Sunday, June 29, 2008

Boxing Returns to DC August 8!

The Nation's Capital has not had a boxing card since Fight Night 2007 on November 3, but DC comes back in a big way with a card on Friday, August 8 at the Ibiza Nightclub, 1221 1st Street, NE, right below the intersection of New York Avenue and 1st Street.

This will be the maiden voyage for Major Heavy Hitters promotions, who say this will be the first in a monthly series. There are two more scheduled for September 12 and October 10.

The main event for the card will be a matchup for the vacant USBO Middleweight title as Baltimore's Ishmail "The Arsenal" Arvin (14-1-4, six KO's) takes on Anthony "The Messenger" Thompson of Philadelphia (23-2, 17 KO's)

One other bout has been signed -- a matchup of young undefeated light heavyweight prospects as Oxon Hill, MD's Alexander "The Great" Johnson (5-0, three KO's) battles Brooklyn, NY's Reggie "Concrete" La Crete (4-0-2, three KO's) in a six-round contest.

Beltway Boxers Reggie "The Mechanic" Holly, Mark "TNT" Tucker and Jaime "The Punisher" Palma are also scheduled to appear on the show.

Palma Talks About July 8 Bout in Las Vegas!

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #112 - Palma Discusses Kelley Bout!

Alexandria, VA lightweight Jaime "The Punisher" Palma discusses his July 8th bout against former WBC Featherweight champion "The Flushing Flash" Kevin Kelley!

Beltway Boxers Headed to Salem, VA August 9!

Two of Virginia's best prospects will be part of a Pro-Motion Sports Promotions card on Saturday, August 9 at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, VA.

Headlining the show will be Front Royal, VA junior welterweight Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer (10-1, seven KO's). Farmer will battle undefeated "Lightning" Rod Salka of Bunola, PA. (6-0, two KO's) in a scheduled eight-round contest. Farmer has not fought since stopping Edward Anderson in the third round on February 23 at the Winchester Sportsplex in Winchester, VA. Salka is coming off a four-round unanimous decision victory over Jose Caraballo on May 30 in Monroeville, PA. This will be the first scheduled eight-round contest for both men. Salka has never been past four rounds in his career.

This card will also mark the return of undefeated Front Royal cruiserweight Terry "T-Brick" Roy (7-0-1, six KO's). Roy has not fought since November of 2007 because he has been recovering from injuries suffered in an altercation at his home last December. Roy will battle undefeated Danville, VA native Jaywon Woods (7-0, five KO's) in a six-round contest.

Also slated for this card will be Salisbury, MD lightweight Randolph Scott (0-1). Scott, who lost his pro debut by majority decision to Gerald Smith on June 6 in Philadelphia, PA, will be facing the debuting David Hopkins of Roanoke, VA in a four-round contest.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Hold Spears Family in Thoughts and Prayers!

I ask that you hold the family of my very good friend and broadcast partner "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears in your thoughts and prayers. Jerome's mother, Irene C. Spears, passed away early this morning after a long illness.

Funeral arrangements are forthcoming, but Jerome asked me to let the Beltway Boxing community know about this situation.

Friday, June 27, 2008

New Maryland Promotional Group Looks for 'Better' Promotions!

Throughout the sport of boxing, a growing number of the folks who are the main source of generating revenue in the sport -- the boxers themselves - are starting to learn the promotional side of the sport.

Such is the case in Maryland, where Laurel, MD junior middleweight Tony "Mo Better" Jeter is leading a new promotional company -- Better Promotions -- that will make its maiden voyage on Friday, September 19 at the Maryland Sportsplex in Millersville, MD.

Here, Jeter and two of his promotional partners -- James Wilkins and Christen Cunningham talk about their plans for promotions.


Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #111 - New Maryland Promotional Group Looks for 'Better' Promotions!

Laurel, MD junior middleweight Tony "Mo Better" Jeter discusses his future plans on the promotional side of boxing. Joining him are two members of Better Promotions: Christen Cunningham and James Wilkins.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Peterson Wins Unanimous Decision in Vegas!

DC lightweight Anthony Peterson maintained his undefeated record with a workmanlike 12-round unanimous decision over Fernando Trejo of Mexico City, Mexico.

Peterson's fundamentals helped give him the victory as he used his jab to set up crushing uppercuts throughout. Two judges said Peterson pitched a shutout, 120-108, the other judge scored the bout 119-109.

With the win, Peterson captured the interim NABF Lightweight title and raised his record to 27-0, 19 KO's. The loss drops Trejo's record to 30-14-4, 18 KO's.

UPDATE: It has been reported that Peterson hurt his left hand in the fifth round of the contest. His hand was x-rayed after the bout but no word on the results of the x-rays.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Buchanan Wins by TKO at the Playboy Mansion!

Capitol Heights, MD super middleweight Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan used a stunning body-head combination to stop Decatur, GA's Brian "The Assassin" Norman in the ninth round tonight at the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, CA in front of a nationally-televised ESPN2 audience.

Buchanan steadily gained control of the bout before ending the contest with a brutal left hand to the body and right to the head that dropped Norman against the ropes. Referee Lou Moret stopped the bout at 1:02 of the ninth.

With the win, Buchanan is now 17-1, 12 KO's. Norman falls to 16-8, four KO's. This was the second time Buchanan has stopped Norman. Buchanan scored a third-round TKO over Norman in September of 2004 in Glen Burnie, MD.

A. Peterson Weighs 133 for Vegas Bout Tomorrow!

DC's Anthony Peterson weighed in at 133 pounds for his nationally-televised bout against Fernando Trejo tomorrow night at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Trejo tipped the scales at 132 pounds.

The two boxers will battle for the interim NABF Lightweight title. The bout will be shown on the Versus Network Fight Night series. The broadcast begins at 9 PM ET with the Peterson-Trejo bout being the main event of the telecast.

By the way, I will be providing round-by-round commentary on the Peterson-Trejo contest during my BATB News and Commentary show tomorrow night on Youcastr.com, beginning at 10 PM ET. You can click on the Youcastr widget on the page to link to my show.

