tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90354055055874702642024-03-16T14:51:29.250-04:00 The Jewish Boxing BlogThe place for Jewish boxing news for over ten years!Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.comBlogger1064125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-26031561051870180662024-03-15T23:32:00.014-04:002024-03-16T00:08:53.168-04:00Seldin Starts Strong, Wins DecisionCletus Seldin defeated Jose Angulo by majority decision tonight at Madison Square Garden Theater. He scored a knockdown in each of the first two rounds before Angulo moved more to get into the fight.<div><br /></div><div>Seldin-Angulo was supposed to open the televised portion of the 360 Promotions card, but it ended up being the third fight of the night. The crowd chanted, “Hamma! Hamma!” before the start of the bout. Cletus, the 37 year old puncher, came out aggressively. He used agile footwork to close the distance and targeted Angulo’s body with rights. The body work set up a monstrous overhand right that sent the 27 year old Ecuadorian to the canvas. The fight looked over, but Angulo courageously got back on his feet.</div><div><br /></div><div>Seldin continued to target the body in the rest of the round. In the second, he came out with the same strategy, but added an uppercut. A left hook landed high on Angulo’s head for the second knockdown of the fight. The Ecuadorian ran for most of the round as Seldin slung left hooks. He managed to connect with a counter right as Seldin rushed forward with more abandon than before.</div><div><br /></div><div>Angulo spent the next several rounds straddling the line between running and boxing. He started the third well, and landed a jab shortly before Seldin slipped and fell. Referee David Fields ruled no knockdown. Jose then ran until he found the right uppercut, which would be his most consistent weapon the rest of the way.</div><div><br /></div><div>The fourth was close as Seldin continued to land rights to the hip in the hopes of slowing down Angulo. Meanwhile, Angulo relied on those right uppercuts and added a left hook to the body late in the round. Seldin trapped Angulo on the ropes a couple times in the fifth and managed to split his guard down the middle.</div><div><br /></div><div>Angulo started the sixth fast, but the round quickly fell into a similar pattern as the previous one. Angulo was accurate on the move, but threw fewer punches than Seldin, who landed the harder shots.</div><div><br /></div><div>Angulo had his best round in the seventh when he landed a hard right uppercut and several left hooks to the head. Seldin was never in trouble and finished the round with a good right.</div><div><br /></div><div>Angulo continued throwing left hooks and right uppercuts in the final round, but he held more than he had previously. There was a long delay from the moment the final bell rang until the scorecards were read.</div><div><br /></div><div>Seldin won on two judges’ cards 78-72 and 77-73. The third judge preferred Angulo’s movement, giving him five rounds, but with Seldin’s two knockdowns, that card read 75-75. The Jewish Boxing Blog scored it 77-73 for Seldin. He is now 28-1 with 23 KOs while Angulo falls to 16-8 with 9 KOs.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1neoOpkomW6GUvZ1XeCVyKrVr0jh-8fGN_8C8YQ2B7EF1sXTzC32dqG-erKvbVPqk-aFRBeCIGNWdJXakjOGksPOjx8sTZVXGwROf0zDnEMbvSRdOOzgZB7B3IRV4C9XC0nD_bFANvYpzl5nr6Csp0JrMSwidVaOe2tBVZfrZixH9joN4kBMqtL8OQ8A/s8256/IMG_0441.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5504" data-original-width="8256" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1neoOpkomW6GUvZ1XeCVyKrVr0jh-8fGN_8C8YQ2B7EF1sXTzC32dqG-erKvbVPqk-aFRBeCIGNWdJXakjOGksPOjx8sTZVXGwROf0zDnEMbvSRdOOzgZB7B3IRV4C9XC0nD_bFANvYpzl5nr6Csp0JrMSwidVaOe2tBVZfrZixH9joN4kBMqtL8OQ8A/w320-h213/IMG_0441.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Courtesy of 360 Promotions</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>After the decision was announced, Cletus took the microphone and proposed in the ring to his girlfriend Jessica, who accepted. Mazel tov to the newly engaged couple!</div>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-622432752264425412024-03-14T19:54:00.001-04:002024-03-14T19:54:11.121-04:00Cletus Seldin and Jose Angulo Weigh InCletus Seldin and Jose Angulo weighed in ahead of their clash tomorrow at the MSG Theater in New York. Both weighed in a few pounds south of the welterweight division.<div><br /></div><div>Seldin, a 37 year old New Yorker, weighed in at 142.4 pounds. That was the same weight he was for his last fight in October against Patrick Okine. It is well within the Hebrew Hammer’s normal range. With a record of 27-1, Cletus will be hunting his 24th knockout tomorrow.</div><div><br /></div><div>Angulo, a 27 year old from Ecuador, tipped the scales at 143.6 pounds. He was a lightweight for his second pro fight back in 2016. Since then, Angulo (16-7, 4 KOs) has vacillated between the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions with four exceptions. In 2018, he weighed 152 pounds for two fights. In 2021, he came in at 148 pounds for two others.</div><div><br /></div><div>Both fighters are in excellent shape for tomorrow’s scheduled eight rounder to be televised on UFC Fight Pass. <i>The Jewish Boxing Blog</i>’s preview of Seldin-Angulo is <a href="https://www.jewishboxingblog.com/2024/01/preview-of-cletus-seldin-vs-jose-angulo.html?m=1">here</a>.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTN0QTuI7W1qv_z-hHD5p5JWPK-WgOC0_1s7SSusNUrK10fJ9Kn0K_4UWugufIunjMzO_3PxfGPZqDUVR5FVGQHxHXlpW3nxpMnf9tFWT_KvIHgjskd2yl8Wg6dw_zNcqZV_6NU7rL_TyJvSTw4mNMi8d8iVn77Qu8InFrRIDrFpSRrGiWQ8HN2553LY/s6000/IMG_0412.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTN0QTuI7W1qv_z-hHD5p5JWPK-WgOC0_1s7SSusNUrK10fJ9Kn0K_4UWugufIunjMzO_3PxfGPZqDUVR5FVGQHxHXlpW3nxpMnf9tFWT_KvIHgjskd2yl8Wg6dw_zNcqZV_6NU7rL_TyJvSTw4mNMi8d8iVn77Qu8InFrRIDrFpSRrGiWQ8HN2553LY/s320/IMG_0412.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Courtesy of 360 Promotions</i></td></tr></tbody></table>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-39189616874123816312024-03-11T00:19:00.003-04:002024-03-11T16:19:27.681-04:00Mor Oknin's Fight Apparently Canceled<p>Larry Merchant once described boxing as "the theater of the unexpected." Sometimes it's more like the theater of the absurd.<br /><br />Mor Oknin was scheduled to fight Sunday night at the Ciudad Deportiva Carmen Serdán in Mexico City, Mexico. He had flown all the way from Israel a couple of days ago to fight an opponent who reportedly didn’t show up for the weigh-in. The fight was apparently canceled.<br /><br />The event promoted by TT Promotions was streamed on Vamos Deportes Boxeo's YouTube channel. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/kZIsnXeWMMQ?si=MT8xtTodBQDKJzu5&t=6889" target="_blank">Almost two hours into the show</a>, a strange thing occurred. Oknin got into the ring wearing a white robe with a blue Star of David and his customary number 26, also in blue. Tzitzit hung down from the robe. On the back read his surname along with his nickname "The Son of the Lion" and a larger Star of David. His trunks were also white and donned the small blue six-pointed star and his number on the back. His red Reyes gloves jabbed at shadows as he waited for the announcer to introduce him.<br /><br />The ring announcer declared Rafael "El Leon" Oknin of Israel the winner by technical knockout. The referee raised Oknin's hand as he rapped along with with Ness & Stilla's controversial song Harbu Darbu that blared from the speakers. He took bows in the ring and fist bumped the announcer and the two ring card girls before exiting. But there had been no opponent and no fight.<br /><br />Before Sunday night, Oknin contended that his professional record is 3-0. <a href="https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/1043476" target="_blank">BoxRec says it's 1-1</a>. He won his first bout by KO when his opponent injured his hand in 2021. The following year, Oknin undoubtedly fought in February in Mexico. The result is a matter of contention. The commission told BoxRec, Oknin lost by TKO. Oknin claims he won by TKO. BoxRec admits that commissions, particularly in Mexico, sometimes feed the site false results.<br /><br />Last September, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/V-m8SMODKBM?si=UZP9dHex_GVcEVAf&t=7868" target="_blank">Oknin won when his opponent retired</a> in the corner after the second round. Yet, his fight is not listed on BoxRec. <a href="https://boxrec.com/en/event/880476">The rest of the event is on the site</a>, although it is listed as taking place on the Tuesday, September 5 when it actually took place on Sunday, September 3.<br /><br />All that is to say, Mor Oknin is intimately aware of boxing's absurdity.</p>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-57728341110065083212024-03-09T21:56:00.013-05:002024-03-10T21:36:12.926-04:00Benny Nizard Wins Pro Debut<p>Junior middleweight Benny Nizard won his pro debut by unanimous decision against Avend Yassin at Palais des sports Marcel Cerdan in Levallois-Perret, France. The former French amateur champion displayed impressive ability during his first fight.<br /><br />Nizard, a southpaw from Paris, slid through the ropes to wild applause. When the bell rang, Yassin, a 33 year old from Ploufragan, started the fight as a southpaw. Nizard flicked a jab for show and smacked an overhand left against Yassin's cheek just as the contest commenced. Yassin quickly turned orthodox and remained that way for the rest of the bout.<br /><br />Amid raucous chants of "Nizard! Nizard!" Benny continued to use his jab as a distraction in order to land straight, overhand, and looping lefts. When Yassin got too close for comfort on one occasion, Nizard shouldered him to the canvas. Benny slipped one shot and came back with an intelligent left to the body. He later landed a stunning combination while Yassin was trapped in the corner. He finished the round with two lefts, turning with Yassin as the latter tried to get out of dodge.<br /><br />It was a brilliant opening round of his career.<br /><br />The pace slowed a bit in the second. With thirty seconds left in the round, the two fighters exchanged shots with Benny getting the better of it. Nizard had the faster hands and threw his punches with more conviction, which convinced Yassin to avoid a firefight and keep his hands home.<br /><br />Nizard introduced his right hook in the third round. Yassin was trapped in the corner when a big overhand left crashed into face. The skilled Parisian finished one combination with a left to the body, later landed a check right hook and quickly got out of harm's way, and finished the round alternating between the head and body with that back hand.<br /><br />The beginning of the fourth round looked like much of the same. Nizard snapped back Yassin's head early and then touched him with lefts up and down to set up his right hook. But Yassin not only showed courage and toughness, he refused to quit. A hard right to Benny's body encouraged Avend to press forward with a body attack. Nizard ended the fight strong though. He connected with a short counter left and finished with a harmless jab that set up a damaging straight left.<br /><br />Nizard has clearly been taught well by trainer Mike Cohen. Benny disguised his offense with deceptive upper body movement and has a creative variety of combinations for such a young fighter. Defensively, he kept his head off the line effectively. But it's important to keep expectations reasonable and give Benny time to develop.<br /><br />At times he lunged in when throwing his left from the outside and was slow to bring that hand back after launching it. Against a better opponent, the southpaw would be susceptible to the counter right. Beginning midway through the third round, he kept his hands down in spots because he felt confident of victory, but perhaps he should have kept his foot on the accelerator .<br /><br />Any minor criticism aside, it was a magnificent debut. <i>The Jewish Boxing Blog</i> scored the fight the same as all three judges, 40-36 for Nizard, who weighed 159 pounds. He's now 1-0. Yassin, who was 153.5, falls to 1-1-1.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZauf1p4BYbaY9yiwychtbWq0_QyQMePlrPs2rWUeVewcvbhLpyLCVzPppy7PFDMnnCX4lImySkwQyYC_7mDdFgkA75OJEtyheQcmQew5MXjOw1iWBlWPz74BMZFnV0q64V98pIjh8N7oiQnN8sf2lyTzS6QDL1z3tjJ1LtJfSQRqTsvlJPWFZTm5sQE/s834/Nizard%20debut.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="834" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZauf1p4BYbaY9yiwychtbWq0_QyQMePlrPs2rWUeVewcvbhLpyLCVzPppy7PFDMnnCX4lImySkwQyYC_7mDdFgkA75OJEtyheQcmQew5MXjOw1iWBlWPz74BMZFnV0q64V98pIjh8N7oiQnN8sf2lyTzS6QDL1z3tjJ1LtJfSQRqTsvlJPWFZTm5sQE/s320/Nizard%20debut.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Nizard (left) and Yassin</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-88393515549897011282024-03-08T18:09:00.007-05:002024-03-10T00:26:52.523-05:00Joshua Feldman Wins by TKO<p>Joshua Feldman made short work of Sibusiso "The Killer" Muteleni today at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, South Africa. Feldman scored the stoppage victory a minute and 26 seconds into the second round.<br /><br />Muteleni weighed in at just 140.3 pounds for the junior middleweight contest. At the weigh-in, he indicated that he didn't want to fight, but his coaches convinced him to through with the contest. Muteleni was forced to gain four pounds yesterday and weigh in again before the fight was allowed to proceed.<br /><br />To Muteleni's credit, he got into the ring and though he was mostly in survival mode, he connected with a few counter rights. But they had no effect on Feldman. From the outset, the 19 year old southpaw from Cape Town went after Muteleni. He craved a knockout and mostly threw whipping right hooks and pinpoint straight lefts.