Hall of Fame Fighters...
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Who...Ronald Cruz
From...Bethlehem, PA The Facts...This 22-year-old junior welterweight, a recent signee with Peltz Boxing, scored the biggest win of his young career Feb. 5 when he knocked out veteran Martines Clay, of Norristown, PA, in three rounds at the Blue Horizon. Cruz nos is 8-0, 5 K0s. He also was impressive in a third-round stoppage over tough Julias Edmonds, of Philadelphia, on Aug. 8 at Bally's Atlantic City. Cruz followed that with another nice win, a six-round decision over tough lefty Ashantie Hendrickson, of Medford, NY, on Nov. 7 at Bally's. The win over Hendrickson was Cruz's seventh fight of 2009. As an amateur, Cruz won 25 out of 28 fights, all in a 13-month period from July, 2007, until August, 2008. When he is not fighting, he spends time with his 3-year-old daughter Jayshalis. Cruz is trained by Alec Morales and managed by ex-pro lightweight Jimmy Deoria. |
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Who...Jamaal Davis
From...Philadelphia, PA The Facts...The 28-year-old Davis faces a big test Feb. 27 when he takes on Ossie Duran, of Paterson, NJ, in a six-round junior middleweight bout at Bally's Atlantic City. Davis injured his left hand after scoring a first-round knockdown en route to a unanimous six-round decision over Josh Onyango, of Trenton, NJ, on Nov. 20 at the Blue Horzon. He also out-pointed Manuel Guzman, of Lancaster, PA, over six rounds Aug. 8 at Bally's Atlantic City. Earlier in 2009 at the Blue Horizon, Davis beat Clarence Taylor, of Wilmington, DE, over six rounds and lost to Jerome Ellis, of Paterson, NJ, over eight rounds. Fighting as a junior middleweight, Davis (11-5, 6 K0s) has lost to Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillen, of New York, and to Donald Orr, of Canada, both unbeaten middleweight prospects. Davis played football in high school, attending Overbrook High and University High in Philadelphia, before moving on to the Job Corps in Pittsburgh, PA. He spends his spare time taking care of his 6-year-old son, Jamaal, Jr., and his 7-year-old daughter, Jabrea. Davis is managed and trained by Sharron Baker. |
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Who...Anthony Flores
From...Philadelphia, PA The Facts...Flores lost for the first time as a pro to unbeaten Victor Valenzuela, of Passaic, NJ, in a terrific six-round fight Sept. 19 at Bally's Atlantic City. Flores underwent reconstructive surgery after a Valenzuela head butt in the second round resulted in a fractured eye socket. He should be back in January. Flores knocked out 32-fight veteran Carlos Diaz, of Tampa, FL, in the first round May 1 at the Blue Horizon in Philadelphia. The 21-year-old junior lightweight is 8-1, 5 K0s. He boxed a lefty for the first time as a pro Feb. 27 and scored a unanimous six-round decision over previously unbeaten Ikem Orji, of Laurel, MD, at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. A perfectly timed right hand which landed on Francisco Palacios' chin gave Flores the biggest win of his career Nov. 14, 2008, at the New Alhambra in South Philadelphia. Flores K0d Jason Rorie, of Winston-Salem, NC, on Sept. 19, 2008, in Hockessin, DE. A two-time Pennsylvania Golden Gloves champion, the 5-foot-11 Flores is trained by Vaughn Jackson and managed by Jim Williams and Doc Nowicki. |
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Who...Dennis Hasson
From...Philadelphia, PA The Facts...D-Hass ended a six-monrh layoff by stopping Eric Pinarretta, of New Bedford, MA, in five rounds on Nov. 20 at the Blue Horiozn. The 25-year-old Hasson is 9-0, 3 K0s, but had not boxed since April 4 when he easily decisioned Johnny Hayes, of Atlantic City, NJ, at South Philadelphia High School. Hasson's biggest win came March 6 at the Blue Horizon when he beat tough Garrett Wilson, of South Philadelphia, on points after six rounds. Hasson is managed by Joe Hand and Doc Nowicki and trained by ex-lightweight Wade Hinnant. He lives in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, across the street from where Rocky Balboa lived in the Hollywood movie. Hasson is back in action Saturday evening, Feb. 27, in a scheduled six-round contest at Bally's Atlantic City. |
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Who...Mike Jones
