The Blue Collar Brawler, 100% On-The-Record

I just spoke with Jesse Barbot.  In a brief but wide-ranging conversation he shared his thoughts (“100% on-the-record”) about his head injury, his recovery, and his future.  In an effort to keep the focus on Jesse I’m going to publish here his comments, minus my questions.

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Well, I remember everything.  I remember the fight, I remember talking in the corner between rounds, I remember being down and getting carried out on a stretcher.  They took me first to the Mahnomen hospital, and there we had to make some decisions.  We decided to go to Fargo [North Dakota], to Meritcare Hospital, and I remember the ambulance ride, too.  My brother was riding up front and my wife was in back with me, and it was the bumpiest ride of my life!  In Fargo they gave me some options, but what they ended up doing was a pretty major surgery to relieve a blood clot in my head.  It hurt so much, when they put the mask on me to put me to sleep, I remember thinking “Thank God,” because the pain was finally going to end.

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They put 47 staples in my head, and my little one didn’t really know what to think – It was right around Halloween, too.

Afterwards, when things seemed to be going pretty well, I could think and knew all that was going on around me, but I couldn’t speak.  I was having a seizure!  I was talking on the phone to my Mom, she had been visiting me and had just left and it just…That was a bad experience, not something I would ever want to experience.  As a result of that, I had to go back to the hospital, away from rehab, and that set me back a ways.

But it’s been great, I’m making a full recovery, everything’s going to be back to normal and I’ll be able to do all the things I used to do.  I’m supposed to be going home tomorrow night!  I’ll be the same old me that you used to know, you know my job is that I’m a route driver, and I’ll be able to work and live a normal life.  I’ll just have to be careful around my head.  Of course my boxing career is over.

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It’s so great, with all the modern medical knowledge, all my medical care has been spot-on.  My medical care has been phenomenal.  It’s true that I’m really lucky this didn’t happen years ago, because it might have been a really different story.  Right now I’m in a ward with a lot of people who have head injuries, and it really changes how you think about life.  Some of them are worse off than me, of course, but I’m here with people who are going through the same thing as me, and I get to see them getting better every day.  It’s really, when I think about it, a rewarding experience.

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Absolutely not, this does not change how I feel about combat sports.  I won’t box anymore, but there’s a lot of ways to be involved in a sport without participating.  Coaching, for instance, and representing fighters…I want to stay involved in the sport and keep plugging away at it.  I’ll be back in the gym coaching my little boxing team in Fargo soon.  I won’t be able to make it to our first competition, in Grand Forks this weekend.  Actually I won’t rule it out completely, but I probably won’t be able to make it.

I look at it this way.  Boxing is a great sport and it’s changed a lot of lives.  This happened to me, but look at all the people it hasn’t happened to.

I thought it was a pretty close fight, I know I was down a couple of times in the fifth.  My style of fighting has been brawling – I’m the Blue Collar Brawler (laughs) and I think I just can’t take the same shots I used to.  My style of fighting doesn’t really lend itself to a long career.  Even my dad told me that a couple of shots didn’t look like they should have put me down, or would have put me down in the past, but they did.

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I won’t be heading back to work for a while, the neurosurgeon is the one who decides when I can start driving.

I actually have excellent insurance.  I have good insurance, my wife has a good job, and my boss – the business I work for – has been really good to me so far.  The medical bills haven’t started coming in yet, and until you see those you don’t know what kind of situation you’re really in, but I have good insurance and I’ve been well taken care of, and I think we’re going to come out of this okay.

Upcoming Boxing Event: November 13 at Grand Casino Hinckley

What to watch for:

Phil Williams takes some steps into deeper water, taking on steel-chinned veteran Matt Vanda in the featured bout.  This fight presents a number of questions: Can Vanda handle Williams’ power?  If Williams can’t get Vanda out early, can he match Vanda’s workrate and fitness?  Does a shrinking light heavyweight get any credit for beating a swelled-up junior middleweight?

