Derek Ennis Tunes up for takeoff!

photo by Tony Gargano www.pixgargano.com

On January 15, 2010, USBA Jr. Middleweight champion, Derek "Pooh" Ennis (19-2-1, 12ko's) of Germantown will sharpen up before the first mandatory defense of his title when he takes on fading vet Edwin Vasquez (22-14-2, 8ko's) at the Arena for a scheduled 8 rounder. Ennis is said to have changed his training ways and appears to again be in tip top shape. This is a retry of a scheduled 2007 match where Ennis failed to make weight, sparking off a debate on his dedication to the sport. All of that seems to be put to bed now, as he weighed a career low 151 lbs in his last match, when he turned in the Philly 2009 Fight of the Year in a 12 round win over Eromosele Albert at The Blue Horizon. With Ennis on point and Vasquez being a loser of his last 5, don't bet on this going the distance.  Ennis is tentatively scheduled to defend his USBA belt in April in Atlantic City. Win that, and you are ranked in the top 5 of the IBF Pooh!

The undercard will feature undefeated North East Philly prospect Tony "Boom Boom" Ferrante (8-0, 4ko's) taking on Andre Hemphill (8-13-2, 5ko's) in a 6 rounder. Ferrante seems to be on a quest to clean out the local Light Heavyweights around town. Hemphill has lost four of his last five but is known to be a spoiler when fighting in this area, most recently blasting out Richard Stewart in 3 rounds. We will see if he can pull the rug out this time around... The Boxing Barber Victor Vasquez (10-3, 5ko's) and Gustavo Dailey (4-7, 1ko) square off for a potential 6 round riot. Also scheduled for action are Coy Evans and  Big Poppa Speller 

Derek Ennis is the USBA Champ! Victor Vasquez turns in his best performance yet!

Talk about it and see what they are saying on the forum http://phillykeith.com/fightforum/index.php?topic=931.0

October 16, 2009 in Philadelphia. Before we talk about today, take a walk with me for a minute as I take a flash back to Philadelphia, circa 1999. Looking back, it was a year of change for this great city with many tall tasks and lots of uncertainty ahead. One of the all time Philly greats, Ed Rendell, was stepping down from his big office at room 215 in City Hall wrapping up one of the most successful runs in the history of the country as mayor of a big city. The people chose a 19 year veteran of City Council, John Street to lead the charge into the new millennium. The big building across from the street from the clothespin hasn't been the same since. It was also a new day in Eagles country as 1999 marked the beginning of the Andy Reid- Donovan McNabb era whose goal was to give a fresh breath of life into a franchise that hit the bottom of the barrel. Say what you want about Big Red and his adopted son’s reign but five NFC Championship games later, the Birds as a well-respected and very lucrative franchise. The Phillies were still light years away from becoming World F. Champions but Overbrook’s Will Smith just putting down the mic to hit Hollywood for a career that saw him become one of the highest grossing actors of all-time.

Flying below the radar was Greg Robinson, a young ex-boxer with ambitions to stay in the game he loved. With family roots that ran deep into the heart of Philly boxing, he gave birth to his Power Productions promotional outfit in late 1999. In the one sport that is truly here today, gone tomorrow, Robinson has survived and even thrived in this landscape where only the strong, smart and crazy survive. Ten years later, Power Productions has become a Philly boxing club show main stay, producing some of the best action fights this town has seen in the 21^st century. For that I tip my cap to the man. Like Greg said at the press conference, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that make this a very tough business at times, but this is the sport we choose. For that we continue on doing what we love.

To celebrate 10 years behind the scenes, Robinson and Power Productions returned to the place where it all started – The Legendary Blue Horizon on North Broad Street with a seven fight card featuring some of the young and hungry fighters that help make this city the number one fight town on earth.

On top of the bill was a young Philly fighter currently taking the proper steps in a quest to become recognized as World F. Champion. One who has many tools but also few questions, which regularly lead to, heated discussions about if he can truly compete and succeed at the top level of boxing. The fighter is Derek "Pooh" Ennis, a 28 year old Junior Middleweight from the Germantown section of Philly. Ennis, a six year pro, also comes from a family with deep roots in the Philly boxing scene. Ennis father and trainer Bozy was competed as a pro during this city’s golden era of the 70’s. Derek’s brother Farah is an undefeated rising Super Middleweight who is worth keeping an eye on.

Ennis has been well regarded for some time now but his career has been on the roller coaster at times. His skills and undeniable as he is one of the most well rounded boxers living in this town. He has put on masterful performances against good competition but also has lost to opponents he should have easily handled. He has missed out on opportunities due to freak occurrences such as opponents getting in car accidents before the fight and has also shot himself in the toe by not making weight for significant fights. For a while, it seemed like he was getting by on talent alone without putting in the work of a true professional. But potential is an amazing thing and through out it all his management team of Moz Gonzalez, Eddie Woods and Mike Fingerman have stuck by his side, continuing to push for a break to come along. Finally, after all the highs and lows, Ennis was to the opportunity of a lifetime on this card. In this evening’s main event, Pooh signed to fight a 12 round bout against two time Olympian from Nigeria Eromosele Albert for the vacant USBA title. Though the USBA is not a world-recognized crown, but it will get your foot in the door as the titleholder automatically receives a top 15 rating in the world and with a successful defense, become a mandatory challenger to the world champ. Albert has faced world-class competition and has name value as he turned in many good performances on the ESPN Friday Night Fights Series over the past few years. In a nutshell, it was do or die for Pooh who has been itching for a chance to take on the big names and big money.