From...Philadelphia, PA The Facts...Jones made the third defense of his NABA welterweight title Nov. 7 when he stopped Raul Pinzon (16-3-1, 15 K0s), of Barranquilla, Colombia, in the fifth round at Bally's Atlantic City. The 26-year-old North Philadelphian now is 19-0, 16 K0s. He had returned Aug. 8 with a unanimous 10-round decision over Lenin Arroyo, of Miami, FL, at Bally's. The win over Arroyo marked Jones' second defense of his NABA welterweight title. Jones knocked out Dairo Esalas, of Miami, FL, in two rounds March 6 at the Blue Horizon. Prior to that, Jones K0d Luciano Perez, of Chicago, IL, in three rounds Dec. 5 at the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA. Jones won the vacant NABA title with a sixth-round knockout over Brazilian Juliano Ramos on Aug. 29, 2008, at the New Alhambra in South Philadelphia. Jones is rated No. 7 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), No. 11 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF), No. 16 by the World Boxing Council (WBC). Jones is managed by Doc Nowicki and Jim Williams and trained by Vaughn Jackson. He's back Saturday, Feb. 27, at Bally's Atlantic City, against Henry Bruseles, of Gurabo, Puerto Rico. |
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Who...Teon Kennedy
From...Philadelphia, PA The Facts...Kennedy had a bittersweet night Nov. 20 when he K0d Francisco Rodriguez, of Chicago, IL, in the 10th round to win the vacant USBA super bantamweight title at the Blue Horizon. The celebration was tempered when Rodriguez was taken to the hospital after the fight and he passed away two nights later from brain injuries. The 25-year-old Rodriguez and the 23-year-old Kennedy had waged a battle for the ages. Kennedy, now 14-0-1, 6 K0s, broke into the world rankings wth the win over Rodriguez. He is No. 13 about 122-pounders according to the IBF, No. 32 with the WBC. Kennedy had a big year in 2009. In addition to the Rodriguez fight, he earned decisions over Andre Wilson, of St. Louis, MO, and Lucian Gonzalez, of Reading, PA. His only non-winning effort was a controversial 10-round draw with Lante Addy, of Ghana, a fight Kennedy appeared to have won handily at Bally's Atlantic City. Kennedy is managed by Doc Nowicki and Joe Hand. He is trained by Wade Hinnant and his brother Randy Hinnant. |
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Who...Rogers Mtagwa
From...Philadelphia, PA The Facts...Mtagwa was stopped in the second round by WBA featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa, of Cuba, in two rounds Jan. 23 in the WAMU Theatre at Madison Square Garden. Mtagwa had shocked everyone with his 12-round decision loss to WBO super bantamweight champ Juan Manuel Lopez, of Puerto Rico, on Oct. 10 at Madison Square Garden. Lopez was "out on his feet" in the 12th round, but Mtagwa failed to land the finishing punch. Scores were 114-113, 115-111, 116-111 for Lopez, now 27-0, 24 K0s. It is a strong candidate for Fight of the Year. Now 26-14-3, 18 K0s, Mtagwa scored his biggest win Nov. 7, 2008, when he knocked out world-rated Tomas Villa, of Odessa, TX, in the 10th and round of their brutal super bantamweight fight at the Casino del Sol in Tucson, AZ. Villa (20-6-4, 13 K0s), who had not lost in four years, knocked Mtagwa down in the ninth and was ahead on points when he was dropped three times in the 10th. Mtagwa, 31, is ranked No. 13 by the WBA as a featherweight, No. 7 by the IBF and No. 10 by the WBO as a super bantamweight. He is managed by Joe Parella and trained by ex-middleweight contender Bobby "Boogaloo" Watts. |
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Who...Latif Mundy
From...Philadelphia, PA The Facts...This former 2004 Pennsylvania Golden Gloves champ was even on the scorecards when he was stopped in the seventh round by crosstown rival Gabriel Rosado on Nov. 7 at Bally's Atlantic City. Previously, Mundy got off the deck in round three and gave it everything he had while losing an eight-round decision to unbeaten Patrick Majewski, of Somers Point, NJ, on June 6 at Bally's. Mundy had put on his best performance as a pro but it did not appear to be enough against junior middleweight Rudy Cisneros, of Chicago, as Mundy lost a unanimous eight-round decision Aug. 29, 2008, at the New Alhambra in South Philadelphia. When Cisneros failed his state-administered drug test, the PA Athletic Commission changed the result to a No Contest. Mundy (8-2-1, 3 K0s) stopped George Rivera, of Charlottesville, VA, after the fourth round of their May 30 at the Expo Mart in Monroeville, PA. Mundy is a graduate of the Glen Mills Schools with a certificate in carpentry. |
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Who...Angel Luis Ocasio
From...Philadelphia, PA The Facts...Ocasio made his pro debut July 10 at the Arena (formerly New Alhambra) in South Philadelphia and earned a four-round decision over Dan Morales, of New York. This two-time Pennsylvania Golden Gloves featherweight champion compiled a 44-5 amateur record and has been going to the gym since he was 6 years old. He is a graduate of the Community Academy of Philadelphia--a Charter school--and he currently holds down a full-time job the Court Reporting Office (ERSA), 17th & Ludlow Streets, where he produces and ships court transcripts. Ocasio trains at the Front Street Gym in Kensington and he likes to play basketball and football and work on his computer. He returns Feb. 26 in a four-round fight at the Arena. |
