In 2008, two Beltway middleweights provided fans with two of the most talked-about contests in recent local history. Now, we get a chance to see if they learned enough from those battles to progress to the next level.
Baltimore's Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow and George "Wartime" Rivera of Fluvanna, VA, who exchanged victories against one another, will be involved in important road bouts later this month.
Nicklow (19-1-1, seven KO's) will take on undefeated Cuban sensation Erislandy Lara on Friday, May 22 at the Fontainbleau Hotel in Miami, FL. The bout will be an eight-round televised co-feature on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights. It will be Nicklow's national TV debut and the first time he will battle outside the Beltway area. It will also be the first contest with new trainer David Sewell.
Nicklow has not fought since losing the second Rivera bout by eight-round unanimous decision on November 1 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. Lara (5-0, three KO's) fought yesterday on the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton undercard in Las Vegas and scored a four-round unanimous decision over Chris Gray. Lara, who lives in Germany, has never gone past four rounds in his young pro career.
On Saturday, May 30, Rivera (10-4, three KO's) will take on Keenan Collins of York, PA (12-5-2, eight KO's) in a six-round contest at the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA. Rivera has fought twice since the two Nicklow bouts, losing a split decision to Rodney Green in January and winning a unanimous decision over Ike Ezeji in March.
Collins was considered a rising prospect until he lost an eight-round split decision to Jose Angel Rodriguez in July of 2007. Collins is winless in his last five bouts (0-4-1) including a first-round stoppage by veteran Doel Carrasquillo during that stretch. Collins fought twice in the Beltway area in two tough bouts against Martinus Clay at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD in 2005. The two fought to a six-round draw in the first bout and Collins won the second by eight-round split decision.
George will lose that fight. He will get knock out for sure.
ReplyDeleteGood job Joe Hensley
George will do his stuff!
ReplyDeleteJessie sounds like a great fight for you! Good luck.
You have mislabeled your title Gary. That is not a step-up for Nicklow. That is a quantum leap. Good luck and hopefully he will show as well as Paschall did against Direll.
ReplyDeleteGeorge do your thing and work hard to show any haters you can stand your ground
ReplyDeleteJoe Hensley,
ReplyDeleteAre you going to set a fight up between Justin Ridgway and Scott Sigmon?
Geroge keep doing what you do. You will come out with a VICTORY. This and every fight here on will open a new door to the top. Stay focus.
ReplyDeleteRome
George cant beat D- fighters like Rodney Green, he will get stopped by a guy who lost his last 5 fights.
ReplyDeleteGood job Joe
hey G,,do u have any info on the national golden gloves yet?
ReplyDeleteIt's WARTIME baby!! I love it..you still have your haters. He who angers you, conquers you!
ReplyDeleteGeorge...Don't sweat the SMALL STUFF.
George do you, stay focused, train hard and keep the faith.
Peace, J Yeiser
Haters only hate the things that they can't get and the people they can't be.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck War Time.
To all my primo George haters--
ReplyDelete"Hating on a certain name only gives them fame."
If you hate WARTIME or what he's reppin then click the [x] and get to steppin!
Mucho Amor,
tu prima Maribel
Ponce, PR
what a fight!!! surely the winners of that night took Generic Viagra, but really that night was full with blood and action.
ReplyDelete