Amateur Boxing At Old School Gym August 31!

The Potomac Valley Association and Keystone Productions are hosting an amateur boxing show at the Old School Boxing Gym, 7466 Old Alexander Ferry Road in Clinton, MD, on Friday, August 31.

Amateurs from around the Beltway will face off against boxers from Florida, New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia.

Admission will be 10 dollars for adults and five dollars for children 12 and under.

On another amateur note, I'm trying to get audio interviews with the three Beltway Boxers heading to the Olympic Trials in Houston -- Gary Russell Jr., Dominic Wade and Fernando Guerrero. Hope to have those by the end of the week.

Boxing Returns to ABC Sports Complex September 15!

After the Sughan Promotions card on Saturday, August 25 at Robert E. Lee High School, Beltway Boxing fans in Northern Virginia will not have to wait long for another quality card.

Left Hook Boxing Promotions has a card coming to the ABC Sports Complex on Saturday, September 15. Right now, promoter Scott Farmer is working on 10 bouts and the proposed main event should be a barnburner -- an eight round all-Beltway junior welterweight matchup between Alexandria, VA's Jaime "The Punisher" Palma and Smithsburg, MD's Dean "Pitbull" White.

There will be a number of four-round contests on the card. One of them will be a cruiserweight matchup between Fredricksburg, VA's Adam "The Real Deal" Seal and "Cold Blood" Patrick Budd of Front Royal, VA.

And there will be a battle of the aged that may be interesting as Virginia boxing legend Willie "The Heat" Taylor takes on Derek Amos. Apparently there has been some harsh words expressed between the two within Virginia boxing circles and they want to settle it here. I know it sounds crazy but...

Also on the card will be Arlington, VA's Todd "White Lightning" Wilson and the celebrated return of Tommy "Sparkplug" Neal. This is the same Tommy Neal who had a serious accident with a forklift.

I'll have more on this card as it develops.

Homegoing Services for Lorado Williams!

Here is information for the homegoing services for Lorado Williams:

The viewings will be on Friday, August 10 from 3-5 PM and 7-9 PM at Zannino's Funeral Home on 263 South Conkling Street in Baltimore.

The funeral service will be held on Saturday, August 11 at Holy Rosary Cemetery, 7305 German Hill Road in Dundalk. I could not get the exact time, but the service will be held in the morning.

Update on August 25 Card in Springfield!

The Sughan Productions card on Saturday, August 25 at Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, VA is starting to come together.

The main event features Culpepper, VA-born cruiserweight Bobby Gunn taking on Randy Pogue of Norristown, PA in a scheduled 10-round contest.

Gunn (17-3, 14 KO's) scored a first-round TKO over Elija Dickens on June 9 at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield when Dickens suffered an injury and could not come out for the second round. That contest was Gunn's first since losing a bout for the WBO Cruiserweight title when he was stopped in the first round by champion Enzo Maccarinelli on April 7 in Wales.

As reported earlier, Gunn is donating a portion of his purse from this bout to former world champion Iran "The Blade" Barkley.

Pogue (8-7-2, two KO's) is winless in his last four bouts, but his last outing was a four-round draw with Rafael Jastrzebski on June 27 in New York City. This will be Pogue's first scheduled 10-round bout. Pogue lost an eight-round contest to Mike Alvarez in November of 2000.

Also on the card is a bout that was actually made right here on Boxing Along The Beltway. Undefeated DC junior middleweight Lawrence Jones will take on Charlottsville, VA's "War Time" George Rivera in a scheduled four-rounder.

Jones (2-0, one KO) registered his first professional knockout in his last outing -- a first-round KO over Denny Lundy on June 16 in Martinsburg, WVA. Rivera (3-1, two KO's) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision over Montez Wilson on July 14 at the Winchester Sportsplex in Winchester, VA.

In another four-rounder, undefeated middleweight John "No Mercy" Mackey will take on veteran Vance Garvey of Indianapolis, IN.

