Jones To Announce Gary Shaw Card in June in California!

BATB has learned that Beltway ring announcer and DC Boxing Hall of Famer Henry "Discombobulating" Jones will be traveling to the Morongo Casino Resort and Spa as the announcer for a ShoBox card that will take place in June.

The card will be promoted by Gary Shaw Promotions -- the same group that co-promoted the Lamont Peterson-Kendall Holt card at the DC Armory on February 22 in which Jones worked the undercard.  Jones tells BATB that representatives for Shaw were very pleased with his work and did not understand why ESPN2 would not allow Jones to work the televised portion of the card.

The ShoBox telecast will air on Showtime and will add to Jones's appearances on HBO, ESPN and USA Networks over his long career.

Kennedy To Face Yorgey March 15 In Valley Forge, PA!

Windsor Mill, MD middleweight "Relentless" Julius Kennedy returns to action on Friday, March 15 when he faces veteran Harry Joe Yorgey of Bridgeport, PA in an eight-round contest at the Valley Forge Casino Resort in Valley Forge, PA.

Kennedy (7-3-1, three KO's, one NC) will be trying to break a four-bout winless streak -- all against Beltway Boxers.  Kennedy's last outing was a six-round unanimous decision to Alantez Fox on January 12 in Fort Washington, MD.  The loss followed a no contest with Zain Shah, a 10-round unanimous decision loss to Scott Sigmon and a 10-round draw with Jessie Nicklow. 

Yorgey (25-2-1, 12 KO's) will be trying to bounce back from his eight-round knockout loss to Jermell Charlo for the vacant WBC Continental Americas Junior Middleweight title on January 26 in Las Vegas.  Yorgey was knocked down twice in the loss. 

Interesting stat: All seven of Kennedy's wins have come against out of town boxers while Yorgey is 7-0 against Beltway Boxers.

Pro Boxing Comes To Frederick, MD March 23!

Yet another Beltway Boxer has thrown his hat into the promotional ring.  This time, it's Venroy July who, under the banner of Hardwork Promotions, will have his first boxing card on Saturday, March 23 at the Frederick Fight Club in Frederick, MD.

No matchups have been signed yet but scheduled to appear on the card are two Frederick boxers -- welterweight Dillon "The Stalker" Heyman, (3-0, two KO's) and light heavyweight Devar "The Warrior" Ferhadi (1-0, one KO) -- along with Bowie, MD junior welterweight DeAndre Davis (1-0, one KO), Baltimore, MD lightweight Ramondo Elliott (3-1, three KO's) Bladensburg, MD light heavyweight Phillip Jackson-Benson (10-1, nine KO's) and debuting boxers Gerome Quigley, Eric Govan and Jeremy Trussell.

We'll have more about this card as the information comes to us.

Gaines Off March 2 Card, Replaced By Joshua Davis!

District Heights, MD lightweight Renaldo "Misunderstood" Gaines has suffered an injury in training and will miss the Keystone Boxing card on Saturday, March 2 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.

Replacing Gaines will be DC's Joshua Davis (2-0, one KO) who returns after almost 15 months of inactivity.  Davis last fought in December of 2011 and won a four-round unanimous decision over Christopher Russell at the Washington Convention Center.  Davis is now being trained by George Peterson, who once trained Paul Williams.  Davis will face Benjamin Burgos of Mount Pocono, PA (1-3).

Russell Showtime Bout Moves to Las Vegas; Williams Added to Card!

The Saturday, March 2 bout for undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight "Mr." Gary Russell, Jr. has been moved from the Apollo in Harlem, NY to the Hard Rock Cafe and Casino, The Joint in Las Vegas, NV.  Russell (21-0, 13 KO's) will battle Vyacheslav Gusev of Prokopyevsk, Russia in a 10-round contest that will be the co-feature on the Showtime telecast that will begin at 10 PM ET that evening.

Another Beltway Boxer will be on the card.  Undefeated Fort Washington, MD light heavyweight Thomas "Top Dog" Williams, Jr. will take on Kevin "Hitman" Engel of St. Louis, MO in an eight-round contest on the non-televised undercard.  Williams (12-0, nine KO's) scored a third-round TKO over Jason Smith in his last outing on January 12 in Sunrise, FL.  Williams has knocked out his last five opponents.  Engel (20-7, 16 KO's) is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision loss to Frankie Filippone on February 8 in Wilmington, DE.

Bout Sheet For Second Night of Washington Golden Gloves!

Before I post this week's Washington Golden Gloves Bout Sheet, let me say the following:

I usually get the info on the bout sheet for the upcoming week's competition in the early part of the week.  As soon as I get it, I try to put it up.

There will be times during the competition -- including this coming Saturday -- where I will not be able to attend.  Therefore, I will not have the results for the week immediately following the event on those days.  I will get those results early the next week along with the bout sheet.  So we are keeping up with the event however, we will not always get the info immediately.

With that in mind, here is the bout sheet for Saturday, March 2 at the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center in Palmer Park, MD:

Junior Division:

9-10, 65 Pounds:  Eric Acosta (Main Street) vs. Ricardo Romualdo (Club One)

11-12, 80 Pounds (CHAMPIONSHIP): Chamar Flowers (Headbangers) vs. Salvador Escamilla (Langdon)

11, 86 Pounds: Kobe Moore (Main Street) vs. Richard Pearson (No Xcuse)

11, 86 Pounds: Adam Calixto (Main Street) vs. Kyron Curry (UMAR)

12-13, 85 Pounds: Rudy Calixto (Main Street) vs. Mekhi Payne-Dey (Keystone)

12-13, 85 Pounds: Cornell Gray (Kenilworth) vs. Juan Jenkins (Mobtown Gym)

12-13, 100 Pounds: Siete Shuler (Langdon) vs. Cory Matthews (Enigma)

13-14, 115 Pounds: Charlie Tuckson (Young Titans) vs. Andres Garibay (Laurel Boxing)

16, 125 Pounds: Daron Williams (Benning Park) vs. Michael Cate (LA Boxing)

14-15, 112 Pounds (CHAMPIONSHIP): Hakeem Middleton (Woodland) vs. Deron Whitley (Laurel Boxing)

There are three more unopposed champions in the Junior Division.  Congratulations to:

Gregory Burton (Langdon), 13 years, 105 Pounds

Favion David (unattached), 14 years, 127 Pounds

Richard Foxwell (Loch Raven), 15 years, 154 Pounds


Novice Division:

123 Pounds: Delonte Rawlings (Black Belt Academy) vs. Anjelo Roces (Club One)

132 Pounds: James Early (NOMIS) vs. Andrew Barrett (Laurel Gym)

132 Pounds: Gorur Karyah (Tony's Gym) vs. Nathan Jackson (NOMIS)

141 Pounds: Jalil Hunter (Headbangers) vs. Dionte Burts (Woodland)

141 Pounds: Alejandro Zen (Champions Gym) vs. Terrance Smith (Loch Raven)

152 Pounds: Lamont Jackson (Cherry Lane) vs. Ignacio Marion-Suartz (Laurel Boxing)

152 Pounds: Dale Goldson (Laurel Boxing) vs. Ruben Martinez (Legends)

165 Pounds: Bryan Mata (Ground Control) vs. Tyrell Johnson (Sugar Ray Leonard)

165 Pounds: Francisco Bustos (Champions Gym) vs. Zach Steel (LA Boxing)

178 Pounds: Jordan Payne (NOMIS) vs. Lamar Pierce (Club One)

201 Pounds: Donnell Douglas (RHP) vs. Samual Crossed (Baltimore Boxing)

201 Pounds: Daniel Steel (LA Boxing) vs. Jordan Scott (Sugar Ray Leonard)

Once again, action gets underway at 7:30 PM.

March 2 Rosecroft Card Coming Together!

The Keystone Boxing card coming to Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD on Saturday, March 2 is coming together.  As of now, there are seven bouts on the card with three six-rounders and four bouts scheduled for four rounds.

