TULSA, Okla. \u2014 One unanimous decision, one split decision and one RSC, but none in favor of the Pennsylvania boxers who fought Friday in the semifinals of the 2026 National Golden Gloves at Arvest Convention Center.<\/p>\n
Lancaster\u2019s Jasiah \u201cMonster\u201d Ortiz (67-21) of Lancaster City Boxing Academy was clearly confident when he entered the ring. He met Nieem Somerville of Washington, D.C.\u2019s team at center ring and stared him down.<\/p>\n
Somerville, ranked No. 5 at 154-pounds, elite male, by USA Boxing, and Ortiz know each other. They\u2019ve sparred and been matched up multiple times over the past decade.<\/p>\n
While Ortiz has won against Somerville, that wasn\u2019t the case Friday.<\/p>\n
After a decent first round \u2014 one the judges gave unanimously to Somerville \u2014 Ortiz didn\u2019t up his game the way he needed to in round two.<\/p>\n
He did land several solid jabs in round three but Somerville had a strong counter each time. Somerville nailed Ortiz with an uppercut to the chin and got an eight on him.<\/p>\n
Following his victory Friday by unanimous decision, Somerville won the championship on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Coach Will Torres of Lancaster City was clearly disappointed by Friday\u2019s result.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got a little outworked,\u201d he said of Ortiz.<\/p>\n
Torres added that the 5-0 decision in round one was \u201cunexpected.\u201d It he and his team off their game plan and they rushed the rest of the match.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a tough fight against a tough opponent,\u201d said Ortiz, who earned a bronze medal.<\/p>\n
Neither he nor Torres agreed with the judges\u2019 scoring.<\/p>\n
The Golden Gloves is an advancing tournament, with boxers competing four or five nights in a row, depending on far they get.<\/p>\n
This was the first National Golden Gloves for Ortiz, although not his first national tournament.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of competition back-to-back,\u201d Ortiz said, adding that it took a toll.<\/p>\n
In a 4-1 split decision, Reading\u2019s Saviel \u201cPretty Boy Tato\u201d Torres (32-11) of East Reading Boxing Club lost a 131-pound semifinal to No. 7-ranked Yu\u2019shore Williams (150-20 as coach reported) of Toledo, Ohio.<\/p>\n
Saviel Torres was aggressive from the first bell, landing two- and three-punch combos, targeting Williams\u2019 head and body.<\/p>\n
Then at the end of round one he took a straight right to his head and went down. The ref didn\u2019t call an eight and the bell sounded the end of the round.<\/p>\n
Williams, a bouncing southpaw, handled round two from the center of the ring, but the combatants went toe-to-toe in round three.<\/p>\n
Torres wound up in the corner and the ref stopped and separated the boxers.<\/p>\n
The match resumed and Torres landed the last blow, a left to Williams\u2019 face a split second before the final bell.<\/p>\n
It was a slick finish, but it wasn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n
Saviel Torres had no comment after the match. He left the field of play, followed by teammates Jaysonet Caleb \u201cBoogie Man\u201d Martinez, (37-13) of Jinji Boxing Club and Jerimiah \u201cDrip\u201d Munoz (51-23) of Lancaster City.<\/p>\n
Both Martinez and Munoz knew the pain of loss. They\u2019d gone through it earlier in the week.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m proud, he did great,\u201d coach Will Torres said of Saviel Torres.<\/p>\n
Saviel Torres is \u201cvery fast, very tricky, hard to time,\u201d Williams\u2019 coach, Robert Mumford said.<\/p>\n
Will Torres pointed out that the tournament brought together the \u201ctop, the elite-elite\u201d of the amateur boxing world.<\/p>\n
A bronze is no small achievement when faced with that level of competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s hurt,\u201d Will Torres said of Saviel Torres. \u201cEmotionally, his heart\u2019s broken.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elyssa \u201cHeavy Hands\u201d Spring, (9-3, two walkovers) was a spectator Friday.<\/p>\n
She\u2019d had time to process her Thursday night loss to California\u2019s Emma Nayanel and was snacking on Sour Patch Kids, sharing them with her teammates.<\/p>\n
A sweet-sour candy might not fix a broken heart, but it couldn\u2019t hurt after days of staying on weight.<\/p>\n
The Pennsylvania team\u2019s hopes of a championship were crushed one-minute and 19 seconds into the third round of Dragan \u201cHawaiian Punch\u201d Radusewicz\u2019s 176-pound confrontation with James Hoak of Salt Lake City.<\/p>\n
Hoak, a southpaw, had the reach and he used it.<\/p>\n
Radusewicz, who trains at G-Force Athletic Club near Pittsburgh, had the power and he used that. In round one, he landed solid rights and one-two combos. Defending against Hoak\u2019s reach, Radusewicz (11-4) shelled up, then exploded out.<\/p>\n
A left snapped out by Hoak, followed by a combo, had Radusewicz against the ropes in round two. Then three clean, long, punches earned Hoak an eight over Radusewicz.<\/p>\n
The round three stoppage gave the victory to Hoak and angered Radusewicz\u2019s coach, Ted Mrkonja.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe shouldn\u2019t have stopped that,\u201d Mrkonja said. \u201cDragan won the first round, Utah won the second.\u201d<\/p>\n
Multiple people voiced their disagreement with the ref\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n
But in the ring seconds after the ref\u2019s call, the combatants hugged and conversed.<\/p>\n
From center ring, they listened as the announcer called out the result. The ref raised Hoak\u2019s hand and Radusewicz pointed at and clapped for the man who\u2019d just defeated him.<\/p>\n
Hoak said he had \u201cmad respect\u201d for Radusewicz, calling him a \u201ctough guy\u201d but still \u201cchill.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe caught me with an upper cut \u2014 cleanest shot (I\u2019ve taken) in a while,\u201d Hoak said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best fight I\u2019ve ever been in in my life,\u201d Radusewicz said.<\/p>\n
Despite the loss, Radusewicz didn\u2019t hang his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m happy being here,\u201d he said. \u201cNo matter what, I\u2019m better. I met good people,.\u201d<\/p>\n
He then gestured at the Pennsylvania boxers and coaches a few yards away, still debating the timing of the stoppage.<\/p>\n
\u201cI met my team,\u201d Radusewicz said, and smiled.<\/p>\n
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