Friday, September 28, 2007

Dave Tiberi TNT Productions at Delaware Park 09-26-07

Click here to leave a comment

Photos by Mike "Teek " McGuigan

The First State brought the fights outdoors to Delaware Park along the race track and and Dave Tiberi of TNT Productions turned in a card filled with competitive fights, accurate scoring as advertised and a huge upset. There was a light mist in the air to go along with the perfect temperature and while causing a bit of a damp canvas, it was a great experience. Boxing outdoors, you just gotta love it! The majority of the crowd came to see local fighters Larry "Laser" Marks, Ryan Belasco and Richard Stewart. When it was all said and done, a couple of throughbreds pulled up lame on the track and it was the experienced war horses Dhafir Smith, Damon Antoine & Shannon Miller who ended up stealing the show. Prior to the fights, there were tributes to members of Delawares boxing past, all branches of the US Military and also a $10,000 donation to the Delaware Police Athletic League. If you are the type who likes to do a little gambling on the slots, horses or just looking to do some golfing check out Delaware Park. It looks like it could be a nice surprise.

Chucky Cavallo...vs...Shannon Miller
Trenton, NJ...........Mississippi
16 - 0, 6ko's.........22 - 37, 16ko's

In the Main Event, "The Italian Assassin" Chucky Cavallo came in for what was thought to be a tune up to prepare for his PA State Title fight against Richard Stewart. His opponent for the night Shannon "Trouble" Miller should now go the the nickname of the "Bad Mechanic" because this fight went terribly wrong. Miller scored 3 knockdowns in the first, all with two punch combinations upstairs as Cavallo did not use his far superior reach. In between knockdowns Cavallo did manage to land a good straight right which Miller shook off and went back to business. New cornerman "Terrible" Tim Witherspoon was screaming at ringside for Cavallo to at first get his hands up and then later in the roundto tie up Miller and buy himself some time. Cavallo was foggy but heeded the last bit of advice and managed to survive the round. Not even the great Teddy Atlas could said anything between rounds to delay the eventual outcome. Miller just seemed to have his number on this night and wasted no time finishing the job :23 into the second round. The Cavallo team was shocked. In what was supposed to be easy work against an opponent with 37 losses turns out to be a disaster. Now, the big money title fight against Richard Stewart along with his undefeated record are gone. Will the 21 year old Italian Assassin bounce back from his first career loss? Time will tell, stay tuned. Give props to Shannon Miller too for knowing he was up against an up and coming prospect and not backing down one bit. This was a true boxing surprise.



Richard Stewart...vs....Jake Rodriguez
Delaware................North Philly

In the co-feature, Richard Stewart, also getting ready for the title fight against Cavallo, got a good nights work and won a unanimous decision over a game Jake Rodriguez. It was a little slow in the beginning but soon broke down into a steady, bang it out kind of fight with Stewart always seeming to do a little more in the trenches. That's no knock on Rodriguez who would sit in the pocket, take Stewarts best punch and yell at him to "come on!" before delivering some blows of his own. It was a tough, slippery affair as both guys threw some heavy bombs.

In the first, Jake the Snake moved around the ring and Stewart tried to stalk him down where both guys seemed to feel each other out. The Snake tied to open it up in the second throwing hard right hands but missing the mark. Stewart happily obliged and threw hard rights of his own, landing a little more. Things started to get busy in the third when the mist got heavy. Rodriquez trainer Billy Briscoe was spirited in the red corner screaming for "The Stick" & "The Sleeper". The fight soon ended up in the corner where they fought it out highlighted by an excellent straight left that intercepted a Stewart bomb and knocking him off balance. Things stayed the same in the 4th & 5th where Stewart seemed to land the cleaner punches as both fighters stayed in close. In the final round, things went from a tough boxing match to a good tussle though both fighters kept it clean and no fouls were called. It went to the cards and all 3 judges saw it in favor of Stewart 60 - 54 x2 and 58 - 56. I also agree with the 58 - 56 judge.




