Is Williams Ruined? Is Hilario Ready for Litzau? What Next for Fort? All This and More!

• More than one person remarked to me tonight that Phil Williams’ career is irredeemably stained by his loss to Matt Vanda.  It’s true that it doesn’t look great on paper, but it was a split decision, Williams was never in danger of being stopped, and Vanda has a very impressive record.  Williams looked good but not great against an opponent who some very definite advantages over him.  No, Williams isn’t ruined, but he needs to get back on track with some wins.  One possibility is a rematch with  Vanda, though I wouldn’t advise it.  Another possibility is a match with an opponent the caliber of Lamar Harris, who also appeared on this card.  Just something to chew on.
• Is Wilton Hilario ready for Jason Litzau?  Despite his dominating performance against 18-3-2 Leon Bobo, Hilario confidant Luis Reyes doesn’t want that fight for his good friend.  “What’s in it for Wilton?  He needs to get up to eighteen or nineteen wins before he thinks about someone like Litzau again.”  Apparently Reyes’ reasoning is that Hilario needs to get more experience and build up his resume before taking the kind of step up that a win against Jason Litzau would force him into.
• Ceresso Fort’s bout with Lamar Harris seems to be the consensus pick for fight of the night, but it revealed some serious flaws in Fort’s game.  His punches were loose, loopy, and sometimes wild.  His footwork was unpolished and that nearly got him in serious trouble once or twice.  And Fort blew off his head of steam in the first round when he seemed to have Harris in trouble, only to get in deep later on when Harris recovered and threw hundreds of power shots at him in the late rounds.  Fort is a promising young guy with a head like an anvil and fists like bricks.  Minnesota boxing fans, we have a diamond in the rough here.  Let’s not demand too much of him just yet – he needs to take some advice from legendary Twins manager Tom Kelly: “You’re never too good to work on your fundamentals.”
• Javontae Starks – as if we didn’t already know – is the real deal.  Starks took a round to get used to the pro game, then went to town on game but overmatched opponent Dan Copp.  Starks’ body-shot knockout of Copp was a thing of beauty, and after the way it was set up, it came with a sense of inevitability.  Starks is fast, strong, and well-coordinated.  He isn’t ready for the big time yet, but his win tonight gave me some serious warm fuzzies.  Too bad for Dan Copp he can’t say the same!
• Congratulations to Zach Schumach on his first career win.  I won’t say “the first of many,” but it was well deserved.  He showed better speed and more aggression than opponent Don Tierney.
• I thought that Sam Morales had a win sewn up tonight, but the judges didn’t agree with me.  Okay, they’re judges and I’m not.  But I don’t understand how Morales’ effective aggression and crisp punching goes unrewarded.  I also thought it was pretty obvious that Morales had Taggart hurt twice, and Taggart was unable to return the favor until the last ten seconds of the fight.
• Let’s all give some credit to Grand Casino Hinckley and Midwest Sports Council for an entertaining and commercially successful show.  I’d also like to show some love to Fox Sports Net for televising this event.  Now I’m going to go home and watch it.  Hopefully it looks as good on the small screen as it did from ringside.

November 13 Round-by-Round – Vanda-Williams, Hilario-Bobo, etc.

7pm – the buzz here is incredible, and the crowd is going to be huge.  At least, it’s going to be as big as Grand Casino can accommodate!

Tim Taggart (now 3-2-1 with 2 kayos) and Sam Morales (now 3-3-1 with 1 kayo) fight to a majority draw (38-38, 38-38, and 39-37 Taggart) after four rounds

Round 1

Both men are throwing in the early going, but Morales’ punches are more crisp and accurate.  Morales is also moving more quickly and showing more elusiveness.  Taggart, though slower, is throwing heavier shots.  About midway through the round Morales lands a left to the temple that momentarily freezes Taggart.  Morales follows up well.  There’s a close-quarters clash and Morales comes out of it bleeding from his  left nostril.  The blood is smeared, but is not bleeding freely.  Good trading as the round closes, and Morales takes a shot to the back of the head that makes him grimace.  Round over.

Round 2

The two come out trading again,  Taggart backs Morales up to the ropes and dives in, Morales counters effectively with a left-right to the body.  This is a busy round, lots of throwing and lots of landing.  Taggart lands a slow three-punch combination that impresses the crowd but doesn’t do any obvious damage.  Morales steps in to throw the right and comes in too far, landing with his forearm to Taggart’s ear.  Straight right lands for Morales and though Taggart shakes his head and smiles, it slows him down enough that Morales is able to follow with a damaging combination.  If you thought that Morales would struggle as the smaller man moving up, it doesn’t seem that way – he is landing crisp, hard shots that hurt Taggart.

Round 3

Morales comes out jabbing, but quickly reverts to bombing.  The two are trading, with Morales landing punches from all angles and Taggart hoping to hurt him with counters.  The two clinch and Taggart reaches around to land a couple of body shots.  Morales, coming forward, hurts Taggart.  Taggart is alert, but he’s turing into a rag doll, getting hit and blasted around the ring.  Morales punches himself out without ending matters, and Taggart has time to collect himself.  Now Taggart lands a looping right hook that impresses.  Morales dives in, landing a right hook to the body and the top of his head to Taggart’s face simultaneously.  Referee Genaro Hernandez pauses the action for an equipment fix, and when the two return to combat there’s only fifteen seconds left – that’s a fifteen second break for both tired men.

Round 4

Taggart has to know that he’s behind on the cards, and he comes out throwing to the body with bad intentions.  In a furious exchange Taggart loses his mouthpiece.  After  getting it back he charges back into Morales, landing a stomping right that lands flush.  Morales is showing some wear and tear, with a mark at the corner of his left eye, but neither man has the advantage so far in the fourth.  Sloppy, wide punches result in another clinch.  Taggart is walking Morales down now – suddenly Morales plants, pivots, and lands a right-left.  More slow action, which devolves into a clinch, and then Taggart in a headlock.  With ten seconds left in the round both men go on the attack, and Taggart lands a right that staggers Morales!  Morales is hurt, but he’s throwing back at Taggart, and though Taggart has the will to attack, he has not the time nor the energy to take advantage.  Round over.

