Gilbert Ware, Former DC Commission Deputy Commissioner Passes!

Gilbert Ware, the long-time deputy commissioner of the District of Columbia Boxing and Wrestling Commission, passed away on December 10th after a long illness.

Mr. Ware's association with boxing was a 40-year journey that included work as a trainer, promoter, matchmaker and, eventually, a member of the DC Commission, beginning in 1986.  Mr. Ware served on the commission for 20 years, representing the city at numerous boxing conventions around the world.

Mr. Ware's Homegoing service will be on Monday, December 19th at Fort Lincoln Funeral Home located at 3401 Bladensburg Road in Brentwood, MD.  The wake will be from 9:30 to 10:30 AM with the funeral to follow.

On a personal note, Gilbert Ware is one of the reasons I am in this business to begin with.  When I started covering boxing in the late eighties, I wanted to bring more exposure to the local scene.  I pitched a concept of a television series called "Friday Night At The Fieldhouse" and Mr. Ware was my contact.  I walked into his office sight unseen.  He didn't know me from anyone.  That meeting started a long friendship that I have always cherished.  Mr. Ware would have dinners together at Red Lobster and talk about what was coming up in the area.  Mr. Ware was a remarkable man and I can't thank him enough for what he has meant to me.

My condolences to Mr. Ware's wife, Helen and their four children.

Reed Remains Undefeated With Eight-Round Unanimous Decision In Omaha; Isley Captures Elite Title In Kansas City!

Couple of other results from Saturday night's boxing action.  Waldorf, MD super lightweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Sidney Siqueira of Sao Paulo, Brazil at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, NB.  Reed won his bout by scores of 80-73 and 78-74 (twice).  Reed is now 21-0, 12 KO's and Siqueira falls to 26-12-1, 17 KO's.

In amateur action, congratulations to Troy Isley of Alexandria, VA who won the Elite 165-pound championship at the Elite and Youth National Championships and Junior Open at the KCI Expo Center in Kansas City, MO.  Isley won a 5-0 decision over Javier Martinez of Milwaukee, WI.

Also on Saturday, Amelia Moore of Greenbelt, MD lost in the finals of the Elite Female 141-pound championship to Stacia Suttles of Bronx, NY by a 4-1 decision.

Baltimore, MD's Lorenzo Simpson, who won a Youth title at 165 pounds on Friday, was named the Outstanding Male Youth Boxer of the tournament.

Nelson Captures UBF And WIBA Super Middleweight Titles With Unanimous Decision Over Napoleon!

Undefeated Ashburn VA boxer Tori "Sho Nuff" Nelson captured a 10-round unanimous decision over Alicia "The Empress" Napoleon of Lindenhurst, NY to win the vacant women's UBF and WIBA Super Middleweight championships Saturday night in front of a packed, standing-room only crowd at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.  The bout was the main event of the Ponytail Promotions/Sho Nuff Promotions card.

Napoleon took the fight to Nelson in the first two rounds and tried to overpower Nelson with an aggressive game plan.  Nelson weathered the early storm and in the third round, launched a fierce attack of her own.  Nelson kept Napoleon off balance the rest of the bout as she continually landed hooks with both hands and straight left hands.  Nelson's offense allowed her to win the contest going away.  Nelson won by scores of 99-91 and 98-92 (twice).

Nelson is now 16-0-3, one KO.  Nelson has won 12 world titles and is 10-0-1, one KO in world title bouts and has won titles in four weight divisions (welterweight, super welterweight, middleweight and super middleweight).  Napoleon loses for the first time and she is now 7-1, five KO's.

In the co-feature, Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico veteran Jose Alfredo "Torito" Rodriguez won the vacant UBF All Americas light flyweight championship with an eight-round split decision over Edwin "Puto" Rodriguez of Puerto Rico.  Jose Rodriguez stood his ground in the middle of the ring and was able to use jabs to keep Edwin Rodriguez on the outside of his punches.  Edwin was successful at times at closing the distance but could not keep up the pressure long enough to secure the win.  Edwin did capture one judge's scorecard at 78-74 but the other judges scored the card for Jose by the same score. Jose Rodriguez raises his record to 32-4, 19 KO's while Edwin Rodriguez's record drops to 8-4, five KO's.

In other bouts on the card, Leesburg, VA lightweight Eric "El Torito" Hernandez remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over veteran Roy "The Reaper" Garcia of Alice, TX. Hernandez used great hand speed to land shots to the head and body to gain a shutout victory (60-56 on all three cards).  Hernandez is now 9-0, five KO's.  Garcia falls to 3-21-1, two KO's.

Featherweight Reggie Barnett, Jr. of Chesapeake, VA scored a minor upset by winning a six-round majority decision over previously undefeated James "Too Slick" Early of Seat Pleasant, MD. Barnett forced the action on Early, who tried to confuse Barnett by continually switching from a conventional stance to the southpaw stance.  Early seemed to be more successful as a southpaw but did not stay in that stance long enough.  When Early stayed in the conventional stance, Barnett took advantage and was able to execute his offense successfully.  One judge scored the bout a draw but Barnett took the decision on the other cards, 58-56 and 57-56.  Barnett bounces back from suffering his first pro loss and is now 4-1, two KO's.  Early is now 2-1.

In another six-rounder, "The Young General" Ian Green of Paterson, NJ scored an easy first-round knockout over Kevin "The Scarecrow" Womack of Baltimore, MD.  Green used a counter right hand to drop Womack to his knees.  Womack stayed on his knees for the entire 10-count.  Green is now 11-1, nine KO's while Womack drops to 7-14-3, five KO's.

Rookie Baltimore super featherweight Mack "Papi' Allison IV scored a third-round TKO over the debuting Rodger Williams of Washington, DC.  Williams started off quickly and tried to land wide shots but Allison stayed poised and was able to land shots of his own.  Allison entered the third round for the first time in his pro career but was in complete control as he dropped Williams twice with two right hands to finish the bout at 57 seconds of the third.  Allison remains perfect at 7-0, seven KO's.

Clinton, MD lightweight Cobia "The Soldier" Breedy won a four-round unanimous decision over Nicholas Rodriguez of Somerset, KY.  Breedy, a native of Bridgetown, Barbados, dropped Rodriguez twice in the first round.  Rodriguez stayed tough in the contest but had very little offense in the contest as Breedy was able to land solid uppercuts and hooks to gain a 40-34 decision across the board.  Breedy remains undefeated at 8-0, four KO's while Rodriguez is 1-5-1,

In an all-DC super lightweight contest, Matthew "Dogo" Abregu won a four-round majority decision over Benjamin "Wildcat" Olinga.  This was a tough bout where both men had their moments.  Despite the awkwardness of Olinga, Abregu was able to land the harder shots throughout the contest as he went the distance for the first time in his young career.  One judge saw the bout as a draw, 38-38.  However, two judges saw a shutout for Abregu, 40-36.  Abregu is now 4-0, three KO's while Olinga is now 1-13.

Virginia Beach, VA middleweight Brandon "The Janitor" Pennington made a successful pro debut winning a four-round majority decision over Carlos Cruz of Ashburn, VA.  Pennington made the bout difficult for Cruz as he used a fierce body attack to help him win the contest.  Cruz did not help his cause as he did not use a jab to help his cause.  Cruz's record evens at 1-1, one KO.  One judge did score the bout even at 38-38 but the two other judges scored the contest a shutout for Pennington at 40-36.

Lightweight Roger "RB3" Belch of Hobbsville, NC scored a first-round knockout over Jakil Smiles of Wilson, NC.  Smiles was very awkward and threw himself to the canvas twice while throwing punches.  Later in the first, Belch sent Smiles to the canvas with a left hand.  Smiles stayed on the canvas for the 10-count.  Belch is now 8-0, six KO's while Smiles is 0-2.

In a cruiserweight contest, Montez Brown of Virginia Beach, VA wins a four-round majority decision over Marquice Weston of Tacoma, WA.  The 5' 10" Brown dealt well with a nine-inch height disadvantage as he was able to get inside the 6'7" Weston and land shots to Weston's chest and body. While one judge scored the bout even (38-38), two other judges scored the bout 39-37 for Brown who is now 2-0, one KO.  Weston loses his first bout and he is 7-1-1, three KO's.

Shakeem Hodge of Reading, PA won his super middleweight contest by fourth-round technical decision when the debuting Noe Lozano of Fort Pierce, FL suffered a gash along his right eye after an accidental headbutt.  Hodge was able to win the contest by scores of 39-37 (twice).  One judge scored a draw (38-38).  Hodge is now 4-0, three KO's.

The matchmaker on the card was Brian Dillon.  The ring announcer was Henry "Discombobulating" Jones.

Juan Marshall and I talked to the champion Tori Nelson after the contest.

Listen to "Tori Nelson Interview 12/11/16" on Spreaker.

Reed Weighs 142 For Eight-Rounder In Omaha; Pryor Stopped In First In

(Photo courtesy of Top Rank Boxing)

Mike Reed tipped the scales at 142 pounds for his eight-round contest against Sidney Siquiera at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, NB. Siquiera weighed in at 141.6.

Meanwhile, Frederick, MD cruiserweight Larry "Hitman" Pryor was knocked out in the first round by Samuel Clarkson of Cedar Hill, TX on Friday at the Bomb Factory in Dallas, TX.  According to Jeff Zimmerman of Fightnews.com, Clarkson took the fight to the taller Pryor landing hard shots to the head and body of Pryor. A right hook to the body dropped Pryor midway through the first round and with his fans chanting his name, Clarkson unleashed a flurry later in the round that saw Pryor hit the canvas again and the fight was over. The official time of the stoppage was 2:59 of the 1st round.

