Allen Loses Controversial Decision in Comeback

By Frank Bartolini, Ringside

Questionable scoring by the judges dampened Philadelphian Damon Allen’s comeback at the 2300 Arena last Saturday night (7/09). It was Allen’s first fight since the COVID pandemic struck; he had not been in the ring since October of 2019. Tough Oscar Barajas, Zamora, Mexico, fought hard but did not appear to earn the six-round decision.  

Looking a bit rusty, Allen, 131.5 lbs., still came out fast and managed to stay on his toes and moved well while landing blows to Barajas' head during round one. Although Allen’s timing may have been off, this pattern continued and he clearly swept the first three stanzas.  

Granted, the southpaw Barajas,136.2 lbs., pressed forward, fighting out of a half-crouch, and managed to score a few hard shots to the head and body during the first nine minutes.  

However, matters took a different course in the fourth and fifth rounds when Barajas’ awkward punches began to find their mark. Barajas tattooed Allen with combinations to the chin and had him buzzed during round five.  

Determined to win, Allen returned to life and stormed off his stool when the bell chimed to start the final session. Standing toe to toe both combatants unloaded bombs. It was give-and-take until the final gong, and Allen got the better of every exchange. The entire crowd of over nine hundred spectators were excited, and on their feet cheering the native Philadelphian.  

Following the fight's conclusion, the Philly boxing fans were smiling, shaking hands, and high-fiving, believing Allen’s heart and big finish had secured the victory. So, there was a collective gasp when ring announcer “Discombobulating '' Jones read the official scores: 57-57 and 58-56 twice, giving Barajas a majority decision win.

This was the second straight win for Barajas against a Philadelphia prizefighter at the 2300 Arena. In February, Barajas upset Philly fan favorite Jerome Conquest in the very same ring. Barajas' mark rose to 6-8-1, 2 KOs. Allen lost for the second time and is now 16-2-1, 5 KOs.

Allen vs. Barajas was the co-feature to an eight-round main event that pitted featherweights Edward Vazquez, Fort Worth, TX, against Jose Argel, Carolina, PR in a scheduled eight-rounder. Neither Vazquez,128.8 lbs., or Argel 127.2 lbs., packed a punch, yet both adhered to a slugger's fighting style. This made for a pitty-pat war for all eight heats. Vazquez won by shutout, 80-72 on all three cards, and improved his respectable record of 12-1, 3 KOs. Argel dipped to 8-4, 2 KOs.

OTHER RESULTS

Isaiah Johnson, 141.6 lbs., Sicklerville, NJ., winner TKO1 (1:57) over Rondale Hubbert,145.7 lbs., Duluth, MN. Johnson: 5-0, 5 KOs. Hubbert 14-23-3, 8 KOs.

DeAundre Pettus, 160.5 lbs, Columbia, SC won by unanimous four-round decision over Chukka Willis, 163 lbs., Emporia, KS. All three judges scored 40-36. Pettus, 7-1, 3 KOs. Willis: 4-17, 2 KOs.

Famous Wilson, pro debut, 160.5 lbs., Deer Park, NY, won by unanimous decision versus Vincent Randall, 157.9 lbs., Valparaiso, IN. The scores were 40-36 twice and 39-37. Wilson: 1-0, Randall: 0-2.

Boimah Karmo, 152.7 lbs., Sharon Hill, PA, won a unanimous four-round nod against Daniel Jiles, 151 lbs., Philadelphia, by scores of 40-36 and 39-37 twice. Karmo: 3-0-1, Jiles: 0-2.  

The night started with a battle of junior welterweight debutantes. Najeem Johns, 141 lbs., Philadelphia, cold cocked Darryl Chamberlain with the second punch of his pro career. The punch rocked Chamberlain to the core, and had him on queer street. John's follow up shot had Chamberlain falling face-first onto the ring apron. The fight ended after just 16 seconds into the action when referee Shawn Clark waved it off and the ring physician climbed through the ropes to provide medical care. Chamberlain was up on his feet one minute later and deemed in good physical condition. Johns: 1-0, 1 KO, Chamberlain: 0-1.

(Photo - BoxRec.com)

The Return: Christian Carto wins big in Philly

By Chris Mealey

A strong sense of familiarity lurked throughout the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia on Friday night. Homespun, perhaps is the better way to describe the event, with the locals, on the road supporters, the fight families and of course the boxers themselves in the building. The aura projected was one that was absent since before the pandemic, but one other absence was also restored. On that topic of what hasn't been present, The Weigh-In is here to discuss a certain South Philly pugilist that had been away from the ring for roughly 31 months.

Coming off both a two year layoff and his first professional defeat, while dealing with the hardships of the pandemic that delayed a lot of fights, including in the bantamweight division, Christian Carto's anticipation for that next fight never went away. One of the most talked about prospects to enter the venue, it was safe to say Carto's bout would be under high speculation from the fans, press and overall boxing scene. Describing how his performance against the Columbian fighter Yeison Vargas played out from a fan and writer's perspective was simply extraordinary.

From the sound of the bell, it was clear Carto's will, or perhaps his drive had a flare that seemed almost "new," despite having a reputation of being both a talented and stark boxer. This contest was not decided by judges in this six round bout, but dictated by Carto's jab, generalship and combination punching. To say the Philadelphia fighter was able to do whatever he wanted in that ring, as if it was his second house, would be an understatement. 

Punches that Vargas could not endure, even with his guard, caused him to turn his back and fall towards the ropes, resulting in a knockdown. The following pursuit by Carto, as his opponent got up, would be a devastating body shot, a left hook to the liver. This famous punch put Vargas on the canvas for a second and final time, as the official in the ring, Eric Dali, counted the downed boxer out, leaving Carto the winner at 2:53 of this very first round.

