Changes in Millersville!

There are some notable changes to the Friday, September 19 Better Promotions card at the Maryland Sportsplex in Millersville, MD.

First, there is a new opponent for undefeated Arlington, VA junior welterweight "The Mongolian Mongoose" Bayan Jargal. Instead of Sung Dae Gang, Jargal will take on the very tough and Bladensburg, MD-based Carlos "El Perro" Cisneros in a six-round contest.

Cisneros (9-15-1, six KO's), a native of El Salvador, has won two of his last three bouts, scoring TKO's over Beltway Boxers Reggie Holly and Norman Allen. During this stretch, Cisneros also went six tough rounds before losing to Tim Coleman.

Another undefeated junior welterweight -- Todd "White Lightning" Wilson of Alexandria, VA -- will fight in a scheduled six-round bout for the first time in his career. Wilson (4-0, one KO's) will take on Mike Denby of Felton, DE (2-1-2, two KO's). Wilson has not fought since February 23 when he won a four-round unanimous decision over David Novia in Winchester, VA. Denby made his pro debut along the Beltway in November of 2007 when he fought to a four-round draw against Henry Goss in Cockeysville, MD.

Also, Waynesboro, VA cruiserweight "El Guerro" Juan Carlos Robles has been taken off the card. No official reason was given why.

The card will also mark the return of Baltimore middleweight Billy Johnson (3-2, one KO). Johnson made his pro debut back in March of 2002 when he scored a third-round TKO over Ervin Fuller at the old Ramada Inn in New Carrollton, MD. After two victories in Baltimore against Ed Graves and Matt Hill in 2004, Johnson stepped away from the sport. Johnson returns in a four-round contest against Bedford, VA's Scott "Cujo" Sigmon (2-1, one KO). Sigmon is coming off a four-round unanimous decision victory over Daniel Shull on August 9 in Salem, VA.

Nwodo Stopped in Fourth Round!

Baltimore cruiserweight Emmanuel "Chukwu" Nwodo's bid for a second regional title was halted in the fourth round by NABF Cruiserweight champion Matt "Too Smooth" Godfrey of Providence, RI tonight in front of a nationally televised audience at the Mohegan Sun resort in Uncasville, CT.

Nwodo got off to a great start, dropping Godfrey in the third round, but Godfrey came back in the fourth, doing damage to Nwodo's nose and battering the former USBA titleholder until the bout was stopped at 1:57 of the round.

With the loss, Nwodo's record falls to 22-5, 18 KO's. With the victory, Godfrey is now 17-1, 10 KO's.

Nwodo Weighs 199 1/2 For Tonight in Connecticut!

Baltimore-based cruiserweight Emmanuel "Chukwu" Nwodo weighed in at 199 1/2 pounds for tonight's nationally-televised (ESPN2) battle against Matt "Too Smooth" Godfrey for Godfrey's NABF Cruiserweight title at the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in Uncasville, CT.

Godfrey came in at the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds. Nwodo will be trying to win his second regional title. Nwodo once held the USBA Cruiserweight title. The telecast begins at 9 PM ET.

IBO Withdraws Title Recognition From Arvin!

The International Boxing Organization and its USBO branch announced today that they have withdrawn its title recognition to Baltimore junior middleweight Ishmail "The Arsenal" Arvin in the wake of his controversial victory over Anthony "The Messenger" Thompson on August 15 at the Ibiza Nightclub.

What this sounds like (and I may be wrong) is that while the decision of the bout itself may not be overturned, the IBO will not recognize Arvin as the champion. so in essence, the title (as they used to say in pro wrestling) has been "held up."

Barnett Headlines Card in San Jose September 11!

Undefeated DC junior welterweight Ty Barnett will headline a boxing card at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA on Thursday, September 11.

Barnett (14-0-1, 10 KO's) will fight in an eight-round matchup against an opponent to be determined. Barnett is coming off a fourth-round knockout victory over Pavel Miranda on June 20 in the Cayman Islands.

Nicklow-Rivera Highlights September 5 Card in Baltimore!

