Local Boxers to Appear on Judah-Baldomir Undercard!

According to 15rounds.com, two Beltway Boxers are scheduled to appear on the off-TV undercard of the Zab Judah-Carlos Baldomir undercard on January 7 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Former three-time WBA Middleweight Champion William Joppy of DC is slated to be on the card against an opponent yet to be determined. Joppy (35-4-1, 26 KO's) told me recently that he is making one last run at a fourth world title.

Also, the resurgent Lloyd "Jabba" Bryan of Capitol Heights has just been added to the card. Bryan (21-11, nine KO's) will be trying to knock off his second straight undefeated fighter. Bryan won the vacant NABC Cruiserweight title with a win over Jeff Baker(who was 12-0 at the time) on November 22 in Indianapolis, IN.

This bout should be much tougher as Bryan faces Steve "USS" Cunningham of Philadelphia, who is 18-0 with nine KO's and is ranked number one by the IBF. Bryan would upset a major apple cart for Cunningham because Cunningham is in line to face the winner of the co-featured bout on the card; the Undisputed Cruiserweight Championship match between IBF champion O'Neil Bell and WBC/WBA champ Jean-Marc Mormeck.

Bryan has been training because he was scheduled to be on a card on Dec. 29 in Queens,NY. The card was cancelled because of various New York State Athletic Commission violations, according to published reports. Cunningham's original opponent backed out but no reasons were given.

2006 Preview -- Where Beltway Boxers Rank!

As we get ready for 2006, here is where some of the Beltway Boxers are ranked in the world and the country. If you put credence into these rankings, this may serve as a partial guide to who the contenders are from our area.

I was unable to get the USBA Rankings for December. When I do, I will post.

World Boxing Council -- December 2005

Heavyweight – Hasim Rahman – Champion

Welterweight – Sharmba Mitchell -- #3

Junior Welterweight – DeMarcus Corley -- #5


World Boxing Association – December 2005

Middleweight – William Joppy -- # 9; Keith Holmes -- #12

Welterweight – Sharmba Mitchell -- # 6

Junior Welterweight – DeMarcus Corley -- #13


International Boxing Federation – December 2005

Junior Middleweight – Keith Holmes -- # 8; Teddy Reid -- #13

Welterweight -- Sharmba Mitchell -- #7

Junior Welterweight – DeMarcus Corley -- #8

Super Featherweight – Lamont Pearson -- #14

Super Flyweight – Mark Johnson -- #13


World Boxing Organization – December 2005

Light Heavyweight – Cory Cummings -- #14

Junior Welterweight – DeMarcus Corley -- #9


North American Boxing Association – December 2005

Cruiserweight – Emanuel Nwodo -- #9

Light Heavyweight – Darnell Wilson -- #14

Middleweight – William Joppy -- #4; Keith Holmes -- #8

Bantamweight – Clarence Vinson -- #13


North American Boxing Federation – December 2005

Heavyweight – Tony Thompson -- #9

Light Heavyweight – Darnell Wilson -- #9; Cory Cummings -- #16

Junior Middleweight – Teddy Reid -- #11

Featherweight – Eric Aiken -- #15


North American Boxing Organization – December 2005

Cruiserweight – Emanuel Nwodo -- #8

Light Heavyweight – Cory Cummings -- #9; Darnell Wilson -- #14

Middleweight – Jimmy Lange #8

Junior Welterweight – Lamont Peterson # 14

Super Featherweight – Lamont Pearson #2

Beltway Boxing 2005 -- Year in Review!

When I started the Boxing Along the Beltway blog in July, one of my initial posts indicated that this area was in a “transitional state.” We didn’t have any world champions and we had no real quality world title contenders. This area was in search of the next wave of prospects. I think we found that next wave.

The emergence of boxers like Tony Cygan, Henry Buchanan, Cory Cummings, Ishmail Arvin, Anthony and Lamont Peterson and many others, has set this area up to really do some major growing in 2006.

The number of viable contenders did grow throughout the year. Cummings is ranked in the top 15 by the WBO at light heavyweight. Lamont “Bay” Pearson put himself in the IBF world rankings by winning the USBA Super Featherweight title. Jimmy Lange has put himself in position to be the first from “The Contender” to win a regional title.

The Beltway itself rose in stature this year with 21 boxing cards in the area, including one of the most talked about cards of the year, The Kevin McBride-Mike Tyson card at MCI Center on June 11. This was also the year that Virginia got back in the mix, thanks to Keystone Boxing, who gave us a solid card and a great new venue to watch boxing in.

There were also so many people behind the scenes that deserve recognition for their work in 2005. Let me take a moment to mention just a few.

The Maryland State Athletic Commission. This sanctioning body did an outstanding job in 2005, overseeing 17 of the 21 cards along the Beltway. Commission Chair David Norman, Executive Director Patrick Pannella and their staff of commissioners, referees, judges and physicians deserve incredible praise for their work throughout the year.

Jake Smith and Josh Hall. Promoter and former Maryland State Light Heavyweight champion Jake “The Snake” Smith has been the promoting leader along the Beltway this year. Baltimore Pro Boxing was the leader this year, not only for putting on quality cards, but also for being responsible for the bulk of the new quality talent seen in the area.

But a promoter is only as good as the matchmaker and Smith has an area legend in Josh Hall. I know Hall doesn’t look for a lot of accolades, but guys like him are and have been the backbone of this area. Josh Hall has done just about everything you can in this area and he deserves more credit than he gets.

Chris Middendorf. There is no better matchmaker around than Chris Middendorf. Period. Middendorf has helped a number of promotions flourish in the area. As the matchmaker for Ballroom Boxing, he took that promotion in a new direction, bringing in quality out of town talent to face our local prospects. Names like Mike Arnaoutis, Ian Gardner, Chazz Witherspoon, Marteze Logan and the Dirrell Brothers made their early ventures into pro boxing by testing their wares in the Ballroom. Now they are making waves throughout the sport. Middendorf has also been involved in most of the shows throughout the Beltway including BXF and Keystone Boxing and they have all benefited because of his dedication and hard work.

Stephanie Papa. This lady needs to be credited for one of the hardest jobs in this boxing community; getting information about boxing to the mainstream media. No one knows better than I do how hard that is. Papa does this with class and intelligence. This lady burst on the scene and started helping with the public relations for a number of promoters. She has done an outstanding job and is a pleasure to work with.

