Broussard wins National Junior Golden Gloves title

CROWLEY – After watching fellow Crowley Kiwanis boxer Tyrese Cormier lose a close decision in the 70-pound division of the 2010 National Junior Golden Gloves Championships in Mesquite, Nevada last weekend, Malik Broussard decided he wasn’t going to leave his fate in the judges’ hands.

“Tyrese’s fight was close and we all thought he had won, but the judges didn’t see it that way,” said Broussard. “I didn’t want my fight to be left up to the judges.”

Broussard came out firing on all cylinders in his 145-pound championship bout, hitting Marco Alverez with a flurry of hooks and upper cuts that led to a standing eight count shortly after the first bell.

Broussard continued the pressure after the eight count and hammered Alverez with another uppercut that ended the fight.

“He (Alverez) looked scared,” said Broussard. “I went right back after him and hit him with a hard uppercut that snapped his head back and the referee stopped it.”

The title was Broussard’s first at the national level. He made it to the semifinals of the event back in 2008 and took the next year off before returning to the ring in 2010.

“Malik went out and did what he had to do,” said Crowley Kiwanis boxing coach Arthur Scott. “The fight didn’t last long.”

For Cormier, losing a close bout in the championship round of the 70-pound division was a heartbreaker. But it didn’t put a damper on the show he put on the entire weekend.

Cormier dominated in his first two fights, defeating Dylan Price in the quarterfinals before topping Edgar Carrasco in the semifinals.

“Tyrese was on the big stage and he performed all three days,” said Scott.

Crowley’s third participate at nationals, Alex George, was eliminated in the quarterfinals, losing a close bout to Ivan Cardenas.

“Alex was the least experienced fighter there,” said Scott. “He just started boxing this year but he’s a tough kid and he performed well.

“All three of our boxers had an outstanding showing. They all know that they are just as good as anybody in the country and they proved that. They put the Rice Capital on the map. If they stay for the long haul, you could be looking at future Olympians.

The trio was in action again last night, fighting in Shreveport.

Broussard was scheduled to take on Joel Montoya of Mississippi, who won the National Junior Golden Gloves title last weekend in the 15-16 year old 132-pound division.