DETROIT – After an impressive victory in the semi-finals, Metro Detroit Boxer Jirair Thompson punched his ticket to the final round of the 2024 National Golden Gloves in Detroit with a chance to bring home the gold.
The six-day event, which features over 300 of the best amateur boxers from around the nation, is hosted by The Metro Detroit Golden Gloves and Downtown Boxing Gym from May 13 to 18 at Huntington Place.
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In the quarter-finals on Thursday (May 16), Thompson faced Marco Jones of California in an excellent matchup.
In the opening round, the two fighters didn’t take much time to feel each other out. Both traded combinations to the head and body.
Jones attempted to counter Thompson as he launched combinations, but Thompson started to find a rhythm midway through the round. It was Thompson’s combinations versus Jones’ counters in a competitive round.
In the second round, the pace picked up where it left off, with both fighters trading combinations. The first half of the round was high action, with both fighters landing solid blows.
Midway through the round, Thompson started utilizing more movement around the ring to set up his attacks. He found success landing the 1-2 punch combination. The round closed with the fighters trading heavy blows.
In the third round, Thompson showed more urgency, stepping towards Jones with a mix of punches to the head and body.
Thompson found success landing the rear overhand throughout the round. Jones remained aggressive, trying to get in range to launch a barrage of punches.
Thompson’s fast hands allowed him to beat Jones to the punch and land hard counters. The round closed with the fighters trading punches at the end of the round.
The bout went to the judges’ scorecards, with Thompson scoring the split-decision victory.
In the semi-finals on May 17, Thompson put on a dominating performance against Bryan Bito of Hawaii.
In the first round, both fighters sought to establish their jab from the outside. Bito was the taller, longer fighter, but Thompson quickly found his jab by moving around the ring.
The jab set up openings for the rear overhand, which has seemingly become a signature punch for Thompson throughout the tournament. Bito returned fire, but Thompson’s footwork prevented him from escaping Bito’s attacks. Thompson ended the round with a sharp combination to the head and body.
Thompson again displayed good movement around the ring in the second round. He landed the jab and circled around the ring as Bito stalked forward.
Thompson controlled this slower pace round by racking up points with the jab and avoiding punches.
Thompson’s consistent jab and movement made it challenging for Bito to set up his own attacks. Bito remained aggressive throughout the round, but his aggression was turned against him when Thompson landed a hard counter left hand at the end of the round.
In the final round, Thompson continued to use movement and jabs to dominate the fight from long range.
His superior foot and hand speed allowed him to beat Bito to the punch throughout the fight.
In the first half of the round, Thompson landed four straight jabs to the head of Bito.
Thompson started landing nearly at will, landing heavy blows to the head and body.
The round ended with both fighters landing combinations. The bout went to the judges’ scorecards, with Thompson scoring the unanimous decision victory.
After Thompson was announced the winner, he put the bronze medal around Bito’s neck. Team Metro Detroit secured three bronze medals: Sofiia Neznaioma (110lbs/F), Jasmine Hampton(125lbs/F), and Samantha Marinelli (165lbs/F).
Thompson advanced to the finals with an opportunity to win a gold medal, which begins Saturday (May 18).
Tickets for National Golden Gloves finals are available online and at the door.