Minnesota Boxing Scene: Summer/Fall 2009

The Fistic Mystic surveys the Minnesota boxing landscape at the beginning of August, 2009.

• August 8 at Wyatt Earp’s in Ramsey (just west of Anoka on the south side of Highway 10) we have a completely unexpected show from Seconds Out Promotions.  According to the poster, the event will feature Mohammed Kayongo and Caleb Traux, with Willshaun Boxley and others appearing on the undercard.
• August 14 promoter MSC presents a boxing show at The Myth in Maplewood.  This one features Matt Vanda in a tune-up fight against veteran Jose Spearman, with Cerresso Fort and Brad Patraw on the undercard.  Incidentally, the younger Hilario brother (Jose) makes his professional debut on this card.
• A day later, on August 15, Jason Litzau of St Paul appears in a supporting bout at the Roy Jones Jr-Jeff Lacy event in Biloxi, MS.  Attempting to reassert himself on the national stage, Litzau will be facing 21-1-2 Verquan Kimbrough in a lightweight bout.  This fight is be no mere formality; there are no easy fights against 21-1 opponents.
• September 26 brings us the next boxing show at Target Center in Minneapolis.  This event is to be anchored by the first round of fights in a local super middleweight tournament: Phil Williams and Matt Vanda are matched in one bout, while Jungle Boy Zach Walters is expected to be paired with an opponent yet to be named in the second.  Also scheduled to appear on this card: Cerresso Fort, Antwan Robertson, and the professional debut of Derek Winston.
• A little farther down the line, on November 21, is another event at Target Center.  According to mnboxingleague.com, this event will host the championship round of the super middleweight tournament.  I’ve also heard it whispered that the Jason Litzau -vs- Wilton Hilario match, torpedoed this summer by a rib injury suffered by Hilario, could be rescheduled to this date.

It’s also worth mentioning, though no details are yet available, that the long wished-for heavyweight matchup of Joey Abell (25-4) -vs- Raphael Butler (34-8) reportedly has been or soon will be signed.  Neither the date nor the location has yet been announced.  More details will be published here when they become known to me.

Upcoming Boxing Event: February 20 in Buffalo, NY

Here’s a look at the tentative card for Jungle Boy Zach Walters’ tilt with Byron Mitchell on February 20.

Byron Mitchell (26-4-1 with 19 kayos) -vs- Zach Walters (23-3 with 18 kayos), light heavyweights, scheduled for 12 rounds.  This appears to be a defense of Walters’ NABA US light heavyweight title, won last June against Aaron Norwood.

Paul Marinaccio (24-4-3 with 11 kayos) -vs- Ryan Thompson (8-6 with 6 kayos), heavyweights, scheduled for 8 rounds

Meacher Major (15-3-1 with 13 kayos) -vs- Kevin Carmody (10-10-1 with 1 kayo), lightweights, scheduled for 8 rounds

Harvey Murray (2-2-2 with 1 kayos) -vs- Omar Carrol (0-2-1), featherweights, scheduled for 4 rounds

Greg Brady (debut) -vs- Justin Riegle (2-0 with 1 kayos), cruiserweights, scheduled for 4 rounds

Mike Faragon (4-0 with no kayos -vs- TBA, light welterweights, scheduled for 4 rounds

Lionel Thompson (debut) -vs- TBA, light heavyweights, scheduled for 4 rounds

Johnny Davis (debut) -vs- TBA, heavyweights, scheduled for 4 rounds

Jungle Boy Zach Walters gets ex-champ Byron Mitchell

fight poster

It isn’t exactly breaking news, but it may be news to you.

Zach Walters has signed to fight former world champ Byron Mitchell in Buffalo, NY on February 20.  You heard it here last!

