Davis, Mares Meet Prior To February 9th Title Bout!

(photo courtesy Mayweather Promotions)

Two-time Super Featherweight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis and three-division world titleholder Abner Mares met each other for the first time during a press conference in Los Angeles, CA to promote their world title bout on Saturday, February 9th at StubHub Center (soon to be Dignity Health Sports Park) in Carson, CA.  Both men were very confident of victory.  Here are some comments:

Gervonta Davis:

"In 2019, I want to make a big statement not only in the ring but by letting the boxing world know that I'm the next star. I'm aiming to headline a pay-per-view by 2020 if everything goes right. I have great fights lined up for next year, without looking past Abner.

I don't know what Abner sees, but he was sure he wanted to take this fight so obviously he sees something. I have power, speed, movement and really a blend of everything. I believe that I'm a better fighter than him."

Abner Mares:

"One day I just thought to myself that this fight against Gervonta Davis would be a great matchup and that I can win it. There are other big fights at featherweight that I could have gotten. I'm taking this fight because of the challenge that it brings. I'm all about that.

We're not just going into this fight blind. I'm not stupid. I'm taking this fight because I see something in this guy. It's a tough fight, no doubt. All fights are tough. He's in for a good fight. At the end of the day, you guys have to stop worrying about my weight and if I'm too small. You guys are going to get a great fight and that's all that matters. Sit back, look pretty and enjoy the fight."

Davis will defend his WBA Super Featherweight title on this Mayweather Promotions/TGB Promotions/Ringstar Sports card and the bout will be the main event.  The bout will be televised live on Showtime.

Quarles, Duncan Victorious In Brooklyn!

Two middleweight Beltway Boxers were successful in bouts on Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Alexandria, VA's Brandon "Bulldog" Quarles won a 10-round unanimous decision over Todd Manuel of Rayne, LA.  According to reports, the uppercut seemed to be the key punch for Quarles as he landed them often to Manuel's body. Quarles worked Manuel up against the ropes and landed one of those body shots that looked to hurt Manuel. Manuel landed a left hook of his own that paused the action of Quarles for a moment, but the pressure continued. The activity of Quarles is what separated this bout and the judges at ringside scored it 97-93, 98-92 twice.

Quarles has won three straight contests and is now 21-4-1, 10 KO's,  Manuel's record evens at 17-17-1, five KO's.

Also on the card, Mark "Sayless" Duncan of Clarksburg, MD scored a first-round knockout over Ray "Sugar" Cervera of Bakersfield, CA.  Duncan controlled the action from the opening bell. Duncan landed some clean shots that were effective on Cervera. It was a left hook followed by a crushing right hand that dropped Cervera to the canvas. The referee saw that Cervera was too hurt to continue and stopped his count at seven, waving the bout off at 1:51 in round one.

Duncan is now 2-0, two KO's while Cervera remains winless at 0-4.

Quarles, Duncan Tip Scales In Brooklyn!

Brandon Quarles and Mark Duncan weighed in for their bouts tonight at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Quarles tipped the scales at 157 pounds for his eight-round bout against Todd Manuel.  Manuel came in at 154 1/2 pounds. Duncan came in at the middleweight limit of 160 pounds while his opponent, Ray Cervera, weighed 161 3/4 pounds for their four-round encounter.

Hernandez Harrison Signs Promotional Contract With Canadian Company!

Undefeated DC boxer Dusty Hernandez Harrison has signed a promotional contract with Lee Baxter Promotions of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. No word on the terms of the deal.

Harrison (30-0-1, 16 KO's) has not competed since winning a unanimous decision over Thomas LaManna in 2016.  A former top 15 competitor, Harrison is hoping to get back to that level and beyond under the Lee Baxter banner.

"I'm excited to get back in the ring and to prove that I belong with the best welterweights in the world," said Hernandez. "Lee Baxter Promotions has a lot of momentum behind it right now, and I felt Lee was the best guy to help me get to the top of this sport."

Baxter, who has such boxers as former world title contender Dierry Jean and and regional champion Samuel Vargas under contract, sees the Harrison signing as a major coup.

“It’s not often that fighters of this caliber become available,” said Baxter. “There’s no doubt that every promoter in the world has taken a look at Dusty and has offered him something, but we feel that we can provide him with the best opportunity to succeed. Dusty is a star, and he deserves to be treated like one.”

An injury kept Harrison off the December 1st card at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in DC.  According to BoxingScene.com, Harrison is scheduled to be on a card at the Mountaineer Casino Ballroom in New Cumberland, WVA in a bout against Austin "Speedy" Marcum of Breeden, WVA (11-11-1, five KO's) on Saturday, February 16th.

Beltway Boxers Quarles, Duncan Travel To Brooklyn December 22nd!

Two local boxers will be on a card at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on Saturday, December 22nd.  In an eight-round encounter, Alexandria, VA middleweight Brandon "Bulldog" Quarles makes his second straight appearance in Barclays Center to take on veteran Todd Manuel of Rayne, LA.

In his last visit to Brooklyn, Quarles (20-4-1, 10 KO's) won an eight-round split decision over Marcus Willis on September 8th.  Manuel (17-16-1, five KO's) has scored back-to-back knockout victories in his last two bouts. On November 9th, Manuel stopped Blake Franklin in the third round in Bossier City, LA.

