Las Vegans begin journey toward national Golden Gloves tourney

Andrew Tabiti is ready to make another run at a national Golden Gloves championship.

The 201-pound amateur boxer from Las Vegas reached the national semifinals last year in Little Rock, Ark., before losing to eventual champion Steve Geffrard of Florida.

Tabiti, 21, who fights out of the Elite Boxing Club, shouldn’t have much trouble advancing from the state tournament, which will be today and Sunday at Barry’s Boxing Center, to the West Regionals in Mesquite on March 19 and 20. But Tabiti’s trainer, Gil Martinez, said the ultimate goal is gold at the nationals, from April 25 to 30 in Indianapolis.

“The experience from last year will really help him,” Martinez said. “He knows what to expect fighting in a big tournament like the nationals and what he has to do to take that next step.”

Las Vegas super heavyweight Rydell Gipson also reached nationals last year but lost in the first round. Now the 21-year-old is seeking redemption in what probably will be his last state tournament.

“I think he can do it,” said Pat Barry, who trains the 260-pound Gipson. “He’s a force to be reckoned with. He moves like a small man, but he’s a really big puncher. He never gets frazzled.”

Barry said another of his boxers, 114-pounder Gino Padilla, can win gold in Indy. “He looks really good,” Barry said of the 21-year-old. “Gino’s been with me since he was a kid, and he’s got the experience to also go to nationals and win.”

Along with Tabiti, Martinez thinks another of his Elite fighters, Luis Cortez, can reach nationals at 123 pounds. Cortez, 17, has fought internationally and was runner-up at 114 pounds at the 2008 Junior Olympics.

The first bell is scheduled for 4 p.m. today, with Sunday’s finals at 1 p.m.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.