Walters and Kolle – Reasons to Care

The murmurs have been growing louder lately; Minnesota fight fans have been asking what’s going on with Andy Kolle and Zach Walters.  The busy-ness of those Duluth-based fighters has been on the decline over the last year, each of them fighting only twice so far in 2009.  Minnesota boxing fans are beginning to worry that these two, and Kolle in particular, will fritter away their youths outside of the ring.  The good news is that both appear poised to make statements soon – Walters has a fight with 23-7 Larry Sharpe next Friday (December 4th) and a proposed bout with Matt Vanda for January, while talk has been on the upswing about the long-brewing matchup of Kolle with 14-0 prospect Caleb Truax of Osseo.  Join me as I assess the significance of these hypothetical matchups.

Vanda -vs- Walters

The Fistic Mystic is about to do something that Walters should not do: I’m going to look past Larry Sharpe.

There are several good reasons why Minnesota boxing fans are interested in this matchup.  First, Vanda beat Walters’ rival, Phil Williams.  Phil Williams came into his bout with Vanda on the strength of an 11-1 record (10 kayos), having solicited a fight with Walters for at least two years.  Williams is a masher with tons of power and confidence, but Vanda got into Williams’ head and scrambled his fight plan.  A win against Vanda would give Walters back some of the credibility that’s eroded as a result of his decision not to fight Williams.  Second, while Walters doesn’t exhibit Fred Astaire-like elegance, economy of movement, and subtlety, he has gotten the job done in at least 24 of 28 career decisions (more if you ask his team).  Walters also doesn’t take full advantage of his length and lankiness, instead fighting closer in and trading with his opponents, sometimes leaving himself vulnerable to well-placed counters.  A Vanda-Walters matchup would almost certainly make for an exciting mix of styles.  The third and most important reason why this is a compelling fight is that few in Minnesota can rival Vanda’s hostility and aggression.  As I found myself explaining to a skeptic recently, Vanda doesn’t have to be a world champ to be a worthwhile and interesting fighter.  He’s proud and he loves to fight, he’s scrappy, and he’s fun to watch.  That’s why any Vanda fight in the Twin Cities will draw a crowd, no matter the opponent.  If I sound like a candidate for the Skelator appreciation society, I guess it’s true – it took me a long time to come around after Sam Garr, but I’ve come around!

Kolle -vs- Truax

This is a fight that’s been talked about for some time, going back at least to when people were debating which local middleweight – Kolle, Truax, or Kenny Kost – deserved a shot at then-state champ Tony Bonsante.  Now Kolle is the state title holder, while Truax has matched Kost’s win total and exceeded his knockout total.  Kost, for his part, is just getting back in to the gym after a long layoff.

So what’s the attraction for the principals?  For Truax it’s obvious – it’s the state title and Kolle would be the biggest name on his ledger so far – it’s a step up that he’s going to have to take sooner or later, so why not now, for the state title?  But Kolle’s potential motivation is less obvious.  There’s the opportunity to take away another man’s ‘zero’ – something Kolle has never done to an established fighter.*  It would be Kolle’s first defense of the state strap since he won it with a third-round TKO of Bonsante back in March, and it may also be that Kolle is just eager for a fight and the associated payday.

The Fistic Mystic says: Don’t read anything into the order in which I present these blurbs.  They’re presented in order of upcoming activity – not because I think that Kolle is second-banana to Walters (as some have privately suggested is the case), but because Walter’s next fight is Friday, while Kolle’s won’t be before January at the soonest.

* Kolle did take away zeroes from 0-0 Nick Whiting and 1-0 Bobby Kliewer, but obviously neither was an established pro at the time.

Kenny Kost Heading Back to the Gym

Kenny Kost sends word to Minnesota fight fans that with the seasonal slowing of his construction work, he plans to get back into the gym soon.  Kost has maintained a very reasonable walking-around weight that will allow him to get down to his desired fighting weight of 154 without drama, and he has his eye on Minnesota’s two hottest middleweights: Andy Kolle and Caleb Truax.

Just in case the rumored Kolle-Truax fight fails to materialize, don’t forget this: Truax has mentioned Kost as a potential opponent in the past.

Minnesota Pro Boxers Who Really Need a Fight (Part 2)

Consider this article a sequel to the article of the same name from May 2008.