Also on the card, Clarksburg, MD middleweight Mark "Sayless" Duncan will be in a four-round contest against Ray "Sugar" Cervera on Bakersfield, CA.  Duncan (1-0, one KO) made a successful pro debut scoring a second-round TKO over Jonell Christmas on September 22nd in Bowie, MD.  Duncan was scheduled to be on the last Bowie card on December 8th but his bout was cancelled.  Cervera (0-3) has lost all three of his bouts by four-round unanimous decision.

These bouts will be on the undercard of the Charlo Brothers card at Barclays Center.  Jermell Charlo defends the WBC Super Welterweight title against perennial world title contender Tony Harrison while Jermall Charlo will compete for the interim WBC Middleweight title against late sub Matt Korobov.  The main events on the card will be televised by Fox.

Davis To Defend WBA Super Featherweight Title Against Former Three-Division Champ Mares February 9th In Carson, CA!

Undefeated WBA Super Featherweight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis of Baltimore, MD will make the first defense of his title when he battles former three-division world champion Abner Mares of Montebello, CA on Saturday, February 9th at the StubHub Center (soon to be the Dignity Health Sports Park) in Carson, CA.  The bout will be the main event on a Showtime telecast.

Davis (20-0, 19 KO's) won the WBA Super Featherweight title in his last outing on April 21st in Brooklyn, NY knocking out Jesus Cuellar in the third round.  The title is Davis's second of his career.

Mares (31-3-1, 15 KO's) has won world titles at bantamweight, super bantamweight and featherweight.  Mares comes off dropping the WBA Super World Featherweight title by 12-round unanimous decision to Leo Santa Cruz on June 9th in Los Angeles, CA.  Mares, a native of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, looks to become the fourth boxer born in Mexico to win titles in four weight divisions joining Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales and Jorge Arce.

"I'm very excited to be showcased in my first main event in the United States on February 9," said Davis. "I want to make a statement in this fight by putting on a tremendous performance against an experienced world champion like Abner Mares. I plan on showing everyone why I belong in pound-for-pound discussions and why I'm the most exciting champion in boxing today. You don't want to miss it!"

"I wanted this fight and I want this challenge against Gervonta Davis," said Mares. "I'm preparing well and I will add my fifth world title in my fourth weight class on February 9 on SHOWTIME."

Roach, Jr. Successfully Defends Title In Madison Square Garden!

Undefeated Upper Marlboro, MD super featherweight Lamont Roach, Jr. successfully defended his WBO International Super Featherweight championship with a 10-round unanimous decision over Alberto Mercado of Puerto Rico Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Here is the recap from Miguel Maravilla of Fightnews.com:

Boxing smoothly throughout the fight, Roach controlled the action as the aggressor Mercado pressured. Past the halfway point, Roach continued to put in work in the seventh as he backed Mercado to the ropes with a left hook. Mercado pressured late in the fight looking to rally but the D.C. fighter, Roach’s slick style was too much for the Puerto Rican. Scores were 99-91, 98-92, and 97-93.

Roach, Jr. is now 18-0-1, seven KO's while Mercado falls to 15-2-1, three KO's.

Rodriguez Falls To Anderson In Vienna Main Event!

Haymarket, VA welterweight Juan De La Cruz Rodriguez lost a six-round unanimous decision to Michael "Slick" Anderson of Newark, NJ Saturday night during the main event of the T.A.C. Promotions card at Tyson's Playground in Vienna, VA.

Anderson, fighting for the first time since June of 2015, established control of the bout early as he was able to land continuous punches on Rodriguez.  In the second round, Anderson landed a solid right uppercut that dropped Rodriguez to the canvas.  Rodriguez beat referee Billy Johnson's count but was boxing to survive the rest of the contest.  Judges Michelle Myers and Mark D'Antillo scored the bout 58-55 while Judge Brian Costello saw the bout 57-56 all for Anderson, who raises his record to 17-2-1, 12 KO's while Rodriguez falls to 8-13-1, six KO's and has now lost six in a row.

The co-feature saw cruiserweight Arman "Gazija" Mrkanovic of Queens, NY by way of Bosnia score a fifth-round TKO over Antwaun Taylor of Cincinnati, OH.  After a slow start, Mrkanovic was able to drop Taylor twice with looping right hands in the second round.  The two men clashed heads in the fourth round, giving Mrkanovic a gash under his right eye.  However, Mrkanovic did not falter and continued to land shots.  In the fifth round, Mrkanovic landed a combination that would send Taylor through the ropes and out of the ring.  Referee Brent Bovell issued a 20-count that Taylor beat back into the ring.  However, Bovell saw that Taylor was not fit to continue and stopped the contest at 2:59 of the round.   Mrkanovic's record rises to 9-3, four KO's while Taylor, a son of former WBA Heavyweight champion Tony Tubbs, falls to 4-8, one KO.

Arlington, VA super middleweight Filip Stankovic knocked out Keith Collins of Davenport, IA at 2:52 of the first round.  Stankovic, a native of Nis, Serbia, had a large Serbian contingent, including the Serbian Ambassador to the United States, Gerge Matkovic, cheering him on and Stankovic wasted no time as he jumped on Collins early, landing hard body shots that eventually would open up punches to the head.  Collins never went down but took enough punishment to force referee Bovell to stop the contest.  Stankovic remains undefeated at 4-0 and gets his first pro knockout while Collins drops to 4-40, two KO's.

