Best Wishes, Bill Holmes!

Let me give some kudos and thanks to a man that I have had the pleasure of being around for quite some time.

Earlier this summer, Maryland referee and judge Bill Holmes announced his retirement from the Maryland State Athletic Commission after 12 years of work. Holmes's last card was the Baltimore Pro Boxing card in Ocean City on August 12. Fittingly, Holmes worked the main event on that card between Tony Cygan and David Estrada.

Holmes was also very active with the South Atlantic Boxing Association during his tenure.

"Bill Holmes was one of our go-to guys on the commission," said Maryland State Athletic Commission Executive Director, Patrick Pannella. "He was a true professional who was always prepared to officiate. He had great respect for the boxers and a great love for the sport. Bill will be missed and we wish him the best."

Let me echo those words. Bill Holmes is a first-class individual who epitomized the phrase "safety first" in the ring. He was sometimes criticized by people who thought he stopped bouts early, but what I liked about his refereeing was that he was consistent. As a boxer and as a fan, you knew how he would officiate every time. That's rare in this business.

Holmes plans to move his family back to New Jersey and do some traveling. He has retired as an active referee but still wants to continue judging. I wish him all the best!

'Voices of the Ring' in September!

In this audio post, I announce a new series of interviews called "Voices of the Ring" coming to the blog in September.

Recap and Preview of Summer Beltway Boxing!

In this audio post, I take a look back at an interesting summer of Beltway Boxing and preview the upcoming major Beltway cards.

Main Event Announced for Martin's West September 14!

The main event has been announced for the Baltimore Pro Boxing show on Thursday, September 14 at Martin's West in Woodlawn, MD. Hopefully, nothing will change because it has the potential to be one of the better bouts of the year.

Undefeated Baltimore light heavyweight Corey "Black Ice" Cummings will take on Berry "Killa Bee" Butler of Greenville, SC for the "East Coast Light Heavyweight Championship." Both guys are on major winning streaks.

Cummings (15-0, 12 KO's) won his last outing, a third-round TKO over Anterio Vines on August 5 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. Cummings is ranked number 11 by the WBO at light heavyweight. This is a guy who many people -- myself included -- have been very high on.

Butler (20-12, 18 KO's) is a true veteran who has had an up and down career but is now on the upswing. He has faced some solid competition over his 18-year career including former light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver. He is familiar to long-time Beltway Boxing fans because he has fought in this area 10 times against the likes of Beltway Boxers Courtney Butler, Beethevean Scottland, Roland Pelt and even the promoter of this card, Jake Smith. Butler stopped Marlon Hayes in the seventh round in his last outing on June 3 in Trenton, NJ.

But here is the stat that makes this bout so appealing:

Cummings's last eight wins have all been by knockout. Butler has won seven in a row -- all by knockout.

Undefeated Baltimore light heavyweight Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall is scheduled to participate in the co-feature bout.

Other Beltway Boxers slated for this card are: Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow, Mike "Little Rock" Ricasa, Willie "For Real" Williams and Nick "Flash" Collins.

'Too Sharp' May Not Be Done Just Yet!

Came across an interesting article from Fightnews Canada:

Dave Baggs writes that former three-time world champion Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson has challenged a Canadian boxer named Steve Molitor.

Here is the story:

As Steve Molitor heads overseas to challenge for the vacant IBF Super Bantamweight title, many fans of the Canadian Kid will have their fingers crossed in hopes that the Canuck returns home a world champion. While Molitor continues to impress even the harshest of critics, one person he has failed to impress is former 3-time world champion Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson. While Johnson likes Molitor chances of returning holding the IBF strap under arm, Johnson believes that the Sarnia, Ontario boxer is undeserving of the opportunity of fighting for the title.

"I think (Steve) Molitor has a good chance to win the World title but he doesn't impress me." Johnson told FightNews Canada. "He's a C class fighter. He hasn't fought anybody. Who has he fought to deserve a title shot? Nobody! If you ask me, he's a bum!"

Should Molitor be victorious in South Africa, there is talk of his first title defense being held on Canadian soil (Niagara Falls perhaps). Johnson, the former IBF Flyweight, IBF Super Flyweight, and WBO Super Flyweight champion, would have no trouble heading north of the US border if he was given the opportunity to share the ring as Molitor's opponent that evening.

"I will come to Canada and beat him anyday, anytime!"

Johnson did mention that he was planning to join Diego Corrales camp in the near future. We'll keep you posted.

Phipps Loses by Disqualification in Florida!

Baltimore heavyweight Jed "The Punisher" Phipps was disqualified in his bout against undefeated Leo Nolan last night in Pompano Beach, FL.

According to my Fightnews.com colleague Randy Hammonds(who also has a similar website to this one -- Floridaboxingnews.com --) Nolan won by disqualification at 2:07 of the eighth round after referee Dennis DeBon disqualified Phipps for spitting out his mouthpiece too often. That happened five times in the fight, including twice in the eighth and final round. Nolan improved to 26-0 (11 KOs) and won the vacant USBO Heavyweight championship in the process. Phipps dropped to 17-5 (10 KOs). This was his second straight loss.

'Teflon' Boyd Scores TKO at Dover Downs!

Congratulations to DC super featherweight Ron "Teflon" Boyd who registered a third-round technical knockout over James Franks last night at Dover Downs in Dover, Delaware.

