Tag Archives: witherspoon

Posted on 10/13/2019

By: Sean Crose

Thirty two year old Ukrainian skill master Oleksandr Usyk finally made his heavyweight debut on Saturday night in Chicago when he faced Tyron Spong replacement Chazz Witherspoon (standout kickboxer Spong was kept from the fight at the eleventh hour thanks to a positive drug test). The Usyk-Witherspoon card went down at the Wintrust Arena and was aired live on the DAZN streaming service. Usyk had been out of the ring since 2018 thanks to an injury and the pitfalls that are a regular part of the boxing business. As he slipped between the ropes for his first heavyweight battle the former undisputed cruiserweight champion boasted a record of 16-0. The thirty eight year old Witherspoon, on the other hand, entered the ring with a record of 38-3.

Photo Credit Matchroom Boxing Twitter Account

First, though, the 16-0 WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol defended his title against the 20-2-1 Lenin Castillo in a scheduled 12 rounder. Boasting an impressive record, Bivol was hoping to impress. The first round was rather close, with both men picking their shots. The second round was also close, though Bivol may have landed the sharper punches. Bivol began asserting himself and dominating the action in the third. He continued to assert himself in the fourth. By the fifth it was clear Castillo would have to do something notable if he hoped to change the course of things. Bivol dropped his man with a sharp right to the jaw in the sixth, though Castillo was able to get up without appearing to have suffered too much damage.

The seventh round played out like much of the fight had to up until that point, with Bivol simply proving himself the better man due to ring generalship and sharper punching. Castillo had a moment of aggression in the eighth, though it may not have been enough to win the man the round. Castillo had his moments again in the ninth, but Bivol was simply too skilled and effective to let the tide turn. Still, Castillo landed well in the tenth. Was it enough to win the round, though? Nothing occurred in the eleventh to change the course of things. The twelfth was much like many of the previous rounds. Bivol didn’t excite, but he earned a UD win from the judges.

It was time for the main event. The opening round of the scheduled twelve rounder was a slow affair. The second round wasn’t particularly fast paced, either, though Usyk was able to land effectively. Usyk came alive in the third, landing with sharp consistency. Usyk continued to come alive in the fourth, testing his power against a full fledged heavyweight. Witherspoon started taking a considerable beating in the fifth. Usyk was starting to truly overwhelm his man in the sixth, but seemed to intentionally take his foot off the gas at times. Usyk appeared to look for the stoppage in the seventh, but Witherspoon fired back gamely. Fortunately, Witherspoon’s corner stopped the fight in between rounds.

Posted on 10/11/2019

By: William Holmes

Oleksandr Usyk will return to the ring nearly a year after he was last seen competing. On Saturday night he will be facing last minute replacement Chazz Witherspoon at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. This will be Usyk’s long anticipated heavyweight debut.

Usyk was originally scheduled to face kickboxing legend Tyron Spong, but a positive test for Clomiphene has derailed that match. Instead, thirty eight year old veteran Chazz Witherspoon will be taking his spot.

Eddie Hearn stated at the final press conference, ““When you get a call like I did on Monday that Tyrone Spong had failed a drug test, you need to move quickly or there is a chance that there is no show at all. We want to say a special thank you to Chazz Witherspoon. He has been undefeated for nearly six years now and we have talked to him about a bunch of different fights of the years. He stepped up here to take a shot at Oleksandr Usyk and we are grateful.”

The co-main event of the evening will be between Dmitry Bivol and Lenin Castillo for Bivol’s WBA Light Heavyweight title.

Other fighters on the undercard include Anthony Sims Jr., Jessica McCaskill, Charles Conwell, Patrick Day, and TJ Doheny.

Photo Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA

The following is a preview of the co-main event and main event of the evening.

Dmitry Bivol (16-0) vs. Lenin Castillo (20-2-1); WBA Light Heavyweight Title

Dmitry Bivol has been angling for a big fight, but appears to have trouble getting other light heavyweight champions into the ring with him.
He’s 28 years old, three years younger than his opponent, and still in the midst of his athletic prime. Castillo will have about a two inch height advantage on Bivol. Both boxers have moderate power. Castillo has stopped fifteen of his opponents while Bivol has stopped eleven.

