Baltimore, MD (May 2, 2013) – Baltimore Boxing & Fitness’ middleweight sensation Jerome Featherstone is headed to Salt Lake City, UT for the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions.

The tournament begins May 13 at the SaltPalaceConvention Center and tickets are available by going to smithstix.com/events/item/root/national-golden-gloves-tournament-may-13.

A local high school wrestling legend at Maryland’s BoysLatinHigh School, Featherstone took up boxing a few years back following an excelling as a collegiate wrestle for the University of Oklahoma. Defined by trainer Jake Smith as one of the top natural talents he’s seen, Featherstone earned his way to the nationals by winning the 165 pound Golden Gloves title, besting top fighters from Maryland, WashingtonDC, Virginia and the Marines.

“It’s incredible how far he’s come in such a short period of time,” stated Smith, a former prizefighter who is a member of the DC and Maryland Boxing Hall of Fames. “Jerome first entered the gym not even a year and a half ago and now he’s headed to the National Golden Gloves to compete against the top fighters in the country. I believe he’ll continue to win en route to bigger and better things at the next level.”

Cincinnati, OH (April 27, 2013) – When lifelong boxing fan and successful club promoter Michael Grace opened Starpower Boxing Management in 2013, his goal was to enhance the careers of talented fighters that have either been overlooked or misguided.

A self-professed boxing junkie, Grace’s personal relationships and time spent around the gyms in Cincinnati, OH helped him find a number of quality fighters that needed a push to get their careers going in the direction they expected upon turning pro. Currently, Grace has four fighters in his stable hailing from the Queen City.

Inactive since 2012 due to prior managerial issues, lightweight Mel “Black Diamond” Crossty is 5-0 as a professional. Many fight fans may not be aware of the soft-spoken 27-year-old yet, but those who’ve been around the sport have heard the name Mel Crossty for years. A successful amateur, Crossty is a sharp boxer who has been in training camps with Andre Ward, Devon Alexander, Sharif Bogere and Cincinnati’s very own Adrien Broner. Crossty spends time training in Cincinnati with Brandon Bush as well as Las Vegas with Floyd Mayweather Sr., who personally invited him to the famed Mayweather Boxing Gym.

Welterweight hopeful William “Action” Jackson brings a 10-1-1 record to the table with 5 wins by knockout. The popular 24-year-old fought all 12 of his bouts in Cincinnati, including a knockout victory over previously unbeaten Edward Ochoa, before promotional problems forced him out of action 1 ½ years ago. With Grace in his corner, Jackson will have the opportunity to get right back into the mix when he meets perennial contender Michael Clark in the main event of a card in Columbus, OH May 18.

As an amateur, 25-year-old super featherweight Jesse Carradine notched victories over notables Duran Caferro, Brandon Bennett, Walter Sarnoi and Archie Ray Marquez. Unfortunately, the paid ranks haven’t been as easy. A participant at the 2008 Olympic Trials, Carradine’s taken fights wherever he could find them, showcasing his skills in New Jersey, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia and Ohio. His two defeats came against top level opponents in current world champion Evgeny Gradovich and unbeaten rising star Karl Dargan. His record stands at 8-2-1 with 4 victories by knockout.

Rounding out the Starpower stable is 24-year-old DeVonte Allen, 4-1-1 (3 KO’s). Like his new stablemates, Allen’s had issues out of his control and hasn’t fought since July.

Crossty, Carradine and Allen are also slated to fight on the 18th in Columbus.

“There are so many good fighters out there who don’t get a fair shake,” said Grace, whose built a close relationship with each of his boxers. Not everybody is going to be promoted the right way and get signed by Golden Boy or Top Rank off the bat. William, Mel, Jesse and DaVonte are all very good fighters. People who have been in the gym with them, and I’m talking quality fighters and top trainers, can vouch for these guys. I know what I’ve got here and I’m excited about giving these guys the opportunity they deserve while getting their careers on the right path.”

Starpower Boxing is a Cincinnati-based management company established by Michal Grace in 2013. Grace grew up in English Woods, a tough crime-stricken neighborhood that also produced world champion Adrien Broner, three-time Olympian Rau’shee Warren and unbeaten prospect Brandon Bennett. As a die-hard fan of the sport, Grace became a manager to further indulge his passion for boxing. As CEO of Starpower Boxing, Grace is committed to representing his fighters’ best interests to allow them to maximize their potential both in and out of the ring. For more information, please email starpower81.mg@gmail.com.

New York, NY (April 23, 2013) –Edgar Perez has replaced veteran Troy Lowry as the opponent for New York’s Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson in a six round junior middleweight bout Saturday, April 27 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Born on the boxing-crazed island of Puerto Rico and based out of the fighting city of Chicago, Illinois, Perez won his first five professional bouts, three of which came by way of knockout. Perez, whose only defeats came against blue chip prospects Luis Arias, Jermall Charlo and Steven Martinez, will look to pull off an upset against his popular foe.

With a solid record of 10-1-1 with 4 knockouts, Melson’s one of the most talked about fighters in New York. On April 16, Melson, who donated all of his fight purses and is heavily involved in helping finding the cure for chronic Spinal Cord Injuries, earned additional notoriety when he was featured with his best friend Christan Zaccagnino on HBO’s critically acclaimed series Real Sports. Originally scheduled to fight in February as part of the postponed Danny Garcia-Zab Judah headlined card, Perez is Melson’s third scheduled opponent.

“This is the part of boxing that nobody likes,” said Melson, who battled to a disputed draw in his last bout back in October. “The truth is guys get hurt at every level of this sport and opponents change. I’ve had a challenging training camp with a freak scratched cornea in my sleep as well as a reoccurring throat infection, but nevertheless I am in good shape with a strong mind ready to compete. I‘ve been working with my new head coach Simon Bakinde, who has my former Assistant Coach Bernie Lenahan still by my side now assisting him, and we’ve worked together as a new team for some time now. I am extremely confident about our adjustments to my technique that we have made. I’m extremely thankful that so many people enjoyed the story about Christan and I, but now it’s time to get back to work!”

Melson-Perez is scheduled for 6 rounds.

Tickets and merchandise are available on Teamfighttowalk.com. Following the bout, Melson will once again donate his entire fight purse to Justadollarplease.org in support of bringing trials to the United States that could help cure chronic Spinal Cord Injuries.

In association with the 501 (C) 3 nonprofit Justadollarplease.org, Melson and his best friend Christan Zaccagnino created Team Fight to Walk, whose mission is to raise awareness within the boxing community as well as the entire nation about the importance of bringing Clinical Trials to the United States to help cure Spinal Cord Injuries. Team Fight to Walk is comprised of Melson, Zaccagnino, former Rutgers football player/ESPY honoree Eric LeGrand, two-time cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham, former junior middleweight titlist Austin “No Doubt” Trout, title contender DeAndre “The Bull” Latimore, Edgar “El Chamaco” Santana, Hector “Machito” Camacho Jr., 2008 US Olympians Demetrius “Boo” Andrade and Shawn Estrada along with prospects Sid “The Messenger” El Harrak, Jeff “TNT” Spencer, Denis “Da Momma’s Boy” Douglin, Will “Power” Rosinsky, Floriano “Italiano” Pagliara, Danny “Little Mac” McDermott, Vinny “The Lion” O’Brien, Ahmed “Prince of Egypt” Samir and Delen “Sniper” Parsley.

For more information or to make a donation, go to teamfighttowalk.com or Justadollarplease.org. All specific questions about the nature of the Clinical Trial to cure Spinal Cord Injury can be sent to boydmelson@yahoo.com.

Oklahoma City, OK (April 17, 2013) – Earlier today, Kevin Cunningham, trainer of IBF welterweight titlist Devon Alexander, took a shot at contender Carson Jones.

Less than 24 hours ago, Jones, the IBF’s 7th rated contender and a former USBA champion, offered to face Alexander May 18 after his original opponent Kell Brook withdrew for a second time due to an injury. Jones, who has a deceptive record 34-9-3 with 24 KO’s since he took many fights earlier in his career as an opponent, was abruptly rejected by Cunningham.

“Hey Carson, I wish I could help you out,” Cunningham told a popular boxing website. “But we already have all our sparring partners for this camp. Maybe we’ll consider bringing you into camp for Devon’s next fight. That’s the only use we would have for a guy with 9 losses and 3 draws.”

Jones, who said he respected Cunningham as a trainer before he hurled insults in his directions, believes that he only said that to keep his fighter away from a tough bout.

