Derek Ennis Tunes up for takeoff!

photo by Tony Gargano www.pixgargano.com

On January 15, 2010, USBA Jr. Middleweight champion, Derek “Pooh” Ennis (19-2-1, 12ko’s) of Germantown will sharpen up before the first mandatory defense of his title when he takes on fading vet Edwin Vasquez (22-14-2, 8ko’s) at the Arena for a scheduled 8 rounder. Ennis is said to have changed his training ways and appears to again be in tip top shape. This is a retry of a scheduled 2007 match where Ennis failed to make weight, sparking off a debate on his dedication to the sport. All of that seems to be put to bed now, as he weighed a career low 151 lbs in his last match, when he turned in the Philly 2009 Fight of the Year in a 12 round win over Eromosele Albert at The Blue Horizon. With Ennis on point and Vasquez being a loser of his last 5, don’t bet on this going the distance.  Ennis is tentatively scheduled to defend his USBA belt in April in Atlantic City. Win that, and you are ranked in the top 5 of the IBF Pooh!

The undercard will feature undefeated North East Philly prospect Tony “Boom Boom” Ferrante (8-0, 4ko’s) taking on Andre Hemphill (8-13-2, 5ko’s) in a 6 rounder. Ferrante seems to be on a quest to clean out the local Light Heavyweights around town. Hemphill has lost four of his last five but is known to be a spoiler when fighting in this area, most recently blasting out Richard Stewart in 3 rounds. We will see if he can pull the rug out this time around…

The Boxing Barber Victor Vasquez (10-3, 5ko’s) and Gustavo Dailey (4-7, 1ko) square off for a potential 6 round riot.

Also scheduled for action are Coy Evans and  Big Poppa Speller

Derek Ennis is the USBA Champ! Victor Vasquez turns in his best performance yet!

Talk about it on the forum

http://phillykeith.com/fightforum/index.php?topic=931.0

October 16, 2009 in Philadelphia. Before we talk about today, take a walk with me for a minute as I take a flash back to Philadelphia, circa 1999. Looking back, it was a year of change for this great city with many tall tasks and lots of uncertainty ahead. One of the all time Philly greats, Ed Rendell, was stepping down from his big office at room 215 in City Hall wrapping up one of the most successful runs in the history of the country as mayor of a big city. The people chose a 19 year veteran of City Council, John Street to lead the charge into the new millennium. The big building across from the street from the clothespin hasn’t been the same since. It was also a new day in Eagles country as 1999 marked the beginning of the Andy Reid- Donovan McNabb era whose goal was to give a fresh breath of life into a franchise that hit the bottom of the barrel. Say what you want about Big Red and his adopted son’s reign but five NFC Championship games later, the Birds as a well-respected and very lucrative franchise. The Phillies were still light years away from becoming World F. Champions but Overbrook’s Will Smith just putting down the mic to hit Hollywood for a career that saw him become one of the highest grossing actors of all-time.

Flying below the radar was Greg Robinson, a young ex-boxer with ambitions to stay in the game he loved. With family roots that ran deep into the heart of Philly boxing, he gave birth to his Power Productions promotional outfit in late 1999. In the one sport that is truly here today, gone tomorrow, Robinson has survived and even thrived in this landscape where only the strong, smart and crazy survive. Ten years later, Power Productions has become a Philly boxing club show main stay, producing some of the best action fights this town has seen in the 21^st century. For that I tip my cap to the man. Like Greg said at the press conference, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that make this a very tough business at times, but this is the sport we choose. For that we continue on doing what we love.

Power Productions 10th Anniversary Press Conference

Talk about it and see what they are saying on the forum http://phillykeith.com/fightforum/index.php?topic=931.0

On October 14, 2009 Greg Robinson held a press conference at The Fox & Hound in Center City Philly to introduce he fighters on his upcoming 10th anniversary card. He plans to celebrate in style on October 16th at The Legendary Blue Horizon with Philly Jr. Middleweight Derek “Pooh” Ennis on top of the bill. After weeks of shuffling and searching for opponents, Eromosele Albert (22-3, 10ko’s) has been selected and approved by the IBF as this match will be over 12 rounds for the USBA Jr. Middleweight title.

Ennis has looked strong in his last few bouts, most recently on ESPN with a W over John Mackey. People have been calling for Pooh and his team to make a move, and here it is. Albert is a two time Olympian from Nigeria and overall solid competitor in his own right with some good showings on ESPN. Very solid match-up that should produce a lot of two way action.

On the undercard, look for an all out Philly rumble between the Boxing Barber Victor Vasquez and Tyric “Too Sweet” Robinson. Excellent matchmaking and should be a delight for the crowd. Vasquez hasn’t fought since March so you know he is itching for a fight. Robinson has lost two in a row and it itching for a win, especially on his uncles 10th anniversary card where I am sure the whole family will be in the house. Grab a beer and enjoy!

