BATB 2017 Year End Awards Are Coming Soon!

Boxing has ended in the Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia area the the 2017 calendar year, and now it's time to see what professional fighters made a positive impact in the sport of boxing! 

Boxing Along The Beltway and ProAmFightTalk are in the moment where it's time to make decisions about the 2017 BATB Award Winners in the categories listed below. So stay tuned for the year end review that will be posted on boxingalongthebeltway.blogspot.com in the next few days. 

Gary O'Sullivan Captures WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Title Over Antoine Douglas!

Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan defeated 
Antoine Douglas to capture the vacant WBO Intercontinental middleweight title.  He took control of the fight after the third round and remained in charge. O'Sullivan landed a relentless amount of shots to send Douglas down and stopped him at 1:03 of the seventh round of a gritty battle, handing 
Douglas his second pro loss.

O’Sullivan (27-2, 19 KO) and Douglas (22-2-1, 16 KO) was in a war of power punch exchanges, but there was really no technique at  all from either fighter to avoid from getting hit.

Nick Kisner Loses To Ryad Merhy In Belgium!

Nick Kisner lost to Ryad Merhy by TKO at 2:30 of the fourth round. The contest took place at the Spiroudome Arena in Charleroi, Belgium. The bout was even in the first two rounds where both fighters were exchanging shots. In round three Merhy started to land more counter punches but Kisner still finished the round by landing a couple of jabs before the bell sounded. Inside the last minute of round four Merhy landed a hard body shot followed by a left hook that sent Kisner to the canvas to end the fight. 

Merhy defends his WBA Intercontinental Cruiserweight title and still remains undefeated at (24-0, 19 KO's) while Nick Kisner drops to (19-4-1, 6 KO's).

Antoine Douglas In Canada To Face Gary O'Sullivan For A Vacant WBO Title!

On Saturday, Dec.16 in Montreal, Canada, Antoine "Action" Douglas (22-1-1, 16 KOs) of Burke, VA and Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan (26-2, 18 KOs) of Cork, Ireland will battle for the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Title in the 10-round co-main event of HBO World Championship Boxing beginning live at 9:40 p.m. ET/PT. 

Both fighters hit the scale today and I was told Antione Douglas weighed 159.4 and O'Sullivan weight was 160lbs. The fighters came in ready for the middleweight championship bout.

Spence VS Peterson, Boxing Match Turning Into Dog Fight!

Photos from:
ERROL SPENCE JR. vs. LAMONT PETERSON 
BROOKLYN PRESS CONFERENCE ALERT

IBF Welterweight World Champion Errol "The Truth" Spence Jr. and former world champion Lamont Peterson will host apress conference to discuss their SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING main event showdown taking place Saturday, January 20. The event is presented by Premier Boxing Champions live from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING.

IBF Welterweight World Champion Errol "The Truth" Spence Jr. and former world champion Lamont Peterson will host apress conference to discuss their SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP    BOXING main event showdown taking place Saturday, January 20. The event is presented by Premier Boxing Champions live from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING.

Lamont Roach Jr. Remains Undefeated With Unanimous Decision Win!

(Photos by Daniel Cork)

In the main-event Lamont Roach, Jr. faced off against Rey Perez in a 10-round super featherweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions. Roach started the first round very relaxed as Perez tried to come forward early. Perez landed a few body shots on Roach that seemed to bother him late in round two. Roach battled back as the fight went on as he found his distance to land hard shots that started to swell the eyes of Perez. It was how Roach closed out the rounds that was the changing point of the contest. All three judges scored the contest the same 99-91.

Lamont Roach Jr. remains undefeated at (16-0, 6 KO's) while Rey Perez is now (21-9, 6 KO's). 

“I feel good after a good performance like. In the second round, he hit me with a really good body shot. But I stayed composed and got myself

together. I’d been through that before, and I’ve sparred with bigger people."

Post Fight Video Interview 

Avery Sparrow Dominates Jose Lopez On Golden Boy Promotions Card On ESPN Telecast!

(Photos by Daniel Cork)

Inside the Theater at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland Avery Sparrow of Philadelphia, PA defeated Jose Lopez out of Caralina, PR by unanimous decision. 

