Latest news with #GoldenGloves
Daily Tribune
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Tribune
Stephen Wilson Jr's first concert in Bahrain
TDT | Manama Beyon Al Dana Amphitheatre, the Kingdom's leading global entertainment destination, recently announced hosting singer/ songwriter Stephen Wilson Jr. for the first time in Bahrain, on December 4, at The Desert Garden. Hailing from southern Indiana, USA, Stephen Wilson Jr. has taken a winding path to his musical career, making stops as a Golden Gloves boxing finalist, scientist, and indie rock band member before finding his voice as a solo artist. His genre-defying debut double album, søn ofdad, released in 2023, cemented him as a force in country and Americana music. The 22-song collection, dedicated to his late father, received widespread critical acclaim, earning accolades from Billboard, Rolling Stone, Whiskey Riff, Wide Open Country, and many more. It was named the Best Album of 2023 by Holler and All Country News, and hailed by Rolling Stone as 'the most existential release of the year.'
The Citizen
27-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Vaal's Iron Dragon ready to roar
MEYERTON – South Africa's rising middleweight star, Donjuan 'Iron Dragon' van Heerden, is just 23 years old and already knocking on the door of international recognition. On Saturday, 5 July, he'll take a major step forward when he faces Dean Promnick for the vacant African Boxing Union (ABU) middleweight title at Emperor's Palace in Kempton Park. The high-stakes bout headlines the Golden Gloves event, 'Titans of Africa', and will be broadcast live on SuperSport. 'It's an incredible privilege and an honour,' van Heerden says about the upcoming title shot. 'Fighting for the ABU title, especially on an iconic stage like Emperor's Palace, means everything to me. This isn't just a personal dream, it's a chance to put my name on the global boxing map. A win here will not only reward all the sacrifices but open the door to international opportunities, ' says the born and bred Meyertonner. For Van Heerden, this bout carries more weight than any previous fight not just physically, but symbolically. 'This fight is different. It's not just a match, it's a statement. Everything about this camp has been intense. Every day feels like fight night, and I push through it. My last two fights were at super middleweight, but now I'm back at my natural weight. It's time to show people who I really am in the middleweight division.' Van Heerden admits footage of Promnick is scarce, but not lacking in what his team needed. 'There's not a lot of footage out there, just a few short clips, but we used what we could. I've watched a couple of his fights, one of them live. We brought in elite sparring partners with a similar style to his. The sparring was intense 10 to 12 rounds with fresh partners. We focused on pressure, fitness, and tactical awareness. I'm not just fit… I'm sharp and ready to improvise.' 'It's never easy to fight a southpaw, but I'm a very sharp southpaw myself. If he survives my power shots, it's going to be a long night for him.' Van Heerden is clear that this is not the final destination, but the first real stepping stone toward global ambitions. The ABU title is a massive continental title that opens international doors. My goal is to fight for a top-15 WBA, WBC, or IBF ranking within the next year. This is the bridge. I want to win this title, maybe defend it once or twice, maybe even go for the SA title too and then step onto the world stage.' Coming from a well-known boxing family, Don-Juan embraces both the pressure and the inspiration of being Chris van Heerden's younger brother. 'It's a bit of both. I'm proud of what Chris has achieved. It proves what's possible for a South African boxer. But I also want to build my own name. I don't want to just be known as Chris's brother. I want people to know Donjuan.' 'I've had amazing coaching and mentorship—my dad always said, 'Keep your head low and your work high.' I've also received guidance from Brian Mitchell, as I've been sparring at their gym in Edenvale. I can honestly say this will be my best performance ever.' Van Heerden also credits promoter Rodney Berman and Golden Gloves for reshaping his career. 'Everything changed. Rodney believes in me. Golden Gloves brings structure, opportunity, and professionalism that is what prepares you for the big stage.' 'We've got a tight schedule with my coach Arafaat Kock and my fitness team. Every detail is planned—from recovery to media to sparring. I'm surrounded by people who bring out the best in me. Coach Arafaat pushes me every session and stands by me no matter what.' Looking ahead, Van Heerden sees himself defending titles and expanding his reach. 'I see myself with one or two title defences under my belt and hopefully an invite to fight internationally—if that fits Golden Gloves' plans. I want to be known on the international circuit, working my way toward a world title. It's in my blood. I grew up around boxing.' 'First, I want to defend the ABU title and build my name in Africa. But I'm ready for any big challenge, whether that's the SA title or opportunities in Europe, the U.S., or the Far East. I'm ready to travel and prove my worth.' Reflecting on his only recent defeat, Van Heerden is candid and confident. 'I learned a lot from that loss. I took the fight on one week's notice, but I won't use that as an excuse. As a fighter, you have to be ready every day of the week, every month, all year. That guy wasn't in my league. He got lucky. If we fought 365 times, he might win once I will win the other 364.' 'Since then, I've worked on distance control, defensive movement, and my jab. I've sharpened my ring IQ. I'm now a more balanced, smarter, and more dangerous fighter than ever before. Come 5 July, I'll be ready to fight inside the pocket or outbox him from range—it depends on how I feel that night.' And he closes with certainty: 'One thing's for sure. I'm ready. And I will win this fight.' At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Irish Times
