Philly Prospects Headline Hard Hitting Promotions Show

By Frank Bartolini, Ringside

Philadelphia: This past Saturday Hard Hitting Promotions delivered a seven bout fight card filled with young Philadelphia prospects. 

Headlining the main event, Avery Sparrow, Philadelphia, dropped a very close eight round decision to William Foster III, New Haven, CT. The tides of momentum changed throughout this battle, due to Sparrow's ability to adapt. 

Foster's four inch height advantage made it hard for the usually counter punching Sparrow,129.1 lbs., to score. Utilizing his natural physical assets, Foster, 128.7 lbs., pumped his left jab while moving forward and snaking in right hands. After three rounds, Foster seemed to be in full control and was able to slip Sparrow’s attempts at counterpunching. Unable to close the gap, Avery did not get frustrated. Instead, Sparrow implored a new fight style by moving his head and being aggressive to get inside. Once Sparrow found himself inside Foster’s wheel house, he was more effective landing overhand rights to the head and blows to the body. Several times, Foster found himself in a corner or back to the ropes and could do nothing but grab his foe. 

Getting caught with punches moving inside, Sparrow did not relent and fought every second of the remainder of the contest, including very strong efforts in rounds six and seven when he snapped back Foster’s head with right hands. 

During the final three minutes, Foster committed to staying away from the shorter Sparrow and moved non-stop. Darting in scoring shots and running away, Foster won the last round and the fight on all three judges' scorecards 77-75. 

Foster remains undefeated 15-0, 9 KOs, while Sparrow drops to 10-4, 4 KOs. 

Sparrow had Foster figured out, but ran out of time. If a rematch was scheduled for ten rounds, this scribe would wager heavily on Sparrow. 

The semi windup matched two junior lightweights, Christain Tapia, Coamo, Puerto Rico, with completely outclassed late replacement Mario Sayal Lozano, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Possessing too much talent and skill, Tapia,131.5 lbs., nearly pitched a shutout. Lozano, 132 lbs., was a tough opponent who never quit trying. 

The final tally favored Tapia 78-73 across the board. Tapia rises to 15-0, 12 KOs. Lozano is now 18-8-1, 9 KOs.

Stepping into the ring for the first time since the start of the COVID pandemic, Jeremy Cuevas, Philadelphia, did not miss a beat. Showing zero effects of being laid off for two years, Cuevas knocked the tar out of Nicolas Pablo Demario, Buenos Aires, Argentina, over six rounds. Punctuating a solid performance, Cuevas, 144 lbs., dropped Demario,143 lbs., with a right to the chin in round five. All scorekeepers saw it 60-53 for Cuevas. Cuevas is now 14-1, 10 KOs. Demario's heads home with a record 16-7, 10 KOs. 

Interestingly, Demario entered the ring to the theme of the movie The Godfather. In all my years around the sport, I have never heard that melody used by a boxer. Veteran cutman and mob historian, Joey Eye, also stated it was also a first for him. 

The event was held at The Fillmore Theater. The Fillmore is a small venue that has a balcony and two bars serving booze ringside. Roughly just over six hundred spectators wet their beaks and enjoyed the night’s festivities.

Two Nights in Philly

By Frank Bartolini

Philadelphia will be hosting two straight nights of fight action starting this Friday. Both shows are scheduled on North Broad street, showing their commitment to bringing world class boxing to Philadelphia. Bob Arum’s Top Rank is staging a Light Heavyweight Unification bout  between Oleksander Gvozdyk and Artur Beterbiev at The Liacouras Center to kick things off Friday night. This matchup between the WBC Champion Gvozdyk and IBF King Beterbiev could have headlined in any city, and the fact Arum chose Philly shows his dedication to the vibrant fight scene. 

The fight itself pairs boxers from dueling countries. There is no love lost between Gvozdyk of Ukraine and the Russian Beterbiev. All the ingredients are in place for this to be a fight of the year candidate when the final bell chimes. A wild card for the winner is a possible mega pay day versus whoever comes out on top between Canelo vs. Kovalev. 

A couple blocks down North Broad Street, Hard Hitting Promotions brings boxing back to The Metropolitan Opera for their third engagement this year. A card full of tumblers will be facing popular local ticket sellers. Not one matchup appears to be a fair fight. 

Headlining the night, heavyweight Darmani Rock faces Maurenzo Smith, slated for eight stanzas. Since turning professional three years ago, Rock has not dedicated himself to the preparations needed to be a successful pro boxer. Gaining forty three pounds since his pro debut, Rock tipped the scales at 289 pounds his last outing. There are also three fighters trying to bounce back from losses verses non-descript opposition on the card. Super middleweight Derrick Webster will fight in a scheduled eight rounder, while, attempting to get back on the winning track after suffering the first losses of their careers, super lightweight Jeremy Cuevas and super featherweight Gadwin Rosa engage in six rounders.

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Philly Opera House

By Frank Bartolini

Saturday night fights at the opera house does not sound right. Especially when you are speaking about North Philly. That is exactly what happened when Hard Hitting Promotions displayed their wares at “The Met” on north Broad Street. Considered at one time to be in disrepair, the former Metropolitan Opera House has been restored down to the final detail of its original luster. Any one of the estimated 3,700 fans who entered the venue for the first time were awestruck by the forty five million dollar refurbishing.

