Is There a Change in Wilson's February 8 Opponent?

Interesting rumors coming out of the boxing internet world concerning Darnell Wilson's February 8 bout.

Undefeated Missouri cruiserweight BJ Flores told Boxingtalk.com that he has been offered the February 8 bout against Wilson in what would become a IBF elimination bout. Flores (20-0-1, 13 KO's) says that he would take the bout for "short money."

However, Flores also told BoxingTalk that the bout is not a done deal because Dino Duva, the president of Duva Boxing (Wilson's promotional company) would demand future options on Flores's fights.

Right now, Wilson is slated to take on Andre Purlette on the February 8 show at Dover Downs in Dover, DE on a nationally televised ESPN2 card.

We'll keep an eye on this situation to see if anything develops. This could very well be some "Boxing Talk."

Opponents for Peterson Brothers Announced!

The opponents for the undefeated Peterson Brothers's nationally televised appearance on Showtime's ShoBox card on Friday, January 4 at the Hard Rock Casino and Resort in Biloxi, MS and they look to be tough ones.

Anthony Peterson (25-0, 18 KO's) will defend his NABO Lightweight title against Guadalupe Rosales of Mexico (25-2, 15 KO's). Peterson is coming off a fifth-round TKO over Oscar Leon on November 17 on the Caribbean island of Turks and Caicos. Rosales will look to bounce back after losing a 10-round unanimous decision to Francisco Lorenzo on November 9 in the Bronx, NY.

Rosales may be a familiar name to long-time Beltway Boxing fans because he has fought in the area three times during his career. Rosales won a four-round unanimous decision over Ernest Staten on November 15, 2001 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD. Rosales then stopped Sean Lockhart in the second round at DC Tunnel in DC on April 12, 2002. A month later (May 9, 2002) back in Glen Burnie, Rosales suffered his first pro loss, dropping an eight-round split decision to James Baker.

Lamont Peterson (23-0, 11 KO's) puts his NABO Junior Welterweight title on the line against undefeated Brazilian native Antonio Mesquita (34-0, 26 KO's) Peterson, named the ESPN Prospect of the Year for 2007 (the same award Anthony Peterson received the previous year), is coming off a second-round TKO over Humberto Toledo on the November 17 Turks and Caicos card. Mesquita, who now fights out of Las Vegas, won an eight-round unanimous decision over Joshua Smith on August 4 in Tulsa, OK.

Results From Dulles!

Here are the results of the Aftershock Events card at the All-Star Legacy Gym in Dulles, VA:

"Dangerous" Dana Dunston of Woodbridge, VA made his return after a seven-year layoff successful by winning a four-round split decision over Bernard "Bad Ass" Brown of Baltimore, MD. Dunston scored a knockdown in the fourth round that clinched the victory. Judges Brian Costello and Jerry Payne scored the bout for Dunston, 38-37 and 39-36 respectively while Judge Wayne Smith saw the bout 38-37 for Brown.

Dunston's record is now 4-1, two KO's while Brown is now 5-2-3, two KO's.

Capitol Heights, MD featherweight Thomas "KO" Snow scored a second-round TKO over Terrence "T-Brick" Roy of Covington, TN. Snow scored three knockdowns enroute to the stoppage victory. Snow remains undefeated at 10-0, eight KO's while Roy is 9-24, one KO.

Arlington, VA junior welterweight Bayan Jargal remained undefeated with a second-round knockout over Nate Francis of Sanford, NC. Jargal finished his opponent with a series of crushing body shots that dropped Francis to one knee. Francis couldn't beat referee Joe Cooper's 10-count and the bout was stopped at 2:16 of the second. Jargal is now 5-0-1, three KO's. Francis falls to 2-5, one KO.

Featherweight Andre "Clockwork" Nichols of Woodbridge registered a solid third-round TKO over Yieta "King" Johnson also fighting out of Woodbridge. Nichols scored a pretty knockdown with a counter left hand in the second round and proceeded to batter Johnson throughout the third. Johnson did not come out for the fourth round.

