Vasquez Shocked at The Arena!

Talk about it on the forum

http://phillykeith.com/fightforum/index.php?topic=1170.msg8884#msg8884

 photo by Jay McGuigan 

The North Jersey based promotional outfit KEA Boxing made their Philly debut this Friday night to the tune of a 9 fight card at the Arena on the corner of Swanson & Ritner in front of near sell out crowd. A new promoter was a welcome sight to many and this night was to be a bit of a test drive  on possible things to come. While most fights on the undercard resulted in convincing wins for the A-sides, the main event had some juice to it. There weren't many people in the building who thought Victor Vasquez lost his six round fight against Carlos Vinan. Unfortunately for Team Vasquez,  two those people were ringside judges and the final result was North Jersey resident Vinan being named winner via split decision after six rounds were all said and done. Many have called and written in to say they feel this was a robbery. Scores were 60 - 54 for Vasquez but over ruled by tallies of 59- 54 & 58 - 56 for Vinan. The Philly Keith Sports scorecard read 58 - 56 for Vasquez. To everyone's credit, the fight was competitive and some of  rounds were pretty close. Vinan, true to his form, applied a lot of pressure but Vasquez clearly landed the better punches in almost every exchange in every round. The fight was fairly repetitive from rounds one through six. Vinan would come forward winging some shot, Vasquez would meet him in the center throw a few counters and get out of dodge before anything big could land. Vinan's best work came when he could get Vasquez on the ropes which he was able to do a few times. To me it wasn't enough. 

On the undercard locals Kareem Cooley, Angel Occasio, Bryant Jennings & Liz Sherman has little trouble racking up wins in their fights. Union City southpaw Juan Rodriguez showed flashes of a future prospect against a determined Dontre King in one of the more competitive battles of the evening. Rodriguez scored a solid third round knockdown and withstood an early 4th round rush from King to sweep the scorecards at the end of their 4 rounder.

Ardrick Butler's fight was canceled due earlier in the day. Official word was that Butler was hit by a car jogging in the morning. This has not been verified by anyone on Butler's team.

Complete recap with photos to come soon....

 

 

KEA Boxing to debut in Philly with Victor Vasquez as Headline @ The Arena!

       

Promoter Andre Kut wants to make Philly his new home base for his KEA Boxing and on February 26, 2010 - he tests the waters to see if this is a good fit. In the main event he has a good one as local lightweight Victor Vasquez takes on tough guy Carlos Vinan in a 6 rounder. Vasquez is hands down the most exciting fighter in Philly, now he gets his first chance to carry the load as a headliner as the main attraction. This assignment isn't a duck either, despite Carlos Vinan's record - he holds wins over quite a few prospects - including Eric "Outlaw" Hunter.

Vasquez has been training out of Costello's Gym in the Northeast under the eye of Chris Rotella. There has been a steady improvement in fundamentals since making the switch, now we get to measure the progress against a seasoned vet who has faced many a style in the ring. They say styles make fights and this one matches up to be a slugfest.

The co-feature has rising Welterweight Ardrick Butler taking on Norman Allen of Maryland. Butler has shown steady improvement throughout 2009 and looks to take it to the next level in 2010. But don't listen to me, get the story from the men themselves!

Philadelphians Kareen Cooley & Bryant Jennings will make their pro debut while Angel Occasio looks to go 2- 0.

More info on this card along with video from the press conference........... 

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

Hank Lundy to fight in Salem, NJ tonight!

The link will bring you to a recent Lundy interview and also let you comment on this fight.http://phillykeith.com/fightforum/index.php?topic=867.0

South Philly Lightweight "Hammerin" Hank Lundy (14-0-1, 8ko's) returns to the ring tonight for a 6 round tune up against journeyman Gary Bergeron (10-4-1, 6ko's) of Louisiana in Salem NJ on 9/14/09. After Lundy cleans up this business, he says that a USBA title shot is coming his way in September. He has called out everyone who has a name and has done well on TV, let's see who comes up next because a big fight should be around the corner for this rising prospect.

Derek Ennis and Victor Vasquez will not participate in this card as was indicated earlier.

The card will be brought to you by Dungeon Warriors & Bionic Bull Promotions

Rogers Mtagwa outwings Ricardo Medina @ The Blue!

Discuss at http://phillykeith.com/fightforum/index.php?topic=728.0

With swine flu, rain & The Kentucky Derby all in the air, the boxing fans of Philadelphia stayed true to their roots and came out in solid numbers for a sweaty night on North Broad Street as Peltz Boxing returned for Act III at Legendary Blue Horizon on May 1, 2009. This date has a bit of significance to it, not only because of the action in the ring but it also marks the half way point of a surprise partnership with the landmarks proprietors. After relinquishing my spot in press row for a night of talking to ticket paying fans, many are happy that consistent competitive match making has returned to the city’s most recognizable venue and they also seem to be impressed with the personalized service they get when making arrangements to come to the fights. After a wildly successful return to the building in February and a solid follow up with the Golden Gloves finals a month later, promoter J. Russell Peltz put together a card that I would like to call a “midterm” for the participants that are currently signed to fight exclusively under this promotional banner. I say that meaning all of the “house” fighters were clear but favorites but each “opponent” had their own special purpose to test the level of progress in the invested boxer. Inside of the ring, the night started off strong with solid action through the main event but faded down the stretch as the final run of bouts failed to produce many fireworks before the curtain closed for the evening.

