Airmen compete for spot on Air Force boxing team

  • Published
  • By Tony Perez
  • 37th Training Wing Public Affairs
SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) --  The Air Force Box-Off  was held at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 18 and 19 at the Bennett Fitness Center. Matches featured 16 Air Force members hoping to make the Air Force Boxing Team, which will compete in the Armed Forces Boxing Championship. 

The main event featured Rodney Ellison from F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., matched against James Sterling from Kadena AB, Japan, in the Heavyweight (201 pounds) division.
Ellison came into the match the more experienced boxer, and that proved to be the difference, winning convincingly in the final match of the night. 

At the Middleweight (165 pounds) Division, Anthony Jones from Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal, defeated local boxer, Paul Romero, winning in the second round after the referee stopped the contest. 

Matches also featured Rosey Summerville from Shaw AFB, S.C., fighting Chance Yearwood from Charleston AFB, S.C. 

Summerville brought home a gold medal for the Air Force in the Lightweight (132 pounds) division last year at the Armed Forces Championship. 

"(Sommerville) had a chance to go to the Conseil International du Sport Militaire Camp last year," said Air Force Boxing head coach Edward Rivas, from Dyess AFB. "He brought some of that stuff he learned from CISM, but the biggest thing he brought into training camp was confidence." 

Summerville began the first round a little timid, but toward the end of the second round and in the third round, he began to relax and box much better. 

Summerville won 3 to 0 by the judge's decision. 

"I was very happy with the judges," Rivas said. "They were very sharp." 

Michael Haywood from Tinker AFB, Okla., was also in action, defeating Justin Williams from MacDill AFB, Fla., in the Light Welterweight (138 pounds) division after losing his match the night before to Zaire Naylor, from Moody AFB, Ga. 

Naylor was victorious Jan. 19, beating Thomas Carleton from Hickam AFB, Hawaii, in the Light Welterweight (138 pounds) division. 

Lackland hopeful Matthew McCoy was defeated by David Russell, Pope AFB, N.C., fighting in the Light Welterweight division. McCoy easily defeated Williams the night before, winning 3 to 0 on a judge's decision, but was having problems with Russell who is a southpaw. 

"Most of that stuff is just mental for McCoy," Rivas said. 

Also featured was Mario Cooper-Padilla from Tydall AFB, Fla., losing to Thomas Jacobs from Robins AFB, Ga., in the Middleweight division. 

"Overall, I would give us a C-plus for the weekend because I think these guys have so much more room to grow, and I think we will improve a lot before the Armed Forces Championship," Rivas said. 

The Armed Forces Boxing Championship will be held at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., from Feb. 3 to 8. 

During the next several days leading up to the championship, the Air Force Boxing Team will focus more on strength and conditioning and sparring, and focus less on technique, Rivas said. 

"It's tough," Rivas said. "The Army and Marine teams have full-time boxing programs. We only get to meet three months out of the year. But we do well and we hold our own." 

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