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World Champion Gary Russell Jr, Antonio Russell & former champion Vincent Pettway to attend “Road to the Worlds!”

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Baltimore, MD (July 14, 2015) – WBC featherweight champion Gary “Mr.” Russell Jr., undefeated prospect Antonio Russell and former welterweight titlist Vincent Pettway will all be in attendance for Baltimore Boxing’s “Road to the Worlds” Thursday evening at Michael’s Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.

Individual tickets starting at $25, reserve tables of 10 for $350 and VIP tables of 10 for $500 are on sale via the web at Baltimoreboxing.com or by calling 410-375-9175. Doors open at 6:30 and the first fight takes place at 8.

More than eight Olympic style bouts are scheduled for “Road to the Worlds” including fighters from various weight classes. Competing Thursday evening will be popular knockout king Sam Crossed, 2009 Ringside World champion Joey Veazey, fast rising Donald Wallace, Ernie Hall, Rick Foxwell and Sean Veazey amongst others.

With the Ringside World Championships scheduled August 5-8 in Missouri, Baltimore Boxing is donating 100% of the proceeds from “Road to the Worlds” to help the fighters pay for the tournament and various expenses that come with attending. This includes but is not limited to flights, ground transportation, lodging and food. To further assist with the fundraising efforts, a 50/50 raffle will take place during the evening.

An elite talent who many consider to have the fastest hands in boxing, Russell Jr. captured the WBC featherweight title following a career best performance where he knocked out Jhonny Gonzalez in the fourth round. The Washington, DC native won countless national amateur championships prior to turning pro and was a favorite to capture gold during the 2008 Olympics. Unfortunately, he passed out trying to make weight and never got to compete. At 26-1 with 15 knockouts, Russell Jr. looks to be a force for years to come and is a face that fans will become accustomed to seeing on TV.

Like his older brother, Antonio Russell came into the pro ranks following an impressive amateur career. The winner of the 2013 National Golden Gloves, Russell won medals three of the five years he competed in the nationals, capturing silver in 2010 and 2014. As a professional, Russell fights in the bantamweight division and is 3-0 with 2 wins by knockout.

The fighting pride of Charm City, Pettway stopped Gianfranco Rossi in 1994 to become the IBF junior middleweight champion. His next match however earned Pettway permanent fame in the boxing community. On April 29, 1995, Pettway scored a dynamic one punch knockout of Simon Brown. When Brown crashed to the canvas, the force of Pettway’s punch discombobulated him to the point that he literally threw punches at the air. The knockout has been viewed millions of times on the internet and remains one of the best in boxing history.

“I’m really looking forward to having the Russell Brothers and Vincent at my show,” said Smith. “Gary fought on my show when he was an amateur and I literally had goose bumps watching him fight. He was the most talented amateur I’ve ever seen and his brother was a heck of a fighter too. Their father has been a friend of mine for years and it’s amazing how many talented fighters came from that household. Vincent’s been a great supporter of Baltimore Boxing and the city as long as I could remember. Having him on fight night is always a pleasure and the fans show him a lot of love. Between the fighters on hand, boxers scheduled to compete and cause this card is supporting, Thursday will be a great all around evening.”

The Russell Brothers and Pettway will be available to meet with all ticketholders.

Baltimore Boxing kindly ask those who can’t attend to donate by going to http://www.gofundme.com/x4cyjqc.

For more information, go to Baltimoreboxing.com

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Knockout Fitness to provide full day of entertainment with fight card!

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Baltimore, MD (June 1, 2015) – Knockout Fitness and Nissley Promotions will give ticket holders a full day of entertainment with an Olympic style boxing card Saturday, June 6 at the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore.

Dubbed as “Fighting the Odds,” this is the first fight card at a Baltimore Casino and a limited numbers tickets starting at $20 are still available by going to www.missiontix.com/events/product/30693/fighting-the-odds or calling 443-848-6059. All VIP ticketholders can enjoy complementary food and drinks. Doors open at 1 pm and the first fight takes place at 2.

