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Houston Golden Gloves Champion Boxers Win National Golden Gloves Titles

Houston boxers Darius Fulghum and Oscar Perez won National Golden Gloves Championship titles at The National Golden Gloves Championship in Omaha, Nebraska last week. Both Oscar and Darius represented The Texas Golden Glove Champions Team with tremendous success, with Oscar bringing home a bronze medal for third place in the 132 pound division and Darius bringing home the Championship Belt for first place in the 201 pound division.

Oscar boxes out of The Perez Boxing Club and Darius boxes out of The O Athletik Boxing Club, and both won Houston and Texas State Golden Gloves Championships in their weight divisions before participating in The National Golden Gloves.

Martel Washpun, another Houston Golden Gloves and Texas State Golden Gloves Champion also competed and represented Houston and The Gulf LBC very well, losing a close decision before the medal rounds.

Houston and The Gulf LBC also represented very well at The Texas State Golden Gloves Championships prior to the national tournament, with 7 of our fighters boxing in the championship rounds, eventually winning 5 out of the 10 State Titles up for grabs in that tournament. Winners there were Ephraim Bui (108), Martel Washpun (123), Oscar Perez (132), Alex Donis (152), and Darius Fulghum (201).

Congratulations go out to these young men on their extraordinary accomplishments and also thanks for their hard work and discipline, that helped proved once again, that Houston, Texas is one of the premier boxing cities in the nation and the world!

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Win a Free Ticket to Galveston Fight Night

Clutch City Boxing readers I’ve mentioned Mike Klekotta will be representing The Clutch City Boxing Club as well as The Grind Boxing Academy on Saturday April 14, 2018, at 7 P.M. at the Galveston Island Convention Center (San Luis Resort), 5600 Seawall Boulevard. The El Tigre Promotions event will feature an exciting night full of professional boxing with several hometown fighters and many Houston and Houston area boxers.

Tickets are $35 and can be purchased by contacting El Tigre Promotions, as well as at the door on fight night if the event does not sell out. I have several tickets in hand, if anyone wants to purchase their tickets now contact me today.

Mike Klekotta fought the pictured boxer in the amateurs to a split decision loss. It was a competitive match-up with the pictured boxer pulling away in the third round, allowing him to seal the decision. This boxer would go on to become a four time Houston and Texas State Golden Glove Champion and also compile an excellent professional record of twelve wins, zero losses, and one draw before suddenly becoming aware he had stage four gall-bladder cancer and tragically passing away at the age of 25, in 2013.

I will give a free ticket to the first Clutch City Boxing reader that can name this boxer. The only rules are that you have to comment on the article itself, not on social media, and you have to pick up your ticket at The Grind Boxing Academy and Fitness Center at 18075 West Little York, Katy, Texas 77449.

Also don’t forget about our benefit sparring event for Kenny Weldon on April 28, 2018, 11 A.M - 7 P.M.

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Kenny Weldon

kenny weldon, galena park boxing, houston boxing legacy, bill gore, benny leonard, willie pep

kenny weldon, galena park boxing, houston boxing legacy, bill gore, benny leonard, willie pep

Kenny Weldon started boxing as an amateur in Houston in 1953. A native of Galena Park, Texas, Kenny had an amateur record of 216-11, winning 4 Houston Golden Gloves Titles in the process and also competing in the State and National Golden Gloves Tournaments as well as the Pan American Games, before turning pro in 1968. As a pro, Kenny went 50-7-1 claiming the Texas Featherweight Title and N.A.B.F. Super Featherweight title before retiring as a fighter in 1978.

Kenny’s greatest accomplishments, however, came as a coach. A protege of all-time great trainer Bill Gore, who was a Benny Leonard protege, Kenny was taught an analytical and scientific approach to boxing that allowed him to become one of the most successful boxing teachers in the history of the sport.  The program he established at The Galena Park Boxing Academy produced 316 Houston Golden Gloves Champions, 51 Texas State Amateur Champions, 17 National Amateur Champions, 3 Pan Am Medalists, and 3 Olympians. Kenny also served as a coach for The U.S. Olympic Team in 1988.

Gilbert Renteria, currently ranked in the top 10 of the USA Boxing, Elite Men’s 114 pound Division, is one of the last boxers to be directly trained by Kenny Weldon, who is still active in the amateurs. Renteria will undoubtedly become a professional Champion in the future, and will continue to add to the Kenny Weldon and Houston boxing legacies.  

As a professional coach, Kenny cornered 18 world title fights with Hall of Famers such as Evander Holyfield, Vinny Pazienza, Orlando Canizales, Mike McCallum, Raul Marquez and Pernell Whitaker, as well as local legends like Wilford Scypion, Termite Watkins, Mike Phelps, James Pipps, Joel Perez, Stephen Martinez and Lewis Wood.

Always a fierce advocate for teaching proper fundamentals, Kenny also authored one of the top selling boxing intructional videos of all time.
Kenny retired from boxing for health reasons in 2013, but his impact can still be felt in the Houston boxing scene with a host of his former fighters and students now operating gyms of their own.

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2018 Texas State Champions

boxing, golden gloves champions, texas state golden gloves champions, gulf lbc, houston golden gloves, houston boxing legacy

2018 Texas State Champions 

The Gulf LBC Team represented Houston and the Houston area very well again this year at the Texas State Golden Gloves, held in Fort Worth, Texas. Our 2018 Houston Golden Gloves, Open Division Champions were able to dominate the State Championships once again, having the entire team advancing to the semi-finals, five team members becoming Texas State Champions, and winning the best team trophy for the 6th consecutive year. 

Our local boxers also did very well at this year’s USA Western Qualifier Tournament, with Austin Williams and Ephraim Bui winning their divisions, and others losing close, disputed decisions. All of our competitors performed very well and proved once again that Houston develops the best boxing talent in the state and country. Clutch City Boxing would like to thank all of the boxers, coaches, and officials in the Gulf LBC for all of the hard work they do day in and day out to continue the legendary Houston boxing legacy!  

This year’s Texas State Golden Gloves Champions are:  

Ephraim Bui            108 pounds  

Martel Washpun   123 pounds 

Oscar Perez            132 pounds 

Alex Donis              152 pounds 

Darius Fulghum     201 pounds  

This year’s USA Western Qualifier Champions are:  

Ephraim Bui          108 pounds 

Austin Williams    165 pounds