THE GREATEST AND MOST HONEST SPORT THERE IS IS THE SPORT OF AMATEUR BOXING. UNLIKE PROFESSIONAL BOXING, WHERE MANY OF THE BOUTS ARE MISMATCHES DUE TO THE PROMOTER AND MATCHMAKER WHO TRY TO BUILD UP THEIR TICKET SELLER AND THE PEOPLE REGULATING PROFESSIONAL BOXING ARE FOR THE MOST PART POLITICALLY APPOINTED, AMATEUR BOXING BOUTS ARE EVENLY MATCHED AND THE PEOPLE RUNNING AMATEUR BOXING HAVE ALL BEEN IN THE GAME SINCE THEIR TEEN AGE YEARS AND DO SO FROM THEIR HEART AS THEY RECEIVE NO PAY.

THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS BOXING TOURNAMENT IS THE GOLDEN GLOVES TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS WHERE THE OPEN CHAMPIONS GO ON TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL GOLDEN GLOVES OF AMERICA TOURNAMENT WHICH CONSISTS OF 32 CITIES (FRANCHISES) FROM AROUND THE USA INCLUDING
HAWAII.
THE TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS WAS HELD IN CHICAGO AND SPONSORED BY THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE FROM 1928 TILL 1963 WHEN THE TRIBUNE DISCONTINUED THEIR SPONSORSHIP.

IN 1964 IT WAS PICKED UP BY STAN GALLUP AND NAMED THE GOLDEN GLOVES OF AMERICA AND WAS HELD IN LOUISVILLE, KY
THE CHICAGO TEAM DID NOT PARTICIPATE THAT YEAR AS THE LOCAL TOURNAMENT WAS BEING HELD ON THE SAME DATES.

EACH YEAR THE TOURNAMENT IS HELD IN A DIFFERENT CITY IN THE USA.

IN 1965 IT WENT TO KANAS CITY, MO AND CHICAGO DID NOT HAVE ANY WINNERS.
JERRY QUARRY WON THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP IN KANSAS CITY SCORING ALL HIS WINS BY KNOCKOUT.

1970 WAS THE FIRST YEAR CHICAGO HAD A WINNER AND IT WAS 132 LB. EDDIE LEE MURRAY OF THE WEST SIDE. BILLY BOY THOMPSON OF JOLIET WON THE HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION, BEATING GUYS LIKE RON LYLE AND ERNIE SHAVERS. THE TOURNAMENT WAS HELD IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

OTHER CHAMPIONS FROM CHICAGO WERE 1977 HELD IN HONOLULU, HAWAII 119 LB. WAYNE LYNUM OF WENTWORTH GARDENS, 1979 IN INDIANAPOLIS, IN WAS 178 LB. LEROY MURPHY WHO WENT ON TO WIN THE WORLD TITLE AT CRUISERWEIGHT.
THE 1981 CHICAGO HAD TWO WINNERS IN TOLEDO, OHIO 132 LB. PRIMO RAMOS OF THE CYO & 178 LB. JOHNNY WILLIAMS OF THE WINDY CITY GYM.

CHICAGO DID NOT HAVE A WINNER AGAIN UNTIL THE 1987 TOURNAMENT HELD IN KNOXVILLE, TN WHEN TERRY MCGROOM OF THE MATADOR BOXING CLUB BEAT THE DEFENDING CHAMPION HARVEY RICHARDS FOR THE 178 LB. CHAMPIONSHIP.
MCGROOM ALSO WON THE 1988 IN OMAHA, NE, 1989 WHEN IT RETURNED TO KNOXVILLE & 1992 WHEN IT WAS HELD AT THE ROSEMONT HORIZON BUT HE REPRESENTED SPRINGFIELD, IL 1992 ANTHONY STEWART OF THE MATADOR BC WON THE 165 LB. CHAMPIONSHIP.

1993 THE TOURNAMENT WAS HELD IN LITTLE ROCK, AK WHERE A 16 YEAR OLD DAVID DIAZ OF HAMLIN PARK WON THE 139 LB. TITLE.. DAVID ALSO WON THE 139 LB. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AT MILWAUKEE, WI IN 1994 AND 1996 HE WON WHEN IT WAS HELD IN CLEVELAND, OHIO. DAVID WENT ON TO REPRESENT THE USA AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN ATLANTA GA THAT YEAR AND TODAY IS THE WBC LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD.
NATE JONES OF THE MATADORS WON THE 1994 HEAVYWEIGHT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AND IN 1995 HE WON REPRESENTING SPRINGFIELD, IL BEATING FRES OQUENDO IN THE SEMIFINALS IN LOWELL, MASS.
NATE ALSO WON A BRONZE MEDAL IN THE ATLANTA GAMES.

1996 LUIS PEREZ OF HAMLIN PARK WON AT 112 LB. AND LOST IN THE FINALS OF THE OLYMPIC TRIALS.

1997 CHICAGO HAD TWO WINNERS, 119 LB. EVARISTO RODRIGUEZ OF HUMBOLT PARK AND 125 LB. JOSE HERNANDEZ OF THE NORTH SHORE BC. THE TOURNAMENT WAS IN DENVER, CO

THE NEXT AND LAST WINNER FROM CHICAGO WAS 112 LB. FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ OF THE HUMBOLT PARK BC & BROTHER OF EVARISTO WHEN THE TOURNAMENT WAS HELD IN RENO, NEVADA.
NEXT MONTH THE WINNERS FROM 1928 THRU 1963.

SEAN CURTIN.