The Baltimore Pro Boxing card slated for Friday, September 5 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore is coming together.

The main event remains the same -- an eight-round contest for the East Coast Championship between undefeated Baltimore middleweight Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow (18-0-1, seven KO's) and Charlottsville, VA's George "Wartime" Rivera (8-2, three KO's). An added incentive in this bout is that an extra $500 will go to the boxer that scores a knockout.

Also on the card will be Ellicott City, MD cruiserweight "The Mack Attack" Robert McConnell, Jr. (1-1) as well as rookie light heavyweight Keith Gross of Lusby, MD (1-0, one KO).

This card will also see the pro debuts of Riverdale, MD heavyweight "The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae and Baltimore junior welterweight James Stevenson.

Championship Results From Mayor's Cup!

Here are the results from the Championship Day at the Mayor's Cup Invitational Amateur Boxing Tournament at the Kennedy Recreation Center:

Junior Division:

Mykal Fox (Dream Team) dec. John Harris (Elmcor)

Tavon Owens (Tony's Gym) dec. Oscar Lopez (Books 'N' Boxing)

Zimmie Dickinson (Dream Team) dec. Caleb Newman (Benning Park)

Rico Todd (Upton) dec. Denardo Johnson (Versatile)

Vernon Spriggs (Benning Park) dec. Thomas Hall (Midtown)

Ronald Gibbs (Upton) dec. Demonte Green (Nomis)

Dwayne Holmes (Old School) de. Malcolm Lowrey (Benning Park)

Xavier Ward (Supreme Defense) dec. Tavon Body (Laurel)

Shadeed Floyd (Langdon) RSC-3 over Rolando Santiago (Second Round of North Carolina)


Novice Division:

Ricky Cuevas (USMC) dec. DeMarcus Wiley (Sugar Ray Leonard Center)

Joseph Rector (Versatile) dec. Carlos Olmeda (Second Round)

Robert Taylor (Tony's Gym) dec. Malik Shelton (Sugar Ray Leonard Center)

Patrick Moody (USMC) dec. Antonio Freeman (Second Round)

Adam Mitchell (Diamond N The Ruff) dec. Jose Murphy (Benning Park)

Ronald Gamble (Club One Fitness) RSC-1 over Antonio Williams (Nomis)

Alexis Lefebvre (Midtown) RSC-3 over Emanuel Alao (Nomis)

Vanzago Johnson (Tony's Gym) dec. Raheem Mattox (Taft)

Marquez Taylor (Tony's Gym) RSC-3 over Derrick White (Knox Boxing)


Open Division:

Jerry Martin (Seven Cities, Tidewater, VA) over Mark Baltimore (Second Round)

Abdul Quadir (Upton) dec. Cornelius Whitlock (Midtown)


Female Division:

Asia Stevenson (Benning Park) dec. Ashlee White (Midtown)

Two boxers were unopposed -- Lorenzo Simpson and Mack Allison, both from Upton Boxing.

The United States Marine Corps team won the Outstanding Team Award. The Outstanding Boxer Awards went to Shadeed Floyd of Langdon and Adam Mitchell of Diamond N the Ruff.

Millersville, MD Update!

There are some interesting bouts being scheduled for the maiden voyage Better Promotions card on Friday, September 19 at the Maryland Sportsplex in Millersville, MD.

In a six-round junior welterweight bout that was just signed late this week, undefeated Bayan Jargal of Arlington, VA (7-0-1, four KO's) will take on Sung-Dae Gang of Seoul, South Korea (6-1, two KO's). Gang, who is now training in New York, will be making his US debut.

Severna Park, MD junior middleweight Shelly Sievert (2-1, one KO) will battle Carinne Hamlett of Mount Vernon, NY (0-2-1) in a scheduled four-rounder.

Heavyweight Kevin Johnson of Edgewood Arsenal, MD (1-0, one KO) will battle the debuting Joe Blasini of Brooklyn, NY in a four-round matchup. Johnson made his pro debut by stopping Danny Kisner in the fourth round on May 29 in Glen Burnie, MD.

