Washington Golden Gloves Champions Crowned in Waldorf!

In front of a standing-room only crowd at the Waldorf Jaycees Community Center in Waldorf, MD, 20 new Washington Golden Gloves Champions were crowned. There were many quality performances but some just plain stood out.

In the Open Division, Thomas Williams of the Charles Mooney Academy of Boxing won the 178-pound division by stopping David Churchwell of Olympia Boxing in the third round. Williams was incredibly accurate, forcing two standing eight counts during the bout.

Also in the Open Heavyweight division, Club One's Nick Kisner won a decision over Main Street's Alex Guerrero for the second straight time. Kisner won the last outing back in January at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD, but did not look as strong as he did in this outing. Kisner's still herky-jerky with his style, but he fought with a lot more purpose this time out and seemed to take this contest a lot more seriously.

In the bout of the night, Marquis Moore of Nomis Boxing won a tough decision over Kevin Womack of Upton in the 141-pound division. Moore came out blazing in the first round and he landed some bruising body shots, but Womack used his jab effectively in round two. Moore was just a little more accurate throughout but both men had the crowd on their feet when the bout was over.

In other Open Results:

125-pound division: Traon Bynum (Headbangers) dec. Donnell Miller (unattached)

152-pound division: David Grayton (Nomis) dec. James Stevenson (Baltimore Amateur Association)

165-pound division: Jarrett Hurd (Hillcrest) dec. Antonio Walls (Nomis)

Kevin Rivers (Headbangers - 119 pounds), Renaldo Gaines (Headbangers- 132 pounds) and Andrew Jackson (Nomis- Super Heavyweight) all won by walkover when their opponents did not show for the event.


In the Novice Division, Charles Dobbins of Club One won the 141-pound division, when the corner of his opponent, Debsainta Glasaco of Charm City, threw in the towel during the second round.

In the heavyweight division, Joe Liles of Charles Mooney Academy of Boxing won a spirited decision over Charles Johnson, Jr of Sugar Ray Leonard Center. Joel Young of the Mooney Academy won a solid decision over Tavrean Venable of Headbangers in the 132-pound class.

Other Novice Division Results:

119-pound division: Erick Cruz (Limelight) dec. Angello Rector (Sugar Ray Leonard Center)

125-pound division: Andre Morgan (Round One) dec. Joseph Rector (Sugar Ray Leonard Gym)

152-pound division: Damien Butler (Round One) dec. Kevin Borders (Old School Boxing)

165-pound division: Eric Govan (Laurel) dec. Jean Baptiste (Headbangers)

Super Heavyweight division: Bernard Adams (Brooklyn Boxing) dec. Clinton Price (Midtown Youth Academy)

Manuel Ramos (Olympia) won by walkover when Jamaul Silver (Sugar Ray Leonard Center)was unable to participate.

Tonight's winners advance to the regional championships on Friday, April 11 back in Waldorf.


RANDOM SIGHTINGS AND NEWS:

The only information I have on boxers who could not participate in this event is on super heavyweight Aboudurin Akinyanju of the Sugar Ray Leonard Gym. Akinyanju suffered a cut over his left eye during sparring and was pulled out of the event.

It was great to see a number of past and present Beltway Boxers in attendance at this event. Saw such legendary figures as Darryll "Terrible T" Tyson, Andrew Council "Of War", Marion "Jackhammer" Wilson, Lamont "Bay" Pearson and Kenny "Phone Booth" Blackston.

Also in attendance were former national Golden Glove champions The Undefeated Peterson Brothers as well as Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson, Ty Barnett, Fernando Guerrero and Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow. Guerrero and Nicklow were actually working corners tonight as Fernando was in his brother Alex's corner and Nicklow worked with Bernard Adams of Brooklyn Boxing.

Speaking of Guerrero, he snuck in another bout on his schedule as he fought last night in South Carolina and won by a first-round knockout. The bout happened so quickly apparently, that Guerrero didn't remember his opponent's name. Guerrero is now 4-0, four KO's with his last three coming in the first round.

Guerrero is still a part of the April 9 show in Augusta, Georgia; as is Ty Barnett, who assured me that he WILL be on ESPN2's televised portion of that card. By the way, you will never see me spell Ty Barnett's name with an e on the end. Barnett has set me straight about the spelling of his name. Now I have to inform Boxrec.

Here are a couple of cards to keep in the future file. Keystone Boxing will be putting on a card on Saturday, May 3 at the District Heights Municipal Center located at 2000 Marbury Drive in District Heights, MD. Right now, scheduled to appear on this card are undefeated DC light heavyweight Reginald Taylor, Laurel, MD welterweight Norman Allen and DC junior middleweight Kendrick Walker. Also, two boxers will make pro debuts on this card -- Hyattsville, MD junior lightweight Lawrence Martin and cruiserweight Robert McConnell, Jr. of Upper Marlboro, MD.


The other card will not take place until September 27, but the reason for the card is what makes this one special and the reason why I mention it so soon. This will be an amateur card called the "Fight For Life" and the proceeds will go towards raising money to fight Breast Cancer. According to recent research, one out of 100 breast cancers occurs in a male (just ask the original "Shaft", Richard Roundtree).

The card will be held at the Ellen Linson Pool/Wells Ice Rink located on 5211 Paint Branch Parkway in College Park, MD. The proceeds will go to the S. Nikki Harrison Cancer Awareness Center. Ms. Harrison passed away after a bout with breast cancer and she is the sister of the event organizer, Tamara McKinney. Tickets for the event cost $25. Contact Ms. McKinney at 301-306-0705 for further details on tickets or if you would like to help sponsor this event.

'The Warrior' Orji Battles in Chicago April 11!

Another one of the Beltway's Rookie Class of 2008 will try to continue his winning ways on Friday, April 11. Laurel, MD super featherweight Ikem "The Warrior" Orji will travel to the Odeum Sports and Expo Center in Villa Park (near Chicago), IL.

Orji (1-0, one KO) will face the debuting Juan Gonzalez of Chicago in a four-round contest. Orji made his pro debut on November 9, 2007 (just past the 2007 rookie cutoff) at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD and scored a second round TKO over Jemal Tribbets of Philadelphia.

Orji will be the fourth member of the 2008 rookie class scheduled to box in the next five weeks. Seth Mitchell fought to a draw last Saturday. Mark Tucker is scheduled to fight in Florida on April 4, and Fernando Guerrero will be in Augusta on April 9. So far, all are undefeated.

Thompson FINALLY Gets World Title Shot!!

The wait is over for DC's Tony "The Tiger" Thompson!

The WBO's number-one ranked heavyweight will finally get his world title shot in July when he faces WBO/IBF/IBO champion Wladimir Klitschko in Germany.

The winner of the bout will have an immediate mandatory against the IBF's number one challenger, undefeated Alexander Povetkin.

Barnette, Guerrero Appear on April 9 Card in Augusta, GA!

Undefeated Beltway Boxers Ty Barnette and Fernando Guerrero will box in separate bouts on a Wednesday, April 9 card at the Bell Auditorium in Augusta, GA.

DC super lightweight Barnette (13-0-1, nine KO's) will take on Christopher "Kid Kayo" Fernandez of Salt Lake City, UT (15-4, nine KO's) in an eight-round co-feature bout. Barnette won a six-round unanimous decision over veteran John Brown in his last outing on January 26 in Tunica, MS. Fernandez is coming off a third-round TKO over Donnell Logan on December 15 in Salt Lake City. Barnette also scored a third-round TKO over Logan in October of 2007.

Salisbury, MD super middleweight Guerrero (3-0, three KO's) will be looking to keep his winning and knockout streak alive as he faces Valentino Jalomo of Dumas, TX (2-2-1) in a four-round encounter. Guerrero scored his second straight first-round knockout over Anthony Adams on March 1 in Tunica. Jalomo will be trying to break a two-bout losing streak, both losses coming against Craig McEwan; the last one coming by fourth-round TKO in July of 2007.

There is a possibility that one or both of these bouts may end up on national TV on April 9. The main event on this card -- a 12-round IBF/WBO title eliminator between undefeated flyweight and Augusta native Rayonta Whitfield and Manuel Vargas -- will be the main event on the season premiere of ESPN2's Wednesday Night Fights. As already noted, Barnette is in the co-feature, so it is very possible he will be shown. If the main event doesn't go the distance, Guerrero could get some air time also. Once I find out for sure, I will let you know.

Bouts Announced for Washington Golden Gloves Finals!

The bouts have been announced for the Washington Golden Gloves Championship Finals that will take place this Friday, March 28 at the Greater Waldorf Jaycees Community Center in Waldorf, MD.

There are 20 bouts scheduled for this card, ranging from 100 pounds to the superheavyweight division. Here is the lineup:

Junior Division, 13-14, 100 pounds: Dusty Harrison (Old School) vs. Brandon Patterson (Charles Mooney Academy of Boxing)

Novice Division - female special attraction, 185 pounds: Estelle Brown (Books and Boxing) vs. Tori Nelson (Old School)

Novice Division

119 pounds: Erick Cruz (Limelight) vs. Angelo Rector (Sugar Ray Leonard Center)

125 pounds: Joseph Rector (SRL Center) vs. Andre Morgan (Round One)

132 pounds: Tavrean Venable (Headbangers) vs. Joel Young (Charles Mooney Academy)

141 pounds: Debsainta Glasaco (Charm City) vs. Charles Dobbins (Club One)

152 pounds: Kevin Borders (Old School) vs. Damien Butler (Round One)

165 pounds: Eric Govan (Laurel) vs. Jean Baptiste (Headbangers)

178 pounds: Jamaul Silvera (SRL Center) vs. Manuel Ramos (Olympia)

Heavyweight: Charles Johnson, Jr. (SRL Center) vs. Joe Liles (Charles Mooney Academy)

Super Heavyweight: Clinton Price (Midtown) vs. Bernard Adams (Brooklyn)


Open Division

119 pounds: Kevin Rivers (Headbangers) vs. Jeremy Miller (Baltimore Boxing)

125 pounds: Traon Bynum (Headbangers) vs. Donnell Miller (unattatched)

132 pounds: Douglas Greene (Club One) vs. Renaldo Gaines (Headbangers)

141 pounds: Kevin Womack (Upton) vs. Marquis Moore (Nomis)

152 pounds: James Stevenson (B.A.A) vs. David Grayton (Nomis)

165 pounds: Antonio Walls (Nomis) vs. Jarrett Hurd (Hillcrest Gym)

178 pounds: David Churchwell (Olympia) vs. Thomas Williams (Charles Mooney Academy)

Heavyweight: Nick Kisner (Club One) vs. Alex Guerrero (Main Street Gym)

Super Heavyweight: Abodurin Akinyanju (SRL Center) vs. Andrew Jackson (Nomis)

The winners from this event advance to the regional championships that will also be held in Waldorf on Friday, April 11.

