Category Archives: boxing

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The Future of Boxing 18-year-old Marco “El Tiburón” Romero Kansas super middleweight returns to ring

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Tonight in Portland, ME
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (November 7, 2024) – Twenty-three-time national amateur champion, 18-year-old Kansas super middleweight prospect Marco “El Tiburón” Romero (3-0, 2 KOs), returns this Saturday night to the scene of his successful pro debut this past June in Portland, Maine, 1,300 miles northeast of his home in Overland Park, Kansas.

A promotional free agent, Romero is matched against Orlando “El Marro” Salgado (3-5, 2 KOs) in a four-round bout on a card promoted by Bobby Russo’s Portland Boxing Club in Portland’s Exposition Building.

“I had my first pro fight there and I love Portland people, especially Bobby Russo (who is also President of the National Golden Gloves),” Romero said. “I loved the crowd, everybody was so welcoming, saying, ‘Go KC.’ There’s good energy and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Romero, who will celebrate his 19th birthday on Nov. 19, is a special boxer and young man. The last 12 months have been absolutely amazing whirlwind for him in boxing.

Because he hadn’t reached the mandatory age of 18 yet, and his weight class (super middleweight) wasn’t included in 2024 Olympic boxing, Romero never seriously considered waiting for a shot at making the U.S. Olympic Team. Instead, his eyes were on the prize of becoming a professional fighter.

Last December, Romero captured top honors at the prestigious USA Boxing National Championships in Lafayette, Louisiana, followed closely by parlaying that to gold medal performance at the 2024 National Golden Gloves Tournament in Detroit.

All told, in the last 12 months, he was 9-0 in amateur competition, including three at The Nationals and five at The Golden Gloves, plus three pro victories for a remarkable 12-0 record (three pro and 8 in elite national amateur competition) during this relatively short span.

The Romero Plan has always been to close out his incredible amateur career by winning The Nationals and Golden Gloves, at which he was also named Most Outstanding Boxer, known as the Golden Boy Award, and then turn pro. Mission accomplished!
(L-R) – National Golden Gloves President Bobby Russo and Marco Romero with his Golden Gloves belt and Golden Boy Award) 

“I would have liked to have fought in the Olympics,” he explained, “because all of the good, young boxers were there, and we (U.S. men) haven’t won an Olympic Gold Medal since Andre Ward in 2004. But I didn’t turn 18 until two weeks prior to the (Paris) Olympics and my weight class wasn’t contested there.

“Now, I’m on a new journey as a pro. Honestly, there aren’t too many differences between the amateurs and pros. The weigh-ins are right before the fight in the amateurs and the night before as a pro. I don’t have any problems fighting without headgear or with smaller gloves. To me there are really no big differences. I was born to fight!”

Romero describes himself as a heavy hitter who throws every punch with bad intentions. He’s very explosive with ring intelligence, capable of punishing his opponent by breaking them down until they either quit because they can’t take any additional punishment or get put to sleep.

In Romero’s corner is a legend in his own right, 77-year-old John Brown, who is Marco’s head trainer and manager, in the same role he played for world heavyweight champion Tommy Morrison (48-3-1, 42 KOs) from his amateur days through his first 39 pro fights, 1988 to 1993. The highlight, of course, was Morrison’s 12-round unanimous decision over George Foreman for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight title.

Brown clearly doesn’t need to be in Romero’s corner to survive; however, John knows that Marco is a special fighter with tremendous upside, and he’s vowed to get him to the top of the boxing mountain.
“I’m really excited about this kid,” Brown remarked, “and my job is to make him successful for himself and his family. Marco is an amazing kid. He has experience having boxed 10 years and 135 amateur fights. He has good looks and a good personality, great sense of humor, speaks very well in English and Spanish, maturity beyond his years, and a work ethic that’s difficult to find in boxing.

“He’s hungry to be successful in life and knows that boxing is the vehicle to get him there. And he’s with the right people who don’t need to feed people. Anything could go wrong like injuries or illnesses, but it’s all there for him and a clear path. In terms of potential, Marco is in a rare class as part of a typical Mexican American family, tight knit and expanding. He respects everyone and Marco is a once in a lifetime talent.”

Brown knows that a champion boxer needs a supportive team in his corner. Romero has that and much more. In addition to Brown, the team is comprised of Marco’s father, Salvador, who encouraged his son to become a boxer at the tender age of seven, and he has remained with Marco through every step of his boxing journey. Brown also brought in one of his former amateur champions, Sergio Flores, who is a very successful businessman. Flores handles the tough physical training aspects required for success in the ring along with mitt work to help keep Marco’s skills razor sharp.

Fans attending this Saturday night’s show in Portland can look back in a few years and say they saw The Future of Boxing, Marco “El Tiburon” Romero, when he was just an 18-year-old prospect starting out on his mission to greatness.
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Subriel Matías Headlines “Taínos vs. Aztecas” card Tonight in Bayamón

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Photo by Fresh Productions Boxing

Bayamón, Puerto Rico – Competitive fights are what the company Fresh Productions Boxing will offer by way of the “Taínos vs. Aztecas” card, happening this Saturday, November 9th in the Rubén Rodríguez Coliseum in Bayamón.

Every fight of this event will be Puerto Ricans against Mexicans as a tribute to the legendary, relevant, and exciting rivalry of the sport.

In the main event, former world champion Subriel Matías “el Orgullo de Maternillo” (20-2, 20 KOs) will face the dangerous Roberto “El Rifle” Ramírez (26-3-1, 19 KOs) of Mexico, in a duel of punchers, scheduled for 10 rounds in the junior welterweight division (140 pounds).

Roberto Ramírez:

“Thank you all for being here. I’ve come prepared and ready for a war, to represent Mexico and to give a good show in front of those present for this event of ‘Haitians’ against Mexicans”, comments that caused laughter among those on hand.

