Gilbert Ware, Former DC Commission Deputy Commissioner Passes!

Gilbert Ware, the long-time deputy commissioner of the District of Columbia Boxing and Wrestling Commission, passed away on December 10th after a long illness.

Mr. Ware's association with boxing was a 40-year journey that included work as a trainer, promoter, matchmaker and, eventually, a member of the DC Commission, beginning in 1986.  Mr. Ware served on the commission for 20 years, representing the city at numerous boxing conventions around the world.

Mr. Ware's Homegoing service will be on Monday, December 19th at Fort Lincoln Funeral Home located at 3401 Bladensburg Road in Brentwood, MD.  The wake will be from 9:30 to 10:30 AM with the funeral to follow.

On a personal note, Gilbert Ware is one of the reasons I am in this business to begin with.  When I started covering boxing in the late eighties, I wanted to bring more exposure to the local scene.  I pitched a concept of a television series called "Friday Night At The Fieldhouse" and Mr. Ware was my contact.  I walked into his office sight unseen.  He didn't know me from anyone.  That meeting started a long friendship that I have always cherished.  Mr. Ware would have dinners together at Red Lobster and talk about what was coming up in the area.  Mr. Ware was a remarkable man and I can't thank him enough for what he has meant to me.

My condolences to Mr. Ware's wife, Helen and their four children.

Reed Remains Undefeated With Eight-Round Unanimous Decision In Omaha; Isley Captures Elite Title In Kansas City!

Couple of other results from Saturday night's boxing action.  Waldorf, MD super lightweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Sidney Siqueira of Sao Paulo, Brazil at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, NB.  Reed won his bout by scores of 80-73 and 78-74 (twice).  Reed is now 21-0, 12 KO's and Siqueira falls to 26-12-1, 17 KO's.

In amateur action, congratulations to Troy Isley of Alexandria, VA who won the Elite 165-pound championship at the Elite and Youth National Championships and Junior Open at the KCI Expo Center in Kansas City, MO.  Isley won a 5-0 decision over Javier Martinez of Milwaukee, WI.

Also on Saturday, Amelia Moore of Greenbelt, MD lost in the finals of the Elite Female 141-pound championship to Stacia Suttles of Bronx, NY by a 4-1 decision.

Baltimore, MD's Lorenzo Simpson, who won a Youth title at 165 pounds on Friday, was named the Outstanding Male Youth Boxer of the tournament.

Nelson Captures UBF And WIBA Super Middleweight Titles With Unanimous Decision Over Napoleon!

Undefeated Ashburn VA boxer Tori "Sho Nuff" Nelson captured a 10-round unanimous decision over Alicia "The Empress" Napoleon of Lindenhurst, NY to win the vacant women's UBF and WIBA Super Middleweight championships Saturday night in front of a packed, standing-room only crowd at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.  The bout was the main event of the Ponytail Promotions/Sho Nuff Promotions card.

Napoleon took the fight to Nelson in the first two rounds and tried to overpower Nelson with an aggressive game plan.  Nelson weathered the early storm and in the third round, launched a fierce attack of her own.  Nelson kept Napoleon off balance the rest of the bout as she continually landed hooks with both hands and straight left hands.  Nelson's offense allowed her to win the contest going away.  Nelson won by scores of 99-91 and 98-92 (twice).

Nelson is now 16-0-3, one KO.  Nelson has won 12 world titles and is 10-0-1, one KO in world title bouts and has won titles in four weight divisions (welterweight, super welterweight, middleweight and super middleweight).  Napoleon loses for the first time and she is now 7-1, five KO's.

In the co-feature, Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico veteran Jose Alfredo "Torito" Rodriguez won the vacant UBF All Americas light flyweight championship with an eight-round split decision over Edwin "Puto" Rodriguez of Puerto Rico.  Jose Rodriguez stood his ground in the middle of the ring and was able to use jabs to keep Edwin Rodriguez on the outside of his punches.  Edwin was successful at times at closing the distance but could not keep up the pressure long enough to secure the win.  Edwin did capture one judge's scorecard at 78-74 but the other judges scored the card for Jose by the same score. Jose Rodriguez raises his record to 32-4, 19 KO's while Edwin Rodriguez's record drops to 8-4, five KO's.

