Ad
Boxing: Clark denied another National Open title
Rio Rancho’s Leroy Clark, right, battles Deonte Willis at the 2024 USA Boxing National Open in Albuquerque. Clark lost to Boston’s Gilbert Kabamba on Saturday in the 2025 National Open Elite Division super heavyweight title bout in Tulsa, Okla.
Published
Modified
The weight division was 198- pounds plus.
Plus.
In Tulsa, Okla., Rio Rancho’s Leroy Clark, a bit taller but far lighter, lost by split (4-1) decision Saturday to Boston’s Gilbert Kabamba in the Elite Division super heavyweight championship match at the USA Boxing National Open.
Clark was seeking to repeat as a National Open champion, having won the 2024 super heavyweight title at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
All was not lost on Saturday for New Mexico.
In a 165-pound Youth Division final, Rio Rancho’s Ariana Chavez defeated Eliana Alonzo of Rupert, Idaho by TKO (referee stopped contest).
Three Las Cruces boxers lost championship bouts Saturday:
Chris LaBounty was defeated by Lavant Brownlee in the Youth Division, 154 pounds.
Jorge Corral lost to Aliakbar Alboshebah, also in the Youth Division, 198-plus.
And in the Junior Division, 125-pound weight class, DeAndra Santos was defeated by Brijhana Epperson.
Ad
Two New Mexico boxers are coming home with gold medals: Chavez and Las Cruces’ Austin Sanchez, who defeated Hasan Myers of Hampton, Georgia on Friday in a 101-pound Bantam Division final.
In Saturday’s title bout, Clark threw more punches and probably landed more, flicking his right jab in Kabamba’s face out of his southpaw stance.
Four of five judges, though, favored Kabamba’s aggressiveness and the hard right hands he landed throughout the three rounds.
One judge scored the bout 30-27 for Clark, but three judges saw it 30-27 for Kabamba with one scoring it 29-28 for the Boston fighter.
