Jeter, Harrison Receive Interesting Publicity!

Two local boxers received interesting notoriety this week.

WBC Fecarbox Middleweight champion Tony "Mo Better" Jeter's recent successful title defense was noted on the official World Boxing Council website.  Jeter was even given a new nickname --"Jet Set" Jeter.

Here is the link: http://wbcboxing.com/wbceng/news/2472-jet-set-jeter-lands

Jeter is slated to return to action on Saturday, June 14 at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.

Meanwhile, WBC Youth Welterweight champion Dusty Hernandez Harrison is part of a video about world champion poker player Phil Ivey.  The video talks about Ivey, who is part of Harrison's managerial company All-In Entertainment, being able to see Harrison fight in person in Harrison's last contest on March 7 in Pala, CA.  No, it doesn't mention anything about the "mental toughness that some claim Ivey gives Harrison -- the subject Teddy Atlas railed about during Harrison's contest.

Here is the video:



Harrison is slated to return to action on Saturday, May 24 at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, TX.

World Traveler Thompson Heads To France For June Tussle With Takam!

The frequent flier miles continue to add up for DC heavyweight Tony "The Tiger" Thompson.  Thompson will compete for the sixth time on foreign soil when he battles Carlos Takam of Cameroon in a 12-round contest on Saturday, June 6 at the Palais des Sport Marcel Cerdan in Levallois-Perret, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

The 42-year-old Thompson (39-4, 26 KO's) is ranked sixth in the world by the WBC and the IBF and is coming off a 12-round split decision win over Odlanier Solis on March 22 in Tekirdag, Turkey. Since 2011, Thompson has traveled to Turkey, Germany, the United Kingdom (twice) and Switzerland.

Takam (29-1-1, 23 KO's) represented Cameroon in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece and he is currently ranked 13th by the WBC.  Takam will try to bounce back from a 12-round draw with Mike Perez on January 18 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

A First-Hand Account of Springfield Card!

We received an account of the Saturday, April 26 Jeter Promotions/RBA Promotions card at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.  Peter Freeman of the blog DC Outlook attended the card and gave this account.  Bear in mind, this is not a boxing writer's style account but still gives a good idea of what took place. 


Here's the link:  http://www.dcoutlook.com/2014/04/wilson-wins-ubf-title-jeter-defends-at.html?m=1

DC/Maryland Sends Nine To Las Vegas For National Golden Gloves!

The DC/Maryland region will send nine boxers to the 2014 National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions May 11-18 in Las Vegas, NV.  DC/MD boxers won nine out of 10 Open Division bouts on April 26 at the Waldorf Jaycees in Waldorf, MD.

The 2014 squad will be headlined by the Russell Brothers -- Gary Antonio and Gary Antuanne -- with both men looking to make history.

Antonio (123 pounds) will try to be just the third man in Beltway Boxing history to win two national titles, joining Sugar Ray Leonard (1973 and 1974) and Dana Rucker (1995 and 1997).  Antonio will be trying to join Leonard as the only men to win back-to-back titles.

Antuanne (141 pounds) will try to make history by being the fourth member of his family to win a national Golden Gloves title joining Gary, Jr (2005), Allen (2010) and Antonio (2013).  As far as we know, no family has had four national Golden Gloves champions.  When Antonio won last year, it was the first time three members of a family achieved the feat in more than 30 years.

Also on the 2014 squad will be Malik Jackson (114 pounds) who earned his spot by defeating Shakur Stevenson who recently moved to the Beltway region from New Jersey.   This is Jackson's second time on the Golden Gloves roster, however, Jackson skipped the nationals in 2013 to attend his high school graduation. Jackson is the number one ranked boxer in his weight class in the country.

Here is the rest of the Regional Golden Gloves team:

108 Pounds: Jonathan Howard, Hamstead, NC (second appearance in three years)

132 Pounds: Jalen Jones, Washington, DC

152 Pounds: Malik Hawkins, Baltimore, MD

165 Pounds: Tavon Body, Burtonsville, MD

178 Pounds: Justin Bell, Severn, MD

201 Pounds: Milik Titus, Baltimore, MD

201+ Pounds: Anthony Nembhard, College Park, MD


Here are the Novice Golden Gloves champions for 2014:

114 Pounds: Kollin Shrewsbury, Washington, DC

123 Pounds: DeWayne Beamon, Goldsboro, NC

132 Pounds: Taylor Woodland, Washington, DC

141 Pounds: Tyrek Irby, Oxon Hill, MD

152 Pounds: Maynard Allison, Newport News, VA

165 Pounds: Jauvan John, Richmond, VA

178 Pounds: Jordon Payne, Hyattsville, MD

201 Pounds: Jordan Davenport, Baltimore, MD

201+ Pounds: Carlos Black, Gaithersburg, MD

Services For David Jordan Announced!

The funeral services for DC Boxing and Wrestling Commission member and former PVA Vice President David Jordan have been announced.

The services will take place on Friday, May 2 at:

The Church of the Incarnation
880 Eastern Avenue, NE in DC.
The wake begins at 10 AM; the service starts at 11 AM.

The repast will be immediately following the service; there will be a private burial service at a later date.

Jeter Defends WBC Fecabox Title; Wilson Captures UBF All-Americas Title in Springfield!

We have results from the Jeter Promotions/RBA Promotions card at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.  For the knockdowns, we do not have times.

Tony "Mo Better" Jeter of Stevensville, MD successfully defended his WBC Fecarbox Middleweight championship with a first-round TKO of Guillermo "Bald" Valdes of Miami, FL.  Jeter makes the second successful defense of his title and bounces back from his second-round TKO loss to Patrick Nielsen in February.   Jeter is now 17-4-1, 12 KO's.  Valdes falls to 12-6, three KO's.

Alexandria, VA junior welterweight Todd "White Lightning" Wilson captured the vacant UBF All-Americas Junior Welterweight championship with a second-round TKO over Marlon Lewis of Memphis, TN.  Wilson remains undefeated at 16-0, five KO's while Lewis drops to 6-4-2, three KO's.

"The Pride of Alexandria" Brandon Quarles won a six-round unanimous decision over Norman "The Shadow" Allen of Laurel, MD in a middleweight contest.  Quarles is 13-2-1, six KO's while Allen drops to 6-11, three KO's.

For the first time in his young pro career, Bowie, MD super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom went the distance in a bout.  Odom remained undefeated with a fourth-round unanimous decision over Edgar Perez of Chicago, IL.  Odom, ranked #15 by the WBA, is now 11-0, 10 KO's.  Perez falls to 5-9, three KO's.

Lanham, MD junior welterweight "The Baby-Faced Assassin" Yurii Polischuk won a four-round unanimous decision over Benjamin "Wildcat" Olinga of DC.  Polischuk is now 4-1-1, two KO's while Olinga drops to 1-5.

Bobby Gunn, Jr. of Hackensack, NJ scored a first-round TKO in a junior middleweight contest against the debuting Gabriel Smallwood of Dover, DE.  Gunn is now 2-0, two KO's.

Heavyweight Jean Pierre Augustin of Lawrence, MA scored his first pro knockout with a first-round TKO of debuting Joseph Bowman of North Carolina.  Augustin is now 3-0, one KO.

Also on the card, Lynchburg, VA junior middleweight Joshua "Juice" Robertson scored a first-round TKO over fellow Lynchburg boxer Jamaal Davis.  Robertson is now 6-5, one KO.  Davis remains winless at 0-4.

Information For Saturday's Events Will Be Delayed Because Of A Prior Commitment!

Another big Saturday of Beltway Boxing is ahead of us today.  However, BATB will not be a part of it on this day.

Back in January, I was asked to serve as the public address announcer for the DC Divas of the Women's Football Alliance.  The Divas are at home (Prince George's Sports and Learning Center in Landover, MD) Saturday to take on the Columbus Comets at 6 PM tonight.  Neither event (The pro-am card in Springfield, VA or the Regional Golden Gloves in Waldorf, MD) had been scheduled, to my knowledge, when I was contacted by the Divas.

Therefore, I will honor my commitment to the Divas and will rely on you, the Beltway Boxing Community,  to post information about either boxing card tonight in the comments section of this post.  I also hope to get information from both sources late in the weekend to post full results early next week.  Thank you for your understanding.

Lineup and Scale Watch For April 26 in Springfield!

Here is the seven-bout lineup and scalewatch for the Jeter Promotions/RBA Promotions card on Saturday, April 26 at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA:

In the main event, Stevensville, MD middleweight Tony "Mo Better" Jeter defends his WBC Fecarbox Middleweight title against Guillermo "Bald" Valdes of Miami, FL.  Jeter (16-4-1, 11 KO's) makes his return after his second-round knockout loss to Patrick Nielsen on February 15 in Denmark.  Valdes (12-5, three KO's) takes this bout on 24 hours notice and will be trying to break a four-bout losing streak.  Valdes has not fought since being stopped in the fourth round by Dusty Hernandez Harrison on August 23 in Dover, DE.

Jeter weighed in at 160 pounds, Valdes arrived in the area after Friday's weigh-in and will hit the scales Saturday morning.

The co-feature is an eight-round contest for the vacant Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) All-Americas Junior Welterweight title. Undefeated Todd "White Lightning" Wilson of Alexandria, VA will battle Marlon Lewis of Memphis, TN. Wilson (15-0, four KO's) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision win over Reggie Nash on October 5 at the ABC Complex.  Lewis, like Jeter's opponent, Valdes, was last in the ring against Dusty Harrison in Dover, DE and was stopped in the first round on November 22.

Wilson weighed in at 140 pounds while Marlon Lewis came in at 134.

In a six-round contest, "The Pride of Alexandria" Brandon Quarles will take on Norman "The Shadow" Allen of Laurel, MD in a junior middleweight contest.  Quarles (12-2-1, five KO's) has scored first-round TKOs in his last two contests.  Allen (6-10, three knockouts) will be trying to break a nine-bout losing streak.

Quarles hit the scales at 157 while Allen weighed 152.

As we mentioned a few days ago, undefeated Bowie, MD super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom (10-0, 10 KO's) will take on Edgar Perez of Chicago, IL (5-8, three KO's).  The bout will now, however, be a four-round encounter.

Odom weighed in at 171 while Perez hit the scales at 172.

In what could be an interesting four-round junior welterweight bout, "The Baby-Faced Assassin" Yurii Polischuk of Lanham, MD will battle with DC's Benjamin "Wildcat" Olinga.  Polischuk (3-1-1, two KO's) scored a third-round TKO over Kevin Womack, Jr. in his last bout on March 7 in Fort Washington, MD.  Olinga (1-4) is coming off a four-round TKO loss to Rolando Chinea on November 23 in Baltimore, MD.  Olinga has made it to the fourth round in all of his five contests.  However, he has been stopped in the fourth twice.

