Jackson Suffers First-Round Stoppage in Las Vegas!

Oxon Hill, MD super welterweight Akeem "Action Action" Jackson has been stopped by the debuting Kahshad Elliott of Plainfield, NJ in the first round of a bout held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV.

Elliott, a multi-time national amateur champion, knocked Jackson down twice with solid body shots.  An Elliott left hook sent Jackson to one knee 40 seconds into the contest.  More body shots forced Jackson to take another knee later in the round.  This time, Jackson did not get up, and referee Mike Ortega counted him out at 1:15 of the first round.

Jackson's record drops to 1-2, one KO.

Simpson, Jackson Hit Scales In Las Vegas!

Lorenzo Simpson and Akeem Jackson weighed in for their bouts Friday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV.  

Simpson tipped the scales at 156.1 pounds for his eight-round contest against Sonny Duversonne, who weighed in at 154.8 pounds.  Simpson's bout is scheduled to be a part of the ESPN telecast beginning at 10 PM ET.

Jackson came in at 151.5 pounds for his four-round bout versus Kahshad Elliott, who tipped the scales at 152.8 pounds.  Jackson's contest will be shown on ESPN+ at 7:30 PM ET.

'Action Action' Jackson Travels To Las Vegas For Four-Round Bout!

Oxon Hill, MD welterweight Akeem "Action, Action" Jackson will compete in a four-round contest against the debuting Kahshad Elliott of Plainfield, NJ on Friday, October 9th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV.

Jackson (1-1, one KO) last fought on February 8th and scored a fourth-round TKO over Anthony Dave at Tyson's Playground in Vienna, VA. Jackson was scheduled to compete on a card in Rock Hill, SC but his bout was a last-minute cancellation.

Jackson will be the second Beltway Boxer on this card, joining Baltimore, MD's Lorenzo Simpson.

October Becomes Huge Month For Baltimore Camp!

October will be a big month for boxers from the Upton Boxing Gym in Baltimore, MD as three of their undefeated boxers will be in some interesting bouts.

On Friday, October 9th, super middleweight Lorenzo "Truck" Simpson will be in a scheduled eight-round bout against fellow undefeated boxer Sanny "Sonny Prime Time" Duversonne of Avon Park, FL.  The bout will be held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV.

This will be Simpson's first eight-round encounter and his second straight time at the Mississippi Coast Center.  Simpson (8-0, five KO's) knocked out Alex Sandro Duarte in the first round on July 11th. Duversonne (11-0-2, eight KO's) last fought on February 29th and scored a fifth-round TKO over Larry Smith in St. Petersburg, FL.  Duversonne has knocked out his last four opponents. 

The scheduled 10-round contest between super lightweight Malik "Iceman" Hawkins and Subriel "Browny" Matias of Fajardo, Puerto Rico will now take place on Saturday, October 24th, and will remain at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT.  This card was rescheduled from October 10th because of visa issues with one of the main event boxers.  Hawkins (18-0, 11 KO's) last fought on December 28th and scored a fifth-round TKO over Darwin Price in Atlanta, GA.  Matias (15-1, 15 KO's) will try to bounce back from his first pro loss, a 10-round unanimous decision to Petros Ananyan on February 22nd in Las Vegas, NV.  The card will be telecast on Showtime.

Then, as previously reported, all roads will lead to the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX on Saturday, October 31 with the Showtime Pay-Per-View showdown between Gervonta "Tank" Davis, and Leo "El Terremoto" Santa Cruz of Rosemead, CA by way of Mexico for Davis's WBA Lightweight championship and Santa Cruz's WBA Super Lightweight title.

Burrs Extends Polaco But Loses Unanimous Decision In Florida!

Frederick, MD super welterweight Jonathan Ryan "Lion King" Burrs was the first man to take undefeated Bryan "The Hunter" Polaco to a four-round decision.  However, Burrs would drop a unanimous decision on Friday, October 2nd at the Osceola Heritage Park Events Center in Kissimmee, FL.  The bout was part of the Boxeo Telemundo telecast.

No word on the official scores but Polaco went past the first round for the first time in his three contests.  Burrs is now 2-3 while Polaco is 3-0, two KO's.

Malik Hawkins's October 10th Bout Called Off!

The scheduled 10-round bout that was to feature undefeated Baltimore, MD super lightweight Malik "Iceman" Hawkins on Saturday, October 10th at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT has been called off.

Neither Hawkins (18-0, 11 KO's) nor his slated opponent, Subrial Matias of Puerto Rico (15-1, 15 KO's) were the reason for the bout being canceled.  The entire card was taken off the schedule due to a situation in the main event between welterweights Kudratillo Abdukakhorov and Sergey Lipinets, who was scheduled to compete for the interim IBF title.  Abdukakhorov had a visa issue that would not have been cleared up in time for him to come to the United States for COVID-19 testing.

No official word if or when the Hawkins-Matias bout would be rescheduled. However, there is a possibility the bout might land on the Gervonta Davis-Leo Santa Cruz pay-per-view card that was just rescheduled for Saturday, October 31st at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX.  Davis and Hawkins are both promoted by Mayweather Promotions and they train in the same gym, the Upton Boxing Center in Baltimore.

Burrs Weighs 153 For Four-Rounder In Florida!

Jonathan Ryan Burrs tipped the scales at 153 pounds for his four-round contest against Bryan Polaco on Friday, October 2nd at the Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, FL.  Polaco came in at the super welterweight limit of 154 pounds.

The bout will be part of a Boxeo Telemundo telecast that is scheduled to get underway at midnight ET.

Davis-Santa Cruz Bout Changes Date And Location!

The Pay-Per-View showdown between Baltimore, MD's Gervonta "Tank" Davis, and Leo "El Terremoto" Santa Cruz of Rosemead, CA by way of Mexico has been pushed back a week and will be held in a new location.

Originally, the bout was scheduled for Saturday, October 24th at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT.  Now, the bout will take place on Saturday, October 31st and will be held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX.  Davis (23-0, 22 KO's) will put up his WBA Lightweight title while Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KO's) will put his WBA Super Featherweight championship on the line.

This will be one of the first contests to be fought in front of an audience as sporting events in Texas are now allowed to have 25 percent capacity.  The card had to be pushed back due to a University Of Texas-San Antonio college football game on October 24th.  

This bout will headline the PPV card which will be shown on Showtime.

 

Burrs Battles Polaco In Nationally-Televised Four-Round Contest Friday in Florida!

Frederick, MD super welterweight Jonathan Ryan "Lion King" Burrs will compete in a four-round bout against Brian "The Hunter" Polaco of Fajardo, Puerto Rico on Friday, October 2nd at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, FL.  The bout will be televised live on Telemundo.  The broadcast begins at midnight ET.

Burrs (2-2) looks to bounce back from a four-round unanimous decision loss to the debuting Javier Martinez on July 14th in Las Vegas, NV.  Polaco, a member of the Puerto Rican National team (2-0, two KO's), has scored first-round knockouts in both of his previous bouts, including a win over Joshua Sikes on September 4th in Kissimmee.  Polaco has fought both of his bouts in Kissimmee and this will be his third bout in six weeks.

Locals Victorious on Saturday South Carolina Card!

Two Beltway Boxers were victorious on a card at the Hilton Garden Inn in Rock Hill, SC on Saturday, September 26th.

Lanham, MD light heavyweight Aaron "The Wolf" Thorne III won a four-round unanimous decision over Therran Smalls of Charleston, SC by way of Harlem, NY.  Thorne competed for the first time since he scored a first-round TKO over William Davis in Vienna, VA in December of 2019 and he is now 2-0, one KO.  Smalls remains winless at 0-7 but all of his bouts have been against either debuting boxers or boxers with winning records.

Dundalk, MD lightweight "The Educated Boxer" Dorian Bostic scored a second-round TKO over the debuting Juwan Jones of South Carolina.  Bostic, a native of Cheraw, SC, only needed 10 seconds to secure the win.  Bostic is now 3-0, three KO's.

Another local prospect, welterweight Akeem "Action" Jackson of Oxon Hill, MD (1-1, one KO), was slated to compete on this card but his bout was scratched due to time constraints on the card.

Pllana Drops Unanimous Decision In Los Angeles!

Hagerstown, MD super middleweight "The Sexy Albanian" Genc Pllana has dropped an eight-round unanimous decision to undefeated Maidel Sando of Nashville, TN by way of Las Tunas, Cuba Wednesday night at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, CA.  The bout was televised by FS1.

Pllana got off to a good start in the first round as he landed some body shots.  However, Sando was able to walk down Pllana by using a hard right hand that backed Pllana up throughout the contest.  Sando would win the bout by scores of 80-72, 79-73, and 78-74.  

Pllana's record falls to 8-2-1, four KO's while Sando is now 10-0, seven KO's.

Pllana Weighs 166.6 For Eight-Rounder In Los Angeles!

Genc Pllana tipped the scales at 166.6 pounds for his eight-round contest against Maidel Sando on Wednesday, September 23rd at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, CA.  The bout will be the opening contest shown on FS1.  Sando weighed in at the super middleweight limit of 168 pounds.

The telecast gets underway at 10 PM ET.

Breedy Loses Split Decision in Connecticut!

Clinton, MD featherweight Cobia "The Soldier" Breedy has lost a close, 12-round split decision to Tugstsogt "King Tug" Nyambayar of Los Angeles, CA by way of Mongolia Saturday at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT  The bout was a WBC Featherweight title eliminator shown on Showtime.

Breedy got off to a good start in the bout as he pressured Nyambayar in the opening round.  However, Nyambayar, a 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist, landed a short right hand with about five seconds remaining in the round and dropped Breedy.

Nyambayar would drop Breedy a second time with a left hand in the second round. To Breedy's credit, he would stay in the fight due to his pressure.  The native of Barbados would win one judge's scorecard, 115-111.  However, the other judges saw the contest for Nyambayar, 114-112, and 114-113.

Breedy suffers his first defeat and he is now 15-1, five KO's. Nyambayar bounces back from his first pro loss, a WBC title opportunity to champion Gary Russell, Jr. and he is now 12-1, nine KO's.

