FALL RIVER — Boxing's road to the Big Mammy this year runs through nearby Fall River CYO Hall.
The Battle Belt, a Golden Gloves-style United States Boxing Association-sanctioned amateur tournament, is scheduled to be held four Saturday nights this summer, with three qualifiers at the CYO on Annawan Street (July 13, 20 and Aug. 3) and the finals at Battleship Massachusetts on Aug. 10.
Aaron Bernardo, owner/operator/coach of Bernardo Boxing on the first floor of the CYO Hall, helped stage the popular one-night-only show “Battle on the Battleship” two years ago, and 10 years ago hosted a boxing exhibition on the Battleship as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations.Number It's the anniversary of Big Mammy coming to Fall River.
For this year's show, Bernardo opted for a format where boxers have to earn a spot to fight on the Battleship: they have to win qualifiers at CYO to get a spot in the big show.
Bernardo brought boxing back to the facility that decades ago, under coach Ron Comeau, produced top boxers including U.S. Olympic Trials finalists Chris McDonald (1980) and David Govan (1984).
“I've always been a little bit involved with battleships and boxing, of course,” Bernardo, 29 and a father of four, said recently at the CYO offices. “So now I'm here inside the Fall River CYO, which is a legendary building, and we did the CYO belt and a few other shows last year. We hosted the New England Championships, which is one of the qualifiers.
“I had this idea: What if we did a tournament? Let's do a four-week tournament, something like a Golden Gloves style, King of the Ring style, where everyone signs up by weight class, and they go up against each other in a battleship to fight.”
Bernardo said 120 boxers have already signed up, including 15 from his own gym.
Bell time each night is 6 p.m. Tickets for the finals at the Battleship Massachusetts will be sold in advance. Tickets for the preliminary rounds at the CYO will be sold on-site.
Bernardo said parking at the Pearl Street Garage near the CYO is free on weekends.
Locally registered boxers:
Bernardo Boxing: Mason Almeida, Alex Nineveh, Daniel Nineveh, Junior Richards, Michael Brooks, Joseph Brooks, Josh Roberts, Gabriel Giles, Taylor Faye, Christopher Rivera, Michael Casato, Bodrea Pintiere, Mason Ventura, Jonathan Gruber Jr. and Brendan Byrne.
I love boxing: Josh Parker.
StayReady/OnPoint: Armani Dotson, Dylan Ashi, Sebastian Durand, Joshua Folger, Chayla Johnson-Aly.
Fall River PAL: Avan Hazard, Mike Alves.
This article originally appeared in the Herald-News: Bernardo Boxing owner Aaron Bernardo gearing up for four-day summer event
