Beltway Boxing Bout(s) of the Year -- 2010!

There were a number of exciting bouts that took place during 2010 along the Beltway, but this area had a unique trilogy that involved three area boxers. The bouts so equally exciting that I really couldn't choose one over the other. So:

Digital's Choices for Beltway Boxing Bouts of the Year are: The Nicklow-Sigmon-Kennedy Trilogy

Bout Number 1: Jessie Nicklow UD 10 over Scott Sigmon, March 20, Du Burns Arena, Baltimore, MD. Out of the three bouts, this one probably had the most buildup. Both boxers and their fan bases hurled barbs for two months before the bout took place. This very blog became a home base for the thoughts of the two warriors and their fans.

When the bout finally took place, there was a strong presence for Sigmon as hundreds of fans made the trip from the Lynchburg area. In the contest, Nicklow took the early lead with some solid accurate shots. Sigmon came back strong through the middle rounds before Nicklow caught his second wind and went on to win the bout. Two judges saw a close bout at 97-93 and 96-94. One judge saw the bout 97-91. Two great situations took place after the bout. Nicklow proposed marriage to his girl friend, Beth (who accepted) and Nicklow and Sigmon patched up whatever differences they had. In fact, in a very classy move, Nicklow asked this reporter to take down his audio interview from the blog (which I did) because he thought he might had taken this anger too far.

Bout Number 2: Jessie Nicklow D 10 Julius Kennedy, September 17, Du Burns Arena

Nicklow's win over Sigmon led to a bout that was more than a year in the making. Kennedy actually called Nicklow out after a victory in June of 2009. Kennedy finally got his wish in what was one of the closest bouts I have ever witnessed.

As a point of full disclosure, reporting the bout was secondary for me. I worked that bout as the supervisor for the World Boxing Foundation, as this was a bout for the WBF All-Americas Middleweight title as well as the Maryland State Middleweight title. It was an incredible honor for me personally.

What I said about the bout is still probably the best way to describe the contest: "A member of the Maryland State Athletic Commission had the best description of the bout when he said that the two boxers were "mirror images of each other." That is what made this bout so fascinating. Sometimes the two would throw the same sequence of punches at exactly the same time. The two sparred with one another, but this bout did not resemble a sparring session in any way.

I told that same MSAC representative after the fourth round of the contest that I didn't think either boxer was leaving with the belts tonight. That's what happened. Both men deserved to win the bout and neither man deserved to lose. Both men fought with passion and both men looked as good as I have seen them in a while."

One other item that should be noted: Nicklow prepared for this bout by sparring with Sigmon. That served as a very unique transition for the final bout in the trilogy.

Bout Number 3: Scott Sigmon UD 10 over Julius Kennedy, December 11, National Guard Armory, Pikesville, MD

The Maryland State Athletic Commission was extremely prepared for this one.This one had the possibility of getting out of hand going in. There wasn't as much pre-fight vitrol before the bout, but there was the opportunity for this one to get out of hand.

Let me say that any of the great referees in the state could have handled this bout. However there was a perception of bias from one side. Therefore (either by accident or by design) the MSAC removed any doubt of bias in the ring by bringing in a great out-of-town referee -- Bill Clancy -- to handle that bout.

I was doing the interview that you may have seen on the site about women's boxing and actually missed the first round. As I rushed to my seat to see round two, I passed by Nicklow, who was sitting ringside in a neutral corner wearing a "Cujo" t-shirt. I asked him (since he fought both boxers) who would win the bout. Nicklow said Sigmon would win because he would put too much pressure on Kennedy.

That is pretty much what happened. During the contest, Sigmon looked more in control than ever before as he moved forward with purpose and landed good shots from awkward angles. Kennedy hit Sigmon with some hard shots but Sigmon seemed to walk through them. Kennedy lost two points courtesy of referee Clancy because of low blows and fought most of the bout with a right eye that was closing throughout the contest.

However, the bout was marred by a melee between supporters of both camps, reportedly including Nicklow. Sitting in front of Sigmon supporters, I must say I was appalled by some of the racist and quite ignorant comments by some of them. Honestly, I don't know if the same was said on the other side of the room, but I know a reporter (who will remain nameless) who wanted to use the martial arts training that the reporter has on one of those fans.

Despite this, the bout put a wonderful bow on what was an unique group of moments in recent Beltway Boxing history.


Other bouts deserving consideration:

James Stevenson UD 10 over George Rivera, March 20, Du Burns Arena, Baltimore

On a card where emotions ran high throughout the evening, this main event contest sent the crowd over the edge. Two young veterans fought very well during the bout. Stevenson dominated the first five rounds but got a little cocky during the sixth. That opened the door for Rivera to battle back by putting on the pressure.

Then came the eighth round where Rivera received an accidental low blow. Moments later, supporters from both camps battled outside the ring. Both boxers showed extreme class in trying to stop their followers from battling. Stevenson closed the show in fine fashion.

Unfortunately, the win was the only highlight in a tough year for Stevenson, who lost his father later in 2010.

Jimmy Lange KO 10 Joe Wyatt, November 6, George Mason University Patriot Center, Fairfax, VA

This was another great story in heart. Lange and Wyatt showed tremendous heart throughout the contest. In fact, Wyatt was the main aggressor in the contest but was knocked down twice by Lange's counter right hands. Both men suffered tough cuts before Lange landed a crushing right hand that sent Wyatt out for the count. This is the reason why Jimmy Lange has the fan base that he does. It's that simple. It may not make him a full-fledged contender, but it will keep his fan base growing.

Joppy Stopped in Sixth in Championship Bout!

Former three-time world champion William Joppy was stopped in the sixth round last night in his bid for the WBA Light Heavyweight title against champion Beibut Shumenov at the Ice Mansion in Shyment, Kazakhstan.

The former Kazakhstan Olympian, now fighting out of Las Vegas, floored Joppy in the fifth round with a powerful right and seconds into the sixth round, he fired a vicious left hook to Joppy’s body that resulted in him taking a knee and being 10-counted out.

Joppy's record is now 39-6-2, 30 KO's. Shumenov is now 11-1, seven KO's.

Joppy Weighs 174 1/2 for WBA Title Bout!

William Joppy weighed in at 174 1/2 for his WBA Light Heavyweight title bout against Beibut Shumenov later today in Kazakhstan. Joppy said the following about his opportunity:

“I felt welcomed here when I first walked off the plane. We’ve been on a roller-coaster ride with the changing of opponents. Me and Beibut have in common that we both trained for totally different style fighters. Beibut is a great fighter. I’ve watched some of his fights but there’s not something I haven’t seen before. And he’s fought orthodox fighters before. I’m here to give a great, memorable fight like sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns in their first fight. I came here to fight Gayrat Ahmedov and fell into a world title fight. Wow! It’s going to be a barn-burner.”

Salisbury Hosts First ESPN 3-D Boxing Telecast; Guerrero, Wade on Card!

The Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury, MD will be the site for a historic boxing telecast on Friday, Feb. 18. ESPN Friday Night Fights will televise bouts on the card in 3-D for the very first time.

The main event on the card will be hometown hero and NABF Middleweight champion Fernando Guerrero (20-0, 16 KO's) defending his title against Saul Roman (33-8, 28 KO's) of Mexico. Also on the card will be undefeated Largo, MD middleweight Dominic Wade (9-0, seven KO's) who will face Grover Young of Tennessee (4-0, two KO's) in a six-round contest. If time permits, the Wade bout will also be shown in 3-D.

Joppy Contends for WBA Light Heavyweight Title Saturday..We Think!!

Former three-time WBA Middleweight champion William Joppy will contend for the WBA Light Heavyweight championship this Saturday against Beibut Shumenov in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.

Joppy was already slated to be on the undercard, however, when Shumenov's unification bout with WBO titleholder Juergen Brahmer fell out, promoters sought for and got WBA approval for Shumenov to defend against Joppy. Shumenov is 10-1, six KO's. Joppy is 39-6-2, 30 KO's and is coming off a 10-round draw with Cory Cummings last November at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA.


Now we say "we think" because rumors continue to swirl that the card will or has been cancelled. No word on that yet but we will continue to check.

We will also have the rest of the BATB Awards this weekend.

Guerrero, Mitchell, Wade, Russell Make ESPN Best Prospects List!

Four Beltway Boxers made Dan Rafael's ESPN.com list of the top 25 prospects in the world. Rafael selected the two Beltway Boxing Prospects of the Year -- Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell and "Mr." Gary Russell, Jr. -- along with Dominic Wade and Fernando Guerrero.

We'll let Mr. Rafael tell the reason for his choices.

Seth Mitchell (28, heavyweight, Golden Boy, 20-0-1, 14 KOs):

In the desert, it's nice to find an oasis. In the land of American heavyweight prospects, it's nice to find Mitchell, one of the few bona-fide, up-and-coming big men. Although he's 28, he started boxing late because he was busy playing college football at Michigan State before a knee injury derailed his NFL hopes. He has come a long way in his two-year career and is clearly the best American heavyweight prospect. The 6-foot-2, 243-pound Brandywine, Md., fighter is fundamentally sound and has shown improvement fight after fight. He's a hard worker with a good attitude and just needs rounds and experience. In 2010, he won all five of his bouts by knockout while facing experienced opponents such as Derek Bryant and Taurus Sykes.


Gary Russell Jr. (22, featherweight, Golden Boy, 13-0, 9 KOs):

Russell was a phenomenal amateur and the 2008 U.S. Olympic team bantamweight, but he didn't box in Beijing because he passed out on the eve of his first bout trying to make weight and was disqualified from the tournament. It was a bitter disappointment that he's trying to make up for as a pro featherweight. So far, so good. Russell has dynamic talent, perhaps the fastest set of hands in the sport and sound defense. The Capitol Heights, Md., southpaw went 7-0 in 2010 and probably would have had at least one more win, but it's hard to find opponents for him. (One fight fell out at the last minute.) It wouldn't be a surprise to see him on the pound-for-pound list in a few years.

Fernando Guerrero (24, middleweight, Prize Fight, 20-0, 16 KOs):

Guerrero is a blue-chip prospect with strong amateur credentials that include junior Golden Gloves, international Junior Olympics, National Golden Gloves and U.S. national titles. And that's not all: He has charisma, power and is a big ticket seller in Salisbury, Md., where he has lived since childhood after moving from the Dominican Republic. With a growing fan base and improving skills, he could someday be a serious factor. He has gotten good gym work as a sparring partner for Paul Williams. A hand injury early in the year limited Guerrero to just three fights in 2010, but he won each, including the best win of his career: a decision against experienced Ishe Smith. He opens his 2011 campaign in Salisbury on Feb. 18 as the headliner on ESPN2's "Friday Night Fights."


Dominic Wade (20, super middleweight, Prize Fight, 9-0, 7 KOs):

Wade, who turned pro in March 2009, was a standout amateur, having won four consecutive Silver Gloves national titles. He has all the tools, especially an exciting style and outstanding power that he has used to turn out the lights on opponents. The Largo, Md., product took up boxing at age 9 and is one of those prospects who managers and promoters talk about wishing they could work with, which says something in a sport in which competitors rarely give somebody else's fighter credit. The only knock on Wade has been a bit of immaturity and a work ethic that hasn't always been stellar. If he can button that down, the sky's the limit.