Partners Manny Rivera and Will Ruiz of Hard Hitting Promotions staged the event with house promoter Live Nation. Trying to deliver a quality slate, Hard Hitting matched their charges Samuel Teah and Jeremy Cuevas in with tough opposition. Both of them lost eight round decisions by wide margins. Each of these forays were for Pennsylvania State Titles.

The Main Event saw Steve Ortiz, 134.2, drop Jeremy Cueves, 134.1, twice on his way to earning a unanimous eight round decision. This all Philly encounter pitted two young men with similar undefeated records. Ortiz showed more poise out finessing his hometown adversary. Throughout the bout, Cuevas utilized a in your face steam engine piston firing style. Why for his biggest fight did Cuevas come out imitating Mean Gene the Dance Machine was baffling. This approach diminished Cuevas' chances and Ortiz took full advantage of this by picking his spots, and settling down and teeing off.

Cuevas is now 11-1 (8 Ko’s), while Ortiz stays undefeated at 10-0 (3 Ko’s). By picking up this win, Ortiz's career continues to prosper as his stock rises. Cuevas did suffer a small setback and after a win or two he will return to hot prospect status.

Squaring off for the Pennsylvania Super Lightweight Championship, Samuel Teah, 139.1, was nearly shutout by Tre’Sean Wiggins,140, over eight heats. It looked like Teah may have underestimated Wiggins for he did not have a answer for anything thrown at him. Teah slides to 15-3 (7 Ko’s). Wiggins' record stands at 11-4-2 (6 Ko’s). Being a road warrior for most of his career, Wiggins has been on the wrong side of a couple bad decisions, with a couple of those losses and draws should be w’s.

As usual Baltimore based welterweight Malik Hawkins, 144.9, looked good battling Gledwin Ortiz of Bronx, NY. Hawkins won an eight round unanimous decision over Ortiz, 146.3. Always trying to obtain victory, Ortiz pushed Hawkins the entire way. Due to Ortiz's effort, Hawkins was able to showcase his talented repertoire.

Hawkins remains undefeated at 14-0 (9 Ko’s). Power punching Ortiz left the ring possessing a slate of 6-3 (5 Ko’s). 

When speaking of hot prospects out of the City of Brotherly Love, and there is a lot of them, Branden Pizarro's, 138.8, name is one of the last to be mentioned. As a young bad ass out of North Philly, Pizzaro may achieve more success than his contemporaries. Physically more mature than he was two years ago when he made his pro debut while still in high school, Pizarro exploded on poor Zack Ramsey of Springfield, Mass. Poor Ramsey, 140.1, took a sound thrashing before succumbing at 1:50 of round one.

Charismatic, exciting, with crunching power and fast hands, Pizarro is a real “Kid Blast” lifting his record to 14-1 (7 Ko’s). Getting to spend a weekend in Philadelphia, Ramsey goes home with some cash while he licks his wounds owning an 8-6 (4 Ko’s) mark.

Organically growing Hard Hitting Promotions, using their own hands, Rivera and Ruiz are now reaping a bountiful harvest with an estimated gross gate of almost a quarter million dollars that evening. Not only have these two young men helped maintain the Philly fight scene, they have made it thrive. Hard Hitting brings boxing back to The Met on April 26th.

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Hard Hitting Promotions Presents Boxing on Broad: The Successful Return of Prizefighting to the Met

By Matt Ward, Ringside

Professional boxing made its highly successful return to the Metropolitan Opera House (The Met) in Philadelphia last night. For the first time since 1954, Hard Hitting Promotions brought a ten fight card to the beloved and historic venue on North Broad Street.

The main event pitted two Philadelphia fan-favorites against one another for the Pennsylvania State Lightweight Title. Steven Ortiz (10-0, 3 KOs) and Jeremy Cuevas (11-1, 8 KOs) did not just suit up for their first state title shot as professionals, the two gladiators also put their undefeated records on the line in front of a capacity crowd in North Philly.

Both men put their speed on display in the opening round, as they felt one another out during this round. Following this round, Cuevas returned to his corner with blood trickling out of his nose and mouth. Ortiz rocked Cuevas with a nice left hook that slowed Cuevas down in the second round. Ortiz sent Cuevas crashing to the canvas in the second round with a right hand to the body, followed by a left hook to the head. The two fighters exchanged big shots in the third round, which were at time punch-for-punch. The pace of the fight slowed in the fourth and fifth rounds as both men appeared to tire. 

In the sixth round, Cuevas got caught with a left hand to the jaw that reminded him he was still in a fight. Ortiz scored a second knockdown with a right hand to the side of Cuevas' head as time expired in the seventh round. In the eighth round, Cuevas, knowing he was behind on the cards, desperately tried to apply pressure on his opponent. Half way through the eighth round, Cuevas cracked Ortiz with a big left hand to the head. Unfortunately for Cuevas, that was too little, too late as he lost on all three judges scorecards by scores of 78-72, twice, and 79-71. 

Welterweights, Malik Hawkins (14-0, 9 KOs), Baltimore, and Gledwin Ortiz (6-3, 5 KOs), the Bronx, fought in an eight round contest. Both men engaged in a nice opening frame in which they exchanged big shots in the center of the ring. Hawkins utilized his strong defense and body work in the second round to effectively control the tempo of the round. The pro-Hawkins' crowd were on their feet in the third round as Hawkins put pressure on Ortiz by moving forward, and letting his hands go on his game opponent. During this offensive onslaught, Hawkins snapped Ortiz's head back with a straight right. Ortiz responded to this attack with a big combination of his own that caught the attention of Hawkins. 

