Harrison, McCalla Win Unanimous Decisions In New Jersey!

Two Beltway Boxers have won unanimous decisions tonight at the Richard Codey Arena in West Orange, NJ.

Dusty Hernandez Harrison of DC won a workmanlike eight-round unanimous decision over Philadelphia, PA's Tim Witherspoon, Jr. in a televised (ESPN2) bout.  Harrison's shots to the body and overall work rate seemed to be the difference in the contest.   Harrison won by a score of 78-74 on all three scorecards.

Harrison is now 20-0, 11 KO's.  Witherspoon falls to 10-4-1, two KO's.

On the undercard, undefeated Baltimore, MD middleweight Cecil McCalla captured a six-round unanimous decision over Eric "Murder" Mitchell of Vero Beach, FL.  McCalla controlled the bout down the stretch, according to reports and won by tallies of 58-56, 59-55 and 60-54.

 McCalla is now 17-0, six KO's while Mitchell is now 23-11-1, 11 KO's.

Amateur Boxing At Club One Saturday!

Beltway Boxing in February will kick off on February 1 with an amateur card at Club One Fitness in Millersville, MD.  Jeter Promotions and Club One Fitness will have a card featuring Club One boxers Amelia Moore, Andre Harris and Alex Gonzalez.

Tickets are $35.  Club One is located at 1131 Benfield Boulevard, Suite M-Q in Millersville.  Call 410-729-3900 for details.

Harrison Weighs 146 For New Jersey Bout!

 (photo by Michael Walters, All-In Entertainment)

Dusty Hernandez Harrison weighed 146 for his eight-round contest with Tim Witherspoon, Jr. Friday night at the Codey Arena in West Orange, NJ.  Witherspoon tipped the scales at 146 1/2.

The bout will open the ESPN2 telecast tonight at 9PM ET.

We have just received word that the bout for Cecil McCalla of Baltimore, MD will take place tonight on the undercard.  McCalla (16-0, six KO's) will take on Eric "Murder" Mitchell of Vero Beach, FL (23-10-1, 11 KO's).  The bout is slated for six rounds.  Both men have not competed in close to a year.

Russell Stops Tamayo In Fourth!

"Mr." Gary Russell, Jr. scored a fourth-round knockout this evening over Miguel Tamayo at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Russell landed a right hook to end the bout at 1:04.

Services Announced For Jim Finley!

The services for legendary DC gym owner Jim Finley have been announced.

The services will be held on Thursday, February 6 at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, 215 Rhode Island Avenue in Northwest DC.

Viewing is from 9:30-11 AM
Funeral is at 11 AM

Russell, Jr. Weighs 127 For Brooklyn Bout!

(Photo by Rich Kane -- Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions)

Gary Russell, Jr. weighed in at 127 pounds for his eight-round nationally-televised contest on Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.  Russell's opponent, Miguel Tamayo, tipped the scales at 126.

The bout will open the Fox Sports 1 telecast Thursday night at 9 PM ET.

Jim Finley, Owner of Finley's Gym, Passes!

 (courtesy of Capitol Hill History.org)

 

His gym on 10th and Maryland Ave., NE was, for decades, the home to a who's who of local and national boxers like Bob Foster, Sugar Ray Leonard and Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson.   It's very walls contained a large portion of Beltway Boxing history. The gym was so famous, it was once featured in a boxing video game. Also, the boxing scenes in the 1973 film Scorpio were filmed there.

We hear word that the owner of Finley's Gym -- Jim Finley -- passed away this morning.  He was 84 years old.

Mr. Finley was born in Greenville, SC in 1929 and came to Washington, DC in 1943.  Mr. Finley was an amateur boxer but also took to fixing cars.  In the 1950's, Finley's Garage opened and, above that garage in 1960, Mr. Finley opened his gym.  The gym was opened to anyone who wanted some real hard core boxing training.  That wasn't exclusive to pro or amateur boxers.  Chuck Brown was a frequent visitor to the gym as was Miles Davis whenever he was in town.  The gym stayed open until 2001.

The gym was, indeed, a museum devoted to the history of Beltway Boxing. The walls and ceiling contained many posters that allowed visitors to reminisce about great moments in local boxing.

Mr. Finley himself was a very humble man who was incredibly nice.  A lot of what we are as the Beltway Boxing community can be traced directly back to James C. Finley.  RIP to a wonderful man and deepest condolences to his family.

Russell, Jr., Harrison Have Back-to-Back TV Appearances This Week!

We mentioned that undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight "Mr." Gary Russell, Jr. will be facing Miguel Tamayo of Mexico on Thursday, January 30 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.  It has now been reported that the eight-round contest will open the telecast of that card on Fox Sports 1 that will begin at 9 PM ET.

Russell's TV appearance will be the first of two back-to-back appearances of Beltway Boxers on National TV (in consecutive weeks).  Friday night at the Codey Arena in West Orange, NJ, Dusty Hernandez Harrison of DC will open the ESPN2 telecast with an eight-rounder against Tim Witherspoon, Jr.  That broadcast will also begin at 9 PM ET.

To recap, here is the list of Beltway Boxers that either have been or will be on National TV in January:

Lamont Peterson
Bayan Jargal
Daniel Attah
Antoine Douglas
Thomas Williams, Jr.
Gary Russell, Jr.
Dusty Hernandez Harrison

Dominic Wade's scheduled appearance on Showtime Extreme was cut due to time restrictions ( unofficial translation: Showtime didn't think Attah would go the distance with Robert Easter, Jr.)

Peterson- Jean Post-Fight Sound!

Here is some post-fight sound from Saturday night.

Lamont Peterson took questions from the press immediately following his win over Dierry Jean.  Here is that brief press conference.



Then I have a brief Post-Fight with some random thoughts about the evening as well as a look ahead to what's coming up.

Beltway Boxers Bring Back Three Gold Medals From USA Nationals!

We now put an exclamation point on what has been a tremendous weekend of Beltway Boxing accomplishments!  Four area amateurs captured medals at the USA Boxing Elite National Championships in Spokane, WA. Three of those medals are of the gold variety.

DC's Malik Jackson won the championship at 114 pounds with a 2-1 victory over Shawn Simpson of Chicago, IL.  This is Jackson's second straight title.

In the female 125-pound division, Tiara Brown of Bladensburg, MD captured gold with a 2-1 decision over Lisa Porter of Valley Village, CA.

In the female 178-pound class, Dara Shen of Alexandria, VA won a 3-0 decision over Heidi Henriksen of St. Louis Park, MN.

The silver went to Franchon Crews of Baltimore, MD who had arguably, the toughest opponent in front of her -- Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields of Flint, MI.  Crews dropped a 3-0 decision.

Congratulations to all!

Peterson Retains IBF Title With Unanimous Decision!

(photo by Mike Greenhill)

Lamont Peterson has successfully defended his IBF Junior Welterweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over a game Dierry Jean.

After a relatively close four rounds, it seemed as if Peterson felt Jean couldn't hurt him. At round five, Peterson picked up the pace that would eventually lead him to victory.

The scores were:

Pasquale Procopio 115-113

Michael Ancona  118-111

Samuel Conde 116-112.

Peterson is now 32-2-1, 21 KO's while Jean suffers his first pro loss and is now 25-1, 17 KO's. A crowd of 5,668 saw the card.

It has been quite a night.  Good night from DC!

Charlo Retains WBC Continental Americas Title With Unanimous Decision!

Jermell Charlo has won a 10-round unanimous decision over a very tough Gabriel Rosado.

Charlo was extremely accurate and landed some pin point jabs and straight right hands on Rosado who did not take a backward step.  The two boxers clash heads in the fifth and a cut appeared under Rosado's left eye.

Rosado fought through it but couldn't catch up to the speed of Charlo.

Tammye Jenkins scored the bout 97-93, Steve Rados saw the contest, 99-91 and Wayne Smith said Charlo pitched a shutout, 100-90.

Charlo remains undefeated at 23-0, 11 KO's.  Rosado drops to 21-8, 13 KO's.

Main event is next -- Lamont Peterson (31-2-1, 16 KO's) defends his IBF Junior Welterweight title against the undefeated Dierry Jean (25-0, 17 KO's).