Palma To Face Former World Champ Kelley July 8 in Vegas!

Alexandria, VA lightweight Jaime "The Punisher" Palma has just signed a contract to face former WBC Featherweight champion "The Flushing Flash" Kevin Kelley in a scheduled 10-round bout on Tuesday, July 8 at the Las Vegas Hilton in Las Vegas, NV.

Palma (13-11-1, three KO's) will be trying to bounce back from his tough four-round unanimous decision loss to Sebastian Hamel on May 9 in Fredericksburg, VA. This will be Palma's second scheduled 10-rounder of his career, but his first since September of 2005. Palma is a substitute for Abdul Malik Jabir, who recently pulled out of the bout.

Kelley (59-8-2, 39 KO's) won his world title on December 4, 1993 against Goyo Vargas. The resident of Flushing, NY has fought some of the greats of the game including Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales as well as former world champions Alejandro Gonzalez (who Kelley lost his title to in January of 1995), Naseem Hamed and Derrick Gainer. Kelley has not fought since losing an IBF Super Featherweight title elimination bout to former world champ Manuel Medina in November of 2006.

Buchanan Hits Super Middleweight Weight Limit for Tonight!

Capital Heights, MD super middleweight Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan weighed in at the weight class limit of 168 pounds for his 10-round, nationally-televised matchup tonight against Decatur, GA's Brian "The Assassin" Norman at the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, CA. Norman also weighed in at 168 pounds.

The bout will be the co-feature on tonight's Wednesday Night Fights on ESPN2. The telecast begins at 11 PM ET.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

July Boxing Preview!

Here are some events that are coming in July.

There will be a wake to honor Eddie "Speedy" Van Kirk on Sunday, July 13 at the Baltimore Boxing Club, 506 1/2 S. Broadway in the Fells Point Section of Baltimore.

The wake will begin at 2 PM. Refreshments will be served and it is open to all.

The next Beltway area card will be the Baltimore Pro Boxing card on Friday, July 25 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore. So far on tap for this card are two interesting Beltway Boxing showdowns.

The main event, as announced on the most recent BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up Show, will pit undefeated Baltimore middleweight Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow (18-0-1, seven KO's) against Charlottsville, VA's George "War Time" Rivera (8-2, three KO's) in an eight-round battle.

In the co-feature, undefeated Baltimore super middleweight Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall (17-0-1, four KO's) is slated to take on Takoma Park, MD's Willis "The Prophet" Lockett (10-5-4, four KO's) in a scheduled 10-round bout.

Also slated for the card are Beltway rookies Keith Gross (light heavyweight from Lusby, MD, 1-0, one KO) and Robert "Mac Attack" McConnell, Jr. (cruiserweight from Ellicott City, MD, 1-1) as well as former WBO Cruiserweight champion Boone Pultz and the Maryland-area debut for undefeated Arlington, VA junior welterweight Todd "White Lightning" Wilson (4-0, one KO). Also, Baltimore amateur standout Steve Wheeler will make his pro debut.

Interesting news concerning Eldersburg, MD light heavyweight Mark "TNT" Tucker. On Saturday, July 26, Tucker (4-0, four first-round KO's) will be featured on a card in York, PA (by the way, the card will be headlined by Ballroom Boxing favorite Carney Bowman, who will be fighting for the first time in his hometown).

Tucker has reportedly taken on noted manager Cameron Dunkin as an advisor. Dunkin has managed 18 world champions including current world middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, reigning IBF Flyweight titleholder Nonito Donaire and defending WBO Featherweight champ Steve Luevano.

Monday, June 23, 2008

'Speedy' Van Kirk Passes!

Sad news to report. Beltway Boxing fan favorite Eddie "Speedy" Van Kirk passed away on Sunday, June 22 at the age of 45.

Van Kirk, a native of Baltimore, was a popular 13-year pro who had a record of 27-9-2, 13 KO's. In August of 1989, Van Kirk won the Maryland State Junior welterweight title stopping Keith Grimes in the seventh round.

Other notable bouts include a loss to future world champion Vincent Pettway for the Maryland State Welterweight title on March 4, 1991 at the Baltimore (now 1st Mariner) Arena. Van Kirk faced two other future world champions during his career; Hector Camacho, Sr. and Vinny Pazienza.

Arrangements are forthcoming. BATB sends condolences to the Van Kirk family.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Williams, Guerrero Win Bouts By Knockout!

Two Beltway Boxers won bouts by knockout last night. At the Campbell Fitness Center in Salem, NJ, Baltimore light heavyweight Willie "For Real" Williams stopped Alfred Kinsey of Atlantic City in the sixth round.

According to Fightnews.com's Rick Scharmberg, Williams got the win with a brutal body attack that eventually wore down Kinsey and stopped him with a minute to go in the sixth round.

This was a co-feature bout and Williams's first scheduled eight-round contest. This was also Williams's fifth straight victory.

With the win, Williams raises his record to 11-2, three KO's. Kinsey's record is now 6-3-1, three KO's. Our very own Henry "Discombobulating" Jones served as ring announcer for the card.

At the FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN, undefeated Beltway rookie Fernando Guerrero kept his streak rolling. The Salisbury, MD resident scored his eighth knockout in eight bouts as he knocked out Omid Bahreini of Conway, AK at 2:10 of the first round. This bout was on the non-televised undercard of the Berto-Rodriguez/Arreola-Witherspoon HBO doubleheader.

Guerrero is 8-0, eight KO's while Bahreini is 2-3, two KO's.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

'For Real' Williams Weighs 176 1/2 for New Jersey Bout!

Baltimore light heavyweight Willie "For Real" Williams tipped the scales at 176 1/2 for his eight-round co-feature bout against Alfred Kinsey tonight at the Campbell Fitness Center in Salem, NJ. Kinsey weighed in at 176.

My thanks to Brother Chin from the Honeycomb Boxing Gym who will be working Williams's corner as the cut man and took time out of his busy schedule to email me this info.

