Scale Watch For District Heights!

Here are the weights for Saturday night's Keystone Boxing card at the District Heights Municipal Center in District Heights, MD:

Demetrius Davis 168 3/4 vs. Brian Norman 168 1/4

Norman Allen 148 1/4 vs. Carlos Cisneros 148

Robert McConnell, Jr. 191 vs. Garrett Wilson 192

Dwayne (Lawrence) Martin 132 3/4 vs. Ahmed Poskovic 134

Cory Washington 176 3/4 vs. William Jeter 175 3/4

Seth Mitchell 247 1/2 vs. Jamal Terry (slated to weigh-in tomorrow)

Kendrick Walker 155 1/2 vs. James Denson (scheduled to weigh-in tomorrow)

Cisneros (8-15-1, five KO's) is a late sub for Dustin Gullimen. Cisneros, a native of El Salvador but now fighting out of Maryland, split with two other Beltway Boxers in his last two bouts. Cisneros stopped Reggie Holly in December of 2006 at the Lincoln Theatre in DC. In his last outing, Cisneros lost a six-round unanimous decision to Tim Coleman in May of 2007 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.

Changes to District Heights Card!

Unfortunately, the word "complete" never means the same in the boxing world as it does in other venues. There are wholesale changes to the Saturday, May 3 card at the District Heights Municipal Center in District Heights, MD.

The biggest change comes in the main event. The featherweight bout between Thomas "KO" Snow of Capitol Heights, MD and Eric Hunter of Philadelphia has been called off. Snow reportedly took ill earlier this week, fainting after a training session. Doctors wanted him to see a neurologist, who has told him he cannot fight.

The main event will now feature veteran DC super middleweight Demetrius Davis in an eight-round contest against Brian "The Assassin" Norman of Decatur, GA. Davis (17-14-4, seven KO's) will be trying to break a four-bout losing streak. Three of those losses have come during Davis's comeback after an eight-year absence. Davis last fought on October 5 in Philadelphia, losing a six-round split decision to Omar Pittman.

Norman (16-6, four KO's) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision victory over Timothy Hall on April 4 in Douglasville, GA. Prior to that victory, Norman lost a 10-round unanimous decision to Jean Pascal in December of 2007 for the NABA, NABF and NABO Super Middleweight title in Montreal, CA. Davis will be the third Beltway Boxer Norman has faced. Norman lost by third-round TKO to Henry Buchanan in September of 2004 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD and lost by six-round majority decision to Reginald Taylor in October 2005 in Lula, MS.

In other changes on the card, Lenwood Dozier will not be on the show, so Kendrick Walker of DC (0-1-1) will now face James Denson of Akron, OH (2-1, one KO). Denson was originally scheduled to take on Norman "The Shadow" Allen . Allen will now take on Dustin Guillimen of Nebraska (1-4).

Also, Hyattsville, MD junior lightweight Lawrence Martin will now make his pro debut against Akron's Ahmed Poskovic (0-2), who replaces Mel Crossty.

May 3 District Heights Card Complete!

The Keystone Boxing card coming to the District Heights Municipal Center (2000 Marbury Drive in District Heights, MD) on Saturday, May 3 is pretty much set.

The main event promises to be a spectacular one as undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight Thomas "KO" Snow takes a good step in competition as he will battle Eric "The Outlaw" Hunter of Philadelphia in a scheduled eight-round encounter.

Snow (10-0, eight KO's) has not fought since his second-round TKO over Terrance Roy on December 15 in Dulles, VA. Snow had been training for a Maryland State Featherweight title bout against Tyrell Samuel that was cancelled twice.

Ironically, the last bout for Hunter (8-1, three KO's) was an eight-round unanimous decision over Samuel on August 3 in front of a nationally televised ShoBox audience in Doraville, GA.

The co-feature should be a barnburner as well. Undefeated Glen Burnie, MD junior middleweight Lenwood "Mr. Composure" Dozier will take on DC's Kendrick Walker in a four-round contest. Dozier (2-0-1, two KO's) is coming off a first-round TKO over Tyrone Braswell on March 29 in Winston-Salem, NC. Walker (0-1-1) fought to a tough four-round draw with Spencer Harsley on November 9 in Fort Washington, MD.

Also on the card, undefeated Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell will take on Jamal Terry of New Castle, DE in another four-round encounter. Mitchell (2-0-1, one KO) is coming off a four-round draw against Alvaro Morales on March 22 in Cabazon, CA. Terry (3-8, two KO's) will be hoping that a change in venue will help as he is trying to break a three-bout losing streak. All three losses took place on cards at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD. Terry lost by knockout in all three bouts to Beltway Boxers Phill Brown, Ernest Mazyck and Scott Buchanan respectively. Since those bouts, however, Terry has reportedly shown a renewed dedication in training and has lost 21 pounds since the loss to Buchanan on November 9.

Undefeated Laurel, MD welterweight Norman "The Shadow" Allen returns as he will battle James Denson of Akron, OH in what will be closer to a junior middleweight four-rounder (152 pounds seems to be the target weight for the contest). Allen (3-0, two KO's) is coming off a spirited fourth-round TKO victory over Spencer Harsley on April 3 in Glen Burnie, MD. Allen survived a third-round knockdown to win the contest. Denson (2-1, one KO) will try to bounce back from his first pro loss -- a four-round unanimous decision against Deferson Legrand on November 17 in Atlantic City.

Two Beltway Boxers will make pro debuts on this card. Hyattsville, MD junior Lightweight Lawrence Martin will take on Cincinnati, OH's Mel Crossty, who is also making his pro debut. Cruiserweight Robert McConnell of Upper Marlboro, MD will also take his maiden voyage into the pro ranks as he takes on the equally debuting Garrett Wilson of Philadelphia.

