Sunday, April 30, 2017

Balogun Wins Unanimous Decision In Springfield, VA!

Undefeated Upper Marlboro, MD heavyweight Mike "Silverback" Balogun won a six-round unanimous decision over veteran Grover "The Cobra" Young of Memphis, TN in the main event of the inaugural Victory Boxing Management card at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.

In crossing the six-round threshold for the first time in his young pro career, Balogun focused on his boxing skills and used good foot movement throughout the contest against the awkward Young, who showed Balogun a lot of his left shoulder and made himself a difficult target to hit at times.  Young sparingly engaged with Balogun during the contest except during the final round when he landed some wild shots that didn't bother Balogun, who won by shutout on one card, 60-54 and won 59-55 on the other two cards. Balogun remains undefeated at 11-0, eight KO's while Young falls to 12-22-3, eight KO's.

There were only two other bouts on the card.  Washington, DC welterweight Cornell "Hitman" Hines made a successful pro debut, stopping the equally debuting Zach Johnson of Rochester, NY at 1:18 of the first round.  Hines spent the round chasing Johnson around the ring as Johnson quickly decided he did not want to engage with the charging Hines.   Hines landed a couple of right hands that dropped Johnson to his knees and forced referee Michelle Myers to stop the bout without administering a count.

Also on the card, District Heights, MD super middleweight Jason Bell won a relatively easy four-round unanimous decision over debuting George Sheppard of Newport News, VA.  Bell landed solid combinations to the body throughout the contest to help gain the shutout (40-36) win.  Bell is now 2-0, one KO.

Bell's twin brother, Justin was scheduled to be on the card but suffered an injury in training.

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

We have an interview with Mike Balogun after his contest.

Listen to "Mike Balogun Interview 4/29/17" on Spreaker.

Friday, April 28, 2017

Weights From Springfield!

Here is the scale watch for the Victory Boxing Promotions card that will be held on Saturday at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA:

Mike Balogun 234 vs. Grover Young 241

Jason Bell 166 vs. George Sheppard 164

Alton Smith 178 vs. Chris Yarborough 173

Cornell Hines 147 vs. Zach Johnson 142

Marcos Suarez 138 vs. Kevin Womack (will weigh in tomorrow)

Both Chris Curtis and Portland Pringle will weigh in tomorrow.

First bout is scheduled to begin at 7 PM ET.  If you can't make the card, listen to the broadcast live on the Boxing Along The Beltway Google App For Android.  IOS listeners may hear the broadcast on the Boxing Along The Beltway Spreaker page at https://www.spreaker.com/show/boxing_along_the_beltway or the IHeartRadio page at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/Boxing-Along-The-Beltway-22903291/  The broadcast will begin at 6:55 PM ET.

Kisner Defends NABA Cruiserweight Title Against A. Guerrero May12th At Michael's Eighth Avenue!

 Pro boxing returns to Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD on Friday, May 12th as Baltimore Pro Boxing Promotions brings an exciting main event to the card.

Baltimore, MD cruiserweight "Slick" Nick Kisner will make the first defense of his NABA Cruiserweight title against former NABA champion Alex Guerrero of Salisbury, MD.  The bout is scheduled for 10 rounds.

Kisner (19-3-1, six KO's) fought on the last card at Michael's, winning an eight-round split decision over Lamont Singletary on March 30th.  Kisner won the NABA title on November 23 with a 10-round majority decision over Brian Holstein in Columbus, OH.  

Guerrero (12-1-1, six KO's) captured the vacant NABA title with an eight-round stoppage of Anthony Ferrante in November of 2014 in Wilmington, DE.  However, in his next outing, Guerrero lost by first-round TKO to Brian Howard in September of 2015 in Queens, NY.  Guerrero has not competed since that loss.

The two men are no strangers to each other as they battled each other twice in the amateurs, including once at the 2008 Washington Golden Gloves.  Kisner won both contests.

There will also be a super middleweight battle of Baltimore as "Dangerous" Donald Wallace will face off against Devin Butcher.  Wallace (2-0, one KO) fought on the January 13th card at Michael's and won a six-round unanimous decision over Tahir Thomas.  Butcher (6-1, three KO's) bouncoed back from suffering his first pro loss by winning a four-round unanimous decision over Eric Govan on November 12th at DuBurns Arena in Baltimore.

Other boxers slated to be on this card are Baltimore heavyweight Colby Madison (4-0, three KO's), West Virginia welterweight Matthew "Boogieman" Bowling (4-0, four KO's) and 2012 Dominican Republic Olympian Wellington Arias Romero of Newburgh, NY (12-0-1, six KO's.  Romero, a welterweight, is a Roc Nation-signed prospect.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

April 25 Noted As 'Lamont Peterson Day' In DC!



Congratulations to WBA Welterweight champion Lamont Peterson who was honored on Tuesday with a special day by the District of Columbia.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser was on hand to present the three-time, two division world champion with a special proclamation naming April 25, 2017 as "Lamont Peterson Day" in the District of Columbia.  Peterson was honored for his work in and out of the ring, especially for his charity work.

This is not the first time Peterson (35-3-1, 17 KO's) has received such an honor.  Peterson was honored by the DC City Council in June of 2009.

Peterson last fought on February 18th, winning the WBA title with a 12-round unanimous decision over David Avanesyan in Cincinnati, OH.

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Rahman, Jr. Wins Second Pro Bout By First-Round Stoppage!

Baltimore, MD heavyweight Hasim "Gold Blooded" Rahman, Jr. won his second pro contest and scored his second first-round TKO on April 21st at DeCarlo's Convention Center in Warren, MI.  Rahman stopped Demetrius Shaw of North Carolina at 2:16.

According to Brad Snyder of The Undercard, Rahman was all business as Shaw seemed comical, often turning away from Rahman and turning his back to him. Rahman was able to find Shaw up against the ropes and unload a barrage of punches that sent Shaw to the canvas. Rahman pounced on Shaw as soon as the fight continued. This knocked a very, outmatched Shaw to the canvas, again.  Shaw's corner threw in the towel. Shaw was making his pro debut.

Both of Rahman, Jr.'s wins have had added significance.  When Rahman, Jr. made his pro debut on April 14 at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD, he weighed in at 234 pounds -- the exact same weight his father had when he made his pro debut in 1994.  The win against Shaw came 16 years to the day that Hasim, Sr. was preparing to shock the heavyweight boxing world when he would knock out Lennox Lewis in the fifth round in South Africa for the undisputed heavyweight championship.

Results From Regional Golden Gloves!

Two repeating Regional Golden Gloves champions will lead the DC Region into the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions next Sunday in Lafayette, LA based on their impressive wins Saturday at the Regional Golden Gloves at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.

Alexandria, VA 165-pounder Troy Isley won his second straight Open Division regional title defeating Ashton Sykes of Columbia, MD.  Isley, who is ranked second in the country by USA Boxing in his weight class, was very accurate and outgunned the game Sykes.  Isley was also named the Outstanding Boxer of the tournament.

Hagerstown, MD's Genc Pllana will also make his second consecutive trip to the nationals as he stopped William Jones of Hopewell, VA in the third round to win the 178-pound Open title.  Pllana broke Jones down enough to gain three standing-eight counts during the contest and sealed the victory after knocking Jones down with a crunching left to the body.

