Tag Archives: jenkins

Posted on 07/29/2019

By: Oliver McManus

British welterweight champion Chris Jenkins has had a slightly clouded few months as he sought a date to fight, mandatory challenger, Liam Taylor. The fight was expected to take place in September at some point but the interluding period has seen a fresh challenge presented to the Welshman; he’ll face Paddy Gallagher for the British and Commonwealth titles on August 3rd. We began by discussing how the fight came about.

“We’ve been waiting for the Liam Taylor fight because he’s the mandatory but I had a little niggle after the Garton fight so that kept on getting pushed back. I think MTK approached Gary (Lockett) about fighting Paddy for the Commonwealth title or some other sort of belt and the answer from us was ‘yes’, simple as. I just want the fights, now, so this was another title I could fight for and then the Board (BBBofC) decided they’d sanction it in a double-whammy and that made it even sweeter. I’ll have had (roughly) five and a half, six weeks of preparation come fight night.”

Jenkins won the British title with a peerless technical display against Johnny Garton in March, at the fabled Royal Albert Hall, in the defining fight of his career thus far. It was a case of ‘third time lucky’ for the product of Cwmgors Amateur Boxing Club, having had two bouts with Tyrone Nurse, and a result that is still hard to fully reconcile with.

“If you’d asked me last year, not one bit would I expect to be talking to you as British champion (after suffering back-to-back technical decisions to Akeem Ennis Brown and Darragh Foley). I was close to walking away, I really was, I had to look for other things that could provide a stable living for my family but boxing kept on bringing me back.”

“I’ve had more downs than I have had ups in (my) career”, he continued, “and I would have walked away from the sport but for Gary (Lockett). He kept on telling me ‘look, give it one more shot’ and the fight against Garton proved him right. It’s been worth it, it has, but it’s not always felt worth it. I’ve always wanted to win the British title but for a while I didn’t believe I ever would; now I have got it, I’m not letting anyone take it.

The British belt, which Jenkins has craved since turning professional, didn’t stay, physically, in his possession for little over a couple weeks with the Board returning it to their safekeeping. A disappointing moment of reality for Jenkins but one that he is using as added motivation for getting the win on August 3rd.

“We had a photo shoot with myself, Joe Cordina and Liam Williams with our belts to showcase the Welsh champions but after (that) the Board took it back to their headquarters in Cardiff. It’s been up there for the last few months and that upset me a little bit, I won’t lie, because of everything it represents but I was expecting it – they don’t want it damaged, do they? To be fair it just makes me want to win on the 3rd even more so I can have it on the dinner table for another couple weeks before they come and take it again!”

A relatively fresh face at welterweight, winning the title in just his second fight at the division, Jenkins had campaigned at super lightweight since turning professional – fighting for five belts along the way – but is firmly enjoying life in his new division. Ironically the additional seven pounds is proving a weight of his shoulders.

“I’m feeling much better (at welterweight) because I can be a little bit naughtier on the weekends if I really want to be and I don’t have to completely ban anything nice from my diet. I’ve learned over the last year with Gary, constantly, about how to go about making the weight and it’s a lot easier, a lot easier, than super lightweight. I was never starving myself but now I’m 30 it’s one less thing I’ve got to worry about in the build up to fights and, if we’re honest, that probably buys me another couple of fights in my career.”

Now Gary Lockett is a nap that rolls of Jenkins’ tongue constantly sandwiched in between hearty praise for the former WBU champion (WBC & WBO challenger). Lockett, now an established trainer, has been beside Jenkins for countless years and their bond goes well beyond ‘teacher and student’ – their is genuine care and friendship between the two. More recently Frank Warren has hopped on board the ‘Jenkins Express’ – destination ‘anyfight, anywhere’ – and those sensible heads are an added bonus for the final third of Jenkins’ career.

It’s not a bad team I’ve got around me; Gary’s been around the game for a while and has experience up to world level, Frank likewise and it’s obviously easier to make fights with his backing and Mo (Prior, his manager) is a great guy, he’s got a huge heart and would drop everything to help me out. They’re good people and I genuinely think they want me to do well, as their first priority, obviously they can get some money out of my success but it’s not that sort of a relationship. Gary and Mo have been by my side for a long time, when I wasn’t making money from the sport, so that’s how I know they want me to do well.”