In other bouts on the card, Leesburg, VA lightweight Eric "El Torito" Hernandez remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over veteran Roy "The Reaper" Garcia of Alice, TX. Hernandez used great hand speed to land shots to the head and body to gain a shutout victory (60-56 on all three cards).  Hernandez is now 9-0, five KO's.  Garcia falls to 3-21-1, two KO's.

Featherweight Reggie Barnett, Jr. of Chesapeake, VA scored a minor upset by winning a six-round majority decision over previously undefeated James "Too Slick" Early of Seat Pleasant, MD. Barnett forced the action on Early, who tried to confuse Barnett by continually switching from a conventional stance to the southpaw stance.  Early seemed to be more successful as a southpaw but did not stay in that stance long enough.  When Early stayed in the conventional stance, Barnett took advantage and was able to execute his offense successfully.  One judge scored the bout a draw but Barnett took the decision on the other cards, 58-56 and 57-56.  Barnett bounces back from suffering his first pro loss and is now 4-1, two KO's.  Early is now 2-1.

In another six-rounder, "The Young General" Ian Green of Paterson, NJ scored an easy first-round knockout over Kevin "The Scarecrow" Womack of Baltimore, MD.  Green used a counter right hand to drop Womack to his knees.  Womack stayed on his knees for the entire 10-count.  Green is now 11-1, nine KO's while Womack drops to 7-14-3, five KO's.

Rookie Baltimore super featherweight Mack "Papi' Allison IV scored a third-round TKO over the debuting Rodger Williams of Washington, DC.  Williams started off quickly and tried to land wide shots but Allison stayed poised and was able to land shots of his own.  Allison entered the third round for the first time in his pro career but was in complete control as he dropped Williams twice with two right hands to finish the bout at 57 seconds of the third.  Allison remains perfect at 7-0, seven KO's.

Clinton, MD lightweight Cobia "The Soldier" Breedy won a four-round unanimous decision over Nicholas Rodriguez of Somerset, KY.  Breedy, a native of Bridgetown, Barbados, dropped Rodriguez twice in the first round.  Rodriguez stayed tough in the contest but had very little offense in the contest as Breedy was able to land solid uppercuts and hooks to gain a 40-34 decision across the board.  Breedy remains undefeated at 8-0, four KO's while Rodriguez is 1-5-1,

In an all-DC super lightweight contest, Matthew "Dogo" Abregu won a four-round majority decision over Benjamin "Wildcat" Olinga.  This was a tough bout where both men had their moments.  Despite the awkwardness of Olinga, Abregu was able to land the harder shots throughout the contest as he went the distance for the first time in his young career.  One judge saw the bout as a draw, 38-38.  However, two judges saw a shutout for Abregu, 40-36.  Abregu is now 4-0, three KO's while Olinga is now 1-13.

Virginia Beach, VA middleweight Brandon "The Janitor" Pennington made a successful pro debut winning a four-round majority decision over Carlos Cruz of Ashburn, VA.  Pennington made the bout difficult for Cruz as he used a fierce body attack to help him win the contest.  Cruz did not help his cause as he did not use a jab to help his cause.  Cruz's record evens at 1-1, one KO.  One judge did score the bout even at 38-38 but the two other judges scored the contest a shutout for Pennington at 40-36.

Lightweight Roger "RB3" Belch of Hobbsville, NC scored a first-round knockout over Jakil Smiles of Wilson, NC.  Smiles was very awkward and threw himself to the canvas twice while throwing punches.  Later in the first, Belch sent Smiles to the canvas with a left hand.  Smiles stayed on the canvas for the 10-count.  Belch is now 8-0, six KO's while Smiles is 0-2.

In a cruiserweight contest, Montez Brown of Virginia Beach, VA wins a four-round majority decision over Marquice Weston of Tacoma, WA.  The 5' 10" Brown dealt well with a nine-inch height disadvantage as he was able to get inside the 6'7" Weston and land shots to Weston's chest and body. While one judge scored the bout even (38-38), two other judges scored the bout 39-37 for Brown who is now 2-0, one KO.  Weston loses his first bout and he is 7-1-1, three KO's.

Shakeem Hodge of Reading, PA won his super middleweight contest by fourth-round technical decision when the debuting Noe Lozano of Fort Pierce, FL suffered a gash along his right eye after an accidental headbutt.  Hodge was able to win the contest by scores of 39-37 (twice).  One judge scored a draw (38-38).  Hodge is now 4-0, three KO's.

