2014 PRO RESULTS
| VIDEO AND PHOTO’S: FULL HINKCLEY FIGHT CARD Wednesday, November 26, 2014 |
| MinnesotaBoxing.com caught all of the action from Friday, November 21st at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN both on video and by way of photo’s. Catching all 8 bouts on film was Minnesota journalist Ray Kilgore. You can find links to the video and 200 image photo gallery below.
Hinckley, MN Fight Card Video… |
| QUICK RESULTS FROM HINCKLEY Saturday, November 22nd, 2014 |
|
Rob Brant dropped Eric Draper multiple times as he improved to 13-0 with a first round TKO win. Time of stoppage was 1:30 of the first. |
| WEIGHTS FROM HINCKLEY, MN Thursday, November 20, 2014 |
|
Rob brant 161 vs Eric draper 160.5 Rondale hubbert 140 vs Jeremy mclaurin 139.5 Phil Williams 194 vs Gary Tapusoa 196 Antonio Johnson 153.5 vs Colby Courter 153 DeLorien Caraway 141.5 vs Guy Smith 142 Markus Morris 145.5 vs Nick Compton 151 Trevor Marmon 136 vs Ramiro Hernandez 131.5 Joe Amouta 173 vs Deangelo Curtis 173 |
| GRAND CASINO HINCKLEY BOXING THIS FRIDAY WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2014 |
| The Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minnesota will be the place to be this Friday night as 9 pro boxing bouts go down. Robert “Bravo” Brant (12-0, 6 KO’s) has fought his way to main event status and is featured in the nights final bout of the evening. Brant flew home from Dallas, Texas on Monday where he spent his training camp for this fight. Facing Brant will be 37 year old Eric Draper (8-6-1, 3 KO’s) of Indiana. Phil “The Drill” Williams (13-6-2, 12 KO’s) was set to face Harley Kilfian in a long awaited and interesting Cruiserweight bout. But Kilfian says an unavoidable work conflict came up and had to pull out. Matchmaker Cory Rapacz scrambled to find a replacement and found one in tough MMA fighter and boxer (6-2-1, 5 KO’s) Gary Tapuosa of Missouri. Should everything go well for Williams, he is second in line to face Michigan’s Jordan Shimmell on December 12 in Chicago (read more on that here…CLICK HERE). In the biggest local rivalry bout of the evening, Minnesota jr. welterweight champ Rondale Hubbert (7-0-1, 4 KO’s) battles Jeremy McLaurin (10-7-1, 5 KO’s) in a 135 pound bout. If you can make it to Thursday nights weigh in’s, you will most likely witness some heated words between the two. Saint Paul’s Antonio Johnson (10-1-1, 5 KO’s) returns after over a year away from action as he faces Colby Courter (6-4, 5 KO’s) of Missouri. Johnson has been vocal about facing the other top jr. middleweights in the state and around the country. This bout will be a good kick start to getting back into the spotlight. Courter is a hard nosed come at you fighter that was stopped by Jamal James last January. In an interesting welterweight bout, Markus Morris (5-1, 3 KO’s) of Duluth takes on Minnesota mixed martial artist Nick Compton (1-1, boxing). Compton has shown well in his 2 boxing bouts but is better known as one of the state’s top mma fighters. Morris, 24, has made a change in gyms and will look to bounce back from his only defeat last August. 26 year old DeLorien Caraway (3-0, 3 KO’s) is looking to win his fourth fight of 2014 against Nebraska’s Guy Smith Jr (2-1). Caraway, like Brant, has been getting work out of state for this fight night. Caraway flew back from Philadelphia last night. Two Minneapolis area fighters duke it out when Uppercut Gym’s Joe Amouta (1-1, 1 KO) meets ACR’s Deangelo Curtis (1-0). Amouta is very fun to watch, having come from slightly behind in his last bout to knock his favored opponent out cold. Curtis is also a guy that is not afraid to mix it up with anyone which makes this bout almost a promise to be fun. 32 year old Trevor Marmon (1-2-1, 1 KO) needs a win after dropping two straight and will try to do so against Ramiro Hernandez (2-0, 2 KO’s). Hernandez is from Ohio but trains when he’s in town at the White Bear Lake Gym with Jesse Garza. In what’s being dubbed a “walk in” bout, Alvin Varmall (5-0, 5 KO’s) will take on Chester Burton (2-2, 1 KO) at around 7pm before the show starts. Varmall is a Cruiserweight prospect fighting out of Louisiana. Burton is a Missouri heavyweight who’s faced decent competition early in his career. Duluth’s Andy “Kaos” Kolle was forced off the card due to injury a few weeks ago. |
| HENRIKSEN REPRESENTING TEAM USA IN KOREA Saturday, November 16, 2014 |
 Heidi Henriksen of St. Louis Park will compete with the rest of team USA’s elite women boxers beginning tomorrow at the World Championships in Korea. The competition goes from November 16th through the 24th. Henriksen, who will compete in the 178 pound division, says that she has been with the National team since May and is having a blast traveling and training with the team.
“The women’s world championships happens every two years and this will be my first time with the team competing at this level” said Henriksen. “A lot of preparation has lead me to Korea. Alonso Vazquez is my coach at home and has been putting in hours with me at Uppercut to get me ready. Caleb Truax and Rob Brant have both given me rounds of sparring that have proven valuable. I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and encouragement I’ve received from so many people at home. This trip has already been, and will continue to be an incredible learning experience for me.” You can read team USA’s bio on Heidi here… |
| ANTHONY ROSE MAKES MMA DEBUT TONIGHT Saturday, November 16, 2014 |
|
Well known Minnesota amateur boxer Anthony Rose (pictured above, left) of the Upper Cut Gym will make his MMA debut tonight in Austin, MN. Rose takes on a tough opponent in Adam Holzgrove in part of the Driller Promotins/Sterling Entertainment Group’s show title A-Town Throwdown IV. Rose trains mixed martial arts at The Academy in Minneapolis. |
| PEREZ TOPS ROBERTSON IN DULUTH Saturday, November 16, 2014 |
| Jonathan Perez (9-0, 6 KO’s) won the vacant MN State bantamweight title last night in Duluth when Antwan Robertson (10-10-1, 6 KO’s) could not answer the bell to start the fourth. Perez picked up right where he left off in there first fight a few months ago in Hinckley. The three rounds of action resembled the first meeting with Perez stalking Robertson around the ring. Robertson proved hard to hit again, but also threw very few shots of his own. Things picked up a bit in the third round with Perez throwing combinations and Robertson a few single shots. Perez landed a hook to the eye near the end of round three that seemed to bother Robertson as he went to his corner. He remained on his stool as round four was set to start and the first thought was that something had happened to his eye. But Ifan Sport Networks Craig Morrissey spoke to the ring physician and relayed to Minnesotaboxing.com that Robertson told the doctor he had thought he broke his hand and the fight was stopped. Florida’s Harold Calderon improved to (5-0) with a unanimous decision victory over Damion Hill (3-7). Hill hung in there tough until the end but Calderon’s combination punching and hard body shots broke Hill down throughout the bout. |
| EXPLOSIVE WEIGH IN’S IN DULUTH Friday, November 14, 2014 |
|
If last nights weigh ins at Grandma’s Sports Garden were any indication as to how tonight’s fight between Jonathan Perez and Antwan Robertson will go, we will be in for a battle. The battle of words began last night and almost turned into punches. At the scales, Perez said Robertson talks too much and that he was going to whoop him. Robertson countered by claiming there last meeting in the ring was nothing and that he has come to fight this time around. Robertson said that Perez can’t take what he’s bringing this time and added that he was bantamweight champ once and he’s going to do it again. Promoter Zach Walters said that it was heated from the time each fighter entered the room. Both fighters made the bantamweight limit so the vacant state title remains up for grabs. |
| PEREZ, ROBERTSON REMATCH NOVEMBER 14 IN DULUTH Monday, November 3, 2014 |
|
Jonathan “J-Blaze” Perez (8-0, 5 KO’s) of Minneapolis and Antwan “Lil Superman” Robertson (9-10-1, 6 KO’s) of Saint Paul will square off for the vacant MN State bantamweight title on November 14 at Grandma’s Sports Garden in Duluth, MN. The two fought this past August in a 122 pound bout with Perez taking the win. “We all know how Antwan does in rematches” said Robertson’s coach John Hoffman in reference to his rematch victory against Brad Patraw. ” We have plenty of time to prepare and we plan on bringing that title back home with us.” Despite the victory in the first meeting, Perez’s coach Adonis Frazier says they are preparing for a more competitive bout then the one fans saw in the first meeting.. ” This is boxing and we all know anything can happen. So we are preparing for the best Antwan Robertson that could possibly show up. We don’t underestimate anyone. We will do our job in the gym to prepare and plan on taking care of business on November 14 in Duluth.” The other professional bout of the evening sees local mixed martial artist/boxer Damien “The Wolverine” Hill (3-6) of Crystal taking on Florida’s Harold Calderon (4-0). Hill’s losses have come to top notch competition with names like Rob Brant, Corey Rodriguez, DeLorien Caraway, Rondale Hubbert, and Ken Glenn which is proof that Hill is not afraid to face anyone. And he’s put up a fight in each of those bouts. Calderon is a 5’10” welterweight south paw originally from Honduras and trains at the Circle of Discipline’s gym in Florida There will also be 10 amateur bouts to start the night off. Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketfly.com |
| TRUAX, JAMES BRING HOME VICTORIES Sunday, November 2, 2014 |
|
Report courtesy of Fightnews.com – In non-televised undercard action (November 1st at the UIC Pavillion in Chicago, Illinois), Caleb Truax (25-1-2, 15 KO’s) Osseo, Minnesota, continued his winning ways pounding out an 8th round TKO over the game Scott “Cujo” Sigmon (24-6-1, 13 KO’s) of Lynchburg, Virginia in a scheduled ten round middleweight bout. Truax’s blueprint was established early on, as he effectively raked Sigmon with heavy hooks to the body and solid right hands to the head. Sigmon fought back gamely, however other than an occasional right hand he was rarely in the fight. Truax continued committing to the body, but heavy shots upstairs had the ringside physician looking on with concern as round seven began. Early in the round, the ringside physician was again called up to inspect Sigmon’s eyes, with both appearing cut and beginning to swell. Action was allowed to resume however, and Truax resumed breaking down Sigmon, strafing him with left hooks and straight right hands to the head. After Sigmon was curiously deducted a point for holding in round eight, the end came moments later when Truax backed him up against the ropes and landed several jarring combinations, prompting the referee to intervene. Time of the stoppage was 1:42 of round eight. Jamal James (15-0, 8 KO’s) Minneapolis, Minnesota, seemed on his way to a pedestrian points win over the game, but limited Cameron Krael (6-7-2) Las Vegas, however with a little over a minute scheduled in their eight round welterweight contest, James uncorked a left hook to the side of Krael which sunk the Vegas fighter down to all fours, a look of anguish on his face, and unable to continue. Time of the stoppage was 59 seconds of the eighth. |
| WEIGHTS FROM CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Friday, October 31,2014 |
|
Caleb Truax 166.5 vs. Scott Sigmon 160 Promoter: Warriors Boxing |
| SANDS IN THE NEWS FOLLOWING WIN Tuesday, October 28, 2014 |