In the co-feature, Wilton Hilario takes on an opponent with a glamorous record for the first time, hoping to make a statement.  On a closer look Leon Bobo (18-3-1 with only 2 kayos) might at first seem like a patsy – he’s only won two of his last six fights and has only 2 wins by knockout – but a man doesn’t win 18 fights with only 2 knockouts unless he’s got slick moves, and Bobo has gone 2-1-1 in his last four against opponents with combined records of 53-5-2.  If Hilario wins this one, he may find himself back in the running for a fight with rival Jason Litzau, whose older brother Allen he has already TKO’d.

Undefeated prospect Ceresso Fort takes an opponent with a winning record for only the second time in his career.  In Lamar Harris Fort has a seemingly ideal match – an opponent who has won more than he’s lost, but not one with too lofty a record, one who carries a certain amount of bravado (Harris is billed as “The Prince of Pain”) but not with scary power (4 knockout wins in eleven career bouts), and one who has typically fought at or below Fort’s weight.  In sum, a build-up fight that will actually build him up.

Javontae Starks makes his long-awaited professional debut fighting under the banner of Minneapolis based  promter MSC (Midwest Sports Council).  MSC matchmaker Cory Rapacz has located a serviceable opponent for Starks in Dan Copp, who has one win but no knockouts, and whose role is to serve as a career-starter rather than a live opponent.

Supporting (untelevised) bouts are local boy Tim Taggart against St Paul’s Sam Morales – Taggart returns home to revive his career following a brief stint in Florida while Morales moves up in weight after starting his career at welterweight and fighting as low as 133#, and Zach Schumach meets Don Tierney, the two having one win between them.

In order of appearance:

• Tim Taggart (3-2 with 2 kayos) -vs- Sam Morales (3-3 with 1 kayo), super middleweights (165#), scheduled for 4 rounds
• Zach Schumach (0-2) -vs- Don Tierney (1-0 with no kayos), light middleweights, scheduled for 4 rounds
• featured bout: Matt Vanda (41-9 with 22 kayos) -vs- Phil Williams (11-1 with 10 kayos), super middleweights, scheduled for 10 rounds
• co-feature: Wilton Hilario (11-0 with 9 kayos) -vs- Leon Bobo (18-3-1 with 2 kayos), super middleweights, scheduled for 8 rounds
• Ceresso Fort (7-0 with 7 kayos) -vs- Lamar Harris (6-3 with 4 kayos), middleweights, scheduled for 6 rounds
• Javontae Starks (debut) -vs- Dan Copp (1-1 with no kayos), light middleweights, scheduled for 4 rounds

A Big Deal

With the continuing proliferation of promoters, fighters, and boxing events in Minnesota, there are two ways the local boxing scene could go:

• The market could become saturated and tickets go unsold.  In this scenario some promoters lose their shirts (and maybe their shorts) and give up on the game, or at least scale back their operations.
• The fans could respond by buying tickets, attending events, and supporting their favorite fighters with growing enthusiasm.  The fanbase grows, and this justifies the growth of the promotions.

Here’s something for Minnesota boxing fans to feel good about: so far, we’ve taken the second path.

Last week I heard from someone connected with the November 13th show at Grand Casino Hinckley that fewer than 300 tickets remained unsold.  “Is this news for public consumption?” I asked.  “Oh no, we don’t want to have a run on the last few tickets  before we figure out the seating configuration.”  Only two days later came the news that the show was completely sold out.  This is phenomenal, especially considering that this event is going to be televised.

Early indications are that the November 20th show at the St Paul Armory will be well-attended as well.  Some interesting matchmaking and two IBA belts being in play have resulted in plenty of good publicity, and there’s even talk of fans coming over from Wales to support their man James Todd in his first title bid.

