2004 PRO RESULTS
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MINNESOTA BOXING Jesse Kelley -Photo Journalist-
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This Archive is courtesy of www.web.archive.org
Smart Wins Minnesota State Featherweight Title!
Jungle Boy Impresses in Florida
Walters made the most of his opportunity, impressing McGirt enough for him to want to assist trainer Chuck “Sharky” Horton in guiding Zach’s career. Team Jungle Boy will be in Las Vegas, NV on January 22nd, as Walters and Buddy’s son, James McGirt Jr., are scheduled to fight opponents soon to be determined. Read More
Litzau Wins, Corn Losses This Weekend Undefeated Jason Litzau, 130, of St. Paul MN stopped Juan Suazo, 131, of Tuscon, AZ at 2:59 of the sixth and final round of a super featherweight bout. Litzau (13-0, 13 KO) is a cutie in the mold of Paul Spadafora, and has a nice left hook which no doubt played a part in his perfect record. Litzau dominated the first two rounds with superior boxing and faster hands, but Suazo fought his way back into the bout in the next two rounds. Bleeding from several nicks, Suazo (7-3-2, 5 KOs) landed enough right hands to fend Litzau off to narrowly win rounds three and four. Litzau was back in round five, boxing, moving, and landing bolo punches that befuddled Suazo. Round six was all Litzau, as he hammered Suazo with left hooks, right hands, and right-left combinations. A double left hook near the end of the round sent Suazo back into the ropes, where referee Randy Neumann waved things off. — Rick Scharmberg Fighting at middleweight, highly touted Anthony Thompson scored an impressive fourth round knockout over J.J. Corn. Thompson dropped Corn twice in round four with flush left-right combinations to earn the KO win at 2:14.–Herman Patton
Allen Litzau Update Allen Litzau hasn’t fought in almost six months because of a hand injury and the time-off has been very frustrating. “The heart is burning more and more each day,” Litzau said. “I want to get back in the ring.” READ MORE 12/1/04
Jason Litzau On Tv? Just three weeks ago, undefeated Jason Litzau impressively knocked out Armando Cordoba for his 12th consecutive KO. After the fight, Litzau and his trainer, Bob Van Syckle, said they were looking to get some television exposure.
Fridley Card Set For Dec. 18th
Grigsby Wins By Tko In Return Will Grigsby (16-2-1) made a successful return to the ring after two years tonight in Lafayette, In. Grigsby dropped Ruben Poma (22-8-3) three times in the first round. The end came at 1:42.
Zach Walters Training Camp Update: From Zach Walters. For more click here Minnesota Boxing News: Jason Litzau will be fighting in Bally’s Casino in Atlantic City, NJ on Dec 3, 2004. Jason’s opponent will be Juan Suazo 7-2 out of Arizona. Main Events is promoting the card with possible future opponent Rocky Juarez in the main event. This card will be televised by ESPN2.
Pictures and Quotes from the Armory Show Sorry this is a bit late. Mike LeTourneau caught up to some of the guys on the last Armory show. To read more CLICK HERE.
Kayongo losses on Showtime Welterweight Shamone “The Truth” Alvarez kept his record at a perfect 9-0 with 7 KOs, while putting the first blemish on Mohammed Kayongo’s (11-1, 7). Southpaw Alvarez caught Kayongo at the opening bell with a straight left that staggered Kayongo immediately. Kayongo recovered, only to get caught with short rights on the inside later in the round that set up another text book left. Referee Ron Cunnigham counted Kayongo out at 2:30 of the first round.
Walters set to train with Tarver Duluth native and Minnesota Light Heavyweight Champion Zach “Jungle Boy” Walters
Grigsby set for comeback!
Velardez, Kayongo Victorious!
Litzau, Vanda triumph!
Armory Show Interviews Ramon Hough caught up to some of the fighters that will be boxing on tomorrow nights card being held at the Saint Paul Armory. Click on the name of the fighter to read the interview. PATRICK THOMPSON (Vanda’s opponent) – ARMANDO CORDOBA (Litzau’s opponent) – KENNY KOST – RAY MEYERS-vs-SCOTT BALL – LEO MORENO
Vanda and Litzau Ready For Nov.12th! St. Paul, Minnesota natives “The American Boy” Jason Litzau and Matt “The Predator” Vanda are in preparation for their bouts this upcoming Friday November 12th at the St. Paul Armory. In co-feature attractions, Litzau (11-0, 11KO’s) will be taking on Armando Cordoba (20-15, 15 KO’s), while Vanda takes on Patrick Thompson (8-2-1, 4 KO’s). Litzau hopes to keep his victory and KO streak alive, while Vanda looks to rebound from the first defeat of his career, an 8th round TKO from Armando Velardez Jr. this past August. With their fights just days away, I caught up with Litzau and Vanda as they prepared for Friday’s festivities. MORE
Minnesota Boxing Update: Armory Show- Undefeated Jason Litzaus Opponent will be Armando Cordoba (20-15-1, 15 kos).The Predator Matt Vanda will face Patrick Thompson (8-2-1). Jungle Boy Zach Walters will unfortunately not be on the card. According to the Walters camp, a suitable opponent was not able to be found.
October 29th Rochester Results The 4th St.Gym in Rochester Minnesota put on a pro card last Friday. In the main event, Raphael Butler knocked out San Antonio’s Glen Morgan now 1-5 at 2:40 of the first round. Morgan showed up to fight and made Butler work for most of the round. A vicious right hand to the head dropped Morgan face first nearing the end of the round. Morgan was unconscious for a few minutes but eventually regained consciousness. Butler improves to 6-0,5 ko’s.
