Results from Springfield and Ocean City!

Here are the quick results from the August 25 cards.

Robert E. Lee High School, Springfield, VA:

Cruiserweight Bobby Gunn (18-3, 15 KO's) of Culpepper, VA wins by second round TKO over Benito Fernandez of Spartansburg, SC (19-15, six KO's).

Junior middleweight "War Time" George Rivera of Charlottsville, VA (4-1, two KO's) won a four-round unanimous decision over Lawrence Jones of DC (2-1, one KO) 40-36 (twice), 39-37.

Junior middleweight John "No Mercy" Mackey (6-0, two KO's)of Montgomery, AL by way of DC won a four-round unanimous decision over Damon Antoine (6-16-1, three KO's) of Akron, OH, scoring at least six knockdowns in the contest.

Heavyweight Horace "The Reason" Grant of Riverdale, MD (7-1, four KO's) won by knockout over George Jacobs (1-2, one KO.)

Heavyweight Scott "Duke" Buchanan of DC (2-0, two KO) won by first-round knockout over Justin Reid (0-1). The time was 25 seconds of the first round.

Cruiserweight Willis Lockett of Takoma Park, MD (8-4-4, three KO's scored a TKO over Gaithersburg, MD's Calvin Riley. (1-1, one KO).

My thanks to Major League Boxing's Joe Hensley for providing this complete Post-Fight Wrap-Up show from Springfield, VA:


Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #79 - Post-Fight Wrap-Up from Springfield!

Major League Boxing's Joe Hensley provides this Post-Fight Wrap-Up from Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, VA.




Now the results from the Ocean City Convention Center in Ocean City, MD:

Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall of Baltimore, fighting at super middleweight, (13-0-1, two KO's) won by eight-round unanimous decision over New Castle, DE's Richard Stewart (13-4-1, eight KO's) to win the "East Coast Championship."

Junior middleweight Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow of Severn, MD (13-0-1, five KO's) won by eight-round unanimous decision over Anthony "Quick" Little.

Welterweight Tim "The Pitbull" Coleman of Baltimore (12-0, two KO's won by eight-round unanimous decision over Richard "Tiger" Lee Hall of Rocky Mount, NC (10-18-2, six KO's).

Heavyweight and former WBO Cruiserweight Champion Boone Pultz of DC (25-1, 15 KO's) won a six-round unanimous decision over Jerry "Ruffhouse" Simpson of Tallahassee, FL (2-9-1, two KO's).

Lightweight Ryan Belasco of Wilmington, DE (5-1-2, one KO) won a four-round unanimous decision over Jose Luis Torres of Albany, NY (4-12-2, two KO's)

First, here is an interview with Tim Coleman about his victory.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #78 - Coleman Describes Eight-Round Victory!

Undlefeated Baltimore welterweight TIm "The Pit Bull" Coleman talks about his eight-round victory over Richard "Tiger" Lee Hall as well as his new-found corner and confidence.




Now, here is the complete Post-Fight Wrap-Up show. Fightnews.com reporters Kurt Wolfheimer and Tom Luffman join me in recapping the action.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #80 - Post-Fight Wrap-Up from Ocean City!

Fightnews.com reporters Kurt Wolfheimer and Tom Luffman join me to recap the action from the Ocean City Convention Center in Ocean City, MD.




A couple of other notes about the Ocean City card:

Many folks performed double duty during this card. Most notably, ring announcer "The Auctioneer" Brad Dudley, who displayed his auctioneering skills throughout the card, performing a live auction of sports memorabilia between bouts. There was also a silent auction during the card.

Also, ring card girl Athena Passos should be mentioned. First, she was the only ring card girl that showed up for the show. Then, she wowed the crowd with a wonderful rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner prior to the main event bout.

Also, this card brought former Maryland State Athletic Commission referee and judge Bill Holmes back into action. Holmes, who retired from the MSAC last year, worked as a judge for most of the pro bouts. Also, long-time commissioner Ben Alperstein was in attendance at ringside.

Gary Russell Jr. Advances to Olympic Trials Championships!!

Gary Russell, Jr. is almost there!

The 119-pounder from Capitol Heights, MD has fought his way through the Challenger's Bracket of the US Olympic Trials and now stands two wins away from an Olympic berth.

Russell defeated Ronny Rios of Santa Ana, CA, 22-19 tonight in Houston to advance to the finals. There, he'll meet up once again with Roberto Marroquin of Dallas, TX. Because Marroquin has not lost in the double-elimination tournament, Russell will have to beat him twice in order to win the berth.

Loaded Fall Beltway Boxing Schedule!

As we enter the fall months, we will enter into a boatload of Beltway Boxing action!

As of today, here is the fall schedule (starting after the August 25 pro shows in Ocean City and Springfield and the amateur card at Sugar Ray Leonard Gym in Palmer Park, MD):

PRO BOXING:

Saturday, September 15 -- Left Hook Boxing (Scott Farmer) at ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.

Thursday, September 27 -- Ballroom Boxing at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.

Saturday, October 6 -- Diego Corrales Family benefit card at the Hilton Tyson's Corner in McLean, VA -- show promoted by Jimmy Lange Enterprises and Ice Promotions (Jackie Kallen).

Friday, October 12 -- Baltimore Pro Boxing at DuBurns Arena in Baltimore, MD.

Friday, October 19 -- Keystone Boxing at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.

Thursday, November 1 -- Jonathan Odgen Foundation benefit card at the new Martin's Valley Mansion in Hunt Valley, MD -- Baltimore Pro Boxing serving as promoter.

Thursday, November 8 -- "Fight Night -- Fight For Children" benefit card at the Washington Hilton and Towers, Washington, DC.

Thursday, November 29 -- Ballroom Boxing at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.

Friday, December 7 -- Baltimore Pro Boxing at the Pikesville National Guard Armory, Pikesville, MD.

Saturday, December 8 (tentative) -- Boxing card at the George Mason University Patriot Center, Fairfax, VA.


AMATEUR BOXING:

Friday, August 31 -- Potomac Valley Association and Keystone Productions at Old School Boxing Gym, 7466 Old Alexander Ferry Road, Clinton, MD.

Saturday, September 8-- Old School Boxing in collaboration with ROOTS, Inc. -- outdoor show at 16th and Bangor Streets, SE.

Saturday, September 22 -- DC Parks and Recreation at Benning Park Recreation Center 51 and Fitch Streets, NE.

Saturday, September 29 -- Baltimore Boxing at the Pikesville National Guard Armory, Pikesville, MD.

Saturday, November 10 -- Baltimore Boxing at the Pikesville National Guard Armory.

Saturday, November 17 -- DC Parks and Recreation Thanksgiving Boxing Classic -- Bald Eagle Boxing Gym, 100 Joliet Street, SW, Washington, DC.


I'm sure there will be additions to this schedule and as soon as I get them, I will pass them along!

Wade Eliminated from Olympic Trials by Disqualification!

Largo, MD 165-pounder Dominic Wade has been eliminated from the US Olympic Trials. Wade was disqualified in his Challenger's Bracket match against Shawn Porter of Cuyahoga Falls, OH.

UPDATE: For an account on what happened during Wade's bout, click on Les Carpenter's article in today's Washington Post:

"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/23/AR2007082302353.html

By the way, kudos to Les Carpenter for outstanding work in his coverage of the locals at the Olympic Trials!

Russell Jr. Continues March to Olympic Berth!

Capitol Heights, MD's Gary Russell, Jr. is definitely on the march toward the 119-pound Olympic berth.

Russell stopped Sergio Perales of Los Fresnos, TX at 1:36 of the second round tonight in Houston, TX in the Challenger's Bracket.

UPDATE: Russell will now face Ronny Rios of Santa Ana, CA tonight in the finals of the Challenger's Bracket. Should Russell win, he would get a rematch with Roberto Marraquin tomorrow. Again, Russell will have to beat Marraquin twice to win the berth.

Wade Advances, Guerrero is Eliminated in Olympic Trials!

The Beltway Olympic Brigade is now down to just two.

Largo's Dominic Wade won his first bout in the 165-pound Challenger's Bracket of the US Olympic Trials, stopping Zach Hardrick of Fort Carson, CO at 45 seconds of the third round.

However, for Salisbury's Fernando Guerrero, the Olympic dream is over. Guerrero lost a 22-19 decision to Shawn Porter of Cuyahoga Falls, OH in the other 165-pound Challengers Bracket bout. Guerrero now has two losses and has been eliminated from the competition. The win is a measure of revenge for Porter, who lost to Guerrero in the finals of the US Championships earlier this year.

Wade, along with Capitol Heights's Gary Russell, Jr. will compete tomorrow evening after 6 PM Central Time. Wade is scheduled to take on Porter while Russell is slated to battle Sergio Perales of Los Fresnos, TX. Russell defeated Perales in the finals of the 2005 Golden Gloves.

Russell, Jr. Wins Via Walkover!

Gary Russell, Jr. continued his march through the 119-pound Challenger's Bracket of the US Olympic Boxing Trials in Houston, TX by virtue of a walkover when Sammy DiPace of Las Cruces, NM bowed out of the tournament. No reason was given why DiPace did not compete against Russell in this bout.

In the Winner's Bracket final, Roberto Marraquin of Dallas, TX defeated Ronny Rios of Santa Ana, CA, 30-27. That means Russell's immediate goal is to win the Challenger's Bracket, so he can face Marraquin to avenge Monday's loss. However, Russell will have to beat Marraquin twice over the weekend to win the Olympic berth.

Joppy Bout on August 24 Postponed!

Former two-time WBA Middleweight champion William Joppy was scheduled to fight on Friday, August 24 in Binghamton, NY. However, the bout has been postponed until September 7.