Mackey, who was born in DC but now lives in Montgomery, AL, is fresh off a second-round TKO over Kenny Keaton on June 9 in Springfield. Mackey (5-0, three KO's) will face a wily boxer in the Bronx, NY-born Garvey (7-26-5, two KO's), who is coming off a sixth-round TKO victory over previously undefeated (23-0-1) Chase Shields on April 27 in Houston, TX. The victory broke a two-year, 15-bout winless streak for Garvey.

The card will also mark the return of Takoma Park, MD cruiserweight Willis Lockett. Lockett (7-4-4, two KO's) has not fought since winning by second-round TKO over Elija Dickens at the ABC Sports Complex on February 4, 2006.

Lockett will be involved in an all-Beltway four-rounder against Gaithersburg, MD's Calvin Riley. Riley (1-0, one KO) has not fought since winning his pro debut on April 29, 2006 at ABC against Mike Needling. Riley stopped Needling in the first round.

Undefeated Arlington, VA welterweight Bayan Jargal (Bayanmunkh Bayanjargal) will take on Akron, OH's Jason Jordan in another four-round contest. Jargal (2-0-1, one KO) is coming off a four-round draw against Jaime Rodriguez on May 31 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD. Jordan (3-12-2) has lost seven in a row, including a six-round split decision to Joey Myers on August 3 in Charleston, WVA. Another one of the losses in this streak took place on May 12 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA when Jordan lost a six-round decision to Lenny DeVictoria.

In heavyweight action, noted Beltway trainer Scott "Duke" Buchanan of DC returns to action inside the ring when he faces Akron's George Jacobs in a four-round bout. Buchanan (1-0, one KO) has not fought since making his long-awaited pro debut on March 3, 2006 at the Lincoln Theatre in DC. Buchanan stopped Felton Worrell in the first round. Jacobs (1-1, one KO) is coming off his first pro victory, a first-round TKO over Earl Briggs on May 12 in Lansing, MI.

Also slated for action on this card will be Riverdale, MD heavyweight Horace "The Reason" Grant (6-1, four KO's), fresh off his a four-round unanimous decision over Mujaheed Moore on August 3 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD. Grant's opponent is to be determined.

The first bout on this card is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM.

Lange Involved in Fundraiser for Two-Year-Old Cancer Patient!

There will be a discussion and a silent auction to raise money for Taylor Nicole Love, a two-year old from our area who is suffering from a rare, high-risk form of cancer called Neuroblastoma, a cancer with no known cure.

The event will be on Saturday, August 18 and will have a boxing theme with special guest Jimmy Lange. Part of the event will be a viewing of Lange's WBC Continental Americas Junior Middleweight title victory over Fontaine Cabell on May 12 at the George Mason University Patriot Center. Between rounds, Lange will answer audience questions about the contest.

The free event will begin with a silent auction at 3 PM. There will be numerous items available for bidding including:

There will also be a Silent Auction featuring many great items, including:

*Framed photo of Jimmy Lange and Angelo Dundee signed by Jimmy and Mr. Dundee!

*Framed photo of Bobby Orr and 6 collector cards of Bobby during different stages of his career - each card is autographed!

*2 tickets to 2007 Redskins home game vs. Dallas (December 30, 2007 - great seats - lower level end zone!)

*Dinner for 2 with Jimmy Lange and his wife Katie at the Alpine Restaurant

*1 year individual membership to Sport & Health club of your choice (excludes Hilton location and current members - $2,000 value!)

* 2 tickets to 2007 Redskins preseason home game vs. Baltimore (August 25, 2007 - great seats - lower level end zone!)

*Pair of boxing gloves signed and personalized by Jimmy Lange

*Hockey stick signed by 2006-2007 Washington Capitals (entire team!)

*2 tickets to 2008 Orioles home game of your choice (6th row 3rd base side!)

*2 tickets to Orioles/Red Sox game Saturday, September 8, 2007 (6th row 3rd base side!)

*2 tickets to Orioles/Yankees game Saturday, September 29, 2007 (6th row 3rd base side!)

There will be an autograph session at 5 PM and the viewing of the fight video begins at 7:30 PM.

