Sunday, November 30, 2008

Beltway Amateurs Rank Among World's Best!

Through the website DCboxing.blogspot.com, I have come across some world amateur rankings compiled by Michael Smith, who is based in the United Kingdom. The rankings are put together on a quarterly basis and there are a number of Beltway Boxers included in the ratings.

In the Junior Rankings:

Light Flyweight #13 Gary Antonio Russell

Bantamweight #11 Antonio Magruder

Light Welterweight #6 Jamal Alantez-Fox

Light Middleweight #10 Dimitrius Ballard


In the Youth Rankings:

Light Welterweight: #12 Gary Allen Russell
#14 Emmanuel Taylor

Heavyweight: #8 Nick Kisner


In the Senior Rankings:

Bantamweight: #3 Gary Russell, Jr.

Jones Loses to Debuting Olympian in First Round!

DC junior middleweight Lawrence Jones lasted just one minute against debuting 2008 US Olympian Shawn Estrada tonight in Ontario, CA.

With the loss, Jones is now 2-2-1, one KO.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Lockett Loses Six-Round Decision in New Castle, PA!

Takoma Park, MD light heavyweight Willis "The Prophet" Lockett lost a six-round unanimous decision to Tommy Karpency of Adah, PA at the Caravan II Albergo Complex in New Castle, PA last night.

The judges's scorecards were pretty close with Lockett losing by scores of 57-55, 57-55 and 58-54.

Lockett's record falls to 10-7-5, four KO's and is winless in his last four bouts (and one no-contest). Karpency is now 15-1-1, 10 KO's.

Also, Larry "The Gladiator" Brothers of DC was stopped at 2:27 of the first round by undefeated Caleb "Golden" Truax in Sioux Falls, SD. Brothers is now 7-32-3, five KO's. The loss was Brothers's eighth straight and 16th in his last 17 bouts. Truax is now 9-0, six KO's.

Wilson Begins 'Contender' Quest December 3 on Versus!



(Photo courtesy of the Versus Network)

Just a reminder that the fourth season of "The Contender" begins on Wednesday night, December 3 at 10 PM ET on the Versus Network.

And, of course, the Beltway's own Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson
(above) is in this year's all-cruiserweight cast. Of course, we don't know how well Wilson fared during the taping (which took place in Singapore), but there is a video promo on the Versus website, that seems to show that Wilson was in a tough battle at some point.

According to Versus, Wilson is on the Blue Team on the show. This team also features Felix Cora, Jr. (who holds a victory over Wilson), Richard Gingras (who fought his last bout at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie prior to being selected for "The Contender") and Alfredo Escalera, Jr. (the son of the former super featherweight champ who yours truly saw defend his WBC Super Featherweight championship at the Capital Centre in Largo, MD on the very first live boxing card I ever attended -- May 16, 1977 --. Escalera scored an eighth-round TKO over Carlos Becerill. The poster below tells you who else was on that card.)

Friday, November 28, 2008

Jones Weighs 159 for California Bout Against Debuting Olympian!

DC middleweight Lawrence Jones weighed in at 159 pounds for his bout against 2008 US Olympian Shawn Estrada tomorrow night at the Citizen Business Bank Arena in Ontario, CA. Estrada tipped the scales at 163 1/2 pounds.

The bout will be on the undercard of the Paul Williams-Verno Phillips junior middleweight title contest.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Beltway Boxers On The Road!

Three Beltway Boxers will be looking to capture victories on the road in the next couple of weekends.

As we mentioned a few weeks ago, Takoma Park. MD light heavyweight Willis "The Prophet" Lockett will take on Adah, PA's Tommy Karpency on Friday night at the Caravan Club in New Castle, PA. Lockett (10-6-5, four KO's) will try to break a three-bout winless streak (The streak does not include the no-contest against Henry Mayes on November 6 in DC). Karpency (14-1-1, 10 KO's) is coming off a first-round knockout of veteran Lee Fortune on November 15 in Morgantown, WVA.

Also on Friday, veteran DC super middleweight Larry "The Gladiator" Brothers (7-31-3, five KO's) will face undefeated Caleb "Golden" Truax (8-0, five KO's) of Osseo, MN at the Convention Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

On Friday, December 5, Baltimore featherweight Darrell Martin returns to the Legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia, PA to face Phoenixville, PA prospect Jules Blackwell. Martin (3-6) will be looking for his second straight victory after winning a unanimous decision over Andre Nichols on October 18 in Springfield, VA. Blackwell 8-1-2, three KO's is coming off a a first-round knockout over Javier Dennis on September 26 in Philadelphia. This bout and the entire card will be broadcast live for free on www.gofightlive.tv.

'For Real' Williams Wins East Coast Title in Brutal Bout!

In front of a packed house at Martin's West in Woodlawn, MD, Baltimore light heavyweight Willie "For Real" Williams won a tough and brutal eight-round unanimous decision over a game Jameel "Black Gold" Wilson of Philadelphia.

Williams busted Wilson up throughout the contest, bloodying Wilson's nose and landing some brutal body shots. In the third round, Williams landed a body shot that seemed to momentarily paralyze the right side of Wilson's body. However, Wilson was extremely game and, at times, caught Williams with head shots of his own. Surprisingly, neither man was knocked down in the contest.

Blood flowed rather freely in this bout as ringside observers saw speckles of blood hit the tables in front of them and the wrist wraps on both men turned blood red. Judges John Gradowski and Malik Waleed scored the bout 78-74 while Judge Don Risher saw the contest, 79-73.

Williams is now 12-2-1, three KO's and is unbeaten in his last seven contests. Wilson's record falls to 13-16-3, eight KO's and is winless in his last 13 bouts.

In the co-feature, Baltimore welterweight James "Keep 'em Sleepin' Stevenson scored a punishing second-round knockout over Myrtle Beach, SC's Amos "The Raging Bull" Collins.

Midway throught the first, Stevenson dropped Collins with a solid right hand. Stevenson finished the job in the second, sending him to the canvas for the second time with a left-right combination, then following up with a crisp left hand that kept Collins on the canvas to stay. The bout was stopped at 2:20 of the second round.

Stevenson remains perfect at 4-0, four KO's while Collins is 2-1, two KO's with the loss.

Catonsville, MD light heavyweight "Irish" Glenn Williams made a successful return after a year's absence by eeking out a four-round split decision over Mickey Stackhouse of Florence, SC.

This was a close battle throughout the contest with each man having the other in trouble only to find their opponent getting some unknown reserve. Judges Risher and Gary Camponeschi saw the contest for Williams, 39-37 while Judge Waleed scored it 39-37 for Stackhouse.

Williams is now over .500 with a record of 5-4-1, four KO's while Stackhouse drops to 6-16-1, five KO's, Williams had noted trainer Kevin Rooney in his corner.

Wilson, NC heavyweight Maurice Winslow scored the upset of the night, stopping rookie heavyweight Joe Gardner of Waldorf, MD in the first round.

Winslow proved that his knockout victory over Boone Pultz on November 7 in Upper Marlboro, MD was no fluke as he caught Gardner with two devastating rights that totally stunned Gardner. Referee John Gradowski stopped the bout at 1:36 of the round.

Winslow's record is now 3-7-1, three KO's while Gardner is 1-1, one KO.

Baltimore middleweight Cecil McCalla hammered out a four-round unanimous decision over DC's Calvin "Shotgun" Aughtry.

In what has become a trend in his fights, Aughtry left his guns in their holsters too long, allowing McCalla, in this case, to get punches off freely to Aughtry's head and body. The few shots Aughtry did get off were effective but few and far between. In the third round, Aughtry put on a rally, even knocking out McCalla's mouthpiece. But McCalla's effective body and head shots proved to be too much of a difference.

All three judges called the bout a shutout for McCalla, but judge Malik Waleed scored two 10-8 rounds, despite the fact that there were no knockdowns in the contest. Waleed's score was 40-34. Judge John Gradowski scored one round 10-8 and saw the contest 40-35. Judge Gary Camponeschi saw the bout 40-36.

McCalla is now 3-0, one KO while Aughtry is 0-4.

In the opening contest, Ellicott City, MD cruiserweight Robert "The Mac Attack" McConnell, Jr, scored a four-round unanimous decision over Salisbury, MD's Eddie "Diablo" Otts.

