Douglas Drops Unanimous Decision in Argentina!

Tyrieshia Douglas has lost a 10-round unanimous decision in her bid to win the IBF Flyweight title from champion Leonida Yudica Friday night in San Juan, Argentina.

Douglas seemed to be forcing the action, backing up the champion throughout the contest.  However, Douglas did not land a lot of telling blows as Yudica was able to avoid getting hit with big shots.  Yudica seemed to get a lot of credit for her defense as she was not very offensive-minded during the contest.

Douglas lost by scores of 96-94 (twice) and 97-93.  The loss was the first of her career and she is now 9-1, four KO's.  Yudica remains undefeated at 10-0-3.

Boxing Returns To Washington Convention Center August 28!

Pro boxing comes back to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Friday, August 28 with a card that will feature a number of Beltway Boxing prospects as well as some very talented out-of-town competitors.  The promoters are new to the area -- King's Promotions headed by Marshall Kauffman.

Some of the bouts are already made for this card.  In bouts featuring local talent, Landover, MD super middleweight "The Real Deal" Phil Jackson Benson returns in a 10-round contest against Jinner Guerrero of Sucumbios, Ecuador.  This will be the first bout for Benson (15-2, 14 KO's) since his sixth-round TKO loss to Darnell Boone on April 18 in Valley Forge, PA.  Guerrero (8-5, six KO's) has lost four of his last five-contests including a fourth-round TKO loss to Steve Lovett on July 18 in El Paso, TX.

Laurel, MD middleweight Demond "D Best At It" Nicholson will be in an eight-round bout against Eduardo "Pin Pon" Tercero of Mexico City, Mexico.  Nicholson (13-1, 13 KO's) scored a fifth-round TKO over German Perez on May 29 in Philadelphia, PA.  Tercero (9-6-1, seven KO's) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision loss to Andrew Hernandez on June 13 in Glendale, AZ.

Welterweight Kareem "Reemo" Martin of DC competes for the first time in his hometown when he takes on Anthony Prescott of Cherry Hill, NJ in a six-round bout.  The undefeated Martin (5-0-1, three KO's) won his first six-round bout by unanimous decision over Donald Sanchez on May 22 in Atlantic City, NJ.  Prescott (5-6-2, two KO's) makes his second straight trip to the Beltway region.  Prescott lost a tough six-round split decision to Yurii Polischuk on July 24 in Baltimore, MD.

Undefeated Richmond, VA middleweight Immanuwel Aleem will take on veteran Milton Nunez of Barranquilla, Colombia in an eight-round encounter.  Aleem (13-0, nine KO's) has knocked out his last six opponents including a first-round TKO of David Toribio on May 23 in Boston, MA.  Nunez (28-14-1, 25 KO's) will be looking to break a three-bout losing streak.  Nunez has many notable names on his resume including Sergio Mora, Daniel Jacobs, Matt Korobov and Gennady Golovkin.

Undefeated DC welterweight David "Day-Day" Grayton will be in an eight-round contest against Jose Valderrama of Arecibo, Puerto Rico.  Grayton (11-0, eight KO's) is coming off an eight-round unanimous decision over Grayson Blake on April 18 in Valley Forge, PA.  Valderrama (4-10, three KO's) has only one win in his last 10 bouts but that one win came in DC in April of 2014.  Valderrama won a four-round unanimous decision over then-undefeated Chris Alexander at the DC Armory on the Bernard Hopkins-Beibut Shumenov undercard.

Undefeated Hyattsville, MD super lightweight Patrick Harris (6-0, four KO's) is looking for an opponent for this card.

The main event on the card will be a 10-round lightweight bout between Brandon "Untouchable" Bennett of Cincinnati, OH and Jonathan "La Cobra" Maicelo of North Bergen, NJ.

Bennett (19-1, eight KO's) stopped Rondale Hubbert in the third round on May 29 in Philadelphia, PA.  Maicelo, a native of Callao, Peru (21-2, 12 KO's) will try to bounce back from a 12-round unanimous decision loss to Darleys Perez for the interim WBA lightweight title on January 9 in Santa Ynez, CA.

Undefeated 2008 United States Olympian Raynell Williams of Cleveland, OH will be in a six-round encounter against Jose Miguel Castro of Carolina, Puerto Rico.  Williams (8-0, four KO's) won a six-round unanimous decision over Farkhad Sharipov on June 26 in Shelton, WA.  Williams makes his second trip to DC as he scored a first-round TKO over Billy Stimmell in January of 2014 at the DC Armory on the Lamont Peterson-Dierry Jean undercard.   Castro (5-5, three KO's) broke a four-bout losing streak with a fourth-round TKO of Antonio Rodriguez on July 10 in the Dominican Republic.

Undefeated Ohio boxers Jamel "Semper Fi" Herring (a US Olympian in 2012) , Robert Easter (14-0, 11 KO's) and Jamontay "Quiet Assassin" Clark (6-0, three KO's) are also slated to be on this card. All three are making return trips to DC having won bouts on the Peterson-Jean card in January 2014 at the DC Armory.   Leo Hall, an undefeated light heavyweight from Detroit, MI (6-0, six KO's) will make his first trip to the Nation's Capital.

This will be the second half of a very busy August week -- this will be the second card in DC in a six-day period.  The Jeter Promotions/RBA Promotions card will take place at North Hall at Eastern Market on Saturday, August 22.

Douglas Weighs 110 Pounds For IBF Flyweight Title Bout!

Tyrieshia Douglas weighed in at 110 pounds for her IBF Flyweight title challenge Friday against champion Leonida Yudica in San Juan, Argentina.  Yudica came in at 110 1/2 pounds.

The bout will be shown live in Argentina at around 10 PM ET on the Argentina TV Publica channel. The link to the channel's website can be found here:  http://www.tvpublica.com.ar/

BATB Celebrates 10 Years!!

Today is the 10th anniversary of this blog!  I have been blessed to cover some of the best boxers and boxing in the world during this time period.  I decided to voice my look back at the past 10 years in this special podcast.  It is long but it had to be to cover as much of the 10 years as I could.  As I said in the podcast, thank you to all the fans around the world who have visited this site during this period!

Here's the podcast!

Hurd Travels To New Jersey For Eight-Round Contest August 14!

Undefeated Accokeek, MD super welterweight "Swift" Jarrett Hurd returns to action on Friday, August 14 when he faces fellow undefeated boxer Jeff Lentz of Lanoka Harbor, NJ in an eight-round contest at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

Hurd (15-0, nine KO's) is coming off a third-round TKO over Eric Mitchell on April 18 in Valley Forge, PA.  Hurd has scored knockouts in three of his last four contests.

