Boxing Dreams: Minnesota’s Fantasy Matchups (Part 2)

It’s a known fact: bloggers are empty-headed know-it-alls.  It’s the empty-headedness that gives us such liberty to say anything.

Now consider these possibilities:

Jason Litzau -vs- Tyrone Harris – Litzau’s prospects are actually a little tough to sort out.  Harris is a nice match on paper, though – he has a good record and his worldwide standing is pretty close to Litzau’s.  But Harris is a couple inches shorter than Litzau and has less power, he’s been kayoed twice in his five losses, and he’s almost local (Michigan).  Litzau needs a good step-up fight, and this could be it.  Fly in the ointment: Harris is already penciled in against South Korea’s Ji Hoon Kim for February 12th.  Hopefully the promoter has Litzau’s number handy in case Kim falls out.

Andy Kolle -vs- Ronald Hearns – Two years ago I wanted Kolle to fight Gee Cullmer of Philadelphia, and that would still be a nice one to pad his record, but Cullmer hasn’t progressed as Kolle has.  Then I was agitating for a Kolle match with Harry Joe Yorgey, but Yorgey was demolished by Alfredo Angulo in early November, and there’s speculation out of Philly that the 32-year old Yorgey may choose to retire.  This leaves Hearns.  Hearns is 23-1 but doesn’t have nearly the resume that Kolle does, and didn’t look good in a loss to Yorgey earlier this year.  Bonuses #1 and #2: Hearns is an orthodox fighter and has a suspect chin.

Phil Williams -vs- Matt Vanda II – This one has already generated some talk, so why not?  Williams has told everyone who would listen that he could have gone another ten rounds in the first fight, and that if he had it to do over he would have unloaded on Vanda in the early rounds instead of waiting till late.  Vanda isn’t known for backing down from a challenge, but he may feel that there’s little reason to do it again.  Just the same, fight fans would like to see it, and that’s usually reason enough!

Willshaun Boxley -vs- Allen Litzau – Two confident fighters who must be disappointed with their recent results and who have already established the beginnings of a rivalry.  It’s ready-made!  This one seriously must be on some promoter’s to-do list, and I think  know whose!

Gary Eyer -vs- Jeremy McLaurin – Eyer (7-0-1 with 5 kayos) put himself on the statewide map by winning his thrilling battle with Levi Cortes on December 4th.  At the same time, he showed that he can get down to lightweight territory, weighing in at 133.5 for the Cortes fight.  McLaurin (5-0 with 4 kayos) just cut his ties with Seconds Out Promotions and seems to be looking for challenging fights to move him up the ladder.  This fight has the potential to be a real crowd-pleaser, and the two fighters’ undefeated records would look nice on a fight card.  Alternate plan: McLaurin -vs- Levi Cortes.

Javontae Starks -vs- Patrick Cape – The conventional wisdom says that this isn’t as much a matchup as it is a measuring stick.  Starks was understudy to Demetrius Andrade on the USA Boxing team.  Andrade made his professional debut against Cape a little over a year ago, winning by TKO in round 2.  It would be interesting to see how Starks performs against Cape, wouldn’t it?

The Fistic Mystic says: Before we ride off into the sunset, let’s review my proposals from last time (March 31, 2008) and see what actually transpired:

Anthony Bonsante -vs- John Duddy II - didn’t happen, and never will, because Bonsante is retired, and hopefully that’s a permanent state of affairs.  Duddy is less of a prize than he was back then anyway, since Billy Lyell deflowered him.  (Billy Lyell!)

Boxley -vs- Wilton Hilario – boy, this one is a long way off now.  Boxley is still a tough and talented fighter, but he’s lost three in a row.  Hilario is back on track and riding high, following his UD win against then 18-3 Leon Bobo in November.

Raphael Butler -vs- Eddie Chambers - this one happened, and frankly it wasn’t pretty.   Chambers, not a heavy-handed slugger by any stretch, TKO’d Butler in the sixth.  Chambers has gone on to win four subsequent bouts and is scheduled to face the younger Klitschko (Wlad) on my birthday (March 20th) in Germany.  Butler, by contrast, has gone 3-3 with a no-decision since, though he is on the record saying that two of the losses (a split decision and a majority decision to Homero Fonseca of Houston, in Houston) were gamey.