The co-feature also had significance, this time it was in true Power Productions fashion. This bout pitted the promoters nephew, Tyric “Too Sweet” Robinson against the boxing barber from North Philly Victor Vasquez for a scheduled 8 rounder. Robinson at one time ranked as high as number five on my Philly local top 10 pound for pound fighter list but since then has lost two in a row and was searching to get back the glory of when he was turning in fight of the year candidates. Vasquez is the Arturo Gatti of our local scene. Win or lose, he is always in the fight of the night. Caution goes to the wind and defense goes out the window leading to two way action brawls. Robinson was the natural Junior Welterweight but Vasquez brings the heat, it was the fight that could possibly steal the show. These two matches plus the return of Tommie “Big Poppa Speller and more. Scroll down to see how it all went down at The Blue on Greg Robinsons 10^th anniversary card!

Overall the show was a winner as the main event turned out to be one of the years most competitve two way fights. Derek "Pooh" Ennis boxed and countered the extremely aggressive Eromosele Albert over 12 rounds to win a close but clear unanimous decision to become the 154 lb USBA champion. It was a see-saw battle that had a lot of tight rounds with Albert winning most of the rounds early with his pressure and brute strength but Ennis was able to turn the tide mid way through as he consistently fought his way out of trouble with multiple flurries in the middle of the ring and swift movement when pressed into a corner. Take nothing away from Albert, he was in Ennis face all night and fought desperately to win, he just didn't have enough down the stretch as Ennis came in tip top shape (151.5 lbs) and had plenty of gas left in the championship rounds. It went to the scorecards which read 116 - 112 & 115 - 113 x 2 for Ennis who stamps his ticket into the top 15 of the IBF ratings. I also had it scored 115 - 113 for Ennis

In the co-feature "The Boxing Barber" Victor Vasquez put together the most complete performance of his young career scoring two hard knockdowns en route to a unanimous decision win over Tyric "Too Sweet" Robinson in their 6 round Jr. Welterweight bout. As always the case with Vasquez, it was high intensity from the start, but this time it wasn't balls to the wall. He showed patience, poise and actually slipped a few punches! Robinson, to his credit got off the floor and continued to fight hard after going down early in the 2nd and late in the 6th from big right hands. Very good fight as is usually the case when two Philly guys meet in the ring.

Super Middleweights Mario Mina and Tommie "Big Poppa" Speller were put together in an impromptu matchup after both had opponents fall out at the last second. Poppa vowed "to send his ass back to Ecuador" at the weigh in. Mina fought like it was personal in the 1st, hammering Poppa early who was more than willing to stand and trade. The 2nd round was close then out of nowhere Speller almost delivered on his pre fioght promise early in the 3rd round after a good body took all of the steam out of Mina. Speller followed up with a hard right that jellied Mina's legs. If Speller had more gas it might have been curtains. But this was not the case and Mina was able to survive the round. The fight slowed a bit in the final round as both seemed to tire in their first fight in over a year. It went to the card which somehow read 40 - 36 for Mina. Maybe I need new contacts, but I saw it a draw.

South Philly Heavyweight John Mercurio did it Passyunk Ave. style as he mauled, tossed and battered James North for a little over :90 seconds before finishing the job with a huge right that flattened his out gunned opponent. Nice turn out in the crowd for the big heavyweight as there were a good number of black Team Mercurio T-Shirts scattered across the arena. Expect to see him again soon.

Super Middleweight Derek Webster wasted little time dispatching a severely overmatched guy from West Virigina. At 6'4", Webster could become a problem for fighters at this weight.

Super Featherweight Coy Evans turned in a very solid 4 round performance winning a unanimous decision over grizzled veteran Carlos Diaz. Evans showed good speed and surprising ring generalship against a 31 fight vet. He doesn't knock down walls but his pop is not to be under estimated either. Good, fan friendly fight as both were willing to sit in the pocket and exchange shots at time. In other spots Evans would box and create openings on his slower foe.

In women's action Rachal Clark was clearly the better fighter in her 4 rounder. out of her southpaw stance, she landed a lot of straight lefts upstairs. After 2 rounds, her opponent made the right choice not to answer the bell.

Go to www.phillykeith.com for the latest on the Philly Boxing Scene.

Email me keith@phillykeith.com

Power Productions 10th Anniversary Press Conference

Talk about it and see what they are saying on the forum http://phillykeith.com/fightforum/index.php?topic=931.0

On October 14, 2009 Greg Robinson held a press conference at The Fox & Hound in Center City Philly to introduce he fighters on his upcoming 10th anniversary card. He plans to celebrate in style on October 16th at The Legendary Blue Horizon with Philly Jr. Middleweight Derek "Pooh" Ennis on top of the bill. After weeks of shuffling and searching for opponents, Eromosele Albert (22-3, 10ko's) has been selected and approved by the IBF as this match will be over 12 rounds for the USBA Jr. Middleweight title.