While a victory for any boxer normally goes to show how much time, effort and overall work was put in training, Team Carto, with newly recruited trainer Bozy Ennis proved to have made the most of their preparation for the first fight together. Though this may be the return of Christian Carto, it certainly felt like he never left the squared circle.

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Kings Promotions Returns to Philadelphia with a Doubleheader

By Frank Bartolini

On Saturday, June 5th, a day/night doubleheader took place in South Philadelphia, as Major League Baseball’s Phillies were competing at Citizens Bank Park down the road. This doubleheader took place at the 2300 Arena, and the participants wore boxing gloves not baseball mitts. 

Kings Promotions delivered a six fight appetizer during the midafternoon before a seven bout evening entre. The two fight cards were the first since prior to the COVID pandemic that allowed full capacity, and liberated the vaccinated from wearing masks. 

In the main event, super middleweights Brandon Robinson of Upper Darby, PA faced off against Genc Pllana of Hagerstown, MD in a scheduled eight round contest. A good match up on paper that did not disappoint, Pllana scored an upset eighth round knockout victory. 

Strong and awkward, Pllana always provides a difficult challenge for his opponents. Robinson, 166.9 lbs., was able to successfully navigate past Pllana’s, 168 lbs., uncourtly style winning two of the first three stanzas by being more active. Pllana was cut around the eye by an accidental head butt in the second. Getting inside Pllana’s long arms, Robinson was scoring straight stiff jabs followed by right hands during the first three sessions. Fighting out of a conventional stance, Pllana was scoring to the body with an unorthodox right hook/uppercut just under Robinson's left elbow. These body blows by Pllana were accurate and accompanied by loud thuds. Midway through the fourth, one such blow backed up Robinson as Pllana unloaded a right to his jaw. Badly wobbled, Robinson was saved when a Pllana uppercut went south of the border. After taking time to recover, Robinson went on the attack when the action resumed and buckled Pllana’s knees with left hooks to the chin. Robinson returned to his corner on wobbly legs at the bell. 

Looking to be on his way to victory, Robinson stuck to his game plan until Pllana landed a right hook/uppercut to the body near the end of round seven. Backed against the ropes, Robinson could not fend off Pllana’s barrage of punches. A right to the jaw dropped Robinson, who was able to rise to his feet to be saved by the bell. Beginning with the sound of the gong to start the last round, Pllana landed a barrage of head and body shots until a solid right to the jaw made Robinson crumble in his corner. Referee Shawn Clark jumped in and called it off 33 seconds into the session. 

Robinson stayed down for a few minutes as the ring doctors checked him out. Robinson is now 15-3, 10 KOs, with all three losses coming by way of knockout. During the post-fight interview, Pllana yelled out “Berlanga!” in an attempt to call out the young super middleweight prospect Edgar Berlanga. Pllana’s record now stands at 9-3-1, 5 KOs.  

All seats were filled in the evening portion of the day's activities, with several dozen more spectators standing around the perimeter of the arena. In the semi, wind up popular welterweight ticket seller Elijah Morales, 146.5 lbs., Trenton, NJ, improved his record to 8-0, 4 KOs by winning a shutout unanimous four round decision over Andres Abarca of Normandy, WA. Never relenting his attack, Abarca flew across the country in hopes of taking home a “W.” Abarca, 145 lbs., is now 2-5. 

In the afternoon most of the seats were filled to watch Devar Ferhadi of Frederick, MD outpoint Blake Mansfield of Cary, NC in an eight round super middleweight matchup. Mansfield, 167.75 lbs., put forth a spirited effort. Ferhadi, 167.75 lbs., won a unanimous decision by scores of 80-72 and 79-73 twice. Ferhadi continues his career with a record of 9-0, 7 KOs. Mansfield drops to 7-4-1, 4 KOs.

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Robinson, Mathie continue winning ways in Philly

By Matt Ward

Kings Promotions returned to Philly's premier fight venue, the 2300 Arena, on Friday night. The card featured eight professional bouts across various weight classes, and genders. The main event of the evening featured a super middleweight contest between Brandon Robinson (14-2, 9 KOs) and Martez McGregor (8-3, 6 KOs). 

In the opening frame, Robinson moved in and connected with a hard right hand to McGregor's face, a shot that snapped his head back. In the third round, McGregor effectively applied pressure to Robinson. McGregor controlled much of the tempo of the fourth round. He knocked Robinson into the neutral corner with a big left hand as the round approached its end. 

This was a sloppy fight through the first five rounds. The crowd rose to their feet in the sixth round, as Robinson connected with a series of straight right and left hands to McGregor's head and body. As the sixth round approached its end, the two fighters had a good exchange near the blue corner. Throughout the eighth and final round, the two fighters swung wildly and wrapped one another up to avoid any unnecessary damage. All three judges scored the bout for the winner by unanimous decision Brandon Robinson. The judges scorecards read 77-75 twice and 78-74.

Avril Mathie Remains Undefeated 

Australian bombshell, Avril Mathie (4-0-1, 2 KOs), remained undefeated with a unanimous decision victory over Karen Dulin (3-22-1, 1 KO). The  swimsuit model turned bantamweight boxer, Mathie, established her jab in the opening frame and outpointed the veteran Dulin. In the third round, Mathie control the tempo of the fight by landing a series of hooks to the head and body of Dulin. After four rounds of action, all three judges scored the bout 40-36 for the winner by unanimous decision, Avril Mathie.

