Friday, August 30, 2019

Hines Drops Unanimous Decision in Pasadena!

Washington, DC welterweight Cornell "Hitman" Hines has lost a six-round unanimous decision to undefeated Eben "El Rayo" Vargas of Mesa, AZ tonight at Pasadena City Hall in Pasadena, CA.

In his first six-round contest, Hines started well as he was able to land good punches in the first round.  However, Vargas was able to pressure Hines and move him backward throughout the contest.  Hines fought from a defensive posture the rest of the way.

All three judges scored the bout 59-55.  Hines loses for the first time and he is now 5-1, two KO's.  Vargas remains unbeaten and he is 11-0, five KO's.

Hines Tips Scales in Pasadena!

Cornell Hines weighed in at 146.2 pounds for his six-round contest against fellow undefeated boxer Eben Vargas tonight at Pasadena City Hall in Pasadena, CA.  Vargas came in at 146.6 pounds.

The bout will be shown on the Golden Boy Fight Night Live Facebook page.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Crews-Dezurn To Defend WBC Super Middleweight Title Against Heavyweight Champ Jimenez September 14th In Carson, CA!

WBC Super Middleweight champion "The Heavy-Hitting Diva" Franchon Crews-Dezurn of Baltimore, MD will make the first defense of her title on Saturday, September 14th at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA.

The opponent for Crews-Dezurn will be a formidable one as she will take on the reigning WBC Heavyweight champion Alejandra "La Tigre" Jimenez of Mexico City, Mexico.  In her last outing, Crews-Dezurn (5-1, two KO's) won a non-title bout by fifth-round TKO over Kayla Williams on June 20th in Atlantic City, NJ. 

Jimenez (12-0-1, nine KO's) competes in the United States for the first time.  All of her previous bouts have been in her native Mexico.  Jimenez won the heavyweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Martha Salazar in March of 2016 in Cancun.  Three of her next four bouts were in the heavyweight division.  Since April of 2018, Jimenez has competed at the light heavyweight and super middleweight level with her last contest being an eight-round unanimous decision win over Irais Hernandez on February 16th in Cancun.

This bout will be part of the card that will be headlined by Jaime Munguia defending his WBO Junior Middleweight title against Patrick Allotey.  The card will be streamed live on DAZN.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Beltway Boxers Travel To Minnesota August 31st!

Two undefeated Beltway prospects will head to the Minneapolis Armory in Minneapolis, MN for six-round contests.

Landover, MD welterweight Tyrek "I.G.B" Irby will take on Lucas Andres Dadamo of Capitan Bermudez, Santa Fe, Argentina.  Irby (7-0, two KO's) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision over Dennis Okoth on March 2nd in Brooklyn, NY.  Dadamo (2-1-2, one KO) makes his US debut after competing exclusively in his native Argentina.  Dadamo last fought in March of 2018 and lost a six-round unanimous decision to Hugo Alberto Roldan in La Banda, Argentina.

Baltimore, MD middleweight Aaron Anderson will face Akeem Black of Milwaukee, WI in a six-round encounter.  Anderson (5-0, four KO's) comes off a first-round TKO over Carlos Galindo on May 11th in Fairfax, VA.  Black (5-3, two KO's) looks to bounce back from a six-round unanimous decision loss to Joey Spencer on June 23rd in Las Vegas, NV.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Beltway Boxers Split Bouts In Houston!

Two Beltway Boxers split bouts at the Arabia Shrine Center in Houston, TX on Friday.

Washington, DC super bantamweight Marcus "Dreamcrusher" Bates won an eight-round unanimous decision over Saul Eduardo "Babe" Hernandez of Lakeside, CA by way of Tijuana, Mexico.  Bates won the bout by scores of 79-73 (twice) and 78-74.  Bates, who is ranked #15 in the world by the WBA, is now 10-1-1, eight KO's.  Hernandez falls to 13-14-1, eight KO's.

Also on the card, Hagerstown, MD super middleweight "The Sexy Albanian" Genc Pllana suffered his first pro loss, dropping an eight-round majority decision to Raphael "Trouble" Igbokwe of Fresno, TX.    According to ringside photographer David Algranati, Ibgokwe pressured for most of the fight, with Pllana having his moments with effective counters and his unconventional style.  Igbokwe slowed a bit in the sixth and in particularly in the seventh, where Pllana outclassed him throughout the round.  Both fighters had their moments in the eight, but more punch volume and effective punching from Igbokwe in the final round gave him the win.