Sparrow was the fighter with the most accurate punches throughout the ten round super featherweight contest.  The right hand was the key to success for Sparrow. He was able to consistently land some looping shots on Lopez. Lopez was starting to show he was bothered by the power of Sparrow. Sparrow kept coming forward to take complete control of the bout. All three judges scored the bout for Sparrow 97-93, and 96-94 twice. 

Avery Sparrow record is now (9-1, 3 KO's) while Jose Lopez falls to (18-2-1, 13 KO's).

“I feel great. I showed that I had more experience,” said Sparrow. “I did what I had to do and even hurt him a couple times. We knew the game plan was to take me to deep waters, so we started cautiously and reversed the plan. We took him to deep waters and got the victory.”

Undercard Results From The Golden Boy Promotions Card At The MGM National Harbor!

(Fight Photos by Daniel Cork)

Opening the action of the Golden Boy Promotions card at the MGM National Harbor was a four round super middleweight bout that ended in a majority draw between Thomas Williams of Lynchburg, VA taking on Alberto Delgado of Roanoke, VA. Judge Dave Braslow scored the bout 39-37 while Judges John Gradowski and Paul Wallace scored it even at 38-38. 

Both fighters are still looking for their first wins. Thomas Williams is (0-0-2) while Alberto Delgado is (0-2-3).

Williams: “This fight went the same way as my last fight. All I can say is that Delgado is one tough guy.”

Delgado: “It was a tough fight. I gave everything, but I needed more power to win.”
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Opening up the ESPN3 online telecast it was a four round cruiserweight bout were Lamont Capers gave Luther Smith the second loss of his career. Capers was sent to the canvas late in the first round, but Capers was able to beat the count. In the remainder of the contest Capers looked to be the more aggressive fighter as Smith's couldn't seem to land his power shots. Judge Dave Braslow scored the bout 38-37 for Smith while Paul Wallace and John Gradowski had it 38-37 giving Lamont Capers the split decision victory. 

Luther Smith falls to (9-2, 8 KO's) while Lamont Capers improves his record to (8-10-3).

“I did good,” said Capers. “They saw me as the underdog, but I pushed him and I conquered.”

“I wasn’t tired,” said Smith. “I simply wasn’t able to land the shots I wanted to land and that my coach was asking for. He [Capers] never hurt me, but he was a lot busier.”

In a eight round super featherweight bout Manuel Avila of Fairfield, CA defeated Diuhl Olguin of Guadalajara, Mexico by unanimous decision with the scores of 77-75, 78-74 twice. 

Manuel Avila improves to (23-1 8 KO's) as Diuhl Olguin falls to (11-9-2, 9 KO's).

"I feel good about this win because I was working on different things,” said Avila. “It threw me off that the opponent was decided at the last moment and that I hurt my left hand. Overall, it was a great learning experience because I chose to work on thing and with a good opponent."

Errol Spence Jr. vs. Lamont Peterson Press Conference Quotes!

Welterweight World Title Showdown Headlines SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Saturday, January 20 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn & Presented by Premier Boxing Champions

ERROL SPENCE JR.:

"You're going to see the same Errol Spence that you're used to. I can't look ahead because I know how dangerous Lamont Peterson is. I've been in training camps with him and I know what he can do.

"I've seen too many fighters look down the road and get beat before they get to the big fight. I have to be 100 percent focused and hungry. I'm fully dedicated to this fight.

"Lamont can push me to even greater levels. I feel like he is a better fighter than Kell Brook and has even more heart than Kell Brook and he can bring out the best in me.

"I think it's going to start out as a boxing match, but as we go on, it's going to be a dog fight. We both have big hearts. I've never known Lamont to turn down any fight. Not a lot of people wanted to fight me. The big names shied away from me but Lamont stood up and said he'd fight me. This is going to be a hard fight.

"I used to watch Lamont and his brother Anthony Peterson before I ever met them. I like their styles, the way they throw body punches and the fundamentals that they learned from Barry Hunter.

