Hurd Weighs 153.6 For IBF Title Defense Saturday In Brooklyn!

Jarrett Hurd tipped the scales at 153.6 pounds for his 12-round IBF Super Welterweight title bout against former world champion Austin Trout Saturday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.  Trout came in at 153.

The bout will be part of a super welterweight tripleheader on Showtime that begins at 10 PM ET.

October 14th ABC Card Updated!

A few bouts have been added to the Victory Boxing card on Saturday, October 14th at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.

Glenarden, MD super lightweight Dravontay Speed Rawls returns to action in a four-round contest against Howard Thompson of Shelby, NC.  Speed Rawls (8-1-1, six KO's) looks to bounce back from suffering his first pro loss -- a six-round split decision to Dion Richardson on July 13th in Glen Burnie, MD.  Thompson (0-2) also lost his last bout in Glen Burnie, dropping a four-round unanimous decision to Craig Callan on May 12th.

Alexandria, VA welterweight Jacques Jean will make his pro debut on this card as he takes on the equally debuting Tyrone Beauford.  Jean is a former Virginia State Golden Gloves champion.

In another debut bout, welterweight Alexis Arguello Smith of Cincinnati, OH will battle Chris Yarborough of Fairfax, VA in a four-round contest.

The card is scheduled to begin around 7 PM ET.  If you can't make the card, join the live broadcast by downloading the free Boxing Along The Beltway Google App For Android.  IOS listeners can hear the broadcast by clicking on the BATB page on Spreaker.com  .https://www.spreaker.com/show/boxing_along_the_beltway or the BATB page on IHeartRadio.com https://www.iheart.com/podcast/boxing-along-the-beltway-22903291/.  The broadcast will get underway at 6:55 PM ET.

Dyer Wins Decision In Erie; Justin Hurd Off Brother's Card In Brooklyn!

Couple of notes to pass along.  Baltimore, MD lightweight Jahmal Dyer won a four-round unanimous decision over Roger "Monster" Blankenship of on October 7 at the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie, PA.  According to reports, Dyer used a lot of body shots in the last three round to gain the victory by scores of 40-36 and 39-37 (twice).  Dyer is now 4-0, two KO's while Blankenship is 1-2.

This week, we learned that Accokeek, MD super welterweight "Slick" Justin Hurd will not appear on the Saturday, October 14th card at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.  Apparently, Hurd (3-0, two KO's) has an illness and has not been able to train.  This is the card that features Hurd's brother, IBF Super Welterweight champion "Swift" Jarrett Hurd making the first defense of his title against former world champion Austin Trout as part of a 154-pound tripleheader.
 

Nat Williams, Promoter and Founder Of Boxing Information Center, Passes At 83!

This will be one of the saddest posts I have ever had to write.  One of the people who helped get me started in boxing in the Washington, DC area passed away on Sunday, October 1.

Nat Williams, a long-time promoter of pro and amateur boxing, transitioned at the age of 83.  When I first started, Nat was one of the first promoters I worked with in the business.  Nat, along with matchmaker Cleveland Burgess, the late Gilbert Ware, who was the Deputy Commissioner of the DC Boxing and Wrestling Commission and ring announcer Discombobulating Jones were all very instrumental in getting me started in the sport as a writer and TV announcer.

In the late 90's, Williams founded the Boxing Information Center (BIC), an organization that helped raise money for older boxers and put on amateur boxing cards to help give exposure to young boxers.  BIC was instrumental in the first return of the Mayor's Cup and also promoted the Capital Gloves in 2006.

During the buildup to the Capitol Gloves, I interviewed Nat for this blog.  On the first night of the tournament, Nat suffered a stroke.  I don't think he ever truly recovered from that sad event.

Nat's funeral will be held on Saturday, October 7th at Fort Lincoln Funeral Home and Cemetery located at 3401 Bladensburg Road in Brentwood, MD.  The viewing will be from 9:30 to 10:30 AM ET with the graveside service to follow.

Nat and I shared the same last name but, to my knowledge, we were not related.  However, Nat Williams was as close to a father figure as I had in this business.  We talked a lot about the business over the years and I was one of the folks who helped with the Boxing Information Center in its formative years.  Nat was a wonderful person who I thought the world of.  I will miss our conversations and our friendship dearly.  He was such a wonderful person.  I send my deepest condolences to his family.

Boxing Returns To Springfield, VA October 14th!

Victory Boxing Promotions will head to the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA on Saturday, October 14th.  The card will feature a number of Beltway Boxers in action.

