Sunday, December 31, 2006

Hemphill Stopped in Valley Forge!

Woodbridge, VA light heavyweight Andre "Da Heat" Hemphill was stopped in the first round by undefeated Chucky Cavallo of Trenton, NJ during a card on December 29 in Valley Forge, PA.

According to Fightnews.com's Kurt Wolfheimer, Hemphill actually scored the first knockdown of the contest, dropping Cavallo with a counter left hand. However, Cavallo came back quickly and sent Hemphill to the canvas twice, forcing the referee to stop the contest at 2:41 of the first.

Hemphill's record is now 6-6-1, three KO's while Cavallo rises to 13-0, four KO's.

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

'Da Heat' Hemphill Visits Valley Forge!

Woodbridge, VA light heavyweight Andre "Da Heat" Hemphill will be in action in a featured bout on a December 29th card at the Valley Forge Convention Center in Valley Forge, PA.

Hemphill (6-5-1, three KO's) will participate in his first scheduled eight-round contest as he faces undefeated Chucky Cavallo of Trenton, NJ (12-0, three KO's.

Hemphill has recently turned his career around, going 2-0-1, one KO in his last three bouts, all against previously undefeated boxers. He looked particularly impressive in his last outing, a second-round TKO over Joe McCreedy on October 28 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT. I have seen footage of that bout and he did look very tough, much better his last outing here along the Beltway, a six-round unanimous decision loss to Willie "For Real" Williams at Martin's West on September 14.

Hemphill has also been one of the busiest boxers along the Beltway. The match against Cavallo will be his ninth bout this year.

Monday, December 25, 2006

James Brown: 1933-2006!

In a year where I have lost many personal favorites in and out of the entertainment world, no one loss in entertainment comes bigger than this one:

"The Godfather of Soul" is gone!

Legendary singer James Brown died today at the age of 73. To say Brown was just influential is almost insulting. He was an incredible force in music for many years.

"Please, Please, Please," "Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud", "Sex Machine," "Living in America (from Rocky IV)." The names of his songs just roll off the brain.

I have two personal memories of Mr. Brown. One of the first concerts I ever saw was in 1974 when my family took me to see him at the Carter Barron Amphitheatre in DC. For those who don't know, this was an outdoor concert. As Brown started his set, it began to rain and thunderstorm. Brown stopped his show, looked at the crowd and said, "If you all want a show, stay here and I'll give you a show." I got an early indication on why he was "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business."

Many years later, I saw Brown on the American Bandstand 33 1/3 anniversary show. He only performed for about 10 minutes, but managed to change costumes through the set. It was incredible.

James Brown's musical contributions will be felt forever!

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Happy Holidays to You and Yours!!

Just a short post to wish everyone in the Beltway Boxing area and beyond a very happy holiday season! Thanks once again for all your support and well wishes throughout the year! Unless some major news comes up, I will talk to you in January.

Don't forget you have just five days to vote in the BATB Year-End Excellence Awards! Deadline is December 29.

Once again, be safe and take care!!

Rahman Back in Action in February!!

Former two-time world heavyweight champion Hasim "The Rock" Rahman returns to action on Thursday, February 22 at the Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort in West Virginia. The Baltimore native will fight in the 10-round main event bout on the card against an opponent to be determined.

This will be Rahman's first bout since losing the WBC Heavyweight crown to Oleg Maskaev on August 12 in Las Vegas.

It is interesting to note that Joe Mesi will also be on the card, fighting in a 10-round co-feature. There is talk that if Rahman and Mesi win their bouts, a possible matchup between the two will take place.

The two bouts will be televised live by the Versus Network (formerly the Outdoor Life Network).

Thursday, December 21, 2006

One Week Remains in the Voting for the BATB Year-End Excellence Awards!

You have one week to go to vote in the Boxing Along the Beltway Year-End Excellence Awards!


Once again, to vote, go to the November 2006 archives and look over the choices in each category. Once you have completed your ballot, send it to beltwayboxing@hotmail.com.

The deadline is Friday, December 29 at 11:59 ET.

A reminder: Don't complain about the results if you haven't participated! I will announce the results on Thursday, January 25.

Monday, December 18, 2006

Major League Boxing Forms 'Rising Stars' Division!

Although promoter Joe Hensley technically lives outside the Beltway area in Richmond, VA, his recent contributions to this area through his promotional company Major League Boxing should be highly appreciated. Hensley brought two quality shows to the Patriot Center in Fairfax this year.

With that in mind, I bring this announcement to you for your comments. This is an idea Hensley has that, if successful, will truly benefit a number of boxers along the Beltway (especially in Virginia) and could serve as a model for other promotions around the country. Here is the story as it is appears on Fightnews.com:

Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League have minor league systems and the National Basketball Association has its Developmental League.

Now a promotional company in Richmond, Virginia has formed a “developmental league” that hopes to groom boxers in preparation for the big time.

Major League Boxing, a company headed by Joe Hensley, recently announced a “Rising Stars Division” that will showcase the best and brightest young talent in the region. The boxers will participate on cards that will have only four and six-round bouts.

“This is a way of developing local fighters so that they can get fights right here in Virginia,” Hensley said in a press release. “We want to get these guys fights, keep them active and hopefully, one or two or possibly a handful of them can make the step from rising star to the ‘Big Show’.”

“The fights will be competitive,” Hensley said. “Of course we want to get these guys experience and get them fights. But you can’t get anywhere in boxing beating up on chumps. Everyone who fights on “Major League Boxing’s Rising Stars” shows will have to earn their keep. They are going to have to fight. The fans deserve a good show. The cream will rise to the top anyway. If you can fight, you can fight. If you can’t, well, that’s just the way it is. Maybe boxing is not for you.”

