Minnesota Ice hammers out Willis in 3, Gee Cullmer pulls out a split decision win!

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The big lumberjack from Minnesota, Joey Abell (24-4, 23 KO’s) did it again, pleasing the crowd with 3 rounds of target practice which led to a stoppage over Houston’s Billy “The Kid” Willis (12-14-1, 9ko’s). Abell looks to have added a jab to his arsenal, a punch he threw a lot of in the 1st which would set up that wrecking ball of a left hand. Give Willis credit, he ate some SCUD missiles and still had the audacity to connect with a strong right hook as round 1 ended, a punch that surely caught Abell’s attention. The fight continued and it was more of Abell hammering the concrete head of Willis. The first knockdown came early in the 3rd which from my vantage point actually looked like a slip. Willis jumped right up but was attacked on the ropes and referee Blair Talmedge jumped right in to stop what could have been a severe beating. Video with Abell below.

In the co-feature, the State Athletic Commissions # 1 ranked super middleweight Gee Cullmer once again wins a close decision at The Blue, this time by way of split decision over Clarence “Sonny Bono” Taylor in their 6 round rematch from a fight that took place in 2004. Call this one “The Battle of the Free Hand” as the amount of work done in clinches were the most telling source of scoring in rounds 2 – 5. From my vantage point there were only two clear cut rounds to award, Bono getting the 1st as he set the pace and landed some solid right hands to open the contest. Cullmer came on very strong in round 6, walking forward and connecting with a steady diet of combos, sensing that he needed a big round to secure the victory. It went to the cards which read 59 – 55 for Cullmer, 59 – 55 for Bono and the third judge seeing it 58 – 55 for Cullmer. Video with Gee is below.

Jose Tiburcio, now training at The Oven Gym under the eye of Billy Briscoe, scored two knockdowns en route to a unanimous decision win over Frankford’s Julius “Marvel” Edmunds in their 4 round lightweight match. Tiburcio started strong with the knockdowns but faded late as Edmunds came on down the stretch but it wasn’t as Tiburco won on all 3 scorecards in his first fight in 2 years.

Queen’s lightweight Joselito Collado is quickly becoming a house favorite and once again he impresses with a win over Darrell Martin who preferred to showboat, clown and dance rather than fight hard. 60 – 54 across the board for Collado.

Taneal Goyco (3-0, 1 KO) again gets the win over Davit Davitshvili (0-3) this time by unanimous decision in their cruiser weight fight.

Talk about it on the forum here http://phillykeith.com/fightforum/index.php?topic=772.0

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Mike Jones destroys Dario Esalas in 2, Teon Kennedy gets off the deck to win at The Blue!

Photo by Chris Sembrot / www.chrissembrot.com
On March 6, 2009 Peltz Boxing Promotions returned to the Legendary Blue Horizon with a bang, putting on a card that didn’t have one stiff on the line up which resulted in good fights from A- Z. After an 8 year absence, the Philly fight fans were excited about the return and came out in high volumes to see an evenly matched 7 fight card highlighted by the towns hottest prospect Mike Jones who is rated in all major sanctioning body rankings. Jones was originally set to take on former amateur standout Larry Mosley of LA but at the last minute Mosley called out with a back injury so in comes Dario Eslas, a well traveled veteran with knockout power and a light bulb chin. The over under on this one was 3 rounds.

The co-feature was an interesting one as another highly touted, undefeated Peltz boxing prospect Teon Kennedy took on the world rated Andre Wilson on Missouri in an 8 round Super Bantamweight showdown. This one got interesting as Wilson showed he is no fluffed up mid westerner but Kennedy showed the heart of a fighter as he had to deal with a lot of elements he hasn’t come across before inthe ring. There was a lot on the line for both as Wilson was hungry for better pay days and respect as he wanted to shed the “opponent” label. Kennedy was one win shy of qualifying for his teams goal of getting a crack at the USBA title.

Peltz Boxing returns to The Blue Horizon 3-6-09

They said it would never happen in a million years…but to the surprise of many it was recently announced that J. Russell Peltz struck a 6 fight deal which will bring his promotional outfit back to the building he made famous, The Legendary Blue Horizon. The talk of the boxing town starts with a potential lights out card on March 6th which will see the world rated and current NABA Welterweight champion Mike Jones make his first title defense against LA’s Larry Mosley (15-3-2, 6ko’s) in the 10 round main event. Jones is a hot name right now and was even pegged by the well respected Steven Kim of www.maxboxing.com as the sports prospect of the year in 2008.

