Howell PAL hosting Diamond Gloves card

Amateur boxing matches

to be held Saturday at Howell High School

Chris Hill can tell from the first time that he sees a would-be boxer at the Howell Police Athletic League Boxing Club if he is going to last, or quickly turn around and leave.

"The first thing we do is have them jump rope for three rounds, run the tires and hit the heavy bag," said Hill, a patrolman in the Howell Police Department and the director of the Howell PAL Club. "We have them do that before they ever step into the ring. We want to make sure they are in shape and ready to box.

"I’ve seen a lot of kids leave before they’re done jumping rope," he added. "We do these drills to find out who’s serious about boxing or not."

Tim Pilesky and Rob Racz work out at the Howell PAL Boxing Club on West Farms Road in the township.

The Howell PAL Boxing Club has been very successful over the years not only in producing Golden Gloves winners and some pros, most notably Sal Lopez from Howell, Brick’s Frank Savannah and current pro Philip Thrasher from Asbury Park, but also in keeping teen-agers off the streets and building a rapport with the police.

"Boxing gives kids self-respect and they learn how to protect themselves," Hill pointed out. "Most come to the gym to learn how to box and defend themselves. What keeps them coming back is the camaraderie they share with the other boxers.

"We get boxers from all over and it’s a chance for the kids to meet kids from other towns and get to know them," he added.

The teens also have a chance to see policemen through a different lens which is a bonus for both.

"Kids come in with the wrong perception of police officers," explained Hill. "They get to see us in a different environment at the boxing club and they leave with a different perception."

On Saturday night, most of the club’s boxers will be in action when the Howell PAL presents Diamond Gloves action at Howell High School starting at 7 p.m. There will be 25 to 30 matches on the card, featuring boxers making their amateur debut to amateur veterans looking to qualify for the national championships later this year.

The Diamond Gloves are different from the Golden Gloves because it is an open competition. Boxers can make their amateur debuts here. Boxers ranging in age from 12 to 30 will be in action on Saturday in weight classes that begin at 94 pounds and go up to heavyweight. Boxers will be classified by their weight and experience. No one making their debut is going to box against someone who has fought before. For many of the Howell PAL boxers, according to Hill, they will be fighting someone they don’t know for the first time.

The boxing card is to raise funds for the Howell PAL Boxing Club so that it can send its team to the National PAL Championships in Disney World, Orlando, Fla., this summer. Last year, the club sent three boxers to the national championships.

The local Howell PAL Boxing Club boxers who will be in action on Saturday night include Freehold’s Greg Quarantello and Morgan Quinones (who is making his debut); Lakewood’s Andrew Romano, who at age 12 will be the youngest on the card; Giovanni Mercedes of Long Branch, Greg Eckman of Wall, who is making his debut; and Stanley Davis of Hightstown, who also is making his debut.

Boxing celebrities will be on hand Saturday night. Howard Davis, an Olympic champion for the United States in 1984, will be at Howell with his club team from North Jersey. Also expected to be in Howell is former heavyweight contender Gerry Cooney, who runs a club in Long Island,N.Y., that is sending some of its boxers to the competition.

Tickets for the Diamond Gloves are $12 ringside; $10 general admission. Tickets may be purchased at Wawa stores or by calling the Howell PAL at (732) 938-9219.