Golden Gloves Schedule Update!

There is a schedule update and a change in venue for the 2015 Washington Golden Gloves.  Due to the postponement on February 14, there may be an added day of competition on Sunday, March 15 at 3 PM at Sugar Ray Leonard Center.  That is not definite yet.

Also, the venue for the Washington Finals and Regional finals have changed again.  Both events will now be held at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.  The dates remain the same -- Saturday, April 4 for the DC finals and Saturday,  April 25 for the regionals.

Thompson Stops Solis In Turkey For WBC Continental Americas Title!

Tony "The Tiger" Thompson has done it again.  Thompson defeated Odlandier "La Sombra" Solis in demonstrative fashion, scoring a ninth-round TKO today in Antalya, Turkey. This is the second win over Solis.

Thompson outworked Solis throughout the fight and got the win when Solis did not come out for the beginning of round nine.  The 43-year-old Thompson now has a record of 40-5, 27 KO's and is the WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight champion.  Solis drops to 20-3, 13 KO's.

Thompson Weighs 261 for Friday Tussle in Turkey!

Tony Thompson weighed in at 261 pounds for his 12-round rematch against Odlander Solis Friday at the Gloria Sports Arena in Antalya, Turkey.  Solis weighed in at 272 pounds.

In the first bout, Thompson was the heavier boxer but he weighed four and a half pounds less for this one.  Solis came in 15 pounds heavier than the first bout.

There is a link for a live stream of this card.  I don't know how reliable it is or whether it is free or not but for those who want to try, here it is:  http://www.360fights.com/event/solis-vs-thompson/ 
The card begins at 2 PM ET.

My Interview With The Shadow League!

Really happy about this.  I recently did an interview with my good friend Mark Gray of The Shadow League concerning the Mayweather-Pacquiao bout.    Here it is:

https://soundcloud.com/theshadowleague/tsl-sports-talk-gary-digital-williams

Baltimore's Willie Williams To Face Roy Jones, Jr. March 6 in North Carolina!

ESPN.com's Dan Rafael is reporting that Baltimore, MD cruiserweight Willie "For Real" Williams will take on former multi-division world champion Roy Jones, Jr. on Friday, March 6 at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center in Concord, North Carolina.

Williams (14-8-2, four KO's) won a four-round unanimous decision over Michael Gutrick on November 6 in Cockeysville, MD in his last outing.  This will be the fifth bout for Williams since he returned to boxing in 2013 after a three-year absence.

Jones, the native of Pensacola, FL (59-8, 42 KO's), is looking to win his fifth world title.  Jones has won titles at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight.  However, Jones has not won one in the cruiserweight decision.  The 46-year-old Jones (who is 10 years older than Williams) is hoping for a title shot against cruiserweight champ Marco Huck.

My Appearance on NewsChannel 8!

I was very blessed to be the guest on NewsChannel 8's Toyota SportsTalk with host Alex Parker on Monday night.  We talked about the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao contest.  Here is the link to the show where I appear in the second half.

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2015/02/feb-23rd-sportstalk-with-digital-williams-111735.html

Also, I will be on WOL-AM 1450 on Sunday, March 1 at 12:15 PM on "In and Out of Sports" with my former broadcast partner and my great friend "The Coach" Butch McAdams.

UPDATE: Alfred Grant Has Passed!

BATB has now received word that DC Boxing and Wrestling Commissioner Alfred Grant has indeed passed.  Mr. Grant was taken off of life support earlier today.  Another tough loss for our region.

DC Boxing Deputy Commissioner Alfred Grant Brain Dead after Heart Attacks!

(photo by Juan Marshall)

We will post more information on this as we receive it, however we are very sad to report that the Deputy Commissioner of the DC Boxing and Wrestling Commission, Alfred Grant has been declared brain dead and is on life support after suffering three heart attacks this past week.  We just learned moments ago that Mr. Grant has not officially been declared deceased, however, they are waiting on family members to arrive at the hospital.

Kelly Scores First-Round Knockout In Allentown!