Dhafir Smith.....vs....Larry Marks
Upper Darby............Delaware
18-16-5, 4ko's.........29-9-1, 16ko's

This one was a nice battle of two experienced pros as the WBF Super Middleweight champ Dhafir "No Fear" Smith took on former world title contender Larry "Laser" Marks in the Laser's own backyard. The early portion of the fight was a jab fest with the first three rounds being ones which could go either way. Dhafir showed a good, straight jab while Marks was doubling it lightly and throwing it from a lot of different angels. The jabs got harder come the 3rd round and in the 4th, both men started putting some steam behind it. That is when the mouthpieces started to fly out and noses started to drip blood. Dhafir scored a knockdown with a quick left hook in the 4th but Marks didn't seem too hurt by it. Marks bounced back to win the 5th as he stayed busy and finished the round with three hard straight rights. The 6th was a slow one butNo Fear started off the 6th strong with a crisp right that landed right on the button. Marks was hurt and the wily veteran knew it would be in his best interest to take a knee. This move paid even more dividends as Dhafir's aggression got the best of him because he kept punching after the kneel down, thus causing referee Steve Smoger to deduct a point from Smith. This extra lumping might have hurt Marks momentarily but in the scope of things, it actually saved him from taking a loss in the fight as the point proved to be pivitol in the final score. After taking a thumping early in the round, Marks regrouped and actually started to take back control towards the end. It was close down the stretch and both guys went head hunting to try to finish it to no avail. Overall it was a good, solid back and forth fight which went to the cards and they read 76 - 73 Dhafir, 77-73 Marks and 75-75 for the draw. I saw it 75 -74 for Dhafir. Dhafir, if you happen to read this get at me, i'd like to do an interview.




Ryan Belasco....vs....Damon Antoine
Delaware..............Akron, Ohio

"The Mailman" Damon Antoine has appeared in our area plenty of times in the past, usually taking the job against an up and comer with a promotional backing. On this night, he had an in ring metamorphosis and fought with a fire under his ass after Ryan Belasco gave his eye a good swelling in the first round. Belasco looked to be en route to an easy win after one, but once Antoine realized the severity of the injury, The Mailman manned up and fought like a true warrior for the remainder to get a very impressive win. This turned out to be the fight of the night as both fighters were willing to exchange but Antoine gave out the better leather. I hope to see Antone fight like this more often when he is matched up against another prospect with a flossy record. Belasco also seems to have the potential to make some exciting fights if the gas tank is fueled up beforehand.







Durrell Martin....vs.....Elias Castillo
Baltimore,MD.............Brooklyn, NY
PRO DEBUT................0-1

Former Eastern Regional amateur champion Durrell Martin was successful in his pro debut taking a unanimous decision over a willing Elias Castillo. Martin started out throwing some very wide punches early as Castillo hung around inside and threw bombs that barely missed their mark. Late in the 1st, Martin caught Castillo with a short left which sent Castillo on his backside. Around the third round, Martin began to settle down, straightened out his punches and used the ring put his punches togehter much better than he was earlier in the fight. Congrats to Durrell Martin on getting that first win by scores of 40 - 35, 39 - 36 x2





Manuel Guzman....vs....Gerald Jordan
Lancaster, PA..........New York
3-4, 2ko's.............3-1. 3ko's

In a solid four rounder to open the night, Manuel Guzman and Gerald Jordan fought to a majority draw. Jordan was on top of things early as he slipped a lot of Guzman's punches ala his trainer Pernell Whitaker did back in the day. In the second, it was evident Sweat Pea hasn't shown him all the moves yet because Guzman was able to bare down and put the pressure on Jordan, landing some of his trademark big right hands. Guzman had a strong third round as well and Jordan looked like he might be wearing out. The fight hung in the balance in the 4th and Guzman's trainer Terry Nye told his guy "it is time to go be a man, go out there and get the win". Sweat Pea was heard in the opposite corner screaming "It's our time, you take control of this fight!" In the end it was a close round that could have gone either way. The cards read 39 - 37 Jordan but the other two judges over ruled with scores of 38 - 38 for the majority draw.









