(LITTLE ROCK, ARK.) – Months of qualifying and a full week of National Golden Gloves action culminated in a full night of championship bouts on Saturday night at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, Ark. Ten new national champions were crowned in an exciting night of competition, which featured several upsets.

Two-time defending champion Louie Byrd (Denver, Colo.) has won National Golden Gloves titles at both the 106-pound and 112-pound divisions in the past two years, but he stepped into the ring on Saturday night looking for his first title at the new 108-pound weight division. He accomplished his mission, defeating Santos Vasquez (Sun Valley, Nev.) in their light flyweight championship bout.  Byrd won a 5-0 decision over Vasquez to complete his own personal trifecta.

The flyweight division featured a highly anticipated bout between two-time Olympian Rau’shee Warren (Cincinnati, Ohio) and 17-year-old Gary Antonio Russell (Capitol Heights, Md.). The bout was action packed from the opening bell with both boxers landing hard, clean shots, but it was the experienced veteran coming out with the victory. Warren won a 5-0 decision over Russell to add the title of National Golden Gloves champion to his impressive list of accolades.

In featherweight action, two newcomers to the national scene faced off for the gold medal with Toka Kahn-Clary (Providence, R.I.) battling James Smith (Detroit, Mich.)  The bout went down to the final wire but it was Kahn-Clary pulling out the 4-1 decision to claim the featherweight crown.

A second defending champion grabbed a 2010 title in the lightweight division. 2009 titlist Erick Deleon (Detroit, Mich.) battled 17-year-old Damon Allen (Philadelphia, Pa.) in the fourth bout of the evening and once again, he emerged as a National Golden Gloves champion. Deleon won a 5-0 decision over Allen to reclaim the lightweight title.

Little Rock proved to be a successful locale for the Russell family once again as Gary Allen Russell III (Capitol Heights, Md.) duplicated the feat of his older brother, 2008 Olympian Gary Russell, Jr., who claimed his own Golden Gloves crown in Little Rock in 2005. Russell took on Mohamed Adam (Detroit, Mich.) in the light welterweight title bout. After having a point taken for low blows in the first round, Russell came back strong, giving Adam a standing eight count in the final round en route to a 5-0 decision and the light welterweight crown

The next two bouts showcased two upsets of reigning USA Boxing National Champions beginning with the welterweight division. Defending champion Errol Spence (Desoto, Texas) came in gunning for his second straight title, but his opponent David Grayton (Washington DC) had other plans. Grayton come on strong at the end of the bout to win the 3-2 split decision.

A similar story played out in the middleweight division as top ranked Terrell Gausha (Cleveland, Ohio) faced off with Ronald Ellis (Lynn, Mass.) in the championship bout. Ellis pulled off the second straight upset of the night, winning a 3-2 split decision over Gausha to win his first Golden Gloves crown.

2009 USA Boxing National Champion Robert Brant (Oakdale, Minn.) put a halt to the string of upsets in his light heavyweight title bout with Khalib Whitmore (Philadelphia, Pa.). Whitmore kept the heat on in an exciting and closely-contested title bout, but the smaller Brant didn’t back down. He won a 3-2 decision to claim the light heavyweight title.

In heavyweight action, former light heavyweight Steve Geffrard (Boca Raton, Fla.) made a successful move up to the higher weight division. Geffrard took on defending Golden Gloves and USA Boxing National Champion Jordan Shimmell (Hudsonville, Mich.) in the ninth bout of the evening and at the end of nine minutes of boxing, he was named the victor. Geffrard won a 4-1 decision over Shimmell to take the heavyweight crown.

Defending champion Lenroy Thompson (Lenexa, Kansas) and Roberto Morban (Bronx, N.Y.) faced off in the final bout of the 2010 National Golden Gloves with both looking to take home the super heavyweight title. Both boxers let their hands fly in a crowd-pleasing final bout and it was Morban  coming out with the victory and the final National Golden Gloves title of the 2010 event, winning a 4-1 decision over Thompson.

Saturday, May 8 – Championship Round Results
108 lbs: Louie Byrd, Denver, Colo. – Colorado-New Mexico dec. Santos Vasquez, Sun Valley, Nev. – Nevada, 5-0

114 lbs: Rau’shee Warren, Cincinnati, Ohio – Cincinnati dec. Gary Antonio Russell, Capitol Heights, Md. – Washington DC, 5-0
123 lbs: Toka Kahn-Clary, Providence, R.I. – New England dec. James Smith, Detroit, Mich. – Detroit, 4-1
132 lbs: Erick Deleon, Lincoln Park, Mich. – Detroit dec. Damon Allen, Philadelphia, Pa. – Pennsylvania, 5-0
141 lbs: Gary Allen Russell III, Capitol Heights, Md. – Washington DC dec. Mohamed Adam, Dearborn, Mich. – Detroit, 5-0
152 lbs: David Grayton, Washington D.C. – Washington DC dec. Errol Spence, Desoto, Texas – Texas, 3-2
165 lbs: Ronald Ellis, Lynn, Mass. – New England dec. Terrell Gausha, Cleveland, Ohio – Cleveland, 3-2
178 lbs: Robert Brant, Oakdale, Minn. – Upper Midwest dec. Khalib Whitmore, Philadelphia, Pa. – Pennsylvania, 3-2
201 lbs: Steve Geffrard, Boca Raton, Fla. – Florida dec. Jordan Shimmell – Hudsonville, Mich. – Michigan, 4-1
201+ lbs: Roberto Morban, Bronx, N.Y. – New York Metro dec. Lenroy Thompson, Lenexa, Kansas – Kansas City, 4-1