DC heavyweight Danny "Smooth" Kelly registered a first-round knockout over Kevin "Benjamin" Franklin of Charleston, WV Saturday night at the Econolodge in Allentown, PA.  Here's a recap from Kurt Wolfheimer of Fightnews.com:

Both fighters went toe to toe in the early going which resulted in two clashes of heads, but neither fighter showed any clear damage. Kelly rocked Franklin moments later with an overhand right. Franklin tried to fight back, but Kelly forced him to a corner with a hard right. Franklin tried to fight back but a short left hook sent him to his hands and knees. Referee Shawn Clarke completed the ten count at 2:21 of the opening round, giving Kelly the knockout victory.

Kelly bounces back from suffering his first pro loss and he is now 7-1-1, six KO's.  Franklin is 6-11, three KO's.

Washington Golden Gloves First Round Rescheduled for Saturday, February 28!

The first round of the Washington Golden Gloves has been rescheduled for Saturday, February 28 at the Sugar Ray Leonard Center in Palmer Park, MD.  The first round was postponed this past Saturday because of the inclement weather.

The bout sheet originally slated for Saturday remains intact and can be found here:  http://boxingalongthebeltway.blogspot.com/2015/02/bout-sheet-for-first-night-of.html

There are also some bouts that will be added to this week's card.  Here is that list:

Junior Division:

12-13, 85 Pounds (Championship): Deric Davis (Headbangers) vs. Ervin Canlas (Keystone)

We also have another unopposed champion: Age 13, 178 Pounds, Stephen Cobb (Club One)

Novice Division:

152 Pounds: Vance Roberts (Langdon) vs. David Baker (Laurel)

165 Pounds: Brynnen McIver (Unattached) vs. Stephaun Hobbs (The Answer)

165 Pounds: Jonathan Turlios (Last Round) vs. Tyrone Russ (Woodland)

165 Pounds: Rashad Kilpatrick (Keystone) vs. Francis Pouloszno (Sugar Ray Leonard)


Open Division: 

152 Pounds: Shynggskhan Tazhibay (Headbangers) vs. Alonzo Thompson (Cherry Lane)

165 Pounds: Jordon Payne (Woodland) vs. Kerry Brewster (No Limits

Kelly Weighs 247 For Bout In Allentown!

Danny Kelly weighed in at 247 pounds for his six-round contest tonight at the Econolodge in Allentown, PA.  Kelly's opponent,  Kevin Franklin, weighed in at 236 pounds.

Golden Gloves First Round Postponed!

Due to the inclement weather,  tonight's first round of the Washington Golden Gloves has been postponed.   There is a possibility that the card will be rescheduled for either Friday or Saturday of next week.

Davis, Martin Score First Round TKO's in Pittsburgh!

Gervonta "Tank" Davis and Kareem "Reemo" Martin registered first-round TKO's tonight at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

Davis, a featherweight from Baltimore, MD needed just 47 seconds to stop Israel Suarez of Luquillo, Puerto Rico.  Davis remains undefeated at 10-0, nine KO's. Suarez is now 4-5-2, one KO.

DC welterweight Martin stopped Cole Milani of Klamath Falls, OR at 2:15 of the first round to raise his record to 4-0-1, three KO's. Milani's record drops to 2-3, two KO's.

Davis, Martin Hit Scales in Pittsburgh!

Gervonta Davis and Kareem Martin weighed in for bouts tonight at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

Davis (left) tipped the scales at 129 pounds for his six-round bout against Israel Suarez, who also weighed 129.

Martin (left)weighed in at the welterweight limit of 147 for his four-rounder against late sub Cole Milani of Klamath Falls, OR, who weighed in at 147 as well.  Milani has a record of 2-2, two KO's.

Bout Sheet For First Night Of Washington Golden Gloves!

Here is the bout sheet for the first night of the Washington Golden Gloves championships which will take place on Saturday, February 21 at the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center in Palmer Park, MD.

