Grayton Survives Knockdown To Stop Santos In Florida!

DC welterweight David "Day Day" Grayton bounced back from a first-round knockdown to stop Daniel Souza Santos of Sao Paulo, Brazil in the third round tonight at the Seminole Casino in Immokalee, FL.

According to Ross Molovinsky, who was onsite, Grayton's knee touched the canvas in the first round but he was not seriously hurt.  Grayton came back strong in the second round using a solid body attack to drop Santos.  The Brazilian could not answer the bell for the third round.

Grayton remains undefeated at 14-0, 10 KO's while Santos is 14-10, 11 KO's.

Speed-Rawls Scores First-Round Knockout In North Carolina!

Glenarden, MD lightweight Drayvontay Speed-Rawls scored a first-round knockout Saturday on a card at the Durham Armory in Durham, NC.

Speed-Rawls knocked out the debuting Charles Whitted of North Carolina.  Speed-Rawls remains undefeated with the win at 5-0-1, three KO's.

Grayton Weighs 146 For Eight-Rounder In Florida!

(Photo by Ross Molovinsky)

David Grayton (left) tipped the scales at 146 pounds for his eight-round contest against late sub Daniel Souza Santos of Sao Paolo, Brazil tonight at the Seminole Casino in Immokalee, FL.  Santos weighed in at 147 pounds.

Santos (14-9, 11 KO's) is coming off a seventh-round knockout loss to Fernando Guerrero on November 13 in Biloxi, MS.

Harrison Scores Third-Round TKO In Illinois!

Dusty Hernandez Harrison remained undefeated with a third-round stoppage of Angel Hernandez Friday night at the Belvedere in Elk Grove, IL.

The bout was stopped when Hernandez could not come out for the third round.  Harrison is now 29-0, 16 KO's while Hernandez is 17-17-1, 13 KO's.

Wade In Negotiations To Battle Golovkin In April!

ESPN.com's Dan Rafael is reporting that undefeated Largo, MD middleweight Dominic "Lights Out" Wade could be next in line to face one of the top boxers in the sport -- "Triple G" Gennady Golovkin.

Rafael points out that Golovkin, who holds the IBF and WBA middleweight titles and another of the best in the business -- Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, the WBC champion -- have decided they will not face each other in the bout most boxing fans want to see until September at the earliest.  So each boxer will take interim contests.

Golovkin, who has a bout slated for April 23 on HBO, did make an offer to face the WBO champion, Billy Joe Saunders.  However, Saunders is reportedly asking too much to make the bout happen.

So, Golovkin, whose goal is to unify all the middleweight titles, must make his mandatory IBF title defense, which was originally slated to be against the number one challenger -- Tureano Johnson of Georgia.  However, Johnson has a shoulder injury and will not be ready by April.   The IBF has decided to go down its rankings and -- since there is no number two contender (don't ask why) -- Wade is next in line as he is ranked third.

The IBF has told Rafael that Wade has accepted the mandatory position and negotiations are underway.  Wade (18-0, 12 KO's) is coming off the biggest win of his career, a 10-round split decision over former world champion Sam Soliman on June 26 in Shelton, WA.

Rafael mentions another interesting aspect of this story -- Wade is one of the many Beltway Boxers either advised or managed by Al Haymon.  HBO Sports's former president Ken Hershman banned all Haymon boxers from the network two years ago.  Hershman's second-in-command, Peter Nelson, now runs HBO Sports and all indications point to a Golovkin-Wade bout taking place on the network.

Golden Boy Slated To Bring Nationally-Televised Card To DC Armory March 5!

There has been no official announcement on this, however, BATB has learned from a number of sources that there will be a Golden Boy Promotions card coming to the DC Armory on Saturday, March 5.

The sources are boxers who are slated to appear on the card, including undefeated lightweight Lamont Roach, Jr., who along with fellow Golden Boy boxers D'Mitrius "Big Meech" Ballard and Kevin "K-Smoove" Rivers, Jr., are making up part of the local portion of the card.

Also talking about this card on social media is Las Vegas, NV welterweight Jessie Vargas, who is scheduled to be in one of the featured bouts on the card battling Sadam "World Kid" Ali of Brooklyn, NY for the vacant WBO Welterweight title.  Vargas posted on his Instagram page that the bout is a done deal.

BATB has learned that Vargas was offered the Ali bout a year ago but turned it down because the bout was slated to take place in New York.  DC ended up being a compromise of sort.

The other featured contest is scheduled to be a bout for the interim WBA Heavyweight title that will include the champion, Luis Ortiz of Miami, FL by way of Cuba against an opponent to be determined.  The two feature bouts are slated to make up an  HBO Boxing After Dark telecast.

More on this card as information comes in.

Beltway Boxers Prepare For February Travel!

February will see a number of Beltway Boxers hitting the road for some key bouts.  Here is the schedule of what we have so far:

On Tuesday, February 9, DC rookie featherweight Jordan "Shortdog" White will be in a four-round contest against veteran Manuel "El Terco" Rubalcava of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center in Bethlehem, PA.  White (1-0, one KO) needed just 20 seconds to win his pro debut on December 8 over Jose Roman in Trenton, NJ.  Rubalcava (2-15) faces a Beltway Boxer for the second straight time, losing by second round knockout to Antonio Russell on September 12 in Mashantucket, CT.

Saturday, February 13 sees Frederick, MD light heavyweight Larry "Hitman" Pryor competing in an eight-round contest against undefeated Aaron Quattrocchi of Follansbee, WVA at the Mountaineer Casino and Racetrack in Chester, WVA.  Pryor (9-12, five KO's) lost a six-round unanimous decision to Stivens Bujaj on January 16 at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.  Quattrocchi, the West Virginia State Light Heavyweight champion (8-0-1, four KO's) defended that title in his last outing in a rematch against Mike Snider on December 11 and won a 10-round unanimous decision.

On Friday, February 19, Bowie, MD super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom will be in a nationally-televised eight-round contest against undefeated Ronald Ellis of Lynn, MA at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. The bout will be shown on Showtime's ShoBox telecast.  Odom (13-2, 12 KO's) looks to bounce back from his last contest -- a third-round TKO loss to Samuel Clarkson on July 17 in Bethlehem, PA.  This will be Odom's fifth straight appearance on Showtime.  Ellis (12-0, 10 KO's) is coming off a second-round TKO over Jas Phipps on August 29 in Inglewood, CA. Ellis has knocked out his last four opponents but Odom will be the most successful foe Ellis has faced in his career.

Two Beltway Boxers will be involved in a card at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday, February 27.  Undefeated Waldorf, MD super lightweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed makes his second trip to the Big Apple as he takes on Marco Antonio "El Kua Kua" Lopez of San Luis Potosi, Mexico in an eight-round contest.  Reed (17-0, 10 KO's) scored a seventh-round TKO over Rondale Hubbert on November 7 in Las Vegas, NV.  The last time Reed was in New York, he won an eight-round unanimous decision over Luis Joel Gonzalez on June 13.  Lopez (24-8, 15 KO's) will be looking to break a three-bout losing streak.  In his last bout, Lopez lost a six-round unanimous decision to Clarence Booth on August 1 in Frisco, TX.

Also on the card, Emmanuel "Tranzformer" Taylor of Edgewood Arsenal, MD will be in an eight-round super lightweight contest against veteran Wilfredo "El Zurdo" Acuna of Managua, Nicaragua.  Taylor (18-4, 12 KO's)  has lost two straight and three of his last four, all to quality opposition.  Taylor will try to regroup after a 10-round unanimous decision loss to Antonio Orozco on May 15 in Phoenix, AZ.  Acuna (16-18, 12 KO's) broke a five-bout losing streak by winning a four-round unanimous decision to previously undefeated Wilkens Santiago on November 25 in Erie, PA.  One of the five losses in that streak came against Dusty Hernandez Harrison.  Acuna lost an eight-round unanimous decision to Harrison at Madison Square Garden in July of 2014.

Both the Reed and Taylor bouts will be on the undercard of Terence Crawford's WBO title defense against Hank Lundy.

Russell Drops Decision In World Series Of Boxing Debut!

Capitol Heights, MD light welterweight and 2016 United States Olympian Gary Antuanne Russell received his first taste of elite international competition Thursday night as he made his World Series of Boxing debut at the Miccosukee Sports and Entertainment Dome in Miccosukee, FL.

Unfortunately, Russell lost a 3-0 decision to Pat McCormack of Great Britain and his USA Knockouts team fell to the British Lionhearts three bouts to two.  Russell fought very well in going five rounds.  However, McCormack was a solid counter puncher and that ability may have been the difference in the judge's scoring.  McCormack won by scores of 48-47, 49-46 and 49-45.

Russell now heads to the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO for the first day of training camp on Sunday.