Wade Survives Knockdown, Wins Unanimous Decision!

Things didn't start well for Dominic Wade tonight.  First, his bout with Dashon Johnson was shortened from eight rounds to six.  Then the bout was pulled off the Showtime Extreme telecast because the two previous bouts went the distance.

Then, Wade got off to a bad start in the ring when Johnson dropped him with a right hand 15 seconds into the first round.

From there, however, Wade righted the ship and kept Johnson off balance with jabs and body shots to win a unanimous decision.  The scores were 57-56, 58-55 and 59-55.

Wade is now 14-0, 10 KO's.  Johnson falls to 15-14-3, five KO's.

Getting ready for the featured bouts.  First Jermell "Iron Man" Charlo of Houston, TX (22-0, 11 KO's) defends his WBC Continental Americas Junior Middleweight title against Philadelphia, PA's Gabriel "King" Rosado (21-7, 13 KO's). 10 rounds.

Warren Wins Unanimous Decision!

Rau'shee Warren has won an eight-round unanimous decision over German Meraz.  Warren did a nice job pressuring Meraz during the bout.  Warren scored a knockdown in the seventh round and went on to an easy win.

Warren is now 18-0, three KO 's.  Meraz is now 33-27-1, 20 KO's.

Up next: Dominic Wade (13-0, 10 KO's) battles Dashon Johnson of Riverside, CA. This is now a six-round contest.

Attah Drops Unanimous Decision To Easter!

If you believe in moral victories, then Daniel Attah got one tonight at the DC Armory.

The 18-year veteran is the first man to take undefeated knockout artist Robert Easter, Jr. the distance in a bout.  This, despite Attah getting dropped twice along the way.

Easter scored a unanimous decision shutout (80-70) over Attah to raise his record to 9-0, eight KO's.  Attah falls to 28-18-1, 11 KO's.

Now in the ring,  three-time USA Olympian Rau'shee Warren of Cincinnati, OH (17-0, three KO's) battles German Meraz (33-26-1, 20 KO's) of Aqua Prieta, MX.  Eight round bantamweight contest.

Jayakody Suffers Second-Round Stoppage in New York!

We've received word that DC's "Lion of Judah" Nuwan Jayakody suffered a second-round TKO against undefeated Alberto "El Explosivo" Machado of San Juan, PR at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Jayakody reportedly got of to a good start in the first round.  However, in the second round, he was decked by a right hand that stopped him cold.  Jayakody beat the count but was unfit to continue.  The bout was stopped at 1:34 of the second. 

Jayakody is now 2-4-1, two KO's.  Machado is now 6-0, four KO's.

Herring Wins Six-Round Split Decision!

Jamel Herring won a six-round split decision over Antonio Sanchez.  Both guys basically traded shots for the entire contest and neither man was close to going down.

The scores were pretty interesting.  One judge saw the bout 58-56 for Sanchez, while the other two scored the bout 60-54 and 58-56 for Herring.  Didn't understand the 60-54 score.

Herring is now 7-0, four KO's.  Sanchez falls to 5-2-2, three KO's. 

The Showtime Extreme telecast is now underway with Daniel "The Prophet"Attah of DC (28-17-1, 11 KO's) taking on Robert Easter, Jr. of Toledo, OH (8-0, eight KO's).  Eight round lightweight contest.

Action Continues As Herring Faces Sanchez!

We return to action here at the DC Armory as undefeated 2012 US Olympian Jamel Herring of Coram, NY (6-0, four KO's) faces Antonio Sanchez of Bayamon, PR (5-1-2, three KO's) in a six-round lightweight contest.

Ballard Wins By TKO In Third Round When Farr Can't Continue!

D'Mitrius Ballard has won by TKO in the third round.  Marlon Farr suffered a hand injury.  However, Ballard was very dominant in the bout, nailing Farr with his left hand.

The bout was stopped at 18 seconds of the third by referee Michelle Myers.

Ballard is now 4-0, three KO's while Farr is 3-4.

We now take the first of what could be a number of intermissions.

Williams Makes Short Work of Stimmel!

Raynell Williams needed just 67 seconds to stop William Stimmell.  A crushing left hand from Williams dropped Stimmell in his own corner.  Referee Billy Johnson stopped the contest.

Williams is now 3-0, three KO 's while Stimmell falls to 1-3, one KO.

Next bout:  the homecoming for Temple Hills, MD super middleweight D'Mitrius Ballard (3-0, two KO's) as he takes on Marlon Farr of Zephyr Hills, FL (3-3). This is scheduled for four rounds, not six as originally reported.

Womack Drops Close Unanimous Decision!

Kevin Womack has lost a four-round unanimous decision to Semajay Thomas.  Womack dropped Thomas in the first round with a short left hand and gained an advantage.

However, Womack couldn't follow up on his advantage as Thomas became the aggressor and had Womack backpedaling at times throughout the contest. 

All three judges scored the bout 38-37, giving the last three rounds to Thomas. Womack falls to 4-3-1, two KO's.  Thomas is now 2-0.

Up next: 2008 US Olympian Raynell Williams of Cleveland, OH (2-0, two KO's) vs. William Stimmel of Muskogee, OK (1-2, one KO).  Four rounds, lightweights.

Clark Wins Pro Debut With Third-Round TKO!

Javonte Clark opens up today' s proceedings with a third-round TKO over Lee Kreisher.  Clark dropped Kreisher with a right hand early in the first.  However, Kreisher stayed in the contest.

Kreisher offered little offense to Clark who eventually swarmed him until referee Dave Braslow stopped the bout at 2:39 of the third round.

Clark wins his pro debut while Kreisher falls to 3-6-1, two KO's.

The first of the Beltway Boxers is up next -- Kevin "The Scarecrow" Womack of Baltimore, MD (4-2-1, two KO's) vs. Semajay Thomas of Chicago, IL (1-0). Four rounds, welterweights.

Good Afternoon From The Armory!

Hi everyone from the DC Armory for this Golden Boy Promotions card.  The undercard will be getting underway in just a few minutes.  We have two locals fighting in the non-televised portion of this card.

Our first bout is in the ring -- Javonte Clark of Cincinnati, OH making his pro debut against Lee Kreisher of Dover, OH (3-5-1, two KO 's) in a welterweight battle.

Jackson, Brown, Crews Win Semis At USA Nationals!

Beltway Boxers are having great success on the amateur side as well tonight.  Three locals have advanced to the finals of the USA Boxing Elite National Championships in Spokane, WA.

DC's Malik Jackson has advanced to the 114-pound championship bout by winning his semi-final over Marshall Sanchez of Houston, TX by a 2-1 decision.  Jackson will now face Shawn Simpson of Chicago, IL in tomorrow's final.

Tiara Brown of Bladensburg, MD moved into the finals at 123 pounds with a 3-0 decision over Kristin Carlson of Carol Stream IL.   Brown will battle Lisa Porter of Valley Village, CA in the championship bout.

At 165 pounds, Franchon Crews of Baltimore made an emphatic move into the finals as she scored a TKO over Krystal Correa of Yonkers, NY at 1:04 of the first round.  Crews will face Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields of Flint, MI in the finals.

This means the Beltway will have four boxers competing for titles tonight.  Alexandria, VA's Dara Shen will be in the final at the 178 pound weight class.

Williams Scores First-Round TKO in WILD Bout To Capture NABO Light Heavyweight Title!

On social media and on the ESPN2 telecast, it's already being called a Round of the Year candidate.  Thomas "Top Dog" Williams, Jr. has captured the vacant NABO Light Heavyweight championship with a crazy first-round TKO over Cornelius White at the Little Creek Casino in Shelton, WA.

Williams got off to a great start, scoring a knockdown 27 seconds into the bout.  Williams looked dominant but around the two-minute mark in the round, he got a little careless and ran into a counter left hook from White and fell to the canvas for the first time in his pro career.

Williams quickly righted the ship and swarmed White, scoring a knockdown late in the round before the bout was finally stopped at 2:49.

Williams remains undefeated at 16-0, 11 KO's.  White, of Houston, TX, falls to 21-3, 16 KO's.

