Inside the Ringside with Frank Bartolini

By Frank Bartolini

As I traverse north on the New York Thruway to this year's International Boxing Hall of Fame inductions, the Hudson River runs alongside me moving in the opposite direction passing by New York City before dumping into the Atlantic Ocean. My mind began thinking about the great island of Manhattan. 

Who is Larry Goldberg? 

Larry is a Ventnor New Jersey native. During Atlantic City’s pugilism heyday Goldberg fell in love with the sport of boxing in grade school while attending fights at various casinos. By the time Goldberg graduated Atlantic City High School in 1996, Larry had been ringside to witness all-time greats Larry Holmes, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Mike Tyson and the list goes on and on. 

Attending Hofstra University turned Larry into a New Yorker, and these days he calls Manhattan home. In 1998, during the early days of boxing websites when most fans were still receiving their timely reports from Boxing Flash and Boxing Update, Goldberg launched boxinginsider.com. Boxinginsider.com immediately became, and still is, one of the most popular boxing websites on the internet. 

In October 2022, Larry delved into promoting professional boxing club shows at the Sony Hall in Times Square NYC. Since then, Goldberg’s promotional company, Boxing Insider Promotions, has promoted an additional three more shows at the venue and each one is better than the last. Helping guide Larry is IBHOF inductee Lou DiBella and seasoned matchmaker Eric Bottjer. 

All of the Boxing Insider shows are scheduled on Thursday nights. Most recently on April 27th, Goldberg took a big step forward when DAZN aired this show globally on their streaming network. 

Boxing Insider Promotions returns to Sony Hall in Times square on June 29th. Sizzling hot prospect junior welterweight Kurt Scoby will face Philadelphian, and former world title challenger, Hank Lundy in a scheduled eight round main event. Back in February, Scoby stole the show on a ShoBox fight card with a stunning second round knockout. 

Nearly a half a millennium ago, legend tells us our forefathers purchased Manhattan Island from Lenape Indians for a few shekels and a pouch of beads. In 1626 when this deal was consummated, the world was full of mystics. Not one soothsayer foresaw what this islet would manifest into by February 4, 2023, when a sold-out HULU theater hosted undisputed world featherweight queen Amanda Serrano, Brooklyn, NY, duking it out with gloves against Erika Cruz of Mexico. 

Determined to attend the Serrano vs Cruz weigh-in on Friday morning, I came into the Big Apple Thursday night and lodged at The New Yorker Hotel. Located across the street from Madison Square Garden on Eighth Ave., The New Yorker Hotel opened in 1930. Nikola Tesla boarded there on the thirty-third floor for the last fifteen years of his life. Upon entering the lobby through the revolving door, you will discover an art deco masterpiece that still maintains an aesthetic appeal.

An exuberant, smiling Alycia Baumgardner captured everyone's heart at the weigh-in on Friday. Baumgardner has never relented in her pursuit of greatness. When Alycia disrobed to mount the scale the "oohs" and "aahs" could be heard. No longer a young prospect with her hair in braids and braces on her teeth, Baumgardner posed with her sculpted figure, head full of beautiful curly hair, and gorgeous smile in a gold bikini. She appeared to be a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model rather than a prizefighter. 

I lodged at the UN Millenium Hilton Hotel, situated on the corner of First Ave and Forty Fourth street with a street address of One UN Plaza, on Friday and Saturday. After having a cocktail at the hotel bar, aptly named the Ambassador Grill and returning to my room, I took in a view of the East River. Frigid temperatures broke all time lows and mighty whirlwinds whisking through the cavernous streets and avenues created a sub zero wind chill. Cutting arctic sting chills did not interfere on whether or not I was going to walk a block and a half up Forty Fourth street to a favorite haunt of Manhattanites titled the Overlook Bar. A unique cast of patrons can always be found there, including newsies who are employed by the various networks in the area. Upon entering, I knew it was going to be an entertaining evening when two friends, the bouncer Mike and the proprietor Mark, were both on the job. Making it back to the sanctity of my hotel bed before sunrise was an achieved goal. 

Since landing on United States soil Matchroom Boxing USA has consistently delivered quality fight cards. All in attendance at the sold-out Hulu Theater would agree as they roared their approval for Amanda Serrano's unanimous ten round decision win over a hard fighting Cruz. 

Matchroom Boxing's next show at the Hulu Theater is on June 24th. Headlining the show is super middleweight Edgar Berlanga, who squares off against Jason Quigley of Ireland in a twelve rounder. Matchroom signed Berlanga soon after he and Top Rank parted ways. Another interesting scrap set for ten rounds; heavyweight Adam Kownacki will be trying to snap a three-fight losing streak when he faces Joe Cusumano in the semi wind up.

TAYLOR AND SERRANO MEET IN HISTORIC CLASH ON APRIL 30

Press Release

Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano are set to make history in an epic battle for Taylor’s undisputed Lightweight title at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday April 30, live worldwide on DAZN.

Years in the making, the biggest fight ever in women’s boxing between the pound-for-pound #1 and #2 fighters of the world is one that will not only make boxing history, but women’s sports history. MSG has hosted thousands of fights through its illustrious years, beginning more than a century ago on July 17, 1882; now, 140 years later, this matchup finally marks the very first time two female fighters are headlining a combat sports event at 'The World’s Most Famous Arena'.