Lem Satterfield. Let me credit one of my media brethren. The Baltimore Sun as well as the Beltway Boxing scene is very fortunate to have Satterfield on their staff. He has benefited from an editor that loves boxing. Because of this, Satterfield has been able to take the ball and run as far as he can with it. Satterfield is the ONLY member of the mainstream media that is a regular attendant to Beltway Boxing cards. That speaks volumes for him and his paper. He is a first-class individual.

“Priceless” Steve Price, Julian Burgower and John Buhl. This one is personal. I get a lot of credit for my work in covering Boxing along the Beltway. I don’t always do it alone, though. I work with three guys whose enthusiasm and love for this sport is incredible. Price and Burgower have been my writing partners for almost three years and it has been great sharing ideas with them. The work we did in covering the Tyson-McBride card was a highlight of my career. I will put that coverage against anybody else’s coverage of that event in the country. Other media outlets around the country turned to us for insight on that card.

Buhl is the newest member of the team and he has already distinguished himself with his writing. He is indeed an asset will make our coverage that much better. My thanks to all of you.

My thanks go out to you, the readers, as well. I am pleasantly surprised that so many people have read this blog. It is a labor of love and I thank everyone involved with the Beltway Boxing community for their support. I am truly looking forward to a great 2006.

As I said a while back, we will hit the ground running next year. After the holidays, I will be back with a preview of what I know and hope will happen in the coming year.

I hope every one of you has a safe, happy and prosperous holiday season!

Dietrich Up and Around!

Good news concerning the condition of undefeated heavyweight "The American Dream" Mike Dietrich.

According to his website, mikedietrich.com, Dietrich's breathing tubes have been removed and he was able to walk to the bathroom. The website reports that Dietrich is up and talking with a full recovery expected in 6 months to one year. Also, he will be able to resume his boxing career.

I have been told by people close to Dietrich that he was involved in an altercation and was stabbed five times in the torso. His good physical condition helped save his life.

Continued best wishes to Mike Dietrich!

Dietrich Stabbed; Hospitalized in Critical Condition!

Undefeated Baltimore heavyweight prospect "The American Dream" Mike Dietrich was stabbed last night at the house of a friend. According to Dietrich's website, Dietrich is currently in critical condition at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

I will provide updates when they are available.

I send my prayers to Mike and his family during this time.

Wynn-Stuckey-Newman: The COMPLETE Story!

One of the great things about this blog is not being limited to a certain story from a certain source. This gives me the ability to give credit to other writers who work with other boxing websites and media outlets and who travel the same road that I do.

Recently, I put up a story from Fightnews.com about the situation concerning promoters Marty Wynn and Darryl Stuckey. It was a good piece. I declined to follow up because I quite frankly don't truly have the legal background to deal with such matters. These matters often end up with verbal name calling that I don't want to be a part of.

Now, thanks to a tremendous column written by my Beltway Boxing writing colleague Mike Swann of 15rounds.com, I don't have to. Mike did an outstanding job of pulling all the information together and showing all sides of the issue. Mike has given me permission to reprint his column in its entirety. It is lengthy, but it is well worth reading.


DC DUPLICITY: DRAMA OR DOUBLE DEALING?

by Mike Swann

Marty Wynn and Raging Productions, co-promoter of the June 11th Mike Tyson-Kevin McBride fight in Washington D.C., has filed a $19.8 million lawsuit against co-promoter Darryl Stuckey, [individually], The Stuckey Group LLC, Sun Trust Bank, and Showtime Networks Inc. for breach of contract, tortious interference with contract, fraud and conspiracy. Wynn is seeking $4.8 million in compensatory damages and $15 million in punitive damages.

This development sadly blemishes what had been a successful promotion for the Washington D.C. area, one that will leave some of the participants figuratively bruised and bloodied by the process. Ultimately, the courts will have to disentangle this state of confusion to determine the culpability of the parties.

In an effort to shed light on the affair, we will review the case from the point of view put forth by the parties involved, all of whom were given an opportunity to speak on the record. In addition, we have obtained copies of legal documents connected with the case, along with internal memos from some of the involved parties.

The supporting information includes:

1] A copy of the lawsuit
2] A November 17 fax to Showtime with instructions on how to handle the $553,429 of the remaining net proceeds, addressed by The Stuckey Group and Raging Productions.
3] The original Teaming Agreement between Stuckey and Wynn from March 8.
4] An amendment to the Teaming Agreement, effective May 18, 2005.
5] A copy of a cashed check to Mike Tyson from Raging Productions, dated 4-11-2005, for $100,000 as a purse advance.
6] Demand Confessed Judgment Promissory Note for $4,245,570 from Sun Trust Bank to Darryl Stuckey, dated June 23, 2005.
7] A June 22, 2005 letter from the law offices of Mikes and Stockridge on behalf of Sun Trust Bank, requesting a meeting with Wynn and his attorney, Gregory Powell. The purpose of this meeting was to assign rights from Showtime to Sun Trust so that the bank would be repaid on behalf of the Stuckey Group for 21 checks paid by Sun Trust for $4,245,570. The letter states that both Raging Productions and The Stuckey Group have agreed to assign their rights to the promotion contract with Showtime to Sun Trust. Attached is a list of the checks paid, and an “Unconditional Guaranty” to be signed by Wynn to become “Guarantor” to the “Borrower,” Darryl Stuckey. Also included is an Assignment and Security Agreement to secure fight proceeds as collateral. Lastly, the packet contained a Notice and Acknowledgement Letter from Showtime Networks to authorize future payments up to $4,245,570.
8] A letter dated May 13, 2005 from The Stuckey Group and Raging Productions To David Touhey of the MCI Center with instruction to remit to Stephen Tennant, [an outside investor], the amount of $1,650,000 on June 13, 2005 from the live gate proceeds.
9] A Memorandum of Understanding from Darryl Stuckey on May 11, 2005, that the Stuckey Group and C.M O’Neal P.C. is holding $5 million in escrow, and that Stephen Tennant will wire $1.5 million into said escrow account. The memo promises that $5,000,000 will be wired to the MCI Center by May 20, including $1.5 million from Tennant and $3.5 million from Stuckey.
10] A memo from Wynn dated 6-20-2005, listing the outstanding payments still to be made to fighters and other participants. Wynn’s memo mentions the name of a prominent boxing figure who had threatened to go to the press if not paid his fee of $15,000 by the next day. 16 people were listed as not having been paid.
11] An October 30, 2005 email from Rock Newman to Stuckey and Wynn, castigating both men for not reaching an agreement after five months. Rock listed remaining payments to be made to individuals and strongly urges both men to take action by allowing Showtime to disburse the funds.