The first bout for this event will take place at 8 PM. There will also be a tribute to the legendary Truman Tuttle during this event. For ticket information, call 301-843-6165.

Mitchell Draws in California!

Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell battled to a four-round split-decision draw against fellow undefeated boxer and last-minute sub Alvaro Morales of Las Vegas last night in Cabazon, CA. Mitchell fought in a swing bout after the Joel Casamayor - Michael Katsidis tussle.

According to onlookers I have talked to, Mitchell fought well on the outside but, at times, let Morales perform well on the inside.

With the draw, Mitchell is now 2-0-1, one KO. Morales, who won a bout seven days ago in Ontario, CA, is now 2-0-4.

'Mayhem' Mitchell Tips the Scales in California; Opponent Doesn't Show

Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell weighed in at 242 pounds for his bout tomorrow night in Cabazon, CA. However, Mitchell's scheduled opponent, Tony Sanchez, did not show at the weigh-in and on the Scale Watch, the dreaded "TBA" was listed.

So either Mitchell's opponent will show up early tomorrow or Sanchez was taken off the card earlier in the week and will be replaced by someone else. We'll keep you posted.

Anthony Peterson Serves As In-Studio Guest on 'Friday Night Fights'!

DC's own Anthony Peterson will be the in-studio guest on tonight's edition of ESPN2's "Friday Night Fights."

More than likely, Peterson (26-0, 19 KO's) will be asked to analyze tomorrow night's Michael Katsidis-Joel Casamayor bout, a bout that has a lot of meaning to Peterson, who is ranked number one by the WBO.

'TNT' Tucker Battles in Florida April 4!

Eldersburg, MD rookie light heavyweight Mark "TNT" Tucker will be back in action on Friday, April 4 at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, FL against an opponent to be named later. Tucker (1-0, one KO) won his pro debut in impressive fashion with a first-round stoppage over Walter Edwards on February 29 in Pikesville, MD.

Tucker is currently training in Florida and he is not only preparing for his bout, but he is also the primary sparring partner for former IBF Light Heavyweight champ Glen Johnson as Johnson gets ready for his April 12 bout against current WBC Light Heavyweight titleholder Chad Dawson in Tampa.

Ringside Report Gives Interesting Take on Tony Thompson!

I ask you to hit the link and read the following article very carefully. Ringside Report.com staff writer Chris Thompson (no relation) gives a very interesting take on DC heavyweight Tony "The Tiger" Thompson, while giving five ways on how Thompson can get on the track to a world championship.

The article "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Champions," can be found here:

"http://ringsidereport.com/rsr/news.php?readmore=1981">

Seth Mitchell Battles in California This Saturday!

Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell will be back in action on Saturday, March 22 at the Morongo Casino Resort and Spa in Cabazon, CA. Mitchell (2-0, one KO) will take on Tony Sanchez of Riverside, CA (0-1) in a four-round bout.

The bout will be on the undercard of the Joel Casamayor-Michael Katsidis card and this will be Mitchell's first exposure on the west coast.

Update on April 12 Richmond, VA Card!

There have been a number of naysayers floating around the Saturday, April 12 boxing card at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, VA. Well as of now, this card is taking place and a number of Beltway Boxers will figure prominently on the show.

The co-feature contest will be a 10-round contest for the USBA Regional Lightweight title between Alexandria, VA's Jamie "The Punisher" Palma and Lenny "Hitman" DeVictoria of Philadelphia. Palma (13-10-1, three KO's) will try to keep his six-bout winning streak alive against a very tough opponent in DeVictoria (11-10, three KO's).

Super Bantamweight Clarence "Untouchable" Vinson of DC is also slated to return as he competes in a scheduled 10-round bout against LeShaun "Li'l Bossman" Blair of Knoxville, TN. Vinson (16-2, seven KO's) has not fought since his 10-round unanimous decision victory over Robert DeLuz on June 23 at Howard University in DC. Blair (3-16) has lost 10 in a row.

Undefeated Arlington junior welterweight Bayan Jargal (5-0-1, three KO's) will be in a six-round contest against DC's Pernell Jackson (1-3-1, one KO) who will be looking to break a three-bout losing streak.

Charlottsville, VA's George "Wartime" Rivera also returns in a scheduled six-round junior middleweight contest against Rodney Green of Wilson, NC. Rivera (8-1, three KO's) fought this past Saturday in Richmond, VA and won a four-round unanimous decision over Clarence "Sonny Bono" Taylor. Green (6-4-1, two KO's) won a six-round unanimous decision over Larry Brothers on November 17 in his hometown of Wilson. The bout was Green's first in nearly a year.

Brothers (7-29-3, five KO's) is slated to be on this card as he battles Ike Ezeji of The Bronx, NY (7-15-1, two KO's) in a four-round contest. Brothers could actually give some good insight on the Rivera-Green matchup as his last two losses came in unanimous decisions against both men. Both Brothers and Ekeji will be looking to break losing streaks; Brothers has lost five in a row and 14 of his last 15. Ezeji, a native of Nigeria, has dropped nine in a row and hasn't fought since April of 2006.

Also on the card, Gaithersburg, MD's Calvin Riley will look to right his fortunes as he faces Chris Thomas of Richmond in a six-round cruiserweight contest. Riley (1-2, one KO) lost his last two bouts, both to Willis Lockett. Thomas, a native of DC (8-1, four KO's), has not fought since March of 2005 when he stopped Gary Lavender in Greensboro, NC.

The main event for this card will be an eight-round matchup for the NABF Female Middleweight title as "The Coal Miner's Daughter" Christy Martin of Orlando, FL (47-5-2, 31 KO's) will take on Bonnie Mann of Raleigh, NC (11-8, four KO's). Another co-feature bout has welterweight Hector Camacho, Jr. (44-3-1, 25 KO's) battling Jimmy "The Dream" LeBlanc of Boston, MA (11-14-4, three KO's) in an eight-round contest. Another son of a famous fighter, lightweight Tim Witherspoon, Jr. (0-1) will be looking for his first pro victory when he faces Jose Guzman of The Bronx (1-3-1) in a four-rounder. Witherspoon made his pro debut in September 2005 and lost a four-round unanimous decision to Tyrell Samuel.

Wilson Wins By Sixth-Round TKO; McCombs-Seal Bout Called Off!

Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson scored a sixth-round TKO over Robert Marsh last night at the "Combat Sports Challenge" at Toad's Place in Richmond, VA.

Reportedly, Wilson knocked Marsh down three times during the contest. Wilson's record is 23-6-3, 20 KO's while Marsh falls to 10-45-3, four KO's. As you may have guessed, there was a lot of urgency to put this particular bout on. I'm hearing rumors that there are big plans in store for Wilson in the very near future but in order for those plans to take place, Wilson had to have a win in this bout.

The bout between Richard McCombs and Adam Seal was called off when McCombs became ill shortly after his visit with the doctor.

Robles Loses by TKO; Rivera Wins by Decision in Allentown!

Details are sketchy, but we have learned that "JC Superstar" Juan Carlos Robles was stopped in the eighth round by Rob Calloway in his try for the WBC Continental Americas Cruiserweight title last night in Allentown, PA. It is the first loss for Robles and he is now 9-1, four KO's. Calloway's record rises to 69-7-1, 55 KO's.

The co-feature saw George "War Time" Rivera win a four-round unanimous decision over Clarence "Sonny Bono" Taylor to bring his record to 8-1, three KO's. Taylor's record is now 12-14-2, six KO's.

Robles, Rivera Tip Scales in Allentown!

Undefeated Waynesboro, VA cruiserweight "JC Superstar" Juan Carlos Robles weighed in at 199 1/4 for his WBC Continental Americas title bout with champion "The All-American Prizefighter" Rob Calloway that will take place tonight at the Days Inn in Allentown, PA. Calloway came in at 198 pounds.

Charlottsville, VA's George "War Time" Rivera (7-1, three KO's) is also on the card as he takes on veteran Clarence "Sonny Bono" Taylor of Wilmington, DE (12-13-2, six KO's) in a four-round bout. Both men weighed in at 154 pounds for that bout.

Mayes Loses by Decision in Rhode Island!

Baltimore light heavyweight Henry "Hurricane" Mayes lost a six-round unanimous decision to Joe Spina last night in Lincoln, RI. Two judges scored the bout 58-56 while one had it 59-55.

Mayes's record falls to 6-5-1, four KO's while Spina is now 21-1-1, 15 KO's.

Taylor Falls at Future Stars!

Emmanuel Taylor of Edgewood, MD lost a close 9-7 decision to Dan O'Connor of Framingham, MA in the 141-pound championship bout at the US Future Stars National Championships in Colorado Springs, CO.

Taylor was the only male Beltway amateur to reach the championship round.

Crews Wins Fourth National Title!

Franchon Crews has done it again! The 154-pounder from Baltimore has won her fourth national title at the US Future Stars tournament in Colorado Springs, CO.

Crews won a decision over Grace Parks of Bellingham, WA by the score of 8-3.

This is Crews's first title at 154 pounds. Her three previous titles came at 160.

On Friday, Emmanuel Taylor of Edgewood, MD will try for a national title against Dan O'Connor of Framingham, MA.

Wilson-Marsh Moves To Richmond This Saturday!

The matchup between Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson and Robert Marsh of Hickory, NC that was originally slated for last Saturday in Dulles, VA will now take place at Toad's Place in Richmond, VA on Saturday, March 15.

The bout will be part of the boxing portion of the 24th edition of the "Combat Sports Challenge" called "The Proving Ground." This will be a night of pro boxing as well as pro and amateur Mixed Martial Arts.

The other boxing bout of interest to Beltway fans marks the return of DC light heavyweight Richard "The Thin Man" McCombs as he takes on Caroline, VA's Adam "The Real Deal" Seal. McCombs (1-2, one KO), a cousin of former WBC Welterweight champion Maurice Blocker, has not fought since April of 2002 while Seal (2-1, one KO) will be trying to bounce back from a shocking third-round KO loss to William Bailey in February of 2007.

