Gilbert Ware, Former DC Commission Deputy Commissioner Passes!

Gilbert Ware, the long-time deputy commissioner of the District of Columbia Boxing and Wrestling Commission, passed away on December 10th after a long illness.

Mr. Ware's association with boxing was a 40-year journey that included work as a trainer, promoter, matchmaker and, eventually, a member of the DC Commission, beginning in 1986.  Mr. Ware served on the commission for 20 years, representing the city at numerous boxing conventions around the world.

Mr. Ware's Homegoing service will be on Monday, December 19th at Fort Lincoln Funeral Home located at 3401 Bladensburg Road in Brentwood, MD.  The wake will be from 9:30 to 10:30 AM with the funeral to follow.

On a personal note, Gilbert Ware is one of the reasons I am in this business to begin with.  When I started covering boxing in the late eighties, I wanted to bring more exposure to the local scene.  I pitched a concept of a television series called "Friday Night At The Fieldhouse" and Mr. Ware was my contact.  I walked into his office sight unseen.  He didn't know me from anyone.  That meeting started a long friendship that I have always cherished.  Mr. Ware would have dinners together at Red Lobster and talk about what was coming up in the area.  Mr. Ware was a remarkable man and I can't thank him enough for what he has meant to me.

My condolences to Mr. Ware's wife, Helen and their four children.

Reed Remains Undefeated With Eight-Round Unanimous Decision In Omaha; Isley Captures Elite Title In Kansas City!

Couple of other results from Saturday night's boxing action.  Waldorf, MD super lightweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Sidney Siqueira of Sao Paulo, Brazil at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, NB.  Reed won his bout by scores of 80-73 and 78-74 (twice).  Reed is now 21-0, 12 KO's and Siqueira falls to 26-12-1, 17 KO's.

In amateur action, congratulations to Troy Isley of Alexandria, VA who won the Elite 165-pound championship at the Elite and Youth National Championships and Junior Open at the KCI Expo Center in Kansas City, MO.  Isley won a 5-0 decision over Javier Martinez of Milwaukee, WI.

Also on Saturday, Amelia Moore of Greenbelt, MD lost in the finals of the Elite Female 141-pound championship to Stacia Suttles of Bronx, NY by a 4-1 decision.

Baltimore, MD's Lorenzo Simpson, who won a Youth title at 165 pounds on Friday, was named the Outstanding Male Youth Boxer of the tournament.

Nelson Captures UBF And WIBA Super Middleweight Titles With Unanimous Decision Over Napoleon!

Undefeated Ashburn VA boxer Tori "Sho Nuff" Nelson captured a 10-round unanimous decision over Alicia "The Empress" Napoleon of Lindenhurst, NY to win the vacant women's UBF and WIBA Super Middleweight championships Saturday night in front of a packed, standing-room only crowd at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.  The bout was the main event of the Ponytail Promotions/Sho Nuff Promotions card.

Napoleon took the fight to Nelson in the first two rounds and tried to overpower Nelson with an aggressive game plan.  Nelson weathered the early storm and in the third round, launched a fierce attack of her own.  Nelson kept Napoleon off balance the rest of the bout as she continually landed hooks with both hands and straight left hands.  Nelson's offense allowed her to win the contest going away.  Nelson won by scores of 99-91 and 98-92 (twice).

Nelson is now 16-0-3, one KO.  Nelson has won 12 world titles and is 10-0-1, one KO in world title bouts and has won titles in four weight divisions (welterweight, super welterweight, middleweight and super middleweight).  Napoleon loses for the first time and she is now 7-1, five KO's.

In the co-feature, Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico veteran Jose Alfredo "Torito" Rodriguez won the vacant UBF All Americas light flyweight championship with an eight-round split decision over Edwin "Puto" Rodriguez of Puerto Rico.  Jose Rodriguez stood his ground in the middle of the ring and was able to use jabs to keep Edwin Rodriguez on the outside of his punches.  Edwin was successful at times at closing the distance but could not keep up the pressure long enough to secure the win.  Edwin did capture one judge's scorecard at 78-74 but the other judges scored the card for Jose by the same score. Jose Rodriguez raises his record to 32-4, 19 KO's while Edwin Rodriguez's record drops to 8-4, five KO's.

In other bouts on the card, Leesburg, VA lightweight Eric "El Torito" Hernandez remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over veteran Roy "The Reaper" Garcia of Alice, TX. Hernandez used great hand speed to land shots to the head and body to gain a shutout victory (60-56 on all three cards).  Hernandez is now 9-0, five KO's.  Garcia falls to 3-21-1, two KO's.

Featherweight Reggie Barnett, Jr. of Chesapeake, VA scored a minor upset by winning a six-round majority decision over previously undefeated James "Too Slick" Early of Seat Pleasant, MD. Barnett forced the action on Early, who tried to confuse Barnett by continually switching from a conventional stance to the southpaw stance.  Early seemed to be more successful as a southpaw but did not stay in that stance long enough.  When Early stayed in the conventional stance, Barnett took advantage and was able to execute his offense successfully.  One judge scored the bout a draw but Barnett took the decision on the other cards, 58-56 and 57-56.  Barnett bounces back from suffering his first pro loss and is now 4-1, two KO's.  Early is now 2-1.

