Tuesday, December 31, 2019

BATB Year-In Review Coming Soon!

Due to the 2019 Beltway Boxing schedule ending late -- along with my increasingly busy work schedule -- the BATB Year-In-Review along with the awards will be a little delayed.  We will have them soon.  Thanks for your patience and support and Happy New Year!

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Davis Captures WBA Lightweight Title With 12th-Round TKO Over Gamboa!

Baltimore, MD's Gervonta "Tank" Davis won his third world championship with a 12th-round TKO over former champion Yuriorkis "El Ciclon De Guantanamo" Gamboa of Miami, FL by way of Cuba on Saturday in front of 14,000 people at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA.

In the second round, Davis would drop Gamboa.  When Gamboa recovered, something seemed to be wrong with his foot and his shoe, which broke.  Davis would knock down Gamboa again in the eighth round but Gamboa, who later said he may have ruptured his Achilles tendon, kept coming.

Finally, in the 12th round, the two would go toe-to-toe before Davis would knock down Gamboa for the third and final time.  Referee Jack Reiss stopped the bout immediately afterward.  The time of the stoppage was 1:17.

With the win, Davis captured the vacant WBA Lightweight championship to go with the IBF and WBA Super Featherweight titles he held earlier.  Davis went farther in this bout than any in his career and scored his 14th consecutive knockout.  Davis is now 23-0, 22 KO's.  Gamboa is now 30-3, 18 KO's.

Saturday, December 28, 2019

Beltway Boxers Victorious On Atlanta Undercard!

A number of local prospects have won bouts on the Gervonta Davis-Yuriorkis Gamboa undercard at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA on Saturday.

Baltimore, MD super lightweight Malik "Iceman" Hawkins won his bout by fifth-round TKO after his opponent, Darwin Price of Houston, TX, hurt his knee and could not continue.  The bout was stopped at 1:18.  Hawkins remains undefeated at 18-0, 11 KO's while Price suffers his first loss and is now 16-1, nine KO's.

Clinton, MD super lightweight Kareem "Reemo" Martin won an eight-round majority decision over Petros Ananyan of Brooklyn, NY by way of Armenia. One judge scored the bout a draw at 76-76 but two other judges saw the bout for Martin, 78-74.  This is Martin's fifth straight win and he is now 14-2-1, four KO's.  Ananyan falls to 14-2-2, seven KO's.

Baltimore super featherweight Malik "King" Warren scored a second-round knockout over previously undefeated Trayvion Butts of Dry Branch, GA.  No word on the official time.  Warren is 3-0 with all three knockouts coming in the second round.  Butts is now 3-1, two KO's.

Also, Baltimore female lightweight Mia "Killabee" Ellis made a successful pro debut by registering a first-round TKO over equally debuting Uneaka Best of Goldsboro, NC.  Ellis needed only 52 seconds to gain the knockout.

Friday, December 27, 2019

Weights From Atlanta!

A number of Beltway Boxers hit the scales for Saturday's card at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA.

Gervonta Davis weighed in at 134.8 pounds for his main event bout against Yuriorkis Gamboa, who came in at 134.6 pounds.  This was on the second weight try for Davis, who originally came in well overweight at 136.2.  Both men are eligible to win the vacant WBA Lightweight championship.  This bout will be televised on Showtime.

Malik Hawkins tipped the scales at 139.4 for his 10-round contest against fellow undefeated boxer Darwin Price, who came in at the super lightweight limit of 140.

Malik Warren weighed 130 pounds for his four-rounder against Trayvion Butts, who tipped the scales at 129 pounds.

Kareem Martin came in at 139 for his eight-round bout against Petros Ananyan, who weighed 140 pounds.

Mia Ellis weighed in at 131.2 for her pro debut against Uneaka Best, who will also debut, weighing in at 123.8 pounds.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Fox Stopped By Williams In London!

Forestville, MD middleweight Alantez "SlyAza" Fox has lost his bid for the vacant WBO Intercontinental Middleweight title as he was stopped by Liam "The Machine" Williams of Wales Saturday at the Copperbox Arena in London, England.

According to reports, Williams pressed the action, dropping Fox with a right hand in round four. Fox was deducted a point for holding in round five. Later in the round, Williams battered Fox to the deck again to end the fight. The bout was stopped at 2:59 of the fifth.

Fox falls to 26-2-1, 12 KO's while Williams rises to 22-2-1, 16 KO's.

Friday, December 20, 2019

Fox Weighs 159 3/4 for 12-Rounder In London!

Alantez Fox tipped the scales at 159 3/4 pounds for his contest against Liam Williams on Saturday, December 21st at the Copper Box Arena in London, England.  Williams came in at 159 1/4.

The bout is not only a title eliminator for the WBO Middleweight championship, but it will also be for the vacant WBO International Middleweight title.

Hurd, Russell Return In Separate Bouts!

There will be two more important bouts coming for Beltway Boxers in 2020.

Former Unified World Super Welterweight champion "Swift" Jarrett Hurd of Accokeek, MD returns for his first bout since losing his titles when he battles Francisco "Chia" Santana of Santa Barbara, CA on Saturday, January 25th at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The bout will be shown on Showtime.