 

A portion of the proceeds will go to the Show Your Soft Side campaign, which supports animal rights and features many marketing campaigns with Baltimore area professional athletes.

 

The fight is taking place outside in the plaza and will feature a red carpet style theme. Upon entering on the red carpet, professional photos will be taken with props. The first 100 attendees will also receive a free gift and Knockout Fitness will give away healthy meals and gym memberships throughout the event.

 

“Giving fans their money’s worth is extremely important to us,” said Chris Nissley of Knockout Fitness. “This is the first ever fight card at a Baltimore casino and instead of just celebrating that as is, I wanted this event to provide even more. Between the photos, giveaways and fights, everybody is going to have a great time.”

 

Headlining the card is Knockout Fitness’ very own Jason Nissley. A widely respected trainer, Nissley was named Baltimore’s Best Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor by Baltimore’s Best Magazine. He has participated in various charity events and is an ambassador for LuluLemon and Under Armor. Making the jump from trainer to boxer, Nissley hasn’t been matched soft.

 

Opposing Nissley is unbeaten knockout artist Omar Serrano. Fighting out of the Ocean City Fight Club, Serrano’s won all of his bouts by knockout and will enter the squared circle with a ton of confidence.

 

Jerome Featherstone of Knockout Fitness seeks revenge against Tavon Body of the Headbangers Gym in the semi-main event of the evening. Featherstone captured the Golden Gloves title a few years back, but Body took the title following the last two tournaments. In April, Body earned a hotly contested split decision over Featherstone in an action packed fight. This heated rivalry features the two top middleweight prospects in the Maryland/DC area. In addition to bragging rights, the winner of this highly-anticipated bout will claim the Maryland State Middleweight title.

 

“Jerome and Tavon had a great fight that a lot of people are still talking about,” said Nissley. “Jerome feels that he deserved the last fight and wants revenge while Tavon is poised to show that there should be no controversy as to who the better fighter is. This is turning into a great local rivalry for sure.”

 

In other bouts, Steve Layer of Knockout Fitness meets Adam Gabriel and Stephon Morris will compete in his final amateur match.

 

Following this exciting evening of action, Knockout Fitness and Nissley Promotions will host an after party at the 14Forty, which is located inside the casino.

 

For more information, visit Knockoutfitness.com

 

boxing

Baltimore Boxing meets with Baltimore Police Officials!

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L-R: Mindi Smith, Ally Smith, Jake Smith, Ganesha Martin (Chief of Staff Baltimore Police Department), Debbie Ramsey (Former Baltimore Police Detective and Founder of Unified Efforts) and Anthony Batts (Baltimore Police Commissioner)

For Immediate Release

Baltimore, MD (May 27, 2015) – Jake Smith, CEO of Baltimore Boxing Promotions, and his family recently met with Baltimore City Police officials.

Smith, a longtime promoter in the Charm City and former professional boxer, was personally impacted by the riots as his gym was temporarily shut down. Having spent his entire life in and around Baltimore, Smith called the riots the worst thing he’s ever seen and feared for the safety of those that had neighboring businesses. Within a few days, order was restored due to an outstanding effort by the Baltimore PD.

During the visit, which included time with Chief of Staff Ganesha Martin and Commissioner Anthony Batts, Smith personally thanked them for their heroic efforts. He also donated tickets for his May 29 “Blood, Sweat & Tears” fight card at Michael’s Eighth Avenue to the department and will honor them during the evening.

“The police are unsung heroes in almost every community,” said Smith. “It’s unfortunate that certain isolated incidents have many people feeling like law enforcement is bad. We all must remember the good that they’ve done in keeping us safe. They risk their lives to keep crime, drugs and guns off the streets. It’s also important for people in Baltimore to remember how scary it was living here during the riots. The men and women of the police department literally had to face violent protesters while significantly outnumbered. For all that they did to restore the city I love, the absolute least I can do is donate tickets and honor them on fight night. I believe that we all owe them a big thank you for protecting us.”