Profile: “Jungle Boy” Zach Walters (Part 2)

Attempting to rebound after a shocking loss to Shawn Hammack on August 31, Zach Walters was scheduled to fight Cory “The Cobra” Phelps on October 25.  That event, however, has been postponed until November or December.  Walters announced the postponement in an October 15 press release that included this somewhat cryptic statement: “The plan is to make a huge fight card to burst the local boxing scene to a new level.  We hope to keep our fight with Cory Phelps for that date and so far that looks like it will work out.”  The Fistic Mystic is as curious as you are to find out what it all means.  In any case, Phelps’ 13-4 record doesn’t include any significant victories, but as Walters points out, “Phelps is not coming to lose and we can’t count out our fellow boxers that come in to give us a rough night.”  Walters didn’t like it that I called Phelps a tomato can in an earlier article.  “I think it is disrespectful… I am prepared to make sure the fight is a solid win for me, of course, but your comment takes away from the win and leaves the fans to take it for granted.”  He’s absolutely right, and I suppose that I’m guilty as charged.  I’ll have to pull out the old thesaurus and see whether I can find a less insulting euphemism for an opponent with a limited chance to win.

I asked Walters to analyze his boxing style and he described himself as a boxer/puncher, but said “I can drop a big bomb when I need to.”  His strategy is to cater his style to his individual opponent.  His training generally consists of running in the morning and boxing in the afternoon, but he is reticent to reveal too much about his training.  Since turning pro at the age of 21 Walters has fought as a light heavyweight almost exclusively, and plans to stay there – “I feel very comfortable at 175 lbs.”

As he attempts to regain ground that was lost with the defeat to Shawn Hammack, Jungle Boy’s training is taking place in a new setting.  Last spring a fire damaged the building that housed Horton’s Gym and rendered most of the gym’s equipment unusable.  By the end of the summer a new home had been found in downtown Duluth, but in the meantime Horton’s stable of fighters was forced to improvise.  “We trained in a pole barn out of town [until the new location was ready]…the transition was rough, but fighters and trainers hung together. Now we have a new beginning in a nice facility.”

Walters had this to say about his friend and gym mate Andy “Kaos” Kolle.  “Kolle’s last fight was a big opportunity for him. Kaos is the kind of guy that never backs down from a challenge. He stepped in with a guy that is regarded as the pound-for-pound most dangerous fighter. Paul Williams must be everything he is talked up to be because I have known Kolle since we started boxing and I have never seen him hurt like that. I know that if Kolle can see a shot coming he’ll brace himself for it and it won’t hurt him. The hook he got hit with came wide behind his vision. That’s what I think got him. I watched him prepare for the fight. His level of intensity was off the charts. I figured Williams was in for a tough night with KAOS. When it ended as it did I was shocked. Kolle makes no excuses and he is in good spirits. He lost a fight to a two time world champ. His career is very accomplished for having less than 20 fights. He will come back strong as ever before.”

Walters offered a further endorsement of two other Horton’s Gym cohorts: “RJ and Gary are good. They have their own styles and are polar opposites aside from their potential to make some waves in the boxing scene.”  RJ Laase (4-0 with 2 kayos) is known as a smooth and technical boxer, while Gary Eyer (4-0-1 with 3 kayos) is a flamboyant fighter with good power.

One of the very compelling aspects of the Jungle Boy story is his desire to bring a title fight to Africa.  It should come as no great surprise that a young professional athlete wants to ply his trade in front of the hometown folks, and it’s natural that Walters has a persistent vision to bring a title fight to Madagascar.  “Back in 1999 I was in Madagascar with my brother Jake on a mission trip. Before leaving the island for the US we had a chance to visit with many of our friends. My Malagasy was rusty from not using it much in the states, but I had enough vocabulary in order to tell them that I had gotten into boxing and would someday return to Madagascar. At the time I was an amateur boxer. When I turned pro the sport opened up new doors for me. When I won the WBC-African Boxing Union title I thought it would be a great opportunity to line up a title defense in Madagascar. That way I’d fulfill my promise to return and would also get a chance to showcase my boxing.”  That vision may not be on the back burner, exactly, but it isn’t front-and-center at the moment.  Losing is bad in any game, but in prizefighting it’s a calamity.  Usually a fighter who wants to win a major title isn’t allowed to lose at all on his way to the top.