<br /><br />Feldman treated Muteleni's power with zero respect, walking towards his lighter foe with impunity. During the second round, Feldman landed with yet another right hook and Muteleni fell back into the corner. Feldman caught him with an uppercut before Muteleni crumpled to the canvas. He rose nine and a half seconds after falling. Referee Riaan Van Rensburg saw Muteleni did not want to continue and wisely waved off the fight.<br /><br />In the build up, Feldman pleaded with Muteleni to bring his "A" game. Instead, Sibusiso should pick a new game or at least a new nickname, as he posed virtually no threat. In addition, coming in so drastically underweight was unprofessional. While the fight didn't help the skilled Feldman much, he did sit down on his punches at times, which was something he had been working on in camp. It paid off with his first knockout. He's now 3-0. Muteleni falls to 0-2.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jjVBDR6MjcZA7G_yFOxLVIUW0Kd-SR3r1NXIKCoezlOnZYrUnQil5Gr_5_7Abhyphenhyphenh7Mw3ct05eVLgDpkQoCCeq3qNs3FsFssTYOy0P0hxWBoBviB4qbpfpsmIjKbclnGdZ3t4ZbWHBtF4Rr9gsPekiEGNCkSZSutxHfgywJpEJ0sB6_uK4Wwdxg2CEsA/s1170/Feldman%20Muteleni.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="1170" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jjVBDR6MjcZA7G_yFOxLVIUW0Kd-SR3r1NXIKCoezlOnZYrUnQil5Gr_5_7Abhyphenhyphenh7Mw3ct05eVLgDpkQoCCeq3qNs3FsFssTYOy0P0hxWBoBviB4qbpfpsmIjKbclnGdZ3t4ZbWHBtF4Rr9gsPekiEGNCkSZSutxHfgywJpEJ0sB6_uK4Wwdxg2CEsA/w320-h315/Feldman%20Muteleni.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>courtesy of Boxing5's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/boxing5.promotion/" target="_blank">IG page</a></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-38407025141730474972024-03-07T11:58:00.005-05:002024-03-07T13:21:44.193-05:00Josh Feldman Makes Weight, Opponent Comes in Low<p>Joshua Feldman is scheduled to fight Sibusiso Muteleni tomorrow at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, South Africa. The fight, however, is now in jeopardy as Muteleni came in considerably underweight at today's weigh-in.<br /><br />Feldman, a 19 year old from Cape Town, came in under the junior middleweight limit at 153.8 pounds. Josh is 2-0 and has now weighed between 153 and 154 pounds for all of his fights.</p><p>Muteleni also came in under the junior middleweight limit, but he was significantly under. He tipped the scales at 140.3, a satisfying bowel movement away from making the junior welterweight limit, two divisions below the contracted weight. Muteleni had come in at 149.3 pounds for his lone pro fight last May. He's either nine pounds lighter this time around, or his weight from the first fight was embellished.<br /><br />When an official read off Muteleni's weight today as 63.65 KGs, the event's mc announced "63..." as a question. When the official reread the weight, the mc actually <a href="https://youtu.be/TZ5QWb4kBmI?si=VywuHqyoKlqW5pRG&t=76" target="_blank">commented</a> that it was way low. During the stare down, Josh remained composed, but a glint of confusion and frustration was evident.<br /><br />Thirteen and half pounds is far too great a difference at this weight for the fight to take place. On top of the weight disparity, Feldman also enjoys a significant talent advantage, which can create a dangerous situation.<br /><br /><br />Update: <i>The Jewish Boxing Blog</i> has learned Muteleni weighed in again and was 144.5 pounds this time. As of now, the fight is still on.</p>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-54095769249904208182024-03-05T15:49:00.005-05:002024-03-05T15:54:42.379-05:00Yonatan Landman Scores a KO in Ghana<p>Flyweight Yonatan Landman defeated Simon Tackie by knockout 1:10 into the second round at Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra, Ghana today. Platinum Punch Promotions and Box Office Sports Promotions co-promoted the event held on the eve of Ghana's Independence Day.<br /><br />Landman, a 19 year old from Kiryat in Israel, started the fight aggressively behind his jab and left hook. He pressed Tackie, forcing the native of Accra back to the ropes on several occasions in the first round. Landman had some trouble finding the range early and allowed himself to fall into clinches on a few occasions.</p><p>A minute into the contest, Tackie fell in a heap from an apparent short left hook. It seemed the Ghanaian would be counted out, but he showed resilience in getting up and continuing to fight. Landman's lefts set up a right to the body that put Tackie down again at the end of the round. That first stanza ran several seconds long, but neither man did any more damage.<br /><br />Yonatan's jabs and left hooks in the second round set up another right to the body, which scored another knockdown. Eschewing the guiding principal of nonviolence espoused by Ghana's founding father, Kwame Nkrumah, Tackie responded by throwing a wild ill-intentioned combination. It would prove to be his undoing. A short counter left hook floored Simon, who laid prostrate on his face for the ten-second count. He got up a few seconds later and appeared relatively ok, if decidedly defeated.<br /><br />After the fight was stopped, Landman was living the highlife as promoter and popular boxer Prince Patel picked him up in celebration. Yonatan is now 2-0 with two KOs. BoxRec attributes an extra loss to Tackie who is now 0-3.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkv_4H9P0TO8HX0pbvBX6-Q7gEOQTLno2B-uWlz4OzEYWtbCWo41BKfmbgflkIHfRqDwB2zNhwCD37nY4JiF5AIzl_jGr-koXrixK9uBq5xZ3PkOXIJBTFdxkWSImuhcBLWDAa8vbydSD_4TTJ86bE402bB8fLbzDIhAfoWAUm06WsCqJnWKKpdVKmtA/s772/Landman%20beats%20Tackie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="772" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkv_4H9P0TO8HX0pbvBX6-Q7gEOQTLno2B-uWlz4OzEYWtbCWo41BKfmbgflkIHfRqDwB2zNhwCD37nY4JiF5AIzl_jGr-koXrixK9uBq5xZ3PkOXIJBTFdxkWSImuhcBLWDAa8vbydSD_4TTJ86bE402bB8fLbzDIhAfoWAUm06WsCqJnWKKpdVKmtA/w320-h237/Landman%20beats%20Tackie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-46766093279972185952024-03-04T23:52:00.008-05:002024-03-04T23:58:41.184-05:00Sagiv Ismailov Steps Away from Boxing<p>Sagiv Ismailov has decided to put his boxing career on hold, <i>The Jewish Boxing Blog</i> has learned. Ismailov, a 21 year old, is planning to get married this year and is on route to accept a position in law enforcement.<br /><br />Ismailov is 7-0 with 2 KOs. He scored quick stoppage victories in his first two fights in 2020. After a 21-month layoff, he faced fellow Jewish boxer Nikita Basin, scoring a first round knockdown, but fading late. Last year, Sagiv fought four times and showed dramatic improvement.