 

Don Tierney (now 1-1 with no kayos) is defeated by Zach Schumach (now 1-2 with no kayos) by majority decision (38-38, 39-38, and 39-37) after four rounds.

After both men are in the ring but before the introductions Schumach shouts to the crowd, “Second round KO!”

Round 1

Schumach comes out with his feet spread wide in a jumping crouch, shooting out double and triple jabs.  Plenty of time passes before the first connect, and it belongs to Schumach – a left hook that clips Tierney’s chin.  Tierney is jabbing back, and Schumach ducks under a left and lands a right to the body.  This is not an action fight like the last one.  Tierney misses with an uppercut on the charging Schumach, but no harm – Schumach misses too.  Schumach lands a left jab to the midriff of Tierney.  Now Schumach throws a triple jab, then charges in to land a right hand.  First trade of the bout, and though both men land, nobody comes up roses.  Just before the bell Tierney lands a single shot, Schumach responds in kind, and round.

Round 2

The two comes out and circle to their left.  Now both are reaching out with the jab, and both men land.  Schumach may be thinking about his prefight prediction.  The two trade in Tierney’s corner, and Schumach ducks his head while punching, displeasing cornerman Sean Hickman.  The two trade again, neither man getting the upper hand.  Tierney misses with a right, Schumach feints…Tierney misses with a double right jab, Schumach with a left hook.  Schumach jumps in and lands a right hook to the body.  Schumach pursues Tierney into a neutral corner and lands a left-left-right, then misses with wild shots.  Schumach is the attacker, Tierney looking to counter.  Schumach lands another double lefft jab followed by a right hook.  There’s a clash, and possibly a mutual head butt, and the round ends with an admonishment from referee Mark Nelson.

Round 3

Tierney opens with a left jab that lands, Schumach responds by mashing the body. Schumach now lands a resounding right to the body.  Schumach attacks again, and Tierney jumps back, almost bumping into referee Nelson, who is coming around.  Schumach goes back to the jab.  Now Schumach ducks ddown and lands a right hook to the body.  Johnny Johnson, in tierney’s corner, is yelling for more offense, and Tierney responds with a couple of scoring blows.  Now an uppercut grazes schumach’s left cdheek, and Tierney scoots away.  Schumach lands two wide lefts and a right – they may have traveled too far to do much damage, but they count anyway. Tierney tries to stick and move, and Schumach catches him, driving him backwards into the ropes but Tierney escapes.  Schumach finally lands the big one-two he’s been looking for, and the two paw at each other until the bell.

Round 4

Tierney lands a jab to open the scoring, but a sloppily aggressive Schumach fires back and scores bigger.  Tierney catches Schumach charging in with a strong right hook.  Now the two circle clockwise and jab.  Schumach plays ‘watch the birdy,’ waving his right hand, then jumps in to score to the body.  Tierney looks like the more polished boxer, but it’s Schumach’s aggression that is telling the story.  Tierney, rangy but slow, is just not scoring with most of his activity.  Schumach is crouching, looking up at Tierney, measuring.  Schumach lands a soft left jab to the body, misses witha right, then lands a big left hook flush to the side of Tierney’s face.  The round ends with ineffective jabbing, and the two smile and embrace.

Matt Vanda (now 42-9 with 22 kayos) defeats Phil Williams (now 11-2 with 10 kayos) by split decision after ten rounds

Round 1

One could call this a feeling out round, but that might give the fighters too much credit – Williams flicked a crisp jab but did little else.  Vanda scored with two body shots – a hard left jab and about a minute later, a right hook that reached too far and curled around Williams’ ribs.  Let’s hope for more in round 2.

Round 2

Perhaps emboldened by the events of round 1, Vanda comes out shooting.  Williams had the first score of the round, but Vanda is far more aggressive now, and the smaller an is pressing the action.  Vanda is having some success stooping down and stepping in with single jabs.  Williams lands a left hookercut that scores, and follows it up with some jabs upstairs, but Vanda is unfazed, and contines to stand in front of Williams.  Now Vanda scores with three powerr shots, and perhaps feeling even bolder, attacks again, driving Williams backwards.  Williams lands ahard left jab to the head, but Vandaa responds with two scoring shots.  Now Vanda attacks viciously, landing hard power shots that Williams obviously feels.  Success invigorates, and Vanda drops his hands, daring Williams to attack.  Williams cannot muster any offense as the round ends.

Round 3

Williams stares intently, unflinching, as Vanda comes forward.  The two land simultaneous jabs.  Now Williams scores with a left hook to the body, and though Vanda responds, Williams is beginning to look stronger.  Williams lands two rights and two lefts, and Vanda gets off balance.  Williams does not capitalize, and now Vanda is coming forward again.  Williams is back to the jab, and that may favor Vanda, as his jab may be his most outstanding punch.  Vanda snaps a good jab into Williams’ face, and williams is backing up and looking to counter.  Vanda claps a hard right to the body of Williams.  Williams lands three successive left jabs before Vanda responds with a power shots.  Now a right hook lands to Williams’ midsection, a left misses, and a right hook lands to his abdomen.  For the first time Williams looks uncomfortgable.  Vanda chases Williams into his own corner and attacks viciously, Williams countering with a good right just before the bell.

Round 4

Vanda can’t wait to begin the fourth, getting into Williams’ face immediately with a jab.  Williams lands and then switches to southpaw.  Vanda is still aggressive, but now tentatively aggresive, if such an attitude exists.  Williams lands a left hook to the body followed by a right.  Two left jabs land for Williams.  Vanda is still coming forward but having a hard time figuring out this new wrinkle.  Williams stays a lefty, lands a power shot, and winks at Vanda.  Vnada fires back and scores.  Ron Lyke, in Vanda’s corner, demands head movement and gets it immmediately.  Vanda lands a straight left.  Williams pops a right jab that looks better than it is.  Vanda responds with a left jab.  Now Vanda avoids a clinch by landing a hard right that inspires the crowd.  Round.

