Monday, October 31, 2011

Nicklow Faces Former Champ Taylor December 30!

The 2011 Beltway Boxing campaign will end with a big bout on Friday, December 30. BATB has learned that Baltimore middleweight Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow will be facing the returning former WBC/WBO middleweight champion Jermain Taylor on Friday, December 30 in a scheduled 10-round bout that will be shown on Showtime's "Shobox" program.

Nicklow (22-2-3, eight KO's) has been unbeaten in his last four bouts (3-0-1) since his last time on Shobox on December 19, 2009 when he was stopped by Fernando Guerrero in the fourth round in Hinckley, MN.

Taylor (28-4-1, 17) saw his career go into a tailspin after two consecutive 12th round knockout losses to then unbeatens Carl Froch and Arthur Abraham. Taylor briefly retired but then passed a battery of tests to be eligible to participate in this card.

No official word yet on where this bout will take place. Originally, it was scheduled for Taylor's hometown of Little Rock, AK, but now Biloxi, MS is also a possibility.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Virginians Win in Winchester!

I have very sketchy details about what happened Saturday night in Winchester on the Left Hook Promotions card. Front Royal, VA junior welterweight Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer won his rematch against Andre "Shake and Bake" Baker of Lumberton, NC by eight-round unanimous decision. Farmer is now 15-2, seven KO's.

There were also victories by fellow Virginia boxers Scott "Cujo" Sigmon, Richie Andrews and the debuting Ronnie Carrigan.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Kevin Womack Makes Successful Pro Debut in NJ!

One Beltway Boxer who did fight on the card at Bally's in Atlantic City was Baltimore junior welterweight Kevin "The Scarecrow" Womack who made his pro debut a successful one. Womack won a four-round unanimous decision over Korey Pritchett of Camden, NJ. The loss evens Pritchett's record at 1-1.

Thompson Named Mandatory Challenger Against Klitschko!

RingTV.com's Lem Satterfield is reporting that the IBF has officially named DC heavyweight Tony "The Tiger" Thompson its number-one challenger to Wladimir Klitschko.

Thompson was scheduled to face Eddie Chambers in an IBF elimination bout last night in Atlantic City, NJ, but Chambers pulled out with a back injury. The bout was then rescheduled for December 17 but Chambers told the IBF he would not be ready by then.

Thompson (36-2, 24 KO's) recently turned 40 years old and has won five straight bouts since his first attempt against Klitschko in 2008 when he was stopped in the 11th round.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Russell Jr. Gains Opponent; Loses HBO Spot!

Undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight "Mr." Gary Russell, Jr. has finally found an opponent for his November 26 bout in Cincinnati, OH. However, HBO did not believe that the opponent was worthy of a full slot on its airwaves and will only show highlights of Russell's (18-0, 10 KO's) bout with Dat Nguyen (17-2, six KO's).

According to ESPN.com, This took place after former Cuban amateur champion Luis Franco turned the bout down and a proposed bout between Russell and Philadelphia, PA junior featherweight Teon Kennedy was scrapped because of weight issues. Kennedy was willing to move from his natural junior featherweight to fight at 126 pounds but Russell's camp wanted a maximum weight at 127.

This is the third time Russell and HBO have clashed over issues. In September, HBO allowed him to face massive underdog Leonilo Miranda and agreed to his camp's request to reduce the bout from 10 rounds to eight, which was unprecedented in HBO history. In July, Russell was supposed to make his HBO debut on the undercard of Amir Khan's fight against Zab Judah, but when Russell's camp refused to make a fight HBO believed would be competitive, that bout also was downgraded to a highlight package.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

MaxBoxing.com 'States the Case for Too Sharp' In the Hall of Fame!

Very nice article by Steve Kim of MaxBoxing.com saying why he believes that three-time world champion Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson deserves to be in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Kim gets some very nice quotes from some well-respected names in the boxing game and mixes that with his own recollections of covering Johnson when Johnson fought in the Southern California region.

Unfortunately, Kim is not a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and doesn't have a vote. Kim does however, talk to a couple that do and have different opinions on Johnson's potential induction.

Here is the article:

"http://www.maxboxing.com/news/sub-lead/stating-the-case-for-too-sharp">

Pro-Am Card Comes to Show Place Arena November 19!

Another solid pro-am card comes to the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD on Saturday, November 19. Keystone Boxing will be promoting.

Barring an injury or a loss on the October 29th card in Winchester, VA, Scott "Cujo" Sigmon of Bedford, VA will headline the card in an eight-round contest. Sigmon would be boxing for the eighth time this year.