Grayton Travels To Florida For Eight-Round Contest January 31!

Undefeated Washington, DC welterweight David "Day-Day" Grayton returns to action on Sunday, January 31 for an eight-round bout against Jeremiah Wiggins of Newport News, VA at the Seminole Casino in Immokalee, FL.

Grayton (13-0, nine KO's) last fought on October 17 and won an eight-round unanimous decision over Martin Wright at the Eagle Bank Arena in Fairfax, VA.  Wiggins (10-5-1, three KO's) has had difficulties since stepping up in competition. After winning 10 of his first 11 bouts (10-0-1) Wiggins is in the midst of a five-bout losing streak to boxers with a combined won-loss record of 54-1-1.

The bout will be part of a card that will be televised on Bounce TV.  No word yet on whether the bout will make the telecast.

Barnett Returns In Eight-Round Contest Against Attah February 27 In DC!

DC lightweight Ty Barnett returns to action in an eight-round main event bout against former world title challenger Daniel "The Prophet" Attah of DC on Saturday, February 27 at the Washington Convention Center.

Barnett (22-4-1, 14 KO's) has not fought since suffering a ninth-round TKO loss to Cosme Rivera on May 31, 2014 at the Washington Convention Center.  Attah (28-21-1, 11 KO's) will be looking to break an eight-bout losing streak including a fourth-round stoppage loss to Ayaz Hussain on December 4 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

This King's Promotions card will feature a number of Beltway Boxers including Demond "D Best At It" Nicholson (15-1, 15 KO's), Mykal "The Professor" Fox (8-0, two KO's), "The Golden Goat" Albi Sadikaj (4-0, four KO's), "The Vanilla Gorilla" Sam Crossed (1-0, one KO), Luther "Lights Out" Smith (3-0, three KO's) and the returning Antonio "Teflon" Magruder (3-0, two KO's).

Also appearing on the card will be Hudsonville, MI cruiserweight Jordan Shimmell (19-1, 16 KO's) in a scheduled 10-round encounter.  More on this card as it develops.

Harrison Returns With Eight-Round Contest January 29 In Illinois!

Undefeated DC welterweight Dusty Hernandez Harrison returns to action with an eight-round encounter against Angel Hernandez of Gary, Indiana on Friday, January 29 at The Belvedere in Elk Grove, IL.

Harrison (28-0, 15 KO's) is coming off a first-round knockout of James Wayka on September 26 in Norfolk, VA.  Hernandez (17-16-1, 13 KO's) broke a five-bout winless streak with a four-round unanimous decision over Sam Gibson on October 17 in Hammond, IN.

Beltway Boxers Receive Exceptional Press!

Two Beltway Boxers have received notable mainstream media press in the past few weeks.

Undefeated Baltimore, MD super featherweight Gervonta "Tank" Davis is the cover story of the latest issue of Press Box magazine.  The story is written by Bill Ordine and it is a great one that talks about Davis's road to his current status as one of the rising prospects in the sport.

The story is also available online by going to this link: http://www.pressboxonline.com/2016/01/13/baltimore-boxer-gervonta-davis-journey-to-glory

In the current issue (March 2016) of The Ring, the Women's Boxing section profiles DC flyweight Tyrieshia "Lady Tyga" Douglas.  Thomas Gerbasi focuses on the bright future for the multi-time titleholder in the article.  Unfortunately, the article is not available online.

Kelly Drops Unanimous Decision To Kownacki In Brooklyn!

DC heavyweight Danny "Smooth" Kelly lost an eight-round unanimous decision to undefeated Adam Kownacki of Brooklyn, NY by way of Poland on the Deontay Wilder-Artur Szipilka card at the Barclays Center on January 16 in Brooklyn.

According to Fightnews.com reporters Matt Richardson and Arvin Nundloll, Kelly was not knocked down but his right eye was swollen almost completely shut by the end of the contest.  Kownacki won the bout by scores of 80-72 (twice) and 79-73.

Kelly is now 9-2-1, eight KO's.  Kownacki is 13-0, 10 KO's.

Results From Springfield, VA Card!

Here are the results from the Jeter Promotions card held January 16 at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA -- a card that featured boxers that represented 12 states and the District of Columbia and six countries.

Gaithersburg, MD welterweight Gerome "GQ" Quigley successfully defended his Virginia State Welterweight title with a second-round TKO of Dwayne "Diesel" Shelton of Bumpass, VA.

Quigley broke down Shelton early in the contest leading to two right hands in the second that dropped Shelton twice.  The bout ended at 1:58.  Quigley remains undefeated at 12-0, 11 KO's while Shelton falls to 2-2-1.

Springfield junior middleweight Edgar "The Tiger" Torres captured a four-round unanimous decision over Henry Mercer of Tarboro, NC.  Torres, originally from Mexico, was in control throughout the contest and won by shutout (40-36) on all three judge's cards.  Torres is now 8-0-1, four KO's while Mercer is 1-4, one KO.

Dodie Boy Penalosa, Jr. a native of the Philippines who is now competing out of Rockville, MD, used a number of solid body shots to stop Szilveszter Ajtai of Hungary in the first round of a Bantamweight contest.  The time of the stoppage was 2:22.  Penalosa is 18-0, 14 KO's while Ajtai falls to 4-2-1, two KO's.

Undefeated Silver Spring, MD bantamweight Alexandru "Spartan" Marin stopped Robert Kanalas of Hungary in the second round.  After a slow first round, Marin set up a crushing straight right hand that dropped Kanalas early in the second.  Kanalas was able to get up from the knockdown but was soon met with a crushing right uppercut that forced the stoppage of the bout.  Marin is now 10-0, seven KO's while Kanalas's record drops to 11-7, eight KO's.

Rockville, MD middleweight Francisco Bustos dropped Aloric Carson of Indianapolis, IN twice en route to a first-round TKO at 2:59.  Bustos sent Carson to the canvas in the first minute with a left hand.  Later in the round, a Bustos right hand knocked Carson to the canvas, stopping the contest. Bustos is now 3-0, two KO's while Carson is 0-10.

Glenarden, MD junior welterweight Drayvontay Speed-Rawls had to settle for a third-round technical draw with Jonathan "2 Gunz" Hernandez of Columbia, SC.  During the third, the two boxers clashed heads causing a gash over Hernandez's left eye.  The ringside doctor took a look at the cut and could not stop the bleeding and the bout was called off.  Rawls is now 4-0-1, two KO's while Hernandez is 2-3-2, two KO's.

Junior welterweight Cobia "The Soldier" Breedy of Clinton, MD needed just 35 seconds to stop Jonathon Gears of Wilson, NC.  Breedy caught Gears with a right hand to the body and dropped him.  Gears decided that was enough.  Breedy, a native of Barbados, is now 5-0, four KO's.  Gears is 0-2.

In other bouts on the card, undefeated Albuquerque, NM super welterweight Brian "La Bala" Mendoza scored a second-round TKO over debuting Francisco Isata of Silver Spring, MD.  Isata injured himself trying to throw a counter right hand Isata hurt his leg and could not continue.  The bout was stopped at 2:49.  Mendoza is now 12-0, eight KO's.

Cruiserweight Stivens "Superman" Bujaj of New York City won a six-round unanimous decision over Larry "Hitman" Pryor of Frederick, MD.  Bujai, a native of Albania, kept Pryor off balance throughout the contest.  Pryor landed some shots but not enough to be truly competitive.  Bujai won by scores of 59-55 (twice) and 60-54.  Bujai remains undefeated at 14-0-1, nine KO's while Pryor is 9-12, five KO's.

Chinese light heavyweight Meng "Cold Blood" Fenlong registered a first-round TKO over debuting Kenneth "Good To Go" Gaudreau of Sterling, VA.  Meng, now fighting out of New Jersey, landed solid head and body shots with both hands dropping Gaudreau late in the round.  Gaudreau could not beat the count and the stoppage came at 2:59.  Meng is now 6-0, four KO's.

Heavyweight "Brutal" Brendan Barrett of Little Egg Harbor, NJ scored a crushing second-round TKO over Marquis Benson of Indianapolis, IN.  Brendan continually found a home for his right hand, dropping Benson twice in the first round before completing the job at 1:16 of the second.  Barrett is now 3-0-1, three KO's.  Benson is 0-3.

Houston, TX super lightweight O'Shaquie "Ice Water" Foster bounced back from suffering his first pro loss with a fourth-round TKO of veteran Rynell Griffin of New Orleans, LA.  Foster showed masterful use of the body shot dropping Griffin twice in the first round and once in the fourth, forcing the stoppage at 2:13.  Foster, who was coming off an eight-round unanimous decision loss to Samuel Teah in November, is now 9-1, six KO's.  Griffin falls to 7-24, two KO's.

