This Saturday after a long cold winter, the heat is on at Bally’s in Atlantic City when super middleweight prospects clash in the main event of a Pound for Pound Promotions eight bout professional card. Philadelphia’s Farah Ennis puts his unblemished record (17-0 11 KOs) on the line against the also unbeaten Oxon Hill, Maryland resident Alexander Johnson (10-0 4KOs) in a ten round contest.

This should be a serious test for Johnson making his Garden State debut after a standout amateur career. For the well traveled Ennis he looks to add to the momentum following his last bout at Harrah’s in Atlantic City when he TKO’ed Victor Lares for the NABF belt.

In the heavyweight co-feature the heavy handed Amir Mansour (12-0 9KOs) of Wilmington, Delaware will try for his lucky thirteenth win against Laredo, Texas native Hector Ferreyro (21-9 6KOs).

The other heavyweight fight of the evening will be a western shoot out when Los Angeles, CA’s Damian Wills (29-2-1 22KOs) steps in against durable Las Cruces, New Mexico resident Arron Lyons 12-9-1 9 KOs).

Also featured will be favorite son of Bayonne the city that put the “Garden “ in the Garden State Bobby Rooney (11-3-1 6 KOs) in his first bout 2009 when he squares off against Walter Foster (4-3-1 4 KOs) of Berkley, Missouri.

Locals Victor “The Viper” Valenzuela (8-1 1KO) of Passaic, Chris “Greetings from Asbury Park” Green (4-2 1KO) and popular junior middleweight Thomas LaManna (1-0), a senior at Millville HS, round off what should be a top night of boxing.

This writer will be on hand to cover all of the action from ringside so make sure to stay tuned for an in depth report from all of the action that transpires!

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Rising star Jorge “King” Diaz of New Brunswick takes one step closer to the prize this Saturday night when he faces crafty veteran and former world title challenger Emmanuel Lucero of Mexico City, Mexico in a featherweight match up. The bout headlines an eight fight card this Saturday, October 30 at Bally’s Atlantic City.

Diaz (14-0 9 KO’s) is fresh off a KO victory at Yankee Stadium on the undercard of the Cotto/Foreman clash. The New Brunswick native’s star status started to rise when he defeated 2 time Olympian and former Gold Medalist Yan Barthelemy at Madison Square Garden last year.

Mr. Lucero (24-5 14 KO’s), a former New York Golden Gloves Champion, will look to regain the top contender form he displayed when he faced Manny Pacquiao for the IBF super bantamweight title and Daniel Ponce de Leon for the WBO NABO crown.

Highly touted Glen Tapia (7-0 6 KO’s) of Passaic, just back from Baguio City, Philippines where he served as a sparring partner for Manny Pacquiao, puts his unblemished record on the line against Quinton Whitaker of San Antonio, Texas making his fourteenth pro appearance and only the second outside of his native Texas.

In a light heavyweight matchup we will see Union City’s Jason “Monsturo” Escalera (9-0 8KO’s) take on Cleoney Fuqua (2-2 2KO’s). Escalera out of the Union City Boxing Club had only 25 amateur bouts but in that short unpaid career he managed to win the New Jersey Golden Gloves Tournament. A prolific body puncher with knock out power in both hands, he will be more than a challenge for Fuqua.
The best fight of the undercard looks to be a junior welterweight matchup featuring Passaic, NJ’s Jeremy “Hollywood” Bryan (14-1 7KOs) facing Ronald Cruz (9-0 6KOs) of Bethlehem, PA. Bryan the 2004 and 2005 national golden gloves champion’s one loss came at the hand of Vincent Arroyo at Boardwalk Hall. Cruz is no stranger to Bally’s Atlantic City having fought there 3 times in the last 2 years.

Bobby Rooney Jr. (11-3 1 KO) of Bayonne takes on veteran light heavyweight Tyler Stevens of St Louis, MO. Rooney, a fan favorite , has been around the New Jersey fight scene for almost 10 years.
In the card’s only heavyweight matchup we will see Amir Mansour (10-0 7 KOs) of Newark, Delaware do battle with Alexis Mejias (11-5 5KOs) of Paterson. The southpaw Mansour has a bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies.

Pound for Pound promotions in conjunction with Bally’s Atlantic City has once again put together a top notch night of boxing featuring some of New Jersey’s elite up and coming local fighters. Fight fans are in for a treat.