“These guys claim to be tough and from the streets of St. Louis, but how tough are they?” “The truth is that boxing wise, Devon’s anything but tough. Aside from quitting against Bradley, he’s been protected by his promoters and the premium cable networks. They want to talk about my 9 losses but forget what tough really is. I lost a few controversial fights and the only time Devon’s had any controversy, he received gift decisions in hometown. Cunningham and Alexander know deep down that records are overrated and there are plenty of 25-0 guys who can’t fight a lick. I earned my way up the rankings by knocking out quality fighters when my back was against the wall and that is something they can’t dispute no matter how hard they try.”

Jones also views his close loss to the aforementioned Kell Brook as a reason of why he’s more than worthy for the title shot.

“I went into Brook’s hometown, gave him hell and lost a very close decision. From what I’ve heard, Brook offered good money to face him in England but Team Alexander was too scared. I proved that I am a real fighter time and time again by facing whoever, wherever and whenever. Can Devon do the same or are you guys into playing the matchmaking game and pretending all the people in boxing are idiots and actually believe these undefeated stiffs can fight. They call him Devon “The Great” Alexander, but he’s acting like a coward. Man up and take the challenge. I’m ready to go!”

Palm Beach, FL (April 17, 2013) – Lou Martinez, owner of the Palm Beach Boxing Center, announced that he is running and sponsoring the 2013 Florida State Golden Gloves.

A 12,000 sq ft facility that is quickly becoming one of boxing’s hotspots, the Palm Beach Boxing Center’s held camps for world champions Lucian Bute, Devon Alexander, Cory Spinks and Nate Campbell as well as 2008 Olympian Matt Korobov. The gym’s also hosted Andre Dirrell, Kassim Ouma, Riddick Bowe, Jameel McCline and Oleg Maskaev amongst others.

During the last 40 plus years, the Florida Golden Gloves served as a competitive tournament for male and female fighters of all skill levels. Participants range from everyday people to future boxing champions. Notables include boxing legend Roy Jones Jr., Hall of Famer Mike McCallum, former world champions Andre Berto and Nate Campbell and unbeaten prospect Daquan Arnett among others.

“I feel like a kid in a candy store,” Martinez said of running the gloves. “I’ve had a number of my fighters participate and there have been so many greats that showcased their skills in this event before going to the pros. It’s always been a dream to run this great event. Luckily, I had the opportunity to take over the event this year and did so without hesitation.”

Athletes and coaches can register now on Floridagoldengloves.net and the tournament takes place April 20-21. Weigh-ins take place at 7 AM sharp on the 20th at the Ramada Inn at 1901 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd in West Palm Beach and all participants must bring their USA Boxing Passbook. The opening round starts the very same day just minutes away at City Soccer, located at 1016 Clare Ave in West Palm Beach, FL.

For more information on the Florida Golden Gloves, go to Floridagoldengloves.net. To sign up for the Palm Beach Boxing Center or purchase tickets to the Florida Golden Gloves visit Palmbeachboxing.com

GOLDEN GLOVES CONTACT: Lou Martinez Floridagoldengloves@gmail.com or 561-670-6565

Oklahoma City, OK (April 16, 2013) – In an age where fighters build their records up by partaking in gross mismatches, Oklahoma City based welterweight contender “Mr.” Carson Jones is a boxing rarity.

The youthful but experienced 26-year-old began his career without true direction, taking a number of early losses against world class opposition. Since March 2009, Jones has an excellent 18-2-1 record with 13 wins by knockout. Along the way, Jones, whose overall professional ledger is 34-9-3 (24 KO’s), steamrolled previously unbeaten knockout king Tyrone Brunson, 2000 Olympic Silver Medalist Ricardo Williams, welterweight contender Said Ouali and former title challenger Michael Clark.

In July 2012, Jones lost a hotly contested majority decision in the hometown of Kell Brook in one of the best fights during that calendar year. Dubbed as “Special K” due to his diverse talents, Brook dominated all 27 of his opponents up to that point. Against Jones, a bruised and bloodied Brook survived a number of rough moments and never considered a rematch.

Fast forward to 2013, where Brook found himself pitted against IBF welterweight champion Devon Alexander; or so we thought. The two were scheduled to fight on multiple occasions, with each man pulling out of the fight due to an injury. On Saturday, May 18, Brook-Alexander was finally scheduled to take place on Showtime, but Brook suffered another injury that forced him to withdraw, leaving the champion without an opponent.

“I know a lot of guys are calling out Alexander and I can’t blame them,” said Jones, the IBF’s 7th rated contender. “But how many of them have been through hell in a gasoline suit? Which one of them went overseas and got the short end of a decision against a fighter that is considered one of boxing’s next bright stars? Can anybody else out there vying for this fight claim to have faced the level of opposition I have? The answer is no.”

Jones also believes that his fan-friendly style would make for a great fight and a bout with Alexander would produce two winners; Carson Jones and the spectators.

“After Alexander’s sleep-induced fight with Randall Bailey, I think the boxing world needs an exciting fight. I do not run from my opponents. Unlike Bailey, I will cut the ring off and force him to fight my fight just like Tim Bradley did. Alexander’s known as Devon “The Great” but does his name mean anything? If he’s true to his moniker and wants to show how great he his, all Team Alexander has to do send me a contract and see me in the ring on May 18!”

Jones is currently in training with the hopes of facing Alexander or another top welterweight in the immediate future.

Alex Guerrero 193.5 Terrance Smith 191.5

AJ Williams 161 Issa Coulibaly 164

Frank Fillippone 169 Marcus Clay 166.5

Damont Giddins 143 Cyprian Khumalo 140.5

Lonnie Kornegay 273 Duane Mobley 247

Hugh Hinds 128.5 Nuwan Jayakody 128.5

Promoter: Jake “The Snake” Promotions

Venue: Wicomico Youth & Civic Center

First Bout: 8 PM

Cockeysville, MD (April 10, 2013) – When 6’4 middleweight and Penn State graduate AJ “We Are” Williams entered a ring for the first time, he had no idea where the sport of boxing would take him.

As a freshman, Williams played varsity basketball at Penn State’s Schuylkill campus however, his hoop dreams were cut short due to knee injuries. Looking for a new athletic venture, Williams transferred to the main campus, took up boxing and far exceeded his own expectations. Before graduating from Penn State in 2010, the life science major served as the team captain and won a bronze medal at the National Colligate Boxing Association (NCBA) tournament.

Upon receiving his Bachelors Degree, Williams took his talents to the Baltimore Boxing & Fitness gym and continued to box in the amateur ranks. After falling short in the Maryland Golden Gloves, Williams’ team suggested he compete at the next level.

“I really liked what I saw from AJ when he started training with me,” said Jake “The Snake” Smith, who trains Williams and is a member of the Maryland and Washington DC Boxing Hall of Fames. “He’s got a great head on his shoulders, always listens and doesn’t have an ego like a lot of young fighters do. He’s really come a long way and he’ll only continue to improve.”

“I never thought I’d go pro when I first started boxing,” said the soft-spoken 26-year-old. “I did it for fun at first then once I got pretty good at it and placed in nationals in 2010, that’s when I realized I could go pro.”

On Friday evening, Williams makes his pro debut against Issa Coulibaly in a special attraction bout as part of Jake “The Snake” Promotions’ “Salisbury Slugfest” from the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center in Salisbury, MD. Though he’s excited for the opportunity, Williams admits switching his style for the paid ranks has been a learning process.

“The transition has been interesting. It used to be all about throwing a lot of punches and scoring points. Now it’s focusing on sitting down on my punches. To get ready, I’ve trained harder than ever before. Friday is going to be a great show.”

Tickets starting at $20 and VIP tables of 10 are on sale now at the Wicomico Civic Center Box Office, by calling 410-548-4911 or logging onto WicomicoCivicCenter.Org. A 20% military discount is available on all tickets purchased with a valid ID at the Civic Center Box Office and specially priced hotel rooms can be purchased by going to www.mmx2reservations.com/wicomico/pc/slug. Doors open at 6:30 pm and the action kicks off at 8.

Headlining the “Salisbury Slugfest” is an eight round cruiserweight bout between local star Alexis Guerrero of Salisbury, MD and Oklahoma City, OK’s Terrence Smith. A big ticket seller in Salisbury, Guerrero is 8-0-1 with 5 wins by knockout, most recently dispatching famed tough guy Harvey Jolly inside of five rounds last September. Smith, a late replacement for Elvin Sanchez, has a deceptive record of 8-14-2 with five victories by stoppage. Smith’s faced an incredible 12 unbeaten opponents including Yunieski Gonzalez, Shaun George, Farah Ennis, Cedric Agnew, Adam Hubinger and Carlos Durate among others.