"The White Tiger" Dustin Fleischer of Monmouth Beach, NJ won a six-round unanimous decision over Lionel Jimenez of East Moline, IL. Fleischer was in control of the bout using solid shots to the head and body.  Fleischer, did have some issues with Jimenez's awkward style at times.  Fleischer won the bout by scores of 40-36 (twice) and 39-37.  Fleischer goes the distance for the first time in his young career as he raises his record to 6-0, five KO's.  Jimenez, who has never been knocked out in his career, is now 2-9, two KO's.

Debuting welterweight Carlos Sanchez of San Felipe, Mexico made a successful pro debut with a first-round stoppage of Joshua Hinnant of Wilson, NC.  Hinnant resembled Fred Sanford's battles with Aunt Esther in the old "Sanford and Son" series as he confronted Sanchez, who promptly hit Hinnant with left hands that caused the stoppage at 1:18.  Hinnant is now 0-6 and is yet to get out of the first round.

Jeter Promotions promoted the card with Tony Jeter also serving as matchmaker.  The ring announcer was "The Auctioneer" Brad Dudley.

Here is the complete podcast of the card including the Post-Fight Wrap-Up Show:

Jeter Promotions Card Is Complete!

Here is the complete Jeter Promotions card scheduled for tonight at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA:

Main Event -- six rounds for the Virginia State Welterweight title -- Gerome Quigley (11-0, 10 KO's -- Champion, Gaithersburg, MD) vs. Dwayne Shelton (2-1-1 -- Bumpass, VA)

Eight rounds -- Super Bantamweights -- Dodie Boy Penalosa, Jr. (17-0, 13 KO's, Rockville, MD) vs. Robert Kanalas (11-6, eight KO's, Királyegyháza, Hungary)

Eight rounds -- Super Featherweights -- Alexandru Marin (9-0, six KO's, Silver Spring, MD) vs. Szilveszter Ajtai (4-1-1, two KO's, Kiskunfelegyhaza, Hungary)

Six rounds -- Cruiserweights -- Stivens Bujai (13-0-1, nine KO's, New York, New York) vs. Larry Pryor (9-11, five KO's, Frederick, MD)

Six rounds -- Lightweights -- O'Shaquie Foster (8-1, five KO's, Houston, TX) vs. Rynell Griffin (7-23-2, two KO's, New Orleans, LA)

Four rounds -- Welterweights -- Edgar Torres (7-0-1, four KO's, Springfield, VA) vs. Henry Mercer (1-3, one KO, Tarboro, NC)

Four rounds -- Heavyweights -- Brendan Barrett (2-0-1, two KO's, Little Egg Harbor, NJ) vs. Marquis Benson (0-2, Indianapolis, IN)

Four rounds -- Middleweights -- Francisco Bustos (2-0, one KO, Rockville, MD) vs. Aloric Carson (0-9, Indianapolis, IN)

Four rounds -- Super Featherweights --  Cobia Breedy (4-0, three KO's, Clinton, MD) vs. Jonathan Gears (0-1, Wilson, NC)

Four rounds -- Super Lightweights -- Drayvontay Speed-Rawls (4-0, two KO's, Glenarden, MD) vs. Jonathan Hernandez (2-3-1, two KO's, Columbia, SC)

Four rounds -- Super Lightweights -- Carlos Sanchez (Pro Debut, California) vs. Joshua Hinnant (0-5, Wilson, NC)

Four rounds -- Super Welterweights -- Brian Mendoza (11-0, seven KO's, Albuquerque, NM) vs. Francisco Isata (Pro Debut, Maryland)

Four Rounds -- Super Featherweights -- Jairo Vargas Fernandez (4-0, three KO's, Mechanicsville, VA) vs. Brandon Ruffin (Pro Debut, North Carolina)

Four Rounds -- Light Heavyweights -- Fanlong Meng (5-0, three KO's, Chifeng, China) vs. Kenny Gaudreau (Pro Debut, Virginia)

Four Rounds -- Super Lightweights -- Dustin Fleischer (5-0, five KO's, Monmouth Beach, NJ) vs. Lionel Jimenez (2-8, two KO's, East Moline, IL)

If you can't make the card in person, join us live on The Boxing Along The Beltway Google App For Android at 7:30 PM ET.  Juan Marshall and I will open the broadcast by discussing our year-end awards.  You can also listen to the broadcast over our Spreaker.com channel https://www.spreaker.com/show/boxing_along_the_beltway and our IHeartRadio channel http://www.iheart.com/show/Boxing-Along-The-Beltway/

Kelly Weighs 232 For Eight-Round Bout In Brooklyn!

Danny Kelly tipped the scales at 232 pounds for his eight-round contest against Adam Kownacki on Saturday, January 16 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.  Kownacki weighed in at 252 pounds.

We have been told that the bout will be shown on the Showtime Extreme channel.  That telecast will begin at 7 PM ET.

More Bouts Announced For Springfield!

More bouts have been signed for the Saturday, January 16 Jeter Promotions card at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.

Undefeated super bantamweight Dodie Boy Penalosa, Jr., fighting out of Rockville, MD, will take on Robert "The Boss" Kanalas of Királyegyháza, Hungary.  Penalosa (17-0, 13 KO's) is coming off a second-round knockout of Johnny Frazier on December 12 in Fishers, IN.  Penalosa's father was a world champion as was his uncle, Gerry.  Kanalas (11-6, eight KO's) competes for the first time in the United States. . Kanalas looks to bounce back from a first-round knockout loss to Artem Dalakian on December 5 in Kiev, Ukraine for the WBA Continental Flyweight title.

Springfield, VA super welterweight Edgar "The Tiger" Torres looks to remain undefeated as he faces Henry Mercer of Tarboro, NC.  Torres (7-0-1, four KO's) fought on the last card at the ABC Sports Complex on November 14 and scored a second-round TKO over Aloric Carson.  Mercer (1-3, one KO) is coming off a fourth-round TKO loss to Armando Alvarez on July 25 in Fayetteville, NC.

Update On January 16 Card In Springfield!

The first Beltway Boxing card of 2016 is coming together.  The Jeter Promotions card that will take place on Saturday, January 16 at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA has some interesting matchups.

Undefeated Glenarden, MD lightweight Drayvontay Speed-Rawls will take on Jonathan "2 Gunz" Hernandez of Columbia, SC in a four-round bout.  Speed-Rawls (4-0, two KO's) has scored back-to-back first-round TKO's in his last two outings.  Hernandez (2-3-1, two KO's) is also coming off a knockout win in the first round in his last bout.

Rockville, MD middleweight Francisco Bustos will battle with Bobby Gaither of Hickory, NC in another four-rounder.  Bustos (2-0, one KO) won a four-round unanimous decision over Jovica Jovanovic on November 6 in Hessen, Germany.  Gaither (0-1) made his pro debut on the last card at the ABC Sports Complex, losing a four-round unanimous decision to Jerome Featherstone.

Silver Spring, MD super featherweight Alexandru Marin returns to action in a contest against Szilveszter Ajtai of Kiskunfelegyhaza, Hungary.  Marin (9-0, six KO's) scored a third-round TKO over Gabriel Braxton on December 11 in Wellsburg, WVA. Ajtai (4-1-1, two KO's) makes his United States debut in this contest and will try to bounce back from a second-round TKO loss to Mohammad Obbadi on November 27 in Toscana, Italy.

More bouts to be announced.

Malik Hawkins Signs With Greg Cohen Promotions!

Undefeated Baltimore, MD welterweight Malik "Iceman" Hawkins has signed a promotional agreement with Greg Cohen Promotions of New York.

Hawkins (5-0, four KO's) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision victory over Jose Valderrama on December 12th at Coppermine Du Burns Arena in Baltimore.

The former amateur standout says he is excited to join the GCP family which includes such names as former world champions Zab Judah and Austin Trout.

"I would like to thank GCP and Snappers Boxing Management for coming to terms for my boxing career," said Hawkins. "I look forward to becoming WORLD champion under the banner of GCP. This is a great day for boxing and to be a part of a great promotional company. GCP is phenomenal. This is my time. I know I'm young in the game, but I refuse to be derailed from my goals of being world champion. I also would like to thank Sarah Fina for acknowledging my talent, as well as my mentor, Mr. Roy Jones Jr. Thanks everyone and I will see you at the top!"

"Malik is one of the most highly coveted prospects in all of boxing and I'm ecstatic he's decided to work with GCP," said Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions. "I need to thank my Head of Operations, Sarah Fina, for all her hard work in making this happen. We intend to keep Malik busy and get him the right fights to help him become the world champion he is destined to be."

There is talk that Hawkins will make an appearance on a ShoBox card in February.

Beltway Sends Eighteen Boxers To National Silver Gloves!