The matchmaker on the card was Brian Dillon.  The ring announcer was Henry "Discombobulating" Jones.

Juan Marshall and I talked to the champion Tori Nelson after the contest.

Listen to "Tori Nelson Interview 12/11/16" on Spreaker.

Reed Weighs 142 For Eight-Rounder In Omaha; Pryor Stopped In First In

(Photo courtesy of Top Rank Boxing)

Mike Reed tipped the scales at 142 pounds for his eight-round contest against Sidney Siquiera at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, NB. Siquiera weighed in at 141.6.

Meanwhile, Frederick, MD cruiserweight Larry "Hitman" Pryor was knocked out in the first round by Samuel Clarkson of Cedar Hill, TX on Friday at the Bomb Factory in Dallas, TX.  According to Jeff Zimmerman of Fightnews.com, Clarkson took the fight to the taller Pryor landing hard shots to the head and body of Pryor. A right hook to the body dropped Pryor midway through the first round and with his fans chanting his name, Clarkson unleashed a flurry later in the round that saw Pryor hit the canvas again and the fight was over. The official time of the stoppage was 2:59 of the 1st round.

Pryor falls to 10-15, five KO's while Clarkson is now 19-3, 12 KO's.

Simpson Captures Youth Title In Kansas City!

Congratulations to Baltimore, MD's Lorenzo Simpson, who captured the Youth 165-Pound title at the Elite and Youth National Championships and Junior Open at the KCI Expo Center in Kansas City, MO on Friday.  Simpson defeated David Kiminsky of Reseda, CA by a 3-2 score to win his 10th national title.

Two other Beltway Boxers captured runner-up positions on Friday.  Edwin Angel of Capitol Heights, MD lost by second-round TKO to Daniel Blancas of Milwaukee, WI in the Junior 145-Pound championship bout.  Also, Candace Carter of Baltimore, MD lost by third-round TKO to Heaven Garcia of El Monte, CA in the 112-pound Youth Female title match.

Two more locals will have opportunities to win titles in the Elite Division on the final day of competition today.  Greenbelt, MD's Amelia Moore advanced to the finals of the female 141-pound bracket with a 5-0 decision win over Kim Putzier of St. Cloud, MN.  Moore will face Stacia Suttles of Bronx, NY in the finals.  Troy Isley of Alexandria, VA will also try for a title when he takes on Javier Martinez of Milwaukee, WI in the 165 Pound championship.  Isley moved into the final by defeating Austin Williams of Fresno, TX by a 5-0 score on Friday.

Weights From Springfield, VA!

Here is the scalewatch for the Ponytail Promotions/Sho Nuff Promotions card that will take place tonight at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA:

Vacant UBF/WIBA Super Middleweight Championship

Tori Nelson 162 vs. Alicia Napoleon 157 1/2

Vacant UBF Super Flyweight Championship

Jose Alfredo Rodriguez 115 vs. Edwin Rodriguez 116


Ian Green 163 vs. Kevin Womack, Jr. 157

James Early 127 vs. Reggie Barnett, Jr. 128

Eric Hernandez 135 vs. Roy Garcia 135

Matthew Abregu 138 vs. Benjamin Olinga 141

Mack Allison IV 129 vs. Rodger Williams 130

Carlos Cruz 164 vs. Brandon Pennington 164

Roger Belch 135 vs. Jalik Smiles 132

Seth Billups 138 vs. Joshua Davis 145

Shakeem Lodge 166 vs. Noe Lozano 165

Marquice Weston 197 vs. Montez Brown 195

Cobia Breedy 129 vs. Nicholas Rodriguez 130

The Boxing Along The Beltway Google App For Android will have the call of the entire card beginning at 5:55 PM ET.  IOS listeners can hear the call on the Boxing Along The Beltway pages on Spreaker.com and Iheartradio.com.

Beltway Amateurs Continue To Compete In Kansas City!

On the third day of competition at the Elite and Youth National Champioships and Junior Open at the KCI Expo Center in Kansas City, Missouri, Beltway amateurs continue to be successful.

In the Junior Division, Deric Davis of Washington, DC advanced to the next round with a 4-1 decision over Garrett Rice of Flint, MI.  Also, Stacey Selby of DC moved closer to a championship winning a 4-1 decision over Aaron Aponte of Hialeah, FL.

