Learning how to walk again & recovering from a horrific accident is not what I thought I’d be dealing with weeks after hitting the milestone of my 50th birthday. The end of the year was going to be a celebratory time with friends and family. But “life” had other plans.
On Dec 20, 2021, I was critically injured in a motorcycle accident.
Like fighters, motorcyclists hear stories. Stories of brothers being thrown from a motorcycle, paralyzed or worse. I know the risks. Suddenly, I found myself in a similar circumstance.
I slid & slammed into a parked van, cracking my body in half. I was in critical condition. My spine was fractured in 4 places & I suffered multiple broken ribs in addition to a severe knee injury.
I’ve been injured before. But this was different. I’ve lived an incredibly full life with few regrets. There aren’t many things I fear, but being paralyzed & unable to care for myself is one of them.
When people ask me now how I’m doing, I say I’m OK. The pain is always there. Doing simple things that people take for granted like putting on socks, sitting in a chair, or carrying groceries is suddenly very challenging. I took myself off social media because my condition was extraordinarily painful. More importantly, I needed to focus fully on the healing process during this critical time of recovery. I promised that I would recover from this injury faster than anyone ever had. And I meant it.
Every gift, every letter, every call & message that I’ve received has been meaningful to me. I’m truly grateful for all of them. My heart is filled with gratitude.
I’m still learning my new normal. I’m recovering & growing in the process. Learning how to walk again despite the intense pain has been one of the most significant accomplishments of my life.
I’m thrilled to share with you the news that I’ll be entering the ring again March 5 to announce the World Championship fight in San Diego. Going through the ropes – as physically challenging as it will be – will mean more to me than you can imagine.
I love you all…From the bottom of my heart, thank you 🙏 ❤️👊🏼
PLANT CITY, Florida – Jimmy “Kilrain” Kelly (26-2, 10 KOs) of Manchester, United Kingdom defeated Kazakh contender Kanat “QazaQ” Islam (28-1, 22 KOs) by majority decision in the ProBox Promotions’ main event Friday evening in Plant City, Florida.
Kelly, who captured the WBO Global Middleweight Championship, won with scores of 96-94, 97-93 and 95-95. The fight took place at Whitesands Event Center, one of 11 scraps put together by the Florida-based company headed by Garry Jonas.
“I thought I won every round,” said Jimmy Kelly, who admitted after that he wanted to fly home quickly to see his two kids. “I even hurt my hand and could only box with my jab during the last four rounds. Despite that, I still feel I won every round. I felt his pressure, but I didn’t feel his power. Kanat was looking for the counter all night, but I didn’t let him do it.”
In the co-main event, “Pistol” Pete Dobson (15-0, 9 KOs) of The Bronx, New York beat Mexican southpaw Jose Miguel Borrego (19-4) via wide unanimous decision. Dobson’s accuracy, movement, ring generalship, all of that added up to a long night for Borrego, by scores of 97-93, 98-92 and 100-90. Dobson has sharpened his game by getting superior sparring, against the likes of Terence Crawford, of late.
Jonathan Eniz (12-8, 2 KOs) of Buenos Aires, Argentina scored an upset unanimous decision victory against Mark Reyes Jr. (14-2, 12 KOs) of Tampa, Florida after 10 rounds of action. The three judges scored the fight in Eniz’s favor with the following scorecards: 95-94, 95-94, 96-93.
The Argentine won over the sold-out house with this fast hands, crazy stamina and slick movement. Reyes Jr looked a step behind at times, but he drew massive cheers from locals, for his ability to slick and duck, when he avoided getting tagged hard as Eniz flurried maniacally in round nine.
Najee Lopez (3-0, 3 KOs), a cruiserweight standout of Puerto Rican nationality who represents Ellwood, Georgia, scored a second-round knockout victory against Alex “El Principe” Theran (23-7, 15 KOs) in what was his first fight scheduled for six rounds. Lopez scored two knockdowns, the latter of which ended matters at :33 of the aforementioned round. Lopez said after that he believes he’s ready for another step up, after downing a boxer who’d battled Anthony Yarde, Yunieski Gonzalezand Hot Rod Kalajdzic. “I feel like I can compete with the best of them,” Lopez said after the victory.
Marques Valle (4-0, 4 KOs) of Wesley Chapel, Florida scored a vicious stoppage win over Robbie Rose (1-2) of Richburg, South Carolina in what was a scheduled six-round welterweight battle. The older Valle brother, age 23, ended the fight at 1:29 of the very first round. His power and hand speed were on a different level.