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Rachel Lally: The Irish teacher turned pro boxer fights for a place in the world top five
Irish boxer Rachel Lally is set to face South African Wendy Gcado in Dubai on Saturday. Should the 30-year-old win the fight, she will break into the top five of the female super middleweight rankings less than a year after combining professional boxing with her career as a teacher in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). From Co Mayo, Lally took-up the sport in the lead up to the 2012 London Olympics. The Irish team went on to win four boxing medals at those games, with Katie Taylor 's gold sparking a surge in interest among girls and women. 'Women's boxing was really coming up,' says Lally, who trained at the Golden Gloves Club in her hometown of Belmullet. READ MORE She was 'in a tough place physically and mentally' when she started out and was 'unhappy in my body', but a year of boxing marked a turnaround for Lally. At 17 she became an under-18 national champion, with several girls from her home club also winning titles. Rachel Lally took up boxing in the lead up to the 2012 London Olympics, where Irish fighters, including Katie Taylor, secured four medals. Photograph: Hannah McCarthy Lally had been due to fight for the same title in the National Stadium in Dublin the previous year, but pulled out after learning a close friend had died by suicide the day before the bout. Within an 18-month period, she lost three teenage friends in Co Mayo to suicide. 'It was just a really horrible time because we had absolutely no mental health facilities,' she says. Boxing became an important outlet for her as she coped with those tragedies. Rachel Lally has been doing 4am jogs before starting work as a teacher. Photograph: Hannah McCarthy However, the Leaving Certificate, followed by college and then a heavy caseload as a teacher in London, left Lally with little time to box after earning her junior title. 'I just wasn't prioritising my health at all,' she said. After moving to Dubai to work as a teacher in 2021 and joining a local boxing gym, a coach encouraged her to take part in amateur fights including an event for St Patrick's Day alongside other Irish boxers. Lally says the calibre of training facilities in Dubai is higher than in Ireland but they are much more expensive to access. 'I paid €2 a night to train [in Mayo] with people volunteering their time,' she says, adding that it is difficult 'to keep gyms open in small towns and there could be 20 kids in a tiny little room'. In Dubai Lally is 'training with professional guys, sparring two or three times a week and people come from all over the Emirates' to the gym. Rachel Lally says the calibre of training facilities in Dubai is higher than in Ireland but more expensive to access. Photograph: Hannah McCarthy However, she says fighters 'can only reach a certain level without individual sponsorship'. The construction firm Rinrow, Capital Sky Limited and meal prep company, Meals On Me, have helped fund the cost of Lally's training camp before her fight on Saturday. In the lead up to her bout against Gcado, Lally has been doing 4am jogs before starting work as a teacher and then undertaking a gruelling after-work regime of sparring, strength training and one-to-one coaching sessions. 'That means no days off,' she says. Lally says that when she faced Elene Sikmashvili from Georgia and Cameroon's Marie Victorine Onguene Tsimi in professional fights, theirs were the only female bouts on the card. 'All my last bouts have been very tough, there hasn't been an easy fight,' she says. 'But I'm 30 now, I don't have time to do fights that aren't really challenging for me.' When she eventually hangs up her boxing gloves, Lally hopes to work with a programme that empowers girls and helps with their mental health through boxing.
West Australian
12-06-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Broome boxer Baden Trunfio earns Aussie call-up for international showdown
Broome boxer Baden Trunfio is heading to Germany after earning a coveted spot on Australia's national team for the International Brandenburg Cup in July. Representing Broome Boxing Club and now the nation, Trunfio will take on top youth boxers from around the world in a six-day tournament that promises fierce competition and global exposure. Before the bell rings in Germany, the 17-year-old heavyweight will train at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, followed by a pre-competition camp in Frankfurt. It's a rare opportunity to prepare alongside the country's best, under elite coaches in world-class facilities. 'This is a huge honour,' Trunfio said. 'I've put in the work, and now I get to represent both Broome and Australia. I couldn't be more excited.' His call-up is the latest milestone in a career that has seen him rise through the national boxing ranks with speed and power. In 2024 alone, he claimed gold at the Australian Club Championships, silver at the Golden Gloves, and was named the rising sports star of the year by the Shire of Broome. His 2025 campaign has been equally impressive, kicking off with a TKO win in Adelaide and another victory over an elite open-class opponent in Fremantle. These performances earned him selection for the WA Futures Squad, paving the way to national honours. Broome Boxing Club celebrated the news with pride, calling the selection a 'remarkable opportunity', and praising Trunfio's humility, discipline, and relentless work ethic. 'We are incredibly proud of Baden's achievement and can't wait to see him compete on the world stage,' the club said in a statement. With gloves on, Trunfio has Broome in his corner, including sponsors Broomecrete, Kelly Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, McKeno Blocks & Pavers, Parallel Electrical Service, Broome Builders, and Buckleys Earthmoving and Paving.