Joppy's scheduled opponent, Emilio Cayetano of the Dominican Republic, has visa problems and that, coupled with the cancellation of another high-profile bout on the card, forced promoter Cedric Kushner to postpone the card.

Guerrero, Wade Lose Second-Round Contests!

It will be a hard road for all three Beltway Olympic hopefuls to win berths on the Olympic team.

Tonight in Houston, TX, both Fernando Guerrero and Dominic Wade lost their second-round bouts at the Olympic Trials and now are in the Challenger's Bracket of the 165-pound division.

Guerrero lost to Downey, CA's Shawn Estrada by decision, 20-12. Wade fell to Daniel Jacobs of Brooklyn, NY also by decision, 18-10.

Estrada and Jacobs will meet in tomorrow's Winner's Bracket championship. Guerrero and Wade join Shawn Porter of Cuyahoga Falls, OH and Zach Hardrick of Fort Carson, CO in the Challenger's Bracket. Newark, NJ's Angel Santos and Jonathan Nelson of Little Rock, AR have been eliminated because they have two losses.

It's Official: Tony Thompson is WBO's Number One Ranked Contender!

The August WBO rankings have come out and DC heavyweight and NABO Heavyweight champion Tony "The Tiger" Thompson is officially the number one contender for champion Sultan Ibragimov's title.

We all know that Ibragimov is slated to defend his title against former world champion Evander Holyfield on October 14. However, I received the following email from WBO President Francisco Valcarcel:

Dear Gary:

Tony Thompson is #1 and he could be the Mandatory Challenger for Sultan in
March 2008.

Thanks and Regards,

Francisco Valcarcel


We'll see what happens.

By the way, Thompson is the second Beltway Boxer ranked number one by the WBO. NABO Lightweight champion Anthony Peterson is ranked number one at lightweight.

Russell Rebounds In Olympic Trials!

The long road through the Challenger's Bracket has begun for Capitol Heights, MD 119-pounder Gary Russell, Jr. Russell won his first bout in the bracket, defeating David Clark of San Diego, CA, 25-7. Clark has been eliminated from the competition with two losses. Alexis Ramos of Fort Carson, CO has also been eliminated from the competition.

Roberto Marroquin of Dallas, TX (who beat Russell in the first round yesterday) and Ronny Rios of Santa Ana, CA will be in the winner's bracket championship tomorrow. Both have two victories. Russell has been joined in the challenger's bracket by Sammy DiPace of Las Cruces, NM, Sergio Perales of Los Fresnos, TX and Jessy Cruz of Miami, FL. I have been told that Russell will take on DiPace in the next round.

Guerrero, Wade Advance to Second Round of Olympic Trials!

Salisbury, MD's Fernando Guerrero and Largo, MD's Dominic Wade have advanced to the second round of the 165-Pound Division of the US Olympic Trials in Houston, TX.

Guerrero defeated Angel Santos of Newark, NJ, 19-5 in the first-round bout this evening. Wade won by decision over Jonathan Nelson of Little Rock, AR, 26-8.

According to the bracket, Guerrero will take on Shawn Estrada of Downey, CA in the second round of the winner's bracket on Tuesday. Estrada stopped Fort Carson, CO's Zacchaeus Hardrick at 1:05 of the third round. Wade will take on Daniel Jacobs of Brooklyn, NY. Jacobs won by decision over Shawn Porter of Cuyahoga Falls, OH 30-18.

If Guerrero and Wade win their bouts Tuesday, they are scheduled to meet each other in the third round on Wednesday, August 22. The winner of that matchup would be the champion of the winner's bracket and would advance to the final round on Friday, August 25 where they would face the winner of the challenger's bracket.

Russell Jr. Loses in Opening-Round Olympic Trial Bout!

Capitol Heights, MD 119-pounder Gary Russell Jr. lost his opening-round contest at the US Olympic Trials in Houston, TX. According to USABoxing.org, the bout was a nail-biter with Russell losing to Roberto Marraquin of Dallas, TX, 18-17.

Russell was leading the bout 8-2 going into the second round, but Marraquin came back to hold a one-point lead heading into the fourth and final round. Marraquin was able to hold on to the victory.

Russell now will compete through the challenger's bracket in order to receive an Olympic berth.

First-Round Matchups Set for Area Olympic Hopefuls!

The first-round draw has been announced for the US Olympic Boxing Trials that start today in Houston, TX.

Capitol Heights, MD 119-pounder Gary Russell, Jr. will be in action during the afternoon session. Russell's first-round opponent will be Roberto Marroquin of Dallas, TX.

Both Dominic Wade of Largo, MD and Fernando Guerrero of Salisbury, MD will participate in the evening session, both in the 165-pound division. Wade's opponent will be Jonathan Nelson of Little Rock, AR while Guerrero will battle Angel Santos of Newark, NJ.

The winners will advance to the second round of the winner's bracket of the tournament. Remember, this is a double-elimination tourney. As soon as I can get info on the progress of the locals, I will pass it along.

Fernando Guerrero Profiled in Washington Post!

Monday's editions of the Washington Post will have a nice profile of Salisbury, MD's Fernando Guerrero.

Reporter Katie Carrera chronicles the 20-year-old US 165-pound champion's path from his birthplace in the Dominican Republic through Salisbury to the US Olympic Trials that begin Monday in Houston, TX.

The article can be found online here:

"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/19/AR2007081901363.html

When you go to the article online, check out the nice photo gallery by Jonathan Newton of the Post.

Boyd Stopped in San Jacinto!

DC featherweight Ron "Teflon" Boyd was stopped in the first round by undefeated John Molina last night in San Jacinto, CA.

Boyd got off to a good start in the round, knocking down Molina. It was the first time Molina had been knocked down in his career. However, Molina rallied and forced referee Tony Crebs to stop the contest at 2:28 of the round.

Boyd had his five-bout winning streak snapped with the loss and now has a record of 5-2, two KO's. Molina is now 8-0, six KO's.

'Teflon' Boyd Takes On Undefeated Boxer in San Jacinto!

DC featherweight Ron "Teflon" Boyd will make his first west coast appearance when he takes on undefeated John Molina of Covina, CA tonight at the Soboba Casino in San Jacinto, CA.

Boyd (5-1, two KO's) has won five straight bouts, but has looked particularly impressive in his last three. However, Boyd hasn't fought since March 8 when he stopped Jorge Lara in the second round at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.

Molina (7-0, five KO's) last fought on June 22 when he won a six-round unanimous decision over Marcus Brashers.

Boyd weighed in at 133 1/2 pounds while Molina came in at 133.

Beltway Boxing in the News!

There are a number of online articles that focus on the Beltway Boxing scene.

RingsideReport.com, the site created by "Bad" Brad Berkwitt, has a nice piece on NABO Heavyweight champion Tony "The Tiger" Thompson written by Daniel "Tex" Cohen. Here is the link:

"http://ringsidereport.com/rsr/news.php?readmore%3d1754"


The other two articles actually quote me in them.

John Buhl, a former Fightnews colleague of mine, now writes for insidefighting.com, a site that does cover boxing, but its main focus is mixed martial arts. Buhl writes a nice piece on the late Dr. Arnold McKnight. The link is here: although it doesn't seem to be working at the moment (their fault, not mine)

"http://www.insidefighting.com/betweenRoundsDisp.aspx?uid=3857"


Then, there's Carla Peay, the assistant sports editor for the Washington Informer. She debuts her general sports column for the paper with a look at the Beltway Boxing scene. This is the link:

"http://www.washingtoninformer.com/SPCarlaPeay2007Aug16.html>

Holmes Loses Decision in Panama!

Former two-time WBC Middleweight champion Keith Holmes lost an eight-round unanimous decision to Tito "El Musil" Mendoza in Panama during the WBA "KO Drugs" festival.

According to Fightnews.com's Boxing Bob Newman, the bout was a snoozer as both men posed and clutched for the entire bout.

Holmes's record drops to 40-5, 25 KO's while Mendoza's record rises to 36-7, 29 KO's.

Baltimore Sun Reports on Darnell Wilson --'Cyberspace Celebrity!'

I'm a little late on this one, but kudos to The Baltimore Sun on a nice article earlier this week about the growing popularity of newly-crowned USBA Cruiserweight champion Darnell "The-Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson since his explosive 11th-round knockout over Emmanuel "Chukwu" Nwodo on June 28 in Staten Island, NY.

Reporter Kevin Van Valkenburg describes the increase in Wilson's popularity due to the posting of the knockout all over the internet.

Here's the link:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/boxing/bal-sp.wilson13aug13,0,740631.story


By the way, kudos to one of the best fight photographers in the business -- The Beltway's own Mike Greenhill -- whose photo was used for the article.

Holmes Tips Scales at 167 for Panama Battle!

Former two-time WBC Middleweight champion Keith Holmes weighed in at 167 pounds for his bout with Tito "El Misil" Mendoza today during the WBA "KO Drugs" Festival in Panama City, Panama.

Despite the fact that Mendoza tipped the scales at 175 pounds, both men will battle for the vacant FEDALATIN Super Middleweight title.

This will be an interesting card. Former world champion Evander Holyfield will box a three-round exhibition with the president of the WBA, Gilberto Jesus Mendoza. Another former world champ, Michael Moorer, is also on the card in a sanctioned bout.

And they will also have the semi-final bouts of the Panamanian version of "The Contender" called "El Primer Guerrero."

Wade & Guerrero Talk About the Olympic Experience!

Beltway Olympic Trial participants Dominic Wade and Fernando Guerrero talk about their trip to the US Olympic Trials in Houston, TX -- and the possibility of having to face each other during the competition.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #76 - Beltway OIympic Showcase: Dominic Wade!

