thumb|A pair of hanging golden boxing gloves is an iconic Golden Gloves image dating back to the late 1920s.

thumb|2011 Golden Gloves Boxing Championships in San Antonio

The Golden Gloves of America is an organization that promotes annual competitions of amateur boxing in the United States, in which winners are awarded a belt and a ring, and the title of national champion. The organization currently owns 30 franchises. Hundreds of administrators, coaches, trainers and counselors participate, involving gyms and programs in local and regional tournaments throughout the United States and in a National Tournament of Champions each year. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but can also represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional and state tournaments, such as the Chicago Golden Gloves and the New York Golden Gloves.

History

Arch Ward, sports editor of the Chicago Tribune, came up with the idea of a citywide, Chicago amateur boxing tournament in 1923, and gained sponsorship from the Tribune in 1927. An annual tournament was held between Chicago and New York. In later years the idea was taken up by other cities, and a national tournament was held. Along with the New York Golden Gloves, the Chicago tournament was viewed as one of the two elite Golden Gloves Championships in the United States. Winners from selected states and regions headed to Chicago to meet in the Chicago Golden Gloves, while winners from other sections of the U.S. faced each other in the New York Golden Gloves tournaments. Champions from the Chicago tournament went on to face champions from the New York tournament in the Intercity Golden Gloves tournament, and thus the Intercity Golden Gloves served as the National Tournament of Champions

The National Golden Gloves contest began in 1962 and continues to be the most highly regarded amateur boxing tournament in the United States.

The Golden Gloves are open to all athletes aged 19–40. Citizens and non-citizens alike may compete in the tournament series. There is also a Silver Gloves tournament, for boxers aged 10 to 15.

  • California Golden Gloves
  • Chicago Golden Gloves
  • Cincinnati Golden Gloves
  • Cleveland Golden Gloves
  • Colorado-New Mexico Golden Gloves
  • Detroit Golden Gloves
  • Florida Golden Gloves
  • Hawaii Golden Gloves
  • Indiana Golden Gloves
  • Iowa Golden Gloves
  • Kansas City Golden Gloves
  • Kansas-Oklahoma Golden Gloves
  • Michigan Golden Gloves
  • Mid-South Golden Gloves
  • Nevada Golden Gloves
  • New England Golden Gloves
  • New Jersey Golden Gloves
  • New York Metro Golden Gloves
  • Omaha Golden Gloves
  • Pennsylvania Golden Gloves
  • Rocky Mountain Golden Gloves
  • Southeast Golden Gloves
  • St. Louis Golden Gloves
  • Texas Golden Gloves
  • Toledo Golden Gloves
  • Tri-State Golden Gloves
  • Upper Midwest Golden Gloves
  • Washington, D.C. Golden Gloves
  • Wisconsin Golden Gloves

Around the world

Other countries have similar amateur boxing awards, such as Mexico's Guantes De Oro (literally "Gloves of Gold" in Spanish).

Diamond Belt

In the past, certain amateur tournaments would award the victor with a Diamond Belt as recognition of their amateur championship status. These tournaments were sponsored by various organizations and newspapers in the United States, with The Philadelphia Inquirer being one of the more notable. Notable Diamond Belt winners include George Foreman, Bobby Chacon, Jimmy McCarter, and Lou Brooks.

Regional and special tournaments

From time to time, there have been special tournaments or regional Golden Gloves tournaments. One that operated from 1954 to the early Sixties was the Vancouver Island Golden Gloves. The first Vancouver Island Golden Boy was Victoria's Bert Wilkinson in 1954. Some of the history was documented in various issues of the Vancouver Island Boxing News in 1983, and the BC Amateur Boxing News between November 1983 and January 1986. A poster of the 1954 tournament and a photo of Bert Wilkinson were recently used in a video for the induction ceremony of the Greater Victoria Hall of Fame.

See also

  • Amateur boxing
  • NCAA Boxing Championship
  • Spanish Golden Gloves
  • USA Boxing

Lists of former Golden Gloves champions, by division:

  • List of U.S. national Golden Gloves super heavyweight champions
  • List of U.S. national Golden Gloves heavyweight champions
  • List of U.S. national Golden Gloves light heavyweight champions
  • List of U.S. national Golden Gloves middleweight champions
  • List of U.S. national Golden Gloves light middleweight champions
  • List of U.S. national Golden Gloves welterweight champions
  • List of U.S. national Golden Gloves light welterweight champions
  • List of U.S. national Golden Gloves lightweight champions
  • List of U.S. national Golden Gloves featherweight champions
  • List of U.S. national Golden Gloves bantamweight champions
  • List of U.S. national Golden Gloves flyweight champions
  • List of U.S. national Golden Gloves light flyweight champions

References

  • Official website
  • Women's Golden Gloves
  • Cradle of Champions: 80 Years of the New York Daily News Golden Gloves by Bill Farrell
  • Times Daily - Google News Archive Search