At 125 pounds, Maximus Garland of Waldorf, MD lost a 5-0 decision to Joricksen Galiza of Waianae, Hawaii while Michael Tymas of DC was stopped in the third round by Ralph Clemente of Ronkonkoma, NY in a 165-pound contest.

In the Youth Division, Lorenzo Simpson of Baltimore, MD scored a first-round TKO over Isaac Ingram of Palatka, FL at 165 pounds.

Alexandria, VA's Troy Isley won his 165-pound bout in the Elite Division with a 4-1 decision over Joeshon James of Dixon, CA.

Beltway Amateurs Competing In Elite And Youth National Championships And Junior Open In Kansas City!

A number of Beltway amateurs are competing at the 2016 Elite and Youth National Championships and Junior Open tournament this week at the KCI Expo Center in Kansas City, MO.  Here are results from Tuesday's action:

In the Junior Open, Deric Davis of Washington, DC advanced to the next round in the 114 Pound class with a 3-2 decision over Steve Johnson of East Palo Alto, CA.

In the Junior 125-pound class, Maximus Garland of Waldorf, MD won by a 3-2 score over Derek Cintron of The Bronx, NY.

Stacey Selby of DC scored a TKO in his bout over Roberto Gomez in the 132 Pound division.

In the Youth Division, Kevon Cooke of DC lost by TKO to Jorge Carlos of Olate, KS in the 108 Pound division while Malik Warren of Baltimore, MD lost a 4-1 decision to Mario Ramos of San Diego, CA.  At 165 pounds, Lorenzo Simpson of Baltimore won a 5-0 decision over Noah Jones of Rowlett, TX but Nasheed Smith of DC lost his 165-pound encounter to Tyler Tomlin of Ashland City, TN by a 4-1 decision.

The Elite Division saw Jaqueem Hutcherson of Temple Hills, MD drop a 5-0 decision to Edward Richardson of Baton Rouge, LA at 123 pounds.  Troy Isley of Alexandria, VA won his 165-pound bout by walkover.

Beltway Boxer Looks For Financial Assistance For Cancer Treatment!

A local boxer is in need of financial assistance as he faces a battle much tougher than in the ring.  Boxer Renaldo "Misunderstood" Gaines was recently diagnosed with a non-small cell form of lung cancer.  There is a GoFundMe account where you can donate whatever you can to help pay the medical expenses.  Please give whatever you can.  Thank you.  You can click on this link to donate.

https://www.gofundme.com/nardomisunderstood

Reed, Johns Have December 10 Out-Of-Town Dates!

Saturday, December 10 will be a very busy day for Beltway Boxers.  Not only do we have the Ponytail Promotions card at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA, we also have two locals who have interesting bouts out of town.

Undefeated Waldorf, MD super lightweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed returns to action in a scheduled eight-round contest against Sidney Siqueira of Sao Paulo, Brazil at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, NB.  Reed (20-0, 12 KO's) is coming off a sixth-round TKO over Aaron Herrera on October 14 in Philadelphia, PA.  Reed makes his second trip to Omaha -- he scored a sixth-round TKO over Oscar Valenzuela in November of 2014.  Siqueira (26-11-1, 17 KO's) has not fought since losing a 10-round unanimous decision to undefeated Jose Benavidez almost a year ago on December 12 in Tuscon, AZ.  Siqueira will be trying to break a three-bout losing streak.

This bout will be on the undercard of Terrence Crawford's WBC/WBO Super Lightweight title defense against John Molina, Jr.

Meanwhile, Fort Washington, MD featherweight Marq "Monster" Johns will battle undefeated Leroy Davila of New Brunswick, NJ in a four-round contest at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA.  The bout will be a homecoming for Johns (7-1-1, six KO's) who is originally from Philadelphia.  Johns last fought on April 9 and stopped Alan Beeman in the third round in Springfield, VA.  Davila (4-0, two KO's) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision over Damon Simon on November 11 at the 2300 Arena.  Davila was a member of the USA National Amateur Team in 2014.

Other Bouts Slated For December 10th Springfield Card!

There are other bouts that have been signed for the Ponytail Promotions card on Saturday, December 10th at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.  That's the card where Tori Nelson will challenge Alicia Napoleon for the vacant WIBA and UBF Super Middleweight championship.

