Kennedy Gets Second Chance at Yorgey June 15 in Valley Forge, PA!

Windsor Mill, MD middleweight "Relentless" Julius Kennedy gets a rematch against Harry Joe Yorgey of Bridgeport, PA on Saturday, June 15 at the Valley Forge Casino and Resort in Valley Forge, PA.

On March 15 at the Valley Forge Convention Center, Yorgey won a six-round split decision over Kennedy that was controversial to say the least.  Kennedy won on one judge's scorecard 58-56.  Another judge saw the bout 58-56 to Yorgey.  However, the third judge saw the bout 60-54 for Yorgey.  That judge, reportedly, will not judge another bout in Pennsylvania according to sources.  The rematch is scheduled for 10 rounds.

Yorgey (26-2-1, 12 KO's) has not fought since the first contest between the two.  Kennedy (7-5-1, three KO's) lost by fifth-round stoppage to DeCarlo Perez on April 19 in Chester, PA.  Kennedy was not knocked down during the contest.  Kennedy will be trying to break a six-bout winless streak (0-4-1, one NC)

Barnett Participates In 10-Round Contest June 15 at Washington Convention Center!

DC lightweight Ty Barnett returns to action in the main event of his first self-promoted card on Saturday, June 15 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.

Barnett (20-3-1, 13 KO's) will try to bounce back from his ninth round TKO loss to Mercito Gesta on August 3 in Las Vegas.  Barnett will face Stephon Alexander of Norfolk, VA (6-5-1, six KO's) in a scheduled 10-round bout.  Alexander has won two straight by first-round knockout.

In other bouts slated for the card, undefeated Palmer Park, MD featherweight Kevin "K-Smoov" Rivers, Jr. makes a quick return to action as he is slated to participate in his first scheduled six-round contest.  Rivers (7-0, five KO's) won a four-round unanimous decision over Jason Rorie on May 18 at the University of the District of Columbia.  Rivers's opponent will be Rasool Shakoor of Jackson, MI (3-11-1,one KO).  Shakoor won a six-round decision over previously undefeated Kieyon Bussey in January 2010 but has lost four straight since then.

Waldorf, MD junior welterweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed is also scheduled to be in action as he faces veteran Nalo Leal of Airway Heights, WA in a four-rounder.  Reed (2-0, two KO's) was slated to be on that May 18th card in DC but his bout was cancelled.  Leal (4-17-1) makes his second straight trip to the Washington Convention Center.   Last time out he lost by third-round TKO to Dusty Hernandez Harrison on November 3.

The card is also slated to include the pro debut of DC lightweight Antonio Magruder.  A highly-regarded amateur champion, Magruder is slated to take on Alan Beeman of Providence, RI in a four-rounder.  Beeman (0-6) is making his third straight trip to the Washington Convention Center.  Beeman has lost to Rivers as well as Renaldo "Misunderstood" Gaines in his previous outings.

Gaines is slated to be on this card along with Beltway Boxers Alantez "SlyAza" Fox, Danny "Smooth" Kelly and David "Day-Day" Grayton.  All of these boxers are looking for opponents.

Crews Brings Silver Home From Venezuela; Prepares For Unique Fundraising Adventure in June!

Baltimore, MD middleweight Franchon Crews won a silver medal at the Women's Continental Championships in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela on Sunday.  Crews lost a 15-7 decision to Yeneiber Guillen of the Dominican Republic in the 165 Pound title bout.

When Crews comes back home, she will get ready for a very interesting fundraiser.  Crews has joined forces with the National Kidney Foundation.  This is a campaign that hits home for her because Crews's mother, Sarah, has been battling stage four renal failure due to chronic kidney disease since 2005.

Crews will be participating in the National Kidney Foundation's fourth annual Rappel For Kidney Health which will be held on Saturday, June 8 at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel.

During the event, Crews will rappel 28 stories down the side of the hotel!  This is to raise funds to cure this disease.  Here's how you can help:

The following link is for Franchon Crews's personal page:

http://kidneymd.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1053280&lis=0&kntae1053280=4E2259A94CAC4639A64782E482F2B8AB&supId=383945129

You can donate online and help Crews reach her goal of $1,000.  Best wishes, Franchon!

Jeter To Face LeBlanc June 8 in DC!

After having his own bout cancelled on his card in May, WBC Fecarbox Middleweight champion Tony "Mo Better" Jeter will return to action on Saturday, June 8 at EchoStage Lounge (formerly DC Tunnel or DC Star).

Jeter (15-3-1, 10 KO's) is slated to take on veteran Jimmy "The Dream" LeBlanc of Weymouth, MA in the main event of a card promoted by G Promotions of Mechanicsville, MD.  LeBlanc (13-24-4, five KO's) has fought numerous Beltway Boxers including Jimmy Lange and Alantez Fox and holds victories over Josh Rupard and Luther Smith.

Also slated to be on the card are White Plains, MD junior welterweight Terron "Kid" Grant (5-0, three KO's) as well as undefeated Newport News, VA heavyweight Jerry "Slug" Forrest (6-0, five KO's).  Also, DC featherweight Marcus Bates is slated to make his pro debut on the card.

Updated Beltway Golden Gloves Champions List!

For the fourth consecutive year, we can update the list of Beltway Boxers who have captured National Golden Gloves Championships.

This list includes two boxers who are in the International Boxing Hall of Fame (Leonard and Mark Johnson), four future pro world champions (Leonard, M. Johnson, DeMarcus Corley and Lamont Peterson) and three Olympians (Leonard, Heidi Curtis and Gary Russell, Jr.)

A testament to our current amateur/young pro crop:  This list also says that this current run of National Golden Gloves champions (four straight years/eight champions) is the longest consecutive stretch in Beltway Boxing history!

1973 and 1974: Sugar Ray Leonard

1976: Louis "Heidi" Curtis

1978: William "Flip" Johnson

1979: Kenny "The Technician" Baysmore

1982: Warren "Chico" Thompson

1985: Eugene "Sonny" Speed

1986: Anthony Wilson

1988: Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson

1991: Melvin "Top Gun" Foster

1992: James Harris

1995: DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley

1995 and 1997: "Dangerous" Dana Rucker

1998: Lamont "Bay" Pearson

2001: Lamont Peterson

2003: Anthony Peterson

2005: Gary Russell, Jr.

2010: Gary Allen Russell, David Grayton

2011: Michael Reed

2012: Gervonta "Tank" Davis, D'Mitrius Ballard, Jerry Odom

2013: Gary Antonio Russell, Lamont Roach, Jr.

Harrison Leads Local Domination in DC!

Now let's come back home to DC where locals put on dominating performances in front of a packed house at the All-In-Entertainment "Champion Class" card at the University of the District of Columbia Sports Complex in Washington, DC.

In the main event, Dusty Hernandez Harrison put together his most dominating and complete performance of his young career scoring a fifth-round TKO over Eddie Soto of Pawtucket, RI.  Harrison unleashed a blistering left jab that continuously kept Soto at bay.  Harrison landed a brutal right hand to drop Soto in the second round.  Later, Harrison used another right to put his most experienced foe away for the night in the fifth round where the bout was stopped at 2:48.  Harrison is now 15-0, nine KO's.  Soto falls to 12-7, four KO's.

The co-feature saw "The King's Son" Jerry Odom of Bowie, MD score a first-round TKO over Andrew Morias of Monroe, MI.  Odom hit Morias with a brutal body shot and then pressured Morias until referee Dave Braslow stopped the action at 1:06 of the round.  Odom still has yet to go past the first round and he is now 4-0, four KO's, one NC.  Morias is 1-2.

In what was definitely a Beltway Boxing Knockout Of The Year candidate, Alexandria, VA light heavyweight Patrick Coye made his pro debut an explosive one with a brutal right hand that sent the equally debuting Charles Parker of Wilson, NC crashing to the canvas. Referee Sharon Sands got Coye to go to a neutral corner and then immediately stopped the bout at 1:36 of the round. Parker stayed on the canvas for a few moments after but got up under his own power.

The return of Upper Marlboro, MD heavyweight "Big" Phill Brown was not a good one as "The Samoan Truth" Natu Visinia of Lakewood, CA was very powerful as he rocked Brown in the first round with brutal head shots.  Brown never went down but was hurt enough for the bout to be stopped at 2:49 of the first.  Brown, who was competing for the first time since 2007, is now 6-2, three KO's.  Visinia remains undefeated at 9-0, eight KO's.

In the curtain-raising bout, Palmer Park, MD featherweight Kevin "K-Smoov" Rivers, Jr. remained undefeated with a workmanlike four-round unanimous decision over veteran Jason "J-Rock" Rorie of Winston-Salem, NC.  Rivers stayed very patient against the awkward Rorie and scored a shutout (40-36) on all three judge's cards.  Rivers is now 7-0, five KO's while Rorie is now 6-17, three KO's.

Two scheduled bouts did not take place.  As we mentioned earlier, Mike Reed's contest against Damon Antoine was scrapped because Antoine refused the bout.  Antoine was even offered extra money to take the contest but still turned the bout down.