Both boxers also have had successful amateur careers. Castillo competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics while Bivol was a Russian Amateur Champion.

Both boxers have been fairly active. They both fought three times in 2018 and once in 2019. However, Bivol has clearly faced the better opposition.

Bivol has defeated the likes of Joe Smith Jr., Jean Pascal, Isaac Chilemba, Sullivan Barrera, Trent Broadhurst, Cedric Agnew, and Samuel Clarkson. Bivol has won three decisions in a row and never tasted defeat as a professional.

Castillo has defeated the likes of Reinaldo Gonzalez, John Cortez, and Aaron Mitchell. His losses were to Marcus Browne and Joseph Williams.

This is a fight that Bivol should win rather decisively. An impressive stoppage may help raise his profile to help him reach his goal of unifying the light heavyweight titles.

Oleksandr Usyk (16-0) vs. Chazz Witherspoon (38-3); Heavyweight Division

The original planned fight between Usyk and Spong was intriguing in that it put together two combat sport athletes from different genres in a ring together. Usyk was still considered the favorite, but it would have been interesting.

Unfortunately for fight fans, Witherspoon does not appear to bring the same intrigue into this bout as Spong did.

Witherspoon is thirty eight years old, past his prime, and will only have a slight one inch height advantage despite this being Usyk’s first fight in the heavyweight division. Not only is Usyk six years younger than Witherspoon, but he also has the edge in amateur experience. Usyk was a gold medalist in the 2012 Summer Olympics while Witherspoon was a former Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion, but nearly fifteen years ago.

Both boxers have moderate power, with Witherspoon having twenty nine stoppages on his resume to Usyk’s twelve. However, Usyk has been more active despite this being his first fight in 2019. Usyk fought three times in 2018 and twice in 2017. Witherspoon fought once in 2019, once in 2018 and zero times in 2017.

Witherspoon has wins against Jonathan Haggler, Ty Cobb, and Santander Silgado but nobody really of note. He has losses to Seth Mitchell, Tony Thompson, and Chris Arreola.

Usyk has defeated the likes of Tony Bellew, Murat Gassiev, Mairis Briedis, Marco Huck, Michael Hunter, Thabiso Mchunu, Krzysztof Glowacki, Pedro Rodriguez, and Johnny Muller. He has no defeats as a profressional.

Unfortunately, this appears to be a fight that Usyk should win rather easily. They say every fighter has a puncher’s chance, and that might be the only chance that Witherspoon has on Saturday.

Posted on 10/03/2016

Chazz “The Gentleman” Witherspoon” Scored a Knockout Along with the Rest of the Red Corner All Scoring Knockouts in Trenton, NJ!
By: Ken Hissner

At the Sun National Bank Arena in Trenton, NJ, Saturday in the 1st Annual Mayor’s Cup promoted by Rene Aikens Boss Lady Promotions and the Honorable Mayor Eric Jackson they presented a 9 bout card along with “Bridge Wars” with New York vs New Jersey amateurs.

In the Main Event heavyweight champion Chazz “the Gentleman” Witherspoon, 36-3 (28), of Paulsboro, NJ, stopped Carlos “Superman” Sandoval, 9-11-1 (6), of Sonora, MEX, at 1:25 of the fourth round.

In the opening round it was a feeling out round with Witherspoon only using a jab as the defense minded Sandoval threw several punches. In the second round Witherspoon landed a lead right followed by a left hook to the chin of Sandoval. Witherspoon continued landing the jab with an occasional right all to the head of Sandoval.

In the third round Witherspoon rocked Sandoval into the ropes with Sandoval looking to referee David Fields for help while receiving a standing count. Sandoval had a bloody nose. In the fourth round Witherspoon landed a solid right to the chin of Sandoval who seemed to take offense to it and came back landing half a dozen punches backing Witherspoon up. Shortly there after Witherspoon was rocking Sandoval so many times referee David Fields wisely stepped in and waved the fight off.