Undefeated Suitland, MD cruiserweight Venroy "Hard Work" July (8-0-2, two KO's) will be in the co-feature bout against an opponent to be determined. July last fought on August 19 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore and won a solid six-round unanimous decision over Willie Chisolm.

Also slated to be on this card will be Lanham, MD heavyweight Abodurin "Bo" Akinyanju (4-1, three KO's) who will be in a four-round contest.

One matchup has been signed for this card and it features two locals who could really use a win. Laurel, MD junior middleweight Norman "The Shadow" Allen will battle Lenwood "Mr. Composure" Dozier of Glen Burnie, MD in a six-round contest. Allen (6-5, three KO's) has lost four straight while Dozier (6-3-1, two KO's) has lost three of his last four including a knockout loss to Emmanuel Taylor on the same August 19 Du Burns card.

A once-promising local junior middleweight will make his return to boxing on a night almost 15 years to the day after his last contest. His name is Brian "Bam Bam" Crumb (4-3, four KO's) of Washington, DC. Crumb made his pro debut at the Show Place Arena in April of 1994 and won his first bout by third round TKO. Crumb won his first four bouts by TKO.

Then fortunes turned against him and Crumb lost his last three bouts including a fifth-round TKO to Jasper "Baby Ray" Goddard at Martin's Crosswinds in Greenbelt, MD in May of 1995 and a six-round split decision loss to Kenny Blackston that took place on November 20, 1996 at Martin's West in Woodlawn, MD.

The now 41-year-old Crumb left boxing and forged a career in education and he is currently a vice-principal at Charles H. Flowers High School in Springdale, MD.

Crumb will also have interest in the amateur portion of this card because one of his students will be participating -- 178-pounder Jerry Odom. Odom has won numerous amateur titles but recently showed where his priorities are when he passed up an opportunity to compete at the recent PAL championships in Toledo, OH to concentrate on his studies at Flowers, where he is a senior.

Odom will be part of what should be an exciting amateur portion of this card that will also feature top flight boxers Kevin Rivers and 2011 National Golden Gloves champion Mike Reed.

Mitchell-Ibragimov Set as Dec. 10 Co-Feature!

The co-feature on the Saturday, December 10 championship card at the Washington Convention Center is now a done deal. Undefeated Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell will take on Timir Ibragimov of Uzbekistan in a 10-round bout.

By the way, Mitchell has blocked out a number of tickets as a special section for his fans. If you would like to sit in that special section, type in "MAYHEM" (in all caps) when you order online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Khan-Peterson Tickets Go On Sale...TOMORROW!!

Ticketmaster begins selling tickets for the Saturday, December 10 contest between World Super Welterweight champion Amir Khan and IBF number one contender Lamont Peterson tomorrow at 10 AM EST. The bout will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

You can go to www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are at $25, $50, $75, $150 and $300. For our friends coming from the United Kingdom, the tickets are available for purchase by calling 0800 555 666.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Matchup Of Young Veterans Highlights 'An Evening Ringside' Charity Card!

A potentially very exciting contest headlines "An Evening Ringside," the charity boxing event to benefit the Jonathan Ogden Foundation on Thursday, November 3 at Martin's Valley Mansion in Cockeysville, MD. The boxing portion is being promoted by United Boxers.

Baltimore, MD super middleweight Maxell "The General" Taylor will drop down to middleweight to face the "Berlin Bomber" Joshua Snyder of Berlin, MD in the eight-round main event. Taylor (17-3-1, eight KO's) has won two straight and four of his last five since his return to boxing after a four-year absence. Since his win over then-undefeated Aaron Pryor, Jr. in December of 2008, Snyder (8-6-1, three KO's) has lost three in a row.

Also slated to be on the card are undefeated Baltimore welterweight James "Keep Em' Sleepin'" Stevenson (15-0, 10 KO's), undefeated Forestville, MD welterweight Alantez "Tez" Fox (5-0, three KO's) and Frederick, MD junior middleweight Mischa "The Assassin" Christensen (3-1, one KO).

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Tony's Gym Has 'Halloween Bash' Amateur Event!

There will be a "Halloween Bash" amateur card at Tony's Gym located at 2201 Shannon Place in Southeast DC starting at 7:30 PM on Saturday, October 29. Tony's Gym is located at 2201 Shannon Place, SE.

The weigh-in will be from noon to 2 PM. The doors open at 7 PM.

Kelly Loses at Pan Am Games!

In a close battle, DC super heavyweight Danny Kelly lost his quarterfinal match at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Kelly lost a 13-11 decision to Isaias Mena of Colombia. All the US boxers have been eliminated from competition. In an interview with USABoxing.org, Kelly said he thought he might have pulled it out.