www.Northlandnewscenter.com post fight interview with Al Sands following Saturday nights victory over Andres Taylor…  www.DuluthNewsTribune.com recaps fight… |
| RESULTS FROM CARLTON, MN Monday, October 27, 2014 |
|
Al “The Haitian Temptation” Sands (15-1, 13 KO’s) of Duluth picked up a nice win on Saturday night at the Black Bear Casino in Carlton, MN over Andres Taylor (21-7-2, 8 KO’s). Sands controlled the better part of the action but Taylor was game, scoring a flash knockdown in the fourth. The biggest thing those in attendance described regarding Sands’ arsenal was a slightly different looking jab and overall calmness in the ring that messed with Taylor’s timing and piled on points as the bout unfolded. After ten rounds of action, all three judges saw the bout in favor of Sands by scores of 97-92. |
| SANDS, FORT AND MORE RETURN ON SATURDAY Thursday, October 23, 214 |
|
MN Cruiserweight champ Al Sands (14-1, 13 KO’s) will take on experienced Pennsylvanian Andres Taylor (21-6-2, 8 KO’s) this Saturday night at the Black Bear Casino in Carlton, MN. Sands has been traveling from Duluth to the cities to spar with many different looks including work with Caleb Truax who has a Showtime bout in Chicago next week. Sands will bring his heavy punches to the table against Taylor, who has only been stopped once in his pro career (that coming with 10 seconds left in round 12 of 12). Taylor, 35, had his best and most recent win in August of 2012 against West Virginia’s Justin Howes, who Al Sands coincidentally also stopped in 2013. |
| NOVEMBER 21ST HINCKLEY CARD SET Monday, October 20, 2014 |
 Robert “Bravo” Brant (12-0, 6 KO’s) will headline on November 21st at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN. Brant will face upset minded Eric Draper (8-6-1, 3 KO’s) of Indiana who is on a five fight unbeaten streak. Brant continues to raise his game with each fight as he has established himself as one of Minnesota’s top prospects and Draper has both beaten and lost to good level fighters. A Robert Brant-Andy Kolle showdown was in the cooker briefly and there is a good chance we will see those two square off in the near future. The two will be featured back to back on this show in separate bouts.Kolle (26-4, 18 KO’s) continues his comeback with the goal of getting back into National level fights. The 32 year old Duluth resident is coming off of a unanimous decision victory last March against Ryan Davis. He will face recent Cerresso Fort opponent Dennis Sharpe (17-13-4, 4 KO’s) in an 8 round bout. Sharpe can be tricky, especially with adequate time to train like this but will be looking to pick up his first victory since 2005. There again though, Sharpe has lost to some top competitors. Minnesota Jr. Welterweight champion Rondale Hubbert (7-0-1, 4 KO’s) will face local rival Jeremy McLaurin (10-7-1, 5 KO’s) in a 135 pound, 8 round bout. This will be without a doubt a fight you will not want to miss. Hubbert and McLaurin have been trading insults for weeks on social media. And they have both been training like animals for the chance to shut the others mouth. This hasn’t been your average pre fight talk either. These guys dislike each other with a passion. Phil “The Drill” Williams (13-6-2, 12 KO’s) will take on Wisconsin’s Harley “The Sandman” Kilfian (10-15, 8 KO’s) in a Cruiserweight bout. This is a fight that has been talked about for years but has not come together until now. Both Williams and Kilfian send word that they are coming to knock the other guy out. Williams destroyed Galen Brown last August and Kilfian is coming off of a fight of the year candidate loss against Al Sands last June in a bout that saw both guys hit the canvas hard. DeLorien Caraway (3-0, 3 KO’s) of Minneapolis tries to continue his impressive showings in the ring against Nebraska’s Guy Smith Jr (2-1, 1 KO) in a five round fight. Duluth’s Markus Morris (5-1, 3 KO’s) takes on tough MMA/Boxer Nick Compton (1-1) in the nights 4 round opener. Saint Paul’s Antonio Johnson (10-1-1, 5 KO’s) has just announced that he will be in action as well with more details to come. Aaron Green (15-0, 13 KO’s) of Minneapolis and Byron Polley (26-17-1, 12 KO’s) were set to pick up where they left off last March but Green announced today that he will be unable to box due to injuries that have plagued him for much of his career. “I want to start off by saying thank you for all of your support. Although my leg is better than it was, it is not to the level it needs to be to be competitive. I will no longer be fighting next month in Hinckley and more than likely I will have to put boxing to the side. It’s not been easy making this decision but my health and safety are more important. Thank you again everyone!” |
| RODRIGUEZ AMONG THOSE HONORED ON OCTOBER 3RD Saturday, October 18, 2014 |
|
Bobby Rodriguez, pictured center and surrounded by family was one of the modern boxers inducted into the class of 2014 MN Boxing Hall of Fame this past October 3rd at the Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake. |
| BIG FIGHT FALLS THROUGH FOR MUWENDO Monday, October 13, 2014 |
 Ismail “The Sharp Shooter” Muwendo (15-0, 11 KO’s) of Minneapolis had his sights set on what would have been the biggest fight of his career on October 25th in Carlton, MN. Former NABO featherweight champion Cornelius Lock’s (22-7-2, 14 KO’s) manager Brian Cohen contacted Muwendo’s trainer Scott Tolzman and asked for the fight, and according to Tolzman, they accepted, only to never hear back.
“Cornelius Lock at 132lbs.-send contract” was what Tolzman says he was sent. Team Muwendo accepted the fight and Jungle Boy Promotions spoke with Locks’ manager about details with reportedly no issue with purses. Everything looked set but then communication ceased, with nothing more from Team Lock. “This along with the local matchups falling apart with Wilton Hilario and Tony Lee has made for a very frustrating year” said Tolzman. “With that said, we are very grateful to Zach Walters and Jungle Boy Promotions and the Black Bear Casino for giving us a venue and stage to perform on.” Muwendo will now face Lowell Brownfield (11-11-1, 4 KO’s) of California. Brownfield has made a career of taking on high level fighters on short notice but sends word that he is looking forward to having adequate time to train for the first time in years and is coming to upset the Ugandan born Muwendo. The full card as it stand can be viewed here… |
| JAMAL JAMES LATEST TO SIGN WITH HAYMON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2014 |
|
Jamal “Shango” James and his team held a press conference this past Sunday in Minneapolis to announce that he has signed a contract with world recognized boxing manager Al Haymon. James joins Minnesota’s Caleb Truax and Javontae Starks who also signed with Haymon in recent months. “I want to thank everyone who came out last night (Sunday) and those who were unable to but sent there support and well wishes” said James. “Everything I’ve accomplished is because I had the right people pushing me and pulling me and keeping me on track. I want to thank God first and foremost. My family close and abroad for all the support and those who may not be around as often but still played a role in me getting to where I’m at now.” James, 26, currently holds a professional record of (14-0, 7 KO’s) as a pro. |
| AL SANDS RETURNS TO HEADLINE OCT. 25 CARD WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2014 |
 “The Haitian Temptation” Al Sands (14-1, 13 KO’s) headlines on October 25th at the Black Bear Casino in Carlton, MN against Andres Taylor (21-6-2, 8 KO’s) of Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
To watch the Duluth WDIO News Interview… Also on the card, “Sir” Cerresso Fort (17-3-1, 11 KO’s) gets back to business against Iowa’s Jeremy Marts (12-17, 9 KO’s) in a 6 round bout. |
| OUTLAW DEFEATS KESHICK IN DULUTH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2014 |
|
Saint Paul’s Dalton Outlaw outworked Michigan’s Lexie Keshick over four rounds of action on Friday, September 19th at Grandma’s Sports Garden in Duluth, MN. As usual, Keshick showed up to mix it up in entertaining fashion but Outlaw was too sharp and pulled away on points more and more as the bout went on. Outlaw moves to (2-0) with Keshick falling to (1-3). |
| BUTLER’S UNBEATEN MMA RECORD SNAPPED ON SPIKE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2014 |
| Raphael “The Silencer” Butler (8-1-1) suffered his first defeat in the MMA cage on Friday, September 19th against Javy Ayala (8-3) on Spike TV. Butler took a few shots to begin and then landed a shot on the inside that busted Ayala’s nose bloody. Ayala then brought Butler to the ground, took his back and sunk in a rear naked choke that forced the Rochester native to tap out. Butler said after that he learned from the mistake and plans to return to the cage soon. |
| WEIGHTS FROM DULUTH, MN THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2014 |
|
Lexie Keshick 165 lbs. vs. Dalton Outlaw 168 lbs. Venue: Grandma’s Sports Garden, Duluth, MN
|
| RAPHAEL BUTLER BACK ON SPIKE TV TOMORROW NIGHT THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2014 |
|
Raphael “The Silencer” Butler will be back on Spike TV tomorrow night fighting for Bellator MMA. Butler currently holds an undefeated 8-0-1 record as a mixed martial artist. The Rochester heavyweight faces Javy Ayala (7-3) in 1 of 4 featured televised bouts. Butler told Minnesotaboxing.com that he has been training rigorously as he’s prepared for victory number 9. “I have been training at Alliance MMA Training Center in San Diego, CA and I’ve been there since July 8th” said Butler. “I’ve been training with a lot of fighters that the average fan would know like Phil Davis, Dominic Cruz, Joey Beltran, Jeremy Stevens, and Miles Jury but there are a whole stable of good fighters there. Javy Ayala is a top prospect according to www.MNMMANEWS.com but Butler is ready to make a statement following a draw in his last Bellator bout. The action begins at 8pm tomorrow night on Spike TV. You can catch Butler and the rest of the fighters in action as they weigh in live at the following link tonight at 7pm… |
| COREY THOMPSON WINS MMA DEBUTE WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014 |
|
Former Minnesota amateur boxing standout Corey Thompson of Frazee, MN made his mixed martial arts debut on September 6th in Detroit Lakes, MN. Thompson, who’s also 1-0 as a pro boxer, defeated Deangel Curtis by majority decision with scores of 28-28,28-27,28-27. Curtis is an mma fighter who is also 1-0 as a pro boxer. Thompson has had limited MMA training but showed good ground fighting skills throughout the bout along with his obvious punching abilities. |
| OUTLAW, KESHICK HEADLINE PRO-AM NEXT FRIDAY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014 |
 Element Boxings Dalton Outlaw (1-0) of Saint Paul will battle Michigan’s Lexie Keshick (1-2) in the professional boxing main event portion of a pro-am on Friday, September 19th at Grandma’s Sports Garden in Duluth. Outlaw will have Minnesota boxing hall of famer Will “Steel” Grigsby in his corner as he looks to pick up his second win as a professional. The 21 year old Keshick is never in a boring fight and promises to bring his best back to Minnesota. Wisconsin’s all action lightweight Duarnado Vue (2-0) is also in action in the other pro fight of the night. Amateur boxing action kicks off the action. “Back to School 2” is promoted by Jungle Boy Boxing. October 25th at the Black Bear Casino in Carlton, MN will be Jungle Boy’s next show and features Al Sands in what’s being reported as his toughest test along with Cerresso Fort and Ismail Muwendo seeing action as well.
