Story courtesy of MNBoxingleague.com: Tyler “The Hitman” Hultin has been putting in more work than ever and is ready to prove himself in the spotlight… He and “Sir” Charles Meier face off on the undercard of Truax/George June 21. Hultin is coming off of a controversial draw this past April, but has used it to inspire this camp.
For the full interview...

We are one week out from the June 21st fight card taking place at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Expect interviews to start coming out here fight week and up to fight night non Friday. Below is the official promo video from Seconds Out...

Phil "The Drill" Williams (12-5-1, 11 KO's) says he has signed to face Derrick "Superman" Findley (20-10, 13 KO's) on July 26th at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis. Williams is coming off a brutal first round KO win over Shujaa El Amin last February and will attempt to be the second man to stop the iron chinned Findley (Andre Dirrell by TKO, round 6 in 2009 being the other) when they meet. Findley is currently in town helping Caleb Truax prepare for his ESPN bout next weekend and this afternoon will be the final sparring session between the two. Williams says that his WBU Super Middleweight title will not be at stake. Seconds Out will be promoting the show.

Truax doing some bag work following 8 hard rounds of sparring with Derrick Findley in Anoka.

Osseo native "Golden" Caleb Truax's June 21st ESPN Debut against Don George is fast approaching. Truax, who admits George will be his biggest test to date says he has brought back Chicago's Derrick Findley to help get him in top shape. Findley also helped Truax prepare for his last fight in which he beat Matt Vanda over 10 rounds of action. Limited tickets can still be purchased at www.soboxing.com

A showdown between Duluth's RJ Laase and Saint Paul's Allen Litzau seems to be coming together for August 16th at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN. Although not officially signed and set, the two outspoken fighters are not pulling any punches in regards to the potential fight.
"I've been trying to get this fight for 3 years now" said Laase (11-1, 7 KO's). "I hope he (Litzau) is serious this time because I want to beat the best version of him as possible. He likes to talk a lot and I plan on shutting his mouth in August.
The 31 year old Litzau (13-8, 7 KO's) admits he has taken short notice fights recently unprepared but says he has already begun training and with more then two months to go, he says he doesn't believe Laase will be able to touch him when they meet.
"When I have the right time to prepare for a fight, it's a whole other level" said Litzau. "I will have over two months to prepare for this fight. I really don't know much about him (Laase) but it really doesn't make a difference. I'm not afraid of anybody around here. I'd fight (Floyd) Mayweather! I think this will be a great fight for the Minnesota fans and look forward to putting on a good show as always."
Litzau says that his friend since childhood Antonio Johnson will also be on the card and hopes his brother Jason Litzau gets on as well. The three were known as "The Three Musketeer's as amateurs and Litzau says they will be dedicating the fights to former coach and mentor Jim Glancy who passed away 3 years ago on August 7th.
Along with Johnson fighting on the card, at this time it appears Phil Williams, Aaron Green, Andy Kolle, and Ray Edwards are all rumored to be on what looks to be a stacked show. Cory Rapacz of Rapacz Promotions will be bringing us the nights action. Stay tuned for more as they become available

"Bad" Brad Patraw (9-5, 5 KO's) of Saint Paul says he will be traveling to Brooklyn, New York on June 22nd to face undefeated Juan "Baby Tito" Dominguez (14-0, 10 KO's). Patraw says the fight will be on the undercard to Adrian Broner vs Paulie Malignaggi.
" I have watched him on Youtube and with 10 knockouts, I am sure he is a big puncher" said Patraw about his opponent Dominguez. "He might be undefeated but I will be his toughest fight to date for sure. I'm going in like Jason (Litzau) did against (Celestino) Caballero, going in to make a huge upset."

27 year old "Sir" Cerresso Fort (16-1-1, 11 KO's) is scheduled to return to action on Saturday, July 6th at the Black Bear Casino in Carlton, MN. Fort is coming off a gutsy performance on ESPN last month to tough opponent John Jackson and will not be taking on a soft touch in his return. Fort faces Marcus Upshaw (15-9-2, 7 KO's), who he fought to a draw with in Florida back in 2011. Upshaw's record is deceiving because many of his losses are debatable and other then a KO loss to Phil Williams and TKO loss to an undefeated fighter, Upshaw has gone the distance with very high caliber opposition. Fort said he was back in the gym tuning his game almost immediately following his last fight and says he will be back stronger then ever.
Gary "Stone Cold" Eyer (11-2-1, 7 KO's) and Al Sands (9-1-1, 9 KO's) will be boxing in the co-featured bouts of the evening. Eyer will defend his NABU Lightweight Title against Robbie Cannon (12-8-2, 6 KO's) and Sands will return against an opponent to be named shortly.
Promoter Zach Walters says that Minneapolis lightweights Ismail Muwendo (13-0, 10 KO's), Wilton Hilario (13-3-1, 9 KO's) along with Saint Paul featherweight Brad Herroff (2-0, 1 KO) and speedy welterweight Rondale Hubbert (2-0-1, 1 KO) are also schedule to box with opponents TBA. Stephen Watt (1-1, 1 KO) versus Mathew Karanja (1-0) and Dewayne Wisdom (2-10, 1 KO) versus James Owens (4-10, 2 KO's) are set as well.
Ring legends Evander Holyfield and Larry Holmes will be making special guest appearance at the fights.
Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster shortly.

The MN State Junior Olympic tournament takes place tonight at The Black Bear Casino in Carlton, MN. Tickets are only $10. Don't miss out on your chance to support local, regional and state amateur boxers. For tickets go to Black Bear Casino's website. There is a link for tickets there or you can buy them at the door Call 218-393-0524 for more info.

The Mnpls Hyatt boxing card and all of the set fights for May 18th have now been moved to the June 21st ESPN televised fight card taking place at The Convention Center in Minneapolis. "Golden" Caleb Truax makes his ESPN debut against Chicago's Donavon George. The State title bout between Jeremy McLaurin and Tony Lee, super bout between Charles Meier and Tyler Hultin, as well as Joey Abell, Mohammed Kayongo and the rest of the May 18th card will still take place on June 21st. Tickets purchased for the May 18th card will be honored on June 21 or refunded at the buyers request.
For a full statement from Seconds Out Promotions...

Photo Courtesy of John D'Auria

27 year old Gary Eyer (11-2-1, 7 KO's) won an 8 round split decision over Louisiana's Blake Franklin (11-6-2, 3 KO's) in last Saturday nights Main Event at the Black Bear Casino in Carlton, MN. It was a back and forth battle with both guys beating each other up. Eyer had a slight power advantage and the difference seemed to be Eyer staying more aggressive throughout. Eyer won the vacant WBF Jr Welterweight title with the win.
In the co-feature, Al Sands (9-1, 9 KO's) stopped Lucas St. Clair (2-2, 1 KO) in the first round. Sands came out behind the jab with St. Clair landing big looping counters. Sands shook off the punches and returned shots of his own. A left hook combination dropped St. Clair later in the round. St. Clair made it to his feet but was dropped for good moments later with another left hook to the head. Sands won the vacant State Cruiserweight title with the win.
Michigan's Jordan Schimmell (10-0, 9KO's) stopped Byron Polley (25-15-1, 11 KO's) in the fifth round of a scheduled ten in a heavyweight bout.
Ismail Muwendo (13-0, 10 KO's) stopped James Owens (4-10, 2 KO's) in the fourth round. Muwendo's success peeked after finding Owens body which Owens was not able to handle.
David LaQue (3-13-1, 3 KO's) was stopped on his stool after the first round by Johnny "Juan" Garcia (14-1, 9 KO's) of Michigan. Garcia connected with some big shots which LaQue did his best to walk through.The doctor stopped the fight following the first round however due to a shoulder injury to LaQue.
Rondale Hubbert (2-0-1, 1 KO) scored an early knockdown and went on to win a UD over Damien Hill (0-2) in the opening bout.

