Salisbury and Baltimore Team Up For Amateur Card in Ocean City!

The Down Under Boxing Gym in Salisbury, MD is working with the Baltimore Boxing Club to put on an amateur show on Saturday, July 2 at the Ocean City Convention Center in Ocean City, MD.

"The War At The Shore" will begin at 8 PM and will feature boxers from the host gyms as well as Club Norfolk, Club One, LA Boxing, East Coast Boxing and King of Kings gyms. General Admission seats are $25, Floor seats are 35 and VIP/Ringside are $50. For more information, call 443-523-8470 or 410-289 8311.

Punch Counter Groves Remembers Special Beltway Anniversary!

In the latest issue of The Ring Magazine (August 2011), there is a nice article by Lee Groves, who has worked with CompuBox since March 2007. Groves gives his 10 most vivid memories of counting thousands of punches during his career.

In his article, Groves celebrates a moment featuring two Beltway cruiserweights that took place on June 29, 2007 -- exactly four years ago today. The nationally-televised ESPN2 bout between Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson and Emmanuel "Chukwu" Nwodo at the St. George Theater in Staten Island, NY featured one of the most brutal knockouts that anyone has ever seen. Wilson's 11th round KO was called by some the knockout of the year and gave him the USBA Cruiserweight title. The telecast also gave us a classic call of a knockout by ESPN2 announcer Joe Tessitore.

Here is Groves's description:

"Wilson was in the throes of a punching drought -- four connects per round in the previous four -- when the 'Ding-A-Ling Man' rung Nwodo's bell with the single hardest punch I've seen live. The crushing hook left Nwodo in a heap and down for five excruciating minutes."

For those who haven't seen it or just want to relive it -- what follows is a 10-min capsule of this bout. The knockout still makes me shudder when I see it.

Finally..Accurate Results on Card in Virginia Beach!

Sorry for the delay on this but I wanted to wait until we received some accurate and complete results concering the Beltway Boxers on the card that took place on Saturday, June 25 in Virginia Beach, VA.

Front Royal, VA's Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer won a six-round technical decision over Andre Baker of Lumberton, NC. Baker injured his shoulder in the sixth round. Farmer was ahead on all judges scorecards, 60-54. Farmer is now 14-2, seven KO's. Baker falls to 8-32-2, two KO's.

Great Falls, VA's Jimmy Lange won a six-round unanimous decision over Baltimore's Mike McFail. Lange won a shutout on all the judges's scorecards 60-54, despite some onlookers saying the bout was a lot closer. Lange is now 36-4-2, 24 KO's while McFail is now 12-43-2, four KO's.

In a women's bout, Tori Nelson of Ashburn, VA won a four-round unanimous decision in a rematch against Rachel "The Joker" Clark of Philadelphia, PA. Judges Laura Catuska and Brian Costello scored the bout 39-37 while Bill Osterman saw a shutout for Nelson, 40-36. Nelson remains undefeated at 3-0-1 while Clark sees her record drop to 6-6-1, three KO's. (Sorry for the erroneous info previously. Boxrec had Nelson losing the bout.)

Also, "The People's Champion" Jonathan Felton of Stafford, VA lost a fourth-round TKO to undefeated Norfolk, VA heavyweight Dorsett Barnwell. Felton, who took the bout on less than two days notice, now has a record of 6-25, five KO's. Barnwell is now 4-0, three KO's.

Paschall Promotions Presents Amateur Showcase July 9!

Paschall Promotions will be putting on an amateur card at the Maryland Sportsplex in Millersville, MD on Saturday, July 9 beginning at 7:30 PM. There will be a number of bouts in many weight classes slated for the card but there may still be some slots available for boxers who want to participate. Call 410-227-5658 for details on tickets and boxing availability.

Undefeated Boxers Get Showcase on United Boxers Card at DC Star July 16!

Five undefeated Beltway Boxers will be featured on the next United Boxers Promotions card on Saturday, July 16 at DC Star Nightclub in Northeast DC.

Fresh off his 10-round majority decision win over Farah Ennis on April 2, Oxon Hill, MD light heavyweight Alexander "The Great" Johnson (11-0, four KO's) will headline the show while Baltimore welterweight Emanuel "Tranzformer" Taylor (12-0, nine KO's) will participate in the co-feature.

Also slated for this card are Baltimore light heavyweight Dale "Hit Hard as Hell" Robeson-El (6-0, four KO's), Suitland, MD cruiser Venroy July (6-0-2, two KO's) and Alantez "Tez" Fox of Capitol Heights, MD(4-0, three KO's). Also slated to participate will be Capitol Heights featherweight Thomas "KO" Snow (14-1, nine KO's). Opponents are still be named for the scheduled participants.

There will also be a tribute to two of the world champions from the Beltway -- three-time champion Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson and former two-time titleholder "The Little Big Man" Sharmba Mitchell.

More information on this card as it becomes available.

USA National Wrapup!

The Beltway did indeed bring back one national champion in 165-pound female titleholder Franchon Crews, however the Beltway will be well represented when the Men's Olympic Trials take place July 31-August 6 in Mobile, AL and when the Women's Olympic Trials begin in February 2012 at a site still to be determined.

Jerry Odom did indeed suffer an injury to his lip that caused him to not battle in the 178-pound final last night, however, Odom's place in the Olympic Trials was already secured.

The same can be said for both our 141-pounders -- Michael Reed and Gary Allen Russell Both notched spots at the trials before the USA National Championships.

