Nedia Ibarra Reaches National Golden Gloves Finals

Tulsa female boxer Neida Ibarra has reached the finals of the Golden Gloves of America National Tournament of Champions, defeating three other competitors this week, Aaron Sloan, vice-president of the Kansas-Oklahoma Golden Gloves Franchise and owner of Tulsa’s Engine Room Boxing Gym, announced today. Oklahoma City boxer, Carlos Hernandez, is also competing tonight for a championship title. Preliminary rounds in this prestigious national amateur boxing championship, which was canceled in 2020 due to Covid-19, have taken place all week long at the recently remodeled Cox Business Convention Center.

The Engine Room Boxing Gym, in collaboration with the Tulsa Sports Commission and the Kansas-Oklahoma Golden Gloves Franchise, is coordinating this event. Sprinkler Fitters Local Union 669, UA is the title sponsor of the tournament.

“We are so proud of the way all of our boxers have fought this week,” says Coach Aaron Sloan. “With Neida and Carlos in the finals, it’s a great moment for Oklahoma boxing and our Kansas Oklahoma Golden Gloves Franchise. The fighters who compete tonight are the best amateur boxers in the nation. It will be an exciting night of boxing at the highest level of competition this sport has to offer.”

My son @giomarquez36 advances to the finals of national golden gloves tmrw in Tulsa,Oklahoma Support TMT The Márquez Team 🥊🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/1PS9Ju0l1x

— Raul Marquez (@RaulMarquez92) August 14, 2021

Male and female amateur boxers ages 18-40 from across the United States, representing 30 Golden Gloves franchises, have been competing in ten weight classes in this USA Boxing-sanctioned championship.

Previous host cities include Chattanooga, Omaha, Las Vegas, and Kansas City. Former National Golden Gloves champions include outstanding boxers like Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, and Oklahoma’s own Allan Green (2002), Eric Fields (2005 & 2006) and Aaron Morales (2017).

Legendary professional boxer, “Irish” Micky Ward, will be the VIP guest on the final night of the championship. Ward will participate in a private sponsor reception prior to the championship fights Sat. Aug. 14 and welcome the audience from the ring before the fights begin. Former professional fighters, Alex Saucedo and Allan Green, along with Danny O’Connor (rapper and founding member of hip-hop group House of Pain and creator of the Outsiders House Museum) will also attend.

Finals Night of the Golden Gloves of America National Tournament of Champions

Aug. 14, 2021

Cox Business Convention Center, Tulsa OK

Tickets are available at TicketStorm.com or at the door ($25/Kids 10 & under free)

National Golden Gloves began in 1923 when Chicago Tribune Sports Editor Arch Ward conceived the idea of a newspaper-sponsored citywide amateur boxing tournament. Champions were awarded a miniature golden glove. Many great professional boxers have launched their early athletic careers participating as amateurs in Golden Gloves tournaments.

“Irish” Micky Ward competed professionally from 1985-2003. He’s widely known for his series of three fights with Arturo Gatti, two of which received “Fight of the Year” awards from Ring magazine.

About the Tulsa Sports Commission In 1993, the Tulsa Sports Commission (TSC) was created to attract and develop sporting events and conventions for economic impact on the Tulsa community. Since its inception, the TSC has accounted for more than $500 million in economic impact to the Tulsa region by helping attract, market and host championships and sports-related events and conventions to the region. The TSC is a founding member of the National Association of Sports Commissions and lives within the Tulsa Regional Tourism umbrella organization.

About Tulsa Regional Tourism Tulsa Regional Tourism is northeast Oklahoma’s premier accredited destination marketing organization. Housed at the Tulsa Regional Chamber, it includes the Tulsa Convention and Visitors Bureau; the Tulsa Sports Commission, a sports sales and marketing organization; and the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture, an accredited film commission.

The Engine Room Boxing Gym www.engineroomboxing.com at 316 E. 11th Street is owned and operated by Aaron Sloan, a registered cardiac nurse, Vice-President of the Kansas-Oklahoma Golden Gloves franchise, and a USA Boxing-certified coach, judge and referee. The Engine Room offers competition and fitness training, as well as the Ready to Fight Parkinson’s Specific program. Developed by Coach Sloan in 2016, RTF is now the official therapy-boxing program of USA Boxing.