In one of my more presumptuous moments I asked Walters to tell me something he had learned from each of his three professional losses.  His reply to that query was one of the more emphatic responses I got from him.  “The first loss [to 10-2 cruiserweight Robert Linton in 2004] I got ripped off by the judges. I learned not to rely on the judges to get a win. I learned that to win a fight I have to take it away from my opponent. I became more aggressive after that loss and worked on my punching power.  The second loss [to 38-3 Hugo Pineda in 2006] I learned about prefight distractions. I learned that I can’t beat everyone on determination alone. After that fight I focused on my boxing skill to become a better ring general. My trainers worked on giving me more dimensions. I became a better boxer after that fight. This last loss [to 15-6 Shawn Hammack] I learned about dehydration. I was boxing superbly and had the fight in the bag. I don’t feel like was beaten by my opposition. The loss was the result of a fluke punch that found its mark at the right time.  I found out afterward that an element of dehydration is a surge of endorphins. I could feel a cramp developing in the back of my left leg, but didn’t think much of it because I had plenty of energy. Anyway, when I got hit I knew something was way off. I couldn’t shake the punch. Dehydration got me.”

The Fistic Mystic says: The time can’t be too far off when the Jungle Boy will be given an opportunity to step up to the next level.  Here’s hoping that this loquacious young man with the fascinating story will make a major splash in the rapidly evolving light heavyweight division.

Profile: “Jungle Boy” Zach Walters (Part 1)

“My childhood was a big adventure for me,” the young man begins.  I think to myself, well, whose wasn’t?  He continues, “I was into all sorts of stuff; netting fish, trapping birds…hunting with a slingshot and fighting chameleons with my buddies.”

Welcome to the world of the Jungle Boy.

Professional boxer Zach “Jungle Boy” Walters (23-3 with 18 kayos) was born in Taolagnaro, Madagascar, to missionary parents in February of 1981.  He lived primarily in Madagascar to the age of 12, so his identity is tied as much to Malagasy natives and the tropical climate as it is to white people from the Midwestern United States.  The articulate young man tells more of his own story:

“I left the island when I was 12 years old, so many of my childhood memories are from my time there. Madagascar, to me, was a place that made sense. Most of my buddies were Malagasy. I understood the cultural customs and my place among my native friends. Initially, when my family moved to the states I believed it would be only for a short time. I thought we would be back in the tropics of Africa after this visit to the States. Year after year the return to Madagascar did not happen.  This is when I started to get into trouble and rebel.”  In what ways did he rebel?  “I did everything I could to show I didn’t care. I was a terror in school, I did the opposite of anything my parents said, got into stealing cars, a lot of fighting, and partying.”

Trying to fit in, “I gave organized team sports a try, but was continually frustrated at my inability to catch on to the rules and strategies. At a dead end for options, I found myself at a Taekwondo studio my younger brother, Jake, trained at. I didn’t want to join their club because Jake would be a superior belt to me. This would be unacceptable in my mind so I asked the instructor to teach me how to kick box. After a few weeks of training, and thoroughly getting in the way of regular classes, the instructor mentioned the idea of boxing. I thought it over and figured it was another non-team fight sport so I’d check it out. I did and it was a fit right away.”  It is perhaps difficult to understand how significant this connection was to a young man for whom American team sports seemed just as foreign as American culture

The damage to Jungle Boy’s identity, caused by his displacement from a familiar environment, was soothed when he discovered combat sports.  “If not for boxing, I’m not sure I would have found an identity in the States. Boxing was a fit right away. Even though it took me several years after joining boxing to finally secure my life in order, boxing was something I clung to as a ray of hope that life in the US would be alright after all.”

In spite of the struggles of his youth, Walters remains a committed Christian.  This is one of his more visible personal characteristics.  Yet his faith isn’t as showy or in-your-face as some professional athletes.  “I believe that Jesus has a plan for my life and at this time His plan is for me to be a boxer. I work hard, pray hard, and leave the rest up to Him.”

After a successful amateur career, Walters turned pro out of Horton’s Gym in Duluth, Minnesota in 2002.  “I met Chuck Horton through fighting in the USA Boxing senior’s tournaments. [Andy] Kolle and I got to know Chuck over the years and when I finished high school I wanted to continue boxing. That’s when I made the choice to move to Duluth.  I have lived in the Twin Ports since 2000 and I am now proud to consider it home. I am a proud Duluthian. My boxing career has taken me all over, but at the end of the day I will always come back to Minnesota.”