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

Union City, New Jersey, a city with a long history of producing pro fighters, has given fans a new up and coming slugger to look out for by the name of Juan “The Beast” Rodriguez. An articulate soft spoken 24 year old southpaw sporting a 3-0 record with two knockouts, Rodriguez surprisingly does not like to be called heavy handed. Tomorrow evening, Rodriguez makes his fourth pro appearance on a card in his hometown headlined by Jonathan Maicelo (13-0) vs Oscar Cuero (13-2).

2009 was a break out year for Rodriguez’s amateur career. He won the New Jersey Golden Glove tournament, made it to the semifinals of the National Golden Gloves, and the quarterfinals of the USA Boxing National Tournament before starting his pro career on December 4th with a one punch KO victory over Bobby Bynum. I was fortunate enough to catch up with Rodriguez. Here’s what he had to say.

John Wall: Juan, you had a very successful amateur career, tell me how your style has has changed now that you are a pro?
Juan Rodriguez: Amateur boxing is all about scoring blows. In my pro career I’m showing another side more of a box and brawl style. People think of me as a puncher, I’m a combination puncher.
JW: So you don’t look to land the big left?
JR: No man, the knockouts just come
JW: Any thoughts on tonight’s opponent Marqus Jackson?
Juan: I don’t research my opponents. I don’t care who I fight my manager (Joe Botti) picks my opponents. I fight them.
JW: I know you are focused on tonight’s fight but what is your big dream and who is your dream opponent?
JR: That’s easy I want to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. My goal is not money. My goal is to be a legend and be the best champ there is.

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Another night of pro boxing at Bally’s Hotel Casino, another top notch Peltz Boxing card, and another packed house in Atlantic City with the North American Boxing Association
(NABA) Super Bantamweight Title up for grabs.

In the main event Philadelphia’s Teon “The Technician” Kennedy (16-0-1 6KOs) took on Alex “El Diablo” Becerra (20-9 9 KOs) out of El Paso, Texas for the vacated NABA title. The IBF #6 ranked Kennedy dominated right from the start with effective counterpunching and a defense Becerra could not find a way around. The young man from Philadelphia almost ended the bout in the second when he staggered his opponent with a right hand in round 2.

Round 5 saw The Technician taking command of the fight, he could not miss with the jab and scored effective power shots with both hands that had the gutty Texan reeling and caused notable swelling over both eyes. At the end of the tenth round, veteran referee Steve Smoger had seen enough and called it a night.

Hasson Tops Speller

The night’s co main event featured two Super Middleweight combatants from the fighting city of Philadelphia, Dennis “The Assassin “ Hasson (11-0 4 Kos) and Tommie “Big Papa” Speller (5-5 3 Kos) both fighters sported beards in the ring reminding me of a ZZ Top concert
.
After suffering a cut over the left eye in round 1, Hasson turned this into another one sided event, pounding combinations to Big Papa’s midsection. Speller’s facial expressions’ made it clear to anyone in attendance that he does not like getting hit to the body.
The Assassin scored at will in the later rounds and almost ended the fight with a right hand in round 6 before cruising to a unanimous decision win.

DeJesus draws with Hurd

Julio DeJesus (4-2-1 3 KOs) out of Franklinville, NJ and Linwood Hurd (2-2-4) of Atlantic City gave the fans a great show in a 4 round junior welterweight bout. In an action packed classic toe-to-toe battle they slugged it out in the center of the ring. One judge had it 40-36 in favor of DeJesus while the other two saw it 38-38 for the majority draw.

Wiggins stuns Sosa

In the upset of the evening Treysean Wiggins (2-0 2KOs) of Newburg, NY, stunned the crowd when the Southpaw sent Camden, NJ resident Jason Sosa (3-1-1 1 KO) to the canvas twice in the first round before sealing the deal with a crushing left hand. Referee Ricardo Vera stopped the contest at 2:02 of round 1.

Green decisions Beaton

In a clash of Jersey Shore lefthanders, Chris “Smooth Operator” Green (4-2 1 KO) sent greetings from Asbury Park to Toms River, New Jersey’s and native of Guyana Deroy Beaton in the form of a 39-37 unanimous decision on all three cards in the lightweight battle. Green used every bit of the 24 foot ring to potshot and move confounding Deroy who was unable to mount an offence.

Brown bests Hackett

In the opener, another all Philadelphia contest, Super Middleweights Gregg Hackett (0-3) won the early intimidation battle but lost the war to Rashad Brown making his professional début.

Hackett was saved by the bell as the newcomer had him laying on the ropes and looking vulnerable when time ended in the second round and seemed to save most of his aggression for between round jawing with the rookie Brown.

Rashad was unfazed by Hackett’s antics and won a 40-36 unanimous decision.