July Wins Six-Round Unanimous Decision in Atlantic City!

Suitland, MD cruiserweight Venroy "Hardwork" July has won a six-round unanimous decision over Sevdail Sherifi of Buchs, Switzerland tonight at Resorts International in Atlantic City, NJ.

According to long-time boxing writer Jack Obermayer, both men were cut because of an accidental headbutt.  Obermayer also says July clearly won the bout.  The judge's scores were 59-55 and 58-56 (twice)

July has won three straight since suffering his only pro loss in February of 2013 and his record is now 16-1-2, six KO's.  Sherifi falls to 9-3-3, eight KO's.

Peterson-Jean TV Schedule!

As we said, the card Saturday night at the DC Armory is slated to begin at 4:20 PM ET.  The non-televised undercard will go until close to 7 PM.  That is when three bouts will be televised on the Showtime Extreme channel. Those are:

Dominic Wade (13-0, 10 KO's) vs. Dashon Johnson (15-13-3, five KO's) middleweight, eight rounds.

Daniel Attah (28-17-1, 11 KO's) vs. Robert Easter, Jr. (8-0, eight KO's) lightweight, eight rounds.

Rau'Shee Warren (17-0, three KO's) vs. German Mera (33-26-1, 20 KO's) bantamweight, eight rounds.

Note: some boxing sites don't recognize Warren's appearances in the World Series of Boxing from 2010-2012 where he fought against pros but still kept his amateur status.  Some list his record as 9-0, three KO's.

Wade's and Attah's appearances on TV will bring the total of locals making national TV appearances up to seven.

The featured bouts will be shown on Showtime beginning at 9 PM, starting with the Jermell Charlo-Gabriel Rosado contest followed by Lamont Peterson-Dierry Jean.

This also means that if you want to see D'Mitrius Ballard in his first pro bout at home or if you want to see Baltimore's Kevin Womack, you need to be at the Armory early.  As of right now, Womack is scheduled to be in the second contest of the day and Ballard in the fourth.

Weights From DC!

Here is the scale watch for the Golden Boy Promotions card on Saturday, January 25 at the DC Armory in Washington, DC:

(Photo by Tom Casino/Showtime)

Lamont Peterson 139 1/2 vs. Dierry Jean 139
(IBF Junior Welterweight championship)

Jermell Charlo 153 vs. Gabriel Rosado 154
(WBC Continental Americas Junior Middleweight championship)

Dominic Wade 163 vs. Dashon Johnson 163

Rau'shee Warren 118 vs. German Meraz 119

Daniel Attah 136 vs. Robert Easter, Jr. 134

Jamel Herring 135 vs. Antonio Sanchez 138

D'Mitrius Ballard 168 vs. Marlon Farr 168

Raynell Williams 133 vs. William Stimmel 130

Kevin Womack, Jr.  143 vs. Semajay Thomas 142

Gervonta Clark 148 vs. Lee Krishner 147

The doors open at 4 PM with the first bout slated to start at 4:20.  We plan to blog the early non-televised undercard when it begins.

Williams, July Hit Scales in Kamilche and Atlantic City!

Two Beltway Boxers weighed in for their bouts tonight in two locations.

(Photo courtesy Goossen Tutor Promotions)

Thomas Williams, Jr. (left) tipped the scales at 175 pounds for his 10-round main event contest with Cornelius White at the Little Creek Casino Resort in Kamilche, WA.  White weighed in at 174.  The bout, which is for the vacant NABO Light Heavyweight championship, will be televised on ESPN2 tonight.  The telecast begins at 9 PM ET.

Meanwhile in Atlantic City, NJ, Venroy July and his opponent, Sevdail Sherifi, both weighed in 198 pounds for their six-round contest at Resorts International.  This bout will be on the undercard of the Curtis Stevens-Patrick Majewski bout that will be shown on the NBC Sports Network.

Brown Advances To Semis of USA Boxing National Championships!

Bladensburg, MD's Tiara Brown made a dominant move into the semifinals of the USA Boxing Elite National Championships in Spokane, WA with a 3-0 decision in a featherweight bout over Jenelle Leal of Corpus Christi, TX on Wednesday.  Brown registered two standing eight-counts during the bout.

Brown returns to action on Friday when the event switches venues from the HUB Center to the Northern Quest Resort and Casino.

Also on Wednesday, Jerrod Bowling of DC lost his 178-pound bout by a 3-0 decision to Julius Butler of St. Louis, MO.

Today is an off-day for the competitors with the action resuming on Friday.

Russell To Appear on Ortiz-Collazo Card January 30 in Brooklyn!

Undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight "Mr." Gary Russell, Jr. will return to action on Thursday, January 30 when he battles Miguel Tamayo of Mexico at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.  No word on how many rounds this bout is scheduled for.  The bout is on the undercard of the Victor Ortiz-Luis Collazo contest that will be televised by Fox Sports 1.  No word on whether the bout will make the telecast.

Russell (23-0, 13 KO's) last fought on August 9 and won a 10-round unanimous decision over Juan Ruiz in Indio, CA.  Russell is taking a bit of a risk because he is the mandatory number one contender to WBO champion Orlando Salido, who has a voluntary defense against Vasyl Lomachenko on March 1.

Lem Satterfield of RingTV.com quotes Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer as saying that an offer for Russell to challenge WBC Featherweight champ Jhonny Gonzalez was turned down by the Gonzalez camp.

"Gary Russell is continuing to chase the big fights. I know that some of the media members have attacked him for his quality of opponents and things like that, but I just want to set the record straight, here," said Schaefer.

"Gary was ready, willing and able to fight Jhonny Gonzalez, and he has called out Jhonny Gonzalez. We made a substantial offer to Jhonny Gonzalez's people for that fight, and Jhonny Gonzalez and his team turned it down."

Tamayo (15-7-2, 13 KO's) has lost three of his last four but is coming off a sixth-round TKO over Carlos Flores on October 13 in Mexico.

If Russell's bout does appear on the telecast, he will be the sixth Beltway Boxer to be shown on national television this month.

Experts Weigh In on Peterson-Jean; Peterson Talks 'Business of Boxing!'

Two interesting articles concerning IBF Junior Welterweight champion Lamont Peterson as we get closer to Saturday's title defense against Dierry Jean at the DC Armory.  First, RingTV.com's Lem Satterfield poll a number of boxing writers about how they see Saturday's contest.  There are some interesting opinions here:

The Experts Weigh in on Peterson-Jean

Also, Kevin Iole of YahooSports.com sat down with Peterson and talked to him about the business of boxing and how the very belt that Peterson holds doesn't seem to mean a whole lot at this stage.  Here's that article:

Peterson Comes Out Swinging Against Business of Boxing

Tough Start For Beltway Amateurs At USA Nationals!

It's been a tough beginning for locals at the USA Boxing Elite National Championships at the HUB Sports Center in Spokane, WA.  Two Beltway amateurs have already been eliminated from competition this week as they enter day three of the event.

On Tuesday, Alexandria, VA middleweight Clinso Brumfield lost a 3-0 decision to the defending champion LeShawn Rodriguez of Shirley, NY.  Monday's action saw Brumfield win his opening round bout by a 3-0 decision over Chase Calloway of St. Joseph, MO.  However, Eric Hernandez of Leesburg, VA fell to Efrain Estrada of Hillsboro, OR, 3-0 in a 141-pound contest.

Scheduled to compete in today's action will be Bladensburg, MD's Tiara Brown who will compete in a 125-pound contest against Jenelle Leal of Corpus Christi, TX.  Also, Jerrod Bowling of DC will face Julius Butler of St. Louis, MO in a 178-pound bout.

The rest of the local competitors will not see action until the event switches venues to the Northern Quest Resort and Casino in Spokane on Friday.  Malik Jackson of DC drew a bye in the 114-pound division (he is the top seed) and won't compete until Friday.  The 165-pound female division will not begin until Friday, so that's when Baltimore's Franchon Crews will face Krystal Correa of New York in the semi-finals.  There is only one bout in the female 178-pound division, so Dara Shen of Alexandria will face Heidi Henriksen of Minnesota in the championship bout on Saturday.