Antoine, of Akron, OH ended up taking an all-Ohio bout with Charles Natal of Cleveland.  However, karma may have set in as the walkout bout was stopped by a power outage in the arena.  The bout was declared a no-contest.

Also, Greg Newby's contest was scrapped at the very last minute as a problem came up with the medicals of his opponent William Prieto.

The card was promoted by All-In-Entertainment.  The matchmaker was Michael Walters.

A couple of random notes:  Because of my duties with GoFightLive's internet broadcast, I was unable to do my normal blogging duties the way I normally do.  My deepest thanks to Juan Marshall of ProAm  Fight Talk for providing full coverage along with some outstanding pictures of the night.  Please go visit.

Also, my thanks to "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears for coming over and joining me on the Post-Fight Wrap-Up tonight.

I want to also thank GoFightLive and All-In-Entertainment for having me be a part of the internet broadcast.  I had three great people to work with as on-air folks in Richard Quinones, heavyweight contender Monte "Two-Gunz" Barrett and the lovely Janee Hayes, a local talent who handled our interviews with celebrities in attendance.  The GoFightLive crew took me back to the days of Boxing Spotlight and it was a joy to work with all of them.

Now here is the Post-Fight Wrap-Up with one clarification:

I mentioned in the wrap that I thought that Lamont Peterson's loss would destroy plans for a possible September 7 card in DC. However, as I said in the last post, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer later said that the date and the Verizon Center venue are definitely on the table.  I was unaware of that when I made my statement.  Glad I was wrong.

Saturday Out-of-Town Beltway Recap: Russell, Roach, Moore Win National Golden Gloves Titles; L. Peterson Falls in AC while A. Peterson and Williams Win ; Crews Heads Into Finals in Venezuela!

As we said, Saturday, May 18 was a HUGE day for Beltway Boxing with so much going on!  In the first of a two-part recap, we will give you the "out-of-town scoreboard" followed by the recap of the card that took place at UDC.

  (Photo courtesy of Bernard Roach)

The Beltway has two more National Golden Gloves champions!  Congratulations to Gary Antonio Russell (left) and Lamont Roach, Jr. who captured titles with decision wins in Salt Lake City, UT.

Russell won the 123-pound title over Ja'Rico O'Quinn of Detroit.  Russell is now the third member of the Russell Family to win a national Golden Gloves title.

However, Antonio did something that neither Gary, Jr. (2005) or Allen (2010) did: He was named the "Golden Boy" of the tourney -- the Outstanding Boxer.  This is the second consecutive year a Beltway Boxer has captured that award following Jerry Odom in 2012.

Roach captured the 132-pound championship with a victory over Maliek Montgomery of Knoxville.  Roach is just 17 years old and has had an outstanding year adding this title to his USA Boxing National crown he won earlier this year.  Russell also won the title at the USA Nationals.

The DC Region has won eight national Golden Gloves titles in the last four years.  In what has become an annual ritual, we will update the Beltway list later today.

The Beltway can also lay partial claim to a third Golden Gloves title as Marquis Moore won the 165-pound championship.  Although Moore is originally from Fort Washington, MD, he represented the Colorado-New Mexico Region because he is in the Army out of Fort Carson, CO.

Let's move to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, where the only bump in a dominating night for the Beltway took place in the most important bout of the night.  IBF Junior Welterweight champion Lamont Peterson was dominated by WBC Interim titleholder Lucas Matthysse and was stopped in the third round.  Peterson was dropped once in the second and twice in the third before the bout was stopped at 2:14.  Peterson is now 31-2-1, 16 KO's while Matthysse's record rises to 34-2, 32 KO's.

  The bout was a non-title affair so neither man loses his title. Originally, BATB thought that Peterson's loss would scuttle plans for a Sept.7 card at Verizon Center in DC.  However, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said during the post-fight press conference that's where he wants to stage the bout between Matthysse and WBC actual champ Danny Garcia.  Peterson would, more than likely, defend his title on that card.

On the undercard, Anthony Peterson returned to action for the first time since December 2011 and scored a second round TKO over Dominic Salcido.  Peterson was dominant throughout the contest, eventually breaking Salcido's nose.  Salcido could not come out for the third round.  Peterson is now 32-1, 21 KO's while Salcido falls to 18-5, eight KO's.

Also, Fort Washington, MD light heavyweight Thomas "Top Dog" Williams won an eight-round unanimous decision over Otis "Triple OG" Griffin.  Williams was pretty dominant against his most experienced and best-known foe, winning 79-73 on two scorecards and 80-72 on the other.  Williams remains undefeated at 14-0, 10 KO's while Griffin falls to 24-13-2, 10 KO's.

Meanwhile in Venezuela, Franchon Crews has advanced to the finals of the Women's Continental Championships with a win over Francelis Carmona of Venezuela, 21-11.

Rivers Wins Unanimous Decision!

Kevin "K-Smoov" Rivers, Jr. has won a four-round unanimous decision over Jason Rorie.  All three judges scored the bout 40-36.  Rivers is now 7-0, five KO's.  Rosie is 6-17, three KO's.

We have just received word that Greg Newby's bout against William Prieto has been scratched.  Prieto had medical issues.

A. Peterson Scores Second-Round TKO in Atlantic City!

Anthony Peterson has scored a second-round TKO over Dominic Salcido at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. 

Peterson was heavy handed throughout and busted Salcido's nose.  Salcido could not come out for the third round.

Peterson is now 32-1, 21 KO's.  Salcido is now 18-5, eight KO's.

Changes to DC Card!

One big change to tonight's card at UDC.  We mentioned that the Mike Reed-Damon Antoine bout may not come off.  We can now confirm that the bout will not come off.  Antoine did not agree to the bout.

Reed is completely off the card.  Antoine will face Charles Natal in an all-Ohio battle that is listed as the walkout bout.

Russell, Roach, Jr. To Compete For National Golden Gloves Honors Saturday in Salt Lake City!

Gary Antonio Russell and Lamont Roach, Jr. will vie for National Golden Gloves titles tonight in Salt Lake City, UT.

Russell advanced to the championship in the 123-pound division with a decision win over Misael Reyes of Kansas City.  Russell will face Ja'Rico O'Quinn of Detroit in the finals and will try to become the third member of the Russell Family to win a national Golden Gloves title (Gary Jr. in 2005, Allen in 2010).

Roach moved into the 132-pound title bout with a decision victory over Cresendo Ramos of Texas.  Roach will battle Maliek Montgomery of Knoxville in the championship round.

DC's Kareem Martin lost in the semis of the 152 pound division, dropping a decision to Erickson Lubin of Florida while Darnell Price II of Camp Lejeune, NC fell by RSC to Joshua Temple of St. Louis in the 201 pound class.

Also, Marquis Moore, representing the Colorado-New Mexico region, is in the finals of the 165-pound division and will face Kyrone Davis of Pennsylvania.  Moore is originally from Fort Washington, MD but fights out of Fort Carson, CO where he is stationed in the Army.

Crews Wins Opener at Women's Continental Championships in Venezuela!

Baltimore, MD 165-pounder Franchon Crews won her opening bout at the 2013 Women's Continental Championships in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela on Thursday.

Crews defeated Bastieri Danieli of Brazil 18-10 in the quarterfinals.  Crews will face Venezuelan Francelis Carmona in the semis on Saturday.

Peterson Weighs 136 1/2; Williams 175 in Atlantic City!

Anthony Peterson and his opponent Dominic Salcido tipped the scales at 136 1/2 for their encounter at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ.  Thomas Williams and his foe, Otis Griffin, both weighed in at 175 pounds.

Both bouts are slated to be shown during the Showtime Extreme channel's telecast beginning at 7 PM ET.

Weights From UDC!

Here is the scale watch for the All-In-Entertainment card at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) Sports Complex:

(Photos by Juan Marshall)

Dusty Hernandez-Harrison 145 vs. Eddie Soto 143

Jerry Odom 168 vs. Andrew Morias 164

Mike Reed 148 vs. Damon Antoine 147

Phill Brown 307 vs. Natu Visinia 268

Patrick Coye 174 vs. Charles Parker 168

Greg Newby 172 vs. William Prieto 166

Kevin Rivers, Jr. 126 vs. Jason Rorie 125

Charles Natal 149 vs. Delvery Woodford (will weigh-in tomorrow)

Deon Richardson 143 vs. Blair Cobbs 140

The Reed-Antoine bout may not happen although both men weighed in as if they would fight each other.  Reportedly, Antoine's camp did not agree to the contest.  As of now, however, the bout is on.

I'll be working with the GoFightLive broadcast team, so I may not be blogging live as much tomorrow.  By the way, the GoFightLive broadcast on www.gfl.tv will begin at 7 PM ET.  The broadcast begins at 7 PM ET.

We will have the full recap after the card is over and hopefully updates from both the locals on the Peterson-Matthysee card in Atlantic City.  We may not get final results from the National Golden Gloves in Utah until early Sunday.

Peterson Weighs 141 For Atlantic City Bout!