Taylor Advances to Future Star Finals!

Edgewood, MD 141-pounder Emmanuel Taylor won his semi-final match at the US Future Stars Tournament in Colorado Springs, CO.

Taylor defeated Charles Watson of Johnson City, TN, 14-7. Taylor will meet Dan O'Connor of Framingham, MA in the championship bout.

Crews Advances To Final!

Franchon Crews is one bout away from another national title.

At the US Future Stars tournament in Colorado Springs, Crews won her semi-final bout in the 154-pound division, defeating Lisa Kuronya of Portland, Mass, 30-27. Crews will take on Grace Parks of Bellingham, WA in the final.

In another semi-final bout, Baltimore's Gina D'Andrea lost to San Diego's Amaris Quintana in a 110-pound bout, 27-9.

Taylor Advances to Semis at US Future Stars!

Edgewood, MD 141-pounder Emmanuel Taylor has advanced to the semi-finals at the US Future Stars in Colorado Springs, CO. Taylor stopped Adrian Granados of North Riverside, IL at 1:28 of the third round.

Baltimore, MD 125-pounder Glenn Dezum was eliminated in the quarterfinals, losing a close 13-11 decision to Lesley Walker of Las Vegas.

Crews Wins During Tough Day for Beltway in Colorado!

First,the good news from the US Future Stars National Championships in Colorado Springs, CO. Baltimore's Franchon Crews won her first bout in the tournament today, defeating Maria Torres of Norfolk, NE, 25-15. Crews, who won three national titles at middleweight, is now fighting down a weight class at 154 pounds.

The Beltway did suffer two losses today as Laurel, MD's Thomas Williams and Baltimore's Tavon Sol lost their quarterfinal matchups. Williams lost to Dorian Anthony of Lynwood, CA, 9-7. Sol was defeated by Andrew Shepard of Fort Carson, CO, 22-3.

Emmanuel Taylor and Glenn Dezum participate in their quarterfinal bouts later this evening.

Dezum, Taylor Advance; Wade Falls at Future Stars!

During tonight's evening session of the US Future Stars National Championships in Colorado Springs, CO, two Beltway amateurs advanced.

In the 125-pound division, Glenn Dezum of Baltimore stopped David Green of Monroe, LA in the first round. Also, Emmanuel Taylor of Edgewood, MD defeated Ronnie Reams of Colorado Springs by decision, 20-13.

But in the 165-pound division, Dominic Wade of Largo, MD lost by decision to Luis Arias of Milwaukee, WI, 19-12.

Smith, Faggins Lose in Caymans!

Luther "Sugarman" Smith and Calvin "Pekoe" Faggins both lost by knockout this past Saturday in the Cayman Islands. Smith (22-7-2, 12 KO's) was stopped by Charles Whittaker in the first round while Faggins (3-4-1, one KO) lost to Mario Galan in the second round.

One other note, "Money" Mike Sawyer who serves as the manager for both Smith and Faggins, also worked the corner of New York fighter Anthony Osbourne in his 10-round unanimous decision win over 60-year-old former world champion Saoul Mamby, who started his career during the Nixon Administration and won his WBC Junior Welterweight title when Jimmy Carter was President.

Williams, Sol Advance at US Future Stars!

Laurel, MD 178-pounder Thomas Williams advanced to the next round of competition at the US Future Stars National Amateur Championships via walkover over Siji Shabazz of Las Cruces, NM.

Baltimore, MD 201+ pounder Tavon Sol won his first bout by a 23-13 decision over J'Von Wallace of Fort Worth, TX.

The Beltway area saw its first defeat of the tournament when Kevin Rivers of Oxon Hill, MD lost to Paul Romero of Phoenix, AZ in the first round of the 119-pound bracket.

Beltway amateurs Emmanuel Taylor, Dominic Wade and Glenn Dezum are scheduled to compete in tonight's evening session.

Williams Wins First-Round Bout at US Future Stars!

Laurel, MD 178-pounder Thomas Williams won his first-round contest at the US Future Stars National Championships in Colorado Springs, CO.

Williams, the son of former Beltway heavyweight contender Thomas "Top Dog" Williams, defeated Jerry Martin of Norfolk, VA 14-5 in his opening bout. No other Beltway amateurs were scheduled to compete on this, the first day of competition.

Baltimore Boxing Announces Next Amateur and Pro Cards!

Baltimore Boxing Promotions has two cards coming up in the next two months at the Pikesville National Guard Armory.

On Saturday, March 29, it will be an all-amateur card that is slated to feature the return of Hasim Rahman, Jr. to Baltimore. Also scheduled for the card will be Jeremy Miller and Dusty Harrison.

The next pro card will be on Friday, April 18. Undefeated Baltimore middleweight Jesse "The Beast" Nicklow is slated to headline in an eight-round contest against veteran Chad "Taz" Greenleaf of Parkesburg, WVA. There are two other matchups already set up. Baltimore light heavyweight Willie "For Real" Williams will battle New Castle, DE's Richard Stewart in an eight-round rematch, this time for the East Coast Championship. Also undefeated Montgomery, AL super middleweight John "No Mercy" Mackey will take on William Prieto of Lorain, OH in an eight-round bout.

Also slated for this card are Beltway Boxers Tony "Mo Better" Jeter, Shelly Seivert, Mark "TNT" Tucker, Lenwood "Mr. Composure" Dozier and the return of "The American Dream" Mike Dietrich.

Dulles Boxing Card Called Off!

Tonight's "Law and DisOrder" card at the All Star Legacy Gym in Dulles, VA had to be called off. Emergency Medical Technicians have to be at all boxing events and, unfortunately, no EMT's arrived at tonight's card.

The postponed card has a tentative reschedule date of Saturday, March 29. If you have tickets for tonight's card, they will be honored on the 29th.

Weights for Tonight in Dulles!

Here is the scale watch for tonight's "Law and DisOrder" After Shock Events card at the All Star Legacy Gym in Dulles, VA:

Darnell Wilson 210 pounds vs. Robert Marsh 210

Derek Amos 208 vs. Adam Harris 197 1/2

Tracey Brewer 162 vs. Patrick Bozeman 171 1/2

Dana Dunston 199 1/2 vs. Kenneth Farr 201 1/2

Andre Nichols 122 vs. Jhovany Collado 123

Davii Otgonbayar 199 vs. Steve Reid 192

It looks like Bayan Jargal's bout may not take place. Jargal's opponent, Jason Jordan, did not appear at today's weigh-in.

Major Main Event in the Ballroom April 3!

The main event for the next Ballroom Boxing card on Thursday, April 3 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD has been announced and folks, I hope you are all strapped in for this one.

Baltimore's Tyrell "Da Show Shock'a" Samuel will battle Thomas "KO" Snow of Capitol Heights in a 10-round bout for the Maryland State Featherweight Title!

This is a bout that has been discussed off and on for at least a year. In fact, in a Beltway Boxing poll in early 2007 that asked what bout did Beltway Boxing fans most want to see, this bout placed third behind Anthony Peterson-Dorin Spivey and Darnell Wilson - Emmanuel Nwodo (which, of course, actually did take place).

There were those who believed that a bout between these two talented prospects was happening too soon. Quite frankly, I was in that camp at one point.

But the two straight losses that Samuel (9-2, five KO's) suffered in his last two fights (including a fourth-round TKO loss to Eric Hernandez in his last Ballroom appearance almost a year ago), coupled with the many negative comments that Snow (10-0, eight KO's) seems to receive about the competition he has faced in his career make this bout a viable and somewhat necessary contest and a true Beltway Bout of the Year candidate.

Neither man has gone 10 rounds in their careers. Snow once went nine rounds with veteran Mike Salyers in December of 2006 and Samuel went eight rounds in a nationally televised loss to Eric Hunter in his last outing on August 3.

We will talk more about this bout in the weeks to come!

Smith, Faggins On the Scale in the Cayman Islands!

DC junior middleweight Luther "Sugarman" Smith weighed in at 154 1/2 for his scheduled 10-round bout with Charles Whittaker tomorrow in the Cayman Islands. Whittaker tipped the scales at 155 1/2.

Alexandria, VA featherweight Calvin "Pekoe" Faggins weighed in at 135 pounds and his opponent, Mario Galan weighted in at 136 1/2.

Beltway Amateurs Win Gold at Arnold Sports Festival!

Twelve Beltway Amateurs won gold medals at the recent Arnold Sports Festival this past weekend in Columbus, OH.

The Arnold Festival, named after the current Governor of California (you know who) is a three day event that features a number of sports including boxing.

Congratulations to the following young Beltway Boxers who won gold medals:

Jerome Williams, Washington, DC -- 9/10 age group, 50 pounds

Jordan White, Waldorf, MD -- 9/10 age group, 65 pounds

Gary Antwaan Russell, Capitol Heights, MD -- 11/12 age group, 80 pounds

Kareem Martin, Clinton, MD -- 11/12 age group, 119 pounds

Richard Simon, Clinton, MD -- 11/12 age group, 125 pounds

Romello Webster, Washington, DC -- 13/14 age group, 101 pounds

Preston Holmes, Oxon Hill, MD -- 13/14 age group, 132 pounds

Antonio Russ, Capitol Heights, MD -- 15/16 age group, 101 pounds

Antonio Magruder, Suitland, MD -- 15/16 age group, 114 pounds

Kristian Harris, Fort Washington, MD -- 15/16 age group, 119 pounds

Kevin Ecke, Hagerstown, MD -- 15/16 age group, 138 pounds

Marquis Moore, Fort Washington, MD -- Open, 141 pounds

Also, Hasim Rahman, Jr., now fighting out of Las Vegas, NV, won the gold in the 15/16 age group, 201 pound division.

Staunton News Leader Profiles 'JC Superstar!'

The Staunton (VA) News Leader has a profile of undefeated cruiserweight "JC Superstar" Juan Carlos Robles as he gets ready for his Saturday, March 15 bout against Rob Calloway for Calloway's WBC Continental Americas Cruiserweight championship in Allentown, PA. The profile is written by Shaun Cox.


Here's the link:

"http://www.newsleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080304/SPORTS/80304007/1006">

Breaking News! Darnell Wilson Added to March 8 Card in Dulles, VA!