Further in the communication, Newman lambastes Wynn in graphic terms, calling his behavior “an absolute violation of what it means to be a real black man.” Newman does not mince words, referring to Wynn as “being a Lying, Snitching, Backstabbing, Two-faced BITCH,” and worse. After leaving no doubt as to his personal feeling of Wynn, Newman goes on to say that Wynn did not have a clue about how to handle the Tyson fight, and noted that Stuckey served Wynn’s interests in putting up the money, “however he came up with it,” as Wynn was the licensed promoter and ultimately would have been responsible for any unpaid bills. Rock said that, “You owe everyone involved a HUGE apology as a start and an attempt to redeem your reputation.”

THE STORIES

SUNTRUST BANK AND SHOWTIME: Both companies declined to comment on a pending legal matter.

MARTY WYNN:
On Showtime: “Anyone knows that a promoter has to sign off on a contract, basically saying that when the money comes in, the money will be released to these individuals. In order to release money you have to have instructions of where that money goes and Showtime never had those instructions with my signature, and what they ended up doing was releasing it to Sun Trust without my signature.”

On Darryl Stuckey: “Stuckey was going to provide $5 million for the Tyson event and all other expenses as far as the undercard. My deal was that I was to provide $180,000 and that was it. It was supposed to be a 50/50 split from the net proceeds. Of course a 50/50 split to me was a good deal because he was taking more of a risk than I was. I was pretty much putting up the license and the money that I provided.

He never really had the money, which I found out later on. People say ‘Why didn’t you verify the money?’ Once Shelly Finkel and Stephen Espinoza, who is Tyson’s lawyer, who are real guys in boxing, once they verified the money, there was no need for me to verify the money. I found out later that the money wasn’t real because Tyson’s check bounced.”

On Sun Trust: “They turned the money that Stuckey defrauded them out of into a loan. Stuckey negotiated a 12% interest rate. I know that because when they sent me the paperwork, they crossed out the 12% and wrote in 9%. They did that because they confirmed that the pay per view money would be able to reimburse them. What they did not know was that they needed my signature in order to get that money. How Sun Trust did that was they indemnified Showtime in order to get that money.”

The ADDENDUM: “All through the negotiations of the contract we had a 50/50 split. Stuckey and Rock Newman came to me and said ‘hey man can you drop you percentages?’ I’m a young promoter; I want to get my company branded, so I said, ‘Sure, I’ll drop my percentages.’ So he would take 90% and I’d take 10%. Rock told me not to put any more money in the promotion.

When he presented that to Sun Trust Bank, they said you own 90% of the promotion and went ahead… My argument has always been that if he owned 90% of the promotion, it was only because he was supposed to put up the rest of the money. I ended up paying some of the undercard; I paid the travel, hotels, and the per diem. I would never have dropped my percentages if I thought that I would have to put up another dollar besides my $180,000.”

RETURN ON INVESTMENT: Wynn says that he ended up losing $616,000 on the promotion. “I have never been paid a dime. Now we have found out that there was never any $5 million in escrow. The only reason I accepted it was because of a letter from Sun Trust saying the money was there and it was confirmed by the escrow attorney. The problem came when Stephen Espinoza said take the money and put it in the Stephen Espinoza account so we can feel more secure. That’s when it hit the fan because the money was never there.

So what Stuckey did was have Sun Trust cut cashier checks back in May, and sent it to the MCI Center attorney, and held in the vault there. Everyone felt comfortable because they were talking cashier checks held by a neutral party. But they didn’t know the checks were bogus.

Certainly the person, [a branch manager], who cut the checks knew that, unless he pulled the wool over her eyes. She told me later that Stuckey manipulated her and she didn’t want to lose such a big account.

I don’t think that Rock knew it. The $5 million never existed. One thing that should have drawn a red flag was when Stuckey said that Tyson wanted a $250,000 advance so he said, ‘why don’t you give him $100,000 and I’ll give it back to you on Thursday?’ So I wrote the check. I asked why not get it out of escrow as part of his purse and he said the instructions wouldn’t allow him to do that. I never got my money back on Thursday. Then it got to the point where I needed money for hotels, flights, and I was out another $100,000.

At the weigh-in I told Stuckey that in D.C. we have to show the money up front. Stuckey told me to write the check from Raging Productions, show the commission the check, and he’d cash the checks for the fighters. Well, he never did that, so some of the fighters got paid with Raging Productions checks. When we presented those checks to some of the fighters that night, I said to Stuckey as well as Rock Newman that some of that money has to get to my account. These checks need to get covered.”

Eight checks for Tyson bounced, six for $500,000, one for $450,000, and one for $100,000 that cleared on the second deposit. Purse checks of $17,500 for Chris Smith and $13,000 for Erin Toughill also bounced.

“Some checks cleared. How I don’t know,” Wynn said.

Rock Newman received $160,000 as an advance and contributed $50,000 toward Tyson’s advance, according to Wynn. Newman attached the proceeds of the gate so that he would get paid.

“I’m paying him [Stuckey] 90% of the promotion yet I’m paying a guy $450,000 out of my gate. That’s supposed to be coming out of Stuckey’s pocket.”

Later as the relationship with the partners grew more acrimonious, Wynn began talking about taking legal action. Rock advised Wynn to seek out noted boxing attorney Judd Burnstein.

Wynn says that he told Rock that, “I did things your way so far and I’m out $600,000...Because it came from Rock I couldn’t trust it.”

According to Wynn, Rock told him that, “If you go any further with this, some heads are going to roll.”

Marty Wynn claims that he had to take out an equity loan on a home to cover his American Express bill that was due within 30 days, used to cover hotels and flights on the promotion. He feels that the residual effect of the Tyson promotion has tarnished the name of his company, and essentially shut down his business.

As recently as late November, Wynn received a call from a law firm representing Showtime, he says. According to Wynn and supported by document #2 listed above, Showtime had funds available for distribution from the pay-per-view distribution. $294,000 would have gone to Raging Productions, $106,000 to the Stuckey Group, and the remaining balance of $153,429 would be used to represent payment for services in the promotion. All remaining future net proceeds would be remitted to Raging Productions.

Wynn said that he preferred to settle it in court, and claimed that the $106,000 for Stuckey was to cover his attorney fees.

“We did enough that no one should have lost money,” Wynn says.