“I pretty much wanted to stay behind my jab. He threw the straight right hand a couple times. I followed behind instead of cutting the ring off,” Kelly said of Mena. “I think I won it because in the last round he didn’t hit me with any punches. I started off slow. I beat myself.”

Monday, October 24, 2011

Mark Johnson Hall of Fame Update!

A number of boxing writers -- including Dan Rafael and Kieran Mulvaney of ESPN.com -- have publicly said that they have voted for former three-time world champion Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson for the International Boxing Hall of Fame. For those who don't know, the voting is done primarily by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). That site put a nice capsule profile together for Johnson that looks like this:


Mark Johnson
Career: 1990-2006
World Championships: IBF Flyweight title (May 4, 1996-September 4, 1998); IBF Super Flyweight title (April 24, 1999-November 19, 1999); WBO Junior Bantamweight title (August 16, 2003-September 25, 2004)
Hailed From: Washington, DC
Record: 44-5 (28 KO) Boxrec record
Record against champions and Hall of Famers: 6-4 (3 KO)
Champions faced: Alberto Jimenez, Jose Quirino, Josue Camacho, Francisco Tejedor, Ratanachai Singwancha, Rafael Marquez, Fernando Montiel, Ivan Hernandez, Jhonny Gonzalez
Champions defeated: Jimenez (SD12), Quirino (KO3), Camacho (TKO8), Tejedor (KO1), Singwancha (UD12), Montiel (MD12)

History’s first African-American world flyweight and super flyweight champion was a top pound-for-pound fighter for years. Known as “Too Sharp,” he was a savvy boxer blessed with power and speed. He knew how to punch through his opponents and 21 knockouts before the fourth round attest to both his athleticism and his well-developed skill set. Johnson had more than execution; he had an array of those intangibles that set fighters apart from the rest. In pursuit of fame and fortune, he left his natural division to take a super flyweight title and then challenged bantamweights after a year-long layoff. A two-point deduction cost him a decision against Rafael Marquez and he was stopped in the rematch. This signaled the beginning of the end of his career, though he managed to take one more title –as if to remind us of just how great he was.



Looking at the list of eligible boxers to be in this year's IBHOF class, I personally think Johnson is in good shape. However, there are some notable names that could pose a challenge.

I definitely believe that Thomas Hearns will be inducted this year. So, if you take away that almost certainty, the other possible names in my opinion are the following:

Donald Curry -- The "Cobra" was a four-time world champion in the welterweight and super welterweight divisions. The native of Fort Worth, TX (34-6, 25 KO's) fought nine world champions including Michael Nunn, Marlon Starling, Lloyd Honeyghan and Mike McCallum.

Naseem Hamed -- Another multi-time world champ in the featherweight division, the "Prince" from Sheffield, England brought a new brand of showmanship to boxing. Hamed (36-1, 31 KO's) fought 11 world titleholders.

Wilfredo Vasquez -- One of Puerto Rico's finest, this three-time world champion (56-9-2, 41 KO's) was a major battler who fought 14 world champions.

Yoko Gushiken -- The "Kanmuriwashi" (Fierce Eagle) from Okinawa, Japan was one of the country's finest boxers ever. Gushiken (23-1, 15 KO's) was the WBA Junior Flyweight champ from 1976-1981.

This is not the entire list of eligible boxers, but these are the ones I think could pose a challenge to Johnson's induction. I don't think it will be a huge challenge, however.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Beltway Boxers Head Into Busy November!

November will be an EXTREMELY busy month for Boxing in the Beltway region. If you are a fan of amateur boxing, November will be a great month for you. There will be four all-amateur cards in the area and two pro-am cards. Also there are four pro cards scheduled next month (including two charity events) and two Beltway stars will be in high-profile bouts out of town.

Without complete details on each event, here is the schedule as of right now:

Thursday, November 3 -- Martin's Valley Mansion, Cockeysville, MD. This is the annual "Evening Ringside" to benefit the Jonathan Ogden Foundation. United Boxers is promoting the boxing portion of the event.

Friday, November 4 -- Coliseo Antonio R. Barcelo, Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. Charlottsville, VA middleweight George "Wartime" Rivera (13-6, four KO's) will be taking on former WBA Super Middleweight champion Manny Siaca (23-7, 20 KO's) in a 10-round bout.

Saturday, November 5 -- Smith Gymnasium, Fort Myer/Henderson Hall joint military base, Arlington, VA. This is a pro-am bout promoted by RBA Promotions, headed by a new promoter to the area, Richard Ashby. Local pros slated to appear on this card include WBC Female Middleweight champion Tori Nelson
, the returning welterweight Juan "The Savior" Rodriguez and heavyweight Antonio Robertson. The main event features former WBC/IBF Cruiserweight champion O'Neil "Supernova" Bell of Atlanta, GA (26-4-1, 24 KO's) taking on Rico Cason of Hermitage, TN (17-20, five KO's).