 

Irish icon Taylor (20-0 6 KOs) puts all the Lightweight belts on the line for the sixth time since winning them in June 2019 in a war with Delfine Persoon and seeing off the Belgian in a rematch in England before repelling the challenges of Miriam Gutierrez, Natasha Jonas, Jennifer Han and Firuza Sharipova – and there’s added spice to the fight as Taylor holds a win over Amanda’s sister Cindy in Boston back in October 2018.

 

Puerto Rican sensation Serrano (42-1-1 30 KOs) already has an unrivalled legacy in the sport as a seven-weight World champion. The Brooklyn based champion enters the momentous bout in sparkling form after knocking out Daniela Bermudez last March, dominating Yamileth Mercado in August and overpowering Miriam Gutierrez in two separate cards co-starring Jake Paul. Amanda was the 2021 Female Fighter of the Year for DAZN, ESPN and WBC among others.

 

“This is a fight I've wanted for a long, long time and I'm just excited for it to finally take place because these are the kind of fights I'm in the sport for,” said Taylor. “People have been talking about this fight for years and there have been times I wondered if it was ever going to happen so I'm very grateful to Eddie Hearn, everyone at Matchroom, DAZN and Madison Square Garden for getting it over the line.

 

“When I turned professional my goal was to be involved in huge events like this so to headline at Madison Square Garden in a fight of this magnitude is really the pinnacle of the sport. It's such an iconic venue and has been home to so many of the historic moments in boxing and I truly believe this will be another one.”

 

“It is a dream come true to have the opportunity to headline Madison Square Garden and do so against one of the greatest boxers of all time in Katie Taylor,” said Serrano. “Since I was a young girl, my only boyfriend has been boxing. I have dedicated my life to him, and this event makes that commitment worth every minute. On April 30th I am going to make history for me, for my team, for my family, for Puerto Rico, for every Latina and Latino and for all women worldwide.”

 

From the moment Katie Taylor stepped into my office, this is the moment we always dreamed of,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “The moment the world would stop and watch and watch the two greatest female fighters on the planet headline at the Mecca of boxing, Madison Square Garden.

 

“Taylor vs. Serrano is a fight for the history books. Yes, it’s the by far the biggest female fight of all time but it’s also one of the biggest fights of all time, the undisputed World and Olympic champion against the seven division World champion. 

 

“Both fighters deserve credit for getting this fight made, as does Jake Paul and his team at Most Valuable Promotions, DAZN and Madison Square Garden - together we’re going to put on a special night in New York and create a fitting spectacle for these trailblazers to shine.”

 

“We are honored to be a part of this historic event, headlined by two historically dominant women. Bringing attention to women’s boxing has been a priority for us and Saturday April 30th is a major milestone for not just the sport but girls globally who deserve equal opportunity," said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, Co-Founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “We expect a battle for the ages and have the utmost respect and admiration for Katie Taylor. But make no mistake, we are standing next to Amanda Serrano and know she will prove to the world that she is the pound-for-pound greatest female boxer to ever enter the ring.  This is more than a fight, this is for forever.”

 

“This is without question the biggest fight ever in women’s boxing,” said Ed Breeze, DAZN EVP, Rights. “Katie Taylor is a trailblazer in the sport, with a perfect amateur record and pivotal in catapulting women’s boxing into the mainstream. Serrano is a true legend and will be Taylor’s toughest test to date. This fight will be spectacular and also one for the history books, and we’re thrilled to deliver this exciting moment in boxing and sports history to DAZN subscribers across the world.”

 

As the first ever women to headline at Madison Square Garden, Taylor and Serrano will come face-to-face in the Big Apple on the first leg of a global press tour next Wednesday, February 2 – timed in honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, a day of observance in the U.S. acknowledging the accomplishments of female athletes and recognizing the importance of equal opportunities in sport for girls and women.  Billie Jean King - tennis icon, equality champion, and Women’s Sports Foundation founder - is delighted that the fight will take center stage at the legendary arena.

 

“The Taylor vs. Serrano fight at Madison Square Garden is historic and it is only fitting it is being held in the venue that has hosted so many important championships in sports,” said King. “These two women are breaking barriers and opening doors for others by being the main event and not the undercard, fighting for one of the biggest paydays in boxing and showing everyone that if you can see it, you can be it.”

 

“Saturday, April 30 will be another historic night of boxing at Madison Square Garden,” said Joel Fisher, executive vice president, MSG Marquee Events.  “The Garden has been home to some of the most iconic events in the history of boxing, and Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor will usher in another legendary night, becoming the first women to headline a show at the ‘Mecca of Boxing’.  We wish them both good luck and congratulate them on this groundbreaking achievement.”

 

Details around the London press conference early February will be released in due course. Additionally, there will be more information released soon around the fight not only being available worldwide on DAZN, but also through select cable & satellite pay-per-view providers in the U.S.

Lopez vs. Kambosos

By Frank Bartolini, Ringside

Words, hats and crows were the entries being fed to all the experts, pundits and media inside the Hulu Theater after George Kambosos, Jr, Sydney Australia, clobbered Teofimo Lopez, Brooklyn. N.Y., over twelve rounds to capture the unified WBA, IBF, WBO World Lightweight Championship. All the experts forecasted an early doom for the challenger from "down under."

Booming cheers rang out from the packed house from the opening bell, when Lopez charged out his corner and teed off, landing thudding punches on Kambosos',134.4 lbs., head and body. During all the commotion, no one seemed to notice Lopez blows were not having much effect on Kambosos. While most of Lopez's opponents collapsed under these blasts, Kambosos waited for his chance. That moment came with seconds left in round one, when Kambosos connected with a perfectly timed counter right hand over Lopez’s left jab. Lopez,135 lbs., went down on both knees. Upon getting up, he managed to return to his corner.