Undefeated Forestville, MD junior middleweight Alantez "Slyaza" Fox returns to action in a six-round contest versus Greg Hackett of Philadelphia, PA.  Fox (9-0-1, four KO's) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision victory over Julius Kennedy on the last Rosecroft card on January 12.  Hackett (2-9) has only been stopped once in his 11-bout career and has gone six rounds in his last three bouts.

Light heavyweight Phillip Jackson Benson, now fighting out of Bladensburg, MD, will take on Portsmouth,VA veteran John "The Baptist" Terry in a six-round contest.  Benson (10-1, nine KO's) is looking for his sixth straight knockout win.  Terry (4-26-3, one KO) will try to break a four-bout losing streak including a four-round unanimous decision loss to Greg Newby on the January 12 card.

District Heights, MD lightweight Renaldo "Misunderstood" Gaines moves into the six-round contests for the first time in his young career as he faces Benjamin Burgos of Mount Pocono, PA.  Gaines (4-1, one KO) registered his first career knockout in his last outing with a third-round stoppage of Darrell Martin on the January 12 Rosecroft card.  Burgos (1-3) dropped a four-round unanimous decision to Tyrone Crawley, Jr. in his last outing on January 26 in Chester, PA.

In four-round contests, Accokeek, MD super middleweight "Swift" Jarrett Hurd returns to action against fellow undefeated boxer Thomas Baldwin of Newark, NJ..  Hurd (4-0, three KO's) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision over Trenton Titsworth on the January 12th Rosecroft card.  Baldwin (2-0-2,one KO) has not fought since battling Dominique Foster to a four-round draw in December of 2011 in North Bergen, NJ.

Palmer Park, MD super featherweight Kevin "K-Smoov" Rivers, Jr. also returns to action when he faces Antonio Sanchez of South Carolina. Rivers (4-0, three KO's) is coming off a second-round stoppage of Giovanni Vasquez on January 12 at Rosecroft.  Sanchez (1-0-1, one KO) scored a first-round TKO over Devirous Sanders on December 15 in Columbia, SC.

Bowie, MD super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom returns to face Craig Boykin of South Carolina.  Odom (2-0, two KO's, one NC) Odom (2-0, two KO's, one NC) has yet to be pushed past the first round.  Boykin lost his pro debut to Beltway Boxer Greg Newby on December 15 in Columbia, SC.

The card will also mark the pro debut of Waldorf, MD junior welterweight Michael Reed who will face Kareem McFarland of Philadelphia, PA.  Reed had a decorated amateur career as he attended the 2012 Olympic Trials and won the National Golden Gloves in 2011.  McFarland (1-1, one KO) won his pro debut with a first-round TKO and also lost via first-round TKO.

Harrison Wins Unanimous Decision In Mississippi!

DC welterweight Dusty Harrison remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Aron Anderson of Knoxville, TN Saturday night at Resorts Casino in Tunica, MS.

Harrison scored a shutout (60-54) on all three judges's cards to raise his record to 13-0, eight KO's.  Anderson is now 2-20, one KO.

Five Junior Champions Crowned On First Day of Golden Gloves!

Five champions were crowned in the Junior Division as the 2013 Washington Golden Gloves got underway Saturday night at the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center in Palmer Park, MD.

Donald Ford of Kenilworth won over Daylnn Jones of Headbangers to capture the 10 years, 75 Pounds title.  Ford's gymmate Lamont Tate won the 9-10, 80 Pounds over Jalil Hackett of Enigma. 

In the 10-11, 100 Pounds division, Edwin Angel of Keystone captured the title with a win over Keith Bagwell, Jr. of Charm City.

One champion was crowned via walkover.  Ervin Canlas of Keystone is the champ at 11 years, 70 pounds.  Also, Stacey Selby of Langdon won the title at 11 years, 75 pounds by injury walkover when his opponent, Khalil Phillips of Keystone, broke his thumb two days before the competition.

Here are the other Junior Division results:

9-10, 60 Pounds: Ragahleak Bartee (Tony's Gym) over Mehki Phillips (Keystone)

9-10, 65 Pounds: Muhammad Robinson (UMAR) over Jamaree Harper (Hillcrest)

9, 70 Pounds: Quincy Williams (Tony's Gym) over Damon Burnette, Jr. (Keystone)

10, 70 Pounds: Jordan Jones (Headbangers) over Deric Davis (Old School)

10, 70 Pounds: Kesean Bagwell (Charm City) over Maximas Garland (Headbangers)

9, 75 Pounds: Lawrence Malcolm (Enigma) over Santino Saunders (Hillcrest)

11-12, 80 Pounds: Chamar Flowers (Headbangers) wins by walkover.

In the Novice Division:

132 Pounds: Jefri Gutierez (Laurel) over Quanell Robinson (Hillcrest)

141 Pounds: Jalil Hunter (Headbangers) RSC-1 over Daniel Scanlan (Black Belt Academy)

141 Pounds: Mikhail Kozlov (LA Boxing) over Jose Santos (First Class)

152 Pounds: Evqueny Metchenov (Laurel) over Alonzo Thompson (Cherry Lane)

Action continues at the Golden Gloves on Saturday, March 2 at the Sugar Ray Leonard Center beginning at 7:30 PM.

One other note: Less than 24 hours after his big win over Kendall Holt, IBF Junior Welterweight champion Lamont Peterson was on hand to give out awards during tonight's proceedings and cheer on the boxers.

Ballard Wins Pro Debut With First-Round TKO in Detroit!

Temple Hills, MD super middleweight D'Mitrius Ballard made his pro debut a quick and successful one scoring a first-round TKO over Kelly Henderson of Bluefield, West Virginia at the Masonic Temple Theater in Detroit, MI tonight. The bout was on the undercard of the Cornelius Bundrage-Ishe Smith bout that will air later tonight on Showtime.

Ballard dropped Henderson three times forcing stoppage of the bout at 1:06 of the round.  Henderson is now 0-2.

Thompson Shocks England With Second-Round TKO of Price in Liverpool!

Do you want an early candidate for Upset of the Year?  Look no further than DC's own Tony Thompson who silenced the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England and an entire boxing nation with a stunning second-round TKO of previously undefeated David Price today.

After a slow first round, Thompson was able to lash out and land a hard right hand right on the left ear of Price who crumpled in a heap.  When Price got up, he was on wobbly legs and the referee stopped the contest at 2:17 of the second.  The arena got so quiet, you could audibly hear Thompson's wife, Sydnee, yell her approval at what happened.

With the stunning victory, the 41-year-old Thompson is now 37-3, 25 KO's.  Price, who was looked at a future Klitschko opponent, is now 15-1, 13 KO's!

Harrison, Ballard Make Weight in Tunica and Detroit!

Beltway Boxers Dusty Harrison and D'Mitrius Ballard weighed in for their respective bouts that take place on Saturday night.

Harrison hit the scales at 150 pounds for his six-round contest against Aron Anderson at Resorts Casino in Tunica, MS.  Anderson came in at 152.  Ballard weighed 164 pounds for his pro debut against Kelly Henderson at the Masonic Temple Theatre in Detroit, MI.  Henderson tipped the scales at 169 pounds.  Henderson was a late change in opponents.

Peterson May Return With Big Bout In May In DC, Says ESPN.com!

Lamont Peterson's successful title defense Friday night may pay big financial dividends for himself and the city.

ESPN.com's Dan Rafael is reporting that Peterson's first bout under the Golden Boy Promotions banner (as a Golden Boy boxer) may be a unification bout against WBC Interim champ Lucas Matthysse of Argentina that would take place on May 18 right back in DC.  Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told Lem Satterfield of RingTV.com that Verizon Center would be the place to have the bout.

The bout would be on Showtime with a co-feature that would match IBF Welterweight champ Devon Alexander of St. Louis, MO defending against undefeated Kell Brook of England.

We'll keep you posted on this one.

Recap From 'Redemption!'