The USA Boxing Elite National Championships are being livestreamed on USAboxing.org.  The cost is $24.95 to watch.

Peterson-Jean Fight Week Schedule!

We are coming up on fight week for the Lamont Peterson-Dierry Jean championship title card on Saturday, January 25 at the DC Armory.

As of now, here is how the card looks.  The card will have five Beltway Boxers.  Of course, there is the main event as Peterson (31-2-1, 16 KO's) defends the IBF Junior Welterweight title against the undefeated Jean of Montreal, CA by way of Haiti (25-0, 17 KO's).

In an eight-round encounter, undefeated DC middleweight Dominic Wade will take on veteran Dashon Johnson of Escondido, CA.  Wade (13-0, 10 KO's) scored a first-round TKO over Roberto Ventura on October 26 in Atlantic City, NJ.  Johnson (15-3-3, five KO's) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision over Craig McEwan on December 4 in New York City.

Temple Hills, MD super middleweight D'Mitrius Ballard will battle in his home area for the first time as a pro when he faces Marlon Farr of Zephyrhills, FL in a six-round contest.  Ballard (3-0, two KO's) went the distance for the first time as a pro in his last outing, winning a four-round unanimous decision over Lekan Bayfield on September 30 in Brooklyn, NY.  This will be Ballard's first six-round encounter.  Farr (3-3) is coming off a four-round split decision over Rashad Jones on November 16 in St. Petersburg, FL.

Former world title contender Daniel "The Prophet" Attah of DC will face knockout artist Robert Easter of Cincinnati, OH in an eight-round lightweight contest.  Attah (28-17-1 11 KO's) has lost four straight and has been stopped in his last three.  That may mean that things will not bode well for Attah against Easter (8-0, eight KO's) who has not let an opponent go past the third round.

Also, Baltimore, MD junior welterweight Kevin "The Scarecrow" Womack, Jr. will be on the card facing prospect Semajay Thomas of Chicago, IL in a four-round contest.  Womack (4-2-1, two KO's) is coming off a spirited four-round draw against Yurii Polischuk on November 23 in Baltimore, MD.  Thomas (1-0) made his pro debut on August 30 in Cicero, IL and won a four-round unanimous decision over Anthony Willis.

The co-feature on the card is a 10-round contest between undefeated junior middleweight Jermell "Iron Man" Charlo of Houston, TX (22-0, 11 KO's) and two-time world title contender Gabriel "King" Rosado (21-7, 13 KO's) of Philadelphia, PA.

There are also three former United States Olympians slated to be on the card.  Three-time Olympian (2004, 2008, 2012) Rau'shee Warren of Cincinnati, OH (9-0, three KO's) is scheduled to be in an eight-round encounter, 2008 Olympian Raynell Williams (2-0, two KO's) of Cleveland, OH is slated to battle in a four-rounder while 2012 team member Jamel Herring (6-0, four KO's) of Coram, NY will be in a four-round contest.  No word yet on their opponents.


Now, here is how the fight week schedule will look.  I am being told that EVERYTHING is open to the public.

Wednesday, January 22 -- There will be open workouts for the boxers in the main event and the co-feature held at Kennedy Recreation Center located at 1401 7th Street, NW in DC.  Here are the scheduled times:

5:00 -- Gabriel Rosado

5:30 -- Dierry Jean

6:00 -- Jermell Charlo

6:30 -- Lamont Peterson


Thursday, January 23 -- The final press conference will be held at The Hamilton Live, 600 14th Street, NW in DC beginning at 1 PM.  Space may be limited for this event.

Friday, January 24 -- The Official Weigh-in will be held at the Marriott Renaissance Hotel, 999 9th Street, NW in Renaissance Ballroom B starting at 3 PM, doors opening at 2:30 PM.

Saturday, January 25 is Fight Night -- The doors open at the DC Armory at 4 PM. The first fight gets underway at 4:20 PM.

For those watching at home, the Showtime Extreme telecast will get underway at 7 PM ET.  The Showtime Championship Boxing broadcast will begin at 9 PM (I may have said 10 on the wrap-up but it is nine) ET.

Douglas Wins Interim Fecarbox Title With Eight-Round Unanimous Decision!

Burke, VA middleweight Antoine "Action" Douglas put on a dominant performance en route to an eight-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Marques "MD Goodnite" Davis of Tampa, FL Friday night at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, TN.

Douglas was precise in his attack all evening, hitting Davis with shots from all angles.  At one point in the bout, Douglas landed 60 percent of his punches.  Two judges scored the bout a shutout at 80-72 while the other scored the bout 79-73.

Douglas claims the interim WBC Fecarbox Middleweight title and remains undefeated at 12-0, seven KO's.  Davis is now 8-1-2, five KO's.

As we mentioned earlier tonight, "The King's Son" Jerry Odom scored a third-round TKO over Demetrius Walker of Kansas City, MO.  Odom scored knockdowns in all three rounds before the Walker corner threw in the towel.  Odom is now 8-0, eight KO's.  Walker falls to 6-3-1, four KO's.

Reed Wins With Sudden Fifth-Round TKO!

In the main event at Rosecroft, Mike Reed scored a fifth-round TKO over a very game Jorge Marquez  The two men battled each other on the outside and especially on the inside throughout the contest. Reed's speed may have given him the edge throughout the contest.

The bout came to a screeching halt with less than a minute to go in the fifth round when Reed landed a shot on Marquez's ear that stopped Mendoza in his tracks.  Marquez complained of buzzing in the ear and the bout was immediately stopped at 2:34 of the fifth.  A ringside physician later told BATB that Marquez suffered a perforated eardrum.

Reed is now 7-0, five KO's while Marquez is now 4-2, two KO's.

Here is the Post-Fight Wrap-Up with myself and "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears:



And here is my interview with Mike Reed:

Hurd Captures Split Decision!

In our co-feature bout tonight at Rosecroft, Jarrett Hurd has won a six-round split decision over a very tough Chris Chatman.

Hurd did just enough to win the contest as he was a little more accurate with his punches.  Hurd showed tremendous poise throughout the bulk of the contest, losing it briefly at the end of the fifth round in a shouting match.

Hurd won by scores of 58-56 and 59-55 while Chatman won on one judge's card by 59-55.

Hurd remains undefeated at 11-0, six KO's.  Chatman is now 11-3-1, five KO's.

Main event is next: Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed of Waldorf, MD battles Jorge Marquez of Phoenix, AZ.  Six rounds.

Odom Registers Third-Round TKO in Memphis!

The Queensbury Rules is reporting that Bowie, MD super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom has scored a third-round TKO tonight over Demetrius Walker in Memphis, TN.

Odom went past the first round for the first time in his pro career, dropping Walker once in all three rounds.

We'll have more on this bout later tonight.

Bates and McIntyre Battle to Draw!

Marcus Bates and Stephon McIntyre fought to a very nice four-round draw here at Rosecroft.  Bates survived a second-round knockdown as McIntyre landed a solid right hand.

Bates managed to recover and the two men waged war for the final two rounds.

Bates is now 2-0-1, two KO's.  McIntyre is 2-1-2.

Intermission, followed by our co-feature:  "Swift" Jarrett Hurd of Accokeek, MD vs. Chris Chatman of Jersey City, NJ.

Recio Lands Brutal Knockout in 44 Seconds!

We have witnessed our first Beltway Boxing Knockout of the Year candidate for 2014.  Larry Recio sent the debuting Malcolm Green to the canvas with a brutal left hook.  Referee Brent Bovell immediately stopped the contest at 44 seconds.

Recio is now 3-0, two KO's.

Next up Marcus "The Dreamcrusher" Bates of DC takes on Stephon McIntyre of Jonesboro, GA.  Four round super bantamweights.

Johns Scores Second-Round TKO!

Marq Johns wins his first pro contest with a second-round TKO over Carlos Alcala.  Johns got off to a good start in the first round with good counter shots to Alcala's head.

Johns finished the job early in the second with a blistering left-right combo that forced referee Dave Braslow to stop the contest at 55 seconds of the round.  The stoppage looked very quick as Alcala seemed to be alert after taking those shots.

