Russell, Jr. Scores Third-Round TKO in California!

Undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight "Mr." Gary Russell, Jr. scores a third-round TKO over Christopher "Huracan" Perez of Mexico tonight in front of a nationally-televised Showtime audience at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, CA.

Russell knocked Perez down four times en route to the stoppage at 1:41 of the third.  Russell is now 20-0, 12 KO's.  Perez's record falls to 23-3, 14 KO's.

Russell Weighs 127 For Showtime Scrap in California!

Gary Russell, Jr. weighed in at 127 pounds for his 10-round Showtime ShoBox bout against Christopher Perez Saturday night at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, CA.  Perez tipped the scales at 126.  The telecast begins at 9 PM ET with the Russell-Perez bout slated to be the second bout on the tripleheader.

July 13 Amateur Card Looks to 'Knock Out Breast Cancer!'

Baltimore Boxing Promotions is having a benefit amateur boxing card to raise money for the American Breast Cancer Foundation.  The "Knock Out Breast Cancer" card will be held on Friday, July 13 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore, MD.

Scheduled to appear in the main event is middleweight Jerome Featherstone of Baltimore who will take on Ryan Watson.  A former champion wrestler in high school and college, Featherstone is undefeated since putting on boxing gloves less than a year ago.  Featherstone won the East Coast Middleweight title  defeating Darius Vann earlier this month on the last Baltimore Boxing card.

There will be a co-feature bout between local ladies Amelia Moore and Floria Hani.  This will be a rematch in which the winner will receive the "Knockout Breast Cancer championship."

Also slated to be on the card are multi-time national amateur champion Franchon Crews, former Penn State University Boxer A.J. Williams and former Ringside Junior World Champion Joe Veazey.  There are 10 bouts scheduled for the card.

Tickets begin at $25 and can be purchased by calling 410-375-9175 or going to www.baltimoreboxing.com.  The link is in the promoters section of the blog.  Ticket holders are encouraged to wear pink for the event.

Rahman Title Bid Called Off Because of Hand Injury!

Former two-time world heavyweight champion Hasim "The Rock" Rahman's bid for a third title has been called off because Rahman suffered a hand injury in training.  The bout against WBA champion Alexander Povetkin was slated for Saturday, July 14 in Hamburg, Germany.  No word on whether Rahman will get another opportunity, even though he was the mandatory challenger.

L. Peterson Stripped of WBA Title?

We are hearing word from multiple sources that the World Boxing Association (WBA) will strip Lamont Peterson of his WBA Super Lightweight title that he won on December 10th in DC.

According to Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, the WBA will declare the title vacant because of the recent Peterson drug test situation and make the July 14 title bout between former champ Amir Khan and current WBC titleholder Danny Garcia a unification bout.

There is no official word from the WBA on this situation as of yet.  Peterson still holds the IBF version of the title pending a meeting with the International Boxing Federation later this year.  Sources tell BATB that barring any surprises, the IBF will allow Peterson to keep that title.

Hall of Famer Johnson Profiled on Channel 4!

Hall of fame boxer Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson is profiled by Zachary Kiesch of News 4 for his recent induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame as well as his work with DC at-risk youth.

Here's the link:

http://www.nbcwashington.com/video/#!/blogs/capital-games/Hall-of-Fame-Boxer-Gets-Involved-With-At-Risk-Youth/160305935

July 14 Keystone Card Starting to Take Shape!

The matchups can be announced for the Saturday, July 14 Keystone Boxing card at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.

The main event will featured undefeated DC welterweight Dusty Harrison in a scheduled six-round contest against veteran Reggie "Two-Guns" Nash of Grand Rapids, MI.  Harrison (6-0, three KO's) is coming off a second-round TKO over Joey Ortega on May 12 at the Convention Center.

Harrison will face another veteran in Nash (10-29-1, two KO's) who has faced a who's who of young prospects and contenders between the lightweight and junior middleweight divisions.  The list includes Vernon Paris, Steve Upshur Chambers, Contender Champion Grady Brewer, Shamir Reyes and the Beltway's Bayan Jargal.  Nash also holds an eight-round split decision win over former world title contender Ivan Robinson.

There is another six-rounder signed for the card as DC-based junior middleweight "King Shango" Ivan Ziglar will battle Jimmy "The Dream" LeBlanc of Weymouth, MA.  Ziglar (6-2-1, three KO's) has won his last five bouts, including two straight at the Convention Center. Ziglar scored a fifth-round TKO in his last outing over Eric Burke on the May 12 Convention Center card.

LeBlanc (12-21-4, four KO's) is no stranger to the Beltway region as he has fought three times locally in the last four years, all three times at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA.  LeBlanc picked up his last win in November of 2008 when he stopped Luther Smith in the first round.  LeBlanc's last two bouts at the Patriot Center ended in second-round TKO's against Jimmy Lange (July 2010) and Michael Stewart (September 2011).