Derek Ennis decisions Bono, Belasco KO’s DeVictoria @ The New Alhambra

photos by: Tony Gargano / www.pixgargano.com
For the first time in 2009, it was fight night in Philly. After almost 6 weeks of inactivity in this town, it was finally time to watch the pros throw down. The venue was the fabled fight hall on the corner of Swanson & Ritner, the one and only New Alhambra. But this particular event had a mysterious air about it for weeks. On a typical fight night here, fans would come to see a card by the Fairmount Hall of Fame boxing promoter, J. Russell Peltz. This time around, I knew that I wouldn’t be greeted by a smiley lady with the cool hat or a witty comment contradicting a statement made on this site. That was a given. On this night, it was Greg Robinson and his newly formed Xtreme Productions running the show. That’s cool, he is a known promoter in these parts, but people were asking, why him? why here? why now? Those were the burning questions asked by those who cough up their hard earned cash to pay the steep ticket fees. Something was up but nobody was talking. Omerta…Philly boxing style… Gotta love it.

After a long wait in the frigid wind, I finally made it to the box office window. I made my acquaintance with two new pleasant ladies handing out the media bracelets. So far, so good and was sent inside. After a being on the wrong end of a ridiculous security search that would have snagged a jailhouse balloon runner red handed, I was eventually granted full access and free to roam my longtime favorite venue. Immediately I noticed the naked walls. The life sized banners displaying images of yester-years Philly boxing fight icons were nowhere to be seen. Instead of Bennie Briscoe and Joey Giardello, all that remained were a few flags carrying on the legacies of former ECW icons like Terry Funk and “Flyboy” Rocco Rock. Once I found my seat in press row, word around the ring was that the gym is the back was just about empty. Then it all came together in one fell swoop. It was announced that Xtreme Production (formerly known as Power Productions) is moving in for good. No more Oaks, no more Armory, this is home and they plan on being here to stay…exclusively. The plot thickens and the saga continues so stay tuned. It is bound to get deeper.

Overall it was a solid kick off to a new year as promoter Greg Robinson and matchmaker Ty McNeil collaborated for a 5 fight card in their new home.

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Main Event
Jr. Middleweight Division
(non-title bout)

Derek “Pooh” Ennis…vs…Clarence “Sonny Bono” Taylor
Philadelphia, PA…………..Wilmington, DE
16-2, 12ko’s……………………12-19, 6ko’s

The housewarming party was highlighted by PA State & USBA regional Jr. middleweight title holder Derek Ennis (17-2, 12ko’s) who continued his resurrection towards national Jr. Middleweight status with a clear cut 8 round unanimous decision over late replacement journeyman Clarence “Sonny Bono” Taylor (12-20, 6ko’s) in the main event. Before the fight some were saying that if Bono didn’t give a good showing, it was a strong possibility that State Athletic Director Greg Sirb might pull his boxing card. Ennis won every round from the 3rd on but Bono lives to fight another day as he kept it competitive through out as he kept his promise to fight for the memory of his trainer who was tragically murdered just last week .The determination was there and he was an aggressive initiator, it wasn’t enough to handle the speed and slickness of Ennis who consistently used Bono’s awkwardness against him, setting up traps along the ropes, counterpunching effectively and using the ring to his advantage. Bono did have his moments and occasionally landed some good punches, in particular the 6th when he got Ennis attention with a hard right hook. Overall, Ennis skill set was too tall a task to overcome. The fight eventually went the distance and the scorecards read 79 – 73 & 78 – 74 x 2. Look for Ennis to step it up significantly soon.