Tickets for “Blood, Sweat & Tears” can be purchased by calling 410-375-9175 or going to Baltimoreboxing.com. Individual tickets start at $25 and VIP tables of 10 are available for $500. All VIP ticketholders can enjoy free hors d’oeurves from 7-8 pm, the best seats in the house and a special meet and greet with five time world champion Vinny Paz.

In addition to honoring the policemen and women, Baltimore Boxing is proudly teaming up with Unified Efforts. Since their founding in 2012 by former Baltimore detective Debbie Ramsey, Unified Efforts is a full-service bullying prevention organization that has helped raise awareness throughout theCharm City. To assist with the program,

Baltimore Boxing will donate tickets and proceeds from a 50/50 raffle on fight night.

For more information on Baltimore Boxing Promotions, visit Baltimoreboxing.com

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Knockout Fitness Presents “Fighting The Odds” June 6!

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Baltimore, MD (May 14, 2015) – Knockout Fitness will host the first ever fight card at a Baltimore casino when they bring “Fighting The Odds” to the Horseshoe Casino Saturday, June 6.

 

Tickets to “Fighting The Odds” are $20 for general admission, $40 for premium seats and individual VIP tickets are on sale for $75 at http://www.missiontix.com/events/product/30693/fighting-the-odds. All VIP ticketholders will have the best seating plus special access to a tent that includes food and drinks.

 

The card will have more than 10 Olympic style bouts sanctioned by the South Atlantic Boxing Association. Doors open at 1 pm and the first fight is scheduled for 2. To assist with animal rights efforts, a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Show Your Soft Side campaign. Based out of the Baltimore area, Show Your Soft Side is a nonprofit campaign that helps combat animal cruelty.

 

Headlining the card will be Jason Nissley of Baltimore. The co-owner of Knockout Fitness and winner of Baltimore Magazine’s best Personal trainer and best group fitness instructor, Nissley is making the jump from trainer to fighter. Nissley meets an opponent to be announced.

 

In the semi-main event, well regarded middleweight Jerome Featherstone makes his return to the squared circle. An exceptional athlete with an outstanding track record, Featherstone was a top local wrestler at BoysLatin High School and went on to standout at theUniversity of Oklahoma. Only one year after first putting on a pair of gloves, Featherstone won the Maryland/DC Golden Gloves and competed in nationals. He will meet an opponent TBA for the Maryland State Middleweight title.

 

The undercard will also feature locals Steven Layer, Stephon Morris and Adam Gabriel in separate bouts. More fights will be announced shortly.

 

“June 6 th will be a great day for the sport of boxing in the City of Baltimore,” said Chris Nissley of Knockout Fitness. “I’m very thankful that the Horseshoe Casino is providing Knockout Fitness the opportunity to do the first ever casino show in Baltimore and hope that many more will follow. We have very affordable tickets so the entire family can enjoy. The Show Your Soft Side campaign also has a special place in my heart and we love working with them. Please make sure to come out June 6 th to support the fighters and this great cause.”

 

Leading up to and during the event, fans can interact on Twitter using the hashtag #maythebesthandswin.

 

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Baltimore Boxing to bring Excitement this weekend to Ocean City!

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Baltimore, MD (May 6, 2015) – On Saturday, May 9, Baltimore Boxing Promotions will provide a complete evening of entertainment to Ocean City, MD.

 

Tickets from $25 are available on Ticketmaster.com and at the Convention Center Box Office.