Breedy, Nyambayar Weigh 125 1/2 For Unification Battle!

Cobia Breedy and Tugstsogt Nyambayar both tipped the scales at 125 1/2 pounds for their 12-round WBC Featherweight Unification bout on Saturday, September 19th at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT.

The bout will be the second contest on a tripleheader card shown on Showtime beginning at 9 PM ET.

Breedy, Nyambayar Make Final Comments Before Unification Battle!

Hyattsville, MD featherweight Cobia "The Soldier" Breedy and Tugstsogt “King Tug” Nyambayar of Los Angeles, CA by way of Mongolia made their final statements Thursday before their 12-round WBC Featherweight title elimination bout on Saturday, September 19th at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT.

Breedy (15-0, five KO's) says he feels no pressure going into the biggest bout of his career.  "I’m never under pressure because I know that I’m doing this for. I’m doing this for my people back home in Barbados. I’m doing it for my family, my wife, and everybody who supports me. I’m going to show everyone who ‘Soldier’ Breedy is.

"I just have to show the world what I can do. I’m not worried about how he fought against Gary Russell Jr., that was a good win for Gary. Tug is a good fighter. He’s accomplished a lot, but he hasn’t fought a soldier yet. Saturday night he’s going to be facing something different."

Nyambayar (11-1, nine KO's) is coming off a WBC title loss to featherweight champion Gary Russell, Jr. and says he was not at 100 percent for that bout back in February.  "It wasn’t my night against Gary Russell Jr., but now I’m a better fighter. I was waiting too much against Russell and I let him control the fight. I have to be in control of the fight from the beginning until the end."

“I had a bit of an ankle sprain heading into the fight against Russell. I wasn’t able to use my movement as much as I wanted. It was a mild injury, but it caused me to have a lot less running in training. It just wasn’t the best ‘King Tug’. I would happily rematch Gary Russell Jr. I would love to fight him again because I think it would end differently."

The bout will be the co-feature contest on Showtime at 9 PM ET.

Also, if you would like to see a full interview with Breedy, check out my partner Juan Marshall's ProAm Fight Talk YouTube Page for an exclusive conversation with Breedy and his team.

Dominic Wade Arrested On Rape Charges; Held Without Bail!

The tough times continue for former world middleweight title challenger Dominic Wade of Largo, MD. BoxingScene.com is reporting that Wade is being held without bail in a Charles County, MD detention center on three charges of sexual misconduct, the most serious being rape in the second degree.

If convicted, Wade could serve a maximum of 20 years in prison.  Here is part of BoxingScene's Jake Donovan's report.

The offense in question took place on July 23 according to arrest records and the accompanying court report, copies of which have been obtained by BoxingScene.com. According to the report, Wade allegedly came into contact with the victim—whose identity has been withheld in compliance with rape shield law—at which point he engaged in the alleged act.

An arrest warrant was issued by the Charles County Sheriff’s Department on August 28 and was ultimately served to Wade on September 8, at which point he was placed under arrest. A hearing was held in Charles County District Court on September 9, with a motion from the Charles County State’s Attorney’s office granted to hold Wade without bail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 6 at 2:30 p.m. local time at Charles County District Court.

Wade is also charged with second-degree sexual assault and fourth-degree sexual offense, both of which are misdemeanors. Sexual Assault in the Second Degree carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $2,500 fine.

Wade (20-1, 14 KO's) last fought in February of 2019 when he knocked out Josue Obando in the fifth round in Charlotte, NC.  It was Wade's second straight win after losing a middleweight world title bid to Gennady Golovkin by second-round knockout in April of 2016 in Inglewood, CA.

That bout may not have happened had event promoters known about Wade being out on bail and awaiting sentencing for domestic violence charges stemming from an incident in December of 2015 involving the mother of Wade's child.  The mother's niece witnessed the attack and was struck by Wade, losing a tooth.  Wade pled guilty to one count of assault for which his punishment was reduced to probation and mandatory anger management classes.  Details of the case were not revealed until June of 2016.

Breedy Heads Into WBC Featherweight Eliminator Against Nyambayar September 19th In Connecticut!

 DCMikeTV is reporting that undefeated Hyattsville, MD featherweight Cobia "The Soldier" Breedy is a late replacement for a WBC Featherweight title eliminator bout against Tugstsogt "King Tug" Nyambayar of Los Angeles, CA by way of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on Saturday, September 19th at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT.  The bout will be shown on Showtime.

Breedy (15-0, five KO's) replaces Eduardo Ramirez, who could not compete due to undisclosed issues. Breedy, who is unranked in any of the ratings, is coming off an impressive sixth-round TKO over Titus Williams on December 7th in Brooklyn, NY.  Nyambayar (11-1, nine KO's) looks to bounce back from his only pro loss, a 12-round unanimous decision to Gary Russell, Jr. for the WBC title on February 8th in Allentown, PA.

If Breedy wins the bout, then he would be in a position to challenge Russell for the WBC title.

Pllana Faces Undefeated Sando September 23rd In Los Angeles!

 Hagerstown, MD super middleweight "The Sexy Albanian" Genc Pllana will be in an important eight-round bout when he battles undefeated Maidel Sando of Nashville, TN by way of Las Tunas, Cuba on Wednesday, September 23rd at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, CA.  The bout will be shown on FS1.

Pllana (8-1-1, four KO's) has been on a roll lately, going 3-0-1, two KO's in his last four bouts.  That streak includes a big 10-round unanimous decision victory over Kevin Newman II on February 28th in Las Vegas, NV in a contest televised by Showtime.

Sando (9-0, seven KO's) has not fought since March of 2019 when he scored a second-round KO over Demetrius Walker in Louisville, KY.  Pllana is only the third boxer with an over-.500 record that Sando has faced.  Pllana has only faced three boxers with records under-.500.

Pryor Scores Early KO In New Hampshire!

Frederick, MD cruiserweight Larry "Hitman" Pryor only needed 35 seconds to score a technical knockout over Francisco Ariri Neto of Woburn, MA by way of Brazil on Saturday, August 29th at the Sports Zone in Derry, NH.

According to reports, Pryor threw a nice left hook to drop Neto.  Neto beat referee Leo Gerstel's 10-count but was on wobbly legs and could not continue.

The victory breaks a two-bout losing streak for Pryor, who is now 12-22, six KO's.  Neto falls to  1-9, one KO.

Chaney Continues Knockout Streak With Fourth-Round TKO In Florida!

Baltimore, MD-born heavyweight Cassius Chaney remained undefeated with a fourth-round TKO over veteran Chauncey Welliver on Friday, August 28th at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, FL.

Chaney battered his much-heavier opponent (378 to 263.2 pounds) from the opening bell as Welliver became a punching bag with feet. Midway through the fourth round, referee Frank Gentile mercifully stopped the contest at 2:01 of the round.  Welliver was never knocked down but he was no match for Chaney.

Chaney, who now lives in New London, CT, raises his record to 19-0, 13 KO's, and has knocked out his last eight opponents. Welliver drops to 57-13-5 with 23 KO's.

 

Undefeated Chaney Battles Veteran Welliver Friday In Florida!

Undefeated Baltimore, MD-born heavyweight Cassius Chaney will take on veteran "The Hillyard Hammer" Chauncey Welliver of Spokane, WA in an eight-round contest on Friday, August 28th at the Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, FL. The card is scheduled to be televised on Telemundo.

Chaney (18-0, 12 KO's) competes for the first time in 2020 after scoring a third-round knockout over Nick Jones on November 27th in Windham, NH. Chaney lives in New London, CT.  Welliver (57-12-5, 23 KO's) has won his last two bouts but has not fought since October of 2018 when he won a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Eric Hempstead.

Chaney will have to overcome a huge weight disadvantage. Chaney tipped the scales at 263.2 pounds while Welliver came in at a whopping 378 pounds.

Ray Pays It Forward: Picks Up Tab For Roach Hall Of Fame Dues!

 Here is a great feel-good story.  DC Boxing Hall Of Fame master cutman Chris Ray, best known for being in the corner for International Boxing Hall Of Famer Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson, has picked up the tab for another DC Boxing Hall of Famer who is no longer with us.

Every year, members of the DC Boxing Hall of Fame pay dues to help keep the tradition alive.  Ray has decided to pick up the amount for a lifetime membership for the late master trainer Bernard "Boogaloo" Roach, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 52.  Roach went into the hall of fame posthumously in 2018.  Roach trained the likes of DeMarcus Corley, Andrew Council, D'Mitrius Ballard, and his second cousin, Lamont Roach, Jr. during his 20-year career.

Ray hopes that other hall of famers will help pay it forward for those who can't.  Especially in the challenging times, we live in today.

Fox Bout Ends in No-Contest!

The bout for Upper Marlboro, MD super middleweight Alantez "SlyAza" Fox against Accra, Ghana's "Wild Hurricane" Habib Ahmed ended in a third-round no-contest Saturday at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT.

The two clashed heads during the third round and the bout was stopped.  No word on who was directly affected by the clash.

Both fighter's records remain the same.  Fox is 26-2-1, 12 KO's while Ahmed is 27-1-1, 18 KO's.

Simpson Drops Out Of August 29th Mississippi Card!

Undefeated Baltimore, MD super middleweight Lorenzo "Truck" Simpson is out of a potentially toxic situation.  Simpson (8-0, five KO's) is off of a card that was scheduled for Saturday, August 29th at the Mississippi Coast Convention Center in Biloxi, MS.

According to boxing media personality Clare Burke, the card itself has been canceled in Mississippi and moved to Iowa because the promoter of the card, Bigger Than Life Entertainment, still owes fees related to their last card on July 11 at the Mississippi Coast Convention Center, a nationally-televised (CBS Sports Network) card Simpson fought on and scored a first-round TKO over Alex Sandro Duarte.  Burke is reporting that many of the boxers did not get paid on the card and the promoters did not pay venue or matchmaker booking fees.

The story gets a little crazier because the card is scheduled to be held in Davenport, IA, the hometown of former two-division world champion Michael Nunn, who fights for the first time since January of 2002.  Nunn was released from prison in 2019 after serving a long sentence for drug trafficking. Nunn, who is now 57 years old, is actually scheduled to be on this card against Samuel Clarkson in a six-round bout.