All of that existence in the boxing bubble of society is going to be brought to a halt, however, promptly after the fight against Paddy Gallagher – regardless of the result. Retirement isn’t looming, fear not, but a well deserved holiday. There are boxing implications stemming from that, mind, with the BBBofC having mandated either the winner of himself and Gallagher to defend against Liam Taylor by the end of September. For Jenkins he hopes common sense can prevail.

“There will be no training whilst I’m on holiday for two weeks and we’ll have to talk about my options when I come back. I think Taylor fully deserves to fight for the British title, I really do, but After the Garton fight I couldn’t throw a punch for about five, six weeks so, for obvious reasons, that hasn’t been possible to do since. In an ideal world I’d like to fight him in November, December but we’ll go to the Board should I get the win against Paddy. You’d like to think common sense would come out on top, I’ve had this holiday booked for ages and anything could happen against Paddy – cuts, injuries, that sort of thing.”

Looking slightly further afield than the inbound Spanish sunset that the British champion is set to bask in, the 30 year old has a very simple goal and motivation for his ‘purple patch’ and they don’t get more grounded than the desire to better the life of his family.

“The plan is to keep fighting for titles because I know I’m not going to be a world champion, I know that. I’m realistic with my ability and I also know I’m 30 years old – nearly 31 – do you know what I mean? I don’t want to be fighting in meaningless eight rounders anymore, I want to make something of myself. That’s the main objective – to stay active and start making some money from the sport, I’ve got a family that I need to look after and keep happy after all is said and done. The (British title) is my bread and butter so as long as I’ve got that in my grasp you won’t see me walking away from the sport.”

Posted on 09/09/2017

By: Ken Hissner

J Russell Peltz of Peltz Boxing is well known to have Philly fighters against each other. Friday night at the 2300 Arena was no exception in South Philly. In the semi-final he had Philly super welterweights Isaiah Wise and Fred Jenkins, Jr. Coors and Parx Casino were associated sponsors. It was a very entertaining event.

Photo Credit: Peltz Boxing

In the semi-final bout Philly Super welterweight’s Isaiah Wise, 6-1 (3), of South Philly out slugged and dropped Fred Jenkins, Jr., 10-5 (3), of North Philly, twice in an all out Philly war in taking the 6 round decision.

In the first round both fighters were slugging it out when an overhand right on the top of the head from Wise dropped Jenkins. Shortly afterwards Wise again dropped Jenkins with a right hand just prior to the bell as referee Ron Bashir administered the 8 count. In the second round Jenkins came back as Wise went to the body and then the head. Though pinned against the ropes by Wise Jenkins rallied back. This is what promoter and matchmaker Peltz loves with Philly against Philly. In the third round Jenkins countered well before a right hand from Wise got his attention. Jenkins came right back with a right to the head of Wise. Jenkins came off the ropes landing a hard right to the head of Wise knocking his head back. Jenkins landed a hard left uppercut to the chin of Wise. Wise came back with a right hand that buckled the knees of Jenkins at the bell. The fans showed their appreciation at the end of the round.

In the fourth round Jenkins countered with a hard right to the chin of Wise who shook his head as if it wasn’t much. Wise came back with a right of his own stopping Jenkins in his tracks. This is an all out Philly war. Wise started dropping his hands while Jenkins took the round. In the fifth round Wise had a bloody nose but id didn’t stop him from going to war with Jenkins and rocking Jenkins with a hard right buckling his knees at the bell. In the sixth and final round Wise continued to be the aggressor while Jenkins countered. It was a Philly slugfest that the crowd loved. After Jenkins landed a right he was countered with a right by Wise who staggered Jenkins. At the bell both fighters were throwing leather as the crowd were on their feet.

Judge Rubenstein had it 60-52, Braslow 57-55 and Lundy 59-53 as did this writer.

In the Main Event Super featherweight Avery Sparrow, 8-1 (3), of North Philly, won a majority decision over former 4-time Canadian Amateur champion Joey Laviolette, 6-1 (4), of Nova Scotia, over 8 rounds.

