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Hard Hitting Promotions Stages Exciting Card at the Met on Broad Street in Philadelphia

Posted on 03/04/2019

By: Frank Bartolini

Saturday night fights at the opera house does not sound right. Especially when you are speaking about North Philly. That is exactly what happened when Hard Hitting Promotions displayed their wares at “The Met” on north Broad Street. Considered at one time to be in disrepair the former Metropolitan Opera House has been restored down to the final detail of its original luster. . Anyone of the estimated 3,700 fans who entered the venue for the first time were awestruck by the forty five million dollar refurbishing.

Partners Manny Rivera and Will Ruiz of Hard Hitting Promotions staged the event with house promoter Live Nation. Trying to deliver a quality slate Hard Hitting matched their charges Samuel Teah and Jeremy Cuevas in with tough opposition. Both of them lost eight round decisions by wide margins. Each of these forays were for Pennsylvania State Titles.


Photo Credit: Jano Cohen

The main Event saw Steve Ortiz,134.2, drop Jeremy Cueves, 134.1, twice on his way to earning a unanimous eight round. This all Philly encounter pitted two young men with similar undefeated records. Ortiz showed more poise out finessing his hometown adversary. On his way to accumulating Cuevas utilized a in your face steam engine piston firing style . Why for the biggest fight did Cuevas come out imitating Mean Gene the Dance Machine was baffling. This approach diminished Cuevas chances and Ortiz took full advantage of this by pick his spots and settling down and teeing off.

Cuevas is now 11-1 (8 ko’s). Ortiz stays undefeated at 10-0 (3 ko’s)

By picking up this win Ortiz career continues to prosper as his tock rises. Cuevas did suffer a small setback and after a win or two he will return to hot prospect status.

Squaring off for th Pennsylvania Super Lightweight Championship Samuel Teah,139.1, was nearly shutout by Tre’Sean Wiggins,140,.over eight heats. It looked like Teah may have underestimated Wiggins for he did not have a answer for anything thrown at him. Teah slides to 15-3 (7 Ko’s). Wiggins record stands at 11-4-2 (6 Ko’s) . Being a road warrior for most of his career Wiggins has been on the wrong side of a couple bad decisions and a couple of those losses and draws should be w’s.

As usual Baltimore based welterweight Malik Hawkins,144.9. looked good as usual battling Gledwin Ortiz of Bronx, NY. Hawkins won a eight round unanimous over Ortiz,146.3,. Always trying to obtain victory Ortiz pushed Hawkins the entire way. Due to Ortiz effort Hawkins was able to showcase his talented repertoire.

Hawkins remains undefeated at 14-0 (9 Ko’s) . Power punching Ortiz left the ring possessing a slate of 6-3 (5 Ko’s)

When speaking of hot prospects out of the City of Brotherly love and there is a lot of them, Branden Pizarro,138.8, name is one of the last to be mentioned. As a young bad ass out of North Philly Pizzaro may achieve more success than his contemporaries. Physically more mature than his was two years ago when he made his pro debut while still in High School Pizarro exploded on poor Zack Ramsey of Springfield Mass . Poor Ramsey,140.1, took a sound thrashing before succumbing at 1:50 of round one.

Charismatic, exciting with crunching power and fast hands Pizarro is a real “Kid Blast” lifting his record to 14-1 (7 Ko’s). Getting to spend a weekend in Philadelphia Ramsey goes home with some cash while he licks his wounds owning a 8-6 (4Ko’s) mark.

Organically growing Hard Hitting Promotions using their own hands Rivera and Ruiz are now reaping a bountiful harvest with a estimated gross gate of almost a quarter million dollars this evening. Not only have these two young men help maintain the Philly fight scene they have made it thrive. Hard Hitting brings boxing back to The Met on April 26.

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Joey “The Tank” Dawejko Returns to Philly with KO Win Friday

Posted on 09/23/2017

By: Ken Hissner

Hard Hitting Promotions (Will Ruiz and Manny Rivera) returned to the SugarHouse Casino before a packed house in Philadelphia Friday. This young promotional group has brought back life to a once great city with top notch young talent and crowd pleasers.

In the main event heavyweight Joey “The Tank” Dawejko, 18-4-4 (11), of Philly, stopped Demitrius Banks, 9-2 (4), of Detroit, MI, at 1:42 in the third round of a scheduled 8.

In the first round Dawejko stalked Banks out working and out smarting him. In the second round a hard right from Dawejko dropped Banks. Shortly afterwards a series of punches dropped Banks a second time. In the third round Dawejko with the crowd yelling “Joey, Joey” was all over Banks who all but collapsed from the fury Dawejko put on him before “The Tank’s” fans before referee Shawn Clark rescued Banks from any further punishment.

Welterweight Ray “Tito” Serrano, 23-4 (10), of Philly, came off the canvas to defeat Zack Ramsey, 8-2 (4), of Springfield, MASS, now out of Newark, NJ, over six rounds.

In the first round it was all Serrano digging in with left uppercuts to the body until the final seconds of the round when Ramsey countered with a right to the chin and Serrano went down. In the second round Serrano came out with a vicious body attack keeping Ramsey on the ropes for the most part of the round. In the third round Ramsey kept his arms to his side for the most part being outworked by Serrano. In the fourth round the action slowed to a crawl.

In the fifth round Ramsey stayed on the ropes for the most part while Serrano did his best trying to pinpoint a knockout punch. Halfway through the round with the crowd yelling “Tito, Tito” Serrano hurt Ramsey with a right to the chin. In the sixth round Serrano was warned for landing a low blow by referee Bashir. It was just prior to the bell Ramsey almost knocked Serrano down as the bell sounded. This fight was changed to a six from an eight.

Scores were 57-56 twice and 59-55 while this writer had it 58-56.

Both Dawejko and Serrano are under the management of Rocco Collision’s Mark Cipparone.

Super lightweight 17 year-old Devin “The Dream” Haney, 17-0 (11), of Las Vegas, NV, defeated late sub Enrique Tinoco, 16-5-3 (12), of MEX, over 8 rounds. Bashir was the referee.

In the first round Haney used his reach advantage he keeping Tinoco at bay throughout the round. In the second round Tinoco made more of a fight of it switching back and forth from southpaw to orthodox. Haney who turned pro at 15 in Mexico fights with his mouth open. In the third round it was Tinoco forcing the action fighting Haney to a stand still. In the fourth round it started out all Haney before Tinoco reversed course and pushed Haney back to the ropes.

