sin city showdown rocks sam's town

By AJ Vittone, aj@thefightchronicle.com

​Las Vegas, NV - When the fights are this good, both the matchmakers, and the fighters themselves, deserve a raise... A substantial one.

Mayweather Promotions did not disappoint with their recent "Sin City Showdown" fight card, which took place inside the Sam's Town Live venue, located inside of Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall in Las Vegas.  Fans were given their money's worth, and then some.

In a super welterweight contest, Jonathan Steele (9-4, 6 KO) and Maurice Lee (11-1, 5 KO) treated fans to a very competitive eight-round thriller that featured a fourth round for the ages.  

After taking solid body punches by Steele in round one, and a nice right hook in round number two, Lee came alive in the third round with a nice left hand to the side of Steele's noggin and plenty of relentless pressure against the ropes.  Then, in round four, Steele landed a vicious overhand right that stunned Lee but moments later, Lee kept shaking his head in response to Steele's power and the two engaged in a back and forth exchange that sent the crowd into a frenzy, and lasted until the completion of the round.

It was more of the same excitement in the seventh and eighth rounds, and when it was all said and done Lee won by majority decision (76-76, 77-75, 77-75.)

In an eight-round super middleweight bout, Kevin "The Second Coming" Newman (10-1-1, 6 KO) would rise again with a blistering knock out against Ramon Aguinaga (13-3, 9 KO).  

In round one, Newman's impeccable hand speed was on display as the Las Vegas native pumped a double jab and landed nice combinations that clearly affected Aguinaga.  At the beginning of round two Aguinaga's nose was bleeding from taking too much leather and he began to open his stance and throw wildly.  Newman made Aguinaga pay in the third round by going 'downstairs to upstairs' with solid body shots and cracks to Aguinaga's chin.

Newman delivered the boom at the 1:19 mark of round number four, when two left hooks to the side of Aguinaga's head resulted in two trips to the canvas... The last of which, would result in a knockout victory for Newman.

Andres "Savage" Cortes (12-0, 7 KO) lived up to his nickname after stopping Sergio Lopez (22-15-1, 15 KO) in the third round of their eight round super featherweight contest.

Lopez came to fight and countered Cortes nicely off the ropes with a series of straight right hands in round two, but Cortes was able to frustrate Lopez by flicking his jab and landing right hooks with pin-point accuracy.  The third round was filled with fireworks as both fighters threw a plethora of haymakers, much to the delight of the Sam's Town Live crowd.  

Midway through the round Cortes began hunting Lopez down, forcing him to back pedal, and teeing off on him against the ropes.  Despite Lopez countering nicely, it was obvious that Lopez had eaten too many shots, forcing him to take a knee at the 2:53 mark of round three.  Lopez stayed kneeling in front of Referee Kenny Bayless as he counted to ten and waved the contest off.  Cortes, a Las Vegas native, leaped into the air to celebrate his knockout win.  

In what was arguably the fight of the night, and a fight of the year candidate for that matter, two Las Vegas natives, Cameron Krael (16-14-3, 4 KO) and Keith Hunter (11-0, 8 KO), delivered an instant classic with ten rounds of non-stop, heart-pounding, edge of your seat, action.

The two welterweights stood in the pocket for the most of the fight and displayed an absolute clinic on in-fighting and counterpunching.  This one was, in a word, eventful.

Hunter's lazer-like right hand actually staggered Krael in round two, forcing Krael to get on his bicycle and then, in the very next round, it was a solid right by Krael that staggered Hunter, making him back pedal for a bit.  Both fighters, shook their heads and gestured at each other for more volume.  The volume of punching increased significantly as fans were screaming in amazement.

Krael spent most of the fight in the peekaboo stance, stalking forward, and Hunter met him in the center of the ring as the two went toe-to-toe trading body shots, head shot, upper cuts, you name it.  During the fifth round Hunter began to fight with his hands down, switching stances, and using a straight jab to set up his power shots.

One of the aforementioned power shots by Hunter, actually grazed referee Robert Byrd at the end of the eight round.  Byrd shaked it off like a pro and had a good laugh with Hunter after the bell sounded.

The ninth round between Krael and Hunter was one of the best rounds you'll ever see.  Midway through the round, Krael rocked Hunter with mult-punch combinations up against the ropes that left Hunter on weak legs but still countering back with looping right hands.  Hunter would eat solid uppercuts by Krael near the end of the round and despite the onslaught, still remained standing.

In the tenth and final round, Hunter began teeing off in the pocket, throwing everything but the kitchen sink and yet Krael was on his feet, taking everything Hunter threw and still firing back.  Hunter was certainly the quicker fighter and boasted a lightning quick jab which ultimately led to a unanimous decision victory over Krael (97-93, 98-92, 98-92).

In a ten round super bantamweight main event, Angelo Lee (18-0, 8 KO) and Mark John Yap (30-14, 15 KO) showed us the importance of proper footwork, lateral movement and the lost art of body punching.  