The next test of the Minnesota boxing fan’s appetite will be the December 4th boxing show at Target Center in Minneapolis, which features heavyweights Joey Abell (25-4 with 24 kayos) -vs- Raphael Butler (35-8 with 28 kayos).  People associated with the show have talked boldly of their desire to exceed the attendance record (13,789) set by Duane Bobick and Scott LeDoux 1 back in 1976.  A more down-to-earth goal would be to sell-out the arena’s reduced capacity for boxing (less than 5000 seats), and I think that given reasonable promotion, this will happen.

The Fistic Mystic says:  The old cliche is that in business you’re either growing or dying.  Right now, in Minnesota, the business of boxing is growing!

Jason Litzau -vs- Johnnie Edwards Round-by-Round

Jason Litzau (now 26-2 with 21 kayos) defeats Johnnie Edwards (now 15-5 with 8 kayos) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds.

Round 1

The round begins with 30 seconds of nothing…Litzau is failing to pop his jab and is diving inside unnecessarily.  The best shot of this round is a hook to the body by Edwards, as Litzau lands only one serious punch in three minutes.

Round 2

Edwards scores first with a wide left hook, but Litzau answers with a strong left to the chest that moves Edwards backwards.  Litzau is inside, outside, going everywhere and measuring but not pulling the trigger.  Toward the end of the round Edwards switches to southpaw, never a welcome sight fo Litzau.  This is another round in which nothing much happened – if I were scoring I’d have this Edwards up two round to none.

Round 3

Litzau corners Edwards right off the bat and starts dropping bombs, but Edwards escapes before long.  Litzau stuns Edwards with a left, backs off uncertainly, then pursues Edwards into the ropes and attacks.  Edwards goes down backwards through the ropes and lands on his behind, but the ref lets him get up and go without a count – no official knockdown.  Litzau flurries again as the round closes, but Edwards survives the onslaught.

Round 4

Litzau finally begins showing the jab, following the left jab with some hard rights.  Litzau continues to pick up the pace, scoring with left-rights and one nice left-right-left.  Edwardsmakes an adjustment, anticipates when Litzau will follow the jab with a power shot, and ducks under the hook.  Litzau is now bleeding from a cut high on his left eyelid, just beheat the eyebrow, but heedless of the blood Litzau continues to rumble.

Round 5

Edwards rushes out to attack Litzau but is stymied by a triple jab from Litzau.  Edwards then tries to start chopping wood but the two end up tangled, and Litzau tumbles backwards – no knockdown.  Now we have a clash of heads and Edwards goes down, but it’s Litzau who comes up bleeding from his left eye and nose.  Litzau finds a rhythm and goes 1-2 to the body, hurting Edwards.  The round ends with some infighting and a clinch.

Round 6

Litzau comes out looking to score and is opportunistic, scoring off the body and head of Edwards whenever they’re presented.  Edwards gets on his bike, using his legs and zipping around Litzau.  The two charge into each other, and in the clash of bodies Edwards collapses to the mat again.  Litzau is measuring, measuring, but not catching Edwards with anything flush.  Edwards is so intent on not getting hurt that he’s running, bobbing, ducking, and generating no offense whatsoever.

Round 7

Edwards, still attempting to avoid getting hit, ducks so low that his chin nearly scrapes the mat.  Exhausted, Edwards goes down again – and the referee mistakenly instructs Litzau to stop pushing.  Litzau’s cut is opened again, and though the blood is flowing freely he seems completely unfazed.  At 1:35 Litzau hurts Edwards with a three-punch combination.  Edwards is now flinching from all contact.  Litzau is getting tired or lazy – or he’s trying to bait Edwards – as his left hand is down by his waist.  Litzau scores again with a left to the body of Edwards.  Edwards, ever more tired, goes down again before the bell, but again it’s ruled a slip or a push.  But Edwards can’t keep his feet.