Dalton Outlaw and Lexie Keshick talked about there boxing backgrounds and shared thoughts on the upcoming fight card next Friday. To read what they had to say… |
| TRUAX SET TO BOX ON SHOWTIME IN NOVEMBER SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014 |
 Minnesota Middleweight champion “Golden” Caleb Truax (24-1-2, 14 KO’s) will be the opening Showtime televised bout on November 1st at the UIC Pavillion in Chicago, Illinois. Truax will face Lynchburg, Virginia’s Scott “Cujo” Sigmon (24-5-1, 13 KO’s). Truax says he doesn’t know a lot about Sigmon at this point but expects a tough fight. ” I’m back on Showtime and I’m ready to make a statement” said Truax, who turned 31 years old today. |
| 2014 MN BOXING HALL OF FAME BANQUET APPROACHING SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014 |
| The 2014 Minnesota boxing hall of fame banquet is fast approaching and takes place this upcoming October 3rd, 2014. This years ceremony will be back at the Mystic Lake Casino and there will be six past MN boxing icons being honored in what will be the fifth year running. Bobby Rodriguez and Al Andrews are this years Modern inductee’s. Jack Gibbons and King Tut were elected from the Old Timers Category. Jim O’Hara and Jim Morgan are the two Expanded Category honoree’s. There was no Pioneer selection chosen this year. Caleb Truax will also be recognized for his accomplishments in the ring as fighter of the year and Tony Grygelko was picked by the board as Promoter of the year. For more information on this year’s inductee’s as well as ticket info... |
| STARKS MOVES TO 10-0 WITH ROAD WIN TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2014 |
| 25 year old Javontae Starks of Minneapolis stayed unbeated as he picked up win number 10 (7 by knockout) on August 22nd in California against veteran Arturo Urena (20-17). Starks outboxed Urena, putting him down in round three and going on to win by TKO in the following round 4. It was his first fight under manager Al Hayman. Team Starks put together a video of the fight which can be seen below.
|
| FRIDAY NIGHT HINCKLEY, MN PHOTO GALLERY SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 2014 |
| Here is a link to the full fight photo gallery from last Friday’s action at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN. Full report and details to follow…
|
| QUICK RESULTS FROM HINCKLEY FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014 |
|
Rondale “Give Em Hell” Hubbert (7-0-1, 4 KOs) of Moorhead, MN won the vacant Minnesota State Junior Welterweight title with a unanimous decision victory over RJ “T-Rex” Laase (12-2, 8 KOs) in the main event on Friday night at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN. Both fighters traded staggering shots throughout in what turned out to be an exciting fight while the packed arena of just over 2000 people cheered on. Hubbert ran out of his corner at the opening bell and unloaded hard and wild punches that backed Laase up. Hubbert latter explained the strategy, saying that he wanted to show Laase he was there to fight. It was a risky strategy to fight with such reckless aggression on Hubberts part not only to start the fight but as he did many times throughout because of the chance to punch himself out. But it turned out to be what banked him the rounds he won in the end. Laase stayed calm and weathered the storm. He began to walk Hubbert down in round two, landing hard body shots. The middle rounds were back and forth with what seemed like all power shots being thrown by both men behind the deafening screams around the arena pushing them on. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Hubbert by scores of (77-75, 78-74, 77-75). Jamal “Shango” James (14-0, 7 KOs) of Minneapolis, MN defeated Wayne Martell (25-5-1, 15 KOs) of North Dakota by first round TKO in the co-featured bout of the evening in a Welterweight match. James dropped Martell early with a countering left hook to the head. Martell was more stunned then hurt and popped up. Martell attempted to fight back but James was going for the finish. A body shot put Martell down moments later followed by two more quick knockdowns and referee Gary Miezwa stopped the fight at 2:59 of the opening round. Robert “Bravo” Brant of Saint Paul, MN improved to (12-0, 6 KOs) with a well-deserved eight round unanimous decision victory over Markus Upshaw (17-13, 8 KOs) of Miami, Florida in a middleweight bout. Brant’s speed and better combination punching was his key to victory for but as always, Upshaw pushed the hometown favorite to the limit. Scores read 77-75 twice and 79-74 for Brant. Phil “The Drill” Williams (13-6-2, 12 KOs) of Minneapolis, MN crushed St. Joseph, Missouri’s Galen “Bad Boy” Brown (42-28, 25 KOs) in round two. The two cruiserweights didn’t throw a lot of punches in the opening round, with both fighters waiving the other in. The slow pace continued into the second with Brown tossing out sporadic pot shot attempts and Williams shoulder rolling his way out of danger while cocking his left out of a southpaw stance. ?Just as the round came to an end, Williams snapped Brown’s head back with two right jabs and a power bomb of a left uppercut dropped Brown to his back and across the bottom rope. Brown somehow got to his feet but Gary Miezwa correctly stopped the fight after a brief look at Brown. Official time of the stoppage was 2:59 of the second round. Jonathan “J-Blaze” Perez (8-0, 5 KOs) swept all five rounds over Antwan “Lil Superman” Robertson (9-10-1, 6 KOs) in a Super Bantamweight bout. Perez spent the entire fight chasing the defensive minded Robertson. Robertson was elusive but threw very few punches in the bout. Perez marched forward, throwing lunging jabs and hooks that scored points in an effort to get a fight started to no avail. MMA fighter Mark Sainci of Michigan win his boxing pro debut with a third round TKO win over fellow mixed martial artist/ boxer Andrew Selvig (1-4, 1 KO) of Duluth, MN. Selvig was game but completely outgunned by the speed and power of Sainci. Sainci scored a knockdown in the second round with a head shot and a flurry of unanswered head shots in round three brought on the stoppage by referee Gary Miezwa at :49 into the third round. Joe “The Don” Lorenzi (3-5, 3 KOs) of Duluth, MN avenged a 2007 decision loss to Lucas “The Pit bull” St. Claire (3-5, 2 KOs) with a fourth round TKO in the action packed opening bout of the night. St. Claire fought aggressively and landed some heavy shots to the head and body. Lorenzi was able to take everything St. Claire had though and slowly broke “The Pit Bull” down. An accidental clash of heads in round two shook both fighters and left a gash over the right eye of Lorenzi. ?St. Claire appeared winded from the second round on but still fought on. Lorenzi put St. Claire down twice in the round once with a head shot and the second to the body. St. Claire didn’t seem to have much left in his legs from the fast pace and hard shots from Lorenzi heading into the fourth round. Lorenzi weathered one final assault from St. Claire before going on the offensive. Lorenzi dropped St. Claire twice with head shots before referee Mark Nelson waived the fight off. |
| RONDALE HUBBERT, RJ LAASE INTERVIEWS FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014 |
|
Fight night is here and both Rondale Hubbert and RJ Laase have their sights set on the MN State 140 pound title. Below are interviews with both men done by John D’Auria of “Boxing with the Truth”. RONDALE HUBBERT INTERVIEW… |
| STARKS BOXING ON ESPN CARD IN CALI TONIGHT FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014 |
|
Javontae Starks (9-0, 6 KO’s) of Minneapolis is boxing on an ESPN televised card tonight in California. It will be his first fight following his signing with famous manager Al Hayman. Starks will face 41 year old Arturo Urena (20-17, 16 KO’s). ‘My goal is to put the spotlight in Minnesota for winning fighters. I want to do what Caleb (Truax) is doing. And that is bring boxing back to Minnesota” said Starks. “The next fight is the biggest opportunity of my life. I’ve signed with Al Hayman and it’s the first fight under that team. It’s on the Austin Trout undercard. I don’t know if I will be guaranteed TV time like my last fight which was a swing bout. The fight is scheduled for 8 rounds against a veteran guy. I hear he is very game and tough and has been in there with a lot of great champions. I am going to go in there and get back to the boxing and hopefully get the stoppage victory. |
| LORENZI AND ST. CLAIRE READY TO RUMBLE AGAIN THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2014 |
| Tomorrow night’s action is set to kick off at 7:30 at the Grand Casino in Hinckley and the opening bout of the evening is one that you won’t want to be late for. Duluth’s Joe Lorenzi and North Dakota’s Lucas St. Claire are set to meet in a rematch cruiserweight bout. The two met in 2007 with St. Claire winning a close decision. To read more… |
| JAMES FACES MARTELL TOMORROW NIGHT THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2014 |
|
Minnesota welterweight champion Jamal “Shango” James (13-0, 6 KO’s) will put his boxing skills on display this Friday night at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN. The 26 year old James will face North Dakota veteran Wayne Martell (25-4-1, 15 KO’s) in one of the nights featured bouts. James nearly stopped tough Indiana boxer Angel Hernandez last March in Hinckley, busting him up along the way and scoring a near shutout victory. James shared his thoughts on the Hernandez fight and what he is looking to do in the near future… |
| JAMES, BRANT FEATURED ON EASTSIDEBOXING WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014 |
| www.EASTSIDEBOXING.COM – Friday Night’s card at Grand Casino Hinckley, where another sold out crowd is expected, will feature a handful of the most talented prospects the state of Minnesota has produced in several years.
In the night’s first featured bout Robert “Bravo” Brant (11-0 6 KOs) of St. Paul, MN will look to keep his undefeated record intact and his momentum growing as he takes on the toughest opponent of his career in battle tested veteran Marcus Upshaw (17-12-2) of Miami, FL in an 8 round middleweight bout. |
| WDIO NEWS INTERVIEWS JOE LORENZI, RJ LAASE MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2014 |
| By: Eyewitness Sports, Duluth, Minn. – People utilize the weekends to rest and relax, but RJ Laase isn’t most people. The pro boxer from Duluth has his eyes on the Minnesota State Junior Welterweight Title. The owner of Lorenzi’s Boxing Gym is also on Friday’s card and for Joe ‘The Don’ Lorenzi, its about the number three. He is looking to extend his winstreak to three straight and his family is now at three as he and his wife Carrie welcomed their baby daughter Nora into the world about seven months back… |
| PHIL WILLIAMS FEATURED IN HINCKLEY THIS FRIDAY MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2014 |
| Phil “The Drill” Williams (12-6-2, 11 KO’s) will be making his 8th appearance at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN this Friday night. Williams will be moving back up to the Cruiserweight division as he faces Saint Joseph, Missouri’s Galen “Bad Boy” Brown (42-27-1, 25 KO’s) in an 8 round bout. MinnesotaBoxing.com caught up with Williams last week at the Uppercut Gym to discuss his last Minnesota bout against Derrick Findley, and his decision to move back up to the weight that saw him crush opponents at… |
| LAASE/HUBBERT PROMO, PLUS FOX 21 NEWS VIDEO FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2014 |
|
The State Jr Welterweight belt (shown above) has arrived at the promoter’s office and will be claimed on August 22nd in Hinckley by either RJ Laase (12-1) or Rondale Hubbert (6-0). Fox 21 News Duluth and On Point Productions each recently video previewed the showdown and both can be seen below. |
| STACKED CARD AUG. 22 IN HINCKLEY APPROACHING SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, 2014 |
|
Minnesota’s next pro boxing show is less then two weeks out and it’s a good one. The show is headlined by the vacant MN state jr. welterweight showdown between Duluth’s RJ Laase (12-1) and Rondale Hubbert (6-0-1) of Minneapolis. Full fight preview and interviews to follow so stay tuned. |
| TONIGHTS MYTH NIGHTCLUB FIGHT CARD CANCELLED FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2014 |
| It was announced yesterday that tonight’s pro boxing show to take place at the Myth Nightclub in Maplewood has been cancelled. Seconds Out Promotions released the following statement…
“We regret to inform you Fight Club at Myth this Friday has been cancelled. In preparation for the fight we had a number of fighters become injured. One of which was our main event. As a result, we do not think it is safe for the fighters to proceed, nor do we think it is fair to the fans to put on a less than great event. Seconds Out Fights is one of the states most prestigious boxing event promotors. The reputation of our fighters, events, sponsors, and ultimately ticket holders is on the line each and every time we put on a fight. For this reason, we feel we must cancel the event. |
| TONY LEE HEADLINES THIS FRIDAY NIGHT WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2014 |
 Minnesota State lightweight champion Tony “2 sharp” Lee headlines this Friday night at the Myth Nightclub in Maplewood, MN. Lee will face Lowell Brownfield of California in an 8 round bout at 135 pounds. Interview with Tony Lee to come.Also, Nate Richardson of Coon Rapids takes on Zach Cooper in a 6 round jr. middleweight bout. Deangelo Curtis and Joe Amouta mix it up in a 4 round bout at 168 pounds. John Moxey and Nate Rosa start the night off in a 4 round heavyweight bout. Wisconsin’s Andre Sherard is also scheduled to box against an opponent to be named. |
| RODRIGUEZ PICKS UP BIG WIN IN CARLTON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2014 |
|
Corey Rodriguez was victorious over Brandon Quarles in the 8 round main event on Saturday, August 2nd at the Black Bear Casino in Carlton, MN. Rodriguez’s relentless pressure and accurate punches were the difference in the fight although Quarles did well boxing, moving, and landing solid shots of his own particularly in the early going. Scores read 78-74, 77-75, 78-74 all in favor of Rodriguez. |
| MUWENDO, MORRIS IN THE NEWS FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 |
| Ismail Muwendo of Minneapolis and Markus Morris of Duluth are both scheduled to be in action tomorrow night at the Black Bear Casino in Carlton, MN. Fox 21 News spoke with Muwendo and WDIO News featured Morris. Visit the links below to watch the video.