If you have any questions, comments or suggestions you can email Philly Keith at keith@phillykeith.com

Go to www.phillykeith.com for up to the minute info on the Philly boxing scene

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Yorgey to fight Medina at The Blue 10-12-07

Click here to leave a comment on this fight

It is going to be sizzlin again at the Blue Horizon on October 12th and this time because pound for pound stalwart Harry Joe Yorgey will fight against Jose "El Macho" Medina in a 10 round junior middleweight showdown to headline the card. Yorgey is itching to get back into the ring and make it a perfect 20 to start a career while Medina needs to bounce back strong after being upset at The New Alhambra in July.

Yorgey (19-0, 9ko's)of Bridgeport, PA is 2 - 0 in 2007, the first win coming by way of blowout over James Wayka late in the first round and followed up with a strong, workman like effort against Edson Aguirre of Mexico. Medina (14-10, 10ko's) is no stranger to tough comptetion, splitting his time between Philly and the road usually to take on a legitimate prospect. He has also fought twice in '07 going 1 - 1 first by winning a unanimous decision over his unrelated namesake Jose "Stinger" Media but was upset in a split decision by Mustapha Johnson in a ruling that many dispute.

It is a fight both men need, Yorgey is on the cusp of making that leap to the next level and with a strong performance, it will be offical that he is long overdue for a big stage fight. Since turning pro 2002, he has gained a big fan following due to his war time mentality and his high octane offense. Around this time last year Yorgey kicked into a high gear and put out some of the best action fights in recent memory. Though Medina lost his last fight, he is not one to take lightly. He's faced the better competition and has knockout power. His big hooks and body punching are always a factor and when knocks them down, they usually stay down. If he comes in shape like he did against Miguel Figueroa, we could be a gem of a fight. If not, it will probably be curtains early. Bottom line, we have two guys here who like to fight and it should be good while it lasts.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions you can email Philly Keith at keith@phillykeith.com

Go to www.phillykeith.com for up to the minute info on the Philly boxing scene

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Power Productions at the Wachovia Spectrum 10-19-07

Click here to comment on the fight!


Greg Robinson, CEO of Power Productions ups the anti and is proud to announce that will move his next card to the Wachovia Spectrum on October 19th. The night will be a Power Productions & Sports Extreme collaboration to celebrate 40 years of boxing at the Spectrum and tickets go on sale this Thursday. Robinson assures us that he is bringing one of the best fight cards in the city and he is starting off strong by signing two great fights. The first is a highly anticipated heavyweight dustup when Dave Brunelli goes head to head against Mark "Oaktree" Brown in a battle putting two of the areas best heavyweights together. Mark "Oaktree" Brown has been sidelined for a little while but is riding a two fight win streak of his own which started when he beat the lunch out of Charles Brown at The National Guard Armory in what should have been ruled a knockout. He took matters into his own hands next time out when he knocked out the Staff Sergeant Sam Brown in 3 at The Blue. The Big Ticket from Mayfair has been on a roll this summer scoring two very impressive victories, first by beating the man who beat the man when he dismantled Aaron Lyons at The Blue Horizon in June. Brunelli followed that victory up with a strong performance at the National Guard Armory against Michigan's Mike Jones in a one sided decision. Both sides are predicting knockout and the fans are split right down the middle. They ask can Brunelli take Oaktree's punch, can Oaktree last the 6 round distance? We will see....

It doesn;t stop there because "The Italian Assassin" Chucky Cavallo continues to step up the comeptition and this time he will face Richard Stewart (brother of No Joke and good fighter in his own rite) over 8 rounds of Light Heavyweight action for the PA State Title. Cavallo has been making a steady climb over the past year, most recently winning on ESPN Friday Night Fights over old war horse Marlon Hayes. Prior to that, Cavallo has been piling up the knockouts most notable against Andre Hemphill. Stewart gets the title shot more on name value than recent performance but it still by no means a fighter to take lightly. In his past three outings, Stewart is 1 - 2 taking a KO loss to William Gill, a fighter Cavallo has beaten 3 times then rebounding to score an impressive knock out over James North before falling victim to a home cooked decision when he lost to Mike Pachall. It is the upstart against the veteran putting in two guys who falt out just like to fight. It should be good while it lasts.

