Paschall Discusses Michael's Main Event!

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #154 - Paschall Talks About April 2 Main Event at Michael's!

Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall talks about his main event bout against "The Punching Policeman" Sam Hill on Thursday, April 2 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.




By the way, Paschall is having a free open workout on Tuesday, March 31 at Ground Control Academy, 5711 O’Donnell Street in Baltimore beginning at 4 PM.

Palma Loses By First-Round TKO in Puerto Rico!

Alexandria, VA's Jaime "The Punisher" Palma suffered a first-round TKO at the hands of Marcos Leonardo "El Tigre" Jimenez tonight in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

After the bout, Palma, in a text message to BATB from Puerto Rico, said Jimenez hit him to the body harder than anyone else. The bout was stopped at 2:00 of the first round.

Palma also said that he is indeed going back into retirement and looking forward to his impending nuptials in August. Palma now has a record of 13-13-1, three KO's. Jimenez is now 16-1, 10 KO's.

Random Beltway Card Updates!

Here are some updates to upcoming cards.

The Ballroom Boxing/TKO Promotions card on Thursday, April 2 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD is coming together and it will be a combination of hometown boxers and talented out-of-town prospects.

Windsor Mill, MD middleweight Julius Kennedy has been added to the card. Kennedy (3-1, one KO) will battle James Denson of Akron, OH in a four-round bout. Kennedy is returning to the ring for the first time since winning a four-round unanimous decision over Al Bussey on October 30 at Martin's Valley Mansion in Cockeysville, MD. Denson (4-3, two KO's) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision over Rakeem Carter on January 24 in Johnstown, PA. Denson last fought in the Beltway area on May 3, 2008 and stopped Kendrick Walker in the third round in District Heights, MD.

Among the out-of-town prospects slated for this show include WBC World Youth Featherweight and WBC USNBC Featherweight titleholder Matt "The Sharpshooter" Remillard of Hartford, CT. Remillard (16-0, eight KO's) will face Minneapolis, MN's Hassan Wasswa (5-8-2, two KO's) in an eight-round co-feature. Also undefeated Canadian middleweight prospect Albert "The Punisher" Onolunose (16-0, six KO's) will take on Anthony "Powerhouse" Bartinelli (20-11-2, 13 KO's) in an eight-round contest.

The main event remains the same: Baltimore super middleweight Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall (18-1-1, four KO's) will battle "The Punching Policeman" Sam Hill (17-10-1, 10 KO's) of St. Louis, MO in another eight-round contest.

Meanwhile, Baltimore Pro Boxing is announcing that undefeated Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell will appear on the Friday, April 10 card at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore. No word yet on Mitchell's opponent. Mitchell (10-0, seven KO's) is coming off a first-round TKO of Joseph Rabotte on March 7 in San Jose, CA and has scored knockouts in his last three bouts.

Also, another bout has been added to the Saturday, May 2 ICE Promotions card at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. This will be a matchup of two veterans as DC middleweight Purcell "Hard Rock" Miller will battle Altoona, PA's Thomas Wilt in an eight-round contest. The two boxers appeared on the same Patriot Center card back on October 7, 2006. Miller (22-5-1, 18 KO's) lost an eight-round unanimous decision to Larry Marks while Wilt (21-6, four KO's) fell via 10th-round TKO in the main event against Jimmy Lange.

Since that card, Wilt has only fought once, winning a six-round unanimous decision over Jerome Elder on November 3, 2007 in Morgantown, WVA. Miller, meanwhile, has not been back in the ring since the Marks bout.

Corley Added to April 10 ESPN2 Telecast!

Former WBO Junior Welterweight champion DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley will appear in a nationally televised ESPN2 co-feature on Friday, April 10 against undefeated prospect Hector Sanchez at the Desert Diamond Casino in Phoenix, AZ.

Corley (33-10-1, 19 KO's) has won his last two bouts, including a seven-round TKO over Wilson Enrique Galli in East Rutherford, NJ on February 3. Sanchez, a native of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico (17-0, eight KO's) has not fought since December 13, 2008 when he stopped Wilson Alcorro in the fourth round in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico. Earlier in his career, Sanchez fought in DC on April 27, 2007 and won a four-round unanimous decision over Armando Cordoba at the DC Armory.

Washington Golden Gloves Champions -- 2009!

Here are the Washington Golden Gloves Champions for 2009 -- the winners from a nice night of amateur boxing in front of a packed house tonight at the Waldorf Jaycees Community Center in Waldorf, MD:

Novice Division:

119 pounds: Edgar Llivichuzhca (Baltimore Boxing) RSC-1 over David Abdullah (Midtown)

125 pounds: Paul Jerry (Diamonds in the Ruff) defeated Almenson De La Cruz (Round One)

132 pounds: Seth Billups (Old School) by retirement (end of round one) over Cortland Perkins (Upton)

141 pounds: Chris Hernandez (Round One) defeated Johnny DaSilva (Round One)

152 pounds: Marquis Taylor (Tony's Boxing Gym) RSC-3 over Charles Brumfield (Dream Team)

165 pounds: Reginald Lucas (Upton) won by walkover against Jeremy Trussel (Upton)

178 pounds: Manuel Ramos (Olympia Boxing) defeated Zwade Haynes (Baltimore Boxing)

201 pounds: Ben July (Round One) RSC-1 over Craig Klein (Sugar Ray Leonard Center)

201+ pounds: Antonio Williams (Nomis) defeated Thomas Meade (Sugar Ray Leonard Center)

Open Division:

125 pounds: Kevin Rivers (Headbangers) defeated Glenn Dezum (UMAR)

132 pounds: Elvis Medrano (Old School) defeated Charles Dobbins (Club One)

141 pounds: Marlon Bolen (Cherry Lane) defeated Cornelius Whitlock (Midtown)

152 pounds: David Grayton (Headbangers) won by disqualification over Tyrell Newton (Dream Team) Newton was penalized three times for losing his mouthpiece during the contest.

165 pounds: Travis Peterkin (Charm City) defeated Eric Govan (Jeff Gordan/Laurel)

178 pounds: Thomas Williams (Cherry Lane) defeated Mario Murphy (Sugar Ray Leonard Center)

201 pounds: Alexis Guerrero (Main Street) won by walkover against Nick Kisner (Club One)

201+ pounds: Ronald Gamble (Club One) won by walkover against Clinton Price (Midtown)

RANDOM NOTES: The Cherry Lane boxing club of Laurel, MD won the Washington Team trophy. Two of their open members -- Thomas Williams and Marlon Bolen -- performed exceptionally well in two of the best bouts of the evening. Bolen was able to battle Cornelius Whitlock of Midtown with solid movement throughout his contest. Williams survived the relentless onslaught of Sugar Ray Leonard's Mario Murphy. After two rather close rounds, Williams stepped up the pace nicely, using solid uppercuts from distance to fend off Murphy. Williams has solid power and nice hand speed.

Had Dream Team's Tyrell Newton been able to hang on to his mouthpiece, his bout with David Grayton of the Headbangers could have gone either way. From my vantage point, two of the four times Newton lost the mouthpiece (once in the second round and once in the third) seemed to be as a result of Grayton's punches knocking the mouthpiece out. However, on two occasions, Newton seemed to try and kick the mouthpiece off the canvas without referee Floyd Favors seeing it.

Also in the Open Division, there were good outings from Kevin Rivers, Elvis Modrano and Travis Peterkin.

We can confirm that Nick Kisner of Club One does indeed have a broken jaw that will keep him out of action until mid-May.

The Novice Division saw four stoppages, the most brutal coming from Ben July of Round One. July landed incredible body shots on Sugar Ray's Craig Klein that led to a thunderous right hand that dropped Klein. Marquis Taylor of Tony's Gym did a nice job breaking open a close contest with Dream Team's Charles Brumfield with a brutal right hand that eventually forced a stoppage.

Also on the card, Old School's Dusty Harrison won a junior matched bout against Kashif El-Amin of Wilmington, NC. The two fought a first-class contest and showed tremendous sportsmanship afterwards.

Legendary Beltway Boxing trainer David Jacobs was honored tonight for his numerous contributions to the sport. Jacobs was very influential in the careers of numerous boxers including Sugar Ray Leonard, Eugene "Sonny" Speed," Derrik Holmes, Dale Staley and Lloyd "Honey Boy" Taylor. Jacobs was the coach of the US Boxing team from 1983-1987 and helped prepare the US team for the 1988 Olympics in Korea. That US team featured the likes of Andrew Maynard, Riddick Bowe, Roy Jones, Jr., Ray Mercer and International Boxing Hall of Fame member Michael Carbajal. It was great to see Sonny Speed and Dale Staley in attendance to honor their former coach.

The Golden Gloves Regionals will take place on Friday, April 17 at the Waldorf Jaycees Community Center. The Virginia/North Carolina Golden Gloves Championships are taking place this weekend in Virginia Beach, VA. I should get a roster of who's coming to the regionals from that area sometime next week.

Wade Battles in Memphis April 3!

Yet another addition to the "Awesome April of Beltway Boxing." Largo, MD middleweight Dominic Wade returns to action on Friday, April 3 in a four-round bout at the Pepsi Pavilion in Memphis, TN.

Wade (1-0, one KO) will take on Luis Hodge of Tampa, FL (5-7-1, three KO's) in a four-round contest. Wade is coming off a 28-second knockout in his pro debut on March 14 in Tunica, MS. Hodge is winless in his last eight (0-7-1) but has fought mostly undefeated prospects during his career including Pawel Wolak, Joe Greene and Inka Laleye.