In an all-Beltway welterweight rematch, Rashad "Code Blue" Kilpatrick won a four-round unanimous decision over Lamont White of Washington, DC.  This bout opened a little differently then the first bout that Kilpatrick won on June 16th in Laurel, MD.  White would land body shots in the first round but Kilpatrick would eventually return the shots and increase his work rate throughout the contest.  Much like the bout in June, Kilpatrick would win this contest by scores of 40-36 and 39-37 (twice).  Kilpatrick is now 4-0, one KO while White is now 1-16, one KO.

Heavyweight Nathaniel "The Juggernaut" Copeland, Jr. made a successful pro debut, needing just 44 seconds to knock out Kwasi "Hollywood" Horton of Waldorf, MD.  Copeland, who wished to be billed as being from "All of Prince George's County, MD," used a right-left combination to send Horton crashing to the canvas.  Horton's eyes blinked rapidly as he tried to get up.  Referee Johnson stopped the contest in mid-count.  Horton's record dropped to 0-2.

Jersey City, NJ's Jordan Rosario won a four-round split decision over the debuting Thomas Hartshauser of Las Vegas, NV by way of Helsinki, Finland in a catchweight-like contest.  Rosario, who weighed almost 10 pounds less than his opponent, was able to land some clean shots on Hartshauser in the bout.  Hartshauser was able to use his own punches to get back into the bout but judges Myers and D'Antillo scored the bout for Rosario, 40-36 and 39-37 respectively.  Hartshauser won judge Costello's card, 39-37.  This was the first win for Rosario, who is now 1-6.

The opening contest saw 30-year-old middleweight Zach "The Kid" Dubnoff make a successful pro debut over "The New Creation" Erik Plumeri of Lockport, NY.  This was not an easy win for Dubnoff as he tasted the canvas early courtesy of a hard Plumeri right hand.  Moments later, Dubnoff would use his own right hand to send Plumeri to the floor.  Plumeri would beat referee Bovell's count but would take more punishment before the bout was stopped at 2:35 of the first round.  Plumeri's record is now 0-9-1.

T.A.C. Promotions is led by Anthony Hamilton.  The matchmaker was Cedric Harden.  This reporter served as ring announcer.

Vienna, VA Card Is Now Set!

The T.A.C. Promotions card is now set for Saturday, December 15th at Tyson's Playground in Vienna, VA.

A number of Beltway Boxers will participate on the card.  Waldorf, MD welterweight Rashad "Code Blue" Kilpatrick will take on veteran Lamont White of Washington, DC in a four-round rematch.  Kilpatrick (3-0, one KO) comes off a four-round majority decision over Carlos Pena on the last T.A.C. Promotions card on September 22nd in Springfield, VA.  White (1-15, one KO) last fought on September 22nd in Bowie, MD and lost a four-round unanimous decision to Tyrek Irby.  White has never been knocked out in a pro contest.  The two fought each other on June 16th in Laurel, MD with Kilpatrick winning a four-round unanimous decision.

Bowie welterweight Marlon "The Machine" Bolen will battle the debuting George Gethers of Jersey City, NJ in another four-rounder.  Bolen (1-0, one KO) made his pro debut on June 16th and scored a third-round TKO over Christopher Thorne in Laurel, MD.  Gethers was a solid amateur in his home state of New Jersey.

Filip Stankovic, a light heavyweight from Arlington, VA by way of Nis, Serbia, competes for the second time in the Commonwealth when he takes on veteran Keith Collins of Davenport, IA in a four-round contest.  Stankovic (3-0) took on another veteran in Greg Hackett on September 22nd in Springfield and won a four-round unanimous decision.  Collins (4-39, two KO's) looks to bounce back from a four-round unanimous decision loss to Eddie Hamilton in Davenport on October 6th.

Also, DC heavyweight Nathaniel Copeland will make his pro debut against Kwasi "Hollywood" Horton of Waldorf, MD in a four-round bout.  Copeland competed numerous times in the Washington Golden Gloves as well as in the Mayor's Cup in 2017.  Horton (0-1) lost his pro debut on the last T.A.C. Promotions card on September 22nd in Springfield, dropping a four-round unanimous decision to Michael Davis.

The main event on the card will feature Newark, NJ welterweight Michael "Slick" Anderson facing Beltway Boxer Juan De La Cruz Rodriguez of Haymarket, VA in a six-round encounter.  Anderson (16-2-1, 12 KO's) is currently riding a four-bout winning streak but hasn't fought since June of 2015 when he scored a first-round TKO over Johnny Frazier in Weirton, WVA.  Rodriguez (8-12-1, six KO's) will look to break a five-bout losing streak which includes a six-round unanimous decision loss to Shynggyskhan Tazhibay on October 27th in Fort Washington, MD.

In another six-round bout, cruiserweight "The Bosnian Prince" Arman Mrkanovic of Queens, NY will battle Antwaun Taylor of Cincinnati, OH.  Mrkanovic, a native of Bosnia and Herzegovina (8-3, three KO's) last fought on May 18th and won a six-round unanimous decision over Nicholas Lavin in Queens.  Taylor (4-7, one KO) comes off a four-round majority decision loss to David Murray on December 1st in Hockessin, DE  Taylor is the son of former WBA Heavyweight champion Tony Tubbs.

Welterweight John Thomas Hartshauser of Henderson, NV will make his pro debut against Jordan Rosario of Jersey City, NJ.  Hartshauser is a native of Helsinki, Finland.  Rosario (0-6) has not fought since May of 2017 when he dropped a four-round unanimous decision to Travis Gambardella in Melrose, MA.