MAIN EVENT PHOTO'S ...
UNDERCARD PHOTO'S ...

Boxers are currently weighing in (5:30pm) at the Black Bear Casino in Carlton, MN for tomorrow nights fight card. "Stone Cold" Gary Eyer fights in the main event and following a hard training camp says he plans on putting on a "fight of the night" performance and earn the WBF Jr Welterweight title that is up for grabs. His opponent Blake Franklin says he is not going home without a victory.
Out of state, Troy "TNT" Lowry (28-12) takes on Peter Lewison (4-0) on April 27 in the Cayman Islands. Weights will be posted below if and when they become available. Check Back for Updates...

Weights From Carlton, MN

Gary Eyer 134 vs Blake Franklin 134.5
Al Sands 197 vs Lucas St. Claire 196
Vacant MN State Cruiserweight title fight
Ismail Muwendo 130 vs James Owens 130
(Owens needed 3 tries to make weight)
Juan Garcia 144 vs David Laque 145
Rondale Hubbert 145 vs Damien Hill 151
Jordan Shimmell 207 vs Byron Polley 268
Promoter: Jungle Boy Promotions
Venue: Black Bear Casino, Carleton, MN

Weights from Caypan Islands

Troy Lowry 178 vs Peter Lewison 178

Cerresso Fort lost a unanimous decision to John Jackson last Friday night on ESPN. Scores read (77-75, 79-73, 79-73). Fort fought a determined fight until the final bell, stalking Jackson with heavy punches despite being caught with some hard shots on his way in. Fort seemed determined to keep the pressure on no matter what and go for the knockout but Jackson boxed smart and was able avoid serious damage while putting points on the cards. Fort seems to be in good spirits following his first loss in 18 pro fights and says he will be back stronger then ever.

Rob Brant won a six round unanimous decision over Eric Marriot in the main event Saturday night in Superior, WI. Brant dominated most of the action behind a good jab and straight right hand that found it's target more and more as the fight went on. Marriot was tough but had a hard time finding Brant throughout.
Joe Lorenzi stopped Lexi Keshick in the co-feature at 1:38 of round three. Both fighters stood toe to toe but Lorenzi was relentless with the body attack which eventually dropped Keshick in a corner where the fight was called to a halt.
Winston Anderson stopped Keith Tebear at 1:20 of the third round. Good action through two with Anderson opening up in the third landing blow after unanswered blow which left Tebear bleadin heavily from the mouth as referee Mark Nelson stopped the fight.
Tyler Hultin and Eli Smith fought to a five round split draw. Hultin and Smith traded heavily in each round with Hultin holding the edge and taking a lead into the final round. As the fifth was coming to a close, a straight left from the southpaw Smith sent Hultin, who was slightly off balance down to a seat on the canvas. Hultin smiled and immediately popped back up but the flash knockdown was enough to deny him the victory on the judges cards.
Joe Cook stopped Randi Ronchi by TKO at :53 into the first round. Ronchi stuck his chin out and offered Cook a free shot to start which Cook gladly took, catching Ronchi on the chin and down hard. Two more head shots dropped him again almost as soon as action resumed and referee Mark Nelson stopped the fight as Ronchi wasn't right.
Trevor Marmon stopped Jose Rios in the third of a scheduled four round fight. Again, good action while it lasted. Rios was speedier but Marmon's power was the difference.
Corey Rodriguez won a unanimous decision over Ricky Smith in a jr middleweight bout. Both fighters had their moments over four rounds but Rodriguez's more polished combinations were what most likely got him the nod on the score cards. Although not as polished, Smith's toughness and determination kept things close despite body shots from rodriguez that slowed Smith after two.
Andrew Selvig stopped Eric Johnson by TKO in round two. Selvig dropped Johnson twice in the bout.

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTO GALLERY

T-Rex Promotions brings boxing back to the Wessman Arena in Superior, Wisconsin tonight. Despite snowing conditions the past few days, travels look clear and sunny for today and through tonight. Fighters in the 8 bouts weighed in last night at the Superior Bayfront Inn and are ready to go tonight. The Wessman Arena is located at 2701 Catlin Ave., Superior, Wisconsin. Joe Lorenzi, Corey Rodriguez, Tyler Hultin, Robert Brant, Winston Anderson and more are scheduled to box in seperate bouts. Tickets are are starting at $10. The full lineup can be seen HERE

The Region 2 Upper Midwest Golden Gloves tournament takes place tonight at the West Saint Paul Armory. The main event features super heavyweight Vinnie Downwind taking on Colten Warner in a four rounder. For more info...

UPDATE: Mike Richman lost an action packed and very competitive decision to Khasbulaev on Thursday night. It was found afterwards that Richman suffered a broken hand and nose in the first round but fought through the injuries. After losing the first round, once again it was Richman's striking, particularly his hands that nearly got him the win before running out of time to finish his hurt and gassed opponent at the end of the second. The third round was razor close with both fighters tired but giving it their all.
Minnesota's Mike "The Marine" Richman (15-2 MMA, 2-0 Boxing) faces Magomedrasul "Frodo" Khasbulaev (20-5 MMA) in the featherweight finals of Bellator's Season 8 tournament tonight on Spike TV. For thoughts from Richman via mmajunkie.com...

Minneapolis heavyweight Aaron Green and his team released a statement earlier this week announcing that he will no longer be fighting on the April 13th show at The Wessman Arena in Superior, WI. Tendinopathy was the official diagonosis following a visit to the doctor which sounds like a tendon injury caused by overwork and not enough rest. It would have been his 9th bout in a year and Green and his team say a short rest to heal up is the plan. It was announced yesterday that Former Minnesota Viking Ray Edwards will now be fighting on the card. Edwards picked up the biggest win of his boxing career last month against Van Goodman. Joe Lorenzi, Corey Rodriguez, Tyler Hultin, Robert Brant, Winston Anderson and more are scheduled to fight on the card which takes place in 10 days. Tickets are are starting at $10! The rest of the card which does not reflect the changes above at this time can be seen HERE

"Stone Cold" Gary Eyer (10-2-1, 7 KO's) is preparing to fight for the vacant NABU jr. welterweight title on April 27 at the Black Bear Casino in Carleton, MN. Eyer faces Blake Franklin (10-5-2, 5 KO's) of Louisiana in a scheduled 8 round bout. The co-featured bout pits cruiserweights Al Sands (8-1) of Duluth against Lucas St. Claire (2-1) of Moorhead which is also scheduled for 8 rounds. "The Sharp Shooter" Ismail Muwendo brings his USA Mid American featherweight title to the ring as well against an opponent TBA. The rest of the card can be seen HERE. WDIO news in Duluth caught up with Eyer and his team for a few words from training camp and you can check out that video...