The good news is that there seems to be less of a logjam on the local scene than there was back then – despite a few hiccups, 2009 has been a pretty good year for boxing in Minnesota.  But it’s also true that there are still some Minnesota boxers who are frittering their prime away, or participating in fights that don’t advance their careers in an appreciable way.  The cause may be overcaution, chronic indecision, the dread of losing a glamorous record, or the simple lack of a workable career strategy.

In alphabetical order:

• Antonio Johnson (7-1-1 with 3 kayos) Who is managing the career of the St Paul Kid?  Johnson has never been a particularly active fighter, but he did manage to fight three times in 2005 and three more times in 2006.  Since then he has only fought once each year in 2007, 2008, and 2009 – and his last two fights have been a draw to a 10-0 prospect and a loss to a 9-1 fighter in that opponent’s hometown.  As a result, the very talented and ambitious Johnson is now an inactive fighter who hasn’t won a boxing match in two and a half years.
• Andy Kolle (19-2 with 14 kayos) is on this list because his activity rate so radically departs from what he desires.  Back in December of 2007 Kolle told me that ideally he would like to fight five or six times a year.  Since that interview, 22 months ago, Kolle has fought four times.  To his credit, Kolle has won three of the four against very credible opposition.  To his detriment, there doesn’t seem to be a cogent plan to advance his career.
• Kenny Kost (14-4 with 6 kayos) Kost, who turned pro in 2003, fought six times in 2004, winning all six.  Since then, however, Kost has never fought more than three times in a year, so he has never been a particularly prolific prizefighter.  Yet eighteen months of inactivity is out of character even for him.  Kost hasn’t been seen in a professional boxing match since dropping an eight-round decision to Hector Camacho in April 2008.  Kost is one of those guys with other things to do – he makes his money in construction, so spring, summer, and fall are out for him.  So if he never appears in a prize fighting ring again, it might be more our loss than his.
• Zach Walters (24-4 with 19 kayos)  Like Andy Kolle, Zach Walters trains under and is managed by Chuck Horton of Horton’s Gym, in Duluth.  Walters’ record was 23-2 and he was just beginning to make a blip on the worldwide radar in the summer of 2008 when he lost to 18-6 Shawn Hammack in a stunner.  Walters and Horton next took a fight against former world titlist Byron Mitchell in an effort to regain credibility and rake in some cash, but that turned into a fiasco when Walters suffered a bad cut on his tongue and Horton threw in the towel on the advice of the ringside doctor.  After three fights in ‘08, Walters has had just two in ‘09, only one of them a win, and that against 11-12 journeyman James Morrow.  Horton had done a great job of building Walters up prior to the Hammack loss, but now Walters finds himself in the unenviable position of not having won a fight against an opponent with a winning record since June of 2008, and unless something happens soon, he’ll end 2009 not having fought in six months.
• Derek Winston (0-0)  Here’s a guy who keeps trying to go pro, and circumstances conspire against him.  Each time he’s been scheduled to fight in the past, either the fight or the entire event has been canceled.  The one time fight fans did get to see him in the ring (at the Myth nightclub in August, when Winston and cousin Antwan Robertson fought a four-round exhibition sans headgear) Winston looked very impressive.  Good news!  Winston is scheduled to face Tomi Archambeault at Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen on Friday, October 23.

The other end of the spectrum…

• Say what you want to about Tony Grygelko of Seconds Out Promotions, but he knows who brings home his bacon, and he’s done a dandy job of keeping that man (13-0 middleweight Caleb Traux) busy.  When he steps out of the ring after his November 20th fight with Carl Daniels, Truax will have had six fights in the last twelve months.  His teammate Jeremy McLaurin, another up-and-comer, is also scheduled to box in that event and will also have had six fights in twelve months.
• Ceresso Fort (7-0 with 7 kayos), a ward of Midwest Sports Council (MSC) is scheduled to have his fifth fight in twelve months on November 13th at Grand Casino Hinckley, with more events soon to come.
• Until his current spate of activity began last April, Jason Litzau (25-2 with 21 kayos) hadn’t fought in 14 months and had a spot on this list locked up.  But Litzau made his return to the ring in April with a 5th-round TKO of Phillip Payne, demolished Verquan Kimbrough in 3 rounds in August, and now has an ESPN2-televised bout with Johnnie Edwards scheduled for the 4th of November.