The first Rising Stars show is scheduled for Saturday, January 13 at the Augusta Expoland in Fisherville, VA. Headlining the show will be a number of Virginia boxers that have appeared on undercards of bigger Major League Boxing shows that were recently held at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA.

The main event on the January 13 show will be a rematch between undefeated first-year cruiserweight Juan Carlos Robles of Waynesboro, VA and veteran Derek Amos of Dumfries, VA. In their last meeting on October 7 in Fairfax, Robles won a tough four-round unanimous decision in what was the opening bout on the card. Since that bout, Robles (5-0, three KO’s) won by second round TKO over Dan Sheehan in Fairfax on December 9 in the first bout on that card.

Robles will be participating in his first scheduled six-round encounter against Amos (14-23, nine KO’s), a boxer who has fought a number of quality cruisers and heavyweights during his career, including Chris Byrd, Monte Barrett and Tony Thompson.

The co-feature will have undefeated light-heavyweight prospect Adam “The Real Deal” Seal of Caroline County, VA. Seal (3-0, two KO’s) is coming off a second-round TKO over Ken Carey on December 9 in Richmond. Seal will be taking on Portsmouth, VA veteran William “The Storm” Bailey (5-12-2, two KO’s) who is coming off a four-round unanimous decision loss to Reggie LaCrete on Dec. 9 in Fairfax.

Also scheduled for this card will be highly-touted 19-year-old junior welterweight Andrew “The Doo Man” Farmer of Front Royal, VA. Farmer may benefit from this type of card the most because he will be coming off his first pro loss, a four-round majority decision to Ken Humphreys on the Dec. 9 Fairfax card. The opponent for Farmer (4-1, four KO’s) is still to be determined but the bout is scheduled to be Farmer’s first six-round contest and may give Farmer and his fans a true opportunity to see where he stands in the sport.

Also scheduled to appear is Norfolk, VA’s Antwon “Supreme” Barrett. Barrett will also have something to prove on January 13th. Barrett suffered a setback in his pro debut on November 9 in Glen Burnie, MD when he lost by third-round technical knockout to Martin Wright. Barrett will be taking on Edward “Nuckie” Anderson from Richmond, VA (3-7, three KO’s. The bout is scheduled for 4 rounds in the junior welterweight division.
Other bouts include Staunton, VA’s own amateur champion George Rivera. Rivera will be making his pro debut against veteran “The American Dream” Jay Watts from Virginia Beach, VA. Watts (2-8, two KO’s) is coming off a first-round TKO win over DC-area media personality JP Flaim on December 9th in Fairfax, VA.

In a six-round heavyweight special attraction, Charlottesville, VA’s “Big Lonnie C” Alonzo Cutchins will take on Stafford, VA’s “The People’s Champ” Jonathan Felton. Cutchins (7-15, six KO’s) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision loss to Boone Pultz on December 9 in Fairfax. Felton (2-5, two KO’s) lost by second-round TKO to Lenroy Thomas in his last outing on October 23 in Woodlawn, MD.

Rounding out the card will be cruiserweight Gairy Campbell from Richmond, VA by way of Jamaica. Campbell will be taking on an opponent to be determined in his pro debut.

Hensley said Major League Boxing will continue to run shows at the Patriot Center. Recent shows have featured many top regional stars including Jimmy Lange, Purcell Miller and Dean White participating in 12, 10 and eight-round encounters.

"Rising Stars is another avenue to develop talent in a smaller, more intimate atmosphere,” Hensley said. “Our plan is to have three shows at the Patriot Center in 2007 and four shows at the August Expoland in 2007. Keep guys busy and active and develop talent, that’s what we’re trying to do.”


UPDATE: Joe Hensley informed me today that the date of his first Rising Stars card has been moved to Saturday, February 3.

Friday, December 15, 2006

Barnett Draws in Lemoore!

Fightnews.com is reporting that DC lightweight Tye Barnett battled Raymundo Gonzalez to a four-round draw last night in Lemoore, CA.

I will add details on this result when they become available.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Luke Runion Featured in Washington Post!



(photo courtesy of USAboxing.org)

Once again, the Washington Post does a nice story on one of our amateur Beltway Boxers. This time it's Luke Runion, the super heavyweight from the University of Maryland, who is ranked number four in the country. Liz Clarke profiles him in the story "His Major is the Sweet Science" which can be found by following this address:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/13/AR2006121302384.html

In just this year alone, the Post has done nice stories on Franchon Crews, the Russell Family and Dominic Wade.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Barnett Battles in Lemoore, CA Tomorrow Night!

Undefeated DC lightweight Tye Barnett will participate in a Goossen-Tutor undercard tomorrow night in Lemoore, CA.

Barnett (8-0, six KO's) will take on Raymundo "Panadero" Gonzalez of Mexico (7-5-1, three KO's) in a bout scheduled for either four or six rounds.

A lot of people along the Beltway don't know much about Barnett. That's because he has only fought once in his hometown and that was on the Mike Tyson-Kevin McBride undercard on June 11, 2005 at Verizon Center. Barnett won a four-round unanimous decision over Mike Salyers on that card.

Now, Barnett is now being managed by former world champion Sharmba Mitchell so hopefully he will fight more in DC.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Amateur Boxing Tournament at SRL Center December 15-16!

DC Boxing legend Julius "Juice" Gatling is presenting an amateur boxing tournament on Friday and Saturday, December 15th & 16th at the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center 7707 Barlowe Road in Palmer Park, MD.

Friday's action begins at 7:30 pm and Saturday's card starts at 7 pm.

Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. For more information, call (240) 353-0564.

If you want to box in the tournament, call for an application and then fax the application to 301-292-4618.

Monday, December 11, 2006

Peterson Brothers Kick-Off 2007 Beltway Boxing Season!

Barring any major changes in the schedule, DC's undefeated Peterson Brothers will be the first Beltway Boxers to be in action in 2007.

And they will be in action on national television.

The Petersons will headline the first ESPN2 Friday Night Fights telecast of the year from the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi on Friday, January 5.

Anthony Peterson (21-0, 16 KO's) will be in the main event defending his NABO Lightweight championship against Mexican Lightweight champion Juan Humberto "Ringo" Garza of Cardereyta, MX (28-2, 23 KO's).

A. Peterson, who was named Prospect of the Year by ESPN, is currently ranked number four by the WBO and number eight by the WBA. A win on January 5 could lead to a world title shot.

In the co-feature, Lamont Peterson, the WBC US Jr. Welterweight champ (19-0, eight KO's), will fight a non-title eight-round encounter against Juaquin "Killer" Gallardo of San Leandro, CA (17-5-1, six KO's). Peterson is ranked number eight by the WBA.

Full Report from DC!

For those who could not hear Quentin Coles's report from the "Black and Brown" Throwdown at the Lincoln Theatre in DC. Here is a written account with information provided by legendary boxing writer JR Jowett of Boxing Digest Magazine.

DC Bantamweight Clarence "Untouchable" Vinson made his return after a two-year layoff a successful one as he scored an eighth-round technical knockout over Jose German Cruz of Ocotlan, MX. According to Jowett, Vinson started early in this contest, scoring heavy to the body and head. Although Cruz stayed in the bout, Vinson increased his output and by rounds five and six, he was totally in control of the bout.

Vinson finally finished it in the eighth with a lot of pressure, forcing referee Oliver Murray to stop the contest at 1:29 of the round. Vinson's record is now 15-2, six KO's. Cruz falls to 2-4, one KO.

In the co-feature, undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight Thomas "KO" Snow stopped Mike Salyers of Rush, KY at the end of the ninth round. Jowett called the fight a good one albeit one-sided in favor of Snow. In the third round, Snow landed a solid right hand that had Salyers hurt but he wouldn't go away.

Referee Marshall Cunningham penalized Snow for hitting on the break in the sixth round but Snow regrouped and punished Salyers in the remaining rounds. Between the ninth and 10th rounds, the doctor in attendance stopped the contest because of a bloody nose and seemingly evident blood filling in Salyers's left ear.

With the win, Snow raises his record to 8-0, six KO's. This was Snow's fourth straight knockout victory. Salyers is now 2-10, two KO's. He has lost seven straight.

According to Jowett, two local heavyweight prospects scored crushing knockout victories. Horace "The Reason" Grant of Bowie, MD scored a first-round knockout over Chris Brown of Ashland, KY. All it took was one thunderous left hook by Grant to drop Brown to stay.

Grant is now 2-1, two KO's while Brown is 1-2, one KO.

Also, "Big" Phil Brown of Upper Marlboro, MD registered a first-round KO over the debuting Thomas Gillispie of Ashland, KY. Jowett said Brown had Gillispie stumbling and bumbling all over the ring before a left hook sent Gillispie to the floor for good. The knockout was Brown's first of his pro career and he is now 3-0.

The card got off to a rough start for the locals. In the opening bout on the card, DC junior welterweight Reggie "The Mechanic' Holly was stopped in the third round by Carlos Cisneros of Los Angeles by way of El Salvador. Holly was dropped in both the first and second rounds of the contest. Then in the third, according to Jowett, Cisneros nailed Holly with a right hand before Holly was able to get out of his own corner. Referee Marshall Cunningham called the fight off at :15 of the third.

Holly's loss drops him to 6-2, two KO's. Cisneros is now 8-14-1, five KO's.

In the only fight that went the distance, veteran Larry "The Gladiator" Brothers of DC lost a four-round unanimous decision to Shon McCourt of Selma, NC. McCourt who at 6'5" had a MAJOR height advantage over Brothers and Jowett said he kept the bout at a distance and poked just enough punches to win the bout. All three judges scored the bout 40-36.

Brothers's record is now 6-22-3, four KO's. He has lost seven in a row and is winless in his last nine. McCourt is now 2-0, one KO.

Thanks again to Quentin Coles of BlackEye on Sports (heard on www.im4radio.com Friday's from 8-10 pm ET) and JR Jowett of Boxing Digest magazine (monthly on your newsstands) for their coverage of this card.

BATB Year-End Excellence Awards -- Update!

I've decided to give everyone an update on the voting for the Boxing Along The Beltway Year-End Excellence Awards. Maybe if you see the current totals, this will get more people voting.

Remember, all the information for the awards can be found in the November 2006 archives in the November 20th posting. Action from the Pikesville card on December 7 and the two cards in DC and in Fairfax on December 9 CAN be considered in your voting. Please send your ballot to beltwayboxing@hotmail.com. The deadline is Friday, December 29.

Rookie of the Year: Andrew "Doo Man" Farmer is leading the voting with 16 votes. Second is Juan Carlos Robles with six votes and Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow has two votes.

Prospect of the Year: Farmer is also leading this category with 17 votes. In second place is Nicklow with three votes followed by Tim Coleman with two.

Performance of the Year: This is a close race with three performances tied for first. Eric Aiken's April 1 defeat of Tim Austin, Aiken's IBF title victory of Valdemir Pereira on May 13 and Emmanuel Nwodo's USBA Cruiserweight title victory over Chris Thomas on July 1 each have three votes.