Minnesota has a handfull of amateur boxers competing at the 2013 USA National Championships at the Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Spokane, Washington from March 30-April 6th.
To stay updated on the latest and see who is competing...

UPDATE #3- THURSDAY, MARCH 21ST.. Team Truax and Team Fort met last night in an effort to make the fight. Unfortunately both sides could not come to an agreement and the mega match between the two fighters will have to wait for another time. Caleb Truax discussed this along with details on what's coming up next for him and that interview will be posted shortly. Attempts to reach Mr. Fort for comments were declined at this time.

UPDATE #2- WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20TH:. After a lot of Internet talking and back and forth words, it looks like negotiations for the proposed bout have come back to life! Word is Fort and promoter Tony Grygelko resumed talks that would put Truax and Fort in the ring against each other. Here is the latest statement Fort released on his Facebook page..
" I've been thinking about how to reply to this recent trash talking. I'm just going to keep my composure and let all my fans,friends,and family know that I've been trying to reach Caleb Truax's team last night and also this morning to let them know that I will gladly take the fight, they seemingly want it."

UPDATE- TUESDAY, MARCH 19TH: For now, it appears the Truax-Fort showdown has fallen apart as quickly as the first news broke that both fighters agreed on a purse. It sounds like both fighters are wasting no time moving on as big announcements for both guys are close to being released. Minnesotaboxing.com has been unable to reach Fort for comment but he released the following statement on Facebook: "If terms aren't right,Sir Cerresso dont fight!" I love all my fans.

Caleb Truax issued the following statement: Cerresso Fort personally told my promoter he wanted to fight me next and let it be known that he was ready and willing to fight me. I accepted the challenge without hesitation and instructed my promoter to make it happen ASAP. My promoter agreed to his terms and I agreed to take less to make the fight happen. Fort ultimately decided that getting terrorized by me wasn't worth the money.

MONDAY, MARCH 18TH: It looks like a good possibility that a super showdown between MN State Middleweight champion "Golden" Caleb Truax and surging Saint Paul slugger "Sir" Cerresso Fort could take place as early as May 18th at the Convention Center. Following his victory over the weekend in Hinckley, Fort contacted Truax's promoter and said he wanted Truax next. According to Truax, an offer was made and Fort came back with another price. Truax and his team agreed on the counter offer and are currently waiting back on Team Fort's responce. We will keep you posted as things unfold.

Saint Paul Minnesota's "Sir" Cerresso Fort (16-0-1, 11 KO's) won a lopsided but entertaining eight round unanimous decision over late sub Dennnis Sharpe (17-11-4, 4 KO's) of New Jersey on Friday night at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN. Fort continuously popped the jab before loading up with punches as he came forward. In the end, neither fighter was hurt and the fight went to the scorecards, giving Fort his sixteenth victory by scores of 80-72 on all three cards.
The co-featured bout didn't last nearly as long as Duluth's RJ "TRex" Laase (11-1, 7 KO's) took out Wisconsin's James Wayka (16-12-1, 8 KO's) in the opening round...

Photo courtesy of John D'Auria

From The Duluth News Tribune: Duluth cruiserweight Al “The Haitian Temptation” Sands scored a decisive victory over Chris “Cold Steel” Thomas as part of the Friday Night Fights pro-am boxing card at Grandma’s Sports Garden.
Sands earned a third-round technical knockout after Thomas’ corner waved off the fight before the start of the fourth round, with Thomas sporting a cut over his eye and possibly having a broken hand.
St. Paul’s Brad Herroff also was scheduled to fight on the card, but his opponent was reportedly a no-show...

Cerresso Fort lands a hard right hand to the jaw of Dennis Sharpe Friday night in the main event at The Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN. More photo's from Friday nights full house in Hinckley can be seen...
More photos and full report to come.

Duluth's RJ "T-Rex" Laase is set to face-off with James "Wildcat" Wayka in one of the featured bouts tomorrow night at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN. The more experienced Wayka called out Laase last year and although the bout has fallen through once since that time, the two appear finally ready to mix it up following weigh-ins earlier tonight. Laase was fired up for the bout and opportunity to face Wayka, who also recently faced his teammate Andy Kolle. But Laase says the desire to put on an electrifying performance was turned up a notch this morning when he learned the schedule 8 round bout had been changed to 6 without his knowing. Wayka and his team stated on the contract before signing and sending back weeks ago that they would only go 6 rounds. That detail change went unnoticed until recently. And Laase, who kept a few more pounds on to get the fight with Wayka, expressed his frustrations on the matter while issuing the following statement:
"I've been going 8 straight with rotating sparring partners for two camps now with a week break in between after my (Justin) Jones fight. Yes, the same sparring partners that were putting Wayka's ass on the canvas multiple times and making him quit after a single round. These ain't 16 ounce gloves and we ain't wearing head gear on Friday night. I'm younger, faster, more powerful and better looking. If they think dropping two rounds is giving them the advantage, they've made a mistake. I'm turning up the gas even more now. I've got 6 extra minutes to pack into 6 rounds. Tuck your chin and cover up cause this T-Rex is hungry, hungry for liver!"
Wayka has temporarily relocated to the Twin Cities from Wisconsin over the past two weeks to train and says he is ready to give his best effort and wants to give fans a good show.

Courtesy of www.WDIO.com - A Pro-Am boxing card on March 15th at Grandma's Sports Garden in Duluth will be a homecoming for Duluth native Al Sands (7-1) as the "Haitian Temptation" faces "Cold Steel" Chris Thomas (Saint Paul's Brad Herroff is also scheduled to fight in the other featured pro bout which follows Golden Gloves amateur bouts).
This will be Thomas's first fight in the Twin Ports. The Cruiserweight is from Chicago is 17-17-2 and has held titles in his career. Meanwhile, Sands is 7-1 and has won five straight fights, all by knockout.
"Keys to victory for me are going to be to stay formless, we have a lot of different tools and a lot of different tricks we can use. But, as long as we stick to our fundamentals and keep pressuring him and keep pressuring him, it is going to be a great night," says Sands.

• UPDATE: Mike "The Marine" Richman punched his way to the 100k finals in Bellator last night on Spike TV. This is a huge accomplishment for the MN based Richman. Here is a report recapping the action ...Mixed Martial Artist/Boxer Mike "The Marine" Richman of Rosemount, MN (pictured above at last night's weigh in's courtesy of Bellator) is fighting tonight in California as he attempts to get to the finals of Bellator's 100k tournament. The fights start tonight at 9PM Central time on Spike TV. Richman's current record is as follows, Professional MMA Record: 13-2-0 (8 SUBs, 4 KOs) Professional Boxing Record: 2-0-0 (1 KO)

• Lightweight contender Jason Litzau (29-3, 22 KO's) is currently sidelined, having recently suffered a break in his right hand. Although sidelined by the training injury, Litzau says he is looking forward to getting back to action as soon as possible. Litzau last fought in June of 2012, scoring a first round knockout win over Ira Terry. Also sidelined by injury is Litzau's childhood friend and fellow Saint Paul boxer Antonio Johnson. Johnson hopes to be back in action soon as well.

