Giezwa Pierre Hobbs Jr. "Gizzy" made a promise to himself that if he stayed in the sport of boxing, physical strength would not be his sole focus. He made certain his psychological well-being was at its peak too. The 17-year-old stuck to his word, and now he maintains that emotional discipline gives him an edge in the sport of boxing. The making of a champion starts with little things outside the ring...

Wilton Hilario (12-1-1) lost a unanimous moments ago to Martin Honorio (28-4-1) at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California. Hilario showed his familiar "come forward" style that MN fans have come accustom to seeing but Honorio was able to sit back and pick off Hilario with combinations through the first four rounds. Hilario continued to come forward minus the jab in the fifth but landed some big lead rights to the head that caught the attention of Honorio on a few occasions.
Honorio would have a huge sixth round however, dropping Hilario with a right-left combination to the head on the inside. Another right dropped the Minnesotan again shortly after. Hilario, buzzed, swung back with winging shots to survive the round.
Honorio remained sharp and accurate with his punches through the ninth round while Hilario showed heart but still had trouble getting through with lead lefts and rights.
The same pattern followed for most of the tenth but Hilario landed a hard left hook that staggered Honorio backwards just as the Espn's telecast cut to commercial at the sound of the bell.
Hilario, who looked to be fading in the prior rounds, looked rejuvenated with more snap on his shots in rounds 11 and 12. Honorio continued to pop Hilario with combinations on the inside and out as Hilario closed the fight by aggressively, coming forward with the same high pressuring guard. Scores read 120-106, 119-107 x2 in favor of Honorio...more to come

NABF super featherweight champ Jason Litzau (26-2) will face Rocky Juarez (28-5-1) on April 3rd at the Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas. Litzau-Juarez has been talked about for over a month now and Litzau's trainer Bob Van Syckle stated today that it is now finalized. Litzau has been staying busy in the gym and will head off to Florida on Sunday to continue training for the PPV televised bout. Roy Jones Jr vs Bernard Hopkins 2 is the nights main event.

Caleb Truax (right) talks about his fight with Phil Williams at the MMA Armory this past weekend.

The interesting matchup between Caleb Truax and Phil Williams, which was originally scheduled for April 10th has been moved to April 16th at the Armory in Saint Paul, MN. Although on civil terms, the rivalry between Williams and Truax goes back to their amateur days and the two are looking forward to settling things now on the 16th. The undercard seems to be shaping up and promotor Tony Grygelko says that details will be released shortly. Rumored to be making his MN ring return is welterweight Antonio Johnson (7-0-1). It has been close to three years since Johnson has fought in front of his hometown fans. Also said to see action on the 16th is Ugandan born 21 year old "Sharp Shooter" Ismail Muwendo (4-0). More details to come later today.

It has been announced that Andy Kolle (20-2) and Matt Vanda (42-10) will battle once again on April 2nd at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN. The two middleweights engaged in a memorable battle in 2007 and this time will meet for Kolle's MN middleweight title.
Javontae Starks -vs- Bobby Kliewer 6 rounds
Javontae Starks (3-0) of Minneapolis will box his first six rounder as a pro against crowd pleaser Bobby Kliewer (10-9-2) in a featured bout. The bout will be at 154 pounds.
Jeremy McLaurin -vs- Hector Orozco 6 rounds
Negotiations have been finalized for the rematch between Jeremy "Lights Out" McLaurin (7-0) and Hector "The Fighting Chihuahua" Orozco (1-5). The two fought for 3.5 intense rounds earlier this month before the bout was stopped by a cut and McLaurin declared the winner. An introductory interview with Orozco will be published shortly.
Gary Eyer -vs- Brad Patraw 6 rounds
Matchmaker Cory Rapacz revealed that all action fighters "Stone Cold" Gary Eyer (7-0-1) of Duluth and Saint Paul's "Bad" Brad Patraw (6-1)have come to terms to face each other on the undercard. The bout will be at a weight of 126 pounds over six rounds.
Tim Taggart -vs- Tyler Hultin 5 rounds
In another bout that promises fireworks, 21 year old Tim Taggart (3-2-1) and Tyler Hultin, 23, (1-0) duke it out in a middleweight contest.
Amateur star Jamal James will be making his professional debut against an opponent tba. More updates to come.