Round 8

The two men come inside, their bodies clash again, and they clinch.  In the clinch both men are pounding each other’s bodies.  Litzau is warned for hitting the back of Edwards’ head, but it’s the only target that Edwards presents now; he’s constantly running or ducking.  Litzau circles to his right, traversing almost the entire ring, while Edwards merely stands in place and pivots to face him.  Now they rejoin the battle, and the word is ‘inside.’  Litzau clearly knows that Edward won’t hurt him, and begins trying to trade with Edwards.  He’s happy to take a punch to land a punch, knowing that his shots are much more effective.  Edwards runs when he can and trades when he has to, but he knows that going toe-to-toe is a losing strategy for him.

Round 9

Edwards comes out charging, then puts his shoulder into Litzau’s abdomen and there he stays.  We have more infighting, and some roughhouse tactics from Edwards as he throws punches from all angles to hit any part of Litzau he can get to.  Edwards continues to make this fight ugly, as he has been doing for several rounds.  The referee breaks the two, but Litzau is so eager to rejoin that he’s charging back at Edwards as soon as the referee permits him to.  Edwards grabs Litzau’s left arm and refuses to let go, and round 9 comes to a welcome end.

Round 10

Litzau comes out swinging for the fences, and the crowd of Marines seems to appreciate the effort.  Edwards is grabbing, ducking, and holding.  Edwards tries bulling Litzau arond the ring, but in doing so prevents himself from generating any offense at all.  Litzau gets free and pursues Edwards, but Edwards runs and Litzau can’t find his range and so loads up on the right without ever throwing it.  Litzau scores with a hurtful left to the body of Edwards at :39.  Litzau is stalking Edwards, trying to manufacture a big finish, he comes forward and walks into a hook.  The no further offense to speak of in the tenth and final round, and the fight comes to a merciful close.

Summary

It may have taken him the first two rounds to figure it out, but Jason Litzau had all the advantages tonight.  Once Litzau came to life in the third, Edwards fought like a man who knows well that he’s less athletically gifted and talented than his rival – clutching, grabbing, ducking, running – emptying his bag of tricks to no avail.  Litzau certainly wanted to look good tonight, but he had an opponent whose strategy was to fight ugly, and some of that ugly got splashed on Litzau.  Hopefully this does nothing to dim Litzau’s career prospects, as we all know that Roy Jones Jr and the rest of the boxing world were watching him tonight.

The Fistic Mystic says: Sometimes even the most exciting fighters have to make a compromise; give up some showmanship in favor of effectiveness.  It was good to see Jason make through an entire fight without taunting or showboating – only focused on doing whatever it takes to beat his opponent.

Summary

 

Jason Litzau -vs- Johnnie Edwards on ESPN2 Tonight

Jason Litzau (right) hammers Verquan Kimbrough

St Paul’s Jason Litzau meets Johnnie Edwards in a televised bout tonight – the featured bout on a special off-season Wednesday night presentation of ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights.

Litzau, owner of a 25-2 record, has bounced between weight classes for the last couple of years.  His weights for his last five fights have been 126, 128.75, 125, 131.5, and 135.  This fight is to be contested at the lightweight limit of 130#.

Tonight’s event against Edwards, a Marine Corps champ prior to turning pro, will be broadcast live from Camp LeJeune in North Carolina.  No doubt that Edwards (15-4 with 8 kayos), who campaigns under the moniker “The Lumberjack,” will be the crowd favorite.

There are no other professional boxing events taking place anywhere in the world today, so Litzau and manager Bob Van Syckle surely know that the eyes of every significant fighter, manager, or organizational entity anywhere near the lightweight class will be on Litzau tonight.  This is The American Boy’s big opportunity to follow up his dazzling performance against Verquan Kimbrough in August with another good-looking win – this time with everybody watching.  If Litzau wins this evening, and looks good doing it, a reward is almost sure to follow.

The Fistic Mystic says: Don’t miss Jason Litzau on ESPN2 at 7pm tonight.  Seriously, tie a ring around your finger.  Don’t forget.