The undercard is still being worked. Stay tuned for more info.


If you have any questions, comments or suggestions you can email Philly Keith at keith@phillykeith.com

Go to www.phillykeith.com for up to the minute info on the Philly boxing scene

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Abell takes out Warner at the Blue 09-07-07

Click to comment on the fights

photos by Mike McGuigan

It was another shirt drencher at The Blue Horizon this weekend which was the home of an 8 fight card which can be best described as competitively mismatched. On a card that had its ups and downs, the fans were treated to a couple of chin checking knockouts and saw some young fighters who have potential to climb the ladder in the future. In the Main Event, Joey Abell returned to his home away from home to take on West Philly's Levon Warner in what was supposed to be an 8 round fight. Brick City upstart Alex Perez made the trip down I-95 to put his undefeated record on the line against cagey ring veteran Darien Ford. Jules Blackwell looked to make a pound for pound list statement in his fight against Joe Rosa of the Bronx. Gee Culmer stayed busy against James North in 6 round middleweight bout. SSG Sam Brown returned to The Blue to prepare for a 3rd tour of duty against undefeated heavyweight Ran Nakash. Two young Philly kids got it on when Paul Fernandez and Jonathan Ocassio stepped into the ring for a scheduled four rounder. Steve Chambers returned to the ring after 9 months off to take on Jason Jordan who has lost to some of our best in the past. Naji Murray looked to start his career 2 – 0 against Jeremy Lester of Ohio. In between fights, Steve “USS” Cunningham was honored for recently winning the IBF Cruiserweight title. The fights were brought to you by Promoter Vernoca L. Michael and matchmaker Don Elbaum and can be seen on Comcast Sports Net in October.

Click to comment on this fight

Heavyweight Division
Joey Abell...vs...Levon Warner
Minnesota.........West Philly
16 - 1, 16ko's....6-4-1, 1ko

On paper, it was Minnesota Ice against the West Philly bad boy, southpaw against southpaw, the youngbuck against the veteran. In the ring it was completely one sided ironing as Abell smoked Warner out of there at 2:53 in the 1st round. Warner stormed out of the gate and tried to bring the fight right to the Minnesota lumberjack. This won him, oh, the first 20 seconds of the fight. After the inital rush, Abell settled in and used a jab for once which set up a traumatizing left hook that knocked Warner down very hard. To Warner's credit he got back to his feet but was visibly dazed. Abell finished it off with a sizzling 3 punch combo seconds later. Miraculously, Warner was able to walk out on his own after the fight ended.

It was an exciting win no doubt, but is he ever going to avenge that loss to Arron Lyons?

Winner by TKO - Joey Abell who improves to 17 - 1, 17ko's




Click to comment on this fight

Heavyweight Division
Alex Perez...vs...Darien Ford
Newark, NJ........New Oreleans
8-0, 6ko's........11-14, 4ko

In the co-feature, "The Brick City Bullet" Alex Perez and Darien Ford played really rough for the better part of two rounds until a hip toss which was somehow ruled an accidental foul left Ford on the canvas unable to continue resulting in a No Contest. This seemed to be a little bit of payback because Ford gave Perez two bad cuts early in the fight. Hopefully there will be a rematch, Ford was definitely showing that he is much better than his 11 - 14 record and ready to give Perez a stiff test.



Click to comment on this fight

Heavyweight Division
Naji Murray...vs...Jeremy Lester
Philly.............Akron, Ohio
1-0................1-1-1, 1ko

Naji Murray made Jeremy "Big Gun" Lester look like a tiny water pistol by scoring a huge knockout win early in the 1st round. In this 58 second fight, Murray scored his first knockdown with a big left hook to the ear. Lester got up but didn;t learn his lesson as he got clubbed with about 6 more big left hooks to the ear, the last of which polished Lester off and left him down for much longer than the needed 10 count.

With the win, Naji Murray climbs to 2 - 0.