Midway through the contest, the expected blowout victory by Lopez was not occurring. In fact, Kambosos was in the lead. Believing the headlines going into battle, Lopez had no game plan, and when the predicted destruction never happened, Kambosos applied a well thought out strategy of counters and movement. As his confidence grew, Kambosos then started taking it to Lopez and backing him into the ropes.

Scoring a good combination at the conclusion of round six, Kambosos danced and laughed at Lopez before returning to his corner. Suffering a cut eye in round seven did not deter Kambosos as he battered Lopez with overhand rights to the head.

Even though Kambosos was getting the better of the action, both combatants absorbed a good deal of punishment. Lopez got through with two rights to the chin that dropped Kambosos in the tenth. A testament to this grueling battle showed through the lumps, scraps, and cuts on the warriors' faces. A Kambosos right hand opened a nasty cut around Lopez’s left eye in the eleventh. Seasoned referee Harvey Dock had to halt the action to have the ringside physician check out the damage. Covered in blood, Lopez appeared to have walked off the set of a horror movie. After a long period of scrutiny, the doctor let it continue. 

Leaving their corners for the final round, each boxer knew the fight was on the line. Fans stood and screamed the entire session of the ebb and flow as momentum shifted back and forth. The walls were shaking from the roar of the crowd when the final bell rang.

What looked like a clear victory for the Australian, had many people wondering out loud if Kambosos could get a fair shake from the judges in New York. Ring announcer David Diamante gave the answer when he declared Kambosos the new champion by split decision victory by scores of 115-112 , 115-111 in his favor, and 114-113 for Lopez. Leaving the ring without his belts Lopez's record is now 16-1, 12 KOs. Remaining undefeated, the new lightweight king Kambosos slate stands at 20-0, 10 KOs.

In a roundabout way that has been well documented, Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing USA promoted the standing room only show that was broadcast on DAZN.

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Big Drama Show as GGG Wins IBF Belt

By Luis A. Cortes III, Ringside

Yes, the old saying that a win in sports is indeed a win rang out more than ever for the newly crowned IBF middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (40-1-1) (35 KO’s).  Ultimately that is the bottom line and most relevant detail that any prizefighter tends to worry about when a fight has concluded.  However, there is another saying that tends to accompany the previous sports cliché, and that is sometimes it’s not just if you win, but how you look doing it.  And it’s this second saying idiom that caught the attention of most ring side observers on Saturday night.  After twelve brutal rounds of back and forth action, it was indeed Golovkin’s hand raised in victory.  What was surprising is that for the first time in his career it was the effort of the other challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko (13-2) (10 KO’s) that grasped the hearts and minds of the crowd.

This notion was cemented when Golovkin started to address the crowd for his initial post fight interview moments after his name was announced as the victor.  Boo’s rained down from the capacity crowd inside of the “Mecca” of boxing Madison Square Garden.  Golovkin was clearly caught off guard by the reaction but handled it in stride by finishing his interview before both he and Derevyanchenko were escorted to a local hospital for precautionary measures.  The reaction steamed from the fact that most of the crowd believed that it was Derevyanchenko who had done enough in the close contested battle to earn the victory. 

Entering the fight, most of the narrative surrounding the fight dealt with the fact that Golovkin was frustrated with his inability to secure a third fight with reigning middleweight king Saul Alvarez.  Derevyanchenko was best known for his close decision loss to Danny Jacobs last year inside of the smaller adjacent theater at the Garden.  In the fight, Derevyanchenko pushed Jacobs to his limit and had moments in what turned out to be the first close decision loss in his first attempt to claim the IBF title. 

After Derevyanchenko was dropped by Golovkin in the first round, it looked as if this version of the drama show was set to make it a statement victory.  Derevyanchenko answered the ten count, and as he warmed up physically, started to find a rhythm that included landing powerful right hands that continuously rocked Golovkin’s head back.  As the round started to pass, despite a deep cut over the right eye of Derevyanchenko caused by a huge left hook from Golovkin, it was clear to both fighters that they were involved in serious combat.  With the fight reaching its conclusion, there was no shortage of drama as everyone inside of the arena rose to their feet in the final rounds, clearly aware that a single punch could alter the result. 

With all three judges scoring the fight in favor of Golovkin (scores were 115-112 twice and 114-113), it was Derevyanchenko that became the sentimental victor for his valiant effort.  Two factors could be the cause for the reaction of the crowd.  One is that he indeed looked even better on this night than he did just a year ago in the fight with Jacobs.  He clearly pushed Golovkin to the brink and even had him hurt in the middle rounds when he landed a vicious left hook to the body that caused Golovkin to move away and avoid further exchanges to escape the round. 

The other factor could simply be that while Derevyanchenko did put forth a great performance, Golovkin looked like a shell of the dominate middleweight that fans and observers had become accustomed to watching.  At the age of 37 and with a style of fighting that his former trainer famously dubbed “Mexican Style,”  Golovkin looked a bit sluggish at times during the contest.  During many of the rounds, it was Derevyanchenko that initiated the exchanges to start out the rounds.  Golovkin, at times, seemed to be content with waiting for his turn to take control of the round by making an offensive push.  Ironically, it would be the experience of Golovkin that would play a major role in the victory.