Johns is now 1-0-1, one KO.  Alcala falls to 0-4.

Next up: Springdale, MD junior middleweight Larry Recio takes on the debuting Malcolm Green of Wilmington, NC.  Four rounds.

Aleem Wins Unanimous Decision!

Immanuwel Aleem won a very workmanlike six-round unanimous decision over a very game Timothy Hall.

Aleem was more effective with his shots as the bout wore on.  Aleem's body shots were extremely solid in the second half of the contest.  Hall fought very well but couldn't keep up with Aleem's output.

Aleem won by scores of 59-55 (twice) and 60-54 to raise his record to 7-0, three KO's.  Hall falls to 7-16, four KO's.

Heading to the ring: Marq "The Monster" Johns of Fort Washington, MD battling Carlos Alcala of Hillside, IL.  Four rounds super featherweights.

Cajigas Crushes Nolan in First!

The pro debut for Dimitrius Nolan did not go well at all as PJ Cajigas came in for business.  Cajigas knocked out Nolan at 1:44 of the first round.

After tasting Nolan's early shots, Cajigas started landing big shots ending with a beautiful three-punch combo that straightened Nolan rigid before he fell.  Referee Dave Braslow immediately stopped the contest.

Cajigas picks up his first pro win and he is now 1-3-1, one KO.

Up next,  Richmond, VA's Immanuwel Aleem taking on Timothy Hall in a six-round middleweight contest.

Good Evening From Rosecroft!

Good evening from Rosecroft Raceway for the Keystone Boxing card that kicks off the pro portion of Beltway Boxing 2014.

We will be of course keeping tabs on what is happening here. Also, we will post the results of the bouts for Antoine Douglas and Jerry Odom from the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, TN as soon as we get them.

We will have a delay on pictures for tonight's card.  As some of you know, my partner, Juan Marshall, was recently hospitalized.  We are not sure what happened but I can tell you that recovery is going very well.

We are moments away from getting started here.  Our first bout will be the debut of Laurel, MD super middleweight Dimitrius Nolan taking on PJ Cajigas of Franklin Park, IL.

Jeter Battles For WBC Silver Middleweight Championship February 15 in Denmark!

 (Although thousands of miles apart, Patrick Nielsen (left) and Tony Jeter pose for the cameras during their video conference.  Photo courtesy of Sauerland Promotions website)

Stevensville, MD middleweight Tony "Mo Better" Jeter will travel to the MusikTeatret in Albertslund, Denmark to challenge undefeated Danish fighter Patrick Nielsen on Saturday, February 15.  The scheduled 12-round bout will be for the vacant WBC Silver Middleweight championship.

For Jeter (16-3-1, 11 KO's), this is a bout that seemed unthinkable just two years ago when he lost to Jose Felix by fifth-round TKO in December of 2011.  Since that bout, however, Jeter has won four of his last five contests (the fifth was a no contest) and captured two regional titles (including the WBC Fecarbox Middleweight crown).

Jeter will enter the lion's den in this one when he faces Nielsen (21-0, 10 KO's) on his own turf.  Nielsen is ranked third by the WBO, fourth by the IBF and fifth by the WBA and he has held titles sanctioned by all three of those governing bodies.  Jeter, possibly because he holds the WBC Fecarbox title, is ranked one step above Nielsen (13 to 14) in the WBC rankings.

Both men were introduced to media via a video conference.  Jeter, at home in Maryland,  told reporters. "This is a great opportunity for me.  I’m in shape and ready to go. I’m expecting a hostile environment but once the fight starts it comes down to my skills against his skills. I am coming to Denmark to fight. I will be mentally and physically prepared for battle.’’

’I am really looking forward to this fight and the opportunity to win the WBC Silver belt,’’ said Nielsen in Denmark. ‘’Ever since I was a kid I dreamed of becoming a world champion. If I win this fight I will move even closer to a world title shot. Nothing is going to stand in my way.’’

The bout will be promoted by Sauerland Promotions.

Beltway Amateurs Head To Spokane For USA Nationals!

A number of local amateurs will be competing in the USA Boxing Elite National Championships in Spokane, WA from January 18-26.  Here is the list:

Elite Women:

125 Pounds: Tiara Brown, Hyattsville, MD

165 Pounds: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, MD and Dara Shen, Alexandria, VA


Elite Men:

114 Pounds: Malik Jackson, Washington, DC

165 Pounds: Clinso Brumfield, Alexandria, VA

178 Pounds: Jerrod Bowling, Washington, DC

Best wishes to all!

Douglas. Odom Hit Scales in Memphis!

Beltway Boxers Antoine Douglas and Jerry Odom were on the scales for their bouts tonight at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, TN.

Douglas tipped the scales at 158 pounds for his eight-round contest with Marquis Davis, who weighed in at 159 1/2.  This bout will be part of the ShoBox telecast that gets underway at 10 PM ET on Showtime.

Odom weighed in at the super middleweight limit of 168 for his six-round encounter with Demetrius Walker, who tipped the scales at 167.  That bout will be on the non-televised undercard.

Weights From Rosecroft!

Here are the weights for the Keystone Boxing card Friday night at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD:

Mike Reed 140 1/2 vs. Jorge Marquez 142

Jarrett Hurd 155 1/2 vs. Chris Chatman 154 1/2

Marcus Bates 124 1/2 vs. Stephon Alexander 119 1/2.  Both men were over the contract weight of 119 for this bout.  Both men will hit the scales again tomorrow at the Maryland State Athletic Commission offices.  Neither man can weigh more than 125 for this bout.

Larry Recio 151 1/2 vs. Malcolm Green 149

Marq Johns 123 vs. Carlos Alcala 121

Immanuwel Aleem 161 1/2 vs Timothy Hall 162 1/2

Dimitrius Nolan 174 1/2 vs. PJ Cajigas 169

We will be blogging live from Rosecroft around 7:45 PM ET.

Tiara Brown Profiled Prior to USA Nationals!

DC amateur Tiara Brown received a nice interview with WJLA-TV Channel 7 that aired today.  Brown will be heading to Spokane, WA this weekend to get ready for the USA Elite National Championships.

Here is the interview:



By the way, we will have the entire list of locals that will be participating in the tournament on Thursday.

A.Douglas January 17 Bout Is Regional Title Contest; Odom Has Six-Rounder on Undercard!

Here's an update on the two Beltway Boxers who will be on the Friday, January 17th card at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, TN.

Undefeated Burke, VA middleweight Antoine "Action" Douglas (11-0, seven KO's) will be a part of the ShoBox quadruple-header telecast when he takes on Marquis Davis of Tampa, FL(8-0-2, five KO's) in an eight-round contest that we have just learned is for the interim WBC Fecarbox Middleweight title.

Yes, the Beltway's own Tony Jeter still holds that title -- he has not relinquished it.  So why this is for an interim title (and why is there an "interim" Fecarbox title) is beyond me.  By the way, there is some pretty big news concerning Jeter that I hope to bring to you in the next few days.

Undefeated Bowie, MD super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom (7-0, seven first-round KO's) will head into the six-round contests on the non-televised undercard as he faces Demetrius Walker of Kansas City, MO (6-2-1, four KO's).  Walker has lost his last two bouts, both six-round unanimous decisions.

A. Peterson Off January 25th Card at DC Armory!

ESPN.com's Dan Rafael is reporting that there will be only one Peterson boxing on the Saturday, January 25th Golden Boy Promotions card at the DC Armory.  Of course, Lamont Peterson will be defending his IBF Junior Welterweight title against undefeated number one contender Dierry Jean.  However, Anthony Peterson is now off the card.  Golden Boy tells Rafael that Anthony Peterson declined to accept an offer to compete in an untelevised bout on the card.. 

Peterson (32-1, 21 KO's) has only fought twice since his loss to Brandon Rios in 2010.  A spokesperson for Headbangers Promotions tells BATB that they are working on a better situation for Peterson but did not elaborate.

As of now, this means that D'Mitrius Ballard and Dominic Wade are the only other local boxers slated to be on this card.  That could change, however, between now and the 25th.

Former Boxer Gary Jones Arrested in Restaurant Shooting!