Subriel Matías, ranked #5 by the IBF:

“Haha! He called me ‘Haitian’. This is the end, haha. First of all, I thank God for this opportunity following my defeat on June 15th. I’m active five months since that fight. I want to say so many things, but really, I want my next performances to speak for me, and I’m the pride of Maternillo, I’ll see you all on Saturday, and this is ‘Taínos vs. Aztecas’”.

Promoter Juan Orengo:

“Five competitive fights are what this card features, starting at 7:00 p.m. Here, we go straight to it. None of these fights will be easy. Anyone who knows Fresh Production Boxing’s style knows that our fights are not easy. This Saturday, expect mayhem of the good kind”.

In the co-main event, Bayamon’s Jeyvier Cintrón (12-1, 6 KOs), the only Puerto Rican boxer to participate in two Olympics, looks to climb up to the top 15 in the 118-pound rankings as he faces Rashib Martínez (23-3-1, 11 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico, for the vacant WBO International title in a 10-round bout.

Jeyvier Cintrón:

“I’m happy with this opportunity. I came in top shape for this fight. I trained according to the opponent I’ll face off against. I believe many know it’s no myth that I was laying low for a long time and now I’m coming back with more hunger. Everyone will see that there will be Jeyvier for a long time. I still feel a desire to bring glory to Puerto Rico. They say you got to reach the bottom to see glory and that’s what’s been handed to me. I went through tough times, and on Saturday, I’ll show what I’m capable of”.

Rashib Martínez:

“Thank you to the promotion company for the opportunity. Fighting in Puerto Rico is a source of pride and more so as part of a card that represents this rivalry of Puerto Rico vs. Mexico. This fight against Jeyvier is my ticket to launch me for bigger things. I come thoroughly prepared physically and mentally, and I will give a great performance. Thank you to my manager Sergio Reina for getting me to this point”.

As if that were not enough, the recent WBO NABO champion at 140 pounds, and ranked #8 by the organization, Alfredo ‘Ojo’ Santiago (15-2, 6 KOs), from Fajardo, will defend his title against Mexican Pedro ‘La Roca’ Campa (36-3-1, 24 KOs), from Sonora, Mexico in a 10-round fight.

Also, in a battle that promises plenty of action, Cidra’s Abimael “Manos de Piedra” Ortiz (10-1, 5 KOs) will face Mexican world contender Kevin “El Chacal” González (27-1-1, 14 KOs) of Sinaloa in the 122-pound division, slated for 10 rounds.

To open the broadcast, former Puerto Rican national champion Luis Rodríguez (13-0, 11 KOs) of Toa Alta, will battle Mexican Marcos “Zurdo” Vázquez (20-1-1, 10 KOs) in the super middleweight division.

Tickets are on sale on Ticketera.com

The event will be broadcast by PPV.COM, one of the leading platforms in live broadcasts under the pay-per-view model (PPV). This event will also be available via all cable and satellite providers.

The residential fee for the PPV is $39.95. It’ll also be available on Closed Circuit in Puerto Rico, USA, and Canada.

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Boxing’s next great boxing trainer Julian Chua is a rising star in the gym, ring and corner

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Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez isChua’s first true world champion
(L-R) – Jesse Vargas, head trainer Julian Chua and two-time World Champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez 

LOS ANGELES (November 6, 2024) –- One of the hottest young trainers in boxing is Julian Chua, even though he still hasn’t received the high-level respect he deserves from many boxing fans and promoters.

When Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (46-1, 30 KOs) dethroned previously undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) Cruiserweight World Champion Arsen “Feroz” Goulamirian (27-0, 19 KOs) this past March, Chua’s stock took off because “Zurdo” is the first world champion the 33-year-old Chua developed into a world champion.

The journey Chua took to become the head trainer of “Zurdo,” who is only two months younger than Julian, was unusual, to say the least. At that time, Ramirez was 39-0 and the first of Mexican heritage to be world super middleweight champion, as well as a promotional free agent. “Zurdo” and his manager, David Suh (3 Point Management – 3PM), were conducting a search for a new head trainer and the list included some of the top coaches in the country. Chua was a relatively unknown commodity outside of southern California who at that time was training fighters at the famed Wildcard Gym in Hollywood (CA) under Hall of Fame Trainer Freddie Roach (he had also trained Chua when he was an amateur boxer from Indiana).

In 2018, Suh reached out to Chua to inquire if he’d be interested in training Ramirez, adding that he was also speaking with several other top names. At first, Ramirez really didn’t know who Chua was, at least, until they met at a coffee shop in Santa Monica to get to know each other. After that meeting, Ramirez gave Julian a chance to train him. The rest, of course, is part of modern-day boxing history.

“We clicked right away,” Chua added. “We learned things about each other and how we liked to train. I’ve always studied a lot and did some research about how he had been trained because I wanted to help him improve. I was getting four fighters ready in L.A. and ‘Zurdo’ couldn’t go there for sparring. I told him that I couldn’t leave these fighters to go and train him in Long Beach. We still wanted to work with each other and ‘Zurdo’ made it work. I went to Long Beach (where Ramirez trained at Hill Street Boxing & Fitness Gym) twice a week and he came to Wildcard three times.”

Chua made his debut at Ramirez’ new head trainer in 2019, when Ramirez moved up in weight to fight as a light heavyweight, stopping Tommy Karpency in four rounds. COVID-19 restrictions adversely affected Ramirez’ activity, but he learned and improved by continuing to work with Chua in the gym. “Zurdo” signed a promotional contract with Golden Boy Promotions, gaining added exposure fighting on the DAZN, and he reeled off four more consecutive victories through the middle of 2022, after which he lost for the first time in his pro career to WBA World Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol (20-0), by way of a 12-round decision.