In the co-feature, popular super middleweight Frankie “Freight Train” Filippone of Norfolk, VA meets Baton Rouge, LA’s Marcus Clay. Filippone, who is also a Virginia Beach police officer, has an excellent 13-2 record with 2 wins by knockout.

In a battle of the big men, unbeaten Duane Mobley of Upper Marlboro, MD risks his 7-0 record against seasoned Baltimorean Lonnie Kornegay in a four rounder.

Also appearing on the undercard in separate bouts is Salisbury’s very own Damont Giddins and Washington DC’s Hugh Hinds.

New York, NY (April 8, 2013) – Captain Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson will take a step up in competition when he challenges battle-tested Troy “TNT” Lowry in a six round junior middleweight contest Saturday, April 27 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

One of New York’s most popular fighters, Melson fought to a controversial draw last October in the first bout ever at the Barclays Center. Following his bout in October, Melson, 10-1-1 (4 KO’s), took a much-needed break from boxing after fighting seven times in a twelve month period. Ironically, Melson’s return was initially slated for February, but the entire card was postponed when main event participant Danny Garcia suffered an injury.

“Everybody was telling me that I was killing myself by fighting too often and I didn’t listen,” said Melson, who works full-time for Johnson & Johnson, is an Army Reserve Officer and occasionally teaches fitness courses at Equinox. “I had no idea I had competed 7 times in a 12 month period until it was shared with me after the fact. I did need this rest, but I did not need to rest 6 months. I was ready to come back February 9th for the original scheduled date and I am again ready. I also do not regret fighting as often as I did, even with my last performance being subpar largely do to being burned out. I needed to keep generating money and awareness for this clinical trial to cure Chronic Spinal Cord Injuries, and all of those fights in total, when matched 2:1 by Johnson&Johnson along with being complimented by public donations, resulted in tens of thousands of dollars generated and donated to help fund this clinical trial. With this rest, I feel rejuvenated and better than ever physically.”

One of boxing’s ultimate veterans, Lowry is 28-12 with 17 wins by knockout. The Minneapolis, MN native shared the squared circle with a number of top fighters including future hall of famer Hector Camacho, Vanes Martirosyan, Andy Lee, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, Yuri Foreman and Pawel Wolak. Lowry also owns victories over former interim junior middleweight titlist Santiago Samaniego and unbeaten knockout artist Travis Loveless, who was 20-0 with 17 KO’s before meeting Lowry.

“Troy is a classic tough veteran in the sport of professional boxing,” stated Melson. “He has far more experience than anybody I’ve ever fought and this is the kind of test I need. I told my team that I wanted to fight a solid veteran with experience against A-level opposition, and they found a man with 40 professional fights against current contenders and former world champions for me to challenge. Lowry is the exact kind of opponent I was looking for, and I’ve got to look spectacular on the 27th.”

Tickets and merchandise are available on Teamfighttowalk.com. Following the bout, Melson will once again donate his entire fight purse to Justadollarplease.org in support of bringing trials to the United States that could help cure chronic Spinal Cord Injuries.

In association with the 501 (C) 3 nonprofit Justadollarplease.org, Melson and his best friend Christan Zaccagnino created Team Fight to Walk, whose mission is to raise awareness within the boxing community as well as the entire nation about the importance of bringing Clinical Trials to the United States to help cure Spinal Cord Injuries. Team Fight to Walk is comprised of Melson, Zaccagnino, former Rutgers football player/ESPY honoree Eric LeGrand, two-time cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham, WBA junior middleweight titlist Austin “No Doubt” Trout, title contender DeAndre “The Bull” Latimore, Edgar “El Chamaco” Santana, Hector “Machito” Camacho Jr., 2008 US Olympians Demetrius “Boo” Andrade and Shawn Estrada along with prospects Sid “The Messenger” El Harrak, Jeff “TNT” Spencer, Denis “Da Momma’s Boy” Douglin, Will “Power” Rosinsky, Floriano “Italiano” Pagliara, Danny “Little Mac” McDermott, Vinny “The Lion” O’Brien, Ahmed “Prince of Egypt” Samir and Delen “Sniper” Parsley.

For more information or to make a donation, go to teamfighttowalk.com or Justadollarplease.org. All specific questions about the nature of the Clinical Trial to cure Spinal Cord Injury can be sent to boydmelson@yahoo.com.

Salisbury, MD (March 26, 2013) – Knockout Artist Elvin “KoKo” Sanchez is replacing Pedro Martinez as the opponent for unbeaten cruiserweight Alex Guerrero in the eight round main event of the “Salisbury Slugfest” Friday, April 12 at Salisbury, MD’s Wicomico Youth & Civic Center.

Tickets starting at $20 and VIP tables of 10 are on sale now at the Wicomico Civic Center Box Office, by calling 410-548-4911 or logging onto WicomicoCivicCenter.Org. A 20% military discount is available on all tickets purchased with a valid ID at the Civic Center Box Office and specially priced hotel rooms can be purchased by going to www.mmx2reservations.com/wicomico/pc/slug. Doors open at 6:30 pm and the action kicks off at 8.

Known for his heavy hands, Sanchez scored a stunning knockout over previously unbeaten and well-regarded Venroy July February, 22 before a pro-July crowd in Washington, DC. Fighting out of the notoriously tough city of Paterson, NJ, Sanchez also battled to a controversial draw against hometown favorite Jeremy Stauffer last November. Sanchez, who is 6-2 with 5 wins by knockout, has a reputation on the east coast for making exciting fights and has no problem fighting in enemy territory.

“This is definitely an attractive matchup,” said Jake Smith of Jake the Snake Promotions. “I’ve seen Elvin before. He’s a very strong fighter who punches like a mule. Alex will have to be sharp against him if he wants to remain unbeaten. Sanchez is no joke.”

In undercard action, unbeaten heavyweight Duane Mobley of Upper Marlboro, MD risks his 7-0 record against tougher than advertised Baltimorean Lonnie Kornegay in a four rounder.

Fellow unbeaten heavyweight and Seth Mitchell protégé Jerry “Slug” Forrest, of Newport News, VA returns to the ring against an opponent to be named in a four rounder. Forrest, 5-0 (4 KO’s), is known for his heavy hands, scoring three of his four knockouts in the opening round.

Former Penn State Boxing Team Captain and National Collegiate Champion AJ Williams, who resides in the Delmarva area, and Salisbury’s very own Damont Giddings make their pro debuts in separate bouts against opponents to be named.

Other fighters featured on the card include popular light heavyweight Frankie “Freight Train” Filippone, undefeated junior lightweight Terron Grant and Nuwan Jacoby.

Glen Burnie, MD (March 18, 2013) – Jake the Snake Promotions will have a total of 13 bouts as part of a stacked Olympic-style boxing card Friday, March 22 at the elegant Michaels Eighth Avenue Ballroom in Glen Burnie, MD.

The card features boxers from Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, North Carolina and four fighters that are traveling all the way from Ireland.

General admission tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Individual VIP tickets are $50 and $500 for a table of ten. All VIP ticketholders can enjoy gets hors d’oeurves from 7-8. Tickets are available by calling 410-375-9175. Doors open at 6:30 pm and the first fight is 8:15.

Headlining the card is a bout featuring popular heavyweight Sam Crose of the Baltimore Boxing Club and Tom Busch of Team Maryland. Both fighters are known locally and Crose trains under the watchful eye of Jake “The Snake” Smith.

In the co-feature, Courtney Feldheim of Maryland meets Katie Poplawski, a student at Georgetown University, of Washington D.C. in a 141 pound bout. Feldheim, who is also a fitness instructor at the Merritt Athletic Club, most recently fought January 19 in Salisbury, MD.

Fans will also have the opportunity to watch special attraction bouts featuring Team North Carolina’s Brandon Knox and Washington D.C. middleweight Adan Gonzalez in separate bouts. The 2012 NCBA tournament Silver Medalist, Knox is considered the best fighter traveling from the Carolinas for this first ever event. Gonzalez, a Georgetown University student who won multiple amateur tournaments, has been featured in various media outlets for his success in boxing and involvement in charitable causes.

“I hate to sound like a broken record but I really love the structure of this event,” said Promoter Jake Smith of Jake the Snake Promotions. “There are a lot of fighters out there and only a few of the tournaments feature boxers from different areas. I’m hoping to run future events like this and believe the fans will have a great time.”

