Wednesday, November 30, 2016

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.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

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.


Monday, November 28, 2016

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.

Thursday, November 24, 2016

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.

Sunday, November 20, 2016

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.

Friday, November 18, 2016

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.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

'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.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

'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.

Sunday, November 13, 2016

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.





Hurd Remains Undefeated With Sixth-Round TKO Over Dan In Philadelphia!



(Photos by Kent Green)

Accokeek, MD super welterweight "Swift" Jarrett Hurd continued his streak of impressive victories with a sixth-round TKO of former world title contender Jo Jo Dan of Montreal, Quebec, Canada Saturday night at the Temple University Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA.  The bout was televised nationally by Spike TV.

Hurd never knocked Dan down but he battered Dan throughout the bout, eventually forcing the Romanian-born boxer's corner to ask referee Benjy Esteves, Jr. to stop the bout at 1:06 of the sixth round.

Hurd is now 19-0, 13 KO's while Dan falls to 35-4, 18 KO's. Hurd has knocked out his last five opponents, who had a combined won-loss record of 93-14-5.  Four of those opponents were undefeated when they faced Hurd.

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Broadcasting Live From Du Burns Tonight!



Just a reminder:  We will be broadcasting live from the Coppermine Du Burns Arena in Baltimore, MD tonight from the Shawstyle Promotions/Shabazz Brothers card.

I am now hearing that the card will not begin before 7 PM ET so we will be on the air at 6:55 PM ET. You can hear the card by downloading the free Boxing Along The Beltway Google App For Android.

IOS users can hear the card by going to these links:  http://www.spreaker.com/show/boxing_along_the_beltway

http://www.iheart.com/show/Boxing-Along-The-Beltway/

Hawkins Wins Unanimous Decision In Iowa!

Baltimore, MD welterweight Malik "Iceman" Hawkins won a six-round unanimous decision over veteran Antonio Chaves Fernandez of Brockton, MA early Saturday morning at the WinnVegas Casino Resort in Sloan, IA.

Hawkins remains undefeated at 10-0, seven KO's. Fernandez's record drops to 7-29-4, two KO's.

Friday, November 11, 2016

Odom Suffers Upset; Dozier Loses Unanimous Decision In Philadelphia!

Tough night for Beltway Boxers at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA tonight.

Bowie, MD super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom took a huge step backwards in his career as he was stopped in the fifth round by Taneal "Spider" Goyco of Philadelphia.

According to John DiSanto of Fightnews.com/Philly Boxing History, Odom fought very well in the first two rounds but could not keep the always-in your face-Goyco off of him. Goyco hammered Odom and almost stopped him in the fifth round.  The bout was stopped at the end of the fifth round.

Odom's record drops to 14-3-1, 13 KO's while Goyco evens his record at 9-9-1, three KO's.  Goyco is 3-1 against Beltway Boxers.

Also on the card, Suitland, MD super welterweight Lenwood "Mr. Composure" Dozier lost a six-round unanimous decision to Hurshiddek Nomatov of Brooklyn, NY by way of Uzbekistan.  Dozier lost by shutout (60-54) across the board. Dozier is now 10-14-2, five KO's while Nomatov is 3-0, one KO.

Hurd, Dan Weigh 153 For Nationally-Televised 10-Rounder In Philadelphia!




(Photo by Kent Green)

Both Jarrett Hurd and Jo Jo Dan weighed 153.1 pounds for their 10-round contest Saturday night at the Temple University Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA.

The bout will be shown on Spike TV.  The telecast begins at 9 PM ET.

Hawkins, Odom Hits Scales In Iowa and Pennsylvania!

Malik Hawkins and Jerry Odom weighed in for their bouts tonight.

Hawkins tipped the scales at 147.8 pounds for his six-round contest against Antonio C. Fernandez at the WinnVegas Casino Resort in Sloan, IA.  Fernandez came in at 146 pounds.  The bout will be shown on the CBS Sports Network early Saturday morning at 12:30 AM ET.

Odom weighed in at 167 1/2 pounds for his eight-round bout against Taneal Goyco at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA.
Goyco came in at 169.

Also on this card will be Suitland, MD super welterweight Lenwood Dozier who will take on Hurshidbek Normatov of Brooklyn, NY by way of Uzbekistan in a six-round contest. Dozier (10-13-2, five KO's) weighed in at 152.6 pounds while Normatov (2-0, one KO) came in at 155.2 pounds.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Services For 'Rock' Payne Announced!