With the victory, Boyd, who is trained and managed by former world champion Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson, raised his record to 3-1 and scored the first knockout of his career. After losing to Andrew Weston in his pro debut back in 2003, the 36-year-old Boyd took two years off from the sport. He came back in 2005 and scored a disqualification win over Joey Van Daniker on the McBride-Tyson card and then won a four-round majority decision over Mike Ricasa on July 21,2005 at Martin's West. The Franks bout was Boyd's first since the win over Ricasa.

Wilson VS D. Judah in the Ballroom Sept. 28!

The main event has been announced for the September 28 Ballroom Boxing card at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD. Silver Spring, MD's Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson will take on Daniel Judah, the brother of Zab Judah, in a 10-round encounter.

Wilson comes in the bout with a record of 18-5-3, 15 KO's and looking to break a four-bout losing streak. He faced boxers who have a combined record of 98-4 during that stretch. Wilson, however, is unbeaten in the Ballroom with a record of 12-0-2. Judah is 21-1-3, 10 KO's with his only loss coming to Eric Harding and he has a draw against the late Julian Letterlough.

The undercard will feature three of the best up-and-coming Beltway Boxers; Ishmail Arvin (14-0-2, six KO's), Tyrell Samuel (7-0, five KO's) and Tim Coleman (5-0, one KO) will all be putting their undefeated records on the line. Also rounding out the card will Jose "Silver Boy" Rodriguez (7-0, one KO), a junior middleweight from New York who will be returning to the Ballroom for the third time.

More as it becomes available.

Maynard Ferguson: 1928-2006!

With your indulgence, I would like to deviate from my normal work just a moment to give honor to the man that was my all-time favorite musical performer. Believe it or not, there is a little bit of a boxing connection here.

Canadian-born jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson died today in Ventura, CA. He was 78. I probably saw Maynard live in concert more times than I've seen any other performer. I can count at least six times I ventured to his concerts and heard that beautiful trumpet hit the highest notes humanly possible.

I saw him at places like the Carter Barron Amphitheatre, Wolf Trap and Glenelg High School where he did annual concerts and gave seminars to the students in the jazz program there.

Born in Montreal, Maynard was maybe the last of the musicians of the big band era. He played in Jimmy Dorsey's band but became famous as the lead trumpet for Stan Kenton's band. He also played on the soundtrack of the movie "The Ten Commandments."

He formed his first band in 1956 and helped launch the careers of such major jazz artists as Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul as well as two more of my favorites; Chuck Mangione and Bob James.

In the 60's and 70's, he became noted for his arrangements of popular songs like "Hey Jude," "MacArthur Park" and Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon."

Now here comes the boxing connection. In 1978, Maynard became popular with the teenage and college crowd when he recorded a fantastic version of "Gonna Fly Now" -- the theme from Rocky. The song was a top 10 smash and earned Ferguson a gold album and a grammy nomination.

Maynard followed that with a version of the theme from Rocky II that included Sylvester Stallone himself on grunts and heavy bag punches.

I had the pleasure of meeting Maynard about three years ago in DC when he appeared at the Borders on 18th Street. He signed a video and a cd of his that I have. I don't get too excited about meeting celebrities but that was a night I'll never forget.

Thank you, Maynard for many, many wonderful moments.

Sept. 16 Show Postponed to November!

The boxing card slated for Saturday, Sept. 16 at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA has been postponed until a date in November according to promoter Han Kim.

Kim tells me that he is planning a USBA Cruiserweight title defense for Emmanuel Nwodo for the card in November.

Mayor's Cup Moved to Kennedy Recreation Center!

The Mayor's Cup Amateur Boxing Tournament is this weekend, August 25 and 26. The event was originally scheduled to be held at RFK Stadium in the parking lot. But I have been informed that the event has been moved to the Kennedy Recreation Center located at 7th and P Streets, NW. This is where the event was held last year.

Unfortunately, organizers of the event have not given me any more information on the card and when it starts. As soon as I get more info, I will pass it along.

'Jabba' Bryan Back in Action September 15!

Former world title contender Lloyd "Jabba" Bryan of Capitol Heights, MD returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 15 in the main event of "Superior Showdown II" at the Wessman Arena in Superior, Wisconsin.

Bryan (22-13, 10 KO's) is scheduled to face Zach “Jungle Boy” Walters, (14-1, 11 KOs) of Duluth, Minnesota. After two knockout losses to world title contenders Steve Cunningham and Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan (at the Lincoln Theatre last March), Bryan got back on the winning track by stopping shopworn James Mullins in the fifth round on August 1 in Memphis, TN.

The Mullins bout broke a string of bouts where Bryan fought guys who were undefeated at the time he faced them. Bryan went 1-3 during that stretch; the one win coming against Jeff Baker in November 2005. The unanimous decision win gave Bryan the NABC Cruiserweight title. Bryan was stopped in the other three bouts.

Action Returns to Springfield September 16!

There will be another big card coming to the ABC Sports Complex on Saturday, September 16. Promoter Han Kim is putting together what looks like a good one.

The main event will be an interesting matchup, if it takes place. Silver Spring, MD cruiserweight Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson will be back in action as he is scheduled to face Chris "Cold Steel" Thomas of Chicago, IL. The matchup could be in jeopardy, however, because Thomas was stopped in his outing last night in Reno, NV. The loss was Thomas's second by knockout.

But the matchup is interesting because both men need a win BADLY! One of the more popular boxers along the Beltway because of his knockout ability, Wilson (18-5-3, 15 KO's) has fallen on hard times recently, losing his last four bouts. One of those losses came at heavyweight as Wilson lost an eight-round unanimous decision to fringe contender Owen Beck. He also lost a 10-round unanimous decision to Felix Cora for the NABF Cruiserweight title.