In the first round, McConnell dropped Otts with a looping left hand. Otts managed to get up and eventually bully McConnell against the ropes. McConnell seemed to hurt his back and did not land shots as effectively, but did more than enough to win the contest.

McConnell evens his record at 2-2 while Otts is 0-4-1.

The amateur portion of the card saw the debut of eight-year-old Mia "Killer Bee" Ellis of Baltimore. Ellis stopped the debuting Angelica DeLeon of Idaho in the third round. Ellis threw crisp jabs that eventually bloddied DeLeon's nose forcing the ringside physician to stop the bout.

Here are the other amateur results:

135 pounds: Seth Billups (LA Boxing -- Ashburn) dec. Zach Teal (Brooklyn Boxing)

65 pounds: Shawn "Speedy" Veazey (Baltimore Boxing) dec. Davon Dunlap (Batimore Boxing)

150 pounds: Juan Llivichuzcha (Baltimore Boxing) dec. Andy Quiniones (Main Street Gym -- Salsbury, MD)

135 pounds: Elvis Modrano (LA Boxing -- Ashburn) dec. Edgar Llivichuzcha (Baltimore Boxing)

Here is the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up with "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and Henry "Discombobulating" Jones.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #141 - Results from a Brutal Night in Woodlawn!

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and DC Boxing Hall of Famer Henry "Discombobulating" Jones join me to recap a wild and brutal night of boxing at Martin's West in Woodlawn, MD. Included is a talk with the new East Coast Light Heavyweight champion Willie "For Real" Williams!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Weights From Woodlawn!

Here is the scale watch for the pre-Thanksgiving Baltimore Pro Boxing card at Martin's West in Woodlawn, MD:

Willie Williams 173 1/4 vs. Jameel Wilson 166 1/2

Joe Gardner 267 vs. Maurice Winslow 213

Cecil McCalla 159 1/2 vs. Calvin Aughtrey 162

Glenn Williams 174 vs. Mickey Stackhouse 179 1/4

James Stevenson 149 1/4 vs. Amos Collins 150

Robert McConnell 197 3/4 vs. Eddie Otts 193 This bout is up in the air at press time. The Otts camp wanted McConnell to drop to 196 pounds before they would continue with the bout.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

New Poll: Who is the 2008 Beltway Boxing Rookie Of The Year?

Beltway Boxing fans saw a strong number of locals make pro debuts in 2008. The new poll asks you to select the 2008 Beltway Boxing Rookie of the Year. Here are the candidates (in alphabetical order):

Lenwood "Mr. Composure" Dozier, junior middleweight, Glen Burnie, MD (4-0-1, two KO's)

Joe Gardner, heavyweight, Landover, MD (1-1, one KO)

Fernando Guerrero, middleweight, Salisbury, MD (12-0, 11 KO's)

Cecil McCalla, middleweight, Reisterstown, MD (3-0, one KO)

"The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae, heavyweight, Laurel, MD (2-0, two KO's)

Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell, heavyweight, Brandywine, MD (8-0-1, five KO's)

Ikem "The Warrior" Orji, lightweight, Laurel, MD (4-0, one KO)

James Stevenson, welterweight, Baltimore, MD (4-0, four KO's)

Mark "TNT" Tucker, light heavyweight, Eldersburg, MD (6-0, five KO's)

Antonio Walls, middleweight, Washington, DC (2-0, one KO)


I will make my selection during my year in review in mid-December.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Changes to November 26 Card at Martin's West!

There are some interesting changes to the Baltimore Pro Boxing card on Wednesday, November 26 at Martin's West in Woodlawn, MD.

Baltimore light heavyweight Henry "Hurricane" Mayes will not be able to participate in his scheduled rematch against fellow Baltimore boxer Willie "For Real" Williams for the East Coast Championship. Mayes broke his hand in three places during sparring over the weekend.

Williams (11-2-1, three KO's) will now face veteran Philadelphia boxer Jameel "Black Gold" Wilson (13-15-3, eight KO's), who has been winless in his last 12. The bout will still be for the East Coast title.

In what should be an interesting junior middleweight matchup, Baltimore's James Stevenson (3-0, three KO's) will battle Amos Collins of South Carolina (2-0, two KO's).

Undefeated Randallstown, MD middleweight Cecil McCalla (2-0, one KO) will battle DC's Calvin "Shotgun" Aughtrey (0-3).

The rubber bout between Ellicott City, MD cruiserweight Robert "Mac Attack" McConnell and Octavius Davis of Wilson, NC will not take place. McConnell (1-2)will now take on Salisbury, MD's Eddie Otts (0-3-1).

Landover, MD heavyweight Joe Gardner (1-0, one KO) will battle Maurice Winslow of Wilson, NC (2-7-1, two KO's). Winslow stopped Boone Pultz in the second round on November 7 in Upper Marlboro, MD.

Also, Catonsville, MD super middleweight "Irish" Glenn Williams (4-4-1, four KO's) will take on Micky Stackhouse of Spartansburg, SC (6-15-1, five KO's).

Also slated for this card will be super middleweight and "Contender -- Season One" star Jesse Brinkley (31-5, 21 KO's) and rookie middleweight Bastie "The Beast" Samir, both of Las Vegas.

There will also be five amateur bouts, including the bout featuring Baltimore's Mia "Killer Bee" Ellis.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

'Great Shot' Siadys Has Photos From DC Boxing Hall of Fame!



Photographer extraordinare Linda "Great Shot" Siadys has a wonderful gallery of pictures from the DC Boxing Hall of Fame Awards ceremony at Martin's Crosswinds in Greenbelt, MD.

That includes the group shot shown above. (from left to right: Beltway Boxing analyst "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears, legendary cutman and 2005 DC Boxing hall of famer Chris Ray, featherweight pro boxer Jennifer "The Bolivian" Salinas [10-1, three KO's] who has recently relocated to this area from Grand Rapids, MI, DC Boxing's 2008 Amateur of the Year, Dusty Harrison, "Digital", Valikia Johnson and her husband, former three-time world champion Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson, and a member of this year's hall of fame induction class, trainer Leonard Langley.)

The rest of the hall of fame photo gallery can be found by accessing this link:

"http://photodawg1.smugmug.com/gallery/6605781_QYcNL#422052603_ogwHT">

Guerrero Scores Second-Round TKO in Tunica!

Salisbury, MD middleweight Fernando Guerrero remained undefeated with a second-round TKO over Ernesto Zamora of Mexico at the Fitzgerald Hotel and Casino in Tunica, MS.

Guerrero gave up 14 pounds to his opponent (160 to 174) but managed to bust up Zamora's body throughout the contest. Guerrero drew a standing eight count on Zamora in the first round and put him away in the first minute of the second.

Guerrero raises his record to 12-0, 11 KO's. Zamora falls under .500 with a record of 16-17, 12 KO's.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Special Night at DC Boxing Hall of Fame Ceremonies!

The Washington DC Boxing Hall of Fame inducted eight new members during its 28th annual awards banquet at Martin's Crosswinds in Greenbelt, MD.

Inducted in the Professional Boxing category were:

Leonard Langley -- As a boxer, he held future world champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi to a draw in Qawi's pro debut. As a trainer, Langley has trained the cream of the crop along the Beltway, including William Joppy, Keith Holmes, Derrell Coley and Reggie Green.

Derrick Holmes -- as an amateur, Holmes defeated future world champion Wilfredo Gomez. Holmes was 17-3-1, 11 KO's during a four-year career (1978-1982) that was cut short by legal troubles. Holmes is now a trainer in the Beltway area.

Dale Staley -- Staley won nine of his first 10 bouts by KO en rout to a 13-7, 11 KO record from 1977-1982. Staley was also a sparring partner for Sugar Ray Leonard in the days leading to Leonard's second bout with Roberto Duran.

Amateur Boxing category -- Jo Jo King and Jimmy Binns who were long time amateur champions.

In the Outstanding Contributors section-- ring announcer Henry "Discombobulating" Jones, Dick Trindle (who is heavily involved in amateur boxing in the area) and former DC Boxing Commission chair Joseph Osterman, who was the oldest attendee at tonight's function -- at 100 years young!

Current amateur boxing champion Dusty Harrison received the James Balukevich Outstanding Amateur Boxing Award for 2008.

Please click on this very special edition of the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up Show from Martin's Crosswinds in Greenbelt.


Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #140 - BATB Special Edition -- DC Boxing Hall of Fame!

