Judgement Day in Bethlehem

By Chris Mealey

Describing the atmosphere and overall vibe within The Sands Casino boxing event would be similar to the weather surrounding the venue that night. A consistent display of thunder and lightning. The Weigh-In, along with the numerous fans in attendance were thrilled from start to finish. This is a recap of "Judgement Day" and each fight will be given a brief summary, starting from the first bout 

[Fight 1] Radzhab Butaev vs Silverio Ortiz 

This 6-round contest between welterweights started off with outside fighting, as Butaev established his jab early. Possibly the most fouls/warnings called of the night, followed by one rabbit punch that costed Butaev one point on the cards. Despite the deduction and some successful right hands by Ortiz, Butaev continued to win rounds through back peddling and fighting off the back foot, earning a unanimous decision (judges scored 59-54 and 58-55 on two cards).

[Fight 2] Khainell Wheeler vs George Sheppard 

"Thunder and Lightning" was the vibe and that electrifying energy was brought on early through Wheeler's pro debut. From controlling the ring with great generalship and  huge body shots that forced Sheppard into putting the ear muffs on. The fight ended up getting stopped early at 2:47 into the first round and with that a big debut for Wheeler.

[Fight 3]  Janelson Bocachica  vs Garbor Gorbics 

Boacachica engaged by keeping Gorbics on the ropes, landing combinations. A comfortable first round would set the tempo for even more dominance by Boacachica, landing at will round after round, though Gorbics showed much heart and took every punch well. The punishment by the end of round three would be too much for Gorbics' cornermen, as they would stop the contest before opening the next round.

[Fight 4] Yeuri Andujar  vs. Edgar Cortes

There's always at least one fight that is difficult to score due to close rounds by two aggressive boxers. The fight between Adujar and Cortes would be the first bout of the night to fit that category.  Round number 1 bounced between outside boxing and then with combination punching by both men, suddenly Andujar went down from a a mix of bad footing and a punch landing, hence a legit knockdown getting scored. Yeuri charged in round 2, scored a big right to put Cortes down, making up for the last round. Cortes looked for the lefts and was smothered at times, then Cortes found the left to get a knockdown of his own. This was arguably fight of the night and from round 3 onward, there was success in both boxers that led to a majority decision. One judge scored it a draw at  56-56 and  two had scored 57-56 declaring Yeuri Andujar the winner.

[Fight 5] Ricky Nuno vs. Rasheed Johnson 

Tactical first round and start to this fight. Both boxers felt the jab out and then changed tempo in round 2 after Johnson landed the first big right hand.  Johnson found rhythm from round 3 onward, jabbing the nose causing Nuno to bleed, occasionally dropping his hands. Johnson charged in round 5, landing BIG shots as the blood poured from Nuno's nose got worse. Huge heart shown by Nuno, but the fight would be stopped before the next round - earning Rasheed Johnson a victory

[Fight 6] (ABO championship bout) Martino Jules vs. Danny Flores 

Possibly the 'boxing clinic" of the night. The intellect and overall ring IQ the flashy Martino Jules was astonishing to say the least. Round 1 can actually describe the majority of the fight by Jules, as the southpaw landed significant left hands at will, utilized eye friendly footwork and defense, and simply dominated. Jules must really love this sport, because the boxer was full of smiles even during the few times he was hit flush.  A clear unanimous decision was earned for Jules, as all three judges scored the fight 60-54.

[Fight 7] Fight 7 Jonathan Torres vs. Jerrod Miner

Round 1, the boxers were feeling their jabs out. Good counters by Miner at the start of the bout, Torres answered back each time with strong combos. This was the tempo set for the rest of the fight, more counters by Miner, but slightly more pressure and effective punching by Torres. Miner appeared desperate for a knockout in the final round, as he charged in throwing everything he had forcing Torres to use his defense and footwork. A strong finish by Torres would lead him to a unanimous decision victory, earning scores of 39-37 and 40-36 by two judges.

[Fight 8] Erik Spring vs. Nicholas Hernandez 

This writer emphasized "fight of the night" with a previous bout, but as the co-main event, the clash between these skilled jr. middleweights proved to have the most energy as well as entertainment. Both southpaws measured their jabs from the opening bell with Spring landing combos, Hernandez pressured well, but also fought effectively on the outside. Body work by both boxers turned into long exchanges until the end of the first round. The tempo was set from that point on, and the crowd roared for the rest of the fight. When Hernandez, or Spring looked to be struggling, the thunderous chants of "Nikki!" Or "Erik!" appeared to wake up the fighters, seemingly giving them extra stamina and punch output. Each round was similar in that sense and the boxers had spent a lot of time fighting in the pocket, landing stark punches until the final round. The fans around me all had mixed opinions on who won, some even calling it a draw. It would be Spring who acquired the unanimous decision with all judges scoring the contest  77-75.