In the first round Avery hurt Laviolette with a lead right to the mid-section making Laviolette grimace. Sparrow continued to go to the body while countering well. In the second round Sparrow continued to move around the ring outscoring Laviolette. In the third round Sparrow landed a solid left hook to the oncoming Laviolette’s chin. Laviolete keeps coming forward but seems to do more feinting than throwing. In the third round Laviolette finally started throwing punches while Sparrow welcomed the exchange. Laviolette seemed to finally get a round while Sparrow was given a warning from referee Esteves for an infraction just prior to the bell.

In the fifth round Laviolette landed a solid combination to the head of Sparrow. Sparrow continued to use the ring while Laviolette kept the chase. It was a close round with Laviolette working his way back into the fight. In the sixth round Sparrow used his jab effectively with a right hand at the end. In the seventh round Laviolete landed his best punch of the fight with a solid right hand to the chin of Sparrow. Sparrow started show boating after landing several punches. Laviolete didn’t seem impressed as he continued stalking Sparrow. In the eighth and final round Laviolete knowing he needs a knockout to win doesn’t seem to have enough left to do it. He is getting more offense from Sparrow then usual inside. Sparrow is trained by Vaughn Jackson.

Judge Dave Braslow had it a surprising 76-76 being overruled by James Kinney 79-73 and Anthony Lundy 80-72. This writer had it 78-74.

Super welterweight Elijah Vines, 5-0 (5), of South Philly, dropped Ishmael Altman, 0-1-1 (0), of Arapahoe, NC, twice causing Altman’s corner to wisely not allow him out for the second round.

In the first round of an even exchange Vines landed a crushing right hand dropping Altman. He quickly got on Altman and dropped him a second time with another right hand. At the bell Altman was tagged with a right hand and was guided back to the corner by referee Bashir. Altman’s trainer Don Turner wisely wouldn’t let his fighter out for the second round. Rev Thompson was in the corner of Vines who is managed by D&D which is Doc Nowicki and Dave Price.

In the fight of the night Welterweight Julian “Hammer Hands” Rodriguez, 16-0 (10) of Hasbrouck Heights, NJ, won a close decision over Dario “Macizo” Ferman, 14-3 (11), of Juarez, MEX, in an action packed 6 rounds.

In the first round at the halfway mark Rodriguez battered Ferman in the corner until Ferman managed to get out of the corner. Rodriguez rocked Ferman just prior to the bell. In the second round Ferman came fighting back in the round while Rodriguez knew he was in for a fight with the taller opponent. In the third round a war broke out with Rodriguez driving Ferman into a neutral corner until the latter slipped out of the corner. A hard right from Rodriguez drove Ferman several feet back into the ropes.

In the fourth round with both fighters taking turns being the aggressor Rodriguez landed several hard punches to the body of Ferman who acknowledged they were good punches. Just prior to the bell it was Ferman landing well to the head and body with the last punch going low at the bell with Ferman receiving a warning from referee Esteves. In the fifth round a lead right from Rodriguez got the attention of Ferman. In the sixth and final round Ferman landed a good left uppercut to the body followed by a right to the head of Rodriguez. The fight was at a fast pace with both fighters showing their skills. An overhand right to the top of the head of Rodriguez scored well but for some reason Ferman touched gloves as if it was a foul. The round was action filled with Ferman coming back well.

All 3 judge’s Rubenstein, Kinney and Braslow had it 59-55 while this writer had it 57-57.

Super middleweight southpaw Brandon Clark, 2-1 (1), of Columbus, OH, invaded Philadelphia only to run into Brandon Robinson, 6-1 (5), of Upper Darby, PA, who stopped him at 2:07 of the first round.

In the first round Robinson made first contact with a lead overhand right to the chin of Clark. Robinson continued to chase Clark and dropped him with a solid right to the chin. Quickly following up Robinson again dropped Clark with a right to the chin. As he hit the canvas for the second time referee Benjy Esteves, Jr. wisely immediately waved it off.

Super lightweight southpaw PR Victor Padilla, 4-0 (4), of Berlin, NJ, knocked out Javier Garcia, 8-16-1, of Gurabo, PR, now out of Philly, at 2:59 of the first round.