Accidental Headbutt Halts Bunch vs. Floyd

In what was a highly entertaining fight before it was stopped in the third of six scheduled rounds, Trenton's Shinard Bunch (3-1, 3 KOs) fought Philadelphia's Vinny Floyd (4-8-1, 2 KOs) in a welterweight contest. A Bunch right to the body and left to the chin knocked Floyd down in the first round. Bunch had Floyd on shaky legs after the knockdown, but failed to put pressure on his taller opponent to secure the knockout. In the second round, Floyd was knocked back into the ropes with a multi-punch combo that was highlighted by a right hand to the head as time expired. The referee ruled this a knockdown. 

In the third round, the fight was stopped due to a cut on Floyd's scalp, that was opened up due to an accidental headbutt. Because the fight did not reach the fourth round, it was ruled a no-contest. The two men will  fight again on December 6th when King's Promotions returns to the 2300 arena.

Allen Returns to his Winning Ways in Front of Hometown Crowd

Damon Allen (16-1-1, 5 KOs) bounced back from his first career loss last August with a victory over Dieumerci Nzau (11-10, 8 KOs). Allen answered the opening bell by controlling the tempo of the fight and landing shots at will. He rattled Nzau with a big left hand to the head in the first round. Nzau swung wildly and ineffectively at his opponent in the second, clearly frustrated by Allen's poise and fight plan.

Allen punished Nzau with repeated left hands to the head in the third round. In the fourth round, the sound of two of Allen's left hands connecting with Nzau's head echoed through the arena. 

A left hand to the head shook Nzau in the sixth round. Both fighters looked exhausted later in the sixth and final round. The last-minute was filled with instances of both men hanging all over one another. To the delight of the pro-Allen crowd, all three judges scored the bout 60-54 in favor of the local fan-favorite.

Nelson Bounces Back from Three Straight Defeats

The former Pennsylvania Lightweight champion, Naim Nelson (14-4, 1 KO), halted his three fight losing streak with a unanimous decision victory over Harrisburg's Roy McGill (6-4, 3 KOs). The junior welterweight contest was evenly matched through the first two rounds. Miguel put his foot on the gas in the opening seconds of the third round, and then the action seemed to settle down. The two men spent the last three rounds chasing each other around the ring to the displeasure of the crowd. The judges scored the bout 58-56, 59-55, and 60-54, all in favor of Nelson.

Umberger Kayos DeShields

Chestnut Hill's Ryan Umberger (3-0, 3 KOs) increased his knockout streak to three with a victory over Camden's Leon DeShields (0-7). An Umberger right hook to the body sent DeShields to the canvas in the opening seconds of the first round in this junior middleweight bout. DeShields recovered from the knockdown only to be finished off later in the round at 2:49, when Umberger nailed him with a overhand right to the head. 

Rivera Wins by Second Round TKO

Cruiserweights Angel Rivera (5-1, 4 KOs) and Nicoy Clarke (2-5) squared off in a fight that was scheduled for four rounds. The opening round was filled with lots of action. Clarke tried to trap Rivera in the first round, but Rivera kept punching his way out of these traps. Rivera finished off Clark in the second round with an uppercut followed by left and right hooks to the head and body. Clark crashed to the canvas and referee Erik Dali waved off the fight at the 1:41 mark of the second round.

Martin, Down in One, Recovers for Win

James Martin (5-1) defeated Juan Rodriguez (8-16-1, 6 KOs) by unanimous decision in the opening bout of the evening. A Rodriguez body shot in the opening round caused Martin to take a knee. Later in the first round, Martin appeared to hurt Rodriguez on two occasions, but failed to press the attack and secure a knockdown. A right hand from Martin in the second sent Rodriguez tumbling back into the corner. Rodriguez wrapped Martin up to kill the multi-punch onslaught.

Rodriguez showed his ring experience in the third round by smothering multiple attacks by Martin. There was a big exchange of shots in the center of the ring to start the fourth round. Unfortunately, this early action in the round would be negated by excessive holding throughout the last two minutes of the final round. The judges scored the bout 38-37 and 39-37 twice for Martin.

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PELTZ BOXING: A LIFE-LONG LOVE STORY

J Russell Peltz Celebrates Half Century in Boxing

By Emily Pandelakis

PHILADELPHIA -- For 50 years, J Russell Peltz has lived and breathed boxing.  On October 4, he will celebrate his Golden Anniversary as a Philadelphia promoter with an eight-bout card titled “Blood, Sweat & 50 Years,” at the 2300 Arena.  Since Sept. 30, 1969, he’s been an institution in the city, providing a platform for hundreds, if not thousands of Philadelphia fighters to showcase their talent. He’s promoted over a thousand boxing events and over 40 world title bouts. For half a century, Peltz has ridden the roller coaster of small- and big-time boxing, with stops all over the world. 

Peltz’ love for boxing has outlived mentors, parents, a sister, a son and a marriage. It’s been the constant throughout the entirety of his adult life, and a refuge from guilt, sadness and loss.  It was the cane he used when he couldn’t stand, and the mountain from which he screamed his successes.  It has been an enduring passion and a safe, faceless pool where he could pour out an immense amount of love, out loud, and without guilt or fear of judgement. 

He has a savant-like ability to recall dates of fights, who was on every card, and what happened in every round.  He remembers detailed 40-year-old stories, fights, conversations and events like they happened yesterday.  