Best wishes to the 18 boxers who will represent the Beltway region at the 2016 National Silver Gloves February 4-6 in Independence, MO.  All advanced by winning the recent Regional Silver Gloves held at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD last weekend.  Here is the list:

8-9 Years Old:

55 Pounds:  Cardius Johnson

70 Pounds:  Marcell Steele

90 Pounds: Jelani Hill

10-11 Years Old:

60 Pounds:  Kardan Chatman 

70 Pounds:  Richard Dodson

75 Pounds:  Lonzo Malcolm

80 Pounds:  Benjamin Johnson

12-13 Years Old:

65 Pounds: Jordan Roach

75 Pounds: Mekhi Phillips

80 Pounds: Raghaleak Bartee

90 Pounds: Tyreek Williams

100 Pounds:  Samuel Edmonds

119 Pounds:  Stacey Selby

14-15 Years Old:

112 Pounds: Chamar Flowers

125 Pounds:  Malik Warren

147 Pounds: Nasheed Smith

156 Pounds: Siete Shuler

165 Pounds: Lorenzo Simpson

Beltway News And Notes -- Brown Wins Silver in USA Nationals, Lockett Falls in Detroit, Update on January 16 Springfield Pro Card and Baltimore Amateur Card on January 28!

Since we devoted this past week to the Beltway Boxing Year-End awards, let's catch up on some news from the area.

Saturday night in Reno, NV, Upper Marlboro, MD amateur Kashif Muhammad Brown won a silver medal at the US Junior Open and Youth National tournament in Reno, NV. Brown lost a tough 2-1 decision to Nikita Ababiy of Brooklyn, NY in the 165-pound division.

We are also awaiting the complete list of the Beltway-area winners who will be heading to Independence, MO for the 2016 National Silver Gloves on February 4-6.  The regionals took place at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD this past weekend.

On the pro side, Takoma Park, MD heavyweight Willis "The Prophet" Lockett lost a six-round split decision to undefeated Ed Latimore of Pittsburgh, PA on Friday, January 8 at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in Royal Oak, MI.  Here is the report on the bout from Bob Ryder of Fightnews.com:

Latimore, a member of the Roc Nation stable, had to work hard to pull this one out. Latimore scored an early first round knockdown and the bout had the look of a short one. Lockett frustrated Latimore for the remainder of the fight however, as Latimore loaded up with big swings that left him a little winded and allowed Lockett just enough opportunity to survive and make it interesting. Latimore still seemed to be the clear winner after the six rounds but had to settle for a split decision victory as the scores were 60-53 x2 and 57-56 for Lockett.

Lockett is now 14-15-5, five KO’s while Latimore remains undefeated at 11-0, six KO's.

Coming up on Saturday, January 16 will be the Jeter Promotions card at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA and the main event for the bout has been signed.

Undefeated Gaithersburg, MD welterweight Gerome "GQ" Quigley will defend his Virginia State Welterweight title against Dwayne "Diesel" Shelton of Bumpass, VA in a six-round contest.

This will be the first bout for Quigley (11-0, 10 KO's) since winning the IBA Intercontinental Super Welterweight title with a first-round knockout of Vito Vendetta on November 6 in Hessen, Germany. Shelton (2-1-1) has not fought since battling to a four-round draw with Kendrick Walker in September of 2009 in Fairfax, VA.  Shelton has quality competition including a defeat of previously undefeated Mike Tiberi in November of 2008.  Shelton's only loss came via knockout to James Stevenson in April of 2009.

We should have the rest of the card later this week.  If you can't make the card, you can listen to the action live on the Boxing Along The Beltway Google App For Android or on the BATB pages on Spreaker.com or IHeartRadio.com .  We will be on the air at 7:30 PM ET as Juan Marshall and I will have a special pre-fight show devoted to the year-end awards. The action will begin sometime around 8 PM ET.

There will be an amateur boxing card at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD on Thursday, January 28.  Baltimore Boxing is promoting the "Super Brawl of Boxing" card.

The featured bout is an all-Baltimore showdown at 168 pounds between Donald Wallace of the Baltimore Boxing gym and Tyrell Boyd of the Upton Gym.   Wallace competed in the 2015 Olympic Trials Qualifier losing a tough decision to Shariff Rahman.  Boyd was a novice regional Golden Gloves champion in 2014.

Baltimore junior middleweight Joey Veazey of Baltimore Boxing will battle Club One's Andre Harris in a co-feature bout.  Also, former Stevenson University basketball player Stefon McCray of Baltimore Boxing will battle TJ Mottinger of the Main Street Gym in Salisbury, MD in a cruiserweight contest.  Baltimore Boxing heavyweight Brian Haneschlager will also be on the card.

Tickets are $25 for general admission, $35 for reserved seating ($350 for tables of 10) and $50 for VIP ($500 for a table of 10). Tickets to this first annual event are on sale now by calling 410-375-9175 or logging onto Baltimoreboxing.com.  The show begins at 8:15 PM.

The event will also raise awareness of the fight against colon cancer.  Members of the Colon Cancer Alliance will hand out pamphlets and speak to the crowd about this dreaded disease.

Beltway Boxing 2015 -- Boxer Of The Year!

We now come to the big award -- Beltway Boxer Of The Year!

As we said at the beginning of our Year-End Review, there were many local boxers who had wonderful years, accomplishing much in the advancement of their careers.

However, two boxers truly set the example of how to accomplish in this sport at its highest level.  One man reached the pinnacle of the sport by winning a world title.  The other had an exceptional year that put him at the precipice of winning a championship of his own.  There was no way to distinguish between the two as they both deserve to be the Boxer Of The Year.

The 2015 Beltway Boxers Of The Year are:

“Mr.” Gary Russell, Jr. (26-1, 15 KO’s), featherweight, WBC Featherweight champion, Capitol Heights, MD 

and 

Antoine “Action” Douglas (19-0-1, 13 KO’s), middleweight, WBA and WBO International Middleweight champion, Burke, VA

Going into 2015, Russell seemed very confident.  In December of 2014, Russell bounced back from losing a majority decision to Vasyl Lomachenko for the WBO Featherweight title with a sterling 10-round unanimous decision to Christopher Martin.  The win kept Russell in the conversation for a world title shot.

That opportunity finally came on March 28th in Las Vegas, NV in front of a nationally-televised audience on Showtime. Russell challenged Jhonny Gonzalez for his WBC Featherweight title.  This time, the 2008 United States Olympian left no doubt as he dominated Gonzalez dropping him once in the third and twice in the fourth.  The bout was stopped at 37 seconds of the fourth round.  The victory not only gained Russell the title but keeps him in the mainstream throughout the sport as well.  A scheduled defense in November fell through because Russell suffered an injury.  However, some great paydays should be forthcoming.

The same could possibly be said for Douglas, who put himself squarely in position to be one of the top contenders in the sport with three exceptional nationally-televised performances.  Two of Douglas’s opponents were undefeated before facing the boxer from Burke, VA, who became a fixture on Showtime’s ShoBox: The New Generation series.

Douglas began the year on March 13 with a sixth-round TKO over previously undefeated Thomas LaManna in Westbury, NY.  Istvan Szili made his first appearance in a United States ring and ran into the Douglas buzzsaw on July 17 in Bethlehem, PA.  Douglas stopped Szili in three rounds.  Douglas ended the year by winning an impressive fourth-round TKO on November 6 in Las Vegas.

The victories have put Douglas in the top 15 in the rankings of all four major governing bodies, including a number four ranking by the WBO.  Already, there is talk that Douglas will appear on a Showtime Championship Boxing telecast in the first quarter of 2016.

Honorable Mention (In Alphabetical Order):

Alantez “SlyAza” Fox (18-0-1, seven KO’s), middleweight, Forestville, MD

A very busy year for the older half of the Fox Twin Towers duo.  Alantez Fox competed five times in 2015, starting with an eight-round majority decision win over Patrick Day on a nationally-televised (Showtime) card on January 10 in Cabazon, CA.  Fox then scored a second-round TKO over Franklin Gonzalez on April 17 in Uncasville, CT.

Fox returned home for his next two bouts, knocking out Guillermo Valdes in the first round on July 18 in Washington DC and winning by fifth-round disqualification over Eric Mitchell on October 17 in Fairfax, VA.  Fox made his final appearance in Biloxi, MS on November 13 as he stopped Todd Manuel in four rounds.  2016 could be a pivotal year for Fox.

Lamont Peterson (34-3-1, 17 KO’s), welterweight, Washington, DC

Peterson had two marquee matchups in 2015 as he became one of the faces of the new Premier Boxing Champions series.  Both of Peterson’s contests were shown on NBC.  The former IBF Super Lightweight champion lost a tough 12-round majority decision to former WBC/WBA champion Danny Garcia on April 11 in Brooklyn, NY.