Round 5

Williams remains on his stoolk, chest heaving, while Vanda paces.  Williams, still in southpaw stance, lands a jab.  Vanda is coming forward but not throwing.  More jabs from Williams.  Vanda comes inside but ducks instead of throwing.  Williams continues to score.  Now a left hook lands for Williams and he scoots away to his right.  Williams scores again, but Williams counters effectively.  Vanda’s face is the picture of concentration.  Vanda connects a hard left jab.  Now Vanda is taunting, stepping left and right, left and right, he drops his hands and wags his face in front of Williams.  Now Vanda waves his left hand in a circle before throwing the left jab before throwing it and connecting.  All the while his corner screams at him to keep his hands up!  Vanda lands two shots and Williams, trying to move away, gets his feet tangled.  Vanda resumes his wild antics before the end of the round, then attacks hatefully, driving Williams into a neutral corner.  How long till williams goes headhunting?  Boxing  isn’t working for the tough barber from north Minneapolis.

Round 6

I count six straight right jabs from Williams to begin the round.  Vanda is relaxed.  Shouted instructions for Vanda are now coming from Johnny Johson, sitting back behind Vanda’s cornermen.  Williams hits Vanda with a volley of rights, then lefts.  Vanda is hurt and off-balance, but that never lasts long, and Vanda quickly regains his composure.  Vanda jumps in to land a glancing left to the body of Williams.  Williams shoots out a right jab but gets hit by a left from Vanda.  Vanda scores again, and the crowd is enthralled.  Williams, trapped in a corner, connects a left jab.  Vanda attacks ineffectively, and Williams escapes.  Williams is reaching out and h itting Vanda with single shots, but the unpredictable Vanda punctuates the round with one more big shot just before the bell.

Round 7

Williams scores first with a good right hook, and vanda pivots repeatedly on his right foot as if to show that he is unhurt and still unpredictable.  Williams is jabbing much more as the fight progresses, Vanda – unexpectedly – is the aggressor, throwing power shots and walking Williams down.  Williams, visibly taller, is trying to take advantage of his length against the short-armed Vanda.  Williams continues to score left jabs from an orthodox sance.  Vanda brings a one-two to the body and scores again.  Now a left hand from  Vanda snaps Williams’ head back.  Vanda comes forward, the two trade, and Vanda ducks under a punch and walks away nonchalantly.  Bell.

Round 8

Vanda walks right into Williams’ range and lands a left jab.  Williams fires back, but Jim Maurine shouts from Vanda’s corner “He can’t hurt you, Matt!  He can’t hurt you!”  Vanda seems to believe him.  Williams lands three straight left jabs, then a few soft hooks probe Vanda’s defense.  Vanda lands flush shots to the body and head of Williams, but Williams shrugs the attack off, comes forward, and lands a very hard jab that momentarily slows Vanda.  Vanda continues to come forward, but Williams unleashes a volley of power shots taht scores, and ignites his supporters – a minority in this crowd.  Vanda charges after Williams the corner and lands a couple of shots.  Vanda, bouncing on his toes, waits for Williams to attack but notattack is forthcoming.  Vanda’s bravado may be real or it may not, but it is undeniably impressive – he continues to attack Williams, who covers his body and smiles and nods at Vanda as the bell rings.

Round 9

Williams lands several shots as the round begins.  I may have underestimated The Drill’s ability to hang with Vanda in terms of workrate.  Vanda is biding his time, jabbing occasionally.  Ron Lyke is calling for aggression and getting nothing.  Williams is landing a lot of jabs and the cocasional shot.  Vanda lands a hard left jab, which presages some power shots of his own.  Vanda is coming forward, Williams is countering, and both are scoring.  Boy am I glad I’m not judging this fight!  Vanda’s left jab comes up short twice.  Williams lands a couple of power shots that blast Vanda backwards into the ropes and Vanda comes up looking dazed and confused, stumbling disjointedly off the ropes, then smiling at Williams as if to say “Fooled you!”  Vanda turns his back on Williams and walks away just before the bell rings.

Round 10

Vanda stands in the center of the ring, hands on hips, waiting for Williams as the round begins.  Williams attacks furiously, knocking Vanda downon his back.  Vanda completes a backward roll and jumps to his feet.  Referee Mark Nelson dispenses with the mandatory eight count, signifying that there is no official knockdown.  Williams attacks again, landing devastating shots on Vanda.  The crowd commences competing chants of Vanda-Vanda and Phil the Drill!  Williams lands a good left jab twice, but Vanda comes back with more shots that show isn’t out of it yet.  Vanda coninues to pressure Williams, but Williams counters and then jumps into Vanda, pummeling him with power shots.  The bell rings and Vanda leaps joyfully in the air, hands raised.  Everyone in this ballroom, all 2200+, knows that they have just witnessed a tremendous boxing match between two combatants who just love to fight!

Wilton Hilario ( now 12-0 with 9 kayos) defeats Leon Bobo (now 18-4-1 with 2 kayos) by unanimous decision after eight rounds

Round 1

[Connectivity problems - the Grand Casino wireless system may be overwhelmed by all the electronics in the building right now.]  First round is tough to score, because the feather-fisted Bobo is fast and elusive, while the hard-punching Hilario can do little more than grab bobo and pound him in clinches.

Round 2

Hilaraio is doing his best to grab bobo and hold him still so as to hit him, but it’s Bobo who’s taking advanatage, punching out fof clinches with furious, extended flurries.  Hilario finally catches Bobo clean and propels him into the ropes with a tremendous hook.  Bobo survives and escapes, but is more intent on running now.  Hilario chases Bobo down witha  shuffling run but is unable to make hay.  Another clinch ensues, and the round ends without any further scoring.