For his 14th birthday, his dad took him to his first fight and it was love at first bell. He knew he was going to be a part of the beautiful brutality of boxing. His mom refused to allow him to go to more fights; she didn’t want him to be part of “that element.”  He would lie and say he was out with friends or at parties, then go to the fights.  Eventually she relented, and his father took him to more fights.  He would abandon a burgeoning sports journalism career and promote his first event on Sept. 30, 1969. 

J Russell Peltz grew up in an upper middle-class family, moving from Philadelphia to the wealthy community of Bala Cynwyd on Philadelphia's Main Line when he entered third grade.  His father, Bernard Peltz, a plumber like his own dad, had expanded Peltz Plumbing to include heating and air-conditioning. By all measurements, his business was successful, catering to both residential repairs and large company and government installations. His father was beloved by his employees.

Peltz had a taste of the plumbing life over two summers in 1963 and '64 and was decidedly bad at it.  It was a disastrous endeavor for teenage Peltz, who was not mechanically inclined.  One error resulted in the destruction of several oil paintings belonging to a wealthy client, and a large bill for his father to foot. 

His father wasn’t much of a sports fan outside of boxing.  His father, Peltz’ grandfather, was an avid fan and worked for Western Union.  On fight nights, including during the Jack Dempsey vs. Gene Tunney fight in 1926 in Philadelphia, he would be ringside, gathering updates and copy and communicating them to the wire services.  

As Peltz tells it, his father, like many parents of kids who came of age in the 50s and 60s, was not expressive with his emotions.  “He was just not the kind of person,” Peltz began, then paused.  “Any more than I am, that could show it. My mom was the emotional, loving one.”

What shines through when conversing with Peltz, is how much his parents loved each other.  In a time where men were not supposed to cry, Peltz’s father, who he described as a “man’s man,” took care of his wife while she was sick for years with emphysema. “They were passionately in love,” said Peltz.  “Things became rocky later, especially when my mother became sick, but he always loved her.

“She was so weak he would have to cut her meat and pre-chew it, so she would be strong enough to chew the rest of it,” remembers Peltz. “He would do those things and you could see that he loved her.” 

After his mother passed away in 1975, Peltz found a box among her belongings: “When my mom died, I found a box of newspaper clippings of stories about me, some of which I’d never seen before. I knew she loved me.”

His father gave him an office to work from, and twice lent him money when Peltz needed a boost to get through a show or a bad year. If Peltz hadn’t been weighed down with remorse, he might have seen these gestures and support of his son’s boxing promoter career, of which he outwardly didn’t approve, as his father’s way of saying I love you. 

A rift developed in the family when Peltz married his first wife, a non-Jewish girl, in 1969, against the wishes of his parents.  This disagreement would color the remainder of their years together. 

At 72 years old, Peltz looks back over those years and sees a selfish, immature version of himself, who didn’t treat his parents all that well. “I never had a mature relationship with my parents,” Peltz would say more than once. “I have terrible regrets about that.” His uncle had told him that his decision to marry his first wife was killing his mother, and Peltz believed him.   The guilt is palpable as he describes his mother’s final days.  

The bitterness he had felt at his parents’ reaction to his marriage and their nagging “get a real job” attitude toward his chosen profession put space in between them. After both had passed, pride and resentment quickly gave way to guilt and regret.  

In the end, it was his sister's home and then his parents’ home he’d go to when his first marriage fell apart.  Every day he’d stop in and say hello to his father, who had built him an office over his plumbing company.  His family’s foundation, which had been built on silent love and commitment, proved unyielding throughout the years.

It wasn’t long after his mother’s death that he met the woman who would become his current wife--a former classmate at Lower Merion High School.  Peltz knew from their first date that he would marry Linda Sablosky. All the nagging feelings of doubt he had going into his first marriage were nowhere to be found.  For someone who sees himself as unemotional and unexpressive, the enormity of his love and devotion to Linda from that first date until this day is evident.  In four hours of interviews, it was when he spoke about Linda that he sounded the most fulfilled and uplifted. 

“Family is everything to Linda,” said Peltz.  "She brought together estranged cousins and other family members and she became very close to my father, calling him every day.

“If my mom had met Linda,” he continued, weeping softly, “she would have had a reason to live.”  

Linda fit effortlessly into his boxing world.  She would often attend events, traveling with Peltz.  “Linda is the kind of person who can exist in any world, in any atmosphere, and everybody loves her." Peltz said.  "It helped me in boxing.  People say, ‘How bad can he be? She married him!’

“Linda is never idle.  She can fill up 24 hours a day.  She’s the Queen of the Dollar Store.  She can’t stand sitting around doing nothing.  If Linda has 400 things to do and I only want to do 200 of them, she says I’m boring.”

The two would have two sons, Matthew and Daniel.   Matthew, the oldest, was interested in music and girls.  He was a ‘Deadhead,’ the moniker bestowed upon Grateful Dead fans, and traveled with them for a summer.  He eventually moved to Israel and became a Rabbi.  He  married and had four children.  

Daniel was the athlete, participating in various sports, including a short amateur boxing career that Peltz hid from Daniel’s mother for a short period of time. 

Peltz did his best to never miss a game.  “He was always there for me,” said Daniel.  “He traveled a lot, but he always made time for my sporting events. He didn’t miss a milestone.” 

Peltz and his wife lost Matthew to a drug overdose in 2017. He was only 38.  The pain in Peltz’ voice when he talks about the years they tried to save their son is heart-wrenching. Countless trips to rehab, broken promises and relapses litter the last years of their time together. He loved Matthew as hard and as completely as any parent could have, but the thief that is drug addiction took Matthew away from his parents, his brother and his children. 