In another four-round bout on the card, undefeated Lexington, KY light heavyweight Corey Washington (1-0, one KO) will take on William Jeter (0-0, 1 NC) of New York City.

Wilson Arrives in Stuttgart for WBA Title Challenge!

(Photo by Eroll Popova)

Takoma Park, MD cruiserweight Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson has arrived in Stuttgart, Germany for his WBA Cruiserweight title challenge against champion Firat Arslan on Saturday, May 3. The two fighters spoke at a press conference today and here is what they had to say courtesy of a Universum press release:

Wilson: "I prepared in Florida, running on the beach among other things. Firat Arslan is physical and a very strong boxer defensively. In the USA, we know him not only by his victory over ex-world champion Virgil Hill but by his KO victory over Grigory Drozd. Firat is a hard worker. That this fight has come about is a win for all boxing fans. My dream to take the world title will become a reality. I'm ready to go twelve rounds."

Arslan: My first title defense is very special. But during my career I have always prepared myself equally intensely and concentrated upon every fight. The preparation with my team in Sölden was great – I feel fitter than in my fight against Virgil Hill. I have a lot of respect for Darnell Wilson. I always want to box the best, and in the cruiserweight division he is the hardest puncher in the world. The fans will want to see this fight! I'm not man of big words - I'll give everything and defeat one of the best of my weight class!

MD Featherweight Title Bout Cancelled Again..Possibly for Good!

There is late word that the Maryland State Featherweight title bout between Thomas "KO" Snow and Tyrell "Da Show Shock'A" Samuel that was slated for Saturday, May 3 at the District Heights Municipal Center has been cancelled again. And this time, there doesn't seem to be any hope of rescheduling the bout.

The issue this time is an even more important and pressing one -- Samuel's health condition. The Baltimore native had signed to fight a bout in New Jersey late last year. The New Jersey doctors did an electrocardiagram on Samuel as part of their medical procedure. Warning signs came up on the EKG and Samuel was not allowed to fight on the card. The card ended up being cancelled.

When word got out about Samuel's New Jersey EKG, Samuel saw another physician in Maryland (no word on whether it was Samuel's own doctor or a Maryland State Athletic Commission doctor). The results were similar. Reportedly, Maryland does not give an EKG as part of the Commission medical procedure.

BATB sends its best wishes to Samuel and hopes his condition improves.

Snow is still scheduled to be on the Keystone Boxing Promotions card as they look for another opponent. Meanwhile, the Capitol Heights native has reportedly signed a managerial contract with "The First Lady of Boxing," Jackie Kallen.

First Look at May 9 Fredricksburg Card!

The Friday, May 9 boxing card at the Fredricksburg Fairgrounds in Fredricksburg, VA is coming together. The card is the maiden voyage for Counter Punch Promotions, headed by Kimodi Cheatham.

The cruiserweight bout between Caroline, VA's Adam "The Real Deal" Seal and Derek "D-Mos" Amos of Dumfries, VA will be the main event on the card. Seal will come to the bout with a record of 2-1, one KO. The veteran Amos will come to the bout with a record of 15-25, nine KO's.

The card marks the 2008 debut of undefeated Oxon Hill, MD light heavyweight Alexander "The Great" Johnson. Johnson (4-0, three KO's) has not fought since winning a four-round unanimous decision over Zeferino Albino on November 29 in Glen Burnie, MD. Johnson is slated to take on debuting Cameroon native Francois Ambang.

Alexandria, VA lightweight Jaime "The Punisher" Palma has also signed to appear on the card against an opponent to be determined.

There will be two other boxing matches and also some mixed martial arts contests on the card.

Finkel Files for Arbitration in Peterson Case!

The Peterson Brothers's recent signing with Top Rank is apparently not completely a done deal. ESPN.com's Dan Rafael is reporting that the Petersons and trainer/co-manager Barry Hunter signed the deal without the input of the other co-manager, Shelly Finkel. And now it looks like the case will go to arbitration.

Finkel, who was negotiating a similar contract with Golden Boy Promotions, told Rafael that Hunter refused to allow him the opportunity to review the contracts they signed.

"They signed with Top Rank without my consent, negotiated without me and kept me out of it when I requested to see the deal before and after they agreed to it," Finkel told Rafael. "I am confident that my rights will be upheld and I'm sorry it has come to this because I have a lot of admiration for the Petersons, and for Barry Hunter for what he has done to help these kids in their life."

Rafael said Finkel's agreement with Hunter says they have equal input in decisions regarding the Petersons' careers. He said Hunter has not returned any of his telephone calls or e-mails, leaving him with "no choice" but to file an action against the fighters and Hunter with the American Arbitration Association, which their contract calls for in the event of a dispute.

"I am requesting that my contract be upheld and they be stopped from violating it in the future," Finkel said, adding that his managerial deal with them runs through September 2009.

In the ESPN.com article, Finkel said his objection was not that they signed with Top Rank, with whom he has other fighters as well as an extremely strained relationship with company chairman Bob Arum. Finkel said his issue was that they signed without letting him review the deal, which included $100,000 signing bonuses for each fighter. He said Golden Boy offered a signing package worth almost double.

"I know I could have made the [Top Rank] deal better. I'm sure there are some loopholes," said Finkel, who said he is asking for $300,000 in damages. "We may end up doing the deal with Arum, but I know I could have gotten more. You bid people against each other and come up with the best deal, but Barry didn't do that and he didn't ask me."

May 17 Winchester Card Starting to Take Shape!

We're starting to get information about the Left Hook Boxing card coming to the Winchester Sportsplex in Winchester, VA on Saturday, May 17. Here are the bouts that have been put together so far:

Undefeated Arlington, VA junior welterweight Todd "White Lightning" Wilson will try to keep his winning streak alive as he takes on the debuting Dwayne "Diesel" Shelton of Richmond, VA in a four-round contest. Wilson (4-0, one KO) won a four-round unanimous decision over David Novia in his last outing on February 23 in Winchester. Shelton is making his pro debut in boxing, but is a veteran of the professional Mixed Martial Arts circuit.

