Friday, October 30, 2009

Coleman Faces Arnaoutis For USBA Jr. Welter Title Dec. 3 in New York!

Baltimore junior welterweight Tim "Pit Bull" Coleman was slated to appear on tonight's "Latin Invasion" Pay Per View card in El Paso, TX but his scheduled opponent pulled out.

This may be a good thing because now Coleman has a bout slated for Thursday, December 3 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Coleman will face Atlantic City, NJ's "Mighty" Mike Arnaoutis in a scheduled 12-round contest for the USBA Jr. Welterweight title.

Coleman (16-1-1, four KO's) is coming off an eight-round unanimous decision win over Martinus Clay on July 25 in Baltimore. Arnaoutis (22-3-2, 10 KO's) a native of Greece, last fought on June 25 when he won a 10-round unanimous decision over Doel Carrasquillo in North Bergen, NJ.

Arnaoutis challenged for the WBO Light Welterweight title, losing a 12-round split decision to Ricardo Torres in November of 2006. Arnaoutis also lost a WBO eliminator to Kendall Holt in April of 2007.

Beltway Boxing fans may remember seeing Arnaoutis in three victories at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD in 2004 as he won two unanimous decisions and one by majority decision. His first victory caused his manager to give one of the great quotes heard in recent memory when he said, "Mighty Mike came to fight and he caused a fright!"

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Collegiate Boxing Comes To Rosecroft November 7!

The University of Maryland Boxing Club is hosting a collegiate boxing tournament at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD on Saturday, November 7. Among the schools scheduled to join Maryland in this event are:

Defending Collegiate National Champion Army
The Naval Academy
Georgetown
Penn State
Virginia Military Institute.

Most of the boxers participating in this event will be in their first collegiate boxing match. As you may remember, the University of Maryland Boxing Club hosted the National Collegiate Boxing Championships at Ritchie Coliseum earlier this year and from bell to bell, it was one of the most exciting cards I've witnessed in 2009. Tickets are $15.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Peterson, Bradley Meet for Presser in California!



(Photo by Chris Farina, Top Rank)

Lamont Peterson (right) and Timothy Bradley made it official yesterday as they met the media to formally announce their WBO Junior Welterweight title bout on Saturday, Dec. 12 at The Show at Aqua Caliente Resort and Casino in Rancho Mirage, CA.

Bradley and Peterson have a lot in common: Both men are undefeated (Bradley, 24-0, 11 KO's; Peterson, 27-0, 13 KO's), both men hold versions of the WBO title (Bradley is the champion of record and Peterson is the interim champion) and both men have traveled the same amateur path at the same time including a stint as roomates in the Junior Nationals.

"We do have a lot history together,” said Peterson. “We met when we were like 14, 15 years old. We always had a good time hanging out together. I want to see him do well in his career and I’m sure he wants the same for me but at the end of the day we have to get in the ring and someone has to lose. Someone’s career is going to go backwards."

Added Bradley: “Lamont is laid back and quiet. Those are the guys that I fear the most. He’s always thinking. I know they’ve been breaking down my videos and studying me and that they’ll come in with a game plan.”

Peterson is coming off a seventh-round TKO over previously unbeaten Willy Blain on April 25, 2009 for the interim WBO junior welterweight title. Now he has his first shot at a world title against a man that no one in the 140-pound division has been able to beat.

Bradley's last bout was a no contest against former unified lightweight world champion Nate Campbell on Aug. 1. Bradley originally won the fight via highly controversial third-round TKO, but the decision was later changed to a NC by the California State Athletic Commission due to an accidental head butt that opened a cut over Campbell’s left eye.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Manfredo Jr. Headlines Ogden Benefit in Cockeysville November 5!

In an interesting coincidence, the Beltway has been blessed with boxers who were a part of the first season of "The Contender" all year long. Of course, the Beltway's own Jimmy Lange is here and his most recent opponent was one of his east teammates, Jonathan Reid. The area also has been visited by Joey Gilbert and Jesse Brinkley. Also, in 2007, another first season Contender star -- Anthony Bonsante -- fought on an area card.

Now comes word that world title contender Peter Manfredo, Jr. of Providence, RI will headline the Jonathan Ogden benefit boxing card on Thursday, November 5 at Martin's Valley Mansion in Cockeysville, MD.

Manfredo (32-6, 17 KO's) was the runner-up to Contender champ Sergio Mora, fought for the WBO Super Middleweight championship against Joe Calzaghe in April of 2007 and lost by third-round TKO.

Manfredo's opponent will be Ronald "Cobra" Weaver of New Orleans, LA (29-18-2, 22 KO's). Weaver has lost his last four bouts.

No word yet on whether any Beltway Boxers will be on this card. This means there will be two charity boxing cards on the same night. Fight Night takes place on November 5 at the Washington Hilton and Towers.

Congratulations to the Beltway's PAL Champions!