Saturday, November 5 -- Main Street Gym, Salisbury, MD. The first of November's nights of amateur boxing.

Thursday, November 10 -- Washington Hilton and Towers, Washington, DC. The annual "Fight Night" Fight for Children card. Undefeated Baltimore welterweight Emmanuel "Tranzformer" Taylor (14-0, 10 KO's) is slated to appear on the card possibly against Cleveland, OH's Prenice Brewer (15-1-1, six KO's) Also locals Jerren Cochran and Jayce Thompson will be on the card.

Friday, November 11 -- Du Burns Arena, Baltimore, MD. This will be a special charity amateur card to raise funds to battle breast cancer. The card is called, yes, "Boxing for Boobs." A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to the American Breast Cancer Foundation.

Saturday, November 12 -- Upton Boxing Gym, Baltimore, MD. Another strong night of amateur boxing.

Saturday, November 12 -- Howard University's Crampton Auditorium, Washington, DC. Babie Girl Promotions with a pro card in the newly refurbished auditorium.

Saturday, November 19 -- Maryland Sportsplex, Millersville, MD. (Mike) Paschall promoting an amateur card.

Saturday, November 19 -- Show Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, MD. Keystone Boxing is promoting a pro-am card.

Saturday, November 19 -- Bally's, Atlantic City, NJ. Cambridge, MD welterweight Dontre King (5-9-2, two KO's) takes his two-fight winning streak into Atlantic City to face Julio DeJesus of Millville, NJ (5-2-1, three KO's) in a four-round contest.

Saturday, November 26 -- Cincinnati, OH. Mr. Gary Russell, Jr. (18-0, 10 KO's) scheduled to open an HBO telecast against an opponent TBA.


We'll give details on these events as soon as we get them.

Farmer, Sigmon Headline Card in Winchester October 29!

Two popular Virginia Boxers are slated to headline the Left Hook Boxing card on Saturday, October 29 at the New Winchester Armory located at 181 Pendleton Drive in Winchester, VA.

Front Royal, VA junior welterweight Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer will headline the card in an eight-round rematch against Andre "Shake and Bake" Baker of Lumberton, NC. The last time they met was on June 25 in Virginia Beach, VA. Farmer (14-2, seven KO's) won by technical decision when Baker (8-32-2, two KO's) suffered a shoulder injury. Farmer was pitching a shutout through six rounds.

Bedford, VA super middleweight Scott "Cujo" Sigmon is slated to be in the co-feature bout against an opponent to be determined. Sigmon has been one of the busiest boxers along the Beltway as this is the seventh bout he has participated in this year. Sigmon (18-3, nine KO's) is coming off an eighth-round TKO over Joe Park on October 1 in Greensboro, NC.

Also on the card will be Richie "The Rocket" Andrews of Staunton and the debuting Ronnie "Braveheart" Carrigan of Vienna.

There will also be two pro Mixed Martial Arts bouts on this card.

Crews Falls At Pan Am Games!

Baltimore's Franchon Crews lost her quarterfinal bout at the Pan American Games to three-time world champion Mary Spencer of Canada tonight in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Crews lost a 17-7 decision to Spencer. Crews, by virtue of making it to the Pan Am Games, will still be heading to the Olympic Trials in February.

"I didn't do what I wanted to do, but I did my best. I didn't put it all together like I trained to do,” Crews told USABoxing.org. "I wanted to use my jab and set everything up, but I got caught up in her fight. Once I found out I was down, I was just going to go for it, just give all I had. She basically moved around and I had to hunt her, but I tried."

DC superheavyweight Danny Kelly will begin his Pan Am quest on Monday.

Sensibaugh, Buberman,, Sterling, Reed Win Belts At Amateur Card in Millersville!

Four Beltway amateurs captured belts during a solid night of amateur boxing at Club One Fitness in Millersville, MD. Jeter Promotions put together four championship bouts -- two Metro titles and two Maryland State championships.

In the feature bout, Club One's Brady Sensibaugh won the Maryland state 119-pound open title with a decision victory over Omar Soto of the Down Under Boxing Club in Salisbury.

The co-feature saw heavyweight Marat Buberman win the Maryland title by RSC-3 over Club One's Charles Wallace.

Down Under's Maynard Sterling won the Metro 150-pound title over Zarifbeck Nishanbaev of LA Boxing. Also, 2011 National Golden Gloves champion Michael Reed of Dream Team won the Metro 141-pound title after Emmanuel Rodriguez of Down Under retired after the second round. Rodriguez angrily left the ring after the second round. To his credit, Rodriguez gave a very heartfelt apology to Reed and the crowd.