Ramirez decided that it was time to move up another division to cruiserweight because he was walking around at 200 pounds. Last October, Ramirez made his cruiserweight debut, albeit at a 193-pound catchweight, against former world light heavyweight champion and Bernard Hopkins conqueror Joe Smith, Jr. (28-4). “Zurdo” won a unanimous 10-round decision to become the mandatory challenger for Goulamirian.

“’Zurdo’ is the first world champion I’ve ‘built’ but I’ve been brought in to work with some world champions on their weaknesses – Regis Prograis, Steph Fulton and Alycia Baumgardner,” Chua commented. “It’s a lot more difficult that way because you can’t really have an impact in only two or three months. I’ve been working with ‘Zurdo’ for five years and I’ve had it good. He has a lot of natural talent and has always been a smart fighter, but he picked ‘nuts-and-guts’ too often in his decision making. He didn’t need to get hit so much even though he has a great chin. He has such a beautiful style and he’s so intelligent.”

“He’s such a natural. Mexicans are uppercut kings. I noticed that, defensively, Arsen didn’t move his head or feet much. He was so wide that he was open up the middle for uppercuts, left or right, and that was our master plan. We worked on ‘Zurdo’ not throwing his uppercuts from too far away. He had been wide but, in this fight, he smothered his opponent inside. He did a lot of technical work and he’s always been a versatile fighter. I have him boxing more off his back foot. He could bully opponents with his size at 168, but he doesn’t have that same physical luxury to impose his size at cruiserweight. He’s using his boxing skills more.”

Chua admits he cherished Ramirez capturing the WBA crown, professionally as well as personally. And he also believes “Zurdo” can become the first Mexico-born heavyweight world champion, the same as he was as world super middleweight and cruiserweight champion.

“It meant the world to me,” Chua spoke about ‘Zurdo’ becoming the WBA Cruiserweight World Champion. “The expression on my face when they announced the scores showed how much it meant to me. I’m still fighting for my respect with fans and promoters, especially after the Bivol fight. ‘Zurdo’ is too slick. I believe in this guy! I can see him moving up to heavyweight, but I want to clean up some more things defensively. Sometimes he keeps his head too low, and I don’t want him testing his chin so much. Depending on who the heavyweight champion is when he’s ready, I believe he can be heavyweight champion of the world with his activity so slick and prioritizing his defense. We’re going to double down. As Abel Sanchez (Goulamirian’s trainer) said at the post-fight press conference, he didn’t think ‘Zurdo’ was so slick, offensively and defensively.”

Chua is preparing “Zurdo” to take on WBO Cruiserweight Chris Billam-Smith (20-1, 13 KOs) in a unification match on November 16th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In addition to several mixed-martial-arts fighters, Chua is also the head trainer for pro boxers such as WBA world super flyweight challenger and WBA #6-rated John “Scrappy” Ramirez (13-1, 9 KOs), undefeated Hawaiian middleweight prospect Jordan “The Patriot” Panthen (9-0, 8 KOs), 2012 Ukrainian Olympian welterweight Taras Shelestyuk (19-0-1, 11 KOs), undefeated New York City welterweight Arnold Gonzalez (15-1, 7 KOs), Armenian super bantamweight Azat “Crazy A” Hovhannisyan (21-5, 17 KOs), and former WBA Inter-Continental Champion “Supreme” Kareem Hackett (12-1, 6 KOs), of Toronto. 

Catch the Chua experience, Julian is making a name for himself in boxing circles and drawing fighters to work with him at Brickhouse Boxing Club in North Hollywood, California. The best is yet to come, however, especially if “Zurdo” becomes world heavyweight champion in the not-too-distant future.
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PHILLY’S JESSE HART HEADLINES NOVEMBER 22 BOXING CARD LOADED WITH LOCAL TALENT AT THE LIACOURAS CENTER, PHILADELPHIA PA

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Tickets on Sale Now!

PRESS CONFERENCE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH AT THE LIACOURAS CENTER AT 1:30 PM

Special buy 3 tickets get 1 for Free 
PHILADELPHIA, November 7, 2024 – Two-time world title challenger Jesse Hart will defend his home turf when he battles Ricardo Luna in an eight-round light heavyweight bout in the main event on Friday, November 22 at the Liacouras Center on the University of Temple campus. All in all, on the card will be five Philly fighters, and two Pennsylvania fighters and three New Jersey fighters within driving distance of the Liacouras Center.     

Tickets, priced from $35 to $225, are available at TicketMaster here. 

The show will be streamed live by PPV on Radiant TV. “I’m looking to bring that old school feeling back…like the era when Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins were fighting,” said Dominick Walton, CEO of Teflon Promotions. “When the best fought the best in their division in 50/50 fights. That’s why I salute Jesse Hart, Naheem Parker, Jibril Noble, Arnold Gonzalez, Muhsin Cason etc. because they understand the mission with their mind set and their goals to be great. It brings excitement back to Philadelphia and it also puts Teflon promotions on the map.” 

Jesse “Hard Work” Hart (31-3, 25 KOs), born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. and is ranked No. 3 light heavyweight by the World Boxing Organization (WBO). Jesse won the NABF super middleweight title in 2014 and a year later added the IBF USBA and WBO NABO super middleweight belts with a knockout win against an undefeated Mike Jimenez.

“Hard Work” made four successful defenses of the IBF and WBO titles which set him up for his first world title shot, which he lost to Zurdo Ramirez by razor thin decision. Three wins later, Hart fought a rematch with Ramirez for the same WBO world title, this time losing by majority decision. Hart is currently on a five bout win streak, last four by knockout. 

“This is gonna be a great night of boxing – every fight on the card is a 50/50 match and I’m defending my number 3 WBO position,” said Hart. “It’s going to be a very exciting night.” 

