By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
For area boxing fans it’s the best time of year as the action is set to begin in the Michigan Golden Gloves Association state tournament on Saturday, March 9.
Change is taking place this year as the Golden Gloves has a new venue for the third straight year. After taking place at West Catholic High School last year and previously the DeltaPlex, this year’s Golden Gloves championships will take place at the 4 Mile Showplace located at 1025 4 Mile Rd. NW.
While the exact number of boxers is still unknown as many register as walk-ups on the day of the fights, the numbers are trending up for this year.
“We have 60 fighters signed up so far which is a few more than last year,” said Brian Lentz of PK Boxing and the Golden Gloves. “There will probably be quite a few walk-ups as well.”
As usual, WKTV will be televising all five nights of this year’s tournament. Check this WKTV Journal Story to get dates and times.
Familiar faces returning to Golden Gloves
Plenty of familiar names will be returning to the Golden Gloves this year including Junior Rios, a returning state champion, along with returning female state champions Sarah Batenburg of Hudsonville and Zoe Hicks of Lansing.
For Rios, a five-time state champion, the end goal is winning a national championship. Rios lost a controversial decision in his opening bout at last year’s national Golden Gloves tournament and the loss has him focused on making it back to the national tournament and avenging that disappointment.
“I went to nationals last year and I felt I should’ve won my first fight,” Rios said, “but they took it away from me. I’m still holding a grudge from that. I was planning on turning pro last year, but I wanted a national belt. I decided to come back this year and give it one last shot and then turn pro.”
Rios will compete in the 132-pound open division, one of the largest weight divisions with at least six boxers already registered.
Rios enters this year’s tournament even more focused as he recently dropped a tough fight against Chris Young, a fighter from the Roy Jones Jr. boxing team in Florida.
“He was a pretty good opponent,” Rios said. “I lost that one, but that has made me even more hungry. I can’t wait to step into the ring again and fight even harder. I feel more confident this year and ready to go.”
Lee High School alum Carbajal returns
While Rios is an experienced boxer looking to add to his legacy, the West Michigan Golden Gloves is filled with fighters looking to make a name for themselves. One of those boxers is Michael Carbajal, a Lee High School alumnus who made his boxing debut at last year’s tournament.
“I started training in September of 2022 and my first fight was February of 2023,” Carbajal said. “I will never forget that day. It was February 25, two days after my birthday. I won the fight in the third round and after the fight we went to Chicago to celebrate my birthday.”
Less than two months later, Carbajal had his first Golden Gloves match. While Carbajal lost in his first experience in the Golden Gloves, it taught him plenty and has him hungry to make his mark this year in the 139-pound open division.
“It was my first time in a Golden Gloves tournament,” Carbajal said. “It was something different. I was eliminated on the first day in my first match. It was the worst performance of my boxing career. I had a lot of personal issues I was going through at the time.
“Physically I was there, but mentally I wasn’t. Moving forward it was a big lesson learned. Every time I step into the ring I focus on boxing and not having any of those outside issues.”
Carbajal has picked up plenty of experience since last year’s Golden Gloves with nine wins and three losses, including winning five matches by stoppage while all of his losses have been by decision. Carbajal also has won his first two bouts while competing in the open division.
“I feel like I am in the best shape I’ve ever been in, both physically and mentally,” Carbajal said. “I feel like this is going to be my year.”
Win or lose, Carbajal is sure to be a fan favorite with his aggressive and attacking style that should win fans over.
“I come to put on a show”
“I’m an aggressive fighter,” Carbajal said. “I feel like I’m a fearless fighter and I’m always looking to apply pressure. Some people say I have an entertaining style. Three or four times I won the fighter of the night. A lot of fighters want to keep clean records and try to not get hit. I come to put on a show. The fans want action and power shots and that’s what I want to give them.”
Carbajal grew up a boxing fan watching professional fights with his parents Ranulfo and Andrea.
“My parents loved watching the fights and I would watch with them,” Carbajal said. “We’d get the pay per view and watch Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez and Manny Pacquiao. I liked watching all of those fighters.”
These days, his father and brothers, Ranulfo Jr. and Efren, and sister Candi watch his fights in person although his mother would rather wait to hear the results.
“My mother watched my first three fights, but after that she just got really nervous,” Carbajal said. “She just waits for that call or text telling her how I did.”
Carbajal, who played a year of soccer while at Lee High School, got his start in boxing while there.
“Tom DeGennaro and Jim Jenson introduced me to Brian Lentz at PK Boxing,” Carbajal said. “I trained for a year, but never had a fight. I eventually left boxing, but then a couple years ago I took a friend’s son to PK because he wanted to get into karate. I ran into coach Brian and he asked if I wanted to get back into boxing. One thing led to another and I’m back and loving it.”
Carbajal, Rios and all of the other boxers now set their sights on winning West Michigan titles and then going for state titles with the ultimate goal of making it to the national Golden Gloves tournament.
WKTV Golden Gloves Schedule
The opening night of this year’s Golden Gloves takes place Saturday, March 9. Action continues with the West Michigan semifinals on Wednesday, March 13 with the West Michigan finals set for Saturday March 16. The Michigan Golden Gloves state finals also takes place at the 4 Mile Showplace with the state semifinals scheduled for Friday, March 22 and the state finals slated for Saturday, March 23. Bouts begin at 7 p.m. each day of the tournament with the doors opening at 6 p.m.
With the 4 Mile Showplace being a smaller venue, boxing fans are encouraged to purchase tickets as soon as possible before they sell out.