Largo, MD 165-pounder Dominic Wade talks about his preparations for the US Olympic Trials in Houston, TX.



Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #77 - Beltway Olympic Showcase: Fernando Guerrero!

Salisbury, MD 165-pounder Fernando Guerrero talks about his upcoming trip to the US Olympic Trials in Houston, TX.



Still trying to catch up to Gary Russell, Jr. Hope to talk to him before he leaves for Houston.

This other note: In a USABoxing press release, Guerrero and Russell were mentioned among the top ten storylines leading into the trials. Here is what USABoxing had to say:

FERNANDO GUERRERO – Guerrero, a 2007 middleweight national champion, has been patiently waiting for his time at the top since starting to box in 2001. Born in the Dominican Republic, Guerrero didn’t obtain his United States citizenship until October and therefore couldn’t compete in national championship events. Although he knew that he had the talent and determination to reach the top, Guerrero had to wait his 18th birthday and is now making up for lost time. He won his first national championship at the 2007 U.S. Championships in June, and hopes to win his second title in Houston.

GARY RUSSELL, JR. – Russell, a two-time bantamweight national champion, has remained undefeated in contested action in the United States since entering the senior division at only 16-years-old in 2005. He has won every major national championship and his success extends to the international scene where he won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships at 17. His success isn’t surprising considering that Russell has been around the sport since he was in diapers. He has memories of going to the gym in early childhood to watch his older brothers work out. Trained by his father, Gary Russell, Sr., he comes from a true boxing family with his father having competed as a heavyweight and four brothers also competing as boxers. Russell and his five younger brothers are all named Gary Russell after their father, but Gary Jr., is the only child to go by his given name with the younger five all being called by their middle names.

Beltway Boxers Have Opponents for Upcoming Cards!

Let's start close to home where the opponent for Culpepper, VA cruiserweight Bobby Gunn's appearance at Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, VA on Saturday, August 25 has changed.

Gunn reportedly will now face Chris Mills of Scranton, PA. Mills comes in with a record of 26-3-1, 22 KO's. Mills is winless in his last two bouts, losing by first-round knockout to Cullen Rogers on February 23 in Scranton in his last outing on the undercard of Darnell Wilson-Kelvin Davis.

An opponent has also been found for former world heavyweight champ Hasim Rahman for his bout on September 7 in Mount Pleasant, MI. Rahman will take on veteran "The Raging Bull" Dicky Ryan of Omaha, NE.

Ryan (55-9, 44 KO's) is a 20-year veteran of the fight game, beginning his career in 1987. Rahman is the fifth former world heavyweight champion that Ryan has fought during his boxing tenure, joining the likes of James "Buster" Douglas, Vitali Klitschko, Nikolai Valuev and, in his last bout, Shannon Briggs who stopped Ryan in the fourth round on March 18, 2006 in Fort Smith, AK. This 10-round bout will be televised on the Versus network.

August is the Month for Amateur Boxing!

Just found out there are two more amateur shows in the area this month.

The Mayor's Cup -- a long-standing tradition in DC -- will be on Friday and Saturday, August 17 and 18 at Kennedy Playground located at 7th and P Streets, NW. This is an all-day event.

DC Boxing Hall of Famer Juice Gatling will be hosting a two-day amateur show at The Sugar Ray Leonard Center on Friday and Saturday, August 24-25. The action begins at 7 PM each evening.

Looking towards September, Old School Boxing will follow up its August 31st show with an outdoor show on Saturday, September 8 at 16th and Bangor Streets in Southeast DC. The community group ROOTS, Inc. is collaborating with OSB on this show and it is FREE to the public. The card begins at 2 PM.

The DC Parks and Recreation Department will have a Fall Boxing Showcase on Saturday, Sept. 22 at the Benning Parks Recreation Center, 51st and Fitch Streets, NE, also beginning at 2 PM.

Amateur Boxing At Old School Gym August 31!

The Potomac Valley Association and Keystone Productions are hosting an amateur boxing show at the Old School Boxing Gym, 7466 Old Alexander Ferry Road in Clinton, MD, on Friday, August 31.

Amateurs from around the Beltway will face off against boxers from Florida, New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia.

Admission will be 10 dollars for adults and five dollars for children 12 and under.

On another amateur note, I'm trying to get audio interviews with the three Beltway Boxers heading to the Olympic Trials in Houston -- Gary Russell Jr., Dominic Wade and Fernando Guerrero. Hope to have those by the end of the week.

Boxing Returns to ABC Sports Complex September 15!

After the Sughan Promotions card on Saturday, August 25 at Robert E. Lee High School, Beltway Boxing fans in Northern Virginia will not have to wait long for another quality card.

Left Hook Boxing Promotions has a card coming to the ABC Sports Complex on Saturday, September 15. Right now, promoter Scott Farmer is working on 10 bouts and the proposed main event should be a barnburner -- an eight round all-Beltway junior welterweight matchup between Alexandria, VA's Jaime "The Punisher" Palma and Smithsburg, MD's Dean "Pitbull" White.

There will be a number of four-round contests on the card. One of them will be a cruiserweight matchup between Fredricksburg, VA's Adam "The Real Deal" Seal and "Cold Blood" Patrick Budd of Front Royal, VA.

And there will be a battle of the aged that may be interesting as Virginia boxing legend Willie "The Heat" Taylor takes on Derek Amos. Apparently there has been some harsh words expressed between the two within Virginia boxing circles and they want to settle it here. I know it sounds crazy but...

Also on the card will be Arlington, VA's Todd "White Lightning" Wilson and the celebrated return of Tommy "Sparkplug" Neal. This is the same Tommy Neal who had a serious accident with a forklift.

I'll have more on this card as it develops.

Homegoing Services for Lorado Williams!

Here is information for the homegoing services for Lorado Williams:

The viewings will be on Friday, August 10 from 3-5 PM and 7-9 PM at Zannino's Funeral Home on 263 South Conkling Street in Baltimore.

The funeral service will be held on Saturday, August 11 at Holy Rosary Cemetery, 7305 German Hill Road in Dundalk. I could not get the exact time, but the service will be held in the morning.

Update on August 25 Card in Springfield!

The Sughan Productions card on Saturday, August 25 at Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, VA is starting to come together.

The main event features Culpepper, VA-born cruiserweight Bobby Gunn taking on Randy Pogue of Norristown, PA in a scheduled 10-round contest.

Gunn (17-3, 14 KO's) scored a first-round TKO over Elija Dickens on June 9 at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield when Dickens suffered an injury and could not come out for the second round. That contest was Gunn's first since losing a bout for the WBO Cruiserweight title when he was stopped in the first round by champion Enzo Maccarinelli on April 7 in Wales.

As reported earlier, Gunn is donating a portion of his purse from this bout to former world champion Iran "The Blade" Barkley.

Pogue (8-7-2, two KO's) is winless in his last four bouts, but his last outing was a four-round draw with Rafael Jastrzebski on June 27 in New York City. This will be Pogue's first scheduled 10-round bout. Pogue lost an eight-round contest to Mike Alvarez in November of 2000.

Also on the card is a bout that was actually made right here on Boxing Along The Beltway. Undefeated DC junior middleweight Lawrence Jones will take on Charlottsville, VA's "War Time" George Rivera in a scheduled four-rounder.

Jones (2-0, one KO) registered his first professional knockout in his last outing -- a first-round KO over Denny Lundy on June 16 in Martinsburg, WVA. Rivera (3-1, two KO's) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision over Montez Wilson on July 14 at the Winchester Sportsplex in Winchester, VA.

In another four-rounder, undefeated middleweight John "No Mercy" Mackey will take on veteran Vance Garvey of Indianapolis, IN.

Mackey, who was born in DC but now lives in Montgomery, AL, is fresh off a second-round TKO over Kenny Keaton on June 9 in Springfield. Mackey (5-0, three KO's) will face a wily boxer in the Bronx, NY-born Garvey (7-26-5, two KO's), who is coming off a sixth-round TKO victory over previously undefeated (23-0-1) Chase Shields on April 27 in Houston, TX. The victory broke a two-year, 15-bout winless streak for Garvey.

The card will also mark the return of Takoma Park, MD cruiserweight Willis Lockett. Lockett (7-4-4, two KO's) has not fought since winning by second-round TKO over Elija Dickens at the ABC Sports Complex on February 4, 2006.

Lockett will be involved in an all-Beltway four-rounder against Gaithersburg, MD's Calvin Riley. Riley (1-0, one KO) has not fought since winning his pro debut on April 29, 2006 at ABC against Mike Needling. Riley stopped Needling in the first round.

Undefeated Arlington, VA welterweight Bayan Jargal (Bayanmunkh Bayanjargal) will take on Akron, OH's Jason Jordan in another four-round contest. Jargal (2-0-1, one KO) is coming off a four-round draw against Jaime Rodriguez on May 31 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD. Jordan (3-12-2) has lost seven in a row, including a six-round split decision to Joey Myers on August 3 in Charleston, WVA. Another one of the losses in this streak took place on May 12 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA when Jordan lost a six-round decision to Lenny DeVictoria.

In heavyweight action, noted Beltway trainer Scott "Duke" Buchanan of DC returns to action inside the ring when he faces Akron's George Jacobs in a four-round bout. Buchanan (1-0, one KO) has not fought since making his long-awaited pro debut on March 3, 2006 at the Lincoln Theatre in DC. Buchanan stopped Felton Worrell in the first round. Jacobs (1-1, one KO) is coming off his first pro victory, a first-round TKO over Earl Briggs on May 12 in Lansing, MI.