Hurd (23-1, 16 KO's) looks to bounce back from his 12-round unanimous decision loss to Julian Williams for the WBA/IBF/IBO 154-pound titles on May 11th in Fairfax, VA.  This bout will be at 154 pounds.  Santana (25-7-1, 12 KO's) also is coming off a loss, dropping a 10-round unanimous decision to Abel Ramos on March 9th in Carson, CA.

On Saturday, February 8th, "Mr." Gary Russell, Jr. of Capitol Heights, MD will defend his WBC  Featherweight championship against undefeated IBO champion Tugstsogt "King Tug" Nyambayar of Carson, CA by way of Mongolia in Allentown, PA. Both titles will be on the line and the bout will also be televised by Showtime. 

Russell (30-1, 18 KO's) last fought on May 18th and stopped Kiko Martinez in the fifth round in Brooklyn, NY.  Martinez suffered a cut over his left eye and the bout had to be stopped.  Nyambayar (11-0, nine KO's) won the vacant IBO title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Claudio Marrero on January 26th in Brooklyn, NY.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Crews-Dezurn To Defend WBC/WBO Titles January 11th In San Antonio, TX!

WBC and WBO Female Super Middleweight champion "The Heavy Hitting Diva" Franchon Crews-Dezurn of Baltimore, MD will defend both titles against Alejandra "La Tigre" Jimenez of Mexico City, Mexico on Saturday, January 11th at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX.  This will be a co-feature bout that will be streamed on DAZN.

This will be the second defense of the WBC title and the first of the WBO crown for Crews-Dezurn (6-1, two KO's).  In her last outing, Crews-Dezurn won a 10-round unanimous decision over Maricela Cornejo on September 14th in Carson, CA.  Cornejo, who lost to Crews-Dezurn for the second time, was a late substitute for Jimenez, who could not compete in the bout.  Jimenez (12-0-1, nine KO's) is a former WBC Heavyweight champion who has fought her last three bouts in and around the super middleweight weight class. Jimenez won an eight-round unanimous decision over Irais Hernandez on February 16th in Cancun, Mexico.

The main event on this card will feature former WBO Super Welterweight champ Jaime Munguia of Tijuana, Mexico in a 12-round bout against Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan of Cork, Ireland.

Weekend Beltway Review!

Here's a recap of what did (and did not) take place over the past 72 hours.

First, the results of the TAC Promotions card that took place on Saturday, December 14th at Tyson's Playground in Sterling, VA:

Lanham, MD welterweight Aaron Thorne, III scored the only knockout of the evening as he stopped William Davis in 2:14 of the first round.  Both men were making their pro debuts.

Greenbelt, MD cruiserweight "The Vanilla Gorilla" Sam Crossed won a four-round unanimous decision over Michael Davis of Cincinnati, OH.  Crossed won by shutout on all cards, 40-36.  Crossed remains undefeated at 9-0, five KO's.  Davis drops to 2-36.

Washington, DC welterweight Taurean Venable won his first pro bout by taking a four-round unanimous decision over Anthony Dave of Canton, OH.  No word on the scores.  Venable evens his record at 1-1 while Dave falls to 1-18-1.

Oxon Hill, MD welterweight Akeem Jackson lost a four-round unanimous decision to Damon Towns of Raleigh, NC.  Towns is now 3-0, two KO's.

Brooklyn, NY super welterweight "The Brooklyn Torch" Justin Biggs won an eight-round unanimous decision over Larry "Slow Motion" Smith, Jr. of Dallas, TX.  Biggs rises to 8-0, six KO's while Smith falls to 10-43-2, seven KO's.

Welterweight Michael "Slick" Anderson of East Orange, NJ took a six-round unanimous decision over Matt Murphy of East St. Louis, IL.  Anderson is now 18-3-1, 12 KO's while Murphy is now 3-41-4, two KO's.

Super middleweight William Townsel of Virginia Beach, VA made a successful pro debut winning a four-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Keithland King of Bridgetown, Barbados.  King is now 3-1, three KO's.

Welterweight Chris Rollins of Charlottesville, VA won a four-round unanimous decision over Antonio Allen of Philadelphia, PA.  Rollins lifts his record to 3-1, two KO's and Allen remains winless at 0-11-1.

Anthony Hamilton heads TAC Promotions.  The matchmaker was Cedric Harden.  Henry "Discombobulating" Jones served as the ring announcer.


At the Hits 55 Club in Covington, KY on December 14th, super bantamweight Glenn Dezurn won a four-round unanimous decision over Michael Gaxiola of Modesto, CA.  No word on the scores.  Dezurn raises his record to 11-2-1, seven KO's while Gaxiola drops to 4-19.

The IBO Super Flyweight championship bout featuring Alexandru Marin that was slated for Monday, December 16th was scratched.  Marin was scheduled to challenge Gideon Buthelezi for the title.  However, Marin became ill and had to withdraw.







Monday, December 16, 2019

Keyshawn Davis Makes US Olympic Team!

Congratulations to Alexandria, VA 138-pounder Keyshawn Davis who has made the 2020 United States Olympic Team!

Davis, the top seed in his division, had an outstanding tournament, winning two bouts by a 4-1 decision and another by a unanimous decision.  Davis won his final bout by walkover as his opponent was a medical disqualification.  Davis will now have to win some international bouts to qualify for the Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

Alexandria's Amelia Moore lost in the finals of the Women's 132-pound class by unanimous decision to Rashida Ellis of Lynn, MA.