Early Has Six-Round Contest For ABF Title In Florida August 22nd!

 Seat Pleasant, MD super featherweight James "Too Slick" Early will participate in a six-round contest for the vacant American Boxing Federation Atlantic Super Featherweight Title on Saturday, August 22nd at the Bonita Springs Elks Lodge in Bonita Springs, FL.  

Early (4-6) gets a shot at this minor title despite currently riding a three-bout losing streak which includes a six-round unanimous decision loss to James Wilkins on January 11th in San Antonio, TX.  

The opponent will be undefeated Curtis "Hard Knocks" Johnson of New Orleans, LA by way of Hattiesburg, MS.  Johnson (11-0, eight KO's) comes off an eight-round split decision win over Jose Antonio Martinez on September 6th in New Orleans.  Johnson has only beaten one boxer with an over-.500 record in his career.

Fox Drops Unanimous Decision In Los Angeles!

Upper Marlboro, MD welterweight Mykal "The Professor" Fox has lost a 10-round unanimous decision to Lucas Santamaria of Garden Grove, CA on Saturday, August 8th at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, CA.  The bout was televised by FS1.

Fox, who normally has little difficulty with shorter fighters, had a tough time with the 5'8" Santamaria as he could not keep him from getting inside.  In the first round, Santamaria was able to pressure Fox and knocked him down to the bottom rope with a series of punches.  Referee Edward Hernandez, Jr. ruled a knockdown for Santamaria, marking the first time the 6'4" Fox had been dropped to the canvas in his pro career.

Fox was able to get some distance throughout the contest but couldn't use his jab well enough to keep Santamaria off of him.  Santamaria was able to win the bout by scores of 96-93, 97-92, and 99-90.  Fox, who was ranked 14th in the world by the WBA, drops to 22-2, five KO's while Santamaria's record rises to 11-1-1, seven KO's.

Fox, Santamaria Weigh 145.8 For 10-Rounder In Los Angeles!

Both Mykal Fox and Lucas Santamaria tipped the scales at 145.8 pounds for their 10-round contest on Saturday, August 8th at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, CA.

The bout will be shown on the PBC Fight Night telecast on FS1 that gets underway at 10 PM ET.

Roach, Jr. Returns For 10-Rounder In California August 28th!

Upper Marlboro, MD super featherweight Lamont Roach, Jr. returns to action in a 10-round contest on Friday, August 28th at the Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino in Indio, CA.  Roach (19-1-1, seven KO's) looks to bounce back from his 12-round unanimous decision loss to Jamel Herring for the WBO Super Featherweight championship on November 9th in Fresno, CA.  Roach is still ranked by the WBO at number 13.

The opponent will be Neil John "The Beast" Tabanao of Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines (17-7, 11 KO's) who will look to break a three-bout losing streak.  Tabanao is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision loss to Irving Turrubiartes on August 24th in Hermosillo, Mexico.  Two of Tabanao's recent losses came to Angelo Leo and Tramaine Williams.  Leo defeated Williams on August 1st to win the vacant WBO Junior Featherweight title in Uncasville, CT.

The Roach-Tabanao bout is scheduled to be streamed on DAZN.

Fox Brothers Making News!

There are a couple of interesting news items concerning the "Twin Towers" of Beltway Boxing -- The Fox Brothers of Upper Marlboro, MD -- as they both have bouts coming up.

The younger of the brothers, welterweight Mykal "The Professor" Fox, has a bout scheduled for Saturday, August 8th against Lucas Santamaria of Garden Grove, CA at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, CA.  The bout is scheduled to be televised on FS1.  However, there could be more to this story.

All of the boxers are slated to be tested for the COVID-19 disease later this week.  Unfortunately, recent main event bouts have had competitors test positive.  The main event on this card will be a contest for the WBA Interim Welterweight championship between Thomas Dulorme and Jamal James.  According to Boxingscene.com, should either man test positive for COVID-19, Fox would be inserted into the main event.  Fox (22-1, five KO's) is ranked 13th by the WBA at welterweight and would be eligible to compete in the bout should the opportunity present itself.

Older brother Alantez "SlyAza" Fox will see action on Saturday, August 15th at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT.  Fox (26-2-1, 12 KO's) will be in an eight-round middleweight contest against "The Wild Hurricane" Habib Ahmed of Accra, Ghana (27-1-1, 18 KO's)  Fox looks to bounce back from a fifth-round TKO loss to Liam Williams on December 21st in London, England.  Ahmed is a former WBO Super Middleweight title contender who lost a chance for the title by getting knocked out by Gilberto Ramirez in February of 2018 in Corpus Cristi, TX.  Since that loss, Ahmed has won two straight, including an eight-round unanimous decision win over Juan De Angel in May of 2019 in Biloxi, MS.

Beltway Boxers Begin To See Action!

The COVID-19 pandemic has not stopped Beltway Boxers from finding opportunities to compete. A number of locals are scheduled to see action in the next few weeks.

On Thursday, August 20th, Columbia, MD super middleweight Ashton "The Goon" Sykes will be in a six-round contest against undefeated Cruse "Hitman" Stewart of Cedar Rapids, IA.  The bout will be held in Detroit, MI.

Sykes (5-3, one KO) is riding a three-bout winning streak including a four-round unanimous decision victory over previously undefeated Isiah Hart on March 7th in Cheswick, PA.  Stewart (7-0, six KO's) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision over Martez McGregor on March 13th in Hinckley, MN.

So far, the busiest boxer during this challenging time has been undefeated Baltimore, MD super middleweight Lorenzo "Truck" Simpson who will compete for the second time in less than a month when he faces equally undefeated "Prime Time" Sonny Duversonne of Avon Park, FL in an eight-round contest on August 29th at the Mississippi Coast Convention Center in Biloxi, MS.  This will be Simpson's first eight-round encounter and his second straight time at the Mississippi Coast Center.  Simpson (8-0, five KO's) knocked out Alex Sandro Duarte in the first round on July 11th.

Duversonne (11-0-2, eight KO's) last fought on February 29th and scored a fifth-round TKO over Larry Smith in St. Petersburg, FL.  Duversonne has knocked out his last four opponents.  This bout is part of a card that will be televised on the CBS Sports Network but no official word as to if this bout will be shown.

Also on Saturday, August 29th, cruiserweight Larry "Hitman" Pryor is scheduled to be in a four-round bout against an opponent to be determined at the Sports Zone in Derry, NH.  Pryor (11-22, five KO's) hasn't fought since October 4th when he lost by fourth-round TKO to Efetobor Apochi in Houston, TX.

Bates Loses WBA Eliminator Due To Injury!

Washington, DC super featherweight Marcus "Dreamcrusher" Bates lost by 10th round TKO to Ra'eese "The Beast" Aleem of Las Vegas, NV in a WBA title eliminator held August 1 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT.

Aleem was in complete control throughout the contest and Bates could not keep up with Aleem's pace.  Bates was also hampered by an injury to his right wrist suffered midway through the contest. In the 10th round, the injury was too much for Bates and the bout was stopped at 2:18.

Aleem, who was ranked 8th by the WBA, remains undefeated at 17-0, 11 KO's.  Bates, who was ninth in the world by the WBA, is now 11-2, eight KO's.  Both of his losses have come to Aleem.

Bates, Aleem Weigh 121 1/4 For WBA Title Eliminator Bout!

Marcus Bates and Ra'eese Aleem both weighed 121 1/4 pounds for their 12-round WBA Super Bantamweight Elimination contest that will be held Saturday, August 1st at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT.

The card is part of a tripleheader that will be shown on Showtime beginning at 9 PM ET.

M. Fox Scheduled For 10-Round Bout Against Santamaria In California!

Upper Marlboro, MD super lightweight Mykal "The Professor" Fox will compete in a 10-round bout against Lucas Santamaria on Saturday, August 8th at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, CA.  The bout will be televised on FS1.

Fox (22-1, five KO's) last fought on December 6th and won an eight-round unanimous decision over John Arellano in Philadelphia, PA.  Santamaria (10-1-1, seven KO's) comes off an eight-round split decision win over Willie Jones on October 4th in Houston, TX.

This bout will be part of the telecast that will get underway at 10 PM ET.

Bates Competes In WBA Super Featherweight Eliminator Bout Saturday In Connecticut !

Washington, DC super featherweight Marcus "Dreamcrusher" Bates will compete in a 12-round WBA title elimination bout on Saturday, August 1 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT. The bout will be televised live on Showtime.

Bates, who is ranked number seven in the world by the WBA (11-1, eight KO's), will try to avenge his only loss when he faces the undefeated Ra'eese "The Beast" Aleem of Las Vegas, NV by way of Muskegon, MI (16-0, 10 KO's).

The two met on April 6th, 2018 in Philadelphia, PA and Aleem won an eight-round unanimous decision. Since that contest, Bates has won three bouts in a row while Aleem has won five straight.

Aleem was originally scheduled to face Tramaine Williams in the co-feature but Williams was inserted into the main event against Angelo Leo when Leo's scheduled opponent, Stephen Fulton, tested positive for COVID-19.  Williams and Leo will battle for the vacant WBO Junior Featherweight title.

The card will get underway at 9 PM ET.

'Flattop', Fightnews.com Managing Editor, Passes!

Sometimes, the people you never meet are the ones who help you the most.

I never actually met "Flattop" Scott Pope.  However, without him, my Beltway Boxing journey would have never had the success it has enjoyed for the past 20 years.

Twenty years is how long I have contributed stories as a feature writer for Fightnews.com.  Flattop was the site's managing editor until his passing from a heart attack this week at the age of 60.  Many of the writers on Fightnews.com have never really met one another, although I have been privileged to meet a few of them.  But, because they lived on the west coast, I never met Flattop, or the site's founder and publisher, Karl Freitag.

