RESULTS: World of Champions Fight Night in Charlotte, NC – October 26, 2013

Four of the seven originally scheduled bouts set for World of Champions Fight Night at CenterStage at Noda in Charlotte, NC took place on Saturday night. According to spectators in attendance, two of the bouts, including the main event, had a packed venue at CenterStage cheering loudly and on their feet.

Prior to the main event, undefeated super middleweight Pablo Velez Jr., who recently relocated from North Carolina and now fights out of Atlanta, met in the ring with former gym and sparring partner Nasser Abdul Malik of Cary, North Carolina. According to author Christian Giudice, who provided a full report for this blog, and was on hand interviewing fighters and commentating on the event, he said that both Velez Jr. and Abdul Malik—yes both!—were hurt in the first round. Velez Jr. later took an eight-count in the second round, but hung on to win a 4 round majority decision. Scores were 39-37, 38-38, and 38-37. Velez Jr. is now 3-0. Abdul Malik falls to 1-2.

On Pablo Velez Jr.’s Facebook, he commented: “It was a fight I made harder for myself than I needed to, partly because I fought against my ex-teammate, who I sparred with hundreds of times and against my ex-coach. However, I out-worked him and got the win.”

The main event may have been an even greater war. Defending his WBC Continental Americas cruiserweight title for the first time, Olanrewaju Durodola of Nigeria, but now making his home in Kansas, is now 17-1 after scoring a KO in Round 6 over Mitch “King Kamm” Williams of Michigan. Christian Giudice referred to the bout as “a vicious fight” and Coach Mike Kane of the Mid-South Boxing Academy, who was in the corner for two of his athletes competing in preliminary amateur boxing exhibitions and remained to watch the pros, stated, “The main event was exciting! Those two guys were really pounding each other hard!” Mitch Williams record falls to 8-4 with two draws as a professional.

In other bouts that evening, the Greek heavyweight fighter Thanasis Michaloudis, now residing in Florida, improves to 4-0 after achieving an easy victory with a 1st round KO over Joseph Harper, of Union, South Carolina. Also, Deandre Smith (now 3-0) of Georgia ended his fight promptly with a 20-second KO over winless Martique Holland of Virginia. Holland is now 0-3.

The following bouts: Jamikey Lamar Woods vs. Julius Stroud, Lavisas Williams vs. Rokeem Shorter, and Jazzy Kirkley vs. James Gooding were cancelled. Jazzy Kirkley, age 51, and who last fought professionally during the 1990s, was scheduled to make his comeback.

Six exhibition amateur bouts took place prior to the professionals. Athletes competing were as follows:

1) Dallas Andrada vs. Alex Evans
2) Steve Massey vs. Jabari Gregory
3) Thomas Ladden vs Alex Finger
4) Jonathan Stamey vs. Reggie Miller
5) Christian Rodriguez vs. Corey Wellons
6) Chris Gladden vs. Andre Mendez

Special thanks to Christian Giudice of Charlotte, North Carolina for his collaboration on this report. Chris is author of The Rise and Fall of Alexis Argüello and also Hands of Stone: The Life and Legend of Roberto Duran. You can visit his website at: http://christiangiudice.com/

Paco Rivera, GAR1680 North Carolina Boxing Talk Radio & Blog
Twitter: @GAR1680

Charlotte Observer Newspaper Article on Mid-South Boxing Academy in N.C.

Here’s a great story on Mid-South Boxing Academy & Fitness, the only certified boxing gym in Concord, North Carolina, with a feature on Coach Mike Kane, Dwight Hunter, and some of the fighters training there: Jamaal Gregory, Alex Finger, Kwame Benson.

Special thanks to Charlotte Observer correspondent, Joe Habina.

CLICK HERE  to see the article

North Carolina BOXING TALK Radio Show - Monday, Sept. 23, 2013

Watch last night's North Carolina Boxing Talk Radio Show... 

This Show: Recap of First Responders Charity Boxing Event, Carolina's Amateur Boxing Invitational, and fight results for N.C. boxers James "Shotgun" Winchester and Lamar Russ. ** Watch/hear the Joshua "Too-Tuff" Tufte interview from Camp Wladimir Klitschko in Austria where he is sparring with the World Heavyweight Champ. ** Fight results from Greensboro and Winston-Salem this past weekend (Saturday, 9/21). ** Preview of upcoming fights for North Carolina boxers Noel "Shut-Up" Echevarria and Carlette Ewell.

Busy Weekend of Boxing in North Carolina - Winston-Salem and Greensboro - September 21, 2013

     This Saturday, September 21, Walter Johnson Promotions is hosting Ballroom Brawl VII in Greensboro and Ring of Dreams Promotions will feature Fight Night XI in Winston-Salem. In Greensboro, Eli Addison (10-3) of Winston-Salem, but now fighting out of Charlotte, makes his return to the ring. BoxRec currently shows 6 bouts scheduled for the Ring of Dreams event in Winston-Salem. Boxing in both Greensboro and Winston-Salem will be combined with bouts of MMA.

     NOTE: Though originally scheduled, Joshua Tufte and Noel Echevarria will not appear at the Greensboro boxing event. Josh Tufte is still at Camp Klitchko in Austria for sparring sessions with the world champ, and Noel Echevarria has signed for a Fox Sports 1 Monday Night Fights undercard to take place the following week, on September 30.

RESULTS: 2013 Carolina's Amateur Boxing Invitational, Charlotte, N.C. 9/14/2013

13 Bouts. All bouts ended in decision. Boxer’s city/gym is shown if known. Click "WATCH" to see video of the fight.

RESULTS

1) 115lb: Joseph Lenzo (Charlotte/Charlotte Boxing Academy) def. Mario Salinas (Asheboro)
WATCH
2) 155lb: Austin Bryant (Wilson) def. Luis Martinez (Winston-Salem) WATCH
3) 135lb: Kenneth Nixon (Lincolnton) def. Jeremy Stokes (Charlotte/Charlotte Boxing Academy) WATCH
4) 147lb: Corey Montgomery (Charlotte/Charlotte Boxing Academy) def. Jeremy Johnson (Winston-Salem) WATCH
5) 102lb: McKayla Ard (Rockingham/Dungeon Boxing Club) def. Kimberly Pittman (Wilson) WATCH
6) 165lb: Bruce McPhail (Raleigh) def. Johnathan Starney (Charlotte/University Boxing) WATCH
7) 180lb: Thomas Landon (Charlotte/Charlotte Boxing Academy) def. Freddie Mercado (Charlotte/Dyme Boxing & Fitness) - The 3rd round ended early, halted by referee due to injury and bleeding from Mercado's nose, and went to the score cards. WATCH
8) 149lb: Daniel Mendoza (Winston-Salem) def. Christopher Gladden (Charlotte/Charlotte Boxing Academy) WATCH
9) 201lb: Myles Smith (Charlotte/Dyme Boxing & Fitness) def. David Palomar (Asheboro) WATCH
10) 158lb: James Burke (Huntersville) def. Mikhail Makarova (Indian Trail/Dyme Boxing & Fitness) WATCH 
11) 125lb: DaQuan Blair (Winston-Salem) def. Vit Y (Charlotte) WATCH
12) 165lb: Vardges Vardanyan (Charlotte/Dyme Boxing & Fitness) def. Michael White (Charlotte/Charlotte Boxing Academy) WATCH
13) 145lb: Jamell Brown (Rockingham/Dungeon Boxing Club) def. Jamaal Gregory (Charlotte-Concord/Mid-South Boxing Academy) WATCH
 
Paco Rivera, GAR1680
Twitter: @GAR1680