Jason Litzau -vs- Cristobal Cruz - this one hasn’t happen, and likely never will.  Cruz is the IBF world champ at 126#, and Litzau appears to have found a home at 130#.

Matt Vanda -vs- Sebastian Demers - This is another one that happened, and went poorly for the Minnesota guy.  Few Minnesotans saw it, but it was reported to have been an entertaining battle.  Vanda lost a landslide decision (shut out on all three cards) and has gone 5-3 since, but has continued to spring surprises on boxing fans (a close loss to Julio Cesar Chavez in 2008, a close win against Tocker Pudwill in 2009, the surprising win against Phil Williams at 165# in 2009) while Demers has gone 6-1 since.

Zach Walters -vs- Hugo Pineda II - Here’s another that will never happen.  This looked like a good revenge fight a year and a half ago, but that was before Walters lost three out of four starting with Shawn Hammack in August 2008.  Walters retired following his latest loss, and it’s for the better.  It’s good for a Minnesota kid to get out while the getting is good.

Want to talk it over?  Go to the Minnesota Boxing Forum for for discussion!

Rumors…

Today a poster identified only as “John” posted the following blurb on the Minnesota Boxing Forum.

“From good sources I have been told that Allen Litzau received a call, during that call he was asked if he would be willing to fight Willshaun Boxley. He replied sure I’d fight him, an offer was then made & he accepted! I can’t believe this is really going to happen, I think Boxley has too much for him. My bets are set already, (^;

I only have one question Boxley have you heard any of this yet? If so will you accept to fight?”

A quick call to the Litzau brothers’ manager, Bob Van Syckle, elicited a decisive and authoritative response.  “[A fight] has not been offered.”  Van Syckle further asserted that ”the sticking point has always been that they wanted Allen to come way, way down on weight,” and as far as he knows no concessions have been made on weight.  Asked whether there was anything at all going on for either brother, Van Syckle had this to say: “Regarding Jason, there’s some things in the works, but nothing that I can talk about now.”

The Fistic Mystic says: You can’t trust anybody in the boxing business to always tell you the truth all the time. ( You can always trust the Fistic Mystic, but I don’t count because I’m not in the boxing business!)  Which party is right (if either) I can’t determine, but Mr. Van Syckle’s response seems direct and decisive.

Boxing Results: April 18 at Target Center, Minneapolis

Results are below are deemed reliable but are subject to revision.  Wish I could have been there.

Matt Vanda (now 40-9 with 22 kayos) defeats Tocker Pudwill (now 40-7 with 14 kayos) by MD after eight rounds, middleweights, scheduled for 8 rounds

Allen Litzau (13-4 with 7 kayos) is defeated by Wilton Hilario (11-0-1 with 9 kayos) by TKO in the fifth round of ten scheduled

Ceresso Fort (6-0 with 6 kayos) defeats Bobby Kliewer (9-8 with 4 kayos) by TKO in the fourth round of six scheduled

Jason Litzau (24-2 with 20 kayos) defeats Phillip Payne (16-23-1 with 8 kayos) by TKO in the fifth round of eight scheduled

Jon Laboda (5-0 with 4 kayos) defeats Patrick Cape (5-5 with 3 kayos) by TKO after two rounds of four scheduled

Don Tierney (1-0 with no kayos) defeats Zach Schumach (unknown), by UD after four rounds

Derek Winston (0-0) -vs- Alex Stringer (0-3-1) is canceled for reasons unknown.

Phil Williams (10-1 with 9 kayos) -vs- Chance Western (1-1 with no kayos) is canceled because Williams, a light heavyweight, declined to fight Western, a super middleweight.

Upcoming Boxing Event: April 18 at Target Center

This card marks the return of boxing to the Target Center, and it comes with a loaded card.