Nichols's record rises to 3-2, two KO's while Johnson is 0-2.

Arlington, VA's Tracey Brewer used a series of body shots to stop Travis Toler of Sharpsburg, NC in the second round. The body shots in the second dropped Toler to his knees and forced Toler to emit a loud groan. The bout was stopped at :56of the round. Brewer is 2-0, one KO while Toler is 0-5.

Woodbridge, VA cruiserweight Joe "Big Bang" Haggler scored a four-round technical knockout over Salisbury, MD's Ozgar Yardimci. Haggler busted Yardimci's nose in the second round and by the fourth, Yardimci couldn't continue and his corner stopped the bout at 2:40 of the round. Haggler is now 1-1, one KO while Yardimci is 0-2.

This was the 15th card in the Commonwealth of Virginia in 2007, five more than last year. Virginia had at least one card a month from February through December.


Here's the final BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up Show for 2007.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #95 - Full Report From Dulles, VA!

Henry "Discombobulating" Jones and I recap the final card of 2007 from the All-Star Legacy Gym in Dulles, VA!

Scale Watch from Ashburn!

Here are the weights for tonight's AfterShock Events card at the All-Star Legacy Gym in Ashburn, VA:

Dana Dunston 217 1/2 vs. Bernard Brown 249

Thomas Snow 125 1/2 vs. Terrance Roy 126

Bayan Jargal 139 1/2 vs. Nathan Francis 143

Patrick Budd 191 1/2 vs. Robert Irizarry (did not appear at weigh-in)

Andre Nichols 121 1/2 vs. Yieta Johnson 123 1/2

Tracy Brewer 163 1/2 vs. Travis Toler 161 1/2

Joe Haggler 183 1/2 vs. Ozgur Yardimci 182

Also, US Olympian Gary Russell, Jr. will make an appearance tonight and portions of tonight's gate will go toward raising money to send Russell's family to Beijing.

'Ding-A-Ling Man' Looks for Revenge Against Purlette Feb. 8 in Delaware!

USBA Cruiserweight champion Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson will be looking for a little bit of retribution as he continues his quest for a world title shot.

Wilson (22-5-3, 19 KO's) is slated to take on Andre Purlette of Miami, FL on Friday, February 8 at Dover Downs Hotel and Casino in Dover DE. This is a rematch of a bout that took place on June 30, 2006 in Hollywood, FL in which Wilson lost a close, six-round unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bout 57-56 for Purlette.

Wilson has won four straight since that bout. Purlette (40-2, 35 KO's) has also won five in a row, but has been somewhat inactive, stretching those five wins over a four-year period.

BoxingTalk.com Interviews Beltway Boxers!

Kudos go to Brad Cooney of Boxingtalk.com. Cooney has done a number of recent interviews with Beltway Boxers this year and he did more after the most recent card in Tunica, MS that both Ty Barnette and Fernando Guerrero fought on. The following are links to those interviews:


Ty Barnette:

"http://www.boxingtalk.com/pag/article14398.html">


The debuting Fernando Guerrero:

"http://www.boxingtalk.com/pag/article14380.html">

Trainer Barry Hunter:

"http://www.boxingtalk.com/pag/article14397.html

Cooney also talked to NABO Lightweight champion and top-ranked WBO Lightweight contender Anthony Peterson about his future plans:

"http://www.boxingtalk.com/pag/article14378.html

Thomas Snow Added to 'Dogs of War' Card December 15 in Ashburn, VA!

Undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight Thomas "KO" Snow has been added to the AfterShock Events "Dogs of War" card on Saturday, December 15 at the All-Star Legacy Gym in Ashburn, VA.

Snow (9-0, seven KO's) will take on Covington, TN's Terrence "T-Brick" Roy (not to be confused with the Beltway's Terry "T-Brick" Roy) in a six-round contest. Snow last fought on August 3 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD and scored a first-round TKO over Markel Muhammad. Roy (9-23, one KO) has lost three in a row, including a four-round unanimous decision to Marty Robbins on August 9 in Nashville, TN. This will be Roy's third time facing a Beltway Boxer, losing previously to Ty Barnette (Barnette's pro debut) and twice to former IBF Featherweight champ Eric Aiken.