Junior Division:

Age 8-9, 70 Pounds:  Marcell Steele (Headbangers) vs. Damari Philson (No Excuse)

Age 11, 75 Pounds (Championship): Quincey Williams (Kenilworth) vs. Anthony Wheeler (Keystone)

Age 13, 78 Pounds (Championship): Joseph Gordan (Kenilworth) vs. Tyreece Johnson (Headbangers)

Age 11-12, 80 Pounds (Championship): Muhammad Robinson (Upton) vs. Jahmal Harvey (Keystone)

Age 9, 85 Pounds (Championship): Thomas Coe, Jr. (Lights Out) vs. Khaliq Harrison (Keystone)

Age 12, 95 Pounds (Championship):  Daylynn Jones (#11 Overcomers) vs. Maximus Garland (Headbangers)

Age 14-15, 95 Pounds: Lamar Odems (Kenilworth) vs. Kevon Cooke (No Excuse)

Age 13-14, 106 Pounds:  Lamont Odems (Kenilworth) vs. Chamar Flowers (Unattatched) 

Age 13, 112 Pounds: Kyron Curry (UMAR) vs. Stacey Selby (No Excuse)

Age 13-14, 120 Pounds: Donte Baytop (UMAR) vs. Malcolm Lowery (Old School)

Age 14-15, 125 Pounds: Chris Dzaringa (Mobtown) vs. Anthony Eatmon (Woodland)

Age 13-14, 139 Pounds: Jaharree Mack (Enigma) vs. Nasheed Smith (Headbangers)

Age 15-16, 152 Pounds:  Corey Russ (Woodland) vs. Jasaye Stephens (Hagerstown)

Age 15-16, 178 Pounds: Aziz McIlwain (Sugar Ray Leonard) vs. Caleb Andrews (Langdon)

Unopposed Junior Champions:

Age 11, 60 Pounds: Jordan Roach (No Xcuse) 

Age 11, 66 Pounds: Kardann Chatman (Unattatched)

Age 10-11, 72 Pounds: Tyreek Williams (The Answer)

Age 14, 70 Pounds: Nikko Williams (Headbangers)

Age 10, 80 Pounds: Deric Graves (Unattached)

Age 12, 90 Pounds: Dennis Zeigler (Unattached)

Age 12, 100 Pounds: Osei Akinyele (Headbangers)


Novice Division:

123 Pounds: Daquan White (Woodland) vs. Delonte Rawlings (Old School)

132 Pounds: Stephen Epps (Rosedale) vs. Michael Nelson (Keystone)

141 Pounds: Tyree Banks (NOMIS) vs. Dorian Bostic (UMAR)

141 Pounds: Evgueny Metchenov (Laurel) vs. Brandon Etheridge (Hillcrest)

152 Pounds: Yohanes Rezene (Lights Out) vs. Antoine Artis (Woodland)

165 Pounds: Aaron Liang (Raw Assassin) vs. Maurice Stokes (UMAR)

165 Pounds: Deonte Duck (Mack Lewis) vs. Quinton Taylor (Tony's Athletic Club)

165 Pounds: Rashad Quarles (Sugar Ray Leonard) vs. Maxwell Hulsh (NOMIS)

165 Pounds: Tavaughn Williams (Unattached) vs. Wesley Best (Enigma)

165 Pounds: Jalil Hunter (Headbangers) vs. Aaron Anderson (Mack Lewis)

165 Pounds: Deion Robertson (Keystone) vs. Verard Roberts (Langdon)


The Golden Gloves will be at the Sugar Ray Leonard Center, located at 7700 Barlowe Road in Palmer Park, MD for the next four Saturdays -- February 28, March 7 as well as the semifinals on March 14 and March 21.

The Washington Golden Gloves Finals and the Regional Golden Gloves will still be in Waldorf, MD but they will be in a brand new location -- the Waldorf Capital Clubhouse -- located at 3033 Waldorf Market Place in Waldorf.  The Washington Finals will be on Saturday, April 4 and the Regionals take place on Saturday, April 25.  The starting time for all events this year will be 7:30 PM.

Langley Remembrance Service Is Sunday At Laurel Boys And Girls Club!

There will be a remembrance service to honor boxing coach and trainer Thomas Langley on Sunday, February 22 at the Laurel Boys and Girls Club, located at 701 Montgomery Street in Laurel, MD.  The doors will open at 2 PM and the service starts at 3 PM.

