Recio Stops Gonzalez In Two!

Larry Recio scored a second-round TKO over an extremely game Daniel Gonzalez.

Recio hit Gonzalez with every punch in the book but Gonzalez kept coming forward.  The problem for Gonzalez was that he had little offense accompanying his movement.

By the second round, the similar pattern forced referee Vic DeWysocki to stop the contest at 2:10.

Recio remains undefeated at 6-0, five KO's.  This is his fifth straight win by knockout.  Gonzalez falls to 9-32-2, three KO's.

Main event is next -- Ty Barnett (22-3, 14 KO's) in a scheduled 10-rounder against former world title challenger Cosme "Chino" Rivera (36-18-3, 24 KO's).

Jayakodi Wins Unanimous Decision!

In front of a large contingent of supporters, Nuwan Jayakodi has won a six-round unanimous decision over a very game David Warren Huffman.

Fans waved Sri Lankan flags as Jayakodi and Huffman battled throughout the six-round contest.  Jayakodi landed more solid shots in the contest, however, Huffman also fought well in one of his better outings in recent memory, even trashtalking Jayakodi after a spirited exchange to end the contest.

Jayakodi won by scores of 58-56, 59-55 and 60-55 to lift his record to 3-4-1, two KO's.  Huffman is now 4-20-1, one KO.

Up next, "The Cuban Assassin" Larry Recio (5-0, four KO's) takes on Daniel Gonzalez of Billings, MT (9-31-2, three KO's).

Buchanan-Benson Fight To Spirited Majority Draw!

We've had three bouts so far here at the Convention Center.  Two of them have finished in majority draws. 

Scott Buchanan and Dennis Benson both survived knockdowns to come to the majority draw conclusion.

Buchanan dropped Benson with a brutal right hand with about a minute left in the round.  Buchanan may have gotten the win there except he didn't go immediately to a neutral corner after the knockdown forcing referee Michelle Myers to halt her count.

Benson returned the favor in the second, dropping Buchanan with a short left to the chin.  Neither man could gain a definitive advantage the rest of the way.

Judge Wayne Smith scored the bout for Buchanan, 39-36. However, Tammye Jenkins and Paul Wallace saw a 37-37 score.

Buchanan is now 4-0-1, three KO's while Benson is now 1-6-1.

Ruiz Delivers Elongated Beating To Beeman!

In a bout that went ENTIRELY too long, Renan Ruiz of Brooklyn, NY scored a brutal second-round TKO to Alan Beeman of Providence, RI.

The bout should have never heard the bell for the second round.  Ruiz hammered Beeman with every head shot imaginable.  The fact Beeman didn't fall or take too many steps backward probably allowed the bout to continue.

In the second, however, nothing changed, including referee Vic DeWysocki's urgency to stop the beating as Ruiz continued to whoop on Beeman.  Finally, Beeman's corner asked for the contest to be halted and it was at 2:10.

Ruiz is now 4-1, three KO's while Beeman remains winless at 0-8 with seven losses by knockout.

Next up: the return of DC heavyweight Scott "Duke" Buchanan (4-0, three KO's) as he takes on Dennis Benson of Norfolk, VA (1-6).  Four rounds.

Coulibaly, Hackett Battle To Majority Draw!

Considering both boxers took the contest on extremely short notice, Issa Coulibaly and Greg Hackett waged a competitive contest that ended in a four-round majority draw.

Hackett got off to a very good start as he landed good body shots and rocked Coulibaly with a right hook in the first round.  Coulibaly came back and made the bout very competitive the rest of the way.

Judge Paul Wallace saw the contest fir Hackett, 39-37. However, Steve Rados and Lloyd Scaife saw the draw at 38-38.

Coulibaly now has a record of 1-5-1 while Hackett is now 2-15-1.

Up next, Renan Ruiz vs. Alan Berman.  However, there is a delay because of an issue with the floor boards in the ring.

Action Getting Ready To Begin in DC!

The Issa Coulibaly - Greg Hackett bout will start things off tonight at the Washington Convention Center.  We are just about underway.

Good Evening From DC!

Hi everyone from Walter E. Washington Convention Center for a Top Flight Promotions card that has been in flux all morning long.

There is one VERY late addition to this card.  Issa Coulibaly of DC will take on Greg Hackett of Philadelphia, PA in a four-round contest. Both Coulibaly (1-5) and Hackett (2-15) were called earlier today and both agreed to this bout which will be a light heavyweight battle.

Also, Providence, RI junior middleweight Alan Berman (0-7) has stepped in as the opponent for Renan Ruiz of Brooklyn, NY (3-1, two KO's).

This could be a very interesting night.  We'll be back when the card gets underway.

Dezurn Bout In Philadelphia Called Off!

BATB has learned that the bout that was scheduled for Baltimore, MD's Glenn Dezurn, Jr. on Friday night in Philadelphia, PA was called off at the very last minute because Dezurn's slated opponent, Seifullah Jihad Wise of Philadelphia, suddenly refused to compete.

Wise weighed in at 137 1/2 pounds, two-and-a-half pounds over the contracted weight of 135 for the four-round encounter.  Dezurn was a half-pound under.  According to reports, Dezurn's camp still wanted to bout to proceed.  However, Wise's camp apparently said no.

Dezurn (2-0, one KO) is slated to compete on the Ponytail Promotions card on Saturday, June 28 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore.

Weights From DC!

Here is the scale watch for Saturday's Top Flight Promotions card at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC:

Ty Barnett 141 vs. Cosme Rivera 139

Nuwan Jayakody 125 vs. David Warren Huffman 126

Scott Buchanan 238 vs. Dennis Benson 252

Larry Recio 153 vs. Daniel Gonzalez (will weigh in later today)

Renan Ruiz 151 vs. Dominique Hillard (will weigh in later today)

Gonzalez (9-31-2, three KO's) is a very late replacement opponent for Recio.

We will be blogging live from this card.

Grayton Travels To California For Six-Round Battle June 6!

Undefeated DC welterweight David "Day-Day' Grayton returns to action on Friday, June 6 on a card taking place at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, CA.

This will be a six-round contest for Grayton (7-0, six KO's) when he faces German "Tin Tan" Valdez of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico (3-4-1, one KO).  Grayton is coming off a first-round TKO of Howard Reece on April 19 at the DC Armory.  Valdez will be trying to break a two-bout losing streak as he faces an undefeated boxer for the third straight time.

Condolences to the Corley Family!

BATB sends its deepest condolences to the family of former WBO Junior Welterweight champion DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley, whose mother, Maggie B. Corley, passed away earlier today.

"Chop Chop" is receiving condolences on his Facebook page.  We will pass on any other information regarding arrangements in the near future.

Dezurn Battles In Philadelphia May 30!

Baltimore lightweight Glenn Dezurn, Jr. travels to Philadelphia, PA on Friday, May 30 for a four-round contest against Seifullah Jihad Wise of Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Metal Sheet Workers Hall.

The bout will be fought at 135 pounds, a little heavier for Dezurn (2-0, one KO) who gets back in the ring for the first time since scoring a first-round TKO over Carlos Alcala on October 18 in Fort Washington, MD.  Wise (1-0) made his pro debut at the PA Metal Sheet Workers Hall on March 14 and won a four-round unanimous decision over James Gooding.

Jackson Takes Unanimous Decision in Puerto Rico Tournament!

DC flyweight Malik Jackson won a unanimous decision at the Cheo Aponte Amateur tournament in Puerto Rico Wednesday.

Jackson, who is ranked number one in the United States at 112 pounds, defeated Jesus Rivera of Puerto Rico in the opening round.

ShoBox Card Has New July Date But No Location!

There is a new date for the ShoBox card that was originally scheduled for June 27 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.  The new developments, however, may not bode well for the Nation's Capitol.

The new date is Friday, July 25 at an "event location to be announced," according to information we have received.  Here's the issue:  Summer is usually a very busy time for the Convention Center.   The DC Armory is not an option because it doesn't have air conditioning.