Both men weighed in at 141 pounds.

In other four-round contests, junior Bobby Gunn, Jr. of Hackensack, NJ (1-0, one KO) will take on the debuting Gabriel Smallwood of Delaware.  Gunn made his pro debut on March 15 at the ABC Sports Complex and scored a first-round TKO over Delvin Gist.  Gunn weighed in at 154 while Smallwood came in at 160.

Also, Lawrence, MA heavyweight Jean Pierre Augustin (2-0) will face debuting Joseph Bowman of North Carolina.  Augustin, normally a cruiserweight, weighed in at 202 pounds while Bowman tipped the scales at 222.

Womack, Jr. Suffers Stoppage in PA!

Baltimore, MD junior welterweight Kevin "The Scarecrow" Womack, Jr. was stopped in the third round Thursday night by undefeated Arturo Trujillo of Easton, PA at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, PA.

According to noted boxing writer Jack Obermayer, Womack faced a very tall opponent who was very busy.  In the third round, Trujillo launched a volley that dropped Womack to the canvas.  Womack did get up at six but was ruled unfit to continue and the bout was stopped at 2:05.

Womack has now lost two straight by knockout and is winless in his last six contests. His record is now 4-5-1, two KO's.  Trujillo is now 5-0, three KO's.

Williams Stops Ornelas in Three!

Fort Washington, MD light heavyweight Thomas "Top Dog" Williams, Jr. maintained his winning ways tonight at the Agua Caliente Casino Resort in Rancho Mirage, CA scoring a third-round TKO over Enrique Ornelas.

Williams, the NABO Light Heavyweight champion, showed a nationally-televised ESPN2 audience good power as he dropped Ornelas with a left in the second round then used two rights and a left to finish the job at 2:48 in the third.

Williams raised his record to 17-0, 12 KO's and is ranked sixth in the world by the WBO, 10th by the IBF and 11th by the WBC.  Ornelas dropped to 34-9, 22 KO's.

Reflections on the Fifteen-Year Anniversary of 'Triple Jeopardy!'

Today is an historic day in the annals of Beltway Boxing -- especially for Washington, DC proper.

Today is the 15th anniversary of one of the most interesting boxing cards DC has hosted in the last 30 years.  I call it interesting because while it was a showcase card for local talent in a brand new area location, it was also intended to be a showcase for something else that didn't quite work.

April 24, 1999 was the night for the "Triple Jeopardy" boxing card promoted by Don King Promotions.  It was the first night of pro boxing in the new MCI (now Verizon) Center in downtown DC.  The card featured three world title bouts -- all with local significance.  The main event was an all-Maryland affair as WBA Junior Welterweight champion "Little Big Man" Sharmba Mitchell of Takoma Park defended his title against Clinton, MD's Reggie "Showtime" Green.  The co-feature saw Keith Holmes get back the WBC Middleweight title from Hasine Cherifi.  Also, future International Boxing Hall of Famer Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson win his second world title, capturing the vacant IBF Junior Bantamweight championship with a win over Ratanachai Sor Vorapin.

Other locals on the card were Jerry "The Technician" Ballard, Antonio "Starchild" Reese and Sammy Retta.   Also, legendary women's champion Christy Martin participated on this card.

At the time of this card, DC was willingly being used as a guinea pig for the "something else" that ended up not working -- the concept of "open scoring."  If you remember, the boxing world was still gnashing its collective teeth over the horrible scoring shown in the world heavyweight title bout between Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield on March 13, 1999 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  That bout went to a highly disputed draw in large part because judge Eugenia Williams saw the bout for Holyfield 115-113, a score that gave Williams the same treatment that current judges CJ Ross and, to a lesser extent, Gustavo Padilla are receiving today.    

Don King made a big deal in looking to rid the improprieties of judging in the sport by deciding to make the scores known to the fans in the arena and to those watching the three title bouts on Showtime TV.  However, three of the four major governing bodies were represented and boxing, being what it was (and is), saw that the WBA, WBC and IBF could not agree on one version of open scoring.  The Mitchell-Green (WBA) bout had the scores announced after every round, Holmes-Cherifi (WBC) had the scores related at the sixth round and the Johnson -Vorapin (IBF) contest, had the scores announced after the fourth, eighth and 12th rounds.

I probably did more interviews in that one night than ever before because the open scoring was a major topic of debate.  Talking to folks like Shannon Briggs, Henry Akinwande and our own local legend Simon Brown produced some great opinions.

Since Holmes stopped Cherifi in the seventh round, the open scoring wasn't a big issue in their bout. However, in the Johnson-Vorapin contest, Johnson told reporters afterwards that he coasted in the final round because he knew he was well ahead on points.  Mitchell won by a majority decision over Green which would have normally caused the type of suspense we ended up having in the main event last Saturday at the DC Armory.  However, since the fans knew what the score was, most simply left the arena immediately after the final bell.

Open scoring was seen as a dismal failure that night, but the concept and DC's willingness to at least try it, put the spotlight on the Nation's Capitol in an overall positive light.

A couple of personal postscripts on this evening.  I went to the locker room to interview Mark Johnson after he won his title.  There were other reporters there waiting to talk with the now two-division champion.  However, once Johnson and his father Ham saw me, they allowed me to get the first interview alone.  I am still very grateful for that.

The second postscript was an interview I missed out on and never had a chance to get back. In fact, I missed everything about Jerry Ballard that evening.  I got to the card a little late and just missed Ballard's second round demolition of Garing Lane.  In fact, when I arrived at the venue, the paramedics were getting ready to cart Lane out of the arena on a stretcher.  

I've told this part of the story before.  At the post-fight press conference at the end of the evening, I was getting ready to interview Ballard about his win when King started the conference.  It would be the last time I would see Ballard alive -- less than four months later, he would be murdered.

Like this past Saturday, the Triple Jeopardy card was a landmark card for Washington, DC and would lead to more title cards in the city.  Exactly five months after this card -- September 24, 1999 -- DC would host another Don King card featuring Keith Holmes defending his title against Andrew Council and William Joppy defending his WBA Middleweight title in the third bout against Julio Cesar Green.  There was hope that Holmes would try and unify against Joppy but we know that didn't happen.

Williams Weighs 175 In CA; Womack Hits 150 in PA!

Thomas Williams, Jr. hit the scales at 175 pounds for his 10-round co-feature contest against Enrique Ornelas at the Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Rancho Mirage, CA.  Ornelas weighed in at 174.  The bout will be shown live tonight on ESPN2.  The telecast begins at 9 PM ET.

By the way, Gervonta Davis is no longer on this card.

Meanwhile at the Sands Event Center in Bethlehem, PA.  Kevin Womack, Jr. weighed in at 150 for his four-round contest against Arthur Trjuillo tonight.  Trujillo did not weigh in yesterday and is slated to weigh in today.

Book Review: Mexican American Boxing in Los Angeles by Gene Aguilera

By Randy De La O

“To a boxing fan, it is the greatest sport in the world. A boxer is an isolated gladiator in the ring, no teammates to help out, only your opponent stands in front of you. Promoter George Parnassus said “In boxing it is one man by himself, against one man, all alone. That is what it comes down to, does it not, to know which man is the best?” An understated irony is that one minute you are at war and the next minute you are hugging like best of friends, like turning off a light switch” - Gene Aguilera


Mexican American Boxing in Los Angeles by Gene Aguilara is a like a walk down memory lane for me  and it is long overdue. Los Angeles fighters, and West Coast fighters in general have become synonymous with courage and  heart. The rich history of boxing in Los Angeles is on par with any city in America. Gene Aguilera brings that history to the forefront for boxing fans.

Aguilera's book is a pictorial history of Mexican Americans boxers in Los Angeles but it is much more than than that; with stories, bios and notations with every photo, he covers the gamut of boxing in L.A., from the early 1900 to the present day, from Aurelio Herrera, Mexican Joe Rivers and Whittier's own, Bert Colima to mid century fighters like; Manuel Ortiz, Enrique Bolanos and Art Aragon, and beyond. It stands as a definitive reference book.

I suppose, like most fight fans, I look at the era that I grew up with as the most meaningful and personal and that would be from the 1960's and up. All the familiar names are there; Mando Ramos, Rodolfo “El Gato” Gonzalez, Bobby Chacon, Danny “Little Red” Lopez, Herman Montes (Herman is on the cover of the book), John Montes, Frankie Baltazar Jr. and Tony Baltazar. Some were champs, some were contenders but they all fought their hearts out for their fans. The great fight venues are also covered in this book; The Forum, The Hollywood Legion Stadium, the Olympic Auditorium and more. The author gives us an up close and personal view of the fight town that is Los Angeles.

I enjoyed this book and I understand the author's passion. I recommend Mexican American Boxing in Los Angeles to any and all boxing aficionados,. You do not have to be Mexican American to enjoy this book. Do yourself a favor and get a copy.

Mr. Aguilera wiil be signing his book, along with his special guest, Herman Montes and other  boxers from  Los Angeles' past, Saturday, May 3 at 3:00pm - 5:00pm, at Chevalier's Books, located at 126 N Larchmont Blvd, West Hollywood, California 90004

WBA #15 Ranked Jerry Odom Added to April 26 Card in Springfield!

Undefeated Bowie, MD super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom has been added to the Jeter Promotions/RBA Promotions card on Saturday, April 26 at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA.

In less than two years, Odom (10-0, 10 KO's) has reached the #15 ranking by the WBA.  Odom is coming off a first-round TKO of Douglas Otieno Okola on April 4 in Parsippany, NJ.  Eight of Odom's 10 KO's have been in the first round.

Odom will face Edgar Perez of Chicago, IL in a six-round encounter.  Perez (5-8, three KO's) has faced some tough competition in his last eight bouts including Jermall Charlo, Boyd Melson and Odom's fellow GH3 Promotions boxer Antoine Douglas.  The last eight boxers Perez has faced have a combined won-loss record of 68-3-1.

We are still waiting on word about bouts for this card featuring the likes of Tony Jeter and Todd Wilson.

Williams Jr. Has ESPN2 Date April 24 in California!

NABO Light Heavyweight champion Thomas "Top Dog" Williams, Jr. of Fort Washington, MD will take part in a non-title 10-round contest against veteran Enrique Ornelas of La Habra, CA on Thursday, April 24 at the Aqua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, CA.  The bout will be the co-feature on a special Thursday night edition of ESPN2's Friday Night Fights.