• Fox 21 News Interviews Ismail Muwendo |
| ROBERTSON BOUT CANCELED IN NEW YORK THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2014 |
 Antwan Robertson and Elton Dharry’s bout scheduled to take place tomorrow night in Queens, NY, has been cancelled. The New York boxing commission was forced to cancel the show because it did not meet the minimum rounds required by the NY boxing commission due to various reasons. Robertson and his manager John Hoffman say they were informed of the news at the commission’s office Wednesday afternoon. Following the fall out of the fight, Robertson’s team is negotiating to box on August 22nd in Hinckley, MN. To read the full story… |
| RODRIGUEZ, MUWENDO HEADLINE THIS SATURDAY WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2014 |
| Jungle Boy Promotions will feature a double main event this Saturday night at the Black Bear Casino in Carlton, MN. Newly crowned MN jr. middleweight champion Corey Rodriguez (11-3, 4 KO’s) will face off against Virginia’s Brandon Quarles (13-2, 5 KO’s). Rodriguez was set to defend the title against Charles Meier but Meier injured his elbow last week while sparring and was forced off. Quarles was originally set to fight Cerresso Fort but Fort fell off the card with a hand injury. Negotiations were successful in bringing the 8 round bout between Rodriguez and Quarles together. Also, Minneapolis “Sharp Shooter” Ismail Muwendo gets back into the ring to face tough as nails Missouri boxer Robbie Cannon. Muwendo’s was set to fight Wayne Martell last May but Martell was a no show for the fight. Muwendo has had tough luck securing opponents but there is no doubt Cannon will be ready, having faced locals Gary Eyer, Jeremy McLaurin, and Tony Lee. The rest of the nights action is as follows…Markus Morris 5-0 3KO vs Benito Tovar 3-1-1 3KO Duarn Vue 1-0 vs Jacob Fox 2-2 1KO Dalton Outlaw 0-0 vs Catlyn Little Eagle 1-0 Julio Garcia 0-0 vs Dale Bennet 0-0 Ramiro Hernandez 0-0 vs Brandon Cluever 2-2Visit www.Duluthboxing.com HERE to read the official press release |
| TRUAX SCORES BIG WIN OVER ENNIS SATURDAY, JULY 26, 2014 |
| Minnesota’s “Golden” Caleb Truax (24-1-2, 14 KOs) won a decisive unanimous decision over Derek Ennis (24-4-1, 13 KOs) of Philadelphia, PA. last night on ESPN. Scores were 97-93, 97-93 and 99-90. Truax pressed forward and was able to take away Ennis’s boxing ability and counter punches by landing powerful punches before smothering and muscling Ennis around the ring. It was a quality win for Truax that could lead to something big in the near future. Below is a link to the full fight and a few National fight reports.
• Video: Truax vs Ennis, Full Fight Video |
| WEIGHTS FROM CHICAGO THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2014 |
|
Venue: UIC Pavilion, Chicago |
| TRUAX BACK ON ESPN THIS FRIDAY NIGHT WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 2014 |
|
Truax and his team have made some additions since his last bout. Joining him and trainer Tom Halstad is personal trainer and nutritionist Josh Hutton. Also, Truax recently signed with well known boxing manager Al Hayman, who will now take on co-managing duties along with Ron Lyke…
|
| WEEKEND RESULTS – ALFARO DROPS CLOSE DECISION MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2014 |
| Minnesota State Jr. Featherweight champion Vicente Alfaro (6-4) lost what apeared to be a close and competitive bout to Stephon Young (10-0-1) last Friday night in an ESPN televised bout despite what the scorecards show. Most viewers believe the fight was close and ESPN’s online voters had Alfaro ahead 5 rounds to 1 while commentator Teddy Atlas had Young ahead by a point. Official scores read 60-54, 60-56, and 59-55. Alfaro came forward landing jabs, hooks to the body, and over hand rights and also showed good defense and movement. Young was speedier while punching and moving. You can watch the fight for yourself below.
|
| ALFARO FEATURED IN ESPN BOUT JUNE 27 SUNDAY, JUNE 22, 2014 |
 Northfield’s Vicente Alfaro (6-3) will face Stephon Young (9-0-1) on June 27 on ESPN in St. Charles, MO. A decorated amateur, Young is a crafty southpaw from Saint Louis, Missouri. So, Vicente and his trainer have been scouring the state for lefties and he has been getting some good sparring at his home away from home, the Circle of Discipline. Vicente has been unable to land a fight since his exciting title matchup with Brad Patraw on February 9th, 2013. In August of 2013, he was sparring, working a combination passed on from Mike Tyson, namely, right hook to the body-right uppercut to the head and he caught his thumb on the chin of his sparring mate. The injury required surgery and rehab but he says the thumb is strong now. Alfaro, who prefers to fight at 118, is very eager to get in the ring in his home state. He had a contract for a bout here in May but that matchup fell through at the last minute. Vicente said, “As a Minnesota champion I hope that someone steps forward to challenge me. I would love to fight before my fans here in Minnesota again. Love it. But for now I have to concentrate all my energies on defeating Stephon Young in his home town.” |
| SANDS, RODRIGUEZ WIN STATE TITLE BOUTS – FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014 |
|
Quick Results: Last night was a busy boxing night in Minnesota that saw Al Sands defend his MN State Cruiserweight title successfully against Harley Kilfian in Duluth, and Corey Rodriguez win the vacant MN State Super Welterweight title against Stephen Watt in Minneapolis, though neither win came easy. Sands scored two big knockdowns (left hooks to the head of Kilfian) before being dropped hard himself in round five by multiple right hands to the head from Kilfian. Sands appeared to be in serious trouble but another left put Kilfian to the canvas just as the round was coming to an end. Good action continued into the eighth where at about the midway point of the round, Sands landed a body shot followed by another left that sent Kilfian down again. Kilfian made it to his feet but referee Scott Erickson waived the fight off at 1:44 of round 8. Corey Rodriguez was in charge through most of his fight against Stephen Watt but Watt’s toughness and tricky power punches made each round action packed. Watt came out fast, throwing bombs but Rodriguez stayed calm and defensively avoided most of the punches, which is a big strength of his under pressure. Watt powered forward with heavy punches while Rodriguez landed more cleanly through three rounds. Round four was dominant for Rodriguez as he rocked a tiring Watt around the ring. At some point, Watt injured his left arm in the round as he grimaced in pain and the injured arm was a problem for him for the remainder of the bout. Watt continued to try to fight back in the fifth despite Rodriguez landing at will. Rodriguez had Watt bleeding from the nose and a swelling cut eye in round 7 as he punished Watt with head and body punches. Watt showed tremendous heart in fighting back but Rodriguez kept the pressure on and the bout was stopped following the end of the seventh round. More results from Minneapolis… More results from Duluth…
|
| RODRIGUEZ PLANS TO BRING TITLE BACK TO FAMILY FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014 |
 Corey “Collateral Damage” Rodriguez (10-3-3) will battle Stephen Watt (3-2) for the vacant 154 pound MN state title tonight at the Muse Nightclub in Minneapolis, MN.Rodriguez will be following in his uncles footsteps as both Rafael and Bobby Rodriguez fought for the state title multiple times throughout the 70’s and 80’s. Minnesota boxing hall of famer Rafael Rodriguez held the 154 pound title in 1974 after beating Minneapolis Irishman Mike Morgan and once again in 1981 after defeating Tyrone Wren. He then lost the final bout of his career to fellow MN Hall of Famer Gary Holmgren for the same title. Bobby Rodriguez fought Rick Folstad twice in 1977 for the State jr. welterweight title… |
| SANDS SET FOR KILFIAN REMATCH TONIGHT FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014 |
 By DuluthBoxing.com: On June 13th local Duluth Champion, Al “Haitian Temptation” Sands, opens a new chapter in his boxing career… defending one of his titles. This Friday Sands defends his Minnesota Cruiserweight Title which he captured in convincing fashion April 27 of last year by dispatching Lucas St Claire by 1st round KO. That night ended a one year campaign by Sands and his team to capture the State Title. Along the way Sands cleaned out the cruiserweight division by beating and challenging everyone in his path. In the heap of rubble left behind was Harley Kilfian who was rated #1 when Sands boxed him first and is #1 in the division today. Since their first meeting both have remained the most active cruiserweights in the MN Rankings which is why Kilfian is still #1 and Sands stands strong as Champ. One difference, though, is since winning the state title Sands has gone on to secure his position as a Main-Event fighter, a top 10 national ranking, and recently won the NABA-US Cruiserweight Championship making him one of the most accomplished boxers in the state… |
| WEIGHTS FROM MINNEAPOLIS, MN THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2014 |
|
Vacant MN State Jr. Middleweight Title Bout Rob Brant 166.6 lbs vs. Mickey Scarborough 165 Delorien Caraway 146.6 vs. Rickey Smith 148.6 Van Goodman 301 vs. James Roe 208 Carl Deaton III 155 lbs vs. Starr Roberts 155.8 Nick Whitting 199.8 vs Rich Miller 200.2 Venue: The Muse in Minneapolis, MN |
| WEIGHTS FROM DULUTH, MN THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2014 |
|
10-round MN State Cruiserweight Title Bout Markus Morris 154 lbs. vs Jeremy Marts: 154.5 lbs. Kou Lee 135 lbs vs Duarn Vue 134 lbs Promoter: Jungle Boy Boxing |
|
SANDS VS KILFIAN 2 THIS FRIDAY |
|
Al Sands and Harley Kilfian will battle again on June 13 at Grandma’s Sports Garden in Duluth, MN. Both fighters rocked each other in the first fight until Sands took over with body shots before stopping Kilfian in round 4 when the met in 2012. The bout will be for Sands MN Cruiserweight title. Harley Kilfian interview can be seen here... |
| TRUAX RETURNS TO ESPN ON JULY 25 THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014 |
| USBA Middleweight Champion and WBA #15, IBF #13, and WBO #11-rated Caleb “Golden” Truax (23-1-2, 14 KOs) of Osseo, Minnesota, will face Sonora, Mexico’s Rogelio “Porky” Medina (32-6, 26 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight co-featured non-title fight on July 25th, 2014 at the UIC Pavillion in Chicago, Illinois. The bout will be featured on ESPN 2 Friday night fights.