The strong third-place perfomances of Greg Outlaw (112 pounds) and Antoine Douglas (165 pounds) punched their ticket for Mobile in July.

D'Mitrius Ballard (165 pounds) and Danny Kelly (201+) will be heading to the Olympic Trials because of earlier wins.

Also, Tyrieshia Douglas will be at the Women's Olympic Trials as she won a silver medal at 112 pounds. Douglas will have to find a way to get past Marlan Esparza, who has now won six straight USA National titles and has beaten Douglas two straight years in the national finals.


Off the top of my head, these are the boxers that I know are heading to the Olympic Trials from this region. If there is anyone I have missed, please let me know.

Crews Wins National Title!

Congratulations to Baltimore's Franchon Crews who won the 165-pound female title tonight at the USA Boxing National Championships in Colorado Springs, CO.

Crews defeated Alyssa DeFazio of Peoria, AZ, 15-13 in tonight's final.

Tyrieshia Douglas of Baltimore earned a silver medal tonight as she fell in the 112-pound female championship to Marlan Esparza of Houston, TX by a 27-16 decision.

Last night, Antoine Douglas (165 pounds) of Burke, VA and Glenarden, MD's Greg Outlaw (112 pounds) won bronze medals in the consolation round.

We are awaiting Jerry Odom's result in the 178-pound title bout.

Allen, Cisneros Lose Bouts in New York; Lange And Farmer Have Opponents for Virginia Beach Tonight!

Beltway Boxers Norman "The Shadow" Allen and Carlos "El Perro" Cisneros lost their bouts last night at Cordon Bleu in Woodhaven, NY.

Allen of Laurel, MD, lost a six-round unanimous decision to Tommy Rainone of New York City in a welterweight battle. All three judges scored the bout 59-54. Allen is now 6-5, three KO's. Rainone is 15-4, four KO's.

Cisneros, a welterweight fighting out of Bladensburg, MD, was stopped in the sixth round by Martin Wright of Brooklyn, NY. Cisneros is 9-18-1, six KO's while Wright is 10-1-2, five KO's.

Tonight in Virginia Beach, VA, Great Falls, VA junior middleweight Jimmy Lange returns to action in a rematch bout against last-minute sub Mike McFail of Baltimore. Lange won a six-round unanimous decision over McFail in an August 2010 bout in Greensboro, NC. Also, Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer is on the card facing Andre Baker of Lumberton, NC.

Nick Charles Passes at 64 After Long Cancer Battle!

There are certain stories and news items that you know you will eventually have to write, but you just don't want to or just don't know how. The last time I felt this way was when Mack Lewis passed. I don't think I did Mr. Mack justice with that story and I don't think I will do justice here.

Getting the news today that former CNN and local sportscaster Nick Charles has died at the age of 64 after an almost two-year fight against stage 4 bladder cancer makes me feel that way again.

I've always been inspired in different ways by Charles -- first knowing that he went from being a taxi driver in Chicago into sportscasting. That in itself has given me a lot of hope.

After working in the Chicago area, Charles came to the Beltway region, first working at WJZ-TV in Baltimore then coming to WRC-TV in Washington (where he directly preceded George Michael) followed by a stint at WTOP Radio. Then on June 1, 1980, Charles began his long career at CNN as its first sports anchor. Charles's 17-year pairing with Fred Hickman on CNN's "Sports Tonight" is still one of the longest anchor duets in TV history.

The fact that boxing was Charles's passion was another source of inspiration for me. While I never met Charles personally (don't understand that one), I did manage to share a few phone conversations with him through Scott Wagner's old Ballroom Boxing radio show. One morning Charles did say that he appreciated the work I did for boxing in this area. That was a major boost.

We all know that Charles covered some of the major boxing events in the past 25 years, but he never felt too big to work with Bobby Magruder to call the Golden Gloves events as he once did.

Of course, the final source of inspiration -- for all of us -- was Charles making public his fight with cancer. The way he embraced life and did all he could while he was still here was incredible. When he made his final professional appearance in March of this year on HBO's Boxing After Dark, it was an incredible moment that said don't let something like this stop you from living your life.

Charles leaves to cherish his memory, his wife Cory and his daughter Giovanna, plus three adult children from two previous marriages. Nick Charles also leaves thousands of fans all around the world some wonderful moments.

L.Peterson IBF Eliminator Bout Now Slated for July 29!

The on-again, off-again, on-again, off-again IBF Junior Welterweight elimination bout between DC's Lamont Peterson and Victor Cayo of The Dominican Republic is apparently on again.

ESPN.com's Dan Rafael is reporting that the bout is now scheduled for Friday, July 29 at the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and will be televised by ESPN2.

The road to this date has been a long and bumpy one to say the least. This bout has been postponed twice, including earlier this week when the bout was scheduled to take place on July 23 in Las Vegas on the undercard of the Amir Khan-Zab Judah unification title bout. However, the bout fell apart when Warriors Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions could not agree on what would happen in case Cayo won the bout. The bout was headed to a purse bid on July 5.

Peterson is a free agent, but Warriors Boxing CEO Leon Margules told ESPN.com that Golden Boy would have had the rights to Peterson if he won the bout on July 23.

The July 29th date opened up when former world champ Joel Casamayor, who was scheduled to fight on that date, suffered minor injuries in a car accident and unable to fight.

Peterson (28-1-1, 14 KO's) and Cayo (26-1, 18 KO's) will be battling to become a mandatory challenger for the winner of Khan-Judah.

Allen, Cisneros Hit The Scales in Woodhaven, NY!

