Cardente climbs ladder with Vt. title
Toolbox
By Chuck Clarino Rutland Herald Staff - Published: February 9, 2009
BURLINGTON – Windsor's Matt Cardente defied the odds and became a Vermont Golden Gloves champion, but his business isn't finished.
Cardente turned in his third-straight impressive performance, won the super heavyweight novice title and was named the Outstanding Boxer at the Vermont Golden Gloves Tournament Saturday before a packed Memorial Auditorium.
The 19-year-old, who started boxing to lose weight and in the process discovered that he had the makings of a champion, battered a much-taller Justin Tempke of Berlin, N.H. with bombs to the head and body and gained a second-round TKO when the referee stopped the bout at 1:59.
"I had to get inside and kept working inside," said the Windsor native who trimmed down from 350 to 280 pounds. "I hit him with six body shots right there before the end and he just crumbled.
"I was working hard and love doing this but I want to be the New England champion so bad, I've been training five or six days a week for a year."
It might have been hard to take the burly Cardente seriously. Dressed in the green and gold of Windsor, he had what appeared to be transparent packing tape wrapped around his midsection to keep his trunks over his protective gear. Each week the 5-foot-9 Cardente was considerably shorter than his opponent and was at a reach disadvantage. But each Saturday of the tournament, Cardente let his fists do the talking and displayed tremendous stamina, punching power and desire in dispatching his foe.
"Now we've got to take it to the next step: Go down to the New Englands and keep on going," said Cardente's coach/trainer John George. "He's got a heart as big as a house. But you can see what's happening; they can't believe that a guy who looks like he does is on top of them and that just puts everything together."
Next Cardente takes his 7-3 record to the New England Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions in Lowell, Mass., Feb. 10-13.
The final night of the tournament that ran three successive Saturdays featured a card of 15 bouts with championships awarded in the novice and open classifications in men's and women's divisions. All winners advance to the New England tournament.
It was another fine night for the Springfield Boxing Club, another Connecticut River Valley team.
"We got two golds and a silver," gushed coach/trainer Bob Obdrzalek, who beamed with an ear-to-ear smile.
Springfield's Roger Cawvey won the 132-pound open division by decision over Lucien Benway of Precision Boxing of South Burlington. Also, Brittany Daniels of Springfield earned a decision over Claremont, N.H., boxer Jenna Pouquette at 141 pounds. Meanwhile, teammate Todd Jackson lost a tough decision to Claremont's Ricky Ford at 141 pounds.
Cawvey improved to 6-1 and adds the Golden Gloves title to the New England amateur title he won last fall in Portland, Maine.
Daniels, a 23-year-old Springfield High School grad, won in her first-ever amateur bout, taking the fight to Pouquette in the second round and finishing strong in the third to gain the nod of the judges.
Jackson fought well but Ford presented a difficult matchup and was elusive so the 22-year-old timber framer's record fell to 5-2.
One of the best stories is that of Poultney's John Hollister, who won a narrow decision over Jeff Massidda of Jass Boxing in Berwick, Maine, to claim the 178-pound crown. Hollister worked the graveyard shift at International Paper Company in Ticonderoga, N.Y., Friday night and after his boxing match and a shower was headed back to IPC for his Saturday night shift.
The unassuming Hollister, who had been training off and on for four years, finally realized his dream and yet was more eager to praise his opponent rather than crow about himself.
"I fought a really nice kid; he was one hell of a guy," Hollister said. "A couple of times we got hung up and actually told each other to break. I love fighting guys like him, he's a great guy and I actually thought he won the fight."
That mutual respect didn't stop each from landing big punches in what was a ring war.
Rutland City Boxing Club's Josh Webster lost a tough decision to Precision's Kevin Cobbs in the heavyweight title bout. Cobbs stayed away from Webster and was able to score with some big punches, while limiting the damage Webster could exact.
"He had a good right hand but I should have been a little more active myself," said Webster, whose record dropped to 5-2. "What are you going to do you know? I felt like I got tied up a lot and held but I'm not one to bitch.
"Hey, you do what you can and come back next year twice as strong."
Webster's trainer Cal Josselyn Jr. thought that Webster fell prey to a more experienced and cagy boxer. Not only was he facing a boxer with considerably more ring time but he had to wait around more than two hours before his fight.
"You learn from that," said Josselyn. "In amateur boxing early in your career, that's where your losses come. It's all part of the learning process. It makes you a little hungrier and things that you hear in the gym start to make more sense.
"But I'm proud. He trained hard and gave it his all and that's all I can ask for."
Windsor Boxing Club's Stephanie Steeves also lost a tough decision to Amber Schaefer of 9th State Boxing out of Plymouth, N.H., at 132 pounds.
Claremont's Eddie Ferris won the Jimmy Sheridan Coach/Trainer Award. Carrier won the Benji Bonilla Sportsmanship Award
In other novice title bouts: Shane Lefebvre of Bantam Boxing won a decision over Anthony Pyper of Precision at 119 pounds; Bobby Joe Leclair of Berlin (N.H.) Boxing won a decision over David Carrier of Claremont at 152 pounds; Leslie Jenness of Claremont won a decision over Cory Anderson of Bantam.
In open championship bouts: Casey Kramwich of Portland (Maine) Boxing won a decision over James McMillen of Burlington at 141 pounds; Jimmy Smith of Portland Boxing won a decision over Tony Allard of West Burke Boxing at 152 pounds; Russell Lamour of Portland Boxing won a decision over Jason Carrier of Claremont Boxing; Josh McAuliffe of Wyman's Boxing won by second-round TKO over Keith Derrig of Portland Boxing at 178; Shane Kimber of Bantam Boxing won by default.
chuck.clarino@rutlandherald.com
38