While there was a healthy amount to write out from action in the ring, there was some dirt from beneath the mat flying around as well which suggests that not everything is roses behind the scenes of this impromptu tag-team of promoters. Due to rumored restrictions regarding telecasts and seating capacity limitations along with and differences of opinion levied by the deed holders, some get the feeling that this partnership between Peltz Boxing and building owner Vernoca Michael will not reach the full six card agreement which is scheduled to run through the end of this year. None of this is verified and where I come from they say talk is cheap so stay tuned. On the other hand, what isn’t cheap at The Blue is the price of beer. The biggest knockout of the night didn’t come in the ring, but instead came at the concession stand when the Philadelphia liquor control board knocked out all the beer drinkers in hopes of having a cold bottle of suds on this steamy night. Within minutes, the dusty refrigerators went from being fully stocked to looking like an Al Bundy bare-bones replica as the LCB came through and seized every drop of alcohol from premises for the buildings lack of owning a liquor license. With the booze going for a reported $7 a pop, not many were complaining though it is rumored that there was possibly one arrest of an unhappy objector.

Now that the BS and drama portion is out of the way, let’s get to the real action. This card was led by the world rated featherweight Rogers "The Tiger" Mtagwa (26-12-2, 18ko's) of South Philly via Tanzania, the action packed little scrapper who gives you a lot of bang for your buck. On this night he would go in at a much higher than usual weight of 128 lbs against tough Mexican journeyman Ricardo Medina in a stay busy but potentially exciting 10 rounder. Mtagwa is fresh off a 2008 national fight of the year candidate when he pulled an Evel Knevel like stunt in the form of a late, dramatic, come-from-behind knockout over the world rated Tomas Villa. Medina on the other hand was suddenly being mentioned in the same breath as the great Bennie Briscoe and is speculated to have won an award baring the 70’s icon image for participating in the cities fight of the year for 2008 in a match against Lenny DiVictoria. While I feel that whoever voted for that fight as the year’s best should have their media pass revoked, Medina does deserve credit as a durable fighter who will take on anyone and brings his best to win every time out. Mtagwa is a high wire act in more ways than one and Medina hasn’t lost in Philly over the past few years, in the end this formula produced an entertaining fight that was close down the stretch.

The under card to me lacked a real threat of an upset but I did feel it would give a good measure of where certain fighters are in terms of progress and readiness to “step up”. There were some pleasant surprises, some disappointments, a great action fight and a stinker. All in a nights work I guess. Scroll down to get a full recap of this night at the fabled ballroom in North Philly.

Rogers Mtagwa vs. Ricardo Medina

The evenings main event brought about the return of popular Philly transplant Rogers “The Tiger” Mtagwa, a world rated featherweight with a tendency to live dangerously in the ring. Mtagwa, at 26 – 12 -2, 18ko’s always seems to be at the “do or die” point in his career. Just when you think he is done, he comes out of nowhere and pulls off a shocker. Just when you think he is in position to secure a big money fight, he drops the ball. Case and point, his career was left for dead after losing the USBA title in a split decision to Martin Honario in 2006. He quickly rebounded to win the NABF title in an excellent fight against Aldo Valtierra at the New Alhambra less than a year later. With the momentum seemingly on his side, it turns out Mtagwa had his win changed to a No Contest after the commission revealed that Mtagwa tested positive for ephedrine, a weight loss supplement that is banned. He was still given a shot soon after and traveled to Madison Square Garden to face the undefeated Billy Dib of Australia. With a prime opportunity to shine, he “stunk out the joint” according to members of his team en route to losing a very wide unanimous decision. Fast forward to November of 2008, Mtagwa travels to Arizona to take on the world rated Tomas Villa in a high stakes featherweight matchup to be televised on the now defunct Spanish speaking Telefutura “Solo Boxeo” series. This one turned out to be a fight for the ages with Mtagwa pulling a comeback that was compared to that of Diego Corrales in his first war against Jose Luis Castillo.

Now, Mtagwa is back in the picture has a world ranking and many supporters screaming for him to get a money opportunity against a big name on television. The only problem this time is weight as it is reported that the 30 year old may need to make a full time jump up to the 126 lb neighborhood from here on out.

Enter Ricardo Medina, a Mexican roughneck now living in Delaware who has come to this area before as the “opponent” yet pulled off victories against the promoters guy. His record of 31-33-5, 17 ko’s doesn’t impress many but if anything you must give the man credit for the level of opposition he faces. At 38 years old and a pro since 1988, El Rayo has gone the distance with former world champions Paulie Ayala, Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson & Enrique Sanchez (this fight was a draw). His ledger also includes Zahir Raheem and thousands of miles traveled as he has laced up his gloves all across the world which includes stops in Mexico, USA & Japan.

Stylistically both match up well Mtagwa throws lots of punches and Medina only knows one direction, forward. Both men have another common trait, zero defense. When this fight started, both men stayed true to form and were in each others chests, bombing away causing a wildy sloppy, yet entertaining contest that was pretty close until the final rounds until Mtagwa stepped up his pace and outworked his foe down the stretch to secure his victory by unanimous decision. The final scorecards read 98-92 x 2, and 97-93 respectively.