For more information, go to Baltimoreboxing.com

Salisbury, MD (March 11, 2013) – Jake The Snake Promotions will host their first show in Salisbury, MD when unbeaten cruiserweight Alex Guerrero headlines against hard-nosed veteran Pedro Martinez Friday, April 12 at the Wicomico Civic Center.

Tickets starting at $20 and VIP tables of 10 from $500 are on sale now at the Wicomico Civic Center Box Office, by calling 410-548-4911 or logging onto WicomicoCivicCenter.Org. A 20% military discount is available on all tickets purchased with a valid ID at the Civic Center Box Office. Doors open at 6:30 pm and the opening bell is slated for 8.

Fighting for the fifth time in Salisbury, Guerrero is 8-0-1 with five of those victories coming by way of knockout. The older brother of middleweight contender Fernando Guerrero, who challenges for the WBO title April 27 on Showtime, Alex scored a career best victory in his last bout by stopping famed spoiler Harvey Jolly in five rounds.

Guerrero, who trains out of Main Street Gym under the tutelage of Hal Chernoff, is no stranger to fighting tough. Only three of his nine opponents entered their bout with losing records and Guerrero’s last four foes all had more experience than him.

A 13 fight veteran, Martinez will enter the ring with a size and experience advantage. Four of the Philadelphian’s bouts came as a heavyweight and he’s battled notable fighters such as Garrett Wilson, Ahmed Samir, Andreas Gustaffsson and Elvin Sanchez. In his last bout, Martinez dropped a decision against full-fledged heavyweight William Miranda.

Guerrero-Martinez is scheduled for eight rounds

“I’m overjoyed about this event,” exclaimed Jake Smith, a member of the Maryland and D.C. Boxing Hall of Fames who’s assisted many charities in association with his events. “Salisbury is a great fight town and fans have shown up in record numbers during recent cards at the Civic Center. I am expecting a huge turnout for this card and thank the great City of Salisbury for giving Jake the Snake Promotions the opportunity to host an event there.”

Chernoff, the head trainer at the Main Street Boxing Gym and a well known member of the community, agrees.

“It’s always fun to be involved with something like this. What I enjoy most about helping promote in Salisbury is that one of my fighters gets to headline in his hometown and that’s a huge thing. This is also great for the local economy. Events like this help hotels, restaurants, taxis and a lot of other area businesses. That means a lot to me and I’m proud to be a part of this.”

On the undercard, former Penn State Boxing Club captain and NCBA medalist A.J. Williams of Rehoboth Beach, DE makes his highly anticipated pro debut against an opponent to be named in a four round middleweight contest. The popular Williams trains and fights out of the Baltimore Boxing Club.

Unbeaten heavyweight knockout artist Jerry “Slug” Forrest looks to score his fifth knockout in six fights when he faces an opponent TBA. The southpaw Forrest, of Newport News, VA, is a protégé of Seth Mitchell.

More bouts will be added shortly.

Oceanside, NY (February 9, 2013) – Unbeaten lightweight Mike “Beast Mode” Brooks of Oceanside, NY will take his talents south of the United States border to Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico.

Brooks, who has a record of 9-0 with 2 wins by knockout and was a top rated amateur by USA Boxing, will work with trainer Chino Espinoza and promoter Juan Chan. The two have worked with former world champion Daniel Ponce De Leon and contenders Jesus Soto Karass and Omar Chavez. Together, they’re expected to help Brooks’ conditioning and keep him busy.

While many once considered his native New York the Mecca of Boxing, Brooks recognizes things have changed and his 2 ½ month stay in Mexico will be beneficial.

“They do a lot of cards in Mexico and I was astonished to see how many take place in the country each weekend,” said the charismatic 25 year old. “I have a warrior mentality like the Mexican fighters do, so I’ve always wanted to go there to train in their style, get great sparring and stay busy. In New York, there aren’t enough cards and I haven’t been as active as I want. I wouldn’t want my career to end early nor do I want any more layoffs just because there aren’t spots on the card for me. Going to Mexico is a dream come true!”


To prepare for his venture to Mexico, Brooks has been training in Long Island and sparring with rising contender Chris Algeiri and unbeaten prospect Anthony Karperis.


Brooks’ first fight in Mexico takes place on an Omar Chavez undercard in March.

Fans can interact with Mike by going to Twitter.com/LeftyBrooks.

New York, NY (January 21, 2013) – Junior middleweight boxer and philanthropist Captain Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson of New York will be live in studio on “Sports on 1” Tuesday, January 22.

“Sports on 1” airs at 11:30 pm ET on New York 1 (NY1) throughout the New York area and is hosted by Tom McDonald.

Melson, who is 10-1-1 with 4 knockouts, will discuss his February 9 bout at the Barclays Center, the cause he passionately fights for, Team Fight to Walk and how a college course jumpstarted his boxing career.

Fans can ask Boyd a question on the show by calling 212-NY1-TALK or emailing Sportson1@ny1.com.

For more information about “Sports on 1”, please visit NY1.com or check your local listings.

Tickets to Melson’s bout at the Barclays Center are available on TeamFighttowalk.com

Cornwall, Ontario, Canada (January 20, 2013) – Rising junior welterweight Tony “Lighting” Luis, 15-0 (7 KO’s), will now face rugged veteran Jose “Loco” Hernandez January 25 on ESPN Friday Night Fights at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY.

The quick-handed Canadian’s original foe Miguel Gonzalez withdrew, citing an illness and opening the door for Hernandez.

With an extremely deceptive 13-6-1 record, Hernandez battled six unbeaten foes and was on the wrong end of a disputed decision more than once. The Waco, TX native lost in controversial fashion to Matt Remillard, Michael Angelo Perez, Oscar Meza and Luis Ramos, coming in as the B-side in each of those bouts. He also owns impressive victories against Aaron Garcia, Noe Bolanos and Jairo Sanchez, while fighting to a draw against Mickey Bey.

“Jose Hernandez is a very difficult opponent and there’s a reason he’s never been in a rematch,” said Luis’ promoter Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions. “To be honest, I think he’s tougher than Gonzalez and Tony will definitely be tested, but I expect him to pass with flying colors. I think Tony’s the real deal and this is the next step on his journey to be a world champion.”

Tickets are available by going to Ticketmaster.com/event/00004983ADD5CF2D?artistid=850878&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=33 and fans can interact with Tony via Facebook at Facebook.com/tony.luis.14.

New York, NY (January 10, 2013) – Junior middleweight boxer and humanitarian Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson will receive the inaugural Most Valuable Philanthropist (MVP) award from the National Spinal Cord Injury Association’s New York Chapter (NYCSCIA) during a special Mardi Gras themed fundraiser Tuesday, February 12.

Since turning pro in November 2010, Melson, who has a record of 10-1-1 with 4 knockouts, donated all of his fight purses. Eleven of his full fight purses went to Justadollarplease.org in support of a pending trial that could potentially cure chronic Spinal Cord Injuries, with the other being donated to a lifelong friend whose son has brain cancer.

In 2011, along with his best friend Christan Zaccagnino, the West Point Graduate created Team Fight to Walk. The team, which has more than 15 fighters helping support the cause in various ways, received mentioned in ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo and the Military Times. With his full-time employer Johnson&Johnson backing his selfless efforts, Melson’s raised more than $100,000 towards the trial.

“This is an incredible honor, but this is not about me,” said Melson, who fights three days before the fundraiser at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. “There are more than 300,000 Americans that suffer from Spinal Cord Injuries on a daily basis that can’t get the help they need in this country.”

“We have no government funding and are doing everything we can to make this trial happen in the immediate future. I appreciate this award and am looking forward to spending time with the NYCSCIA members. More than receiving any award or boxing championship, I want to see my best friend Christan Zaccagnino and every other person that suffers walk again.”

The fundraiser is from 6-10 pm at Slate-NY, located at 54 West 21st Street New York, NY 10010. Tickets to the fundraiser are available on Ticketriver.com/event/5400-9th-annual-mardi-gras-fundraiser.

Tickets for Boyd’s next fight are available at Teamfighttowalk.com. Fans can also buy Team Fight To Walk t-shirts and wrist bands for the next fight from the website, with 100% of profits being donated to Justadollarplease.org. Come wear your t-shirt and bracelet Feb 9th to support The “Rainmaker” and Team Fight To Walk in his quest to be a champion it the ring and cure Spinal Cord Injuries outside of it. All tickets and merchandise purchased will be available at the Barclays Center’s will call window on fight night.