One judge scored the bout a draw at 76-76 but the two other judges saw the bout for Igbokwe, 79-73 and 78-74.  Pllana is now 5-1, two KO's while Igbokwe rises to 13-2, six KO's.  

This was a King's Promotions and Force Train Promotions card.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Amateur Events Taking Place Over The Next Two Weekends!

There are a number of amateur boxing events that will be taking place in and out of the Beltway over the next two Saturdays.  Here is a brief synopsis:

On Saturday, August 24th, the Potomac Valley Association of USA Boxing along with the HeadBangers Gym are bringing the Mayor's Cup back.  Also, the event will be held at a place where it was held on an annual basis for many years -- The Burr Gymnasium on the campus of Howard University in Washington, DC.  Some of the best amateur talent in the Beltway and along the East Coast are scheduled to participate in the event.  The card begins at 2 PM and is free and open to the public.

In Waldorf, MD, the Last Round Boxing Club will have the return of the King And Queen of The Ring.  There will be male and female amateurs that will compete on this card, which will be held at the Last Round Boxing Club located at 3235 Old Washington Road in Waldorf.  The card begins at 6 PM. Tickets are $15, $25, $40 and $60.  Call (202)568-2452 for details.

Next Saturday, August 31st, there will be the annual Cease Fire Don't Smoke The Brothers and Sisters picnic and amateur boxing event that will take place at the Upshur Recreation Center on 4300 Arkansas Avenue in Northwest DC.  This is an event that is into its 12th year.  This is a free event that includes free food and amateur boxing.  The organizers, led by Al-Malik Farrakhan, also ask for a six-month moratorium to stop the killings in the city.  For more information on the boxing portion of the event, call (240) 353-0564.

Also, there will be the Battle Of The Commonwealth amateur card that will take place at The Palace, located at 13989 Jefferson Davis Highway in Woodbridge, VA.  General Admission is $20 and $10 for kids under 10 years old.  This card begins at 3 PM.  For more information, call (301) 532-8169.



Beltway Boxers Hit Scales In Houston!

Two locals weighed in for eight-round bouts on Friday, August 23rd at the Arabia Shrine Center in Houston, TX.

Genc Pllana tipped the scales at the super middleweight limit of 168 pounds for his contest against Raphael Igbokwe, who came in at 166 pounds.

Marcus Bates weighed in at 120.4 pounds for his bout against Saul Hernandez, who tipped the scales at 122 pounds.

This will be a Kings Promotions/Force Train Promotions card.

Saturday, August 10, 2019

Pllana Has First Eight-Round Bout; Bates Faces Veteran On August 23rd In Houston, TX!

Two Beltway Boxers will appear on a card at the Arabia Shrine Center in Houston, TX on Friday, August 23rd.

Undefeated Hagerstown, MD super middleweight "The Sexy Albanian" Genc Pllana is trying to make quick moves in his career.  After just five previous pro bouts, Pllana will move up to the scheduled eight-round level for the first time when he takes on Raphael "Trouble" Igbokwe of Fresno, TX.

Pllana (5-0, two KO's) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision win over Dennis Williams on June 29th in Laurel, MD.  Igbokwe (12-2, six KO's) last fought on June 1st at the Arabia Shrine Center and lost an eight-round split decision to Alexis Gaytan.

Also on the card will be Washington, DC super bantamweight Marcus "Dreamcrusher" Bates who will also be in an eight-rounder against Saul Eduardo "Bebe" Hernandez of Lakeside, CA by way of Tijuana, Mexico.

Bates (9-1-1, eight KO's) competed for the first time in more than a year on April 13th when he stopped Jesse Angel Hernandez in the third round in Atlantic City, NJ.   Hernandez (no relation, 13-13-1, eight KO's) will face a Beltway Boxer for the second straight time.  Hernandez lost by six-round technical decision to Antonio Russell on May 18th in Brooklyn, NY.

Wednesday, August 07, 2019

Hurd To Have Rematch Against Williams In December!

According to BoxingScene.com, former WBA/IBF/IBO Super Welterweight champion "Swift" Jarrett Hurd will get his opportunity to regain those titles in a rematch against new champion Julian "J-Rock" Williams on Saturday, December 14th at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

The first bout between the two men was a fight of the year candidate held on May 11th at the Eagle Bank Arena in Fairfax, VA that saw Hurd, of Accokeek, MD (23-1, 16 KO's) lose his titles by unanimous decision to Williams of Philadelphia, PA, (27-1-1, 16 KO's).