In the fifth round late sub Tinoco continued to hold his own and in the sixth Tinoco had his moments forcing the action as Haney was moving backwards countering. Haney started showboating landing a windmill uppercut to the chin of Tinoco. In the seventh round it was Haney holding on when a right hand from Tinoco caught him on the chin. Tinoco came coming forward while Haney countered well. In the eighth and final round Haney came rushing out but Tinoco was waiting for him. Haney at the midway point of the round was landing good chopping right’s to the head of Tinoco. Near the end of the round Haney started showboating again. Tinoco did well making a fight of it. Haney did not win the Philly crowd over in this one.

Judges scores were 80-71 and 80-72 twice. This writer had it 78-74.

In the co-feature super lightweight sensation 17 year-old Branden Pizarro, 8-0 (4), of Philly, stopped Tyrone Luckey, 8-8-3 (6), of Neptune, NJ, at 0:24 of the fourth round.

In the first round it was all Pizarro who at 17 is already a fan favorite. In the second round Luckey was on the offense until tangled with Pizarro who got tired of referee Ron Bashir breaking the fighters and landed a low punch getting Luckey off of him. Pizarro went right after Luckey with an assortment of punches without return. In the third round a lead right from Pizarro to the chin rocked Luckey. A follow-up right to the chin from Pizarro dropped Luckey. He beat the count of referee Bashir just prior to the end of the round.

In the fourth round a left hook from Pizarro drove Luckey into the ropes which would have been ruled a knockdown but referee Bashir waved the fight off.

In the fight of the night light heavyweight David Murray, 7-1-1 (6), of Philly, came off the canvas in a real slugfest to stop Attila Koros, 14-12-1 (10), of Salgotarjan, HUN, at 1:53 of the fifth of a scheduled six.

In the first round Murray was having his way when a counter right from Koros right on the chin dropped Murray. Up at referee Clarks 8 count Murray did well to get through the round. In the second round both were throwing bombs when a straight right from Koros dropped Murray who managed to get through the round. In the third round Koros went right after Murray but lost his mouthpiece three times in the round.

In the fourth round it turned into a wild slugfest. Just when it looked like Koros may have punched himself out he landed a powerful right to the chin of Murray. The fans loved the action in this round. In the fifth round Murray punched out the mouthpiece of Koros. Murray was out punching Koros but it seemed to have little effect on Koros who kept coming forward until he lost his mouthpiece causing referee Clark to finally take a point away. Koros went right after Murray until he got caught with a wicked right to the mid-section and dropped for the count of referee Clark while on his knees. It looked like a “Rocky” episode. This one started like a war and ended the same way!

Lightweight Sam Teah, 11-1-1 (5), of Philly, was a late scratch as his opponent Istvan Dernanecz, 10-6 (7), of Nagykonizsa, HUN, didn’t pass his medicals in time.

Super lightweight southpaw prospect Jeremy Cuevas, 5-0 (4), of Philly, easily stopped Justin Savi, 31-14-2 (21), of Cotonou, Benin, now out of Silver Spring, MD, at 1:25 of the third round.

In the first round it was all Cuevas who swarmed all over Savi from bell to bell. Savi covered up and occasionally threw a wild right that never landed. Cuevas used a good body and head assortment. In the second round Cuevas swarmed all over Savi causing referee Clark to administer an 8-count. Savi did all he could to survive the round. In the third round Cuevas continued the onslaught until referee Clark stepped in waving it off.

Super bantamweight Angel Pizarro, 3-0 (2), of Philly returned to action stopping Joseph Cole, 1-3 (1), of Marvero, LA, at 1:54 of the second round.

In the first round Cole missed with a lead right but caught Pizarro with the follow-up left to the chin. With about 30 seconds to go in the round Pizarro dropped Cole with a left hook to the chin. After the bell Cole took a swipe at Pizarro and was warned by referee Bashir. In the second round Pizarro dropped Cole with a left hook to the chin. Upon beating the count Cole was stormed by Pizarro who rocked him with a right hand causing referee Bashir to wisely stop the bout. Angel Pizarro Sr. trains his son.

In the opening bout bantamweight Ernesto Almodovar, 2-0 (1), of Philly, halted Trevir Ballinger, 0-2 (0), of OH, at 1:28 of the fourth and final round.

In the first two rounds Almodovar was busier than Ballinger whose accuracy was off. In the third round Almodvar landed a good overhand right to the head of Ballinger getting his attention. Near the end of the round Almodovar landed a combination to the head of Ballinger who was in the corner of Almodovar making Ballinger hold on. In the fourth and final round Almodovar landed a hard right uppercut making Ballinger hold on and trying to get to the final bell but it didn’t happen. Almodovar landed a flurry of punches having Ballinger in a neutral corner making referee Clark wisely put a stop to it. Angel Pizarro, Sr. trains Almodovar.

3-Division world champion Mikey Garcia entered the ring with Branden Pizarro. Upon being asked he said he was no longer under contract to Cameron Dunkin who still manages Terrance Crawford.

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“New” Ray Robinson Wins at Tropicana in Atlantic City Friday

Posted on 07/01/2017

“New” Ray Robinson Wins at Tropicana in Atlantic City Friday
By: Ken Hissner

Hard Hitting Promotions with Manny Rivera and Will Ruiz brought their Philadelphia promotion to Atlantic City’s Tropicana Hotel & Casino Friday night featuring Philadelphia’s “New” Ray Robinson and a cast of young talent who will be the future of Philadelphia boxing!

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Welterweight southpaw “New” Ray Robinson, 24-2 (12), of Philadelphia, defeated by technical decision Columbian Breidis “Braidys” Prescott, 30-11 (22), of Miami, FL, into the seventh round.

In the first two rounds Prescott was the aggressor while Robinson showed pin point counter punching. In the third round it was Robinson backing up Prescott with a solid jab and hurting him with a right hook to the chin near the end of the round.

In the fourth round both rocked one another at the same time. Robinson was out punching Prescott. In the fifth and sixth rounds Robinson became much more aggressive in trying to take Prescott out. In what referee Harvey Dock ruled a clash of heads in the seventh round Prescott went down and didn’t make any effort to get up. The EMT’s had to remove Prescott from the ring. The judges went to the scorecards. Robinson hasn’t lost since 2010. His trainer “Bozy” Ennis seemed quite pleased as was his manager David McWater.

All 3 judges and this writer had it 70-63.

Luis “Popeye” Lebron, 9-0-1 (4), of San Juan, PR, defeated in a real battle Manuel “El Zombie” Botti, 22-1-1 (18), of DR, for the WBA Fedelatin featherweight title, over 10 rounds.

In the opening round it was all Botti. In the second round Lebron came back to control while both gave a good account of themselves. In the third round it went back and forth with Lebron pulling it out. In the fourth and fifth rounds both were rocked. Botti kept coming forward getting the better of the two inside.