In the very first round both fighters made a conscious effort to go to the body, lunging forward with straight punches to each other's mid-section.  Leo made efforts to cut the ring off in round two but Yap wasn't having it.  Yap's speed was puzzling Leo early on as he attempted to pin the journeyman fighter against the ropes.

In rounds three and four, both fighters took advantage of opportunities to do body work against the ropes and then, in round five, Leo caught Yap with two right hooks and Yap answered back with some solid shots to Leo's rib cage.  Leo would respond with devastating body blows in round six and most of the next three rounds would feature offensive outbursts, against the ropes, by both fighters. 

The tenth and final round was explosive with Leo's hard left hand being countered by a solid right by Yap and the two would bang right to the final bell.  Leo remains undefeated winning a unanimous decision (98-92, 99-91, 99-91).       

Williams Stays Perfect with KO

                                                                          Photo Courtesy of: Samuel Valdiva

By AJ Vittone, aj@thefightchronicle.com

LONG BEACH, CA -  It didn't take very long for Tramaine "The Mighty Midget" Williams to earn his 12th straight victory as a professional.  As a matter of fact, if you blinked, scratched your shoulder, or looked down briefly at your smart phone - you may have missed it.

​To say that Williams has fast hands, would in fact be an understatement.  His hand speed resembles that of a bolt of lightning.  Although, bolts of lightning might actually consider themselves noticeably slower than Williams.

The New Haven, CT native improved his unblemished record to (12-0, 5 KO) with a blistering first round knock out of William "El Chirizo" Gonzalez (30-8, 26 KO) in the main event When the first round began during the main event bout of "KO Night Boxing: Rumble On The Water 2" on the lawn outside of the famous Queen Mary located in Long Beach.

When the first round began, it was painstakingly obvious to see that Williams was moving (foot and hand speed) on an entirely different level than his opponent, Gonzalez.  One could argue that Williams, even though he was inside the same ring as Gonzalez, was moving in an entirely different time zone.

The slick southpaw's punches were thrown with so much velocity that you could clearly hear them whipping through the air from a good fifteen rows distance from ringside.  The punches were making that  loud of a noise, and to think, no punch had even landed yet.

Once they landed, you knew it was only a matter of time before Gonzalez would be taking a nap on the canvas.  

Less than a minute into the fight, Gonzalez was stunned by a chopping left that was thrown so fast, no one remember seeing it… Especially, Gonzalez, who looked bewildered at that point.  

Moments later, Williams knocked Gonzalez down again and you could tell that Gonzalez had no idea where these punches were coming from.  They could have been fired from a nearby slingshot and Gonzalez might not have known the difference.

Then, at the 1:34 mark of Round 1, Williams delivered a devastating right-left combination that sent Gonzalez straight to the canvas like a ton of bricks.  Referee Raul Caiz Jr. waived off the fight, as the Managua, Nicaragua native laid flat on his back, unable to continue.  

                                                                    Photo Courtesy of Samuel Valdiva

Following his scintillating knockout victory, Williams called out current WBC Featherweight Champion, Gary Russell Jr.

"I really want Gary Russell", Williams exclaimed. "I'm here Gary.  It'll be target practice for me."

Even though it only lasted a minute and change, it was certainly a form of target practice against a much older, wiser, and more experienced William Gonzalez.

​Gonzalez, a former IBF World Bantamweight Title Challenger, was supposed to be a good test for Williams.  After all, Gonzalez boasted 26 KOs in his previous 37 professional fights.  However, it was Williams, a 10-Time National Amateur Champion, who proved the age-old theory that 'speed kills.'

"I prepared well for this fight and anything can happen when I work hard," Williams uttered after the fight.

At age 24, it appears as if the sky is the limit for the man they call, 'The Mighty Midget.'

"KO Night Boxing: Rumble on the Water 2" was presented by Black Tree, and promoted by Roy Englebrecht Promotions, in association with KO Night Boxing LLC and Roc Nation Sports.
​

Stallone-Patanella fights for NJ

By AJ Vittone, aj@thefightchronicle.com
​
WAYNE, NJ  - Clark, NJ native, Anthony "Stallone" Patanella, is fighting again….. This time, for charity!

The 2-Time Celebrity Boxing World Champion and World Xtreme Entertainment (WXE) Cruiserweight Boxing Champion, is stepping back into the ring to raise money for "Jayden's Journey" http://www.jaydensjourney.com and The New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association Survivor and Welfare Found http://www.njcopshot.com/survivor-welfare/.

New Jersey's "Italian Stallion", Anthony "Stallone" Patanella, is very excited to be fighting again in his home state, and he's looking forward to raising money for local charities in the process.

"It's all about the people of New Jersey", said Stallone Patanella.  "I fight to raise money for those in need, for those who truly need it the most, it's not about how many victories I get inside the ring - it's about how many victories I can get outside of the ring, in the local community, where it matters most."

