A-Square Fight Club fighter Jasmine Hampton wins gold at Junior Olympics
Ann Arbor resident Jasmine Hampton hopes to one day box for Team USA in the Olympics.
After winning the Junior Olympic National Championship last Friday, Aug. 5, in Mobile, Ala., Hampton is certainly on the right track.
Jasmine Hampton
“I just wanted to fight my hardest, be happy no matter what because I made the final, but really just fight my heart out,” said Hampton.
The Junior Olympics pits the top 15 and 16 year-old-boxers in the country against each other. Hampton, who will be a sophomore at Eastern Washtenaw Multicutural Academy in the fall, won three fights in three days to claim the championship.
“Jasmine is a true champion, very competitive and very deserving of the title of the nation’s best,” said A-Square Fight Club owner Eric McGuire.
Despite this being Hampton's first year eligible for the Junior Olympics, McGuire had confidence in his young fighter, whom he trains five days a week. He told AnnArbor.com back in May that he expected Hampton to win the national championships, prior to her even qualifying for the tournament.
“One of my goals was to win at the Junior Olympics, this was the first year I was old enough to compete and I was fortunate enough to win," Hampton said. "My bigger goal in boxing is to make the 2016 Olympics and win gold.”
Hampton fights with an orthodox stance, yet her favorite punch is her left hook, a testament to her versatility.
"Jasmine’s style is very versatile, she is a smart boxer who can win being aggressive or on the move. She has a very high boxing IQ and she is very alert in the ring," McGuire said. "Her response to instruction is very quick during fights, she is able to make adjustments if needed very well.”
Hampton began boxing at age 10 and now has a career record of 22-5.
“We have a hard time getting her fights locally because of the experience that she has," McGuire said. "But when you compete on the national level, the boxers are all experienced.”
Hampton's next fight will be at the Fourth Annual James "Lights Out" Toney Invitational at the Ann Arbor Clarion HotelAugust 26-28.
Local fighters
James Taylor (110 lbs.) and Issa Awad (201 lbs.) represented A-Square Fight Club in the male division of the tournament. Taylor was 1-1 while Awad was 0-1.
Ypsilanti resident Anthony Sims Jr., won the 165 lbs. division, fighting out of Kronk Gym in Detroit.
Bob Gross covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at bobmgross@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @bobgross.