Columbia, MD middleweight Tony "Mo Better" Jeter (5-2, five KO's), Arlington, VA's undefeated junior welterweight Todd "White Lightning" Wilson (4-0, one KO), undefeated Eldersburg, MD light heavy Mark "TNT" Tucker (4-0, four first-round KO's) and Waynesboro, VA cruiserweight "El Guerro" Juan Carlos Robles (9-2, four KO's) are all slated to be on the card. Tucker, by the way, has been training in Tampa, FL with IBF Light Heavyweight champ Antonio Tarver.

Results From Mayor's Cup -- Day 1!

Here are the results from the first day of action at the 23rd Annual Mayor's Cup Invitational Amateur Boxing Tournament that is being held at the Kennedy Recreation Center in DC:

55 Pounds: Dwayne Holmes (Old School Boxing) decisioned Christopher Nomile (Laurel)

60 Pounds: Jordan White (Keystone) dec. Gregory Burton (Langdon)

70 Pounds: Lorenzo Simpson dec. Deanardo Johnson

72 Pounds: Vernon Spriggs (Benning Park) dec. Tyrus Hall (Midtown)

145 Pounds: Xavier Ward (Supreme Defense) dec. James Holbrook III (Hillcrest)

149 Pounds: Deamonte Green (Nomis) dec. Sean Davis (Keystone)

141 Pounds: Ricky Cuevas (USMC-North Carolina) dec. Alvaro Mendoza (Midtown)

121 Pounds: Patrick Moody (USMC-North Carolina) RSC-2 over Daniel Mattox

165 Pounds: Robert Taylor (Tony's Gym) dec. Jorge Valencia (USMC-North Carolina)

Heavyweight: Ronald Gamble (Club One) RSC-3 over Clinton Price (Midtown)

72 Pounds: Caleb Harrison (Laurel) dec. Demetrius Young (Sugar Ray Leonard Center)


The championship day at the Mayor's Cup begins later today at 5 PM. Admission is free.

'The Reason' Grant Appears on Sept. 13 King Card in Biloxi, MS!

Riverdale, MD heavyweight Horace "The Reason" Grant will return to action on Saturday, September 13 at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, MS. Grant's scheduled eight-round bout will be on the non-televised undercard of a Don King promotion that features a matchup for the Unified Lightweight Championship bout between Nate Campbell and Joan Guzman.

The opponent for Grant (12-2, seven KO's) will be Mark "The Dominator" de Mori of Perth, Western Australia (13-1-2, 11 KO's). Grant will try to bounce back from his eight-round unanimous decision loss to Kevin Burnett on June 20 in Las Vegas in front of a nationally-televised ESPN2 audience. Grant almost pulled out the victory in the final seconds of that bout when he knocked down Burnett in the final round. For de Mori, this will be the first time fighting in the US. De Mori is 7-0-1 with six KO's in his last eight bouts over a three-year period.

Yet Another View of the Arvin-Thompson Controversy!

Here's another view of what happened at Ibiza Nightclub. There are obviously folks on both sides of the issue. This comes from John Lumpkin of SecondsOut.com:

This past Friday, we witnessed something new in boxing. The fight between Anthony Thompson and Ishmail Arvin was officially ruled as a TKO stoppage victory for Arvin due to a cut on Thompson that prevented him from continuing. The ruling would have made perfect sense as the referee had previously ruled the cut to be from a punch. However, unlike most fights, the broadcast team intervened on the behalf of Thompson in the belief that they had proof that the cut was caused by an accidental head butt. The tape they replayed did in fact appear to show that the cut was caused by a butt.

The broadcasters showed the tape to the referee before the official verdict was to be read prompting the referee to ask the Commissioners from the District of Columbia Boxing and Wrestling Commission at ringside to make a ruling as to what should be done. The Commissioners, to the outrage of many, after viewing the tape multiple times, elected to ignore the obvious evidence on the tape to the contrary and ruled the butt a result of a punch giving the victory the Arvin.

The Commissioners did the right thing for the right reasons. One of the most difficult things for people who are not engaged with the legal system to understand is that fact is not always admissible evidence. The Commission is a body whose purpose is to administer our sport under the prescribed rules and regulations for the area they serve. These rules specify procedures that need to be followed and determine what can and cannot be considered.