Here is the recap from the "Redemption" card from the DC Armory in Washington, DC:

 
(photo by Mike Greenhill)


Lamont Peterson of DC successfully defended his IBF Junior Welterweight title with an eight-round TKO over former WBO champion Kendall "Rated R" Holt of Paterson, NJ.  Peterson knocked down Holt twice en route to the win.  The end came at 1:42 of the eighth.  Peterson is now 31-1-1, 16 KO's.  Holt falls to 28-6, 16 KO's.

The co-feature saw super bantamweight Roman Morales of San Ardo, CA stop Huntington Park, CA's Jesus Hernandez with a brutal body shot in the fifth round.  The time of the stoppage was 2:59.  Morales remains undefeated with a record of 15-0, eight KO's.  Hernandez loses for the first time as a pro and he is now 10-1-3, two KO's.

Suitland, MD cruiserweight Venroy "Hardwork" July lost for the first time as a pro as he was stopped by Elvin "Koko" Sanchez of Paterson, NJ at 2:55 of the second round.  July knocked down Sanchez in the second but Sanchez recovered and dropped July in the third.  July beat the count but was ruled unfit to continue.  July falls to 13-1-2, six KO's while Sanchez is 5-3-1, four KO's.

DC welterweight David "Day-Day" Grayton scored a second-round knockout over Greg Coverson, Jr. of Detroit, MI.  Grayton battered Coverson all over the ring before the bout was stopped at 2:59 of the second.  Grayton is 3-0, three KO's while Coverson is 3-5, one KO.

DC super middleweight Dominic Wade made a successful return after a more than two-year absence and scored a second-round knockout of Marcus Brooks of Atlanta, GA.  Wade stopped his opponent at 2:46 of the second round.  Wade remains undefeated at 12-0, seven KO's while Brooks falls to 7-12.

Baltimore, MD featherweight Gervonta "Rambo" Davis made a successful pro debut with a first-round TKO over Desi Williams of Wilson, NC.  Davis scored the knockout at 1:29 of the first.  Williams is 0-5.

DC heavyweight Danny "Smooth" Kelly scored a brutal first-round knockout over Schyuler Marshall of South Carolina.  Kelly dropped Marshall for the count at 2:11 of the first.  Kelly is 3-0, three KO's while Marshall is 1-3.

In the opening contest of the night, featherweight Raul Lopez of Bronx, NY won a six-round unanimous decision over DeWayne Wisdom of Indianapolis, IN.  Scores were 59-55 (twice) and 58-56.  Lopez is 9-1-1, four KO's while Wisdom falls to 2-10, one KO.

In amateur bouts on the card, Lorenzo Simpson of Upton Gym won over Amir Brown of Sugar Ray Leonard Center.  Demetrius Martin of D-Block won over Malik Hawkins of Upton and, in what his handlers say will definitely was his final amateur bout, Yurii Polischuk of Raw Assassin Gym defeated Michael Peoples of Old School.

The card was a co-promotion of Gary Shaw Promotions and Headbangers Promotions.  The attendance was 3,221.

Here is the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up that includes an interview with Barry Hunter.

Grayton Ends Night With Second-Round Stoppage!

DC welterweight David "Day-Day" Grayton ends a solid night of boxing with a second-round battering of Greg Coverson, Jr.  Grayton knocked Coverson all over the ring before officially notching his third win with three KO's.

I'll post a wrap up early Saturday morning.  For now, Good night from the DC Armory!

Wade Returns With Second-Round Stoppage!

After a two-year and four day absence, DC super middleweight Dominic Wade battered Atlanta, GA's Marcus Brooks for two rounds before the bout was stopped at 2:46 of the second.

Wade is now 12-0, nine KO's.  Brooks is 7-12.

Final bout in the ring  --  David Grayton vs Greg Coverson, Jr.

Peterson Retains Title With Eighth-Round Stoppage!

Lamont Peterson has retained his IBF Junior Welterweight title with an eighth-round stoppage of former world champ Kendall Holt.

Peterson started slowly in the first three rounds as Holt landed some solid shots.  Holt got brave in the fourth and came inside -- right into Peterson's wheelhouse.  Peterson drops Holt with a big right-left-right combo. 

Peterson knocks down Holt again in the sixth and stops him in the eighth at 1:42.  Peterson is now 31-1-1, 16 KO's and Holt falls to 28-6, 16 KO's.

We're not done. Dominic Wade is next against Marcus Brooks.

Picture-Perfect Morales Body Shot Stops Hernandez in Fifth

Roman Morales of San Ardo, CA scores with a brutal body shot to stop Jesus Hernandez at 2:55 of the fifth round.  Morales is now 15-0, eight KO's.  Hernandez suffers his first pro loss and is 10-1-3, two KO's.

The main event is next and then David Grayton and Dominic Wade's bouts will follow.

July Stopped In Third!

Suitland, MD cruiserweight Venroy "Hardwork" July suffered a third-round stoppage at the hands of Elvin "Koko" Sanchez of Paterson, NJ. 

July dropped Sanchez with a right hand in the second round.  However, Sanchez came back to press the issue in the third round backing July up before dropping July with a solid right hand.  July beat the 10-count but referee Malik Waleed ruled July couldn't continue.

July loses for the first time in his pro career and he is now 13-1-2, six KO's.  Sanchez is now 6-2-1, five KO's.

We now wait for the TV broadcast.  I won't post as much, but I will answer questions and read comments.

Kelly Crushes Marshall In First!

DC heavyweight Danny "Smooth" Kelly has scored a crushing first-round knockout over Schyuler Marshall of South Carolina.

Kelly went to Marshall's relatively soft belly before coming up with a straight right hand that sent Marshall backwards and down for the count at 2:11.  This is our first Beltway Boxing Knockout of the Year candidate.

Kelly is 3-0, three KO's while Marshall is 1-3.

Venroy July is next, taking on Elvin Sanchez.

"Rambo" Davis Makes Successful Pro Debut!

Baltimore featherweight Gervonta "Rambo" Davis has made a quick and successful pro debut stopping Desi Williams of Wilson, NC at 1:29 of the first round.

World champion Adrian Broner led Davis to the ring.  After the intro, Davis took one good punch before dropping Williams twice.  The second time for good.  Williams is 0-5 and has yet to get out of the first round.

Danny Kelly is next, taking on Schyuler Marshall.

Lopez Survives Knockdown to Win Unanimous Decision!

Featherweight Raul Lopez wins a six-round unanimous decision over a game DeWayne Wisdom.  This came despite Lopez suffering a solid knockdown from Wisdom in the second shortly after Lopez dropped him.  Lopez is now 9-1, four KO's.  Wisdom is 2-10, one KO's.

Results From Amateur Portion of Card!

Here are the results from the amateur portion of the card at the Armory.

Lorenzo Simpson (Upton) over Amir Brown (SRL).

We were given bad information about the matchups tonight but here are the results.  Demetrius Martin (D-Block) over Malik Hawkins (Upton) and Yurii Polischuk (Raw Assassin) over Michael Peoples (Old School).

The first pro bout is in the ring -- Raul Lopez (8-1, four KO's) of the Bronx, NY takes on Indianapolis, IN's DeWayne Wisdom (2-9, one KO).

Amateur Boxing Getting Underway!

The amateur portion of the card is just underway.  The first bout matches Lorenzo Simpson of Upton Gym against Amir Brown of Sugar Ray Leonard Gym.  Bout two pits Malik Hawkins of Upton against Michael Peoples of Old School.  The third bout is Yurii Polischuk who is fighting out of the renamed Raw Assassin Gym taking on Demetrius Martin of D-Block.  Results in a few moments.

Good Evening From The DC Armory!

Hi again, everyone!  We are ringside at the District of Columbia Armory for "Redemption!" We'll be blogging throughout the night especially for the non-televised portion of tonight's card.

We are slated to have four amateur bouts, I've been told.  I still have no idea who is going to compete.  I do know it was a scramble to find folks with the Golden Gloves coming up on Saturday.  I'll be back when things get underway.  Looking forward to your questions and comments!