Barnette, Guerrero Score Knockout Victories in Mississippi!

Undefeated DC lightweight Ty Barnette scored a first-round knockout over late sub Anthony Cobb of Cincinnati, OH last night in Tunica, MS. Barnette stopped Cobb at 2:01 of the first. Barnette is now 12-0-1, nine KO's, Cobb is 4-35-3, two KO's.

Also, Salisbury, MD middleweight Fernando Guerrero made his pro debut a successful one with a second-round TKO over Derrick Douglas, who was also making his pro debut.

One other result, Baltimore lightweight Darrell Martin lost a four-round unanimous decision to Gerald Smith on December 7 at the Blue Horizon in Philadelphia. Martin is now 1-1.

SRL Gym Sending Eight to Silver Gloves Regionals!

The Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center in Palmer Park, MD will be sending eight boxers to the Silver Gloves Regional Championships in Augusta, GA. These boxers won titles at the Silver Gloves local tourney held this week at the Upton Recreational Center in Baltimore.


Here are the eight boxers representing the SRL Center:

Zimmie Dickinson 10-11 65lbs. Zimmie is the 2005, 2006 and 2007 DC MD VA Silver Gloves Champion, 2007 Ringside World Champion and winner of this year's Silver Gloves Outstanding Boxer in the 10-11 year old division.

Marcus Wright 10-11 70lbs
Greg Outlaw 14-15 75lbs
Chris Forbes 12-13 90lbs
Daquan "J-Rock" Johnson 12-13 125lbs
Marcus Gaddis 14-15 119lbs
Mason Jordan 14-15 147lbs

Alantex Fox 14-15 139lbs. Alantex has finished the year ranked #2 in the US on three different occasions and also has won the Ringside World Championship.

If these young people can advance through Augusta, they will have a chance to represent Region Three in the National Silver Gloves Championships in Missouri in February.

There are other boxers from the Beltway who will be going to the regionals. I am waiting complete details from this weekend's competition.

New Beltway Boxing Poll: Who is the 2007 Prospect of the Year?

I don't know whether we'll get more than 31,000 votes for this poll, but I think the discussion will be just as spirited. The new poll asks: Who is the 2007 Beltway Boxing Prospect of the Year?

My poll can only hold 10 names. I know there are others, but here are the ones I feel are the top 10 prospects in the area:


Ty Barnette -- 12-0-1, nine KO's

Tim "Pit Bull" Coleman -- 14-0-1, three KO's

Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer -- 9-1, six KO's

Horace "The Reason" Grant -- 10-1, seven KO's

Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow -- 14-0-1, five KO's

"The Persecutor" Mike Paschall -- 14-0-1, two KO's

"JC Superstar" Juan Carlos Robles -- 9-0, four KO's

Terry "T-Brick" Roy -- 7-0-1, six KO's

"Thomas "KO" Snow -- 9-0, seven KO's

Reginald "Rat Man" Taylor -- 7-0, four KO's

The combined won-loss records of these 10: 105-2-4 with 53 KO's

Before you even ask:

John Mackey is not included in the poll because, although he was born in DC, he told me personally that Montgomery, AL is his home.

The Peterson Brothers are not included in this poll because they should be considered contenders at this stage, not prospects.

Please vote in the poll, but do it with a civil tongue. Thanks.

Arvin Battles to a Draw in Las Vegas!

On the undercard of Floyd Mayweather-Ricky Hatton earlier tonight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Baltimore middleweight Ishmail "The Arsenal" Arvin made his return to the ring and battled to a six-round draw against Jose Angel "Silver Boy" Rodriguez. Scores were 58-56, 57-57, 57-57.

This was Arvin's first bout since September 28, 2006 when he lost his first pro bout, an eight-round majority decision to David Toribio at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD. Arvin's record is now 14-1-3, six KO's. Rodriguez, a native of New York who has made three appearances in Glen Burnie, remained undefeated at 12-0-1, two KO's.