“I can’t wait to get back in action on ESPN” Truax told Minnesotaboxing.com. “Nothing beats fighting at home in Mpls, but fighting on the road in Chicago will present different challenges and I’ll get to expand my fan base. Medina is a tough vet who brings it and I am working like this is a title fight. I will be in top form on July 25th and will represent Minnesota and #TeamTruax to the fullest!” For more… |
| JUNE 7 MYTH CARD MOVED TO AUGUST 8, 2014 THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014 |
| Seconds Out Promotions announced last week that the June 7th card to be held at the Myth Nightclub in Maplewood was pushed back to August 8th. Here was the announcement… “ATTENTION: Due to unforeseen circumstances we are postponing our JUNE 7 event to FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2014! All purchased tickets will be honored on AUGUST 8, 2014. More details to come!” |
| QUICK RESULTS FROM VADNAIS HEIGHTS SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014 |
| Update by Ray Kilgore: 43 year old Anthony “The Bullet” Bonsante (33-12-3, 18 KO’s) had a successful comeback on Saturday night at the Vadnais Heights Sports Complex by winning a six round unanimous decision over Sam Hill (17-15-1, 10 KO’s). Bonsante used good movement while landing some big shots in the opening round. Bonsante kept control of the bout in the second round landing body blows while fainting and moving. Hill was taking the hard shots well however. Bonsante continued to have his way through the third, throwing a high volume of punches and leaving Hill frozen and not returning much of his own. Bonsante’s pace slowed a bit in the final two rounds but still won in dominating fashion in the end. Final scores read 60-54, 59-55, 59-55. Bonsante’s prior bout took place in December of 2010.
In the only other pro fight of the night, Brandon Cluever (2-2, 2 KO’s) stopped Anthony Dunaski (0-4) at 2:46 of the second round by TKO victory. The end came after Dunaski threw a hand body shot and hurt his shoulder. Time was called and the doctor was willing to let the fight continue but Dunaski kept holding his shoulder and referee Scott Erickson called the fight off. Dunaski began the bout strong, landing nice body shots but appeared to run out of gas by the end of the first round and Cluever took over with countering punches. MORE DETAILS TO COME
|
| FRIDAY NIGHT WEIGH IN RESULTS UPDATE SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014 |
|
Anthony Bonsante 170 vs Sam Hill 173 *** Ismail Muwendo 133 vs Wayne Martell 142 Amateur boxing bouts will preceed the 2 pro bouts above Venue: Vadnais Heights Sports Complex, Vadnais Heights MN |
| “NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS” WEIGH IN’S FRIDAY NIGHT THURSDAY MAY 30, 2014 |
 Weigh Ins for “Return of The Champions” fight card taking place this Saturday night will be held Friday night from 6-8pm at Doc’s Landing located at 3200 White Bear Avenue. Headlining the bout will be returning former IBO champion Anthony Bonsante. The co-featured bout has Ismail “Sharp Shooter” Muwendo taking on North Dakota’s Wayne Martell. The third pro bout is a matchup between Anthony Dunaski and Brandon Cluever. The night will open with an amateur boxing show. Fights tomorrow night begin at 6pm at the Vadnais Heights Sports complex in Vadnais Heights, MN located at 1480 County Road E. |
| BONSANTE, MUWENDO AND MORE MEDIA DAY COVERAGE WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014 |
|
A gym full of featured fighters boxing on the May 31st Vadnais Sports Center show in Vadnais Heights, MN were on hand at the Element Gym in Saint Paul for a media day workout last Saturday afternoon. Anthony “The Bullet” Bonsante, who is making a comeback following 3 years out of action made his way down to the cities and was among those present. Bonsante faces Sam Hill in a featured bout. “I have an undying passion for the sweet science we call boxing” Bonsante told Minnesotaboxing.com as to why he is making a comeback. ” I love the feeling it gives me. I submitted all of the commissions requirements and passed with no issues. I am in good health and am at peace with everything. This is all about “for the love of the sport”. Ismail Muwendo, Dalton Outlaw, as well as Brunette Gym’s Brad Heroff, Elias Rubio and Maurice Fuller also spoke on by way of video interview below courtesy of Hispanic Tiempo News.
|
| RAPHAEL BUTLER FEATURED ON SPIKE TV TONIGHT UPDATE FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014 |
|
UPDATE: Raphael Butler fought to a 3 round draw with Nick Rossborough. Butler was wobbled in the first and had a point taken away for an illegal headbutt in the round. Butler dug his way out of the early points hole in the following two rounds, dominating rounds two and three on the ground. The end result was a majority draw. |
| LAWSON VS BAILEY HEADS JUNE 7 MYTH CARD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2014 |
| Three-time, two-division world champion Randall “KO King” Bailey (44-8, 37 KOs) returns June 7, as he takes on undefeated IBF #14 welterweight Frederick Lawson (22-0, 20 KOs) in the 12-round main event for the vacant USBA welterweight title at Myth Event Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Also on the card, NABU and MN State lightweight champ Tony Lee, Javontae Starks, Brad Patraw and more. Visit the links below to view the full card and read National news coverage of the show.• To View The Full Bout Sheet Click Here • ESB: Freddy Lawson books June 7 date against ex-champ Randall Bailey • FightNews: Bailey Returns Against Lawson |
| HILARIO VS MCLAURIN PLUS BONSANTE, MUWENDO UPDATE FRIDAY APRIL 25, 2014 |
 UPDATE: HILARIO PULLS OUT OF FIGHT WITH MCLAURIN DUE TO INJURED SHOULDER. MUWENDO VS MARTELL MOVED TO MAIN EVENT. MORE TO COME. Super featherweights Wilton “Pretty Warrior” Hilario (13-3-1, 9 KO’s) and Jeremy “Lights Out” McLaurin (10-7-1, 5 KO’s) will meet for the 130 pound State title in a show being called “Night of Champions” on May 31st at the Vadnais Sports Center in Vadnais Heights, MN. The two fighters were set to battle in 2012 but the fight fell through.Also returning to action will be former IBA Super middlweight champion Anthony “The Bullet” Bonsante (32-12-3, 18 KO’s). The 43 year old Bonsante will be stepping back into the ring for the first time since December of 2010 when he faced Bobby Kliewer. Bonsante is scheduled to face “The Punching Policeman” Sam Hill (17-14-1, 10 KO’s) of Missouri. Undefeated 25 year old Ismail “The Sharp Shooter”Muwendo (14-0, 11 KO’s) of Minneapolis will face North Dakota southpaw veteran Wayne Martell (25-4-1, 15 KO’s) in a featured bout…  |
| UMGG CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS AND VIDEO THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2014 |
 Below is a list of the results from the Finals of the 2014 Upper Midwest Golden Gloves Championships which took place last weekend at the Palace Casino in Cass Lake, MN. For a full results list, check out the forum at www.livefromringside.com. Also Cathy Steward of Wadena, who has been documenting Minnesota amateur boxing action for years, filmed the entire tournament. To watch the fights…
Courtesy of MNFightFan – www.Livefromringside.com Forum Best Boxer: Anthony Rose |
| LAASE, HUBBERT SET FOR AUGUST 22ND WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014 |
|
Minnesota’s jr. welterweight division has been the talk over the past 24 hours and now that the dust has settled, it looks like Duluth’s RJ “T-Rex” Laase (12-1) and Rondale “Give Em Hell” Hubbert (6-0) of Minneapolis will face off on August 22nd at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN. Laase and Hubbert are ranked 1 and 2 (in that order) in the State’s rankings and if approved, the showdown will be for the jr. welterweight title. But after a social media war of words between Laase and Duluth rival Markus “Hooch” Morris last night, it had appeared that those two were going to be the one’s fighting. Morris called out Laase in a video interview (click here to watch), stating that the call out was personal and that he would fight Laase anytime and anywhere.
|
| QUICK RESULTS FROM CARLTON, MN SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2014 |
|
Duluth, Minnesota’s Al Sands (13-1, 12 KO’s) dropped Keith Barr (12-6, 3 KO’s) 6 times (5 with body shots) on his way to a 9th round knockout victory in last nights main event at the Black Bear Casino in Carlton, MN. Barr mostly shelled up which made it difficult for Sands to land clean in the early going. But Sands began to find a home for the left hook to Barr’s ribs as the fight went on. Sands put Barr down 3 times in the 8th with the punch and twice in the ninth before referee Mark Nelson stopped the fight following the final knockdown at 2:20 of the 9th round. Sands picks up the vacant NABA-US cruiserweight title with the win. Saint Paul, Minnesota’s Tony “2 Sharp” Lee (10-1-1, 3 KO’s) outworked Robbie Cannon (14-9-2, 6 KO’s) of Missouri by unanimous decision in an action packed lightweight slugfest. Scores read 80-72, 79-73, 78-74. Lee countered with heavy lead lefts and jabs through three rounds to take the lead. Cannon mounted a comeback in rounds 4,5,6. As Lee went backwards more, Cannon began to land his jab and straight right. Lee went back to boxing and counterpunching and was again the aggressor in the final two rounds as he closed the show strong. Lee takes Cannon’s NABU lightweight title with the victory 42 year old Former WBO heavyweight champion Shannon “The Cannon” Briggs (53-6, 47 KO’s) needed just 20 seconds to dispose of Francisco Mireles (17-9, 5 KO’s) on Saturday night at the Black Bear Casino in Carlton, MN. A slapping left hook to the stomach dropped Mireles to a knee where he stayed until referee Mark Nelson stopped the bout. Corey “Collateral Damage” Rodriguez (10-3-3, 3 KO’s) won a majority decision over Limberth Ponce (6-2, 4 KO’s) in an exciting jr. middleweight bout. Scores were 58-56, 58-56, and 57-57. Rodriguez with the aggressor and landed the bigger punches in the bout while Ponce held the slight edge in punch output. Rondale Hubbert (6-0-1, 3 KO’s) stopped Jacob Fox (2-2, 1 KO) at 2:42 of the fourth round in a jr. welterweight contest. This was a fast paced bout with both fighters standing toe to toe. Hubbert was having success boxing in the first but went to war with Fox, winning that battle also despite a very game effor from Fox. Three consecutive right hands followed by a left to the head put Fox down and referee Gary Miezwa stopped the bout. Markus Morris (4-0, 2 KO’s) won by TKO over Ryan Gronvold (1-9) at 2:19 of the first round. Gronvold came to fight but Morris was too much. Morris dropped Gronvold early with a right-left uppercut followed by right hand. Referee Gary Miezwa stopped the action as Gronvold took heavy punches but could not fire back. Donny Tierney (6-5, 1 KO) won a unanimous decision over Dan Kiser (2-2) in the opening bout of the evening. Scores were 40-36 on all three judges cards. Tierney promised to be a new and improved fighter and he was, boxing and waiting patiently for openings. Kiser, a southpaw mixed martial artist put up a good effort but could not stay clear of Tierney’s straight right down the middle. |
| WEIGH IN PHOTO’S FROM BLACK BEAR FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2014 |
| John D’Auria of SC Photography’s photo gallery from last nights weigh in’s. All fighters made weight and you can see the full gallery here...