Thompson Weighs 262 For British Battle!

Tony Thompson weighed in at 262 pounds for his 12-round contest against David Price Saturday afternoon (East Coast time) at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England.  It's the heaviest amount of weight Thompson has carried in his pro career.  Thompson has only reached 260 pounds one other time -- in 2004.  Price tipped the scales at 247. 

 Thompson has also caused a fuss in the British media and among British boxing officials for his comments about legalizing doping in sports.  “I think they should allow doping, period,” said Thompson, “because for me it’s like the gun law. Only the good guys are listening. It leaves the good guys without the guns.” British Boxing Board of Control secretary Robert Smith quickly condemned Thompson’s comments as “mindblowing” and “irresponsible,” telling the Daily Telegraph “I felt sickened, to be honest, when I heard the comments.” He added that people would now expect Thompson to tested for drugs before and after his fight with Price.

The bout is being shown live on WealthTV and on Wealthtv.com at 2:30 PM ET.

Thompson Gives Views on Doping in Sport on BBC Morning Show!

On Thursday morning, DC heavyweight Tony "The Tiger" Thompson appeared with David Price, his opponent on Saturday night in Liverpool, England, on the BBC 5 Live Breakfast morning show to promote their bout at the Echo Arena.  The subject of doping in sport came up during the conversation and Thompson had some interesting and controversial views on the subject.

Here's the link to the story and video:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/boxing/21531723

Scale Watch for 'Redemption' at the DC Armory!

Here are the weights for the "Redemption" card Friday night at the DC Armory:

Lamont Peterson 139 vs. Kendall Holt 140

Ramon Morales 122 vs. Jesus Antonio Hernandez 121

David Grayton 149 vs. Greg Coverson, Jr. 147

Danny Kelly 236 vs. Schyuler Marshall 309

Venroy July 198 vs. Elvin Sanchez 197

Gervonta Davis 125 vs. Desi Williams 124

Dominic Wade 166 vs. Marcus Brooks 169

Raul Lopez 126 vs. DeWayne Wisdom 128

The National Anthem will be sung by women's US Amateur champion Franchon Crews.  There are also three amateur bouts slated for the card.

The doors open at 5 PM and the first bout is slated for 6 PM.

Harrison February 23 Bout Moved to Mississippi!

Undefeated DC welterweight Dusty Harrison will now fight in Tunica, MS on Saturday, February 23 instead of Atlantic City, NJ.  Harrison's bout will take place at Resorts Casino and Hotel in Tunica and will reunite the Harrison camp with their original management group, Prize Fight who is promoting the card.

Harrison (12-0, eight KO's) will be in a six-round contest against Aaron Anderson of Knoxville, TN (2-19, one KO). Anderson will try to break a nine-bout losing streak.

Bout Sheet for First Round Action at Washington Golden Gloves!

Here is the opening night action for the Washington Golden Gloves on Saturday, February 23 at the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center in Palmer Park, MD:

Junior Division

9-10 Years, 60 Pounds:  Mekhi Phillips (Keystone Boxing) vs. Ragahleak Bartee (Tony's Gym)

9-10 Years, 65 Pounds:  Muhammad Robinson (UMAR) vs. Jamaree Harper (Hillcrest)

9 Years, 70 Pounds: Quincey Williams (Tony's Gym) vs. Damon Burnette, Jr. (Keystone Boxing)

9 Years, 70 Pounds: Jacob Matthews (Enigma) vs. Kevin Escamilla (Langdon)

10 Years, 70 Pounds: Jordan Jones (Headbangers) vs. Deric Davis (Old School)

10 Years, 70 Pounds: Kesean Bagwell (Charm City) vs. Maximas Garland (Headbangers)

9 Years, 75 Pounds: Lawrence Malcolm (Enigma) vs. Santino Saunders (Hillcrest)

11 Years, 70 Pounds (CHAMPIONSHIP): Ervin Canlas (Keystone) vs. Donell Williams (Kenilworth)

10 Years, 75 Pounds (CHAMPIONSHIP): Donald Ford (Kenilworth) vs. Daylynn Jones (Headbangers)

11 Years, 75 Pounds (CHAMPIONSHIP): Khalil Phillps (Keystone) vs. Stacey Selby (Langdon)

9-10, 80 Pounds (CHAMPIONSHIP): Jalil Hackett (Enigma) vs. Lamont Tate (Kenilworth)

11-12, 80 Pounds:  Quartez Lott (Langdon) vs. Chamar Flowers (Headbangers)

10-11, 100 Pounds (CHAMPIONSHIP):  Edwin Angel (Keystone) vs. Keith Bagwell, Jr. (Charm City)

Four Juniors are unopposed Golden Gloves champions.  Congratulations to:

Jamarni Scott (Charm City), 12-13, 75 Pounds.

Michael Tymas (Langdon), 11, 110 Pounds

Preston Gatling (Hillcrest), 16, 114 Pounds

Gary Antuanne Russell (Enigma), 16, 132 Pounds

Novice Division

132 Pounds: Jefri Gutierez (Laurel) vs. Quanell Robinson (Hillcrest)

132 Pounds: Jalen Jones (Limelite) vs. Nathen Jackson (NOMIS)

141 Pounds: Delonte Perkins (Laurel) vs. Michael Martin (LA Boxing)

141 Pounds: Daniel Scalan (Black Belt Academy) vs. Jalil Hunter (Headbangers)

141 Pounds: Jose Santos (First Class) vs. Mikhail Kozlov (LA Boxing)

152 Pounds: Lamonte Jackson (Cherry Lane) vs. Nicholas Lee (Laurel)

152 Pounds: Darryl Jacobs (NOMIS) vs. Kristian Mitts (Champions)

152 Pounds: Evequeny Metchenov (Laurel) vs. Alonzo Thompson (Cherry Lane)

'Redemption' Card Finalized!

We now have the final lineup for the "Redemption" card on Friday, February 22 at the DC Armory.  This card is co-promoted by Gary Shaw Promotions and Headbangers Promotions.

Let's start with the televised portion of the card that will be on ESPN2 beginning at 9 PM ET.  There will be three bouts that will be televised.  The main event, of course, will be Lamont Peterson (30-1-1, 15 KO's) defending his IBF Junior Welterweight championship against former WBO 140-pound titleholder Kendall "Rated R" Holt of Paterson, NJ (28-5, 16 KO's).  The eight-round co-feature remains a battle of undefeated California super bantamweights -- Roman Morales of San Ardo (14-0, seven KO's) vs. Jesus "Pollo" Antonio Hernandez (10-0-3, two KO's) of Huntington Park.

BATB has learned that the bout that will open the telecast will feature undefeated DC welterweight David "Day-Day" Grayton who will make his national TV debut.  Grayton (2-0, two KO's) will face Greg Coverson, Jr. of Detroit, MI (3-4, two KO's) in a four-round contest.  Grayton has won both his bouts by first-round TKO.  Coverson has lost three straight.

Both boxers are sons of former pros.  David Grayton III fought from 1982-1986 and had a record of 15-5, four KO's competing against the likes of Darryll Tyson, Kelvin Seabrooks and Freddie Pendleton.  Greg "Candy Man" Coverson competed from 1976-1983 and had a record of 33-2, 20 KO's as he faced boxers such as Davey Armstrong, Hector Camacho, Sr. and Howard Davis, Jr.

The undercard will begin at 6 PM and will feature these bouts:

In a four-round contest, DC heavyweight Danny "Smooth" Kelly (2-0, two KO's) takes on Schyuler Marshall of South Carolina (1-2, one KO).

Undefeated Suitland, MD cruiserweight Venroy "Hardwork" July (13-0-2, six KO's) battles Elvin "Koko" Sanchez of Paterson, NJ (5-2-1, four KO's) in a six-round contest.

The card will mark the return of undefeated DC super middleweight Dominic Wade (11-0, eight KO's) in a six-round contest against Marcus Brooks of Atlanta, GA (7-11, three KO's)  This will be Wade's first ring action in more than two years.

