Posts tagged Greg Newby
Dusty Harrison Looks Like A Headliner Against Eddie Soto
Photos by Anna John for StiffJab.com
by Gautham Nagesh
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Like all entertainers, boxers are unpredictable by nature.
Men that fight for a living are often more temperamental than the brattiest teen idol in Hollywood. Almost every card includes at least one fight scratched because an opponent has succumbed to that peculiar sickness that takes hold between the weigh-in and the opening bell. Promoters can only book their fights, make their contingency plans, and pray.
If boxing is, in the end, simply show business, then another maxim holds true: the fans come to see the main event, not the supporting players. That might be a hard truth to swallow for some undercard fighters, especially since they are putting themselves at the same risk as their better-compensated peers. But it’s the truth.
There were some complications on Saturday night during the first professional boxing show promoted by All-In Entertainment at UDC in Northwest Washington. Only five of the nine scheduled fights were completed, and writers were left typing their reports in blackness after a power outage cut the walk-out bout short. None of that mattered. To the nearly 3,000 fans that packed the auditorium, it was a night at the fights, a moment to be savored regardless of the complications.
It is still far too early to say how good 18-year-old D.C. welterweight Dusty Hernandez-Harrison will be. Even with 15 professional fights under his belt, Dusty is only scratching the surface of life as a professional fighter. But Hernandez-Harrison offered a tantalizing glimpse of his potential on Saturday night, displaying poise beyond his years during his 5th-round knockout of Eddie Soto.
Preview: Dusty Hernandez-Harrison vs Eddie Soto This Saturday At UDC
Photos by Gautham Nagesh for StiffJab.com
by Gautham Nagesh
If you read this blog at all, you know we’re extremely upbeat about the both the present and future of DMV boxing. The current kingpins of D.C. will be on display in Atlantic City this weekend, but the next generation of stars will be honing their craft this Saturday at a more local (and appropriate) venue: the University of the District of Columbia Sports Complex.
Stiff Jab 2012 Prospect of the Year Dusty Hernandez-Harrison will continue his journey at welterweight with a step up against Eddie Soto of Pawtucket, R.I. Soto started his career with 12 straight wins before losing his last six, four by stoppage. As an opponent, Soto fits with Team Dusty’s plan to keep the risk low while exposing Dusty to various styles and skill levels. Harrison is also fighting at home for the first time this year after two bouts in Delaware and one in Mississippi.
“I’m happy to be home. Everybody missed me, they keep asking me when I’m coming home, so I’m glad to finally be back,” Dusty said at Monday’s media workout. “It should be the biggest fight yet that I’ve had.”
David Grayton & Greg Newby Stay Undefeated In D.C.
David Grayton photo by Anna John for StiffJab.com
by Gautham Nagesh
Finding work is never easy when you’re a young boxer, but staying busy is crucial. So you take the fights whenever you can get them.
D.C. prospects David “Day Day” Grayton and Greg Newby both scored first-round knockouts Saturday night at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Washington on a card promoted by Babie Girl Productions. The excellent Gary “Digital” Williams was in attendance as per usual and has more over at Boxing Along The Beltway. Newby took two minutes and two seconds to stop Ivan Burke at light heavyweight, while Grayton needed just 1:04 to dispatch Tyrone Braswell at junior middleweight.
Greg Newby photo by Gautham Nagesh for StiffJab.com
Kevin Rivers & Jerry Odom Impress At Rosecroft
Photos by Gautham Nagesh for StiffJab.com
by Gautham Nagesh with Rodriguez Jackson
FORT WASHINGTON, Md.—16 feet is not a lot of room when you’re facing a man trying to knock your block off.
That’s how big the ring was on Saturday night at Rosecroft Raceway for the year’s first Keystone Boxing card. For a young boxer, facing his first professional fight outside the friendly confines of the Washington Convention Center, the cramped ring, low ceiling, and vocal fans sitting just a few inches from the apron could have easily provided enough distractions to prompt a stumble. The upset-minded atmosphere was only aided by the Ravens’ double-overtime win over the Broncos, which delayed the opening bell almost an hour. But no upsets came.
Instead, NoXcuse products Kevin Rivers Jr. (above) and Jerry Odom offered dynamic, if abbreviated testaments to their potential, while a slew of other prospects including Greg Newby and Jarrett “Swift” Hurd took care of business en route to clear victories. Alantez “Sly” Fox (below) of nearby Forestville thrilled his vocal fans by out-classing Julius Kennedy of Frederick over six rounds in the main event. Fox was literally and figuratively head and shoulders above Kennedy, using his superior length, skill, and speed to box circles around the Guyana native.
Everybody Wins At Fight Night 2012
Photos by Gautham Nagesh for StiffJab.com
by Gautham Nagesh
WASHINGTON, D.C.—There are certain annual rituals that make living in the cesspool that governs our nation almost tolerable.
For yours truly, Fight Night 2012 at the Washington Hilton is one of them. Thursday night was long set aside for the Fight for Children benefit, and no storm was going to stop the first edition since founder Joe Robert Jr.’s passing. So I joined hundreds of other local gentlemen that dusted off their tuxes, shined their shoes, and fired up their stogies for a night of the Sweet Science.
A solid three-bout card fully sanctioned by the D.C. Commission provided fewer thrills than expected, but solid action. In a departure from recent years, the audience actually stuck around to watch the fights. Arlington junior welterweight Bayan Jargal (above) stopped the badly shopworn Eric Aiken in the main event to earn this year’s Fight for Children belt. The Mongolian Mongoose was simply too big and strong for the undersized Aiken, who should hang up his gloves.
Staff favorite Jerry Forrest (above) had more trouble with Brice Ritani, who proved unexpectedly resilient in the face of Forrest’s heavy punches. Ritani went the distance, testament to his Kiwi toughness. But Forrest swept the cards, and seemed happy with his second career win afterward.
Weekend Preview: Jerry Forrest & Terron Grant Return
Images by Anna John for StiffJab.com
by Gautham Nagesh
The young boxer you see jumping for joy above is Newport News, Va. heavyweight Jerry “Slug” Forrest, who fights Saturday night at Fort Myer/Henderson Hall Joint Military Base in Arlington on a card promoted by Dr. Richard Ashby’s RBA Promotions.
Forrest will be joined on the card by heavyweight Duane Mobley , lightweight Terron Grant (below), light heavyweight Greg Newby, and cruiserweight Zakki Scott. All are unbeaten young prospects that we have covered before, and each has shown promise in their own right. Grant is a great young man, Newby is a military veteran and product of Lime Lite Boxing in my hood, and Scott impressed me while winning the 2011 Washington Regional Golden Gloves at 201 lbs.