L. Peterson Secures Opponent for July 5!

15Rounds.com is reporting that undefeated DC junior welterweight Lamont Peterson has an opponent for his important nationally televised Saturday, July 5 bout at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

Peterson's opponent will be Rogelio Castaneda, Jr. of Sacramento, California. Castaneda (24-13-3, eight KO's) has come very close to world title contention, losing an IBF title elimination bout to Demetrius Hopkins in November 2006.

It has been reported that should Peterson (24-0, 11 KO's) win, he will get a world title bout against the winner of the main event of this card -- the WBO Junior Welterweight championship rematch between champion Ricardo Torres and Kendall Holt.

The card will be televised by Showtime.

Barnett Stops Miranda in the Cayman Islands!

DC junior welterweight Ty Barnett remained undefeated with a fourth-round TKO over Pavel Miranda last night in Georgetown, Cayman Islands.

Barnett took care of business early in the fourth, stopping Miranda at 25 seconds of the round.

Barnett is now 14-0-1, 10 KO's. Miranda falls to 15-2, eight KO's.

Cummings Loses Unanimous Decision in Chicago!

Baltimore light heavyweight Corey "Black Ice" Cummings lost a 10-round unanimous decision to former IBF Light Heavyweight champion Montell "Ice" Griffin last night at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, IL.

Griffin knocked Cummings down in the third round and according to the judges's scorecards, Griffin had complete control of the bout. All three judges scored a shutout for Griffin, 100-89.

Cummings's record falls to 16-3, 12 KO's. Griffin is now 49-7, 30 KO's.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Grant Provides Excitement, But Loses Unanimous Decision!

Riverdale, MD heavyweight Horace "The Reason" Grant almost gave a major shock to the audience in the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas as well as a nationally televised ESPN2 audience by dropping opponent Kevin "Big Man" Burnett in the eighth and final round.

But the bulk of the bout belonged to the Augusta, GA native Burnett and he went on to defeat Grant by a unanimous decision. Grant suffered a technical knockdown in the third round when he was battered into the ropes and referee Joe Cortez called the knockdown.

Grant had a moment in the fourth round when he landed some solid punches on Burnett but Burnett controlled the rest of the bout until Grant landed a thunderous right hand that dropped Burnett at the bell to end the bout. Burnett was able to beat Cortez's count and preserve his victory.

With the loss, Grant's record falls to 12-2, seven KO's. Burnett is now 13-1-1, eight KO's.

'The Reason' Grant Weighs 250 For Tonight's TV Bout!

Riverdale, MD heavyweight Horace "The Reason" Grant weighed in at 250 pounds for his nationally televised ESPN2 bout tonight at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV. His opponent in the scheduled eight-round contest, Kevin "Big Man" Burnett of Augusta, GA, came in at 261.

Both these guys are similar in record (Grant 12-1, seven KO's; Burnett 12-1-1, eight KO's), similar in height (Grant 6'3", Burnett 6'7") and similar in type of competition. Should be a good one. The card is scheduled to come on ESPN2 at 9 PM ET.

Magruder Wins Junior Olympics Title!

Congratulations to Suitland, MD 114-pounder Antonio Magruder! Magruder captured the 2008 Junior Olympic National Championship in his weight class by virtue of a 10-5 decision victory over defending champion Luis Cortez of Las Vegas, NV at the Superior Dome in Marquette, MI.

This is Magruder's second major title of the year, as he captured a Silver Gloves championship in February.

DC's Asia Stevenson lost in her title bout as she fell to Valerie Farley of Port Huron, MI by decision, 22-19.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Cummings Weighs 177 For Chicago Bout!

Baltimore light heavyweight Corey "Black Ice" Cummings weighed in at 177 pounds for his scheduled 10-round contest against former world champion Montell "Ice" Griffin tomorrow night at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, IL. Griffin weighed in at 176 1/2.

There are bouts from this card that will be televised on Telefutura tomorrow night but Cummings-Griffin may not be one of them. I'm still awaiting final confirmation on that.

Magruder, Stevenson Advance to Junior Olympic Finals!

Suitland, MD 114-pounder Antonio Magruder has advanced to the finals of the 2008 Junior Olympics National Championship in Marquette, MI.

Magruder defeated Manuel Avila of Fairfield, CA by decision, 18-12. Magruder will take on Luis Cortez of Las Vegas, NV in the finals. Cortez decisioned Jeremy Longoria of Corpus Christi, TX, 9-8.

Female 132-pounder Asia Stevenson of DC also made it to the final round as she won a 16-8 decision over LeTeisha Darden of Wilmington, NC. Stevenson will battle Valerie Farley of Port Huron, MI in the final round. Farley defeated Jasmine Acevedo of Beeville, TX by a 9-2 decision.

DC's 125-pounder Antoine Douglas lost his semifinal bout by stoppage in the second round to Joel Diaz of Palmdale, CA. Chris Warden of Lusby, MD lost by a 20-10 decision to Pedro Sosa of the Bronx, NY in the 145-pound class.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The Latest From 'The Tiger!"

Here's the latest blog entry from DC's Tony "The Tiger" Thompson as he prepares for his July 12 outing against Wladimir Klitschko. This time out, Thompson does some venting about some "fans" along the Beltway concerning a recent situation before giving us info about his training. Here is the unedited Tony Thompson.

Hello fellow bloggers and blog readers I would like to start this week’s blog with a little venting. Now anyone that knows me understands how much I love DC and the whole DMV(DC, Maryland and Virginia).

However, I must say some not all of you are getting on my MFnn- nerves with the bullshit. What is the bullshit Tony you might ask? O.K. let me explain. It seems that some of us still have the crab in the barrel syndrome. Meaning, as soon as they see a fellow DMVER doing something good or positive in any way they promptly start talking crazy. Instead of using your hands too help one of your own up you use your claws to pull them down and in the process, you pull us all down. Hence, what we call the bullshit. Now, I don't normally respond to the bullshit but if I keep letting it go, it can become an epidemic and infect us all.