Lamont Peterson weighed in at 141 Pounds for his 12-round non-title bout Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ.  That was the contracted weight for this bout.  Lucas Matthysse weighed in at 140 pounds.

The bout will be shown on Showtime with the broadcast beginning at 9 PM.  As soon as we get the weights for the bouts featuring Anthony Peterson and Thomas Williams, we will pass those along to you.

Services Announced For Vardell McCann!

The services for longtime Beltway trainer Vardell McCann have been announced.  Mr. McCann's homegoing service will take place on Monday, May 20 at Maple Springs Baptist Church located at 4131 Belt Road in Capitol Heights, MD.  The viewing will be from 9 AM to 11 AM with the service immediately following.

Four Locals in Semis of National Golden Gloves!

The DC region has four boxers remaining who are eligible for National Golden Gloves titles in Salt Lake City, UT

Gary Antonio Russell, Lamont Roach, Jr. and Kareem Martin all advanced to the semifinals in their respective divisions.  Russell won a decision over Israel Mercado of California at 123 pounds.  Roach won a decision over Hector Rendon of Nevada in the 132-pound bracket.  Martin won a decision over Larry Gomez from the Rocky Mountain Region.

The fourth representative is Darnell Price II from Camp Lejeune, NC who advanced in the 201 Pound bracket with a decision win over Bryan Daniels of the New England region.

Also, Marquis Moore, a native of Fort Washington, MD who is in the Army, is fighting out of Fort Carson, CO and is in the semifinals of the 165 Pound division.

Post Columnist Talks About Lamont Peterson!

Washington Post columnist Mike Wise has a nice column about IBF 140-Pound champ Lamont Peterson as Peterson prepares for his Saturday, May 18 bout against WBC Interim champ Lucas Matthysse in Atlantic City, NJ.

Also watch the video that accompanies the column as Wise, while mistakingly saying that Peterson is going to defend his title, is someone local fans can -- and should -- root for.

The link is here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/othersports/boxer-lamont-peterson-avoids-the-spotlight-except-when-hes-in-the-ring/2013/05/16/6aeecf54-be62-11e2-97d4-a479289a31f9_story_1.html

Russell, Roach, Martin and Price Advance at National Golden Gloves!

Four members of the DC Region Golden Gloves team have advanced at the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions in Salt Lake City, UT.

Gary Antonio Russell and Lamont Roach, Jr. won their second bouts of the tournament.  Russell advanced to the quarterfinals of the 123-Pound division with a decision over Alex Roman of Florida.  Roach moved into the quarters of the 132-Pound class by decision over Jousce Gonzalez of California.

Also, Darnell Price, II from Camp Lejeune, NC moved into the 201-Pound final eight with a win over Jamel Burnside of Florida.

DC's Kareem Martin won his first bout at 152 pounds with a decision over Vernon Brown of Chicago.

Lawrence Singh, a late addition to the DC Region team at 114 pounds, lost to Javier Padilla of California. Chris Laws, a novice boxer placed on the DC squad, lost his bout at 201+ pounds falling to Marion Steen of Cleveland, OH.

Ward Battles To Majority Draw in New York!

DC cruiserweight Andre Ward fought to a four-round majority draw against the debuting Jay Rodriguez of New York Wednesday night at BB King's Bar and Grill in New York City.

Ward got the nod on one card 39-37 but two other judges saw the draw at 38-38.  This is the third draw of Ward's career and his record now stands at 1-1-3.

Weigh-In for 'Champion Class' Open To Public!

The weigh-in for the All-In-Entertainment "Champion Class" card will be held on Friday, May 17 at the University of the District of Columbia Auditorium next to the Sports Complex.  The weigh-in begins at 6 PM and will be free and open to the public.  We hope to get the complete lineup of the card tomorrow.

If you are traveling to UDC on Saturday via Metro, be advised that there are a couple of work zones on the Red Line including from Dupont Circle to the Van Ness station (where the UDC Sports Complex is) and between Rhode Island Avenue and Takoma stations.  Trains will be single-tracking through those work zones, so give yourselves extra time to get through those stations.  Metro says there will be trains coming every 24 minutes between Glenmont and Shady Grove.

This card will also be broadcast live on the internet on GoFightLive.  Yours truly will serve as the in-ring interviewer and commentator on the broadcast and work alongside Richard Quinones and Marc Abrams from GFL.

Grammy-nominated rapper Wale will be on WKYS 93.9 FM tonight at 7:30 PM ET to promote the card and will join fellow Beltway rappers Shy Glizzy and Light Show as they accompany Dusty Harrison on his ringwalk Saturday night.

Roach, Jr. Advances in National Golden Gloves!

Lamont Roach, Jr. has advanced to the second round of the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions in Salt Lake City, UT.  Roach defeated Rodrigo Rubio of Iowa by decision in the 132-pound class.

In the 178-Pound Division, Joe Jones III lost in the first round by decision to John Phillips of Hawaii.

Andre Ward Weighs 199 For New York Battle at BB King's!

DC cruiserweight Andre Ward weighed in at 199 pounds for his four-round contest against the debuting Jay Rodriguez of New York City tonight at BB King's Bar and Grill in New York City. Rodriguez tipped the scales at 195.

Ward (1-1-2) hasn't fought since his four-round draw with Mario Flores on October 27 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA.

Anthony Peterson Returns May 18 in Atlantic City!

For the first time since December of 2011, there will be two Peterson Brothers competing on the same card.  Lightweight Anthony Peterson will join his older brother, Lamont on the Saturday, May 18 card at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ.

Anthony Peterson (31-1, 20 KO's) has not fought since December 10, 2011 when he won a 10-round unanimous decision over fellow Beltway Boxer Daniel Attah at the Washington Convention Center, the same card Lamont Peterson won the IBF/WBA 140-Pound championship from Amir Khan.

Anthony Peterson's opponent will be Dominic Salcido of Rialto, CA in this 10-round contest. Salcido (18-4, nine KO's) has lost three of his last four but has gone the 10-round distance in his last two bouts.  Salcido is moving up in weight from super featherweight for this contest.  The bout will be shown as part of the Showtime Extreme coverage beginning at 7 PM ET.

Russell, Price II Advance in National Golden Gloves!

Gary Antonio Russell has won his first-round contest at the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions in Salt Lake City, UT.

Russell earned an RSC over Quincy Means, representing the Mid-South region in the 123 Pound division.  Also, Darnell Price II of Camp Lejeune, NC, who is on the DC Region team advanced in the 201 Pound class with a decision over Antonio Salazar of the Upper Midwest region.

Surprisingly, Patrick Harris lost in the first round of the 141 Pound class by decision to Alfonso Olvera of Nevada.  Harris was the DC Region's Outstanding Boxer.  Also falling in the first round was Jerome Featherstone who lost a decision to Quilisto Madera of California in the 165 Pound class.

Thomas Williams, Jr. to Face Former 'Next Great Champ' Griffin in First 10-Round Bout on Peterson-Matthysse Undercard in Atlantic City!

Undefeated Fort Washington, MD light heavyweight Thomas "Top Dog" Williams, Jr. takes a nice step up in opponent name recognition on Saturday, May 18 when he battles Otis "Triple O.G." Griffin of Sacramento, CA in a 10-round contest at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ.  The bout will be on the Lamont Peterson-Lucas Matthysse undercard and will be shown on Showtime Extreme which will begin its coverage around 7 PM ET.

Williams, Jr., the 2012 Beltway Boxing Prospect of the Year (13-0, 10 KO's), will be looking for his  seventh straight knockout.  The last outing was a third-round TKO over Kevin Engel on March  2 in Las Vegas, NV.  This is Williams, Jr.'s first scheduled 10-round contest.

Griffin will be the most celebrated and most experienced opponent that Williams, Jr. has faced.  Griffin (24-12-2, 10 KO's) is best known for winning the Fox Network boxing reality series "The Next Great Champ" in 2004.  A former NABO and USBA Light Heavyweight champ, Griffin has lost two straight and six of his last seven.  Griffin has fought quality opponents such as Jeff Lacy, Byron Mitchell, Yusef Mack and Cedric Agnew throughout his career.

Harrison Gets Profile Prior To May 18 Bout!

As you know, this is a big boxing week for the Beltway with local participation in the National Golden Gloves, Lamont Peterson taking on Lucas Matthysee in Atlantic City and Dusty Harrison  headlining the card at UDC on Saturday night.  The Washington Post is doing great work in covering the week with the profiles on Patrick Harris and Kareem Martin and now Gene Wang's story on Harrison which can be found here.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/othersports/washington-boxer-dusty-hernandez-harrison-keeps-even-keel/2013/05/13/d8fd57a8-bc06-11e2-b537-ab47f0325f7c_story.html

Harris, Martin Profiled in Post Before National Golden Gloves!

Two local amateurs -- Patrick Harris and Kareem Martin -- are subjects of a Washington Post article by Gene Wang.  The two young men from the Headbangers Gym are in Salt Lake City, UT for the National Golden Gloves this week.