What does Walters hope to accomplish in his career?  “I hope to win a world title. It seems the commentators don’t give us boxers from the Midwest a shot.  I don’t care. I know that hard work is hard work.  I don’t expect an easy way to be paved out for me.  I have had to get what I have the hard way and expect nothing less for my rise to the top.  I’ll take my scrapes along the way and still forge ahead to reach my goal.  I see these fighters on HBO and Showtime that come from minute counties.  This shows me that toughness does not have a zip code and no matter where you come from you can still make it.  That is my belief and until my career comes to a close that is the way I see it.”

Talking about the future is something Walters will be doing more and more of now.  Recently married, he concedes that having a spouse alters the way he looks at his career.  “Being married didn’t change my life too much, but it did change my outlook on what I do.  When I make a choice I have to think of how it will affect my marriage as well.  Someday I’ll have childen and I have to think about that now so I can be prepared to give [them] the life I want to.”

Walters hopes that his near future includes a world title shot.  “I feel ready for a title shot, but my last fight has served as a temporary setback for me.  I hope to get there in the next two years.  That is my goal.”  The “last fight” to which he refers is his August 31 loss to Shawn Hammack, in which he dominated 7+ rounds of action but was shockingly dropped in the eighth and final round by a haymaker.  That fight ended with Walters on the ropes, taking a lot of punishment.  “We were boxing outside on a black top parking lot that was so hot that spectators’ chair legs were melting into the ground….Dehydration is a weird thing.  I didn’t feel fatigued at all.  Actually I felt elated!  I knew I had developed a cramp in my left leg, but didn’t think much of it.  Then I got caught with a solid shot and realized I couldn’t shake the punch off like I had earlier.  That’s when I knew something was off.  After the fight I told my corner I had been feeling a cramp in the back of my left leg since the middle rounds.  They drew the conclusion that I was dehydrated.  Boy was I ever.  I drank seven bottles of water and three 32 oz. Gatorades before I was able to take a whiz.  The ring doc was tempted to get an IV hooked up to me, but we didn’t end up going that far.  I hate needles.”  Walters acknowledges that the loss is an impediment, but takes it as a motivator.  “I’m mad. The ripple effect of a loss in boxing is tough to deal with.”

In part 2 of this profile, Jungle Boy hopes to rebound from an unexpected loss, comments on Andy Kolle’s recent bout with Paul Williams, and shares more thoughts about his pro boxing career.  To be published on Friday, October 17.

Upcoming Boxing Events: Fall 2008 in Minnesota

All information provided here is tentative and is subject to revision or cancellation.

October 4 in Rochester, MN – Raphael Butler headlines against 9-12 Billy Willis of Houston, TX.  Ronnie Peterson makes his professional debut, Yevgeniy Shishporonek, the venerable Bobby Butters, and some out-of-staters fill out the card.

October 11 at Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN – Sechew Powell headlines against 13-17 Clarence Taylor of Wilmington, DE.  Wilton Hilario returns to action following a long layoff.  Phil Williams, Bobby Kliewer, and Tim Taggart all hope to erase memories of recent losses.  Minneapolis heavyweight Van Goodman and a host of strangers round out the card.

October 24 at the St Paul Armory in St Paul, MN – the American Boys, Jason and Allen Litzau, promote their own show.  Details are sketchy but seem to include Brad Patraw.  Antonio Johnson, aka the St Paul Kid, aka the unluckiest man in boxing is also said to be hoping for a spot on this card.

October 24 at the Convention Centre in Winnipeg, MB – Larry Sharp and Oney Valdez headline while Minnesotans Christ Holt and James Wayka are confirmed and Antwan Robertson is rumored for the undercard.

October 25 at Mortorelli Gym in Superior, WI – Jungle Boy Zach Walters, Gary Eyer, RJ Laase, Skulli Armannsson, and the alleged Andson Griggs of Horton’s Gym in Duluth comprise the home team, with the opposing side yet to be cast.  Walters will be looking for an emphatic win after his surprising last-minute loss to Shawn Hammack in August in a fight he had dominated for seven and a half rounds.

November 1 at Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas, NV – Matt Vanda and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr clash once again in the highly anticipated rematch of their controversial July 12 bout.  Chavez hopes to leave Vanda behind and move on with his nascent career, while Vanda hopes to make a big statement by hanging the first loss on Chavez Jr.  This bout headlines a six-fight PPV event.  Get your fifty bucks ready!