In Praise of Matt Vanda

A couple of thoughts to preface this column:  First of all, this blog has never had a lot to say about Matt Vanda before, other than to cover his fights.  That’s about to change.  Secondly, I don’t usually like to write about a fighter without getting some comments from the subject first.  But today I’m going to dispense with that practice because, frankly, there’s nothing for Vanda to add to this article.  I’m going to do his bragging for him.

For the last few years Vanda (41-9 with 23 knockouts) has been the beating heart of Minnesota boxing.  Win or lose – and he has lost sometimes to local rivals – The Predator remains the most recognizable and charismatic character on the Minnesota fight scene.

Though Vanda first fought as a welterweight and in his second bout dropped down to junior welter, he has made most of his noise at middleweight and junior middle.

He has fought many of the leading lights of these divisions, with uneven results.  Significant wins against Jonathan Corn, Sam Garr, and Tocker Pudwill didn’t reap the desired publicity because some (many) onlookers thought that the wins were tainted – Corn by an early stoppage and Garr and Pudwill by bogus split decisions.  On the other hand, losses to Anthony Bonsante, Kenny Kost, Andy Kolle, Sebastien Demers, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, and John Duddy didn’t hurt him as much as they might have, either because he showed himself to be a tough gamer or because he performed unexpectedly well.  And wins against Troy Lowry, Yory Boy Campas, and most recently super middleweight Teddy Muller showed that despite shortcomings, Vanda has both heart and talent.

Minnesota boxing fans watch and wait to see someone else pick up the standard for Minnesota boxing.  We watch for someone else – anyone else – to put together the trifecta of exciting fights, frequent fights, and televised fights that Vanda has managed to bring us, and it doesn’t happen.  Tony Bonsante came closest, but his fights just weren’t as dramatic as Vanda’s.

Now Vanda headlines what is perhaps the most successful boxing event in Minnesota since…Vanda -vs- Bonsante back in January of 2007.  Twenty-two hundred tickets were sold out two weeks ahead of Vanda’s scheduled super middleweight bout with Phil “The Drill” Williams (11-1 with 10 knockouts) on November 13th.  Not only that, but this event will be televised on Fox Sports North, and that’s almost unheard-of.

Say what you want about Vanda’s career trajectory, the sometimes friendly hometown scoring from which he has benefitted, and his uncouth public persona.  If you know nothing else about the man, remember this: Matt Vanda has carried the image of Minnesota boxing on his back for years with little help.  Whatever develops in the future, you can thank Matt Vanda for keeping the spark of local pride alive.

No Hope for November 20 in Saint Paul

There have some hints in the last couple of weeks that Kerry Hope, countryman of IBA welterweight title hopeful James Todd, could accompany his pal to Saint Paul on November 20th and fight Robert Kamya.  One particularly declarative statement came from Todd, who openly posted the planned matchup on Facebook.

Hope, however, is lost.  Or almost certainly will be for a month.  Kerry Hope has been selected to be Matt Korobov’s next victim, for November 14th in Las Vegas.  The chances of Hope not being under suspension a week later are slim indeed.

Korobov, in case you’ve slept through the last three years, is one of the world’s top middleweight prospects.  He’s currently at 7-0 with 6 kayos, but his record barely tells the story.  Korobov has a rock-solid chin and scary power, good enough speed for a middleweight champ, and the backing of Cameron Dunkin and his outfit, TKO Productions.

Too bad – having another Welshman on the bill might have drawn more of a crowd from across the Atlantic.

Q&A with “The Sandman” James Todd

Welsh pugilist James Todd is scheduled to face Mohammed Kayongo for the vacant IBA welterweight title on November 20.  Todd, who styles himself “The Sandman,” recently took some time to answer a few questions about himself and his boxing career.

Fistic Mystic:  Please introduce yourself to Minnesota boxing fans, most of whom had never heard your name until last week, when we learned that you will be fighting Mohammed Kayongo on November 20th.