Then on October 17, Peterson headlined a card a the EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, VA and won a 12-round majority decision over previously undefeated 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist (Dominican Republic).  Peterson should be a solid factor in the welterweight division in 2016.

(photo courtesy of Top Rank Promotions)

Mike “Yes, Indeed” Reed (17-0, 10 KO’s), super lightweight, Waldorf, MD

The former Beltway Boxing Rookie and Prospect of the Year and Top Rank signee had a solid 2015, competing five times against increasingly tougher competition.  Reed started his year with his first local appearance in almost a year.  Reed scored a second-round TKO over Edgar Soto on March 14 in Washington, DC.  Reed returned to the road and stopped Osenohan Vasquez on May 8 in Newark, NJ.

On June 13, Reed made his first trip to the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City and won an eight-round unanimous decision over Luis Joel Gonzalez.  Reed finished his year with back-to-back appearances in Las Vegas.  On September 11, Reed stopped Antonio Canas in the fifth round.  Then on November 7, Reed scored a crushing seventh-round TKO over Rondale Hibbert on the Timothy Bradley-Brandon Rios undercard.  Reed has received a taste of what it is like to compete on major cards (he is slated to return to action on February 27 in Madison Square Garden on the Terrence Crawford-Hank Lundy card).  Time will tell if Reed will start to headline major cards in 2016.

“The Bolivian Queen” Jennifer Salinas (18-3, four KO’s), super featherweight, Manassas, VA

Salinas had a solid year in 2015 with three quality wins.  Salinas won the Universal Boxing Federation Super Featherweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Angel Gladney in a rematch on March 20 in Woodlawn, MD.  That bout was followed by an eight-round unanimous decision over Jasmine Clarkson on June 20 in Woodlawn.

Salinas made the first defense of her UBF title in the Beltway Boxing Bout Of The Year on November 12th in Cockeysville, MD.  Salinas won a 10-round unanimous decision over Melissa St. Vil.  Salinas has become a multi-media star especially in the Hispanic community over the past year yet she has been able to maintain a high level of consistency in the ring.   It will be interesting to see which side of her career takes the lead in 2016.

Dominic “Lights Out” Wade (18-0, 12 KO’s), middleweight, Largo, MD

Wade only had one bout in 2015 but his performance put him ever closer to a world title shot.  Wade won a 10-round split decision over former world champion Sam Soliman on June 26 in Shelton, WA.

Wade already was ranked in the top 15 by both the WBA and WBC before the Soliman bout.  However, the victory over Soliman placed him in the rankings of all four major governing bodies, including a number three ranking by the IBF.  There could be some major opportunities for Wade in 2016.

Previous Beltway Boxers of the Year:

2006: Eric Aiken
2007: Darnell Wilson
2008: Lamont Peterson/Joshua Snyder
2009: Fernando Guerrero
2010: Tim Coleman
2011: Lamont Peterson
2012: Tony Jeter
2013: Phil Jackson Benson/Tori Nelson
2014: Tori Nelson

That concludes our look back at 2015.  Thank you for all of your support as we look ahead to what could be a very pivotal 2016!

Beltway Boxing 2015 -- Card Of The Year!

There were a number of quality cards in 2015 where young Beltway Boxers were tested and crowds came out in large numbers.  One card, in particular, showcased a budding crop of locals in a relatively new location.

The 2015 Beltway Boxing Card Of The Year Took Place On:

July 18, Sphinx Club, Washington, DC -- Marq Johns vs. Karl Garcia-Rios, Patrick Harris vs. Rafael Vasquez, Alantez Fox vs. Guillermo Valdes, Mykal Fox vs. Juan Carlos Castillo

This Keystone Boxing card, the second at the Sphinx Club, saw an upset in the main event as previously undefeated Marq Johns lost a six-round unanimous decision to Karl Garcia-Rios.  Patrick Harris won his first six-round contest in a unanimous decision against Rafael Vasquez.  The Fox Brothers put on solid performances as Alantez scored a first-round knockout and Myke put on a great performance in winning a six-round unanimous decision, Renaldo Gaines won a tough six-round majority decision over the always-game Stephon McIntyre.  There were also knockout wins for Eric Hernandez, Albi Sadikaj, Devar Ferhadi and the debuting Shynggyskhan Tazhibay.

Honorable Mention (In Chronological Order):

January 17, Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC -- Demond Nicholson vs. Rahman Yusubov, Kevin Rivers, Jr. vs. Stephon McIntyre, Mykal Fox vs. Luis Rodriguez

The first local card of 2015 was a Keystone card that took place in front of a sellout crowd  and they witnessed some great performances.  Demond Nicholson bounced back from suffering his first pro loss by knocking out Rahman Yusubov in the main event.  Kevin Rivers, Jr. stopped Stephon McIntyre in the third round and Myke Fox won his first six-round contest in a unanimous decision over Luis Rodriguez.  Gerome Quigley scored a second-round knockout over a game Norman Allen.  Marq Johns won an early Bout of the Year candidate with a four-round unanimous decision over Jaxel Marrero and Renaldo Gaines won a four-round unanimous decision over Arthur Parker. Tyrone Wright and Maurice Adams, Jr. lost bouts on this card.

August 22, North Hall At Eastern Market, Washington, DC -- Gerome Quigley vs. Dontre King, Luther Smith vs. Schuyler Marshall, Drayvontay Speed-Rawls vs. Brian Raglin.

This card makes the list because it had some of the best storylines of the year.  It was actually a feat to get the Jeter Promotions/RBA Promotions card off at all as the ring arrived to the venue late.  The ring crew, to their credit, put the ring together in very short time.  Another storyline involved undefeated Gerome Quigley, who voluntarily took a rematch against the only man to go the distance against him, Dontre King.  Quigley knocked out King in the rematch in the second round.  Luther Smith had one of the quality knockouts of 2015, stopping Schuyler Marshall in the first round.  Drayvontay Speed-Rawls also had a first-round knockout over Brian Raglin.  Edgar Torres won a four-round unanimous decision over veteran Andre Baker and Stan Williamson scored a third-round TKO over Marquis Benson.  The card also saw quality performances from out-of-town boxers O’Shaquie Foster and Lavarn Harvell as well as an exhibition bout featuring Orazio Robinson, who returned to the ring after a long absence.

November 12, Martin’s Valley Mansion, Cockeysville, MD -- Jennifer Salinas vs. Melissa St. Vil, Tyrieshia Douglas vs. Nydia Feliciano, Joshua Davis vs. Justin Lopez

The Ponytail Promotions card took place at the Jonathan Ogden Foundation benefit card.  The 2015 Bout of the Year was on this card as Jennifer Salinas defeated Melissa St. Vil.  Tyrieshia Douglas won a 10-round unanimous decision over Nydia Feliciano to defend her UBF Bantamweight title.  Joshua Davis won a four-round unanimous decision over Justin Lopez.  In one of the more interesting stories of the year, Tallahassee, FL boxer Leonardo Kenon traveled 26 hours on a bus to participate on the card on short notice.  Kenon knocked out Chris Alexander of Norfolk, VA in the first round.

December 12, Coppermine Du Burns Arena, Baltimore, MD --Shariff Rahman vs. Alex Asbury, Travis Reeves vs. Anthony Caputo Smith, Stephon Morris vs. Cassanova Brooks

If there was an Event Of The Year, this card would win that award hands down.  The Shawstyle Promotions/Shabazz Brothers card took place in front of one of the biggest crowds in recent Du Burns boxing history -- a crowd that included the current mayor of Baltimore, the former mayor of Baltimore and a candidate who wants to be the next mayor of Baltimore.
The boxing was not bad, though.  The card included an exhibition bout featuring former undisputed World Heavyweight Champion and Beltway Boxing legend Hasim Rahman, who watched his son Shariff make his pro debut in the main event and gain a first-round TKO over Alex Asbury. Between Rahman and Stephon Morris, who stopped Cassanova Brooks in the second round, the card gave fans an early look at the Beltway rookie class of 2016.  Also, Travis Reeves stopped Anthony Caputo Smith in the first round and Malik Hawkins, Devin Butcher and Jerome Featherstone gained victories.

Previous Beltway Boxing Cards of the Year:

2006 -- December 9, George Mason University Patriot Center, Fairfax, VA (Jimmy Lange draws with Fontaine Cabell, Dean White defeats Dorin Spivey, JP Flaim of the Junkies loses against Jay Watts.)

2007 -- December 7, Pikesville National Guard Armory, Pikesville, MD (Tim Coleman draws with Martinus Clay, Jessie Nicklow defeats Anthony Little and John Mackey defeats Tony Cygan) and August 3, Rosecroft Raceway, Fort Washington, MD (Pro-Am card -- Horace Grant over Mujaheed Moore, Thomas Snow knocks out Markel Muhammad, Seth Mitchell [his only amateur loss] falls to Abodurin Akinyanju and Dusty Harrison also on the amateur portion.

