Who are THE Prospects Along The Beltway?

Many people ask me about the state of boxing along the Beltway. Where are we now?

My answer is that boxing along the Beltway is in what I call a "transitional" state. What that means is that we have passed through the time where we had major champions and contenders. Back in the mid-90's, DC had four world champions AT THE SAME TIME!! Keith Holmes and William Joppy held two-thirds (WBC and WBA respectively) of the middleweight title, Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson was IBF Flyweight champ and Sharmba Mitchell held the WBA junior welterweight championship.

When you add Baltimore's contribution of Vincent Pettway as IBF Junior Middleweight champion, that's five world titles along the Beltway from 1994-1999. A couple of years later, DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley won the WBO Junior Welterweight title and of course, Hasim Rahman shocked the world by winning the world heavyweight title.

But although everyone mentioned (except Pettway) are still active in the sport, most people, myself included, believe that their best days have past.

The area still has contenders like Jimmy Lange and Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson, but they have yet to step up to the higher eschelon of the sport.

So where's our next wave coming from? Fortunately, the Beltway does have a number of prospects that you should keep your eyes on. With that in mind, here's my list of the top 10 prospects in the area. The list is in alphabetical order.

1. Ishmail "The Arsenal" Arvin -- This Baltimore junior middleweight is truly something to watch. He is 13-0-1 with six knockouts. He has great speed and is a solid ring general. His power is also improving.

2. Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan -- Buchanan has been fighting as a light heavyweight but this Capitol Heights, MD native is better as a super middleweight at this stage. Buchanan is 11-0 with 10 KO's. He has great hand speed and solid power. He won his first 10 bouts by knockout before a unanimous decision win in his last contest. Buchanan also has shown a very strong chin. Can be a little too cocky, but so far he has backed up his cockiness.

3. Corey "Black Ice" Cummings -- This Baltimore cruiserweight has been fighting under the radar for awhile but this guy's legit. A power puncher who is always in shape, Cummings is 13-0, 10 KO's and has won his last six bouts by knockout.

4. Tony "Cyclone" Cygan -- A super middleweight from Middle River, MD, Cygan is showing some serious talent. He is showing power and great skill. In his last bout at Martin's West in Woodlawn on July 21, Cygan put on a clinic on how to throw body shots. Cygan is 7-0 with five KO's.

5. "The American Dream" Mike Dietrich -- This rapidly improving heavyweight from Dundalk, MD is really coming on strong early in his career. Dietrich is just 6-0 with two knockouts but for his last two bouts, he has been trained by former Mike Tyson trainer Kevin Rooney and his talent is starting to show.

6. "The Persecutor" Mike Paschall -- A super middleweight from Baltimore, Paschall may be one of the most exciting boxers seen along the Beltway in quite some time. People are STILL talking about his pro debut in May 2004 which was one of the most exciting debuts I've seen in years. Paschall is 5-0 with two knockouts and is rapidly becoming a crowd favorite.

7. Anthony Peterson -- This heralded junior welterweight from DC is powerful and exciting. Peterson has been very impressive throughout his short career amassing a record of 11-0 with eight KO's. Peterson fought on the undercard of the Kevin McBride-Mike Tyson bout and may have been the most impressive boxer of the entire night. Not bad for someone just 20 years old.

8. Lamont Peterson -- Anthony's older brother (21 years old) came into the pro ranks with a tremendous amateur record, narrowily missing a spot on the 2004 U.S. Olympic team. Doesn't have the power of his brother, but is a slightly better ring general. His record is 12-0, six knockouts and he has already gone 10 rounds in his career.

9. Orazio "The Razor" Robinson -- This young welterweight from Woodbridge, VA got off to a rough start losing his pro debut, but he has really turned his career around, going 5-0-2 with four KO's in his last seven bouts. Robinson is scheduled to be on the Sept. 17 card at the Patriot Center. He could steal the show there. Robinson has really improved his power and overall talent.

10. Russ "The Hammer" Shiflett -- A cruiserweight from Baltimore, Shiflett is another fan favorite who is improving with each bout. May be a couple of years away from contending but he could be a comer in the near future. Shiflett is 7-0-1, four KO's.

So these are the boxers to look out for in the coming months. I will keep you updated on their progress. If you think there is someone that should be or shouldn't be on this list, let me know.