Rising Puerto Rican knockout artist Julio Solis (6-0, 6 KOs) scored a first-round knockout against Trenton Gibson (1-1) of San Antonio, Texas in a lightweight battle originally scheduled for four rounds. The time of stoppage was 1:41 of the opening round. A healthy portion of the sold-out crowd seemed to be Solis rooters.
Floridan prospect Dominic Valle (3-0, 3 KOs) defeated Nelson Colon Torres (4-6, 3 KOs) of Aibonito, Puerto Rico via knockout in what was originally a scheduled four-round bout in the super featherweight division. Valle, the younger of the Valles, at 21, ended matters at 1:56 of the third round.
Light heavyweight Matthew Tinker (8-0, 6 KOs), a UK-born prospect who calls the United States his home, maintained his undefeated record by defeating Brandon Maddox (8-5-1, 6 KOs) of Detroit, Michigan via six-round unanimous decision. Tinker, using a persistent jab, won with scores of 58-56, 58-56, and 59-55.
Casey Dixon (1-0, 1 KO) of Atlanta, George won his first professional bout via second-round knockout againstArsenio Hall (3-6) of Chester, South Carolina in a light heavyweight clash. The brawler Dixon ended matters at :28 of round two.
Imran Haddabah (4-0, 4 KOs) of Saint Petersburg, Florida knocked out Dominique Wiltz (0-3) of Houston, in a light heavyweight bout. The bout was halted at 2:39 of the second round as the 6-4 winner struck with a nasty hook which buzzed Wiltz badly.
Tommy Wu (1-0) made a successful professional debut with a four-round unanimous decision win against Anthony Curtiss (3-14, 2 KOs) of Butte, Montana. The California welterweight came out rumbling in the first, and he found a stubborn target in Curtiss. Wu won via scores of 39-36, 40-36 and 40-36.
Islam vs. Kelly was a 10-round fight presented by ProBox Promotions for the WBO Global Middleweight Championship. The event took place on Friday, Feb. 25 at Whitesands Events Center in Plant City, Florida.
About ProBox Promotions
ProBox Promotions is a Florida-based company founded by entrepreneur Garry Jonas out of a desire to incorporate his love of boxing and business marketing to develop a revolutionary way to promote the sport. The company boasts an impressive stable of fighters that includes Erickson Lubin, Mark Reyes Jr., Jose Miguel Borrego and more.
Berlanga-Rolls will headline ESPN telecast Saturday, March 19 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden (Photo Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)
LAS VEGAS – Super middleweight contender Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga went the distance twice last year following 16 first-round stoppages to begin his pro career. After surgery to repair a torn biceps suffered last October against Marcelo Esteban Coceres, Berlanga (18-0, 16 KOs) will make his 2022 debut Saturday, March 19 in a 10-rounder against Steve Rolls(21-1, 12 KOs) at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.
The Brooklyn-born Berlanga is ready to begin a new knockout streak against Rolls, a Canadian veteran who has a pair of knockout wins since a 2019 TKO defeat to Gennadiy Golovkin.
The Night of Young Stars —Berlanga-Rolls, Keyshawn Davis-Esteban Sanchez, and Xander Zayas-Quincy LaVallais — will be broadcast live on ESPN & ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
This is what Berlanga had to say at his Las Vegas training camp.
“I think 2022 is going to be a big year for me, and I can’t wait to kick it off in my first main event in New York. I learned a lot from my last fight, and I’ve been working really hard on correcting my mistakes. After my surgery, I chose to do my rehab out here in Las Vegas so I could not only do physical therapy with the best team in the business, but also focus 100 percent on boxing. The fans are going to see big things from me this year beginning March 19.”
“Having my first main event at home is amazing. I’m ready to show everyone what I’m made of. I want people to see that I can sell out an arena. I don’t need to have a title or a big-name opponent to sell tickets. I have a fanbase, and everyone is going to see that on March 19.”
“I’m proud to represent New York City and Puerto Rico. I want to be the next great Puerto Rican champion. My first memories of boxing are watching Tito Trinidad fight as a little kid, and I want to give the Puerto Rican people someone that they can be proud of.”
Team La Perla, directed by coach Gabriel Lamastús, which started three years ago with a gym located in that neighborhood of San Juan, is now going to have a branch.
“We are going to open another gym, in Barrio Nuevo, Bayamón,” said Lamastús, “which is going to be called Barrio Nuevo Boxing.”
“I have a friend who had a property — a hardware store — that closed after Hurricane Maria, and now we are going to use that space for a gym, which I am going to manage as well.”
“That’s not about making money, it’s about opening more gyms for boxers.”
The experienced coach José Cuadrado, who comes from that area, will be in charge of it.