For more information or to make a donation, go to Teamfighttowalk.com.

Cornwall, Ontario, Canada (January 7, 2013) – Junior welterweight sensation Tony “Lighting” Luis has high expectations of where his blossoming career will take him during the next twelve months.

A multi-time Canadian amateur champion and former WBC Continental Americas titlist, Luis’ 2013 begins on January 25 when he battles well-regarded Miguel Gonzalez of Cleveland, OH. The bout takes place on ESPN Friday Night Fights live from the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY and is promoted by Greg Cohen Promotions and Banner Promotions.

Recognized as one of the top young talents in a nation flooded with quality prizefighters, Luis, 15-0 (7 KO’s), destroyed hard-hitting veteran Andres Ledesma last September in his United States debut. The popular 24-year-old is a perfect 4-0 with all 4 wins by knockout since moving up to the junior welterweight division.

Dubbed as “Silky Smooth”, Gonzalez won the 2008 National Amateur Championship in the lightweight division and came close to earning a spot on that year’s Olympic team. As a pro, Gonzalez has an outstanding 20-3 record with 15 knockouts. In his last bout, he dropped a decision to Mike Dallas on EPSN Friday Night Fights.

Regardless of the outcome from Gonzalez’ last fight, Luis expects a tough challenge on the 25th.

“He’s a slick southpaw with a dangerous left hand,” the well-spoken Luis said of Gonzalez. “He’s fought some very tough fighters and won’t be flustered or fazed by anything. Like me, he had a ton of amateur fights against the best competition out there. I’ve got a good game plan and he’ll see what I’m about once we get into the ring.”

In addition, Luis, who lives a few hours north of Turning Stone Casino and has a large fan base in Canada, believes there’ll be a solid turnout for this fight.

“We’re organizing a bus so people from Cornwall can come down to the fight. I’ve got great fans and they really support me. January 25 will be a great night for me and everything will go as expected if I follow the game plan.”

Tickets are available by going to Ticketmaster.com/event/00004983ADD5CF2D?artistid=850878&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=33 and fans can interact with Tony via Facebook at Facebook.com/tony.luis.14.

Dear Friends, Fans and Members of the Media,

As fight night approaches, mixed feelings start to conjure. Unlike many fighters, calm seems to be one of my most prominent feelings. The reason is simple, I am definitely less anxious when fighting at home. I absolutely love the crowd. Their support and presence keeps me calm. There’s just something about fighting in New York that’s exhilarating but comforting. When I’m going into the final round, there isn’t much that can be compared to that energy from the crowd roaring and cheering their hearts out.

Looking back at the Pavlik fight, I’m grateful. Facing Pavlik was an opportunity that I couldn’t have passed up, even with the short notice. That fight was something that made me a better fighter in many aspects. I came into the biggest fight of my career with tons of pressure from the media, an unfamiliar crowd and fighting a top rated former world champ. I learned and will take that experience into every fight.

As far as my job is concerned, recently it has been slower than usual on my ambulance. The irony as I get closer to my fight. I had the common stomach aches, headaches, EDP’s (Emotionally Disturbed Person) and occasional car accidents, luckily with no serious injuries. On a brighter note, Monday (Dec 10) was my last day at work until after the fight. Now instead of going straight to work after the gym and running or doing sprints right after work, I get to relax a little in between. I look forward to really focusing on the fight, getting into beast mode and watching more tape on my upcoming opponent.

The Pacquiao-Marquez fight showed us once again that anything can happen in a great boxing match. With a draw to kick off the trilogy and then two debatable wins for Pacquiao, they felt a fourth would do this duo justice. And it seems to have done just that. One perfectly placed straight right can evidently end everything. I hope Pacquiao recovers from that both physically and mentally. He is a great fighter and I’m optimistic that he will make good decisions going forward with his career. Ultimately, he should enjoy all the money boxing has brought him.

With Christmas approaching I just want to acknowledge all my fans that are coming to support me next Wednesday. As I always say, the fans are much appreciated and a big component to my fight career. Knowing they are there to support, my goal is to always try my best to deliver a crowd pleasing fight. The fact that people are still willing to come out and support me even when holiday season is right around the corner shows the quality of people that are behind me. I am looking forward to seeing and hearing all of my fans and can’t wait for fight night.

As I’m preparing myself for my December 19 showdown against tough contender Otis Griffin, I must admit, there’s always a lot of things on my mind. Those who know me best are aware of my commitment outside of the squared circle as a full time emergency medical technician (EMT) in one of the roughest areas in Brooklyn, NY. During my amateur and professional boxing career, I’ve seen a lot of unbelievable things, but it can’t compare to what my eyes have witnessed during my regular job.

Last week, I had to transport a 2 month baby to the hospital because her father accidentally punched the back of her head while he attempted to hit the mother. Accident or not, this was very difficult to deal with and I truly felt terrible about the situation. I can’t even fathom how traumatic that is for an infant in that environment. My unit had to assist with an emotionally disturbed person (EDP), where a family member called for emergency guidance with somebody acted violently. In situations like these, EMS and NYPD personnel work together to get the patient the care they need.

On Thanksgiving Day, we had a young man, early to mid-40’s, in cardiac arrest who was in a car accident. We don’t know if he went into arrest before or after the crash, all we know is that his heart was not beating. There’s no way to tell in the moment but everyone did what we could to help. Sadly, the young man passed away. It’s moments like these, where I witness some of the worst tragedies firsthand, that make me realize how blessed I am to do what I love; box and help others.

Every day before work, I spend a few hours in the gym preparing for my fight against Otis Griffin. Admittedly, it’s tiring at times to juggle working full time and training for world-class opponents, but I guess my willpower gets me through it (no pun intended). Whether it’s Griffin, Pavlik, Rodriguez or an opponent I’m expect to defeat by an early knockout, I get ready for every fighter as if they’re a world champion.

The most important thing is trying to keep my mind focused on the immediate task and I have a simple formula. When I’m at work,
I work and keep boxing in the back of my mind. While I’m training, my focus is fully on boxing and not the crazy situations I may see later that day.

In some instances, like the Aaron Pryor Jr. fight right into the Kelly Pavlik bout, my captain allowed me to take a lot of my own time. I was able to focus fully on boxing. While I don’t always have the time to take off, I have to adapt. Each morning at 8 AM, I go to the boxing gym or work on strength and conditioning. I have alternating days for both gyms. In some cases, if good sparring is available for certain days, I work it out according.
Either way, I’m grinding at least 6 days a week and that’s what I’m becoming used to.

On December 19, I’m looking forward putting on a great show and plan to provide you with an early Christmas gift; a victory. With that said, I never take fights because it’s an easy win but because it’s a challenge. Griffin’s team made many inquiries about fighting me and I’ll make him regret that. We’ll call it “Seasons Beatings”. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone on fight night.

Sincerely,

Will “Power” Rosinsky
16-2 (9 KO’s)
@Wrosinsky

New York, NY (December 1, 2012) – Captain Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson will receive the Dick Steinberg Good Guy award from the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday, April 21, 2013.

Recognized as boxing’s ultimate humanitarian, Melson’s donated every penny of all 12 fight purses. With 11 of them going to Justadollarplease.org to assist with funding for a pending trial that could potentially cure chronic Spinal Cord Injuries, Melson donated one of his fight purses to his childhood friend to help their family out after hearing about his friend’s son battling brain cancer. In 2011, Melson, who is 10-1-1 with 4 knockouts, created Team Fight to Walk. The team, which helps support the cause either through donations, networking or wearing Team Fight to Walk shirts, has more than 15 fighters on board.

His admirable efforts have been covered by Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Yahoo, The Military Times and NY1 amongst others. Following his last bout, boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions, moved by Melson’s cause, donated to Justadollarplease.org.

“It is touching to experience people taking notice of what I am doing to try to help human beings that are suffering,” exclaimed Melson, a 2005 National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame inductee. “As touching as it is and I do appreciate this award very much so, with total candor I need people to go to this site and donate so that this clinical trial can happen next year- I need this more than awards. So if you are reading this, please show how touched you are by what I am being awarded for by going to justadollarplease.org and donating what you can. If that happens, then the award will be invaluable to me.”

Melson’s next bout takes place Saturday, February 9 at the Barclays Center in his native Brooklyn, NY. More information will be available shortly.