We are reading and hearing reports that former Beltway Boxer Gary "Fast Hands" Jones has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Cinaway Morson this past Monday.

According to police reports, Jones allegedly shot Morson in the Sweet Soul Cafe and Lounge on Southern Avenue in Oxon Hill, MD just before 5 PM on January 13.  Jones was the owner of the club.  According to WJLA-TV, authorities received an anonymous tip that someone had been shot inside the building, which was closed to customers.  When the police arrived, they found Morson shot to death.  Police tracked down Jones a short time later and found what may have been the murder weapon.

The 35-year-old Jones (22-2, eight KO's) fought off and on from 1996-2011.  Previous legal issues kept Jones away from the ring for almost eight years.  Jones is the older brother of the fighting Russell Family.

Tucker Has 10-Round Main Event In Westminster February 21!

Eldersburg, MD light heavyweight Mark "TNT" Tucker returns to action with a 10-round bout against Paul Vasquez of Martinez, CA on Friday, February 21 at the Carroll County AG Center in Westminster, MD.

Tucker (16-1, seven KO's) made a successful return to the sport after an absence of more than two years and won an eight-round unanimous decision over Rayford Johnson on November 15 at the AG Center.

Vasquez (9-4-1, three KO's) will be trying to break a two-bout losing streak featuring losses to Elvir Muriqi and undefeated Lavarn Harvell.

Also slated to be on this card in separate bouts are undefeated Beltway middleweights Demond "D Best At It" Nicholson of Laurel, Maryland and Baltimore's Jeremy Trussell along with featherweight Tyrel "Da Show Shock'A" Samuel of Baltimore and cruiserweight Mario "Bazooka" Flores of Woodbridge, VA.

The card will also have the pro debut of Ashburn, VA junior welterweight Seth Billups.

One other bout has been signed for this card --undefeated Lancaster, PA junior welterweight Rolando Chinea (5-0-1, three KO's) will take on Raphael Luna of Albany, NY (4-6-1, three KO's) in a scheduled six-round contest.  This will be Chinea's second straight appearance in the Beltway region and fourth of his young career. Chinea scored a fourth-round TKO over Benjamin Olinga on November 23 in Baltimore.  Luna is winless in his last five (0-3-2), however, he has never been stopped inside the distance.

Beltway Amateurs Advance To National Silver Gloves; Kenney Captures Youth Open Title in Reno!

This past weekend, a number of Beltway amateurs made significant strides in their amateur careers.  At the Regional Silver Gloves held at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD, 16 boxers advanced to the National Silver Gloves which will be held in Kansas City, MO January 30-February 1.

Here is the list:

8/9

Damari Philson  60lbs (Langdon Rec)

Lonzo Malcolm  65lbs (Keystone)

10/11

Jordan Roach          55lbs (NoXcuse) - younger brother of Lamont Roach

Anthony Wheeler     65lbs (Keystone)

Quincy Williams      70lbs (Unattached)

Lawrence Malcolm   80lbs (Keystone)

Stacey Selby          85lbs (NoXcuse)

Jalil Hackett            90lbs (Unattached)

12/13

Kevon Cooke          75lbs (NoXcuse)

Khalil Phillips          80lbs (Keystone)

Keith Cooke            100lbs (NoXcuse)

Lorenzo Simpson  139lbs (Upton)

14/15

McKinley Fulton      90lbs  (Upton)

Brian Avelar           147lbs (Sugar Ray Leonard)

Steven Clark          156lbs (Sugar Ray Leonard)

Max Davis              178lbs (Upton)

The DC/MD team is going as a unit to Kansas City on a chartered bus.  If you would like to join them or to make a donation to help fund travel or hotel accommodations, call 202-528-7694 for further information.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, Alexandria, VA boxer Iesha Kenney captured gold at the Junior and Youth Open championships in Reno, NV.

Kenney moved up to the 141-pound division and defeated Selena Acosta of Fresno, CA by a score of 3-0 to win the Youth Female title. 

Congratulations to all our Beltway Amateurs!

Middleton Services Announced!

The funeral arrangements for former heavyweight contender Larry Middleton have been announced.

There will be a public viewing on Monday, January 13 at the Derrick Jones Funeral Home, 4611 Park Heights Avenue in Baltimore from 3-7 PM.

The funeral service will be held on Tuesday, January 14 at the Set the Captives Free Outreach Center located at 7111 Windsor Mill Blvd in Windsor Mill, MD beginning at 10 AM.

Jargal Loses Unanimous Decision in Tacoma!

Arlington,VA junior welterweight "The Mongolian Mongoose" Bayan Jargal has lost a 10-round unanimous decision to Zahir "King" Raheem tonight in front of a nationally-televised audience at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, WA.

Jargal got off to a really slow start and by the time he picked up his pace, the bout was too far ahead for him on the scorecards.  Jargal lost by scores of 99-91, 99-91 and  97-93.

This is the second straight loss for Jargal who falls to 17-5-3, 11 KO's.  Raheem captures the NABO Junior Welterweight title with the win and his record rises to 35-3, 21 KO's.

Jargal Weighs 139 For Contest Tonight in Tacoma, WA!

Bayan Jargal and his opponent, Zahir Raheem both weighed in at 139 pounds for their co-feature contest tonight at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, WA.  The bout will be televised by ESPN2.

Baltimore Heavyweight Contender Larry Middleton Passes!

(second photo courtesy of the Baltimore Sun, taken in 2010)

We are hearing word that one of the legendary competitors of the Beltway Boxing scene has passed away.

Former heavyweight contender Larry Middleton died this morning.  No word on the cause of death.

Mr. Middleton boxed out of the famous Mack Lewis Gym in Baltimore and was a pro from 1965-1978.  After going 1-0-1 in his first three bouts, Middleton reeled off 19 straight wins including a big 10-round unanimous decision victory over fellow contender Joe Bugner on November 24, 1971 in Nottinghamshire, England.

Middleton would go on to face some legendary names in the heavyweight division including Jerry Quarry (pictured in the top picture on the right, arm wrestling Middleton), Ron Lyle (twice), Jimmy Ellis, Oscar Bonavena, Duane Bobick and Scott LeDoux.  While Middleton was a top 10 heavyweight, losses to this impressive type of competition in an extremely competitive division would keep him from gaining a world title shot.

 Middleton's biggest bout may have been his contest against former world champ Ken Norton on July 10, 1976 in San Diego, CA.  This could have been called the "Battle of the Jawbreakers" as Middleton broke Bugner's jaw in his win and Norton broke Muhammad Ali's jaw in 1973. Middleton would lose by a tenth-round TKO.

Middleton would finish his career in 1978 with a record of 23-10-2, 14 KO's.  In later years, Middleton worked with young people training boxers.  I had the opportunity to meet him in the mid-90's as he made an appearance at a boxing card at the Teamster's Hall in Baltimore.  He was very gracious with me and the rest of the Boxing Spotlight crew during our TV taping.

Our deepest condolences to Mr. Middleton's family and those in the Baltimore Boxing community who were touched by his presence. Funeral arrangements are forthcoming.

I received this testimony on Middleton from UMAR Boxing Gym founder Marvin McDowell:

"Larry was a outstanding boxing trainer /person/father figure he taught me so much about boxing and life I'm so glad that I had him in my life he was one of the reasons I started UMAR Boxing Program to help the children liked he helped me .He will be missed in the world boxing community."

Williams Headlines ESPN2 Card January 24 in Shelton, WA!

BATB has finally received word on the now fifth Beltway Boxer that will appear on national television in the month of January.

Undefeated Fort Washington, MD light heavyweight Thomas "Top Dog" Williams, Jr. will headline an ESPN2 telecast on Friday, January 24 at the Little Creek Casino Resort in Shelton, WA.  Williams (15-0, 10 KO's) will be in a 10-round contest against Cornelius "Da Beast" White of Houston, TX (21-2, 16 KO's).  UPDATE: We have just learned that the bout is for the vacant NABO Light Heavyweight championship.

Williams is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision over Yusef Mack on November 26 in Sunrise, FL.  White lost an IBF Light Heavyweight Elimination bout to Sergey Kovalev via third-round TKO on June 14 in Bethlehem, PA.  Both men won eight-round unanimous decisions over Otis Griffin in 2013.