James Todd:  Well where do I start!  I am 21 years old from Swansea in South Wales.  I am from a football [soccer] loving family - my Brother Chris is professional with Torquay United and I started my sporting life as an apprentice with my beloved Swansea City F.C.  However, when I got injured I wanted to improve my fitness [and] I walked in to a boxing gym run by Mario Maccarinelli ( Former WBO Cruiserweight champ Enzo’s Dad) and never looked back!

FM: Please also share your amateur credentials along with a brief account of your professional career to date.

JT:  From a very early stage in my amateur career Mario, and eventually Enzo Calzaghe when I joined Team Calzaghe, realized that my come-forward style suited the pro game better.  I didn’t like the point scoring system in the amateurs and would often get robbed out of a decison.  It made the decision to turn pro all the more easier and even now I realize that fights over a short distance – even in the pro game – do not suit me.

FM:  What led you to visit the US, and what made you decide to stay?

JT:  Well, my friend and former Team Calzaghe teammate Kerry Hope had already made the jump to Talon boxing.  He managed to get me a two-week trial and the rest is history.  Back home things were not going very well for me, bearing in mind that I am a young professional [who] needed lots of fights; Calzaghe Promotions was really struggling.  There is a big recession back home and they were finding it hard to match me, and finding it hard to sell tickets for the shows that they were putting on.  It was becoming very frustrating.  I was spending a lot of my time sparring with World Class Fighters in the Calzaghe Gym (including former WBA World Champion Gavin Rees) and I found that I could hold my own, but I just wasnt getting the fights, and I realized that enough was enough.  When the call came to Join Talon I jumped at it.  But I would like to thank Enzo Calzaghe for everything he has done for me, and we parted on good terms.

FM:  What has it been like for you, working out at Big Bear and training with John Tandy?

JT:  One word: AMAZING!  The attention to detail is amazing - John is so supportive with everything that he does for me, no stone is left unturned in the quest for perfection.  John and his wife Michelle, who is my dietitian, look at every detail and the one-to-one support and training are spot-on.  I am in the condition of my life and would like to thank them for the faith they have shown in me for making this fight for the IBA world Title!  Not to mention the fact that I am sparring twice a week in the Wildcard Gym with world class opposition.  And I am Living the Dream in L.A - what can I say!

FM:  I understand that you may have some fans making the trip across the Atlantic to come cheer for you on November 20th.  What do you expect from those fans who do come over, and how do you feel about this show of support?

JT:  I have always had a very good following.  My style seems to attract support from anywhere I fight.  I will say that I am lucky that I have such a great close-knit family who always look out for me.  I am hoping that quite a few of them will be making the trip out from the UK, but I also understand that times are hard back home…the lift it will give me if they do make it out will make all the difference!

FM:  What kind of boxer are you?  What kinds of tactics and strategies does James Todd typically employ in the boxing ring?

JT:  Now that would be telling.  I have an aggressive style but I can also box.  I like to swarm my opposition, however if anyone thinks that I am one-dimensional, tell them to watch me on November 20th and they will see that is not the case.  Somebody said on the net I am easy to hit! They are Wrong!

FM:  What do you hope that this upcoming fight (for the IBA welterweight title) will do for your career?

JT:  People are looking at my record and thinking, “How the hell has that happend?  How has he got a shot at a title that the like of Oscar De La Hoya and Arturo Gatti have held?”  Well I tell you why: I should have had at least 9 or 10 fights by now - I was forever waiting for a chance to show what I can do and now here it is.

The publicity alone has lifted my profile back home and in the states which is what I need right now.  If John had told me not to take the fight I wouldn’t have, but he knows that I am ready and that is enough for me.  Here is a chance to make a name for myself and believe me I am ready to take it!

FM:  What do you know about your opponent, Mohammed Kayongo?