Round 3

The round bdegins with determined aggression from Hilario, which is ineffective at first – but Hilario finally catches Bobo with another shot that momentarioly freezes him.  Hilario lands two lefts and a right before Bobo turtles up, and all Hilario’s shots thereafter failto score.  Hilario is havingbetter success getting inside now, and occaionally clips Bobo with a hurtful shot.  If Hilario can keep it up this should wear his opponent down.  Hilario throws inside shots in a clinch, which causes Bobo to grimace at the ref, pleading silently for an intervention.  Bobo is determined to throw a hundred soft punches per round and run from Hilario’s aggression, so this fight is probably bound to get ugly.  A clash of bodies near the end of the round results in a Bobo fall, but it’s clearly no knockdown.

Round 4

Hilario is having more success jabbing to the center of Bobo’s body.  Bobo tries to negate Hilario’s powerr by grbbing and clinching, but Hilario is equally determined to keep Bobo off him with a high volume of hooks and uppercuts.  Hilario traps Bobo oagainst the ropes and stands on the toes of his right foot – Hilario scores, but not like he could have.  Hilario continues to pursue, bobo is wild-eyed.  bobo tries to shoot the jab and get away, but Hilario is wising up and grabs him.  The round ends with wrestling.

Round 5

[More connection problems...]  Hilario is determined to wear his opponent down, and it appears to be working.  Bobo is slowing down and resorting to trading shots with Hilario.  Hilario traps Bobo in a corner, and when Bobo successfully ducks a couple of hooks, Hilario hurts him with an uppercut.  bobo escapes, but Hilario is working hard to land the home run shot.  This round ends with Hilario looking in charge.

Round 6

Bobo’s lateral movement is much reduced – he’s mostly moving backwards when he moves.  Hilario cracks him on the ear with a left hook, and though Bobo gets away, Hilario chases him down and lands the same punch again, followed by a right.  bobo’s hands are moving like he’s punching, but he’s really just pedaling an invisible bicycle with his hands.  Hilario continues to pursue, and finally catch es Bobo in a corner.  After landing one or two shots Hilario relents, then walks away pawing at his own face.  Did he get butted?  bobo grabs Hilario and lays on him, pushing him backwards into a corner, but generating no offense.  Hilario grinds away with inside shots for a time, then finally and thankfully, the round ends.

Round 7

Bobo’s offense has been negligible the last couple of rounds, but here he lands a left, then throws a flurry that momentarily gets Hilario off of him.  Hilario is still trying to knock his opponent out though, and touches him with a one-two, then a right hook that hurts him.  Hilario is moving his head and bobbing to avoid Bobo’s slow and soft punches.  Hilario corners bobo and lands a cracking right to the head, drawing an “Ooh” from the crowd.  Bobo leans hard on Hilario, and the two fall into a clinch.  After the break Hilario chases gamely, but no further action results.

Round 8

Hilario is taking some risks to land his shots this round, and it results in Bobo landing a clean left-right.  Hilario quickly regains the intitiative, however, and Bobo returns to his pattern of bouncing backwards and throwing only occasional punches, mostly ineffective hooks.  Hilario could protest his opponent’s negative tactics but doesn’t, continuing to chase Bobo around the ring to little avail.  At the sound of the ten-second warning Hilario goes on offense, but Bobo grabs Hilario’s upper body and holds on.  This round and this fight finally end, and that’s a good thing.

Ceresso Fort (now 8-0 with 7 kayos) defeats Lamar Harris (now 6-5-2 with 4 kayos) by unanimous decision after 6 rounds

Round 1

Two confident young men come out scowlingg and throwing bombs, and it only takes about fifteen seconds for Fort to corner Harris and hurt him.  Fort throws a good plenty of bombs at the covered-up Harris, but a hook to the body brings Harris back to life.  Harris is hurt, but he responds valorously, fighting back as best he can.  Fort is going for broke in this first round, and again corners Harris, where he again lands a couple of flush power shots.  But Harris is regaining his legs and his clarity, and seems to be back in this fight.    fort is landing hard single shots, but few of them cleanly now, the two trade on even terms, and Harris slips down.  Now knockdown, and the action resumes immediately.  Fort is scoring effectively and Harris is either an inferior fighter or a hurt fighter – time will tell.  For now, the bell brings remission.

Round 2

After an all-action first round the second begins slowly.  Fort needs to shorten up those punches – he’s throwing wild shots in hopes of scoring a knockout, and he’s leaving himself far too open.  Fort’s mouth is hangin g open and he looks a little winded, but his jabvs and memories of his power are keeping Harris at bay for now.  Harris throws a left-right-left that lands in glancing fashion.  Fort lands a lefft hook, and encouraged by his success, thorws another.  Fort thorws a slow, ponderous ljab-jab-hook.  He definitely needs to speed up and shorten up.  Harris finally lands a good shot that backs Fort up, but it’s too late for him to capitalize, so he just stares at Fort as if to intimidate him.  Fort makes a throat-slashing motion and walks back to his corner.

Round 3

These two fine young men are here to put on a great show, if nothing else.  The two land simultaneous jabs, then simultaneous hooks.    The pace has slowed, but the two are still trading serious shots.  Harris clips Fort’s chin with a hook that demonstrates Fort’s toughness.  Fort, moments later, lands two shots that do the same for Harris.  fort attacks with a looping right hook but Harris ducks down, resulting in an awkward clash of bodies.  More infighting ensues, no effect.  Fort is working Hharris’ body with infrequent but solid shots.  Harris lands a clean shot that makes Fort  stumble, but chalk that up to clumsy footwork rather than a hurt fighter.  More punches are thrown but few land before the round ends.