Marty Wynn has been involved in previous controversy over payments. In the September 2004 Maryland State Athletic Commission meeting, Executive Director Pat Pannella reported that he had placed several calls to Marty requesting that he make arrangements with the Commission to settle the ticket manifest for Wynn’s July 2004 boxing show in Bowie Md. Pannella stated that he was at a loss to explain why Mr. Wynn was not returning his calls on the matter.

Wynn’s response is that the matter involves a 10% tax on the gross sales. Wynn says that the commission wants taxes on $86,000 worth of comp tickets. The state is asking for $33,000 in taxes. Wynn claims that it should be $19,000, $5,000 of which he has already paid. At this point the lines of communication have been closed and the matter is still unresolved.

STUCKEY’S STORY: Darryl Stuckey was reluctant to go on record on a pending case, and said that he had nothing to say, “except that it [the lawsuit] is bogus.”

“I’m the one taken advantage of on this,” he said. “I was not the promoter, just the investor.”

Stuckey said that originally Wynn was supposed to pay everything in excess of Tyson’s purse. He claims that Wynn “Had a lack of money and a lack of means to raise money. The deal became 90-10 because he couldn’t come up with the money.”

Stuckey says he is, “More like the victim in this case.”

Stuckey, like Wynn, has a skeleton hanging in his closet. In 2000, he was fined $3500 and forced to take a 3 hour ethics course by the Maryland State Real Estate Commission.

The violations cited were:

1] Directly or through another person willfully makes a misrepresentation or knowingly makes a false promise.

2] Engages in conduct that demonstrate bad faith, incompetency, or untrustworthiness, or that constitutes dishonest, fraudulent, or improper dealings.

He was also found in violation of a COMAR regulation:

1] The licensee shall protect the public against fraud, misrepresentation, or unethical practices …

Stuckey responds that the case has nothing to do with the Wynn lawsuit, but explains: “I did a friend a favor and didn’t know a house was in foreclosure. I didn’t know that the settlement papers were never signed until six months later.”

The house had been rented by then and according to Stuckey, it was easier to settle.

ROCK NEWMAN’S STORY:

After receiving my call, Rock said that he would not answer questions until he could confirm my identity. I sent him a copy of my work and my BWAA card. Hours later he replied with this email response:

It is my recollection that Mr. Wynn needed an investor because he did not have the financial capabilities to underwrite the June 11th Tyson fight.

I got involved at a point where Mr. Wynn had already convinced Mr. Stuckey to be his investor.

As with most major fight promotions, the Tyson-McBride bout was filled with drama where all sides would threaten to pull out, squabbles were had with the site, the TV broadcaster, the sponsors, the commission, the bank, the medicals, the undercard, the announcers, ect.

The fight was quite a success for DC as there were over 17,000+ in attendance, 300,000 PPV and closed circuit buyers and a large international audience.

Post fight, there seemed to have been some financial snafus where some checks issued by Mr. Wynn and or Mr., Stuckey were initially returned unpaid, however they were quickly made good and all fighters were paid their proper amounts.

Mr. Stuckey seems to have met all of his obligations for the fight.

Mr. Wynn’s claim to have invested $600,000 and his claim to have a 50/50 split of the revenues of the promotion and his claim that the bank and Mr. Stuckey participated in some sort of fraud, all seem wildly exaggerated.

Best Regards,

Rock Newman

I returned his email with thanks for providing his communication to balance the story. After all, Marty Wynn was interviewed at length with little rebuttal.

The next day I received the following email message from Rock:

Aside from the baseless absurdity of a frivolous lawsuit that is expected to be quickly dismissed, there really is no story…

Thus far the case has received little publicity, and perhaps in the final analysis, there is no story, as Rock writes. But there appears to be plenty of dirty laundry here that will soon be put on display. The, when as Rock says, the heads begin to roll, it may become a very big story.

Lange vs. Gilbert II in Fairfax Feb. 18!

I mentioned in a recent post that Great Falls, VA junior middleweight Jimmy Lange was rumored to be involved in a significant matchup on Feb. 18.

Well, how about this for a significant matchup: Lange will headline a Feb. 18 card at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. His opponent will be none other than Joey Gilbert, the man Lange lost to during their tenure on "The Contender."

Add this to the significance: The bout will be 12-rounds for the NABO Junior Middleweight championship. The winner will more than likely receive a top-10 ranking in the WBO.

I talked to Lange earlier today and he said he is truly excited about the bout. In fact, Lange said he couldn't sleep for two days after he was informed of this bout. In stark contrast to his preparation for his last bout against Perry Ballard where Lange had to challenge himself to get up for the bout, Lange probably wishes the bout were tomorrow. He will have no problem getting up for this one.

Apparently, this bout has been in the works for quite some time. According to published reports, Gilbert took the bout and lost a promoter in the process. Noted promoter Gary Shaw was working with Gilbert as an advisor until he decided to take the Lange fight. Published reports say Gilbert took the bout without consulting Shaw and Shaw decided to bolt.

As far as the February 18th show is concerned, Lange told me that a female boxer from England by the name of Jamie "Rocky" Johnson will appear on the card. I don't know much about her, but Lange has seen her train and she will be someone to watch.

I also talked to USBA Super Featherweight champ Lamont "Bay" Pearson about this card and he said there is a possibility that he will defend his title on the February 18 card.

2006 already looks like it will be a fantastic year for Boxing Along The Beltway. There are four cards slated for the first two months of the year. Three will be in January alone (BXF on January 13, Jake Smith's card on January 20 at the Pikesville Armory and the first Ballroom Boxing card at Michael's Eighth Avenue on January 26) and this big one in February.

We will truly hit the ground running in 2006!! Get Ready!!

Aiken Wins in West Virginia!

Forestville, MD featherweight Eric "Mighty Mouse" Aiken, who has had a real tough time finding bouts lately, finally found one and he made the most of it, scoring a first-round TKO over John Scalzi on December 9 at the Island Gaming Center in Wheeling, WVA.

According to Boxrec.com, Aiken dropped Scalzi three times en route to the victory. Aiken's record is now 13-3, 10 KO's. Scalzi is 14-37 with two KO's.

Aiken has had two bouts with prospects Agnaldo Nunes and Rasheim Jefferson fall through in the past month, so this bout with Scalzi was one to stay busy.

Kallen Joins Team Lange!

In what could prove to be a very intelligent move, the camp of Great Falls, VA junior middleweight Jimmy Lange has added well known advisor and manager Jackie Kallen to its team.

Kallen and Lange became acquainted through their work on the NBC series, "The Contender" in which Kallen was an advisor and Lange was a participant.