Noted trainer Bruce "The Hammer" Frank of Staunton, VA will face Billy "Crowbar" Mitchem of Spartansburg, SC in a four-round light heavyweight matchup. The 47-year-old Frank (0-0-1) steps back into the ring for the first time since his draw against Kenneth Carey on November 17 in Harrisonburg, VA. The 49-year-old Mitchem (6-17-1, one KO's) has lost four in a row, a streak that includes losses to Warren "The Mack" Clatterbuck and Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer.

Farmer (10-1, seven KO's) is slated to headline the Winchester show against an opponent to be determined. The Front Royal, VA resident is scheduled to participate in his first scheduled eight-round contest. Also, Montgomery, AL's undefeated middleweight John "No Mercy" Mackey (9-0, three KO's) is also slated to be on the card in a six-round co-feature.

Also on the card will be Caroline, VA cruiserweight Adam "The Real Deal" Seal. At this writing, Seal will be trying to pull off an interesting double as he tries to win two bouts in eight days. This after being inactive since suffering his only pro loss against William Bailey by third-round TKO on February 3, 2007 in Fisherville, VA. The Winchester card has Seal (2-1, one KO) squaring off against the undefeated and returning Terry "T-Brick" Roy of Front Royal (7-0-1, six KO's) This will be Roy's first bout since his third-round TKO over George Holder on November 11 in Springfield, VA. This will also be Roy's first bout since recovering from stab wounds received in an altercation at his home in late December.

But before Seal can get to Roy, he is scheduled to face veteran Derek "D-Mos" Amos of Dumfries, VA on the Friday, May 9 card at the Fredricksburg Fairgrounds in Fredricksburg, VA. Hope to have more on that card as well as the Saturday, May 3 card in District Heights, MD later this week.

Navy Coach McNally Chosen As an Official For Beijing Olympics!

The Beltway will be well represented at the 2008 Olympic Boxing Tournament in Beijing, China.

We all know that Gary Russell, Jr. will be on the United States Olympic Team. We also know that one of the US Olympic Team coaches will be DC's Robert "Herb" Martin.

Now comes word that Navy Boxing Coach James McNally has been selected as one of 34 referee-judges that will work during the Olympic Games. McNally is well known internationally as he has officiated in over 27 international competitions in his career, including the World Championships, Pan American Games and Americas Qualifier.

The International Boxing Association (AIBA) determined the officials who will work at the Olympic Games, utilizing a new evaluation process which began at the 2007 AIBA World Boxing Championships in Chicago and continued through the Continental Olympic Qualification Tournaments.

“This new evaluation process has proven to be very intensive”, AIBA President Dr Ching-Kuo Wu said in a press release. “But it has ensured that we will not only see the best of the world’s boxers in Beijing but also the top international referees and judges who will officiate during the Games.”

In addition to his experience as an official, McNally has served as the Navy Boxing Coach for 22 years and his teams have won five National Collegiate Boxing Association National Championships. Three of his boxers won individual titles at this year's Collegiate Nationals. McNally has served as a referee judge for 25 years, officiating in 29 national-level tournaments, including the U.S. Championships, National Golden Gloves and U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

McNally will participate in two AIBA Olympic referees & judges workshops next month, the first - a classroom workshop - from May 20-23 in Beijing followed by a practical training workshop during the 1st AIBA President’s Cup to be held from May 24–June 1 in Taipei.

One other Olympic note: It looks like Gary Russell, Jr. will not be participating in this coming Saturday's US-Puerto Rico Dual Meet in Philadelphia. The new US roster does not have him on the list. No reason was given for the change.

Palma-Spadafora Bout Falls Through!

I was hoping to announce another big step-up bout for a Beltway Boxer that was actually scheduled for this coming Friday, April 25. However, the bout has fallen through.

Virginia State Lightweight champion Jaime "The Punisher" Palma of Alexandria was about to sign a contract that would have had him face former IBF Lightweight champion Paul Spadafora this Friday in Erie, PA. However, earlier Saturday, Palma turned down the contract.

Palma says the contract ended up for the bout to be fought closer to the 147-pound or welterweight class, because Spadafora had not fought in a year and is nowhere near his former championship weight. Palma is still closer to the 135-pound lightweight limit because he had been training for his USBA Southern Division title bout with Philadelphia's Lenny DeVictoria that was slated for April 12 in Richmond before that card was postponed.

Now, it looks like Palma may be a part of the Friday, May 9 card that will be held at the Fredricksburg Fairgrounds in Fredricksburg, VA.

Beltway Prospects Take Crucial Steps in May!

On May 29 and 30, two Beltway prospects will take significant bouts to further their careers.

As announced this morning on the "Ballroom Boxing Report" on WJFK-AM in Baltimore, undefeated Pasadena, MD super middleweight "The Persecutor" Mike Paschall will battle former world title contender Larry "The Laser" Marks of Newark, DE on Thursday, May 29 in the main event of the next Ballroom Boxing card at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.

Paschall (16-0-1, four KO's) is coming off a solid fourth-round TKO over Bruce Rumbolz on the last Ballroom Boxing show on April 3. Paschall has scored knockouts in his last two bouts. Marks (29-9-1, 16 KO's) who unsuccessfully challenged Andrew "Six Heads" Lewis for the WBA Welterweight title in 2001, is the most accomplished boxer Paschall has faced. Marks has also fought the likes of former world champions Cory Spinks and Charles "The Natural" Murray as well as contenders Andrew Murray and Tokunbo Olajide. Marks also holds victories over Beltway Boxers Ed Griffin and Purcell Miller.