Laurel, MD welterweight Norman "The Shadow" Allen and Bladensburg, MD welter Carlos Cisneros weighed in for separate bouts on a card Friday night at the Cordon Bleu in Woodhaven, NY.

Allen (6-4, three KO's) will battle Tommy "The Razor" Rainone of New York City (14-4, four KO's) in a scheduled six-rounder. Allen tipped the scales at 145 1/2 while Rainone weighed in at 149.

Cisneros (9-17-1, six KO's) will take on Martin Wright of Brooklyn, NY (9-1-2, four KO's) in another six-round contest. Cisneros weighed in at 148 while Wright came in at 148 1/4.

Interesting Beltway connection here. Allen has faced off against Cisneros and stopped him in the second round in District Heights, MD in May of 2008. Wright has won three bouts in Maryland, one at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie and two at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore.

Odom, T. Douglas, Crews Advance to USA Boxing Finals; Reed Faces Russell in Consolation Round!

Three Beltway amateurs have advanced to Saturday's Championship round at the USA Boxing National Championships in Colorado Springs, CO.

Jerry Odom of Bowie, MD scored an RSC-3 Sean Bettencourt of Stoughton, MA in the semis of the 178-pound division. Odom will now face Jesse Hart of Philadelphia in Saturday's final.

Meanwhile, two of our females will be in the final round. Tyrieshia Douglas of Baltimore moved into the championship of the 112-pound division with a 17-11 decision over Poula Estrada of Palmdale, CA. Douglas will battle Marlen Esparza of Houston, TX in the final.

At 165 pounds, Franchon Crews of Baltimore earned her way into the final with a close 14-13 decision over Tiffanie Ward of Hacienda Heights, CA. Crews will take on Alyssa DeFazio of Peoria, AZ in the final.

One of the more anticipated bouts of the tournament will take place in Friday's Consolation Round, not in the finals. Both Michael Reed of Waldorf, MD and Gary Allen Russell of Capitol Heights, MD lost their semi-final bouts in the 141-pound class, so they will battle each other for third place in the tournament. Reed was disqualified in his bout against Semajay Thomas of Chicago, IL while Russell fell by medical walkover to Thomas Duquette of Waltham, MA.

Glenarden, MD 108-pounder Greg Outlaw and Burke, VA 165-pounder Antoine Douglas both lost their semi-final bout and will also be in Friday's consolation.

Harrison Now Participates in Four-Round Bout, Not Six!

There has been a change of plans at Prize Fight Promotions -- the promotional home of DC welterweight Dusty Harrison. After BATB first reported that Harrison would participate in a six-round encounter for his next bout, Russ Young of Prize Fight informs the boxing media that Harrison will now compete in a four-round encounter.

Seven Beltway Amateurs Advance to USA National Semifinals!

Seven local amateurs remain in competition at the USA Boxing National Championships in Colorado Springs, CO as the event reaches its semifinal round.

During the afternoon session yesterday, 141-pounders Gary Allen Russell of Capitol Heights, MD and Michael Reed of Waldorf, MD both advanced to the final four. Russell decisioned Abel Ramos of Eloy, AZ 40-32 while Reed won a 24-12 decision over Manuel Lopez, Jr. of Centennial, CO.

In the 165-pound class, Antoine Douglas of Burke, VA decisioned Andre Penn of Rapid City, SD, 17-11.

And in the 108-pound bracket, Greg Outlaw of Glenarden, MD scored a 28-17 decision over Anthony Taylor of Jackson, TN.

During the evening session, Tyrieshia Douglas of Baltimore advanced to the 112-pound female semis with a 23-14 decision over Berenice Hernandez of Las Vegas.

In the 165-pound female semis, Franchon Crews of Baltimore won by RSC-4 over Audrey Drew of Dallas, TX.

Also in the 178-pound male bracket, Jerry Odom of Bowie, MD advanced to the semis with a 34-27 decision over Tony Mack of Plano, TX.

Failing to advance to the semis were Asia Stevenson (132 pounds female) and Dara Shen (165 pounds).

Beltway Ladies Night at USA Boxing National Championships!

Three Beltway lady boxers have advanced to the quarterfinals of the USA Boxing National Championships in Colorado Springs, CO.

Tyreishia Douglas of Baltimore, MD won a 17-11 decision over LaTonya King of Harrison, MI in the 112-pound bracket.

Both local 165-pounders advanced to the next round. Franchon Crews of Baltimore won a 29-7 decision over Raven Barnes of Marquette, MI while Fairfax, VA's Dara Shen captured an 18-8 decision over Kalita Marsh of Smithfield, NC. Conceivably, the two locals could meet in the finals because of their set-up in the bracket.

The fourth local lady -- Asia Stevenson of DC -- is slated to compete in the quarterfinals of the 125-pound bracket today. There are only seven ladies in her bracket.

It was a rough night for the Beltway men last night as two of the three boxers were eliminated. Only Jerry Odom of Bowie, MD advanced to the quarterfinals of the 178-pound bracket with an RSC-2 in the second round over Devin Goins of Stone Mountain, FL.

However, Kevin Rivers of Landover, MD was stopped in the third round (RSC-3) by Jose Ramirez of Avenal, CA in the 132-pound class. In the 201+ class, Danny Kelly of DC lost his second round bout 13-6 to Laron Mitchell of San Francisco, CA.

Russell, Reed, A. Douglas Advance; Ballard Falls in USA Nationals!