BATB Prospect(s) of The Year -- 2010!

Now for the Prospect of the Year for 2010! If there was one aspect of Beltway Boxing that made solid strides it was among our prospects. A number of prospects made nice strides on their way to possible contendership in 2011. Two of those prospects made the best strides towards a world ranking.

Digital's Choices for Beltway Boxing Prospects of the Year are:

Gary Russell, Jr. (13-0, nine KO's), featherweight, Capitol Heights, MD and Seth Mitchell (20-0-1, 14 KO's), heavyweight, Brandywine, MD.

Russell had an outstanding 2010. Reminiscent of three-time world champion and Beltway legend Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson, Russell spent half of the year applying his trade on the west coast where he became a fixture on the Club Nokia shows in Los Angeles. Six of his seven bouts ended in knockouts no later than the second round. The most notable win for the 2008 US Olympian was his first-round stoppage of former world champion Mauricio Pastrana in July.

Heavyweight Mitchell really stepped his game up in 2010 as he went five-for-five -- five wins, five knockouts. Also notable is that all five of Mitchell's victories came against boxers with .500 or better records. Four of Mitchell's five wins came on the west coast against the likes of Johnnie White, Derek Bryant and Taurus Sykes and put him in full view of the bigwigs of his promotional company, Golden Boy Promotions. 2011 could be a very big year for the former Michigan State linebacker, who has moved seamlessly into the eight and 10-round bouts.

Others Deserving Consideration:

Emmanuel Taylor, (10-0, eight KO's) welterweight, Baltimore, MD. One of the busier prospects in 2010, Taylor was 6-0, four KO's and made a nice jump to six-round contests. Taylor's most notable win came against formerly 15-1 Ayi Bruce on May 7 in Huntington, NY. Taylor stopped Bruce in the third round. Three of his wins came against shop-worn veterans Doel Carrasquillo, Chris Cook and Joey Ortega.

Dominic Wade (9-0, seven KO's), middleweight, Largo, MD. The 2009 Beltway Boxing Rookie of the Year fought four times in 2010 against over-.500 competition and knockouts were a little harder to come by. However, Wade did begin his ascent into the six-rounds where the knockouts came back. Wade stopped both his foes in his six-round contests.


Maurice Byarm (10-0, seven KO's), heavyweight, Washington, DC Byarm made solid strides in 2010 with five victories, three by knockout. Two of his wins (against Jason Freeman and Winston Thorpe) were against young undefeated boxers. Started moving into the six-round bout, but two of his bouts were against late substitutions that cut the bouts to four rounds. A very likable prospect who is steadily building a fan base.

BATB Rookie of the Year -- 2010!

We start our look back at 2010 with the Rookie of the Year. Unlike 2009, where we had a solid class of 24 rookies, 2010 saw only 10 make appearances for the first time as pros, and most of them only had one bout. What was good for this year was that the four top rookies would probably have challenged for this designation in just about any year.

Digital's Choice for Beltway Boxing Rookie of the Year is:

Nick Kisner (6-0, four KO's), heavyweight, Ferndale, MD. The 19-year-old's much anticipated first year as a pro lived up to expectations as the highly-touted amateur rocketed to six wins against tough competition. Kisner started his year with a four-round majority decision over Francois Ambang on January 11 in Fort Washington, MD. That was Kisner's only bout at cruiserweight. The rest of 2010 saw Kisner compete at heavyweight where he scored knockouts in four of his remaining five bouts. One of the interesting questions of 2011 is where will Kisner finally find his optimum weight class. Some pundits outside the Beltway say Kisner may be the best at light heavyweight. One thing is for sure, the talent Kisner has will be comparable no matter what weight class he competes in.

Others Deserving Consideration:

Brandon Quarles (3-0, one KO), middleweight, Alexandria, VA. The 24-year-old middleweight is quickly becoming a fan favorite by winning two close unanimous decisions against Vincent Batteast and Lawrence Jones. A very exciting boxer who will be fun to watch in 2011.

Tori Nelson (2-0-1), middleweight, Ashburn, VA. We don't know how long Nelson will be a pro, but she will be exciting to watch. After a successful amateur career, Nelson has won two bouts over middleweight prospects Shelly Seivert and Rachel Clark. One of the new breed of female boxers who have actually trained as an amateur in the sport and that training is already paying dividends.

Alantez Fox (3-0, two KO's), welterweight, Fort Washington, MD. Already signed by TKO Promotions, the 18-year-old Fox has only boxed six rounds in his short pro career, but the tall welterweight has definitely shown promise. It will be interesting to see how his career goes in 2011.

Coleman Makes 'New Faces' Column in Ring!

USBA Junior Welterweight champion Tim "Pitbull" Coleman received more publicity to end 2010. Coleman made the "New Faces" column in "The Bible of Boxing,"Ring Magazine.

Also in the February 2011 issue of the Ring there is an obituary on Baltimore trainer Mack Lewis compiled from different sources, including yours truly.

By the way, the BATB Year-End awards were delayed because my youngest daughter had foot surgery. I look to bring the awards to you this week.

PBS News Hour Profiles Local Women's Boxing!

The PBS News Hour recently did two nice profiles on local women's boxing. The first focuses on 2012 Olympic hopeful Tyreishia Douglas. The DC native who trains in Baltimore talks about her style and how she got into boxing.




The second talks to Severna Park, MD pro Shelley Seivert and also features your friendly neighborhood boxing blogger.

Coleman Battles Paris in Pontiac, MI January 29!

(photo courtesy of Team Coleman)

USBA Junior Welterweight champion Tim "Pitbull" Coleman of Baltimore has a big fight to start 2011. Coleman (18-1-1, five KO's) will face undefeated Vernon Paris of Detroit, MI (23-0, 14 KO's) in a 10-round bout on Saturday, January 29 at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, MI. The bout will be fought at a catchweight of 143 pounds and will be on the undercard of the Devon Alexander-Timothy Bradley title contest.

Coleman is coming off a solid third-round TKO over Patrick Lopez on a nationally-televised ShoBox bout on October 1 in Santa Ynez, CA. Paris last fought on November 12 in Royal Oak, MI and scored a fourth-round TKO over Ramon Guevara.

Coleman gave his thoughts on this bout in a recent press release.

On his victory over Lopez

"I know that Lopez’s people were very confident that he would beat me. Though I was defending my title I know I was being brought in to lose. I had other plans though and I made a big statement in front of a large television audience. There was a lot of talk about Lopez being a former Olympian but I didnt care about all that. He and his people must have been back in their dressing rooms a good 3-4 hours after the fight as they really took the loss hard.

On his opponent Vernon Paris


"We have actually sparred before. I can tell you he definitely is not a puncher. Like most midwest guys with a amateur background he can box. I know the midwest fighters get a lot of bad press but those with serious amateur backgrounds from there almost always have solid boxing skills. The boxing doesnt worry me though as I am not coming to box. I’m coming for knockouts from here on out. If Paris even thinks about disrepecting me at the pre-fight press conference or the weigh-in I will put him in his place quickly. Even in his hometown. He hasn’t fought anywhere near the competition that I have fought. Not even close. I will be the biggest name he has fought to date. I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m picked to be the underdog in this fight since I’m fighting in his backyard. After beating Lopez, Gary Shaw got options on my next few fights but I honestly don’t feel he sees me as one his fighters. I’m sure he will have more interest in me after I take care of Paris."


On his future


"A lot of people may not like the fact that I am so straight forward with my comments but that’s who I am. From here on out I’m coming to knock guys ASSES out!!!! Plain and simple. That’s what people want to see and that’s the only way I’m going to get a money fight. I’m giving myself a 3-4 year window to make major things happen in my career. Meaning money fights. I mean that’s what I am in this for. I see former fighters that are broke and worse than that in bad health from fighting. I refuse to end up that way. All I want right now is an opportunity to be in a major fight. I will take care of the rest once I get that."

A Wonderful Beltway Christmas Story!

My good friend Tammy Showalter of the Maryland Independent has a nice article during this season of giving. Recently, Old School Boxing Gym in Temple Hills, MD gave gifts to a number of youngsters who train at the gym. Many of these boxers would not have had a merry Christmas otherwise.

These gifts come during a rough stretch for the family of Old School's owner Buddy Harrison who recently lost his brother.

Here's the article -- another example of what all of the gyms in the Beltway Region do for the people they serve. A tremendous effort!

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Corley Battles in Argentina January 21!

Former WBO Junior Welterweight champion DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley will continue his world travels into the new year. The next stop for Corley: Mendoza, Argentina where he will take on Argentinian Lucas Matthysee on January 21.

Corley (37-15-1, 22 KO's) is coming off a 12-round unanimous decision loss to Serhiy Fedchenko on November 13 in the Ukraine for the WBO European Junior Welterweight title. The Matthysee bout marks a return to Argentina where Corley had one of his better performances in a unanimous decision loss to Marcos Maidana on August 28.

Matthysee (27-1, 25 KO's) is coming off a close 12-round split decision loss to Zab Judah for the vacant WBO Junior Welterweight title on November 6 in Newark, NJ.

Apparently, this is a bout that Matthysee's promoter -- Oscar De La Hoya -- wanted from the start after Matthysee's loss to Judah. "I would like to see him back in the ring in the not to distant future against a solid test like former world champion DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley,” De La Hoya said in a transcript of a phone conversation that appeared on Fightnews.com. The bout will be shown on Telefutura in the United States and HBO Plus in Latin America.

Happy Holidays From BATB; Year-End Awards Forthcoming!

I hope that each and every one of you has a happy holiday season! Thanks again for all the support throughout this year! I will be working on the year-end awards and review immediately following Christmas so stay tuned. Thanks again!

Satterfield Reports on Mitchell's Latest Knockout!

Lem Satterfield of AOL Boxing Fanhouse reports from Las Vegas on the latest victory of undefeated Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell.

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Sigmon, Byarm Win East Coast Titles in Pikesville!

Middleweight Scott "Cujo" Sigmon and heavyweight Maurice "Freight Train" Byarm captured East Coast championships in front of a raucous crowd at the Pikesville National Guard Armory in Pikesville, MD.

Sigmon, cheered on by a large throng of supporters from the Lynchburg, VA area, defeated Windsor Mill, MD's "Vicious" Julius Kennedy by 10-round unanimous decision. The extremely exciting bout was marred and momentarily stopped by a melee outside the ring involving fans from both camps. During the actual bout, Kennedy hit Sigmon with some hard shots but Sigmon seemed to walk through them. Sigmon looked more in control than ever before as he moved forward with purpose and landed good shots from awkward angles. Kennedy lost two points courtesy of referee Bill Clancy because of low blows and fought most of the bout with a right eye that was closing throughout the contest.

Sigmon is now 13-2, five KO's while Kennedy is 7-2-1, three KO's.


Byarm stopped a very game Winston Thorpe of Columbia, SC in the fifth round. The stoppage came during a tough battle of southpaws. Byarm almost had Thorpe down in the third round but Thorpe battled hard to stay in the contest. By the fifth round, however, Byarm's punches became too much and referee John Gradowski stopped the contest 51 seconds into the fifth.

Byarm is now 10-0, seven KO's while Thorpe is 3-1-1, two KO's.


In another feature bout, Tori "Sho Nuff" Nelson of Ashburn, VA won a six-round unanimous decision over Shelley Seivert of Severna Park, MD in a rematch of their draw in May.

