Last weekend, Quinton Thomas Jr. was crowned the National Silver Gloves Champion for his weight division, marking a historic moment for the young athlete.
BEAUMONT, Texas — A Southeast Texas teenager is making headlines after achieving a major milestone in his boxing career.
Last weekend, Quinton Thomas Jr. was crowned the National Silver Gloves Champion for his weight division, marking a historic moment for the young athlete and his hometown.
12News last spoke with the 12-year-old Beaumont native in June as he prepared to compete in the National Junior Olympics. Despite coming home with a bronze medal, Thomas remained determined to push himself further.
Now, at 13, he has secured a national title, becoming the first boxer from Beaumont in 26 years to win the National Silver Gloves Championship.
“That’s hard work right there. You have to make a lot of sacrifices to be in this position,” Thomas said.
While many kids spent their Thanksgiving break relaxing, Thomas was busy training, jumping rope, jogging miles, and shadowboxing in preparation for the championship.
“You gotta wake up in the morning even when you don’t want to. You gotta set that alarm, get up. You know what I’m saying, go work out. Sometimes I do two sessions a day,” Thomas said.
His dedication to his craft soon paid off as he represented Lion Hearted Boxing Academy in the fight for the title of State Silver Gloves Champion.
“I’ve had six national champions, Quinton will be my seventh. Silver Gloves is the one that has escaped us,” said Calvin Shepherd Jr., coach and co-owner of Lion Hearted Boxing Academy.
Thomas faced two opponents at the state level, defeating both. He also had to cut weight but stayed focused on his goal.
“I had two opponents, I beat both of them. I had to cut some weight, but yeah, at the end of the day we got in there and handled business and then we moved on to regionals,” Thomas explained.
At the regional level, he competed against boxers from Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. He won the regional title by default after his two scheduled opponents backed out.
“Had two more opponents, both of them ended up backing out, so he got the walkover and we advanced to nationals,” said his father and coach, Quinton Thomas Sr.
At nationals last Saturday, Thomas faced three tough competitors, including the reigning Silver Gloves Champion.
“As a coach and father, there were some nerves there,” Thomas Sr. said.
But the young boxer remained focused.
“At first I was, but when I stepped in the ring, and I knew I had some support behind me, that all shook off. I knew it was time to handle business,” Thomas Jr. said.
And he did just that.
“In nationals, I had three opponents. And I beat all three. The last one I stopped by RSC and then the other two I won by unanimous decision and became 2025 National Silver Gloves Champion,” Thomas proudly stated.
His victory has put Southeast Texas back on the boxing map.
“To be the first one to do it after 26 years is definitely a huge achievement,” his father said.
His coach echoed that sentiment.
“And he proved that he was the best,” Shepherd Jr. said.
Thomas Jr. is already looking ahead to his next challenge.
“Bringing back the gold home, I feel really proud of myself, and I know my coaches and my family are proud of me too.”
Now ranked 6th in the nation by the U.S. Olympic Committee, Thomas Jr. has set his sights on competing in the Junior Olympics in June, determined to continue his rise in the boxing world.