Beltway Boxers brought home five titles during last week's Police Athletic League (PAL) Boxing Championships in San Antonio, TX. Congratulations to:

Intermediate
114 lbs: Gervonta Davis dec. Erickson Lubin, 5-5 (11-11) (3-2)
138 lbs: Kareem Martin dec. Mark Reyes, 8-2


Seniors
165 lbs: D'Mitrius Ballard dec. Desmond Nicholson, 6-1
176 lbs: Jerry Odom dec. James Singleton, 31-3

Open Women’s
112 lbs: Tyriesha Douglas dec. Ashley Alvarado, 21-7

There is a very nice story on Tyriesha Douglas that appeared last week on WUSA-TV Channel 9 . Reporter Dave Owens gives you insight into Douglas, who is from DC and trains at Upton Boxing Center in Baltimore.

Here is the link:

"http://www.wusa9.com/sports/story.aspx?storyid=92528&catid=162">

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Buchanan Wins By Unanimous Decision; Mitchell Scores Sixth-Round TKO in DC!

Capitol Heights, MD super middleweight Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan won an eight-round unanimous decision over Norfolk, VA's Bobby Jordan, Jr. to capture the vacant WBF All-Americas Super Middleweight title in front of an overflow crowd at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in DC.

Fighting for the first time since his NABF/NABO title loss to Andre Ward in February, Buchanan looked like a different person as he showed hand speed and accuracy along with tremendous ring generalship, controlling the pace of the bout from bell to bell. Jordan landed some shots, but they came late in just about every round after Buchanan had done most of the damage. Buchanan landed almost every punch imaginable and while he didn't knock Jordan down in any round, Buchanan was in complete control of the contest. All three judges (David Jordan, Steve Rados and Wayne Smith) said Buchanan pitched a shutout, 80-72.

Buchanan is now 18-2, 12 KO's while Jordan falls to 6-2-1, two KO's.

The co-feature saw perhaps the best performance of undefeated Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell who scored a demonstrative six-round TKO over veteran Jermell "The Truth" Barnes of Rochester, NY.

Many in the packed house came to see Mitchell as the heavyweight sold 400 tickets. Mitchell's fans were not disappointed as the Golden Boy Promotions signee showed everything in his arsenal, especially a solid jab and right hook. Mitchell built on his performance round-by-round until the sixth round, where he landed a 15-punch barrage that forced the stoppage of the contest at 1:12 of the round.

Mitchell is now 14-0-1, nine KO's while Barnes is now 18-23-2, four KO's.

Also on the card, Oxon Hill, MD light heavyweight Alexander "The Great" Johnson won a four-round unanimous decision over Otgonbayer Daivii of Arlington, VA. Johnson turned a relatively close bout into a rout with an impressive final round. Lloyd Scaife said Johnson pitched a shutout at 40-36 while judges Rados and Smith scored the bout 39-37. Johnson is now 8-0, three KO's and Daivii falls to an even 3-3-1, one KO.

Laurel, MD heavyweight "The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae bounced back from his first pro loss and won a four-round unanimous decision over "The People's Champion" Jonathan Felton of Stafford, VA. McRae stayed on the offensive long enough to win his third bout over Felton. This was the first contest between the two to go the distance with judges Scaife, Rados and Smith scoring the bout 40-36. McRae is 5-1, three KO's while Felton slips to 6-19, five KO's.

In a solid four-round contest, Newport News, VA middleweight Jeremiah "The Bounty Hunter" Wiggins won a tough majority decision over DC's Antonio Walls. This was a great give-and take bout where both men landed solid shots. In the first round, Wiggins landed a combination that caused a standing eight-count on Walls. However, the DC native fought back and landed some great shots in the second round. Wiggins, however, was able to hang on to the victory. Judge Scaife saw an even bout at 38-38. Judge Rados saw Wiggins pitching a shutout at 40-35, while Judge Smith saw Wiggins winning 39-37.

With the win, Wiggins remains undefeated at 6-0-1, three KO's while Walls falls even at 2-2, one KO.

The opening contest saw the long-awaited pro debut of DC heavyweight Abodurin "Bo" Akinyanju who scored a first-round TKO over fellow debuting DC boxer Damian Richardson. Both men came in with solid amateur pedigrees-Akinyanju was a two-time national champion while Richardson was undefeated in 28 bouts. Akinyanju outweight Richardson by more than eighty pounds (293-209) and Akinyanju used his weight and strength advantage to batter Richardson all over the ring until the bout was stopped at 2:06 of the round.

Babie Girl Productions, headed by Cassandra White, served as promoter. The matchmaker was Jack Crider.

Tonight, I had double duty as reporter and father at the show, so I didn't have the opportunity to do a Post-Fight Wrap-Up (had to get the kids to bed) so here are some:

PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS: After a number of shows where Babie Girl Productions head Cassandra White showed she was a good promoter, tonight she proved she is a GREAT promoter. For the second consecutive card, White gave her fans the fighters that they wanted to see. At Howard University last December, White pulled off a brilliant coup bringing in Kreshnik Qato to a crowd full of Albanian supporters to see Qato defend his WBF Middleweight title. Coincidentally, Qato made the second defense of the WBF of his title in Germany tonight.