He understood when he was letting rounds slip away from his control.  It was at these moments that he would turn on the offense and willingly exchange with Derevyanchenko, landing the harder punches to either put the round into question or to win them.  What was noticeable was the fact that, unlike in the past with a prime Golovkin, this didn’t happen in every round.  There were rounds when the applied pressure and constant punching, but the pure work-rate of Derevyanchenko was too much for Golovkin to overcome and he simply lost them.  This is a credit to Derevyanchenko’s determination to be victorious just as much as the sands of time dripping towards the bottom of Golovkin’s career hour glass.

For the record, The Weigh-In had the fight scored 6 rounds to 6, but due to the knockdown in the first round the score wound up 114-113 in favor of Golovkin.  It was indeed a close fight with the result in question as everyone inside of the arena awaited the scores to be announced.  Once they were announced, it was understandable that many felt Derevyanchenko did enough to win.  What should be focused on as well was the great performance from both fighters regardless of whom you thought was the victor. 

With Golovkin now the winner of the IBF title, one must ask what’s next for the veteran champion?  Well, with the fighter he still clearly wants a third crack at Canelo, who next month will aim to capture a portion of the light heavyweight crown.  Canelo has made it clear that he has grown tired of the Golovkin narrative and has no interest in facing him for a third time soon. 

It became a bit dis-concerning that DAZN released a social media poll for fan interest regarding the next opponent for Golovkin and it didn’t include a Derevyanchenko rematch.  Alvarez’s response to what he witnessed was yet another reassurance from him that a third fight with Golovkin would result in all but a foregone conclusion in his favor.  He even went as far as saying that he would stop Golovkin this time around.  This leads me to believe that a possible third fight with Golovkin will depend on the result of Alvarez’s November attempt at history.  Meanwhile, if there is any rematch that fans deserve before a third fight between Golovkin and Alverez, its for round 13 to take place between Golovkin and Derevyanchenko.

Notes from Ringside at the Garden:

Not much of note took place during the fights on the undercard.  This fight card was a classic case of the promoter believing that everyone was going to get their money's worth from the main event.  That it was a can’t miss fight that would provide all the entertainment that the paying audience could handle.  This frame of thinking was confirmed since the crowd looked to be sparse in comparison to previous Golovkin fights at the Garden until it was time for the main event, and suddenly the arena was packed with a raucous crowd that was engaged from start to finish.  Why shouldn’t they have been, since it was in fact a can’t miss main event.

One notable highlight on the undercard was the first bout on the main television portion on DAZN.  Ivan Baranchyk (20-1) (13 KO’s) scored a mean fourth round stoppage of veteran Brooklyn native Gabriel Bracero (23-4-1) (6 KO’s).  Baranchyk was impressive in his dismantling of the veteran in such lethal fashion that his promoter Lou DiBella walked around ringside telling anyone that would listen that he would be a world champion soon.  When asked what was next for the challenger, DiBella stated “anyone that has the balls to get in the ring with him.  What a war a fight (WBC champion) (Jose) Ramirez and him would be?”

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NXT TakeOver New York Recap

By Steve Ward

The marquee weekend of the year for professional wrestling kicked off this evening as NXT Takeover New York emanated from the bustling mecca of Brooklyn sports - The Barclays Center. The highly anticipated five match card featured all of the NXT titles, in addition to the NXT UK Title, contested and was highlighted by Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano for the vacant NXT Title.

NXT Tag Team Championship

War Raiders (c) vs. Aleister Black & Ricochet

Winners: War Raiders via pinfall

The explosive night of action kicked off with War Raiders (I still find myself wanting to call them War Machine but I digress) defending their tag team championship against the winners of the 2019 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic - Aleister Black and Ricochet. Many labeled this bout a clash of styles but these two teams rapidly proved all who bared witness to be utterly wrong. Not only did Ricochet impress the crowd with a testament to his strength conditioning as he perfectly executed a Scott Hall-esque fall away slam on Hanson but Hanson later drove the WWE Universe to a fever pitch as he launched himself from the top turnbuckle to the outside where he laid waste to all of the other competitors with a cannonball splash. This match reached it’s conclusion as War Raiders obliterated Ricochet with a barrage of devastating tandem offense as they first connected on Thor’s Hammer and followed it up with Fallout (a guillotine leg drop delivered by Hanson from the top turnbuckle while Rowe held Ricochet) to get the 1-2-3 and retain their titles.

NXT North American Championship

Velveteen Dream (c) vs. Matt Riddle

Winner: Velveteen Dream

This contest pitted Velveteen Dream in his first defense of the North American Championship since supplanting Johnny Gargano as champ against former UFC star “The Original Bro” Matt Riddle. After the bout commenced with Velveteen Dream attempting to rattle the cage of Riddle with his antics and a stomp to his bare foot, The Original Bro proceeded to display a proficient ring IQ as he attempted to break down the champ with a fusion of wrestling and MMA tactics. Dream was able to bring himself back into the match, however, with a Hulk Hogan big boot, a Fameasser, and a Codebreaker. Late in the match, Dream averted certain disaster again as he survived another onslaught of offense from Riddle. First, Riddle stood on the middle rope and German suplexed Dream back into the ring, then he scaled to the top turnbuckle and beautifully landed The Floating Bro (a moonsault that twists into a senton), and lastly cinched in The Bromission. Just moments before the capacity crowd thought a submission was imminent, Velveteen Dream rolled over with the hold still locked in and was able to pin Riddle’s shoulders down for the pinfall.