In this special edition of the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up Show, "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I describe the festivities from the DC Boxing Hall of Fame Awards Dinner as well as talk about the recent Ballroom Boxing card in Glen Burnie!

Friday, November 21, 2008

Babie Girl Productions Brings WBF Title Bout to DC December 20!

The final scheduled card along the Beltway will take place on Saturday, December 20 at Howard University's Burr Gymnasium in DC.

Babie Girl Productions will bring two sanctioned World Boxing Foundation title bouts to the card, including the main event -- a scheduled 12-round matchup for the WBF Middleweight championship. Champion Kreshnick "The Eagle" Qato of Albania will make the first defense of his title against David "The Weezel" Estrada of Chicago, IL.

Qato (17-6, two KO's) now fights out of London, England but won the WBF title in his native Albania on April 4, winning a 12-round unanimous decision against Vitor Sa.

Estrada (12-10, nine KO's) has won his last two bouts by knockout over Robert Kamya and Bruce Rumbolz. Estrada has fought twice before along the Beltway, losing decisions to Tony Cygan and Ishmail Arvin in 2006.

The co-feature bout is an eight-round contest for something called the WBF All-Americas Super Middleweight title. Evansville, IN's Wayne "The Cobra" Cooper (8-1-1, five KO's) will take on William Prieto of Lorain, OH (5-3, two KO's). Cooper's last bout was an eight-round majority draw with Jose Spearman for the All-Americas Middleweight title on February 29 in Evansville. Cooper's only loss was a second-round TKO defeat to Curtis "Chin Checker" Stevens.

Interesting note about Cooper: His given name is Ezzard Charles Cooper. His grandfather named him after his favorite boxer.

Prieto, who made his pro debut at the ABC Sports Arena in Springfield, VA in July 2006 (winning a four-round unanimous decision over Boris Calizaya) has lost his last two bouts to undefeated boxers Issac Rodrigues and Durrell Richardson.

Also slated to be on this card will be Bowie, MD heavyweight Horace "The Reason" Grant (13-2, eight KO's). There are also three mixed martial arts bout scheduled to take place on the card.

About the World Boxing Foundation: The organization was formed in 2004 in Australia and its headquarters remain in Melbourne. The president is Mick Croucher. One of the WBF's regional Americas representatives is Jack Crider, who has served as matchmaker and promoter for many cards throughout the Beltway and in southern Virginia.

Samuel Wins MD State Title By Unanimous Decision!

Tyrell "Da Show Shock'A" Samuel of Baltimore captured the Maryland State Junior Lightweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over DC's Ron "Teflon" Boyd at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.

The bout seemed to be two fights in one. The first half of the contest saw a more defensive style from both men with Boyd landing the more telling blows. Boyd had a demonstrative fourth round as Samuel showed little offense.

In round five, Samuel picked up the pace and used a solid body attack that eventually wore down Boyd. Samuel dropped Boyd with a beautiful right hook in the eighth round, then came back in the ninth and landed a debilitating right hand to the body that echoed all around the Ballroom. The shot caused a delayed reaction that sent Boyd to one knee. Boyd took another knee in the final round thanks to Samuel's pressure. The last knockdown sealed the bout for Samuel.

Judges Don Risher and John Gradowski scored the bout 97-90 while Judge Gary Camponeschi saw the bout 96-91. Samuel has now won two straight, both against Boyd (contrary to what was announced tonight, the first contest between these two did NOT end in a draw. Samuel won the first bout by a split decision). Samuel raises his record to 11-2, five KO's while Boyd is now even at 5-5, two KO's and has lost four in a row.

In a very awkward co-feature, Baltimore super middleweight Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall got back on the winning track with a six-round unanimous decision over "Gentleman" James Johnson of Shreveport, LA. This bout was a clutch and grab- headbutt fest. Paschall got off the majority of any offense, but the two could not separate long enough to make the bout interesting. Paschall scored a shut out on all three of the judge's cards. Paschall's record is now 18-1-1, four KO's while Johnson falls to 23-29-3, 13 KO's, his four-bout winning streak was snapped.

In other bouts on the card, Temple Hills, MD cruiserweight Jarell Mason Jackson made a successful return to boxing after more than a year's absence with a third-round TKO over Carlos "The Headbanger" Jones of Landover, MD. Referee John Gradowski stopped the conters at 1:47 of the third, much to the chagrin of Jones. Jackson is now 8-5-1, four KO's and has beaten Jones for the third time. Jones is now 5-14, three KO's.

Rookie Laurel, MD heavyweight "The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae scored an easy first-round TKO over previously undefeated Gerald Chaney of Science Hill, KY. The bout was stopped at two minutes of the round after McRae landed a blistering series of punches. The bout was not stopped by the referee, however. The bout was stopped by ringside physician Dr. John Stiller. McRae is now 2-0, two KO's. Chaney is now 2-1, two KO's.

Also, Joey Gilbert of Reno, NV scored a second-round TKO over William Johnson of Sardis, MS>. Gilbert is now 18-1, 13 KO's while Johnosn is now 9-18-1, three KO's.

Due to technical difficulties, there will be no BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up for this card.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Video of Guerrero Interview and Knockout in Nashville!

Two YouTube videos to show you concerning Fernando Guerrero. Don Omega of Omegaboxing.com did a short interview with the Salisbury, MD-based rookie prior to Guerrero stepping into the ring against Gevonte Davis last Saturday night at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. That interview is here:



Then someone in the audience has pretty decent video of Guerrero's explosive knockout of Davis at 1:38 of the second round. Even from this vantage point, you can clearly see the punch land. Here is the knockout.



THIS JUST IN: I've just received word that Guerrero has just been added to the Fights at the Fitz card at Fitzgerald's Hotel and Casino in Tunica, Mississippi this coming Saturday, November 22. Guerrero (11-0, 10 KO's) will take on Ernesto Zamora of Mexico (16-16, 12 KO's) in a scheduled four-round contest.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Weights From Glen Burnie!

Here is the scale watch for tomorrow night's Ballroom Boxing card at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD:

Tyrell Samuel 129 3/4 vs. Ron Boyd, 130. Boyd had to weigh-in three times to lose three-quarters of a pound.

Mike Paschall 177 3/4 vs. James Johnson 178

Carlos Jones, 183 1/4 vs. Jarell Mason Jackson 189 1/4

Dwayne McRae 249 1/2, vs. Gerald Chaney, 221 1/4. Cheney is 2-0, two KO's and hails from Science Hill, KY.

Joey Gilbert 169 1/2 vs. William Johnson, 176 1/4

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

More Ballroom Updates..Plus!

This story has a rather unique pattern and it ends up involving Beltway Boxers in more than one location.

The opponents have been confirmed for Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall and Joey Gilbert for this Thursday's Ballroom Boxing card at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.

Paschall (17-1-1, four KO's) will battle Dallas, TX-based veteran "Gentleman" James Johnson in a six-round co-feature. Johnson (23-28-3, 13 KO's) is no stranger to the Ballroom and is well remembered by long-time Beltway Boxing fans for an epic four-round draw he waged against Jimmy Lange in Glen Burnie on May 13, 1999. The rematch went solidly to Lange via fifth-round TKO almost exactly two years later (May 10, 2001) in the same location. Johnson has fought one other time in the Ballroom, losing by fourth-round TKO to Said Ouali in November of 2003.

Throughout his career and in many different weight classes, Johnson has fought a who's who of champions and contenders including Bronco McKart, Lou Del Valle, William Guthrie, Sechew Powell, Yuri Foreman, BJ Flores and Alfredo Escalera, Jr. Johnson also lost a six-round unanimous decision to Juan Carlos Robles on April 28, 2007 in Fisherville, VA.

Despite his under-.500 record, Johnson is currently on a three-bout winning streak, he is unbeaten in his last four (including a six-round draw against former IBF Light Heavyweight champ Guthrie on May 12, 2007 at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA) and he holds the North American Boxing Council (NABC) Light Heavyweight title.

Ironically, Johnson was originally slated to take on prospect Tommy Karpency in a six-round bout on November 28 at the Caravan Club in New Castle, PA. Stepping into that bout will be Takoma Park, MD light heavyweight Willis "The Prophet" Lockett (10-6-5, four KO's). Lockett last fought on November 6 at Fight Night at the Washington Hilton and Towers in DC in a no-contest against Henry Mayes.

