The pandemic has claimed another victim.
A hallmark of life in the Merrimack Valley, the annual Greater Lowell/Central New England Golden Gloves boxing tournament, will not be held in 2021.
The tournament, which features the best amateur boxers in New England, was scheduled to celebrate its 75th year. In order to try to stage the tournament this year, organizers moved it from its customary start in early January to a tentative start date in April.
But plans were scrapped when it became apparent the tournament couldn't be held safely due to COVID-19. So the Lowell Memorial Auditorium will not host the Golden Gloves again until 2022.
It's a shame. The Golden Gloves has produced several legends, including Rocky Marciano, Marvin Hagler and Micky Ward. For nearly eight decades, winter nights in Lowell were synonymous with the tournament. Many of the fighters would go on to win national championships.
The fighters are brave to enter the ring, but there seems to be no quit in the pandemic, either.
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