Celebrating BATB's Anniversary!

This is the 1,837th post that I have made to Boxing Along The Beltway in the past five years. Since this date in 2005, I have tried my best to keep everyone updated on the boxing action in DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia.

As we get ready for year six, let me once again thank all the supporters of this endeavor. It is truly a labor of love. Thanks especially to the boxers themselves because, obviously, without them, I would have nothing to do. Thanks also to the trainers, managers, promoters, commissions and all other persons involved in the Beltway Boxing scene.

Some more numbers for you.

As of this moment, 23,102 people have listened to the BATB Gabcast channel, which features the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up Show. Thank you for listening and thanks to folks like "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears, Henry "Discombobulating" Jones, Tom Luffman, Kurt Wolfheimer, Joe Hensley, Quentin Coles and Chris Nicholson for joining me (and in some cases, filling in for me) through most of the 183 programs on the channel. And thanks also to Amir Peay and UndisputedBrand.com for their support of the Post-Fight show.

BATB has covered 114 area cards since this day in 2005, 75 in Maryland, 28 in Virginia and 11 in DC.

Once again, thanks so much for your support and as the phrase says, we "keep on keepin' on!"

Lange Defends USNBC Title September 26 VS Contender Teammate!

Great Falls, VA junior middleweight Jimmy Lange will defend his WBC USNBC Junior Middleweight title against former Contender teammate Jonathan "Reid Dawg" Reid in a 12-round main event Saturday, September 26 on an ICE Promotions card at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA.

Lange (30-3-2, 21 KO's) will fight at the Patriot Center for the eighth consecutive time. Lange's last outing saw him win the USNBC title with a fifth-round stoppage of Frank Houghtaling on May 2.

Reid (34-11, 19 KO's) has had a tough time in the ring since "The Contender," winning just once in his last 11 bouts, including losses to Paul Smith (Contender - Season 3), Pawel Wolak, Dhafir Smith, and Maxim Vlasov.

Also scheduled to be on this card are former WBO Junior Welterweight champion DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley, "The Mongolian Mongoose" Bayan Jargal, Juan "The Savior" Rodriguez, "The Bolivian Queen" Jennifer Salinas and Tony "Mo Better" Jeter.

This is slated to be the third championship bout in September. We know that Baltimore light heavyweight Henry "Hurricane" Mayes will defend his Maryland State Title against Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall on Friday, September 11 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore. We have also been told that Mark "TNT" Tucker of Eldersburg may go after the vacant USBO Light Heavyweight title on Friday, September 25 at Shipley Arena in Westminster. We'll keep you posted.

Beltway Boxers Hitting The Road Again!

The rest of the summer will find a number of Beltway Boxers scheduled to be on the road.

On Friday, July 31, undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight Gary Russell, Jr. is slated to be on a card at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, CA. The bout, however, seems to be in jeopardy because there is no reported opponent, yet. Russell (3-0, one KO) last fought on May 1 and won a four-round unanimous decision over Alvaro Muro in Santa Ynez, CA.

We mentioned that Takoma Park, MD's Willis "The Prophet" Lockett will be in an eight-round co-feature bout against undefeated Patrick Majewski at Bally's in Atlantic City, NJ on Saturday, August 8. Now comes word that Baltimore junior middleweight Omar Sims (2-1-2, one KO) is scheduled to be on the card in a four-round bout against Eddie Edmond of Newark, NJ (0-0-1). The card is scheduled to be shown on www.gofightlive.tv in a pay-per-view broadcast for $5.99.

Also, Stafford, VA heavyweight "The People's Champion" Jonathan Felton (6-16, five KO's) will be in Columbia, SC on August 8 in a main-event six-round contest against Columbia's Moultrie Witherspoon (14-2, eight KO's).

On Saturday, August 15, undefeated DC lightweight Anthony Peterson (28-0, 19 KO's) is slated to return to action in a 10-round bout against "El Vampiro" Luis Antonio Arceo (21-8-2, 14 KO's) of San Ysidro, CA at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. This card is scheduled to be an HBO pay-per-view but no official word yet on whether Peterson's bout will be part of the telecast.

According to a press release posted on Fightnews.com, Peterson is training for this bout in a rather interesting way.

Peterson is training under water to get ready for the bout, which will be on Top Rank’s "Pinoy Power 2" title card. It’s all part of Peterson’s plan to strengthen his right knee which was twisted during a long run while he was preparing for a fight in February.

Barry Hunter, chief trainer for Peterson, put together a training game plan: 12 laps to warm up, a series of squats, running and shadow boxing – all in the water. “After I train in the gym I head to a Rec Center (in Washington, D.C.) and get into the pool,” said Peterson. “It’s hard work in the water – I can hold my breath two minutes, five seconds – but worth it. I feel fantastic and I am ready to fight. Peterson was initially injured when he was scheduled to fight Edner Cherry on the Miguel Cotto vs. Michael Jennings fight card at Madison Square Garden. “I was running, heard something in my right knee, stopped and then got it examined,” said Peterson. “It was bad enough where I could not fight on Feb. 17. However, I am now healthy and ready to go.”

Meanwhile, Fightnews is reporting that WBO Interim Junior Welterweight champ Lamont Peterson and Hunter will be at ringside this weekend for the Timothy Bradley vs. Nate Campbell title fight at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Lamont is in line to fight the winner. Bradley is the WBO 140-pound world champion. “I just want to see Bradley and Campbell up close,” said Hunter.


