Upper Midwest Golden Gloves Championship Finals: Day 2

Saturday, April 19, 2025

St. Cloud, MN – The Park Event Center

BOUT LINEUP

1. Novice – 176 lbs

Cameron Gacheru (Region II, Unattached)

vs.

Andrew Kemboi (Region IV, St. Cloud B&W)

Result: Andrew Kemboi by split decision 

2. Novice – 132 lbs

Kenzel Williams (Region I, Champions Boxing)

vs.

Roman Ramos (Region II, CMB)

Result: Roman Ramos won by RSC 3. Good action from both with Ramos scoring 3 standing 8 counts.

3. Novice – 143 lbs

Ojem Omot (Region IV, St. Cloud GG)

vs.

Jefferson Toscano (Region I, Unattached)

Omot, taller used his reach combined with movement to score in the opening rounds. Toscano pressed and was successful working his way inside, he just needed to throw a little more to sway the fight to his favor. 

This continued to begin round three. Neither boxer was hurt or in trouble but it was a fun action filled match up.

Result: Ojem Omot by split decision

4. Novice – 154 lbs

Cesar Moloy (Region II, Top Team)

vs.

Isai Penaloza-Millan (Region I, COD)

Fast pace set by both in round one. Milian popped the jab and moved in and out with hard combinations.  Moloy pressed forward with heavy punches. Milian began to pull forward scoring a standing 8 midway through the second.  Moloy hung tough but Milian looked sharp.

Milian continued to pot shot Moloy in the third. Credit Moloy for hanging tough until the bell. 

Result: Milian by decision

5. Novice – 165 lbs

Lewis Sheppard (Region II, Element Gym)

vs.

Isaiah Phillips (Region IV, Iron Range)

Sheppard did well by boxing in and out of range, Phillips scored big with body shots heading into the third. Phillips was busier late as he marched forward with aggression behind hard left-right combinations upstairs now. Sheppard movement became less as the bout went on but he still had success at times Phillips finished strong, good match.

Result: Isaiah Phillis by decision 

6. Novice – 187 lbs

Derron Turnpkin (Region IV, Takedown Boxing)

vs.

Daniel Saucedo (Region II, Padilla’s Gym)

Saucedo was shorter and able to get inside to go to work. Turnpkin, taller landed some nice punches but struggled to keep Saucedo at range through two rounds. 

Turnpkin’s corner lit a fire under him and he connected with a hard right to the head and more sensing urgency late. Saucedo kept the pressure on. Fun fight!

Result: Saucedo by split decision

7. Novice – 198 lbs

Gabriel Vespasiano (Region I, MPLS Boxing)

vs.

Johnson Jones (Region III, Bartosh Boxing)

Competitive, close bout with Vespasiano of MNPLS boxing the taller boxer, Jones shorter/stockier. Vespasiano’s comer pleaded with him to use his height and reach in the third. He stuck and moved. Jones bobbed and weaved to avoid punches, jabbed, and looped rights at the head. This was a chess match with power from the two 198 pounders. 

Result: Jones by split decision

8. Novice – 198+ lbs

Madison Jenkins (Region II, Top Team)

vs.

Matthew Sumner (Region IV, Red Lake)

Jenkins bullied his way to the inside to scored with heavy body and head shots in round one . Sumner landed good counters but less frequent as his opponent as he stayed on the ropes.

Despite a bloody nose, Sumner stormed back in the second while letting his hands go more. Good left-rights scored to the head for Sumner. Neither boxer held back. 

The bout seemed split heading into round three. Jenkins bull rushed his way inside to scored early  similar to round one. Sumner brought the bout back to the center ring and scored again with a left-right that stunned Jenkins. Sumner lost his mouth piece twice and he wasn’t happy about it. Absolute war until the bell. 

Result: Madison Jenkins by decision

⸻

9. Matched Bout (Non-Tournament)

Cadin Vowels (Region II, Top Team)

vs.

Justin Pridgeon (Region II, Longevity)

Cautious first round from both boxers. Vowels snuck a check left hook in that was the best punch of the round.

Round two was another close and thought out round by both. Tough to score but the southpaw Vowels landed slightly more cleaner effective punches.

Pridgeon called on Vowels to “come on” as if to say let’s mix it up. He began to open up more with his punches evening up the action to begin the third round. Good right to the body for Pridgeon. Vowels timed in a hard lead left that sent Pridgeon to the ropes with about half a minute remaining. The two  traded to the bell and finished strong. 

Result: Caden Vowels by decision. Vowels now has his sights set on the National GG tournament. 

⸻

10. Elite – 121 lbs

Aiden Bymers (Region IV, Lakes Area Boxing)

vs.