• Joey Abell says he is ready to fight but where that will be is not set at this time. It was announced last month that Abell would be boxing in a high purse heavyweight tournament sometime in April called the American Box-Off tournament. However, no official word on if that tournament is still taking place has been put out there or even given to the fighters. Abell says that he would still fight in it if things come together but in the mean time "MN Ice" Abell says he is shooting for a return on May 18th at the Convention Center.

• 23 year old Javontae Starks (6-0, 5 KO's) picked up a win on January 26th in Pennsylvania. Starks stopped Romon Barber in round two of a scheduled 4. What makes the bout significant on a local level is the fact that the 30 year old Barber recently took Robert Brant and Corey Rodriguez the distance. Starks is set to return on May 18 at the Convention Center. You can read more on the Starks-Barber bout here... CLICK HERE

Former WBA and IBF Light heavyweight champion Virgil Hill and former WBA heavyweight champion James "Bone Crusher" Smith will be making a special guest appearance on Saturday, March 15th for the next pro boxing show at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN. The card is now set and selling out fast. Saint Paul's Cerresso Fort (15-0-1, 11 KO's) will be fighting in the main event against 25 year old Californian Dashon Johnson (13-10-3, 4 KO's). Duluth's RJ Laase (10-1, 6 KO's) will face a familiar face in "Gentleman" James Wayka (16-11-1, 8 KO's) and Minneapolis heavyweight Aaron Green (10-0, 8 KO's) tangles with 36 year old Raymond "King Kong" Ochieng (24-16, 19 KO's) in the two main supporting bouts. Also, the highly anticipated showdown between Van Goodman and former NFL football player Ray Edwards has been signed and is set. Joe Lorenzi, Winston Anderson and Rondale Hubbert round out the nights action.

It's been a sort of "winter break" for Minnesotaboxing.com following two of the busiest back to back months of boxing in Minnesota. Over the next few days I will try to play catch up with a mix of upcoming news and more in depth details on a few past shows that were not fully covered. Below are the upcoming shows that are set at this time

March 9th, Red Lake, MN - The scheduled show for March 9th at the 7 Clans Casino was canceled this morning due to a string of bad luck and timing according to Sterling MN Promotions. Jamal "Shango" James (9-0) was set to face Alex DeLeon (5-2) in the main event.

March 15th, Hinckley, MN - RDS Boxing is back at the Grand Casino in Hinckley. Also back headlining is "Sir" Cerresso Fort. No opponent is set at this time but Troy "TNT" Lowry is amoung the names being offered the spot. RJ Laase (10-1) will also be fighting with James Wayka looking like the front runner at this time to stand opposite Laase. Aaron Green (10-0) will be featured following his 10th victory and will try to keep things rolling. Van Goodman and Ray Edwards have signed to fight in what is an interesting bout on many levels. Goodman has been calling Edwards out since the former Vikings debut and Edwards has taken the bout to silence doubters after his last two opponents gave up in the ring. Edwards will be giving his side of the story today (Thursday, February 21) at Noon on the Common Man program, KFAN radio. Winston Anderson and Joe Lorenzi are also scheduled to box in seperate bouts.

March 15th, Duluth, MN - Jungle Boy Boxing is promoting it's next pro-am at Grandma's Sports Garden. Headlining the pro portion of the show will be Al Sands (7-1) against an opponent to be named. The other pro bout features Saint Paul's Brad Herroff (2-0). Contracts are said to be out on opponents so stay tuned for details.
Duluth's Fox 29 previewed the bout and you can watch the video by CLICKING HERE

April 13th, Superior, WI - T-Rex Promotions brings boxing back to the Wessman Arena in Superior, WI.

May 18th, Venue TBA: Seconds Out Promotions and Omega Presents has postponed a show scheduled for March 15th in Minneapolis after learning that Caleb Truax broke his thumb during his bout with Matt Vanda last month. It appeared that ESPN was going to be visiting Minnesota to feature Caleb Truax with Sergio Mora's name rumored to be the front runner as his opponent. The new date is May 18th featuring Truax, Joey Abell, a grudge match showdown between Tony Lee and Jeremy McLaurin. Javontae Starks and Ken Glenn are also boxing in seperate bouts. Although not signed, it appears Charles Meier and Tyler Hultin could be meeting in what has the makings of a classic. No word on venue or if this show will involve television at this time.

Phil "The Drill" Williams (12-5-1, 11 KO's) destroyed Shujaa El-Amin (12-4, 6 KO's) on Saturday night at the Crowne Plaza in Saint Paul. Williams waited for an opening early and when he found it, unleashed hurtful head shots ending with a right hook that sent El-Amin half way through the ropes. El-Amin made it to his feet and attempted to fight back but Williams was right back on top of him with more heavy punches. Williams again pinned El-Amin on the ropes and connected with four unanswered right hands that snapped El-Amin's head back. Referee Mark Nelson jumped between the two men and waived the fight off at 1:27 of the opening round saving El-Amin from getting seriously hurt. Williams earned the vacant WBU super middleweight title with the win.
Vicente Alfaro won an action packed 8 round decision over Brad Patraw in the co-feature to win the vacant Minnesota State jr. featherweight title. Scores read 78-74, 79-75, 78-75.
This was the second time the two men fought. In 2010, Alfaro stopped Patraw in the second round. Although neither man went down in this fight, Alfaro once again got the job done over the course of eight rounds.
Early into round one, Alfaro (6-3, 1 Ko) tried to assert his will on Patraw. At times Patraw (9-5, 5 Kos) looked off balance while trying to adjust to Alfaro’s body and head attack.
Throughout the fight Patraw, who kept his hands low, fired back whenever Alfaro came in. The fight was difficult to score at times because Patraw took the first half of some rounds, while Alfaro took the other half with his aggression and clean hard blows.
In the end the judges gave the fight to Alfaro by scores of: 74-78, 75-79 and 75-78.
Wilton Hilario (13-3, 9 KO's) won an entertaining 6 round decision over game Wisconsin fighter James Owens (4-8, 2 KO's) in a super featherweight bout.
Hilario was wild at times but took control of the fight early on and never let up. Owens landed some nice shots of his own but didn't have enough to make it close.
In round five, Hilario hurt Owens with a body shot that sent Owens down. Owens continued on but it was a battle to survive to the final bell. Scores read 59-54, 60-53 and 60-56.
Rob Brant swept all six rounds over Keith Collins in a middleweight bout. Scores read 60-55, 60-54, 60-54. Collins didn't do much offensively and was more interested in clowning and taking shots which had the crowd booing as the fight went on. To Brant’s credit, he kept his composure although in round five he started to emulate some of Collins’ silly antics.
But overall, Brant had his way with Collins as he landed body and head shots at will although he was unable to take Collins out or seriously hurt him.
Nevertheless, Brant came in shape and got the job done as all three judges’ scores read: 60-55, 60-54 and 60-54 in his favor.
Super bantamweight Jonathan Perez (6-0, 5 Kos), is one of the nicest guys in the sport, but he also has an ugly side in the ring as Ruben Elias (0-2) found out. Perez started out by using his jab as he connected and countered the game Elias with right hands and uppercuts with ease and precision. Minutes into round two, Perez, 21, throw a counter right which rocked Elias, and shortly thereafter, Perez landed a hard right uppercut that sent Elias down for good. The fight was called off at 2:07.
While J.J. Corn (47-26-3, 26 Kos) didn’t look in the best of shape, he showed up to fight and he fought hard for the first round and a half. But Sands (7-1, 7 Ko), who looked in excellent shape, worked behind his jab and landed vicious body blows, which overtime, hurt Corn. As round one came to an end, Sands hit Corn to the body and he followed that up with a head shot that rocked his opponent. Early in round two, Sands put Corn down with a nice combo. Corn recovered, but soon thereafter, Sands hurt Corn with a right which backed Corn up. Sands once more focused on Corn’s body as he landed between three to four unanswered blows before Corn went down. Referee Scott Erickson called a halt to the action at 2:28 into the round.

