The Matt Ward History Experience : Article - Police Athletic League

The Matt Ward History Experience : Article - Police Athletic League: An article I wrote for the  The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia  on the history of the Police Athletic League in the greater Philadelph...

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

The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast Episode #8 (Jimmy Deoria - Former Lightweight Boxing Champion)

The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast Episode #8

The Weigh-In Episode #8 on SoundCloud

The Weigh-In Episode #8 on iTunes

The eighth episode of The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast features my interview with former professional boxer and trainer Jimmy Deoria. Jimmy captured the USA Pennsylvania State Lightweight Title on February 13, 1993 with a TKO victory over Gene Reed in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He retired from boxing in 1996 with a record of 20 wins, 7 losses, and zero draws. In 1999, he founded the Phoenixville Area Police Athletic League (PAL) boxing program. Jimmy currently manages and trains fighters from Pennsylvania.Jimmy currently serves as a police office in Schuylkill Township, Pennsylvania.

For more information on Jimmy Deoria, please visit the following websites:

Jimmy Deoria's BoxRec Page

Phoenixville Area PAL Boxing Program Page

Phoenixville Area PAL Facebook Page

The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast is brought to you by One Stone Recording and Mastering in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Check out One Stone Recording and Mastering for all of you mixing and mastering needs. Go to onestonerecording.com/theweighin and receive 10% off your first session!

One Stone Recording and Mastering

MW

The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast Episode #7 (Promoter Joe DeGuardia)

The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast Episode #7 

The Weigh-In Episode #7 on SoundCloud

The Weigh-In Episode #7 on iTunes

The seventh episode of The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast features my interview with boxing promoter Joe DeGuardia. Joe runs Star Boxing in White Plains, New York. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Star Boxing! Star Boxing fighters include Chris Algieri, Demetrius Andrade and Joe Smith Jr.

For more information on Joe DeGuardia and Star Boxing, please visit the following websites:

Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing Page

Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing Facebook Page

Twitter - @starboxing

The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast is brought to you by One Stone Recording and Mastering in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Check out One Stone Recording and Mastering for all of you mixing and mastering needs. Go to onestonerecording.com/theweighin and receive 10% off your first session!

One Stone Recording and Mastering

MW

Steve Weisfeld Interview

I will interview boxing judge and New Jersey Boxing Hall of Famer Steve Weisfeld on Monday, April 24th. The interview will be featured on an upcoming episode of our biweekly podcast The Weigh-In. Steve is a New Jersey based attorney and boxing judge. He can often be seen judging boxing matches throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. 

Steve has judged over a thousand professional bouts including Riddick Bowe vs. Andrew Golota I and II, Lennox Lewis vs. Michael Grant, Wladimir Klitschko vs. Sam Peter, Arturo Gatti vs. Micky Ward I, James Toney vs. Vassily Jirov, Bernard Hopkins vs. Kelly Pavlik, Chris Byrd vs. Evander Holyfield, Evander Holyfield vs. Hassim Rahman, Felix Trinidad vs. Ricardo Mayorga, Arturo Gatti vs. Ivan Robinson I, and Gennady Golovkin vs. Daniel Jacobs. 

For more information on Steve Weisfeld, please visit the following websites:

Steve Weisfeld's BoxRec Page

Steve Weisfeld's New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame Page

MW

The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast Episode #6 (Historian Gordon Bond)

The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast Episode #6

The Weigh-In Episode #6 on SoundCloud 

The Weigh-In Episode #6 on iTunes

The sixth episode of The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast features my interview with historian Gordon Bond. Gordon runs the history website Garden State Legacy and is the author of three books on New Jersey history. In his most recent book, Wicked Woodbridge & Crazy Carteret, Gordon wrote about the 1926 Carteret race riot. This race riot was incited by the murder of a popular local boxer Johnny Carroll by a black man named Robert Ducrest (aka George Ducrest).

For more information on Gordon Bond, Garden State Legacy, and boxer Johnny Carroll, please visit the following websites:

Garden State Legacy Page

Garden State Legacy Facebook Page

Garden State Legacy YouTube Page

Gordon Bond Amazon Author Page

Johnny Carroll BoxRec Page

John "Johnny" Carroll Find a Grave Page

Twitter - @GB_GSL

(Boxer Johnny Carroll)

The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast is brought to you by One Stone Recording and Mastering in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Check out One Stone Recording and Mastering for all of you mixing and mastering needs. Go to onestonerecording.com/theweighin and receive 10% off your first session!

One Stone Recording and Mastering

MW

The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast Episode #5 (Curtis Parker - Former Middleweight Boxing Champion)

The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast Episode #5

The Weigh-In Episode #5 on SoundCloud 

The Weigh-In Episode #5 on iTunes

The fifth episode of The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast features my interview with former USBA Middleweight Champion and middleweight contender Curtis Parker. Curtis fought professionally from 1977 to 1988 and is just one of the many great fighters to come out of the City of Brotherly Love. During his career, Curtis compiled a record of 29 wins, 9 losses, and zero draws.