“I needed the work and not a first round knockout. I hope to keep busy enough to get a world title fight,” said Witherspoon.

Super welterweight Tommy “The Razor” Rainone, 26-7-1 (6), out of New York, NY, destroyed Engelberto Valenzuela, 10-9 (3), of Sonora, MEX, at 1:26 of the first round. Referee Harvey Dock waved off the one sided fight.

Cruiserweight Mike Hilton, 4-0 (4), stopped Brandon “BROB” Robinson, 0-1 (0), of Bristol, PA, at 0:28 of the third round after scoring 4 knockdowns.

In the opening round Robinson held his own with Hilton. In the second round Hilton rocked Robinson with a straight right to the jaw. Then continued his assault dropping Robinson 3 times with Robinson being saved by the bell. In the third round a left hook by Hilton to the chin of Robinson dropped him as referee Harvey Dock wisely stopped the fight.

In the opening bout heavyweight Solomon “Solo” Maye, 2-6-2 (2), of New Haven, CT, scored 3 knockdowns in stopping Jemorris Jones, 1-3, at 1:20 of the first round.

In the opening round Maye scored 3 knockdowns with left hooks forcing referee David Fields to call a halt. It looked line Jones never had a pair of gloves on before.

Super featherweight southpaw Donald Smith, 2-0 (1), of Philadelphia, stopped Brandon “Bruce Lee” Lopez, 0-1 (0), of Jeffersonville, IND, at 0:38 of the first round.

In the opening round Smith went right after Lopez and beat him from one corner to another before referee Fields waved it off. Lopez claimed to have a 7-4 amateur record and no martial arts experience

.

Light Middleweight Andy Gonzalez, 4-1 (4), of Worcester, Mass, scored a knockdown stopping Lionel Charles, 0-7-1 (0), of the Bronx, NY, at 2:25 of the first round.

In the opening round Gonzalez landed a solid left hook to the chin of Charles. As he got up on shaky legs referee Dock waved it off.

Heavyweight Quian Davis, 3-0-2 (2), Mays Landing, NJ, was awarded a stoppage over Johnathan Hafely, 0-1 (0), of Jeffersonville, IND, at 0:28 of the first round.

In the opening round the 326 pound Hafely landed a right hand near the back of the head of a ducking Davis, and a bolt of lightning must have come from the roof as Hafely who wasn’t hit wobbled like a drunken sailor into a neutral corner referee Dock waved it off. Hafely will be up for an Academy Award for this one. It made the second Ali-Liston fight look like a war!

Middleweight “Sugar” LeShawn Rodriguez, 5-0 (4), of Shirley, NY, scored a pair of knockdowns stopping Courtney McCleave, 1-4 (1), of Concord, NC, at 2:12 of the second round.

In the opening round it was all Rodriguez. In the second round he dropped McCleave twice with right hands to the head forcing referee Dock to wave it off.

Cruiserweight Bryan Daniels, 2-0 (2), of Worcester, Mass, knocked down a defensive minded Joshua Flores, 0-1 (0), of Jeffersonville, IND, causing referee Fields to wave the fight off.

In the opening round Daniels scored a knockdown with a pair of left hooks to the head of Flores causing a nose bleed. As he beat the count referee Fields waved it off. This was the start of 3 stiffs from Jeffersonville, IND.

This was the second show at the Sun National Bank Arena in Trenton, NJ, and might be the last expecting the paying customer’s return.

Posted on 08/07/2016

Chazz Witherspoon Returns with Knockout in Bristol Saturday!
By: Ken Hissner

At the Grundy Arena, in Bristol, PA, D&D Promotions and Silver Spoon Promotions returned for their second show with 8 bouts with a much better attendance than their first show in the same Arena.
Main Event heavyweight Chazz “The Gentleman” Witherspoon, 35-3 (21), of Paulsboro, NJ, scored 3 knockdowns and stopped Mike Marrone, 21-6 (15), Vero Beach, FL, @ 1: 31 of the third round in a scheduled 6 changed from an 8 by Boxing Director Greg Sirb.

