguel Gonzalez (Cleveland, Ohio) in the lightweight championship bout. Gonzalez advanced to his second straight Eastern Trials final with a convincing win over Todd Dekinderen (Jacksonville, N.C.). He controlled the bout from start to finish before winning a 30-5 final decision.

Persistence has paid off for 2006 Junior Olympic National Champion Javier Molina (Commerce, Calif.). After falling short at the Midwestern Trials and National Golden Gloves, Molina has advanced to final round action at the Eastern Trials. Molina won a stoppage outscored win over Keith Redding (Cincinnati, Ohio) in the final seconds of the third round to advance to the final round contest. Molina will battle Jaime Saldivar (Palmhurst, Texas) in the championship bout. Saldivar faced off in a close contest with Larry Recio (Lanham, Md.) in his semifinal contest. The Texas boxer took the early lead in the bout and refused to relinquish it, enjoying a 15-10 advantage at the end of three rounds. Recio looked to make up the deficit in the final round and pulled within one point, but couldn’t take the lead and Saldivar won an 18-17 final decision.

A hometown boxer will compete in the welterweight championship bout as Robert Burwell (Orlando, Fla.) won his semifinal bout with Femi Guri (Astoria, N.Y.). Burwell held a small lead throughout the contest and went into the final round of action with a three-point advantage. He won the fourth round as well, adding a fourth point to his lead to take a 13-9 final decision. Burwell will face off with Jesse Lubash (Munhall, Pa.) in the championship bout following Lubash’s tiebreaker win over David Roman (Patterson, N.J.). The contest was close from bell-to-bell with the two boxers exchanging leads throughout the eight minutes. The score was deadlocked at 10 at the end of four rounds, but Lubash won the decision on his 21-20 total punch count edge to advance to the finals.

Denis Douglin (Morganville, N.J.) moved on to final round competition with a commanding 15-3 victory over Herve Duroseau (Elmont, N.Y.) in his semifinal bout. He will take on Abraham Han (El Paso, Texas) in the middleweight championship bout. Han won a fourth round disqualification over two-time Junior Olympic National Champion Dominic Wade (Largo, Md.) due to Wade spitting out his mouthpiece.

In light heavyweight action, Dennis Hasson (Philadelphia, Pa.) recorded a 16-11 decision over Mark Tucker, Jr. (Washington DC) in semifinal action to earn the first berth in title night. Hasson kept Tucker’s point total low through the first two rounds to take an 8-1 lead at the midway point. Tucker picked up his output over the final two stanzas but couldn’t over take Hasson and the Philly boxer moved on to championship round action. Hasson will battle Aleem Whitfield (Geneva, N.Y.) in the final bout following Whitfield’s victory over Alexander Johnson (Oxon Hill, Md.). After losing the first round, Whitfield stole the lead in round two and never looked back. He held a 19-11 lead at the end of three rounds before moving out to a 25-15 final victory and a berth in the final round.

Joey Dawejko (Philadelphia, Pa.) recorded his third win of the tournament in a semifinal contest with Danny Calhoun (Cincinnati, Ohio). Dawejko established a lead early in the bout and slowly built on his advantage through the three rounds. He held an 8-3 advantage as the bell rang for the final round and a strong fourth stanza gave Dawejko a 14-3 final victory. Lenroy Thompson (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) put forth an impressive performance in his semifinal bout with Victor Filerio (Bloomfield, N.M.). His efforts earned Thompson a commanding 21-3 lead after three rounds and he didn’t take his foot of the gas, winning a 30-5 final decision and a spot in the championship bout.

Kasim Howard (St. Augustine, Fla.) put a quick end to his bout with Reginald Jackson (Bloomfield, N.M.) in the first super heavyweight semifinal bout. Howard held Jackson scoreless in the early rounds before stopping him at the 1:54 mark of the third round to move on to the final round. He will battle Alonzo Lumpkin (Rock Hill, S.C.) in the championship bout on Saturday night. Lumpkin recorded a 20-16 decision over Excell Holmes (Amherst, N.Y.) to earn the final berth in the championship round.