Minnesotaboxing.com did our best to post live results from all of the MN road action which included Matt Vanda, Phil Williams, David Laque, Harley Kilfian, and Willshaun Boxley seeing action. To check out the saved log...

MN middleweight champ Andy "Kaos" Kolle (19-2, 14 KO's) will headline against veteran Pat “The Cat” Coleman (29-15 20 ko’s) on the earlier mentioned fight card being held at First Avenue in Mnpls on February 5th. Rumors are circulating that it will be a tune-up for a rematch bout with Matt Vanda in the months to come. Kolle spoke briefly to Minnesotaboxing.com about his next fight, stating that he is excited to fight in the twin cities and continue to build on a career best explosive win over Anthony Bonsante last March.
" I don't really know much about my opponent but I know that he is a vet with over 40 fights so he knows what he's doing in the ring" said Kolle. " As with all my fights, I don't really worry to much about what they are going to do. As long as I do me then I shouldn't have any problem with him. Just like always, I have been in the gym 5 days a week since my last fight, doing a lot of sparring and working on some different things so I know I won't have to worry about any ring rust. I am as hungry as I have ever been so I just can't wait to get back in the ring and hit somebody!
The event is being promoted by Midwest Sports Council in association with RDS Company...January 10th, 2010

Unbeaten middleweight Fernando Guerrero (17-0, 14 KOs) scored a fourth round TKO over Jesse Nicklow (19-2-2, 7 KOs) on Friday night at the Grand Casino Hinckley in Hinckley, Minnesota.
Shawn “Showtime” Porter (12-0, 10 KOs) was impressive again as he stopped Jamar “Yung Prince” Patterson (8-1, 4 KOs) in round four.
Lanard Lane (10-0, 7 KOs) scored a second round TKO over Said “The Messenger” El Harrack (8-1, 3 KOs).
23 year old Cerresso Fort (9-0, 8 KOs) dropped Mike Davis (4-7, 4 KOs) twice on his way to a round two knockout win.
Gary Russell Jr. (6-0, 3 KOs) stopped Rodrigo Romero (1-3) in round three.
Javontae Starks (2-0, 2 KOs) dismantled Mike Culbert (1-1) at 1:22 of the first round.
Kelvin Price (6-0, 5 KOs) over came an early knockdown to win a unanimous decision over Julius Long (15-14, 13 KOs) in a battle of towering heavyweights.
Jeremy McLaurin (6-0 4 KOs) remained unbeaten with a four round unanimous decision over Darryl Hayes (3-1, 1 KO).
Derek Winston (2-0) won a unanimous decision over Taide Torres (0-2) in the opening bout... December 19th, 2009

Robert Brant is touted as Minnesota's next golden hopeful.The Star Tribune-one of the prestigious newspapers-covered him; he's considered one of the United States' top amateurs in the light heavyweight division, and recently left for Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia to compete at the World Cup December 17-20th... December 14th, 2009

Referee Bobby Brunette found himself in an unfortunate situation last Friday night as has now been widely reported. The bell to end round one Following a knockdown in the State title fight between Raphael Butler and Joey Abell went unheard by Brunette and many ringsiders, including myself. Confusion was the result and Butler ended up getting knocked out by punches he never saw coming from Abell. Brunette says that he did not hear the 10 second warning or a bell to end the round.
"I was just in there doing my job" said Brunette. " Raphael had been knocked down. I sent Joey to a neutral corner and began to count and look closely to see if he could continue. He told me he could fight and I waived the fighters in to fight. I never heard a bell."
Brunette stated that he noticed Butler's hands were low at the time Abell started landing the punches but that he told both Abell and Butler in the dressing room to protect themselves at all times. To his knowledge, the bell hadn't rung, which in reality it did. It was obvious that Butler did hear the bell as video which is soon to be posted here will show. Butler stops and Abell seems to put a glove up to touch gloves before Brunette instructs the fighters to keep fighting.
" Abell landed two or three big shots and I could see Raphael was hurt. I started jumping in to separate the fighters after Abell landed the first punch. I wasn't sure at the time if I was going to stop the fight or issue a standing eight count but the only thought on my mind at that second was to protect Butler, who seemed hurt" said Brunette. "At that point I still didn't know the bell had rung. I jumped between the fighters not because I knew the bell had rung, but to make a decision on what to do with a hurt fighter. I was doing my duties as a referee as if the fight was still taking place." December 8th, 2009

