Tag Archives: rosa

Posted on 11/11/2017

By: Ken Hissner

At the Masonic Temple & Performing Arts Center in Cleveland, OH, Friday night on Show Box The New Generation and promoted by DiBella Entertainment.

In the Main Event Featherweight Luis “KO King” Rosa, 23-1 (11), of PR/New Haven, Conn. Lost a split decision to Southpaw Yuandale “Money Shot” Evans, 20-1 (14), of East Cleveland, OH, for the WBC Continental Americas title.

Photo Credit: Showtime Boxing

In the first round both fighters came out firing. Evans landed a good right uppercut knocking the head of Rosa back. Rosa came right back with several right’s to the head of Evans. At the minute mark left in the round Evans landed a solid double right hook to the head of Rosa. With half a minute left in the round Rosa landed a solid combination but Evans fired back with a combination of his own. It was an action packed round. In the second round Evans landed a solid straight left to the head of Rosa. Evans used a good jab while Rosa was swinging wildly in return. A good left hand by Evans got Rosa’s attention moving him back several steps. In the last 30 seconds of the round Rosa worked Evans into a corner landing a flurry of punches.

In the third round Evans landed four unanswered punches before Rosa fought back. At the halfway mark Rosa worked the body of vans well following up with a pair of rights to the head. With less than a minute left in the round Evans landed a three punch combination to the head of Rosa. In the fourth round Evans opened up with a flurry of punches. Rosa drove Evans into the ropes with a flurry of body punches. Evans used an effective jab throughout the round while Rosa went head hunting in an action round. Both were landing punches at the bell.

In the fifth round Evans came out firing his jab following with a left to the head of Rosa. Rosa drove Evans into a corner with a flurry of punches. Evans countered well as Rosa kept pushing him back with his head low coming forward with body work. In the sixth round Evans landed a very effective jab and was able to work around Rosa who worked the body when they were inside. At the halfway mark out of a southpaw stance Rosa landed a solid lead left to the head of Evans. Evans backing up countered well to the head of Rosa who was swinging wildly while coming forward.

In the seventh round Rosa kept moving around the ring with Evans on the offense. It seemed Rosa was taking the round off. In the eighth round Evans drove Rosa into the ropes with a flurry of punches. Rosa landed a solid right hand from a southpaw stance rocking Evans at the one minute mark. It was all Sosa up until a minute left in the round rocking Evans again with combinations to the head. With half a minute left in the round Evans turned the table rocking Sosa with combinations. Both were letting it all hang out at the bell.

In the ninth round with Rosa coming forward with body shots Evans countered with right hooks to the head. The fighters got sloppy with warnings from referee Shawn Clark to both fighters using dirty tactics. In the tenth and final round Evans once again started fast with Rosa coming forward with his head throwing punches. At a minute into the round Evans landed a solid left hand to the head of Rosa. The fight got wild with punches from both until Rosa pushed Evans to the canvas. Evans got up firing back while Rosa came forward throwing wild punches with both hands. Both fighters were throwing leather at the bell of a very exciting bout.

Scores were slow coming with scores of 96-94 for Evans, 96-94 for Rosa and 97-93 for Evans. This writer had it 96-94 for Evans.

In the co-feature welterweight Russian Radzhab “The Python” Butaev, 8-0 (6), of Los Angelos, CA, defeated Janer “Jafet” Gonzalez, 19-1-1 (15), of Barranquilla, COL, over 8 rounds.

In the first round Butaev was the aggressor. Just over a minute into the round Butaev rocked Gonzalez with a right to the head. Gonzalez held his hands up high while Butaev on contrast had his left to his side firing the right hand. In the second round both fighters mixed it up in the middle of the ring. Gonzalez became the stalker while Butaev countered well with his right. Not a lot of punches landing in the round.

In the third round just over a minute Gonzalez landed a solid right to the head of Butaev who countered back with a right of his own. Gonzalez may have did just enough to win the round. In the fourth round after a minute Butaev landed a solid left hook to the head of Gonzalez. Halfway through the round Gonzalez landed a good right to the head of Butaev who countered with a solid left hook to the head. There was too much posing on the part of both fighters.