The Laurel Boys and Girls Club was where Mr. Langley taught and coached boxing for more than 30 years.  Mr. Langley requested that no official funeral service be held.  There will be speakers there to tell stories about Mr. Langley.

Beltway Boxers And Personalities Invade Pennsylvania This Weekend!

Beltway representatives will be all over the Keystone State of Pennsylvania this coming weekend.  BATB has already told you that Gervonta Davis and Kareem Martin will be participating on a card at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh on Friday, February 20.

Also appearing on that card will be DC Boxing Hall of Fame ring announcer Henry "Discombobulating" Jones, who is the first continually-working African-American ring announcer in the sport.  Jones will announce the undercard as he is being honored by promoter Tom Brown for Black History Month.  Jones will also be traveling to Syracuse, NY for a card on Saturday, February 28.  We have also learned that longtime Beltway matchmaker Chris Middendorf was chiefly responsible for getting the Beltway talent on this card.

On Saturday, February 21, DC heavyweight Danny "Smooth" Kelly will compete in a six-round contest against Kevin Franklin of Charleston, WVA at the Econolodge in Allentown, PA.  Kelly (6-1-1, five KO's) will try to bounce back from suffering his first pro loss -- a six-round unanimous decision to Avery Gibson on August 22 in Temecula, CA.  Franklin (6-10, three KO's) is coming off an eight-round unanimous decision loss to Mike Sheppard on November 22 in Ellenboro, WVA.

Gary Russell, Jr. To Challenge Jhonny Gonzalez for WBC Featherweight Title March 28!

According to numerous reports, Capitol Heights, MD featherweight "Mr." Gary Russell, Jr. will get his second opportunity at a world championship when he faces WBC titleholder Jhonny Gonzalez of Mexico on Saturday, March 28 at a venue to be named.

In his first chance at a world title, Russell (25-1, 14 KO's) lost a 12-round majority decision to Vasyl Lomachenko for the vacant WBO title on June 21 in Carson, CA. Since the loss, Russell has fought once, defeating Christopher Martin by 10-round unanimous decision on December 20 in Shelton, WA.

Gonzalez (57-8, 48 KO's) is on his second tour as WBC champion and is coming off a 11th-round TKO of former world champion Jorge Arce on October 4 in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico.

The bout will be televised on Showtime Championship Boxing.

Irby Continues To Impress During World Series Of Boxing!

(photo courtesy of World Series of Boxing)

DC junior welterweight Tyrek Irby continues to be a pleasant surprise for his USA Knockouts team in the World Series of Boxing.

This past Sunday night at the Miccosukee Sports & Entertainment Dome in Miami, FL, Irby clinched a 4-1 victory for the Knockouts over the Azerbaijan Baku Fires.  Irby defeated Gaybatulla Gadzhialiyev by a 3-0 decision.  The win was Irby's second in WSB competition.

The Knockouts are second in Group B with an overall record of 4-1.  Astana Arlans Kazakhstan is undefeated in that group at 5-0.

Thomas Langley, Noted Beltway Coach And Trainer, Passes!

(photo courtesy of Tony Jeter)

We have received very sad news.  Long-time Beltway Boxing trainer and coach Thomas Langley has passed away at the age of 69 after a long illness.

Mr. Langley, a member of the DC Boxing Hall of Fame, ran the Laurel Boys and Girls boxing program for more than 30 years and worked with a countless number boxers in the area including Eddie Van Kirk, Percy Harris, Jake Smith, Mike Lee and most recently, Tony Jeter (shown in the photo with Langley) and female amateur standout Amelia Moore.

"I started boxing in 1992 and he was the one that started me," Jeter told BATB.  "He stayed with me the whole time and he helped me and so many others."

"He truly was a great guy and the one person who always stood by me."

Mr. Langley was an outstanding man whom I loved talking with and seeing at all the cards in the area.  Mr. Langley did not look for the publicity that some crave but his impact on this region will truly, truly be missed!  BATB sends its deepest condolences to the Langley family as well as all the boxers he worked with.

Davis, Martin To Appear on February 20 Card in Pittsburgh, PA!

