JEROSON GARDUWARD BOXING FOR THIRD WIN AT LAST CHANCE QUALIFIERS AS REST OF TEAM MN BEGINS COMPETITION TODAY

Jeroson Garduward of Cottage Grove, MN will box in the quarterfinals this afternoon at the 2023 USA Boxing Last Chance Qualifier in Pueblo, Colorado. Garduward has won two bouts already this week and faces Eric Valencia of Bethany, NY in a 132 pound elite male bout. You can watch the action live (for a fee at usaboxing.org).

Also representing team Minnesota today in his first bout of the tournament will be Saint Paul’s Moo Thaw of the Backyard Boxing gym. Thaw will box Kenario Davidson of Montgomery, AL in a 119 pound elite bout. Both boxers compete in the Noon session in ring 2. Garduward will be up in bout #10 and Thaw will be #13. Boxing tomorrow is 112 pounder Hser Htoo who is also from Saint Paul and boxing out of The Backyard Boxing Gym. Htoo holds two National competition wins and is set to begin competition on Friday. Adam Umland was the final boxer set to compete at 178 pounds but has already secured a spot in December’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Lafayette, La due to National wins accumulated and will not box this week.

Garduward has turned heads in Colorado in his two decisive wins thus far. Tuesday’s victory came against #4 seeded (out of 24) Steve Johnson of California. The Minnesotan says that things feel different than previous National tournaments in which he had come up short. He says that he is better prepared mentally heading into matches now and giving opponents less respect while in the ring.

“Both fights (in this tournament) in a way mirrored fights I lost when I was a novice. They were way better versions of the same kind of fighters that I’ve faced before.” Garduward told MN Boxing on Wednesday afternoon describing the boxers he has defeated this week.

“ It really showed me how far I’ve come in such a short time and what I’ve learned from those experiences. As a matter of fact, I’m glad I lost those fights. Experience is everything as my coach Morgan (McDonald) says and I’m so lucky to learn those lessons so early. When my foot is on the pedal I’m hard to hit, I’m hard to figure out, and punches come at you from everywhere. My gym mates give me more problems then what I’m facing here. It’s been easy so far.”

The 2023 Last Chance Qualifier is the final chance to secure their spot at December’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Lafayette, La. The six-day qualifying event features both male and females in the youth divisions (ages 17 to 18) as well as the elite category (ages 19 to 39).