<br /><br />In February, he won an ugly fight against a tall southpaw. He showed good variety in his offense in May. In November, under difficult conditions, Ismailov won by decision behind the jab. The next month, Sagiv displayed superior defense and threw clever combinations. With his IDF commitment finished last August, he seemed ready to devote himself to his boxing career. But life has a way of changing one's plans.<br /><br />Ismailov was scheduled to fight in Spain on March 23. It would have been the seventh different country in which he has fought during his pro career. His fights took place in Albania, Turkey, Israel, Estonia, Germany, and Moldova. But with a new career on the horizon, Ismailov won't have enough time to adequately train.<br /><br />Ismailov's coach, Evgheni Boico, now intends to move to Spain to help build up the boxing scene in Valencia. It's a sad loss for Israeli boxing. Boico is an outstanding coach who promoted the last two professional events in Israel. And Sagiv was one of the best young prospects based in the country and the furthest along in his pro career.</p><p><br /><i>The Jewish Boxing Blog</i> wishes Sagiv all the best.</p>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-57158603877182190942024-02-27T21:51:00.006-05:002024-02-27T21:51:57.567-05:00Mor Oknin to Fight on March 10 in Mexico City<p>Flyweight Mor Oknin is scheduled to fight on March 10 at the Ciudad Deportiva Carmen Serdán in Mexico City, Mexico. This fight is promoted by TT Boxing Promotions and will be Oknin's fourth fight in Mexico.<br /><br />Oknin is from Netanya, Israel. BoxRec lists his record as 1-1, but he says it's 3-0 with 3 KOs. BoxRec only lists results given to them by the presiding commission, which Oknin says gave him an undeserved loss when he actually won back in 2022. His <a href="https://www.jewishboxingblog.com/2023/09/mor-oknin-wins-by-stoppage.html">last fight</a>, a stoppage victory after the third round on September 3, is not listed on BoxRec.<br /><br />Oknin, a cancer survivor, works at his family's furniture store and offers personalized training sessions when not in training himself. He recently got in some work with former Olympian Yacov Shmuel, now a coach.<br /><br />No opponent has yet been named.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRMEwE-IpW4jCs9igsThZSp74WR6Gfd5P3AiIJn41_i5TqxP0gYOb-vGMUlaJzUDltlMGGozXoKVdIMvFX5pumU6E5k-nBCDLpUr9ZpWq3nXVVO0Lv9QYNXMZawLvZkQA2jkcfv08A-b8JWeKZmsi75eWTYOYvjGIC8uswNlZEKqDJhBZUwA2D_DEFk0/s1671/Oknin%204th%20fight%20poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1671" data-original-width="1170" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRMEwE-IpW4jCs9igsThZSp74WR6Gfd5P3AiIJn41_i5TqxP0gYOb-vGMUlaJzUDltlMGGozXoKVdIMvFX5pumU6E5k-nBCDLpUr9ZpWq3nXVVO0Lv9QYNXMZawLvZkQA2jkcfv08A-b8JWeKZmsi75eWTYOYvjGIC8uswNlZEKqDJhBZUwA2D_DEFk0/w280-h400/Oknin%204th%20fight%20poster.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Oknin is featured in the top row, second from the left.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-55202954643752576412024-02-23T11:08:00.002-05:002024-03-07T11:56:24.442-05:00Josh Feldman's All In<p>"Even if I don't have a fight, I can't stop training," Josh Feldman <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E4YOCbMdYo">told SA Boxing Talk</a> ahead of his March 8 bout against Sibusiso Muteleni at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, South Africa. "Right now, I feel I'm in the best shape."<br /><br />The Cape Town native said he is all-in. "I'm taking this so seriously. I just care about training, watching film, and sleeping. I believe I'm going to be the best in the country soon."<br /><br />Because of his commitment to training, Feldman has had no problem making the junior middleweight limit. "I don't have to cut a lot of weight. I feel strong. I definitely think I'll stay at this weight for maybe the next couple years." He told <i>The Jewish Boxing Blog</i>, "When I'm not in camp, I walk around at about 76 kg [about 167 pounds]." Two weeks from his third pro fight, he said he's now 162 lbs.<br /><br />Feldman began his camp at home in Cape Town where he trains at Blood, Sweat, and Tears Boxing Gym. "My coaches in Cape Town at Blood, Sweat, and Tears worked me so hard," he told SA Boxing Talk's Hayden Jones. To <i>The JBB</i>, he added, "In Cape Town, I got some good sparring with a fighter named Dylan Prosser." A 24 year old, Prosser is a 3-0 pro.<br /><br />Feldman's camp then shifted to Johannesburg where he trains at Colin Nathan's Hot Box Gym. "In Johannesburg, I'm sparring with a variety of people." He named a tough, young road warrior named Simnikiwe Bongco (4-4) and undefeated four-year pro Cayden Truter (7-0) as fighters who have given him good work. His usual main sparring partner, Almighty Creed Moyo, is missing this camp due to an injury.<br /><br />The 19-year old is ready for his next opponent, Sibusiso Muteleni. "Actually, I saw a short video of his first fight," he told Jones. "He looks pretty basic, but looks like he might have a bit of fundamentals. But nothing I can't deal with. So, I'm really excited. I hope he shows up with his 'A' game. I'm ready for a hard fight."</p><p>For this camp, Feldman has been working on fine-tuning his skills and sitting down on his punches to generate more power. "I feel like I'm very fit, so I just want to properly hone my skills. I've learned to sit down on my punches more. It's really different than the amateurs."<br /><br />His coaches helped him realize after his first fight last October that he need a change in style now that he's a prizefighter. "You're not just trying to outpoint the guy and land more punches, but you're trying to do damage. So when I'm working the bag, hitting the pads, sparring, I'm trying to properly sit down and pick my shots rather than throw more shots and not do any damage."<br /><br />Feldman is anxious to stay active. "I would fight every week if I could," he joked. "I'd like to fight four or five times [this year] realistically." That activity will lead to longer fights, something Feldman craves.<br /><br />"I feel like I'm starting to get very comfortable in the ring. I'm excited for the fights when they start getting six, eight rounds. I feel like I'm going to do better, because later into the fight I'm going to start adjusting, getting more comfortable, and that's when I fight the best," he said in the SA Boxing Talk interview.<br /><br />"I'm a very skilled fighter, technical, so late into the fight, once I've found my range and I've gotten used to where punches are coming from from the opponent, I'm going to start then using my skills and picking him off, and eventually get a stoppage late."<br /><br />Feldman exudes a quiet confidence. When asked about stablemate Sive Nontshinga, who just regained the IBF light flyweight world title last Friday, Josh's eyes lit up. He said of Nontshinga's inspirational win, "It's amazing to see, because he just trains so hard. You see how skillful he is in sparring and training. I knew he would do it, but it's great to see it actually happen."