In the opening round Witherspoon dropped Marrone with a right to the temple. Before the round was over Witherspoon dropped Marrone a second time. In the second round a right cross dropped Marrone who never recovered from the first knockdown. His corner threw in the towel for referee Hurley McCall to stop the fight.

Witherspoon will be back in action on October 1st at the Sun Center in Trenton, NJ. Prior to the professional show will be amateurs from NJ vs NY which should be interesting. Witherspoon has now won 9 of his last 10 fights with all his wins by knockout. His next fight will be for 10 rounds which should not be a problem with the NJ commission.​

Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor, 20-4 (14), Edgewood Arsenal, MD, knocked out southpaw Carlos “Zurdo” Aguillera, 10-18 (4), NIC/MEX, at 2:07 of the third round of a scheduled 8.

In the first two rounds the fighters each won a round. There was little difference though Taylor was a heavy favorite. In the third round Taylor dropped Aguillera with a combination to the mid-section as he took the ten-count on his knees from referee Blair Talmadge.

Super lightweight Liberian Samuel “Sunami” Teah, 8-1-1 (2), Philadelphia, won an easy decision over defense minded Sammy “Lion’s Den” Amoako, 21-13 (15), Accra, GH, Silver Springs, MD, over 4 rounds.

Teah had his way in the first round. In the second round Teah used an effective jab followed by straight rights to the head. In the third round Amoako was only throwing jabs. Like a lot of Ghana boxers they get stiff after stiff in their homeland. He showed little offense mostly holding his gloves up in front of his face. The bottom rope came out just prior to the fourth and last fight. It took about 15 minutes to repair by Johnny Rivera. In the fourth and final round Teah was doing whatever he wanted with the defensive minded Amoako who seemingly was satisfied to go the distance up until the last 10 seconds when he started throwing punches. Former 3 time PA GG champ Rashiem Jefferson who is one of the top upcoming trainers worked the corner of Teah. Teah had in the front of his trunks on the belt line Isaiah 40:3 says “make straight in the desert a highway for God”. On the back I asked him if “that was the day you were born again?” He said “yes!”

All 3 judges had it 40-36 as did this writer. Referee was Blair Talmadge.
Cruiserweight Mike Hilton, 3-0 (3), Trenton, NJ, stopped Cortez Reed, 1-3 (1), Atlanta, GA, at 1:57 of the fourth and final round. ​

In a sloppy first round Hilton had the edge. In round two Hilton hurt Reed and had him holding on until the bell sounded. In the fourth round the wrestling continued until Hilton had Reed out on his feet causing referee McCall to call a halt in the fourth and final round.

LeShawn Rodriguez, 4-0 (3), of Shirley, NY, scored 3 knockdowns stopping Jason “Warrior” Wahr, 4-13-4 (1), Virginia Beach, VA, at 1:55 of the first round.
In the opening round Rodriguez dropped Wahr with a right to the body. Shortly after this Rodriguez landed a right to the head and a left hook to the body which dropped Wahr a second timeThen came the third knockdown knocking Wahr across the ring as referee McCall saw enough and waved it off. Wahr showed nothing and the commission should think before allowing him to come back to Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia junior middleweight Elijah Vines, 3-0 (3), stopped Julian Valerio, 3-3 (2), of Brooklyn, NY, @ 2:30 of the third round in a fight they exchanged knockdowns in a scheduled 4. It was the “fight of the night!” “He was tough,” said Vines.

It was a close opening round. In the second round all hell broke loose. First Vines slipped to the canvas and Valerio complained saying it was a knockdown to referee McCall. Afterwards his trainer talked to Boxing Director Sirb who said “the referee made a mistake and should have called a knockdown. Vines came over and dropped Valerio with a lead right to the chin. In the last minute of the round it was Valerio’s turn dropping Vines with a left hook to the chin. In the third round Vines has Valerio in trouble and referee McCall halted the fight. Valerio was upset with the stoppage as well as his trainer. It was a war from the opening bell with these two.