Ennis has looked strong in his last few bouts, most recently on ESPN with a W over John Mackey. People have been calling for Pooh and his team to make a move, and here it is. Albert is a two time Olympian from Nigeria and overall solid competitor in his own right with some good showings on ESPN. Very solid match-up that should produce a lot of two way action.

On the undercard, look for an all out Philly rumble between the Boxing Barber Victor Vasquez and Tyric "Too Sweet" Robinson. Excellent matchmaking and should be a delight for the crowd. Vasquez hasn't fought since March so you know he is itching for a fight. Robinson has lost two in a row and it itching for a win, especially on his uncles 10th anniversary card where I am sure the whole family will be in the house. Grab a beer and enjoy!

The night will also mark the return of Tommie "Big Poppa" Speller

Watch the video to hear from Promoter Greg Robinson, Derek Ennis, Coy Evans,
Tyric Robinson & more.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions you can email Philly Keith at keith@phillykeith.com

Go to www.phillykeith.com for up to the minute info on the Philly boxing scene

Derek Ennis gets a shot at the USBA Title on Power Productions 10th Anniversary Card!

Talk about it on the forum here http://phillykeith.com/fightforum/index.php?topic=931.0

Tip your hat to promoter Greg Robinson as it is now 10 years in the promoting business for the head of Power Productions. He plans to celebrate in style on October 16th at The Legendary Blue Horizon with Philly Jr. Middleweight Derek "Pooh" Ennis on top of the bill fighting for the 154 lb USBA title against Ireland's James Moore in a 12 rounder that should be a rumble. Ennis has looked strong in his last few bouts, most recently on ESPN with a W over John Mackey. People have been calling for Pooh and his team to make a move, and here it is. Moore is a known fighter, especially in NYC where he moves a lot of tickets. Moore recently lost to Yuri Foreman on Showtime in a fight that vaulted Foreman into a world title shot. Two opposite styles that will force the other to fight. Should be a very good one.

More details on the card to come soon....

 

 

Rasheem Brown, Tyric Robinson & Jose Hernandez win titles at The National Guard Armory!

photos by Zach Radel
It was title night at The National Guard Armory as Promoter Greg Robinson, matchmaker Ty McNeil and the Power Productions crew upped the anti with a five fight card, three having championship implications. On paper, it looked great and in the ring it was even better as every fight on the card proved something memorable. We had an big upset in the USBA featherweight title fight, a fight of the year candidate as two men looked to become the Tri-State Super Middleweight Champ, a fight off the Philly Keith Sports dream card which came as advertised for the regional USBA Jr. Welterweight title and an under card which gave an early KO of the year candidate and also displayed a rising prospects arsenal but also showed a grizzled journeyman's desire to finish a fight on his feet. It was one of the best constructed cards in recent memory and continued Power Production push into the upper echelon of Philly boxing Promotions giving fans what they want to see, good tough fights that are even money. The stands were packed and new announcer Chad Beene was on the microphone for this highly anticipated night of pro boxing in Northeast Philly.

Click Here To Comment!

USBA Featherweight Title Fight!

Rashiem Jefferson...vs...Jose Hernandez
Philly..................Mexico
15-0, 6ko's.............10-6, 4ko's

The main event matched two polar opposites who were able to position themselves for a title fight in completely different manners. North Philly's Rasheim Jefferson is billed as "Rich and Famous", had a highly decorated amateur career and came equipt with a team that carefully guided his every step as a pro. Securing promotional deals and getting him the right fights at the right time against the right opponents in hopes of making making a push towards the divisions elite. In the other corner, it is safe to say that Jose Hernandez could have been accurately billed as "Broke and Unknown". His career path has taken the road of the unheralded journeyman. This fighter learned his craft fighting for scraps in the ancient Aztec land of Cuernavaca Morelos, Mexico. Hernandez earned his stripes in the professional ranks fighting only the up and comers, the ones who had high hopes of one day reaching a championship level. Sometimes he won, sometimes he lost. This night was a familiar scene in his young career, traveling into his opponents hometown to take one a a fighter looking to become the divisions shining star. This time, the stakes were higher than any other fight either man had faced in their career, the USBA featherweight title was on the line and the winner was guaranteed a top 15 ranking in the world after this one.

Hernandez entered the ring first, with three men by his side, proudly holding their native Mexican flag. Coming in last was Jefferson who arrived with a deep entourage and heavy odds in his favor. It was obvious who the majority of the near sell out crowd was rooting for.

Once the opening bell sounded, a fight that was expected to be a boxing display broke down into a back alley punch fest. Hernandez, knowing his only shot of winning was to score a knockout, applied pressure from the get go. Jefferson, whose primary weapons are his pure boxing ability and ring generalship, decided to make this one a war. The fight was on from the early going and both men stood toe to toe exchanging combinations at close quarters, neither man allowing the other any time to breathe.