[Fight 9] Frank De Alba vs. Ruben Dario Lopez

The main event of Judgement Day may not be the highlight for most fans who were in attendance, considering there were hours of intense action prior. A somewhat slower start by the boxers, not wasting any energy and picking their punches carefully, Lopez "wore the ear muffs" as he spent a lot of time trying to block De Alba cutting corners with more aggression. De Alba banging the body, then came up top in what could best be described as the early rounds and overall, his aggression was the highlight of the entire fight. Lopez had some flashy footwork in the final rounds, but it was questionable as to why he didn't engage more to win rounds. It was a decisive performance by De Alba and three judges scored the fight 80-70, a clear sweep.

Another one in the books, and overall, a great night of boxing presented by Kings Promotions and Titian Boxing Promotions. Kings will have their next event in Philadelphia, at the 2300 Arena on May 10th for another night of action. The Weigh-In is looking forward to more intensive boxing bouts to come and we can only hope they continue to keep up with the potent atmosphere Judgement Day presented at The Sands Casino.

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Return to Bethlehem - Kings Promotions and Titans Boxing Promotions

By Chris Mealey

When it comes to combat sporting events in Bethlehem Pennsylvania, the name Kings Promotions are far from unknown and have been delivering promising boxing bouts for years. This Friday, on May 3rd at Sands Casino in Bethlehem, Kings returns with Titians Boxing Promotions for a night of pugilism entertainment.

Fight night will punch off by displaying two 4-round fights and four 6-rounders that will consist of boxers with diverse backgrounds. Some starting their pro careers late, others young and undefeated, as well as experienced veterans.

Talking about experienced vets in the ring, the main event between Frank De Alba and late replacement Ruben Dario Lopez is set to cap the night. De Alba (22-4-2) is familiar with the venue, as this will be his sixth pro fight at Sands. Coming over from Argentina, Lopez (12-13-4) is trying to bounce back from a loss in February and will be making his American debut as he takes on the southpaw from Reading. Pennsylvania. 

Doors open at 6pm, with the first fight starting at 7pm. The following is a fight card line-up (order not confirmed):

---*4 Round Fights---

Super Middleweight.

Khainell Wheeler (debut) vs. George Sheppard (1-7-1)

Bantamweight.

Jonathan Torres (2-0) vs. Jerrod Miner

---*6 Round Fights---

Welterweights.

Ricky Nuno (2-2) vs. Rasheed Johnson (5-2) 

Radzhab Butaev (11-0) vs. Silverio Ortiz (37-24)

Featherweight.

Martino Jules (5-0) vs. Danny Flores (15-15-1)

Bantamweight.

Yeuri Andujar (3-1) vs. Edgar Cortez (6-4-1)

---*8 Round Fights---

Welterweight.

Janelson Bocachica (13-0) vs. Garbor Gorbics (26-16)

Junior Middleweight.

Erik Spring (12-2-2) vs. Nicholas Hernandez (9-3-1)

---MAIN EVENT---

Super featherweight.

Frank De Alba (22-4-2) vs. Ruben Dario Lopez (12-13-4)

The month of May (Cinco De Mayo weekend) is considered a boxing holiday by inclined and passionate fight fans. Arguably the time of each year where this sport delivers some of the more memorable contests. From local clubs and gyms to modern apps and big venues - all presenting memories that are no different when emphasizing the fights in Bethlehem at Sands Casino.

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King's Promotions Presents Live Professional Boxing - Tuesday, February 13th (Bethlehem, PA)

Marshall Kauffman's King's Promotions returned to the Sands Bethlehem Event Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania last night with an eight fight card. The highlight of the evening for many boxing fans in attendance was an appearance by former boxing adversaries turned friends, Larry Holmes and Gerry Cooney. The two men, along with Reading, Pennsylvania heavyweight, Travis Kauffman, were called into the ring by announcer Alex Barbosa during the show's brief intermission.

The main event of the evening featured an eight round, welterweight bout between Maryland's Mykal Fox (16-0, 4 KOs) and the Dominican Republic's Ricardo Garcia (14-2, 9 KOs). The opening round set the tone for the battle of styles in the contest. Garcia looking to brawl with the lengthy and quick, Fox, landed several big shot on his opponent. Fox effectively moved around the ring avoiding Garcia's power shots, and scored points on clean punches that lacked power. Garcia's left eye began to swell up in the third round, and did not improve over the course of the remaining rounds. Fox took advantage of this impairment to Garcia's vision by landing several punches to the left side of his head. Garcia clearly frustrated with the swelling, went on the attack in the final seconds of the third round. The onslaught ended with the sound of the bell. In the fifth round, Garcia pinned Fox up against the ropes, and landed a series of punches, including a big right hook to the head, that caught Fox's attention. Fox being the more crafty fighter, managed to escape his opponent, and avoid a potential knockdown. In the seventh round, Fox again took advantage of Garcia's swollen left eye by hitting him with a big right hook to the head on his "blind side". This punch sent Garcia to the canvas. Despite recovering from the knockdown, the wind had clearly been taken out of Garcia's sails by this point. The judges ringside scored the bout 77-74 and 78-73 twice, for the winner by unanimous decision, Mykal Fox.