2008 -- October 18, ABC Sports Arena, Springfield, VA (John Mackey wins over Jesse Williams, Darrell Martin over Andre Nichols)

2009 -- September 25, Shipley Arena, Westminster, MD (Mark Tucker wins USBO title, Tyrell Samuel over Gustavo Dailey)

2010 -- March 20, Du Burns Arena, Baltimore, MD (Jessie Nicklow over Scott Sigmon, James Stevenson over George Rivera)

2011 – December 10, Washington Convention Center, Washington DC (Lamont Peterson over Amir Khan for IBF/WBA Junior Welterweight title, Seth Mitchell over Timor Ibragimov)

2012 -- October 27, George Mason University Patriot Center, Fairfax, VA (Tony Jeter over Jimmy Lange, Brandon Quarles draws with John Mackey)

2013 -- September 7 at Rosecroft Raceway, Fort Washington, MD,  (Phil Jackson Benson vs. Scott Sigmon, Alantez Fox vs. Zain Shah, Mike Reed vs. Rameses Gil)

2014 -- July 18 at Rosecroft Raceway, Fort Washington, MD -- (Larry Recio vs. Grayson Blake, Demond Nicholson vs. Jess Noriega, Terron Grant vs. Jose Del Valle)

Tomorrow: Our Final Award -- The Beltway Boxing Boxer Of The Year!

Beltway Boxing 2015 -- Bout Of The Year!

Where there was a plethora of great knockouts in 2015, the same can’t be said for great bouts.  We had very few contests that weren’t knockouts or bouts where one boxer won a decision by a wide margin.

The choice in 2015 was a quality contest between two boxers who battled phone booth-style for ten grueling rounds.

The Beltway Boxing Bout Of The Year for 2015 is…

Jennifer Salinas 10-round unanimous decision over Melissa St. Vil, November 12, Martin’s Valley Mansion, Cockeysville, MD

This bout was the feature contest on the Jonathan Ogden Foundation benefit card and the bout turned heads to the ring and away from side conversations that normally take place at charity cards. The two ladies slugged it out for the 10-round duration.  St. Vil caught the early advantage by using her solid right hand.  However, Salinas started to take control midway through the contest as her straight left hand landed with consistency.  Both ladies suffered welts under the eyes as they clashed heads repeatedly.

Somehow, one judge saw the bout as an almost runaway for Salinas at 99-91.  However, the other two judges scored the bout deservedly much closer at 96-94.

Honorable Mention (In Chronological Order:)

Marq Johns four-round unanimous decision over Jaxel Marrero, January 17, Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC

This was a great bout that saw Johns win despite getting off to a slow start.  Marrero initiated the action in the first round,  landing some solid right hands.  Johns came back in the second using a strong left jab to set up his vicious overhand right.  Eventually,  Marrero's left eye started to close.  Marrero lost two points for holding and lost by identical scores of 39-35.

Drayvontay Speed-Rawls four-round split-decision over Joel Young, April 23, Tall Cedars Hall, Parkville, MD

Both debuting lightweights had their moments in this contest as they showed great movement and offensive skills.  Neither boxer, however, had a clear advantage. A very interesting bout with a lot of ebb and flow. Two judges scored the bout 39-38 and 39-37 for Speed-Rawls while another judge saw the bout for Young, 39-37.

Previous Beltway Boxing Bouts of the Year:

2006: Maxell Taylor six-round draw with Derek Ennis, March 9, Michael's Eighth Avenue, Glen Burnie, MD.

2007: John Mackey six-round unanimous decision over Tony Cygan, December 7, Pikesville, MD

2008: Juan Rodriguez TKO 3 over Benjamin Borteye, November 7, Show Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, MD

2009: Cory Cummings TKO 9 over Demetrius Davis, May 29, Du Burns Arena, Baltimore, MD

2010: Jessie Nicklow 10-round unanimous decision over Scott Sigmon, March 20, Du Burns Arena, Baltimore, MD/Nicklow 10-round draw with Julius Kennedy, September 17, Du Burns Arena/Sigmon 10-round unanimous decision over Kennedy, December 11, Pikesville National Guard Armory, Pikesville, MD.

2011:  Lamont Peterson 12-round split decision over Amir Khan, December 10, Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC

2012: Brandon Quarles D6 John Mackey, October 27, George Mason University Patriot Center (now Eagle Bank Arena), Fairfax, VA

2013: Mike Reed KO 6 over Rameses Gil, September 7, Rosecroft Raceway, Fort Washington, MD

2014: Tony Jeter 10 round majority decision over Jimmy Lange , November 15, George Mason University Patriot Center (now Eagle Bank Arena), Fairfax, VA

Tomorrow: The Beltway Boxing Card Of The Year!

Beltway Boxing 2015 -- Knockout Of The Year!

Once again, the Knockout Of The Year selection was the closest of the year.  Beltway Boxers provided a plethora of quality knockouts throughout the area.  As in previous years, the criteria for this award is:

1. The knockout must have been performed by a Beltway Boxer.

2. The knockout must have taken place in a Beltway location.

This year’s winner was a crushing shot that signaled the start of a turnaround of a boxer’s career.

The Beltway Boxing Knockout Of The Year for 2015 is:

Travis Reeves TKO 6 over Samer Barakat, July 9, Tall Cedars Hall, Parkville, MD

Reeves had to work hard to gain this knockout.  The somewhat-awkward Barakat pressured Reeves enough early in the bout to avoid Reeves’s favorite shot, the looping right hand.  The problem for Barakat was his inability to provide any challenging offense.   This allowed Reeves to continue to figure out how to land his favorite punch.

Late in the fifth round, Reeves finally figured out how to land the overhand right, hurting Barakat with it as the bell rang. Finally in the sixth round, Reeves crumpled Barakat with another brutal overhand right that dropped him in a heap in a neutral corner.  The bout was stopped at 1:15.  Barakat was carted out of the ring and had to seek treatment at a local hospital.  Barakat recovered fully from his injuries.

Honorable Mention (In Chronological Order):

Zarifbek Nishanbaev third-round KO over Norman Allen, June 6, ABC Sports Complex, Springfield, VA

In just his second pro bout, “The Uzbek Warrior” faced off against the veteran “Shadow” Allen. Nishanbaev went on the offensive early and tried to swarm Allen with rights and lefts.  Nishanbaev trapped Allen against the ropes repeatedly, trying to land power punches.  Nishanbaev sent Allen to the canvas with a straight right hand early in the second round but Allen managed to weather the storm for the rest of the round.

In the third round, Nishanbaev landed a brutal counter right hand that drove Allen to the canvas.  The bout was stopped at 44 seconds.

Devin Butcher first-round KO over Walter McCray -- June 20, Martin’s West, Woodlawn, MD

After pressuring his opponent from the opening bell, Butcher stopped McCray with a crushing right hand that sent McCray crashing to the canvas and his mouthpiece flying over toward the BATB location at ringside.  The bout was over at 55 seconds.

Luther Smith first-round KO over Schuyler Marshall -- August 22, North Hall At Eastern Market, Washington, DC

Smith has become a very popular boxer in his first year of competition as he scored first-round knockouts in his first three pro contests.  His most devastating KO was this one against Marshall in front of a very partisan crowd.  Smith landed a brutal left-right combination that sent Marshall toppling backwards to the canvas.  Marshall tried to get up but could not do it before the bout was stopped at 39 seconds.

Stephon Morris second-round KO over Cassanova Brooks -- December 12, Coppermine Du Burns Arena, Baltimore, MD

In his pro debut, Morris used a brutal counter right hand to knock out Cassanova Brooks in the second round.  After a relatively-even first round, Morris caught Brooks with the counter hand that made Brooks crumple to the canvas. The bout was over at 28 seconds as Brooks could not beat the count.

Previous BATB Knockouts of the Year:

2006: Jed Phipps KO1 over David Cleage -- January 20, Pikesville Armory, Pikesville, MD.

2007: Elias Bouloubassis KO1 over Vincent Robbins -- March 10, Pikesville Armory, Pikesville, MD.

2008: Seth Mitchell TKO2 over Alexis Cruz Medina -- May 29, Michael's Eighth Avenue, Glen Burnie, MD.

2009: Tony Jeter KO1 over Keith Gross -- September 26, George Mason University Patriot Center, Fairfax, VA.

2010: Jimmy Lange KO 10 over Joe Wyatt -- November 6, George Mason University Patriot Center, Fairfax, VA.

2011: Kevin Womack KO4 over Benjamin Olinga, November 19, Show Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, MD

2012: Kevin Rivers KO1 over Bobby Wooten, November 3, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC

2013: Jarrett Hurd KO2 over George Armenta, December 6, Rosecroft Raceway, Fort Washington, MD

2014: Marq Johns TKO 2 over Luis Hernandez, July 18, Rosecroft Raceway, Fort Washington, MD

Tomorrow: The Beltway Boxing Bout Of The Year!