Nelson seemed to land the more effective blows in the contest, however Seivert was coming forward more in an aggressive manner. Nelson's punches seemed to be the difference in the contest.

Nelson is now 2-0-1 while Seivert is 4-2-1, one KO.


In other bouts on the card: Devin Butcher of Baltimore wins four-round unanimous decision over Stephen Franklin of Martinsburg, WVA. Butcher is 2-0 while Franklin is 1-2, one KO.

Dale "Hit Hard as Hell" Robeson-El of Baltimore won by second-round TKO over Ariel "Iron" Espinal of Brooklyn, NY. Robeson-El is 6-0, four KO's while Espinal is 8-18-3, three KO's.

Baltimore heavyweights Lonnie Kornegay and Riley Brooks battled to a four-round draw. Kornegay is 0-3-1, Brooks is 0-1-1.

Baltimore Pro Boxing promoted the card. The matchmakers were Jake Smith and Josh Hall.


Here is the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up:

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #238 - Recap From Pikesville Armory!

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I recap a raucous card from the Pikesville National Guard Armory in Pikesville, MD!

Scott Sigmon won a 10-round majority decision over Julius Kennedy.

Bout has resumed.

BULLETINS: Lamont Peterson and Victor Ortiz fought to 10-round Majority draw. Also, there was a melee during the Sigmon-Kennedy bout here in Pikesville.

Bulletin: Heavyweight Seth Mitchell remains undefeated with a fifth round knockout over Taurus Sykes in Las Vegas tonight. Mitchell is now 20-0-1, 14 KO's.

Peterson, Mitchell Hit The Scales in Las Vegas!

Lamont Peterson and Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell both weighed in for their bouts tomorrow night at the Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas.

Peterson hit the junior welterweight limit of 140 pounds for his 10-round televised (HBO) bout with Victor Ortiz, who weighed in at 141.

Mitchell came in at 243 for his eight-rounder against Taurus Sykes, who tipped the scales at 248.

Lockett Loses Six-Round Decision in New Jersey!

Willis "The Prophet" Lockett of Takoma Park, MD lost a six-round unanimous decision to Tarvis Simms last night at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

Lockett was dropped in the first round, but managed to complete the length of the contest. Simms won the bout by scores of 60-54 and 60-53 (twice). Lockett is now 12-11-5, five KO's while Simms's record rises to 26-1-1, 11 KO's.

Lockett Weighs 167 For New Jersey Battle!

Takoma Park, MD's Willis "The Prophet" Lockett and his opponent Tarvis Simms weighed in at 167 for their six-round bout at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

Byarm Has New Opponent For December 11 Battle in Pikesville!

Undefeated DC heavyweight Maurice "Freight Train" Byarm has a new opponent for his battle on Saturday, December 11 at the Pikesville National Guard Armory in Pikesville, MD.

Byarm (9-0, six KO's) will now face fellow undefeated boxer Winston Thorpe of South Carolina (3-0-1, two KO's) in a six-round contest that will be for the East Coast Heavyweight title.

The headline bout will be the East Coast Middleweight title between "Vicious" Julius Kennedy of Windsor Mill, MD and Scott "Cujo" Sigmon of Bedford, VA.

Results of First Day of Silver Gloves Competition!

Courtesy of DC Amateur Boxing, here are some results from the first day of Silver Gloves Competition at the Capitol Sports Complex in District Heights, MD. (Bouts with asterisks are Championship Bouts)

8/9 year-old 60lbs. Maximus Garland (Headbangers) def. Donald Ford (Kenilworth)

10/11 year-old 60lbs. Kali Edwards (Kenilworth) def. Jarmani Scott (Charm City) by walkover**

10/11 year-old 70lbs. Malcolm Lowery Jr. (Kenilworth) def. Philbert Griffith Jr. (SRL)

10/11 year-old 70lbs. Juan Jenkins (Upton) def. Sean Veazey (Baltimore Boxing)

10/11 year-old 75lbs. Cornell Gray (Kenilworth) def. Chris Normile (Baltimore Boxing)**
10/11 year-old 85lbs. Greg Burton (Langdon Rec) def. Shadid Bond (Charm City)

12/13 year-old 80lbs. Jordan White (LB4LB) def. Jessi Montano (Langdon Rec via walkover**

12/13 year-old 90lbs. Denzel Jones (Charm City) def. Demetrius Young (SRL)**

12/13 year-old 100lbs. Rayvon Drayton (LB4LB) def. Mac Allison (Upton)**

14/15 year-old 119lbs. Jalonte Cole (NoXcuse) def. Tommy Avelar (SRL)

14/15 year-old 106lbs. Ronnell Jackson (NoXcuse) def. Mykal Fox (Dream Team)**

14/15 year-old 112lbs. Carlton Gray (Dream Team) def. Siraac Asefaw (SRL)**

14/15 year-old 132lbs. Malik Hawkins (Upton)** def. Daquan Love (Charm City)

14/15 year-old 139lbs. James Scott (Charm City) vs. Samuel Paulay (Langdon Rec)** (not recorded)

14/15 year-old 165lbs. Da’Quan Johnson (Kentland) def. Jacob Owens (Keystone) via walkover**

14/15 year-old 201lbs. Calvin Countess (Charm City) def. Kamanta Heade (Keystone)**

Silver Gloves Begin Saturday in District Heights!

The 2010 Silver Gloves get underway on Saturday, December 4 at the Capitol Sports Complex (formerly known as Run N' Shoot), 6417 Marlboro Pike in District Heights, MD.. There will be a number of championship bouts on Day 1 of the competition.

Championship Bouts:

10/11 Year Old, 60 pounds: Jarmani Scott (Charm City) vs. Kali Edwards (Kenilworth)

10/11 Year Old, 75 pounds: Cornell Gray (Kenilworth) vs. Chris Normile (Baltimore Boxing)

12/13 Year Old, 80 pounds: Jordan White (LB4LB) vs. Jessi Montano (Langdon Recreation Center)

12/13 Year Old, 90 pounds: Denzel Jones (Charm City) vs. Demetrius Young (Sugar Ray Leonard)

12/13 Year Old, 100 pounds: Rayvon Drayton (LB4LB) vs. Mac Allison (Upton)

14/15 Year Old, 106 pounds: Ronnell Jackson (NoXcuse) vs. Mykal Fox (Dream Team)

14/15 Year Old, 112 pounds: Carlton Gray (Dream Team) vs. Siracc Asefaw (Sugar Ray Leonard)

14/15 Year Old, 132 pounds: Daquan Love (Charm City) vs. Malik Hawkins (Upton)

14/15 Year Old, 139 pounds: James Scott (Charm City) vs. Samuel Paulay (Langdon)

14/15 Year Old, 165 pounds: Da'Quan Johnson (Kentland) vs. Jacob Owens (Keystone)

14/15 Year Old, 201 pounds: Kamanta Heade (Keystone) vs. Calvin Countess (Charm City)

In other tournament bouts:

8/9 Year Old, 60 pounds: Donald Ford (Kenilworth) vs. Maximus Garland (Headbangers)

10/11 Year Old, 70 pounds: Malcolm Lowery. Jr. (Kenilworth) vs. Philbert Griffith, Jr. (Sugar Ray Leonard)

10/11 Year Old, 70 pounds: Sean Veazey (Baltimore Boxing) vs. Juan Jenkins (Upton)

10/11 Year Old, 85 pounds: Greg Burton (Langdon) vs. Shadid Bond (Charm City)

14/15 Year Old, 119 pounds: Jalonte Cole (NoXcuse) vs. Tommy Avelar (Sugar Ray Leonard)

Unopposed Champions:

8/9 year-old 65lbs. Mekell Lowery (Kenilworth)
8/9 year-old 65lbs. Rion Williams (Upton) FEMALE
8/9 year-old 70lbs. Lee Lucas (Upton)
10/11 year-old 65lbs. Malik Warren (Charm City)
10/11 year-old 80lbs. Mia Ellis (Upton) FEMALE
10/11 year-old 80lbs. Ameer Brown (SRL)
10/11 year-old 90lbs. Danardo Johnson (Kentland)
10/11 year-old 95lbs. Lorenzo Simpson (Upton)
10/11 year-old 110lbs. Steven Clark Jr. (SRL)
12/13 year-old 75lbs. Tariq Gaston (Langdon Rec)
12/13 year-old 85lbs. Keeshawn Williams (Headbangers)
12/13 year-old 95lbs. Zimmie Dickinson (Dream Team)
12/13 year-old 112lbs. Keegan Grove (Old School Boxing)
12/13 year-old 125lbs. Kashif Muhammed (SRL)
12/13 year-old 132lbs. Alexis Cook (Frederick Fight Club)
12/13 year-old 139lbs. Brian Avelar (SRL)
12/13 year-old 201lbs+. Shaka Williams (Nomis)
14/15 year-old 95lbs. William Eric Lewis (LB4LB)
14/15 year-old 125lbs. Lamont Roach Jr. (NoXcuse)
14/15 year-old 201lbs+. Jean-Luc Howache (Keystone)

The next round will be held on Saturday, December 18 at Tony's Gym, 2201 Shannon Place in Southeast DC.

'Mayhem' Mitchell Added to Peterson-Ortiz Card!

Undefeated Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell has been added to the card at the Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas, NV -- the same card where Lamont Peterson will be facing Victor Ortiz.

Mitchell (19-0-1, 13 KO's) will take on veteran Taurus "The Bull" Sykes of Brooklyn, NY (25-6-1, seven KO's) in an eight-round contest on the undercard. Mitchell is coming off back-to-back first-round knockouts and stoppage victories in his last four bouts. Sykes lost his last three bouts to Hasim Rahman, Alexander Povetkin and Joseph Rabotte.

Peterson Battles Ortiz December 11 in Vegas!

DC junior welterweight Lamont Peterson returns to action on Saturday, December 11 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, NV when he faces "Vicious" Victor Ortiz in a 12-round nationally televised bout.

Peterson (28-1, 14 KO's) was named one of The Ring magazine's top 100 boxers in the world (checking in at #94) Peterson won by 7th round TKO over Damian Fuller on April 10 in Las Vegas.

The Oxnard, CA-based Ortiz (28-2-1, 22 KO's) is also listed in the Ring 100 (#69) and in the midst of a four-bout winning streak that includes wins over Vivian Harris and the recently retired Nate Campbell.

The bout will be a co-feature on HBO's World Championship Boxing.

Rahman, Jr. Wins In Hometown Amateur Bout!

In the last bout of a very nice amateur card at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore Saturday night, Hasim Rahman, Jr. defeated Aaron Kinch of Elite Heat Boxing gym in Camden, NJ by decision.

Rahman Jr. with his father (the former world heavyweight champion) in attendance, looked very good facing an opponent that outweighed him by almost ninety pounds. He used nice jabs to the body and head to help secure the victory.

The bout was one of 17 contests on an amateur card that had the feel of a pro show. All the boxers came through an entrance with strobe lights and a little bit of smoke. There was also video coverage through a company called fnpboxing.com. Yours truly and former Beltway Boxer Del "The Hatchet" Matchett did the commentary on the DVD that can be purchased by going to www.fnpboxing.com.