Kaseem Wilson vs. Louis Leija

The co-feature pitted Kaseem Wilson of Philadelphia, PA, against Louie Leija of San Antonio, TX in an 8 round welterweights match up. Wilson, who has fought under the Peltz Banner in 2006 has yet to make a real statement to show he has what it takes to go to the next level. For this fight Wilson dropped down to the 147 lb class for this fight after competing at Jr. Middleweight his entire career. His reputation is that of a slick southpaw but on this night Wilson was no cutie, more like a blood thirsty killer cutie making initial results from his decision to drop in weight fantastic.

Leija came into this fight not having won since the 1990’s though he has taken on some of the world best which include Floyd Mayweather Jr, Ben Tackie, Emmanuel Augustus just to name a few, all fights he was knocked out in.

Inside of the ring, “The Nightmare” was on Leija like a cheap suit as soon as the opening bell started and after getting nailed repeatedly, Lejia went down and the ref waved it off sensing that things wouldn’t get any better for the Texas man. With the win Wilson reels off his 3^rd in a row and seems to be ready for a step up fight, hopefully against another Philly based prospect who can really test him out.

Jamaal Davis vs. Ellis

The nights most evenly contest match on paper was a Jr. Middleweight matchup between hard scrabble journeyman Jerome Ellis of Paterson, NJ and Jamaal Davis of Philadelphia, PA for a scheduled 8 rounder. In a nutshell, there was no fancy business here, this was two tough SOB’s who were going to meet in the middle of the ring and bang away on each other.

Davis is known around these parts not only for what he does in the ring but also for how he carries himself outside of it. Known as “Da Truth” he is heavily involved in cancer research after watching his wife Patrilla battle the ugly disease for years. Patrilla unfortunately passed in late 2007 but Jamaal still carries on the fight, always spreading with word of to raise awareness. A hard working man who is a single parent to two young children, Davis still finds the time to be a regular at Shulers Gym in West Philly. He recently signed to Peltz Boxing, a move that would give his career some much needed direction after spending time wandering the country in matches he probably shouldn’t have taken. In the ring, he can be a fierce body puncher with a right that can put anyone out if it connects.

Ellis who is originally of the Bahamas is a 7 year pro with a tendency to pull the rug from under the “house” fighter. He has done his best work under the bright lights of TV as he burst on the scene in 2006 with a stunning KO of much hyped Irishman Neil Sinclair on ESPN, then later returned to those airwaves to score a disputed draw against Richard Gutierrez and then lose a majority decision to Antwon Smith in a fight everyone thought Ellis won.

As expected, most of the fight was spent in the trenches with Ellis landing some hard right hands to the head while Davis land consistently found a home for his left hook on Ellis chin. Both fighters landed good, clean hard shot and neither budged an inch through the duration. The score cards were all over the place as one judge saw it 80-72 for Ellis, another saw it 79-73 for Davis but the third and final tally read 77 -75 for Ellis in a fight that could have gone either way.

Victor Vasquez vs. Linwood Hurd

The boxing barber Victor Vasquez of Philadelphia, PA keeps his streak of having the nights most entertaining fight intact and this time he won a clear cut 6 round unanimous decision over Linwood Hurd of Atlantic City, NJ in a 6 round junior welterweights affair. Vasquez was sharp as he consistently landed clean, crisp punches and took a few himself only to get back inside and land more, much to the delight of the crowd. All three judges saw it 59 - 54 in favor of the guy who is arguably the towns most entertaining ring man. A fight against Julias Edmunds has to be in the works sometime soon! That one could blow the roof off an arena.

Flores vs. Diaz

Anthony Flores of Philadelphia, PA stays Flawless as he smoked out Carlos Diaz of Tampa, FL who showed nothing in this scheduled 6 round junior lightweight fight. From the opening bell, Flores was all over his opponent and sealed the deal 2:54 mark with a variety of hard shots which Diaz would not recover from.

Ferrante vs. Pietrantonio

Mayfair's Tony Ferrante, Philadelphia, PA won the battle of Italians when he knocked out Anthony Pietrantonio of Youngstown, OH in the 5th round of their 6 round light-heavyweight match. It was a good fight early with Ferrante in control at most times though Pietrantonio would have some spurts. It became a slugfest near round 4 with both fighters throwing one punch bombs from a short distance in a spot that saw the Youngstown native get rocked and Ferrante suffer a cut under his eye. It all came to an end in round 5 when Ferrante finally decided to step on the gas peddal which led to a heavy barrage on the ropes which made the ref step in to stop the contest at the :45 second mark of the round.

Frankie Trader of West Philadelphia won a 4 round majority decision over Luis Esquilin of North Philadelphia, PA in a closely contested junior lightweight fight.

Welterweight Ardrick Butler of Philadelphia, PA won his second straight fight when he took a 4 round majority decision over Dontre King who should pursue a new career as a marathon runner.

Here are some pics of the night from Anthony Gargano. http://pixgargano.com/bh5dec.aspx

Here is a sky cam slide show taken by me from the balcony. http://picasaweb.google.com/keithfmt3/PeltzBoxingTheBlueHorizon5109#slideshow/5332075144403579730

Peltz Boxing returns to action June 6 in Atlantic City with a potentially lights out card.

Mtagwa vs. Medina @ The Blue Horizon May 1, 2009!

