DENVER—Rau’shee Warren blended in with the rest of the ringside crowd, just another spectator watching two up-and-coming boxers brawl.
As one walked past Warren following the fight, the two-time Olympian complimented his performance.
The boxer muttered a thanks and kept going. Then he suddenly stopped, looked back and did a double-take, his eyes widening.
Yes, that was indeed Warren, a diminutive figure who casts a large aura at the USA boxing national championships.
The three-time national champion is respected in this setting, frequently venturing around to other rings after he fights to check out other boxers.
Warren feels at peace here.
That’s one of the reasons he passed on several lukewarm professional prospects soon after the 2008 Beijing Summer Games. He still enjoys hanging out at these big amateur bouts, watching the up-and-comers.
These boxers are the future of the U.S. team, the ones he’s hoping he can lead into the 2012 London Games as the squad tries to rebuild from its worst Olympic showing.
“This is the time to set the goal, got to win tournaments like this,” said Warren, who’s fighting in Thursday night’s semifinals.
Respect their elders? Not this generation of boxers.
They always think they can take down the 22-year-old Warren, talking smack at every chance.
He loves it.
“They’re saying this and that,” cracked Warren, who’s competing at bantamweight for the championships. “Then you get into the ring, and they see what it is to get to this elite level.”
Warren was dreaming big for Beijing, hoping a medal would materialize in his second go-around at the Olympics. Instead he left with the sting of a heartbreaking loss.
Believing he was up a point in his first-round match, Warren danced around and didn’t pounce in the waning seconds. He even raised his glove in victory after the bell.
Warren was stunned by the 9-8 loss to South Korea’s Lee Ok-sung. He broke into tears after the bout.
But the loss no longer eats at him.
“That’s the past. I think about the future,” Warren said. “I think about what I have to do next. I can’t (get) stuck thinking about what happened in the Olympics.”
Still, it opened his eyes as to what he needed to do next.
Warren is working on packing more power into his punches. He ramped up his use of weights and plyometrics to increase his strength.
He feels speedy and strong, leading to a change in philosophy inside the ring.
“I don’t train to win—I train to knock people out,” said Warren, who’s from Cincinnati. “I refuse to be at a decision. I’d rather destroy the man.”
Warren also moved up from flyweight to bantam, a shift he said could stick.
“Now that I’m at 119, I’m comfortable, eat good and feel good,” said Warren, who typically walks around at 120 pounds when he’s not in training. “After the Olympics, my goal was to automatically go up—no matter if I was staying amateur or going pro.”
Any chance he might still turn pro before 2012?
“You all are going to see me around,” Warren said, flashing his gold tooth. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