What to watch for: Allen Litzau is a talented fighter, but Wilton Hilario’s higher winning percentage and impressive knockout ratio tell a true tale. In his last bout Hilario didn’t always capitalize on his opponent’s lapses, but he did so often enough and with great enough effect to cause the opponent (Darrell Martin) to default to survival mode. In that fight Martin actually quit throwing punches for nearly an entire round, consequently the referee had no choice but to stop the fight. Litzau, by contrast, has lost three times in his career and his recent inactivity (1 fight in 23 months) doesn’t give me the warm fuzzies.  Neither does the news from a well-placed source that getting down to featherweight territory has become a challenge for Litzau.  Little brother Jason Litzau hopes to get back into the habit of winning more than a year after his last bout, an eighth-round knockout loss to world champion Robert Guerrero.  Phillip Payne may not be a soft touch, but he has lost nine straight bouts.  What can we say in praise of Payne?  Well, he’s been losing to a pretty good class of opponents and he hasn’t been knocked out in his last four appearances.  Hard charging Matt Vanda takes on North Dakota’s Tocker Pudwill, who lugs an impressive record and an accomplished pro career behind him as he re-enters the ring following 18 months of inactivity at the age of 37.  Ceresso Fort of St Paul tries to follow his impressive March 28 win against Joshua Rodriguez with another one against Bobby Kliewer – his first-ever opponent with a winning record.  Phil Williams hopes to find an opponent to take the place of Reggie LaCrete, who was forced out of their planned meeting after suffering a broken jaw.  Exciting welterweights Jon Laboda and Patrick Cape make a compelling match.  Gifted small man Derek Winston makes his long-awaited pro debut against winless Alex Stringer.

Allen Litzau (13-3 with 7 kayos) -vs- Wilton Hilario  (10-0-1 with 8 kayos), super featherweights, scheduled for ten rounds, for the vacant IBA Americas super featherweight title

Matt Vanda (39-9 with 22 kayos) -vs- Tocker Pudwill (40-6 with 14 kayos), middleweights, scheduled for 8 rounds

Jason Litzau (23-2 with 19 kayos) -vs- Phillip Payne (16-22-1 with 8 kayos), featherweights, scheduled for 8 rounds

Ceresso Fort (5-0 with 5 kayos) -vs- Bobby Kliewer (9-7 with 4 kayos), middleweights, scheduled for 6 rounds

Phil Williams (10-1 with 9 kayos) -vs- TBA, light heavyweights, scheduled for 6 rounds

Don Tierney (0-0) -vs- David Duncan (0-1), light middleweights, scheduled for 4 rounds

Jon Laboda (4-0 with 3 kayos) -vs- Patrick Cape (5-4 with 3 kayos), welterweights, scheduled for 4 rounds

Derek Winston (0-0) -vs- Alex Stringer (0-3-1), super bantamweights, scheduled for 4 rounds

Minnesota Boxing Roundup: Upcoming Boxing Events for Winter-Spring 2009

Minnesota may not have instantly become the center of the boxing universe, but it’s heartening to see the scene suddenly so much busier than usual.

With two shows by Seconds Out in January we got off to a nice start in 2009.  Another show in February inaugurated what is expected to be a series of fight cards at Epic Nightclub in Minneapolis.  Tony Grygelko says that he has invested in a cage for MMA bouts and a return to Epic for an MMA-only event is planned for March.

Now several more shows are coming up – two of them promoted by Justin Seurer of MSC – as well as a couple of big road trips for Minnesota fighters.  Here’s a brief overview:

Road Trippers and Local Events:

• Zach Walters (23-3) of Horton’s Gym in Duluth faces former two-time super middleweight world champion Byron Mitchell in Buffalo NY of all places, a fight which should give the winner a big career boost, whomever that may be.  Walters stays in his usual weight class (light heavyweight) while Mitchell moves up for only the third time.  Here’s hoping the Jungle Boy can take advantage of his length and athleticism to gain a huge win.
• Eastsider Matt Vanda (39-8) travels to the real center of the boxing universe on Saturday February 21 to face John Duddy (25-0) at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  Duddy rose to prominence as the hottest of hot prospects for a couple of very good years before hitting a serious speed bump when Walid Smichet (Wally Who?) took him the distance in what turned out to be a non-unanimous ten-round decision win for Duddy.  Since then Duddy’s reputation has suffered and his momentum has waned.  The choice of Vanda, however much we might like him in Minnesota, bespeaks not a ton of confidence from Duddy’s handlers.  It should be remembered by even the most casual of local fight fans that Duddy defeated Anthony Bonsante back in 2007, just two months after Bonsante had handily defeated Vanda.
• March 21 is the targeted date for a Seconds Out show at the St Paul Armory.  This one is expected to include Willshaun Boxley and possibly Joey Abell, as well as Harley Kilfian, Jon Schmidt, and Dion Savage.  Abell has elsewhere disclosed that he will fight in March, but it isn’t certain whether it will be in Sweden, Philadelphia, or St Paul.
• One week later, on March 28, Minnesota sees its biggest in-state matchup in a couple of years when Anthony Bonsante and Andy Kolle mix it up for the state middleweight title.  This card, promoted by Justin Seurer, has been skilfully filled out by matchmaker Cory Rapacz with a ton of attractive young talent who probably aren’t demanding big money for their participation.  Foremost among the remaining matchups is a battle between Antwan Robertson and Brad Patraw, and all the remaining bouts should be interesting in their own ways.
• Caleb Truax hopes to appear in St Louis on the same night, on the undercard of Cory Spinks-Deandre Latimore.  According to Truax, if Grygelko is unable to get him on that Don King-Lou DeBella promoted show, he would expect to be inserted into the March 21 event mentioned above.
• A mixed boxing/MMA event featuring Raphael Butler is tentatively scheduled for April 4 in Rochester, but no details are yet available.  More information should become available soon, and the Fistic Mystic will try to keep you abreast of developments.
• Target Center hosts an event scheduled for April 18, the card for which has not been filled out yet.  But we know that Jason Litzau is expected to headline, with big brother Allen Litzau facing undefeated prospect Wilton Hilario in what has been described as the co-main event.  Matt Vanda has been tentatively scheduled to appear in this show, depending on the outcome of his February 21 fight with John Duddy (mentioned above).  The name of Shelby Pudwill has been dropped as a potential opponent, but obviously nothing is yet finalized.

First Look at April 18 (Target Center) Boxing Card

Here’s a preview of the April 18 fight card for the Target Center in Minneapolis:

Jason Litzau (23-2 with 19 kayos) -vs- TBA – Matchmaker Cory Rapacz says “Nothing yet for Jason; he’s f’n impossible to match.”

Allen Litzau (13-3 with 7 kayos) -vs- Wilton Hilario (10-0 with 8 kayos), junior lightweights, scheduled for eight rounds

Matt Vanda (39-8 with 22 kayos) -vs- Shelby Pudwill (tentative), middleweights, scheduled for 8 rounds – Rapacz: “A lot depends on how Matt comes out of the [February 21] Duddy fight.”

Ceresso Fort (4-0 with 4 kayos) -vs- TBA, middleweights, scheduled for 6 rounds – Rapacz: “We will have to see how [Fort] comes out of Hinckley before making any commitments to an opponent.”

Tyler Gould (5-3 with 5 kayos) -vs- Danny Schleinz (7-15 with 4 kayos), welterweights, scheduled for 4 rounds – Rapacz: “Hoping to get Danny Schleinz or else we’ll try Magdaleno.”

Donny Tierney (pro debut) -vs- David Duncan (0-1), junior middleweights, scheduled for 4 rounds – Rapacz: “[This] was agreed to today.”

I asked Cory whether he is the matchmaker who Corey Rodriguez had mentioned talking to about an April return and he confirmed:  “Yep, I’m talking with C-Rod about April 18th.”

Final remarks: “We’re planning on…about eight fights total so we’ll see what we end up with!”

Minnesota Boxing Dreams Really Do Come True

For a while in 2008 it looked like the Minnesota boxing scene had gone stale.

Sure, we had Minnesota fighters getting cracks at prospects, Matt Vanda had two spirited contests with JCC2, and we even had Jason Litzau go eight rounds (or 7.85 rounds) with world featherweight titlist Robert Guerrero with a belt on the line.  But the intra-Minnesota wars weren’t happening, and everybody seemed to feel the void.

Matchups that people were talking about in Minnesota were getting not made in spades; matches like Zach Walters -vs- Phil Williams, Anthony Bonsante -vs- Andy Kolle or Kenny Kost, Allen Litzau -vs- Wilton Hilario, Joey Abell -vs- Raphael Butler, or seemingly any two fighters at or under 130#.

