Monday, May 30, 2011

The Debate Continues Over When is Too Old or Too Young to Box?

As BATB first told you, DC welterweight Dusty Harrison is slated to make his pro debut on June 11. Harrison will barely be 17 when that takes place and he will be the youngest currently competing pro in the country. There is and has been some debate here and elsewhere about this.

On the flipside, we saw two older boxers perform vastly different in the ring recently. Bernard Hopkins became the oldest man to win a world title while Roy Jones (though not as old as Hopkins) was crushed in his last outing.

Paul Haberman, Esq., a lawyer and a licensed boxing manager in New York State, has written an interesting article for www.8countnews.com that probably will do more to stir up the debate. Please read.


"http://www.8countnews.com/news/125/ARTICLE/3775/2011-05-27.html">

Friday, May 27, 2011

Thompson Stops Harris in Reno!

DC heavyweight Tony "The Tiger" Thompson scored an easy third-round TKO over Maurice Harris tonight in front of a nationally-televised ESPN2 audience at the Reno Events Center in Reno, NV.

Thompson dropped Harris twice in the second round before scoring a knockdown in the third. Referee Vic Drakulich eventually halted the bout at 1:51 of the third.

Thompson is now 36-2, 24 KO's. Harris falls to 24-15-2, 10 KO's. Thompson is now the number two ranked IBF contender and will face number one Eddie Chambers for a world title shot.

Thompson Weighs 255 1/2 for ESPN2 Battle!



Photo by Craig Bennett

Tony Thompson weighed in at 255 1/2 for his 12-round bout tonight at the Reno Events Center in Reno, NV. Thompson's opponent, Maurice Harris, came in at 244 pounds. This will be an IBF Heavyweight Eliminator.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

'Tiger' Thompson Meets Thunderbox Foe Harris in Nationally-Televised IBF Eliminator!

On Friday night, May 27, DC heavyweight Tony "The Tiger" Thompson will head to the Reno Events Center in Reno, NV for a 12-round IBF Title Elimination bout against Maurice "Mo Betta" Harris of East Orange, NJ. The bout will be the main event on this Friday's ESPN2 Friday Night Fights.

This bout is a rematch. Well, sort of. Back in November of 2002, Thompson and Harris met in the finals of Cedric Kushner's Thunderbox "Fistful of Dollars" Tournament in Atlantic City. The bout was only three rounds and neither man's won-loss record was affected by this. However, Harris won the bout and the $100,000 that went with it.

By the way, that tournament had a Beltway Boxing sound to it. The ring announcer was our very own Henry "Discombobulating" Jones and the blow-by-blow announcer was future Washington Redskins radio voice Larry Michael.

Since his July 2008 title loss to Wladimir Klitschko, Thompson (35-2, 23 KO's) has won four straight -- all by knockout. In fact, Thompson has not gone a full distance in a bout since February of 2007. Thompson's last six wins have all ended in TKO's and his loss to Klitschko was stopped in the 11th round.

Harris (24-14-2, 10 KO's) has been on a roll also, winning his last four bouts including a 12-round unanimous decision over Nagy Aguilera for the USBA Heavyweight title on August 6 in Hinckley, MN.

Recap From Millersville!

Here is the full recap from the United Boxers Event at the Maryland Sportsplex in Millersville, MD:

Maxell "The General" Taylor of Baltimore wins by first-round TKO over Capitol Heights, MD's Purcell "Hard Rock" Miller. The bout was stopped at 1:52 of the first. Taylor is now 16-3-1, seven KO's. Miller falls to 23-6-1, 18 KO's.

Baltimore middleweight Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow won a six-round unanimous decision over James "Boogie" Freeman of Vernon, TX. Nicklow won by scores of 59-55 (twice) and 58-56. Nicklow is unbeaten (2-0-1) in his last three bouts
since his 2009 loss to Fernando Guerrero and raises his record to 22-2-3, eight KO's while Freeman drops to 7-4, six KO's.

The younger of the Taylor Brothers, Emanuel, remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Marcus Brashers of Amarillo, TX. Taylor won by scores of 60-52 and 59-53 (twice). Taylor dropped Brashers twice in the third round. Taylor is now 12-0, nine KO's. Brashers is 8-15-1, two KO's.