The Outstanding Boxer of the night was Club One's Nolan Arnold who earned an RSC in the third round over Tremain Wilson of LA Boxing.

The results of other bouts on the card:

Amelia Moore (Club One) RSC-3 over Shane Crisostono (LA Boxing)

Ivan Callixto (Main Street) over Alexander Gonzalez (Club One)

Benjamin Marshall (Club One) over Juan Melnar (Frederick Fight Club)

Yurii Polishewk (LA Boxing) over Champ Moultrie (Club One)

Jose Trujillo (Club One) over Austin Dennison (Abingdon)

Antwan Robinson (UMAR) over Omar Barnes (Club One)

Darius Vann (unattached) over Carl Suarez (Abingdon)

Irving Delgado (Main Street) over Jeffery Glossing (unattached)

Cole Crumpler (The Hurt Factory) over Nehron Ashrow (D-Block)

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Reed won the title when Emmanuel Rodriguez retired at the end of the second round!
Hi everyone! This is a special note from the Jeter Promotions card at Club One Fitness in Millersville, MD. Michael Reed won the Metro 141-pound title.

Kelly, Crews Represent US at Pan Am Games; Three Beltway Females Heading to Olympic Trials!

The Beltway has two amateurs who will be competing early next week at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

DC Super Heavyweight Danny Kelly will face Isaias Mena of Colombia in his first round contest on Monday, October 24.

Baltimore middleweight and multi-time national champion Franchon Crews will take on Canada's Mary Spencer in her first bout in the quarterfinals on Sunday, October 23.

Crews is one of three Beltway ladies that will be participating in the first-ever Women's Olympic Trials in February. Crews will be joined by flyweight Tyrieshia Douglas of Baltimore and DC lightweight Asia Stevenson. No word yet on when or where the trials will be held.

The three winners from each division then head to Qinhuangdao, China for the only international Olympic qualifier -- The Women's World Championships -- from May 21 to June 3. Twelve boxers in each of the three Olympic weight classes will compete in the Olympic Games with the top eight finishers at the Women’s World Championships and four boxers per weight class selected by a tripartite commission earning berths in London.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Mitchell Opponent Almost Set For December 10 DC Bout; Russell Still Looking For November Opponent in Cincy!

ESPN.com boxing writer Dan Rafael has two interesting bits of Beltway info in his weekly notebook.

It looks like undefeated Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell has an opponent for his HBO debut on Saturday, December 10 at the Washington Convention Center on the Amir Khan-Lamont Peterson card. Pending HBO approval, Mitchell (23-0-1, 17 KO's) will battle Timur Ibragimov of Uzbekistan (30-3-1, 16 KO's) in a 10-round co-feature bout.

Ibragimov is coming off a 12-round split decision loss to former cruiserweight champion Jean-Marc Mormeck on December 2, 2010 in Paris, France. Ibragimov holds wins over former world champions Al Cole and Oliver McCall. One of Ibragimov's three losses was to DC heavyweight and top contender Tony Thompson who won a 10-round unanimous decision over Ibragimov at the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills in February of 2007.

Meanwhile, Rafael reports that undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight "Mr." Gary Russell, Jr. is still looking for an opponent for his November 26 bout in Cincinnati, OH. Undefeated 2004 Cuban Olympian Luis Franco turned down the bout and the six-figure payday that came with it. A name that is being bandied around is Philadelphia's Teon Kennedy (17-1-1, seven KO's) even though Kennedy had a tough time in his first pro loss against Alejandro Lopez. Russell (18-0, 10 KO's) will open the HBO telecast of this card. The telecast will originate in two cities, Cincinnati and Mexico City.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Injury Causes Thompson-Chambers Cancellation!

A back injury has forced Eddie Chambers to pull out of his October 28 IBF Heavyweight Elimination bout against DC's Tony "The Tiger" Thompson that was slated for Atlantic City, NJ.

“It is a big disappointment when you have a fight postponed that is going to determine the mandatory challenger to the heavyweight champion of the world,” promoter Dan Goossen told Fightnews.com. “I am disappointed but it is devastating to both Tony Thompson and Eddie Chambers. I just hope that Eddie recovers quickly.”

Goossen stated that the IBF has not determined if they will allow the Thompson vs. Chambers eliminator to be postponed or if the organization will have Thompson fight the next available contender. Goossen hopes that the IBF will allow Thompson to become the mandatory to Wladimir Klitschko.

Boxing Comes to Howard University's Crampton Auditorium November 12!