In the first round Padilla rocked Garcia with a right hook to the head. On at least two other occasions he rocked Garcia. Just seconds prior to the bell a left hand knocked out Garcia. No needed for a count from referee Bashir. “Chino” Rivas worked the corner of Padilla.

Welterweight Haitian Osnel Charles, 11-18-1 (1), of Atlantic City, NJ, was knocked out by Marcel Rivers, 3-0 (2), of Philly, at 1:41 of the fourth and final round.

In the opening round Charles seemed to have an edge over Rivers who at welterweight has dropped down a division. In the second round Charles landed a hard right but was countered well by a right from Rivers. Charles may have done enough to take the round.

In the third round with urging from his trainer Fred Jenkins, Sr. Rivers became more aggressive. The round turned into a slugfest with Rivers coming back to take the round. In the fourth and final round Rivers rocked Charles and followed up with a straight right to the chin of Charles knocking him out! There was no need for referee Esteves to give a count Charles was on the canvas for some time being administered by the ring physician.

Lightweight South Korean Jae Ho Kim, 6-5-1 (2), of Philly, lost a majority decision to southpaw Vinnie Denierio, 2-2 (1), of Elmira, NY,

In the first round Kim chased throwing wild punches while southpaw Denierio countered. No feeling out in this one. In the second round both boxers gave a workmanlike performance for the fans. Denierio’s landing at a higher rate than Kim who never keeps coming forward. Referee Bashir has warned Denierio twice for infractions. The last two rounds were similar to the first two with Denierio doing a little more than Kim.

In the walkout bout former amateur star Omar Kabary Salem, 1-0 (0), won his debut over Philly debut boxer Leon DeShields, 0-1 (0), over 4 rounds scoring one knockdown. He looks like a real prospect.

Salem dropped DeShields once in the second round. He looked like he was going to stop DeShields but the latter showed a lot of heart to hang in there until the end of the 4 rounds.

Salem was being cheered by a group of Brooklyn fans. All 3 judges Alan Rubenstein, James Kinney and Dave Braslow along with this writer had it 40-35.

Salem is trained by his father a former world title challenger known as the “Egyptian Magician”. His son was on the Egyptian Olympic team.

The ring announcer Steve Mittman did a fine job during an intermission introducing one of Philly’s most popular fighters in the past Randall “Tex” Cobb. No. 1 WBO contender Jesse “Hardwork” Hart was also introduced with his title challenge coming up on September 22nd.

Posted on 09/06/2017

By: Ken Hissner

IBHOF Promoter J Russell Peltz continues his tradition of Philly fighters fighting one another at the 2300 Arena in South Philly Friday night. In the Main Event he features Super welterweights Isaiah Wise against Fred Jenkins, Jr. There are 10 bouts scheduled with BAM Boxing’s Brittany Rogers also co-promoting and helping with the matchmaking.

Wise, 5-1 (3), has fought all his 6 fights at the 2300 Arena. Jenkins has fought his last 6 fights at the same venue. His father and trainer Fred Jenkins, Sr., is a PA BHOF trainer out of the ABC Rec Gym in North Philly.

In the co-feature Philly’s Super featherweight Avery Sparrow, 7-1 (3), taking on Canadian Joey Laviolette, 6-0 (4), of Sackville, Nova Scotia. The latter is a 4-time Canadian National Champion. Sparrow is 2-0 in 2017.

Philly’s Super welterweight Elijah Vines, 4-0 (4), is making his home debut against Gilbert Alex Sanchez, 5-7-1 (2), of Camden, NJ, who is coming back from 2 years of inactivity. Highly touted welterweight prospect Julian “Hammer Hands” Rodriguez, 15-0 (10), of Hasbrouck Heights, NJ, returns to action after 10 months taking on Dario “Macizo” Ferman, 14-2 (11), of Chihuahua, MEX.

Also on the under card are Philly welterweight prospect Marcel Rivers, 2-0 (1), Upper Darby Super welterweight Brandon Robinson, 5-1 (4), Philly lightweight Jae Ho Kim, 6-4-1 (2) formerly of South Korea, Philly debuting middleweight Leon DeShields and PR Super lightweight Victor Padilla, 3-0 (2), of Berlin, NJ, who is another good prospect will be among those on the undercard.
USA Comcast SportsNet will televise.