Also, super middleweight Zach Dubnoff of Little Falls, NJ will make his initial foray into the pros when he takes on "The New Creation" Erik Plumeri of Lockport, NY.  Dubnoff makes his pro debut at the age of 30 after winning three of his last four amateur contests.  Plumeri (0-8-1) has been knocked out in four of his last five contests including a first-round TKO at the hands of Justin Bell in July of 2017 in DC.

Here is the scale watch for the card:

Rashad Kilpatrick 145.8 vs. Lamont White 144.6

Marlon Bolen 146 vs. George Gethers 146.6

Filip Stankovic 167.8 vs. Keith Collins 165

Nathaniel Copeland 249 vs. Kwasi Horton 265

Michael Anderson 148 vs. Juan Rodriguez 148

Arman Mrkanovic 195.4 vs. Antwaun Taylor 199.8

John Thomas Hartshauser 164.8 vs. Jordan Rosario 155.4

Zach Dubnoff 163 vs. Erik Plumeri 169

Tyson's Playground is located at 8502 Tyco Road in Vienna, VA.  The card is scheduled to get underway at 6:30 PM ET.

Roach Hits Scales In New York City!

Lamont Roach, Jr. weighed in at 129 1/2 for his 10-round WBO International Super Featherweight title defense against Alberto Mercado on Saturday, December 15th at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  Mercado came in at 129 1/4 pounds.

The bout will be part of the Canelo Alvarez-Rocky Fielding card that will be streamed live on DAZN.  No word on what time the card will get underway or whether the Roach-Mercado card will make the live stream.

Results From Saturday's Card At Bowie State!

Here are the results from the Shabazz Brothers card that took place on Saturday, December 8th at the AC Jordan Arena at Bowie State University in Bowie, MD:

In the main event, Laurel, MD super middleweight Demond "D'Best At It" Nicholson successfully defended his WBC USNBC Super Middleweight title with a second-round knockout of Fernando "El Huracan" Castaneda of Aquascalientes, Mexico.  Nicholson landed a brutal right uppercut to knock Castaneda to the canvas at 2:10 of the second round.  Nicholson is now 20-3-1, 19 KO's while Castaneda falls to 26-13, 17 KO's.

The co-feature saw Bowie super lightweight Greg "Sharpshooter" Outlaw win a six-round unanimous decision over Baltimore, MD's Mack "Papi"Allison IV.  According to Juan Marshall of ProAm Fight Talk, Outlaw out boxed Allison in every round.   The jab was the key component for Outlaw as he was able to get off his shots first to keep Allison from being aggressive. Allison wasn't throwing as many punches as he should have been to win rounds. Every time Allison stepped in he was met with a clean jab from Outlaw. Allison had his game face on, but he wasn't producing the work he should have been putting out. Outlaw's punch output was rising as the fight went into the later rounds. All three judges scored the bout at 60-54 for Outlaw, who is now 7-0, two KO's while Allison falls to 8-2-1, seven KO's.

The pro debut for Baltimore middleweight Lorenzo "Truck" Simpson lasted less than 90 seconds as he stopped Deandre West of Winston-Salem, NC.  There were no knockdowns in the contest but Simpson's power simply overwhelmed West, enough for referee Kenny Chevalier to stop the bout at 1:26.  West's record drops to 0-3.

Undefeated Forestville, MD super lightweight Mykal "The Professor" Fox rolled to a second-round TKO over previously undefeated Gonzalo Dallera of Ciudadela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Fox stayed tall and rangy as he popped his jab into the face of Dallera. Dallera tried to land some looping shots, but Fox showed some good movement to avoid getting hit. As Dallera wanted to get close he had a habit of dropping his head, and that was a mistake Fox noticed. Dallera tried to come inside again that's when Fox landed a straight left to drop Dallera for the eight count. In the next round Dallera still tried to be aggressive, but the footwork Fox used changed the angles causing Dallera to look wild. Fox used his jab to set up combinations that landed continuously, and hurting Dallera forcing referee David Braslow to stop the bout at 2:21 of round two.

Fox is now 19-0, five KO's while Dallara, who faced a boxer who won a bout for the first time, is now 5-1, four KO's.

Featherweight "The Dark Menace" Tiara Brown of Bladensburg, MD stopped former world champion Dahiana Santana of the Dominican Republic at the end of the fourth round.  Brown, a DiBella Entertainment signee, dominated the former champion from start to finish. Brown was relaxed as she slipped side to side dodging any shots Santana tried to land. Brown used a good jab to slide inside to land body shots on Santana. The defense of Brown worked great as she blocked shots and counted with her own.

Towards the closing of the second-round, Brown put together some good combinations. Santana was a little more defensive minded in the third-round, but Brown turned up the action by pumping her jab to set up more combinations that started to hurt Santana. In round four Santana showed that she was hurt and started to hold on throughout the round causing referee Kenny Chevalier to take a point away. Brown pressed forward to land more shots as the round ended. Santana had enough and did not answer the bell to start the fifth-round.

Brown remains undefeated at 7-0, five KO's while Santana falls to 36-11, 15 KO's.

In other bouts on the card, Bowie, MD cruiserweight Luther "Lights Out" Smith got a six-round split decision win against Joshua Temple of St. Louis, MO. Smith is now (11-4, 10 KO's) while Temple falls to (7-2, 6 KO's).