You may remember Karpency (14-1-1, 10 KO's) from his highly-disputed eight-round draw against Demetrius Davis on June 13 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore. After that bout, Karpency suffered his only loss, an eight-round unanimous decision to Rayco Saunders a month later. Since the loss, the Adah, PA native has reeled off three straight knockout victories.

Meanwhile, Gilbert (16-1, 12 KO's) will go up against William "Pete" Johnson (9-17-1, three KO's) who was originally slated to be the opponent in Dominic Wade's scheduled pro debut. This is slated to be a six-round encounter.

Breaking News: Wade Debut Now Off!

Just received word that Dominic Wade's pro debut is now off. A source from Wade's camp has told me that Wade has been battling a virus and the camp does not want to take a chance on putting him in his pro debut at this time.

Wade Slated to Make Pro Debut in Tennessee Nov. 22; Jones Faces Debuting Olympian Nov. 29!

Largo, MD middleweight Dominic Wade is slated to make his pro debut on a "Fights at the Fitz" card at Fitzgerald's Hotel and Casino in Tunica, MS on Saturday, November 22.

The 18-year-old Wade is scheduled to battle veteran William "Pete" Johnson of Sardis, Mississippi (9-17-1, three KO's) in a four-round contest. Johnson has lost his last four, but has faced the likes of Andre Dirrell, Andre Berto, Robert Allen and John Duddy throughout his career.

One week later -- Saturday, November 29 -- DC junior middleweight Lawrence Jones is scheduled to be the opponent for debuting 2008 United States Olympian Shawn Estrada on the undercard of the Paul Williams-Verno Phillips bout at Citizen Business Bank Arena in Ontario, CA. Jones (2-1-1, one KO) has not fought since his draw with Lenwood Dozier on January 18 in Pikesville, MD.

'Killer Bee' Ellis Invades Woodlawn -- And She's Just Eight Years Old!



Many Beltway Boxing fans have heard or read the articles about young Baltimore female boxing prodigy Mia "Killer Bee" Ellis (shown above). The now eight-year-old dynamo, who is an honor roll student, has been boxing since she was three and is now known around the country and the world through profiles in Jet Magazine, The Ring, The Baltimore Afro-American, the Baltimore Examiner and the Baltimore Sun. Her videos on YouTube are also very popular.



On Wednesday, November 26, you will get an opportunity to see Miss Ellis in action when she takes on the youngster shown above. Her name is Angelica DeLeon from Oregon and the bout will take place on the Pre-Thanksgiving Baltimore Pro Boxing card at Martin's West in Woodlawn, MD.

Hall of Fame Trainer Speaks Highly of Jimmy Lange!

Found an interesting video on YouTube. During an interview about his work as a training consultant for Oscar De La Hoya in preparation for De La Hoya's December 6 bout with Manny Pacquiao, hall of fame trainer Angelo Dundee managed to sneak in some positive thoughts about Great Falls, VA's Jimmy Lange. I don't know who conducted the interview but I thought I'd share.

Monday, November 17, 2008

'Discombobulating' and 'Digital' on NewsChannel 8 Wednesday Night!

Ring announcer extraordinare Henry "Discombobulating" Jones and I will be the guests on "SportsTalk with Glenn Harris" this Wednesday night, November 19 at 8 PM on NewsChannel 8.

Jones will discuss his induction into the DC Boxing Hall of Fame (the ceremony is this Friday, November 21 at Martin's Crosswinds in Greenbelt, MD) and I will be talking about local boxing in general.

This is a call-in show, so please make your voices be heard. It is only a half-hour show so call early. Thank you in advance.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Ballroom Boxing Update!

An interesting card is being put together for this Thursday's Ballroom Boxing card at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD. There is good local participation as well as some out-of-towners that should grab some interest.

The bout that many in the area are talking about is the scheduled 10-round featherweight rematch between Baltimore's Tyrell "Da Show Shock'A" Samuel and Ron "Teflon" Boyd of DC that will be for the Maryland State Featherweight title. The first contest went to Samuel in a razor-thin, six-round split decision on the last Ballroom Boxing card on September 25. Neither Samuel (10-2, five KO's) nor Boyd (5-4, two KO's) have fought since their last encounter.

The card will also see the return of Baltimore super middleweight Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall (17-1-1, four KO's) who will be in action for the first time since his nationally-televised loss to Andre Dirrell on August 2 in Tacoma, WA. Paschall lost by fourth-round TKO when Dirrell opened a vicious cut on Paschall's forehead that caused bleeding that ringside physicians could not stop. No official word yet on who Paschall's opponent will be.

Two of the out-of-town boxers are making their second trip to Maryland in less than 30 days. "Contender--Season One" star Joey Gilbert of Reno, NV (16-1, 12 KO's) returns as does highly-touted female prospect Katy Klinefelter (2-0, one KO). Both boxers scored victories on the Jonathan Ogden Foundation card at Martin's Valley Mansion in Cockeysville on October 30.

Also slated to be on the card is rookie middleweight Bastie "The Beast" Samir of Las Vegas, NV by way of Ghana. Samir (1-0, one KO) made his pro debut on November 8 in York, PA scoring a first-round knockout over Marvin Blair. Samir was the captain of the 2008 Ghanan Olympic Team.

UPDATE: Beltway Boxers have been added en masse to this show. Temple Hills, MD's Jarell Mason Jackson (7-5-1, three KO's) returns to action for the first time since February of 2007 when he moves up to light heavyweight to face Landover, MD's Carlos "The Headbanger" Jones (5-13, three KO's) in a six-round rematch of a bout that Jackson won by six-round TKO on February 18, 2006 at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA.

There will also be a four-round heavyweight bout between Laurel, MD's "The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae and DC's Kareem Wilson. McRae won his pro debutby knockout while Wilson lost his pro debut by disqualification last Friday in Millersville, MD.

Undefeated out-of-town prospects Terrence Crawford and Steve Weimer return to the Ballroom as well. Crawford, a junior welterweight from Omaha, NB (5-0, three KO's) makes his second trip to Glen Burnie and will face Ugandan native Hassan Wasswa, now fighting out of Minneapolis, MN (5-8-2, two KO's). Crawford stopped Filiberto Nieto in the first round in his last Ballroom outing on April 3.

Weimer, a welterweight from York, PA (3-0, two KO's) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision over Trenton Titsworth on November 8 in York, PA. Weimer will face Manny Cotrich of Las Vegas (1-2, one KO) in a four-round bout, looking to duplicate his last Ballroom appearance where he scored a first-round TKO against Juan Thompson on September 25.

Katy Klinefelter is now off the show and the opponents for Mike Paschall and Joey Gilbert are scheduled to be announced later today.

Ballroom Boxing is working alongside TKO Boxing Promotions with this card.

Guerrero Remains Undefeated With Second-Round KO!

Salisbury, MD middleweight Fernando Guerrero remained undefeated with a second-round demolition of Gevonte Davis of Gulfport, MS at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN tonight on the undercard of Jermain Taylor-Jeff Lacy.

According to Fightnews.com's Jose E. Santiago, Guerrero pummeled his opponent in round one and then scored the knockout as he landed a two punch combo that dropped his opponent on his face at 1:38of the second.

Guerrero raised his record to 11-0, 10 KO's while Davis is now 3-2-1, two KO's.

Jeter Wins by Second-Round TKO in Millersville!

Jessup, MD junior middleweight Tony "Mo Better" Jeter successfully ended a tumultuous 48-hour period for Better Promotions in the ring tonight as he scored a second-round TKO over Darrett Crockett of Rock Hill, SC in the main event at the Maryland Sportsplex in Millersville, MD.

Jeter dropped Crockett with a right hand midway through the first round, then was caught by a Crockett right hand sending Jeter to the canvas in the last 10 seconds of the round.

Jeter was able to right the ship in the second round and pressure Crockett, finally landing a right hand that dropped Crockett and cut him above the right eye. Crockett could not continue and the fight was stopped at 2:39 of the second round.

Jeter is now 7-2, six KO's while Crockett falls to 6-21, four KO's.

Jeter's bout was not originally slated to be the main event. However, earlier in the day, the scheduled main event between Reggie "The Mechanic" Holly of DC and Ryan Belasco of Delaware was scratched because of medical reasons. Representatives for Better Promotions said that medical personnel diagnosed a detached retina for Holly. Officials for the Maryland State Athletic Commission did not confirm this, saying only that Holly did not meet the requirements necessary to be licensed for the bout. This forced the promotional staff to scramble to put on other bouts.