Because I had already established myself as someone covering the Beltway Boxing scene, Flattop, to his credit, gave me the autonomy in getting press credentials for the club shows in the area.  Flattop would only get involved when the major promoters would host shows in the area.  Fightnews was my way of expanding my coverage of the Beltway scene to the entire world.  Flattop was my point of contact and with him handling the press credentials for the big shows and truly fighting for the reporters and the photographers to get the best seats at ringside, he was truly invaluable.  Because of my work with Fightnews, my personal reputation expanded tenfold, at least.

Over the 20 years, I learned that, for some people, liking Flattop was a taste that many people did not acquire.  Honestly, he was not that well-loved in some boxing circles.  Even our personal conversations could get a little heated at times.  But, I would always think about the passion he had to make Fightnews the number one boxing website in the world and I understood where he was coming from because I wanted that same goal.

Outside of boxing, Flattop's life seemed to be an open book and he didn't mind sharing chapters of the book with you.  We would have long conversations about his life, my life, and life in general.  He always asked how my family was doing.  He would celebrate my other interests and would comfort me in times of trouble.  I will truly miss those conversations.

Fightnews.com, and Flattop, in particular, are a huge reason why I am where I am in the world of boxing.  I don't know who will take over his role but no one, and I mean NO ONE will do his job with the passion, enthusiasm, and talent that Flattop did.  Rest in peace, buddy.

Baltimore Boxers Involved In Future Major Showtime Contests!

On Wednesday, Showtime unveiled its boxing schedule for the third and fourth quarters of the year.  Two Baltimore, MD boxers are slated for big bouts that will come from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT.

On Saturday, October 10th, undefeated welterweight Malik "Iceman" Hawkins will be in a 10-round bout against Subriel "Browny" Matias of Fajardo, Puerto Rico.  Hawkins (18-0, 11 KO's) last fought on December 28th and scored a fifth-round TKO over Darwin Price in Atlanta, GA.  Matias (15-1, 15 KO's) will try to bounce back from his first pro loss, a 10-round unanimous decision to Petros Ananyan on February 22nd in Las Vegas, NV.   You may remember that Matias was the opponent against Maxim Dadashev at the MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, MD in July of 2019.  Dadashev passed away from injuries suffered in that bout.

One of the biggest bouts on the schedule will take place from the same Mohegan Sun location two weeks later on October 24th.  WBA Lightweight champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis will defend his title in a unification battle against WBA Super Featherweight champion Leo "El Terremoto" Santa Cruz of Rosemead, CA.  This bout will headline a Showtime Pay-Per-View card.

Davis (23-0, 22 KO's) was in the main event of the December 28th card in Atlanta and won the vacant WBA Lightweight title with a 12th round TKO over former world champion Yuriokis Gamboa.  Davis vacated the WBA Super Featherweight championship prior to that bout.  Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KO's) would pick up the title by winning a 12-round unanimous decision over Miguel Flores on November 23rd in Las Vegas.

Pllana Bout Canceled As Opponent Tests Positive For COVID-19!

The eight-round rematch contest between super middleweights "The Sexy Albanian" Genc Pllana of Hagerstown, MD, and Raphael "Trouble" Igbokwe of Houston, TX that was scheduled for tonight in Las Vegas, NV has been canceled because Igbokwe has tested positive for COVID-19.  The bout was slated to be televised by ESPN.

This is the second time in a five-day period that this bout has been called off.  The contest was originally scheduled for July 16th and then moved to today. It was to be a rematch of a bout that Igbokwe won in Houston in August of 2019.

Pllana Weighs 167.3 For Eight-Round Rematch Tuesday In Las Vegas!

Genc Pllana tipped the scales at 167.3 pounds for his eight-round rematch bout against Raphael Igbokwe Tuesday at the MGM Grand Bubble in Las Vegas, NV.  Igbokwe weighed in at 165 pounds.

The bout is scheduled to kick off the ESPN telecast at 8 PM ET.

Pllana Faces Igbokwe In Eight-Round Rematch Tuesday In Las Vegas!

Hagerstown, MD super middleweight "The Sexy Albanian" Genc Pllana has an opportunity to avenge his only loss on national television when he faces Raphael "Trouble" Igbokwe of Fresno, TX in an eight-round rematch on Tuesday, July 21st at the MGM Grand Bubble in Las Vegas, NV.  The bout will be televised on ESPN.

The two men faced each other on August 23rd, 2019 and Igbokwe would win an eight-round majority decision in Houston, TX.  Since that bout, Pllana (8-1-1, four KO's) has had a win and a draw.  Pllana won a 10-round unanimous decision over Kevin Newman II on February 28th in Las Vegas. Igbokwe (14-2, six KO's) won his last contest by six-round unanimous decision over Javier Frazier on March 7th in Sugar Land, TX.  This will be Igbokwe's first bout outside the state of Texas.

The ESPN telecast will begin at 8 PM ET.

Burrs Loses Unanimous Decision In Vegas!

Frederick, MD middleweight Ryan "The Lion" Burrs lost a four-round unanimous decision to debuting Javier Martinez of Milwaukee, WI Tuesday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV.

Burns lost by shutout to the 2020 middleweight United States Olympic Trials champion, 40-36, on all three cards to even his record at 2-2.

'Lion King' Burrs Looks To Spoil Debut Of Olympic Trials Champion Tuesday In Las Vegas!

Frederick, MD middleweight "The Lion King" Jonathan Burrs returns to action in a four-round contest against a highly-touted former amateur champion making his pro debut Tuesday at the MGM Grand Bubble in Las Vegas, NV.

Burrs (2-1) competes for the first time since winning a four-round unanimous decision over Justin Sykes in January of 2019 in Waldorf, MD.

The opponent for Burrs will be Javier Martinez of Milwaukee, WI who was the 2020 Olympic Trials Middleweight champion.  One of the boxers Martinez beat on the way to the championship was the Beltway's own Troy Isley. 

Both men weighed in for the bout on Monday.  Burrs came in at 161.2 while Martinez weighed in at 162 pounds.  The bout is scheduled to be shown live on ESPN at 9 PM ET.

Simpson Scores First-Round KO In Mississippi!

Baltimore, MD super middleweight Lorenzo "Truck" Simpson registered a first-round knockout win over Alex Sandro "Careca" Duarte of New York by way of Brazil Saturday night at the Mississippi Coast Convention Center in Biloxi, MS.

According to reports, Simpson used a vicious left to the body to stop his opponent at 1:20.  Simpson remains undefeated at 8-0, five KO's while Duarte falls to 16-10-1, 13 KO's.

The featured bouts on this card were televised by CBS Sports Network.  The announcing team had a Beltway flavor.  The color commentator was International Boxing Hall Of Famer and three-time world champion Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson and the blow-by-blow announcer was Ronnie Duncan, who is a graduate of Morgan State University in Baltimore and worked in Baltimore for a number of years.

Simpson Returns For Six-Round Contest In Mississippi!

Undefeated Baltimore, MD super middleweight Lorenzo "Truck" Simpson returns to action on Saturday, July 11th when he battles veteran Alex Sandro "Cueva" Duarte of New York by way of Brazil in a six-round contest at the Mississippi Coast Convention Center in Biloxi, MS.

Simpson (7-0, four KO's) comes off a six-round unanimous decision victory over Antonio Louis Hernandez on January 25th in Brooklyn, NY.  Duarte (16-9-1, 13 KO's) is coming off two consecutive knockout wins in Colombia.

The bout is part of a card in which portions will be televised on the CBS Sports Network.

McCalla Returns With First-Round TKO in Florida!

(Photo by Damon Gonzalez/Latinbox Sports)

Well, we actually have some live boxing to talk about.  Congratulations to Randallstown, MD super welterweight Cecil McCalla who scored a first-round TKO over Matias Garcia of Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua on Saturday, June 27th at the White Sands Treatment Center in Plant City, FL.

According to reports, McCalla did an outstanding job of countering Garcia's attack and he knocked Garcia down twice before referee Andrew Glenn waved the bout off at 1:57 of the opening round.

This was the first bout for McCalla since he lost a 10-round unanimous decision to Madiyar Ashkeyev in Tucson, AZ in May of 2019.  That bout was for the NABF Jr. Super Welterweight title.  With the victory, McCalla raises his record to 22-4, nine KO's.

Garcia has now lost three straight contests, all by knockout, and his record drops to 17-18-1, 14 KO's.

Earl Savage, Noted Maryland Inspector, Passes At 98!

(photo courtesy of Vaughn C. Greene Funeral Home webpage)


Sad news to report. Earl Savage, a Maryland Boxing Hall of Famer who served as a noted Maryland inspector, passed away on June 6th at the age of 98.

Mr. Savage was born on December 26th, 1921 in Washington, DC, and moved to Baltimore, MD where he was educated in the city public school system, attending Carver Vocational High School, where he pursued a course in tailoring.  He boxed for a short time as an amateur, using his first and middle names, "Earl Washington." 

From 1942-1945, Mr. Savage served in the United States Navy, eventually being sent to Pearl Harbor.  After an honorable discharge, he returned to Carver and finished his education under the G.I. Bill, completing his course in tailoring.  Mr. Savage would teach tailoring in New York and Philadelphia before returning to Baltimore and opening his own Tailoring and Cleaning business, East Lanval Tailors on East Lanvale Street, in 1954. He also worked at Charles Cleaners on Lexington Street until his retirement in 1986.

Mr. Savage had a long career with Maryland Boxing.  He was the Goodwill Ambassador for Ring 101 because of his outstanding service and was a no-nonsense, recognized, and accomplished inspector with the Maryland State Athletic Commission from 1994-2011.  In 2006, Mr. Savage was inducted into the Maryland Boxing Hall Of Fame.

Mr. Savage was preceded in death by his wife, Blanche, his brother Jesse, two of his children, Andrea and Phillip, and a granddaughter, Renee. Survivors include his daughter, Diane, as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

There will be a public viewing for Mr. Savage on Friday, June 26th from 3-5 PM ET at the Vaughn C. Greene, Sr. Funeral Home located at 8728 Liberty Road in Randallstown, Maryland.  The funeral service will be held in the same location on Saturday, June 27th at 10 AM ET.