Litzau, Vanda headline November 12th On Friday Night, November 12, 2004, St. Paul (Minnesota) favorites Jason Litzau and Matt “The Predator” Vanda return to the St. Paul National Armory to headline a professional boxing show featuring some of the best talent in the state of Minnesota.
Velardez back in Minnesota!
Butler Wins In Colorado!
Walters Stops Virgil In Two! JungleBoy Zach Walters won by second round tko over veteran Marris Virgil last night in the main event at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, Mn. Virgil set the tone by being physical and tying up while throwing haymakers. This was not going to be a boxing match if he had his way. Walters didnt seem to mind mixing things up however and sent Virgil to the canvas early with an overhand right to the head. Virgil got to his feet with a hurt look on his face but he immediately came back with a hard uppercut that backed Walters up. After more hard punches with bad intentions from both fighters, a left and right hook found Virgil’s body and sent him down once again. Virgil rose again but seemed to be put right back down to one knee by a right hook to the body which was not counted as a knockdown. Even after all the trips to the canvas, Virgil still looked very dangerous with his unpredictable power shots.
Saturdays Lineup At The Grand Casino, Hinckley JungleBoy Zach Walters of Duluth,MN will face Marris Virgil of Milwaukee, WI. Jose Leo Moreno of Saint Paul, Mn takes on Harold Brazier of Indianapolis, IN. KO Kenny Kost of White Bear lake, MN is matched up against Jack Taylor and Raphael Butler takes on Harold Johnson. The kickboxing matches will begin at 6pm and the pro boxing starts at around 7:30. 10/01/04
Post Fight Interview With Zach Walters And More! Ok I realise this is a bit late, but I figure its better late than never! Following Zach Walters second round knockout of fellow Minnesotan Marty Lindquist, MinnesotaBoxing.com caught up with The JungleBoy to get his reaction of what had just happened. Also please check back to see what Walters has to say about the upcoming card this Saturday in Hinckley and his future which may include a defence of his title against another tough Minnesota fighter! I will be going into this weekends card as soon as I can find out the details. Thank you for your patients. To read the full interview CLICK HERE.
Matthew Rayburn’s Aug. 19th Photos Now Up!
JungleBoy Tames the Wolfman!
Sept. 11th Fridley Show Photos Now Up! Click Here
Interview with Zach Walters! Jungle Boy Zach Walters is set to do battle with Wolfman Marty Lindquist in this Saturday’s main event at the Minnesota Sports Cafe in Fridley, Mn. This should prove to be an interesting match up considering the punching power each fighter can bring. Up for grabs is the Minnesota state lightheavyweight belt. To check out what the Jungle Boy had to say Click Here
Q&A with Brad Laffin! After seeing Brad Laffin in his first two professional boxing matches, Fridley gets to watch him go after his third knockout victory. One of the biggest things this knockout artist wants to show is he can throw as hard as anyone. Rick “the Rock” Zufall (5-2 5Ko’s) of Indiana knocked Brad Laffin to the canvas during the Mayday Mahem show in the first round. Not only did Brad get off the canvas, he gave Zufall the biggest beating of his career. In round two, Laffin came with a barrage of blows to Zufalls head sending him right where he layed for the remander of the bout. After an awesome display of power, Minnesota Boxing caught up with him to see what we can expect this Saturday at the Minnesota Sports Cafe. Read More
Sept. 11th Boxing Update Unfortunately the rumors are true. Kenny Kost will not be fighting this Saturday against Detroit Lakes Chris Holt. Kost, who owns a siding business, injured his leg at work. There are plans to make this fight happen sometime in November. 2004 National Golden Gloves champion Raphael Butler has been added to the card to fight an opponent still to be determined. Other matchups on Saturday are as follow: Cyrus Sargent vs Andy Kolle, Joe Lynch vs Michael Rush, John Sargent jr vs Matt Anderson, Chris Holt vs Israel Echevaria, Tony Grygelko vs Wayne Quinn and a possibly a special fight in the works between James Wayka and Jose Leo Moreno . 9/6/04
Two MN State Title Fights In One Night!
Where Vanda Goes From Here Last week Matt Vanda, now 31-1, was defeated soundly by fringe welterweight contender Armando Velardez. Vanda came out looking rather flat as it seemed Velardez and Vanda were on even terms, but in the latter half of the fight Velardez was taking over. In the 7th round Velardez put an exclamation point on the fight as he hit Vanda with a huge right hand that bent him over and seemed to put him out, but like a man with the heart of a champion he held on and survived the round. It was not meant to be though as he was stopped in the next round, when Velardez nailed him with another right hand that set off his equilibrium and sent Vanda to the canvas. He got up, but was put down again and before the Vanda corner could stop the fight the ref did it for them. Now the burning question is where will Matt Vanda go from here? MORE
Notes and Quotes from last Thursday *Click here for August 19th Photos Matt Rayburn’s photos shortly Velardez KOs Vanda, Dunne wins! Jr middleweight Armando Velardez stopped previously unbeaten hometown favorite Matt Vanda Thursday night at the Aldrich Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Velardez (15-2-3) staggered Vanda (31-1) in round seven, then dropped him twice in round eight before referee Mark Nelson stopped the fight. Official time was :45. In the main event, unbeaten featherweight Bernard Dunne (14-0, 8 KOs) had all he could handle against pesky southpaw Adrian Valdez (14-3-3, 6 KOs) winning a bloody battle 96-95, 96-94, 97-93. Read More
Dunne, Vanda headline Tonight! Showtime’s boxing series ShoBox invades Aldrich Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota tonight with two undefeated fighters headlining the show. Irish featherweight prospect Bernard Dunne 13-0 (8 KOs) continues to look to make a name for himself in the US. Dunne is scheduled to face Adrian Valdez 14-2-3 (7 KOs) of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico in the ten round main event. “Obviously he (Valdez) thinks he can beat me otherwise he wouldn’t be getting into the ring with me” said Dunne. “I dont want to make any predictions, just that I will win.” The co-main event features Jr. Middleweight Matt “The Predator” Vanda 31-0 (21 KOs ) of east St. Paul, Minnesota against Armando Velardez 17-3 ( 8 KOs ) from San Bernardino, California.Click here to Read More Also Check out Ramon Hough’s Interviews with some of the fighters!
