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.

Vanda Turns His Eye to The Jungle Boy

Matt Vanda, ever eager to make a fight, is calling out Jungle Boy Zach Walters.

In a press release being distributed tonight, Vanda is quoted as below:

“I want Zach Walters.  Walters didn’t want to fight Phil Williams.  I stepped up and beat his rival.  It’s time for Zach and his trainer Chuck Horton to put up or shut up.  We got a date in January in Minneapolis and if he wants it he can come get it…If he wins [on December 4th], we can get it done.  My people will call his people before that.  Let’s see if they answer the phone.”

• Vanda (42-9 with 22 wins by knockout), who usually fights as a junior middleweight or middleweight, is indeed coming off a surprising win against Phil “The Drill” Williams (11-2 with 10 knockouts), who has fought most of his professional bouts as a light heavyweight.
• Zach Walters (24-4 with 19 kayos), who has contested most of his bouts at light heavyweight, is scheduled to meet 23-7 Larry Sharp of Pine Falls MB in a super middleweight bout on December 4th at Target Center.

Upcoming Boxing Event: Abell -vs- Butler on December 4

 

Target Center

Still basking in the afterglow from Caleb Truax and Mohammed Kayongo’s wins Friday night in Saint Paul, we look forward to the next big boxing event in Minnesota.  What to watch for:

• Joey Abell and Raphael Butler, both Minnesota kids whose careers have gone off track, meet for the Minnesota heavyweight title about a year and a half too late.  The winner will get a big career boost, while the loser will continue to be an obscure, second-tier pro heavyweight.
• Zach Walters searches for redemption for his recent losses.  Some fans had hoped for a revenge bout with Shawn Hammack, but instead of a revenge bout he gets a match with a man (Sharpe) who beat a man (Rumbolz) who beat the man (Hammack) who beat Walters back in August of 2008.
• Travis “Freight Train” Walker takes a bout with the “Russian Giant” – a 6-1 big dude who has yet to win a bout against an opponent with a win.  Read that again: not an opponent with a winning record, but an opponent who had ever won a fight at the time of their meeting.
• Ronnie Peterson gets a rematch with the man, Tomi Archambault, who was briefly given credit for beating him, before the result of that bout was nullified and the bout ruled a no-contest.  As some have said, Peterson has something to prove – but no less does Archambault, who had to be upset and embarrassed by the erasure of that win.
• Gary Eyer and Levi Cortes meet in a curious match of unbeaten local boys.  Anyone who has seen Eyer fight knows that he is fast, strong, and efficient.  Has anyone seen Cortes fight?  I haven’t.
• Dave Peterson is matched with a serviceable opponent in Silas Ortley.  Peterson is coming off a tough, close win against previously undefeated Corey Rodriguez, so he’s earned an easier match.  It’s up to “the Prodigy” to make sure that he doesn’t take the night off, because Ortley has proved that he has a good heart and a good chin, despite his lackluster (4-7) record.
• A matchup of young men looking for their first wins: Saverino Garcia, who is pretty good, takes on Allante Davis, who just isn’t that good.
• Tony Lee – a very good amateur – turns pro against dangerous Hector Orozco, whose unimpressive record doesn’t give an accurate idea of his potential.

Joey Abell (25-4 with 24 kayos) -vs- Raphael Butler (35-8 with 28 kayos), heavyweights, scheduled for 10 rounds, for the Minnesota state heavyweight title

Zach Walters (24-4 with 19 kayos) -vs- Larry Sharpe (23-7 with 11 kayos), light heavyweights, scheduled for 8 rounds

Travis Walker (33-3 with 28 kayos) -vs- Yevgeniy Shishporenok (6-1 with 5 kayos), heavyweights, scheduled for 6 rounds

Ronnie Peterson (3-0 with 3 kayos) -vs- Tomi Archambault (0-1), super featherweights, scheduled for 4 rounds

Gary Eyer (6-0-1 with 5 kayos) -vs- Levi Cortes (3-0 with 2 kayos), welterweights, scheduled for 4 rounds

Dave Peterson (11-0 with 6 kayos) -vs- Silas Ortley (4-7 with 3 kayos), light middleweights, scheduled for 4 rounds

Saverino Garcia, (0-0-1) -vs- Allante Davis (0-3), light middleweights, scheduled for 4 rounds

Tony Lee (debut) -vs- Hector Orozco (1-3 with no kayos), weight unknown, 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.

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!

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.