MORE PHOTOS AND DETAILS COMING SOON

When a fighter gets back to action in the ring, headlines (on this site) often read fighter A returns, or fighter B is back, something along those lines. But tonight Phil Williams says "The Drill" will be back in the ring for tonight's main event bout at the Crowne Plaza in Saint Paul. So what does that mean? Williams says it means it's a return of the power punching and motivated fighter that had many fighters thinking twice before getting in the ring with him. Following the first real training camp in years and reunion with old coach Chuck Daszkiewicz, Phil "The Drill" Williams told MinnesotaBoxing.com that he has found that old fire again and is ready to unleash it in the ring tonight.

"This is the first time I really trained fully for a fight. I went in and did a full six weeks for this fight and the confidence is going to show. There are a few fights in my past that I know I wasn't fully prepared for but just went out there thinking I could make something happen anyway. I would love to get a rematch with anybody I ever lost to. The last time I trained hard for a fight was for my first ten rounder against Matt Vanda. I still can't see how those judges thought he outboxed me. So after that I really didn't care that much about boxing. I never had a coach after that fight and I didn't train properly. I have no excuses though for those losses because that was my fault. But now I am mentally prepared and trained and you are definitely going to see the old Drill taking the first opportunity I get to knock these guys out. As for my opponent... I know he's coming from Vegas. That's what I know about him! I don't know anything about him but that's not important. He is the one who needs to know about me. I am fully trained so he is the one that needs to worry about me."

Channel five ran a story on Phil Williams last night and you can check that out below.

www.MNBoxingLeague.com: The Hitman and his fans have been putting in work.. Hultin fought in Saint Paul November 17, Minneapolis January 5, and is the main event this Saturday in Fargo, ND… There are a couple sure things when Tyler Hultin is fighting… You are sure to see an exciting fight and you know the place is going to be packed with Hitman fans… This Saturday is sure to be electric in Fargo as its the first time Hultin has been able to fight close to home since turning pro, and with his exciting victory over Stephen Watt it will be as the main event...

"The Native Sensation" JJ Corn and "The Haitian Temptation" Al Sands are prepared to meet this Saturday night at the Crowne Plaza in Saint Paul. Although the battle for the best nickname between the two is probably a draw, both fighters will be looking to take home a victory on Saturday night in this match up of youth versus experience.
JJ Corn: "I think they made a mistake thinking I'm old and done"
Al Sands: "I have been working hard and look to show my progress"

To read the full story...

Aaron Green (9-0, 7 KO's) will be part of this Saturday's fight card at the Red River Valley Fairgrounds in West Fargo, ND. Green has been rattling off wins at a fast pace as a pro. The 6-4 heavyweight fought 5 times last year and most recently picked up a win over Maurenzo Smith (11-4-2) two weeks ago in Hinckley.

"Smith does come to fight" said Green. "He is a very tough fighter and a good boxer. I was very glad to get the rounds and gain a tone of experience from the fight."
Green is an alumni of North Dakota State University and told Minnesotaboxing.com he can't wait to be fighting back in Fargo. "Fighting in Fargo is an awesome feeling. I am a NDSU Alumni, so getting in front of the people there is a great feeling. I love the people out there. Fargo is a great city and I am really looking forward to fighting there."
Also featured on the card will be Tyler Hultin in the main event, Rondale Hubbert, Dustin Mason, Ray Edwards, Cody McManigle and more.
Green was recently featured in North Dakota's news website The Inforum and you can read that story by CLICKING HERE

Phil "The Drill" Williams has been busy hyping this Saturday nights main event bout at the Crown Plaza in Saint Paul. Williams battles Shujaa El Amin for the vacant WBU title. "The Drill" was interviewed earlier today by channel 5 (story airs at 6 or 10 on Friday night) and will be on ESPN radio AM 1500 with host Jeff Dubay tomorrow morning at 11:00 (Brad Patraw will also be in studio). There will be a ticket givaway during the live call in on air. But tonight, Williams will be at the Timberwolves game and interviewed live, most likely during halftime but the time hasn't been confirmed. Williams shared his thoughts on the bout and more and that story will be posted here shortly.

Vicente Alfaro (pictured left) and "Bad" Brad Patraw (right) will battle for the vacant 122 pound Minnesota State title this Saturday night on the fight card dubbed "Crown the Kings" at the Crowne Plaza in Saint Paul.
Interestingly, this will not be their first showdown. Alfaro picked up the stoppage win 2.5 years ago in Saint Paul but both fighters say they are improved with added experience since that bout.

Brad Patraw: "I think what the state is doing with the belts is a great thing. I can't wait to once and for all show that I am the best and I will show that on February 9th."
Vicente Alfaro: "I'm glad for the opportunity to finally settle any doubts and confusion concerning the state champion."
To read the full story...

Caleb Truax had a successful time in the surgery room earlier today to repair a broken thumb suffered in his bout with Matt Vanda a few weeks back. To heal properly, the surgery required pins to be put in to hold the thumb in place. Truax says he expects to be in a cast for 4-6 weeks followed by a month or so of rehab. The injury postpones a March ESPN televised date for Truax but he says they will now be shooting for either May or June for that event which would be held at the Convention Center in Minneapolis.