Opportunity Knocks For Vanda
Final Press Confrence and Weigh-In For The Predator’s Sun Brawl
August 19th Shobox Update The “PREDATOR’S SUMMER BRAWL” will take place at the Aldrich Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota on August 19, 2004 and will be televised live on Showtime’s “SHOBOX The Next Generation” boxing series.
“Fists Of Fury” Results
Ajamu Defeats Moore On Espn Rochester’s Fred Moore (29-3, 27 KO’s) was knocked out by Prince Badi Ajamu (21-2-1, 12 KOs) in the tenth round in the co-main event on Espn2 last night. Things started off pretty good for Moore. I thought he won the first few rounds by outworking Ajumu. As the bout went on however Ajumu started to get busier and began to land the better punches. Ajumu came out strong in the 10th round and put Moore down and out at the 0:32 mark of the round with a crushing combination to the head. 7/28/04 Butler Now 2-0 As a Pro
Jason Litzau Ko’s Martinez St. Paul’s Jason Litzau (10-0, 10 ko’s) won the Texas Miller Lite Super Featherweight championship with a third round knock out of Colorado’s Frank Martinez (6-7-2). Litzau dropped Martinez three times in the final round. The bout was scheduled for eight rounds. FightNews.com writer Randy Hammons was ringside for the fight and shared with me some thoughts on Litzau…
Vanda, Dunne Headline August 19th! Ok so the bad news is that Espn will not be coming to Minnesota on August 24th. The good news is that it will now be Showtime bringing their show to town on August 19th. The main event will feature Matt Vanda with Bernard Dunne fighting in the co-main. Vanda left today for training camp. More to come on this show in the following week. 7/16/04
Kayongo and Ojeda Draw in Cali Mohammed Kayongo (now 10-0-1) and Jose Ojeda (9-3-1) fought to an eight round draw Thursday night on ShoBox. Kayongo was the better skilled boxer of the two but Ojeda had Kayongo confused at times when he came forward and put the pressure on. It was a very close and exciting fight that could have gone either way. I had the “African Iceman” (as was announced at the fights) winning by 2 rounds. Scores were 77-75 Ojeda and 76-76, 76-76. I hope to talk with Mohammed Kayongo and his trainers soon about the fight .For video clips check out the boxing section on www.sho.com. 7/16/04
Kayongo Ready For Showtime!
Jungle Boy Sets His Standards High Zach “Jungle Boy” Walters may not yet be a household name among fight fans, but both he and trainer Chuck “Sharky” Horton plan to change that. Zach is quickly establishing himself as one of the top professional prospects in the state, with a pro record of 8-1 with 7 KO’s. MinnesotaBoxing.com checked in with Jungle Boy and Sharky at Horton’s Gym in Duluth to see him train and find out about his future plans. Read More
Vanda-Litzau June 18th Photos Now Up! Matthew Rayburn’s Photo’s from the June 18th show are now up. To check them out
Minnesota’s Mark Nelson will be in Tokyo, Japan this weekend to referee this Saturday’s WBA Strawweight world championship bout between Noel Arambulet (20-2-1) and Yutaka Niida (15-1-3) (The Ring Magazine #1 Strawweight vs. #5) 6/29/04
Sargent losses in Philly John “Hogman” Sargent of Naytahwaush, Mn was dropped twice in the first round by Eddie Chambers(19-0, 12 ko’s) of Philadelphia at the Blue Horizon in Philadelphia, PA last weekend. Sargent’s corner through in the towel at 2:36 of the opening round. Sargent’s record falls to 26-4, 16 ko’s. 6/29/04
* 2004 National Golden Gloves super heavyweight champion Raphael Butler of Rochester, Minnesota won his pro debut last Saturday night in Reno, Nevada. The 20 year old Butler tko’d Royphy Soileau of Lake Charles, La in the third round. Butler will be fighting again on July 18th at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California.
Vanda batters Martinez WBO #9 rated jr middleweight Matt Vanda (31-0, 21 KOs) made quick work of Ron Martinez (20-11) Friday night at the Aldrich Arena in Saint Paul, MN. Vanda worked behind a solid jab and was able to rock Martinez with left-right combinations and uppercuts. “The Predator” left Martinez on wobbly legs after landing three hard consecutive left hooks to the head to end the first round. Vanda continued to punish Martinez in the second. A hard left uppercut to the head dropped Martinez to the canvas midway through the round. Martinez rose and tried to fight on, but moments later was sent stumbling across the ring by a right-left-right combination to the head. Referee Mark Nelson was forced to wave the fight off at the three minute mark.. Read More
Weigh-in results from Schwietz Saloon in Saint Paul,MN Matt Vanda 157 -vs- Ron Martinez 156.5
American Boys Ready For Battle Allen and Jason Litzau are primed and ready to fight this Friday night at Aldrich Arena. Allen is set to do battle with Ricardo DeLeon, while Jason takes on his most seasoned opponent to date in Isidro Tejedor. With the fight just four days away, MinnesotaBoxing.com decided to check in with the American Boys and Bob Van Syckle to see how things were going. Read more
Vanda and the Litzau’s this Friday!