In a six-round lightweight contest, Eric "El Torito" Hernandez of Leesburg, VA will battle veteran Roy Garcia of Alice, TX. Hernandez (8-0, five KO's) stopped Arthur McCrow in the first round in his last outing on June 11 at the ABC Sports Complex.  Garcia (3-20-1, two KO's) will be trying to break a nine-bout losing streak.  Garcia has gone the distance in eight of those nine bouts.

In another six-rounder, Seat Pleasant, MD featherweight James "Too Slick" Early will take on Reggie Barnett, Jr. of Chesapeake, VA.  Early (2-0) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision over Tyshae Ferguson on May 14 in Timonium, MD.  Barnett (3-1, two KO's) will try to bounce back from suffering his first loss in a four-round unanimous decision to Gerald Tucker on the June 11th card in Springfield, VA.

Also, Centreville, VA middleweight Zain "Tiger" Shah has a tough opponent in front of him when he faces "The Young General" Ian Green of Paterson, NJ in a six-round bout.  Shah (6-3, three KO's) has not fought since he broke a three-bout losing streak with a six-round unanimous decision win over Ryan Davis in October of 2015 in Washington, DC.  Green (10-1, eight KO's) scored a second-round TKO over previously undefeated Khiary Gray Pitts on July 22 in Mashantucket, CT.  Green is making his fourth trip to the ABC Sports Complex where he has scored knockouts in his previous three contests.

In four-round contests, undefeated Clinton, MD lightweight Cobia "The Soldier" Breedy will battle Nick Rodriguez of Somerset, KY.  Breedy (7-0, four KO's) won back-to-back four-round unanimous decisions over Stephon McIntyre at the ABC Sports Complex in April and June of this year.  Rodriguez (1-4-1) won his first pro contest in his last bout as he captured a six-round majority decision over Ryan Raglin on April 29 in Indianapolis, IN.

In an all-DC welterweight contest, Matthew Abregu will face off with Benjamin "Wildcat" Olinga in a four-round contest.  Abregu (3-0, three KO's) scored a second-round TKO over Alan Beeman on the June 11 card at the ABC Sports Complex.  Olinga (1-12) last fought on April 9 at the ABC Sports Complex and was stopped in the sixth round by Drayvontay Speed-Rawls.  Olinga will face a fellow Beltway Boxer for the 13th time in his 14-bout career.

Other bouts to be announced.

Nelson To Battle Napoleon For Vacant UBF And WIBA Super Middleweight Titles December 10 In Springfield, VA!

Undefeated multi-time, multi-division world champion Tori "Sho Nuff" Nelson of Ashburn, VA will try for yet another world title when she faces equally undefeated Alicia "The Empress" Napoleon of Lindenhurst, NY in a 10-round battle for the vacant UBF and WIBA Super Middleweight championships on Saturday, December 10 at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.  The card is promoted by Ponytail Promotions.

Nelson (15-0-3, one KO) has won titles in the welterweight, super welterweight and middleweight divisions.  The two-time Beltway Boxer of the Year will participate in her 13th world title bout.  Nelson competes for the first time since winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Kita Watkins for the vacant UBF Middleweight title in June of 2015 in Woodlawn, MD.

Napoleon (7-0, five KO's) has won the WBC Silver Super Welterweight title, capturing a 10-round unanimous decision over Szilvia Szabados on January 29 in Queens, NY.  Napoleon's last bout was also against Watkins.  Napoleon won a six-round unanimous decision over Watkins on July 22 in Queens.

We will talk about other bouts on the card in another post.  The card will be broadcast live over the Boxing Along The Beltway Google App For Android.

Kisner Captures NABA-USA Title In Columbus!

Congratulations to Baltimore, MD cruiserweight "Slick" Nick Kisner who won the vacant NABA-USA Cruiserweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Brian Holstein of Westerville, OH Wednesday at the Horseshoe Casino in Columbus, OH.  No details on the scores.

The win is Kisner's first major regional title and raises his record to 18-3-1, six KO's.  Holstein falls to 12-5-1, seven KO's.

Crews-Dezurn Drops Pro Debut To Shields In Las Vegas!

Baltimore, MD super middleweight"The Heavy-Hitting Diva" Franchon Crews-Dezurn lost her pro debut to equally-debuting, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa "T-Rex" Shields by four-round unanimous decision Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

According to Fightnews.com's David Robinett and Miguel Maravilla,  Crews, the 2015 U.S. national champion at light heavyweight and Olympic alternate, came out guns blazing at the opening bell, forcing Shields into a shootout when it was clear Shields wanted to try and box. But each time Shields tried to get into a rhythm behind her jab, Crews would swing away, forcing Shields to do the same. Shields’ class began to show though in round three, as Crews began to tire and Shields starting landing accurate big right hands before backing away and resetting her offense. It was more of the same by Shields in round four.  Shields would win by shutout (40-36) on all judge's cards.

