1. One that wins first place or first prize in a competition.
2. One that is clearly superior or has the attributes of a winner.
3. One who fights; a warrior.

As an official partner of USA Boxing, Boxing Tours was fortunate enough to travel out to Fort Carson, Colorado and attend the USA Boxing National Championships. Over 700 fighters from around the country descended upon the magnificent Fort Carson Military Base sitting just below the Rocky Mountains. Scattered with flashy apparel, boxing gear and spectating United States military, the venue held non-stop action for seven straight days with as many as four rings running simultaneously. It was an event that only can be summed up in one word, ELECTRIFYING.

The place was buzzing from round one of the first fight all the way until the medals were hung on the necks of the fourteen National Champions named on Saturday Night. The females will go on to represent the United States at the World Championships beginning May 21 in China, while the men in the seven unqualified weight classes will travel to Brazil in May for the Americas Continental Qualifier, their last and final chance to make the 2012 Olympic Boxing Team.

Boxing Tours would like to officially congratulate the 14 men and women listed below who fought their way through the 700 competitors to stand tall in the ring on Saturday night and add the title “USA Boxing National Champion” to their resume.

106 lbs/female: Alex Love, Monroe, Wash.

108 lbs/male: Santos Vasquez, Sparks, Nev.

119 lbs/female: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y.

125 lbs/female: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla.

132 lbs/male: Jose Ramirez, Avenal, Calif.

141 lbs/female: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif.

141 lbs/male: Jamel Herring, Coram, N.Y.

152 lbs/female: Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif.

165 lbs/male: Terrell Gausha, Cleveland, Ohio.

178 lbs/female: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Maryland.

178 lbs/male: Marcus Browne, Staten Island, N.Y.

178+ lbs/unopposed female: Victor Perez won unopposed

201 lbs/male: Michael Hunter, Las Vegas, Nev

201+ lbs/male: Dominic Breazale, Los Angeles, Calif.

Congratulations again to all athletes who competed in the 2012 USA Boxing National Championships.

Stay tuned as we will continually post pictures, live updates and exciting pieces of news from the 2012 USA Boxing National Championships in Colorado Springs. Check back soon!

A win on this overcast, gloomy, and almost unnerving winter day is much more than just another notch in the W category of their personal record. These spectacular 24 athletes are fighting not just for themselves, not just for their country, and not just for their sport. A win this weekend means they will have cemented themselves in Olympic history books as members of the United States’ very first Female Boxing Team that has ever competed at the Olympic Games. Now how’s that for just a tad bit of pressure?!

Coming from every possible background you could imagine, these women have come together in The Evergreen State to battle for the three exclusive spots on Team USA. In the days where technology rules the world, we are fortunate enough to have a network like Universal Sports, which will be live-streaming all the bouts from Spokane, Washington at the link below:

http://usaboxing.org/news/2012/02/12/universal-sports-to-live-stream-u-s-olympic-team-trials-for-women-s-boxing/46607?ngb_id=9

Keep tabs right here on the Boxing Tours blog for updates on the Qualifiers and to find out which three impassioned female boxers will represent Team USA at the sports Olympic debut in July of 2012.

Everyone has a story of where they were when they heard about the passing of JFK, John Lennon or Marting Luther King, Jr.  For the boxing community, the story will be about Wednesday, February 1, 2012. On this day, the world’s greatest boxing trainer, Angelo Dundee, passed away at 90 years old. It was an emotional day for us here at Boxing Tours, as I’m sure it was for you, when the news broke over the internet. The famed corner man for Muhammad Ali, Angelo Dundee had a knowledge of the sport that not many could understand, except perhaps for the thirteen World Champions that trained under his watchful eye.

“If Angelo hadn’t been in my corner, I wouldn’t be where I am today” stated Muhammad Ali in 1981. Coming from The People’s Champ, those words carry a lot of weight, and I’m sure he wouldn’t say that about many other people who touched his career.

As most of the boxing world mourns the loss of Angelo Dundee, a certain undefeated, trash-talking light-middleweight fight has other things on his mind, a one Miguel A. Cotto. It was released this week that the most anticipated fight of this decade (Mayweather Jr. vs Paquiao) will officially not happen on the originally anticipated date, May 5th. Yes, Mayweather will be wrapping his hands and running his mouth while the rest of the country sits back with a corona and sombrero, but Manny Pacquiao will be nowhere near by. Instead, Puerto Rican boxer Miguel A. Cotto will be sitting opposite Mayweather on the famed Mexican “fiesta” day.

Countless fans are disappointed, as are we, that Pacquiao v. Mayweather is not happening (yet) but as they say, sometimes the best things in life are worth waiting for.

Just two weeks ago, Boxing Tours left the sunny offices of San Diego and ventured into the mountains to visit our new partner, USA Boxing, at their national office in Colorado Springs, CO. As we landed in “The Springs” as they call it, I felt the excitement pour over me as I was about to step foot into the mecca of the boxing in the United States. Welcoming our team with open arms, USA Boxing couldn’t have been a better host as they brought us around the office and made Boxing Tours feel like a true member of the family. Turning the corner about ten minutes into the tour, we had the biggest surprise of the trip, a near head on collision with 1988 Light Heavyweight Olympic Gold medalist Andrew Maynard!! Spending his late career giving back to the USA Boxing community, Maynard and I spent our time together laughing and shadow boxing (I had to pick up a few tips from the champ!). What a trip it was!

At the conclusion of our visit, we left USA Boxing with new friends, an incredible partnership and some memories that will last a lifetime. Make sure to follow us at www.facebook.com/boxingtours and @boxingtours on twitter to get live updates and photos of our excursions around the globe. We will keep you posted on where we’re off to next, and if you have an interest in joining us for a few weeks in London this summer for the boxing competition, give a call and we’ll make sure you have the experience of a lifetime!

Ludus Tours has recently created our Boxing division, Boxing Tours, and partnered with USA Boxing to be the Official International Tour Operator of USAB. Take a look at the Press Release below for more information and to get an idea of how excited Boxing Tours is to provide athletes and fans with the BEST hospitality and travel accommodations offered in the Boxing world!!

(Colorado Springs, CO)  USA Boxing is pleased to announce a partnership with Ludus Tours.  Ludus Tours will be the Official International Tour Operator for USAB and will offer packages to the London Summer Games in 2012 and other travel opportunities for international competitions.

Ludus Tours will provide USA Boxing with custom fan packages that include hotel accommodations, transportation, excursions and local guide assistance during the London Summer Games. Ludus will also provide VIP hospitality suite access for USA Boxing clients. 

“This new partnership will allow USA Boxing to provide unique travel opportunities for our members, fans and athlete families to travel to London and key future international events,” said USA Boxing Executive Director Anthony Bartkowski. “We look forward to a long-term relationship with Ludus Tours and the chance to develop outstanding travel experiences for not only key international competitions, but also elite domestic events in the future. “ 

“We’re extremely excited about this partnership,” said Ray Leonard Jr., Vice President of Sales at Ludus Tours. “USA Boxing has a personal spot in my heart and the opportunity to work with this amazing organization is a great one.  We’re honored and enthusiastic about being able to provide our services to boxing fans.” 

In addition to a partnership with USA Boxing, Ludus Tours is also the Official Tour Operator of USA Wrestling, Track and Field, Volleyball, Water Polo and Judo among others and hosts many other great travel packages to sporting events. Fans and members should see information on how they can book travel to the 2012 Summer Games and other tours updated on the USAB website in the very near future.