Baltimore, MD heavyweight Hasim "Gold Blooded" Rahman, Jr. won by four-round unanimous decision against veteran Damion Reed of Danville, VA. Rahman Jr. improves to (7-0, 4 KO's) and Reed is now (3-20-1, 1 KO).

Keith "The Bounty" Hunter, an undefeated welterweight from Las Vegas, NV scored a first-round knockout at 2:22 against Siddharth Ravindra Varma of Pune, India. Hunter record improves to (8-0, 7 KO's) while Varma is now (5-4-1, 1 KO).

Brooklyn, NY middleweight Omar Kabary Salem won by six-round majority decision against Jonathan Garcia of Aguada, Puerto Rico. Salem remains undefeated at (7-0, 3 KO's) while Garcia is now (4-19-1, 1 KO).

The matchmaker for the card was "The Boxing Diva" Renee Aiken.  The ring announcer was Henry "Discombobulating" Jones.

Harvey, Davis Win USA Titles In Salt Lake City!

Beltway amateurs won two more national titles at the 2018 Elite and Youth National Championships and Youth and Prep Open in Salt Lake City, UT on Saturday.

Congratulations to Jahmal Harvey of Oxon Hill, MD who won the Youth Male 114 Pound title with a unanimous decision win over Jesus Flores of Selma, CA.

Also, Keyshawn Davis of Alexandria, VA continued his winning ways with a unanimous decision over Dalis Kaleiopu of Waianae, HI.

Beltway Boxers Head To Final Day Of USA Championships!

A number of Beltway Boxers will be competing on the final day of the 2018 USA Elite and Youth National Championships and Junior and Prep Open in Salt Lake City, UT on Saturday.

Three locals battled for championships on the semifinal day on Friday.  Benjamin Johnson of Washington, DC won the title in the Intermediate Male 114 Pound division with a unanimous decision over Emiliano Gandara of Dallas, TX.

In the Bantam Male 65 Pound final Brandon Chestnut of Bowie, MD lost by split decision to Moises Rodriguez of El Paso, TX.  Also, Jeremiah Jimerson of Upper Marlboro, MD lost by split decision to Francisco Cruz, Jr. in the Intermediate Male 95 Pound title bout.

Amelia Moore of Alexandria, VA has advanced to the title bout of the Elite Female 132 pound championship.  In her semifinal, Moore scored a stoppage win over Meriem Boudjarane of Berkeley, CA.  Moore, who was seeded eighth in her bracket, will take on third-seeded Rashida Ellis of Lynn, MA in the final.

Alexandria's Keyshawn Davis advanced to the finals of the Elite Male 138 pound bracket.  Davis defeated Joseph Macedo of Las Vegas, NV by unanimous decision in the semis.  Davis, who was seeded second in this bracket, will take on fourth-seeded Dalis Kaleiopu of Waianae, HI in the championship match.

Alexandria's Troy Isley, who is the top seed in the Elite Male 165 Pound division, will be in the finals against second-seeded Javier Martinez of Milwaukee, WI.  Isley moved to the finals by defeating Joseph Hicks of Grand Rapids, MI by unanimous decision in the semifinals.

By winning their semifinal bouts, Moore, Davis and Isley have all punched their tickets to the 2020 Olympic Trials, which will take place in December of 2019.

Jahmal Harvey of Oxon Hill, MD will be in the finals of the Youth Male 114 pound bracket by virtue of her semifinal unanimous decision win over Chavez Barrientes of Las Vegas, NV.  Harvey will face Jesus Flores of Selma, CA in the title bout.

Weights From Bowie, MD!

Here is the scale watch for the Shabazz Brothers card that will take place on Saturday, December 8th at the AC Jordan Arena at Bowie State University in Bowie, MD:

Demond Nicholson 167.4 vs.  Fernando Casteneda 167.4 (WBC USNBC Super Middleweight championship)

Greg Outlaw 136.2 vs.  Mack Allison, IV 134.4

Lorenzo Simpson 163.4  vs.  Deandre West 161.6

Mykal Fox  141.8 vs.  Gonzalo Carlos Dallera 143.6

Tiara Brown 129.4 vs. Dahiana Santana 132

Luther Smith 199.6 vs.  Joshua Temple 198.2

Hasim Rahman, Jr. 211.8 vs.  Damion Reed 228.2

Keith Hunter 143 vs. Siddharth Varma 143.2

Jonathan Garcia 164.6 vs  Omar Salem 165.2

Due to a previous commitment, I will not be able to attend Saturday's card.  Please follow all the action of the card on Juan Marshall's blog, ProAm Fight Talk located at www.proamfighttalk.blogspot.com.

Toledo Scores First-Round Knockout In Philadelphia!

(Photo by Daniel Cork)

Baltimore, MD light heavyweight Travis "Holy" Toledo has scored a first-round knockout over Ronnie Lawrence of Pottstown, PA tonight at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA.  Toledo knocked down Lawrence twice during the contest to get the win at 2:30 of the first round. 

Toledo is now 4-0, three KO's while Lawrence falls to 0-3.

Beltway Amateurs Advance To Semifinals of USA National Championships!

A number of local amateurs advanced to the semifinals of the USA Elite and Youth National Championships And Prep Open in Salt Lake City, UT  Also, one Beltway Boxer has won a national title.