Matt Vanda -vs- Phil Williams: September 26 at Target Center

Matchmaker Cory Rapacz, working on behalf of promoter Midwest Sports Council (MSC) wants you to know that Phil “The Drill” Williams has signed to fight Matt Vanda at a 165# catch weight in the co-main event of a September 26 boxing card at Target Center in Minneapolis.

Williams, coming off an impressive 7th-round TKO win against former contender Antwun Echols, has talked freely of his willingness to fight anyone and his ambition to own a world title someday.  A win against 40-9 Vanda would certainly advance his cause.  “The Predator” Matt Vanda, long known for his willingness to engage any foe, is coming off a controversial April 18 win against Tocker Pudwill (40-6).

Said Rapacz on Friday morning, “We’re extremely excited to put this fight together. We received Phil’s signed contract late last night and are getting to work on the rest of the card right away. A match-up between a fighter from Minneapolis and a fighter from St. Paul is something that hasn’t yet been seen main eventing at the Target Center. Matt is ready to show that he is in fact the baddest man in the state and Phil is looking to become the new face of Minnesota boxing.”

Williams’ commitment to fight Vanda will at least temporarily squelch talk of a grudge match between Williams and Zach Walters of Duluth.  Walters, billed as the “Jungle Boy,” improved his record to 24-4 with a second-round knockout of James Morrow in Duluth on Thursday night.  Speculation had been rampant that Walters and Williams would fight in the fall.

Phil Williams: Ready for Jungle Boy

Fistic Mystic: First of all, congratulations on a great performance.  You guys put on quite a show.  I hope you got some ice afterwards!

Phil Williams: Oh yeah, a little bit.  I didn’t need much ice though.  My hand is real good.  Doesn’t bother me at all.

Fistic Mystic: Phil, tell me what you thought of your opponent, Antwun Echols.  And did you get a chance to talk to him afterwards?

Phil Williams: Yeah, we talked a little bit.  I was glad he came to fight me.  I hope he’ll come to spar me and help me get ready for my next fight.  He said he appreciated me fighting him clean, and I appreciated him giving me a chance to fight him.  You know, in a way I was glad that Jaidon Codrington dropped out.  Because when he gets hit his whole body gets weak and he falls apart.  Echols gave me a much better fight than I think Codrington would have.

Echols his me with a good punch in the fourth round but I was more tired than hurt.  I’ve never been in a fight like that before, where we kept going back and forth like that.  But now I have, and it felt good!

Fistic Mystic: Now we have to talk about Zach Walters.

Phil Williams: He don’t want no part of me.  It isn’t personal, Zach is a nice guy, and I always say that every time I talk about him.  But he don’t want me.  He’s running scared.

Fistic Mystic: Have you heard what they’re saying up in Duluth now?  According to Todd at Mnboxingleague.com, Chuck Horton and Jungle Boy are on board.  They want this fight to happen, too.  But now, if it’s a state light heavyweight title fight, they’re probably going to claim the right to defend in their hometown.  Would you be willing to go to Duluth to fight him?

Phil Williams: That fight doesn’t deserve to be in Duluth.  Even though I could come up there and knock him out in his back yard, that fight needs to be in Minneapolis.  That fight should be at the Target Center.  Let’s get the biggest crowd we can get, and that isn’t going to happen in Duluth.  I don’t have a specific home territory where I fight at.  The casual fan wants to see this fight.  Jungle Boy and I, as fighters we need to make this fight happen.  We’ll be cheating the Minnesota boxing fans if we don’t fight.

The Fistic Mystic says (part 1): Both The Drill and the Jungle Boy are moving down from light heavyweight to super middleweight.  Both men say that super middle is their natural weight, and as Williams is pleased to point out, he outraced Walters to their new division.  So why would the Minnesota light heavyweight title need to be at stake in a meeting between the two?  It would make more sense for them to fight for the (presumably) vacant Minnesota super middleweight title.  Then there would be no point in making the fight in Duluth.

The Fistic Mystic Says (part 2): Williams is self-managed, so he wants Chuck Horton or Zach Walters to contact him directly to begin negotiations for a fight.  Chuck and Zach, if you don’t have Williams’ phone number, please contact me and I’ll give it to you.  You both have my email address.

Zach Walters Loses Fight, Wins Respect

Zach Walters lost to Byron Mitchell in Buffalo last night, but he won the admiration of the crowd and the praise of his opponent.  For more news follow these links:

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=18848&more=1

http://www.mnboxingleague.com/?p=1030

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

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

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

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

Road Trippers and Local Events:

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