The fourth round was a real crowd-pleaser, filled with outstanding action. Ortiz connected with a solid left-right hand combo during this round. Hawkins, not wanting to be outdone by the Bronx native, responded with a series of hard body shots that pushed Ortiz into the ropes. The tempo of the fifth and sixth rounds slowed down, understandably so, after what both men had gone through in earlier frames. Heated exchanges in the seventh round led to both men wrapping one another up. The intensity of the battle could not be contained by this clinch, as both men went crashing to the canvas. Ortiz landed a big right hand to the head that pushed Hawkins into the neutral corner. Ortiz followed up on this shot with several hard shots to the head and body. This abuse continued until Hawkins was able to squirm out of the neutral corner. Ortiz again snapped Hawkins' head back with a straight left in the final round. Hawkins landed a big left hook to Ortiz's jaw as time expired. All three judges scored the bout in favor of Malik Hawkins, 77-75, 78-74, and 79-73. 

Philadelphia's Samuel Teah (15-3-1, 7 KOs) fought Tre'Sean Wiggins (11-4-1, 6 KOs) in an eight round contest for the Pennsylvania State Super Lightweight Title. The first two rounds of the contest were evenly matched, until Teah's head was snapped back as the final bell in the second round rang. Wiggins put his foot on the gas in round three as he landed several nice right and left straights to Teah's head and body. The crowd became energized in the fifth round as both men exchanged big, clean shots. Wiggins snapped Teah's head back in the seventh with a hard left hand. Teah entered round eight a man down on the cards. He fought valiantly, looking for a knockout, but in the end lost by unanimous decision by scores of 78-74, 79-73, and 80-72. 

Philadelphia super lightweight boxing prospect, Brandon Pizarro (14-1, 7 KOs) continued his return to his winning ways last night as he stopped Springfield, Massachusetts's Zack Ramsey (8-6, 4 KOs) in the opening frame of a scheduled six round contest. Pizarro's sole career blemish was on December 1, 2017 against Christian Rivera at the SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia. Pizarro dropped Ramsey with a left to the body in the first round. Ramsey pulled himself up from the canvas only to be finished off by a Pizarro left uppercut. The end came at the 1:15 mark of the first round. 

Gadwin Rosa (10-0, 8 KOs) won his fourth straight victory in front of a Philadelphia crowd over Jorge Luis Santos (5-3-1, 2 KOs). Rosa, the NBA Intercontinental Super Featherweight Champion, controlled the opening round of the contest by repeatedly backing Santos into the ropes with straight right and left hands to the head and body. Santos, looking to catch Rosa with a knockout punch in the first, missed his mark on several big shots. Rosa dropped Santos with a left hook to the body in the second round. Santos recovered from the knockdown only to be be beaten down with viscous shots to the head and body. Referee Eric Dali saw enough of the massacre at the 1:28 mark of the second round of a scheduled six, and waived off the fight. 

Christian Tapia (8-0, 7 KOs) continued his winning ways against David Veras Pena (0-2-1). Despite punching upwards at his taller opponent for a bulk of the first round, Tapia, a Puerto Rican super featherweight, pummeled his opponent with hard lefts and rights to the head and body. In the second round, Tapia punished Pena with multi-punch combos, highlighted by consecutive straight right hands to the head. Referee David Franciosi saw enough of the beat down in the second round of four when he stopped the fight at the 1:28 mark. 

In an all Philadelphia light heavyweight contest, Benny "The Jewish Bulldog" Sinakin (3-0, 2 KOs) made quick work of his opponent Ronald Lawrence (0-4). Both men answered the bell swinging for the fences. Sinakin landed crushing right and left hooks to the head and body in the opening frame. The end came at the 2:42 mark of the first round when Sinakin brutally beat his opponent into the ropes with a right-left hand combo.

Female featherweights, Karen Dulin (3-16-1, 1 KO) and Tamar Israeli (2-0-1, 2 KOs) competed in a four round bout. Israeli struggled to land clean punches on her 43-year-old opponent throughout the contest. Israeli, who became more and more frustrated as the bout went on, looked sloppy against Dulin, and allowed her to dodge clubbing right and left hands throughout the contest. The judges scored the bout 39-37 for Israeli, and 38-38, twice, a majority draw.

Philadelphia bantamweight, Josue Rosa (1-0, 1 KO), making his professional debut, fought and defeated his win less opponent, Willie Anderson (0-4). Anderson, who had a clear height and reach advantage over his opponent, cracked Rosa with a straight right hand to the head that sent his opponent stumbling backwards in the first round. Rosa, despite appearing to be hurt, stayed on his feet. Despite winning the first round, and not appearing to be hurt by his inexperienced and unpolished opponent, Anderson quit on the stool after the first round of a scheduled four rounds.

Emanuel Rodriguez (4-0), Newark, NJ, defeated Jose Lopez (0-1-1), New York, by unanimous decision in a four round, bantamweight contest. The judges scored the bout 38-37, 39-37, and 39-36.