Beltway Boxing 2015 -- Prospect Of The Year!

Many Beltway Boxers made solid progress throughout 2015.  The majority of our top prospects moved from boxing in local club shows to appearing on cards that were seen by national and international audiences.

However, one prospect became the Webster’s Dictionary-style definition of moving from the prospect level to a level where boxers, boxing fans and media will have to look out for him in the coming year.

The Beltway Boxing Prospect Of The Year for 2015 is…

“Swift” Jarrett Hurd (17-0, 11 KO’s), super welterweight, Accokeek, MD

The Al Haymon-signee only had three bouts in 2015 but all three were quality contests.  Hurd started the year with a third-round TKO of veteran Eric Mitchell on April 18 in Valley Forge, PA.  The bout was Hurd’s first scheduled eight-round contest.  Hurd’s next opponent, Jeff Lentz, raised some eyebrows on August 14 in Newark, NJ because, although Lentz was undefeated as a boxer, he only had five contests compared to 15 for Hurd (Lentz was also, however, a talented MMA fighter).  Hurd dominated the contest, stopping Lentz in the seventh round.

However, Hurd saved his best performance of 2015 for the last one of his year.  In front of a nationally-televised (Showtime) audience, Hurd faced fellow undefeated boxer Frank Galarza on November 14 in Las Vegas, NV.  Hurd, participating in his first nationally-televised contest, did not let the bright lights blind him as he knocked down the heavily-favored Galarza in the fourth  round, punished Galarza in the fifth and put him away in the sixth as Galarza turned away from Hurd to avoid further punishment, stopping the contest.

The Galarza win gave Hurd instant notoriety and a number 11 ranking by the WBA.  Hurd's entire year became the blueprint of what a prospect wants to do with his career.  A remarkable year, indeed.

Honorable Mention (In Alphabetical Order):

D’Mitrius “Big Meech” Ballard (11-0, 1NC, seven KO’s), super middleweight, Temple Hills, MD

Ballard continued his busy career with four bouts in 2015, facing tougher competition along the way.  Three of Ballard’s four victories came against opponents with double-digit victories and Ballard won all three by unanimous decision.

On March 12, Ballard stopped Jason Zabokrtsky in the first round in San Antonio, TX.  On June 30 in Philadelphia, PA, Ballard captured a six-round unanimous decision over Josue Ovando in front of a nationally-televised audience.  That win was followed by another six-round victory over Juan Carlos Rojas on October 3 in Carson, CA.  Ballard ended his year with a shutout six-round win over Fabiano Pena on December 19 in Verona, NY.  Ballard’s progress continues to be steady and he could have a big year in 2016.

Gervonta “Tank” Davis (14-0, 13 KO’s), super featherweight, Baltimore, MD

Davis made this category a close race for two reasons:  One: his performances in 2015 and Two: his affiliation with recently-retired pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather, Jr.  Davis scored five knockouts and was the only Beltway prospect on this year’s list to venture into scheduled 10-round contests.

Davis began 2015 with a first-round knockout over Israel Suarez in Pittsburgh, PA on February 20 and followed that win with another first-round stoppage of Alberto Mora on May 22 in Atlantic City, NJ.  On September 12, Davis competed on Mayweather’s final bout in Las Vegas, NV and scored another first-round knockout over Recky Dulay.  For the rest of the year, Mayweather took a vested interest in Davis and placed him in two high-profile, nationally-televised contests against increasingly tougher competition.  Davis flourished in both bouts, scoring a third-round TKO over former world champion Cristobal Cruz on October 30 in Orlando, FL followed by a ninth-round stoppage of Luis Sanchez in Las Vegas on December 18.  Davis should be a factor in the super featherweight division in 2016.

Mykal “The Professor” Fox (8-0, two KO’s), lightweight, Forestville, MD

The 20-year-old lightweight moved up into the six-round bout category in just his second year of pro competition.  On January 17, Fox won a unanimous decision over Luis Rodriguez in Washington, DC.  Fox fought twice more in the Nation’s Capitol scoring a first-round TKO over Thomas DeLeon on March 14 and winning a six-round unanimous decision over Juan Carlos Castillo on July 18.  Along the way, Fox signed a promotional contract with King’s Promotions.

Fox took a nice step in competition in his last bout of 2015 and put on his best performance of the year.  Fox won a shutout six-round unanimous decision over 24-bout veteran Adam Mate on December 4 in Fort Washington, MD.  Do not be surprised if Fox makes fewer and fewer appearances in the Beltway in 2016 as he starts to make waves in the lightweight division.

Travis “Seveer” Reeves (11-2-1, five KO’s), cruiserweight, Baltimore, MD

In 2015, Reeves proved to be one of the most improved boxers in the Beltway region.  Reeves won four times in the year facing steadily improving competition.  Reeves won a rematch with Lamont Capers on March 20 in Woodlawn, MD scoring a six-round unanimous decision.  One month later on April 23 in Parkville, MD, Reeves put on a nice performance winning a six-round unanimous decision over Dan Biddle.

Reeves started to open eyes with his first scheduled eight-round contest as he registered a crushing six-round knockout over Samer Barakat on July 9 in Parkville.  Then, on December 12 in Baltimore, Reeves scored a first-round knockout of Anthony Caputo Smith.  Reeves seems to be turning the corner in his career and 2016 should be an interesting year for him.

Lamont Roach, Jr. (9-0, three KO’s), lightweight, Upper Marlboro, MD

The 2014 Beltway Rookie Of The Year made some steady movement in 2015 as he advanced into six-round contests throughout the year.  Roach stopped Herbert Quartey in the fourth round on January 20 in front of a nationally-televised audience in Philadelphia, PA.  On April 18, Roach won a six-round unanimous decision over Jose Miguel Castro in Verona, NY.

Roach made his second national television appearance on June 30 in Philadelphia and won a six-round unanimous decision over Christian Santibanez.  Roach ended his year by winning another six-round unanimous decision over Jose Bustos on October 17 in Madison Square Garden in New York City on the Gennady Golovkin-David Lemieux undercard.  Roach continues to be a promising talent in the lightweight division.

Previous BATB Prospects of the Year:

2006: Tyrell Samuel
2007: Tim Coleman
2008: Bayan Jargal
2009: Mark Tucker
2010: Gary Russell, Jr. and Seth Mitchell
2011:  Maurice Byarm and Venroy July
2012: Thomas Williams, Jr.
2013: Dusty Hernandez Harrison
2014: Mike Reed

Tomorrow: The Beltway Boxing Knockout Of The Year!

Beltway Boxing 2015 -- Rookie Of The Year!

Today, we start our awards for 2015.  Let me first thank Ross Molovinsky for the wonderful art work for our winners.

We begin with the Rookie Of The Year -- the boxer who had the most impact in his first year between January and November 2015.   The Beltway had 11 boxers turn pro during that time period in 2015 (those who started after that period will be put in the 2016 class).

This year’s choice faced the most experienced competition as a first-year boxer, moving into scheduled six-round competition while continuing to advance a family dynasty.

The Beltway Boxing Rookie of the Year for 2015 is:

Antonio Russell, (5-0, four KO’s), bantamweight, Capitol Heights, MD

Russell, who was named the Outstanding Boxer of the 2013 National Golden Gloves, made his pro debut in Philadelphia, PA on January 31 and scored a second-round knockout of Harold Reyes.  Russell was quickly put on the undercards of big bouts -- His second contest was on the undercard of the James DeGale-Andre Dirrell bout on May 23rd in Boston, MA.  Russell stopped Brandon Garvin in the first round.

Russell traveled to Tampa, FL on July 11 and went the distance for the only time in his career, capturing a four-round unanimous decision over the always-tough Jaxel Marrero on the Keith Thurman-Luis Collazo card.

Russell moved up to the scheduled six-round bouts and scored a second-round TKO over Manuel Rubalcalva on September 12 in Mashantucket, CT on the undercard of the Cornelius Bundrage-Jermall Charlo title bout.  Russell ended 2015 with a third-round TKO of another veteran -- Eduardo Melendez -- on October 30 in Orlando, FL.  Look for Russell to make a step up in competition as it seems that he is on a fast track.