Pryor falls to 10-15, five KO's while Clarkson is now 19-3, 12 KO's.

Simpson Captures Youth Title In Kansas City!

Congratulations to Baltimore, MD's Lorenzo Simpson, who captured the Youth 165-Pound title at the Elite and Youth National Championships and Junior Open at the KCI Expo Center in Kansas City, MO on Friday.  Simpson defeated David Kiminsky of Reseda, CA by a 3-2 score to win his 10th national title.

Two other Beltway Boxers captured runner-up positions on Friday.  Edwin Angel of Capitol Heights, MD lost by second-round TKO to Daniel Blancas of Milwaukee, WI in the Junior 145-Pound championship bout.  Also, Candace Carter of Baltimore, MD lost by third-round TKO to Heaven Garcia of El Monte, CA in the 112-pound Youth Female title match.

Two more locals will have opportunities to win titles in the Elite Division on the final day of competition today.  Greenbelt, MD's Amelia Moore advanced to the finals of the female 141-pound bracket with a 5-0 decision win over Kim Putzier of St. Cloud, MN.  Moore will face Stacia Suttles of Bronx, NY in the finals.  Troy Isley of Alexandria, VA will also try for a title when he takes on Javier Martinez of Milwaukee, WI in the 165 Pound championship.  Isley moved into the final by defeating Austin Williams of Fresno, TX by a 5-0 score on Friday.

Weights From Springfield, VA!

Here is the scalewatch for the Ponytail Promotions/Sho Nuff Promotions card that will take place tonight at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA:

Vacant UBF/WIBA Super Middleweight Championship

Tori Nelson 162 vs. Alicia Napoleon 157 1/2

Vacant UBF Super Flyweight Championship

Jose Alfredo Rodriguez 115 vs. Edwin Rodriguez 116


Ian Green 163 vs. Kevin Womack, Jr. 157

James Early 127 vs. Reggie Barnett, Jr. 128

Eric Hernandez 135 vs. Roy Garcia 135

Matthew Abregu 138 vs. Benjamin Olinga 141

Mack Allison IV 129 vs. Rodger Williams 130

Carlos Cruz 164 vs. Brandon Pennington 164

Roger Belch 135 vs. Jalik Smiles 132

Seth Billups 138 vs. Joshua Davis 145

Shakeem Lodge 166 vs. Noe Lozano 165

Marquice Weston 197 vs. Montez Brown 195

Cobia Breedy 129 vs. Nicholas Rodriguez 130

The Boxing Along The Beltway Google App For Android will have the call of the entire card beginning at 5:55 PM ET.  IOS listeners can hear the call on the Boxing Along The Beltway pages on Spreaker.com and Iheartradio.com.

Beltway Amateurs Continue To Compete In Kansas City!

On the third day of competition at the Elite and Youth National Champioships and Junior Open at the KCI Expo Center in Kansas City, Missouri, Beltway amateurs continue to be successful.

In the Junior Division, Deric Davis of Washington, DC advanced to the next round with a 4-1 decision over Garrett Rice of Flint, MI.  Also, Stacey Selby of DC moved closer to a championship winning a 4-1 decision over Aaron Aponte of Hialeah, FL.

At 125 pounds, Maximus Garland of Waldorf, MD lost a 5-0 decision to Joricksen Galiza of Waianae, Hawaii while Michael Tymas of DC was stopped in the third round by Ralph Clemente of Ronkonkoma, NY in a 165-pound contest.

In the Youth Division, Lorenzo Simpson of Baltimore, MD scored a first-round TKO over Isaac Ingram of Palatka, FL at 165 pounds.

Alexandria, VA's Troy Isley won his 165-pound bout in the Elite Division with a 4-1 decision over Joeshon James of Dixon, CA.

Beltway Amateurs Competing In Elite And Youth National Championships And Junior Open In Kansas City!

A number of Beltway amateurs are competing at the 2016 Elite and Youth National Championships and Junior Open tournament this week at the KCI Expo Center in Kansas City, MO.  Here are results from Tuesday's action:

In the Junior Open, Deric Davis of Washington, DC advanced to the next round in the 114 Pound class with a 3-2 decision over Steve Johnson of East Palo Alto, CA.

In the Junior 125-pound class, Maximus Garland of Waldorf, MD won by a 3-2 score over Derek Cintron of The Bronx, NY.

Stacey Selby of DC scored a TKO in his bout over Roberto Gomez in the 132 Pound division.

In the Youth Division, Kevon Cooke of DC lost by TKO to Jorge Carlos of Olate, KS in the 108 Pound division while Malik Warren of Baltimore, MD lost a 4-1 decision to Mario Ramos of San Diego, CA.  At 165 pounds, Lorenzo Simpson of Baltimore won a 5-0 decision over Noah Jones of Rowlett, TX but Nasheed Smith of DC lost his 165-pound encounter to Tyler Tomlin of Ashland City, TN by a 4-1 decision.

The Elite Division saw Jaqueem Hutcherson of Temple Hills, MD drop a 5-0 decision to Edward Richardson of Baton Rouge, LA at 123 pounds.  Troy Isley of Alexandria, VA won his 165-pound bout by walkover.

Beltway Boxer Looks For Financial Assistance For Cancer Treatment!

A local boxer is in need of financial assistance as he faces a battle much tougher than in the ring.  Boxer Renaldo "Misunderstood" Gaines was recently diagnosed with a non-small cell form of lung cancer.  There is a GoFundMe account where you can donate whatever you can to help pay the medical expenses.  Please give whatever you can.  Thank you.  You can click on this link to donate.

https://www.gofundme.com/nardomisunderstood

Reed, Johns Have December 10 Out-Of-Town Dates!

Saturday, December 10 will be a very busy day for Beltway Boxers.  Not only do we have the Ponytail Promotions card at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA, we also have two locals who have interesting bouts out of town.

Undefeated Waldorf, MD super lightweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed returns to action in a scheduled eight-round contest against Sidney Siqueira of Sao Paulo, Brazil at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, NB.  Reed (20-0, 12 KO's) is coming off a sixth-round TKO over Aaron Herrera on October 14 in Philadelphia, PA.  Reed makes his second trip to Omaha -- he scored a sixth-round TKO over Oscar Valenzuela in November of 2014.  Siqueira (26-11-1, 17 KO's) has not fought since losing a 10-round unanimous decision to undefeated Jose Benavidez almost a year ago on December 12 in Tuscon, AZ.  Siqueira will be trying to break a three-bout losing streak.

This bout will be on the undercard of Terrence Crawford's WBC/WBO Super Lightweight title defense against John Molina, Jr.

Meanwhile, Fort Washington, MD featherweight Marq "Monster" Johns will battle undefeated Leroy Davila of New Brunswick, NJ in a four-round contest at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA.  The bout will be a homecoming for Johns (7-1-1, six KO's) who is originally from Philadelphia.  Johns last fought on April 9 and stopped Alan Beeman in the third round in Springfield, VA.  Davila (4-0, two KO's) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision over Damon Simon on November 11 at the 2300 Arena.  Davila was a member of the USA National Amateur Team in 2014.

Other Bouts Slated For December 10th Springfield Card!

There are other bouts that have been signed for the Ponytail Promotions card on Saturday, December 10th at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.  That's the card where Tori Nelson will challenge Alicia Napoleon for the vacant WIBA and UBF Super Middleweight championship.

In a six-round lightweight contest, Eric "El Torito" Hernandez of Leesburg, VA will battle veteran Roy Garcia of Alice, TX. Hernandez (8-0, five KO's) stopped Arthur McCrow in the first round in his last outing on June 11 at the ABC Sports Complex.  Garcia (3-20-1, two KO's) will be trying to break a nine-bout losing streak.  Garcia has gone the distance in eight of those nine bouts.

In another six-rounder, Seat Pleasant, MD featherweight James "Too Slick" Early will take on Reggie Barnett, Jr. of Chesapeake, VA.  Early (2-0) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision over Tyshae Ferguson on May 14 in Timonium, MD.  Barnett (3-1, two KO's) will try to bounce back from suffering his first loss in a four-round unanimous decision to Gerald Tucker on the June 11th card in Springfield, VA.

Also, Centreville, VA middleweight Zain "Tiger" Shah has a tough opponent in front of him when he faces "The Young General" Ian Green of Paterson, NJ in a six-round bout.  Shah (6-3, three KO's) has not fought since he broke a three-bout losing streak with a six-round unanimous decision win over Ryan Davis in October of 2015 in Washington, DC.  Green (10-1, eight KO's) scored a second-round TKO over previously undefeated Khiary Gray Pitts on July 22 in Mashantucket, CT.  Green is making his fourth trip to the ABC Sports Complex where he has scored knockouts in his previous three contests.

In four-round contests, undefeated Clinton, MD lightweight Cobia "The Soldier" Breedy will battle Nick Rodriguez of Somerset, KY.  Breedy (7-0, four KO's) won back-to-back four-round unanimous decisions over Stephon McIntyre at the ABC Sports Complex in April and June of this year.  Rodriguez (1-4-1) won his first pro contest in his last bout as he captured a six-round majority decision over Ryan Raglin on April 29 in Indianapolis, IN.

In an all-DC welterweight contest, Matthew Abregu will face off with Benjamin "Wildcat" Olinga in a four-round contest.  Abregu (3-0, three KO's) scored a second-round TKO over Alan Beeman on the June 11 card at the ABC Sports Complex.  Olinga (1-12) last fought on April 9 at the ABC Sports Complex and was stopped in the sixth round by Drayvontay Speed-Rawls.  Olinga will face a fellow Beltway Boxer for the 13th time in his 14-bout career.

Other bouts to be announced.

