Philly pound for pound rankings November 2006

The first pound for pound list back in August was a success and stirred up a lot of debate so I thought I would come back again in November. The rules are simple, if you fight in the City of Brotherly Love and have more than 5 pro fights, you are eligible for the list. But don't get it twisted this isn't a list of fighters BORN in Philly, this is for the guys who spill their sweat in venues like the New Alhambra, Blue Horizon or National Guard Armory and help make our local circuit the best in the world.

There has been lots of action here in Philly over the past three months and there have been quite a few changes in the rankings. We saw fighters on the cusp of breaking the top ten take losses, a member of the top ten suffer a very controversial loss only to have it overturned by the commision. We saw fighters on the bottom half of the top ten win big a shoot up in the rankings. There were lots of exciting moments and the list now has three new members. Fighters such as Mike Jones, Tyric Robinson, Jules Blackwell all show promise as they near the 5 fight requirement to make the list. So without further ado, here is my November 2006 Philadelphia Boxing scene pound for pound list.

1) Eddie Chambers (27 – 0 15ko’s) – the big heavyweight retains his number one status by keeping his undefeated streak intact, this time against Dominik Jenkins in Las Vegas. “Fast Eddie” doesn’t have a fight scheduled at the moment, but one of real significance should be right around the corner. The Heavyweight division needs some new blood and who better to have than the poster boy for the Blue Horizon. Stay tuned. Last Month Ranking - #1

2) Joey Abell (9 – 0 9ko’s) – the knockout streak continues as the big lumberjack laid the wood to David Cleage and Louis Monaco at the Blue Horizon over the past two month, taking both victims out via knockout. Word has it that he was recently scene beating the snot out of John Ruiz while serving as a sparring partner for "The Quiet Man". If you haven’t seen “Minnesota Ice” in person you are missing out. This towering heavyweight brings the pain with every punch. Joey is expected to return to the ring December 1st at the Blue Horizon. Last Month Ranking - #2

3) Chazz Witherspoon (15 – 0 9ko’s) – the buzz is getting louder and louder and Chazz jumps three spots in the rankings due quick disposals of Innocent Otukwu and Earl Ladson. The Philly media loves him but not everyone is sold on his skills just yet because of the feathery soft opponents he has been blowing through. See it as you may but in my book, another impressive performance seals the deal for my vote as Philadelphia Fighter of the Year. Last Month Ranking - #6

4) Harry Joe Yorgey (16 – 0 - 1 8ko’s) – The rising junior middleweight prospect put on a front runner for Philly Fight of the Year as he and North Carolina's Martinus Clay battled for the IBU Junior Middleweight Title at the Wachovia Spectrum earlier this month in a match that was ruled a draw. The Bridgeport native has become a fan favorite here in Philadelphia and always puts on a crowd pleasing performance. He put together a rock solid performance in September against David Toribio and shined on Friday Night Fights on ESPN2 in June. We would love to see a rematch with Clay or possibly have him matched up against another undefeated prospect. Last Month Ranking - #7

5) Yusef Mack (22 – 1 – 2 14ko’s) – The Shuler’s Gym prospect has been on the shelf for the past six months but rumor has it he will be returning to the ring in the upcoming months. Although he suffered a loss in his last fight, Yusef still has all the tools to be a major player in a wide open Super Middleweight division. I hope to see this combo firing ring maestro back in the ring very soon. If he doesn't get back in soon, he will be dropped from the next set of rankings. Last Month Ranking - #3

6) Rogers Mtagwa (22 – 11 – 2 16ko’s) – the proposed bout against super prospect Jason Litzau fell through so the Peltz promoted USBA featherweight titlist instead opted to defend his strap in Chicago against a very tough Martin Honorio on November 10th. Although the fight was a barnburner, Mtagwa dropped a close decision and his title. In his match prior to this one, he scored a staggering knockout of Alvin Brown live on ESPN2 back in August and will be looking for the same results this time out. The South Philly native (via Tanzania) has lightening fast hands and exciting knockout power. Hopefully the fight with Litzau still goes through although it is unlikely now. Last Month Ranking - #4


7) Max Alexander (12 – 0 2ko’s) – what a rough way to end to a sensational 2006 season for this rising Light Heavyweight prospect. Max cruised through his first 6 fights of the year but momentarily has his undefeated streak stopped due to a very controversial knockout suffered ten seconds into the first frame at the National Guard Armory. This fight sparked heated debated through Philly boxing circles with blame going everywhere from the referee to the punch being a cheap shot to eventually his opponent failing the post fight drug screening. The result of the contest was later changed to a no contest. Max is suspended by the commission until January but vows to come back strong stating he wants to settle things the Philly way once and for all, in the ring with Marty Lindquist. Last Month Ranking - #5

8) Steve Upshur Chambers (13 - 1 - 1 4ko's) – Fast Eddie’s smaller brother cracks the top ten with his impressive knockout over Reggie Nash at the Blue Horizon in September. This super quick welterweight isn’t normally known for his pop but he does have a great set of boxing skills and could make a lot of noise in the near future. "Showtime Steve" has a major test in front of him December 1st at the Blue Horizon as he is scheduled to take on a tough customer in Lenny DeVictoria. A win here will definitely warrent a bump in the rankings, a loss might exposed Upshur as a Philly pretender. Last Month Ranking - Unranked

9) Omar Pittman (13 - 3 8ko's) – This rugged Super Middleweight rebounded strong from a late 2005 skid to win his three fights of 2006 in a very impressive manner. Pittman starched Puerto Rico’s William Santiago early in the first round at the New Alhambra on November 17th. His fight before that was a heavily one sided decision against a usually tough Derrick Graham and before that he was spotted on OLN (now Versus) knocking out the 9 - 2 Victor Paz. Last Month Ranking - Unranked

10) Chucky Cavallo (12 – 0 3ko’s) – another rising Light Heavyweight who would be on a collision course with Max Alexander if it was back in the golden era of Philly boxing but unfortunately we will probably never see them in the same ring together. Word on the Philly circuit is that the Cavallo camp would never sign the contract. Cavallo best performance to date came against Mike Eatmon on Wednesday Night Fights in August. His last fight was one of his worst as he took on William Gill for the third time in his career and escaped with a narrow victory. Last Month Ranking - Unranked

Honorable mentions – Mike Jones, Gee Culmer, Jamaal “Tyson” Davis, Latif Mundy, Simon “One Punch” Carr, Jamie Morales, Kaseem Wilson, Dave Brunelli


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