The co-feature bout of the evening featured former world champion, Kermit Cintron (39-6-3, 30 KOs), and Marquis Taylor (8-1). From the opening bell, this super welterweight fight had all the makings of what could be considered a dirty fight. Houston's Taylor looking to even the field against the veteran Cintron landed a number of rabbit punches on the former IBF World Welterweight Champion. Referee Eric Dali warned Taylor once about the rabbit punches in the first round, but Taylor continued to hit Cintron in the back of the head after the one and only warning. Taylor hit Cintron with a low blow in the second round that briefly stopped the action. By the third round, Cintron clearly frustrated by the lack of warnings for illegal blows, was wrapped up with Houston near the center of the ring. Before the referee could break the two men up, Taylor hit Cintron above the right eye with what was later determined to be an accidental headbutt. The action ended as a no contest at the 35 second mark of the third round, of a scheduled eight round contest.

Heavyweights, Colby Madison (6-0-1, 4 KOs) and Dante Selby (2-4-1) fought in a six round bout. Madison landed the one and only punch in the first round on his southpaw opponent from Philadelphia. The product of Owings Mills, Maryland looked to pick up the pace in the fight by going on the offensive at the beginning of the second round when he threw a series of wild punches that didn't find their mark. The remainder of the bout was uneventful with the two big men hanging all over one another until the closing bell rang. The judges scored the bout 60-54 and 59-55 twice, in favor of Colby Madison.

The matchmaker(s) for the featherweight battle between Malik Lofton (1-1, 1 KO) Martino Jules (3-0) should be commended. This fight was extremely close and competitive from the opening round until the bell marking the end of the fourth round rang. In the first round, both fighters exchanged big shots. Jules scored a knockdown on Lofton in the second round when he connected on a straight left to his opponent's head. Lofton rose from the canvas, and landed a straight left to Jules' face that busted open his nose. The two men continued to slug it out as blood ran down Jules' face. The third round was highlighted by hard punches and exchanges. Both men were looking for the big knockout during this round. In the fourth and final round, Lofton hit Jules with a big right hand to the face, that appeared to hurt his opponent. Unfortunately for Lofton, he was not able to capitalize on this attack. The judges scored the bout 39-38 and 38-37 twice, in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Martino Jules.

Florida's Sergio Aguilar (2-7, 2 KOs) faced the hometown fan favorite, Juan Sanchez (5-0, 2 KOs) in a four round, featherweight contest. To the delight of the crowd, Sanchez went to work early on his opponent. In the first round, he scored a knockdown with a left-right combo to Aguilar's head. He followed this knockdown up with a series of unopposed hard left hooks to Aguilar's body as the first round ended. In the second round, it appeared that Aguilar slipped on the canvas, however, referee Gary Rosato ruled it a knockdown. To quiet any doubters in the audience and reassure his opponent of his power, Sanchez sent Aguilar to the canvas with a multi-punch combo later in the second round. Aguilar pulled himself up from the canvas only to be taunted by Sanchez, who danced around the hurt fighter with his hands behind his back. The third round began with a hard exchange between the two fighters in a neutral corner. Aguilar demonstrated his resilience in this round by refusing to be knocked down again. Sanchez threw everything at Aguilar but the kitchen sink in the fourth round. His aggression paid off at the 2:55 mark of the fourth and final round when Sanchez was able to knockout Aguilar with a vicious multi-punch combo.

Asbury Park, New Jersey's Darryl Bunting (3-3-2, 1 KO) stepped into the ring against tough
super middleweight, Blake Mansfield (6-1-1, 4 KOs), hoping to keep his career record above .500. Unfortunately for the Jersey Shore fighter, Blake Mansfield had other plans for him. In the opening round, Bunting was immediately put on the defensive. A barrage of punches late in the round sent Bunting stumbling into his corner. To make matters worse, as the second round began, a cut appeared next to Bunting's right eye. Mansfield pounded Bunting with brutal hooks to the head throughout the second round. Bunting attempted to rally late in the second round, and landed a series of big hooks to Mansfield's body. Mansfield returned to the role of aggressor in the third round, when he hurt Bunting with a right upper cut to the jaw. Bunting managed to hold his own for a bulk of the fourth round, until Mansfield connected on a right hand to his jaw late in the round. This punch sent Bunting staggering, dazed into his corner. By this point, Mansfield and his corner smelt blood in the water. He viciously attacked Bunting in the opening seconds of the round with a series of different punches to the head and body. Referee Eric Dali saw enough at the 36 second mark of the fifth round of a scheduled six round fight.