Thomas (16-6-2, 14 KO's) is winless in his last three bouts and has also had difficulty since winning the NABA Cruiserweight title in 2004.

These are two power punches whose careers are on the line.

This card will also feature the American debut of undefeated light heavyweight Braimah "Bukom Banku" Kamoko. A native of Accra, Ghana, Kamoko (22-0, 12 KO's) comes in with a solid reputation. He is currently the African Boxing Union champion and is ranked number 14 in the world by the WBC. Kamoko will be showcased on this card as he takes on Santiago Hillario of Indianapolis (2-7, two KO's).

Also scheduled for the show is newly-crowned USBA Cruiserweight champion Emmanuel Nwodo of Baltimore in what probably will be a non-title bout.

More about this card as it becomes available.

Farmer Grows Win in Springfield!

Undefeated junior welterweight prospect Andrew “The Doo Man” Farmer of Manassas, VA scored a punishing first-round TKO over Cincinnati, OH’s Grant Messer in front of a standing-room only crowd of 500 at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.

Farmer overcame roughhouse tactics from his opponent at the outset of the bout. Farmer and Messer found themselves imitating wrestlers as Messer put Farmer in a headlock and the two men tumbled to the canvas.

Once the actual boxing resumed, Farmer took over, pressuring Messer until he landed a crisp right-left combination that sent Messer to the canvas. Messer had difficulty getting up and referee Chris Wollesen stopped the contest at 1:59 of the round.

With the victory, Farmer raised his record to 3-0, three KO’s while fighting in front of his home crowd for the very first time. Farmer’s two previous bouts were in Martinsburg, WVA.

“I felt obligated to give the fans a good show,” Farmer said. “But it was hard because of his tactics. I had to stay composed and that’s what happened.”

The bout was Messer’s first since February 2003 and his record falls to 0-2.

In the co-feature, junior welterweight Jaime “The Punisher” Palma of Alexandria, VA returned to action after an 11-month layoff and won a four-round unanimous decision over Randy Dobbs of Cincinnati.

Palma used good hand speed to keep Dobbs at bay. Dobbs was never in serious trouble, but he could never catch up to Palma’s speed. Judges Phil Kornberg and Jerry Payne scored the bout 40-36 while Judge Brian Costello saw the bout 39-37.

Palma raises his record to 8-10-1, one KO while Dobbs falls to 5-20, three KO’s.

In other action on the card, undefeated Waynesboro, VA heavyweight Juan Robles survived a knockdown to win a close, four-round unanimous decision over “The People’s Champion” Jonathan Felton of Stafford, VA.

The bout was a toe-to-toe slugfest throughout with Felton taking the early advantage by dropping Robles with a right hook. Robles, however, worked his way back into the bout, trading shots with Felton for the rest of the contest. Both men eschewed defense while trying to land the big shots. All three judges (Kornberg, Payne and Costello) scored the bout 38-37.

Robles is now 3-0, two KO’s while Felton is 1-4, one KO.

In a bout billed as “The Battle of Front Royal, VA,” heavyweight Terry “T-Brick” Roy scored a punishing second-round TKO over Rob Monroe.

Roy, who was making his pro debut, turned the battle into a one-sided skirmish early by dropping Monroe with a stiff, straight right hand in the first round. In the second round, Roy used two more right hands to send Monroe to the canvas twice. Roy finished the job early in the third with yet another crushing right hand. Referee Vic Dewysocki saw enough at that point and stopped the bout at 24 seconds of the third.

With the loss, Monroe falls to 0-2.

Burke, VA junior middleweight “Sparkplug” Tommy Neal made his pro debut a successful one by easily winning a four-round unanimous decision over Montez Wilson of Philadelphia, PA.

Neal used solid shots to the head and body to keep Wilson in trouble in the bout. Wilson showed a solid chin and great resolve while Neal showed great patience for a rookie boxer. He never went for the knockout, but showed good skills while he peppered Wilson throughout the bout. Judges Kornberg and Costello scored the bout 40-36 while Judge Payne saw fit to give Neal a 10-8 round during the bout even though there were no knockdowns. Payne’s card read 40-35. With the loss, Wilson’s record falls to 0-6.

In the curtain-raising contest, Front Royal middleweight “Irish” Mike Carrigan used a blistering body attack to score a first-round TKO over the debuting Patrick Bozeman of Boston, MA. Carrigan’s repeated right hands to Bozeman’s body dropped him late in the first round. Bozeman lasted the round but then told referee Joe Bernier that he could not come out for round two.

Carrigan remained undefeated with the win raising his record to 2-0, two KO’s.

The promoter of the card was Scott Farmer, the father of Andrew Farmer.


RANDOM OBSERVATIONS: In conversations with Scott Farmer during the weeks leading to this card, he told me he didn't expect much of a crowd for this card. The crowd was outstanding. My number of 500 was an estimate, but there were people lining the walls in the ABC last night.

This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Northern Virginia has reemerged as a force for pro boxing along the Beltway. With the two previous cards at the Patriot Center, Han Kim's shows at the ABC and now last night, there is no doubt that boxing is alive and well in this part of the area.

This also may be true for other parts of the Commonwealth. There are already plans being made for shows in other parts of the state. Also, Virginia has an interesting South-North doubleheader planned for the weekend of October 6. Former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe is scheduled to box in Norfolk on October 6 and then the Patriot Center show in Fairfax on October 7, which is being promoted by Joe Hensley, who is from Richmond. It is great to see the interest in this area.