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Jones Loses Unanimous Decision In Springfield, MA!

Leesburg, VA cruiserweight "Mighty" Joe Jones lost an eight-round unanimous decision to undefeated Richie "Popeye The Sailor Man" Rivera of Hartford, CT on Friday at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield, MA.

Rivera won the bout by shutout, 80-72, across the board to remain unbeaten at 16-0, 12 KO's.  Jones falls to 11-2, eight KO's.

Davis Advance To US Olympic Team Finals!

Alexandria, VA 138-pounder Keyshawn Davis has advanced to the finals of the 2020 US Olympic Team Trials at the Lake Charles Civic Center in Lake Charles, LA.

On Friday, Davis defeated Charlie Sheehy of Brisbane, CA by unanimous decision.  Davis was the top seed in his bracket.  Davis's brother, Kelvin, lost his bout at 152 pounds by split decision to Delante Johnson of Cleveland Heights, OH.  Davis will face Freudis Rojas of Las Vegas in the challenger's bracket.

Fellow Alexandria boxers Troy Isley and Amelia Moore will also have to advance to the finals through the challenger's bracket.  Isley lost his first bout of the double-elimination tournament, dropping a 4-1 decision to Javier Martinez of Milwaukee, WI.  Isley will take on Joseph Hicks of Grand Rapids, MI in today's Challenger's finals.  Moore, who has been competing in the challenger's bracket since losing her first-round bout, stayed alive by defeating Jennifer Lopez of Jersey City, NJ by unanimous decision.  Moore will battle Kimberly Carlson of Chicago, IL who defeated Moore in the first round.

Washington, DC's Nasheed Smith has been eliminated from the tournament.  Smith lost a tough 3-2 decision to Orville Crooks of Brooklyn, NY in the 178-pound challenger's bracket.

Friday, December 13, 2019

Final Beltway Card Of 2019 Features Out Of Town Prospects!

The final Beltway-area card of 2019 will take place on Saturday, December 14th at Tyson's Playground in Vienna, VA.  The card will have a number of solid out-of-town prospects but very little local talent will be featured on this TAC Promotions show.  These are the boxers slated to be on the show.  No opponents have been listed.

So far, the only local boxers slated to be on this card will be Greenbelt, MD cruiserweight "The Vanilla Gorilla" Sam Crossed and Washington, DC welterweight Taurean Venable.  Crossed (8-0, five KO's) last fought in December of 2018 and won a tough six-round split decision over Twon Smith in DC.  Venable (0-1) lost his pro debut by first-round knockout against Jonathan Conde on May 18th in DC.   Heavyweight Mike Balogun was originally slated to be on this card but he is no longer on the show. 

Undefeated Brooklyn, NY super welterweight "The Brooklyn Torch" Justin Biggs is slated to headline the show.  Biggs (7-0, six KO's) is coming off an eight-round unanimous decision win over Norberto Gonzalez on August 23rd in Duluth, GA.  The win earned Biggs the WBF Silver International Super Welterweight championship.

Welterweight Michael "Slick" Anderson of East Orange, NJ will be a six-round contest.  Anderson (17-3-1, 12 KO's) looks to bounce back from a 12-round unanimous decision loss to Greg Vendetti on July 12th in Everett, MA for the vacant IBA Super Welterweight championship.  Anderson makes his second trip to Tyson's Playground.  In his last outing, Anderson defeated Juan Rodriguez by six-round unanimous decision on December 15th of 2018.

Another welterweight, Sean Charleston of Riverdale, GA, will be in a six-round bout as well. Charleston (4-0, four KO's) comes off a second-round TKO win over Lashawn Alcocks on August 23rd in Duluth, GA.

Bridgetown, Barbados super welterweight Keithland King makes his United States debut on this show.  King (3-0, three KO's) has fought the bulk of his career in Georgetown, Guyana.  King, a native of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, will be in a four-round encounter.

Raleigh, NC welterweight Damon Towns will be in a four-round contest.  Towns (2-0, two KO's) makes his second straight trip to Tyson's Playground.  Towns scored a first-round TKO over Terrence Brown on April 27th.

Light heavyweight "The Notorious" Travis Peterkin of Brooklyn, NY will be in a four-round contest.  Peterkin (16-1-1, seven KOs) has not fought since September of 2016 when he lost by fifth-round TKO loss to Radivoje Kalajdzic in Miami, OK. Peterkin's last victory came against Larry Pryor in March of 2016 in New York City.  Peterkin won by eight-round unanimous decision.




Dezurn Returns For Six-Rounder in Kentucky!

Baltimore, MD super bantamweight Glenn Dezurn returns to Hits 55 in Covington, KY Saturday, December 14th for a six-round contest against Michael Gaxiola of Modesto, CA.

Dezurn (10-2-1, seven KO's) scored a first-round TKO against Juan Bryand at Hits 55 on Sept 21st.  The win broke a two-bout losing streak.  Gaxiola (4-18) will be looking to break a 15-bout losing streak.  The card will be shown on the FITE TV App.

Jones Weighs 197 For Eight-Rounder In Massachusetts!

Joe Jones weighed in at 197 pounds for his eight-round contest against Richard Rivera Friday at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield, MA.  Rivera came in at 191 1/2 pounds.  The bout will be shown on NESN.