Despite having only five previous pro bouts, Lentz (5-0, one KO) moves into an eight-round contest for the first time in his career.  Lentz scored two quality six-round unanimous decision victories over Fred Jenkins, Jr. and Tim Witherspoon, Jr. in his last two outings.

This bout will be on the undercard of the Antonio Tarver-Steve Cunningham contest that will be televised on Spike TV.  No word on whether the Hurd-Lentz bout will be televised.

Men's US Olympic Trial Qualifier In Baltimore To Be Postponed!

Baltimore, MD was scheduled to be the host city for the second United States Olympic Trial Qualifier September 7-12.  However, USA Boxing has reported that the men's version of the qualifier has been postponed.

USA Boxing's website does not list the reason for the postponement, simply saying that the delay was "due to circumstances beyond our control."  However, BATB has learned that the reason is due, in large part, to the evolution of men's amateur boxing.

Since 2013, the USA Elite Men's Division -- the division that sends boxers to the Olympics -- has had its competitors box without headgear.  However, the state of Maryland does not allow amateurs to compete without headgear. There was a hope that the qualifier could be moved to Washington, DC.  However, DC also does not allow amateurs to box without headgear.  USA Boxing has not made a decision on where to place this qualifier.

As of now, the Women's US Olympic Trial Qualifier (since they still wear headgear at the Elite level) is still scheduled for September 7-12 in Baltimore.  That will be the second and final qualifier for female boxers. We'll keep you posted on what takes place.

Boxing Returns To DC's Eastern Market August 22!

The promotional partnership of Jeter Promotions and RBA Promotions will host their second card at the North Hall at Eastern Market on Saturday, August 22.  The North Hall is located at 225 Seventh Street in Southeast DC.

Scheduled to appear on the card are undefeated Montgomery Village, MD superwelterweight  Gerome "The Showstopper" Quigley (8-0, seven KO's), middleweight "The Pride of Alexandria (VA)" Brandon Quarles (16-3-1, eight KO's), heavyweights Luther "Lights Out" Smith (1-0, one KO) of Crofton, MD and Stan Williamson of Columbia, MD (3-0, three KO's) and super lightweight Cobia "The Soldier" Breedy of Bridgetown, Barbados (3-0, two KO's).

The card will also mark the return of Manassas, VA's Orazio "The Razor" Robinson (5-3-2, four KO's) who makes his first appearance in a ring in more than nine years.

We will have more on this card as information comes in.

PVA Hosts Fundraiser At Chik-Fila In Largo, MD Wednesday!

The Potomac Valley Association of USA Boxing is holding a fundraiser on Wednesday, July 29 at the Chik-Fila located at the Boulevard at Capital Centre shopping center in Largo, MD. The fundraiser will be from 5-8 PM.

Twenty percent of all dine-in purchases will go to the PVA to help send boxers to tournaments all across the country as well as to help host boxing cards in DC and Maryland.

The WBC Featherweight champion of the world "Mr."Gary Russell, Jr. will be in attendance to support the PVA.  Russell is one of the major success stories of the PVA -- National Golden Gloves champion in 2005, USA Boxing Athlete of the Year in 2006, US Olympian in 2008, ESPN.com Prospect of the Year in 2009 and finally a world champion in 2015.

Late Result From Las Vegas: Womack Loses Six-Round Decision!

On Saturday, July 25, Baltimore, MD welterweight Kevin "The Scarecrow" Womack, Jr. lost a six-round unanimous decision to undefeated Ladarius "Memphis" Miller of Las Vegas, NV by way of Memphis, TN at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.  No word on what the scores were.

Womack now has an overall won-loss record of 7-6-3, five KO's.  The bout was the fifth bout for Womack in the past two months.  Womack is 3-1-1, three KO's in that stretch.  Miller remains undefeated at 8-0, one KO.

Recap From Horseshoe Casino!

Here are the results from the District Sports Promotions card on July 24 at the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore, MD:

Welterweight "The Baby-Faced Assassin" Yurii Polischuk of Alexandria, VA captured a six-round split decision over Anthony Prescott of Cherry Hill, NJ in the main event.  Neither man could establish complete control during the contest as both boxers were inaccurate and missed numerous opportunities.  Polischuk, according to the judges, landed enough shots to win the contest on two of the judge's scorecards.  Judges Brent Bovell and John Gradowski scored the bout 58-56 for Polischuk while Dave Braslow saw the bout 58-56 for Prescott.

Polishchuk raises his record to 7-1-1, two KO's while Prescott's record is now 5-6-2, two KO's.

In the co-feature bout, Upper Marlboro, MD heavyweight Mike "Silverback" Balogun went the distance for the first time in his young pro career winning a four-round unanimous decision over Baltimore, MD's Lonnie Kornegay.  Balogun, who had three first-round knockouts and one second-round knockout, performed well going the distance as he showed solid power and exceptional footwork against the sturdy Kornegay, who has not been knocked out since his pro debut in 2001.

Balogun won by four-round shutout (40-36) on all three judge's scorecards to raise his record to 5-0, four KO's.  Kornegay's record drops to 1-12-3.

In a junior welterweight contest, Dravontay Speed Rawls of Glenarden, MD won a solid four-round unanimous decision over Jorge Soto of Las Vegas, NV.  Rawls's hand and foot speed were entirely too much for Soto as Rawls moved and used good power to keep Soto off balance.  Rawls decked Soto in the first round when he used two beautiful right hands to set up a left hook that dropped Soto. Soto managed to last the distance but was never in the contest as Rawls won by scores of 40-35 across the board. Rawls's record is now 2-0 while Soto's record falls to 0-3.

The return of DC welterweight Jacey Thompson after a four-year absence did not go as planned as Gledwin Ortiz of the Bronx, NY knocked out Thompson at 50 seconds of the first round.  Both men were very aggressive at the outset of the bout trying to land big shots.  However, Ortiz's right hand did the damage as he stunned Thompson with a straight shot that knocked Thompson out before he hit the canvas.  Ortiz now has a record of 2-0, two KO's while Thompson is 1-1.

Laurel, MD lightweight Edwin "El Matador" Reyes won a four-round unanimous decision over Albert "The Spider Monkey" Mendoza of Fayetteville, AR.  Despite being chippy during the previous day's weigh-in, the two men waged a very composed battle in the ring.  Reyes managed to land the more telling blows throughout the contest to win by scores of 40-36 (twice) and 39-37,  Reyes remains undefeated at 7-0, five KO's while Mendoza drops to 1-1, one KO.

Salisbury, MD super middleweight Tahir "The Beast Killer" Thomas scored a second-round TKO over DC's Marcellus "Super Pug" Yates.  In the first round, Thomas dropped Yates twice with solid right hands.  Thomas continued the assault in the second right with a brutal right hand that sent Yates crashing face first to the canvas.  The bout was stopped at 2:25 of the second.  Thomas is now 4-0, three KO's while Yates is 0-4.