Tonight, White and her staff outdid themselves. Anytime a promoter is forced into having to turn people away because the venue is too full, that promoter has laid serious groundwork for the cards to come. More than 100 people had to be turned away from the Washington Convention Center tonight and the venue was full of very enthusiastic fans who came there to see the action and not just to be seen. The Center was rocking all night long.

White has learned from the growing pains she suffered early on in her pro career and she has shown the entire Beltway area that boxing is still a viable enterprise in the Nation's Capital.

By the way, I do not know the full story of what happened to the proposed bout between Seth Mitchell and Bert Cooper. Apparently, Mitchell's promotional company, Golden Boy Promotions, pulled the plug on that bout. I don't want to say anymore on this without hearing Golden Boy's side of things, but this affected White greatly as she emotionally attempted to explain what happened to the fans tonight.

As far as the performances go, if Henry Buchanan looked the way he did tonight against Bobby Jordan when he fought Andre Ward, he may not have won that bout, but it would have been a much tougher contest. Buchanan looked like he did early in his career -- fast and accurate. I'm not surprised he didn't knock out Jordan because Jordan is very tough, but I was a little surprised it was as easy as it seemed. Buchanan just outworked and was a lot faster than Jordan.

Seth Mitchell was the fighter of the night, in my opinion. Mitchell beat a tough veteran in Jermell Barnes who has been in the ring with quality cruisers and heavies and Mitchell took care of business. It was his best performance of his young pro career.

It took almost the entire four-rounds for Alexander Johnson to figure out the awkward style of Otgonbayer Daivii, but once he did, he let a serious barrage go that put a nice punctuation mark on the contest.

I was happy to see the third Dwayne McRae-Jonathan Felton bout go the four-round distance. McRae stayed on offense throughout and didn't get tired late in the bout like he did during his first pro loss in Westminster back in July. As far as Felton is concerned, there were no antics and Felton fought a clean bout, albeit in survival mode most of the way.

We have been blessed along the Beltway to see some outstanding four-round contests in 2009 and the Jeremiah Wiggins-Antonio Walls bout joins that list. Both guys fought their hearts out. Despite the disparity in the judge's scores, when ring announcer Discombobulating Jones asked the fans if they wanted to see a rematch, the response was one of the most positive and vocal I've heard in quite some time. I think we'll see a rematch.

If Abodurin Akinyanju continues with the power he showed against Damian Richardson, he will put a lot of folks on notice early. Once he learns the pro style, it will be very interesting to follow his career. By the way, Akinyanju and Richardson bring the total number of Beltway Boxers making their pro debuts this year to 23. I can't remember this many boxers starting their careers in a single year.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Russell Wins Unanimous Decision in Laredo!

Capitol Heights, MD featherweight and 2008 Olympian Gary Russell Jr. remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Noe Lopez of Mexico tonight at the Laredo Entertainment Center in Laredo, TX.

With the win, Russell is now 5-0, two KO's while Lopez evens his record at 4-4.

Weights From Washington, DC!

Here is the scale watch for Saturday's Babie Girl Productions "Fright Night" card at the Washington Convention Center:


Henry Buchanan 167 vs. Bobby Jordan Jr. 169

Alexander Johnson 176 vs. Otgonbayer Daivii 178

Seth Mitchell 242 vs. Jermell Barnes 232

Dwayne McRae 253 vs. Jonathan Felton (no show)

Antonio Walls 161 vs Jeremiah Wiggins - 156

Abodurin Akinyanju - 293 vs. Damian Richardson - 209

Tony Thompson - 264 vs. Bert Cooper (no show) -- exhibition bout

Friday, October 23, 2009

Joppy Plans Return; Says Bout With Holmes Could Happen!

Could one of the most talked-about matchups that never happened in Beltway Boxing history finally take place?

Former WBA Middleweight champion William Joppy tells Boxing Talk.com's Michael Walters that a bout between himself and former WBC Middleweight champ Keith Holmes could happen and that bout is being worked on.

To read the rest of Walter's solid interview with Joppy (that got a little testy at times), click on this link:

"http://www.boxingtalk.com/pag/article.php?aid=18494">

Thursday, October 22, 2009

October 24 DC Card Update!

There is one minor change to the Saturday, October 24th Babie Girl Productions card at the Washington Convention Center.

The opponent for undefeated Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell has been changed. Mitchell (13-0-1, eight KO's) will now take on Rochester, NY veteran Jermell "The Truth" Barnes (18-22-2, four KO's) in the eight-round co-feature bout.

Barnes, a former NABO Cruiserweight champ, has fought a number of notable contenders in the cruiserweight division including Matt Godfrey, Felix Cora, BJ Flores and Shawn George. As a heavyweight, Barnes has had difficulty against the likes of Kevin Johnson, Vinny Maddalone, Darrel Madison and Owen Beck.

Mitchell (13-0-1, eight KO's) is coming off a devastating first-round knockout over Andre Carthron in his first nationally-televised appearance (ESPN) on August 14 in Tucson, AZ.