Ricardo Adrian “Tyson” Luna (27-12-2, 17 KOs) from Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl, México, is a former Mexican Middleweight Champion. Ricardo also challenged for the WBC USA Super Middleweight Title (twice), NABA and WBO NABO Super Middleweight titles. 

In an eight round, 150 lbs. welterweight catchweight bout, Arnold Gonzalez (15-1, 7 KOs) from New York, NY, will battle Florent “The Tiger” Dervis (10-2, 5 KOs), who was born in France and now calls Boston, Mass. home. Each were undefeated till recent losses.

Gonzalez made pro debut in 2019 as a welterweight and his undefeated streak of fifteen ended in his last fight. The twenty-six-year-old Dervis began his career with ten consecutive wins. 

In a South Jersey versus Philly battle, Philadelphian Jibril “Pegese” Noble, (6-0, 5 KOs) will battle Naheem Parker (5-1, 2 KOs) from Camden, NJ in a six-round lightweight bout. Noble made his pro debut in Philadelphia on July 24, 2021, with a second-round knockout. Noble’s only fight that went the distance was against a fellow undefeated fighter on October 21, 2023. Parker made his pro debut in 2020 and won his first five fights.

In a second PA vs Jersey bout, Jaclyne “The Assassin” McTamney (2-0, 1 KO) out of Southampton, PA will battle Princeton’s Ayeshia Green (0-1) in a four-round featherweight contest. 

Muhsin “The Muslim Boxer” Cason (12-0, 9 KOs) was born in Baltimore and calls Philadelphia home. Muhsin has sixteen siblings and his oldest brother is former world heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman. “Hasim gives me insight on how to be focused and overcome the obstacles,” said Muhsin. He will fight in a six-round cruiserweight scrap.

“It’s great that so many of our Philly natives get to be on one card and show their skills,” said Muhsin. 

Philadelphian Rasheen Brown (12-1, 7 KOs) will fight in a six-round featherweight bout against Mexican Juan Antonio “The Wolfe” Lopez (18-17-1, 8 KOs) who currently resides in Burleson, Texas. 

Allentown, PA’s undefeated Thanjhae Teasley (11-0, 5 KOs) will fight in a six-round welterweight bout. 

Philadelphian Najeem Johns (5-1, 4 KOs) will fight in a four-round super lightweight bout against Danny Murray (7-7) from Lanoka Harbor, NJ. 

Opening the card will be Hawaiian Lyndon Patricio (1-0, 1 KO) in a four-round bantamweight tilt. 

Follow Teflon promotions at https://www.teflonpromotions.com/
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teflon_promotions/

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German super lightweight prospect Simon Vollmer latest member of 3 PM

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LOS ANGELES (November 7, 2024) – German super lightweight prospect Simon “Saucy” Vollmer (6-0, 2 KOs) is the latest member of one of the fastest growing boxing managerial companies, Los Angeles-based 3 Point Management (3PM).

Vollmer made his successful 3 PM debut, dominating Leon Martinez (2-3-1, 2 KOs) en route to a six-round unanimous decision (60-54, 60-54, 58-56) on a show promoted this past May by Red Boxing International, at Riverside Municipal Auditorium in Riverside, California. Vollmar followed that with a six-round unanimous decision victory over Seiran Engel this past July 13th.

A four-time member of the German National Boxing Team, the 22-year-old Vollmer is a southpaw from Heidelberg who now trains in Santa Monica (CA) at Churchill Boxing Club under the guidance of his head trainer, Pedro Neme.

“I traveled a lot to different gyms in the United States and went to Brickhouse (Boxing Club in North Hollywood, CA) with a friend,” Vollmer explained his decision to sign with 3 PM. “I worked out there and we (manager David Shu) started following each other. He saw me fight on YouTube and contacted me. I studied a lot before I made a decision to sign. The big factor was the team: who they’ve signed, how they’ve moved their fighters, and where they are today. All categories were very good. They keep their fighters active and in big fights. There’s a lot of talent in Los Angeles. 3 PM takes good care of its fighters and that was very important to me.”

Vollmer started boxing at the age of 10, a self-described troubled kid who liked to fight. Living in Germany, naturally, he played soccer, but he wanted to be the center of attention, and didn’t like team sports. He turned to karate and other combat sports. There was an after-school boxing program offered. Simon attended, started sparring and quickly beat more experienced fighters, and soon fell in love with boxing.As a four-time member of the German National Boxing Team, Vollmer lived at the Olympic Training Center in Germany, in addition to traveling worldwide for tournaments. He gained invaluable experience fighting opponents with various styles and became obsessed with boxing. Simon lost his first amateur match but went on to record an 80-9-1 amateur record.

“But I felt something was missing,” he said. “I’m proud of my country, but its amateur boxing program is not good because it isn’t supported. It’s political. I’d ask coaches what to do so I could improve, but they didn’t seem to care. I wanted to be in the Olympics and believed I had the skill level for it. I had raw potential, so I took the money I had saved from being on the German National Team and traveled to the United States.

Vollmer started going to different U.S. gyms and he eventually developed what he calls a very old-school American style.
“People won’t believe it,” he added, “but that’s how I fight. Tom Yankello, who trained Paul Spadafora, mentored me and helped change my style. I’m a slick counter-puncher with my jabs and explosiveness from the outside. I’m versatile, though. I adjust during the fight and when there’s an opportunity to break down my opponent, I switch and start counter-punching on the inside.”
When he first started boxing, Simon enjoyed watching tapes of Sugar Ray Leonard, but his all-time favorite is fellow southpaw, the late, great Pernell Whitaker. A true student of boxing, Vollmer also appreciates old-school fighters such as Roberto Duran, Salvidor Sanchez and Joe Louis, to name a few of the more notable boxers he has studied and admires.

