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BAM ON BOXING (CONT'D)

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The Test of a Fighter

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Brittany A. Rogers

On fight night boxing changes from a team sport to an individual sport.  There is not much left for the team to do, it is all up to the fighter at that point.

Saturday night, super bantamweight Teon Kennedy lost his first fight, along with his NABA and USBA titles.  Everyone watching was thinking the same thing--Kennedy (17-1-1, 7K0s) should have cut the ring off better, he should have been quicker, he should have done a thousand things that he just did not do.

People began to make excuses for him, not noticing he did not make any excuses himself.  He gave it his best shot, and on that particular night it just was not good enough.  Sometimes that happens; It is not worth judging a fighter on one bad night, instead judge him on what he does next.

This was Kennedy’s first shot at a fighter who moved a lot, and the fans could tell.  Regardless of how good Alejandro Lopez (22-2, 7K0s) looked, Kennedy did not seem himself.  It was as if he had that off night that night fighters are not allowed to have.  He knew what he needed to do, he just could not execute.  Kennedy could not catch up to Lopez.

Kennedy (pictured) is no longer undefeated.  Does that make him a different fighter?  No.  He gave it his all, he has more heart than anyone could expect.  His right eye looked swollen shut in about the fourth or fifth round and by the end of the fight Kennedy appeared blind in both eyes.  That did not stop him; he went out there and fought his heart out.

There are more undefeated fighters now than ever.  Is it because they are that good?  Or have they been carefully matched.  Kennedy has bounced back time and time again, and there is no doubt this is something else he will bounce back from.

The loss should only make people more interested in Kennedy, in his next move, his reaction, and where he goes from here.  The test of a fighter is to see what he does after a loss.  Does he stick to what he is comfortable with, or will he adapt.

Everyone cannot be Floyd Mayweather Jr (41-0, 25K0s).  Not every fighter goes the distance and stays undefeated, and there is nothing wrong with that.  After Bernard Hopkins (52-5, 32K0s) lost in his pro debut in 1988 he went on to have 22-fight undefeated streak until Roy Jones Jr. beat him in 1993.

Hopkins lost to Jones Jr. in his first shot for the IBF middleweight title.  That one loss obviously did not stop Hopkins from accomplishing his goals.  The next time he fought for the IBF title he faced Segundo Mercado of Equador.  Hopkins was dealt a draw that night, but he did not let that stand in his path.  Hopkins won the IBF middleweight title in 1995 in the rematch with Mercado.

Hopkins defended his IBF middleweight title and added the WBC and WBA titles.  Currently, Hopkins holds the WBC light-heavyweight title.

Kennedy may no longer have his perfect record, but he has learned a lot about himself.  One loss should not keep him from accomplishing his goals, Kennedy is the type of fighter who will adapt and get stronger because of this experience.

The author is a graduate in sport and recreation management at Temple University.  She joined Peltz Boxing Promotions as an intern and also has her own company called Bam Boxing Promotions.  Follow Peltz Boxing at peltzboxing.com, and on Twitter @PeltzBoxing and @bamonboxing.

The Legendary Blue Horizon

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Brittany A. Rogers

I remember going to a fight at the Legendary Blue Horizon with my dad about five or six years ago and thinking that I wanted to work there.  In September of 2009, I went to the Blue and asked for an internship.   I knew it was going to be a long shot but I got what I wanted.

Boxing veterans remember fights at the Blue Horizon from the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s.  From what I have heard and read, there were some great times, but I never experienced those times.  I experienced the Blue Horizon in a different way.

I “got my feet wet” in that building and it was amazing.   I loved being a part of the only true fight venue left in Philadelphia.  The balcony seats practically hung over the ring.  I would have traded sitting inside the ringside rails at the Legendary Blue Horizon for the first couple rows of balcony seats on the north and south sides.

The first time I worked a fight it was not a Blue Horizon promotion—it was a Peltz Boxing promotion.   I remember being on the north balcony helping people find their seats and just stopping for a moment to take everything in.  Ever since I was a kid I knew boxing was my passion.  I knew I could never fight because it was against my father’s wishes, so I found another angle to get involved.

The first fight I worked at the Blue was the USBA super bantamweight title fight between Teon Kennedy, of Philadelphia, and Francisco Rodriguez, of Chicago.  I remember watching the main event fight with another student and telling her:  “Kennedy was too strong for Rodriguez.”  My first time at work that evening turned out to be a tragedy, but it didn’t stop me from going back.