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

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Teon “The Technician” Kennedy (15-0-1 6 KOs) of North Philadelphia, PA looks to improve on his undefeated record while Alex “The Diablo” Becerra (20-8 9 KO’s) out of the West Texas town of El Paso will try to regain the form that propelled him to a 17-2 pro start as they headline this Saturday’s card from Bally’s Grand Ballroom in Atlantic City, NJ.

The scheduled 12 rounder for the vacant NABA title will cap a 7 bout card that begins at 7:30 and can be seen worldwide on gofightlive.tv.

Kennedy, ranked sixth in the world by The International Boxing Federation (IBF), is no stranger to Bally’s. The 2004 National Golden Gloves Champion has victories over Lucian Gonzalez and Jose Angel Berranza and drew with Lante Addy at the same venue where he will lace up Saturday evening. The scrappy Philadelphian also holds The United States Boxing Association (USBA) super bantamweight title.

The card also features two more sons of the City of Brotherly Love, Dennis Hasson (10-0 3) and Tommie Speller (5-4 3 KOs), who square in the 8 round super middle weight co-feature.
In what some people think is the best match up of the evening, Ronald Cruz (9-0 6KOs) of Bethlehem, PA takes on Dillet Fredrick (7-3-3 4KOs) out of Fort Meyers, FL in a 6 round light welterweight matchup.

New Jerseyans Chris Green of Asbury Park and meets Toms Rivers’ Deroy Beaton in a four round lightweight contest, while Atlantic City’s very own Lindwood Hurd battles Millville’s Julio Dejesus. Camden’s Jason Sosa is also appearing on the card.

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A capacity crowd turned out to support Philadelphia, PA’s Chazz Witherspoon (26-2 18 KO’s) at the Grand Ballroom of Trump’s Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, NJ. The partisan crowd was hoping Witherspoon would return to his winning ways, while cagy veteran Livin Castillo (16-8 10 KO’s), of Atlantic City via Ecuador, a much better fighter than his record would indicate, was looking to make Witherspoon’s degree in pharmaceutical sales to use as his source of income.

Witherspoon got off to a slow start, losing the first four rounds on my card. Although he was the bigger man, Witherspoon was unable to mount an offense and was fed a steady diet of body shots by Castillo, whose game plan looked to be pot-shot then get out of range. The fight plan was working beautifully, on paper, as Castillo won the early rounds, taking no damage, but also delivering very little as well.

Sensing their fighter needed a lift, those in attendance came to life at the start of round five. Witherspoon did as well, feeding off the new energy. The St. Joseph’s university graduate started fighting with a greater sense of urgency, rediscovering his right hand, but his power shots failed to find the mark and the round that started as momentum changer ended with an even more confident Castillo.

One of the beauties of heavyweight division is a big strong man is never out of the fight. The fatal flaw in Castillo’s plan was letting a fighter with Witherspoon’s punching power hang around to long. The Philadelphia crowd soon got what they drove down the Atlantic City Expressway to see.

Early in the seventh round Witherspoon unloaded a right uppercut to the chin of Castillo that sent him to the canvas. A game but rubber legged Castillo got up, but Witherspoon landed several more right hands, forcing Referee Earl Brown to stop the contest at 2:21 of the seventh round.

In a battle of Super middleweights Philadelphia’s Farah Ennis (16-0 10 KO’s) bested an out classed Reggie Pena (6-4 1KO’s) from Ocala, Florida. Pena has a habit of leaning in with his head and Ennis was only to happy to use his right uppercut to demonstrate why that is not a good idea. Pena did manage to mount an attack in the third round only to be knocked down by a body shot in the closing seconds. Ennis sealed the deal in the third by another body shot and Pena was counted out at 1:56 of the round.

In a six round lightweight, contest Jose Reyes (23-8 8 KO) of Vineland, NJ got bested by Colombia’s Walter Estrada (37-13 25 KO) in a split decision. Estrada, a southpaw, knocked Reyes down in the first with a left cross. Estrada suffered a cut to the bridge of his nose in the fourth round. But his better ring generalship carried the day and swayed the judges his way. Scores were 58-55 and 57-56 for Estrada, with the third card reading 57-56 Reyes.

In a one sided match in the light heavyweight division Lavarn Harvell (6-0 3 KO) of Atlantic City knocked down Jackson, TN’s Nathan Bedwell (2-4 1KO) three times in four rounds on his way to a unanimous decision victory. Scores were a lopsided 40-33 on all three cards.