Earl Savage was truly Mr. "No-Nonsense" as an inspector.  A very nice man but he took no stuff from anyone he dealt with.  He kept things moving behind the scenes at Maryland events.  A truly, truly, nice man who will definitely be missed.  BATB sends its deepest condolences to his family as well as boxing officials and fans throughout Maryland.

Golden Gloves 2020 Is Cancelled!

There will be no National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions in 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the cancellation of the tournament, which was to be held in Tulsa, OK.  Organizers had planned to delay the national tournament until mid-August but the pandemic in many states, including the Beltway, made that idea impossible because they could not finish the local Golden Gloves events.

In a letter to local boxers and coaches, Washington Golden Gloves officials say, "we will be in touch in the near future with further information for upcoming 2021 tournaments."

Tiara Brown Featured In New BET Documentary June 13th!

DC super featherweight and reigning NABO champion "The Dark Menace" Tiara Brown is the subject of a new BET documentary entitled "Gloves Off" that premieres on Saturday, June 13th at 9 PM ET.

The film focuses on Brown's dual role as a DC police officer by day and a champion boxer by night.  Brown has been very successful in both roles.  She was named DC Police Officer of The Year in 2019 and she has a record of 10-0, six KO's and is promoted by one of the top promoters in the country, Dibella Entertainment.

The film is co-directed by ​Nadine Natour and Ugonna Okpalaoka ​and it is a film that was funded by The Queen Collective, a development, and mentorship program launched by actress Queen Latifah, Proctor and Gamble, and Tribeca Studios.  Natour and Okpalaoka were handpicked by Latifah and other black creatives in the film industry as up-and-coming woman directors.

Crews-Dezurn Reinstated As WBC Super Middleweight Champion!

Once again, Baltimore, MD's "Heavy-Hitting Diva" Franchon Crews-Dezurn reigns as WBC/WBO Super Middleweight champion.  BoxingScene.com is reporting that Crews-Dezurn was reinstated as WBC Champion after suspending Alejandra "Tigre" Jimenez for nine months for failing a drug test in January.

On January 11th, Jimenez defeated Crews-Dezurn by 10-round split decision in San Antonio, TX to win the WBO and WBC Super Middleweight titles. The Texas Boxing Commission would change the bout's ruling to a No-Decision.  The Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) collected a test sample from Jimenez the day before the fight that tested positive for the banned substance Stanazol. Jimenez would be suspended by the Texas Commission for 90 days, the WBC would suspend her title reign and the WBO would put her on the clock.

The WBO would return its title to Crews-Dezurn in March.  According to BoxingScene's Miguel Rivera, the WBC conducted a five-month investigation and would also declare the January 11th bout a no-contest and return its title to Crews-Dezurn.

According to Rivera, the suspension to Jiménez is due to the fact that she admitted that she tested positive, but denied ingesting a prohibited substance.

“Ms. Jiménez's agreement with the WBC is not an admission that she actually ingested a prohibited substance to improve her performance. Instead, in the Award Agreement, Ms. Jiménez does not dispute the WBC-CBP finding as revealed by the anti-doping test," the WBC's statement read.

Rivera's article also says that. in addition to the suspension, a probation status of one year for Jimenez was agreed upon until October 10, 2021, although the WBC points out that there will be no economic sanctions for the fighter.

Donald 'Biff' Cline, Beltway Light Heavyweight, Passes At 72!

Donald "Biff" Cline, a light-heavyweight contender in the 70's who fought out of Hillcrest Heights, MD recently passed away at the age of 72.  No official word on the cause of death but reports say he had a form of Pugilistic Dementia for a number of years.

Mr. Cline's father, Chris, was a boxing trainer and father, but in high school, Biff was a star running back at Suitland High School. Mr. Cline then joined the US Armed Services and served in Vietnam.  He participated in the Tet-Offensive in 1968 and 1969.  After returning home, Mr. Cline became a Capitol Police Officer and embarked on a boxing career.

Mr. Cline would work his way to a record of 13-1, 13 KO's, and earn him the nickname "The Terror."  One of his bouts would be on April 30, 1976, at the Capital Centre in Landover, MD on the undercard of the Muhammad Ali-Jimmy Young championship bout.  Mr. Cline would score a second-round TKO over Jimmy Davis.

A future bout against Ray Elson on February 13, 1977, at Halsey Field House in Annapolis, MD, would prove to be career-changing in many ways.  The bout was on national television and Mr. Cline would lose by fourth-round TKO.

After the bout, Mr. Cline's name would be connected to one of the biggest scandals in boxing history -- the Ring Magazine Scandal. Three of his earlier bouts were proved to be bogus. Mr.Cline's padded record was used to secure him his ABC television bout with Elson in the United States Championship Tournament promoted by Don King. The Ring Magazine's John Ort was criticized for recording Cline's fictitious bouts in the Ring Record Book. Also, Cline's manager, Paddy Dolan was accused of submitting the bogus fights to The Ring.

Mr. Cline would never again be a contender for a championship.  His last big bout was against Baltimore-born and future light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi on September 26, 1977, at the Baltimore Civic Center (now Royal Farms Arena).  Mr. Cline would lose by first-round TKO. Mr. Cline's record was listed at 16-4-1, 16 KO's.

In 1982, Mr. Cline would suffer a detached retina and lost sight in his left eye.  He would work as a bouncer in clubs around Maryland.  Mr. Cline's survivors include a daughter and son.  BATB sends our deepest condolences to the family.

Brown, Chambers Highlighted By WBC For Police And Community Work!

Here's a very positive story for these troubling times.  Two Beltway Boxers who also serve as police officers have been honored by the World Boxing Council for their outstanding work in the community.

Washington, DC featherweight Tiara Brown was chosen as one of the WBC's Heroes Of Humanity for her community outreach.  Brown, who was named the DC Officer Of The Year in 2019, was lauded for her work on the front lines during this pandemic.

Owings Mills, MD lightweight Brandon Chambers was honored for his community work as a Baltimore City Police Officer. Chambers was chosen as the Baltimore City Police Officer of the year in 2018 and 2019.  Chambers works in the Neighborhood Services Unit focusing on community policing.  Prior to moving to this unit, Chambers would feed the homeless every week when he would get paid.  At one point he would buy forty cheeseburgers and hand them out at a local homeless shelter.

Chambers is promoted by Jeter Promotions, headed by former WBC Silver Middleweight champion Tony Jeter and his wife, Christen.  Tony Jeter is also a Baltimore City Police Officer.

Brenda Davis, First Lady of Beltway Amateur Boxing, Passes!

(Family photo)

One of the original first families of Beltway Boxing is the Davis Family -- Legendary trainer Adrian, boxing sons Victor and Demetrius and daughter Veeda.

BATB has learned that the matriarch of the family -- "Ms. B" Brenda Davis -- has passed away after a long bout with stage 7 Alzheimer's disease.

For many years, the Davis family were the brains -- and the finances -- behind Round One Gymnasium.  Round One was a legendary facility that was the home to many professional world champions from the Beltway including Sharmba Mitchell, William Joppy, Isra Girgrah Wynn, and Hasim Rahman.  Round One also changed the lives of many amateur boxers throughout the years. Brenda Davis was the driving force on the amateur side -- she was a three-time president of the Potomac Valley Association of USA Boxing and the first female amateur boxing judge in the region.

Brenda Davis's time in the amateurs dates all the way back to the '70s when she would hold bake sales to raise funds so boxers like Sugar Ray Leonard and Derrick Holmes could participate in the Pan American Games as amateurs.

Jeff Novotny, a former amateur boxer who trained at Round One during that time, told Thom Loverro of the Washington Times in a 2018 article about a fundraiser for the Davis Family that no boxer came through the gym without a kind word of encouragement from Ms. B.

"What she did for amateur boxing -- her impact, the amount of time she devoted and the out-of-pocket expenses that she had to help kids is amazing," Novotny told the Times.  "Anyone who passed through here, she had an impact."

On a personal note, Brenda Davis was truly an awesome woman.  My first forays into ring announcing in the early 2000s were on the amateur side and Ms. B was ALWAYS there to help out.  She and I would always exchange signals that would tell me who won the bouts.  Over the years, I interviewed the Davis family for different reasons -- including the struggles they had with keeping Round One afloat.  The gym had many different homes, including one across the street from Fort Lincoln Cemetery in Bladensburg, MD.  I was working at the cemetery at the time and would go over to Round One on my lunch break sometimes just to see how things were.

There is no question that I dearly loved Brenda Davis.  Her legacy continues with the many women who are now involved with the Potomac Valley Association of USA Boxing.  Brenda Davis made it much easier for those ladies -- and many others throughout the country -- to be accepted.  My deepest, deepest condolences to the entire Davis Family and the entire Beltway Boxing Community.

Keyshawn Davis Chooses Olympics Over Pro Boxing!

When the announcement came that the Tokyo, Japan Summer Olympics were going to be delayed until 2021, one of the United States' best hopes for a boxing gold medal -- Keyshawn Davis of Alexandria, VA -- had a decision to make: whether to continue his Olympic dream or turn professional.

Davis has made his decision.  He will keep his Olympic Dream alive and turn pro after making a potential 2021 appearance.  Davis said he turned down numerous pro offers in order to make a run to qualify for the Tokyo games.

“Looking at the bigger picture, I felt it was a better decision for me,” said Davis, a world silver medalist in the lightweight division. “I get a chance to develop myself, even more, gaining a bigger platform going into the Olympics. I’ll be just that bigger of a fighter. Coming out [going pro in 2021], I should be a bigger star than I was going to be [in 2020].”

Back in March, it looked like Davis was leaning towards turning pro.  However, the stoppage of the pro boxing scene due to the coronavirus had an impact on his decision.  Davis won a silver medal at the World Championships in 2019, the highest finish for a United States male boxer since 2007.  No US boxer has won an Olympic medal since Andre Ward took gold in 2004.  Davis will try to qualify for the Olympics once events warrant.

Boxing Coach Babashan Debuts 'Your Cornerman' Podcast!

(logo courtesy of yourcornerman.com)

You all know I appreciate your continued support of my Boxing Along The Beltway blog and podcast throughout the years.  You also should know that I don't mind promoting other projects, especially if they're good.