|
| TROY LOWRY, DON GEORGE MAKE WEIGHT – UPDATE WEDNESDAY APRIL 16, 2014 |
|
Saint Paul’s Troy Lowry was stopped in round six last night versus Don George. Fightnews reports a left hand to the head dropped Lowry and the fight was stopped. Lowry took many hard body blows in the bout and suffered a nasty cut to his bottom lip. |
| SATURDAY NIGHT BLACK BEAR CARD IN THE NEWS WEDNESDAY APRIL 16, 2014 |
| This Saturday’s pro boxing card taking place at the Black Bear Casino in Carlton, MN has been getting a lot of local press this week and with the announcement of former world heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs now fighting on the card, National news sources have been picking up the pen as well. Below is a list of news links to check out to preview some of the action that will take place on Saturday night…
• Shannon Briggs returns Saturday in Minnesota. • Fox 21 News Video: Sands, Morris Ready for Next Challenge • Duluth News Tribune Story on Al Sands • NorthLand News: Sands Hopes to “Dominate” in Title Bout • John D’Auria’s Boxing with the Truth Interviews Keith Barr |
| SANDS SPARS WITH GIBSON, DAVIS FOR UPCOMING BOUT WEDNESDAY APRIL 9, 2014 |
|
Duluth’s Al Sands (12-1, 11 KO’s) is ten days out from his vacant NABA USA cruiserweight title fight against Keith Barr (12-5, 3 KO’s) of West Virginia on April 19 at the Black Bear Casino in Carlton, MN. Sands has been sparring with former foe TJ Gibson of Hibbing and Saint Paul’s Boyd Davis to prepare. |
| JAMES, KOLLE AND MORE VICTORIOUS IN HINCKLEY MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2014 – REPORT BY RAY KILGORE |
| By Ray Kilgore: At the Grand Casino in Hinckley Minnesota on March 28th, Rapacz Event Productions hosted an exciting 7-fight card in front of sold out crowd of 2,500 fans.
The Main Event featured Jamal James improving his record to 13-0, (6 Kos) by taking an unanimous 8-round decision over a game Angel Hernandez 16-15, (13 Kos) After 15 months off, Andy Kolle, 26-4-1, (18 Kos) put on a nice display of boxing skills to take an unanimous decision over Ryan Davis 24-12, (9 Kos) in the co-main event. To read the full fight report…
|
| QUICK RESULTS FROM HINCKLEY, MN SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014 |
|
FULL REPORT AND PHOTO’S TO COME Jamal “Shango” James improved to (13-0, 6 Ko’s) in the main event last night at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN with an impressive points victory over tough opponent Angel Hernandez (16-15-1, 13 Ko’s). James out-boxed and out-slugged Hernandez over 8 rounds, nearly stopping him before running out of time in the final round. James put Hernandez down twice in the last round. Hernandez came to fight and invited James to trade every time he got him. But James turned it up in the last two rounds and went on to win a wide decision by scores of 79-71, 80-70, and 80-70. FULL REPORT AND PHOTO’S TO COME |
| WDIO NEWS ON ANDY KOLLE’S RETURN TONIGHT FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 2014 |
| www.WDIO.com – It has been 14 months since he last fought, but Duluth’s Andy ‘Kaos’ Kolle will be back in a boxing ring Friday, March 28th. The former Minnesota Middleweight Champion will be in the co-main event on the ‘Friday Night Fights’ card at Grand Casino in Hinckley. Kolle will battle ‘Dangerous’ Ryan Davis of East St. Louis, Illinois. Davis is a veteran with 24 wins in 39 fights in his career. Kolle is 25-4, but lost his last fight to Cerresso Fort, which was in January of last year. He has had time to rest and refocus and the plan is to unleash ‘Kaos’ Friday night. “He (Davis) has got a good record, he’s a strong fighter and he comes forward and comes right at you every time and he is at that spot in his career where a win is going to bring him onto something bigger and better, so he is coming to win as well and I just want the opportunity to go out there and show that my last fight wasn’t me and anybody who has seen me fight before knows that wasn’t me and we all have bad days and a bad day at the office and I want to prove that wasn’t me in that fight,” says Kolle. To watch the video interview… |
| WEIGHTS FROM HINCKLEY, MN THURSDAY, MARCH, 27, 2014 |
|
Jamal James 147 vs Angel Hernandez 147 Promoter: Rapacz Event Productions MORE WEIGH-IN PHOTO’S CLICK HERE
|
| FRIDAY NIGHT HINCKLEY BOXING PREVIEW WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014 |
| John D’Auria of “Boxing with the Truth” previewed this Friday nights Grand Casino Hinckley fight card. Minnesotan’s Jamal “Shango” James, Andy “Kaos” Kolle, Aaron “Gorilla” Green, Robert “Bravo” Brant, Jonathan Perez, DeLorian Caraway, Damion Hill, and Andre Tieva will all be in action. To listen to the preview check out the video below.
|
| LAWSON OUTLASTS KAYONGO AT THE MYTH WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014 |
|
Fredrick Lawson (22-0, 20 KO’s) of Chicago, Illinois (by way of Ghana) outlasted Mohammed Kayongo (17-4-1, 12 KO’s) of Minneapolis, MN in a slug fest on Friday, March 21 at the Myth Nightclub in Maplewood, MN. Lawson and Kayongo traded heavy punches from the opening bell until the end which came at 2:47 of round 6.
|
| WEIGHTS FROM COWBOYS SALOON FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2014 |
| Weights from Cowboy’s Saloon in Circle Pines, MN. Tomorrow’s “Fight Club” fight card will be held at the Myth Nightclub in Maplewood, MN
Mohammed Kayongo 147 vs. Fredrick Lawson 148 Promoter: Seconds Out Promotions |
| KAYONGO HEADLINES THIS SATURDAY AT MYTH WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 |
|
It’s been 11 years since the now 33 year old Mohammed Kayongo made his professional debut in Saint Paul, Minnesota. And Kayongo established in that fight as well as the following 20 bouts to date that he is one of the more exciting and harder pound 4 pound punchers around. His career has seen him fight for the state welterweight title twice, compete in 2 Showtime televised bouts as well as ESPN, and win the vacant WBF Intercontinental welterweight title. |
| FREDDY LAWSON PLANS TO THRILL ON US BOW SATURDAY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 |
| Courtesy of www.AllSports.com: By Prince Dornu-Leiku One of Ghana’s most coveted boxers tipped to wear a world championship belt soon, Frederick Lawson faces a test of his credentials this Saturday when he mounts the ring for the first time since arriving in the United States of America. Lawson in gym with Coach Awinongya Unbeaten Lawson (21,0, 19 KOs) makes his US debut against Uganda born American, Mohammed Kayongo (17-3-1, 12 KOs) in a non title welterweight bout over eight rounds at The Myth, Maplewood, Minnesota, USA on March 22. To read more… |
| TEXAS TRAINING CAMP FOR ROBERT BRANT WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 |
|
Robert “Bravo” Brant (9-0, 5 KO’s) has made “The Lone Star State” his main location to prepare for his next bout which is scheduled for March 28 at the Grand Casino in Hinckley. Brant spoke with MinnesotaBoxing.com about training camp and also shared his thoughts on next weekends opponent Demetrius Walker (7-3-1, 4 KO’s) of Missouri. |
| SATURDAY FIGHT NIGHT INFO TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 |
 Pro boxing returns to the Myth Nightclub in Maplewood this Saturday night. 2009 was the last fight card at Myth and this time around, bleacher seating has been added to make a good fight venue even better.Weigh-In’s for the show are free and open to the public and will be held this Friday, 5pm at Cowboy’s Saloon in Circle Pines. Also, ladies interested in being ring card girls are encouraged to show up and apply. Doors open fight night at 6 with the first bout taking place at 7pm. Hard hitting Mohammed Kayongo (17-3) of Minneapolis headlines against Ghana’s Fredrick Lawson (21-0). 25 year old Javontae Starks (9-0) of Minneapolis faces Ruben Galvin in the co-featured bout. Interviews with fighters in action to come. |
| SAINT PATTY’S DAY BRAWL FIGHT REPORT SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014 |
|
Grandma’s Sports Garden was packed last night and the card, which was built around guys mostly beginning there pro boxing careers, produced a few knockouts to go along with fun and even matchups. Ismail Muwendo, Caleb Truax, Jamal James, Al Sands, and Mohammed Kayongo could all be seen in the crowd watching the bouts. For the full recap of the nights action…
|
| PRO SHOW AT GRANDMA’S SPORTS GARDEN TOMORROW NIGHT THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014 |
|
Fighters weigh in this afternoon for tomorrow nights pro fight card taking place at Grandma’s Sports Garden in Duluth, MN. We have talked with most of the fighters set to compete on the show and a full preview will be posted here this afternoon. In the mean time, the full fight card can be seen here… |
| JAVONTAE STARKS VISITS MACALESTER COLLEGE RADIO MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014 |
 Javontae Starks was a guest this morning on 91.7 WMCN, Macalester College radio to talk boxing and his upcoming fight on March 22 at the Myth Nightclub in Maplewood. Every Monday around 10am, Jeff Maddox hosts a boxing segment and today Starks was the featured guest. Starks began by responding to questions geared toward his daily boxing training which he revealed involves doing at least 1000 sit-ups throughout the day and pounding giant tractor tires with a sledge hammer at the ACR gym. Starks went on to talk about the local scene before getting into what he hopes to accomplish in boxing.
“I want to be known as a guy who had heart, dedication and talent” Starks told Maddox. “I want to be remembered as a crowd pleasing fighter who was able to support himself through boxing.” |
| FORT STOPPED ON ESPN, RICHMAN LOSES DECISION ON SPIKE MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014 |
 “Sir” Cerresso Fort was stopped in the second round of his ESPN televised bout against Vitalii Kopylenko this past Friday night. Fort hit and moved while Kopylenko stalked early. A hard straight jab to the chin put Fort down before the end of the first. Moments into the second round, another power jab from the Ukrainian put Saint Paul’s Fort down again hard. Fort got to his feet and bravely tried to continue but the referee stopped the bout giving Kopylenko the TKO victory in round two. Also fighting on television in an MMA bout on Spike TV, Rosemount MN’s mixed martial artist/boxer Mike “The Marine” Richman lost a decision to Desmond Green. Richman appeared to win the first round but lost the second as Green took the fight to the ground. Richman seemed to outwork Green in the third and final round as the fighters went back to fighting on their feet. All three judges ended up scoring the bout in favor of Green. |
| FORT, RICHMAN MAKE WEIGHT FOR TONIGHTS TV BOUTS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014 |
|
Saint Paul Middleweight “Sir” Cerresso Fort and his opponent Vitalii Kopylenko both made weight last night for tonights middleweight tournament bout on ESPN2. Also getting TV time tonight is Rosemount, Minnesota’s Mike “The Marine” Richman as he fights in an opening round of the Bellator (MMA) lightweight tournament. Photo’s and weights below.