As far as the card last night, I liked what I saw in Andrew Farmer. It must be hard to battle an opponent who wants to get rid of all boxing skills and just scrap. Farmer kept his composure and did what he was supposed to do.

Jaime Palma told me after the bout that he felt the ring rust. Palma has never been known as a puncher with a lot of pop, but the speed was still there.

The Juan Robles-Jonathan Felton bout could have gone either way. Felton let the fight get away from him, but you could argue he did enough to win. I thought, however, Robles won the fight.

Terry Roy looked sharp in his pro debut, battering the slower Rob Monroe.

I was REALLY impressed with Tommy Neal. He showed great composure in his bout with Montez Wilson. Wilson is a tough cookie but I liked the way Neal didn't press the issue. He was very patient.

Mike Carrigan looked strong in his early bout as well as he opened what was a very strong show.

On a personal note: Last night was special because I was able to spend time with a very good friend again. When I first joined Fightnews.com six years ago, one of my colleagues was a writer named "Bad" Brad Berkwitt. For two years, Brad and I sat side-by-side covering bouts in the area.

Brad left Fightnews and also spent time in Korea during his tenure in the US Navy. He then went on to write a very successful book compiling many of his top-flight interviews with people in and around the sport of boxing called "Boxing Interviews of a Lifetime."

Last night was the first time Brad and I sat together at a show in almost four years and it was great. Brad has his own website, www.ringsidereport.com which has a link on this site. It's a great site and you can also order his book on the site. I suggest that you do so!

Mitchell Punished by Williams; Barnette, Taylor Victorious!

It may have marked the end of a successful career. Former WBA Super Lightweight champion Sharmba Mitchell was just punished by the man known as "The Punisher," Paul Williams, last night in Reno, NV.

Williams, who is ranked in the top 10 at welterweight by all the major boxing governing bodies, dropped Mitchell four times during the bout, once in the third and three times in the fourth before the bout was stopped at 2:57 of the fourth.

Williams, who is from Augusta, GA but trains a lot in the DC area, raises his undefeated record to 31-0 with 23 KO's. Mitchell falls to 57-6 with 30 KO's.

This should be the end of the road for the "Little Big Man." Mitchell has had an outstanding career and there is no need to go any further with it.

Beltway Boxers won two bouts on this card. Undefeated DC lightweight Ty Barnette scored a first-round TKO over Rubin Jacoby. Barnette is 8-0, six KO's. Also, Baltimore junior middleweight Maxell "The General" Taylor won a four-round unanimous decision over Oscar Gonzalez to boost his record to 13-2-1, five KO's.

One other bout of note on this card. Chicago, IL cruiserweight Chris "Cold Steel" Thomas lost by fifth-round TKO to Kelvin Davis. I mention this because Thomas was scheduled to face Darnell "The Ding-a-Ling Man" Wilson in the main event of Han Kim's next show on Saturday, Sept. 16 at ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA. That may be up in the air now because of the knockout.

This is Thomas's second straight knockout loss. You'll remember that Emmanuel Nwodo stopped Thomas in the third round on Kim's last card on July 1 for the vacant USBA Cruiserweight title at ABC Sports Complex.

Weights for Mitchell-Williams!

Both former WBA Super Lightweight champion "Little Big Man" Sharmba Mitchell and undefeated Paul "The Punisher" Williams weighed in at 146 1/2 pounds for tonight's nationally televised matchup from Reno, NV on HBO's Boxing After Dark. For those who missed it, you can also see Hasim Rahman's loss to Oleg Maskaev tonight on the telecast.

There will be two other Beltway Boxers that will appear on the non-televised portion of the card. Baltimore junior middleweight Maxell "The General" Taylor (12-2-1, five KO's) will take on Oscar Gonzalez of Tampa, FL (9-5-1, three KO's). Taylor has not fought since that fantastic six-round draw he had with Derek Ennis on March 9 at Michael's Eighth Avenue.

Also, undefeated DC lightweight Ty Barnette (7-0, five KO's) will battle Rubin Jacoby, who will be making his pro debut.

Phipps Vies for USBO Heavyweight Title on August 26!

Baltimore heavyweight Jed "The Punisher" Phipps will challenge for the vacant USBO heavyweight title (a minor belt)on August 26 at Club Cinema in Pompano Beach, FL.

Phipps (17-4, 10 KO's) will take on undefeated Leo "Paco" Nolan of Detroit, MI (25-0, 10 KO's). Phipps will try to bounce back from his first-round knockout loss to Andrew Greeley on March 24 in Pikesville. Among Nolan's notable wins are victories against Lou Savarese and the newest Evander Holyfield opponent, Jeremy Bates.

Co-Feature Announced for October 7!

I said there have been some interesting matchups talked about for the October 7 card at the George Mason University Patriot Center. The co-feature should be a good one. DC super middleweight Purcell "Hard Rock" Miller will battle former world title contender Larry "The Laser" Marks of New Castle, DE.

Miller (22-4-1, 18 KO's) broke a three-bout winless streak with a second-round TKO over Ron Krull on July 1 at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.

Marks (28-8, 16 KO's) is a world-class veteran who challenged Andrew "Six Heads" Lewis for the WBA Welterweight title in 2001. He lost a unanimous decision. Marks has fought the likes of Charles "The Natural" Murray, Cory Spinks, Michael Covington and Rudy Lovato throughout his career.