Results From Pikesville!

Here are the results from the Baltimore Pro Boxing "Bombs Away on Pearl Harbor Day" card at the Pikesville National Guard Armory:

Baltimore's Tim "Pitbull" Coleman and "Magnificent" Martinus Clay of Wilson, NC fought to a 10-round draw in the battle for the East Coast Championship. The scores were 96-95 for Coleman, 96-94 for Clay and 95-95. A spokesperson for Coleman told me after we recorded the post-fight wrap-up that Coleman broke his right hand in the fifth round. Coleman remains undefeated at 14-0-1, three KO's. Clay is now 12-18-3, four KO's.


Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow of Severn, MD remained undefeated by winning a six-round unanimous decision over Akron, OH's Anthony "Quick" Little in a rematch of their August 25 bout in Ocean City, MD. Judges scores were 59-55, 58-55 and 59-54. Nicklow is now 14-0-1, five KO's. Little is 7-10, one KO.

Montgomery, AL's John "No Mercy" Mackey won a six-round unanimous decision over Baltimore's Tony "Cyclone" Cygan in a true fight fan's feast of a bout. The scores of 59-55 (twice) and 58-56 do not indicate how tough and spirited this bout actually was. Mackey, who is originally from DC, continues to be undefeated at 8-0, three KO's. Cygan falls to 12-2, seven KO's.

Baltimore light heavyweight Willie "For Real" Williams gained a measure of revenge by winning a six-round majority decision over Takoma Park, MD's Willis "The Prophet" Lockett This was a rematch of a September 27 bout at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie in which Lockett won by six-round majority decision. Two judges scored the bout 58-56 for Williams while the third judge saw the draw at 57-57. Williams has now won three straight and raises his record to 9-2, two KO's. Lockett saw his four-bout winning streak snapped and his record falls to 10-5-4, four KO's.

For the fourth time in his young career, Reisterstown, MD super middleweight"The Golden Greek" Elias Bouloubassis fought to a four-round draw. This time it was a majority draw against Pete Guthy of Myrtle Beach, SC. If not for an incident in which Guthy did not get credit for a knockdown against Bouloubassis in the second round, Bouloubassis would have lost the bout on the scorecards. One judge had it for Bouloubassis, 39-37, but two judges scored the contest a draw at 38-38. Bouloubassis's record is now 3-0-4, three KO's while Guthy is all even at 2-2-2.

The opening bout saw Baltimore's Henry "Hurricane" Mayes and John "The Baptist" Terry of Portsmouth, VA fight to a four-round draw. One judge saw the bout 39-37 for Terry, while another saw the contest 39-38 for Mayes and one judge called it even at 38-38. Mayes is now 6-4-1, four KO's while Terry is 2-7-2, one KO.

Ironically, the only bout that didn't go the scheduled distance was a contest that was turned into an exhibition bout at the last minute. Stevensville, MD junior welterweight Tony "Mo Better" Jeter fought a spirited bout against Reisterstown, MD's "Diamond" Matt Hill. Jeter looked sharp after a two-year absence and was more than willing to exchange with the veteran Hill, who definitely responded in kind. The scheduled three-round exhibition was so spirited that promoter Jake Smith stopped the contest after only two rounds. No official word was given as to why the bout was an exhibition.

Here is the complete recap in the latest BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up Show:

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #94 - Post-Fight from Pikesville!

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I recap the third annual Baltimore Pro Boxing "Bombs Away on Pearl Harbor Day" card from the Pikesville National Guard Armory in Pikesville, MD -- one of the most competitive cards in recent memory.

Gary Russell, Jr. Honored at Fundraiser on December 15!

US Olympian and Capital Heights, MD's Gary Russell, Jr. will be honored at a fundraiser on Saturday, December 15 from 1-3 PM at the Capital Sports Complex, 6417 Marlboro Pike in District Heights, MD.