Therefore, I will provide a clear and precise response to some of the things that have been said. First, let’s address the Askia situation (I hope I spelled your name right buddy). Let me begin by saying that Askia is a buddy of mine. So, when I say what I'm about to say, he knows I will only be saying things that I have told him to his face and they are true. I did not hurt Askia in sparring on purpose. We are in the fight and hurt business, so guess what, sometimes you get hurt. To answer your questions, no I was not mad at him for supposedly getting off on me that's his job and it’s my job to respond. Anybody that's met me knows I don't get mad I just get even, which again is my job. I have worked with a lot of the young fighters and I hardly ever go into the sparring ring with the intent of trying to hurt somebody on purpose (I never say never because somebody might have been trying too hurt me and like I said I don't get mad I get even, Mo Wilson). My objective is too get better and hopefully help the other fighters get better. Now if you are a slacker and you jump in there with me you might get hurt. This is sometimes the case with Askia and remember this is something that I have told him, to his face. This was done not in an attempt to belittle or embarrass him, but to tell him the truth and hopefully motivate him too take this sport serious. Because I always tell people, you play basketball and football you don't play boxing you live, eat, breath, and sh-- boxing.

OK, that's enough venting for this week I have more but I don't want this whole weeks blog too be negative so let’s talk about what’s going on in camp. Now last week we left off with me taking a iniquitous ass whooping from my fellow fighters (I don’t do sparring partners because you can't get better that way). They really came to work, which was not all that fun for me but great for what we are trying to accomplish. So this week I had to respond and lets just say my team felt a lot better about my performance as did I.

Now don't get me wrong, in no way were we pushing the panic button, but they were happy to see some of the great work that I’m capable of producing. As a result, I was pleased to see that I was finally adapting to the Florida heat and humidity. Sometimes this sport plays games with your mind and you have to be mentally tough to deal with not looking your best every day. I'm somewhat vain about getting my ass kicked, as is most fighters, especially the good ones. Anyway, so I was not happy with myself. But as I have said, on many occasions, that I have a great team and they do a great job of keeping me sane and composed. By the way, my team consists of Tom Browner, Barry Hunter, and BB Hudson, not Buddy McGirt not to say anything bad about Buddy and we will get into that next week but we are just using his gym. Sometimes your trainers have to pull you back so they can build you up and that can be frustrating for the fighter sort of what happened to Big Brown last week.(I'm talking about the horse get your minds out the gutter.lol.) However, to my credit, I do a great job of listening and executing a plan and sometimes that plan includes rest. So after taking a day off in the middle of the week I came back on Thursday and looked spry for a man of my advanced age.

Now don't think a day off for me is like a day off for you. I still had to get my ass up and go to work it just didn't consist of sparring or all that damn running. I don't like to run unless the police are coming, I need to catch a plane, or of course, it's only one pack of Oreo’s left on the shelf at the store. Naw I’m just kidding about the plane. Therefore, bloggers I will holla back next week and I will try my best DMVERS to fight the crab grabbers that plagues our lovely city. How about throwing crab grabbers in there, I haven't heard that since the 80's. Goodbye.


"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent.” John Donne


(For those who don't remember the "Askia situation" Askia Schneider was scheduled to face Jonathan Felton at Michael's Eighth Avenue last month but was hurt in training against Thompson -- GDW)

Beltway Faces Tough Competition at Junior Olympics!

Beltway Boxers had a rough outing in today's action at the 2008 Junior Olympics National Championship at the Superior Dome in Marquette, MI.

Three boxers from the area moved into the semifinals. Chris Warden won his quarterfinal bout in the 145-pound division, decisioning Raul Prieto of El Paso, TX, 11-9. Antonio Magruder of Suitland, MD decisioned Zachary Borunda of Pueblo, CO, 15-4 in the 114-Pound division. Also, DC's Antoine Douglas won his quarterfinal matchup in the 125-pound class by decision over Byron Zamora of Port St. Lucie, FL, 21-7.

Five Beltway representatives lost their quarterfinal matchups today. In the 110-pound division, Deven Matos of Fort Washington, MD was disqualified 34 seconds into the third round in his bout against Carlos Chavez of North Hollywood, FL. Landover, MD's Marcus Gaddis lost by decision to Ricky Rodriguez of Evans, CO, 17-14 in the 119-pound class.

During today's morning session, Tavon Frazier of Baltimore, MD lost his bout in the 114-pound division to Jeremy Longoria of Corpus Christi, TX. In the 138-pound division, Jamal Alantez-Fox of Temple Hills, MD lost a close decision to Zeddie Adams of Cleveland, OH, 9-8. Also, D'Mitrius Ballard of Temple Hills was stopped in the second round (RSCO-2, :56) by Eddie Gomez of the Bronx, NY.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Early Results from Junior Olympics!

Here are some Beltway-themed results from the preliminary rounds of the 2008 Junior Olympic National Championships in Marquette, MI (updated with evening results):

110 Pounds: Deven Matos stopped Jose Martinez of Jonesboro, AK at 1:20 of the first round (RSC-1).

119 Pounds: Marcus Gaddis decisioned Randy Luciano of Passaic, NJ, 22-10.

145 Pounds: Chris Warden decisioned Bobby Bryant of Olive Branch, MS, 15-8.

119 Pounds: Shadeed Floyd lost to Jose Ramirez of Avenel, CA, 21-4.

165 Pounds: Jerry Odom lost to Anthony Bailey of Memphis, TN, 7-6.


(Morning session)
114 Pounds: Antonio Magruder decisioned Kiun Evans of Little Rock, AK, 16-7.

125 Pounds: Antoine Douglas decisioned Richard Coronado of Arizona, 15-12.

138 Pounds: Jamal Alantez-Fox decisioned Joe Almanza, 19-5.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Junior Olympics Begin Tomorrow in Michigan!

The 2008 Junior Olympic National Championships begin tomorrow in Marquette, MI. A number of Beltway Boxers will be competing. Here is the scheduled lineup.

