Farah Ennis goes for Gold in Atlantic City!

Team Ennis / www.phillykeith.com

All of a sudden, Philly boxers are becoming kings of the regional title. United States championships, North American titles, the Inter-Continental belt & more, we have a stake in all of them. On November 19, 2010 at Harrah’s Resport & Casino in Atlantic City, Farah Ennis (16-0, 10ko’s) of Germantown looks to add his name to the growing list of local boxers who have achieved status as the best in their weigh class in a certain geographical area. In his first out of town main event, “The Quiet Storm” will take on Victor Lares (15-4, 4ko’s) of Corpus Christi, TX for a scheduled 12 rounder for the NABF Super Middleweight title.

It is a virtual shoe-in that Ennis will bring home the hardware and add to the growing collection of titles won within the Ennis camp. More importantly, the winner of this match will receive a top 15 rating in the world, inching that particular person towards the types of fights that will get their name out there on a national level. Ennis has recently caught the eye of the suits at ShoBox – who recently added his name to the list of up and coming prospects at 168 lbs. It is widely expected that Ennis will prove once again that the lower to mid-range type of opponent is no match for his talents. After this – it is about that time someone puts Farah on TV!

Jones stops Munoz at Boardwalk Hall

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photo by Mike "Teek" McGuigan – In Atlantic City, Philly Welterweight Mike Jones (21-0, 17ko’s) had 15 minutes of target practice against Hector Munoz (18-3, 11ko’s) – battering away on his hopeless foe until the referee stopped it at the 2:03 mark of round 5. Jones had a distinct height advantage but chose to fight mostly inside and landed just about everything he threw while taking about 5 punches total in return. The win Jones cracks the top 15 in every major sanctioning body, collects the NABO title and is another step closer to the promised land – an HBO fight against much higher caliber opposition.

In the evenings main event – Argentinean Sergio Martinez slick punched his way to becoming the new Ring Magazine Middleweight Champion of the world with a unanimous decision win over Kelly Pavlik.

Mike Jones Returns to Atlantic City April 17th

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photo by Mike “Teek” McGuigan – The 147 lb NABA champion Mike Jones (20-0, 16ko’s) returns to Atlantic City on April 17th for the opportunity of a lifetime. The opponent is Hector Munoz (18-2-1, 11ko’s) of Albuquerque, NM and the vacant NABF title will also be on the line. The real kicker is that this fight will be the co-feature for the highly anticipated Kelly Pavlik vs. Sergio Martinez fight which will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing. While Jones fight will not make the TV airwave – it is a golden chance to impress the TV execs that Team Jones have long claimed to be shutting out their prize fighter.

If HBO likes what they see- the possibilities are endless as there is a deep pool of legitimate boxers in the Welterweight division. A big stage and on the cusp of the big money – it is what many have waited for with Jones. It will be interesting to see how he handles himself under such circumstances along with coming off a sub par performance in his last bout.

Peltz Boxing feels that they have a star in the making. I have dubbed Jones the #1 prospect in Philly. Now we will really start to get an idea of how this story might unfold. Stay tuned for more info.

Gabriel Rosado wins a war, Mike Jones gets by Bruseles in Atlantic City!

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On February 27th 2010 , Peltz Boxing brought another strong, evenly matched card to Bally’s Casino in Atlantic City, this time with Top Rank boxing in the fold to take part in the new boxing series on Fox Sports Net. The goal of the night was to get rising welterweight Mike Jones (20-0, 16ko’s) some much deserved TV time as he continues his quest to rate amongst the best on the world in his division. His opponent was Henry Bruseles (28-4-1, 15ko’s) , a better than advertised journeyman riding a 7 fight winning streak.

The NABA titlist got the job done to the tune of a unanimous decision victory in front of a sold out crowd, most of whom came to see MJ perform in the main event. While there is no argument that Jones deserved a W in this fight, he had a much tougher than expected time against the shifty veteran.  Bruseles was able to work his way inside undeterred for most of the contest and Jones never set out to impose his will on the smaller opponent, opting to box, circle and move around without much forward motion. Bruseles found his way unabated into Jones chest for most of the night which made things very tight in the first half of the match.

Jones was able to take control in round 5 and won every round from there on out as he landed the better power punches and did a better job of avoiding the game Bruseles attack. Like the old timers say – win this one, look good the next time out.

Call this fight one to grow on as it will undoubtedly serve as a learning experience for Jones.

Add Saul Roman (32-6, 27ko’s) to the list of accomplished veterans that “King” Gabriel Rosado (14-4, 8ko’s) has beaten as the 24 year old Philadelphian was awarded a narrow split decision  following a 10 round blood bath which saw momentum swing back and forth throughout the contest.