Russell Withdraws From Saturday ShoBox Card!

Capitol Heights, MD featherweight Gary Russell, Jr. has withdrawn from his ShoBox card Saturday night in Oklahoma because of a rough flu. Russell was slated to open the ShoBox telecast.

Russell's father, Gary Sr., told BATB that "Lil'G" has been suffering from the flu since the middle of last week and could not train properly.

Samuel Added to April 2 Ballroom Card; New Opponent for Lange on May 2!

Maryland State Super Featherweight champion Tyrell "Da Show Shock'A" Samuel of Baltimore has been added to the Thursday, April 2 Ballroom Boxing card at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.

Samuel (11-2, five KO's) has not fought since winning the Maryland State title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Ron Boyd on November 20. No word yet on who Samuel's opponent will be.

A new opponent has been chosen for Great Falls, VA junior middleweight Jimmy Lange when he steps into the ring on Saturday, May 2 at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. Veteran Frank Houghtaling will now face Lange in the 12-round main event for the WBC USNBC title. Houghtaling replaces Ryan Davis who unexpectedly backed out of the contest.

Houghtaling (19-15-5, four KO's) has fought quality opposition throughout his career including Matthew Hatton, Hercules Kyvelos and Contender -- Season 2 star Gary Balletto and has won three regional titles during his career. Houghtaling is also no stranger to the Beltway area, having fought former world champion and Beltway legend Sharmba Mitchell on a nationally-televised card on July 2, 2002 at the Lincoln Theatre in DC. Houghtaling lost a 10-round unanimous decision.

Bout Sheet For Washington Golden Glove Finals!

Here is the bout sheet for the Washington Golden Gloves Championship Finals to be held this Friday night, March 27 at the Waldorf Jaycees Community Center in Waldorf, MD.

Junior Division (Matched Bout):

14-15, 132 pounds: Dusty Harrison (Old School Boxing) vs. Kashif El-Amin (Port City Boxing Club, Wilmington, NC)


Novice Division:

119 pounds: Edgar Llivichuzhca (Baltimore Boxing) vs. David Abdullah (Midtown Youth Academy)

125 pounds: Paul Jerry (Diamonds in the Ruff) vs. Almenson Delacruz (Round One)

132 pounds: Seth Billups (Old School) vs. Cortland Perkins (Upton)

141 pounds: Johnny DaSilva (Round One) vs. Chris Hernandez (Round One)

152 pounds: Marques Taylor (Tony's Gym) vs. Charles Brumfield (Dream Team)

165 pounds: Jeremey Trussell (Upton) vs. Reginald Lucas (Upton)

178 pounds: Manual Ramos (Olympia Boxing) vs. Zwade Haynes (Baltimore Boxing)

201 pounds: Craig Klein (Sugar Ray Leonard Center) vs. Ben July (Round One)

201+ pounds: Thomas Meade (Sugar Ray Leonard Center) vs. Antonio Williams (Nomis)


Open Division:

125 pounds: Glenn Dezum (UMAR) vs. Kevin Rivers (Headbangers)

132 pounds: Elvis Medrano (Old School) vs. Charles Dobbins (Club One)

141 pounds: Marlon Bolen (Cherry Lane) vs. Cornelius Whitlock (Midtown)

152 pounds: David Grayton (Headbangers) vs. Tyrell Newton (Dream Team)

165 pounds: Eric Govan (Laurel) vs. Travis Peterkin (Charm City Gym)

178 pounds: Mario Murphy (Sugar Ray Leonard Center) vs. Thomas Williams (Cherry Lane)

201 pounds: Nick Kisner (Club One) vs. Alex Guerrero (Main Street Gym)

201+ pounds: Clinton Price (Midtown) vs. Ronald Gamble (Club One)

Notes: After the quarterfinals two weeks ago, the decision in the 201-pound bout between Guerrero and Mario Flores of Keely's Gym was reversed because of a scoring error. This sends Guerrero into the finals against Kisner.

There will be two unopposed champions announced during Friday's action:

112 pounds: Erick Cruz (Limelite)

119 pounds: Antonio Magruder (Headbangers)

The event will begin at 8 PM.

Palma Ends Retirement With Saturday Bout in Puerto Rico!

Claiming he retired more out of frustration than anything else, Alexandria, VA lightweight Jaime "The Punisher" Palma will return to the ring for a bout this Saturday, March 28 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

Palma (13-12-1, three KO's) has not fought since his 10-round unanimous decision loss to former world champion Kevin Kelley on July 8, 2008 in Las Vegas. Shortly after that bout Palma announced his retirement but has changed his mind.

Palma, who is originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, will face Marcos Leonardo "El Tigre" Jimenez (15-1, nine KO's) in a scheduled eight-round encounter at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez.

This will be the first of two scheduled appearances for a Beltway Boxer at this location. Lamont Peterson will battle Willy Blain for the WBO Interim Junior Welterweight title on April 25 in this coliseum.

'Tattoo' Tom Mitchell Returns to Patriot Center May 2 Fighting in Daughter's Memory!

Centreville, VA featherweight "Tattoo" Tom Mitchell will return to the ring in a four-round rematch against DC's Yieta Johnson as part of the Saturday, May 2 ICE Promotions card at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA.

Mitchell said he never intended to step back into the boxing ring after his second-round TKO loss to Johnson on November 1. The bout helped raise $7,000 towards research to fight cancer. Mitchell's daughter, Shayla (who had stage 3 Hodgkin's disease) lost her fight with cancer on January 28 at the age of 18.

According to Mitchell, Shayla -- who accompanied her father to the ring in November -- remains a big inspiration and that led to Johnson preparing for a rematch.

"One of the last things my daughter said to me before she passed away was ’Am I still brave Dad?’ “After she died I asked myself the same question,” said Mitchell, who plans to have several special guests accompany him to ring this time around.

Just like last time, the promoter has agreed to donate one-third of all of Mitchell’s personal tickets sales plus his entire fight purse to Growing Hope, a local 501(c) charitable organization. ICE Promotions presented the non-profit group with a check for over $7,000 as result of Mitchell’s efforts.

Inside the ring, Mitchell is working just as hard with the Alexandria Boxing Club (ABC) and trainers Dennis Porter and Kay Koroma who have generously donated their time and expertise to help prepare him for this bout. Johnson, meanwhile, who has expressed compassion for Mitchell’s plight especially as a father of three, still plans to go all out to win the rematch and not hold back against his opponent.

For information about Mitchell’s quest, including details on special events being planned and a regular journal that the fighter pens to his daughter, log onto www.stillbrave.com.

Great Falls, VA junior middleweight Jimmy Lange headlines this show, fighting in a 12-round contest against "Dangerous" Ryan Davis for the WBC USNBC Junior Middleweight title.

Results From Golden Gloves Semifinals!

Here are the results from the Semifinal competition of the Washington Golden Gloves:

Novice Division:

141 pounds: Chris Hernandez (Round One) defeated Deamonte Green (Nomis)

178 pounds: Zwade Haynes (Baltimore Boxing) defeated Alexis Lefebvre (Midtown)

201 pounds: Craig Klen (Sugar Ray Leonard Gym) defeated Zachery Wilkerson (Nomis)


Open Division:

132 pounds: Charles Dobbins (Club One) defeated Joel Young (Keystone)

152 pounds: David Grayton (Headbangers) defeated Alantez Fox (Dream Team)

165 pounds: Eric Govan (Jeff Gordan/Laurel) defeated Patrick Genova (Young Titans)

178 pounds: Mario Murphy (Sugar Ray Leonard Gym) defeated Emmanuel Alao (Nomis)

178 pounds: Thomas Williams (Cherry Lane) defeated Mohamed Diane (Laurel)

201+ pounds: Ron Gamble (Club One) defeated Abodurin Akinyanju (Sugar Ray Leonard Gym)

Three boxers won by walkover this evening:

Female 119 pounds: Marita Gumbs (Midtown)

125 pounds: Almenson Delacruz (Round One)

141 pounds: Cornelius Whitlock (Midtown)

The Washington Golden Gloves Championship Finals will be held this Friday night, March 27 at the Waldorf Jaycees Community Center located at 3090 Crain Highway (the intersection of Route 301 and Route 5) in Waldorf, MD.

Thompson Scores Fifth-Round TKO in Germany!

DC heavyweight Tony "The Tiger" Thompson scored a fifth-round TKO over Adnan Serin tonight in Stuttgart, Germany on the undercard of Vitali Klitschko-Juan Carlos Gomez. No details, but Serin's corner threw in the towel.

Thompson is now 32-2, 20 KO's while Serin is now 19-10-1, seven KO's.

Additions to 'Awesome April'!

Already there are additions to the "Awesome April of Beltway Boxing."

Thomas "KO" Snow's bout in St. Paul, MN that was scheduled for Saturday, March 21 has been postponed to Saturday, April 4 and moved to the Epic Nightclub in Minneapolis. Apparently, one of the participants on the mixed martial arts portion on the card got injured. Snow will still battle undefeated Wilshaun Boxley on the card in the boxing main event on the card.

Also in Philadelphia, PA, Ashburn, VA super middleweight John Hayes will take on undefeated Dennis Hasson of Kensington, PA in a six-round bout.

Get Ready For The 'Awesome April of Beltway Boxing'!

If you heard the latest BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up Show, then you have heard this information. But I thought I should post for those who missed the info.

Let me reiterate that in 20-plus years of covering boxing in this area, I can't remember one month being as busy as what will happen in April. We've had periods of action that overlap from one month to the next. We've had two televised cards in a single week. But I can't remember a 30-day period with so many cards involved.