The fundraiser is being held to raise money to send Russell's family to Beijing, China to support Gary in person. Elected officials, community leaders and a host of speakers are slated to attend this event. Also, the Capital Sports Complex will unveil a section of the facility that will be known as "Gary's Corner." The corner will be a space for Gary to train and eventually will grow into a full-scale open boxing training facility within the complex.

For more information on the event, call 301-568-5010 or 202-369-9949.

Scale Watch for Pikesville!

Here are the weights for tomorrow night's Baltimore Boxing "Bombs Away on Pearl Harbor Day" card at the Pikesville National Guard Armory in Pikesville, MD:


Tim Coleman 149 vs. Martinus Clay 150 1/4

Jessie Nicklow 156 3/4 vs. Anthony Little 155 3/4

Tony Cygan 160 1/2 vs. John Mackey 159 1/4

Elias Bouloubassis 163 1/4 vs. Pete Guthy 166 1/4

Henry Mayes 168 1/4 vs. John Terry 168 1/2

Willie Williams 175 1/2 vs. Willis Lockett 171 1/4

Tony Jeter 164 1/4 vs. Matt Hill 163 1/4

Barnette Rematches Against Wiggins in Tennessee!

Undefeated junior welterweight Ty Barnette will battle Tyrone Wiggins of Covington, TN in a four-round rematch on Saturday, December 8 in Tunica, MS.

Barnette (11-0, eight KO's) stopped Wiggins (7-21, four KO's) in the third round on July 19, 2005 in Lula, MS in Barnette's third pro fight.

Salisbury, MD's Fernando Guerrero will make his pro debut on this card as well.

Changes Abound in Ashburn!

There have been wholesale changes to the AfterShock Events card on Saturday, December 15 at the All-Star Legacy Gym in Ashburn, VA.

Undefeated Arlington, VA welterweight Bayan Jargal will now headline the show in a six-round bout against Nathan Francis of Sanford, NC. Jargal (4-0-1, two KO's) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision over Reggie Holly at Fight Night on November 8 in DC. Francis (2-4, one KO) is fighting for the first time in 2007. Francis has won two straight after being knocked out in his first four bouts.

Dumfries, VA cruiserweight Derek "D-Mos" Amos will be in the six-round co-feature contest, taking on Philadelphia's David Williams. Amos (15-25, nine KO's) last fought on September 15 at the ABC Sports Arena in Springfield, VA and won a four-round unanimous decision over Willie Taylor. Williams (5-1, two KO's) lost his first pro bout on August 10 in Philadelphia, getting stopped in the fourth round by Larry Robinson.

Woodbridge, VA heavyweight "Dangerous" Dana Dunston is slated to make his return after a seven-year absence when he faces Baltimore's Bernard "Bad Ass" Brown in a four-round contest. Dunston (3-1, two KO's) has not fought since he was stopped by Tony Thompson in the third round at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD on September 21, 2000. Brown (5-1, three KO's) recently made a return to the ring after a nine-year absence and has won two straight contests by knockout. In his last outing, Brown stopped Chuck Dillard in the fifth round on November 29 in Altoona, Iowa. In his first bout back, Brown knocked out Jerry Simpson in the third round on November 1 at Martin's Valley Mansion in Cockeysville, MD.

Dumfries, VA cruiserweight "Cold Blood" Patrick Budd returns and will face Robert Irizarry of Stamford, CT in a four-round bout. Budd (1-0) hasn't fought since winning his pro debut on April 28 in Fisherville, VA in a four-round unanimous decision over Drew Wion. Irizarry (1-4) has lost two straight, including a four-round unanimous decision to Phillip Miller on July 18 in Boston.

In other bouts on the card, Woodbridge featherweight Andre "Clockwork" Nichols will take on DC's Yieta Johnson in another four-round bout. Nichols (2-2, one KO) is looking to bounce back after losing a four-round unanimous decision to Travis Mallin on Sept. 15 in Springfield. Johnson (0-1) will participate in his first bout since June 10, 2005 when he was stopped in the first round by Eric Hunter in Philadelphia.