 

At 8 PM, an Olympic style boxing card titled “Beatdown at the Beach” takes place at the Ocean City Convention Center. The card is headlined by a heavyweight title match including Baltimore Boxing Gym’s record holding knockout king Sam “Vanilla Gorilla” Crossed vsSalisbury’s KGC for the East Coast crown.  Renowned Joey “Bazooka Joe” Veazy of the Baltimore Boxing Gym squares off against Down Under Boxing’s Nigel Fennell. In addition, Donald Wallace of the Baltimore Boxing Gym meets Ryan Watson of Salisbury, MD, while young phenom Tommy Coe Jr., Ed Park and Omar Serrano will appear in separate bouts.

 

In association with this exciting night of fights, Baltimore Boxing is proudly teaming up with the Worcester County Humane Society’s efforts to find new homes for shelter animals. During the fights, there will be a 50/50 raffle with the proceeds going to the society and Baltimore Boxing is also donating tickets. The Humane Society will also be on hand to answer any questions and distribute information on their organization.

 

Throughout the evening, fans will have the opportunity to meet and greet a number of local notables. World rated cruiserweight Alex Guerrero of Salisbury and undefeated Steve “Show Stealer” Wheeler of Baltimore will be on hand along with legendary trainer Frank Gilbert and Virginia’s Andrew “Doo Man” Farmer. Following his nationally televised match on ESPN 2’sFriday Night Fights the evening prior to “Beatdown at the Beach”, middleweight warrior Jessie “The Beast Nicklow” of Baltimore will be on hand as will Ocean City’s very own Brian Ziegler.

 

Following the fights, all ticketholders are invited to the exclusive after party at Abbey Burger, located at 126th st in Ocean City.

 

“Beatdown at the Beach is not just a fight card, it’s a complete event,” said Smith. “I want every ticketholder to have a blast from the time they enter the Convention Center until their evening is complete. This is why it was important for Baltimore Boxing not only to have an entertaining fight card, but also have special guests and an after party at a popular place. Saturday evening is guaranteed to be a great time for everybody in OceanCity.”

For more information, go to Baltimoreboxing.com

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Hall of Famer Mark Johnson, rising star Dusty Harrison and former champion Vincent Pettway to attend “Snap, Crackle and Pop”!

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Baltimore, MD (March 18, 2015) – Boxing legend Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson, undefeated Dusty Harrison and former welterweight champion Vincent Pettway will attend Baltimore Boxing’s “Snap, Crackle and Pop” Saturday, March 27.

 

The card takes place at Michael’s Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie with doors opening at 6:30 pm and the first bell scheduled for 8. Tickets are on sale now by calling 410-375-9175 or going to Baltimoreboxing.com. Individual tickets start at $25 and VIP tables of 10 are available for $500. All VIP ticketholders can enjoy free hors d’oeurves from 7-8 pm and the best seats in the house.

 

One of the greatest little men in boxing history, Johnson captured the IBF flyweight title in 1996 by knocking out Francisco Trejedor in the first round. The Washington, DC native went on to defend his championship seven times before moving up and winning the IBF super flyweight crown.  After a pair of setbacks to future hall of famer Rafael Marquez, Johnson became the first man to beat future star Fernando Montiel in 2003 before retiring three years later with an outstanding 44-5 record. With a legendary career in the books, Johnson was inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2012.

 

A well-known rising star, Harrison turned pro at the ripe age of 16. Having been in the limelight from day one,Harrison’s in-ring success has supported the hype and he continues to improve every time he enters the squared circle. In his most recent bout, the DC based Harrison improved to 25-0 and captured the WBC Continental Americas Welterweight crown by besting Tommy Rainone over ten rounds at Madison Square Garden.

 

Fighting out of the Baltimore, Pettway became a world champion in 1994, stopping underrated Gianfranco Rossi to win the IBF super welterweight belt. In his next match, Pettway scored one of the most memorable knockouts in boxing history, viciously putting away Simon Brown in the sixth round to retain his title. After Brown hit the canvas, he literally threw punches at the air. The replay has been shown countless times and is a favorite of boxing fans.