Boxing returns to the campus of Howard University on Saturday, November 12. After previous cards in the Burr Gymnasium, this Babie Girl Productions card will come up Sixth Street on campus and will take place at the newly-renovated Crampton Auditorium for what is believed to be the first boxing card held at the legendary building.

There are scheduled to be four pro bouts and there are also scheduled to be some Howard University students participating in exhibition bouts. Many years ago, boxing was a big part of Howard's athletic history.

Tickets For Khan-Peterson Championship Card Slated To Go On Sale Next Week!

There are reports that tickets for the Saturday, Dec. 10 championship bout between WBA Junior Welterweight titleholder Amir Khan and challenger Lamont Peterson at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center are slated to go on sale either on Wednesday, Oct. 26 or Thursday, October 27.

The prices will begin at $300 for ringside all the way down to $25. In between, there are $50, $75, and $150 tickets available.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Jeter Promotions Hosts Amateur Card in Millersville October 22!

Jeter Promotions will be hosting an amateur boxing card on Saturday, October 22 at Club One Fitness in Millersville, MD. This card will have two notable matchups.

The third bout in the trilogy between Brady Sensibaugh of Club One taking on Down Under's Omar Soto is the feature bout on the card. Each young man has won a bout in the trilogy. This bout is for the Maryland State Open 119-pound title.

The co-feature bout will involve 2011 National Golden Glove champion and Olympic Trial participant Mike Reed of Dream Team in a rematch of the 2011 Washington Golden Gloves final against Emmanuel Rodriguez of Down Under.

There will also be a bout for the Maryland State Heavyweight title as Charles Wallace of Club One battles Marat Buberman of Reisterstown Fight Club.

Nineteen bouts are slated for the event and yours truly will serve as the announcer. For ticket information, call 443-802-6101.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Beltway Amateurs Performed Well In National PAL's!

Sorry for the tardiness of this information. We are having computer problems in the BATB Compound and have not been able to work as efficiently as usual.

In the first week of October, a number of Beltway amateurs did extremely well at the National PAL Championships in Toledo, OH.

Gary Antonio Russell and D'Mitrius Ballard won open titles on the Men's side while Tyrieshia Douglas won an open title on the Women's side.

In the 15-16 division, Jalonte Cole captured the 119-pound division title in an all-DC final against Roemello Webster. Also in the 15-16 division, Lamont Roach, Jr. won the 132-pound championship capping off an incredible year. Roach has won the National Junior Golden Gloves, the Ringside World Championships and a silver medal at the National Junior Olympics.

Also, Troy Isley of Alexandria, VA won the 95-pound division for the 13-14 division, stopping his opponent in the second round and Iesha Kenney of Alexandria won the 13-14 female division at 132 pounds.

One other winner -- Juan Jenkins of Baltimore captured the 75-pound division at 11-12 years old.

'Freight Train' Byarm Remains Undefeated With First-Round Knockout in Nebraska!!

DC heavyweight Maurice "Freight Train" Byarm remained undefeated with a first-round knockout over Clinton Boldridge on October 15 at the Heartland Events Center in Grand Island, NB.

Byarm took just one minute and 14 seconds to knockout Boldridge and win his 13th pro bout. Byarm is now 13-0-1, nine KO's. Boldridge falls to 9-17-1, seven KO's.

By the way, Boldridge has lost his last two bouts to Beltway heavyweights in the first round. Hasim Rahman stopped Boldridge in March of 2010.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Updates on Cancelled Cards!

Here are some updates on boxing cards that have been recently cancelled. One of the cards was actually scheduled for Saturday night at the Ransom Civic Center in Ransom, WVA. The card was scheduled to feature several Beltway Boxers.

The card that was scheduled for October 8 at DC Star before the Metropolitan Police Department shut DC Star down. There have been rumors abounding about what happened after the event. One rumor I can truly shoot down is what promoter Renee Aiken did with the money. She did NOT run off with the money. Sources tell BATB "The Boxing Diva" did indeed follow proper procedure as defined by the DC Boxing and Wrestling Commission.

I hope to get an update on what the exact procedure is.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Beltway Boxers Travel To Ransom, West Virginia Saturday!

A number of Beltway Boxers will be on the Squared Circle Promotions card on Saturday, October 15 at the Ransom Civic Center in Ransom, WVA.

Headlining the card will be Bedford, VA's Scott "Cujo" Sigmon who will be in a 10-round light heavyweight contest against "The British Assassin" Jimmy Campbell of Indianapolis, IN by way of London, England.