Nelson To Battle Napoleon For Vacant UBF And WIBA Super Middleweight Titles December 10 In Springfield, VA!

Undefeated multi-time, multi-division world champion Tori "Sho Nuff" Nelson of Ashburn, VA will try for yet another world title when she faces equally undefeated Alicia "The Empress" Napoleon of Lindenhurst, NY in a 10-round battle for the vacant UBF and WIBA Super Middleweight championships on Saturday, December 10 at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.  The card is promoted by Ponytail Promotions.

Nelson (15-0-3, one KO) has won titles in the welterweight, super welterweight and middleweight divisions.  The two-time Beltway Boxer of the Year will participate in her 13th world title bout.  Nelson competes for the first time since winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Kita Watkins for the vacant UBF Middleweight title in June of 2015 in Woodlawn, MD.

Napoleon (7-0, five KO's) has won the WBC Silver Super Welterweight title, capturing a 10-round unanimous decision over Szilvia Szabados on January 29 in Queens, NY.  Napoleon's last bout was also against Watkins.  Napoleon won a six-round unanimous decision over Watkins on July 22 in Queens.

We will talk about other bouts on the card in another post.  The card will be broadcast live over the Boxing Along The Beltway Google App For Android.

Kisner Captures NABA-USA Title In Columbus!

Congratulations to Baltimore, MD cruiserweight "Slick" Nick Kisner who won the vacant NABA-USA Cruiserweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Brian Holstein of Westerville, OH Wednesday at the Horseshoe Casino in Columbus, OH.  No details on the scores.

The win is Kisner's first major regional title and raises his record to 18-3-1, six KO's.  Holstein falls to 12-5-1, seven KO's.

Crews-Dezurn Drops Pro Debut To Shields In Las Vegas!

Baltimore, MD super middleweight"The Heavy-Hitting Diva" Franchon Crews-Dezurn lost her pro debut to equally-debuting, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa "T-Rex" Shields by four-round unanimous decision Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

According to Fightnews.com's David Robinett and Miguel Maravilla,  Crews, the 2015 U.S. national champion at light heavyweight and Olympic alternate, came out guns blazing at the opening bell, forcing Shields into a shootout when it was clear Shields wanted to try and box. But each time Shields tried to get into a rhythm behind her jab, Crews would swing away, forcing Shields to do the same. Shields’ class began to show though in round three, as Crews began to tire and Shields starting landing accurate big right hands before backing away and resetting her offense. It was more of the same by Shields in round four.  Shields would win by shutout (40-36) on all judge's cards.

Sigmon Drops Eight-Round Unanimous Decision In Florida!

Lynchburg, VA supermiddleweight Scott "Cujo" Sigmon dropped an eight-round unanimous decision to former world title contender Matt Korobov of St. Petersburg, FL tonight at the Osceola Heritage Center in Kissimmee, Florida.

Korobov won by shutout across the board, 80-72.  Sigmon's record drops to 27-10-1, 15 KO's while Korobov is now 27-1, 14 KO's.

Crews-Dezurn Weighs 168 Pounds For Four-Round Debut Against Olympic Gold Medalist Shields Saturday In Las Vegas!

Franchon Crews-Dezurn weighed in at 168 pounds for her four-round professional debut Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.  Her opponent, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa Shields (who is also making her pro debut) tipped the scales at 167 pounds.

The bout will be shown on HBO Boxing's YouTube Channel. The undercard is slated to begin at 7 PM ET.

Sigmon Weighs 162.8 For 10-Round Bout In Florida!

Scott Sigmon tipped the scales at 162.8 pounds for his 10-round contest against Matt Korobov tonight at the Osceola Heritage Center in Kissimmee, FL.  The card is scheduled to be televised on UniMas.  Korobov weighed 162.6.

Sigmon, from Lynchburg, VA (27-9-1, 15 KO's) is coming off a fourth-round TKO over Jeremy Broadwine on September 10 in Salem, VA.  Korobov, a native of Orotukan, Russia now competing out of St. Petersburg, FL(26-1, 14 KO's), last fought on June 25 and won an eight-round unanimous decision over Brian Vera in Dallas, TX.  Korobov's only loss came in an opportunity for the WBO Middleweight title in December of 2014 when he faced Andy Lee in Las Vegas, NV.  Korobov was stopped in the sixth round.

'Rock' Payne Funeral Services Have Changed!

The funeral services for Gerry "Rock" Payne have changed. The services will still take place on Friday, however the location and time has changed.

The services will now take place at Berean Baptist Church, located at 924 Madison Street in Northwest Washington.  The wake will begin at 2 PM and the service will start at 4 PM.

'Tank' Davis To Receive IBF Super Featherweight Title Shot January 14 In New York!

ESPN.com's Dan Rafael is reporting that undefeated Baltimore, MD super featherweight contender Gervonta "Tank" Davis is slated to receive a world title shot in January.

Davis will face undefeated IBF Super Featherweight champion Jose "Sniper" Pedraza of Cidra, Puerto Rico on Saturday, January 14.  Right now, the bout will take place at the Barclays Center in
Brooklyn, NY as one of the co-features to the super middleweight unification world title bout between WBC champ Badou Jack and IBF titleholder James DeGale. However, the site is contingent on whether the co-promoters of the card --Mayweather Promotions and DiBella Entertainment -- can secure an insurance policy approved by the New York State Athletic Commission that conforms to the recently implemented law that changed insurance standards for combat sports in the state. So far, there is no policy available to boxing promoters to buy so they can put on a boxing card in New York, which has not hosted a professional boxing event since Aug. 21.

Davis (16-0, 15 KO's) last fought on June 6 and scored a first-round TKO over Mario Antonio Macias in Hollywood, FL. Davis is unranked by the IBF but is ranked ninth by the WBA. Pedraza (22-0, 12 KO's) secured an exemption from the IBF to fight Davis instead of his mandatory challenger, Liam Walsh of England.  Pedraza will be making the third defense of his title that he won by decision over Andrey Klimov in June of 2015 in Birmingham, AL.

Reeves Captures USBO Light Heavyweight Title With Second-Round KO In Baltimore!

Baltimore, MD light heavyweight Travis "Seveer" Reeves won the vacant USBO Light Heavyweight championship with a stunning second-round knockout of previously undefeated Aaron "Quiet Storm" Quattrochi of Follansbee, WVA in front of a packed house at the Coppermine Du Burns Arena in Baltimore.  The bout was the main event of the Shawstyle Promotions/Shabazz Brothers card.

After a feeling-out first round, Reeves, who dropped down from cruiserweight, jumped on Quattrochi early in the second round and landed crushing lefts and rights that dropped Quattrochi to the canvas.  Referee Kenny Chevalier waived the bout off at 1:06 of the second round.

Reeves has won his last 10 bouts and has knocked out his last four opponents.  Reeves is now 13-2-2, seven KO's. Quattrochi falls to 10-1-1, five KO's.

In the co-feature, Baltimore middleweight Stephen "The Surgeon" Morris won a four-round majority decision over the debuting Gregory "Glizzy" Clark of Washington, DC. Morris started the bout off very quickly as he tried to rush Clark.  However, the native of the Nation's Capitol held off the Charm City charge and stayed strong in the contest, having a solid second round. Morris was slightly more active in the second half of the contest and got the victory.  Judges John Gradowski and Paul Wallace saw the bout for Morris 39-37 while judge Brent Bovell scored the bout a draw at 38-38. Morris goes the distance for the first time in his young pro career and he is now 4-0, three KO's.

Randallstown, MD middleweight Jeffrey "The Gladiator" McCalla scored a third-round TKO over veteran Jose Valderrama of Manati, Puerto Rico.  McCalla was very aggressive in the first round landing left hands to the body and rights to the head.  Two right hands to the body dropped Valderrama twice in the first round.

However, in the second round, Valderrama was able to land a solid right hand of his own that nearly dropped McCalla.  The Maryland native was able to stay on his feet and get out of the round.  In the third, McCalla ramped up his aggressiveness and the right hand came into play again as he landed crushing shots to the body and the head that forced referee Brent Bovell to stop the contest at 1:22.  McCalla remains perfect at 4-0, four KO's while Valderrama drops to 5-17, three KO's.

In an all-Maryland light heavyweight contest, Devin Butcher of Baltimore won a four-round unanimous decision over Eric "The Immortal" Govan of Germantown.  Govan started off very quickly in the first round as he landed a long left jab. However, Butcher was able to get inside Govan's jab throughout the contest and score with shots inside.  Butcher stayed in control for the bulk of the contest until midway through the fourth round when Govan landed a stunning right hand that dropped Butcher to the canvas.  Butcher was able to hang on to win the contest by scores of 38-37 across the board.

Butcher raises his record to 6-1, three KO's while Govan drops to 5-2, three KO's.

In other bouts on the card, lightweight Gaybatulla Gadzhialiyev of Brooklyn, NY by way of Derbent, Russia won a six-round unanimous decision over a very tough Moises Delgadillo of Guadalajara, Mexico.  Gadzhialiyev hit Delgadillo with seemingly every punch in the book. Gadzhialiyev landed multi-punch combinations on numerous occasions but Delgadillo stayed in the fire throughout the bout.  Gadzhialiyev lost a point in the fifth round from referee Dave Braslow for a low blow but was in no danger of losing the contest. Gadzhialiyev won the bout by scores of 58-55 and 59-54 (twice). Gadzhialiyev is now 3-0 while Delgadillo is 16-17-2, nine KO's.

Debuting welterweight Valdemir Pierre of New York City won a four-round split decision over equally debuting Jonathan Baxter of Washington, DC.  Baxter started off quickly but his output faded in the second half of the round.  Pierre took control of the contest and went on to the victory.  Judge John Gradowski scored the bout for Baxter, 39-37 while judges Paul Wallace and Kenny Chevalier scored the bout the same for Pierre.