James Stevenson's bout has been scratched.  Replacing one Baltimore boxer will be another boxer from Charm City who will make his pro debut in lightweight Gervonta "Tank" Davis.  Davis comes off a stellar amateur career topped by winning the National Golden Gloves in 2012.  Davis will face Desi Williams of Wilson, NC (0-4).

Also on the card will be Bronx, NY super bantamweight Raul Lopez (8-1-1, four KO's) taking on DeWayne Wisdom of Indianapolis, IN (2-9, one KO) in a six-round contest.

Once again, there will be a press conference that is open to the public on Wednesday at noon at the Dow Lohnes Media Center, 1200 New Hampshire Ave., NW.  Space is limited for this event.

The weigh-in will also be open to the public and will be held on Thursday at noon at the Grand Hyatt Hotel's Constitution Ballroom located at 1000 H Street NW.

BATB will blog live from the DC Armory on Friday beginning at 5:45 and we plan to have an audio recap exclusively on the BATB page on Spreaker.com between the non-televised and televised portions of the card.  We will have our full Post-Fight Wrap-Up after the card is over.

Earlier tonight, there was an open workout with a number of boxers who will be on the card.  Here are some interviews from the workout.

David Grayton talks about his reaction after finding out his bout would be on the telecast:




Danny Kelly reflects on being on a big local show with just two pro bouts under his belt:




Dominic Wade talks about his return to the ring after a two-year absence:




We also talked to both participants in the main event.  First, the challenger and former world champion Kendall Holt:



And then, the reigning champion, Lamont Peterson:

Brigade Boxing Championships to be Held Friday at the Naval Academy!

The 72nd Annual Naval Academy Brigade Boxing Championships will be held on Friday, February 22 at Alumni Hall on the Naval Academy campus in Annapolis, MD.  The event is free and begins at 7 PM.

All Midshipmen are required to participate in boxing as a part of the Naval Academy's physical education program.  Boxing is also a club sport offered at the academy and the boxing team also participates in invitational tournaments in the fall and spring.  The Brigade championships showcase the elite boxers performing in three-round bouts in their weight classes.  In 1967, future Secretary of the Navy James Webb, and future Marine Corps Lt. Col., Oliver North, fought each other in the welterweight category during the competition.

 The best boxers from the competition go on to a regional competition in order to qualify for the National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) Championships held each spring. The USNA Boxing Team has won five National Championships with many individual All-Americans. This year, the NCBA National Championship will be held April 4 – 8 in Mashantucket, Conn.

To attend this event, visitors may walk through Gate 1 (King George Street), Gate 8 (Md. Route 450) and Gate 3 (Maryland Avenue, recommended gate) of the academy and will be required to show valid, government-issued picture identification. Vehicles without Department of Defense decals are not permitted on Naval Academy grounds.  Authorized vehicles may enter through Gate 1 (King George Street) or Gate 8 (Maryland Route 450).  Handicapped visitors with proper decals and identification are permitted through Gate 1 during normal business hours and may be subject to a vehicle inspection. All bags are subject to search.

Examiner Column Rhetorically Asks: Did December 10, 2011 Actually Happen?

When I wrote the year in review for 2012, I said the year was one of "Great Possibility and Missed Opportunity."  In his most recent column for the Washington Examiner, Thom Loverro focuses on the undeniable missed opportunities for two of our local boxers.  Here's the column:


http://washingtonexaminer.com/thom-loverro-great-night-in-2011-for-lamont-peterson-seth-mitchell-essentially-knocked-out-of-existence/article/2521847

Nevada Referee Weeks Will Handle Peterson-Holt!

Veteran Nevada referee Tony Weeks will be the third man in the ring when Lamont Peterson defends his IBF Light Welterweight title against former world champ Kendall Holt Friday night at the DC Armory.

Weeks is a very well-respected referee who has worked close to 50 world title bouts including Floyd Mayweather- Miguel Cotto, Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez III and Sergio Martinez- Julio Cesar Chavez.

The three judges will also come from outside the Beltway.  Glenn Feldman comes from Connecticut while Michael Pernick and Alexander Levin are from Florida.

Washington Post Pens Major Lamont Peterson Article!

The Washington Post's Barry Svrluga has written a major profile of IBF Junior Welterweight champion Lamont Peterson in advance of Friday's card at the DC Armory.  This is one of the longest stories I have seen on a local boxer in quite some time.  The story is also a very good read!  Here is the link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/othersports/lamont-peterson-still-fighting-in-the-ring-and-out/2013/02/15/ad9caab8-7625-11e2-95e4-6148e45d7adb_story.html

By the way, the Friday, February 22 card will begin at 6 PM ET not 5 PM as I posted earlier.  The doors open at 5 PM.  The ESPN telecast starts at 9 PM ET.  

There will be a final press conference that will be open to the public on Wednesday, February 20 at noon at the Dow Lohnes Media Center located at 1200 New Hampshire Ave, NW in DC.  Space is limited for the event.

Full Video of Harrison vs. Wright!

Just received the video from Dusty Harrison's last bout -- February 8 in the Chase Center in Wilmington, DE vs. Kelly Wright. This is from GoFightLive.tv

Harrison Returns to Action February 23 in Atlantic City; Ballard Has Opponent for Pro Debut in Detroit!

Undefeated DC welterweight Dusty Harrison returns quickly to action as he has been added to the Saturday, February 23 card at Bally's Event Center in Atlantic City, NJ.  Harrison (12-0, eight KO's) fought on February 8 in Wilmington, DE and scored a third-round TKO over Kelly Wright.  No word yet on Harrison's opponent for the scheduled six-round bout.

Meanwhile, Temple Hills, MD super middleweight D'Mitrius Ballard has an opponent for his pro debut on February 23 at the Masonic Temple in Detroit, MI. Ballard will face Coy Witt of Richlands, VA (2-2, one KO) in a four-round contest.

Ballard is still slated to be on the rescheduled Danny Garcia-Zab Judah card on Saturday, April 27 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.  By the way, two other Beltway Boxers are slated to be on that card, ironically, both from Maryland's Eastern Shore.  Salisbury, MD middleweight Fernando Guerrero will still have his title shot against WBO champion Peter Quillin and Berlin, MD middleweight Joshua Snyder is slated to take on Boyd Melson in a six-round contest.

Jargal Stunned By Howard in Third!

Arlington, VA lightweight "The Mongolian Mongoose" Bayan Jargal was stopped in the third round tonight by Chris "Hurricane" Howard of Crossville, TN at the Mohegan Sun at Uncasville, CT in front of a nationally televised ESPN2 audience.

Jargal seemed to be in control of the bout through the first two rounds and was picking up the pace in the third round when, suddenly, Howard landed a vicious straight right hand right on the button, dropping Jargal in a heap.  Jargal did beat the referee's count but was ruled unfit to continue.  The bout was stopped at 1:46 of the round.

Jargal falls to 17-4-3, 11 KO's and is stopped for the first time in his pro career.  Howard's record rises to 15-2-1, seven KO's.

Jargal Weighs 135 1/4 for ESPN2 Battle in Connecticut; Odom, Newby Battle in North Carolina Bouts Saturday; Rodriguez Returns in Chesapeake, VA Monday!!

Bayan Jargal and his opponent, Chris Howard both weighed in at 135 1/4 for their 10-round co-feature bout Friday at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT.  The bout will be shown on ESPN2 as part of the telecast slated to begin at 9 PM ET.

DC boxers "The King's Son" Jerry Odom and Greg Newby are slated to participate on a card at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, NC on Saturday night, February 16.  No word yet on their opponents.

On Monday night, February 18, Haymarket, VA welterweight Juan "The Savior" Rodriguez will be on an RBA Promotions card at the VA Live Sports and Entertainment Center in Chesapeake, VA.  Also, no word on his opponent.

Russell, Taylor Involved In Big March Bouts!