At his son’s funeral Peltz told the story of a bidding scandal that rocked the plumbing industry in Philadelphia when he was a kid. The story had hit the newspapers, and when he was able to get his hands on the article, he read every word, looking for his dad’s name among those involved, hoping and praying it wasn’t there.  His voice cracks again as he retells it.  “When I got to the bottom of the story, it listed all those companies involved in the fix… and his name wasn’t in there. I felt so proud.of him.

“So it’s just that I knew that Bernie Peltz provided a hard day's work for a fair day's wage. Thirty years later, I came home from work one day and Linda hands me the phone.  Your son wants to talk to you.  I said ‘What’s up Matt.’  He said ‘Dad, how come when the sports writers write about boxing promoters, they always write bad things like they cheat the fighters, they steal their money, they pay off the judges and the referees, they fix the rankings… but whenever they write about you,” he paused and sniffed heavily as tears fell, "they always write nice things.  He finished by saying 'that’s so cool.' I didn’t realize it at the time but as the years went by I realized that my son felt the same way about me that I felt about my dad.” 

Peltz carries the weight of his Linda’s pain in addition to his own at the loss of their son.  “All Linda ever wanted was to be a mother. To be there when the kids came home from school,” Peltz recalled.  “That’s what made losing Matthew so devastating for her.  She questioned her ability as a mother.

“If Matthew had had any other mother,” Peltz said, his voice cracking with emotion, “he wouldn’t have made it to even 20.”  

Peltz finds comfort in his grandchildren.  “Pop Pop is very affectionate with the kids,” said Daniel, who has two daughters. “He has six grandchildren -- he loves them and they adore him.” 

Over the years, Peltz has brought many boxers into his inner circle, many of them becoming family.  Osnel Charles, who fights on October 4, asked Peltz to be the co-best man in his wedding. He spoke at many hall-of-fame inductions, weddings and funerals over the past half century. 

He talks about one of his more recent charges, Jason Sosa, with affection.  One of the highest points in his long career was witnessing underdog Sosa stop Javier Fortuna to win a world title in 2016 in Beijing, China.  

“When that fight was over we walked back to the hotel,” he remembered.  “Linda went up to the room because she was tired.  I went into a bar in the hotel. One of these really modern neon lit bars. I sat at that empty bar and I felt so on top of the world.  People back in the states are just getting the news and here I am in Beijing having a beer by myself and I felt so good.  You know why?  Mostly because at the time of my career that it happened.  To win a world title like that, in a foreign land, coming from behind off the canvas, with no shot to win except by knockout...with Linda screaming and crying and she jumped up because she loves Jason. It was just like so great. Such a wonderful feeling. One of the highlights of my career. It’s not number one but it’s like 1A.”

Number one, he added, was when his first charge, Bennie Briscoe, knocked out Tony Mundine in Paris in 1974: “That will always be number one. It was an eliminator. We were underdogs. It was my first trip to Europe and it was the biggest fight you could have without it being for the title. It was just such a wonderful night.” 

His protege, Raging Babe Michelle Rosado, who is promoting “Love, Sweat & 50 Years,” is one of many who see Peltz as a father figure.  His seven-year mentorship of Rosado will culminate in his passing the torch to his hardworking mentee.   “Leaders build leaders.  Because he doesn’t have an ego, and wasn’t inclined to protect his secrets at all costs like so many of his peers, he was able to mentor BAM [Brittany Rogers] and I and teach us the ropes.  I’m honored that he trusts me to continue his legacy.”  Peltz is known to brag about Rosado to his colleagues in the business.  When he talks about her, his tone alternates between that of a proud father and professional respect and admiration.  They may fight and scream but will always eventually reconcile like family so often does.

Peltz is ready to slow down after his 50th anniversary celebration.  The changes to the sport have worn thin his desire to keep going. “It’s not the sport I fell in love with,” he says.  “It’s not like it used to be.  Guys just wanted to fight.  If guys were within 10 pounds we had a fight.”  

On October 4, he will wind down his matchmaking career with the kind of card that he’s become known for in Philadelphia over the last 50 years.  Tough, Philly versus Philly toss-up matches.  The kind of card that drew him to boxing and kept him there for half a century. 

These relationships, the ones that Peltz has with Linda, Daniel and his grandchildren, with Michelle, with Osnel Charles, Bennie Briscoe, Jason Sosa and countless other boxers--these relationships don’t happen by accident.  They’re built on respect and on love. Love that isn’t screamed out loud, but is felt by actions.  Love that is disguised as feeling proud, or as the weight of guilt and regret.  A love that’s equal to or perhaps even more than that of his love for boxing.  Boxing will always be the place where Peltz can love out loud, but his legacy will forever be the quiet way he loved those he touched over the past 50 years.

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“Hot Sauce” Henderson Harnesses His Dozenth Victory

By Steve Peacock, Ringside

Pro boxer Kalvin “Hot Sauce” Henderson returned to the City of Brotherly Love on Friday night to attain win #12, preserving an undefeated record by repeatedly knocking down and ultimately taking down Antowyan Aikens.  

Referee Benji Estevez stopped the bout at 2:14 of the third round after the Fayetteville, Arkansas-based Henderson (12-0; 8 KOs) sent Aikens (13-7-1; 1 KO) of Mays Landing, NJ to the canvas for the fifth time.

This successful contest was Henderson’s 2^nd consecutive match via King’s Promotions/Titans Boxing Promotions and likewise was his 2^nd consecutive victory at the 2300 Arena in South Philly.

At the start of this super-middleweight competition Henderson appeared to hold, at best, a slight advantage over Aikens. But by round two, “Hot Sauce” clearly established himself as the dominant pugilist.