So, there is a possibility that the card -- which is once again being promoted by Greg Cohen Promotions/GH3 Promotions -- may not take place in DC.

The card is mostly intact with Beltway Boxers Antoine Douglas, Jerry Odom, Alantez Fox and Cecil McCalla still slated for the card.  The one question mark is Dusty Hernandez Harrison.  Right now, he is not listed for this card.

We will continue to keep you posted.

Top Flight Card Coming Together For May 31 At Washington Convention Center!

The Top Flight Promotions card for Saturday, May 31 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center is almost complete.

As we mentioned earlier, the main event will feature the head of Top Flight Promotions -- DC lightweight Ty Barnett -- in a scheduled 10-round contest against veteran Cosme "Chino" Rivera of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico.  Barnett (22-3-1, 14 KO's) is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision over Carlos Winston Velasquez on October 26 at the Convention Center.

Rivera (36-18-3, 24 KO's) is a former world title contender who challenged Zab Judah for the WBC and IBF Welterweight titles in 2005.  Rivera won an eight-round unanimous decision over Ricardo Martinez on February 28 in Queretero, Mexico.

In a six-round contest, DC featherweight "The Lion of Sri Lanka" Nuwan Jayakody will face David Warren Huffman of Cincinnati, OH.  Jayakody (2-4-1, two KO's) will try to bounce back from a second-round stoppage against Alberto Machado on January 25 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  Huffman (4-19-1, one KO) makes a quick return to the Beltway region, having lost a six-round unanimous decision to Andrew Farmer on May 17 in Annandale, VA.

Undefeated Springdale, MD junior middleweight "The Cuban Assassin" Larry Recio will face off with Coy Lanbert of Summerville, SC in a four-round matchup.  Recio (5-0, four KO's) has stopped his last four opponents.  Lanbert (2-11, one KO) has lost four in a row.

DC heavyweight Scott "Duke" Buchanan (4-0, three KO's) returns after an almost seven-year absence to take on Dennis Benson of Norfolk, VA (1-6, one KO) in another four-rounder.

Manassas, VA junior middleweight Robert Sweeney (2-0) will battle the debuting AJ Slaughter of Ohio.  Also, Brooklyn, NY junior middleweight Renan Ruiz (3-1, two KO's) will take on Dominique Foster of Hilliard, OH (1-4-1) in four-round contests.

RIP Matthew Saad Muhammad!

One of the many reasons why I love boxing passed away on Sunday.  This man was one of the many reasons why boxing was so much fun in the 1980's.

Legendary Philadelphia, PA light heavyweight, former world champion and International Boxing Hall of Famer Matthew Saad Muhammad died Sunday of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclorosis or Lou Gehrig's Disease.  He was 59.

Mr. Muhammad, who started boxing under the name Matthew Franklin, fought from 1974-1992.  During the late 70's and early 80's, he was part of a HUGE renaissance in the light heavyweight division along with boxers like Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Mike Rossman, Marvin Johnson, Yaqui Lopez and James Scott, just to name a few.  Matthew Saad Muhammad defined the term "all-action fighter" during that time period as he threw punches seemingly from the moment he came out of the dressing room.

Mr. Muhammad won the WBC Light Heavyweight title on April 22, 1979 at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, IN scoring an eighth-round TKO over Marvin Johnson.  The Ring voted the final round of that contest the Round of the Year.

The fourth defense of his title -- a 14th round TKO over Yaqui Lopez on July 13, 1980 at the Great Gorge Playboy Club in McAfee, NJ -- was voted the Bout of the Year by The Ring.

In all, Mr. Muhammad would defend his title nine times before losing it to the Baltimore-born Dwight Muhammad Qawi via 10th round TKO on December 19, 1981 in Atlantic City, NJ.  Qawi won the rematch on August 7, 1982 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA.

So why is Matthew Saad Muhammad getting space here?  Well, one, he was one of my all-time favorite boxers.  Two, he fought five times in the Beltway region, including the last three bouts of his career.

Mr. Muhammad's seventh pro fight took place at the Alexandria Roller Rink in Alexandria, VA on October 22, 1974 where he won a second-round TKO over DC boxer "Smokey" Joe Middleton. This was the second bout between these two men.  Muhammad stopped Middleton in the fifth round exactly five months earlier.

On February 13, 1976, Muhammad won a 10-round unanimous decision over Cleveland, OH's Harold Carter at the Painters Mill Theatre in Baltimore, MD.

By the time Mr. Muhammad returned to the Beltway in 1991, he was well past his prime.  On October 5 of that year, he lost a eight-round majority decision to Michael Green who had a 2-1 record at that time.

Just 24 days later, he would face 1988 Olympic Gold Medalist and Beltway Boxing legend Andrew Maynard at the Washington Convention Center in DC and lose by third-round TKO.  This was on the undercard of the infamous Riddick Bowe-Elijah Tillery contest.

Mr. Muhammad's final bout would be on March 21, 1992 at the Colonial Theatre in Fredericksburg, VA where he would lose by second-round TKO to Jason Waller.

Matthew Saad Muhammad (49-16-3, 35 KO's) had a very hard life early on and his punching style made things very difficult for his opponents.  He also made boxing very easy to enjoy.

Guerrero Stopped in Third!

Fernando Guerrero had no offense whatsoever for David Lemieux tonight at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada as Guerrero was stopped at 1:57 of the third round.  Lemieux won the vacant NABF Middleweight title with the victory.

Lemieux used strong power shots to batter Guerrero, knocking him down four times during the bout.  A brutal right uppercut finished the job.

Guerrero, who now lives in Los Angeles, CA, has lost by knockout for the second time in his last three bouts. All three Guerrero losses have come by knockout. His record drops to 26-3, 19 KO's. Lemieux is now 32-2, 30 KO's.

Johnson Loses Unanimous Decision in Montreal!

DC light heavyweight Alexander "The Great" Johnson (shown with trainer Darryll Tyson) dropped a 10-round unanimous decision to undefeated Eleider "Storm" Alvarez of Montreal, Canada tonight at the Bell Centre in Montreal on a Showtime Extreme Network telecast.

Johnson's lack of power was evident in the contest as he couldn't keep Alvarez from landing shots.  Alvarez dropped Johnson with a right hand in the fifth round.  Johnson stayed in the contest but didn't have enough offense to turn the tide. All three judges scored the contest, 97-92.

Johnson's record is now 15-2, six KO's.  Both of Johnson's losses have come on Showtime broadcasts.  Alvarez remains undefeated at 15-0, eight KO's.

Later tonight on Showtime, Salisbury, MD middleweight Fernando Guerrero challenges David Lemieux of Montreal for the vacant NABF Middleweight title.

Whitlock Drops Unanimous Decision in New York!

DC welterweight Cornelius "Bodysnatcher" Whitlock lost a four-round unanimous decision to Oscar Torres of Santa Fe, CA Friday night at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY.

According to noted boxing writer Jack Obermayer, Torres scored a flash knockdown and went on to win via 40-35 score on all three scorecards.  Whitlock suffers his first pro loss and is now 3-1-2, two KO's.  Torres remains undefeated and is now 3-0, two KO's.

DC ShoBox Card Postponed!

BATB has learned that the ShoBox card that was slated for the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC on Friday, June 27 has been postponed. No official reason was given for the postponement.

The card was being promoted by GH3/Greg Cohen Promotions and was slated to feature five Beltway Boxers -- Antoine "Action" Douglas, "The King's Son" Jerry Odom, Dusty Hernandez Harrison, Alantez "Slyaza" Fox and Cecil McCalla.  Douglas, Odom, Harrison and Fox were all scheduled to appear on Showtime's "ShoBox: The New Generation" telecast while McCalla's bout would be the featured one on the undercard.

A new date for the card is slated to be announced early next week and we are being told the card will remain in DC.

Guerrero, Johnson Make Weight In Montreal!