The funeral services for former Beltway Boxer Gerry "Rock" Payne will be on Friday, November 18 at Mt. Airy Baptist Church located at 1100 N Capitol St NW. The Viewing will begin at 10 AM  followed by the Service that starts at noon.

Reeves To Challenge Quattrochi In Title Bout Saturday In Baltimore!

Baltimore, MD light heavyweight Travis "Seveer" Reeves has an opponent for his main event contest on Saturday, November 12 at the Coppermine Du Burns Arena in Baltimore.  

Reeves (12-2-2, six KO's) will face undefeated Aaron Quattrochi of Follansbee, WVA (10-0-1, five KO's)  in a 10 round bout for the vacant USBO (United States Boxing Organization) Light Heavyweight title.  Reeves drops down from cruiserweight for this contest, winning the Maryland State cruiser title in his last outing on May 14 in Timonium, MD.  Reeves scored an eighth-round TKO over Larry Pryor.  Quattrochi comes off a second-round TKO over Mickey Scarborough on July 29 in Wheeling, WVA.  Quattrochi is the current West Virginia Light Heavyweight champion.

Wednesday, November 09, 2016

Amateur Card In Glen Burnie Honors Cancer Patient, Baltimore Boxing Great!

Baltimore Boxing Club will have another amateur card that will take place on Thursday, November 10 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.

The card will raise money for the medical bills for eight-year-old Nicholas Tasker, who is battling a rare form of abdominal cancer.  The Tasker family resold the tickets and kept 100% of the money to help offset his medical bills. To further assist on fight night, Baltimore Boxing is hosting a 50/50 raffle and silent auction.

The card also honors the memory of the late Baltimore heavyweight "The American Dream" Mike Dietrich, who passed away in March of 2010 suddenly at the age of 26.  Tasker will receive the Mike Dietrich American Dream Award from Baltimore Boxing’s Steve Wheeler.

Headlining the card is a heavyweight title match between Baltimore-area heavyweights “Dangerous” Dallas Butts and Brian “Bam Bam” Haneschlager. The two previously met in an intense match, with Butts taking a competitive decision.  Tickets begin at $25 for the event.

Monday, November 07, 2016

Big Bouts For Beltway Boxers In November!

A number of Beltway Boxers are slated to have some important bouts this month.  Here is the current schedule:

On Thursday, November 10, Burke, VA middleweight Antoine "Action" Douglas will look to bounce back from suffering his first loss when he takes on veteran Ernesto "Gatti" Berrospe of Guadalajara, Mexico during the 26th annual Fight Night Fight For Children at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC.

Douglas (19-1-1, 13 KO's) lost by tenth-round TKO to Avtandil Khurtsidze on March 5 in Bethlehem, PA.  This will be Douglas's second appearance at Fight Night -- Douglas won a six-round unanimous decision over Don Mouton in 2014.  Berrospe (11-9, six KO's) will face a Beltway Boxer for the second consecutive time.  Berrospe lost to D'Mitrius Ballard by first-round knockout on June 11 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Two locals will be in action on Friday, November 11.  Bowie, MD super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom will battle the always-tough Taneal "Spider" Goyco of Philadelphia, PA in an eight-round encounter at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

Odom (14-2-1, 13 KO's) broke a two-bout winless streak with an impressive third-round TKO over Julius Jackson on July 22 in Mashantucket, CT.  Goyco may have an under .500 record (8-9-1, three KO's) but he has given Beltway Boxers trouble in the past.  Goyco has wins over Devin Butcher and Jeremy Trussell and suffered a tough stoppage loss to Demond Nicholson.  In his last outing, Goyco lost an eight-round unanimous decision to Tony Hirsch on June 11 in Oakland, CA.

At the WinnaVegas Casino and Resort in Sloan, IA, undefeated Baltimore, MD welterweight Malik "Iceman" Hawkins will compete in a six-round matchup against veteran Antonio Chaves Fernandez of Brockton, MA.  The bout is scheduled to be shown on the CBS Sports Network.

Hawkins (9-0, seven KO's) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision win over Sean Gee on August 5 in Temecula, CA.  Fernandez (7-28-4, two KO's) will be trying to break a seven-bout winless streak with five of those opponents were undefeated.

Then on Saturday, November 12, world-rated super welterweight "Swift" Jarrett Hurd of Accokeek, MD will battle former world title contender Jo Jo Dan of Montreal, Quebec, Canada by way of Romania in a 10-round bout at the Liacouras Center at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. The bout will be shown on Spike TV.