This is why we call April 2009 -- the "Awesome April of Beltway Boxing."

We will begin the month on Thursday, April 2 with two cards, one pro and one amateur. Ballroom Boxing will have its first card of 2009 on that evening at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD and it will be the first official collaboration between Ballroom Boxing and TKO Promotions of Houston, TX.

The main event is slated to feature Baltimore super middleweight "The Persecutor" Mike Paschall (18-1-1, four KO's) in a bout against a true veteran -- "The Punching Policeman" Sam Hill of St. Louis, MO (17-10-1, 10 KO's). Paschall has not fought since his six-round unanimous decision win over James Johnson on the last Ballroom card on November 20. Hill has faced some of the best in the business including former world champions David Reid and Jermain Taylor as well as contenders Tarvis Simms, Rico Hoye, Sebastien Demers and Peter Quillin.

Also on April 2 and continuing until Saturday, April 4, are the 2009 National Collegiate Boxing Championships at the University of Maryland's Ritchie Coliseum in College Park, MD. The first round on April 2 has an afternoon session at 3 PM and an evening session at 7 PM. On Friday and Saturday, the bouts begin at 7 PM.

A number of colleges from around the country will send representatives. As a matter of fact, the competition from the three regions -- Eastern, Midwest and Far West -- are competing over the next week. The Eastern Regionals begin today at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD and continue through Sunday afternoon.

There is a possibility that www.gofightlive.tv will be showing parts of the National tournament. I mention this for two reasons: One, they are looking for people to buy the pay-per-view internet broadcast at $12.99 for the entire weekend. Also, if you buy the pay-per-view broadcast, you will hear the voices of "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and yours truly as we will be calling the action.

Then on Friday, April 10, Baltimore Pro Boxing returns to Du Burns Arena in Baltimore for a card known as "The Third Time's The Charm." The main event will be the third meeting between Baltimore super middleweights Henry "Hurricane" Mayes and Willie "For Real" Williams. The two men went to a six-round draw in Salisbury, MD last October and an eight-round draw in January at Woodlawn, MD. This bout will be a 10-round encounter for the Maryland State Light Heavyweight title.

That won't be the only rematch on the card. Baltimore welterweight Tim "Pit Bull" Coleman will face rugged Carlos "El Perro" Cisneros of Bladensburg, MD. Coleman (14-1-1, three KO's) will be boxing for the first time since losing a 10-round unanimous decision to James De La Rosa on October 3 in Salisbury. Coleman defeated Cisneros (9-16-1, six KO's) in May of 2007 at Rosecroft Raceway (not Martin's Valley Mansion as I said in the post-fight show). Also scheduled to appear on this card are James Stevenson, Shelly Seivert, Emmanuel Taylor and Rob McConnell. McConnell will donate his purse to the United States Armed Forces.

Also on April 10, Paschall Promotions will have another amateur card at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie.

We move to Friday, April 17 for the Regional Golden Gloves Championships at the Waldorf Jaycees Community Center in Waldorf, MD. This will feature boxers from DC and Baltimore taking on competitors from Virginia and North Carolina.

Then on Friday, April 24, Beltway Boxers return to the Shipley Arena in Westminister, MD for a TNT Promotions card that will include undefeated light heavyweight Mark "TNT" Tucker.

The Beltway-area cards conclude on Thursday, April 30 at Martin's West in Woodlawn for another Baltimore Pro Boxing card. This card will have special personal meaning because it will be the 100th pro card that BATB has covered in its almost five-year history.

Also, there is talk -- and I emphasize TALK -- of a card coming to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Saturday, April 18. I originally heard word that it would not happen. Now comes word that there are still entities trying to get this card together. If it happens, we will surely let you know.


And if that wasn't enough, there are out-of-town cards that feature Beltway Boxers in prominent bouts.

Saturday, April 11: Ishmail "The Arsenal" Arvin vs. Derek "Pooh" Ennis for the vacant USBA Junior Middleweight title at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ.

Saturday, April 11: Darrell Martin and Bernard Brown on a card at the Woodlands Resort in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Martin(4-7, one KO) vs. Antonio Espinosa (9-0) and Brown (6-5-2, three KO's) vs. Jason Gavern (16-5). UPDATE: Baltimore lightweight Raymondo Elliott (0-1) has just been added to this card. Elliott will face Clinton B. Douglas of Philadelphia, PA (2-2-2) in a four-round contest.

Saturday, April 11: Scott "Cujo" Sigmon, "El Guerro" Juan Carlos Robles and George "War Time" Rivera all on a Major League Boxing card at the Lynchburg Armory, Lynchburg, VA.

Friday, April 24: Willis "The Prophet" Lockett takes on Larry Marks in a six-round bout at Dover Downs in Dover, DE.

Saturday, April 25: Lamont Peterson challenges Willy Blain for the interim WBO Super Lightweight title at Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez, Bayamon, Puerto Rico on a HBO telecast.

To say the least, it will be quite a month indeed. Stay with BATB for any late-breaking developments.

Stevenson Keeps Perfect Record in Woodlawn!

The record of Baltimore welterweight James "Keep 'Em Sleepin' Stevenson remained perfect tonight with a second round TKO over Westminster, MD's Ken Dunham in the main event of the Baltimore Pro Boxing card at Martin's West in Woodlawn, MD.

Stevenson dropped Dunham four times using a strong barrage of body shots before referee Gary Camponeschi stopped the contest at 2:35 of the second round. Stevenson is now 7-0, seven KO's while Dunham is now 5-8, three KO's. The knockout earned Stevenson the East Coast Championship and an extra $500.

The co-feature saw Baltimore middleweight Cecil McCalla score a six-round unanimous decision over Anthony "Quick" Little of Akron, OH. McCalla used his poise well to offset Little's slick moves. McCalla is now 6-0, two KO's while Little is 7-11-1, one KO.

Long-time amateur standout Emmanuel "Transformer" Taylor of Edgewood, MD made his long-awaited pro debut and scored a solid first-round TKO over the debuting Damien Butler of Glenarden, MD. Taylor dropped Butler, an amateur standout in his own right with solid body and head shots. The second knockdown saw Butler recoil from Taylor's shots and take a knee. During referee John Gradowski's eight-count, Butler got to his feet, but immediately took another knee forcing Gradowski to stop the bout at 2:50 of the round.

Taylor is scheduled to be on a card in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on March 31.

Another Beltway Boxer made a solid pro debut -- Baltimore lightweight Angelo "Seek and Destroy" Ward, who won a four-round unanimous decision over Dwayne Martin of Laurel, MD.

Ward managed to turn the seemingly lost skill of body punching into an art form and he landed continuous blows to Martin's stomach and torso. Ward did land enough upstairs to drop Martin in the second round, but it was the body shots that did the damage. Martin is 0-2.

In the bout of the night (and a candidate for Beltway Boxing Bout of the Year) Baltimore junior middleweight Omar Sims and Suitland, MD's Marcus "Spidey" Williams battled to a four-round majority draw. Sims survived two knockdowns in the first minute of action before coming back strong and landing shots against Williams for the bulk of the bout. Judges John Gradowski and Malik Waleed scored the bout even at 37-37 while Judge Dave Greer saw the contest 37-36 for Sims, who is now 1-0-1, one KO. Williams in now 3-0-1, two KO's.

In the opening bout, Laurel, MD's Hannibal Otey won a four-round unanimous decision over Baltimore heavyweight Kevin Johnson. The bout was Otey's first win as a pro and he evens his record at 1-1. Johnson is even at 1-1, one KO.

Here is the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up that includes interviews with Emmanuel Taylor and James Stevenson!

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #153 - Full Report and Interviews from Woodlawn!

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I recap a solid night of boxing from Martin's West in Woodlawn. We are joined in interviews by Emmanuel "Transformer" Taylor and James " Keep em' Sleepin Stevenson!

Weights From Woodlawn!

Here are the weights for tomorrow night's Baltimore Pro Boxing card at Martin's West in Woodlawn, MD:

James Stevenson 149 vs. Ken Dunham 150

Cecil McCalla 158 1/4 vs. Anthony Little 163 1/4

Emmanuel Taylor 143 1/2 vs. Damien Butler 144

Angelo Ward 127 3/4 vs. Dwayne Martin 129 3/4

Omar Simms 152 1/4 vs. John Williams 151 1/2

Kevin Johnson 220 1/2 vs. Hannibal Otey 229 1/2

Prize Fight Boxing Signs Dominic Wade!

Not a big surprise, but Largo, MD middleweight Dominic Wade has signed a promotional contract with Prize Fight Boxing of Memphis, TN. Wade made a stunning entry into the pro ranks with a 28-second knockout over Chris Davis on March 14 in Tunica, MS.

The 18-year-old rookie was a four-time Junior Olympic champion and participated in the 2007 Olympic Trials. Wade is being trained by Barry Hunter and co-managed by Hunter and Wade's father, Paul. Wade joins the Undefeated Peterson Brothers, Fernando Guerrero and Ty Barnett in the group of Beltway Boxers who are either currently or have been under promotional contracts to Prize Fight Boxing.

"I have a winning team; I am confident about my future in boxing and very happy to be a part of the Prize Fight stable,” said Wade in a press release.


“Dominic came out and performed very well last week. Obviously, he was an instant hit with the fans. We are very excited about this young man and his ability to establish himself as a force in the middleweight division. The skill set and power Dominic possesses is extremely rare for any fighter and especially one who is only 18 years old. Dominic is in a world class gym with Barry and our plan is to keep him extremely active in the ring," said Prize Fight President Russ Young.