On May 4, 1980, Curtis defeated Mike Colbert for the USBA Middleweight Title in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Parker fought his final professional bout on March 19, 1988 in Las Vegas, Nevada. In this bout, Curtis was defeated by Michael Nunn for the NABF Middleweight Title bout.

For more information on Curtis Parker, please visit the following websites:

Curtis Parker's BoxRec Page

Curtis Parker's Philly Boxing History.com Page

Curtis Parker's New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame Page

The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast is brought to you by One Stone Recording and Mastering in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Check out One Stone Recording and Mastering for all of you mixing and mastering needs. Go to onestonerecording.com/theweighin and receive 10% off your first session!

One Stone Recording and Mastering

MW

Lou Esa Interview

I will interview former professional boxer and New Jersey Boxing Hall of Famer Lou Esa on Monday, April 10th. The interview will be featured on an upcoming episode of our biweekly podcast The Weigh-In. Lou is currently on the training staff of GH3 Boxing Gym in Woodland Park, New Jersey.

As an amateur boxer, Esa compiled an impressive record of 7-1 with his only loss to future heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. Lou fought professionally from 1975 to 1981, and compiled a record of 19 wins, 6 losses, and 1 draw. On October 22, 1977, Esa fought future WBA World Heavyweight champion, John Tate. 

For more information on Lou Esa, please visit the following websites:

Lou Esa's BoxRec Page

Lou Esa's New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame Page

GH3 Boxing Gym's Facebook Page

Twitter - @louesa52

MW

Greg Cohen Promotions Presents a Night of Boxing on SNY/Super Brawl III - Thursday, March 23rd (Randolph, NJ)

On Thursday, March 23rd, I had the opportunity to cover Greg Cohen Promotions Presents a Night of Boxing on SNY from the Skylands Event and Conference Center in Randolph, New Jersey.

The opening bout of the evening featured southpaw light heavyweights, Parisian Frederic Julan (4-0-0, 2 KOs), training out of Brooklyn, and Jermaine Corley (0-6-0) of Concord, North Carolina by way of Harlem. Julan, who weighed in at 174 pounds, controlled the four round contest over his lighter opponent, Corley, who weighed in at 170 pounds. In the third round, Julan knocked down his opponent with a left hand to the body, followed by a left-right combo to the head and body. Corley recovered from the knock down only to be dominated in the fourth and final round of the bout. The end came at the 2:51 mark of the fourth round, after Julan landed a vicious multi-punch combo to win the match by TKO.

The second bout of the evening featured Kazakhstan’s Aidos Yerbossynuly (5-0-0, 5 KOs) and Georgia’s Riarus Dudley (5-2-1, 2 KOs). Middleweights Yerbossynuly, who made his U.S. professional debut, weighed in at 162 pounds while Corley weighed in at 166 pounds. Early in the second round, Corley retreated to a neutral corner after appearing to injure his left hand. Corley, the loser by TKO, was unable to continue with the fight 39 seconds into the second round of a scheduled six round bout.

Russian welterweight Yurik Mamedov (5-0-0, 3 KOs) faced Francis Gakpetor (2-3-0, 2 KOs) of Ghana in the third contest of the evening. In the second round of a scheduled six round bout, Mamedov backed his opponent into the ropes with a series of hooks. He followed up these hooks with a multi-punch combo to the body and head. Referee Sparkle Lee called an end to the action at the 1:15 mark of the round.

Bronx based fighter Enver Halili (9-0-0, 3 KOs), the brother of Skender, fought veteran Nicaraguan boxer Ariel Vasquez (13-17-2, 9 KOs) in a six round super welterweight bout. The 147 pound Vasquez was knocked down by a Halili left to the body in the fourth round. Vasquez, who was clearly hurt, got back up to his feet to complete the round. Soon after, the tough veteran fighter’s night came to an end when he was unable to answer the bell for the fifth round. The elder Halili brother walked away the winner by TKO over an opponent who is rarely knocked out, despite having a losing career record.

In the fifth bout of the night, Paterson native Ian Green (12-1-0, 9 KOs) fought Utica’s Andy Mejias (15-1-0, 6 KOs). Mejias, who had not fought since 2013, kept the fight competitive. Both middleweights battled through six rounds of action, which at times seemed too close to call. When the smoke finally cleared, Green captured a majority decision victory over Mejias. One judge scored the bout a draw 57-57, while the other two officials scored the bout 58-56.

The six round main event featured super welterweights Skender Halili (14-1-0, 13 KOs) of the Bronx and Eduardo Flores (25-26-3, 15 KOs) of Ecuador. The younger Halili brother dominated the tough Ecuadorian through all six rounds of the contest. The judges scored the bout 60-54, all in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Skender Halili.