Here is the profile:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/othersports/dc-boxer-patrick-harris-jr-carries-on-family-tradition/2013/05/12/11293ffc-b9a0-11e2-b568-6917f6ac6d9d_story.html

White Brings Silver Home From Ukraine!

Waldorf, MD's Jordan White has won a silver medal at the Victory Cup Tournament in Uman, Ukraine.  White lost his championship bout in the 101-pound division to Jevgenij Osvajannkov of the Ukraine.  The United States team won three gold, two silver and five bronze medals during the tournament.

Potomac Valley Junior Olympic Boxers Head to Regionals in Norfolk, VA May 24-26!

The Potomac Valley Association of USA Boxing is sending 23 boxers to the 2013 Junior Olympic Regionals in Norfolk, VA on May 22-24.  Here is the list of competitors:

13-14 year old Intermediate Class

70 Pounds:  Kevon Clark (No Xcuse) 

75 Pounds: Jay Eric Stancil (Sugar Ray Leonard)

80 Pounds: George McRay (Woodland)

85 Pounds: Philbert Griffith  (Sugar Ray Leonard)

90 Pounds: Sequan Epps (Woodland)

101 Pounds:  Malcolm Lowery (The Answer)

110 Pounds:  Gregory Burton  (Langdon)

119 Pounds: Ameer Brown  (Sugar Ray Leonard)

125 Pounds:  D'anardo Johnson (Sugar Ray Leonard)

132 Pounds: Umar Ali (Diamonds-N-Da-Ruff)

154 Pounds:  Steven Clark  (Sugar Ray Leonard)

176+ Pounds:  Lawrence Fox Jr.  (Sugar Ray Leonard)

15-16 year old Seniors

119 Pounds (Female):  Tybriah Mason (HeadBangers)  

101 Pounds: Marcus Willis  (Diamonds-N-Da-Ruff)

106 Pounds:  Demetrius Young  (Sugar Ray Leonard)

110 Pounds:  Keeshawn Williams (Unattached)

114 Pounds: Sergio Bolanos  (Unattached)

119 Pounds:  Nico Woods  (Diamonds-N-Da-Ruff)

125 Pounds: Cortez Dargin (Rosedale)

138 Pounds:  Deonte Washington (Diamonds-N-Da-Ruff)

165 Pounds:  Kashif Muhammad-Brown  (Sugar Ray Leonard)

176 Pounds: Davon Sullivan  (No Xcuse) 

The PVA is offering an opportunity for boxers, coaches, friends and fans to join the athletes in Norfolk for the event.  The PVA is sponsoring a bus trip for the event for $40.  The price does not include hotel rooms or tickets to the competition.  For more information, call 202-528-7694 or 301-919-3412.

Emmanuel Taylor to Battle For NABF 140-Pound Title and Number One Ranking July 19 in New York!

BATB has learned that Edgewood, MD junior welterweight Emmanuel "Tranzformer" Taylor has signed for a bout on Friday, July 19 that will be for the NABF 140-pound title and the top ranking in the WBC.  The bout will be shown on ESPN2 and will be held at the Paramount Theatre in Huntington, NY.

Taylor (17-1, 12 KO's) has had an incredible 2013 thus far scoring knockout victories on national television in his last two outings.  On January 25, Taylor stopped Raymond Serrano in the sixth round at the Paramount on a Showtime ShoBox telecast.  Taylor then got up off the canvas to knock out Victor Cayo in the eighth round on March 8 in Atlantic City, NJ on an ESPN2 card.  Taylor is currently ranked sixth by the IBF and 12th by the WBC.

Taylor is slated to face Albert "Tornado" Mensah of Joliet, IL by way of Ghana.  Mensah (27-4-1, 12 KO's) has won two straight bouts in his native Ghana after his loss to Denis Shafikov by 12-round decision for the IBF International and WBC Baltic Junior Welterweight titles on December 1 in Quintana Roo, Mexico.  Mensah's biggest win was against former WBO Interim lightweight champ Michael Katsidis for the IBF International title in April of 2012.

Beltway Boxers Take Victories in Oklahoma!

We now have details on the two victories notched by Beltway Boxers this past Friday at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, OK.

Burke, VA middleweight Antoine "Action" Douglas scored a first-round knockout over Coy Witt of Richlands, VA.  The bout was stopped at 1:36.  Douglas is now 7-0, five KO's.  Witt is 2-4, one KO.

Baltimore, MD junior middleweight Cecil McCalla also remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Abel Perry of Colorado Springs, CO.  McCalla raises his record to 16-0, six KO's while Perry falls to 18-7, nine KO's.

Surprisingly, there was a slight local feel to the co-feature on the card.  Newark, NJ middleweight "The Apollo Kidd" John Thompson won the eight round bout by unanimous decision.   BATB has learned that Thompson is the younger brother of Baltimore cruiserweight Cory "Black Ice" Cummings.

Jordan White Advances to Victory Cup Finals In The Ukraine!

Waldorf, MD 101-pounder Jordan White has advanced to the finals of the Victory Cup Tournament in Uman, Ukraine this weekend.  So far, White has scored victories over two Ukrainian opponents.  On Saturday, White won a 3-0 decision over Vladislav Zarachnij.

  Given the time difference, it is possible White has already competed in the finals today.  As soon as we get the result, we will pass it along.

White's performance follows on the heels of Alexandria, VA female lightweight Iesha Kinney who won a unanimous decision over Elizabeth Dillion of England last week in Tampere, Finland.

Phil Jackson Benson Captures WBC Fecarbox Super Middleweight Title With Seventh-Round TKO!

                   
                       (photo by Mike Greenhill)

Landover, MD super middleweight "The Real Deal" Phil Jackson Benson captured the vacant WBC Fecarbox Super Middleweight title with a seventh-round TKO over a very game Maxell "The General" Taylor of Baltimore in front of a raucous packed house at Club One Fitness in Millersville, MD.  The card was promoted by Jeter Promotions.

Jackson Benson used devastating body shots to gain the advantage in the contest.  From the opening round, Jackson Benson used the body work to set up his head shots and get Taylor against the ropes.  Taylor would gamely fight back but the punches took their toll.  Benson would have a big fifth round that almost got the fight stopped.  However, Taylor bounced back to have a good sixth round.

But in the seventh, Benson amped up the pressure and forced referee Kenny Chevalier to stop the contest at 1:15 of the round.  Benson is now 12-1, 11 KO's and has stopped his last seven opponents.  Taylor falls to 18-5-1, eight KO's.

The co-feature bout between heavyweights "The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae of Columbia, MD and Norfolk, VA's Dennis Benson was ruled a double disqualification after the two boxers had an altercation before the bell rang.

Benson was already in the ring when McRae, who was fighting for the first time since September of 2011, entered and did his ring walk near Benson's corner.  The two exchanged words and tangled.  Referee Bill Clancy and Maryland State Athletic Commission members separated the two and sent them back to their corners.  Clancy warned both men that any more infractions would result in a disqualification.

Round one lasted approximately 20 seconds before the two men clinched and wouldn't let go.  Clancy had to physically separate the two boxers before waiving the bout.off.  No word yet on any penalties for the two men after the altercation.

In the opening pro bout, Ferndale, MD heavyweight "Slick" Nick Kisner won a four-round unanimous decision over Willie "Blackout" Chisolm of Clearwater, FL.  Kisner used great lateral movement and solid combinations to frustrate Chisolm and win by shutout (40-36) on all three scorecards.  Kisner remains undefeated at 12-0-1, five KO's while Chisolm falls to 7-15, four KO's.

There were also five amateur bouts:

91 Pounds:  Rudy Calixto (Main Street) over Dante Baytop (UMAR)

125 Pounds: Jon  Quiros (Legends) over Austin Wolfrey (Club One)

145 Pounds (Novice): Kyean Coleman (No Limits) over Marc Julian (Ivey Boxing)

121 Pounds (Novice): Andre Harris (Club One) by retirement - 3 over Lee Bolden (Legends)

165 Pounds (Novice):  Abinel Tati (No Limits) over Robert Breslin (Club One)

Here is the Post-Fight Wrap-Up show featuring interviews with Phil Jackson Benson, Dwayne McRae and promoter Tony Jeter.

Noted Trainer Vardell McCann Passes!

Sad news to report. Longtime Beltway trainer Vardell McCann passed away earlier this week reportedly of a heart attack.

McCann was a part of the Beltway Boxing scene for more than 50 years, first as a boxer, then as a trainer, primarily at the Hillcrest Boxing Gym.  Also, McCann worked with the celebrated "Hard Corps" group of Derrell Coley, Reggie Green, Gerry Payne and Reuben Bell.

McCann was very well respected throughout the community.  As recently as this past February, McCann was among many legendary local figures honored by the Potomac Valley Association of USA Boxing for his service.  Vardell McCann was a truly wonderful person who was a pleasure to know.  He will truly be missed!

Jeter Title Bout Scrapped; Rest of May 11 Card Intact!