There is a possibility that this will be a 10-round contest. If that holds up, that will be virgin territory for Paschall.

The very next night, Friday, May 30, Charlottesville, VA junior middleweight George "War Time" Rivera makes his national television debut as he battles undefeated Philadelphia prospect Latif Mundy in Monroeville, PA. The scheduled eight-round bout will be shown as a co-feature on the Spanish network Telefutura.

Rivera (8-1, three KO's) is coming off an impressive four-round unanimous decision over Clarence "Sonny Bono" Taylor on March 15 in Allentown, PA. Mundy (7-0, two KO's) has not fought since November 11 when he won a six-round unanimous decision over Maurice Williams in Philadelphia. This will be the first scheduled eight-rounder for both men.

Hopefully by the end of the weekend, I'll have official confirmation of another Beltway Boxer that will take a significant step in competition in the very near future.

Petersons Sign With Top Rank, Says ESPN.Com!

ESPN.com's Dan Rafael is reporting that the Undefeated Peterson Brothers have signed promotional contracts with Top Rank and promoter Bob Arum. Rafael says Arum received signed contracts from the Petersons earlier this week, but co-manager Shelly Finkel still has to approve the deal.

The Petersons have been looking at offers from both Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, Rafael says, and it was co-manager and trainer Barry Hunter who decided to take the Top Rank offer.

Arum had very nice things to say about the Petersons.

"They're good prospects and nice kids," Arum said. "Besides being good fighters, the most important thing to me is they're gentlemen, well-behaved kids and very respectful. At this stage of my career and my life those are the kinds of kids I want to devote my time to. I want good fighters who are gentlemen. Fortunately, the kids I have are that way. That's what makes it a pleasure."

Arum told Rafael that junior welterweight Lamont (24-0, 11 KOs), 24, would make his debut for the company July 5 on Showtime in the opening fight of the card headlined by the Ricardo Torres-Kendall Holt junior welterweight title rematch. Arum said lightweight Anthony (26-0, 19 KOs), 23, would fight June 26 on Versus.

Had they signed with Golden Boy, they would have been televised on the HBO undercard of the Oscar De La Hoya-Steve Forbes bout May 3.

Brutal Results From Pikesville!

Here are the results from what was a competitive and somewhat brutal night of Baltimore Pro Boxing from the Pikesville National Guard Armory in Pikesville, MD:

Undefeated Baltimore junior middleweight Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow continued his winning ways with a crushing fourth-round TKO over Chad "Tazz" Greenleaf of Parkesburg, WV. Nicklow registered four knockdowns en route to the win as he used his left hook with alarming accuracy. The bout was stopped at 2:25 of the round. Nicklow is now 17-0-1, seven KO's.

Another undefeated Beltway Boxer did not remain so after this card as Dundalk, MD heavyweight "The American Dream" Mike Dietrich was decimated by Wes "The Tiger" Taylor, now fighting out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana in the third round. Dietrich actually scored a knockdown in the first, but Taylor came roaring back and had Dietrich in deep trouble in the second before Taylor put Dietrich away with a devastating right hand early in the third that had Dietrich down and tangled in the ropes. The bout was stopped at 23 seconds of the third. Taylor raised his record to 7-12-1, seven KO's. Dietrich is now 10-1, five KO's.

Beltway rookie light heavyweight Mark "TNT" Tucker of Eldersburg, MD maintained his perfect record with a first-round TKO over Gary Lavender of Wilson, NC. Tucker landed punches that, although they looked awkward, did serious damage to Lavender. Tucker put on enough pressure to force referee Malik Waleed to stop the bout at 1:25 of the first. Tucker is now 3-0, three KO's. Lavender is now 5-13, five KO's. This bout was Tucker's first scheduled six-round contest.

Baltimore middleweight Tony "Mo Better" Jeter made a successful return to boxing after an almost three-year absence with a solid first-round TKO over Pete Guthy of Myrtle Beach, SC. Midway through the first, Jeter landed a beautiful right hand that made Guthy stumble into the ropes, causing a knockdown. Guthy stayed on his feet but his legs were wobbly, forcing referee Gary Camponeschi to stop the contest at 1:15 of the round. Jeter's record rises to 5-2, five KO's while Guthy is now 2-4-2.

Baltimore light heavyweight Willie "For Real" Williams continued his winning ways with a six-round unanimous decision over Andre "Da Heat" Hemphill, now fighting out of Philadelphia, PA. Williams tried some variety in his boxing, going southpaw successfully at times to help win the decision. Judges Joe Ware and Malik Waleed saw the bout 59-55 while judge David Greer scored the bout 58-56. Williams has now won four in a row (not six as I say in the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up) and nine of his last 10. Williams's record is now 10-2, two KO's. Hemphill falls under .500 at 6-7-2, three KO's.

In the opening contest, Bowie, MD heavyweight Horace "The Reason" Grant won a six-round majority decision over Mike Miller of Akron, OH. Grant used better activity and a crushing right uppercut to help seal the close victory. Judge Ware saw the draw at 57-57, but judges Greer and Camponeschi saw the bout 59-55 for Grant, who has now won 11 straight bouts and has a record of 12-1, seven KO's. Miller now falls to 3-10-1, two KO's.

Here is a rather lengthy BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up which includes an interview with Tony Jeter as well as a recap of the card with myself, "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and former Beltway Boxing fan favorite Del "The Hatchet" Matchett.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #106 - Full Report From Pikesville!

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears, Del "The Hatchet" Matchett and I describe a very competitive and somewhat brutal night of boxing from the Pikesville National Guard Armory. Included is an interview with the returning Tony "Mo Better" Jeter!

Scale Watch For Tomorrow in Pikesville!