In the sixth and seventh rounds they continue to take turns getting the better of the action. It turned into a war as uppercuts from both boxers were flying. Neither would give an inch in a real slugfest. In the eighth round Lebron landed three left hooks to the head of Botti. As Botti came back he was stunned by a Lebron left hook to the head.

In the ninth round it continued to be a savage fight. In the tenth and final round Lebron seemed to have pulled it out.

Judge Carter had it 98-92, Constatino 99-91 and Cheeks 100-90. This writer had it much much closer at 96-94.

Super lightweight Liberian Samuel “Tsunami” Teah, 11-1-1 (5), of Philadelphia, knocked out Dominican Ken Alvarez, 8-6-2 (3), of PR, at 1:48 of the third round.

In the first two rounds both boxers mixed it up well especially to the body. In the third round Teah landed a hard right to the head of Alvarez. Seconds later Teah landed a chopping right to the head of Alvarez and out he went.

Bantamweight Christian Carto, 10-0 (10), of Philadelphia, continued his knockout streak and now up to 10 as he stopped Juan Guzman, 22-8 (12), of DR, 2:30 of the first round.

In the first round Carto dropped Guzman twice to a knee while referee Lee never acknowledged them. In between those Carto scored a knockdown. The unofficial fourth knockdown referee Lee couldn’t miss as Guzman went down and referee Lee finally called a halt.

17 year old lightweight Branden Pizarro, 6-0 (3), of Philadelphia, in a brilliant performance stopped Angel Hernandez, 2-4 (1), of PR, at 0:26 of the sixth.

In the opening round Pizarro controlled with good body work but Hernandez got in several of his own but was completely outclassed. In the second round it was all Pizarro landing pin point punches breaking Hernandez down. In the third round though Hernandez got several good body shots in Pizarro completely controlled the round working both body and head with punches.

In the fourth round Pizarro showed his skills while on the ropes landing uppercuts. A pair of uppercuts by Pizarro hurt Hernandez backing him up several steps. In the fifth round Hernandez tried pushing Pizarro over the ropes getting a warning from referee Lee. Pizarro landed 3 left hooks to the body of Hernandez on several occasions. A left hook from Pizarro to the chin of Hernandez dropped him. He got up and held on as the bell sounded. In the sixth and final round a vicious body shot made Hernandez step back and drop to a knee taking the full count from referee Lee. It was a brilliant performance from Pizarro.

Bantamweight Ariel Lopez, 7-0 (5), of Pueblo, MEX, won a split decision over Charles Clark, 1-3-1 (1), of Dallas, TX, in a 6.

In the opening round after a minute of no punching Lopez landed a double right hook to the head of Clark. In the second round things started heating up with Lopez using his combinations and Clark landing a solid lead right to the head. In the third round Clark drove Lopez into a neutral corner landing well until a punch went south of the border. Lopez landed a 3-punch combination with Clark coming back with a solid left hook to the head of Lopez.

In the fourth round Lopez landed a solid double left hook to the body of Clark who countered with a solid left hook to the head of Lopez. In the fifth round a Clark left hook to the head rocked Lopez. Clark had a point taken away for a low blow after several previous warnings from referee Eddie Claudio. In the sixth and final round both looked tired.

Judge Barnes had it 58-55 and George Hill 57-56 for Lopez while Rubenstein 57-56 for Clark. This writer had it 58-55 Lopez.

Featherweight Jose “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, 8-0-1 (2), of New York City, in a hard fought fight won a split decision over Mexico’s Guadalupe “Lupe” Arroyo, 2-5 (0), of Huntington Beach, CA, in a 6.

In the first two rounds Arroyo came in low throwing wild punches as Gonzalez the southpaw picked him off with uppercuts. In the third and fourth rounds Gonzalez was warned several times for infractions. He hurt Arroyo several times with body shots. In the fifth round Arroyo did much better while Gonzalez continued to get away with pushing off without warning from referee Claudio. In the sixth and final round Arroyo landed a solid uppercut to the chin of Gonzalez knocking his head back. It got sloppy in the final round with both boxers tiring.

Judge Barnes had it 58-56, Rubenstein 59-55 for Gonzalez and Hill 58-56 for Arroyo. This writer had it 59-55 for Gonzalez.

Jeremy Cuevas, 4-0 (3), of Philly knocked out Jonathan Valarezo, 0-2 (0), of Ecuador at 2:08 of the first round.

In the first round both mixed it up well until an overhand left from Cuevas to the head of Valarez and down he went and out.

Welterweight Mark Dawson, 4-0-1 (3), of Philadelphia won over William Hill, 2-4 (0), of Detroit, MI, in a bloody 4.

In the opening round it was too much holding. In the second round Dawson landed a right hook causing a cut on the upper eye lid of Hill. Dawson was using a good uppercut when Hill came in low. In the third round the blood is covering the face of Hill on the left side. Dawson due to a head butt had a cut over his left eye. In the fourth the ring physician took a long look at Dawson who was obviously ahead before she allowed the fight to continue. In the final round Hill was chasing Dawson knowing he was behind and ran into a straight left to the chin from Dawson. Hill’s left eye was closed by the end of the round.

Judges Barnes, Hill and Rubenstein and this writer had it 40-36.

It was a good and competitive show for Hard Hitting’s first NJ event.

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Tevin “American Idol” Farmer and Christian Carto Win in Philly!

Posted on 04/30/2017

Tevin “American Idol” Farmer and Christian Carto Win in Philly!
By: Ken Hissner

Hard Hitting Promotions Manny Rivera and Will Ruiz put on a great show at another new location featuring world contender and NABF super featherweight champion and world contender Tevin “American Idol” in the main event Saturday night at the Temple University Liacouras Center in Philadelphia.

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Super featherweight Tevin “American Idol” Farmer, 24-4-1 (5), of Philadelphia won his 18th straight fight defending his NABF title and defeating Arturo Santos Reyes, 19-7 (5), of Sonora, MEX,
The first round was a feeling out round with southpaw Farmer winning it. In the second round both exchanged hooks to the head. Farmer may have hurt his right arm or hand landing a punch. His trainer Raul “Chino” Rivas was massaging his arm. In the third round Farmer is switching from southpaw to orthodox not using his right but spairingly. Reyes is taking advantage of this doing well in the round. In the fourth round Reyes landed a solid combination to the head of Farmer who came right back using both hands. Farmer landed a good left uppercut to the jaw of Reyes who came back with solid combinations.