Mitchell's original opponent was slated to be former heavyweight title contender "Smokin'" Bert Cooper. However, Cooper will now be involved in an exhibition bout against another former world title contender -- DC's own Tony "The Tiger" Thompson.

Headlining the card will be Capitol Heights, MD super middleweight Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan. who returns to the ring for the first time since his nationally televised (Showtime) 12-round unanimous decision loss to Andre Ward on February 6 in Lemoore, CA.

Buchanan (17-2, 12 KO's) will take on Norfolk, VA's Bobby Jordan, Jr. in an eight-round matchup. Jordan (6-1-1, two KO's) will try to bounce back from his first pro loss -- an eight-round unanimous decision to Farah Ennis on June 19 in Salisbury, MD.


There are some interesting undercard bouts slated for this card. In a four-round light-heavyweight bout, undefeated Alexander "The Great" Johnson of Oxon Hill, MD will take on Arlington, VA's Otgonbayer Daivii. Johnson (7-0, three KO's) returns to action quickly after his four-round unanimous decision victory over Francois Ambang on September 26 in Fairfax, VA. The last outing for Daivii (3-2-1, one KO) was also against Ambang in Fairfax on May 2 when Daivii won a four-round split decision. Ironically, both Johnson and Daivii have each faced Ambang twice. Johnson won both his bouts while Daivii lost the first matchup and won the second.

Also scheduled to make a quick return to action is middleweight Barry Trotter of Columbia, MD who will battle DC's Antonio Walls in another four-rounder. The undefeated Trotter (2-0) will try to build on a tough four-round unanimous decision victory over Tracy Brewer on the September 26 Fairfax, VA card. Walls (2-1, one KO) is looking to come back from a loss -- a four-round unanimous decision to Cecil McCalla on January 23 in Woodlawn, MD.

Making his pro debut on this card will be heavyweight and former amateur standout Abodurin "Bo" Akinyanju of DC. Akinyanju had a decorated amateur career and he will face fellow DC boxer Andrew Jackson (1-0, one KO). Also Laurel, MD heavyweight "The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae (4-1, three KO's) will look to bounce back from his first pro loss and face "The People's Champion" Jonathan Felton (6-18, five KO's) of Stafford, VA for the third time in a four-round contest.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Coleman Off Card in El Paso: McCalla May Battle on North Carolina Card!

It looks like Baltimore welterweight Tim "Pit Bull" Coleman is off the "Latin Invasion" pay-per-view card slated for October 30 in El Paso, TX. No word on why the bout is off.

If Coleman's bout had taken place, it would have meant that two Beltway Boxers would have come to Texas in successive weeks. Gary Russell, Jr. is still slated to appear in Laredo, TX this Friday night.

Meanwhile, it's a possibility that undefeated Baltimore junior middleweight Cecil McCalla (9-0, four KO's) may appear on a card at the Bette Rae Thomas Rec Arena in Charlotte, NC on Saturday, October 24. No word yet on who his opponent will be.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Stevenson Remains Undefeated; Farmer Outduels Belasco in Baltimore!

Baltimore welterweight prospect James "Keep 'Em Sleepin'" Stevenson remained undefeated with a solid eight-round unanimous decision victory over tough veteran "Magnificent" Martinus Clay of Wilson, NC at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore.

Stevenson was able to keep Clay at bay with good boxing skill and power. The power shone through when Stevenson dropped Clay with a short left hook in the sixth round. Clay managed to beat referee Kenny Chevalier's count but any hope of winning the contest evaporated for him. Judges Gary Camponeschi and Don Risher scored the bout at 79-72 while Malik Waleed saw the contest at 78-73.

Stevenson is now 12-0, 10 KO's while Clay is 13-22-4, five KO's.

In the other eight-round bout, Front Royal, VA junior welterweight Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer won a workmanlike unanimous decision over "Rockin'" Ryan Belasco of New Castle, DE.

Both men showed good boxing skills with Belasco ultimately not getting enough credit for his defense in the early part of the contest. Farmer showed toughness by fighting through a cut near his right eye. Farmer tipped the bout in his favor in the sixth round when, after catching a Belasco right hand, managed to throw one of his own that caught Belasco off balance and dropped him. Belasco got right back up and finished the contest. Judge Camponeschi scored the bout 79-74. Judge Risher saw the contest 77-75 while judge John Gradowski witnessed the contest, 78-73.

With the win, Farmer is now 13-1, seven KO's while Belasco falls to 11-4-3, three KO's.

Two Baltimore fan favorites made successful returns on this card. Heavyweight "The American Dream" Mike Dietrich won a four-round unanimous decision over Octavius Davis of Wilson, NC. Dietrich pitched a shutout (40-36) on all three judges scorecards as he used powerful looping shots to batter the much taller Davis.

Dietrich is now 11-1, five KO's while Davis is 1-3-1, one KO.

Super middleweight "The Golden Greek" Elias Bouloubassis returned with his knockout abilities still intact as he scored a first-round TKO over Joseph Montgomery of Clover, SC. Bouloubassis landed powerful shots that battered Montgomery throughout the round until referee Camponeschi stopped the contest at 2:24 of the round.