The Avelar Brothers of Germantown, MD split in their bouts.  Wilfredo Avelar won the 141-pound title with a victory over Diego Abregu of Leesburg, VA.  However, Tommy Avelar lost his bid for the 132-pound championship by decision to Keyshawn Davis of Alexandria, VA.

At 152 pounds, Keeshawn Williams of Washington, DC won the title with a strange-looking third-round TKO over Jacques Jean of Alexandria.  Williams was in control of the bout for the most part.  However, Jean seemed to at least be competing and fighting back.  Late in the third round, Jean's cornerman saw something he did not like and asked that the bout be stopped.

Steven Kelly of Fayetteville, NC captured the 201-pound title with a decision victory over Thomas Mottinger of Seaford, DE and Malik Titus of Baltimore, MD won the 201+-pound championship with a win over George Harris of Alexandria.

Here is your 2017 Regional Golden Gloves team that will head to Lafayette, LA April 30th-May 7:

108 Pounds: Julius White, Washington, DC

114 Pounds:  Rasheed Wright, Washington, DC (also a two-time regional champion, in two weight divisions [108 and 114]. However, both regional victories were by walkover)

123 Pounds:  Javon Campbell, Raleigh, NC

132 Pounds:  Keyshawn Davis, Alexandria, VA

141 Pounds: Wilfredo Avelar, Germantown, MD

152 Pounds:  Keeshawn Williams, Washington, DC

165 Pounds:  Troy Isley, Alexandria, VA

178 Pounds:  Genc Pllana, Hagerstown, MD

201 Pounds:  Steven Kelly, Fayetteville, NC

201+ Pounds:  Malik Titus, Baltimore, MD

In the Novice Division, one bout stole the show early in the evening.  Davonte Warren of Laurel, MD won the 152-pound championship in an outstanding contest against J'oan Planas of Manassas, VA.  These two boxers fought tooth and nail all through the bout including a fierce third-round that brought the crowd to their feet.

At 165 pounds, Christian Fayne of Richmond, VA won his second straight Novice title with a victory over Elan Trombley of Fredrick, MD.  At 141 pounds, Khari Clinkscales of Manassas took the title with a win over Ian Simmons of Hillcrest Heights, MD. 

The 201+-pound championship saw James McMurdo of Salisbury, MD land crushing shots to stop Ricky Campbell of Chesapeake, VA in the first round.  Also, Giovanni Scuderi of Ashburn, VA won the 201-pound championship with a decision over Tyler Langer of Baltimore, MD and DeAngelo McDonald of District Heights, MD captured the 123-pound title with a win over Gabriel Smith of Heathsville, VA.

Two boxers won by medical walkover -- DaJuan Concepcion of District Heights, MD (132 Pounds) and Jason Ampy of Sutherland, VA (178 Pounds).

Here are your Novice Division Regional Golden Gloves Champions for 2017:

114 Pounds:  Brandon Brockington, Forestville, MD

123 Pounds:  DeAngelo McDonald, District Heights, MD

132 Pounds:  DaJuan Concepcion, District Heights, MD

141 Pounds:  Khari Clinkscales, Manassas, VA

152 Pounds:  Davonte Warren, Laurel, MD

165 Pounds:  Christian Fayne, Richmond, VA

178 Pounds:  Jason Ampy, Sutherland, VA

201 Pounds:  Giovanni Scuderi, Ashburn, VA

201+ Pounds:  James McMurdo, Salisbury, MD


Friday, April 21, 2017

Pryor Stopped In Verona; Rahman, Jr. Hits Scales In Michigan!

Thursday at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY, Fredrick, MD cruiserweight Larry "Hitman" Pryor lost by second round knockout to Vyacheslav "Lionheart" Shabranskyy of Los Angeles, CA by way of the Ukraine.

According to Fightnews.com's Boxing Bob Newman, Shabranskyy wasted no time, launching over hand rights, more than a few missing their mark. Finally, one landed high in Pryor’s temple, staggering him in a neutral corner, with the follow up barrage sending him down. Pryor rose, and was sent down again in his own corner with a flurry that mostly missed, but needed to be avoided, Pryor must’ve felt as he took a knee. Despite Shabranskyy’s best efforts, he could not end matters then and there as Pryor bravely fought off the ropes and got out of the round. It didn’t matter though as a final knockdown in Shabranskyy’s corner saw Pryor take the full count on his knee for a knockout at 54 seconds of the second round.  Shabranskyy is now 18-1, 15 KOs, while Pryor goes to 10-16, five KOs.

Tonight at DeCarlo's Convention Center in Warren, Michigan, Baltimore, MD heavyweight Hasim "GoldBlooded" Rahman, Jr. will take on debuting Demetrius Shaw in a four-round bout.  Rahman won his pro debut on the April 14th card at the MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, MD needing just 40 seconds to stop Ralph Alexander.

Rahman, Jr., who will be in the main event on this card, weighed in Thursday at 233 pounds.  Shaw did not weigh in yesterday because he, along with many of the boxers on the card, were delayed by severe weather conditions.

Pro Boxing Returns To ABC Sports Complex April 29!

The next Beltway pro boxing card will take place on Saturday, April 29th at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.  The card will be promoted by a new promotion -- Victory Boxing.

The main event will feature undefeated Upper Marlboro, MD heavyweight prospect Mike "Silverback" Balogun who will take on veteran Grover Young of Memphis, TN in a six-round contest.

Balogun (9-0, eight KO's) has knocked out his last four opponents in either the first or the second round.  In his last bout, Balogun scored a crushing first-round TKO over Branden Lee Hinkle on October 20th at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC.

Young (12-22-3, eight KO's) is winless in his last nine bouts, including five straight losses.  Young lost a 10-round unanimous decision to Gregory Corbin on January 28th in Tunica, MS.  Young started his career as a middleweight and lost a four-round unanimous decision to Beltway Boxer Dominic Wade in February of 2011 in Salisbury, MD.   As Young moved up in weight, he has fought quality opposition like Sergey Kovalev, Farah Ennis, Badou Jack and Malik Scott.  The last time Young fought in the Beltway region, he lost a six-round majority decision to Dwayne McRae in November of 2014 at Constitution Hall in DC.

The Bell Twins -- Justin and Jason -- return to action on this card. Both super middleweight boxers made their pro debuts on March 25th at the University of the District of Columbia.  Justin Bell (1-0) won a four-round unanimous decision over veteran Greg Hackett while Jason Bell (1-0, one KO) scored a first-round TKO over David Rohn.  Justin Bell will take on the debuting George Sheppard of Newport News, VA while Jason Bell battles debuting Zack Johnson of Rochester, NY.

Two other locals will make their pro debuts on this card.  Welterweight Cornell Hines of Washington, DC will face Jason Carroll of Starlightsville, OH who is also making his pro debut.  Also, Alton George Smith of Lanham, MD will be in a light heavyweight debut bout against Chris Yarborough of Richmond, VA.