In association with the 501 (C) 3 nonprofit Justadollarplease.org, Melson and his best friend Christan Zaccagnino created Team Fight to Walk, whose mission is to raise awareness within the boxing community as well as the entire nation about the importance of bringing Clinical Trials to the United States to help cure Spinal Cord Injuries. Team Fight to Walk is comprised of Melson, Zaccagnino, former Rutgers football player/ESPY honoree Eric LeGrand, two-time cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham, title contender DeAndre “The Bull” Latimore, Edgar “El Chamaco” Santana, Hector “Machito” Camacho Jr., 2008 US Olympians Demetrius “Boo” Andrade and Shawn Estrada along with prospects Sid “The Messenger” El Harrak, Jeff “TNT” Spencer, Denis “Da Momma’s Boy” Douglin, Will “Power” Rosinsky, Floriano “Italiano” Pagliara, Danny “Little Mac” McDermott, Vinny “The Lion” O’Brien, Ahmed “Prince of Egypt” Samir and Delen “Sniper” Parsley.

For more information or to make a donation, go to teamfighttowalk.com or Justadollarplease.org. All specific questions about the nature of the Clinical Trial to cure Spinal Cord Injury can be sent to boydmelson@yahoo.com.

Baltimore, MD (November 27, 2012) – Baltimore Boxing Promotions and Baltimore Boxing & Fitness Gym are proud to announce the donation of 50 tickets to the American Red Cross of the Chesapeake Region for the Friday, December 7 “Bombs Away on Pearl Harbor Day” card.

“The Red Cross is an amazing organization and I’m proud to do all I can to help them,” said Jake Smith, the event’s promoter who is working with the Red Cross for the second time in 2012. “They reach so many people and their job will never be done. Knowing that the tickets are going to be resold and the money will help others is a feeling like no other.”

Headlined by two title fights, “Bombs Away on Pearl Harbor Day” takes place at the Du Burns Arena in Baltimore, MD on the 71st anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Baltimore Boxing will pay respects to late heavyweight Mike “The American Dream” Dietrich, a beloved local star who tragically passed away in March 2010 at the age of 26. In his honor, the first ever “Mike Dietrich Award” will be awarded to trainer Frank Gilbert and a canned food drive takes place throughout the evening for the church Dietrich attended.

All spectators can also participate in a special silent auction and 50/50 raffle, which will also benefit the Red Cross.

“The American Red Cross worked throughout the holiday weekend providing meals and comfort to people affected by Hurricane Sandy,” said Kristen Duncan, Regional Events and Recognition Coordinator of the American Red Cross’ Chesapeake Region chapter. “On Thanksgiving Day, the Red Cross delivered over 35,000 hot meals to people across New York and New Jersey and supported a wide variety of faith-based and community programs. We thank the American public for their generosity and support of the Red Cross’ response. Their donations are making a difference, enabling us to spend tens of millions of donated dollars providing food, shelter, relief supplies and comfort to people affected by Sandy.”

Tickets for “Bombs Away on Pearl Harbor Day” start at $20 and are available at Baltimoreboxing.com and at the Baltimore Boxing & Fitness Gym. VIP tables are also currently on sale, ranging from $200 to $500. All VIP ticketholders can enjoy free hors d’oeuvres and half priced drinks from 7-8 pm. Doors open at 6:30 and the first bout is scheduled for 8:15.

For more information, go to Baltimoreboxing.com.

Queens, NY (November 21, 2012) – Super middleweight contender Will “Power” Rosinsky of Queens, NY makes his return to the ring Wednesday, December 19 when he faces battle tested contender Otis “Triple OG” Griffin in an eight round featured bout at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.

The winner of Oscar De La Hoya’s “Next Great Champion” TV series, Griffin’s fought some of the top fighters in and around the light heavyweight division including Marcus Oliveira, Yusaf Mack, Danny Green, Jesse Brinkley, Shawn Hawk, Cedric Agnew and Jeff Lacy. The Sacramento, CA native, who played pro football prior to boxing, knocked out former world champion Byron Mitchell in 2010 and has wins over 4 undefeated opponents.

“I’m thrilled about this because his team made numerous inquiries about fighting me,” stated Rosinsky, who works full-time as an EMT for the FDNY. “He’s a very experienced fighter who lost some controversial decisions against world class opponents. Against me, there will be no controversy because the judges won’t be needed!”

Rosinsky, who is amongst the most popular fighters in the New York area, has an excellent 16-2 professional ledger with 9 wins by way of knockout. The 2005 United States Amateur titlist holds impressive wins over Aaron Pryor Jr., Zane Marks and Yasin Rashid. In October 2011, Rosinsky fought on a national stage for the first time, dropping a controversial decision to top-notch Edwin Rodriguez on Showtime.

In his most recent bout, Rosinsky lost a gutsy decision to former undisputed middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik on HBO. Against Pavlik, the popular New Yorker recovered from a flash knockdown to open a cut below Pavlik’s left eye, but ultimately dropped a competitive ten round decision.

“I’m looking forward to returning to the Big Apple,” said Rosinsky, who fought 15 of his 18 bouts in New York City. “I’ve had many good memories here and I’m putting the work in during my training to make sure that the fans will enjoy a great fight on the 19th.”

Tickets are available on Teamfighttowalk.com. All tickets purchased will be available at the will call window on fight night under the credit card holder’s name.

Baltimore, MD (November 10, 2012) – Jake Smith’s Baltimore Boxing Promotions in association with Baltimore Boxing & Fitness hits the Du Burns Arena Friday, December 7 with “Bombs Away on Pearl Harbor Day,” a special tribute card loaded with matches featuring the best local boxers.

Taking place on the 71st anniversary of Pearl Harbor, Baltimore Boxing will honor the late Mike “The American Dream” Dietrich, a beloved local star who tragically passed away in March 2010 at the age of 26. In his honor, the first ever “Mike Dietrich Award” is being presented to legendary boxing trainer Frank Gilbert and a canned food drive takes place throughout the evening for the church Dietrich attended.

“This is going to be one of my most memorable nights in boxing,” said Smith, who trained and promoted Dietrich. “Mike was not only one of my favorite fighters, he was a close friend and the kid had a heart of gold. I’ve wanted to do something like this for awhile and there’s no better place to give an award in his honor than in the same building he had some of his most memorable moments in.”

Topping the fight card is a highly-anticipated matchup between Maryland State and East Coast Middleweight titlist Jerome Featherstone of Baltimore and Salisbury’s Maynard Sterling. A local high school wrestling legend that starred at the University of Oklahoma, Featherstone’s unbeaten in the ring and continues to improve rapidly at the Baltimore Boxing & Fitness Gym. A veteran of 40 fights, Sterling competed in national tournaments and is a former Metro titlist.

The co-featured bout of the evening pits Baltimore native Jamal Dyer vies for the East Coast Welterweight belt when he challenges Jeffrey Rodriguez of Lancaster, PA.

Additional bouts featuring top local fighters will be added shortly.

For the second time in 2012, Baltimore Boxing is proudly teaming up with the American Red Cross Gala of the Chesapeake Region to help with relief efforts. A special silent auction will take place throughout the evening along with a 50/50 raffle, with all proceeds going to the Red Cross.

“The American Red Cross is deeply appreciative of the public’s interest in our work, particularly surrounding the disaster relief operations for Hurricane Sandy,” said Kristen Duncan, Regional Events & Recognition Coordinator for the American Red Cross of the Chesapeake Region. “We are so fortunate to be part of a community that is called to act when others are in need. Baltimore Boxing has been great to work with and we are looking forward to a great event. They are helping us gain exposure with new audiences and bringing our mission to the forefront of their organization. We could not be more grateful of their support.”

Tickets for “Bombs Away on Pearl Harbor Day” start at $20 and are available at Baltimoreboxing.com and at the Baltimore Boxing & Fitness Gym. VIP tables are also currently on sale, ranging from $200 to $500. All VIP ticketholders can enjoy free hors d’oeuvres and half priced drinks from 7-8 pm. Doors open at 6:30 and the first bout is scheduled for 8:15.

Junior Middleweight Captain Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson, a West Point graduate and Army Reserve Officer, was featured in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated. The New York native donates all of his fight purses to justadollarplease.org, a 501(C)(3), to help support bringing trials to the United States to cure Spinal Cord Injuries. Melson, 10-1-1 (4 KO’s), also started Team Fight to Walk, a team of pro fighters that also support the cause through social media, word of mouth and personal donations amongst other ways. Currently, more than 300,000 Americans, including 40,000 veterans, suffer from serious Spinal Cord Injuries and are unable to get the care they need in the US.

