Boyce Gym in Plum will be well represented Saturday at the eighth annual Punch Out Parkinson’s fundraising event at The Pittsburgh Shrine Center on Shriners Way in Cheswick.
Seasoned Boyce boxers Gavin Alford, Johnny Trujillo and Anthony Carlisano will put it on the line as part of the charity event sponsored by Fit 4 Boxing with locations in Allison Park and Murrysville.
“They have this event every year at this time,” Boyce trainer Ryan Flora said. “It is a great cause, and the (boxing) card is always packed with good fights.”
Flora, who trains Alford, Trujillo and Carlisano, expects 10 to 12 bouts on Saturday’s card.
“The reason why this is good for these guys is that it is right before the Golden Gloves tournament,” Flora said.
“Technically, they aren’t fighting for anything but pride and an additional fight on their overall record, but it is a nice warm-up for the Golden Gloves, which starts Feb. 14. These club shows give us the experience we need to be able to walk into the Golden Gloves with a step ahead of the competition.
“Anthony has a tough (Golden Gloves) bracket in the Elite Open Division at 143 pounds, and Gavin and Johnny are actually in the finals, which will be at the end of March or early April.”
Carlisano, Trujillo and Alford each have that experience with 20 or more fights under their belts.
“Gavin and Anthony had at least 10 fights last year alone,” Flora said. “Gavin went to a national ranking tournament in Richmond, Va., in December. Johnny had a handful of fights, but he also picked up wrestling (at Plum). All three guys look good.”
Alford, 14, a Forest Hills resident and freshman at Woodland Hills High School, has a career mark of 12-10.
He had one fight at nationals and lost by a unanimous decision. He competed in the three rounds with a broken thumb.
On Saturday, Alford will face Erie’s Abdullah Gonzalez for the third time. They split their first two fights. Gonzalez won the first meeting in March of last year, and Alford won the rematch in November.
“He beat me the first time, so I was happy to face him again and get the win,” Alford said.
“That gave me a lot of confidence going into this fight. I’ve gotten a lot better since I fought him last. I have a good strategy for this fight.”
Alford will join a travel team, Team 412 Boxing based out of 3rd Avenue Gym in Downtown Pittsburgh, at an event card Feb. 14 in North Carolina.
“Gavin is progressing to where the best thing for him is to face competition outside of Pittsburgh,” Flora said.
“The team goes to tournaments all over the East Coast and to national tournaments. He’s fought everywhere and is getting the best work there is. He might have a 12-10 record, but he’s fighting kids on a national level.”
Carlisano, 20, a Plum grad, will fight Saturday at 143 pounds.
He carries a 13-8 record into the three-round bout.
Carlisano last fought in November with other boxers from the Pittsburgh region in a series of bouts against a team from the Naval Academy at the Pittsburgh Omni William Penn.
He got the win that night in the main event.
Carlisano said he’s excited for Saturday and the chance to take that next step before Golden Gloves, where he will be one of five fighters in his division.
“I’ve been pretty active these past few months, so this will be another fight that will help me rack up that experience,” said Carlisano, who will face 2017 Shaler grad Anthony Venezia, the 2024 Golden Gloves state champion at 156 pounds.
“(Venezia) is in my (Golden Gloves) bracket, so I might have to fight him again.”
Trujillo, 17, a junior at Plum, will fight Saturday at 135 pounds. He owns a winning record in 21 career fights.
He returns to the ring after last fighting in November in Ellwood City.
Trujillo hopes to get back in the win column after suffering a loss that night by split decision.
“It was tough losing that one, but I thought I did good. It was a competitive fight,” he said. “I am excited for my fight Saturday.”
Trujillo is a first-year member of the Plum varsity/JV wrestling team, and he manages his time between that and his training for boxing.
“Wrestling is a whole new game for me,” Trujillo said. “It is a whole other part of my discipline. The conditioning for wrestling helps me a lot in (training at Boyce). It is pretty intense.”
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Doors to the Punch Out Parkinson’s event open at 5 p.m.
Dinner is at 6, and the fight card begins at 7.
Standing-room only admission is all that is left at $50 per person. They can be purchased at the door. It includes a cash bar.
For more information about Punch Out Parkinson’s or Fit 4 Boxing, visit fit4boxingclub.com/gala-event.