Takoma Park, MD cruiserweight Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson has just been added to this Saturday's After Shock Events card at the All Star Legacy Gym in Dulles, VA! Wilson (22-6-3, 19 KO's) will take on Robert Marsh of Hickory, NC (10-44-3, four KO's) in a special six-round attraction on this card. Marsh has fought the likes of current IBF Cruiserweight champ Steve Cunningham as well as Jaidon Codrington, Robert Allen and Prince Badi Ajamu during his career.

Tickets for the card can be purchased by going to www.aftershockevents.com. The link is here on the site.

The head of After Shock Events -- promoter Asim Hanif Nichols -- talks about the card and more in this audio interview:

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #102 - Asim Hanif Talks About March 8 Card in Dulles, VA!

Asim Hanif Nichols of After Shock Events discusses his March 8 card at the All Star Legacy Gym in Dulles, VA, including breaking news on the addition of Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson to the card!

Victories for Buchanan and Guerrero!

Two of our traveling Beltway Boxers were victories last night on separate cards.

Capitol Heights, MD super middleweight Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan won by eight-round unanimous decision over veteran Ross "The Boss" Thompson on the undercard of the titanic Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez matchup at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. Buchanan is now 16-1, 11 KO's while Thompson falls to 26-11-2, 16 KO's.

At the Fitzgerald's Hotel and Casino in Tunica, MS, undefeated rookie super middleweight Fernando Guerrero of Fruitland, MD scored a first-round TKO over Anthony Adams. Guerrero forced the referee to deliver numerous standing eight counts during the bout before the ref stopped the bout at 1:30. Guerrero is now 3-0, three KO's and has had two straight first-round stoppages. Adams is now 7-19-1, one KO.

Buchanan, Guerrero in Action Tonight!

Two Beltway Boxers will be in action tonight in two different parts of the country.

Capitol Heights, MD super middleweight Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan will take on Ross "The Boss" Thompson in an eight-round contest on the undercard of the Israel Vasquez-Rafael Marquez bout at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. Buchanan weighed in at 170 pounds and comes into the bout with a record of 15-1, 11 KO's. The Buffalo, NY-based Thompson weighed in at 177 pounds and is 26-10-2, 16 KO's. In his last two bouts, Thompson went the distance in losses to Kelly Pavlik and Antwun Echols, but that was almost three years ago.

In Tunica, MS, undefeated Fruitland, MD super middleweight Fernando Guerrero will battle Anthony Adams of Laurel, MS in a four-round contest. Guerrero comes into the bout at 2-0, two KO's while Adams is 7-18-1, one KO.

Adams has an interesting record. He has been knocked out 11 times during his career and fought one guy -- Bradley Thompson -- a total of eight times! Adams has a record of two wins, four losses, one draw and one no contest against Thompson.

Joppy Announces Retirement!

Fightnews Canada is reporting that former three-time WBA Middleweight champion William Joppy has announced his retirement. Joppy told Dave Spencer after his 10th round TKO loss to IBF Super Middleweight champion Lucian Bute last night in Montreal that the fire is not there anymore.

“Maybe it was father time, but I saw shots in there, body shots, but I just couldn’t pull the trigger. It just wasn’t there," Joppy said after the bout.

“That was my last professional fight; I’m not motivated about boxing no more. I love the game of boxing, don’t get me wrong, but I’m moving on.”

Joppy won three WBA middleweight titles during his 15-year career and participated in 15 world title bouts. He was only stopped twice in his career, against Bute and against Felix Trinidad. His career ends with a record of 39-5-1, 30 KO's. All five of his losses came in title fights against Bute, Trinidad, Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor and Julio Cesar Green.

Without question, William Joppy will go down as one of the true greats in Beltway Boxing history!

Joppy Loses by KO in Montreal!

Former WBA Middleweight champion William Joppy lost his bid for a fourth world title as he was stopped by IBF Super Middleweight titleholder Lucian Bute in the 10th round at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

According to Dave Spencer of Fightnews Canada, Bute was threading his left hand down the middle all night and chased Joppy down late in the 9th after landing a crunching left and followed up with three hooks to the body, bringing the fighter down to his knees in the centre of the ring as the round ended.

Foregoing the stool, Joppy slumped over the top rope between rounds as his corner tried to revive him. It didn’t work as Bute who towered over his much shorter opponent continued the assault in the 10th, bringing him down twice more before referee Marlon Wright stepped in and stopped the bout. Bute moves to 22-0 with his 18th knockout while Joppy falls to 39-5-1, 30 KO's with the loss.

Night of Knockouts in Pikesville!

It was perhaps the shortest night of boxing action ever seen in the Beltway -- Six bouts, six first-round knockouts -- a total of 7 minutes and 39 seconds of actual ring time at the Pikesville National Guard Armory Here are the results:

Undefeated Baltimore, MD middleweight Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow scored a crunching knockout over veteran Richard "Tiger" Lee Hall of Rocky Mount, NC. The bout ended at 2:06 of the first. Nicklow is now 16-0-1, six KO's while Hall is 10-22-2, six KO's.

The co-feature saw light heavyweight Mark "TNT" Tucker of Eldersburg, MD score a knockout in his pro debut over Walter Edwards of Wilson, NC. Edwards could not come out for the second round, making the knockout at the end of the first. Edwards is now 0-2.

Severna Park, MD middleweight Shelley Seivert scored the first knockout of her pro career, stopping Leslie Lubaczewski of Bramwell, West Virginia in 34 seconds. Seivert is now 2-1, one KO while Lubaczewski is 0-3. Seivert is now being trained by former Beltway super bantamweight contender Derrik Holmes.

Heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell of Brandywine, MD celebrated his signing with Golden Boy Promotions by knocking out Maurice Winslow of Wilson, NC in 46 seconds. Mitchell is 2-0, one KO. Winslow is 1-5-1, one KO.

Glen Burnie, MD welterweight Lenwood "Mr. Composure" Dozier stopped Wilson's Louechie Wiggins in 27 seconds in the opening bout, setting the pace for the rest of the evening.

In an all-Florida matchup, undefeated welterweight Richard "El Tigre" Abril of Naples (by way of Cuba) stopped Marcos Hernandez of Miami (by way of the Dominican Republic in 46 seconds.

The BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up is about 11 minutes longer than the actual ring action tonight and it features interviews with two of the boxers on the card. Thanks also to former Beltway welterweight and fan favorite Del "The Hatchett" Matchett for joining myself and "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears on the wrap-up.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #101 - Night of First-Round KO's in Pikesville!

This BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up makes history because it will be longer than the in-ring action we talk about from the Pikesville National Guard Armory in Pikesville, MD. "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and special guest commentator Del "The Hatchett" Matchett join me to discuss the card and talk to two of the winners, Shelly Seivert and Mark "TNT" Tucker.

'Mayhem' Mitchell Signs with Golden Boy Promotions!

When Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell walks into the ring later tonight at the Pikesville Armory, he will do so as the latest signee of Golden Boy Promotions. Mitchell recently inked a deal to be promoted by Golden Boy and he will be co-managed by Sharif Salim and Shelly Finkel.

Based on what happens tonight, there is a possibility that Mitchell will be part of the May 3 card in California that will pit Oscar De La Hoya and Steve Forbes.

We'll talk more about this development on the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up Show from Pikesville later tonight or early tomorrow morning.

Scale Watch for Pikesville and Montreal!

Here are the weights for tomorrow night's Baltimore Pro Boxing card at the Pikesville National Guard Armory in Pikesville, MD:

Jessie Nicklow 152 3/4 vs. Richard Hall 151 1/4

Mark Tucker 179 vs. Walter Edwards 178 1/2

Shelly Seivert 163 1/2 vs. Leslie Lubaczewski 160

Seth Mitchell 244 1/4 vs Maurice Winslow 210 1/4

Lenwood Dozier 149 3/4 vs Louechie Wiggins 145 1/4

Marcos Hernandez 148 3/4 vs. Richard Abril 144 1/2


In Montreal, Canada, former world champion William Joppy weighed in at 167.8 pounds for his IBF Super Middleweight title try against champion Lucian Bute, who tipped the scales at 167.4. The bout will be at the Bell Centre in Montreal, where they will be fighting in front of 14,000 fans.

'Beast' Nicklow Featured in Baltimore Sun!

The Baltimore Sun has a nice feature on undefeated Baltimore middleweight Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow by Roch Kubatko. Nicklow headlines tomorrow night's card at the Pikesville National Guard Armory.


The story "Rescued by the Ring" can be found here:

"http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/boxing/bal-sp.nicklow28feb28,0,6028373.story">

Updates Aplenty!

There is a lot of news involving upcoming cards and bouts in the area, so we've put them all together here.

I should have a scale watch for the Friday, February 29 Baltimore Pro Boxing card at the Pikesville National Guard Armory tomorrow evening Eastern Time. Undefeated Baltimore middleweight Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow (15-0-1, five KO's) is still slated to battle Rocky Mount, NC veteran Richard "Tiger" Lee Hall (10-20-2, six KO's) in the eight-round main event. Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell (1-0) is in the four-round co-feature, taking on Maurice Winslow of Wilson, NC (1-3-1, one KO).

By the way, watch this space on Friday evening around 5:45 pm ET for a big announcement concerning Seth Mitchell.

The After Shock Events card on Saturday, March 8 at the All-Star Legacy Gym in Dulles, VA is rounding into shape. As of today, here is how this card looks.

Undefeated Arlington, VA junior welterweight Bayan Jargal (5-0-1, three KO's) will take on Philadelphia's Albert Montague (0-2, hasn't fought since 2005) in a four-round contest.

A countryman of Jargal's, Mongolian native Davii Otgonbayar , will make his pro debut on this card. Otgonbayar, who like Jargal is trained by Willie "The Heat" Taylor and fights out of Arlington, will take on Steve Reid of Coventry, RI (0-3) in a four-round cruiserweight contest.

Also on this card, Dumfries, VA cruiserweight Derek "D-Mos" Amos
(15-25, nine KO's) will battle undefeated Worcester, MA prospect Adam Harris (10-0, seven KO's) in a six-round matchup.

Ashburn, VA bantamweight Andre "Clockwork" Nichols (3-2, two KO's) tries to continue his winning ways as he faces veteran Jhovany Collado of New York (2-6, one KO) in a four-round bout. This will be Collado's third try against a Beltway Boxer as he has lost to Clarence Vinson and Eric Aiken during his career.