Another bout signed for this event will be the pro debut of long-time amateur Kevin Borders, a junior middleweight from DC.  Borders will face Eric Merian, another debuting boxer from Columbia, SC.

Other matchups just announced for this card include Fort Washington, MD light heavyweight Thomas "Top Dog" Williams, Jr. (8-0, five KO's) taking on veteran Ariel "Iron" Espinal of Brooklyn, NY (8-21-3, four KO's) in a six-round bout.   DC junior middleweight Harold "Sweet Lee" Parker (1-0, one KO) battling Antonio Sadler from Columbia, SC (1-0-1, one KO) in a four-rounder.   Glen Burnie, MD bantamweight Brady "The Magician" Sensibaugh (1-0) will take on Anthony Fraguada of Newark, NJ (1-7, one KO) in another four-round contest.

Also, the card features Charlotte Hall, MD middleweight Josh Rupard (1-0, one KO) who will battle Donnie Holden of Canton, OH (0-6) and the return of Baltimore's "Golden Greek" Elias Bouloubassis (6-0-5, four KO's) taking on Mike Arnold of Akron, OH (0-6).  Both are four-round contests.

Beltway Boxers Receiving Substantial TV Time!

Beltway Boxing Fans will be able to see a number of local boxers on national TV in the next few weeks.  Here is the schedule as we know it:

Saturday, June 30 -- Gary Russell, Jr. will be a part of a Showtime ShoBox tripleheader from the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, CA.  Russell (19-0, 11 KO's) will take on Christopher Perez (23-2, 14 KO's).

Friday, July 6 -- Maurice "Freight Train" Byarm will be in a co-feature contest on ESPN2 at the Hard Rock Cafe Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV.  Byarm (13-1-1, nine KO's) will take on undefeated Magomed Abdulsalamov of Oxnard, CA by way of Russia (14-0, 14 KO's) in a 10-round contest for the WBC USNBC Silver Heavyweight title.

Saturday, July 7 -- Tony "The Tiger" Thompson (36-2, 24 KO's) will challenge Wladimir Klitschko (57-3, 50 KO's) at the Stade De Suisse in Bern, Switzerland on the EPIX Network.  Four titles are on the line:  The WBA Super World Heavyweight, The IBF Heavyweight title, The WBO Championship and the IBO title.

Saturday, July 14 -- Hasim "The Rock" Rahman (50-7-2, 41 KO's) will go for his third world title when he faces undefeated WBA champion Alexander Povetkin (24-0, 16 KO's) in a bout that has now found a home at the Sporthalle Hamburg in Hamburg, Germany.  EPIX was slated to televise this bout as well but since the venue has changed, there is no official word that EPIX will keep that commitment.

Friday, August 3 -- Ty Barnett (20-2-1, 13 KO's) will take on undefeated Mercito Gesta of San Diego, CA by way of the Phillippines (25-0-1, 13 KO's) in a 10-round bout in Las Vegas, NV that will air on ESPN2.  The bout will be held at the Texas Station Casino.

Post Covers Thompson Workout!

Here is Gene Wang's coverage of the Tony Thompson workout for the Washington Post.  I should point out that if you bought the print edition of the story, you may notice something not quite right -- a HUGE picture of Wladimir Klitschko and just a small picture of Thompson.  Unfortunately, that's par for the course in the mainstream media, but still...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/tony-thompson-says-hes-better-prepared-for-wladimir-klitschko-in-rematch/2012/06/25/gJQANPQw2V_story.html

Thompson Media Workout!

My colleague, Juan Marshall of ProAm Fight Talk covered today's media workout for DC's Tony "The Tiger" Thompson as he prepares for his July 7 title challenge rematch against heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in Bern, Switzerland.  Here is the link to that coverage:

.http://proamfighttalk.blogspot.com/2012/06/tony-tiger-thompson-media-day-workout.html?spref=fb

And here is the interview after the workout.

 

Recap From Arlington, VA!

Here's a recap from the RBA Promotions Card at the Smith Gymnasium on the Fort Myer/Henderson Hall Joint Military Base in Arlington, VA:

Fairfax, VA junior welterweight Todd "White Lightning" Wilson remains undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over John Willoughby of Selma, AL.  Wilson won despite possibly breaking his left hand in the second round and suffering a cut along his right eye in the third.  Wilson is now 14-0, four KO's while John Willoughby is now 3-13, two KO's.

Staunton, VA junior welterweight Christian "The Real Deal" Steele won a four-round majority decision over Juan "The Savior" Rodriguez.  Steele won by two scores of 39-37 to even his record to 3-3, one KO while Rodriguez loses his second straight bout at Smith Gymnasium and falls to 4-2-1, four KO's.