Card of the Year: There is a possible runaway in this category as the August 19 boxing card at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA has 15 votes. That card featured Andrew Farmer vs. Grant Messer and Jaime Palma vs. Randy Dobbs. In second is the October 7 Patriot Center card that had Jimmy Lange taking on Thomas Wilt. That card has seven votes.

Promoter/Matchmaker of the Year: The man who promoted the August 19 card -- Scott Farmer -- is leading in this category with 15 votes. The Major League Boxing team of Joe Hensley and Nick Tiberi are second with eight votes. Jake Smith and Josh Hall of Baltimore Pro Boxing have three votes.

Rising Contender of the Year: Andrew Farmer -- a write-in candidate -- is leading in this category with 15 votes. Jimmy Lange is second with five votes and Tony "The Tiger" Thompson has four votes.

Knockout of the Year: Farmer's first round knockout of Grant Messer on August 19 is leading this category with 15 votes. Lange's 10th round TKO of Thomas Wilt is second with three.

Bout of the Year: There is a tie for first in this category between two bouts that appeared on the same card. The Juan Carlos Robles bout with Derek Amos and the Lange-Wilt matchup from October 7 at the Patriot Center are leading with six votes each.

Beltway Boxer of the Year: Andrew Farmer is surprisingly ahead in this category -- again as a write-in candidate -- with 15 votes. Tony Thompson has seven votes.

If you have problems with the way the voting is going, you can change it. VOTE!!! Don't forget to include your "Unofficial Official" award that you will create and honor. Once again, send your ballot to beltwayboxing@hotmail.com. The deadline is Friday, December 29!

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Full Report from Fairfax!

Once again, for those who couldn't hear the audio report, here is how things went at the George Mason University Patriot Center.

In an exciting contest, Great Falls, VA’s Jimmy Lange and Orlando, FL’s Fontaine “The Flame” Cabell battled to a 12-round draw in a contest for the vacant WBC Continental Americas Junior Middleweight title in the main event of a Major League Boxing card at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA.

The two similar-looking boxers waged an intelligent contest that was hampered at times by injuries suffered by both men. Both boxers injured their hands in the second round. Also in the second, there was an accidental head clash that caused a gash on the left side of Lange’s head. Despite this, however, Lange was able to use a stiff left jab that gave him the early advantage in the contest.

In the middle of the contest, however, Cabell seemed to take over as he was able to initiate the action in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds. Cabell’s jab was especially strong during this point in the contest and left their marks over Lange’s face.

In the final stages of the contest, the two men exchanged opportunities with jabs and body shots. Lange was the most effective during this point as he landed solid body shots.

The judge’s scores were very different. Greg Coleman saw the bout 117-111 in favor of Lange. Phil Kornberg saw the bout 116-112 for Cabell. Judge Vaughn LaPread saw the draw at 114-114. My scorecard saw the bout for Lange, 116-113.

Cabell said he thought he won the bout, but he was satisfied with the draw.

“I thought they were going to rob me,” Cabell said. “I had a premonition that I may get a draw. I knew it was going to be tough, but I had nothing to lose.”

Lange was more subdued after the battle.

“It wasn’t a tough fight, it was more of a tedious fight,” Lange said. “I thought I won though. I’d love to do it again.”

Lange’s record is now 27-3-2, 19 KO’s while Cabell, who stopped a three-bout losing streak, has a record of 22-6-2, 17 KO’s.

In a very exciting co-feature, junior welterweight Dean “Pit Bull” White of Smithsburg, MD won a measure of revenge with an eight-round unanimous decision over “The Pride of Portsmouth, VA” Dorin Spivey.

The bout was a rematch of a November 1998 bout in which Spivey stopped White in the seventh round. In this contest, White initiated the action early with strong right hands keeping Spivey at bay.

After Spivey successfully used his body shots in the third and fourth rounds, White started to take over the contest. He continually got his shots off first and kept Spivey from using his power shots. All three judges (Vaughn LaPread, Jerry Payne and Tommy Nowlin) scored the bout 77-75, I scored the bout the same way.

White said the difference between this fight and the last bout with Spivey was aggression.

“I think I was more aggressive and more relaxed,” White said. “It also helped that I won the early rounds.”

With the win, White raised his record to 14-5-1, six KO’s. Spivey’s record falls to 34-5, 28 KO’s.

In other bouts on the card, former WBO Cruiserweight champion Boone Pultz of Annandale, VA returned to action after an 11-year layoff and won a six-round unanimous decision over Alonzo Cutchins of Charlottsville, VA.

Pultz, who turned 47 years old earlier this year, participated in a clinch fest with the 45-year-old Cutchins who was fighting for only the second time in nine years. Pultz landed just enough punches to gain the victory while Cutchins seemed willing only to hang on to his taller opponent.

Judges LaPread and Kornberg scored a shutout for Pultz, 60-54 while Judge Payne scored the bout 59-55, the same as I did. Pultz’s record rises to 24-1, 15 KO’s while Cutchins’s record falls to 7-15, six KO’s.

In a minor upset, Ripley, TN junior welterweight “The Next Greatest” Ken Humphreys won a four-round majority decision over previously undefeated Andrew “The Doo Man” Farmer of Front Royal, VA.

Farmer got off to a great start, landing solid shots with his jabs and right hooks. The 19-year old Farmer was able to win the early rounds with these tactics.

But in the third, Humphreys seized the momentum of the bout with a solid left hand that sent Farmer to the canvas. Farmer got up from the knockdown, but Humphreys was able to dominate the rest of the bout and go on to the victory.