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Who...Kassim Ouma
From...Palm Beach Gardens, FL The Facts...The former IBF world junior middleweight champ looked unlucky to be judged a unanimous 10-round decision loser to unbeaten Vanes Martirosyan for the NABF/NABO titles on Jan. 16 at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas. Though the scores were 97-93, 97-93, 97-92 for Martirosyan, many in the media had Ouma ahead. He scored a knockdown in the eighth, yet two of the three judges only gave him a 10-9 edge in that round. In addition, the referee let Martirosyan get away with a half-dozen low punches without deducting a point. It was Ouma's fifth loss in his last six fights, but his best performance in years. He is now 26-7-2, 16 K0s). In his recent streak, Ouma has lost to Gabriel Rosado, of Philadelphia, Cornelius "K9" Bundrage, of Detroit, and to Saul Roman, of Tijuana, Mexico. Two of the three losses were by split decision. Ouma's only recent win came by knockout over Martinus Clay, of Norristown, PA, in the fal of 2008. Ouma had failed in his bid for the world middleweight title when he lost a 12-round decision to Jermain Taylor on Dec. 9, 2006, in Little Rock, AR. Ouma has beaten Verno Phillips (twice), J.C. Candelo, Kofi Jantuah, Sechew Powell, Marco Antonio Rubio and Alex Bunema. Originally from Uganda, Ouma lives in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. |
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Who...Gabriel Rosado
From...Philadelphia, PA The Facts...Rosado's career took an upward turn Nov. 7 when he K0d fellow-Philadelphian Latif Mundy in seven rounds at Bally's Atlantic City. The fight was even after six, but Rosado landed a solid body shot and followed with a series of overhand rights before the referee stepped in. Rosado had hit a roadblock Aug., 7 when he was stunningly stopped in two rounds by Mexico's Alfredo Angulo in Primm, NV. There was some controversey when the first knockdown--which started the trouble--came just as Rosado was pulling out of a clinch. A stunning 10-round upset decision over former IBF junior middleweight champ Kassim Ouma has vaulted Rosado, of North Philadelphia, into the national spotlight. Working behind trainer Billy Briscoe's fight plan, Rosado rallied in the ninth and 10th rounds of the April 24 fight to capture the verdict at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. The 23-year-old Rosado is now 13-4, 8 K0s. Rosado had K0d New York's Ariel Espinal in five rounds 20 days prior to beating Ouma. A pro since 2006, Rosado also has beaten James Moore, Josh Onyango (avenging a previous loss) and Mustpaha Johnson. He faces Saul Roman, of Tijuana, Mexico, on Feb. 27 at Bally's Atlantic City. |
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Who...Mike Stewart
From...New Castle, DE The Facts...Stewart survived a cut right eye from a head butt in the first round and a bogus third-round knockdown to earn a six-round decision over Louie Leija, of San Antonio, TX, on Nov. 7 at Bally's Atlantic City. Stewart had ended his 19-month retirement April 24 by scoring a six-round decision over Luis Alberto Santiago, of North Philadelphia, at Dover (DE) Downs. The 31-year-old Stewart, fighting at 147 pounds, is 44-7-3, 23 K0s. He had announced his retirement Oct. 5, 207, after losing a 10-round decision to Robert Franekl, of Denver, CO, at the New Alhambra in South Philadelphia. A former USBA junior welterweight champion, Stewart has beaten Ivan Robinson, Chucky T, ex-IBF world champion Terronn Millett and Ebo Elder. Stewart's most ambitious year was 2004 when he twice boxed in Manchester, England, losing on points to Sharmba Mitchell and being stopped in five rounds by Ricky Hatton. He returns Feb. 26 at Dover Downs in an eight-round fight against Brandon Baue, of Troy, MO. |
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Who...Garrett Wilson
From...Philadelphia,PA The Facts...After an 11-fight amateur career, Wilson, now 27, turned pro midway through 2008 and has won seven of his 10 fights, the most recent a six-round decision loss to unbeaten Oympian Carlos Negron on Jan. 23 at the WAMU Theatre in Madison Square Garden. Prior to that, Wilson earned a four-round split decision over lefty Adam Willett, of Bellport, NY, on Dec. 11 in Westminster, MD. Wilson also scored a unanimous six-round decision over Ogi Daivii, of Baltimore, MD, on Nov. 25 in Erie, PA. After dropping a six-round decision to Dennis Hasson early in 2009, Wilson scored a second-round K0 over Lewis Robinson, then upset veteran Alfred Kinsey over six rounds. Both fights were at Bally's Atlantic City. Wilson started boxing while attending Gratz High School in Germantown. He is married to Janae Martir and they have three children ranging in ages from 1 to 8. Wilson fights between 175 and 190 pounds. |
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