Super Middleweight (and son of former heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon) Isiah Seldon (2-0 1 KO) of Atlantic City drew a nice crowd to his second pro fight and didn’t disappoint them, stopping Jason Johns (0-3) of Danville Virginia at 2:57 of round 1.

In the opening bout of the evening, Atlantic City’s Eugene Soto (3-0 1KO) added another win to his record besting Maurice Williams (1-6 1KO) of Camden via majority decision. Mr. Williams may be the cockiest 1-6 fighter of all time and his clowning in the ring may have cost him in the judges’ minds. The scorecard of 37-37 was overruled by tallies of 38-36 and 38-37 for Soto.

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

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It’s going to be hard to top last Saturday’s heavyweight fight between Tomasz Adamek and Michael Grant, but Trump’s Taj Mahal in Atlantic City will give it try as they play host to another heavyweight match up featuring Philadelphia’s Chazz ” The Gentleman” Witherspoon, 26-2-1 (18 KO’s), against Livin “La Maquina” Castillo 16-8 (10 KO’s).

The 5′ 11″ 34 year old Castillo, a rugged veteran southpaw from Ecuador who now resides in Atlantic City, has a reputation for taking on all comers, so don’t be fooled by his record. They have come by way of some impressive opposition including future Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion Jean Marc-Mormeck, future WBC Heavyweight Champion Oleg Maskaev, IBF #1 ranked contender Alexander Povetkin, and former WBA Champion Bruce Seldon.

The younger (28) taller (6’ 4”) Witherspoon should present yet another difficult fight for Castillo.

Witherspoon, a Paulsboro resident with a degree from Temple University in Philadelphia, started his professional career with twenty-three wins fifteen by KO before losing a controversial third round disqualification to Chris Arreola. He won his next three contests by KO before losing, in a slugfest, to former world heavyweight contender Tony Thompson on the undercard of the Jermain Taylor- Jeff Lacy bout.

With Witherspoon in need of a win to put himself back in the picture and Castillo’s reputation for always coming to fight, Spartan Fight Promotions’ first ever card should provide an entertaining night of entertainment.

The action packed undercard features lightweight contender Jose Reyes (23-7, 8 KO’s) of Vineland, super middleweights Joel De La Paz (5-0, 4 KO’s), Eugene Soto (2-0, 1 KO), light heavyweight Lavarn “Baby Bowe” Harvell (5-0, 2 KO’s), Isaiah Seldon, (1-0), bantamweight Qa’id “Kid Dynamite” Muhammad (5-0, 5 KO’s), all of Atlantic City as well as Philadelphia super middleweight Farah Ennis.
For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

Main Events’ February 6th card at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ featuring Tomasz Adamek vs. Jason Estrada is undoubtedly a local boxing fan’s best buy. Not only does the main event feature an adopted son of Jersey City, but the undercard is filling up with local talent like Morganville’s Denis “Mama’s Boy” Douglin and Jersey City’s Patrick Farrell, both of whom are making their second appearance at the arena best known as The Rock.

The card also features a top flight super middleweight contest showcasing Brooklyn, NY’s Petey “ Kid Chocolate” Quillin 20-0 (15 KO’s) for the first time in The Garden State. I. Petey has an electrifying ring presence and a level of athleticism not often seen in boxing today. His training routines include back flips in the ring and leaping over parked cars. If that doesn’t impress you enough, I advise you to be ringside for his post fight ritual, where he toss chocolate kisses to fans. I had the opportunity to catch up with Petey at New York’s Trinity Boxing Club, just prior to moving his training camp to Ohio.

John: Petey you keep yourself in great shape between bouts. You walk around at your fighting weight. What motivates you to get into the gym?

Petey: Mainly my Manager John Seip. He stays on me makes sure I train and eat like I’m supposed to.

John: Your next opponent is your most experienced to date in Fernando Zuniga 28-9 (20 KO’s). What do you know about him?

Petey: Not a lot he’s is a former belt holder (IBA Continental Super Middleweight). Not long ago he upset Carlos DeLeon Jr. I don’t know much else.

John: They call him “Little Ali”. What do you think about that?

Petey: The only Ali I know is the real Ali. He can call himself whatever he wants I don’t care.

John: No fighter is to be taken lightly, especially not one with 20 KOs, I’m sure you’re not looking past Mr. Zuniga, but what do you hope to accomplish in 2010 ?

Petey: I don’t take any fighter for granted. For 2010 I want to be bigger and better. To go into the ring with a stable mind and showcase my talents for my fans.

John: Who is on your wish list for your next fight?

Petey: Paul Williams. I’m still too small a fish for Kelly Pavlik.

John: Thanks Petey. Good Luck