In the opening contest, Arlington, VA super welterweight Zarifbek "Uzbek Warrior" Nishanbaev lost a four-round split-decision to the debuting Vance Nwakpuda of Philadelphia, PA.  Both men landed good shots but Nwakpuda's movement and defensive skills kept Nishanbaev off balance throughout the contest.  Nwakpuda dropped Nishanbaev to the canvas with two right hands in the third round.  Despite the knockdown, judge John Gradowski scored the bout for Nishanbaev, 38-37.  That score was overruled by judges Brent Bovell and David Braslow who saw the bout for Nwakpuda 38-37 and 39-36 respectively.  Nishanbaev loses for the first time as a pro and his record is 2-1, two KO's.

Here is the entire card which includes the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up Show:

Weights From Baltimore!

Here is the scale watch for the District Sports Promotions card at the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore, MD:

Yuri Polischuk 146 vs. Anthony Prescott 148 1/2

Mike Balogun 236 1/2 vs. Lonnie Kornegay 244

Drayvontay Speed-Rawls 138 1/2 vs. Jorge Soto 140

Jacey Thompson 148 vs. Gledwin Ortiz 147

Edwin Reyes 133 vs. Albert Mendoza 134 1/2

Tahir Thomas 164 vs. Marcellus Yates 168

Zarifbek Nishanbaev 155 1/2 vs. Vance Nwakpuda 153

Reminder: We will have the live broadcast on Friday on the Boxing Along The Beltway Google App For Android beginning at 7:55 PM ET.  IOS users can go to the Boxing Along The Beltway pages on Spreaker.com http://www.spreaker.com/show/boxing_along_the_beltway and Iheartradio.com http://www.iheart.com/show/22903291/

Tyrieshia Douglas To Travel To Argentina For IBF Flyweight Title Bid July 31!

July has turned out to be a huge month for the Douglas family.  On July 17th, Antoine Douglas put on a sterling performance winning a third-round TKO over a previously undefeated boxer on national television.

BATB has now learned that older sister Tyrieshia "Lady Tyga" Douglas of Washington, DC (top) will travel to Buenos Aires, Argentina to challenge Leonela Paola Yudica for Yudica's IBF Flyweight title on Friday, July 31 at the Club Social y Deportivo El Porvenir.

Douglas (9-0, four KO's) has previously won three titles (the UBF Flyweight and Bantamweight and the WIBA Bantamweight title) but this is her first attempt at one of the titles among the big four governing bodies.  Douglas, who is ranked number four by the IBF, is coming off a seventh-round TKO victory over Maria Suarez on March 20 in Woodlawn, MD.

Yudica (9-0-3) won the IBF title on December 19, capturing a 10-round split decision over Gabriela Bouvier in Buenos Aires.  In her first defense on March 20 in Buenos Aires, Yudica battled Vanesa Lorena Taborda to a 10-round draw.

Horseshoe Casino Holds Open Weigh-In Thursday!

District Sports Promotions will hold an open weigh-in for their Friday, July 24 card.  The weigh-in will take place at the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore, MD on Thursday, July 23 at 6 PM.  The weigh-in is free and open to the public.  However, you must be 21 years or older to enter the casino.

Remember, the card will be held at the Horseshoe Casino on Friday, starting at 8 PM ET.   If you can't make the card in person, join us live on the Boxing Along The Beltway Google App For Android beginning at 7:55 PM ET.

Amateur Stars To Shine In PVA-Atlanta Card July 25 At Rosecroft!

There will be an amateur card coming to Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD on Saturday, July 25 that has the potential to be very explosive.

The "Capital City Battle" card will feature a number of boxers representing the Potomac Valley Association (PVA) of USA Boxing taking on a group of boxers from the state of Georgia.  Both teams have brought out heavy hitters for this event.

Among the boxers slated to represent the PVA All-Stars are four boxers who have strong 2016 Olympic aspirations -- in fact, two of the boxers have already qualified for the Olympic Trials.

Tyrek Irby of Oxon Hill, MD qualified for the Olympic Trials at 141 pounds in December of 2014 by winning a championship bout at the WSB and World Championship Team Trials in Chattanooga, TN.  Irby, who trains out of the Headbangers Gym in DC, was the first from the Beltway to qualify for the Olympic Trials.

In June of this year, Capitol Heights, MD's Gary Antuanne Russell of Enigma Gym qualified for the Olympic Trials by winning his 141-pound title bout at the first Olympic Trials Qualifier in Colorado Springs, CO.  Russell, who won the National Golden Gloves at 141 pounds in 2014, has an opponent for this event in Maliek Montgomery of Atlanta, who won the 132-Pound National Golden Gloves championship in 2014.  Montgomery, according to reports, is one of the few boxers to have defeated Russell in competition and they will meet at a catchweight to be determined for this contest.

 Montgomery also holds a victory over another Beltway amateur, Keeshawn Williams.  Montgomery won their bout at this year's National Golden Gloves in Las Vegas.

Also slated to appear on this card is former USA Number One-ranked 114 pounder Malik Jackson of DC's Limelite Gym who will take on Montgomery's brother, Mikhail, a National Golden Glove finalist in 2014.

On the female side, there will be Tiara Brown of Bladensburg, MD who has been a world champion at 123 pounds.  Brown has moved up to 132 pounds to try and qualify for the Olympic Trials.

This event begins at 3 PM ET and tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.  Call 202-528-7694.

Odom Promotional Firm Issues Statement On Upset Loss!

GH3 Promotions, the company that promotes Bowie, MD super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom, has issued a statement concerning Odom's third-round knockout loss to Samuel Clarkson in front of a nationally-televised (Showtime) audience on July 17 at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, PA.

While making no excuses, GH3 does make note of Clarkson being unable to make the contracted weight of 168 pounds.  Clarkson weighed in at 172 pounds and lost $1700 of his purse.  Odom tipped the scales at the super middleweight limit of 168 pounds.

According to the press release, Clarkson was only supposed to be 10 pounds over the contracted weight and could not come in over 180 at the morning-after weigh-in.  However, Clarkson once again was overweight at 185 pounds. Odom was 173 pounds.

When they stepped on the unofficial scale just a few hours before the fight, Odom was 176 pounds while Clarkson was at 190 pounds.

GH3 Promotions President Vito Mielnicki, while taking nothing away from the result of the bout, says in the press release that he made a bad business decision and shoulders the blame on himself for letting Odom go through with the contest.

"I should have cut the fight at the weigh in but I let my fighter make the final decision and Jerry wanted to fight.  I thought about it but wanted to give Jerry the opportunity to showcase that he is one of the best Super Middleweights out there," said Mielnicki.