New York's Michael Coffie (2-0, 1 KO) stepped into the blue corner last night with a clear size advantage over Jersey City's Nicoy Clarke (0-1). In the first round of the heavyweight contest, Coffie landed a series of big hooks and upper cuts that kept his opponent covered up. Towards the end of the round, Clarke caught the confident Coffie with an overhand left to the head that appeared to hurt the big man. As the second round kicked off, Coffie crushed Clarke with upper cuts to the head and body. This caused Clarke, who was making his pro debut, to fight extra cautious in fear of his opponent's power. By the end of the second round, blood was streaming out of Clarke's nose. Clarke attempted to pick up some momentum in the third round only to run into Coffie upper cuts that pushed the heavyweight back. As the third round progressed, Clarke tried to taunt Coffie. These taunts were punished with crushing hooks. In the fourth and final round, Clarke's toughness was proven as he absorbed vicious Coffie shots to the head and body. All three judges scored the bout 40-36 in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Michael Coffie.

The opening bout of the evening featured a four round, light heavyweight match between Kendall Cannida (1-0) and Leroy Jones (2-2, 2 KOs). Cannida, who was making his professional debut, let his hands go in the first round. He hit Jones with several big straight left hands in the opening frame. He hurt Jones in the second round with a multi-punch combo to the head and body. In the fourth round, it was evident that Cannida was looking for the knockout. He unloaded a series of punches on Jones in the opening minute of the round, and ended the bout swinging wildly at his opponent. All three ringside judges scored the bout 40-36 in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Kendall Cannida.

MW

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Premier Boxing Champions Returns to Sands Bethlehem Event Center on 9/19

Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) returns to Sands Bethlehem Event Center in Pennsylvania on September 19th. The card, which is promoted by King's Promotions, will air on FS1 starting at 9 PM EST. As of now, the card features 11 professional bouts. The televised matches on this FS1 "Toe-to-Toe Tuesdays" card includes a ten round, junior welterweight contest between Mario Barrios (19-0, 11 KOs) and Naim Nelson (13-3, 1 KO), and an eight round, featherweight bout between Stephen Fulton (11-0, 5 KOs) and Adam Lopez (8-0, 3 KOs). Barrios, a San Antonio native, is coming off an impressive knockout victory over Jose Luis Rodriguez (22-10, 13 KOs). Barrios faces Philadelphia's Naim Nelson, who has lost his last two bouts to Tre'Sean Wiggins (8-3-1, 6 KOs) and Alejandro Luna (22-0, 15 KOs).

Philly's Stephen Fulton, who is no stranger to fighting at Sands Casino, last fought and defeated Luis Rosario (8-1-1, 7 KOs) at the event center. His opponent, Adam Lopez, is an orthodox fighter from Glendale, CA. He most recently boxed Paul Romero (7-1-1, 1 KO), who he defeated by majority decision.

Tomorrow night's card also features the following non-televised bouts:

Earl Newman vs. Paul Parker, eight rounds, light heavyweights

Jimmy Kelleher vs. George Sheppard, four rounds, super middleweights

Gary Antonio Russell vs. Cristian Renteria, six rounds, bantamweights

Gary Antuanne Russell vs. Jesus Lule, four rounds, junior welterweights

Ryan Wilczak vs. Devin McMaster, four rounds, middleweights

Jeffrey Torres vs. TBA, four rounds, junior welterweights

Thomas Velasquez vs. Tyrome Jones, six rounds, lightweights

Juan Sanchez vs. Gorwar Karyah, four rounds, featherweights

Harold Lopez vs. Manuel Guerra, four rounds, bantamweights

Doors at 4:30 PM EST with live boxing at 6:30 PM.

Tickets can be purchased through the Sands Bethlehem Event Center website and the box office.

MW

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King's Promotions Presents Premier Boxing Champions: Miguel Cruz vs. Alex Martin Official Weigh-In

On June 26th, I attended the official weigh-in for King's Promotions Presents Premier Boxing Champions: Miguel Cruz vs. Alex Martin at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, PA. Prior to the weigh-in, I had the opportunity to interview Philadelphia fighter, Avery Sparrow (6-1-0, 3 KOs).

Sparrow will take on Isaelin Florian (6-0-0, 3 KOs) of the Dominican Republic, who is making his U.S. debut, in a six round, featherweight bout on June 27th.

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

Bonus Round - Boxer Avery Sparrow Discusses his Upcoming Bout on June 27th on SoundCloud

Bonus Round - Boxer Avery Sparrow Discusses his Upcoming Bout on June 27th on iTunes

Tickets for this great night of professional boxing be purchased via the following link: 

Sands Event Center 

MW