Cuadrado trains, among others, the sought-after featherweight Henry ‘Moncho’ Lebrón and the outstanding fighter from Bayamo, Stephanie Piñeiro, a member of the National Team and, at the same time, already with professional experience.
“This Sunday (February 13) we are going to have our first community activity to fit out the premises,” said Lamastús, “and we hope to be able to open the gym in a few weeks, as soon as possible, when everything is ready.”
Meanwhile, in addition to managing the La Perla gym —which was completely remodeled thanks to the financial support of the foundation of the famous fighter and YouTuber, Jake Paul— Lamastús joined forces last year with Nate Torres, the experienced and renowned manager of boxers based in Puerto Rico. in Connecticut, to create a new boxer management company that already has a large roster of fighters.
Ambos son socios a partes iguales, pero la compañía lleva el nombre de Team La Perla, y se ha mantenido consiguiéndoles peleas —aun en estos tiempos de escasez boxística por la pandemia— tanto a sus peleadores, como el cotizado supermediano Enrique ‘Kikín’ Collazzo, como a peleadores no afiliados.
De hecho, dos de ellos —el junior ligero Clifford Gibbs y el junior welter Brian.
LAS VEGAS – Undefeated rising star Chris “Primetime” Colbertwill now square off against unbeaten Dominican Olympian Hector Luis Garcia in a 12-round WBA Super Featherweight World Title Eliminator headlining live on SHOWTIME Saturday, February 26 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The southpaw Garcia replaces WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Roger Gutierrez, who was forced to withdraw after a positive COVID-19 test. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast kicks off at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will feature another unbeaten young phenom in the co-main event. Gary Antuanne Russell, a 2016 U.S. Olympian, faces former world champion Viktor Postol in a 10-round super lightweight bout, while IBF Junior Bantamweight World Champion Jerwin Ancajas defends his title against unbeaten Argentine Fernando Martinez in the televised opener of the loaded tripleheader. Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com. Representing his native Brooklyn, N.Y., Colbert (16-0, 6 KOs) has quickly shot up the 130-pound rankings, taking on high-level competition in his first 16 pro fights. Already established as a fighter with dazzling boxing skills, Colbert showcased his ability to fight toe-to-toe with an 11th-round stoppage of Jaime Arboleda in December 2020 before most recently besting Tugstsogt Nyambayar in July 2021. The 25-year-old turned pro in 2015 and defeated three unbeaten fighters in his first eight contests. Prior to the Arboleda fight, Colbert scored a highlight-reel first-round knockout against Miguel Beltran Jr. in September 2019 and a dominant 12-round decision victory over former champion Jezzreel Corrales in January 2020. Tall and rangy with good power in his left hand and a dedicated body attack, the 30-year-old Garcia (14-0, 10 KOs) scored the most impressive victory of his career in his last fight, when he defeated Isaac Avelar by unanimous decision in December 2021. The 5-9 Garcia, who sparred with Devin Haney and Rolly Romero for the Avelar win, represented his native San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic, in the 2016 Olympics before turning pro in December that year. Garcia is trained by the highly respected Ismael Salas, who has guided a long list of standouts, including Yordenis Ugás, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Nonito Donaire, and Jorge Linares. Garcia will be fighting for just the third time in the U.S. on February 26, having defeated Avelar in Minneapolis. He was zeroing in on facing a top contender in 2022. Now he will get his chance.
Ramírez: “Espero que Pedraza venga bien preparado. El 4 de marzo quiero enfrentar a la mejor versión de José Pedraza”
El choque eliminatorio Ramírez vs. Pedraza se transmitirán en vivo el 4 de marzo por ESPN+ desde el Save Mart Center en Fresno, CA.
RIVERSIDE, California – El ex campeón unificado de peso junior welter José Ramírez (26-1, 17 KOs) está listo para pasar página. En mayo pasado, Ramírez perdió una decisión competitiva ante Josh Taylor por el campeonato indiscutible de las 140 libras. El camino a la redención comienza el viernes 4 de marzo en el Save Mart Center de Fresno en un combate a 12 asaltos contra el puertorriqueño ex campeón mundial de dos-divisiones José “Sniper” Pedraza (29-3, 14 KO).
Ramírez, de Avenal, California, regresa a su hogar en los amistosos confines del Save Mart Center. En cinco eventos principales en el lugar, Ramírez ha atraído a más de 65,000 de sus fanáticos más devotos del Valle Central de California.