Also slated for action on this card will be Riverdale, MD heavyweight Horace "The Reason" Grant (6-1, four KO's), fresh off his a four-round unanimous decision over Mujaheed Moore on August 3 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD. Grant's opponent is to be determined.

The first bout on this card is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM.

Lange Involved in Fundraiser for Two-Year-Old Cancer Patient!

There will be a discussion and a silent auction to raise money for Taylor Nicole Love, a two-year old from our area who is suffering from a rare, high-risk form of cancer called Neuroblastoma, a cancer with no known cure.

The event will be on Saturday, August 18 and will have a boxing theme with special guest Jimmy Lange. Part of the event will be a viewing of Lange's WBC Continental Americas Junior Middleweight title victory over Fontaine Cabell on May 12 at the George Mason University Patriot Center. Between rounds, Lange will answer audience questions about the contest.

The free event will begin with a silent auction at 3 PM. There will be numerous items available for bidding including:

There will also be a Silent Auction featuring many great items, including:

*Framed photo of Jimmy Lange and Angelo Dundee signed by Jimmy and Mr. Dundee!

*Framed photo of Bobby Orr and 6 collector cards of Bobby during different stages of his career - each card is autographed!

*2 tickets to 2007 Redskins home game vs. Dallas (December 30, 2007 - great seats - lower level end zone!)

*Dinner for 2 with Jimmy Lange and his wife Katie at the Alpine Restaurant

*1 year individual membership to Sport & Health club of your choice (excludes Hilton location and current members - $2,000 value!)

* 2 tickets to 2007 Redskins preseason home game vs. Baltimore (August 25, 2007 - great seats - lower level end zone!)

*Pair of boxing gloves signed and personalized by Jimmy Lange

*Hockey stick signed by 2006-2007 Washington Capitals (entire team!)

*2 tickets to 2008 Orioles home game of your choice (6th row 3rd base side!)

*2 tickets to Orioles/Red Sox game Saturday, September 8, 2007 (6th row 3rd base side!)

*2 tickets to Orioles/Yankees game Saturday, September 29, 2007 (6th row 3rd base side!)

There will be an autograph session at 5 PM and the viewing of the fight video begins at 7:30 PM.

The event will be held at the home of Michael, Adriane and Elizabeth Whalen located at:

8715 Mount Vernon Highway
Alexandria, Virginia 22309

For more information call 703-799-0282.

Mr. Whalen has invited me to attend this function and my plan is to be there. Hopefully, you'll join me!

Can We Make a Supercard? MAYBE!

It's strange how things work. When the discussion first came up about a Beltway Boxing Supercard, little did we realize that there were other people thinking about this.

There were reporters like John Scheinman of the Washington Post (who set this discussion in motion here on the blog), matchmakers like Chris Middendorf and other promoters who gave quality information. And, of course, the many fans who expressed their sentiments about the subject here.

Meanwhile, over in Germany, the PMG/Headbangers group had the very same idea during Tony Thompson's bout with Luan Krasnigi, with the same people involved as we mentioned on the post dated July 24, 2007 -- Thompson, The Peterson Brothers, Jimmy Lange, Reginald Taylor, Darnell Wilson, Ty Barnett and others. The thought even came up (especially in the wake of the rousing success of the Keystone Boxing pro-am card at Rosecroft Raceway on August 3) to make this event an all-day boxing festival featuring amateur and pro bouts.

To make this even more interesting, members of the DC Boxing And Wrestling Commission have had their wheels turning about the very same idea. Both the commission and PMG/Headbangers told me separately that would like to put together a supercard in the memory of Dr. Arnold McKnight.

To even come close to doing this, there would need to be a conglomerate of promoters and matchmakers that would have to check their egos at the door. Maybe it could be a full Beltway card with Maryland and Virginia involved. That would mean the commissioners would also have to leave their egos behind.

I mention this only to let you know that the powers that be in boxing in this area are listening to you. They want to see this event happen.

I will say this much: With the boxing talent we do have in this area, we are more prepared to do this than we have been in at least a decade! Let's see what we can do!

Ocean City Show Has Changes, Additions!

There will now be three eight-round bouts on the Baltimore Pro Boxing card on Saturday, August 25 at the Ocean City Convention Center in Ocean City, MD.

The main event continues to be an eight-round cruiser battle between Baltimore's undefeated Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall and Richard Stewart of New Castle, DE. The bout will be for the "East Coast Championship."

The opponent for Severn, MD undefeated middleweight Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow has changed. Nicklow will now face Anthony Little of Akron, OH in an eight-round contest. Little's record is 7-7, one KO but most of those losses have come against talented and undefeated boxers including Andre Berto, Durrell Richardson, James McGirt, Jr. and Pawel Wolak.

Undefeated Baltimore welterweight Tim Coleman will be in the other eight-round encounter, facing veteran Richard "Tiger" Lee Hall of Rocky Mount, NC. Hall (10-18-2, six KO's) is winless in his last six bouts over a three-year period, but four of those losses were to undefeated boxers.

Former WBO Cruiserweight champion Boone Pultz of Waldorf has been added to the card. Pultz (24-1, 15 KO's) has only fought once since his return after an 11-year hiatus. That was the six-round unanimous decision over Alonzo Cutchins on December 9 at the Patriot Center. In this six-rounder, Pultz will take on Jerry "Ruffhouse" Simpson of Tallahassee, FL (2-8-1, one KO) who was stopped by Mike Dietrich on July 20 at DuBurns Arena.

Undefeated Reisterstown, MD super middleweight "The Golden Greek" Elias Bouloubassis will battle Rakeem Carter of Albany, NY in a four-round rematch of a bout held on May 11 at DuBurns. In that bout, an accidental headbutt opened a gash on Bouloubassis's forehead stopping the bout in the first round.

The two men have interesting won-loss records. Bouloubassis is 1-0-3, one KO while Carter is 0-0-2.

The six-round bout between Front Royal, VA lightweight Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer and Wilmington, DE's Ryan Belasco is still on the card.

Memorial Service Honors McKnight as 'Role Model's Role Model!'

I don't know too many people that have enough influence, respect and love to bring two mayors, three city councilmembers, faculty members from at least two prestigious historically black universities and one of the most powerful men in the sport of boxing together.

Dr. Arnold W. McKnight was one of those people.

Monday night at the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center (where Dr. McKnight was director since its inception in 2001), a memorial service for Dr. McKnight brought together those people and many, many others from the boxing, education and tennis world who were truly touched by Dr. McKnight, who passed away on July 31.

Among the speakers at the service were current DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, former DC Mayor and current Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry, Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander, Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr. along with NewsChannel 8 sportscaster Glenn Harris, boxing promoter Rock Newman and New Jersey State Athletic Director Larry Hazzard, Sr., who drove down from New Jersey to be at the service.

Reverend Willie Wilson of Union Temple Baptist Church presided over the service and a traditional boxing 10-count was given by members of the DC Boxing and Wrestling Commission, trainer Adrian Davis and ring announcer Henry "Discombobulating" Jones.

McKnight was honored by many people in the community who are considered role models as the person who taught them how to be role models. The number of young people who were wearing black t-shirts honoring Dr. McKnight and were acting in such a professional manner as they greeted visitors coming into the facility was a reminder that the lessons taught by Dr. McKnight, Dr. Cora Masters Barry and those who work at the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center fell on fertile ground.

However, there were two notable groups of people who were notably absent:

1. Where were the boxers? I understand if you are a currently active boxer and you train in the evening, I can understand you not being there. But if you are active and not training for a bout or if you are a retired boxer who has fought in DC, there was no reason for you not being there.

Many of you would not be able to box in your own hometown if it were not for Dr. McKnight. The commission he ran since 1993 and was a part of since 1991 allowed you to practice the craft you love. You owed them enough courtesy to show your support for the memory of this man as he was one who showed you support in your great moments.

2. Where was the mainstream media? We should not be overly surprised at this group not being there because they have missed the Metro on this story all week long. I have never seen a city GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL receive so little press in my entire life. There were only two very brief mentions in the Washington Post and NOTHING in the Washington Times or the Washington Examiner.

I had to practically pull teeth to get Dr. McKnight's passing mentioned on Sportstalk 980 and nothing was mentioned on Triple X ESPN radio or any other local station that I know off.

That basically leaves two people who will be able to tell the story of this man through anything called "media" -- Carla Peay of the Washington Informer and James Wright of the Washington Afro-American.

That was just unfair. Had this been a man full of scandal, the press would be all over this. But this was a great man who embodied everything you wanted in a person and very little was recorded.

But enough of my rant. I was honored to know Dr. Arnold W. McKnight and I was very thankful to be at his service to honor him.

There is a series of photos from the memorial service courtesy of Linda Siadys: at this link.

http://photodawg1.smugmug.com/gallery/3246169

Baltimore Amateur Killed in Robbery Attempt!

This sad note comes from people in the Beltway Boxing community:

Baltimore amateur boxer Lorado "Rado" Williams was shot and killed over the weekend when someone tried to rob him and two friends.

Reports say that Williams was shot in the head twice this past Friday and passed away on Saturday. There was a candlelight vigil for Williams in the Highlandtown neighborhood where he lived.

Williams was regarded as a talented boxer who worked out of a number of gyms in Baltimore including UMAR, Charm City and Baltimore Boxing. He was training in Mixed Martial Arts over at the gym on Boston Street at the time of his passing.

My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Lorado Williams. I'll keep you posted on any information on services.

Rosecroft Photos Online!

Beltway Boxing photographer Linda Siadys has a wonderful photo gallery from the August 3 Keystone Boxing card at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.

Here is the link:

http://photodawg1.smugmug.com/gallery/3244404

Holmes, Rahman Return to Action!