Bouloubassis is now 4-0-4, four KO's while Montgomery is 2-7-1, one KO.

In other bouts on the card, Baltimore cruiserweight Steve "Show Stealer" Wheeler put together his most demonstrative performance as a pro as he scored a first-round knockout over Maurice Amaro of Philadelphia, PA. Wheeler was very accurate in the contest, battering Amaro with both hands. The accuracy culminated with Wheeler landing a stunning left that dropped Amaro to his knees. Amaro was unable to beat referee Gradowski's count and the bout was halted at 2:40 of the first.

Wheeler remains undefeated at 4-0, three KO's while Amaro is 0-2.

DC heavyweight Maurice "Freight Train" Byarm also remained undefeated with a third-round TKO over Tyyab Beale of Orange, NJ. After a back and forth first round, Byarm took control of the contest in round two when he was able to get Beale on the ropes and land his power shots. Byarm maintained his success in the third when he dropped Beale twice before the bout was stopped at 2:55 of the round.

Byarm is now 4-0, three KO's while Beale's record evens at 2-2, one KO.

Two Baltimore boxers made pro debuts on the card with mixed success. Middleweight Devin Butcher won a four-round unanimous decision over John "The Baptist" Terry of Portsmouth, VA. Butcher showed unorthodox defensive skills as he continually moved backwards to evade Terry's looping shots. Terry falls to 2-15-3, one KO.

Heavyweight Joe "Diesel" DeLawder lost by second-round TKO to Billy Greenwalt of Youngstown, OH. The 43-year-old DeLawder made his pro debut for a special cause -- to raise money for the medical care for a local nine-year-old girl who is suffering from leukemia. Greenwalt landed crushing shots in the second round that stopped DeLawder at 1:51 of the round. Greenwalt is now 2-6, two KO's.

Baltimore Pro Boxing, led by Jake Smith, promoted the card. Josh Hall served as matchmaker.

Here is the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up Show.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #188 - Results From Du Burns Arena in Baltimore!

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I recap the Baltimore Pro Boxing card from Du Burns Arena in Baltimore!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Weights from Baltimore!

Here is the scale watch for tonight's Baltimore Pro Boxing card at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore:

James Stevenson 150 1/2 vs. Martinus Clay 149

Andrew Farmer 140 vs. Ryan Belasco 140

Mike Dietrich 221 1/2 vs. Octavius Davis 224

Elias Bouloubassis 162 1/2 vs. Joey Montgomery 168

Maurice Byarm 253 1/2 vs. Tyyab Beale 244 1/2

Steve Wheeler 184 vs. Maurice Amaro 184 1/2

Devin Butcher 158 vs. John Terry 160

Joe DeLawder 204 vs. Billy Greenwalt 203 1/2

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Povetkin Bout in Baltimore Off Because of Legal Wranglings!

The promoters of IBF number one ranked heavyweight Alexander Povetkin has blocked the proposed bout on Friday, October 16 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore. The bout is officially off.

BATB has obatained a copy of a letter sent by the law firm representing Sauerland Event Promotions. The letter claims that Sauerland is the exclusive promoter for Povetkin. The letter is directed primarily at well-known promoter and manager Don Elbaum, who, according to the document, told the IBF that he represented Povetkin, a claim Sauerland denies. Baltimore Boxing promoter Jake Smith is only mentioned in the letter as the promoter of record for the October 16 card.

"Sauerland has not authorized Mr. Elbaum to represent the company in any way and it will not pay for, nor will it permit Mr. Povetkin to box in the tune-up bout," the document said.

The letter goes on to say that the IBF wants Povetkin to fight for an interim IBF title (since champion Wladimir Klitschko has not signed for a bout with Povetkin) in his next bout or IBF will not enforce Povetkin's right to fight for the world title until 2011.

"If the interim title opportunity is lost, Sauerland and Povetkin will suffer over one million dollars in lost profits that will never be recouped," the letter said.

Sources say there is a slight chance that Povetkin may appear on the card in an exhibition bout, but that seems very doubtful since Elbaum has been threatened with a lawsuit if he proceeds with Povetkin without Sauerland's consent.

Russell, Jr. Battles on The Streets of Laredo October 23!

Undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight Gary Russell, Jr. travels to Laredo, TX for a four-round contest against Mexican featherweight Noe Lopez, Jr. on Friday, October 23.

Russell (4-0, two KO's) is coming off a first-round TKO over Jason Jones on August 17 in Primm, NV. Lopez (4-3, three KO's) won his first four bouts but has now lost three straight to the likes of Charles Huerta, Dat Nguyen and Abraham Lopez who had a combined won-loss record of 33-1.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Sugar Ray Leonard Leads Parade of Legends for 20th Anniversary Fight Night!

Hall of famer, Olympic Gold Medalist, six-time world champion and the Beltway's own Sugar Ray Leonard will lead the Parade of Legends that will attend the 20th anniversary Fight Night card at the Washington Hilton and Towers on Thursday, November 5.