Honorable Mention (in Alphabetical Order):

Eric “El Torito” Hernandez (6-0, four KO’s), lightweight, Leesburg, VA

Hernandez was the busiest member of the 2015 rookie class having his six bouts come in just a four-month period.  Hernandez made his debut on June 20th in Woodlawn, MD, winning a four-round unanimous decision over Mason Wicket.  Hernandez notched three straight knockout wins in his next three contests -- July 18 in DC against Fernando Serrano in the second round, September 26 in Norfolk, VA over Anthony Dave in the third round and a second-round TKO over Alfredo Ellis, Jr. on October 10 in Greensboro, NC.
Hernandez won a six-round contest against Benjamin Olinga on October 23 in DC before ending his rookie year with a first-round knockout of Brandon Hinnant just eight days later in Goldsboro, NC.  Hernandez is an exciting fighter who already seems to be willing to take on all comers.

Drayvontay Speed-Rawls (4-0, two KO’s), lightweight, Glenarden, MD

The nephew of Beltway Boxing legend Eugene “Sonny” Speed had a tough contest in his pro debut winning a four-round split decision over fellow debuting boxer Joel Young on April 23 in Parkville, MD.  Speed-Rawls improved in his second bout with a solid four-round unanimous decision win over Jorge Soto on July 24 in Baltimore, MD.

The hand speed of Speed-Rawls started to become a focal point of his offense and led to back-to-back first-round knockouts in his final two bouts of the year.  Speed-Rawls stopped Brian Raglin on August 22 in Washington, DC and ended the year with a win over Shonta Barnes on November 14 in Springfield, VA.  The speed of Speed-Rawls may be a major part of his advancement in 2016.

Previous Beltway Boxing Rookies of the Year:

2006: Jessie Nicklow
2007: Bayan Jargal
2008: Fernando Guerrero
2009: Dominic Wade
2010: Nick Kisner
2011: Dusty Hernandez Harrison
2012: Duane Mobley
2013: Mike Reed
2014: Lamont Roach, Jr.

Tomorrow: The Prospect of the Year!

Beltway Boxing 2015 -- The Year of Accomplishment!

Happy New Year and welcome to our recap of Beltway Boxing 2015 where every day this week, we will hand out our year-end awards.  As usual, we will have six categories:

Rookie of the Year

Prospect of the Year

Knockout of the Year

Bout of the Year

Card of the Year

Boxer of the Year

However, we start with a summary of Beltway Boxing 2015- a year where the big question as the year began was whether Beltway Boxers would be able to build on the advancements made in 2014.

The answer to that question was a resounding yes as a number of locals moved from prospect to contender and, yes, to champion status.  This is why Beltway Boxing 2015 is being called “The Year of Accomplishment.”  

No accomplishment was bigger than Gary Russell, Jr. capturing the WBC Featherweight championship on March 28 with a fourth-round TKO over Jhonny Gonzalez in Las Vegas, NV.
The year turned out to be a huge one for the Russell Family as Antonio made his pro debut and Antuanne became the first local since Gary, Jr. to make the United States Olympic Team.

Former world champion Lamont Peterson became a mainstay on the new Premier Boxing Champions TV series with two quality bouts -- a majority decision loss to Danny Garcia and a majority decision victory over previously-undefeated Dominican Republic Olympic Gold Medalist Felix Diaz that was held in Fairfax, VA on October 17.    

Two Beltway pros put themselves in good position to possibly earn title shots sometime in 2016.  Antoine Douglas and Dominic Wade won key nationally-televised bouts in 2015 -- Douglas had three impressive knockout performances while Wade won a split decision over former world champion Sam Soliman.  Both men are ranked in the top 15 by all four major governing bodies.

Beltway prospects started to make key moves in 2015. Junior middleweight Jarrett Hurd had three quality wins including one that  introduced himself to the national scene -- an eye-opening sixth-round TKO over previously-undefeated Frank Galarza on November 14 in Las Vegas.  Hurd is now ranked 11th in the world by the WBA.

Mike Reed, the Beltway Boxing Prospect of the Year in 2014, fought five times in 2015 against solid competition, scoring four knockouts along the way.  Other prospects, such as D’Mitrius Ballard, Lamont Roach, Jr. and the Fox Brothers (Alantez and Mykal), stayed on the path towards making big moves in 2016.

Beltway Boxers continued to make their mark on national television in 2015.  Locals appeared 33 times on national TV -- three more than in the previous year.  Douglas’s three appearances led the way, followed by two for Peterson, Roach, Jr., Jerry Odom, Gervonta Davis, Cecil McCalla, Jessie Nicklow, and Immanuwel Aleem.  

The locals making at least one national TV appearance were Russell, Jr., Hurd, Wade, Ballard, Dusty Hernandez Harrison, Alantez Fox, Cornelius Whitlock, James Stevenson, Joshua Snyder, Emanuel Taylor, Nick Kisner, Alexander Johnson, Ayi Bruce, Tony Thompson, Fernando Guerrero and Thomas Williams.

Internationally, Beltway Boxers appeared on world wide channels -- Tony Jeter’s bout against Chris Eubank, Jr. was shown on Sky Sports, Gerome Quigley’s IBA Junior Middleweight title bout appeared on Euro TV.  Thompson’s win over Odlandier Solis was shown on 360Sports TV.

Ironically, the accomplishments by our local boxers made it difficult for promoters to put together cards in the Beltway region, as the number of boxers available started to dwindle.  There were just 19 pro cards in 2015 compared to 31 in 2014.  Maryland had just eight shows in 2015, down from 12 in 2014, DC only had seven shows in 2015,dropping from nine the previous year.  Northern Virginia had four cards compared to 10 in 2014.

On the amateur side, along with Antuanne Russell making the Olympic team, Tyrek Irby and Marquis Moore, a Colorado resident who is originally from Fort Washington, MD, also participated in the Men’s Olympic Trials.   On the women’s side, the Beltway sent four to the Olympic Trials, the second qualifier was held in Baltimore, MD.  Tiara Brown and Franchon Crews made their second trip to the trials while it was the first time for Amelia Moore and Iesha Kenney, who at 17 years old, was the youngest participant in the trials.  Kenney had an outstanding year as she won a bronze medal at the Junior and Youth Women’s World Championships in Taiwan.

For the first year since 2009, Beltway Boxers did not win a National Golden Gloves title.  This may be a sign that there may be a delay before the next great amateurs come into the open division.  However, if the Beltway’s performance in the National Silver Gloves is any indication, the delay will be a short one.  Six locals -- Lorenzo Simpson, Tyreek Williams, Lawrence Malcolm, Ragahleak Bartee, Stacey Selby and Michael Tymas -- brought home gold medals from Independence, MO.  For Simpson (14-15, 147 pounds), it was his fifth straight national title in his fifth weight class.  Tymas (12-13, 147 pounds) was named the Outstanding Boxer in his age group.

We lost a number of quality Beltway Boxing people in 2015:

Beltway Boxing In Memoriam:

Alvin Anderson -- Former Baltimore-Based Junior Middleweight contender

Steven Copeland -- Virginia Amateur Boxer

Howard Davis, Jr. -- Olympic Gold Medalist on the 1976 US Olympic Team that featured three  local boxers (Sugar Ray Leonard, Charles Mooney and Louis “Heidi” Curtis)

Bob Foster -- Former World Light Heavyweight Champion who called DC his boxing home

Alfred Grant -- Deputy Commissioner, District of Columbia Boxing And Wrestling Commission

David Greer -- Boxing Judge in Maryland and Pennsylvania

“King” Charles Jerome -- DC Heavyweight  Pro Boxer

Johnnie Johnson -- Trainer and Coach at Hagerstown Boxing Club

Cyprian “CP” Khumalo -- Former Boxer and Host of Internet DMV Sports Show

Cedric Kushner -- Promoted Beltway legends Mark Johnson and Hasim Rahman

Thomas Langley -- Beltway Trainer and Coach

Norvus “Butch” Miller -- Trainer and Brother of Purcell Miller

Charlie Tuttle -- Noted Amateur Boxer

(photo by Ronald Simms)

Finally, let’s give a more visual example that could help show the progress local boxers have made.  In April of 2012, this picture was taken of yours truly with members of a group of boxers I referred to in the post accompanying this photo as just some of the members of “The Next Wave.”  From left to right: Michael Reed, David Grayton, Jerry Odom, Gary Russell, Jr., Alantez Fox (in back with yours truly), Gary Antonio Russell, D'Mitrius Ballard and Kevin Rivers, Jr. 

Based on their amateur accomplishments (six of the nine boxers shown won National Golden Gloves titles, two were named Outstanding Boxers of the Golden Gloves), they were part of a large group of standouts that would start a new era of Beltway Boxers.  Seven of the nine turned pro in 2012 (after this photo was taken) or later. Gary Russell, Jr. started in 2009 and Alantez Fox in 2010.

The pro won-loss record of just these nine boxers going into 2016 is 115-4-1 with 73 KO’s and you can add one world title.  When you add the records of many of the other prospects talked about in the area, it’s an even better percentage.  The coming year should be very interesting and exciting indeed.

That's our look back at 2015.  Tomorrow, we start the awards with Rookie of the Year!