In the fifth round it was very close with Farmer using the right more and may have edged it out over Reyes. In the sixth round Farmer looked like his old self a boxer on a 17 fight winning streak. Reyes keeps chasing him getting countered but getting his punches in especially to the body. In the seventh round it was another close round with plenty of action. Farmer seems to be pulling out the close rounds but Reyes isn’t giving him any breathing room. In the eighth round Farmer is on the attack with Reyes getting in several right uppercuts but Farmer simply outworked Reyes.

In the ninth round Farmer landed a hard countering left uppercut to the chin of Reyes. Reyes came back landing half a dozen punches without return before Farmer fought back out of a peek-a-boo defense. Farmer landed a solid left hand to the chin of Reyes at the bell. Reyes seemed to pull out the round. In the tenth and final round turned out to be the best round of the fight with both boxers letting it all hang out. Referee Shawn Clark warned Farmer for an accidental head butt. Both boxers put on a good show up until the end.

Super lightweight Samuel “Sunami” Teach, 10-1-1 (4), of Philadelphia, stopped Efran “Macho” Cruz, 4-4-1 (1), of Vieques, PR, at 1:40 of the fourth and final round in a war!

In the first round Teah landed a 3-punch combination but Cruz came back. Near the end of a very good round Teach rocked Cruz with a straight right to the head. In the second round both boxers scored hard rights knocking each others heads back. It’s an action packed round. With seconds to go Teach landed a hard right while backed into a corner with Cruz countering with a left hook to the head. Just before the bell Teach rocked Cruz with a right uppercut to the chin.

In the third round Teah landed a double right uppercut to the chin of Cruz who came right back at Teah. In the fourth and final round Teach countered Cruz who was swarming all over him in a corner. Teah rocked Cruz with a right uppercut to the chin had Cruz out on his feet when another right dropped him on his back. Referee Dali stepped in and waved the fight off. In the corner of Teah were “Bozy” Ennis and assistant Rashiem Jefferson.

Bantamweight Christian Carto, 9-0 (9), of Philadelphia, fought a flawless fight stopping a tough Sammy “Panterita” Gutierrez, 14-19-5 (5), of Saltillo, MEX, at the end of the fifth of a six round bout.

In the first round Carto started the action with a left jab followed by a left hook to the body. A right by Carto to the head of Gutierrez had him hurt. Carto landed a 3-punch combination on two occasions. Carto was almost flawless. In the second round Carto landed a 4-punch combination. Cruz finally opened up with a flurry. Gutierrez became the aggressor in a well fought round with Carto countering him. In the third round Gutierrez landed his best punch of the bout an overhand right to the head of Carto. Carto came right back with a flurry. A Carto combination rocked Gutierrez. At the ten second to go in the round mark Carto landed half a dozen punches without return.

In the fourth round Carto started off landing ten punches before Gutierrez landed one in return. In the fifth round a Carto double chopping right got Gutierrez’s attention. Near the end of the round Carto rocked Gutierrez’s head back. In the fifth round a double right from Carto to the head of Gutierrez and down he went. Up with a swelled right eye he tried fighting back as Carto rocked him with a right to the head at the bell. Gutierrez’s corner stopped the fight in between rounds. Referee was Dali.

Carto put on a “clinic” and is a pleasure to watch and what a crowd pleaser. The humble Carto is a young man of few words. He let’s his fists do the talking after each fight. In his corner was former amateur star Mickey Rosato. “He was a very experienced fighter and it was good getting the rounds in,” said Carto. He is a show stealer every time he appears on a card!

Lightweight 17 year-old Branden “The Gift” Pizarro, 5-0 (2), of Philadelphia, defeated Chris Gutierrez, 0-3 (0), of Greenville, TX, over four rounds.
In the first round it was all Pizarro being one of the most relaxed young talents out of Philly. Gutierrez came out southpaw and switched back with much offense. In the second round Pizarro rocked Gutierrez with a lead right to the chin. Gutierrez is using dirty tactics knowing he is being out fought. In the third round it was all Pizarro with Gutierrez continuing with foul tactics trying to offset the young Pizarro from landing a big punch.

In the third round Pizarro continues to stay a step ahead of Gutierrez. In the fourth and final round Pizarro is doing too much posing playing to the crowd. Gutierrez woke him up with a combination to the head. A solid left hook to the head of Gutierrez had him reeling. Angel Pizarro the father and “Bozy” Ennis worked the corner.

Judges Hill and Grant had it 40-36 as did this writer. Werlinsky had it 39-37.
In the opening bout light heavyweight, David “One-Two Punch” Murray, 6-1 (5), of Wilmington, DE, in a war came off the canvas twice to stop Sammy “The Russian Concussion” Horowitz, 6-3-1 (5), of Chicago, IL, at 1:26 of the fourth and last round.

In the first round it was all Murray up until 10 seconds left in the round when Horowitz landed a right to the chin of Murray who went down on the seat of his pants. Referee Clark counted to 8 while the bell had sounded. In the second round Horowitz was cut on the left eyebrow from a Murray right hand. Murray landed half a dozen punches without return near the end of the round.

In the third round a Murray right to the head had Horowitz out on his feet. Horowitz came back with a right of his own to the head of Murray dropping him.

In the fourth and final round Murray rocked Horowitz back several steps having him out on his feet. Referee Clark jumped in and stopped the fight with Horowitz complaining about the stoppage while against the ropes.

This was a second Annual Urban League fund raiser after the professional boxing card. Numerous former boxing people were introduced into the ring by ring announcer Pat Michael Fattore like Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins, Buster “The Demon” Drayton, Steve “USS” Cunningham, Jason “El Canito” Sosa, Mike “The Jewish Bomber” Rossman, “Joltin” Jeff Chandler, Charlie “Choo Choo” Brown, Fred Pendleton, Vernoca Michael, Tim Witherspoon, Jr., Dwight Qawi Muhammad, Jackie “Sister Smoke” Frazier, Mitch Allen, Damon Allen, Charles “Hatchet” Brewer and at ringside Willie Gibbs, “Hammerin” Hank Lundy, Garrett “The Ultimate Warrior” Wilson, Angel Pizarro, Jr., Jerome Conquest and Greg Hackett.
Hard Hitting will be back in June at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City with “The New” Ray Robinson in the main event.

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Jaron “Boots” Ennis Seeking Tenth Win in Eleven Months Friday!

Posted on 03/31/2017

Jaron “Boots” Ennis Seeking Tenth Win in Eleven Months Friday!

By: Ken Hissner

Jaron “Boots” Ennis, 9-0 (8), the hottest prospect out of Philadelphia since the 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist Meldrick Taylor will be headlining at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia Friday on a Victory Boxing Promotions show.

Ennis is looking for his tenth win in eleven months since signing with manager Cameron Dunkin who is currently managing super lightweight champion Terrence Crawford.