"I still believe in Jerry as much if not more then I did before the fight, Mielnicki continued.  He showed that he won't back down from anybody.  He was in there with a cruiserweight and against my better judgement, I let the fight happen.  I signed options with Clarkson and I am looking to do the rematch on television at the proper weight of 168 pounds. If he knew that he would be coming in so over the weight limit, being professional he could have come to us and we could have worked it out so Jerry did not have sweat off the final pounds for the last two days before the weigh in. That was his way of giving himself a better chance to win the fight.  Look at some the pre fight pictures and interviews, Jerry was as dried out and drained as he could have got, yet Clarkson looked fresh as a daisy.  We will look to have a rematch on television in the next four months."  

Pro Boxing Makes Debut At Baltimore's Horseshoe Casino July 24!

Professional boxing makes its first appearance at the Horseshoe Casino in downtown Baltimore, MD on Friday, July 24.  The card will also be the debut venture for a new promotion -- District Sports Promotions.

The main event will feature Alexandria, VA welterweight "The Baby-Faced Assassin" Yurii Polischuk in a six-round contest against Anthony Prescott of Cherry Hill, NJ.

 Polischuk (6-1-1, two KO's) makes his first appearance of 2015.  In his last outing, Polischuk won a six-round unanimous decision over Benjamin Olinga for the Virginia State Lightweight title on October 11 in Springfield, VA.

Prescott (5-5-2, two KO's) has lost two straight unanimous decisions including a six-round loss to Grayson Blake on January 31 in Philadelphia, PA.

The two men have two common opponents.  Polischuk fought Kevin Womack, Jr. twice in November of 2013 at the Patapsco Arena in Baltimore and March of 2014 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD, getting a draw and a win respectively. Prescott fought Womack, Jr. to a four-round draw in July of 2014 in West Deptford, NJ.  Both men lost four-round unanimous decisions to Arturo Trujillo at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, PA.

The co-feature is a four-round matchup of two Beltway heavyweights as undefeated Mike "Silverback" Balogun of Upper Marlboro, MD takes on Baltimore's Lonnie Kornegay.

Balogun, a former linebacker for the University of Oklahoma (4-0, four KO's), has knocked out his opponents in devastating fashion in the either the first or second rounds.  In his last outing, Balogun stopped Charlemagne Jones in the first round on March 28 in Springfield, VA.

Kornegay (1-11-3) might prove to be a difficult boxer to knock out.  Kornegay has only been knocked out once in his pro career and that was in his pro debut against Darnell Wilson in September of 2001 in Glen Burnie, MD.  Kornegay survived two knockdowns in his last contest against Carlos Black on April 23 at the Tall Cedars Hall in Parkville, MD only to lose by four-round unanimous decision.

Also on the card, Arlington, VA super welterweight Zarifbek "Uzbek Warrior" Nishanbaev will battle the debuting Vance Nwakpuda of Philadelphia, PA in a four-round encounter.

Nishanbaev, a native of Kyrgyzstan (2-0, two KO's) has also scored crushing knockouts in both his pro appearances.  Nishanbaev had a Beltway Knockout of the Year candidate in his last outing scoring a brutal third-round knockout of Norman Allen on June 6 in Springfield, VA.  Nishanbaev's pro debut on March 28 in Springfield took just 27 seconds.

Nwakpuda is originally from Umuahia, Nigeria who participated in the Pennsylvania Golden Gloves.

The card marks the return of Washington, DC welterweight Jacey Thompson who will take on Gledwin Ortiz of the Bronx, NY in a four-round bout.  Thompson (1-0, one KO) returns for the first time since making his pro debut in July of 2011 when he scored a first-round knockout over Tevin Parker in DC.  Ortiz (1-0, one KO) made his pro debut on June 12th scoring a third-round TKO over Julian Valerio in Queens, NY.

Glenarden, MD lightweight Drayvontay Speed-Rawls will battle Jorge Soto of Las Vegas, NV in a four-round bout.  Speed-Rawls won his pro debut on April 23 in Parkville, MD with a four-round split decision over Joel Young.  Soto (0-2) battles for the first time since two bouts in 2012.

Two Beltway cruiserweights will square off as Tahir Thomas of Salisbury, MD battles Marcellus Yates of DC in a four-round contest.  Thomas (3-0, two KO's) is coming off a first-round knockout of Danny Olvera Garcia on April 10 in Raleigh, NC.

Undefeated Laurel, MD lightweight Edwin Reyes will take on Marko Szalai of Niagara Falls, Ontario, CA in a four-rounder.  Reyes (6-0, five KO's) last fought on March 28 and scored a second-round TKO over Ty Felton in Reidsville, NC.  Szalai (0-1) made his pro debut on October 25 in Toronto, Canada and lost by second-round TKO to Larone White.

For ticket info on this card, call 702-351-7699.

Results From The Sphinx Club!

Here are the results from the Keystone Boxing card held Saturday at the Sphinx Club in Washington, DC:

The main event provided an upset as Fort Washington, MD super featherweight "Monster" Marq Johns lost a six-round unanimous decision to Karl Garcia-Rios of Bayamon, Puerto Rico.  Johns got off to a good start dropping Garcia-Rios with a sneaky close right hand in the first round.  However, Garcia-Rios recovered quickly and took control of the contest in rounds two and three by increasing the pressure on Johns.

By the fifth round, Garcia-Rios was in complete control of the bout and dropped Johns with a left hand in the fifth round.  Garcia-Rios went on to the win via scores of 58-54 (twice) and 57-55.  The loss was Johns's first in his pro career and his record is now 6-1-1, five KO's.  Garcia-Rios's record evens at 5-5-1, one KO.

In the co-feature, super lightweight Patrick Harris of Hyattsville, MD won his first six-round contest by unanimous decision over Rafael Vasquez of Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Harris handled six rounds with relative ease as he controlled the action throughout the contest.  Harris used his southpaw jab to the head and body to keep Vasquez at bay.  Vasquez tried to use movement to bother Harris but Harris effectively cut off the ring to limit the movement.  Harris won by scores of 60-54 (twice) and 59-55.  Harris is now 6-0, four KO's while Vasquez, who also went six rounds for the first time, is now 1-3.

Undefeated Forestville, MD super welterweight Alantez "SlyAza" Fox wasted no time in scoring a first-round knockout over Guillermo "Bald" Valdes of Miami, FL.  Fox landed a wicked left hand to Valdes's body to drop him to the canvas for the 10-count.  The bout was stopped at 1:28.  Fox is now 16-0-1, six KO's.  Valdes drops to 12-7, three KO's.

Fox's younger brother, Mykal "The Professor" Fox, put on a masterful performance of ring generalship as he won a six-round unanimous decision over Juan Carlos Castillo of Caguas, Puerto Rico.  Fox's side-to-side movement kept Castillo off-balance and allowed Fox to land his long right jab from all angles.  Fox dropped Castillo twice and went on to win by scores of 60-52 (twice) and 60-53.  Fox is now 7-0, two KO's while Castillo drops to 4-3, three KO's.