Closer to home, Ballroom Boxing will make its first appearance in Hagerstown, MD on Thursday, August 27 at Hager Hall. No word yet on who will be on the card.

On Saturday, August 29, Major League Boxing returns to the City Armory in Lynchburg, VA. Scheduled to appear on this card are Scott "Cujo" Sigmon, George "Wartime" Rivera and Todd "White Lightning" Wilson plus others.

Back on the road, August 29 will be a busy night. In Fallon, NV, Arlington, VA lightweight "The Mongolian Mongoose" Bayan Jargal returns to action in a six-round contest against an opponent to be determined. Jargal (13-0-1, nine KO's) is coming off a fifth-round TKO over previously undefeated Josh Durden on July 25 in Hilton Head, SC.

Also on the 29th, undefeated Baltimore welterweight James "Keep 'Em Sleepin' Stevenson (10-0, nine KO's) is slated to be on a card in Winston-Salem, NC in a six-round contest against Adrian Redmond of Turnersburg, NC (4-6-1, three KO's). Also scheduled for that card will be Baltimore middleweight Cecil McCalla (9-0, four KO's), who will try to remain undefeated against veteran Richard "Tiger" Lee Hall of Rocky Mount, NC (10-21-2, six KO's) in a six-round encounter.

And, we've received word that Salisbury, MD middleweight Fernando Guerrero will headline a show in Tunica, MS on the 29th. Guerrero (14-0, 12 KO's) will take on Louis Turner of Chicago, IL (12-3, eight KO's) in an eight-round contest.

As we know, all of the bouts can be changed or cancelled without notice and we'll keep you posted if that happens.

More BATB Anniversary Numbers!

As we approach July 31, the birthday of Boxing Along The Beltway, here are some more anniversary numbers.

Since the start of BATB on July 31, 2005, 28 boxers have appeared on national TV a total of 66 times. In 2008, Beltway Boxers made 25 appearances on national TV.

The won-loss record in national TV appearances is 34-29-2, 1 NC, 16 KO’s.

The breakdown:

ESPN2: 32 times
Showtime: 14 times
HBO six times
Versus: five times
Pay-Per-View: four times
Fox Sports Net: two times
Telefutura: two times
NBC: one time



Lamont Peterson has the most national TV appearances with nine times.

The rest of the list:

Hasim Rahman – seven times

Anthony Peterson – six times

Darnell Wilson – four times

Henry Buchanan –four times

Sharmba Mitchell – three times

Tony Thompson – three times

Eric Aiken – three times

Fernando Guerrero – three times

Teddy Reid – two times

Dean White – two times

Emmanuel Nwodo – two times

Gary Russell, Jr. – two times

DeMarcus Corley – two times

Luther Smith, Michael Warrick, Lamont Pearson, Joshua Snyder, Horace Grant, Tyrell Samuel, George Rivera, Mike Paschall, Ishmail Arvin, Alexander Johnson, Daniel Attah, Bayan Jargal, Tim Coleman, Keith Gross – once

The first Beltway Boxer to appear on national TV in the BATB era:

Luther Smith, who appeared on ESPN2 on August 5, 2005 and lost to Delvin Rodriguez.

The first to win on National TV -- Hasim Rahman, who captured the WBC Interim Heavyweight title with a win over Monte Barrett on August 13, 2005 on a KingVision PPV.

Jargal Remains Undefeated; Harrison Wins Third Junior Golden Gloves Title; Mayes to Defend Maryland Title Against Paschall!

Undefeated Arlington, VA lightweight "The Mongolian Mongoose" Bayan Jargal remained undefeated with a fifth-round TKO over previously undefeated Josh Durden of Aiken, SC last night in Hilton Head, SC. According to reports, Jargal eventually broke down Durden and stopped him in the fifth.

With the win, Jargal is now 13-0-1, nine KO's while Durden is now 6-1, four KO's.

In Mesquite, NV, amateur standout Dusty Harrison won his third straight National Junior Golden Gloves championship. Harrison boxed at 138 pounds.

As announced on the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up, Baltimore Pro Boxing promoter Jake Smith announced that Maryland State Light Heavyweight champion Henry "Hurricane" Mayes will defend his title against Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall on Friday, September 11 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore. Also slated to appear on the card are the returning "Golden Greek" Elias Boulabassis and "The American Dream" Mike Dietrich.

By now you probably know that former world champion Vernon "The Viper" Forrest was killed during an attempted carjacking. There is a Beltway connection with Forrest because in 2002, Forrest lent his name and finances to the Platinum Gloves Amateur tournament. Being from Atlanta, GA, Forrest did not have to do this. He had no ties to this area. I talked to him about that and he said he wanted young people to get a chance to be seen like he was. Vernon Forrest will be missed.

Stevenson Captures Regional Titles; Coleman Wins Unanimous Decision!

Baltimore welterweight James "Keep 'Em Sleepin' Stevenson remained undefeated and captured the WBF US Welterweight and NABC Welterweight titles with a third-round TKO over Ken Dunham of Rock Hill, SC at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore.

Buoyed by a large and vocal contingent of supporters, Stevenson went on the offensive early as he did the first time he faced Dunham and stopped him in the second round in March of this year in nearby Woodlawn, MD. However, Dunham was a little more elusive and managed to stay away from Stevenson's punches.