"I think I can be known as the best pound-for-pound in the sport, but I have to take it one fight at a time. I want to be the undisputed welterweight champion. That should be everyone's ultimate goal - to be the best fighter in the sport. But first I have a big test ahead of me January 20.

"This is the business of the sport. I was a young guy when Lamont was giving me advice. Now we've gotten to this point. It really shows his longevity in the sport and how I've reached the ranks of being a top pro fighter.

"Sparring with Lamont Peterson was really great work. It was a learning experience. I was an amateur so I was going at a fast pace and Lamont was being patient, blocking and countering and picking his shots. He was fighting at a pro pace and I didn't really understand it until I got farther into my career.

"You've seen me and Lamont fight. We're not in boring fights. We have fan-friendly styles and you're going to get a really good fight. We have the mentality to really go after it and give it our all to get this win.

"I want the best in this division to all fight each other. It's time for everyone else to stand up and proclaim that they want to be great. That's how we get this division to the peak. I don't feel like waiting to fight the best. I want to prove myself."


LAMONT PETERSON:

"This is a world title fight and I'm thankful for that. I try not to make too much out of each fight. I just want to take it one fight at a time. I've done this for 13 years as a professional. All fights are the same. I'm going to go in there and take care of business.

"As a top fighter, you're obligated to take what comes on the table. Regardless of who it is. It's boxing. It's a sport and we're competitors. We want to go in there and compete to see who's the best. We're going to treat it like business like we always do.

"You already know when I fight, it's a feeling out process to start, but in my head, I'm ready to go. It's going to get rough in the trenches and we'll see who wants it more.

"I knew six years ago when Errol was in my camp that we'd get to this point. I knew he would be a champion. For the most part, I've seen him improve and progress throughout the pro ranks and I believe he's going to keep getting better.

"I don't pay any attention to the outside noise. I respect everyone's opinion. I just go out and train to do what I love to do. I do this because I love to box. I'm not here to get on a list. I truly love this sport.

"I can't worry about people thinking that Errol is the next star in this sport. I believe that, but I can't worry about it.  It is up to me and my team to come up with the right type of strategy and execute it.

"I'm not too worried about figuring out his southpaw stance. I've been around long enough and encountered enough southpaws. I'm confident I'll be able to handle it.

"The size may seem like an advantage for Errol, but it's up to me and my team to figure out the best way to negate it. I know who I am. I'm a competitive person. Regardless of everything, I'm going to come to win."


DERRICK JAMES, Spence's Trainer:

"We have a game plan in place. We'll try to perfect everything leading up to this one. We're working on making Errol a more complete fighter every time out. He'll be better than he was when you saw him against Brook.

"We're looking for the perfect fight. It takes a great fighter to bring out the greatness in another great fighter. These guys are high caliber fighters and it's about as good a matchup as you can have in the division.

"These are two guys with the mentality to go after it. But they also have technical skill. This is going to be an old school fight between guys with real skills.

"It's one thing to do it, but it's another to teach. I've really understood this sport since I became a trainer. Fighters are developed, not born. I'm going to keep working with these guys on the fundamentals so we can bring up the whole sport."


BARRY HUNTER, Peterson's Trainer:

"When I look at Errol Spence, I instantly fell in love with him because he reminded me of Lamont so much. They both have that dog mentality. I've always known he was a special fighter.

"Lamont told me when he worked with Errol that he really liked the kid. He knew he would be a world champion. I had to remind myself that this is business. We have to fight our friends.

"These are the two guys who are ready to fight anybody. The fight on January 20 is going to be one to remember. It's a fan-friendly fight.

"Errol Spence is the best fighter in the welterweight division. You have athletes that can fight and athletes who are fighters. Errol and Lamont are both. They have the skills and they have the ability to fight.

"To be the best in the world, you have to fight the best in the world. All the greats have done it. In order to get back to the glory days, we need to put the best against the best. I have confidence in Lamont Peterson against anybody."


LOU DIBELLA, President of DiBella Entertainment:

"There are very few fights you could make that are better in the welterweight division than this fight. It's going to take place at the home of big-time boxing, here at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and live on SHOWTIME.