Beltway Boxers Gervonta "Tank" Davis and Kareem "Reemo" Martin will be competing on a card on Friday, February 20 at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

Davis (9-0, eight KO's) will take on Israel Suarez of Luquillo, Puerto Rico (4-4-2, one KO) in a six-round featherweight contest.  Davis is coming off a six-round unanimous decision over German Meraz on October 8 in Biloxi, MS.  Suarez lost an eight-round split decision to Frank Santos De Alba on April 18 in Allentown, PA.

Martin (3-0-1, two KO's) will face off against Moises Rios of Arecibo, Puerto Rico (5-2, four KO's) in a four-round welterweight bout.  Martin won a four-round unanimous decision over Dominique Foster on October 10 in Highland Heights, KY.  Rios has not fought since he won a four-round split decision over William Lorenzo in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico in June of 2012.

Jerrell Harris Signs With GH3 Promotions!

(photo by Juan Marshall)

Undefeated DC welterweight Jerrell "Hell-Rell" Harris is the latest signee of GH3 Promotions of Nutley, NJ.

Harris (4-0, four KO's) joins a growing list of Beltway Boxers who have joined the GH3 banner.  Antoine Douglas, Jerry Odom and Glenn Dezurn are also GH3 signees.

Harris last fought on March 28 and scored a second-round TKO over Anthony Dave in Weirton, WVA.  In a press release, Harris said this signing will help him be a more active boxer in 2015.

"I want to fight as often as I can and I am ready for a big 2015," Harris said.  I have been sitting on the shelf for nearly a year.  I think after a couple of tune up fights, I will be ready for the next stage of my career."

"Jerrell has a chance to be a special fighter,"said GH3 Promotions President, Vito Mielnicki.  "He had a great amateur career and he fits in with all of the quality fighters that we have signed from the Beltway are like Antoine Douglas, Jerry Odom and Glenn Dezurn." 

As BATB earlier reported, Harris will participate on a card at the Space in Westbury, NY.  Both Douglas and Odom will also be on the card.

Thompson To Face Solis On February 27 -- But Where?

There has been a lot of movement around the rematch between Tony Thompson and Odlanier Solis.  Literally.

The rematch of the first bout, which Thompson won by split decision in March was originally scheduled for October 18 but Solis suffered an injury.  The bout was moved to November 22 but Solis's injury had not healed sufficently.  The bout was then going to be in Dusseldorf, Germany on January 24 but it was postponed a third time.

The bout is now slated to be on February 27 in Budapest, Hungary.  However, the contest was in danger of being cancelled again earlier today.  Fightnews.com reported that the local promoter pulled the plug on the event after several payment deadlines were missed by the card’s Hungarian financial backers.

The promoter for Solis, Ahmet Oner, still insists that the bout will take place somewhere on February 27.

“Me and my partners invested a lot of money to bring the fight to Budapest and we thought that people would be happy to have a big show like this,” said Öner. “But now it seems that they don’t want us there. I have dealt with more difficult tasks in the past. I will find another venue in Europe so the fight can definitely go ahead on February 27 as planned. We have had too many postponements already because of medical problems. Both Tony Thompson and Odlanier Solis are well prepared and ready to fight. The sanctioning fees and flight tickets have been paid. So the fight will go ahead. I have a show in Adana (Turkey) this weekend (Feb. 14) and will present the new location for Solis vs. Thompson II within the next days.”

Update on March 20 Card in Woodlawn!

We have an update on the undercard for the Shawstyle Promotions/Shabazz Promotions card on Friday, March 20 at Martin's West in Woodlawn, MD.

In six-round contests, Laurel, MD middleweight Demond "D Best At It" Nicholson will take on Jaudiel "Negro" Zepeda of Indio, CA.  Nicholson (11-1, 11 KO's).  Nicholson bounced back from suffering his first pro loss in his last contest with a first-round stoppage of Rahman Mustafa Yusubov on January 17 in Washington, DC.  Zepeda, a native of Culican, Sinaloa, Mexico (12-12-1, nine KO's), will be trying to break a six-bout losing streak.