This will be the fourth straight TV appearance for the undefeated Williams (16-0, 11 KO's) and if it's anything like his last appearance, it should be exciting.  Williams faced Cornelius White on ESPN2 exactly three months ago on January 24 in Shelton, WA and scored a first-round TKO dropping White twice in the round and suffering a knockdown in the process.

Ornelas (34-8, 22 KO's) is a former two-time world title contender who hasn't fought since May of 2013 when he won a seventh-round TKO over Issac Mendez in Cancun, MX.

David Jordan, PVA and DC Commission Official, Passes!

(photo courtesy of Brent Bovell)

Unfortunately, we end what has been a glorious Beltway Boxing weekend on a very sad note.

BATB has learned that long-time DC Boxing and Wrestling Commission and Potomac Valley Association official David Jordan passed away this afternoon.  No official word yet as to the reason for his passing.  Mr. Jordan is on the left in this photo with one of his mentees, Brent Bovell.

Mr. Jordan was involved as a judge and inspector on numerous DC boxing cards over an almost 30-year career, including last night's Bernard Hopkins-Beibut Shumenov card at the DC Armory.

Mr. Jordan's first love, however, was the amateurs where he served as a referee, judge and a former vice president of the Potomac Valley Association of USA Boxing.

This is a tremendous loss.  I normally arrive to a boxing card in DC about an hour before bell time.  Usually, one of the first people I would get a chance to talk with at that early time would be David Jordan.  I'm going to cherish the many conversations he and I had over these many years about the state of boxing in this area.  He was such a nice man and my deepest condolences go out to his family and the DC Boxing community.

More info on Mr. Jordan as it comes in.

Postcript From Saturday Night At the Armory!

Just decided to put down some thoughts from last night at the DC Armory.

Simply put, it was an amazing night. The crowd was, at many times, electric, especially during the main event. The attendance of 6,823 was as large of a number as I have seen since the Lamont Peterson-Amir Khan championship bout that drew 8,647 to the Washington Convention Center in December of 2011.

The DC Boxing and Wrestling Commission deserves a heap of praise for their handling of the event. Their referees throughout the night -- Kenny Chevalier (who refereed the Quillin-Konecny title bout), Sharon Sands, Dr. Joe Cooper, Mark D'Antillo and David Braslow did an outstanding job.

Any of the local judges -- Tammye Jenkins, Wayne Smith, Paul Wallace, Manuel Vincens and Steve Rados (who was a judge for Quillin-Konecny) -- can replace Gustavo Padilla right now!

Everyone involved with the DC Commission was exceptional and proved to the boxing world that DC is ready for a big step further into the mainstream of the boxing world.

I've never agreed when people say "boxing is back in DC." Boxing never went away from DC. It's always been here. What was proven Saturday night that we can handle the big challenges of a major boxing night and I really do believe great bouts are coming our way in the not too distant future!

Bear with me for one more personal postscript: For those who don't know, there is a pecking order in press row. The first row of seats are usually for deadline media and the bigger media outlets. All other rows are for fringe media and boxing websites. Last night, I (representing Fightnews.com primarily and Boxing Along the Beltway secondarily) was on the front row alongside the likes of The Washington Post, The Washington Times, The Ring and ESPN.com. It was a true honor to sit among those that I have admired and respected for so long like Lem Satterfield, Dan Rafael, Thom Loverro, Gene Wang and Kieran Mulvaney! I'd like to think it is a testament to the years I've put in covering this great sport in this great part of the country. It was very humbling!

Once again, DC can feel very proud of itself as it may have, indeed, turned the corner to being a great fight town.  There is talk of another big show coming to the Nation's Capitol sometime this summer. With the number of great young boxers we have in this area, it may truly be just a matter of time!

Armory Attendance Announcement!

The official attendance for tonight's card at the DC Armory: 

6,823.

Roach Wins Unanimous Decision In Pro Debut!

Lamont Roach, Jr. has won his pro debut with a solid four-round unanimous decision over a very tough Victor Galindo.

Roach hit Galindo with numerous combinations throughout the contest.  Galindo wobbled on a couple of occasions but managed to stay upright.  Roach won by shutout, 40-36 on all three cards.  Galindo's record is now 1-4, one KO.

My work is done here for tonight.  Enjoy the telecast!

Grayton Stops Reece In One!

David Grayton has scored a first-round TKO over Howard Reece.  Grayton actually took a right hand from Reece before sneaking in a left hand of his own that dropped Reece.

Later in the round, Grayton pounded Reece until referee David Braslow stopped the contest at 1:58.

Grayton is now 7-0, six KO's.  Reece is 2-5, one KO.

The pro debut of Upper Marlboro, MD's Lamont Roach, Jr. is next as he faces Victor Galindo of Ponce, PR.  Four rounds, lightweights.

Grayton Bout Heading To The Ring!

It looks like David "Day-Day" Grayton's bout will take place here at the DC Armory.  Grayton (6-0, five KO's) will take on Howard Reece of Miami, FL in a four-round welterweight contest.

We are still about 40 minutes from the start of the main Showtime telecast, so it looks good at this point for Grayton and Lamont Roach, Jr. to get their bouts in.

Ballard Wins Ugly Second-Round TKO!

D'Mitrius Ballard scored a rather unconventional technical knockout over Quincy Miner.  Ballard pressured Miner throughout the contest.  In the second round, Miner tried to roughhouse in return and actually tackled Ballard in the process.  However, Miner injured his arm in the process.

It didn't look like referee Sharon Sands took Miner's injury seriously.  Miner gamely tried to fight back but after another clinch where Ballard pushed Miner to the canvas, Miner didn't get back up and the bout was stopped at 2:35 of the second round.

Ballard is now 5-0, four KO's while Miner drops to 3-5.

We will stop blogging at this point as the Showtime Extreme telecast gets ready to start.  By the way, in the feature contest on the Extreme telecast, look for a familiar face in the corner of Michael Clark, who will challenge Sadam Ali for the NABO Welterweight title.  Legendary Baltimore trainer and promoter Jake "The Snake" Smith will be in Clark's corner.

If the two other local bouts take place, we will let you know.  Enjoy the rest of the card, everybody!

Grayton, Roach, Jr. Contests Are Now Swing Bouts!

We are learning that the bouts featuring David "Day-Day" Grayton and Lamont Roach, Jr. are now swing bouts which will go on depending on how quickly the Showtime Extreme contests go.  We will keep you posted.

Wade Scores Crushing Second-Round TKO!

Dominic Wade scored a solid second-round TKO over Marcus Upshaw.  After a first round where Wade put on good pressure on his opponent, he finished the job with a beautiful right hand that crumpled Upshaw to the canvas.  Upshaw beat referee Mark D'Antillo's count but was ruled unfit to continue.  The bout was stopped at 2:41 of the second.

Wade is now 15-0, 11 KO's.  Upshaw drops to 15-12-2, seven KO's.

Scheduled next: D'Mitrius Ballard of Temple Hills, MD (4-0, three KO's) battles Quincy Miner of St. Louis, MO (3-4).  Six rounds, super middleweights.

Valderrama Upsets Alexander in Opening Contest!

A minor upset in our opening contest as Jose Valderrama won a four-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Chris Alexander.

The bout was even until the third round when Valderrama unleashed a right hand that staggered and eventually dropped Alexander.  Later in the round, a Valderrama left hand did more damage to Alexander, knocking him down for a second time.  Alexander managed to survive the round.

Valderrama won by three scores of 38-36 to raise his record to 4-7, three KO's.  Alexander is now 4-1, four KO's.

Next up: Dominic "Lights Out" Wade of Largo, MD (14-0, 10 KO's) battles Marcus Upshaw of Jacksonville, FL (15-11-2, seven KO's). Eight rounds, middleweights.

Good Evening From The DC Armory!

Hi again, everyone from the DC National Guard Armory for the early part of the "History In The Capitol" card. 

The first bout is heading to the ring as we speak.  Chris "The Dentist" Alexander of Norfolk, VA (4-0, four KO's) faces Jose Valderrama of Arecibo, PR (3-7, three KO's).  Four rounds, lightweights.

Remember, we'll be blogging only the non-televised portion of the card this evening.

Dozier Drops Decision in PA; Whitlock Bout Scratched in NY!

Two more updates from what was a very busy Beltway Boxing Friday night in and out of the area.

Glen Burnie, MD welterweight Lenwood "Mr. Composure" Dozier lost an eight-round unanimous decision to Yudel Jhonson of Miami, FL in Monroeville, PA.  Jhonson dropped Dozier in the first round and went on to win an 80-71 decision on all three scorecards.

Dozier's loss breaks a two-bout winning streak and his record is now 9-6-1, four KO's.  Jhonson is now 15-1, nine KO's.

The bout for DC junior welterweight Cornelius "The Bodysnatcher" Whitlock in Verona, NY was scratched at the last minute.  Originally slated to be the opening bout on the televised portion of the card, the bout against Eric Johnson was turned into a swing bout that didn't take place.

As we already posted, Baltimore, MD middleweight Cecil McCalla won a six-round unanimous decision on the undercard.

Reed Stops Canales After Four!

Mike Reed put together another dominating performance in stopping Regino Canales after four rounds.

As we post this, Canales is being taken out of the ring on a stretcher after suffering what looked like a seizure
moments after the bout ended.  Canales finished the bout on his feet but then collapsed to the canvas.

During the contest, Reed increased his output each round and landed crushing body and head shots.  At the end of the fourth, ringside doctor John Stiller told referee Brent Bovell to halt the contest. 

Reed raises his record to 9-0, six KO's.  Canales drops to 6-5, two KO's.

We come right back tomorrow night from the DC Armory.  Until then, good night from Rosecroft.

UPDATE:  Keystone Boxing is reporting that Canales was treated and released this morning from Prince George's County Hospital.  Our best wishes go out to Canales and his family.

Grant Wins Unanimous Decision!

Terron Grant has won a six-round unanimous decision over Alberto Candaleria in tonight's co-feature at Rosecroft.

Grant showed a solid jab and won most of the clinches inside.  Candaleria lost two points for holding during the contest.  Brent Bovell scored a shutout, 60-52, Paul Wallace, 59-53.  Steve Rados scored the bout a little closer at 57-55.

Grant remains undefeated at 9-0, four KO's.  Candelaria is now 3-2-1, two KO's.

Intermission followed by the main event:  Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed of Waldorf, MD (8-0, five KO's) takes on Regino Canales of Bayamon, Puerto Rico (6-4, two KO's).  Six rounds, junior welterweights.

Fox Wins Unanimous Decision In Pro Debut!

Mykal Fox looked solid in his pro debut with a dominant performance in his win over the equally debuting David Ruiz.