The Blue Horizon was not just the legendary fight arena on Broad Street to me.  It’s where I figured out what career path I wanted.  It was where I met Bobby Boogaloo Watts, Stanley Kitten Hayward, Randall Tex Cobb and many others.  I didn’t just meet faces of the past.  I met people currently involved with the business as well as up-and-coming fighters, one who became friend of mine and one of the best people I know, Steve Upsher-Chambers.

The first card I worked with Blue Horizon Promotions was different.  It was the Steve Upsher Chambers vs. Doel Carrasquillo fight in December, 2009.  Working with Ms. Vernoca Michael and Don Elbaum got me educated about the fight game and the process of putting together a card.   I learned a lot working there and I will never forget it.

No matter how big the venue was, how scary the basement was, how empty it was on a daily basis, I always felt at home.  I didn’t know walking into the building on June 4, 2010, would be the last fight I would ever work there.  I knew the end was coming but I did not know it was that night.  I remember going to work the following week and Ms. Michael was beginning to clean out the building.  All of the pictures in her office had been removed from the walls and the gloves from the cabinet were packed up.  The venue felt more than empty--it didn’t feel like home anymore.

I was extremely sad to see the building go.  I had hopes of someone buying it and re-starting it.  It breaks my heart knowing that the venue will no longer be used as a fight arena.  Mosaic Development Partners recently purchased the building and are looking to turn the fight venue into restaurant and hotel.  Not something I look forward to!  What will happen with the balcony seating, the cathedral style ceiling, the lighting, just everything that made the venue a true fight venue?

I hate to be the one to say it, but no one can change what is already done.  I like to try to put a positive spin on things; maybe it’s time for a change.  When Eagles fans think Eagles, they think Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson and the Linc (Lincoln Financial Field), but they remember the nose-bleed seating at the Vet and Randall Cunningham and Ron Jaworski.  The older ones remember Franklin Field with Norm Van Brocklin, Chuck Bednarik and Tommy McDonald.

I have never been one to dwell on the past and change sometimes can be a good thing. There is still the Asylum Arena in South Philadelphia and the National Guard Armory in the Northeast.  Who knows, maybe there’s another great venue hidden in a pocket somewhere throughout the city.  Philly has a great crop of fighters now and it’s time to make boxing history somewhere else.

Many people have voiced their opinions about the Legendary Blue Horizon, the owners and how the quality of fights has changed over the years.  More often than not people have negative comments, but for me that building gave me an experience of a lifetime.

The author is a graduate in sport and recreation management at Temple University.  She joined Peltz Boxing Promotions as an intern and also has her own company called Bam Boxing Promotions.  Follow Peltz Boxing at peltzboxing.com, and on Twitter @PeltzBoxing and @bamonboxing.

Traditional Philly

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Brittany A. Rogers

Teon Kennedy is your classic Philly fighter.  He has a history of facing tough opponents and beating them.  Just like the Philadelphia greats, Bennie Briscoe, Eugene Cyclone Hart, Stanley Kitten Hayward, Joey Giardello, George Benton and many more.

Kennedy (17-0-1, 7 K0s) has defeated Thomas Snow, Andre Wilson, Jose Angel Berranza and Jorge Diaz.  He is managed by Doc Nowicki, Jim Williams and Joe Hand.  He is trained by former junior welterweight Smokin’ Wade Hinnant and his brother Randy Hinnant.

Kennedy has been boxing since he was six years old.  It has become his life, not just a part of it.  He is 25 years old and he has been through a lot, both inside and outside the ring.  It is common for fighters who go through experiences Kennedy has to never be the same again.

Kennedy won the vacant USBA super bantamweight title over Chicago’s Francisco Rodriguez on Nov. 20, 2009, at the Legendary Blue Horizon.  The bout was everything fans expected it to be--until the end.  Rodriguez, who had beaten Kennedy in the amateurs, showed that he had heart like fighters of the past.  Kennedy, though, was too much for him.

Everyone involved in the Philly fight scene knows what happened.  Tragedy struck that night and Rodriguez was rushed to Hahnemann hospital after the bout.  Two days later, he died.  An event like that would affect any fighter, young or old.  Yet it did not change Kennedy’s heart.  He understood that death was, and is, a risk in every fight.

Being the classic Philly fighter and following in the footsteps of the city’s finest, he was not going to let the death of Rodriguez stop him from fulfilling his goals.  The Rodriquez death was the firs in Philadelphia boxing since March 21, 1978.  Middleweight Curtis Parker stopped Jody White in the fourth round of his (Parker’s) fourth fight, and White then died on his way from the Blue Horizon to the hospital that night.