Fernando Guerrero and Alexander Johnson both hit the scales for their bouts Saturday at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

Guerrero weighed in at 159 1/2 pounds while his opponent, David Lemieux tipped the scales at 159 pounds.  Their 12-round encounter for the NABF Middleweight title will be shown on Showtime at 9 PM ET.

Johnson weighed in at 172 pounds for his 10-round contest against Eleider Alvarez, who was at the light heavyweight limit of 175 pounds.  Their contest will headline the Showtime Extreme channel telecast at 7 PM ET.

Courtesy of Ross Molovinsky of Keystone Boxing, who is in Montreal for the card, here is a picture of Johnson (at left) with his team (l-r): cutman Chris Ray, head trainer and Beltway Boxing legend Darryll "Terrible T" Tyson and cornerman Ty Johnson.

Lamont Roach, Jr. Added To Boston Card June 5!

Earlier this week, we told you about DC heavyweight Danny Kelly appearing on a card on Thursday, June 5 in Boston.

Now comes word that another Beltway Boxer will be on that card.  Upper Marlboro, MD lightweight Lamont Roach, Jr. will make his second pro appearance on this card.  No official word on his opponent.

Roach made his pro debut on April 19 at the DC Armory and won a four-round unanimous decision over Victor Galindo.

Whitlock Weighs 144 for Four-Rounder in New York!

DC junior welterweight Cornelius Whitlock weighs in at 144 pounds for his four-round contest against fellow undefeated boxer Oscar Torres of California on Friday, May 23 at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY.  Torres also tipped the scales at 144.

Whitlock (3-0, two KO's) is coming off back-to-back first round TKO's in his last two contests.  Torres (2-0, one KO) also scored a first-round TKO in his last outing.

This bout will be on the undercard of the Boxcino Finals on ESPN2.  This bout may not make the telecast.

Russell, Jr. Holds Open Workout June 9 in Capitol Heights!

The number one contender for the WBO Featherweight championship -- "Mr." Gary Russell, Jr. -- will hold a free open workout on Monday, June 9 at 9151 Hampton Overlook in Capitol Heights, MD.  The workout will begin at 7:30 PM.

Russell (24-0, 14 KO's) will be preparing for his bid for the vacant WBO Featherweight Championship which will take place against Vasyl Lomachenko on Saturday, June 21 at the StubHub Center in Carson, CA and will be shown on Showtime.

The workout is open to the public with a question and answer session and two autographed gloves will be raffled off.  For more information, call 202-290-8321.

Baltimore Boxing To Host 'Snap, Crackle & Pop' Amateur Boxing Event May 31 at Myers Pavilion!

There will be an amateur boxing event taking place at Myers Pavilion, located at 4300 West Bay Avenue in Brooklyn, MD on Saturday, May 31.  The card is promoted by Baltimore Boxing Promotions and has the interesting name of "Snap, Crackle and Pop.'

An all-Beltway 165-Pound matchup headlines the card as 2013 Regional Golden Gloves champion Jerome Featherstone of Baltimore takes on Francisco Bustos of Rockville, MD who went to the finals of the Novice 165 Pound division at the Washington Golden Gloves this year.

Baltimore boxers Adrian Stedding, Kevin Bowen and Donald Wallace will also be on the card and there will be a co-feature bout between Baltimore's Joel Baker and "J Rock" Braggs.

Advanced General Admission tickets can be purchased for $25 by calling 410-375-9175.  Floor seats are $35.  Individual VIP tickets are $50 and VIP tables of 10 are available for $500. 

'Smooth' Kelly Returns To Action June 5 in Boston!

Undefeated DC heavyweight Danny "Smooth" Kelly makes his first appearance of 2014 on Thursday, June 5 when he takes on Eric Newell of Bethlehem, PA at the House of Blues in Boston, MA.

According to Boxrec.com, the bout is scheduled for four rounds.  However, a spokesman for Kelly told BATB that the bout would be a six-round contest.

Kelly (5-0-1, four KO's) won a six-round majority decision over David Long on November 30 in Cincinnati, OH.  Newell (7-2-2, five KO's) will try to bounce back from a six-round draw with Mark Rideout on December 18 in Bethlehem.

Bus Trip Available For Mike Reed Road Trip To New Jersey June 14!

There is a bus trip that will be heading to Atlantic City, NJ on Saturday, June 14 for the first out-of-town contest for undefeated Waldorf, MD junior welterweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed.

The bus will leave Rosecroft Raceway that morning with its final destination being Bally's Casino in Atlantic City for Reed's six-round contest against Alberto Morales.

If you just want to travel to Atlantic City and don't want to go to the bout, the cost of the trip is $50 with a $20 refund.  If you want General Admission tickets to the card, you would pay $110 with a $20 refund.  For floor seats to the card, the cost is $135 with a $20 refund.

There is a $25 non-refundable deposit that will be due on Sunday, June 1 with the remaining balance due on Tuesday, June 10. For more information, call 202-528-7694.

BATB Updates Beltway National Golden Gloves Championship List!

For the fifth consecutive year, BATB is able to update the list of National Golden Gloves champions from the Beltway region.  This continues to be a very impressive list.  As we said before, this area has produced nine national champions in the past five years.

1973 and 1974: Sugar Ray Leonard

1976: Louis "Heidi" Curtis

1978: William "Flip" Johnson

1979: Kenny "The Technician" Baysmore

1982: Warren "Chico" Thompson

1985: Eugene "Sonny" Speed

1986: Anthony Wilson

1988: Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson

1991: Melvin "Top Gun" Foster

1992: James Harris

1995: DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley

1995 and 1997: "Dangerous" Dana Rucker

1998: Lamont "Bay" Pearson

2001: Lamont Peterson

2003: Anthony Peterson

2005: "Mr." Gary Russell, Jr.

2010: Gary Allen Russell, David "Day-Day" Grayton

2011: Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed

2012: Gervonta "Rambo" Davis, D'Mitrius "Big Meech" Ballard, "The King's Son" Jerry Odom

2013: Gary Antonio Russell, Lamont Roach, Jr.

2014: Gary Antuanne Russell

To break this down a little bit, this list includes:

Two International Boxing Hall of Famers -- Sugar Ray Leonard and Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson

Four who have held world championships -- Leonard, Johnson, DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley and Lamont Peterson

Three United States Olympians -- Leonard, Louis "Heidi" Curtis and Gary Russell, Jr.

Three brother combinations -- Johnson and James Harris, Lamont and Anthony Peterson and the Russell Family

Two boxers named Outstanding Boxer ("Golden Boy") of the National Tournament -- Jerry Odom (2012) and Gary Antonio Russell (2013)

Ten members of this list (Corley, The Petersons, Russell, Jr., David Grayton, Michael Reed, Gervonta Davis, D'Mitrius Ballard, Jerry Odom and Lamont Roach, Jr.) are active pro boxers. As of this posting, the current combined won-loss record for these 10 boxers is:

169-25-2 with 108 knockouts.

Video Highlights From Nelson, Harrison Victories!

Our thanks to a couple of media outlets who have footage from two victories by our Beltway Boxers this past Saturday.

GLJ Media Group has the second round stoppage during  Tori "Sho Nuff" Nelson's WIBA Welterweight title defense against Mia St. John at the Ernst Center in Annandale, VA:

Post by Tori "Sho-Nuff" Nelson.

Also, Red Eye Films has footage from the fourth-round stoppage victory by WBC Youth Welterweight champion Dusty Hernandez Harrison over Roberto Valenzuela at the Mountaineer Resort and Casino in Chester, WVA.

Guerrero, Johnson Appear on Showtime From Canada May 24!

Two Beltway Boxers will appear on the Showtime Networks on Saturday, May 24 from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

Salisbury, MD middleweight Fernando Guerrero will be in the co-feature as he takes on hometown hero David Lemieux in a 12-round contest for the vacant NABF Middleweight championship.