80 Pounds: Gregory Outlaw, Upper Marlboro, MD

114 Pounds: Tavon Frazier, Baltimore, MD; Antonio Magruder, Suitland, MD

119 Pounds: Shadeed Floyd, Washington, DC; Marcus Gaddis, Landover, MD

138 Pounds: Alantez-Jamal Fox, Temple Hills, MD

145 Pounds: Chris Warden, Lusby, MD

154 Pounds: D'Mitrius Ballard, Temple Hills, MD

165 Pounds: Jerry Odom, Bowie, MD

All of the Beltway Boxers will be in the East Central Region, except Magruder and Gaddis, who qualified by winning the Silver Gloves title and will be in the "Silver Gloves" region.

Barnett, Williams Have Opponents for Bouts This Weekend!

DC junior welterweight Ty Barnett and Baltimore light heavyweight Willie "For Real" Williams will have what should be good competitive bouts this weekend.

On Friday, June 20, Barnett (13-0-1, nine KO's) will take on Pavel Miranda of Tijuana, MX (15-1, eight KO's) in a scheduled eight-round contest at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex in Georgetown, Cayman Islands. Barnett defeated veteran John Brown by six-round unanimous decision in his last outing on January 26 in Tunica, MS. Miranda scored an eight-round unanimous decision over William Gonzalez for the WBC Youth and the WBC Caribbean Boxing Federation Light Welterweight titles. No word yet on whether those belts will be on the line against Barnett.

On Saturday, June 21, Williams (10-2, two KO's) will be in an eight-round main event bout at the Campbell Fitness Center in Salem, NJ. Williams will take on 2001 National Golden Gloves Middleweight champ Alfred Kinsey of Atlantic City (6-2-1, three KO's). Williams has won his last four contests, including a six-round unanimous decision over Andre Hemphill on April 18 in Pikesville, MD. This will be Williams's first scheduled eight-round bout. Kinsey has been inactive since February of 2006 when he won an eight-round unanimous decision over Aneudi Santos, but he is unbeaten in his last seven bouts (6-0-1).

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Nicklow Narrowly Wins, Tucker Wins, Davis Draws!

Here are the results from the Baltimore Pro Boxing card at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore:

Baltimore, MD middleweight Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow won a narrow eight-round unanimous decision over Suitland, MD's Jayson Champion. Nicklow scored a knockdown early in the first round, which proved to be the margin of victory. Judges Joe Ware and John Gradowski scored the bout 77-74 while Judge Don Risher saw the bout 76-75. Nicklow is now 18-0-1, seven KO's. Champion falls to 4-4, three KO's. This was a rematch of a December 7, 2006 bout that Nicklow won by six-round unanimous decision.

Like the first bout between these two, I thought Champion won the bout, 77-74.

The co-feature saw another win and another first-round TKO for Eldersburg, MD light heavyweight Mark "TNT" Tucker. Tucker stopped Philadelphia, PA's Khalil Farah at 2:19 of the round. Tucker is now 4-0, with four first-round KO's. Farah is now 3-3, one KO.

The controversy of the night was the result of the bout between DC super middleweight Demetrius Davis and undefeated Pittsburgh, PA's Tommy Karpency. With the undefeated record and a future ESPN2 date on the line, Karpency ran into a savvy and experienced buzzsaw in Davis, who definitely fought the best bout in his return from boxing after a nine-year absence.

Unfortunately and yes, inexplicably, Davis was only able to manage an eight-round majority draw. Judge Risher scored the bout 79-73 for Davis but judges Ware and Kenny Chevalier saw a draw at 76-76. I scored the bout 79-74 for Davis, with the second round deemed even. I rarely make comments about the judging on this site, but that was simply a horrible decision. Fortunately for Davis, he did get the draw. That raises his record to 18-14-5, seven KO's while Karpency remains undefeated at 11-0-1, seven KO's.

Elsewhere on the card, cruiserweight Robert "Mac Attack" McConnell, Jr. won his first pro bout, capturing a four-round majority decision over Wilson, NC's Octavius Davis. McConnell is now 1-1 while Davis is 0-1-1.

In a battle of debuting super middleweight Beltway Boxers, Lusby, MD's Keith Gross scored a third-round TKO over Orlando "The Future" Pugh of DC. Gross wore down Pugh until Pugh was unable to come out of his corner for the fourth round.

In the opening bout, Pittsburgh, PA super middleweight Jimmy Lubash won a four-round unanimous decision over John "The Baptist" Terry of Virginia Beach, VA. Lubash is 7-1, three KO's while Terry falls to 2-12-3, one KO.

Please listen to the entire BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up show for detailed comments and a nice announcement about the main event on the July 25 card at Du Burns.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #110 - Results From Du Burns!

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I recap an exciting and somewhat mystifing night of boxing from Du Burns Arena in Baltimore!

Snyder Wins Majority Decision Over Mackey!

Berlin, MD middleweight "The Berlin Bomber" Joshua Snyder won a four-round majority decision over previously undefeated John "No Mercy" Mackey of Montgomery, AL (by way of DC) in front of a nationally televised ESPN2 audience at the Catholic Youth Center in Scranton, PA.

According to reports, Snyder dropped Mackey twice during the bout and went on to the victory. Two judges scored the bout 39-37 and 38-37 for Snyder and one judge saw the draw at 38-38.

Snyder's record is now 7-3, three KO's while Mackey is now 9-1, three KO's.

(Personal update): I just witnessed the bout on ESPN 360. That was a great bout. I agree with Han Kim. A rematch should happen, but it shouldn't be rushed. I also hope the promoter took Teddy Atlas's advice and gave both men bonuses. Both Snyder and Mackey fought with heart, class and talent. Both guys took solid steps in their career. Very impressive!!

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Weights From DuBurns!

Here is the scale watch for tomorrow night's Baltimore Pro Boxing card at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore:

Jessie Nicklow 153 3/4 vs. Jason Champion 152 1/2

Demetrius Davis 171 3/4 vs. Tommy Karpency 173 3/4

Mark Tucker 178 vs. Khalil Farha 175 3/4

Robert McConnell 190 vs. Octavius Davis 200

Keith Gross 173 3/4 vs Orlando Pugh 170 1/4

John Terry 163 ½ vs. Jimmy Lubash (scheduled to weigh-in tomorrow)

Apparently, the bouts featuring Mike Paschall and Tony Cygan have been called off.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

A. Peterson Foe Announced For June 26 in Vegas!

The opponent for undefeated DC lightweight Anthony Peterson's Thursday, June 26 bout at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada has been announced.