 

Pettway retired in 2001 with a record of 43-7-1 with 32 wins by knockout. Last August, he received the Murray Smith “School of Hard Knocks” award for his lifelong commitment to the City of Baltimore.

 

“Any time you can have two boxing greats and one of the best young fighters in one place at one time is something special,” said Jake Smith of Baltimore Boxing Promotions. “Vincent has been a great friend and supporter of Baltimore Boxing as is Mark. I’ve known Dusty since he’s a kid and I have no doubt that he’ll be a world champion in the near future.”

 

Johnson, Harrison, and Pettway will be available to chat with VIP ticketholders, sign autographs and take photos. Five time champion Vinny Paz is also attending and will be discussing his upcoming movie, wine company and spending time with VIP ticketholders.

 

This exciting evening of boxing will have four title fights including junior middleweight Joey “Bazooka Joe” Veazey and heavyweight Sam “Vanilla Gorilla” Crossed in matches for their division’s East Coast crown. The undercard will feature Allen “The Hampton Hammer” Burris, Courtney Hartlove, 2015 Golden Gloves Champion Tommy Coe Jr. and former college basketball star Stefon McCray in separate bouts.

 

In association with this solid evening of fights, Baltimore Boxing is hosting a special 50/50 raffle for the Brooke and Nathan Fenush Scholarship Fund. The fund was created to assist Baltimore County Fire Department Lieutenant Paul Fenush, whose wife recently passed away.

 

For more information, go to Baltimoreboxing.com

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Record Knockout Holder Crossed Replaces Injured Veazey January 23

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Baltimore, MD (January 11, 2015) – World record knockout holder Sam “Vanilla Gorilla” Crossed is replacing Joey Veazey in the main event of “Slugfest”January 23 at Michael’s Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.

 

Veazey was forced to withdraw due to an injury suffered in training.

 

An exciting heavyweight and former college football player, Crossed set a record by knocking out Adrien Bean in an astonishing four seconds in August 2013. Crossed, a former college football player who continues to improve inside the squared circle, meetsGlen Burnie native Jeff Knight for the East Coast Super Heavyweight Championship.

 

“Slugfest” is promoted by Baltimore Boxing Promotions and tickets starting at $25 are available at Baltimoreboxing.com or by calling 410-375-9175. VIP seats for $50 and VIP tables of 10 for $500 are also available. All VIP ticketholders get free hors d’oeuvres from 7-8 pm. Doors open at 6:30 and the first bell will sound at 8:15.

 

Baltimore native Allan Burris of Baltimore faces Lamont White in the co-feature. The two fought in December, with Burris taking home the victory. Like Crossed, Burris trains out of the Baltimore Boxing Gym.

 

Young phenom Tommy Koe Jr. will appear on the card in a special attraction bout. Koe Jr. is slated to appear in this year’s nationals. Fans will also be treated to a special showdown between Courtney Hartlove and Melissa “Million Dollar Baby” Wilson. Hartlove and Wilson, who both work in the Federal Hill section ofBaltimore, will do battle for local bragging rights.

 

“While I’m disappointed that Joey Veazey is no longer on the card, I’m very pleased with our new main event,” said Jake Smith, CEO of Baltimore Boxing Promotions and President of the South Atlantic Boxing Amateur Boxing Program. “Fans love heavyweights and Sam Crossed has been creating a buzz around the area since his record-setting knockout. Ticketholders also get to see a future champion in Tommy Koe Jr., a guaranteed slugfest between two popular young ladies, the Burris-White rematch and other locals. Ticket sales have been great and we’re expecting a sellout on the 23rd.”

 

To help with their continued community efforts throughout the Charm City, Baltimore Boxing is hosting a 50/50 raffle. 100 percent of the proceeds will go towards Baltimore Boxing’s amateur program, which has helped keep kids off the street and in the gym for more than 20 years.

 

For more information, go to Baltimoreboxing.com