The Fistic Mystic says:  I’m a realist – I know that there’s often something bubbling away below the surface; events are developing that I don’t know about…someone (maybe more than one someone) will be justifiably irritated to see their name unfairly listed in this article.  The best outcome would be for me to someday consider writing this article and then realize that there’s no one who fits the bill; that everyone is as busy as they want to be!

Bonsante – Kolle: What Does It Mean?

With today’s announcement of an Anthony Bonsante-Andy Kolle matchup planned for March 27, it’s time to consider the bout’s ramifications for the Minnesota boxing scene.

It has been asserted here and generally affirmed elsewhere that the most loaded division in Minnesota boxing is middleweight.  And it’s generally agreed that the top fighters in this division are Tony Bonsante, Andy Kolle, Matt Vanda, and Kenny Kost.

With his win against Vanda back in 2007 Bonsante earned recognition as the middleweight champion of Minnesota.  Vanda, for his part, has fought the other three men in this group and lost to them all, though he remains eager for rematches with all of them.  And of the other three men (those who are not named Vanda), none of them have fought each other.  So the hierarchy of Minnesota middleweights currently looks something like this: (1)Bonsante, (2-tied)Kolle and Kost, and (4)Vanda.  This is the backdrop against which Bonsante defends his state middleweight title versus Kolle.

What will this fight mean to the fighters involved?

If Kolle wins, it probably signals the beginning of the end of Bonsante’s significance on the Minnesota boxing scene, and it buys Kolle some hard-earned credibility.  This is important because, despite what some of his fans believe, Kolle’s biggest wins happened in obscurity (untelevised bouts against Vanda and Jonathan Reid) while his two TV fights resulted in losses – a referee stoppage and a TKO.  That isn’t to say that Kolle isn’t a good fighter, because he really is.  But circumstances are what they are, and Kolle is a man in need of a good win to improve his image and bolster his resume.

Unlike Kolle, Bonsante isn’t trying to accumulate credibility as a pro boxer – he has a whole career of big accomplishments and limelight moments behind him.  But he does need to revalidate his credentials; as an athlete ages, that’s something he constantly has to do.  If Bonsante wins, it reinforces the status quo.  It means that the 38-year old man is still the best middleweight in Minnesota, and it puts Bonsante in a good position to get at least one more big payday before hanging up the gloves.

What does this fight mean to the fighters who are not involved?

Kost tried last year to get a match with Bonsante, but he received the big-brother brushoff.  Bonsante said at the time that Kost lacked the resumé and the ranking to challenge him.  Nevertheless, the public cry for Kost to get a fight with Bonsante has grown.  Recently the cry has been for Kost and Kolle to meet.  Whoever wins, we can rest assured that Kost will remain in the wings, waiting for his opportunity.

Vanda is a different story.  He has international name recognition that our other local fighters can only envy, and he has travelled more to fight more high profile opponents than anyone else in the division.  So while he has taken the public position that he wants to avenge his local losses, Vanda needs not feel compelled to pursue the rematches.

What does this fight mean to Minnesota boxing fans?

Ultimately, this fight means something more important to the Minnesota boxing scene.  It’s a moment of electrifying excitement that has the potential to remind casual fans and the sporting public at large that there’s no game more exciting than boxing.  And it should make for a heck of a fun evening at ringside.  Tell a friend!

Happy New Year, Please?

Some of our Minnesota fighters gained ground this year, others saw their stock fall – some considerably.  This was a tough year for Minnesota fight fans, but there were some bright spots.  Here’s my take on who’s been moving up, who’s been going down, and who needs to make a move.

Risers:

• Caleb Truax has passed some milestones this year.  He ticked off five more wins to run his record to 9-0, he fought out of state twice (California in June, South Dakota in November), he beat two fighters who were coming off wins (Thomas Rittenbaugh and Bobby Kliewer), and he spent two weeks working out with contender Enrique Ornelas at Big Bear, CA.  There is not another fighter in Minnesota whose stock has risen as much as Truax’s in 2008.
• Willshaun Boxley has only fought three times since turning pro in 2007, but he has tried oh-so-hard to make more fights.  Those in the know acknowledge that Boxley has been willing to fight all the best young pros in Minnesota this year but the fights have just not developed.  Boxley’s inactivity is not his fault.  In January Boxley traveled to Chicago to face 28-fight veteran Barbaro Zepeda, and in February he kayoed Nick Arellano at the Myth in Maplewood.   Although Boxley’s upcoming fight with 12-7 Torrence Daniels will take place in 2009, the groundwork was laid in 2008.  This is enough progress to make Willshaun Boxley one of the top risers in Minnesota in a year when not much rising took place.
• Jon Schmidt isn’t one of the big names in Minnesota boxing, and he only fought twice in 2008.  But Schmidt engaged Tim Taggart in an exciting battle on Taggart’s home turf this year and came out the victor, then came out on the winning end against Silas Ortley at Grand Casino Hinckley.  These bouts saw Schmidt improve his record to 6-1, and that puts the Iron Man in a good place.
• RJ Laase made the most of his opportunities in 2008, winning all three of his fights including an exciting four rounder against the always competitive Mike Davis and a 3rd-round TKO against tough Tyler Gould.  The win against Davis looks even better in light of Davis’s 2nd-round TKO of Gould in December.  If Laase continues to win in 2009, there’s no telling what Chuck Horton might have in store for him.  Whatever you might think about Horton and his gym, there’s no denying the professional strides that both Andy Kolle and Zach Walters have made under his management.

Fallers:

• Anthony Bonsante’s August 1 loss to Adonis Stephenson and the inexplicable and embarrassing circumstances surrounding it didn’t just damage his career.  It further tarnished the already cruddy reputation of Minnesota boxers.  Bonsante is a talented and smart old fighter who could still resurrect his career if he faces and defeats Andy Kolle or Kenny Kost soon.  A rematch with Matt Vanda could also be a nice main event.  Help us out here, Mister Bonsante.  Minnesota fans need a sugar daddy.
• Zach Walters had some good moments in aught-eight.  His wins against faded veterans Carl Daniels and Aaron Norwood looked like nice steppingstones, and Shawn Hammack was supposed to be a nice looking and useful win.  When Walters suddenly went lame and got TKO’d in the final round of a bout he had been dominating, it was a big setback.  The cancellation of his October meeting with Cory Phelps further stalled his career.  Walters is a gifted  fighter with many advantages who should yet make a dent in the light heavyweight division, but the dawn of 2009 finds him no closer to a title shot than he was a year ago.
• Andy Kolle, who once told me that he would like to fight five or six times a year, has now fought just twice in the thirteen months since his decision win against Matt Vanda – one obscure win in Superior WI and one very well publicized 1st-round loss to welterweight titlist Paul Williams.  One good win would help Kolle to regain his stature as one of the top middleweights in the Upper Midwest, but 2008 has not been kind to Kaos.
• Joey Abell is just as good a fighter as he was last April, when his record was a glossy 20-1.  Now three consecutive losses have sullied his reputation and set back his career.  First came a shocking kayo loss to unsung Andrew Greeley, then a disappointing split decision defeat at the hands (and bullet-shaped forehead) of former cruiserweight titlist Al Cole, and finally – worst of all - an exasperating DQ loss to the woefully overmatched Jason Nicholson.  Now in the quest for a guaranteed win, Abell’s team has matched him with 5-24 Orion Sistrunk of Philadelphia.  Apparently Jimmy Poopwater was not available.  Seriously, Abell is big and strong and smart and athletic.  He doesn’t need to scrape the bottom of the barrel looking for guaranteed wins.  I respect you and I want to be your friend, Joey.  But I also think you should be fighting (and defeating) guys like Gerald Nobles at this point in your career, not a never-was like Sistrunk.
• Raphael Butler has continued to be Minnesota’s busiest prizefighter in 2008, fighting nine times.  Unfortunately, Butler lost four times this year – twice to respected heavyweights Eddie Chambers and Malik Scott, but also twice to unsung Texan Homero Fonseca.  Butler finds himself in a different position than he was in a year ago, and so do his fans.  A bout between Butler and Joey Abell would once have been considered a local superfight, but now it’s looking less and less alluring.  Someone had better make this fight while we’re still interested!