USA Elite and Youth Nationals And Junior Open Also Held In Lake Charles!

The Lake Charles Civic Center in Lake Charles, LA has been the place to be for amateur boxing.  Not only are the Olympic Trials being held there, but so is the 2019 USA Boxing Elite & Youth National Championships and Junior Open.  A number of amateurs from the Beltway are also involved and have been successful.

Washington, DC's Maximus Garland has advanced to the next round of the Youth Male 141-Pound bracket with a unanimous decision win over Cain Sandoval of Sacramento, CA. Also advancing in the same bracket was DC's Quincey Williams who won a split decision over Rolyn Nez of Farmington, MN.

The Youth Male 132-Pound division saw Reginald Clark of Temple Hills, MD win a split decision over Xavier Nunez of Corpus Christi, TX.

In Junior Male competition, DC's Benjamin Johnson moved to the next round of the 132-Pound class with a unanimous decision over Alan Panduro-Angulo of Omaha, NE and Jeremiah Jimason Oxon Hill, MD advanced in the 110-Pound division with a split decision over Jesus Franco of Oklahoma City, OK.

Those bouts took place on Thursday.  On Wednesday, a number of locals lost tough bouts including DC's Deric Davis (Youth Male 132 pounds), Keith Burroughs of Oxon Hill, MD (Youth Male 108 pounds), Muhammad Robinson of Nottingham, MD (Youth Male 132 Pounds), Ragahleak Bartee of DC (Youth Male 114 Pounds).


Action Continues At Olympic Trials In Louisiana!

Thursday's boxing at the 2020 US Olympic Trials in Lake Charles, LA focused on boxers in the Challenger's Bracket and two locals were involved.

Alexandria, VA's Amelia Moore bounced back from her loss in the 132-Pound bracket on Wednesday to win a 3-2 decision over Stacia Settles of The Bronx, NY. 

In the Men's 178-Pound Division, Washington, DC's Nasheed Smith won his second straight bout after losing his first-round contest, capturing a unanimous decision over Chavon Davis of Mansfield, OH.

Two Beltway Amateurs have been dominant in the Champion's Bracket.  Alexandria's Troy Isley and Keyshawn Davis are the top seeds in the 165-pound and 138-pound divisions, respectively and could be on their way to spots on the Men's Olympic Team.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Beltway Boxers Compete At 2020 US Olympic Team Trials In Louisiana!

A group of local amateurs will be competing for a spot on the 2020 United States Olympic team this week in Lake Charles, LA.

The first day of competition took place Monday and Alexandria, VA middleweight Troy Isley began his journey with a unanimous decision win over Alex Chisolm of Hialeah Gardens, FL.  Isley is the top seed in the Middleweight Division.

Kelvin Davis, the brother of Keyshawn Davis of Alexandria won his bout at 152 pounds, defeating Victor Aranda of El Paso, TX by a 3-2 score.  Keyshawn Davis, who is the top seed at 138 pounds, won his bout with a 4-1 decision over Marcell Davidson of Shawnee, KS.

Other locals scheduled to compete include Amelia Moore of Alexandria and Nasheed Smith of Washington, DC.


Sunday, December 08, 2019

Breedy Scores Sixth-Round TKO; Aleem Loses Majority Decision In Brooklyn!

Hyattsville, MD featherweight Cobia "The Soldier" Breedy won by sixth-round TKO over Titus Williams of Long Island, NY. This was the final bout of the evening at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York to close the Jermall Charlo vs. Dennis Hogan card.

The two men had a busy opening round. Breedy throwing the most punches with Williams being the more accurate of the two. Breedy shifted gears and took charge in the second-round to hurt Titus on a number of occasions. Williams bounced back in the third-round to land some good shots on Breedy to hurt him in the final minute of the round. Breedy gathered himself to box very well in the fourth-round having Williams to be more of a defensive fighter.

Williams turned things around when he sent Breedy to the canvas for an eight-count in round five. Breedy recovered and held on to complete the round. Breedy came back strong after recovering from the knockdown by dropping Williams late in the sixth-round and the bout was stopped by the referee at 2:16 of the round.

Breedy improved to (15-0, 5 KO's) while Williams suffers the third loss of his career and falls to (9-3, 4 KO's).

Richmond, VA middleweight "The Chosen One" Immanuwel Aleem (left) lost by ten-round majority decision to Ronald "Akeem" Ellis of Lynn, MA. The bout was aired live on the Showtime Boxing YouTube channel.

Aleem came out in the opening using his jab while moving around the ring to adjust to Ellis's reach advantage. Ellis closed the distance to finish the round by going toe to toe with Aleem. Ellis turned up the pace in the next couple of rounds by being the more active fighter while Aleem didn't add any offensive pressure to slow down Ellis. Aleem did a better job in the fifth-round as he stepped up his punch count to pressure Ellis. Ellis changed from using his jab to moving in close to start an inside battle with Aleem. Aleem tried to be more offensive-minded in the last three rounds of the bout by throwing more punches but wasn't able to land that fight-ending shot to get the knockout victory. One judge scored the contest a 95-95 draw but was overruled by the other two judges with the scores of 97-93, 98-92 for Ellis.