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

Jessie Nicklow 155 ¼ vs. Chad Greenleaf 155

Mike Dietrich 220 ½ vs. Wes Taylor 219

Mark Tucker 175 ¾ vs Gary Lavender 177 ¼

Willie Williams 176 ¼ vs. Andre Hemphill 171 ½

Tony Jeter 163 ¼ vs. Pete Guthy 164 ¼

Horace Grant 247 ½ vs. Mike Miller 233 ¼

MD State Featherweight Title Bout Moves to District Heights May 3!

The Maryland State Featherweight title contest between Capitol Heights's Thomas "KO" Snow and Baltimore's Tyrell "Da Show Shock'a" Samuel has a new venue.

The bout will be the main event on the Keystone Boxing card on Saturday, May 3 at the District Heights Municipal Center in District Heights, MD.

We'll have more details on this card in the weeks to come. This card will be the first of four in the Beltway area in the month of May.

Navy Boxers Capture Individual Titles at Collegiate Nationals!

Three boxers from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD captured titles at the Collegiate Boxing Championships in Reno, NV this weekend.

In the 139-pound division, Antone Aku won a 3-2 decision over Terrell Anthony of Army. Mike Steadman captured the 175-pound championship with a 4-1 decision over Kenny Dyer-Redner of Nevada. In the Heavyweight division, Jeff Laupola captured the crown by defeating Mansfield's Chris Phifer by a 5-0 decision.

Two more Midshipmen made it to the finals but Mikoto Yoshida lost a 3-2 decision to Dean Chuba of the Air Force Academy in the 112-pound class and Jeremiah Oliver dropped a 5-0 decision to Aaron Lynch of Lock Haven.

Army won the team title. The University of Maryland also sent a team to the nationals.

Update on April 18 Pikesville Card!

Some interesting matchups have been made for the Baltimore Pro Boxing card on Friday, April 18 at the Pikesville National Guard Armory in Pikesville, MD.

Undefeated Dundalk, MD cruiserweight "The American Dream" Mike Dietrich (10-0, five KO's) will battle veteran Wes Taylor of Milledgeville, GA (6-12-1, six KO's in a scheduled six-round matchup. Taylor fought in the area before back in June of 2001 at the Washington Convention Center when he pinned the first loss on then highly-touted prospect and 2000 Olympian Michael Bennett by a controversial first-round knockout.

Riverdale, MD heavyweight Horace "The Reason" Grant (11-1, seven KO's) returns to Pikesville to take on Mike Miller of Akron, OH (3-9-1, two KO's) in another six-round encounter. Grant last fought in Pikesville on January 18 when he won a six-round split decision over Cornelius Ellis. Miller recently broke a five-bout losing streak with a four-round unanimous decision victory over Dan Jambor on February 23 in Akron.

The card is also slated to feature middleweight Shelly Sievert of Severna Park, MD. Her opponent is yet to be determined.

The main event remains the same: undefeated Baltimore junior middleweight Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow (16-0-1, six KO's) will go up against veteran Chad "Taz" Greenleaf of Parkesburg, WV (10-9-1, four KO's) in an eight-round contest.

Also on the card will be the six-round rematch between Baltimore light heavyweight Willie "For Real" Williams (9-2, two KO's) and Woodbridge, VA's Andre "Da Heat" Hemphill (6-6-2, three KO's), Tony "Mo Better" Jeter of Columbia, MD (4-2, four KO's) taking on Charleston, SC's Pete Guthy (1-2-1) in a four-round encounter, and undefeated Eldersburg, MD light heavy Mark "TNT" Tucker (2-0, two KO's) will take on Gary Lavender of Pine Level, NC (5-12, five KO's) in a six-round bout, Tucker's first scheduled six-rounder. Lavender has lost his last three bouts, including the last two times he has been in Maryland. Lavender was stopped in the second round in both those bouts by Mike Paschall and Carlos Jones.

Orji Wins Split Decision in Villa Park!

Laurel, MD super featherweight Ikem "The Warrior" Orji won a four-round split decision last night over the debuting Juan Gonzalez of Chicago, IL last night at the Odeom Sports and Expo Center in Villa Park, IL.

Orji came out on top on two of the judges scorecards, 39-37. One judge saw the bout for Gonzalez, 39-37.

Orji is now 2-0, one KO.

Orji Weighs in at Villa Park, IL

Laurel, MD super featherweight Ikem "The Warrior" Orji weighed in at 133 1/2 pounds for his four-round encounter with Juan Gonzalez tomorrow night at the Odeum Sports and Expo Center in Villa Park, IL. Gonzalez came in at 135 pounds.

Thompson Title Shot Sanctioned By IBF, WBO; Will Be Shown on HBO!

The International Boxing Federation (IBF) has joined the World Boxing Organization (WBO) in approving DC's Tony "The Tiger" Thompson's title quest against champion Wladimir Klitschko on July 12 in Hamburg, Germany.

The winner of the contest must face the IBF's number one contender, Alexander Povetkin, by November 29 or risk being stripped of the IBF crown.

HBO will televise the fight. No word on whether it will be a live broadcast or on same-day tape delay.

Here's what Klitschko had to say in a press release:

"I am very happy about the fair decision by the IBF, because Thompson has already been waiting for a year as the mandatory challenger. There is a reason why Thompson is number one in the world ranking – he hasn’t lost in eight years! I saw his knockout win in Germany over Luan Krasniqi, and definitely will not underestimate him. I look forward to getting back into the ring in July and to defending the titles again by the end of the year.”

I'll have more to say about this tonight on BATB on Youcastr.com at 10 PM ET. Click on the link at the left of the blog to listen to the show.

Guerrero Wins By Fourth-Round TKO in Augusta, GA!

