YOUNGSTOWN — The highly popular Golden Gloves Boxing Tournament, a longtime staple in the Mahoning Valley before its discontinuation 35 years ago, returns to the Mahoning Valley on Saturday with 15 bouts on tap at the Saxon Club, 710 North Meridian Road.

Local trainer Jack Loew, owner of South Side Boxing Club and in conjunction with the Cleveland Area Golden Gloves, will serve as host with the first fight hitting the bell at 7 p.m.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with three local boxers representing the area on the first-round advancement tournament card.

“We promised when we returned to Youngstown that the card would be packed with excitement,” said Ben Rochester, Cleveland Area Golden Gloves president. “Those in attendance will see three local boxers, three defending champions and 12 Open Division bouts, so the Saxon Club will be full of great boxing on Saturday evening.

“Our area has developed Olympians for the last four Olympic Games, and the Cleveland Area Golden Gloves has produced national champions the last two tournaments who have brought home even more silver and bronze. I promise you that boxing fans in Youngstown will not be disappointed.”

The tournament is open to both male and female hopefuls, ranging in age from 18 to 41 and boasts three divisions, including its sub-novice (first bout), novice (1-9 bouts) and open (five or more bouts) divisions.

Three boxers on the card that hail from Youngstown include Jacorian Dent, a member of Loew’s SSBC gym, and both Jeremy Whitfield and Aaron Douglas, members of Downtown Boxing Club and coached by both Tom Cordell and Sam Calderone.

Also featured on the card are three defending open division champions, including Marcell Bonner from Cleveland, Stan Davis of Akron and Francis Stewart, also a Cleveland native.

Stewart won the bronze medal at last year’s National Tournament of Champions in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“We are working hard with the board of the Cleveland Area Golden Gloves to make sure this night is a great one and well-received, all with the hopes of this becoming an annual event like year’s past,” Loew noted when the event’s return was announced by Rochester. “I have had many boxers participate in this great tournament and they’ve all represented the Mahoning Valley quite well,” he added.

Last year, Cleveland-area Golden Gloves boxers brought one gold (three-time champion Morelle McCain) and three bronze medals back to Northeast Ohio.

The Cleveland finals are set for June 17-18 at Brook Park Recreation Center in Brook Park with open division champions traveling to the national championships, scheduled for Aug. 15-20 in Tulsa.

Tables for the event are $400 with general admission tickets available for $25 at the door the night of the show.

PAIRINGS

156-pound, Sub-novice – Basil Abu Assaz vs. Maven Samalot

165-pound, Sub-novice – Jeremy Whitfield vs. Sam Beverlyn

147-pound, Novice – Luca Filipo vs. Deshawn Johnson

125-pound, Open – Luis Burgos vs. Daben Figueroa

125-pound, Open – Jamal Bowman vs. Francis Stewart

139-pound, Open – Khalil Osaze vs. Tyshawn Denson

139-pound, Open – Victor Christian vs. Marcel Bonner

139-pound, Open – Jermani Golphin vs. Jacorian Dent

147-pound, Open – Jasir Riley vs. Eric Miller

156-pound, Open – Javon Riley vs. Roy McKenzie Jr.

165-pound, Open – Dijon Todoroff vs. Nick Rezek

189-pound, Open – Henry Annen vs. Stan Davis

189-pound, Open – Charles Smith vs. Davvel Moore-Meeks

203+ pounds, Open – Aaron Douglas vs. Jordan Felice

203+ pounds, Open – Joe Bell vs. Rockhill Brown