Philadelphia’s Jaron “Boots” Ennis, 5-0 (5) stopped Matthew Murphy, 1-3 (1), of E. St. Louis, MO., at 2:52 of the second round. Ennis is the best looking prospect out of Philadelphia since Meldrick Taylor the 1984 Olympic Gold medalist and later a professional world champion. He takes control of a fight and looks so relaxed in there.

It was all Ennis in the first round coming out fighting orthodox and switched to southpaw after about 20 seconds. In the second round Ennis dropped Murphy with a body shot. Shortly later in the round Ennis dropped the oncoming Murphy with a left to the chin. Referee Talmadge had seen enough and called a halt. It was quite a showing on the part of Ennis who has fought once a month for the past five months. Murphy was a tough customer. He’s the third son to turn professional. Farah Ennis was a NABF super middleweight champion and Derek “Pooh” Ennis a USBA super welterweight champion.

When asked about the change from amateur to professional Ennis said “It’s better for me without the head gear. He just beat his last opponent who was 3-0.” Ennis was a 2016 Olympic alternate. His father “Bozy” who is possibly the best trainer in Philadelphia said “He has to get more rounds but this kid was tough.”
In the opening bout Super featherweight Luis Perozo, 2-1 (1), New York, NY, scored a knockdown which was the difference as all 3 judges had it 39-36 over southpaw Alberto Martinez, 0-2 (0), Tilton, GA, over 4 rounds.

In the second round Perozo dropped Martinez with a left hook body shot. Martinez got up after referee Talmadge counted to 8 and went after Perozo. Martinez later in the round pushed Perozo to the canvas really hard as if it were a MMA match. In the fourth and final round Perozo had Martinez holding at the halfway mark. Both were out of gas by the end of the fight.

Posted on 08/02/2016

Boxing Insider Notebook: Muhammad Ali, Andre Ward, Vinny Paz, Lucas Browne, and more..
By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of July 26th to August 2nd; covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Muhammad Ali: Fighter’s Heaven to be Released August 15th

“If there’s a secret to my fights, it’s how I prepare.” Muhammad Ali

“Forty-two years ago I photographed Muhammad Ali in the rural Pennsylvania sanctuary he called ‘Fighter’s Heaven’ as he prepared for the greatest contest of his career. Here was the most famous and contentious personality on the planet in his private retreat – the calm eye of the public hurricane – which was most of his life. While a global audience was fixated on his fate, I was able to record aspects of Ali virtually unknown.” Peter Angelo Simon, 2016

In October 1974, Muhammad Ali would attempt to regain the world heavyweight boxing championship title that was stripped from him when he refused the Vietnam draft seven years earlier. He faced the brutal, undefeated George Foreman in Zaire, Africa, the fight he had dubbed “The Rumble in The Jungle”.

Only weeks before, on August 11-12, photographer Peter Angelo Simon was invited to experience the private world of one of the most famous people on the planet as he prepared mentally and physically for the biggest challenge of his life.

In August 2016, Reel Art Press presents Muhammad Ali: Fighter’s Heaven 1974. These rare photographs, the majority previously unpublished, are presented as a 176-page hardback book. This two-day photo essay captures Ali the man, unguarded, away from the glare of the media spotlight at his Pennsylvania sanctuary. It includes a foreword by D A Pennebaker, foremost chronicler of American counterculture in the sixties, and an introduction by Peter Angelo Simon.

Non Televised Undercard Announced for Ward vs. Brand

Two-Time World Champion and top-rated pound-for-pound fighter Andre Ward (29-0, 15 KOs) will return to the ring on Saturday, August 6, to continue his conquest of the light heavyweight division when he takes on power-punching Colombian Alexander Brand (25-1, 19 KOs) at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. The event, which will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:35 p.m. ET/PT, will now include six bouts of non-televised action for ticketed fans to enjoy before the main showdown.