BATB has learned that the WBC Fecarbox Middleweight title bout between champion Tony Jeter and Victor Hugo Correa slated for Saturday, May 11 at Club One Fitness in Millersville, MD has been called off.  However, the rest of the Jeter Promotions card -- including another WBC Fecarbox title bout -- will still take place.

Jeter Promotions learned late Thursday that something was wrong when Correa didn't arrive to be picked up at a local airport.  Subsequently, Correa sent an email saying he was not coming due to an illness.  This was after all the necessary documentation -- including medical forms -- had already been received.  After some last-minute tries to find a replacement, the bout had to be called off.

Where some promoters may have cancelled the card outright, Jeter Promotions told BATB that it would not be right to the other boxers on the card to cancel, so the card will go on as scheduled with the bout between Phil Jackson Benson and Maxell Taylor for the vacant WBC Fecarbox Super Middleweight title as the new main event.


So, here is the scale watch (with photos by Juan Marshall)

Phil Jackson Benson  165  (left) vs. Maxell Taylor 167  (WBC Fecarbox Supervisor Bismarck Morales holds the title belt)

Dwayne McRae 231 1/2  (left) vs. Dennis Benson 252

Nick Kisner 217 1/2 (left) vs. Willie Chisolm 218 1/2


The GoFightLive internet broadcast will also take place beginning around 7:30 PM with yours truly and "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears on the call.  We may do some live blogging but not as much as normal I would assume.   We will have our normal Post-Fight Wrap-Up after the card.

Peterson Prepares For May 18 Against Matthysse!

Even though his Saturday, May 18 bout against Lucas Matthysse is not a title defense, IBF Junior Welterweight champion Lamont Peterson sees the importance of the upcoming bout at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ.  The bout is a 12-round, 141-pound catchweight bout.

You can read what Peterson and his trainer, Barry Hunter, said by going to this link:  http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/lamont-peterson-im-not-worried-about-matthysse-196085

By the way, the winner of tonight's main event at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, OK that will appear on Showtime between Cleotis Pendarvis and Dierry Jean will be the number one contender for Peterson's title. As we said before, two locals -- Cecil McCalla and Antoine Douglas -- will participate on the non-televised undercard.

Douglas, McCalla Hit Scales in Oklahoma!

Two undefeated Beltway Boxers are on a card at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, OK on Friday night, May 10.  Middleweight Antoine "Action" Douglas of Burke, VA will take on Coy Witt of Richlands, VA in a six-round matchup.  Douglas (6-0, four KO's) is coming off a second-round knockout of Juan Zapata on April 12 in Whitehall, NY.  Witt (2-3, one KO) will be trying to break a three-bout losing streak.

Also on the card, Randallstown, MD junior middleweight Cecil McCalla returns to action after a more than 10-month absence as he faces Abel "Truth Serum" Perry of Colorado Springs, CO in another six-round bout.  McCalla (15-0, six KO's) has not fought since stopping Andre Baker in the fourth round on June 23 in Greensboro, NC.  Perry (18-6, nine KO's) had won five in a row before losing an eight-round majority decision to Don Mouton on September 28 in Lawton, OK.   This will be Perry's ninth bout in Oklahoma, with all five of his victories in the state coming by knockout.  Perry has lost three times in the state, one by KO.

The boxers hit the scales on Thursday:

Antoine Douglas 159 vs. Coy Witt 159

Cecil McCalla 147 vs. Abel Perry 149

These bouts will be on the undercard of the ShoBox card that will air on Friday night.

Harrison Gets Opponent for May 18 in DC!

Undefeated DC welterweight Dusty Harrison has an opponent for his eight-round main event contest on the All-in-Entertainment "Champion Class" card on Saturday, May 18 at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) Sports Complex in Washington, DC.  Harrison will face Eddie Soto of Pawtucket, RI by way of Puerto Rico.

Harrison (14-0, eight KO's) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision over Jonathan Garcia on April 12 in Dover, DE.  Soto (12-6, four KO's) got off to a great start in his pro career winning his first 12 bouts.  However, Soto has had difficulty as he has stepped up in competition losing his last six.  Soto has faced the likes of Edgar Santana, Danny O'Connor, Jose A. Gonzalez and Mike Faragon in his last six bouts.

The co-feature bout that was originally announced for this card is still intact -- the return of Upper Marlboro, MD heavyweight "Big" Phill Brown (6-1, three KO's) taking on undefeated Nati Visinia of San Diego, CA (8-0, seven KO's) in a six-round bout.

Also on the card, Waldorf, MD welterweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed returns to action in a four-round contest against the debuting Christian Daniel of Wilson, NC.  Reed (2-0, two KO's) has had both of his bouts end in the first round.

Bowie, MD super middleweight "The King's Son" Jerry Odom will be on the card as he takes on Drew Morias of Monroe, MI in a four-round encounter.  Odom (3-0, three KO's, one NC) also has yet to fight after the first round.  Morias (1-1) won a four-round unanimous decision over Desmond Jackson on April 27 in Toledo, OH.

Alexandria, VA welterweight "The Baby-Faced Assassin" Yurii Polishchuk will also be on the card as he will face Charles Natal of Cleveland, OH in another four-rounder. Polishchuk (1-0, one KO) registered a first-round knockout over Demetrius Winbush in his pro debut on April 20 at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD.  Natal (1-0-1) had a four-round draw with Brett Simmons on November 24 in Lorain, OH.

Fairfax, VA junior welterweight Joseph Rector (1-1, one KO) will try to bounce back from his first-round TKO loss to David Warren Huffman on October 27 in Fairfax when he faces Philadelphia, PA's Blair Cobbs who will be making his pro debut.

Also on the card, Alexandria, VA light heavyweight Patrick Coye will make his pro debut against the equally debuting Charles Parker of Wilson, NC.  There are also bouts scheduled for Palmer Park, MD featherweight Kevin "K-Smoov" Rivers, Jr. (6-0, five KO's) and DC light heavyweight Greg Newby (7-0, four KO's).  Both bouts are slated for six rounds, a first for Rivers.  

Another out-of-town boxer -- "The Real Coolie Bully" Elton Dharry of San Diego, CA by way of Guyana (13-5-1, seven KO's) -- is also slated to be on the card.

UPDATE:  There will be an open workout for the card on Monday, May 13 from noon to 3 PM at LA Boxing in Georgetown -- 1116 24th Street, NW in DC.  Harrison, Reed, Odom, Polishchuk and Visinia are slated to participate in the workout that is free to attend and open to the public.

Go Fight Live Visits Beltway For Two Consecutive Cards!

An interesting internet scenario will be taking place over the next two weeks in the Beltway region as GoFightLive will have live pay-per-view internet streaming of both cards that will take place in the area in the coming weeks.

First, GFL will be in Millersville, MD for the Jeter Promotions "Double Trouble" card at Club One Fitness on Saturday, May, 11.  That means TWO regional title bouts shown live on the internet -- Tony "Mo Better" Jeter defends his WBC Fecarbox Middleweight championship against Victor Hugo Correa and the all-Beltway matchup between Phil Jackson Benson and Maxell "The General" Taylor for the vacant WBC Fecarbox Super Middleweight title plus bouts including "Slick" Nick Kisner and "The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae along with five scheduled amateur bouts.

In the interest of full disclosure, yours truly along with "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears will be handling the announcing duties for the broadcast.  Also, Jeter will be one of the guests on the premiere of GFL's GoFightLive Radio on Thursday, May 9 at 7 PM ET.

One week later on Saturday, May 18, GFL comes down the road to the Nation's Capitol for the All-In-Entertainment "Champion Class" card at the UDC Sports Complex in DC.  This card features Dusty Harrison in the main event along with a number of young Beltway locals.

One bit of clarification -- the EPIX channel is sponsoring the card but will NOT be televising it.

Both internet broadcasts are on sale now for $9.99.  You can go to Go Fight Live to purchase the broadcast.

One more note:  Watching these cards on the internet will be NOTHING like seeing these events in person.  If you can make either or both cards -- please do so.  The boxers and promoters love and deserve your in-house support and the reason GoFightLive and other folks are trying to find out what we're all about is because of the crowds we are drawing here.  Please, before purchasing the broadcast, try to join us live at the arenas.  Thanks.

Benson, Taylor Talk About The May 11 Fecarbox Title Bout in Millersville!

The Saturday, May 11 co-feature bout for the vacant WBC Fecarbox Super Middleweight championship looks to be a solid contest between Landover, MD's Phil Jackson Benson and Maxell "The General" Taylor of Baltimore, MD.  BATB teamed with the camera of Juan Marshall of ProAm Fight Talk to bring you conversations from both camps.

Here is Phil Jackson Benson (11-1, 10 KO's):





And now, Maxell Taylor (18-4-1, eight KO's)



If you would rather see the interviews on YouTube, here are the links:


Phil Jackson Benson

Maxell Taylor

The main event on the Jeter Promotions card is the second WBC Fecarbox title bout where Stevensville, MD middleweight Tony "Mo Better" Jeter (15-3-1, 10 KO's) defends his title against Victor "Magnifico" Correa of Mexico (15-5, 10 KO's).  Both title bouts are scheduled for 10 rounds.