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“His career is going good and we are on the right track,” said Bozy Ennis (father and trainer).The 19 year-old Ennis is following in the footsteps of his brothers Derek “Pooh” Ennis, the former USBA super welterweight champion and Farah Ennis, the former NABF super middleweight champion. At Bozy’s Dungeon on Venango Street in North Philadelphia he’s been sparring with WBC contender “The New” Ray Robinson (whom Bozy trains), 23-2, Elijah Vines, 3-0, who will be on the show Friday, New York’s Steve Martinez, 17-3 (who is managed by Philly’s Brian Cohen) who will be on an April 7th show in Puerto Rico that Philly’s Hard Hitting Promotions is involved with and Kyrone “Shut It Down”Davis, 12-1, from Wilmington, DE, who won Tuesday on Fox Sports-1.

Ennis turned professional in April of 2016 in St. George, UT, scoring a first round knockout in 0:42 on a Victory Boxing show, a first round stoppage in 0:23 in May in Philly at the PA Sheet Metal Workers Hall on a Hard Hitting show, in June in Springfield, VA, another first round knockout in 0:20, in July in Rio Rancho, NM, with a fourth round stoppage on a Victory Boxing show, in August at the Grundy Arena in Bristol, PA, on a D&D Promotions show scoring a second round knockout, in September winning his only decision at the 2300 Arena in Philly on a Peltz Boxing show, in November at the 2300 Arena in Philly with a fourth round stoppage over Chris Alexander, 4-2, in his first scheduled six round bout on a Victory Boxing show, in December at the SugarHouse Casino in Philly he scored a sixth round stoppage in a scheduled six, over Marcus Beckford, 3-4-1, on a Hard Hitting show and in January at the 2300 Arena on a Victory Boxing show scoring a first round knockout over Elvis Perez, 28-16-4, in 0:35.

There were just five fights at weigh-in down from twelve bouts scheduled as of Thursday. Angel Pizarro, 2-0 (1), of Philly (trained by Bozy) was to meet Christopher Nelson of Louisville, KY but was not at weigh-in. Manny “Major Pain” Folly, 9-0 (7), who is a Philly policeman, Joshua Jones, 3-0-1 (2), Darren Goodall, 4-0 (3), and Brandun Lee, 1-0 (1). There are just 24 rounds with 52 shown on box rec? Five fights for $75.00 ringside?

Doors open at 6pm and first fight scheduled at 7:00pm.

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“The New” Ray Robinson Wins at the Fillmore in Philly Friday night!

Posted on 03/25/2017

“The New” Ray Robinson Wins at the Fillmore in Philly Friday night!
By: Ken Hissner

Hard Hitting Promotions moved to a bigger facility at The Fillmore for their ever boxing event. They showcased contender “The New” Ray Robinson and Philly’s prospects filling out the undercard. The new site is beautiful and reminds boxing fans of the legendary Blue Horizon with balconies and not a bad seat in the house. Once again the fans were treated to a fine show and showed their appreciation throughout the event. Manny Rivera and co-promoter Will Ruiz who also serves as matchmaker keep the fans happy.

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In the Main Event WBC southpaw welterweight contender “The New” Ray Robinson, 23-2 (12), of Philadelphia, stopped Claudinel Lacerda, 18-17-1 (13), of Sombrio, BRZ. 2:30 into the seventh round. Referee Benjy Estevees, Jr. had seen enough with Lacerda taking a brutal beating.

In the opening round Robinson moved well using his jab and an occasional left hook. In the second round Robinson stood his ground getting more power into his punches with a lead left to the chin of Lacerda ending the round. In the third round Lacerda came in throwing wide punches to the body of Robinson who countered with right hooks to the body and straight lefts to the chin. Robinson did enough damage in the round to earn a 10-8 round. In the fourth round Robinson came out with bad intentions landing a right hook followed by a left uppercut to the head of Lacerda. Robinson landed half a dozen unanswered punches. Lacerda finally landed a wild right to the head of Robinson getting his attention. Robinson came right back with the jab followed by a left to the chin of Lacerda.

In the fifth round Lacerda suffered a small cut on the bridge of his nose. A hard left uppercut by Robinson stunned Lacerda. He looked like he was about to go down but his heart kept him upright. In the sixth round a Robinson right hook to the head had Lacerda hurt. Lacerda was swinging wildly hitting nothing but air as Robinson counters him well. In the seventh round Robinson hurt Lacerda with a right hook to the body. Out of desperation Lacerda landed several punches to the head of Robinson but paid the price as he was countered well to the head. Near the end of the round referee Benjy Esteves, Jr., had seen enough and called a halt to the fight. Lacerda wanted to go on but took a brutal beating.

“I want to thank my trainer Bozy Ennis and my promoters Hard Hitting and DiBella Entertainment, all our team and the fans who came out tonight,” said Robinson. He is managed by Dave McWater.

In the co-feature 17 year-old lightweight Brandon “The Gift” Pizarro, 4-0 (2), of Philadelphia scored a knockdown and put on a spectacular 4 round decision over Matt Murphy, 2-10-1 (2), of St. Louis, MO.

In the first round Pizarro put on a show with a variety of punches and great footwork landing punches with great speed having Murphy on the defense. In the second round Pizarro landed 3 left hooks to the head of Murphy without return. The blue haired Murphy seemed bewildered by the hand speed of Pizarro. A Pizarro right to the head of Murphy followed by a left hook dropped Murphy for an 8 count by referee Ron Bashir.

In the third round while against the ropes Pizarro landed a 3-punch combination backing Murphy up. Halfway thru the round a Pizarro right to the head knocked Murphy back several steps. It was a round the flashy Pizarro put more behind his punches hurting Murphy on several occasions. In the fourth and final round Murphy came out more aggressive than in the first 3 rounds catching plenty of firepower from Pizarro. Murphy landed a combination to the head of Pizarro who was against the ropes. Pizarro ended the round with a flurry of punches to the delight of his many fans. In his corner was his father Angel and assistant Bozy Ennis. Pizarro may have hurt a hand early in the fight. He’s got worlds of potential at such a young age.

All 3 judges George Hill, Alan and Justin Rubenstein had it 40-35 as did this writer.

Bantamweight Christian Carto, 8-0 (8), of Philadelphia, scored his eighth straight stoppage over Rudolph “The Cutting Edge” Hedge, 10-5-3 (4), of Kingston, JAM, after Hedge’s corner wouldn’t allow him out for the fifth round. It was another flawless exhibition by the home town favorite Christian Carto. He always seems to stand out on these Hard Hitting Promotions shows.