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2019 Philadelphia Boxing Schedule Starts with a “Philly Special”

By Luis A. Cortes III

Already a month into the New Year, most likely by now, most fans of the sweet science in the Philadelphia area would have had at least one local show they could have attended. Despite the slow start to the local pugilistic schedule, starting on February 8th fight fans will have seven shows to get excited about. The shows that will take place in the months of February and March have just about everything a fight fan could ask for.  

Local promoters, who are always active in the area, will be joined by two of the major promotional outfits. This means that before the summer months hit, sports fans just getting over the disappointing end to the Eagles Super Bowl defense that await the start of the Sixers play-off run, will have something to be excited about. Along with the hopeful addition of a mega star to the Phillies starting lineup this summer, there will be plenty of fist fights to enjoy before heading “down the shore” starting Memorial Day.

Below is a look at all seven shows. (NOTE: As each show gets closer be sure to stay tuned for continued coverage of each event.  Coverage will include fighter interviews, featured articles, and more.) 

February 8: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, PA (Raging Babe)

Christian Carto (17-0)(11) vs. Victor Ruiz (22-10)(15)

Marcel Rivers (6-0)(4) vs. Derrick Whitley Jr. (4-0-1)

Heavyweight prospects: Darmani Rock (13-0)(8) & Sonny Conto (DEBUT)

The show that kicks-off the year is being dubbed the “Philly Special” by its promoter Michelle Rosado, the head of Raging Babe. Rosado has been a main stay on the local boxing scene for years now as the understudy of Hall-of-Fame promoter Russell Peltz. This time, it is Rosado that is the promoter in charge of the event. While this is her first show in Philadelphia, she is no stranger to putting on successful shows in North Carolina and Arizona.  From the looks of the lineup of fights scheduled, “Philly Special” looks to be no different from her other successes of providing fans with entertainment.

Bantamweight prospect and South Philadelphia native Christian Carto begins to make the transition from highly touted prospect into serious contender. This fight against the veteran and always game Victor Ruiz is the perfect match up to begin that transition. Carto continues to forge a bond with his new trainer the respected Billy Briscoe, whom Carto has been with already for a couple fights. It tends to take a few training camps and in fight situations for a fighter and trainer to click, so against Ruiz we will look to see if this relationship is indeed on course to make the bright future for Carto a reality. Ruiz can fight and always likes to be in a fight, don’t let his ten-loss record fool you. He is no easy fight for any prospect or contender and has been in with some of the best in the world, even if that was three pounds south of bantamweight at super flyweight.

Also, on the card will be the heavyweight prospects both fighting out of Philadelphia, Darmani Rock and Sonny Conto.  While they will both be fighting in separate bouts, Rock, like Carto, is looking to turn the corner from prospect to contender, while Conto will be taking part in his first professional fight.  Conto, like the headliner Carto, hails from south Philly and when you couple his amateur success along with his optional draw power at the box office, it’s clear why Top Rank signed him to their stable.

February 23: The Met, Philadelphia, PA (Hard Hitting Promotions)

Jeremy Cuevas (11-0)(8) vs. Steve Ortiz (9-0)(3)

Samuel Teah (15-2-1)(7) vs. Tre’Sean Wiggins (10-4-1)(6)

Featuring: Brenden Pizzaro (13-1)(6) & Malik Hawkins (13-0)(9)

In the tradition of Philadelphia vs. Philadelphia fights, The Met Opera House will host its first boxing event for the first time since 1954. Of course, the Met recently reopened after $56 million was spent on restoring the venue which opened over a hundred years ago. This card, presented by local powerhouse Hard Hitting Promotions, looks to be the first in a series of cards to be held at this historic venue.  Along with help from Live Nation, Hard Hitting may have found the right partner to help take their young stable into new markets.

Cuevas taking on Ortiz tops the bill in a battle between two lightweight prospects that regardless of the outcome of this fight are poised to eventually become contenders. Kudos to each fighter for not waiting to fight each other and deciding to take on the challenge the other presents at this point in their young careers. These are the types of fights that once made Philadelphia a great fight town and helped to propel each fighter’s career. From a stylistic standpoint, Cuevas and Ortiz should not disappoint. Both fighters have boxing skills but have the internal makeup of a warrior and don’t shy away from a firefight.  With the PA state lightweight title on the line and bragging rights in the city at stake, this should be a fun one, while it lasts. 

Hard Hitting’s stable will also be featured on this card. Super lightweights Teah and Wiggins will battle for the PA Super Lightweight Title, and lightweight prospect Brenden Pizzaro continues to try and improve his winning streak since his lone defeat. This time, Pizzaro will be in a better match-up as the fights begin to increase in difficulty. Baltimore native Malik Hawkins returns for the first time in close to a year. Since his victory over former prospect and fringe contender Ray Serrano, Hawkins has been on the shelf, but he looks to return with a statement victory. 

March 1: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, PA (Kings Promotions)

Tyrone Brunson (27-7-2)(24) vs. Jamaal Davis (18-13-1)(7)

Tyrone Crawley (7-1-1)(1) vs. Victor Vazquez (10-5)(4) 

Do not, I repeat, do not let the records of the fighters mentioned above on this card give you pause. If there is one thing that the always enjoyable Kings Promotions knows how to do, it’s match up their fighters in exciting fights regardless of records. These two fights that headline this show are no different.  Brunson is coming off his appearance on the Contender and is looking to make one last push towards title contention. With the type of power he packs in his punches he will always have a chance to win fights, and against Davis he looks to start his path towards bigger fights at 154, which he hopes lands him in championship opportunities. Vazquez was last seen in a brawl with Anthony Mercado late last year. He has a fun style to watch and always presses the action, which should blend well with Crawley, the constant moving boxer.       