Judge Kornberg saw the draw at 38-38. Judges LaPread and Coleman scored the bout 38-37 and 38-36 for Humphreys. I saw the bout 38-37 for Humphreys, who broke a two-bout losing streak with the victory.

Farmer is now 4-1, four KO’s while Humphreys is 3-2, two KO’s.

Another Virginia junior welterweight, Jaime “The Punisher” Palma of Front Royal increased his winning streak to three as he was able to capture a close, four-round split decision over Reggie Sanders of Fort Wayne, IN.

In the third round, Palma survived two solid Sanders right hands and managed to stay on his feet. Palma came back in the final round with a solid performance and eked out the victory. Judges Payne and Coleman saw the bout 39-37 for Palma while Judge LaPread scored the bout 39-37 for Sanders. I thought the bout was a draw, 38-38.

With the win, Palma reaches the .500 mark with a record of 10-10-1, two KO’s while Sanders falls to 12-37-4, two KO’s.

Bronx, NY light heavyweight Reggie “Concrete” LaCrete won a four-round unanimous decision over William “The Storm” Bailey of Chesapeake, VA.

Bailey got off to a good start by landing solid shots. However, fatigue seemed to set in and LaCrete took over, working well inside with uppercuts and short hooks. This work led to the victory. All three judges and my unofficial scorecard gave the bout to LaCrete, 39-37.

LaCrete, who is managed by Jackie Kallen, is now 2-0, one KO. Bailey’s record is 5-12-2, two KO’s.

Waynesboro, VA heavyweight Juan Carlos Robles raised his record to 5-0, three KO’s by punishing Brockton, MA’s Dan Sheehan en route to a second-round TKO.

Robles landed solid head and body shots that Sheehan had no answer for. Sheehan’s corner stopped the contest at 2:59 of the second round, much to Sheehan’s chagrin. Sheehan’s record is now 10-36 with four KO’s.

In a special attraction bout, the pro debut of DC-area radio talk show host “The Latin Donkey” JP Flaim was short and painful. Flaim’s opponent, “The American Dream” Jay Watts of Virginia Beach, VA, knocked Flaim down within the first 15 seconds of the bout. Watts knocked Flaim down three more times before referee Malik Waleed called a halt to the bout just before the end of the first round. With the win, Watts raised his record to 2-8, two KO’s.

The promoter of the card was Joe Hensley of Major League Boxing. The matchmaker was Nick Tiberi.

MORE RANDOM OBSERVATIONS: Take away Boone Pultz's bout and JP Flaim's contest and this was a very solid card. There were some great performances on this card.

Let's put Dean White where he belongs on the list of great performances on this card -- right at the top. White was really solid in this contest against a very good opponent in Dorin Spivey. White told anyone who would listen that this was the bout he was working towards when he made his return two years ago. White showed what hard work and tenacity will do for you. It was an exceptional performance.

As far as the main event, maybe it was the injury to Jimmy Lange's right hand, but in my opinion, Lange helped make the bout a little tougher than it should have been. He did not throw his right much at all in the contest and let Fontaine Cabell get off first throughout. Cabell came in with a really good game plan and at times he executed the plan well. I thought Lange won the bout, but I don't think he was truly on top of his game.

Andrew Farmer's performance and the outcome of his bout against Ken Humphreys should give you a better idea of why I was so angry about Farmer's last bout against Billy Mitchem in Springfield last month. Each bout is part of a growing process and the Mitchem "fight" did not allow him to grow. Farmer went from a bum in Mitchem to a tough guy in Humphreys and didn't get a chance to grow in between. You may remember Humphreys from his loss to Reggie Holly last March at the Lincoln Theatre in DC. Humphreys has improved drastically since that bout and Farmer simply wasn't ready for him.

Farmer, by the way, is currently the leading vote-getter for a number of categories in the Boxing Along the Beltway Year-End Excellence Awards, including Rookie of the Year and Rising Contender of the Year.

Another rookie of the year candidate did exactly what he was supposed to do in his bout. Juan Carlos Robles did a good job in stopping Dan Sheehan. Robles is slow of foot but heavy of hand. It will be interesting to see his development.

The resurgence of Jaime Palma has also been fun to watch. Palma has a lot of heart. The way he stood up to Reggie Sanders's punches in the third round showed a lot of grit. 2007 could be a very interesting year for "The Punisher."

I've known Boone Pultz for a number of years. I covered him in the early 90's. He is one of the nicest people that I have come across in my 19 years of covering Boxing Along the Beltway. That is why it was painful to see him lumber around the ring. Alonzo Cutchins didn't make things any better by grabbing and holding him, but it was not a pretty sight by any means.

I will say two things about JP Flaim's bout: One: Flaim did something that I could never do and I'm twice his size and that's get into a boxing ring. He tried his best by getting up three times and that showed a lot of heart.

Two: Flaim and his "Junkies" cohorts should be thanked and commended for bringing in a new audience to the area boxing scene. I dare say that there were a lot of people in attendance at the Patriot Center who had never been to a live boxing card. Hopefully, a good portion of those folks will come to more cards based on this show and "The Junkies" deserve a lot of credit for making that happen. According to the Washington Post, the announced attendance was 5,437.

Post-Fight Wrap-Up from Fairfax!

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #24 - Post-Fight Wrap-Up from Fairfax!

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I talk about tonight's action from the George Mason University Patriot Center. This recap includes interviews with both Jimmy Lange and Fontaine Cabell as they discuss their draw in the WBC Continental Americas Junior Welterweight title bout.

Recap of the 'Black and Brown Throwdown'!

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #23 - Post-Fight Wrap-Up From DC!