Hernandez, from his southpaw stance, would initiate the pressure, walking forward and get right into Jefferson's chest, firing off two, three and four punch combinations to his opponents body and head. Jefferson, showing he is not afraid of a good fight despite his background as the boxer / mover type, hung in the pocket, took Hernandez best shots and fire back in return. This was not the best move but the theme held true for the entire 12 rounds until the nd of the fight. While Jefferson showed he was game, Hernandez offense began to wear his opponent down as the fight drew longer. In the 6th, two straight lefts followed by a good push put Jefferson on the canvas for the 1st time as a pro. The Philly fighter beat the count, and continued to fire away but in return took more hard clean punches. There were more spots where both men went toe to toe but it was evident that there was no stopping Hernandez in this one. He seemed hungier, more determined to get the win. Though behind on the scorecards, Jefferson also showed the heart of a champ, taking some good, clean punches only to respond by throwing flurries of his own in the center of the ring.

As the fight reached the championship rounds, Hernandez looked to have the same energy from when the fight started while Jefferson looked to fade out. That didn;t stop Jefferson from giving it his all but Hernandez attack was just too much. Mid way through the 12th and final round, Jefferson, fighting out of desperation and throwing punches with everything he had, collapsed face first from exhaustion and was unable to beat the 10 count. Hernandez fell to his knees and wept tears of joy, realizing the moment he has worked so hard for has finally arrived. After all of the long journeys, lousy fight accommodations and crooked politics of the game, he has overcome the long odds and is now recognized by a known sanctioning body as a champion.

Even in loss, take nothing away from Rashiem Jefferson, he gave every last bit of energy he had in that ring. Hopefully, he will rebound and go on to fight another day.

Winner by 12th round knockout - Jose Hernandez who improves to 11 - 6, 5ko's

Click Here To Comment!

For more photos contact zach@zarphotography.com







Tri State Super Middleweight Title Fight!

Rasheem Brown.....vs.....Jameel Wilson
Philly...................Philly
18- 3, 16ko's............13 - 11- 3, 8ko's


This was an interesting fight in its own right. In one corner was Rasheem "The Untouchable" Brown a once highly regarded prospect who fell on hard times due to a management deal gone wrong. After sitting out the remainder of that suspect deal, Brown became a free agent and recently signed with the power duo of Moz Gonzalez and Eddie Woods and in turn becoming a featured attraction on recent Power Productions cards. In January, Brown came back to the ring after 2 years on the bench and quickly knocked out known tough guy Jose Medina in January of this year. On the stregnth of that win, he earned a crack at the newly created "Tri-State" Super Middleweight title. The Philly "Insiders" placed heavy odds on a Brown KO win and predicted that this would be the start of a run towards bigger and better things in the boxing world.

His opponent in this contest was Jameel Wilson, another Philly fighter who came out of the gate blazing early in his career, going 10 - 0 on the local circuit before taking his talents to another level only to fall on hard times fighting some of the best in the world in their home town. On paper, it shows that Wilson hasn't won a bout since 2004. What the ink doesn't reflect is that Wilson has been part of some of the most legendary Philly fights over the past decade. Most recently it was a debated draw against Delaware's Richard Stewart, In 2005 he went to war with the world ranked LuJuan Simon only to lose a majority decision. There are others but the bottom line is, if Jameel Wilson is on the card you want to be in the crowd if you are a fight fan.

This fight started looking like it would be an easy night for "Sheem". Through 3 rounds, he came in hard, attacked the body, threw powerful over hand rights upstairs, popped off a strong jab while Wilson stayed on the retreat, trying to fend off his attacker to no avail. Brown was much faster and it seemed, much stronger too. But Wilson, the ever crafty veteran was able to surivie the attack. He took some good shots but still had the sense to do something that not a whole lot of fighters do which is actually listen to his corner. When backed into the turnbuckle his corner would yell "get tight". Wilson would quickly cover up, absorb a few power shots with his gloves and elbows, then slip out of the dangerous position.

Going into the 4th, it looked like it was going to be a long night for Wilson, but towards the end of the round, he landed a big overhand right which rocked Brown. "The Untouchable" got touched and staggered back to the ropes. Wilson smelled the blood and wasted no time trying to seal the deal throwing big overhand rights, stepping back, giving himself space, placing lefts to the body follwed by more rights, referee Ron Aurit was in the two point stance ready to jump in to stop it. Though Brown was stunned, he dug deep and was able to fire back with a nig right hand that brushed Wilson off, giving himself some breathing room and eventually allowing him to esacpe the round.

After that, the war was on the the hammers were flying in the 5th. Unlike previous rounds, it was now Wilson in the role of attacker, coming forward as Brown circled but stopping to throw overhand rights with home run power. The action was back and forth, Brown would land heavy rights and lefts, Wilson would respond with an attack of his own. Rounds 6 - 9 played out this way, Brown going for the kill, Wilson working the body in an attempt to set up the finisher. Both were connecting, both remained standing, the crowd on its feet screaming.