March 1: Parx Casino, Bensalem, PA (Joe Hand Promotions)

Garrett Wilson (18-15-1)(9) vs. Brian Howard (13-2)(10)

Isiah Wise (7-2-1)(4) vs. Monreco Goldston (5-1-1)(3)

Return of Jerome Conquest (9-3)(1)

Two fights in the Philadelphia area on the same night can be a tough thing, especially when fight fans must be split on which show to purchase tickets for. This night will be no different, but at times that is one of the setbacks when booking dates in advance. Promoters are forced to take dates from certain venues they have relationships with, regardless of what other promoters may be planning. With that said, Joe Hand Promotions will return to the Xcite Center at Parx Casino on Street Road in Bensalem.  Parx is located right outside of the Northeast city limits and is a great venue to watch fights. 

As for the fights, Wilson and Howard should produce excitement while the fight lasts. Both fighters enjoy a good fight and taking a backward step is not something they either plan on doing. If you’re looking for fighters that like to exchange punches (sometimes to their detriment), this fight is one you shouldn’t miss.

Isiah Wise is always looking for a good scrap in his own right. He has improved on utilizing his jab to setup power punches more and has improved on moving his head. This is of course until he gets hit and decides to return power shots, which is always fun for the fans watching. Add the fact that he always brings a good crowd out and its always a fun night out to watch one of his fights. For the fan that enjoys a slick boxer that likes making his opponents miss and counter, Jerome Conquest makes his long-awaited return to the ring after suffering some foot and leg injuries that kept him on the shelf for a large part of last year. Conquest looks to be more active this year as he defends his WBF lightweight strap.   

March 15: Liacouras Center, Philadelphia, PA (Matchroom USA, DAZN)

Tevin Farmer (28-4-1)(6) vs. Jono Carroll (16-0)(3) (IBF Jr. Lightweight Championship)

Katie Taylor (12-0)(5) vs. Rose Volante (14-0)(8) (WBA/IBF/WBO Female Lightweight Championship)

Gabriel Rosado (24-11-1)(14) vs. Maciej Sulecki (27-1)(11)

Hank Lundy (29-7-1)(14) vs. Avery Sparrow (9-1)(3)

This is a huge fight card that will be coming to Philadelphia’s Temple campus. Since Matchroom Boxing USA has burst onto the scene last year with their streaming partners DAZN, they have provided consistent content, while continuing to bolster their stable of world class fighters. This St. Patrick’s Day weekend show just from the look of it, along with the kick-off press conference this week, proved that this should be nothing but a successful night of entertainment for fight fans. 

Since joining Matchroom USA, Farmer has become the most active fighter in recent memory. This will be his third title defense since winning the championship back in August. Most current champions wouldn’t have had their first defense at this point. To Farmers credit, he is not waiting around to fight the bigger names in his division; instead he is properly focused on his own career and is fighting top level contenders to stay sharp as he awaits the bigger names. Carroll, as he showed at the presser, is game for this challenge and since he hails from Ireland, looks to fulfill his dream. 

Katie Taylor looks to unify the lightweight division in her fight with Brazil native Rose Volante. Taylor like Farmer continues to be an active champion and a victory to unify the division gets her one step closer to undisputed status at lightweight. Also, with bigger names out there like Amanda Serrano (Taylor beat Amanda Serrano’s sister Cindy) and Heather Hardy, a victory for Taylor will continue her march towards the top of the pound-for-pound list.     

Philadelphia fighters will be the theme for the rest of this card. Lundy vs. Sparrow is a classic fight between the seasoned veteran, Lundy, and the upstart looking to make a name for himself, Sparrow.  Both fighters love to talk and believe that their opponent is a step towards bigger and better things in the future. Gabriel Rosado, Philly’s real life Rocky, as always, is fighting a tough fighter in Sulecki.  Sulecki’s only loss came against current IBF Middleweight Champion Daniel Jacobs. This will be a great fight full of action. A victory for either man puts them a stone’s throw away from the champions in the middleweight division, which are for the most part fighters in the DAZN atmosphere and shouldn’t be hard fights to make.  

March 29: Sugar House Casino, Philadelphia, PA (Kings Promotions)

Anvar Yunusov (6-0)(3) vs. TBA

Anthony Mercado (12-4)(10) vs. Andres Navarro (11-7-1)(7)

Featuring Brendan Robinson (11-2)(8) & Erik Spring (11-2-2)(1) in separate fights

Okay so like it was mentioned earlier, Kings Promotions will deliver yet another solid local show in Philadelphia, this time it will take place from the ballroom at Sugar House Casino. Yunusov is a former three-time Olympian from Tajikistan that has proved so far that making the transition into the paid ranks has not been an issue for him. He is a southpaw that has a powerful straight left and fights in a similar style to another former decorated Olympian also in the lightweight divisions. At the age of 31, Yunusov will need to make a quick move from prospect to contender.     

 

Mercado, Robinson, and Spring are all fighters that bring out good fan support for their fights. Mercado holds a recent victory over Victor Vazquez in a fight that was a pure war, while Robinson is coming back from a war himself, in the fight of the year for Philadelphia, although he was on the losing end of things. Spring is a solid boxer that likes to frustrate his opponents with his jab and movement.  