NXT UK Championship

Pete Dunne (c) vs. Walter

Winner: Walter via pinfall

At first glance, the lumbering Walter (yes, that’s his entire ring name) from Vienna, Austria is reminiscent of how one might imagine a Gestapo version of Lenny from the classic, and fixture of many high school reading lists, Of Mice and Men. All jokes aside, the undefeated 6’4” sports entertainer proved to be The Bruiserweight’s most imposing threat to date for his 685 day title reign. Walter dictated the course of the action for the majority of the match by imposing his size and strength on Pete Dunne. While Dunne put forth a spirited defense loaded with several applications of his signature joint manipulation and utilization of his speed advantage, The Ring General was just too much in the end. After a vicious big boot to the jaw of Dunne turned the tides of his late push, Walter then power bombed the defending champ from the top rope and as if that wasn’t enough, he ascended to the top rope and came down with a near 300 lb splash which proved to be the final nail in the coffin of Dunne’s title reign.

NXT Women’s Championship Fatal 4-Way Match

Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Kairi Sane vs. Bianca Belair vs. Io Shirai

Winner: Shayna Baszler via submission

After imposing her will on the NXT Women’s division with her Horsewomen cohorts for several weeks and ruining efforts to crown a number one contender, Commissioner William Regal declared that the Queen of Spades would defend her title in a fatal 4-way match. The ladies kept the action at a frenetic pace throughout this contest. Without the other Horsewomen at ringside, Baszler withstood Belair’s KOD, Kairi Sane’s Insane Elbow, and a moonsault from Io Shirai as it seemed her reign of dominance was about to end. After Bianca Belair hoisted both Shirai and Sane on her shoulders and dropped them with a brutal KOD, Baszler came from out of nowhere to trap Belair in the Kirifuda Clutch for the submission victory.

NXT Championship Two out of Three Falls Match

Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole

Winner: Johnny Gargano

The NXT Championship was originally set to be defended by Tommaso Ciampa against Johnny Gargano until neck surgery unfortunately put him on the shelf and required him to relinquish his title. Adam Cole earned his spot in the match after he survived a brutal fatal 5-way match against Velveteen Dream, Matt Riddle, Aleister Black, and Ricochet a couple weeks ago on NXT TV. With one fall separating Johnny Gargano from leaving New York with the NXT Championship, the entire Barclays Center rose to their feet generating an electricity fitting of this title bout. The end of the match did not arrive without one more feat of adversity for Gargano to overcome as the other three members of the Undisputed Era attempted to push Adam Cole to his first NXT Championship. After Gargano overcame the trio of Fish, Strong, and O’Reilly, it appeared Adam Cole was still going to triumph as he measured a seated Gargano up for a kick to the back of his head. At the last second, Gargano ducked out of the way and trapped Cole in the Gargano Escape for the submission victory.

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Frank Bartolini on Joey Dawejko

By Frank Bartolini

A foot of snow rests on roofs, mountains, and naked corn fields. Ambient wind chill temperatures tap dance around zero degrees. The Turning Stone Resort and Casino might as well be in Siberia. It is here, where Philly native Joey Dawejko squared off against Russian Sergey Kuzmin. Stout and fit Dawejko stepped off the scale at two hundred fifty pounds. Massive from the size of his feet to his oversized cranium, Kuzmin weighed 248.5 pounds.

Make no doubt Dawejko was brought here to be a stepping stone. A gauge to evaluate Kuzmin, now and in the future.

Not adhering to the script, Dawejko did everything a boxer deserving a decision needed to do. Dawejko was casted as Rocky Balboa opposite Kuzmin as Drago. Poor judging kept the Russians record spotless.

Most of the fans in attendance were not familiar with Dawejko and thought he was fodder for the Main Events promoted prospect. By the end of the second, Dawejko had won the crowd's favor and hearts. Kuzmin looks mean but fights soft. After Dawejko scored a booming right hand off the side of Kuzmin's head in round five, the Russian became apprehensive. The next couple of heats, Dawejko was in control scoring well with rights to the body. Seasoned and adapt defensively, Dawejko’s left uppercuts to Kuzmin's gut proved to be effective. Possessing superior hand speed, Dawejko appeared to have the edge even though his face was a bit banged up. Maintaining a better pace, Joey, had the fight wrapped up after eight stanzas. Sensing he was about to lose, Kuzmin out-hustled Dawejko for the last six minutes of the contest.

Cat calls and boos from the seats responded to David Diamante's announcement of Kuzmin's majority decision victory by scores 95-95 and 96-94 twice. All of press row had Dawejko winning. This scribe saw it in Dawejko's favor 97-94, 6-3-1 in rounds. In disgust, Dawejko quickly left the ring with his dapper dressed manager Mark Cipparone in tow. With this questionable loss, Dawejko is now 19-7-4 (11 KO’s). Still having to prove that he is a worthy prospect, Kuzmin stays undefeated 15-0 (11 KO’s)

This fight was delivered by Matchroom Promotions and streamed live on the DAZN.

Joey Dawejko - Photo BoxRec.com

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Dozen-plus MMA fights—and ISKA lightweight title bout—slated for Triton Fights 9

The latest installment of Long Island, New York promoter Triton Fights will feature thirteen MMA bouts, including three title fights featuring a battle for the International Sport Karate and Kickboxing Association (ISKA) Lightweight Title belt.