The event will be held at the home of Michael, Adriane and Elizabeth Whalen located at:

8715 Mount Vernon Highway
Alexandria, Virginia 22309

For more information call 703-799-0282.

Mr. Whalen has invited me to attend this function and my plan is to be there. Hopefully, you'll join me!

Can We Make a Supercard? MAYBE!

It's strange how things work. When the discussion first came up about a Beltway Boxing Supercard, little did we realize that there were other people thinking about this.

There were reporters like John Scheinman of the Washington Post (who set this discussion in motion here on the blog), matchmakers like Chris Middendorf and other promoters who gave quality information. And, of course, the many fans who expressed their sentiments about the subject here.

Meanwhile, over in Germany, the PMG/Headbangers group had the very same idea during Tony Thompson's bout with Luan Krasnigi, with the same people involved as we mentioned on the post dated July 24, 2007 -- Thompson, The Peterson Brothers, Jimmy Lange, Reginald Taylor, Darnell Wilson, Ty Barnett and others. The thought even came up (especially in the wake of the rousing success of the Keystone Boxing pro-am card at Rosecroft Raceway on August 3) to make this event an all-day boxing festival featuring amateur and pro bouts.

To make this even more interesting, members of the DC Boxing And Wrestling Commission have had their wheels turning about the very same idea. Both the commission and PMG/Headbangers told me separately that would like to put together a supercard in the memory of Dr. Arnold McKnight.

To even come close to doing this, there would need to be a conglomerate of promoters and matchmakers that would have to check their egos at the door. Maybe it could be a full Beltway card with Maryland and Virginia involved. That would mean the commissioners would also have to leave their egos behind.

I mention this only to let you know that the powers that be in boxing in this area are listening to you. They want to see this event happen.

I will say this much: With the boxing talent we do have in this area, we are more prepared to do this than we have been in at least a decade! Let's see what we can do!

Ocean City Show Has Changes, Additions!

There will now be three eight-round bouts on the Baltimore Pro Boxing card on Saturday, August 25 at the Ocean City Convention Center in Ocean City, MD.

The main event continues to be an eight-round cruiser battle between Baltimore's undefeated Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall and Richard Stewart of New Castle, DE. The bout will be for the "East Coast Championship."

The opponent for Severn, MD undefeated middleweight Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow has changed. Nicklow will now face Anthony Little of Akron, OH in an eight-round contest. Little's record is 7-7, one KO but most of those losses have come against talented and undefeated boxers including Andre Berto, Durrell Richardson, James McGirt, Jr. and Pawel Wolak.

Undefeated Baltimore welterweight Tim Coleman will be in the other eight-round encounter, facing veteran Richard "Tiger" Lee Hall of Rocky Mount, NC. Hall (10-18-2, six KO's) is winless in his last six bouts over a three-year period, but four of those losses were to undefeated boxers.

Former WBO Cruiserweight champion Boone Pultz of Waldorf has been added to the card. Pultz (24-1, 15 KO's) has only fought once since his return after an 11-year hiatus. That was the six-round unanimous decision over Alonzo Cutchins on December 9 at the Patriot Center. In this six-rounder, Pultz will take on Jerry "Ruffhouse" Simpson of Tallahassee, FL (2-8-1, one KO) who was stopped by Mike Dietrich on July 20 at DuBurns Arena.

Undefeated Reisterstown, MD super middleweight "The Golden Greek" Elias Bouloubassis will battle Rakeem Carter of Albany, NY in a four-round rematch of a bout held on May 11 at DuBurns. In that bout, an accidental headbutt opened a gash on Bouloubassis's forehead stopping the bout in the first round.

The two men have interesting won-loss records. Bouloubassis is 1-0-3, one KO while Carter is 0-0-2.

The six-round bout between Front Royal, VA lightweight Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer and Wilmington, DE's Ryan Belasco is still on the card.

Memorial Service Honors McKnight as 'Role Model's Role Model!'

I don't know too many people that have enough influence, respect and love to bring two mayors, three city councilmembers, faculty members from at least two prestigious historically black universities and one of the most powerful men in the sport of boxing together.