Sideways:

• Phil Williams – The thinking here is that Williams’ wins against Butch Hajicek (a useful measuring stick) and Marcus Upshaw (Minnesota’s knockout of the year) did much to elevate Williams’ status among Minnesota fight fans.  The loss to Marcus Oliveria knocked him back down a couple of pegs.  But Williams might be right when he says that losing to Oliveria was a blessing in disguise.  Williams acknowledges that he has concentrated too much on knockouts so far in his career, and volunteers that he needs to spend more time on his footwork and body positioning.  A broken right hand suffered early in his TKO win against Jason Dietrich has put Williams’ boxing career on hold for a while.  Time will tell whether Williams takes advantage of this opportunity to cultivate the less glamorous skills that any successful fighter must rely on.
• Matt Vanda headlined a pay-per-view event in Las Vegas this 2008, but it’s hard to say whether his stock has risen or fallen since this time last year.  Vanda brought his crowd-pleasing style to Canada to face Sebastien Demers in an IBF-sanctioned title fight last February, and in losing, pleased the crowd.  He also fought Julio Cesar Chavez twice, one of those bouts generating some controversy and the other being the aforementioned PPV headliner – but he lost both fights.  Vanda did manage two victories this year, but they came against Bruce Rumbolz and Desi Ford.  What does such a year get you?  If you play your cards right, it gets you some very good paydays and a lot of pats on the back.  But it does not make you a rising star.

Make a move, already!

• Kenny Kost, inactive since his April 26 loss to Hector Camacho Jr, works in the construction industry.  So it’s understandable that his summer and fall would be booked solid.  But it’s January.  A fight with Kolle, Bonsante, or Vanda should be makeable.  Caleb Truax has mentioned Kolle’s name more than once.  Even if no out-of-state fighters are kicking Kosts tires, he shouldn’t be lacking for prospects.
• Antwan Robertson – wait a minute, Antwan Robertson?  He’s a small man, record is 4-0,  only turned pro in 2007…so why is Robertson not listed as a “Riser” like Willshaun Boxley?  Simple: Robertson only fought once in 2008, and that wasn’t even in his weight class.  And it was in Canada.  Ugh.  This is no swipe at Lil Superman or his coach/manager, John Hoffman.  The Fistic Mystic understands that it’s hard for small men to find fights.  The good news is that the rumor mill suggests that Robertson may fight in Wisconsin on Valentine’s Day, and John Hoffman has been talking about putting on a show in Fargo this May.  Here’s hoping that Robertson finds some willing opponents in 2009.

Non-Factors:

• Troy Lowry only fought once all year and that was a loss.  At age 38 it appears that Lowry’s career is in cold storage.   It’s a shame for the local scene, because Lowry make an interesting opponent for either Andy Kolle or Kenny Kost, and with a win against either man he could angle for one more big payday.

Kenny Kost Update

Kenny Kost

Kenny Kost, inactive since his loss to Hector Camacho Jr last April, is planning to return to the gym soon after a busy summer in the construction business. 

Asked whether there is anyone in particular he would like a shot at, he confirmed the he still has the Bullet on his mind.  “If it was up to me I’d like to fight someone in state – I want that title from [Anthony] Bonsante.”

Is Bonsante-Kolle Now Inevitable?

Anthony Bonsante

Given that:

• The two most highly regarded middleweights in Minnesota right now are Anthony Bonsante and Andy Kolle, both of whom have beaten Matt Vanda
• Bonsante has in the past expressed his desire to fight Kolle (for instance, when he was called out by Zach Walters)
• Bonsante lost a fight to super middleweight Adonis Stevenson in embarrassing fashion on Friday night
• Kolle is well rested following his convincing June 7 win against Jonathan Reid

It seems like the two are on a collision course.  Zach Walters can’t still be pushing for a match with Bonsante – a win against Bonsante would do little to burnish Walters’ reputation because Bonsante is two weight classes below him and coming off a bad loss.  Andy Kolle, on the other hand, is a middleweight.  Kolle has said in the past that he would really like to get Bonsante in the ring, and Bonsante has been quoted by Jesse Kelley of Minnesotaboxing.com saying, “Obviously the fight to be made in Minnesota is Andy Kolle…I guarantee I can beat Kolle.” (interview published July 1)

Andy Kolle

It seems clear that the two want each other, and that the prestige gap between them is shrinking (or already has shrunk) to virtually nothing.  Bonsante is going to be looking for a career-saving win against someone he’s confident he can beat, while Kolle is going to be looking for a career-building win against someone who we’ve all heard of.  Provided he isn’t suspended for any length of time following the bizarre loss to Stevenson (which was ruled a KO although it didn’t appear to really be one), Bonsante has an open spot on his dance card: no opponent has been named for Bonsante’s September 20 date at Treasure Island Casino in Red Wing, Walters is already to committed to fight Shawn Hammack on August 31, and Kolle is uncommitted – as far as anyone knows.  Another candidate for Bonsante is Centerville’s Kenny Kost, who – like both Bonsante and Kolle – has beaten Matt Vanda.  Kost has taken the summer off from boxing, but will likely be looking for a fight in the fall.