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Co-Feature
Jr. Welterweight Division

Lenny DeVictoria…vs…Ryan Belasco
Philadelphia, PA…………Wilmington, DE
11-12-1, 3KO’s……………8-2-3, 3KO’s

The co-feature was thought it be a nice piece of competitive match making. Instead it turned out to be the last hurrah of a proven Philly ring warrior as Delaware’s Ryan Belasco (9-2-3, 3ko’s) saw little resistance in his fight against Lenny DeVictoria (11-13-1, 3ko’s), ending things midway through the second round with a few body shots followed by a single right hand which surprisingly kept his opponent on a knee for the full 10 count. Some say it was a very good right hand, some say it was a long list of ring wars catching up. Soon after the bout, it was announced that this was to be the last time Lenny will lace up the gloves as his team noticed a steady decline in performance over the past few fights. One chapter of Lenny’s life closes and another opens as he plans on getting his CDL license for a new career in the trucking industry. Congrats and thanks for Lenny for making the right move and giving us so many good fights. Also, Congrats to Belasco on a very good win. Speculation of an 8 – 10 round Belasco – Tyric Robinson fight were swarming soon after. That could arguabley be a state title fight…..

photos by: Tony Gargano / www.pixgargano.com

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Welterweight Division

Lou Rodriguez…vs…Ray Ellis
Philadelphia, PA……Philadelphia, PA
PRO DEBUT…………PRO DEBUT

Philly Rumbler Lou Rodriguez (1-0) grinded out a majority decision win in his pro debut against a fellow debuter Ray Ellis (0-1) in a very entertaining 4 round welterweight contest. Rodriguez sported an ankle bracelet, a fast set of hands a pretty good chin. Ellis, an aspiring chef and student at the Art Institute of Philadelphia, showed a big heart and applied a lot of pressure as these two went at it for all four rounds. Rodriguez was in control early, winning the first two rounds with a nice blend of combinations to the head and abilty to avoid trouble as Ellis pressed forward. The tide changed in the 3rd as Ellis consistent pressure allowed him to storm back in the fight, having a big round as he found a way to break through Rodriguez defense and land some good punches of his own upstairs. It was anyones fight down the stretch and both fought for the win in a 4th round that saw good moments for both fighters as Ellis fought through a leaking mouth and Rodriguez overcoming early fight jitters. It went to the cards which read 39 – 37 x2 for Rodriguez with the final judge saying it was even at 38-38. Let’s see both of these guys again against different foes!

photos by: Tony Gargano / www.pixgargano.com

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Welterweight Division

Ronald Cruz……….vs………Joel Rios
Phoenixville,PA…………….Philly via Puerto Rico
pro debut……………………..1-4

Jimmy DeOria’s latest charge Ronald Cruz (1-0) showed some spark in his 4 rounder against a tough Joel Rios (1-5) in a 4 round welterweight battle. Cruz looked very sharp when he fought on the outside, putting strings of combos together. Rios did leave some marks too, especially when they fought in the inside. Activity was the difference here as Cruz was the one who threw most and overall was the sharper of the two. If any young fighter is looking for a test early in their career, give Rios a call, he showed he can last under heavy fire and keep on coming. But, at 32 years old, his team feels it may be in his best interest to leave this sport to the young guys. On the other hand, Cruz, if he calms down a bit a lets the fight start coming to him, he could be a guy to watch out for in the future.

photos by: Tony Gargano / www.pixgargano.com

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Cruiserweight Division

Kamarah Pasley….vs…Cullen Rogers
Philadelphia, PA………..Akron, Ohio
0-3……………………………9-22-2, 5ko’s

In Cruiserweight action, Kamarah Pasley (1-3, 1ko) got that elusive first win with a second round knockout over Cullen Rogers (9-23-2, 5ko’s) . Pasley was able to land good leather and dig deep hooks into the horribly awkward Rogers all night. Pasley dropped Rogers with a left early in round 2, then continued the assault when his opponent got up. Rogers didn’t go back down but offered nothing in return leaving referee Shawn Clark no option but to stop it. Congrats to Pasley, a guy who never gave up on his dream of getting that W! Keep your eyes open because word is that Pasley is signed up to fight again on January 31st against Pedro Martinez at South Philly high school! Can he make it 2 in a row? We will see!

photos by: Tony Gargano / www.pixgargano.com

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If you have any questions, comments or suggestions you can email Philly Keith at keith@phillykeith.com