The Outstanding Boxer of the night was Lorenzo Simpson of the Upton Boxing Gym in Baltimore. Simpson put on a great performance in his 100 pound bout against Darnardo Johnson of No Xcuse boxing gym in Capitol Heights, MD.

Simpson's gym mate, Gervonta "Tank" Davis was a huge crowd favorite on the show. The two-time national PAL champion won his 125-pound contest defeating Vidal Rivera of the Camden Boxing club in Camden, NJ.


Here are the other results from the card:

65 Pounds: Kyron Curry (UMAR) defeated Vito Mielnicki (Elite Heat, Camden, NJ.

70 Pounds: Rajan Chance (Elite Heat) defeated Lee Lucas (Upton)

100 Pounds: Shakur Stevenson (Elite Heat) over Mantino Jules (Allentown Boxing Club, Allentown, PA)

106 Pounds:Ronnell Jackson (No Xcuse) defeated Mack Allison (Upton)

112 Pounds: Malik Jackson (Limelite Gym, Washington, DC) defeated
Stephen Fulton (Shuler's Gym, Philadelphia, PA)

132 Pounds: Lamont Roach (No Xcuse) over Malik Hawkins (Upton)

132 Pounds: Glen Dezurn (UMAR) over Omar Douglas (Wilmington, DE)

132 Pounds: Taja Hammonds (Joe Hands Boxing Club, Philadelphia, PA) defeated Montel Pridgett (UMAR)

152 Pounds: Richard Pyle (Crossfire Gym, Harrisburg, PA) defeated Gregory Jackson (Kingsessive Rec Center, Philadelphia, PA)

158 Pounds: Ronald Gibbs (Upton) defeated Moshea Aleem (Ninth Dimension Sports Circle, Richmond, VA.

165 Pounds: Malik Gary (Elite Heat) defeated Reginald Lucas (Upton)

165 Pounds: Immanuel Aleem (Ninth Dimension Sports Circle) over Jonathan Mosley (Elite Heat)

Heavyweight: Andre Thomas (UMAR) over Lamont Singletary (Delmarva, PA)

115 Pounds: Jalonte Cole (No Xcuse) defeated Hector Bayanilla (Allentown)

All-Open Amateur Card at Du Burns Arena on Saturday!

The Upton Boxing Club is putting together an all-open amateur boxing card on Saturday, November 27 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore. This card is slated to feature some of the better open boxers in the Beltway Region and along the East Coast.

Yours truly is honored to perform a dual role during the card. I will be the ring announcer as well as the play-by-play announcer for the video. The audio will be piped into the arena.

The show begins at 6:30 PM.

Kennedy-Sigmon East Coast Title Bout Headlines December 11 Card in Pikesville!

Baltimore, MD's "Vicious" Julius Kennedy will take on Scott "Cujo" Sigmon of Bedford, VA for the vacant East Coast Super Middleweight championship in the main event of the Baltimore Pro Boxing card on Saturday, December 11th at the Pikesville National Guard Armory in Pikesville, MD.

The last bout for Kennedy (7-1-1, three KO's) was the 10-round draw he had against Jessie Nicklow on September 17 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore, MD for the Maryland State and WBF All-Americas Middleweight title. Sigmon (12-2, five KO's) has won four straight bouts since his last loss -- a 10-round unanimous decision to Nicklow on March 20th at Du Burns. Sigmon's last bout was a third-round stoppage of John Michael Terry on November 10 at DC Star Nightclub in DC.

Thompson, Guerrero Score Knockouts in Atlantic City; Jargal Loses Split Decision; Williams Stopped in Second!

A mixed bag for Beltway Boxers at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. DC heavyweight Tony "The Tiger" Thompson scored a fourth-round knockout over Paul Marinaccio to raise his record to 35-2, 23 KO's while Marinaccio is 24-6-3, 11 KO's.

Middleweight contender Fernando Guerrero of Salisbury, MD remained undefeated with a fourth-round TKO over Saul "Baby" Duran. Guerrero is now 20-0, 17 KO's. Duran falls to 37-18-2, 30 KO's.

Arlington, VA junior welterweight "The Mongolian Mongoose" Bayan Jargal lost a tough eight-round split decision over Steve Upshur Chambers. Scores were 77-75 for Jargal and 77-75, 78-74 for Chambers. Jargal is now 15-1-3, 10 KO's while Chambers is 23-1, six KO's.

In the main event, Paul "The Punisher" Williams who trains here in the Beltway area, was knocked out in the second round by Sergio Martinez for the WBC Middleweight championship. Williams is now 39-2, 27 KO's. Martinez is 46-2-2, 24 KO's.


Alec Kohut of MaxBoxing.com caught up with Fernando Guerrero for this interview.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #237 - Guerrero Talks About Atlantic City Knockout!

Alec Kohut of MaxBoxing.com talks to Fernando Guerrero at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ after his fourth-round TKO over Saul Duran!

Williams, Thompson, Guerrero, Jargal Hit Scales in Atlantic City!

The large contingent of Beltway Boxers hit the scales at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ yesterday.

Paul Williams, who trains full-time here in the area, is in the main event in the nationally-televised (HBO) rematch against Sergio Martinez for the vacant WBC Middleweight championship. Williams came in at 156 while Martinez weighed in at 157 1/4.

Tony Thompson will face Paul Marinaccio in the 10-round co-feature. Thompson weighed 250 1/2 while Marinaccio tipped the scales at 228.

Fernando Guerrero weighed in at 159 for his bout with late replacement and veteran Saul Duran, who came in at 161 1/2.

Bayan Jargal tipped the scales at 142 1/2 for his bout with Steve Upshur Chambers, who weighed in at 143 1/2.

Keely Thompson Charged With Fraudulent Spending!

The Washington Post and other media are reporting that former local pro boxer Keely Thompson has been arrested and charged with stealing $500,000 from his youth boxing center.

The Post is reporting that Thompson was arrested at his home in Accokeek, MD this morning by FBI agents as well as representatives from the Inspector General's office. Thompson was charged with one count of wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of five years of prison and a $250,000 fine.

The rest of Spencer S. Hsu's story can be found here:

"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/18/AR2010111806120.html">

Baltimore Sun Remembers 'Mr. Mack!'

As we prepare for the memorial services for the beloved "Mr. Mack" Mack Lewis, The Baltimore Sun's Kevin Cowherd has a beautiful column that remembers Mr. Lewis.

"http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/bs-sp-cowherd-mack-1118-20101117,0,3700896.column?page=1&track=rss">

I also share this rememberance about Mack Lewis from one of the legendary matchmakers in this business -- Bob Goodman. Mr. Goodman sent this directly to me and gave me permission to share this with you.

"Mack was a very special guy. He not only was a terrific trainer and teacher, but he was also one who inspired his boxers to be ethical and respect others.
He's one of the last of a breed of men who's "word was his bond". I really never needed a contract with Mack, we would agree on the phone, and the contract would follow, but the fight was made the instant Mack agreed on the
phone. He was a man of dignity and honor. Mack will be missed."

Mack Lewis Arrangements!

The arrangements for famed trainer Mack Lewis are in.

The viewing will be held on Thursday, November 18 at the Vaughn Greene Funeral Home -- 4905 York Road in Baltimore from 4-8 PM.

The funeral services will be held on Friday morning at 11 AM at the Carl J. Murphy Fine Arts Center located on the campus of Morgan State University at 2201 Argonne Drive. The repast will follow the services at the Mack Lewis Gym, 901 North Bond Street in Baltimore.

Amateur Boxing Has Two-Week Stay in Clinton!

There will be two amateur cards on back-to-back Saturdays at the OCC Sports Arena located at 6701 Clinton Manor Drive in Clinton, MD.

Keystone Boxing and DC Boxing Hall of Famer Julius "Juice" Gatling are hosting a show this Saturday, November 20 that will feature boxers from throughout the East Coast as well as the Beltway region. The show begins at 6 PM. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Call (240) 353-0564 for more information. The weigh-in will be on Saturday morning from 12-2 at Keystone Boxing in Marlow Heights, MD.

Then on Saturday, November 27, Keystone and the DC Parks and Recreation will have a show at the same location. We don't have a time for this card but for more information, call (202) 907-2072.

Corley Loses Unanimous Decision in Ukraine!

DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Serhiy Fedchenko tonight at the Sportpalace Lokomotiv, Kharkov, Ukraine. The bout was for the vacant WBO European Junior Welterweight champion.

The scores were 120-110, 117-113 and 119-110. Corley's record is now 37-15-1, 22 KO's. Fedchenko is now 27-1, 13 KO's.

Legendary Trainer Mack Lewis Passes!

(photo courtesy of Pressboxonline.com from 2006 Press Box feature story)

Last night, we lost a true legend. BATB has learned that legendary trainer Mack Lewis passed away in Baltimore at the age of 92.

A native of Richmond, VA, Lewis came to Baltimore in 1924 and went to Douglass High School and played college football at Morgan State University. Lewis was a member of the 1940 undefeated Morgan State championship team.

Lewis began boxing while serving in World War II at Fort Lee, VA. He was one of the stars of the boxing team. He returned to boxing in Baltimore but an ear injury curtailed his pro boxing career.

Lewis trained a countless number of boxers in his famed Eager Street Gym in his more than six decades in the sport, including the likes of Larry Middleton, Alvin Anderson and Vernon Mason, who were in the top ten in their respective weight classes. In 1994, Lewis reached the championship level when he led Vincent Pettway to the IBF Junior Middleweight championship in 1994. Lewis also had a hand in the development of future world heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman.

But more importantly, at least to "Mr. Mack," were the countless number of boxers that he kept on the straight and narrow. There are so many people in boxing in the Beltway area that owe their careers and maybe, their lives to Mack Lewis.

Arrangements will be announced shortly.

Orji Falls In Fight Night Main Event; King Wins Co-Feature!

Ikem "The Warrior" Orji of Laurel, MD was stopped by undefeated Yaundale "Money Shot" Evans of Cleveland, OH in the eighth round during the Fight Night main event at the Washington Hilton and Towers in DC.

Evans proved to be too accurate and eventually too powerful for the game Orji. Evans dropped Orji with a left hand in the fourth round. The knockdown proved to be somewhat of a flash one because, not only did Orji get right back up, he actually did a kip-up back to his feet.

Eventually, however, Evans wore down Orji in the latter stages of the contest forcing referee Kenny Chevalier to halt the bout with about a minute to go in the contest.

Orji's record falls to 7-4, three KO's while Evans is now 10-0, seven KO's.

In the other pro bout on the card, Salisbury, MD's Dontre "Pound for Pound" King won a four-round unanimous decision over the debuting Benjamin Olinga of DC by way of Cameroon.

King dropped Olinga with a right hand in the first round and went on to win by a wide margin on one of the scorecards. Judge Steve Rados saw a shutout at 40-35 while judges David Jordan and Paul Williams scored the bout 39-36. King is now 3-8, two KO's.

Another bout that was scheduled to feature Joshua Snyder was cancelled because of time constraints. There was also an amateur contest where Antoine Douglas of Alexandria, VA stopped Sgt. Robert Evans of Norfolk, VA in the third round.

Beltway Boxers Abound On Atlantic City Card!

The Saturday, November 20th boxing card at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ will have a real Beltway Boxing flavor to it as no less than four local boxers and one who is currently training in the area will be on the card.

