Butler boxer training for Gold Gloves after winning recent bout

Boxing means much more to Butler's Megan Wollerton than defeating the opposition. Her involvement in the sport began as a means of staying fit, but her curiosity about applying her new skill drew her into the ring.

As December approached, Wollerton and some other boxers from MAC Gym in Wexford took part in an event at James 5:16 Center in Tarentum. The charity boxing matches that night helped raise awareness as well as gifts for the Toys for Tots campaign. While Wollerton helped draw donations, she added a win to her record.

Wollerton faced Punxsutawney's Rebecca Maine, and came away with a unanimous decision.

“I am only 5-feet-tall,” Wollerton said. “I went in trying to fight like (Mike) Tyson. … I worked her inside and gave more body shots. She was not prepared for that.”

Wollerton said boxers usually size up their opponent before the bout begins. Since there were not a lot of female boxers on the card, it was pretty easy for Wollerton to spot her competition.

“She is taller than me, so I knew I had to stay in tight because she had a long reach,” she said.

With the win, Wollerton improved her record to 3-2.

“It's amazing, but that is why you keep going,” Wollerton said of the successful bout. “Boxing takes so much effort, and losses can be deflating. I know, I have taken some, so wins definitely make it worth it.”

Wollerton garnered some interest on the circuit, and had some offers for more fights, but opted to turn them down and focus on her training for the Golden Gloves competition this spring.

Wollerton trains under the direction of MAC Gym's Joe Divosevic.

Divosevic said one thing that impresses him about Wollerton is her calm confidence.

“That is something that has always stood out about Megan,” Divosevic said. “She was calm (about the previous fight), and she was keyed in on it.”

Wollerton was doing so well, Divosevic had her try out some newer skills in the final round, as he believed she had the fight in hand.

“Megan improves every match,” Divosevic said. “In this match, I was able to coach her, and we were able to do some new things. That is not something you can always do.”

With her record and confidence boosted, Wollerton will train with Divosevic over the next 11 weeks in hopes of earning her Golden Gloves. The training began the day after her last bout.

Wollerton participated in the Golden Gloves last year, but had to withdraw due to a scheduling conflict.

Divosevic said Wollerton is naturally in good shape, so he thinks she can be properly conditioned in about four weeks.

“We go backward 11 weeks from the fight date and make up our plan,” Divosevic said. “We lift, but you have to be careful because that can add weight. We will ramp up the sparring closer to the fight, and we will work on being more explosive and (her) strength.”

The previous time she participated in the Golden Gloves, Wollerton defeated one of the champions in a non-title bout, giving her confidence she can do well this time.

“I am confident about Megan's chances in the Golden Gloves,” Divosevic said. “I know what we need to work on.”

Jerry Clark is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at jeclark@tribweb.com.