Vollmer is working with 3 Point Management (3 PM), which has a growing stable of gifted boxers including former WBA Cruiserweight World title-holder, Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (46-1, 30 KOs); world super flyweight title challenger and WBA #6-rated John “Scrappy” Ramirez (13-1, 9 KOs), undefeated WBA Inter-Continental Super Middleweight Champion and WBA #6-ranked Darius “DFG “ Fulghum (12-0, 10 KOs), and former WBA Inter-Continental Light Heavyweight Champion Kareem “Supreme” Hackett (12-1, 6 KOs). 
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Undefeated bantamweight prospect Dominique “Dimes” Crowder Ready to cash in on The Boardwalk

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Streaming live Nov. 16th on DAZN from Tropicana Atlantic City
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (October 31, 2024) – Undefeated blue-chip bantamweight prospect Dominique “Dimes” Crowder (17-0, 10 KOs) is ready to cash in November 16th on Boxing Insider Promotions’ loaded card, streaming live on DAZN from The Showroom at Tropicana Atlantic City.

Crowder. the reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) International bantamweight champion, is currently rated No. 14 in the world by the WBA. Trained by Jose Guzman and Hall of Famer Mark Breland, “Dimes” is a two-time New York Golden Gloves Champion rated No. 1 nationally in his weight class during his amateur career.

“I’m super excited to be on this card in Atlantic City,” the 30-year-old Crowder said. “I’m glad (event promoter) Larry Goldberg made it happen. All the greats fought there and it’s not too far from my hometown, about a two-hour drive. I’ll have a lot of support on fight night from people in Baltimore and New York City.”

Crowder takes on Duke Micah (24-2, 19 KOs), of Ghana, in an eight-round bout on The Boardwalk. Micah is a former EBC International, Commonwealth Boxing Council and WBO African bantamweight champion.

“I have known Dominique since he was an amateur when I used to sponsor him,” Goldberg commented. “I have been his friend for years and watched his career progress to 17-0. He has a great team with Jose Guzman, Mark Breland, and his manager Adam Glenn. ‘Dimes’ is one of the best free agents in boxing and just an amazing human being.”

Crowder started boxing at the age of 14 in Baltimore. He fell in love with the sport and quickly discovered that he was a natural boxer. New York City is the home of his training camp for each fight in order to enhance his pro career, going back and forth to his Baltimore home on a regular basis.

Guzman has been training Crowder since the latter part of 2017 and he’s extremely high on his protégé. “Dominique is one of those diamonds in the rough from his amateur days,” Guzman noted.

“Everybody knew he was a very slick boxer who was hard to hit, but nobody thought he could hit. As a pro, he’s turned into a boxer-puncher. He didn’t train very much as an amateur because he was so naturally gifted, he didn’t need to. He’s more mature now. Dominique is one of those guys who eats and breathes boxing 24/7. If he’s not in the gym, he’s home watching boxing from back in the day. He is a student of the game.”

“He’s the WBA International champion and the question is who is willing to fight him at 118? He’s 6 feet tall, long, and rangy like Mark Breland and Tommy Hearns, and (for his size) Dominique can hit like them.”

Crowder describes his style as a good puncher who is fundamentally sound but can also mix it up pending the situation in the ring. Because of his advantageous height fighting at bantamweight, Crowder watches and in the ring, he attempts to simulate long, rangy fighters such as Mark Breland, Tommy Hearns, Michael Nunn, and Diego Corrales.

The four world bantamweight champions of the major sanctioning bodies are all from Japan and Crowder realizes he may have to travel halfway around the world for his seemingly impending world title shot.

“Boxing is a waiting game,” Dominque explained, “and I need to stay ready until I get that call (world title shot offer). Because I’m ranked, it could happen at any time. If not, I’ll keep working hard to move up and become the mandatory challenger. Hopefully, my chance could happen next year. I’m getting better and better and I’m always fighting bigger guys than me at training camp, real punchers, never guys my weight.“I’m willing to go to the moon to get my world title shot! I’ll only get one shot at my first world title fight, so I’ll roll the dice and fight anywhere in the world.

Another rising star, Chattanooga (TN) welterweight Avious Griffin (15-0, 14 KOs), headlines in an eight-round bout versus Adrian Gutierrez (12-2-1, 6 KOs). Power-punching Griffin, a former Tennessee State Champion, is trained by Brian “Bomac” McIntyre, who is best known for developing All-World boxer Terence “Bud” Crawford.

Another pair of potential stars who will be in action in six-round bouts are Long Island (NY) super middleweight Donte Layne (4-0, 4 KOs) vs. Shaquille Cameron (7-3, 6 KOs) in a match presented in association with Overtime Boxing, and Paterson (NJ) junior middleweight Dwyke Flemmings, Jr. (8-0, 8 KOs) vs. TBA.

Layne, 21, was a celebrated amateur who captured gold medals at the 2022 and 2021 USA National Championships and National Golden Gloves Tournament; the 20-year-old Flemmings, Jr., from Paterson (NJ), won a silver medal at the 2018 USA Junior Olympics.

A popular Atlantic City trio of fighters will also be in action: junior middleweight Justin “Mr. Atlantic City” Figueroa (10-0, 8 KOs) vs. Imar Rosales (9-3-1, 5 KOs) in a six-rounder, along with heavyweight Bruce “Atlantic City Express 2.0” Seldon, Jr. (3-0, 3 KOs) – the son of former (WBA) Heavyweight Champion Bruce Seldon, Sr. — vs. Julio Mendoza (3-4, 2 KOs), and undefeated lightweight Francisco Rodriguez (5-0, 5 KOs) vs. TBA in a pair of four-round matches.

A pair of potential female world title contenders, Philadelphia welterweight Stacia “The Natural” Suttles and Hawaiian lightweight Shere Mae Patricio (2-0, 1 KO) will also be showcased in four-round fights vs. opponents to be determined.