There simply was no provision for instant replay and it would have been grossly inappropriate for the Commission to ignore the rules because this opportunity presented itself during the contest. We should be applauding the Commission for having the fortitude to stick to its rules and regulations during what was most certainly a high pressure and highly public situation. It is this type of integrity that many of us repeatedly claim that boxing is lacking. Had they ruled otherwise, it would have been tantamount to making up a new rule on the fly.

Under the current Municipal Professional Boxing and Wrestling Regulations of the District of Columbia Boxing and Wrestling Commission, the appropriate mechanism for handling this type of situation is a hearing. Anthony Thompson and his representatives will have the opportunity to present the video tape evidence to the Commission in an offer of proof that the cut was indeed caused by a head butt. The Commission will then have the responsibility to review the tape and make a determination if there is ample evidence to overrule the referee’s call.

The Commission’s decision is not necessarily the final decision. The aggrieved party has the right to seek a ruling from the District of Columbia Court of Appeals which could uphold or reverse the opinion of the Commission. Appeals courts, however, do not reinvestigate the actual case. Their focus is on whether or not the Commission followed the rules when they made their decision. If they were to find that the Commission’s ruling was not consistent with its own rules, it could reverse the decision made by the Commission.

There are two interesting side notes to this situation. First is the action of the broadcasters. The broadcasters stepped outside their role as journalists whose responsibility is to cover the event and instead tried to influence the event. According to the code of ethics published by the Society of Professional Journalists, they were correct in reporting the discrepancy, but incorrect in trying to influence the District of Columbia Boxing and Wrestling Commission to violate their own rules. They essentially were trying to do the right thing in the wrong way.

The second item of note is the use of instant replay in boxing. In this particular situation, it does appear that having the benefit of instant replay can be an excellent tool. There are, however, several challenges to widespread use of the tool. The most obvious is that not all boxing matches are filmed. This is not a simple thing to address in our sport because it is not conducted under one body or jurisdiction. The best we could hope for is partial acceptance.

If the sport is to adopt instant replay in some limited fashion, the people responsible for the filming need to be officials and not random reporters. It is nice that ESPN was able to capture the exact sequence of events that created the controversy, but it is not the duty of the network to perform this function. It is not a good idea to give a network the ability to determine who wins or loses a fight. We also need to be cautious of films from other non-official parties as this may introduce questions of authenticity or doctoring.

Without official support of instant replay, the best method of handling those situations in which a film may show a different interpretation of an event is through a hearing. It is not as satisfying or expedient as an instantaneous ruling, but we must remember that the situations in which instant replay could be effectively utilized in boxing are much more complicated than whether or not a ball is on or off a line. And boxing is not the type of sport where a timeout is appreciated.

Lastly, we have to consider whether or not boxing has the capacity to support instant replay. Instant replay places two burdens on the sport that it may not be able to address. First, and probably the best argument for using the networks as the source of instant replay, is that it is not simple or cheap to create the quality of film necessary for instant replay to be effective. Second, the use of instant replay is bound to significantly increase the number of protests. Not all commissions have the personnel or budget to support such an increase.

Instant replay can be a great tool, but it is not without its challenges and repercussions. There are certain situations in which it can make a significant difference and the recent contest between Thompson and Alvin is great example. What will be interesting is what the Commission will rule if they accept the evidence on the tape as accurate. The right thing would be to overturn the TKO and go to the scorecards. Commissions, however, frequently favor rematches over reversals.

'Prophet' Attah Vies For NABF Super Featherweight Title Sept. 5 in New Mexico!

DC-based super featherweight Daniel "The Prophet" Attah will battle for the vacant NABF Super Featherweight title on Friday, September 5 at the Isleta Resort and Casino in Albuquerque, NM.

The Nigerian-born Attah (24-4-1, eight KO's) will take on undefeated Urbano Antillion of Maywood, CA (23-0, 16 KO's) in a nationally-televised (Telefutura) matchup.