Esto es lo que dijo Ramírez después de una reciente sesión de entrenamiento en la Academia de Boxeo Robert García en Riverside, California:
“La derrota ante Taylor me hizo aprender mucho. Fue la primera de mi carrera, y siento que me devolvió el hambre por el boxeo otra vez. He disfrutado mucho este campamento de entrenamiento preparándome para regresar a la ruta ganadora. Me he divertido mucho entrenando junto a Robert García en Riverside. He corregido los errores que cometí en esa pelea ante Taylor, y que quizás venía cometiendo desde hace mucho tiempo, pero que no los notaba porque cuando estás ganando todas tus peleas, no te fijas en los errores que cometes. Me costó aceptarla, pero ya pasé la página de la derrota ante Taylor. Lo que pasó, pasó. No hay nada que pueda hacer con eso”.
“Estoy listo para regresar a la cima de la división. Yo sé que soy de los mejores peleadores de las 140 libras, y lo que busco es recuperar los títulos que ya tuve una vez, y conquistar los otros que estuve muy cerca de tener. Lo que quiero es volver a coronarme campeón mundial nuevamente. No importa si es en una revancha ante Taylor, retando a otro campeón, o en un combate por un título vacante ante otro contendiente de la división. Yo quiero mis título de vuelta”.
“José Pedraza es una dura prueba. Él es un muy buen peleador y ha lucido bien desde que se ajustó a las 140 libras. Es un riesgo enfrentarlo y más aún después de una derrota, pero yo estoy aquí para esto. Estoy aquí para enfrentar a los mejores. Quiero ganarme la posición de retar por los títulos mundiales una vez más, y esta es la manera de hacerlo. Yo no soy de hablar mucho. Vengo a enfrentar a los mejores y dejar que mis actuaciones arriba del ring hablen por sí solas. Yo confío en mis habilidades, y sé que trabajo muy duro. Sé que pelear es de las cosas que mejor sé hacer, y que no muchos hacen mejor que yo”.
“Espero que Pedraza venga bien preparado. El 4 de marzo quiero enfrentar a la mejor versión de José Pedraza para que le podamos dar a los fans otro clásico combate entre México y Puerto Rico”.
“Regresar nuevamente a pelear ante mi gente en Fresno me pone muy contento. Estoy entrenando bien fuerte porque quiero volver a traerle alegría a mis fans. Quiero que se sientan orgullosos de mí, y por eso vengo a dejarlo todo arriba del ring el 4 de Marzo en el Save Mart Center.”
El choque eliminatorio Ramírez vs. Pedraza estelarizará una cartelera cargada de talento que incluye al contendiente de peso pluma Joet González (24-2, 14 KO) contra Jeo Santisima (21-3, 18 KO) en un duelo a 10 asaltos, el debut profesional de seis asaltos de peso pesado y medallista de plata olímpica para Estados Unidos, Richard Torrez Jr., el regreso del contendiente Junior Ligero, Gabriel Flores Jr. (20-1, 7 KOs) en un enfrentamiento a 10 asaltos contra Abraham Montoya (20-2-1, 14 KOs), el peso junior ligero en ascenso Karlos Balderas (11- 1, 10 KOs) en un combate a ocho asaltos, el prospecto de peso ligero Charlie Sheehy (1-0, 1 KO) en un combate a cuatro asaltos, el peso pesado de 6’9 Antonio “El Gigante” Mireles (2-0, 2 KOs) en una pelea a cuatro episodios, el prospecto de peso mediano Javier “Milwaukee Made” Martinez (5-0, 2 KOs) en un combate de seis asaltos.
Plus Undefeated Fighters Jeremy Adorno & Norman Neeley Bouts to Precede ShoBox: The New Generation®Tripleheader Live on SHOWTIME®
Orlando, Florida – Three undefeated fighters from Orlando, Florida, Sean Mason, Derrick Jackson and Fabian Lopez Nieves will compete in separate bouts as part of the non-televised undercard before a ShoBox: The New Generation card this Friday night at the Caribe Royale in Orlando.
Mason, 21 years-old, is coming off a first-round stoppage over Ubaldo Lara on October 16, 2021 in Hallandale, Florida. Hubbert, 33, is a 10-year professional with wins over Winston Anderson (4-0) and RJ Laase (12-1). Hubbert has faced 10 undefeated fighters and is coming off a loss to Bill Hutchinson on January 29th in Pittsburgh. Jackson, 19, already has wins over three undefeated fighters in Antonius Grable (1-0) and Jose Rafael Salazar (1-0). In his last outing, he stopped Mike Plazoa in the opening round on January 7th in Orlando.