'Tiger' Thompson Returns March 21 in Germany!

Heavyweight contender Tony "The Tiger" Thompson returns to action this Saturday, March 21 in Stuttgart, Germany as he faces Adnan Serin of Germany in a 10-round co-feature. The bout appears on the card with the Vitali Klitschko-Juan Carlos Gomez championship bout that will be shown in the United States on ESPN Classic. Barring a short outcome in the main event, Thompson's bout is not scheduled to be shown.

Thompson (31-2, 19 KO's) has not fought since his world heavyweight title bid against Wladimir Klitschko on July 12 in Hamburg, Germany. Thompson was stopped in the 11th round and suffered a knee injury in the bout, from which he has recovered. Thompson has been in Austria for the last month or so, sparring with both Klitschko Brothers.

Serin (19-9-1, seven KO's) hasn't fought since May 31 when he lost a six-round unanimous decision to Manuel Charr in Dusseldorf, Germany. Serin has gone a 10-round distance only once in his career, back in 2004.

Special Amateur Boxing Nights Coming Soon!

There are a couple of ways you can support your local amateur programs. On Saturday, March 28, the Upton Boxing Center is having an amateur card featuring boxers from Baltimore and DC. Call 443-984-2588 for details. The Upton Center is located at 1901 Pennsylvania Avenue in Baltimore.

Then on Saturday, April 4, Keely's District Boxing and Youth Center in DC will be hosting a black tie gala in the Regency Ballroom of the Omni Shoreham Hotel located at 2500 Calvert Street, NW in DC. The main event of the gala will be a dual boxing event between Keely's Boxing Team and a team from Northern Ireland. There will also be a dinner and a silent auction plus special appearances by former world heavyweight champions Joe Frazier and Larry Holmes as well as former heavyweight contender Gerry Cooney.

VIP tickets for this event are $200 and general admission is $125. Call the Youth Center at 202-232-0193 to purchase tickets.

Lockett Defeats Craig in Cincinnati!

This late result: Takoma Park, MD super middleweight Willis "The Prophet" Lockett won a four-round split decision over Dante Craig on March 14 in Cincinnati, OH.

Lockett won by scores of 40-36 and 39-37. Craig received a score of 39-37. With the win, Lockett raises his record to 11-7-5, four KO's. Craig, a member of the 2000 US Olympic team, falls to 17-9-1, 13 KO's and has lost five in a row.

Lockett is slated to take on New Castle, DE's Larry "The Laser" Marks in a six-round contest on April 24 in Dover, DE. Marks (29-10-1, 16 KO's) has not fought since his eight-round unanimous decision loss to Mike Paschall on May 29 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.

Lange Returns May 2 in USNBC Championship Bout at Patriot Center!

Great Falls, VA junior middleweight Jimmy Lange returns to action on Saturday, May 2 at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. Lange will vie for a vacant regional title.

Lange (29-3-2, 20 KO's) will take on "Dangerous" Ryan Davis of East St. Louis, IL (20-8-2, eight KO's) in a scheduled 12-round bout for the vacant WBC USNBC Super Welterweight title. Lange is coming off an impressive 10-round unanimous decision victory over Grover Wiley on November 1 at the Patriot Center in Lange's first bout since his rotator cuff surgery.

Davis has fought well-known competition throughout his career. Davis lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Zab Judah for the IBC Junior Middleweight title in November of 2007. Lange will be the third former Contender participant Davis has faced, losing a six-round unanimous decision to Lange's season one participant, Jonathan Reid and dropping a 10-round majority decision to season three cast member Miguel Hernandez.

This card will be promoted by ICE Promotions, led by Jackie Kallen. More on this card as it develops.

Bout Sheet for Washington Golden Gloves Semifinals!

Organizers of the Washington Golden Gloves are wasting no time in getting out the bout sheet for the Semifinals of the tournament that will be held on Saturday, March 21 at the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center in Palmer Park, MD. Here are the matchups:

Novice Division

Female 119 pounds: Marita Gumbs (Midtown) vs. Shant'e Jordon (Nomis)

125 pounds: Jonathan Gonzales (Nomis) vs. Almenson Delacruz (Round One)

141 pounds: Deamonte Green (Nomis) vs. Chris Hernandez (Round One)

178 pounds: Alexis Lefevbre (Midtown) vs. Zwade Haynes (Baltimore Boxing)

201 pounds: Zachary Wilkerson (Nomis) vs. Craig Klen (Sugar Ray Gym)


Open Division

132 pounds: Joel Young (Keystone) vs. Charles Dobbins (Club One)

141 pounds: Cornelius Whitlock (Midtown) vs. Traon Bynum (Headbangers)

152 pounds: Alantez Fox (Dream Team) vs. David Grayton (Headbangers)

165 pounds: Patrick Genova (Young Titans) vs. Eric Govan (Jeff Gordon/Laurel)

178 pounds: Mario Murphy (Sugar Ray Leonard Center) vs. Emmanuel Alao (Nomis)

178 pounds: Mohamed Diane (Laurel) vs. Thomas Williams (Cherry Lane)

201+ pounds: Ron Gamble (Club One) vs. Abodurin Akinyanju (Sugar Ray Leonard Center)

Four ladies were crowned Golden Glove champions via walkover:

Novice Division

150 pounds: Mariam Bowman (Hillcrest)

201+ pounds: Dominique McGlotten (UMAR)

Open Division:

112 pounds: Gina D'Andrea (UMAR)

141 pounds: Shardae Powell (Upton Boxing)

This is the last night for the tournament at the Sugar Ray Leonard Center. The Washington Golden Gloves finals will be on Friday, March 27 at the Waldorf Jaycees Community Center in Waldorf, MD at 8 PM.

Wade Scores Explosive Knockout in Pro Debut!

(Photo by JD Meredith)

It only took 28 seconds but the pro debut of Largo, MD middleweight Dominic Wade has already sent shockwaves throughout the boxing world. Wade scored an explosive first-round knockout over previously undefeated Chris Davis of Atlanta, GA(3-1, one KO) last night at Fitzgerald's Hotel and Casino in Tunica, MS.

In conversations with boxing people who saw this bout, I've been told that this should be the clubhouse leader for the knockout of the year for 2009. Apparently, Davis decided to trade with Wade and that proved to be a mistake. Wade nailed Davis with a right hand that froze Davis in his tracks. Reports say Wade could have followed up with a left hook but saw Davis was in trouble and walked away as Davis fell hard to the canvas. Davis was motionless for several moments but did revive and was taken to a nearby hospital.

Here is a first-hand account from freelance writer John Gleeson who was in attendance:

Dominic Wade provided the the most electric, and devastating, performance of the night with a first round KO against the previously unbeaten (3-0 with 1 KO) Chris Davis of Atlanta, GA. Wade caught him with a big right hand that had Davis was out cold before he hit the mat. Davis head dropped forward to his chest before smacking down to the mat as his body slumped backwards. The ref began a count but called it off a few seconds in and quickly motioned for the ringside physician. Wade, who arrived with a large entourage for his pro debut, including Lamont and Anthony Peterson, basked in the exultation of the raucous crowd at Fitzgerald's casino. After several minutes Davis was finally allowed to get up and leave the ring under his own power.


I am trying to get footage of this knockout to post. If anyone has a way to get video, please inform us.

Tucker Scores First-Round KO in Dorchester!

Eldersburg, MD light-heavyweight Mark "TNT" Tucker remained undefeated with a first-round knockout of Juergen Hartenstein last night at the Dorchester Armory in Dorchester, MA.

No details on the knockout yet, but the bout was stopped at 2:45 of the first round.

Tucker is now 8-0, seven KO's while Hartenstein falls to 12-14-1, three KO's.

Full Report From Winchester!

As promised, here is a full report from the Left Hook Promotions card at Winchester Sportsplex in Winchester, VA. Providing the report is my latest Fightnews.com colleague Joe Gradowski, who many of you know as the timekeeper for the pro cards in Maryland, but who is also a student at Towson University and is a budding journalist.

The main event featured undefeated lightweight “The Mongolian Mongoose” Bayan Jargal (138 lbs) from Arlington VA going toe-to-toe with Saginaw MI’s Reggie “Two Guns” Nash (138 lbs).

Slated for eight rounds, Jargal ended the first two rounds driving Nash back into his own corner. Although Nash did manage to knock him down in the second round with a rogue left hook, Jargal repaid the favor by steamrolling Nash to the floor in the next round and then scoring a devastating hook that floored Nash for good. Referee Steve Smoger called a halt to the bout at 1:09 of the third round. Jargal is now undefeated at 11-0 with eight KO’s to his credit. Nash is now 9-21-1, two KO's.

Entering the Co-Main Event, from Front Royal VA, was Warren “The Mack” Clatterbuck and, making his Pro-Debut from Hagerstown MD, Dave “The Specialist” Spechor (both at 150 lbs).

Not a lot of damage was done in this fight. Although Clatterbuck kept his hands moving considerably during the fight, many of his jabs fell short of their target while Spechor spent most of his time taunting his opponent by exposing his cheek. Still, they did manage to get in a few good hits: Chatterbuck ended the sixth round with several good body shots and a bleeding nose. Spechor went to his corner smiling. Going to the scorecards, Clatterbuck gained victory by unanimous decision.