Marks is no stranger to this area, having battled along the Beltway three times. Most recently, Marks won an eight-round unanimous decision over Ron Boddie on June 16, 2005 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie.

Aiken Discusses His Career Path!

In part two of my interview with IBF Featherweight champion Eric Aiken, he makes an interesting point about his career.

Eric Aiken Talks About First Title Defense!

IBF Featherweight champion Eric "Mighty Mouse" Aiken of Forestville, MD talks about his upcoming title defense against Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero on September 2 in Los Angeles in front of a nationally televised Showtime audience.

Tickets On Sale Tomorrow for October 7 Patriot Center Card; Ballroom Boxing Returns to TV!

Tickets will go on sale tomorrow, August 17 at 10 AM ET for the October 7 boxing card at the Patriot Center. The main event remains Jimmy Lange vs. Thomas Wilt. There are some interesting matchups being discussed for the undercard.

You can find out more information about the ticket prices by going to www.majorleagueboxing.com or www.patriotcenter.com.

There is also word that starting with the September 28th card, Ballroom Boxing will return to television. The September 28th show will be the first card to air on MASN (Mid-Atlantic Sports Network). According to sources, this will be the first of seven shows that will air on MASN on a delayed basis over the next year. There will also be a "Best of Ballroom Boxing" series.

There are plans to expand to a show a month and to possibly do shows throughout the MASN territory which stretches from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. MASN has more than 10 million homes in its coverage area and can be seen nationwide via DirecTV.

Boxing Returns to Springfield August 19!

Promoter Scott Farmer brings a boxing card to the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA on Saturday, August 19.

Headlining the card will be Farmer's son Andrew. The undefeated welterweight from Front Royal (2-0, two KO's) will fight for the first time in his native VA. Both of Farmer's previous bouts have been in Martinsburg, WVA, including a second round KO over Deangelo Ginyard on June 17. Farmer's opponent has not been officially determined.

The card also marks the Beltway return of Virginia lightweight Jaime Palma. This will be Palma's first bout in the area since a six-round unanimous decision win over Jose Luis Almanzar in DC on February 5, 2005. Palma (7-10-1, one KO) is trying to break a two-bout losing streak and will take on Randy Dobbs of Cincinnati (5-19, three KO's). Dobbs recently broke a six-bout losing streak with a four-round unanimous decision over Elliot Bland on July 21 in Lexington, KY.

Also scheduled for the card is Stafford, VA heavyweight Jonathan Felton (1-3, one KO). Felton is coming off a four-round unanimous decision loss to Phil Brown on June 21 at Martin's West.

Felton is scheduled to battle Martinsburg, WVA's Juan Robles. The undefeated Robles (2-0, two KO's) defeated Andre Shavers by first-round KO on June 17 in Martinsburg.

In another scheduled matchup, Front Royal's Robert Monroe will take on Montez Wilson of Camden, NJ in a middleweight matchup. Both boxers will be looking for their first win. Monroe is 0-1 while Wilson is 0-5.

Baltimore Sun: Rahman Returns in 2007!

Baltimore Sun Boxing Writer Lem Satterfield is reporting that former world heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman will take the rest of 2006 off and then return for a bout in early 2007.

Satterfield quotes Rahman's promoter, Bob Arum, as saying Rahman could take a fight in "late February or the beginning of March."

"Rock's still a name guy who could fight on either Showtime or HBO and still get $500,000," Arum is quoted as saying. "We're not going to fight a second-level guy, but one of the top guys -- either a champion or a top contender."

Later in the interview,however, Arum said Rahman's bout against Oleg Maskaev on August 12 in Las Vegas "did very poorly" at the gate and on pay-per-view. Arum said the bout was "lucky if we did 100,000 buys." The gate, Arum said, did about $1.7 million dollars.

Arum also estimated that Rahman's loss cost him "at least a four million dollar payday" against IBF titleholder Wladimir Klitschko.

Petersons Headline in Illinois Sept. 1!

DC's undefeated Peterson Brothers will headline the "Rumble in Par-A-Dice" card on Saturday, September 1 at the Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino in East Peoria, IL.

NABO Lightweight champion Anthony Peterson (19-0, 12 KO's) will take on Panamanian veteran Armando "El Policia" Cordoba (21-26-2, 16 KO's). Peterson just fought on August 4 in Memphis and scored a second-round TKO over Jose Soto. Peterson is currently ranked number five by the WBO and number 13 by the WBA.

Cordoba will be looking to break a two-bout losing streak. In his last bout, Cordoba lost a six-round unanimous decision to Jorge Teron on July 26 in New York City. Cordoba has faced tough competition throughout his career including Robbie Peden, Jason Litzau, Jose Miguel Cotto and Agnaldo Nunes.

WBC US Junior Lightweight champ Lamont Peterson (17-0, seven KO's) will battle Omar Bernal (25-8-3, 18 KO's) of Mazatlan, Mexico. This will be L. Peterson's first action since April 28 when he won a 10-round unanimous decision over Mario Ramos in New Town, ND.

Bernal has lost his last three bouts and he has been stopped in the first round in his last two matches to Michael Stewart and Julio Cesar Garcia. He has not fought since the Garcia loss in February of this year. Bernal has faced two cast members of "The Contender: Season Two," Stewart and Norberto Bravo, who he held to an eight-round draw in June of 2004.

New Poll: Which Beltway Boxer Will Be a Contender by August 2007?