Other bouts on the card find "Dangerous" Dana Dunston of Woodbridge, VA (4-1, two KO's) battling Kenneth Farr (0-2) of Rocky Mount, NC in a four-round bout and undefeated Arlington, VA middleweight Tracey Brewer (2-0, one KO) faces Patrick Bozeman of Boston, MA (0-3) in a four-round bout. Undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight Thomas "KO" Snow (10-0, eight KO's) is also scheduled to be a part of this card in a six-round encounter. No word yet on his opponent.

Also slated to make an appearance at this card (in a meet-and-greet only) is former two-time heavyweight champion "Terrible" Tim Witherspoon.


Moving to Saturday, March 15, where we already know that undefeated Waynesboro, VA cruiserweight "JC Superstar" Juan Carlos Robles will challenge "The All-American PrizeFighter" Rob Calloway for Calloway's WBC Continental Americas Cruiserweight title in Allentown, PA.

Now comes word that Charlottsville, VA junior middleweight George "War Time" Rivera has been added to that card. No word yet on his opponent.

Let's now look ahead to Saturday, April 12 at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, VA. This is a card that will have a number of Beltway Boxers on it by the time the card is completed. One of the main event bouts on the card will be a matchup for the vacant USBA Lightweight title -- Alexandria, VA's Jaime "The Punisher" Palma will take on Philadelphia's Lenny "Hitman" DeVictoria. What's interesting about this matchup was that this bout was scheduled to take place on the May 12, 2007 card at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA, but Palma suffered a leg injury in training.

Plus, this is a bout that features two men whose careers have taken very similar upward turns recently after suffering rough times early on. Palma (13-10-1, three KO's) once lost four in a row including a devastating first-round knockout defeat to Roshun Parker at the Lincoln Theatre in DC in May of 2004. But Palma has now won six straight and eight of his last 10. DeVictoria had lost five straight but has now won two in a row and three of his last five. Those good fortunes for DeVictoria started with the win over Jason Jordan on that May Patriot Center card.

Bayan Jargal is also slated for this show as is Dorin Spivey. Infinity Boxing Promotions of Richmond and matchmaker Juice Gatling are also bringing in Hector Camacho Jr. and Christy Martin for this show.

There is also big news on the Beltway amateur front. For the next five Saturdays, bouts in the DC Golden Gloves will be taking place at the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center in Palmer Park, MD. Action got underway last weekend and I hope to have results and a bout sheet for this week's events between now and Friday. The Finals for the Golden Gloves will be on Friday, March 28 at the Waldorf Jaycees in Waldorf, MD.

Also on March 9-14, many Beltway amateurs will be participating in the 2008 US Future Stars National Championship in Colorado Springs, CO The US Future Stars is the new name for the US Championships. In an interesting move, USA Boxing will award the top two finishers in each weight class a financial bonus -- $1000 for a gold medal and $500 for a silver medal. This is both on the male and female side of the event.

According to USA Boxing, these are the local boxers who will be participating in this event:

Bantamweight (119 pounds): Kevin Lamont Rivers, Oxon Hill, MD

Featherweight (125 pounds): Glenn Dezum, Baltimore, MD

Light Welterweight (141 pounds): Emmanuel Taylor, Edgewood, MD

Light Heavyweight (178 pounds): Thomas Williams, Laurel, MD (Williams is the son of former Beltway heavyweight contender Thomas "Top Dog" Williams)

Super Heavyweight (201+ pounds): Tavon Sol, Baltimore, MD

Women's Flyweight (110 pounds): Gina D'Andrea, Baltimore, MD

Women's Light Middleweight (154 pounds) Franchon Crews, Baltimore, MD (This is actually a drop in weight for Crews, who won three national titles at middleweight [160 pounds])

Women's Heavyweight (189 pounds) Anne Gibbon, Annapolis, MD

Best wishes to all the amateurs and we'll try to keep you posted on their progress!

From the BATB 'Where Are They Now' File.. Lionel 'L-Train' Butler!

As many of you know, I do work as a public address announcer for college basketball games at Coppin State University in Baltimore. Tonight was our final home game and it provided a Beltway Boxing "where are they now" moment.

One of the officials working tonight's game was none other than the former Virginia State Lightweight champion Lionel "L-Train" Butler! It seems that after his boxing days ended in 1999, Butler began a 15-year career as a referee. Currently he works Division I college games in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (which includes Beltway schools Howard, Coppin, Morgan State and the University of Maryland - Eastern Shore as well as southern Virginia schools Hampton University and Norfolk State) and the America East Conference (where the University of Maryland - Baltimore County resides. UMBC won the regular season conference title over the weekend, by the way)

Butler was a solid pro from 1990-1999, compiling a record of 21-4-2 with 14 KO's and winning his last seven bouts, six of those by knockout. Two of his losses came to perennial lightweight contenders "Mighty" Ivan Robinson and "The Eastern Beast" John Brown.

I had the privilege of doing play-by-play for the bout where he won the VA State Lightweight title on May 13, 1995 at the Charles Houston Recreation Center in Alexandria, VA. Butler scored a fourth-round TKO over Allan Osbourne in that bout.

Despite the winning streak at the end of his career, Butler told me that he fell victim to a combination of boxing politics and bad timing. He had been ranked among the top in the division by one of the governing bodies and was scheduled to meet Louie Leija (cousin of former world champ Jesse James Leija) for a vacant title. However, Leija lost a tune-up bout and Butler lost his opportunity.

By the way, Butler also earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Central Michigan University and is working on his doctorate.

'Arsenal' Arvin Scheduled for USBO Title Shot!

It looks like Baltimore junior middleweight Ishmail "The Arsenal" Arvin will battle for the vacant USBO (United States Boxing Organization) junior middleweight title on Saturday, April 12 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, MS.

The opponent for Arvin (14-1-4, six KO's) will be Gulfport, MS resident Willie "Slik" Lee (15-5, 11 KO's). The bout is scheduled for 10 rounds. This will be a rematch of a March 11, 2004 bout at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD in which Arvin stopped Lee in the third round.

Arvin is winless in his last three bouts, registering tough six-round draws in his last two outings against Jose Angel Rodriguez and Jesse Orta. Since the loss to Arvin, Lee has won five of his last seven bouts, including a sixth-round stoppage of former contender Jason Papillion on December 7 in Biloxi. One of Lee's two losses during that stretch was a tenth-round TKO defeat against Sechew Powell.

The USBO is the North American arm of the International Boxing Organization (IBO).

Results from Winchester!

Here are the results from last night's Left Hook Boxing card at the Winchester Sportsplex in Winchester, VA:

In the main event, Front Royal, VA junior welterweight Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer stopped Edward "Nuckie" Anderson of Richmond, VA in the third round. Farmer has won six in a row and raises his record to 10-1, seven KO's. Anderson is now 4-11.

The co-feature saw middleweight "The Berlin Bomber" Josh Snyder of Berlin, MD score a fourth-round TKO over Charles "Murdock" Norwood of Roanoke, VA. Snyder is now 6-3, three KO's while Norwood sees his record evened at 3-3, one KO.

Arlington, VA junior welterweight Todd "White Lightning" Wilson remains undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over debuting David Novia of Roanoke, VA. Wilson is now 4-0, one KO.

Charlottsville, VA junior middleweight George "War Time" Rivera won a four-round unanimous decision over late sub Larry "The Gladiator" Brothers of DC. Rivera now has a six-fight winning streak and his record is now 7-1, three KO's. Brothers drops to 7-29-3, five KO's.

In the opening contest, Dumfries, VA cruiserweight "Cold Blood" Patrick Budd stopped Salisbury, MD's Ozgur Yarmdici in the second round. Budd is now 2-0, one KO while Yarmdici remains winless at 0-3.

My thanks to Joe Hensley for this Post-Fight Wrap-Up:

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #100 - Full Report from Winchester!

Joe Hensley gives us the full report from the Left Hook Boxing card at the Winchester Sportsplex in Winchester, VA!

Smith, Faggins Travel to Cayman Islands March 8!

Two Beltway veterans will try to continue their careers on Saturday, March 8 in the Cayman Islands.

DC junior middleweight Luther "Sugarman" Smith will take on veteran Charles Whittaker in a 10-round bout. Smith (22-6-2, 12 KO's) will try to bounce back from his last outing, a fifth-round TKO loss to Jesse Williams on October 6 in McLean, VA.

But Smith faces a tough veteran in Whittaker (29-12-2, 17 KO's), who has won a number of regional belts, including the NABO Junior Middleweight title that he captured in April of 2007. Whittaker defended that title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Jose Berrio on August 31 in the Cayman Islands, where Whittaker is from.

Also on the card, Virginia featherweight Calvin "Pico" Faggins will make his first appearance on a card in almost 11 years as he takes on Mario Galan of Hollywood, FL in a six-round contest. Faggins (3-3-1, one KO) has not fought since being stopped in the second round by future world champion Paul Spadafora in June of 1996. Galan (3-3, two KO's) is coming off a six-round majority decision over Alex Brenes on November 21 in Miami.

Wilson Returns to the Ballroom April 3!

I have been told that former USBA Cruiserweight champion Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson of Takoma Park, MD will be returning to Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD on the next Ballroom Boxing card Thursday, April 3.

Promoter Scott Wagner says this is a done deal, but no opponent has been selected as of yet. This will be Wilson's 15th appearance in the Ballroom but his first since his fourth-round stoppage of Daniel Judah on September 28, 2006.

Undefeated Baltimore light heavyweight Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall (15-0-1, three KO's) is scheduled to be in the co-feature bout, marking his third straight appearance in the Ballroom.

Petersons Win Putnam Award From Boxing Writers Association!

The Undefeated Peterson Brothers have won the 2007 Pat Putnam Award from the Boxing Writers Association of America.

The Putnam Award, named after the late Sports Illustrated boxing writer who once spent 17 months in a Chinese prison camp during the Korean War, is given to a boxer who has shown perserverance in overcoming adversity. The story of the Petersons is well known with the brothers overcoming homelessness early in their lives to become top-flight contenders.

Congratulations to the Peterson Brothers!

'FightLady' Bruce Shares Her Story in 'Water Cooler Diaries!'

Interesting press release came to my inbox today. Many of you are familiar with one of the truly wonderful and lovely personalities in the Beltway Boxing scene -- the "Fightlady" Wanda Bruce. Throughout her career, Bruce has served as an inspector, a manager of fighters, a promoter of all-female cards and as one of the few female matchmakers in the world. She is truly a very busy woman.