Venue: Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, Indiana
TV: Spike TV |
| VIDEO: CERRESSO FORT DISCUSSES ESPN BOUT THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2014 |
| Saint Paul’s “Sir” Cerresso Fort (17-2-1, 11 KOs) will battle Vitalii Kopylenko (22-0, 12 KOs) tomorrow night on ESPN in a quarterfinal middleweight tournament match. Fort has been training at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas to prepare for the undefeated Kopylenko. Fort is one of 8 men in the tournament and each bout is scheduled for six rounds. Friday’s show takes place at Harrah’s Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana. Fort says in an interview with Banner Pomotions below that the only fighter out of the group he is thinking about is the one he faces tomorrow night.
|
| ABELL PUTS UP GOOD EFFORT IN LOSS TO FURY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2014 |
| Coon Rapids heavyweight Joey Abell was stopped in the fourth round on Febuary 15th in London, England against Tyson Fury although Abell did not go down without a fight. Abell was as prepared as he could have been while taking the fight on short notice and gave the towering Fury trouble with a handful of hard countering shots. But in the end, Fury would put Abell down four times in all, with the final one coming by way of body attack. Abell continued to get to his feet each time and the crowd booed the referee’s decision to stop the fight with Abell saying he wanted to continue. The ful fight can be seen below.
|
| WEIGHTS FROM LONDON, ENGLAND FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2014 |
|
Courtesy of Fightnews.com: Tyson Fury came in at a whopping 274 pounds, 20 pounds more than he weighed for his previous fight. He never took over his sweat shirt. Dereck Chisora 238 vs. Kevin Johnson 240 Venue: Copper Box Arena Stay tuned to our twitter feed to the right for updates and live stream location tomorrow when and if they become available. |
| ABELL AND JOHNSON PROMISE BRIT SMASHING FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2014 |
|
American heavyweight tag team Kevin Johnson and Joey Abell aim to make it a double Brit bashing this Saturday (15th February) night at the Copper Box Arena. Johnson takes on Dereck Chisora for his WBO and WBA International titles in the main event, while Abell faces undefeated Tyson Fury in the ten-round chief support. The pair joined forces at today’s media work-out at the Peacock Gym in East London as they looked to derail plans of a massive summer showdown between Chisora and Fury. JOEY ABELL: “It’s going to be bringing a war to Fury, make no mistake. This is the biggest night of my life, it would be like winning the lottery to knockout Fury. I’ll lay it on the line and make a prediction, I’ll KO him inside five, I’m that confident.”… |
| MN BOXING IN THE NEWS: FEBRUARY 9TH, 2014 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2014, 2014 |
| • Cerresso Fort’s Opponent Announced For Feb. 28 ESPN Bout
• Joey Abell Interviewed By Boxing News Online About Tyson Fury Fight. • Fightnews.com: Tyson Fury Cut In Sparring, Says Abell Fight Still On. • March 14th Grandma’s Sports Garden Duluth Pro-Am Preview. • Duluth News Tribune Previews March 28th Hinckley Boxing Card. |
| JAMAL JAMES VS RJ LAASE TITLE BOUT PRESS RELEASE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2014 |
|
RAPACZ EVENT PRODUCTIONS PRESS RELEASE: Two of Minnesota’s most popular boxers Jamal James of Minneapolis and R.J. Laase of Duluth have agreed to meet in the 10 round main event on March 28th at Grand Casino Hinckley for James’ State Welterweight Championship. Both fighters earned knockout victories last month at Grand Casino, which led to this fight being signed… |
| FEBRUARY 5TH MN BOXING IN THE NEWS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2014 |
| • VIDEO: WDIO News Talks Jamal James vs RJ Laase Title Fight March 28
• Tyson Fury Discusses February 15 Bout Against Joey Abell • January 24th Grand Casino Hinckley Boxing Photo Gallery • January 25th Black Bear Casino Boxing Photo Gallery Bouts, Main Event • January 25th Black Bear Casino Boxing Photo Gallery Bouts, 1-5 |
| JUNGLE BOY BOXING’S “COLD WAR” FIGHT REPORT WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2014 |
| By Jungle Boy Boxing: The atmosphere in the Otter Creek Event Center last Friday night was electric. The Cold and snowy weather couldn’t keep the fans from lining in as most of the them there were there to see Al Sands in his first Main Event Fight. All the boxers on the card brought their A-Game and Sands made a statement through his performance on The Cold War… It said “I’m a main event fighter and I’M NOT GOING AWAY!” Here’s a rundown of the fights… |
| WEIGHTS FROM NEW YORK UPDATE WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2014 |
|
Update: Patraw was stopped in the first round after suffering a broken orbital bone, nose, and jaw from a punch. Patraw still wanted to continue in the fight but the referee would stopped it. ” He’s a good NY fighter that is coming off a KO win against another good fighter (Leon Moore, 30-2, 24 KO’s). He won some WBA title (WBA Fedelatin super bantamweight title). I’ve trained hard to give this guy an upset and that’s the plan. I’m going to out box him or if it comes down to it, I’ll out slug him if that’s what I have to do” said Patraw. Golden Boy will be promoting the show which is headlined by the showdown between Victor Ortiz and Luis Collazo. |
| JANUARY 29, 2014 MN BOXING IN THE NEWS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2014 |
| • Cerresso Fort Gets ESPN Tournament Spot, First Bout Feb. 28
• Video: Matt Vanda’s Full Fight Last Weekend in New York • Duluth News Tribune Black Bear and Hinckley Fight Recap |
| LIVE RESULTS FROM BLACK BEAR CASINO and NEW YORK SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 2014 |
| Unfortunetly, like last night, we will not be ringside covering tonights action from the Black Bear Casino (or New York for Matt Vanda’s fight). But we have correspondents and will relay results asap below. Don’t forget, you can catch Vanda’s bout live and free at www.toprank.com |
| WEIGHTS FROM CARLTON, MN FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2014 |
|
MORE WEIGH IN PHOTO’S CLICK HERE Al Sands 198.3 vs. Henry Namauu 198.3 Promoter: Jungle Boy Promotions |
| LIVE RESULTS FROM THE GRAND CASINO, HINCKLEY FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2014 |
|
MORE DETAILS AND PHOTO’S TO COME Rob Brant stopped Tyler Hultin in the second round. Reports coming in that Hultin had a busted ear drum or a bad cut behind the ear. Brant scored at least one knockdown in the bout. More details to come as they get in. DeLorien “Lord” Caraway dropped Eli Smith twice on his way to a first round KO. Time of the stoppage was :43 into the opening round. Rondale “Give Um Hell” Hubbert stopped Winston Anderson in the 5th round. Hubbert dropped Anderson at least once in the bout. Jamal “Shango” James stopped Colby Courter in the 4th round. It was an entertaining bout with James dominating the action. Stoppage came when the ref felt Courter was taking too much punishment. Ray Edwards won a unanimous decision over Alex Rozman. Edwards controlled the fight with his jab. Edwards dominated, bloodying the face of Rozman but Rozman showed heart, chin, and never gave up. RJ Laase stopped Jeremy Marts in round two, dropping Marts four times in the bout with body shots. Aaron Green defeated Richard Carmack after the referee stopped the bout in the second round when Carmack failed to answer back Green’s shots. * Details will be updated as they become available. MinnesotaBoxing.com was unable to make it to the show and will be out of the office until Monday. |
| WEIGHTS FROM NEW YORK FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2014 – PHOTO COURTESY OF TOP RANK , CHRIS FARINA |
|
Seanie Monaghan 174 vs. Matt Vanda 173.2 Matt Vanda’s bout tomorrow night can be seen live and for free at
|
| MCLAURIN, CANNON READY TO BATTLE TOMORROW NIGHT FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2014 |
| Jeremy McLaurin (10-6-1, 5 KO’s) is still upset about the end result of his two recent battles with Saint Paul’s Tony Lee. The first fight ended up as a majority draw and Lee picked up the state lightweight title with a close victory on the cards in the rematch. Both fighters feel they won…both times. Now, McLaurin will compete for a different title this Saturday night when he challenges Missouri’s Robbie Cannon (13-8-2, 6 KO’s) for his NABU lightweight title. McLaurin says he doesn’t think he will get another shot at the state title anytime soon, so plans to win the NABU title to hang as bait to get a third fight against Lee. Robbie Cannon picked up the NABU lightweight title with a victory over Duluth’s Gary Eyer last July at the Black Bear Casino. To read more… |
| JAMAL JAMES DISCUSSES PAST, PRESENT , AND FUTURE FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2014 |
| Newly crowned Minnesota State welterweight champion Jamal “Shango” James (11-0, 5 KO’s) returns to action tonight against 27 year old Colby Courter of Missouri. Courter brings a record of 4 wins with 1 loss, all 4 wins coming by way of knockout. Not much more is known about him other then the fact he had a skull tattooed onto his head at last nights weigh ins. The 6’2 James is coming off a back and forth local showdown against Mohammed Kayongo and has another potential big time local fight on the horizon following tonight’s fight… |
| FULL CIRCLE FOR DUSTIN MASON FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2014 |
| 22 year old Dustin Mason (5-1, 4 KO’s) is set to box in a four round bout on this Saturday night’s fight card at the Black Bear Casino in Carlton, MN. Mason, now residing in Stillwater, MN will face 19 year old Jacob Fox of North Dakota. Fox is 1-0 with that win coming against Tomi Archambault last October. Mason started out as an amateur at the White Bear Lake gym working at times with local trainer Jesse Garza. Mason then began a journey that took him to the National Guard, Duluth, North Dakota, and now back to the cities where he is now working with Garza full time. Mason talked about that as well as sparring with an old rival and his fight coming up this Saturday… |
| LAASE, MARTS DISCUS FRIDAY NIGHTS FIGHT FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2014 |
| 25 year old RJ “T-Rex” Laase (11-1, 7 KO’s) returns after a 10 month absence this Friday night at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN. The time off for the Duluth fighter was mainly due to remodeling his newly purchased home and Laase says he is ready to get back to action. His opponent Jeremy Marts is a 25 fight veteran who says he is coming to pull of an upset. To check out the story with words from both men… |
| AARON GREEN BEGINS ANOTHER BUSY YEAR TONIGHT FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2014 |
| Aaron Green (13-0, 11 KO’s) of Minneapolis fights in the co-featured bout on Friday night in Hinckley, MN against Missouri’s Richard “Silver Back” Carmack (12-3, 10 KO’s). Aaron Green weighed in at 278 last night while Carmack tipped the scales at 337 pounds. Like years past, Green is off to an early start and plans to fight very frequently in 2014. Minnesotaboxing.com got a few words in with Mr. Green as he prepares to fight for win number 14… |
| WEIGHTS FROM HINCKLEY, MN THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014 |
|
Years of talk came to a boiling point and nearly out of control earlier tonight as Rob Brant 156.5 vs Tyler Hultin 158 Promoter: Rapacz Promotions |
| SANDS HEADLINES SATURDAY BLACK BEAR SHOW THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014 |
|
Minnesota Cruiserweight champ Al “The Haitian Temptation” Sands (11-1, 11 KO’s) will headline this Saturday night at the Black Bear Casino in Carlton, MN. Sands, 26, faces 29 year old Las Vegas, Nevada boxer Henry Namauu (10-7, 5 KO’s). Namauu most recently came up short for his bid to capture the vacant Utah State heavyweight title, losing an 8 round decision to veteran Billy Zumbrun. Despite Namauu competing at heavyweight, the size advantage will not be much over the 6’2 chiseled Sands. Minnesotaboxing.com got a few words from Sands after a sparring session at the White Bear Lake gym with Matt Vanda last week and also discussed his previous bout against Bobby Thomas Jr and more…
|
| ATHLETES COLLIDE WHEN EDWARDS MEETS ROZMAN THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014 |
| Tomorrow nights pro boxing card at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN has a little bit of everything as far as styles and fights go. And when Ray Edwards (4-0, 3 KO’s) stands opposite his opponent Alex Rozman (2-4, 1 KO), fans might think they are about to see a strong man competition because of the sheer size and stature of the two combatants. That is until the big punches begin to fly. Edwards, fighting out of Minneapolis by way of Cincinnati stands 6’5 and is built through his years as a college and pro football player. And Rozman, making his way from Iowa, is not only a boxer, but mixed martial artist as well with visions himself of taking the field for an NFL team in the future… |
| INTERVIEW: RONDALE “GIVE UM HELL” HUBBERT THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014 |
|
Undefeated Minneapolis boxer Rondale Hubbert (4-0-1, 2 KO’s) takes on fellow undefeated Cloquet native Winston Anderson (4-0, 4 KO’s) tomorrow night at the Grand Casino in Hinckley. The long overdue showdown is a featured bout that also includes a headlining face off between Rob Brant and Tyler Hultin, heavyweights Aaron Green and Ray Edwards, Minnesota State welterweight champ Jamal “Shango” James, RJ Laase, and the pro debut of DeLorien Caraway.
