Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Orji Loses Unanimous Decision in Pittsburgh!

Laurel, MD's Ikem "The Warrior" Orji lost an eight-round unanimous decision to "Lightning" Rod Salka tonight at the Heinz Field VIP Tent in Pittsburgh, PA.

According to MaxBoxing.com's Alec Kohut, Orji fought well throughout the bout and never was in trouble, but the movement of Salka proved to be the difference in the bout as Orji was never able to get his power shots off. Salka won by scores of 77-75 (twice) and 80-72.

Orji is now 6-3, two KO's. Salka remains undefeated at 12-0, three KO's.

Orji Weighs 134 1/2 for Pittsburgh Battle at Heinz Field!

Laurel, MD's Ikem "The Warrior" Orji weighed in at 134 1/2 pounds for his eight-round main event bout against undefeated "Lightning" Rod Salka tonight at the Heinz Field VIP Tent in Pittsburgh, PA. Salka came in at 136 1/2.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

This Just In: Holland Going Nowhere, A VA Source Says!

Moments ago, BATB spoke to a source within the Virginia Department of Licensing and Regulations, the body that governs Boxing and Wrestling as well as Mixed Martial Arts in the Commonwealth.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that there are no, repeat, NO plans to replace David Holland as chair of the commission.

"There are a couple of people who would like to see Holland go," says the source. "He's had difficulties with promoters in the past, but there are no plans to replace him. He's not going anywhere."

Monday, June 28, 2010

Corley Replaces Coleman on Patriot Center Card; Wilson Gains Opponent!

Former WBO Junior Welterweight champion DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley will replace USBA Junior Welterweight champ Tim "Pit Bull" Coleman on the ICE Promotions card on Saturday, July 10 at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax. VA. Corley will now face Damian Fuller in the co-feature bout.

Coleman suffered a laceration on his head last week in training and had to pull out of the bout. The bout is a bit of good fortune for Corley, who had an ESPN2 bout slated for July 2 drop out on him at the last minute. Corley was actually slated to face Fuller on the September 26 Patriot Center card, but Fuller had to withdraw from the contest because of injury. Corley defeated Harrison Cuello on that card.

Also, Undefeated Arlington, VA junior welterweight Todd "White Lightning" Wilson has an opponent for this card. Veteran Calvin "Pekoe" Faggins of Marshall, VA will face Wilson in the four-round encounter. Faggins (3-4-1, one KO) has not fought since being stopped in the second round by Mario Galan in the Cayman Islands in March of 2008.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Post Profiles Jerry Odom Preparation For USA Nationals!

The Washington Post puts together a nice profile on DC light heavyweight Jerry Odom as he prepares for next month's USA Nationals in Colorado Springs, CO. Theresa Vargas tells us the story on how Odom progressed from street tough to boxing contender.

Here's the link:

"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/26/AR2010062601951.html">

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Davis Stopped in Third in Ireland!

DC light heavyweight Demetrius Davis was stopped in the third round today against undefeated Luis Garcia at the Neptune Sports Arena in Cork, Ireland.

No word on the official time of the stoppage. Davis's record falls to 20-22-5, eight KO's while Garcia is now 8-0, six KO's.

Farewell To 'Ballroom Boxing Report!'

As I write this, the final edition of the "Ballroom Boxing Report" is airing on ESPN 1300 in Baltimore. The show, hosted by Scott Wagner and Scotty Crouse, filled an important void for boxing fans in the local area for many years.

Although I always thought they could have done more conversation about the local boxing scene, the show was a great vehicle for boxing fans to discuss the important boxing issues of the day. When Wagner brought Crouse onto the show, he brought a human encyclopedia on board. Crouse is someone whose knowledge of the sport will take him very far in this business.

So thanks to Scott Wagner and Scotty Crouse for incredible work and boxing fans will truly miss you!

Friday, June 25, 2010

Russell Jr. Keeps Rolling; Scores Second-Round Knockout!

Capitol Heights, MD featherweight Gary Russell, Jr. remained undefeated with a second-round TKO over Rodrigo Aranda of Las Vegas last night at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, CA.

According to Fightnews.com's Francisco Salazar, Russell was on the attack from the beginning, landing hard left hands to the head. An overhand left dropped Aranda in the first round. Aranda bravely survived the round, but was dropped by two vicious body shots in the second round, prompting referee Pat Russell to stop the bout at 34 seconds.

The win is Russell's fifth straight knockout and sixth in his last seven bouts. Russell is now 10-0, seven KO's. Aranda falls to 8-13-2, two KO's and was stopped for the very first time in his pro career.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Davis Continues World Travels; Competes in Ireland Saturday!

Fresh off his fourth-round TKO upset victory over Artur Hein in Germany on June 5, DC light heavyweight Demetrius Davis travels to another European country to battle against another undefeated boxer.

Davis (20-21-5, eight KO's) will be at the Neptune Sports Arena in Cork, Ireland on Saturday, June 26 for an eight-round bout against Cuban-born Cork resident Luis "El Leon" Garcia (7-0, five KO's).

In a press release that appeared on MaxBoxing.com, Davis detailed his confidence in this upcoming battle.

"I’m in great shape for this fight and really looking forward to coming back to Europe and getting another big win,” said Davis. “Since coming back from Germany I haven’t been out of the gym and I’ve been in training camp sparring the WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Bebit Shumenov for this fight.

"They say Garcia is the next big thing but I heard the same stuff about Art.hur Hein in Germany and I gave that boy a beating. I’ve ended fighters unbeaten records before and that’s what I plan on doing again in Ireland. I always look to put on a show and that’s exactly what I plan on giving the Irish fans. I ain’t travelling back and forth to Europe to clock up the air miles, I’m coming to win and to put myself in line for a title shot."


