Kauffman vs. Castillo, Pasley vs. Matthews in Reading May 30th!

Marshall Kauffman’s Kings Promotions returns to Reading, PA on May 30th with a boxing / MMA event at the Sovereign Center for a night being billed as “Pain on Penn Street”.

The main event will be feature “The Great White Hope” Travis Kauffman (16-0, 13ko’s) of Reading taking on Livan Castillo (14-6, 9ko’s) of Atlantic City via Ecuador for an 8 round heavyweight match up. The Kauffman team has billed GW Hope as the best heavyweight prospect in the business. That remains to be seen but the 23 year old does posses an excellent set of boxing skills and was a highly decorated amateur, one time ranking as high as #3 in the country by USA boxing. As a pro they have taken the slow and steady approach in developing Kauffman into a contender. The highlight to date has been a one sided KO over Chicago’s Malachy Farrell within 2 rounds on ShoBox. Moving forward, he should have no trouble against the fading Castillo, a fighter who has been KO’d in all 6 of his losses.

After quite a few false starts, Philly cruiserweight Kamarah Pasley (4-3, 2ko’s) and the undefeated Julio Caesar Matthews (7-0, 5ko’s) of Reading will finally get it on in the co-feature for what should be a very competitive 6 round southpaws battle.
Pasley’s career started slow, losing three closely contested matches out of the gate but things have turned around big time in 2009 and he now looks to make it 5 wins in a row, this time against the toughest challenge of his career. His most recent activity has been his finest as Pasley convincingly defeated former amateur standout Pedro Martinez and followed up with a KO win as an impromptu headliner on a card in Atlantic City.

His opponent Mathews is not one to be taken lightly. The 39 year old rough man returned from an 11 year layoff with a vengeance, knocking out his first 4 foes until recently going the distance in a win against journeyman Wil Gill. Matthews looks to be the stronger of the two and is not afraid to make it a firefight. He also has the home field advantage as he is from Reading and is trained by the promoter. But you can throw all of that out the window because in the ring it will be puncher vs. counter puncher, a formula that usually leads to excitement for the fans! Interview with Pasley to be posted soon!
Craig Tomlinson of Reading, Ronald Cruz of Bethlehem, Esteban Rodriguez of Lebanon and Travis Thompson of Pottstown will also be on the card.

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

Derek Ennis loses belt at the scales, Kamarah Pasley wins by KO in Atlantic City

The proposed USBA regional Jr. Middleweight title fight between Derek Ennis and Ishmael Arvin was canceled when Ennis came in 4 lbs overweight.

By Rick Scharmberg at ringside

Kamarah Pasley and Chuck Berry stepped up to create an all-Philadelphia Cruiserweight main event after the original main event fell through last night at the Boardwalk Hall’s Adrian Phillips Ballroom last night in Atlantic City, NJ. Pasley rose to the occasion by winning his fourth straight fight, stopping Berry with a vicious left uppercut at 1:38 of the sixth and final round. The seven bout card produced a full night of boxing that featured some crowd-pleasing knockouts, and showcased the talent of two outstanding young Atlantic City prospects.

Tony Ferrante wins by KO, Belasco squeaks by Barbosa @ The Arena!

I was unable to attend the Xtreme Productions fights at the Arena this past Friday so I can’t give my hit on the actual fights since there is no footage available but “The Wolf” Kurt Wolfheimer of FightNews steps up to the plate to give his always reliable account of how the matches went down.

In the main event it is reported that Ryan Belasco and Jesus Barbosa traded throughout on the inside in a bout that could have been fought in a phone booth. Belasco got the nod on the official scorecards by a score of 58 – 56 across the board but The Wolf’s unofficial tab had the fight 58-56 in favor of Barbosa. The forum is buzzing a bit on this fight as well with opinion scattered across the board on who the true winner was. I can think of a good way to settle it once and for all….REMATCH!

It is also reported that Tony “Boom Boom” Ferrante scored a 5th round KO over Chris Archer in a fight that the Northeast native won convincingly. Looks like Ferrante passed a good test against a solid opponent here. I am now hearing whispers of a wanted match against Wildwood’s Chuckie Mussachio are surfacing from the Ferrante camp for the BAM belt… Shine it & sign it up Joey Eye!

Wahid Raheem and Gabriel Diaz did battle in a give and take fight that see-sawed back and forth throughout with Raheem getting the majority decision. This was billed as the potential show steamer by the insiders and The Wolf thinks both of these fighters can make some noise in the near future.

Ronald Cruz of Bethlaham stays undefeated with a one punch KO over the debuting Russell Cloak. Keep an eye out for Cruz who has looked good every time out.

Kamarah Pasely continued his improvement and hits the .500 mark as he out boxed the debuting John Burgos over 4 rounds of Cruiserweight action. The Wolf says Burgos couldn’t find an answer for Pasley’s movement and combination’s. Give Pasley his credit as he continued to work hard after a tumultuous start in the boxing world. Let’s see who he fights next?

Last but not least, in women’s action Jackie Davis, a protege of all time Philly great “Mighty” Ivan Robinson, scored a 3rd round TKO over Ohio’s Natoya Ervin in a fight The Wolf called a “near perfect performance”.

For the complete run down, check out Kurt Wolfheimer’s full write up here. http://www.fightnews.com/?p=6600#more-6600

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