2019 Philadelphia Boxing Round Up

By Frank Bartolini

The tremendous year of boxing in the “City of Brotherly Love” came to an end on Friday December 6^th at The 2300 Arena.  Washington DC native, junior welterweight, Mykel Fox had his hand raised after winning a ten round unanimous decision over John Arellano of Texas signaling the end of a fabulous year of pro prizefighting. Fittingly the area’s most prolific promoter Marshall Kauffman’s Kings Promotions delivered the action.

Kauffman once again was the most prolific promoter locally. In October, Kauffman in conjunction with Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), brought world class talent to the area showcasing Robert Easter Jr.’s win over Adrian Granados, and top ranked junior middleweight Erickson Lubin in his hometown Reading, PA. Without Kauffman promoting close to a dozen shows in and around the Delaware River Valley, the area’s fight scene would hardly survive, yet alone thrive.

The excitement all started back in February when Michelle Rosado’s Raging Babe kicked the year off promoting her first event in Philly at the 2300 Arena. A solid fight card became mythological when flaming hot prospect, Christian Carto was poleaxed and laid out on the canvas by Mexican tumbler Victor Ruiz in round 2. Leaving the venue on a stretcher, Carto’s future was in doubt, meanwhile Rosado cemented her credentials as a promoter within the municipality.

“A night at the opera” - It appeared that Hard Hitting Promotions was going to a have a phenomenal year when close to 3,500 spectators packed into the newly refurbished Metropolitan Opera House (The Met) on North Broad Street. That night a couple of hometown undefeated participants of Puerto Rican extraction squared off in the main event for more than a victory. On the line for combatants Steven Ortiz and Jeremy Cuevas was neighbor and ethnic bragging rights. Ortiz won easily over eight rounds. Hard Hitting returned to “The Met” a few more times but nothing compared to the virgin experience in the opera house.

TOP RANK BOXING! Bob Arum is committed to bringing world renowned talent to Philadelphia. Checking the temperature of the water, Arum dipped his toe in last march when he promoted Oleksandr Gvozdyk’s successful WBC Light Heavyweight title defense against Doudou Ngumbu. Also seeing action that night, Philly native “the New” Ray Robinson drew with highly rank and touted Lithuanian Egidijus Kavaliauskas. Many of those ringside believed Robinson deserved the nod. Other spectators felt if Robinson turned it up just a notch he would have clearly been victorious. Egidijus went on to give a good account of himself in his next fight, before getting kayoed in nine rounds versus WBO Welterweight King Terence Crawford in December at Madison Square Garden.

The show must go on - A freak accident had Carl Frampton pulling out of his fight at the Liacouras Center in August, less than two weeks beforehand. No one would blame Top Rank for cutting their losses and canceling the festivities altogether. Instead, former junior lightweight champ Jason Sosa was bumped up to main event status and pitted against unheralded Haskell Lydell Rhodes. Sosa kayoed Rhodes in seven. With no time to promote the change in the main event, the show drew poorly.  A few months later, Sosa went on to unsuccessfully challenge WBC Super Featherweight Champion Miguel Berchelt, getting finished off in four rounds.

Now the coup de grace occurred when Top Rank chose to come back to the Liacouras Center to pit two undefeated knockout artists in a light heavyweight unification match between WBC King Oleksandr Gvozdyk and IBF Monarch Artur Beterbiev. This pairing would have sold out major arenas in Las Vegas, Manhattan or Chicago. By choosing Philadelphia, Top Rank made a statement that it plans on being a major part of this city’s professional pugilism. Beterbiev stopped Gvozdyk in the tenth. Quality over quantity is why Top Rank should be considered for The Briscoe Award Promoter of the Year.