PRESS RELEASE St. Paul MN- A long time Minnesota fan favorite will make his return to the ring after over a year long layoff, while a fast rising newcomer continues his ascent on the same card this Saturday night on a show loaded with local talent at the Crowne Plaza in Saint Paul.
Phil Williams (11-5) faces Shujaa El Amin (12-3), known previously as Dion Savage, with the WBU Super Middleweight title on the line. The fight will end a significant inactive stretch for both fighters, as Williams last saw the ring in December of 2011, and El Amin has been out since scoring a unanimous decision win over Joe McCreedy in May 2012.
Robert Brant (5-0) of Oakdale, will make his sixth venture to the ring when he faces Keith Collins Saturday night at the Crowne Plaza in St. Paul. Brant has been nothing short of electrifying in the early stages of his professional career, and is not slowing up, taking to the ring only five weeks removed from his last victory.
Also featured is an intriguing super bantamweight matchup between St. Paul native Brad Patraw (9-4) and Vicente Alfaro (5-3) for the Minnesota state title.
Saturday night also marks the local return of super featherweight Wilton Hilario (12-3) who takes on James Owens.
The card is rounded out by cruiserweight knockout artist Al Sands (6-1), who takes on JJ Corn, and bantamweight speedster Jonathan Perez.
Weigh-ins for “Crown the Kings” will be held at Sakura’s Japanese restaurant in St. Paul Friday evening, Tickets are priced at $35, $45, and $75 and more information is available at vitalculture.com

Gary Eyer won a 6 round war with David LaQue last Saturday in Duluth. Both camps feel they won as it was a slugfest throughout. LaQue scored an early knockdown and also had a point taken late for hitting behind the head. John Moxey was DQ'd for hitting Kilfian while he was out halfway through the ropes. Kilfian dropped Moxey numerous times early but came back to put Kilfian out just before being dq'd. More to come.
Weigh-in photo's from Duluth for Friday nights pro fights which follow amateur boxing at Grandma's Sports Garden. Jungle Boy Boxing Promotions will host the event. Photo's courtesy of John D'Auria

David LaQue and Gary Eyer

John Moxey and Harley Kilfian

"Stone Cold" Gary Eyer and David LaQue will trade punches in this Saturday nights main event at Grandma's Sports Garden in Duluth. And for as long as it lasts, this one should be fun. Eyer and LaQue have shown that they will face anyone and bang while they are doing it. The second of two pro bouts features Harley Kilfian (9-12, 8 KO's) taking on John Moxey (1-1, 1 KO) in a Cruiserweight bout. Before the pro bouts begin however, there will be Golden Gloves amateur boxing.
David Laque: "It's a chance of a lifetime and a test to do battle with a good fighter."
Gary Eyer: "I feel good, trained hard and I've put in the road work along with the rounds of sparring. It should be a crowd pleasing fight."
To read the full story...

"Sir" Cerresso Fort stopped Andy "Kaos" Kolle in the fifth round Friday night at the Grand Casino in Hinckley.
Early into round one, Fort, (15-0-1, 11 Kos) was the one who not only tried to outbox Kolle (25-4-18 Kos), but Fort also took the first leap by forcing the action going to Kolle's body on the ropes.
After a slow start, the 5-foot-11 Fort, whose ring alias is "Sir," backed the 6-foot-1 Kolle to the ropes, and worked Kolle's body while attempting to land on Kolle's head throughout the process.
To Kolle's credit he kept his defense tight which helped him see many of the blows as he waited for the opportunity to fire back.
Fort continued to force himself on Kolle which left Kolle with no other option but to clinch. After one clinch, each boxer took turns trading jabs, but soon thereafter, Fort bullied Kolle on the inside once again.
Kolle seemed to sense this and brought the action center ring. At one point, Kolle attempted to land a strong right. Fort blocked the blow, and countered with his own which Kolle, didn't see, sent Kolle down hard on his back.Fort continued to bring the fight to Kolle in the fifth and eventually scored the TKO victory.
Aaron "Gorilla" Green dominated Maurenzo Smith over six rounds of action. Smith was tough but Green outgunned all night by who moves to 9-0.
RJ Laase won an early fight of the year candidate over Justin Jones. Jones pressured and stalked while Laase countered with heavy hooks to the head and body. Laase controlled the early rounds but Jones pressure got him back into the fight midway. Laase finished strong though nearly putting Jones down a number of times in the 8th and final round. Scores were 78-74 twice and 76-76.
Ray Edwards stopped Corey Briggs 41 seconds into the first round. Briggs took a hard body shot but not much else and didn't get up from his knees and was counted out after going down.
Winston Anderson stopped Ryan Gronvold 58 seconds into the first round. Anderson overwhelmed Gronvold with pressure from the start.
Van Goodman and Travis Fulton fought to a four round majority draw to kick things off. Goodman boxed well to start and Fulton mounted a comeback in the final round.
Scores read 39-37 for Fulton and 38-38 twice....

6'2 Minneapolis heavyweight Van Goodman (2-3-1, 2 KO's) returns tonight in Hinckley against tough veteran Travis Fulton (19-31, 19 KO's) of Iowa. Goodman turned pro in 2006 but has not been as active as he would have liked since that time. Goodman got back in the ring in 2011 after a three year absence and looked good but a bad cut put a damper on the night. Known as a guy who leaves it all on the line, Goodman will be looking to get back on track with a win and says a successful return will most likely lead to a showdown with Ray Edwards.

"Well everyone close to me knows I spent the last couple of years fighting legal issues and spent a year behind bars" said Goodman about the layoff. "And honestly,what happened to me was a good thing. To me and like every good boxer I learn from my mistakes so it was a true blessing in disguise. I had a lot of time to think about life and the choices I made and how I got to where I was and how to keep myself from ever returning there again. And boxing filled those thoughts every time so I knew as soon as I got home, boxing was what was gonna be what I wanted to do. This time I'm fighting for me. I've been in this game a long time and that would all be for nothing if I quit now off of my last performance. I was cut above the eye and it was beyond my control. The doctor waived it off. I felt that win was taken from me by the stoppage. January 25th I'm facing another fight veteran in his own right in Travis Fulton. He has over 300 mma fights and he's a UFC veteran with a lot of pro boxing fights with all wins by knockout. So he's gonna come get me and those who have seen me fight know I don't run. I'll meet him center ring. I'm told with a win over Fulton I will get to fight Ray Edwards. I believe if he truly wants to be taken seriously as a boxer he has to fight and beat me because I feel I'm the gatekeeper he has to get through and I'm waiting for him."

Photo courtesy of Bob Stein/RDS Boxing

One of the most interesting local matchups that could be made will go down tonight at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN when Andy "Kaos" Kolle (25-3) meets "Sir" Cerresso Fort (14-0-1) in the nights main event bout. Returning from a hand injury and appearing 100% recouped, Kolle, who recently relocated back to Fargo, ND, says he is ready to let both fists fly tonight.
" The hand is feeling good and I am 100% confident going into this fight. I won't be hesitant to throw it when the bell rings. Overall I'm feeling great. Living in Fargo has been a challenge, but one I think me and the team around me have risen too."

Kolle has faced some of the best fighters our state has had to offer in recent years and Cerresso Fort fits right into that list that includes Matt Vanda, Anthony Bonsante, and Caleb Truax. Fort most recently won a decision over Dave Peterson and had a win against a hard punching Missouri fighter named Brandon Baue. Fort shook off a huge punch in the Baue fight and went on to win in dominating form.

"I know its a cliché but this is boxing and one punch can change a fight really quick" said Kolle. "I'm not really reading into it (Fort-Baue) to much because even though he got buzzed, he came back and fought well. I know I have the power that when my shots land on his chin there is a high likelihood of him landing on his ass. However, that is not the game plan. We have prepared to go 10 hard rounds so that is what we are planning on. If I get the chance to knock him out then plans will change."