Two of the top boxers in the Men's 141-pound division in the nation are one step closer to another meeting at the USA Boxing National Championships in Colorado Springs, CO. Capitol Heights, MD's Gary Allen Russell and Mike Reed of Waldorf, MD advanced during this afternoon's preliminary session.

Russell won a 28-17 decision over Andy Vences of San Jose, CA. Reed won by retirement over Dahlton Cordeiro Silva of Kahului, HI. The two could eventually meet in the finals.

In the 165-pound bracket, Antoine Douglas of Burke, VA won an all-Virginia matchup over Immanuwel Aleem of Richmond, 20-9. There was a huge upset in the bracket as top-seeded D'Mitrius Ballard of Temple Hills, MD lost to Noel Godson of Bloomfield, NJ, 19-7.

We'll have the evening results later tonight.

Dusty Harrison Returns in SIX-Round Contest July 30!

By his very entrance into the sport at the age of nearly 17, DC welterweight Dusty Harrison is truly wasting no time in pro boxing. The next scheduled move for Harrison is further proof of this.

Coming off his successful and highly-praised pro debut just 10 days ago (June 11), BATB has learned that Harrison (1-0) will get back into the ring on Saturday, July 30 at the Fitzgerald's Hotel and Casino in Tunica, MS against Rohan Wilson of Atlanta, GA (5-4-1, one KO). The bout will be, yes, Harrison's first six-round encounter.

Sources in the Harrison camp say that because of the vast amateur experience Harrison has had, they feel ready for Dusty Harrison to make the move at this early point in his career.

Beltway Amateurs Begin Olympic Trial Quest!

At the beginning of today, 11 Beltway amateur boxers began their quest for a berth in the upcoming US Olympic Trials by competing in the USA Boxing National Championships in Colorado Springs, CO.

Three of the locals competed in the first preliminary session this afternoon and now that number has been reduced to 10. Gary Antonio Russell of Capitol Heights, MD lost his 123-pound contest to Luis Feliciano of Milwaukee, WI by a 14-13 contest.

Russell's brother, Allen, fared better in the 141-pound bracket winning his opening round by 13-8 decision over Kent Cruz of St. Louis, MO.

At 165-pounds, Antoine Douglas of Burke, VA won his first contest in that bracket with a 19-16 decision over Jamal Robinson of Cleveland, OH.

Here is the list of other locals competing this week. Most of them will start action tomorrow.

Greg Outlaw --108 pounds

Kevin Rivers -- 132 pounds

Michael Reed -- 141 pounds

D'Mitrius Ballard -- 165 pounds

Jerry Odom -- 178 pounds

Danny Kelly -- 201+ pounds

Tyreisha Douglas -- 112 pounds (female)

Asia Stevenson -- 125 pounds (female)

Franchon Crews -- 165 pounds (female)

Dara Shen -- 165 pounds (female)

A. Guerrero, King Win in Harrington, Byarm Draws in Texas!

One Guerrero did remain undefeated Friday night. The older of the two Guerrero Brothers -- Alex -- scored a second-round TKO over Chris "Cold Steel" Thomas of Chicago, IL at the Harrington Raceway in Harrington, DE. Thomas could not come out for the third round.

Guerrero is now 6-0-1, three KO's. Guerrero has scored knockouts in three of his last four bouts. Thomas is 17-16-2, 14 KO's.

On that same card, Cambridge, MD welterweight Dontre King won a four-round unanimous decision over Miguel Pizarro of San Antonio, TX. King won by scores of 40-36 (twice) and 39-37. The win is King's second in a row and raises his record to 5-9, two KO's. Pizarro's record falls to 1-3.

Also, another Salisbury cruiserweight -- Tahir Thomas -- remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Terence Anderson of San Antonio, TX. Thomas is 2-0, one KO while Anderson falls to 2-5, one KO.

Meanwhile in Austin, TX, BATB has learned that DC heavyweight Maurice "Freight Train" Byarm fought to a six-round draw against Homero Fonseca of Driscoll, TX. No word on the scorecards yet. Byarm remains undefeated at 11-0-1, eight KO's. Fonseca falls to 9-4-3, two KO's.

Results From Baltimore, Hidalgo and Austin!

Here are the results from the Bang Time Boxing card at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore:

Undefeated cruiserweight Russ "The Hammer" Shiflett wins the WBF All-America's Cruiserweight title with an eight-round majority decision over Bronx, NY's Newton "The Butcher" Kidd. Shiflett is now 12-0-1, five KO's. Kidd is now 7-8-2, four KO's.

Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall won a six-round split decision over Nathan Bedwell of Lexington, TN. Paschall is now 22-1-1, four KO's. Bedwell falls to 4-8, three KO's.

"The Golden Greek" Elias Bouloubassis captured a four-round unanimous decision over Stephen Franklin of Inwood, WVA by way of DC. Bouloubassis remained undefeated at 6-0-5, four KO's. Franklin is 1-5, one KO.

Lonnie Kornegay and Martinsburg, WVA's Donald Crawford fought to a four-round majority draw. Kornegay is now 0-4-2 while Crawford is now 1-1-1, one KO.

The matchmaker for the show was "The Boxing Diva" Renee Aiken.

At the State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, TX, super featherweight "Mr." Gary Russell, Jr. of Capitol Heights, MD scored three knockdowns enroute to a fourth-round stoppage of Antonio Meza. Russell dropped Meza once in the third and twice in the fourth before the bout was stopped at 2:42 in the fourth.

Russell is 16-0, 10 KO's while Meza falls to 24-10-1, 16 KO's.

