Recap From Arlington, VA!

Here is the recap from the RBA Promotions card at the Smith Gymnasium on the campus of Fort Myer/Henderson Hall in Arlington, VA:

Heavyweight Duane Mobley of Upper Marlboro, MD remains undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Dennis Benson.  Mobley came very close to knocking Benson out in the third and sixth rounds but Benson managed to hang on and stay upright.  Mobley won by scores of 59-55 (twice) and 58-56.  Mobley is now 6-0, four KO's while Benson loses for the second time to Mobley and is now 1-4, one KO.

Haymarket, VA junior welterweight Juan "The Savior" Rodriguez won a four-round unanimous decision over Damon Antoine of Akron, OH.  Rodriguez scored a knockdown in the first round and battered the durable Antoine all over the ring for the rest of the contest.  Rodriguez won all three scorecards by 40-35.  The win breaks a three-bout winless streak for Rodriguez, who is now 5-2-1, four KO's.  Antoine falls to 10-41-2, five KO's.

White Plains, MD lightweight Terron "The Kid" Grant won a close four-round split decision over Stephon Alexander of Norfolk, VA.  Grant survived a first-round knockdown and faced a really competitive Alexander who hit Grant with some solid shots.  Grant fought back very well, however and eeked out the win. Judges Scott Howard and John Gradowski saw the bout 38-37 and 39-37, respectively while judge Brian Costello scored the bout for Alexander 39-37.  Grant remains undefeated with a record of 4-0, two KO's.  Alexander is now 4-5, four KO's.

The opening bout saw Fairfax, VA junior welterweight Joseph Rector make a thunderous pro debut, stopping the equally-debuting Samson Townes of Richmond, VA at 1:03 of the first round.  Rector dropped Townes twice -- the first time with a blistering left-right combination.

Dr. Richard Ashby heads RBA Promotions.  The matchmaker is Jay Pittman.  The referee for the bouts was noted New Jersey referee "Double S" Steve Smoger.


Here is the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up Show:






We also had an opportunity to interview undefeated Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell about his November 17th bout against Johnathon Banks as well as another HBO project he is involved with.



I also had an opportunity to go back in Beltway Boxing History with a boxer who helped me start my boxing career.  The first main event that I ever called for a television program featured a boxer by the name of Gerry "Rock" Payne.  This was a rather unique main event in which Payne was also making his pro debut and the bout (which was held on March 24, 1990 at Coolidge Senior High School in Washington, DC) was a six-round contest.  Payne, who was an alternate on the 1988 US Olympic Team, had a brief career of just 14 bouts (13-1, five KO's), but a number of them were memorable as he was a member of the famed "Hard Corps" stable of pro boxers that also included Derrell Coley, Reggie Green and the late Reuben Bell. I caught up to Payne tonight to see what he is doing now.  Here's that interview, the first of what I hope will be an occasional series looking back at the recent history of Beltway Boxing.