Suttles, who was born in New York City, was a 2016 USA Women’s National Championships gold medalist. Patricio, 21, won a gold medal at the 2023 USA Women’s National Golden Gloves and 2022 USA Women’s National Championships. She will face Sarah “Switch Kick” Click (1-7-1).

Also in action will be undefeated Italian junior welterweight Giacomo Micheli (8-0, 6 KOs), who takes on Ronnell “Punisher” Burnett (11-1, 7 KOs) in an eight-round bout. Micheli was a standout amateur in Italy.
The card is subject to change.

Ticket prices range between $48.00 and $203.50 and are available for purchase online at https://www.ticketmaster.com/boxing-insider-live-professional-boxing-atlantic-city-new-jersey-11-16-024/event/02006138C81B4F54?_ga=2.165801022.1645432099.1728316789-537326816.1728316789.

An amateur show will be held at Tropicana Atlantic City the following day (Saturday, Nov. 17 – 1-6 pm ET), sanctioned by USA Boxing. Tickets are $40.00 and 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Atlantic City PAL.

INFORMATION: 
Website: www.BoxingInsider.com
Facebook: /BoxingInsider
X: @BoxingInsider
Instagram: @boxinginsidercom 
boxing

ELIJAH WILLIAMS: “I DON’T SEE IT GOING PAST THE SIXTH ROUND!”

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SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT PROSPECT WILLIAMS FACES UNBEATEN DION JONES IN THE CO-MAIN EVENT OF BOXFEST XII THIS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1 ON DAZN AT 9PM ET/8PM CT

THE WILLIAMS-JONES FIGHT CONCLUDES THE SHADOW FIGHTGOODS 140-POUND TOURNAMENT HOSTED BY RED OWL BOXING 

Click Here to Secure Your Tickets Now! 

HOUSTON, Texas – October 30, 2024 – Red Owl Boxing’s flagship series BOXFEST will return this Friday, November 1, streaming live on DAZN globally in more than 200 territories and regions from the state-of-the-art “Owl’s Nest” in Houston at 9pm ET/8pm CT.

BOXFEST XII will feature the conclusion of the Shadow FightGoods 140-pound tournament which has played out exclusively on Red Owl Boxing’s BOXFEST series. The two winners of the opening round, Dion Jones (7-0, 6 KOs) and Elijah Williams (9-1, 3 KOs) face off in an eight-round junior welterweight fight. Both fighters edged out decision wins in September on BOXFEST X. 

“It feels good to be back with Red Owl Boxing, fighting on DAZN as the co-main event,” said Williams. “This is a big deal for me and a big deal for my city. I am from Newburgh, New York, the bottom of the bottom. All I know is pain and I’m going to show the world better than I can tell them this Friday.” 

The fight will mark the first eight-round bout for the 21-year-old prospect who turned pro in 2021 and Jones will be the second undefeated fighter Williams has faced in his young career. Despite the step up in competition, the New York native is confident he is built for the moment. 

“I never ever sleep on any opponent and I won’t start now. I look at everyone like they are ‘him’ so that I am mentally strong and prepared,” said Williams. “With that being said, I am going to keep it real – Dion Jones is not on my level. My blood, sweat and tears have been spilled in the sport of boxing for moments like this. I am going to take him to deep waters, places he has never been before and see how he functions when the tide gets rough.” 

Williams began boxing at a young age and was ranked as high as third in USA Boxing’s Junior Division as an amateur. Younger than Jones by five years, “The Bully” enters the Shadow FightGoods 140-pound tournament final with advantages in amateur experience and height. 

“Dion Jones has never been in the ring with someone like me,” noted Williams. “I promise you, I don’t see it going past the sixth round and that is being generous. Stay tuned to this one on Friday night. The whole world will see who ‘The Bully’ is!” 

BOXFEST XII will be headlined by a battle of undefeated welterweights when Philadelphia’s Tahmir Smalls (11-0, 8 KOs) faces Seantorious Martin (10-0, 6 KOs) who hails from Marietta, Georgia, in an eight-round main event. Below is the slate of action starting on DAZN at 9pm ET/8pm CT on Friday: 

BOXFEST XII Main Card on DAZN at 9pm ET/8 CT

Tahmir Smalls (11-0, 8 KOs) vs. Seantorious Martin (10-0, 6 KOs)

8-Round Main Event – 147 lbs.

Dion Jones (7-0, 6 KOs) vs. Elijah Williams (9-1, 3 KOs)

8-Round Co-Main Event – 140 lbs.

Travis Crawford (7-2, 2 KOs) vs. Joshafat Ortiz (12-1, 6 KOs)

6-Round Fight – 130 lbs.

Saundre Simmons (4-0, 4 KOs) vs. Noda Divine Nehikhare (5-2)

6-Round Fight – 185 lbs.

Steve Cunningham (2-0, 2 KOs) vs. Rudy Reveles (1-0, 1 KO)

4-Round Fight – 154 lbs.

Red Owl Boxing owns and operates the state-of-the-art sports performance facility which features seating for more than 1,500 with a modern flare that includes VIP experiences and unique ringside seating. The “Owl’s Nest” is a full-service hospitality venue with high-end sound, lighting and screens for a premier in-arena experience. The venue is outfitted with cutting-edge production for seamless streaming and television presentations.

For more information on Red Owl Boxing and to purchase tickets, visit www.redowlboxing.com. Fans can follow Red Owl Boxing on X, Instagram and YouTube. 

ABOUT RED OWL BOXING 

Red Owl Boxing is a media company that specializes in delivering world-class events from its state-of-the-art sports facilities in the United States and Canada. Red Owl Boxing aims to bring structure to boxing’s middle class by highlighting tomorrow’s future stars and contenders in action-packed fights. Red Owl Boxing launched in 2021 by Canada-based entrepreneur Gabriel Fanous who owns and operates cutting-edge event spaces in Houston, Texas, and Brampton, Ontario, both of which provide premier event experiences and hospitality packages.