Eventually, however, Stevenson caught up to Dunham and began to swarm him, finding a home for his left hand. In the third round, Stevenson started a barrage of punches with a right hand that dropped Dunham three times before referee Kenny Chevalier stopped the contest at 1:31 of the third.

With the win, Stevenson is now 10-0, nine KO's and has won three regional titles this year. Stevenson captured the East Coast title in January. Dunham falls to 6-9, four KO's.

Baltimore welter Tim "Pit Bull" Coleman won an eight-round unanimous decision over "Magnificent" Martinus Clay, now fighting out of Norristown, PA. This was a rematch of a December 2007 10-round contest that ended in a draw.

This bout was fought at close quarters throughout and Coleman fought very well inside against the always-tough Clay. As the bout wore on, Coleman seemed to get a little stronger despite suffering a welt above his left eye early in the contest. Judge Dave Greer scored a shutout for Coleman 80-72. Judge John Gradowski saw the bout 78-74 and Judge Gary Camponeschi saw the bout 79-73, the same as BATB.

Coleman raises his record to 16-1-1, four KO's while Clay falls to 13-21-4, five KO's.

In other bouts on the card, Baltimore cruiserweight Steve "Show Stealer" Wheeler made short work of late sub Lamar Foreman of Wilson, NC, scoring a first-round knockout at 50 seconds. Wheeler remains undefeated at 3-0, two KO's. Foreman is 0-2.

DC heavyweight Maurice "Freight Train" Byarm suffered an injury to his right arm but managed a four-round majority decision win over Maurice Winslow of Wilson, NC. Byarm started off very aggressively but in the second round, Winslow was able to trap the rookie against the ropes. Byarm won the bout with timely and hard uppercuts that did enough to keep Winslow at bay. Byarm told BATB that he had no idea when he hurt his arm during the contest.

Byarm is now 3-0, two KO's while Winslow is 3-9-1, three KO's.

And in a rather ugly-looking contest, Vero Beach, FL cruiserweight Daniel Kooij won a six-round unanimous decision over Rodericka Ray of Paris, TN. Kooij (pronounced KOY) is now 5-0, two KO's while Ray is 2-3, one KO.

In amateur action on the card, Greg Wright of Baltimore Boxing RSC-2 over Old School Boxing's Richard DePhillip in a 135-pound bout. In another 135-pound contest Zachary Teele of Baltimore Boxing won a decision over Bryan Thompson of Old School Boxing. Also at 152 pounds, Edgar Llivachuzcha of Baltimore Boxing won by decision over Paul Jerry of Old School Boxing.

During the card there was a 10-count tribute to former boxing champions Alexis Arguello and Arturo Gatti as well as former NFL quarterback Steve McNair, who played part of his career in Baltimore and local ringside doctor Karl Hammonds.

Also there was an interesting bit of family unity during the card. Maryland referee/judge John Gradowski was not only joined by his son Joe, who regularly serves as the timekeeper, but was also joined by daughter Emily, who gave a beautiful operatic-style rendition of the National Anthem. Supporting them all was proud wife and mother, Elaine.


Here is the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up Show, which includes an interview with the new NABC/WBF US champion.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #183 - Post-Fight From Du Burns!

I recap the action from Du Burns Arena in Baltimore and have an interview with newly-crowned WBF US/NABC Welterweight champ James "Keep 'Em Sleepin'" Stevenson!

White Wins WBF Title With Upset in Delaware!

Congratulations to Smithsburg, MD's Dean "Pit Bull" White who captured the WBF USA Junior Welterweight title with an eight-round majority decision over Ryan Belasco last night at Dover Downs in Dover, DE. This report, as well as the photo above, comes from Fightnews.com's Rick Scharmberg:

The main event between Ryan Belasco and Dean White featured two natural counter punchers, and the result was a hard fought battle that was difficult to score.

Hailing from New Castle, Delaware, Belasco figured to be the hometown crowd favorite, but White comes from relatively close Frederick, Maryland, so the estimated crowd of 1,500 inside the Rollins Center equally cheered on both fighters.

There was little to choose between them in the opening two rounds. White presented an elusive target for Belasco with his southpaw stance. Belasco was able to land some lead right hands, while White opened with straight lefts to the head and body.

Belasco landed three lead right hands in the first minute of round two, in which there was a lot of grappling and holding. White continued to have some success with his straight left.

White handily took rounds three and four by eluding nearly everything that came his way. If Belasco got too close, he tied him up. White landed some body shots in round three, and a flashy overhand left in round four, along with two lefts downstairs.

Round five could have gone either way, and White landed some effective lefts to the body to win round six. Belasco came on strong in the final two rounds, landing some nice right hand leads to offset White’s left hand.

Smooth ring announcer Henry “Discombobulating” Jones kept the crowd – and the fighters – in suspense as he read the scores: 76-76, and then 80-72 and 79-73 in favor of White.

With the victory, White improves to (15-10-1, 7 KOs), while Belasco saw his record slip to (11-3-3, 3 KOs), but picked up valuable experience against a difficult to fight lefty.

The win also breaks White's five-bout losing streak and Belasco's six-bout winning streak.

Weights from Du Burns!

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

James Stevenson 147 vs. Ken Dunham 157 (Vacant NABC/WBF Americas Welterweight Title -- Dunham came in 10 pounds over the weight limit; should he win the bout, the titles would remain vacant.)

