COLORADO SPRINGS — The referee flung his arms back and forth, the bell sounded and a familiar grin shot across Rau’shee Warren’s face as the two-time Olympian pranced throughout the ring.
“I’m back!” Warren shouted.
Nobody could argue that Saturday after Warren pummeled Miguel Cartagena in the 114-pound flyweight final of the USA Boxing national championships at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, forcing a second-round stoppage that provided redemption.
In other Olympic weight classes finished at press time, Louie Byrd of Denver beat Diego Hurtado at 108, Joseph Diaz Jr. beat Ricky Rodriguez of Evans at 123, Jose Ramirez beat Eric Flores at 132, Pedro Sosa topped Michael Reed at 141, Errol Spence defeated Alex Martin at 152, Luis Arias beat Jesse Hart at 165 and Fort Carson soldier Jeffrey Spencer beat Robert Brant at 178.
On the women’s side, Marlen Esparza beat Tyriesha Douglas at 112, Queen Underwood beat Patricia Manuel at 132 and Tiffanie Hearn beat Lisabet Vargus at 165.
Trying to become the first American to box in three Olympics, Warren, 23, of Cincinnati, left no doubt in winning his fourth national title, a year after the most crushing defeat of his domestic career — a 40-39 loss to Jesus Magdaleno in the bantamweight semifinals.
Right hooks and punishing jabs propelled Warren ahead 14-1 at the end of the first round, in which Cartagena, 18, of Philadelphia, received two standing eight-counts. Several shots early in the second sent Cartagena into the ropes, and after another standing eight-count, with Warren leading 19-1, Cartagena retired.
“I was trying to deliver the left hand more,” Warren said, “but every time I delivered the left, the hook just was right there. . . . I was connecting real well.”
The 2009 light-flyweight champion, Cartagena said he “couldn’t figure out when he was going to throw it and how he was going to throw it. . . . I just couldn’t figure him out.”
Warren downplayed the medal hanging from a red, white and blue ribbon, restating his sole focus as the Olympics, where he suffered first-round defeats in 2004 and 2008.
“I’ve got about 300 of these,” he said. “It’s not a big deal. It’s just another medal going in my trophy case. Until I get the (Olympic) gold medal, then I can’t throw away the key. . . . This is still another step to the Olympics, so why wouldn’t I want to win?”
In non-Olympic divisions, Jessica Ponce defeated Marina Ramirez at 106, Lauren Fisher outlasted Sacred Downing at 119, Jody-Ann Weller topped Liz Leddy at 125, Cashmere Jackson beat Vanessa Jackson at 141, Andrecia Wasson beat Latarisha Fountain at 152, Tyler Lord Wilder beat Chatiqua Hemingway at 178 and Denise Rico beat Anne Gibbon at 178-plus. None of those weight classes will be contested at the 2012 London Games.