In the fifth round Gonzalez landed a good left hook to the chin of Butaev. After a minute into the round Gonzalez rocked Butaev with a left hook to the head. Gonzalez opened up more in the round. In the sixth round after a minute Gonzalez landed a solid left to the head of Butaev. Gonzalez continued to stalk Butaev dropping his hands for the first time trying to get Butaev to open up.

In the seventh round Butaev became a little more active looking to land that one punch knockout. He outworked Gonzalez enough to win the round. In the eighth and final round Gonzalez landed a solid right to the head of Butaev after thirty seconds into the round. Butaev worked his jab more landing three without return. With less than a minute left in the round Butaev landed a good combination to the head of Gonzalez. George Nichols was the referee.

Scores were 80-72, 79-73 and 77-75. This writer had it 77-75.

2016 Olympian super welterweight Charles “Bad News” Conwell, 6-0 (5), of Cleveland, OH, won a lopsided fight over a game Roque Zapata, 4-2-3 (0), of Cold Pepper, WV, over 6 rounds.

In the first round Conwell used his jab while Zapata was busier for the first half of the round. Halfway through the round Conwell starts opening up with his jab and straight rights to head of Zapata. Conwell landed a good left uppercut to the chin of Zapata. With half a minute to go Zapata landed a good straight right to the chin of Conwell. In the second round after 30 seconds Conwell rocked Zapata with a right to the chin. In the second halfof the round Conwell landed a solid right uppercut to the chin of Zapata. Conwell was looking for a knockout with every right hand. With less than a minute left in the round Conwell landed a solid right knocking out the mouthpiece of Zapata.

In the third round a solid right hand uppercut from Conwell on the chin of Zapata dropped him. Referee George Nichols got to the count of 9 before Zapata got up. With just over a minute left in the round a double left hook to the body and head by Conwell dropped Zapata again for a 9 count by referee Nichols. A game Zapata got up with a bloody nose and fought back well. In round four at the halfway point Conwell landed a solid right hand body shot hurting Zapata. Every right hand Conwell throws has bad intentions with one causing a cut over the left eye of Zapata.

In round five both fighters are mixing it up with Conwell getting the better of the two. A solid left hook to the ribcage by Conwell dropped Zapata. Conwell landed a good double left to the body and head of Zapata. Zapata has little power though fighting back landing his first combination to the head of Conwell. In the sixth and final round there is no quit in Zapata as Conwell is throwing bombs with his right hand. Conwell was warned for a pair of low blows. Conwell then went right after Zapata trying for the knockout. A game Zapata survived six lopsided rounds. Conwell’s manager Dave McWater got right in the ring as the fight landed congratulating his young warrior.

Scores were 60-51 twice and 60-53. This writer had it 60-51.

Heavyweight Junior Fa, 13-0 (8), of Auckland, NZ, dealt Freddy “Too Slick” Latham Jr., 9-1-2 (5), of Pittsburgh, PA, his first loss stopping him at the 1:07 mark of the first round in a scheduled 8.

In the first round a taller Fa used a solid jab followed by a straight right keeping Latham backing up. Fa opened up just after one minute landing over a dozen punches to the head and body of Latham who was defenseless in a neutral corner causing referee Clifford Pinkney to wisely step in to stop the onslaught.

Posted on 11/10/2017

by B.A. Cass

You don’t have to be Freemason to gain entrance on Friday night to the Masonic Temple & Performing Arts Center in Cleveland, OH where DiBella Entertainment will put on an exciting line up of boxing matches. You don’t even have to be living in the Cleveland area because you can catch the main event, along with the two preceding undercard fights, on Showtime starting at 10 p.m. ET.

The three fights are part of the “ShoBox: Next Generation” series, and the first televised fight will be between Junior Fa and Fred Latham. The next fight will be between Radzhab Butaev and Janer Gonzalez.

The main event of the evening will be between Luis Ross and Yuandale Evens.