March 30: TBD, Philadelphia, PA (Top Rank, ESPN)

Oleksandr Gvozdyk (16-0)(13) vs. TBA (WBC and Lineal Light Heavyweight Championship)

While the site has yet to be officially determined or announced by Top Rank, sources have told TWI that this card will land at the 2300 Arena. “The Nail” Gvozdyk will be the headliner of this card in his first defense of the WBC and Lineal Light Heavyweight Championship that he won by knocking out Adonis Stevenson last December. This will most likely be a mandatory defense with the rest of the card featuring most of the local Top Rank talent signed to their stable. Allentown natives the Adorno brothers, super middleweight contender Jesse Hart could return, along with the Sonny Conto.      

 For questions or comments feel free to contact me on Twitter @LC3Boxing or on my E-mail: Luisacortes83@gmail.com

*Tickets are available for all these shows (except the Top Rank 3/30 Show).  They can be purchased on the website of all the venues that will be hosting the shows.   

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Hard Hitting Promotions Fight Night Recap

Hard Hitting Promotions returned to the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia with a nine fight card that featured a number of fighters who are no strangers to the Philly fight scene.

In the main event, South Jersey super middleweight, Derrick Webster (27-1, 14 KOs) defeated Australia's Les Sherrington (37-11, 21 KOs). The ten round bout for the vacant NBA Intercontinental Super Middleweight Title started off slow. Both fighters spent the better part of the first three rounds feeling each other out. Despite the lack of action, Webster did enough through the first five rounds to win them on the judges' scorecards. In the fifth round, Webster was far more active than in previous rounds. He attacked Sherrington with a nice multi-punch combo that sent his opponent backpedaling into the ropes. In the sixth round, Webster landed two clean right hand shots to the head of Sherrington that the Australian laughed off. Webster had an offensive outburst in the eighth round that led to the right hand to the head that sent Sherrington to the canvas. Sherrington recovered from this knockdown, but by this point Webster smelt blood in the water. He finished off Sherrington with a multi-punch combo that pinned his opponent up against the ropes. The punch that sent Sherrington to the canvas for the knockout was a right hand to the head. Referee Gary Rosato waived off the bout at the 1:32 mark of the eighth round.

Branden Pizarro (11-1, 5 KOs) fought Hector Marengo (7-13-4, 4 KOs) in a lightweight bout. Pizarro, a native of Philadelphia, knocked his Puerto Rican opponent down in the first round with a left hand to the jaw. Marengo was down again in the second round from a Pizarro right hand to the head. Marengo recovered from the knockdown but his corner appeared to throw in the towel when they saw the condition of their hurt fighter. The fight ended at the 1:32 mark of the second round of a scheduled six round bout for the winner by TKO, Branden Pizarro.

In lightweight action, Samuel Teah (14-2-1, 7 KOs) ensured that Zack Ramsey (8-4, 4 KOs) would not make it out of the first round of a scheduled six round fight. The Philadelphia fighter answered the bell looking for an early kayoe. The knockout came at the 2:49 mark of the opening frame when Teah connected on a multi-punch combo that was highlighted by a right uppercut. This shot sent Ramsey crashing to the canvas.

Jeremy Cuevas (10-0, 8 KOs) fought and defeated Deo Kizito (3-4, 2 KOs) in a lightweight bout that was scheduled for six rounds. Cuevas, who entered the ring to the roar of the crowd, hurt Kizito with a right hook to the head in the first round. Cuevas landed a right hook to the ribs of Kizito in the final minute of the first round that made Kizito cringe and backpedal away from the Philadelphian. In the second round, Cuevas staggered Kizito with a big right hook to the head, but he could not finish off his opponent. Cuevas ended the second round by nailing Kizito with a hard right hand that sent his opponent staggering back to his corner. Cuevas appeared to have Kizito finished off in the third round after landing a crushing multi-punch combo to the head and body of his opponent, but Cuevas backed off when he thought referee Steve Smoger was going to waive off the fight. Kizito managed to survive the onslaught, and later unleashed a barrage of quality punched to the head and body of Cuevas as the round came to an end.

In the fourth round, Kizito slipped while throwing a punch at his opponent. Cuevas, who thought he knocked his opponent down, began to celebrate by climbing up on the turnbuckle in the neutral corner. Referee Steve Smoger managed to get Cuevas down, and alerted him that the bout was still going on. Cuevas, clearly frustrated by not knocking his opponent out, threw a left hand at Kizito's head when he tried to touch gloves at the beginning of the fifth round. During this round, both men appeared to be exhausted from the hard fought bout. To Cuevas' relief, the contest came to an end in the sixth round, when he knocked out Kizito with a multi-punch combo at the 2:02 mark of the final round.

Super featherweights, Gadwin Rosa (7-0, 6 KOs) and Angel Albelo (4-10-3, 1 KO) squared off in a bout scheduled for six rounds. The Florida fighters had a slow first two rounds. Rosa, who came into the fight with a four fight kayoe streak, appeared to fight down to the competition through the first four rounds. Rosa scored a knockdown in the fifth round with a multi-punch combo, that was highlighted by a hard right to the Albelo's head. Referee Gary Rosato waived off the bout at 2:05 of the fifth round.