Both men are taking this contest with just two weeks notice as the bout replaces the scheduled main event between 2008 US Olympian Javier Molina and former IBF Junior Welterweight champ Kendall Holt.  Molina broke his right hand during training.

Let's recap the national television list:

Friday, January 10 -- Bayan Jargal on ESPN2

Friday, January 17 -- Antoine Douglas on Showtime

Friday, January 24 -- Thomas Williams, Jr. on ESPN2

Saturday, January 25 -- Lamont Peterson on Showtime

Friday, January 31 -- Dusty Hernandez Harrison on ESPN2

July Travels To Atlantic City For January 24th Bout!

Suitland, MD cruiserweight Venroy "Hardwork" July will compete on a card at Resorts International in Atlantic City, NJ on Friday, January 24.  July (15-1-2, six KO's) will battle Sevdail "The Illyrian" Sherifi of Buchs, Switzerland in a six-round contest that will appear on the undercard of the Curtis Stevens-Patrick Majewski bout.

July last fought on September 28 on his self-promoted card at the Patapsco Arena in Baltimore, MD and won a seventh-round technical decision over Joell Godfrey.  Sherifi, originally from Serbia (9-2-3, eight KO's), is coming off a six-round draw with undefeated Quantis Graves on November 16 in Verona, NY.

Hurd-Chatman Matchup Is Co-Feature on January 17 Rosecroft Card; Nicholson Off Card Replaced By Richmond's I. Aleem!

One more bout has been added to the Keystone Boxing card on Friday, January 17 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD and it should be an exciting one.

Undefeated Accokeek, MD junior middleweight "Swift" Jarrett Hurd will take a nice step up in competition when he faces Chris Chatman of San Diego, CA in a six-round encounter.

Hurd (10-0, six KO's) is coming off his second-round knockout of George Armenta on December 6 at Rosecroft -- the Beltway Boxing Knockout of the Year for 2013.  However, Chatman (11-2-1, five KO's) should be Hurd's most dangerous foe to date.  Chatman won an eight-round unanimous decision over Thomas Falowo on July 27 in Lincoln, RI.

Chatman's resume is impressive as he has only competed three times against boxers with under-.500 records and his only losses are to Jermell Charlo and now-WBO Junior Middleweight champ Demetrius Andrade.  This will be the eighth time that Chatman has faced an undefeated boxer -- he is 4-2-1, three knockouts in that stretch.

In related news on the card, undefeated middleweight Demond Nicholson is now off the card and will not face Timothy Hall of Athens, GA.  No reason has been given for Nicholson's departure from the card.

Replacing Nicholson will be undefeated Richmond, VA middleweight Immanuwel "The Dream" Aleem (6-0, three KO's) in the six-round contest against Hall.

Aleem is no stranger to the Beltway region as he fought here numerous times as a highly-touted amateur and made his first three pro appearances in the region.  Aleem also trains at Club One Fitness in Millersville, MD.  Aleem is coming off a fourth-round TKO over Joseph Benjamin on October 5 in Columbia, SC.

Jargal Faces Raheem in ESPN2 Co-Feature Friday Night in Tacoma, WA!

Actually, when we told you that a fourth Beltway Boxer would make a national television appearance in January, Bayan Jargal was not the boxer we had in mind.  However, "The Mongolian Mongoose" of Arlington, VA will be in action this Friday, January 10 when he faces Zahir "Z-Man" Raheem of Philadelphia, PA in a scheduled 10-round welterweight contest at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, WA.  ESPN2 will carry this co-feature bout.

Jargal (17-4-3, 11 KO's) will make his second straight appearance on ESPN2 and looks to do better than his last bout when he was stopped by Chris Howard in the third round on February 15 in Uncasville, CT.  Jargal will compete for the first time as a welterweight.

Raheem (34-3, 21 KO's) is a former lightweight world title contender who lost a 12-round split decision to Acelino Freitas for the WBO title in April 2006.  Raheem holds a victory over former world champion Erik Morales. The Emerald Queen Casino has been a home away from home for Raheem who will make his fourth straight appearance there with this bout.  Raheem's last appearance was also against a Beltway Boxer when he stopped Tim Coleman in the second round on November 2.

Harrison To Make ESPN2 Debut January 31 in New Jersey!

 BATB has learned that undefeated DC welterweight Dusty Hernandez Harrison will make his national television debut on an ESPN2 card on Friday, January 31 at the Richard J. Codey Arena in West Orange, NJ.

Harrison (19-0, 11 KO's) will face Philadelphia, PA's Tim Witherspoon, Jr. (10-3-1, two KO's) in an eight-round contest that will open the telecast.

Harrison, the Beltway Boxing Prospect of the Year in 2013, is coming off a first-round TKO over Marlon Lewis on November 22 in Dover, DE.  Witherspoon, the son of the former WBC Heavyweight champion, last fought on June 27 and won a four-round unanimous decision over Josh Beeman in Essington, PA.

Witherspoon made his pro debut against a Beltway Boxer, losing a four-round unanimous decision to Tyrell Samuel in Philadelphia in June of 2005.

Harrison will be the third Beltway Boxer scheduled to appear on national TV in January.  Antoine Douglas will appear on Showtime's ShoBox series on Friday, January 17.  Lamont Peterson will defend his IBF Junior Welterweight championship on Saturday, January 25 on Showtime Championship Boxing from the DC Armory.  There may be other locals on that card that will appear on the Showtime Extreme channel but nothing is confirmed as of yet.

We are also hearing that a fourth Beltway Boxer may appear on TV this month as well.  We'll keep you posted.

Washington Golden Gloves Schedule Announced!

The 2014 Washington Golden Gloves schedule has been announced and there is information for boxers as well as for fans.

Remember, the Washington tournament has produced eight national champions in the last four years, including the last two "Golden Boy" winners as Outstanding Boxers of the National Tournament -- Jerry Odom and Gary Antonio Russell.

Here is this year's schedule:

Registration and physicals for boxers will be held on Saturday, February 1 and Saturday, February 8 from 9 AM to noon at the Hillcrest Heights Bingo Hall, 4104 23rd Parkway in Hillcrest Heights, MD.  Please be on time.

The drawings and pairings for the Washington Golden Gloves will be on Saturday, February 15 at the Hillcrest Heights Bingo Hall starting at 10 AM.

Preliminary-round action will begin on Saturday, February 22 at the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center beginning at 7:30 PM and continue every consecutive Saturday (March 1, March 8 and March 15).  The semi-finals will be on Saturday, March 22 at the Sugar Ray Leonard Center at 7:30.

The Washington Golden Gloves Championships will be held on Saturday, March 29 at the Waldorf Jaycees Community Center beginning at 8 PM.

The Regional Golden Gloves championships will be on Saturday, April 26 also at the Waldorf Jaycees at 8 PM.

Sahvaliel Malik, Manager of Keith Holmes, Passes at Age 75!

The man who guided two-time WBC Middleweight champion Keith Holmes has passed away.

Sahvaliel Malik was the father figure that managed Holmes from the mid-90's through the rest of his career.  Mr. Malik also was a spiritual adviser to Holmes during that period.  Mr. Malik passed away on January 2 at the age of 75.  The cause of death was not disclosed.

The funeral services for Mr. Malik, who was born William Fredrick Penn in Roanoke, VA, will be held on Wednesday, January 8 at JB Jenkins Funeral Home, located at 7474 Landover Road in Hyattsville, MD beginning at 12:30 PM.

Mr. Malik was truly a nice man.  As Keith Holmes grew in his boxing career, Mr. Malik and I would have some very nice conversations about boxing and life in general.  He will truly be missed.  We send our deepest condolences to his family.

Kareem Martin Named Amateur Boxer of the Year by Stiff Jab!

(photo courtesy of StiffJab.com)

Our good friends over at StiffJab.com have selected DC amateur Kareem Martin as their Amateur Boxer of the Year.