Posted on 08/01/2017

Compiled By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of July 25th to August 1st, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Photo Credit: HBO Sports

Gennady Golovkin Will Defend All his World Title Belts When he Faces Canelo Alvarez

Undefeated World Middleweight Champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN wants to make one thing clear. On Saturday, September 16, when he faces Canelo Alvaraez, Golovkin is walking into the ring at the T-Mobile Arena the same way he walked out of the ring at Madison Square Garden, in his last fight — wearing all his world championship belts.

“GGG will be proudly defending all of his titles — WBC, WBA, IBF, and IBO — as well as looking to add The Ring magazine title to his collection when he steps into the ring against Canelo,” said Tom Loeffler, Golovkin’s promoter. “Fans love this matchup. It’s not only the two best fighters in their division fighting each other in their prime, but also two of the most marketable fighters in the sport.”

Canelo vs. Golovkin is a 12-round fight for the middleweight championship of the world presented by Golden Boy Promotions and GGG Promotions and sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD, Hennessy, Never Stop, Never Settle, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Fred Loya Insurance, Fathom Events, Tsesnabank, and Capital Holdings. The event will take place Saturday, Sept. 16 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.
Episode #1 of 24/7 Canelo/Golovkin premieres Saturday, Aug. 26 on HBO immediately following the live World Championship Boxing doubleheader from the StubHub Center at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

HBO Sports Special Under the Lights: Canelo/Golovkin Debuts September 2nd

HBO Sports, widely acclaimed for its innovative and provocative boxing programming, examines the upcoming HBO Pay-Per-View® showdown between the two best middleweights today –Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin — when UNDER THE LIGHTS: CANELO/GOLOVKIN debuts SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 (10:00-10:20 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO.

The special will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO® and HBO On Demand®, and at hbo.com/boxing, as well as other new media platforms.

In an intimate and unvarnished setting, UNDER THE LIGHTS: CANELO/GOLOVKIN will feature an engaging roundtable conversation hosted by HBO Boxing commentator Max Kellerman, combatants Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin and HBO boxing analyst and four-division champion Roy Jones, Jr., as they breakdown and examine the many skills and experiences each fighter will bring into the ring for the best boxing matchup of 2017. It’s the final time the two will see each other until fight week unfolds in Las Vegas.

For more information, visit hbo.com/boxing; become a fan on Facebook at facebook.com/HBOBoxing; and follow on Twitter and Instagram at @HBOBoxing. Follow the conversation using #CaneloGGG.

“Canelo vs. Golovkin” takes place Saturday, September 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 8:00 p.m. (ET)/ 5:00 p.m. (PT).

Super Channel to Air Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Miguel Marriaga in Canada

Super Channel subscribers in Canada will have the opportunity to watch superstar Vasyl Lomachenko, arguably the No. 1 pound-for-pound professional boxer in the world today, as the Ukrainian defends his World Boxing Organization (WBO) Association Junior Lightweight World Championship for the second time, this Saturday night (August 5), starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, live from Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

The 29-year-old Lomachenko (8-1, 6 KOs) will be challenged by two-time world title challenger, dangerous Colombian knockout artist Miguel “The Scorpian” Marriaga (25-2, 21 KOs), the WBO No. 10-ranked contender, in the 12-round main event.
Three exciting fights on the stacked “Lomachenko vs, Marriaga” card, promoted by Top Rank, will air exclusively in Canada on Super Channel.

Super Channel has recently aired major boxing events live like Brook vs. Spence Jr., Pacquiao-Horn, and Eubank, Jr. vs.
Abraham.

“we are all ecstatic to be bringing this exciting bout featuring one of the world’s best boxers, Vasyl Lomachenko, to our viewers and to be presenting another top-notch card from legendary promoter, Top Rank’s Bob Arum, to Canadian fight fans,” said Troy Wassill. Director of Programming, Domestic Distributors & Sports for Super Channel.

Lomachenko is regarded by many as the greatest amateur boxer of his time and arguably all-time having captured two Olympic gold medals (2008 & 2012) and three World Championships, reportedly losing only once in 396 amateur bouts.

