Boxing: Clark, Moreu win and advance
Sep. 11—Albuquerque amateur boxers Leroy Clark and Yoruba Moreu Jr. kept their Olympic hopes alive on Monday with victories in Pueblo, Colorado at USA Boxing's Last Chance qualifier.
Clark, playing with house money — we'll explain — easily handled Lawrence Cloud of Cibolo, Texas in a super-heavyweight (203 pounds-plus) bout during Monday's evening session.
In Monday's morning session, Albuquerque's Moreu defeated Enrique León of Staten Island, New York by split (4-1) decision at 125 pounds.
Clark had already qualified for December's U.S. Olympic trials by virtue of his gold-medal performance in the 203-pound class at the USA Boxing Summer Festival in Lubbock, Texas three months ago. He opted to enter Last Chance at super heavyweight, giving himself an alternate route to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Cloud, thicker-bodied than Clark but far shorter than the 6-foot-6 Albuquerque boxer, offered little competition. Clark frustrated Cloud with movement and a sharp right jab out of his southpaw stance in clearly winning rounds one and two.
In the third, with two rounds in the bank and with nothing to fear from Cloud, Clark opened up and landed shots from both sides.
The judges' scores reflected the bout's one-sidedness: 30-27, 30-27, 30-27, 30-26 and 30-26.
Clark advances to Tuesday's second round, where he'll face another Texan — either Ethan Eads of Dallas or Jkhory Gibson of LaMarque.
Earlier in the day, Moreu, displaying excellent body work and solid defense, won the first round against Leon on all five official scorecards. Round two was more competitive, and three of the five judges scored it for Leon.
Three judges scored the third and final round for Moreu, giving him the decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 28-29.)
Yoruba Moreu, his son's coach, was unable to make the trip to Pueblo for personal and work-related reasons. Three friends from the Santiago Boxing Club of Colorado Springs, Youngmi Troy, Yanai Ban Yasharala and Dae Dae Williams, worked Moreu Jr.'s corner on Monday.
Moreu Jr will face Joseph Subia of Atascadero, California in Tuesday's second round. Subia defeated Michael,Gaudreau of Fall River, Massachusetts by split (3-2) decision on Monday.
Another Albuquerque boxer, Marcelino Delgado, a 2023 state and regional Golden Gloves champion, couldn't match the hand speed of San Diego's Timothy Hardin on Monday in losing by unanimous decision.
The fight was more competitive than the scorecards — all five reading 30-27 for Hardin — and Delgado landed his share of solid shots. But his connect percentage was low against the much quicker Hardin, and there was no disputing the outcome.
Delgado was given a standing eight-count in the third round, though he didn't appear to be stunned.
Peralta's Alexa Garrobo and Las Cruces' Leon Hernandez are not scheduled to compete until Wednesday.
Garrobo, competing at 125 pounds, is matched against Californian Hernandez. Leon Hernandez, 147, is scheduled to face Florida's Benjamin Smith.