Now, Bruce gives an idea of a typical day in her life as part of a book project called Water Cooler Diaries: Women Across America Share Their Day at Work. This is the third in the book series called "This Day." Water Cooler Diaries evolved from a national project in which more than five hundred women across the country and from all walks of life chronicled a single day in their lives—March 27, 2007. Bruce became part of the project after answering a call for submissions early last year from women in the world of boxing. Bruce's diary was one of only 35 that were selected for the book.

In a press release, the series's creator and editor, Joni B. Cole had this to say after selecting Bruce's diary to appear in the book:

"Wanda’s day diary includes everything from dealing with signing a new heavyweight to having hot flashes—all on the same day. Her contribution is wonderful, real, and funny. She’s an inspiration for all women, not just those in sports."

Water Cooler Diaries: Women Across America Share Their Day at Work will be available in bookstores on March 1.

Wade Participates in Dual Meets in Russia!

Largo, MD middleweight Dominic Wade will be part of a United States contingent that will participate in two amateur dual meets in Russia on February 23 -March 1.

Wade will be on a 14-member squad that will combine representatives of the 2008 Olympic team and other members of the current US National team. The squad will compete in two duals while in Russia, beginning with a February 24 match-up in Magnitogrosk, Russia. The two nations will face off a second time on February 29 in Novosibirsk, Russia. The United States team will depart for Russia from Colorado Springs on Tuesday, February 19.

The dual meet will be the first trip to Russia for a United States senior men’s team since the 2005 AIBA World Cup. The event will feature a match-up between the top two amateur boxing nations from the 2007 AIBA World Championships in Chicago, IL.

Updates to Upcoming Cards!

A couple of updates to pass along about upcoming cards:

Undefeated Oxon Hill, MD light heavyweight Alexander "The Great" Johnson has been added to the Baltimore Pro Boxing card on Friday, February 29 at the Pikesville National Guard Armory in Pikesville, MD. Johnson (4-0, three KO's) is slated to fight John Terry of Bayboro, NC (1-0, one KO) in a four-round contest. This will be Johnson's first outing of 2008. In his last outing, Johnson won a four-round unanimous decision over Zeferino Albino on November 29 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD. Terry won his pro debut by first-round knockout over Herman Marshall in June of 2004 and hasn't fought since.

Riverdale, MD heavyweight Horace "The Reason" Grant was originally scheduled to be on the Pikesville card but Grant will now appear on the After Shock Events card on Saturday, March 8 at the All Star Legacy Gym in Ashburn, VA. Grant (11-1, seven KO's) is scheduled to take on veteran Maurice Wheeler (10-11-1, one KO) of Philadelphia, PA in a six-round contest. Grant has won 10 in a row, including a six-round split decision over Cornelius Ellis on January 18 in Pikesville. Wheeler will be looking to break a seven-bout losing streak that includes defeats at the hands of Tony Thompson, David Tua and Davarryl Williamson.


UPDATE: I've just been informed that the Grant-Wheeler bout is now off this card.

University of Maryland Hosts Second Collegiate Boxing Invitational!

The University of Maryland Boxing Club will host its second annual Collegiate Boxing Invitational on Saturday, March 8 at 7 PM at Ritchie Coliseum.

A number of Maryland alumni are expected to attend the event including a number of past NCAA Champions. For more information, email the Maryland Boxing Club at terpsboxing@gmail.com.

Winchester Update!

More bouts have been added to the Left Hook Boxing card on Saturday, February 23 at the Winchester Sportsplex in Winchester, VA.

Charlottesville, VA junior middleweight George "Wartime" Rivera will take on Delaney Howard of Cleveland, OH in a scheduled four-round contest. Rivera (6-1, three KO's) is coming off a thirty-second first-round knockout over Nathan Ward on November 17 in Harrisonburg, VA. Howard (5-1, three KO's) won a four-round unanimous decision over Daniel Hicks on March 30 in Detroit, MI.

Undefeated Arlington, VA junior middleweight Todd "White Lightning" Wilson (3-0, one KO) will battle the debuting David Novia of Roanoke, VA. in a four-round contest.

The main event remains the same as Front Royal, VA lightweight Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer (9-1, six KO's) battles Edward "Nuckie" Anderson of Richmond, VA (4-10, three KO's) in a six-round battle. Also on the card will be "The Berlin Bomber" Josh Snyder of Salisbury, MD (5-3, two KO's) battling Charles "Murdock" Norwood of Roanoke (3-2, one KO) in another six-round contest in the middleweight division. In a four-round cruiser contest, Dumfries, VA's "Cold Blood" Patrick Budd (1-0) will take on Salisbury, MD's Ozgar Yarmidici of Salisbury, MD (0-2).

Robles Fights for WBC Continental Title; Late Notes from Dover!

In an interesting update, the March 15 bout between undefeated Juan Carlos Robles and Rob Calloway in Allentown, PA will now be a 10-round contest for Calloway's WBC Continental Americas Cruiserweight title.

A couple of Beltway Boxers were also on last Friday's card in Dover, DE. Baltimore lightweight Derrell Martin won a four-round unanimous decision over Milo Miles. Martin is now 2-1.

Hagerstown, MD super lightweight Henry Goss was stopped in the third round by the debuting Bryne Green. Goss falls to 1-3-2, one KO.

Also John Mackey of Montgomery, AL (by way of DC) remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Alex Mancera. Mackey is now 9-0, three KO's.

Wilson Explains Loss to Flores!

In an exclusive BATB audio interview, Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson explains last Friday night's USBA Cruiserweight title loss to BJ Flores in Dover, DE.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #99 - Wilson Explains Loss to Flores!

Former USBA Cruiserweight champion Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson gives a reason for his loss to BJ Flores in Dover, DE this past Friday night.

Wilson Loses USBA Championship by Unanimous Decision!

Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson loses a 12-round unanimous decision and the USBA Cruiserweight championship to undefeated BJ Flores tonight at Dover Downs in Dover, DE. 115-113, 116-112, 118-110. Flores used solid boxing movement and skills to overcome the punching power of Wilson, who had a four-bout winning streak broken by Flores.

Wilson's record is now 22-6-3, 19 KO's. Flores is now 21-0-1, 13 KO's.

Beltway Boxing History Lesson: ESPN.com Remembers Baltimore's Joe Gans!

In a special Black History article on ESPN.com, Ring Magazine Senior Writer William Dettloff remembers one of the great lightweights of all time, Baltimore's own Joe Gans. This is a great read that can be found here:

"http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blackhistory2008/news/story?id=3224408">

Wilson Weighs 200 For Cruiserweight Defense!

Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson weighed in at 200 pounds for his USBA Cruiserweight title defense against undefeated BJ "El Peligroso" Flores tonight in Dover, DE on ESPN2. Flores also weighed in at 200.

Some out-of-town boxers who have fought along the Beltway numerous times are slated to be on tonight's card. Undefeated Montgomery, AL middleweight John "No Mercy" Mackey is scheduled to be in the first swing bout that will be televised if one of the two TV bouts is a quick one. Also, Philadelphia's Dhafir "No Fear" Smith is going to be in the co-feature TV bout against Rayco Saunders.

The ESPN2 telecast begins at 9 PM ET.

ESPN's Tessitore Reflects on 'The Most Devastating Knockout I've Ever Seen!'

As he prepares to call tomorrow night's bout between Darnell Wilson and BJ Flores, ESPN2 Friday Night Fights blow-by-blow man Joe Tessitore looks back on Wilson's explosive knockout over Emmanuel Nwodo and how Flores will have to avoid the same fate.

"http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?columnist=tessitore_joe&id=3231583">

The Newest Member of the Beltway Boxing Community is..Brady M. Wagner!

Congratulations to Ballroom Boxing promoter Scott Wagner and his lovely wife, Sheila on the newest addition to the family..Brady Michael Wagner. The baby boy came into the world on February 5 and tipped the Toledos at seven pounds, eight ounces. Mom and son are doing well.

Robles Battles Calloway March 15 in Pennsylvania!

One of the Beltway's top prospects will take a major step up in competition next month. Undefeated Waynesboro, VA cruiserweight "JC Superstar" Juan Carlos Robles will battle "The All-American" Prizefighter" Rob Calloway in a 10-round contest on Saturday, March 15 in Allentown, PA.

Calloway will be the most experienced foe Robles (9-0, four KO's) has faced and the first bout he has had since his April 28 six-round victory over James Johnson in Fisherville, VA. Calloway (67-7-1, 53 KO's) has faced a number of former champions and top challengers as a heavyweight, including a 2004 bout against Hasim Rahman in 2004 in Glen Burnie, MD. But Calloway has resurrected his career since dropping back down from the heavyweight division, winning nine straight contests, including a fourth-round TKO over Galen Brown on October 6 in his adopted hometown of Saint Joseph, MO. That bout gave Calloway three major regional titles. No word if any of those titles will be on the line against Robles.

"Rob Calloway is a good fighter with a lot of experience," said Robles's promoter Joe Hensley in a press release. He's a tough guy. But he's got something that we want and that's a world ranking and he's in our way. Juan is in the best shape of his life, he's strong as a bull, he's smart, and he's as hungry as any fighter in the game today. (Trainer) Bruce Frank will have Juan in shape to go 20 rounds and he will devise a game plan to defeat this dangerous opponent. Juan is going to win on March 15th and then he will be one step closer towards his goal of winning a world title!"

'The People's Champion' Gives His Take on 'Ballroom Brawl!'

Stafford, VA heavyweight "The People's Champion" Jonathan Felton gives his side of the "Ballroom Brawl" with Askia Schneider in this interview.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #98 - Ballroom Boxing Postscript: Felton Speaks!

After almost a week to reflect on what happened, Stafford, VA heavyweight "The People's Champion" Jonathan Felton gives his side of the "Ballroom Brawl" with Askia Schneider.

Virginia Amateur Card Features Anticipated Rematch!

Amateur boxing returns to the ABC Sports Arena on Saturday, February 16 at 7:30 PM.

The main event on the card is a highly anticipated rematch between Danny Cabberro Foster of Annandale and Ash Poole of Staunton, VA. Foster defeated Poole last October and gave Poole his first loss. Poole bounced back from that loss and went on to win the Virginia State 152-pound title.

Tickets for the card are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Children under $10 will be admitted free. For more information, call 703-750-1751.

Boxing Back in Pikesville February 29!