The main event features the man training in this area, two-time world champion Paul "The Punisher" Williams as he faces Sergio Martinez for the WBC Middleweight championship. This is a rematch of their battle in December of 2009 that Williams won by 12-round majority decision. Williams is 39-1, 27 KO's. Martinez has a record of 45-2-2, 24 KO's.

The co-feature has DC heavyweight and title contender Tony "The Tiger" Thompson (34-2, 22 KO's) in a 10-round contest against "The Italian Hitman" Paul Marinaccio (24-5-3, 11 KO's) of Cary, NC. Thompson has won three straight bouts since his title loss to Wladimir Klitschko. Marinaccio has lost two straight to Michael Grant and Ryan Thompson.

Another 10-round contest will see an all-Beltway matchup as undefeated Salisbury, MD middleweight Fernando Guerrero will take on Takoma Park, MD's Willis "The Prophet" Lockett. Guerrero (19-0, 15 KO's) is coming off a tough 10-round unanimous decision win over Ishe Smith on July 16 in Southaven, MS. Lockett (12-10-5, five KO's) has lost his last three bouts to Keith Holmes, Jerson Ravelo and Aaron Pryor, Jr.

Also on the card, undefeated Arlington, VA junior welterweight "The Mongolian Mongoose" Bayan Jargal will take on possibly his toughest competitor to date in Philadelphia, PA's Steve Upsher Chambers in a six-round contest. Jargal (15-0-3, 10 KO's) fought his last bout in Atlantic City at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino and went to an eight-round draw against James Hope on July 17. Chambers (22-1-1, six KO's) has won 11 bouts in a row.

Snow Wins Decision;Jeter Scores Knockout in DC!

Capitol Heights, MD super featherweight Thomas "KO" Snow won a six-round unanimous decision over Jason Rorie of Wilson, NC in front of a packed house at DC Star Nightclub in DC.

Unlike their first matchup that Snow won in November by using more movement, Snow fought a phone booth bout throughout with the determined Rorie. The close quarters allowed for headbutts to take place and one Rorie headbutt caused a gash over Snow's left eye. Referee Dr. Joseph Cooper took two points away from Rorie for headbutts and holding. Both men landed solid punches throughout but more came from Snow. Judges Steve Rados and Lloyd Scaife scored the bout 60-52 while judge Tammye Jenkins saw the bout 58-54.

Snow is now 13-1, eight KO's while Rorie falls to 6-9, three KO's.

Columbia, MD middleweight Tony "Mo Better" Jeter scored a second-round KO over Adrian Redmond of Turnersburg, NC. Jeter used his power punches early in the bout before sending a right hand that landed on Redmond's temple and put him down for the count. The knockout is Jeter's fourth in his last five bouts and raises his record to 10-2-1, nine KO's. Redmond is 4-8, three KO's.

Also on the card, Laurel, MD heavyweight "The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae scored a first round TKO over Octavius Davis of Wilson, NC. McRae stopped Davis at 2:15 of the round overwhelming him throughout. McRae is now 9-2, five KO's while Davis is 2-8-1, one KO.

Scott "Cujo" Sigmon of Bedford, VA stopped John "The Baptist" Terry of Petersburg, VA at 1:03 of the third round. Sigmon dropped Terry twice before the bout was stopped. Sigmon is now 12-2, five KO's while Terry is 3-18-5, one KO.

Forestville, MD junior middleweight Alantez "Tez" Fox knocked out Charles "Ray of Light" White of Wilson at 1:08 of the first round. A huge right hand to the head stopped White in his tracks. Fox is 3-0, two KO's while White was making his pro debut.

Debuting DC heavyweight Mario Flores was successful in his first pro bout, stopping the returning Richard McCombs at 2:34 of the first round. Flores landed a solid left hook that sent McCombs reeling backwards into the ropes and down to the canvas. Moments later, Flores used a barrage of punches to force referee Cooper to stop the contest. McCombs is now 1-3-1.

In the opening contest, Arnold, MD heavyweight Ron "Heavy Duty" Gamble made a successful debut with a second-round TKO over Wilson's Vashaun Tomlin. Both boxers went down in the first round, but Gamble came back strong and overpowered the 295-pound Tomlin in the second, dropping him with a right hand inside. Tomlin could not beat referee Malik Waleed's 10-count and the bout was stopped at 1:59 of the second. Tomlin is now 0-3.

The card was the debut promotion for Pay Day Promotions, headed by Abe Peay. The matchmaker was Brian Dillon.

Here is the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up with myself and Alec Kohut of MaxBoxing.com.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #236 - Recap From DC Star Nightclub!

Alec Kohut of Maxboxing.com joins me to recap the inaugural Pay Day Promotions card at DC Star Nightclub in Washington, DC

'Chop Chop' Corley Returns to Ukraine Saturday!

Former WBO Junior Welterweight champion DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley makes his fourth trip to a Russian nation on Saturday, November 13 when he takes on Serhiy "The Professor" Fedchenko in Kharkov, Ukraine.

Corley (37-14-1, 22 KO's) is coming off a 12-round unanimous decision loss to interim WBA Junior Welterweight champion Marcos Maidana on August 28 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Fedchenko (26-1, 13 KO's) has won three straight since suffering his only pro loss for the IBF Inter-Continental title in September of 2009.

By the way, let me thank Corley for joining "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and myself on commentary on the video shot at the boxing card in Fairfax, VA last Saturday.

Weights From DC Star!

Here is the scale watch for tomorrow night's Pay Day Promotions card at the DC Star Nightclub in Washington, DC.

Thomas Snow 126 vs. Jason Rorie 123

Tony Jeter 160 vs. Adrian Redmond 162lbs

Dwayne McRae 251 vs. Octavius Davis 237

Mario Flores 0-0, 208 vs. Richard McCombs 199 lbs

Scott Sigmon 166 vs. John Michael Terry 160 lbs

Alantez Fox 154 vs. Charles White 153 lbs

Ron Gamble 252 vs. Vashawn Tomlin 292 lbs

Walter Tyler 0-0, weighing in tomorrow morning vs. Andre Ward 195 lbs

Van Kirk, Dietrich Lead Maryland Boxing Hall of Fame Inductees!

Eddie "Speedy" VanKirk and "The American Dream" Mike Dietrich posthumously lead the list of 2010 inductees into the Maryland Boxing Hall of Fame.

VanKirk, a junior middleweight from Baltimore, is the only inductee in the pro category. VanKirk had a pro record of 27-9-2 and faced three world champions during his career, Vincent Pettway, Vinny Pazienza and Hector Camacho. VanKirk died on June 22, 2008.

Dietrich, a Baltimore heavyweight, is part of the amateur class of this year's group. Dietrich was a two-time Silver Gloves champion as an amateur before turning pro in 2004. Dietrich's pro record was 12-1, six KO's before he was killed on March 2 of this year.

Also a part of the amateur class of 2010 are Maxell Taylor, Sr., Harry Barnadea, Scott Page and Moe Rites.

In the Contributors category are Gene Wagstaff and Walter Allen. Jim Saufley is in the Unsung Hero category and Marvin McDowell will receive the Hall of Fame's Nick Basciano Award.

The honorees will be recognized on Saturday, November 13 at Martin's East located at 9000 Pulaski Highway in Baltimore beginning at 2 PM. For more information on tickets, call 410-661-8722.

Byarm Battles for East Coast Heavyweight Title; Nelson, Seivert Have Rematch in Pikesville December 11!

Undefeated DC heavyweight Maurice "Freight Train" Byarm will battle Theron Johnson of Chicago, IL in an eight-round contest for the East Coast Heavyweight title in the main event on the Baltimore Pro Boxing card on Saturday, December 11 at the Pikesville National Guard Armory in Pikesville, MD.

Byarm (9-0, six KO's) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision win over Kevin Howard on September 10 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore. A week later (September 17) at the same location, Johnson (4-3, one KO) won his last outing, a first-round knockout over Jed Phipps. This will be the first time either boxer has fought in a scheduled eight-round contest.

The co-feature will be a six-round women's rematch bout between Tori Nelson of Ashburn, VA and Severna Park, MD's Shelley Seivert. The two ladies fought to a four-round draw on May 8 at Du Burns. Nelson (1-0-1) won her first pro bout Saturday night defeating Rachel Clark by four-round unanimous decision in Waldorf, MD. Seivert (4-1-1, one KO) has not fought since the first meeting against Nelson.

Ferndale, MD heavyweight "The American Child" Nick Kisner returns to action on this card. The undefeated 19-year-old will face his most experienced foe to date when he takes on Wilson, NC's Maurice Winslow in a four-round contest. Kisner (6-0, four KO's) has scored knockouts in his last two outings, including a second-round TKO of Kenneth Farr on October 16 in Wilson. Winslow (3-13-1, three KO's) has been stopped in his last three bouts.

Baltimore, MD heavyweight "The Big O" Mark Orendorff also returns to action on this card when he faces the debuting Bagmankh Enkhloyer, who will make his pro debut. Orendorff (1-0) won his pro debut in a four-round split decision against fellow Baltimore boxer Riley Brooks on the May 8 Du Burns card. Brooks (0-1) will also appear on this card in a four-round bout against Baltimore veteran Lonnie Kornegay (0-3). Kornegay lost his last bout by four-round unanimous decision to Keith Barr on August 28 in Morgantown, WVA.

Frederick, MD junior middleweight Mischa Christensen also returns as he faces the debuting Josh Guerara. Christensen (1-1) hasn't fought since his tough fourth-round TKO loss to Dontre King on the May 8 Du Burns card.

There are also bouts scheduled for undefeated Baltimore boxers Devin Butcher (1-0) and Dale "Hit Hard as Hell" Robeson-El (5-0, three KO's).

Salinas Falls in Mexico Title Shot; Attah Scores Knockout in Vegas!

"The Bolivian Queen" Jennifer Salinas of Manassas, VA lost a 10-round unanimous decision to the "Aztec Princess" Jackie Nava last night in Yucatan, MX for the interim WBC Female Super Bantamweight championship.

The judges scored the bout 100-90, 99-91 and 99-90. The loss was Salinas's second straight and she is now 11-3, four KO's. Nava's record rises to 23-2, 11 KO's.

At the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Daniel "The Prophet" Attah of DC scored a surprise second-round knockout over touted prospect Marvin Quintero of Tijuana, MX. Attah landed a brutal right hand to stop Quintero at 1:55 of the second. The win breaks a three-bout losing streak for Attah and raises his record to 25-6-1, nine KO's. Quintero loses for the first time in five bouts and falls to 20-3, 16 KO's.

Mackey Defeats Rivera in Waldorf!

John "No Mercy" Mackey of Upper Marlboro, MD won by fourth-round TKO over Fluvanna, VA's George "War Time" Rivera last night at the Waldorf Jaycees Community Center in Waldorf, MD. Mackey is now 13-6-2, five KO's while Rivera is now 11-6, four KO's.

The co-feature saw Oxon Hill, MD light heavyweight Alexander "The Great" Johnson remain undefeated with a second-round TKO over Morristown, NJ's Andre Espeut. Johnson is 10-0, four KO's while Espeut is 2-3, one KO.

Ashburn, VA's Tori Nelson won a four-round unanimous decision over Rachel Clark of Fayetteville, NC. The win is Nelson's first as a pro and she is now 1-0-1. Clark falls to 5-4-1, three KO's.