Dr. Arnold W. McKnight was one of those people.

Monday night at the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center (where Dr. McKnight was director since its inception in 2001), a memorial service for Dr. McKnight brought together those people and many, many others from the boxing, education and tennis world who were truly touched by Dr. McKnight, who passed away on July 31.

Among the speakers at the service were current DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, former DC Mayor and current Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry, Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander, Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr. along with NewsChannel 8 sportscaster Glenn Harris, boxing promoter Rock Newman and New Jersey State Athletic Director Larry Hazzard, Sr., who drove down from New Jersey to be at the service.

Reverend Willie Wilson of Union Temple Baptist Church presided over the service and a traditional boxing 10-count was given by members of the DC Boxing and Wrestling Commission, trainer Adrian Davis and ring announcer Henry "Discombobulating" Jones.

McKnight was honored by many people in the community who are considered role models as the person who taught them how to be role models. The number of young people who were wearing black t-shirts honoring Dr. McKnight and were acting in such a professional manner as they greeted visitors coming into the facility was a reminder that the lessons taught by Dr. McKnight, Dr. Cora Masters Barry and those who work at the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center fell on fertile ground.

However, there were two notable groups of people who were notably absent:

1. Where were the boxers? I understand if you are a currently active boxer and you train in the evening, I can understand you not being there. But if you are active and not training for a bout or if you are a retired boxer who has fought in DC, there was no reason for you not being there.

Many of you would not be able to box in your own hometown if it were not for Dr. McKnight. The commission he ran since 1993 and was a part of since 1991 allowed you to practice the craft you love. You owed them enough courtesy to show your support for the memory of this man as he was one who showed you support in your great moments.

2. Where was the mainstream media? We should not be overly surprised at this group not being there because they have missed the Metro on this story all week long. I have never seen a city GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL receive so little press in my entire life. There were only two very brief mentions in the Washington Post and NOTHING in the Washington Times or the Washington Examiner.

I had to practically pull teeth to get Dr. McKnight's passing mentioned on Sportstalk 980 and nothing was mentioned on Triple X ESPN radio or any other local station that I know off.

That basically leaves two people who will be able to tell the story of this man through anything called "media" -- Carla Peay of the Washington Informer and James Wright of the Washington Afro-American.

That was just unfair. Had this been a man full of scandal, the press would be all over this. But this was a great man who embodied everything you wanted in a person and very little was recorded.

But enough of my rant. I was honored to know Dr. Arnold W. McKnight and I was very thankful to be at his service to honor him.

There is a series of photos from the memorial service courtesy of Linda Siadys: at this link.

http://photodawg1.smugmug.com/gallery/3246169

Baltimore Amateur Killed in Robbery Attempt!

This sad note comes from people in the Beltway Boxing community:

Baltimore amateur boxer Lorado "Rado" Williams was shot and killed over the weekend when someone tried to rob him and two friends.

Reports say that Williams was shot in the head twice this past Friday and passed away on Saturday. There was a candlelight vigil for Williams in the Highlandtown neighborhood where he lived.

Williams was regarded as a talented boxer who worked out of a number of gyms in Baltimore including UMAR, Charm City and Baltimore Boxing. He was training in Mixed Martial Arts over at the gym on Boston Street at the time of his passing.

My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Lorado Williams. I'll keep you posted on any information on services.

Rosecroft Photos Online!

Beltway Boxing photographer Linda Siadys has a wonderful photo gallery from the August 3 Keystone Boxing card at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.

Here is the link:

http://photodawg1.smugmug.com/gallery/3244404

Holmes, Rahman Return to Action!

Two former world champions from the Beltway return to action in bouts over the next two months.

Former two-time WBC Middleweight champion Keith Holmes will take on Tito Mendoza in a light heavyweight bout on Thursday, August 16 in Panama City, Panama as part of the World Boxing Association's "KO Drugs" Festival.

Holmes (40-4, 25 KO's) has not fought since winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Baltimore's Cory Cummings last October 7 in Chicago, IL.