Two Beltway Boxers will be involved in some big nationally televised bouts in the month of March.  On Saturday, March 2, undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight "Mr." Gary Russell, Jr. returns to the Showtime airwaves when he faces Russian Vyacheslav Gusev at the legendary Apollo Theater in New York City.  Russell (21-0, 13 KO's) has scored knockouts in his last three contests including a brutal one against Roberto Castaneda on November 9 in Indio, CA.  Gusev (20-2, five KO's) won the WBO European Featherweight and the PABA Featherweight titles in his last outing, a 12-round unanimous decision over Padji Youngyuthgym on April 30 in Moscow.

Then on Friday, March 8, Edgewood, MD junior welterweight Emanuel "Tranzforma" Taylor appears in his second straight nationally-televised bout when he battles Victor Cayo of the Dominican Republic at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.

Taylor (16-1, 11 KO's) comes off a solid six-round TKO win over Raymond Serrano on January 25 in Huntington, NY, a bout that was televised on Showtime.  Cayo (31-3, 22 KO's) is riding a three-bout winning streak, including a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Vladimir Baez on December 17 in Santo Domingo.  Beltway fans may remember that Cayo challenged Lamont Peterson in an IBF elimination bout in July 2011 and lost by 12th round knockout.

Peterson In Training For February 22!

(Photo and video by Juan Marshall, ProAm Fight Talk)

IBF Junior Welterweight champion Lamont Peterson held an open workout at the Headbangers Gym in Southeast DC today. Peterson continues to prepare for his Friday, February 22 title defense against former world champion Kendall Holt at the DC Armory.

Thompson Gets Ready For British Battle With Price February 23 in Liverpool!

According to a recent press release, DC heavyweight Tony "The Tiger" Thompson is preparing to shock the United Kingdom with a victory over British rising prospect David Price on Saturday, February 23 in Liverpool, England.  Here is the release.

Heavyweight Tony Thompson believes he is just days away from ruining all hopes of David Price and Tyson Fury meeting. The American double world title challenger (36-3) meets British and Commonwealth champion Price (15-0) in a 12 round international heavyweight contest at Liverpool’s Echo Arena on February 23 in a fight that that can be seen on Wealth TV and WealthTV.com.

Price vs. Fury is the biggest domestic clash right now, and purses bids were due to be held on Wednesday, but Tyson pulled out. Southpaw Thompson said: “Fury didn’t want to know when I said I was up for coming to England and boxing him, and at least David took the job. All I keep reading is that David fighting Fury is the hottest ticket in UK boxing. It’ll be a cold ticket once I beat David.


“Of course, I appreciate how big a fight it is over there but it won’t have the same financial value or appeal when David has a defeat next to his name. David’s promoter Frank Maloney knows his stuff but he has made a major mistake in bringing me over because I lost my last fight. It was against Wladimir Klitschko and there is no shame in that, and I still have ambition. Beating David will make sure I stay in the world title picture.”

Thompson arrives in Britain this weekend, and although nobody should doubt his seriousness, the Washington DC man hasn’t been watching too many of Price’s devastating knockouts. He explained: “I have looked at some tapes, but you can only look as so many because tapes lie. It is hard to judge a guy’s rhythm, speed and athleticism watching tapes. You have to look at them though to spot to odd mistake a fighter might tend to make. That is what I look for more than style.”

Undefeated Boxers Highlight Rosecroft Card March 2!

Four undefeated Beltway Boxing prospects will be a part of the Keystone Boxing card on Saturday, March 2 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.

Scheduled to be on the card are Forestville, MD junior middleweight Alantez "SlyAza" Fox (9-0-1, four KO's), Palmer Park, MD super featherweight Kevin "K-Smoov" Rivers, Jr. (4-0, three KO's)  Accokeek, MD junior middleweight "Swift" Jarrett Hurd (4-0, three KO's) and DC super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom (2-0, two KO's)

Also on the card will be District Heights, MD lightweight Renaldo "Misunderstood" Gaines (4-1, one KO) along with Bladensburg, MD light heavyweight transplant Phillip Jackson Benson (10-1, nine KO's) and the debuting Waldorf, MD junior welterweight Michael "Yes Indeed" Reed.

We'll have a more complete preview once opponents are finalized.

Allen Drops Unanimous Decision in Texas!

Greenbelt, MD junior middleweight Norman "The Shadow" Allen lost a six-round unanimous decision to Hector Vasquez Saturday night at the Hurst Conference Center in Hurst, TX.  Allen lost the bout by scores of 60-54 (twice) and 59-55.  Fightnews.com reporter Jeff Zimmerman describes the action.

Vasquez dominated every round using double and triple left hooks to the body and the head with an occasional upper cut to easily outpoint Allen. Allen had his moments in the 2nd and 4th round coming out the aggressor and landed some nice combinations, but that only seemed to energize Vasquez who would use his superior speed and footwork to take back control of the fight. Although Allen appeared to have the size and reach advantage on Vasquez, he was not able to do anything with it allowing Vasquez to continually get inside without much effort and land body shot after body shot. 


In the last round, Vasquez stunned Allen with a triple left hook to the body, followed by shots to the head and tried to end the fight, but Allen withstood the onslaught and even landed an occasional counter of his own to the body of Vasquez. The fight ended with a wild exchange as both fighters were seeking the knockout, but instead they ended on their feet as Vasquez came out with the victory in front of his hometown fans.

Allen is now 6-7, three KO's while Vasquez is 9-1, two KO's.

Update on February 22 DC Armory Card!

To say that news about the Friday, February 22 card at the DC Armory is coming in slowly is like getting breaking news that the sun is hot.  With 12 days to go before the card, there is not a whole lot we can pin down.  But here is what we do know at this point.

The only bout other than the championship main event between defending IBF titleholder Lamont Peterson and challenger and former world champion Kendall Holt that we know is a certainty is the eight-round co-feature bout between undefeated California superbantamweights Roman Morales of San Ardo (14-0, seven KO's and Jesus Antonio Hernandez of Huntington Park (10-0-3, two KO's).  That is the other bout that is slated for the televised (ESPN2) portion of the card.

The rest of the card is still not completely certain.  As of now, six Beltway Boxers are slated to be on the card, however, not everything is set.

Undefeated Suitland, MD cruiserweight Venroy "Hard Work" July WILL be on the card.  July (13-0-2, six KO's) is slated to take on Elvin "KoKo" Sanchez of Paterson, NJ (5-2-1, four KO's) in a four-round contest but that could change.

DC heavyweight Danny "Smooth" Kelly is scheduled to be on the card. Kelly (2-0, two KO's) has Winchester, VA's Donnie Crawford (1-5-1, one KO) listed as his opponent.

Undefeated Baltimore, MD welterweight James "Keep 'Em Sleepin'" Stevenson is also slated to be on the card.  Stevenson (18-0, 11 KO's) has his opponent listed as Michael Torres of Jersey City, NJ (14-3, seven KO's) as his opponent but sources tell BATB that Torres has turned the bout down.

DC welterweight David "Day-Day" Grayton (2-0, two KO's) is also scheduled to be on the card.  No opponent has been named.

The card is also slated to feature the return of undefeated Largo, MD supermiddleweight Dominic Wade.  Wade (11-0, eight KO's) will have been out of action for two years and four days when he steps into the ring at the Armory.  Wade is slated to take on Marcus Brooks of Atlanta, GA (7-11, three KO's) but that could change as well.  BATB is hearing that other opponents are being discussed.

Rivera Stopped in Eighth in Allentown!

Charlottsville, VA middleweight George "Wartime" Rivera was stopped in the eighth round Saturday night in his rematch with Keenan Collins of York, PA at the Rodeway Inn in Allentown, PA.

The time of the stoppage was 2:16 of the final round.  This was a rematch of the draw the two men had on April 27 in Reading, PA.  Here's a description of the action from Fightnews.com's Kurt Wolfheimer.
 