If and when the bout takes place, it will be the first for Hurd without his long-time trainer, Ernesto Rodriguez.  The two parted ways in June. No word on who will work with Hurd for this bout.  Like the first bout, the second contest is scheduled to be a Premier Boxing Champions contest.  No word yet on what TV network will carry the bout.

Sunday, August 04, 2019

Davis Wins Silver Medal At Pan American Games!

Alexandria, VA light welterweight Keyshawn Davis earned a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.  Davis lost his championship bout by a 4-1 decision to Andy Cruz of Cuba on Friday, August 2nd.

Davis's Alexandria teammate, Troy Isley, captured a bronze medal at the same event.  Team USA won 10 medals, one gold, four silver, and five bronze medals.  This was the USA's best performance at the Pan Am Games since 1983.

Breedy Wins Unanimous Decision, Williams Scores First-Round KO In Brooklyn!


Two Beltway Boxers secured victories at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on Saturday.

Hyattsville, MD featherweight Cobia "The Soldier" Breedy obtained the biggest win of his career to date as he captured a 10-round unanimous decision over Ryan Lee "Stone" Allen of Las Vegas, NV.

No word on the scores but it was Breedy's first 10-round bout and his first win outside of the Beltway area. Breedy remains undefeated at 14-0, four KO's while Allen falls to 10-4-1, five KO's.

Welterweight "The Next Big Thing" Keeshawn Williams of District Heights, MD made short work of Mario Alberto Perez Navarro of San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico, scoring a first-round knockout.  Williams landed a strong straight left hand to drop Navarro.  The bout was immediately stopped at two minutes of the round.  Williams is 6-0-1, two KO's while Navarro is 5-4-2, two KO's.

Saturday, August 03, 2019

Bujaj Outlasts Smith In Hanover, MD!

New York City cruiserweight Stivens "Superman" Bujaj won an eight-round unanimous decision over Luther "Lights Out" Smith of Bowie, MD in the main event of a Jeter Promotions card held in front of a packed house at Live! Casino in Hanover, MD.

The first two rounds saw both men feel each other out and trade jabs and hooks evenly.  By the fourth round, however, Bujaj started to take control as Smith's output began to decrease.  Smith would actually stay in the contest by switching from his natural southpaw stance to conventional.  However, Bujaj would land the more telling blows in the contest and go on to the victory.  Judges David Braslow and John Gradowski scored the bout 78-74 while Brent Bovell saw the contest 77-75 for Bujaj, who returned to action for the first time since October of 2017.  Bujaj's record rises to 17-2-1, 11 KO's.  Smith falls to 12-5, 10 KO's.

The co-feature contest saw the local return of Bowie, MD super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom, who scored a second-round TKO over Tahir Thomas of Salisbury, MD.  Odom, who only had one overall bout since November of 2016 and had not competed in the Beltway since April of 2014, took Thomas's best punches in the first round only to come back in the second and send a wicked right hand to Thomas's head that dropped him to the canvas.  Referee Brent Bovell immediately called the bout off at 2:10 of the second.  Odom is now 16-3-1, 15 KO's while Thomas, who competed for the first time since January of 2017, falls to 4-2-1, three KO's.

Washington, DC featherweight Jordan "Shortdog" White stopped Vincent Jennings of Kentwood, MI at 1:34 of the fourth round.  White put on a nice performance, landing shots early to Jennings's head and body.  In the fourth round, White landed two solid left hands that dropped Jennings.  White then swarmed Jennings, forcing referee David Braslow to stop the contest.  White is now 9-1, seven KO's while Jennings drops to 6-9-2, four KO's.

Germantown, MD super featherweight Ebrima Jawara survived a third-round knockdown to defeat Marq "Monster" Johns of Fort Washington, MD.  Jawara looked poised in the first two rounds of the bout as he landed quality shots.  However, in the third, Johns caught Jawara with a strong left hand and sent him to the canvas.  After taking a nine-count, Jawara would recover and finish the round with a flurry.  Jawara would regain the advantage in the second half of the bout as he went back to his strong offensive output to win the bout.  Judges Dave Braslow and Eric Irizarry scored the bout 58-55 while Bill Clancy saw the bout 57-56.  Jawara, who completed six rounds for the first time after just two previous bouts, is now 2-1, one KO.  Johns, who had not fought since March of 2017, is now 7-2-2, six KO's.