Going into the 10th, many thought this one was up for grabs and both fighters came out with the same thoughts. Win this round and you win the fight. Brown gained the upper hand early landing some bombs on the steel chinned Wilson. Shaken but by no means done, Wilson returned the favor and both fighters went at it in a good tough round. It turned into a bit of a wrestling match in the final minute, Brown in a clinch bought himself much needed time with a trip move that both both fighters on the canvas, running the clock down to about :20 ticks. The action resumed but both fighters were standing when it went to the scorecards.

As previously mentioned, many thought it was close but the three people who really matter in a situation like this all saw it by a score of 99 - 91 in favor of Philly's #2 pound for pound fighter, Rasheem "the Untouchable" Brown. Wilson left the ring with a stoic look, replaying a scenario that has been the recent theme of his career, hard work with no reward.

Winner by unanimous decision - "The Untouchable" Rasheem Brown who improves to 19 - 3, 16ko's

Click Here To Comment!

For more photos contact zach@zarphotography.com










USBA Regional Jr. Welterweight Title Fight!

Tyric Robinson....vs....Lenny DeVictoria
Philly..................Philly
8-2, 3ko's..............11-10, 4ko's

Due to circumstances outside of the ring with fights falling out, matchmaker Ty McNeil pulled one off the Philly Keith dreamcard and signed a fight pitting two of the more action packed local fighters against each other.

Lenny "the Hitman" recently resurrecting a staggering career, winning his last two in action packed fashion, the first of which is regarded as the 2007 Philly fight of the year. Prior to these fights, Lenny spent a lot of time taking fights on short notice in other prospects hometowns, usually leaving with the short end of the stick. But times have changed, his team said they rededicated themselves to the sport and now found themselves in a primary position to earn bigger paydays and move their way up the world rankings.

His opponent, Tyric "Too Sweet" Robinson has come to be known as a fighter with a bit of a split ring personality. When faced with a legitimate challenge, he puts out a 110% effort and can steal a show. Late last year going against the toughest opponent of his career, Too Sweet went to war and came out on top in a thrilling slug fest over Utah's Chris Fernandez. But in his follow up performance, he dropped the ball and lost a rather lazy decision to the very non-descript Jason Jordan. After that fight, Too Sweet was quoted as saying "I'm tired of fighting these bums". It has always been my opinion that Too Sweet fights to the level of his competiton, and on this night he would need to bring his A game because he was in with a guy who has seen and done a lot in the game and with the title on the line, was ready to put it all out there. Prior to this fight, it was safe to say that it was a do or die situation in the young career of Too Sweet to ever be considered as a legitimate threat.

Many were predicting an all out war, but instead we were treated to a very good, technically sound boxing match. Too Sweet took the lead through three, jabbing, being the ring general and firing off well placed body shots in varieties of two, three and four punch combinations. Lenny, though behind was like an old Volts wagon in the winter. It took a little while to get warmed up, but once the engine started to sweat, it was ready to run all night.

Lenny began to cut into the lead in the 4th, and in the 5th, he began to make Too Sweet miss and at the end of the round landing a crackling overhand right which sent Robinson wobbling into a corner. Lenny, tasting the win, wasted no time following up with lefts and rights to the head. Referee Shawn Clarke was in position and had the hawk-eye on Too Sweet, itching to make a leap and call a halt to the bout. Fortunately for Robinson,the bell sounded to end the round as Lenny went back to his corner to a big greeting from his corner men.

The Hitman was like a wolf in the 6th, firing off power shots trying to recapture his advantage of the previous round. Towards the end of the round Too Sweet was able to rebound but it wasn't enough to capture this round.

It was dead even through 6, but in the latter rounds, Too Sweet was able to retake the lead, reestablishing his role as initiator moving, jabbing, ripping off combinations and when the opportunity was right, playing the role of bully foring the fight to the ropes.

By the 9th, Lenny was wearing the Crimson Mask courtesy of a right to the nose. Bloodied but not battered, he continued to make a fight out of it and both men went toe to toe. Too Sweet threw in volume, Lenny looked for the one big shot upstairs.

The 10th and final round was a very good one, Lenny, knowing he was behind on the cards looked for the knockout but Too Sweet wasn't having it. He would neutralize the Hitmans attack by forcing him to the ropes, working the body and not letting him breath.

It eventually went to the score cards with all three judges seeing it 98 - 92, 97-93 & 96 - 94, proclaiming Tyric "Too Sweet" Robinson as the new USBA regional Jr. Welterweight Champion. Welcome back to the top 10 pound for pound list Too Sweet! A hard fought win in a very steady contest, proving their worthy of dream card status.

Winner by unanimous decision - Tyric "Too Sweet" Robinson who improves to 9-2, 3ko's

Click Here To Comment!

For more photos contact zach@zarphotography.com









Light Heavyweight Division

Tony Ferrante....vs....Ray Ruiz
Philly.................Philly
2-0....................6-9, 4ko's

Philly Keith Sports has inched its way to the top by being the voice of the boxing people, giving anyone and everyone involved an place to air it all out. For months, Ray Ruiz was calling out for an opportunity to fight an young up and comer from Mayfair, making claims of one sided sparring sessions and how it would all carry over once to the big stage if ever given the chance. On this night "The 40 year old phenom" got what he asked for but paid a big price for his antics as a single Tony "Boom-Boom" Ferrante right hand straight down the pipe most likely ended his career as a paid professional.