<br /><br />Feldman has the mindset to reach his goals one day. "I'm not getting worn out by the sport. I'm just getting hungrier."<br /><br />When asked about opponents down the road, Feldman responded, "Roark Knapp is the main guy. In the next couple years, I'd definitely love to fight him if he's still active. He's an inspiration to someone like me to see him climb the ladder."<br /><br />He has a message, not just for Knapp, but for all potential opponents, "Catch me now, because I'm just getting better."<br /></p>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-22784854462101507982024-02-22T12:04:00.000-05:002024-02-22T12:04:03.479-05:00Benny Nizard to Make Pro Debut<p>Junior middleweight Benny Nizard is scheduled to make his professional debut on March 9 at Palais des sports Marcel Cerdan in Levallois-Perret, France. He will face Avend Yassin, a 33 year old with a 1-0-1 record.<br /><br />Nizard is a 19 year old from Paris. The two-time French amateur champion is the son of Stephane Nizard, a popular boxer in Paris during the 1990s. Benny had his first amateur fight at 15 years old and has fought out of Maccabi Paris under the tutelage of Michael Cohen.<br /><br />After winning the French amateur title late last year, he has been living in Israel the past couple of months. A southpaw, Benny won't have to cut much weight to make the junior middleweight limit. He typically walks around between 160 and 165 pounds.<br /><br />Yassin is a tough opponent for Benny's pro debut. Born in Iraq, he took up boxing in 2013 in France. Yassin is from Ploufragan and trained at the nearby Plérin Boxing Club. A veteran of 45 amateur bouts, he currently owns a couple of men's hair salons in addition to his boxing exploits.<br /><br />On September 29 last year, Yassin fought fellow debutant Dylan Coquillant to a draw in a four-rounder. On December 9, he beat Miguel Dumail by majority decision.<br /><br />Nizard-Yassin will be promoted by Y12 Boxing and is scheduled for four rounds.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoya2D_fI3cnf14WR7uIxor-0qgavGwweU1YwsPcmpNjbumRrmvoadYsz5L6pyA-wJrkM6gH1dxAacizM5Fshm2P-bD4xRQq6xMJdZU7JWLEHuDGdmuZzPzO1U2BqF_wNUM7eYNeDJQHBrH0yO6tCLmhyphenhyphentO5CyswZl7H-wpCWjroz4fmaqP_gRKG5H8yE/s1344/Nizard-Yassin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1344" data-original-width="1170" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoya2D_fI3cnf14WR7uIxor-0qgavGwweU1YwsPcmpNjbumRrmvoadYsz5L6pyA-wJrkM6gH1dxAacizM5Fshm2P-bD4xRQq6xMJdZU7JWLEHuDGdmuZzPzO1U2BqF_wNUM7eYNeDJQHBrH0yO6tCLmhyphenhyphentO5CyswZl7H-wpCWjroz4fmaqP_gRKG5H8yE/w349-h400/Nizard-Yassin.jpg" width="349" /></a></div><p></p>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-90598020043966304622024-02-21T23:27:00.001-05:002024-02-27T22:43:52.821-05:00In His Brother's Shadow: A Profile of Joey Silver<p>Joey Silver was a popular fighter in San Francisco during the 1920s, but he never reached the heights of <a href="https://www.jewishboxingblog.com/2023/11/the-tale-of-long-john-silver.html">his older brother Jack</a>. Though Joey was considered a good prospect, a three-year hiatus quelled his career's momentum. After a brief comeback, he retired at the tender age of 25.<br /><br /><br />Joseph Silverstein was born in the Portola district of San Francisco, California in 1907. The seventh of eight children born to Morris and Molly, he was three and half years younger than the sixth child, Jacob. Jacob, who would go by Jack, entered the Navy where he learned to box. He turned pro in 1922 and he became extremely popular in San Francisco.<br /><br />Younger brother Joey hoped to follow in Jack's footsteps. He even shortened his surname to Silver, just as Jack had done. Joey turned professional on January 22, 1926 at Dreamland Rink in San Francisco. Jack had headlined at Dreamland countless times over the past few years.<br /><br /><b>Turning Pro</b><br />Joey Silver won his first bout unimpressively but stole the show in his second against Jack Colotta in February. Joey was caught flush four or five times, but he just shook his head, smiled, and fired back. The crowd loved it. Quickly, Joey built up a good record, albeit against inexperienced opponents and mediocre journeymen. By 1927, the press began calling him "promising." In May and June of that year, Silver faced Pete Meyers in a controversial trilogy.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVV_YtGNspiylP7T2m8rmMSd-Hi34p31zoqZ5992qMdP5X7TB4EjH5Bx41_eN6fPdvopFpsJRCa8w-fgOTvMO4OhSOMpS4uJMbhBitjQjQu_A5iN3rbb11tc2hsngq3pdHUZpfvx4m5Zd0D_ea62-QQUBM0l8bDgWC32oPey0IOTP4mEiwX0Fa_byjEo/s1521/Joey_Silver.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1521" data-original-width="636" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVV_YtGNspiylP7T2m8rmMSd-Hi34p31zoqZ5992qMdP5X7TB4EjH5Bx41_eN6fPdvopFpsJRCa8w-fgOTvMO4OhSOMpS4uJMbhBitjQjQu_A5iN3rbb11tc2hsngq3pdHUZpfvx4m5Zd0D_ea62-QQUBM0l8bDgWC32oPey0IOTP4mEiwX0Fa_byjEo/s320/Joey_Silver.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>Joey had been friends with Meyers, who grew up in the nearby Potrero neighborhood. On May 24, referee Benny Wagner raised the arms of both fighters after a tough six-round battle. Once the fans realized Wagner had called it a draw, most "hollered themselves hoarse at the referee. They thought Silver won." On June 7, Meyers was given the decision by an unnamed referee in a six-rounder. <i>The San Francisco Bulletin </i>felt Meyers's hand was raised "for no reason if the fight were judged on execution." It was only Joey's second loss in twenty pro fights.<br /><br />Silver finally earned his revenge on June 21 over the "Potrero Pole." Benny Wagner gave the verdict to Silver after the ten-rounder. Three years later, Wagner and fellow referee Toby Irwin went public with allegations against Tom Laird of the <i>San Francisco News</i>, claiming the sports editor had tried to influence their decisions in certain matches, including Silver-Meyers.<br /><br />"Meyers is a swell fellow. Get his hands up tonight," Laird allegedly told Wagner before the third fight. "I'm interested. You'll be taken care of." Publicly, Wagner only mentioned the third fight; the one he called for Silver. If Laird had pressured Wagner before the third fight, it's hard to imagine he didn't do so before the earlier fights as well. Apparently, nothing came of it as Laird was celebrated upon reaching his thirteenth anniversary at the paper in 1941.<br /><br />After two more wins, Silver beat the Hawaiian champ Johnny Priston when the latter broke his hand in the fourth round. Two weeks later, in September of 1927, Toby Irwin disqualified Silver for a low blow in the second round against Billy Adams. "Billy Adams missed his vocation," wrote Alex X. McCausland. "He should have been an actor, not a fighter." It amounted to another frustrating loss for the man known mostly as "Jack's brother."