A left jab by Henderson during the second round had hurtled Aikens to the mat—the very place to which Hot Sauce then returned him moments later.

Indeed, Aikens actually took a trio of trips to the canvas that round, including another one immediately prior to the bell bringing the 2^nd to its inevitable conclusion.

Henderson in the 3^rd once again downed Aikens with a left jab then dropped him to the canvas yet again before referee Benji Estevez stopped the bout, thereby giving the TKO victory to Hot Sauce.

Back in December, Henderson at this same arena had handed to Brandon Robinson only the second defeat of “B-Rob’s” career. Though Robinson in that bout fared slightly better—duration-wise, anyway—than Aikens on Friday, he nonetheless had received an eye-bloodying, mat-visiting loss at the hands of Henderson in late 2018.

Robinson likewise returned to South Philly this weekend to face a different opponent—and with different results as the following segment of this report will show.

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Brandon “B-Rob” Robinson (13-2; 8 KOs ) of Upper Darby, Pa. in the evening’s co-main event emerged victorious over DeVaun Lee (10-6-1; 5 KOs) of Jamaica, Queens.

B-Rob soon after the bout had begun threw a right jab that stunned Lee, but by the end of the round Lee reciprocated, stemming his opponent’s brief momentum and momentarily causing Robinson to wobble.

Over the next two rounds B-Rob held the advantage, with Lee remaining in contention to say the least. Indeed, by the fourth a resilient Lee looked like he was gaining and not losing ground, though the fifth revealed—however briefly—that Lee could be in trouble.

A relatively even exchange took place between the two boxers in the last three. Robinson appeared to minimally maintain the edge in the sixth, but barely.

Notably, Robinson and Lee took turns connecting a hard right just before the 10-second warning at each of the final rounds, with B-Rob landing a furious fist at the end of the seventh and Lee similarly reciprocating prior to the timekeeper’s “clack” nearing bout’s end.

The judges scored 77-74 for Robinson, 76-75 for Lee, and 77-75 in favor of Robinson, who won by split decision.

SUPER BANTAMWEIGHTS

Raeese Aleem (14-0; 8 KOs) of Las Vegas quickly set Ramiro Robles (15-9-2) of Queretaro, Mexico on his ass. Upon standing, Aleem slammed Robles with a left uppercut and right jab. Moments later, after a brief respite thanks to an inquiring referee, Aleem leveraged that same combo and dropped Robles to his knees. The bout was over at 1:51, and Aleem won by way of 1^st round TKO.

LIGHTWEIGHTS

This match can be summed up in two sentences: Alycia Baumgardner (7-1; 5 KOs) of Fremont, Ohio quickly pummeled Gabriella Mezei (9-18-5) of Romania with multiple left-right combos, jabs and uppercuts. As a result, the bout barely made it past the one-minute mark (1:08) before being stopped, and Baumgardner by way of TKO was subsequently crowned USBF Women’s Silver Champion.

WELTERWIGHTS

Philly favorite Paul “The Punisher” Kroll (3-0; 3 KOs ) unleashed a combo of head and body shots against  Vincent Floyd (4-7-1; 2 KOs) in the first—that alternating barrage of rights and lefts quickly indicated the end was near for Floyd. Sure enough, the referee stopped the bout at 2:27, and Kroll was deemed victor by way of TKO.

MIDDLEWIEGHTS

The first of four consecutive 1^st round victories at this event, Ryan Umberger of Philly (2-0;  1 KO) just seconds into the match knocked to the mat a befuddled Daryl Fenton (1-5-1), who fights out of Washington, D.C.  “The Cockney Reject,” as the London-born Fenton is nicknamed, continued to sustain a battery of unrelenting Umberger shots until the ref jumped into to the stop this beating at 1:34. Umberger is now on a three-win, three KO streak.

FEATHERWEIGHTS

Antonio Dubose (11-2-1; 2 KOs) of Philly and Weusi Johnson (3-12-1) of Wilmington, Delaware went the full length of the scheduled six rounder. Dubose landed several left jabs that elicited responses from the audience throughout the first two rounds. At the very end of the third, Johnson was striking Dubose with significant force, and appeared further reinvigorated in the fourth.  Dubose at one point slammed an overhand right into the face of his opponent, but there was not much more to speak about either contender. Dubose emerged victorious by way of majority decision, with the judges scoring the bout 57-57, 58-56 and 59-55.

JR. MIDDLEWEIGHTS

First up was LaQuan Evans (1-1) out of Philly, facing Hector Mercado (3-10) of Puerto Rico. Evans started out literally on the wrong foot, nearly sliding a leg out of the ring, and Mercado wisely seized upon that error. Undaunted, Evans came back and mightily landed multiple shots that reminded his opponent that one slip does not make for a less formidable foe.  By the third, Mercado seemed fatigued, and could not get a break until Evans slipped to the canvas, albeit momentarily. Despite Mercado’s seemingly uncertain position, he landed enough shots to achieve a point advantage over Evans. The judges scored it 38-38, 39-37, and 40-36 for the majority decision in favor of Mercado. 

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South Philly’s Phinest

By Luis A. Cortes III

We are rapidly approaching the first boxing show of the year in the Philadelphia area on Friday night at the 2300 Arena, a show that is being billed by the promoter Raging Babe as “Philly Special.” Aside from the fan friendly matchups that have helped to make this event a sellout, this card will feature two fighters from South Philadelphia that seem to only have the sky as their limit regarding their possible success. Christian Carto (17-0)(11 KO’s) a native of South Philadelphia who is currently a bantamweight prospect from the Carto fighting clan will be in the main event of the card. While Sonny Conto, a former heavyweight amateur standout, who like Carto, also hails from South Philadelphia and is of Italian heritage, will make his professional debut. This is significant for the sport in the city, since there have been musings throughout the local boxing community recently regarding how and if boxing will ever regain prominence in the forefront of mainstream sports fans mindset. Boxing’s relationship with the city of Philadelphia has been covered and is familiar to most boxing fans not just in the city, but throughout the country. 

