35th Annual National PAL Amateur Boxing Tournament

The Circle of Discipline team is doing pretty good in the tournament this year. Celso (12 yrs old) competed in the 90 lbs junior weight division against Anthony Gonzales from TX. Celso and Anthony exchanged punches after punches. The first and second round were both tied. We didn't see what the score was for the third round but Anthony was able to pull the win. Celso representing the Minneapolis Police Athletic League Circle of Discipline Amateur Boxing team is bringing home a bronze medal.

Jonathon (18 yrs old) competed in the 114 lbs senior division. On Wednesday, October 21st Jonathon competed against the 3rd rank USA Amateur Boxer in the nation and the 2009 National Golden Gloves Champion. Jonathon was down in points in the first and second round but in the third round he turned the heat up and won the bout to advance to the quarterfinals on Thursday, Oct. 22nd. Thursday evening Jonathon competed against Diego Hurtado. This was a difficult bout for Jonathon. Diego was much stronger than Jonathon landing strong punches all three rounds. Jonathon lost in the quarterfinals on points.

Jamal James (21 yrs old) competing at the 141 lbs open senior division has been competing everyday since Monday, Oct. 19th. On Monday Jamal competed against Kirk Bills and won the bout on points. Tuesday, Oct. 20th Jamal competed against Donte Strayhorn stopping Donte in the third round. Wednesday, Oct. 21st Jamal competed against Edward Brown. This was a tough bout for Jamal. Edward is a counter puncher and was catching Jamal with some good punches. Jamal was down the first and second round. In the third round Jamal turned the heat up to win the bout 9-8 and advance to Thursday night competition. Thursday, Oct. 22nd Jamal competed against Gregory Gutierrez from TX. Jamal looked much better on Thursday. His punches were sharp, strong and clear, which makes it easier for the judges to score your punches. Jamal was ahead in the first and second round winning the quarterfinals to advance to the semi-finals Friday evening.

Tonight Jamal will be competing against Pedro Sosa from NY to win the semi-finals and advance to Saturday nights finals. Jamal has the upper hand because he is taller than Pedro giving him the advantage of reach. Jamal is also a veteran in the Amateur Boxing scene giving him more experience and skills. Pedro is a counter puncher and Jamal is ready to counter his counter. It should be an exciting bout tonight.

Circle of Discipline also has a Facebook page. You can get to our Facebook page from our website homepage. The link is at the bottom of the page on the right hand side. Pictures are posted from the tournament, so be sure to become a fan of the Circle of Discipline Facebook page and stay constantly updated on everything happening at the Circle of Discipline.

2009 National PAL Tournament First Day Preliminaries

Jamal James started the Circle of Discipline PAL Amateur team off tonight competing in the First Day of the Preliminaries. Jamal competed against Kirk Bills from Chicago, IL. Jamal controlled the entire three rounds landed combinations left and right. Kirk received two 8 counts in the second and third round. The bout lasted until the end of the third round and Jamal won the bout by decision.

Celso and Jonathon still have not started their tournament. We will know by tomorrow morning if they will begin their competition Tuesday.

Be sure to become a fan of the Circle of Discipline on Facebook if you have an account. You can get all kinds of great information on our Facebook page.

2009 National PAL Tournament

Circle of Discipline PAL Amateur Boxing team will be travelling to San Antonio, TX Oct. 17th - 25th to compete in the 2009 National PAL Tournament. This will be Jamal James third time competing in the tournament. In 2007 Jamal brought home the gold medal and belt for the open 141 lbs division. He traveled to Colorado Springs, CO to represent the National PAL team in the 2008 USA National Tournament. In 2008 Jamal brought home the Silver Medal in a controversial decision. This year Jamal is looking to bring home the gold medal again and represent the National PAL team at the 2010 USA National Tournament. Jonathon Perez will be competing in the tournament for the second time however this will be his first time competing as an open boxer. In 2007 Jonathon brought home the championship belt and he is looking to bring home the gold medal as an open boxer. This is Celso's first year competing in the National PAL tournament. Celso has been training extremely hard at the Circle of Discipline and he believes for his first major national tournament.

The team is currently trying to raise funds to cover tournament expenses. If you would like to support the team please send a check made out to the Circle of Discipline to PO Box 7313 Minneapolis, MN 55407.

Be sure to become a fan of the Circle of Discipline Facebook page. It's a great way to stay connected to all upcoming events and get daily status updates.