Selma boxer Richard Woods advanced to the National Golden Gloves Championships in Kansas City, Mo., with a victory in the Southeast Regionals in Birmingham last weekend.

Woods, a super heavyweight, beat Larry Hardin of Johnson City, Tenn. to advance to the championships which will be held May 3-8.

The championships will be Woods’ swan song as an amateur.

Woods plans on turning pro after the tournament.

Woods went to the national championships once before but was eliminated in the first round.

Now, after two years away from the ring, he’s back and looking for the title.

Woods, who trains with Frank Hardy at the Selma Youth Development Center Boxing Club, is the latest in a long line of Selma area boxers to make it to the national championship. But Woods could become the first boxer trained by Hardy to win the Golden Gloves,

Hardy took the time to thank the people supporting boxing in Selma.

As Woods prepares to leave the world of amateur boxing, Hardy also introduced a new student to the sweet science.

Along with teammates Roderick Webster, Pierre Webster and Kenyon Lowe, Keevin Lowe participated in his first match at the Junior Division fights on the same weekend.

Keevin along with Roderrick and Rufus Webster will compete in the Junior Olympics in Smyrna, Tenn. at the end of this month.

Hardy said after last weekend’s fight Keevin finally understood what all the work was about.

Keevin said wanting to follow in Hardy’s footsteps is a big reason why he got into boxing.