The card also features the return of Laurel, MD heavyweight "The Big Ticket" Dwayne McRae (10-3, six KO's) against Norfolk, VA's Dennis Benson (1-6) in a six-round contest.  Also, undefeated Ferndale, MD cruiserweight "Slick" Nick Kisner (11-0-1, five KO's) battles Willie "Blackout" Chisolm of St. Petersburg, FL (7-14, four KO's) in a four-round contest.  There are also amateur bouts slated for the card.

Legendary Beltway Trainer Dave Jacobs Turns 80!

(Photo courtesy of the Jacobs Family)

We don't celebrate many birthdays here but this one truly deserves a celebration.  Happy 80th birthday to legendary trainer Dave Jacobs.  Mr. Jacobs has worked with many local boxers over many years including Sugar Ray Leonard and Andrew Maynard just to name a short few.

One of the nicest men in this business deserves a strong celebration!

Newby Wins in South Carolina; Amateur Boxing Continues In Region!

First, some catchup info.  DC light heavyweight Greg Newby won his first six-round contest this past Saturday earning a six-round unanimous decision over Mark Anderson of South Carolina at the Civic Center in Bamberg, SC.

Newby scored a shutout on all three judges's scorecards (60-54) to remain undefeated at 7-0, four KO's.  Anderson falls to 3-12-1, two KO's.

There are two amateur boxing cards coming up in the next two weeks.  This Saturday, May 4 is the PVA (Potomac Valley Association) Junior Olympic Boxing Championships at the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center in Palmer Park, MD.  The event begins at 2 PM.

Then on Saturday, May 11, there will be an amateur boxing card that will honor the legacy of Calvin Woodland, a former coach and mentor in the DC Department of Recreation.  The first annual Calvin R. Woodland Memorial Boxing Event will be held at the Academies at Anacostia (formerly Anacostia High School). The time is 5 PM.

Dozier Scores First-Round TKO in North Carolina!

Glen Burnie, MD junior welterweight Lenwood "Mr. Composure" Dozier scored a first-round TKO over Markel Muhammad of Columbus, OH tonight at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, NC.

Dozier tells BATB that he knocked down Muhammad four times en route to the victory.  The win breaks Dozier's two-bout losing streak and raises his record to 8-5-1, four KO's.  Muhammad falls to 2-12.

Guerrero Falls in Seven to WBO Champion Quillin!

Salisbury, MD middleweight Fernando Guerrero lost his bid for the WBO Middleweight title tonight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Champion Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin knocked Guerrero down four times en route to the seventh-round TKO victory. Two of the knockdowns took place in the second round where Guerrero looked almost completely out.  Guerrero did fight back and did have an impressive sixth round.  However, he could not avoid Quillin's right hand.  After two more knockdowns, the bout was stopped at 1:30 of the seventh.

Guerrero falls to 25-2, 19 KO's while Quillin remains undefeated at 29-0, 21 KO's.  Barry Hunter, who once trained Guerrero, was in the corner.  Guerrero's regular trainer, Virgil Hunter (no relation), was in England working Amir Khan's corner against Julio Diaz.

Ballard Scores Second-Round TKO in Brooklyn!

Temple Hills, MD super middleweight D'Mitrius Ballard opened the card at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY with a second-round TKO over Marcus Clay of Baton Rouge, LA.

Ballard dropped Clay twice with right hands.  After the second knockdown, the bout was halted at 2:21 of the second.

Ballard is now 2-0, two KO's.  Clay is 2-6.

Dozier Weighs 145 For Bout in Winston-Salem!

Lenwood Dozier weighed in at 145 pounds for his six-round encounter with Markel Muhammad of Columbus, OH.  Muhammad (2-11) was a late addition to the card at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, NC and will weigh in sometime today.

Here Is The 2013 DC Region Golden Gloves Team!

Here is the team that will represent the DC Region at the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions in Salt Lake City, UT May 12-19:

114 Pounds:  Malik Jackson, Washington, DC

123 Pounds: Gary Antonio Russell, Capitol Heights, MD

132 Pounds: Lamont Roach, Jr. Upper Marlboro, MD

141 Pounds: Patrick Harris, Hyattsville, MD

152 Pounds: Kareem Martin, Clinton, MD

165 Pounds: Jerome Featherstone, Jr., Joppa, MD

178 Pounds: Joe Jones, III, Temple Hills, MD


The Novice Golden Gloves champions for 2013 are:

114 Pounds: Noah Crespo, Alexandria, VA

123 Pounds: Marquise Pryor, Baltimore, MD

132 Pounds: Christian Bratton, Greenbelt, MD

141 Pounds: Diego Abregu, Sterling, VA

152 Pounds: Matthew Abregu, Sterling, VA

165 Pounds: Lamonte Ridley, Emporia, VA

178 Pounds: Jerrod Bowling, Washington, DC

201 Pounds: Shaundre Kellum-Gee, Aberdeen, MD

201+ Pounds: Chris Laws, Newport News, VA



Here is the Post-Fight Wrap-Up Show from Waldorf:



We also have an interview with the Outstanding Boxer of the Tournament, Patrick Harris who is joined by former Beltway Boxer Robert McConnell, Sr. in this Juan Marshall photo:

We also talk with Malik Jackson who has already punched his ticket to Salt Lake City:

Jones Wins By RSC; Completes DC/MD Sweep!

Joe Jones III puts an exclamation point on the night with an RSC-3 over Richard Diggs.  Jones chopped his way to the victory with downwards punches throughout the bout. 

Patrick Harris was named the Outstanding Boxer of the Tournament.

Post-Fight Wrap coming up.  For now, good night from Waldorf!

Featherstone Wins 165 Pound Title!

Jerome Featherstone, Jr. wins the 165 Pound championship defeating Robert Sweeney.  Featherstone landed some good body shots and was able to keep Sweeney off balance throughout.

We've been told that the next bout -- the 178 Pound title bout between Joe Jones III of Temple Hills, MD and Richard Diggs II of Suffolk, VA -- will be the final bout of the night.

Martin Captures 152 Pound Title!

Kareem Martin wins a solid decision over Eric Hernandez at 152 pounds.Martin showed a lot of power getting three standing eight counts in the contest.

Next:  the 165 Pound championship -- Jerome Featherstone of Joppa, MD taking on Robert Sweeney of Hampton, VA.

Harris Wins 141 Pound Title Bout!

Patrick Harris is on his way to Salt Lake City with a victory over Seth Billups at 141 pounds. Harris knocked Billups down with a nice counter right in the second round.

Next, Kareem Martin of Clinton, MD battles Eric Hernandez of Leesburg, VA for the Open crown at 152 Pounds.

Roach Dominant In 132 Pound Title Bout!

Lamont Roach, Jr. puts on a dominant performance in winning the 132 Pound title over Everett Sawin.  Roach got four standing eight counts throughout the contest, forcing the bout to be stopped in the third round.

Next, what should be a real good contest in the 141 Pound championship -- Patrick Harris of Hyattsville, MD vs. Seth Billups from Ashburn, VA.

Roach Battles Sawin For 132 Pound Open Championship!

We are getting ready to resume the Open Division competition in the 132 Pound class.  Lamont Roach, Jr. of Upper Marlboro, MD taking on Everett Sawin of Blacksburg, VA.

Russell Wins Open 123 Pound Title!

Gary Antonio Russell wins the Open Division 123 Pound championship with the victory over a very game Karin Steven Zaiden.  Russell stepped up the pace just enough to get the win and will now look to become the third family member (after Gary, Jr. and Allen) to win a National Golden Gloves title.

We now head to intermission.

Laws Captures Super Heavyweight Title!

Chris Laws wins the 201+ Title with a win over Jeffrey Knight, Jr.  Laws was pretty dominant in the contest. 

Counting the one walkover championship on each side, Virginia narrowly won the Novice Division 5-4.

We now move to the Open Division where the winners will head to Salt Lake City, UT for the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions May 12-19.

First, the 123 Pound championship -- Gary Antonio Russell of Capitol Heights, MD vs. Karin Steven Zaiden of Roanoke, VA.

Kellum-Gee Wins 201 Pound Title!

Shaudre Kellum-Gee wins the 201 Pound Championship over Charles Bright.  Real close bout but Kellum-Gee did nice work in the trenches to win the bout.

The final Novice title bout. -- 201+ Pounds -- is next.  Jeffrey Knight, Jr. of Glen Burnie, MD takes on Chris Laws of Newport News, VA.

Bowling Gains First RSC in 178 Pound Title Bout!

Jerrod Bowling has gained the first Referee Stops Contest of the evening, winning over O'Bryan Mapp in the 178 Pound title bout.

Bowling was dominant throughout the round, getting two standing eight counts in the first round before the bout was stopped.

Now, the 201 Pound championship -- Shaudre Kellum-Gee of Aberdeen, MD vs. Charles Bright from Leesburg, VA.

Ridley Wins 165 Pound Title!