November 28 in Sioux Falls, SD – Joey Abell is expected to appear in the main event, but his status may be jeopardized by the small but deep cut he received in his recent fight with Al Cole in Sweden.  The remainder of the card has not yet developed.

Editor’s note: amateur events are also planned for:

• October 1 at El Nuevo Rodeo in Minneapolis
• October 9 at Grandma’s Sports Garden in Duluth
• October 11 at Uppercut Boxing Gym in Minneapolis
• November 1 at Uppercut Boxing Gym in Minneapolis
• November 8 at the St Cloud Armory in St Cloud
• December 13 at Uppercut Boxing Gym in Minneapolis

See www.livefromringside.com for more details

Zach Walters versus Phil Williams: No Go (for now)

Let me make it clear right up front that this is only my personal opinion.  I don’t presume to advise either fighter, and realistically, I could be 100% wrong.  Now that that’s out of the way…

Zach Walters

Considering that the two leading light heavyweights in Minnesota lost this weekend, it’s natural to consider the possibility of a matchup between the two.  Zach Walters’ surprising knockout loss to the overmatched Shawn Hammack with 30 seconds to go in their eight-round bout must have knocked the Jungle Boy down a few pegs on the WBC worldwide rankings, but he presumably retains the WBC African Union belt and the NABA regional belt that he won this past winter and spring.  Add to that his still-impressive 23-3 record and an interesting personal history, and Walters is still a saleable commodity.  The fact is, the WBC wasn’t advancing him up the rankings only because of his record, impressive though it was.  The official rankings are also driven by politics and marketing concerns, and as long as Walters avenges the Hammack loss without incident, he should soon find himself back where he was before the unpleasantness of Sunday night.

Phil Williams

Phil Williams came into his fight with Marcus Oliveira as a hot prospect and left as a warm one.  It isn’t as if he lost to a journeyman or a trial horse.  Oliveira is at least as hot a prospect as Williams was.  So two days after the loss to Oliveira, Williams was still thinking big (as he should), and his focus is on a rematch, not on the Minnesota heavyweight title.  Williams admits that he needs to work on some fundamentals that he has been neglecting, not surprising considering that he had won all eight of his professional bouts by knockouts.  With some quality instruction and diligent training you can expect to see Williams resume his climb of the worldwide rankings while continuing to compile Youtube-worthy highlights.

Bear with me for a moment as I attempt some simple logic:

Fact: Both Zach and Phil have their eyes set on something bigger than what the other currently has to offer.

Fact: Each man probably recognizes the risk that the other poses.

Fact: It’s likely that each man poses too great a risk to the other to make the conquest sufficiently rewarding.

The Fistic Mystic says: Don’t hold your breath for Walters -vs- Williams, at least not unless one of the two suffers another loss in the near future.  As things stand right now, they both have a lot going for them and don’t need each other.  For now.

Boxing Results: August 31 at Fortune Bay Casino

What to watch for: Jungle Boy Zach Walters takes on a rugged veteran on a three-bout win streak in Shawn Hammack, skilled boxer RJ Laase tangles with northwestern brawler Tyler Gould, flambouyant knockout artist Gary Eyer takes a step up in opponent quality, cheesehead Nick Popowich from Green Bay is matched with North Dakota’s Terrence Trottier Jr, fiery Michael Davis of Grand Forks takes on new pro David Duncan, and Montreze Evans of Indiana makes his professional debut against Brian Cohen from Pennsylvania.

• Zach “Jungle Boy” Walters (now 23-3 with 18 kayos) lost to Shawn Hammack (17-6 with 13 kayos) by knockout in round 8 of 8
• Tyler Gould (5-2 with 5 kayos) lost to RJ Laase (4-0 with 2 kayos) by knockout in round 3 of 6
• Gary Eyer (4-0-1 with 3 kayos) majority draw with Guadalupe Diaz (4-4-1 with 1 kayo) in 6 rounds
• Terrence Trottier Jr (1-3) defeated Nick Popowich (0-1) by TKO in round 3 of 4
• Michael Davis (2-5 with 2 kayos) defeated David Duncan (0-1) by knockout in round 1 of 4
• Brian Cohen (4-1 with 2 kayos) defeated Montreze Evans (0-1) by knockout in round 3 of 4

Upcoming Events, Minnesota Boxing Scene – July 19, 2008

None of this information is new, but you may not have seen it all in one place before.