Tim Coleman 145 vs. Martinus Clay 144

Steve Wheeler 185 vs. Octavius Davis 185

Maurice Byarm 250 vs. Maurice Winslow 216

Daniel Kooij 197 vs. Rodricka Ray 194

Stevenson, Coleman Receive Press Before Baltimore Card!

Two of the co-feature boxers on this Saturday's Baltimore Pro Boxing card at Du Burns Arena are the subjects of a couple of interesting internet press clippings.




Baltimore welterweight James "Keep 'Em Sleepin'" Stevenson sat down for an interview with freelance writer Chip Mitchell as he gets ready for his bout with Ken Dunham. Here is the text of the interview.

CM: James, thanks for granting us this opportunity to interview you before your fight. How has training gone for you?

JS: Pretty good, man. Excellent, excellent.

CM: Last time out versus Manuel Guzman, you weren’t able to record a knockout for the first time in your professional career. How disappointed were you?

JS: I wasn’t really disappointed man, I just wanted to show everybody I could go 8 rounds… a tough 8 rounds. So it let everybody know I could get the win. I got a chin as everybody saw so it was a good fight.

CM: Your bout this Saturday is against Ken Dunham. He’s an opponent that you’ve seen before and beaten. What are your thoughts about his skill set and does a rematch play to your advantage or Dunham’s?

JS: It plays out to my advantage because I stopped him in the 2nd round before. I know he’s going to train a lot harder so I’m going to train extra hard. I’m not going in with the mindset that I’m going to knock him out. I’m just going to go in there and just box and whatever happens will happen.

CM: Describe your fighting style to Internet readers out there who have never seen you fight.

JS: I’m all-in-one. I can box, I can brawl, I’m fast. Like I said I’m all-in-one. So I don’t just have one style.

CM: Let’s talk about your moniker. Tell the fans online how your nickname Keep‘em Sleepin came to fruition?

JS: After my first 4 knockouts my manager said if I get one more knockout we’re going to name ourselves Keep‘em Sleepin. So we went out there and knocked him out and that’s where we got that name from Keep’em Sleepin!

CM: How did you get your start in boxing?

JS: Aww man, you know I just walked past the gym one day. It was something I always wanted to do. I went in, talked to Mr. Mack (famed trainer Mack Lewis), and told him I’d be back the next day. I came back the next day and in the next 2 weeks I had a fight.

CM: Who do you consider your favorite boxers, past or present?

JS: Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson!

CM: Baltimore has produced world champions in the past such as Joe Gans, Hasim Rahman and Vince Pettway. Will we see James Stevenson’s name along with these men in the future?

JS: Oh yes sir, yes sir, yes sir!!!!

CM: What do you do when you are not in the gym training or sparring for your next fight?

JS: I’m always training everyday regardless. I have a job I work at Giant warehouse. I’ve been there for 8 and a half years. And I have a family. I’m also married so I spend time with my family when I’m not at the gym.

CM: In closing, is there anything else you would like to tell Internet readers who are viewing this transcript?

JS: I’m coming! That’s all I can say is that I’m coming! Just believe what I say, I’m coming!!

CM: Thanks a lot James, and Keep ‘em Sleepin baby!!

JS:

Thanks to Matt Yanofsky for facilitating this interview for Mitchell.


Meanwhile, I found an interesting interview with Baltimore's Tim "Pitbull" Coleman on Coleman's Facebook page. Coleman, who will be in a rematch with "Magnificent" Martinus Clay on Saturday, is joined by former world champion Ricky Hatton in this interview. Coleman was Hatton's chief sparring partner for Hatton prior to Hatton's bout against Paulie Malinaggi. I will post the link, but you may need a Facebook acoount to view.

"http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/video/video.php?v=1081464676236">

Former Beltway Amateur Opponents Team to Promote Amateur Card in Laurel!

They fought each other as amateurs, but on Saturday, July 25, Tony "Mo Better" Jeter and Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall will team up with noted trainer Robert Crawford to host an amateur show at the Gardens Ice House in Laurel, MD.

The card will feature a number of open-class boxers and will begin at 7 PM. The Gardens is located at 13800 Old Gunpowder Road in Laurel.

Lockett Meets Undefeated Majewski August 8 in Atlantic City!

Takoma Park, MD's Willis "The Prophet" Lockett will take on undefeated Patrick Majewski in an eight-round co-feature middleweight bout on Saturday, August 8 at Bally's in Atlantic City, NJ.

Lockett (12-8-5, five KO's) lost an eight-round unanimous decision to former WBC Middleweight champion Keith Holmes on June 6 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Majewski, originally from Poland but now fighting out of Atlantic City (11-0, seven KO's) is coming off an eight-round unanimous decision victory over Latif Mundy also on June 6 in Atlantic City.

BATB Anniversary -- By the Numbers!

As we come close to the fifth anniversary of Boxing Along The Beltway, here are some numbers to look at.

BATB has been taking note of the number of boxers that made their pro debut during the BATB era. Since we started keeping track of the rookie classes in 2006, the number of debuting boxers has increased every year. A BATB rookie is someone who started their careers prior to November of a given year.

In 2006, we had 10 boxers make their pro debut. The next year, the number grew slightly to 11. In 2008, the rookie class grew to 16. So far, this year, the number is a relatively astonishing 19.

And who were in these rookie classes? Glad you asked.