The co-feature on the card featured debuting DC heavyweight Kareem Wilson who took on veteran Mike "The Millionaire" Miller of Akron, OH. Miller drove all day from Akron to make it to the bout and his drive was rewarded, thanks to Wilson who apparently could not get himself to listen to referee John Gradowski's commands in the ring and was disqualified in the second round for his trouble. Miller is now 6-13-2, three KO's.

In other pro bouts on the card, undefeated middleweight Dwayne "Diesel" Shelton of Richmond, VA scored a minor upset over previously undefeated "Mighty" Mike Tiberi of Townsend, DE, winning a four-round unanimous decision. Shelton provided a very awkward style for Tiberi to deal with and as a result, Tiberi was less active than Shelton during the course of the bout, although the bout seemed closer than the judge's scores indicated. Judges Don Risher and John Gradowski scored a shutout for Shelton, 40-36 while Judge Malik Waleed scored the bout 39-37. Shelton is 2-0 while Tiberi is 6-1, three KO's.

The pro portion of the card got off to a great start with a wild four-round junior middleweight bout between the debuting Vincent "The Beast" Batteast of Severn, MD and Dontre "Pound-For-Pound" King of Cambridge, MD. Both men traded knockdowns and battled furiously before settling for a split decision draw. King's record is now 1-2-1.


On the amateur part of the show, Demond Giddens of the Down Under Boxing Club in Salisbury, MD defeated Chris Milton of Club One Fitness in Millersville in a 152-pound bout. Jabri Melvin of Down Under defeated Doug Greene of Club One in a 141-pound bout and in a wild Master's heavyweight contest, Laurel Boxing Club's Richard Farrell defeated Brian Lamb of Club One in the first amateur bout for both men.

Here is the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up with myself, "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and former Beltway Boxer Del "The Hatchet" Matchett.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #138 - Full Recap from Millersville!

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears, Del "The Hatchet" Matchett and I recap a wild and exciting Better Promotions Card at the Maryland Sportsplex in Millersville, MD!




In a special BATB Post-Fight extra, Tony Jeter assesses his multi-tasking role.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #139 - BATB Post-Fight Extra: Tony Jeter Discusses Multi-Tasking!

After his in-ring victory, Jessup, MD junior middleweight Tony "Mo Better" Jeter talks about his ability to pull off three separate roles during this card in Millersville!

Guerrero Weighs 160 1/2 for Nashville Tussle!

Undefeated Salisbury, MD middleweight Fernando Guerrero weighed in at 160 1/2 pounds for his bout against Gevonte Davis tomorrow night at Vanderbilt
University in Nashville, TN on the undercard of Jermain Taylor-Jeff Lacy. Davis weighed in at 162 pounds.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Weights From Millersville!

Here is the scale watch for tomorrow night's Better Promotions card at the Maryland Sportsplex in Millersville, MD:

Reggie Holly 141 3/4 vs. Ryan Belasco 140

Tony Jeter 158 1/2 vs. Darrett Crockett 155 3/4

Vincent Batteast 152 1/2 vs. Dontre King 150 3/4

Mike Tiberi 159 1/2 vs. Dwayne Shelton 156 3/4

Four amateur bouts will also be on the card.

L.Peterson Receives Interim World Title Bout!

Fightnews.com Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Karl Freitag is reporting that the WBO has approved an interim world junior welterweight title bout that will feature undefeated DC junior welterweight Lamont Peterson.

During this afternoon's session of the WBO's annual convention in Fort Lauderdale, FL (where Freitag is doing a live blog), the WBO approved a bout between #4 ranked Peterson (26-0, 12 KO's) and #1 ranked Willy Blain of Germany (19-0, three KO's). Negotiations are expected to start immediately.

Here's where things get a little confusing. There is a title bout rubber match between WBO Junior Welterweight champ Kendall Holt and challenger Ricardo Torres that was slated for December 13 in Atlantic City, NJ. I've been in contact with Freitag and he says that bout is still on. The winner of this bout is slated to unify a portion of the title against WBC titleholder Timothy Bradley.

The interim title bout, according to Freitag, is being put together for Blain primarily because Holt and Torres have been battling over the WBO title for almost a year while Blain has been sitting at number one for almost that entire time.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Maryland Independent Recaps Show Place Card!

Here is a recap of last Friday's Bobby Magruder Productions card at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro from Tammy Showalter of the Maryland Independent newspaper. The article focused on Southern Maryland boxers Keith Gross of Lusby and Seth Mitchell of Brandywine.

"http://www.somdnews.com/stories/11122008/indymor173031_32266.shtml"

Mayes-Williams Rematch Headlines Pre-Thanksgiving Card at Martin's West!

The super middleweight rematch between Baltimore boxers Henry "Hurricane" Mayes and Willie "For Real" Williams will be the main event on the next Baltimore Pro Boxing card on Wednesday, November 26 at Martin's West in Woodlawn, MD. The rematch will be for the East Coast title.

On October 3 in Salisbury, MD, the two super middleweights fought to a spirited six-round draw. This bout is scheduled for eight rounds. Since that bout, Mayes (7-6-2, four KO's, three no-contests) was involved in a bout on November 6 in Washington, DC against Willis Lockett that was ruled a no-contest after two rounds. Williams (11-2-1, three KO's) has not fought since the October 3 contest.

The co-feature on the card will be the third bout in a trilogy between cruiserweightsRobert "The Mac Attack" McConnell of Ellicott City, MD and Octavius Davis of Wilson, NC. This bout will be the four-round rubber match. McConnell (1-2) won the first bout on by four-round majority decision on June 13 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore. Davis (2-2-1, one KO) took the second bout by four-round unanimous decision on September 5 at Du Burns.

Other bouts on the card include a cruiserweight matchup between the returning "Irish" Glenn Williams, now fighting out of Glen Burnie, MD and Chris Cook of York, SC. Williams (4-4-1, four KO's) has been out of action since a fifth-round knockout loss to Horace Grant on January 27, 2007 in Pikesville, MD. Cook (3-15-1, one KO) fought as a middleweight against Tony Jeter on September 19 in Millersville, MD. Cook has fought boxers up to 180 pounds during his career.

Undefeated Randallstown, MD middleweight Cecil McCalla will battle DC's Calvin "Shotgun" Aughtrey in a four-round encounter. McCalla (2-0, one KO) is coming off a first-round knockout over Emmanuel Sharp on November 1 in Winston-Salem, NC. Aughtrey (0-3, one NC) also fought his last bout on November 1 when he lost a four-round unanimous decision to Tracey Brewer in Fairfax, VA.

Also slated for the card will be undefeated Baltimore welterweight James Stevenson (3-0, three KO's), the returning Silver Spring, MD middleweight "El Gallo" George Armenta (12-4, 10 KO's) and "Contender -- Season One star Jesse Brinkley.

Thompson, Toney Meet The Press!



(Photo by Big Joe Miranda)

Tony "The Tiger" Thompson and James "Lights Out" Toney met the press yesterday to promote their nationally-televised heavyweight bout on Dec. 13 at the Morongo Casino Resort and Spa in Cabazon, CA.

"Our sport along with the fans, want compelling bouts," says promoter Dan Goossen. "In the Toney-Thompson fight, we've put together two fighters that are world ranked, battling against each other, and the winner guaranteed to being closer to fighting again for the most coveted title in sports – world heavyweight champion. This could not have been done without the fighters taking up the challenge."

"I am very excited the fight is happening with Toney. A win against someone at that level pushes me right back into a title fight," Thompson said. "He's very crafty, but doesn't have the strength to keep me off of him. He will have trouble with my size and power and especially the experience I gained in my fight with Klitschko. This is a must win for me and whatever it takes to get it done is what I'll be prepared to do. And I will get it done."

Thompson will have a distinct height advantage in this bout, standing 6-6 to Toney's 5-11. Toney, however, says size will not matter in this one.

"Tony Thompson is gonna be the victim," insisted Toney. "I'll come out like I did against Hasim Rahman in the rematch (back in July). Rahman quit on his stool. I'm ready to go. I'll fight 'em all. I'll fight the Russian giants. Come December 13, I will definitely be in Thompson's face and his lights will be turned out.

