USA Boxing’s first national tournament of 2022 will take place April 23-30 at the Wolstein Center, which is located on the campus of Cleveland State University in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The event, which will serve as a qualifier to the 2022 USA Boxing National Championships for elite boxers, will also feature boxers in the pee-wee to youth divisions.

“USA Boxing is looking forward to bringing a national tournament back to the state of Ohio,” stated Taryn Cass, USA Boxing Events Coordinator. “Cleveland has a rich boxing history, and we are excited for the local support and involvement from the boxing community there. 

Greater Cleveland Sports Commission put together a very competitive bid on behalf of their city, and we are confident that our partnership will produce an event that will continue the upward trend of growth and success USA Boxing has seen over the past few years”

“Cleveland is thrilled to welcome the 2022 USA Boxing National Qualifier this spring as it creates an amazing opportunity to celebrate our city’s long-standing history with the sport,” said David Gilbert, President and CEO of Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. “Through a strong partnership with USA Boxing and the Wolstein Center, our team is looking forward to working directly with local boxing clubs and other community organizations to make this a successful event and build on the diverse scope of events Cleveland has continually attracted."

The week-long tournament will allow elite boxers (18-39) the opportunity to punch their ticket to this year’s National Championships, while all other divisions will look to earn valuable national rankings points. Complete qualification guidelines for the 2022 USA Boxing National Championships will be announced at a later date. 

USA Boxing returns to the state of Ohio after Columbus hosted the 2019 Eastern Qualifier, which saw over 800 boxers take to the ring in a state that is filled with USA Boxing history.

"Cleveland possesses such a rich boxing history. Many Olympians and World Champions were molded by our community both inside and outside of the ring," said Chris Cugliari, USA Boxing Alumni Association Director. "We are incredibly proud to welcome the next generation of champions and look forward to witnessing their beginning chapters on the road to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and beyond."

Three boxers from the state of Ohio represented Team USA at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, silver medalist Duke Ragan (Cincinnati), bronze medalist Oshae Jones (Toledo), as well as Cleveland’s own Delante Johnson, who extended the streak of Cleveland-native boxing Olympians to four, following in the footsteps of Charles Conwell (2016), Terrell Gausha (2012) and Raynell Williams (2008). 

Registration for the event will open on Tuesday, March 1 and run until April 12.