Other Beltway Boxers scheduled to be on the card are Fort Washington, MD featherweight Marquel "Monster" Johns (7-1-2, six KO's) and Silver Spring, MD welterweight Samuel Amoako (21-14, 15 KO's).

In other bouts scheduled for the card, undefeated Reading, PA super middleweight prospect Shakeem Hodge (4-0, three KO's) will take on Aushton Midkiff of St. Louis, MO who will make his pro debut on this card.  Hodge makes his second straight trip to the ABC Sports Complex.  On December 10th, Hodge won a four-round technical decision over Noe Lozano after Lozano suffered an injury because of an accidental head butt.

Also, undefeated Bronx, NY super lightweight Marcos Suarez makes his first road trip on this card when he battles Matt Murphy of St. Louis in a four-rounder.  Suarez (5-0-1, one KO) has not fought since May of 2015 when he won a four-round unanimous decision over Sidney Maccow in Queens, NY.  All of Suarez's bouts have been in New York.  Murphy (2-11-1, two KO's) will compete for the sixth time in 2017 and will be trying to break a three-bout losing streak.

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Pryor Weighs 178 3/4 For Eight-Round Bout In Verona, NY!

Frederick, MD cruiserweight Larry "Hitman" Pryor weighed in at 178 3/4 pounds for his eight-round contest against Vyacheslav " Lionheart" Shabranskyy of Los Angeles, CA by way of the Ukraine tonight at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY.  Shabranskyy tipped the scales at 178 1/4.

Pryor (10-15, five KO's) has not fought since losing by first-round TKO to Samuel Clarkson on December 9 in Dallas, TX.  Shabranskyy (17-1, 14 KO's) looks to bounce back from suffering his first pro loss -- a seventh-round KO to Sullivan Barrera on December 16 in Indio, CA.

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Bout Sheet For Regional Golden Gloves Championships!

Here is the scheduled bout sheet for the 2017 Washington Golden Gloves Regional Championships that will take place on Saturday, April 22nd at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.  The DC/Maryland/Delaware champions will battle the winners from Virginia/North Carolina:


Novice Division:

123 Pounds:  DeAngelo McDonald, District Heights, MD vs. Gabriel Smith, Heathsville, VA

132 Pounds:  DaJuan Concepcion, District Heights, MD vs. Ian Homan, Fairfax, VA

141 Pounds:  Ian Simmons, Hillcrest Heights, MD vs. Khari Clinkscales, Manassas, VA

152 Pounds:  Davonte Warren, Laurel, MD vs. J'oan Planas, Manassas, VA

165 Pounds:  Elan Trombley, Fredrick, MD vs. Christian Fayne, Richmond, VA

178 Pounds:  Aziz Williams, Bear, DE vs. Jason Ampy, Sutherland, VA

201 Pounds:  Tyler Langer, Baltimore, MD vs. Giovanni Scuderi, Ashburn, VA

201+ Pounds:  James McMurdo, Salisbury, MD vs. Ricky Campbell, Chesapeake, VA

Unopposed Champion: Brandon Brockington, Forestville, MD (114 Pounds)


Open Division:

123 Pounds:  Marcus Wright, Temple Hills, MD vs. Javon Campbell, Raleigh, NC

132 Pounds:  Tommy Avelar, Germantown, MD vs. Keyshawn Davis, Alexandria, VA

141 Pounds:  Wilfredo Avelar, Germantown, MD vs. Diego Abregu, Leesburg, VA

152 Pounds:  Keeshawn Williams, Washington, DC vs. Jacques Jean, Alexandria, VA

165 Pounds:  Ashton Sykes, Columbia, MD vs. Troy Isley, Alexandria, VA

178 Pounds:  Genc Pllana, Hagerstown, MD vs. William Jones, Hopewell, VA

201 Pounds:  Thomas Mottinger, Seaford, DE vs. Steven Kelly, Fayetteville, NC

201+ Pounds:  Malik Titus, Baltimore, MD vs. George Harris, Alexandria, VA

Unopposed Champions:  Julius White, Washington, DC (108 Pounds)
                                          Rasheed Wright, Washington, DC (114 Pounds)

The first bout begins at 7:30 PM. 

Interim Title Bout And Title Eliminator Contest Added To May 20th Card At MGM National Harbor Casino!

Two quality bouts have been added to the TGB Promotions card that will take place at the MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, MD on Saturday, May 20.

We already know that the main event will feature WBC Featherweight champion "Mr." Gary Russell, Jr. of Capitol Heights, MD (27-1, 16 KO's) making the second defense of his title against Oscar Escandon of Ibague, Colombia (25-2, 17 KO's).  However, there will be two more scheduled 12-round contests on this card.

In a matchup for the interim IBF Super Middleweight championship, "The Resurrected" Andre Dirrell of Flint, MI will take on Jose "Bolivita" Uzcategui of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico by way of Venezuela.  Dirrell (25-2, 16 KO's) last fought on April 29th and won a 10-round unanimous decision over Blake Caparello in Atlantic City, NJ. 

By the way, Dirrell returns to the state where he made his professional debut.  Dirrell won his first pro bout by fourth-round TKO over Carlos Jones in January of 2005 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.

Uzcategui (26-1, 22 KO's) has won four straight contests since suffering his only loss -- a 10-round unanimous decision to Matt Korobov in June of 2014 in Omaha, NB.  One of his wins during the streak was a crushing second-round TKO over previously undefeated Julius Jackson in October of 2015.  Uzcategui last fought on August 20th and scored a second-round TKO over Fabiano Pena in Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico.

The winner of this bout will face IBF champion James DeGale, who is recovering from injuries suffered in his title unification bout with WBC champ Badou Jack on January 14th in Brooklyn, NY.  That bout ended in a draw.  If Dirrell defeats Uzcategui, the win would set Dirrell up for a rematch against DeGale, who defeated Dirrell in a title bout in May of 2015 by unanimous decision in Boston, MA. 

There will also be a WBA super lightweight title elimination bout between undefeated former two-time, two-division world champion Rances "Kid Blast" Barthelemy of Las Vegas, NV by way of Arroyo Naranjo, Cuba and former world title challenger Kiryl "Mad Bee" Relikh of Minsk, Belarus. 

Barthelemy (25-0, 13 KO's) is trying to become the first Cuban-born boxer to win three world titles in three weight divisions.  In his last outing, Barthelemy successfully defended his IBF Lightweight title with a split decision over Mickey Bey on June 3 in Hollywood, FL.  Barthelemy is also a former IBF Super Featherweight champion. 

Relikh (21-1, 19 KO's)  needs a win to obtain a second opportunity at a world title.  In his last contest, Relikh lost by unanimous decision to Ricky Burns for the WBA Super Lightweight title on October 7 in Glasgow, Scotland.   This will be Relikh's first time competing in the United States.

The winner of this bout will be the WBA's mandatory contender for newly-crowned titleholder Julius Indongo, who defeated Burns to win the WBA and IBF championships by unanimous decision in Glasgow on April 15.

All three of these bouts will make up the Showtime Championship Boxing telecast that evening.

Also scheduled to appear on this card are Gary Russell's brothers, Antonio and the debuting Antuanne, a member of the 2016 US Olympic Team.  No word yet on their opponents.