Garcia is coming off a fifth-round TKO over Nathan King on June 11 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

PG Gazette Recaps Tyler's Junior National Win; Breaks News on Ballard!

Terron Hampton of the Prince George's Gazette recaps the big win for Temple Hills, MD native Aujee Tyler at the Junior Nationals in Camp Lejeune, NC and also tells us that MD 165-pounder D'Mitrius Ballard , also of Temple Hills, will be heading to the USA Senior National Championships in Colorado Springs in July as an at-large selection.

Here's the link to Hampton's story:

"http://www.gazette.net/stories/06232010/prinspo81705_32581.php">

Russell, Jr. Weighs 126 for LA Battle!

Both Gary Russell, Jr. and Rodrigo Aranda weighed 126 for their six-round contest tonight at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. The bout is scheduled to be on Fox Sports Net so if you have that on your cable system, you can watch it live. I don't know what time the show comes on, though.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

McCalla Victory Christens Tenure With New Promotional Company!

It turns out that the recent victory for undefeated Randallstown, MD welterweight Cecil McCalla was a lot more than just a journey to Niagra Falls, NY. McCalla fought his first bout for the promotional company that just signed him -- Empire Sports and Entertainment of New York City.

Empire has a number of boxers under contract including former heavyweight champions Hasim Rahman and Shannon Briggs. Empire also announced today that legendary manager Shelly Finkel will be joining The Empire as its Chief Executive Officer beginning July 1.

Samuel Battles Bowman In Sovereign Bank Showdown July 31!

We recently learned that Forestville, MD welterweight Alantez Fox will make his pro debut on Saturday, July 31 at Sovereign Bank Stadium in York, PA.

Now comes word that another Beltway Boxer will be in the main event on that card. Baltimore, MD super featherweight Tyrell "Da Show Shock'A" Samuel will face undefeated hometown hero Carney "Beeper" Bowman.

Bowman's last bout was almost one year ago in Sovereign Bank Stadium when he stopped Delvin Placencia in the third round. Samuel is coming off a six-round majority draw against Ron Boyd on May 28 in Norfolk, VA.

Samuel is 14-4-1, six KO's while Bowman is 14-0, six KO's. No word yet on how many rounds this is scheduled to go.

Gary Russell, Jr. Featured 'On The Grind!'

Undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight Gary Russell, Jr. is the subject of a nice feature by Sam Rosenberg on the website "On The Grind" in advance of his bout tomorrow at Club Nokia in Los Angeles.

The bout is scheduled to be shown on Fox Sports Net but may be a delayed broadcast in some areas (including ours). Russell, Jr. (9-0, six KO's) is slated to be in a six-round contest against Rodrigo Aranda of Las Vegas (8-12-2, two KO's).

Here is the link to the article: "http://www.onthegrindboxing.com/home/2010/6/22/call-gary-russell-jr-mister.html">

Monday, June 21, 2010

Alantez Fox Signs With TKO Promotions!

Forestville, MD welterweight Alantez Fox has decided to turn pro and has signed with TKO Boxing Promotions. Fox has also hired noted manager Cameron Dunkin to help guide his career.

The 18-year-old Fox had an exceptional amateur career that was capped off by winning the Under-19 National Championships this past February in Cincinnati, OH. There is a local tie to this promotional signing. TKO has put on a number of cards here in the Beltway area, mostly in conjunction with Ballroom Boxing. TKO's CEO is Chris Middendorf, who has been one of the best matchmakers ever in the Beltway area and beyond.

“Living in Maryland, I have been looking to establish a base in the DC/Maryland area to showcase our “HOMETOWN HEROES TO WORLD CHAMPIONS” program," said Middendorf in a press release. "We have done several shows in the area and each fall do a boxing fundraising show for the Jonathan Ogden Foundation in Baltimore. So it is with great excitement that we announce the signing of Alantez Fox. He is a 6'4 welterweight with terrific skills and at 18 years old, he is still growing! He will make his pro debut for us on July 31st at the Sovereign Bank Stadium in nearby York, PA.”

Amateur Boxing Comes To Jessup June 24!

"Slick" Nick Kisner continues the family tradition of promoting boxing cards started by his grandfather Max on Thursday, June 24 with an amateur card at Max Blob Park, located on 8024 Max Blob Park Road in Jessup, MD.

Scheduled to appear on the card in the main event is Brady Sensibaugh, just back from his silver medal-winning performance at the Junior Olympic Nationals. Sensibaugh will take on Traveia Carpenter of Norfolk, VA. In the co-main event John Edgar will take on Bill Zalus in a Masters bout.

UPDATE: We've just learned that Hasim Rahman, Jr. has been added to this card and will take on Zakki Scott of DC.

For ticket information, call 410-993-1626.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Snyder Loses Decision in Tacoma!

"The Berlin Bomber" Joshua Snyder of Berlin, MD lost a six-round unanimous decision to Walter "2 Guns" Wright of Seattle, WA at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, WA Saturday night.

The loss is Snyder's third straight,all by unanimous decision and all to quality competition (Wright, Matt Korobov and Walid Smichet). Snyder is now 8-6-1, three KO's. Wright, who fought for the first time in two years, is now 14-3, seven KO's.

Rahman Stops Miller; McCalla Remains Undefeated in Niagara Falls!

Former world heavyweight champion Hasim "The Rock" Rahman continued his comeback with a fourth-round TKO over Shannon Miller of Troy, NY last night at the Niagara Falls Conference Center in Niagara Falls, NY.

Rahman knocked down Miller once in every round before a right hand sent Miller stumbling into his own corner. Miller's camp stopped the contest at 1:37 of the fourth.