Two former world champions from the Beltway return to action in bouts over the next two months.

Former two-time WBC Middleweight champion Keith Holmes will take on Tito Mendoza in a light heavyweight bout on Thursday, August 16 in Panama City, Panama as part of the World Boxing Association's "KO Drugs" Festival.

Holmes (40-4, 25 KO's) has not fought since winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Baltimore's Cory Cummings last October 7 in Chicago, IL.

Mendoza (35-7, 28 KO's) is a native of Panama and a former NABO Super Middleweight champ. In his last bout, Mendoza scored a 10th round TKO over Sean Corbin on April 25 in Panama City.

On September 7, former two-time world heavyweight champion Hasim "The Rock" Rahman will headline a card at the Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant, MI. No word yet on who Rahman's opponent will be. Rahman (42-6-2, 33 KO's) is coming off a rather ugly 10-round unanimous decision over Taurus Sykes on June 14 in Rochester, NY.

'Sugar Poo' Buchanan Appearing on New 'Contender' Season!

In this photo of the cast of "The Contender -- Season 3" taken by Tommy Baynard, Sugar Ray Leonard is in front, Jose "Pepe" Correa stands to the left, Buddy McGirt is to the right and Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan is in the second row, third from the left.


For the second time in three seasons, the boxing reality TV series "The Contender" will have a Beltway flavor.

The newest season of the ESPN show will feature super middleweights and one of them will be Capitol Heights, MD's Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan. This will be the second straight time that the 28-year-old Buchanan (14-1, 11 KO's) has been involved with an event on a national level. His last appearance was in Showtime's Super Middleweight tournament last year. Buchanan lost in the semi-finals.

ESPN released the names of this year's contender field and, in my opinion, this is the most notable field in the short history of the show. There are many names that should be familiar to hardcore boxing fans. This is Buchanan's opposition:

Max Alexander (26, Camden, N.J., 14-1, 2 KOs).
David Banks (24, Portland, Ore., 14-2-1, 2 KOs).
Sakio Bika (28, Sydney, Australia, via Cameroon, 22-3-2, 14 KOs).
LaFarrell Bunting (27, Las Vegas, 16-3-1, 16 KOs).
Jaidon Codrington (23, New York, 16-1, 12 KOs).
Miguel Hernandez (32, Chicago, 20-5, 10 KOs).
Wayne Johnson (29, Lyndhurst, N.J., 16-1, 9 KOs).
Donny McCrary (24, St. Joseph, Mo., 23-5-2, 13 KOs).
Les Ralston (25, Buffalo, N.Y., 16-2, 9 KOs).
Danny Santiago (34, Ocala, Fla., 29-3-1, 19 KOs).
Paul Smith (24, Liverpool, England, 20-0, 12 KOs).
Sam Soliman (33, Melbourne, Australia, 33-9, 13 KOs).
Brian Vera (26, Austin, Texas, 14-0, 9 KOs).
Rhoshii Wells (30, Las Vegas, 18-2-2, 10 KOs).
Rubin Williams (31, Detroit, 29-2-1, 16 KOs).

This is indeed an accomplished field. Bika, Soliman, Santiago, Williams and Wells have all fought for world titles. Bika was also a 2000 Olympian for Cameroon and Wells a 1996 U.S. Olympian. Codrington and Smith are notable prospects.

There are some notable changes in the training staff as well and those changes have a Beltway flavor as well. Hall of Famer and Beltway Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard remains as host, however Tommy Gallagher and Jeremy Williams are out as trainers. They have been replaced by the Beltway's own Jose "Pepe" Correa. Correa worked with Leonard early in his career and also worked with former world champion Simon Brown and many, many other Beltway Boxers as well as former world champion Lennox Lewis during his 40-year career. Also joining the staff will be James "Buddy" McGirt, who has worked with many world champions.

Ironically, Correa and McGirt share at least one boxer in common: both men have worked with Jimmy Lange throughout his career. Lange, of course, was on the first season of "The Contender" when the show was on NBC. McGirt is Lange's current trainer, Correa's was Lange's first trainer.

According to Dan Rafael's column on ESPN.com, more of the bouts will be shown this year during the actual telecast and every bout will be shown in its entirety, probably on ESPN2.

Production began on the show last week with interviews, physicals and background checks. The taping for the bouts begin next week. The new season begins airing on ESPN on Sept. 4 at 10 PM ET and will air every Tuesday night. The live finale will be on November 6 at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, MA. The winner of the tourney receives $750,000.

Samuel Loses in Georgia!

Baltimore featherweight Tyrell "Da Show Shock A" Samuel lost his second straight bout, dropping an eight-round unanimous decision to Eric "The Outlaw" Hunter of Philadelphia in front of a nationally televised ShoBox audience at the Far West Rodeo in Doraville, GA.

According to published reports, Hunter used strong bodywork to earn the victory. The judge's scorecards were 79-73 (twice) and 78-74.

Samuel is now 9-2, five KO's while Hunter rises to 8-1, three KO's.

Results From Rosecroft!

Here are the pro AND amateur results from an outstanding night of boxing in front of a raucous, sellout, standing-room-only crowd of more than 800 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.

Riverdale, MD heavyweight Horace "The Reason" Grant won by four-round unanimous decision over Mujaheed Moore of Cleveland, OH. Grant knocked down Moore in the first round but struggled down the stretch. Moore lost a point in the third round for holding. Grant is 6-1, four KO's. Moore is 4-2-1, three, KO's.

Seven-foot tall heavyweight Samson "Zeus" Mazyck of DC scored a crushing second-round knockout over Wilmington, DE's Jamal Terry. In the first round, Mazyck hit Terry with the very first punch he threw (a left hand) and dropped him. Terry fought back gamely, but the bout ended early in the second round when Mazyck landed a brutal left hand that put Terry away at 19 seconds of the round.

Mazyck is 6-0, four KO's while Terry is 3-7, two KO's.

Capitol Heights, MD featherweight Thomas "KO" Snow remained undefeated by making short work of Markel Muhammad of Columbus, OH. Snow knocked Muhammad down three times en route to a first-round TKO at 1:30. Snow is now 9-0, seven KO's. Muhammad is 2-5.

In a Beltway Fight of the Year candidate, Marlow Heights, MD welterweight Norman Allen won a four-round unanimous decision over Kendrik Walker of DC. Both men were making their pro debuts and they battled tooth and nail for the entire bout. The second round of this contest may be the best single round fought in the entire area this year.

In the first bout on the pro portion of the card, Oxon Hill, MD light heavy Alexander Johnson won by first-round TKO over Ed Edwards of Wilson, NC. The knockout was a controversial one because some ringside observers thought Johnson hit Edwards with either a headbutt or an elbow. The Maryland State Athletic Commission saw a video replay of the bout from a camera belonging to a relative of Johnson's that showed it was indeed a punch that landed. Give credit to the commission for taking time to make sure the correct call was made. Edwards's record is now 0-2.

On the amateur side of the card, DC heavyweight "The African Warrior" Abodurin Akinyanju of the Sugar Ray Leonard Gym scored a decision win over Brandywine, MD's Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell of Old School Boxing Gym.

Akinyanju, who is ranked second in the country by USA Boxing, scored a standing eight count on Mitchell in the second round. Momentum seemed to shift at that point and Akinyanju went on to victory. Akinyanju will now prepare for the Olympic Trials later this month in Houston, TX.

Old School's Dusty Harrison, fresh off his National Junior Golden Gloves victory in Nevada, won a convincing decision over Joseph Leon of the Bronx, NY. All the amateur winners won belts presented by Tony "The Tiger" Thompson. In the classiest move of the night, Harrison gave his belt to Leon after their match.

Also on the amateur card, Gary Antonio Russell -- the youngest of the Russell Family -- won by decision over Keystone Boxing's Roland Moss. Joshua Davis of Laurel Boxing won by decision over Old School's Rock Warden and Tyquan Mims of Hillcrest Boxing defeated Keystone's Gregory Ross .

There is a lot of audio for this card.

Here's an interview with Thomas "KO" Snow:

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #73 - Thomas Snow Talks About His KO!

Undefeated featherweight Thomas "KO" Snow discusses his first-round knockout over Markel Muhammad at Rosecroft Raceway.




Here's an interview with Samson "Zeus" Mazyck:

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #74 - 'Zeus' Mazyck Talks Knockouts and Transition!

The newest heavyweight on the Beltway Boxing scene -- Samson "Zeus" Mazyck -- talks about his second-round knockout over Jamal Terry and why the seven-footer chose boxing over basketball. Mazyck's manager, Lovell Long weighs in.




And Henry "Discombobulating" Jones and I bring you the complete Post-Fight Wrap-Up:

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #75 - Post-Fight Wrap-Up From Rosecroft Raceway!

Henry "Discombobulating" Jones and I discuss an exciting night of boxing from Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD. We also reflect about the passing of DC Boxing and Wrestling Chair Dr. Arnold McKnight.

Scale Watch from Doraville, GA!

Baltimore's Tyrell "Da Show Shock A" Samuel weighed in at 126 for his nationally televised bout against Eric "The Outlaw" Hunter in Doraville, GA.

The eight-round contest will kick off tonight's ShoBox telecast on Showtime at 11 PM ET.

Weights from Rosecroft!

Here are the weights for tomorrow night's pro portion of the Keystone Boxing card at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD (Beltway Boxers in Bold):

Horace Grant 243 1/4 vs. Mujaheed Moore 219 1/4

Thomas Snow 125 3/4 vs. Markel Muhammad 126 1/2

Norman Allen 147 3/4 vs. Kendrick Walker 149 1/4

Alexander Johnson 172 vs Ed Edwards 172 1/4

Samson Mazyck 323 vs. Jamal Terry 306

Jason Champion 148 3/4 vs. Damon Antoine (will weigh in tomorrow)

Note: Samson (formerly known as Ernest) Mazyck is originally from Columbia, SC but is now living in DC.