In what was his best performance of his young pro career, Ferndale, MD cruiserweight "Slick" Nick Kisner won a six-round unanimous decision over DeLeon Tinsley of Kissimmee, FL. Kisner pitched a shutout (60-54) on all three judges scorecards in going six rounds for the first time in his career, and is now 9-0-1, five KO's. Tinsley is now 9-10-1, five KO's.

Dorsett Barnwell, originally from DC, but now fighting out of Norfolk, VA, won a four-round majority decision over Baltimore heavyweight Riley Brooks. Brooks put on a tough showing but could only get a draw (38-38) on one card. The two other judges saw the bout 40-36 and 39-37 for Barnwell, who remains undefeated at 3-0, two KO's while Brooks falls to 1-2-1, one KO.

The opening bout saw Farrad "The Rose" Price of DC win a four-round unanimous decision in a junior middleweight bout over the equally debuting Damont "Baby" Giddins of Salisbury, MD. Both guys fought a great bout, but Price was able to survive a second-round knockdown to win the bout. All three judges scored the bout 38-37.

There was also a nice exhibition bout between Baltimore boxers Omar "The Machine" Sims and Dale "Hit Hard as Hell" Robeson-El.

United Boxers in association with Keystone Boxing promoted the card. The matchmaker was Chris Middendorf.

We have a loaded BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up including interviews with Jessie Nicklow, trainer/manager James Hogan and Purcell Miller, along with my guest co-host Alec Kohut of MaxBoxing.com. The show is so loaded that it is in two parts.

This is part one:



And here is part two:

Beltway Boxers Win in Charlotte!

Three Beltway Boxers captured wins Saturday night in Charlotte, NC. Alexandria, VA middleweight Brandon Quarles won a four-round unanimous decision over Aaron Baker. Quarles is now 5-0, two KO's. Baker of North Carolina was making his pro debut.

DC light heavyweight Thomas Williams, Jr. made his long-awaited return a successful one by scoring a first-round knockout over Bennie Meeks of Wilson, NC. Williams stopped his opponent at two minutes of the first. Williams is now 2-0, one KO. His first win was back in November. Meeks is now 0-3.

Also, undefeated Baltimore junior middleweight Cecil McCalla returned to action for the first time in more than 11 months with a third-round TKO over Joey "Mundo" Ortega of Lowell, MA. McCalla stopped Ortega 13 seconds into round three. McCalla is now 13-0, five KO's. Ortega is now 3-21, one KO.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Good night from Millersville! Post-fight Wrap Up coming shortly with results from Beltway Boxers fighting in Charlotte, NC tonight.
The bout is over! Maxell Taylor stops Purcell Miller 1:52 seconds of the first round. Taylor is now 16-3-1, seven KO's. Miller now 23-6-1, 18 KO's.
Main event in the ring -- Maxell Taylor vs. Purcell Miller.
All the boxers on the card signed pink gloves for Ms. Phillips! Well done!!
Nicklow is now 22-2-3, eight KO's. Freeman falls to 7-4, six KO's. Nice tribute to Kathy Phillips, the mother of Mike Paschall, who beat breast cancer.
Jessie Nicklow wins six-round unanimous decision over James Freeman. Two judges have it 59-55, the other has it 58-56.
Brashears is now 8-15-1, two KO's. Co-feature in the ring Jessie Nicklow vs. James Freeman.
Emanuel Taylor wins a six-round unanimous decision over Marcus Brashears. Taylor dropped Brashears twice enroute to the win. Taylor now 12-0, nine KO's.
Emanuel Taylor- Marcus Brashers now in the ring.
Kisner now 9-0-1, five KO's. Tinsley is 9-10, five KO's.
Nick Kisner wins six-round unanimous decision in what may have been his best overall performance. Good hand speed and was in really good shape!
Next up: Nick Kisner versus veteran DeLeon Tinsley. Many people said this could be Kisner's toughest foe and it is his first scheduled six-rounder.
I had the bout 40-37 (one round even) for Brooks.
Barnwell remains undefeated at 3-0, two KO's while Brooks is 1-2-1, one KO's.
Dorsett Barnwell wins a disputed four-round majority decision over Riley Brooks. One judge had it even at 38-38 while the other two had it 40-36 and 39-37.
In the ring -- heavies Riley Brooks of Baltimore vs. Dorsett Barnwell of Nofolk VA by way of DC.
Farrad (AKA) Robert Price wins a four-round unanimous decision over Damont Giddins, surviving a second-round knockdown to do so! Solid debut for both boxers!
Two interesting nicknames: Price is known as the Rose and Giddins is "Baby."
Giddens is out of Salisbury and Price is from DC.
Good exhibition between Robeson-El and Sims! Nice action! First bout enters the ring in a few minutes -- Debuting boxers Damont Giddins and Farrad Price!
Action getting ready to start with a four-round exhibition between Dale Robeson-El and Omar Sims. We'll return when this one is over.
Stevenson is just a little sore. Action here scheduled to get underway in about 15 minutes! Looking forward to answering your questions throughout the night!
Good Evening from the Maryland Sportsplex in Millersville, MD! One quick update: James Stevenson is off the card because he was in a car accident. He is fine.