Kallen became famous in boxing through her work with former champion James Toney. Their unique and sometimes volatile relationship was well known throughout boxing. Kallen's life story was told in the big-screen movie "Against The Ropes" with Meg Ryan portraying Kallen.

"Jimmy Lange was one of my favorite fighters on 'The Contender' and I felt even then he had a great future both in and out of the ring," said Kallen in a press release. "I am honored to have the opportunity to work with him. He has a lot of charisma, is a great role model and sets high goals for himself and everyone that works with him.”

“I really admire and trust her," Lange said of Kallen. "She is a class act and I feel fortunate to have her join our team.”

Lange's next in-ring appearance is scheduled to be on Feb. 18 at the Patriot Center. No word on who his opponent will be, but I'm hearing rumors that it will be a significant bout for him.

I'll say this much: If Jimmy Lange doesn't succeed in this sport, it won't be because he doesn't have the right people around him. His father is his manager, he's trained by Buddy McGirt, one of the best in the business and now he has Jackie Kallen as his advisor. Lange can't do much better than that.

L.Peterson, Barnette Win in Tunica!

Two undefeated DC welterweights scored victories on a December 10 card at Fitzgerald's Casino in Tunica, MS.

Lamont Peterson scored a third-round TKO over Johnny Walker on Dec. 10 at Fitzgerald's Casino in Tunica, MS. With the win, Peterson raises his record to 15-0, seven KO's. Walker falls under .500 with a record of 18-19 with 12 KO's.

The loss was Walker's second against a Peterson Brother. Back in August, Walker lost a six-round unanimous decision to Anthony Peterson in Biloxi, MS.

Also on the Tunica card, Ty Barnette won a six-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Deon Nash. Barnette is now 6-0, four KO's.

'Pit Bull' White Loses; 'Hammerhead' Hampton Wins in Lancaster!

Three Beltway Boxers were involved in a boxing card in Lancaster, PA last night, having mixed results.

Reston, VA lightweight Dean "Pit Bull" White lost in the main event of the card, dropping a six-round unanimous decision to undefeated Oronde "The Dog" Dawley. According to Boxrec.com, White lost by scores of 60-54 and 59-55 (twice). White's record falls now to 11-4, six KO's. Dawley is 12-0-1, four KO's.

However, Capitol Heights, MD heavyweight Wayne "Hammerhead" Hampton bounced back from a first-round TKO loss at Martin's West in October to score a second-round TKO victory over Scott Meehan of DC. Hampton is now 2-1, two KO's. Meehan is now 0-6 with five of his losses coming by TKO.

Another local heavyweight Derek "Hollywood" Amos of Fort Washington, MD was scheduled to appear last night on a card in Richmond, VA. However, Amos' trainer, Asim Hanif informed me that Amos was taken off that card because he is still under suspension in Pennsylvania. Hanif said that Amos passed all his physicals for the bout, but the Pennsylvania Boxing Commission has yet to lift the suspension.

By the way, our own Henry "Discombobulating" Jones served as ring announcer for that card, coming off a spectacular effort filling in for "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears as my color commentator for the videotape of the Martin's West card earlier this week.

Beltway Prospect Update!

In one of my first posts on this blog (July 31, 2005), I listed the 10 boxers that I considered to be the best prospects along the Beltway. It is now almost a full six months since that post so let's take a look at their progress. The list is once again in alphabetical order.

1. Ishmail "The Arsenal" Arvin -- 13-0-2, 6 KO's.

Hometown: Baltimore, MD

Weight class: Middleweight

2005 record:2-0-1.

Arvin's 2005: May 18: won an eight-round unanimous decision over Richard "Tiger Lee" Hall on the "Fight For A Cure" card at the Wyndham Inner Harbor Hotel in Baltimore. June 16: Arvin won by third-round disqualification over Elias Cruz at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie. November 10: fought to a second-round technical draw against Terry Johnson on November 10 at Michael's.

Arvin's 2006 prospectus: A number of Arvin's opponents have won-loss records over .500 so he is taking on solid competition. Arvin may be the most prepared prospect to make a move to a regional title bout the earliest in 2006.


2. Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan -- 12-0, 10 KO's

Hometown: Capitol Heights, MD

Weight class: Light Heavyweight

2005 record: 5-0, three KO's

Buchanan's 2005: February 5: year opened with a second-round TKO over Kirk Douglas at the Washington Convention Center. March 10: scored a sixth-round TKO over Julio Jean at Michael's. May 7: traveled to Essington, PA and registered a fourth-round TKO over Shannon Miller. July 21: saw his 10-bout knockout streak end with an eight-round unanimous decision over Tyrone Glover at Martin's West in Woodlawn. November 26: registered his second straight eight-round unanimous decision over Dhafir Smith at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD.

Buchanan's 2006 Prospectus: If all his legal issues are behind him, Buchanan could have a solid 2006. His bouts against Smith and Glover were nice baby steps in competition and he seems to be taking the sport more seriously.


3. Cory "Black Ice" Cummings-- 14-0, 11 KO's

Hometown: Baltimore, MD

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight/Cruiserweight

2005 record: 4-0, four KO's

Cummings' 2005: February 24: scored a third-round TKO over Raymond McLamore in North Charleston, SC. April 28: Stayed in North Charleston and stopped Gary Lavender by TKO in the first round. July 1: Recorded another first-round TKO in North Charleston against Carlos Bates. September 3: scored a 10th round TKO over Tim Bowe in Cleveland, OH.

Cummings' 2006 Prospectus: Because he has only fought three times in his career in Maryland, not a whole lot of people along the Beltway know who Cummings is. He has proven to be a solid prospect with knockouts in his last seven bouts, albeit against mostly less than stellar competition. According to the WBO, Cummings is already at contender status. The WBO ranks Cummings at number 14 in the Light Heavyweight division. There has been talk about a matchup between Cummings and Darnell Wilson, but that shouldn't happen unless one of them has at least a regional title.


4. Tony "Cyclone" Cygan -- 9-0, six KO's

Weight Class: Super Middleweight

Hometown: Middle River, MD

2005 record: 5-0, three KO's

Cygan's 2005: March 24: Cygan started the first of five Martin's West bouts with a second-round TKO over Matt Hill. May 24: scored a first round KO over Chris Overby. July 21: won a four-round unanimous decision over Anthony Osbourne. October 27: landed a crushing second-round knockout over Larry Brothers. December 7: won an eight-round unanimous decision over James North.

Cygan's 2006 Prospectus: The fact that Cygan has already gone eight full rounds will be very beneficial to him. He has solid power and good boxing skills. May still be six-to-eight months away from contending, but if Cygan continues to step up in competition, he could seriously contend by the middle of the year.