Peltz Boxing returns to the Legendary Blue Horizon on May 1, 2009 for what is looking to be an 8 fight card highlighted by the return of world rated featherweight Rogers "The Tiger" Mtagwa (25-12-2, 18ko's) in the main event. His assignment is 10 rounds of action against the mahogany headed Mexican Ricardo Medina. Mtagwa is fresh off a 2008 national fight of the year candidate when he rose from the grave to knock-out the IBF's #6 contender Tomas Villa in a stone cold thriller, adding another chapter in a career of peaks and valleys. Medina (31-33-5, 17ko's) is a well travelled journeyman who has pulled two upsets in this town in the past, though to competition well below the level of Mtagwa. His most recent outing as a decision loss to the 13 win prospect John Jackson in Florida. Many consider this a "safe" fight for the Tanzanian contender, but then again when has Rogers Mtagwa ever made his ring life easy? Stylistically both match up for a crowd pleaser as Mtagwa throws lots of punches and Medina only knows one direction, forward.

The under card will see Philly's Kassem Wilson take on Louis Leija of San Antonio in an 8 rounder. Philly Middleweight Jamaal Davis has a tough assignment in Jerome Ellis of Paterson, NJ. Also scheduled for action are Anthony Flores, Victor Vasquez, Tony Ferrante & Ardrick Butler all in separate bouts.

More info to come soon, get your tickets by calling 215-765-0922


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

Mike Jones destroys Dario Esalas in 2, Teon Kennedy gets off the deck to win at The Blue!

Photo by Chris Sembrot / www.chrissembrot.com
On March 6, 2009 Peltz Boxing Promotions returned to the Legendary Blue Horizon with a bang, putting on a card that didn't have one stiff on the line up which resulted in good fights from A- Z. After an 8 year absence, the Philly fight fans were excited about the return and came out in high volumes to see an evenly matched 7 fight card highlighted by the towns hottest prospect Mike Jones who is rated in all major sanctioning body rankings. Jones was originally set to take on former amateur standout Larry Mosley of LA but at the last minute Mosley called out with a back injury so in comes Dario Eslas, a well traveled veteran with knockout power and a light bulb chin. The over under on this one was 3 rounds.

The co-feature was an interesting one as another highly touted, undefeated Peltz boxing prospect Teon Kennedy took on the world rated Andre Wilson on Missouri in an 8 round Super Bantamweight showdown. This one got interesting as Wilson showed he is no fluffed up mid westerner but Kennedy showed the heart of a fighter as he had to deal with a lot of elements he hasn't come across before inthe ring. There was a lot on the line for both as Wilson was hungry for better pay days and respect as he wanted to shed the "opponent" label. Kennedy was one win shy of qualifying for his teams goal of getting a crack at the USBA title.

The card was rounded out with the usual Peltz Boxing fighters, all of which went in tough. Kensington Super Middleweight Dennis Hasson looked to stay unbeaten against Philly's Garrett Wilson, a fighter who was said to be training like a beast, evident by his weight loss which allowed him to drop down two divisions.

The boxing barber Victor Vasquez always gives the crowd their money worth and on this night his assignment was an unknown, undefeated fighter from upstate PA in Rod Salka. This Jr. Welterweight fight stole the show.

Jr. Middleweight Jamaal "Da Truth" Davis was making his Peltz boxing debut and he was set to take on Clarence "Sonny Bono" Taylor who always gives a game effort.

A Philly showdown between Luis "Smurf" Esquillin and Derek Bivens put on a nice 4 round show and Kassim Wilson looked to make it two wins in a row against the well travelled Martinus Clay in an 8 round Jr. Middleweight fight.

The Main Event
NABA Welterweight Title Fight
Mike Jones vs. Dario Eslas

In the main event Mike Jones (17-0, 15ko's) continued on his path of rage when he demolished late sub Dario Esalas in the 2nd round of their NABA Welterweight title fight, scoring three monster knockdowns in that round, the last of which leaving his opponent in a catatonic state long after referee Gary Rosato waved off the contest. With the win, Jones is sure to improve on his #11 ranking in the WBA. Somewhere, Larry Mosley is thanking his lucky stars he bailed out of this fight at the last minute, somewhere else Dario Esalas is thinking the money just wasn't worth it....A special note to the shiny suits "decision makers" at HBO - SHOWTIME & ESPN... STOP FLUFFING UP SCRUBS!!! PUT MJ ON YOUR SHOW INSTEAD!!!! THESE KNOCKOUTS ARE MUST SEE TV!!!!!!

Photos by Chris Sembrot / www.chrissembrot.com





Super Bantamweight Division
Teon Kennedy vs. Andre Wilson
Philadelphia............Missouri

The co-feature was much much much more competitive as rising super bantamweight Teon "The Technician" Kennedy had to overcome quite a bit to grind out a split decision win over the gutsy Andre Wilson of Missouri in their 8 round fight. In the pre fight interview, Wilson told us that the crowd was in for a surprise, and surprise us he did when he dropped Kennedy with a straight left in the 3rd and opened a bad cut over the Technicians right eye, a wound that would leak through out the fight. With that being said, Kennedy sucked it up and landed some heavy leather of his own stunning his opponent on many occasions. Kennedy was like a cat trapping a mouse as he would cut the ring off and back Wilson into the corner which would initiate a lot of the action. Neither fighter refused to buckle and fought to win all the way to the final bell. The scores were split at 76 - 75 for each fighter but the final tally of a shocking 79 - 73 gave Kennedy the edge he needed in a fight he did deserve to win. The fans gave a nice applaud in appreciation of both men's efforts.