The main event will be Maryland super bantamweight Daron Williams, who will make his Beltway-area debut against Marquis Pierce of Newark, NJ in a six-round bout.  Williams (5-0, two KO's) has been applying his trade in Phoenix, AZ where he has won all of his pro contests.  As an amateur, Williams fought a number of times in the Washington Golden Gloves at 123 pounds.  Pierce (1-11) has gone the distance in his last four bouts.

Capitol Heights, MD super bantamweight Thomas "KO" Snow returns to action in a six-round contest against veteran Jonesboro, GA boxer Stephon McIntyre.  Snow (18-3, 12 KO's) competes from the first time since his eight-round unanimous decision loss to Luis Orlando Del Valle in May of 2016 in Washington, DC.  McIntyre (2-34-4) is coming off a four-round majority draw against Cameron Springer on July 29th in Raleigh, NC.  Three of McIntyre's draws have come against Beltway Boxers -- he has two against Marq Johns and one against Marcus Bates.  This will be McIntyre's ninth bout in 2017.

Marq "The Monster" Johns -- the featherweight from Fort Washington, MD -- will be on this card going up against the debuting Varon Webb of North Carolina by way of Hartford, CT in a four-round contest.  Johns (7-1-2, six KO's) last fought in the four-round draw against McIntyre on March 25th in DC.

The Bell Twins -- Jason and Justin of District Heights, MD -- will face debuting boxers on this card.  Jason Bell (2-0, one KO) will battle Terrell Hobbs of Richmond, VA in a four-rounder.  Bell is coming off a four-round unanimous decision over George Sheppard on April 29th at the ABC Sports Complex.  Hobbs makes a transition from Mixed Martial Arts and Muay Thai boxing.

Justin (2-0, one KO) will take on Ben D. Williams from Benton Harbor, MI in another four-round encounter.  Bell scored a first-round TKO over Erik Plumeri on July 15th in DC.  Williams is a former Michigan Golden Gloves champion.

In other bouts on the card, there will be a six-round contest between undefeated Philadelphia, PA welterweight Jaron "Boots" Ennis who will battle Silver Spring, MD veteran Samuel Amoako.  Ennis (15-0, 13 KO's) has scored first-round knockouts in three of his last four contests.  That includes a first-round stoppage of Lionel Jimenez on September 23rd in Hammond, IN.  Ennis also stopped Ricardo Cano in the first round on August 12th in DC.  Amoako (23-15, 17 KO's) has fought in his native, Accra, Ghana and scored two straight TKO's over Raymond Ansah.  Those bouts broke an 11-bout losing streak in which he went to a decision in 10 of those bouts.

The co-feature will match undefeated Zsolt "The Phenom" Daranyi, Jr. of Toronto, Canada against Fabian Lyimo of Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania in another six-round bout.  Daranyi (12-0, 11 KO's) scored a six-round TKO over Andre Baker on July 29th in Charlotte, NC.   Lyimo (23-7-2, 15 KO's) competes in the United States for the first time as a pro and brings a three-bout winning streak to the bout.

More bouts will be announced on this card.

Peterson Vacates WBA Welterweight Title!

Washington, DC welterweight Lamont Peterson has vacated the WBA regular Welterweight championship that he captured in February.

According to ESPN.com's Dan Rafael, Peterson sent a letter to the WBA thanking the organization for the opportunity and he did not want to "be an obstacle for the rest of the fighters in the ranking who have the objective of fighting for the belt.”  Peterson won the title on February 18th, scoring a 12-round unanimous decision over David Aveneysan in Cincinnati, OH.

No official word on the next opponent for Peterson (35-3-1, 17 KO's).  However, there is talk he may face Errol Spence in either December or January.

Rodriquez Scores Big Win In Philadelphia!

Haymarket, VA super lightweight Juan "The Savior" Rodriguez picked up a huge win Friday night at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA.  Rodriguez knocked out "Mr. Marvelous" Maynard Allison of Philadelphia at the end of the second round.

Rodriguez is now 8-7-1, six KO's while Allison falls to 9-2, six KO's.

Rodriguez Weighs 140 For Eight-Rounder in Philadelphia; Fox Bout Called Off!

Juan Rodriguez tipped the scales at 140 pounds for his eight-round contest against Maynard Allison Friday at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA.  Allison weighed in at 135.8 pounds.

The bout scheduled to feature Mykal Fox was called off.  No reason was given as to why the bout was cancelled.

Justin Hurd To Appear On Brother's October 14th Card; Ballard, Roach Placed On October 21st Slate!

A number of young Beltway Boxers will appear on two big cards in October.

Accokeek, MD super welterweight "Slick" Justin Hurd has been added to his brother Jarrett's undercard on Saturday, October 14th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Jarrett Hurd defends his IBF Super Welterweight title against former world champion Austin Trout.