Roman can be credited as the aggressor but Rosado’s precise counter punching and timely power shots were keys to victory.  There was nothing fancy in this fight, just a good old fashioned rumble between two tough fighters. Roman built a lead early – Rosado stormed back in the middle rounds and it was give and take down the stretch. Roman fought through a bad cut over the right eye while Rosado’s left eye had a slow leak.

The co-feature was the fight of the night with many in press row having scoring scattered across the board. Scores read 97 – 93 for Roman but were over ruled by two tallied of 96 – 94 for Rosado who continues to show he is one of the best Philly has to offer despite what his record may say.

On the undercard…

Jersey boys Troy Maxwell (2-0, 1ko) and Todd Erickson (0-3-1) waged four rounds of absolute mayhem in this unexpectedly entertaining action packed rumble. Erickson built an early lead using his size and speed to connect but Maxwell kept up the pressure and eventually broke the seal in round three. Both men traded and landed many hard punches. Maxwell’s ear was a mess, Erickson wasn’t very stead at certain points, both sucked it up and fought to win until the very end. The score cards read 39 – 37 x 3 for Maxwell. Erickson also deserves a nod for a job well done.

Ariel Espinal and Tony Pietrantonio waged their own war in a bit of a sloppy yet very good 6 round back-and-forth rumble that Espinal won by 5th round TKO. Both fighters stood inside and traded hard, wining bombs. Momentum shifted throughout but Espinal’s late assault led the referee to stop the fight against a dazed Pietrantonio’s protest.Ossie Duran and Jamaal Davis went toe to toe for 4 hard rounds.  It was give and take but it was the accomplished veteran Duran who was giving that much more in this shortened fight.  Davis stayed game, took the best Duran had to offer and stood his ground. It went to the cards which read 40 – 36 across the board for Duran.

We may have seen the final chapter in the career of ex champion Kendall Holt as he was surprisingly and soundly defeated by the anonymous Kaizer Mabuza via 6th round TKO. Holt had a good first round but Mabuza applied non stop pressure and eventually wore down the big name from Paterson. Holt’s corner stopped the fight in between rounds 6 and 7.

Glen Tapia came out of the gate like a pit bull scoring an early 1st round stoppage against Ty Miles.

Peltz Boxing 2/27/10 @ Bally's

Mike Jones , Gabriel Rosado & Jamaal Davis Fight In Atlantic city February 27

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On February 27th 2010, Peltz Boxing returns to Bally’s Casino in Atlantic City for a seven fight card with at least two of these bouts being televised live on the new Fox Sports Boxing Show. In the main event we have Mike Jones (19-0, 16ko’s) defending his NABA Welterweight title against veteran Henry Bruseles (28-3-1, 15ko’s) of Puerto Rico in the 10 round main event. This will mark Jones third consecutive start at the casino, a place where he hasn’t lost a second of either of the fights he was in. This fight looks to be no different as even Jones team concedes that “Bruseles is a good all around fighter but Mike does everything he can do better, we should have no problem”. The 29 year old Bruseles comes in on a 7 fight winning streak with his last loss coming in 2005 against Floyd Mayweather. Jones will need an impressive performance to captivate the imagination a national audience that has eluded him to date and also to recapture a local buzz that seems to be fading a bit. One vicious KO could solve all that in an instant. Either way – a victory will surly improve his already impressive world rankings which currently stand at Jones is # 7 in the WBA, # 11 by the IBF. # 16 by the WBC. Along with being promoted by Peltz Boxing, Jones team is considered amongst the best in Philly as he is managed by Doc Nowicki and Jim Williams and trained by Vaughn Jackson.

In the co-feature Gabriel Rosado (13-4, 8ko’s) again finds himself matched tough when he takes on proven veteran Saul Roman (32-5, 27 ko’s) of Tijuana in a 10 round co-feature.Rosado is coming one of his best performances as a pro when he stopped Latif Mundy in this same building last November. Roman, a 10 year pro at 29 years old, has fought some of the best with mixed results. The two men share a common opponent in Kassem Ouma – both ironically won by split decision. There is only one way we will find out who is the better fighter and I would think the winner should be in line for at least one of the Spanish titles floating around the business. Good matchmaking and potentially a good fight.

Jamaal “Da Truth” Davis (11-5, 6ko’s) will take on the rough Ossie Duran (23-8-2, 9ko’s) in an 6 rounder. Davis is another guy who hasn’t had much duck meat lately and the durable Duran will surely test his conditioning and stamina. Duran has survived attacks from James Kirkland, David Lopez and recently took Fernando Guerrero to the limit in a losing effort. Davis can pop – so it will be interesting to see how his shot holds up against guy who has been near the top and given a game effort. The winner of this one should should be in prime position to take on a name fighter for a nice paycheck in the near future.