(2006)

Big” Phillip Brown

Nick “Flash” Collins

Andrew “Doo Man” Farmer

Horace “The Reason” Grant

Jessie “The Beast” Nicklow

”JC Superstar” Juan Carlos Robles

“Money” Mike Sawyer

Thomas “KO” Snow

"The Berlin Bomber" Joshua Snyder

Willie “For Real” Williams


2007

"The Golden Greek" Elias Bouloubassis

Earl "Mighty Mouse" Cole

"The Mongolian Mongoose" Bayan Jargal

Alexander "The Great" Johnson

Lawrence Jones

Danny Kisner

Travis "O.T.T." Mallin

"War Time" George Rivera

Edgar "The Tiger" Torres

"White Lightning" Todd Wilson

Tracey Brewer

2008

Lenwood “Mr. Composure” Dozier

Stennis “Hard Banging” Floyd

Fernando Guerrero

Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell

Ikem “The Warrior” Orji

Mark “TNT” Tucker

James Stevenson

“The Big Ticket” Dwayne McRae

Hannibal Otey

Robert “The Mac Attack” McConnell

Calvin “Shotgun” Aughtry

Antonio Walls

Cecil McCalla

Joe Gardner

Benjamin Borteye

Omar Sims

Raymondo Elliott


2009

Juan “Savior” Rodriguez

Gary Russell, Jr.

Dominic “The Blade” Wade

Justin “Smooth” Ridgeway

Abloyt Abashi

Emmanuel “Transformer” Taylor

Angelo “Seek and Destroy” Ward

Damien Butler

Robert “Rated X” Reed

Maurice Byarm

Steve “Show Stealer” Wheeler

Andrew “The Giant” Jackson

Barry Trotter

Justin Blackwell

“Showtime” Tyrone Wright

Hugh Hinds

Alex Guerrero

Allan “Pitbull” Perkins

Christian Davila

'Hard Rock' Miller Added to Dover, DE Card July 24!

DC middleweight Purcell "Hard Rock" Miller has been added to the Friday, July 24 card at Dover Downs in Dover, DE. Miller (23-5-1, 18 KO's) will face veteran Clarence "Sonny Bono" Taylor of Wilmington, DE (13-22-4, six KO's) in a six-round contest.

This is the same card that features Smithsburg, MD junior welterweight Dean "Pit Bull" White (14-10-1, seven KO's) taking on Ryan Belasco of New Castle, DE in an eight-round main event for the WBF USA title.

Update on July 25 card at Du Burns!

Here is an update on the Baltimore Pro Boxing card on Saturday, July 25 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore.

The two main bouts remain the same -- undefeated Baltimore welterweight James "Keep 'Em Sleepin'" Stevenson (9-0, eight KO's) will face Ken Dunham of Charlotte, NC in an eight-round rematch that is slated to be for the NABC and WBF Americas Welterweight titles.

Also, Baltimore welter Tim "Pit Bull" Coleman (15-1-1, four KO's) will take on Wilson, NC's "Magnificent" Martinus Clay (13-20-4, five KO's) in another eight-round rematch.

DC heavyweight Maurice "Freight Train" Byarm (2-0, two KO's) will try to remain undefeated as he faces tough Maurice Winslow of Wilson, NC (3-9-1, three KO's) in a four-round encounter.

Baltimore cruiserweight Steve "Show Stealer" Wheeler (2-0, one KO) looks to maintain his undefeated string against North Carolina's Octavius Davis (2-2-1, one KO) in another four-rounder.

Also on the card will be undefeated Czech Republic cruiserweight Daniel Kooji (3-0, one KO). Kooji will fight in a six-round contest against Rodricka Ray of Jackson, TN (2-2, one KO). Also, Georgetown, Guyana super middleweight Orin George (1-0) will battle Portsmouth, VA veteran John "The Baptist Terry (2-14-3, one KO) in a four-round encounter.

There are also three amateur bouts scheduled for the card. Two of the bouts may include Beltway 201-pounders Nick Kisner and Hasim Rahman, Jr. Also, there will be a special 10-count ceremony to honor the memory of former Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair.

Tucker Wins Unanimous Decision; Samuel, McRae Fall in Westminister!

Eldersburg, MD light heavyweight Mark "TNT" Tucker remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Rubin "Mr. Hollywood" Williams in front of a raucous crowd at the Shipley Arena in Westminister, MD.

In his first 10-round distance bout, Tucker showed great condition and a solid right jab to keep Williams at bay throughout the contest. Williams showed very little offense throughout the bout although Williams tried to win the later rounds with brief offensive spurts. Judges John Gradowski and Malik Waleed scored the bout 97-93 while Judge Don Risher saw the bout 96-94. BATB saw the bout 99-91 for Tucker who is now 11-0, seven KO's while Williams falls to 29-8-1, 16 KO's.

There is talk that Tucker will receive a United States Boxing Organization (USBO) title opportunity on the next Westminister card in September.

In what can be qualified as an upset, Baltimore super featherweight and Maryland Super Featherweight champion Tyrell "Da Show Shock'A" Samuel lost a six-round split decision to Philadelphia, PA's Gustavo Dailey.

Dailey simply outworked Samuel through the majority of the bout, beating Samuel to the punch and landing quality shots. Both men suffered swelling under the eyes, but Dailey's workrate proved to be the difference. Judges Gradowski and Kenny Chevalier scored the contest 58-56 and 58-57 for Dailey. Judge Risher saw the contest 59-55 for Samuel. BATB saw the bout 58-57 for Dailey.