Three straight wins for Virginia in the Novice Division as Lamonte Ridley defeats Gregory Clark.  Ridley gained a standing eight count early in the bout and went on to the victory.
The 178-pound title bout is next:  Jerrod Bowling of DC vs. O'Bryan Mapp of South Chesterfield, VA.

M. Abregu Makes It A Family Affair!

Matthew Abregu joins his younger brother, Diego in the winner's circle by capturing the 152 Pound title with a victory over Lamonte Jackson.  Abregu had a really nice third round with jabs and hooks after a solid second round from Jackson where body shots were prominent.

Next, the 165 Pound Novice championship -- Gregory Clark of DC vs. Lamonte Ridley of Emporia, VA.

Abregu Wins 141 Title!

Diego Abregu wins the 141 Pound title with a tough win over Dionte Burts.  Abregu was successful coming forward.  Burts had his moments in what looked like a close bout but Abregu might have sealed the deal by getting a standing eight right at the end of the third round.

Next up, Abregu's older brother, Matthew, will try to win the 152 Pound Novice title when he faces Lamonte Jackson of Largo, MD.

Pryor Wins Over Mekok!

Marquise Pryor wins the 123 Pound Novice title over Henri Mekok.   Solid performance by Pryor who used his height well against the shorter and well-built Mekok.  Pryor had a nice job working.

Up next: the 141-pound novice title bout: Dionte Burts of DC facing Diego Abregu of Sterling, VA.

By the way, we have an exclusive interview with 114 Pound Open champ Malik Jackson of DC on the BATB Spreaker page. Jackson is a walkover champ and will be heading to the National Golden Gloves in May.

Pryor-Mekok Start Novice Division Action!

Our first bout is the title bout in the Novice 123 Pound Division -- Marquise Pryor of Baltimore, MD taking on Henri Mekok of Midlothian, VA.  And we are underway.

Good Evening Once Again From Waldorf!

Hi again everyone from the Waldorf Jaycees Community Center for the Regional Golden Gloves Championships!  We are slated to have 16 bouts -- eight in both the Novice and Open Divisions.  One bout in the Novice Division has fallen out -- Christian Bratton of Greenbelt, MD has won the 132 Pound title by walkover.

Some unfinished business from the Washington Championships two weeks ago.  We mentioned that UMAR Gym won the Junior Team title and NOMIS captured the Novice trophy.  We did not know who won the open team trophy at that time.  No Xcuse took the team trophy in the open division in a tiebreaker.  Both No Xcuse and Headbangers had two open champions, however, No Xcuse had two more boxers compete in title bouts.

We will be getting underway very shortly.

Ballard Weighs 167 For Bout At Barclays!

D'Mitrius Ballard is the second Beltway Boxer to weigh in for the card at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY that will take place on Saturday night.  Ballard tipped the scales at 167 pounds -- the same as his opponent, Marcus Clay of Baton Rouge, LA.

Clay (2-5) should be familiar to Beltway Boxing fans -- he has fought three times in the region losing to Immanuwel Aleem, suffering a no-contest against Jerry Odom and, in his last bout, dropping a six-round unanimous decision to Frankie Fillipone.

Showtime's telecast begins at 9 PM ET, however, they are coming from multiple locations, so I'm not sure what the order will be.

Closer to home, we'll begin the live blogging from the Regional Golden Gloves in Waldorf, MD about 8 PM tonight!

WBO Title Bout Still ON As Both Make Weight!

Both Fernando Guerrero and Peter Quillin have made 160 pounds and the WBO title bout will go on as the co-feature at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY Saturday night.

Guerrero, Quillin BOTH Overweight For WBO Title Bout in Brooklyn!

Today in Brooklyn, NY, both challenger Fernando Guerrero and WBO Middleweight champion Peter Quillin weighed in over the 160 pound limit.  Guerrero tipped the scales at 160.4 while Quillin came in at 161.5.

Both men had one hour to get to the middleweight limit.  No word yet on who got there.  This bout may end up being a non-title bout.

Fox Wins Unanimous Decision in Tulsa!

Forestville, MD junior middleweight Alantez "SlyAza" Fox notched a six-round unanimous decision over Keith Collins last night at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Tulsa, OK.  No official word on what the scores were but reportedly it was a very lopsided win for Fox who remains undefeated at 11-0-1, four KO's.  Collins of St. Joseph, MO falls to 4-23, two KO's..

This bout was on a charity fight night card that had former heavyweight champions Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield as special guests.  According to TulsaWorld.com, this is the final edition of this event after 22 years because of decreasing popularity.  Maybe the folks in Tulsa should see how DC does this style of event.

Fox Weighs 156 For Tulsa Tussle!

Alantez Fox weighed in at 156 pounds for his contest tonight at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Tulsa, OK.  His opponent, Keith Collins, tipped the scales at 161, three pounds over the contracted weight of 158.

The bout, however, is still on.

Another Busy Week For Beltway Boxers!

This will be another busy weekend for Beltway Boxers around the country.  Of course, the card this week locally will be the Regional Golden Gloves on Friday, April 26 at the Waldorf Jaycees Community Center in Waldorf, MD.  However, a few boxers will be in action around the country this week.

On Thursday, April 25, Alantez "SlyAza" Fox will be on a card at the Hyatt Regency in Tulsa, OK.

Three boxers are slated to be in action on Saturday, April 27.  Of course, the main focus on this day will be Salisbury, MD middleweight Fernando Guerrero's quest to win the WBO Middleweight championship from titleholder Peter Quillin at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.  Temple Hills, MD super middleweight D'Mitrius Ballard is also slated to be on that card but there is no opponent listed.

Meanwhile in Winston-Salem, NC,  Glen Burnie, MD junior middleweight Lenwood "Mr. Composure" Dozier (7-5-1, three KO's) will try to break a two-bout losing streak in a bout at the Benton Convention Center.

After this week, we will get a little respite from live action on the May 4 weekend.  However, we return to action in a big way on Saturday, May 11 with the pro card at Club One Fitness in Millersville, MD and the amateur show at the Academies at Anacostia in DC.  That's followed by the Saturday, May 18 card at the University of the District of Columbia.

Right now, we are slated to have three pro cards in June on the 8th, 15th and 22nd followed by a July 13 pro show at the Coppin State University Physical Education Complex in Baltimore, MD.  We'll give more info on those shows as it comes available.

Beltway Boxers Promoting Future Cards!

Tony Jeter (Left) and Ty Barnett at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD.  (Photo by Juan Marshall, ProAm Fight Talk)

The Beltway has three boxers who are currently working dual roles as boxers and promoters.  Two of those boxers have cards coming up in the very near future.

Stevensville, MD middleweight Tony "Mo Better" Jeter has his card on Saturday, May 11 at Club One Fitness in Millersville, MD.  Jeter will headline the show defending his WBC Fecarbox Middleweight championship against Victor Hugo Correa.  This will be Jeter's fourth self-promoted pro card.  Jeter has put together numerous amateur shows.

DC junior welterweight Ty Barnett returns to action on his first self-promoted card on Saturday, June 15 at the Washington Convention Center.

Jeter and Barnett talked to BATB about their upcoming cards and why they are promoting their own shows.



The third local boxer to actively promote currently is Venroy July who promoted his first show in March and will be putting together another card in the future.

One thing I should say, these men are doing just about everything for their shows -- promoting, matchmaking and trying to get the word out on their shows.

Jeter will be a guest on NewsChannel 8 Sports Talk on Tuesday at 9 PM ET.

Recap From The Show Place Arena!

Here is the recap from the Keystone Boxing "Showdown at Show Place" card at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD:

Accokeek, MD junior middleweight "Swift" Jarrett Hurd won a six-round unanimous decision over Greg Hackett of Philadelphia, PA.  Hurd won a very awkward bout by scores of 60-54 (twice) and 59-55.  Hurd remains undefeated at 6-0, three KO's.  Hackett falls to 2-11, one KO.

Waldorf, MD junior welterweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed needed just 31 seconds to stop Cassius Clay of Las Vegas, NV. Reed landed a left hand to the body that Clay could not recover from.  Reed is now 2-0, two KO's while Clay is 0-8.

Junior lightweight Kevin "K-Smoov" Rivers, Jr. of Palmer Park, MD stopped Carlos Alcala of Hillside, IL in the third round. Rivers dropped his opponent twice in the second and then forced the referee to stop the contest at 1:39 of the third.  Rivers is now 6-0, five KO's while Alcala was making his pro debut.

Baltimore, MD featherweight Gervonta "Rambo" Davis won by second-round TKO over the debuting Jacob Ninow of Wheaton, IL.  Davis d"ropped Ninow with a solid uppercut early in the second and a later flurry stopped the contest at 2:04.  Davis is 2-0, two KO's.

Frederick, MD middleweight Devar "The Warrior" Ferhadi won a tough, four-round unanimous decision over PJ Cajigas of Franklin Park, IL  Ferhadi made nice adjustments to his game plan against a very game opponent.  Ferhadi is now 3-0, two KO's.  Cajigas is 0-1-1.