Aleem falls to (18-2-2, 11 KO's) while Ellis improves to (17-1-2, 11 KO's).


Results From Sterling, VA!

Here are the results from the Ponytail Promotions card at the Dulles Sportsplex in Sterling, VA.  Our thanks to Daniel Cork, who was a ringside photographer, for the details of the card.

Debuting female minimumweight boxer Joelle Flores of Ashburn, VA won a four-round contest against late sub and equally debuting Carma Radford.  Flores won her bout by scores of 40-36 (twice) and 39-37.

Washington, DC super featherweight "The Dark Menace" Tiara Brown won an eight-round unanimous decision over Simone Aparecida Da Silva of Sao Vicente, Sao Paulo, Brazil.  Brown won by shutout scores of 80-72 across the board.  Brown remains undefeated at 10-0, six KO's while Da Silva falls to 17-14, six KO's.

Manassas, VA super welterweight Joan Planas won his pro debut by third-round TKO over Gladimir Jacinto of Fresno, CA by way of Port Au-Prince, Haiti.  Planas knocked Jacinto down twice in the second round.  In the third, Planas stepped up his work and the bout was stopped at 2:02 of the third.  Jacinto was also making his pro debut.

Bowie, MD welterweight Marlon "The Machine" Bolen stopped Baltimore, MD's Kevin "The Scarecrow" Womack, Jr. at the end of the second round. The first round was back and forth and so was the second.  Womack, Jr. scored the first big blow of the bout, knocking down Bolen early in the second round.  Bolen recovered quickly and fought very hard to win the round.  Between rounds, Maryland state officials noticed that Womack, Jr. was hyperventilating and advised the bout be stopped.  Bolen is now 3-0, two KO's while Womack, Jr. is now 9-20-4, seven KO's.

Cruiserweight Calvin Mends of Leesburg, VA by way of Ghana, knocked out the debuting William Brown in the third round.  Mends used a nice body shot to drop Brown to one knee in the second round before finishing the job in the first minute of the third round. Mends rises to 2-0, two KO's.

Elkridge, MD lightweight "The Red Comet" Dante Cox won a four-round unanimous decision over Elliot Brown of Erie, PA.  Cox won by scores of 40-35 across the board to lift his record to 5-1, three KO's.  Brown is now 2-13, two KO's.

DC welterweight Dionte "Mr. Untouchable" Burts and late sub Darel Harris of Sarasota, FL battled to a four-round draw.  Both boxers were very busy and neither boxer gained a clear advantage.  All three judges saw the bout 38-38.  Burts is now 4-0-1, two KO's.  Harris is now 3-18-2, one KO.

Baltimore super featherweight Mack "Papi" Allison IV knocked out Mike Fowler of Milwaukee, WI at 2:09 of the first round.  Midway through the round, Allison IV was able to drop Fowler with a solid punch.  Fowler beat referee Brent Bovell's count but he was deemed unfit to continue.  Allison IV is now 11-3-1, nine KO's while Fowler falls to 7-25, two KO's.

Silver Spring, MD heavyweight George Harris won by four-round unanimous decision over Tony Lopez of Yucaipa, CA.  Scores were 39-37 and 40-36 (twice)  Harris went the distance for the first time and is now 5-0, four KO's.  Lopez is now 1-1, one KO.


Saturday, December 07, 2019

Weights From Sterling, VA!

Here are the weights for the Ponytail Promotions card that will take place Saturday at the Dulles Sportsplex in Sterling, VA:

Tiara Brown 129 vs. Simone Aparecida Da Silva 126

Mack Allison IV 134.6 vs. Mike Fowler 134.3

Marlon Bolen 145 vs. Kevin Womack, Jr. 148

Calvin Mends 199.8 vs. William Brown 190

Dante Cox 135 vs. Elliott Brown 135.2

George Harris 238.6 vs. Tony Lopez 243.4

Dionte Burts 140.2 vs. Darel Harris 143.4

Joelle Flores 102 vs. Carma Radford (did not weigh-in)

Joan Planas 152.6 vs. Gladimir Jacinto (did not weigh-in)

The card is scheduled to get underway at 7 PM.

Aleem, Breedy Hit Scales For 10-Round Contests In Brooklyn!

Immanuwel Aleem and Cobia Breedy weighed in for their 10-round bouts Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Aleem tipped the scales at 163.8 pounds for his contest against Ronald Ellis, who came in at 163.4 pounds.  This bout will be part of the Showtime streaming portion of the card that will take place on YouTube.

Breedy weighed in at 124.6 pounds for his matchup against Titus Williams who came in at 125 pounds.


Fox, Bates, Ferhadi Victorious; Pllana Battles To Draw In Philadelphia!

Overall, a good night for Beltway Boxers on Friday at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA.  In the main event, Forestville, MD welterweight Mykal "The Professor" Fox put on another solid boxing performance winning an eight-round unanimous decision over Johnny Arellano of Austin, TX.  Although Arellano came the closest to matching Fox's 6'4" height (Arellano is 6'2"), he couldn't match Fox's foot speed and boxing ability.  Fox was able to knock Arellano down in the fifth round with a sneaky left hook to the body and right to the head.  Fox would go on to the relatively easy win, gaining the victory by scores of 78-73 and 80-71 (twice).  Fox, who is ranked 14th in the world by the IBF and 15th by the WBA, is now 22-1, five KO's while Arellano drops to 10-2, nine KO's.