Scale Watch From Millersville!

Here is the scale watch from tonight's card at the Maryland Sportsplex in Millersville, MD:

Maxell Taylor 166 vs Purcell Miller 167

Jessie Nicklow 160 1/2 vs James Freeman 159 1/2

Emanuel Taylor 142 1/2 vs Marcus Brashears 138 1/2

Nick Kisner 201 vs De Leon Tinsley 201

Riley Brooks 270 vs. Dorsett Barnwell 235

Damont Giddins 152 1/2 vs Robert Price 156


There will also be an exhibition bout between Baltimore boxers Dale Robeson-El and Omar Sims .

Just A Reminder:

BATB blogs live from the Maryland Sportsplex in Millersville, MD tonight for the United Boxers card. We hope to have weights later today.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Byarm Signs With New Promotional Group!



Undefeated DC-based heavyweight Maurice "Freight Train" Byarm is the first signing for the new Greg Cohen Productions out of New York.

"Maurice has the tools and the personality to become a major force in the heavyweight division. His style is reminiscent of a young Mike Tyson and with a little more seasoning, I expect Maurice to be a future Heavyweight Champion!" said Cohen. "Even though he has limited experience, it's plain to see how much he is improving with every fight and how badly he wants it."

The Philadelphia native Byarm (11-0, eight KO's) has been very successful against what some would say limited competition but Cohen says he definitely sees a successful career for Byarm.


"It's not the fact that he's beaten these eleven opponents. He's supposed to do that. It's the way he beats them that has everyone who's seen him excited. He doubles them over with body shots. He dominates them and bends their will with his work rate and oftentimes, he knocks them out cold. The way he's steadily getting better, in the near future, it's going to become hard to picture many heavyweights in the world being able to stand up to that kind of controlled aggression, round after round."

Reportedly, Byarm's first bout under the GCP banner will be on Friday, June 17 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX. That card also features Fernando Guerrero.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Amateur 'Boxing Under The Stars' Friday in DC!

There will be a free amateur boxing show on Friday, May 20th outdoors at the Benning Terrace Recreation Center on 4550 G Street in Southeast DC. The show is being promoted by Babie Girl Productions and yours truly will serve as the ring announcer. The show gets underway at 7 PM.

Barnett Stopped in California!

DC junior welterweight Ty Barnett was stopped in the third round last night by undefeated Russian Andrey Klimov on the undercard of the Andre Ward-Arthur Abraham bout at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA.

According to Boxingscene.com, Klimov overwhelmed Barnett from the opening bell before the bout was stopped at 1:12 of the third. The bout was Klimov's first in the United States.

Barnett's record falls to 18-2-1, 12 KO's. Klimov is now 11-0, six KO's.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Barnett Weighs 135 Pounds for Carson Combat; Rivera Off Card!

Ty Barnett weighed in at 135 pounds for his bout against Andrey Klimov tonight at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. Klimov tipped the scales at 137 1/2 pounds.

George Rivera was scheduled to be on this card but according to sources was taken off the show without the knowledge of the Rivera camp, who went to the airport and found their tickets had been cancelled.

Mitchell Scores First-Round ShoBox Stoppage; Fox Wins By KO On Undercard!

Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell made his Showtime "ShoBox" debut a successful one and a quick one. Mitchell stopped Evans "The Sandman" Quinn of Nicaragua at 2:38 of round one in front of a nationally televised audience at Buffalo Bill's Casino in Primm, NV.

Mitchell just pounded Quinn with jabs and right hands until Quinn dropped to his knees. It looked like Quinn may have been able to beat the count but decided not to. He shook his head as referee Joe Cortez reached the count of 10.

Mitchell's record rises to 22-0-1, 16 KO's while Quinn is now 20-6-1, 18 KO's.

On the undercard, Forestville, MD junior middleweight Alantez "Tez" Fox scored a third-round knockout over late sub and debut boxer Warren Snapp of Las Vegas. The time of the stoppage was 50 seconds of the third. Fox remains undefeated at 4-0, three KO's.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Dusty Harrison Makes Pro Debut in Mississippi; Rahman, Wade Also on Card!

Former amateur standout and Waldorf, MD welterweight Dusty Harrison will make his pro debut on Saturday, June 11 at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southhaven, MS.

Harrison will battle Troy White of St. Louis, MO (0-2-1) in a four-round contest. After turning 17 on May 21, Harrison, who will be promoted by Prize Fight Promotions of Memphis, TN, will be the youngest boxer currently competing in pro boxing when he steps into the ring on June 11.

Harrison will have Beltway company on the card. Former Undisputed World Heavyweight champion Hasim "The Rock" Rahman (49-7-2, 40 KO's) will headline the show in a 10-round bout against Willie Herring of Orlando, FL. Also, undefeated Largo, MD middleweight Dominic Wade (11-0, eight KO's) will take on Juan Astorga of Brownfield, TX by way of Chihuahua, MX (15-6-1, 10 KO's) in a six-round contest.

Mitchell Weighs 245 For Showtime Scrap in Primm, NV!

Seth Mitchell weighed in at 245 pounds for his ShoBox Co-feature bout tonight at Buffalo Bill's Arena in Primm, NV. Mitchell's opponent, Evans Quinn, came in at 217 pounds and tried to play head games with Mitchell and put his fist towards Mitchell's face. Mitchell pushed it away and the two had to be separated. Mitchell's 10-round contest will open the Showtime telecast at 11:05 ET.

There has been a Beltway change on this card. Gary Russell, Jr. is off the card because of a bad back and Forestville, MD welterweight Alantez Fox (3-0, two KO's) is on the card. He is taking on Cleveland Ishe of Long Beach, CA (2-0, one KO.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Barnett, Rivera Added to Super Six Card in California!

DC junior welterweight Ty Barnett and Charlottsville, VA middleweight George "Wartime" Rivera have been added to the Saturday, May 14 Super Six card at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. That's the card with the Arthur Abraham-Andre Ward bout.

Barnett (18-1-1, 12 KO's) will face undefeated Andrey Klimov of Russia (10-0, five KO's) in a scheduled six-round bout -- Klimov's first bout in the United States. Barnett has won two straight since his knockout loss in October of 2009.

Rivera (12-6, four KO's) will also be battling an undefeated boxer -- Dominik Britsch of Germany (22-0, seven KO's) in an eight-round contest.

Sunday, May 08, 2011

Charlotte Card Featuring Beltway Boxers Cancelled!

BATB has learned that the boxing card that was scheduled to feature four Beltway Boxers at the Hilton Hotel in Charlotte, NC was cancelled Saturday when the promoter did not have the money to pay the boxers.

Baltimore boxers Nick Kisner, Omar Sims and James Stevenson along with DC boxer Jarell Mason-Jackson were all scheduled to appear on the card. No word on whether the card will be rescheduled.

Friday, May 06, 2011

Armenta Stopped in Fourth Round in Connecticut!

Silver Spring, MD super middleweight George "El Gallo" Armenta was stopped at the end of the fourth round by Elvin Ayala of New Haven, CT tonight at The Foxwoods in Mashantucket, CT.

According to reports, Armenta was battered for four rounds and could not come off his stool for round five. The loss is Armenta's third straight and drops his record to 13-7, 11 KO's. Ayala has won three in a row and is now 23-5-1, 11 KO's

Guerrero Heads to Texas for June 17 Bout!