What makes this card with these two fighters important, is the fact that with their success, there is an opportunity for the resurgence local insiders yearn for. Over the course of the past few years, Carto has proven that while he continues his growth as a young prospect inside of the ring, he is already established himself as a draw at the box office. He continues to fight locally, filling up the smaller venues throughout the city and his fan base has proven they will travel with him to Atlantic City. It is the type of grass roots support and fan base that has eluded many current world champions. Several reasons have caused this problem in the sport which makes the fact that Carto has been able to foster this type of support while remaining a free agent from any promotional company interesting. Sonny Conto on the other hand signed a promotional deal with Top Rank Promotions before even fighting a single round as a professional.

Although there is a contrast to how both fighters are going to progress in their careers from a business standpoint. With the fan base Carto has already shown, the belief is that Conto will not be far off in terms of the type of excitement that he will bring to the area when he fights. 

“Heavyweights are always appealing. Sonny is athletic, strong, well trained, and has good amateur experience,” stated Carl Moretti (Vice President of Top Rank Promotions). “Our belief is that he can transfer all of that into the professional ranks. He has a solid team behind him.” 

While Top Rank is known throughout the sport for nurturing their young talent into future world champions, there are always a select few that transition into superstar attractions.  When it comes to moving heavyweight fighters there are those that may feel the need to move him from future prospect all the way to contender at a rapid rate. Also, since the business at the heavyweight level is much larger in terms of finances, others may protect the talent and try to build him as an undefeated attraction.  “It depends on how well he shows he can handle each test put in front of him. It truly is a case by case basis. Each fighter is different,” suggested Moretti.

Conto is expected to live up to his raw talent and transform that into being a seasoned professional before there will be any discussions about just how far he can take his abilities up the ranks. It doesn’t hurt that he is just twenty-two years old. At 6’5 and weighing around 215 pounds, Conto moves well and is agile. As he matures physically, time will move him towards his physical prime.  It’s no wonder why Top Rank is making an investment into his future.  It also doesn’t hurt that even before fighting a single second as a professional, he also shows promise of having a fan base in the city and beyond. “Of course, that goes into his signing, he has a base that can be built off of. We don’t want him just to be an east coast fighter, he can expand beyond that into much more,” reiterated Moretti.  

Meanwhile in the main event, Christian Carto, as mentioned earlier, is already a major prospect. In fact, he has reached the point in his career where it’s about time for him to turn the corner from prospect to contender.  On Friday night, he faces Victor Ruiz, 22-10 (15 KO’s), a tough and rugged veteran, who has faced some of the best in the world around the bantamweight division. This is the right type of fight for Carto in terms of his progression towards becoming a serious contender at bantamweight. In Ruiz he will face a fighter who knows what it means to be a professional prizefighter with the savviness to possibly show Carto things he may not have experienced just yet. 

Therefore, it helps that his union with respected trainer Billy Briscoe has progressed past the stage of understanding each other. It takes several fights for fighters and a new trainer to build a serious rapport with one another and have an unspoken synergy. This is the type of relationship that seems to have reached that point when you watch them train.  

As for Carto being already the type of attraction that Top Rank hopes Sonny Conto can become soon, Carto and his team, which is made up of his father and older brother, hold all the proverbial cards in terms of business with promoters. 

“Christian has the chance to make it to the big time on his own. I don’t think he has to align himself with any promoter because of his popularity and his ability. He can go it alone,” stated Hall-of-Fame promoter J. Russell Peltz during a recent media event promoting this card. “I really believe that no promoter is going to come to Philly and say I don’t want him on my show cause he isn’t signed to me. That’s not going to happen.” 

As the progression continues for Carto inside of the ring along with his popularity outside of the ring, many believe that at some point he is going to have to sign with a promoter to get the types of fights he is fighting towards. Since he is not far from the role of contender, the pressure may be turned on by promoters looking to align themselves with such a popular and talented fighter.  It is not like most promoters haven’t already tried to sign him to an exclusive deal. “They should stay independent and build their own franchise.  He can help bring Philly back to the way it used to be when boxing was big. I know it’s a lot to put on his shoulders, but I really believe he can do it,” claimed Peltz.

It was mentioned earlier that this card is being promoted by Raging Babe, which is run by Michelle Rosado. Rosado has been active on the local scene in Philadelphia, as well as in North Carolina and Arizona. After learning the trade and craft of promoting from J. Russell Peltz (her mentor), Rosado is putting on her first show in Philadelphia. “She has learned from the best to ever do it in Philly in Peltz,” stated Moretti.  He is familiar with Rosado since she along with Peltz have worked with Top Rank on shows that the promotional company has put on in Philadelphia. “She is great at marketing and its great to have the relationship to continue working with her. Obviously, she knows what she is doing since it is already a sellout, “remarked Moretti. 

So yes, while the show is already sold out and the 2300 Arena will be at capacity, fans can watch all the action, including Sonny Conto and Christian Carto, on the Fight Night Live page on Facebook.