Dennis Hasson is listed for this card though it is unconfirmed and no opponent has been named at press time.

Kendall Holt of Paterson, NJ take on Kaizer Mabuza of Johannesburg, South Africa in a 12 round IBF junior welterweight title eliminator; Glen Tapia, Passaic, NJ, vs. Tyrone Miles, Camden, NJ, 4, junior middleweights; Troy Maxwell, Galloway Township, NJ, vs. Todd Eriksson, Dover, NJ, 4, super middleweights. Expect to see the shoehorn at the entrance as all tickets are said to be sold out! Check eBay if you are desperate….

Mike Jones sends Pinzon packing & Rosado stops Mundy @ Bally’s!

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The date is November 10, 2009 and the city is gridlocked. The Phillies bats were stymied by three New York hurlers, in effect denied their shot at becoming back-to-back MLB world champions. Also this week, a piece of Philly boxing history was lost as The Spectrum closed it’s doors for good this week after being sent off to memory lane by a four night rock fest courtesy of Pearl Jam. To top it all off, SEPTA is on strike as Local 234 president Willie Brown had the audacity to order the men and women of The Transport Workers Union off the job and to the picket lines in hopes of a raise in these hard economic times, leaving many people standed in their tracks making routine travels to work and school a nightmare.

As the week finally ended, I was headed to Atlantic City to catch the fights. On this card, Mike Jones makes another statement that he is a young welterweight to be reckoned with as he retains his NABA Welterweight title via 5th round KO over Raul Pinzon in Atlantic City NJ. The started off a bit slow and methodically but did a 180 early in round 5 as Jones began to let his hands go, hurting Pinzon with head shots before ending matters with a single vicious body shot that left Pinzon on the canvas in agony, making no attempt to beat the 10 count. Sources close to the NJ commission say Pinzon suffered broken ribs.

With the win, Jones keeps his title and world ratings as well as furthering a statement that the journeyman type is no match for him. Network execs should take notice because MJ would make an excellent choice of opponent for any young 147 lber in the world….

In the co main event, Gabriel Rosado bounces back with a 7th round TKO win over Latif Mundy during a battle of Philly Jr. Middleweights.

Best fight of the night, good exchanges and the rounds see-sawed until a big surge from Rosado hurt Mundy midway through the 7th, after a continued assault, the referee was left with no option but to call a halt to the battle.

In other action…

Mike “No Joke” Stewart recovered from a 3rd round knockdown to win a unanimous decision over Louis Lejia by scores of 57 – 56 across the board.

Josh Mercado won a hard fought unanimous decision

Ronald Cruz won a decision over Ashante Henderson in a fight closer than the final scores indicated.

The injury bug strikes a Mike Jones fight again! Gutierrez out with a back injury, Raul Pinzon in!

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Back in the day, old Yankee Clipper Yogi Bera once said “it’s like deja vu all over again”. Fifty-some years later, we can aptly apply this phrase to size up Philly’s #1 boxing prospect Mike Jones (18-0, 16ko’s) 2009 season in the ring. Once again, a last minute occurrence changes the dynamic of the Mount Airy Machine Gun’s originally proposed fight. Now, instead of taking on a widely recognized and respected fringe contender, Jones has a new opponent that he will more than likely blow out of the water during his November 7 fight at Bally’s in Atlantic City…. The official word from Peltz Headquarters on 25th & Brown is that original opponent Richard Gutierrez has suffered a back injury while sparring and absolutely will not be able to compete for the scheduled 12 round NABA Welterweight title fight. According to the Fairmount Hall of Famer J. Russell Peltz, new opponent will be Raul Pinzon (16-3-1, 15ko’s). Good replacement on paper but Pinzon is kind of like the girl who looks pretty good from across the bar…until 2am when the lights go on, then you see what she really looks like! Pinzon has feasted on duck meat and is winless outside of his native Columbia being KO’d in three of his last four. Bet the house on a spectacular Mike Jones KO win here, somewhere around the halfway point of round 2. It’s a big disappointment that is no one’s fault but still, it is getting to the point to where something has got to give! The good news is that the dynamic, power punching local will remain on the card and I guess that is all that really matters. With that said, it has gone will past the point of MJ needing some sort of signature win at this stage of his career.

Another road bump in a year that looked so promising in the beginning. Jones still has his NABA title and is still undefeated. If Jones dares to be a champion in this great sport, he must find a way to change his luck in the near future. Note to the suits at Showtime – Out of all the young welterweights your great show has featured over the past year, Jones takes any of them. Abrgeu, Antoine Smith, Hernandez, Aydin etc. Make a fight and please the fans!