Suitland, MD super featherweight "The Ambitious One" Malik Loften won a dominant four-round unanimous decision over Carlos "Talented" Marrero of Bridgeport, CT.  Loften was in complete control as he started his attack by landing jabs to Marrero's body.  Loften was trying to land a right hand over the top off the jab but couldn't consistently land the shot. However, Loften did more than enough to easily win the bout.  All three judges (Brent Bovell, Bill Clancy, and Eric Irizarry) scored a shutout (40-36) for Loften, whose record rises to 3-1, one KO.  Marrero's record falls to 1-3-1.

Super middleweight AJ "We Are" Williams of Cockeysville, MD won a four-round unanimous decision over Brock Willis of Clarksburg, WVA.  Williams was the taller of the two boxers and he used his height very well as his long jab would successfully keep Willis at bay.  Williams was able to win the bout with solid lefts and rights to Willis's head and body.  Williams would win by shutout across the board.  Williams is now 2-1, one KO while Willis is 1-4, one KO.

Elkridge, MD lightweight "The Red Comet" Dante Cox scored a TKO when his opponent, Hakim Smith of Philadelphia, PA could not come out for the third round.  Cox, competing in front of his fans as well as his Live! Casino co-workers was very effective in the first and second rounds as he landed great punches to the head and body.  In the second round, Cox increased his offensive output and battered Smith with uppercuts and right hands to the face and body.  At the end of the second round, the Smith corner decided not to send their boxer out for the third.  Cox is now 4-1, three KO's while Smith is 1-3-1.

Cockeysville, MD lightweight Brandon "Brody" Chambers won by TKO over Fred "Lightning and Thunder" Thornton of Shelby, NC at 1:16 of the second round.  Chambers, a Baltimore City Police Officer, weakened Thornton in the first round with consistent pressure.  Chambers stepped up his attack in the second round as he was able to find his distance and throw right hands to stun Thornton before referee Bill Clancy stopped the contest.  Chambers wins his first pro bout and he is now 1-0-1, one KO.  Thornton is 0-2.

In the opening bout, Philadelphia, PA welterweight Corey "The Thoroughbred" Weekley spoiled the pro debut of Champ "Preacherman" Moultrie of Ellicott City, MD by knocking him out in the third round.  Moultrie had little offensive for Weekley as his punches had virtually no effect.  Weekley was able to land quality punches, eventually landing a strong combination in the final minute of the third round.  Weekley would drop Moultrie with a strong right hand, causing referee Brent Bovell to stop the bout at 2:29 of the third.  Weekley wins his first bout and he is 1-2, one KO.

The husband and wife team of Tony and Christen Jeter head Jeter Promotions.  The matchmaker was Nick Tiberi.  The ring announcer was Henry "Discombobulating" Jones.

Friday, August 02, 2019

Weights From Live! Casino!

Here is the scale watch for the Jeter Promotions card that will take place Friday, August 2 at Live! Casino in Hanover, MD:

Luther Smith 199.2 vs. Stivens Bujai 199.6

Jerry Odom 168.8 vs. Tahir Thomas 166.2
(Odom originally weighed 170.2 then had to reweigh)

Jordan White 127.8 vs. Vincent Jennings 128.6

Ebrima Jawara 129 vs. Marq Johns 128.6

Malik Loften 129 vs. Carlos Marrero 128

AJ Williams 165.4 vs. Brock Willis 166.6

Dante Cox 134.2 vs. Hakim Smith 136.2

Brandon Chambers 134.2 vs. Fred Thornton 134.6

Champ Moultrie 146.8 vs. Corey Weekly 147.2

The bout between Jay Stancil, III and Deshawn Wilkerson is reportedly off the card.  Wilkerson was well under the weight for the bout.

The card is scheduled to get underway at 7 PM and will be broadcast live on the Boxing Along The Beltway Podcast Network that can be heard on Spreaker.com, Stitcher.com, IHeartRadio.com, and Tunein.com.

Balogun Wins Unanimous Decision In Monroeville, PA!

Upper Marlboro, MD heavyweight Mike "Silverback" Balogun won an eight-round unanimous decision over Ed Fountain of St. Louis, MO Thursday at the Convention Center in Monroeville, PA.

Balogun won the bout by scores of 77-74 (twice) and 78-73 to win his first professional eight-round contest.  Balogun remains undefeated and his record is now 14-0, 10 KO's.  Fountain's record falls to 12-6, five KO's.  His last three opponents have all had undefeated records.