Guerrero (26-2, 19 KO's) bounced back from his WBO Middleweight title challenge loss to Peter Quillin in April of 2013 by winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Raymond Gatica on November 11 in San Antonio, TX.  Guerrero, however, was knocked down in the first round of that contest.

Lemieux (31-2, 29 KO's) has won six in a row since suffering back-to-back losses to Marco Antonio Rubio and Joachim Alcine in 2011.  Five of Lemieux's six wins have come by knockout.

This will be one of the contests that will be on the main Showtime broadcast that will begin at 9 PM ET.  The main event of the card is the WBC Light Heavyweight championship contest between champion Adonis Stevenson and challenger Andrezi Fonfara.  The tripleheader also includes undefeated Houston, TX junior middleweight Jermell "Iron Man" Charlo who fought his last bout on January 25 at the DC Armory in Washington on the Lamont Peterson -- Dierry Jean card.

Oxon Hill, MD light heavyweight Alexander "The Great" Johnson will be on the Showtime Extreme telecast as he takes on  undefeated Eleider "Storm" Alvarez of Montreal by way of Colombia in a 10-round contest.  Johnson (15-1, six KO's) has won three straight since losing in his last appearance on Showtime in December of 2011.  Alvarez (14-0, eight KO's) has held the NABO and NABA Light Heavyweight titles and is a fixture at the Bell Centre.  This will be the 12th time Alvarez has competed at the arena.

The Showtime Extreme Network telecasts usually begin around 7 PM ET.

Amateur Recap From Annandale!

There were four amateur contests during the card in Annandale, VA as well on Saturday night.  Here are the results:

Darren Williams of Benning Park Boxing in DC won a decision over Christopher Gooch of UFC Boxing in Ashburn, VA at 132 pounds.  Williams was very solid and had a solid fan following at the event.  Many folks around ringside were very impressed with his performance.

A split night for the Abregu Brothers of the UFC Boxing Gym.  Diego Abregu won his bout over Quinton Bracey of County Boxing Gym of Newport News, VA while Matthew Abregu lost by decision to Yamil Munoz of County Boxing.  Both bouts were at 152 pounds.

In a female contest, Tania Jackson of Enigma Boxing of Capitol Heights won a decision over Joelle Flores of UFC Boxing in a novice 100 pound bout.

Eric Hernandez of UFC Boxing won his bout via walkover.

Full Recap From Annandale!

Let's now talk about the rest of the action that took place Saturday night at the Ponytail Promotions card at the Northern Virginia Community College's Ernst Center.

In the co-feature, Laurel, MD heavyweight "The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae scored a third-round TKO over Zeferino Albino of Philadelphia, PA to win the United States Boxing Union Heavyweight title.  McRae dominated from the opening bell, battering the helpless Albino for the bulk of the bout. A couple of right hands at the tail end of the third round stopped the contest at 2:25 of the third.

McRae's record improves to 14-3, eight KO's.  Albino falls to 4-20-3, two KO's. I'm not sure why this was a title bout, either.

Front Royal, VA junior welterweight Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer returned to action for the first time since August of 2013 and won a six-round unanimous decision over David Warren Huffman of Cincinnati, OH.

Farmer was in control throughout the contest, however he was unable to pull some of the power shots he wanted to.  Huffman provided very little offense.  Farmer won by scores of 58-56, 59-55 and 60-54 to raise his record to 18-2, seven KO's while Warren Huffman falls to 4-19-1, one KO.

Rookie Ashburn, VA lightweight Seth Billups stopped Anthony Dave of Canton, OH in 2:13 of the first round.  Billups battered Dave with both hands forcing stoppage of the contest.  Billups is now 2-0, two KO's while Dave is 0-3.

Baltimore, MD heavyweight Jed "The Punisher" Phipps returned to action after an almost four-year absence and won a four-round unanimous decision over Ariel "Iron" Espinal of Brooklyn, NY.  Phipps won by shutout (40-36) on all judges's cards.  Phipps is now 19-8, 11 KO's while Espinal drops to 8-24-3, four KO's.

Silver Spring, MD super featherweight Alexandru Marin scored a first round TKO over Darrell "Bad Azz" Martin.  Martin, who was suffering from flu-like symptoms before the contest, was no match for the hard-punching Marin, who nailed Martin with right hands forcing the stoppage of the contest at 2:47 of the first.  Marin is now 4-0, three KO's while Martin falls to 4-18-1, one KO.

Welterweight Gerome Quigley of Montgomery Village, MD remained undefeated with a third-round TKO over veteran Damon Antoine of Akron, OH.  Quigley broke down Antoine throughout the contest dropping Antoine twice during the contest.  The second knockdown was a solid left-right combo that forced the stoppage of the bout at 2:22 of the third.

Quigley is now 4-0, three KO's while Antoine falls to 11-53-2, five KO's.

In the opening contest, Steed "The Stallion" Woodall of Palm Beach, FL by way of Birmingham, England stopped Craig "Lucky Shot" Schwallier of Grand Rapids, MI at 1:25 of the first round.  Woodall dropped Schwallier twice to get the victory.  Woodall is now 3-0, two KO's while Schwallier's record evens at 2-2, two KO's.

Now, back to the championship bout in which Tori "Sho Nuff" Nelson dominated a living legend of women's boxing in Mia St. John en route to a second-round TKO.  A number of fans on the blog called this and said this would be an easy win for Nelson while others, like Nelson herself, thought the bout would go a little longer because of St. John's experience.

Nelson, continues to be a force to be reckoned with in the women's division of the sport and she is not one who rests on her laurels -- she plans to be back in the ring on the next Ponytail Promotions card which is slated for Saturday, June 28 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore.

Here is an interview we conducted with Nelson after her victory.

Saturday Night Recap: Antuanne Russell Makes History At National Golden Gloves; Nelson Retains WIBA Title With Second-Round TKO; Harrison Scores Fourth-Round TKO in West Virginia!

A quick recap of the highlights from a VERY busy Saturday night. in Beltway Boxing.

Let's start in Las Vegas where Gary Antuanne Russell made history tonight by winning the National Golden Gloves 141-pound title with a victory over Jarod Ennis of Pennsylvania.  Russell now joins his brothers Gary, Allan and Antonio as the fourth member of the family to win a national Golden Gloves title.  No family has ever accomplished this.

This is the ninth national Golden Gloves title a Beltway Boxer has won in the last five years.

Antonio Russell's bid to become just the third boxer in Beltway history to win two national titles fell short as he lost to Ruben Villa of California at 123 pounds.  Reports are that Antonio Russell injured his shoulder during the tournament.

The Washington, DC Region team took the second-place trophy at the event.  First place went to the Colorado-New Mexico region led by Fort Washington, MD native Marquis Moore who won his second straight national title at 165 pounds.  Moore is in the Army stationed at Fort Carson, CO.

Meanwhile, at the Ernst Center at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, VA, Tori "Sho Nuff" Nelson successfully defended her WIBA Welterweight championship with a second-round TKO over former world champion Mia "The Knockout" St. John.

Nelson was truly the aggressor throughout the contest, landing her left hand repeatedly.  Early in the second round, Nelson landed a crushing left hand that sent St. John on wobbly legs.  The bout was stopped at the 42-second mark of the second round when referee Steve Smoger deemed St. John unfit to continue.

Nelson scores her first professional knockout and remains undefeated at 9-0-3, one KO.  St. John falls to 47-14-2, 18 KO's.

We will recap the rest of the card later today here.  However, Pro Am Fight Talk does have complete results.

Also, Dusty Hernandez Harrison scored a fourth-round TKO over Roberto Valenzuela in Chester, WVA.  Harrison is now 22-0, 12 KO's.  Harrison dropped Valenzuela in the third and fourth rounds before the bout was stopped.

We hope to have some results from the amateur shows at Club One in Millersville, MD and the Belfast-Beltway Boxing Classic later today as well.

Good Evening From Annandale!

We are underway from the Ernst Center at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, VA for the Ponytail Promotions card.  We have amateur bouts going on at this moment.