Following the conclusion of this evening's card, I had the opportunity to speak with welterweight boxer Thomas "Cornflake" LaManna of Rising Promotions. LaManna answered questions about tonight's card, his next bout, and Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Jason Sosa.

Below are links to my Bonus Round interview with Thomas "Cornflake" LaManna:

Boxer Thomas LaManna of Rising Promotions on SoundCloud

Boxer Thomas LaManna of Rising Promotions on iTunes

MW

Travis Kauffman vs. Amir Mansour - Friday, March 17th (Reading, PA)

On Friday, March 17th, I had the opportunity to cover the Travis Kauffman vs. Amir Mansour boxing card from the Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania.

The card opened with a four round super featherweight bout between local fan favorite Matt Quirindongo (1-0-0) and Wilmington’s Weusi Johnson (2-3-0). Johnson was knocked down in the second round after Quirindongo landed a left hook to the head. Johnson recovered from the knock down and fought until the final bell rang. Quirindongo won his professional debut by unanimous decision with the judges scoring the bout 40-35, 40-35, and 39-36.

The second bout of the evening featured Pennsylvania super lightweights Jesus Perez (2-0-0, 1 KO) and Titos Matthew Gosalves (0-1-0). Gosalves recovered from a second round knockdown to finish the fight. All three judges scored the four round bout 39-36 in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Jesus Perez.

Reading’s Kashon Hutchinson (2-2-0, 1 KO) and Darius Ervin (4-1-0) of Los Angeles fought in a four round, super lightweight bout. Ervin won the bout via majority decision, with the judgers scoring the contest 38-38, 39-37, and 39-37. 

The fourth bout featured Erik Spring (9-1-2, 1 KO) of Reading and Jeremiah Wiggins (10-6-1, 5 KOs) of Newport News, Virginia. Wiggins was deducted a point in the fourth round after spitting out his mouthpiece multiple times. The six round, junior middleweight bout went to the judges’ scorecards, with all three judges scoring the contest in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Erik Spring. (60-53, 60-53, and 59-54). 

Super featherweights Chris Colbert (6-0-0, 2 KOs) of Brooklyn and Wilfredo Garriga (3-5-1, 2 KOs) of Puerto Rico squared off in a six round contest. All three judges scored the bout 60-54 in favor of Colbert. 

In his return to the ring, cruiserweight Steve Cunningham (29-8-1, 13 KOs) defeated Mexico’s Felipe Romero (19-12-1, 13 KOs) via unanimous decision in a six round bout. All three judges scored the bout 60-54 in favor of the U.S. Navy veteran and former IBF World Cruiserweight champion. 

In the seventh bout, Brooklyn’s Chordale Booker (6-0-0, 3 KOs) squared off against Richmond’s Moshea Aleem (4-1-1, 2 KOs) in a six round, super welterweight contest. The judges scored the bout 58-56, 59-55, and 59-55 in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Chordale Booker. 

 In the eight bout of the evening, former champion Kermit Cintron faced David Grayton in a welterweight bout. In the fifth round of a scheduled ten round bout, Grayton knocked Cintron down with right hand to the head. Cintron recovered from the knock down, only to be knocked down again seconds later from an accidental headbutt. The ringside physician determined that Cintron was unable to continue, and the decision went to the judges’ scorecards. One judge had the bout scored 49-46 in favor of Cintron, while the other two judges had the bout scored a draw, 47-47. The bout ended in a majority draw. 

The main event featured heavyweights Travis Kauffman (31-2-0, 23 KOs) and Amir Mansour (23-2-1, 16 KOs). In the second round, Mansour, the 44 year old, was hurt by Kauffman. Mansour battled back throughout the middle rounds, and landed a right hook in the eighth round that rattled Kauffman. In the twelfth and final round, both fighters viciously exchanged punches.  Although both fighters appeared exhausted, they remained on their feet until the final bell. Veteran judge Steve Weisfeld scored the bout a draw, 114-114. The other two judges scored the bout 117-111 and 115-113, both in favor of Mansour. 

After the main event, there was one more four round bout between middleweights Nick Valliere (5-2-0, 2 KOs) of Forked River, New Jersey and Nicholas Hernandez (6-2-0, 1 KO) of Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Hernandez recovered from a second round knockdown to win the contest by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bout 38-37.

Following the conclusion of this evening's card, Austin Trout, who was providing commentary for the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) broadcast on Bounce TV, spoke to members of the media. Trout answered questions about the evening's PBC card, opponents, and Gennady Golovkin (GGG) vs. Daniel Jacobs from Madison Square Garden.

Below are links to the Bonus Round interview with Austin "No Doubt" Trout:

Austin Trout Speaks to Members of the Media Following Kauffman vs. Mansour on SoundCloud

Austin Trout Speaks to Members of the Media Following Kauffman vs. Mansour on iTunes

MW