Sigmon Drops Eight-Round Unanimous Decision In Florida!

Lynchburg, VA supermiddleweight Scott "Cujo" Sigmon dropped an eight-round unanimous decision to former world title contender Matt Korobov of St. Petersburg, FL tonight at the Osceola Heritage Center in Kissimmee, Florida.

Korobov won by shutout across the board, 80-72.  Sigmon's record drops to 27-10-1, 15 KO's while Korobov is now 27-1, 14 KO's.

Crews-Dezurn Weighs 168 Pounds For Four-Round Debut Against Olympic Gold Medalist Shields Saturday In Las Vegas!

Franchon Crews-Dezurn weighed in at 168 pounds for her four-round professional debut Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.  Her opponent, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa Shields (who is also making her pro debut) tipped the scales at 167 pounds.

The bout will be shown on HBO Boxing's YouTube Channel. The undercard is slated to begin at 7 PM ET.

Sigmon Weighs 162.8 For 10-Round Bout In Florida!

Scott Sigmon tipped the scales at 162.8 pounds for his 10-round contest against Matt Korobov tonight at the Osceola Heritage Center in Kissimmee, FL.  The card is scheduled to be televised on UniMas.  Korobov weighed 162.6.

Sigmon, from Lynchburg, VA (27-9-1, 15 KO's) is coming off a fourth-round TKO over Jeremy Broadwine on September 10 in Salem, VA.  Korobov, a native of Orotukan, Russia now competing out of St. Petersburg, FL(26-1, 14 KO's), last fought on June 25 and won an eight-round unanimous decision over Brian Vera in Dallas, TX.  Korobov's only loss came in an opportunity for the WBO Middleweight title in December of 2014 when he faced Andy Lee in Las Vegas, NV.  Korobov was stopped in the sixth round.

'Rock' Payne Funeral Services Have Changed!

The funeral services for Gerry "Rock" Payne have changed. The services will still take place on Friday, however the location and time has changed.

The services will now take place at Berean Baptist Church, located at 924 Madison Street in Northwest Washington.  The wake will begin at 2 PM and the service will start at 4 PM.

'Tank' Davis To Receive IBF Super Featherweight Title Shot January 14 In New York!

ESPN.com's Dan Rafael is reporting that undefeated Baltimore, MD super featherweight contender Gervonta "Tank" Davis is slated to receive a world title shot in January.

Davis will face undefeated IBF Super Featherweight champion Jose "Sniper" Pedraza of Cidra, Puerto Rico on Saturday, January 14.  Right now, the bout will take place at the Barclays Center in
Brooklyn, NY as one of the co-features to the super middleweight unification world title bout between WBC champ Badou Jack and IBF titleholder James DeGale. However, the site is contingent on whether the co-promoters of the card --Mayweather Promotions and DiBella Entertainment -- can secure an insurance policy approved by the New York State Athletic Commission that conforms to the recently implemented law that changed insurance standards for combat sports in the state. So far, there is no policy available to boxing promoters to buy so they can put on a boxing card in New York, which has not hosted a professional boxing event since Aug. 21.

Davis (16-0, 15 KO's) last fought on June 6 and scored a first-round TKO over Mario Antonio Macias in Hollywood, FL. Davis is unranked by the IBF but is ranked ninth by the WBA. Pedraza (22-0, 12 KO's) secured an exemption from the IBF to fight Davis instead of his mandatory challenger, Liam Walsh of England.  Pedraza will be making the third defense of his title that he won by decision over Andrey Klimov in June of 2015 in Birmingham, AL.

Reeves Captures USBO Light Heavyweight Title With Second-Round KO In Baltimore!

Baltimore, MD light heavyweight Travis "Seveer" Reeves won the vacant USBO Light Heavyweight championship with a stunning second-round knockout of previously undefeated Aaron "Quiet Storm" Quattrochi of Follansbee, WVA in front of a packed house at the Coppermine Du Burns Arena in Baltimore.  The bout was the main event of the Shawstyle Promotions/Shabazz Brothers card.