JT:  In a way I feel for Mohammed - he has been inactive for a while and from what I read he has found it difficult to be matched, which I sympathize with.  That’s where the sympathy ends, though.  I know Mohammed is pretty heavy handed, but he has been stopped early in fights.  Also, his inactivity over the last few years is going to hurt him and he is not gonna be able to keep up with me, and with respect, its gonna be a great fight.

I would like thank Seconds Out Promotions, the IBA, Talon Boxing, and John Tandy for the opportunity.  And I want to ask the Great State of Minnesota to come out to support both fighters on the 20th of November – its gonna be a war!

Minnesota Boxing Scene: In Overdrive

These are heady days for the Minnesota fight scene.  Join me as I survey the the Minnesota boxing fan’s calendar…

• November 4 at Camp Lejuene, NC Jason Litzau faces Johnnie “The LumberJack” Edwards (15-4 with 8 kayos) at 130# in a bout to be televised on ESPN2.  Following his seemingly effortless demolition of Verquan Kimbrough (then 21-1-2)  in August, a win here would appear to set Litzau up nicely for something bigger in the near future.
• Willshaun Boxley takes on another big challenge November 6 when he meets Salvador Sanchez (16-3 with 8 kayos) in a six-rounder in Las Vegas.  Boxley has shown a ton of ambition in the past year, jumping up from the usual early-career patsies to face men with records of 12-7 (Boxley won by unanimous decision), 10-1 (Boxley lost by majority decision), and 10-1 (Boxley lost by unanimous decision).  Sanchez is a pretty good young fighter, but he may have bitten off more than he knows with Boxley.
• November 13th at Grand Casino Hinckley we find a stacked card – by Minnesota standards anyway – presented by promoter Midwest Sports Council.  Phil Williams and Matt Vanda headline, supported by Wilton Hilario -vs- Leon Bobo, unbeaten prospect Cerresso Fort, Javontae Starks’ pro debut, and more.  Four bouts from this event will be televised on Fox Sports North immediately after the conclusion of the Minnesota Wild hockey game.
• November 20th in St Paul we’ll see Caleb Truax fight the faded former WBC world title holder Carl “The Squirrel” Daniels (50-18 with 32 kayos) for some IBA Intercontinental hardware.  Daniels has lost seven straight and fourteen out of fifteen, but this fight will force him to train harder than he’s done in a long time – Daniels hasn’t fought below 170# in nearly two years.  A supporting bout gives this event a higher profile: young Welshman James Todd (2-1-1) meets Mohammed Kayongo (14-2 with 10 kayos) for an IBA welterweight title.  Todd’s supporters are talking about making the trip to St Paul to lend their support, and we all know that British boxing fans travel well.  (There has also been a rumor floating that Todd’s countryman Kerry Hope will face Robert Kamya on this card, but I haven’t confirmed that one with promoter Tony Grygelko of Seconds Out Promotions.)
• The heavyweight bout that Minnesota has waited too long for headlines a December 4th event at Target Center in Minneapolis.  Joey Abell (25-4 with 24 kayos) meets his pal and fellow Minnesotan Raphael Butler (35-8 with 28 kayos) with the vacant Minnesota heavyweight title on the line.  Zach Walters faces Larry Sharpe, who is the man who beat the man (Bruce Rumbolz) who beat the man (Shawn Hammack) who beat Walters back in August of 2008.  Travis “Freight Train” Walker, Ronnie Peterson, Gary Eyer, and Dave Peterson also support this card.
• No specifics are available at this writing, but Showtime will be in town on December 18 to televise a boxing event at Grand Casino Hinckley.  Expect some locals to get a boost from this show.

Shobox at Hinckley in December

This writer has been hearing whispers lately about a possible Shobox date at Grand Casino Hinckley for December.  Now the first hint of a confirmation has appeared in the form of a listing on www.makeafight.com.

 

To date no names have been confirmed for this December 18th event, although a healthy mix of notable out-of-towners and locals is expected, with at least one local getting a well-earned opportunity to take a big step up.

Stay tuned for more information!