The promising undercard lineup will feature East Bay familiar, Bilal Mahasin and a collection of Roc Nation Sports’ brightest prospects including, Daniel “Twitch” Franco, Rudy “The Revelation” Puga Jr. and Darmani “Rock Solid” Rock. Roc Nation Sports’ sparkplug Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker also looks to ignite Oracle Arena as the card’s co-feature in a 10-round NABO Junior Welterweight Title clash against Tyrone Barnett.

Lucas Browne Volunteers for WBC’s Clean Boxing Program

Former WBA World Heavyweight Champion Lucas Big Daddy” Browne of Australia is upping the ante in his quest to clear his name and regain his championship by voluntarily enrolling in the WBC’s Clean Boxing Program.

The hard-punching Browne (24-0, 21 KOs) stopped Uzbekistan’s Ruslan Chagaev in round 10 last March in Grozny, Russia, to become Australia’s first-ever heavyweight champion. The dramatic victory, however, was nullified and Browne’s championship was stripped away and returned to Chagaev, post-fight, after he reportedly tested positive for the banned substance Clenbuterol.

Browne, who tested completely clean in a random drug test by VADA six days before the fight against Chagaev, staunchly maintains his innocence of purposefully taking any banned substance ever, and says he is taking steps to ensure he is never again accused of cheating.

“I’m proud to announce that I am now part of the Clean Boxing Program, which is being run by the WBC and VADA,” said Browne. “By voluntarily enrolling in this program I am able to be randomly tested at any time, 365 days of the year.”

Browne, who was the one who insisted that VADA perform drug testing before the Chagaev fight, says the decision to join the program was an easy one to make. “I have absolutely no issues with this, as I am a clean athlete and I believe boxing needs this kind of regulation. I welcome this aspect of safety for the sport of boxing. I despise all drugs, whether they be performance-enhancing or recreational.”

Browne’s manager, Matt Clark, says that by becoming Australia’s first fighter to volunteer for the program, his fighter will hopefully start a trend.

“Lucas is Australia’s premier boxer and resents drugs of any kind,” said Clark. “We hope that other fighters from around the world join Lucas and sign up for the program. Anything that makes boxing safer is a good thing.”

Browne and Clark say they are still fighting “tooth and nail” to clear his name and thank the public for the tremendous support they have received, worldwide.

“Having always been a clean athlete, I am totally opposed to any form of doping,” Browne concluded. “I’ve always felt that cheaters in professional boxing should be banned for life. With 21 KOs in my 21 victories, I’m of the same opinion as (current WBC World Heavyweight Champion) Deontay Wilder: If I was ever to use PED drugs, I might end up killing someone!”

Vinny Paz Movie to be Released November 4th

The upcoming Oscar Buzzworthy film, Bleed For This, the true story of boxer Vinny Pazienza (50-10, 30 Kos), who won world championships in several weight divisions and had the greatest comeback in sports history after experiencing a nearly fatal accident.

Open Road Films released the film’s action-packed, emotionally charged trailer to much acclaim last month.

Bleed For This highlights Pazienza’s ascendancy as a fighter in the mid 1980s, his struggle to overcome the neck injury that nearly kept him out of the ring forever, and his rise to become world champion once again, will appeal to boxing purists and casual moviegoers alike.

Bleed For This is scheduled for a limited release on November 4, 2016, before expanding nationwide on November 23, 2016.

David Benavidez Camp Quotes

Undefeated David Beanvidez is on the fast track to a world title opportunity and he will battle Denis Douglin in the 10 round main event of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on ESPN on Friday, August 5th, live from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

Below are some quotes made by David Benavidez during his training camp.

On his recent training camp in Southern California…
“We had another great training camp out here in Long Beach, California. We put the final touches and wrapped up camp and I’m ready to go. There was plenty of good sparring and we worked on some things we know will help us in this fight. I’m in great shape and I feel sharp.”

On fighting in his first main event on ESPN…
“Fighting on ESPN is great exposure for me and my team, especially in the main event. We all worked so hard to get in this position and now it’s time to capitalize on this great opportunity. I know a lot of family and friends back home in Phoenix will be tuning in. I just want to shine out and perform to my best ability.”