Hurd (18-0, 12 KO's) is ranked number 15 by the WBC, eighth by the WBA and seventh by the IBF and is coming off a 10th-round TKO over previously undefeated Oscar Molina on June 25 in Brooklyn, NY.  The win was Hurd's third straight victory over an undefeated foe.

Dan is not undefeated (35-3, 18 KO's) but he will be the most experienced foe Hurd has faced in his career.  Dan has won a number of regional titles and challenged Kell Brook for the IBF Welterweight title in March of 2015 in Sheffield, England.  Dan was stopped in the fourth round.  In his first bout since the title bout loss, Dan won an eight-round unanimous decision over Rafal Jackiewicz in September of 2015 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Arguably the most intriguing bout of the month involves Beltway female "The Heavy Hitting Diva" Franchon Crews who will make her professional debut at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV on Saturday, November 19.  The opponent for Crews, however, will be considered the real star of the bout as the opponent is none other than two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa "T-Rex" Shields of Flint, MI who will also be making her pro debut.

To say these two know each other is a vast understatement. They battled each other all through the amateurs.  In fact, Shields defeated Crews during the Olympic trials in 2012 to advance to the London Olympics and win her first gold medal. The win, at that time, was considered a huge upset as Shields was just 18 years old at the time.  Crews leaves the amateurs with an impressive resume as she was an eight-time national champion in three weight classes.

The bout will be shown online on HBO Boxing's Youtube Channel.

The month closes with a title bout for Baltimore, MD cruiserweight "Slick" Nick Kisner who will take on Brian Holstein of Westerville, OH for the vacant NABA-USA Cruiserweight Championship on Wednesday, November 23 at the Hollywood Casino in Columbus, OH.  Kisner (17-3-1, six KO's) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision over Steven Tyner on July 16 in Erie, PA.  Holstein (12-4-1, seven KO's) last fought on August 27 and won an eight-round unanimous decision over Jeff Page, Jr. in Columbus.

All of these bouts make for an entire month which also includes the Shawstyle Promotions/Shabazz Brothers card at the Coppermine Du Burns Arena in Baltimore on Saturday, November 12.  We will update that card later this week.



Sunday, November 06, 2016

Fox Decimates Rodriguez At Rosecroft!

Undefeated Forestville, MD super lightweight Mykal "The Professor" Fox delivered a technical beating to Haymarket, VA's Juan "The Savior" Rodriguez en route to a seventh-round TKO in front of a packed crowd at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.  The bout was the main event of the Kings Promotions card.

Fox, a Kings Promotions signee, started the onslaught early by landing a brutal left uppercut in the first round that bloodied Rodriguez's nose. Rodriguez gamely fought on in the contest but had no answer for the taller Fox's height and reach.  The 6'4" Fox's right jab battered Rodriguez and dropped him in the third round.  Fox continued to beat Rodriguez, causing cuts around both eyes to add to the bloody nose.  Finally in the seventh round, referee Kenny Chevalier called a halt to the bout.  The stoppage came at 2:00 of the round.   Fox is now 12-0, four KO's and Rodriguez falls to 6-6-1, five KO's.

In the co-feature, Luther "Lights Out" Smith of Bowie, MD made his cruiserweight debut in grand fashion scoring a first-round TKO over "Fly" Mike Marshall of the Bronx, NY.

Smith, who previously fought as a heavyweight, landed some crushing shots on Marshall, dropping him twice.  The second knockdown sent Marshall to the canvas face first.  EMT's and ringside physicians rushed the ring to check on Marshall as referee Brent Bovell immediately stopped the bout at 2:55.   Marshall recovered from the knockout and after the bout, gave a classy speech to the crowd. Smith's record rises to 6-1, five KO's.  Marshall loses for the first time and is now 3-1, three KO's.

DC featherweight Jordan "Shortdog" White fought won of the better local bouts of 2016 winning a six-round unanimous decision over a very game Jose Elizondo of Monterrey, Mexico.  White was able to knock Elizondo down twice in the first two rounds. The first knockdown happened with less than 10 seconds in the first round while the second happened in the second round as White landed a punch while Elizondo seemed to lose his footing.  From that point on, the two men battled fiercely for the remainder of the contest.  White won the bout by scores of 57-55 (twice) and 58-55.

White, participating in his first six-rounder, raised his record to 4-0, three KO's.  Elizondo also competing in a six-round contest for the first time, falls to 2-2.