The annual black tie affair raises money to support numerous local children's charities. Joining Leonard in the legend's parade are former world champions "Smokin' Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Aaron "The Hawk" Pryor, "The Raging Bull" Jake LaMotta, Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, James "Buster" Douglas and Roy Jones, Jr. along with legendary contenders Ernie Terrell, Earnie Shavers and Gerry Cooney.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Boyd Loses By TKO in Houston!

DC super featherweight Ron "Teflon" Boyd became the 11th straight knockout victim for Francisco Contreras last night in Houston, TX.

Boyd was dropped three times in the first round to lose the bout. Boyd is now 6-9, two KO's while Contreras is 11-0, 11 KO's.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

F. Guerrero Wins NABO Title By Majority Decision!

Unbeaten middleweight Fernando Guerrero won a 10-round majority decision over Ossie Duran to capture the interim NABO Middleweight title in front of his home crowd at Arthur Perdue Stadium in Salisbury, MD.

Details on this card are sketchy at the moment, but WBOC TV in Salisbury says Guerrero was knocked down in the 10th round but was ahead far enough on two cards to win a decision. Guerrero won the bout by scores of 97-93, 96-94 and 95-95. Guerrero is now 16-0, 13 KO's while Duran, a resident of Paterson, NJ by way of Ghana, is now 23-8-2, nine KO's..

Guerrero's brother, Alex (2-0) won a cruiserweight bout over Rodricka Ray via four-round unanimous decision and DC lightweight Ty Barnett lost his first pro bout in a second-round TKO loss to Juan Santiago. Barnett is now 16-1-1, 11 KO's.

Also on the card, Baltimore's Omar Sims (3-1-3) survived two first-round knockdowns to battle to a four-round middleweight draw with Ken Dunham of Rock Hill, SC (6-10-1). Mechanicsville, VA cruiser Francois Ambang (2-4-1) also fought to a four-round draw with Ariel Espinal of Brooklyn, NY(6-10-3).

Results From All-Female Card at Rosecroft!

Tyriesha Douglas, a 120-pounder from Upton Boxing Club in Baltimore, walked away with the boxer of the night award tonight at the third "Road To London" all-female boxing card at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.

Douglas stopped Quishana Fowler of Alexandria Boxing Club, Alexandria, VA in the third round in what was also the most exciting bout of the evening.

Also on the card, Tracey Redd of Sugar Ray Leonard Center in Palmer Park, MD won by RSC-3 over Lavelle Everett of Midtown Youth Academy in DC in a 116-pound bout. Everett won a lot of the crowd over as she participated courageously despite a hearing impariment.

Here are the other results from the card:

110 pounds: Bianka Thompson (Tocco's Gym, Las Vegas, NV) defeated Ronisha Moore (Benning Heights, DC)

110 pounds: Marianne O'Leary (B&B Boxing, New Jersey) defeated Elizabeth Keller (New Town Athletic Center, New Town, PA)

135 pounds: Da Sha Ragland (Harrisburg Boxing Club, Harrisburg, PA) over Tallanee Tillery (Keystone Boxing, Marlow Heights, MD)

135 pounds: Althea Saunders (WWBC, Atlantic City, NJ) over Camille Curry (Gleason's Gym, Brooklyn, NY.

155 pounds: Latraresha Fountain (unattached) defeated Jennifer Barnes (Staunton Boxing Club, Staunton, VA)

165 pounds: Tori Nelson (Old School Boxing, Temple Hills, MD) defeated Dara Shen (Alexandria Boxing Club)

180 pounds: Kaelen Hollon (Tony's Gym, DC) defeated Cara Vargas (Old School)

Friday, October 09, 2009

Weights From Salisbury, MD!

Here is the scale watch for tomorrow's Prize Fight Promotions card at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium in Salisbury, MD:

Fernando Guerrero 159 vs. Ossie Duran 160 (NABO Interim Middleweight Title)

Ty Barnett 136 vs. Juan Santiago 135

Omar Sims 159 vs. Ken Dunham 160

Alex Guerrero 194.5 vs. Rodricka Ray 195.5

Francois Ambang 178.5 vs. Ariel Espinal 180

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Undefeated, Top-Ranked Heavyweight Povetkin Added to October 16 Du Burns Card!

Now it can be told. The Friday, October 16 Baltimore Pro Boxing card at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore receives a nice boost because IBF #1 ranked heavyweight Alexander Povetkin has been added to the card.

The undefeated Russian (17-0, 12 KO's) will battle "Dangerous" Damon Reed of Topeka, KS (44-13, 31 KO's) in a scheduled 10-round contest.

Povetkin, who won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, is trained by Teddy Atlas, who will be ringside for Povetkin's first pro bout in the United States.

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Free Amateur Boxing Show October 9 at Rosecroft!

It turns out that Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD will host a weekend of amateur boxing this weekend. Not only will the all-female boxing card take place on Saturday, October 10, but there will also be a free amateur show sponsored by Old School Boxing on Friday, October 9 .