Martin had an outstanding year in 2013 as he won his weight class at the USA Nationals and the National PAL Tournament.  Martin also took gold in his first international tournament, winning the title at the Klitschko Brothers Tournament in the Ukraine.  Martin is reportedly slated to turn pro sometime in 2014.

This was not a Beltway award, although Sarah Deming, who made the selection and wrote the accompanying article, considered other locals such as Tiara Brown and Lamont Roach, Jr for the honor. Brooklyn, NY boxer Earl Newman, Jr. was also one of the finalists.

Here is Deming's complete article:  http://www.stiffjab.com/post/72363338693/stiff-jab-2013-amateur-boxer-of-the-year-kareem-martin

January 17 Rosecroft Card Coming Together!

The first Beltway pro boxing card of 2014 is starting to come together.  The Keystone Boxing card that will be held on Friday, January 17th at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD has five bouts we can announce.

One of the bouts will involve undefeated Waldorf, MD junior welterweight Mike "Yes Indeed" Reed.  The 2013 Beltway Boxing Rookie of the Year begins his 2014 campaign with a six-rounder against Jorge Marquez of Phoenix, AZ.

Reed (6-0, four KO's) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision over Randy Fuentes on October 18 at Rosecroft.  Marquez (4-1, two KO's) has not fought since scoring a second-round TKO over Tito Jones in April of 2012.

In what should be an interesting contest, undefeated Laurel, MD middleweight Demond "D Best At It" Nicholson steps into the six-round contests for the first time when he faces Timothy "The Boss" Hall, Jr. of Athens, GA.

Nicholson (5-0, five KO's) capped off a solid rookie season with a first-round knockout over Darryl Fields on December 14 at the Washington Convention Center in DC. Hall (7-15, four KO's) has lost three straight including a fifth-round TKO loss to Aaron Jaco on October 18 in Tampa, FL.   Beltway fans may remember Hall's tough, six-round unanimous decision loss to Jessie Nicklow on September 28 at the Patapsco Arena in Baltimore, MD.

DC featherweight Marcus Bates (2-0, two KO's) returns to action with a four-round encounter against Jonesboro, Ga's Stephon McIntyre.  Bates scored a fourth-round TKO over Carlos Alcala on September 7 at Rosecroft.  McIntyre (2-2-1) battled to a four-round draw with Marq "The Monster" Johns on the December 6th Rosecroft card.

Interestingly enough, Johns of Fort Washington, MD (0-0-1) will face Alcala of Hillside, IL (0-3) in another four-round contest on this card.  Alcala fought one time since the loss to Bates and he was stopped in the first round by Glenn Dezurn on the October 18th Rosecroft card.

The card will also mark the debut of District Heights, MD middleweight Dimitrius Nolan who will face Franklin Park, IL's PJ Cajigas (0-3-1).  Nolan had a short amateur career (13 bouts) but has trained in Kentucky, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada and Las Vegas.

More bouts are slated for this card.

Nelson, Harrison Receive National Acclaim!

A number of well-known boxing sites are taking strong looks at a couple of our Beltway Boxers and giving them the same type of acclaim that they have received here.

The best site for coverage of women's boxing -- The Women's Boxing Archive Network (WBAN) --  honored Beltway Boxing Co-Boxer of the Year Tori "Sho Nuff" Nelson with two awards.  Nelson was named as one of the Inspirational Boxers Of The Year.  Nelson is a three-time, two division champion and she was honored for accomplishing this feat while being a single mother and working three jobs.

By the way, Nelson was in great company in this selection as she shares this with amateur boxer Sulem Urbina Soto, the sister of boxer Alexis Urbina who was murdered by an intruder during a home invasion in 2013.  Six-time world champion Layla McCarter was also honored for her work in getting the state of Nevada to allow women to fight 12-round, three minute championship bouts in that state.

Nelson was also named one of the Road Warriors of the Year for traveling to Bermuda and Rhode Island for two of her three title contests in 2013. Nelson joined boxers Ava Knight and Alicia Ashley in earning that honor.

My colleague, Sue TL Fox, a legendary boxer who Ring Magazine named as one of the 10 Most Influential Female Boxers of All Time, has administrated WBAN since 1998 and continues to do an outstanding job with the site.  Sue and I have shared information many times over the years and I love the passion that she has for this business.  The link to her 2013 awards is here: http://womenboxing.com/awards2013.htm 

The link to Tori Nelson's video/photo gallery is here:  http://www.wbanmedia.com/MASTERGALLERIES/gallery556.html

Meanwhile, 2013 Beltway Boxing Prospect of the Year Dusty Hernandez Harrison was listed among ESPN.com's "Super 20" Prospects of the Year.  ESPN's Dan Rafael honored Harrison for his busy work in 2013, going 8-0 against varied competition and getting great exposure on two Gennaday Golovkin undercards.

Harrison was in great company on this list as he shares space with the likes of Bryant Jennings, Errol Spence, Jermell and Jermall Charlo and Deontay Wilder among others.

Vasyl Lomachenko, despite having only one pro bout, was named ESPN.com's Prospect of the Year.  Lomanchenko is slated to challenge Orlando Salido for the WBO Featherweight title in March with the winner slated to face WBO Number One contender Gary Russell, Jr.   The entire list can be found here: http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/10224263/vasyl-lomachenko

This honor adds to a number of other accolades Harrison has received in 2013.  Along with the selection on this blog, Harrison has been named Prospect of the Year by three other boxing sites -- Round by Round Boxing, Standing Eight Count and Boxing Pulse. Our colleagues at Stiff Jab.com gave Harrison this honor in in 2012.

By the way, congratulations to Dan Rafael for being the recipient of the 2013 Nat Fleischer Award by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) for "excellence in boxing journalism."  Rafael, who still makes his home in the Beltway region, has been covering boxing on a national level since 2000 -- first at USA Today, then at ESPN.com where he has been since 2005.  The award is named after the founder of both Ring Magazine and the BWAA.

Thompson to Face Solis March 22 in Turkey!

During the Beltway Boxing Year in Review, we mentioned that DC heavyweight Tony "The Tiger" Thompson is slated to take on Odlander "La Sombra" Solis in March.  Reportedly, the bout now has a date and a location.

Thompson (38-4, 26 KO's) will face Solis (20-1, 13 KO's) on Saturday, March 22 in Kusadasi, Turkey in a matchup between two ranked contenders who have had world title shots in the past. Thompson is listed at number 8 by the IBF and faced Wladimir Klitschko in 2008 and 2012.  Solis is ranked fifth by the IBF and 10th by the WBC.  Solis's only loss was to Vitali Klitschko when he suffered a knee injury in 2011.  Solis, a native of Cuba, has won three straight since his title loss and is currently the IBF Intercontinental champion.  No word if that title will be on the line in this contest.

Amateur Boxing Action in District Heights January 4; Beltway Amateurs Head to Reno For Junior and Youth Open January 6-11!

Amateur boxing action will kick off Beltway Boxing 2014 as we have one card here in the region and a number of boxers will be heading out of town by the end of this week.

The "District Heights Classic" will be held on Saturday, January 4 at the District Heights Municipal Center located at 2000 Marbury Drive in District Heights, MD beginning at 4 PM.  The card is being co-promoted by D Block Gym and Cassandra White's Babie Girl Productions.  The weigh-in will be from 10-12 on January 4 at the center.

Tickets are $15 for adults (adult groups are available for five or more people) and $5 for kids under 10.  For more info, call (202) 365-5021 or (240) 444-5562.

A number of Beltway Amateurs will be heading to the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, NV for the 2014 USA Boxing World and Team Open, January 6-11.  Here, according to USA Boxing, are the local representatives:

Junior:

125 Pounds:  Ameer Brown, Upper Marlboro, MD

138 Pounds: Troy Isley, Alexandria, VA

176 Pounds: Kashif Muhammad-Brown, Upper Marlboro, MD

Youth:

141 Pounds (female):  Iesha Kenney, Alexandria, VA

108 Pounds: Jordan White, Landover, MD

132 Pounds: Rayvon Drayton, Washington, DC

Best wishes to all!  Later this month, the USA Boxing Elite National Championships will take place January 18-26 in Spokane, WA.  As soon as the list of athletes is finalized, we will bring you the list of local representatives.