Samuel falls to 12-3, six KO's while Dailey is 4-5, one KO.

Also, Laurel, MD heavyweight "The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae lost a four-round majority decision to undefeated Jason "Firebird" Freeman of Dover, OH. Freeman was more active throughout the contest and landed strong right hands. McRae had a 38-pound weight advantage (257 1/2 to 218) and a height advantage but did not use either advantage effectively. Both men were fatigued by the final round, but Freeman, who also has experience in mixed martial arts, had just enough stamina to win the contest.

Judge Chevalier saw the draw at 38-38 while Judges Waleed and Risher scored the bout for Freeman 39-38 and 39-36 respectively. BATB scored the bout 39-37 for Freeman, who raises his record to 4-0-1, one KO. McRae is 4-1, three KO's.

In a battle of debuting Beltway middleweights, Allen "Pitbull" Perkins of Frederick, MD won a four-round unanimous decision over Germantown, MD's Christian Davila. Perkins landed some strong left hands early in the contest and coasted to a relatively easy victory over a somewhat uninspired Davila.

In the opening contest, late sub Omar Sims of Baltimore won a four-round unanimous decision over DC super middleweight Calvin "Shotgun" Aughtry. Sims won with good flurries early. Aughtry, as is his pattern, showed good defense at times but did not generate nearly enough offense. Sims is now 2-1-2, one KO while Aughtry falls to 0-7.

The Maryland Boxing Club/TNT Promotions served as promters of the card. The matchmaker was Rick Glaser.

Here is the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up show . There is one correction I have to make. I said on the show that the USBO was the regional arm of the WBO. That is incorrect. The USBO is the regional arm of the International Boxing Organization (IBO). The WBO's regional arm is the North American Boxing Organization (NABO).

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #182 - Boxing in Westminister!

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I discuss Mark "TNT" Tucker's performance at the Shipley Arena in Westminister as well as the defeats of two other Beltway prospects. We also discuss the passing of Dr. Karl Hammonds and boxing legends Alexis Arguello and Arturo Gatti.

Weights From Westminister!

Here is the scale watch for tonight's TNT Promotions/Maryland Boxing Club card at the Shipley Arena in Westminster, MD:

Mark Tucker 176 vs Rubin Williams 177 1/2

Tyrell Samuel 131 1/2 vs. Gustavo Dailey 133

Dwayne McRae 257 1/2 vs Jason Freeman 218

Allen Perkins 160 1/2 vs Christian Davila 160

Vincent Batteast vs Calvin Aughtrey (both will weigh-in later today)

Funeral Arrangements for Dr. Hammonds!

The funeral arrangements for Dr. Karl Hammonds are complete. They are as follows:


Wake- Sunday, July 19th
Takoma Park 7th Day Adventist Church
6951 Carroll Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912
6-9 PM


Funeral- Monday, July 20th
10 - 11 AM viewing
11 AM Funeral

Paschall Loses Unanimous Decision in Reno!

Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall lost a 10-round unanimous decision to Jesse Brinkley last night at the Reno Events Center in Reno, NV. Two judges scored the bout 97-93 while one judge had it 96-94.

It was the first time that Paschall has gone a full 10-round distance. Paschall said this to Jim Krajewski of the Reno Gazette-Journal:

"I just wanted to stay in there and show him I could fight him. I just could have been more busy (with my punches)," he said. "I think there was a lot of things I didn't do because I was really thinking, 'Could I go 10 rounds with this guy?' And there were a lot of opportunities I didn't take. But it's a learning experience and next time I know, either do or don't.

"He's a veteran. He knew what he was doing. I'll take it as a learning experience. I feel like I did OK. I definitely could have done better, but I can't doing anything about it now."

"I think I definitely won a few more fans."

Paschall is now 19-2-1, four KO's. Brinkley is now 34-5, 22 KO's.

Paschall sent this in a text message to BATB: "I fought him like a dog. I've never been hit that hard in my life, but it was close."

July 25 Baltimore Card Adds Title Bout; Lange Bout off Greensboro Card!

Interesting changes to two July 25th cards. At Du Burns Arena in Baltimore, undefeated welterweight James "Keep 'Em Sleepin'" Stevenson (9-0, eight KO's) will fight an eight-round rematch against Ken Dunham of Charlotte, NC (6-8, four KO's that will be for the World Boxing Federation (WBF) Americas and the North American Boxing Council (NABC) Welterweight titles.

Back on March 19 at Martin's West in Woodlawn, MD, Stevenson dropped Dunham four times en route to a second-round TKO. Dunham bounced back from the loss and scored a third-round TKO over Lenwood Dozier on June 5 at Shipley Arena in Westminister, MD. That was also a rematch bout.

Also added to the card will be a four-round heavyweight bout between undefeated DC prospect Maurice "Freight Train" Byarm (2-0, two KO's and Maurice Winslow of Wilson, NC (3-9-1, three KO's). Byarm is coming off a second-round TKO over Darius Whitson on May 29 at Du Burns. Winslow has lost two straight but he scored knockout victories the last two times he was in Maryland against Boone Pultz and Joe Gardner.

Baltimore cruiserweight Steve "Show Stealer" Wheeler (2-0, one KO_ will try to remain undefeated against Silver Spring, MD's Abloyt Abashi (0-1). Brandywine, MD heavy Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell is also scheduled to appear on the card.