Justin Hurd (3-0, two KO's) will compete in his first scheduled six-round bout when he takes on Steven "Ironman" Andrade of Cartersville, GA.  Hurd last fought on June 3rd and scored a third-round TKO over Alberto Delgado in Fort Washington, MD.  Andrade (3-2, two KO's) will be trying to break a two-bout losing streak. 

On Saturday, October 21st at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY,  Undefeated locals D'Mitrius "Big Meech" Ballard and Lamont Roach, Jr. will be on the same card where fellow Beltway Boxer Alantez Fox will battle Demetrius Andrade in the co-feature. Ballard, the WBC USNBC Super Middleweight champion (17-0, 12 KO's) and Roach, the WBC Youth Silver Super Featherweight titleholder (14-0, five KO's) are scheduled to be in 10-round encounters.

Big Bouts For Fox Brothers Coming In Near Future!

The undefeated Fox Brothers of Forestville, MD will attempt to make big moves in their careers over the next few weeks as they have signed for very important bouts.

Younger brother Mykal "The Professor" Fox will be in an eight-round encounter against "La Furia Negra" Marlon Aguas of Quito, Ecuador on Friday, September 29th at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA.  Fox (14-0, four KO's) is coming off an eight-round unanimous decision over Daniel Sostre on June 3 in Fort Washington, MD.  Aguas (9-1, six KO's) will look to bounce back from suffering his only pro loss -- a sixth-round stoppage to Ivan Golub on March 25 in Miami, OK.

Also slated to be on that card is Haymarket, VA super welterweight Juan "The Savior" Rodriguez who will take on "Mr. Marvelous" Maynard Allison of Philadelphia by way of Siler City, NC in an eight-round contest.  Rodriguez (7-7-1, five KO's) looks to bounce back from a six-round unanimous decision loss to Tyrone Crawley at the 2300 Arena on May 19th.  Allison (9-1, six KO's) comes off a fourth-round stoppage of Roy Garcia on June 22nd in Durham, NC.

As far as big brother Alantez "SlyAza" Fox is concerned, ESPN.com is reporting that he will be in without question the biggest bout of his career when he meets fellow undefeated and current WBA Regular Super Welterweight champion Demetrius "Boo Boo" Andrade in a scheduled 12-round bout on Saturday, October 21st at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY.  The bout will be televised on HBO.  

Fox (23-0-1, 11 KO's) last fought on July 26th and scored a fifth-round TKO over Euri Gonzalez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.  Fox is the WBC USNBC Middleweight champion. Andrade (24-0, 16 KO's), a native of Providence, RI, is moving up in weight for this contest.  Andrade is coming off a 12th round split decision win over Jack Culcay on March 11 in Ludwigshafen, Germany.  That gave Andrade the WBA title.  Andrade is also a former WBO Super Welterweight champion.

'Raging Bull' Jake LaMotta Passes At 95!

He may have been one of the last of the first group of living legends in boxing.  Jake LaMotta, best known as "The Raging Bull," passed away on September 19th at the age of 95.

Mr. LaMotta (83-19-4, 30 KO's) was a legendary middleweight who was known for his no-nonsense style of boxing.  He is perhaps best known for his six-fight series with fellow legend Sugar Ray Robinson ("I fought Sugar Ray so much, I got diabetes").  Robinson won the first bout at Madison Square Garden in New York City on  contest on October 2, 1942 by 10-round unanimous decision.  However, Mr. LaMotta would give Robinson his first defeat on February 5, 1943 scoring a 10-round unanimous decision in Detroit, MI.

Twenty-one days later in the same Olympia Stadium in Detroit, the two would fight again with Robinson the victor by 10-round unanimous decision.

In June of 1949, Mr. LaMotta won the world middleweight title with a 10th round TKO over Marcel Cerdan in Detroit.  Cerdan hurt his shoulder in the first round and had to retire in the 10th.  Cerdan, who was from France, was on his way back to the United States for the rematch but he died in a plane crash.

Mr. LaMotta would defend the title twice before facing Robinson for the fourth time on February 14, 1951 in Detroit  Robinson won the title by 13th round TKO in what would be known as the "St. Valentine's Day Massacre."  Mr. LaMotta would take a beating in that contest but he never went down.

Throughout his career, Mr. LaMotta was involved with issues in and out of the sport.  In 1960, he admitted to throwing a 1947 fight because the mob would arrange a title bout for him.  In 1955, he would open a nightclub in Miami Beach, FL.  Two years later, he would serve six months in prison for promoting prostitution after a 14-year-old who was arrested said she plied her trade at LaMotta's club.