In the co-feature, Hagerstown, MD super middleweight "The Sexy Albanian" Genc Pllana and Kalvin "Hot Sauce" Henderson of Fayetteville, AR battled to an eight-round draw.  Pllana's unorthodox style paid dividends against the undefeated Henderson as he was able to land shots continuously from distance.  However, while one judge scored the bout for Pllana, 79-73, the two other judges somehow scored the bout a draw at 76-76.  Pllana is now 7-1-1, four KO's.  Henderson is now 12-0-1, eight KO's.

Washington, DC super bantamweight Marcus "Dreamcrusher" Bates won an eight-round unanimous decision over Francisco "Rayito" Pedroza of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.  Bates's speed and power proved to be the difference throughout the contest.  In the eighth round, Bates nailed Pedroza with a sweeping left hook to drop him.  Pedroza got right back up and finished the bout.  Bates would win by scores of 80-71 (twice) and 78-73.  Bates, who is ranked 10th in the world by the WBA, is now 11-1-1, eight KO's while Pedroza falls to 13-9-2, seven KO's.

Frederick, MD super middleweight Devar "The Warrior" Ferhadi made a successful return after a three-year absence by scoring a fifth-round TKO over previously undefeated Vincent Baccus of Okmulgee, OK.  Ferhadi knocked down Baccus with a double left jab in the third round and was able to stop Baccus on his feet in the fifth to gain the victory.  The bout was stopped at 1:45 of the fifth.  Ferhadi remains undefeated at 8-0, seven KO's and gains his first win against an over-.500 boxer. Baccus is stopped for the first time in his career and he is now 4-1-1, three KO's.

Friday, December 06, 2019

Beltway Boxers Hit Scales In Philadelphia!

Four Beltway Boxers weighed in for key bouts at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA.

Mykal Fox tipped the scales at 142 1/2 pounds for his 10-round main event bout against John Arellano, who came in at 143.

Genc Pllana weighed 168.3 pounds for his eight-round co-feature bout against Kalvin Henderson, who weighed 167.6 pounds.

Marcus Bates came in at 121.9 pounds for his eight-round contest against late sub Francisco Pedroza, who came in at 122.1 pounds.

Devar Ferhadi weighed 170.2 for his six-round bout against Vincent Baccus. who weighed 167.4 pounds.  Reportedly, Ferhadi had to give up some of his purse because he came in two pounds over the super middleweight limit.

The card will be streamed live on Facebook Fight Night Live beginning at 7 PM ET.

Ballard And Falcao Battle To Draw In Costa Mesa; NABF Middleweight Title Remains Vacant!

There is still no NABF Middleweight champion.  Temple Hills, MD's D'Mitrius "Big Meech" Ballard and Yamaguchi Falcao of Sao Paolo, Brazil battled to a 10-round majority draw Thursday night at the Hangar in Costa Mesa, CA.  The bout was shown on DAZN and on Facebook Watch Live.

According to reports, Ballard threw the harder punches but Falcao was the better boxer in the bout.  One judge, Fernando Villareal, scored the bout for Ballard, 97-93 but he was overruled by judges Tiffany Clinton and Edward Hernandez, Sr., who saw the bout a draw at 95-95.  Ballard's record now stands at 20-0-1, 13 KO's while Falcao is now 16-1-1, seven KO's.

Thursday, December 05, 2019

Ballard Weighs 159.6 For NABF Title Bid!

D'Mitrius Ballard tipped the scales at 159.6 pounds for his 10-round contest against Yamaguchi Falcao for the vacant NABF Middleweight title on Thursday at the Hangar in Costa Mesa,  CA.  Falcao weighed in at the middleweight limit of 160 pounds.

The bout will be shown live on DAZN as well as on the Golden Boy Facebook Watch page.

Wednesday, December 04, 2019

December Beltway Schedule Loaded With Important Bouts!

The Beltway Boxing scene will close 2019 with some extremely important bouts.  This month's schedule is absolutely loaded.  Here is what we have so far:

Thursday, December 5th -- The Hanger, Costa Mesa, CA -- Undefeated Temple Hills, MD middleweight D'Mitrius "Big Meech" Ballard will challenge Yamaguchi Falcao of Sao Paolo, Brazil for the vacant NABF Middleweight title.  Ballard (20-0, 13 KO's) last fought on June 20th and suffered a no-decision against Elias Espadas in Atlantic City, NJ.  Espadas suffered a laceration over his left eye due to an accidental head butt.  Falcao (16-1, seven KO's) looks to bounce back from a 10-round unanimous decision loss to Christopher Pearson on May 2nd in Las Vegas, NV.

Friday, December 6th -- 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, PA -- A quartet of Beltway Boxers will be involved in some solid bouts on a King's Promotions card.

One local boxer will be in the main event as world-ranked welterweight Mykal "The Professor" Fox will battle an opponent to be determined in a 10-round contest.  Fox (21-1, five KO's) is ranked 15th in the world by the WBA and 14th by the IBF and is coming off a dominating 10-round unanimous decision win over Eudy Bernardo on September 14th in Bethlehem, PA.  Fox won that bout by shutout on all three judge's scorecards.  This will be the fourth bout for Fox this year.