Meanwhile in Greensboro, NC, the main event bout between Jimmy Lange and Jimmy LeBlanc has been pulled from the card. A representative from Walter Johnson Promotions told BATB that the North Carolina Boxing Commission would not approve the eight-round matchup between Lange (30-3-2, 21 KO's) and LeBlanc (12-16-4, four KO's). Bayan Jargal's bout against Alex Perez -- as of now -- is still on the card.

Paschall Weighs 173 for Reno Rumble!

Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall weighed in at 173 pounds for his bout against Jesse Brinkley Friday night at the Reno Events Center in Reno, NV. Brinkley came in at 175 pounds.

Apparently, Bayan Jargal, who was originally supposed to be on this card, will not appear. Jargal is now slated to be on the Saturday, July 25th card in Greensboro, NC that features Jimmy Lange in the main event. Jargal (12-0-1, eight KO's) is scheduled to take on veteran Alex Perez of Miami, FL (23-34-4, 18 KO's) in a six-round contest on that card. The 37-year-old Perez started his career in November of 1989 (Perez did not box for four years from 2003-2007). Jargal will be the fourth Beltway Boxer Perez has faced and Perez is still looking for a win, having lost to Lange, Darryll Tyson and Jaime Palma.

Lange Subject of Washington City Paper Article!

Great Falls, VA junior middleweight and WBC USNBC champion Jimmy Lange is the subject of a nice piece by Dave McKenna of the Washington City Paper. The article comes as Lange prepares for his first bout outside of the George Mason University Patriot Center in five years. The bout against veteran Jimmy LeBlanc will be Friday, July 25 in Greensboro, NC.

Read the article and find out why McKenna calls Lange "The most successful nonchampion junior middleweight in the history of boxing." Also, check out the picture byLinda "Great Shot" Siadys.

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Paschall Making Media Rounds For Friday Night!

If nothing else, tomorrow night's matchup against Jesse Brinkley in Reno, NV has garnered more press for Baltimore super middleweight Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall than any bout to date, including his national TV bout against Andre Dirrell.

The Reno media has done a solid job with this bout. An example is this interview conducted by the ABC affiliate in the city, KOLO.

"http://ww2.kolotv.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=3937410&h1=Mike%20Paschall%20Interview&vt1=v&at1=Sport&d1=83400&LaunchPageAdTag=Sport&fvCatNo=&backgroundImageURL=&activePane=info&rnd=67184016">

There is also a nice profile on Paschall by freelance writer Robert Perea that appeared on Fightnews.com.

="http://www.fightnewsextra.com/cc/2009stories/07-paschall.htm">

Guerrero-Echols Bout Off!

BATB has learned that the Saturday, July 18 contest between Salisbury, MD's Fernando Guerrero and former world title challenger Antwun Echols in Tunica, MS has been called off.

Guerrero suffered a knuckle injury in training and the decision was to forego this contest at this time. The Guerrero camp says that the injury does not seem to be a serious one, but they will know more after a doctor does an evaluation.

Ann Wolfe To Appear at August 15 All-Female Amateur Card in Fort Washington!

Eight-time women's world champion Ann Wolfe will be the special guest at the next all-female amateur boxing card on Saturday, August 15 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.

Wolfe (24-1, 16 KO's) authored what many boxing fans and pundits called the greatest knockout in women's boxing history when she blasted former University of Tennessee basketball player Vonda Ward in the first round in May of 2004. She holds four of her titles concurrently in four different weight classes.

Wolfe is a successful boxing trainer and part of her reason for attending is to see her daughter participate in the event.

The event will also honor our brave servicemen and women. We'll have more info on this card as it comes together.

Noted Ringside Doctor Karl Hammonds Passes!

When I first started covering the Beltway Boxing scene 23 years ago, one of the many people who constantly gave me support and guidance was Dr. Karl Hammonds. Dr. Hammonds was a well-respected and loved ringside doctor for many of the amateur and pro bouts in DC and Maryland and always kept me abreast on information on what our amateurs were doing and the latest health news.

Today brings sad news that Dr. Hammonds passed away this morning. We are still getting details on age and cause of death.

To say that Dr. Hammonds was a friend to boxing doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of how well respected this man was. Dr. Hammonds served as chief medical officer for the Potomac Valley Association of USA Boxing and was well known by USA Boxing on a national level. Dr. Hammonds was elected to the Washington DC Boxing Hall of Fame in 1999.

There are many more honors that this man earned that I will bring to light as I receive information on them. Suffice it to say that I will miss this man greatly and I know I speak for many in the Beltway Boxing and general sports community who were touched and helped by this great man.

Update on July 17 Card in Westminister!

The Friday, July 17 TNT Promotions/Maryland Boxing Club card at the Shipley Arena in Westminister. MD is starting to come together. The main event remains the first 10-round bout for undefeated Eldersburg, MD light heavyweight Mark "TNT" Tucker as he faces former world title challenger Rubin "Mr. Hollywood" Williams of Detroit, MI.

Here are the other bouts on the card:

Maryland State Super Featherweight champion Tyrell "Da Show Shock'A" Samuel of Baltimore (12-2, six KO's) will be in a six-round co-feature contest against Gustavo Dailey of Philadelphia (3-5, one KO). Samuel is coming off a fourth-round TKO over Edward Anderson on June 12 in Caroline, VA. Dailey stopped Travis Thompson in the second-round in his last encounter on April 4th in Philadelphia.