Charles Conwell (5-0) vs. Roque Zapata (4-1-3)

Great amateur boxers are often fundamentally more sound than great professional boxers. That’s because the sole objective of the amateur is to win and they do not have to think so much about entertaining the crowd.

Conwell, the youngest member of the 2016 Men’s USA Boxing Team, is just a year into his professional career and still maintains the integrity and solid defense strategy from his amateur days. And yet he’s fun to watch. He knows how to absorb punches without sustaining damage, and he has an impeccable sense of when to go for the kill.

He has won all five of his professional fights by TKO.

Roque Zapata is a jumpy fighter and throws punches as if his fists were just the extensions of his unraveled nerve endings. He moves wildly and can be dangerous. He may not be as skilled a boxer as Conwell, but he’s one of those fighters who could get hit in the face with a block of cement and barely flinch. He often unleashes his most brutal attacks on opponents after he has sustained significant damage himself.

Conwell has the reach advantage over Zapata, but Zapata has fought taller men before and beaten them. Plus, Zapata is unpredictable. He could give the fundamentally more sound Conwell a hard time.

Junior Fa (12-0) vs. Fred Latham (9-0-2); heavyweight

Fa, a New Zealander, made his professional boxing debut in February of 2016. Since then, he’s kept busy—extremely busy. In just over a year, he’s fought twelve times. That’s a remarkable number of fights for a boxer in today’s age—or in any age, for that matter. Fa is tough and brutal.

Pointing forward with his manicured little beard, the heavy-footed Latham knows how to work a clean jab. He likes to stand in one spot and punch, and it may prove difficult for him to move out of reach of Fa, who is known for his combination assaults.

Radzhab Butaev (7-0) vs. Janer Gonzalez (19-0-1); welterweight

The 23-year-old Butaev was born in Russia just two years after the fall of the Soviet Union. He is despot of the ring—cool, menacing, wielding complete power. Butaev has won all his fights, and all but one of these wins have been by KO.

Janer (19-0-1) makes his US fight debut when he steps into the ring to face Buteav. Janer, who has the advantage of experience, is unknown to US fight fans. Like Buteav, he’s undefeated, but we just don’t know what to expect from him.

However, we can expect one thing of this fight.

Both men will fight as if everything is on the line because everything is. This showcase fight has the potential to advance the career of the man who wins.

Luis Rosa (23-0) vs. Yuandale Evans (19-1); featherweight

Last seen in the sparsely crowded Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven, CT where he defeated Carlos Osorio (then 13-6), the 26-year-old Rosa steps into the ring on Friday night as a man determined to win.

We all know that becoming a world champion requires something more than skill. It requires a dedication that borders on the psychotic and something else, something ineffable. Luis Rosa has that all of these qualities.

A smart inside fighter who knows how to make necessary adjustments during a round, Rosa often remains elusive in the ring despite the fact that fights at close range. He’s tough and likes to go

Evans is a different type of fighter, more of a pure boxer. But after suffering a first-round KO to Javier Fortuna in 2012, Evans stayed out the ring for nearly two and half years. He’s fought three times since his return in 2015, and he’s on a winning streak. The Cleveland born Evans is a skilled boxer and he will be fighting for the first in front of a hometown crowd.

Don’t discount Evens just because he’s been less active than Rosa. Disappointing his fans won’t be an option for him when he enters the ring on Friday night. Expect this to be one good fight.

Follow B.A. Cass on Twitter @WiththePunch

Posted on 01/25/2017

The Harder They Fall: Gladys Rosa—A Conversation (Part II)
By Kent Wallace

(Authors Note: When we last left Gladys Rosa, the young, no-nonsense lass was being pitched by boxing legend Don King—but not biting. Let’s take it from there…)

So I’m back at the 92 (my office), seated beside Cindy “Boom Boom” Podgorski—amber potion in one hand, the phone in the other with Gladys Rosa in conversational mode. I ask her to pick up her story from where we left off…

The Bronx born teen graduated high-school early (if you recall she was an advanced student, working as an intern—for school credit—with New York City honcho Melvyn Haywoode). Immediately after graduation Gladys accepted a full-time, salaried job, with Mr. Haywoode.