Two of the co-feature bouts will showcase Beltway Boxers.  "The Sexy Albanian" Genc Pllana of Hagerstown, MD will be in an eight-round bout against undefeated Kalvin "Hot Sauce" Henderson of Fayetteville, AR.  Pllana (7-1, four KO's) last fought on October 24th and scored a first-round knockout over Alex Lara in Washington, DC.  This will be Pllana's second eight-round encounter.  The first one resulted in Pllana's only loss, a majority decision to Raphael Igbokwe on August 23rd in Houston, TX.  Pllana has also been extremely busy -- this will be his seventh contest of the year.

Henderson (12-0, eight KO's) scored a third-round TKO over Antowyan Aikens on May 10th at the 2300 Arena.  This will be Henderson's third straight trip to that venue.

The other eight-round co-feature will pit DC super bantamweight Marcus "Dreamcrusher" Bates against late substitute Francisco "Rayito" Pedroza of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.  Bates (10-1-1, eight KO's) won his last bout by eight-round unanimous decision over Saul Eduardo Hernandez on August 23rd in Houston.  Bates is ranked 14th in the world by the WBA.  Pedroza (13-9-2, seven KO's) will face a Beltway Boxer for the second straight time.  Pedroza lost a 10-round unanimous decision to Antonio Russell on July 13th in Minneapolis, MN.

This card will also mark the return of undefeated Frederick, MD super middleweight Devar "Jengawar" Ferhadi, who will take on fellow undefeated boxer Vincent Baccus of Okmulgee, OK  in a six-round bout.  Ferhadi (7-0, six KO's) has not fought since August of 2016 when he knocked out Christopher Petty in the third round in Crystal City, VA.  Ferhadi was in his native Kurdistan completing medical school studies during his absence.  Baccus (4-0-1, three KO's) won a five-round unanimous decision over Steven Crowfield on February 23rd in Oklahoma City, OK.

Saturday, December 7th -- Michael & Son Sportsplex, Sterling, VA --  This Ponytail Promotions card features a number of Beltway Boxers.  Undefeated NABO Female Super Featherweight champion "The Dark Menace" Tiara Brown of Washington, DC will be in the main event in an eight-round encounter against Simone Aparecida Da Silva of Sao Vicente, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Brown (9-0, six KO's) comes off an eight-round majority decision win over Vanessa Bradford on October 24th in Brooklyn, NY, making the first defense of her title.  Da Silva (17-13, six KO's) won a 10-round split decision over Caroline Foro Antunes on October 26th in Sao Paulo.  Da Silva has competed in numerous world title bouts.  Also on the card will be Baltimore, MD lightweight Mack "Papi" Allison IV will be in a six-round contest against Mike Fowler of Milwaukee, WI.  Allison (10-3-1, eight KO's) scored a third-round knockout over Varon Webb on the last card at Michael & Son Sportsplex on September 14th.  Fowler (7-24, two KO's) has lost five in a row, including a second-round knockout loss to Israel Mercado on August 22nd in Costa Mesa, CA.

Also scheduled for the card will be Bowie, MD welterweight Marlon "The Machine" Bolen who will battle Baltimore, MD veteran Kevin "The Scarecrow" Womack, Jr. in a four-round bout.  Bolen (2-0, one KO) comes off a four-round unanimous decision victory over Lamont White on April 27th in Vienna, VA.  Womack, Jr. (9-19-4, seven KO's) has suffered back-to-back first-round knockout losses in his last two outings.  Elkridge, MD lightweight "The Red Comet" Dante Cox will face off with Elliott Brown of Erie, PA in a four-round bout.  Cox (4-1, three KO's) stopped Hakim Smith in the second round on August 2nd in Hanover, MD.  Brown (2-12, two KO's) has lost eight in a row, including a four-round unanimous decision defeat to Felix Santana, Jr. on November 2nd in Tampa, FL. The card also marks the return of DC welterweight Dionte "Mr. Untouchable" Burts, who will face tough veteran Matt Murphy of East St. Louis, IL in a bout scheduled for four rounds.  Burts (4-0, two KO's) has not fought since May of 2018 when he won a four-round unanimous decision over David Veras Pena in Hockessin, DE.  Murphy (3-40-4, two KO's) comes off a six-round unanimous decision loss to Antoine Elerson on September 7th in Milwaukee, WI.  This will be Murphy's 11th bout in 2019.  Leesburg, VA cruiserweight Calvin Mends will face the debuting William Brown in a four-round bout.  Mends won his pro debut on the last card at the Michael and Son Sportsplex, defeating Rashad Lipscomb by unanimous decision.  Silver Spring, MD heavyweight George Harris will battle 46-year old Tony Lopez of Yucaipa, CA.  Harris (4-0, four KO's) scored a second-round TKO over Antwaun Taylor on May 18th in DC.  Lopez (1-0, one KO) won his pro debut by first-round TKO over Billy Martin on June 29th in Golden, CO.  A couple of Virginia-based boxers will make pro debuts on this card -- Leesburg's Joelle Flores, Joan Planas of Manassas and Akeem Jackson, originally from Alexandria but now lives in Oxon Hill, MD.