In the opening round it was all Carto mixing it up body to head while moving around the ring with Hedge following him hands held high. In the second round it was another flawless round by Carto. Halfway thru the round Carto rocked Hedge with a left hook to the head. Carto’s jab is in the face of Hedge at all times. It always seems to have something behind it snapping Hedge’s head back.

In the third round Hedge finally landed something more than a jab but paid the price as Carto countered with a solid straight right to the head of Hedge. Just prior to the bell Hedge landed a right to the head of Carto. The fans appreciate the combination of punches Carto has landed. In the fourth round Carto opened up with a power punching right to the chin of Hedge. Carto would flurry half a dozen punches without return. Carto ended the round with a solid left hook to the head of Hedge. Hedge couldn’t answer the bell for the fifth round.The referee was Esteves, Jr. In the corner of Carto was trainer Mickey Rosati and cut-man Joey Eye.

Super lightweight southpaw Jeremy “King” Cuevas, 3-0 (2), of Philadelphia, easily defeated southpaw Jack Grady, 0-5-1 (0), of Buffalo, NY, over 4 rounds.

In the opening round with both southpaws Cuevas landed a 3-punch combination against the wild swinging Grady. Halfway thru the round Cuevas landed 5 unanswered punches. In the second round Grady continues to clown around while taking a beating from Cuevas.

In the third round Grady’s face was beat red from the Cuevas punches to the face. In the fourth and final round it was all Cuevas until the final 10 seconds when both boxers slugged it out past the bell before referee Bashir separated them. Grady showed heart and a good chin considering all the punches Cuevas hit him with.

Judges George Hill, Dewey La Rosa and Justin Rubenstein and this writer scored it 40-36.

Super featherweight Gadwin Rosa, 3-0 (2), of Ocala, FL, knocked out southpaw Wytama “Fearless” Faulk, 1-3 (0), of Webster, FL, @ 2:14 of the first round.

In the opening round Rosa dropped Faulk with a left hook to the chin. Shortly afterwards a right hand by Rosa put Faulk on the seat of his pants as referee Esteves, Jr., counted him out.

In the opening bout featherweight Vidal Rivera, 5-0 (4), of Camden, NJ, stopped Jesus Feliciano, 0-3 (0), of San Juan, PR, after 2 rounds. Referee was Bashir.

In the opening round the much taller Rivera used his reach while Feliciano was swinging wildly hitting air. In the second round Rivera finally landed a right to the chin of Feliciano who came back with an overhand right to the chin of Rivera. In the third round Feliciano’s corner wouldn’t let their fighter come out.

The ring announcer was Pat Michael Fattore. It was another lively crowd with a world contender and top former amateurs who keep winning in the pro ranks. Hard Hitting plans to co-promote a show in Puerto Rico on April 7th with Rosa returning home. There are plans to run a show at the Tropicana in Atlantic City in June with Robinson meeting a quality opponent.

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“The New” Ray Robinson Wins in Philly’s “Friday Night Boxing”!

Posted on 02/04/2017

“The New” Ray Robinson Wins in Philly’s “Friday Night Boxing”!
By: Ken Hissner

Hard Hitting Promotions continue filling up the seats at the SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia with co-promoters Manny Rivera and Will Ruiz leading the way!

In the Main Event the WBC No. 9 welterweight contender “The New” Ray Robinson, 22-2 (11), Philly, knocked out Edwin Palacios, 12-5-1 (8), NIC, at 2:39 of the second round posting his eleventh straight win.

In the opening round the southpaw Robinson used an effective jab. Palacios landed a straight right to the chin of Robinson getting a reaction from the crowd. Just prior to the bell an overhand left by Robinson drove Palacios into the corner and down. He was up as the bell sounded.

In the second round Robinson became very aggressive landing a good body punch with a left hook. A straight left dropped Palacios who was holding his nose taking the count on one knee as referee Gary Rosato counted him out.

“I didn’t know until the weigh-in that Palacio was so tall. After a feeling out round my trainer (“Bozy” Ennis) and I figured it out to go to the body and it worked,” said Robinson. This win puts Robinson one step closer to moving up in the rankings and a title fight.

Bantamweight Christian Carto, 7-0 (7), of Philly, stopped Sergio Najera, 12-29-2 (6), of MEX, at 2:06 of the third round.

In the first round on two separate occasions a Carto jab put Najera back several steps. Near the end of the round Najera had Carto in a corner and landed several punches to the head of Carto who came back as the bell sounded. In the second round a roundhouse right by Najera landed on the neck of Carto. A lead right hand by Carto drove Najera into the ropes. With about ten seconds left in the round Carto rocked Najera with a right to the chin.

In the third round Najera continued to throw wild punches as Carto countered him well while avoiding those wild swings. Carto opened up with punches in bunches having Najera backing up taking a beating time and again when referee Talmadge saw enough and stepped in and waved it off saving Najera from any unnecessary punishment. Najera came in nine pounds over the contracted weight but was able to take three pounds off with Carto giving away five pounds. “I knew he was heavier than me but knew I would eventually catch up to him,” said Carto. That’s seven straight knockouts in as many fights.

Lightweight prospect Branden “The Gift” Pizarro, 3-0 (2), of Philly, knocked out Abdiel Padilla, 1-1 (1), of PR, at 2:52 of the first round.

In a mismatch Pizarro chased Padilla who mostly covered up but for some reason would end up in a corner and Pizarro would pummel him. When Padilla ended up in the opposite corner it was all over as Pizarro landed a flurry of body punches dropping Padilla to the canvas and not making an effort to get up as referee Bashir counted him out.

Super featherweight Cuban Hairon “El Maja” Socarras, 15-0-2 (10), of Miami, FL, outpointed German “Pan Teonero” Meraz, 55-41-1 (32), of Sonora, MEX, over six dull rounds.

About a minute into the round a combination from Socarras to the head and down went Meraz. Referee Rosato gave him the eight count and Meraz got up and managed to get to the end of the round. In the second and third rounds Socarras simply landed more punches then Meraz with some good left hooks to the body.

In the fourth and fifth rounds the pace continued with Meraz seemingly looking to coast to the distance. In the sixth and final round Socarras did enough to win the round and just before the bell sounded he landed his best punch since the first round a left hook to the chin of Meraz.

All three Steve Weisfeld, Alan Rubenstein and Anthony Lundy scored it 60-53 for Socarras.

Super featherweight Joseph “Blessed Hands” Adorno, 2-0 (2), out of Allentown, PA, knocked out Jonathan Hernandez, 0-4, PR, at 0:18 of the first round.

Adorno threw one punch a right hand to the head of Hernandez and down he went. The referee Blair Talmadge waved it off without a count knowing Hernandez was out before he hit the canvas. The ring physician immediately came into the ring. After close to ten minutes Hernandez was able to get up on his own and leave the ring.