Heavyweight Abodurin "Bo" Akinyanju of Springdale, MD lost a four-round split decision to veteran Kevin Howard of Montgomery, AL. Akinyanju is now 3-1, three KO's while Howard is 2-4-1.

Baltimore junior middleweight Lenwood "Mr. Composure" Dozier won a six-round unanimous decision over Mike Denby of Dover, DE. Dozier raises his record to 6-2-1, two KO's. Denby is 3-8-3, two KO's.

Fort Washington, MD light heavyweight Thomas Williams, Jr. won his long awaited pro debut defeating Dan Shull of Winchester, VA by unanimous decision. Shull is 2-12-1, one KO.

Also, Joe Cusumano of Virginia Beach, VA stopped the returning Charlemagne Jones of DC in just 44 seconds of the first round. Cusumano is now 2-0, two KO's while Jones is 2-3-1, two KO's.

The card was put together by Bobby Magruder Promotions.

Lange Wins NABA Title With Last-Minute KO!

Jimmy Lange of Great Falls, VA captured the NABA Super Welterweight title with a 10th round knockout of Richmond, VA's Joe Wyatt last night at the George Mason Universtiy Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA.

Wyatt seemed to be the aggressor throughout the contest but Lange was able to knock Wyatt down twice with counter right hands. Two judges had the fight even (85-85) going into the final round. The two warriors struggled fiercely and both were cut before Lange landed the right hand that sent Wyatt to the canvas. Referee Dr. Joe Cooper reached the count of 10 at 2:38.

Lange is now 34-4-2, 24 KO's while Wyatt is 23-2, 15 KO's.

The co-feature saw former three-time WBA Middleweight champion William Joppy and Maryland Super Middleweight champion Cory "Black Ice" Cummings battle to a spirited 10-round majority draw. The matchup featured a strong contrast in styles -- the boxing ability of Joppy against the pressure of Cummings. Both men were successful at different times throughout the contest. Judges Mike D'Antillo and Brian Costello scored the draw at 95-95 while Bill Osterman scored the bout for Joppy, 96-94.

Joppy is now 39-6-2, 30 KO's while Cummings is 17-4-1, 13 KO's.

Fairfax, VA junior welterweight Todd "White Lightning" Wilson remained undefeated with perhaps his best performance as a pro, scoring a third-round TKO over Corey "Bad Boy" Goodwin of Columbia, SC. Wilson pressured his opponent throughout the contest, ending his barrage with a series of punches that trapped Goodwin in a neutral corner and forced referee Vic DeWysocki to stop the contest at 2:24 of the third. Wilson is now 9-0, three KO's while Goodwin falls to 7-6, four KO's.

In other bouts on the card, Alexandria, VA junior middleweight Brandon Quarles survived a first-round knockdown to win a four-round unanimous decision over Lawrence Jones of Reston, VA. Quarles remains undefeated at 3-0, one KO while Jones is 3-3-1.

Zain "Tiger" Shah of Chantilly, VA won an unpopular six-round unanimous decision in a middleweight bout against Omar "The Machine" Sims of Baltimore. Many in the crowd thought Sims won the contest. Shah is 4-0, two KO's while Sims falls to 5-3, three KO's.

Jonathan Reid of Nashville, TN won a six-round unanimous decision over Baltimore's Mike McFail. Reid is now 35-13-7, 19 KO's while McFail is 12-41-2, four KO's.

Perry Ballard of Martinsburg, WV blasted Booker Mullins on Spartansburg, SC with a right hand that put Mullins down for the count at 2:54 of the first round. Ballard is 21-2-1, 16 KO's while Mullins is 3-10, two KO's.

Ice Promotions Boxing promoted the card. The matchmaker was J.D. Brown.

Here is the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up from the Patriot Center.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #234 - Report From The Patriot Center!

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I recap a solid night of boxing from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA!




We also have an interview with a very interested spectator at the card -- Harry Joe Yorgey -- who may be a future opponent for Lange.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #235 - Harry Joe Yorgey Discusses Possible Matchup With Lange!

An interesting spectator at the Patriot Center was former world champion Harry Joe Yorgey, who discussed a possible future bout with Jimmy Lange!

Weights From Waldorf and Fairfax!

Here are the scale watches for both of tomorrow's cards at the Waldorf Jaycees Community Center and the George Mason University Patriot Center:

The Waldorf card:

John Mackey 160 vs. George Rivera 158

Alexander Johnson 175 vs. Andre Espeut 177

Tori Nelson 150 vs. Rachel Clark 151 ½

Abodurin Akinyanju 283 ½ vs. Kevin Howard 269 ½

Lenwood Dozier 145 vs. Mike Denby 144

Charlemegne Jones 215 vs. Jiuseppe Cusimano 222

Thomas Williams 173 ½ vs. Dan Shull 173 1/2



The Fairfax card:

Jimmy Lange 154 vs. Joe Wyatt 151

William Joppy 169 vs. Cory Cummings 167

Todd Wilson 141 vs. Corey Goodwin 141

Perry Ballard 153 vs. Booker Mullins 151

Jonathan Reid 162 vs. Mike McFail 165

Zain Shah 159 vs. Omar Sims 163

Brandon Quarles 155 vs. Lawrence Jones 155

'White Lightning' Wilson Featured in Examiner Blog!

Undefeated Fairfax, VA welterweight Todd "White Lightning" Wilson was featured in Kevin Dunleavy's "Cheers and Jeers" blog in the Washington Examiner. The VMI grad talked about boxing and family.

Wilson (8-0, two KO's) will be in action on Saturday, November 6 at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA where he will face Corey Goodwin of Columbia, SC (7-5, four KO's0 in a six-round battle.

Here's the link:

"http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sports/blogs/Cheers-and-Jeers/Outside-of-the-box_ing_-1443244-106657048.html">

Salinas Battles Nava in Mexico for WBC Interim Title; Reid Added to Nov. 6 Fairfax Card!

Couple of changes to the ICE Promotions card on Saturday, November 6 at the George Mason University Patriot Center.

"The Bolivian Queen" Jennifer Salinas is off the card because she has a major opportunity on that same day. Salinas (11-2, four KO's) will battle "La Princesa Azteca (The Aztec Princess) Jackie Nava (22-3-2, 11 KO's) for the interim WBC Female Super Bantamweight title on November 6 in Yucatan, Mexico.

Nashville, TN's Jonathan Reid will return to the Patriot Center ring and face off against an opponent to be named later. Reid, a Contender teammate and former opponent of headliner Jimmy Lange (34-13, 19 KO's) will be trying to break an eight-bout losing streak.

Lange is slated to be a guest of The Mike Wise Show with Holden Kushner on Thursday afternoon, November 4 at 1 PM on 106,7 FM The Fan followed by an appearance on the John Thompson Show with Doc Walker on Sportstalk 980 between 2 and 4 PM. Former three-time world champion William Joppy, who will face Cory Cummings in the co-feature, will be Glenn Harris's guest on Sportstalk on TBD-TV (formerly News Channel 8) on Thursday at 8 PM.

Examiner Gives Beltway Boxing Nice Plug!

Columnist and radio show co-host Thom Loverro gives a nice plug to the Beltway Boxing scene in his Sunday column in the Washington Examiner.

Here's the link:

"http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sports/Boxing-on-life-support_-1373839-106346578.html">

Russell Remains Undefeated With Six-Round Decision in LA!

Capitol Heights, MD featherweight "Mr." Gary Russell, Jr. remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Guadalupe DeLeon at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, CA.

According to Fightnews.com's Francisco Salazar, It was all Russell (13-0, nine KOs) as he was too quick and strong with his punches. DeLeon (8-12, four KOs) attempted to fight Russell on the inside, but Russell just beat him to the punch. Russell hurt DeLeon at the end of the third round, but was not able to follow up. Although DeLeon was game, his face reddened throughout the fight due to the punches landed by Russell. All three judges scored the bout 60-54 in favor of Russell.

Russell, Jr. Weighs 127 For Club Nokia Battle!

"Mr. Gary Russell, Jr. tipped the scales at 127 pounds for his six-round main event battle against Guadalupe DeLeon tonight at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, CA. DeLeon weighed in at 126 pounds.

Fight Night Card Announced!

The boxing card has been announced for the annual Fight Night charity event on Thursday, November 11 at the Washington Hilton and Towers Hotel in DC.

In the annual "Fight For Children" title bout, Laurel, MD lightweight Ikem "The Warrior" Orji will take on undefeated Yaundale "Money Shot" Evans of Cleveland, OH. The contest is scheduled for eight rounds.

Orji (7-3, three KO's) is coming off an eight-round TKO victory over previously undefeated Brian Miller on October 2 in Verona, NY. Orji will be facing an undefeated boxer for the second straight time and the third in his last four bouts. In his previous four bouts, Orji has faced opponents with a combined record of 38-1-4. Orji scored TKO wins in two of those bouts and went the distance in the two losses.

Evans (9-0, six KO's) scored a first-round TKO over John DeJean on October 7 in Humble, TX. Evans has scored knockouts in three of his last four bouts, but this will be the first time participating in a scheduled eight-round contest.

Also on the card will be a six-round junior middleweight contest between Dwayne "Diesel" Shelton of Richmond, VA and undefeated Dante Moore of Cleveland. Shelton (2-1-1) has not fought since his four-round draw against Kendrick Walker on September 26, 2009 in Fairfax, VA. Moore (6-0-1, four KO's) also fought to a draw (six rounds) in his last outing against Corey Rodriguez on August 20 in Cleveland.

Two DC lightweights will battle in a four-round contest as Tyrone Wright (1-0) will take on Cyprian Khumalo (0-1).

Since this year's Fight Night falls on Veteran's Day, the event will have a very special "Army vs. Navy" amateur bout. Robert Watts will represent the Army while Troy Browning will represent the Navy. Both men are stationed in the Virginia Beach area -- Watts at Fort Story and Browning aboard the Supercarrier USS Bush.

Former DC Tunnel Club Hosts Boxing November 10!

A brand new local promotional company -- Pay Day Promotions -- will hold its first card on Wednesday, November 10 at the DC Star night club (formerly DC Tunnel).

The main event will be one that was originally scheduled for the cancelled October 30 card in DC -- Columbia, MD middleweight Tony "Mo Better" Jeter will take on Jose Felix of Savannah, GA in a six-round bout. Jeter (9-2-1, eight KO's) will be fighting for the first time since his technical draw against Lawrence Jones on July 10 in Fairfax, VA. Felix (10-9-2, three KO's) has lost seven bouts in a row. An even more amazing stat is that all nine losses by Felix have come by knockout.

Laurel, MD heavyweight "The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae will be in the co-feature, a six-round contest against Darrick Allen of North Carolina. McRae (8-2, four KO's) has won three in a row while Allen (2-7, two KO's) has lost two straight.

Also slated for the card will be Bedford, VA super middleweight Scott "Cujo" Sigmon as he takes on John Terry of Portsmouth, VA. Sigmon (11-2, four KO's) has won three in a row since his March 20th loss to Jessie Nicklow in Baltimore. Terry (3-17-1, one KO) lost a four-round unanimous decision to Zain Shah on July 10 in Fairfax.

A number of Beltway Boxers will make pro debuts on this card. Heavyweight Mario Flores of DC will face the finally-returning Richard McCombs of DC (1-2, one KO). McCombs, a relative of former WBC Welterweight champion Maurice Blocker, will make his return after an eight-year absence.