Tarvis Best of Washington, DC won the Bantam Male 125 Pound championship with a split decision over Christopher Rocha of North Las Vegas, NV.

In another big win, Alexandria, VA Elite 132-pounder Amelia Moore advanced to the semifinals with a split decision win over the top-seeded boxer in this division, Jajaira Gonzalez of Glendura, CA.

Moore's teammates from the Alexandria Boxing Club, Troy Isley and Keyshawn Davis, also won their quarterfinal bouts.  Isley, moved into the final four of the Elite 165-pound bracket with a victory over Joseph Hicks of Grand Rapids, MI.  Davis took a unanimous decision over Emmanuel Rojas of Las Vegas.

In other results, Brandon Chestnut of Bowie, MD advanced to the semis of Bantam Male 65 Pounds class with a unanimous decision over Christopher Fernandez of Phoenix, AZ.

Jahmal Harvey of Oxon Hill, MD will be in the final four of the Young Male 104 Pound division winning a unanimous decision over Samuel Cosco of Kansas City, MO.

In the Junior Male 101 Pound class, Jordan Roach of Upper Marlboro, MD advanced to the semis with a split decision over Steven Navarro of Los Angeles, CA.  Also in the Intermediate Male 95 Pound division, Jeremiah Jimason of Upper Marlboro, MD moved to the final four with a unanimous decision over Samuel Hale of Minot, ND.

December 8th Bowie State Card Complete!

The Shabazz Brothers card that is slated to take place on Saturday, December 8th at the AC Jordan Arena at Bowie State University in Bowie, MD is now completely filled.

In the main event, Laurel, MD super middleweight Demond "D'Best At It" Nicholson looks to make the first successful defense of his WBC USNBC Super Middleweight title when he faces veteran Fernando "El Huracan" Castaneda of Aquascalientes, Mexico in a 10-round bout. 

Nicholson (19-3-1, 18 KO's) won his title in his last outing, scoring a six-round knockout over Isaac Rodriguez on August 18th at Live! Casino in Hanover, MD.  Castaneda (26-12, 17 KO's) is riding a two-bout winning streak with back-to-back TKOs.  Castaneda knocked out Alberto Perez in the first round on September 22nd in Petare, Venezuela.

The co-feature will be a matchup of promising Beltway super lightweight prospects. Undefeated Bowie resident and Bowie State graduate Greg "Sharpshooter" Outlaw will battle Baltimore, MD's Mack "Papi" Allison IV in a six-round encounter.  Outlaw (6-0, two KO's) won his bout on the last Shabazz Brothers card at Bowie State, winning a six-round unanimous decision over Rashad Bogar on September 22nd.  Allison (8-1-1, seven KO's) last fought on August 4th in Sterling, VA and won a six-round unanimous decision over Rynell Griffin.

The card also will mark the pro debut of one of the most celebrated Beltway amateurs in recent memory in Baltimore middleweight Lorenzo "Truck" Simpson.  A six-time National Silver Gloves champion in six different weight divisions, the 18-year-old Simpson also medaled in national and international competitions, winning a silver medal at the recent Youth Continental Championships and the Brandenburg Cup.

Simpson's opponent in this four-round contest will be Deandre West of Danville, VA (0-2).  West was knocked out by Justin Bell in the second round on October 27th at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.

Undefeated Forestville, MD super lightweight Mykal "The Professor" Fox will be in a six-round contest against Gonzalo Carlos "El Malo" Dallera of Ciudadela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Fox (18-0, four KO's) comes off a 10-round unanimous decision over former world champion DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley on the August 18th card in Hanover, MD.  Dallera (5-0, four KO's) has scored first-round knockouts in his last two bouts.  However, Dallera has yet to face a boxer who has won a pro contest and will fight in the United States for the very first time after fighting all of his bouts in his native Argentina.

Also on the card will be Bladensburg, MD featherweight "The Dark Menace" Tiara Brown who will face veteran and former world champion Dahiana Santana of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in a six-round bout.  Brown stopped Jasmine Clarkson in the fourth round on the last Shabazz Brothers card on September 22nd at Bowie State.  Santana (36-10, 15 KO's) will be the most experienced boxer Brown has faced, having won the IBF and WBA World Featherweight titles.  Santana has lost two of her last three bouts, including a 10-round unanimous decision loss to Oshin Deriuew for the WBF Featherweight title on November 10th in Henin-Beaumont, France.

Bowie cruiserweight Luther "Lights Out" Smith will be in a six-round bout against Joshua Temple of St. Louis, MO.  Smith (10-4, nine KO's) needs a win badly as he has lost two straight and three of his last four.  Smith comes off a first-round knockout loss to Alexey Egerov on June 2nd in Atlantic City, NJ.  Temple (7-1, six KO's) will try to bounce back from his first pro loss, a six-round split decision defeat to Khetag Pliev on October 6th in Louisville, KY.

Baltimore heavyweight Hasim "Gold Blooded" Rahman, Jr. competes in a four-round bout against veteran Damion Reed of Danville, VA.  Rahman, Jr. (6-0, four KO's) won his first six-rounder defeating Raymond Ochieng by unanimous decision on August 17th in Hinckley, MN.  Reed (3-19-1, one KO) will look to break a five-bout losing streak and will be facing a Beltway Boxer for the second straight time.  Reed lost by second-round knockout to George Harris on October 27th in Fort Washington, MD.