Round 4

Harris is walking Fort down with a neverending scowl.  Both men jump in with power shots at the same time, and a clash of heads results.  No cuts are evident.  Harris is charging after Fort and landingl by and large, the better shots this round.  Fort is flinching and closing his eyes when Harris hits him clean.  Fort is backing up, changing directions, moving laterally.  It’s easy to see fort’s punches developing – he is n ot a polished fighter, but he is tough and stsrong as an ox.  Harris ducks under a Fort hook, comes up throwing, and catches Fort with a painful powerr shot to the midsection.  Fort works through it and fires back, and this round ends.

Round 5

Harris is an unblinking attack dog, charging forward and throwing power shots at every opening.  He’s getting in on Fort and he hurts h im!  Fort is stumbling along the ropes, Harris pursuing and throwing tremendous shots.  fort gets free and Harris chases him across the ring to the opposite corner.  The Harris is landing furious volleys offf power shots and hurting Fort!  Suddenly, sensing that a clinch is imminent, Harris grabs Fort and flings im into the ropes.  fort hangs on and drags Harris down, both men tumbling to the canvas.  Referee Mark Nelson pauses the action.  Did he deduct a point from Harris?  I can’t tell, but I hope so.  the action resumes and Harris is again on offense, pursuing Fort doggedly and landing power shot after power shot.  As the round comes to a close Fort lands a single shot that freezes Harris.  Fort tries to follow up,k but only gets on shot off – a good one, but not enough.

Round 6

Both  men are exhausted and bleeding from the mouth.  Harris resumes his pursuit of his quarry, with Fort occasionally countering with solid but unspectacular shots.  harris lands several hard shots and now Fort lands a huge shot that puts  Harris badly off-balance.  The Harris tries to clinch, and both men crash to the canvas, Fort on top of the sprawling Harris!  As the action resumes fthe tide may be turning for Fort.  He lands a big shot, follows up, and then after a brief lull, lands more telling shots.  Harris’s hateful glare has morphed into a blank stare as the two duke it out in the closing seconds.

Javontae Starks (now 1-0 with 1 kayo) defeats Dan Copp (now 1-2) by TKO in round 2 of 4 scheduled

Always slim, Starks looks positively gaunt as he enters the ring.  I’m told that he weighed in at 153# last night.

Round 1

[more computer trouble] The first round is a tentative one for both fighter, with Starks following the always-moving Copp around the ring and snapping off single jabs and an occasional shot to the body.  Copp is very game, but not a snappy puncher.  Kudos to Copp for  not shrinking from contact, but seeking to battle.  Copp returns to his corner after the first red-faced from that harsh jab of Starks.

Round 2

Starks is putting his punches together this round, continuing to pursue Copp.  Starks catches Copp and hurts him - you can see the pain in the grimace on Copp’s face.  Starks hits Copop again to the body, and Copp is clearly in distress.  Starks throws all caution to the wind and jumps in on Copp, but the fight is already over – Copp is down on his knees in agony from another body shot, and the fight has been called.  Early TKO on a body shot, as predicted by the Fistic Mystic!

What’s News?

I heard the familiar thud-thud-thud of helicopter rotors tonight, a sound that – oddly – warms my heart.  That distinctive sound of a helicopter reminds me of the last few months that I lived with both of my parents before they separated for good.  My dad was a soldier (still is, in fact) and was stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky.  In those days the sound of helicopters, loud and low, was a constant accompaniment to daily life; a happy memory, bittersweet to recollect.

I glanced up at the night sky in time to see a medivac helicopter, only a few hundred feet up, racing toward the hospital on the north end of town.  I thought to myself, “I wonder who’s hurt or dying up there.”  I pondered some possibilities – a victim of violent crime, a farmer fresh from a machinery mishap, a motorist hurt in a traffic accident…I wondered, “Will I find out from the ten o’clock news?”

But here’s a strange thing about “the news” – it’s only news if “the news” tell us that it is.  In the spirit of the old cliche (if it bleeds it leads), let’s consider the most prevalent variety of news item: how many crimes are committed every day in an American city?  How many of those crimes are reported on the TV news?  The newspaper presents a greater volume of news, it’s true, but even they don’t get it all – especially considering the widespread cutbacks which have afflicted their industry lately.

A few weeks ago a professional athlete nearly died in competition, right here in Minnesota.  Jesse Barbot suffered a subdural hematoma during a boxing match at Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen and had to be rushed, in a 100 mph ambulance ride, 75 miles to the big hospital in my adopted hometown of Fargo for emergency surgery.  Barbot’s story is well on its way to a happy ending; it appears that the doctors were able to avert any permanent neurological damage, and Barbot was able to check out of the hospital and go home yesterday.  News coverage: Zero.

The next four weeks will bring Minnesota fight fans more fights than we’ll know what to do with.  Starting with November 13th we have a sold-out, televised show featuring two of the highest-profile boxers in Minnesota in the main event (Matt Vanda and Phil Williams), as well as the professional debut of an elite amateur (Javontae Starks).  From there we move on to November 20th in St Paul, when a local boy (Caleb Truax) fights a former world champ (Carl Daniels) for a minor title belt, then a Minnesota-based African immigrant (Mohammed Kayongo) fights a California-based prospect who is bringing in an entourage of his Welsh compatriots (James Todd) for another minor title belt.  Finally, on December 4th, Minnesota’s top two heavyweight prizefighters (Joey Abell and Raphael Butler) duke it out for bragging rights and a state championship belt at Target Center.  Supporting fights for this downtown Minneapolis event will feature a Jungle Boy, a Freight Train, and a Prodigy.

Will any of these events be considered news by the mainstream press?  I wouldn’t bet on it.

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

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.

Boxer Profile: Tyler Hultin

When a writer sits down to begin a composition, whether he’s a reporter or an author, one of the things he or she strives for is a hook.  A hook is the point of interest that grabs the reader and holds him captive until he finishes reading.  A writer who can fabricate or discover a hook will ensnare his readers – even against their will – and that will keep his articles, books, or stories in demand as long as he can churn them out.

