Annual Golden Gloves returns this month

It’s time again for the annual Golden Gloves boxing in Tacoma. After being temporarily set off track last year due to the pandemic, the competition is back this year at its usual January schedule and again at the University of Puget Sound Fieldhouse.

The 2021 Golden Gloves tournament was held just six months ago and even though it broke with tradition to be held in the summertime, it was done for the sake of the boxers.

“Last year was kind of an aberration coming back from COVID and having to get an event done far enough in advance so we could send the athletes to the nationals,” said Golden Gloves Chairman Greg Plancich. “We were able to pull that off, but it feels good to be back to our regular timeslot on the calendar.”

The two-day Golden Gloves begins with preliminary bouts on Friday, Jan. 27, at the Edison Annex, 3109 S. 60th St., at 7 pm Tickets will be for sale at the door. The winning boxers from there move on to the finals the next evening, Jan. 28, 7 p.m. at the University of Puget Sound Fieldhouse. Tickets for the finals are available now at ups.universitytickets.com. 100 percent of all proceeds go to supporting these local athletes, so buying tickets is an investment in the youth who train hard to make it from Tacoma to the Golden Gloves regionals and nationals.

The roster of boxers is now being put together and fans can expect to see at least 10 bouts in the finals. Favorite Dederick Crocklem won’t be able to compete, as he is at the Olympic training camp in Colorado, but other Tacoma Boxing Club standouts are anticipated to be there like heavyweight Ramel Casablanca, Eugene Washington III, Romeo Johnson, Joseph Nieto, Arturo and Harley Cuevas, Jermaine Carrillo and Jerice Holland.

“It all depends on how hard they work,” said Tacoma Boxing Club coach Tom Mustin.

Bernie Plancich will be recognized for her more than 30 years of volunteer work for Tacoma Golden Gloves.

Fighters are coming from Seattle, the Tri-Cities, Spokane, and efforts are in the works to bring a team of Canadian boxers to town since Oregon’s Golden Gloves falls on the same weekend as Tacoma’s this year.

Another exciting part is that Mustin’s daughter JoVanna Thomas is coming from the Tri-Cities to sing the National Anthem. Mustin himself is making a return as well after taking time away the past couple years to care for his wife who ultimately lost her battle with cancer.

The Golden Gloves program is all volunteer driven, with some of the organizers having served for decades. One of these is Greg Plancich’s mom Bernie Plancich, and she will be brought forward for special recognition during the finals. For more than 30 years she has worked behind the scenes handling ticket sales and finances for the event, and she is also seen working the beer garden, which she thoroughly enjoys.

“That’s fun to see the same people year after year and I like that,” she said.

Bernie is certainly not one to seek the spotlight. In fact, she’d rather not be the center of attention but this time she’s going to get all the love and recognition she deserves since Golden Gloves couldn’t work without her.

Tony Anderson, three-time Tacoma Athletic Commission president and on the Golden Gloves committee since 1993, chuckled over Bernie’s surprise at being honored.

“When she saw her name on the poster she about fell right out of her chair because she didn’t know. We hadn’t told her,” he said.

Mustin said, “It’s about time. She’s not out front, she’s not flashy, but people can do stuff behind the scenes for years and years and all of a sudden they get recognized so it’s great.”

For Bernie, “I about died when I found out,” she laughed. “Volunteer work has been my life. I just like doing it and I don’t need to be thanked for it,” but she’s accepting it with her trademark good humor and humility.

Bernie got started volunteering for Golden Gloves when her late husband, Gerald “Jerry” Plancich, was chairman of the Tacoma Athletic Commission. In fact, the name Plancich is synonymous with the commission and Golden Gloves in that Greg’s sons are also involved. Bryce, a dentist in practice with his dad, is on the Golden Gloves committee and Brett, a physician anesthesiologist in Tacoma, is getting his certification with USA Boxing to be a Golden Gloves back-up ring doctor.

Heavyweight Ramel Casablanca (right) is expected to return and win again this year.

The 2023 Golden Gloves also brings the third inductee officially to the roster of Golden Gloves Legends. US amateur and professional boxing champion Emmett Linton Jr. is a four-time Golden Gloves champion and a national champion as well. During his amazing career, Linton Won two world titles and two national titles. His 17 years as a professional took him to the television airwaves when, in his 20s, fans could see him in action on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.

Linton was just six years old when his dad took him and his older brother to the gym. That’s where little Emmett first met coach Tom Mustin and the two worked together from then on.

“What got my attention was that my older brother would go to tournaments and come home with trophies,” Linton said. “I thought that was exciting – all I’d have to do is train and prepare and I’d get to come back with trophies. That’s what got me.”

From grade school at Bryant Elementary to Hunt Junior High then to Stadium High School, Linton trained all those years.

“Once I started boxing, the training was continuous,” he said. “It never stopped. I knew conditioning was part of boxing, and eating. My diet had to be correct to make the certain weight classes I was in. I had to run sometimes twice a day to maintain that weight and that happened as a professional as well.”

Today, the 52-year-old (as of next month) drives busses for Pierce Transit just like his fellow boxing champ and Golden Gloves legend Leo Randolph. Linton coaches on the side, incorporating boxing principles to young athletes in baseball, basketball and football, and provides personal training for women who want to get in better shape.

On Jan. 19, Tacoma’s “CityLine” program will welcome Anderson, Mustin and Linton to talk about this year’s Golden Gloves event. Look to facebook.com/goldenglovestacoma for updates.