Rahman is now 47-7-2, 37 KO's. Miller is now 16-5, nine KO's.

On the undercard, Cecil McCalla remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over veteran Ruben Galvan of Hammond, IN. McCalla scored a shutout (60-54) on all three judges's scorecards. McCalla is now 12-0, four KO's while Galvan is now 27-14-4, 10 KO's.

John "No Mercy" Mackey -- a native of DC who now lives in Montgomery, AL -- scored a big upset winning an eight-round majority decision over previously undefeated Donnie Orr of Phoenix, AZ. Mackey is now 12-5-2, five KO's while Orr falls to 15-1, six KO's.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Tucker Wins Unpopular Decision in Oakland!

The DiBella Entertainment debut may not have gone exactly the way that Mark "TNT" Tucker wanted it to go at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA. The main thing is that Tucker got the win -- an eight-round unanimous decision over Bakersfield, CA's Billy "Billy Goat" Bailey.

However, according to Robert Hough and Rocco Morales of Fightnews.com, the decision was very unpopular with the fans. Tucker won by scores of 78-74 and 77-75 (twice). Tucker captured the NABO Youth Light Heavyweight title in the process, his second regional title of his young career. Tucker is also the USBO Light Heavyweight champ. Tucker is now 14-0, seven KO's while Bailey falls to 10-8, four KO's.

Nicholson Wins Rubber Match Over Moore at Hogate's!

Local 165-pounders Demond Nicholson of Cherry Lane Gym in Laurel, MD and Marquis Moore of Keystone Gym of Marlow Heights, MD met for the third time today at the Babie Girl Productions "Boxing Not Bullets" card at Hogate's On The Waterfront in Southwest, DC.

Each man had won a previous bout with Moore coming out victorious just one week ago at Club One Fitness in Millersville, MD. This time it was Nicholson winning on the strength of a solid jab throughout the contest. Moore landed a solid number of body shots but could not pull out the victory.

Also on the card, 151-pounder Michael Reed of Dream Team Boxing continued his winning ways, stopping Ray Milligan of Keystone in the second round. Reed is one of the six-member Potomac Valley contingent heading to the USA Nationals in Colorado Springs, CO in July.

In the 200+ pound bout on the card, Zakki Scott of Sugar Ray Leonard Gym stopped Abdullah Hicks of Old School Boxing Gym.

In other bouts on the card:

60 pounds: Stacey Silky (Langdon) defeated Mekell Lowrey (Kenilworth)

75 pounds: Jahovee Mack (Old School) defeated George Jones (Dunlap)

60 pounds: Salvador Escamilla (Langdon) defeated Donavan Eason (Alexandria Boxing Club)

90 pounds: De'Mario Corley (Kenilworth) defeated Martez Small (Dream Team)

152 pounds: Ronald Fung-Chung (Sugar Ray Leonard) RSC-3 Derrick White (Old School)

141 pounds: Davonn Boone (Keystone) defeated Terry Fung-Chung (Sugar Ray Leonard)


Cassandra White's Babie Girl Productions promoted the card. The matchmaker was Julius "Juice" Gatling. Babie Girl Productions is planning a black tie pro boxing card at Hogate's in September.

Tyler, Jackson Triumph At Junior Olympic Nationals!

Congratulations to Aujee Tyler of Temple Hills, MD and Malik Jackson of DC for their championship victories at the 2010 Junior Olympic Nationals at Camp Lejeune, NC.

Tyler captured the 106-pound title with a 13-8 win over Hector Valdez of Dallas, TX. Jackson won the 110-pound crown with a 10-7 decision over Jousce Gonzales of Glendora, CA. Jackson was also chosen as one of the Outstanding Boxers of the Tournament.

Brady Sensibaugh of Glen Burnie, MD won a silver medal as he fell in his 95-pound title bout to Jesus Luna of Inglewood, CA, 17-2.

Tucker Tips Scales in Oakland; Rahman, McCalla Hit Scales in Niagara Falls; Snyder Weighs in Tacoma!

Eldersburg, MD light heavyweight Mark "TNT" Tucker weighed in at 175 1/2 for his bout at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA. His opponent, Billy Bailey of Bakersfield, CA, weighed in at 175.

In Niagara Falls, NY, Hasim "The Rock" Rahman weighed in at 260 pounds for his bout at the Niagara Falls Conference Center against Shannon Miller, who came in at 234 pounds. Cecil McCalla and his opponent, Ruben Galvan, both came in at 147 pounds for their contest.

Also, John Mackey, who was born in DC but makes his home in Montgomery, AL, weighed in at 159 for his contest against Donald Orr, who tipped the scales at 160.

In Tacoma, WA, "The Berlin Bomber" Joshua Snyder came in at 161 pounds for his bout against former Contender-Season Two contestant Walter "2 Guns" Wright at the Emerald Queen Casino. Wright, who enters the ring for the first time since March of 2007, tipped the scales at 167.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Locals Win At Du Burns!

It was a clean sweep for local boxers last night at the Bang Time Boxing card at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore, MD.

"The American Child" Nick Kisner of Glen Burnie, MD won a four-round unanimous decision over the debuting Tauheed "Tiger" Wheeler of DC. All judge's scorecards were 40-36. Kisner is 4-0, two KO's.

Russ "The Hammer" Shiflett of Baltimore returned to action with a four-round unanimous decision win over the always-tough Andre "Da Heat" Hemphill of Philadelphia, PA. Shiflett scored a shutout on all three cards and remains undefeated at 8-0-1, four KO"s. Hemphill falls to 8-16-2, five KO's.