Saturday, April 15, 2017

Reeves Wins Unanimous Decision In Walkout Bout at MGM!




(Photo by Mike Greenhill)

Travis "Seveer" Reeves has won an eight-round unanimous decision over Taneal "Spider" Goyco in the final bout of the night at the MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, MD.

Reeves landed the cleaner and sharper punches and kept Goyco off balance.  Goyco was tough and stayed upright but Reeves was in complete control.   Judge Lynne Carter scored a shutout for Reeves, 80-72 while judges John Gradowski and Don Risher saw the bout 78-74 for Reeves, who is nwo 14-2-2, seven KO's.  Goyco is 9-10-1, four KO's.

The attendance was 2,159.

Here is the Post-Fight Wrap-Up show where Juan Marshall and I recap the TV portion of the card as well as the Reeves-Goyco contest:

Listen to "Post-Fight Wrap-Up From MGM National Harbor Casino 4 / 14 / 17" on Spreaker.


Here is the Intermission Recap for the undercard:

Listen to "Intermission Report From MGM National Harbor Casino 4/14/17" on Spreaker.


We also have an interview with Malik "Iceman" Hawkins:

Listen to "Malik Hawkins Interview 4/14/17" on Spreaker.

Friday, April 14, 2017

Bivol Batters Clarkson Over Four Rounds To Retain Interim WBA Light Heavy Title!


(Photo by Mike Greenhill)

Undefeated WBA Interim Light Heavyweight champion Dmitroy Bivol scored a crushing-round TKO over a game but outmatched Samuel "The Main Event" Clarkson to retain his title in our main event here tonight.

Bivol started off very aggressive and dropped Clarkson twice with right hands in the first round. Clarkson to make a bout of it but was totally outgunned as Bivol patiently broke Clarkson down.  Bivol would land a crushing left-right combination that would send Clarkson down to the canvas for the third and final time as referee Harvey Dock would stop the bout at 1:40 of the fourth round.

Bivol is now 10-0, eight KO's.  Clarkson falls to 21-4, 12 KO's.

Hawkins Dominates Over Soto In ShoBox Co-Feature!




(Photo by Mike Greenhill)

Malik "Iceman" Hawkins put in a dominating performance stopping previously undefeated Carlos Soto of Torreon, Mexico at the end of the second round.

Hawkins found a home with his right hand and repeatedly battered Soto with it, causing a huge welt over Soto's left eye.  Eventually, the ringside physician, Dr. Doug Frankel, looked at the eye and ruled Soto unfit to continue.

Hawkins remains undefeated at 11-0, eight KO's.  Soto falls for the first time and he is 13-1-2, seven KO's.

By the way, the Travis Reeves-Taneal Goyco is now slated to be the walkout bout this evening after our main event.

Dezurn Wins Exciting Unanimous Decision Over Davila!



(Photo by Mike Greenhill)

In one of the best bouts seen in the area in some time, undefeated Baltimore, MD super bantamweight Glenn Dezurn won an eight-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Leroy Davila of, East Windsor, NJ.

The two participated in some brutal exchanges in close throughout the bout.  Dezurn seemed to landed the harder blows in many of those exchanges.  Midway through the bout, Davila altered his game plan to include side-to-side movement.  However, Dezurn was successful in cutting the ring off. The two talented boxers ended the contest with a fierce eighth round that saw both men land crushing shots.

All three judges -- Lynne Carter, John Gradowski and Don Risher -- scored the bout 78-74 for Dezurn, who is now 9-0, six KO's.  Davila is now 5-1, three KO's.

Rahman Makes Short Work Of Alexander In Bout Of Debuting Local Heavyweights!


(Photo by Mike Greenhill)

Hasim Rahman, Jr. needed just 40 seconds to stop equally debuting heavyweight Ralph Alexander.  Rahman pummeled Alexander in his own corner with lefts and rights before referee Bill Clancy stopped the bout.  Rahman's father, former two-time heavyweight champion Hasim, Sr., worked his son's corner.

Villa Stops Diaz in Sixth!

Another 19-year-old prospect, super featherweight Ruben Villa of Salinas, CA was very impressive in stopping tough Luis Diaz of San Juan, Puerto Rico.  Villa, a former two-time national Golden Gloves champion who lost to Shakur Stevenson in the 2016 Olympic Trials, showed solid accuracy as he battered Diaz throughout the contest eventually stopping Diaz at 34 seconds of the sixth round.

Villa is now 5-0, three KO's.  Diaz loses for the first time and he is 2-1, one KO.

Our first locals enter the ring as Hasim "Gold Blooded" Rahman, Jr. of  Baltimore takes on Ralph Alexander of Lanham. Both guys making pro debuts as heavyweights.

Dutchover Stops Amaro in Three!

Michael Dutchover scored a TKO at the end of three rounds when opponent Eder Amaro could not come out for the fourth round.

Dutchover was able to cut the ring off successfully throughout the bout and land piercing left jabs to Amaro's face.  Eventually, Amaro's corner threw in the towel at the end of three.

Dutchover remains perfect at 4-0, four KO's while Amaro drops to 2-3, one KO.

Next is Ruben Villa of Salinas, CA (4-0, two KO's) taking on Luis Diaz of San Juan, Puerto Rico (2-0, one KO).  Six rounds, super featherweights.

Dawejko and Hernandez Compete To Eight Round Draw!

Heavyweights Joey "The Tank" Dawejko and Rodney Hernandez fought to an entertaining eight-round, split decision draw.  Defense was not a factor in this contest as both men slugged their way through the contest, landing hard shots to the head and body throughout the contest. Hernandez suffered a bloody nose that helped turn his white trunks into crimson.

Judge Don Risher scored the bout for Dawejko, 77-75 while John Gradowski judged in favor of Hernandez, 78-74.  Judge Lou Carter saw the draw, 76-76.

Dawejko's record is now 17-4-4, 10 KO's.  Hernandez is now 10-5-2, two KO's.

In the ring now is Michael Dutchover of Midland, TX (3-0, three KO's) battling Eder Amaro of Matamoros, Mexico (2-2, one KO).  Six rounds, junior lightweights.

Kuzmin Stops Hickman At The End Of Three!

The opening bout saw Sergey Kuzmin of St. Petersburg, Russia stop Keenan Hickman of Baton  Rouge, LA at the end of three rounds.  Early in the third, Hickman suffered an injury to his left arm.  Hickman continued the bout but was knocked down by a Kuzmin left hand.  Hickman finished the third but was unable to leave his corner for the fourth round.  Kuzmin remains undefeated at 10-0, seven KO's while Hickman, who took the bout on very short notice, falls to 5-2-1, two KO's.

They have changed the order and in the ring now is Joey Dawejko of Philadelphia, PA (17-4-3, 10 KO's) facing Rodney Hernandez of Modesto, CA (10-5-1, two KO's).  Eight rounds, heavyweights.

First Bout Enters The Ring At MGM National Harbor!

The first bout is heading to the ring -- Sergey Kuzmin of St. Petersburg, Russia takes on late sub Keenan Hickman of Baton Rouge, LA.  Eight rounds, heavyweights.  Kuzmin is 9-0, six KO's while Hickman is 5-1-1, two KO's.