The big shocker took place in the capital of Texas, Austin where Fernando Guerrero lost his first pro bout via fourth-round TKO to former Contender champion Grady Brewer at the Frank Erwin Center at the University of Texas. Guerrero was dropped by right hands before an uppercut finished the job at 2:16 of the fourth. Guerrero is now 21-1, 16 KO's while Brewer rises to 29-12, 17 KO's.

No word yet on how Maurice Byarm did on that card and also no info has come in on how Fernando's brother, Alex fared in Harrington, DE.

Here is the Boxing Along The Beltway Post-Fight Wrap-Up from Du Burns Arena:

Russ Shiflett wins the WBF All-America's Cruiserweight title with a tough eight-round majority decision over Newton Kidd! Post-Fight Wrap later tonight!

Paschall wins six-round split decision over Bedwell. Paschall 22-1-1, four KO's. Bedwell is 4-8, three KO's. Main event Newton vs. Kidd up next.

Next bout is co-feature: Mike Paschall vs. Nathan Bedwell.

Bouloubassis wins a four-round unanimous decision over Stephen Franklin. Bouloubassis is 6-0-5, four KO's. Franklin is 1-5, one KO.

Guerrero is now 21-1, 16 KO's. Brewer is 29-12, 17 KO's and the NABF Junior Middleweight champion.

The bout was stopped at 2:16 of the fourth.

We are receiving word that Fernando Guerrero was stopped in the fourth round by Grady Brewer tonight in Austin Tx. More info as we get it.

Next bout will be Elias Bouloubassis and Stephen Franklin.

Lonnie Kornegay and Donald Crawford fought to a four-round majority draw. Kornegay is 0-5-1 while Crawford is 1-1-1, one KO.

Pro bouts getting ready to start momentarily. First bout will be a heavyweight contest -- Lonnie Kornegay vs. Donald Crawford.

But that bout, if it takes place, won't be here. It would be against Chazz Witherspoon in San Jose! More during the post-fight wrap up show!

Couple of updated news items: Jimmy Lange has been added to the June 25 card in Virginia Beach. Also, there is talk of a Seth Mitchell bout in August.

Good evening from Du Burns Arena in Baltimore! The amateur portion of the card is getting ready to begin! We'll begin blogging when the pro portion gets going

Weights from Baltimore, Austin and Hidalgo!

We've got a scale watch coming from three locations where Beltway Boxers will be fighting tonight.

First, from Baltimore:

Russ Shiflett 184 1/2 vs. Newton Kidd 184

Mike Paschall 174 1/2 vs. Nathan Bedwell 171

Elias Bouloubassis 152 1/2 vs. Stephan Franklin 157

Lonnie Kornegay 277 1/2 vs. Donnie Crawford 223

There will be four amateur bouts on the card. We will be blogging the pro portion tonight.

In Austin, TX:

Fernando Guerrero 152 3/4 vs. Grady Brewer 153 3/4

Maurice Byarm 244 vs. Homero Fonseca 279

The ESPN2 telecast begins at 9 PM ET.

In Hidalgo, TX:

Gary Russell, Jr. 127 vs. Antonio Meza 128

The Telefutura telecast is at 11:30 PM but I do not know if Russell will be on the telecast.

And we also have info on the Harrington Raceway card in Harrington, DE. Alex Guerrero is now going to fight Chris Thomas of Richmond, VA by way of DC. Also, Tony Jeter will box an exhibition against Stevie Weimer and Dontre King will now face Miguel Pizarro.

We'll do the best we can to keep you informed on everything that is happening tonight during the live blogging.

'Sugar Poo' Challenges For NABF Super Middleweight Title July 8 in Phoenix!

Capitol Heights, MD super middleweight Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan returns to action in a 12-round contest for the vacant NABF Super Middleweight championship against Jesus "El Martillo" Gonzales of Phoenix, AZ on Friday, July 8 at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix. The bout will be carried by ESPN2.

Buchanan (20-2, 13 KO's) has not fought since August of 2010 when he scored a ninth-round TKO over Bobby Jordan in Norfolk, VA. Since that bout, Buchanan has also changed managers as he is now under the guidance of local promoter Abe Peay.

Gonzales (26-1, 14 KO's) is riding a nine-bout winning streak since suffering his only loss -- an eighth-round TKO against Jose Luis Zertuche in September of 2005. This will be Gonzales's second straight bout at the Celebrity Theater. Gonzales won a 12-round unanimous decision over veteran Dhafir Smith on March 18. This was the bout after Smith defeated Jeff Lacy in December.

Update on Friday's Bang Time Boxing Card at Du Burns!

One minor change to this Friday's Bang Time Boxing pro-am card at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore. Jessie Nicklow is off the show. Baltimore heavyweight Lonnie Kornegay (0-4-1) is on the card looking for his first pro win against Donnie Crawford of Winchester, VA (1-1, one KO).

There are five scheduled amateur bouts on the card as well. Everything else on the card is as previously reported.

Farmer, Nelson Slated to Appear on Dee Lee Card in Virginia Beach June 25!

Front Royal, VA junior welterweight Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer returns to action on a Dee Lee Promotions card on Saturday, June 25 at the Virginia Beach Fieldhouse in Virginia Beach, VA.

Farmer (13-2, seven KO's) has been out of action since his fourth-round TKO loss to Ikem Orji in March of 2010 at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA.