 Click here if you’re interested in learning more about being featured on the BOX FEST series.

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Malik Scott in Zurdo Ramirez’ corner

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(L-R) – Zurdo Ramirez & Malik Scott

LOS ANGELES (October 30, 2024) – Former pro heavyweight contender Malik Scott has successfully transitioned from fighter to trainer, and he will be working the corner of reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) Cruiserweight World Champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (46-1, 30 KOs) for his November 16th unification fight with World Boxing Organization (WBO) titleholder Chris “The Gentleman” Billam-Smith (20-1, 13 KOs) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The 44-year-old Scott, who will assist Ramirez’ head trainer Julian Chua, passionately believes that not only will Ramirez defeat Smith, but Zurdo is the No. 1 cruiserweight in the world as well. Scott was Ramirez’ head trainer when Chua was unavailable for Ramirez’ debut as a cruiserweight (October 7, 2023), in which he defeated former world light heavyweight champion Joe Smith, Jr. (28-4) in a dominant performance by way of a 10-round unanimous decision, winning all but one round on all three of the judges’ scorecards.

Scott and Chua are “in house” trainers at the state-of-the-art Brickhouse Boxing Club in North Hollywood, California.

“Julian is one of the brightest trainers in boxing,” Scott said. “I enjoy learning from him. I had Zurdo for his fight with Joe Smith and he had a good performance. I really enjoy working with him. No disrespect to Smith-Billam, but this fight is a mismatch. Zurdo is a big, strong southpaw who has fought a higher level of opponents than Smith-Billam. Zurdo is a good body puncher who throws punches from incredible angles, and he has an incredible boxing mind. Smith-Billam is big, strong and he keeps coming forward, but he is a one-trick pony. He does have a good trainer (Shane McGuigan), but I think Zurdo takes over in the second half of the fight. And Zurdo has a Dream Team in his corner. I think he will become the undisputed world champion and only Jay Opetaia can give him a fight.”

A product of the fighting city of Philadelphia, Scott was a decorated U.S. amateur boxer (70-3), highlighted by his gold-medal performance at the 1999 National AAU Championships. He went on to have a solid 15-year professional career, which ended in 2016 with a 38-3-1 (13 KOs) record.

Scott has always studied the sport of boxing and gives it his all every day. There’s no idol worshipping for him, and he takes pride in teaching young boxers.

“A great trainer teaches boxers the why’s and how’s,” Scott explained. “A good trainer just gives instructions. I believe in teaching for a good reason. I study fighters, their styles, and habits, and I go as far as studying the opponent’s corner to learn how they work during a fight. I think everybody working corners should be mic-ed up. I’m confident and want people to hear my advice.”

Scott learned from Fred Jenkins back in Philadelphia and he has studied other trainers such as Barry Robinson, Joe Goossen, and Emanuel Steward, among others. Scott was head trainer for Deantay Wilder for his third fight with Tyson Fury. In addition to assisting Chua with Zurdo, they also team, respectively, as head and assistant trainers of world super flyweight title challenger John “Scrappy” Ramirez (13-1, 9 KOs). They aren’t related but Zurdo is like a big brother and role model for “Scrappy.”

“’Scrappy’ is going to be world champion,” Scott predicted. “His day is coming!”Malik Scott is literally and figuratively in Zurdo Ramirez’ corner.
boxing

Super Flyweight John “Scrappy” Ramirez Learned invaluable lessons from his world title loss and will be returning to the ring soon

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(picture courtesy of 3 PM)

LOS ANGELES (October 29, 2024) – Super flyweight contender John “Scrappy” Ramirez (13-1, 9 KOs) learned an invaluable lesson last June at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, when he lost for the first time as a professional to Fernando David Jimenez (16-1), by way of a 12-round unanimous decision, for the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) Super Flyweight title.

Unless your last name is Marciano, Mayweather, Calzaghe, Lopez or Ward, prizefighters generally don’t retire without a loss on their record. How a fighter responds to his or her first defeat is pivotal, because they either learn from the experience and improve, or go the opposite direction.

“Scrappy” Ramirez is coming back to the ring with a vengeance, as well as a new outlook for the South Los Angeles fighter.

“I learned I have what it takes to be world champion,” Ramirez said. “I took the loss and, instead of complaining, right after that fight I started to think about what had happened and why. I have the skills and I’m capable of being world champion, but I fought his (Jimenez) fight. My next fight I won’t be fighting on emotion, I’ll be using my brain. I need to use my brain, not my heart. It was a good fight and entertaining, but it wasn’t my night. Personally, I gained confidence, as crazy as that may sound in a loss. I know I belong here.”

“I want to fix what went wrong. I have high expectations and so do my fans because they see my talent. I’ve only been fighting eight years. I get mad sometimes because I haven’t mastered my craft, but it takes time. I have to keep going and embrace my training.”

For the first time in his relatively short pro career – he made his debut December 18, 2020 – the WBA No. 6 rated Ramirez will be training for the first time after a loss at Brickhouse Boxing Club in North Hollywood, California.

“I’m not training as hard every day because I’m taking better care of my body,” Ramirez explained. “I’ve come up with some new things by studying old-school fighters like Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns. I’m fine-tuning my skills. I made a mistake fighting with my heart instead of my head. No drastic changes in my training, though. I’m working on throwing more counters. I’m a big 115-pounder who just walked down my opponent. I’m going to use my jab – I have a good one – and my feet instead of sitting in the pocket and catching everything.

“It’s all part of the process. I’m not happy it (the loss) happened. I lost my first world title fight and in my second I’ll be the winner and show everybody the type of character I have as a man. I’ll take the next opportunity to show my growth”

According to the 28-year-old Ramirez, the plan is for him to have two more fights, hopefully one by the end of this year, before he’s in another world title fight, preferably against Jimenez, assuming he still has the strap.