In another all-Beltway bout, Clarksburg, MD middleweight Mark "Sayless" Duncan will battle Ashton "The Goon" Sykes of Hanover, MD.  The bout is scheduled for four rounds.  Duncan made a successful pro debut on September 22nd in Bowie, scoring a second-round TKO over Jonell Christmas.  Sykes (2-2) comes off a tough six-round TKO loss to Donald Wallace on August 18th in Hanover.

Keith "The Bounty" Hunter, an undefeated welterweight from Las Vegas, NV will be in a six-round bout against Siddharth Ravindra Varma of Pune, India.  Hunter (8-0, six KO's) comes off a four-round unanimous decision victory over Matt Murphy on September 8th in Lawrence, KS.  Varma (4-2-1, one KO) lost by fourth-round knockout to Damien Lopez on October 18th in Los Angeles, CA.

Also, Brooklyn, NY middleweight Omar Kabary Salem will be in a six-round bout against Jonathan Garcia of Aguada, Puerto Rico.  Salem (6-0, three KO's) last fought on November 16th in Atlantic City and scored a fourth-round TKO over Alberto Delgado.  Garcia (4-18-1) is winless in his last 11 bouts including a six-round unanimous decision to Kurtiss Colvin on September 29th in Houston, TX.

Beltway Amateurs Gain Victories On First Day Of USA Boxing National Championships!

A host of local amateurs were successful on the first day of the USA Boxing National Championships being held this week in Salt Lake City, UT.

Two boxers from Alexandria, VA won their first-round bouts during the evening session.  Amelia Moore won a split decision over Ariele Davis of Metairie, LA at the Elite Female 132 pounds division. Her gym mate, Troy Isley, advanced to the next round of the Elite Male 165 pound bracket with a unanimous decision over Kahshad Elliott of Plainfield, NJ.

During the morning session, Jalil Hackett of Washington, DC won his bout in the Junior Male 132 pound division with a split decision over Danilo Diez of Cape Coral, FL.

In the Bantam Male 65 Pound class, Brandon Chestnut of Bowie, MD won a unanimous decision over Edgar Castro of Phoenix, AZ while Jeremiah Jimason of Upper Marlboro, MD advanced with a split decision win over Javen Lopez of Waianae, HI.

The USA National Championships continued until Saturday, December 8th.

Hurd Successfully Defends Titles With Fourth-Round TKO In Los Angeles!

IBF/WBA/IBO 154-Pound Champion "Swift" Jarrett Hurd successfully defended his titles with a fourth-round TKO over former British Middleweight champion Jason Welborn on Saturday evening at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA.

According to reports, Welborn, of the United Kingdom, came out firing in the first round trying to work Hurd against the ropes.  Hurd's game plan seemed to counter Welborn and wait to land key shots. 

Early in the fourth round, Welborn stepped up his attack landing punches through Hurd's guard and forcing the champion to hold on for a breather.  However, Welborn made one mistake and Hurd capitalized on it.  As Hurd moved back toward the center of the ring, Welborn missed on a punch and Hurd countered with a right uppercut to Welborn's sternum that dropped Welborn for the count.  The bout was stopped at 1:55 of the fourth.

Hurd remains undefeated at 23-0, 16 KO's while Welborn falls to 24-7, seven KO's.

Nelson Shuts Out Turunen To Regain UBF Middleweight Title in DC!

For her first time competing in Washington, DC, multi-time world champion Tori "Sho Nuff" Nelson seemed to have a very simple game plan -- to hit her opponent, Sanna Turunen, as hard as she could for as long as she needed to.

If that was her plan, then Nelson, a middleweight from Ashburn, VA, executed the plan to perfection as she went on to a relatively easy 10-round unanimous decision over Turunen of Tuusulam, Finland to regain her Universal Boxing Federation Middleweight title during the main event at the Tricky Entertainment/DC Fight Night card at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, DC.

Nelson landed numerous shots on both sides of Turunen's head throughout the contest, causing Turunen to develop one welt over her right eye and another down the left side of her face.  Ringside physicians never checked on the lumps on Turunen's face.  Nelson won the bout by shutout (100-90) on all three judge's scorecards.

Nelson is now 19-2-3, three KO's while Turunen falls to 4-2-1, one KO.

In the co-feature, Greenbelt, MD cruiserweight "The Vanilla Gorilla" Sam Crossed won a disputed six-round split decision over a very game Twon "The Truth" Smith of Oklahoma City, OK.  Crossed seemed to have a tough time finding his distance in the first round.  With seconds remaining in the second round, Smith landed a big right hand that dropped Crossed to the canvas.

 Once Crossed recovered, he seemed to have difficulty landing shots and when he did, Smith was able to shake the punches off.  However, Crossed was able to land enough punches to get the win on judges Steve Rados and Wayne Smith's cards, 57-56.  Paul Wallace saw the bout for Smith by the same score.  Crossed remains undefeated at 8-0, five KO's while Smith falls to 3-2, two KO's.

DC welterweight Kareem "Reemo" Martin won a six-round unanimous decision over Andrew Rodgers of Elkhart, IN.  Both boxers had a tough time landing quality shots in this bout.  Rodgers spent the bulk of his time in the match holding Martin, who landed a good portion of body shots in the bout.  All three judges (Smith, Wallace and Eric Irizarry) scored the bout 59-55 for Martin, who is now 11-2, three KO's.  Rodgers falls to 4-5-1, two KO's.