Stallone will have fellow Celebrity and Jersey native, Anthony Lombardi, in his corner!  Lombardi starred on the hit Realty TV Series, "Jerseylicious", which aired on the Style Network.  

The Olympic Style Boxing Fundraiser is sanctioned by USA Boxing and is presented by the Passaic County Sheriff's Office Bureau of Corrections PBA Local 197.

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Khan Returns With Real Deal

                                                                    Photo Courtesy of Will Paul

PROVIDENCE, RI - [Press Release]
​
​Last Saturday night in Louisville, Kentucky, featherweight prospect Toka "T Nice" Kahn-Clary (22-1, 15 KOs) stole the show fighting in his promotional debut for Hall-of-Famer Evander Holyfield's Real Deal Sports & Management, putting on a boxing clinic to earn a one-sided eight-round decision over determined Dominican Angel "El Gato" Luna (11-3, 6 KOs).
 
The Liberia-born Toka-Kahn, fighting out of Providence, RI, fought on national television for the first time, live on CBS Sports Network Real Deal Championship Boxing series co-feature, at Freedom Hall as part of six-week "I Am Ali" festival, honoring the late, great Muhammad Ali in his hometown.
 
Luna came out strong, never let up and forced Kahn-Clary to fight effectively backing up, something that most boxers are unable to do.

Toka dropped Luna in the seventh round en route to a near shutout victory with judges' scores of 80-72, 80-72, 79-73.
 
"He must have seen me get caught early in my only loss (vs. Jhon Gemino) and he tried to do that too from the opening bell," Kahn-Clary said.

"He was in great shape and very determined. I buckled him once and dropped him, but he bounced right up and kept coming forward."

"He applied a lot of pressure and I couldn't back him up. I felt good and was in great shape. I got hit with a few good shots but composed myself and just boxed I showed I could take shots and keep boxing."

"I put my opponent down after a flurry with an uppercut, right up the middle, doing the big damage. I wanted to impress Evander, letting him know I belong in his stable, and that I want and deserve a title-fight."
 
Kahn-Clary's adviser, Seth DeRobbio, announced that Toka will return to the ring in September, also back in Louisville, fighting for an undetermined title in a 10-round bout.
 
"This was a perfect fight for Toka," he remarked. "He had to fight backpedaling, which is very difficult to do successfully."

"His will was tested but he put on a complete boxing clinic against a very tough opponent, who came out in a blaze and kept coming forward."

"They had a furious exchange with about 30 seconds remaining in the seventh round. Toka dropped him in final six-seconds of the seventh round."

"Luna beat the count but was really saved by the bell. Another 20 seconds left in that round, or if it was a 10-round fight, Toka very well may have stopped him. He threw beautiful 5-6 punch combinations."
 
"It was a great fight for Toka. His previous two fights he knew his opponents were outclassed going into the fight and that he was supposed to knock them out."

"This fight was against a much better opponent. Toka took a few good shots but he was in top shape."

​"The fans in Louisville really moved watching him fight. We'll be back there in September fighting for a title to be determined."

Betzold Wins XFS Debut 

By AJ Vittone, aj@thefightchronicle.com
​
VALLEY CENTER, CA - Fans at the San Pasqual Reservation Center in Valley Center didn't know what to expect.  Many of them looked confused. 

However, it didn't take long before they knew Matt Betzold was a force to be reckoned with on the MMA circuit.

Just 55 seconds into his debut with Xplode Fight Series (XFS) Betzold, an amputee fighter, won his match with Deondre Gibbs by arm triangle choke, improving his professional record to (5-3), (4-0) as a Flyweight.

"I was trying to go for a ground and pound finish or a knockout or a referee stoppage", said Betzold.  "But he (Gibbs) basically opened himself up for a submission, so I had to take it because I would have been a fool not to end it as fast as I can."

"People have made excuses not to fight me, just like they've made excuses not to sign me", said Betzold.  

​"I'm so excited, this feels good, I'm fighting again in July and I'm ready to give these fans here in San Diego another show!"

The first round victory vs. Gibbs was an important one for Betzold.  Not only was it his first win in more than a year, his first win under new promotion company XFS, but it was also another huge win for his inspirational story… A story that is captivating the nation.

Betzold's left leg was amputated at age five after consuming a piece of poisonous candy.  Then, after being bullied for most of his childhood for being physically impaired, Betzold began MMA training at age 17 to merely protect himself.  

And now, he's gone from "fighting for his life" to "fighting for a career", and he is still humbled by the role model status he has achieved.

"It just gives me that much more of a reason to keep pursuing my dream", said Betzold.  "It's an absolute blessing, just an awesome feeling, I'm actually impacting someone else's life, even if it's on such a small scale, it's uplifting and makes me want to work that much harder."

Matt Betzold may have arrived in Valley Center, CA as the one-legged fighter or the amputee fighter…. But, he left as the fighter with heart, guts and determination.