Parker (pictured) is example enough that no matter what happens, a fighter has to stick to goals.  The risk of death is no higher after experiencing it than it was before.  By not letting White’s death affect his career, Parker went on to win the USBA title (as did Kennedy) and became a regular on network TV in the early 1980s.

A fighter who takes the risk, understands the risk, has experienced the risk and continues to take the risk, is a fighter with a lot of heart.  Kennedy enters the ring each time with that mind-set and his fighting style shows it.  He takes the risk again when he faces Mexican native Alejandro Lopez (21-2, 7K0s) on Saturday, Aug. 13, at Bally’s Atlantic City.

Kennedy is a classic stick-and-move fighter.  He has the skills to box and will use them if necessary, but he likes to get inside, land his combinations and get out.

He resembles Philadelphia’s former bantamweight champion Joltin Jeff Chandler (33-2-2, 18K0s), both in skills and in heart.  Chandler (right), a legitimate Hall-of-Famer, fought anyone and everyone.  Kennedy is looking to do the same.

IN OTHER BOXING NEWS: Philadelphia lightweight Victor Vasquez and light-heavyweight Anthony Ferrante have signed promotional contracts with Joey Eye Boxing. Both fighters, along with lightweights Angel Ocasio, Joey Tiberi and heavyweight Joey Dawejko will all be on the Aug. 13 card at Harrah’s Casino Chester.

The author is a graduate in sport and recreation management at Temple University.  She joined Peltz Boxing Promotions as an intern and also has her own company called Bam Boxing Promotions.  Follow Peltz Boxing at peltzboxing.com, and on Twitter @PeltzBoxing and @bamonboxing.

Ex-Fighters Switch Rolls

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Brittany A. Rogers

Boxing becomes a lifestyle.  Once someone gets the bug, it takes over their life.  Nothing else seems to matter.  The passion behind the sport is more important than anything else.  Fighters, managers, promoters, cut-men, trainers and even boxing writers develop a connection.
 
People involved with boxing tend to start in one place and move to another.  Managers and cut-men become promoters, fighters become trainers and trainers become managers.
 
The Amir Khan-Zab Judah fight last Saturday was a prime example of ex-fighter—fighter combinations.  Khan had former lightweight Freddie Roach in his corner.  Judah had another former lightweight in his corner, Hall-of-Famer Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker.  Was Saturday night the battle of the junior welterweights or the battle of the former lightweights?  In their respective primes, Whitaker would have out-pointed Roach.  However, on Saturday night, Roach out-schooled Whitaker and Khan won the fight.
 
Philadelphia is full of ex-fighter—fighter teams.  On the Khan-Judah card there was another ex-fighter—fighter duo.  Philadelphia heavyweight Bryant Jennings (pictured) defeated Theron Johnson over six rounds and in Jennings’ corner was former pro and current head trainer Fred Jenkins, Sr.

Former IBF junior middleweight champion Robert Bam Bam Hines trains fighters in West Philly out of Shuler’s gym, the most notable being light-heavyweight contender Yusaf Mack.
 
Ex-featherweight Danny Davis is working with fighters out of Joe Hand’s Gym in Northern Liberties as a trainer and he also serves as strength and conditioning coach for welterweight contender Mike Jones.  One-time pro lightweight Smokin’ Wade Hinnant trains one of the most popular fighters in Philly, super bantamweight Teon Kennedy (right), also at Joe Hand’s Gym.  All of the city’s ex-fighters do a good job, but the Hinnant-Kennedy connection is becoming more prominent.
 
It is common for ex-fighters to try to mold their fighters into their styles, instead of working with the style the fighter really has.  This is what makes the Hinnant-Kennedy connection unique.  Hinnant was a slick lightweight with a defensive-based skill set.  Kennedy, however, is an aggressor.  His defensive skills are impressive, but his offensive aggression is evident and a crucial part of his game plan.
 
Kennedy, ranked as high as No. 3 in the world by the IBF, is 17-0-1, 7K0s.  He will be looking to improve his record on Aug. 13 at Bally’s Atlantic City when he faces Alejandro Lopez, of Mexico, in a 12-round fight for Kennedy’s NABA 122-pound belt.
 
One of Philly’s finest, middleweight George Benton, who boxed in the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame as a trainer for his work with fighters like Whitaker, Tyrell Biggs, Johnny Bumphus, Leon Spinks, Bennie Briscoe, Evander Holyfield and Rocky Lockridge.  Benton set the standard for ex-fighters becoming top-notch trainers.  Here’s hoping the current crop can match Benton’s accomplishments.
 