WBO #9 rated jr middleweight Matt “The Predator” Vanda (30-0) returns on June 18 to face Ron Martinez (20-10-1) at the Aldrich Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota. Featured on the undercard are local stars Jason and Allen Litzau. Jason will be facing Isidro Tejedor of Miami, FL in an 8 round bout while Allen takes on Ricardo DeLeon of Miami, FL in a 4 rounder. Minnesotans Troy Lowry and Fred Moore have also been added to the card to fight opponents still to be named. Saint Paul natives Rey Meyers and Nick Farrow will face off in a middleweight bout. Tickets are $25, $50, $75 and $100, available at Lucky Dog’s Lounge (651-762-9203), Hugo Custom Hawgs (651-429-4240), Schwietz Saloon (651-776-8880) or at the arena box office on the day of the show.
Zach Walters title shot in July! Zach Walters of Duluth, Mn has just informed me that he will be fighting for the vacant NABC Lightheavyweight title on July 24th in Laflen, Nevada. The JungleBoy will face Shaun George of Brooklyn, NY (9-0-1, 5 ko’s) in a 10 rounder.
Anthony Bonsante on last weekends fight and his future.. “I just did not fight a very good fight. I didn’t establish the jab like we had worked on. The game plan was to use the jab and set him up for the right hand and I just didn’t do it. The weight had nothing to do with it. I weighed 154 when I did the interview with you and I lost two more pounds which wasn’t a big deal. I felt great but the night of the fight I just did not execute the plan. 363 days out of the year I would have beat that kid. I watched the tape afterwards and he out jabbed me and nobody ever out jabs me. I was so mad at myself after watching the tape because I wasn’t tired, I just did not throw the punches. I am just going to get back up on the horse again and keep doing it because I know I can beat that kid. I learned alot in this fight. If you can take away something from a loss, its a learning experience. Granted the referee did not help me at all. We knew we would not get any help from the ref at all. Not to say I won the fight though. The one time I had him rolling, for some reason he got inbetween us and breaks us up. Im thinking, what in the hell are you doing! Obviously he knew that his boy was getting hurt or in danger and he felt it was his job to split us up and give him a rest, but you know, its his job.
Vanda and The Litzau’s June 18th! I just got word from Allen and Jason Litzau’s trainer Bob Van Syckle saying that Matt Vanda and The Litzaus will be fighting on the same card on June 18th at Aldrich Arena in Saint Paul. Obviously I will have much more on this coming soon but I just wanted to post this real quick to let you know! For ticket info call 651-340-7314.
Manfredo takes decision over Bonsante Peter Manfredo took a 12 round unanimous decision win over Shakopee Minnesota’s Anthony Bonsante Friday night on Espn. Bonsante took the second and third rounds in my opinion but as the fight went on Manfredo became busier and started slowly taking control of the fight. Regardless of who won or lost, It was an exciting fight to watch. Bonsante said before he left town for the fight that he was going to fight until the end, that he would never quit. In the final round Bonsante showed a ton of heart and did everything he promised. Manfredo landed some shots that would have put a lot of guys down but Bonsante kept coming. He never stopped throwing punches even if it meant leaving himself open until the final bell. The official scores were 120-109, 118-109 and 120-107 which may be a bit of a stretch but was still the right call. Congratulations to both fighters for great fight! 5/16/04
Bonsante vs. Ayala Re-visited Anthony “The Bullet” Bonsante will step up to the plate this Friday evening in a scheduled bout on ESPN2 for Peter Manfredo Jr.’s NABO Jr. Middleweight title. A win would likely put Tony in line for some bigger fights and a ranking among the major sanctioning bodies. Tony’s biggest fight to date was an 11th round TKO upset against Tony Ayala on ESPN2 in April of last year. Tony was a 10-1 underdog, and captured the vacant IBA Middleweight Title with the win. With the big fight coming up, I decided to review the Ayala bout and give a recap. Read More.
Anthony Bonsante: I’m Bringing The Belt Back To Minnesota! Anthony “The Bullet” Bonsante (24-3-3, 13 ko’s) will finally get his long awaited high profile fight this Friday on Espn2’s televised main event as he challenges Peter Manfredo Jr. (20-0, 10 ko’s) this weekend for Manfredo’s NABO crown. Bonsante won the vacant IBA Middleweight title over Tony Ayala Jr. in April of last year. In most cases, winning a world title leads to bigger and better things but Bonsante says it has made it harder to find big fights because nobody wants to take the risk in fighting him now. Bonsante believes that a win over Manfredo Jr. will put his name up there with the top names in the Jr. Middleweight division. Read More.
Butler to box on NBC Sunday May 9th Rochester Minnesota’s Heavyweight Rafael Butler will box in the finals at The National Golden Glove tournament in Kansas City. The National Golden Glove finals will air live on Sunday, May 9, 2004 at 1pm Central Time on NBC. Special thanks goes out to Tom Brunette for the update. 5/9/04
Mohammed Kayongo To Headline On June 25th! Brunette Boxing has anounced that they will be putting on a pro-am boxing event June 25th at the Saint Paul Radison. The 10 round main event will feature The African Assassin Mohammed Kayongo, who is now 10-0 with 8 ko’s as a pro. No opponent has been set yet but Sam Garr and Jesus Valverde have been given offers. ” He is the best fighter in Minnesota today!” said trainer Tom Brunette. Also fighting will be 2003 silver gloves National champion Delano Henton. More on this show to come soon. 5/6/04
Lindquist Ko’s Manassah! Early in 1998 Kwan “the Bomb” Manassah of Minneapolis beat Marty “the Wolfman” Lindquist(10-3) in a bout that has haunted him for years. The Anoka native wanted his shot at redemption and he got it. In the fourth round after getting beat like a rough steak, “the Bomb” got dropped with a huge hook to the head.