Photos by Chris Sembrot / www.chrissembrot.com

Jr. Welterweight Division

Victor Vasquez vs. Rod Salka

Buloma PA's Rod Salka and Victor Vasquez put on one hell of a 6 round Jr. Welterweight contest in a deceiving match that saw a bloody Salka sweep the scorecards at 60 - 54. Throw those scores out the window because this is an early candidate for fight of the year and other fighters will be hard pressed to top the 6th and final round of this one as both men stood toe to toe and let it fly to the delight of every fan in the building. Vasquez came to rumble as always but Salka was pretty damn sharp on this night and in my opinion is a threat to any 140 lber in this area. More on this to come soon.

Photos by Chris Sembrot / www.chrissembrot.com

Lightweight Division

Derek Bivens vs. Luis Esquillin

Derek Bivins and Luis "Smurf" Esquillin had themselves an entertaining 4 round super featherweight match which gave fans reason to cheer and April 11 fight organizers reasons to sweat. When two young Philly guys go at it, it is usually good and this one has its share of two way exchanges in the middle of the ring. Smurf's straight lefts busted Bivins nose early but Bivins left his mark with plenty of hard right hands that found the target. Rightfully this fight ended in a draw. A rematch isn't out of the question, this time make it a 6 rounder!

After the fight, Paul Fernandez team was over heard saying both fighters would be easy pickins for their guy..... Let's see about that!

Photos by Chris Sembrot / www.chrissembrot.com

Super Middleweight Division

Dennis Hasson vs. Garrett Wilson

Dennis Hasson earned a hard fought 6 round unanimous decision over the tough, wild style of Garrett Wilson. Hasson boxed cool and calm as Wilson would randomly attack with lunging hooks. Down the stretch Hasson landed some clean, heavy bombs though Wilson seemed to take them well. Overall it was a good pace and a solid amount of action with both fighters not budging an inch.

Photos by Chris Sembrot / www.chrissembrot.com

Jr. Middleweight

Jamaal Davis vs. Clarence Taylor

Jamaal "Da Truth" Davis was successful in his Peltz Boxing debut as he wore down Clarence "Sonny Bono" Taylor over 6 rounds to take a unanimous decision win. Davis hard body work was able to wear down the awkward style of Bono and Davis' jawing after rounds seemed to have a bit of an effect on Bono as well.

Photos by Chris Sembrot / www.chrissembrot.com

Jr. Middleweight Division

Kassim Wilson vs. Martinus Clay

Kassim Wilson earned an 8 round unanimous decision over Martinus Clay in a fight that far exceeded expectations as both men decided to be aggressive and make a fight of it. Wilson almost had Clay out early but the game veteran dug into his back of tricks and was able to turn the tide a bit mid way through the fight. Wilsons activity was the key as he out hustled Clay down the stretch to seal the win on all judges scorecards. Wilson looks to be back in stride so keep an eye on future fights.

For all questions, comments & suggestions email me at keith@phillykeith.com

To get the latest on the Philly Boxing scene check out www.phillykeith.com

Peltz Boxing returns to The Blue Horizon 3-6-09

They said it would never happen in a million years...but to the surprise of many it was recently announced that J. Russell Peltz struck a 6 fight deal which will bring his promotional outfit back to the building he made famous, The Legendary Blue Horizon. The talk of the boxing town starts with a potential lights out card on March 6th which will see the world rated and current NABA Welterweight champion Mike Jones make his first title defense against LA's Larry Mosley (15-3-2, 6ko's) in the 10 round main event. Jones is a hot name right now and was even pegged by the well respected Steven Kim of www.maxboxing.com as the sports prospect of the year in 2008. In Jones last fight, he posterized Luciano Perez with one of the best left hooks in recent memory, a punch which cleaned up a wild, sloppy slugfest in Reading, PA. Mosley was once a highly decorated amateur who has been a pro since 2000 and is the cousin of Sugar Shane. He is best remembered in this town for boxing to a 12 round draw against Miguel Figueroa back in 2005. He also held the previously world rated Golden Johnson to a draw in his very next fight. He has dropped his last two fights since then and is dangerously close to falling permanently into "opponent" status. It will be interesting to see how Jones fares against the experience of Mosley, as the Cali native is best known for his outstanding hand speed which is the type of fighter Jones has yet to see.

In the co-feature we will see rising super bantamweight Teon "The Technician" Kennedy (11-0, 5ko's) face Andre Wilson (11-1-1, 9ko's) of Mississippi in a scheduled 8 rounder. The fight will be at 120 lbs give or take a pound. It was originally expected that Teon would get a warm up fight of sorts but Wilson, a southpaw, should pose a good test for the North Philly Technician. Wilson's only loss came while fighting in an undefeated opponents backyard and his most recent wins include early knockouts over Francisco Rodriguez (now 14 - 2) & a 10 round decision win over the well traveled Alex Baba, a fighter who has fought quite a few names in the business. Teon is a fighter that some feel is the best prospect in the city. He and his team have eyes on a shot at the divisions USBA title very soon, and this is the type of fight should prepare him for stiffer challenges down the line. Just don't look past Wilson, who is already has a top 30 ranking in the WBC after only 13 fights.