McKnight Memorial Service Announced!

There will be a local memorial service for DC Boxing and Wrestling Chair Dr. Arnold McKnight on Monday, August 6 at 7 PM at the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center.

The center is located at 701 Mississippi Avenue, SE in DC. Dr. McKnight was the director of the center since its opening in 2001.

Tony Thompson Robbed of World Title Opportunity!

The headline and the following article is written with more emotion than usual.

The recently announced heavyweight unification battle between WBO champ Sultan Ibragimov and WBA titleholder Ruslan Chagaev slated for October 13th in Moscow has been called off. Chagaev had to drop out of the bout because of a "painful but non-life threatning illness."

Apparently, however, the word "mandatory" means very little to the WBO because DC's Tony Thompson (the current NABO champion and ranked fourth in the world by the WBO) who is the MANDATORY challenger has been passed over in favor of....

Evander Holyfield!

Yes, Holyfield will try for his fifth world title despite being ranked 13th in the world by the WBO and coming off opponents that have been substandard at best!

This is a prime example of bad politics and one of the reasons boxing is in the condition it is in.

McKnight Tribute Photo Gallery!

Beltway Boxing photographer Linda Siadys has put up a photo gallery in tribute to DC Boxing and Wrestling Commission Chair Dr. Arnold McKnight, who passed away on July 31.

These pictures really show Dr. McKnight's spirit as well as his enthusiasm for what he was involved with.

The link is here:

http://photodawg1.smugmug.com/gallery/3246169

DC Boxing and Wrestling Chair Arnold McKnight Passes!

Dr. Arnold W. McKnight, the chair of the District of Columbia Boxing and Wrestling Commission, has died.

According to the Washington Post, Dr. McKnight passed away yesterday in a hospital in Gastonia, NC after a month-long battle with pancreatic cancer. Dr. McKnight was 68 years old.

Dr. McKnight joined the commission in 1991 and served as chair of the commission since 1993. As chair, Dr. McKnight presided over a number of big boxing cards in DC including the "Triple Jeopardy" card in 1999 and the Kevin McBride-Mike Tyson card in 2005. Dr. McKnight was also influential in bringing Mixed Martial Arts to the Nation's Capital.

Dr. McKnight also was a professor at Bowie State University and was the director of the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center since 2001.

My heartfelt condolences go out to Dr. McKnight's family and I'll have more to say about this great man later today.

Happy Birthday to Boxing Along The Beltway!

Today is a very special day! On this date in 2005, I started Boxing Along The Beltway. It has been a wonderful two-year ride. I have had a lot of fun and enjoyment bringing you news and commentary about an area already rich in history and poised to add to that history.

I thank everyone involved with the Beltway Boxing scene for their support, constructive criticism and enthusiasm behind what I've tried to do. If nothing else, we have proven that there is a serious fan base in the area that seems to grow every week.

One of the things that I'm trying to improve is my familiarity with the technology that goes with having a blog or website. With that in mind, I have a gift for you. As many of you know, I have worked with some promoters in doing blow-by-blow commentaries for videos of some area boxing cards. I finally learned how to get some of these bouts onto this site.

I will try to get more of these on the site in the future but for now here are bouts from 2006 and 2007 that originated from the Patriot Center at George Mason University as well as the Augusta Expoland in Fisherville, VA. For those who have never experienced Beltway Boxing in person, this will give you a taste.




1. This is the opening for the October 7, 2006 Major League Boxing-promoted card at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. Also on this video is the bout between Juan Carlos Robles and Derek Amos that was voted the 2006 Boxing Along The Beltway Bout of the Year.





2. From Oct. 7 -- The nice matchup between Dorin Spivey and Roberto Valenzuela.







3. This was also from the October 7 card -- a tough bout between DC's Purcell "Hard Rock" Miller and Larry "The Laser" Marks of Delaware.




4. The main event on the October 7 card -- Jimmy Lange vs. Thomas Wilt.






5. From the December 9, 2006 Patriot Center card -- Dean "Pit Bull" White vs. Dorin Spivey. More than 6,000 people have seen this video.




6. From the December 9 card -- Jaime "The Punisher" Palma vs. Reggie Sanders.





7. The highly celebrated pro debut of JP Flaim of "The Junkies" against Jay Watts from December 9, 2006.





8. This is the ENTIRE April 28, 2007 "Return to Burn" card from the Augusta Expoland in Fisherville, VA. This features a lot of the Virginia prospects.

Thanks to Spero's Video for the video productions, Major League Boxing for the promotions and "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears for his expert analysis on these videos.

Maryland and DC: Don't worry, I will try to get your cards on here as well. Again, my gift to you! Thanks again for your support!

Beltway Youngsters Perform Well at Junior Golden Gloves!

Congratulations to a number of junior Beltway Boxers who brought back medals from this past weekend's Junior Golden Gloves Championships in Mesquite, NV.

Dusty Harrison won the Boys 13-14 90-pound championship by points over Carlos Suarez of Ohio.

Nate Davis captured gold in the Boys 15-16 132- pound class with a points victory over Fidel Maldonado of New Mexico.

Emanuel Taylor won the Boys 15-16 138-pound class with a points victory over Corey Walker of Missouri.

Nick Kisner followed up his recent Junior Olympic championship with a gold medal in the Boys 15-16 201-pound championships at the Junior Golden Gloves. Kisner defeated Justin Novaria of Ohio by points.

Also winning a gold medal in the Boys 15-16 201+ division was Hasim Rahman, Jr., now fighting out of Nevada. Rahman defeated Blayton Watson of Tennessee to win the title.

Two other locals won gold unopposed; Brady Sensibaugh (Boys 13-14 70 pounds) and Lawrence Singh (Boys 13-14, 75 pounds)

Congratulations also to Joshua Davis who won a silver medal in the Boys 13-14 138-pound class.

New Poll: Who is Closest to a World Championship?

Before I explain the new poll, thanks for the great response to the last poll: "Who is the Beltway Boxer of the Half-Year?" There was more response to this poll (321 votes) and more comments (four pages worth) than any other poll here on the blog.

Here are the results:

Tim Coleman (3) 1%

Nick "Flash" Collins (67) 21%

"The American Dream" Mike Dietrich (93) 29%

Jimmy Lange (16) 5%

Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow (23) 7%

Anthony Peterson (16) 5%

Lamont Peterson (11) 3%

Reginald Taylor (2) 1%

Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson (74) 23%

Other (16) 5%


The new poll will need some explanation. The Beltway Boxers chosen for this poll have one thing in common: They are currently ranked in the top 15 by at least one of the four major governing bodies (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO) and/or Ring Magazine.

Here's a quick ratings breakdown:

Eric Aiken: #9 IBF -- Featherweight

DeMarcus Corley: #10 WBA -- Lightweight

Keith Holmes: #10 WBA -- Light Heavyweight

William Joppy: #14 WBC -- Super Middleweight

Emmanuel Nwodo: #13 IBF -- Cruiserweight

Anthony Peterson: #1 WBO, #5 WBC, #10 Ring Magazine -- Lightweight

Lamont Peterson: #5 WBA -- Junior Lightweight

Hasim Rahman: #4 WBC, #8 IBF, #11 WBA -- Heavyweight

Tony Thompson: #4 WBO, #10 Ring Magazine -- Heavyweight

Darnell Wilson: #6 WBO, #9 Ring Magazine, #10 IBF, #14 WBA, #14 WBC -- Cruiserweight

Hopefully, this will help you in your choice.

Tomorrow, we will have a special post that will celebrate the second birthday of Boxing Along The Beltway!

Gunn Donates August 25 Purse Percentage to Former World Champion!

Fightbeat.com is reporting that cruiserweight contender Bobby Gunn of Culpepper, VA will donate a portion of his purse from the Saturday, August 25 card at Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, VA to former world champion Iran Barkley.

Gunn was Barkley's chief sparring partner in preparation for Barkley's bout against Darrin Van Horn on January 10, 1992. Barkley won the IBF Super Middleweight title from Van Horn with a second-round knockout.

“Iran Barkley gave the fans a lot of great fights and I learned a lot from sparring with him” said Gunn. “He was also a very nice guy and the time spent in camp with him was truly a pleasure and something I will always remember. I feel that the boxing community should give back to him and other fighters in need. My cousin Mike Normile saw Iran at a fight recently and knew he needed help. I felt it was my place to do something about it.”

Gunn also pointed out that not enough current fighters elect to help out legends of the past. “Many of today’s fighters are financially blessed, but you rarely see them giving back to the legends of boxing who could use their financial support. Hopefully what I am doing will open up eyes of other current boxers.”

Update on August 25 Ocean City Card!

More bouts have been announced for the August 25 Baltimore Pro Boxing card at the Ocean City Convention Center in Ocean City, MD.

Undefeated Severn, MD middleweight Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow (12-0-1, five KO's) will participate in his first scheduled eight-round contest and it may be a tough one. Nicklow's scheduled to face Jose Luis "El Cuervo" Gonzalez of Guadalajara, MX.

Gonzalez (9-1, eight KO's) has won eight in a row since suffering his first loss in 2004. Gonzalez, now fighting out of Garden City, KS, is coming off a six-round knockout victory over previously undefeated Tim Connors on July 14 in St. Louis, MO.

Also, undefeated Dundalk, MD cruiserweight "The American Dream" Mike Dietrich (10-0, five KO's) looks to be serious about dropping down from the heavyweight ranks. His bout could be an interesting one as well as he takes on veteran William "The Storm" Bailey from Portsmouth, VA.