I will not be blogging as frequently tonight because I am serving as ring announcer for the event. Juan Marshall of Pro Am Fight Talk is here and will have frequent updates.

Russell Brothers Reach Finals Of National Golden Gloves!

The Russell Brothers are just one step away from making local and national history at the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Championships in Las Vegas, NV.

BATB has learned that both Gary Antonio and Gary Antuanne Russell scored victories Friday that move them into the finals of the 123 and 141 pound divisions, respectively.  Antonio won a close 3-2 decision over Hector Tanajara of Texas while Antuanne captured a 4-1 decision over Arthur Porter of Toledo.

To recap the historical significance:  Antonio Russell is looking to be just the third Beltway Boxer in local history to win two national Golden Gloves titles (joining Sugar Ray Leonard and Dana Rucker).  Also, Russell looks to join Leonard as the only locals to win back-to-back titles.

Antuanne is looking to make national history as he will vie to be the fourth member of the Russell family to win a National Golden Gloves title.

We also should recognize Marquis Moore who is a native of Fort Washington, MD who is stationed in the US Army at Fort Carson, CO and competing out of the Colorado-New Mexico region. Moore has advanced to the 165 Pound championship and he is looking to win his second consecutive national Golden Gloves title.

Weights From Annandale, VA!

Here is the scale watch for the Ponytail Promotions card on Saturday, May 17 at Northern Virginia Community College's Ernst Center in Annandale, VA:

Tori Nelson 144 vs Mia St. John 143

Dwayne McRae 239 vs. Zeferino Albino 213

Andrew Farmer 140 vs. David Warren Huffman 135

Seth Billups 137 vs. Anthony Dave 138

Jed Phipps 219 vs. Ariel Espinal (will weigh in Saturday)

Alexandru Marin 129 vs. Darrell Martin 129

Gerome Quigley 149 vs. Damon Antoine 147

Steed Woodall 166 vs. Craig Schwallier 171


Steed "The Stallion" Woodall (2-0, one KO) is a super middleweight from Palm Beach, FL by way of Birmingham, England.  Craig Schwallier (2-1, two KO's) is from Grand Rapids, MI.

Both Jerry Odom and Antoine Douglas are off the card.  The card is slated to begin at 6 PM with five amateur bouts.

Davis Scores TKO; Martin Gets Majority Draw At Foxwoods!

A split night for Beltway Boxers at the Foxwoods in Mashantucket, CT tonight.  Baltimore featherweight Gervonta "Rambo" Davis scored a TKO at the end of the second round when his opponent, Joshua Arocho of Vineland, NJ, could not come out for the third round.

According to the tweets from KO Fantasy Boxing, Davis battered Arocho through both rounds, with one of the key punches being a lead left uppercut.  The battering forced the referee and ringside doctors to stop the bout.  

Davis remains perfect at 7-0, seven KO's while Arocha drops to 3-10-4. two KO's.

DC junior middleweight Kareem "Reemo" Martin had a tough time with Azamat Umarzoda of Las Vegas by way of Tajikistan, having to settle for a four-round majority draw.

Umarzoda gained an early advantage with a counter right hand that dropped Martin in the first round.  Martin, however, came back and had a solid second round, according to KO Fantasy Boxing.

In the third, Martin sent Umarzoda to the canvas with a right hand and seemed to control the final round.  One judge scored the bout for Martin, 38-36 but was overruled by the two other judges who saw the draw at 37-37.  

Martin is now 1-0-1, one KO while Umarzoda is 0-3-1.

Harrison Weighs 150 For West Virginia Battle!

Dusty Hernandez Harrison weighed in at 150 pounds for his eight-round bout on Saturday, May 17 in Chester, WVA.  Harrison's opponent, Roberto Valenzuela, tipped the scales at 153 pounds.

Only Russells Remain At National Golden Gloves!

In Las Vegas, NV, the Russell Brothers stand alone as the Beltway's only representatives remaining at the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions.

Both brothers advanced to the semifinals with 5-0 victories.  Antonio defeated Eddie Dean of Michigan at 123 pounds while Antuanne won over Dylan Henry of Omaha.

Jalen Jones lost a 4-1 decision to Maliek Montgomery of Knoxville at 132 pounds.  Justin Bell fell at 178 pounds to Malcolm McAllister by a 5-0 decision.  Also, Jonathan Howard of North Carolina, who is part of the DC Region team, lost his quarterfinal bout at 108 pounds by a close 3-2 decision to Basil Nasser of Detroit.

Davis, Martin Tip Scales At Foxwoods!

Beltway Boxers Gervonta Davis and Kareem Martin weighed in for their bouts on Friday at the Foxwoods in Mashantucket, CT.

Davis hit the scales at 127 for his four-round contest against Joshua Arocho who weighed the same.

Martin weighed in at 150 pounds for his four-round bout against Azamat Umarzoda who came in at 152.

Nelson, St. John Meet For Final Presser Before May 17 Title Bout!

If the two combatants have their way, the WIBA Welterweight Championship bout between titleholder Tori "Sho Nuff" Nelson and challenger Mia "The Knockout" St. John will be a battle of will vs. experience.  The two will clash on Saturday, May 17 at the Ernst Center on the campus of Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, VA.

At a press conference held at the All-American Steakhouse in Ashburn, VA, hometown champion Nelson (8-0-3) told the press and her fans that, although she hasn't had nearly as many fights as her opponent, she has the heart necessary to retain her title.

"My will, that will be the difference," Nelson said.  "I want this fight really bad and the championship is staying home."

St. John (47-13-2, eight KO's), who lives in Oxnard, CA, said the fact that she has been in many pro fights with the biggest names in the business will be the biggest factor.

"I have the experience," St. John said.  "I've been in there with Holly Holm, Christy Martin, Cecelia Braekhus. I've been with the best.  That's my biggest advantage."

The bout is scheduled for 10 two-minute rounds.

ShoBox Comes to DC With Beltway-Loaded Card June 27!

The last time the Showtime Network came to Washington, DC on April 19, it televised a great card with very talented boxers.  However, no local boxer made the televised portion of the card.

That will not be the case when Showtime returns to the Nation's Capitol with a ShoBox card on Friday, June 27 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.  The televised portion will be a quadruple-header in which ALL four bouts will feature Beltway Boxers.

The main event will have undefeated Burke, VA middleweight Antoine "Action" Douglas (14-0, nine KO's).  The co-feature will include undefeated Bowie, MD super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom (11-0, 10 KO's) in an eight-round contest.  One other televised bout will have undefeated DC welterweight Dusty Hernandez Harrison (21-0, 11 KO's) in another eight-round contest.  All three are looking for opponents.

The fourth TV bout has been made.  It will match undefeated Forestville, MD junior middleweight Alantez "SlyAza" Fox (12-0-1, four KO's) in an eight-round contest against "Apollo Kidd" John Thompson of Newark, NJ (14-1, five KO's).

A fifth Beltway Boxer is slated to be on the non-televised undercard. Undefeated Baltimore, MD welterweight Cecil McCalla (18-0, six KO's) is scheduled to be in a bout slated for either six or eight rounds.

Three bouts featuring out-of-town boxers are slated to round out the card.  Albany, NY junior welterweight "The Baby-Faced Beast" Mike Faragon (19-1, nine KO's)will be in a six-round contest.  Undefeated Newark, NJ super featherweight Wanzell Ellison (11-0-1, five KO's) will compete in a six-round encounter.  Also, undefeated junior lightweight Samuel Teah of Philadelphia, PA (3-0, two KO's) will be in a four-round bout.

The card is being promoted by GH3 Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions in association with All-In Entertainment.  The matchmaker is the Beltway's own Ross Molovinsky.