Boxing Along The Beltway Special Correspondent Quentin Coles recaps the action from tonight's "Black and Brown Throwdown" at the Lincoln Theatre. I thank Quentin for stepping in and doing this report, helping BATB to give complete coverage of tonight's boxing twin bill. Quentin can be heard every Friday night from 8-10 PM ET on his show "BlackEye on Sports" on www.im4radio.com.

Dean White Discusses Big Win!



(photo taken by Andre Williams, MMPV)

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #22 - 'Pit Bull' White Discusses Victory Over Spivey!

Smithsburg, MD junior welterweight Dean "Pit Bull" White discusses his eight-round unanimous decision victory over "The Pride of Portsmouth" Dorin Spivey tonight at the George Mason University Patriot Center.

Saturday, December 09, 2006

Flaim-Watts Bout Live on WJFK Radio!

Tonight's undercard bout that features JP Flaim of "The Junkies" and "The American Dream" Jay Watts from the George Mason University Patriot Center will be broadcast live on WJFK-FM 106.7 at approximately 9 pm ET.

Handling the announcing honors will be noted boxing and horse racing writer and announcer John Scheinman. He will be joined by two of Flaim's co-hosts on "The Junkies," Cakes and Lurch.

And this reminder: There are scheduled to have post-fight shows from Fairfax AND DC that you can hear early tomorrow morning (after midnight) on Gabcast and right here.

Full Report from Pikesville!

For those who could not hear the audio post-fight wrapup from the National Guard Armory in Pikesville, MD, here is my written report.

On a card billed as “Bombs Away on Pearl Harbor Day,” heavyweight Ralph “Wild Wild” West delivered a crushing blow when he used a powerful right hand to send hometown hero Jed “The Punisher” Phipps to the canvas in the first round of the main event at the Pikesville National Guard Armory in Pikesville, MD.

West, who fights out of Nixa, Missouri, pressured the Baltimore native Phipps early by trapping him along the ropes and landing powerful shots to the body and head. Midway through the first West landed a right hook over Phipps’s left hand. Phipps crashed to the canvas and remained there for approximately five minutes. Referee Malik Waleed only counted to four before waving off the bout at 1:58 of the round.

“I saw him holding his left a little low and I landed the shot,” West said. “I think he was a little inexperienced.”

West broke a two-bout losing streak with the victory and raised his record to 17-9-1, 15 KO’s. Phipps has now lost three in a row and falls to 17-6, 10 KO’s.

The co-feature bout was a human chess match that saw Severn, MD junior middleweight prospect Jessie “The Beast” Nicklow maintain his undefeated record with a tough, six-round unanimous decision over Jason Champion of Capitol Heights, MD.

The 31-year-old Champion started off strong in the bout by using good ring generalship drawing the 19-year-old Nicklow into clinches that referee Kenny Chevalier repeatedly had to break. The turning point in the bout may have come in the fourth round when Nicklow landed a left hand that dropped an off-balance Champion to the canvas. Champion quickly recovered from the knockdown and seemingly turned the tide of the bout in the fifth round with strong boxing skills. Nicklow was able to finish the bout in seemingly better shape in the sixth stanza.

Judges John Gradowski and Don Risher scored the bout 58-55 while Judge Malik Waleed saw the bout 58-56. My scorecard saw the bout for Champion, 58-55. Nicklow’s record is now 8-0, two KO’s while Champion, who beat Nicklow in the amateurs, drops to 3-2, two KO’s.

In a female bout, national amateur champion Shelly Seivert of Pasadena, MD made a successful pro debut by winning a four-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Kita Watkins of Carson, AR. Seivert showed good fundamentals throughout the contest as she put combinations together to win the bout. Watkins is now 2-1, one KO.

In other bouts on the card, Baltimore middleweight “The Golden Greek” Elias Bouloubassis battled York, SC’s Chris “The Hitman” Cooke to a four-round majority draw. Bouloubassis, a Marine Corps veteran who was making his pro debut, tried to pressure Cooke but Cooke’s awkward style made things rough for him. Judge Gary Camponeschi scored the bout for Cooke 39-37 while judges Don Risher and Malik Waleed scored the draw at 38-38. I saw the bout for Bouloubassis at 39-37.
Cooke’s record is now 1-4-1, one KO.

La Plata, MD light heavyweight Nick Caroleo defeated “The Dancing Machine” Robert Evans of Philadelphia by second-round technical knockout. Early in the second round, Evans a punch with his left hand and separated his shoulder. The incident forced referee John Gradowski to stop the bout at the 28-second mark. Caroleo, who saw his first action in more than a year, remained undefeated with the victory and his record is 3-0, two KO’s. Evans is now 0-2.

Heavyweight “Irish” Glenn Williams, now fighting out of Catonsville, MD, won his second straight bout scoring a second-round TKO over Derrick Martin of Gaffney, SC. Williams used sharp combinations to the body and head and broke Martin down throughout the contest. Williams is now 4-3-1, four KO’s. Martin is now 1-1, one KO.

In a super middleweight bout, Wilmington, DE’s Reuel Williams scored a crushing first-round KO over Baltimore’s Henry “Hurricane” Mayes. In the second minute of the round, Williams launched a devastating right hand that sent Mayes tumbling to the canvas. Referee Waleed didn’t bother to count and Williams notched the first knockout of his pro career. Williams is now 3-1, one KO while Mayes is 5-2, four KO’s with two no-contests. The two no-contests were originally knockout losses for Mayes that were changed when his opponents tested positive for banned substances.

