CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a previous story.
High-level boxing is coming to Cleveland.
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On Tuesday, the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission announced that the Wolstein Center, on Cleveland State's campus, will host the 2022 USA Boxing National Qualifier from April 23-30. The week-long tournament will serve as a qualifier to the 2022 USA Boxing National Championships for elite boxers, in addition to featuring boxers in the pee-wee to youth divisions.
“USA Boxing is looking forward to bringing a national tournament back to the state of Ohio,” USA Boxing Events Coordinator Taryn Cass said in a statement. “Cleveland has a rich boxing history, and we are excited for the local support and involvement from the boxing community there. Greater Cleveland Sports Commission put together a very competitive bid on behalf of their city, and we are confident that our partnership will produce an event that will continue the upward trend of growth and success USA Boxing has seen over the past few years."
Added David Gilbert, President and CEO of Greater Cleveland Sports Commission: “Cleveland is thrilled to welcome the 2022 USA Boxing National Qualifier this spring as it creates an amazing opportunity to celebrate our city’s long-standing history with the sport. “Through a strong partnership with USA Boxing and the Wolstein Center, our team is looking forward to working directly with local boxing clubs and other community organizations to make this a successful event and build on the diverse scope of events Cleveland has continually attracted."
Last year, three boxers from the state of Ohio represented Team USA at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, including Cleveland native Delante "Tiger" Johnson. The 23-year-old welterweight reached the quarterfinals of the Olympic tournament before being defeated by the eventual Gold medalist, Roniel Iglesias of Cuba.