Las Vegas, NV middleweight Taylor Paige made a crushing pro debut with a first-round TKO of Charles Carroll of the Bronx, NY who was making his pro debut as well.  Paige landed a right hand to the body followed by a left-right combination to the head to drop Carroll.  Referee Chevalier stopped the contest at 1:05.

In the opening contest, heavyweight Ruslan Shamalov of Brooklyn, NY by way of Cherkessk, Russia scored a second-round TKO over Rex Harris of Wilkes-Barre, PA.  Shamalov landed thunderous right hands to Harris's head late in the second round.  Harris never went down but the damage was bad enough to force referee Brent Bovell to stop the bout at 2:58 of the round.  Shamalov is now 2-0, two KO's.  Harris drops to 3-4-2, two KO's.

The matchmaker for the card was "The Boxing Diva" Renee Aiken.  The ring announcer was DC Boxing Hall of Famer Henry "Discombobulating" Jones.

Hurd Remains Undefeated With Sixth-Round TKO Over Dan In Philadelphia!

(Photos by Kent Green)

Accokeek, MD super welterweight "Swift" Jarrett Hurd continued his streak of impressive victories with a sixth-round TKO of former world title contender Jo Jo Dan of Montreal, Quebec, Canada Saturday night at the Temple University Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA.  The bout was televised nationally by Spike TV.

Hurd never knocked Dan down but he battered Dan throughout the bout, eventually forcing the Romanian-born boxer's corner to ask referee Benjy Esteves, Jr. to stop the bout at 1:06 of the sixth round.

Hurd is now 19-0, 13 KO's while Dan falls to 35-4, 18 KO's. Hurd has knocked out his last five opponents, who had a combined won-loss record of 93-14-5.  Four of those opponents were undefeated when they faced Hurd.

Broadcasting Live From Du Burns Tonight!

Just a reminder:  We will be broadcasting live from the Coppermine Du Burns Arena in Baltimore, MD tonight from the Shawstyle Promotions/Shabazz Brothers card.

I am now hearing that the card will not begin before 7 PM ET so we will be on the air at 6:55 PM ET. You can hear the card by downloading the free Boxing Along The Beltway Google App For Android.

IOS users can hear the card by going to these links:  http://www.spreaker.com/show/boxing_along_the_beltway

http://www.iheart.com/show/Boxing-Along-The-Beltway/

Hawkins Wins Unanimous Decision In Iowa!

Baltimore, MD welterweight Malik "Iceman" Hawkins won a six-round unanimous decision over veteran Antonio Chaves Fernandez of Brockton, MA early Saturday morning at the WinnVegas Casino Resort in Sloan, IA.

Hawkins remains undefeated at 10-0, seven KO's. Fernandez's record drops to 7-29-4, two KO's.

Odom Suffers Upset; Dozier Loses Unanimous Decision In Philadelphia!

Tough night for Beltway Boxers at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA tonight.

Bowie, MD super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom took a huge step backwards in his career as he was stopped in the fifth round by Taneal "Spider" Goyco of Philadelphia.

According to John DiSanto of Fightnews.com/Philly Boxing History, Odom fought very well in the first two rounds but could not keep the always-in your face-Goyco off of him. Goyco hammered Odom and almost stopped him in the fifth round.  The bout was stopped at the end of the fifth round.

Odom's record drops to 14-3-1, 13 KO's while Goyco evens his record at 9-9-1, three KO's.  Goyco is 3-1 against Beltway Boxers.

Also on the card, Suitland, MD super welterweight Lenwood "Mr. Composure" Dozier lost a six-round unanimous decision to Hurshiddek Nomatov of Brooklyn, NY by way of Uzbekistan.  Dozier lost by shutout (60-54) across the board. Dozier is now 10-14-2, five KO's while Nomatov is 3-0, one KO.

Hurd, Dan Weigh 153 For Nationally-Televised 10-Rounder In Philadelphia!

(Photo by Kent Green)

Both Jarrett Hurd and Jo Jo Dan weighed 153.1 pounds for their 10-round contest Saturday night at the Temple University Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA.

The bout will be shown on Spike TV.  The telecast begins at 9 PM ET.

Hawkins, Odom Hits Scales In Iowa and Pennsylvania!

Malik Hawkins and Jerry Odom weighed in for their bouts tonight.

Hawkins tipped the scales at 147.8 pounds for his six-round contest against Antonio C. Fernandez at the WinnVegas Casino Resort in Sloan, IA.  Fernandez came in at 146 pounds.  The bout will be shown on the CBS Sports Network early Saturday morning at 12:30 AM ET.

Odom weighed in at 167 1/2 pounds for his eight-round bout against Taneal Goyco at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA.
Goyco came in at 169.

Also on this card will be Suitland, MD super welterweight Lenwood Dozier who will take on Hurshidbek Normatov of Brooklyn, NY by way of Uzbekistan in a six-round contest. Dozier (10-13-2, five KO's) weighed in at 152.6 pounds while Normatov (2-0, one KO) came in at 155.2 pounds.

Services For 'Rock' Payne Announced!

The funeral services for former Beltway Boxer Gerry "Rock" Payne will be on Friday, November 18 at Mt. Airy Baptist Church located at 1100 N Capitol St NW. The Viewing will begin at 10 AM  followed by the Service that starts at noon.

Reeves To Challenge Quattrochi In Title Bout Saturday In Baltimore!

Baltimore, MD light heavyweight Travis "Seveer" Reeves has an opponent for his main event contest on Saturday, November 12 at the Coppermine Du Burns Arena in Baltimore.  

Reeves (12-2-2, six KO's) will face undefeated Aaron Quattrochi of Follansbee, WVA (10-0-1, five KO's)  in a 10 round bout for the vacant USBO (United States Boxing Organization) Light Heavyweight title.  Reeves drops down from cruiserweight for this contest, winning the Maryland State cruiser title in his last outing on May 14 in Timonium, MD.  Reeves scored an eighth-round TKO over Larry Pryor.  Quattrochi comes off a second-round TKO over Mickey Scarborough on July 29 in Wheeling, WVA.  Quattrochi is the current West Virginia Light Heavyweight champion.

Amateur Card In Glen Burnie Honors Cancer Patient, Baltimore Boxing Great!

Baltimore Boxing Club will have another amateur card that will take place on Thursday, November 10 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.

The card will raise money for the medical bills for eight-year-old Nicholas Tasker, who is battling a rare form of abdominal cancer.  The Tasker family resold the tickets and kept 100% of the money to help offset his medical bills. To further assist on fight night, Baltimore Boxing is hosting a 50/50 raffle and silent auction.

The card also honors the memory of the late Baltimore heavyweight "The American Dream" Mike Dietrich, who passed away in March of 2010 suddenly at the age of 26.  Tasker will receive the Mike Dietrich American Dream Award from Baltimore Boxing’s Steve Wheeler.

Headlining the card is a heavyweight title match between Baltimore-area heavyweights “Dangerous” Dallas Butts and Brian “Bam Bam” Haneschlager. The two previously met in an intense match, with Butts taking a competitive decision.  Tickets begin at $25 for the event.

Big Bouts For Beltway Boxers In November!

A number of Beltway Boxers are slated to have some important bouts this month.  Here is the current schedule:

On Thursday, November 10, Burke, VA middleweight Antoine "Action" Douglas will look to bounce back from suffering his first loss when he takes on veteran Ernesto "Gatti" Berrospe of Guadalajara, Mexico during the 26th annual Fight Night Fight For Children at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC.

Douglas (19-1-1, 13 KO's) lost by tenth-round TKO to Avtandil Khurtsidze on March 5 in Bethlehem, PA.  This will be Douglas's second appearance at Fight Night -- Douglas won a six-round unanimous decision over Don Mouton in 2014.  Berrospe (11-9, six KO's) will face a Beltway Boxer for the second consecutive time.  Berrospe lost to D'Mitrius Ballard by first-round knockout on June 11 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Two locals will be in action on Friday, November 11.  Bowie, MD super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom will battle the always-tough Taneal "Spider" Goyco of Philadelphia, PA in an eight-round encounter at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

Odom (14-2-1, 13 KO's) broke a two-bout winless streak with an impressive third-round TKO over Julius Jackson on July 22 in Mashantucket, CT.  Goyco may have an under .500 record (8-9-1, three KO's) but he has given Beltway Boxers trouble in the past.  Goyco has wins over Devin Butcher and Jeremy Trussell and suffered a tough stoppage loss to Demond Nicholson.  In his last outing, Goyco lost an eight-round unanimous decision to Tony Hirsch on June 11 in Oakland, CA.

At the WinnaVegas Casino and Resort in Sloan, IA, undefeated Baltimore, MD welterweight Malik "Iceman" Hawkins will compete in a six-round matchup against veteran Antonio Chaves Fernandez of Brockton, MA.  The bout is scheduled to be shown on the CBS Sports Network.

Hawkins (9-0, seven KO's) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision win over Sean Gee on August 5 in Temecula, CA.  Fernandez (7-28-4, two KO's) will be trying to break a seven-bout winless streak with five of those opponents were undefeated.

Then on Saturday, November 12, world-rated super welterweight "Swift" Jarrett Hurd of Accokeek, MD will battle former world title contender Jo Jo Dan of Montreal, Quebec, Canada by way of Romania in a 10-round bout at the Liacouras Center at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. The bout will be shown on Spike TV.

Hurd (18-0, 12 KO's) is ranked number 15 by the WBC, eighth by the WBA and seventh by the IBF and is coming off a 10th-round TKO over previously undefeated Oscar Molina on June 25 in Brooklyn, NY.  The win was Hurd's third straight victory over an undefeated foe.