After a solid first round, Boom-Boom landed the mentioned money shot early in the second, knocking Ruiz straight back to the canvas. Likely out before he even hit the mat, his head bounced like a basketball off the surface, creating a scary scene which kept him down for more than 5 minutes, in need of a stretcher ride out. In all seriousness, we hope the best for the man who is also known as "The Superstar" and have some work for him in the Philly Keith media stable if he ever wants to help generate fight hype. Hopefully he was not seriously injured.


Click Here To Comment!

For more photos contact zach@zarphotography.com






Jr. Welterweight Division

Ray Robinson...vs...Jason Jordan
Philly.............Ohio
7-0, 3ko's.........5-19

This fight was intended to be a showcase for a prospect who is regarded as having potential to really go places in his career. Jordan on the other hand, pays the rent by keeping his bags packed and traveling from town to town facing rising prospects and usually going home with an L. BUT, last time in Philly, Jordan pulled off a shocker, taking a unanimous decision from Tyric Robinson. Would lightening strike twice? Absolutely not. Robinson came out of the gate blazing, scoring three knockdowns in the 2st all courtesy of left hands to the head.

To Jordan's credit, he fights to live and instead of getting hit with a long medical suspension that comes with a knockout loss, he hung on to finish the bout on his feet and even managed to win the last round as Robinson grew more disinterested.

"The New" Ray Robinson showed he does have a good skill package but must learn to stay focused. Jordan, keeps his rep as a durable fighter who will give a guy rounds intact and will probably be fighting again in some small arena in parts unknown two or three weeks from now.

Winner - "The New" Ray Robinson who improves to 8 -0, 3ko's

For more photos contact zach@zarphotography.com








If you have any questions, comments or suggestions you can email Philly Keith at keith@phillykeith.com

Go to www.phillykeith.com for up to the minute info on the Philly boxing scene

Lucian Gonzalez holds Jules Blackwell to a draw in Oaks PA

Gonzalez and Blackwell battle to draw in Oaks! by Ken Hissner

Photo by Jeff Julian - www.fightnews.com

It was one of those nights where if it was going to happen it did! Power Productions and Sports Extreme put on a cut down version of the original show but the fans went home happy! It was the first time any boxing was at Cisco Arena in Oaks, Pennsylvania, just outside of Phoenixville. There were but 4 bouts but they all provided a little of something in them. Matchmaker Ty McNeil did a fine job.

The main event was a battle of wits and bumps. These two had sparred in the gym on several occasions in the past. Lucian Gonzalez (4-4-1, 3 KOs), of Reading, was coming off a big win in Reading several months ago. I don’t think Jules Blackwell (7-0-1, 2 KOs), Phoenixville, was expecting Gonzalez to be this aggressive. The southpaw Blackwell did not utilize his jab and height like he should have. He found himself battling it out with Gonzalez on many occasions. When it was all over judge Rich Hopkins had it 59-55 for Gonzalez to the delight of the crowd though Blackwell certainly had more fans there. Judges Carol Polis and Alan Rubenstein had it the same as I did at 57-57, to make it a majority draw. Gonzalez trainer Travis Kauffman, and another ringside reporter Kurt Wolfheimer of Fight News agreed with Hopkins scores of 59 - 55 for Gonzalez.

Blackwell had a lump on the side of his head the size of a golf ball. He used his share of elbows and shoulders to keep Gonzalez off of him and was warned on many occasions by referee Gary Rosado. Gonzalez seemed to enjoy the action by smiling throughout the contest. If this fight doesn’t have all the earmarks of REMATCH on it nothing does. Blackwell’s corner of Jimmy Deoria and Johnny Mulvaney seemed disappointed in the performance of their boxer and satisfied with the draw. “I got robbed,” said Gonzalez afterwards. Where have I heard that before? He certainly landed the most punches overall but you have to do it in each round, not half of them. These two warriors were just over the super bantam limit. Both have fights scheduled in the next two weeks if they are able after this war.

The semi-final bout had light heavyweights Shannon Anderson (3-1, 1 KO), Coatesville, and Zeferino Albino (3-4-1, 1 KO), Philadelphia, in a war of their own. Anderson seemed to take the first round though it was close. In the second round Anderson suffered a nasty cut above the left eye brow, half way down his nose. Somehow at the same time the top rope broke. It caused a twenty minute delay while Anderson stood there bleeding through half of the repair work on the ropes before the doctor stepped into the ring and said Anderson was able to continue the action. Before you know it, as Albino was landing a wide right hand to Anderson’s side, they collided again like a pair of billy goats. The referee Frank Cappuccino started to count when Anderson hit the canvas. Commissioner Greg Sirb being right on the situation in front of him jumped in and ruled it an accidental head butt leaving no other alternative but to rule it a no contest. It seemed Albino was having the better of it at the time. He was filling in at the last moment coming off an upset draw several weeks ago in Atlantic City. Time of stoppage was 1:14 of the second round.