This card will cap off what could be a very memorable June for the Beltway.  In the coming weeks, we will have updates on the following events:

1.  The second day of competition for the PVA team at the Junior Olympics in Philadelphia.

2.  The Beltway weekend of boxing on Friday, June 13 (Keystone card at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD) and Saturday, June 14 (The Jeter Promotions/RBA Promotions card at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA)

3. The WBO Featherweight title shot for Gary Russell, Jr. on Friday, June 13 at the StubHub Center in Carson, CA.

4. Mike Reed's bout at Bally's Center in Atlantic City, NJ on Saturday, June 14.

5. The second part of the Beltway weekend of the 27th -- the Ponytail Promotions card at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore on Saturday, June 28.

Russell Bros, Bell, Jones, Howard Advance; Malik-Named Boxers, Nembhard, Price Fall on Day Three of National Golden Gloves!

It was a much rougher time for Beltway amateurs on the third day of competition at the National Golden Gloves in Las Vegas, NV.

Yes, the Russell Brothers continued to advance in the tournament -- Gary Antonio won his second bout at 123 pounds with a win over Ja'Rico O'Quinn of the Detroit region while Gary Antuanne Russell defeated Alfonso Olvera of Nevada at 141 pounds.

Also, Jalen Jones moved on to the next round at 132 pounds with a win over Anthony Brown of Detroit while Justin Bell advanced in the 178 Pound class with a victory over Xavier Hayden of the Upper Midwest region.

Johnathan Howard of North Carolina who is part of the DC Region team moved into the next round at 108 pounds with a win over Sergio Rameriz of the Omaha region.

On the downside, there was a loss that some might consider an upset.  Malik Jackson, ranked number one in the country at 114 pounds, lost his bout to Darren Cunningham of St. Louis.

Also falling out of the competition was another Malik -- Malik Hawkins -- who lost at 152 pounds to Reyes Marquez of the Colorado-New Mexico region.

At 201+ Pounds, Anthony Nembhard lost his contest to Elvis Garcia of Nevada.

Also, Darnell Price II of North Carolina lost his contest to Alvin Davie of Florida.

Local Amateurs Go Five-For-Five On Second Day of National Golden Gloves!

Five Beltway amateurs won their bouts Tuesday night on the second day of competition at the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas, NV.

Malik Jackson won a 4-1 decision over Angel Gonzalez of the New England region in his first bout at 114 pounds.

At 132 pounds, Jalen Jones also won a 4-1 decision in his contest against Saquan Felton of the Buffalo region.

Malik Hawkins advanced in the 152 Pound division with a 5-0 decision over James Parella of the New England region.

Justin Bell is in the next round of the 178 Pound class via his 4-1 decision win over Tyshan Murray of New Jersey.

Also, 201+ Pounder Anthony Nembhard of DC wins by a 5-0 decision over Jermaine Reed of the Mid-South.

PVA Boxers Headed to Junior Olympic Regionals May 30-June 1!

Congratulations to the boxers representing the Potomac Valley Association of USA Boxing who will be headed to the Junior Olympic Regional Championships in Philadelphia, PA May 30-June 1.

13-14yr

75lb Ervin Canlas (Keystone)

80lb Kevon Cooke (No Xcuse)

85lb Leon Jones (Langdon)

90lb Umar Epps (Kenilworth)

95lb Donnell Williams (Kenilworth)

101lb Chamar Flowers (Headbangers)

106lb Mekih Payne-Bey (Keystone)

132lb Nasheed Smith (Headbangers)

15-16yr

106lb Jordan Hunter (Keystone)

119lb Dwayne Holmes (UnAttached)

125lb Ameer Brown (The Answer)

132lb Danardo Johnson (Sugar Ray)

145lb Deonte Washington (Diamonds In Da Ruff)

154lb Steven Clark (Sugar Ray)

176lb Kashif Muhammad Brown (The Answer)

Harrison Heads To West Virginia May 17!

Undefeated DC welterweight Dusty Hernandez Harrison has announced via social media that he will be traveling to Chester, WVA for a bout against veteran Roberto Valenzuela of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico on Saturday, May 17.

Harrison (21-0, 11 KO's) was scheduled to be on a card in Corpus Christi, TX on May 24 but an injury to one of the boxers in the main event scuttled the card. The West Virginia card will be at the Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort and is co-promoted by former world champion Roy Jones, Jr.

Valenzuela (69-66-2, 56 KO's) is a true veteran who has been competing since 1992. He has won three of his last four.

Davis, Martin, Pryor Battle At Foxwoods May 16!

Three Beltway Boxers will be appearing on a card at the Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, CT on Friday, May 16.

Undefeated Baltimore featherweight Gervonta "Rambo" Davis will be in a four-round contest against Joshua Arocho of Vineland, NJ.  Davis (6-0, six KO's) makes his first appearance of 2014.  In his last outing, Davis scored a second-round TKO over James Franks on December 14 in Washington, DC.  Arocho (3-9-4, two KO's) is winless in his last five bouts (0-3-2).

DC welterweight Kareem "Reemo" Martin makes his second appearance of his pro career as he faces Azamat Umarzoda of Las Vegas, NV by way of Tajikistan.  Martin (1-0, one KO) made a successful pro debut in Boston, MA on March 17 and scored a first-round TKO over Eric Palmer.  Umarzoda (0-3) lost a four-rounder to Chris Galeano on March 21 in Brooklyn, NY.

Also on the card will be Frederick, MD light heavyweight Larry "Hitman" Pryor who will take on undefeated "The Notorious" Travis Peterkin of Brooklyn, NY in an eight-round contest.  Pryor (7-9, four KO's) lost a six-round unanimous decision to Sullivan Barrera on April 4 in Philadelphia, PA.  Peterkin (11-0, five KO's) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision over Michael Gbenga on February 12 in New York City.

Russell Brothers Win Opening Bouts At National Golden Gloves!

The Russell Brothers have started their quest to win historic National Golden Gloves titles in Las Vegas, NV.

On Monday night, Gary Antonio Russell started his defense of his 123-pound title by defeating Marcel Davdison of the Kansas City region while Gary Antuanne Russell won his first bout at 141 pounds with a victory over Anthony Buckley of the Kansas-Oklahoma region.

At 165 pounds, Tavon Body lost his opening round contest to Shakeem Hodge of Pennsylvania.  Also Darnell Price II, who is representing the DC region from North Carolina, won his contest at 201 pounds over Arkeem Kirk of Detroit.

Two other notable wins from boxers who got their start in the Beltway area,  Marquis Moore, a native of Fort Washington, MD who is fighting out of the Colorado-New Mexico region, is looking for his second straight national title and he defeated Calvin Metcalf of Kansas City.  Also, Hasim Rahman, Jr. of Nevada won his first bout at 201 pounds defeating Ryan Riley of the Mid-South region.

Happy 100th Birthday, Joe Louis!

We do have a lot of Beltway news to get to and we will get to it throughout the day,  However, I would be somewhat remiss if I did not celebrate a special birthday.

Today is the 100th birthday of "The Brown Bomber" Joe Louis.  No, Louis was not a Beltway Boxer, however, his excellence inside the ring and the social significance he carried outside the ring helped shape the entire world of boxing.

The bulk of  Joe Louis's story has been told many times so I won't go into detail on that. As some of you may remember, I saw an opera on his life back in April of 2010.  Here's my review on this if you would like to take a look: http://boxingalongthebeltway.blogspot.com/2010/04/shadowboxer-provides-unique-take-on.html
 

 However, Louis did fight two relatively meaningful bouts in the Beltway Region.  On May 23, 1941, Louis made his 13th defense of the World Heavyweight championship in front of what may be a DC fight attendance record of  35,000 fans at Griffith Stadium in Washington, DC when he faced Buddy Baer, the younger brother of Max Baer whom Louis beat almost six years earlier. (the two are pictured above)

Louis was knocked down in the first round but came back to drop Baer three times in the sixth.  After the bell rang to end the sixth round, Baer's manager, Ancil Hoffman complained Louis hit Baer with a late hit and would not leave the ring as the seventh round was getting ready to begin.  Referee Arthur Donovan, Sr. disqualified Baer because of his manager's insubordination.  The two would meet again in January of 1942 and Louis would knock out Baer in the first round at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Louis's last pro win also took place in the Beltway Region on August 15, 1951 when he fought Jimmy Bivins at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MD (pictured above).  Louis would win a 10-round unanimous decision.  One bout later, Louis would end his career after his eighth-round TKO loss to Rocky Marciano in October of 1951.