Attah has not fought since losing by ninth-round TKO to Mario Santiago in Ponce, Puerto Rico on March 10, 2007. During his career, the 31-year-old Attah has gone the distance with a number of the sport's recent stars including former world champion Acelino Freitas and current IBF/WBA/WBO Lightweight champion Nate Campbell. Antillon, meanwhile, has won his last six bouts by knockout.

BATB Future File: Lange Returns November 1 to Patriot Center!

It's official: Great Falls, VA junior middleweight Jimmy Lange makes his return on Saturday, November 1 as he headlines his sixth card at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA.

Lange has been idle for 17 months as he recovered from surgery on a shoulder injury that took place during his WBC Continental Americas Junior Middleweight title bout against Fontaine Cabell on May 12, 2007 at the Patriot Center. Because Lange was unable to box, he had to relinquish the Continental Americas title that is now held by Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.

No word yet on who Lange's opponent will be.

Another Perspective of USBO Title Bout!

There has been a lot of debate (as expected) concerning what happened this past Friday night in the USBO Junior Middleweight title bout between Ishmail Arvin and Anthony Thompson at Ibiza Nightclub in DC.

Here's an opinion from truly one of the best boxing writers in the world -- Dan Rafael of ESPN.com. Rafael truly pulls back no punches on his opinion.

Disgusting and unconscionable. That is all that can be said about this decision, which shoots near the top of the most outrageous calls made in the recent history of boxing. The D.C. Boxing and Wrestling Commission covered itself with utter shame by the way it screwed Thompson out of what should have been an obvious technical decision victory. Thompson manager Cameron Dunkin told ESPN.com that he will lodge an official protest. Hopefully it will be given true consideration instead of lip service.

Here's what happened: Thompson, 27, of Philadelphia, was fighting for the first time in 14 months, since losing a controversial decision to Yuri Foreman and subsequently being released by Top Rank. Trying to reignite his once-promising career, Thompson faced virtual hometown fighter Arvin, of nearby Baltimore, in the "Friday Night Fights" main event. Everything was going as planned for Thompson, who looked good despite what would happen to him.

In the third round, Thompson suffered a cut over his left eye. Referee Malik Waleed ruled it was caused by a punch, which seemed odd given the severity and placement of the cut. It would turn out to be the ruling on which the outcome hinged. Despite the cut, Thompson proceeded to score two official knockdowns and one that Waleed clearly missed later in the third round. Although the cut steadily got worse as the fight wore on, Thompson was dominating. But after the sixth round and an examination by the ringside doctor, the fight was stopped.

Although Waleed had ruled a punch, the video replays employed by ESPN2 clearly -- CLEARLY -- showed the cut was caused by an accidental head butt. FNF broadcaster Joe Tessitore, sensing what was about to happen to Thompson, literally placed a monitor inside the ring after the stoppage to allow those involved to see the replays. Waleed, Thompson and others involved with the commission and event all watched the replay. Obviously, the fight should have been ruled a technical decision and sent to the scorecards, where Thompson was leading 59-53, 58-54 and 57-55. But the commission, which has no rule disallowing replay, refused to go by common sense and instead allowed a blatant wrong result to be rendered. Even Waleed admitted after seeing the replay that the cut had been caused by a butt. Sure, he made a mistake by missing it in the first place, but at least he was man enough to admit the error. Not good enough for the incompetent commission.

So Thompson got robbed as badly as any fighter who ever lived and Arvin, 33, with his fans cheering for the theft, got a victory he simply did not deserve. Results such as this are the epitome of what is wrong with boxing. The video evidence is irrefutable, but that wasn't good enough for a bunch of clueless political hacks who run the commission. And Thompson has to pay for it. A damn shame.

Mayor's Cup Comes to Kennedy Recreation Center August 22-23!

The 23rd annual Mayor's Cup Invitational Amateur Boxing Tournament will be this Friday and Saturday, August 22-23 at the Kennedy Recreation Center, 1401 7th Street, NW in DC.