Results from the Grand Casino in Hinckley! Chris Lytle of Indianapolis, Iniana won an 8 round unanimous decision over J.J. Corn of Wisconsin in Saturday night’s main event at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN. Corn had the crowd on his side throughout the fight but it wasn’t enough to help him over come the more aggressive Lytle. Corn landed a hard right hook to the head of Lytle that obviously had him stunned in the last round, but Lytle was able to clinch and recuperate pretty well. The judges gave Lytle the unanimous decision. Scores were 79-73, 79-73 and 80-75. Read More
Hinckley boxing show update and weigh-ins Anthony Stephens has been taken off the pro card in Hinckley, Mn tomorrow. Stephens was not present at the weigh-ins but was rumored to be way over weight. The main event will still feature J.J. Corn only now he will face Chris “Lightsout” Lytle (9-1, 6 ko’s) on Indianapolis, IN. This should still be an entertaining main event. For weigh-in results and pictures CLICK HERE. 4/30/04
“Battle of the Warriors” this Saturday! Warriors Fitness Club will present “The battle of the Warriors” Professional boxing at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minnesota on Saturday May 1st. The headlining bout has former USBA welterweight champion Anthony “Untouchable” Stephens (32-12, 17 ko’s) facing J.J. Corn (43-8-1, 23 ko’s) of Wisconsin in a middlweight bout. Also fighting, “Ko” Kenny Kost (5-0, 4 ko’s) of White Bear Lake, MN will take on Butch Hajickek ( pro debut). Duluth, MN native “Jungleboy” Zack Walters (7-1, 6 ko’s) returns to fight in his home state as he faces Wayne Bogart (1-9) of Kokomo, IN in a lightheavyweight matchup.Minnesotans Juan Baltierez (2-0-1) and Darby Smart (2-1) will battle in a featherweight bout. Dan Schlienz (3-4) of Duluth faces Brian Raber (1-3) of Kokomo IN. The show will kick off at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $30, $40 and $50 and can be purchased by calling the Hinckley casino at 1-800-468-3517 or thru Ticketmaster at (651) 989-5151. The official weigh-ins are open to the public and will be held at Lucky Doggs Lounge in Mahtomedi, Mn at 6:00 pm Friday night. 4/29/04
Interview with Marty Lindquist “Wolfman” Marty Lindquist will be headlining this Saturday’s Pro boxing show at the Minnesota Sports Cafe in Fridley, MN. Marty Lindquist (6-3) is on a fast track to becoming one of Minnesota’s most exciting boxers. With devastating knockout power as the backbone behind his “boxer/puncher” style, this light heavyweight brings a great show to the ring every time. “I’m a newly disciplined boxer” says Lindquist, ” I used to be more eager to rush in and knock the guy out, but now when I run into stiffer competition I have to set it up.To read more CLICK HERE The ACR Boxing Club presents “MayDay Mayhem” at the Minnesota Sports Cafe in Fridley, Minnesota on Saturday, May 1st . The main event has “Wolfman” Marty Lindquist (6-3) of St.Paul, Mn taking on Kwan Manassah of Minneapolis, Mn in a lightheavyweight bout. The two met previously back in 1998 with Mannassah winning by third round tko. Fighting on the undercard is “TNT” Troy Lowry (24-3,16 ko’s) of Saint Paul. Lowry went the distance with Hector Camacho Sr. in 2001, losing a 10 round unanimous Decision. He will be facing an opponent tba in a jr.middleweight bout. Chris Holt (8-2, 5 ko’s) of Detroit Lakes, Mn will fight Jeff Baker (5-0, 2 ko’s)of Kokomo, IN in a super middleweight bout. ACR’s Joe Lynch makes his pro debut against Brandon Busse (0-1) of Rice Lake, WI in a middleweight bout. Heavyweights Brad Loffin (1-0) of Saint Paul and Rick Zufall (5-2, 5 ko’s) of Spencer, IN will meet. Tony Grygelko (pro debut) takes on Brian Sargent Jr (1-0) in jr. middleweight action and Heavyweight Matt Anderson (0-2) faces an opponent tba. . For Tickets call 763-712-5868. Tickets are $20 General Admission-$30 Reserved- $50 Ringside. Doors open at 6:30 with the bouts starting at 7:30.
39 year old Heavyweight John “Hogman” Sargent (26-3) of Naytahwaush, MN won an 8 round unanimous decision over Chauncy Welliver now (16-2-3) at the Billings Shrine Auditorium in Montana last Saturday. FightNews.com’s Sam Ditusa was covering the fights ringside and told me that Sargent looked good in his performance. Here is a piece from Sam’s FightNews report…The 2nd TV fight saw Minnesota Heavyweight John Sargent pound out a tough 8 round unanimous decision over Chauncy Welliver, from Spokane, Washington. Sargeant threw heavy body punches for 3 rounds in hopes of slowing down Welliver, who entered the ring a soft 277 pounds. Sargent went on the offensive using a plodding style to walk Welliver to the ropes, where Sargent did his best work with looping punches, which swelled Welliver’s eyes.