Also scheduled to be on the card will be undefeated Ashburn, VA middleweight Tori Nelson who will battle in a rematch against Rachel "The Joker" Clark of Philadelphia, PA. Nelson (2-0-1) fought Clark in November of 2010 and won a four-round unanimous decision in Waldorf, MD. Since that bout, Clark (6-5-1, three KO's) has split her last two bouts.

Amateur Boxing Comes to M&T Bank Stadium Parking Lot June 18!

There will be an outdoor amateur boxing card called the "Fed Hill Fight Fest" that will take place in the Ostend Street parking lot next to M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday afternoon June 18 beginning at 2:30 PM.

Baltimore Boxing promotions is putting together a number of local boxers including Derek Blazer, Chase Carusso, Ryan Brown, Adam Shampaine, Jason Farrell Brian Haneschlager, Alex Llivivhchka, and Brian Rewers.

General admission tickets are $25 with VIP tickets at $50. Call 443-848-6059 for details.

A Review of Harrison's Pro Debut!

Photo by JD Meredith, Memphis Boxing

Just wanted to share a review of DC welterweight Dusty Harrison's winning pro debut. Boxingnews24.com heaped praise upon the newest and youngest pro boxer in the US.

Here's the link:

"http://www.boxingnews24.com/2011/06/harrison-defeats-alexander/">

Washington Post Magazine Profiles 'Da Beast' Suggs!

The Washington Post's Brigid Schulte profiled former Beltway Boxer Anthony "Da Beast" Suggs and the troubles he has faced throughout his life that curtailed a very promising boxing career. The story talks about what he is doing to put his past behind him and how he is cultivating a promising present and future.

Suggs, who fought out of Alexandria, VA, was a superb amateur and solid pro (22-7-1, 19 KO's) who took on some solid performers in the Beltway Region including Teddy Reid, Kenny Baysmore, Jasper "Baby Ray" Goddard and Mike Tidline-El. However, Suggs will probably best remembered for two bouts he lost -- both at Fight Night at the Washington Hilton Hotel and Towers in DC.

On October 11, 1995, Suggs lost to Darryll Tyson by 10th round KO in one of the greatest bouts in the history of the Fight Night series. The recollection of those two men fighting under a very heavy cloud of cigar smoke (and of Tyson collapsing in the corner because of the smoke) is one of the most vivid memories I have in more than 25 years of covering the Beltway Boxing scene. That bout is at number eight on my list of best Beltway Boxing Bouts of the past 25 years.

The next year, October 10, 1996 and again at Fight Night, Suggs took on Reggie Green in a bout for the Inter-Continental Boxing Council Junior Welterweight title. It was a 12-round war that Green won by 12-round TKO. That was another fabulous bout.

Here is the article: "http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/boxer-tony-suggs-is-fighting-to-let-go-of-the-past/2011/05/19/AGvBUoOH_story.html">

There is also an interview with Suggs on the Post's website:

"http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/tony-suggs-on-boxing-drug-addiction-and-recovery/2011/06/10/AGUA0xOH_video.html">

Harrison Wins Pro Debut in Mississippi; Rahman Scores KO in Co-Feature!

DC welterweight Dusty Harrison won his pro debut tonight at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, MS capturing a four-round unanimous decision over Atlanta, GA's Alphonso Alexander.

Announced as "The Youngest Pro Fighter in the United States," the 16-year-old Harrison won by a shutout (40-36) on all three judges cards against the now 0-4 Alexander.

Sources tell BATB that Harrison has become an instant hit with the fans at the DeSoto Civic Center as he signed autographs after the bout and has had ladies's phone numbers thrown at him.

In the co-feature, former undisputed heavyweight champion Hasim "The Rock" Rahman stopped last-minute contender Galen Brown in the sixth round. Brown reportedly took a knee four times in this bout. Rahman is now 49-7-1, 40 KO's. Brown falls to 35-16-1, 22 KO's.

Rahman, Harrison Hit The Scales in Southaven!

Beltway Boxers Hasim Rahman and Dusty Harrison weighed in tonight for their bouts at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, MS.

Rahman tipped in at 284 pounds for his 10-round contest against late sub Galen Brown, who weighed in at 253 pounds.

In his first pro weigh-in, Harrison came in at 148 pounds for his four-rounder against Alphonso Alexander, who hit the scales at 150 pounds.

Dominic Wade, who was scheduled for this card, is now off the card.

Corley Loses Unanimous Decision in New York!

DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley lost a 10-round unanimous decision to undefeated Thomas Dulorme tonight at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.

Corley was dropped in the third round and lost the decision 99-90 on all three cards. Corley is now 37-18-1, 22 KO's. Dulorme's record rises to 12-0, 10 KO's.

Corley Weighs 143 For ESPN2 Bout in New York City!

DeMarcus Corley weighed in at 143 pounds for his 10-round ESPN2 co-feature against Thomas Dulorme tonight at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. Dulorme tipped the scales at 144 pounds.

Prayers for the McCombs Family!

BATB has learned that Mrs. Deborah Blocker, the mother of Beltway Boxer Richard McCombs , passed away recently. Mrs. Blocker is also related to former WBC Welterweight champion Maurice Blocker.

The homegoing service for Mrs. Blocker will be held on Friday, June 17 at
New Jerusalem Temple
4024 Gault Place Northeast
Washington D.C.
SERVICE 10AM-11AM

BATB offers its deepest condolences.

Shiflett to Face Kidd for WBF All-Americas Title June 17!

