2004 CISM Boxing Championships

Boxers Battle for Crowns

December 12, 2003
Chris Miller
Daily News Staff
Jacksonville, North Carolina

The boxers competing in the 2004 Armed Forces Boxing Championship this week were not fighting for money or endorsements. For some, the chance to qualify for the next Olympic games was at stake, while others were slugging it out for pride or the honor of their respective services.

The title matches for 14 weight classes, nine on the men's side and five for women, were earned Thursday evening at the French Creek gym aboard Camp Lejeune. The winners of the championship bouts earned a qualifying shot for the Olympic Qualifying Nationals.

Perhaps the most intriguing match came in the 178-pound title fight between Cpl Jacob Garretson of the USMC and 2002 champion SSG DeAndrey Abron of the Army.

Abron, who was a silver medalist in the Police Athletic League National Championship, has won six All-Army titles and already had qualified for the Olympic trials. He defeated his rival via points after dominating the third of the four three-minute rounds. Garretson was able to connect on a three-hit combo in the second round.

This was the third meeting between Garretson and Abron in the finals. Abron credited his foe for being better prepared this go-round.

" Jacob was more hungry and he fought a lot harder than he had in the past," Abron explained. "This was the rubber match, I am 2-1 against him.

Despite facing a familiar opponent, Abron also had to deal with the pro-Marine, standing room only crowd. Keeping them silent from the start was one of his game plans.

" Tonight, I was able to take the crowd out of it and keep them quiet. It was one-on-one without the crowd," he commented.

" Jake is big and strong but I didn't lay inside too much and I didn't mix it up."

" This is a great rivalry between me and him because it's Army versus Marine."

Sgt Johnnie Edwards of the USMC got the fans excited early when he earned a victory in the 125-pound title bout. Edwards, who did a backward flip when he was announced the champion by decision, didn't mind that his opponent, SrA James Dubois of the Air Force, had a decent height advantage.

Edwards, from Aiken, S.C., was able deliver a blow 1 minutes, 30 seconds into the second round that made Dubois tumble. Even though Dubois got back up after a few moments, he was unable to rattle Edwards' momentum. This was Edwards' fifth win in six fights over Dubois.

" This was unbelievable. The way the crowd was, the other (services) should not have even stood a chance," Edwards said. "I knew that I had (the win) after I dropped him.

" It doesn't matter how tall he is, I had more speed on my hits. But he did pick up on some of the things that I do."

Sgt Carly Batey also captured a win for the Marine Corps, defeating Sgt Cherie Retamozzo of the Army by points in the 125-pound women's final. Batey, who has been in service for three years and is from Plymouth, England, controlled from start to finish, landing several crushing blows in the opening round. An impressive beginning to the fourth round was icing on the cake. Batey mentioned that Retamozzo had the advantage because the two women have fought before.

" I was tired that last round but it was the yelling of the crowd that got me through," Batey explained. "I fought her (Retamozzo) last year and she came in this fight prepared because she knew what she had to do.

" It does help the person who has lost to someone before because they have nothing to lose."

Others championship winners included Sgt Torrence Daniels of the Army, who defeated A1C Carlos Casasola of the Air Force by points in the 119-pound title fight; SPC Christine Boilard of the Army, who won over LCpl Laura Barrow of the USMC by points in the women's 119 fight.

A1C Hector Ramos of the Air Force won by decision at 132 over SPC Mahlon Kerwick of the Army; PFC Keith Mason of the Army earned the 141-pound championship with a win over A1C Robert Luna Jr.; 2 Lt Boyd Melson of the Army won the 152 title over SrA John Askew of the Air Force when the referee stopped the fight 1:36 into the fourth round because he felt that Askew could not continue boxing.

SSgt Charmaine Carrington of the Air Force seized the women's 145 title by points over LCpl Grace Kelly of the USMC while Amn James Johnson Jr. of the Air Force became the king of 165 over Sgt Mike Martinez of the USMC when the referee stopped the fight 1:01 into the final round because of heavy bleeding over Martinez's eyes.

In other results: Sgt Jennifer Greb of the Army won by decision over LCpl Amanda Myers of the USMC in the women's 154-pound final; at 201-pounds, Cpl Roderick Prevost of the Marine Corps defeated SSG Charles Leverette of the Army by a decision; the 165-pound women's fight was won by Sgt Kimico Pugh of the USMC over SPC Danielle Miner by points; and the 201-plus championship championship was won by MA2nd Isreal Spencer of the Navy when he outpointed Sgt Dutesch Puu of the Army.