Newsweek
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Golden Gloves VR Review: Virtual Reality Boxing Gets Serious
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Golden Gloves VR puts you directly in the ring for a first-person boxing game that could only be more realistic if it gave you a black eye. The sports simulation, developed by Engine Room VR, aims for a 1:1 approximation of boxing. It's certainly got the credentials. As soon as you load up you're thrust onto a darkened weigh-in stage bearing promotional stands and banners for upcoming real-world fights, all as phone cameras flash from the roaring audience. From here you're free to partake in bouts both online and off, train on a selection of boxing equipment, or just mill about in the game's online spaces chatting to other players. According to Francis Jee, Head of Strategic Partnerships, authentic fundamentals underpin the entire experience. Your POV in Golden Gloves VR Your POV in Golden Gloves VR Engine Room VR Golden Gloves VR Review "The game ensures that the punch mechanics deal the most damage only when using proper punch techniques and when a blow is delivered with the correct part of the gloves, eliminating slaps, flailing and other types of poor form that would get you knocked out in a real fight." In the ring, timing, accuracy and technique are all necessary in doing the most damage possible. You'll know you've hit the sweet spot when you hear an unmistakable (if slightly unrealistic) thumping sound, accompanied by bruising and swelling of your opponent's increasingly battered face. To get there, Engine Room VR recruited amateur and professional boxers, including British heavyweight Johnny Fisher, to act as ambassadors and consultants. They provide gameplay feedback, recorded motion capture, and also coached the developers on proper punch form. That said, it is possible to cheese your way through some fights. Flailing your arms at the both head and body of AI opponents can confuse them, as they can't seem to block the two areas simultaneously. You can use that to your advantage and windmill your way to victory. Playing like this, though, runs against the spirit of Golden Gloves VR. It's as much a training regime as a game, so you'd only be hurting yourself. "Golden Gloves is a non-contact way to engage with the real sport of boxing," says Lee, "and a gateway to entry for joining a real boxing gym and growing the sport as a whole. Training done in the real gym transfers to our game." Not only can you compete in bouts online against human opponents, but put in the work across a suite of boxing practice equipment such as speed bags, aqua bags, reflex bags, heavy bags, and wall-mounted pads. Vibrations in your controller do a solid job of approximating contact in lieu of the real thing. After all, you're really just punching air. You can alter the physical properties of the equipment, making bags lighter to swing more or heavier to become virtually immovable, and monitor your punching power with a pop-up stats screen. There's also a calorie tracker, but since it seems to count the calories you burn while moving your character with the thumbstick, take that with a pinch of salt. Still, it's a more fully fledged offering than The Thrill of the Fight 2, which for now lacks gym workout equipment, as well as Golden Gloves VR's online spaces that let likeminded boxers mingle without a match on the line. Golden Gloves VR or The Thrill of the Fight 2? The Thrill of the Fight 2 excels in presentation. Character models are more detailed, environments are sharper, and the visual package just looks more professional. Golden Gloves VR looks basic by comparison. However, it's the more comprehensive package. The training gym in Golden Gloves VR The training gym in Golden Gloves VR Engine Room VR For Lee, it's all friendly competition. "It's worth noting that we have a lot of admiration for Thrill of the Fight's popularity and incredible graphics," he says. "The more people boxing in VR the better!" Golden Gloves VR also has licenses on its side. It's partnered with industry titans like Matchroom and Golden Gloves, and USA Boxing even recognises it as their official esports platform. June saw the launch of a real-world tournament where 14 Golden Gloves boxers from across the United States and 2 e-boxers from online qualifiers competed in VR for $5000 in prize money and the first eGolden Gloves belt. "It was inspiring and interesting to see virtual world gamification meet real world athleticism," Lee says. So, what's next for Golden Gloves VR? Various updates are coming, which have previously introduced new modes and minigames. There are also more esport tournaments, the next being the eUSA Boxing National competition in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA on Sept 13th - 20th alongside the USA Boxing National Open. Golden Gloves VR Review Score Golden Gloves VR is the definitive VR boxing game. With accurate controls, solid fundamentals, and built-in fitness trackers, it could feasibly boost your real-world boxing skills, and let you have fun while you're doing it. 9/10 How to Play Golden Gloves VR Golden Gloves VR can be played on any Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro headsets, as well as Valve Index. Where To Buy Golden Gloves VR You can buy Golden Gloves VR on the Meta store. The game is also available on Steam.