Upper Marlboro, MD heavyweight Duane Mobley recovered from a first-round knockdown to stop Baltimore, MD's Kevin "Journeyman" Johnson at 1:36 of the third round.  Mobley is now 3-0, two KO's while Johnson is now 3-5, two KO's.

Richmond, VA super middleweight Immanuel Aleem made his pro debut a successful one with a first-round TKO of Lynchburg, VA's Jess "Thunder" Noriega.  Aleem used a punishing body shot to stop Noriega at 2:04 of the first.  Noriega is 0-3.

Hillcrest Heights, MD light heavyweight "The Honorable" Mark Baltimore won his pro debut, stopping Fernando "El Matador" Alvarez of Fairfax, VA at 2:43 of the first.  Baltimore dropped Alvarez twice, including a vicious left uppercut-right hook combo that stopped the bout.  Alvarez is now 1-1.


We have a video-only edition of the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up show with myself and fellow DC Boxing Hall of Famer "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears.  There was background music that was louder than we thought but I think you'll be able to hear us and our guests -- Immanuel Aleem, promoter Dr. Richard Ashby and Todd Wilson.

McCalla Scores Third-Round Knockout in Charlotte!

Baltimore junior middleweight Cecil McCalla remained undefeated with a third-round knockout of Andre Baker of Lumberton, NC Saturday night at the Marriott Southern Crescent Hotel in Greensboro, NC.  No details on the win but the victory is McCalla's third straight in North Carolina and raises his overall record to 15-0, six KO's.  Baker's record falls to either 8-36-2, two KO's (if you believe BoxRec) or 15-19, four KO's if you follow the promotion's press release.

Also on the card, Stafford, VA heavyweight "The People's Champion" Jonathan Felton was stopped in the fourth round by undefeated Miami, FL prospect John Wesley Nofire.  However, Felton informs BATB that he entered the ring with a heavy heart -- An aunt of Felton's passed away earlier on Saturday.  Felton is now 6-26, five KO's while Nofire is 7-0, six KO's.

Wilson Wins Six-Round Unanimous Decision!

Todd Wilson remains undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision scoring a shutout over John Willoughby.  All three judges scored the bout 60-54.  Wilson is now 14-0, four KO's.  Post-Fight coming up but for now..good night from Arlington!

Snow Wins By Fourth-round TKO in Florida!

This result from Hollywood, FL:  Thomas "KO" Snow scores a fourth-round TKO over Ernie Marquez at the Seminole Hard Rock Cafe and Casino in Hollywood, FL.  Snow stopped Marquez at 46 seconds of the fourth.  Snow is now 16-1, 10 KO's.

Meanwhile here in Arlington, Todd Wilson is in control throughout the contest as we are midway through the third.  This, despite suffering a nasty cut along the right eye as a result of a John Willoughby head butt.  Wilson got through the third with no problem, however.

Wilson-Willoughby Now In The Ring!

Todd Wilson and John Willoughby now in the ring.  Wilson has a big crowd here tonight in their green T-shirts.  Actually, a number of boxers on the card have solid fan followings tonight.  Immanuel Aleem and Juan Rodriguez as well as the debuting Mark Baltimore all have good crowd bases tonight.

Steele Wins Majority Decision!

Christian Steele wins a four-round majority decision over Juan Rodriguez.  Good, close, competitive bout.  Steele wins by 39-37 on two of the cards.  Main event Wilson vs. Willoughby after this intermission.

Mobley Survives Knockdown to Stop Johnson!

Duane Mobley survived a first-round Knockdown to stop Kevin Johnson at 1:36 of the third.  Johnson, living up to his nickname, Journeyman, took this bout Friday as in yesterday.

However, Johnson landed a brutal right hand inside that dropped Mobley.  Johnson then got gassed and Mobley eventually got the stoppage.

Co-feature in the ring:  Juan Rodriguez vs. Christian Steele.

Aleem Makes Short Work In Pro Debut!

Immanuel Aleem makes quick work of Jess Noriega, stopping him at 2:04 of the first round.  Aleem landed a punishing body shot that stopped Noriega in his tracks.  Referee Cortone stopped the contest.

Up next: Duane Mobley vs. Kevin Johnson.  Heavyweights.

Baltimore Wins By First-Round TKO in Slugfest!

The "Honorable" Mark Anthony Baltimore survived a slugfest with Fernando "El Matador" Alvarez by scoring two knockdowns to stop Alvarez at 2:43 of the first.

Baltimore dropped Alvarez with a straight left then knocked him silly with a left uppercut-right hook.  Referee Fred Cortone stopped the contest.

Next bout -- the debut of Immanuel Alden of Richmond, VA against Jess Noriega.

Card Begins After Medical Delay!

This card is underway after a brief  delay because the medical personnel did not show until a few minutes ago.
The first bout has the debuting Mark Baltimore of Hillcrest Heights, MD against Fernando Alvarez of Fairfax, VA.