Undefeated Salisbury, MD middleweight Fernando Guerrero returns to action on Friday, June 17 when he faces Michael "Murder Man" Medina of Mexico in a 10-round contest in Austin, TX. The bout will be the main event on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights.

Guerrero (21-0, 16 KO's) is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision over Derrick Findley on February 18 in Salisbury. Medina (24-3-2, 19 KO's) has lost two of his last three, but one of those bouts was a close 10-round unanimous decision loss to John Duddy on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX. All three of Medina's loss have come to solid boxers -- Duddy, Saul Roman and Vanes Martirosyan.

By the way, belated congratulations to Guerrero for being named the 2011 NABF (North American Boxing Federation) Boxer of the Year!

Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Crews Qualifies for Pan American Games!

Franchon Crews will be heading to Guadalajara, Mexico for the 2011 Pan American Games in October!

The 165-pounder from Baltimore punched her ticket to the Pan Am's by defeating Blanca Burgos of Ecuador, 9-8 yesterday in a semifinal qualifier Tuesday in Quito, Ecuador.

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Crews Wins Opening Bout at Pan American Qualifier in Ecuador!

Baltimore, MD middleweight Franchon Crews was the only United States winner in the first round of Pan American Games qualifying in Quito, Ecuador on Monday night.

Crews defeated Kimberly Gittens of Barbados, 22-0 in competition. The female boxers need to move on to the championship bout to earn a spot at the Pan Am Games in October.

By the way, local boxing trainer Floyd Seymour is the coach of the team from The Bahamas.

Sunday, May 01, 2011

Reed Joins Elite List of National Golden Gloves Champions From the Beltway!

Michael Reed is the latest addition to a growing elite list of Beltway Boxers who have won National Golden Gloves championships. Here again is the updated list:

1973 and 1974: Sugar Ray Leonard

1976: Louis "Heidi" Curtis

1978: William "Flip" Johnson

1979: Kenny "The Technician" Baysmore

1982: Warren "Chico" Thompson

1985: Eugene "Sonny" Speed

1986: Anthony Wilson

1988: Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson

1991: Melvin "Top Gun" Foster

1992: James Harris

1995: DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley

1995 and 1997: "Dangerous" Dana Rucker

1998: Lamont "Bay" Pearson

2001: Lamont Peterson

2003: Anthony Peterson

2005: Gary Russell, Jr.

2010: Gary Allen Russell, David Grayton

2011: Michael Reed

'El Gallo' Armenta in Foxwoods Co-Feature; Beltway Boxers Featured in Charlotte, NC!

Busy weekend for Beltway pros coming up. On Friday, May 6, Silver Spring, MD light heavyweight George "El Gallo" Armenta will take on former world title contender Elvin Ayala of New Haven, CT in an eight-round contest at Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Mashantucket, CT.

Armenta (13-6, 11 KO's) has lost three of his last four -- all to undefeated boxers (Sechew Powell, Mark Tucker and Elvin Rodriguez). Ayala (22-5-1, 10 KO's) once challenged Arthur Abraham for the IBF Middleweight title in 2008 (losing by 12th round knockout), has won his last two bouts.

Then on Saturday, May 7, four Beltway Boxers will participate on a card in Charlotte, NC. Undefeated Baltimore welterweight James "Keep 'Em Sleepin'" Stevenson (14-0, 10 KO's) will take on Joey "Mundo" Ortega of Lowell, MA (3-20, one KO) in a six-round contest. Baltimore cruiserweight "Slick" Nick Kisner (8-0-1, five KO's) will battle Chesapeake, VA veteran William "The Storm" Bailey (10-20-2, five KO's) in a four-round bout.

Omar "The Machine" Sims of Baltimore (5-3-3, three KO's) will face undefeated local prospect Lee Campbell (2-0, one KO) in a four-round bout. Jarell Mason-Jackson of DC (8-5-2, four KO's) will also be on the card.

Coleman Wins Unanimous Decision in Vegas!

This past Friday, Baltimore junior welterweight Tim "Pit Bull" Coleman won an eight-round unanimous decision over Sergio Rivera at the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

Coleman won the judges scorecards pretty handily -- 79-72, 80-72, and 78-74. Coleman is now 19-1-1, five KO's. Rivera falls to 16-7-2, 10 KO's.