The previous fight, if you want to call it that, was between big Grant Cudjoe (15-3, 10 KOs), Brooklyn, New York, who stopped Octavius Smith, (4-5, 3 KOs), Indianapolis, Indiana who was looking like he hadn’t spent too much time in the gym. Cudjoe landed his jab at will until a right hand dumped Smith to one knee between the two lower ropes. He took the count of referee Rosado on a knee with a dazed look, at 2:01 of the very first round.

The opening bout had Coy Evans (2-0), Philadelphia, coming off a three year lay-off to batter Brooklyn’s Elias Castillo (0-4) in a featherweight match. Castillo was gamed though outclassed by Evans. All three judges had it 40-36 in favor of Evans.

At ringside were former IBF featherweight champion Calvin Grove of Coatesville along with Rob Calloway, the All-American prizefighter who holds the WBC Continental Americas, IBF International and NABA cruiserweight titles. He will be headlining at the Day’s Inn, Allentown, Pennsylvania on March 15th.

The show was followed by a UFC heavyweight title bout on closed circuit for the fans. I certainly wasn’t one of them. There were even two exhibitions of under ten year old kids that fit right in to the old Kid Mitten’s days in Norristown that local celebrity Hank Cisco ran. Cisco was there in tribute to the facility being named after him and his even more famous brother Tony. As a matter of fact two of his former Kid Mitten boxers Herbie Brown and Jeff Jowett (covering the fight) were in attendance. The promoters say they will do it again May 24^th here at Cisco Arena.


If you have any questions, comments or suggestions you can email Philly Keith at keith@phillykeith.com

Go to www.phillykeith.com for up to the minute info on the Philly boxing scene

Rasheem Brown TKO's Medina at The Blue Horizon

photos by Zach Radel

The 2008 fight season kicked off at The Legendary Blue Horizon with Greg Robinson & the Power Productions posse playing host with a 7 fight card for the near sell out crowd in attendance. The original main event between Trenton's Italian Assassin Chucky Cavallo and Philly's Jameel "Black Gold" Wilson for the Tri State Light Heavyweight title was canceled at the last minute due to a sports hernia suffered by Cavallo. Look for this one in March. Not to fear because two Philly sluggers were waiting in the wings and "The Untouchable" Rasheem Brown and Jose "El Macho" Medina gladly took over the role as headliners and both gave it their all. The under card was stacked up with up and comers who were looking to position themselves for big things in the near future. Mark "Oaktree" Brown, Tyric "Too Sweet" Robinson, "Hammerin" Hank Lundy and more were set for action. To the naked eye, this could have looked like an easy night for some fighters, but matchmaker Ty McNeil once again did his thing and put together a good card which had a big upset, a big knockout and a couple of toe to toe battles that went the distance and could have gone either way. Scroll down to get the full report.

Middleweight Division

Rasheem Brown...vs...Jose Medina
South Philly.........North Philly
17-3, 14ko's.........14 - 9, 10ko's

This impromptu main event featured two experienced fighters who came through the local ranks and are known for the TNT loaded in their mitts. It was figured that this one would end early though it was scheduled for 8 rounds, the only question was who would it be? "The Untouchable" Rasheem Brown was returning after two years out of the ring though he has played stayed active going into camp with some of the top names in the business. Jose "El Macho" Medina has stayed pretty active lately with mixed results and made the jump up to the middleweight division for this one.

Brown looked to be in tip top condition and didn't look very rusty. Medina fought with the heart that earned him the name "El Macho". For the first two rounds Brown bounced, jabbed and slipped in his powerful right hand which landed at a high percentage. Medina stayed game through 2, taking some clean punches and lunging back throwing his fiery left hook which has left many men on their back staring at the ceiling. Brown staggered Medina near the end of two with an uppercut as the bell sounded. To start the 3rd, Medina came out with the intentions of going blow for blow but early in the round was caught with a short left hook which put him down. Woozy but not completely done, Medina rose to his feet around the 8 count but Brown jumped right back in there with a hard four punch combo which left referee Gary Rosato no choice but to end the fight.

It was a good fight while it lasted, if 'Sheem is back for good we could have a major shake up in the pound for pound rankings. Macho hung tough but is probably better suited going back down in weight. Hopefully we will see both fighters again soon.

Winner: Rasheem Brown who improves to 18 - 3, 15ko's



Junior Welterweight Division

Tyric Robinson...vs...Jason Jordan
Philadelphia..........Akron, Ohio
8-1, 3ko's............4-17

The co-feature turned out to be the surprise of the night as traveled journeyman Jason Jordan gets his first win in Philly on his sixth try over the highly regarded jr. welterweight prospect Tyric "Too Sweet" Robinson with a four round unanimous decision.

Too Sweet, who was fresh off a fight of the year candidate has been gaining a very good buzz lately with his recent run of entertaining fights. Jordan on the other hand has found a niche in boxing as the guy brought in to give some work to fighters in the 140 - 147 lb class but rarely coming out on top.