Up next, John Haggler (262 lbs.) from Salem NC matched wits with Benito Fernandez (218 lbs.) of Spartanburg SC. Haggler, towering over Fernandez, spent the first round mainly testing his jabs without really connecting. Fernandez easily ducked these jabs and managed to sneak in a few body shots without being hit. His luck ran out, however, as Haggler finally caught up to him with a devastating left hook that sent Fernandez down onto one knee. Unable to beat the count, Fernandez was pronounced KO at 1:01 of Round Two. Haggler now has 12 wins via the KO.

In the cruiserweight division, it was Scotty “The Body Snatcher” Hosaflook (215 lbs.) from Edinburgh VA against John “The Trickmaster” Stewart (208 lbs.) from Washington DC. With some penetrating left hooks to the face and some rather unusual elbow movement, Hossaflook managed to maneuver his opponent successfully around the ring and into the ropes. Stewart remained on the defensive through most of the fight and began to lose energy towards the end of the third round. Both fighters exchanged brief flurries. In the end, it was Hosaflook coming away with a victory via unanimous decision.

Also in the cruiserweights, from Winchester VA, Danny “Demon” Shull (188 lbs.) locked fists with Silver Spring MD’s Abloyt Abashi (172 lbs.) For four rounds, Shull managed to save his energy, waiting for Abashi to launch an attack and landing a hit as they broke apart from each other. Abashi remained highly energized through most of the fight, swinging wide to get around Shull’s guard, but ran out of steam towards the start of round four and resorted to tangling his opponent against the ropes. Shull earned his first victory with a unanimous score of 40-36 from all judges.

Finally, in his pro debut as Middleweight, from Arlington VA, Justin “Smooth” Ridgway (169 lbs.) went up against Washington DC fighter, Calvin “Shotgun” Aughtry (165 lbs.). Ridgway managed to keep Aughtry at bay with a dozen solid hits to the face and a murderous blow to the ribs. Aughtry stayed clear of Ridgway’s right hand and managed to score a very pronounced blow to the side of Ridgway’s neck. A classic one-two combination by Ridgway brought an end to the one-sided fight. Ridgway came away with an unblemished score of 40-36.

Scott Farmer, who heads Left Hook Promotions, served as promoter and matchmaker.

Quarterfinal Action Complete at Washington Golden Gloves!

The action has started to heat up at the Washington Golden Gloves Championship Tournament as we get closer to the Washington-area finals on Friday, March 27 in Waldorf, MD.

Here are the results from tonight's quarterfinal action at the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center in Palmer Park, MD:

Junior Division

15-16, 156-pound championship: Demond Nicholson (Cherry Lane) defeated Andres Perdomo (Nomis)

Novice Division

132 pounds: Cortland Perkins (Upton) defeated Hlan Thaw (Loch Raven)

141 pounds: Deamonte Green (Nomis) defeated Onyelechi Nudka (Round One)

152 pounds: Marques Taylor (Tony's Gym) RSC-2 over Jose Murphy (Sugar Ray Leonard Center)

201 pounds: Ben July (Round One) RSC-3 over Nyonteh Sipply (Loch Raven)


Open Division

132 pounds: Joel Young (Keystone) defeated Jarbi Melvin (Down Under)

141 pounds: Marlon Bolen (Cherry Lane) defeated Edwin Reyes (Round One)

152 pounds: David Grayton (Headbangers) defeated Damont Giddins (Down Under)

152 pounds: Tyrell Newton (Dream Team) defeated Kenneth Browne (Keely's Boxing Gym)

165 pounds: Travis Peterkin (Charm City) defeated Jarrett Hurd (Hillcrest)

178 pounds: Mario Murphy (Sugar Ray Leonard Center) defeated Sulleman Harrington (Hillcrest)

178 pounds: Thomas Williams (Cherry Lane) defeated Dominic Williamson (Upton)

201 pounds: Mario Flores (Keely's Boxing Gym) defeated Alex Guerrero (Main Street Gym)

The 201-pound open bout closed tonight's action and the bout was not only the best bout of the night, but probably the best bout of the tournament so far. Both guys landed standing eight counts and landed tremendous blows throughout the contest. The decision of the judges possibly could have come down to Guerrero losing a point for spitting out his mouthpiece in the second round.

The two warriors received a much-deserved standing ovation after the bout was over. Because of the victory, Flores has advanced to the finals that will take place on Friday, March 27 at the Waldorf Jaycees Community Center in Waldorf, MD.

But first, there are the semi-finals that will take place at the Sugar Ray Leonard Center on Saturday, March 21 at 7:30 PM.

Jargal Wins By KO in Winchester!

All I have are results, but I'm expecting for a full report from my Fightnews.com colleague Joe Gradowski sometime on Sunday for the Left Hook Boxing card at the Winchester Sportsplex in Winchester, VA tonight.

The main event saw Arlington, VA lightweight "The Mongolian Mongoose" Bayan Jargal remain undefeated with a third-round knockout over Reggie Nash of Grand Rapids, MI. Jargal is now 11-0-1, eight KO's while Nash falls to 9-21-1, two KO's.

In the co-feature, Warren "The Mack" Clatterbuck of Front Royal, VA won a six-round unanimous decision over the debuting Dave Spechlor of Winchester. Clatterbuck is now 7-0, three KO's.

Heavyweight "Big" Jon Haggler of Arlington, VA scored a second-round knockout over Benito Fernandez of Spartansburg, SC. Haggler is now 19-3, 14 KO's while Fernandez is now 19-17, six KO's.

In other bouts on the card, Winchester heavyweight Scott Hosaflook won his first pro bout, capturing a four-round unanimous decision over the returning John Stewart of DC. Hosaflook is now 1-3 while Stewart is 3-12.

Front Royal cruiser Danny "Demon" Shull also saw a pro victory for the first time as he defeated the debuting Abloyt Abashi,now fighting out of Silver Spring by way of Ghana by four-round unanimous decision.

And the celebrated pro debut of Arlington's Justin Ridgeway was a successful one as he captured a four-round unanimous decision over DC's Calvin "Shotgun" Aughtrey, who is now 0-6.

Tucker Weights 177 For Massachusetts Bout; Wade Tips In at 161 1/2 in Mississippi!

Eldersburg, MD light heavyweight Mark "TNT" Tucker weighed in at 177 pounds today for his eight-round bout against Juergen Hartenstein tomorrow in Dorchester, MA. Hartenstein tipped the scales at 177 1/4.

The bout will be shown on www.GoFightLive.tv, but it will not be live. The feed will be available after 10 AM ET on March 15. The feed will cost $4.99.

In Tunica, MS, Largo, MD middleweight Dominic Wade weighed in at 161 1/2 for his pro debut against Chris Davis tomorrow night. Davis came in at 161 pounds.

Russell Jr. Part of ShoBox Tripleheader March 28!

Undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight Gary Russell, Jr. will open a ShoBox telecast on Saturday, March 28 at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, OK. Russell (2-0, one KO) will matchup against Kristen Magallon of Oxnard, CA (4-3, one KO) in a four-round contest.

Russell is coming off a four-round unanimous decision win over John Wampash on February 14 in Sunrise, FL. Magallon has lost his last two bouts.

The televised portion of the card will also include Andre Dirrell matching up against Derrick Findley and former American University basketball star Ronald Hearns (son of Tommy) taking on Harry Joe Yorgey.

March 14 Winchester Card Coming Together!

The Left Hook Promotions card slated for Saturday, March 14 at the Winchester Sportsplex in Winchester, VA is coming together with some interesting bouts.

The co-feature will match underfeated Warren "The Mack" Clatterbuck of Front Royal, VA taking on debuting Winchester, VA boxer Dave Spechlor in a four-round welterweight encounter.

Clatterbuck (6-0, three KO's) has not fought since his November 2007 third-round TKO win over Kendrick Archer in Springfield, VA. Spechlor is a three-time Toughman champion.

Also making his debut is Arlington, VA middleweight Justin Ridgeway who will take on DC's Calvin "Shotgun" Aughtrey (0-5) in a four-round matchup. Aughtrey is coming off a tough four-round loss against Jeremiah Wiggins on January 17 in Springfield.

Returning to action after a long absence is DC's John Stewart AKA Yahya Mustapha (3-11). Stewart fought as a welterweight from 1989-1997 and won his last two bouts before he started. Stewart will take on Winchester, VA's Scott Hosaflook (0-3) in a four-round bout.

Also on the card will be Front Royal cruiserweight Daniel Shull (0-5) who will look for his first win against the debuting Abloyt Abashi of Ghana, now fighting out of Silver Spring, MD.

Undefeated Arlington, VA lightweight "The Mongolian Mongoose" Bayan Jargal will be in the main event. Jargal (10-0-1, seven KO's) will take on Grand Rapids, MI veteran Reggie Nash (9-20-1, two KO's) in an eight-round bout. Also cruiserweight Jon Haggler is slated to be on this card.

Bout Sheet for Quarterfinals of Washington Golden Gloves!

Here is the bout sheet for Quarterfinal action at the Washington Golden Gloves Championship Tournament at the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center in Palmer Park, MD:

Junior Division:

15-16, 156 pounds (championship) : Andres Perdomo (Nomis) vs. Demond Nicholson (Cherry Lane)

Ricky Sanabria (Down Under) is the 2009 16-year-old, 132 pound champion.