Eight (7-1) of his nine fights during his three-year pro career have been in world title fights, including world title winning performances in two different weight classes, WBO featherweight and junior lightweight. Lomachenko has defeated world champions Gary Russell, Jr., Roman Martinez and Nicholas Walters.

Marriaga, who is moving up to junior lightweight to challenge Lomachenko, is a battled-tested challenger with good power and a strong amateur background.

In the 12-round co-feature, NABO & NABF lightweight champion “Sugar” Raymundo Beltran (33-7-1, 21 KOs) defends his titles against former two-time Interim World Boxing Association (WBA) Super Featherweight World Champion Bryan Vasquez (36-2, 19 KOs).

Mexico-native Beltran, fighting out of Phoenix (AZ), is a two-time world title challenger who is knocking on the door for another world title shot. Beltran is ranked No. 2 in the world by the WBO, World Boxing Council (WBC) and International Boxing Federation (IBF), as well as No. 6 by the WBA.

Vasquez, fighting out of Costa Rico, is rated the No. 1 lightweight contender in the world by the WBA
In the eight-round Super Channel opener, 2012 Olympic silver medalist Esquiva Falcao (17-0, 12 KOs), the undefeated Brazilian middleweight, steps up in terms of class opposition to face Ivan “Terrible” Montero (20-2, 8 KOs), of Mexico.

To see the “Lomachenko vs. Marriaga” live, as well as more exciting boxing to come, fight fans in Canada can contact their local cable provider to subscribe to Super Channel and all that it offers, including premium series, movies and much more, for as low as $9.95 per month.

Sadam Ali Captures WBA International Welterweight Title and Third Straight Victory with Decision Win Against Johan Perez

Sadam “The World Kid” Ali (25-1, 14 KOs) took a decisive step towards once again fighting for a world title tonight with a unanimous decision victory against former two-time interim WBA Super Lightweight champion Johan “El Terrible” Perez (22-4-4, 15 KOs). The 10-round fight, which earned Ali the vacant WBA International Welterweight, was the main event of the latest edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN from Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Arizona.

Ali, from Brooklyn, NY, fought in one of the toughest fights of his career against Perez, a native of Caracas, Venezuela, who had scored wins against the likes of Yoshihiro “El Maestrito” Kamegai, Paul Spadafora and Steve “2POUND” Forbes.

“I give myself a 6 tonight; I felt off,” said Sadam Ali. “Perez was tough, very tall and awkward, and I was able to see that I have a lot to work on to be honest. I felt that my movement wasn’t right. I felt slow and off balance. I’m not too happy with my performance. I don’t want to make excuses, but my performance wasn’t as good as I expected. Now it’s time to go back to the gym and work on things I need to work on. That’s how I’ll get better, by seeing my mistakes and getting back to work in the gym.”

“I need rugged fights like this. Johan might not have a big name but he came to fight and not only for a paycheck. So, these kinds of fights are exactly what I need to get into title contention.”

In the televised co-main event, Alejandro “El Elegido” Barrera (27-3, 17 KOs) of Nuevo León, México scored a split decision victory against Eddie “E-Boy” Gomez (20-3, 11 KOs) of the Bronx, NY in a 10-round Welterweight bout.

Barrera, who is a student of the Hall of Fame trainer Ignacio “Nacho” Beristáin, brought a busy style from the outside that nullified Gomez’s counter-punching offense. When Gomez would try to counter, Barrera would step back and throw counters of his own. Or, like in sixth round, Barrera would simply overwhelm Gomez with volume punching.

During an explosive seventh round exchange, Barrera was cut by a headbutt above his right eye. Then, only a few seconds later, Gomez dropped Barrera with a thunderous counter left hook. The back and forth action continued into the final rounds, with Barrera winning by two scores of 93-96, while one judge it 95-94 for Gomez.

“I feel very happy with the victory, but at the same time I feel tired because it was a tough fight,” said Alejandro Barrera. “There were many headbutts. He is a very dirty fighter, but I already knew his boxing was fast-paced. I studied it and trained for it. Now, I’ve got to rest and continue training hard.”