Cruiserweight Mario Murphy of Capitol Heights, MD won a four-round majority decision over Damion Reed of Danville, VA.  Murphy showed solid defense throughout the contest.  Murphy is 2-0 while Reed is 2-11-1, one KO.

Alexandria, VA junior welterweight "The Baby-Face Assassin" Yurii Polishchuk made his pro debut a successful one with a first-round TKO over the equally-debuting Alexandria boxer Demetrius Winbush.  Polishchuk opened the bout with a flurry of punches that dropped Winbush and made the bout pretty easy, eventually stopping Winbush at 2:36 of the contest.


A good amount of sound from Saturday night for you:

Here is the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up:



We also have interviews -- first this one with Jarrett Hurd:



We also talked to Devar Ferhadi after his tough unanimous decision:



And we spoke with Yurii Polishchuk after his pro debut:

Hurd Wins Unanimous Decision in Main Event!

Accokeek, MD junior middleweight "Swift" Jarrett Hurd won a six-round unanimous decision over the very awkward Greg Hackett of Philadelphia, PA.
Much like Hackett's bout against Alantez Fox last month,  Hurd had some difficulty keeping Hackett from charging in.  However,  Hurd definitely landed the harder and more telling blows.
Hurd got the victory with scores of 60-54 (twice) and 59-55.
That's our coverage for now.  We will have our post-fight wrap-up shortly.  For now, good night from the Show Place!

Reed Makes Short Work of Clay!

In the time it took to write the previous post, Waldorf, MD junior welterweight Mike "Yes, Indeed" Reed scored a first-round knockout over the woeful Cassius Clay.  The bout ended when Reed landed a left to the body.

 Clay retreated to a corner and dropped to his knees and spit his mouthpiece out.  Referee Kenny Chevalier reached 10 and the bout was over at 31 seconds.

Reed is 2-0, two KO's.  Clay is 0-8. Main event now: Jarrett Hurd vs. Greg Hackett.

Reed Faces Cassius Clay in Co-Feature!

Mike "Yes Indeed" Reed faces, yes, Cassius Clay of Las Vegas in our co-feature as we return to action.

Rivers Earns Third-Round Stoppage!

Palmer Park, MD junior lightweight Kevin "K-Smoov" Rivers, Jr. stops Carlos Alcala of Hillside, IL at 1:39 of the third round.  Rivers threw some solid body shots and uppercuts throughout the contest that dropped Alcala twice in the second.  A strong flurry forced the bout to be stopped at 1:39 of the third round.

Rivers is now 6-0, five KO's. Alcala loses his pro debut.

Intermission is upon us.  If you go to the BATB page on Spreaker.com you can hear interviews with Devar Ferhadi and Yurii Polishchuk along with two Beltway Boxers who will be fighting and promoting cards on May 11 and June 15 respectively -- WBC Fecarbox Middleweight champ
Tony Jeter and Ty Barnett.

Davis Scores Second-Round TKO!

Gervonta "Rambo" Davis, sporting a newly-colored brand of orange hair, has scored a second-round TKO over the debuting Jacob Ninow of Wheaton, IL.

Davis, the 2012 National Golden Gloves champ, was dominant over Ninow, who went to the semifinals of the 2011 National Golden Gloves.  Davis scored a knockdown with a strong right uppercut early in the second before the bout was eventually stopped at 2:04 in the second.

Davis is now 2-0, two KO's.

Up next: Kevin Rivers, Jr. vs. Carlos Alcala.

Ferhadi Wins Tough Unanimous Decision!

In what was a very exciting contest, Devar "The Warrior" Ferhadi wins a four-round unanimous decision over a very game PJ Cajigas of Franklin Park, IL.  Ferhadi did a nice job going to the head, however, the body shots Ferhadi has become known for in his young career were few and far between.  Cajigas dropped Ferhadi right at the end of the third round but the knockdown was ruled after the bell.

Ferhadi wins by scores of 40-36 (twice) and 39-37.

Ferhadi is 3-0, two KO's while Cajigas is 0-1-1.

Up next, Gervonta Davis vs. Jacob Ninow.

Murphy Wins Majority Decision!

Capitol Heights, MD cruiserweight Mario Murphy won a workmanlike four-round majority decision over Danville, VA's Damion Reed.  Murphy showed some strong defensive skills, however he didn't have the power to keep Reed at bay throughout the contest.  Judge Paul Wallace scored the bout even, 38-38 while Kenny Chevalier and John Gradowski scored the bout for Murphy, 39-37 and 40-36, respectively.

Murphy is now 2-0 while Reed is 2-11-1, one KO.

Coming up: Devar Ferhadi in middleweight action against PJ Cajigas.

Polishchuk Stops Winbush In One!

Yurii Polishchuk makes short work of Demetrius Winbush using a solid flurry of punches to drop him midway through the first round.  Winbush didn't really want to battle much after that and the bout was eventually stopped at 2:36 of the first.

Next -- cruiserweights Mario Murphy and Damion Reed.
(Photos by Juan Marshall / ProAmFightTalk)

Polishchuk-Winbush Opens Show Place Card!

A battle of debuting Beltway Boxers from Alexandria, VA will open tonight's card.  Welterweight "The Baby-Face Assassin" Yurii Polishchuk takes on Demetrius Winbush.

Good Evening From The Show Place!

Hi everyone from ringside at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD for Keystone Boxing's "Showdown at Showplace" card.

The first item we should tell you about is the bout that will not be on the card.  The reason given as to why it got cancelled is, quite frankly, one of the stupidest reasons I have ever heard.  Also, the reason given, apparently, falls indirectly on me.

The first bout was slated to feature two debuting heavyweights -- Deverine Miner of Capitol Heights, MD and Glenn Thomas of East Stroudsburg, PA.  Thomas was originally slated to take on the Ecuadorian heavy Ytalo Perea but Peres had to back out of the fight.

Thomas was offered another bout and took it on one condition -- that he be put on the "A" side of the card.  This means he would be fighting out of the red corner as if he was a hometown boxer.  Again, Thomas was slated to fight Miner who actually IS a hometown boxer.

Now, here's where I come in.  When I saw the weights, I did what I normally do -- put the hometown boxers on the left side or "A" side, regardless of what corner they actually are in.  I was unaware of any deal made to the contrary.  The scale watch was posted on Fightnews as well as Boxrec, with Thomas on the "B" side.

When Thomas saw this, apparently, he went crazy, leaving nasty messages everywhere and then backed out of the fight.

After all is said and done,  the real reason the bout is off may be that Miner weighed in at 296 1/2, not to mention 6'9" and Thomas is just 237.

Be that as it may, we'll be ready to start here in a few minutes.

Here is further information on the crazy situation involving the Miner-Thomas scheduled bout:

Fox Now Slated to Battle in Oklahoma April 25!

Undefeated Forestville, MD junior middleweight Alantez "SlyAza" Fox was originally scheduled to be in action tonight at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD.  However, his opponent was unable to box due to medical reasons and other opponents were not approved.

However, give Fox's promotional group, Boxing 360, credit for working to find Fox opponents in a short period of time.  Fox is now scheduled to participate on a card on Thursday, April 25 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Tulsa, OK.  Fox (10-0-1, four KO's) will take on late replacement Keith Collins of St. Joseph, MO (4-22, two KO's).  No word yet on how many rounds the bout is scheduled for.

Kennedy Suffers Fifth-Round Stoppage in Chester, PA!

Windsor Mill, MD middleweight "Relentless" Julius Kennedy was stopped in the fifth round Friday night by Decarlo Perez of Atlantic City, NJ at Harrah's Casino in Chester, PA.

No word yet on how the stoppage took place in the scheduled eight-round co-feature but the time of the TKO was 1:49.  Kennedy has now lost four of his last five bouts and his record is 7-5-1, three KO's.  Perez is now 10-2-1, four KO's.

Weights From Show Place!

Here is the scale watch for the Keystone Boxing card on Saturday, April 20 at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD:

Jarrett Hurd 154 1/2 vs. Greg Hackett 160

Devar Ferhadi 167 1/2 vs. PJ Cajigas 165 1/2

Michael Reed 139 1/2 vs. Cassius Clay 142 1/2

Kevin Rivers, Jr. 126 1/2 vs. Carlos Alcala 123

Gervonta Davis 127 1/2 vs. Jacob Ninow 124

Mario Murphy 192 vs. Damion Reed 196

Yurii Polischuk 146 1/2 vs. Demetrius Winbush 147

Deverine Miner 296 1/2 vs. Glenn Thomas 237

Card gets underway at 8 PM ET and we'll be blogging live from ringside!

Kennedy Weighs 156 1/2 For Friday Bout in Chester, PA!

"Relentless" Julius Kennedy weighed in at 156 1/2 pounds for his eight-round co-feature against DeCarlo Perez Friday night at Harrah's in Chester, PA.  Perez tipped the scales at 155 3/4.

Kennedy, who fights out of Windsor Mill, MD (7-4-1, three KO's) is looking to break a two-bout losing streak.  Perez, boxing out of Atlantic City, NJ (9-2-1, three KO's) has won three straight.