Collier Township girl, 14, learning the ropes as boxer

By: Josh Rizzo
Sunday, August 22, 2021 | 10:01 AM

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Annamarie Armenti piled in the car Aug. 10 with her mom Sarah and boxing coach Chris Williams to make a 62-mile trek from Pittsburgh to Youngstown, Ohio.

With less than a year of experience boxing, and at an age group and weight class that doesn’t feature much female competition, traveling is a necessity for Armenti to find training partners.

Armenti, who is 14 and fights in the 80-pound weight division, wants to accrue any experience she can soak up. Armenti, who trains out of The Academy of Martial Arts & Fitness in Pittsburgh, will be representing Pennsylvania Aug. 30 at the National Silver Glove Association Championships in Kansas City, Mo.

Armenti has only fought once coming into the tournament and qualified out of Region 2 after receiving a walk-over at a tournament in Philadelphia.

“I sparred with girls and guys that are better than me,” said Armenti, who is a Collier Township resident. “They all play a role and have helped me become better than what I was.”

Going to Youngstown allowed her to get in work against Zion Hensley, who won a gold medal at the National Junior Olympics in Lubbock, Texas.

Armenti has also sparred against top-ranked amateur boys Cruz Cunningham and Chino Rodriguez out of the US Fight Academy in North Versailles.

Williams, who trains Armenti out of the Academy, believes she has built a solid base for the tournament by quickly picking up the fundamentals. He wants to continue building the foundation.

Armenti has a long reach and Williams has been building her offense out of utilizing her length.

“She’s getting the best sparring available,” Williams said. “She’s sparring killers all the time, and it’s elevating her constantly. On top of that, I have her work with grown women to have her tee off on them and let herself loose and throw combinations she wouldn’t normally do.”

Competing in a national tournament wasn’t something Armenti considered before picking up the sport less than a year ago. Armenti’s family doesn’t have any connection to boxing, and initially, she was looking for a workout to replace gymnastics.

First, she tried a kids MMA class, then transitioned into boxing.

“Honestly, I really like the environment,” Armenti said. “Everyone around you is encouraging and kind. You meet a lot of new people and make friends through it.”

Armenti wanting to compete in the tournament was also inspired through a connection with Karissa’s Army. Karissa’s Army has raised thousands of dollars for victims of domestic violence and was created following the death of Karissa Kunco, who was murdered by her estranged boyfriend in 2015.

Armenti met with Kunco’s father and is dedicating her performance in the tournament to Karissa’s memory.

“I want to do better than my first fight,” Armenti said. “I don’t know what it’s going to look like. I’ve never been to nationals or a big tournament like this. I’m excited for the experience, too.”

With Armenti’s demeanor, Williams believes she is well-equipped to handle the new environment. Williams believes Armenti is mentally tough and would excel at any sport she tries.

Williams has seen her toughness first-hand.

“With the little ones, it’s more about fundamentals and pushing them to a point where they want to break,” Williams said. “When they break, then you rebuild them. It builds resilience for life. Most of these kids aren’t going to be professional fighters. … I’m a big fan of kids doing a bunch of things, figuring out their passion and going from there. What they learn here, she’ll take into life.”