War at Parx - Peltz’s 50th - Ennis Returns

By Luis A. Cortes III

It’s true that when the unofficial end of summer takes place and Labor Day passes that the boxing schedule begins to turn up the heat for the fall.  This year has been no exception.  With so many ways for boxing fans to be plugged into the sport, and with so many different outlets distributing fight cards, it can be easy for fans to lose track or miss out on a specific fight, fighter, or all-around fight card that they were anticipating.  With that in mind, I thought I would take some time to give you a few quick reminders about a great fight that took place last Friday just outside of Philadelphia, along with some other key dates regarding boxing and the city of Brotherly Love.

War at Parx Casino (September 20th)

Joe Hand Promotions may best be known as the king of closed-circuit television on the east coast, especially in the Philadelphia area.  However, they do have a stable of fighters that they manage and have a ton of relationships that run deep into all areas of the sport.  As a result, fight fans in the Philadelphia area are treated to a handful of fight cards each year.  During the past two years, these shows have taken place at the Xcite Center located inside of Parx Casino.  Last Friday seemed to be an exciting local show that featured five fights.  There were some knockouts and a farewell to the always hard-working Jamaal Davis, a super middleweight from Philadelphia that never reached the likes of Madison Square Garden or the elite level, but always gave paying fans his best effort both in victory and defeat.  His loss in a six round fight marked the end of his career.

After four fights, the fourth being another quality victory by the recently signed to Lou Dibella Entertainment Jr. lightweight Joshafat Ortiz (7-0) (4 KO’s), Ortiz needed six rounds to out work and out box Anderw Bentley an awkward southpaw.  It was then time for the main event, featuring another local fighter signed to Lou Dibella, lightweight Stevie Ortiz.  What took place next after the bell sounded for round one was eight non-stop edge of your seat rounds of pure action.  Ortiz started out by taking a lead in the fight by out boxing his determined opponent Alejandro Salinas.  In the second round, Ortiz, thinking he had hurt Salinas, moved in for the kill but was greeted by a thunderous left hook from Salinas that floored Ortiz.  Clearly hurt, Ortiz was still shaking off the buzz from the knockdown in the prior round when he again started to establish control in the third, only to once again show his willingness to exchange power shots.         

When Ortiz landed on his back, being dropped this time by a right hand in the third round, it seemed like the fans were witnessing an upset win for Salinas.  Unlike the first knockdown where Ortiz was able to get up with a clear mind, this time he was clearly one more power shot away from being completely knocked out.  To his credit, Ortiz was aware of this fact and started to hold and move around the ring to avoid the nail in the coffin shot from Salinas.  Being down two rounds to one after three in an eight-round fight is not often hard to overcome, but with both of those rounds featuring knockdowns, Ortiz was down three points.

War back into the fight is what Ortiz needed to do and he did.  With his prospects of victory all but dead in the water, Ortiz changed the tide into him potentially regaining control of the action.  He did this by utilizing his boxing skills and a powerful overhand right that continued to connect from a distance to the side of Salinas’ head.  Over the next five rounds, fans got all types of continued drama in each round as both warriors struggled to assert themselves as the dominant fighter of each three-minute stanza.  They both got hurt or were stunned on numerous occasions.  There was no let-up in either fighter and both fighters swung for the fences as the ringside clapper went off to signify ten seconds remaining in the fight.  Fans rose to their feet and applauded both men for their effort, resourcefulness, determination, and mostly for the exciting entertainment they granted everyone lucky enough to witness their fight.  Ortiz would walk out of the ring the victor winning a majority decision with two judges scoring the fight 76-74 and the third having it even 75-75.  With the victory, Ortiz improves to 11-0 (3 KO’s), while the game Salinas dropped to 10-3 (9 KO’s).  This fight could easily be granted the honor of Philadelphia fight of the year for the almost completed 2019.

Peltz Promotions turns 50 

Next Friday night, October 4th, from the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia, the boxing community will be celebrating the golden anniversary of J. Russell Peltz’s involvement with the sport.  Peltz has been the king of boxing in Philadelphia and has a long and beautiful history with the sport, that at times in his life’s journey has played various roles.  It’s been his savior, a place of refuge, and his passion.  Along with whatever else he has needed it to be to survive.  Emily Pandelakis wrote a wonderful feature story that detailed all the ways that Peltz has impacted boxing history, as well as the ways boxing has impacted the history of Russell Peltz as a man.  Click here to read the piece, it was truly wonderfully done.

As for the actual night of action on October 4th, Michelle Rosado of Raging Babe has put together her second show at 2300 Arena to honor her mentor that will feature an eight-fight card.  Local fighters like Marcel “Celly” Rivers, Osnel Charles will be featured on the card, along with an appealing rematch between Isaiah Wise against Roque Zapata. Zapata gave Wise one of his losses.  The main event features a young prospect that has all the tools and natural ability to go far in the sport, as Victor Padilla fights for the second time this year after almost a two-year absence from the ring.  At the age of just twenty, time is still on his side.

Stay tuned for a feature article next week that will look at just how after 50 years in the sport, Russell Peltz feels about the business and the way things have changed since he first started promoting fights in 1969.  Tickets for the show are still available but are going fast.  Contact (215) 765-0922 to purchase your seats for this historic night.

Jaron Ennis returns 10/5 

One of the most talked about young contenders in the sport, Jaron “Boots” Ennis (23-0) (21 KO’s) returns to the ring on October 5th.  He will be featured as the co-feature of a Showtime Championship Boxing card.  In the main event, Claressa Shields will try to capture the WBO junior middleweight championship against Ivana Habazin.  This fight is a homecoming for Shields as it takes place in Flint, Michigan.  For Ennis, this is just his second fight in 2019, after being one of the most active prospects in the sport since turning professional in 2016.  His long lay-off was due to some issues from a managerial standpoint, but with all things cleared up, he continues to march forward to prove that he is indeed the future of the division and the sport.

Next week we will look at just what some of those issues were that kept him sidelined for the majority of 2019, why he feels that it hasn’t stopped his progression, and his answer to many critics who look at his record and feel that he has faced soft opposition to pad his record.  Stay tuned to The Weigh-In for continued coverage, along with a look at the unification welterweight fight between Erol Spence and Shawn Porter this Saturday night on Fox pay-per-view

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PELTZ BOXING: A LIFE-LONG LOVE STORY

J Russell Peltz Celebrates Half Century in Boxing

By Emily Pandelakis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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South Philly’s Phinest

By Luis A. Cortes III

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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Sonny Conto Interview

By Luis A. Cortes III

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

Sonny Conto

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

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

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

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