Mendoza (35-7, 28 KO's) is a native of Panama and a former NABO Super Middleweight champ. In his last bout, Mendoza scored a 10th round TKO over Sean Corbin on April 25 in Panama City.

On September 7, former two-time world heavyweight champion Hasim "The Rock" Rahman will headline a card at the Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant, MI. No word yet on who Rahman's opponent will be. Rahman (42-6-2, 33 KO's) is coming off a rather ugly 10-round unanimous decision over Taurus Sykes on June 14 in Rochester, NY.

'Sugar Poo' Buchanan Appearing on New 'Contender' Season!

In this photo of the cast of "The Contender -- Season 3" taken by Tommy Baynard, Sugar Ray Leonard is in front, Jose "Pepe" Correa stands to the left, Buddy McGirt is to the right and Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan is in the second row, third from the left.


For the second time in three seasons, the boxing reality TV series "The Contender" will have a Beltway flavor.

The newest season of the ESPN show will feature super middleweights and one of them will be Capitol Heights, MD's Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan. This will be the second straight time that the 28-year-old Buchanan (14-1, 11 KO's) has been involved with an event on a national level. His last appearance was in Showtime's Super Middleweight tournament last year. Buchanan lost in the semi-finals.

ESPN released the names of this year's contender field and, in my opinion, this is the most notable field in the short history of the show. There are many names that should be familiar to hardcore boxing fans. This is Buchanan's opposition:

Max Alexander (26, Camden, N.J., 14-1, 2 KOs).
David Banks (24, Portland, Ore., 14-2-1, 2 KOs).
Sakio Bika (28, Sydney, Australia, via Cameroon, 22-3-2, 14 KOs).
LaFarrell Bunting (27, Las Vegas, 16-3-1, 16 KOs).
Jaidon Codrington (23, New York, 16-1, 12 KOs).
Miguel Hernandez (32, Chicago, 20-5, 10 KOs).
Wayne Johnson (29, Lyndhurst, N.J., 16-1, 9 KOs).
Donny McCrary (24, St. Joseph, Mo., 23-5-2, 13 KOs).
Les Ralston (25, Buffalo, N.Y., 16-2, 9 KOs).
Danny Santiago (34, Ocala, Fla., 29-3-1, 19 KOs).
Paul Smith (24, Liverpool, England, 20-0, 12 KOs).
Sam Soliman (33, Melbourne, Australia, 33-9, 13 KOs).
Brian Vera (26, Austin, Texas, 14-0, 9 KOs).
Rhoshii Wells (30, Las Vegas, 18-2-2, 10 KOs).
Rubin Williams (31, Detroit, 29-2-1, 16 KOs).

This is indeed an accomplished field. Bika, Soliman, Santiago, Williams and Wells have all fought for world titles. Bika was also a 2000 Olympian for Cameroon and Wells a 1996 U.S. Olympian. Codrington and Smith are notable prospects.

There are some notable changes in the training staff as well and those changes have a Beltway flavor as well. Hall of Famer and Beltway Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard remains as host, however Tommy Gallagher and Jeremy Williams are out as trainers. They have been replaced by the Beltway's own Jose "Pepe" Correa. Correa worked with Leonard early in his career and also worked with former world champion Simon Brown and many, many other Beltway Boxers as well as former world champion Lennox Lewis during his 40-year career. Also joining the staff will be James "Buddy" McGirt, who has worked with many world champions.

Ironically, Correa and McGirt share at least one boxer in common: both men have worked with Jimmy Lange throughout his career. Lange, of course, was on the first season of "The Contender" when the show was on NBC. McGirt is Lange's current trainer, Correa's was Lange's first trainer.

According to Dan Rafael's column on ESPN.com, more of the bouts will be shown this year during the actual telecast and every bout will be shown in its entirety, probably on ESPN2.

Production began on the show last week with interviews, physicals and background checks. The taping for the bouts begin next week. The new season begins airing on ESPN on Sept. 4 at 10 PM ET and will air every Tuesday night. The live finale will be on November 6 at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, MA. The winner of the tourney receives $750,000.