We do have an update on the Bang Time Boxing card on Friday, June 17 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore. The main event will be a 10-round contest for the World Boxing Foundation (WBF) All-Americas Cruiserweight title between Baltimore's Russ "The Hammer" Shiflett and Newton "The Butcher" Kidd of The Bronx, NY by way of St. Mary Parish, Jamaica.

Shiflett (11-0-1, five KO's) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision win over Willie Chisolm on April 15 at the Maryland Sportsplex in Millersville, MD. Kidd (7-7-2, four KO's) is unbeaten in his last two bouts. Both men will be attempting to go 10 rounds for the first time in their careers.

In the interest of full disclosure, this reporter has been named the WBF Supervisor for this bout.

The co-feature will mark the return of Baltimore super middleweight "The Persecutor" Mike Paschall. Out of action since a majority decison win over Arial Espinal last September at Du Burns, Paschall (21-2-1, four KO's) will face Nathan Bedwell of Jackson, TN (4-7, three KO's) in a six-round contest. Bedwell is coming off a six-round unanimous decision loss to Grover Young on March 19 in Tunica, MS.

Also returning to action will be the undefeated "Golden Greek" of Baltimore -- Elias Bouloubassis. Bouloubassis (5-0-5, four KO's) last fought on September 10 at Du Burns and fought to a four-round majority draw against Kelvin Kibler. The opponent will be Stephen Franklin of Martinsburg, WVA. Franklin (0-4) will be looking for his first pro win in his fifth bout against a Beltway opponent. Previously, Franklin lost to Sherman Artis, Jr., Devin Butcher, Dan Cannaday and Mischa Christensen.

Baltimore middleweight Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow has been added to this card but he is still looking for an opponent.

June Could Be Huge Beltway Boxing Month!

If all stays according to plan and to schedule, the month of June could be a big one for the Beltway Boxing scene. There are a number of boxers that will be involved in high-profile bouts around the country as well as a boxing card in Baltimore on Friday, June 17.

Here's how the schedule looks as of now:

We know that on Friday, June 10th at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City, DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley will take on undefeated Thomas Dulorme on an ESPN2 Friday Night Fights co-feature.

On Saturday, June 11, former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Hasim Rahman, undefeated middleweight Dominic Wade and debuting Dusty Harrison will all appear on a card at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Mississippi.

On Friday, June 17, Bang Time Boxing is hosting a pro-am card at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore, MD. I hope to have a complete rundown on this card later this week, but I can confirm that undefeated Baltimore cruiserweight Russ "The Hammer" Shiflett will be competing in a World Boxing Foundation All-Americas Cruiserweight title bout. Also slated to be on that card will be the returning Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall and "The Golden Greek" Elias Bouloubassis.

If you plan to attend the Bang Time card, set your DVR's for the June 17 ESPN2 Friday Night Fights card from the Frank Erwin Center on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin. That's where Fernando Guerrero goes after the NABF Super Lightweight title against former Contender champ Grady Brewer. Also, it looks like undefeated DC heavyweight Maurice "Freight Train" Byarm might also be on that telecast.

You can also set your recorders for the June 17 Telefutura card from Hidalgo, TX. Undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight "Mr." Gary Russell, Jr. is slated to headline in an eight-round bout against Mexican veteran Antonio Meza.

And if that isn't enough, undefeated cruiserweight Alex Guerrero of Salisbury, MD will appear on a card at the Harrington Raceway Casino in Harrington, DE on June 17. Guerrero will be in a four-round contest. Cambridge, MD welter Dontre King is also scheduled to be on that card. The ESPN2 bout featuring Alex's brother, Fernando will be shown during the post-fight party.

Amateur Boxing Returns to Club One On June 11!

Club One Fitness of Millersville, MD along with Jeter Promotions are hosting an amateur boxing card on Saturday, June 11 starting at 7:30 PM. There will be a number of bouts including the Open Class debut of Brady Sensibaugh as he takes on Omar Soto.

There are also slated to be boxers participating from the Frederick Fight Club as well as Down Under and Main Street Gyms in Salisbury and the LA Boxing Gym in Arlington, VA.

Corley Slated For ESPN2 Tilt Against Undefeated Foe!

Former WBO Junior Welterweight champion DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley is slated to appear on ESPN2 on Friday, June 10th at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. Corley is slated to take on undefeated Thomas Dulorme of Carolina, Puerto Rico in a scheduled 10-round bout.

Corley (37-17-1, 22 KO's) has lost his last four contests to opponents with a combined won-loss record of 91-4 with 71 knockouts. Dulorme (11-0, 10 KO's) seems to be another knockout artist. After winning a majority decision in his pro debut, Dulorme has scored 10 straight KO's including a second-round KO over Harrison Cuello on April 16 at the Foxwoods in Mashentucket, CT. Corley also defeated Cuello by eight-round unanimous decision at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA in September of 2009.

Charles County Public Schools TV Profiles National Golden Gloves Champ Mike Reed!

The Charles County Public Schools TV program "On Air" has a nice profile of 2011 National Golden Gloves champion and Waldorf, MD native Mike Reed! The soon-to-be graduate of Westlake High School and his father talk about Reed's boxing and his classwork (a 3.7 grade point average.)

Reed will be heading to Colorado Springs, CO later this month to train for the US Olympic Trials that will be held in July in Mobile, AL.

The link that I have is the entire On Air program. Reed's segment is about 13 1/2 minutes into the program.


"http://vod.ccboe.com/TRMSVOD/1076-1OnAir-June2011.wmv">

Is the Light Still Too Bright For Beltway Boxing?