Also Crofton, MD heavyweight Ron Gamble will debut against DC's Kareem Wilson (0-5) and Maryland cruisers Andre Ward and Walter Tyler will debut against each other.

There are also bouts that are scheduled to feature Thomas "KO" Snow and Dale Robeson-El on this card also.

A note of full disclosure: Pay Day Promotions is run by Abe Peay, the brother of Amir Peay who heads UndisputedBrand.com, the partial sponsor of the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up Show.

November 6 Waldorf Card Shaping Up!

The Bobby Magruder Productions card on Saturday, November 6 at the Waldorf Jaycees Community Center in Waldorf, MD is shaping up nicely.

Middleweight John "No Mercy" Mackey -- now fighting out of Upper Marlboro, MD will take on George "Wartime" Rivera of Fluvanna, VA in the eight-round main event. Mackey (12-5-2, five KO's) is coming off an eight-round majority decision over previously undefeated Donald Orr on June 19 in Niagara Falls, NY. Rivera (11-5, four KO's) lost a 10-round unanimous decision to James Stevenson on March 20 in Baltimore.

The co-feature will have undefeated Oxon Hill, MD light heavyweight Alexander "The Great" Johnson (9-0, three KO's) battling Shannon Anderson of Philadelphia, PA (4-2, two KO's) in a six-round contest. Johnson won a six-round unanimous decision over William Gill on April 2 in DC. Anderson is coming off a four-round unanimous decision loss to Angel Concepcion on July 16 in Newark, NJ. Anderson made his pro debut in Glen Burnie, MD with a four-round unanimous decision over Michael Gutrick in 2004.

The undercard has also formed into shape. Undefeated Suitland, MD cruiserweight Venroy July will take on the debuting Hamid Mateen of Brooklyn, NY in a six-round contest. July (5-0-1, two KO's) won a six-round unanimous decision over DeLeon Tinsley on June 10 in Johnstown, PA. Mateen is a former New York Golden Gloves champion.

Also on the card will be Baltimore junior middleweight Lenwood "Mr. Composure" Dozier who will battle veteran Mike Denby of Dover, DE in a six-round encounter. Dozier (5-2-1, two KO's) has had tough going in his advancement from four to six-rounds. Dozier won all five of his four-round bouts but has lost two straight six-round contests. Denby (3-7-3, two KO's) has lost his last four bouts.

Undefeated Springdale, MD heavyweight prospect Abodurin "Bo" Akinyanju will take on Kevin Howard of Montgomery, AL in a four-round rematch. Akinyanju (3-0, three KO's) stopped Howard (1-4-1) in the first round in their first outing on January 31 in Fort Washington, MD. In Howard's last outing, he lost a four-round unanimous decision to Maurice Byarm on September 10 in Baltimore.

Fort Washington, MD light heavyweight Thomas Williams, Jr. will make his long-awaited pro debut on this card. The son of the former heavyweight contender will take on Dan Shull of Winchester, VA (2-11-1, one KO) in a four-round contest.

The card also marks the return of DC cruiserweight Charlemagne Jones who returns to the ring for the first time since 2000. Jones (2-2-1, two KO's) will battle Jiuseppe Cusumano of Virginia Beach, VA (1-0, one KO) in a four-round contest.

There will also be a four-round women's bout between Ashburn, VA junior middleweight Tori Nelson and Rachel Clark of Fayetteville, NC. Nelson fought Shelley Seivert to a four-round draw on May 8 in Baltimore. Clark (5-3-1, three KO's), who lost to Seivert in her pro debut in April 2009, won a six-round split decision over Adelita Irizarry on January 29 in Uncasville, CT.

DC Boxing Card Cancelled!

BATB can now confirm that the Babie Girl Productions card slated for this Saturday, October 30 at the Masonic Temple in DC has been cancelled. No official word on why the show has been called off.

There is a lot going on in the city on the 30th. The day offers Howard University's Homecoming, the two rallies on the mall featuring Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert as well as registration for the next day's Marine Corps Marathon.

However, there is amateur boxing taking place on the 30th at the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center in Palmer Park, MD beginning at 6 PM. Kentland Boxing is hosting the card.

And of course there are four cards in the first two weeks of November. There are two cards on Saturday, November 6 in Waldorf, MD and Fairfax, VA followed by two cards on back-to-back nights in DC -- Wednesday, November 10 at DC Star Nightclub (formerly DC Tunnel) and the annual Fight Night card on Thursday, November 11 at the Washington Hilton and Towers.

Taylor Brothers Win in Cockeysville!

For the first time, The Taylor Brothers -- Emmanuel and Maxell -- headlined a pro boxing card. Both brothers were victorious on the Jonathan Odgen Foundation card at Martin's Valley Mansion in Cockeysville, MD.

Emmanuel "Transformer" Taylor was in the main event and won a six-round unanimous decision over Laureano Larracuente of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. This happened despite Taylor aggravating an injury to his right hand that reportedly happened during training. Emmanuel Taylor is now 10-0, eight KO's. Larracuente is now 7-4-1, two KO's.

Maxell "The General" Taylor continued his successful comeback with a second-round stoppage of Ariel "Iron" Espinal of Brooklyn, NY. Taylor stopped Espinal at 2:02 of the second to win his second straight bout after a four-year layoff. Maxell Taylor is now 15-2-1, six KO's while Espinal falls to 8-17-3, four KO's.

In other bouts featuring locals, Alantez "Tez" Fox of Forestville, MD made his Beltway-area debut a successful one with his first pro knockout -- a first-round TKO of Dustin Parrish of Tallahassee, FL. Fox stopped his opponent at 1:53 of the first and is now 2-0, one KO. Parrish falls to 0-2.

Baltimore's Dale Robeson-El also scored a second-round TKO over Franklin Armstrong of Winston-Salem, NC. Robeson-El remains undefeated at 5-0, three KO's while Armstrong is 4-16-3, three KO's.

Also on the card, super bantamweight Leo Santa Cruz of Lincoln Heights, CA scored a first-round knockout over James Owens of Milwaukee, WI. Santa Cruz is 14-0-1, six KO's while Owens is 4-2, two KO's. In a women's bout, Carla Torres of Cleveland, OH won a four-round unanimous decision in her pro debut over Jennifer Wood of Lynchburg, VA. Wood is 1-1, one KO.

TKO Promotions handled the boxing portion of the evening. The matchmaker was "The Boxing Diva" Renee Aiken.


On behalf of my family, thank you all for the well-wishes and prayers. They are most appreciated. My daughter, Courtney, is doing better and we hope she will be home early next week. We caught the pneumonia early so it is still running its course but she is in great spirits. For those who know my family, this is my youngest daughter who has not been at many bouts, not my oldest, whom many of you have met.

Pikesville Boxing Card Postponed Until December!

BATB is hearing that the Baltimore Boxing card slated for Friday, October 23 at the Pikesville Armory has been postponed until December 11. No word on why the show was postponed.

Weights From Cockeysville, MD!

Here is the scale watch for tonight's Jonathan Odgen Foundation card at Martin's Valley Mansion in Cockeysville, MD:


Emmanuel Taylor 145.5 vs. Laureano Larracuente 148.5
Alantez Fox 153.5 vs. Dustin Parrish 152
Maxell Taylor 174 vs. Ariel Espinal 176.5
Dale Roberson-El 179.5 vs. Franklin Armstrong 176
Leo Santa Cruz 119 vs. James Owens 121
Jennifer Wood 134.5 vs. Carla Torres 129.5

A Word to BATB Readers!

Due to a family emergency, I will not be able to make the two cards that are slated for October 21 in Cockeysville, MD or the October 23rd card in Pikesville, MD. One of my daughters is battling pneumonia and is in the hospital at this hour. My wife and I have two other kids to take care of and we are alternating days to stay with my daughter in the hospital until she gets better.

I actually had another engagement that was going to prevent me from making the Pikesville card anyway, but this will overshadow that. I will do my best to provide results from both cards when my time allows, but they may be delayed in coming.

Thanks in advance for your understanding and please try to support these cards.

Kisner, Quarles Score KO Victories in North Carolina!

Undefeated Beltway Boxers "The American Child" Nick Kisner and Brandon Quarles scored knockout victories tonight in Wilson, NC.

In a cruiserweight battle, Kisner stopped Kenneth Farr of Rocky Mount, NC at 2:39 of the second round. Kisner, a native of Ferndale, MD, is now 6-0, four KO's while Farr is 0-4.

Quarles, a junior middleweight from Alexandria, VA, scored his first pro knockout stopping Michael Taylor of Wilson, NC in 39 seconds of the first. Quarles is 3-0, one KO while Taylor is 0-4.

And it should be noted that DC supermiddleweight Larry "The Gladiator" Brothers won by stoppage over Wilson's Rodney Green at the end of the second round on this card. Green suffered damage to his right shoulder and could not come out for the third round. Brothers is now 8-33-3, six KO's while Green falls to 7-6-1, two KO's.

Mitchell Wins By First Round KO!

Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell remained undefeated with a first-round knockout of Derrick Brown at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, CA. Mitchell stopped Brown with a body shot at 2:59 of the first.

Mitchell is now 19-0-1, 13 KO's while Brown falls to 13-6-3, 11 KO's.

Mitchell Weighs 243 For Indio Battle!

Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell tipped the scales at 243 pounds for his scheduled 10-round battle with Derrick Brown tonight at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, CA. Brown weighed in at 231 pounds.

Changes and Additions to October 23 Pikesville Card!

More bouts have been finalized for the Baltimore Pro Boxing card on Saturday, October 23 at the Pikesville National Guard Armory in Pikesville, MD.

Undefeated Baltimore welterweight James "Keep 'Em Sleepin'" Stevenson (13-0, 10 KO's) will take on Philip "The Mongoose" McCants of Philadelphia, PA (8-1-1, three KO's) in the six-round main event. Stevenson returns to the ring for the first time since his 10-round unanimous decision win over George Rivera on March 20 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore. McCants is coming off a four-round unanimous decision win over Tyson Schweiger on September 11, 2009 in Philadelphia.

Undefeated Baltimore cruiserweight Steve "Show Stealer" Wheeler (6-0, five KO's) will now face Akron, OH's Bob Wilder (2-3, one KO) in a six-round co-feature.

Capitol Heights, MD super featherweight Thomas "KO" Snow will be in a six-round rematch against Jason Rorie of Winston-Salem, NC. Last time, Snow (12-1, eight KO's) won a close six-round split decision over Rorie (6-8-2, three KO's) on January 29 in Glen Burnie, MD. Rorie has fought twice since then, going 1-2 in his last three bouts. Snow has not fought since the first meeting.

In another rematch, undefeated DC heavyweight Maurice "Freight Train" Byarm (9-0, six KO's) will take on Mike Miller of Akron, OH (6-18-2, three KO's) in a six-round contest. Byarm defeated Miller on December 20 by unanimous decision in Fort Washington, MD in Byarm's first six-round contest. Miller will be trying to break a five-bout losing streak that started with the loss to Byarm.

The other three bouts originally announced remain on the card (Jed Phipps vs. Ryan Shay, Nick Kisner vs. Maurice Winslow and Lonnie Kornegay vs. Riley Brooks)

Ballard Wins PAL Open Title!