Undefeated Kings Promotions signee "The Puerto Rican Sensation" Kent Cruz of Austin, TX by way of St. Louis, MO scored a fourth-round TKO over Darius "I Am King" Ervin of Ventura, CA by way of Charlotte, NC.  Cruz struggled early to get his distance against Ervin but midway through the fourth round, Cruz landed a right-left combination that sent Ervin to the canvas.  Moments later, Cruz sent another right hand that dropped Ervin for the final time.  The bout was stopped at 2:15.

Cruz is now 12-0, seven KO's while Ervin loses for the first time and he is 3-1.

Debuting Bowie, MD super lightweight "The Money Man" Greg Outlaw won a four-round unanimous decision over Lamont White of Waldorf, MD.  Outlaw won by shutout (40-36) on all three cards despite dealing with a somewhat awkward opponent.  White falls to 0-5.

Accokeek, MD super welterweight "Slick" Justin Hurd made a successful pro debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Hector "Maravilla" Mercado of Veracruz, Mexico.  Hurd, the younger brother of world-rated super welterweight "Swift" Jarrett Hurd, had some difficulty landing punches on the more-experienced Mercado, who had 10 bouts on his resume.  Mercado, however, had very little offensive at all and Hurd had just enough offense to get the win by scores of 40-37 and 39-37 (twice).  Mercado falls to 2-10.

Kings Promotions signee Marcus "Dreamcrusher" Bates of Washington, DC stopped a tough Francisco "The Cisco Kid" Muro of Tuscon, AZ in the sixth round of a super bantamweight contest.  Bates broke Muro down throughout the contest, dropping Muro twice in the fourth round, once in the fifth and once in the sixth before the bout was stopped at 2:30.  Bates remains undefeated at 5-0-1, five KO's while Muro drops to 3-4.

The curtain-raising contest saw middleweight Patrick "New Era" Rivera of Edgewood, MD win a four-round decision over Hakeem Atkinson of Atlanta, GA.  Rivera used good offensive skills but got caught at teams by the awkward style of Atkinson.  Rivera managed to get the victory.  The scores for the contest were not announced.  Rivera raises his record to 2-0, one KO.  Atkinson falls to 2-6, one KO.

Here is the post-fight wrap-up of the card:

Listen to "Post-Fight Wrap-Up 11/5/16" on Spreaker.

Saturday, November 05, 2016

Weights From Rosecroft!

Here is the scale watch for tonight's Kings Promotions card at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD:

Mykal Fox 140.6  vs. Juan Rodriguez 139.6

Luther Smith 197.4 - Mike Marshall 199.6

Jordan White 122.6 - Jose Elizondo 121.6

Kent Cruz 139.2 - Darius Ervin 139.8

Greg Outlaw Jr. 139.2 - Lamont White 141

Justin Hurd 153.2  - Hector Mercado 153

Marcus Bates 121.6 - Francisco Muro 121.6

Patrick Rivera 163.8 - Hakeem Atkinson 165.6

We will broadcast tonight's card live from Rosecroft on the Boxing Along The Beltway Google App For Android beginning at 6:55 PM ET.  IOS listeners can hear the card on the BATB pages on Spreaker.com or on Iheartradio.com .

Beltway Boxing Legend 'Rock' Payne Passes!



Beltway middleweight Gerry "Rock" Payne has passed away at the age of 47 years old.  No word on the nature of his passing.

Mr. Payne, a native of Washington, DC, was an outstanding amateur in the mid-to-late eighties, becoming an alternate on the 1988 United States Olympic team.  Mr. Payne made a unique pro debut on March 24, 1990 at the Frank Williams Activity Center at Coolidge High School in DC.  Payne participated in a six-round debut bout, defeating Walter "Mad Dog" Green by decision.  Green was 6-1 with three KO's at the time of the bout.

Payne's career moved slowly but steadily over eight bouts until legal issues took Payne away for the majority of 1993. Payne returned on April 1, 1994 in Alexandria, VA as a member of the vaunted "Hard Corps" boxing team alongside Derrell Coley, Reggie Green and Reuben Bell.  Payne would later win an IBC Middleweight title on October 22, 1994 defeating Jeff Johnson by 12-round decision at the Washington Convention Center.  Payne would lose his only bout in his final outing dropping a 10-round decision to Daniel Perez on December 13, 1994 in Albuquerque, NM.  Payne's record was 13-1, five KO's.

This is a tough one for me, personally.  Gerry "Rock" Payne is one of the reasons why I am in this business.  Payne's pro debut was the first boxing main event bout I ever did blow-by-blow for.  I always felt a bond with Gerry.  He was a first-class guy that helped me professionally and personally.  My deepest condolences to Rock's family and all of us who knew him.