Sigmon (18-3, nine KO's) returns to action quickly after scoring an eight-round TKO against Joe Park on October 1 in Greensboro, NC. Sigmon is on a two-bout winning streak after suffering a loss in July. This will be Sigmon's seventh bout in 2011.

Campbell (11-5, eight KO's) will try to reverse a three-bout losing streak in this contest. Campbell faced three straight undefeated boxers in his last three outings -- Daniel Jacobs, Travis Loveless and Anthony Dirrell -- and was knocked out in all three bouts.

The co-feature has undefeated Baltimore, MD cruiserweight "Slick" Nick Kisner in a six-round bout that will be for a regional title. Kisner (10-0-1, five KO's) will take on Jason "The Mason" Pauley of Cabin Creek, WVA (5-5, one KO).

Kisner last fought on August 19 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore and won a four-round unanimous decision over Rayshawn Myers. Pauley has lost five bouts in a row after winning his first five.

In another six-round contest, Columbia, MD middleweight Tony "Mo Better" Jeter will face Joey "Mundo" Ortega of Lowell, MA. Jeter (11-2-1, nine KO's) won a six-round unanimous decision over Mike McFail on March 12 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. Ortega (3-21, one KO) has lost five in a row including knockout losses to Beltway Boxers Cecil McCalla and Emmanuel Taylor.

In four-round bouts, Baltimore junior welterweight Kevin Womack makes his pro debut against Shawn Pyles of Raleigh, NC (0-3). Junior middleweight Mischa "The Assassin" Christensen of Frederick, MD (3-1, one KO) battles Duane King of Reidsville, NC (3-2, one KO). Also, "Money" Mike Sawyer of Falls Church, VA (4-2, two KO's) will be in a light heavyweight contest against Danville, VA's Terrence Watson (0-8) and Baltimore middleweight Justin Blackwell (0-1) looks for his first win against Stephen Franklin of Martinsburg, WVA (0-6).

There may also be a heavyweight bout involving Baltimore's Riley Brooks (1-2-1).

Saturday, October 08, 2011

DC Star Shut Down By DC Police; Card Cancelled!

Due to incidents that took place last night at the DC Star Nightclub in Washington, DC, the Diva Rize-N Promotions card tonight was cancelled because the Metropolitan Police Department shut down the club.

According to MPD Captain Jeff Brown, there has been a series of incidents at the club in recent weeks that escalated into a stabbing that happened at DC Star Friday night. "Because of those types of incidents, the club has to be shut down for a period of 96 hours while the club's operations are reviewed," Brown said.

Brown also told BATB that the police were unaware the card was taking place at DC Star. "We apologize for the inconvenience," Brown said. "If we had known earlier, we would have gotten the word out a lot sooner."

This is the second time this card has been cancelled. This card was originally scheduled for August but Hurricane Irene forced the postponment.
Metropolitan Police shut down the club at about 7:30. No bouts had taken place. The ring had not been completely set up yet. Full report coming shortly!
Tonight's Diva-Rizen card at the DC Star Night Club has been cancelled! Apparently, there was trouble at the club Friday evening which affects the license!

Weights from DC Star!

Here is the scale watch for the Diva-Rize-N Promotions card tonight at DC Star:

Thomas Snow 125 vs Rasool Shakoor 125

O’Neil Bell 198 vs Harvey Jolly 201

Jessie Nicklow 167 vs Frank Armstrong 172

Henry Buchanan 179 vs Ariel Espinal TBA

Emmanuel Nwodo 200 vs Gary Lavender 191

Michael Torres 145 vs Darrett Crockett 145

John Thompson 158 vs Corey Preston 160

The doors open at 5:30 and the bouts begin at 6:30 PM.

Arron Kinch 256 vs. Judidas Williams 252

Alantez Fox 154 vs. Arron Williams 155

Fitzgerald Johnson 167 vs. Bennie Meeks 181

Jerren Cochran 130 vs. Corey White 130

Kevin Womack Jr. 148 vs. Michael Taylor 155

Thursday, October 06, 2011

Dusty Harrison Signs With Golden Boy Promotions; Will Fight on December 10 Card in DC!

Apparently one of the bigger moments from today's Amir Khan-Lamont Peterson press conference was the announcement of the newest signee for Golden Boy Promotions -- the youngest pro fighter in America, DC's own Dusty Harrison.

GBP CEO Richard Schaefer announced that the 17-year-old welterweight will be participating on the Saturday, December 10 card, which will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Sources tell BATB that the DC Boxing and Wrestling Commission has waived the age limit and that will allow Harrison to fight on the card.

Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Emmanuel Nwodo Added to October 8 DC Star Card!

Former USBA Cruiserweight champion Emmanuel "Chukwu" Nwodo will make his return to action on Saturday, October 8 on the Diva-Rize-N promotions card at the DC Star Nightclub in DC.

