Buffalo Rising Online

Mar 31st 2007, 5:07pm By Dave Staba

Two days before he leaves to test himself against some of the country’s top amateur boxers at the Midwestern Olympic Trials in Cincinnati, it wouldn’t have been shocking if Lionell Thompson of Buffalo looked past a less-seasoned opponent.

But in the finals of the Capital Management Services Golden Gloves West Regional at McKinley High School on Friday, Thompson stayed focused while pounding out a unanimous decision over Aleem Whitfield of Geneva in the finals of the 178-pound open division.

Though all five judges gave the edge to Thompson after four rounds, Whitfield did not go easily. He frustrated Thompson, who was tied for the seventh spot in the most recent USA Boxing rankings, at times with his movement and lived up to his nickname, “Hammer,” with several strong right hands.

“He was tall and tougher and faster than I expected,” Thompson said. “But I knew if I kept the pressure on and worked the jab, eventually I’d get him.”

The pattern was set in the opening moments of the first round, with Whitfield working behind his jab. Thompson focused on the body, then staggered Whitfield with a right to the face late in the round.

Thompson knocked Whitfield into the ropes with a left hook in the second, then using the jab more, including as a set up for a strong right cross just before the bell.

In the third, Thompson landed several overhand rights in the first minute, then jabbed the rest of the round. He showed his defensive skills in the fourth, blocking Whitfield’s shots and throwing enough body shots to maintain his lead.

“We weren’t going to try to box him,” said Thompson’s trainer, Don Patterson, whose DIAAB management organized the tournament, which began March 23. “We wanted to show the strength difference.”

With the win, Thompson moves on to the New York State Golden Gloves tournament in Syracuse April 13 and 14. On Sunday, he leaves for Cincinnati along with Excell Holmes, who also trains under Patterson at the Northwest Community Center.

Fighters can earn a spot in the qualifying tournament for the 2008 U.S. Olympic team in a variety of ways, including winning the national Golden Gloves, which are in Chattanooga, Tenn., from May 30 to June 5 or through the Olympic Trials.

Thompson said he’ll try every route possible to get to Beijing in 2008.

“However I get there, I plan on fighting a lot,” he said. “I think I’m the best in the world, and hopefully I can prove that.”

Johnny Davis of Niagara Falls, who also trains with Patterson, won the super-heavyweight title by knocking out Rochester’s Emmanuel Moultre.

Another Niagara Falls boxer, Edward Weiser IV (pictured, wearing black) won the 178-pound sub-novice title by decision over Robert Hernandez of Rochester.

The evening’s final two bouts were among the most entertaining.

In one sub-novice super-heavyweight bout, Paul DeLong of Geneva won a decision over Aaron Maracle of Buffalo in a close match that earned “Fight of the Night” honors.

That title could have also gone to another super-heavyweight bout, which saw Muhammad Salahudeen eke out a hard-fought win over Guy Mabee of Salamanca.

No small young man himself, Salahudeen was dwarfed by the 7-foot, 356-pound Mabee, who was in only the third fight of his amateur career.

While Salahudeen was the aggressor for much of the bout and landed more punches, Mabee proved an agile big man, using his long arms to keep his opponent outside, while landing a number of heavy right hands and bloodying the Buffalo fighter’s nose.

At one point, Salahudeen landed a right flush on Mabee’s chin to no discernible effect, causing Salahudeen to shake his head in apparent amazement.

And moments before the final bell, Mabee scored with one last right, then nodded his head, smiling with satisfaction.