Lightweight Victor Padilla, 2-0 (2), of Berlin, NJ, knocked out Tony Wilson, 0-2 (0), VA, at 0:30 of the first round.

Padilla went out fast looking for the knockout and it came that fast landing a combination to the chin of Wilson. Referee Bashir counted Wilson out on a knee.

Super flyweight Harold Lopez, 1-0 (1), of Allentown, PA, made his debut a good one when he knocked out Argenis Armando, 0-1 (0), at 0:57 of the first round in a mismatch.

In the opening round hit Armando about four times and down he went refusing to get up until the referee Talmadge said “ten”!

The opponent for Kali Reis, who is a former world champion never showed up. Kita Watkins who challenged for the world title three times made the weigh-in Thursday night but didn’t show up for the fight.

The fans seemed to enjoy all the early knockouts and continue to fill the arena at the SugarHouse Casino. A ten count was given for veteran trainer George James, the manager of Christian Carto Jimmy Binns, Jr., and the father of top cut-man Joey Eye after a long illness.

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Lebron, Ennis, Carto, Pizarro and Cuevas Win in Philly Friday!

Posted on 12/17/2016

Lebron, Ennis, Carto, Pizarro and Cuevas Win in Philly Friday!
By: Sean Crose

In the third Hard Hitting Promotions event at the SugarHouse Casino in Philly since August as co-promoters Manny Rivera and Will Ruiz continued to promote some of the top young talent in the country. They had another good crowd especially considering this close to Christmas.

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In the Main Event featherweight Luis “Popeye” Lebron, 6-0 (3), of PR, made his second appearance for the promotional group.

In the Main Event featherweight Luis “Popeye” Lebron, 7-0 (3), of PR, won a hard fought 8 round decision over Roberto Rodriguez Corea, 9-11 (4), of Leon, NIC.
In the opening round Corea was the aggressor while Lebron countered well in a very spirited round. In the second round both boxers were landing effective uppercuts to the body. Corea scored with an overhand right to the head of Lebron. Corea walked into a solid lead right from Lebron to the chin stopping him in his tracks. Corea came back well. In the third round with seconds to go Lebron knocked the head of Corea back with a solid right. In the fourth round it was back and forth with Lebron finishing the better of the two with a pair of left hooks to the head of Corea.

In the fifth round Lebron countered a left hook to his head by Corea with a chopping right to the chin. Corea went southpaw the last 20 seconds of the round. In the sixth round Corea came out southpaw and was on the end of a solid left hook to the chin from Lebron. This caused Corea to return to orthodox. Corea never stopped coming forward and finished strong. In the seventh round a pair of right hands to the head rocked Corea. In the eighth and final round a right cross to the head of Corea from Lebron had him moving away to avoid another punch. With his back to the ropes Lebron landed a solid left hook to the head of Corea before the bell.

Judges Jasper and Poturij had it 79-73 while Steve Weisfeld had it 80-72. This writer had it 78-74 for the winner.

Considering Corea was the fourth opponent for Lebron but was to be on a cancelled show in WI and he did well.

Lightweight Branden Pizarro, 2-0 (1), of Philly, won every round defeating veteran Jesus Lule, 9-20 (1), out of Ft. Myers, FL, over 4 rounds of exciting boxing. Pizarro is a prospect to watch.

In the first round Pizarro’s hand speed and side to side movement had the veteran Lule on the receiving end. In the second round Pizarro rocked Lule with a chopping right to the side of the head. In the third round the ever coming forward Lule was trying to “find” Pizzaro while being countered with a vicious left hook to the body that stopped Lule in his tracks.

Near the end of the round Pizarro seemed to be a bit winded. In the fourth and final round Lule landed an overhand right to the head of Pizarro who countered with his own right to the head. Pizarro ended the round with half a dozen punches as the bell sounded.

“I felt great. I took my time landing body shots. He was a seasoned professional who was tough,” said Pizarro.

Judges Steve Weisfeld, John Poturij and Gail Jasper along with this writer had it 40-36.

In the corner of Pizarro were “Bozy” Ennis and the father Angel Pizarro. There is an older son who was to appear on the card but failed do to an injured hand.
Bantamweight Christian Carto, 6-0 (6), scored his sixth straight stoppage at 1:14 of the second round over Harold Reyes, 2-7 (0), of Fajardo, PR, in a scheduled 4.

In the opening round Carto completely controlled the action with a solid jab and combinations to the head of Reyes throughout the round. Carto was all business in there. In the second round a vicious right to the body dropped Reyes as he held his side on one knee taking the full count from referee Steve “Double SS” Smoger.

After the first round and when the fight was stopped Carto said something to the opponent’s corner man. “He said during instructions now you are in with a man”, said Carto. Bad move on Reyes corner. In the corner for Carto was former PA GG champion who said “that was a very unprofessional thing to do by his trainer.”

Welterweight Jaron “Boots” Ennis, 8-0 (7), of the Germantown section of North Philly, stopped southpaw Marcus Beckford, 3-5 (1), out of NYC at 0:55 of the sixth and final round.

In the first round Ennis, the best looking prospect in Philly in years switched from orthodox to southpaw and back beating southpaw Beckford to the punch. Beckford did work hard but was outclassed. In the second round once again Ennis controlled using an effective right uppercut and a savage body attack on Beckford. In the third round Ennis would deliver half a dozen body shots without return. His hand speed kept Beckford at bay for the most part.

In the fourth round Ennis continued having his way though Beckford was not backing down. Ennis landed numerous uppercuts. In the fifth round Ennis turned up the heat rocking Beckford with a combination to the head. A vicious right hook by Ennis drove Beckford into the ropes otherwise he would have gone down causing referee Dali to call a knockdown. In the sixth and last round Ennis had Beckford out on his feet with a flurry of punches. Beckford tried holding on but referee Dali had seen enough calling a halt. Outside of some border line uppercuts Ennis was flawless. He is trained by his father “Bozy” Ennis, and put’s his son that much closer to being a main event fighter sooner than most would have thought at this stage.

“I felt good and took my time landing many body shots. He had his trunks up high and I told the referee before the fight. I will be back in the ring on January 28th at the 2300 Arena under my promoter Victory Promotions.

Light heavyweight David “One-Two” Murray, 5-1-1 (4), of Newark, DE, and Kenmon Evans, 3-0-1 (0), New Smyrna Beach, FL, battled to a majority draw over 6 rounds.
In the first round Murray would score with lead right hands to the chin while Evans would score with right uppercuts to the chin. It was an all action round. In the second round Murray suffered a cut over his left eye. Top cut-man Joey Eye went to work on it at the bell. Good round for Evans. In the third round there was too much holding. Murray’s cut re-opened.

