Johnson remains unbeaten

By Gary “Digital” Williams at ringside

Oxon Hill, MD super middleweight Alexander “The Great” Johnson remained undefeated with a fourth-round TKO over “Neon” Keon Johnson of Indianapolis, IN in front of a rabid crowd of supporters at the DC Star Nightclub in Washington, DC. Showing no signs of a letdown after his big win over previously undefeated Farah Ennis in April, Alexander Johnson dropped his opponent three times before the Keon Johnson corner requested the bout be stopped at 1:47 of the fourth. Alexander Johnson is now 12-0, five KO’s while Keon Johnson falls to 8-6, four KO’s.

In the co-feature, Baltimore welterweight Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor scored a workmanlike six-round unanimous decision over veteran Jose Angel “Lucky” Roman of St. Augustine’s, FL. Taylor was in complete control over an always game and enjoyable to watch Roman, keeping him outside through most of the contest with a good jab. Judges David Jordan and Wayne Smith saw a shutout for Taylor at 60-54 while Paul Wallace scored the bout, 59-55. Taylor raises his record to 13-0, nine KO’s. Roman is now 11-32-5, five KO’s.

Suitland, MD cruiserweight Venroy “Hard Work” July won a six-round unanimous decision over Rayshawn Myers of Cleveland, OH. July, a native of St. Catherine’s, Jamaica, put continuous pressure on Myers who tried to get July off his game by talking to him and having a running dialogue with fans in attendance. All three judges (Smith, Jordan and Wallace) scored a shutout for July at 60-54. The win keeps July undefeated at 7-0, two KO’s. Myers’s record drops to 4-9, three KO’s.

Forestville, MD junior middleweight Alantez “Tez” Fox won a four-round unanimous decision over “Strictly Business” Mike Denby of Felton, DE. Fox showed great hand speed and used his vast height to his advantage enroute to a relatively easy win. All three judges (Jordan, Wallace and Smith) saw a shutout at 40-36 for Fox, who is now 5-0, three KO’s. Denby falls to 3-11-4, two KO’s.

Recent Alexandria, VA transplant Jerren Cochran made his Beltway-area debut a success with a first-round knockout over Desi Williams of Wilson, NC. The bout took all of 1:27 when Cochran, a native of Houston, TX, dropped Williams with a right hand. Williams could not beat the count and the bout was stopped. Cochran is now 3-0, three KO’s. Williams is 0-3.

Capitol Heights, MD featherweight Thomas “KO” Snow used good ring generalship to win a six-round unanimous decision over Robert “Don’t Lose” DaLuz of Providence, RI. Snow used his quickness well, keeping DaLuz at bay with his right jab throughout the bout. Judges Jordan and Wallace scored the bout 60-54 while Judge Smith saw the contest, 59-55. Snow is now 15-1, nine KO’s while DaLuz falls to 13-38-3, nine KO’s.

In the curtain-raising contest, DC middleweight Jacey Thompson made his pro debut a successful one with a first round TKO over Tevin “Killer” Parker of Raleigh, NC. Thompson landed some brutal body shots to drop Parker, who couldn’t beat the count. The bout ended at 1:48 of the first. Parker is now 0-3.

United Boxers in association with Gene Molovinsky of Keystone Boxing, promoted the card. Chris Middendorf served as matchmaker.

Extra notes: United Boxers honored two of the DC-area’s finest world champions — three-time world champ Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson and former two-time champ “The Little Big Man” Sharmba Mitchell during the evening. Meanwhile, youth was also served as two boxers on the card — Alantez Fox and Emmanuel Taylor — are two of a rising number of Beltway-area boxers who are pros and who are 20 years old or under. Taylor is 20 while Fox is 19. The DC-area boasts the youngest pro boxer in the country at the moment in 17-year-old Dusty Harrison. There are many more who could make the move to the pro ranks in the not-too-distant future.

The DC-area will also be sending a total of nine boxers to the US Male and Female Olympic trials. Seven men will attend the US Olympic Trials in Mobile, AL at the end of the month. Four of them were in attendance at the card and introduced to the crowd — Greg Outlaw (108 pounds), Michael Reed (141 pounds) D’Mitrius Ballard (165 pounds) and Antoine Douglas (165 pounds). Douglas’s inclusion is significant because his sister, Tyreishia (112 pounds), has qualified for the first ever Women’s Olympic boxing trials that will take place early next year. The Douglas siblings are the first ever to qualify at the same time for Olympic Boxing trials competition.

July 17th, 2011

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