There will be another Baltimore Pro Boxing card coming to the Pikesville National Guard Armory on Friday, February 29.

Scheduled to headline the show will be undefeated Baltimore, MD middleweight Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow (15-0-1, five KO's) who will take on veteran Richard "Tiger" Lee Hall (10-20-2, six KO's) of Rocky Mount, NC in an eight-round contest.

Also on the card will be Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell (1-0) who is slated to take on Maurice Winslow of Wilson, NC (1-3-1) in a four-round bout.

Also slated for this card will be Riverdale, MD heavyweight Horace "The Reason" Grant, (11-1, seven KO's) and Suitland, MD junior middleweight Lenwood Dozier (0-0-1) as well as the return of Severna Park, MD middleweight Shelley Seivert (1-1) and the pro debut of DC light heavyweight Mark "TNT" Tucker.

Beltway Brings Back Eight National Silver Glove Titles!

I am receiving word that eight Beltway amateurs won national titles at the Silver Gloves Championships in Independence, MO. Congratulations to the following champions:

Zimmie Dickinson 10/11 year old 65lbs. (Sugar Ray Leonard)
Gervonta "Tank" Davis 10/11 year old 80lbs. (Upton Boxing)
Vernon Spriggs 10/11 year old 95lbs. (Benning Park)
Robert "KC" Clark 12/13 year old 139lbs. (Old School)
Darryl Little 14/15 year old 80lbs. (Headbangers)
Marcus Gaddis 14/15 year old 119lbs. (Sugar Ray Leonard)
Antonio Magruder 14/15 year old 112lbs. (Headbangers)
Greg Outlaw 14/15 75lbs. (Sugar Ray Leonard)


Dickinson was also named the Outstanding Boxer for the 10/11 year old division.

My thanks to KD for the results and for the videos.

Here are a number of videos from the championship day at the Silver Gloves:

Scattered Results from Silver Gloves!

I'm getting some results from the National Silver Gloves in Independence, MO. According to reporter Bobby Breen, both Alantez Fox and Dusty Harrison lost their opening bouts in the tournament.

UPDATE: Zimmie Dickinson defeated Daniel Guzman in his bout at the 10/11 65 pound division. The footage is shown here:



It has been VERY difficult getting information from this tournament. I may not get a full report until after the tournament is over.

Aiken Stopped in the Seventh Round!

Eric "Mighty Mouse" Aiken was stopped in the seventh round by Monty Meza-Clay in front of a nationally televised ESPN2 audience in Monroeville, PA. Aiken showed a lot of heart in the bout but Meza-Clay was very effective inside, stopping the former IBF champion at 39 seconds of the seventh.

Aiken has now lost three of his last four bouts, all by knockout. The other bout against Cruz Carvajal was a draw. His record is now 16-7-1, 12 KO's. Meza-Clay is now 27-1, 18 KO's.

Aiken Weighs in 126 3/4 for Tonight's ESPN Bout!

Former IBF Featherweight champion Eric "Mighty Mouse" Aiken tipped the scales at 126 3/4 for his ESPN2 main event bout against Monty Meza-Clay at the Expo Mart in Monroeville, PA (near Pittsburgh). Meza-Clay weighed in at 129 pounds.

Tonight's telecast begins at 9 PM ET.

Bizarre Night in the Ballroom!

Here are the results from last night's Ballroom Boxing card at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD -- one of the more bizarre nights in recent Beltway Boxing history.

Ishmail "The Arsenal" Arvin of Baltimore and Dallas, TX's Jesse Orta fought to a six-round majority draw. Judge Malik Waleed scored the bout 58-56 for Arvin but judges John Gradowski and Don Risher saw the draw at 57-57. A Maryland State Athletic Commission official said that the round-by-round scorecards of both Gradowski and Risher were exactly the same, meaning both judges saw the contest the exact same way.

This is the second straight draw for Arvin since he returned to action after a 15-month hiatus. Arvin's record is now 14-1-4, six KO's. Orta is now 7-11-2, four KO's.

The co-feature saw "The Persecutor" Mike Paschall of Pasadena, MD remain undefeated with a second-round TKO over Wilson, NC's Gary Lavender. However, the Lavender camp may file a protest. Early in the second round, Lavender fell through the ropes and hit his head on the edge of the timekeeper's table before landing on the floor. Lavender seemed to claim that Paschall gave him a push. Still holding his head, Lavender eventually got back in the ring and tried to go on. But Paschall punished Lavender, knocking him down twice in the round and the bout was stopped at 2:25 of the second.

Paschall is now 15-0-1, three KO's while Lavender loses for the second straight time in the Ballroom (back in November, Lavender was stopped in the fourth by Carlos Jones) and his record is now 5-12, five KO's.

But the most surreal moment of the night took place in the third bout of the night. Heavyweights Askia Schneider of Baltimore and "The People's Champion" Jonathan Felton of Stafford, VA were slated to meet in a four-round contest. However, when Felton entered the ring, he began to move toward Schneider and began to taunt him. One of Schneider's cornerman tried to move Felton away with a little push. Felton pushed back, Schneider jumped in and a full-scale two-man brawl ensued with both men ending up on the mat. The bout never happened and was ruled no contest. Maryland State Athletic Commission members said there will be a full scale investigation and a hearing that will probably lead to fines and/or suspensions.

In other bouts on the card, "The Capitol Punisher" Spencer Harsley lost a four-round unanimous decision to debuting welterweight Stephen Bass of Hilton Head, SC. Harsley is now 1-5-2. Also, Islip, NY heavyweight Darrel "King David" Madison won a six-round unanimous decision over Philadelphia, PA's Michael Rhoades, who came in weighing 337 1/4 pounds compared to 247 1/2 for Madison, who raised his record to 9-1, three KO's. Rhoades is 3-3-3, one KO.

In the key amateur bout of the evening, Glen Burnie, MD's Nick Kisner won his very first open competition bout, taking a decision from Alex Guerrero of Salisbury, MD. Guerrero is the brother of Beltway rookie Fernando Guerrero.

Here is the COMPLETE BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up show, which not only recaps the card but also has some breaking news concerning the upcoming Beltway Boxing schedule.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #97 - Bizarre Night in the Ballroom!

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I recap the Ballroom Boxing card at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD -- one of the most surreal nights in Beltway Boxing History and give breaking news on the upcoming Beltway Boxing Schedule.




And yes, starting with this post, Anonymous comments can now be left on the blog.

Scale Watch for Glen Burnie!

Here are the weights for tomorrow night's Ballroom Boxing card at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD:

Mike Paschall 174 1/4 vs. Gary Lavender 175 1/2

Ishmail Arvin 154 1/4 vs. Jesse Orta 154

Darrell Madison 247 vs. Michael Rhoades (will weigh-in tomorrow)

Jonathan Felton 230 1/2 vs. Askia Snyder 220 3/4

Spencer Harsley 151 1/2 vs. Stephon Bass 148

Ariel Espinal is also slated to be on the card.

There will be at least three amateur bouts on the card including a scheduled matchup for the 201+ pound South Atlantic Championship between Nick Kisner and Alex Guerrero.

Gary Lavender (4-10, four KO's) is the third opponent slated to face Paschall. Lavender was in the Ballroom on November 29 and was stopped by Carlos Jones in the fourth round.

"The Capitol Punisher" Spencer Harsley (1-4-2)has not fought since his four-round draw at Rosecroft Raceway with Kendrick Walker.


Be sure to listen to the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up tomorrow night (or early Friday morning). I'll have some news on some upcoming Virginia cards and I will make a formal declaration on the "Anonymous" posting. I decided not to wait until the end of February.

This Just In: Lockett Out of New York Bout!

I've just received word that Willis "The Prophet" Lockett has pulled out of tomorrow night's bout against Elvir Muriqi in New York. Lockett apparently hurt his hand in training. Details as they become available.

Lockett-Muriqi Bout Available Free on GoFightLive.TV!

There will be a free boxing card available on the internet on Thursday, January 31 over www.gofightlive.tv. The card is free, but you have to register for the site (registration is also free).

The card will originate from the Paradise Theater in the Bronx, NY and one of the bouts on the card will feature Beltway Boxer Willis "The Prophet" Lockett of Takoma Park, MD as he squares off against "The Kosovo Kid" Elvir Muriqi in a scheduled 10-round contest that will be the co-main event.

Those of you who, like me, will be at Michael's Eighth Avenue on Thursday night, will not have to worry because the card is archived on that site.

Boxing Returns to Winchester on February 23!

There will be a Left Hook Boxing Promotions card coming back to the Winchester Sportsplex in Winchester, VA on Saturday, February 23.

Front Royal, VA lightweight Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer (9-1, six KO's) is slated to headline the show, taking on tough Edward "Nuckie" Anderson (4-10, three KO's) of Richmond, VA in a six-round contest. Farmer had a perfect 2007 (5-0) with his last victory being a tough six-round split decision over Curtis Smith on November 17 in Springfield, VA. Anderson has lost three straight (to Beltway Boxers Jamie Palma, Todd Wilson and Bayan Jargal), all by unanimous decision.

Another matchup for this card includes the return of Dumfries, VA cruiserweight "Cold Blood" Patrick Budd as he faces Ozgur Yardimci of Salisbury, MD in a four-round contest. Budd (1-0) has not fought since making his pro debut on April 28 in Fisherville, VA. Budd has, however, been a noticable presence working in the corners of young pros. Yardimci (0-2) lost by fourth-round TKO to Joe Haggler on December 15 in Dulles, VA.

And in what should be an exciting matchup, "The Berlin Bomber" Josh Snyder of Salisbury will battle Richmond, VA's Charles "Murdock" Norwood in a six-round junior middleweight contest. Snyder (5-3, two KO's) will try to bounce back from a tough eight-round majority decision loss to Jessie Nicklow on January 18 in Pikesville, MD. Norwood (3-2, one KO) lost a four-round unanimous decision to John Mackey on November 17 in Springfield in his last outing.

Also slated to be a part of this card are Todd "White Lightning" Wilson, George "War Time" Rivera, Tommy "Sparkplug" Neal, Travis "O.T.T" Mallin and Tommy Smith.


There is also a card scheduled for the Lincoln Theatre in DC on February 23. All I know so far is that undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight Thomas "KO" Snow will headline.

Results From Belfast-Beltway Boxing Classic!