All four of Hatley’s wins have been against undefeated foes – Marcus Garza (5-0), Randall Feliciano Fernandez (2-0), Tracey McGruder (5-0) and Kerry James Jr. (4-0). In his last bout, he lost a split-decision to Vlad Panin (11-1) on December 19th in Atlanta. Also seeing action in six-round bouts: Fabian Lopez Nieves (3-0, 3 KOs) of Orlando via Caguas, Puerto Rico will face Cesar Soriano Berumwn (26-41-3, 16 KOs) of Iztaclco, Mexico in a middleweight fight.
Norman Neeley (10-0, 8 KOs) of Paterson, NJ will take on Rodney Moore (20-20-2, 9 KOs) in a heavyweight bout. Elijah Pierce (11-2, 10 KOs) of Midwest City, Oklahoma battles Aldimar Silva (22-18, 14 KOs) of Sao Paulo, Brazil in a featherweight contest. In a four-round bout, Jeremy Adorno (5-0, 1 KO) of Allentown, PA fights Trayvion Butts (4-2, 3 KOs) of Dry Branch, Georgia in a featherweight bout.
The main event will see undefeated lightweight prospect Jamaine Ortiz (14-0-1, 8 KOs), who shared the ring with Jaron Ennis and Teofimo Lopez during a decorated amateur career, make his ShoBox debut against Nahir Albright (14-1, 7 KOs) in a 10-round bout that could have long-term consequences for boxing’s hottest division. Albright is an aspiring R&B singer who belted out a tune during a post-fight interview following his last win.
The co-feature matches ShoBox returnee Joe George (11-0, 7 KOs) facing Sean Hemphill (14-0, 8 KOs) in an eight-round super middleweight bout of unbeatens. The telecast opens with Philadelphia’s undefeated welterweight prospect Paul Kroll (9-0, 6 KOs) squaring off against perennial spoiler Marquis Taylor (12-1-1, 1 KOs) in an eight-round battle between ShoBox newcomers.
London – Welterweight Cyrus Pattinson (3-0, 1 KO) from Ashington, Northumberland, United Kingdom wins the six round decision 60-54 over Evgenii Vazem from Stary Oskol, Russia. Tonight at the beautiful Alexandra Palace in Muswell Hill, London, United Kingdom. Presented by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing. Photo credits: @markrobinsonphoto from @matchroomboxing @daznboxing #Boxing #Sports #MatchroomBoxing #latinboxsports @empire_protape
London – 22 year old Welterweight Shiloh ‘Sugar Shy’ Defreitas (3-0, 2 KO’s) from London, United Kingdom gets the six round decision win 50-54 over a very tough Alexey Tukhtarov from Kamensk-Uralsky, Russia. Tonight at the beautiful Alexandra Palace in Muswell Hill, London, United Kingdom. Presented by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing. Photo credits: @markrobinsonphoto from @matchroomboxing @daznboxing #Boxing #Sports #MatchroomBoxing #latinboxsports @empire_protape
ORLANDO, FL – Andranik Grigoryan(14-0) will defend his NABA featherweight title against Otabek Kholmatov (9-0) in the main event of Bally Sports’ premiere telecast of their new monthly fight series. In addition to the NABA title being at stake, the 12 round bout is sanctioned as an official eliminator, with the #2 ranking in the division on the line on Saturday, March 26 at the Caribe Royal Orlando in Orlando, Florida. The official launch of Bally’s Sports
EntroBox Championship Boxing Series.
In the co-feature bout, unbeaten junior middleweight prospect Anthony Velazquez (10-0) will face an opponent TBA in a fight scheduled for 8 rounds.
The televised opener will be a heavyweight showdown with unbeaten Norman Neely (10-0) taking on Hector Perez (7-3).
“We are committed to putting on highly competitive fights that the fans watching in person and on Bally Sports on TV or streamed on Display Social will enjoy. The main event features two fighters risking their undefeated records. The winner will be in position to fight for a world title in the near future,” said EntroBox CEO Ron Johnson.
The fight card will take place at the luxurious Caribe Royale Orlando and is presented by Bally Sports Present – Entrobox Championship Boxing , brought to you by American Dream Presents in association with Box Lab Promotions.
About EntroBox LLC:
EntroBox, is a sport and entertainment content company that connects amateur/pro athletes, entertainers, and live boxing events together with superior production quality, audience engagement, and compelling partnerships with high viewership. EntroBox’s core mission is to assist all parties in exceeding their potential, through content creation, sponsorships, and monetization platforms. Their unique approach and
professional status in the sporting industry allows them to execute across diverse landscapes and businesses. EntroBox is currently launching the next evolution in boxing’s DNA, while providing a pathway for other sports to connect and monetize to the ever-changing digital world by bridging the viewership from network tv and into the metaverse. To learn more, visit http://www.EntroBox.com. Follow us on: Display Social, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
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