There's a new podcast that I really feel you should listen to and support.  It's called "Your Cornerman" and it is hosted by well known Beltway Boxing trainer Bruce Babashan.  Babashan is the head trainer at Champions Boxing and Fitness Gym in Rockville, MD and brings a well-rounded life to this project.  Babashan was a former competitive bodybuilder who also spent 20 years working in corporate America.  He is a well-known motivational speaker and coaches high school football in Clarksburg, MD.  As a boxing trainer, Babashan has worked with numerous amateurs and pros and currently works with undefeated super flyweight contender Alexandru Marin.

Another boxer that Babashan has worked with is the guest on his first episode of his podcast -- former two-time world champion "The Bolivian Queen" Jennifer Salinas.  This is a VERY revealing interview in which the multi-talented Salinas truly opens up on her past and present life.

"Your Cornerman" can be heard on many of the same podcast networks that carry the BATB podcast including Stitcher, Tunein, Google Podcasts, and Spotify as well as on Apple Podcasts.

Summer Olympics Postponed Until 2021!

The International Olympic Committee has decided to postpone the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan until the summer of 2021.  The IOC faced pressure from a number of countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, who requested a delay in the games due to the coronavirus outbreak.  Canada and Australia threatened to pull their teams from the games if they continued as scheduled.

Representatives of the IOC recently met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and local organizers and they decided that the games could not go ahead as scheduled this year.  Many athletes complained that they were unable to train properly due to the coronavirus.

What does this mean for the Beltway?  One of our boxers, Keyshawn Davis of Alexandria, VA, is a member of the United States Olympic Team and was looking to qualify for the games.  Whether or not Davis will wait for 2021 remains to be seen.  By the way, the IOC says the games will be held "no later than summer 2021" but will still be called the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

March 28th DC Card Postponed Due To COVID-19 Closure!

The Putney Promotions card that was scheduled for Saturday, March 28th at the Merrick Recreation Center in Washington, DC has been postponed due to the city's closure of events because of the COVID-19 virus.

The card was scheduled to feature Beltway Boxers Tiara Brown, Daron Williams, Kevin Womack, Jr. and the debuting Mansabory Conde.  No new date has been announced.

WBO Reinstates Crews-Dezurn As Super Middleweight Champion After Jimenez Gets Stripped!

Baltimore, MD's "Heavy-Hitting Diva" Franchon Crews-Dezurn has been reinstated by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) as its Super Middleweight champion after the governing body stripped Mexico City, Mexico's Alejandra Jimenez of the title after failing to show cause after she tested positive for a banned substance.

On January 11th, Jimenez defeated Crews-Dezurn by 10-round split decision in San Antonio, TX to win the WBO and WBC Super Middleweight titles. The Texas Boxing Commission would change the bout's ruling to a No-Decision.  The Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) collected a test sample from Jimenez the day before the fight that tested positive for the banned substance Stanazol. Jimenez would be suspended by the Texas Commission for 90 days, the WBC would suspend her title reign and the WBO would put her on the clock.

Jimenez would opt to have her "B" sample tested instead of going through a formal hearing.  The "B" sample also tested positive.  Crews-Dezurn produced clean samples throughout the entire process.

Having exhausted all options, the WBO would come back with the following ruling:

“Having this Committee examined and reviews the applicable rules and regulations, having granted all parties substantial due process, having confirmed with the Texas Licensing and Regulation Department, an administrative regulatory body with jurisdiction over the official bout result and imposed suspension, and having considered petitioner’s request, this Committee rules as follows,” noted Luis Batista-Salas, chairman of the WBO Championship Committee. “NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the WBO World Championship Committee according to the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests as follows:

“The WBO World Championship Committee hereby strips Ms. Alejandra Jimenez of her WBO Female Super Middleweight Championship Title and it reinstates WBO Female Participant Ms. Franchon Crews-Dezurn as the official WBO Female Super Middleweight Champion.”

April 17th MGM National Harbor Card Canceled!

The Matchroom Boxing card that was scheduled to take place on Friday, April 17th at MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, MD has been canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The card was scheduled to feature a main event bout between Regis Prograis and Maurice Hooker and a contest between Cecilia Braekhus and Jessica McCaskill for the Unified Female Welterweight championship.  No Beltway Boxers were scheduled to be on this card.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has decreed that all casinos and race tracks in Maryland be closed indefinitely.  This puts other local boxing events -- specifically the Washington Golden Gloves -- in jeopardy.  No official word on whether the Washington Golden Gloves, which are being held at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD, will be canceled.

Beltway Amateur, Pro Cards Postponed!

The developments concerning the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused havoc throughout the entire sports world.  Cancellations have run rampant and boxing is not immune from this, especially in the Beltway.

Both events slated for the weekend of March 13-14 have been postponed due to the virus that has paralyzed most of the nation and the world.

The Washington Golden Gloves semifinals scheduled to be held on Friday, March 13th at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD are postponed due to an edict from USA Boxing.  Here is part of the announcement from USA Boxing:

"In light of recent developments with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and after extensive consultation with the USOPC (United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee), medical experts, legal counsel and Board of Directors President Chair, Tyson Lee, USA Boxing is suspending all sanctioned events through March 31st.  This is a very difficult decision given we are in the midst of Golden Gloves tournaments and entering the qualification timeframe for the 2020 Junior Olympics; however, USA Boxing’s greatest concern is for the health and safety of all boxers, coaches, officials, and physicians.

USA Boxing will review as circumstances evolve and more information becomes available and provide an update to membership by the end of March.

All events will be able to reschedule their shows at later dates. USA Boxing will not accept any new sanctioned event requests through at least April 15th. Refunds will not be given at this time, but you may reschedule your show for a later date.

Clubs and Gyms may continue training, however, they should limit participation to boxers and coaches, and discourage folks who “want to watch” to help reduce the risk of spreading the Coronavirus.

As far as the Beltway is concerned, this also means that the Virginia/North Carolina Golden Gloves Championships that were scheduled for Friday and Saturday, March 20th and 21st, are also postponed.  The directors of the Washington Golden Gloves want to emphasize that, once the suspension on events is lifted, the event will be held.

Now, let's turn to the TGB Promotions card that was slated to take place at MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, MD on Saturday, March 14th.  That card has also been postponed.  The card was to feature a number of Beltway Boxers including Cobia Breedy, Drayvontay Speed Rawls, Tyrek Irby, Cornell Hines, and Aaron Anderson.  The main event was a 10-round bout between James Kirkland and Mark Anthony Hernandez.

Here is the statement from TGB Promotions in a press release:

Due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19, this Saturday’s Premier Boxing Champions event at MGM National Harbor in Maryland, headlined by James Kirkland vs. Marcos Hernandez and promoted by TGB Promotions, will be postponed until a later date.

“In the interest of public health and after reviewing the current information on COVID-19, we have decided the best course of action is to postpone Saturday’s event,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “We understand how disappointing this is to boxing fans and regret any inconvenience.”

All ticket orders will be refunded from your original point of purchase. If you have purchased online through Ticketmaster, all orders will be refunded automatically. If you have purchased with a credit card on the property or over the phone with MGM Resorts, all orders will be refunded automatically. 

 Credit Cards – Orders purchased with a credit card will be refunded to the credit card used for purchase. 

Third-Party Purchases – Please reach out to your original point of purchase for information regarding your credit. 

Please allow up to 30 days for this refund to reflect with your financial institution.

If you have any questions, please contact Ticketmaster’s Customer Service line at 1-800-653-8000.

BATB will keep you posted on any updates.

Bout Sheet For Second Washington Golden Gloves Semifinals!

Here is the bout sheet for the second night of semifinal action at the Washington Golden Gloves that will take place on Friday, March 13th at 7:30 PM at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD:

Junior Division:

9, 75 Pounds: Anthony Durrett, Jr. (Limelite) vs. Jack Giordano (Main Street)

9-10, 82 Pounds: Omar Carter (Limelite) vs. Kymani Davis (Untouchables)

12-13, 105 Pounds: Rasheed Artis (Headbangers) vs. Rodney Cannon (Upton)

14-15, 130 Pounds: Anthony Drummond (Main Street) vs. Allen Lewis (Headbangers)

16, 132 Pounds: Erick Acosta (Main Street) vs. Mekhi Phillips (Untouchables)

Novice Division:

152 Pounds: Christian Aparicio (Laurel) vs. Desmond Nelson (UMAR)

Sub 152 Pounds:  Donyell Miller (Unattached) vs. Tyrone Palmer (Upton)

Unopposed Champions:

125 Pounds (Female): Jennifer Crum (Knowledge Boxing)

132 Pounds (Female): Ivana Parnell (Upton)

17, 141 Pounds (Female-Championship):  Symone Serrano (OC Fight Club) vs. Lydia Quinteros (Champions)

141 Pounds (Female-Championship): Asumina Tziamourani (Level-Up) vs. Jackie Arnold (Last Round)

165 Pounds: Aaron Clingman (Urban Boxing) vs. Stef'an Simmons (Upton)

Unopposed Champions:

17, 114 Pounds:  Jacob Meador (Knowledge Boxing) 

178 Pounds: Marie Hassan (Sugar Ray Leonard)

Open Division:

17, 152 Pounds (Championship):  Jeremiah Searcy (Simon Brown) vs. Maximus Garland (Headbangers)

17, 123 Pounds (Championship):  Tyquawn Johnson (Langdon) vs. Lavay Lawrence (Hillcrest)

123 Pounds: DeAngelo McDonald (Unattached) vs. Anthony Dominelli (Fight Factory)

141 Pounds:  Francois Scarboro (Untouchables) vs. Salvador Jovel (Unattached)

152 Pounds:  Ibrahim Robinson (G-Up Nation) vs. Enrico Williams (Upton)

165 Pounds:  Marquis Stokes (UMAR) vs. Crisanto Lucio (Old School)

178 Pounds:  Stephan Jiggetts (Hillcrest) vs. Nijay Brown (Charm City)

201 Pounds:  Donte White (Charm City) vs. Damian Pringle (NOMIS)

201+ Pounds:  Malik Titus (Time 2 Grind) vs. Justin Magi (Simon Brown)

Unopposed Champions:

17, 132 Pounds:  Deric Davis (Headbangers)

17, 114 Pounds:  Keith Burroughs (Oxon Hill)

March 14th MGM Card Is Complete!