Dan is not undefeated (35-3, 18 KO's) but he will be the most experienced foe Hurd has faced in his career.  Dan has won a number of regional titles and challenged Kell Brook for the IBF Welterweight title in March of 2015 in Sheffield, England.  Dan was stopped in the fourth round.  In his first bout since the title bout loss, Dan won an eight-round unanimous decision over Rafal Jackiewicz in September of 2015 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Arguably the most intriguing bout of the month involves Beltway female "The Heavy Hitting Diva" Franchon Crews who will make her professional debut at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV on Saturday, November 19.  The opponent for Crews, however, will be considered the real star of the bout as the opponent is none other than two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa "T-Rex" Shields of Flint, MI who will also be making her pro debut.

To say these two know each other is a vast understatement. They battled each other all through the amateurs.  In fact, Shields defeated Crews during the Olympic trials in 2012 to advance to the London Olympics and win her first gold medal. The win, at that time, was considered a huge upset as Shields was just 18 years old at the time.  Crews leaves the amateurs with an impressive resume as she was an eight-time national champion in three weight classes.

The bout will be shown online on HBO Boxing's Youtube Channel.

The month closes with a title bout for Baltimore, MD cruiserweight "Slick" Nick Kisner who will take on Brian Holstein of Westerville, OH for the vacant NABA-USA Cruiserweight Championship on Wednesday, November 23 at the Hollywood Casino in Columbus, OH.  Kisner (17-3-1, six KO's) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision over Steven Tyner on July 16 in Erie, PA.  Holstein (12-4-1, seven KO's) last fought on August 27 and won an eight-round unanimous decision over Jeff Page, Jr. in Columbus.

All of these bouts make for an entire month which also includes the Shawstyle Promotions/Shabazz Brothers card at the Coppermine Du Burns Arena in Baltimore on Saturday, November 12.  We will update that card later this week.

Fox Decimates Rodriguez At Rosecroft!

Undefeated Forestville, MD super lightweight Mykal "The Professor" Fox delivered a technical beating to Haymarket, VA's Juan "The Savior" Rodriguez en route to a seventh-round TKO in front of a packed crowd at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.  The bout was the main event of the Kings Promotions card.

Fox, a Kings Promotions signee, started the onslaught early by landing a brutal left uppercut in the first round that bloodied Rodriguez's nose. Rodriguez gamely fought on in the contest but had no answer for the taller Fox's height and reach.  The 6'4" Fox's right jab battered Rodriguez and dropped him in the third round.  Fox continued to beat Rodriguez, causing cuts around both eyes to add to the bloody nose.  Finally in the seventh round, referee Kenny Chevalier called a halt to the bout.  The stoppage came at 2:00 of the round.   Fox is now 12-0, four KO's and Rodriguez falls to 6-6-1, five KO's.

In the co-feature, Luther "Lights Out" Smith of Bowie, MD made his cruiserweight debut in grand fashion scoring a first-round TKO over "Fly" Mike Marshall of the Bronx, NY.

Smith, who previously fought as a heavyweight, landed some crushing shots on Marshall, dropping him twice.  The second knockdown sent Marshall to the canvas face first.  EMT's and ringside physicians rushed the ring to check on Marshall as referee Brent Bovell immediately stopped the bout at 2:55.   Marshall recovered from the knockout and after the bout, gave a classy speech to the crowd. Smith's record rises to 6-1, five KO's.  Marshall loses for the first time and is now 3-1, three KO's.

DC featherweight Jordan "Shortdog" White fought won of the better local bouts of 2016 winning a six-round unanimous decision over a very game Jose Elizondo of Monterrey, Mexico.  White was able to knock Elizondo down twice in the first two rounds. The first knockdown happened with less than 10 seconds in the first round while the second happened in the second round as White landed a punch while Elizondo seemed to lose his footing.  From that point on, the two men battled fiercely for the remainder of the contest.  White won the bout by scores of 57-55 (twice) and 58-55.

White, participating in his first six-rounder, raised his record to 4-0, three KO's.  Elizondo also competing in a six-round contest for the first time, falls to 2-2.

Undefeated Kings Promotions signee "The Puerto Rican Sensation" Kent Cruz of Austin, TX by way of St. Louis, MO scored a fourth-round TKO over Darius "I Am King" Ervin of Ventura, CA by way of Charlotte, NC.  Cruz struggled early to get his distance against Ervin but midway through the fourth round, Cruz landed a right-left combination that sent Ervin to the canvas.  Moments later, Cruz sent another right hand that dropped Ervin for the final time.  The bout was stopped at 2:15.

Cruz is now 12-0, seven KO's while Ervin loses for the first time and he is 3-1.

Debuting Bowie, MD super lightweight "The Money Man" Greg Outlaw won a four-round unanimous decision over Lamont White of Waldorf, MD.  Outlaw won by shutout (40-36) on all three cards despite dealing with a somewhat awkward opponent.  White falls to 0-5.

Accokeek, MD super welterweight "Slick" Justin Hurd made a successful pro debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Hector "Maravilla" Mercado of Veracruz, Mexico.  Hurd, the younger brother of world-rated super welterweight "Swift" Jarrett Hurd, had some difficulty landing punches on the more-experienced Mercado, who had 10 bouts on his resume.  Mercado, however, had very little offensive at all and Hurd had just enough offense to get the win by scores of 40-37 and 39-37 (twice).  Mercado falls to 2-10.

Kings Promotions signee Marcus "Dreamcrusher" Bates of Washington, DC stopped a tough Francisco "The Cisco Kid" Muro of Tuscon, AZ in the sixth round of a super bantamweight contest.  Bates broke Muro down throughout the contest, dropping Muro twice in the fourth round, once in the fifth and once in the sixth before the bout was stopped at 2:30.  Bates remains undefeated at 5-0-1, five KO's while Muro drops to 3-4.

The curtain-raising contest saw middleweight Patrick "New Era" Rivera of Edgewood, MD win a four-round decision over Hakeem Atkinson of Atlanta, GA.  Rivera used good offensive skills but got caught at teams by the awkward style of Atkinson.  Rivera managed to get the victory.  The scores for the contest were not announced.  Rivera raises his record to 2-0, one KO.  Atkinson falls to 2-6, one KO.

Here is the post-fight wrap-up of the card:

Listen to "Post-Fight Wrap-Up 11/5/16" on Spreaker.

Weights From Rosecroft!

Here is the scale watch for tonight's Kings Promotions card at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD:

Mykal Fox 140.6  vs. Juan Rodriguez 139.6

Luther Smith 197.4 - Mike Marshall 199.6

Jordan White 122.6 - Jose Elizondo 121.6

Kent Cruz 139.2 - Darius Ervin 139.8

Greg Outlaw Jr. 139.2 - Lamont White 141

Justin Hurd 153.2  - Hector Mercado 153

Marcus Bates 121.6 - Francisco Muro 121.6

Patrick Rivera 163.8 - Hakeem Atkinson 165.6

We will broadcast tonight's card live from Rosecroft on the Boxing Along The Beltway Google App For Android beginning at 6:55 PM ET.  IOS listeners can hear the card on the BATB pages on Spreaker.com or on Iheartradio.com .

Beltway Boxing Legend 'Rock' Payne Passes!

Beltway middleweight Gerry "Rock" Payne has passed away at the age of 47 years old.  No word on the nature of his passing.

Mr. Payne, a native of Washington, DC, was an outstanding amateur in the mid-to-late eighties, becoming an alternate on the 1988 United States Olympic team.  Mr. Payne made a unique pro debut on March 24, 1990 at the Frank Williams Activity Center at Coolidge High School in DC.  Payne participated in a six-round debut bout, defeating Walter "Mad Dog" Green by decision.  Green was 6-1 with three KO's at the time of the bout.

Payne's career moved slowly but steadily over eight bouts until legal issues took Payne away for the majority of 1993. Payne returned on April 1, 1994 in Alexandria, VA as a member of the vaunted "Hard Corps" boxing team alongside Derrell Coley, Reggie Green and Reuben Bell.  Payne would later win an IBC Middleweight title on October 22, 1994 defeating Jeff Johnson by 12-round decision at the Washington Convention Center.  Payne would lose his only bout in his final outing dropping a 10-round decision to Daniel Perez on December 13, 1994 in Albuquerque, NM.  Payne's record was 13-1, five KO's.

This is a tough one for me, personally.  Gerry "Rock" Payne is one of the reasons why I am in this business.  Payne's pro debut was the first boxing main event bout I ever did blow-by-blow for.  I always felt a bond with Gerry.  He was a first-class guy that helped me professionally and personally.  My deepest condolences to Rock's family and all of us who knew him.

Reeves Competes For IBO Light Heavyweight Title November 12 In Baltimore!

Boxing returns to the Coppermine Du Burns Arena in Baltimore, MD on Saturday, November 12.  This will be a Shawstyle Promotions/Shabazz Brothers card.

Headlining the card will be Baltimore, MD light heavyweight Travis "Seveer" Reeves who will be competing for the vacant IBO Light Heavyweight title against an opponent to be determined.  Reeves (12-2-2, six KO's) has been on a roll as of late, winning nine in a row, his last three by knockout.  In his last outing, Reeves stopped Larry Pryor in the eighth round to win the Maryland State Cruiserweight title on May 14 in Timonium, MD.

In bouts already signed for this card, there will be an all-Maryland, four-round light heavyweight contest matching Germantown's Eric Govan and Baltimore's Devin Butcher. Govan (5-1, three KO's) is riding a three-bout winning streak that includes a fourth-round TKO over Travis Davidson on February 6 in Salem, VA.  Butcher (5-1, three KO's) will look to bounce back from his first pro loss-- a six-round split decision defeat to Taneal Goyco on the May 14 Timonium card.