"The Persecutor" Mike Paschall of Baltimore was dropped in the first round but battled back to win a four-round unanimous decision over "The Kansas City Timebomb" Mickey Scarborough of Kansas City, MO. Paschall is now 20-2-1, four KO's while Scarborough is 5-2, five KO's.

In a heavyweight contest, DC's Maurice "The Freight Train" Byarm needed a single right to the body to stop Jason Freeman of Dover, OH at 1:16 of the first round. Byarm remains undefeated at 7-0, five KO's. Freeman loses for the first time and is 5-1-1, two KO's.

Severn, MD junior middleweight Sherman "The Tank" Artis won a four-round majority decision in his pro debut over Martinsburg, WVA's Stephen Franklin, who is now 1-1, one KO.

In the opening contest, Baltimore light heavyweight Dale Robeson-El stopped the debuting Shakee Williamson of Danville, VA at 2:00 of the third round. Robeson-El is now 3-0, two KO's.

Bang Time Boxing made its debut as a promotion. Paschall and Renee Aiken served as matchmakers. Also, World Wrestling Entertainment hall of famer Nikolai Volkoff sang the (American, not Russian) National Anthem.

Here is the BATB Post-Fight Wrap-Up with myself and Alec Kohut of MaxBoxing.com:

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #223 - Post-Fight From Du Burns!

MaxBoxing.com's Alec Kohut and I recap the Bang Time Boxing card at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore. "The Persecutor" Mike Paschall, who fought, co-promoted and co-matchmade the card, joins us.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Weights From Du Burns!

Here is the scale watch for tonight's Bang Time Boxing card at Du Burns Arena:

Mike Paschall 169 1/2 vs. Mickey Scarborough 164

Russ Shiflett 189 1/2 vs. Andre Hemphill 189 1/2

Maurice Byarm 254 1/2 vs. Jason Freeman 225

Nick Kisner 195 vs. Tahib Wheeler 212

Dale Robeson-El 175 vs. Shakee Williamson 174 1/2

Sherman Artis 158 vs. Stephen Franklin 160

All of the bouts are four-rounders except the Byarm-Freeman contest which is scheduled for six rounds.

Amateur Action Continues in DC on Saturday!

June is the month for great Beltway amateur action and that continues this Saturday, June 19 at Hogate's On The Waterfront, 800 Water Street in Southwest, DC. Babie Girl Productions is putting on a card called Boxing Not Bullets and it will start at 1 PM.

No official word on who is going to be on the card but there is a possibility that there will be some rematches from the card that took place this past Saturday at Club One Fitness in Millersville, MD.

Tickets are $10 and $20 dollars for the event.

Five Beltway Amateurs Reach Semifinals at Junior Olympic Nationals!

Five Beltway Boxers have reached the semifinals of the Junior Olympic Nationals at Camp Lejeune, NC.

At 110 pounds, Malik Jackson of DC defeated William Foster of New Haven, CT by a 6-4, decision.

In a 119-pound bout, Gervonta Davis of Baltimore decisioned Manuel Robles, Jr. of North Hills, CA, 14-5.

At 145 pounds, Demetrius Martin of Forestville, MD decisioned Dylan Mason of White Bear Lake, MN by a score of 7-4.

During the evening session, Aujee Tyler of Temple Hills, MD advanced to the semi-finals of the 106-pound division by stopping Emilio Sanchez of Pacoima, CA at 1:35 of the first round.

Also, Dusty Harrison of DC defeated Samuel Valentine of Land O'Lakes, FL, 12-5.

Boxers who did not advance were:

101 pounds: Lawrence Singh of Riverdale, MD lost a close 6-5 decision to Tamar Williams of Albany, NY.

114 pounds: Patrick Harris of Landover, MD lost to Gary Salazar of Fresno, CA 12-2.

Today's semifinal round begins at noon ET. Tomorrow's finals start at 11 AM ET and can be seen at www.usaboxing.org/live.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Steward Tells AOL Fanhouse's Satterfield That Rahman Was 'A Fighter I Did Want to Work With!'

Interesting article by one of the best -- AOL Fanhouse's Lem Satterfield. The former Baltimore Sun reporter recently talked to hall of fame trainer Emmanuel Steward about Baltimore's own former world heavyweight champion Hasim "The Rock" Rahman.

Steward tells Satterfield that, despite the fact that Rahman scored one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight boxing history against one of his boxers (hall of famer Lennox Lewis), he would have loved to train Rahman at some point in his career. This is a timely article considering Rahman returns to the ring on Saturday in Niagara Falls, NY.

Here is the link to the article:

"http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2010/06/14/manny-steward-on-hasim-rahman-a-fighter-i-did-want-to-work-wit/">

Update on Thursday Card at Du Burns!

Here's what we know about the Bang Time Boxing card coming up this Thursday at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore.

Mike Paschall (19-2-1, four KO's) will be taking on Micky Scarborough of Kansas City, MO (5-1, five KO's)

Russ Shiflett (7-0-1, four KO's) will battle Andre Hemphill of Philadelphia, PA (8-15-2, five KO's)

Nick Kisner (3-0, two KO's) faces Tahib Wheeler of DC, making his pro debut. Wheeler is the son of former heavyweight boxer Marion "Jackhammer" Wilson

Maurice Byarm (6-0, four KO's) takes on Jason Freeman of Cleveland, OH (5-0-1, two KO's)

Dale Robeson-El (2-0, one KO) is also slated for the card.

Russell, Jr. Battles in Los Angeles June 24!

Undefeated Capitol Heights, MD featherweight Gary Russell, Jr. returns to action on Thursday, June 24 in a scheduled six-round bout against Las Vegas, NV's Rodrigo Aranda at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, CA.