Story courtesy of MNBoxingleague.com: This Friday night Laase faces his stiffest test in the ring as he takes on undefeated Justin Jones. Laase has been training hard and making the 6 hour round-trip to Minneapolis at least twice a week to work with trainer Jason Hendrickson.. The trips to the twin cities offer T-Rex the opportunities to work with the best Minnesota has to offer, he was able spar with the likes of Caleb Truax (21,1,1) and amateur stand-out DeLorien Caraway. Laase is also quick to point out the great work he has gotten from Anthony Rose and others at Uppercut as well...

Photo courtesy of Bob Stein-RDS

Cerresso Fort, RJ Laase, and Ray Edwards visited the KFAN studio yesterday afternoon to talk about this Friday nights fight card at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN. Ray Edwards (1-0,1 KO) pictured above in a stare down with Dan "The Common Man" Cole. Edwards faces Cory Briggs (0-3) in an undercard bout.
The complete segment can be heard here...

Week three of the January super month of boxing in Minnesota is here. Boxing is back at the Grand Casino in Hinckley this Friday featuring a main event State Jr. Middleweight showdown between Andy Kolle and Cerresso Fort. RJ Laase will face undefeated Justin Jones and Former MN Viking Ray Edwards also returns. Fort, Laase, and Edwards will be on KFAN radio, The Common Man Show this afternoon at 12:25 to discuss the upcoming action. There will be ticket giveaways and more.

REPORT BY BRETT MAUREN, PHOTOS BY JESSE KELLEY

It was a classic. In a town that enjoys a classic brawl so few and far between, the Minneapolis Convention Center was treated to one for the storybooks when Caleb Truax finally met Matt Vanda with Minnnesota middleweight supremacy on the line.

Minnesota boxing, for all intents and purposes waved goodbye to an icon, as Matt Vanda came up short against his probable successor Caleb Truax in a 10 round unanimous decision. The state’s strongest ticket sellers in this era were able to generate a strong crowd, and supplement the atmosphere with an absolute show.

Minnesota’s middleweight champion, Caleb Truax, solidified his title by outclassing the St. Paul native over ten rounds, despite rallies from Vanda. The veteran, Vanda, attempted to win the mental war over the younger Truax by raising his hand in triumph following a flurry midway through the bout. The Osseo native, Truax, showed poise, and was able to answer back with strong combinations throughout the fight, and eventually silence a pro-Vanda crowd.

The electricity was amplified in the late rounds of the bout, as the always energetic Vanda fan base urged their fighter on, but it was not to be. Vanda was outgunned by the younger, faster and stronger fighter from the early going. In a bout that truly served as a shot in the arm to the sport of boxing in Minnesota, Truax reigned supreme and showed promise of a new era, just as Vanda did so many times in the past decade.

The bout was complimented by a strong undercard line up which featured an instant local classic between Charles Meier and Travis Perzynski. Both fighters tasted the canvas, in an all out war, as Meier was able to outlast the less experienced Perzynski over eight rounds.

A man dubbed as one of the state’s strongest punchers pound for pound, put his power on display, when Muhammad Kayongo went toe to toe with Gilbert Venegas in a six round slugfest. Kayongo was able to slide the uppercut through the cover of Venegas all too often, and pull out a unanimous decision victory in a well contested bout.

Also in action were lightweight standouts Jeremy Mclaurin, who made his way back into the win column by beating Dewayne Wisdom, and Tony Lee who topped Leonard Overstreet, both in decision victories.

FULL REPORT AND RESULTS TO COME

The convention center will be electric when Matt Vanda and Caleb Truax enter the ring tonight at the Convention Center in Minneapolis. There is no question. But tonight's undercard is filled with bouts that should set the tone for the night before all hell breaks loose in the main event...

Matt "The Predator" Vanda will visit the 93x studios this morning at 8:30am one final time to discuss tomorrow nights showdown with Caleb Truax. Vanda has made it a regular thing throughout his career to hype his fights on the 93x half ass morning show and things usually get pretty wild!

The long awaited and hyped showdown between "Golden" Caleb Truax and Matt "The Predator" Vanda is only days away. Tomorrow (Friday) night will be the official weigh-in between the two men and the rest of the fighters on the card which is open to the public. Weigh-ins start at 5:30pm and will be held at the Pour House in Minneapolis. They will be raffling off a few pair of tickets and giving away event t-shirts.

The Grand Casino ballroom in Hinckley holds about 2000 people and at a week and a half out from the State title bout Between Andy "Kaos" Kolle and "Sir" Cerresso Fort, not many seats appear to be left. The two will battle for the 154 pound MN state belt. Things have been quiet between the two fighters as Fort has been out of state for camp and Kolle splitting time between gyms in Fergus Falls and Duluth. But both fighters say they plan on bringing fireworks to the ring in Hinckley. Minneapolis heavyweight Aaron Green and Duluth boxer/promoter RJ Laase are also in tough fights of their own. Former Minnesota Viking Ray Edwards has also recently been added. All action Van Goodman of Mnpls. and Duluth's Winston Anderson kick off the action in seperate bouts. A full list of the nights action can be seen... CLICK HERE

Saint Paul's "Bad" Brad Patraw (9-4, 5 KO's) and Northfield's Vicente Alfaro (5-3, 1 KO's) will battle for the MN state 122 lb. title in an 8 rounder on February 9th at the Crowne Plaza in Saint Paul. Antwan Robertson was originally scheduled to face Alfaro but says his new work schedule will not allow him to train for the fight. Patraw is returning from injuries and says he didn't need to be asked twice for a chance at evening the score with Alfaro, who won their first meeting in 2010.
Headlining the card will be Rochester heavyweight Raphael Butler (35-12, 28 KO's) as he battles Jeremy Williams of California (42-5, 35 KO's) for the WBU title.
Phil "The Drill" Williams (11-5-1, 10 KO's) makes his return against Shujaa El Amin (formerly known as Dion Savage, 12-3, 6 KO's) in a super middleweight bout for the WBU title.
"The Native Sensation" JJ Corn (47-25-3, 26 KO's) makes his MN return against "The Haitian Temptation" Al Sands (6-1, 6 KO's) in a cruiserweight bout. Sands was set to face TJ Gibson for the State cruiserweight title but Gibson is on suspension following a loss in NY last month.
Wilton Hilario (12-3-1, 9 KO's) will also make his MN return. Hilario has not fought in MN since 2009. Hilario appeared to be facing Ismail Muwendo on this show but decided on a tune before he would be ready to get in the ring with Muwendo due to inactivity over the years. He faces James Owens (4-7, 2 KO's) of Wisconsin.
Rob Brant and Ronnie Peterson Jr are also scheduled to see action. Diamond Gloves Boxing will be promoting the event. To stay up to date on this show CLICK HERE

Pro boxing returns to Fargo, ND on February 9th. "The Hitman" Tyler Hultin (4-1-1, 2 KO's) will headline in his backyard for the first time since his amateur days against Cheyenne Ziegler (3-9, 2 KO's). Heavyweight Aaron "Gorilla" Green (8-0, 7 KO's) will fight in a co-featured bout but first he has to get past Maurenzo Smith (11-4) on January 25th in Hinckley. Dustin Mason, Rondale Hubbert, and former Minnesota Viking Ray Edwards are also scheduled to box. Kaos Boxing and Rapacz Event Productions will be promoting the card which takes place at the Red River Valley Fairgrounds in West Fargo. To stay on top of the card CLICK HERE

Gary "Stone Cold" Eyer (9-2-1, 7 KO's) will headline a pro-am on February 1st at Grandma's Sports Garden in Duluth. The always entertaining Duluth resident Eyer will face tough as nails brawler David LaQue (2-11-1, 2 KO's) in a six round lightweight bout. Harley Kilfian (9-12, 8 KO's) faces John Moxey (1-1) in the second of two pro bouts in a four round Cruiserweight bout. The night will start with Golden Gloves amateur boxing. Jungle Boy Boxing Promotions will be bringing the action.