Friday’s Semifinal Results
106 lbs/48 kg: Michael Bennedosso, Milford, Ct., stopped Francis Taylor, Washington, DC, RSCO-3 (1:51)
119 lbs/54 kg: Zach Watkins, Atlanta, Ga., dec. Marco Rangel, Scottsdale, Ariz., 17-14
119 lbs/54 kg: Derrick Wilson, Cincinnati, Ohio dec. Shawn Nichol, Lakewood, Colo., 19-18
125 lbs/57 kg: Mark Davis, Cleveland, Ohio dec. Efrain Esquivias, Torrance, Calif., 31-26
125 lbs/57 kg: Chazz McDowell, Mt. Vernon, N.Y. dec. Jario Delgado, Denver, Colo., 10-6
132 lbs/60 kg: Chris Green, Asbury Park, N.J. dec. Angelo Ward, Baltimore, Md., 18-9
132 lbs/60 kg: Miguel Gonzalez, Cleveland, Ohio dec. Todd Dekinderen, Jacksonville, N.C., 30-5
141 lbs/64 kg: Jaime Saldivar, Palmhurst, Texas dec. Larry Recio, Lanham, Md., 18-17
141 lbs/64 kg: Javier Molina, Commerce, Calif. stopped Keith Redding, Cincinnati, Ohio, RSCO-3
152 lbs/69 kg: Jesse Lubash, Munhall, Pa. stopped David Ramon, Patterson, N.J., 10-10 (21-20)
152 lbs/69 kg: Robert Burwell, Orlando, Fla., dec. Femi Guri, Astoria, N.Y., 13-9
165 lbs/75 kg: Denis Douglin, Morganville, N.J. dec. Herve Duroseau, Elmont, N.Y., 15-3
165 lbs/75 kg: Abraham Han, El Paso, Texas won on disqualification over Dominic Wade, Largo, Md., DQ-4 (:31)
178 lbs/81 kg: Dennis Hasson, Philadelhpia, Pa., dec. Mark Tucker, Jr., Washington DC, 16-11
178 lbs/81 kg: Aleem Whitfield, Geneva, N.Y. dec. Alexander Johnson, Oxon Hill, Md., 25-15
201 lbs/91 kg: Joey Dawejko, Philadelphia, Pa., dec. Danny Calhoun, Cincinnati, Ohio, 14-3
201 lbs/91 kg: Lenroy Thompson, Port St. Lucie, Fla., dec. Victor Filerio, Bloomfield, N.M., 30-5
201+ lbs/91+ kg: Alonzo Lumpkin, Rock Hill, S.C., dec. Excell Holmes, Amherst, N.Y., 20-16
201+ lbs/91+ kg: Kasim Howard, St. Augustine, Fla., stopped Reginald Jackson, Bloomfield, N.M., RSC-3 (1:54)

Championship Round Bout Sheets

Light flyweight
Luis Rangel, Scottsdale, Ariz. vs. Michael Bennedosso, Milford, Ct.

Bantamweight
Zach Watkins, Atlanta, Ga. vs. Derrick Wilson, Cincinnati, Ohio

Featherweight
Mark Davis, Cleveland, Ohio vs. Chazz McDowell, Mt. Vernon, N.Y.

Lightweight
Miguel Gonzalez, Cleveland, Ohio vs. Chris Green, Asbury Park, N.J.

Light welterweight
Jaime Saldivar, Palmhurst, Texas vs. Javier Molina, Commerce, Calif.

Welterweight
Jesse Lubash, Munhall, Pa. vs. Robert Burwell, Orlando, Fla.

Middleweight
Denis Douglin, Morganville, N.J. vs. Abraham Han, El Paso, Texas

Light heavyweight
Dennis Hasson, Philadelphia, Pa. vs. Aleem Whitfield, Geneva, N.Y.

Heavyweight
Joey Dawejko, Philadelphia, Pa. vs. Lenroy Thompson, Port St. Lucie, fla.

Super heavyweight
Kasim Howard, St. Augustine, Fla. vs. Alonzo Lumpkin, Rock Hill, S.C.