"Errol Spence is one of the most talked about fighters in the sport. Some think he could be the best fighter in the world. He's consistently said he only wants to fight the best and on January 20 he will be fighting another champion and another great welterweight. Lamont Peterson never backs down from a challenge and we know he'll be ready for this fight on January 20.

"This is a great event that continues the run of significant meaningful matchups on SHOWTIME. It's been great quality programming. The fight cards have all been incredibly easy to promote because the fights have been so strong. You have to make fights with great fighters battling other great fighters. That's what we need to energize our fans and our sport."

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive VP & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports

"As we come to the end of 2017 we look back on what has been a really strong year. 25 nights of live boxing, 80 live boxing matches and 27 world title fights. Not just title fights, but world title fights featuring top ranked challengers against top ranked champions.

"We've brought you the most watched fight of the year in Keith Thurman vs. Danny Garcia right here at Barclays Center on CBS. It was also the most watched primetime boxing match in nearly 20 years. But wto kick off the year with this matchup. It's another great fight in the welterweight division, a division we've been paying a lot of attention to for years. We'll see you on January 20."

Weights From MGM National Harbor In Oxon Hill, MD!

TV Main Event 

SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT - 10 Rounds
Lamont Roach, Jr.  130.6 vs. Rey Perez 131.2

TV Co-Main Event 
SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT - 10 Rounds
Jose Lopez 129.4 vs. Avery Sparrow 128.6

TV Swing Bout 
SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT - 4 Rounds
George Rincon 139.4 vs. Jihad Wise 140

FEATHERWEIGHT - 8 Rounds
Manuel Avila 126.7 vs.  Diuhl Olguin 125.8

CRUISERWEIGHT - 4 Rounds
Luther Smith 199.4 vs. Lamont Capers 196.2

(Photo Credit: Daniel Cork)

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT - 4 Rounds
Alberto Delgado 166.2 vs. Thomas Williams 
                                         (will weigh in later tonight)

The Golden Boy Promotions event will broadcast live November 30 on ESPN3 (English) and ESPN Deportes (Spanish) will transmit the fights live from MGM National Harbor at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. ESPN2 will air the fight at 11 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. PT. 

Interview With Lamont Roach Jr. In Preparation For His November 30th Bout Against Rey Perez!

Workout video 

Grayton Drops Unanimous Decision; Russell Brothers Score First-Round Victories In St. Petersburg, FL!

Photo credit: Douglas DeFelice / Premier Boxing Champions

Washington, DC welterweight David "Day-Day" Grayton lost by a hard fought ten-round unanimous decision to undefeated Miguel Cruz of Lake Mary, FL on the FS1 telecast that took place at the Coliseum in St. Petersburg, FL. Grayton hurt Cruz in the second round. Cruz came back to give Grayton some problems in the third but suffered a cut under the right eye while doing do. As the fight went on Grayton was sent to the canvas in round six by a right hand from Cruz. Grayton bounced back and both fighters were throwing and landing shots on each other. Grayton landed a shot that opened another cut above Cruz's right eye. All three judges scored the bout 96-93 all for Cruz. Grayton now has a record of (15-2-1, 11 KO's) as Cruz remains undefeated at (17-0, 11 KO's).

WBC featherweight champion "Mr." Gary Russell Jr. was in the venue to show his support for his two younger brother that were part of the undercard of the PBC show. Both brother scored first-round knockouts. 

Antonio Russell knocked out Marco Antonio "La Maquina" Mendoza Chico at 1:15 to improve his record to (10-0, 8 KO's) while Chico is (11-6-1, 7 KO's). 

2016 Olympian, Antuanne Russell scored his third straight first-round knockout, stopping Larry Yanez of Fort Lauderdale, FL at 2:21.  Russell is (3-0, 3 KO's) while Yanez falls to (4-8-2).

Mykal "The Professor" Fox Wins Title In Bethlehem, PA!

(Photos by Daniel Cork)

In the main-event of the Kings Promotions card that took place at the Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, PA, Forestville, MD's Mykal "The Professor" Fox defeated Manuel Alejandro Reyes of Los Angeles, CA in a eight-round bout to capture the UBF All-Americas Welterweight title. 