On facing his opponent Denis Douglin…
“This is going to be a tough fight. I know Douglin is hungry to give me my first loss. He’s coming off three wins in a row, so I’m taking this fight very seriously. Being that he’s a southpaw, I’ll have to do some things a little different. We worked on all that stuff in camp so I know I’m going to be ready for anything he brings to the ring.”

On training with his father and head coach Jose Benavidez…
“My dad Jose has been guiding my corner from the first day I started boxing around three years old. Together we have a strong bond and I respect him very much. He’s come up with a great game plan tailor made for Douglin. He’s made a lot of sacrifices to help me get to this point and I’m very thankful to him for all that he’s done for me and my brother. I want nothing more than to bring him another great victory.”

On fighting on the East Coast for the second time in his career…
“The East Coast fans are very passionate about their boxing. Douglin, being that he’s from New Jersey, will have a lot of fans rooting against me. But I’m not going to let anything distract me from the task at hand and that’s coming back home with a win.

Brant vs. Fitzpatrick Headlines CBS Sports Network Championship Boxing

This Friday, August 5, 2016, in the Grand Ballroom of the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California, Greg Cohen Promotions and Ringside Ticket Inc., in association with David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions, will proudly present a quadrupleheader of professional boxing, televised live on CBS Sports Network (11 pm ET/8 pm PT).

In the night’s televised main event, red-hot WBA #4- and WBO #7-rated middleweight and current WBO NABO and WBA NABA Middleweight Champion, Rob “Bravo” Brant (20-0, 13 KOs) of Saint Paul, Minnesota, will look to keep his momentum going in a 10-round battle against Cleveland’s Chris “The Irish Ghost” Fitzpatrick (15-4, 6 KOs).

In the six-round super welterweight co-featured bout, Fort Worth, Texas, slugger Skender Halili (10-1, 10 KOs) will look to keep his perfect knockout record intact against experienced Ghanian veteran (now living in Silver Springs, Maryland) Ben Odamattey (16-14-3, 9 KOs).

In another televised four-rounder, undefeated former amateur world champion Cem Killic (5-0, 2 KOs) of Sherman Oaks, California, via Frankfurt, Germany, will take on pro-debuting middleweight Jerhed Fenderson of Las Vegas.

And in the night’s opening televised bout, red-hot prospect Malik Hawkins (8-0, 7 KOs) of Baltimore, Maryland, will look to keep his march to the top of the welterweight division alive against Portland, Oregon’s Sean Gee (3-4).

Chazz Witherspoon to Face Mike Marrone

Chazz “The Gentleman” Witherspoon will take on former world title challenger Mike Marrone On Saturday night, August 6th as D & D Promotions and Silver Spoon Promotions will present “Rumble at the Rink II” at the Grundy Arena in Bristol, Pennsylvania.

Witherspoon (33-4, 26 KO’s) of nearby Paulsboro, New Jersey established himself as one of the top American Heavyweights as the St. Joseph’s University graduate won his first twenty-three bouts with wins over the likes of Michael Alexander (11-0), Talmadge Griffis (24-6-3), Jonathan Haggler (18-1) before suffering his 1st defeat to future two-time world title challenger Chris Arreola via controversial disqualification.

Witherspoon went on to win three fights in a row, which was highlighted by an entertaining 8th round stoppage over Adam “The Swamp Donkey” Richards (21-1). That fight was voted Ring Magazine’s 2008 Heavyweight Fight of the Year.Witherspoon then dropped a fight to future two-time world title challenger Tony Thompson.

Witherspoon went on to score 4-consecutive knockouts which included a devastating 3rd-round destruction over Tyson Cobb (14-2).

Witherspoon then took on undefeated prospect Seth Mitchell on April 28, 2012 in a bout where Witherspoon had Mitchell badly hurt in several occasions before Mitchell came away with the victory.

Witherspoon has scored four consecutive knockouts which includes his last bout when he stopped Nick Guivas (11-2-2) in three rounds on August 15th in Atlantic City.
Marrone of Vero Beach, Florida has a record of 21-5 with 15 knockouts.