Just a month after dominating at the Central California competition, Turlock seventh grader Marques Tovar once again took home gold at the California Silver Gloves State Championships this past weekend. 

Tovar traveled south to Compton for the tournament, where he won his sole fight on Sunday to earn the title of champion for the 75-pound weight class. With the win, the Dutcher Middle School student advances to the regional tournament, set to take place next month. 

“I was excited to be able to go to the state tournament, and was even more excited that it was going to be a rematch,” Tovar said. 

Tovar had previously defeated Stockton boxer Izmael Ramos over the summer while they were both competing at the National Junior Olympics in Lubbock, Texas. Tovar went on to win that tournament, too, and on Sunday was eager to once again face Ramos. After placing third at the USA National Boxing Championships in Louisiana earlier in the month, he was ready for a win.

“I was really hungry coming into this fight because the last fight I lost was a bad decision,” Tovar said. 

Tovar once again defeated Ramos on Sunday in a 3-2 decision, and said his knowledge of his opponent’s fighting style helped him win. Ramos throws plenty of jabs, he said, so Tovar needed to counter by slipping the punches and applying pressure of his own. 

“I knew I was winning the fight because I was catching him with a lot of punches and my hits were much cleaner,” Tovar said. 

With the win, Tovar advances to the Silver Gloves regionals set for early January in Compton. Tovar’s travels are made possible thanks to plenty of fundraising from his family, and the community’s support isn’t lost on the young boxer. Turlock’s support of the Tovar family isn’t new, however; the city also helped his older sister, Turlock High School grad Sandra Tovar, who is a five-time national champion herself.

“It just feels good because I live in a little city, and there are people here who want to help me box,” Tovar said. “People actually want to go out of their way and help fundraise for these fights.”

For those who would like to donate, the Tovar family Venmo account is @Jeff-Tovar-3.