<br /><br /><b>Facing the Best</b><br />Silver next fought the reigning Olympic featherweight champion and future two-time welterweight world champion, Jackie Fields. It would be Joey's toughest test. Fields had knocked out his brother Jack the previous year. The fight against Joey was almost nixed at the last moment. The headliner, welterweight world champion Joe Dundee, wouldn't fight until he received his guarantee in cash before the fight. The promoter asked if Fields could fill in for Dundee and fight in the main event, but Fields's manager was opposed to the last minute change. With all the commotion, the fight was delayed a couple of hours.<br /><br />Silver had some good moments in his biggest fight. He hurt Fields twice during the ten rounds, but Fields opened up a cut over Joey's left eye and split his lip. Fields won seven of the rounds in a fight that was overshadowed by the Dundee affair. After snatching revenge from Billy Adams, Silver closed out the year by facing the other toughest opponent of his career.<br /><br />Hyman Gold fought under the name Oakland Jimmy Duffy. He had amassed a hundred wins in his career by the time he faced Silver late in 1927. Duffy came in overweight, six and half pounds heavier than Silver for their bout in Oakland. Duffy outboxed Joey to win by decision, but he was later suspended for missing weight so badly.<br /><br />By 1928, Silver was considered a rising young welterweight. He didn't pack a powerful punch nor was he the nimblest boxer. Joey's popularity was due to his gameness. On March 14, he fought Jimmy Evans. Silver was the favorite, but Evans whipped him. Joey didn't fight again for five months, and when he did, he lost twice. Then, he retired.<br /><br /><b>Two Retirements</b><br />Even in retirement, his brother stole the headlines. Jack and Joey retired together, which earned Jack top billing. A desire to make a steady income was the reason given for their retirement. But it was likely more. Their mother had died that year. And Joey's year in the ring had been exasperating; ridiculous decisions and a spate of losses likely contributed to his impulse to do something else.<br /><br />In his time away from the ring, Joey drove a truck, worked as a clerk, and became a patrolman. Failing to settle on a career, he came back to boxing in 1931 and gave a good account of himself in a draw against veteran George Brazelton. Joey scored three wins before the comeback fizzled.<br /><br />Early in 1932, Silver retired again, this time for good. He felt he couldn't get the big names into the ring. "What's the use of remaining in the racket," he wondered. "Every time I try to get 'em into the ring with me they play the duck." He finished with a record of 25-10-4 with 9 KOs.<br /><br />By 1935, Joey moved to Reno, Nevada and worked as a dealer at the dangerous Bank Club Casino. At some point before 1940, he married Catherine, a New Yorker who had moved to San Francisco. He spent some time serving as a judge for amateur boxing tournaments. In 1944, he was working as an electrician in a local war plant. After the war, he returned to his job as a dealer at the casino.<br /><br />In 1962, Joey got into a car accident. On February 2, he tragically died of his injuries caused by the wreck. Survived by his wife and three children, his obituary described him as "a prominent San Francisco boxer in the 20's and a brother of Jack Silver, well known referee." Jack Silver's brother was 55 years old.<br /><br /><br /><b>Sources</b><br />Baum. A.T. "Irwin, Wagner Aver Approach Made by Same Newspaperman." <i>The San Francisco Examiner</i>. Sep. 11, 1930. Pg. 21.<br />"Evans Winner over Joey Silver in Ring." Los Angeles Times. Mar. 15, 1928. Pg. B1.<br />"Joey Silver Dies at Age 55." <i>The San Francisco Examiner</i>. Feb. 4, 1962.<br />"Joey Silver Vows He Will Whip Meyers." San Francisco Bulletin. Jun 20, 1927. Pg. 12.<br />McCausland, Alec X. "Adams Declared Victor on Foul over Silver." The San Francisco Examiner. Oct. 1, 1927. Pg. 30.<br />"Sports Notables Fete Tom Laird, S.F. Sports Writer for 30 Years." The Fresno Bee. Feb. 11, 1941.<br />“Title Bout is Flop." <i>Los Angeles Times</i>. Nov. 4, 1927. Pg. 1.<br />U.S. Censuses from 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950.<p></p>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-22417420791552165412024-02-18T00:02:00.001-05:002024-02-18T00:02:06.284-05:00Yonatan Landman to Face Simon Tackie in Ghana<p>Flyweight Yonatan Landman is scheduled to face Simon Tackie on March 5 at the famed Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra, Ghana.<br /><br />Landman is a 19 year old from Kiryat, Israel. He won his pro debut on January 31 when he stopped Agayev Gasim in the first round in Baku, Azerbaijan. Fellow Israeli flyweight David Alaverdian has been training with Landman for some time and has noticed improvement. "He gets better and stronger every year," David noted.<br /><br />For Landman, this contest is about the experience of fighting in Ghana. His opponent, Simon Tackie (0-2), won't put up much resistance. In his 2021 debut against the wonderfully named Marvellous Dodoo, Tackie spent the first round covering up while standing in front of Dodoo, absorbing the winless fighter's random slapping swings. To Tackie's credit, he changed strategy in the second, holding on for dear life as if Dodoo was a mountainous cliff and the sport of boxing was a 1,000-foot drop. Tackie lost a point for holding in the third, spent twenty seconds on the canvas after a slip, and retired after the round.<br /><br />BoxRec claims Tackie then gained 30 pounds and fought six days later, losing to Gabriel Coffie. If it sounds unbelievable, it's because it is. Though Tackie was <a href="https://youtu.be/MDHp7Y7tajM?si=3PYCZEbbtEQ9nhnW&t=70">listed as the opponent</a>, it was actually Emanuel Allotey who fought Coffie. Poor Simon, credited with a loss in a fight in which he didn't even participate.<br /><br />A year ago, Tackie fought Daniel Otoo, another winless foe. Simon was relatively better than in his debut, landing a jab and a left hook in the first round, but he kept his gloves around his forehead and held his elbows out wide. In the second, Otoo battered Tackie from corner to corner smashing a well-placed overhand right in between.<br /><br />After the round, Tackie's trainer spent a little over a minute trying to convince him to go get knocked out. Too often in boxing, fighters are labeled as quitters when they show good sense. Tackie won the argument, and the fight was stopped. What he lacks in heart, he more than makes up for in sanity. He'd likely make a better lawyer than fighter. Tackie's best quality as a boxer is the courage he shows to get in the ring.