I am privileged to be able to spend my ordinary life sharing the stories of extraordinary people,” said Bryan Graham, who wrote the story for Sports Illustrated. “Few if any of those figures are more exceptional than Boyd Melson. In an age of perfunctory, hands-off athlete philanthropy, Melson’s mission in the cruelest sport — where one punch can take your life — represents the pinnacle of selflessness. He is not the first sportsman to be driven by a higher calling, but how many have given so completely and without pretense? What he’s done and continues to do is reshaping our idea of a professional athlete.”

For more information, go to justadollarplease.org or teamfighttowalk.com.

New York, NY (October 24, 2012) – Although he’ll go down in history as a member of the first fight ever at the Barclays Center in his native Brooklyn, NY, Captain Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson left the ring last Saturday night a frustrated fighter.

“I won this fight at worst 4 rounds to 2 with the mutual knockdowns canceling each other out,” the West Point graduate said of his six round junior middleweight bout with rugged veteran Jason Thompson. “I got caught early on in a round that I was winning before I got knocked down and won the rest of after. Additionally, I controlled the ring generalship.”

With close to 300 fans cheering him on, Melson got off to a rough start, suffering a knockdown during the first stanza. After retaking control in the second round, Melson stormed back in the third, decking Thompson with a hard hook immediately followed by a straight left, but was unable to finish his game foe off. During the final three rounds, Thompson landed a few hard clean punches each round while Melson continued to connect with a significantly higher volume of more visibly effective punches. He also demonstrated a better level of conditioning down the stretch by finishing strong.

Thompson continued to fight Melson hard despite receiving more punishment as the final round came to a close for the two New Yorkers. Virtually all of the ringside media members believed Melson’s consistency in pressing the fight and landing significantly higher visibly effective blows throughout the bout clearly earned him the victory.

After six exciting rounds to kick off a historic evening of boxing, all three judges scored the bout 56-56.

“I’m very upset with the decision,” stated Melson, who fought three times since August, all while working a fulltime job for Johnson&Johnson and serving as an Army Reserve Officer. “There was maybe one round outside of the first that I could’ve given to him, so that’d make it 4 rounds to 2 in my favor. This is one of my most frustrating moments in professional boxing, but I am sure I will have more. Most important, I need to keep working harder to ensure I am doing all I possibly can to not leave any doubt in the judges eyes as to my earning a clear victory.”

Even with the draw, the popular Brooklynite recognized there were some good things that came out of the evening.

“On the contrary, there were many positives tonight. I was blessed with the opportunity to be a part of history and there were a lot of people who wanted to speak to me about what I fight for. Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions were extremely generous to not only allow me to fight on their card, but to match my purse by personally donating to Justadollarplease.org. I loved fighting at the Barclays Center and hope to be on another card in the near future. I also had one of the most special moments of my life when my best friend Christan Zaccagnino, who is my inspiration for what I do, wheel in her chair down the aisle with me as I walked to the ring for my bout. I will never forget that moment.”

Melson, one of the most popular local fighters in the New York area, will take a brief break from boxing after fighting seven times since October 2011.

In association with the 501 (C) 3 nonprofit Justadollarplease.org, Melson and his best friend Christan Zaccagnino created Team Fight to Walk, whose mission is to raise awareness within the boxing community as well as the entire nation about the importance of bringing Clinical Trials to the United States to help cure Spinal Cord Injuries. Team Fight to Walk is comprised of Melson, Zaccagnino, former Rutgers football player/ESPY honoree Eric LeGrand, two-time cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham, title contender DeAndre “The Bull” Latimore, Edgar “El Chamaco” Santana, Hector “Machito” Camacho Jr., 2008 US Olympians Demetrius “Boo” Andrade and Shawn Estrada along with prospects Sid “The Messenger” El Harrak, Jeff “TNT” Spencer, Denis “Da Momma’s Boy” Douglin, Will “Power” Rosinsky, Floriano “Italiano” Pagliara, Danny “Little Mac” McDermott, Vinny “The Lion” O’Brien, Ahmed “Prince of Egypt” Samir and Delen “Sniper” Parsley.

New York, NY (October 18, 2012) – With four world title bouts scheduled and an undercard stacked with elite talent kicking off boxing’s debut at the Barclays Center, Captain Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson understands they’ll be a ton of people watching him Saturday evening. Additionally, Golden Boy Promotions Founder and boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya announced that he’s personally contributing to Justadollarplease.org, the charity Melson’s donated all of his fight purses to.

“There’s definitely a lot of pressure on me for this fight but I’m far more excited than nervous, especially after Oscar announced at the press conference that he’s helping Justadollarplease.org,” said Melson, who twice fought on big cards headlined by world title matchups. “This is something different than ever before because I’m going to be a part of history and people have been talking about the first fight card at the Barclays Center as long as I can remember.”

To ensure he’s sharp as a razor inside the squared circle, Melson returned to the gym just three days after dominating Yolexcy Leiva on September 22. Against Leiva, Melson displayed drastic improvements from his prior bout, but knows he’ll have to be even better when he fights in front of a packed house in his native Brooklyn.

“It’s an honor to be fighting on the same night as some of the sport’s top talents,” said Melson, who attended Brooklyn Technical High School, which is a five minute walk from the Barclays Center. “There are a lot of people coming to see me fight and all of the other fighters on the card have large fan bases too. I can’t wait to go out and give the fans a great performance. I’ve never been this excited before!”

Melson battles tough New Yorker Jason Thompson, who fought six undefeated opponents, and his full fight purse will once again go to Justadollarplease.org to support bringing clinical trials to the United States to help cure Spinal Cord Injuries.

In association with the 501 (C) 3 nonprofit Justadollarplease.org, Melson and his best friend Christan Zaccagnino created Team Fight to Walk, whose mission is to raise awareness within the boxing community as well as the entire nation about the importance of bringing Clinical Trials to the United States to help cure Spinal Cord Injuries. Team Fight to Walk is comprised of Melson, Zaccagnino, former Rutgers football player/ESPY honoree Eric LeGrand, two-time cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham, title contender DeAndre “The Bull” Latimore, Edgar “El Chamaco” Santana, Hector “Machito” Camacho Jr., 2008 US Olympians Demetrius “Boo” Andrade and Shawn Estrada along with prospects Sid “The Messenger” El Harrak, Jeff “TNT” Spencer, Denis “Da Momma’s Boy” Douglin, Will “Power” Rosinsky, Floriano “Italiano” Pagliara, Danny “Little Mac” McDermott, Vinny “The Lion” O’Brien, Ahmed “Prince of Egypt” Samir and Delen “Sniper” Parsley.

For more information or to make a donation, go to teamfighttowalk.com or Justadollarplease.org. All specific questions about the nature of the Clinical Trial to cure Spinal Cord Injury can be sent to boydmelson@yahoo.com.

Baltimore, MD (October 16, 2012) – Jake Smith’s Baltimore Boxing Promotions is proud to announce that they’ve donated a first row VIP table to students from Perry Hall High School for this Saturday’s “Bully Beatdown” fight card at the Du Burns Arena.

On August 27, tragedy struck at Perry Hall when 15-year-old sophomore Robert Gladden Jr. opened fire inside the cafeteria, wounding a special needs student before being subdued by two teachers. Gladden Jr., who reportedly did not have a specific target, was bullied by classmates and had 11 guns at his nearby home.

“When I first heard about the Perry Hall shooting, I was sick to my stomach,” stated Smith, who also donated to the American Breast Cancer Foundation and American Red Cross Gala of Central Maryland earlier this year. “I have a daughter that goes to school in the Baltimore area and it scares me knowing that she could’ve been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Bullying in our schools is a serious issue and the victims need to know that there is help out there because we need to avoid issues like this at all costs. The anti-bullying movement is more important now than ever before and I want to do whatever I can to make a difference!”

All of the guests from Perry Hall will be seated ringside for a special evening of Olympic-style boxing and anti-bullying awareness. All “Bully Beatdown” attendees are going to receive informal pamphlets about stopping bullying and a number of local pro fighters will speak to the crowd about the issue throughout the evening.

Advanced general admission tickets for $20, floor seating at $30 and VIP seats for $50 are available by calling 410-375-9175 or logging onto BaltimoreBoxing.com. All VIP ticketholders can enjoy free hors d’oeuvres and half priced drinks from 7-8 pm.

VIP ticketholders also have exclusive access to meet and greet five-time world champion and boxing great Vinny Paz, the event’s special guest attendee. Paz, who participated many of the most exciting fights in boxing history, defeated the likes of Hall of Famer Roberto Duran (twice), Lloyd Honeyghan, Gilbert Dele, Greg Haugen and Dana Rosenblatt among others.