Once again the British invaded Philadelphia. Contrary to the American Revolution, this time the City of Brotherly Love welcomed the red coats with open rams as Matchroom USA promoted Tevin Farmer’s homecoming at the Liacouras Center, in what turned out to be the best night of fights for 2019. Jono Carroll of Ireland put forth a spirited and gallant effort in trying to wrest the crown from IBF Super Featherweight king Farmer.  The undercard showcased two potential Briscoe Award Fights of the Year. Philly resident Gabriel Rosado’s late round come back against Polish Maciej Sulecki was epic. Rosado lost a ten round unanimous decision but showed he is still a threat in the middleweight division. Unbelievable, unless you were in the arena early to witness Hank Lundy vs. Avery Sparrow, you missed one of the best pairings of two rival Philly boxers in a long time. DAZN cameras had not started rolling when this fight was occurring. Close to 1,500 of Katie Taylor’s faithful fans flew into Philly from the Emerald Isle to see her easily defend her undisputed lightweight laurels.

I went down to DC metro area to see Philly fighters showcase impressive skills in May where the scraps took place on the abandoned campus of George Mason University. Classes ended the day prior to Julian Williams shocking upset of Jarred Hurd. Not only did Williams ruin Hurd’s homecoming, he walked away with his IBF and WBA Super Welterweights belts. West Philly had proud moments when Stephen Fulton put on a flawless performance on the undercard.

Happy New Year! Keep Punching!

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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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Philly Opera House

By Frank Bartolini

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Matt Ward, Ringside

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Evander Holyfield's Real Deal Showcase Series I - Friday, January 26, 2018 (Philadelphia, PA)

Numerous stars of boxing were out last night in Philadelphia for Evander Holyfield's The Real Deal Boxing show. Evander Holyfield, Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks, Buster Drayton, Bert Cooper, Kevin Howard, Lionel Byarm, and Jacqui Frazier-Lyde were all in attendance to see the promotion's inaugural show at the SugarHouse Casino in South Philadelphia. The card featured seven professional bouts in weight classes ranging from lightweight to cruiserweight.

The opening bout of the evening featured welterweights, Janelson Bocachica (9-0-0, 6 KOs) and Victor Eddy Gaytan (2-4-0, 1 KO) in a six round bout. In the first round, Bocachica fought aggressively and pinned his opponent against the ropes with a barrage of punches. Mexico's Gaytan was knocked down in the second round by a Bocachica right hand to the head. The Mexican recovered from this knockdown to fight valiantly through the next two rounds. In the fifth round, it was evident that his opponent's punches were taking their toll physically on Gaytan, who had bad swelling under his right eye. The end came at the 13 second mark of the fifth round when Detroit's Bocachica connected with another hard right to the head that sent his opponent to the canvas. This was Bocachica's second straight win by knockout.

Middleweights, Edgar Berlanga (7-0-0, 7 KOs) and Jaime Barboza (19-14-0, 9 KOs) were scheduled to fight in a six round bout. The New York native, Berlanga, looking to preserve his knockout streak had other plans for the length of the fight as he went on the offensive from the opening bell. Early in the first round, Barboza was knocked down by a left upper cut to the head. He recovered from this knockdown only to be knocked out by a vicious multi-punch combo to the head and body at the 2:42 mark of the first round.

The third bout of the evening featured local prospect, Brandon Robinson (9-1-0, 7 KOs) and Juan Celin Zapata (5-12-2, 3 KOs) of the Bronx, New York. Robinson made quick work of his opponent by knocking him out with a right hand to the head at the 1:50 mark of the first round of the super middleweight bout that was scheduled for six rounds. Robinson has now won nine straight fights since losing his professional debut in 2016 to Trenton's Mike Hilton.

Kennedy Katende (3-0, 1 KO) and Lyubomyr Pinchuk (4-1, 3 KOs) fought in the first and only fight to go to the judges' scorecards last night. The cruiserweights fought in a six round bout in which Katende controlled a bulk of the action. Pinchuk, the lengthy Ukranian fighter, was knocked down in the first round by a Katende left hook to the head. Pinchuk recovered from the knockdown, and stayed on his feet for the remainder of the contest. Katende controlled the tempo of the fight by effectively working his opponent's body. Pinchuk landed a series of multi-punch combos on his opponent, but the shots lacked power. Two judges scored the bout 59-54, with the third judge scoring the contest 58-55 all in favor of the winner by unanimous decision Kennedy Katende.