There's a new poll on the blog. I ask you to predict the future. Who do you think will be a contender in the sport by this time next year? Here is some information on the nominees:

Ty Barnette, lightweight, DC: 7-0, five KO's

Tony Cygan, super middleweight, Middle River, MD: 11-1, six KO's

Jessie Nicklow, middleweight, Severn, MD: 5-0, two KO's

Mike Paschall, light heavyweight, Baltimore, MD: 9-0, two KO's

Tyrell Samuel, lightweight, Baltimore: 7-0, five KO's

Mike Sawyer, middleweight, Falls Church, VA: 2-1, one KO

Thomas Snow, lightweight, Capitol Heights, MD: 5-0, three KO's

Willie Williams, light heavyweight, Baltimore: 3-1, one KO

Of course, you can comment and name someone else all together.

By the way, here are the results of the last poll about who you thought leads the voting for Beltway Boxer of the Year, with 102 votes in. (Thanks a lot!!)

Eric Aiken -- 24 votes

Dean White -- 23 votes

Tony Thompson -- 21 votes

Emmanuel Nwodo -- 12 votes

Other -- 9 votes

Anthony Peterson -- 4 votes

Lamont Peterson -- 3 votes

Interesting voting. I thought the Petersons would get more votes, honestly. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the year plays out.

Cygan Wins by Technical Decision in Ocean City!

Here are some results from the Baltimore Pro Boxing card at the Convention Center in Ocean City, MD. I was unable to attend. Ring announcer Brad "The Auctioneer" Dudley provided some of the details and I thank him.

Super middleweight Tony "Cyclone" Cygan of Middle River, MD won his bout with David "The Weezel" Estrada by fifth round technical decision. Cygan suffered a cut over his right eye. Referee Bill Holmes stopped the bout after the ringside physician said Cygan couldn't see. The bout went to the scorecards and all three judges had Cygan winning 49-46. Cygan is now 11-1, six KO's. Estrada falls to 9-8, seven KO's.

In the co-feature, Baltimore cruiserweight Willie "For Real" Williams won a six-round majority decision over Richard Stewart. Judge John Gradowski saw the bout a draw at 57-57 but judges Bill Holmes and Don Risher scored the bout for Williams at 58-56. Williams is now 3-1, one KO while Stewart is 8-2-1, six KO's.

Light heavyweight Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall of Baltimore remained undefeated with a six-round majority decision over Ron Boddie. This time judge Don Risher saw the draw at 57-57 while judges Holmes and Gary Camponeschi had Paschall winning the bout. Holmes saw a shutout 60-54 while Camponeschi scored it 59-56. Paschall is now 9-0, two KO's while the veteran Boddie is 15-33-4, seven KO's.

Baltimore super middleweight Henry "Hurricane" Mayes lost his second straight bout dropping a six-round unanimous decision to Dhafir "No Fear" Smith. Two judges (Risher and Holmes) said Smith pitched a shutout 60-54 while judge Camponeschi saw the bout 59-55. Mayes is now 5-2, four KO's while Smith has won his last two and puts his record over .500 at 15-14-3, three KO's.

Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow's scheduled bout against James Shedrick fell through. Nicklow may appear on the next Baltimore Pro Boxing card which is slated for September 14 at Martin's West in Woodlawn.

Maskaev Stops Rahman in 12th Round!

It is official. Eastern Europe now rules the heavyweight division.

Oleg Maskaev is the new WBC Heavyweight Champion. Maskaev stopped Baltimore's Hasim Rahman at 2:17 of the 12th round to win the title tonight in Las Vegas. Now all four of the major governing bodies have heavyweight champions from former Soviet countries.

The Kazakshtan-born, US citizen Maskaev took advantage of the tiring Rahman as the fight wore on. Although Rahman used his jab pretty well early, Maskaev got stronger and was able to pressure Rahman and eventually drop Rahman in the 12th. Moments later, Maskaev pressured Rahman in the corner and forced referee Jay Nady to stop the bout.

Rahman's record falls to 41-6-2, 33 KO's. Maskaev's record rises to 33-5, 26 KO's.

White Stopped in Sixth Round!

Dean "Pit Bull" White was stopped in the sixth round last night in Chester, WVA by Monty Meza-Clay on a nationally televised ESPN2 bout.

White fought a game bout but a cut around the left eye forced a stoppage of the bout. Tough loss for White. By the way, Meza-Clay's IBA title was not on the line in this bout.

Weights for White, Rahman!

Dean "Pit Bull" White of Smithsburg, MD weighed in at 130 1/4 for tonight's nationally televised ESPN2 bout against Monty Meza-Clay in Chester, WVA. Meza-Clay came in at 131. This bout is scheduled for 12 rounds because it is for a minor belt, the IBA Americas Lightweight title.

Baltimore's Hasim Rahman weighed in at a strong 235 pounds for tomorrow night's WBC Heavyweight Championship title defense against Oleg Maskaev in Las Vegas on HBO Pay-Per-View. Maskaev came in at 238.

By the way, the referee for the Rahman-Maskaev bout will be veteran Nevada referee Jay Nady and the judges will also be experienced: Jerry Roth, Glenn Trowbridge and Anek Honktongkam.

Interesting Tony Thompson News!

There was talk this week about a Sept. 16 card in Stuttgart, Germany that would feature WBO top-ranked heavyweight contender Luan Krasnigi. Krasnigi would fight in front of his home crowd.