Here are the results from the first annual Belfast-Beltway Boxing Classic held last night in front of a sellout crowd at the Westin Washington, DC City Center Hotel:

Brady Sensibaugh defeated Thomas James Waite -- 64 pound weight class -- by decision

Derek Potter over Mykal Fox - 85 pound -- by decision.

Dusty Harrison stopped Ross Irvine - 95 pound
(Fight stopped by trainer)

Alex Rosa over John Paul Taggart - 130 pound -- by decision

Trayon Bynum stopped Christopher McKenna - 130 PWC

Chris Warden over Neil Murphy - 145 pound

Mason Jordan over Matthew Orr - 151 pound

Nate Davis over David James McAllister 168 PWC

Marc Johns over Aaron Kelly - 176 PWC

Barry Trotter over Marc Fleming - 178 PWC

Robert Clark over Damien McLaughlin - 185 PWC

Due to a prior commitment, I was unable to attend this event personally, so I am thankful for two very nice photo galleries of this event. You can't go wrong with either of these.

CD Brown of DC Urban Sports has this gallery:

"http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/4235692#247804494"


While Linda "Great Shot" Siadys shows her view of the event here:

"http://photodawg1.smugmug.com/gallery/4220628#247136370"

Barnette, Guerrero Win in Mississippi!

DC's Ty Barnette remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision win over veteran John "The Eastern Beast" Brown last night at the Fitzgerald Hotel and Casino in Tunica, MS.

According to Memphisboxing.com, Barnette would spend his welterweight bout being constantly frustrated by his charging, but one-foot shorter opponent. The fight would go the distance in part due to Brown’s charging style that allowed him to shrink himself even further to get past Barnette’s defenses, but once he got in, he relied on wild overhand rights that only landed glanced his opponent’s head.

Barnette seemed unwilling or unable to use a jab to keep Brown away from him, despite the height and skill advantage. Barnette dropped Brown once in the fourth round, but Brown was able to get up and go the distance before losing a 59-54 unanimous decision.

Barnette's record rises to 13-0-1, nine KO's while Brown's record falls to 23-16-2, 11 KO's.

Also on the card, Beltway rookie Fernando Guerrero of Salisbury, MD made it two straight as he scored a first-round knockout over previously undefeated Anthony Reese. Guerrero landed a right to Reese’s jaw that sent him across the ring, into the ropes and out at 1:03 of the opening round. Guerrero is now 2-0, two KO's.

Barnette Opponent Changed in Mississippi!

The opponent for undefeated DC lightweight Ty Barnette has changed. Barnette (12-0-1, nine KO's) will now face rugged veteran "The Eastern Beast" John Brown of Atlantic City, NJ tonight at the Fitzgerald Hotel and Casino in Tunica, MS.

Brown (23-15-2, 11 KO's) has challenged for world titles four times in his career against Diego Corrales, Shane Mosley and twice against Steve Forbes. However, Brown is truly on the downside of his career, going winless (0-7-2) in his last nine bouts, including an eighth-round TKO loss to Lamont Peterson in DC last May. Barnette will be the fourth straight undefeated fighter Brown has faced, joining the likes of Peterson, Herman Ngoudjo (who recently challenged Paul Malignaggi for the IBF Welterweight title) and Vernon Paris.

Here is the Scale Watch for this card for the Beltway Boxers involved:

Ty Barnette 142 1/2 vs. John Brown 145

Fernando Guerrero 163 vs. Anthony Reese 153

City Paper Profiles Cutman Chris Ray!

In his Cheap Seats column in the Washington City Paper, reporter Dave McKenna has a nice profile on ace Beltway cutman Chris Ray.

If you've been around the area long enough, chances are you know Ray. He was an integral part of the career of three-time world champion Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson and still continues working with local and national boxers.

The column can be found here:

"http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/columns/cheapseats/"

Belfast and the Beltway Come Together!

(Photo by Linda "Great Shot" Siadys)

The Beltway Boxers who will be participating in the Belfast-Beltway Boxing Classic amateur boxing event had an opportunity to meet their Belfast, Ireland counterparts yesterday at the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center. Tomorrow, the two teams will send representatives into the ring against one another at the Westin Washington, DC City Center Hotel where they will do battle in front of a sell-out audience.

Paschall Has New Opponent in the Ballroom!

Undefeated Baltimore light heavyweight Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall has a new opponent scheduled for the Ballroom Boxing card on Thursday, January 31 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.

Instead of Andre Hemphill, Paschall will now face Philadelphia, PA veteran Tyrone "Sugarfeet" Glover in an eight-round contest. Glover (11-9-3, two KO's) has been inactive since September of 2006 and is trying to break a four-bout losing streak. This will be the fourth straight boxer who was undefeated at the time Glover faced him. His last three losses (all by unanimous decision) have come to Beltway Boxers Corey Cummings and Henry Buchanan and Max Alexander from the third season of "The Contender."

Paschall comes into the bout with a record of 14-0-1, two KO's.

The co-feature bout remains the same: Ishmail "The Arsenal" Arvin (14-1-3, six KO's) will take on Jesse Orta (7-11-1, four KO's) in another eight-round bout.

Barnette, Guerrero Return to Mississippi January 26!

Two Beltway Boxers make return visits to Tunica, MS on Saturday, January 26 as part of the new season of "Fights At The Fitz" at the Fitzgerald Hotel and Casino.

Undefeated DC junior welterweight Ty Barnette will be involved in the co-feature bout of the evening, taking on veteran Billy "Superman" Gates of Mobile, AL in an eight-round contest. This will be Barnette's third straight appearance at The Fitz. In his last outing, Barnette (12-0-1, nine KO's) scored a first-round knockout over Anthony Cobb on December 8. Gates (9-8, eight KO's) has lost three in a row, including a 10-round unanimous decision to Favio Medina on August 9 in Worley, Idaho.

Also on the card, rookie middleweight Fernando Guerrero of Salisbury, MD will take on Anthony Reese of Mississippi. Both men are 1-0 with one KO's.

Matchups Announced for Belfast-Beltway Boxing Classic!

We have the majority of the matchups for the Saturday, January 26 Belfast-Beltway Boxing Classic Amateur event at the Westin Washington, DC City Center Hotel, 1400 M Street, NW in DC.

The Beltway Boxing team are made up of members of the "Sugar Ray Leonard Sharp Shooters" and representatives from Supreme Defence Gym.

Here are the matchups:

Shaborn Ryles (Supreme Defence) vs. Thomas James Waite (B) – 64 lbs

Mykal Fox (SugarRay Leonard) vs. Derek Potter (B) – 85 lbs.

Dusty Harrison (SRL) vs. Ross Irvine (B) – 95 lbs

Treyon Bynum (SD) vs. John Paul Taggart (B) – 130 lbs

Mark Johns (SRL) vs. Christopher McKenna (B) – 130 lbs

Emmanuel Johnson (SRL) vs. Neil Murphy (B) – 145 lbs

Chris Warden (SRL) vs. Matthew Orr (B) – 151 lbs

Reyes Marquez (SD) vs. David James McAllister (B) – 168 lbs

Barry Trotter (SRL) vs. Aaron Kelly (B) – 176 lbs

Dustin Narcisse (SD) vs. Marc Fleming (B) – 178 lbs

TBA vs. Damien McLaughlin (B) – 185 lbs


Tickets are still available for this event and can be purchased by calling 703 862-4337.

New Poll: Should 'Anonymous' Live on BATB?

As you've probably noticed, comments on BATB have been down since I stopped anonymous comments on the site. In Pikesville last Friday, I had a number of people tell me that I should allow anonymous comments on the site because it brings flavor to the site.

So I decided to leave it up to you: The new poll is up and simply asks "Should 'Anonymous' comments be allowed on Boxing Along The Beltway?

The poll will be available until Saturday, February 29.

Mitchell Draws Praise From Heavy Hitters!

Throughout the week, I've been saying that the debut of Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell was one of the most anticipated pro debuts along the Beltway in some time.

Apparently, there were some outside the Beltway who were looking forward to Mitchell's debut as well. One of those, long-time manager and legal counsel, Shelly Finkel was in attendance Friday night at the Pikesville Armory to watch Mitchell win a four-round unanimous decision over Mike Miller.

Finkel made no comment after the card, but did have a lengthy meeting with Mitchell prior to the bout. There is talk that Mitchell is very close to signing a promotional contract with Golden Boy Promotions.

While Mitchell was an amateur, another well-known boxing name -- hall of fame trainer Lou Duva -- saw the young heavyweight in action at Du Burns Arena last October and came away very impressed.

“This kid is already the complete package. When I found out that Seth has only been fighting competitively for eight months, I nearly hit the floor. No one develops that quickly unless he has God given talents. He’s extremely committed and extremely coachable," Duva said in a press release.

The 2008 Beltway rookie class is off to a good start with Mitchell, Ekim Orji, Stennis Floyd, Lenwood Dozier and Fernando Guerrero all making strong pro debuts.

Corley Loses 12-Round Decision in New York!

Former WBO Junior Welterweight champ DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley lost a 12-round decision to undefeated Devon Alexander in New York tonight.

Corley lost by score of 118-109 (twice) and 116-111. Corley's record is now 31-8-1, 17 KO's while Alexander rises to 14-0, eight KO's.

UPDATE: Corley told ESPN.com and other reporters that he now plans to retire.

Nwodo Scores Second-Round KO in New York!

Baltimore cruiserweight Emmanuel "Chukwu" Nwodo scored a vicious second-round knockout over Ezra Sellers in the opening bout on the Jones-Trinidad undercard at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

In the last minute of the second, Nwodo hit Sellers with a solid right hand that dropped him to the canvas. As Sellers was on his knees, Nwodo's momentum caused him to hit Sellers in the back of the head.

With 10 seconds remaining in the round, Nwodo landed a blistering right hand that dropped Sellers for the second time to the canvas, this time to stay.

Nwodo's record rises to 22-4, 18 KO's. Sellers falls to 29-8, 26 KO's. All eight of Sellers's losses have come by knockout.

Nwodo-Sellers May Be Seen on Internet!

I am still double-checking this, but it looks like the bout between Emmanuel Nwodo and Ezra Sellers will be able to be seen on the internet via ESPN360.com. According to what I've been reading, ESPN360 is carrying tonight's bouts from Madison Square Garden live starting at 7 PM ET.

UPDATE: I can confirm that Nwodo-Sellers and the rest of the undercard from the Garden will be shown live on ESPN360.