Fox did a nice job in using his height throughout the bout with his jab keeping Ruiz at bay.  Later in the bout, Ruiz would try to go macho on Fox, but Fox maintained his composure.

Co-feature is next: Terron "Kid" Grant of White Plains, MD (8-0, five KO's) vs. Alberto Candaleria (3-1-1, two KO's).  Six rounds, lightweights.

Quigley Wins Unanimous Decision Over King!

Gerome Quigley has won a four-round unanimous decision over Dontre King.  Quigley landed some solid shots in the third round with both hands. 

Late in the bout, another Quigley right hand sent King into deep survival mode and Quigley won a shutout on all three cards, 40-36.

Quigley is now 3-0, two KO's.  King falls to 7-16-2, three KO's.

Next: The pro debut of Forestville, MD's Mykal "The Professor" Fox as he takes on the debuting David Ruiz of San Antonio, TX. Four rounds, lightweights.

Wright Wins Majority Decision Over Game Vargas!

Good, tough majority decision win for Tyrone Wright over a very game Enrique Vargas.

Wright controlled the first two rounds of the contest with a solid jab and right hook.  Vargas battled back very nicely in the second half of the bout and did get a draw on judge Paul Wallace's card, 38-38.  However, judges Brent Bovell and Steve Rados saw the contest 39-37.

Wright is now 2-1.  Vargas was making his pro debut.

The only all-Beltway bout of the card is next: Gerome Quigley of Gaithersburg, MD (2-0, two KO's) takes on Cambridge, MD's Dontre "Pound For Pound' King (7-15-2, three KO's).  Four rounds, welterweights.

Braxton Wins Unanimous Decision Over Gabriel!

In a fun bout to open the card, Gabriel Braxton has won a unanimous decision over Rodrigo Gabriel.  Braxton dropped Gabriel to one knee midway through the first round.

Neither man showed much defense and both men landed solid shots throughout.  The knockdown proved to be the difference as all three judges scored the bout 39-36.

Gabriel suffered his first pro loss and he is 1-1.  Braxton scored his first pro win and he is 1-2.

Next up: Tyrone "Showtime" Wright of DC (1-1) takes on the debuting Enrique Vargas of Reading, PA by way of Puerto Rico.  Four rounds, lightweights.

Good Evening From Fort Washington, MD!

Good evening from Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD for tonight's Keystone Boxing card as we continue this big week of Beltway Boxing cards.  We will be getting underway very shortly.

We've learned that Randallstown, MD middleweight Cecil McCalla has remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Antonio Chavez Fernandez of Brockton, MA at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY. McCalla scored a shutout across the board, 60-54. 

McCalla is now 18-0, six KO's.  Fernandez falls to 4-17-2.  This is the same card that Cornelius Whitlock will be on later this evening.

We are now underway with our first bout of the evening -- Rodrigo Gabriel of Frederick, MD (1-0) vs Gabriel Braxton of Ellenwood, GA (0-2).  Four rounds, junior bantanweights.

Golden Boy Wins Bid To Promote Gary Russell Title Bout!

It's already been a good weekend for Golden Boy Promotions.  Of course, they have the card in DC on Saturday.  Now comes word that Golden Boy has won a purse bid to promote a title bout for the vacant WBO Featherweight title between Capitol Heights, MD's "Mr." Gary Russell, Jr. and Vasyl Lomanchenko.

Golden Boy outbid Top Rank by a mere $2,500 ($1,052,000 to $1,050,000) to win the right to promote the contest.  WBO President Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel told Lem Satterfield that the bout will be held on June 21 at a venue in Los Angeles, CA.

Weights From Washington, DC!

Here is the scale watch for the Golden Boy Promotions "History At The Capitol" card at the DC Armory in Washington, DC:

Bouts featuring Beltway/Regional Boxers:

Lamont Roach, Jr. 134 vs. Victor Galindo 143

David Grayton 148 vs. Howard Reece 149

D'Mitrius Ballard 168 vs. Quincy Miner 165

Dominic Wade 163 vs. Marcus Upshaw 157

Chris Alexander 135 vs. Jose Valderrama 139

The rest of the card:

Bernard Hopkins 172 vs. Beibut Shumenov 174
(IBF/WBA Light Heavyweight titles)

Shawn Porter 147 vs. Paulie Malignaggi 146
(IBF Welterweight title)

Peter Quillin 160 vs. Lukas Konecny 158
(WBO Middleweight title)

Sadam Ali 146 1/4 vs. Michael Clark 144
(Vacant NABO Welterweight title)

Zachary Ochoa 139 1/2 vs. Hector Marengo 140 1/4

Marcus Browne 174 vs. Otis Griffin 176

We have been told that the first bout (Alexander-Valderrama) will begin at 5 PM at the Armory.  BATB is only going to live blog the first five bouts of the night.  Those are all the bouts that feature local boxers and they will not be televised.

The Ali-Clark, Ochoa-Marengo and Browne-Griffin contest are going to be shown on the Showtime Extreme channel beginning at 7 PM ET

The world title bouts will be shown on Showtime Championship Boxing starting at 9 PM.  Since these six bouts will be televised, there is no reason to live blog those.

Hope to see you all at the Armory tomorrow night!

Main Eventers Ready to Go Saturday in DC!

(photo by Julian Burgower)

The boxers competing in the three world title bouts on Saturday April 19 at the DC Armory made their final comments at a press conference today at the Hamilton Hotel in DC.  Here's a report courtesy of my Fightnews.com colleague Julian Burgower:

Bernard Hopkins wanted to make something very clear today at the final press conference for his light heavyweight title unification showdown with fellow champion Beibut Shumenov- he is not just fighting for a belt. Hopkins has been fighting for glittery trinkets to hang around his waist since the Kazakh Olympian was a mere 10 years old. What he fights for is legend.

“This is really a defense of my legacy. Yes, belts are nice. They are nice when you are younger because you have to establish that foundation. My foundation has been laid down years ago. And you build off the foundation. You get what you put in most of the time and then you have the time when you have to fight for what you want. So I just want everybody to know that this is an opportunity for me to show that no matter what age, even though age is a factor a lot of ways in sports, but to represent the 40 and up club which is very much alive in the world…to have a fan base with the 40 and up club, boxing fans and non-boxing fans- they are backing me. They’re supporting me. They’re praying for me. So I go and train understanding that it’s not just for me and not just for my family or my bank account or any of the things that I have already achieved almost two decades ago. I ask you to enjoy everything that’s going to take place while
it’s taking place. A lot of times we even take our personal achievements for granted. Relationships, sports, jobs, good friends, good people, good business people, and we don’t really appreciate it until we get treated the opposite way. So I feel like everybody should know that come April 19th, you will be inspired by me.”

“The Alien,” as Hopkins now calls himself, understands that with every fight the storyline backdrops to his age-defying feats. As he discusses all the hard work, training and clean living that keeps his nearly 50 year old mind and body sharp, Hopkins still indicates that he has the outlook of another former middleweight champion, Marvelous Marvin Hagler- WAR.

“The work I’ve put in all these years has already been said. You know about it…what am I going to come up here and tell you? So I have to now tell you how I feel…I don’t get too spiritual when it’s time for war. Once I lay down everything that I train and prayed for I leave it in the back because I understand it’s covered because without work and just praying you’re a fool. One works the other. You can ask and you can be on your knees and you can hope and do all these things but if you don’t go out and put the work in, it’s all talk. And we all know that humans can talk more than they can show and prove. That’s the credibility part that I have. So as I talk and you listen, understand my foundation wasn’t necessarily built in 1988 when I lost my first professional fight. And then went on and went 12 consecutive years of being undefeated and won 20 defenses. By the numbers he [Shumenov] was in pampers. I know he’s
coming to fight. The best in him will bring out the very best in me. I want him to come and to try and win every round. I want him to do this because if he doesn’t do this, then you won’t see the best in me. Now, I will do what I have to do, don’t get me wrong."

Hopkins went on to say that he hopes Shumenov comes to fight because he doesn’t want to be portrayed as a bully due to Shumenov’s short list of fights as a professional and his lack of U.S. exposure.

Switching gears, Hopkins, also questioned previous comments made by Shumenov about willing to lay down his life in the ring.

Shumenov, 14-1 (9), was quick to respond to Hopkins’ doubt of his fighting heart.

“First of all, it’s a great honor fighting you. I have a lot of respect for you. But if you are mistaken if you think I am just fighting a 50 year old fighter. My priority is not about the money. The most important thing I am fighting for is the honor and for the glory. To be the best. To be acknowledged as a great fighter. This is a great opportunity for me and that’s right, I am fighting. I am preparing for this fight like it is my last fight. I am ready to die to get the victory and you will see that. I am a man of my word, so you will see a great fight. For this kind of moment I’ve been dreaming all my life. I was ready to fight at this level for several years. All the hard work and preparation has been done. I am fighting with one the greatest fighters ever, a legend who beat other legends. So, I am ready to show the rest of the world what I am capable of. That I am the best light heavyweight in the world.

Two additional championship bouts are also being featured on the card that is billed as “History at the Capital.” WBO middleweight champion Peter Quillin, 30-0 (22), being challenged by Lukas Konecny, 50-4 (23) and welterweight Paulie Malignaggi, 33-5 (7), looking to capture his third world title against IBF Champion Shawn Porter, 23-0-1 (14).

Lukas Konecny: “I was speaking to peter Quillin before for a few minutes and he is a really good guy. I expect a hard fight but a fair fight. It’s only boxing and I want to win. I have the most experience and I think there will be a confrontation between the European and the U.S. boxing style. Of course the best one will win…I hope it will be me and good luck to both.”

Peter Quillin: “…I want to thank my opponent Lukas just for coming and giving me an opportunity. I’m not asking for a victory, I’m just asking for a fair fight. That’s what it’s all about. That’s why I chose to be a professional fighter- but if we were in the street it would be different. This is an important thing for me to be here with you guys and the many faces that I’ve seen over the years that are still here smiling and that I’m making them smile….all these great people. I just hope that I can keep doing the same thing over and over again. I’m going to defend my title with so much pride, no ego, but just my pride for ways about myself. The hard work and determination. The sacrifice- what got me here is the most important part of boxing for me. It’s my therapy. I go in the gym and I may not have much control outside of the ring of what people say and how people view me but when I’m in that ring I can create and
do whatever I want. Nobody can take that away from me and I won’t let nobody take that away. I’m going to keep defending my belt in the same manner to show that I’m just inspiring people to do better in their life. I’m not telling you to become a professional boxer, I’m just saying just be happy with yourself. Learn to value yourself…thank you for the opportunity to fight here in DC and the athletic commission here who made this such a tremendous card. This is my first time in DC and I’m just so inspired to be here…I think my name is going to be “The Capital Kid.”