DC featherweight Jordan "Shortdog" White made short work of Ndira Spearman of Lavergne, TN by way of Hagerstown, MD. White was able to knock down Spearman with body shots twice in the contest.  After the second knock down, Spearman told referee Brent Bovell that he had had enough.  The bout was stopped at 2:02 of the first round.  White is now 7-1, five KO's while Spearman's record drops to 1-4.

Two boxers made returns to the ring after absences of more than two years.  DC junior welterweight Antonio "Teflon" Magruder battled Matt Murphy of St. Louis, MO to a four-round majority draw.  Magruder, competing for the first time since September of 2016, looked a little rusty early in the bout as he had a tough time keeping the charging Murphy off of him.  Murphy, who was competing for the 11th time in 2018, seemed to rock Magruder with a hard right hand in the second round.  Magruder, to his credit, was able to do enough in the contest to win judge Smith's card at 39-37.  Judges Wallace and Irizarry both saw the draw at 38-38.  Magruder is now 5-0-1, four KO's while Murphy is now 3-30-4, two KO's.

DC light heavyweight Alexander "The Great" Johnson returned to action for the first time since August of 2016 and won a six-round unanimous decision over "The Dynamic Warrior" Mengistu Zarzar of Palmer Park, MD by way of Liberia.   Like Magruder, Johnson took a round or two to get himself going before he started landing punches on Zarzar.  Johnson finally was able to wear Zarzar down to get the victory.  Smith and Wallace saw the bout 59-55 while Irizarry scored the contest 58-56.  Johnson is now 17-4-1, seven KO's while Zarzar falls to 6-6-1, five KO's.

Kiante Irving, a super middleweight from Beaver Falls, PA, scored a second-round TKO over George Sheppard of Virginia.  Irving, a 2018 National Golden Gloves champion, dominated this bout from start to finish, eventually knocking down Sheppard twice before the bout was stopped at 1:06 of the second.  Irving is now 3-0, three KO's while Sheppard falls to 1-5-1.

In the opening contest, Silver Spring, MD heavyweight George Harris won by third-round TKO over Lamar Lewis of Conway, AR.  Harris was very patient in the bout and worked his way to the eventual knockout.  Eventually, the punishment was too much for Lewis and referee Michelle Myers stopped the bout at 2:00 of the third round for Harris who is now 2-0, two KO's.  Lewis drops to 0-4.

Tricky Entertainment is led by Erwin Pendergrast while Sean Magruder, the father of boxer Antonio, heads DC Fight Night.  The matchmaker was Chris Middendorf.  The ring announcer was Henry "Discombobulating" Jones.

Here's The Rest Of The 'Dynamic December' Schedule!

We have been talking about the three local cards that are a huge part of the "Dynamic December Of Beltway Boxing," however, a number of Beltway Boxers are participating in cards around the country and some are in very important bouts.

Of course, that starts tonight when IBF/WBA/IBO 154-Pound champion "Swift" Jarrett Hurd defends his titles against former British Middleweight champion Jason Welborn at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA.  That bout will be shown live on Showtime PPV.

However, Hurd has company for big bouts this month.  Here is the rest of the schedule (bouts subject to be changed or added to the schedule without notice):

Friday, December 7th -- 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, PA: Baltimore, MD light heavyweight Travis "Holy" Toledo returns quickly to action in a four-round bout against Ronnie Lawrence of Pottstown, PA.  Toledo (3-0, two KO's) just fought on November 16th and won a four-round majority decision over Kendall Cannida in Bethlehem, PA.  Lawrence (0-2) fights for the first time since April of 2012 when he lost the second of two bouts against Todd Unthank-May by first-round knockout in Atlantic City, NJ.

Saturday, December 15th -- Madison Square Garden, New York City:  Undefeated Upper Marlboro, MD super featherweight Lamont Roach, Jr. puts his WBO International title on the line against Alberto "Transformer" Mercado of Humacao, Puerto Rico by way of Hartford, CT.  Roach (17-0-1, seven KO's) won the WBO International title with a sixth-round stoppage of Deivi Julio Bassa on July 20th in Cancun, Mexico.  Mercado (15-1-1, three KO's) last fought on September 22 and won an eight-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Miguel Marrero in Juncos, Puerto Rico.  This will be Marrero's first trip to the Continental United States.

Saturday, December 22 -- Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY:  Alexandria, VA middleweight Brandon "Bulldog" Quarles will be in an eight-round bout against Todd Manuel of Rayne, LA.  Quarles (20-4-1, 10 KO's) makes his second straight trip to the Barclays Center where he won an eight-round split decision over Marcus Willis on September 8th.  Manuel (17-16-1, five KO's) is riding a two-bout winning streak with back-to-back knockouts.  On November 9th, Manuel scored a third-round TKO over Blake Franklin in Bossier City, LA.  Manuel faces a Beltway Boxer for the second time in his career.  Manuel lost by third-round stoppage to Alantez Fox in November of 2015 in Biloxi, MS.

Also scheduled to be on this card are Antonio and Antuanne Russell of Capitol Heights, MD, who are looking for opponents.  Antonio (12-0, 10 KO's) comes off a first-round knockout over Nick Otieno on August 24th in Minneapolis, MN. Antuanne (7-0, seven KO's) scored a first-round TKO over Jose Arturo Esquivel on August 4th in Uniondale, NY.