The undercard is looking very good as well with Philly middleweight Jamaal "Da Truth" Davis (8-4, 6ko's) set to face Clarence "Sonny Bono" Taylor (13-20-3, 6ko's) in a fight that will mark Davis' first match as a member of the Peltz boxing stable. In Davis last outing, he convincingly beat Chris Hall at the National Guard Armory. In Bono's last fight, he showed his is not done yet despite his record as he hung in there with the well regarded Derek Ennis over 8 rounds at The Arena last month. This one could turn out to be a very good action fight since both men prefer to come forward and bang it out.

Some are saying that Kensington's Dennis Hasson (6-0, 2ko's) is in for the stiffest test of his young career when he faces Philly's Garrett Wilson (3-1, 1ko) in a scheduled 6 round Super Middleweight contest. Hasson has been on a steady rise since turning pro last year and in that time gaining a solid fan base but Wilson is no slouch and seems dedicated for this one as he is dropping down 2 weight classes which can only mean he is in top physical condition.

Kaseem Wilson (10-1-1, 3ko's) continues his comeback when he takes on Martinus Clay (13-19-4, 5ko's) in a scheduled 8 round Jr. Middleweight contest. Wilson recently returned from a 15 month layoff to win his last fight by unanimous decision. Clay most recently was knocked out by Kassem Ouma back in August. While that was a bad night, he has proved in the past he can hang with any fighter who thinks he is an up and comer. Styles might clash in this one though as neither fighter seems comfortable being the aggressor, more relying on movement and counter punching.

Victor Vasquez (8-2, 5ko's) looks to have his hands full (at least on paper) as he is set to take on the undefeated Rod Salka (6-0, 2ko's) of Bunola, PA. Vasquez recently returned from a 6 month medical suspension to stop Mario Galan inside of 2 rounds at The New Alhambra. Not much is known about Salka and his record doesn't indicate that he has walked murderers row. Anyone who knows Victor Vasquez knows he will make his opponent fight so we will learn a lot about Salka here.

Alex Sanchez (1-0, 1ko) is set to take on the pro debuting Tyrone Miles in a 4 round Jr. Middleweight contest.

Bozy's Gym hopeful Derek Bivins (1-0) is also scheduled for action against North Philly's Luis "Smurf" Esquillan in a 4 round Super Featherweight battle.

Get your tickets at www.peltzboxing.com or by calling 215-765-0922

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

2008 Philly Fights of the Year

Philly boxing 2008... overall it was another good year but in the same breath it has to mentioned that there was a significant drop off in the amount of action as only 17 professionally sanctioned cards happened in this year. Most nights were solid though we did have a few duds and also a few memorable barn burners. Through my eyes, there was no clear cut fight of the year winner in 2008 so I will not designate one particular match. Instead, I will highlight some of the best performances of the year. As always, it is open to discussion, feel free to comment if you agree, disagree, omissions etc. At some point in 2009, www.phillyboxinghistory.com will give out the Briscoe Awards which will recognize one fight as the best of '08. Visit the site and cast a vote there if you wish.

Without further ado, I give you the Philly Keith Sports 2008 nominees for Fight of the Year!

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Rasheem Brown vs. Jameel Wilson - 4/18/08 @ The National Guard Armory

This 10 round Super Middleweight fight capped off the most action packed boxing card in Philly for the year 2008. The state title was on the line and the then newly signed Rasheem Brown was thought to be put in prime position for a career push after recently returning from a lengthy layoff. Wilson on the other hand did not come to lay down. Brown started strong and it looked to be an easy night but Wilson came alive taking the middle rounds and both men went toe to toe down the stretch to cap off a non stop action bout. The only disappointment in this one came outside of the ring, as 3 blind judges scored only one round for Wilson on the offical cards while everyone in press row agreed that this fight was even money that could have gone either way. Regardless of the outcome, this fight proved once again that when you match two Philly fighters against each other, the fans are always in for a treat!

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Ryan Belasco vs. Victor Vasquez 5/11/08 @ The New Alhambra

Coming into this fight, Delaware's Ryan Belasco was looking to erase the stink of three consecutive sub par performances and Philly's Victor Vasquez was taking his first real test against an area known fighter with a record above .500. While most thought it was a solid fight when it was announced, few expected to be treated to such an action packed rumble. It was give and take with Belasco carrying a slight lead as he was able to effectively box the non stop Vasquez. Belasco's non stop jabbing caused Vasquez left eye to swell like a ballon, leaving the referee no option but to stop the fight and the commision no choice but to order a 6 month medical suspension. Vasquez is back, medically cleared to fight and wants a rematch "sooner, rather than later". I have a feeling that Russell Peltz will be putting this together very soo

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Gee Culmer vs. Jameel Wilson @ The Legendary Blue Horizon 9/16/08

When this one was signed, you just knew it would be a close fight. At the time, Gee recently pulled out a few tight majority decision wins while Wilson was on the wrong end of a quite a few razor thin decisions. In this one, Gee put on a boxing clinic early, Wilson showed his grit in the middle and final rounds were tooth and nail. Fittingly, this fight could have gone either way and ended in a majority decision for Culmer who after the fight earned the designation of PA's #1 Super Middleweight contender slot by the state athletic commision. Click the link to watch this fight in its entirety on Go Fight Live.