In the past, this event has featured truly the future of boxing as a number of Beltway Boxers went on to become world and regional pro champions. This year's event is being presented by the Boxing Information Center and the Midtown Youth Academy.

The event will get underway at 5 PM on both days and admission to the event is FREE!

Photos From Friday Night Fights in DC!

CD Brown of DC Urban Sports has more photos like this one of newly-crowned USBO Junior Middleweight champion Ishmail "The Arsenal" Arvin in a full photo spread from the Major Heavy Hitters/Duva Boxing card this past Friday night at Ibiza Nightclub in DC.

The link to her photos is here:

"http://www.backprint.com/storefront.asp?PID=bp%19yNv">

Bailey Upsets Robles in Portsmouth, VA!

In The Ring magazine, columnist Jim Bagg gives an award called a Stingray, where he honors a veteran boxer who wins a bout over a rising prospect.

Don't be surprised if Portsmouth, VA cruiserweight William "The Storm" Bailey gets the Stingray in a future Ring magazine. Last night, in front of his home crowd at the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel in Portsmouth, VA, Bailey scored an eight-round unanimous decision over "El Guero" Juan Carlos Robles of Waynesboro, VA. Power shots apparently proved to be the difference.

Bailey, who told me that he would retire after beating Derek Amos in Fisherville, VA in April of 2007, has won two of his last four since that bout. Bailey's record is now 9-14-2, five KO's.

Robles, who was trying to bounce back after his TKO loss to contender Rob Calloway last March, is now 9-2, four KO's.

In the co-feature, Norfolk, VA's Bobby Jordan, Jr. won an eight-round unanimous decision over Takoma Park, MD's Willis "The Prophet" Lockett. Jordan dropped Lockett en route to the victory. Jordan remains undefeated at 5-0-1, two KO's while Lockett is now 10-6-4, four KO's.

Also on the card, Montgomery, AL middleweight John "No Mercy" Mackey stopped DC's Larry "The Gladiator" Brothers at the end of the fourth round when Brothers could not come out for the fifth. This was the second time Mackey has defeated the veteran Brothers. Mackey is now 10-1, three KO's. Brothers falls to 7-31-3, five KO's.

Norfolk, VA lightweight Stephan Alexander scored a second-round TKO over Philadelphia's Gustavo Dailey. Alexander is now 3-0, three KO's while Dailey is 2-3.

In a female bout, Brooklyn, NY heavyweight Tanzee Daniels scored her second straight win over Wilson, NC's Tiffany Woodard. This time, it was a four-round unanimous decision. Daniels is 2-0 while Woodard is 1-2.

Miguel Gonzalez of Virginia won by second-round TKO over David Derby.

Thanks, once again, to Joe Hensley of MajorLeagueBoxing.com for providing this BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up show.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #128 - Post-Fight From Portsmouth!

Joe Hensley of MajorLeagueBoxing.com recaps a rough night for Beltway Boxers at the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel in Portsmouth, VA!

Weights From Portsmouth, VA!

Here is the scale watch for tonight's card at the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel in Portsmouth, VA:

Juan Carlos Robles 197 vs. William Bailey 192 1/2

Willis Lockett 168 vs. Bobby Jordan 167

Larry Brothers 164 vs. John Mackey 161

Stephan Alexander 131 vs. Gustavo Dailey 131

Tiffany Woodard 209 vs. Tanzee Daniels 219

There are two rematches on this card. DC's Larry Brothers will try to avenge a four-round unanimous decision loss to Montgomery, AL's John Mackey. Brothers lost to Mackey back on February 24 in Springfield, VA. The other rematch is the female bout between Tiffany Woodard (1-1) and Tanzee Daniels (1-0). Daniels, a native of Brooklyn, NY won a four-round split decision over the Wilson, NC native Woodard on July 11 in Philadelphia.

Alexander, a native of Norfolk, VA is 2-0, two KO's. Dailey, who is from Philadelphia, PA is 2-2.

Joe Hensley of MajorLeagueBoxing.com will have the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up show from Portsmouth, VA later tonight.

Arvin Wins USBO Junior Middleweight Title in Controversial Fashion!