The TGB Promotions card slated for Saturday, March 14th at MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, MD is now complete.  There will be five Beltway Boxers on the card and one of them will be on the FS1 telecast, beginning at 8 PM ET.

Undefeated Hyattsville, MD featherweight Cobia "The Soldier" Breedy will be in a 10-round contest against Eugene "Rambo" Lagos of Valencia City, Bukidnon, Philippines.  Breedy (15-0, five KO's) is coming off a six-round TKO victory over Titus Williams on December 7th in Brooklyn, NY.  Lagos (16-5-3, 11 KO's) scored a first-round TKO over Michael Padayag on April 5th in Malaybalay, Philippines.  This is the bout that will begin the FS1 telecast.

Glenarden, MD lightweight Drayvontay Speed Rawls will be in an eight-round encounter against Clay "3rd Degree" Burns of Fort Worth, TX.  Speed Rawls (13-1-1, eight KO's) last fought on November 2nd at the MGM National Harbor Casino and won an eight-round unanimous decision over Wanzell Ellison.  Burns (9-7-2, four KO's) broke a two-bout losing streak by winning a six-round unanimous decision over Dartrell Smith on February 8th in Opelousas, LA.  This will be the second Beltway Boxer that Burns has faced.  He lost an eight-round unanimous decision to Patrick Harris in January of 2019 in Brooklyn.

In an all-Beltway six-round bout, undefeated Landover, MD welterweight Tyrek "I.G.B." Irby will take on once-beaten Cornell "Hitman" Hines of Washington, DC. Irby (9-0, three KO's) fought on the November 2nd card at MGM National Harbor Casino and won an eight-round unanimous decision over Joaquin Chavez.  Hines (5-1, two KO's) looks to bounce back from his first pro loss, a six-round unanimous decision defeat to Eben Vargas on August 30th in Pasadena, CA.

Baltimore, MD welterweight Aaron Anderson will compete in a six-round bout against Jose "Rated R" Carlos Rivera of Manchester, CT.  Anderson (6-0, four KO's) won a six-round unanimous decision over Akeem Black on August 31st in Minneapolis, MN.  Rivera (8-4-1, five KO's) battled Richard Acevedo to a six-round draw on August 22nd in Indio, CA.

Baltimore female super featherweight Mia "Killer Bee" Ellis will be in a four-round contest against Mikenna Tansley of Alberta, Canada.  Ellis (1-0, one KO) made a successful pro debut scoring a first-round TKO over Uneaka Best on December 28th in Atlanta, GA.  Tansley (3-0, one KO) comes off a four-round unanimous decision victory over Ana Ruth Castro on December 6th in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

The rest of the card looks like this:  The main event will be a 10-round contest between San Antonio, TX super welterweight "The Mandingo Warrior" James Kirkland and Mark Anthony "Madman" Hernandez of Fresno, CA.  Kirkland (34-2, 30 KO's) comes off a second-round knockout win over Jas Phipps on November 9th in San Antonio.  Hernandez (14-3-1, three KO's) lost an eight-round unanimous decision to Kevin Newman II in his last outing on November 1st in Las Vegas, NV.

The co-feature has undefeated Oxnard, CA welterweight Eimantas Stanionis battle "The Chosen One" Justin DeLoach of Augusta, GA in a 10-round bout. Stanionis, a native of Lithuania (10-0, seven KO's), scored a third-round knockout over Julio Cesar Sanchez on December 21st in Ontario, Canada.  DeLoach (18-4, nine KO's) comes off a tough 10-round split decision loss to Terrell Williams on April 27th in Las Vegas.

In an eight-round contest, Jonathan "Diamante" Esquivel of Anaheim, CA takes on Dormedes Potes of Barranquilla, Colombia.  Esquivel (13-0, 12 KO's) has knocked out his last five opponents, including a first-round knockout of Bryant McClain on November 15th in Sloan, IA.  One of the other knockouts in the streak was a first-round KO of Gregory Clark on July 13th in Carson, CA.  Potes (12-2-1, nine KO's) competes in the United States for the first time after winning by fourth-round stoppage over Luis Guillermo Berrio on October 18th in Sabanalarga, Colombia.

Welterweight "The Machine Gun Kid" Livan Navarro of Miami, FL by way of Cuba, will be in an eight-round bout against DeMarcus Layton of Little Rock, AK.  Navarro (11-0, seven KO's) comes off an eight-round unanimous decision win over former world title challenger Breidis Prescott on May 10th in Hollywood, FL.  Layton (8-1-1, five KO's) knocked out Brandon Baue in the second round on September 21st in Little Rock.

Marietta, GA super middleweight Eric Moon competes in a six-round bout against Devaun Lee of Jamaica, Queens, NY.  Moon (11-2, six KO's) last fought on September 28th and lost a 10-round unanimous decision to Mike Guy in Atlanta, GA.  Lee (10-7-1, five KO's) makes his second straight appearance in Maryland.  On October 18th, Lee lost an eight-round unanimous decision to Demond Nicholson at Live! Casino in Hanover, MD.

The doors will open on Saturday, March 14th at 4 PM ET and the first bout begins at 5 PM.  There will be preliminary bouts shown on FS1 beginning at 6:30 PM and the main telecast starts at 8 PM.

Results From First Washington Golden Gloves Semifinals!

Here are the results from the first day of semifinals action at the Washington Golden Gloves that took place on Saturday, March 7th at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD:

Junior Division:

12-13, 118 Pounds (Championship): Christian Thompson (Untouchables) defeated Anthony Burke (Belin Boxing) 

14-16, 132 Pounds: Eric Acosta, (Main Street Gym) Walkover

15-16, 132 Pounds (Championship): Gabriel White (MVJ Athletics) defeated Tristan Folly (Champions) 

12, 101 Pounds (Championship):  Luis Casteneda (Oxon Hill) defeated Dominick Covington (Oxon Hill)

Novice Division:

17, 123 Pounds (Championship):  Ervin Fuller III (Hillcrest) defeated Pablo Valencia (Sugar Ray Leonard)

17, 141 Pounds (Championship):  Titus Ashe (Upton) defeated Ke'suan Stillwell (Unattached)

17, 165 Pounds (Championship):  Nazion Mallory (Hillcrest) defeated Fernando Perez (Old School) 

123 Pounds:  Tyree Phillips (Odenton) defeated Te'von Wilson (Unattached)

132 Pounds:  Kaiyon Strowbridge (Dream Team) Walkover

141 Pounds:  Elijah Mitchell (Last Round) defeated Aidan McNally (US Naval Academy) 

152 Pounds:  Anthony Ford (Old School) defeated Shawn Jester (Neutral Corner)  

165 Pounds: Tremaine Fuller (Knowledge Boxing) defeated Kenneth Blanchard (Unattached)  

178 Pounds:  Francois Benoit (US Naval Academy) defeated Sunday Alain (Laurel)

201 Pounds:  Rafael Medina (Urban Boxing) defeated Curtis Levere (1st Class)  

201+ Pounds:  Tyrone Adams (Unattached) Walkover

Open Division:

17, 123 Pounds: Lavay Lawrence (Hillcrest) Walkover

123 Pounds:  Kameron Ricks (Dream Team) Walkover

132 Pounds:  Sa'Quan Epps (NOMIS) defeated Marcus Johnson (Limelite)

141 Pounds:  Stacy Selby (Upton) Walkover

152 Pounds:  Quenton Stevens (Headbangers) Walkover

165 Pounds:  Walter Sanders (Charm City) defeated Adonis Wilkins (MVJ Athletics)

201 Pounds:  Ezri Turner (Unattached) defeated Ricardo Volcin (Old School)

The semifinals will continue on Friday, March 13th at Rosecroft Raceway at 7:30 PM ET.

Sykes Wins By Unanimous Decision; Nzau Loses By Unanimous Decision In Pennsylvania!

A split decision for Beltway Boxers in the Keystone State of Pennsylvania on Saturday.  Columbia, MD super middleweight Ashton "The Goon" Sykes won a four-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Isiah Hart of Mays Landing, NJ at the Pittsburgh Shrine Center in Cheswick, PA.  Sykes took the bout by scores of 40-36 (twice) and 39-37.  Sykes is now 5-3, one KO while Hart drops to 5-1-1, three KO's.

At the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA, super lightweight Dieumerci "Elephant" Nzau of Silver Spring, MD by way of the Democratic Republic of the Congo lost a six-round unanimous decision to Samuel "Tsunami" Teah of Philadelphia by way of Liberia.  Teah would win by scores of 60-53 (twice) and 59-54.  Nzau falls to 11-12, eight KO's while Teah rises to 17-3-1, seven KO's.

Sykes, Nzau Hit Scales For Bouts In Pennsylvania!

Two Beltway Boxers hit the scales for separate bouts Saturday in Pennsylvania.

Ashton Sykes weighed in at 165 pounds for his four-round bout against Isiah Hart at the Pittsburgh Shrine Center in Cheswick, PA.  Hart came in at 168.2 pounds.

Dieumerci Nzau tipped the scales at 139.7 for his six-round contest against Samuel Teah at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.  Teah weighed 140.8 pounds.

Early Look At Spring Beltway Boxing Schedule!

As we head into the spring months, we will be pretty busy with bouts in and out of the Beltway.  Here is an early look at the Spring Beltway Boxing Schedule:

Saturday, March 7 -- Pittsburgh Shrine Center, Cheswick, PA -- Columbia, MD super middleweight Ashton "The Goon" Sykes (4-3, one KO) will be in a four-round bout against undefeated Isiah Hart of Mays Landing, NJ (5-0-1, three KO's).

Saturday, March 7 -- 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, PA -- Silver Spring, MD super lightweight Dieumerci Nzau (11-11, eight KO's) scheduled in a six-round bout against Samuel "Tsunami" Teah of Philadelphia, PA (16-3-1, seven KO's).

Friday, March 13th -- Rosecroft Raceway, Fort Washington, MD -- Semifinal action continues at the Washington Golden Gloves.