Philadelphia's Poindexter Knight (2-0, 2 KOs) fought Sunbury, Pennsylvania's Jordan Morales (2-4, 2 KOs) in a welterweight bout that was scheduled for four rounds. Knight came out as the aggressor after the opening bell rang, and bullied his opponent from the outset. Morales was knocked down by a Knight left hand to the head in the first round. Morales, clearly shaken from this knockdown, rose from the canvas only to be knocked out soon after by a two-punch combo of a left and right hand to the head that sent him crashing down to the canvas at the 2:19 mark of the first round.

The co-main event of the evening featured a welterweight contest between Jaron Ennis (18-0-0, 16 KOs) and Gustavo Garibay (13-10-2, 5 KOs). Philadelphia's Ennis appeared to hurt Garibay in the first round with a multi-punch combo, but the tough Mexican fighter managed to stay on his feet. Ennis dominated the second round, and closed out the round's action with a brutal multi-punch combo that was highlighted with big left and right hooks. Garibay answered the third round bell despite showing the damage on his face from the previous two rounds. Garibay took more damage in the third round, but the fighter managed to survive the round. Ennis continued to viciously beat Garibay throughout the fourth round. The referee stopped the bout after Ennis landed a hard right hook to Garibay's head. The action ended at the 2:14 mark of the fourth of six rounds, with Ennis winning by TKO.

The main event of the evening featured Philadelphia prospect, Steven Ortiz (8-0-, 3 KOs) and Washington D. C.'s Joshua Davis (11-3, 5 KO's). The two lightweights fought for the WBF North American Regional Junior Lightweight Title in a bout that was scheduled for eight rounds. Ortiz controlled the action through just under two rounds of boxing. In the second round, Ortiz sent Davis to the canvas three times. The first knockdown came after Ortiz connected with a left hook to Davis' head. The second knockdown came after Ortiz landed a brutal multi-punch combo to the head and body of his opponent. The third and final knockdown was the result of an Ortiz right hand to Davis' head. Referee Gary Rosato called an end to the bout at the 2:21 mark of the second round.

MW

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Evander Holyfield's Real Deal Showcase Series I - Bouts and Weights

Professional boxing returns to the SugarHouse Casino in South Philadelphia on January 26, 2018. Evander Holyfield's Real Deal Showcase Series I features a seven fight card headlined with an eight round main event between lightweights, Steven Ortiz (7-0, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia and Washington D.C.'s Joshua Davis (11-2, 5 KOs). Ortiz is coming off of a June 24th victory over Tyrome Jones (4-2-1, 1 KO). Davis suffered his second career defeat on October 19th at the hands of Ray Lampkin (11-0, 4 KOs). The card also features an eight round bout between welterweights, Jaron "Boots" Ennis (17-0, 15 KOs) and Gustavo Garibay (13-9-2, 5 KOs). Ennis, a tough fighter from Philadelphia, knocked out George Sosa (15-11-1, 15 KOs) in the second round of their December 1, 2017 bout.

Check out Luis Cortes' recent interview with Ennis!

Below are the bouts and weights for tomorrow night's card:

Steven Ortiz (7-0-0, 2 KOs) - 133.9 lbs. vs. Joshua Davis (11-2-0, 5 KO's) - 133.1 lbs. - eight rounds, lightweights

Jaron Ennis (17-0-0, 15 KOs) - 149.5 lbs. vs. Gustavo Garibay (13-9-2, 5 KOs) - 149.4 lbs. - six rounds, welterweights

Poindexter Knight (1-0-0, 1 KO) - 147.9 lbs. vs. Jordan Morales (2-3-0, 2 KOs) - 146.3 lbs. - four rounds, welterweights

