Hall of Fame Fighters...
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Who...Ronald Cruz
From...Bethlehem, PA The Facts...This 25-year-old welterweight tops the bill Saturday, Feb. 25, at Ballys Atlantic City, against Allen Conyers, of the Bronx, NY. Cruz survived his toughest test as a pro when he rallied to stop Anges Adjaho, of Buffalo, NY, in five rounds Nov. 19 at Ballys. The win over Adjaho capped a 5-0 run, all by knockout, for Cruz in 2011. After ending 2010 with a sixth-round knockout over Jeremy Bryan, of Patterson, NJ, Cruz revved up the engine. In 2011, he stopped Dillet Frederick, of Ft. Myers, FL, Manuel Guzman and Doel Carrasquillo, both of Lancaster, PA, and Chris Fernandez, of Salt Lake City, UT, in addition to Adjaho. Cruz boxed three times in Atlantic City, once in Philadelphia and once when he headlined a soldout card at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem (PA), his hometown. The USBA rates him No. 7, the NABO No. 12, NABF No. 14. As an amateur, Cruz won 25 out of 28 fights in a 13-month period from July, 2007, until August, 2008. He is managed by Jimmy Deoria and trained by Lemuel Rodriguez. |
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Who...Jamaal Davis
From...Philadelphia, PA The Facts...A series of hard, close fights have plagued 30-year-old Davis, who was held to a six-round draw by Eberto Medina, of Newark, NJ, on July 15 at Bally's Atlantic City. Davis was stopped in the 12th and last round by crosstown rival Gabriel Rosado in a terrific battle Feb. 26 at Bally's. Previously, Davis had dropped a 10-round decision to world-rated Joel Julio, of Colombia, on Aug. 21, 2010, at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Prior to that, Davis earned a six-round decision over Mustafah Johnson, of Indianapolis, IN, on June 26 at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY. Davis (12-8-1, 6 K0s) also has beaten Josh Onyango, of Kenya, Manuel Guzman, of Lancaster, PA, and Clarence Taylor, of Wilmington, DE. Davis played football in high school, attending Overbrook High and University High in Philadelphia, before moving on to the Job Corps in Pittsburgh, PA. He spends his spare time with his son, Jamaal, Jr., and his daughter, Jabrea. Davis is self-managed and trained by Sharron Baker. |
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Who...Bryant Jennings
From...Philadelphia, PA The Facts...Jennings (12-0, 5 K0s) scored an upset with a unanimous 10-round decision over fellow prospect Maurice Byarm, a southpaw from Washington, DC, on Jan. 21 at the Asylum Arena in South Philadelphia on the NBC Sports Network Fight Night. Both fighters accepted the fight on five days notice with neither having gone more than six rounds previously. In 2011, Jennings K0d Kevin Franklin and David Williams and earned six-round decisions over Alex Mejias and Theron Johnson (twice). At Ben Franklin High, Jennings played football, basketball and ran the 200 meters and participated in the shot-put. The 27-year-old father of 4-year-old Mason, Jennings played basketball at North Philly rec centers for years before he decided to box. He reached the finals of the 2009 PAL Nationals and US Golden Gloves and was 13-4 as an amateur. Jennings, a mechanic at the Federal Reserve Bank, returns April 14 at Bally's. |
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Who...Mike Jones
From...Philadelphia, PA The Facts...Jones will box Randall Bailey, of Miami, FL, for the vacant IBF welterweight title in the first quarter of 2012. He earned that slot by completely shutting down tough Argentine Sebastian Lujan on Dec. 3 at Madison Square Garden, raising his six-year pro record to 26-0, 19 K0s. Jones had knocked out Raul Munoz, of Leon, Mexico, in the second round of their June 25 fight at the Asylum Arena in South Philadelphia. It was Jones' first hometown appearance in more than two years. Earlier in 2011, the 28-year-old Jones put on a boxing clinic, using his left jab all night to bust up Jesus Soto-Karass en route to a dominant 12-round decision in their Feb. 19 contest at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. This was a rematch of their controversial first fight Nov. 13, 2010, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX, where Jones rallied to earn a 10-round majority decision. Jones is ranked the eighth best welterweight in the world by the prestigious Ring Magazine. He also is No. 1 by the WBO, No. 2 by the WBA, No. 1 IBF, No. 3 WBC. He is anaged by Doc Nowicki and Jim Williams and trained by Vaughn Jackson. |