Owings Mills, MD heavyweight Colby Madison returns to action in a four-round contest against Solomon Maye of New Haven, CT.  Madison (3-0, two KO's) is coming off a first-round TKO over Bryson Haubrick on August 19 in Crystal City, VA.  Maye (3-6-2, three KO's) has won his last two contests including a second-round TKO victory over Mike Barrase on October 8 in Scranton, PA.  On April 29, Maye lost a four-round split decision to Luther Smith in Atlantic City, NJ.

Baltimore, MD super middleweight Stephon "The Surgeon" Morris will face the debuting Gregory Clark of Washington, DC in a four-rounder.   Morris (3-0, three KO's) last fought on June 11 and scored a first-round TKO over David Rohn in Springfield, VA.  Clark is a former DC Novice Golden Gloves Champion, winning the 165-pound title in 2013.

Columbia, MD cruiserweight Kwame "Rambo Time" Ritter will be in a four-round contest against Marcus Key of Newport News, VA.  Ritter is coming off a first-round TKO over Nathaniel Edge on July 16 in Norfolk, VA.  Key (1-3, one KO) lost a four-round unanimous decision to Margarito Espinoza on September 18 in Austin, TX.

There will also be a battle of debuting middleweights as Taylor Paige of Las Vegas, NV takes on Ismael Austin of Belle Glade, FL.

Other Beltway Boxers slated to be on this card are super  lightweight Eric "El Torito" Hernandez (8-0, five KO's, Leesburg, VA), super featherweight Glenn Dezurn (7-0, five KO's, Baltimore, MD), middleweight Jeffrey "Gladiator" McCalla (3-0, three KO's, Randallstown, MD), welterweight Matthew Abregu (3-0, three KO's, Washington, DC), super middleweight Sharif "C3" Rahman (1-0, one KO, Baltimore/Las Vegas), super featherweight Mack Allison, IV (6-0, six KO's, Baltimore) and featherweight Marq "Monster" Johns (7-1-1, six KO's, Fort Washington, MD).

Late Results From Winchester And Raleigh!

Apologies for the tardiness in these results.  We just received full (or close to full) details on these bouts.  Our thanks to Boxrec.com for posting these results for us to get information from.

On October 22 at the Body Renew Fitness in Winchester, VA, there was an upset in the main event of the Left Hook Promotions card.  Somner "Magic Man" Martin of Martinsville, VA scored a fifth-round TKO over Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer of Front Royal, VA.  There, reportedly, was some controversy surrounding the bout.  Some fans said that Farmer hurt his ankle and took a knee because of the pain.  The Martin camp claims Martin's punch sent Farmer to one knee and he was counted out.

The bout ended at 2:55 of the fifth.  Martin's victory breaks a two-bout losing streak as Martin lost previous bouts to Mykal Fox and Kareem Martin prior to this win.  Martin's record is 6-3, four KO's.  Farmer's record drops to 19-4, seven KO's.

Baltimore, MD welterweight Joey "Bazooka Joe" Veazey made a successful pro debut with a four-round decision over Alberto Delgado of Roanoke, VA.  Delgado falls to 0-1-1.

In another minor upset, Front Royal cruiserweight Terry "T-Brick" Roy lost a four-round decision to Damion Reed of Danville, VA.  Roy has now lost two straight and his record falls to 8-4-2, seven KO's.  Reed is now 3-14-1, one KO.

Also, former Beltway amateur standout Joe Jones III scored a first-round TKO over Borngod Washington of Queens, NY.  Jones, who now fights out of Jersey City, NJ, stopped Washington in 1:18.  Jones is now 8-0, six KO's.

Other results from the card:  Matthew "Boogieman" Bowling (3-0, three KO's, Fort Valley, VA) TKO 1 over Nathan "The Heat" Petty (1-32-1, Louisville, KY). Bout was stopped at 1:16.

Craig Callan (2-1, two KO's, VA) TKO 1 over Brian Otey (0-6, Lansing, MI). Bout stopped at 1:15.

Damani Rock (5-0, four KO's, Philadelphia, PA) TKO 3 over John Orr (1-9, Kansas City, MO).  Time of the stoppage: 2:03.

Joe Cusumano (10-1, eight KO's, Richmond, VA) TKO 1 over Jason "The Mason" Pauley (5-21, one KO, Cabin Creek, WVA)  Bout stopped at 2:04.

Jairo Fernandez Vargas (6-1, five KO's, Mechanicsville, VA) TKO 1 over Tony Wilson (0-1)  Bout stopped at 2:14.


Meanwhile at the Abundant Life Christian Center in Raleigh, NC on October 22, Baltimore, MD super lightweight Mack Allison, IV stopped the debuting Terrence Moore of Wilson, NC in the second round.  The knockout came at 53 seconds of the second round.  Allison has already competed six times in his rookie year and is now 6-0, six KO's.

Fox-Rodriguez Headlines November 5 Card At Rosecroft!

An all-Beltway super lightweight contest is the featured attraction on the Kings Promotions card that will be held on Saturday, November 5 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.

Undefeated Kings Promotions signee Mykal "The Professor" Fox of Forestville, MD will battle Haymarket, VA's Juan "The Savior" Rodriguez in an eight-round contest.  Fox (11-0, three KO's) is coming off a third-round TKO over Somner Martin on August 19 in Crystal City, VA. Rodriguez (6-5-1, five KO's) has lost three in a row including a six-round unanimous decision loss to Anthony Young on April 29 in Atlantic City, NJ.

The co-feature will be a six-round cruiserweight contest between Bowie, MD's Luther "Lights Out" Smith and undefeated Mike Marshall of the Bronx, NY.  Smith (5-1, four KO's) drops down from the heavyweight division for the first time after his second-round TKO loss to Mike Balogun on the August 19th card in Crystal City.  Marshall (3-0, three KO's) takes a step up in competition record-wise as he faces an opponent with a winning record for the first time in his young career.

In another six-round contest, DC super bantamweight Jordan "Shortdog" White will battle Jose Elizondo of San Antonio, TX by way of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico.  After just three pro bouts, the 19-year-old White (3-0, three KO's) steps into six-rounders for the first time.  White is coming off a second-round stoppage of Sergio Aguilar on August 19th in Crystal City.  Elizondo (2-1) last fought on August 27 and won a four-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Keithlan Franklin on August 27 in Lafayette, LA. This will also be Elizondo's first scheduled six-round contest.

Another Kings Promotions signee -- Marcus "Dreamcatcher" Bates of Washington, DC will be in a six-round super bantamweight contest against Francisco "Cisco" Muro of Tucson, AZ.  Bates (4-0-1, four KO's) makes his fourth appearance at Rosecroft Raceway after his first-round knockout of Daniel Hernandez in his last outing on August 19 in Crystal City.   Muro (3-4, one KO) will try to bounce back from his four-round unanimous decision loss to Antonio Santa Cruz on September 13 in Nice, CA.

Rookie Edgewood, MD middleweight Patrick Rivera will face Hakeem Atkinson of Atlanta, GA in a four-round encounter.  Rivera (1-0, one KO) made his pro debut on the August 19th Crystal City card and scored a fourth-round TKO over Dustin Caplinger.  Atkinson (2-5, one KO) will be trying to break a four-bout losing streak.

Two locals will make pro debuts on this card.  Bowie, MD super lightweight Greg "The Money Man" Outlaw, Jr. will take on Lamont White of Waldorf, MD.  Outlaw was a multi-time Golden Gloves champion on the junior, novice and regional open level, starting at 106 pounds.  White (0-4) last fought on September 16 and lost a four-round unanimous decision to Adrian Sosa in Lincoln, RI.

Also, the card will mark the debut of Accokeek, MD super welterweight "Slick" Justin Hurd, the younger brother of world-rated super welterweight Jarrett Hurd.  Justin Hurd will face off against Hector Mercado of Veracruz, Mexico in another four-rounder.  Hurd won a Junior Golden Gloves title in 2012 and competed in the Open division in 2016.  Mercado (2-8) will try to recover from losing a four-round unanimous decision to Hector Reyes on September 24 in Pharr, TX.

Also on the card, undefeated St. Louis, MO super lightweight Kent Cruz will take on fellow undefeated boxer Darius "I Am King" Ervin of Los Angeles, CA in a six-round contest.  Cruz (11-0, six KO's) won an eight-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Rickey Edwards on September 3 in San Antonio, TX.  Ervin (3-0) won a four-round majority decision over Diego Padilla on August 8 in Indio, CA.

Ballard Scores Dominant Second-Round TKO In Montreal!

Temple Hills, MD super middleweight D'Mitrius "Big Meech" Ballard scored a dominant second-round TKO over an overwhelmed Geuro Horvath of Budapest, Hungary tonight at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

Ballard landed solid body shots in the first round of the bout and those blows led to an impressive second round where he knocked down Horvath three times.  Ballard landed a right to the head, left to the body to drop Horvath down early in the second and then used a body shot and a straight right hand to the head to send Horvath to the canvas two more times before the bout was stopped at 1:20.

Ballard has knocked out his last four opponents and remains undefeated with a record of 15-0, 11 KO's.  Horvath falls to 9-2-1, five KO's.

Weights From Winchester!