Pablo “The Shark” Rubio, Jr. (10-0, 3 KOs) of Los Angeles, California scored a tough split decision victory against David Perez (8-2, 4 KOs) of Houston, Texas in a non-televised swing bout. Two judges scored the fight for Rubio with scores of 58-56 and 59-55, while one judge scored the fight 60-54 for Perez.

Topping off the ESPN3 live stream, Patrick Teixeira (27-1, 22 KOs) cruised to a unanimous decision victory against Andrew “Hurricane” Hernandez (19-6-1, 9 KOs) of Phoenix, Arizona in an eight-round super welterweight collision.
Teixeira, a native of Santa Catarina, Brazil, used his rangy southpaw stance to box from the outside and to set up straight left hands to the head and left hooks to the body. However, in fifth round, Teixeira injured his left hand, which forced him to rely on his jab and footwork even more for the later stretch of the fight.

Although he was cut below his left eye in the eighth and final round, Teixeira earned an easy victory after not having fought since his first defeat in May of 2016. Teixeira won with two scores of 80-72 and one score of 79-73.

Kicking off the ESPN3 live stream, Daquan “King” Arnett (16-1 9 KOs) of Winter Park, Florida shook off an almost two-year layoff by cruising to a unanimous decision victory against Tijuana, Mexico’s Jorge “Pantera” Silva (21-14-2, 17 KOs) in an eight-round super welterweight fight. Arnett controlled the action throughout the fight by calmly walking Silva down from one side of the ring to the other, using touch jabs to blind Silva before unleashing hard combinations to the head and body.

Silva was deducted a point in sixth round for holding Arnett excessively. After two more rounds of boxing, Arnett earned himself three scores of 80-71.

In the first fight of the evening, Alfredo Escarcega (3-0) scored a majority decision victory against Rodolfo “Rudy” Gamez (1-4) in a four-round super lightweight fight.

Another All Philly War in Line as Wise-Jenkins Collide

It may be just a six-round fight, but the match between North Philadelphia junior middleweights Isaiah Wise and Fred Jenkins, Jr., is sure to be treated by the fans like a main event when the fighters collide Friday evening, Sept. 8, at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia.

Topping the 10-bout card is an eight-round junior lightweight contest between Avery Sparrow, of Philadelphia, and former four-time Canadian national amateur champion Joey Laviolette, of Nova Scotia, Canada. First fight begins at 7.30 p.m.
Wise ( above left), 25, is a relative newcomer, having compiled a 5-1 record since turning pro early in 2016. He has scored three knockouts, losing only by decision to Philly-killer Roque Zapata, of Culpeper, VA.

In two fights this year against Wisconsin-based fighters, Wise got off the canvas to stop Jeffrey Wright in four rounds and he outpointed Mark Daniels over six.

Jenkins,30, is the veteran of the two, owning a 10-4 record since turning pro in 2011. He has scored three knockouts and he is managed and trained by his dad, Fred Jenkins, Sr., an ex-pro junior middleweight himself and a member of the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame as a trainer.

The biggest win on the resume of Jenkins, Jr. came in 2014 when he knocked out Jeremy Trussell, of Baltimore, MD, in four rounds at the 2300 Arena. He also has defeated Alex Sanchez, of Camden, NJ, and Ibrihim Shabazz, of Newark, NJ.

Wise has had all six of his professional fights at the 2300 Arena. Jenkins is 4-3 in the building.

In an era where Philadelphia fighters often balk at fighting each other, neither Wise nor Jenkins appear to have a problem with the match.

“Fighting someone from the same city doesn’t bother me at all,” said Wise. “This is a business and this fight will show me where I stand.”

Jenkins: “It’s all about winning. I’m trying to climb the ladder and if I beat Wise then I can get another shot at Zapata.”

Zapata, who fights Elijah Vines, of Philadelphia, on the same card, owns victories over both Wise and Jenkins, both by decision, both at the 2300 Arena.

The only other foe common to both Wise and Jenkins is James Robinson, of York, PA. Wise and Jenkins each defeated Robinson by decision, Wise over four rounds and Jenkins over six.

Seven additional bouts complete the Sept. 8 card. Among those featured will be welterweight Marcel Rivers, junior welterweight Victor Padilla and featherweight Crystian Peguero.