Kennedy Katende (2-0-0, 1 KO) - 195.9 lbs. vs. Lyubomyr Pinchuk (4-0-0, 3 KOs) - 191.4 lbs. - six rounds, cruiserweights

Brandon Robinson (8-1-0, 6 KOs) - 168.1 lbs. vs. Juan Celin Zapata (5-11-2, 3 KOs) - 167.1 lbs. - six rounds, super middleweights

Edgar Berlanga (6-0-0, 6 KOs) - 163.5 lbs. vs. Jaime Barboza (19-13-0, 9 KOs) - 164.1 lbs. - six rounds, middleweights

Janelson Bocachica (8-0-0, 5 KOs) - 147.2 lbs. vs. Victor Eddy Gaytan (2-3-0, 1 KO) - 145.7 lbs. - six rounds, welterweights

MW

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Jaron "Boots" Ennis Interview

Luis Cortes recently interviewed Philadelphia welterweight boxer, Jaron "Boots" Ennis (17-0, 15 KOs). Ennis is preparing for his January 26, 2018 bout against Gustavo Garibay (13-9-2, 5 KOs). Ennis is coming off of a second round, knockout victory over George Sosa (15-11-1, 15 KOs) on December 1, 2017.

Check out their Bonus Round interview on both SoundCloud and iTunes:

Bonus Round - Jaron "Boots" Ennis Interview with Luis Cortes on SoundCloud

Bonus Round - Jaron "Boots" Ennis Interview with Luis Cortes on iTunes

This bout is part of Evander Holyfield's Real Deal Showcase Series I at the SugarHouse Casino in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 26, 2018. This eight fight card features an eight round main event between lightweights, Steven Ortiz (7-0, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia and Washington D.C.'s Joshua Davis (11-2, 5 KOs).

(Jaron "Boots" Ennis - Photo BoxRec.com)

-Luis A. Cortes III

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December 1st, Philadelphia

Speaking of the future, on Friday, December 1st, two fight cards took place in Philadelphia at the same time, one at the 2300 Arena and the other at the SugarHouse Casino.  Both cards featured current, local talent pushing towards title contention level as well as young prospects. Honestly, there was some discussion that the shows may hurt each other. However, this was far from the truth since both cards played to sold out, standing room only crowds, a testament to the matchmaking and promotional skills of both Hard Hitting and King’s Promotions.

Philadelphia is rich with talent on both of the aforementioned levels. Fighters like Ray Serrano and Joey Dawejko, who train in Los Angeles at the Wild Card Gym, continue to try and reinsert their names among the welterweight and heavyweight contender discussion, a status that after Serrano's last victory in Atlantic City and Dawejko's win at the SugarHouse seems to be just around the corner.

Welterweight Jaron "Boots" Ennis continues as a super prospect that is as active as any young fighter in the world. It seems like we are getting closer to the types of fights that may ask real questions from this super talent. Christian Carto, who is also a supreme prospect at bantamweight, finished his busy 2017 with his second decision victory, after posting his first eleven wins by knockout. His opposition continues to increase in terms of quality as this boxer-puncher continues to mature.  Lightweights Steve Ortiz, T.J. Velasquez, and Damon Allen Jr. are another set of supreme talents.

Hard Hitting Promotions has a young stable of talent with exciting fighters like super lightweights Samuel Teah, Jeremy Cuevas, and Branden Pizarro. Pizarro suffered his first loss at the SugarHouse after a great fight against another prospect Christian Rivera who is signed to Cotto Promotions. Despite the loss, Pizarro has the sky as his limit in terms of talent and desire. It will be fun to watch his return and future.

Of course there is the level of fighters like Jason Sosa, welterweight Ray Robinson (most ignored boxer in the sport), and Tevin Farmer. Farmer challenges for the vacant IBF Super Lightweight Championship this Saturday on HBO. These are fighters who are at the level that all of the aforementioned names and I'm sure I missed a few who are trying to reach for stardom. Jesse Hart will also return soon and be back in discussions for another super middleweight title shot.  