"I'm the people's champ because I fight everybody and they know it," Toney continued. "Everyone saw what I did to Sam Peter in our first fight. I whooped him good and just did the same thing to Rahman. Thompson is the next one I'll expose. It took Klitschko 11 rounds to get him and I'm going to knock him out right onto Dan Goossen's lap a lot sooner than that."

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Amateur Bouts Added to November 14 Card in Millersville!

The Better Promotions card that will be held on Friday, November 14 at the Maryland Sportsplex in Millersville, MD will be a pro-am card with four amateur bouts scheduled.

Heavyweight Ron Gamble of Club One Fitness will be on the amateur portion of the card. Gamble, an Anne Arundel County police officer, impressed many who saw him win a Novice Division title at the Mayor's Cup in DC in August. Gamble scored two stoppage victories during that tournament. Gamble's handlers recently said that their boxer looks to turn pro in early 2009.

The same may also be said for Baltimore middleweight Doug Greene. Greene was actually slated to turn pro on the first Better Promotions card in September but will now wait until 2009. Greene is currently 15-2 as an amateur and won the Mayor's Cup in 2007 and went to the finals of the 2008 Washington Golden Gloves Tournament, but could not compete in the finals because of an injury.

There will also be two Master's Division amateur bouts slated for the card. Heavyweights Brian Lamb and Rick Farrell will battle as well as James Wilkins -- a member of the promotional group -- and three-time Master's champion Calvin Ford.

As mentioned earlier, The main event on the pro side will be an eight-round junior welterweight contest between DC's Reggie "The Mechanic" Holly and Ryan Belasco of Wilmington, DE that will be for the Delmarva Jr. Welterweight title.

Also, Severn, MD junior middleweight Vincent Batteast will make his pro debut against Cumberland, MD's Dontre King . Columbia, MD junior middleweight Tony "Mo Better" Jeter will be involved in a four-round contest against Darrett Crockett of Rock Hill, SC.

And undefeated Smyrna, DE middleweight Mike Tiberi (6-0, three KO's) will take on Myrtle Beach, SC's Pete Guthy (1-5-2) in a four-round bout.

Guerrero Returns to Action in Tennessee November 15!

Undefeated rookie middleweight Fernando Guerrero of Salisbury, MD returns to action with a scheduled six-round contest against Gevonte Davis of Gulfport, MS this Saturday, November 15 at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN.

Guerrero (10-0, nine KO's) is coming off a nationally-televised eight-round unanimous decision over Tyrone Watson on October 3 in front of 9,000 people in his hometown of Salisbury.

Davis (3-1-1, two KO's) has won three straight, including a four-round unanimous decision over William Johnson on August 16 in Rayne, LA. This is the first time Davis has participated in a scheduled six-round contest.

The bout is on the non-televised undercard of the Jermain Taylor-Jeff Lacy bout that will be shown on HBO.

Saturday, November 08, 2008

Beltway Boxers Lose Out-Of-Town Bouts!

It was a tough couple of days for three Beltway Boxers. In Tampa, FL last night, cruiserweight Terry "T-Brick" Roy of Front Royal, VA suffered his first pro loss as he was stopped by undefeated Nick "The Assassin" Ianuzzi of Tampa in the fifth round. The bout was fought at heavyweight. Roy is now 7-1-2, six KO's while Ianuzzi is 9-0, six KO's.

In Atlantic City, NJ last night, Baltimore cruiserweight Bernard "Bad Ass" Brown was stopped in the second round by Alexis Mejias of Paterson, NJ. Brown is 6-5-2, with three KO's while Mejias is 8-1, three KO's.

On Thursday night in Dallas, TX, Baltimore light heavyweight Corey "Black Ice" Cummings lost a 12-round unanimous decision to "Hard Hittin'" Chris Henry of Houston, TX for the NABF Light Heavyweight title. The scores were heavily in favor of Henry, 120-108 (twice) and 119-109. Cummings's record falls to 16-4, 12 KO's while Henry's record rises to 23-1, 18 KO's.

Grant, Mitchell Deliver Devastating Knockouts in Upper Marlboro!

Two rising Beltway heavyweight prospects scored devastating knockouts in feature bouts at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD.

Bowie, MD's Horace "The Reason" Grant bounced back from his nationally-televised loss to Kevin Burnett by scoring a brutal second-round knockout over Robert "Desert Storm" Davis of Akron, OH.

Normally a slow starter, Grant came out firing in the opening round, staggering Davis with right hands. Davis, who has been in the ring with the likes of Michael Moorer, Michael Grant, Monte Barrett and Lance Whitaker, had no offense against the taller, heavier Grant.

Grant finished the job early in the second round with two crushing right hands that dropped Davis to the canvas. Referee John Gradowski didn't even bother to count and the bout was stopped at 31 seconds of the second.

With the win, Grant raises his record to 13-2, eight KO's while Davis falls to 32-9, 19 KO's.

In the co-feature, rookie Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell of Brandywine, MD scored perhaps his most devastating knockout of his young career as he pummeled Dan "Mean Machine" Whetzel of Toledo, OH for two minutes and 39 seconds.

Mitchell landed strong combinations early, including some vicious uppercuts. The blows eventually forced referee Malik Waleed to stop the contest with less than 30 seconds remaining in the first.

Mitchell now has a record of 8-0-1, five KO's while Whetzel's record drops to 9-15-2, five KO's.

While two heavyweights continued their ascending careers, another career may have descended for the final time. Former WBO Cruiserweight champion Boone Pultz of Odenton, MD lost by second-round TKO to Maurice Winslow of Wilson, NC.

Pultz fought bravely in the first, but Winslow outgunned Pultz and forced him to hang on to his opponent throughout the opening stanza.

By the second round, holding was no longer an option for Pultz as Winslow dropped Pultz twice with two solid left hands. After the second knockdown, referee Gary Camponeschi stopped the contest at 59 seconds of the second round.

Pultz's record falls to 26-3, 15 KO's. Winslow is now 2-7-1, two KO's.

PERSONAL COMMENT: There have been many comebacks in the career of Boone Pultz. No commission anywhere should allow another one to take place.

The estimated 1400 fans in attendance tonight may have seen the best bout in the Beltway region in 2008 -- a bout that took place between two boxers who have only three pro bouts between them. Debuting Haymarket, VA junior welterweight Juan "Savior" Rodriguez scored a heart-pounding third-round knockout over a very game Benjamin Borteye of Silver Spring, MD.

Both boxers opened their arsenals early and traded brutal shots. Rodriguez was able to land left hands with regularity, while Borteye effectively used uppercuts that bloodied Rodriguez's nose.

In the third round, Rodriguez used a short right uppercut and caught Borteye coming in. The impact made Borteye do the splits as he crashed to the canvas. Borteye beat referee Kenny Chevalier's count but shortly after, Rodriguez landed a left-right combination that dropped Borteye to the canvas face first. Chevalier waved off the bout at 58 seconds of the third. Borteye's record falls to 0-2.

In other bouts on the card, Lusby, MD junior middleweight Keith Gross survived a late knockdown to win a four-round split decision over the debuting Taurean "Bulldog" Edwards of Hopewell, VA. Gross remains undefeated with a record of 3-0, one KO.

Glen Burnie, MD junior middleweight Lenwood "Mr.Composure" Dozier also kept his undefeated string alive with a four-round split decision over Warren "Boss Man" Freeman of Richmond, VA. Dozier is now 4-0-1, two KO's while Freeman's pro debut was unsuccessful.

And in another spirited battle, Glenville, West Virginia's Bill Shahan scored a third-round TKO over a very game Alexis De La Cruz-Medina of Science Hill, KY. With the win, Shahan remains undefeated at 7-0, six KO's. Medina remains winless at 0-5-1.

The card was promoted by Bobby Magruder Productions.

Here is the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up where "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I continue to break down this wild night of boxing.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #137 - Results from a Wild Night in Upper Marlboro!

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I recap a wild and explosive night of boxing from the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD!

Friday, November 07, 2008

Weights From Upper Marlboro!

Here is the scale watch for tonight's Bobby Magruder Productions card at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD:

Horace Grant 250 vs. Robert Davis 228

Seth Mitchell 245 3/4 vs. Dan Whetzel 224

Boone Pultz 209 1/4 vs. Maurice Winslow 207 1/2

Benjamin Borteye 142 1/2 vs. Juan Rodriguez 143

Keith Gross 159 1/4 vs. Taurean Edwards 159

Lenwood Dozier 152 1/2 vs. Warren Freeman 155 1/2

Alexis Medina 254 vs. Dan Shahan 236

Jargal Wins Second 'Fight Night' Title; Snyder and Mackey Fight to a Draw; Mayes-Lockett a No-Contest!