Reportedly, Krasnigi's opponent would be none other then our own Tony "The Tiger" Thompson, the NABO Heavyweight/WBC Continental Americas/Maryland State champ who is currently ranked sixth by the WBO and eighth by the WBC.

However, those plans were shot down by Krasnigi himself when he turned down the offer of his own promotion company, Universum, to do the bout. The following comes from Fightnews.com:

"On the way to another shot at a world championship, heavyweight Luan Krasniqi has rejected the offer of his promoter Universum to face a top opponent from the WBO rankings, thus making the planned September 16th event in Stuttgart impossible. As a result, with a heavy heart, the "Universum Champions Night" has finally been called off. 'Everything was prepared for Luan Krasniqi,' said promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl. 'The nice new Porsche Arena in Stuttgart was reserved, the other fights prebooked, the ticket sales and the posters were in preparation and now we must stop all that. Luan could have had his home match in Stuttgart and a victory would have paved the way to his next world title fight. However, after many rounds of negotiations he was determined not to accept our offer. Luan the Lion does not show his claws. It's a pity as his fans would have been happy and fired-up to see him in his hometown.'"

After this was announced, Thompson's promoter, Dan Goossen, stepped to the forefront and is petitioning the WBO for a contender's match involving Thompson and any other ranked opponent with the winner to face WBO Champ Serguei Lyakhovich. Once again, from Fightnews:

"Dan Goossen, promoter of world rated heavyweight Tony "The Tiger" Thompson, says he plans on filing an immediate petition with WBO President Francisco 'Paco' Valcarel as a result of the organization's top-ranked contender Luan Krasniqi rejecting a planned September 16th bout with Thompson in Germany. Goossen said he will request an eliminator between Thompson and any top available contender for the right to challenge champion Sergei Liakhovich in his mandatory title defense.

'You can't be a #1 contender and pull out of commitments like Krasniqi did and be rewarded,' said Goossen. 'He took himself out of the picture and the shot at the title. It's Tony Thompson's turn to show the world who he is.'

'I'd been hearing rumblings that Krasniqi was hesitant to fight Thompson, and unfortunately it was true,' said Nate Peake, Thompson's co-manager along with NBA All-star and New York Knick, Steve Francis. 'Tony has been in training camp preparing for the fight, anxious to go to Germany to take the next step in his career toward the title. This is a very disappointing development for Tony and Team Tiger. We'll just keep moving forward though.'

Preview of Saturday's Card in Ocean City!

Middle River, MD super middleweight Tony “Cyclone” Cygan headlines a six-bout Baltimore Pro Boxing card on Saturday, August 12 at the Ocean City Convention Center in Ocean City, MD.

Cygan (10-1, six KO’s) will take on David “The Weezel” Estrada of Chicago, IL in a scheduled eight-round encounter. Cygan is coming off a tough six-round majority decision victory over Roy Ashworth on June 21 at Martin's West.

Estrada’s last bout was also in Maryland. Estrada (9-7, seven KO’s) lost a six-round unanimous decision over Ishmail Arvin on June 15 at Michael's Eighth Avenue. Estrada comes into his contest against Cygan trying to break a three-bout losing streak.

The co-feature will match Baltimore’s Willie “For Real” Williams against cruiserweight Richard Stewart of New Castle, PA in a six-round bout.

Williams (2-1, one KO) recently bounced back from his first career loss by winning a four-round unanimous decision over Ryan Madigan on June 21 in Woodlawn. The bout against Stewart will be Williams’s first six-round contest.

Stewart (8-1-1, six KO’s) is unbeaten in his last five bouts (4-0-1, three KO’s) but his last contest ended in a six-round draw against Glenn Turner on June 16 in Philadelphia, PA. Stewart has gained some notoriety as the older brother of world-ranked junior welterweight and “Contender: Season Two” participant Michael “No Joke” Stewart.

Two undefeated Baltimore-area prospects will also be on the card. Light heavyweight Mike “The Persecutor” Paschall (8-0, two KO’s) will take on veteran Ron Boddie (15-32-4, seven KO’s) of Philadelphia in a six-round contest.

In his last outing, Paschall won a tough six-round majority decision over William Gill on June 21 in Woodlawn. The bout was Paschall’s first since December 2005 when he suffered a broken hand. Boddie has lost his last four bouts to notable current and former contenders and prospects including Chad Dawson, Larry Marks, Saeed Hawkins and Jose Spearman. Boddie has also faced the likes of Brian Barbosa, Tarvis Simms, Anthony Hanshaw and Aneudi Santos throughout his career.

Middleweight Jessie “The Beast” Nicklow of Severn, MD (5-0, two KO’s) will battle James Shedrick of Philadelphia (3-5, two KO’s) in another six-round contest. Nicklow scored a solid first-round TKO against Jessie Horton on the June 21 Woodlawn, MD card. Shedrick, the son of Jimmy Shedrick, a Philadelphia lightweight from the 70’s, is coming off a four-round unanimous decision loss to Derrick Findley on May 26 in East Chicago, IL. You may remember, however, that the last time Shedrick was in Maryland, he scored a devastating fourth-round knockout over Tony Jeter in December 2005 at BXF in Millersville.

In an interesting matchup, Baltimore super middleweight Henry “Hurricane” Mayes will take on Dhafir “No Fear” Smith of Upper Darby, PA. The bout is scheduled for six-rounds.

Mayes (5-1, four KO’s) will try to bounce back from a second-round TKO at the hands of Jarell Mason Jackson on April 21 in Pikesville, MD.