Romuel Cruz (2-0-1, 1 KO) and Jose Lopez (0-0-1) fought to a draw after four rounds of action. In the second round, both men beat the crap out of one another as they exchanged big shots. In the third round, Lopez landed two big right uppercuts to the head of Cruz. Cruz appeared hurt by these shots and spit out his mouthpiece. As the third round came to an end, Cruz was struck with big hooks to the head from his opponent. Cruz staggered his opponent in the fourth and final round with a big right hook to the head. He was unable to capitalize on this big shot because seconds later both men fell to the ground in a clinch. After the two men had gotten back up to their feet, time expired. Cruz threw his hands up in disgust just before he hugged the still hurt Lopez. The judges scored the bout 39-37 for Cruz and 38-38, twice.

Christian Tapia (5-0, 4 KOs) won a decisive unanimous decision victory over Israel Suarez (4-6-2, 1 KO) in a four round contest in the super featherweight division. In the opening round, Tapia landed big right hands to the body and head of his opponent. Tapia swung wildly at Suarez in the second round looking for a knockout. In the third round, Tapia, with a second wind, tried to bully his opponent. Suarez, seeking to slow down his opponent, began to excessively clinch Tapia. Tapia replied to his tactic by throwing more punches and fighting harder. Round four of the bout was more of the same as round three, as Suarez countered Tapia's aggressive style with clinch after clinch. Suarez took a beating in the final round, but managed to stay on his feet. The judges scored the bout 40-36 and 39-37, twice for Tapia.

The opening bout of the card featured a six round bout in the cruiserweight division between former contender and regional belt holder, Prince Badi Ajamu (29-5-1, 15 KOs) and Kenny Cruz  Carasquillo (3-2-1, 2 KOs). Carasquillo landed a big shot to the body of Ajamu in the opening round. Carasquillo hammered Ajamu later in the round with with a multi-punch combo that got the crowd on their feet. Ajamu, who is 46-years-old, looked overwhelmed by his younger opponent for much of the first round. Ajamu looked hurt from a Carasquillo body shot in the second round that forced him to clinch his opponent in the first minute of the round. Both men fought on the inside during the opening minute of the fourth round. Ajamu landed nice upper cuts from the guard during this round. Carasquillo, who appeared exhausted during this round, dropped his guard. Carasquillo managed to gather enough energy to land a big multi-punch combo on his opponent as the round neared its end. Ajamu's head was popped back with a left-right hand combo as the round ended. Carasquillo pushed Ajamu into the ropes with straight left and right hands as the fifth round neared its end. Carasquillo peppered the veteran fighter with shots throughout the sixth round. The judges scored the bout 59-55, twice and 58-56 for Carasquillo.

Eric Hunter's bout was cancelled because Hunter's opponent, Fatiou Fassinou, injured his shoulder. The bout scheduled between Benny Sinakin and Alex Lora was cancelled for undisclosed reasons.

MW

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Hard Hitting Promotions Fight Night Preview

Hard Hitting Promotions returns to the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia on Saturday, August 11th. The ten bout card features a ten round main event match up in the super middleweight division between Derrick Webster (26-1, 13 KOs) and Les Sherrington (37-10, 21 KOs). South Jersey's Webster has won seven straight bouts since dropping his one and only bout as a professional to Arif Magomedov in 2015. Sherrington, a native of Australia, has won two straight bouts heading into this fight.

Philadelphia's Eric Hunter (21-4, 11 KOs) makes his return to the ring, after dropping a unanimous decision fight to Lee Selby in 2016, against Fatiou Fassinou (28-10-3, 15 KOs). Fassinou has lost his last four contests by unanimous decision, the most recent coming earlier this year in April. The two fighters will square off in a six round fight in the featherweight division.

The card also features two of Philadelphia's young lightweight prospects Branden Pizarro (10-1, 4 KOs) and Jeremy Cuevas (9-0, 7 KOs). Pizarro will face Puerto Rico's Hector Marengo (7-12-4, 4 KOs) in a six round contest. Cuevas is scheduled to fight Deo Kizito (3-3, 2 KOs) in a six round contest.

Lightweights Samuel Teah (13-2-1, 6 KOs) and Zack Ramsey (8-3, 4 KOs) will square off in a six round bout. Teah, who resides in Philadelphia, is looking to win his second straight fight. He last defeated Orlando Rizo in March of this year. Ramsey is looking to bounce back from two straight losses in 2017 and 2018.

Veteran cruiserweight and former light heavyweight champion, Prince Badi Ajamu (29-4-1, 15 KOs) makes his return to the ring against Kenny Cruz Carasquillo (2-2-1, 2 KOs). Ajamu had a busy 2017-2018, fighting three times, after returning to the ring after an eight year layoff. Carasquillo looks to win his third straight fight in the six round contest.

The card also features the following professional bouts:

Gadwin Rosa (6-0, 5 KOs) vs. Angel Albelo (4-9-3, 1 KO) - six rounds, super featherweight

Romuel Cruz (2-0, 1 KO) vs. Jose Lopez (Debut) - four rounds, super bantamweight

Christian Tapia (4-0, 4 KOs) vs. Israel Suarez (4-5-2, 1 KO) - four rounds, super featherweight

Benjamin Sinakin (Debut) vs. Alex Lara (1-0, 1 KO) - four rounds, light heavyweight

Tickets for this exciting night of boxing can be purchased on the Hard Hitting Promotions official website.