After years of anticipation, the state title fight between local rivals Raphael Butler (35-8, 28 KO's) and Joey Abell (25-4, 24 KO's) ended in a no contest Friday night at the Target Center in Minneapolis. A vicious combination to the head by Abell sent Butler crashing to the canvas seconds after the first round bell amidst confusion. Abell landed the knockout blows after the bell but was told to fight on as the bell was not heard by the ref or Abell. Butler had dropped his hands, thinking the round was over. The fight was originally ruled a Butler DQ win, but was later changed to a no contest.
In other action, Canadian Larry "Razor" Sharpe (24-7, 12 KO's) stunned hometown favorite Zach Walters (24-5, 19 KO's) at :56 of the first round.
Tomi Archambault (1-1) was declared the winner over Ronnie Peteson (3-1) after Peterson said he hurt his shoulder following the conclusion of round two and was unable to continue.
Gary Eyer (7-0-1) remained unbeaten with a unanimous decision victory over blood and guts brawler Levi Cortes (3-1).
Dave Peterson (12-0) dropped Silas Ortley three times behind a thudding body attack on his way to a TKO win at 1:22 of round four.
Tony Lee (1-0) scored an impressive unanimous decision victory in his pro debut over Hector Orozco (1-4).
Boris Shishporenok (7-1) defeated debuting Will Gillette (0-1) at :57 of the second round.
Savarino Garcia (1-0-1) won a unanimous four round decision over Jacob Dobbe... November 13th, 2009

Undefeated Caleb Truax (14-0) pounded out a hard fought unanimous decision over Kerry Hope (12-2) on Friday Nov. 21st at the Saint Paul Armory in Minnesota. Truax and Hope engaged early and often with most of the action taking place in the center of the ring. "I think it was a fun fight for the fans and am glad he stepped in instead of Carl Daniels because it was a much tougher fight. I learned a lot with this win" said Truax afterwards.

In other action, heavy handed Mohammed Kayongo (15-2-1) stopped tough as nails brawler James Todd (2-2-1) at 2:35 of the third round to win the WBF International title.
Michael Faulk improved to (2-0) with a decision win over ND's Ryan Soft (1-1-1). It was a clash of styles as Soft swung wildly with anger in his eyes while Faulk stayed composed and boxed... Nov. 21, 2009

Undefeated Caleb Truax (13-0) will battle the UK's Kerry Hope (14-2) tonight at the Saint Paul Armory. The bout will head the four boxing / two mma fight card.
It will be the first time either fighter may be pushed past 8 rounds as the WBF title bout is scheduled for 10 rds.
In other action, Mohammed Kayongo (14-2-1) battled Hope's teammate and countryman James Todd (2-1-1)... Nov. 19, 2009

In the main event, which led off the Fox Sports North broadcast, Matt Vanda (now 42-9 with 22 knockouts) not only survived, but thrived against the mildly favored Phil Williams (now 11-2 with 10 knockouts). Vanda took advantage of Williams' willingness to concede the initiative, walking down his larger opponent and frequently shooting out double or triple jabs that set up effective power shots. In the end two of the three judges scored the bout close in favor of Vanda, while one surprised the crowd by scoring it to Williams' advantage. Scores read 96-95, 97-94 for Vanda and 97-93 for Williams.
Super featherweight Wilton "Pretty Warrior" Hilario won an eight round unanimous decision over Leon Bobo Jr. in the co-featured bout. This generally pro-Hilario crowd may have gotten the result they wanted - a win for their man Wilton - but not in the exciting style they would have preferred. Leon Bobo Jr (now 18-4 with 2 knockouts) really never had a prayer...
Nov. 15, 2009