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Who...Teon Kennedy
From...Philadelphia, PA The Facts...Kennedy got a rough night from the ref and a rougher night from the judges, who scored his 10-round fight with Chris Martin, of Chula Vista, CA, on Jan. 13 in Las Vegas a majority draw (97-93 Kennedy, 95-95, 95-95). The ref took away Kennedy's body attack with repeated warnings. Now 17-1-2, 7 K0s, Kennedy is moving up to featherweight. He suffered his only setback when Alejandro Lopez,of Mexico, outscored him over 12 rounds Aug. 13 at Bally's Atlantic City. That defeat cost Kennedy his 122-pound USBA and NABA titles, which he had defended March 26 when he scored a 12-round decision over previously unbeaten Jorge Diaz, of New Brunswick, NJ, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. "The Technician" registered a 10th-round K0 over Alex Becerra, of El Paso, TX, on Sept. 25, 2010, at Bally's. Kennedy also earned a 12-round decision over Jose Angel Beranza, of Santa Ana, CA, on May 22, 2010, at Bally's. That was the first defense of the USBA title he had won Nov. 20, 2009, against Francisco Rodriguez, of Chicago, IL, who was K0d in the 10th round at the Blue Horizon. He is managed by Doc Nowicki, Jim Williams and Joe Hand, trained by Wade and Randy Hinnant. |
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Who...Andre Hemphill
From...Philadelphia, PA The Facts...Having lost his last two fights, Hemphill looks to get back on track in 2012. Losses to Tony Ferrante, of Philadelphia, and Tom Karpency, of Adah, PA, took some of the startch out of Hemphill's back-to-back wins over Frank Armstrong, of Wilson-Salem, NC, on Sept. 10, 2010, in Baltimore, MD, and over Tony Pietrantonio, of Youngstown, OH, on July 30, 2010, at the South Philly Arena. The 31-year-old Hemphill has boxed 13 men who were unbeaten at the time he boxed them. He beat Simon "One Punch" Carr and lost a split decision over six rounds early in 2010 to Ferrante in their first fight. Hemphill, who is 10-18-2, 5 K0s, was born in Philadelphia, but left when he was 12. He played defensive back on his high school football team in Woodbridge, VA. |
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Who...Gabriel Rosado
From...Philadelphia, PA The Facts...Rosado scored the biggest win of his career Jan. 21 when he became the first man to stop tough Jesus Soto-Karass, of Mexico, doing it in five rounds at the Asylum Arena in South Philadelphia in the inaugural card of the new NBC Sports Network Fight Night series. Rosado appears ready for anyone at 154 pounds. In 2011 fights, Rosado out-pointed Keenan Collins, of Reading, PA, at the Asylum, knocked out Ayi Bruce of Ghana, in five rounds at Bally's Atlantic City and K0d fellow-Philadelphian Jamaal Davis in the 12th round, also at Bally's. Rosado, 26, is 19-5, 11 K0s. He rebounded from his July 30, 2010, loss to Derek Ennis by earning an eight-round decision over Jose "Stinger" Medina, of Tilton, NH, on Dec. 9, 2010, at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Rosado scored a big victory Feb. 27, 2010, a 10-round decision over Mexico's Saul Roman at Bally's. A 10-round upset decision over former IBF junior middleweight champ Kassim Ouma had vaulted Rosado into the spotlight on April 24, 2009. He is trained by Billy Briscoe and rated No. 10 by the IBF, 25 by the WBC. |
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Who...Garrett Wilson
From...Philadelphia,PA The Facts...Wilson scored a one-punch, 12th-round knockout over Chuck Mussachio, of Wildwood, NJ, to save his USBA cruiserweight title Nov. 19 at Ballys Atlantic City. Wilson (11-5-1, 5 K0s) is rated No. 9 by the IBF and No. 24 by the WBC. He earned a 12-round decision over Omar Sheika, of Paterson, NJ, on April 23 at Caesars Atlantic City, avenging a K0 loss to Sheika and taking the vacant USBA belt. Wilson had a "breakout" night on Nov. 5, 2010, when he knocked out Aaron Williams (then 20-2) in seven rounds in Mayfield Heights, OH. Prior to that, on 36 hours notice, Wilson drove to Johnstown, PA, on Sept. 11, 2010, and held Andres Taylor to an eight-round draw. Wilson had scored a one-punch, one-round knockout over Reshawn Scott on July 30, 2010, at the South Philly Arena (formerly New Alhambra) to snap a three-fight losing streak. Wilson, 29, started boxing while attending Gratz High School. He is self-managed and trained by Rodney Rice. Wilson and wife Janae Martir have four children. He's back Feb. 25 at Ballys against fellow-Philadelphian Pedro Martinez. |
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