Mahmutovic, Trejo, Sanchez Make Team USA Roster for Worlds

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

Suray Mahmutovic was named the Outstanding Boxer of the tournament. (Rob Fernandez)

A trio of Region 11 boxers earned spots on Team USA for the AIBA Junior Men's World Championships after emerging victorious at the Junior World Team Open in Reno.

Suray Mahmutovic (415 B.C., San Francisco) took home Outstanding Boxer of the Tournament after his dominant 23-8 victory over Matthew Hernandez of Texas in the 176-pound final.

"We wanted to take the early lead so that Hernandez would have no choice but to keep coming forward, and it worked out for us," said Rob Fernandez, Mahmutovic's coach.  "I was still telling Suray to pump his jab because [Hernandez] was going to try to land the right hand over the top.

Evan Sanchez won the 110-pound final. (Omar Sanchez)

"Everyone knows Suray's tall, but I think his athleticism surprised a lot of people.  Yesterday he was on the ropes against the shorter man, and still was able to slip under the punches.  He dominated both fights, and he's a great kid to work with.  He listens to what you tell him and he executes."

Fernandez entered the bout with a heavy heart; his father Albert died the night before following a long bout with kidney and liver issues.

"I knew my dad was living on borrowed time, and with his condition, he had beaten doctors' expectations already," he said.  "But when I got the call that he had passed, I initially thought I should've been home this weekend and spend his last few hours with him.

"I felt guilty.  It would eat me up a bit.  But I thought about it, and I know my dad would want me to be up here with the kids.  I made a commitment to them.  I'd like to think there was someone out there looking out for us tonight."

Following the victory, the newest member of Team USA wanted to show his appreciation for his coach's efforts for helping develop him from the ground floor to the penthouse.  Not bad for a 14-year-old who embraced the challenge of fighting kids in the 15-16 age range this week.

Brandon Trejo (left) was declared 138-pound champ. (Carisa Morris)

"Suray and his father, Sheldon Callum, came up to me after the fight and gave me the Outstanding Boxer trophy, and that meant a lot to me," Fernandez said.  "I'm just so proud of the kid.  He's still young, and he's not even at his peak yet.  He's definitely going to accomplish a lot more.  I told Suray he put himself on the national map tonight.  I hope it rubs off on the other kids in the gym."

Mahmutovic will be joined by Brandon Trejo (Napa SAL), who defeated Hawaii's Hunter-Gabriel Manaba 14-11 in the 138-pound final, and 110-pounder Evan Sanchez (Parlier B.C.), who downed fellow Region 11 boxer Joseph Cuellar (Tulare A.C.) by a margin of 29-19.

Reigning Junior Olympic champion Isidro Ochoa (Fresno PAL) lost a heartbreaker to Nevada's Devin Haney in the 119-pound final.  After the judges' scores revealed a 10-10 draw, the tiebreaker went to Haney by virtue of punches counted (34-30).

Here's a snapshot of every bout this week involving Region 11 boxers, who enjoyed another successful tournament:

TUESDAY, JAN. 8, 2013
106 lbs. quarterfinals: Izaiah Bautista (Champ Nation, Oakland) def. Kevin Montano (Concord CYC), 14-14 (advanced via punches counted tiebreaker, 41-39)
119 lbs. round of 16: Isidro Ochoa (Fresno PAL) def. Troy Isley (Virginia), 11-8

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 9, 2013
114 lbs. quarterfinals: Shakur Stevenson (New Jersey) def. Bryan Lua (Main Event, Fresno), 17-11
119 lbs. quarterfinals: Isidro Ochoa (Fresno PAL) def. Dominic Serna (Indio), 15-7
125 lbs. quarterfinals: Xavier Martinez (Golden State Bloodhounds, Sacramento) def. Gonzalo Rodriguez (Texas), 22-18

THURSDAY, JAN. 10, 2013
106 lbs. semifinals: Freudis Rojas (Nevada) def. Izaiah Bautista (Champ Nation, Oakland), 17-9
110 lbs. semifinals: Joseph Cuellar (Tulare A.C.) def. Neketa Arabiy (New York), 17-12
110 lbs. semifinals: Evan Sanchez (Parlier B.C.) def. Timothy Longoria (Texas), 23-16
119 lbs. semifinals: Isidro Ochoa (Fresno PAL) def. Brandon Vega (Ohio), 7-7 (25-22 tiebreaker)
125 lbs. semifinals: Michael Nelson (Ohio) def. Xavier Martinez (Golden State Bloodhounds, Sacramento), 13-9
176 lbs. semifinals: Suray Mahmutovic (415 B.C., San Francisco) def. Mario Hernandez (Nevada), 25-8

FRIDAY, JAN. 11, 2013
110 lbs. final: Evan Sanchez (Parlier B.C.) def. Joseph Cuellar (Tulare A.C.), 29-19
119 lbs. final: Devin Haney (Nevada) def. Isidro Ochoa (Fresno PAL), 10-10 (34-30 tiebreaker)
138 lbs. final: Brandon Trejo (Napa SAL) def. Hunter-Gabriel Manaba (Hawaii), 14-11
176 lbs. final: Suray Mahmutovic (415 B.C., San Francisco) def. Matthew Hernandez (Texas), 23-8 

MOST OUTSTANDING BOXER: Suray Mahmutovic (415 B.C., San Francisco) 

Ryan Maquiñana was the boxing producer for NBCOlympics.com during London 2012 and writes a weekly column for CSNBayArea.com.  He is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Ratings Panel for Ring Magazine. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at Norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.