Fighting for that belt is a pair of Triton Fights veterans: Paul “The Butcher” Thimote (4-1), representing No Limits Kickboxing and Vamos BJJ, and Dylan “The Quiet Man” Mantello (3-0), representing Longo and Weidman MMA.

Thimote this past July at TF 8 had unseated the defending ISKA champ Andrew Stock by way of unanimous decision, while Mantello at TF 7 in May defeated Chris Guariglia via round two KO/TKO.

On Friday night (Sept. 14), at The Space at Westbury Theater, Westbury New York, Thimote—coming off a four-win streak—will defend his ISKA lightweight title against the undefeated Mantello in the TF 9 Main Event.

In the Heavyweight Feature of the night, Chris “The Savage One” Bretton (1-1), representing UFC Gym, will face Robert Brothers (3-5) from Fighting Edge Gym in Florida.

Prior to the final two fights of the evening, Triton Fights proudly will unveil its “FightLyfe Sizzle Reel Premiere,” a promo film that it made in conjunction with one of its sponsors, energy drink maker TigerLyfe.

The Triton Bantamweight Title will pit Ashiek Ajim (6-1), representing Long Island MMA (LIMMA), against Commack MMA’s Christian Acerbo (2-2).

Ajim is coming off a five-win streak, four of which took place at Triton events. Acerbo’s last fight was in December, when he lost during TF 5, but about a year earlier, he secured victory by way of round one KO/TKO in a New York Fight Exchange competition.

In the Triton Featherweight Title bout, Ajim’s LIMMA teammate Mike Fitzroy (3-0) will take on Vilson Ndregjoni (1-1), representing AMA Fight Club.

The remaining TF 9 card:

Welterweight Feature
Alex Brown (2-0) v. Tom Picciano (2-1)

Featherweight Feature
Kelvin Sterling (2-1) v. Matt Santos (1-1)

Lightweight Feature
Bobby Casale (1-2) Al Pringle (1-4)

Cruiserweight Feature
Kareem Scott (2-2) v. Jerry Butler (Debut)

Women’s Strawweight Feature
Jaime Butcher (Debut) v. Lateesha Mohl (1-5)

Flyweight Feature
Sergio Rivera (0-1) v. John Ladisa (0-1)

150 lbs Catchweight Prelim
Estevinson Carmona (Debut) v. Nick Walker (Debut)

Lightweight Prelim
Isa Dalipaj (0-1) v. Gurhan Celik (1-0)

Welterweight Prelim
Rene Pereyra (1-0) v. Roman Chyzhyk (0-1)

Steve Peacock

Rochester Boxing Hall of Fame

The Rochester Boxing Hall of Fame will host its 28th annual award banquet on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at the Diplomat Banquet Center in Rochester, New York.

The following individuals will be honored at this year's banquet:

Integrity Award - David Diaz

Courage Award - Lee Roy Murphy

Outstanding Coach Award - Gloria Peek

Media Award - Henry Jones

Amateur Boxer of the Year Award - Manny Gonzalez

Carmen Basilio Scholarship Award - Lucy Farnham

Tickets for this event are $60. For tickets and information on this great event, please contact the RBHOF president Gino Arilotta at 585-314-3541 or rbhof100@yahoo.com.

MW

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Drew Stone Interview

Matt Ward recently had the opportunity to sit down with filmmaker and musician, Drew Stone. Stone runs the New York City-based production company Stone Films NYC, and is the executive producer of the Muhammad Ali documentary, "Me Whee."

Drew Stone at the World Premier of "The New York Hardcore Chronicles Film"

"Me Whee" was shot in 1975 in and around his training camp in Deer Lake, PA and in Las Vegas. This documentary captures an incredible moment in time in Muhammad Ali’s life. At the peak of his career his love for kids and general philosophy of life shine thru with appearances by luminaries from the boxing and entertainment world. Highlights include his legendary 1975 commencement speech at Harvard University.

"Me Whee" Poster

The documentary features appearances by Muhammad Ali, Phyllis Diller, Jerry Lewis, Angelo Dundee, B.B. King, Drew “Bundini” Brown, Jim Brown, Walter Youngblood, Lloyd Wells, and Gene Kilroy.

"To Drew Stone, From Muhammad Ali, Peace 1977"

Check out their interview on both SoundCloud and iTunes:

Bonus Round - Drew Stone Interview with Matt Ward on SoundCloud

Bonus Round - Drew Stone Interview with Matt Ward on iTunes

Muhammad Ali Autographed Photo

"Me Whee" Screening in Philadelphia

The Veteran Boxers Association Ring 1 of Philadelphia will host the first Philadelphia screening of the Muhammad Ali documentary "Me Whee" on *September 12th* with Q & A moderated by Executive Producer Drew Stone and special guests Nigel Collins, Henry Hascup, J. Russell Peltz, and Craig "The Journeyman" Setari (Sick of It All).

Tickets for this event are $10.00 and are available at the door and by calling 609-377-6413. Your ticket purchase includes food and drink specials at the VBA Ring 1 Clubhouse located at 2733 E Clearfield St, Philadelphia, PA 19134. For more information on this great event, check out the official Facebook event page by clicking here.

Drew Stone and Matt Ward

Drew Stone Singing with his Band, Antidote

Drew's Father, Arny Stone, with Willie Pep

Arny Stone with Joe Frazier

Ali Film Negative Lab Report from 1975

MW

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NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 Recap

The black and yellow brand delivered the fourth incarnation of TakeOver Brooklyn this evening from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on the eve of Summerslam. The card boasted five matches with all four NXT championships on the line. In addition to the stacked card, the WWE Network audience was also treated to commentary by, in my opinion, the best commentary team in the WWE comprised of Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, and Percy Watson.