<br /><br />This bout is scheduled for four rounds.</p>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-79366250619225073052024-02-15T12:51:00.006-05:002024-02-15T13:00:51.284-05:00Review of Smash Hit<p><a href="https://amzn.to/4bEeDC3">Smash Hit: Race, Crime, and Culture in Boxing Films</a><br />By David Curcio<br />Armin Lear Press, 2023<br /><br />In <i>Smash Hit</i>, David Curcio expertly plays the roles of film critic, boxing historian, and cultural commentator. His immense knowledge of film, boxing, and American culture coupled with the way he weaves them all together in almost every one of the twenty chapters (each about one film) is an astonishing achievement. While this book would fit comfortably in a college or graduate level curriculum, it can be enjoyed by anyone interested in the history of cinema or boxing.<br /><br />Of the five movies discussed that I've seen (it should be noted I'm the antithesis of a cinephile), Curcio provides perfect analysis for four of them. Not only do I agree with his interpretations of those films, but they go beyond what I had considered. The other fifteen chapters are just as informative, and the writing is excellent.<br /><br />The chapter on Rocky III is the only one in which I disagree with Curcio's view. He writes, "Adrian is relegated to an ancillary character, once again struck dumb and keeping the film firmly rooted in the male realm." But this ignores the scene on the beach where Adrian delivers a fiery speech to reignite Rocky's passion for boxing after he has decided to quit the sport. It's the moment Adrian breaks out of her shell and forces Rocky to face the harsh truth of his fear. "How did you get to be so strong?" Rocky asks her when the shouting is done. "I live with a fighter," Adrian's replies. Overly ambitious, the context provided in the Rocky III chapter doesn't flow as seamlessly as in all the others. Instead, it reads more like a series of tangential asides.<br /><br />The only other section that isn't top notch is about <i>Gentleman Jim</i> and only because of a few minor factual errors, mostly involving dates, such as Jim Corbett's career being placed in the 1880s instead of the 1890s (dates for Ali-Frazier I & Lewis-Tyson also have typos). In that chapter, Curcio discusses a Corbett foe, Joe Choynski, one of many Jewish boxers, actors, and characters covered.<br /><br />Tons of Jewish history is present here. Curcio delves into the story of actor John Garfield and other Jews who were blacklisted or targeted by the House Un-American Activities Committee. Edward G, Robinson is just another of the many Jewish actors mentioned. There are great anecdotes such as when Mushy Callahan doubled for Errol Flynn during the boxing scenes in <i>Gentleman Jim</i>. Barney Ross is the subject of a couple of the movies covered. So is Max Baer. And who could forget Rocky's trainer Mickey Goldmill? Those are just some of the Jews featured in these pages.<br /><br />In <i>Smash Hit</i>, Curcio shows he is a writer of the highest quality. There is no one better suited to cover the blend of boxing and film and, any disagreements aside, the book is executed brilliantly. Whether or not you've seen any of the movies featured in <i>Smash Hit</i>, it's definitely worth reading.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/4bEeDC3" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="907" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjznSXeYJDmReaUSAGoGZalFDDyVvc9d6e-PhtzaFAO8CPkwAytRHhyxHywITp8DguvYtHUe0GbJhiTxa82zQVBjrD_K1O-bvDwgjA3apSnKUFalqelBNyZVRCYGy1jTPq_ZnOKFgqS75TklhRr5evgbZUgNeeeLcA4_LJAerx6yhIXQ2IRgts1nd7pua0/w213-h320/Smash%20Hit.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-56114671855907232682024-02-12T23:29:00.002-05:002024-02-12T23:29:17.990-05:00Sagiv Ismailov to Fight Fran VerdeguerSagiv Ismailov is scheduled to fight Francisco Verdeguer on March 23 at Centro Deportivo Boxing Unitres in Picanya, Spain. Ismailov has been active lately, fighting four times last year, but he faces a tougher test this time.<br /><br />Ismailov (7-0, 2 KOs) is a 21 year old resident of Ashdod, Israel who has shown a lot of improvement in his last three fights. He's turning into an adept defensive fighter with a smart and creative offense. He showed a lot of dimensions in <a href="https://www.jewishboxingblog.com/2023/12/sagiv-ismailov-continues-to-improve.html">his last fight</a> on December 23 against Evghenii Shabazov. That fight was Sagiv's first six-rounder and he finished strong.<br /><br />Verdeguer is a 5'11" 30 year old from Albal, Spain. He's essentially had two different pro careers. He went 1-3 from 2012-2014 before he spent nearly eight years away from the ring. After winning his debut in 2012, Verdeguer dominated Ivan Salcines in the first round of their fight back in 2013, pounding away at his opponent's body and putting combinations together. But Verdeguer never saw Salcines's short left hook. By the time he woke up, the fight was over.<br /><br />Verdeguer, now donning an array of face tattoos including a giant cross on his left cheek, decided to reignite his career after the birth of his child. In his first fight back, he faced 10-2 David Loy. In the fourth round, Loy tackled Verdeguer over the ropes in frustration. Verdeguer fell on the ring apron while Loy landed on the floor. The fight continued, and Verdeguer pulled off the upset by split decision. He has lost his last three, but his opponents were a combined 12-0 when he faced them.<br /><br />The Spaniard's record is an unimpressive 2-6, but that's misleading. A former Spanish junior amateur champion, he is rated as the fifth best light heavyweight in Spain, according to Espabox. He's ranked above several fighters with better records because of the strength of his opposition. After falling to Jose Antonio Traicovich by decision in 2022, Martin Foru knocked him out with a left hook in the second round at York Hall in London.<br /><br />Last fight, he faced Cyrano Lorenzo on March 4, 2023. Because Verdeguer kept his left low, Lorenzo landed some early right leads. Verdeguer adjusted, but his hands weren't fast enough to compete with Lorenzo. He tried to parry with his right, but it was often too slow. He landed some sneaky punches and the occasional combination, however.<br /><br />Verdeguer has some advantages over Ismailov. He's naturally the bigger man. While Ismailov has never weighed in over 170 pounds, Verdeguer has fought as heavy as a cruiserweight. The Spaniard has faced the tougher opposition and he lands thudding punches and is a willing body puncher. The fight will also be in his home country.<br /><br />Ismailov cannot take this opponent likely. He'll want to use his hand and foot speed advantages. Verdeguer doesn't show much foot movement, so Ismailov should box early and only stay in the pocket when the fight is under control. The left hook could be the ticket to knockout. It's the punch responsible for Verdeguer's two KO losses.