In another six-rounder, "The Young General" Ian Green of Paterson, NJ scored an easy first-round knockout over Kevin "The Scarecrow" Womack of Baltimore, MD.  Green used a counter right hand to drop Womack to his knees.  Womack stayed on his knees for the entire 10-count.  Green is now 11-1, nine KO's while Womack drops to 7-14-3, five KO's.

Rookie Baltimore super featherweight Mack "Papi' Allison IV scored a third-round TKO over the debuting Rodger Williams of Washington, DC.  Williams started off quickly and tried to land wide shots but Allison stayed poised and was able to land shots of his own.  Allison entered the third round for the first time in his pro career but was in complete control as he dropped Williams twice with two right hands to finish the bout at 57 seconds of the third.  Allison remains perfect at 7-0, seven KO's.

Clinton, MD lightweight Cobia "The Soldier" Breedy won a four-round unanimous decision over Nicholas Rodriguez of Somerset, KY.  Breedy, a native of Bridgetown, Barbados, dropped Rodriguez twice in the first round.  Rodriguez stayed tough in the contest but had very little offense in the contest as Breedy was able to land solid uppercuts and hooks to gain a 40-34 decision across the board.  Breedy remains undefeated at 8-0, four KO's while Rodriguez is 1-5-1,

In an all-DC super lightweight contest, Matthew "Dogo" Abregu won a four-round majority decision over Benjamin "Wildcat" Olinga.  This was a tough bout where both men had their moments.  Despite the awkwardness of Olinga, Abregu was able to land the harder shots throughout the contest as he went the distance for the first time in his young career.  One judge saw the bout as a draw, 38-38.  However, two judges saw a shutout for Abregu, 40-36.  Abregu is now 4-0, three KO's while Olinga is now 1-13.

Virginia Beach, VA middleweight Brandon "The Janitor" Pennington made a successful pro debut winning a four-round majority decision over Carlos Cruz of Ashburn, VA.  Pennington made the bout difficult for Cruz as he used a fierce body attack to help him win the contest.  Cruz did not help his cause as he did not use a jab to help his cause.  Cruz's record evens at 1-1, one KO.  One judge did score the bout even at 38-38 but the two other judges scored the contest a shutout for Pennington at 40-36.

Lightweight Roger "RB3" Belch of Hobbsville, NC scored a first-round knockout over Jakil Smiles of Wilson, NC.  Smiles was very awkward and threw himself to the canvas twice while throwing punches.  Later in the first, Belch sent Smiles to the canvas with a left hand.  Smiles stayed on the canvas for the 10-count.  Belch is now 8-0, six KO's while Smiles is 0-2.

In a cruiserweight contest, Montez Brown of Virginia Beach, VA wins a four-round majority decision over Marquice Weston of Tacoma, WA.  The 5' 10" Brown dealt well with a nine-inch height disadvantage as he was able to get inside the 6'7" Weston and land shots to Weston's chest and body. While one judge scored the bout even (38-38), two other judges scored the bout 39-37 for Brown who is now 2-0, one KO.  Weston loses his first bout and he is 7-1-1, three KO's.

Shakeem Hodge of Reading, PA won his super middleweight contest by fourth-round technical decision when the debuting Noe Lozano of Fort Pierce, FL suffered a gash along his right eye after an accidental headbutt.  Hodge was able to win the contest by scores of 39-37 (twice).  One judge scored a draw (38-38).  Hodge is now 4-0, three KO's.

The matchmaker on the card was Brian Dillon.  The ring announcer was Henry "Discombobulating" Jones.

Juan Marshall and I talked to the champion Tori Nelson after the contest.

Listen to "Tori Nelson Interview 12/11/16" on Spreaker.

Reed Weighs 142 For Eight-Rounder In Omaha; Pryor Stopped In First In

(Photo courtesy of Top Rank Boxing)

Mike Reed tipped the scales at 142 pounds for his eight-round contest against Sidney Siquiera at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, NB. Siquiera weighed in at 141.6.

Meanwhile, Frederick, MD cruiserweight Larry "Hitman" Pryor was knocked out in the first round by Samuel Clarkson of Cedar Hill, TX on Friday at the Bomb Factory in Dallas, TX.  According to Jeff Zimmerman of Fightnews.com, Clarkson took the fight to the taller Pryor landing hard shots to the head and body of Pryor. A right hook to the body dropped Pryor midway through the first round and with his fans chanting his name, Clarkson unleashed a flurry later in the round that saw Pryor hit the canvas again and the fight was over. The official time of the stoppage was 2:59 of the 1st round.

Pryor falls to 10-15, five KO's while Clarkson is now 19-3, 12 KO's.

Simpson Captures Youth Title In Kansas City!