5. "The American Dream" Mike Dietrich -- 7-0, three KO's

Hometown: Dundalk, MD

Weight Class: Heavyweight

2005 record: 5-0, two KO's

Dietrich's 2005: January 27: won a four-round unanimous decision over Royphy Solieau at Michael's Eighth Avenue. March 24: won the first of four straight bouts at Martin's West with a four-round unanimous decision over Rodney Ray. May 24: In a rematch, won another four-round unanimous decision over Royphy Solieau. July 21: started work with noted trainer Kevin Rooney and scored a second-round TKO over Glen Williams. December 7: registered a first-round TKO over Mike Van Meer.

Dietrich's 2006 prospectus: Working with Rooney has been a major plus for Dietrich. His power and overall boxing skill improved dramatically in his last two bouts. Dietrich is still at least a year away from contending, but will be fun to watch in 2006.


6. Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall -- 7-0, two KO's

Hometown: Baltimore, MD

Weight Class: Super Middleweight/Light Heavyweight

2005 record: 4-0, 1 KO

Paschall's 2005: March 24: won the first of four straight Martin's West bouts with a four-round points win over Steve Garrett. July 21: scored a second-round KO over Jake Rodriguez. October 27: won a four-round unanimous decision over Carlos Jones. December 7: Despite suffering a broken hand, went six rounds for the first time in his career and won by unanimous decision over Don Schrock.

Paschall's 2006 Prospectus: Paschall's broken hand will hamper him at the start of the year. Once he gets healthy, this very exciting boxer can make some positive strides, including a step up in competition. Paschall has not fought anyone with a winning record yet.


7: Anthony Peterson -- 14-0, 10 KO's

Hometown: Washington, DC

Weight Class: Junior Welterweight

2005 record: 10-0, 7 KO's

A. Peterson's 2005: April 9: won a four-round unanimous decision over Edgar Pedraza in El Paso, TX. April 23: won a four-round unanimous decision over Michael Moss in Tunica, MS. April 30: scored a fifth-round TKO over Martin Quiroz in Lula, MS. May 22: registered a second-round KO over Mario Lacey in Choctaw, MS. June 11: scored an impressive six-round TKO over Wayne Fletcher at MCI Center in Washington, DC. June 18: scored a first round KO over Anthony Middlebrooks in Memphis, TN. July 26: won by six-round technical knockout over Carlos Valdez in Memphis. August 20: won a six-round unanimous decision over Johnny Walker in Biloxi, MS. September 2: scored a second-round TKO over Jorge Alberto Reyes in Little Rock, AR. October 15: stepped up in class and registered a fourth-round TKO over Roy Bohannon in Lula, MS.

A. Peterson's 2006 prospectus: It's a shame that both Peterson brothers have not been seen more along the Beltway. They are truly talented. An out-of-state promotional company and some perceived local professional jealousy have kept them away from us. Anthony Peterson will be a force to reckon with at 140 pounds, he is very talented.


8. Lamont Peterson-- 15-0, seven KO's.

Hometown: Washington, DC

Weight Class: Welterweight

2005 record (as of Dec. 9): 11-0, five KO's.

L. Peterson's 2005: January 22: won a four-round unanimous decision over Steve Verdin in Tunica, MS. February 19: won by second-round TKO over Sheldon Mosley in Lula, MS. April 9: scored a first-round TKO over Oscar Perez in El Paso, TX. April 23: registered a fourth-round TKO over Larry Cunningham in Tunica. April 30: won his first six-round bout over Orlando Jesus Soto in Lula. May 22: won a six-round unanimous decision over Mikel Williams in Choctaw, MS. June 18: won a first-round TKO over John Frazier in Memphis, TN. July 19: won his first 10-round bout by unanimous decision over Miguel Angel Torresillas in Biloxi, MS. August 20: scored a six-round unanimous decision over Meacher Major in Biloxi. September 2: won an eight-round unanimous decision over Robert Frankel in Little Rock, AR. December 10: scored a third-round TKO over Johnny Walker in Tunica, MS.

L. Peterson's 2006 Prospectus: Lamont came into the pros with more fanfare than his brother. He is more of a distance fighter than Anthony. The fact that Lamont has already gone 10 rounds puts him in a great position to step up in 2006. Again, we need to see both Peterson brothers in DC more.


9. Orazio "The Razor" Robinson -- 5-2-2, four KO's.

Hometown: Manassas, VA

Weight Class: Middleweight

2005 record: 2-1, one KO.

Robinson's 2005: May 5: scored a first-round TKO over Willis Silver at Michael's Eighth Avenue. May 18: won by third-round disqualification over Vance Garvey at the "Fight For a Cure" card in Baltimore. September 17: lost by first-round TKO over Jesse Orta on the "Battle of Virginia" card at George Mason University's Patriot Center.

Robinson's 2006 Prospectus: Robinson's career was on a roll with four straight solid victories. That all changed dramatically with the knockout by Orta. Robinson has not been heard from since. Hopefully he can bounce back in 2006 and maybe appear on a proposed Virginia card in February.


10. Russ "The Hammer" Shiflett -- 7-0-1, one NC, four KO's.

Hometown: Baltimore, MD

Weight Class: Cruiserweight

2005 record: 1-0-1, 1 KO.

Shiflett's 2005: March 24: fought to a six-round draw in a rematch with Jamal McKay at Martin's West. May 24: scored a fourth-round TKO over Roosevelt Johnson at Martin's West.

Shiflett's 2006 prospectus: Hopefully, Shiflett will be more active in 2006. He has only fought twice since May 14 of 2004. Has improving talent but must be more committed.


There are other prospects out there such as Eric Aiken, Maxell Taylor, Mike Ricasa and recently, Emanuel Nwodo. So this will be a very interesting 2006.

Martin's West Recap Addition

I didn't want to mention this as part of the previous post because I thought it would take away from the actual performances of the boxers, but I have received emails and been involved in conversations since last night concerning one aspect of the card.

While promoter Jake Smith should truly be credited for an outstanding promotion, many people have criticized him about his conduct during bouts. At a number of his shows, Smith has taken the microphone and tried to get the crowd into the fight.

Last night, while he didn't do as much of that, during the main event Smith did something even worse; he led the crowd in cheers for Tony Cygan, who is one of his boxers. That is truly unacceptable. It shows a total lack of professionalism that he or any other promoter can not have.