Smith (14-14-3, three KO’s) recently broke a nine-bout winless streak by winning a four-round unanimous decision over Lamont Cooper on June 14 in Dover, DE. Smith has faced a number of rising prospects in his career including Henry “Sugar Poo” Buchanan, Max Alexander and Ian Gardner. Three of Smith’s losses have been in bouts for WBC Youth titles. This is also Smith's fourth time boxing in Maryland. Along with the loss to Buchanan in Upper Marlboro, Smith also dropped a decision to James McCallister in Millersville and lost to New Yorker Jameson Bostic in Glen Burnie.

Phillips Stops Reid in Connecticut!

Former world champion Verno Phillips scored a 12th round TKO over Adelphi, MD's Teddy Reid tonight at the Foxwoods in Ledyard, CT. The time was 2:40 of the round. Reid had his moments, but his lack of defense once again proved to be his undoing.

Reid's record falls to 23-8-2, 17 KO's but he doesn't have a win in his last four bouts (0-3-1) and every time he has slated to take a step up in his career, he has failed. Quite frankly, I don't know where he can go from here. The draw to J.C. Candelo (a boxer Phillips defeated easily) and losses to boxers like Golden Johnson, Ben Tackie, Rodney Jones, Kermit Cintron and now Verno Phillips in his career shows Reid has a tough time advancing to the next level. Reid is a fun boxer to watch, but I don't think he can be a legitimate contender anymore.

Great Rahman Article in Baltimore Sun!

Hopefully you've already seen this, but there is a great article on Baltimore's own Hasim Rahman that appeared in yesterday's Baltimore Sun. The article is on how the WBC Champion's boxing career is affecting his family, especially his 15-year-old son who wants to follow in his father's footsteps.

The article "Punches Close to Home" was written by Lem Satterfield and Mike Klingaman and is still on the internet at www.baltimoresun.com.

As you know, Rahman defends his title against Oleg Maskaev on Saturday, August 12 in Las Vegas on HBO Pay-Per-View.

Update on October 7 Patriot Center Card!

There is some big news concerning the October 7 card at the George Mason University Patriot Center.

First, one of the promoters on this card is my good friend Joe Hensley from Richmond, VA. This guy is familiar to many people along the Beltway and he is doing great things in the southern part of Virginia. He has been an incredible friend and supporter of this blog and his website, MajorLeagueBoxing.com, is on my links list and I encourage you to visit his site often.

The main event remains the same; Great Falls, VA's Jimmy Lange returns as he faces Thomas Wilt of Altoona, PA.

The big news concerns the co-feature, which has the makings of a great one. DC middleweight Purcell "Hard Rock" Miller is scheduled to face "Contender: Season One" participant Anthony Bonsante!

Also slated for the card are Southern Virginia favorites Dorin Spivey and David Chappell along with Beltway Boxers Derek Amos, Ray Grant and Mike Sawyer.

This looks like it will be a barnburner of a card. You can get info on ticket prices by going to MajorLeagueBoxing.com. Also, Joe has a nice audio interview with Dorin Spivey on his site. Of course, you can also find the latest details on the card right here.

Cummings Wins by Knockout in Pittsburgh!

Unbeaten Baltimore, MD cruiserweight Cory "Black Ice" Cummings returned to action after an 11-month layoff and scored a third-round TKO over Antonio Vines at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA. The following is the account of the bout as written by Fightnews.com correspondent Brady Crytzer:

"Cummings, who appeared the stronger of the two fighters, attempted to bully Vines early on landing hard hooks on the inside and controlling the pace of the fight. Though Antonio Vines found some success with the jab his opponent’s work rate proved to be too much as Cummings controlled the round with ease. The second round brought the crowd to its feet as Cummings scored with a looping left hook that stunned his opponent.

With his mouth bleeding badly, Vines continued to look for an opening to score until a left hook from “Black Ice” sent him to the canvas. On visibly unsteady legs, Antonio Vines beat the count just as the bell sounded to end the round. The third round proved to be all Cummings as a thunderous body attack allowed for a well placed leaping right hand to finish the job putting Vines on the canvas for a final time. Though Vines beat the count, referee Al Amelio felt that the wounded fighter had sustained too much damage to continue and waved off the contest at 2:59 of round three."

The win raises Cummings's record to 15-0, 12 KO's. Cummings has knocked out his last eight opponents. According to Boxrec.com, Cummings is slated to be a part of the September 14 boxing card at Martin's West.

Peterson Dominates; Hampton Loses!

Undefeated NABO Lightweight champion Anthony Peterson of DC scored a second round TKO over Jose Soto in front of a nationally televised ESPN2 audience last night at the FedEx Forum in Memphis. According to Fightnews.com, Peterson (19-0, 13 KO's) dropped Soto (18-3-2, 10 KO's) with a body shot at the end of round one, then put him away with left hook to the head in round two. Time was 2:51.

In Philadelphia, Capitol Heights, MD heavyweight Wayne "Hammerhead" Hampton lost by fourth round TKO to Dave Brunelli at the National Guard Armory. Hampton is now 4-2, two KO's while Brunelli, a former toughman participant, raises his record to 5-1, three KO's.

One late note to pass along: Congratulations to lightweight Thomas "KO' Snow of Capitol Heights who raised his record to 5-0, three KO's with a 35-second knockout of Tony Green on July 28 in Louisville, KY. If what Boxrec.com says is true, Green may need to find different management because he made his pro debut against a guy who was 4-0 with two KO's going into the bout.