(Joey Abell, second from right. Photo courtesy of Ron Peterson)

Heavyweight Joey Abell has been training for a comeback for months now and his next big shot has come. Abell flew out to New York early yesterday morning for today's press conference at Gleason's Gym to announce his participation in a $500,000 American Heavyweight Box-Off tournament schedule to begin in April. Other combatants included with Abell are Devan Vargas, Jason Estrada, Alonzo Butler and more. there will be 8 total fighters plus a reserve in case of injury...

After twenty-two bouts over the span of six years, the storyline has taken on full form, and Minnesota's current middleweight champion is set to collide with it's most high profile boxer in this millennium. It's the perfect storm for a throwback boxing event. Riding in on the white horse, is the mild mannered product of Osseo that drips with poise. He stares down the brash, tough as nails, veteran brawler out of St. Paul's East side, eyeing to cement his legacy with one final masterpiece...

Matt "The Predator" Vanda held nothing back over the course of his career and doesn't pull any punches with Fox 9's Doug Erlien in part two of "Behind the Brawl", a lead up to his showdown with Caleb Truax this Saturday night in Minneapolis.

Charles Meier (6-2-2) previews his bout against Travis Perzynski this Saturday on the undercard to Caleb Truax vs Matt Vanda. The "Game On" episode above aired last Sunday. To fast forward to the interview go to the 13:40 mark.

One of Minnesota's hardest P4P punchers Mohammed Kayongo (15-2-1, 11 KO's) returns a week from now on January 19th at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Kayongo will face Gilbert Venegas (11-7-3, 7 KO's) in a lead in an undercard bout to the showdown between Caleb Truax and Matt Vanda. Below is video courtesy of trainer Seko Tongola.

Ismail "The Sharp Shooter" Muwendo moved to (12-0, 9 KO's) with a unanimous decision victory over Anthony Napunyi (14-12, 7 KO's) on Saturday night at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis, MN. Scores read 79-73, 79-73, 80-72 With the victory the 24 year old Muwendo keeps the USA Mid American featherweight title.
In the co-feature, Jamal "Shango" James (9-0, 5 KO's) traded shots with Patrick "Boss Man" Boozer (5-2, 2 KO's) for six rounds and picked up a hard fought unanimous decision win. Scores read 58-56, 59-56, 60-55.
Rob Brant (5-0, 3 KO's) won a six round unanimous decision over Romon Barber (3-3, 2 KO's) in a jr. middleweight bout. Scores read 58-55, 59-53, 59-54.
Jonathan Perez (5-0, 4 KO's) made quick work of Brian Jones (0-5), dropping him three times with body shots in the opening round. The TKO victory came at 2:38 of the first.
Tyler Hultin (4-1-1, 2 KO's) won a five round unanimous decision over Stephen Watt (1-1, 1 KO) through five exciting rounds of action.
Brad Herroff (2-0, 1 KO) stopped Zach Wolff (0-3) at 1:18 of the fourth round.
Robert DaLuz (14-43, 9 KO's) got back in the win column with a majority decision victory over game Tomi Archambault (1-3, 1 KO) in a four rounder.
In a boxing debut of two mixed martial artists, Dan Kiser (1-0) won a four round unanimous decision over Donald Williams (0-1) in the opener. Scores read 39-36 on all three score cards.
FOR THE FULL REPORT AND PHOTOS...

"Golden" Caleb Truax will be on WFTC channel 10 this morning at 10:30am to talk about his highly anticapated fight with Matt "The Predator" Vanda on January 19th. Truax, who was at the Hyatt fights last night, told Minnesotaboxing.com that his team is bringing in Derrick "Superman" Findley (20-8, 13 KO's) of Indiana to prepare for the Vanda bout and will be sparring with him through out next week.

USA Mid American featherweight title
Ismail Muwendo 132 - Anthony Napunyi 128.6
Jamal James 146.6 - Patrick Boozer 145
Robert Brant 152.8 – Romon Barber 152.8
Jonathan Perez 116.8 -Brian Jones 118
Zach Wolff 124.4 - Brad Herroff 122.4
Stephen Watt 152.2- Tyler Hultin 155
Dan Kiser 147.8 - Donald Williams 148.6
Tomi Archambault 125.8-Robert Da Luz 125.8

FOR MORE PHOTOS...

It's not every day you see two young prospects from different states testing there skills against each other in the ring early in there careers. With records meaning so much for a fighter trying to build to bigger pay days, these risks often times out weigh the rewards to a good number of boxers. But Minneapolis welterweight Jamal "Shango" James and Michigan's Patrick "Boss Man" Boozer see things differently. Both James and Boozer say they plan on making it to the big times, and that means testing themselves against other prospects. Saturday night at the Hyatt in Minneapolis will be your chance to see local Jamal James (8-0) compete against upset minded Patrick Boozer (5-1) in a scheduled six rounder.
For more...

The super month of boxing shows in Minnesota begins this week at the Hyatt in Minneapolis on January 5th. The card is headlined with an 8 rounder featuring Ismail Muwendo (11-0) of Minneapolis against Florida's Anthony Napunyi (14-11) for Muwendo's ABO Mid-America Featherweight Title. The chief supporting bout pits welterweight Jamal "Shango" James (8-0) versus 22 year old Patrick Boozer (5-1) out of Michigan in a six round bout..
The undercard features a number of other fighters that wear the prospect tag holding there names. We all know styles make fights. And that is why the scheduled 5 round jr. middleweight bout between Tyler Hultin and new comer Stephen Watt will be one to watch this Saturday night.
HULTIN: "All I can say is you will see a brand new fighter at 154 pounds! I will be coming back stronger, faster and ready for anything."
WATT: "I want to show that I can bang with the best guys out here. I plan on bringing it just like I did against Ortley."
For the full story with words from both men...

WDIO, Duluth, Minn. - Andy "Kaos" Kolle's return to the ring next month already had the makings of a memorable match-up as he'll fight Cerresso Fort in a battle of Minnesota's top two ranked junior middleweights. Now, it will be for championship gold.
Kolle and Fort will face off for the vacant Minnesota Junior Middleweight Title on January 25th at Grand Casino in Hinckley. This will be Kolle's first fight since last April. Fort comes in with a 14-0-1 record while kolle is 25-3.
Also on the card in Hinckley will be Duluth's R.J. "T-Rex" Laase and he now has an opponent. T-Rex will fight undefeated Justin Jones (5-0) from Florida. Laase is 9-1 and looking for win number ten. He's won his last five fights, four of them by knockout. TO WATCH THE VIDEO...