King, however, never known as a wilting flower, was doggedly determined to bring Gladys into his fold.

It was Gladys’ mom Gloria who fielded the call from King. She advised the promoter that her daughter was not available at the time but would be glad to pass on a message. King provided his private number.

“My mom was ecstatic—she knew who Don King was as my mom was a district leader and community activist—very politically and socially involved. My dad on the other hand was a one man Puerto Rican parade—he was so proud.

“In a sense, I called Mr. King back as much as for my folks as for myself.”
King wanted the kid. At the time he had legendary, Damon Runyonesque, press agent Irving Rudd working for him. When told she would be mentoring under the best in the business (Rudd) Gladys agreed to meet with the P.T. Barnum of the P.R. milieu.
Irving and Gladys had a break-bread, sit down session at a mid-town deli. Irving was impressed with the sophistication of the South Bronx teen. “I knew from my herring and Matzo Ball soup,” Gladys laughed.

Student and teacher hit it off and Irving had a suggestion…

“There was a big fight coming up and Irving asked me to put together a press release for him to peruse. I wrote it overnight and brought it by his office the following morning on my way to work.”
Irving loved it! A job offer was tendered (on a Thursday). Gladys went to work the following Monday.

“It was quite impressive, entering the Town House offices at 32 East 69th Street that very first time,” recalled Gladys. “The walls were plastered with posters of historical bouts and fighters. And what a gallery of champs it was! You must remember at the time Don King promoted Ali, Norton, Duran, de Jesus, Escalera and more. These were household names in Rosa casa—I’d grown up watching them on television with my dad.

“My first job was to serve as translator for Roberto Duran who was going up against Ken Buchannan. This put me in with the bulls right off. There wasn’t just Roberto to deal with but his powerful Panamanian manager Carlos Eleta and Luis Henriquez, his right hand man—they considered me, and in fact called me, a secretary! “

Gladys guided “Manos de Piedra” through the gauntlet of media platforms (television, radio and print). It wasn’t long before the pugnacious Panamanian saw much more than merely a youthful secretary—but a skilled, translator/publicist instead.

“When Roberto turned to me after one of the many interviews and said, ‘Eres mas que una secretaria’ the bond was born. And suddenly, he seemed thrilled by the Hispanic connection. He’d never seen a Latina operating so seamlessly in this man’s game. Roberto became my biggest fan!”

Duran won that night—becoming the WBA lightweight champion of the world.
Two years later, the life changing bout for Gladys and the entire boxing world took place in Madison Square Garden. The rematch of Ali/Frazier…

“Unbridled chaos from the announcement of the bout to the first bell,” Gladys laughed.

“Ali was training in Deer Lake, Pennsylvania. Irving was the inside guy, Murray Goodman was the outside guy and I was the gal in the middle—the liaison between the Ali camp and the Garden media corps.

“We were churning out 2-4 press releases a day as everything was news. You’ve got to remember, there was no internet back then—no emailing, no texting, I was hand delivering press release to the global boxing media.”

As for Ali himself, this writer needed to know…

“Ali was gracious, larger than life, and very easy going—a pleasure to work for. He respected my work ethic and I recall him once saying, ‘Usually I see women at these press conferences trying to impress—to stand out—to get a piece of the shinning sun. But Gladys is all business—she’s here to work.’”

Not everyone, however, was as complimentary of the youthful upstart and her position in this mano-y-mano realm typically regulated to men.

Dick Young, the legendary sports writer and colorful curmudgeon (a man, by the way, who refused to call Ali anything but Cassius Clay), wanted to know who the hell Gladys was and what the hell she was doing.

“He seemed to be eyeballing me and finally he came up and said, ‘You’re too nice to be in this racket. Tell your parents they didn’t do a good job!’

“I was steamed. My family was untouchable. I turned to Mr. Young and said, under no uncertain terms, ‘Watch what you say Mister. I’ll make you eat your words!’”

Spicier than fresh Sofrito and perhaps inspired by the Louisville Lip hisself, the Latina Lip put Mr. Young in his place!