Go to www.phillykeith.com for up to the minute info on the Philly boxing scene

Xtreme Productions New Alhambra preview with videos

Power Productions kicks off the 2009 Philly fight year on January 16th at The New Alhambra in South Philly. The undercard is still unsettled but the main event and co-feature are etched in stone. I have all four contestants giving their side of the story. In the main event, PA State Jr. Middleweight champ Derek “Pooh” Ennis (16-2, 12ko’s) is scheduled to take on local veteran tough guy Clarence “Sonny Bono” Taylor (12-19, 6ko’s) of Delaware for a scheduled 8 rounder. Things looked shaky at the start of the week as Bono’s longtime trainer, Derrick Hoey, was tragically shot and killed over the weekend which could understandably call for Bono to reconsider taking this fight. But Bono told me personally that he plans to fight on despite the personal tragedy. It is official so the breakdown goes like this. In 2008 Ennis rebounded from a bad end in ’07, where he was unexpectedly KO’d, to the tune of a 4-0 record and putting himself back in striking distance of a significant televised fight on the national level. Ennis last outing was icing on the cake as it was his most complete performance as a pro, boxing a 10 round masterpiece over the 20 win vet Troy Browning to claim the state title and a portion of the USBA title. It was a big step forward. While few will doubt his offensive skills, some still wonder if he has the beard to make it to the big time. His last loss came in this very building in the summer of ’07 in a fight he was highly favored to win. If he can avoid the big punch, he has the skills to make a nice run in this sport. His opponent Bono on the other hand has lost 8 of his last 10 fights since winning a portion of the WBC title early in 2007. With that being said, Bono’s bar room tough guy record only tells a part of the story. He will give you an honest effort and usually makes his opponent fight hard for the duration. Let’s not get it twisted, Ennis is a HUGE favorite here, but this is Philly boxing and strange things always seem to happen. But hey, I only speak from the ring apron, click below to hear it from the guys who will be in there getting it on!

Derek Ennis

Sonny Bono

In a nice piece of matchmaking, the co-feature is said to have Delaware’s Ryan Belasco (8-2-3, 2ko’s) taking on Philly’s Lenny DeVictoria (11-12-1, 3ko’s) in a 6 rounder. Both fighters, at times, have been outstanding in the ring. There have also been a few occasions where both fighters have come in unprepared and laid a couple of duds. DeVictoria’s record is a misleading as he has taken on some of the best young, undefeated prospects this sport has to offer. Most memorably, he knocked off the then highly regardless Elad Shmouel in Philly’s 2007 fight of the year. Most recently, he fought to a draw against the rather ordinary Ricardo Media. Belasco on the other hand is cut from the cloth of his fellow Delaware fighters. Tough, has good fundamentals, and is willing to fight but no special skill that jumps out at you. Early in his career, problems of running out of gas attributed to draws and losses in fights he very well could have won. It looks like he has found a cure as he has gone deep into fights lately and looked fresh near the end, particularly against the boxing barber Victor Vasquez in one of the best of 2008. Both men had ample time to prepare for this fight so there should be no excuses. This is definitely an interesting contest, as these are two of the top guys locally fighting at 140 lbs. Expect some sparks to fly in this one as both men are usually happy to trade leather with an opponent.

Listen to both fighters tell it themselves

Lenny DeVictoria

Ryan Belasco

In Other Action…

Junior Welterweight Tyric “Too Sweet” Robinson (9-3, 3ko’s) returns to the ring looking to erase memories of his latest outing against Jason Cintron which ended in a one sided loss. No opponent has been announced. Once Too Sweet ranked in the top 5 of the Philly Keith pound for pound list. Lets hope the real Too Sweet shows up for this one instead of the guy we saw last time.

Philly lightweight Ronald Cruz will make his pro debut against Joel Rios (1-4, 1ko) of Puerto Rico.

Heavyweights Kamarah Pasley (0-3)and John Carlisle (0-1) , both of Philly, will battle it out as both seek their first wins as a pro.

Lou Rodriguez of The Philly Rumblers Boxing Club is scheduled to make his awaited pro debut after a false start back in October when his opponent fell out last minute. He will take on Ray Ellis who is also making his pro debut.

A light welterweight scrap between two fighters with their only win coming by way of the dirt nap face off as Allentown’s Eluid Torres (1-0-1, 1ko) takes on the challenge of Pleasantville, NJ’s Omar Brito (1-0, 1ko) over 4 rounds of promising action.

Cleveland lightweight Miguel Gonzalez (1-0, 1ko) is not on the card due to being unable to find an opponent.

For tickets call 267-687-7560 or 267-809-0057

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions you can email Philly Keith at keith@phillykeith.com

Go to www.phillykeith.com for up to the minute info on the Philly boxing scene