D'Mitrius Ballard of Temple Hills, MD has captured the 165-pound title at the National PAL Championships in San Antonio, TX.

In a strange quirk of this tournament, Ballard defeated Kenneth McNeil of Birmingham, AL earlier this morning (around midnight central time), 17-10 to capture the crown.

Also today, Antoine Douglas of Burke, VA lost a 9-3 decision to Errol Spence of DeSoto, TX in the 152 pound championship and Jerry Odom of Bowie, MD fell in the 178-pound title bout to Marcus Browne of Staten Island, NY by a 7-6 score.

Update on October 21 Jonathan Odgen Foundation Card!

Undefeated Baltimore, MD welterweight Emmanuel "Tranzformer" Taylor will be in the main event bout at "An Evening Ringside" -- the card that will be held to benefit the Jonathan Ogden Foundation on Thursday, October 21 at Martin's Valley Mansion in Cockeysville, MD.

Taylor (9-0, eight KO's) will face Javier Perez of Ponce, Puerto Rico (7-3, five KO's) in a six-round encounter. Taylor is coming off a third-round TKO over Joey Ortega on July 31 in Charlotte, NC. This will be Perez's first bout since November of 2007 when he was stopped in the first round by Joel Torres in Guaynabo, PR.

Taylor's older brother, Maxell will also be on the card. The light heavyweight known as "The General" will take on veteran Ariel "Iron" Espinal of Brooklyn, NY in a four-round contest. Maxell Taylor (14-2-1, five KO's) returned to boxing action after a four-year absence and won a six-round unanimous decision over Francois Ambang. Espinal (8-16-3, four KO's) will be trying to break a four-bout losing streak and will be making his fourth trip to Maryland this year. This will also be Espinal's second appearance at the Ogden Foundation card. Espinal lost a six-round unanimous decision to Julius Kennedy in 2009.

Also on the card will be undefeated Baltimore light heavyweight Dale "Hit Hard as Hell" Robeson-El who will take on Frank Armstrong of Winston-Salem, NC in a four-round bout. Robeson-El (4-0, two KO's) won a four-round unanimous decision over Dan Shull on September 10 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore. On that same card, Armstrong (4-15-3, three KO's) lost a six-round unanimous decision to Andre Hemphill.

The card will also mark the Beltway debut of Forestville, MD junior middleweight Alantez "Tez" Fox. Fox made his pro debut on July 31 in York PA, winning a four-round unanimous decision over Kevin Kibler. Fox will battle Michael Suarez of Cleveland, OH (0-1) on this card.

Two more bouts are slated for this card including a matchup featuring undefeated Omaha, NE lightweight Terrence Crawford (12-0, nine KO's) as well as a ladies bout between Jennifer Wood of Lynchburg, VA (1-0, one KO) and the debuting Carla Torres of Cleveland.

TKO Promotions is handling the boxing end of this event that normally includes a silent auction of athletic-based items.

Beltway Amateurs Win Four Intermediate/Senior Titles at PAL Tourney!

Beltway Boxers captured four Intermediate or Senior titles at the National PAL Tournament in San Antonio, TX.

In the Intermediate division, Gary Antuanne Russell of Capitol Heights, MD decisioned Issac Rodriguez of San Antonio, 12-2 to win the 106 pound title.

In the Senior division, Aujee Tyler of Temple Hills, MD captured the 106 pound crown with a 13-3 victory over Brent Venegas III of Elk Grove, CA. Jalonte Cole of DC won the 114-pound title by disqualification over Samuel Villareal, Jr. of Laredo, TX. In the 119 pound class, Gervonta Davis of Baltimore, MD took the title with a 12-3 win over Cresencio Ramos, Jr. of San Antonio.

Kareem Martin of Clinton, MD lost the 138 pound title bout by a 7-6 loss to Cristino Ceballo of Brooklyn, NY. In the women's 138 pound senior title bout, Talanee Tillery of Capitol Heights lost by judge's poll to Earnestine Wesley of Garland, TX.

Two Open boxers advanced to tomorrow's final round. Antoine Douglas of Burke, VA defeated Reyes Marquez of Fountain, CO, 9-4 in the 152 pound semis. Douglas will face Errol Spence of DeSoto, TX. At 165 pounds, D'Mitrius Ballard defeated Daquan Arnett of Orlando, FL, 9-3. Ballard moves on to take on Kenneth McNeil of Birmingham, AL.

Joshua Davis of DC lost his semifinal bout at 132 pounds, falling to Kenneth Sims of Chicago, IL, 8-5. At 141 pounds, Michael Reed of Waldorf, MD lost 4-1 via paper scoring to Pedro Sosa of the Bronx, NY.

'Mayhem' Mitchell Prepares for First 10-Round Bout!

Undefeated Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell will be involved in his first scheduled 10-round bout on Friday, October 15 at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, CA.

Mitchell (18-0-1, 12 KO's) will face Derrick "D-Train" Brown of New York City (13-5-3, 11 KO's). Mitchell will be looking for his fourth straight knockout. In his last outing, Mitchell stopped Derek Bryant in the first round on July 31 in Las Vegas, NV. Brown is returning to the heavyweight ranks after spending time as a cruiserweight. Brown lost to Matt Godfrey, Jonathan Banks and Jeremiah Graziano in his last three bouts. Mitchell will be the fourth straight undefeated boxer Brown has faced.

Odom Advances to PAL Open Finals; Four More Advance to Open Semis!

Bowie, MD 178-pounder Jerry Odom has advanced to the National PAL Finals in San Antonio, TX.

Odom won his semifinal bout by pulling out a 9-9 tiebreaker victory via 22-18 punch count over Adam Willis of Milwaukee, WI. Odom will face Marcus Browne of Staten Island, NY in Saturday's finals.

Four Beltway Boxers advanced to tomorrow's semifinals. Joshua Davis of DC won his 132 pound quarterfinal bout by a 5-2 decision over Mikail Jones of Cincinnati, OH. Michael Reed of Waldorf, MD moved into the 141-pound semis by defeating Robert Easter, Jr. of Toledo, OH, 11-6. In the 152-pound bracket, Antoine Douglas of Burke, VA decisioned Terrance Jarman of LeHigh, FL, 10-1 and in the 165-pound bracket, D'Mitrius Ballard of Temple Hills, MD decisioned Shawn Johnson of Brooklyn, NY, 15-6.

In other Open competition, Christopher Lopez of DC lost a 26-16 decision to Luis Cruz of Brooklyn, NY in the 132 pound division and Ronald Gibbs of Baltimore, MD fell in the 141 pound division to Amir Iman of Albany, NY, 7-2.

Earlier today in the Intermediate competition, Gary Antuanne Russell of Capitol Heights, MD moved into the finals of the 106 pound class with a 12-5 decision over Arnold Alejandro, Jr. of Grand Prairie, TX. Russell will face Issac Rodriguez of San Antonio in the finals.

Other Intermediate action saw Jordan White of Waldorf, fall to Jimmy Serra of Paterson, NJ, 7-0 in the 80 pound division while Mack Allison of Baltimore lost a 6-0 decision Da'Reece Crawford of Kansas City, MO in the 101 pound class.

Four Beltway Boxers in the Senior division moved into tomorrow's finals. Aujee Tyler of Temple Hills won his semifinal in the 106 pound class defeating Angelo Calvillo of Sacramento, CA 12-0. Tyler will face Brent Venegas III of Elk Grove, CA. At 114 pounds, Jalonte Cole of DC defeated Robert Castro of Austin, TX 10-1. Cole will face Samuel Villareal, Jr. of Laredo, TX in the championship. Gervonta Davis of Baltimore is in the final of the 119 pound class by virtue of his stoppage win over Jarren Saldana of San Marcos, TX. Davis will take on Crescencio Ramos, Jr. in the finals. In the 138 pound class, Kareem Martin of Clinton, MD moved into the finals, defeating Israel Quintero of Houston, TX, 3-1. Martin will take on Cristino Ceballo of Brooklyn, NY in the championship bout.

In other Senior action, Lamont Roach, Jr. of Upper Marlboro, MD lost to George Naclerio of East Haven, CT, 7-2 in the 125 pound semifinals. Quan San Long of DC lost in the 154 pound class to David Mendoza of Rosharon, TX, 8-4.

Tonight's Beltway Results From the PAL Tournament!

Here are results from tonight's evening session of the National PAL Tournament in San Antonio, TX:

Open Division:

123 pounds: Antonio Magruder of DC lost to Dennis Galarza of Orlando, FL 14-6.

132 pounds: Christopher Lopez of DC defeated Divante Jones of Hephzibah, GA, 15-13.

132 pounds: Joshua Davis of DC defeated Ruben Gonzalez of Fontana, CA, 15-1

141 pounds: Ronald Gibbs of Baltimore, MD defeated Brandon Chalker of Fort Worth, TX, 16-6.

141 pounds: Michael Reed of Waldorf, MD decisioned Gary Allan Russell of Capitol Heights, MD, 12-9.

152 pounds: Antoine Douglas of Burke, VA defeated Quilsto Madera of Stockton, CA, 18-4.

165 pounds: D'Mitrius Ballard defeated Robert Espinoza of Apple Valley, CA, 6-4.

178 pounds: Jerry Odom of Bowie, MD defeated Sijuola Shabazz of Las Cruces, NM, 8-5.

Beltway Amateurs Continue to Perform Well at PALS!

During the afternoon session of Day four of the National PAL tournament in San Antonio, TX, Beltway amateurs continue their successful run in the event.

Before I give the results, let me thank Jonathan Thyng of Front Page Amateur Boxing for giving some clarity to the results.

In the male intermediate 13-14 year old division, Jordan White of Waldorf, MD won his quarterfinal bout in the 80 pound division with a 9-3 victory over Jacob Perez of Denver, CO. The 106-pound class saw Gary Antwann Russell of Capitol Heights stopped Cornelius Powell in the second round.

In the male senior 15-16 year old division, Gervonta Davis of Baltimore won his quarterfinal bout at 119 pounds, defeating Luis Castro of Edinburg, TX 8-3.

At 125 pounds, Lamont Roach, Jr. of Upper Marlboro, MD won his bout by first-round stoppage over David Walker of Austin, TX.

At 138 pounds, Kareem Martin of Clinton, MD won an 11-4 decision over Jose Alday, Jr. of Odessa, TX.

In the female open division, Tyrieshia Douglas of Baltimore lost a close 14-13 decision to former national champion Cynthia Moreno of Phoenix, AZ.

Beltway Amateurs Continue March Through PAL Tournament!

Beltway amateurs continue to progress through the National PAL Boxing tournament in San Antonio, TX.

In the 112 pound Senior Open Female division, Tyrieshia Douglas defeated Alicia Avila, 5-2.

In the Senior Open Male division at 123 pounds: Antonio Magruder won by walkover in his scheduled bout against Zach Borunda. Gary Antonio Russell lost a close bout 15-14 in that division to Michael Norato.

Gary Allan Russell won his bout at 141 pounds by third-round stoppage over Raymond Johnson. Also at 141, Michael Reed defeated Zeddie Adams, 19-8.

At 165 pounds, D'mitrius Ballard stopped his opponent, Jason Maya, in the first round.

At 178 pounds, Jerry Odom won a decision over Marquise Watson, 17-9.