Smith's shows can truly stand on their own merit. The crowd was excited and packed in tight. There is truly no need for this situation to take place again.

Baltimore Prospects Win in Woodlawn!

Undefeated Baltimore, MD middleweight Tony “Cyclone” Cygan registered an eight-round unanimous decision over James “The Heat” North of Weston, WVA in the main event at Martin’s West in Woodlawn, MD.

Despite being the shorter of the two boxers, Cygan was able to repeatedly get inside North’s longer reach. Cygan landed numerous left hand leads and right crosses. North proved to be a crafty veteran as his side-to-side movement helped him stay in the contest, but he wasn’t as active with his punches as Cygan garnered a victory in his first eight-round encounter.

“He was hard to hit at times,” Cygan said. “I wasn’t angry but I had a tough time sticking to my game plan at times.”

Judge John Gradowski saw the bout 77-75. Judge Bill Holmes scored the contest 78-74 while Judge Malik Waleed scored the bout 79-73. My unofficial scorecard, I guess,saw a totally different bout. I saw Cygan pitching a shutout at 80-72.

Cygan raised his record to 9-0, six KO’s. North’s record falls to 7-9-1 with two KO’s.

I talked to Cygan and he said he wasn't totally upset with not getting the knockout. That just won't happen all the time. Cygan did what he wanted to do for the most part in there and went on to win. Good performance.

In the co-feature bout, undefeated heavyweight “The American Dream” Mike Dietrich of Baltimore made short work of Urbandale, Iowa’s Mike “Mini Van” Van Meer with a first round TKO.

Dietrich easily found a home for his left hand as he landed numerous left uppercuts and hooks against his overmatched opponent. Dietrich dropped Van Meer three times – all with left hands – before referee John Gradowski stopped the contest at 2:55 of the first.

Dietrich is now 7-0, three KO’s. Van Meer is 1-2, 1 KO.

In other bouts on the card, Pasadena, MD super middleweight Mike “The Persecutor” Paschall won a gutsy six-round unanimous decision over Don “The Wildman” Schrock of Middletown, OH.

Paschall was able to control the bout through the entire six-round bout despite suffering a broken right hand during the second round. By the fifth round, the right hand was virtually useless. However, Paschall’s movement and ring generalship carried him to a relatively easy win, his first six-round victory.

One judge did call it close, however. Judge Kenny Chevalier saw the bout 58-57. Another judge, John Gradowski, said Paschall pitched a shutout at 60-54. Judge Don Risher saw the bout 59-55, the same as I did.

Paschall is now 7-0, two KO’s. Schrock is now 2-3, one KO.


Baltimore heavyweight Jed “The Punisher” Phipps scored one of the more impressive victories of his career as registered a sixth-round TKO over Dan “The Mean Machine” Whetsel of Toledo, OH.

Throughout the fight, Phipps was trying to land a big right hand. Phipps repeatedly used his jab to set up that right hand.

Finally in the sixth, Phipps landed the right hand that stuns Whetsel and sends him to the ropes. Phipps landed repeated blows that force referee Bill Holmes to stop the contest at 2:04 of the round.

Phipps is now 16-3, nine KO’s while Whetsel is 6-5-1, three KO’s.

Toledo, OH’s “Devastatin’” Devin Vargas lived up to his nickname as he starched Albert Newberry of Ottumwa, IA in the first round of a heavyweight bout.

Vargas, the captain of the 2004 United States Olympic Team, wasted no time after he deflected Newberry brief onslaught. Vargas caught Newberry with a short right hand and dropped him.

Seconds later, Vargas landed a crushing left hand that stiffened Newberry and sent him to the canvas with a sickening thud. Referee John Gradowski immediately stopped the contest at just 30 seconds of the first. Newberry lay on the canvas for about five minutes before he was able to leave the ring under his own power.

Vargas remained undefeated with the victory. His record stands at 7-0, four KO’s. Newberry falls to 3-2, two KO’s.

In the opening bout, two Maryland cruiserweights – Eddie “Lightnin’ Diablo” Otts of Salisbury and Derek Sierra of Silver Spring -- fought to an entertaining four-round draw.
Neither man was able to gain his first pro victory during the bout as they traded punches with equal success. Otts is now 0-1-1 while Sierra is 0-3-2.

Baltimore Pro Boxing, headed by Jake Smith, served as promoter for the bout. The matchmaker is Josh Hall.

A few observations:

1. It has been a boatload of fun watching the development of guys like Tony Cygan, Mike Paschall and Mike Dietrich. Cygan and Paschall, especially, have truly developed into prospects that people REALLY need to watch out for in 2006.

When you add Cygan, Paschall and Dietrich to names like Mike Ricasa, Russ Shifflett and Adam Bloom, plus those like Ishmail Arvin, Maxell Taylor and Cory Cummings, the Baltimore side of the Beltway has things really cooking.

2. If this performance is any indication, you may want to throw Jed Phipps' name back into the mix. This latest performance was I thought, Phipps's best that I have seen in his career. He had the jab working on this night and, although he still got caught more times than he should, he still put on a solid performance.

There is some serious talk about a possible matchup between Mike Dietrich and Jed Phipps. Both guys REALLY want this bout and it could happen sometime in May.

3. If that bout does happen, it will be because Jake Smith and Josh Hall made it happen. Right now, Jake Smith is the man when it comes to promoting in Baltimore.

I will get into this situation in detail later on, but suffice it to say, Smith has stolen a lot of thunder from Scott Wagner and Ballroom Boxing at this stage.

4. I said this a couple of posts back, but it bears repeating. The Maryland State Athletic Commission has done an outstanding job this year. 17 pro boxing cards this year; no other part of the Beltway came close. Just an outstanding first class job by this commission. We are very fortunate.

That was the last boxing card of the year for the Beltway. In the next couple of weeks here, I will be looking back at 2005 along the Beltway as well as what I feel lies ahead for 2006.

Tyson Card Co-Promoters Headed for Legal Bout!

There were a lot of rumors surrounding the following story. A lot of stories came out along the grapevine concerning lack of funds to pay boxers who participated in the June 11 Tyson-McBride card at MCI Center. Now comes the following story from Fightnews.com:

Marty Wynn/Raging Promotions, co-promoter of the June 11 Mike Tyson-Kevin McBride fight in Washington DC has filed a $19.8 million lawsuit against co-promoter Darryl Stuckey/Stuckey Group LLC, SunTrust Bank and SHOWTIME Network.