Woodbridge cruiserweight Joe Haggler (0-1) will take on the debuting Ozgur Yardimci and Virginia middleweight Tracey Brewer (1-0) will battle Sharpsburg, NC's Travis Toler (0-4).

Ring Magazine Puts Wilson on 'Boxing's 10 Biggest Punchers' List!

More mainstream notoriety for Silver Spring, MD's Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson. Ring Magazine has named the current USBA Cruiserweight champion one of the "10 Biggest Punchers" in the sport today in its latest issue.

Wilson came in at number eight on the list. Ring's Contributing Editor Eric Raskin mentioned that although Wilson had the lowest knockout percentage of anyone on the list, "Nobody in boxing has put together a more impressive string of knockouts in the past year than Wilson, who dusted in succession contenders Daniel Judah (KO 4), Dale Brown (KO 2), Kelvin Davis (KO 3) and Emmanuel Nwodo (KO 11)."

Raskin made a special note of the Nwodo knockout saying, "It took until about the 50th time we saw it replayed before we stopped cringing."

The top five on the list were (from top to bottom) Wladimir Klitschko, Daniel Ponce De Leon, Manny Pacquiao, Kelly Pavlik and Edwin Valero. Kermit Cintron came in at number six, followed by flyweight Vic Darchiniyan, Wilson, newly-crowned world cruiserweight champ David Haye and Israel Vasquez.

The same issue of Ring also listed the 20 Greatest Welterweights of All-Time. Beltway Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard made the list at number five, behind Sugar Ray Robinson, Henry Armstrong, Kid Gavilan and Charley Burley.

Fernando Guerrero Makes Pro Debut This Saturday!

Amateur boxing champion and Salisbury, MD middleweight Fernando Guerrero will make his professional debut on Saturday, December 8 at the Fitzgerald's Casino and Hotel in Tunica, MS. The 20-year-old originally from the Dominican Republic was a US National champion in 2007 and made it to the semifinals of the US Olympic Trials this past summer.

Guerrero has also signed a promotional contract with Prize Fight Boxing of Memphis, TN -- the same company that promotes Beltway stars The Peterson Brothers, Reginald Taylor and Ty Barnett, who is also scheduled to be on the December 8 card. Prize Fight also promotes former world champion Zab Judah.

In a press release, Prize Fight's President Russ Young said the following:

“After watching Fernando fight in Colorado Springs I quickly realized he was the hottest prospect I had seen in years. He possesses the speed, power and skills to become a World Champion, I knew I had to make it a top priority to sign Guerrero to the Prize Fight stable. The process took five months, but with the help of Barry Hunter and Hal Chernoff, we were able to come to terms on a promotional agreement.

"Under the tutelage of Barry Hunter, trainer to the super duo world Ranked and Prize Fight promoted Peterson Brothers, Fernando will be on a fast track to building his career."

Petersons Open 2008 ShoBox Campaign in Biloxi!

ESPN.com is reporting that the undefeated Peterson Brothers will kick off the 2008 season of ShoBox telecasts on Friday, January 4 at the Hard Rock in Biloxi, MS. According to promoter Brian Young, Anthony and Lamont Peterson will participate in 12-round contests against opponents to be named.

Since these are 12-round contests, it is assumed that the brothers will either defend their NABO titles (Anthony-lightweight, Lamont-junior welterweight) on this show or go after more regional titles. I don't think a world title is in the offering yet.

If that changes, I will definitely let everyone know.

Corley Loses Split Decision in Tampa, FL!

The website FloridaBoxingNews.com is reporting that former WBO Junior Welterweight champion DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley lost an eight-round split decision to Dairo Esales last night in Tampa, FL. Two judges scored the bout 76-75 for Esales while the other judge had Corley winning, 76-75.

Randy Hammonds, the editor and publisher of Florida Boxing News, scored the bout for Corley 76-75. The loss is Corley's third straight and drops his record to 31-7-1, 17 KO's. Esales, a native of Colombia, now fighting out of Brea, CA, is now 29-10, 24 KO's.

By the way, Corley originally weighed one pound over the contracted weight limit. He did lose the pound, however.