Saturday, March 14th -- MGM National Harbor Casino, Oxon Hill, MD -- There will be a TGB Promotions card headlined by a 10-round middleweight contest between James Kirkland of San Antonio, TX (34-2, 30 KO's) and Mark Anthony Hernandez of Fresno, CA (14-3-1, three KO's).  There are local boxers slated to be on this card that will be televised by FS1.  Undefeated Hyattsville, MD featherweight Cobia "The Soldier" Breedy (15-0, five KO's) has an opponent for the card in Eugene "Rambo" Lagos of Valencia City, Bukidnon, Philippines (16-5-3, 11 KO's). The bout is scheduled for 10 rounds.  There will also be a six-round contest between locals Tyrek "I.G.B." Irby of Landover, MD (9-0, three KO's) and Cornell "Hitman" Hines of Washington, DC (5-1, two KO's) Also slated for the card are locals Drayvontay Speed Rawls, Mia "Killer Bee" Ellis, and Aaron Anderson.

Friday and Saturday, March 20th and 21st -- Rosecroft Raceway, Fort Washington, MD -- The Virginia/North Carolina Golden Gloves Championships.  The 21st will also be the final semifinal day for the Washington Golden Gloves.

Friday, March 20th -- Sheraton Hotel, Framingham, MA -- Frederick, MD boxer Larry "Hitman" Pryor (11-22, five KO's) will be in a six-round heavyweight bout against Tracey Johnson of Boston, MA (4-7-6).

Saturday, March 21st -- Fayetteville, NC -- Greenbelt, MD heavyweight Alando Pugh (1-10-1, one KO) returns to action for the first time since February 2017 when he faces Miree Coleman of Fayetteville (6-6, four KO's).

Saturday, March 28th -- Merrick Recreation Center, Washington, DC -- The Putney Promotions card will feature a number of Beltway Boxers including "The Dark Menace" Tiara Brown (10-0, six KO's), Daron "Sweet Tay" Williams (8-1, five KO's), Mike "Silverback" Balogun (16-0, 12 KO's), Akeem Jackson (1-1, one KO),  Kevin "The Scarecrow" Womack, Jr. (9-20-4, seven KO's), George Harris (5-0, four KO's) and the debuting Mansabory Conde.

Saturday, April 4th -- Rosecroft Raceway, Fort Washington, MD -- The Washington Golden Gloves Championship Finals.

Saturday, April 11th -- Highland Community Entertainment Hall, Washington, DC -- Keystone Boxing Promotions return with a pro card.  No word yet on who is on that card.

Saturday, April 11th -- La Fontaine Bleue, Glen Burnie, MD -- Baltimore Boxing Promotions has an amateur card.

Friday, April 17th -- MGM National Harbor Casino, Oxon Hill, MD -- Matchroom Boxing has a card with two world title bouts. Luke Campbell of Hessle, Yorkshire, United Kingdom (20-3, 16 KO's) battles Javier Fortuna of Braintree, MA by way of the Dominican Republic (35-2-1, 24 KO's) for the vacant WBC Lightweight championship and Cecilia Braekhus of Bergen, Norway (36-0, nine KO's defends the Unified Welterweight championship against Jessica McCaskill of Chicago, IL (8-2, three KO's).  The main event is a 12-round bout between Regis Prograis of Houston, TX (24-1, 20 KO's) and Maurice Hooker of Dallas, TX (27-1-3, 18 KO's).  So far, no Beltway Boxers are listed on this card.

Saturday, April 18th -- Rosecroft Raceway, Fort Washington, MD -- The Regional Golden Gloves Championship Finals.

Saturday, April 25th -- Michael And Son Sportsplex, Sterling, VA -- Ponytail Promotions has a card featuring locals Mack "Papi" Allison IV (11-3-1, nine KO's),  "The Red Comet" Dante Cox (6-1, four KO's), Joelle Flores (1-0), Joan Planas (1-0, one KO), Allan Johnson (1-1, one KO), Calvin Mends (2-0, two KO's), Dionte "Mr. Untouchable" Burts (4-0-1, two KO's) and debuting Tyrell Boyd.

All bouts and cards can change without notice.

Results From Final Golden Gloves Preliminaries And Bout Sheet For First Semifinals!

Junior Division:

Here are the results from the final preliminary card of the Washington Golden Gloves on Saturday, February 29th at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD:

10-11, 65 Pounds (Championship):  Steve Casteneda (Oxon Hill) over Tameem Rafaie (Oxon Hill) 

9-10, 70 Pounds (Championship):  Ma'kye Fenwick (Oxon Hill) over Nathaniel Brown (Sugar Ray Leonard)

8-9, 98 Pounds (Championship):  Jacob Russell (Oxon Hill) wins by walkover.

12-13, 101 Pounds (Championship): Rocmunn Richardson (Last Round) over Deavonni Kelly (Oxon Hill) 

14-15, 147 Pounds (Championship):  Donald Zimmerman (#11 Overcomers) over Dewikeo Melton (Mack Lewis)

14, 188 Pounds (Championship):  Damien Williams (#11 Overcomers) over Luis Quinones (Knowledge Boxing)

10-11, 80 Pounds: Peyton Pullin-Davis (Oxon Hill) over Yusuf Robinson (G-Up Nation)

15-16, 132 Pounds:  Eric Acosta (Main Street) over Muhammad Robinson (G-Up Nation) 


Novice Division:

17, 141 Pounds:  Titus Ashe (Upton) over Adrian Hawkins (Floyd's Gym)

17, 141 Pounds: Ke'Suan Stillwell (Unattached) over Rayquan King (Old School) 

114 Pounds:  Davon Evans (Time 2 Grind) wins by walkover

141 Pounds:  Aidan McNally (US Naval Academy) over Jonathan Martinez (Odenton Boxing)

141 Pounds: Elijah Mitchell (Last Round) over Omar Mobley (Headbangers) 

141 Pounds:  Adrian Johnson (US Naval Academy) over Archie Ellis (Elite Gym) 

152 Pounds:  Christian Aparicio (Laurel) over Dominick Robinson (UMAR)

152 Pounds:  Shawn Jester (Neutral Corner) over  DeJuan Vaughn (1st Class)

201+ Pounds: David Weber (Champions) over Michael Adzima (US Naval Academy)


Open Division:

123 Pounds:  Anthony Dominelli (Fight Factory) over Alberto Sostre (Headbangers)

123 Pounds: DeAngelo McDonald (Unattached) wins by walkover 

141 Pounds:  Stacy Selby (Upton) over Theodore Reid (Sugar Ray Leonard)

152 Pounds:  Ibrahim Robinson (G-Up Nation) over Nathan Lacy (Elite Boxing)

152 Pounds:  Enrico Williams (Upton) over Steven Jackson (Sugar Ray Leonard) 

152 Pounds:  Stephon Jordan (Champions) over Quenton Stevens (Headbangers) 

165 Pounds:  Walter Sanders (Charm City) over Michael Wright (Upton) 


Here is the bout sheet for the first semifinals of the Washington Golden Gloves that will take place on Saturday, March 7th:

Junior Division:

12-13, 118 Pounds (Championship): Anthony Burke (Belin Boxing) vs. Christian Thompson (Untouchables)

15-16, 132 Pounds (Championship): Tristan Folly (Champions) vs. Gabriel White (MVJ Athletics)

15-16, 132 Pounds (Championship): Eric Acosta (Main Street) vs. Benjamin Johnson (No Xcuse)

12, 101 Pounds (Championship):  Luis Casteneda (Oxon Hill) vs. Dominick Covington (Oxon Hill)

Unopposed Champions:

13, 95 Pounds: Brandon Carey (Main Street)

14, 113 Pounds:  Sir Anthony Stephenson (1st Class)

10, 125 Pounds:  Alexander Angel (No Xcuse)

15, 220 Pounds:  Anthony Butler (Old School)

14, 120 Pounds:  Jordan Trotter (Main Street)


Novice Division:

17, 123 Pounds (Championship):  Ervin Fuller III (Hillcrest) vs. Pablo Valencia (Sugar Ray Leonard)

17, 141 Pounds (Championship):  Titus Ashe (Upton) vs. Ke'suan Stillwell (Unattached)

17, 165 Pounds (Championship):  Fernando Perez (Old School) vs. Nazion Mallory (Hillcrest)

123 Pounds:  Tyree Phillips (Odenton) vs. Te'von Wilson (Unattached)

132 Pounds:  Yoseph Yilma (Limelite) vs. Kaiyon Strowbridge (Dream Team)

141 Pounds:  Aidan McNally (US Naval Academy) vs. Elijah Mitchell (Last Round)

152 Pounds:  Shawn Jester (Neutral Corner) vs. Anthony Ford (Old School)

165 Pounds:  Kenneth Blanchard (Unattached) vs. Tremaine Fuller (Knowledge Boxing)

178 Pounds:  Francois Benoit (US Naval Academy) vs. Sunday Alain (Laurel)

201 Pounds:  Curtis Levere (1st Class) vs. Rafael Medina (Urban Boxing)

201+ Pounds:  Damion Whatley (NOMIS) vs. Tyrone Adams (Unattached)

Unopposed Champions:

17, 152 Pounds:  Decordre Phelps (Unattached)

112 Pounds (Female):  Olivia DeCarlo (US Naval Academy)


Open Division:

17, 123 Pounds:  Jalen Irman (No Xcuse) vs. Lavay Lawrence (Hillcrest)

123 Pounds:  Kameron Ricks (Dream Team) vs. Brient Rodriguez (Hillcrest)

132 Pounds:  Sa'Quan Epps (NOMIS) vs. Marcus Johnson (Limelite)

141 Pounds:  Stacy Selby (Upton) vs. Jalen Jones (Limelite)

152 Pounds:  Quenton Stevens (Headbangers) vs. Corey Moore (Main Street)

165 Pounds:  Walter Sanders (Charm City) vs. Adonis Wilkins (MVJ Athletics)

201 Pounds:  Ezri Turner (Unattached) vs. Ricardo Volcin (Old School)

The first bout starts at 7:30 PM.