Good Evening, Once Again, From National Harbor!

Hi again, from the MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, MD!  As you probably know, this is the second card here in six days.  The Greg Cohen Promotions/Banner Promotions card will feature four boxers from Baltimore.

Hasim Rahman, Jr. will make his pro debut in the second bout on the undercard against the equally debuting Ralph Alexander of Lanham, MD.

Travis Reeves will take on Taneal Goyco of Philadelphia, PA in an eight-round contest that will be the fifth bout on the card.

The undercard begins at 7:15 PM. Glenn Dezurn opens the telecast against Leroy Davila at 10 PM ET on Showtime.

USA Today Profiles Dezurns!

On the night that undefeated Baltimore super featherweight Glenn Dezurn appears on national television for the very first time, USA Today's Bob Velin has written a nice profile on Dezurn and his wife, boxer Franchon Crews-Dezurn that appears in today's issue.

Here is the link to the article:  https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/boxing/2017/04/13/glenn-dezurn-boxing-franchon-crews-shobox/100436456/

Dezurn's bout against undefeated two-time amateur champion Leroy Davila will open the televised portion of the card from the MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, MD at 10 PM ET on Showtime.

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Weights From National Harbor!

Here is the scale watch for the Greg Cohen Promotions/Banner Promotions card coming to the MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, MD on Friday, April 14:

Dmitry Bivol 174.6 - Samuel Clarkson 173.4
(WBA Interim Light Heavyweight title)

Malik Hawkins 146 -  Carlos Soto 148.2

Glenn Dezurn 120.8 - Leroy Davila 119.8

Joey Dawejko 234.2 - Rodney Hernandez 262.4

Travis Reeves 173.4 - Taneal Goyco (Will weigh in tonight)

Ruben Villa 128 - Luis Diaz 129

Michael Dutchover & Edner Amaro will weigh in tomorrow

Hasim Rahman, Jr. 234.4 - Ralph Alexander 239.6

Sergey Kuzmin 246 - Keenan Hickman 142.4

Justin Hurd and opponent will weigh in tomorrow.

The doors will open at 7 PM and the first bout is slated for 7:15 PM.  The Showtime ShoBox telecast gets underway at 10 PM ET.

April 14th MGM National Harbor Card Almost Complete!

The Greg Cohen Promotions/Banner Promotions card that will take place on Friday, April 14 at the MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, MD is almost complete.  Three of the bouts will be shown on a ShoBox telecast on Showtime that will begin at 10 PM ET.  Two of the bouts on the televised portion of the card will include boxers from Baltimore.

In the co-feature bout, undefeated Baltimore welterweight Malik "Iceman" Hawkins will face off with equally undefeated Carlos "Narro" Soto of Torreon, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Mexico in an eight-round encounter.  Hawkins (10-0, seven KO's) comes off a six-round unanimous decision victory over Antonio Chaves Fernandez on November 11 in Sloan, IA.  Hawkins will face an undefeated boxer and go eight round for the first time in his pro career.

Soto (13-0-2, seven KO's) makes his first trip to the United States after fighting all of his pro bouts in his native Mexico.  Soto is a former Youth Silver lightweight champion who is competing for just the second time in three years.  Soto scored a third-round technical knockout over Alonso Martinez on February 3 in Sinaloa, Mexico.

Opening the ShoBox telecast will be undefeated Baltimore super featherweight Glenn Dezurn who will take on two-time national amateur champion Leroy Davila of New Brunswick, NJ in another eight-round contest.  Dezurn (8-0, six KO's) has scored TKOs in his last three contests including a second-round stoppage of Devon Jones on December 15 in Charenton, LA.  Davila (5-0, three KO's) is coming off a third-round TKO over Anthony Taylor on January 20th in Atlantic City, NJ.  Neither boxer has gone six rounds before, much less eight.

The main event on the card will be a bout for the interim WBA Light Heavyweight championship. Undefeated Dmitry Bivol of Vsevolzhsk, Russia will defend his title against Samuel Clarkson of Cedar Hill, TX. Bivol (9-0, seven KO's) made the first defense of the interim title by knocking out Robert Berridge in the fourth round on February 23 in Nizhny Tagil, Russia.  Bivol won the title on May 21 in Moscow by a 12-round unanimous decision over Felix Valera.  As the interim titleholder, Bivol is ranked number one by the WBA.

Clarkson (19-3, 12 KO's) has not fought since December 9th when he scored a first-round TKO over Larry Pryor in Dallas, TX.  Clarkson is currently riding a nine-bout winning streak which includes a third-round stoppage of Jerry Odom on a ShoBox card in Bethlehem, PA in July of 2015.

The non-televised undercard will feature an interesting eight-round light heavyweight contest between Travis "Seveer" Reeves of Baltimore taking on Taneal "Spider" Goyco of Philadelphia, PA.  Reeves (13-2-2, seven KO's) was one of the three Beltway Boxing Prospects of the Year in 2016.  Reeves is currently riding a 10-bout winning streak which includes his second-round dismantling of Aaron Quattrocchi for the USBO Light Heavyweight title on November 14 in Baltimore.

However, Goyco (9-9-1, four KO's) has proven to be a spoiler for Beltway Boxers over the years, gaining a 3-1 record with two knockouts.  In his last outing, Goyco upset Jerry Odom by fifth-round stoppage on November 11th in Philadelphia.  Goyco also has a sixth-round split decision win over Devin Butcher and a sixth-round knockout victory over Jeremy Trussell.  Goyco's one loss came against Demond Nicholson by stoppage in the fourth round.

The card will also mark the pro debut of Hasim "Gold Blooded" Rahman, Jr. who will battle Lanham, MD's Ralph Alexander in a four-round heavyweight encounter.  The older son of the former two-time heavyweight champion, Rahman, Jr. competed in Las Vegas as an amateur until legal issues delayed his entry into the pros.  Alexander competed in the Washington Golden Gloves in the novice and open divisions from 2014 to 2017.

In other bouts on the card, Philadelphia heavyweight Joey Dawejko will take on Rodney Hernandez of Modesto, CA in an eight-round bout.  Dawejko (17-4-3, 10 KO's) comes off a first-round TKO over Willie Kyles on December 3 in Johnson City, TN.  Dawejko's four losses have all come when he has stepped up in competition, including a 10-round unanimous decision loss to fellow Philadelphia heavyweight Amir Mansour for the Pennsylvania State title.  Hernandez (10-5-1, two KO's) is trying to bounce back from a six-round unanimous decision loss to Zhilei Zhang on July 22 in Atlantic City, NJ. Hernandez is 0-2 when fighting on the East Coast of the US.

In another eight-round heavyweight battle, undefeated Sergey Kuzmin of Saint Petersburg, Russia will face off with Carlos "El Chicano" Cotto of Caguas, Puerto Rico.  Kuzmin (9-0, six KO's) has scored TKO's in his last three contests and is the WBC Eurasia Pacific Boxing Council Heavyweight champ.  Kuzmin knocked out Vaclav Pejsar on February 23 in Nizhny Tagil, Russia. Cotto (8-1-1, five KO's) is a cousin of former world champion Miguel Cotto.  Carlos Cotto has not fought since winning a six-round split decision over Jimmy Suarez in April of 2015 in Mayguez, Puerto Rico.  Suarez knocked out Cotto in the first round in their first meeting two months earlier.