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Mario Mina vs. Pedro Calla @ The Legendary Blue Horizon 4/11/08


Two fighters who learned their craft half a world away came to Philadelphia to make their pro debut and in the process put on a 4 round Blue Horizon classic. Mina of Ecquador was said to be a former amateur star and Peru's Pedro Calla was no slouch either. This was a wild, two way leatherfest that ended with Calla splattered across the canvas mid way through the final round, much to the delight of the fans, who gave both men a standing ovation when the dust finally settled. Watch this fight in its entirety on Go Fight Live

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On a national level, recognition goes to Steve "USS" Cunningham, who may have lost his IBF Cruiserweight title, but in the same breath won over millions of fight fans for his show of heart against Tomasz Adamek live on Versus. Cunningham won a lions share of the rounds but was also knocked down 3 times in this non stop slugfest between two of the worlds best. A rematch just has to be in order. The TV demand and money will be there you can be assured of that. The only liability here is if Adamek decided to hide.


Last but certainly not least, recognition has to be given to Philly's main representative in the sport of boxing, Bernard Hopkins for his one sided spanking of Kelly Pavlik over 12 rounds in a fight where next to no one was giving him a shot in hell to win. Once again, people were saying he was too old or he was slowing down just as they did before his fight against Antonio Tarver and even before that in his fight against Felix Trinidad. On this night, B-Hop reminded the world that it is a terrible mistake to under estimate the Germantown native.

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

Raul Martinez wins the NABF title, Victor Vasquez returns with a bang, Kennedy, Flores & Hasson stay unbeaten at The New Alhambra

photos by Mike "Teek" McGuigan

The streets of Philly were soggy on November 14th, but that didn't stop the fight fans from once again packing into the New Alhambra for a J. Russell Peltz / Top Rank boxing collaboration which was carried live by the soon to be defunct Solo Boxeo series. The main event pitted two undefeated outsiders who traveled east for their big chance in a division where the well of opportunity is bone dry. The co-feature gave us a glimpse of a prospect on the rebound and the under card showcased the skills of quite a few young hopefuls from our area who are making their way through the local ranks. Some are still in the early stages of their career while others or on the cusp on making the leap to the next level. There were a lot of knockouts on a night where a new NABF super flyweight champion was crowned, a boxing barber quickly faded out a competitor and a young prospect inches his way closer to a world ranking. All this and more from the South Philly fight hall, scroll down to see how it all went down.


Super Flyweight Division
Raul Martinez.... vs..... Victor Proa
San Antonio, TX..........Mexico
23-0, 13ko's.............26-0-2, 19ko's

The main event became a small part of Philly boxing history as this marked the first time a super flyweight contest headlined a boxing card in our city. While that is a nice side note for us, the two undefeated out of towners participating in the main event had a lot more at stake. The regional NABF title was on the line but more importantly, a world title shot loomed for the winner in a division where fame and big pay opportunities are at a bare minimum.

In the blue corner stood San Antonio's Raul "The Cobra" Martinez. Once a highly decorated amateur, he has gone on to secure a top 10 ranking in every major boxing sanctioning body during his short time as a pro. In his most recent outing, he earned a 12 round unanimous decision over former WBO champion Isidaro Garcia.

Much wasn't known about Proa coming in, but the record books indicated that he had the heavier hands due to his 19 of his wins coming by way of the knockout. A pro for less than 3 years, Proa saw this opportunity as his time to shine as the fight was carried across the globe on Solo Boxeo.

On paper, it looked like it would be two young hungry fighters ready to slug it out. But this is boxing and things usually don't turn out as expected. When the opening bell sounded, Raul Martinez stole Proa's thunder early as it only took the San Antonio native 68 seconds to knockout his foe with a vicious multiple punch assault. A clean Martinez right hook sealed the deal putting Proa out on his feet, leaving referee Gary Rosato no choice but to step in and stop the contest.

Now, Martinez eyes the big time fight in a division where Vic Darchinyan sits on top.

Winner - TKO 1 1:06 - Raul Martinez who improves to 24-0, 14ko's








Welterweight Division
Alexis Camacho vs. Edvan Barros
Austin, TX.........Bahia, Brazil
16-1, 15ko's........9-5-1, 7ko's

In the co-feature, big punching Mexican Alexis Camacho looked to earse the stink of his only career loss which came in his last contest against Trenton's slick southpaw Terrance Cauthen. Prior to the night, Camacho strung together 15 consecutive knockout wins, all of which coming against anonymous competitors.

Barros, a Brazilian who also moonlights as a martial arts dancer, has come up through the boxing circuit the hard way. His record isn't a glossy one but it does include a stiff line of competition, highlighted by a decision loss to former world champion Luis Collazo.

When Camacho fought Cauthen, he was forced to run and chase all night. This time, it was no secret that Barros moved in one direction, forward. This served Camacho perfectly as he landed some hard straight rights in the 1st round as Barros looked to get inside. It was more of the same to start round 2, and :52 seconds in,Camacho connected with a pin point left uppercut that sent Barros to the floor.

Barros beat the count but was definitely woozy. Referee Blair Talmedge decided to stop the fight siting Barros failure to immediately respond to instructions. Barros objected but State Athletic director Greg Sirb stood by his mans decision and upheld the KO win for Camacho, who improves to 17 - 1, 16ko's






Super Bantamweight Division
Teon Kennedy....vs.... Felipe Almanza
North Philly............Lorica, Columbia
10-0, 5ko's.............14-14-1, 7ko's

North Philly Super Bantamweight prospect Teon "The Technician" Kennedy inches his way closer to a world ranking as he won a 6 round unanimous decision against Columbia's Felipe Almanza.