Paulie Malignaggi: “I’m very happy to have the team around me from top to bottom that I have now and they’ve allowed me to excel. It’s unbelievable when you can focus on just boxing and the amount of strides and progress that you can make with no other headaches. It’s how I’ve kind of been feeling of late so it’s something to be really thankful for. I know that over the course of the years unfortunately that the viewpoint of the media towards me is more ‘how does this guy keep sticking around?’ as opposed to appreciating what I do. The fact that I have outlasted almost every single fighter that they hyped more than me, that I have been continuing to excel at the highest level of the sport regardless of the naysaying that they do consistently. And again, instead of seeing the qualities in me as a fighter you keep saying ‘how is this guy still around?’ as if it should be a surprise and you are surprised. If you would take the
blinders out your damn eyes you actually see a quality fighter and you’ll understand that quality that I am as a fighter and if you guys were as much of experts as you claim to be you would see the little subtleties and the little improvements that I continue to make every year and he changes to my style year to year. Especially as I’ve got with Eric Brown. But, of course you guys are experts and you guys already see that. I think a chance to win a third world championship against a very hungry world champion- I think Shawn Porter is different than a lot of champions because he’s a champion but I think he remains with that hungry attitude like he’s a challenger. To take away a belt from a guy like that makes it all the more difficult to challenge them because it becomes a game of skill but also a game of will. I think I’ve proven through the years that I have a lot of both and I think that Shawn porter is slowly proving that he has a lot
of both as well. I think this makes it a very intriguing matchup and I think what’s at stake-the championship of the world- the winner is very deserving to get that title. At the days end, we’re both very hungry. I feel that I’m the more talented fighter. Not that Shawn is not talented, but I feel like I’m the more talented fighter. I feel like I’m the more intelligent fighter. Not that Shawn’s not intelligent, but again, I feel like what I have in my back pocket is more than what he has in his pocket….I’ve had a great camp and I’ve heard that Shawn’s had a great camp too from some of the things he’s said so may the best man win Saturday night and become the welterweight champion- I look forward to it.”

Shawn Porter: I’m going to take a different approach. Normally I would come up here and you know I go by the name ‘Showtime’ and I would get the crowd going and wake you all or Bernard and all that. I’m going to be short and I’m going to be to the point…I want to touch on what Mr. Schaeffer said, that it’s not the Porter way (to take an easy voluntary defense opponent). We could have taken any challenger. We could have taken a lessor opponent. I could have fought two more months from now- I just fought in December- but that’s not the Porter way. We work hard. We have high expectations. Team porter has high expectations. At team porter we challenge ourselves…the entire team. We talk day in and day out about the game plan, we send notes to one another every single day. We work extremely hard. We diet together. You know, I lost a lot of weight for this fight and I feel really good right now. The weight’s great…we work
hard. We’re blessed. We understand what position we are in today and we understand what position we are going to be when we get into the ring with Paulie Malignaggi. We’re in a privileged position- we have a world championship belt. We’re privileged to have that belt. We’re going to defend it with honor. We’re going to defend it with everything we have. All the heart, all the will. All the skill. We’re bringing all that to the ring. We know what Paulie is bringing to the ring…it’s going to be a great exciting night of boxing.”


Also attending the event was Marvis Frazier, who presented Hopkins with a plaque in appreciation for his hand in constructing a statue of his father, the late former heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, in their hometown of Philadelphia.  (Note: Marvis Frazier now makes his home in DC.)

Weights From Rosecroft!

Here is the scale watch for the Keystone Boxing card on Friday, April 18 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD:

Mike Reed 141 1/2 vs. Regino Canales 142 1/2

Terron Grant 130 vs. Alberto Candaleria 132

Gerome Quigley 148 1/2 vs. Dontre King 148

Mykal Fox 137 1/2 vs. David Ruiz 138 1/2

Rodrigo Gabriel 118 1/2 vs. Gabriel Braxton 118 1/2

Tyrone Wright 135 1/2 vs. Enrique Vargas 135 1/2

The card begins at 7:30 PM

Whitlock Weighs 145 For ESPN2 Opener in Verona, NY!

Cornelius Whitlock weighed in at 145 pounds for his four-round contest that will open the ESPN2 card Friday night at Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY.  Whitlock's opponent, Greg Jackson, tipped the scales at 144.

The Friday Night Fights card begins at 9 PM ET.

Fight Journal's Brandi Miller Interviews Mike Reed!

As we get ready for this big Beltway Boxing weekend, we also take an opportunity to welcome a new member of the Beltway Boxing press corps.

Her name is Brandi Miller and she writes for The Fight Journal. as well as Eastside Boxing. A little bit about Brandi:  She is a former amateur boxer who trained at Upton Gym in Baltimore.  Also, she is a recent graduate of Coppin State University in Baltimore.  Although our paths had crossed in the past, we had never formally met until this past Saturday at the Patapsco Arena.

Miller has hit the ground running with some solid interviews with some big names in the business including both Bernard Hopkins and Beibut Shumenov as well as Luis Collazo.  You can find those interviews by going to the Fight Journal at http://thefightjournal.com/

Miller also recently interviewed undefeated Waldorf, MD junior welterweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed prior to his bout Friday night vs. Regino Canales at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.

Here's that interview:

Full Card Announced For Rosecroft April 18!

Barring last-minute changes, here is the entire Keystone Boxing card for Friday, April 18 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD:

Main event: Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed (8-0, five KO's), Waldorf, MD vs. Regino Canales (6-4, two KO's), Caguas, Puerto Rico.  Six rounds, junior welterweights.

Co-feature: Terron "Kid" Grant (8-0, four KO's), White Plains, MD vs. Alberto Candelaria (3-1-1, two KO's), Miami, FL. Six rounds, lightweights.

Gerome Quigley (2-0, two KO's), Montgomery Village, MD vs. Dontre "Pound For Pound" King (7-15-2, three KO's), Cambridge, MD.  Four rounds, welterweights.  King is a last-minute sub for James Gooding of Tampa, FL who took a bout on April 10 in New York and was knocked out in the second round.

Mykal "The Professor" Fox (pro debut), Forestville, MD vs. David Ruiz (pro debut), San Antonio, TX. Four rounds, junior welterweights.

Rodrigo Gabriel (1-0), Frederick, MD vs. Gabriel Braxton (0-2), Atlanta, GA.  Four rounds, junior bantamweights.

Tyrone Wright (1-1), Washington, DC vs. Enrique Vargas (pro debut), East Reading, PA.  Four rounds, lightweights.

We say barring any last-minute changes because at this late hour, there are still no opponents for Beltway Boxers Jarrett Hurd, Kevin Rivers, Jr. and Marq Johns. Again, barring a late change, that will be the case and they will not participate on the card.

Beltway Boxing Weekend Update: Whitlock on ESPN2 From Verona, NY with McCalla on Undercard; Dozier on Undercard in Monroeville, PA; Opponents Named For Browne and Alexander in DC!

There's a lot of movement here and elsewhere involving Beltway Boxers and Beltway Boxing cards slated for this coming weekend.

BATB has learned that undefeated DC junior welterweight Cornelius "The Bodysnatcher" Whitlock will open an ESPN2 telecast from the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY on Friday, April 18.  Whitlock (3-0-2, two KO's) will face fellow undefeated boxer Greg Jackson of Philadelphia, PA (3-0-1, one KO) in a four-round contest.

Whitlock, a Banner Promotions signee, is coming off back-to-back first round TKO victories -- the last one taking place in just 35 seconds against Luis Castillo on February 21 in Laughlin, NV.  Jackson hasn't fought since a four-round majority draw with Jimmy Williams on August 3 in Uncasville, CT.

Undefeated Baltimore, MD middleweight Cecil McCalla is also slated to appear on this card in a non-televised contest.  McCalla (17-0, six KO's) won a six-round unanimous decision over Eric Mitchell in his last contest on January 31 in West Orange, NJ.  McCalla is slated to take on Antonio Chaves Fernandez of Brockton, MA (4-16-2) in a six-round bout but that opponent may change.

Also on Friday, April 18, Glen Burnie, MD welterweight Lenwood "Mr. Composure" Dozier will be in an eight-round contest at the Monroeville Convention Center in Monroeville, PA.  Dozier (9-5-1, four KO's) will ride a two-bout winning streak into this bout against Yudel Jhonson of Miami, FL by way of Cuba (14-1, nine KO's).  This card will be on Showtime, however, Dozier's bout is not scheduled to be televised.

Speaking of Showtime, there have been opponents named for some boxers on the undercard of the world championship tripleheader card at the DC Armory on Saturday, April 19.

Undefeated 2012 US Olympian Marcus Browne of Staten Island, NY will take on Otis Griffin of Sacramento, CA in an eight-round light heavyweight bout.  Browne (9-0, seven KO's) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision over Kentrell Claiborne on January 30 in Brooklyn, NY. Griffin (24-15-2, 10 KO's) will be trying to break a five-bout losing streak.

Also, Norfolk, VA lightweight Chris "The Dentist" Alexander (4-0, four KO's) will face Jose Valderrama of Puerto Rico (3-7, three KO's) in a four-round contest. Alexander has scored two straight first-round TKO's in his last two contests.  Valderrama has lost seven straight after winning his first three bouts.

No word yet on an opponent for DC welterweight David Grayton on this card.  Also, the officials have been named for the main event on this card -- the light heavyweight unification bout between Bernard Hopkins and Beibut Shumenov.  The referee will be Earl Brown of New York with Gustavo Padilla of Panama and Jerry Roth and Dave Moretti of the US serving as judges.

As we've already said, the Beltway's own Kenny Chevalier will be the referee for the WBO Middleweight title bout between champion Peter Quillin and challenger Lukas Konecny.  This will be Chevalier's 13th world title bout.  One of the judges will also be from the area as Steve Rados joins Michael Pernick of Florida and William Lerch of Illinois.

Matchups Set For Golden Gloves Regionals!

We now have the scheduled bout sheet for the Washington Golden Gloves Regional Championships which will be held on Saturday, April 26 at the Waldorf Jaycees in Waldorf, MD.