In a six-round featherweight encounter, Salinas, CA's Ruben Villa will take on Luis Enrique Diaz Torres of Puerto Rico.  Villa (4-0, two KO's) is coming off back-to-back four-round unanimous decisions while Torres (2-0, one KO) is also coming off a four-round unanimous decision.

Another six-round bout has Michael Dutchover of Santa Fe Springs, CA (3-0, three KO's) facing off with Eder Amaro "Koriano" Fajardo of California by way of Mexico (2-2, one KO)  Dutchover has scored first-round knockouts in his last two outings while Fajardo will try to bounce back from a six-round unanimous decision loss.

Also slated to appear on this card will be Accokeek, MD super welterweight "Slick" Justin Hurd (2-0, one KO). The brother of IBF Super Welterweight champion Jarrett Hurd scored his first pro stoppage in his last bout when he stopped Dawond Pickney in the second round on February 11th in Fort Washington, MD.  Promoters are still looking for an opponent for Hurd.

The doors will open at 6:30 and the first bout is slated to begin at 7:15 PM ET.  At last report, tickets were still available.

Sunday, April 09, 2017

Baxter Wins Second Bout In Seven Days!

Washington, DC welterweight Jonathan "Bad Badger" Baxter won his second bout in seven days as he won a four-round TKO over Alfredo Ellis, Jr. on April 8th in Greensboro, NC.

Baxter dropped the heavier Ellis in every round of the bout while suffering some head butts and shots behind the head.  Finally, Baxter was able to land body shots and an overhead right to stop Ellis, who could not beat the count in the final round.

Baxter is now 5-1, five KO's while Ellis is 0-5.

Post-Fight Wrap-Up From MGM National Harbor!

Here is a brief Post-Fight Wrap-Up From The MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD!

Listen to "Post-Fight Wrap-Up From MGM National Harbor Casino In Oxon Hill, MD!" on Spreaker.

Lomachenko Defends WBO Title With Ninth-Round Stoppage!

Vasyl "Hi-Tech" Lomachenko successfully defended his WBO Super Featherweight title by stopping a very game Jason Sosa at the end of nine rounds.

Lomachenko faced a very game and defensive Sosa in the early rounds but the champion finally caught up to the challenger and Lomachenko was able to land solid shots to Sosa's face and causing a welt over Sosa's left eye.  Eventually,  Lomachenko's offense proved to be too much and the Sosa corner, on the advice of the ringside physician, would not let their fighter come out for the 10th round.

"I came into to show everyone the 'Hi-Tech.  I think I did that very well,"  Lomachenko said.  Lomachenko is now 8-1, five KO's.  Sosa, a former WBA Super Featherweight champion, is now 20-2-4, 15 KO's.

We will have a post-fight wrap-up show in a few moments!

Saturday, April 08, 2017

Gvozdyk Wins Regional Light Heavyweight Titles With Sterling Performance!

In the co-feature, undefeated Ukrainian light heavyweight Oleksandr "The Nail" Gvozdyk retained his NABF Light Heavyweight title and won the vacant NABO version of the title with a crushing third-round TKO of Yuniesky "The Monster" Gonzalez of Miami, FL.

After a strong start in the opening round, Gvozdyk picked up the pace in the second round, hammering Gonzalez with lefts and rights.  Gvozdyk would seal the win by knocking Gonzalez down in the third round and finishing him off with a barrage of punches that forced Gonzalez's corner to call a halt to the bout at 2:55.

"He was the best boxer I ever fought," Gvozdyk said of his opponent. "Once I hurt him, I just kept throwing punches."

Gvozdyk is now 13-0, 11 KO's while Gonzalez's record drops to 18-3, 14 KO's.

The main event is coming up and the bout will be refereed by the Beltway's own Kenny Chevalier!

Usyk Retains WBO Cruiserweight Title With Unanimous Decision!

Undefeated WBO Cruiserweight champion Aleksandr Usyk retained his title with a dominant unanimous decision over a very game Michael Hunter of Las Vegas, NV.  Usyk delighted the sellout and mostly pro-Ukrainian crowd of 2,828 with a solid performance and he landed crisp shots against Hunter.  Usyk closed the show nicely, almost stopping Huner in the 12th round before winning a decision -- all three judges scoring the bout 99-91.

Usyk is now 12-0, 11 KO's while Hunter loses for the first time and he is 12-1, eight KO's.

Reed Wins By Unanimous Decision!

Waldorf, MD super lightweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed won a 10-round unanimous decision over a very durable Reyes Sanchez of Ciudad Meza, Mexico.  Reed landed solid shodts to the body throughout the contest and mixed in some straight left hands from distance.  By the tenth round, Reed was showing confidence, competing with his hands down and still landing tough shots as he covered 10 rounds for the first time in his pro career..   Sanchez attempted to land shots but was outgunned by  Reed's quickness.

"I would give my performance a four,"  a disappointed Reed would say after the contest.  I hit him with a hard shot in the third round but I let the bout slip away."

 All  three judges scored the bout 99-91 for Reed, who remains undefeated at 22-0, 12 KO's.  Sanchez falls to 26-10-2, 15 KO's.

Hart Keeps NABO And USBA Titles With Fifth-Round TKO!

Philadelphia, PA super middleweight Jesse "Hard Work" Hart regained his NABO and USBA championships with a crushing fifth-round stoppage of Alan Campa of Mexico.  Hart dominated from start to finish, finally landing a crushing right uppercut that would eventually lead to referee Brent Bovell stopping the contest at 1:44 of the fifth.

Hart, who is ranked number one by the WBO, is now 22-0, 18 KO's while Campa is 16-3, 11 KO's.

Coming up is the first 10-round bout for Waldorf, MD super lightweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed (21-0, 12 KO's) as he takes on Reyes Sanchez of Ciudad Neza, Mexico (26-9-2, 15 KO's).

Harris Scores Dominant Unanimous Decision!

Hyattsville, MD super lightweight Patrick "YG Pat" Harris won a workmanlike eight-round unanimous decision over a game Omar Garcia of Monterrey, Mexico.  Harris landed solid shots to the body and head of the tough Garcia while cutting off the ring on Garcia throughout the contest. Garcia returned little to no offense in the bout.  Harris won by shutout (80-72) on all three scorecards in going eight rounds for the first time in his career.

Harris remains undefeated at 11-0, seven KO's.  Garcia dips under .500 at 6-7 , one KO.

Next up -- a 10-round contest for the NABO/USBA Sup.er Middleweight championship.  The champion, Jesse "Hard Work" Hart (21-0, 17 KO's) of Philadelphia, PA will take on Alan Campa of Guaymas, Mexico (16-2, 11 KO's)


Kavaliauskas Scores Crushing Fourth-Round KO over Agaton!

Undefeated Lithuanian welterweight Egidijus "Mean Machine" Kavaliauskas scored a crushing fourth-round knockout over Ramdses "Pantera" Agaton of Mexico City in our opening bout tonight at the MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, MD.