Russell, Jr. (9-0, six KO's) is coming off a first-round knockout over Carlos Diaz on April 16 in Memphis, TN. The win was Russell's third straight first-round knockout and his fourth straight knockout overall. Aranda, a native of Mexico (8-12-2, two KO's) has lost five straight and seven of his last eight.

Russell, Jr. is tentatively scheduled to be on the undercard of Fernando Guerrero's bout against Ishe Smith on July 16 in Memphis, TN.

Patriot Center Update: Lange Faces LeBlanc; Todd Wilson, Zain Shah Added to Card!

Great Falls, VA junior middleweight Jimmy Lange finally has an opponent for his 10-round contest on the Saturday, July 10th card at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA.

His name: Jimmy "The Dream" LeBlanc of Weymouth, MA and he is not a stranger to the Patriot Center. LeBlanc (12-16-4, four KO's) scored a first-round TKO over Luther Smith on November 1, 2008. LeBlanc has only fought once since that bout -- losing by disqualification in the fourth round against undefeated Gary O'Sullivan in March of 2009 in Dorchester, MA. Over the past five years, the combined won-loss records of LeBlanc's opponents is 91-21-6.

"The Bolivian Queen" Jennifer Salinas of Manassas, VA also has an opponent for her six-round contest. Her name is Nathalie Forget of Montreal, Quebec, Canada (2-1). Forget last fought on April 17 in Montreal and lost a six-round unanimous decision to Dominga Olivo.

Undefeated Alexandria, VA junior welterweight Todd "White Lightning" Wilson will make his first appearance at the Patriot Center against an opponent to be determined. Wilson (7-0, one KO) is coming off a tough four-round unanimous decision victory over Dontre King on March 20 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore.

King (2-7-1, one KO) will be on the July 10 card taking on undefeated Juan "The Savior" Rodriguez (4-0, four KO's) in a six-round bout.

Another interesting bout will feature undefeated Chantilly, VA middleweight Zain "The Tiger" Shah (2-0, two KO's) facing DC's Antonio Walls (2-3, one KO) in a four-round contest. Shah stopped Allen Perkins in the first round in his last outing on January 31 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD. Walls will be trying to break a three-bout losing streak. Walls was stopped in his last outing by Derrick Webster on January 15 in Philadelphia, PA.

Also added to the card will be Nashville, TN middleweight Jonathan "Reid Dawg" Reid, whose last bout was against Lange on September 26. Reid lost by stoppage in the ninth round. Reid (34-12, 19 KO's), who was on "The Contender -- Season One" with Lange, is looking for an opponent for this card.

All other bouts announced previously are still on the card.

Beltway Amateurs Start Well At Junior Nationals!

Beltway-area amateurs began their first day of competition at the Junior Nationals at Camp Lejeune, NC with good performances. Five boxers moved onto the next round.

At 119 pounds, Gervonta Davis of Baltimore stopped Alexis Garcia of Atwater, CA at 1:49 of the second round.

In a 145-pound bout, Demetrius Martin of Forestville, MD decisioned Martin Morales of Eufaula, OK, 5-3.

During the evening session, Aujee Tyler of Temple Hills, MD won his 106-pound bout by a 7-1 decision over Cristian Williams of Crete, IL.

Patrick Harris of Capitol Heights, MD also won at 114 pounds by a 12-1 decision over Luciano Gonzales of Lancaster, CA.

Also at 138 pounds, Dusty Harrison of DC shutout Jose Guadamama of Lanton, OK 7-0.

Two Beltway hopefuls did not advance -- Abdiel Rivera of Salisbury, MD lost by decision in a 132-pound bout to Jaime Bojado of Avondale, AZ 18-7 while Tavon Body of Burtonsville, MD lost at 154 pounds to Jonathan Esquivel of Anaheim, CA 9-1.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Undefeated McCalla Added to Niagara Falls Card June 19!

Undefeated Baltimore middleweight Cecil McCalla has been added to the Friday, June 19 card at the Niagara Falls Conference Center in Niagara Falls, NY.

McCalla (11-0, four KO's) will take on veteran "The Modern-Day Warrior" Ruben Galvan (27-13-4, 10 KO's) of Hammond, IN in a scheduled six-round contest. McCalla is coming off a six-round unanimous decision win over Gary Lynch on March 6 in Charlotte, NC. Galvan fought to a six-round draw with Leroy Newton on November 13 in Merriville, IN.

This is the same card that will be headlined by former world heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman as he takes on Shannon Miller.

Lockett Stopped in Philadelphia!

Willis "The Prophet" Lockett was stopped in the sixth round yesterday afternoon by "Son of the Legend" Aaron Pryor, Jr. at the Hyatt Regency/Penns Landing Hotel in Philadelphia, PA.

According to reports, Lockett was doing well in the first three rounds as he battled a six-inch height disadvantage. Despite this, Lockett was able to land winging shots.

But Pryor started to find the range in the fourth with his right hand. Lockett was forced to hold on for the rest of the bout and lost a point on the scorecards for excessive holding. Finally, the accumulation of punches thrown by Pryor was too much and Lockett's corner stopped the bout at the end of the sixth.

Lockett lost his third straight bout to quality opposition (Pryor, Jerson Ravelo and Keith Holmes and his record falls to 12-10-5, five KO's. Pryor is now 14-2, 11 KO's and scores his first victory in three tries against a Beltway Boxer.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Lockett Weighs 162 1/2 For Afternoon Matchup in Philadelphia!

Takoma Park, MD's Willis "The Prophet" Lockett weighed in at 162 1/2 pounds for his matchup against Aaron Pryor, Jr. later today at the Hyatt Regency in Philadelphia. Pryor came in at 166.

