Jean Pierre Valencia, Malachi Georges cruise to wins on NYAC amateur show
New Jersey amateur boxing standout Jean Pierre Valencia scored his third straight victory in New York City on Thursday, September 21, defeating experienced veteran Francisco Frometa by unanimous decision at the New York Athletic Club.
Valencia, who is the reigning N.J. Golden Gloves and New York Boxing Tournament champion at 165 pounds, punched his way through the defense of the skillful Frometa, a Brooklyn resident who boxes out of the NYC Cops & Kids Club. The Irvington, N.J. resident picked up the pressure in the second round, and was most dominant in the third, landing heavy right hands on Frometa which thrilled the crowd at the private social club.
Valencia, whose record is now 22-2, was originally scheduled to face Ryan Chi, a 2022 National Collegiate Boxing Association champion from the United States Military Academy West Point on the New York vs. Army themed card, but Chi withdrew two days before the bout citing illness. Frometa, a veteran of 25 fights, was already preparing for another bout the following week and stepped in to fill the void.
Valencia is still scheduled to fight the southpaw Chi on October 22 when the Army West Point team travels to New Jersey to face a local slate of boxers at La Neve’s Banquets in Haledon, N.J.
“It was a bit tough to adjust from training to face a southpaw and then fighting an orthodox boxer instead, but Jean Pierre made the right adjustments and got the victory,” said head trainer Ryan Songalia, who trains Valencia alongside conditioning coach Aaron Watson.
“The mission remains to finish up all unfinished business in the amateurs before we turn our attention to the professional ranks in 2024.”
Next, Valencia turns his attention to the New Jersey Diamond Gloves, which take place from October 13-15. The 23-year-old Valencia won the tournament last year at the novice level, but is seeking to complete the trifecta of state titles at the open class level. Valencia is also scheduled to compete on the pro-am show on November 11 at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark which will be headlined by the ring return of Emmanuel “Salserito” Rodriguez.
Valencia wasn’t the only New Jersey standout on that card.
Malachi Georges of Teaneck, N.J. defeated West Point’s Spencer Roy by third round stoppage in their 203-pound bout. Georges, a 2023 National Golden Gloves champion, scored two standing eight counts in the second before a third count brought the fight to a halt in the following round.
Georges, 20, was boxing on less than a week’s rest, having fallen short in the finals of the Last Chance Qualifier tournament on Sept. 16 in Pueblo, Colo.