Nevada’s Winsworth triumphs at KC Golden Gloves tournament

Cole Winsworth (left), with boxing coach Rick Culler, and the Golden Gloves title belt in tow.

Submitted photo

Ground Up Boxing Gym’s Cole Winsworth emrged victorious in his weight class at the 2018 Golden Gloves Regional Championships, held April 19-21 in Kansas City.

“It was awesome, it was amazing,” said an elated Rick Culler, Winsworth’s trainer and owner of Ground Up gym.

Winsworth squared off with Paul Wise, who hailed from Whatsoever Boxing Gym in Kansas City.

“When it comes to boxing, we rarely lose,” Culler said. “We’ve fought every gym in the Midwest, and we’ve beat them all.”

Continued Culler: “His first fight, we lost by a close decision. His second fight, I matched him with a kid that had 75 fights, just to show him the difference in skill and how much he has improved. He beat the kid with 75 fights. Then three weeks ago, he was sparring with the No. 1 (ranked) national champion at his weight class, at the same age. He ended up winning the tournament as well. Cole beat him three weeks ago.”

Winsworth only has three formal fights to his credit — despite innumerable sparring matches and hours in the gym — he needs five in order to progress further up the tournament ladder.

“The first round, oh man, he came out, you could hear the crowd screaming,” said Culler, adding, “dude, he just lit the kid up.”

Culler continued, “He’s up on the ropes, can’t even hold himself up,” Cullar said of Wise in round three. “Three times he put this kid down, and three times he got an eight-count. It should have been stopped.”

Culler said he’s taught his protege to be a “volume puncher” with good defense and an ability to counter.

Winworth’s match against Wise consisted of three one and a half minute rounds, with a 30 second rest in between each round.

Culler said he believed Winsworth would have won in the second round, except for the doctor not being at ringside in between the first and second rounds — causing a delay, and giving Wise extra time to rest.

Cole Winsworth, then-15, had only been training with Rick Culler for six months, when he was scheduled to compete in a Golden Gloves tournament in Kansas City last year.

File photo

“We fought good in the second round too, which by the time we got to the third round, the kid was done,” said Culler. “He was tired, exhausted and had already been beat.”

“It was pretty awesome, I wasn’t going to lose,” noted Winsworth, adding he felt confident following the first round, and was ready to end the fight.

Said Culler, “They’ve been having this tournament for 83 years,” said Culler. It’s the longest running sporting event in boxing. People come from all over, it’s not just Kansas City.”

Winsworth now needs two more formal fights in order to move into the Open division, which can lead to larger tournaments, and the possibility of an Olympic appearance.

With opportunities popping up every single weeks, Culler said cost, entrance fees, hotels, food, and travel are the primary reasons why Winsworth only has three formal fights under his belt.

“A lot of the kids can’t afford that,” said Culler. “My goal for him — this is how I train all of my guys — get them the best quality fights. I don’t care if we win or lose. That’s not the biggest issue for me, I just want them to give 100 percent. Whatever happens, happens.”

Culler said he aims to arrange fights so that his boxers learn — win or lose — all of the subtlety and finish they will need as a professional.

“Wrestling, football, basketball, baseball — once you’re done with high school, guess what, that basically stops there unless you’re lucky enough to do it in college,” explained Culler. “Everybody can continue boxing.”

Culler requires his boxers to maintain passing grades in school and be able to pass a drug test.

“They have two choices, they can box, or they can do drugs,” he said. “Boxing gives them a reason to say ‘no.’

“We’re preparing (Winsworth), not for the amateurs, that’s just something we have to go through — we’re preparing him for the professional side of the sport,” Culler said, explaining that Winsorth’s first professional fight is at least three years off.

Though, only attending the larger tournaments limits Winsworth’s formal record, Culler explained it exposes him to the sports best of the best, both as a spectator and in the ring.

Once he can compete in the Open division at the Golden Gloves tournament — and reaches five official fights — Winsworth will be eligible — if he earns it — to compete on the national stage, a road that can lead to the U..S Olympic team.

Culler explained that professional boxer and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Deontay Wilder only needed 30 amateur fights.

He said that there are few fighters at the light weight class which Winsworth competes in, and once at the top of a weight class, he will fight the champions from the next higher weight class.

“He started out fighting as a kid, he didn’t know how,” Culler said. “Now, he has learned everything he needs, and he’s winning. That shows by his record and the people he’s competing against.”

Winsworth said his skills have developed over the past year.

“I didn’t let my hands go near as much last year,” he said. “This year, I learned to be a lot more aggressive.”

He said his goal is to make the U.S. Olympic team and to be a professional boxer.

If he qualifies, Winsworth’s first Olympic appearance could be in 2020 at the 32nd Olympiad in Tokyo, Japan.

“We’ll know within the year whether he can get on that team or not,” Culler said.