Melvin Wins State Amateur Title; Moore Defeats Nicholson in Millersville!

Jabri Melvin of Salisbury, MD captured the Maryland State 145-pound title with a decision over Tegbaru Kirubel of Annandale last night at an amateur card promoted by Jeter Promotions at Club One Fitness in Millersville, MD.

Melvin's win capped off an impressive night for the Down Under Gym in Salisbury. Three other boxers from that gym won bouts on the card. Emmanuel Rodriguez defeated Keystone's Devonn Boone at 145 pounds. At 154, Kevin Ottley won a decision over Laurel's Maiwak Degoot. In another 145 pound bout, Brian Rodriguez Lopez defeated Lamonte Jackson of the Cherry Lane Gym in Laurel.

In another featured bout, Marquis Moore of Keystone Gym defeated Demond Nicholson of Cherry Lane in an open 165-pound contest.

Former WBO Junior Welterweight champion DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley had more than a passing interest in this card as two of his sons -- De'Jon and De'Mario -- both participated in bouts. Both were successful as well at 85 pounds. De'Jon opened the card with a win over UMAR's Kyron Curry and De'Mario defeated Mansabory Conde of Club One.

There was one girls bout on the card as Zoria Curry of UMAR won an 85-pound bout over Mydia Alonzo of the Irish Boxing Club in Scranton, PA.

Other results from the card:

145 pounds: Montel Pridgett (UMAR) defeated Brandon Chambers (Honeycomb)

158 pounds: Kenji Konishi (Laurel) defeated Melvin Fuller (Honeycomb)

125 pounds: Omar Baines (Club One) defeated Nygel Gass (Mack Lewis)

145 pounds: Derek Cannon (Club One) defeated Jonathan Ladson (Kenilworth)

185 pounds: Jeffrey Knight (Honeycomb) defeated Joseph Rosecrans (Club One)

154 pounds: Brad Davis (Club One) defeated Timothy Sheils (Club One)

157 pounds: Keith Samuels (Old School) RSC over Dante Cox (Club One)

152 pounds: David Hall (Club One) defeated Ryan Voss (Club One)

165 pounds: Michael Jakuback (Unattached) defeated Nicholas Denny (Club One)

175 pounds: Kwame Ritter (Laurel) defeated Andre Thomas (UMAR)

Friday, June 11, 2010

Guerrero Will Face Smith on ShoBox Card July 16 in Memphis!

BATB has learned that, after much speculation, undefeated Salisbury, MD middleweight Fernando Guerrero will indeed face Ishe "Sugar Shay" Smith of Las Vegas, NV on Friday, July 16 at the DeSoto Center in Memphis, TN. This will be the 10-round main event of a Showtime "ShoBox" tripleheader.

Smith, a member of the cast of season one of "The Contender," (21-4, nine KO's) is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision loss to Daniel Jacobs for the NABO Middleweight title on August 22 in Houston, TX. Smith is a former USBA, NABO and WBC Continental Americas titleholder.

Guerrero (18-0, 15 KO's) scored a second-round TKO over Michael Walker on April 16 in his hometown of Salisbury. Walker went eight rounds with Jacobs in May of last year.

Thompson Suffers Fight-Cancelling Injury; A. Peterson Slated for Lightweight Eliminator!

ESPN.com's Dan Rafael is reporting that Tony Thompson's June 19 bout against Friday Ahunaya has been called off because Thompson suffered a shoulder injury in training. The bout was going to be on the Andre Ward-Allen Green undercard at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA.

Meanwhile, Rafael also reports that undefeated DC lightweight Anthony Peterson (30-0, 20 KO's) is slated to be in a title elimination bout against fellow undefeated boxer Brandon "Bam Bam" Rios of Oxnard, CA (24-0-1, 18 KO's) on July 24 at The Palms Casino in Las Vegas. Rafael says there is a slight disagreement over money between Top Rank and HBO, but once that is cleared, then the bout will be part of a Boxing After Dark doubleheader.

July Wins Unanimous Decision in Johnstown!

Suitland, MD cruiserweight Venroy July remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over DeLeon Tinsley last night at the Pasquerilla Center in Johnstown, PA.

July scored a shutout on two judges's cards (60-54) won on the other judge's card, 58-56.

July is now 5-0-1, two KO's while Tinsley is 9-8-1, five KO's.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

MD Independent Profiles Dusty Harrison's Preparation for National Junior Olympics!

Tammy Showalter of the Maryland Independent profiles the continuing development of Waldorf, MD amateur Dusty Harrison, who is making final preparations for the National Junior Olympics in Camp Lejuene, NC next week.

Harrison will be participating as an at-large competitor. The story can be found by going to this link:

"http://www.somdnews.com/stories/06092010/indymor164958_32236.shtml">

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Grano Backs Out of Bout With 'The Reason' Grant!

A few weeks ago, we told you that Riverdale, MD heavyweight Horace "The Reason" Grant was going to face Tony Grano on June 26 at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT. According to the Grant camp, both men signed contracts and the bout was scheduled to take place.

However, a week ago, BATB learned that the Grano camp backed out of the bout, according to representatives in the Grant camp. CES Boxing, who was promoting the card, allowed Grano to break his contract for the bout. The Grant camp lodged a protest with the Mohegan Sun Boxing Commission, but the protest was denied.

The following is an invitation to the Grano camp, CES Boxing or the Mohegan Sun Commission to tell their version of why this was allowed to take place. All I ask is that you don't do it anonymously -- identify yourself as a representative of any of the three entities, please.

Old School Boxing Hosts Free Amateur Boxing Card Tomorrow at Rosecroft!