Nwodo, a native of Nigeria who has lived in the Beltway region for a number of years, has not fought since winning by first-round TKO in Lynchburg, VA over Lenzie Morgan in August of 2009.

Nwodo (23-5, 19 KO's) will battle veteran Gary Lavender of Pine Level, NC (8-15, seven KO's) in a six-round contest.

Promoter "The Boxing Diva" Renee Aiken says the card will also promote Breast Cancer Awareness. Boxers Thomas "KO" Snow and former world champion O'Neil Bell will wear special pink gloves during their bouts which will be autographed and raffled off after the card. Proceeds from the raffle will go to both The Breast Cancer Foundation and The Susan G. Komen Global Race For the Cure.

Amateur Boxing Comes to LA Boxing in Columbia October 8!


There will be an amateur boxing card called Battle For The Beltway 5 coming to the LA Boxing gym located at 6476 Dobbin Center Way in Columbia, MD on Saturday, October 8 at 5:30 PM.

There will be special appearances by DC Boxing Hall of Fame ring announcer Henry "Discombobulating" Jones and IBF number two ranked heavyweight in the world, Tony "The Tiger" Thompson.

Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Khan-Peterson Presser in London!



Photo by: Chris Hutty – Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions

Lamont Peterson and Amir Khan pose at the first press conference to formally announce their IBF Super Lightweight title bout that will take place on Saturday, December 10 in Washington, DC. The second press conference is slated to take place on Thursday in DC. Not saying where until I find out whether the press conference is open to the public.

Monday, October 03, 2011

'Too Sharp' Johnson Makes First Appearance on International Boxing Hall of Fame Ballot!



(2004 photo by H. Darr Beiser, USA Today)

Former three-time world champion and DC's own Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson has made his first appearance on the ballot for the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Johnson (44-5, 28 KO's) was a truly dominant figure in the flyweight division in the 1990's. Johnson won his first title on May 4, 1996 with a first-round knockout over Francisco Tejedor to capture the vacant IBF Flyweight title. The win made Johnson the first African-American (and second American) to win the flyweight crown. Johnson would make seven defenses of the IBF title including a classic first-round knockout over Arthur Johnson at the DC Armory on February 22, 1998. Johnson would make numerous pound-for-pound lists as he tried desperately to get bouts with the likes of former world champions Danny Romero and Johnny Tapia but they moved up in weight to avoid him.

Ring Magazine would later select Johnson as the best flyweight of the 1990's over the likes of Romero, Tapia, Yuri Arbachkov and Alberto Jimenez, who Johnson beat in a classic matchup in May of 1993.

On April 24, 1999, Johnson captured his second title -- the vacant IBF Super Flyweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Ratanachai Singwancha (nee Sor Vorapin) at the MCI (now Verizon) Center.

Four years later, Johnson won his third title -- the WBO Super Flyweight title -- with a 12-round majority decision over Fernando Montiel on August 16, 2003.

Other first-time names on the IBHOF ballot include former multi-time, multi-division champion Thomas "Hitman" Hearns and former lineal light heavyweight champ Darius Michalczewski. The deadline for the voting is October 31, 2011. Results should come by the end of this year. The induction weekend is June 7-10 in Canastota, NY.

Saturday, October 01, 2011

'Fast Hands' Jones Wins in Tunica!

Veteran DC super middleweight Gary "Fast Hands" Jones won a six-round unanimous decision over Chad "Taz" Greenleaf tonight at Fitzgerald's Hotel and Casino in Tunica, MS.

The win brings Jones's record up to 22-2, eight KO's. The bout was Jones's second in eight years. Greenleaf is 13-20-1, six KO's.

Attah Loses By Sixth-Round Knockout in Puerto Rico!

DC's Daniel "The Prophet" Attah lost his bid for the WBO Inter-Continental Super Featherweight title after being knocked out in the sixth round by former world champion Ramon "Rocky" Martinez tonight in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

Martinez dropped Attah in the third round and twice in the sixth before the bout was stopped at 1:50 of the sixth. Attah is now 26-8-1, nine KO's. Martinez's record rises to 25-1, 16 KO's.

Armenta Wins Split Decision in Philadelphia!

Silver Spring, MD light heavyweight George "El Gallo" Armenta won a six-round split decision over Philadelphia, PA's Charles Hayward last night at the National Guard Armory in Philadelphia.

Armenta won two of the judges's scorecards 58-56. Hayward took one card by the same score. Armenta breaks a three-bout losing streak with the win and raises his record to 14-7, 11 KO's. Hayward falls to 7-3, three KO's.