In the opening contest, highly-touted amateur Dalemalik Robeson-El of Baltimore won his pro debut when he scored a third-round technical knockout over Michael Ciccone of New Brunswick, NJ. Robeson-El, who was ranked in the top 10 in the country as a light heavyweight in the amateurs, scored knockdowns with both hands before referee Camponeschi stopped the bout at one minute of the third. Ciccone’s record is now 1-2.

The promoter of the card was recent Maryland Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Jake “The Snake” Smith. The matchmaker was Josh Hall.

MORE RANDOM OBSERVATIONS: I believe it is painfully evident that this should be the last boxing card for both Jed Phipps and Henry Mayes. Both of them have suffered terrible knockouts in their careers, especially in recent months.

Phipps was absolutely stretched against Ralph West and it seems obvious that he will never live up to the promise that he showed when he started his pro career in 2002. At that time, I used to get many emails from fans heralding him as the next big thing in the heavyweight division. I don't get those emails anymore.

As far as Mayes is concerned, he only gets knocked out one way: one punch -- down he stays. I have not seen him get back up that well after a knockdown. Normally after just nine fights, you say maybe a guy can turn a career around. But in this case, unless Mayes suddenly learns how to avoid a right hand, it's not even worth it.

About the co-feature: Although I thought Jason Champion won the bout, I was still impressed by Jessie Nicklow. You tend to forget he is just 19 years old. Champion was, by far, Nicklow's toughest opponent and while he still has more to learn, he showed toughness and heart in that bout. It was a chancey move to take the bout, but in this case, Nicklow benefited from the bout. I think Champion will bounce back nicely as well.

I don't think Glenn Williams will be a world champion anytime soon, but this was the best I've seen from him. Williams took Martin's heart in that bout with his barroom brawling style.

Overall, the debuting boxers on the card looked pretty decent. I was very impressed with Dalemalik Robeson-El. He showed good power in both hands and nice patience. Shelly Seivert has some more to learn but I liked the way she put her combinations together. I thought Elias Bouloubassis let the emotion of the evening get to him a little bit. When I saw him as an amateur, I definitely saw more poise from him. There was too much emotion for him on this night, plus he faced a guy with a very weird style.

This seems to be the year of the separated/dislocated shoulder. It's happened at least three times this year. Nick Caroleo has had two bouts in his career where he benefitted from injury delays. In his win last November, his bout had to be delayed after the first round when another boxer on the card had to receive more medical attention. In this bout, another injury. I still don't know how good Caroleo really is.

Weights for DC and Fairfax!

Here are the scale watches for both the "Black and Brown Throwdown" at the Lincoln Theatre in DC and the Major League Boxing card at the George Mason University Patriot Center. Both shows are tomorrow night.

The "Black and Brown" Throwdown:

Clarence Vinson 119 vs. Jose Cruz 120

Thomas Snow 127 vs. Mike Salyers 130

Horace Grant 261 vs. Chris Brown 232

Demetrius Davis 177 vs. Dhafir Smith 182 This bout is now an exhibition contest.

Phill Brown 293 vs. Thomas Gellespe 266

Shon McCort 173 vs. Larry Brothers 171

Reggie Holly 143 vs. Carlos Cisneros 141


The Major League Boxing card:

Jimmy Lange 151 ½ vs. Fontaine Cabell 151
(12 rounds for the vacant WBC Continental Americas Junior Middleweight title)

Dean White 135 vs. Dorin Spivey 137

Boone Pultz 232 vs. Alonzo Cutchins 252

Juan Robles 210 vs. Danny Sheehan 222

Andrew Farmer 135 vs. Ken Humphreys 134

Jaime Palma 134 vs. Reggie Sanders 132

Reggie LaCrete 178 vs. William Bailey 182

JP Flaim 156 vs. Jay Watts 154

Friday, December 08, 2006

Post-Fight Wrap-up from Pikesville!

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #21 - Post-Fight Wrap-up from Pikesville!

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I discuss the action that took place during the "Bombs Away on Pearl Harbor Day" Baltimore Pro Boxing card at the Pikesville National Guard Armory tonight.

Ralph West Describes Knockout of 'Punisher' Phipps

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #20 - Ralph West Describes Knockout of 'Punisher' Phipps!

Missouri heavyweight Ralph "Wild Wild" West describes his devastating first-round knockout of Baltimore's Jed Phipps in Pikesville, MD tonight. The knockout came at 1:58 of the round.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Scale Watch for Pikesville Tomorrow Night!

Here are the weights for tomorrow night's "Bombs Away on Pearl Harbor Day" card at the Pikesville National Guard Armory (Beltway Boxers in bold):

Jed Phipps 223 1/2 vs. Ralph West 252

Jessie Nicklow 151 3/4 vs. Jason Champion 150 1/4

Elias Boulbassis 163 vs. Chris Cook 158 1/4

Nick Caroleo 176 3/4 vs. Robert Evans 177 1/2

Henry Mayes 170 vs. Reuel Williams 171 3/4

Glenn Williams 205 3/4 vs. Derrick Martin 203

Dalemanik Roberson-El 179 vs. Michael Ciccone 176

There will be a women's pro bout featuring the debut of Shelly Sievert as she takes on Katia Watkins and there are a number of amateur bouts also scheduled for this show.

A reminder: we will have a post-fight wrap-up show on Gabcast following the conclusion of the card. I'm guessing that it will be on the blog well after midnight Eastern time.

Sunday, December 03, 2006

New Poll: What Was Sugar Ray Leonard's Crowning Acheivement?

A little preview of something I plan to do all throughout next year:

The year 2007 will be a special one here along the Beltway. 2007 is the 30th anniversary year of the pro debut of perhaps the greatest Beltway Boxer of all-time: Sugar Ray Leonard. On February 5, 1977, Leonard made his pro debut at the Baltimore Civic Center and won by six-round unanimous decision over Luis Vega.