District Heights, MD super featherweight Renaldo "Misunderstood" Gaines captured a six-round majority decision over a very game Stephon McIntyre of Atlanta, GA.    The two boxers battled evenly throughout the contest.  Gaines managed to land the crisper blows and get the decision.  Judge Wayne Smith saw the bout as a draw, 57-57 while judges Lloyd Scaife and Manuel Vicens saw the bout 58-56 for Gaines, who raised his record to 7-2, one KO while McIntyre is 2-9-2.

Also on the card, Leesburg, VA lightweight Eric "El Torito" Hernandez got his first pro knockout in his second pro contest as he stopped Fernando Serrano, Jr. of Garden City, KS at the end of the second round.

The knockout came with controversy as Hernandez landed a right hand to the head, a left to the body and a right to the head in succession.  The body shot was the punch in question as it looked like (and the Serrano camp complained that) the punch landed below the belt.  As Serrano was reeling from the body blow, Hernandez landed the third punch.  Referee Malik Waleed called the knockdown and started his count.  Serrano could not get up before the count of 10 and the bout ended at the three-minute mark of the contest.

Hernandez, fighting for the second time in less than a month, is now 2-0, one KO while Serrano, Jr. is 1-5, one KO.

Undefeated Fort Washington, MD cruiserweight "The Golden Goat" Albi Sadikaj scored a first-round knockout of Santos Martinez of Adrian, MI.  Sadikaj, a native of Albania, used a crushing right hand to the body to put Martinez down for the count at 2:30.  Sadikaj is 4-0, four KO's while Martinez is 2-9-1, two KO's.

The body shot was also the weapon of choice for super middleweight Devar "The Warrior" Ferhadi of Frederick, MD by way of Kurdistan.  Ferhadi crushed Julio Garcia of Rincon, Puerto Rico with his body shot at 54 seconds of the first round.  Garcia tried to make the contest a battle of body shots but Ferhadi's right to the body sent Garcia crumpling to the canvas and almost out of the ring.  Ferhadi's record rises to 5-0, four KO's.  Garcia is now 6-10, three KO's.

The opening contest saw junior middleweight Shynggyskhan Tazhibay of Rockville, MD by way of Kazakhstan win his pro debut with a first-round TKO over Brad Sustad of Courtland, NY.  Tazhibay used his defense to set up his very accurate offense as he dropped Courtland three times before the bout was stopped at 1:36.  Sustad's record is now 0-3.


Here is the Post-Fight Wrap-Up of the card.  We had issues with the WiFi throughout the evening so there may be some gaps in the podcast.

Douglas Dominates Szili En Route To Third-Round TKO!

Antoine "Action" Douglas was in complete control as he scored a very impressive third-round TKO over previously undefeated Istvan Szili of Basel, Switzerland at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, PA.

Douglas was dominant in front of the nationally-televised (ShoBox) audience as he avoided the straight-forward style of Szili in the first round with good defense.  In the second, Douglas turned up the heat with solid shots to the face that dropped Szili for the first time in his career late in the round.  The bout ended with another Douglas knockdown of Szili at 29 seconds of the third round.  Douglas captured his third regional title -- the IBO Intercontinental Middleweight title.

This was Douglas's fourth appearance on ShoBox and he is 3-0-1, two KO's.  The win was Douglas's second straight against a previously undefeated boxer. Douglas remains undefeated at 18-0-1, 12 KO's while Szili is now 18-1-2, eight KO's.

Odom Stopped In Third Round In Bethlehem, PA!

Tough start to the weekend for Beltway Boxers Friday at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, PA.  Bowie, MD super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom suffered a third-round TKO against Samuel "The Main Event" Clarkson of Cedar Hill, TX in front of a nationally-televised (Showtime) audience.

Odom got off to a good start in the contest as he went successfully to Clarkson's body in the first round.  However, Clarkson turned the tide late in the second and caught Odom with a vicious right uppercut that sent Odom to the canvas for the first time in his pro career.

Odom never recovered from the first knockdown as Clarkson dropped him twice more in the third round before the bout was stopped at 1:15.

This is Odom's second loss in his last three contests, although this loss is a lot more devastating.  Odom is now 13-2, 12 KO's.  Clarkson has now won five in a row and raises his record to 15-3, nine KO's.

Antoine Douglas will compete against Istvan Szili in the main event later tonight.

Weights From DC!

Here is the scale watch for the Keystone Boxing card at the Sphinx Club in Washington, DC:

Marq Johns 123 vs. Karl Garcia-Rios 124

Patrick Harris 136 vs. Rafael Vasquez 136

Alantez Fox 157 vs. Guillermo Valdez 153

Renaldo Gaines 127 vs. Stephon McIntyre 127

Eric Hernandez 136 vs. Fernando Serrano, Jr. 139

Albi Sadikaj 199 vs. Santos Martinez 196

Mykal Fox 138 vs. Juan Carlos Castillo 140

Devar Ferhadi 170 vs. Julio Angel Garcia 167

Shynggyskhan Tazhibay 147 vs. Bradley Sustad 148

If you can't make it to the Sphinx Club, join us live with the blow-by-blow call beginning at 7:55 ET by downloading the free Boxing Along The Beltway Google App For Android!

'Tank' Davis Forms Connection With 'Money' Mayweather!

One of the best prospects from the Beltway region has formed a bond with one of the best boxers of this generation.

Undefeated Baltimore, MD featherweight Gervonta "Tank" Davis has been traveling with pound-for-pound king Floyd "Money" Mayweather throughout the month and is training with Mayweather in Las Vegas, NV as Mayweather prepares for his proposed contest on September 12 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.  There are unconfirmed reports that Davis (11-0, 10 KO's) will compete on that card.

Davis accompanied Mayweather on trips to New York City, Washington, D.C., Miami, St. Louis, and Kansas City. He traveled on Floyd's private jet, participated in Mayweather's public appearances, observed his business dealings, and took a ride with him on his yacht.

Davis is, obviously, ecstatic about this situation in his career.

"Floyd has taken an interest in me because he believes that I can be the next big star in boxing, and he knows I've put in work to be ready for that next level,"  Davis said in a press release. "Having an opportunity to travel with The Money Team has been a dream come true. I grew up watching all Floyd's fights. He is a great teacher, and I'm learning a lot of positive things from him, especially about the business of boxing. He has built himself to be the richest athlete in sports. I feel truly blessed that he would want to give me advice that will help me in my career. He is the top boxer of my generation, both in and outside the ring. I'm going to listen to everything he says and share what I learn with the young fighters that come into the sport after me."