Zaro Snyder (Region I, MPLS Boxing)

Good opening round action. The younger  Bymers hung in there with Snyder. The experience showed early and Snyder out pointed Bymers although competitively.

Snyder boxed strong on his toes, in and out while Bymers switched from south paw to orthodox and back to southpaw. Snyder popped head shots forcing a standing 8 by referee Joe Lorenzi. Snyder looked confident and poured on the pressure now later in round two. Another straight right to the head, another standing 8 for Snyder scored. Bymers hung tough but had to dig deep to survive. 

Snyder walked forward and didn’t let Bymers breathe in round three. After more landed punches, Lorenzi waived the fight off in the third. Good showing for Snyder and hard fought effort by Bymers. 

Result: Zaro Snyder by RSC 3

11. Elite – 132 lbs

Jose Lopez (Region III, Lopez Boxing)

vs.

Mansour Nouri (Region II, Sir Boxing)

Lopez was sharp through two rounds as he walked forward with combinations. Nouri had success countering but couldn’t tie up or keep Lopez off consistently. The southpaw Lopez and Nouri kept a high paced slugfest going heading into the third. 

Nouri did his best work of the bout with Lopez on the ropes early. Lopez was instructed to “box” Nouri to “dig and work”. Good action for the majority of the round from both. Great championship bout. 

Result: Jose Lopez by decision. 

12. Elite – 143 lbs

Rafael Lopez (Region III, Lopez Boxing)

vs.

Gavin Flynn (Region II, MNPLS Boxing)

Good body work by Lopez early. Flynn stalking forward and hunted to land the straight southpaw left. Lopez appeared to pull out to an early lead after one with the more accurate combinations. 

Lopez scored a standing 8 count after an accumulation of head punches late in round two. Flynn came forward again in round three with Lopez looking to time and counter. Flynn let his hands go more in the round which scored. Lopez stayed composed and the two boxers continued to trade to the bell. 

Result: Rafael Lopez wins by decision 

13. Elite – 154 lbs

Isaiah Abalan (Region I, COD)

vs.

Eduardo Valenzuela (Region II, Top Team)

Close and tense round to start. Both boxers had success and both looked to take control heading into round two. The importance of the bout was evident with the respect both showed so far. This could be either man’s bout heading into the third. Sharp, fast and accurate punches by both.

Good jab by Valenzuela backed Abalan back momentarily to start. Good counter right by Abalan. Abalan’s speed picked up and Valenzuela fired right back. Abalan snuck through with clean head shots inside the final minute. Valenzuela pressed forward. Great technical skills shown from both, fun close bout.

Result: Isaiah Abalan by decision

14. Elite – 165 lbs

Zac O’Connor (Region II, Element Gym)

vs.

Andrew Chansa (Region I, Champions Boxing)

Chansa and O’Connor fought in a phone booth, tight quarters, center ring and the opening round was a battle. 

Chansa chased after O’Connor with aggression, O’Connor remained composed, moving left to right and firing 1-2’s to the head in round two. 

O’Connor continued to fight well  moving backwards, side to side and counter punching. Chansa  did not let up off the gas and walked forward machine like landing his own punches. The action was intense through all three rounds which showed the excellent conditioning and preparation both boxers went through to prepare. 

Result: Zac O’Connor by split decision

15. Elite – 176 lbs

Preston Moss (Region IV, Vargas Boxing)

vs.

Abdul Wadud (Region I, Northside Boxing)

Moss and Wadud showed respect for each others power to start. Moss may have edged out a close round.

Wadud began to find his mark with his heavy punches in round two. He came forward and appeared to even things up. 

Hard body shots from Wadud to begin round three. Moss seemed more hesitant than earlier in the bout now. Both scored with hard punches. Wadud had the momentum until a head shot from Moss sent him back to the ropes. The two 178 pounders battled until the bell.

Results: Abdul Wadud by split decision

16. Elite – 198+ lbs

Eduardo Cardona (Region III, Unattached)

vs.

Manny Contreras (Region II, Sir Boxing)

Hard right hand by Contreras dropped Cardona in round two. The two boxers traded center of the ring after action resumed. Cardona landed a hard right- left flush combination to the head. Contreras began sticking the jab into the face of his shorter opponent. Both boxers had blood streaming from their noses. A glancing right was ruled a knockdown and referee Joe Lorenzi gave Cardona a standing eight near the end of round two.

Contreras popped the jab and Cardona landed a looping right to the head in the third.  Cardona fired away but Contreras seized momentum with hard counter punches. The fight remained in the balance with a minute remaining. The heavyweights looked winded but kept throwing heavy punches with the blood continuing to flow. 

Result: Manny Contreras by split decision