LOVE FOR ‘GLOVES’
News-backed boxing tourney is star of doc
Boxers and boxing buffs alike flocked to the Village East Cinema on Second Ave. on Thursday for the premier of “Cradle of Champions,” a documentary that chronicles three amateur fighters as they try to grab the brass ring at the Golden Gloves, the boxing tournament sponsored by the Daily News since 1927.
The documentary, which premieres on Showtime on Friday, follows James Wilkins, Nisa Rodriguez and Titus Williams as they go for the title — and the coveted Golden Gloves necklace — fighting their way among 500 boxers from across the five boroughs during the 10-week tournament.
The Golden Gloves is considered one of the most prestigious amateur boxing tournaments in the country. The documentary was written and directed by journalist Bartle Bull, who calls the making of the film a “fouryear odyssey.”
“We were trying to capture the beauty of this world,” Bull said. “It reminds us that we live in a world of heroes. They’re all around us every day.”
The three intertwined yet unique narratives were filmed in a cinéma vérité style, and each explores the pressures and sacrifices on the arduous journey toward boxing greatness. The film “will help people know how big the Golden Gloves are,” said Bruce (Shu Shu) Carrington, the 2017 and 2018 winner in the 132-pound weight class. “It’s been going on for 90 years and it’s a tradition for amateur boxers who want to go pro. It’s a dream to go to the Golden Gloves.”
The documentary, which was filmed in 2015, shows Williams, then 24, and Wilkins, then 19, as they battle through opposite sides of the 132-pound bracket. Williams is the tournament favorite on the brink of professional success. He is mentored by coach Joe Higgins, a retired New York City firefighter suffering from illnesses sustained during rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Wilkins, a Staten Island native who channels his propensity for fighting into an amateur career, aims to beat Williams and establish himself as a prospect to watch as he longs to go pro.
Meanwhile, single mother and teacher Rodriguez, then 25 — a five-time Golden Glove champion and selfproclaimed “fighting pride of the South Bronx”— attempts to cement her legacy as she sets her sights on the 2016 Olympic Trials.
The producers of “Cradle of Champions” gave 20% of the proceeds to the Golden Gloves.