"This week, I was in a room with both Floyd and my manager, Al Haymon, and both are really excited about my future in boxing" Davis continued. "I had a conversation with Al, and he is very supportive of me and my goals. I will continue to work hard, and I'll be sure to keep everyone posted on my next fight and opponent when everything becomes official. My story is really big for my city of Baltimore, and proof that hard work can take you to the next level, no matter where you come from. I really appreciate all the supportive messages I've received on social media from everyone. Keep supporting me, and I'll fight for you."

All of this is wonderful news, says Davis's boxing trainer, Calvin Ford.

"Floyd’s involvement has been a great learning experience for Tank, and it is a huge story for the Baltimore City Parks and Recreation programs," Ford said. "Gervonta started boxing at Upton Boxing Gym on Pennsylvania Avenue, and to have him reach the highest level in his sport shows that this can happen to other kids if they put in the work, believe in what they are doing, and get support from their city. I can’t wait to see what’s coming next for Gervonta and Team Davis.”

Douglas,Odom Hit Scales In Bethlehem, PA!

Antoine Douglas and Jerry Odom weighed in Thursday for their nationally televised (Showtime) bouts tonight at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, PA.

(Photos by Rosie Cohe/Showtime)

Douglas (left) weighed in at the middleweight limit of 160 for his 10-round main event contest against Istvan Szili, who tipped the scales at 159.

Odom (left) came in at 168 while his opponent, Samuel Clarkson, weighed 172.

The telecast begins with Odom's bout at 10 PM ET.

'Action' Douglas Profiled On RingTV.Com!

There's a very nice article by Joseph Santoliquito of RingTV.com that profiles undefeated Burke, VA middleweight Antoine "Action"Douglas as he gets ready for his fourth appearance on Showtime's ShoBox on Friday, July 17 at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, PA.

The profile talks about Douglas's upbringing in Washington, DC and how that has motivated him throughout his boxing career and personal life.

Here is the link to the story:  http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/394483-antoine-douglas-looking-to-take-another-big-step-on-shobox

The Douglas-Istvan Szili contest will headline the ShoBox card at 10 PM ET.  Bowie, MD's "The King's Son" Jerry Odom will open the quadrupleheader card telecast with an eight-rounder against Samuel Clarkson of Cedar Hill, TX.

Douglas ShoBox Battle Now For Two Regional Titles!

The Friday, July 17 contest between undefeated boxers Antoine "Action" Douglas of Burke, VA and Frenkendorf, Switzerland's Istvan Szili will now be for two regional titles.  Both boxers will vie for the WBC Latino and IBO Intercontinental Middleweight title when they face each other at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, PA in front of a nationally-televised audience on Shobox on Showtime.

The broadcast begins at 10 PM ET with "The King's Son" Jerry Odom of Bowie, MD in an eight-round contest against Samuel Clarkson of Cedar Hill, TX.

A. Peterson Scores Sixth-Round TKO In Tampa!

Anthony Peterson scored a sixth-round TKO over Rameses Gil Saturday night at the Sun Dome in Tampa, FL.  Once again, here's my Fightnews.com colleague Christopher Cook from ringside:

The more experienced Peterson took the opening round, but found a willing opponent in the second, as Gil worked the left uppercut several times against him. A straight right by Peterson nearly knocked Gil out of the ring in the fourth, with the ropes saving him. Gil shook off the knockdown easily and was able to continue. Peterson took to the body in the sixth round, landing a hard right – left combo square to the midsection of Gil, dropping him to his knees. The referee waived off the bout at the 2:15 mark of the round, giving Peterson a TKO victory.

Peterson, in his first action in 11 months, is now 35-1, 23 KO's.  Gil, who lost to Mike Reed in the 2013 Beltway Boxing Bout of The Year in September of 2013, is now 8-12-5, five KO's.

Russell Wins Unanimous Decision In Tampa!

Capitol Heights, MD bantamweight Antonio Russell has won a four-round unanimous decision over a very game Jaxel Marrero tonight at the Sun Dome in Tampa, FL.  Here is the report from Christopher Cook of Fightnews.com:

Russell, looked crisp in the fight, utilizing a speed advantage to best Marrero. A game Marrero, who fought better than his record, withstood Russell’s best, and kept returning shots. The final round witnessed the best action, as both boxers traded nonstop for the final minute. All three judges saw the bout 40-36 for Russell.

Russell is now 3-0, two KO's.  Marrero, who lost a tough four-round unanimous decision to Marq Johns at the Washington Convention Center in January, is now 1-6-1.

Card Is Complete For July 18 At Sphinx Club!

The Keystone Boxing card that will be held on Saturday, July 18 at the Sphinx Club in Washington, DC is complete.

BATB already told you about the main event -- undefeated Fort Washington, MD super bantamweight "Monster" Marq Johns (8-0-1, five KO's) will battle Karl Garcia of Miami, FL by way of Bayamon, Puerto Rico (4-5-1, one KO) in a six-round battle.

There are now opponents for the Fox Brothers, who will be the first Beltway Brother duo to appear on the same card since Harold and Joshua Parker competed at the Washington Convention Center in August of 2012.

Alantez "SlyAza" Fox (15-0-1, five KO's) will take on Guillermo "Bald" Valdes of Miami, FL in a six-round contest.  Valdes (12-6, three KO's) will face a Beltway Boxer for the third straight time.  Valdes lost by fourth-round TKO to Dusty Hernandez Harrison in August of 2013 in Dover, DE.  Then, Valdes was knocked out in the first round by Tony Jeter in April of 2014 in Springfield, VA. Valdes has not fought since the loss to Jeter.

Younger brother Myke "The Professor" Fox (6-0, two KO's) will battle Juan Carlos Castillo of Caguas, Puerto Rico in another six-round encounter.  Castillo (4-2, three KO's) has won three straight bouts including a second-round stoppage of Aneudy Cordones on December 16 in the Dominican Republic.

Undefeated super lightweight Patrick Harris of Hyattsville, MD will be on the card in his first scheduled six-round bout when he takes on Rafael Vazquez of Bayamon, Puerto Rico.  Harris (5-0, four KO's) fought on the last Keystone card at the Sphinx Club on March 14 and scored a second-round knockout of Carlos Acevedo. Vazquez (1-2) will try to break a two-bout losing streak including a four-round unanimous decision loss to Luis Sedano on May 30 in Hollywood, CA.

District Heights, MD super featherweight Renaldo "Misunderstood" Gaines takes on Stephon McIntyre of Jonesboro, GA in what should be an interesting six-rounder.  Gaines (6-2, one KO) will make his six-round debut coming off his best performance as a pro, winning a four-round unanimous decision over Marquise Pierce on the March 14 Sphinx Club show.