Now early in 2009 it looks like the opposite dynamic is at work.  Three bouts of particular note deserve the attention of Minnesota fight fans:

Brad Patraw -vs- Antwan Robertson: A source of exasperation for Minnesotans has been the apparent unwillingness of Minnesota’s small men to meet in the ring.  There are just too many good young fighters at or below 130# who could be matched if they were willing.  In addition to Patraw and Robertson, who are both 4-0, we also have Willshaun Boxley at 4-0, Wilton Hilario at 10-0, Allen Litzau at 13-3, Jeremy McLaurin at 2-0, and Gary Eyer at 4-0 .  Each name could potentially be matched with at least two others from the list, but none have been.  Now Patraw and Robertson are set to disrupt the frustrating trend with their meeting scheduled for March 28 at Grand Casino Hinckley.  Neither has made a big splash on the pro scene, but both are undefeated, so whoever wins will have enhanced their resume considerably.  And whoever loses can say his only loss was to an undefeated prospect!

Anthony Bonsante -vs- Andy Kolle: This fight, also on March 28 at Grand Casino Hinckley, will be Bonsante’s first defense of the Minnesota middleweight title since winning it against Matt Vanda 25 months ago.  It comes against a very deserving opponent.  The younger boxer from Fergus Falls by way of Duluth has a record of 17-2 with the two losses coming to contender Andre Ward and world champion Paul Williams, while his two best wins came against Matt Vanda and Jonathan Reid, a couple of 30+ win veterans.  Bonsante, for his part, brings a long and varied history to the ring with him, including wins against such accomplished fighters as Tony Ayala Jr, Troy Lowry, and the aforementioned Vanda.  Ringsiders can expect to see a competitive affair featuring skilled combatants, a special treat for the dedicated local fight fan.

Allen Litzau -vs- Wilton Hilario: This fight pits 13-3 Litzau against 10-0 Hilario in a super featherweight bout, and this one has it all: history (as an amateur Hilario fought from COD gym in Minneapolis, Litzau from Glancey’s Gym in St Paul), nationalism (Dominican Republic -vs- USA), race (Latino -vs- White), civic competition (Minneapolis -vs- St Paul), and bad blood (see http://www.minnesotaboxing.com/Interviews/Hilario/2_5_07.html for more on that).  A couple of skilled young men in tremendous shape fighting for in-state bragging rights can only be good for the local game - the only thing better would have been for this fight to happen sooner.

These fights are either signed or nearly so.   What else is brewing, I couldn’t say – there’s more than one good promoter operating in Minnesota, and the good ones are good at keeping secrets.  But for the local fight fan there is hope for the future, and we can be thankful for that.

Litzau Update January 2009

One bit of gossip making its way through the Grand Casino Hinckley event center last Saturday was that Seconds Out Promotions will be making a big announcement soon, and speculation soon developed that that announcement might involve Wilton Hilario and one of the Litzau brothers.

I talked to Bob Van Syckle, manager of the Litzaus, and he disavowed any knowledge of a deal in progress. I asked whether he had anything in the works. “I wouldn’t say there’s nothing going on, I am trying to get a date on ESPN, but since they canceled Wednesday Night Fights there’s a limited number of spots. I wouldn’t want to discourage anyone from calling me, it’s not like I have anything nailed down.”

Van Syckle said that Jason Litzau’s injured arm is fully healed and Jason is in tremendous shape. “He’s been working out very hard, he’s got his weight down and he’s ready to go…he’s been running and he’s in shape, he can start sparring at any time.”

Minnesota’s Small Men: The Challenge of Building a Boxer

One of the defining characteristics of the local boxing scene in the Upper Midwest is the scarcity of homegrown talent and the resulting infrequency of fight cards.  There are good fighters in most weight classes, but usually not more than one or two legitimate performers in any given class.  This dearth of population is as evident in the lower weight classes as anywhere else.  Talented fighters suffer long layoffs between bouts and sometimes struggle to stay in shape and motivated as a result.  The Fistic Mystic has long been fascinated by the dynamics of the small man’s struggle for activity and success, and it seemed like a good idea to talk to some of the men who train and promote our smaller fighters and find out what they have to say on the subject.  Promoters John Hoffman, Bob Van Syckle, and Tony Grygelko agreed to go on the record with me, and all three were candid and honest in their comments.