Baltimore cruiserweight Travis "Seveer" Reeves will take on Glenn Thomas of East Stroudsburg, PA.  Reeves (7-2-1, three KO's) scored a third-round KO over Ariel Espinal on September 27 in Springfield, VA.   Thomas (1-3) was stopped in the first round by Alexey Zubov on May 15 in Brighton Beach, NY.

In another six-round contest, DC lightweight Joshua Davis will battle with Helario Medina of Longmont, CO.  Davis (8-1, four KO's) is riding a four-bout winning streak including a third-round knockout of John Wampash on November 1 at Constitution Hall in DC.  Medina (2-5) has lost two of his last three.

Four-round bouts include super middleweight Devar "Almuhaarb" Ferhadi of Frederick, MD who will face Rashad Jones of Selma, AL. Ferhadi (4-0, three KO's) stopped Jess Noriega on November 15 in Fairfax, VA.  Jones (2-5-2. one KO) also fought on November 15 in Houma, LA and lost a four-round majority decision to Justin Verdin.

Baltimore middleweight Devin Butcher (2-0) returns to action to face David Rohn of Villa Park, IL (0-2).  Butcher steps into the ring after an absence of more than four years when he defeated Stephen Franklin by four-round unanimous decision in December of 2010 in Pikesville, MD.  Rohn was stopped in the first round by Shaborn Ryals on October 24 in Fort Washington, MD.

Also, cruiserweight Kwame Ritter of Columbia, MD takes on Santos Martinez of Adrian, MI in a four-round contest.  Ritter (1-0, one KO) made his pro debut on November 13 in Fort Washington, MD and stopped Devon Mosley in the first round.  This will be the fifth bout in the Beltway region for Martinez (2-7-1, two KO's) in his last six outings. Martinez was knocked out in the first round in his last two outings against Larry Pryor and Travis Reeves.  Martinez has also lost to Mario Flores and Mosley by decision.

As BATB has reported earlier, this card is highlighted by three female title bouts featuring Beltway champions Tori Nelson, Tyrieshia Douglas and Jennifer Salinas.

Washington Golden Gloves Pairings Are Saturday in Hillcrest Heights!

The pairings for the 2015 Washington Golden Gloves will take place on Saturday, February 14 at 10 AM at the Hillcrest Heights Bingo Hall in Hillcrest Heights, MD.  Only coaches are welcomed to attend this event.

Douglas To Face LaManna in ShoBox Battle of Undefeated Boxers March 13 in New York!

Undefeated Burke, VA middleweight Antoine "Action" Douglas now has an opponent for his Friday, March 13 ShoBox appearance.  Douglas (16-0-1, 10 KO's) will face fellow undefeated boxer Thomas "Cornflake" LaManna of Millville, NJ in a 10-round contest at the Space at Westbury in Westbury, NY.

LaManna (16-0, seven KO's) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision over Gilbert Alex Sanchez on December 13 in Philadelphia, PA.

Douglas has gone 10 rounds once when he battled to a draw with Michel Soro on July 25 in Verona, NY.  LaManna has never gone the 10-round distance.

As we mentioned previously, Jerry Odom is scheduled to have a rematch against Andrew Hernandez in one of the other bouts that is scheduled to take place on the televised portion of the card.  We are also hearing that undefeated DC welterweight Jerrell "Hell-Rell" Harris (4-0, four KO's) is slated to make an appearance on the non-televised portion of the card.

Beltway Brings Home Six National Silver Gloves Championships!

Beltway amateurs will bring home six National Silver Gloves Championships from Independence, MO tonight.

Lorenzo Simpson of Reisterstown, MD captured his fifth straight national title in his fifth weight class, this time in the 14-15, 147 pound class.  Reportedly, only three other boxers have ever accomplished this feat.  Nico Hernandez won six titles in six weight divisions.  The other two to win five titles are Oscar De La Hoya and the Beltway's own Dominic Wade.

Also winning titles today were:

Tyreek Williams (Washington, DC -- 10-11, 70 Pounds)

Lawrence Malcolm (Washington, DC -- 10-11, 100 Pounds)

Ragahleak Bartee (Washington, DC -- 12-13, 70 Pounds)

Stacey Selby (Washington, DC -- 12-13, 106 Pounds)

Michael Tymas (Washington, DC -- 12-13, 147 Pounds)  Tymas was named the Outstanding Boxer of his age group.