Kavaliauskas knocked Agaton down twice in the third round with crushing right hooks.  Then late in the fourth, Kavilauskas finished the job with a crushing straight right hand that ended the evening.  Referee Brent Bovell stopped the contest at 2:58 of the fourth.

Kavaliauskas is now 16-0, 12 KO's.  Agaton falls to 17-3-3, nine KO's.

The first of our Beltway Boxers is up next -- Patrick Harris of Hyattsville, MD (10-0, seven KO's) taking on Omar "Power" Garcia of Monterrey, MX (6-6, one KO).  Eight rounds, super lightweights.

Good Evening From MGM National Harbor Casino!

Hi everyone, from the beautiful MGM National Harbor Casino Theater in Oxon Hill, MD for the The Top Rank card.  We will be blogging throughout the evening for this card.  The two Beltway Boxers -- Patrick Harris and Mike Reed -- will be the second and fourth bouts on this card.  The undercard bouts are now being shown on www.toprank.tv.  Calling the action are the former voices of Ballroom Boxing -- Larry Michael and Jon Saraceno.

The first bout is in the ring -- Egidijus Kavaliauskas (15-0, 12 KO's) taking on Ramses Agaton (17-2-3, nine KO's.  Eight rounds, welterweights.

Friday, April 07, 2017

Weights From National Harbor!

Here is the scalewatch for the Top Rank Promotions card to be held Saturday at the MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, MD:

(photos by Kent Green)


Mike Reed 141.2 vs Reyes Sanchez 141.4


Patrick Harris 136.0 vs Omar Garcia 136.6

Vasyl Lomachenko 129.6 vs Jason Sosa 130
Oleksander Gvozdyk 174.2 vs Yunieski Gonzalez 174.8
Mike Hunter 198.0 vs Oleksandr Usyk 199.4
Jesse Hart 168.0 vs Alan Campa 165.6
Egidijus Kavaliausks 148.2 vs Ramses Agaton 147.0

The card gets underway at 7 PM ET with the HBO telecast starting at 10 PM ET.

Thursday, April 06, 2017

Hawkins's Opponent Changes For April 14th Bout At MGM National Harbor!

The opponent for undefeated Baltimore, MD welterweight Malik "Iceman" Hawkins has changed for his Friday, April 14th eight-round, nationally-televised co-feature bout at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD.  Hawkins (10-0, seven KO's) will now face undefeated Carlos Soto of Torreon, Mexico (13-0-2, seven KO's).

Soto makes his television and his American debut on this card.  Soto scored a third-round TKO over Alonso Martinez on February 3rd in Sinaloa, MX.  The televised portion of the card will begin at 10 PM ET.

Corley Weighs 139 For 10-Rounder In Puerto Rico!

DeMarcus Corley weighed in at 139 pounds for his scheduled 10-round contest against Jovanie Santiago on Friday at the Coliseo Antonio Barceló in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico.  Santiago also came in at 139.  The bout is for the vacant UBF International Super Lightweight title.

Corley (48-27-1, 28 KO's) has won four straight and six of his last seven -- the majority of the wins have come against rising prospects.  Corley is coming off a 12-round majority decision win over Dexter Gonzales on August 27 in Lilliendaal, Guyana for the vacant WBC Fecarbox Lightweight title.  Santiago (9-0-1, seven KO's) scored a second-round TKO over winless Ramon Matias Perez on May 12th in the Dominican Republic.

April 8 MGM National Harbor Card Is Complete!

The Top Rank/Peltz Boxing card that will take place on Saturday, April 8th at the MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, MD is complete.

First, let's talk about the two bouts for Beltway Boxers on the card.  Undefeated Waldorf, MD super lightweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed will compete in his first 10-round bout when he battles Reyes Sanchez of Nezahualcóyotl, México.  Reed (21-0, 12 KO's) is currently ranked sixth in the world by the WBO and is coming off an eight-round unanimous decision win over Sidney Siqueira on December 10th in Omaha, NB.  Sanchez (26-9-2, 15 KO's) is a multi-time former regional champion.  Sanchez will be trying to break a three-bout losing streak including a third-round stoppage loss to Juan Heraldez on September 16th in Las Vegas, NV.

Hyattsville, MD super lightweight Patrick Harris will also look to remain undefeated when he takes on Omar "Mr. Power" Garcia of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico in his first scheduled eight-round encounter.  Harris (10-0, seven KO's) last fought on September 30th and scored a third-round TKO over Sean Lockhart at the Sphinx Club in Washington, DC.  The win was Harris's third straight knockout victory.  Garcia (6-6, one KO) has lost three in a row including a six-round unanimous decision to Nestor Bravo on November 18th in Kissimmee, FL.

The main portion of the card will by televised by HBO, marking the first time the network has ever broadcast a card from the state of Maryland.  In the main event, WBO Super Featherweight Vasyl "Hi-Tech" Lomachenko of Oxnard, CA by way of the Ukraine defends his title against former WBA Super Featherweight titleholder Jason Sosa of Camden, NJ.  Lomachenko (7-1, five KO's) will be making the second defense of the title he won on June 11th by knocking out Roman Martinez in the fifth round in Madison Square Garden.   Lomachenko is a former WBO Featherweight titleholder, defeating now-WBC champion Gary Russell, Jr. by majority decision in June of 2014.

Sosa (20-1-4, 15 KO's) defended his WBA version of the super featherweight title on November 12th winning a unanimous decision over Stephen Smith in Monte Carlo.  Sosa decided to vacate his title to challenge Lomachenko.

In the co-feature, undefeated Ukrainian cruiserweight Oleksandr Usyk will defend his WBO championship against undefeated Michael Hunter of Las Vegas, NV.  This will be a battle of 2012 Olympians.  Usyk (11-0, 10 KO's) made a successful first defense of his world title by scoring a ninth-round TKO over Thabiso Mchunu on December 17th in Inglewood, CA.  Usyk won a gold medal in the 2012 Olympics.  Hunter (12-0, eight KO's) lost in the first round in the London Olympics but has been unblemished as a pro.  Hunter won a 10-round unanimous decision over Isiah Thomas in his last outing on May 13th in Las Vegas.

The third bout on the televised card will feature undefeated Oleksandr Gvozdyk of Oxnard, CA via the Ukraine in a 10-round contest against Yunieski "The Monster" Gonzalez of Miami, FL by way of Pinar del Rio, Cuba.  Gvozdyk (12-0, 10 KO's) won a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics.  Gvozdyk is coming off an eight-round stoppage of Isaac Chilemba on November 19th in Las Vegas.  Gonzalez (18-2, 14 KO's) has scored back-to-back first-round TKO's in his last two outings.

There are two more bouts on the undercard.  Undefeated Philadelphia, PA super middleweight Jesse "Hard Work" Hart will be in a 10-round contest against Alan "Amenaza" Campa of Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico.  Hart (21-0, 17 KO's) scored a third-round TKO over Andrew Hernandez on November 4 in Las Vegas.  Campa (16-2, 11 KO's) is riding a three-bout winning streak including a sixth-round TKO over Roberto Valdez on July 30th in Hermosillo, Sonora, MX.