Teams from DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania will be participating in this event. Again, the event is absolutely free.

Monday, October 05, 2009

All-Female Boxing Card Returns to Roscroft Saturday!

The promotional group W.I.S.T (Women In Support Together) will put on their third all-female "Road to London" amateur boxing card on Saturday, October 10th at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.

Among the boxers slated to appear are Beltway favorites Gina D'Andrea (UMAR Gym in Baltimore), Dominique McGlotten (UMAR), Talanee Tillery (Keystone Gym, Marlow Heights, MD), Tracey Redd(Sugar Ray Leonard Gym, Palmer Park, MD) and Tyreshia Douglas (Upton Boxing, Baltimore). Redd scored the knockout of the night on the last all-female card on August 15 at Rosecroft when she stopped her opponent in the second round. D'Andrea and Douglas had the bout of the night on that card, an action-packed contest that Douglas won by decision.

The promoters will be honoring a number of coaches in the area that have used boxing as a tool to reach many members of our community. The coaches honored will be:

Diana Q. Hall of Sugar Ray Leonard Gym. Ms. Hall is a manager of pro boxers and is still working with amateur boxers on a daily basis, managing the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center. Among the pro boxers Hall works with is undefeated light heavyweight prospect Alexander "The Great" Johnson.

Craig Fladager A former Golden Gloves boxer who coaches men and women throughout the area.

Calvin Ford A four-time Masters boxing champion, Ford has worked with countless men and women throughout the area and has been instrumental in having the young boxers acheive greatness in and out of the ring.

Along with the boxing card, the promoters will have their first coat drive. When you come to the card, bring your new or gently used coat and deposit them in the “Knock Out” drop box. All coats collected during the drive will be donated and distributed to men, women and children at homeless shelters, and centers for battered women across the metropolitan area.

Yours truly will have the honor of serving as the ring announcer for this event. Doors will open at five PM with the first bout at 6 PM.

'Teflon' Boyd Travels To Texas October 10th!

DC super featherweight Ron "Teflon" Boyd will be involved in a six-round feature bout against Irvington, NJ knockout artist Francisco "The Phenom" Contreras on Saturday, October 10th at the Arena Theatre in Houston, TX.

After winning five of his first six bouts, Boyd (6-8, two KO's) has only won once in his last eight contests, including battles against Tyrell Samuel (twice) and Ikem Orji. Boyd's only win in that stretch came against Dean White on February 20th in Westminster, MD. Boyd was knocked out in his last outing by Guillermo Sanchez in the first round on June 19 in Buffalo, NY.

Chet Koerner, president of TKO Promotions (who is promoting this card) said in a press release that Boyd is "amongst the toughest fighters in the Baltimore/D.C. area. While Francisco has the punching power, Boyd has an immense wealth of experience in dealing with all types of fighters. Both of his fights against Tyrell Samuel were real throwback bouts with neither warrior taking a step back.”

It may be considered a moral victory if Boyd avoids getting knocked out by Contreras because he will be the first Contreras opponent to do so. The native of the Dominican Republic (10-0, 10 KO's) made his American debut in Glen Burnie, MD on June 18 and stopped Gustavo Mejia in the first round. In his last outing on August 27, Contreras knocked out Julian Rodriguez in the second round in Hagerstown, MD.

Beltway Boxers Featured In Internet Stories!

Two Beltway Boxers are the subjects of nice recent internet articles. On the website www.therewerebebloodfightshow.com, there is a profile of Maryland State Light Heavyweight champion Henry "Hurricane" Mayes of Baltimore, MD written by David Chen. That article can be found here:

"http://www.therewillbebloodfightshow.com/2009/10/exclusive-interview-hurricane.html"

Also, David Greisman of www.boxingscene.com has put together a profile of Salisbury, MD's undefeated middleweight Fernando Guerrero. That story can be seen here:

"http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=22610"

Friday, October 02, 2009

'Pit Bull' Coleman Added to 'Latin Invasion' Pay-Per-View!

Baltimore welterweight Tim "Pit Bull" Coleman has been added to the "Latin Invasion 2" Pay-Per-View card on Saturday, October 30 at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, TX.

Coleman (16-1-1, four KO's) will take on Las Vegas, NV-based Marvin Cordova, Jr. (20-1-1, 11 KO's) in an eight-round contest on the PPV telecast. Coleman is coming off an eight-round unanimous decision win over Martinus Clay on July 25 in Baltimore. Cordova, a native of Rocky Ford, CO, won an eight-round unanimous decision over Ernest Johnson on August 29 in Cleveland, OH.

The card is headlined by the matchup between Hector Camacho, Jr. and Ramon "Yory Boy" Campas.

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Local Boxers and Coaches Lead US Team in Dual Meet VS Great Britain Oct. 16 in Norfolk!

The US National Team that will come to Norfolk, VA's Ted Constant Convocation Center on Friday, October 16 will have a distinct Beltway flavor as one of the boxers and a number of local trainers and officials will be apart of the team. The US squad will face a team from Great Britain in a dual competition.