His name is Fernando "The Thief" Trejo from Jarrell, TX by way of Mexico City. Trejo (30-13-4, 18 KO's) is a veteran who in the last few years has fought better-known competition including the likes of Ebo Elder, Agnaldo Nunes and Bobby Pacquiao, whom he lost to by TKO in the fourth round in his last outing on November 23 in Cabazon, CA.

Peterson (26-0, 19 KO's) is coming off an eighth-round TKO over Jose Antonio Izquierdo on January 4 in Biloxi, MS.

This contest will be the main event on the Versus Network.

Lamont Peterson (24-0, 11 KO's) will be on the Saturday, July 5 card from Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas as the televised co-feature. The opponent is still to be announced. This bout will be televised by Showtime.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Thompson Blogs As He Prepares for Klitschko!



WBO number one heavyweight contender Tony "The Tiger" Thompson has been blogging about his preparations for his Saturday, July 12 challenge for the WBO/IBF titles against champion Wladimir Klitschko in Hamburg, Germany.

Unfortunately, I found out about the first entry too late but this is the second entry after his return from Germany and the press conferences held there. Future entries will also appear here.


Upon my return from Germany, I immediately started training in order to get in shape for my dream fight.

My manager (Nate Peake), Sharmba (Mitchell), Steve Francis and Broynee Hudson went to New Orleans, Louisiana to meet with Mackie Shilstone. He did a whole body assessment, to tell me how bad my body really is…not fun at all. He had me doing MRI’s, seeing a heart and back specialist and a chiropractor.

The MRI was the worse. If you had an MRI you would know this is nerve wrecking. MRI is the most stressful thing in medicine. You go to see what's wrong with you and the test stresses you out. MRI looks like a hollow hot dog. You have to fit yourself in there, not an easy task for a big man like me. And the noise… err, err, err, so noisy for an hour long! They tell you not to move but how the hell you not going to move? And you know what happens your nose begins to itch the second they tell you not to move.

Everything came out fine but the doctor threw a surprise on me. He did a prostrate exam. I'm only 36! I'm thinking to myself, did Klitschko get to this doctor? I'm too young to have this exam without someone playing with me! He didn't even tell me he was going to do this, he's like "lean on your elbows" and I was caught by surprise. After the horror, I came back home to have a team meeting. In the team meeting we discussed where I was going to train for the fight. We really wanted to train in Washington DC, the location felt right and I really wanted it to be a part of the experience and accomplish this journey together. But unfortunately some ‘big wigs’ couldn't pull off the deal and we decided to move the camp to Vero Beach, Florida.

I left the wife and 7 kids back at home with the broken air conditioner, broken dishwasher, broken dryer and the electricity down in one half of the house. To me, this is God's sign that I better get this fight done. I have to get this fight done. But I am OK with leaving to train because I know my wife and kids are going to be OK. They know daddy is doing what he has to do to get this stuff fixed.

They had me a little barbecue party (I was only able to be there for about 2 hours) before having to leave to the airport. So I kissed the family so long and traveled to Florida the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Most of my other family members that were invited got there late, so they owe me some time spent together. My brother who is stationed in Japan, Army Sergeant Keith Thompson dropped me off at the airport.

I traveled with Broynee Hudson and Tom Browner and we got to Vero Beach around 9:00 PM. When I arrived a couple of people thought that I was Lebron James. I wish I had that darn "I am not a basketball player" T-shirt on now.

Sharmba Mitchell was already in Florida and picked me and my team up at the airport.

For the next week we trained hard. Got on schedule and went to Buddy McGirt’s gym. My back was sore so I had to see a masseuse. Come to find that I was being massaged by Hitler… or should I say Dr. Kevorkian. He left me worse than I had started so now I am back to my number 1 rule… never let a man massage you, only a woman. Can’t wait to see my regular masseuse Jamie from Florida. Looking forward to a real massage. Stop laughing!

After that I had to travel back to Washington for my sisters wedding. The day before the wedding and hours before I boarded the plane, I get a call from US
Airways informing me that my flight had been canceled and that I would have to make “alternative arrangements.” After hollering for a while they were able to put me on a flight that departed earlier. Little did I know that they had me in a center seat where the passenger next to me decided to rest his tray table on my knees. About an hour and a half before the flight landed I decided to stand and stretch my legs for the remainder of the flight (or at least until they asked me to sit down). I stood in the stewardess section and people seemed kind of nervous as if I was guarding the restroom.

The next day (the wedding day) I barely made it to the church on time because there was a storm.. There was zero visibility and to top it off the storm was so bad that the electricity in the church went out. There were no lights, no air conditioning and no music (seemed like I was back at home). Now we had to improvise. Luckily the RTL German camera crew were there filming me and we used their camera lights when it came time for the priest to read. Finally, my brother and me gave our older sister away because both of my parents are deceased.

I flew out the next Sunday night. However because of a faulty toilet and the storm, I was sitting in a center seat again for an hour and a half on the runway. These airlines are quickly putting me in the mood to get my hands around Klitschko’s neck. If this keeps up I may not be able to restrain myself until July 12.

I waited until Monday to resume working out and it was back to work again. On Tuesday, I worried about Wednesday. Why? Because the TV people don't have me in a speedboat this time, they thought of something crazier, but at least on dry land but unfortunately a little bit scarier.

Wednesday they've got me working with real life tigers and I know they are going to eat me. You know how it goes, they are well trained then they return to their wild instincts and attack.

Animals do attack.

Wednesday will forever be known as the day of the tiger in my mind.

Wednesday, I started with my normal sparring session; it was predictable, as I took my lumps in the Florida sun (LOL).

Tea anyone..

It was also the day of the Tiger shoot with RTL TV from Germany. After we finished sparring, I had to recharge my battery by getting a little rest and do my best of not thinking of how nice this tiger was going to treat me.

Animals do attack.