Fighters particapating on the December 4th "Heavyweights Hit The Target" Pro boxing show were on hand earlier this week at the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN. The main event pits Joey Abell and Raphael Butler together in a long awaited showdown. Butler and Abell both expressed their readiness to get back in the ring with each other and prove who the number one heavyweight in Minnesota is. Also on the card will be Zach Walters, Dave and Ronnie Peterson, Tony Lee, Boris Shishporenok, Saverino Garcia. For more Oct. 29th, 2009

Raphael "The Silencer" Butler (34-8) will headline Saturday's pro-am boxing card in Rochester, MN. For Butler, it will be the fifth time he has been featured in his hometown as a pro. The bout, which pits Butler against Detroit Lakes born Marcus Rhode (34-38-2) will be a way for Butler to step in the ring for the first time in 2009 as he prepares for his showdown with Joey Abell, which is rumored for November.
Butler had high hopes to break onto the national scene in 2008 but losses to Eddie Chambers (35-1) and Malik Scott (32-0) coupled with two shocking decision defeats to Homero Fonseca (7-2-2) derailed those plans as he went 5 and 4 for the year.
Butler shared his thoughts and opinions on those losses and the mega MN fight between he and Abell as the weekend fast approaches... Sept.8th, 2009

Matt "The Predator" Vanda (41-9, 22 KO's) had a successful test run in the super middleweight division earlier tonight as he defeated game Teddy Muller (19-16-2, 9 KO's) by 8 round decision. Vanda outslugged Muller despite being outsized by keeping a high guard and moving in and out of reach with hard combinations to the head and particularly the body. Muller came close to matching Vanda's punch output but had trouble getting through the colorful East Saint Paul fighters high guard. Scores read 79-74, and 80-72 twice. Vanda fought at the highest weight of his career (168) to prepare for his showdown with super middleweight Phil "The Drill" Williams (11-1) on September 26th in Minneapolis.
In other action, Brad Patraw (6-0, 4 KO's) stopped gutsy Nebraskan Javier Segura at 2:47 of the fourth round.
Jose Hilario (1-0, 1 KO) stopped Jon Swamberg (0-1) at 1:00 of the opening round.
Cerresso Fort (7-0, 7 KO's) only needed one solid punch, a body shot to stop Yancy Cuellar (0-6).
Bobby Kliewer (10-8, 5 KO's) stunned normally durable John Turner (3-12) at 2:32 of round one.
Cousin's Derrick Winston and Antwan Robertson boxed an exhibition bout to unofficially start the night off although you never would have guessed the fight didn't count on either's record once the action started... August 14th, 2009

Right Hand Promotions promoted boxing results from Saturday, Aug. 1st at the Armory in Red Wing, MN...
2001 Golden Gloves champ Wilson Rivera's comeback was spoiled by 18 year old Joel Flores (2-0, 2 KO's) of Michigan in a jr. welterweight battle. Flores was impressive in knocking out the St. Paul fighter who has been out of the ring since 2005.
Jr. welterweight Levi Cortes (2-0) of St. Paul knocked out Bloomington's Felix Martinez in round three.
Gustavo Espinoza stopped Saint Paul's Armando Estrada (0-2) in round two.
Hassan Wasswa (5-8-3) of MN lost a hard fought 4 rd decision to William Hernandez of Chicago.
Danny Figueroa (2-0) of Hastings stopped MN welteweight David Laque (1-1) in round three. Both men showed up ready to brawl as they exited fans with an action packed main event.
August 2nd, 2009

In his biggest leap in competition to date the now 13-0 Caleb Truax went to hell and back, emerging bruised and battered, but not without his "Golden" finish.
Truax's cautious approach through the early rounds was quickly foiled by a fifth round spurt from Atlantic City native and super middleweight veteran Patrick Perez. Perez ended up bringing not only experience but a granite chin to St. Paul Saturday night, weathering numerous Truax power shots and firing back barrages of his own, wobbling the once Boxing Digest Prospect of the Month. Caleb Truax, however, showed wit beyond his years by masterfully tying Perez up to finish round five and begin the recovery process...
July 26th, 2009