Talent and controversy were on display at the 19th annual Fight Night at the Washington Hilton and Towers Hotel in Washington, DC.

The main event saw junior welterweight prospect "The Mongolian Mongoose" Bayan Jargal of Arlington, VA win his second straight "Fight For Children" title and remain undefeated with a tough eight-round TKO over a game Doel Carrasquillo of Lancaster, PA. Jargal used a fierce body attack throughout the bout to gain the advantage in the contest, but Carrasquillo stayed right inside and at times gave as good as he got. Carrasquillo tested Jargal's chin as well as anybody in the young Mongolian's career, but Jargal's chin was equal to the task.

The end came early in the eighth-round when Jargal landed a brutal right hook and followed that up with a series of combinations that dropped Carrasquillo to the canvas. Referee Joe Cooper stopped the bout without a count at 28 seconds of the eighth and final round.

Jargal is now 9-0-1, six KO's while Carrasquillo falls to 12-9-1, 10 KO's.

In the co-feature bout,"The OC Bomber" Joshua Snyder and John "No Mercy" Mackey battled to a six-round split decision draw. This was a rematch of their June 13 nationally televised battle in Scranton, PA.

The familiarity between the two boxers led to solid exchanges throught the contest. As in the first encounter, Snyder, now fighting out of Ocean City, MD, seemed to take an advantage in the fourth round as he landed solid lefts and rights that sent the Montgomery, AL-based Mackey on his bicycle defensively. However, this bout had the boxers fight two more rounds and Mackey used those rounds effectively to close the show well as his right hand started to land more.

The judge's scorecards showed 59-55 for Snyder, 58-56 for Mackey and 57-57.

Mackey is now 11-1-1, five KO's while Snyder is 7-3-1, three KO's. The Snyder-Mackey bout was refereed by Michelle Hall, the first woman to referee a pro bout in the District of Columbia.

The controversy of the night came in the first bout of the evening between Beltway super middleweights Henry "Hurricane" Mayes of Baltimore, MD and Willis "The Prophet" Lockett of Takoma Park, MD.

In the first round of the scheduled six-round contest, Mayes hammered Lockett with a vicious right hand. Lockett stumbled around the ring, but he didn't fall. Referee Billy Johnson intervened and gave Lockett a standing eight-count.

That proved to be a mistake because, under the rules of the DC Boxing and Wrestling Commission, there is no standing eight-count. The stoppage also resulted in Lockett getting some rest.

This allowed Lockett to come back strong and tee off on Mayes in the second round with lefts and rights. Johnson stopped the bout for good at 1:34 of the round, giving Lockett an apparent victory.

But by the end of the evening, commission officials ruled the bout a no-contest. Lockett's record remains at 10-6-5, four KO's while Mayes's record stays at 7-6-2, four KO's.

The heavyweight bout between Laurel, MD's "The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae and the debuting Kareem Wilson of DC was cancelled because of time constrictions.

It was another incredible evening as a number of legendary boxers were showcased to the movers and shakers on hand. Former heavyweight champion "Smokin' Joe Frazier was the second inductee into the Fight Night Hall of Fame. The first Fight Night Hall of Fame inductee -- "The Raging Bull" Jake La Motta -- returned to the event. Also in attendance were former heavyweight champions James "Buster" Douglas, Ken Norton, Michael Spinks and Ernie Terrell as well as heavyweight contenders Earnie Shavers and Gerry Cooney ,lightweight champion Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini and junior welterweight champ Aaron "Hawk" Pryor.

Other sporting legends honored included baseball hall of famer third baseman and Baltimore Oriole great Brooks Robinson, legendary Cleveland Indians pitching great Bob Feller (who turned 90 this week) and hall of famer and Chicago Bears middle linebacker Dick Butkus.

There were live performances by the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders and the legendary musical group Blood, Sweat and Tears, who are celebrating their 40th anniversary. Michael Buffer, in an annual appearance, served as ring announcer.

No official word on how much money was raised this year, but event officials say it was more than the three million dollars raised last year. This year, Fight Night received a check for $500,000 from the government of the United Arab Emirates. Also, event officials auctioned off an American flag that flew over Camp Fallujah in Iraq. The winning bid was $75,000. Should the Redskins make the playoffs, the flag will be flown at FedEx Field. The flag will also fly on Opening Day 2009 at Nationals Park.

Speaking of the Washington Nationals, event officials auctioned off an autographed Nationals chopper motorcycle. The winning bid was $85,000.

Here's the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up Show . Henry "Discombobulating" Jones and I are joined by two-time WBO Welterweight champion Paul "The Punisher" Williams as well as Dwayne McRae.


Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #136 - Results and Controversy from Fight Night!

New DC Boxing Hall of Famer Henry "Discombobulating" Jones and I recap the card with assistance from two-time WBO Welterweight champion Paul "The Punisher" Williams. Beltway Rookie heavyweight "The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae also joins us to express his disappointment on being unable to perform on this card.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Weights For Fight Night!

Here is the scale watch for tomorrow's Fight Night card at the Washington Hilton and Towers Hotel:

Joshua Snyder 162 vs. John Mackey 161

Bayan Jargal 141 vs. Doel Carrasquillo 141

Henry Mayes 170 vs. Willis Lockett 168

Dwayne McRae 244 vs Kareem Wilson 211

Card Complete for November 7 at Show Place Arena!

The card is complete for the Bobby Magruder Productions card that will take place on Friday, November 7 at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD.

The main event will be an eight-round heavyweight attraction pitting Bowie, MD's Horace "The Reason" Grant vs. Robert "Desert Storm" Davis of Akron, OH. Grant (12-2, seven KO's) has not fought since his eight-round unanimous decision loss in a nationally televised ESPN2 bout against Kevin Burnett on June 20 in Las Vegas, NV. Davis (32-8, 20 KO's) will be the most experienced foe Grant has faced. Davis has faced quality competition throughout his career including former world champions Michael Moorer and Greg Page, contenders Michael Grant, Joe Mesi and Monte Barrett and holds victories over Frankie Swindell and Marion Wilson.

The co-feature bout will be a six-round heavyweight clash between undefeated rookie Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell and veteran Dan "Mean Machine" Whetzel of Toledo, OH. Mitchell (7-0-1, four KO's) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision over Shidevin Brown on October 24 in Cabazon, CA. Whetzel (9-14-2, five KO's) is winless in his last four bouts (0-3-1).

In a four-round heavyweight bout, former WBO Cruiserweight champion Boone Pultz of Odenton, MD will take on Maurice Winslow of Wilson, NC. Pultz (25-2, 15 KO's) has not fought since losing his second pro bout to Darryl Holley on October 12, 2007 in Baltimore, MD. Winslow (1-7-1, one KO) lost a four-round encounter to Darius Whitson on October 17 in Winston Salem, NC.

In other bouts on the card, undefeated Laurel, MD lightweight Ikem "The Warrior" Orji will take on Gustavo Dailey of Philadelphia, PA in a four-round encounter. Orji (4-0, one KO) won a four-round unanimous decision over Raymondo Elliott on September 19 in Millersville, MD in his last outing. Dailey (2-3,) is coming off a second-round knockout loss to Stephan Alexander on August 16 in Portsmouth, VA.

In a four-round junior middleweight contest, Glen Burnie, MD's Lenwood "Mr. Composure" Dozier (3-0, one KO) battles the debuting Warren Freeman of Richmond, VA. Dozier won a four-round unanimous decision over Benjamin Borteye on October 18 in Springfield, VA. Borteye, a native of Ghana who now fights out of Silver Spring, MD, will also be on this card, participating in four-round welterweight bout against Juan Rodriguez of Haymarket, VA who will be making his pro debut.

Undefeated Lusby, MD middleweight Keith Gross (2-0, one KO) returns to action in a four-round bout against the debuting Taurean Edwards of Richmond.

Also on the card, undefeated Glenville, WVA heavyweight Bill Shahan (6-0, five KO's) will take on Alexis Cruz Medina of Science Hill, KY (0-4-1) in a four-round bout.

There will also be live music during the card.