Also, welterweight Egidijus Kavaliauskas of Oxnard, CA by way of Lithuania (15-0, 12 KO's) will be in an eight-round encounter against Ramses Agaton of Tlalneplanta, Distrito Federal, Mexico (18-5-3, 10 KO's).  Kavaliauskas won an eight-round unanimous decision over Cameron Kreal on October 14 in Studio City, CA.  Agaton broke a three-bout losing streak by scoring a fifth-round TKO over Moises Cruz on December 9th in Tlalneplanta.

The doors open at 6:30 PM ET and the card is scheduled to get underway at 7 PM.  The HBO telecast will start at 10 PM ET.  The card has been a sellout for the past month.  Boxing Along The Beltway will be blogging throughout the evening.  Also, we will have live podcast reports on the Boxing Along The Beltway Google App For Android as well as on the BATB pages on Spreaker.com and Iheartradio.com.

Wednesday, April 05, 2017

Clark Scores TKO; Peters Gets Draw; Hurd Calls Action in Bethlehem, PA!

Two DC boxers had mixed results on a card Tuesday at the Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, PA.

Middleweight Gregory "Glizzy" Clark scored a fourth-round TKO over Devin McMaster of Pennsylvania.  Clark dropped McMaster in the second round then battered McMaster in a neutral corner in the fourth before the referee stopped the contest at 1:28.  Clark gets his first pro knockout and is now 2-1, one KO.  McMaster is now 1-1.

Featherweight Jordan "The Kidd" Peters had to settle for a four-round draw against Hector Bayanilla of Allentown, PA.  In his first bout since June of 2013, Peters managed a draw on two of the scorecards, 38-38.  Bayanilla won one card 39-37.  The records for both boxers are 1-0-1, one KO.

Also, congratulations to IBF Junior Middleweight champion and the Beltway's own "Swift" Jarrett Hurd for a solid job of color commentary on the FS1 telecast of the card!  Hurd worked alongside Brian Custer in calling the action.




Monday, April 03, 2017

Clark, Peters Hit Scales In Bethlehem, PA!

Gregory Clark and Jordan Peters weighed in for four-round contests Tuesday at the Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, PA.

Clark weighed in at 157.4 pounds for his bout against Devin McMaster who came in at 154 1/2.

Peters tipped the scales at 123.7 pounds for his contest against Hector Bayanilla, who weighed 124.4.

Sigmon Drops Unanimous Decision In USBA Title Bid in Pennsylvania!

Bedford, VA middleweight Scott "Cujo" Sigmon lost a 10-round unanimous decision to undefeated Luis Arias of Milwaukee, WI for Arias' USBA Middleweight title on March 31 at the Carnegie Music Hall in Homestead, PA.

Sigmon lost by 99-91 scores across the board and his record drops to 29-11-1, 16 KO's.  Arias's record rises to 17-0, eight KO's.

Baxter Gets Fourth Straight First-Round KO In Georgia!


(Photo courtesy of Tony's Athletic Club)

Washington, DC welterweight Jonathan "Bad Badger" Baxter won by first-round knockout on April 1 at the Tara  Center in Jonesboro, GA.  Baxter knocked out Daron Hester of Wilson, NC at 1:01 of the first.

After losing his pro debut by a split decision in November of 2016, Baxter (4-1, four KO's) has scored four straight first-round knockouts.   Hester remains winless at 0-4.

Beltway Boxers Compete In Bethlehem, PA Tuesday!

Two Washington, DC boxers will be competing on a card at the Sands Bethlehem Events Center on Tuesday, April 4th.

Super middleweight Gregory "Glizzy" Clark will be in a four-round contest against Devin McMaster of Pennsylvania.  Clark (1-1) bounced back from losing his pro debut in November to capture a four-round split decision over Patrick Rivera on February 11th in Fort Washington, MD.  McMaster (1-0) won his pro debut via a four-round split decision over Luis Fernando Aguilar on March 2 in Tijuana, Mexico.

Also, DC super featherweight Jordan "The Kidd" Peters returns to action for the first time since making his pro debut in June of 2013 when he faces Hector Bayanilla of Allentown, PA in a four-rounder.  Peters (1-0, one KO) won his pro debut by first-round TKO over Anthony Ganway in DC.  Bayanilla (1-0, one KO) scored a third-round TKO over Jair Nava on July 16 in Layton, UT.


Sunday, April 02, 2017

Results From Washington Golden Gloves!

Much like their brethren in the Virginia/North Carolina Golden Gloves on March 25th, the competition in the Washington Golden Gloves championship at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD was very spirited with some outstanding contests.

In the Open Division, it was a great night for the Avelar Brothers -- Tommy and Wilfredo -- from the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center.  With brother Brian working the corners, both men advanced to the Regional Championships with victories on Saturday.  Tommy defeated Ebrima Jawara of Laurel to win his second straight 132 Pound championship while Wilfredo captured the 141 Pound title with a win over Donnell Poe of Old School.  The Sugar Ray Leonard Center would capture the Open team trophy.

In a marquee bout at 152 Pounds, Keeshawn Williams (Next-Up) defeated Kalonni Daly (Sugar Ray Leonard).  At 165 pounds, Ashton Sykes (Odenton) scored the only stoppage victory of the night defeating Stephaun Hopps (Headbangers) in the third round.

Genc Pllana (Simon Brown) had the best performance of the evening defeating a very game Keon Burroughs (Headbangers) to capture his second consecutive 175-pound title. Pllana's outing would have been even better received by the audience had he not included outlandish in-ring antics like pretending to throw kicks during the contest.  Pllana was verbally reprimanded by Potomac Valley Association officials after the bout.

In other Open Division championship bouts, Rasheed Wright (Headbangers) makes a return to the Regionals by capturing the 114-pound championship with a win over Paul Jerry (Hillcrest).  Thomas Mottinger (Main Street) won the 201-pound title defeating Shaka Williams (NOMIS) and Malik Titus (Time 2 Grind) defeated Nathaniel Copeland (Tony's Gym) to earn the 201-pound championship.  Marcus Wright (Keystone) won the 123-pound division title by walkover.

In the Novice Division, the Headbangers Gym won the Novice team trophy by sending three boxers to the Regional Championships.  Brandon Brockington won the 114-pound title with a victory over Luis Estrada (Dover Boxing) while Elan Trombley captured the 165-pound championship by defeating Tory Hilton (Unattached).  DaJuan Concepcion won the 132-pound title by walkover.

At 152 pounds, Davonte Warren (Odenton) put on a strong performance to win the title
over a game Darnell Pitman (Knowledge).  Ian Simmons captured the 141-pound championship with a victory over Sean Cormier (Kicked-Up). DeAngelo McDonald (Tony's Gym) earned the 123-Pounds title with a win over Brient Rodriguez (Champions).   At 201+ pounds, James McMurdo (Main Street) defeated Justin Maggi (Simon Brown).  Aziz Williams (MVJ Athletics) won the 178-pound title by walkover.

The Regional Championships will take place on Saturday, April 22nd at Rosecroft Raceway.  We should have a bout sheet later this week and we will do a full preview of the card on the Boxing Along The Beltway Google App For Android the week of the championships.