I then hopped on my first helicopter ride, which was pretty interesting and scary. A lot of you may ask why? Everybody that knows me understands that flying is not one of my favorite things. Especially something as small as a helicopter where you feel every bit of the wind whipping against the chopper.

Before I got on the helicopter the pilot gave me a few instructions. One rule in particular stuck in my mind. The pilot said never walk towards the back of the
helicopter because people have been known to lose a limb or two. So this did a lot to help my confidence for getting on this helicopter.

Since RTL was also flying in the helicopter, I had to sit in the back seat scrunched up as if I was in the middle of the coach section on a plane. You can imagine how I felt like a sardine. Surprisingly, once the helicopter took off I had the time of my life. Man it was it was crazy. It was better than I could have ever imagined.

At 500 feet, it was incredible to see the top of Orlando and the rest Florida from that height. You would be surprised to see how many wild animals and sh-t you see running around loose. Because I am, kind of a nature nerd it was cool for me. After an hour ride in the helicopter and dodging a bus fire below, we landed at the tiger compound. This is where it really gets interesting.

I was excited and anxious at the same time, because I have a soft spot in my heart for big cats especially tigers. I was also kind of fearful because some of the things that I was about to do with the tiger. I was nervous and fearful baby!! Some of the things they wanted to do were walk the tiger on a leech, feed the tiger by hand (by hand!!!), wash the tiger with a hose and kneeling down beside the tiger while rubbing him on his back (I was thinking more like begging him for his forgiveness not to eat me). This was a tall order.

I thought it was pretty interesting because when I fed the tiger I only fed him the legs and thighs of the chicken, that’s right all the dark meat. And he seemed to really enjoy it. I didn't know if I should bring out the deep fry or if I should be worried because I was the only dark person there (LOL).

Never was I calm, even when the tiger was behind the cage and I was feeding him. I fed a 600-pound tiger name CHAD. Somehow I thought the name just did not fit very well. So, I immediately changed his name to Sampson. However, let me explain by saying, no disrespect to all the CHADS out there, but I thought a tiger this magnificent deserved a magnificent name.

I fed Sampson a chicken leg at the top of the cage and when he stood fully extended, he was over 7 feet tall. Baby he was big!! Shaq and Yao Ming have nothing on my new friend Sampson.

It was a magnificent but very scary site. It made me feel justified in my kids choosing the name of the Tiger for me because the tiger is majestic, he is intimidating, he is ferocious and more importantly, Sampson was just plain beautiful. Beautiful like me baby!

When I first got to the tiger compound, I was a little hesitant because I do not like to see ANIMALS HELD CAPTIVE. However, the tigers where in such wonderful shape and I have to commend the guy that ran the compound for the way he kept his place. The way the animals where treated as well as the condition of the animals. Unfortunately, I do not remember the name of the guy who ran the compound but after this fight, I am definitely going to take my kids there. However, they will not do all the things I did with tiger but they will definitely get to see all the animals.

It’s real funny that German TV has shown more interest in introducing me to their public than our own TV networks in the US. To me that's really unfortunate because most of our TV networks think of me as an after thought, when it comes to this fight. Nevertheless, this just adds more motivation for me and I am not bitter at all. I am just determined BABY!! So after all the excitement on Wednesday it was back to work on Thursday.

Brother back to work it was. It started off pretty bad for me because I was exhausted from all the tiger stuff and posing for pictures. It was good to get the PR stuff over with and get back to the grind of winning the heavyweight world championship.

Let me describe Buddy's gym for those who don't know. For anybody that has ever been to Florida, you know it is an understatement to say that it’s freaking hot down here. Even though Buddy has a great gym, it’s pretty much a warehouse with no fan, no air condition and no ventilation. If its 90 degrees outside, then it is about 115 inside at 9 a.m., when I train. Therefore, without having my proper rest with the heat beating down on me, I was dog-tired after sparring and not much in the mood for continuing anything else. But they (trainers) did not have any mercy on me, as they pushed me through the rest of my workout, which good trainers are supposed to do. So I was very tired but satisfied with the quality of my workout. I was also looking damn forward to my day off from sparring on Friday.

We worked very hard Friday. My trainers again did a great job of pushing me through the hard work and the heat. Barry Hunter, Tom Browning and BB Hudson; they make a great team knowing my body and the right things to do to get me through my workouts. Having the Headbangers family down here was a plus as well.

That's about it, I guess I will catch you people a little later, time for bed now. I got to run in the early morning.
- By Tony Thompson

Snow Faces Undefeated Boxer in Philadelphia July 18!

Undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight Thomas "KO" Snow will risk his record against Philadelphia, PA's undefeated prospect Teon Kennedy in an eight-round main event on Friday, July 18 at the New Alhambra in Philadelphia.

Snow (10-0, eight KO's) has not fought since winning by second-round TKO over Terrance Roy on December 15. Snow had two bouts against Tyrell Samuel cancelled.

Kennedy (8-0, four KO's) is coming off an eight-round unanimous decision over Castulo Gonzalez on March 7 in Philadelphia.

Monday, June 09, 2008

Guerrero, Buchanan Opponents Named!

The seven-day period of June 20-27 continues to be a big one for Beltway Boxers. On Saturday, June 21, undefeated Salisbury, MD middleweight Fernando Guerrero (7-0, seven KO's) fights for the eighth time this year, taking on Omid "The Sandman" Bahreini (2-2, two KO's) of Conway, AK at the Fed Ex Forum in Memphis, TN. This will be a non-televised bout on the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast that features undefeated prospects Andre Berto and Chris Arreola in separate bouts.

Guerrero scored his fourth first-round knockout of his pro career in his last outing against Chuck Orso on May 24 in Tunica, MS. Bahreini is also coming off a first-round knockout victory. Bahreini stopped Ryan Hord on March 8 in Fort Smith, AK.

Meanwhile, the opponent for Capitol Heights, MD super middleweight Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan for his eight-round contest on Wednesday, June 25 at the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, CA has been announced. Buchanan (16-1, 11 KO's) will battle Brian "The Assassin" Norman of Decatur, GA (16-7, four KO's).