The first thing that should be pointed out is that Minnesota has a great boxing history, including some very gifted and accomplished small fighters.  Men like “The Austin Atom” Jackie Graves, who retired in 1956 with a career record of 82-11 (48 kayos) and the Flanagan Brothers (Glen, 84-23 with 34 kayos and Del, 105-22 with 38 kayos) represented Minnesota proudly in weight classes ranging from feather to middle during their careers.  More recently, “Steel” Will Grigsby of St Paul was a world title holder as recently as 2006, retiring with a final record of 18-4 (7 kayos) .  There were more prizefighters in Minnesota back in Graves’ and the Flanagans’ time, but that isn’t the only difference between the good old days and today.  Better nutrition, better medical care, and to some extent a more sedentary lifestyle have resulted in an increase in the average height and weight of American males today.  So there just aren’t as many small men available to match up as there used to be.  In addition, Van Syckle (promoter of Jason and Allen Litzau) observes: “Midwestern guys are more stocky, they’re not as wiry as the guys on the east coast, and the west coast, too.”  And it’s true that for instance, a modern 5-foot 4-inch man (if you can find one) weighs more, on average, than his predecessor did forty of fifty years ago.

As a result, it’s become more difficult to get a small fighter into fights to build his record and improve his skills at the beginning of his career.  To find more fights, the options are three: make fights with local men of similar size, hit the road, or pay a premium to bring opponents in from out of town.

Local Competition

The first and most preferred option from a fan’s point of view is for the local guys to fight each other.  Unfortunately in Minnesota we have a lot of young men in buildup-mode right now, and they seem reluctant to fight each other – or their management is reluctant to make it happen for worry of blemished records and lost potential revenue.  One notable exception to that trend is the fight between Darby Smart and Allen Litzau back in June of 2005, billed at the time as a Minnesota State Featherweight Title fight.  Van Syckle recalls, “When we made the fight between Allen and Darby, I wasn’t trying to sign Darby and John Hoffman wasn’t trying to sign Allen.  So that’s why that worked.”

Exportation

Hoffman, who manages featherweight Smart and junior flyweight Antwan Robertson among others, points out that “Generally if you’re fighting out of town, you’re a big underdog.  Antwan walks around at 117#.  He truly should never box over 112#.  But he has to go to Denver to find the closest flyweight, so he boxes as big as featherweight to get some work.”  Brothers Jason and Allen Litzau, on the other hand, have taken to the road to find work.  Jason has fought in seven states plus the US Virgin Islands during his 25 bouts-old career, making just eight appearances in his home state of Minnesota in that period.  Allen has appeared in five states in his 16 career bouts, fighting in Minnesota 11 times.  According to Van Syckle, both men would like to fight close to home more frequently, but that’s especially difficult to arrange because “Minnesota promoters are greedy.  They want 100% of everything, so they get 100% of nothing.”

Importation

But the reality is that not everyone is able to hit the road for a nascent boxing career.  School, work schedules, family obligations and financial pressures keep most young fighters closer to home.  That brings us to importation of opponents.  Paying a man a few hundred dollars to take a fight can be a smaller expense than the cost of his travel expenses.  Says Hoffman, “Trying to find a good opponent that is local enough to make it pay…now that’s the trouble.  [There are] just not enough boxers.”  From a business standpoint, this is the most proactive solution but also the one that requires the greatest commitment and the biggest immediate expenditure by the promoter.

Conclusion

It’s a shame when a gifted athlete can’t find an arena in which to compete, particularly when that athlete is a boxer fighting at or below lightweight.  Though the casual fan may not pay attention to anyone but the heavyweights, the knowledgeable fan knows that it’s often the little men who offer the most entertainment.  Tony Grygelko notes that “Little fighters are the most exciting because they’re a lot more on speed and quickness.  They understand body positioning and they move their feet more.”  Grygelko thinks that even at the grassroots level small fighters may see their earning capacity handicapped – “People just love to see two giants fight.  They’re not as eager to see two little guys fight.”  But Hoffman thinks that promoters are just as happy to showcase small fighters: “Promoters just want to sell tickets.  If they guy sells tickets, they don’t care what they weigh.”