This was Fox first bout as a welterweight as he wins by scores of 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74 to remain undefeated at (15-0, 4 KO's). Reyes drops to (11-4-1, 5 KO's).

Two more Beltway Area Boxers were on this card.

In a four-round featherweight bout Seat Pleasant, MD's James "Too Slick" Early lost unanimous decision to Juan Sanchez of Allentown, PA. Early lost by scores of 39-37 on all three scorecards.  Early is now (2-2) while Sanchez remains undefeated at (4-0, 1 KO).

Also Lanham, MD heavyweight Ralph Alexander lost by first-round knockout at 1:01 to the debuting Michael Polite-Coffie of Brooklyn, NY.

Quotes Going Into The Spence vs Peterson Bout In January!

"I'm pleased to be promoting Spence vs. Peterson, one of the very best matchups in the welterweight division and in all of boxing," said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. "Spence is not only one of the best welterweights in the world, but one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in boxing. In Peterson, he faces another elite welterweight and a two-time world champion. Spence vs. Peterson will bring the heat to Barclays Center on a chilly January 20. This is yet another night in the outstanding run of big time fights on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING."



"Spence vs. Peterson is an intriguing matchup between two elite welterweights looking to reach the top of this marquee division," said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. "Errol Spence is a rising star with his sights set on title unification and the top of the pound-for-pound list, but he's going to receive a stern test from Lamont Peterson, a multiple division champion whose resume is filled with top class opponents. It's going to be another fantastic atmosphere at Barclays Center and a great night of fights live on SHOWTIME."

"With his breakout performance against Kell Brook, Errol Spence established himself as one of top fighters in the welterweight division, if not in all of boxing," said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports.  "Never one to rest on his laurels, Errol continues to seek out the toughest available opponents, and he has found exactly that in Lamont Peterson.  Lamont has never backed down from a challenge, and as a result, he has a wealth of experience with one of the strongest resumes in the division.  This type of high profile, dangerous matchup is the quintessential SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING main event."



"BROOKLYN BOXING enjoyed a banner year in 2017, and we are looking forward to carrying that momentum into 2018," said Brett Yormark, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. "Spence vs. Peterson sets a strong precedent for the year, with two top welterweights returning to the ring at Barclays Center to compete for recognition in one of the sport's most talented divisions."



Spence (22-0, 19 KOs), of Dallas, traveled to England to dethrone IBF 147-pound champion and hometown favorite Kell Brook on May 27 on SHOWTIME in one of the defining fights of 2017.  The 27-year-old, who had long been touted as boxing's next big thing, fulfilled his promise with a breakthrough performance, fracturing Brook's orbital bone en route to an 11th round TKO.  A 2012 U.S. Olympian, Spence will enter the ring at Barclays Center for the third time after most recently stopping former champion Chris Algieri in an April 2016 main event. He will fight in Brooklyn for the fourth time; he earned his title shot by knocking out Leonard Bundu at the Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk in August 2016. 



"My goal is to unify the welterweight division in 2018, but this fight is a true test and Lamont Peterson is a veteran that I definitely will not overlook," said Spence. "I sparred him in the amateurs and I know what he brings to the table. I have to get through him to achieve my goals and that is what I plan on doing January 20th."



Peterson (35-3-1, 17 KOs), of Washington, D.C., has won titles at 140 and 147 pounds while facing some of the biggest names in the sport, including Danny Garcia, Amir Khan and Timothy Bradley.  The 33-year-old won the WBA 147-pound title in his last outing Feb. 18 on SHOWTIME before relinquishing the belt for the chance to challenge Spence. Peterson has won four of his last five outings, twice fighting at Barclays Center. His Brooklyn debut saw him defeat Edgar Santana by TKO in 2014 before dropping a narrow majority draw to Garcia in a 2015 main event in Brooklyn.



"First off, I'm happy to be getting back in the ring," said Peterson. "I've stayed in the gym and I'm ready to go. This is a fight I wanted and as I said before when I became a welterweight, I want to fight the best and make the fights that people want to see. I'm ready to give it my all and give the fans a great show."

Photos From Kings Promotions Weigh-In In Bethlehem, PA!

All photos shot by Daniel Cork!