NXT Tag Team Championship
Undisputed Era: Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong (c) vs. Mustache Mountain: Trent Seven and Tyler Bate
Winners: Undisputed Era

Invoking their rematch clause, Mustache Mountain came out with a full head of steam to start the match. Their momentum was quickly stifled by the Undisputed Era as they put on a tag team clinic highlighted by the Muay Thai training of O’Reilly. Despite a late flurry by Mustache Mountain, O’Reilly and Strong hit the High-Low on Trent Seven to earn the pinfall.

After the match, the celebration didn’t last long as the Undisputed Era were ambushed by War Raiders leaving them in a mass of carnage.

EC3 vs. Velveteen Dream

Winner: Velveteen Dream

This match pitted two of the most charismatic, polarizing sports entertainers on the NXT roster, who seem destined for a main roster call-up sooner than later, against each other. If one questions this sentiment, then take a second look at the Rick Rude-esque tights that Dream donned which proclaimed, “Call Me Up Vince” across the backside. Velveteen impressed in the closing moments of the match as he first laid out EC3 with the Dream Valley Driver on the ring apron, followed it with an elbow of the top rope, and finished him with the 1-2-3.

NXT North American Championship

Adam Cole (c) vs. Ricochet

Winner: Ricochet

Both of these performers put their extensive ring IQs on full display. Ricochet pulled out his full arsenal of awe-inspiring aerial maneuvers while Adam Cole countered with some devastating strikes and counters. In the end, Ricochet hit the phenomenal 630 to earn the pinfall victory as a new North American Champion was crowned.

NXT Women’s Championship

Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Kairi Sane

Winner: Kairi Sane

Baszler and Sane squared off in the rubber match of their trilogy that began when Sane defeated Baszler in the final of the inaugural Mae Young Classic a year ago. Baszler dictated the pace of this match in the early going as she utilized her extensive MMA striking and submission wrestling background. In the end, it appeared that Sane was doomed as Baszler blocked her third attempt at the Insane Elbow. Baszler quickly sought to seal the deal as she attempted to lock in the Kirafuta Clutch only to have Sane reverse it into a shocking pinfall victory.

NXT Championship-Last Man Standing Match

Tommasso Ciampa (c) vs. Johnny Gargano

Winner: Tommasso Ciampa

Ciampa shocked the NXT Universe as he defeated Aleister Black for the NXT Championship just a few weeks ago due to an accidental assist from Johnny Wrestling. After Black sustained an injury as a result of a backstage attack from an unknown assailant, this bout was changed from a triple threat match to a Last Man Standing match by Commissioner Regal. With this ruling the match marked the third consecutive Takeover main-evented by these two fierce competitors. Just as a refresher, a match contested under Last Man Standing rules essentially means there are no rules and one wins when his opponent is incapacitated to the point that he is unable to answer the referee’s ten count. 

Gargano didn’t even wait for the introductions to conclude before he ambushed Ciampa to get the fight underway. If you thought these men couldn’t surpass their performances from the last two Takeover events, you were dead wrong. They broke each other’s bodies with tables, chairs, crutches, and ring stairs. Ciampa even attempted to bury Gargano at ringside with anything in sight, including a ringside crewmember, at one point to no avail. The match eventually migrated to the entrance stage where Gargano handcuffed Ciampa to a part of the display.  Gargano attempted to seal the deal with a knee strike to Ciampa’s head which he dodged at the last second. Gargano then slammed his knee into a crate and plummeted off the stage. Johnny Wrestling was unable to answer the referee’s ten count so your winner, and STILL NXT Champion, “The Sicilian Psycho” Tommasso Ciampa!

-The Buckle Bomb with Steve Ward

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Did Anyone See Alicia "The Empress" Napoleon Win on Saturday Night?

The answer to the above question is, yes... However, most the people in attendance were her fans from nearby Lindenhurst, New York.

(Photo - AliciaNapoleon.com)

Women's World Boxing Association (WBA) champion, Alicia "The Empress" Napoleon (10-1, 5 KOs) defeated Scotland's Hannah Rankin (5-2, 1 KO) by unanimous decision in a ten round bout on Saturday night at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The fight, which was on the ten fight undercard of Andre Berto's victory over Devon Alexander, was fought after the main event as most fans walked out of the arena and members of the media flocked to the post-fight press conference. The fight did not begin until just before 11:00 PM EST. 

Napoleon, who is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, did not hold back her displeasure with the scheduling of her bout. Her ten round title fight was pushed to the back of a card that featured two four round and three eight round fights. When asked about the scheduling of her bout, Napoleon had this to say: “It’s typical of how women are treated in boxing. But we were the best fight of the night, for sure.”

MW

Top Rank Boxing Presents Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Jorge Linares Recap

Bob Arum's Top Rank Boxing returned to Gotham with a seven bout card, headlined by a WBA World Lightweight Title bout between Vasyl Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs) and defending champion, Jorge Linares (44-4, 27 KOs). The bout, which aired live on ESPN, was held at the Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden.

In the main event, Linares landed a nice right to the body of Lomachenko, who answered with a multi-punch combo that was met with crowd approval in the second round. The big punch of this combo was a right upper cut to Linares' jaw. Lomachenko's speed was on display in the third round. He easily outscored Linares with a series of combos. 