Baltimore junior middleweight Ishmail "The Arsenal" Arvin captured the vacant USBO Junior Middleweight title with a sixth-round TKO over Anthony "The Messenger" Thompson in front of a standing-room only crowd at Ibiza Nightclub in Washington, DC.

Arvin's victory did not come without controversy. The heads of the two boxers collided unintentionally in the third round. Although Thompson suffered a nasty gash and lump over his left eye, he dropped Arvin twice in the same round.

To his credit, Arvin fought back bravely and managed to gain ground in the bout. Along the way, Thompson's eye got progressively worse. In the last two rounds of the bout, both ringside doctors Dawne Carroll and Greg Banks took close looks at Thompson's cut.

Finally after the sixth round, Doctor Banks decided that Thompson's cut had suffered enough and advised referee Malik Waleed to stop the contest.

Here's where the controversy comes in. Although ringside replays showed there was a headbutt, referee Waleed did not rule that way. Waleed gave no signal that the cut was a result of a head butt, which means the cut came as the result of a punch. Since instant replays can't be used to officially overturn a decision in DC (or anywhere else for that matter, the scorecards did not come into play and Arvin wins by technical knockout.

With the win, Arvin's record rises to 15-1-4, seven KO's. Thompson's record falls to 23-3, 17, KO's.

Oxon Hill, MD light heavyweight Alexander "The Great" Johnson made his national television debut a successful one, remaining undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Zeferino Albino of Philadelphia. This is the second time Johnson has beaten Albino by unanimous decision. Johnson is now 6-0, three KO's. Albino falls to 3-7-2, one KO.

On the non-televised portion on the card, Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell remained undefeated with a bruising second-round TKO over Ryan "The Gatekeeper" Ryan St. Germain. Mitchell is now 5-0-1, four KO's.

In the co-feature, cruiserweight Ola "Kryptonite" Afolabi of West Hills, CA won an eight-round unanimous decision of DeLeon Tinsley of Orlando, FL. Afolabi's record goes to 13-1-3, five KO's. Tinsley falls to 9-4-1, five KO's.

Also on the card, Ismayl Sillakh of the Ukraine scored a first-round TKO over Walter Edwards of Wilson, NC. The bout was stopped at 1:50 of the first. Sillakh is 3-0, three KO's while Edwards is 1-3, one KO.

Nigerian heavyweight Lateef Kayode won a four-round unanimous decision over Mike Miller of Akron, OH in Kayode's pro debut. Miller is now 4-12-2, two KO's.

The bout between BJ Flores and Cory Phelps did not take place because of time constraints.

Here's the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up Show where "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I give a full recap on the card.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #125 - Post-Fight From Ibiza Nightclub in DC!

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I recap the controversy over the USBO Junior Middleweight title bout and the rest of the action on the Major Heavy Hitters/Duva Boxing card!




After the Post-Fight show, we had a chance to talk to the new USBO Junior Middleweight champion Ishmail Arvin and undefeated heavyweight Seth Mitchell.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #127 - Arvin Talks About Championship Win!

Newly-crowned USBO Junior Middleweight champion Ishmail "The Arsenal" Arvin , along with his trainer, David Sewell, talk about Arvin's sixth-round TKO victory over Anthony "The Messenger" Thompson.



Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #126 - 'Mayhem' Mitchell Talks About Body-Snatching Victory!

Undefeated Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell talks about his second-round TKO victory over Ryan St. Germain at Ibiza Nightclub!

Examiner Looks At UMAR Program; Post Profiles Bynum!

There ar two good recent articles that feature parts of the wonderful Beltway amateur scene.

The Baltimore Examiner takes a look at the successful UMAR Boxing program run by Marvin McDowell in Baltimore. The article is written by Luke Broadwater and can be found here:

"http://www.examiner.com/a-1538397~_Put_the_guns_down___boxing_coach_says.html">

The Washington Post talks to Traon Bynum of DC about winning the 132-pound championship at the Under-19 National Championships in Kansas City, MO. Reporter Zach Berman also talks to Bynum about his future plans in this article:

"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/13/AR2008081303939.html">