Salisbury, MD middleweight Fernando Guerrero put on a dominating performance stopping Valentino Jalomo in the fourth round in front of a national television audience (ESPN2) in the Bell Auditorium in Augusta, GA.

Guerrero earned numerous standing-eight counts against his opponent throughout the contest before the referee stopped it midway through.

Guerrero, who reached the fourth round for the first time in his career, raised his record to 5-0, five KO's. Jalomo is now 2-3-1.

April 12 Richmond Card Postponed!

The Saturday, April 12 boxing card at the Richmond Convention Center has been postponed. Infinity Boxing, the promoters of the card, say that the card was postponed because they are looking for a new venue.

The card was originally scheduled to take place at the Richmond Coliseum, but then was planned for next door at the Convention Center before being postponed altogether. No new date has been announced.

The card was scheduled to feature Beltway Boxers Jaime "The Punisher" Palma, Bayan Jargal, George "War Time" Rivera and Adam "The Real Deal" Seal. The promoters say if you bought a ticket for the event through Ticketmaster, will be refunded.

This will be just one of the topics I will talk about on my Youcastr show tomorrow evening at 10 PM ET. Please join me on www.youcastr.com. There is a live chat section that you can join and give comments and questions as the show goes on.

Guerrero Tips the Scales in Augusta!

Salisbury, MD middleweight Fernando Guerrero weighed in at 159 pounds today for his bout versus Valentino Jalomo tomorrow night at the Bell Auditorium in Augusta, GA. Jalomo tipped the scales at 156.

Guerrero's bout will be shown on ESPN2 tomorrow night. The Wednesday Night Fights telecast will be on a delayed basis at 10 PM ET.

Thompson Title Shot Has Official Date and Location!

Mark Saturday, July 12 on your calendar. That will be the night that DC heavyweight Tony "The Tiger" Thompson will challenge Wladimir Klitschko for the WBO Heavyweight title!

The site will be the Color Line Arena in Hamburg, Germany. That's the same location where Thompson stopped Luan Krasniqi in the fifth round on July 14, 2007 to become the WBO's number one contender.

As of right now, Klitschko's IBF title is not on the line. The IBF is still deciding whether to clear Klitschko for this bout because their number-one contender is Alexander Povetkin, who is scheduled to face Klitschko at the end of the year or in early 2009. Klitschko also has the lightly-regarded IBO title and that will be on the line July 12.

No word yet on whether this bout will be shown on American TV.

Guerrero Makes TV Debut Wednesday Night on ESPN2!

Salisbury, MD middleweight Fernando Guerrero will make his national television debut this Wednesday night, April 9 on ESPN2 from the Bell Auditorium in Augusta, GA. Guerrero (4-0, four KO's) will take on Valentino Jalomo of Amarillo, TX (2-2-1) in a four-round matchup.

Undefeated DC super lightweight Ty Barnett was originally scheduled to be on the televised undercard but his opponent, Christopher Fernandez, had to back out of the bout. Just want to make it clear that Guerrero's bout did not intentionally bump Barnett's bout off the televised portion of the card. Barnett will not be on the card at all.

The card will be shown on a tape-delayed basis on ESPN2's Wednesday Night Fights at around 10 PM ET (or after the major league baseball game).

'TNT' Tucker Wins in First Round in Florida!

Eldersburg, MD light heavyweight Mark "TNT" Tucker scored a crushing first-round TKO over Mark Fleming on April 4 in Key Largo, FL.

According to published reports, Tucker came roaring out of his corner and hurt Fleming with a right hook, making him stumble into the ropes. Tucker then pummeled his opponent until the referee stopped the contest at 1:33 of the first.

Tucker is now 2-0, two KO's and is slated to be a part of the Baltimore Pro Boxing card on Friday, April 18 at the Pikesville National Guard Armory in Pikesville, MD.

Arvin USBO Title Shot Cancelled!

Tough break for Baltimore's Ishmail "The Arsenal" Arvin. His USBO Junior Middleweight title shot against Willie "Slik" Lee scheduled for Saturday, April 12 in Biloxi, MS has been cancelled.

The Mississippi Athletic Commission shut down the entire card because promoters were unable to secure the fighters's purses 10 days before the event as agreed upon by the promoter's contract.

'Hurricane' Mayes Wins Decision in Rhode Island!

(photo by Emily Harney)

Baltimore light heavyweight Henry "Hurricane" Mayes won a six-round unanimous decision over Joe McCreedy last night on the non-televised undercard of the ESPN broadcast at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, RI. The scores were close with Mayes winning 58-56 and 57-56 (twice).

The victory breaks a three-bout winless streak for Mayes which includes a close loss to Joey Spina on March 14 in Lincoln. Spina fought on one of the televised bouts last night.

Mayes is now 7-5-1, four KO's. McCreedy saw his two-bout winning streak snapped and he is now 7-2, five KO's.

According to Fightnews.com's Scott Ploof, Mayes had to be escorted out of the ring by police because he had defeated the local favorite McCreedy (who is from Lowell, MA) and the fans weren't too happy about it, as they shouted obscenities and tried to get at him.

'Ding-A-Ling Man' Wilson Gets WBA World Title Shot May 3!

Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson finally gets his title shot. Wilson will challenge Firat Arslan for the WBA Cruiserweight championship on Saturday, May 3 at Hanns-Martin Schleyer Halle in Stuttgart, Germany.

Wilson (23-6-3, 20 KO's) won by sixth-round TKO over Robert Marsh on March 15 in Richmond, VA (So if you see it written that Wilson got this title shot despite his loss to BJ Flores, that is erroneous).

Arslan (28-3-1, 18 KO's) will be making the first defense of the title that he won from former world champion Virgil Hill in November of 2007. Arslan is a native of Stuttgart, Germany.

This bout will not be shown on TV in the US.

MD State Title Bout Called Off Due to..Liniment Spray!