Three other boxers -- Thomas Coe (Halethorpe, MD 8-9, 85 Pounds), Mansabory Conde (Laurel, MD -- 14-15, 156 Pounds and Davonte Warren (Laurel, MD -- 14-15, 165 Pounds) -- won silver medals today helping the Region 3 boxers captured the second place team trophy.  Congratulations to all of our local amateurs!

Beltway Boxers In Finals Of National Silver Gloves!

Here are the Beltway amateurs who will be participating in the finals of the National Silver Gloves today in Independence, MO:

Tyreek Williams, 10-11, 70 Pounds

Lawrence Malcolm, 10-11, 100 Pounds

Ragahleak Bartee, 12-13, 70 Pounds

Stacey Selby, 12-13, 106 Pounds

Michael Tymas, 12-13, 147 Pounds

Lorenzo Simpson, 14-15, 147 Pounds

Mansabory Conde, 14-15, 156 Pounds

Davonte Warren, 14-15, 165 Pounds

Nine Locals Advance To Second Round Of National Silver Gloves!

The following Beltway amateurs advanced to the second round of competition Thursday at the National Silver Gloves in Independence, MO:

Musa Robinson, Parkville, MD (8-9, 60 Pounds)

Jordan Roach, Upper Marlboro, MD (10-11, 60 Pounds)

Tyreek Williams, Washington, DC (10-11, 70 Pounds)

Jalil Hackett, Washington, DC (10-11, 95 Pounds)

Lawrence Malcolm, Washington, DC (10-11, 100 Pounds)

Ragahleak Bartee, Washington, DC (12-13, 70 Pounds)

Keshawn Bagwell, Edgewood, MD (12-13, 90 Pounds)

Ibrahim Robinson, Parkville, MD (12-13, 95 Pounds)

Michael Tymas, Washington, DC (12-13, 147 Pounds)

Reed Returns To DC For Eight-Round Contest March 14!

Undefeated Waldorf, MD super lightweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed will make a return to the Beltway region in an eight-round bout on the Keystone Boxing card Saturday, March 14 at the Sphinx Club at Franklin Square in Washington, DC.

Reed, the 2014 Beltway Boxing Prospect Of The Year (12-0, six KO's), is a Top Rank Promotions signee and has fought his last three bouts on the road including his first eight-round contest where he won by unanimous decision over previously undefeated Oscar Valenzuela on November 29 in Omaha, NB.  No word yet on who Reed's opponent will be.

Another addition to the card will be Silver Spring, MD featherweight Alexandru Marin (5-0, four KO's) who is coming off a third-round TKO over Rasool Shakoor on September 27 in Springfield, VA.

March Brings Beltway Boxing In Like A Lion!

Just like the winds of March, Beltway Boxing will hit the third month of the year like a lion as there will be four cards in a span of three weeks.

The month will start on Saturday, March 14 with a Keystone Boxing card at a brand new location for Beltway Boxing -- The Sphinx Club at Franklin Square located at 1315 K Street in Northwest DC.  Scheduled to appear on the card will be undefeated locals Myke "The Professor" Fox (5-0, one KO) and Marq "Monster" Johns (5-0-1, four KO's) in six-round contests and Patrick Harris (4-0, three KO's), Renaldo "Misunderstood" Gaines (5-2, one KO), Emanuel "Jab" Johnson (3-0, one KO) and the returning Albi Sadikaj (2-0, two KO's).

We've already given some details on the Shawstyle Promotions/Shabazz Promotions card on Friday, March 20 as pro boxing returns to Martin's West in Woodlawn, MD.  This is the card with all three of the Beltway's female world champions  -- Tori "Sho Nuff" Nelson, Tyrieshia "Lady Tyga" Douglas and "The Bolivian Queen" Jennifer Salinas -- participating in world title bouts.  Also slated to be on the card are Demond "D Best At It" Nicholson (11-1, 11 KO's), Travis "Seveer" Reeves (7-2-1, three KO's), Devar "Almuhaarb" Ferhadi  (4-0, three KO's), Joshua Davis (8-1, four KO's) and Kwame Ritter (1-0, one KO).