The men:

Featherweight Willshaun Boxley (3-0 with 2 kayos) of Minneapolis, a young man with a lot of ambition and who by reputation is willing to fight anyone, has had only three fights since turning pro a year ago, winning all three – two of them by TKO.  Grygelko may be working the angles when he says that Boxley is “right now, the second best fighter in Minnesota.”  Whatever the case, Grygelko notes that you can expect to see Boxley fight in a Seconds Out show at the Saint Paul Armory on January 17.

Super Featherweight Wilton Hilario (9-0-1 with 7 kayos) of St Louis Park, billed as the “Pretty Warrior,” is believed by some to be a special talent.  Rumored matches with both Allen and Jason Litzau have failed to materialize, and the excitement surrounding Hilario’s early career seems generally to have subsided as he has fought only once in the last year, and has failed to knock out his last three opponents.  The excitement will build again quickly, though, if Hilario can get back to his spectacular old self soon.

Super Featherweight Allen Litzau (13-3 with 7 kayos) of St Paul was much heralded when he transitioned from a highly accomplished amateur career to a professional career back in 2002, but after just sixteen fights in the last six years, Litzau’s career seems to have lost steam.  According to promoter Van Syckle, Litzau “is stuck at 130# right now.  He can’t seem to get the weight off.”

Featherweight Jason Litzau (23-2 with 19 kayos) of St Paul is generally considered the most accomplished boxer in Minnesota today.  “The American Boy” hasn’t fought since losing a world title bout to Robert Guerrero back in February, after pulling out of a planned October 24 fight due to an arm injury.  According to Van Syckle, the injury “wasn’t serious, but it was painful, so we didn’t want to take a chance…He was fighting a tough guy who had never been stopped in like 30 career fights, so he needed to be at 100% and he wasn’t.  Because of the pain he couldn’t spar and he couldn’t fully train.”

Featherweight Brad Patraw (4-0 with 3 kayos) of St Paul, a former Upper Midwest Golden Gloves titlist at 112#, Patraw fights under the banner of Johnny Johnson’s Rice Street Gym in St Paul.

Lightweight Ronnie Peterson (1-0 with 1 kayo), son of trainer Ron Peterson, made his professional debut at 130# despite his ability to make 112#.  Peterson told Jesse Kelley of www.minnesotaboxing.com in an interview published November 11th that he had prepared for his professional debut by sparring with a fellow debutante, Malcolm Cowans, who fought at 192# and that he was interested in a match with Antwan Robertson.

Super Flyweight Antwan Robertson (4-0 with 3 kayos) of Anoka is a wiry small man with respectable power.  Robertson won the 2007 Upper Midwest Golden Gloves at 112# before being stripped of his amateur status and turning pro in August of 2007.

Bantamweight Darby Smart  (10-4 with 4 kayos) of Chisholm, the old man of the group at age 38, has had his pro boxing career curtailed by his work schedule and remote location.  Although he isn’t officially retired, Smart hasn’t been in a boxing match since the summer of 2006 and has been passed over for at least one card in his own backyard (August 31 at Fortune Bay Casino in Tower, Minnesota).

Summer Boxing Fun in Minnesota

The rumor mill has been in full swing lately, cranking out many plausible scenarios and a few real honkers.  Here’s some real true stuff, straight from the source.  Tony G of Seconds out Promotions has confirmed to the Fistic Mystic that his organization plans to field fight cards on July 18 in St Paul, August 29 in Hinckley, and September 19, again in St Paul.

July 18 there are tentative plans for Hassan Wasswa to break his recent streak of professional inactivity by taking on the resurgent Allen Litzau.  Coupled with that bout is a sure crowd-pleaser in Golden Caleb Truax -vs- noted tough guy Butch Hajicek.  It’s nice to see Truax staying busy – don’t forget he’s also slated to fight Thomas Rittenbaugh in California on June 26.  The remainder of this card isn’t set, but will be of an appropriate caliber.

August 29 we have a list of fighters, but no opponents have been finalized.  Jason Litzau will fight for the first time since losing to Robert Guerrero in a world title match last February.  And Wilton Hilario also makes another attempt to get back in the ring.  There’s evidently no currency to the recently whispered rumor that the two would fight each other.  The always exciting Phil Williams, ever-ready Caleb Truax, and lovely Kirstie Davis will fill out the card.

All we have for September 19 is a date.  More info will be shared as it becomes available.