Saturday, December 7th -- Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY -- Two Beltway Boxers are slated for this card and both will be in scheduled 10-round bouts.  Richmond, VA middleweight "The Chosen One" Immanuwel Aleem will face Ronald "Akeem" Ellis of Lynn, MA.  Aleem (18-1-2, 11 KO's) fought Matt Korobov to a 10-round majority draw on May 11th in Fairfax, VA.  Ellis (16-1-2, 11 KO's) looks to bounce back from a 10-round majority decision loss to DeAndre Ware on February 1st in Rochester, NY.

Also on this card will be undefeated Hyattsville, MD featherweight Cobia "The Soldier" Breedy who will battle Titus Williams of Elmont, Long Island, NY.  Breedy (14-0, four KO's) makes his second straight trip to Barclays Center.  Last time out, Breedy won a 10-round unanimous decision over Ryan Lee Allen on August 3rd.  Williams (9-2, four KO's) won by first-round TKO over Aaron Echeveste Lopez on July 12th in Queens, NY.

Friday, December 13th -- Mass Mutual Center, Springfield,  MA -- Leesburg, VA cruiserweight Joe Jones will be in an eight-round contest against undefeated Richard "Popeye The Sailor Man" Rivera of Hartford, CT.  Jones (11-1, eight KO's) comes off a six-round unanimous decision win over Twon Smith on June 29th in Laurel, MD.  Rivera (15-0, 12 KO's) last fought on November 1st and knocked out Juan Celin Zapata in the first round in Daytona Beach, FL.

Saturday, December 14 -- Tyson's Playground,  Vienna, VA -- This will be a TAC Promotions card. There will be very few local Boxers scheduled.  So far, the only one is DC welterweight Taurean Venable (0-1).  

Monday, December 16th -- International Convention Center, East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa -- Undefeated Bethesda, MD super flyweight Alexandru "Spartan" Marin challenges Gideon Buthelezi of East London for Buthalezi's IBO Super Flyweight title.

Saturday, December 21st -- Copper Box Arena, London, England -- Upper Marlboro, MD middleweight Alantez "SlyAza" Fox will face Liam "The Machine" Williams in a 12-round contest for the right to face WBO Middleweight champion, Demetrius Andrade.

Saturday, December 28th -- State Farm Arena,  Atlanta, GA -- This is the card featuring the bout for the vacant WBA Lightweight title between Baltimore's Gervonta "Tank" Davis and Yuriokis Gamboa of Miami, FL by way of Cuba.  However,  a number of Beltway Boxers will be on this card.  In a 10-round welterweight bout, Baltimore's Malik "Iceman" Hawkins will face fellow undefeated boxer Darwin Price of Houston, TX.  Hawkins (17-0, 10 KO's) last fought on September 20th and scored a first-round knockout over All Rivera in Las Vegas.   Price (16-0, nine KO's) won by fifth-round TKO over former world title contender Bredis Prescott on October 4th in Houston.

In an eight-round contest, Clinton, MD super welterweight Kareem "Reemo" Martin will battle Jeremy Cuevas of Philadelphia, PA.  Martin (13-2-1, four KO's) has been riding a four-bout winning streak that includes a third-round stoppage of Luis Gerardo Avila on July 27th in Baltimore.  Cuevas (12-1, nine KO's) comes off a fourth-round TKO over Rondale Hubbert on October 19th in Philadelphia.

Baltimore lightweight Malik "King" Warren is slated for four-round action against an opponent to be named.  Warren (2-0, two KO's) has scored second-round TKO's in both of his bouts.  The card will also mark the pro debut of Baltimore's Mia "Killabee" Ellis who will take on Crystal Byers of Ohio (0-8).  Ellis, the daughter of trainer Kenny Ellis, has been boxing since the age of four and has competed in numerous amateur bouts around the area.




Sunday, December 01, 2019

A. Fox To Battle Williams In Title Elimination Bout December 21st In London!

A huge opportunity has come for Upper Marlboro, MD middleweight Alantez "SlyAza" Fox.  On Saturday, December 21st. Fox will face Liam "The Machine" Williams of Clydach Vale, Wales in a WBO world title elimination contest at the Copper Box Arena in London, England.  The winner will be the mandatory challenger for WBO Middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade.

Fox (26-1-1, 12 KO's) is ranked number one in the WBO at middleweight and is coming off an eight-round unanimous decision win over Bruno Leonardo Romay on October 26th in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico.  Should Fox win the eliminator, he will get his second opportunity at Andrade.  Fox's only loss came to Andrade by 12-round unanimous decision in October of 2017 in Verona, NY.  Despite suffering a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder in the non-title bout, Fox was able to drop Andrade during the contest.

Williams (21-2-1, 16 KO's) is ranked number seven in the WBO middleweight rankings.  In his last outing, Williams won the vacant WBC Silver Middleweight title with a second-round knockout of Karim Achour on July 13 in Greenwich, England.  Williams is a former super welterweight world title contender.

Madison Loses By First-Round Knockout In Las Vegas!

Owings Mills, MD heavyweight Colby "Mad Dog" Madison suffered a tough loss against undefeated Guido "The Gladiator" Vianello of Rome, Italy on Saturday, November 30th at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, NV.   Vianello needed just 44 seconds to knock out Madison with a strong right hand.

Vianello's record remains perfect at 6-0, six KO's.  Madison loses his second straight contest and is now 8-2-2, five KO's.