Friendships put aside as fighters collide at Western PA Golden Gloves finals Saturday

Michael Williams and Brian Mowry know each other well as boxers who train at Boyce Gym in Plum.

On Saturday, they will put friendship and camaraderie aside for 15 to 20 minutes as they face each other for the 203-plus pound open division championship as part of the Western PA Regional Golden Gloves finals at Pro Sports in Monroeville.

“I’ve known Mike for several years now and have sparred with him a couple of times,” said Mowry, 28, a Knoch graduate who owns an 18-9 career record and is fighting in his seventh Golden Gloves tournament.

“I wish we didn’t have to face each other, but we’re competitors, and I expect it to be a really good fight.”

Williams, 26, is an Atlanta native who attended Westlake High School, which also produced NFL standout Cam Newton as well as Adam “Pacman” Jones. The current New Kensington resident has fought for 15 years and has been a part of three Golden Gloves tournament since relocating to the Pittsburgh region.

“We come here (Boyce) to train hard so we can go out there and put on a show,” said Williams, 8-2 in his last 10 fights. “It’s like sparring with each other, but with higher stakes in front of a lot of people. We both want to bring our best and see what happens.”

Boyce Gym will have the most fighters — eight — competing on Saturday’s card.

Fighters from several other gyms — including Ray Schaffer in Sharpsburg, Jack’s Gym, Butler Cubs, Gloria’s Gym in Monroeville, South Park Boxing, Pittsburgh Boxing and Steel Valley Boxing — will battle for regional titles.

James Sanders Jr., 19, gained a reputation as a top-flight receiver and defensive back for Jeannette, and that earned the 2021 high school grad a football scholarship to attend Division I St. Francis (Pa.).

Sanders experienced championship gold with the Jayhawks, and now he hopes to do the same in the ring. He will make his fight debut Saturday in the 139-pound elite sub-novice final against Cole Lightner from Exercise Warehouse Gym on Liberty Ave. in Pittsburgh.

“I’ve been training hard for several months, and I can’t wait for Saturday,” Sanders said. “I feel great. There will be a lot of family and friends there to support me. I am ready to put on a show and take this title home.”

The road to the Western PA finals began a little more than a month ago at Gloria’s Gym in the Monroeville Mall with a dozen tournament bouts in bantam, junior, elite sub-novice, youth, junior sub-novice, elite novice and elite open kicking off everything.

Additional tournament bouts were held this month at Bella Mauro in Reynoldsville, the Millvale Community Center and Wolfpack Boxing Club in Carnegie.

The state finals will be at Pro Sports Complex on April 22, with the National Golden Gloves and its ticket to Olympic Trials set for May 5-13 in Chester.

Boyce fighter Mustafa Jones, a 23-year-old Wilkinsburg resident, found out in February when the Golden Gloves Western brackets came out that there was no one else in his 160-pound division.

That sent him on a clear path to the state finals.

Jones, who has 11 fights to his credit, won regionals last year to qualify for states, but an injury prevented him from competing for a state title.

He will be there Saturday to root on his fellow Boyce fighters.

Doors on Saturday at Pro Sports open at 5 p.m., and bouts begin at 6. Close to 20 bouts are expected to pack the fight card. Golden Gloves officials stress that the card is subject to change before bell time.

Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling or texting Gloria Cvetic at 412-576-9285.

“I want to see as many from Boyce make it to states with me as possible,” Jones said. “I can’t wait to compete in the state finals. It’s such a great opportunity to make nationals and have the chance for the Olympics. That is big. It is great motivation for a lot of fighters to keep winning.”

2023 Pennsylvania Golden Gloves Tournament

Western Regional Finals

Saturday, April 1

Pro Sports Arena, Monroeville

Intermediate Division Championship

106 pounds: Xavier Shaffer, Boyce Gym vs, Jason Cervone, Jack’s Gym

Junior Division Semifinal

132: Alan Williams, Foundation Boxing vs. Oscar Navarro, South Park Boxing

Intermediate Division Championship

125: Damian Kast, Butler Cubs vs. Gabriel Provins, Gold Medal Gym

Intermediate Division Championship

154: Joshua Klingensmith, Gloria’s Gym vs. Lucas Isbell, Ray Schaffer Boxing

Elite Novice Division Championship

203: Jordan Carr, Beaver Valley Boxing vs. Ross Harmon, Wick City YMCA Boxing

Elite Sub-Novice Championship

165: Daniel Beck, Ground Zero Boxing vs. Luciano Ripepi, G Force Athletics

Elite Sub-Novice Championship

139: James Sanders, Boyce Boxing vs. Cole Lightner, Exercise Warehouse

Junior Division Open Championship

132: Blaise Baker, Stay Off The Streets Boxing vs. Elijah Petronic, Jack’s Gym

Elite Sub-Novice Championship

156: Garrett Matiq, Boyce Boxing vs. Giovanni Palmier, Altoona Boxing Club

Junior Division Championship

176+: Leland Anderson, Butler Cubs vs. Matthew Gebhardt, Ellwood City Boxing

Elite Sub-Novice Championship

203: Deshawn Redfield, Ground Zero Boxing vs. Frank Poindexter, Ray Schaffer Boxing

Elite Sub-Novice Championship

130: Allen Clark, Boyce Boxing vs. Tyjere Crumity, Steel Valley Boxing

Elite Novice Championship

147: Matthew Acosta, Bizarro Boxing vs. Afolabi Isiaka, Scorchin Boxing

Open Division Championship

203: Shawn Johnson, Boyce Boxing vs. Charles Harris, Gold Medal Gym

Open Division Championship

125: Danny Bodish, Stay Off The Streets Boxing vs. Angelo Bizarro, Erie Boxing Academy

Open Division Championship

147: Khalil Sanders, Pittsburgh Boxing vs. Taqir Bolden, Erie Boxing Academy

Open Division Championship

156: Anthony Zigarelli, Boyce Boxing vs. Kevin Weinheimer, South Park Boxing

Open Division Championship

176: James Ross, Pittsburgh Boxing vs. Anthony Sikora-Warner, Kastle Boxing

Open Division Championship

203+: Michael Williams, Boyce Boxing vs. Brian Mowry, Boyce Boxing