“I want a rematch with this guy (Jimenez), partly because he has the belt, but to prove to myself I can beat him,” Ramirez admitted. “He did everything we saw on film: he came forward and didn’t tire. No surprises. I need to fight my fight, not his, to prove myself to the world. ‘Scrappy’ needs to fight his fight!

“I’ve reflected on that fight, and I was capable of beating him. He has a big amateur pedigree, so it was a confidence builder for me in defeat.”

In retrospect, everything may have happened too fast for “Scrappy,” who has only been fighting eight years, including a brief stint as an amateur, and then he was moved quickly in the pro ranks, even fighting several times during the COVID pandemic. Before you knew it, he was headlining shows and found himself in the enviable position as undefeated WBA mandatory contender.  

“Everything really happened so fast,” Ramirez concluded, “but I now know that it takes a long time to master my craft. I’m enjoying this process and I’m happy right now. I got used to things happening fast for me. I’m trusting the process. I chose this life.

“I’m not running away from this situation, and I’ll handle it the next time I fight for the world title. I can’t blame anybody for what happened, because once I step into the ring, it’s just me and my opponent. I screwed up but the next world title shot I’ll get it right.”

“Scrappy” Ramirez is a charter member of 3 Point Management (3 PM), which has a growing stable of gifted boxers including WBA Cruiserweight World Champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (46-1, 30 KOs), WBA No. 6-rated super middleweight Darius “DFG” Fulgham (12-0, 10 KOs), and former WBA Inter-Continental Light Heavyweight Champion Kareem “Supreme” Hackett (12-1, 6 KOs).

INFORMATION:

Website: www.3pointmanagement.com

Facebook: /JohnRamirez

Instagram: @3pointmanagement, @Scrappyboxing

amateur boxing, boxing, USA Boxing

Team USA Learns Its Path To Gold For U19 World Championships

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PUEBLO, Colo. (October 26, 2024) — Team USA will have twelve boxers competing at the 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships. These twelve boxers learned their paths to gold, including their first-round opponents during Friday tournament draw. 

The 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships boxing tournament has 20 weight divisions, 10 men’s and 10 women’s. Competition in Pueblo, Colo. will begin on Saturday, October 26 before concluding on Saturday, November 2, at the Pueblo Convention Center.

Getting it all started for Team USA is Joscelyn Olayo-Munoz (La Cruces, N.M.) and Shamiracle Hardaway (Lagrange, Ga.). Olayo-Munoz will box Chanchal Chaudary out of India in the 48 kg weight class tomorrow afternoon around 5:30 ET. Hardaway will match up with Penelope Grochau from Germany in the 60 kg weight class.

Hardaway was on the Youth High-Performance Team last year and earned bronze at the 2023 International Invitational in Germany. If both boxers win their opening bouts, they will advance to the medal round.

Sunday, October 27, Team USA will see their first male boxer in Emmanuel Chance (East Orange, N.J.) Chance is boxing in the 55 kg weight class and received a bye and will get the winner of Juan Jin from South Korea and Kelvy da Trindade from Brazil. Chance won silver at the 2023 Youth International Invitational in Germany.

Also competing Sunday is Laila Zakirova (Staten Island, N.Y.). Zakirova is boxing in the 51 kg weight class and is boxing Xian Baguhin out of the Philippines.

Team USA will see six boxers make their 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships debuts. 

Lorenzo Patricio (Waianae, Hawaii) will represent Team USA in the 50 kg weight class and received a first-round bye and will box the winner of Seiya Nakayam out of Japan and Beau Piggott out of Australia.

 Violet Lopez (Milwaukee, Wis.) also, with a first-round bye and will box Caitlyn Wise out of England in the 54 kg weight class.

In the 70 kg weight class Malachi Ross (Grandview, Mo.) earned a bye and is going up against the winner of Festim Nimani from Germany and Sumit Sumit from India.

For Team USA in the 75 kg weight class, Joseph Awinongya (Jouliet, Ill.) will go up against Connor Anerson from Australia. 

Elijah Lugo (Marietta, Ga.) will represent the USA in the 80 kg weight class and will go head-to-head with Cristian Sarsilli out of Italy.

In the heavyweight class of 90 kg, Rishon Sims (Harrisburg, Pa.) will go up against Eris Andi Lushtaku out of Germany. Sims was on the Youth High-Performance Team last year and won gold at the 2023 International Invitational in Germany.

Mesiah Nimo (Dallas, Texas) is the lone boxer going on Tuesday, October 29, and he will box in the 65-kg weight class and was given a bye and will box the victor of Simon Stojka from Czech Republic and Assylkhan Kosherbay from Kazakhstan.

Nevaeh Williams received a bye and will go head-to-head with the winner of Aaliyah Hoppema from the Netherlands or Renee Doole out of New Zealand. Due to the bye Williams is already in the medal round and will receive at least a bronze medal.

Ticket pricing for the 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships begins at $10 for a single-day pass or $50 for an all-week pass. Fans can also purchase tickets exclusively for Saturday’s finals at the price of $25.

USA Boxing will be led by National Development coach Chad Wigle (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Assisting Wigle will be three assistant coaches in Danilo Garcia (Oakland, Calif.), Edward Fonteneaux (Fayetteville, N.C.), and Blanca Gutierrez (Pacifica, Calif.).

 INFORMATION:
www.usaboxing.org
Twitter: @USABoxing
Instagram: @USABoxing
Facebook: /USABoxing

 ABOUT USA BOXING: The mission of USA Boxing shall be to enable United States’ athletes and coaches to achieve sustained competitive excellence, develop character, support the sport of boxing, and promote and grow Olympic style boxing in the United States. The responsibility of USA Boxing is not only to produce Olympic gold, but also oversee and govern every aspect of amateur boxing in the United States.