The night will also mark the return of Tommie “Big Poppa” Speller

Watch the video to hear from Promoter Greg Robinson, Derek Ennis, Coy Evans,
Tyric Robinson & more.

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 gets a shot at the USBA Title on Power Productions 10th Anniversary Card!

Talk about it on the forum here http://phillykeith.com/fightforum/index.php?topic=931.0

Tip your hat to promoter Greg Robinson as it is now 10 years in the promoting business for the head of Power Productions. He plans to celebrate in style on October 16th at The Legendary Blue Horizon with Philly Jr. Middleweight Derek “Pooh” Ennis on top of the bill fighting for the 154 lb USBA title against Ireland’s James Moore in a 12 rounder that should be a rumble. Ennis has looked strong in his last few bouts, most recently on ESPN with a W over John Mackey. People have been calling for Pooh and his team to make a move, and here it is. Moore is a known fighter, especially in NYC where he moves a lot of tickets. Moore recently lost to Yuri Foreman on Showtime in a fight that vaulted Foreman into a world title shot. Two opposite styles that will force the other to fight. Should be a very good one.

More details on the card to come soon….

 

 

Xtreme Productions returns to The Arena May 7th

Xtreme Productions returns to The Arena this Friday in South Philadelphia with a card featuring talent that is brand new to pro ranks. While none of this is confirmed, sources indicate that the main event is possibly a 6 rounder between Isaac Suarez (6-0, 3ko’s) of Lancaster and Ikeem Orji of Maryland (5-1, 1ko).

The co-feature is a Super Middleweight rematch between Khalil Farah (4-3, 1ko) of the Oven Gym against the Gonzalez Jones of Akron who sports a heinous 1- 12 record. The initial match up ended in a disputed split decision win for Farrah.

The undercard features quite a few fighters either making their pro debut or have one pro fight under their belt along with a women fight between “Mighty” Ivan Robinson’s protégé Jacqui Davis (1-0, 1ko) of Philly who will go in against Rachel Clark (2-1, 2ko’s) of South Carolina in a 4 rounder. Not much is known about the under card contestants but they all have an opportunity to impress and make a name for themselves . For tickets call 215-336-2000 or 609-871-3552

NOTE: The original main event between Kamarah Pasley vs. Julio Caesar Matthews has been moved to May 31 in Reading.

Team Brunelli Promises Upset @ The Blue Horizon on April 3rd!

On April 3rd at the Legendary Blue Horizon, Israel’s Ran Nakash (17-0, 12ko’s) once again headlines, and once against people are saying he is being put in soft. Then again, there are others who say he is going to get his ass kicked for the first time in his life. The assignment is Dave Brunelli (8-4, 3ko’s), the big ticket from Northeast Philly who hasn’t been in the ring for almost a year. All of the insiders dub Brunelli as a big underdog. The circumstances were the same last time Brunelli fought at the Blue A match where Dave Brunelli whooped on Aaron Lyons, the only man in this town to beat Joey Abell.

Yes, the same Joey Abell who every Philly promoter, manager, street agent and advisor either avoided or got fired over during over his time in Philly. The same fighter who never had a shot at John Poore, Chazz Witherspoon, Eddie Chambers etc etc to prove he was the best heavyweight around…. In hindsight Lyons didn’t turn out to be much so give Brunelli’s team a credit for exposing a fighter everyone feared. Nakash main weapon is knockout power. He has scored some very good knockouts in his last couple of fights though the competition wasn’t very strong (not counting Larry Robinson). Strong ticket sales have led to his rise as a main eventer at the Blue Horizon. The real question is “is Nakash a Cruiserweight or a Heavyweight?” Nakash hasn’t made the “true” 200 lb weight limit in over 4 fights. Regardless of weight of circumstance, this fight is going down. if you are interested, go to The Blue April 3rd!

In the co-feature, check out Frankford’s Julias Edmunds (4-3) vs. Tyric Robinson (9-3-1, 3ko’s) in what should be a very competitive fight. This one could be good but all depends on which Robinson shows up. Edmunds stock has been rising after consecutive strong outings. This fight will tell it all on who are some of the best local 140 lber’s…. The winner would make a good match against Ryan Belasco.

The undercard is STILL being worked out with less than 48 hours to go until bell time. This card can be anywhere from 6 to 9 fights, not sure what Don Elbaum has up his sleeve but I will find out tomorrow.

Gee Cullmer (15-1, 3ko’s), the #1 contender to the PA Super Middleweight title is is said to be scheduled for action. Rumors of a rematch against John “The Baptist” Terry are floating around at the moment…. Management needs to do better for their fighter and not always have him wait around until the last minute to know the assignment.

Ronald Cruz, the undefeated Welterweight from Bethlehem is also a possibility for action.

More fights to be announced soon as they are made official…..

Pre fight interview with Team Brunelli

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

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