It is going to be my pleasure to continue to follow all of these local fighters. Some as they continue their progression from local fan favorite into serious contender and eventual world champion. Others as they continue to try and break through the tough ceiling in the sport, and gain opportunities to display their talents in front of the world. For that I have to say thank you to Miguel Cotto for not just the memories, but for the opportunity to be part of the sport, which will allow me to follow these talents up close and personal.                                

-Luis A. Cortes III

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King's Promotions Presents World Class Pro Boxing Featuring Carlos Rosario vs. Joshua Davis - Friday, May 19th (Philadelphia, PA)

On Friday, May 19th, I covered King's Promotions Presents World Class Pro Boxing Featuring Carlos Rosario vs. Joshua Davis from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The opening bout of the evening featured welterweights Vincent Floyd (3-2-1, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia and Rafael Montalvo (3-6-0, 3 KOs) of St. Clair, PA. In the third round of a scheduled four round contest, Floyd sent Montalvo to the canvas with a straight left to the head. Montalvo recovered from this knock down, only to be knocked down again by a Floyd straight left at the 1:26 mark of the round. Floyd won his third professional bout via TKO.

In a clash of winless junior welterweights, Demetrius Williams (1-2-0) defeated Antonio Allen (0-6-0) via a fourth round unanimous decision. All three judges had the bout scored 40-36 in favor of Williams.

In his professional debut, Gerardo Martinez (1-0-0, 1 KO), training out of the Phoenixville Area PAL, made quick work of Philadelphia’s Titos Gosalves (0-2-0). Martinez dropped Gosalves in the first round with an over hand right to the head. The referee called an end to the action at the 1:47 mark of the first round of a scheduled four round junior welterweight contest.

The fourth bout of the evening featured lightweights Steven Ortiz (6-0-0, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia and Hector Rivera (3-2-0, 2 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico in a six round contest. Rivera was knocked down by an Ortiz combo at the end of the first round. He recovered to answer the bell at the beginning of the second round. Midway through the second round, he was knocked down again with a left hook to the head. Rivera recovered from the knock down, only to be TKO’d by a series of devastating hooks at the 2:37 mark of the round.

Philadelphia’s Ty Crawley (7-0-0) squared off against Virginia’s Juan Rodriguez (7-7-0, 5 KOs) in a six round junior welterweight bout. Crawley controlled the bout through six rounds of boxing and walked away the winner via unanimous decision. Two judges had the bout scored 60-54, and the third scored the contest 59-55.

The sixth bout on the card featured lightweights Thomas Velasquez (9-0-0, 5 KOs) and Brandon Sanudo (5-4-0, 2 KOs). Velasquez, who is promoted by DSG Promotions, dominated the early rounds, and spent the later rounds chasing his Mexican opponent. The judges scored the bout 60-53, 60-54, and 60-54, all in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Philadelphia’s Thomas Velasquez.

In the co-main event of the evening, light heavyweights Amir Shabazz (4-1-0, 1 KO), a local fan favorite, and Antowyan Aikens (11-3-1, 1 KO) squared off in a six round bout. The fight remained competitive through six rounds of action with the decision going to the judges’ scorecards. One judged scored the bout 60-54, while the other two scored the bout 58-56, all in favor by the winner by unanimous decision Antowyan Aikens of Atlantic City.

The main event of the evening featured an eight round lightweight bout between Carlos Rosario (7-2-0, 4 KOs) and Joshua Davis (11-1-0, 5 KOs). From the outset, Davis was the more aggressive fighter. He landed a powerful body shot in the second round that appeared to hurt Rosario. Later in the second round, Davis connected with a left hook to the head that dropped Rosario. The stunned Rosario managed to get up and finish the round. In the seventh round, Rosario was knocked down again, after Davis’ right hand struck him in the head. Rosario managed to pull himself off the canvas only to be TKO’d by a brutal multi-punch combo that  left him dazed and defenseless. Referee Gary Rosato called a stop to the action at the 1:49 mark of the seventh round.

MW