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Sonny Conto Interview

By Luis A. Cortes III

I recently sat down with Philadelphia heavyweight Sonny Conto for an interview. Sonny, who had a highly successful amateur career, will make his professional debut on the Raging Babe "Philly Special Show" on February 8th at the 2300 Arena. The 22-year-old, who signed with Top Rank in January, is scheduled to square off against Jimmie Levins (0-4) in a four round contest.

Sonny Conto

You can listen to our interview on both SoundCloud and iTunes: 

Top Rank Signed Heavyweight Boxer Sonny Conto Interview with Luis Cortes on SoundCloud 

Top Rank Signed Heavyweight Boxer Sonny Conto Interview with Luis Cortes on iTunes

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“Hot Sauce” Henderson Halts Robinson; Remains Undefeated

By Steve Peacock, Ringside

Pro boxer Brandon “B-Rob” Robinson confidently prowled the ring the first four of ten possible rounds in the main event of King’s Promotions’ boxing spectacular on Friday. But soon after, he would find himself on all fours, staring at the canvas of the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia.

Indeed, Robinson, the local favorite from Darby, PA, initially maintained a slight edge over his opponent, Ft. Worth, Texas-born Kalvin “Hot Sauce” Henderson. By 2:08 of round seven, however, the referee stopped the bout after Robinson—his swollen left eye almost completely closed and dripping blood—had been dropped to the mat for a third time, courtesy of Henderson, the new Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) Inter Continental Super Middleweight Title champion.

Although Henderson ultimately overwhelmed Robinson, at first glance it looked like B-Rob was most likely to emerge as the dominant pugilist. Toward the end of the first round, for instance, Robinson initiated a rapid-fire offensive halted only by the ring of the bell, followed next round by a couple of powerful shots to Henderson’s face.

Though Robinson remained strong throughout the third round, it was then that Henderson first offered a clue that the balance of power was about to change: as the round neared its end, “Hot Sauce” landed a glove powerful enough to send B-Rob one unsteady step backwards while eliciting an audible response from the 2300 Arena audience.

Blood began visibly dripping from the corner of Robinson’s left eye in the fifth round, which is when Henderson took control. Indeed, segments of the South Philly crowd gasped when a solid Henderson punch dropped B-Rob to a single knee. As Robinson walked to his corner, additionally it became obvious that his left eye was now battered shut.

The climax came as Henderson (11-0) dropped Robinson (11-2) to his hands and knees, albeit briefly, and soon delivered him helplessly again to all fours. It was this back-to-back flooring that caused the referee to stop the bout at 2:08 of round seven by way of TKO.

Bout 5/Co-Main Event: Heavyweights

Big boys Paul Koon of Philly and Cade Rodriguez of Monroe, GA immediately came out swinging and attempting to damage to each other. Koon after the first round held a slight edge over his opponent, largely because Rodriguez failed to land multiple, hard shots that—fortunately for Koon—missed their intended target.

While Koon briefly had Rodriguez against the ropes in the next round, his efforts were soon repelled. Similarly, though Rodriguez appeared to give Koon a scare in the third, those offensive measures were largely ineffective. In the fourth and final round, the two behemoths clearly were fatigued, and the pace of the battle nearly slowed the competition to a halt.

The judges unanimously scored in favor of Koon (4-0), who remains undefeated. Rodriguez is now 2-3.

Bout 4: Super Bantamweights

It wasn’t until round two that Romuel Cruz of Philly and Hugo Rodriguez of Mexico stepped up the action; while both peppered each other with a variety of punches, Rodriguez wildly missed several of his attempted shots. Cruz maintained the upper hand throughout the remainder of the four-round bout, which he won by way of unanimous decision.

Bout 3: Super Welterweights

Andy Gonzales (6-3-1) of Worcester, MA started out strong against—indeed, briefly appeared to dominate—North Philly boxer Isaiah Wise (7-2-1). The resilient Wise, however, was undeterred, turning the bout into an all-out brawl and subsequently landing a solid right hook that caused Gonzales to suddenly stare into space, defenseless, arms down.

Wisely taking advantage of the situation, Wise once again struck Gonzales and sent him backwards into the corner, where Gonzales’s bottom landed on the mat. Had it not been for the corner ring pads and adjacent ropes, surely he would have been on his back.

Briefly saved by the bell, a one-minute reprieve enabled Gonzales to muster enough strength to fight back at the start of the second round. A barrage of uppercuts and hooks from Wise, however, quickly rendered useless any effort by the battered Gonzales.

The referee stopped the potential six-round contest 40 seconds into round two, and Wise won by way of TKO.

Bout 2: Lightweights

James Bernadin (3-0-1) of Philly and Sheldon Deverteuil (2-0-1) of Lancaster, PA from the beginning of the bout appeared evenly matched, each exchanging punches consistently albeit with Bernadin doing so with greater frequency. Deverteuil wasted no time in round two, landing a hard cross that seemed to temporarily startle Bernadin, who responded with a series of consecutively missed shots.

Bernadin briefly had his opponent against the ropes, but failed to capitalize on those brief moments of domination in the 3rd. Despite giving his best, it was insufficient to cause Deverteuil to capitulate. In the fourth and final round, Bernadin appeared to take control of the ring, twice stinging Deverteuil in the early moments.

After four rounds, the judges deemed the bout to be a draw.

Bout 1: Light Heavyweights

Prospects for victory quickly withered for Ronnie Lawrence, who faced Travis "Holy" Toledo in the opening bout. Toledo about a minute into the match clearly was the dominant pugilist. An alternate barrage of Toledo-thrown body punches and jabs soon made Lawrence wobble his way to the mat. By way of KO at 2:30, Toledo extended his victory streak to 4-0, while Lawrence dropped to 0-3.

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