BATB has also learned that there will be cards on consecutive weekends at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.  We've already told you about the Jeter Promotions/RBA Promotions card on Saturday, March 28.  

Now comes word that there will be a card on Saturday, March 21 as Left Hook Promotions LLC makes a return to the boxing promotions business.  The promotion is headed by Scott Farmer and the main event is slated to feature Farmer's son, Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer (18-3, seven KO's).

As soon as we get more details on these cards, we will pass them along.

Final Registration And Physicals For 2015 Golden Gloves Are This Saturday!

The final registration and physicals for the 2015 Washington Golden Gloves will take place on Saturday, February 7 at the Hillcrest Heights Bingo Hall located at 4104 23rd Parkway in Hillcrest Heights, MD.

The registration and physicals will start at 9 AM and end at noon.  Please be on time for this important step on the way to what should be a very exciting Golden Gloves tournament!

Boxing Returns To Springfield March 28!

Jeter Promotions and RBA Promotions combine once again for another boxing card on Saturday, March 28 at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.

The main event for the card has already been signed.  Undefeated Montgomery Village, MD super welterweight Gerome Quigley will battle grizzled veteran Richard "Tiger" Lee Hall of Rocky Mount, NC in a six-round contest for the Virginia State title.

Quigley (6-0, five KO's) scored a second-round TKO over Norman Allen on January 17 at the Washington Convention Center in DC.  Hall (10-22-3, six KO's) recently returned to boxing after a five-year hiatus, losing a six-round unanimous decision to Christian Dominguez on June 7 in Greensboro, NC.  However, Hall should be a very familiar name to Beltway Boxing fans because he has competed against numerous local boxers over his long career, including Bayan Jargal, Jessie Nicklow, Tim Coleman, Ishmail Arvin, Antonio Reese, Marlon Haynes, Cliff Richard and Ricardo Edmonds.

Co-promoter Tony "Mo Better" Jeter of Stevensville, MD is scheduled to compete on this card against an opponent to be determined.  Jeter (19-4-1, 13 KO's) is coming off another solid year participating in the Beltway Boxing Bout of the Year for 2014, defeating Jimmy Lange by majority decision on November 15 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA for the vacant NABA USA Middleweight championship.  Jeter also successfully defended his WBC Fecarbox Middleweight title and competed for the WBC Silver title in 2014.

Also slated to participate on this card is Upper Marlboro, MD heavyweight Mike Balogun (3-0, three KO's).  In his first three bouts, the former University of Oklahoma linebacker has had some crushing knockouts.  Balogun had one of the best knockouts of 2014 when he decimated Cody Troutman in the first round on the last card at the ABC Sports Complex on December 6.

Undefeated Springfield, VA super lightweight Edgar "The Tiger" Torres (4-0-1, three KO's) will also be on the card.  Torres has not fought since stopping Greg Thomas in the second round in October of 2013 at the ABC Sports Complex.

Two Beltway amateurs will make their pro debuts on this card.  Fairfax, VA super welterweight Zarifbek Nishanbaev is a former Novice Washington Golden Gloves champion while heavyweight Luther Smith of Crofton, MD was also an accomplished amateur.

Douglas, Odom Headline ShoBox Card March 13!

ESPN.com's Dan Rafael is reporting that Showtime will have a ShoBox card on Friday, March 13 that will feature two Beltway Boxers.  No official word yet on where the card will take place, although Boxrec.com is saying that the card will be at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, WA.

Undefeated Burke, VA middleweight Antoine "Action" Douglas is slated to be in the main event against an opponent to be determined.  Douglas (16-0-1, 10 KO's) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision over Don Mouton on November 13 at the Fight Night charity event at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC.

The card is also slated to feature a rematch between Bowie, MD super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom and undefeated Andrew "Hurricane" Hernandez of Phoenix, AZ.  The two met on January 9 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  Odom (12-1, 11 KO's) was dominating the bout and knocked Hernandez (8-0-1, one KO) down in the fourth round. However, Odom continued to hit Hernandez after Hernandez was down and lost the bout via disqualification.