Novice Division

125 pounds: Jonathan Gonzales (Nomis) vs. Almenson Delacruz (Round One)

132 pounds: Hlan Thaw (Loch Raven) vs. Cortland Perkins (Upton)

141 pounds: Onyelechi Nudka (Round One) vs. Deamonte Green (Nomis)

152 pounds: Kody Davis (Hagerstown) vs. Charles Brumfield (Dream Team)

152 pounds: Jose Murphy (Sugar Ray Leonard Center) vs. Marques Taylor (Tony's Gym)

165 pounds: Jake Sharper (Hagerstown) vs. Jeremay Trussell (Upton)

165 pounds: Andre Thomas (UMAR) vs. Reginald Lucas (Upton)

178 pounds: Alexis Lefevbre (Midtown) vs. Zwade Haynes (Baltimore Boxing)

201 pounds: Ben July (Round One) vs. Nyonteh Sipply (Loch Raven)

201 pounds: Craig Klen (Sugar Ray Leonard Center) vs. Ricardino Matos (Tony's Gym)


Open Division:

132 pounds: Joel Young (Keystone) vs. Jarbi Melvin (Down Under)

141 pounds: Edwin Reyes (Round One) vs. Marlon Bolen (Cherry Lane)

152 pounds: Damont Giddins (Down Under) vs. David Grayton (Headbangers)

152 pounds: Tyrell Newton (Dream Team) vs. Kenneth Browne (Keely's Boxing)

165 pounds: Travis Peterkin (Charm City) vs. Jarrett Hurd (Hillcrest)

178 pounds: Sulieman Harrington (Hillcrest) vs. Mario Murphy (Sugar Ray Leonard Center)

178 pounds: Dominic Williamson (Upton) vs. Thomas Williams (Cherry Lane)

201 pounds: Mario Flores (Keely's Boxing) vs. Alex Guerrero (Main Street Gym)

Tucker, Wade in Action Saturday!

Undefeated Eldersburg, MD light heavyweight Mark "TNT" Tucker returns to action this Saturday, March 14 when he takes on veteran Juergen Hartenstein in an eight-round co-feature encounter at the Dorchester Armory in Dorchester, MA.

Tucker (7-0, six KO's) is coming off a devastating first-round knockout over Richard Stewart on February 20 at the Shipley Arena in Westminster, MD. Hartenstein, a native of Germany now residing in Philadelphia, PA. (12-13-1, seven KO's) got off to a good start early in his career, but has fallen on hard times recently. Hartenstein had lost nine bouts in a row before stopping Shawn Hinkle in the first round in September of 2008 in Mayetta, KN.

And it looks like Largo, MD super middleweight Dominic Wade may finally make his pro debut. Wade is scheduled to take on undefeated Chris Davis of Atlanta, GA (3-0, one KO) on Saturday at Fitzgerald's Casino and Hotel in Tunica, MS.

Potomac Valley and USA Boxing Announces 'Gloves Not Guns" Program!

This week, the Potomac Valley Association -- the representative body of amateur boxing in DC and Prince George's and Montgomery County -- in association with USA Boxing and the United States Olympic Committee, is starting a program this week called "Gloves Not Guns."

The objective of the Gloves Not Guns program is to attract and involve more young people in the sport of amateur boxing and provide positive choices for youth which will then have a positive effect on the community.

“We are delighted about this program coming to our area," said Jerry Jerome, President of Potomac Valley Association in a press release. "The disciplines associated with Olympic-style boxing will encourage our youth to have a more fit and healthy lifestyle as well as utilizing better choices in regards to conflicts.

Here's how the program will work. Four local boxing clubs with certified coaches will host various clinics to introduce amateur boxing elements and exercises to new members FREE of charge. The focus will be on exercise and conditioning elements associated with the sport to improve your level of fitness. Participants will learn about boxing, conditioning, and training from certified instructors and supervised sparring matches.

This will be a seven-week program that will be open to all ages which includes a FREE USA Boxing, Inc. membership good for 2009 ( normally valued at $40). There will be a graduation ceremony at the completion of the program as well as a boxing competition hosted by Peak Performance Association in July.

Here are the four locations of the participating boxing clubs:

Round One Boxing and Fitness Center -- 4519 Rhode Island Avenue, North Brentwood, MD. Hosting clinics on Mon. & Wed. from 5 – 7 p.m. Contact Adrian Davis at (301) 768-3003.

Tony’s Boxing and Fitness Center -- 2201 Shannon Place, S.E., Washington, DC. Hosting clinics on Tues. & Thurs. from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Contact Tony Bell, Sr. at (202) 889-5711.

Old School Boxing Gym -- 3402 Bonita Street, Hillcrest Heights, MD. Hosting clinics on Tues. & Thurs from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Contact Buddy Harrison at (202) 320-5576.

DC Parks and Recreation (Bald Eagle Rec Center) -- 100 Joliet Street, S.W., Washington, DC. Hosting clinics on Tues. & Thurs. from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Contact Marshall Cunningham at (202) 645-3960.

Classes begin this week. (Yes, the ones at Round One begin tonight.)

Evening Results From 'Rumble at Ritchie' & Breaking Collegiate Boxing News!

Here are the results from the evening session of the University of Maryland Boxing Invitational (the Rumble at Ritchie) at Ritchie Coliseum last night:

The host Terps Boxing team were featured in the night session and won seven of 11 contests. All-American 185-pounder Mark Shorr defeated Josh Fernandez of the United States Naval Academy. Terps Team Captain Josh Stone won a heavyweight contest over the Navy's Nathan Jester.

In the 119-pound contest, Maryland's Ralph Shui defeated Navy's Logan Hershman. The 156-pound contest saw Will McConnell of Maryland defeat Amado Nieto of Georgetown University.

In the 165-pound bout, Maryland's Henry Figueroa defeated Mike Smitsky of Gettysburg while EJ Mead won over Erich DeHart of Navy in a 135-pound bout. Also, Maryland heavyweight Steve Pfister defeated Nick Hvizdzak of West Virginia University.

Navy did win two bouts in the evening session. Paul Hollwedel won the 142-pound bout over Maryland's John Yoo and 175-pounder Mike Steadman won his bout over Rene Rosario of West Virginia University.

In other bouts, Jake Rossman of Indiana University of Pennsylvania won his 175-pound bout over Mitch Levine of Maryland while VMI's Jonathan Santos won his 175-pound contest over West Virginia University's Mauricio Vargas. In a 150-pound bout, Ben Booker of the University of North Carolina defeated Maryland's Eric Liu.

There were two women's bouts on the card. Lauren Fisher of Indiana University of Pennsylvania defeated WVU's Krysta Bailey in a 125-pound bout while Danielle Gabordi of the University of North Carolina won over Maryland's Kerry Conroy in a 120-pound contest.

Now the breaking news. We already know that the University of Maryland will be hosting the National Collegiate Boxing Championships at Ritchie Coliseum on April 2-4. Now comes word that the state of Maryland will now host the Eastern Collegiate Regional Championships that will take place Friday through Sunday, March 20-22 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.

Apparently, organizers for this event were originally looking for sites in either Ocean City or Atlantic City but the local casinos and hotels were unwilling to negotiate an acceptable hotel rate. Kudos to Rosecroft for hosting this event on relatively short notice. The winners from this event will participate in the nationals at Ritchie Coliseum two weeks later.

Rivera, Robles, Sigmon Victorious in Fluvanna!

Charlottsville, VA junior middleweight George "Wartime" Rivera survived a first-round knockdown to win a six-round unanimous decision over late sub Ike Ezeji of the Bronx, NY in front of his hometown crowd at his alma mater, Fluvanna County High School in Fluvanna, VA.

Ezeji scored the knockdown reportedly with a right hand, although some reportedly thought it was a slip. However, Rivera came back very strong in front of a raucous crowd and won the bout on all three cards, 58-55. With the win, Rivera raises his record to 10-4, three KO's. Ezeji is now 7-16-1, two KO's.

In the co-feature, Waynesboro, VA cruiserweight "El Guerro" Juan Carlos Robles won a six-round unanimous decision over late sub Francois Ambangof Mechanicsville, VA. Robles had a tougher than expected time against Ambang, who has only two pro bouts, but looked good in his last outing, a victory against Otganbayer Daivii on February 20 in Westminister, MD. Ambang caught Robles with nice shots early, but Robles was able to use a left jab and followed up with power combinations.
Robles is now 12-2, five KO's while Ambang is now 1-2.

Also on the card, Bedford, VA light heavy Scott "Cujo" Sigmon stopped Virginia Beach, VA's Frankie "The Freight Train" Filippone in the third round when Filippone, a Virginia Beach police officer, injured his hand. Sigmon is now 5-1, two KO's while Filippone loses for the first time and he is 2-1, one KO.

The opening bout of the night saw Akron, OH’s Dannon Svab (6-5-1, four KO's) stop the debuting Duane Douglas of Pittsburgh, PA with a big right hand about 30 seconds into the heavyweight contest. Douglas couldn’t beat the count of ten.

The next Major League Boxing card will be on Saturday, April 11th at the Lynchburg Armory in Lynchburg, VA.

'Trainer of Champions' Davis Turns 65!

Normally, I don't do birthday wishes, because once you start, you have to try and do for everyone. But when a legend reaches a milestone, I make an exception. Therefore --

BATB sends its fondest birthday wishes to legendary trainer and co-owner of the Round One Gymnasium in Bladensburg, MD, Adrian Davis, who turns 65 years young today.

Davis, a welterweight boxer from 1965-1972, has trained 14 world champions during his long career including the likes of Sharmba Mitchell, William Joppy, Keith Holmes and Hasim Rahman.

More importantly, Mr. Davis, along with his wife Brenda (the First Lady of Amateur Boxing), has helped steer countless numbers of young kids on the right path to being good citizens through the Round One program.

Happy Birthday and many, many more, Mr. Davis!

Day 3 Golden Gloves Results!