Consequently, one fatal trap for a writer is the subject which presents no obvious hook.  The person or event about which he is writing has no rough edges, no gripping drama – no angle presents itself – and then he’s got a dilemma.  Why would anyone begin reading this article?  Once they’ve started, why would they finish?

Tyler Hultin, a product of the amateur boxing club of Fergus Falls, Minnesota, isn’t loud or obnoxious.  In fact he’s placidly self-assured.  He doesn’t self-promote or brag about his great future accomplishments.  He deflects attention from himself and compliments others, sometimes even at his own expense.

This is the dilemma presented by Tyler Hultin.  He’s modest, polite, mild-mannered, and self-effacing.  What am I supposed to write about a guy like that?  Who does he think he is, putting me in this position?

This is Tyler Hultin:

He originally got into boxing at the age of 14 without his parents’ blessing.  In fact, he worked out with the Fergus Falls club for a good eight months before coming clean, and he only did it then because he wanted to enter competition.  Hultin lost his first fight, and the next three after that.  “It was a pretty rocky start.  Very rocky,” Hultin smiles.  “I lost pretty bad.  I had my doubts, thought maybe this isn’t really for me, but instead of giving up I pushed myself pretty hard.”

All that hard work eventually paid off, as Hultin earned a Silver Gloves title in 2003, the Golden Gloves region IV title at 152# from 2004 through 2006, the Upper Midwest Golden Gloves title in 2006, and then the Region IV title at 165# from 2007 through 2009.  Along the way Hultin amassed a cumulative record of 80-27 over a nine-year career, and ultimately won over his mom.  “After my mom came to the fights for the first time, now she’s the loudest fan I have.  Oh yeah, she’s a die-hard,” Hultin winks.

Maybe it’s natural, and maybe everyone feels this way about their club, but Hultin thinks there’s something special about the Fergus Falls club.  “Our club doesn’t win the most awards or the most championships, but I think that we’re the most feared club in the area.  I mean, fighters coming in from other clubs are confident that they’ll win, but they also know that win or lose, they’re going to have been in a fight.  They’re going to feel it the next day.”

Hultin turned pro in May of this because he was feeling restless and bored, and because of a particular phone call.  “In amateurs it got so nothing was original – you knew how everything was going to go down, and I was always at a certain weight, and you pretty much knew who was out there to fight…I think I fought one guy sixteen times.  I got my name known throughout the amateur scene, but it didn’t really get me anywhere.”  Then came a fateful phone call: “After my last year of Golden Gloves I was just about ready to hang up my gloves.  And Andy Kolle called me and goes, ‘I heard that you wanted to go pro for so long, are you ready to do it?’  I told him I was thinking about hanging it up and he asked me, ‘Is that really what you want or is it just nerves and false thoughts?’  I thought about it and I decided that I can’t get out of it.  I’m only 22 years old I have to keep going.  So Andy had a lot to do with it.”

Of course, the last two pro fighters to come out of Fergus Falls (Kolle and the Jungle Boy, Zach Walters)  have moved to Duluth to train at Horton’s Gym.  I asked Hultin whether he might do the same.  “The thought has come into my head, but for now I’m in school in Alexandria, and I’m committed to finishing that.  The Saint Cloud Golden Gloves team wanted me to move down there and train them, too, but now that I’ve gone pro I’ll hold off on those things for a while.”

Back in Fergus Falls there’s another Hultin who Tyler would like boxing fans to know about, and that’s his little brother Tanner Hultin.  “If he had my conditioning he would probably be better than me.  He’s a southpaw, too!”  Tanner is 18 years old and still in high school, but Tyler offers high praise: “Tanner is my best sparring partner.”

To date Hultin has only had the one pro fight, winning his debut contest against Lakendriek Craig with a first-round knockout on May 21^st up in Duluth.  What his future holds, Hultin won’t speculate.  His goals are articulated thusly: “First, to keep fighting, and second, to work my way up.”  I explained that most fighters use their interviews to predict a signature win or a championship, or some other kind of great success.  “I think one day, yes.  That would be nice.  I have a lot to learn first.”

Sigh.

The Fistic Mystic says: Continuing a great new tradition in Minnesota boxing, I asked Hultin to name some other young fighters whose names we should remember.  There were no stunning revelations, but as usual, some candid and interesting recollections.

“Obviously, my brother Tanner Hultin.”

Javontae Starks – “We clashed heads back in ’07 or ’08, then he dropped me with a body shot.  I finished the fight, though.”

Jamal James – “You don’t hear very much about him, but he’s really good.”

Robert Brant – “I fought him twice, lost them both.  He’s a natural.”  A prodigy, even?  “Yes, and he’s a nice guy, too.  Going to give Kelly Pavlik a run for his money.  I’m serious.”

Javontae Starks Signs with Local Promoters MSC!

The biggest boxing related news to come out of Minnesota boxing in years comes to us by way of electronic mail, from local boxing writer and publicist Brett Mauren.  Mauren’s press release trumpets the announcement that local promoter Midwest Sports Council (MSC) has signed amateur boxing star Javontae Starks to a  promotional deal.

It’s revealed in the release that Starks will make his professional debut November 13 on the televised card at Grand Casino Hinckley which features Matt Vanda –vs- Phil Williams and Wilton Hilario –vs- Leon Bobo, as one of four televised bouts.  The expected stock comment from MSC matchmaker Cory Rapacz: “I’m extremely excited to get an opportunity to work with Javontae and his team.  I have been working for the better part of the year to get him to be a part of the Midwest Sports Council roster and I’m thrilled we came to a deal that worked for both sides.”  Reached for comment, Rapacz elaborated on plans, “The debut fight is scheduled for November 13^th, and a second fight is planned for December, though no date or site can be announced yet.”