Many of you also know that after Louis passed away at the age of 66 on April 12, 1981, he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. 

On this, the 100th anniversary of his birth, "The Brown Bomber" Joe Louis continues to be, as the legendary sportswriter Jimmy Cannon once said, "a credit to his race..the human race."

Reed To Face Veteran Morales In Six-Round New Jersey Debut June 14!

Undefeated Waldorf, MD junior welterweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed has an opponent for his first road trip on Saturday, June 14 at Bally's Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.

The opponent for Reed (9-0, six KO's) will be Alberto Morales of Miami, FL by way of Nicaragua (11-3-1, eight KO's) in a six-round contest.  Morales has lost his last three contests against opponents with a combined record of 36-5 and was in back-to back 10-round contests against Ronald Cruz and Ray Robinson in his last two bouts.

Robert Matney, Past President of Virginia Association Of USA Boxing, Passes!

We have lost another great person involved in Boxing in the Beltway region.

Word has reached us that Robert "Machine" Matney of Virginia Beach, VA has passed away.  No word on the cause of death.  

Matney, a former Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy, was the owner of the Seven Cities Boxing Gym in Virginia Beach and was a past president of the Virginia Association of USA Boxing.  Matney was a coach on the 2012 Washington, DC Region Golden Gloves team that brought home three national titles, one "Golden Boy" award and the overall team trophy.

This one is a stunner because Matney was one incredible guy.  He is one of the key reasons why there has been a resurgence in the amateur program in the Tidewater area of Virginia and throughout the Commonwealth.  Matney was incredibly enthusiastic and passionate about the sport in the area.  I'm so glad I had the opportunity to get to know him and will miss him dearly!  My deepest condolences to his family and all who worked with him.

Odom Battles Jones in Battle of Unbeatens in Annandale, VA May 17!

BATB has received word that an interesting Beltway battle of undefeated boxers has been added to the Ponytail Promotions card on Saturday, May 17 at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, VA.

Bowie, MD super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom will take on Washington, DC's Joe Jones III in a six-round contest.  Both boxers went the distance for the first time in their pro careers -- Odom (11-0, 10 KO's) won a four-round unanimous decision over Edgar Perez on April 26 at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA while Jones (4-0, three KO's) captured a four-round unanimous decision over Randy Campbell on February 7 in Weirton, WVA.

What could make this bout really interesting, however, is that Odom and Jones once trained in the same gym -- No Xcuse in Temple Hills, MD.  In fact, both were at the same weight class (178 Pounds) and at the 2012 Regional Golden Gloves, Odom won the Open championship while Jones took the Novice crown.  Neither boxer is presently training at No Xcuse.

We are also hearing that Front Royal, VA junior welterweight Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer could be added to this card.  Also, yes, there will be an amateur portion of this card.

Guerrero Wins Unanimous Decision in Delaware; Bratton Bout Scratched in Pennsylvania!

Salisbury, MD cruiserweight Alex Guerrero remained undefeated with a dominant performance Friday night at Dover Downs Hotel and Casino in Dover, DE winning a six-round unanimous decision over Kamarah Pasley of Philadelphia, PA.

According to my Fightnews.com colleague Kurt Wolfheimer, Guerrero’s power was evident, as his hard rights and combinations forced Pasley to clinch and fight defensively throughout. Pasley was never in this one, as all three judges scored the bout 60-53 across the board.

Guerrero is now 11-0-1, five KO's.  Pasley drops under .500 at 6-7-2, two KO's.

At Harrah's Philadelphia Casino in Chester, PA, Baltimore, MD heavyweight Aaron Bratton's bout was one of a number of contests that was cancelled shortly before the card was slated to begin.  No reason was given for the cancellations.

Harrison May 24 Corpus Christi Contest Cancelled!

The scheduled eight-round contest for WBC Youth Welterweight champion Dusty Hernandez Harrison that was scheduled for Saturday, May 24 in Corpus Christi, TX has been cancelled because of an injury to one of the main event participants.

Heavyweight Mike Perez, who was slated to take on Bryant Jennings in a WBC Heavyweight elimination bout, suffered a shoulder injury during training.  According to a representative of Gary Shaw Promotions who was promoting the card, everything has been called off.

Samuel Wins Unanimous Decision in Dover!

There was one other bout featuring a Beltway Boxer tonight that we overlooked.  The result was a very happy one for Beltway Boxing fans.

Baltimore super featherweight Tyrell "Da Show Shock'A" Samuel made his long-awaited return tonight at Dover Downs Hotel and Casino in Dover, DE and scored a six-round unanimous decision over local favorite Joey Tiberi of Newark, DE.

According to some reports, Samuel looked like the Samuel we saw who was the BATB Prospect of the Year in 2006 as well as the former Maryland State Featherweight champion as he returned to the ring for the first time since losing a six-round majority decision to Ryan Belasco in the very same location almost two years ago.   Samuel battered Tiberi in the final round and came close to having the bout stopped but Tiberi was able to hang on.  Samuel won by scores of 59-55 (twice) and 59-54.

With the win, Samuel is now 15-5-1, six KO's while Tiberi falls for just the second time in his career and he is now 12-2, six KO's.

Bratton Weighs 235 For Four-Round Contest in Chester, PA!

Baltimore heavyweight Aaron Bratton weighed in at 235 pounds for his four-round rematch bout with Patrick O'Conner tonight at Harrah's Philadelphia Casino in Chester, PA.  O'Conner hit the scales at 225 pounds.

This bout is a rematch from an April 4 contest at the Parsippany PAL in Parsippany, NJ.  Bratton (1-2) lost to O'Conner(2-0) by four-round unanimous decision.

We also know that undefeated Salisbury, MD cruiserweight Alex Guerrero is slated to be in action tonight at Dover Downs Hotel and Casino in Dover, DE.  Guerrero (10-0-1, five KO's) battles Kamarah Pasley of Philadelphia, PA (6-6-2, two KO's) in a six-round encounter.

Barnett Battles Veteran Rivera May 31 In DC!

The Saturday, May 31 Top Flight Promotions card at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center is starting to come together.

Top Flight Promotions's head man -- DC lightweight Ty Barnett -- will take on former world title contender Cosme "Chino" Rivera of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico in the 10-round main event.

Barnett (22-3-1, 14 KO's) comes off a 10-round unanimous decision win over Carlos Winston Velasquez on October 26 at the Convention Center.  Rivera (36-18-3, 24 KO's) broke a four-bout losing streak with an eight-round unanimous decision win over Ricardo Martinez on February 28 in Queretaro, Mexico.

Rivera's career started in 1993 and he challenged Zab Judah for the WBC and IBF Junior Welterweight titles in 2005, losing by third-round TKO.  Rivera has also fought the likes of Felix Flores, Joel Julio, Andre Berto and Alfredo Angulo during his career.

In other bouts on the card, undefeated Landover, MD junior middleweight "The Cuban Assassin" Larry Recio will take on Coy Lanbert of Summerville, SC in a four-round encounter.  Recio (5-0, four KO's) will go for his fifth straight knockout victory.  Recio stopped Jose Felix in the first round on April 12 in Baltimore, MD.  Lanbert (2-11, one KO) will try to break a four-bout losing streak and makes his third trip to the Beltway region.  In previous bouts, Lanbert was stopped by Jarrett Hurd and DeAndre Davis.

Manassas, VA junior middleweight Robert Sweeney faces off with DC's Issa Coulibaly in a four-round bout.  Sweeney (2-0), originally from Sicklerville, NJ, fights in the Beltway area for the first time while Coulibaly (1-5) will try to bounce back from a third-round knockout loss to Hurd on August 10 at the Convention Center.