|
| WINSTON ANDERSON’S TAKE ON HUBBERT FIGHT WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014 |
| Aside from a draw or an early accidental injury, somebody’s “0” will go when Winston “Nasty Time” Anderson (4-0, 4 KO’s) takes on fellow undefeated Minnesotan Rondale Hubbert (4-0-1, 2 KO’s) this Friday night in Hinckley. The two confident yet mutually respectful fighters may have slightly different explanations as to how the fight came to be but both have the same goal on Friday night. And that goal is to wipe the floor with the other guy and shake hands after. With Hubberts interview to follow, here is what Anderson had to say regarding the fight being made and what he expects Friday night… |
| JANUARY 22 MINNESOTA BOXING IN THE NEWS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014 |
| • Matt “The Predator” Vanda keeps his comeback rolling this Saturday after briefly retiring following his showdown with Caleb Truax last year. Vanda was set to face Anthony Bonsante this weekend on the Black Bear Casino show in Carlton, MN but the Fond du Lac commission did not approve Bonsante for the bout due to inactivity. Now, Vanda heads out to New York to face off against his largest opponent to date. And Vanda and his team are predicting victory. www.Maxboxing.com did a story on the fight and Vanda’s comeback which can be read here.• MN Boxing League talks to Tyler Hultin leading into Rob Brant fight.• MN Boxing League talks to Charles Meier for Jan. 25 bout. • Video preview for the January 25 card in Carlton, MN by John D’Auria. • Video preview for the January 24 card in Hinckley, MN by John D’Auria. |
| BUSY FIGHT WEEK FOR MINNESOTA TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014 |
 It’s a double fight night weekend approaching this Friday and Saturday night in Northern Minnesota. Friday night action kicks things off with a fight card taking place at the Grand Casino in Hinckley. Then on Saturday night, pro boxing takes place at Black Bear Casino in Carlton, MN. You can check out the fight cards below. Interviews with some of the fighters to be posted in the coming days leading to fight time.
January 24th, 2014 – Grand Casino, Hinckley, MN … |
| CALLING ALL MN JR. MIDDLEWEIGHTS THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014 |
| Minnesota’s deepest division, jr. middleweight, has been the talk on social media and around the gyms. And some fighters are calling for a tournament to decide who is the best. Purses and opposing promotions have stood in the way of getting similar idea’s rolling in the past. However, the widespread interest from the state’s top fighters has not been so overwhelming and made public as they are now. 154 pounders in action next weekend include Corey Rodriguez, Charles Meier, Rob Brant, and Tyler Hultin. Andy Kolle is set to return in March 28 while Antonio Johnson, Cerresso Fort and Dave Peterson are all keeping in shape for an opportunity to jump at. Welterweight Javontae Starks has also said he wants in. Local promoters have confirmed interest if details could be worked out. Similar tournaments on the MMA side of the Minnesota fight scene are already set to take place on February 1st in Austin, MN as the states top 145 pounders battle to determine the Driller/SEG number one contender spot. |
| MASON, PATRAW, VANDA PREPARE FOR UPCOMING FIGHTS FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2014 |
|
Dustin Mason (left) and Brad Patraw (right) spar last night at the White Bear Lake boxing gym. Patraw and Mason fought six hard rounds last August at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN and the intensity has spilled over into their sparring sessions. Mason (5-1) will be back at it on January 25 at the Black Bear Casino in Carlton, MN taking on North Dakota’s Jacob Fox (1-0) while Patraw (10-6) heads out to New York on January 30th to meet Brooklyn’s Rafael Vasquez (10-1) in an 8 round featherweight bout. The NY card will be televised on FOX Sports 1 but no confirmation if Patraw’s bout will get aired. Matt Vanda pictured in the background boxes on January 25th in New York as well. |
| JANUARY 10 MINNESOTA BOXING IN THE NEWS FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2014 |
| • The Minnesota Sports Report previews Al Sands, Jan. 25 card.
• FOX 21 NEWS interviews Winston Anderson leading into Hubbert showdown. • FOX 21 NEWS interviews RJ Laase about ring return Jan. 24. • Boxingscene.com post fight interview with Caleb Truax • The Minnesota Sports Report recaps Truax/Duran ESPN Bouts (PHOTOS). |
| MATT VANDA FIGHTS IN NEW YORK JANUARY 25 MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2014 |
 Matt “The Predator” Vanda (45-15, 25 KO’s) keeps his comeback rolling on Saturday, January 25th at Madison Square Garden in New York. Vanda will move up to the 175 pound division to face New York favorite and undefeated Sean Monaghan (19-0, 12 KO’s) in a 10 round bout.
Monaghan is 32 years old and will have a good size advantage over Vanda, 35. However, Vanda will be by far the most experienced fighter Monaghan has faced and will be his toughest test. Vanda says he has been training hard and is going to New York to kick Monaghan’s ass. In his last bout, The Predator easily dispatched Brooke Wellby this past October in Carlton, MN. Indiana’s Derrick Findley will also box on the card against Jesse Hart. Findley fought Phil Williams to a draw in Minneapolis in 2013 and also came to town to spar with Caleb Truax. Warriors boxing, who co-promoted last Friday’s Target Center show will be co-promoting this card along with Gary Shaw Productions. Matt Vanda says that the bout has a 50/50 shot of making HBO television as the swing bout. |
| MNPLS FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHT RECAPS UPDATES MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2014 |
| • Eastsideboxing.com fight report. by Chris Carlson • Truax fight tough to draw, Barthelemy wins IBF title by Mark Connor • January 3rd Recap: A Wild Night in a Tame Town by Ben Tighe • Boxing.com recap plus full televised bouts • BoxingNews24.com fight report. • Modern Ghana fight report. |
| QUICK RESULTS FROM THE TARGET CENTER, MNPLS FRIDAY, JANUARY 3RD, 2014 – BY JESSE KELLEY |
|
In the first televised fight of 2014, hometown middleweight favorite Caleb “Golden” Truax (23-1-1, 14 KOs) and Ossie “The Ghanaian Gladiator” Duran (28-11-3, 11 KOs) battled to a hard fought ten round draw. Judges scored it 95-95 on all cards. Unbeaten Rances Barthelemy (20-0, 13 KOs) scored a second round KO and dethroned IBF junior lightweight champion Argenis Méndez (21-3-1, 11 KOs) on Friday night at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Barthelemy dropped Mendez near the end of round two, then connected with a clean combination after the bell that knocked Menedez out. Time was 2:59. After the fight, promoter Mike Tyson said Barthlemy clearly hit his man twice after the bell, and stated he would call for a rematch. Welterweight prospect Erickson Lubin (2-0, 2 KOs) blew away Luis Santiago (4-1, 1 KO) in 61 seconds. Lubin was considered a top medal candidate for the 2016 Olympics before being signed by Iron Mike Productions. In a clash between unbeaten jr middleweights, Javontae Starks (8-0, 5 KOs) scored a six round split decision over Limberth Ponce (6-1, 4 KOs). Starks dropped Ponce in round two and won by scores of 57-56, 57-56 Starks, 57-56 Ponce. Minnesota lightweight champ Tony Lee won a six round unanimous decision over Willshaun Boxley Damion Hill won a four round split decision over Nate Richardson. Adrian Martinez stopped Trevor Marmon at 1:18 of the third round. Dennis Galarza won a four round unanimous decision over Celiel Castillo. MORE DETAILS TO COME
|
| WEIGHTS FROM MINNEAPOLIS, MN THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 2014 – BY JESSE KELLEY |
|
IBF junior lightweight Title Bout Television: ESPN2 FOR MORE PHOTO’S …
|
| JANUARY 2, 2014 MINNESOTA BOXING IN THE NEWS |
| • Rumble in the Tundra, a Friday night fights preview by Gordon Marino • Kare 11 News with Mike Tyson at tonights Weigh-in’s |
| TRUAX RETURNS TO ESPN, TARGET CENTER FRIDAY NIGHT THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 2014 – BY JESSE KELLEY |
| “Golden” Caleb Truax (23-1-1,14 KO’s) will be back fighting under the bright ESPN lights tomorrow night and it’s also a return to the place he made his pro debut in 2007, the Target Center in Minneapolis. Truax impressed the nation last June while scoring a knockout victory over tough Illinois puncher Don George and the 30 year old Osseo, Minnesota native followed that win up with a fourth round knockout over fellow Minnesotan Cerresso Fort last September. Truax will try to keep his stock rising this Friday night against upset minded Ossie Duran (28-11, 11 KO’s). Duran is from Ghana and now resides in New Jersey. Co-promoting the action will be Iron Mike Tyson Promotions along with Seconds Out and Warriors Boxing. The main event is an IBF super featherweight championship fight between champion Argenis Mendez (21-2-1, 11 KOs) and #1-ranked undefeated challenger Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy (19-0, 12 KOs). Truax discussed his most recent grudge match with Fort, his thoughts on Mike Tyson being a part of the promotion, and what might be waiting on the horizon if everything goes as planned on Friday night… |
| JANUARY 1, 2014 MINNESOTA BOXING IN THE NEWS |
| • NorthJersey.com- Clock ticking on boxer Ossie Duran. • Open to public weigh-in/press conference info for January 3rd Target Center fight card. • WDIO TV- Duluth’s Marmon to fight on Target Center show. • January 3rd Caleb Truax ESPN Links Repository |