Judge Weisfeld scored it 58-55 Murray while Poturij and Jasper had it 57-57 as did this writer.

In the fourth round Murray landed a solid right to the head of Evans. In a good round Murray looked the better of the two on the inside. In the fifth round Murray continued to be the aggressor while Evans countered him well. In the sixth and final round both fighters fought like the fight depended on this round.

Lightweight southpaw Jeremy Cuevas, 2-0 (2), of Philly, stopped Tom Mills, 1-7 (1), out of Vero Beach, FL, at 0:33 of the second round.

In the first round body shots from Cuevas had Mills on the canvas twice. In the second round Cuevas was warned for a low blow by referee Dali. Cuevas immediately went after Mills dropping him with a wide left hook to the chin. Mills barely beat the count as his corner waved it off.

In the opening bout lightweight Kevin Johnson, 1-0 (1), out of Las Vegas, NV, was awarded the stoppage at 1:42 of the first round over Austin Ward, 0-3 (0), out of KS.

Ward ran and no one seemed to see him land a punch. He came thru a snow storm to get here and ran into a “storm” from Johnson!

Bantamweight Manny Folly was scheduled to be on the card but there was a problem in his opponent getting there on time. In attendance was Camden’s WBA super featherweight champion Jason “El Santo” Sosa. Also in attendance was former super welterweight challenger Stanley “Kitten” Hayward. If this promotion continues to run every other month at this casino don’t be surprised “Boots” Ennis is the main event fighter.

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Hard Hitting Promotions Features Young Talent Friday in Philly!

Posted on 12/15/2016

Hard Hitting Promotions Features Young Talent Friday in Philly!
By: Ken Hissner

They hold a press conference Wednesday night at the SugarHouse Casino in Philly. It was like being back in the 70’s when Philly had “Cyclone”, “the Worm”, “Boogaloo”, “Kitten”, “Bad Bennie” and “Gypsy Joe”!

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Hard Hitting Promotions is developing some of the best talent in the country. They are loyal to these young boxers and the boxers are loyal to them. Manny Rivera and Will Ruiz are doing their third show at the casino. They have been running every two months.

In the Main Event featherweight PR Luis “Popeye” Lebron, 6-0 (3), returning for the second time in Philly. He will be in an 8 round bout against Roberto Rodriguez Corea, 9-11 (4), from Leon, NIC. Corea is the fourth opponent Lebron was scheduled to meet. Corea was scheduled to fight Friday in WI so you know he is in shape. He has won his last 2 bouts.

In a pair of 6 round bouts they are featuring the best young boxer this writer has seen since Meldrick Taylor in 1984 when he came out of the Olympics.

Welterweight Jaron “Boot” Ennis, 7-0 (6), is following in his brother Derek “Pooh” and Farah “Quiet Storm” all three trained by their father “Bozy” Ennis out of North Philly’s Bozy’s Dungeon gym.

In the other 6 round bout is ever exciting light heavyweight David “One-Two” Murray, 5-1 (4), of Newark, DE, but Philly trained. His opponent is Kenmon Evans, 3-0 (0), out of New Smyrna Beach, FL.

In addition there will be five bouts scheduled for 4 rounds. Philly police officer Manny “Neak” Folly, 8-0 (6), is a highly touted bantamweight. Another bantamweight turning professional this year is good looking Philly prospect Christian Carto, 5-0 (5), who come’s from a history of boxers like his grandfather and two uncles. His older brother is still an amateur.

A pair of prospects appearing in their second bouts are headed by lightweight Branden Pizarro, 1-0 (1), of North Philly, whose brother Angel, 3-0 (2), had to pull out due to injury. They are trained by their father Angel Pizarro. The other is Jeremy Cuevas, 1-0 (1), a lightweight from Philly who really sparkled in his debut on the last Hard Hitting Promotion. Lightweight Kevon Johnson, is in his debut coming in from Las Vegas, NV.

Doors open at 6pm and first fight at 7pm. At the Event Center 1001 N. Delaware Ave.

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Boxing in Sands Casino in Bethlehem and Sugar House Casino in Philly This Week!

Posted on 08/22/2016

Boxing in Sands Casino in Bethlehem and Sugar House Casino in Philly This Week!
By: Ken Hissner

Sands Casino in Bethlehem, PA, continues to be busy thanks to Kings Promotions while Hard Hitting Promotions is the first running in the Sugar House Casino in South Philly.

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The Sands event will be over Fox Sports 1 on Tuesday with a line-up of young talent with a total record of 60-6 versus some good record opposition. Headlining is Super Middleweight Caleb “Sweet Hands” Plant, 13-0 (10), from Nashville, TN, against Dominican Juan “La Amenaza” DeAngel, 18-4-1 (17), over 10 rounds. Caleb is a top prospect who has fought in PA on three occasions including twice at the Sands.

There will be four 8 round bouts with Cruiserweight Earl Newman, 9-0 (7), of Brooklyn, NY, and Leo Hall, 8-1 (7), of Detroit, MI, Middleweight Dominican Junior Castillo, 10-1 (9), meets Khurshid Abdullaev, 7-1-1 (3), of Kyrgyzstan now out of Oxnard, CA. Light heavyweight Ecuador’s Carlos Gongora, 5-0 (4), out of Brooklyn, NY, takes on Ronald Mixon, 7-0 (6), out of L.A. Kyron “Shut It Down” Davis, 10-1 (4), of Wilmington, DE, with a TBA opponent. Four other bouts will open the nine bout show.

At the Sugar House Casino they will feature 19 year-old sensation Super Lightweight Milton “El Santo” Santiago, 14-0 (3), of Philly, against Dominican Ken Alvarez, 7-4-2 (3), out of PR, over 8 rounds. This is a 10 bout card with three 6 round bouts featuring Ricky Lopez, 16-4 (6), of Colorado Springs, David “One-Two” Murray 4-1 (3), of Wilmington, DE, and National GG champion Christian Carto, 2-0 (2), of Philly, John Joe Nevin, 7-0 (4), Two-time Olympian from IRE, a Silver Medalist in 2012 Olympics, Lebron “Popeye” Lebron, 5-0 (2), of San Juan, PR, Ring Announcing-boxer Alex Barbosa, 5-2-1 (1) , and debuting Angel Pizarro, both out of Philly. Making their debut will be Philly’s Laurie Shiavo against Mary O’Leary of Springfield, MASS. Philly Heavyweight Pedro Martinez, 7-9 (3), of Philly will also appear. There will be a press conference Wednesday 5:30pm at the Labor Union Hall Local 57, on 500-506 N. Sixth Street, in South Philly.

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