The Old School Boxing Gym will be hosting a free Hall of Fame Amateur Smoker tomorrow night, June 10, at their home base of Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD.

The admission is free and the food is free. The action begins at 7 PM.

'Warrior" Orji Takes On 'Lightning' Salka June 30 at Heinz Field!

Laurel, MD junior welterweight Ikem "The Warrior" Orji will travel to Pittsburgh, PA's Heinz Field (home of the Steelers) for a Saturday, June 30 date against undefeated "Lightning" Rod Salka of Bunola, PA. This will be a scheduled eight-round main event bout.

Orji (6-2, two KO's) is coming off a solid fourth-round TKO over Andrew Farmer on March 6 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. Salka (11-0, three KO's) returns to his hometown area after making a road trip for the first time in his young career. Salka went a long way to get his last win -- a second round TKO over Traian Dimitrov on May 7 on the island of Cyprus.

Club One Hosts Amateur Boxing Card Saturday in Millersville!

Club One Fitness in Millersville, MD will host an amateur boxing card on Saturday, June 12 at 7:30 PM. There will be boxers representing Club One, Down Under, Annandale Boxing, Laurel Boxing and Kenilworth. There will be 15 bouts in all and the card will be promoted by Jeter Promotions.

Yours truly will serve as the ring announcer for the event. Club One is located at 1131 Benfield Boulevard, Unit M in Millersville, MD. For more information, call 443-802-6101.

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

July Journeys to Johnstown!

Undefeated Suitland, MD cruiserweight Venroy July travels to the Pasquerilla Center in Johnstown, PA on Thursday, June 10 for a six-round encounter against veteran DeLeon Tinsley of Orlando, FL.

July (4-0-1, two KO's) is coming off a fifth-round disqualification victory over Fred McClinton in a rematch on April 2 in Glen Burnie, MD. Tinsley (9-7-1, five KO's) will be looking to break a four-bout losing streak that began in DC on August 15, 2008 when he lost an eight-round unanimous decision to Ola Afolabi at the Ibiza Nightclub. Tinsley has been stopped in his last three outings.

Saturday, June 05, 2010

Potomac Valley Wins Team Trophy at East Central Senior Regionals!

The Potomac Valley Association clinched the team trophy at the 2010 East Central Senior Regionals at the University of Maryland Ritchie Coliseum. PVA will send six boxers to the USA Nationals in Colorado Springs, CO July 11-18.

PVA won five championships during Saturday's action. In a great bout, David Grayton won the 152-pound championship by decision over Virginia's Moshea Aleem. At 141 pounds, Michael Reed stopped Alleghany Mountain's Tony Romano. Jerry Odom won the 178-pound title by RSC against Diane Mohammed of Virginia. Danny Kelly took the 201+-pound title defeating Mark Rideout of Mid-Atlantic Association. Shadeed Floyd won the 123- pound title when South Atlantic's Glen Dezurn failed to make weight.

D'Mitrius Ballard lost his bid to advance to the nationals in the 165-pound division to Rashad Brown of Mid-Atlantic by decision.

Virginia captured one title on Saturday as Jesse Owens won the female 132-pound title over Sharline Mendez of Mid-Atlantic. All three of Virginia's titles came in the female division as Dara Shen (165 pound) and Jennifer Barnes (152-pound) were unopposed champions. The three titles gave Virginia a second-place listing in the team standings.

At 132 pounds, Gregory Wilkerson of Alleghany Mountain defeated Kevin Harris of Virginia to win that title. Tyrel Colston of Mid-Atlantic won the 201-pound title by stopping Joe Liles of South Atlantic.

Davis Wins By TKO in Germany!

Today on the undercard of the Steve Cunningham-Troy Ross IBF Cruiserweight title bout in Neubrandenberg, Mecklenberg-Vorpommern, Germany, DC light heavyweight Demetrius Davis scored a major upset, stopping previously undefeated Artur Hein in the fourth round. Hein suffered an injury to his right knee and the bout had to be stopped at 1:08 of the fourth.

Davis's record is now 20-21-5, eight KO's. Hein is now 12-1, seven KO's.

'Tiger' Thompson Joins 'TNT' Tucker on June 19 Oakland Card!

We already know that Mark "TNT" Tucker will be on the Saturday, June 19 boxing card at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA. The card is a co-promotion between DiBella Entertainment and Goossen Tutor Promotions. This allows another Beltway Boxer to make an appearance on this card.

DC's Tony "The Tiger" Thompson, who is promoted by Goossen Tutor, will be on the undercard on June 19, facing Las Vegas resident Friday "The 13th" Ahunanya in a 10-round bout. Thompson (34-2, 22 KO's) has won three straight (all by TKO) since his championship loss to Wladimir Klitschko in July of 2008. Ahunanya (24-6-3, 13 KO's), a native of Nigeria, has won two of his last three, but lost a 12-round unanimous decision to David Tua on March 31 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Results From Day 1 of East Central Senior Regionals!

The 2010 East Central Senior Regional Tournament got off to a good start at the University of Maryland's Ritchie Coliseum in College Park, MD.

Two championships were decided on day one. Gary Antonio Russell of the Potomac Valley Association (PVA) captured the 114 pound title defeating Emanuel Foley of the Mid-Atlantic Association (MAA). Samantha Griffith, representing the Alleghany Mountain Association (AMA) won the 141-pound female title by decision over Triva Pino of the Virginia Association (VA).

A third title bout will have to be re-done today. The female 132-pound title bout between Jesse Owens (VA) and Sharlene Mendez (MAA) ended one round too early last night by one round -- the women's title bouts are four two-minute rounds instead of three.