Click to comment on this fight

Featherweight Division
Jules Blackwell...vs...Joe Rosa
Phoenixville, PA.......Bronx, NY
4-0, 2KO'S.............1-0-1,

Jules Blackwell started off a little slow but came on nicely down the stretch taking a unanimous decision win over Joe Rosa by scores of 40 - 36 across the board. After the second, Jules was 2 steps ahead of Rosa working upstairs and downstairs, mixing in good footwork to avoid being hit by anything Rosa threw.

With the win, Jules Blackwell raises his record to 5 - 0.





Click to comment on this fight

Middleweight Division
Gee Culmer...vs...James North
Phiadelphia.......Weston, WV
10 - 1, 3ko's.....8-17-2, 3ko's

Gee Culmer won in typicial Gee Culmer fashion, and he was in James North's chest like a heart surgeon. "The Thoroughbred" worked hard to the body and mixed in uppercuts at short range for just about every minute of the fight. North hung in there for the duration but he output was about 1/4th of what Gee gave him.

With the win, Gee Culmer climbs to 11 - 1.



Click to comment on this fight

Heavyweight Division
Ran Nakash...vs...Sam Brown
Haifa, Israel.....Ft CamPbell,KY
8-0, 5ko's........4-2, 2ko

Ran Nakash took a unanimous decision win over SSG Sam Brown by scores of 40 - 36 x2 and 39 - 37. SSG Brown gave good work to Nakash early showing off some technical ability, catching Nakash with jabs and moving out of range before fire could be returned. The fight started to break down in the second with both fighters staying on the inside trading short rights and lefts. Ran came alive in the third and forth landing solid straight rights and uppercuts upstairs as Brown started to wear down. With the win Nakash moves to 9 - 0. Now does he fight the winner of Brunelli vs Oaktree?

With the win, Ran Nakash is now 9 -0.




Click to comment on this fight

Heavyweight Division
Paul Fernandez...vs...Jonathan Ocassio
Philly................Philly
1-0-1, 1ko............pro debut

This fight opened the show but Paul Fernandez should be moved higher up the card after this one because he showed signs of developing into an exciting fighter who the crowd will get behind. This one started off nicely as both fighters traded punches but after a while it looked like the stage fright sunk in on Ocassio and that combined with the body work of Fernandez seemed to take its toll. There were no knockdowns but at 1:52 in the 3rd trainer Billy Briscoe saw enough and stopped the fight to save his man from further punishment.

With the win, Paul Fernandez is now 2 - 0 - 1.

Click to comment on this fight

Jr. Welterweight Division
Steve Chambers...vs...Jason Jordan
Philly................Mexico?
14 - 1, 4ko's.........4-12

If you like power punching and toe to toe exchanges, this was the fight to go step outside and have a smoke. If you like guys who move around the ring and score with punches, this was the fight for you. The fight was the same from the beginning with Steve using the entire ring and throwing light flurries, usually to the ear and Jordan would occasionally step forward and throw a 2 punch combo. When it was all said and done, "Showtime" Steve Chambers won a unanimous decision by scores of 60 - 54 x 2 and 59 - 55.

With the win, Steve Chambers is now 15 - 1.




If you have any questions, comments or suggestions you can email Philly Keith at keith@phillykeith.com