Three more Junior Division champions were crowned last night on the third day of competition at the Washington Golden Gloves Tournament at the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center in Palmer Park, MD. Here are those results:

9-10, 60 pounds: Dwayne Holmes, Jr. (Old School Boxing) defeated Chris Normile (Cherry Lane)

9-10, 75 pounds: Mansabury Conde (Cherry Lane) defeated Daniel Walsh (Old School)

15, 152 pounds: Xavier Ward (Supreme Defence) defeated Justin Hurd (Hillcrest)

In Novice Division results:

132 pounds: Seth Billups (Old School) RSC-3 over Winfield Goldring (Upton)

141 pounds: Johnny DaSilva (Round One) defeated Daryean Gomez (Cherry Lane)

152 pounds: Marques Taylor (Tony's Gym) defeated Darryl Jacobs (Nomis)

152 pounds: Charles Brumfield (Dream Team) RSC-3 over Pavel Mimchev (Unattached)

178 pounds: Manuel Ramos (Olympia Boxing) defeated Quincey Nelson (Hillcrest)


In Open Division results:

132 pounds: Charles Dobbins (Club One) defeated Hugh Hinds (Keely's Boxing)

132 pounds: Elvis Medrano (Old School) defeated Roger Blackburn (Upton Boxing) This was the bout of the night -- incredible back and forth action.

141 pounds: Cornelius Whitlock (Midtown) RSC-2 over Zachary Macintosh (Frederick)

141 pounds: Marlon Bolen (Cherry Lane) defeated DeMarcus Wiley (Sugar Ray Leonard Center)

152 pounds: Alantez Fox (Dream Team) defeated Sherman Artis (Club One)

165 pounds: Eric Govan (Jeff Gordon/Laurel) defeated Allan Perkins (Frederick)

165 pounds: Jarrett Hurd (Hillcrest) defeated Barrington Smallwood (Tony's Gym)

The quarterfinal round will be on Saturday, March 14 at the Sugar Ray Leonard Gym beginning at 7:30 PM.

Mitchell Scores Crushing KO in San Jose; Allen Defeats Harsley by Majority Decision in York!

Heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell of Brandywine, MD did not waste any time remaining undefeated as he scored a devastating first-round knockout over Joseph Rabotte of Myrtle Beach, SC last night at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA.

According to Fightnews.com, Mitchell put Rabotte out on his feet against the ropes with a big right hook, then dropped him with another right hook before the referee could jump in and save him. The bout was stopped at 1:19 of the first.

Mitchell is now 10-0-1, seven KO's while Rabotte falls to 3-5, one KO.

Meanwhile, in York, PA, Laurel, MD junior middleweight Norman "The Shadow" Allen won a four-round majority decision over "The Capitol Punisher" Spencer Harsley of DC. No details on the bout except the scores were very close. Judge Jack Castellani scored the bout even at 37-37 while judges Robert Grasso and Gary Rosato saw the bout for Allen, 38-36 and 38-37, respectively.

This is the second time Allen has defeated Harsley. Allen won by fourth-round TKO last April in Glen Burnie, MD. Allen's record is now 6-1, three KO's while Harsley drops to 1-9-2.

Snyder Loses Unanimous Decision in Montreal!

In what was considered to be the most exciting bout of the day, "The OC Bomber" Joshua Snyder lost an eight-round unanimous decision to Walid Schmidt at the Casino De Montreal in Montreal, Canada.

Snyder battled through four knockdowns, three in the first two rounds of the bout. Snyder recovered however and won three of the eight rounds of the contest. Schmidt won the contest by scores of 78-71 and 77-71 (twice).

Snyder's record falls to 8-4-1, three KO's while Schmidt's record rises to 20-5-3, 14 KO's.

Afternoon Session Complete at 'Rumble at Ritchie!"

The afternoon session is in the books at the University of Maryland Boxing Invitational also known as the "Rumble at Ritchie" taking place at Ritchie Coliseum.

A number of Beltway-area college boxers perfomed well. Three boxers from the United States Naval Academy won bouts today. In the 165-pound class, Jake Tenorio defeated Justin Postal of Penn State University. Evan Nordstrom won a 195-pound bout by RSC-1 over Brian White of West Virginia University. Also, Chris Bertucci defeated Ian Shaw of West Virginia University in a 156-pound bout.

In other bouts, Tom Quinn boxers won two bouts on today's card. Daniel Bunker defeated West Virginia University's Matt Gooding in a 175-pound contest and Aleksander Olesker defeated Gettysburg's Norbie Pendergast in a 142-pound bout. However, Rob Merrill of Georgetown lost to Salisbury State University's Bobby Hammond. Among the trainers working Hammond's corner were Fernando Guerrero and his brother Carmelo.

Also on the card, 190-pounder Pierce Cole of Penn State University RSC-1 over Gettysburg's Chris Jay. In a 200-pound contest, Mohammad Balde of Indiana University of Pennsylvania defeated Ron Dixon of West Virginia University. In a women's bout, Amanda Montemore of Penn State University won a 125-pound matchup over Mary Giles of West Virginia University.

The evening session is slated to start at 7 PM. The Maryland Boxing Team will be featured during the session and Discombobulating Jones will serve as ring announcer.

Beltway Boxing Rematch Added to Card in York, PA!

A rematch of two Beltway Boxers has been added to the Battle At York 3 card at the Valencia Ballroom in York, PA this evening.

Laurel, MD junior middleweight Norman "The Shadow" Allen will take on DC's "Capitol Punisher" Spencer Harsley in a four-round rematch of their April 2008 bout at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD. Allen (5-1, three KO's) defeated Harsley (1-8-2) by fourth-round TKO.

There may be a snag that may prevent the bout from taking place. The two men weighed in yesterday. Allen came in at 147 1/2 while Harsley tipped the scales at 152 1/2. The Allen camp wants Harsley to lose two pounds before the bout will take place. We'll keep you posted.

Mitchell Weighs 251 for San Jose Bout!

Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell weighed in at 251 pounds for his six-round contest against Joseph Rabotte tomorrow night at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA.

Rabotte weighed in at 244 for the contest which will be on the non-televised portion the HBO Boxing After Dark show.

Snyder Weighs 163 for Montreal Matchup!

Ocean City, MD junior middleweight "The OC Bomber" Joshua Snyder and his opponent, Walid Schmidt, weighed in at 163 pounds for their matchup tomorrow at the Casino de Montreal in Montreal, Canada.

The bout is the co-feature on the card and will be televised by SRC Radio Canada. I don't know whether you can see the bout over the internet. The card is listed to start at noon, but I don't know whether that is local time or US Eastern time.

L.Peterson Interim Title Bout Has New Date, Location & Network!

ESPN.com's Dan Rafael is reporting that there are three big changes to the WBO Interim Junior Welterweight championship bout between undefeated boxers Lamont Peterson and Willy Blain.

First, the date has changed. Originally, the bout was scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 4. The bout will now happen three weeks later on Saturday, April 25.

Second, the venue has changed. Originally, the bout was slated to take place in the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada as the co-feature to the junior welterweight unification bout between Timothy Bradley and Kendall Holt. Promoters for the Montreal card are having financial issues that forced the Peterson-Blain bout off the card. The bout has moved to Puerto Rico, where it will be the co-feature to the matchup between world champions Juan Manuel Lopez and Gerry Penalosa.

Third, the network has changed. The bout was scheduled to be the co-feature on Showtime Championship Boxing when it was on April 4. The bout now will be the opening contest on HBO's Boxing After Dark on April 25.

Peterson (26-0, 12 KOs) and Blain (20-0, 3 KOs) have a little bit of history. Peterson defeated Blain, a two-time member of the French Olympic team, in the amateurs.

Smith To Work Corner During ESPN2 Co-Feature!

There will be a familiar face tonight working a corner during the ESPN2 Friday Night Fights co-feature at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT.

Baltimore trainer Jake "The Snake" Smith will be in the corner of Jay Krupp when he battles Raymond Serrano in the eight-round contest. Smith will join legendary trainer Kevin Rooney in the corner.

Krupp (12-1, five KO's) is a native of New Orleans, LA but now has residences in the Catskills in New York. Krupp has been training at Smith's gym for the past two weeks. Rooney has also set up camp at Smith's Gym and will be training fighters there on a regular basis.

'Mayhem' Mitchell Added to Golden Boy Card in San Jose!

Undefeated Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell has been added to the Saturday, March 7 Golden Boy Promotions card at The Tank in San Jose, CA.

Mitchell (9-0-1, six KO's) will take on Joseph Rabotte of Myrtle Beach, SC (3-4, one KO) in a six-round encounter on the non-televised undercard. This is the HBO Boxing After Dark card featuring the NABO Junior Welterweight title bout between Mike Arnaoutis and Victor Ortiz. Mitchell, a Golden Boy prospect, is coming off a fifth-round TKO over Jason Bergman on January 23 at Martin's West in Woodlawn, MD. Rabotte just fought on February 25 and won a four-round majority decision over debuting Bedarin Toma in New York City.

Boxing Roars Into Virginia in March!

March will bring boxing in like a lion to the Commonwealth of Virginia with two shows on back-to-back Saturdays.

The first show, coming this Saturday, March 7, is a little off the Beltway path but features some Beltway Boxers. Major League Boxing promotions is having a show at the Fluvanna County High School Gym in Fluvanna, VA (near Charlottesville). Headlining the show will be a graduate of the high school, middleweight George "Wartime" Rivera . Rivera (9-4, three KO's) will take on Daniel "Magic" Gonzalez of Billings, MT (9-21-2, three KO's) in a six-round encounter. Rivera will be looking to bounce back from a tough six-round split decision loss to Rodney Green in Staunton, VA on January 31. A win for Rivera will set up a rematch with Green next month in Lynchburg, VA.

