Western sophomore eyes Junior Olympics

The Western High School sophomore hits plenty of people without needing any help. And he hates losing, especially when his teammates let him down.

Christie has been boxing for about three years. He had what he believes was a career-changing moment in Independence, Mo., on Feb. 6, when he defeated Gunnar Austin of Beaverton, Ore., in the 201-plus-pound finals of the National Silver Gloves Tournament.

“It’s made me hungrier,” said Christie, a 15-year-old from North Las Vegas who is 9-1 as an amateur. “It’s going to make me work harder knowing I had success. It’s going to really help my confidence.”

Christie played football at Agassi Prep last year before transferring to Western, where coaches wanted him to play football. But he decided to concentrate on boxing.

“I’m totally into boxing,” said Christie, whose loss came in July at the Junior Golden Gloves Nationals. “I love going to the gym every day. The only thing that’s frustrating is I’d like to fight more often. Sometimes, it’s hard to find guys to fight me.”

Christie trains at Barry’s Boxing. His coach, Augie Sanchez, sees a fighter with a bright future.

“He has all the tools,” Sanchez said. “He has speed. He has power. He’s focused in the gym. Give him 20 more fights, he’ll be so much better.”

Christie will fight at the Junior Olympics Golden Gloves in July in Mesquite. Before then, he plans to fight in small club shows, assuming someone will fight him.

“Right now my life is school, the gym and home,” he said. “I just want to stay busy and keep getting better.”

• GORRES GOING HOME — It has been a long, hard road for bantamweight Z Gorres, who collapsed in the ring after his Nov. 13 victory over Luis Melendez at the House of Blues and had emergency brain surgery at University Medical Center.

Gorres still is slightly paralyzed but is headed home to the Philippines today. Before he left Las Vegas, he attended Saturday’s Latin Fury-Pinoy Power card at the Las Vegas Hilton to watch his friend and countryman Nonito Donaire, the WBA super flyweight champion.

“I’m glad he is coming to watch,” Donaire said last week. “It will be good to see him.”

They weren’t always friends. Gorres knocked out Donaire’s brother Glenn in the first round in 2005, and Nonito wanted revenge.

“I remember thinking that I wanted to kill him,” Donaire said.

But they got to know each other and became friends. Donaire never got revenge. Instead, he is trying to help Gorres fully recover by assisting in fundraising efforts to help offset his medical bills.

“It’s very difficult to see him this way,” Donaire said. “Hopefully we can help him have a normal life.”

• MAYWEATHER-MOSLEY ODDS — Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the early betting favorite at the Station Casinos’ sports books for his May 1 welterweight showdown against Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand Garden.

Mayweather is minus-250, and Mosley, the WBA champion, is plus-200.

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