Headlining the card is a three round East Coast Middleweight Championship matchup between surging star and former University of Oklahoma wrestling standout Jerome Featherstone of Baltimore and Keith Samuels.

In supporting bouts, junior welterweight Alex Livichuzhca meets Jose Cabb for Baltimore bragging rights. Former Penn State Boxing captain AJ Williams meets Bobby Sha of York, PA in a middleweight contest. Former Detroit Tigers prospect Ryan Roberson of Silver Spring, MD makes his debut against Mike Lloyd in a heavyweight contest and a number of other local are scheduled to fight on the card.

Doors for “Bully Beatdown” open at 6:30 pm and the first bout is scheduled for 8:15.

New York, NY (October 15, 2012) – Captain Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson of New York City by way of Brooklyn, NY will challenge fellow New Yorker Jason Thompson in a six round junior middleweight contest Saturday, October 20 on the inaugural fight card at the Barclays Center.

The heavy-handed Thompson fought a number of quality fighters, including contenders Jonathan Gonzalez and Mike Jones, 2008 US Olympian Sadam Ali and junior middleweight prospect Steve Martinez. Although his official professional ledger is 5-6-1 with 4 knockouts, Thompson’s anything but a safe opponent. Thompson owns two first round stoppages against previously unbeaten opponents and fought a total of six undefeated fighters.

“Thompson’s fought a lot of top guys and he’s not just coming for the paycheck,” said Melson, who is less than a month removed from an impressive victory over Yolexcy Leiva. “He’s also from New York and there’s a ton of pride involved when two guys from the same area face one another. I expect him to have a lot of people in the arena that will be rooting against me and that’s not something I’m accustomed to.”

Since turning pro in November 2010, the West Point graduate’s won 10 of his 11 bouts, displaying solid boxing skills along with good power in both hands. Although he’s won most of his fights handily, Melson recognizes that he’s got to keep improving with every performance.

“A lot of people told me my last fight was my best as a pro,” said Melson, who was selected as an alternate for the 2008 Olympics. “There are still things I’m working on and plan to showcase against Thompson. He’s a very tough opponent regardless of what his record is and I’m expecting a solid challenge on Saturday evening.”

Tickets to the first ever boxing card at the brand new Barclays Center are available on Teamfighttowalk.com. The website also has t-shirts and wristbands on sale, with 100% of the money (along with Melson’s entire fight purse) going to Justadollarplease.org to support bringing trials to the United States to cure Spinal Cord Injuries.

In association with the 501 (C) 3 nonprofit Justadollarplease.org, Melson and his best friend Christan Zaccagnino created Team Fight to Walk, whose mission is to raise awareness within the boxing community as well as the entire nation about the importance of bringing Clinical Trials to the United States to help cure Spinal Cord Injuries. Team Fight to Walk is comprised of Melson, Zaccagnino, former Rutgers football player/ESPY honoree Eric LeGrand, two-time cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham, title contender DeAndre “The Bull” Latimore, Edgar “El Chamaco” Santana, Hector “Machito” Camacho Jr., 2008 US Olympians Demetrius “Boo” Andrade and Shawn Estrada along with prospects Sid “The Messenger” El Harrak, Jeff “TNT” Spencer, Denis “Da Momma’s Boy” Douglin, Will “Power” Rosinsky, Floriano “Italiano” Pagliara, Danny “Little Mac” McDermott, Vinny “The Lion” O’Brien, Ahmed “Prince of Egypt” Samir and Delen “Sniper” Parsley.

For more information or to make a donation, go to teamfighttowalk.com or Justadollarplease.org. All specific questions about the nature of the Clinical Trial to cure Spinal Cord Injury can be sent to boydmelson@yahoo.com.

Tacoma, WA (September 25, 2012) – The “CageSport XXI” card will air on ROOT SPORTS Friday, October 5 from 10-11 pm, Friday, October 12 midnight-1 am and Sunday, October 21 11 pm-midnight.

The card takes place Saturday evening at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma. Doors open at 6 and the first fight is at 7.

With a total of ten professional bouts scheduled, “CageSport XXI” features five undefeated fighters including Brent Knopp, Brandon Dudley, Emmanuel Sanchez, Jacob Boysen and Julian Erosa, along with stars such as Brandon Pitts, Sean Villalva and Ryan Mulvihill.

In addition to an exciting night of action, fans will be treated to expert commentary from a special trio of broadcasters.

The always-entertaining Danny Bonaduce became a star during his childhood as a member of the hit TV show The Partridge Family. Bonaduce participated in several celebrity boxing events, competing against famed attorney Robert Shapiro, actor Barry Williams of the Brady Bunch and former MLB MVP Jose Canseco, who was 100 lbs heavier and 1 foot taller than him. Bonaduce can currently be heard during morning drive time on Seattle’s KZOK 102.5 FM in Seattle and is a part of the hit TV series World’s Dumbest.

Known for his unbelievable MMA knowledge, Jeff Osborne is a former UFC announcer who later played an integral part in the rise of women’s MMA. In addition to being involved in early matches of Frank Mir, Mike Brown and Jon Fitch, Osborne promoted the first ever all-female MMA card in 2002, drawing more than 1,800 fans.

Ironically, future Fighter of the Year and two-time world champion Miesha “Cupcake” Tate was one of the bouts featured on Osborne’s all-female card. Born and bred in Tacoma, Tate’s match with Rhonda Rousey on the Showtime Network was the most watched women’s fight in history.

“I’m very happy ROOT SPORTS is going to play the fights on three separate occasions,” said promoter Brian Halquist of Halquist Productions. “We have a lot of hardcore fight fans who’ve been waiting for something like this for awhile and I believe they’ll tune in to watch the best fighters that CageSport has to offer.”

Tickets are available on ticketmaster.com or by going to the Emerald Queen box office. For more information and the latest updates, go to Halquistproductions.com or http://www.facebook.com/pages/CageSport-MMA/188915101800

New York, NY (September 25, 2012) – Less than three days after soundly defeating Yolexcy Leiva, popular junior middleweight Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson is preparing for his next challenge.

On October 20, Melson will fight in a six round bout against an opponent to be named as part of a historic card at the brand new Barclays Center in his hometown of Brooklyn, NY. With four world title fights, an undercard stacked with top-tier talent and a sellout crowd expected, the West Point Graduate is fighting on the biggest platform of his career. In the aforementioned bout against Leiva, Melson received praise for making noticeable improvements, but knows he still has a lot of things to work on.

“There are still plenty of adjustments I have to make to be at the high level I was during my amateur career,” said Melson, who in addition to having a 10-1 professional ledger, works full time for Johnson&Johnson and is an active Army Reserve Officer. “With the proximity of this bout to my one last weekend, there’s no time for rest. This is a huge card and one of the most anticipated in recent memory. I must make a strong statement in this fight because it will undoubtedly lead to bigger and better things.”

Melson’s opponent will be announced shortly.

Tickets for Melson’s fight starting at $56 are available on Teamfighttowalk.com and must be ordered by October 14. Melson’s entire fight purse will be donated to Justadollarplease.org to support brining a trial to America to help cure Chronic Spinal Cord Injuries.

In association with the 501 (C) 3 nonprofit Justadollarplease.org, Melson and his best friend Christan Zaccagnino created Team Fight to Walk, whose mission is to raise awareness within the boxing community as well as the entire nation about the importance of bringing Clinical Trials to the United States to help cure Spinal Cord Injuries. Team Fight to Walk is comprised of Melson, Zaccagnino, former Rutgers football player/ESPY honoree Eric LeGrand, two-time cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham, title contender DeAndre “The Bull” Latimore, Edgar “El Chamaco” Santana, Hector “Machito” Camacho Jr., 2008 US Olympians Demetrius “Boo” Andrade and Shawn Estrada along with prospects Sid “The Messenger” El Harrak, Jeff “TNT” Spencer, Denis “Da Momma’s Boy” Douglin, Will “Power” Rosinsky, Floriano “Italiano” Pagliara, Danny “Little Mac” McDermott, Vinny “The Lion” O’Brien, Ahmed “Prince of Egypt” Samir and Delen “Sniper” Parsley.

For more information or to make a donation, go to teamfighttowalk.com or Justadollarplease.org. All specific questions about the nature of the Clinical Trial to cure Spinal Cord Injury can be sent to boydmelson@yahoo.com.