In a weird subplot to this bout, Gaines recently had a brush with the law, according to the promoters, and, with permission of the authorities, will be competing in this bout while under house arrest.

McIntyre (2-8-2) has lost six in a row and is winless in his last 10 bouts. However, McIntyre seems to compete well in the Beltway region.  He was stopped in the third round in a competitive contest against Kevin Rivers, Jr. on January 17 at the Washington Convention Center, however he held both Marq Johns and Marcus Bates to draws in consecutive appearances in Fort Washington, MD in December of 2013 and January of 2014.

Fort Washington cruiserweight "The Golden Goat" Albi Sadikaj returns to action in a four-round bout against Santos Martinez of Adrian, MI.  Sadikaj, a native of Albania (3-0, three KO's), returned to action after an almost two-year absence and scored a second-round TKO of Jose Alexis Rivera Ayala on the March 14 card at the Sphinx Club.

Martinez (2-8-1, two KO's) makes his fourth straight trip to the Beltway and sixth overall.  Martinez lost a four-round unanimous decision to Kwame Ritter on March 20 in Woodlawn, MD.  Martinez has also lost to Beltway Boxers Larry Pryor, Travis Reeves and Mario Flores and fought to a draw with Devon Mosley.

Leesburg, VA lightweight Eric "El Torito" Hernandez returns quickly to action, less than a month after making his pro debut when he takes on Fernando Serrano of Garden City, KS in a four-rounder.  Hernandez (1-0) won his pro debut on June 20 in Woodlawn when he captured a four-round unanimous decision over Mason Wicket.  Serrano (1-4, one KO) is coming off a first-round knockout loss to David Escamilla on February 28 in Denver, CO.

Frederick, MD super middleweight Devar "Almuhaarb" Ferhadi returns to action with a four-round contest against Travis Davidson of Richmond, VA.  Ferhadi (4-0, three KO's) last fought on November 15 at the recently renamed Eagle Bank Arena (formerly the Patriot Center) in Fairfax, VA and stopped Jess Noriega in the third round.  Davidson (2-7, two KO's) lost a four-round unanimous decision to Raymond Terry on June 20 in Greensboro, NC.  Davidson lost to Brandon Quarles and Jeremy Trussell by knockout in previous Beltway appearances.

The card also marks the pro debut of Rockville, MD super welterweight Shynggyskhan Tazhibay who will take on Jasey Montalvo of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico (0-5)  Tazhibay won the 2015 Regional Golden Gloves in April of this year at 152 pounds but could not compete in the National Golden Gloves because the native of Kazakhstan was not a naturalized US citizen.

If you can't make the event in person, The Boxing Along The Beltway Google App for Android will have the blow-by-blow call of the card live beginning at 7:55 PM Eastern Time.

Peterson, Russell Hit Scales In Tampa, FL!

Anthony Peterson and Antonio Russell weighed in for their undercard bouts Saturday at the USF Sundome in Tampa, FL.

Peterson hit the scales at 138 pounds for his 10-round contest against Rameses Gil, who weighed 137.

Russell weighed 118 pounds for his scheduled six-round contest against Jaxel Marrero, who tipped the scales at 119 pounds.

Both these bouts are on the undercard of the Keith Thurman-Luis Collazo championship contest that will be shown on ESPN.  It looks like neither bout will be shown.

Results From Parkville!

Here are the results from the Hardwork Promotions card Thursday night at the Tall Cedars Hall in Parkville, MD:

Baltimore, MD cruiserweight Travis "Seveer" Reeves scored a sixth-round TKO over Samer Barakat of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  Reeves has now won seven straight contests and his record is 10-2-2, four KO's.  Barakat's record falls to 5-2, three KO's.

Kevin "The Scarecrow" Womack of Baltimore stopped Greensboro, NC's Tyeson Harrison at 1:56 of the first round.  Womack is now 7-5-3, five KO's while Harrison drops to 2-3, two KO's.

Damont Giddins of Salisbury, MD recovered from a second-round knockdown to register a fourth-round TKO over Travis McClaren of Danville, VA.  Giddens got the stoppage at 1:40 of the fourth. Giddens is now 2-1, two KO's while McClaren is 1-7, one KO.

Debuting Danny Walters of Rockville, MD lost a four-round unanimous decision to Shakeel Phinn of Brassard, Quebec, Canada. Walters lost by scores of 40-36 (twice) and 39-37.  Phinn improves to 2-1, one KO.

DC heavyweight Carlos "The DC Diamond Cutter" Black lost a four-round unanimous decision to Dennis Benson of Norfolk, VA. All three judges scored the bout 39-37.

Nicholas Rodriguez of Somerset, KY and Lancaster, PA's Arthur Parker IV battled to a four-round split-decision draw.  Both boxers got scores of 39-37 and one judge saw the draw at 38-38.  Rodriguez is now 0-2-1 while Parker is 1-13-2, one KO.

To get a full report on the card, visit Juan Marshall's ProAm Fight Talk by going to this link:  http://proamfighttalk.blogspot.com/2015/07/hardwork-promotions-card-highlighted.html

Dozier Drops Decision In New York!

Lenwood "Mr. Composure" Dozier lost an eight-round unanimous decision to Patrick Day Wednesday night at BB King's Blues Club and Grill in New York City.

According to Fightnews.com, Day’s jab was on point allowing for straight-right followup shots. He soon closed the distance and began to slow Dozier down with a focused attack to the body over the course of the action. As the bout progressed, Dozier’s punch output dwindled, with the exception of round six when he fought in a more spirited manner. Day continued to overpower Dozier in the closing frames to earn three scorecards of 80-72.

Dozier’s record is now 9-8-1, four KOs. Day's record rises to 11-1-1, six KOs.

Weights From Parkville!

Here is the scale watch from tonight's Hardwork Promotions card at the Tall Cedars Hall in Parkville, MD:

Travis Reeves 194 1/2 vs. Samer Barakat 193

Kevin Womack 154 vs. Tyeson Harrison 155 1/2

Damont Giddens 147 v. Travis McClaren 147

Carlos Black 224 1/2 v Dennis Benson 227 1/2

Danny Waters 169 1/2 v. Shakeel Phinn 174

Nicholas Rodriguez 125 1/2 v. Arthur Parker IV 131 1/2

The bout for Joel Young was scratched from the card.  Also, no opponent could be found for Devin Butcher.   The Womack-Harrison bout was a late addition to the card and means that Womack, of Baltimore stays busy.  Womack (6-5-3, four KO's) is competing for the fourth time in less than two months including a second-round TKO over James Gooding on June 20 in Woodlawn, MD.  Harrison, a native of Greensboro, NC (2-2, one KO) makes his third trip to the Beltway and second appearance at the Tall Cedars Hall.  Harrison lost by six-round knockout to Jeremy Trussell at Tall Cedars on April 23.