Kennedy, a fighter some are hailing as the best pound for pound prospect in this town, did all the work in this one. Almanza was thought to be one willing to make a fight out of things since he has been disqualified in two of his last three fights, decided to ride his bike through all 6 rounds, circling around the ring and avoiding any exchanges as Teon chased and tried to cut him off.

No major moments of two way action and no one was staggered in this fight. Though this fight was a stylistic nightmare for the fans, it serves as a learning experience for Kennedy on how to respond when facing a fighter who moves and uses the ring. It went to the scorecards which read 60 - 54 x 2 and 59 - 55 for the North Philly Technician.

The win puts Kennedy one fight closer to a ranking in the USBA, something his team ha their eyes on for some time now. While a world stage is definitely in Teon's future, many at ringside speculated on a State title run again Reading's Lucian Gonzalez or Eric "Outlaw" Hunter to see once and for all who is the best in this town at this weight.







Lightweight Division
Victor Vasquez.. vs... Mario Galan
North Philly...........Hollywood, FL
7-2, 4KO'S.............4-4-1, 3KO'S

Welcome back Victor Vasquez. After 6 months on the bench recovering from an eye injury suffered in his last match, a fight of the year candidate against Ryan Belasco, the boxing barber returned to score a fierce 2nd round KO over Mario Galan of Florida.

In typical Vic Vasquez style, this one had a lot of action. Galan started strong, pressuring Vasquez and landing some good punches on the inside. Vasquez seemed to get warmed up midway through the round and at the end end of round one, rocked Galan with a big left hook just as the bell sounded.

Round 2 started and Vasquez didn't let Galen off the hook as he landed a big right hand which sent Galan to the canvas. It was ruled a slip but Galan was hurt and Vasquez went in for the kill. A Vasquez left- right combo sent Galan to the floor again. Galan got up but soon after took another big left which put him down again, this time he was smart enough to stay there.

Winner - 2nd round tKO 1:55 Victor Vasquez





Lightweight Division
Anthony Flores vs. Francisco Palacious
North Philly......Stamford, Connecticut
5-0, 3ko's.........4-6-4, 1ko

In his short time as a pro, Anthony Flores has had quite a few action fights. Though he has never really been behind on the cards or seriously staggered, there have been a few moments where it looked like his opponent might just have a shot at pulling off the upset. Then, all of a sudden, Flores steps on the gas and gets his opponent out of there.

Francisco Palacios, a fighter who had given stiff challenges to just about every young fighters in this area, Teon Kennedy included, earned this fight on the strength of a one sided upset win over the previously undefeated Jesus Barbosa in August.

For the first two rounds, it looked like Palacios just might pull off the upset again. Though giving up close to 6 inches in height to Flores, he recklessly bulled his way inside and would land some wild lefts and rights upstairs as Flores looked to move and box his opponent.

Early in the third round, it looked like Flores figured his guy out and soon after he nailed Palacious with a straight right hand which sent the Connecticut native to the canvas and unable to continue.








Junior Lightweights
Michael Perez vs Tommy Garcia
Newark, NJ.......Hartford, Connecticut
1-0, 1ko........2-2, 1ko

Michael Perez, a former national amateur champion showed a very good blend of speed and power which earned him a 1st round TKO over the very durable Tommy Garcia. Garcia came out fighting strong but just couldn't catch Perez with anything. Perez picked spots and an early four punch combination sent Garcia to a knee midway through the round. Garcia got up and kept on trying but his corner saw enough and threw in the towel at the 2:40 mark of the opening frame.






Super Middleweight Division
Dennis Hasson vs. Ariel Espinal
Philly............Brooklyn, NY
4-0, 2kos.........6-5-2, 2ko's

Kenzington's Dennis "The Assassin" Hasson is a super middleweight that many in the area have high hopes for. He turned pro earlier this year after a very successful run as an amateur and many have been impressed by his continued growth at this level. Now making the jump to the 6 round level, some feel this will work to his advantage as he is more of a methodical fighter rather than a quick starter with one punch knockout power.

Ariel Espinal has been a busy fighter lately, taking on quite a few undefeated prospects and lasting the distance in losing efforts. His most recent outing was a 6 round decision loss against Philly bomber Farah Ennis, so you know he has a chin.

In this fight, Hasson was once again impressive. Both fighter traded some solid shots in the early going but after 3 rounds Hasson was in complete control. Hasson moved around, picked spots, fought well on the inside when he had to and late in the fight began to land some hard combinations up top. Espinal was behind on the cards but never quit. He took some flush shots and tried to win until the very end though to no avail.

The fight went to the scorecards which all read 60 - 54 for Dennis Hasson who improves to 5 - 0 which makes him eligible for Philly top 10 list consideration.

If anyone has pictures of the Hasson - Espinal fight, please send them to keith@phillykeith.com


Heavyweight Division
Faruq Saleem vs Willie Perryman
Newark, NJ......Clarksdale, MS
37-0, 32KO'S.....10-16, 7ko's

Faruq Salem, the most anonymous 38 - 0 fighter in the history of the game, won a 6 round unanimous decision over Willie Perryman in a fight that did have some good spots of two way action. Both men threw some lumber in the early going but gassed out a bit down the stretch. A Saleem right sent Perryman to the canvas in round 5 but Big Willie got up and made a fight of it until the final bell.

Now at 38-0, it is time for Saleem to take on a significant fight. If he is in shape, he just might be capable of winning too.













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