Samuel Loses in Georgia!

Baltimore featherweight Tyrell "Da Show Shock A" Samuel lost his second straight bout, dropping an eight-round unanimous decision to Eric "The Outlaw" Hunter of Philadelphia in front of a nationally televised ShoBox audience at the Far West Rodeo in Doraville, GA.

According to published reports, Hunter used strong bodywork to earn the victory. The judge's scorecards were 79-73 (twice) and 78-74.

Samuel is now 9-2, five KO's while Hunter rises to 8-1, three KO's.

Results From Rosecroft!

Here are the pro AND amateur results from an outstanding night of boxing in front of a raucous, sellout, standing-room-only crowd of more than 800 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.

Riverdale, MD heavyweight Horace "The Reason" Grant won by four-round unanimous decision over Mujaheed Moore of Cleveland, OH. Grant knocked down Moore in the first round but struggled down the stretch. Moore lost a point in the third round for holding. Grant is 6-1, four KO's. Moore is 4-2-1, three, KO's.

Seven-foot tall heavyweight Samson "Zeus" Mazyck of DC scored a crushing second-round knockout over Wilmington, DE's Jamal Terry. In the first round, Mazyck hit Terry with the very first punch he threw (a left hand) and dropped him. Terry fought back gamely, but the bout ended early in the second round when Mazyck landed a brutal left hand that put Terry away at 19 seconds of the round.

Mazyck is 6-0, four KO's while Terry is 3-7, two KO's.

Capitol Heights, MD featherweight Thomas "KO" Snow remained undefeated by making short work of Markel Muhammad of Columbus, OH. Snow knocked Muhammad down three times en route to a first-round TKO at 1:30. Snow is now 9-0, seven KO's. Muhammad is 2-5.

In a Beltway Fight of the Year candidate, Marlow Heights, MD welterweight Norman Allen won a four-round unanimous decision over Kendrik Walker of DC. Both men were making their pro debuts and they battled tooth and nail for the entire bout. The second round of this contest may be the best single round fought in the entire area this year.

In the first bout on the pro portion of the card, Oxon Hill, MD light heavy Alexander Johnson won by first-round TKO over Ed Edwards of Wilson, NC. The knockout was a controversial one because some ringside observers thought Johnson hit Edwards with either a headbutt or an elbow. The Maryland State Athletic Commission saw a video replay of the bout from a camera belonging to a relative of Johnson's that showed it was indeed a punch that landed. Give credit to the commission for taking time to make sure the correct call was made. Edwards's record is now 0-2.

On the amateur side of the card, DC heavyweight "The African Warrior" Abodurin Akinyanju of the Sugar Ray Leonard Gym scored a decision win over Brandywine, MD's Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell of Old School Boxing Gym.

Akinyanju, who is ranked second in the country by USA Boxing, scored a standing eight count on Mitchell in the second round. Momentum seemed to shift at that point and Akinyanju went on to victory. Akinyanju will now prepare for the Olympic Trials later this month in Houston, TX.

Old School's Dusty Harrison, fresh off his National Junior Golden Gloves victory in Nevada, won a convincing decision over Joseph Leon of the Bronx, NY. All the amateur winners won belts presented by Tony "The Tiger" Thompson. In the classiest move of the night, Harrison gave his belt to Leon after their match.

Also on the amateur card, Gary Antonio Russell -- the youngest of the Russell Family -- won by decision over Keystone Boxing's Roland Moss. Joshua Davis of Laurel Boxing won by decision over Old School's Rock Warden and Tyquan Mims of Hillcrest Boxing defeated Keystone's Gregory Ross .

There is a lot of audio for this card.

Here's an interview with Thomas "KO" Snow:

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #73 - Thomas Snow Talks About His KO!

Undefeated featherweight Thomas "KO" Snow discusses his first-round knockout over Markel Muhammad at Rosecroft Raceway.




Here's an interview with Samson "Zeus" Mazyck:

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #74 - 'Zeus' Mazyck Talks Knockouts and Transition!