MW

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Fighter Stats provided by BoxStat.co

Hard Hitting Promotions Presents Friday Night Boxing - Friday, March 30th (Philadelphia, PA)

Hard Hitting Promotions returned to the Fillmore Philadelphia on Friday night for an action-packed night of professional boxing. The eight bout card featured a ten round, welterweight main event between Philadelphia's Raymond "Tito" Serrano (24-5, 10 KOs) and Baltimore's Malik Hawkins (13-0, 9 KOs). Serrano and Hawkins fought for the vacant WBA-NABA USA Welterweight Title.

Hawkins went on the attack early in the first round when he hurt Serrano with two right hands to the head. Serrano was in trouble again in the second round when Hawkins connected on a right upper cut to the jaw. Serrano remained behind on the cards through the first three rounds. As the end of the fourth round neared, Serrano attempted to rally by landing a multi-punch combo of punches to the head and body of Hawkins. In the seventh round, Hawkins controlled the tempo of the fight by landing a series of multi-punch combos that left Serrano dazed. In the eighth round, Serrano was in survival mode as he was stalked around the ring by his opponent. Despite appearing exhausted and hurt, Serrano demonstrated his toughness by staying on his feet. In the ninth round, Serrano landed two big left hands to Hawkin's head as the end of the round neared. These big shots allowed Serrano to win the round. At the outset of the tenth and final round, the two fighters exchanged body shots in the center of the ring. The two men brawled over the course of the round and fought aggressively all the way up to the final bell. The judges scored the bout 97-93, 96-94, and 98-92, all in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Malik Hawkins.

In the co-main event of the evening, heavyweight prospect, Darmani Rock (11-0, 7 KOs) defeated Ronny Hale (4-12, 4 KOs) in the second round of a scheduled six round contest. The stoppage came at the 1:07 mark of the second round, when Rock knocked down his opponent with crushing left and right hands to the body. He followed these blows up with a right hand to the head that ended Hale's night. That was the Philadelphian's second straight, and seventh overall, knockout of his professional career.

Philly fan favorite, Branden Pizarro (9-1, 4 KOs) defeated San Diego's Pablo Cupul (9-24, 5 KOs) in a four round, lightweight contest. Pizarro, who is coming off of his first professional defeat, outclassed his tough opponent through all four rounds of action by landing several big shots to Cupul's head and body. In the third round, Pizarro flirted with a knockout victory when he pinned Cupul up against the ropes with a series of big left and right hooks. Cupul survived the beating to lose the fight on the cards, with all three judges scoring the bout 40-36 for Pizarro.

Sammy Teah (13-2-1, 6 KOs) made quick work of Nicaragua's Orlando Rizo (19-13, 11 KOs) on Friday night. The bout, which was scheduled for six rounds, only lasted one with Teah bullying his opponent from the opening bell. Rizo was knocked down twice in the first round by Teah multi-punch combos, before being kayo'd with a left hook to the head. Referee Ronald Ali Bashir stopped the fight at the 2:33 mark of the first round of the lightweight contest.

Philadelphia's Jeremy Cuevas (8-0, 6 KOs) squared off against Efrain Cruz (4-5-1, 1 KO) of Florida in a six round, lightweight contest. After winning the first round of the bout, Cuevas, who maintained a low guard throughout the contest, was knocked down in the second round with a Cruz right hand to the head. Cuevas was hurt after recovering from this knockdown, but managed to finish the round. By the beginning of the third round, Cuevas appeared to be more settled into the fight, and went on to pick apart his opponent throughout the final three rounds. In the final round, Cuevas snapped Cruz's head back with straight left and right hands. All three judges scored the bout 59-55 in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Jeremy Cuevas.

Super middleweights, Ronald Ellis (15-0-2, 10 KOs) and Taneal Goyco (9-11-1, 4 KOs) fought in a four round contest. Goyco was the far less active fighter, who applied a defense heavy strategy to the bout. This strategy "worked" until the fourth round when Ellis sent Goyco to the canvas with a right hand to his head. The judges scored the bout 59-54 and 60-53, twice, for Ellis.

Roc Nation's Tramaine Williams (15-0, 5 KOs) defeated veteran fighter, Antonio Rodriguez (12-21-1, 5 KOs) in a six round, featherweight bout. Williams ended the first round with a big multi-punch combo that sent him to his corner full of confidence. In the second round, Rodriguez was stumbled with a Williams' left hand to the head. Rodriguez went on the offensive at the end of the third round when he threw a series of punches that connected to the head and body of Williams. Unfortunately for Rodriguez, he was unable to land the "lucky punch". When Rodriguez attempted to come forward on Williams in the fourth round, he was pushed back on his heels with an overhand left to the head. Williams went on to win the fifth and sixth rounds over Rodriguez, who had a cut appear on the side of his right eye in the final round. The judges scored the bout 58-56, 59-55, and 60-53, all in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Tramaine Williams.

The opening bout of the card was a light middleweight fight between Joey Alday (7-0, 7 KOs) and Mike Crain (1-2). Crain was knocked down with a right-left hand combo in the second round. Crain was sent crashing to the canvas in the third round when Alday connected with a left hook to his jaw. Referee Shawn Clark stopped the bout at the 1:28 mark of the third round of a scheduled four round fight.

MW

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