In 1970, Mr. LaMotta would write his autobiography, "Raging Bull: My Story."  In 1980, the book was made into the legendary movie "Raging Bull" starring Robert DeNiro.  The movie was nominated for eight Academy Awards and DeNiro won for Best Actor.

Mr. LaMotta was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1986 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. The Ring named him the fifth greatest middleweight of all time in 2004.

For many years, Mr. LaMotta was a fixture at the Fight Night Fight For Children event in Washington, DC.  I met him at the event in 1995 and I made the mistake of not leading off my interview by calling him "The Raging Bull."  He did not take kindly to my oversight.  Once the interview started, however, it went well.  He was a true character, one of the last we will ever see.  We send our condolences.

Russell Brothers Are Victorious In Bethlehem, PA!

Antonio and Antuanne Russell, boxers from Capitol Heights, MD, each scored knockout victories on a card on September 19 at the Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, PA.

Bantamweight Antonio notched a third-round knockout over Cristian Renteria of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.  The time of the KO was 1:36.  Antonio is now 9-0, seven KO's.  Renteria falls to 7-6, six KO's.

Super lightweight Antuanne registered his second straight first-round TKO when he stopped Jesus Lule of Fort Myers, FL at 2:38.  Antuanne is 2-0, two KO's while Lule is 11-24-1, two KO's.

Russell Brothers Weigh In For Tonight's Bouts In Philadelphia!

Two members of the Russell Family -- Antonio and Antuanne -- will be in action tonight at the Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Philadelphia, PA.

Antonio (8-0, six KO's) will be in a six-round contest against Cristian Renteria (7-5, six KO's) of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.  Antonio Russell last fought on May 20th and scored a third-round TKO over Jovany Fuentes at the MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, MD.  Renteria is coming off a six-round unanimous decision loss to Tenochtitlan Neva on June 2 in Los Angeles, CA.

After making his pro debut on the May 20th card in Oxon Hill and scoring a first-round TKO over Josh Ross, Antuanne returns in a four-round contest against veteran Jesus Lule of Fort Myers, FL (11-23-1, two KO's).  Lule faces a Beltway Boxer for the second straight time, losing a six-round unanimous decision to Patrick Harris on August 12 at the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC.  Lule also has losses to locals Lamont Roach, Jr. and Dodie Boy Penalosa, Jr.

The bouts are part of an FS1 telecast that is scheduled to begin at 10 PM ET.  No word on whether either bout will be on the program.

Here are the weights:

Antonio Russell 117.8 vs Cristian Renteria 120.2

Antuanne Russell 138.5 vs Jesus Lule 139.7

Benjamin "Benny" Alperstein, Long-Time Maryland Boxing Commissioner And Champion Collegiate Boxer, Passes At 102!

(Photo courtesy of umterps.com)

Sad news to report.  Benjamin "Benny" Alperstein, a champion of collegiate boxing and a long-time member of the Maryland State Athletic Commission, passed away on September 16th at the age of 102.

Mr. Alperstein, who lived in Chevy Chase, MD, served as commissioner in the state for more than 30 years and was still attending boxing and wrestling cards up until 2016.   In the sixties, Alperstein was a commissioner and later, the chair of the Washington, DC Boxing Commission.

In his youth, Mr. Alperstein was a two-time national collegiate boxing champion at the University of Maryland.  He won the title in 1937 and 1938 and was named Outstanding Boxer in 1938.  In fact, Mr. Alperstein won the first national championship in any sport at the University of Maryland.

Mr. Alperstein is a member of the University of Maryland, Washington, DC Boxing and Maryland Boxing Halls of Fame.   The service for Mr. Alperstein will be held on Tuesday, September 19th at the Judean Memorial Gardens, located at 16225 Batchellors Forest Road in Olney, MD.  The service begins at 1:30 PM.

BATB sends its deepest condolences to the Alperstein Family.

Beltway Boxer Faces First-Degree Murder Charges In 2009 Cold Case!

Prince George's County Police have charged 27-year-old Larry Recio with first degree murder and attempted first degree murder in the 2009 fatal shooting of a 19-year-old woman during a graduation party.

According to both WTOP Radio and WRC-TV, police say Recio opened fire on a group of men during a dispute.  The woman that was killed, Shai Caldwell of Bowie, MD, was not one of the intended victims. Three other people, also not intended victims, were injured.

Authorities say the break in the case came when the Cold Case Unit turned up additional witnesses and evidence that linked Recio with the shooting.