The newest heavyweight on the Beltway Boxing scene -- Samson "Zeus" Mazyck -- talks about his second-round knockout over Jamal Terry and why the seven-footer chose boxing over basketball. Mazyck's manager, Lovell Long weighs in.




And Henry "Discombobulating" Jones and I bring you the complete Post-Fight Wrap-Up:

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #75 - Post-Fight Wrap-Up From Rosecroft Raceway!

Henry "Discombobulating" Jones and I discuss an exciting night of boxing from Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD. We also reflect about the passing of DC Boxing and Wrestling Chair Dr. Arnold McKnight.

Scale Watch from Doraville, GA!

Baltimore's Tyrell "Da Show Shock A" Samuel weighed in at 126 for his nationally televised bout against Eric "The Outlaw" Hunter in Doraville, GA.

The eight-round contest will kick off tonight's ShoBox telecast on Showtime at 11 PM ET.

Weights from Rosecroft!

Here are the weights for tomorrow night's pro portion of the Keystone Boxing card at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD (Beltway Boxers in Bold):

Horace Grant 243 1/4 vs. Mujaheed Moore 219 1/4

Thomas Snow 125 3/4 vs. Markel Muhammad 126 1/2

Norman Allen 147 3/4 vs. Kendrick Walker 149 1/4

Alexander Johnson 172 vs Ed Edwards 172 1/4

Samson Mazyck 323 vs. Jamal Terry 306

Jason Champion 148 3/4 vs. Damon Antoine (will weigh in tomorrow)

Note: Samson (formerly known as Ernest) Mazyck is originally from Columbia, SC but is now living in DC.

McKnight Memorial Service Announced!

There will be a local memorial service for DC Boxing and Wrestling Chair Dr. Arnold McKnight on Monday, August 6 at 7 PM at the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center.

The center is located at 701 Mississippi Avenue, SE in DC. Dr. McKnight was the director of the center since its opening in 2001.

Tony Thompson Robbed of World Title Opportunity!

The headline and the following article is written with more emotion than usual.

The recently announced heavyweight unification battle between WBO champ Sultan Ibragimov and WBA titleholder Ruslan Chagaev slated for October 13th in Moscow has been called off. Chagaev had to drop out of the bout because of a "painful but non-life threatning illness."

Apparently, however, the word "mandatory" means very little to the WBO because DC's Tony Thompson (the current NABO champion and ranked fourth in the world by the WBO) who is the MANDATORY challenger has been passed over in favor of....

Evander Holyfield!

Yes, Holyfield will try for his fifth world title despite being ranked 13th in the world by the WBO and coming off opponents that have been substandard at best!

This is a prime example of bad politics and one of the reasons boxing is in the condition it is in.

McKnight Tribute Photo Gallery!

Beltway Boxing photographer Linda Siadys has put up a photo gallery in tribute to DC Boxing and Wrestling Commission Chair Dr. Arnold McKnight, who passed away on July 31.

These pictures really show Dr. McKnight's spirit as well as his enthusiasm for what he was involved with.

The link is here:

http://photodawg1.smugmug.com/gallery/3246169

DC Boxing and Wrestling Chair Arnold McKnight Passes!

Dr. Arnold W. McKnight, the chair of the District of Columbia Boxing and Wrestling Commission, has died.

According to the Washington Post, Dr. McKnight passed away yesterday in a hospital in Gastonia, NC after a month-long battle with pancreatic cancer. Dr. McKnight was 68 years old.

Dr. McKnight joined the commission in 1991 and served as chair of the commission since 1993. As chair, Dr. McKnight presided over a number of big boxing cards in DC including the "Triple Jeopardy" card in 1999 and the Kevin McBride-Mike Tyson card in 2005. Dr. McKnight was also influential in bringing Mixed Martial Arts to the Nation's Capital.

Dr. McKnight also was a professor at Bowie State University and was the director of the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center since 2001.

My heartfelt condolences go out to Dr. McKnight's family and I'll have more to say about this great man later today.