Spokane heavyweight Pat Ferguson pulls off big upset at nationals

Pat Ferguson’s unlikely journey continues.

The Spokane heavyweight pulled off the upset of USA Boxing National Championships on Thursday, banging out a unanimous decision over 2014 runner-up Sardius Simmons in the quarterfinals at The HUB Sports Center.

Ferguson advances to the semifinals today as action moves to Northern Quest Resort and Casino. He’ll face Kato Montgomery of Garfield Heights, Ohio, in a bout late in the noon session. A second session begins at 5 p.m.

Ferguson, a 23-year-old Lewis and Clark High School graduate, entered the event with the minimum requirement of 10 amateur fights, and won a wild decision over Manuel Contreras in a first-round slugfest. In Simmons, he beat USA Boxing’s No. 2-ranked heavyweight and winner of last year’s National PAL championships.

In other afternoon action, four-time national champion Christina Cruz of New York opened her defense in the women’s bantamweight division with a 3-0 decision over Melanie Costa of Norton, Massachusetts. Defending featherweight champ Tiara Brown also moved on, in a walkover.