Go to www.phillykeith.com for up to the minute info on the Philly boxing scene

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

SSG Brown interview

Click Here to Comment

photo by Jeff Bera

The Legendary Blue Horizon is known around the world as the home of the boxing warrior. The old ballroom on the corner of Broad & Thompson Street is covered in DNA shed by some of the toughest fighters in the history of this great sport. Many of those who know the history of the building say it is a place where “only the strong survive”, a venue where “you better be ready for war”. Cincinnati born and Kentucky based Samuel Brown takes those sayings to a whole other level. He is a man who knows all about giving blood, sweat, and tears, about making major sacrifices in pursuit of goal. He is a family man, a gentleman and a professional prize fighter. In his short professional boxing career, you can point out that Sam Brown has backed down from no man, accepting the challenge of fighters who have combined for a record of 13 – 2 over the past year. You can even add on bonus points for him preferring to start his career in Philly, as an unknown with no promotional force to lean on and still earning the respect of a crowd that isn’t afraid to let an outsider know what they think. He is 33 years old and his record stands at 4 – 2 so the International Boxing Hall of Fame may not be knocking at his door, but that is just not what Philly boxing is all about. We appreciate the working man, the guy who will roll up his sleeves and get dirty and that is what I respect about Staff Sergeant Sam Brown, the war hero who has served two tours of duty in Iraq which highlight 14 years of active service in the United States Army. If two tours weren’t enough, SSG Brown is scheduled for a third shipment overseas in the winter, this time to Afghanistan, in the ongoing fight for freedom. While his deployment hangs in the balance, SSG Brown made a point of it to return to Philly to prepare for war when takes on the undefeated Ran Nakash (8-0, 5ko’s) of Haifa, Israel this Friday night. Many interesting people have come through the doors of “The Blue”, none have the story or credentials of Staff Sergeant Samuel Brown who took the time to speak with us before his upcoming fight.

PK: Staff Sergeant Brown, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. To start can you give a little background on where you are from and what it is you do outside of boxing?

SSG Brown: I am originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. I joined the Army when I was 17 years old, moved from place to place and I am currently based in Kentucky. I have over 14 years of active service in the United States Army. I am currently a Logistics Specialist. I track the movement of equipment and make sure it gets to the soldiers. I will soon be leaving for a third tour of duty to fight in war. This time I am being deployed to Afghanistan. Each tour lasts 15 months and I am set to leave sometime this winter.

PK: That’s an impressive resume. By no means am I asking if it will be easy but does having been there already make it a little easier to return or is it even harder knowing you are headed back?

SSG Brown: It is going to be harder. This time around now I have a 2 ½ month old little girl. I won’t be there to see her start walking or talking so what is going to be hard on me. My kids are the story of my life and my wife is more supportive than most.

PK: How does the Army feel about you being a pro boxer in the meantime?

SSG Brown: Oh they are supportive; I believe that I am the first to fight professionally while still an active member of the military. Others have turned pro once they left the military, actually a buddy of mine DeAndrey Abron just won NABO Light Heavyweight title last week. Julius Fogle is another who is an active pro and we have Christopher Downs who is going to the Olympics. We were all on the Army boxing team at one point.

PK: How did become a pro boxer?

SSG Brown: I don’t think many people know about my amateur background. I have been boxing since I was 12 years old. I went on to have over 100 amateur fights. Then in 2003 during my first deployment to Iraq I did a lot of convoying. Then I started to think about how next time I deploy I might lose a leg or something so why not turn pro while I am still physically able to. A lot of the other guys I knew of who were pro at the time, I beat them in the amateurs so I knew that I can do this and be successful.

PK: Word is that when you started your professional boxing career, you specifically requested to fight at The Legendary Blue Horizon. What is it about that Blue that makes you want to travel all this way to fight here?

SSG Brown: Like I said I come from the fighting city of Cincinnati but the pro circuit there isn’t all that big back home. I always wanted to fight at The Legendary Blue Horizon because I didn’t want to fight bums and I wanted to get recognition as a good fighter and Philly has good, tough fighters. A lot of guys in boxing are protected but I’ll fight anybody and I think that shows something by itself. The one thing I didn’t know about was the atmosphere at The Blue. Now that I have fought there before I am more comfortable with it.

PK: You have won here in the past but in your last fight at The Blue, things didn’t turn out as you expected. You are showing a lot of heart coming back. Any reasons in particular why you are coming back to Philly?

SSG Brown: First off I want to make a verbal apology for my last performance. As you know in my last fight I lost to Mark “Oaktree” Brown but I know in my heart I shouldn’t have lost to him. I wasn’t training like I should have been since my wife was pregnant at the time and I was extremely heavy, about 20 more pounds than what I am now. But I am not going to make excuses. This is a redemption fight for me. I regrouped and recently had a tune up fight in Illinois which I won and wanted to come right back to Philly. I originally wanted to fight Dave Brunelli, it’s nothing personal but he seems to be the hot name and I am competitive. I’m 33 years old; there is no sense in fighting cab drivers so I picked someone with recognition. That didn’t work out so now I am fighting Ran Nakash.