We gave you the weights for Joey Veazey's bout at Body Renew Fitness in Winchester, VA.  Here is the scale watch for the rest of the Left Hook Promotions card:

Andrew Farmer 152 vs. Somner Martin 148

Darmani Rock 244 vs. John Orr 331

Terry Roy 200 1/2 vs. Damian Reed 214

Joe Jones 192 vs. Borngod Washington 187

Matthew Bowling 137 vs. Nathan Petty 138 1/2

Jairo Vargas 134 vs. Tony Wilson 142

Joseph Cusmano 231 vs. Jason Pauley (will weigh in later today)

Craig Callen 143 1/2 vs. Brian Otey (will weigh in later today)

Ballard Tips Scales In Montreal; Veazey Weighs In Winchester!

D'Mitrius Ballard weighed in at 169 pounds for his eight-round contest against Geuro Horvath tonight at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  Horvath tipped the scales at 166 pounds.

Ballard (14-0, 10 KO's) is coming off a first-round knockout of Ernesto Berrospe on June 11 in Salt Lake City, UT. Horvath (9-1-1, five KO's) is a native of Budapest, Hungary who last fought on September 28 and knocked out the debuting Szabolcs Fenyvesi in Budapest.

In Winchester, VA, Joey Veazey weighed 150 pounds for his pro debut Saturday at Body Renew Fitness. Veazey's opponent, Alberto Delgado, tipped the scales at 152 pounds.

Beltway Boxers Are Successful In Charlotte!

Two Beltway Boxers were victorious on a card at the Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, NC on Wednesday, October 19.

Greenbelt, MD cruiserweight "The Vanilla Gorilla" Sam Crossed made his first road trip a successful one with a second-round TKO over Michael Tillery of Wilson, NC.  The bout was stopped at 1:22.  Crossed remains undefeated at 5-0, three KO's.

Also, Frederick, MD cruiserweight Larry "Hitman" Pryor broke a five-bout losing streak with a six-round unanimous decision over veteran Berry "Killer Bee" Butler of Greenville, SC.  Pryor won by scores of 59-54 and 58-55 (twice).  Pryor is now 10-14, five KO's.  Butler, who has fought numerous Beltway Boxers throughout his career including Beethavean Scotland, Jake Smith and Courtney Butler, is now 25-14-1, 20 KO's.

Balogun Scores First-Round Knockout In Special DC Card!

Upper Marlboro, MD heavyweight Mike "Silverback" Balogun remained undefeated with a first-round knockout over Branden "The Iron Lion" Hinkle Thursday night at a card at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. This was the annual Alarm.com card that is closed to the media and to fans.

With the win, Balogun raised his record to 9-0, eight KO's. Hinkle loses for the second straight time and he is now 6-2, five KO's.  Balogun was the only Beltway Boxer on the card.

Celebrating 20 Years Of...What Might Have Been!

This week, BATB celebrates a somewhat bittersweet anniversary. One that would have been a grand anniversary if the event actually accomplished what it was intended to.

Twenty years ago, on October 19, 1996, a major card took place at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD that was supposed to lead to an eventual unification in the middleweight division.  The card had a double main event that was televised nationally by Showtime as both Beltway Middleweight champions -- WBA titleholder William Joppy and WBC kingpin Keith Holmes -- made the first defenses of their titles that they won earlier in the year. Joppy would face Ray McElroy of Long Beach, CA while Holmes took on undefeated Richie Woodhall of the United Kingdom.

The undercard would feature two future world champions,one former world titleholder and a two-time world title contender. Sharmba Mitchell was two years away from winning the WBA Super Lightweight title and DeMarcus Corley participated in just the fifth fight of his career that would eventually lead him to the WBO Super Lightweight championship in 2000.  Also, former IBF Super Welterweight champion Paul Vaden was on the card.  Vaden won the title from Vincent Pettway in August of 1995 but would drop the belt to Terry Norris four months later.  The world title contender was Andrew Council who would eventually challenge Holmes and Bernard Hopkins for middleweight championships.

The focus, however, was on Joppy and Holmes as the Don King-promoted card was put together to showcase the two future Beltway legends and gain momentum towards a unification bout in 1997.  In fact, during the week, there was as much talk about their days as sparring partners as there was about their opponents.

Everything worked according to plan in the ring for the Beltway contingent.  Joppy would score a seventh-round TKO over McElroy.  Holmes would have a little tougher time but would eventually stop Woodhall in the 12th.    Council knocked out fellow Beltway Boxer Allen Watts in the first round.  Corley won a four-round decision over Antonio Pressley. Also, Vaden who was from San Diego, CA won a 10-round unanimous decision over Bernice Barber.  So, everything was in alignment for a big unification bout between our two Beltway champions that would set the local boxing scene on its ear.

So, what happened?  Where did it all go wrong?  Well, initially, money reported played an issue as the two camps could not agree.  Both Holmes and Joppy would lose and regain their titles.  The talk started a second time but money once again was a problem.  Joppy was in a car accident in 1998 but would comeback strong and hold on to his title.

The last opportunity came in 2001 as both Holmes and Joppy joined Hopkins and Felix Trinidad in Don King's Middleweight Championship Series.  King promised that, win or lose, the two Beltway legends would face each other during the series.  Holmes would lose a 12-round unanimous decision to Hopkins in April and Joppy would be knocked out by Trinidad in the fifth round in May.   Hopkins met Trinidad in late September but, for whatever reason, Holmes and Joppy did not meet in the co-feature.

One personal note:  This was my first time covering a card alongside a large contingent of the British boxing press who were there to cover Woodhall, who was an undefeated rising star.  I got to meet legendary writers like Graham Houston and Colin Hart.   They were fired up about Woodhall but, after the card was over, Carl and Deborah King, who were holding down the fort for their father, got the press almost incensed about another King Promotions boxer, Tom Johnson and a possible bout against future world champion Naseem Hamed. The post-fight press conference was almost as interesting as the card itself.

Both Joppy and Holmes, have gone on to be successful in their post-boxing lives.  However, every now and then, the urge hits them.  I'll just leave it at that.

'Bazooka' Joe Veazey To Make Pro Debut October 22 in Winchester!

From giving exhibitions as a small child through 100 amateur fights, 18-year-old  Joey "Bazooka" Joe" Veazey of Baltimore, MD has been a fixture in the Beltway for a number of years.  On Saturday, October 22, Veazey will take the next step in his boxing career when he makes his professional debut at Body Renew Fitness in Winchester, VA.

Veazey, who graduated with honors from Northeast High School,  won a number of local and national Silver Gloves titles throughout his amateur career and now looks to life as a pro boxer.

"It's a dream come true," Veazey said in a press release.  "I've been looking forward to this since my first amateur bout.  I'm excited to go out there and follow my dream.  The amateurs were fun but my dream has always been to go pro and win world titles.  I want to become a household name one day so now is the time to get on track."

Veazey will take on Alberto Delgado of Roanoke, VA (0-0-1) who has not fought since earning a draw against Jason Wahr in Lynchburg, VA in April of 2013.

The bout is part of the Left Hook Promotions card that is scheduled to feature Front Royal, VA welterweight Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer (19-3, seven KO's)

'Rock' Simms, Legendary Beltway Trainer Passes!

You may have heard by now that legendary Beltway trainer Marvin "Rock" Simms passed away on October 11th. Simms trained numerous boxers in the area including former world champions William Joppy and Sharmba Mitchell.

The service for Mr. Simms will be held on Tuesday, October 25 2016 at Pope Funeral Home located at 5538 Marlboro Pike in District Heights, MD.

The viewing begins at 10 AM followed by the service at 11 AM.

BATB sends its deepest condolences to the family of this wonderful man.

PVA Hosts Awards Banquet In DC November 4!

The Potomac Valley Association of USA Boxing (PVA) will be having its annual awards banquet on Friday, November 4 at the ARC, located at 1001 Mississippi Ave in Southeast Washington, DC.

The PVA will honor its numerous amateur champions and also give special recognition to International Boxing Hall of Famer and former world champion Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson for his continued work with future generations of local boxers. Tickets are $30 for non-PVA members and the event begins with dinner at 5:30.

Olympic Gold Medalist Maynard Leads 2016 DC Boxing Hall Of Fame Class!

An Olympic Gold medalist will lead the 2016 class of the Washington, DC Boxing Hall of Fame.

"Boxing" Andrew Maynard, who took gold at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, will highlight this year's class.  The light heavyweight, who fought out of Laurel, MD (26-13-1, 21 KO's) had a solid pro career winning the NABF Light Heavyweight title in 1990.  Maynard also challenged for the Cruiserweight title, dropping a 12-round unanimous decision to WBC champion Anaclet Wamba in October of 1992 in Paris, France.

Also inducted in the pro category will be Capitol Heights, MD super featherweight James Baker and Laurel middleweight Percy "No Mercy" Harris.  

Baker (13-7-3, four KO's) fought from 1997-2005 and was a fan favorite as he took on noted opponents like Monty Meza Clay, Nate Campbell and Daniel Attah.   

Harris (15-4, nine KO's) only fought for three years as a pro (1989-1992) but fought quality opponents throughout his career.  Harris won the IBF Inter-Continental Middleweight title with a decision over previously undefeated Thomas Tate in December of 1991 in Lombardia, Italy. Harris also fought future International Boxing Hall of Famers Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones, Jr during his career.

Inducted into the amateur category are Sean Johnson and Alfonzo Hatcher.  Johnson was a well-known boxer at 106 pounds in the nineties, participating in the 1996 Olympic Trials.  Hatcher is now known as a prominent trainer in the Beltway.

The Contributors section is star-studded with a prominent trainer, two well-known media figures and two members of the DC Boxing and Wrestling Commission who will be inducted posthumously.

Legendary trainer Barry Hunter heads to the hall.  Hunter, who leads the Headbangers camp out of the Bald Eagle Boxing Gym in Southeast DC, has trained numerous amateur and professional champions, most notably former IBF Super Lightweight champion Lamont Peterson.  Hunter was named the WBO Trainer of the Year in 2007.