By the way, if you have not caught the TV commercials for this show, you are missing a true treat!

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

'Great Shot' Siadys Develops Portraits of Beltway Boxing Scene!

Our very own Linda "Great Shot" Siadys does tremendous work with her action photos of the Beltway Boxing scene. But this time, we need to also highlight her portrait work!

On her website, she has tremendous portraits of many of the young boxers and people behind the scenes along the Beltway. I invite you to take a look. That part of the website can be found by accessing this link:

"http://photodawg1.smugmug.com/Sports/351591">

You can also go to the Boxing portion of her site to see the gallery from the November 1 card at the Patriot Center.

Rahman Faces Wladimir Klitschko December 13 in Germany!

Former world champion Hasim "The Rock" Rahman will challenge IBF/WBO/IBO Champion Wladimir Klitschko on Saturday, December 13 at the SAP Arena in Manheim, Germany.

Rahman (45-6-2, 36 KO's, 1 NC) received the title shot when IBF mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin pulled out of the bout because of an injury. Rahman is ranked fourth by the IBF.

This makes December 13 a pretty big day because on that very same evening (as reported earlier on BATB, Tony "The Tiger" Thompson will take on James "Lights Out" Toney on the Versus Network.

Monday, November 03, 2008

Video of Tucker and Barnett Bouts in Las Vegas!

Here is a link to the Yahoo Sports video of the Las Vegas bouts on November 1 that featured Mark "TNT" Tucker and Ty Barnett.


"http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=207187&cl=10498554&ch=2567510&src=sports/">

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Fight Night Card Details!

During the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up from the Patriot Center, we announced the card for the Thursday, November 6 Fight Night card at the Washington Hilton and Towers in Washington, DC. For those who missed it, here are some details.

Undefeated Arlington, VA welterweight Bayan Jargal will headline the show in an eight-round contest against veteran Doel Carrasquillo of Lancaster, PA. Jargal (8-0-1, five KO's) is coming off a second-round TKO over Francisco Rios Gil on September 25 in front of a nationally-televised Versus audience in San Jacinto, CA. This will be Jargal's second straight appearance at Fight Night. Carrasquillo (12-8-1, 10 KO's) lost a six-round unanimous decision to Patrick Lopez on September 5 in Atlantic City, NJ.

The co-feature will be a six-round rematch between "The Berlin Bomber" Joshua Snyder of Berlin, MD and John "No Mercy" Mackey of Montgomery, AL. The first bout was a nationally-televised ESPN2 affair on June 13 in Scranton, PA that Snyder won by a four-round majority decision. Snyder (7-3, three KO's) has not fought since the first encounter with Mackey. However, Mackey (11-1, five KO's) has fought twice since the Snyder bout, posting TKO victories over Larry Brothers and Jesse Williams.

A couple of all-Beltway encounters will round out the show. There will be a six-round light heavyweight contest between Baltimore's Henry "Hurricane" Mayes and Takoma Park, MD's Willis "The Prophet" Lockett. Mayes (7-6-2, four KO's) battled Willie Williams to a six-round draw on October 3 in Salisbury, MD in his last outing. Lockett (10-6-5, four KO's) is also coming off a draw in his last outing -- an eight-round draw against Chuck Mussachio on September 19 in Hockessin, DE.

Also, there will be a four-round heavyweight bout between two rookies. Laurel, MD's "The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae (1-0, one KO) will take on the debuting Kareem Wilson of DC.

Lange Wins in Comeback; Rivera Defeats Nicklow!

Great Falls, VA junior middleweight Jimmy Lange made a successful return after a 17-month absence by winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Grover Wiley of Omaha, NE in front of an announced crowd of 5,817 at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA.

Lange used a precise jab and was able to land strong body shots throughout the contest. Lange dropped Wiley with body shots in the fourth round. Wiley was a game opponent but the jab was the ultimate difference in the bout. Judge Jerry Payne saw a shutout for Lange, 100-89. Judge Brian Costello scored the bout, 99-90 while judge Greg Coleman saw the contest 98-92.

Lange is now 29-3-2, 20 KO's while Wiley falls to 30-12-1, 14 KO's.

The co-feature saw Charlottesville, VA junior middleweight George "War Time" Rivera even the score with Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow by winning an eight-round unanimous decision.

Rivera used more lateral movement and was able to land jabs with regularity. Nicklow seemed to have trouble cutting the ring off and did not land punches with his normal intensity. Rivera used the same game plan as in the first bout in September but executed it better this time around.

Rivera's record rises to 9-3, three KO's while Nicklow loses for the first time in his pro career and his record is now 19-1-1, seven KO's.


In other bouts on the card, Hyattsville, MD-based junior welterweight Carlos "El Perro" Cisneros lost a unanimous decision Curtis "KO" Smith of Atlanta, GA. The scheduled eight-round contest was stopped during the sixth round when an accidental headbutt caused a gash on the forehead of Cisneros. The bout went to the scorecards where Smith got the decision. Cisneros is now 9-16-1, six KO's while Smith is now 9-4, four KO's.

Ashburn, VA featherweight Yieta Johnson won his first pro contest by scoring a second-round TKO over "Tattoo" Tom Mitchell of Centreville, VA. Johnson used crisp jabs to pummel Mitchell, forcing referee William Johnson to stop the bout at 1:54 of the round. While the fans did not get the inspirational win in the record books, Mitchell, who was led to the ring by his daughter, Shayla, won over many hearts throughout the evening. Johnson is now 1-2, one KO.

DC middleweight Luther "Sugarman" Smith was stopped in the first round by Jimmy "The Dream" LeBlanc. LeBlanc landed a solid right hand that knocked Smith down. Smith was still wobbly and referee Johnson stopped the contest at 1:46. LeBlanc's record is now 12-15-4, four KO's while Smith is 22-8-2, 12 KO's and has been knocked out in his last five bouts.

PERSONAL COMMENT: Luther Smith should not fight anymore and NO COMMISSION, whether it's along the Beltway or anywhere else, should not allow him to fight anymore.

The opening bout was a good one as Arlington, VA super middleweight Tracey Brewer remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over a very game Calvin "Shotgun" Aughtrey of DC. Brewer is now 3-0, two KO's while Aughtrey is now 0-3.

The bout between Thomas "KO" Snow and Darrell Martin was scratched at the last minute.

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I recap this event in this BATB Post Fight Wrap-Up:


Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #135 - Results From The Patriot Center!

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I discuss the results from the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA

Peterson, Barnett, Tucker Victorious in Las Vegas!

Three undefeated Beltway Boxers remained undefeated tonight at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

DC junior welterweight Lamont "Havoc" Peterson won a 10-round unanimous decision over Lanardo "Pain Server" Tyner of Houston, TX to capture the interim NABF Junior Welterweight title on the Pay-Per-View portion of the card. The scores were 98-91, 99-87, 99-90, despite Peterson losing a point in the fourth round for a low blow. Peterson is now 26-0, 12 KO's while Tyner is now 19-2, 11 KO's.

On the non-televised undercard, DC junior welterweight Ty Barnett raised his record to 16-0-1, 11 KO's with an six-round majority decision over Johnnie Edwards of Jacksonville, NC. The scores were 57-57, 59-54, 59-55. Edwards is now 14-3-1, eight KO's.

Also, Eldersburg, MD light heavyweight Mark "TNT" Tucker went the distance for the first time in his young pro career and scored a six-round shutout victory over Terrence "The Truth" Wilson of Fort Smith, AK. Tucker won the bout 60-54 on all three of the judge's scorecards and is now 6-0, five KO's. Wilson falls to 5-4, three KO's.

Saturday, November 01, 2008

Washington Times Column Profiles Beltway Boxing Scene!

In a nice column in the Washington Times, columnist Thom Loverro writes very positively about the importance of boxing to our area. The column can be found here:

"http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/01/boxing-a-niche-sport-not-in-this-area/">

Also, in a recent post on his blog, "Lovey Land", Loverro relayed a list he contributed to a book called "The Great Book of Washington D.C. Sports Lists" written by Andy Pollin of ESPN 980 and Leonard Shapiro of the Washington Post. The list was his top 10 DC Area Boxers. Here's the list ranked in order of significance:

Sugar Ray Leonard

Bob Foster

Mark Johnson

Simon Brown

Sharmba Mitchell

William Joppy

Maurice Blocker

Keith Holmes

Holly Mims

Johnny Gant