The fight started out slowly as each fighter tried to control the ring. The taller Collins was trying to jab from the outside while Rivera was using movement and picking his spots to step in the pocket with single shots.
The movement of Rivera seemed to frustrate Collins in the early going as Rivera picked up rounds two through four. Collins had his moments as he pushed Rivera to the ropes and landed a good overhand right late in the second, which seemed to loosen him up and he close the round with several single shots bfore the bell. Rivera was slick though and he continued to frustrate him as he pecked away with hooks and jabs while sliding in the pocket and the escaping out the back door.

The movement and constant flurries by Rivera, along with the jabs on the outside by Collins, began to take their toll on the Virginian and by the end of the fourth round, he looked gassed.

In the fifth and sixth, the Reading native was finding his mark with his jabs and Rivera, though competitive was getting hit more often but Collins seemed to be loading up for the big right hand and it slowed him also.

Keenan Collins finally landed the big shot with a right uppercut which wobbled Rivera. Collins tried to jump on him with a couple of heavy right hands in the center of the ring, but Rivera’s defense was tight and he recovered quickly.

The heavier handed Collins appeared to be coming on, but his corner knew it was close and shouted at him that a knockout was needed in the eighth and final round if he were to come out with a victory. Collins stepped up the attack and was consistently landing in the early going of the final round as Rivera’s tank went to empty he was fighting with his mouth open. Collins finally found the punch that he had been looking for all night and dropped Rivera with a crushing overhand right. Rivera rose to his feet and tried to retreat, but Collins would not let him off the hook and followed up with a left along with a heavy overhand right, which dropped the Virginian to his hands and knees. Referee Gary Rosato reached the eight count as George Rivera rose to his feet and wobbled back into the corner. Rosato took a good look at him and it was clear his legs weren’t there, so he called a halt to the contest at 2:16 of the eighth and final round.


Rivera is now winless in his last three bouts and is now 13-8-1, four KO's.  Collins's record rises to 15-7-3, 10 KO's.

Reed Defeats Polischuk In Amateur Swan Song for BOTH Boxers; Russell, Roach, Jr. Also Victorious in Millersville!

In the highly-anticipated amateur bout of the night, former National Golden Gloves champion Michael Reed defeated Yuri Polischuk in what was a very tough battle on the Jeter Promotions card at Club One Fitness in Millersville, MD.

 We knew going into the bout that this would be the final amateur battle for Reed and he will make his pro debut on the Saturday, March 2 Keystone Boxing card at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.  Reed gives us his thoughts on that in this interview.



What we did not know going into the bout was that this was also the amateur swan song for Polischuk, who will make his entry into the pro ranks on Friday, March 15 on a card at the Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood, FL.

In other featured bouts on the card, Gary Antoine Russell scored a vicious RSC-1 in his bout while Lamont Roach, Jr. was also victorious in his contest by decision.

Antoine Russell, Lamont Roach, Jr. Added to Amateur Card Tonight in Millersville!

Quite a star-studded amateur card tonight at Club One Fitness in Millersville, MD.  We've already told you about the amateur swan song for Waldorf, MD's Michael Reed as he faces Yurii Polischuk.  Now comes word that two other local amateur stars will appear on the Jeter Promotions card.

Gary Antoine Russell of Capitol Heights, MD will be on the card.  Russell is the youngest of the battling Russell Brothers.   Also on the card will be multi-time amateur champ Lamont Roach, Jr. of Temple Hills, MD. The card gets underway at 7:30 PM.

Crews Steps Into Acting Ring in Local Production of 'For Colored Girls!'

Multi-time amateur boxing champion Franchon Crews of Baltimore has always been more than just a boxing talent.  Crews tried out for the first season of "American Idol" and she has sung the National Anthem on numerous occasions.  She has been a poster child for USA Boxing appearing in numerous promotional campaigns.

Now, Crews takes her first step into acting on Friday, February 22 when she will appear in a production of the legendary Ntozake Shange play "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf" at the SMC Building Campus Center Ballroom at the University of Maryland, Baltimore located at 621 W. Lombard Street in Baltimore.  The play begins at 7 PM.

For those unfamiliar with the play, it is a series of 20 poems chronicling the lives of Black women in the United States.  Each woman in the play is known only by a color.  Crews will play "The Lady in Orange."  This is a part of the University's celebration of Black History Month.

'Shadow' Allen Weighs 152 For Texas Tussle!

Greenbelt, MD junior middleweight Norman "The Shadow" Allen weighed in at 152 pounds for his six-round main event contest against Hector Vasquez of Dallas, TX Saturday night in Hurst, TX.  Vasquez tipped the scales at 152 1/2.

Allen (6-6, three KO's) will be trying to break a five-bout losing streak.  Vasquez (8-1, two KO's) has won seven straight.

PVA Pays Tribute To DC Coaching Legends Saturday at Rosecroft!

The Potomac Valley Association of USA Boxing is hosting a very special "Night of Legends" on Saturday, February 9 at 5 PM at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD. 

The event pays tribute to six men who have given a lifetime of commitment to amateur boxing in the Washington, DC area as well as made a lifetime commitment to helping our youth.

The event will honor:

Junious Hinton

Eugene Hughes

Dave Jacobs

Ham Johnson

Vardell McCann

Curtis Rawlings


All six of these men helped lay the foundation for what we know today as the Beltway Boxing Scene.  I am very proud to say I have worked with all of them in many capacities and the tribute they are receiving is very well deserved!

Harrison Scores Third-Round TKO In Delaware!

DC welterweight Dusty Harrison remained undefeated with a third-round TKO over Kelly Wright at the Chase Center on the Waterfront in Wilmington, DE.  The time of the knockout was 1:39.

Harrison is now 12-0, eight KO's while Wright falls to 4-11 with five no contests.

Harrison Weighs 149 For Delaware Battle!

Dusty Harrison weighed in at 149 pounds for his scheduled four-round contest against Kelly Wright tonight at the Chase Center on The Waterfront in Wilmington, DE.  Wright tipped the scales at 143.

Clarification:  BATB just spoke to the Harrison camp and there was NO, repeat, NO altercation between Harrison and Wright at the weigh-in on Thursday.  In fact, the two did not even square up for the traditional photo shoot with each other.  The Harrison camp was informed of what was posted in the comment section of the previous post about Harrison.  Laughter was their response.

The card will be shown on GoFightLive TV at www.gfl.tv for $9.99.

Ballard Debut Moved to February 23 in Detroit; Cutman Ray To Work With Hopkins Family!

Temple Hills, MD super middleweight D'Mitrius Ballard, who was scheduled to make his pro debut on February 9 in Brooklyn, NY, will now make his debut on Saturday, February 23 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, MI on the undercard of the IBF Middleweight title bout between champion Cornelius Bundrage and challenger Ishe Smith. No word yet on his opponent.

One of the great cutmen in our business is DC's own Chris Ray.  Ray has worked with a number of great boxers including hall of famer Mark Johnson and The Peterson Brothers.  Ray, a DC Boxing Hall of Famer, was slated to work in Seth Mitchell's corner on February 16 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City but, as you know, that bout was postponed.  However, Ray will still be working on that card as he will be in the corner of Philadelphia, PA junior middleweight Demetrius Hopkins when he battles Charles Whittaker for the USBA Junior Middleweight title.

While Ray was negotiating with Demetrius Hopkins, Uncle and multi-time world champion Bernard Hopkins came on the phone and asked for Ray's services on Saturday, March 9 when Bernard Hopkins challenges Tavoris Cloud for the IBF Light Heavyweight title at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Harrison Competes In Delaware Friday!

Undefeated DC welterweight Dusty Harrison will be back in action on Friday, February 8 at the Chase Center in Wilmington, DE.  Harrison  (11-0, seven KO's) last fought on December 8 and scored a first-round TKO over Darrell Jones at the Washington Convention Center.

Harrison's opponent is slated to be Kelly Wright of St. Louis, MO (4-10, five NC's) who will be trying to break a nine-bout losing streak.