Washington Times sports columnist Thom Loverro will enter the hall.  Loverro has been a sportswriter at the Times since 1992 and covered boxing throughout, both on the pro and college scene.  Loverro is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and has won numerous awards from that organization.  Loverro also is the host of his own podcast "Cigars and Curveballs" which can be downloaded for free on Itunes.

Recently-retired Beltway sportscasting legend Glenn Harris has also been chosen.  Harris worked in the DC area for more than 40 years and has interviewed a who's who of local, national and international boxing and sports figures.  Harris has also been a fixture as an announcer at the local and regional Golden Gloves tournaments for many years.

(photo by Linda Chubbs)

The late DC Boxing and Wrestling Commission chair Dr. Arnold W. McKnight (top) and the late Deputy Commissioner Alfred Grant have also been chosen.  Dr. McKnight joined the commission in 1991 and was the longest-tenured chair of the commission, serving from 1993 until his passing in July of 2007. Mr. Grant was also with the commission in the 1990's until his passing in February of 2015.

Undefeated super featherweight prospect Lamont Roach, Jr. of Upper Marlboro, MD will receive the James Balukevich Outstanding Boxer Award for 2016.  Roach (12-0, four KO's) last fought on September 2 and scored a third-round knockout of Mario Antonio Macias in Los Angeles, CA.

The inductees will be honored at a banquet on Friday, November 11 at Martin's Crosswinds in Greenbelt, MD.

Reed Scores Sixth-Round TKO In Philadelphia!

(Photos by Kent Green)

Waldorf, MD super lightweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed remained undefeated with a sixth-round TKO over Aaron Herrera of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico Friday Night at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA.

Reed dropped Herrera in the sixth round with a body shot and Herrera's corner stopped the bout at the end of the round. Reed is now 20-0, 12 KO's while Herrera falls to 29-6-1, 18 KO's.

Also on the card, Baltimore, MD's Kevin "The Scarecrow" Womack, Jr. lost a four-round unanimous decision to Hasan Young of Philadelphia.  Womack lost by scores of 40-36 (twice) and 39-37.  Womack has now lost eight bouts in a row and his record drops to 7-13-3, five KO's.  Young is now 6-1-1, two KO's.

Reed Weighs 141.9 For Eight-Rounder In Philadelphia!

Mike Reed weighed in at 141.9 for his eight-round main event bout tonight at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA. Reed's opponent, Aaron Herrera, weighed in at 145 pounds.

Beltway Boxing Legends Participate in Anti-Bullying Video!

October is National Bullying Prevention Month and a number of Beltway Boxing legends came together to participate in a short video.

Featured in the video are former world champions Vincent "The Ambassador" Pettway and DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley as well as legends Darryll "Terrible T" Tyson and Derrell "Too Sweet" Coley.  Also in the video is DC Boxing Hall of Fame ring announcer Henry "Discombobulating" Jones.

Here is a link to see the video.

https://drive.google.com/a/richardwrightpcs.org/file/d/0B8O2GNnQR1fBM3RCNVlaU2dsaEk/view?usp=sharing

Aaron "The Hawk" Pryor, 1955-2016!

By now, you have heard of the Sunday passing of one of the legendary boxers of the 1980's,  Aaron "The Hawk" Pryor.  A native of Cincinnati, OH, Pryor was regarded as the greatest super lightweight of the 20th century by the Associated Press.

After falling short on a bid to make the 1976 Olympic Team (Pryor was defeated by Howard Davis, Jr.), Pryor (39-1, 35 KO's) turned pro in November of 1976 and scored a second-round TKO against Larry Smith in his hometown of Cincinnati.

On August 2, 1980, Pryor won his first world title, knocking out Antonio Cervantes in the fourth round for the WBA Super Lightweight title at Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.

Pryor would make five title defenses before the first of his two legendary encounters with Alexis Arguello on November 12, 1982 in the Orange Bowl in Miami, FL.  Pryor was originally scheduled to face Sugar Ray Leonard for the welterweight title but Leonard had suffered a detached retina and retired. Arguello was the betting favorite in the bout but Pryor was able to gain a knockout in the 14th round.  The ending was controversial as there were claims that Pryor's trainer, Panama Lewis used a tainted water bottle that helped revive Pryor after the 13th round.  The bout was named the Fight of the Decade by The Ring in 1990 and the 8th greatest title bout of all time by The Ring in 1996.

After the bout, Pryor would wage a battle outside of the ring against drugs.

Pryor and Arguello would meet again on September 9, 1983 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, NV.  Pryor would have an easier time, stopping Arguello in the 10th round.

Pryor would also capture the IBF crown and defend it once, winning a narrow 15-round split decision over Gary Hinton in March of 1985 in Atlantic City.  Pryor would retire after that bout but come back two years later, only to suffer his only pro loss -- a seventh-round TKO-- to Bobby Joe Young on August 8, 1987 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.  Pryor would win three more bouts before retiring for good in 1990.   Pryor would be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996.

Pryor was a constant attendee at the annual Fight Night charity boxing event at the Washington Hilton Hotel in DC in November.  This year's event will be on Thursday, November 10th.  It will be strange not seeing "The Hawk" in the ring.  Pryor is survived by his wife, Frankie, and children Aaron, Jr., Antwan, Stephan and Elizabeth.  Aaron, Jr. and Stephan continue their father's legacy in the ring.

Reed Returns To Philadelphia For Eight-Round Contest October 14!

Undefeated Waldorf, MD super lightweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed returns to action in an eight-round feature contest against Aaron "La Joya" Herrera of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico on Friday, October 14 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA.

Reed (19-0, 11 KO's) last fought on June 11 and scored a sixth-round TKO over Abraham Cordero at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  This will be Reed's second trip to the 2300 Arena in his last three contests.  Reed won a six-round unanimous decision over Samuel Amoako on March 18.

Herrera (29-5-1, 18 KO's) will be trying to break a two-bout losing streak.  Herrera was stopped in the first round by Regis Prograis on March 25 in Miami, OK.

In another bout on the card, Baltimore, MD welterweight Kevin "The Scarecrow" Womack, Jr. will be in a four-round contest against Hasan Young of Philadelphia.  Womack (7-12-3, five KO's) has lost seven in a row including a first-round knockout loss to Alexander Besputin on August 6 in Tuscon, AZ.  Young (5-1-1, two KO's) competes for the first time since January of 2014 when he won a six-round unanimous decision to Justin Johnson in Atlantic City, NJ.

PBC Goes '12 Rounds' With Gary Russell, Jr.!

The Premier Boxing Champions website has a nice "12 Rounds" feature with WBC Featherweight champion "Mr." Gary Russell, Jr.   The story is written by Lem Satterfield.

Here is the link:  http://www.premierboxingchampions.com/news/12-rounds-gary-russell-jr

Fox Stops Montes In Two In Chicago!

Forestville, MD middleweight Alantez "SlyAza" Fox scored an impressive second-round TKO over Ronald Montes of Barranquilla, Colombia in front of a nationally-televised audience (CBS Sports Network) Friday at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, IL.

Fox crumpled Montes with a brutal left hand to the body near the end of the round and the bout was over.  The time was 2:59.  Fox remains undefeated with a record of 21-0-1, 10 KO's while Montes drops to 17-4, 15 KO's.

Harris Leads Knockout Parade In DC!

Undefeated Landover, MD featherweight Patrick Harris scored a third-round TKO over Sean Lockhart of Greenwood, SC in the main event of the DC Fight Night Promotions card at the Sphinx Club in Washington, DC.

Harris dropped Lockhart with a left hand late in the first round.  Lockhart survived the knockdown.  Harris dominated the contest throughout, eventually putting Lockhart away with a right uppercut in the third round.  The bout was stopped at 42 seconds of the round.  With the win, Harris is now 10-0, seven KO's while Lockhart falls to 5-27-2, two KO's.

The main event was the only bout on the card that went past the first round.  The six other bouts featured the Beltway versus boxers from Wilson, NC and it was a clean sweep for the Beltway.

In the co-feature, DC featherweight Antonio "Teflon" Magruder stopped debuting Ronnie Watson at 1:34. Magruder landed solid left hands to the head and body to stop the debuting Watson. Magruder is now 5-0, four KO's.

Three Beltway Boxers made successful pro debuts. Featherweight  "The Dark Menace" Tiara Brown of Bladensburg, MD scored a knockout over debuting Khadija Sanders. Brown landed a crushing body shot to stop Sanders at 1:13.  Brown, a two-time participant at the US Women's Olympic Trials, had some great teammates supporting her at ringside including two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa Shields and multi-time amateur champion Franchon Crews.

DC lightweight Tyrek "I.G.B. (I Get Busy)" Irby won his bout over Marquis Johnson.  Irby used a crushing left hand to knock the equally debuting Johnson out at 1:08.

DC bantamweight Malik Jackson used a lot of pressure to overwhelm Javonta Cherry before the bout was stopped at 1:55.  Cherry falls to 0-2.

In other bouts on the card,  Upper Marlboro, MD heavyweight Mike "Silverback" Balogun knocked out Demonte Cherry with body shots to win his bout at 1:43.  Balogun is now 8-0, seven KO's while Cherry is 1-2.  Also, Renardo "Misunderstood" Gaines of DC won his lightweight bout over Isaiah Stubbs at 1:51 despite having two points taken away from him.  Gaines knocked Stubbs down with a solid left hand but continued to batter Stubbs while he was down.  Referee Kenny Chevalier took away two points from Gaines but Gaines kept the pressure on, forcing Stubbs to quit the contest.  Gaines is now 8-2, five KO's while Stubbs loses his pro debut.