Bailey (7-12-2, four KO's) has won his last two bouts by knockout. Both wins came at the Augusta Expoland in Fisherville, VA against Beltway Boxers Adam Seal (Seal's first loss) and Derek Amos (who announced his retirement after the bout.) The 37-year-old Bailey said that 2007 will be his last year as an active boxer. Bailey has fought a number of Beltway Boxers during his career including Darnell Wilson, Willie Williams, Willis Lockett and Alton Rice. The wins against Seal and Amos were his only two Beltway victories.

The previously announced bouts (Mike Paschall vs. Richard Stewart and Andrew Farmer vs. Ryan Belasco) are still intact.

Smith Loses by Stoppage in Florida!

DC junior middleweight Luther "Sugarman" Smith lost by fourth-round TKO to Miami's David Estrada last night in West Palm Beach, FL.

My colleague Randy Hammonds of Floridaboxingnews.com called the bout target practice for Estrada as he hurt Smith with head and body shots, resulting in a knockdown in the third round. Estrada continued the assault until referee Frank Gentile stopped the bout at 1:25 of the fourth.

Smith is now 22-5-2, 12 KO's while Estrada rises to 21-3, 12 KO's.

Tyrell Samuel to Appear on ShoBox August 3!

Just received word that Baltimore featherweight Tyrell "Da Show Shock A" Samuel will be appearing on the next ShoBox telecast on Friday, August 3.

Samuel (9-1, five KO's) will be taking on Philadelphia's Eric "The Outlaw" Hunter in the eight-round co-feature bout that will take place at the Far West Rodeo Complex in Doraville, GA. Samuel is a late replacement for undefeated Joel Santiago, who suffered a recent injury.

Samuel has not fought since suffering his first pro loss -- a fourth-round technical knockout at the hands of Jose Hernandez on April 19 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.

Hunter (7-1, three KO's) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision victory over Vineash Rungea on April 20 in Atlantic City. This will be Hunter's first scheduled eight-round contest. Some Beltway Boxing fans may remember Hunter from a brief appearance he put in at Michael's on March 9, 2006. Hunter stopped Steve Lozoya in 29 seconds of the first round in that bout.

What's also interesting is that both boxers have a tough common opponent by the name of Carlos Vinan of New Jersey. Samuel fought Vinan twice -- winning a majority decision in October of 2005 in New Jersey and winning a tough split decision in September of 2006 at Michael's.

Hunter's only loss came to Vinan on January 11, 2007 in Philadelphia. Hunter lost a six-round split decision in that bout.

The ShoBox telecast begins at 11 PM ET on Showtime.

Ocean City Card Taking Shape!

Beltway Boxing Fans may wish to look into being cloned on Saturday, August 25. Not only do we have the SugHan card at Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, VA, but there is also the Baltimore Pro Boxing card at the Ocean City Convention Center in Ocean City, MD that will take place on the same evening.

The card is starting to come together with two bouts already signed. Undefeated Baltimore cruiserweight Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall will take on New Castle, DE's Richard Stewart in an eight-round encounter.

Paschall (12-0-1, two KO's) recently came back to action, winning a four-round unanimous decision over Jacob Rodriguez on July 20th at DuBurns Arena in Baltimore. This will be Paschall's second scheduled eight-round bout of his career; the last time Paschall went eight was on October 20, 2006 when he fought to an eight-round draw against Dhafir Smith.

Stewart (13-3-1, eight KO's) is coming off a sixth-round knockout win over James North on June 15 in Harrington, DE. The win was a bounce-back victory for Stewart, who had previously been stopped by William Gill in the sixth round on May 4 in Fairless Hills, PA. I've talked to people who saw Stewart's performance against Gill and they all say Stewart was woefully out of shape for that bout.

This will be an interesting contest because both men have been brought along in similar fashion against similar opponents. Paschall has beaten Gill three times, all by decision. They both hold victories over Ronald Boddie.

As a matter of fact, these two men appeared on last year's Ocean City card on August 12 against different opponents. Paschall defeated Boddie by sixth-round majority decision while Stewart lost a six-round majority decision to Willie Williams.

The other bout already scheduled for this card will bring Front Royal, VA lightweight Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer to Maryland for the first time as a pro. According to the information I've received, Farmer (7-1, six KO's) will fight a six-rounder against Ryan Belasco of Wilmington DE (4-1, one KO). Both men are coming off knockout victories. Farmer scored a fourth-round TKO over Marcos Antonio Soto on July 14 in Winchester, VA while Belasco knocked out Darrell Crenshaw on June 15 in Harrington, DE.

Also slated for this card will be undefeated Baltimore-area prospects Tim Coleman, Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow, "The American Dream" Mike Dietrich and "The Golden Greek" Elias Bouloubassis. Nicklow, by the way, will be fighting in his first scheduled eight-round bout on this card.

There is also a possibility that Middle River, MD super middleweight Tony "Cyclone" Cygan may make his return to the ring on this card. Cygan (11-1, six KO's) has not been in the ring since suffering winning a fifth-round technical decision over David Estrada on the last Ocean City card on August 12, 2006.

Update on August 3 Rosecroft Show!

Here is an update on the Friday, August 3 Keystone Boxing card at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD:

Bowie, MD heavyweight Horace "The Reason" Grant (5-1, four KO's) will battle Mujaheed Moore of Shaker Heights, OH (4-1, three KO's) in a six-round encounter.

This will be Grant's first bout since March 10 when he won a six-round unanimous decision over Chris Riley at the Pikesville National Guard Armory. Grant hurt his hand during that contest, but is in good shape for this encounter.

Moore has not fought since March 31 when he won a four-round majority decision over Dan Whetzel in Warren, OH. This is Moore's first scheduled six-round bout.

Also returning to action on this card will be undefeated Capitol Heights featherweight Thomas "KO" Snow. Snow (8-0, six KO's) will make his first appearance in 2007. Snow has not fought since December 9, 2006 when he scored a ninth-round TKO over Mike Salyers at the Lincoln Theatre.

Snow will take on Markel Muhammad of Columbus, OH (2-4) in a six-round bout. Muhammad is coming off a first-round TKO loss to Juan Carlos Velasquez on May 2 in Miami, FL.

In what could be a very interesting four-round bout, Capitol Heights junior middleweight Jason Champion will battle Damon "The Mailman" Antoine of Akron, OH.

Champion has a record of 4-3, three KO's and is coming off a first-round TKO win over Kenneth Meeks on the last Rosecroft show on May 18. Two of Champion's losses have come by decision to undefeated Beltway prospects Jessie Nicklow and Tim Coleman.

Antoine comes into this bout with a record of 6-15, three KO's, but don't let his record fool you. Antoine's last two victories have been against undefeated fighters. This includes a second-round TKO over Mike Carrigan on May 12 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. Antoine's last bout was a four-round majority decision win over previously undefeated Gerry Grealish on June 20 in Mashantucket, CT. Antoine also lost a six-round unanimous decision on June 1 to Jose Angel Rodriguez , who was 10-0 at the time of the bout.

Three Beltway Boxers will make pro debuts on the card including Laurel, MD junior middleweight Norman Allen, Alexandria, VA junior welterweight Michael Custodia and DC heavyweight Alexander Johnson.

Also on the card will be undefeated, 7'0" heavyweight Ernest "Zeus" Mazyck of Columbia, SC (5-0, one KO). Reportedly, Mazyck has local management now, so this may not be the last time we see him here.

There are five amateur bouts slated for this card, including Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell, who is looking to keep his stoppage streak alive. (6-0, six bouts won by stoppage.)

Matchmaking the pro portion of the August 3 card is Chris Middendorf, who, according to Boxrec.com, is the most prolific matchmaker in the world today. With this card, Middendorf will have worked more than 30 cards since January of 2006. The second-place person in this ranking has just 11 cards.

Most recently, Middendorf served as matchmaker for the July 14 card in Biloxi, MS that included the main event between Roy Jones, Jr and Anthony Hanshaw.

Springfield Card Now on August 25!

The Sughan (Han Kim) Promotions card that was originally scheduled for Saturday, August 11 will now be on Saturday, August 25 at Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, VA.

Former cruiserweight world title contender Bobby Gunn of Culpepper, VA will be in the main event.

One bout is already in place for the card, and the genesis of the bout took place during discussions right here on Boxing Along The Beltway. Undefeated DC junior middleweight Lawrence Jones (2-0, one KO) will take on "War Time" George Rivera of Charlottsville, VA (3-1, two KO's) in a four-round contest.

Also slated for the card will be undefeated Arlington, VA welterweight Bayan Jargal (2-0-1, two KO's), DC junior middleweight Victor Randall Davis (1-1) and Beltway heavyweights Horace "The Reason" Grant (5-1, four KO's) and Scott "Duke" Buchanan (1-0, one KO)

Can We Make a Supercard?

There is a very interesting discussion that is going on in a previous item that I want to bring to the forefront. The discussion concerns the feasibility and possibility of putting together a Beltway Boxing Supercard featuring the elite of our boxers.

Currently, we have eight Beltway Boxers that are ranked in the top 15 of the four major governing bodies (WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO). We also have three boxers ranked in the Ring Magazine rankings. I think at least a few of them should be involved in a proposed supercard.