Fighting a local middleweight makes sense for Bonsante, given that in the aftermath of the Stevenson fight, he’s lost much of his attractiveness as an opponent outside of Minnesota.  But Bonsante is still the Minnesota middleweight titleholder, and that makes a fight against Kolle or Kost marketable.

The Fistic Mystic says: Will the big ears of Minnesota boxing hear this call for a Bonsante-Kolle match?  Doubtless their big brains are already considering it, and they don’t need to hear it from me.

Upcoming Boxing Event: St Paul Armory, May 17 (part 2)

Some ruminations on this weekend’s event at the St Paul Armory…

• The Vanda train has to get back on the rails Saturday night.  Vanda hasn’t forgotten how to fight in the last two years, but his level of competition has never been higher, so he’s mixed some losses in with the occasional wins.  Vanda claims to be stronger and more skilled than ever, and the world needs to see that this is true – otherwise he’ll drop to “opponent” status and end his career far too late after a string of ten or twenty losses, as so many fighters do.  Here’s hoping Vanda wins convincingly on Saturday to set up a rematch with Kenny Kost, which Vanda recently demanded: “I want a rematch with Kost. I want the rematch with Kolle that his team promised me after the fight. And I want a rematch with Bonsante…Its time for some of these guys to give me the opportunity I gave them.”
• According to Boxrec.com, Caleb Truax is scheduled to face Jason Medina (3-9 with 3 wins by kayo).  But the internet bulletin board chatter is that he’ll actually square off against rugged veteran James Crayton.  Crayton, despite his long-lived losing streak, is still a skilled tactician and should provide a good test for our favorite Gopher scholar/pugilist.
• Corey Rodriguez should defeat Raphael Magdaleno Saturday night, although there are no guarantees in life.  And if Rodriguez wins, don’t be surprised if he shows up in a grudge match against Sam Morales later this spring.  Rodriguez and Morales have been talking tough, and it’s time for them to back up their words.
• Brad Patraw will try to prove that he’s worthy of the hype and praise that’s been showered on him when he takes on Vlad Ustimchuk Jr – this will be Ustimchuk’s pro debut, so we won’t know what to expect from him until the bell rings.  Many fighters look very different as pros than they did as amateurs, and I’m not talking about the headgear.
• Robert Kliewer will try to extend his hot streak.  After starting his career with a disappointing 2-3-2 stretch, Kliewer has put together a run of 5-1.  Odds are that Ray Walker (1-4 with no kayos) won’t be much more than a speed bump, but you never do know.  That’s why they fight the fights in the ring and not on paper.  Bottom line: if Kliewer doesn’t beat Walker on Saturday, he should probably consider a different line of work.

June 5-7: Busy Days for Minnesota Boxing

It begins June 5: Antonio Johnson, sometimes of St Paul, will fight on the undercard of the Celaya-Cortes bout at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA.  Johnson says that it’s too soon to know who his opponent will be, but he’s looking forward to the activity following a yearlong layoff.

One day later, June 6 will see Anthony Bonsante’s return to the ring (against former title holder Carl Daniels) after a heel injury idled him all spring.  Allen Litzau will fight for the first time in over a year, and Kenny Kost returns to the ring for his first fight after a disappointing loss to the pudgy but effective Hector Camacho Jr.  This all takes place at Grand Casino Hinckley on June 6, with additional fights on the undercard including Phil Williams and Wilton Hilario, and more.

Finally, on June7, Zach Walters and Andy Kolle are the stars of a 5-fight card at the Wessman Arena in Superior, WI.  This event is expected to mark Walters’ first defense of his WBC-ABU light heavyweight title and Kolle’s first return to the ring since his much-hyped defeat of Matt Vanda last November.

Kenny Kost is Beaten by Hector Camacho Jr

Tonight in a bullring in Queretaro, Mexico, Kenny Kost was defeated by Hector Camacho Jr in a unanimous decision.

Scoring is reported by Boxrec.com as 78-74, 79-71, 79-71.