Minnesota Boxing update Things have been slow since the last show but will be picking up shortly! I just want to post a little update on a few of the things we will be bringing to you soon. As you know, Tony Bonsante will battle Peter Manfredo Jr. on Espn2 May 14th for Manfredo’s NABO Jr. Middleweight title. An interview is already lined up with Bonsante and his new trainer Scott LeDoux so we will all hear from them soon!
Litzau’s triumphant again! Friday’s boxing show in Saint Paul was a success as far as the effort put forward by all of the fighters. Everybody on the card showed up to fight.
Remembering a Minnesota Boxing great: Mike Evgen A few weeks back Ramon Hough and I sat down with “The Rice Street Rocker” Mike Evgen to chat about his career in the ring. I would like to thank Mr. Evgen and everybody else who took the time to talk with us. To read Ramon Hough’s story CLICK HERE.
Zach Walters loses in Washington but…. Sorry for the late result, Zach Walters (6-1) of Duluth, MN lost a hard fought 6 round decision to hometown fighter Robert Linton (11-2) in Tacoma, Washington last Saturday. Sometimes in boxing you are not only fighting your opponent across the ring from you. I am slowly finding this out! Some sources close to the situation have told me that Walters may have been “duped” into taking a fight that you could say was unwinable. This fight was billed as the co-main event before hand but all the reports I have found following the show mention nothing of this bout! To read more in depth about the whole situation check out the “News” section on www.JungleBoyWalters.com.
The American Boys Return this Friday! Future Stars Promotions and The Rice Street Gym will be showcasing local up and coming talent this Friday, April 9th at the National Guard Armory in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Headlining the show will be “The American Boys,” brothers Allen and Jason Litzau of Saint Paul. Jason Litzau (7-0, 6 KOs) will face Travis Gregory (7-10) of Middlebrook, MO in a jr lightweight bout. Older brother Allen Litzau (3-1, 1 KO) takes on Miguel Rojo (2-2) of Arizona in a six round featherweight contest. On the undercard, “KO” Kenny Kost (4-0, 3 KOs) of White Bear Lake, MN faces Jason Dietrich of Nebraska in a super middleweight bout. Heavy-handed hometown jr welterweight Jose “The Lionhearted” Leo Moreno (7-0, 6 KOs) battles Gerald Shelton of Gary, Indiana. Two-time New York City Golden Glove champ Gary Stark (6-0, 3 KOs) of New York will also be in action against an opponent to be announced in a featherweight special attraction. For info on purchasing tickets call 651-487-9578 or check out www.TheAmericanBoys.com. General Admission-$25, Gold ringside-$40, VIP-$75. Visit www.TheAmericanBoys.com to print out a coupon worth 10% on your ticket admission. Doors open at 6:30 pm with the first bout beginning at 7:30 pm. The Saint Paul National Guard Armory is located at 600 Cedar Street, St. Paul, Minnesota.. 4/6/04
Mohammed Kayongo, (10-0, 7ko’s) fresh off an impressive knockout win in Wisconsin on March 27th is scheduled to fight again on April 30th in Indianapolis, Indiana according to trainer Tom Brunette. The card will be shown on Espn and there is a good chance Kayongo’s scheduled eight round fight will be the opening televised bout. Kayongo’s opponent will be Jerome Elder (9-4, 9 ko’s) of Indianapolis.
Press Release: Bonsante -vs- Manfredo for NABO title “The Pride of Providence” Peter Manfredo, Jr. returns home May 14 to defend his NABO junior middleweight title for the first time against Anthony Bonsante in ESPN2 Friday Night Fights’ 12-round main event at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, CES president Jimmy Burchfield officially announced. Manfredo (20-0, 10 KOs), rated No. 6 by the WBO, will be making his debut as a main event fighter on national television. Minnesota native Bonsante (24-3-3, 13 KOs), rated No. 2 by the NABO, is best remembered for knocking out Tony Ayala Jr. a year ago. Former world heavyweight contender Scott LeDoux, who also does commentary for ESPN2, trains Bonsante. “Peter and Anthony are two young, Italian-Americans; good looking guys who can really fight,” promoter Burchfield said. “Peter isn’t afraid to fight anybody. The economics of boxing today has changed and it’s hard to make quality fights like this. It’s great both camps agreed to make this fight. We’re happy to have Scott LeDoux coming back to Providence (LeDoux lost a controversial 10-round decision to Dino Dennis 18 years ago in Providence.) I compliment Bonsante’s camp for taking this fight here.”
Kenny Kost (4-0) of White Bear Lake Knocked out Marris Virgil in Green Bay, Wisconsin in the sixth round Thursday night. Kost was knocked down himself in the fourth but sent the veteran Virgil to the canvas once in the fifth and closed the show by knocking him down and out in the sixth.
Mohammed Kayongo wins in Wisconsin! Minnesota Welterweight Mohammed Kayongo (10-0, 7 ko’s) stayed undefeated last Saturday, March 27 at the Mohican Northstar Casino in Bowler, WI. Tom Koplin, who runs the WisconsinBoxing.com website was ringside for the show. Here is what Mr Koplin had to say about Kayongo’s fight… The evening’s main event featured “The African Express”, undefeated Mohammed Kayongo of Uganda who is currently training in St. Paul at Brunette’s Gym against Isander Lacen of Milwaukee. After a couple slower paced opening rounds as they sized each other up, Kayongo began to take over and dominate Lacen causing Lacen’s corner to throw in the towel in the 5th round. Check out www.WisconsinBoxing.com for photos and results from the show. 3/28/04
Scott Ledoux on Espn 2 tonight Scott Ledoux will be guest hosting tonights Espn 2 Friday night fights from Miccosukee Indian Gaming in Miami, Florida. The main event has Ebo Elder taking on Oscar Diaz. 3/26/04
Zack Walters Update Zack Walters has another fight lined up in Tacoma Washington on April 3rd. He will be taking on his toughest test when he faces Robert Linton (10-2, 6 ko’s) of Seattle, Washington. To read about what Zack Walters has to say CLICK HERE.
