The premier amateur fighters in America will hit the television airwaves prime-time in innovative two-day sports programming when ESPN Classic televises the Golden Gloves National Semi Finals and Finals live on Friday, May 20, and Saturday, May 21, from 8:OO PM to 12 midnight from the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, it was announced today by Golden Gloves of America president Steven Abel.
It will be the first time that ESPN Classic televises a live sports program in prime time, which will be produced by Golden Gloves of America in association with ESPN Classic, All Mobile Video and TVS Sports.
Semi final bouts in all 11 weight classes will air on May 20, and the each of the 11 championship matches will be televised on May 21, with the stellar veteran boxing broadcast team of blow-by-blow man Barry Tompkins and expert analyst Al Bernstein providing the commentary on both nights.
Golden Gloves originated in Chicago in 1923. The first National Tournament of Champions took place in 1927 matching New York and Chicago. Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions is deemed one of the greatest American championship traditions in all of sports. Golden Gloves of American is a 501-c3 organization consisting of 30 regional f chapters dedicated to inner-city youth outreach and upholding the greatest ideals of amateur sports-boxing. Golden Gloves of America is a qualifying tournament program to the Olympic Team Trials – 2007 winners automatically qualify for 2008.