Here are the rest of the results from day one:

123 pounds: Glen Dezurn -- South Atlantic Association (SAA) over Prientekes Sanders -- West Virginia Association (WVA)

123 pounds: Shadeed Floyd (PVA) over Vidal Rivera (MAA)


132 pounds: Kevin Harris (VA) RSC over Joel Young (PVA)

132 pounds: Gregory Wilkerson (AMA) over Omar Douglas (MAA)


141 pounds: Tony Romano (AMA) over Anthony Gregory (VA)

141 pounds: Michael Reed (PVA) over Naim Nelson (MAA)


152 pounds: Moshea Aleem (VA) over De Carlo Perez (MAA)

152 pounds: David Grayton (PVA) over Andreas Kamouyerou (AMA)


165 pounds: Rashad Brown (MAA) over Aaron Cardenas (AMA)

165 pounds: James Seymore (VA) RSC over Gregory Weaver (WVA)


178 pounds: Jerry Odom (PVA) RSC over Jaquay Lutz (AMA)

201 pounds: Joe Liles (SAA) RSC over Keith Robertson (VA)

201+ pounds: Danny Kelley (PVA) RSC over Edward Latimore (AMA)

201+ pounds: Mark Rideout (MAA) over Jerry Forrest (VA)

There will be some quality matchups that will take place today when action begins at 3 PM. Two of today's championship bouts are rematches from recent area Golden Glove bouts: The 123-pound title bout between Shadeed Floyd (PVA) and Glen Dezurn (SAA) and the 152-pound championship between David Grayton (PVA) and Moshea Aleem (VA) should be great bouts.

Friday, June 04, 2010

Full written report later this evening. Day two of the tourney is tomorrow at 3 PM.
Just a reminder: The 2010 East Coast Senior Regional Champions are underway at Univ. Of MD Ritchie Coliseum. No live blog because I am the announcer.

Guerrero Fight Has New Date, New Location!

BATB is hearing that the Shobox bout featuring undefeated Salisbury, MD middleweight Fernando Guerrero has been postponed and will take place in the new location.

The bout was scheduled to take place on June 25 near Albuquerque, NM but Showtime has moved the bout to the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, MS and the bout will now take place on Friday, July 16.

There is talk that the opponent will also change for this bout, but there is no official word on that.

My thanks to Scott Abraham, the sports director at WBOC-TV in Salisbury for keeping us in the loop on this one.

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Tucker Opponent Announced For DiBella Debut!

Undefeated Eldersburg, MD light heavyweight and USBO Light Heavyweight champion Mark "TNT" Tucker has an opponent for his DiBella Entertainment debut on June 19 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA.

Tucker (13-0, seven KO's) will face "The Billy Goat" Billy Bailey of Bakersfield, CA (10-7, four KO's) in a scheduled eight-round matchup. Bailey is a former WBC USNBC Light Heavyweight titleholder who has lost three of his last four bouts.

Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Lange Headlines July 10 Patriot Center Card!

For the tenth consecutive time, Great Falls, VA junior middleweight Jimmy Lange will headline a card at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. The ICE Promotions card, dubbed "No Excuses," will take place on Saturday, July 10.

No official word yet on who Lange's opponent will be but Lange (31-4-2, 22 KO's) will be looking to bounce back from his WBC USNBC Junior Middleweight title loss to Chase Shields on the last Patriot Center card on March 6. The bout is slated to be a 10-round encounter.

The co-feature is set. USBA Junior Welterweight champion Tim "Pit Bull" Coleman of Baltimore, MD returns to the Patriot Center for an eight-round non-title bout against Damien Fuller of Detroit, MI. This will be Coleman's first bout since winning the USBA championship via 12-round split decision over Mike Arnaoutis on December 3 in New York City. Coleman (17-1-1, four KO's) fought at the Patriot Center in his third pro bout back in September of 2005 and scored a third-round TKO over Spencer Harsley.

Fuller's last bout was a seventh-round TKO loss to Lamont Peterson
on April 10 in Las Vegas, NV. Fuller (30-7-1, 14 KO's) was also successful in his last Patriot Center outing -- a third-round TKO over Dean White in May of 2007.

In other bouts slated for the card, undefeated Haymarket, VA welterweight Juan "The Savior" Rodriguez makes his third straight trip to the Patriot Center for his first scheduled six-round bout against Cambridge, MD's Dontre "Pound For Pound" King. Rodriguez (4-0, four KO's) is coming off a first-round TKO over Damien Butler on the March 6 Patriot Center card. The win was Rodriguez's third straight first-round stoppage victory.

King (2-7-1, one KO's) scored his first pro victory in his last outing, stopping Misha Christensen in the fourth round on May 8 in Baltimore.

Columbia, MD middleweight Tony "Mo Better" Jeter also returns to the Patriot Center, the site where Jeter scored the Beltway Knockout of the Year, stopping Keith Gross in the first round on September 26. Since that win, Jeter (9-2, eight KO's) registered his third straight knockout, stopping Vincent Robbins on April 2 in DC.

Jeter's opponent in this six-round contest will be Reston, VA's Lawrence Jones (3-2-1, one KO) who appeared on the March 6 Patriot Center card and won a four-round split decision over Vincent Batteast.

Batteast, a junior middleweight from Laurel, MD (1-2-1) will try to bounce back from the loss to Jones when he faces the debuting Brandon Quarles , who fights out of Alexandria, VA.

Also on the card will be Manassas, VA featherweight "The Bolivian Queen" Jennifer Salinas (11-1, four KO's), who is coming off her six-round split decision over Caitlin Dance on the September 26 Patriot Center card. Salinas's opponent is undetermined in her third straight Patriot Center bout.