COLORADO SPRINGS — Six defending champions, three upset winners and four competitors vying for a title in the two weight classes that had no returning champion highlight Saturday's finals in the U.S. National Championships.
Returning national champions are: RauShee Warren, 112; Gary Russell Jr., 119; Mark Davis, 125; Karl Dargan, 141; Demetrius Andrade, 152; and Mike Wilson, 201-plus.
A two-time national champion, Wilson will be trying for a three-peat in the super heavyweight division. Wilson, from Medford, Ore., won a convincing 25-5 decision over Lucas Runion of College Park, Md., in the semifinal round. His opponent will be Jonte Willis from Tacoma, Wash., who moved into the finals on a walkover in the semis.
Wilson, with more than 100 amateur bouts, won national titles in 2004 and 2005, and was runner-up to Jason Estrada in the 2004 Olympic box-offs.
Luis Ramos of Santa Ana, Calif., upset two-time national champion Michael Evans of Dayton, Ohio, in a 132-pound semifinal. He will take on Danny Garcia of Philadelphia for the title.
In other upsets, Shawn Porter of Stow, Ohio, defeated Edwin Rodriguez of Worcester, Mass., on a 24-22 decision in a 165-pound semifinal. Porter is a former Junior Olympics champion. His opponent will be two-time National Golden Gloves winner Daniel Jacobs of Brooklyn, N.Y.
Alfonso Lopez of Huntsville, Texas, dethroned defending champ William Rosinski of Richmond Hills, N.Y., at 178 pounds. His opponent will be Christopher Downs of Fort Carson.
In weight classes that had no returning champions, Roberto Ceron of Doraville, Ga., will meet Luis Yanez of Duncanville, Texas, for the 106-pound title. Ceron won last year's National Golden Gloves. Yanez is a two-time Junior Olympic champion.
James Zimmerman of San Jose, Calif., and Adam Willett of Bay Shore, N.Y. will fight in the 201-pound final. Willett won the Police Athletic League national championship last year.
Warren of Cincinnati was a 2004 Olympian and is the defending 112-pound title holder. Warren stopped John Franklin of Fort Carson in the quarterfinals and Shawn Nichol from Lakewood in the semis. His challenger will be Oscar Venegas of Maywood, Calif.
At 119 pounds, Russell Jr. of Capitol Heights, Md., will defend his crown against Leodegario Santa Cruz of East Los Angeles. Russell, a 17-year-old, was named USA Boxing's Athlete of the Year for 2005, after also winning the National Golden Gloves. Santa Cruz is a 2005 Junior Olympic Champion.
Davis, from Cleveland, Ohio, will meet Richard Baltazar of Lynwood, Calif., in a 125-pound rematch from last year.
Dargan, from Philadelphia, is a cousin of 2004 Olympian Rock Allen and trains in the same gym as former professional middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins, among other pros.
He will defend his 141-pound title against Hector Ramos of Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.
At 152 pounds, Andrade, from Providence, R.I., will defend against 2004 World Military Champion Boyd Melson of Fort Carson.