Throughout the coming year, the plan is to talk to the people who know him best and those who have been inspired by his championship legacy.

Hopefully, I will be able to talk to Mr. Leonard himself at some point during 2007.

To preview this celebration, I am putting up a new poll. In your opinion, what was Sugar Ray Leonard's greatest boxing moment? I have chosen nine of his great moments. Please participate in the poll. Thank you.

This is the December 9 Lincoln Theatre Card!

This is a complete rundown of the December 9 card at the Lincoln Theatre card according to promoter Cassandra White and matchmaker Jack Crider. Since we have not talked as much about this card, this is written in a more detailed form. If time allows, I will do the same for the Patriot Center show.

By the way, these two cards as well as the December 7 card in Pikesville, MD CAN be considered for the Boxing Along The Beltway Year-End Excellence Awards. (We need more votes for that, by the way, please VOTE!!!)


District of Columbia native Clarence “Untouchable” Vinson makes his return to boxing on Saturday, Dec. 9 when he headlines a boxing card at the historic Lincoln Theatre in DC.

The 2000 US Olympic bronze medalist (14-2, six KO’s) will take on Fidencio “Baby Boy” Reyes of Garland, TX in an eight-round contest that will mark Vinson’s first action since November of 2004 when he lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Cesar Morales for the vacant WBO Inter-Continental Bantamweight title.

Reyes (10-4-1, three KO’s) is coming off a six-round unanimous decision loss to undefeated Nestor Rocha on July 14 in San Antonio, TX.

The co-feature is scheduled to be a 10-round bout between undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight Thomas “KO” Snow and veteran Mike Salyers of Rush, KY. In his last outing, Snow (7-0, five KO’s) scored a first-round TKO over Fernando Hernandez on November 11 in Wilson, NC. The knockout was Snow’s third straight in the first round. All five of Snow’s knockouts have come within the opening three minutes. Salyers has lost six straight bouts including a four-round unanimous decision to Vernon Paris on February 4 in Auburn Hills, MI.

DC light heavyweight Demetrius Davis is also scheduled for this card. Like Vinson, Davis is also making a return to boxing after a long absence. This will be Davis’s first action since October of 1998 when he lost a unanimous decision to Thomas Tate for the NABF Super Middleweight title. Davis (17-11-4, seven KO’s) will fight a six-round bout against veteran Tiwon Taylor of Las Vegas. Taylor (24-13-1, 18 KO’s) is looking to break a five-bout losing streak where all five losses have come by knockout to boxers with a combined record of 95-4-4 when Taylor fought them.

In other bouts scheduled for the card, DC welterweight Reggie “The Mechanic” Holly will battle a four-round bout against Tony Green of Indianapolis, IN. Holly (6-1, two KO’s) is coming off a four-round unanimous decision over Ken Humphreys on the last Lincoln Theatre card on March 3. Green (0-2) is looking for his first win after being stopped in the first round in his first two outings.

Two local heavyweight prospects will also be in action in separate four-round bouts. Horace “The Reason” Grant of Bowie, MD (1-1, one KO) will take on Chris Brown of Kentucky (1-0, one KO) while “Big” Phil Brown of Upper Marlboro, MD (2-0) will battle Thomas Gillespie of Kentucky who is making his pro debut.

Also on the card will be light heavyweight Mike “The Pit Bull” Vallejo of Miami, FL. Vallejo (0-1) will see his first action since his appearance on the Fox Television boxing reality series “The Next Great Champ” in July of 2004. Vallejo lost his bout with eventual champion Otis Griffin by four-round unanimous decision.

Here is the card for the December 9 Patriot Center show!

We've talked about this card a lot but according to promoter Joe Hensley of Major League Boxing and his matchmaker Nick Tiberi, here is the card for December 9 at the George Mason University Patriot Center:

Main Event-- for the vacant WBC Continetal Americas Jr. Middleweight Title and a Top 10 WBC World Ranking!

Jimmy Lange, Great Falls, VA (27-1-1, 19 KO's) vs. Fontaine Cabell, Florida (21-6-1, 16 KO's)


Co-Feature -- Eight-round rematch --

Dean "Pit Bull" White, Smithsburg, MD (13-5-1, six KO's) vs. "The Pride of Portsmouth" Dorin Spivey, Portsmouth, VA (34-4, 28 KO's)


Special Attraction -- four rounds

"The Latin Donkey" J.P. Flaim , Bowie, MD (pro debut) vs. "The American Dream" Jay Watts, Newport News, VA (1-8, one KO)


Other bouts:

Former WBO Cruiserweight champ Boone Pultz , Waldorf, MD (24-1, 15 KO's) vs. Alonzo Cutchins, Charlottsville, VA (7-14, six KO's) --six rounds

Andrew "Doo Man" Farmer , Front Royal, VA 4-0, four KO's vs. Ken Humphreys, Ripley, TN (2-2, two KO's) -- four rounds

Jaime "The Punisher" Palma, Front Royal, VA (9-10-1, two KO's) vs. Reggie Sanders, Fort Wayne, IN (12-36-5, two KO's) -- four rounds

Juan Carlos Robles, Waynesboro, VA (4-0, two KO's)vs. Marion "Jackhammer" Wilson, Hillcrest Heights, MD (12-40-4, five KO's)-- has NEVER been stopped in a contest-- four rounds

Reggie LaCrete, New York, NY (1-0, one KO) vs. William "The Storm" Bailey, Chesapeake, VA (5-11-2, two KO's) -- four rounds