Mayweather Promotions Announces the 8th Titans of the Trade: Breakfast of Champions at MGM Grand

Mayweather Promotions is preparing for this signature event for the 8th consecutive time! Titans of the Trade: Breakfast of Champions is set to take place on the morning of the Mayweather vs. McGregor weigh-in, Friday, August 25 at MGM Grand. This event celebrates the continuous achievements of individuals who are influencers the sports and entertainment world to make it what it is today.

This year’s theme is Dream, Conquer, and Sparkle-exemplifying the acknowledgement of those who have shined or sparkled in their respective professional fields. The ability to shine bright within the industry is noteworthy and deserves recognition and presentation of one of our prestigious awards.

Honorees from our 2016 Titans of the Trade affair include: first African American VP in Major League Baseball history; Marian Rhodes, former WBC World Champion; Alicia Ashley, 2016 Olympian; Vashti Cunningham, Chi-Town’s finest breakers; The Monster Kids, and Premier Boxing Champions’ President of Boxing Operations; Sylvia Browne-Owens. Honorees to be recognized at the upcoming event include: multi-talented musician and actress; Tally, undefeated boxing world champion and MMA fighter; Heather Hardy, UC-Riverside’s top performing female basketball player; Simone Decoud, former UNLV softball coach; Shan McDonald, and remarkable boxing referee; Sparkle Lee.
Honorees:

Young Trailblazer Award recipient- Tally is an up and coming multi-talented rap artist, songwriter, actress and musician from sunny Nashville, Tennessee. Growing up, Tally took interest into becoming an artist when she began making YouTube covers, landed lead roles in her school plays, and starting playing the guitar, which helped her songwriting skills.

Music always played an important role in her life and that landed her a star role in the second season of Lifetime’s The Rap Game. After being eliminated after the first episode, she didn’t let that deter her future success. She continued to focus on her music career, ultimately landed her another opportunity on the third season of The Rap Game, as well as performing at the 2017 Radio Disney Awards.
Young Trailblazer Award recipient- Simone Decoud has made headlines due to her continuous success as a point guard at UC-Riverside. This Riverside native has been a three-time, All-Big West Honoree, who has averaged 11.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game this season. Simone has finished her junior year in college as the team’s seventh all-time leading scorer and second on the career assists list and expects to graduate with a degree in Media Cultural Studies. After graduating, she will look to begin her professional basketball career overseas.

Golden Glove Award recipient- Heather “The Heat” Hardy has let her talent do all the talking. She has contributed to diversifying the sports industry by her remarkable success as a female boxer and strength through her continuous achievements in the industry. Being a single mother and a professional boxer has come with a lot of hard-work and dedication but Heather has conquered her adversities through recognition in combat-sports. Her most recent achievement was her TKO win at her MMA debut against Alice Yauger on June 24th. Heather is also unbeaten in the boxing ring with 20 wins, 4 KO’s and the WBC super bantamweight & featherweight world titlesTitans of the Trade Award recipient- Shan McDonald was inducted into the UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame after leading the Rebels to 511 victories in 17 seasons, seven-straight NCAA tournaments from 1990-96, and three appearances in the Women’s College World Series. The former UNLV softball coach drove her team to break, or tie, 30 school records, which helped earn her the ‘all-time winnings coach’s title. She has proven to be a true titan in sports.

Meritorious Achievement Award recipient- Sparkle Lee has lead a reputable career as a boxing referee that has helped reshape the image of the ‘third man in the ring’ for all women. She has made history on countless occasions including as the first female referee to be inducted in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Her love for boxing started as a routine workout at Gleason’s Gym in the 80’s and transpired into a career of 30+ years, paving the way for female referees to follow.
In addition to our honorees, the event will be hosted by, TV personality and fashion designer; Angel Brinks. Plus 2 special guest performances by talented Las Vegas native; Cabria Anderson and singer and songwriter, Jade Novah.

This year’s Titans of the Trade: Breakfast of Champions- Dream, Conquer, & Sparkle is sponsored by: The Money Team, Mayweather Sports, MGM Grand, SHOWTIME, FNOM, Screaming Images BoxRaw, Alexandre Crepin, Fight Label, Versace Fragrances, Smooth Operators Salon, Too Pretty Brand, and PINTA USA.