Once again, follow Juan Marshall at ProAm Fight Talk for complete coverage of this card.

Baltimore Times Profiles Hardwork Promotions!

The Baltimore Times has a nice profile on Beltway promotional company Hardwork Promotions as they prepare for their card on Thursday, July 9.

Writer Stacy M. Brown looks at the "triple threat" provided by promoter Venroy "Hardwork" July as he balances his work as a corporate lawyer, a boxer and a promoter.  July also talks about the 'Bring Your Boys" initiative that is a part of each promotion.

Here is the link to the article:  http://baltimoretimes-online.com/news/2015/jul/03/local-lawyer-boxer-focuses-father-son-relationship/

Due to a scheduling conflict (July 9 is my 21st wedding anniversary), I will not be able to attend this card.  However, my blogging partner, Juan Marshall and ProAm Fight Talk will have full coverage of this card.  Here is the link to his site:  http://proamfighttalk.blogspot.com/

Dozier Weighs 151 For Eight-Round New York Contest!

Lenwood Dozier weighed in at 151 pounds for his eight-round contest against Patrick Day on Wednesday, July 8 at BB King's Blues Club and Grill in New York City.  Day tipped the scales at 154 pounds.

Boxing Returns To Tall Cedars Hall July 9!

Beltway Boxing makes its second appearance at the Tall Cedars Hall in Parkville, MD on Thursday, July 9.

For the second time, Hardwork Promotions will feature Baltimore, MD cruiserweight Travis "Seveer" Reeves in the main event. Reeves will face Samer Barakat of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in the six-round contest.

Reeves (9-2-1, three KO's) has won his last six contests, including a six-round unanimous decision over Dan Biddle on the last Tall Cedars card on April 23.  Barakat (5-1, three KO's) bounced back from suffering his first pro loss in March by winning a four-round unanimous decision over Lyndon Chambers on May 9 in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Also on the card will be Beltsville, MD lightweight Joel Young who will take on Albert Mendoza of Fayetteville, AR in a four-round lightweight contest.  Both men fought in separate bouts on the April 23 Parkville card.  Young lost his pro debut by four-round unanimous decision to Drayvantay Speed-Rawls while Mendoza won his pro debut by third-round TKO over Nicholas Rodriguez.

Rodriguez (0-2), a featherweight from Somerset, KY, will take on Arthur Parker IV of Lancaster, PA in a four-round encounter.  Parker (1-13-1, one KO) is making his fourth straight trip to the Beltway region after suffering losses to Renaldo Gaines, Nuwan Jayakody and Maurice Adams, Jr.

Speed-Rawls is also slated to be on this card and is still looking for an opponent.  Speed-Rawls won his pro debut against Young.  Also scheduled to appear on the card is undefeated Baltimore middleweight Devin Butcher (4-0, two KO's) who scored a first-round knockout of Walter McCray on June 20 in Woodlawn, MD.

Ocean City, MD super welterweight Damont "Baby" Giddens returns to action in a four-round encounter against Travis McClaren of Virginia.  Giddens (1-1, one KO) returned to action after losing his pro debut in May of 2011 and scored a first-round knockout of Joseph McDonald on April 10 in Raleigh, NC.  McClaren (1-6, one KO) will look to bounce back from a four-round unanimous decision loss to Erik Spring on January 24 in Pennsauken, NJ.

In heavyweight action on the card, Rockville, MD's Carlos "The DC Diamond Cutter" Black will take on Norfolk, VA veteran Dennis Benson in a four-round bout.  Black (1-1, one KO) made his pro debut on the April 23 Parkville card and won a four-round unanimous decision against Lonnie Kornegay.  On May 8 in Newark, NJ, Black was stopped in the first round by George Arias.
Benson (1-6-1, one KO) fought Scott Buchanan to a four-round draw in May of 2014 at the Washington Convention Center.

Beltway Boxers Rankings Roundup!

From time to time, BATB takes a look at where some of our Beltway Boxers are rated by the four major governing bodies in the sport. These are the most recent rankings from all four of the websites.

WBA -- World Boxing Association

Cruiserweight -- Alex Guerrero (NABA Cruiserweight champ) #13

Middleweight -- Dominic Wade #12, Antoine Douglas #14, Tony Jeter #15

Female Welterweight -- Tori Nelson #2

Female Lightweight -- Jennifer Salinas #14

Female Flyweight -- Tyrieshia Douglas #11


WBC -- World Boxing Council

Featherweight -- Gary Russell, Jr. -- WBC World Champion

Heavyweight -- Tony Thompson (WBC Continental Americas champ) #11

Middleweight -- Tony Jeter (WBC Fecarbox champ) #11, Dominic Wade #14

Female Super Welterweight -- Tori Nelson #5

Female Super Featherweight -- Jennifer Salinas #15

Female Flyweight -- Tyrieshia Douglas #8


IBF -- International Boxing Federation

Light Heavyweight -- Thomas Williams, Jr. #11

Junior Welterweight -- Lamont Peterson #5

Lightweight -- Anthony Peterson #12

Female Welterweight -- Tori Nelson #1

Female Super Featherweight -- Jennifer Salinas #3

Female Flyweight -- Tyrieshia Douglas #4


WBO -- World Boxing Organization

Middleweight -- Tony Jeter #15

Welterweight -- Dusty Hernandez Harrison #14 

'Yes, Indeed' Reed Featured In Washington Post!

Very nice article in Friday's Washington Post on undefeated Waldorf, MD super lightweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed.   Gabe Hiatt looks at Reed's career and his family relationship.

The article can be found here:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/banging-on-the-door-waldorf-based-mike-yes-indeed-reed-is-ready-to-make-his-mark-on-the-boxing-world/2015/07/02/b41c6d00-1aac-11e5-bd7f-4611a60dd8e5_story.html?postshare=4381435863139618

'Mr. Composure' Dozier Heads To New York City July 8!

Suitland, MD super welterweight Lenwood "Mr. Composure" Dozier will be in action on Wednesday, July 8 at BB KIng's Blues Club and Grill as he faces Patrick Day of Freeport, NY in an eight-round co-feature contest.

Dozier (9-7-1, four KO's) has lost two straight contests to boxers with a combined won-loss record  of 24-1.  This is Dozier's first appearance in the ring since dropping a six-round unanimous decision to Prichard Colon on August 9 in Brooklyn, NY.

Day (10-1-1, six KO's) bounced back from suffering his first pro loss by scoring a first-round TKO of Colby Courter on April 10 in Brooklyn.  Day's first loss came at the hands of Beltway Boxer Alantez Fox on January 9 in Cabazon, CA.  Day dropped an eight-round majority decision on a nationally-televised (Shobox on Showtime) card.