Buchanan last fought on March 3 in Carson, CA, winning an eight-round unanimous decision over Ross Thompson. Norman is coming off a close, eight-round majority decision loss to Demetrius Davis on May 3 at the District Heights Municipal Center in District Heights, MD. This bout will be the televised co-feature on ESPN2's Wednesday Night Fights.

Sunday, June 08, 2008

Amateur Boxing Comes to Henderson Hall July 19!

While the pro card that was slated for Henderson Hall in Arlington, VA in June was called off, there will be an amateur card headed to that facility on Saturday, July 19.

The card will be called "July Justice," and is slated to feature some of the better boxers in the Commonwealth. The first bout on the card is scheduled to start at six PM.

In other amateur news, the Junior Olympic Nationals take place in Marquette, Michigan on June 17-21. I will let you know now that posting of results from that event here will be a little sketchy because I will be taking a short break from BATB during that week.

Also, NBC will be showing highlights from the recent USA Boxing Olympic Invitational that took place in Bridgeport, CT. The Beltway's own Gary Russell, Jr. participated in that event. The telecast will be on Saturday, June 14 at 3 PM ET with Bob Papa and Teddy Atlas (NBC's Olympic Boxing announcers) calling the action.

Friday, June 06, 2008

Martin Loses in Philadelphia!

Baltimore featherweight Darrell Martin lost a four-round unanimous decision to Philadelphia's Paul Fernandez tonight at the Legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia.

After a strong first round, Martin faded throughout the rest of the contest as Fernandez's strong body shots took their toll.

Martin has now lost three in a row and his record is now 2-4.

Also on the card, Cumberland, MD junior middleweight Dontre King lost his pro debut by second-round TKO to Steve O'Meara of London, England (2-0, one KO) and junior welterweight Randolph Scott of Salisbury, MD lost his pro debut to Philadelphia's Gerald Smith by a four-round majority decision. Both Beltway Boxers were late additions to this card.

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Holly Loses in Brooklyn; Samuel, Orji Off Philadelphia Card!

DC junior welterweight Reggie "The Mechanic" Holly lost by a four-round unanimous decision to Stephane Malenou last night at the Aviator Sports Arena in Brooklyn, NY. Holly's record is now 7-4, two KO's while Malenou evens his record at 5-5-1.

By the way, the two co-feature bouts on this card as well as one exciting swing bout were on ESPN2 and the matchmaker of the card was our very own Chris Middendorf. ESPN2 analyst Teddy Atlas took a moment during the telecast to praise Middendorf for the competitive bouts.

As we move to Friday, June 6 in Philadelphia, it looks like Baltimore featherweight Tyrell Samuel and Laurel, MD super featherweight Ikem Orji are both of this card. Boxrec.com has taken both their names off the card at the Blue Horizon.

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

'Mechanic' Holly Slated to Compete in Brooklyn, NY Tonight!

DC junior welterweight Reggie "The Mechanic" Holly is a late addition to tonight's card at the Aviator Sports Arena in Brooklyn, NY. Holly (7-3, two KO's) will take on Cameroon native Stephane Malenou (4-5-1) in a four-round bout.

Holly has not fought since losing a six-round unanimous decision to Bayan Jargal at the Fight Night charity boxing card in DC on November 8. For Malenou, this will be the first bout in the United States, having fought all of his bouts in France. Malenou will be looking to break a three-bout losing streak.

The two co-feature bouts will be televised tonight on ESPN2. No word if Holly's bout makes the telecast.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Press Continues Coverage of Peterson Saga!

The monetary and contract situations involving the Undefeated Peterson Brothers continue to gain national and international press. Here are two articles that do a fine job of bringing out more details of the situation. Please read both carefully, before drawing opinions.

This one comes from one of the premier writers in boxing -- Thomas Hauser of Secondsout.com -- who wrote this article for ESPN.com:

"http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=3414631">

Then comes this article from one of the better investigative boxing writers in the world -- Michael Swann of 15Rounds.com:

"http://www.15rounds.com/Columns/mswann/point-060308.php">

Monday, June 02, 2008

Paschall Added to June 13 Du Burns Arena Card!

(updated with new information)

Not wanting to rest on the laurels that came from the biggest victory of his young pro career, undefeated Pasadena, MD super middleweight Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall has been added to the Baltimore Pro Boxing card on Friday, June 13 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore.

Paschall is now slated to take on Joe Park of Florence, SC (7-3, five KO's) in a six-round contest. Paschall (17-0-1, four KO's) comes off an eight-round unanimous decision win over Larry Marks on May 29 in Glen Burnie. Park lost his last two bouts to undefeated prospects LaJuan Simon and Marcus Upshaw.

There is a possibility that Paschall will take on veteran Philadelphia super middleweight Jameel "Black Gold" Wilson on the July 25th card at Du Burns.

Also on this card, Eldersburg, MD light heavyweight Mark "TNT" Tucker will take on Khalil Farah of Philadelphia. Tucker (3-0, three first round knockouts) is coming off a knockout of Gary Lavender on April 18 in Pikesville. Farah (3-2, one KO, one NC) has won his last three bouts, including a four-round unanimous decision over Juergen Hartenstein on January 25 in Philadelphia.

Ellicott City, MD cruiserweight Robert McConnell (0-1) will look for his first win when he takes on North Carolina's Octavius Davis (0-0-1) and two middleweight Beltway Boxers will make pro debuts against one another -- Baltimore's Keith Gross takes on Orlando Paugh of Laurel, MD.

Also, Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell is still scheduled to appear on this card. We do know that Mitchell will not be facing Baltimore's Askia Schneider. Schneider is still suffering from his training injuries.

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Kevin Johnson Profiled in Baltimore Examiner!

After his victorious pro debut last Thursday night at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD, Baltimore heavyweight Kevin Johnson was profiled by the Baltimore Examiner. The nice profile was written by Eric Detweiler.

Here's the link:

"http://www.examiner.com/a-1417359~Kevin_Johnson__a_36_year_old_Baltimore_native__defeats_Glen_Burnie_s_Danny_Kisner.html?cid=rss-Baltimore">