The Maryland State Featherweight title bout between Thomas "KO" Snow and Tyrell "Da Show Shock'A" Samuel at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD was suddenly called off due to a liniment-type substance used by one of the boxers.

Moments before the contest, Snow put on a spray that he says he has used before every bout without incident. In this case, however, the Samuel camp smelled the spray and said it smelled like liniment and was afraid that the spray could get into their boxers's eyes. Reportedly, Snow tried to wash the spray off, but there was some still on his body, enough to force the cancellation of the bout.

We'll have more on this story as it develops.

The rest of the six-bout card went off as scheduled. Here are the results:

Pasadena, MD super middleweight Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall put on a scintillating performance in stopping Bruce "The Rage" Rumbolz of Sterling, IL in the fourth round. Paschall put on a body shot clinic in the first two rounds, breaking Rumbolz down before putting him away with head shots forcing ringside doctor John Stiller to stop the contest at 1:56 of the fourth. Paschall is now 16-0-1, four KO's while Rumbolz falls to 21-16-2, 15 KO's.

Welterweight Norman "The Shadow" Allen of Laurel, MD survived a third-round knockdown to stop "The Capital Punisher" Spencer Harsley in the fourth. Harsley caught Allen with a vicious right hand that dropped him to the canvas in the third round. Allen was able to finish the round and came out strong in the fourth pummeling Harsley until Harsley's corner threw in the towel. The bout was stopped at 2:38. Allen remains undefeated at 3-0, two KO's while Harsley falls to 1-6-2.

Undefeated York, PA super featherweight Carney "Beeper" Bowman registered an easy six-round unanimous decision over Cuauhtemoc Mendoza of Cancun, Mexico. Bowman pitched a shutout on two of the three judges's scorecards and raised his record to 9-0, four KO's. Mendoza's record drops to 4-5-1, one KO.

Detroit, MI cruiserweight Harvey "Candy Man" Jolly used brutal uppercuts to stop previously undefeated Rich Gingras of Concord, MA in the third round. After a few misses, Jolly finally landed the right uppercut late in the second and dropped Gingras hard to the canvas. Early in the third, Jolly landed another big uppercut, forcing referee John Gradowski to stop the bout at 20 seconds of the round. With the win, Jolly evens his record at 7-7-1, four KO's while Gingras is now 8-1, four KO's.

Omaha, NE lightweight Terrence Crawford spent three minutes punishing New Yorker Filiberto Nieto. Nieto did not come out for the second round. Crawford is now 2-0, two KO's while Nieto drops to 1-5.

Here is the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-up Show that may shed more light on this card.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #105 - Why There Was No Maryland State Title Bout in Glen Burnie!

Another bizarre event at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie. "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I try to explain why the Maryland State Featherweight title bout between Thomas "KO" Snow and Tyrell "Da Show Shock A" Samuel was called off as well as talk about what was an otherwise solid night of boxing!

Regional Golden Gloves Championship Bouts Announced!

The bouts have been announced for the Washington Golden Gloves Regional Championships which will be held on Friday, April 11 at the Waldorf Jaycees Community Center in Waldorf, MD.

Winners from the Washington Golden Gloves championships last week will meet the winners from the Virginia Championships as well as boxers from North Carolina. These are the scheduled bouts:


Novice Division

119 pounds: Erick Cruz (DC) vs. Henry Mekok (Richmond, VA)

125 pounds: Andre Morgan (Riverdale, MD) vs. Seth Crane (Powhattan, VA)

132 pounds: Joel Young (Beltsville, MD) vs. Reginald Barnett (Norfolk, VA)

141 pounds: Charles Dobbins (Hagerstown, MD) vs. Danny Foster (Annandale, VA)

152 pounds: Damian Butler (Glenarden, MD) vs. Kelvin Edmonds (Norfolk, VA)

165 pounds: Eric Govan (Rockville, MD) vs. Willie Nelson (Richmond, VA)

178 pounds: Manuel Ramos (DC) vs. Ian Paterson (Richmond, VA)

Heavyweight: Joe Liles (Odenton, MD) vs. Joe Cusimano (Virginia Beach, VA)

Super Heavyweight: Bernard Adams (Baltimore, MD) vs. Jerry Forrest (Newport News, VA)


Open Division

Winners from this championship will advance to the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions in Grand Rapids, MI on May 4-11.

119 pounds: Kevin Rivers (Oxon Hill, MD) vs. Roger Belch (Virginia Beach, VA)

125 pounds: Traon Bynum (DC) vs. Andre Ramirez, USMC (Camp Lejune, NC)

132 pounds: Renaldo Gaines (DC) vs. Cordaro Simpkins (Virginia Beach, VA)

141 pounds: Marquis Moore (Waldorf, MD) vs. Hasson Williams (Portsmouth, VA)

152 pounds: David Grayton (DC) vs. Jeremiah Wiggins (Newport Beach, VA)

165 pounds: Jarrett Hurd (Accokeek, MD) vs. Walter McRay (Lynchburg, VA)

178 pounds: Thomas Williams (Laurel, MD) vs. Ricardo Mickins (Richmond, VA)

Heavyweight: Nick Kisner (Glen Burnie, MD) vs. DeJesus Gardner, USMC (Camp Lejune)

Super Heavyweight: Andrew Jackson (DC) vs. Andre Brickhouse (Norfolk, VA)

DC's Francis Taylor will advance to the nationals because he is unopposed in the 106 pound championship bout.

There will also be a ceremony to honor one of the great people in the Beltway Boxing community: Eugene "Thunder" Hughes of Midtown Youth Academy.

Russell Jr, Team USA, Faces Puerto Rico on April 26!