That trait of fearless feistiness followed the lass throughout her storied career…

(Stay tuned for Part III)

Posted on 10/30/2016

Gladys Rosa—A Conversation (Part I)
By Kent Wallace

I was seated at the “Office” (Legion Post 92) a shot in one hand a phone in the other— with Gladys Rosa on the other end of the line in New York City.

I was solo—the last time I saw Boom Boom she was sailing East on a Junk—but like Sonny and Cher said, The Beat Goes On…
Gladys Rosa is a renaissance woman—a gal who boldly climbed through the ropes of the male-dominated sport of boxing—her influence felt at the highest levels.
Gladys has worn many hats—publicist, interpreter, trouble-shooter, confidant and more…

Plus she’s served in these varies capacities for such seminal Champions as Muhammad Ali, Roberto Duran, Larry Holmes, Julio Caesar Chavez, Felix Trinidad and Mike Tyson (to name but a few).

Perhaps best known for her marketing and public relation skills—Gladys single handedly crafted the images of the aforementioned fighters to the Latin Market and conversely polished the voices and mien of Latin fighters for consumption in the USA—you might say, she was the mouth behind the mitts.

“With Caesar,” Gladys’ voice came through the electronic device with a passionate lilt, “I was involved in every aspect of his career. He never had an “official” manager and so while Don King did the promotion, I took Caesar under my wing in a managerial sense—grooming him for the world stage.

“In the case of Tito (Felix Trinidad), despite hailing from Puerto Rico he was not particularly well known there—the fact that my parents were born in the Commonwealth allowed us a more personal connection and level of trust. Tito became very comfortable with the blueprint I created for his career—needless to say it worked.”

Gladys was an expert at molding the public personas of fighters but this scribe wanted to know how it all began and she was quick to pounce with a breathtaking narrative…

“I was an advanced student in High School,” Gladys began. “Therefore I did not have to attend classes during my sophomore and junior years. Rather, I was allowed to earn credits by working as an intern.

“I was fortunate to land a spot with the City of New York under the tutelage of Melvyn Haywoode.

“So here I was, a self-confident 16-year-old, working with Mel, when I was asked to join my “boss” at a meeting regarding smoothing out the relationship between Don King (promoter for Muhammad Ali) and the Nation of Islam (Ali’s managers). The mission; to help King leverage his position with the Nation.

“I’ll never forget the meeting in King’s office on the top floor of Rockefeller Center—it was akin to Dorothy entering the palace of the Wizard in the classic film.

“There was a room full of people (all men) seated around a huge table—and while the scene was overwhelming I was not intimidated.

“I sat quietly listening to a string of community leaders prattle on with suspect solutions I found to be more
confrontational than conducive to bridge building—a grave lack of diplomacy.

“I guess the “Tell” was my facial expressions. You see, while I didn’t dare speak up, I couldn’t mask my contrarian scorn for the blather—and Don King took note!”

“Suddenly, he raised his hand, silencing the room and steering his gaze my way, ‘You don’t seem to agree with much that’s being said at this table Gladys. I’d like to hear your thoughts.’

“If silence can get even quieter it happened right then and there. And while I was out of my element, I nonetheless spoke my mind. I explained that all the ideas being put forth seemed aggressive and that in order to breach the impasse they needed to focus on resolving the clash rather than trying to strong-arm a path to reconciliation.

“Mr. King listened intently and when I was finished, he smiled and offered me a job—right there on the spot, ‘I’d like you to come and work for me,’ those were his exact words, and well, since I suspect I was on a roll, I replied, ‘I’ll work with you but not for you!’
“It’s not that I was trying to be imprudent or sassy, but I guess I was the kind of kid that stood her ground—on her own two feet—Puerto Rican pride.
“A gentle nudge from Mr. Haywoode brought me back to my senses…”

Gladys and I ended our conversation with the promise and commitment to speak again. And frankly, I can’t wait.

Gladys has had a long career in the fight game and especially with the colorful Don King. She has many a story to share and she assured me continued candor and frankness.

Stay tuned. Meanwhile, I’m heading back to the “Office” for a tightener…