Jason Litzau to fight on NBC? Looks like there is a good chance that Jason Litzau could be fighting on NBC at the end of April or early May. There are four weeks in a row that NBC is showcasing up and coming talent on National television. It turns out that every slot has been filled but one. Main Events is trying to put together a possible showdown between Jason Litzau and Sugar Ray Leonard fighter Bernard Dunne (11-0). I will keep you updated on the latest when anything is confirmed! 3/14/04
Litzau Brothers Return to the Armory April 9th! Allen and Jason Litzau will be headlining their second pro boxing show of the year when they return to action Friday, April 9th at the National Guard Armory in Saint Paul, MN according to manager/trainer Bob Van Syckle. Both Jason and Allen won their bouts in impressive fashion at the Armory last February 20th. However, some fans seemed a little disappointed in the main event which featured J. Litzau and an over matched fighter named Nelson Hernandez without knowing what happened prior to fight night.
Mark Nelson of Maplewood, Mn will be refereeing the WBA bantam championship in Copenhagen, Denmark. Johnny Bredahl (54-2, 26 KOs) puts his title belt on the line against unbeaten Japanese prospect Nobuaki Naka (17-0-2, 11 KOs). Good Luck Mark! 03/13/04
Fight night at the Shooting Star Casino Results! ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, if you didn’t make your way out to The Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen, MN on March 6th, you missed a great show. The nine bouts that were held saw about everything that a boxing event had to offer, including a marriage proposal. For the full report CLICK HERE. 03/11/04
Minnesota Boxing Update IBA World Champion Anthony Bonsante has informed me that he will be back in action either May 7th or 14th. Bonsante will be fighting in the Main Event on Espn2 for the WBC Intercontinental title potentially against Willie Gibbs of Philadelphia. I say potentially because they are still working on the dates and the contracts have not yet been signed. Bonsante also stated that he is now being trained by Former Minnesota Heavyweight contender Scott Ledoux!
Zach Walters Wins in Washington! “Jungle Boy” Zach Walters (6-0, 6 ko’s) tko ‘ed Jouse Cielos (3-4, 2 ko’s) in the first round at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington last weekend. Like his previous fight in Washington last month,Walters put on an impressive display of boxing and won over the Tacoma crowd. To read Zach Walters personal account of his trip and pictures of the fight CLICK HERE. 3/1/04
Movie Review: Against the Ropes Knock yourself out by seeing a movie with might.
Duluth Minnesota’s light heavyweight Zach Walters (5-0, 5 ko’s) will be heading back to the Emerald Casino in Tacoma Washington this Saturday, Feb. 28th. Walters made a strong showing of himself last month in Tacoma and may have found another place outside of MN to show off his skills and work towards gaining more national recognition.
Photo’s from Jason and Allen Litzau’s fight at the Saint Paul National Guard Armory last weekend are now here! To check out some of Matthew Rayburn’s pictures, CLICK HERE
The American Boys win at the Armory! Jason and Allen Litzau – “The American Boys” – looked impressive in their wins on Friday at the National Guard Armory in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was unfortunate that the original opponents for the Litzau’s never showed up, forcing them to scramble at the last second for replacements, but it still turned out to be a fun show. To read the nights full results CLICK HERE 2/21/04
Vanda, Brunette’s split Matt “The Predator” Vanda and Brunette Boxing will no longer be working together. I have spoken with both sides and neither want to make a public statement to go further into this story at this point. I will go more into the details when given the go ahead! Stay tuned! 2/18/04
Interview with Allen and Jason Litzau! Future Star Promotions and the Rice Street Boxing gym will be presenting “The American Boys” Professional boxing being held at the National Guard Armory in Saint Paul, Minnesota on February 20th. Headlining the card will be Brothers, Jason and Allen Litzau of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Bonsante,Vanda and Mike Evgen! According to the FightNews.com fight schedule, IBA World champ Anthony Bonsante(25-3-3) will be returning to action March 12th in San Bernardino, CA against Armando Velardez (16-3). Bonsante will not be available to comment until next week but I will let you know more as soon as I can if this fight is set.
St. Paul Armory show update Three Minnesota fighters have been added to the Professional boxing card being held on February 20th at the Saint Paul National Guard Armory. “Ko” Kenny Kost of White Bear Lake, Jose Leo Moreno of St.Paul and Quinton Osgood also of St.Paul will all be fighting in separate bouts. Brothers Jason and Allen Litzau will be headlining the show. For ticket info check out www.TheAmericanBoys.com. I will be visiting the White Bear Lake Boxing gym early next week for photos and interviews with the fighters.2/4/04
Vanda in trouble with authorities East Saint Paul’s Matt “The Predator” Vanda and his roommate were arrested last Friday and then released after being held for 48 hours on Sunday by St. Paul police. Authorities alledgedly found suspected methamphetamine, hallucinogenic mushrooms and $12,000. No charges have been filed at this point.
James Wayka wins in Michigan! Jr Middleweight James Wayka of Wisconsin but now fighting out of MN’s ACR boxing gym *James Wayka is scheduled to fight in Mahnomen, Mn on March 6th at the ShootingStarCasino I was finally able to get together with photographer Matthew Rayburn so we could organize his photos taken at the show on January 16th at the Minneapolis Convention Center. To see the Matt Vanda and Sam Garr photo essay CLICK HERE.
