A year ago, Malachi Georges was a novice level boxer competing in local tournaments in New Jersey. On Saturday afternoon, he became U.S. Olympic Trials champion.

The 20-year-old southpaw from Teaneck, N.J. took a big step towards his dream of competing at the 2024 Olympics, outboxing Danel Brown of Philadelphia, Pa. to win the 203-pound title by a 5-0 decision at the Cajundome Convention Center in Lafayette, La. Three of the judges scored the bout a 30-27 shutout, while two of the judges found a round to give to Brown, turning in 29-28 scores for Georges.

Georges, who trains with his father Ray Georges out of Different Breed Sports Academy in Teaneck, controlled the action with his educated jab and lateral movement in the first two rounds. With the fight essentially won heading into the third, Georges used uppercuts to counter the aggression of the heavy-handed Brown before sliding out behind his right hook. Georges never let Brown get set to land his powerful hooks, using his jab to break up Brown’s rhythm and lateral movement to keep him off balance.

The win was not nearly as dramatic as their last meeting, when Georges dropped Brown with a counter left hand and gave him another count after that in their National Golden Gloves final bout in May, but the outcome was nonetheless clear.

The win is made even more remarkable considering that Georges comfortably makes the 189-pound weight limit, but moved up to 203 pounds because the other division isn’t an Olympic category at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Georges also has just 34 fights, which he accrued by taking every opportunity to box, either in-state or nationally, over the past couple of years.

Georges made an impression on Mikaela Mayer, a 2016 U.S. Olympian and former RING magazine junior lightweight champion, who said she felt Georges was the best boxer of the tournament, and favored him to qualify for and medal at the Olympic boxing competition, which runs from July 27 through August 10.

“It’s been amazing,” Georges told the post-fight interviewers on Peacock when asked about his journey to becoming Olympic Trials champion. “Every part of it, every win, the losing situations, training, hardships, fun times, I was here for all of it. People miss that part because it’s not on camera. Everybody sees this, but that in between, that’s where it’s at.”

Georges was competing in a weight class where no one qualified for an Olympic berth at the Americas qualifying event, the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile in October. The U.S. qualified five boxers at that tournament, meaning several other spots remain open to be filled at the two remaining world qualifiers, which are set for February 29-March 12 in Busto Arsizio, Italy and May 23-June 5 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Mike McAtee, Executive Director of USA Boxing, tells The Ring that the trials champions and the national team boxers who had qualified for the Pan American Games will report for an evaluation camp beginning on January 7 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Col. There the boxers will be evaluated for about five weeks before USA Boxing makes its decision about who will head to the qualifiers and who will be the alternate.

Among the factors which will be considered are how the two boxers in each weight class perform against each other in test matches, and how they had performed in previous international competitions. Other factors which will be graded by the coaching staff include the boxers’ ability to report on time, follow the rules  and weight management.

“It’s head to head competition but then it’s also what they’re doing in camp. So you have subjective and objective standards,” said McAtee.

That means Georges will join fellow New Jersey boxer Jamar Talley, who has been representing USA Boxing at international tournaments since after the last Olympics concluded in 2021, at the Olympic Training Center for a camp to determine who will be the country’s heavyweight boxer at the next qualifier.

Keon Davis, the brother of 2020 Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis, was also among those who earned a ticket to Colorado.

Gotta love a little sibling rivalry. 😂 #BoxingTrials24 pic.twitter.com/LXx1EukPby

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) December 9, 2023

The 22-year-old from Houston, Tex. by way of Norfolk, Va. won a 4-1 decision over Delaware’s Carlos Flowers in the men’s 156-pound final. Davis used his range and boxing skills to keep the aggressive southpaw Flowers at bay and score points.

“I’m not coming to match [silver],” said Davis when asked about replicating his brother’s accomplishment in Tokyo. “I’m coming for the gold medal.”

Davis will be joined at Colorado Springs by Omari Jones, the 156-pounder from Orlando who made it to the quarterfinals of the Pan American Games.

Other results:

112-pound male: Alex Espinoza defeats Jordan Roach by 3-2 decision

125-pound male: Jordan Fuentes defeats Isaias Estevan Navarro by 3-2 decision*

139-pound male: Dedrick Crocklem defeats Vershaun Lee by 5-0 decision

176-pound male: Nathan Lugo defeats Obed Bartee-El by 5-0 decision

203+ pound male: Ali Feliz defensa Steven Williams by 5-0 decision*

110-pound female: Sheelyn Patricio defeats Noelle Haro by 3-2 decision*

119-pound female: Kayla Gomez defeats Jasmine Hampton by 5-0 decision

125-pound female: Sierra Martinez defeats Atiana Edwards by 5-0 decision

132-pound female: Lisa Greer defeats Neida Ibarra by 3-1 decision*

146-pound female: Stephanie Simon defeats Stacia Suttles by 4-1 decision*

165-pound female: Christine Forkins defeats Talia Halvorsen by 5-0 decision

*Boxer already qualified at that weight for Olympics