According to the suit, Raging Promotions and the Stuckey Group were to split revenues from the fight 50/50. The Stucky Group allegedly was responsible for raising $1.3 million for SHOWTIME's marketing costs plus $5 million from private investors to secure and guarantee Mike Tyson for the event, but instead met SHOWTIME's marketing costs with pre-event sale money, and in collusion with an employee at SunTrust Bank, wrote over $3 million in bad checks to guarantee Tyson.

None of the fighters that night were paid in full and checks given to Tyson bounced. The suit states that SunTrust Bank agreed to make a secret loan of $4.275 million to Stuckey Group to cover the fraudulent checks given to Tyson and the other fighters without the knowledge of the media or public. To guarantee the loan, Stuckey allegedly signed over the rights to the SHOWTIME proceeds to the bank. Wynn maintains, however, that SunTrust Bank was not authorized to demand his portion of the revenues from SHOWTIME and that the network should not have released the funds to the bank without his signature as CEO of Raging Promotions. He says Raging Promotions invested over $600,000 in the event and is seeking $4.8 million in compensatory damages and $15 million in punitive damages.

Wynn, whose promotional company put on some of the better cards seen around the Beltway in recent years, recently dealt with financial difficulty as he had his promotional license revoked in Maryland earlier this year because he owed money to the Maryland State Athletic Commission concerning the Laila Ali show at Prince George's Stadium in 2004.

Nwodo Crushes in Philadelphia!

Fightnews.com is reporting that Baltimore cruiserweight Emanuel Nwodo (18-4, 14KOs) registered a fourth round destruction of veteran John Douglass (6-11-3, 3KOs) of Brooklyn, New York in a co-feature bout at the Blue Horizon in Philadelphia. The following description comes from Fightnews.com's Kurt Wolfheimer.

Nwodo, who suffered a broken right hand in the third round of his last fight against Rayco Saunders in June, started this bout tentatively, landing the occasional jab while trying to figure out the awkward crouching and lunging in and out style of Douglass. However, in round two, one huge right hand from Nwodo and it was clear that Douglass would be on the defensive throughout the bout.

Late in the round Nwodo, a native of Enugu, Nigeria, caught Douglass on the ropes and threw a left jab followed by a huge overhand right that landed flush on the jaw of Douglass and sent him to the canvas for the first time. Douglass was able to get to his feet and Nwodo showed newfound patience and went to the body with hooks and also landed a few pinpoint jabs, opening up the defensive Douglass. The Brooklyn native tried to return a hook, but was again caught with an overhand right that spun him around and to the canvas for the second time in the round. Douglass was able to beat the count but the bell sounded before the Nigerian could do any more damage.

Nwodo showed his maturity in round three as he methodically stalked his frightened opponent throughout landing several combinations while Douglass was pulling back from every shot.

However it all came to an end in round four as Nwodo landed a crisp counter right that snapped around the head of Douglass and he was virtually out on his feet. This time Nwodu jumped on him with a crunching four punch combination that landed Douglass onto the second ring rope for the third knockdown of the fight. Before referee Shawn Clark could begin the eight count, Douglass's corner stepped into the ring to prevent further injury, forcing the stoppage at 1:35 of round three.

Thanks for the report, Kurt. I'm happy to see that one of the people working with Nwodo is a man who was one of the crowd-pleasing boxers from Baltimore in the 1990's: Kenny "Phone Booth" Blackston. Congratulations to Nwodo.

McCallister Victorious at BXF!

The rust seems to be wearing off for Greenbelt, MD super middleweight "King" James McCallister.

In just his second fight in more than a year and despite fighting at a heavier weight, McCallister scored a workmanlike,eight-round unanimous decision over "Magic" Mike Eatmon at BXF (Boxing Xtreme Fitness) Gym in Millersville, MD.

McCallister fought at 172 which is closer to light heavyweight then McCallister's natural weight of 160 pounds or middleweight. Eatmon came in at 174. McCallister did tell me that the weight was a factor because he didn't have as much power.

What was better for McCallister in this bout was his accuracy. Throughout the contest, McCallister landed strong body shots. Eatmon was a tough opponent and was never seriously hurt by his shots, but fell short on his accuracy at times.

Judges Don Risher and Kenny Chevalier scored the bout 78-74 while Judge John Gradowski saw the contest 77-75. I had the bout 78-75 for McCallister.

McCallister is now 11-5-1, three KO's while Eatmon falls to 8-4, five KO's.

The co-feature saw Philadelphia junior middleweight James Shedrick score a crushing fourth-round knockout over Tony "Mo Better" Jeter, now fighting out of Stevensville, MD. Unfortunately, those who saw this bout saw this knockout coming from the second round on.

Jeter showed very little defense in this contest and as the bout wore on, he seemed to be tailor made for Shedrick's right hand. Finally, in the fourth, Shedrick connected with that right hand as Jeter leaned in. The blow caught Jeter flush and sent him spiraling to the canvas. Referee John Gradowski reached 10 and the bout was over at 1:21 of the round.

Shedrick is now 3-4, two KO's. Jeter falls to 4-2, four KO's.

In a featherweight contest, Baltimore's Tyrell Samuel remained undefeated in his young career, scoring a fourth round TKO over James Franks of Newport News, VA. Both men landed shots with crisp accuracy, but Samuel's blows seemed to have more effect.

That proved to be the difference in the fourth round because, although Franks was having his best round of the bout, Samuel was still able to land a huge right hand that staggered Franks. Samuel was able to put the finishing touches on the bout, forcing referee Kenny Chevalier to stop the bout at 2:45 of the fourth.

Samuel is now 4-0, two KO's. Franks is now 1-1, one KO.

In the curtain-raiser bout, Wilson, NC middleweight Rodney Green scored an easy six-round unanimous decision over John "JT" Terry of Portsmouth, VA. Terry fought in a defensive posture for the bulk of the bout, enabling Green to score a shutout (60-54) on the cards of judges Bill Holmes and John Gradowski (as well as my unofficial card) and a score of 59-55 on Judge Don Risher's card.

Green evens his record to 3-3-1, while Terry evens his at 2-2, one KO.

Keystone Boxing promoted this show. The matchmaker was Chris Middendorf.

Changes to BXF Card!

There are some minor changes to the BXF Card in Millersville on Friday.

Super middleweight Tony Jeter will now face James Shedrick instead of John Terry.

Terry will go up against Rodney Green in another super middleweight bout. Green was originally Shedrick's opponent.

So it will be Jeter vs. Shedrick and Terry vs. Green. Both bouts are scheduled for four rounds.

I hope to have weights for you later this evening.