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The Acr Boxing club hosted a “A Fight Night in Fridley” last night at the Minnesota Sports cafe in Fridley, Mn. Duluth’s Darby Smart picked up the vacant Minnesota State featherweight title by winning a unanimous decision over Shakopee’s C.B. Bunkholt. Smart landed the harder, cleaner punches but Bunkholt showed his toughness by staying in the mix through the six rounds. Smarts best weapon in the fight was the straight left but it was a right hand to the head that put Bunkholt down nearing the end of the first round. It would be the only knockdown of the fight. Bunkholt had some good moments himself in the fight but he only really seemed to bring his best after being rocked. To Bunkholt’s credit, he took some hard shots and kept coming. The last few rounds were all action. The final scores were 60-53, 60-53, and 59-53 for Smart. For full report 
Three weeks ago, Zach “Jungle Boy” Walters traveled to Vero Beach, Florida for the training camp of world champion Antonio Tarver, hoping to gain valuable experience. Last weekend, he returned home to Minnesota having gained a new trainer in legendary James “Buddy” McGirt. 
The December 18th card being held in Fridley is now set for the most part. The main event will feature Darby Smart of Duluth, Mn taking on C.B. Bunkholt of Shakopee, Mn for the vacant Minnesota state featherweight title. Other matchups on the show will include ACR’s Innocent Otukwu -vs- John Sargent, Raphael Butler of Rochester -vs former Mike Tyson sparring partner Richie Goosehead, Matt Anderson -vs- Van Goodman,Tony Grygelko -vs- Brandon Busy, Andy Kolle -vs- John Mclean. Joe Lynch, who is coming off a big television win on Telefutura will be fighting an opponent tba. Also fighting but without an opponent at this time will be Scott Ball, Brad Laffin and Sean Hickman. For info on the event or tickets call John at 763-712-5868
Armando Velardez (19-3) of San Bernardino, CA won a 10 round unanimous decision Friday night over Rudy Lovato (20-30) of Denver, Colorado at the RiverCentre in Saint Paul, Minnesota.Velardez pressured Lovato for most of the bout but seemed a little off his game and confused at times with the awkward style of Lovato. Velardez won comfortably however with scores of 100-90 twice and 99-97 on the other card. In the co-main event, Mohammed Kayongo (11-0-1) of St. Paul, Mn knocked out Reggie Nash (9-10) of Grand Rapids, Michigan at 2:07 of the first round. Kayongo floored Nash early with a overhand right to the head. Kayongo continued to hit Nash as he was falling and when he eventually hit the canvas. Referee Jerry Legarde began to start the count but stopped as Nash’s corner began screaming furiously that their fighter was hit when he was on the canvas. After some confusion, Legarde ended up taking 2 points from Kayongo and awarded Nash 5 minutes to recuperate. Nash was moving pretty well after the time out but it wouldn’t last. Kayongo trapped Nash along the ropes and connected with another right to the head. He followed with a hurtful looking hook to the body that stopped Nash in his tracks and sent him to the canvas again. Nash was not able to recover from the shot and was counted out. 
There were two heavyweight bouts on the under card and neither went the distance. Rafael Butler’s perfectly placed hook to the body rendered Ross Brantley unable to continue a mere 30 seconds in. Brantley made the effort and actually got to his feet but was unable to stand the pain enough to stand up straight and had to call it quits. Butler was the 2004 Heavyweight National Golden Gloves Champion and has 4 first round knock outs in five trips to the ring with the other coming in the third of his pro debut. He should be one to watch for. 
“Jungleboy” Zach Walters tamed the “Wolfman” Marty Lindquist with a dramatic 2nd round TKO and became the Minnesota Light Heavyweight champion. The “Jungleboy” of Duluth, Minnesota upped his record to 8-1, 7 KO’s, with the only loss being a disputed decision. The “Wolfman” of Blaine, Minnesota drops to 10-4, 8 KO’s.
It was supposed to be a huge day for Minnesota boxing. A coming out party, so to speak. On January 16th of this year, local favorite Matt “The Predator” Vanda was headlining a main event on ESPN2. His opponent, Sam Garr, was a seasoned veteran and former title challenger. This was going to be a step up in opposition for Vanda. The Minneapolis Convention Center was packed, the crowd was loud and rowdy, and as the custom hog started revving, you could sense that something big was about to happen. 
The Final Press Conference and Weigh-In for “The Predator’s Summer Brawl” will take place Wednesday, August 18, 2004 at: Holiday Inn St. Paul, I-94 East 2201 Burns Avenue St. Paul, Minnesota 55119. The Press Conference will begin at 2:30 p.m. with the Weigh-In to occur at 5:00 p.m. in the McKnight #1 room on the 2nd Floor at the Holiday Inn/St.Paul. All fighters and their camps will be present. All media and fans are invited to attend.
The Corner Cantina in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota hosted “Fist of Fury” pro boxing and Tuff-Guy fights on Saturday July 31st, 2004. 
Rochester Minnesota’s heavyweight Raphael Butler had too much speed and power for his opponent Victor Ortiz now (5-2) last night at the The Pechanga Entertainment Center in Temecula, Ca. Butler dropped the shorter Ortiz twice. The fight was stopped at 1:51 of the first round. 
Undefeated Welterweight prospect Mohammed Kayongo will be making his National Television debut this coming Thursday as part of the co-main event on Shobox, Showtimes boxing program that features up and coming talent from around the world. Kayongo takes on Jose Antonio Ojeda (9-3, 6 ko’s) 
The Hogman wins in Montana!
Mohammed Kayongo Update
“Ko” Kenny Kost Knocks out Virgil!
