By Emily Goddard

raynell_williams_15-06-11June 15 - Over 330 of the best Olympic-quality boxers, including eight returning champions, a 2008 US Olympian and numerous former titlists, will take the ring on the opening day of action at the 2011 USA Boxing National Championships, which take place next week in Colorado Springs.


Light flyweight Louie Byrd, bantamweight Joseph Diaz Jr., lightweight Jose Ramirez, light welterweight Pedro Sosa, welterweight Errol Spence, middleweight Luis Arias, light heavyweight Jeffery Spencer, and super heavyweight Lenroy "Cam" Thompson will all look to defend their 2010 crowns at the 2011 edition of the Championships, which is the longest running amateur boxing tournament in the States.

2008 US Featherweight Olympian Raynell Williams (pictured) and 2008 US Olympic Team Trials super heavyweight champion Michael Hunter will both be working to add a 2011 USA Boxing National Championship in a new weight class to their already impressive accolades.

Williams has moved up to the lightweight division for his second run at Olympic gold, while Hunter has slimmed down to the heavyweight division.

With the top four finishers in each of the 10 men's weight divisions qualifying for the US Olympic Team Trials, all of the participants are looking to make a statement and stake their claim as the favourite in their weight division.

The middleweight division promises excitement from start to finish with three current or former national champions and a young rising star all chasing USA Boxing National Championships gold.

The 2011 National Golden Gloves champion Jesse Hart hopes to avenge his tiebreaker loss to reigning champion Arias last year.

Eighteen-year-old Daquan Arnett pulled out a victory over Arias at the recent Golden Gloves but lost to eventual champion Hart in the event final.

The 2009 National Champion Terrell Gausha has been honing his skills in the World Series of Boxing over the last six months and is looking for another national title in the stacked weight class.

The lightweight division boasts a deep roster as well with 2010 National PAL Champion Kenneth Sims, Jr., former USA Boxing National Team members Adrian Martinez and Toka Kahn Clary challenging Ramirez and Williams for the lightweight title.

In light welterweight action, 2011 National Golden Gloves titlist Michael Reed hopes to claim a long-awaited victory over Sosa after dropping the championship bout in 2010.

The 2010 National Golden Gloves champion Gary Allen Russell III has traded bouts with his fellow Washington DC area native, and could face Reed for the third time in 2011 in Colorado Springs.

The 2011 USA Boxing National Championships will begin at the Colorado Springs Christian School with preliminary action on June 20 and 21, before the all-important quarterfinal bouts on June 22.

Semi-final action will be contested on June 23 and the consolation bouts will take place on June 24.

The event will move to the historic City Auditorium for the women's non-Olympic bouts on June 25 and culminate with 13 Olympic weight class bouts in the evening.

The top four finishers in the 13 Olympic weight divisions, which include 10 male weight classes and three female weight divisions, will all earn berths in the US Olympic Team Trials.

Having been held annually since 1888, the USA Boxing National Championships consistently showcases future Olympians and future World Champions, including Muhammad Ali (as Cassius Clay), Pernell Whitaker, Oscar De La Hoya, Sugar Ray Leonard, Floyd Mayweather, Jr., and Andre Ward.

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