US Olympian Gary Russell, Jr. of Capitol Heights, MD will make his first in-ring appearance since qualifying for the Olympics in Beijing on Saturday, April 26 when he will be part of a Team USA contingent that will face Puerto Rico in a dual meet at the Liaconas Center on the campus of Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.

Russell has not fought since losing in the 2007 World Championships in Chicago last October. Russell advanced to the quarterfinals of that event, which punched his ticket to Beijing, but he lost his next bout. Russell will face McJoe Arroyo who won the bronze medal at the 2007 world championships.

There will be a lot of excitement on the 26th in Philadelphia. The last Saturday in April means the final day of one of the biggest track and field meets in the country -- The Penn Relay Carnival at Franklin Field on the University of Pennsylvania campus. Because it is an Olympic year, there will probably be an even bigger crowd at Franklin Field than usual. So with two Olympic-style events in one day, that would be a dream for a sports fan!

Scale Watch From The Ballroom!

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

Tyrell Samuel 125 vs. Thomas Snow 121 3/4

Mike Paschall 167 3/4 vs Bruce Rumbolz 169 1/2

Norman Allen 147 3/4 vs. Spencer Harsley 146 3/4

Carney Bowman 131 1/2 vs. Cuauhtemoc Mendoza 131 1/2

Richard Gingras 189 1/4 vs. Harvey Jolley 195

Terrence Crawford 137 1/2 vs. Feliberto Nieto 137 1/2

Nicklow, Dietrich in Action April 18 in Pikesville!

Undefeated Baltimore-area boxers Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow and "The American Dream" Mike Dietrich will be in featured bouts on the next Baltimore Pro Boxing card on Friday, April 18 at the Pikesville National Guard Armory in Pikesville, MD.

Nicklow (16-0-1, six KO's) will be in an eight-round junior middleweight matchup against veteran Chad "Taz" Greenleaf of Parkersburg, WV (10-9-1, four KO's). Nicklow is coming off an impressive first-round TKO over Richard "Tiger" Lee Hall on the last Baltimore Pro Boxing card in Pikesville on February 29. Greenleaf will be trying to break a two-bout losing streak that includes an eight-round split-decision loss to Thomas Davis on January 24 in Charlotte, NC. This will be the third Beltway Boxer Greenleaf has faced. Previously he lost a split decision to Marlon Haynes in August of 1998 and a unanimous decision to Jimmy Lange in May of 2003.

The co-feature brings back Dietrich (10-0, five KO's) in a six-round heavyweight bout against Cornelius Ellis (10-15-1, six KO's) of Wilson, NC. Dietrich has not fought since July 20, 2007 when he stopped Jerry Simpson in the third round at DuBurns Arena in Baltimore. Ellis's last bout was in Pikesville when he lost a six-round split decision to Horace "The Reason" Grant on January 18 in Pikesville. Grant (11-1, seven KO's), a heavyweight from Riverdale, MD, is also slated to be on the April 18 card in Pikesville.

Also on the card will be Columbia, MD middleweight Tony "Mo Better" Jeter who will face Myrtle Beach, SC's Pete Guthy in a four-round contest. Jeter (4-2, four KO's, one NC) has been in the ring in an exhibition bout recently but has not fought an official bout since December of 2005. The last bout for Guthy (1-2-1) was on January 25 when he was stopped by Brian Macy in Mashantucket, CT. Prior to that, Guthy battled to a four-round majority draw against Elias Bouloubassis on December 7 in Pikesville.

Baltimore light heavyweight Willie "For Real" Williams will battle Woodbridge, VA's Andre "Da Heat" Hemphill in a six-round rematch bout. Williams (9-2, two KO's) won the first bout over Hemphill (6-6-2, three KO's) on September 14, 2006 at Martin's West in Woodlawn. Williams, who is riding a three-bout winning streak, will be participating in his third straight rematch bout; he holds victories over Ray Ruiz and Willis Lockett in his last two bouts. Hemphill gets back in the ring for the first time since battling Simon Carr to a four-round draw on August 24 in Philadelphia.

Other Beltway Boxers slated to be on the card include Beltway rookies Mark "TNT" Tucker and Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell.

Join BATB on YouCastr.com Wednesday Night!

On Wednesday, April 2, I will be doing a special audio Boxing Along The Beltway program on www.youcastr.com. This is a free service that allows people to broadcast shows (including play-by-play of events) over the internet.

This is a pilot episode that will preview Thursday night's Ballroom Boxing card. Now, this is a new venture for me and I am trying it out because there is a possibility of some nice opportunities for me and the Beltway Boxing community. According to the site, you can chat and send messages as the show is progressing.

So, join me tomorrow night at 10 PM ET for a special audio edition of Boxing Along the Beltway!

Samuel, Snow Speak on Featherweight Title Bout!

In these exclusive BATB interviews, Tyrell Samuel and Thomas Snow give their thoughts on this Thursday's Maryland State Featherweight title bout at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #104 - Tyrell Samuel Focuses on Featherweight Title Clash!

Baltimore featherweight Tyrell "Da Show Shock A" Samuel (9-2, five KO's) discusses his April 3 Maryland State Featherweight title clash with Thomas "KO" Snow!





Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #103 - Thomas Snow Talks Title Clash!

Undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight Thomas "KO" Snow (10-0, eight KO's) talks about his upcoming bout with Tyrell "Da Show Shock A" Samuel for the vacant Maryland State Featherweight title at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD!

New Beltway Boxing Poll: Who Will Win the Maryland State Featherweight Title?

As you know by now, we have a big bout coming up this week. The Maryland State Featherweight title is on the line on Thursday, April 3 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD as undefeated Thomas "KO" Snow of Capitol Heights (10-0, eight KO's) battles Tyrell "Da Show Shock'A" Samuel of Baltimore (9-2, five KO's).

So the poll is simple: In your opinion, who will win the bout?

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.