Boxing for the US will be 2009 national featherweight champion Kevin Rivers of Landover, MD. As we mentioned earlier, Rivers recently participated in the AIBA World Championships in Milan, Italy and will receive the Outstanding Local Boxer award from the DC Boxing Hall of Fame next month.

Two of the coaches for this event are locals as well -- Barry Hunter of DC and Willie "The Heat" Taylor of Arlington, VA. They will join Norfolk's own Gloria Peek on the coaching staff.

The team manager will be Robert Matney, who is the president of the Virginia Association of USA Boxing and the team doctor will be Elkton, MD's Tony Al-Amin. Best wishes to all!

October 16 Baltimore Card Coming Together!

The Baltimore Pro Boxing card slated for Friday, October 16 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore is also coming together. The card includes two solid eight-round matchups.

Undefeated Baltimore welterweight James "Keep 'Em Sleepin'" Stevenson will take on veteran "Magnificent" Martinus Clay of Wilson, NC in the main event.

Stevenson (11-0, 10 KO's) is coming off a third-round stoppage of Sebastian Hamel on August 27. Clay (13-21-4, five KO's) will be the second straight veteran opponent Stevenson has faced. Clay has lost three straight and will try to bounce back from an eight-round unanimous decision loss to Tim Coleman on July 25 at Du Burns.

The co-feature brings Front Royal, VA junior welterweight Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer to Baltimore for the first time in his pro career. Farmer (12-1, seven KO's) will battle "Rockin" Ryan Belasco of Wilmington, DE (11-3-3, three KO's). Farmer won an eight-round unanimous decision over Marty Robbins on May 9 in Winchester, VA. Belasco will be trying to turn things around after losing an eight-round majority decision to Dean White on July 24 in Dover, DE.

The card also features the return of action for two popular Baltimore Boxers. Cruiserweight "The American Dream" Mike Dietrich (10-1, five KO's) will take on Wilson, NC's Octavius Davis (2-2-1, one KO) in a four-round contest. Dietrich will battle for the first time since losing his first pro contest -- a third-round knockout loss to Wes Taylor on April 18, 2008 in Pikesville, MD. Davis lost to Lateef Kayode on October 3, 2008 in Salisbury, MD.

The other returning boxer will be the undefeated "Golden Greek" Elias Bouloubassis. The super middleweight from Reisterstown, MD (3-0-4, three KO's) has not fought since battling Pete Guthy to a draw on December 7, 2007 in Pikesville, MD.

Also on the card will be undefeated DC heavyweight Maurice "Freight Train" Byarm (3-0, two KO's) who will face Newark, NJ's Tyyab Beale (2-1, one KO) in a four-round bout. Byarm is coming off a four-round majority decision victory over Maurice Winslow on July 25 at Du Burns.

Undefeated Catonsville, MD cruiser Steve "Show Stealer" Wheeler will take on Spartansburg, SC's Micky Stackhouse in a four-rounder. Wheeler (3-0, two KO's) scored a first-round knockout over Lamar Foreman on the July 25 Du Burns show. Stackhouse (6-20-1, five KO's) has lost five in a row.

Making his pro debut will be Baltimore super middleweight Devin Butcher who will take on Portsmouth, VA veteran John "The Baptist" Terry (2-14-3, one KO. Butcher is the son of five-time world kickboxing champion Eddie Butcher.

There will also be a special bout that features 43-year-old Baltimore heavyweight Joe DeLawder who will take on Youngstown, OH's Billy Greenwalt 1-6, one KO. DeLawder, who once battled Dana Rucker to a split decision in the amateurs, is fighting for the first time as a pro and is dedicating this bout to nine-year-old Kilryn Morgan who has been diagnosed with leukemia. There will be a 50/50 raffle and silent auction to raise money for Kilryn.

There is one other bout slated for this contest which hasn't been signed yet. I can't say anything about it yet, but, trust me, if it comes through, it will be big.

Matchmaker Harold Moore Passes!



(Photo of Harold Moore [left] and Russell Peltz [right}. Courtesy of Philly Boxing History.com)

Fightnews.com is reporting that noted east coast matchmaker Harold Moore has passed away after a long illness. He was 77.

Mr. Moore was a long-time matchmaker for hall of fame promoter Russell Peltz and also worked alongside Ron Katz during Katz's days at Top Rank in the 1980's and 1990's.

Mr. Moore also worked with a number of promoters along the Beltway during that time period including Stu Satosky and Bill and Dave McClain of Blood, Sweat and Tears.

My personal thoughts: When Mr. Moore came to our area, he helped set a new standard for the Beltway cards. He helped put together outstanding bouts, including my all-time favorite local matchup -- Lloyd "Jabba" Bryan vs Bernice Barber on November 30, 1995 at Martin's Crosswinds. During my days on the TV series "Boxing Spotlight," we always had something special with a Harold Moore-made card. Plus, Mr. Moore was an extremely nice man who loved this sport. He will be missed and BATB sends its condolences to his family.