In other boxing news: On Friday, July 29, Kea Boxing returns to the Asylum Arena.  The card features multiple Philly fighters, junior middleweight Derek Ennis, featherweight Coy Evans,  welterweight Ardrick Butler, middleweight Greg Hackett and first-time pro junior welterweight Tyrone Crawley, Jr.

The author is a graduate in sport and recreation management at Temple University.  She joined Peltz Boxing Promotions as an intern and also has her own company called Bam Boxing Promotions.  Follow Peltz Boxing at peltzboxing.com, and on Twitter @PeltzBoxing and @bamonboxing.

Undefeated or Untested? That is the Question!

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Brittany A. Rogers

What does an unblemished record mean for a young fighter?  Is he a terrific prospect or has he boxed inferior opposition? How can you tell the difference?

In recent years, a fighter with a record of 9-0 or 15-0 has been regarded as "the next best thing" in boxing.  When he finally loses his “0” does it change how we look at him?  Does it mean he finally was tested and came up short?  Many managers carefully choose second-rate opponents.

Middleweight Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (pictured), has a record of 43-0, 30K0s.  Does that make him a great fighter?  No!  Chances are more than half those knockouts were gained against inferior opposition.  Chavez, Jr., is a huge attraction in Mexico and in California and he has been promoted accordingly.  But it does not make him a great fighter, at least not yet.  Perhaps one day he will get better, but that remains to be seen.

In other sports, an athlete can have an “off night.”  Not in boxing!  There is little room for error since it seems that the TV networks are looking not for the best fighters but for fighters with the best records.

There are exceptions!

Philadelphia welterweight prospect Danny Garcia is undefeated in 21 fights, but he has proven himself against tough guys like Jorge Romero, Mike Arnaoutis, Nate Campbell and Ashley Theophane.

Bantamweight Teon Kennedy is another Philly fighter who has tested himself successfully.  Kennedy has faced the late Francisco Rodriguez, Jose Angel Berranza and Jorge Diaz.  Kennedy is 17-0-1, 7 K0s and looking to challenge himself again Aug. 13 at Bally’s Atlantic City when he boxes Alejandro Lopez, of Tijuana, Mexico.  Lopez is 21-2, 7 K0s.  With Kennedy’s resume there is no question that he has been tested; he is skilled enough to stay undefeated thus far.

Another Philly welterweight, Ray Robinson, was introduced in his last fight against Shawn Porter as a former prospect.  Why?  Because he had lost his previous fight and now was 11-1?  The fight against Robinson was Porter’s toughest.  Both fighters looked great and had Robinson kept his hands high and tight there's a chance that Porter would have lost his unbeaten mark instead of now being 18-0.

Why do fans write fighters off after a loss or two?  Welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao has lost three fights but it didn’t stop him from becoming the best welterweight of his era.

Look at lightweight Tyrone Luckey, of Middletown, NJ, who risked his precious undefeated record (4-0, 4K0s) last Friday at Bally’s Atlantic City!  Luckey boxed Bryne Green, of Vineland, NJ, who was 6-4-1, 3K0s.  Green won 38-37 on all three cards because of a questionable knockdown he scored in the first round.  Luckey’s previous four opponents were a combined 6-15-1.  Green’s foes were 50-44-12.  Luckey’s manager learned more about Luckey in the Green fight than he learned in the four previous fights.  If a fighter is truly going somewhere, a loss here and there should not be a roadblock.  And you can tell that to the brain surgeons who choose which fights to put on television!  I look forward to seeing Luckey develop.

In other boxing news:  USBA cruiserweight champ Garrett Wilson, of Philadelphia, PA, is negotiating to box Lateef Kayode, of Hollywood, CA, for the No. 1 slot in the IBF world rankings.   Speaking of guys with mediocre records who have real ability, check out Wilson, who is 10-5-1, 4 K0s, but ranked No. 12 in the world by the IBF.  Look at the monsters Wilson has fought! Kayode is 17-0, 14 K0s...Philadelphia heavyweight Bryant Jennings (8-0, 4K0s) makes his first appearance in Las Vegas, NV, on Saturday when he faces Theron Johnson (5-5, 1K0) on the Amir Khan-Zab Judah undercard.  This six-rounder is a rematch of their first fight Feb. 26 at Bally’s, won by Jennings via six-round decision…An amateur red carpet charity boxing event is set for Friday at the Liberty Boxing venue in Feasterville, PA.

The author is a graduate in sport and recreation management at Temple University.  She joined Peltz Boxing Promotions as an intern and also has her own company called Bam Boxing Promotions.  Follow Peltz Boxing at peltzboxing.com, and on Twitter @PeltzBoxing and @bamonboxing.

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