Congratulations to Baltimore, MD's Lorenzo Simpson, who captured the Youth 165-Pound title at the Elite and Youth National Championships and Junior Open at the KCI Expo Center in Kansas City, MO on Friday.  Simpson defeated David Kiminsky of Reseda, CA by a 3-2 score to win his 10th national title.

Two other Beltway Boxers captured runner-up positions on Friday.  Edwin Angel of Capitol Heights, MD lost by second-round TKO to Daniel Blancas of Milwaukee, WI in the Junior 145-Pound championship bout.  Also, Candace Carter of Baltimore, MD lost by third-round TKO to Heaven Garcia of El Monte, CA in the 112-pound Youth Female title match.

Two more locals will have opportunities to win titles in the Elite Division on the final day of competition today.  Greenbelt, MD's Amelia Moore advanced to the finals of the female 141-pound bracket with a 5-0 decision win over Kim Putzier of St. Cloud, MN.  Moore will face Stacia Suttles of Bronx, NY in the finals.  Troy Isley of Alexandria, VA will also try for a title when he takes on Javier Martinez of Milwaukee, WI in the 165 Pound championship.  Isley moved into the final by defeating Austin Williams of Fresno, TX by a 5-0 score on Friday.

Weights From Springfield, VA!

Here is the scalewatch for the Ponytail Promotions/Sho Nuff Promotions card that will take place tonight at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA:

Vacant UBF/WIBA Super Middleweight Championship

Tori Nelson 162 vs. Alicia Napoleon 157 1/2

Vacant UBF Super Flyweight Championship

Jose Alfredo Rodriguez 115 vs. Edwin Rodriguez 116


Ian Green 163 vs. Kevin Womack, Jr. 157

James Early 127 vs. Reggie Barnett, Jr. 128

Eric Hernandez 135 vs. Roy Garcia 135

Matthew Abregu 138 vs. Benjamin Olinga 141

Mack Allison IV 129 vs. Rodger Williams 130

Carlos Cruz 164 vs. Brandon Pennington 164

Roger Belch 135 vs. Jalik Smiles 132

Seth Billups 138 vs. Joshua Davis 145

Shakeem Lodge 166 vs. Noe Lozano 165

Marquice Weston 197 vs. Montez Brown 195

Cobia Breedy 129 vs. Nicholas Rodriguez 130

The Boxing Along The Beltway Google App For Android will have the call of the entire card beginning at 5:55 PM ET.  IOS listeners can hear the call on the Boxing Along The Beltway pages on Spreaker.com and Iheartradio.com.

Beltway Amateurs Continue To Compete In Kansas City!

On the third day of competition at the Elite and Youth National Champioships and Junior Open at the KCI Expo Center in Kansas City, Missouri, Beltway amateurs continue to be successful.

In the Junior Division, Deric Davis of Washington, DC advanced to the next round with a 4-1 decision over Garrett Rice of Flint, MI.  Also, Stacey Selby of DC moved closer to a championship winning a 4-1 decision over Aaron Aponte of Hialeah, FL.

At 125 pounds, Maximus Garland of Waldorf, MD lost a 5-0 decision to Joricksen Galiza of Waianae, Hawaii while Michael Tymas of DC was stopped in the third round by Ralph Clemente of Ronkonkoma, NY in a 165-pound contest.

In the Youth Division, Lorenzo Simpson of Baltimore, MD scored a first-round TKO over Isaac Ingram of Palatka, FL at 165 pounds.

Alexandria, VA's Troy Isley won his 165-pound bout in the Elite Division with a 4-1 decision over Joeshon James of Dixon, CA.

Beltway Amateurs Competing In Elite And Youth National Championships And Junior Open In Kansas City!

A number of Beltway amateurs are competing at the 2016 Elite and Youth National Championships and Junior Open tournament this week at the KCI Expo Center in Kansas City, MO.  Here are results from Tuesday's action:

In the Junior Open, Deric Davis of Washington, DC advanced to the next round in the 114 Pound class with a 3-2 decision over Steve Johnson of East Palo Alto, CA.

In the Junior 125-pound class, Maximus Garland of Waldorf, MD won by a 3-2 score over Derek Cintron of The Bronx, NY.

Stacey Selby of DC scored a TKO in his bout over Roberto Gomez in the 132 Pound division.

In the Youth Division, Kevon Cooke of DC lost by TKO to Jorge Carlos of Olate, KS in the 108 Pound division while Malik Warren of Baltimore, MD lost a 4-1 decision to Mario Ramos of San Diego, CA.  At 165 pounds, Lorenzo Simpson of Baltimore won a 5-0 decision over Noah Jones of Rowlett, TX but Nasheed Smith of DC lost his 165-pound encounter to Tyler Tomlin of Ashland City, TN by a 4-1 decision.

The Elite Division saw Jaqueem Hutcherson of Temple Hills, MD drop a 5-0 decision to Edward Richardson of Baton Rouge, LA at 123 pounds.  Troy Isley of Alexandria, VA won his 165-pound bout by walkover.