Mike Jones vs Gutierrez, Gabriel Rosado vs. Latif Mundy @ Bally’s in AC Nov 7th

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The Fairmount Hall of Famer J. Russell Peltz returns to Atlantic City on November 7th with what is shaping up to be a tremendous card. On the top Mike Jones is in for a serious test taking on hard nosed veteran Richard Gutierrez (24-3-1, 14ko’s) in a 12 round NABA Welterweight title fight. Jones has had a wash of a 2008 so far dealing with injuries and inactivity due to fights falling out but a win here will make everyone forget all of that. When healthy he is the best fighter to watch coming out of Philly at the moment – hands down. His opponent Gutierrez has given the best in the world trouble and is a viable threat to anyone at the 147 – 154 lb mark. With that said, this is the type of fighter Jones must beat if he dares to be a champion in this great sport.

The co-main event is a throwback to the golden era of Philly boxing. Before clueless managers and over protective advisors softened the game, it was a regular occurrence that two well regarded local fighters gave the crowd what they wanted, to go up against each other to see who is the better fighter. Now-a-days to many want to get to 20-0 fighting opponents on 3 days notice. Not Gabriel Rosado (12-4, 7ko’s) and Latif Mundy (8-1, 3ko’s), two skilled Jr. Middleweights at a cross roads and in need of a big win. The two know each other outside of the ring but Rosado says it all about business right now and assured us he won’t be taking it easy for this one. Mundy, a very successful amateur is looking for that signature win as a pro. Some are starting to wonder “can he get it done?” A win here will silence the critics. The bout is scheduled for 8 rounds and could produce some fireworks. This is what draws crowds, this is what prepares fighters for championship runs.

If that weren’t enough two undefeated Welterweight prospects but their 0′s on the line as Bethlehem’s Ronald Cruz (6-0, 4ko’s) is scheduled to take on Jamar Patterson (8-0, 4ko’s) of New York in a 6 rounder. Cruz, though still developing, is starting to show flashes of a good power punching prospect. His last outing was a tough one against the always game Julias Edmunds which Cruz won by KO as the doctor ordered the bout stopped due to a cut. Patterson has been inactive lately, only fighting once in the past 3 years so it will be interesting to see what he brings to the table. But like the old saying goes, the hardest thing to take in boxing is a fighters 0…

Super Middleweight Khalil Farah (5-3, 1ko) loves boxing, he would also love to hand Keith Kozlin (3-0, 1ko) his first loss as a pro. They will face off for a four rounder on the undercard. Farah has slowly but steadily gotten better since training under the eye of Billy Briscoe down at the Oven gym. Kozlin may be undefeated but the combined record of his opposition is horrendous so it is hard to get a good read on paper. Expect a solid turn out of Farah supporters in the crowd.

Also scheduled for action is former Jr. Welterweight contender Mike “No Joke” Stewart vs. Frank Houghtaling in a battle of past their prime veterans. This actually could mean a good fight. Josh Mercado and Julio Sanchez round out the card in separate bouts.

For tickets call 215-765-0922 or visit www.peltzboxing.com

Teon Kennedy vs. Addy ends in a 10 draw, Flores loses by decision, Wilson wins a decision this Saturday in AC!

photo by Mike greenhill / www.fightnews.com

According to multiple sources, the Philly fighters had it rough this Saturday in Atlantic City. In a surprise, Teon Kennedy was held to a draw by journeyman Lante Addy in their 10 round super bantamweight bout. Victor Valenzuela pulled a minor upset by winning a unanimous decision over Anthony Flores. Flores is said to possibly have fractured a bone in his face after an early head butt that could require surgery. Garrett Wilson won a unanimous decision over Alfred Kinsey in a battle of bombers.

For a full story of the night, check Kurt Wolfheimer & Rick Sharmberg’s recap http://www.fightnews.com/?p=23735#more-23735

You can also read Ken Hissner’s take on the night’s action here http://doghouseboxing.com/Ken/Hissner092109.htm

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Mike Jones has 10 rounds of target practice, but is injured in win Jamaal Davis gets a hard earned win @ Bally’s

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photos by Mike “Teek” McGuigan

In a bout that was billed at ringside as “Jones versus The Volcano” MJ wasn’t faced with a bubbly fire of molten lava, instead he was the one who ruptured as he exploded on Lenin “The Volcano” Arroyo with rights and lefts over the 10 round distance en route to a unanimous decision win at Bally’s Casino in Atlantic City. It wasn’t Jones (18-0, 15ko’s) best performance, there were times where he looked bored and others times where he played to the crowd. On the plus side, he displayed patience, when he jabbed it was sharp and put his combinations together very well. Make no mistake, he dominated this fight from start to finish. Jones energy level was still high even at the end of the fight so the gas tank definitely was fueled with diesel. He also used the opportunity to shake off some rust as he has only fought 5 complete rounds in the past year coming into this match-up.