Laurel, MD heavyweight "The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae will be in a battle of undefeated boxers as he takes on Akron, OH's Jason Freeman in a four-round bout. McRae (4-0, three KO's) won by third-round disqualification over Jonathan Felton on the Caroline, VA card. Freeman (3-0-1, one KO) fought Andres Taylor to a four-round majority draw in his last outing on September 20, 2008 in Akron.

Edgewood, MD welterweight Emmanuel "Transformer" Taylor (2-0, two KO's) will battle Pine Bluff, AK's Tim Reynolds (0-1) in another four-round bout. Taylor scored a second-round TKO over Bryan Abraham on the last Shipley Arena card on June 9. Reynolds lost his pro debut by first-round TKO to Tyrone Chatman on June 13 in St. Louis, MO.

Two Beltway Boxers will make pro debuts on this card, two of them will face each other as middleweights Allen Perkins of Frederick, MD and Christian Davila of Rockville, MD will battle. Also, DC middleweight Orlando Pugh (0-1) will battle against Johnny DeJesus of Lancaster, PA (1-0, one KO).

Here's your first BATB Fifth Anniversary stat: If those three boxers make their pro debuts on this card, the 2009 Beltway Rookie Class will rise to 19 members, the largest number of rookies in one year in the BATB Era.

F. Guerrero, Wade Travel to Mississippi; White Heads to Delaware!

More Beltway Boxers are hitting the road this month. On Saturday, July 18 undefeated middleweight prospects Fernando Guerrero and Dominic Wade will appear on a card at Fitzgerald's Hotel and Casino in Tunica, MS.

In a six-round contest, Guerrero (14-0, 12 KO's) will face his most experienced foe to date in former world title challenger "Kid Dynamite" Antwun Echols of Davenport, IA (31-11-4, 27 KO's). Guerrero is coming off a solid second-round TKO over Brian Norman on June 19 in Salisbury, MD. Echols has participated in three world title bouts, losing twice against Bernard Hopkins for the IBF Middleweight title and falling to Anthony Mundine for the WBA Super Middleweight title. Recently, Echols has been winless in his last nine bouts.

Wade (3-0, three KO's) will take on veteran William Johnson of Sardis, MS (9-18-1, three KO's) in a four-round encounter. Wade stopped Anthony Cannon in the second round of the Salisbury, MD card. Johnson's last bout was also in Maryland as he was stopped in round two by Joey Gilbert in Glen Burnie on November 20.

Then on Friday, July 24, Smithsburg, MD welterweight Dean "Pitbull" White returns to action in an eight-round bout against Wilmington, DE's Ryan Belasco at Dover Downs Hotel and Casino in Dover, DE.

White (14-10-1, seven KO's) will be looking to break a five-bout losing streak that continued with a six-round split-decision loss to Ron Boyd on February 20 in Westminster, MD. Belasco (11-2-3, three KO's) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision victory over James Ventry on April 24 in Dover. Belasco has a six-bout winning streak.

Wilson Stopped After 10 Rounds in Russia!

Takoma Park, MD light heavyweight Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson was stopped at the end of the 10th round by top-ranked cruiserweight Grigory Drozd tonight in Moscow, Russia.

Fightnews.com reporter Alexey Sukachev reports that Drozd dominated the whole fight with his precision yet hard punching, barely losing a single minute in any round and stalking his opponent around the ring. The fan-friendly action turned into an ugly foul match after the seventh round and both boxers were deducted some points by referee Victor Panin. With his right eye virtually shut and being horribly battered in later rounds, Wilson retired in his corner, though never down, after the tenth round. This is the first time that Wilson has been stopped in a bout in his pro career.

This is Wilson's third straight loss and his record falls to 23-9-3, 20 KO's. Drozd, who is ranked number one in the world by the WBO, is now 32-1, 24 KO's.

Paschall Exudes Confidence in Reno Newspaper!

Baltimore light heavyweight Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall is exuding a lot of confidence as he prepares for his Friday, July 10th matchup with Jesse Brinkley in Reno, NV.

Jim Krajewski of the Reno Gazette-Journal talks to Paschall in this article about the bout.

"http://www.rgj.com/article/20090701/SPORTS/907010411/1018/SPORTS">

Former World Champ Alexis Arguello Passes!

(photo courtesy of Getty Images)

As many around the world (including myself) have been hurt by the passing of Michael Jackson, many around the boxing world will be hurt by the news today of the passing of former world champion Alexis Arguello. The three-division champion was found dead in his hometown of Managua, Nicaragua. He was 57. No word yet on what caused his passing.

Arguello won his first world title in 1974 stopping Ruben Olivares in the 13th round for the WBA Featherweight crown. He then defeated Alfredo Escalera by a 13th round stoppage to win the WBC Super Featherweight title. Arguello's third title came in 1981 when he defeated Jim Watt for the WBC Lightweight title by 15-round decision.

But Arguello may be best known for his two epic losses to Aaron Pryor for Pryor's WBA Junior Welterweight crown in 1982 and 1983. Arguello was stopped in both bouts but they were fierce contests.

Arguello was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992, but fought twice more after that in 1994 and 1995. His final record was 82-8, 65 KO's. In 2008, Arguello was named Mayor of Managua.

Arguello is in my top ten of all-time favorite boxers. As my buddy Jake Donovan of Boxing Scene.com put he was one of the all-time best and "a human instructional video of Boxing 101." He will truly be missed.