After a feeling-out first round, Reeves, who dropped down from cruiserweight, jumped on Quattrochi early in the second round and landed crushing lefts and rights that dropped Quattrochi to the canvas.  Referee Kenny Chevalier waived the bout off at 1:06 of the second round.

Reeves has won his last 10 bouts and has knocked out his last four opponents.  Reeves is now 13-2-2, seven KO's. Quattrochi falls to 10-1-1, five KO's.

In the co-feature, Baltimore middleweight Stephen "The Surgeon" Morris won a four-round majority decision over the debuting Gregory "Glizzy" Clark of Washington, DC. Morris started the bout off very quickly as he tried to rush Clark.  However, the native of the Nation's Capitol held off the Charm City charge and stayed strong in the contest, having a solid second round. Morris was slightly more active in the second half of the contest and got the victory.  Judges John Gradowski and Paul Wallace saw the bout for Morris 39-37 while judge Brent Bovell scored the bout a draw at 38-38. Morris goes the distance for the first time in his young pro career and he is now 4-0, three KO's.

Randallstown, MD middleweight Jeffrey "The Gladiator" McCalla scored a third-round TKO over veteran Jose Valderrama of Manati, Puerto Rico.  McCalla was very aggressive in the first round landing left hands to the body and rights to the head.  Two right hands to the body dropped Valderrama twice in the first round.

However, in the second round, Valderrama was able to land a solid right hand of his own that nearly dropped McCalla.  The Maryland native was able to stay on his feet and get out of the round.  In the third, McCalla ramped up his aggressiveness and the right hand came into play again as he landed crushing shots to the body and the head that forced referee Brent Bovell to stop the contest at 1:22.  McCalla remains perfect at 4-0, four KO's while Valderrama drops to 5-17, three KO's.

In an all-Maryland light heavyweight contest, Devin Butcher of Baltimore won a four-round unanimous decision over Eric "The Immortal" Govan of Germantown.  Govan started off very quickly in the first round as he landed a long left jab. However, Butcher was able to get inside Govan's jab throughout the contest and score with shots inside.  Butcher stayed in control for the bulk of the contest until midway through the fourth round when Govan landed a stunning right hand that dropped Butcher to the canvas.  Butcher was able to hang on to win the contest by scores of 38-37 across the board.

Butcher raises his record to 6-1, three KO's while Govan drops to 5-2, three KO's.

In other bouts on the card, lightweight Gaybatulla Gadzhialiyev of Brooklyn, NY by way of Derbent, Russia won a six-round unanimous decision over a very tough Moises Delgadillo of Guadalajara, Mexico.  Gadzhialiyev hit Delgadillo with seemingly every punch in the book. Gadzhialiyev landed multi-punch combinations on numerous occasions but Delgadillo stayed in the fire throughout the bout.  Gadzhialiyev lost a point in the fifth round from referee Dave Braslow for a low blow but was in no danger of losing the contest. Gadzhialiyev won the bout by scores of 58-55 and 59-54 (twice). Gadzhialiyev is now 3-0 while Delgadillo is 16-17-2, nine KO's.

Debuting welterweight Valdemir Pierre of New York City won a four-round split decision over equally debuting Jonathan Baxter of Washington, DC.  Baxter started off quickly but his output faded in the second half of the round.  Pierre took control of the contest and went on to the victory.  Judge John Gradowski scored the bout for Baxter, 39-37 while judges Paul Wallace and Kenny Chevalier scored the bout the same for Pierre.

Las Vegas, NV middleweight Taylor Paige made a crushing pro debut with a first-round TKO of Charles Carroll of the Bronx, NY who was making his pro debut as well.  Paige landed a right hand to the body followed by a left-right combination to the head to drop Carroll.  Referee Chevalier stopped the contest at 1:05.

In the opening contest, heavyweight Ruslan Shamalov of Brooklyn, NY by way of Cherkessk, Russia scored a second-round TKO over Rex Harris of Wilkes-Barre, PA.  Shamalov landed thunderous right hands to Harris's head late in the second round.  Harris never went down but the damage was bad enough to force referee Brent Bovell to stop the bout at 2:58 of the round.  Shamalov is now 2-0, two KO's.  Harris drops to 3-4-2, two KO's.

The matchmaker for the card was "The Boxing Diva" Renee Aiken.  The ring announcer was DC Boxing Hall of Famer Henry "Discombobulating" Jones.