Over the years, one of the most discussed talking points about Beltway Boxing has been why don't a good portion of local boxers do well on the national or international stage? Why have some boxers done very well but others have not?

Recently, I found an old commentary I wrote for the Urbanflavorz Boxing Report, a part of the very successful UrbanFlavorz website and the direct forerunner of this very blog. The commentary was written more than 10 years ago and it was written during of one of the more important seven-day periods in Beltway Boxing history -- The first bout in the Middleweight Championship Series between Keith Holmes and Bernard Hopkins and the heavyweight title bout between challenger Hasim Rahman and Lennox Lewis.

What follows is the commentary in its entirety. The commentary includes two very bold predictions in which I went .500 on. After reading it, I would like your comments on whether or not Beltway Boxers are still stunned by the bright lights.

IS THE LIGHT TOO BRIGHT FOR D.C. BOXING?

Quick question: What do the following bouts have in common?

Derrell Coley vs. Oscar De La Hoya
Courtney Butler vs. James Toney
Darryl Tyson vs. Oscar De La Hoya
Sharmba Mitchell vs. Kostya Tszyu
Keith Holmes vs. Bernard Hopkins

Answer: The common thread is that the bouts featured
Washington-Baltimore area boxers who were facing better known
foes. The area boxers had opportunities to be considered great
fighters after their bouts ended. And in every one of these
instances, it can and has been argued that none of the boxers
performed to their capabilities.

Of course, the latest casualty involved the now-former two-time WBC
Middleweight champion Keith Holmes handing over his title to IBF champ
Bernard Hopkins on April 14 in New York.

I use the handing over description on purpose because I believe Holmes
performance on that night dictates that I do so. Holmes performance
was, in a word, embarrassing. He had no fire, no desire and, in an
opportunity to make serious boxing history, looked like he wanted to
retire. Holmes seemingly did not want to take the next step to
greatness. Unfortunately, this has become a common thread for
beltway-area boxers in recent years.

Gone for now are the days when local legends like Sugar Ray Leonard,
Simon Brown and Maurice Blocker took the steps necessary to make
themselves great fighters. And when they did go down, it was to
fighters that were simply much better than them. However, these
legends didn’t go down with out a fight. Look at Leonard’s bout with
Terry Norris or Brown’s bouts with the same Terrible Terry (one of
those he won a truly memorable performance). Even Blocker’s two-round
IBF Welterweight title loss to a young Felix Trinidad showed Blocker
in a better light than what Holmes showed on April 14.

Today’s boxers (and I've gotten many statements from you boxing fans on
this) seem to be satisfied with just getting THE OPPORTUNITY to fight
the best or getting THE OPPORTUNITY to hold a title instead of seizing
the moment and doing the absolute best they can. That has to change.

We do have two boxers here in the area that I believe want to achieve
greatness. WBA Middleweight Champion William Joppy has the
opportunity to do this on May 12 against Felix Trinidad. Achieving
greatness is all that Joppy has talked about throughout the
championship portion of his career. I believe he will achieve that
greatness by not only beating Trinidad but beating Hopkins as well in
the tournament final.

The other is former two-time, two-division
champion Mark Too Sharp Johnson. Some might even say that Johnson
has already achieved this by becoming only the second American and
the first African-American to win the flyweight title when he knocked
out a truly credible foe (former world champion Francisco Tejedor) in
just one round. Johnson’s ability and willingness to become great is
truly unquestioned.

We have another boxer here in the Beltway, Baltimore heavyweight Hasim “The Rock” Rahman, who may end up having greatness thrust upon him due to the arrogance of his opponent.

Rahman fights World Heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis on April 21st
in Johannesburg, South Africa. Lewis, as of April 17th and according
to an unofficial weigh-in, is weighing a whopping 269 pounds, the
heaviest he has ever been for a fight. Folks, Lewis is not taking
Rahman seriously and we could have the biggest upset in the
heavyweight division since Buster Douglas beat Mike Tyson. Its
possible Rahman could become great by default and there’s really
nothing wrong with that.

Guerrero Battles 'Contender' Champ Brewer in Austin, TX; Byarm Also on Card!

Undefeated middleweight Fernando Guerrero of Salisbury, MD will drop down in weight to battle former "Contender" champ Grady Brewer on Friday, June 17 at the Frank Erwin Center on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin. The 10-round bout will be for the vacant NABF Super Welterweight title and will be the feature bout on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights.

Guerrero (21-0, 16 KO's) is the current NABF Middleweight champ and is ranked number two in the world by the WBO and number three by the WBC. This will be Guerrero's first bout at 154 pounds. Guerrero is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision win over Derrick Findley on February 18 in Salisbury.

Brewer, who hails from Lawton, OK (27-12, 15 KO's), has won five of his last six bouts since defeating Steve Forbes for the Contender crown in 2006. One of those wins was a 10-round split decision against fellow 2006 Contender contestant and current IBF Junior Middleweight champ Cornelius Bundrage in November of 2008. Brewer also knocked out previously undefeated prospect Albert Onolunose in the second round in August of 2009 before being stopped in 10 rounds by undefeated Erislandy Lara in January 2010.

Undefeated DC heavyweight prospect Maurice "Freight Train" Byarm will be on the undercard on this night. Byarm (11-0, eight KO's) will take on Homero "El Oso (The Bear)" Fonseca of Driscoll, TX (9-4-2, two KO's) in a six-round contest. Byarm has won his last two bouts by fifth-round TKO. Fonseca has lost two of his last three. Fonseca has never been stopped in a pro bout.