PK: Yes, you are scheduled to fight Ran Nakash, an undefeated fighter this Friday. What do you expect to happen in this fight?

SSG Brown: I fight to win and I think you will see in this fight that I am conditioned, and in very good shape. I went from 240 down to around 223 pounds for this fight. The weight alone makes a big difference. I got back with my old trainers in Cincinnati and have been sparing with Owen Beck. I went back to the basics and you are going to see a whole new Sam Brown.

PK: Would you say that your military experience makes it easier for you to prepare for a fight than others who don’t have that disciplined background?

SSG Brown: It’s like a double edged sword. Some people have a 9-5 job but my job isn’t like that. My work day starts at 0500 hours and sometimes it ends at 2300 hours. I have a lot of responsibility in my duty along with being a family man. I am in charge of 65 soldiers and it is more than just a day job, it includes everything. If somebody needs help or gets in trouble at any time of the day I have to be there. There is some flexibility with my schedule but there are definitely times where I have to leave the gym to perform military duties.

PK: What does your training routine consist of?

SSG Brown: I run a platoon of 65 soldiers who all help me out. We do 4 to 6 round road marches, Full Battle Rattle, we run anywhere from 6 to 12 miles. After that it is off to the gym. The Army boxing coach, Coach Basheer Abdullah, I believe he has been the Olympic boxing coach for years. I work with Orlando Anderson too. The Army has a stellar boxing program. Throughout the nation The Army amateur program has to be at least in the top three. I know Ohio and PA are at the top too. I have gotten to see some good fighters come through. I remember Rock and Tiger Allen. Chazz Witherspoon was coming in just as I was leaving but I know of him too.

PK: Do you think being a pro boxer gets you additional respect from your peers in the Army to go along with your rank?

SSG Brown: I definitely say it earns more respect. These 19 & 20 year old tough guys come in and look at me and realize I am tough. At first they might think I box amateur but then I tell them I am pro, that I do just like what they see on TV, it commands a great deal of respect because they see that I am not one to mess with.

PK: Who are some of the fighters that you like to watch?

SSG Brown: I am a fan of Floyd Mayweather, coming where I come from I got to see him come through the amateur circuit. As far as styles I really liked Riddick Bowe, how he fought. As for the little guys I like Marco Antonio Barerra. That’s about it for who I like to watch.

PK: When it is all said and done, what would you like to have accomplished with your boxing career?

SSG Brown: I just want respect, when someone says the name Sam Brown; I want them to say that kid could fight. I get calls from all over, even I after I accept a fight, you wouldn’t believe how many turn me down. Everyone wants an easy fight but that’s not pro boxing to me. I want people to consider me the one who fights for the blue collar guy.

PK: Is there anything you would like to add or say to the fans as we close here?

SSG Brown: I want to thank everyone for their support. I track the whole scene because you never know what will come up next. I like how Brunelli and Mark Brown are fighting each other. I think boxing needs more of that. I do my homework on these guys; I see Joey Abell is fighting Levon Warner who actually holds a win over Brunelli. I know about the Kevin Hood’s and Kevin Johnson’s all those heavyweights near Philly. I have to because I don’t have a slick manager like Mike Murphy or a big name promoter. I am self promoted, I speak for myself. I don’t ask for hand outs, some fighters come up saying I need this and that.I’m not like that. When I fight at the Blue Horizon, Ms Vernoca Michaels or Don Elbaum tell me where to be and at what time and I am there. Philly is a town that gets behind their fighters. That is something I want to build in my hometown.

Your work hasn’t gone unnoticed here, thanks for everything and I think I speak for all of the Philly Keith Sports readers when I say come home safe and we hope to see you fight again at The Legendary Blue Horizon!


If you have any questions, comments or suggestions you can email Philly Keith at keith@phillykeith.com

Go to http://www.phillykeith.com/ for up to the minute info on the Philly boxing scene