Waynesboro, VA cruiserweight "El Guerro" Juan Carlos Robles (11-2, five KO's) will also be on the card taking on veteran Gary Lavender of Winston-Salem, NC (7-12, six KO's) in another six-round bout. Robles is coming off a strong six-round unanimous decision victory over Ed Gutierrez on the Staunton card on January 31. Lavender has faced a number of Beltway Boxers in the past including Corey Cummings, Carlos Jones, Mike Paschall and Mark Tucker.
All four of them stopped Lavender, however Jones's win was later declared a no contest because Jones tested positive for a controlled substance.

Also, Bedford, VA light heavyweight Scott "Cujo" Sigmon (4-1, one KO) will be on the bill, taking on undefeated Frankie "Freight Train" Filippone of Virginia Beach, VA (2-0, one KO) in a four-round encounter.

Then on Saturday, March 14, Left Hook Boxing will put on a card at the Winchester Sportsplex in Winchester, VA. Details are still a little sketchy, but we do know that undefeated Arlington, VA lightweight "The Mongolian Mongoose" Bayan Jargal is slated to headline the card. Front Royal, VA's Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer was scheduled to be on the show, but Farmer hurt himself on his other job.

Snow Battles Undefeated Boxley March 21 in Minnesota!

Capitol Heights MD super bantamweight Thomas "KO" Snow returns to action when he travels to St. Paul Minnesota on Saturday, March 21.

Snow (10-1, eight KO's) will take on undefeated Willshaun Boxley (5-0, three KO's) of Coon Rapids, MN in an eight-round main event at the St. Paul Armory. Snow has not fought since suffering his first pro defeat -- a second-round TKO loss to Teon Kennedy on July 18 in Philadelphia, PA. Boxley is coming off a third-round TKO victory over Felix Martinez on February 13 in Minneapolis.

Bout Sheet for Third Night of Golden Gloves Action!

The bout sheet has been announced for the third night of action in the Washington Golden Gloves Championship Tournament on Saturday, March 7 at the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center in Palmer Park, MD.

The Open Division bouts begin on March 7 plus there are three Junior Division championship bouts. Here's the scheduled list of bouts.

Junior Division:

9-10, 60 pounds (Championship): Dwayne Holmes, Jr. (Old School) vs. Chris Normile (Cherry Lane)

9-10, 75 pounds (Championship): Mansabury Conde (Cherry Lane) vs. Daniel Walsh (Old School)

15, 152 pounds (Championship): Xavier Ward (Supreme Defence) vs. Justin Hurd (Hillcrest)

Novice Division:

132 pounds: Seth Billups (Old School) vs. Winfield Goldring (Upton)

141 pounds: Daryean Gomez (Cherry Lane) vs. Johnny DaSilva (Round One)

152 pounds: Marquis Taylor (Tony's Boxing Gym) vs. Darryl Jacobs (Nomis)

152 pounds: Stephen Waltrip (Club One) vs. Pavel Mimchev (unattached)

152 pounds: Charles Brumfield (Dream Team) vs. Kuome Ritter (Laurel)

178 pounds: Manuel Ramos (Olympia Boxing) vs. Quincey Nelson (Hillcrest)

201+ pounds: Shadeed Reed (Hagerstown) vs. Lydell Fletcher (BAA)

Open Division

132 pounds: Charles Dobbins (Club One) vs. Hugh Hinds (Keely's Boxing Gym)

132 pounds: Roger Blackburn (Upton) vs. Elvis Medrano (Old School)

141 pounds: Kevin Womack, Jr. (BAA) vs. Edwin Reyes (Round One)

141 pounds: Zachary McIntosh (Frederick) vs. Cornelius Whitlock (Midtown)

141 pounds: Marlon Bolen (Cherry Lane) vs. Demarcus Wiley (Sugar Ray Leonard Gym)

152 pounds: Alantez Fox (Dream Team) vs. Sherman Artis (Club One)

152 pounds: Tyrell Newton (Dream Team) vs. Christopher Milton (Club One)

152 pounds: Kevin Borders (Old School) vs. Kenneth Browne (Keely's Boxing Gym)

165 pounds: Dwayne Mills (Hillcrest) vs. Patrick Genova (Young Titans)

165 pounds: Allan Perkins (Frederick) vs. Jeff Govan (Jeff Gordon/Laurel)

165 pounds: Barrington Smallwood (Tony's Gym) vs. Jarrett Hurd (Hillcrest)

Ballroom Boxing Teams With Houston Promotion for 2009 Schedule!

The Ballroom Boxing 2009 schedule will mark a new direction for the 13-year-old promotion. The Scott Wagner-led promotion has entered into a full-fledged partnership with TKO Promotions of Houston, TX for six shows during the year. The first one will take place on Thursday April 2 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.

The partnership between the two companies actually began last year with two shows -- the Jonathan Odgen Foundation benefit card at Martin's Valley Mansion in Cockeysville, MD in October and a card at Michael's Eighth Avenue last November.

Ballroom Boxing is now a part of TKO's series of concept cards entitled "Hometown Heroes to World Champions." TKO has promoted a number of these shows throughout the country over the last year.

“We have three exciting shows planned for this spring and if all goes according to plan Ballroom Boxing and TKO Boxing Promotions will really make its mark in this area at the same time as it establishes itself as one of the home bases for TKO,” said Wagner in a press release.

“We’re thrilled to work with the Ballroom Boxing team as we move into the Baltimore area with our Hometown Heroes to World Champions series," said Chet Koerner, president of TKO Boxing Promotions. "Boxing fans across the country are packing venues to see their favorite local fighters in world class action and that’s our commitment to Baltimore fight fans.”

The partnership may open up another avenue for Wagner and Ballroom Boxing -- the opportunity to actually sign boxers. This is something that Wagner has avoided over his promotional career because of the realization that after developing a world-class prospect, Wagner would have to eventually sign the boxer to a promotion with more national visability.

"With this strategic alliance with TKO," Wagner said, "I can now sign a fighter, develop him together with TKO, and if he really becomes a top pro, with TKO's cross country reach, we can promote him nationally."

Both promotions share the same matchmaker -- Chris Middendorf -- and that, Wagner says, has helped make this an easy partnership.

“Chris knows how the shows work here and what sort of quality that our fans demand. With him already working for both Ballroom and TKO, this will be a seamless transition,”said Wagner.

Wagner will have a busy year because along with the boxing cards, Wagner will begin his "Ballroom Battlefield" mixed martial arts series.

'Keep Em Sleepin' Stevenson in Eight-Round Main Event March 19 in Woodlawn!

Undefeated Baltimore junior middleweight James "Keep 'Em Sleepin" Stevenson will headline the Thursday, March 19 Baltimore Pro Boxing card at Martin's West in Woodlawn, MD.

Stevenson will risk his perfect record (6-0, six KO's) by participating in his first scheduled eight-round contest against Charlotte, NC's Ken Dunham (5-7, three KO's). Stevenson was successful in his last visit to Martin's West, scoring a second-round TKO over Darrett Crockett on January 23. Dunham, meanwhile, lost a close four-round majority decision to Lenwood Dozier on February 20 in Westminster, MD.

There are two six-round co-features slated for this card. Catonsville, MD super middleweight "Irish" Glenn Williams (6-4-1, five KO's) will take on Lumberton, NC's Michael Rayner (6-11, five KO's). Williams scored a second-round TKO over John Terry on the January 23 Martin's card. Rayner lost a six-round unanimous decision to Dennis Hasson on January 31 in Philadelphia, PA.

Also, undefeated Randallstown, MD middleweight Cecil McCalla will participate in his very first scheduled six-rounder against Charlotte's Noe Hernandez. McCalla (5-0, two KO's) scored a second-round TKO against Brett Taylor on January 30 in Morgantown, WVA. Hernandez (5-1, two KO's) looks like he may be a tough foe as he has won three straight and has already been a full eight-round distance three times in his young career.

In four-round action, Windsor Mill, MD middleweight Julius Kennedy will face DC's Roy Cooke. Both men have not fought since participating in separate bouts at Martin's Valley Mansion in Cockeysville, MD on October 30 of last year. Kennedy (3-1, one KO) won a four-round unanimous decision over Al Bussey while Cooke (0-1) made his pro debut on that card and lost a four-round unanimous decision to Antonio Walls.

Also, Baltimore junior middleweight Omar Sims (1-0, one KO) will make his Maryland debut against an opponent to be determined. Sims won his pro debut last October 17, scoring a second-round TKO over Kendall Batts in Winston-Salem, NC.

There will also be three long-awaited pro debuts slated for this card. Two of those debuts will happen in the same bout as middleweight Emmanuel Taylor of Baltimore will take on Damien Butler of Glenarden, MD. Both of these boxers were standouts in the amateurs so this should be a great bout.

Another former amateur standout -- Angelo Ward of Baltimore -- will make his maiden voyage into the pros as he takes on Laurel, MD's Dwayne Martin in a super featherweight contest. Martin made his pro debut on May 3 of last year when he defeated Ahmed Poskovic by second-round TKO in District Heights, MD.

This will be the first of three shows that Baltimore Pro Boxing will have within a six-week period. There are also shows scheduled for Friday, April 10 at DuBurns Arena in Baltimore and Thursday, April 30 back at Martin's West.

By the way, the two April shows will be a big part of a HUGE April for Beltway Boxing. After the March 19 card, I will post the entire April schedule, which has some big events on both the amateur and the pro side.