An ebullient Starks had more to say: “I was going to sign with Cameron Dunkin [of TKO Productions in Las Vegas], but we had some things that just didn’t mix.  So I thought that it was best for everyone that we take our agreement elsewhere.  Boxing in Minnesota is not looking too bad.  I wouldn’t be surprised if you see my first eight or nine fights here.”

Regarding his long-term plans:  “I’m not in a rush to sign with any big-time promoter.  When the time comes I’ll be ready to sign a long-term deal.  Money has never been an issue, I’d just like to fight and eventually my talent will get me to the big paydays.  I may even surprise everyone and stay with MSC, everybody will just have to wait and see what happens.”

On prospective opponents: “I actually got texts from some fighters around here saying that they were willing to fight or they wanted to fight, and being from the state of Minnesota and now I finally get to put on shows in Minnesota, once I show the fans what I can do for two or three fights, then I’ll be coming at fighters from Minnesota.  One thing I’ll say right now: Jonny Laboda, I’ll tell you straight out, I’ll stop him.  I’ll knock him out easily.”  This is not the first time that the 4-0 welterweight Laboda’s name has passed Starks’ lips, so there may be something behind the talk.

Starks joins another good local pro, Ceresso Fort of St Paul, in the MSC stable.  Without prompting Starks volunteered that although he would be willing to fight Fort if the money was right, “Woo is my friend, he’s like a brother to me, and it would have to make a lot of sense for both of us.”

The Fistic Mystic says: Starks’ pro status should be a great shot in the arm for the sport of boxing in Minnesota.  Expect to see a lot of him in the near future, until some big national promoter swoops in and carries him away with a big-money, long-term deal.

Boxer Profile: Javontae Starks

Sitting for interviews can be a tiresome and tedious exercise, particularly for one who has done it many times before.  Javontae Starks, though just about to turn pro in boxing, is an old pro when it comes to interviews – and to his credit he is also a thoughtful, soft-spoken, and candid interview subject.

Javontae Starks, photo by Jesse Kelley of www.minnesotaboxing.com

The first thing you need to know about Javontae Starks is that has been widely acknowledged as the premier amateur boxer in Minnesota for the last couple of years.  Barring any last-minute surprises his final amateur record will remain 98-16, the number of losses having been inflated somewhat by the caliber of competition he has faced.

The 2007 Roosevelt High School grad was raised in south Minneapolis by his mother, who was only 16 years old when he was born.  Of his family Starks says, “I have a little sister and three little brothers, and  a father I didn’t see much.  My uncle, who had been in jail, was one of the people who wanted something better for my life.  So he heard about the gym [Circle of Discipline, on Lake Street in south Minneapolis] and he got me signed up there”

Young Starks had his first competitive match in 2001, only seven months after first setting foot in the gym, and showed some aptitude early on.  By 2002 he had won the Ohio State Fair championship and in 2003 he was the Minnesota Silver Gloves titlist and then the Ringside World champ.  “My brothers are much younger than me, and money was always short, but the little bit of money we had my mother would scrape together for me to participate in tournaments and travel and stuff.”  To date Starks has also won the UMGG title at 152# twice, the USA Boxing Minnesota state championship at the same weight twice, the national U19 title once, and in the last year he has been runner up at the P.A.L.  National Championships and the National Golden Gloves.  Starks has been an understudy to former Olympian and current professional prizefighter Demetrius Andrade, and has fought with the US National Team in international competitions.

Despite all his accomplishments, Starks is best known for being the boxer who returned to competition after nearly dying from a gunshot wound.  No more on that here; you can Google “Javontae Starks bullet” if you haven’t heard that story yet.  Suffice it to say that he feels he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  “It wasn’t a personal vendetta against me or anything.”  What was it then?  “I wasn’t even involved.  I was there, but I wasn’t involved in a dispute and I didn’t do anything to provoke [the shooting].”  Reflecting on his survival and recovery, Starks has this to say: “I’m very fortunate to have survived and to be here today.”

Javontae Starks, photo by Jesse Kelley of www.minnesotaboxing.com

As his amateur career draws to a close, Starks has been contemplating the benefits of the experience.  “It showed me that the world is a bigger place than just Minneapolis, Minnesota.  It motivated me to work hard and practice more…It introduced me to good friends like Sadam Ali and Gary Russel Jr.  And it allowed me to have vacations.   To go places like California, Mexico, Philadelphia, Ireland…It really did change me.  It changed my outlook.”

It’s a fact that the nineteen year old Starks is opinionated and outspoken on internet forums as well as on Facebook and Myspace, expressing opinions about people, places, and events in a way that projects him as brash and arrogant.  Yet he doesn’t feel that he is either.  “I don’t hide my feelings.  I speak my mind, but I’m thoughtful.  I know that I’m blessed to have what I’ve got.”

What Starks has got right now is a promising future as a prizefighter.   “I’m going to have a little bit of money.  I’m going to have some obligations now.  I’m having a daughter in October.  The expectations for me are high.”  The expectations that Starks has for himself are in line with those of others.  “At home I have an unsigned five-year contract from Cameron Dunkin of TKO Boxing Promotions.  I’m probably going to sign it.  I originally planned to sign with Top Rank, but Dunkin’s proposal looks better because of the term and the number of fights.  That doesn’t mean that I won’t take one last look at Top Rank, though.”  Dunkin’s organization is based in Las Vegas.  I asked Starks whether he planned to relocate or stay at home in Minnesota.  “I’ll live in Minneapolis, and I’ll keep working out at COD, at least until I get to the upper level, the world-class level.  Then I’ll probably have to have my camps in Las Vegas. But  I’m still a Minneapolis fighter.”   Being the provincial Minnesota boxing fan that I am, I wondered whether he had designs on any local opponents, and without hesitation he named two: Cory Rodriguez and Jon Laboda.  Smiling broadly, Starks explained: “If we can do any shows in Minnesota, the mandatory is Cory Rodriguez.  Cory is a very nice guy.  The only reason I want to fight him is because he beat me twice in amateurs – although I thought I had beat him the last time.  But it’s the judges who decide, and what it is, it is.”  Laboda?  “Johnny Johnson’s son!  Do I think that Johnny believes in his heart that his boy can beat me?  No, I do not!”  (More about Johnny Johnson, proprietor of St Paul’s Rice Street Gym, in a minute.)