Mitchell-Banks Rematch Postponed!

The Ring's Lem Satterfield is reporting that the heavyweight rematch between Brandywine, MD's Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell and Detroit, MI's Johnathon Banks slated for Saturday, February 16 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ has been postponed.  Banks suffered a thumb injury in sparring.

Mitchell was looking to avenge his second-round knockout loss to Banks on November 17 at Boardwalk Hall.  The HBO-televised card will continue as this bout was a co-feature to Adrian Broner's WBC lightweight title bout against Gavin Rees.  Another contest on the card will move up to the co-feature slot.

UPDATE:  BATB spoke to Mitchell's manager, Sharif Salim this evening.  The Mitchell camp is looking at possible high-profile opponents to stay on the February 16th card.

"Seth is in great shape and we don't want all the hard work to go for naught," Salim told BATB.  "We are still looking at possible challenges for the 16th."

Washington Golden Gloves Tournament Begins February 23; Final Registration and Exams on Saturday!

The 2013 Washington Golden Gloves Tournament will get underway on Saturday, February 23 at the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center, 7707 Barlowe Road in Palmer Park, MD.  Here is the schedule:

The final registration and physical exams for the event will take place on Saturday, February 9 from 9 AM to noon at the Hillcrest Heights Bingo Hall, 4104 23rd Parkway in Hillcrest Heights, MD.  Plan to arrive at 9 AM sharp!

Once again, the first round will begin on Saturday, February 23 at 7:30 PM and will continue each Saturday (March 2, 9, 16) at 7:30 at the Sugar Ray Leonard Center.

The semi-finals will be at the Sugar Ray Leonard Center on Saturday, March 23 at 7:30 PM.

The Washington Golden Gloves finals will take place at the Waldorf Jaycees Community Center, 3090 Crain Highway in Waldorf, MD on Saturday, April 13 at 8 PM.

The Regional Championships (DC/Maryland vs. Virginia/North Carolina)  will be on Friday, April 26 at 8 PM at the Waldorf Jaycees.

Remember, three National Golden Gloves champions came out of this tournament in 2012 (Gervonta Davis, Jerry Odom and D'Mitrius Ballard) and six national titles in the last three years (David Grayton and Gary Allen Russell  in 2010 and Michael Reed in 2011).  Who will be next?   For ticket information, call 301-843-6165.

 

Simpson Wins Third National Silver Gloves Championship!

(Courtesy of the South Atlantic Association of USA Boxing's Facebook Page)


Congratulations to Baltimore's Lorenzo "Truck" Simpson who won his third straight National Silver Gloves championship this past Saturday in Independence, MO.

Simpson moved up to 119 pounds for this year's event and defeated Raul Aniceto of Elgin, IL in the final bout.  Simpson is pictured above with his coach, Calvin Ford.

Nelson To Defend WIBA Title March 30 In DC!

Undefeated Ashburn, VA middleweight Tori "Sho Nuff" Nelson will not have a lot of time to dwell on the second straight draw she had against Teresa Perozzi Saturday night in Bermuda.  Nelson (6-0-3) will be defending her Women's International Boxing Association Middleweight title against Maria Lindberg of Malmo, Sweden on Saturday, March 30 at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC.  Babie Girl Promotions is promoting the card.

Lindberg (8-1-2, two KO's) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision over Floarea Lihet on October 12 in Hamburg, Germany.  Lindberg is a former WIBA and WIBF (Women's International Boxing Federation) Junior Middleweight titleholder whose only loss came when she fought for the WBO and WBF Middleweight titles on May 27, 2011.  Lindberg lost a 10-round unanimous decision to Christina Hammer in the Czech Republic.  Lindberg has only fought in the US three times but this will be her second trip to DC.  Lindberg fought Ann Saccurato to a four-round draw in her second pro fight in May of 2004 at DC Tunnel.

Nelson And Perozzi Battle To Another Draw!

Tori Nelson and Teresa Perozzi have fought 20 rounds of boxing over two bouts in Bermuda and nothing has been settled.  Bermuda's The Royal Gazette newspaper is reporting that the two world champion boxers have fought to yet another 10-round draw tonight at the Berkeley Institute in Pembroke.

According to Bernews.com, both ladies were knocked down in the third round of the contest.  Judge Jack Woodburn of Canada scored the bout 97-94 for Nelson.  Judge William Boodhoo of Canada saw the bout for Perozzi 96-95.  Judge Julie Lederman of the US (and daughter of Harold) saw the draw at 95-95.  Nelson is now 6-0-3 while Perozzi is 9-4-3, one KO.

 Nelson said the following to the Gazette:

“This is getting ridiculous and people just don’t understand how much we put into it being mothers,” she said. “We got to take the time from being a mother to train so hard to come here and get a draw twice. My kids don’t deserve that so I can’t keep taking from my kids doing this and then coming here for this. No, I fight too hard. It’s really frustrating.

“Last time we fought I went in aggressive and I brawled her. This fight I boxed her because they (judges) didn’t give it to me when I brawled her so this time I figured if I boxed her I could get it so I don’t know what they want.

“When I knocked her down I was like ‘okay, that’s good’. But then when I came back she knocked me down too and I was like ‘okay, I have to get this back’ and I felt that I got it back. I wasn’t tired nowhere in the fight, she was bleeding but I don’t know. Maybe I have to be a Bermudian citizen to fight another Bermudian in order to get the win here.”

A member of the Bermuda Boxing Commission posted the following comments on the online version of Colin Thompson's article:

"I feel it was extremely disingeneous of and very unsporting of Tori Nelson to make insinuations that one cannot get a fair decision in Bermuda unless you are a Bermudian boxer. All officials in last night's fight, the Referee and 3 Judges, were from overseas, two from Nelson's country (USA) and two from Canada. It could, therefore, be said that going into the fight Teresa Perozzi was at a 'disadvantage' but she and her camp made no objections or fuss. Another point of note is that the 3 Judges scoring last night's fight were, as is customary in World Title re-matches, different from from the Judges officiating at their October 13th fight. On both occasions the result was declared as a draw! Such a pity that two great fights have been somewhat soured by Tori Nelson's post fight remarks."

Three Virginia amateurs fought on the undercard against Bermudian boxers. Christopher Gooch won his contest over Andre Lambe. Jose Israel Flores lost to Jashaun Thomas and Matthew Abregu fell to Nikki Bascome.

Nelson-Perozzi II Expected To Sell Out in Bermuda!

 (Top photo by Glenn Tucker, The Royal Gazette)

A capacity crowd is expected when WIBA Middleweight champion Tori "Sho Nuff" Nelson (6-0-2) battles WBA Middleweight titlist Teresa Perozzi (9-4-2, one KO) of Bermuda for the vacant WBC Middleweight crown later tonight at the Berkeley Institute Gym in Pembroke, Bermuda.

This will be a 10-round rematch of the majority draw that took place on October 13 in Southhampton, Bermuda.  That bout was a true unification bout in which both boxers's titles were on the line along with the vacant WBC title.  Only the WBC belt will be up for grabs in this contest.

Both women weighed in at 158 1/2 pounds.  The referee will once again be Steve Smoger, who called the first bout one of the finest female middleweight contests he ever worked.

Nelson, by the way, is slated to defend her WIBA title on Saturday, March 30 at the Renaissance Hotel in DC.  Her opponent will be former WIBA and WIBF Junior Middleweight champ Maria Lindberg of Sweden.

Whitlock Scores Third-Round TKO In New York!

Landover, MD junior welterweight Cornelius Whitlock scored a third-round TKO over Shakur Jackson of Newark, NJ Thursday night at the Hilton Garden Hotel in Staten Island, NY.

According to boxing journalist Jack Obermayer, Whitlock was very focused throughout the contest, eventually landing a series of straight rights that scored a knockdown on Jackson before the bout was stopped at 2:22 of the third.

Whitlock wins his first pro bout and his record is now 1-0-1, one KO.  Jackson was making his pro debut.