In the fourth round, Linares was warned for rabbit punches that he threw in response to a Lomachenko right hook to the head. Lomachenko went on to hit Linares with a multi-punch combo to the head during this round. In the fifth round, Lomachenko landed a left upper cut that snapped Linares' head back. Later in the round, Linares was warned for low blows. Linares was warned for low blows again in the sixth round, which clearly frustrated the Venezuelan fighter. Linares knocked Lomachenko down with a right hand to the head later in the round. Lomachenko slowed down and fought more cautiously in the seventh round. 

The two men engaged in a good exchange of punches as the round neared its end. Linares let his hands go around 1:30 of the ninth round, and landed a nice multi-punch combo. Linares was sent crashing to the canvas in the tenth round, after Lomachenko pummeled his opponent with upper cuts and connected on a left hand to the body. The referee stopped the fight at 2:08 of the tenth round. This was the fourth time Linares has been knocked out over the course of his professional career.

The televised portion of the card began with a ten round contest in the welterweight division. Carlos Adames (14-0, 11 KOs) put his undefeated record on the line against Alejandro Barrera (27-5, 17 KOs). Adames landed a couple of nice right hands to Barrera's head that forced the Mexican fighter to backpedal to avoid any unnecessary damage. Adames hurt his opponent with a big multi-punch combo, highlighted by a big left hand, that staggered Barrera as the second round winded down. Barrera rebounded back in the third round. 

The third round ended with Adames and Barrera exchanging good blows to one another's body and head. Adames showboated in the fourth round by winding up on his punches inside the second minute of the round. He caught Barrera with a hard right hook to the head later in the frame. The two warriors were so focused on a violent exchange during this round, that they fought through the bell that marked the end of the fourth. 

Towards the end of the fifth round, Adames hurt Barrera with a right hand, but was unable to finish off his dazed opponent. Through five rounds, it was evident that the story of this fight would be missed opportunities for Adames to finish off his opponent. This was caused in large part due to the less experienced fighter's wildness at times with punches. The two fighters traded big shots at the end of the seventh round. Barrera had an offensive outburst in the eighth round as he pinned Adames up against the ropes, and landed right hands at will on his opponent. Barrera fought valiantly in the ninth, despite being caught with big shots to the head. The judges scored the bout 97-93, 96-94 and 98-92 for the winner by unanimous decision, Carlos Adames.

Ibon Larrinaga (10-2, 2 KOs) of Spain fought Ireland's Michael Conlan (7-0, 5 KOs) in an eight round bout. Conlan walked to the ring wearing New York Knicks' gear to appeal to the hometown fans. Conlan controlled the first three rounds of action. In the fourth round, Conlan lost his bearing when he threw Larrinaga into a neutral corner. In the fifth round, the two-time Olympian from Ireland landed a series of big hooks on Larrinaga. Later in the round, Conlan snapped his opponents head back with a hard right hand. Conlan cruised through the last three rounds, doing enough to win all three on the judges' scorecards. All three judges scored the bout 80-72 for the winner by unanimous decision, Michael Conlan.

Vitor Freitas (13-2, 7 KOs), a Brazilian lightweight, was knocked out at the 1:04 mark of the opening round by Teofimo Lopez (7-0, 7 KOs), a former Honduran Olympian from Brooklyn. Despite coming up as an amateur in the ranks of USA Boxing, Lopez opted to compete for his parents' homeland of Honduras at the 2016 Olympic Games. Lopez finished off Freitas with a right hand to the side of the head, that looked more like a graze than a hard blow to the head. Lopez has now won all seven of his professional bouts by way of knockout.

Female lightweights, Mikaela Mayer (5-0, 3 KOs) and Baby Nansen (6-3-1) squared off in a six round contest. Mayer, a 2016 Olympian for the United States, controlled the tempo of the bout by effectively utilizing her clear height and reach advantage This forced Hansen to try to fight on the inside. A number of her attacks were stopped by Mayer's solid defense. Mayer landed two big overhand rights to the face of Nansen in the fourth, that staggered her opponent. Nansen fought more cautiously in the fifth, having been hurt in the previous round. As the final bell rang, Nansen's face showed damage from the fight, as her right eye was badly swollen. All three judges scored the bout 60-54 for the winner by unanimous decision, Mikaela Mayer.

The Fighting Marine, Jamel Herring (17-2, 10 KOs) fought Mexico's Juan Pablo Sanchez (29-16, 14 KOs) in an eight round, lightweight bout. Herring controlled the first two rounds of action by landing the cleaner and more effective punches to his opponent's head and body. In the third round, Herring's right eye was busted open by what appeared to be the thumb of Sanchez's glove. The doctor examined Herring's eye and decided to allow the two men to keep fighting. In the fourth round, Herring, sensing the danger of his cut, snapped back the head of Sanchez with a straight left hand. In the final 40 seconds of this round, Herring landed a series of big shots to his opponent's head. The end of the fight came for Sanchez in the fifth round, when Herring pushed him into the ropes with a barrage of punches that left him defenseless. The punch that did Sanchez in was a Herring left hook to the head. The referee stopped the fight at the 1:28 mark of the fifth round.

The card opened up with a lightweight bout between Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (4-0, 2 KO) and Jesus Silveyra (8-6-2, 3 KOs). Silveyra recovered from a knockdown in the fourth round, only to be knocked out seconds later by a Gaibnazarov left hand to the jaw. The referee stopped the fight at the 2:05 mark of the fourth round of a scheduled eight round contest.

MW

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