Novice Division:

114 Pounds: Kollin Shrewsbury, Washington, DC is the regional champion.

123 Pounds: Cody Woodland, Washington, DC vs. Dewayne Beamon, Goldsboro, NC

132 Pounds: Taylor Woodland, Washington, DC vs. Emmanuel Lopez, Virginia Beach, VA

141 Pounds: Tyrek Irby, Oxon Hill, MD vs. Trevor Lewis, Virginia Beach, VA

152 Pounds: Shynggyskhan Tazhibay, Rockville, MD vs. Maynard Allison, Newport News, VA

165 Pounds: Tyrell Boyd, Baltimore, MD vs. Jauvan John, Richmond, VA

178 Pounds: Jordon Payne, Hyattsville, MD vs. Christopher Ware, Richmond, VA

201 Pounds: Jordan Davenport, Baltimore, MD vs. Charles Bright, Chantilly, VA

201+ Pounds: Carlos Black, Gaithersburg, MD vs. Thomas  Harper, Suffolk, VA


Open Division:  (Winners will advance to the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions May 11-18 in Las Vegas, NV)

108 Pounds: Demetrius Young, Bowie, MD vs. Jonathan Howard, Hamstead, NC

114 Pounds: Malik Jackson, Washington, DC vs. Shakur Stevenson, Burke, VA

123 Pounds: Gary Antonio Russell, Capitol Heights, MD vs. Donte Dunnaville, Roanoke, VA

132 Pounds: Jalen Jones, Washington, DC vs. Kelvin Davis, Norfolk, VA

141 Pounds: Gary Antuanne Russell, Capitol Heights, MD vs. Eric Hernandez, Leesburg, VA

152 Pounds: Malik Hawkins, Baltimore, MD vs. Michael Garrison, Roanoke, VA

165 Pounds: Tavon Body, Burtonsville, MD vs. Clinso Brumfield, Alexandria, VA

178 Pounds: Justin Bell, Severn, MD vs. O'Bryan Mapp, South Chesterfield, VA

201 Pounds:  Milik Titus, Baltimore, MD vs. Darnell Price II, Camp Lejeune, NC

201+ Pounds: Anthony Nembhard, College Park, MD vs. Nicholas Thompson, Raleigh-Durham, NC.

The card begins at 8 PM.

Hopkins-Shumenov Weigh-in Open To the Public April 18!

The weigh-in for the Bernard Hopkins-Beibut Shumenov card that will be held Saturday, April 19 at the DC Armory in Washington, DC will be on Friday, April 18 and the weigh-in is open to the public free of charge.

The weigh-in will be at the Marriott Renaissance Hotel located at 999 Ninth Street in Northwest DC in the Renaissance Ballroom West.  The doors open at noon and the weigh-in will begin at 1 PM.

By the way, on Saturday, April 19, the doors to the DC Armory will open at 5 PM with the first bout slated to begin at 5:30 PM. A reminder:  All the Beltway Boxers (Dominic Wade, D'Mitrius Ballard, David Grayton and Lamont Roach, Jr.) along with Chris Alexander of Norfolk, VA (who is managed by local Sharif Salim) will be fighting between 5:30 and 7 PM on this card.

Seven PM is when the Showtime Extreme telecast gets underway. The main Showtime telecast (with the three world title bouts) will start at 9:15 PM.

Tim Bradley

By Randy De La O

It seemed to piss fight fans off when Tim Bradley got the win in his first fight with Pacquiao. Like most I thought Pacquiao won the fight but in the heat of action in a close fight (relatively close), most fighters think they did enough to win. Bradley is no different. I don't hold it against him, nor did I want him to lose, as a form of revenge. I just thought a prepared Pacquiao would win.

Tim Bradley is a fighter, make no mistake about that. Since winning the title from Pacquiao in 2012, he has fought both Ruslan Provodnikov and Juan Manuel Marquez. The Provodnikov fight was as good as it gets. If there was ever any doubts about Bradley's chin and/or heart, it should have been erased that night. In Marquez he faced an all time great, still riding high on his knockout win over Pacquiao. He didn't just beat Marquez, he out countered the best counterpuncher of this era. That's saying a lot.

Bradley chose not to take the easy way out. He fought the best by choice. That alone should tell us everything we need to know about him.

I know it didn't set well with most fight fans when he brought up his injured calf. Sometimes a fighter, no make that a man, any man, needs something to hang onto after a loss. That pride, that refusal to lose is what takes a man to the very top of the sport. It's what makes a champion. It has to be hard to separate himself from that. If he wants to hang on to that it's okay with me. I've hung onto worse to salvage my own pride. We all have.

Bradley lost the fight last night. I don't think anyone thinks otherwise. Still, he has my absolute respect!

Artis Drops Unanimous Decision in Atlantic City!

Severn, MD middleweight Sherman Artis, Jr. lost a six-round unanimous decision to undefeated Antowyan Aikens of Atlantic City, NJ Saturday night at Bally's in Atlantic City.

Artis was knocked down in the sixth round and lost by scores of 60-53 and 59-54 (twice).  This was Artis's first bout in almost three years and the first loss of his pro career -- he is now 2-1.  Aikens remains undefeated at 9-0, one KO.

Manny Pacquiao vs Tim Bradley II: Pacquiao Wins!

Photo Courtesy of Yahoo Sports

By Randy De La O

Congratulations to Manny Pacquiao on his victory over Tim Bradley last night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It turned out to be an entertaining fight.

As far as I am concerned Bradley sealed his own fate when he told Pacquiao, that "He had nothing left, his time had come and gone, etc", Never give a man a cause. A man with a cause is hard to beat. It gives him legs.

Bradley came into the ring carrying all kinds of anger. He was tight and he was trying too hard for a knockout. More often than not, the harder you look for a knockout, the more it eludes you.

Late in the fight, announcer Jim Lampley said this "I don't understand why Bradley isn't busier." Roy Jones, with quiet exasperation answered as only a fighter who has been there can answer, "He's tired Jim......

Bradley had no doubt in his mind that he would knockout Pacquiao. He never left room for plan B. What if I don't knock him out? He paid the price.

Pacquiao understood this, and if he did not know this going into the fight, he figured it out pretty quickly as the fight played out. You could see it as Pacquiao began to take control of the fight in the early middle rounds. Manny was loose and confident but never overconfident. Plus, despite being knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012, he has a hell of a chin. Pacquiao has proven that - if not at 100% in his peak - he is still among the best. He is still a fighter to be reckoned with.

Still, I applaud Bradley for his effort, he was always in the fight and he fought with the huge heart that we have come to expect from him.

So the questions remain, Will Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight Pacquiao, and if so, can Pacquiao win? For the most part, I would say, Pacquiao cannot win against Mayweather. I say for the most part, because as we have seen over the years, any man can rise to the occasion, under ever the most difficult circumstances. Marquez did this every time he fought Pacquiao. If any fighter today can rise to the occasion and beat Mayweather, that fighter is Manny Pacquiao. The Boxing world deserves to see this fight.

You still got it Manny!

Interview with 'The Cuban Assassin!'

As we said earlier, Landover, MD junior middleweight "The Cuban Assassin" Larry Recio scored a first-round TKO over Jose Felix of Albuquerque, NM Saturday night at the Patapsco Arena in Baltimore, MD.

We had an opportunity to talk with Recio after his victory.  Here's the interview.

July And Graves Battle To Majority Draw!

Venroy July and Quantis Graves battled to a rather ugly eight-round majority draw in our main event tonight at Patapsco Arena in Baltimore, MD.

When Graves takes a look at the footage from this bout, he will probably see a number of missed opportunities he had to take control of the contest.

Instead, both men engaged in a lot of holding and some headbutting that may have served July a little better in the contest.  The phone booth-style nature of the contest neutralized Graves offense the rest of the way. 

July received the nod on Kenny Chevalier's card at 77-76.  However, John Gradowski and Don Risher saw the draw at 76-76.

July is now 16-1-3, six KO's.  Graves remains undefeated at 9-0-2, four KO's.

That's all from Baltimore.  Next stop, Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD on Friday, April 18. Hope to see you there!!

Goyco Stops Trussell In Sixth!

Taneal "Spider" Goyco has given Jeremy Trussell his first pro loss and did it in dominating fashion, scoring a sixth-round knockout.

Goyco's camp developed an exceptional game plan that their boxer followed to perfection.  Goyco's jab was crisp throughout and kept Trussell off-balance.  Goyco also neutralized Trussell's best punch, the overhand right hand.  Trussell did have success using his left hand but he didn't use it nearly enough.

In the fourth round, Goyco dropped Trussell with a solid right-left combination.  From that point on, Trussell was in defensive mode, hoping for an opportunity to turn the fight around.

That opportunity never came.  Late in the sixth round, Goyco landed a stunning straight left that stunned Trussell and sent him crashing to the canvas.  Trussell tried to get up but couldn't and the bout was stopped at 2:34.

Trussell suffers his first pro loss and he is now 8-1, six KO's.  Goyco evens his record at 6-6-1, three KO's.

The main event is next:  Venroy "Hardwork" July of Suitland, MD (16-1-2, six KO's) versus the undefeated "Grim Reaper" Quantis Graves of Beaumont, TX (9-0-1, four KO's). Eight-round cruiserweight contest.

McRae Wins Controversial TKO!

Controversy has followed Dwayne McRae once again, although McRae won a TKO at the beginning of the second round over Jonte Willis.

The first round was pretty even as McRae and Willis traded punches. Willis suffered a bloody nose during those exchanges. Near the end of the round, Willis landed a solid right hand to McRae's face.  McRae pressured Willis into Willis's own corner and landed shots.  Unfortunately for McRae, three of those shots landed as rabbit punches in the back of Willis's neck.

Between rounds, Willis felt pain in the back of his neck and could not come out for the second round.

Barring a successful future protest by the Willis camp, McRae's record is now 13-3, seven KO's.  Willis is now 9-10-1, three KO's.  You may remember back on May 11 of 2013,  McRae and his opponent, Dennis Benson, were both disqualified in the first round of their bout.

The co-feature is next:  Baltimore middleweight Jeremy "The Truth" Trussell (8-0, six KO's) faces Taneal Goyco of Philadelphia, PA (5-6-1, two KO's). Six-round contest.

Nicholson Quickly Dispatches Rohm As We Return From Intermission!

Demond "Da Best At It" Nicholson of Laurel, MD made very short work of David Rohn of Villa Park, IL as we returned from Intermission.

Nicholson needed just 51 seconds to score the knockout, landing a brutal right hand to the body.  Rohn couldn't beat referee Brent Bovell's 10-count.

Nicholson remains perfect at 6-0, six KO's.  Rohn is now 1-1.

Next up:  heavyweight "The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae of Laurel, MD (12-3, six KO's) takes on Jonte "Rock Steady" Willis of Tacoma, WA (9-9-1, three KO's) who channeled his inner Michael Jackson to the sounds of "Billie Jean" during his ring walk.  The bout is slated for six rounds.

Reyes Dominates En Route To First-Round Stoppage!