Also returning to action will be DC heavyweight Scott "Duke" Buchanan as he faces Dennis Benson of Norfolk, VA in a four-round contest.  The undefeated Buchanan (4-0, three KO's) has not fought since November of 2007 when he won a majority decision over Mike Miller in Glen Burnie, MD.  Benson (1-6, one KO, one NC) was in a no contest with Dwayne McRae on May 11 of 2013 in Millersville, MD.

Brooklyn, NY junior middleweight Renan Ruiz (3-1, two KO's) will be in a four-round bout against Anthony Royal (0-1-1) of Hampton, VA.  Also slated to be on the card will be locals Antonio "Teflon" Magruder (3-0, two KO's),  Chris "The Dentist" Alexander (4-1, four KO's) and "The Lion of Sri Lanka" Nuwan Jayakody (2-4-1, two KO's).

Nelson, St. John To Hold Public Press Conference May 15 in Ashburn, VA!

There will be an open press conference for the WIBA Welterweight title bout between undefeated champion Tori "Sho Nuff" Nelson and challenger and former world champion Mia "The Knockout" St. John on Thursday, May 15 at the All-American Steakhouse located in the Broadlands Shopping Center in Ashburn, VA.

The event will begin at 4:30 PM and is open to the public.

Amateur Action Aplenty On May 17!

There is lots of amateur boxing action being held on Saturday, May 17 in the Beltway region.  Club One Fitness and Jeter Promotions are putting on a card at Club One Fitness in Millersville, MD beginning at 7:30 PM. 

Scheduled to appear on the card are Club One boxers Amelia Moore, Jimmy McGavin and Tommy Coe, Jr. along with Level Up Boxing club boxers Luther Smith, Will Anderson and Darnell Murphy.

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

Also, May 17 is the night for the annual Belfast-Beltway Boxing Classic to be held at the Marriott Wardman Hotel, 2660 Woodley Road in Northwest, DC.  This is the event where boxers from the DC area take on boxers from Belfast, Ireland.  No word yet on who will represent the local team.

This is a charity event and tickets are pricey.  Tickets start at $250 for individual seats and tables for $2,500 and $5,000. The event begins at 7 PM.

Billups, Marin, Phipps Added to Nelson-St.John Undercard May 17 in Annandale!

A few bouts have been added to the Saturday, May 17 Ponytail Promotions card at The Ernst Center on the campus of Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, VA.

Of course, the main event is the 10-round WIBA Welterweight title bout between champion Tori "Sho Nuff" Nelson of Ashburn, VA and challenger and former WBC Junior Middleweight titleholder Mia "The Knockout" St. John of Oxnard, CA.  However, this card looks to be packed with local talent.

By the way, here is the announcement on that championship bout:  http://boxingalongthebeltway.blogspot.com/2014/03/tori-nelson-to-defend-wiba-welterweight.html

There are three more bouts we can now announce.  Rookie Ashburn, VA junior welterweight Seth Billups participates in his second pro bout when he takes on Anthony Dave of Canton, OH in a four-round encounter.  Billups (1-0, one KO) scored a second-round TKO over Darrell "Bad Azz" Martin on March 15 at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.  Dave (0-2) will take on a Beltway Boxer for the third time in as many fights.  Dave lost his pro debut to Antonio Magruder on August 10 in DC by first-round TKO and then lost by second-round stoppage to Jerrell "Hell-Rell" Harris on March 28 in Weirton, WVA.

Martin (4-17, one KO), of Baltimore, MD will look to bounce back from his loss to Billups on this card.  However, it won't be easy because he will face undefeated Alexandru Marin of Silver Spring, MD in a four-round super featherweight encounter.  Marin (3-0, two KO's) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision win over Alex Hipolito on April 12 in Baltimore.

DC welterweight Harris (4-0, four KO's) will also be on this card as he returns to the Beltway for the first time since his pro debut in June of 2013.  No official word on who his opponent will be for this card.

The third bout we can officially announce will mark the return of popular Baltimore heavyweight Jed "The Punisher" Phipps.  Phipps (18-8, 11 KO's) was one of the more-talked about boxers on BATB in the early days. Phipps was the first winner of the BATB Knockout of the Year when he brutally stopped David Cleage in January of 2006 in Pikesville, MD.   However, Phipps was the victim of some devastating knockouts as well against the likes of Horace Greeley and Ralph West.

Phipps returns for the first time since September of 2010 when he faces Ariel "Iron" Espinal of Brooklyn, NY (8-23-3, four KO's).  No word yet on how many rounds this bout is scheduled for.

Espinal will face a Beltway Boxer for the 12th time in his career, going through six weight classes.  Espinal has battled with Ishmail Arvin, Larry Brothers, Alexander Johnson, Julius Kennedy, Scott Sigmon, Steve Wheeler, Mike Paschall, Maxell Taylor, Dale Robeson-El, Russ Shiflett and Thomas Williams, Jr., going 1-10 against them.

Other locals slated to be on this card are,"The King's Son" Jerry Odom, Antoine "Action" Douglas, "The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae and Gerome Quiqley

The Ernst Center at Northern Virginia Community College is located at 8333 Little River Turnpike in Annandale, VA.

Results From PVA Junior Olympic Tournament!

Here are the results from the first Saturday of action from the Potomac Valley Association (PVA) Junior Olympic Tournament:

9-10, 65 Pounds: Lonzo Malcolm (Keystone Boxing) over Demari Philson (Langdon Rec)

11-12, 65 Pounds: Raghaleek Bartee (Kenilworth Boxing) over Demarco Ross (Diamonds N Da Ruff)

11-12, 70 Pounds: Tyreek Williams (The Answer) over Mehki Phillips (Keystone Boxing) 

11-12, 75 Pounds: Quincy Williams (Kenilworth) over Deric Davis (Old School)

11-12,  85 Pounds (Semi Finals):

Maximus Garland (Headbangers) over Dennis Zeigler (Langdon)

Lawrence Malcolm (Keystone) over Donald Ford (Kenilworth)
                                   
11-12, 90 Pounds: Stacey Selby (No Xcuse) over Jordan Jones (#11 Overcomers)
                      
13-14, 80 Pounds:  Kevon Cooke (NoXcuse) over Khalil Phillips (Keystone)

13-14, 106 Pounds (Semi Finals): 

Mekhi Payne (Keystone) over Philbert Griffin (Sugar Ray Leonard)

Keith Cooke (NoXcuse) over Edwin Anget (The Answer)

13-14, 132 Pounds: Wilfredo Avelar (Sugar Ray Leonard) over Michael Tymas (Langdon Rec)

15-16, 106 Pounds: Kevin Pendergrass (NOMIS) over Marcus Willis (Diamonds N Da Ruff)

15-16, 125 Pounds: Gregory Burton (Langdon) over Hakeem Middleton (Lime Lite)

The tournament resumes on Saturday, May 10 at Tony's Gym located at 1216 Mount Olivet Road in Northeast DC.  The event will start at 3 PM.  Tickets are $10.

PVA Junior Olympic Tournament Begins Saturday in DC!

The Potomac Valley Association of USA Boxing will have its Junior Olympic Tournament starting on Saturday, May 3 at Tony's Boxing Gym located at 1216 Mount Olivet Road in Northeast Washington, DC.

The doors for the event open at 2 PM with the first bout scheduled to start at 3 PM.

The finals for the event will be one week later on Saturday, May 10 at the same location.  Tickets are $10.

'Yes Indeed' Reed Heads To Atlantic City June 14!

For the first time in his young pro career, Undefeated Waldorf, MD junior welterweight Mike "Yes Indeed" Reed will hit the road.

Reed (9-0, six KO's) will participate on a Top Rank-promoted card on Saturday, June 14 in the Grand Ballroom of Bally's Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.  There is no word on whether or not Reed has signed with Top Rank.  Also, no word yet on who Reed's opponent will be.

If you would like to attend, tickets are on sale for $75 and $50 and are available through the Bally's box office or at Ticketmaster.com.