• Shakopee’s middleweight professional boxer Anthony Bonsante (31-9) is scheduled to face up-and-coming Haitian prospect Adonis Stevenson (11-0) in a 10-rounder on August 1 in Montreal.  The fight is a co-featured bout along with middleweights Sebastien Demers (25-1) -vs- Fulgencio Zuniga (20-2) and will be televised on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights program.
• Andover-based Seconds Out Promotions will be co-promoting an event at Grand Casino Hinckley on August 29 with Los Angeles-based Goossen-Tutor Promotions.  The event has been titled “Undefeated” and will feature knockout artist Phil Williams of Minneapolis (8-0 with 8 kayos) against Marcus Oliveria (13-0-1 with 10 kayos) and Caleb “Golden” Truax of Osseo (7-0 with 4 kayos) against Stephan Pryor (10-3-1 with 7 kayos).  Local fighter Willshaun Boxley (3-0 with 2 kayos) continues the ”undefeated” theme, while Mohammed Kayongo (13-2 with 10 kayos), Jon Schmidt (5-1 with 4 kayos), Van Goodman (2-1-1 with 2 kayos), Brad Laffin (4-2 with 4 kayos) and Kirstie Davis (3-1 with 3 kayos) help to round out the card.  Former St Paul resident Antonio Johnson (7-0 3 kayos), now of Oakland California, has told the Fistic Mystic that he also expects to be on this card.
• Fortune Bay Casino in Tower, Minnesota is expected to host an event on August 31.  The only confirmed name on that card is Zach “Jungle Boy” Walters of Duluth in the feature, though speculation is that this might be a good chance for former Minnesota featherweight titleholder Darby Smart of Chisholm to get back in action after a 23-month layoff.
• ESPN’s Dan Raphael has predicted that St Paul’s Matt Vanda (38-7) will get his rematch with Mexico’s Julio Cesar Chavez Jr (37-0) following Chavez’s controversial win on July 12, which ended with Chavez’s hometown crowd in Hermosillo, Mexico pelting him with cups, bottles, beer and ice after the decision was announced.  Chavez’s camp now claims that he was ill going into the first fight, while Vanda’s cutman Jim Maurine has posted on the Minnesota Boxing Forum that Chavez’s head trainer visited Vanda in the locker room to tell him that he had won the fight. (http://minnesotaboxingforum.aceboard.com/274221-1022-4215-1-SPLIT-DECISION.htm)
• Both Anthony Bonsante and Matt Vanda are tentatively scheduled to fight in separate matches on September 20 at Treasure Island Casino in Red Wing.  No opponents have been named, and the only name on the undercard is new pro Ceresso Fort of St Paul, who is 1-0 with 1 kayo after defeating Ray Walker of St Paul in a bout contested at light heavyweight in his professional debut on June 13.

Jungle Boy: Still Gunning for the Bullet

Jungle Boy Zach Walters has reiterated his strong desire to fight Anthony Bonsante.  As you know, the Fistic Mystic isn’t enthusiastic about this matchup, thinking that Andy Kolle is a more natural fit.  But Walters is unmoved: “I want Bonsante in the ring before he fades off into retirement.  Nothing personal.  He’s a great guy, but [this would be] a tough fight that will be a fan pleaser.  I hope he makes negotiations workable.”  Walters shows a great sense of urgency about his career, saying “I am only allowed a small window of opportunity to shine with boxing and I will not be distracted from what I want to achieve.”

About the fire that damaged Horton’s Gym, Walters comments, “…smoke damage was terrible.  We have come up with a temporary fix till we find a new home for the gym.  As a team we take pride in believing it is not where we train, but what we train and we train to win, period.  The location may change, but we never stop.”

The Fistic Mystic says: Walters is determined to advance his career.  The Fistic Mystic is still a little bit mystified about the focus on Anthony Bonsante, but appreciates that the young man from Madagascar is ready and willing to fight anyone.