Edwin Reyes was dominant in his encounter with the debuting Chris Haney, stopping him at 2:56 of the first round.

Reyes was on the offensive from the very start and never let up until the contest was stopped.  Haney just covered up in the latter stages of the contest.

Reyes is now 3-0, two KO's.

We are now at intermission.

Recio Does Damage With First Round Stoppage!

Larry Recio has delivered another stunning TKO victory with a devastating first-round stoppage of veteran Jose Felix.

In the first minute of the round, Recio shot a straight right hand that dropped Felix to the canvas.  In the last minute of the round, Recio sent the same punch crashing towards Felix, who crumpled back to the canvas.  Referee Kenny Chevalier immediately stopped the bout at 2:49.

Recio scores his fourth straight knockout win and is now 5-0, four KO's.  Felix is now 11-14-2 four KO's.

By the way, congratulations to Chevalier who has been named the referee for the WBO Middleweight title bout between champion Peter Quillin and Lukas Korneczy on Saturday, April 19 at the DC Armory.

Up next: Edwin "El Matador" Reyes of Laurel, MD (2-0, two KO's) takes on the debuting Chris Haney of Chicago, IL.  Four rounds, lightweights.

Marin Takes Unanimous Decision!

Alexandru Marin wins a four-round unanimous decision over Alex Hipolito.  Marin was able to land shots throughout the bout ad Hipolito seemed content to look mostly for counter shots which were few and far between.

Judges John Gradowski and Kenny Chevalier scored a shutout for Marin, 40-36 while Don Risher saw the bout, 39-37.

Marin remains undefeated at 3-0, two KO's while Hipolito falls to 2-3, two KO's.

Up next: "The Cuban Assassin" Larry Recio of Landover, MD (4-0, three KO's) battles Jose Felix of Albuquerque, NM (11-14-2, four KO's). Four rounds, junior middleweights.

Davis Wins Tough Majority Decision!

De'Andre "The Flash" Davis has won a tough four-round majority decision over a game, debuting Christopher Johnson.

Davis made the bout a little tougher than it should have been.  Davis was very accurate in the opening round with his shots.  Davis' biggest problem in the early part of the bout was keeping his mouthpiece in.

That changed in the third round when Johnson, despite a bloody nose and mouth, battled back strong to take some control.  The two waged a strong battle in the final round.

Judge Gary Camponeschi scored the bout even at 38-38. John Gradowski and Don Risher saw the bout for Davis at 39-37 and 40-36, respectively.

Davis's record rises to 2-0, one KO.

Now in the ring: Silver Spring, MD featherweight Alexandru Marin (2-0, two KO's) faces Alex Hipolito of Lubbock, TX.  Four-round contest.

Reeves Makes Short Work of Martinez!

Well, one of the tests we talked about earlier did not come in our opening bout.  Travis Reeves, fighting for the first time in his hometown of Baltimore, stopped Santos Martinez at 1:25 of the first round.

Reeves was on top of his opponent from the opening bell, landing strong shots to the body and head.  A straight right hand by Reeves dropped Martinez to the canvas.  Martinez beat referee Gary Camponeschi's count but was in no condition to continue.

Reeves is now 4-2-2, two KO's.  Martinez falls to 2-6-1, two KO's.

Up next: De'Andre Davis of Odenton, MD (1-0, one KO) takes on Christopher Johnson of South Bend, IN.  Four rounds, junior welterweights.

Good Evening From The Patapsco Arena!

Good evening from Baltimore, MD and the Hardwork Promotions "B-More Battles" card at the Patapsco Arena.  The card is late in getting started and the fans are filing in.  Just received word that we will be getting underway shortly.

There are high hopes for a number of matchups on this card as a few of the locals might get some tests tonight. 

We'll keep you updated throughout the evening and try to answer questions.  The first bout will be Travis Reeves of Baltimore (3-2-2, one KO) taking on Santos Martinez of Adrian, MI in a four-round cruiserweight contest.

Artis Weighs 168 For Atlantic City Bout!

Sherman Artis weighed in at 168 pounds for his four-round contest against undefeated Antowyan Aikens tonight at Bally's in Atlantic City, NJ.

Weights From The Patapsco Arena!

Here is the scale watch for the Hardwork Promotions card Saturday, April 12 at the Patapsco Arena in Baltimore, MD:

Venroy July 199 vs. Quantis Graves 198

Dwayne McRae 233 vs. Jonte Willis 225

Jeremy Trussell 160 1/2 vs. Taneal Goyco 161

Larry Recio 154 vs. Jose Felix 154

Demond Nicholson 160 vs. David Rohn 160

DeAndre Davis 141 vs. Christopher Johnson 140

Edwin Reyes 138 1/2 vs. Christopher Haney 135

Alexandru Marin 127 vs. Alex Hipolito 127

Travis Reeves 195 vs. Santos Martinez 195

We look forward to blogging live Saturday night from the Patapsco Arena.

Lamont Roach, Jr. Makes Pro Debut on Hopkins-Shumenov Card April 19 in DC!

 BATB has learned that Upper Marlboro, MD lightweight Lamont Roach, Jr. will make his pro debut on the Bernard Hopkins-Beibut Shumenov undercard on Saturday, April 19 at the DC Armory in Washington, DC.

Roach, a recent Golden Boy Promotions signee and 2013 National Golden Gloves champion. will take on Victor Galindo of  Puerto Rico (1-3, one KO) in a four-round encounter.

New Jersey All-Star Amateurs Look For Redemption Against PVA All-Stars Saturday in DC!

On Saturday, April 5, a number of Beltway amateurs traveled to New Jersey and faced a group of amateurs from the Garden State.  According to reports, the Potomac Valley Association (PVA) All-Stars won the dual competition in NJ.

This Saturday, April 12, the rematch will take place at the Merrick Recreation Center, 4275 4th Street, SE in DC.  The first bout is slated to begin at 3 PM.  This will also be a reunion event for any boxers who fought for the Ham Athletic Club at any time.  Tickets are $15 in advance.  For more information, call 202-528-7694.

April 18th Rosecroft Card Is Coming Together!

This huge week of Beltway Boxing is starting to really come together.  We've told you about the Saturday, April 12 card in Baltimore as well as the Saturday, April 19 card in DC.

Now comes a portion of the Friday, April 18 Keystone Boxing card at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.  In the main event, undefeated Waldorf, MD junior welterweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed will be in a six-round contest against Regino Canales of Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Reed (8-0, five KO's) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision win over Bilal Mahasin on the last Keystone card at Rosecroft on March 7.  This will be Reed's sixth straight appearance at Rosecroft.  Canales (6-4, two KO's) makes his first trip to the continental US and is 2-2 in his last four contests.  Canales has beaten boxers who were 9-1 and 6-1 during his career.

In another six-round encounter, undefeated White Plains, MD lightweight Terron "Kid" Grant will face off against Alberto Candelaria of Miami, FL by way of Utuado, Puerto Rico.  Grant (8-0, four KO's) last fought on December 14 and won a six-round unanimous decision over Damon Antoine in Washington, DC.  Candelaria (3-1-1, two KO's) will look to bounce back from a six-round unanimous decision loss to John Joe Nevin on March 17 in Boston, MA.

Also on the card, Montgomery Village, MD junior middleweight Gerome Quigley returns to action as he faces James Gooding of Tampa, FL in a four-round contest.  Quigley (2-0, two KO's)  hasn't fought since scoring a third-round TKO over Damien Butler on November 7 in Cockeysville, MD.  Gooding (1-5-1, one KO) has lost four of his last five bouts but all by decision.

Frederick, MD super bantamweight Rodrigo Gabriel makes his return after a year's absence and takes on Gabriel Braxton of Atlanta, GA in a four-round encounter. Gabriel (1-0) made his pro debut in March of 2013 and won a four-round unanimous decision over Quincy Braxton in Frederick.  Braxton (0-2) makes his second straight appearance at Rosecroft and looks to do better than his last appearance where he was knocked out in the second round by Marq Johns on March 7 of this year.

DC featherweight Tyrone Wright (1-1) will also take on the debuting Enrique Vargas of Reading, PA.

Also slated to be on the card are "Swift" Jarrett Hurd, Marq "The Monster" Johns, the returning Kevin Rivers, Jr. and the debuting Mykal "The Professor" Fox, the younger brother of Alantez Fox.

April 19th Card Coming Together For DC Armory; Beltway Boxers in Short Supply!

The Golden Boy Promotions undercard slated for Saturday, April 19 at the DC Armory is starting to come together.  However, it won't exactly be a showcase for the Beltway Boxing scene.

As of right now, only three locals will be on the card and they have matchups that will not be shown on television.  Undefeated Largo, MD middleweight Dominic Wade (14-0, 10 KO's) will take on veteran Marcus Upshaw of Jacksonville, FL (15-11-2, seven KO's) in an eight-round contest.

Wade is coming off a six-round unanimous decision victory over Dashon Johnson on January 25 at the Armory.  Wade was knocked down in the first round but came back to win.  Upshaw will be trying to break a three-bout losing streak and is making his second trip to the Beltway region. Upshaw won a six-round split decision over Jarrell Mason Jackson in February 2007 in Suitland, MD.
Also, undefeated Temple Hills, MD super middleweight D'Mitrius Ballard (4-0, three KO's) will battle Quincy "Pretty Boy Vegas" Miner of Kansas City, MO (3-5) in a four-round contest.

Ballard also appeared on the January 25 card at the DC Armory and scored a third round TKO over Marlon Farr. Miner is winless in his last four bouts.

Undefeated DC welterweight David "Day-Day" Grayton (6-0, five KO's) is also slated to be on the card against an opponent to be determined.

Right now, it doesn't look like 2013 co-Beltway Boxer of the Year "The Real Deal" Phil Jackson-Benson will be on the card, however, there is no confirmation either way.

In other bouts on the card, undefeated Brooklyn, NY welterweight Sadam "World Kid" Ali will take on Jeremy Bryan of Paterson, NJ in a scheduled 10-round contest that will be the featured bout on the Showtime Extreme telecast.

Ali (18-0, 11 KO's) is coming off a six-round TKO over Jesus Selig on December 7 in Brooklyn.   Bryan (17-3, seven KO's) won an eight-round unanimous decision over Issouf Kinda on February 14 in Huntington, NY.

Random Beltway trivia:  In 2001 as an amateur, Ali came to DC and participated in the Platinum Gloves tournament at the old Washington Convention Center.  His opponent that night in the 80-pound contest would be Gary Russell, Jr.  Seven years later, the two would be teammates on the 2008 US Olympic Team. Russell won the contest, by the way.