It’s become a tradition for interview subjects to tell me that their style is more suited to the pro game than to the amateurs, so I beat Starks to the punch, asking whether the same was true of him.  “Yeah, I believe that I’ll be a way better pro than amateur because of my speed and my accuracy.”  Asked to describe his boxing style, the lanky youngster turned the usual designation around: “I’m a puncher-boxer.   I would compare myself to Gerald McLellan or Tommy Hearns.”

As usual when interviewing young fighters from the area, I asked Starks for his take on the local scene.  I led off by asking Starks to name some local amateur fighters who we should keep an eye on, and he named a bunch.

“You definitely have to look out for Robert Brant, obviously.  He’s definitely a natural.  He’s only been doing it two or three years, and he won a national title [the USA Boxing Nationals] this year!”

“Jamal James.  Very nice movement and hand speed, a sort of a Mohammed Ali –style fighter.  Watch out for Jamal to start sitting on his punches a little more now, to crack more than he been doing.”

COD teammate Delorean Carriway “probably won’t win right off the bat, and he’s only had about fifteen matches so far, but he has a lot of potential.”

“Jonathan Perez.  Our little guy, he went to Nationals this year.  He only lost because he got two points taken away.  We checked the scores.  If it wasn’t for that he would have advanced.”

“Delano Henton is a very good super heavyweight.”

“Oscar Soto might turn out to be very good.”

Javontae Starks, photo by Jesse Kelley of www.minnesotaboxing.com

Noticing that his list was heavy with fighters from his own gym, I asked Starks to name the best gym in Minnesota – other than COD.  After pondering my question, Starks spoke slowly and deliberately.  “Rice Street  Gym in Saint Paul.  They’re the only other gym that attends national tournaments on a regular basis.  We don’t  see Uppercut or Rochester or Wadena there.  From White Bear Lake we only see Robert Brant.  I think Lisa [Bauch, from Uppercut Gym] went to Golden Gloves nationals for the first time this year.”  Taking the discussion a step further I asked what sets Rice Street and Circle of Discipline apart from the many other gyms in the state.  “I think it’s the coaching.  It’s Johnny Johnson.  And the other thing is that most of the other gyms are run like businesses, but our organization is a non-profit.”

Having taken away a good part of Starks’ morning, and knowing that he was committed to helping with a cleaning project at the gym, I thanked him for sharing his time with me.  Before I turned to go, I asked whether there was anything else that he wanted people to know.  His Minnesota roots were evident when he answered: “Tell them that I wouldn’t mind fighting Cory or Jonny.  I wouldn’t mind it at all.”

Things to get Excited About

For the Minnesota boxing fan, the dog days of summer came early this year. After a busy spring (11 fight cards in-state by the end of June)) that brought us some highly anticipated local matchups, we’ve entered the summertime doldrums that are so characteristic of Minnesota boxing.

For the local fan, when things slow down, it isn’t always easy to find something to get excited about.  So the Fistic Mystic has decided to help everybody remember the good things – fighters, events, and other happenings that can help us cope with the relative lack of activity until things heat up again this fall.

• The Rise of Kolle and Truax – Middleweight has been Minnesota’s most crowded division for years, and the cream continues to rise to the top.  Since the end of spring a persistent rumor has been that state middleweight champ Andy Kolle would accept a challenge from top prospect Caleb Truax in the fall.  Kolle (19-2 with 14 kayos) has won four of his last five fights against fighters with combined records of 157-29.  The popular questions here are whether Truax (12-0 with 8 kayos) is ready to face a fighter of Kolle’s stature, and where the fight will take place if it actually happens.
• Clash of the Titans – On September 26 at Target Center we will see Matt Vanda, the most famous boxer in Minnesota for the last five years, square off against Phil Williams, who is bidding to replace him as the face of boxing in Minnesota.  Whoever wins the fight, Minnesota fans will be all the richer.  And no, you aren’t going to get a prediction from this writer until the fight gets much closer.
• Derek Winston Turns Pro – Rumors of the talented bantamweight’s pro debut have circulated before – he was expected to fight at Target Center in April -  but this time we’re sure that we’re sure that he’ll fight, as long as a suitable opponent can be found.  And that’s always a trick here in the Midwest.
• Ismail Muwendo, Who Are You?  That’s a rhetorical question, of course.  We actually know who Muwendo is.  He’s a fighter who had a stellar amateur career in Uganda and came to the US with dreams of pro success and stardom.  But for anyone who has seen the young man fight, Muwendo’s speed, precision, and power are a revelation.  This prizefighter’s potential is perhaps limited only by the quality of coaching and management he receives.
• Gifted Amateurs – Robert Brant, Javontae Starks, Jamal James, Oscar Soto, Tony Lee…there are others, I know.  We have a lot to look forward to as the next crop of gifted young amateurs gets ready to turn pro!

National Golden Gloves – May 9 Update

Two Minnesota boxers have made it to the finals of the National Golden Gloves.

Jamal James and Javontae Starks are teammates from Circle of Discipline (COD) in south Minneapolis. All of the other titlists from the Upper Midwest region have been eliminated from the national tournament due to losses, except for heavyweight Delano Henton, who missed the trip completely, reportedly due to a foot injury. 

James and Starks, both of whom were runners-up at the P.A.L. national tournament last fall, will fight tonight for the titles in the 141# division (James) and the 152# division ( Starks).  James will be facing Jose Benavidez of Nevada while Starks gets a rematch with Errol Spence of Texas, the southpaw who beat him for the class championship at the P.A.L. tournament.

The tournament is being held in Salt Lake City this year, and the final round begins at 7pm local time (8pm cdt) tonight.