From October of 2013 to July of 2014, Recio, a native of Lanham, MD, was a super welterweight boxer known as "The Cuban Assassin."  Recio was undefeated as a pro at 7-0, five KO's.  Recio was also a prominent amateur.

Recio is currently an inmate at Hazelton Federal Correctional Institution, a medium-security prison in West Virginia after being sentenced to five years for a felony possession of illegally possessing a firearm, according to online court records.  Recio was arrested in May of 2015 after being spotted by a Prince George's County gang unit handling a gun.  Recio was previously convicted of a crime that had him spend a year in prison, making it illegal for him to have a gun.

Recio is scheduled to be released sometime in 2019 and extradited to Prince George's County where he will face charges in Caldwell's death.

September 21st Card In Glen Burnie Raises Funds For Former Maryland Boxer!

Baltimore Boxing will hold a card on Thursday, September 21st at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD that will raise funds for a very special cause.

The card is called "Punches and Prayers For Alan Blyweiss."  Blyweiss, a native of Pikesville, MD, was a local amateur and pro boxer who earned a living as a sparring partner for a number of boxers. Over the last few years, Blyweiss has had a number of serious health issues including a testicular hernia, a stomach ailment that required two-thirds of his stomach to be removed and multiple spine and hip procedures that limited his mobility.

Then in March of 2016, Blyweiss was diagnosed with Pugilistic Dementia which has caused his memory to fade and his speech to be halted.  Blyweiss also requires a walker or wheelchair for stability.

Tickets for the event are $40 for general admission and VIP seats are $60.  The main event on the card will be a match up for the East Coast Heavyweight championship between Brian Haneschlager and Tyrone Holt.  Also, Deshawn Chase and Clayton Fraser will be in separate bouts for the Maryland Welterweight and Middleweight championship, respectively.  The card is scheduled to begin at 8:15 PM ET.

Outlaw Wins Unanimous Decision In Queens!

Bowie, MD super lightweight Greg "The Sharpshooter" Outlaw won a six-round unanimous decision over Sidney "Keelo" Maccow of New York City Saturday night at Resorts World Casino in Queens, NY.

In his first scheduled six-round contest, Outlaw took control of the bout in the second half by landing solid left hands.  Maccow's offense dwindled in the latter stages of the contest.  Outlaw won by scores of 59-55 and 58-56 (twice). Outlaw remains undefeated at 4-0, one KO.  Maccow drops to 4-7, three KO's.

Amateur Action Aplenty In DC This Weekend!

There are two free amateur boxing events that come to Washington, DC on the weekend of Friday, September 8-9. 

The Barry Farms community will be alive with the "Friday Night Fights Inside The Gates" event that will take place on Friday.  The event will take place at 1230 Sumner Place in Southeast DC and will be hosted by Miles Rawls of the legendary Goodman Summer Basketball League.  The event is free and will begin at 6 PM.

Then on Saturday, September 9, there will be the seventh annual Dr. Arnold W. McKnight Boxing Invitational, Kickboxing and MMA Exhibition Event that will take place at the Kenilworth Recreation Center located at 1300 44th Street in Northeast Washington.  This is also a free event and will get underway at noon.

Lockett Wins Split Decision In Augusta!

Veteran Takoma Park, MD cruiserweight Willis "The Prophet" Lockett broke an eight-bout winless streak by capturing a six-round split decision over Brandon Spencer of Georgia on September 2nd at Laney High School in Augusta, GA.

Lockett won by scores of 57-56 and 59-55.  Spencer won one of the cards, 57-56.  The win is Lockett's first since December of 2015 and he has a record of 15-21-6, five KO's.  Spencer drops to 6-15-2, four KO's.

Outlaw Travels To New York For Four-Round Contest September 9th!

Bowie, MD super lightweight Greg "The Sharpshooter" Outlaw makes his first road trip on Saturday, September 9th when he faces Sidney "Keelo" Maccow of New York City in a four-round contest at Resorts World Casino in Queens, NY.

Outlaw (3-0, one KO) has fought all of his previous bouts at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.  Outlaw secured his first pro knockout when he scored a fourth-round TKO over Mario Perez on June 3rd.

A native of Saint Maarten, Maccow (4-6, three KO's) will be trying to break a three-bout losing streak.  Maccow lost a six-round unanimous decision to Anthony Laureano in his last outing on May 11 in Uncasville, CT.  In his second pro bout, Maccow lost a four-round split decision to Stephon McDonald in November of 2014 in Baltimore, MD.

This card is being promoted by hall of famer and former world champion Evander Holyfield.  Some of the bouts will be shown on the CBS Sports Network but no word on whether Outlaw's bout will make the telecast.