On this night, Jordan found a plan that worked early and stuck to it. Jab, run, jab seemed to be the theme of this fight. Tyric made attempts to kick start his offense with combinations to the body but Jordan was able to squirm out of harms way in a nick of time.

There weren't many big punches landed and no one was hurt at any point. It was an off night for Too Sweet who hopes to bounce back soon against a more talented opponent, Jordan on the other hand parlays this win into a date against former amateur great Danny Garcia on February 2nd in Boston.

It went to the cards after four and they read 40 - 36 x 2 and 39 - 37 for Jason Jordan.

Winner: Jason Jordan who improves to 5 - 17



Heavyweight Division

Mark Brown...vs...Kevin Hood
Salem,NJ..........Coatesville, PA
11 - 1, 3ko's.....5-6

Mark "Oaktree" Brown's last fight in his hometown was cut short due to some rough housing and he wasn't very happy about it. He took this fight on short notice and took out soem frustrations on Kevin Hood by scoring three big knockdowns to secure a 1st round knockout. It all started about a minute into the fight with a left hook to the top of the head which put Hood down. Hood got up but never seeemed to fully recover as Oaktree stayed on him, throwing and landing hard combinations. After a second knockdown, Hood showed heart and got back up but Oaktree landed his patented super punch to finish the job at 2:51 of the round.

Winner: Mark "Oaktree" Brown who improves to 12-1, 4ko's




Light Heavyweight Division

Tony Ferrante...vs...Camron Bright
Northeast Philly.....Philly
1-0..................1-8

Tony Ferrante started his pro career with a bang last month at the Blue with an entertaining two way battle which he won. On this night, it was more of a calculated approach against an experienced opponent in Bright. The majority of this fight was spent on the inside with Ferrante mixing it up going to the body and head and Bright looking to do the majority of his work downstairs. It got physical in there at times but both fighters kept their composure and kept a steady pace throughout.

Bright fought hard every round but Ferrante's speed and combinations were the deciding factor in earning a unanimous four round decision by scores of 40 - 36x2 and 39-37.

Winner: Tony Ferrante who improves to 2 - 0




Lightweight Division

Jesus Barbosa...vs...Rami Ibraham
Philly...............Philly
1-0, 1ko.............2-6

Jesus Barbosa was returning to the ring after starting his career with an impressive first round knockout win at the Blue in November. His opponent was Rami Ibraham was returning after two years and was known for putting out entertaining fights despite a sub par record.

This one didn't disappoint as both fighters went at it from the start. Ibraham was the busier of the two but Barbosa was the one landing harder punches. Neither fighter stayed more than a few inches away from the other and put together good spots in the middle of the ring as well as on the ropes. It was one of those fights where it could have gone either way as most of the rounds were very close. The was ruled a draw at 38 - 38 by all three judges and I'm not going to argue it.

Light Heavyweight Division

Farah Khalil...vs...Juergan Hartenstein
Jersey..............Germany
2-2, 1ko............11-12, 2ko's

Farah Khalil come into this match riding a 2 fight winning streak, much of which is attributed to his work with new trainer Billy Briscoe. Juergan Hartenstein has been in our area before and though he isn't the most technical guy out there, he does fight with heart and has a good chin.

This one was the tale of two fights. In the first two rounds, Khalil slowly but surely picked Juergan off with the jab as the German fighter tried to get inside. Khalil continued to find opportunities as he used the ring, jabbed and mixed in some good body shots. In the second round, Briscoe called for "The Windshield" wiper and shortly after, Juergan went to a knee courtesy of a short left hook. Juergan got up but it didn't look like things were going to change anytime soon after the second round.

Boy was I wrong because in the 3rd, Hartenstein came out like a house on fire. He kept coming forward and landed big right after big right for the entire round. The crowd went nuts. It was more of the same in the 4th and those right hands looked to be taking their toll but Khalil hung in there making it to the final bell.

There outcome was in the hands of the judges who all scored the fight 38-37 in favor of Farrah Khalil with the knockdown being the deciding factor. The crowd loudly disapproved and some argued that the third could have been counted as a 10-8. Either way, Briscoe's newest charge goes 3 - 0 since joining the Oven gym.

Winner: Khalil Farrah who improves to 3-2, 1ko
Junior Welterweight Division


Hank Lundy...vs...Damon Antoine
Philly............Ohio
9-0, 6ko's........7-20, 3ko's

In the opener, rising prospect Hammerin Hank Lundy continued his winning ways as earned a unanimous decision over the wily Damon Antoine, who makes it his duty to test the up and comers in the world.

Due to a through inspection by security, we were unable to catch this fight but word is that the Hammer was in control throughout and scored a 5th round knockdown after switching to southpaw. All three judges scored it 60 - 53. Look for The Hammer to fight on a big stage really soon!

Winner: Hammerin' Hank Lundy who improves to 10-0 6ko's



If you have any questions, comments or suggestions you can email Philly Keith at keith@phillykeith.com

Go to www.phillykeith.com for up to the minute info on the Philly boxing scene