Also on the card, undefeated Brooklyn junior welterweight Zachary Ochoa (6-0, three KO's) takes on veteran Hector Marengo of Arecibo, Puerto Rico in a four-round contest while 2012 US Olympian Marcus Browne (9-0, seven KO's) of Staten Island, NY will be in an eight-round contest against an opponent to be determined.

Norfolk, VA lightweight Chris "The Dentist" Alexander will still be on the card.  No word yet on his opponent.

Mickey Rooney Has Passed Away

Mickey Rooney, as Tommy "Killer" McCoy in the 1947 classic "Killer McCoy". R.I.P Mickey Rooney!

Final Two Bouts Set For April 12 Baltimore Card!

The Hardwork Promotions card is complete for Saturday, April 12 at the Patapsco Arena in Baltimore, MD.

Undefeated Baltimore middleweight Jeremy "The Truth" Trussell will be in a six-round contest against Taneal Goyco of Philadelphia, PA.  Trussell (8-0, six KO's) is coming off a first-round TKO of Jeremy Boardwine on March 1 in Lynchburg, VA.  Goyco (5-6-1, two KO's) also scored a victory in his last outing, winning a six-round majority decision over Frankie Fillipone on August 2 in Newark, DE.

Also, Silver Spring, MD featherweight Alexandru Marin will battle Alex Hipolito of Lubbock, TX in a four-round contest.  Marin (2-0, two KO's) fought his last bout at the Patapsco Arena and scored a first-round TKO over David Warren Huffman on November 23.  Hipolito (2-2, two KO's) will try to bounce back from a four-round unanimous decision loss to Fernando Fuentes on August 23 in Corona, CA.

So the nine-bout card is complete.  Here's how the rest of the card looks:

Venroy "Hardwork" July (16-1-2, six KO's), Suitland, MD vs. Quantis Graves (9-0-1, four KO's), Lubbock, TX. eight rounds, cruiserweight .

"The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae (12-3, six KO's), Laurel, MD vs. Jonte Willis (9-9-1, three KO's), Tacoma, WA. six rounds, heavyweight.

DeAndre Davis (1-0, one KO), Bowie, MD vs. Christopher Johnson (pro debut), Chicago, IL. four rounds, featherweight.

Travis Reeves (3-2-1, one KO), Baltimore, MD vs. Santos Martinez (2-5-1, two KO's). Adrian, MI, four rounds, cruiserweight.

"The Cuban Assassin" Larry Recio (4-0, three KO's), Landover, MD vs. Jose Felix (11-14-2, four KO's), Albuquerque, NM.  Four rounds, junior middleweight.

Demond "D Best At It" Nicholson (5-0, five KO's), Laurel, MD vs. David Rohn (1-0), Villa Park, IL. Four rounds, super middleweight.

Edwin Reyes (2-0, two KO's), Laurel, MD vs. Christopher Haney (pro debut), Chicago, IL.  Four rounds, lightweight.

Butterflies and Canaries

By Randy De La O

I got a call from my trainer Mel Epstein telling me that the Main Street Gym would be closed for a couple of days and that I would be working out at Jake Shugrue's Seaside gym in Long Beach. I picked up Mel at mid morning and we headed to the gym. This was the first time I met Jake. Like most trainers of that time He was a little rough around the edge and Runyunesque in character.

I was told I would be sparring. I was feeling good and was anxious to get started. I warmed up and began my work out, keeping in mind that I would be sparring. I had only sparred once before. Mel called me over and told me I would be sparring in a few minutes. He laced up my gloves and in a few minutes I was standing in the ring. I watched as the guy I would be sparring with climbed into the ring. A black guy more or less my age, maybe a little younger. He looked lean and hard.

As the round started I began to box him. He was very quick. I did not have the sense yet to realize that we were sparring, not fighting. Mel was on the ring apron leaning on the ropes. I could hear him talking to me but I was focused on the guy in front of me. I was trying too hard. I was trying to make a fight of it. One round ended and another began.

I don't know where it came from but I heard a loud explosion. It seemed to come from far off. I felt confused. Next I heard a whooshing sound , whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, and I felt myself falling like a freshly cut tree. I landed hard and I remember thinking, “Did I faint?” Again I was confused. I got on my hands and knees slowly and looked up and there they were, yellow butterflies and canaries all around me, all I could see was yellow. I shook my head from side to side, still wondering what happened. As the butterflies and canaries began to clear Mel came into view. He had a smirk on his face and let out a little laugh and then it hit me. I was knocked down.

I should have kept my cool but I could not. I was furious. I jumped up and went at him with everything I had but I was too angry, too prideful. The round ended, I climbed through the ropes and Mel was wiping me down. The guy walked up to me with an extended hand and said “I'm sorry but it seemed like you wanted to fight”. That guy had a lot of class. I shook his hand and said, “That's okay, no problem” My pride was hurt and I had embarrassed myself. I was told later that it was a right hand. that caught me because I kept my left too low. I cannot remember the punch for the life of me, just my reaction. I don't remember his name, or if I ever knew it but I remember him.

I learned a few things that day. From that day on I kept my cool. It was a lesson in humility ( I would have more). I stopped thinking so highly of myself. It also made me sharper and more determined. I can't say I had much of a career but I can say that those things we learn at the gym and in the ring carry over into our lives. I raised my children on that belief. Boxing is a microcosm of life, you just have to look closely.

Douglas, Odom Score KO Wins in New Jersey!

Two undefeated Beltway Boxers scored solid knockout victories on a GH3/Greg Cohen Promotions card at the Parsippany PAL in Parsippany, NJ tonight.

In the main event, Burke, VA middleweight Antoine "Action" Douglas scored a second-round TKO over former world title challenger Luca Messi of Bergamo, Italy.  Douglas was extremely active and accurate en route to the stoppage at 1:47 of the round.  Douglas is now 14-0, nine KO's.  Messi drops to 37-10-1, 13 KO's.

In a scheduled six-round encounter, it was another win, another first-round TKO for "The King's Son" Jerry Odom of Bowie, MD as he dispatched Douglas Otieno Okola of Kenya at 2:19.  Odom dropped Okola three times en route to the win over a very experienced foe.  Odom remains perfect at 10-0, 10 KO's.Eight of Odom's knockouts have come in the first round.  Okola falls to 24-9, 12 KO's.

Also on the card, Baltimore, MD heavyweight Aaron Bratton lost a four-round unanimous decision to Patrick O'Connor of Newark, NJ.  Bratton really did not get going until the final round.  Bratton is now 1-2 while O'Connor is 2-0.

Douglas, Odom, Bratton New Jersey Bouts To Be Shown on GoFightlive.TV!

Three Beltway Boxers will be involved in a card at the Parsippany PAL in Parsippany, NJ on Friday, April 4.  Their bouts will be shown on GoFightLive.tv (GFL).

Undefeated Burke, VA middleweight Antoine "Action" Douglas (13-0, eight KO's) will face his most experienced foe to date in Luca Messi of Bergamo, Italy (37-9-1, 13 KO's) in his first scheduled 10-round encounter.

Undefeated Bowie, MD super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom (9-0, nine KO's) also faces a very experienced foe in Douglas Otieno Okola of Nairobi, Kenya (24-8, 12 KO's) in a six-round bout.

Baltimore heavyweight Aaron Bratton (1-1) will take on Patrick O'Connor of New Jersey (1-0) in a four-round bout.

The entire card will be shown on GFL and will cost $9.99.  To order the card go to this link: GoFightLive  The card will begin at 7 PM ET.

Here are the weights for the three bouts featuring Beltway Boxers:

Antoine Douglas 160 vs. Luca Messi 160

Jerry Odom 168 vs. Douglas Otieno Okola 171

Aaron Bratton 254 vs. Patrick O'Connor 232 1/2

Boxing Returns to Springfield, VA April 26!

The Commonwealth of Virginia is becoming a very busy area for boxing.  There has already been one card in the state back in March and now we know there will be a card at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA on Saturday, April 26.  This will be a pro-am card jointly promoted by RBA Promotions and Jeter Promotions.

The "Jeter" in Jeter Promotions, of course, is Stevensville, MD middleweight Tony "Mo Better" Jeter who will be looking to defend his WBC Fecarbox Middleweight title in the 10-round main event.  No word on whom his opponent will be.  This will be the first bout for Jeter (16-4-1, 11 KO's) since his second-round knockout loss to Patrick Nielsen for the WBC Silver title on February 15 in Denmark.

There are no matches officially signed for this card, however, there is a lot of young Beltway talent slated to compete.

Undefeated Alexandria, VA lightweight Todd "White Lightning" Wilson is scheduled to be in the co-feature which may be an eight-round bout for a regional title.  Wilson (15-0, four KO's) returned to action after a 13-month absence on October 5 at the ABC Complex and won a four-round unanimous decision over Reggie Nash.

"The Pride of Alexandria" Brandon Quarles also is scheduled to see action on this card.  Quarles, the Virginia State Middleweight champion (12-2-1, five KO's), is coming off a first-round TKO of Travis Davidson on the last card at the ABC Complex on March 15.  Quarles will be in a six-round encounter.

Returning to action after an almost two-year absence will be Haymarket, VA welterweight Juan "The Savior" Rodriguez.  Rodriguez (5-2-1, four KO's)  has not fought since winning a four-round unanimous decision over Damon Antoine in October of 2012 in Arlington, VA.  Rodriguez is also slated to be in a six-round contest.

Also scheduled to compete is Lynchburg, VA junior middleweight Joshua Robertson (5-5, one KO) who will look to break a four-bout losing streak.

Also slated to make his return after a long absence will be Laurel, MD lightweight Ikem "The Warrior" Orji, who has not fought in almost four years.  Orji (7-4, three KO's) has been attending Howard University and is slated to graduate in the fall.  Orji will be in a four-round contest.

Lanham, MD welterweight "The Baby-Faced Assassin" Yuri Polischuk will be in action in a four-round encounter.  Polischuk (3-1-1, two KO's) is coming off a third-round stoppage of Kevin Womack, Jr. on March 7 in Fort Washington, MD.

Springfield, VA's own undefeated junior welterweight Edgar "The Tiger" Torres (4-0-1, three KO's) will also be in a four-round encounter.  Torres stopped Greg Thomas in the second round on October 15 at the ABC Sports Complex. 

Also slated to be on the card will be "The Cuban Assassin" Larry Recio of Landover, MD.  Recio (4-0, three KO's) is scheduled to be in a four-round bout that will be predicated by the outcome of his appearance on the April 12 card at Patapsco Arena in Baltimore, MD.  Recio will battle former Jeter foe Jose Felix in a four-rounder in Baltimore.

We'll bring you updates on this card as they come in.