What follows is a FANTASY scenario of what a super card might look like:

MAIN EVENT -- For the WBO Heavyweight Title:

Sultan Ibragimov (Champion) vs. Tony "The Tiger" Thompson (mandatory)

CO-FEATURE -- For the WBC/WBA Cruiserweight Title:

Jean-Marc Mormeck (Champion) vs. Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson

CO-FEATURE -- For the WBO Lightweight Title:

Michael Katsidis (Champion) vs. Anthony Peterson (Number one contender)

For the WBC Continental Americas Junior Middleweight title:

Jimmy Lange (Champion) vs. Yuri Foreman

For the WBC US Junior Welterweight title:

Lamont Peterson (champion) vs. Demetrius Hopkins

Special Attraction -- 10 Rounds:

Eric "Mighty Mouse" Aiken (former IBF Featherweight champion) vs. Jason Litzau

Also featuring rising Beltway Boxing prospects, Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow, Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer, Tim Coleman, Ron "Teflon" Boyd, etc.



I would like to hear more from fans on this, but I would also like to hear from people within the sport of boxing itself -- promoters, matchmakers, trainers, commission personnel, boxers (don't get mad if your name's not on here. This is just an example.)

How close can we come to something like this happening? I know there is money and ego and travel among other things to consider. But how close to this can we get? What are the true obstacles and how can we overcome them?

In your comments, please be informative and not nasty. This is not a subject where we have to say who's better for the sport. This might be the discussion that can truly benefit everyone involved with the Beltway Boxing community.

Baltimore Examiner Profiles Three Beltway Prospects!

They may be the "second" paper in Charm City, but the Baltimore Examiner has been first class in their coverage of the Beltway Boxing scene.

Recently, reporter Ron Snyder examined two of the city's undefeated prospects -- "The Persecutor" Mike Paschall and Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow. Both stories were done after Paschall and Nicklow appeared on last Friday's card at DuBurns Arena in Baltimore. Both are VERY good reads. Here are the links:

http://www.examiner.com/a-843112~Jail_time_offers_perspective_for__The_Persecutor_.html


http://www.examiner.com/a-841390~_The_Beast__takes_bite_out_of_competition.html


Also, Examiner reporter Dave Carey has a nice article on undefeated heavyweight "The American Dream" Mike Dietrich. Here is the link for that article:

http://www.examiner.com/a-841388~_Dream__continues_for_local_boxer.html

August 11 Show Postponed!

Promoter "Sugar" Han Kim has informed me that his card scheduled for Saturday, August 11 at Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield has been postponed. Main event fighter Bobby Gunn was unable to battle on that date because of a family matter.

A new date has not been confirmed but Kim is still looking to have the show sometime in August.

Thompson Discusses Present and Future!

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #72 - Tony Thompson Discusses Present and Future!

A week after the biggest win of his career to date, DC heavyweight and WBO mandatory contender Tony "The Tiger" Thompson talks about his fifth-round TKO victory over Luan Krasniqi in Hamburg, Germany and where he goes from here.

Dietrich, Paschall Remain Undefeated in Baltimore!

Baltimore-area prospects "The American Dream" Mike Dietrich and Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall remained undefeated with solid victories in feature bouts at the DuBurns Arena in Baltimore.

Dietrich of Dundalk, MD scored a third-round TKO over Cedar Rapids, IA's Jerry "Ruff House" Simpson in a heavyweight bout. Dietrich landed a wicked uppercut that led to the stoppage of the bout at 1:51 of the third. Dietrich is now 10-0, five KO's while Simpson falls to 2-8-1, one KO.

Pasadena, MD's Paschall won a four-round unanimous decision over a very awkward Jake
"The Snake" Rodriguez of Philadelphia in a light heavyweight encounter. Paschall didn't really pick things up until the last round when he landed solid punches to enabled him to go on to victory. Paschall is 12-0-1, two KO's. Rodriguez is 8-18, five KO's.

In other bouts on the card, undefeated Baltimore heavyweight Adam "Boom Boom" Bloom captured an easy victory over "Stormin" Norman Green of Raleigh, NC. Bloom pressured Green throughout the first round. So much so that Green had enough and did not come out for the second round. Bloom is 5-0, four KO's while Green loses in his pro debut.

Annapolis, MD junior middleweight Steve Garrett got of to a great start in his first bout since 2005. He knocked down Berlin, MD's John Snyder with a solid left hand. But by the end of the bout, Snyder had gained control of the bout and finally dropped Garrett with a solid combination. As he fell, Garrett told referee Kenny Chevalier he had hurt something and the bout was stopped near the end of the fourth round. Snyder raised his record to 4-2, two KO's while Garrett is now 2-5, one KO.

The opening bout was a good battle of Tri-State boxers as Martin Wright of Brooklyn, NY won a four-round split decision over Maurice Williams of Camden, NJ. Williams actually knocked down Wright in the middle of the fourth-round, but Wright won the earlier rounds to gain the edge in the bout. Wright is 4-0-1, two KO's while Williams is 1-3-1, one KO.

The scheduled bout featuring "The Golden Greek" Elias Bouloubassis was a late scratch because the opponent, Bryan Braham, had medical issues.

On the amateur side, there were two solid performances by Baltimore's Jeremy Miller (132 Pounds)and Brandywine, MD's Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell(superheavyweight). Mitchell stopped his opponent for the sixth time this year.

A full report can be heard on the newest Post-Fight Wrap-Up, including some details about the legal rumors surrounding Dietrich.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #71 - Post-Fight Wrap-Up From Baltimore!

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I talk about the Pro-Am card at DuBurns Arena in Baltimore.

Final Lineup for Tonight's Card at DuBurns Arena!

Here is how the Baltimore Pro Boxing card shapes up for tonight at DuBurns Arena in Baltimore:

Main event-- "The American Dream" Mike Dietrich (9-0, four KO's) vs. Jerry Simpson of Tallahassee, FL (2-7-1, one KO).

Co-feature -- "The Persecutor" Mike Paschall (11-0-1, two KO's) vs. Jacob Rodriguez of Philadelphia, PA (8-17, six KO's)

"The Golden Greek" Elias Bouloubassis (1-0-3, one KO) vs. Bryan Branham of Uniontown, WVA (0-1)

Adam "Boom Boom" Bloom (4-0, three KO's) vs Norman Green of York, NC (Pro Debut)

Steve Garrett (2-4, one KO) vs. Josh Snyder of Ocean City, MD (3-2, one KO)

Martin Wright of Brooklyn, NY (3-0-1, two KO's) vs. Maurice Williams of Atlantic City, NJ (1-2, one KO).

Special Exhibition bout: Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow vs. "Hurricane" Henry Mayes

Thompson Garners Spot in Washington Times Power Rankings!

In the category of "some mainstream press is better than no mainstream press at all," comes this item in the Washington Times:

DC heavyweight and WBO number one contender Tony "The Tiger" Thompson captured a spot in the Washington Times Area Power Rankings in today's editions.

Because of his big win over Luan Krasniqi last Saturday night, Thompson was placed in the number three position behind recently resigned Wizards forward DeShawn Stevenson and Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell. Thompson placed ahead of New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels who is one of Times writer Ryan O'Halloran's choices to replace Redskins Head Coach Joe Gibbs should he retire. In fifth place was Washington Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden, who must decide his moves as the baseball trading deadline draws closer.

Thompson's win also allowed him to crack the most recent (July 16) Ring Magazine ratings at number 10. Thompson is the third Beltway Boxer to find a place in the ratings for "The Bible of Boxing." Darnell Wilson recently moved up to number 9 at cruiserweight while Anthony Peterson is at number 10 at lightweight.

'Sugarman' Smith Returns in Florida July 28!

Fightnews.com is reporting that former welterweight contender Luther "Sugarman" Smith of DC is returning to the ring on Saturday, July 28 when he takes on rising contender David Estrada at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, FL.

Smith (22-4-2, 12 KO's) has fought only once since scoring the biggest victory of his career -- a second-round TKO over perennial welterweight contender Oba Carr on February 10, 2002 in Elgin, IL. That one bout was a first-round knockout loss to Delvin Rodriguez on August 5, 2005.

Estrada (20-3, 11 KO's) is ranked 13th in the world by the IBF. The resident of Miami, FL is coming off a fourth-round TKO over David Toribio on April 13 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

Andre Hemphill Tries to Bring 'Da Heat' to Philadelphia August 24!

Woodbridge, VA light heavyweight Andre "Da Heat" Hemphill will be involved in a big card on Friday, August 24 at the New Alhambra Boxing Center in Philadelphia, PA.

Hemphill (6-6-1, three KO's) will take on Philadelphia's Simon "One Punch" Carr (4-1, three KO's) in a six round rematch. Hemphill gave Carr his only pro loss in their first outing on October 14, 2006 at the Philadelphia National Guard Armory, winning a four-round unaninmous decision. This will be Hemphill's first bout in 2007 as he tries to bounce back from a first-round loss to Chucky Cavallo on December 29 in Valley Forge, PA.

This card also features a familiar out-of-towner in the main event, junior middleweight Derek Ennis of Philadelphia will headline the show. You'll remember Ennis was in my pick for Bout of the Year along the Beltway in 2006 when he fought to a draw with Baltimore's Maxell Taylor at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.

Belated congratulations to another Beltway Boxer known as "The Heat." New Carrollton, MD junior middleweight Shawn "The Heat" Garnett won a six-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Kgotso Motau of South Africa on July 14 in Orillia, Ontario, CA. This was Garnett's first bout since June of 2006 and broke a two-bout losing streak.

Garnett is now 11-4-1, three KO's. Motau is now 11-1 with all 11 of his wins by knockout.

Photos from Winchester!

Beltway Boxing photographer Linda Siadys has another great series of photographs, this time from last Saturday's "Tomorrow's Champions" card in Winchester, VA. Linda takes you from the press conference earlier in the week all the way through the action on the card. Please check out the collection and let her know what you think.

http://photodawg1.smugmug.com/gallery/2991179