<br /><br />This fight is scheduled to be in the super middleweight division according to BoxRec. It's slated for six rounds.Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-4772048008974678352024-02-10T02:11:00.012-05:002024-02-10T02:18:40.044-05:00Josh Feldman to Face Sibusiso Muteleni Amid BSA Turmoil<p>Junior middleweight Joshua Feldman is scheduled to face Sibusiso Muteleni on March 8 at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, South Africa. Boxing in the country, however, has grinded to a virtual standstill due to legal issues.<br /><br />Zizi Kodwa, the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture in South Africa, <a href="https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/sport/boxing/2023-11-28-sports-minister-zizi-kodwa-appoints-new-boxing-sa-board/">completely replaced</a> the board of Boxing South Africa (BSA) last November. BSA regulates the sport in the country. The new board took over on December 12. The day after, it <a href="https://www.iol.co.za/sundayindependent/news/boxing-sa-woes-no-board-no-tournament-f4aba582-009f-405d-a1f5-d7bfac87a948">repealed the suspension</a> of Operations Director, Mandla Ntlanganiso.<br /><br />The National Professional Boxing Promoters Association sued Minister Kodwa, arguing that the NPBPA hadn't been consulted before the board was replaced, which violated the law. As a result of the lawsuit, the new board has since ceased to function. The old board's term ran out on December 11, so there is currently no active commission in the country. South African boxers cannot fight abroad either since BSA is responsible for granting them approval to do so.<br /><br />Boxing5 Promotions head Larry Wainstein, who promotes Feldman, criticized the NPBPA. He said in <a href="https://youtu.be/_tNFZ6D4I4U?si=o20Yv-t-1u3e868A&t=480">an interview with SA Boxing Talk</a>, "They represent maybe twenty promoters in the country. They don't represent all the promoters. They don't represent the boxers. There are 705 registered licensed boxers. There must be countrywide- and I'm guessing because I've asked for the number and nobody can even tell me the number- fifty promoters." Wainstein then suggested the NPBPA was the tail wagging the dog.<br /><br />Promoter Rodney Berman <a href="https://goldengloves.co.za/boxing-news/bsa-shutdown-torpedoes-march-event/">postponed his March 9 show</a> and expressed frustration with the impasse. "This state of flux makes it impossible to go ahead as planned," he said.<br /><br />Jackie Brice, another promoter, has canceled his proposed March 16. He<a href="https://inksport.co.za/2024/02/08/brice-angry-over-inability-to-promote/"> fumed to</a> Ink Sport, "The National Professional Boxing Promoters Association is killing boxing in this country." Bruce recently resigned from the association.<br /><br />Wainstein intends to go ahead with his March 8 card, or "tournament" as shows are called in South Africa. He has asked Minister Kodwa to appoint an interim board so that boxing can continue while the legal process runs its course.</p><p>It is in this context that Feldman (2-0), a 19 year old southpaw from Cape Town, prepares for his third professional fight. His opponent, Muteleni, is from Guateng. He lost his lone pro fight on May 28 last year to Douniama Gislain by first round KO. Muteleni threw a few jabs, but mostly walked in behind a high guard and paid the price. He was knocked down twice. After the second knockdown, he stayed on a knee for the count.<br /><br />Hopefully, Feldman and his fellow South African boxers will be allowed to fight soon. "They're complaining about the minister never followed procedure. Ok, he never followed procedure," Wainstein acknowledged before asking, "Must all the other people be held to ransom because the [NPBPA] want to be seen as putting their people in place?<br /><br />For the sake of South African boxing, let's hope not.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeRzP5uGj_dfmpdlnWeKqGkSaySmq23zUjkBQCraGdKEP6ECeH0EVQIBKSWyUKSzz6lLZV0a4lImD03vSB7Plz2-rl8mjVVBrm8CcP8J2WnGnC5x5VBLhWQy9BCjdAhht94N2DFjKqZNHJamt2uw8aPbmQO2DICmzbcx1cwCxD4itTTzpdexlaNibyiA/s1262/Feldman%20third%20card.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1262" data-original-width="894" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeRzP5uGj_dfmpdlnWeKqGkSaySmq23zUjkBQCraGdKEP6ECeH0EVQIBKSWyUKSzz6lLZV0a4lImD03vSB7Plz2-rl8mjVVBrm8CcP8J2WnGnC5x5VBLhWQy9BCjdAhht94N2DFjKqZNHJamt2uw8aPbmQO2DICmzbcx1cwCxD4itTTzpdexlaNibyiA/w284-h400/Feldman%20third%20card.jpg" width="284" /></a></div><p></p>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-11206652053581094142024-02-07T13:54:00.013-05:002024-02-07T14:01:23.407-05:00Cletus Seldin Speaks at Opening Press Conference for March 15 BoutCletus Seldin addressed fans and media at the opening press conference of a 360 Promotions event scheduled to take place on March 15 at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York, New York, USA. Seldin is expected to take on Jose Angulo on a card headlined by Callum Walsh.<br /><br />“Finally! Finally! It took me six years to get back to this opportunity," Seldin began. It has actually been even longer, over twelve years, since he last fought at Madison Square Garden Theater. His mention of six years likely references the point when he neared the top of the sport. At the end of 2017, Seldin fought on HBO in back-to-back months. After a jaw-dropping third round knockout of Roberto Ortiz on November 11 that year, Cletus suffered his only career defeat a month later. Pundits instantly wrote him off.<br /><br />Touching on his inactivity since his HBO stints, Seldin said, "I've been held back through this entire time. And for me to be here at Madison Square Garden in New York has been one hell of a ride."<br /><br />Cletus then turned his attention to the March fight before laying out his credentials. "I’m excited! I'm going to show the best version of "The Hebrew Hammer." We're fighting at Madison Square Garden! I’m 27-1 with [23] knockouts. I'm ranked 9th in the world by the WBA."<div><br /></div><div>Recognizing this is a moment of heightened antisemitism and his role as an athlete is to inspire the fans, Cletus declared, "And if there’s ever been a time for a Jew in New York to be fighting and winning, it’s now!"<br /><br />He concluded, "So come out March 15. Irish crowd, Jewish crowd, one hell of a place. New York, we are ready to rock and roll!”
</div>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-46838887381096614252024-02-01T13:06:00.007-05:002024-02-15T22:40:40.281-05:00Yonatan Landman Wins Pro Debut<p>Yonatan Landman won his professional debut yesterday at the ABU Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan. The flyweight won by knockout 31 seconds into the first round.<br /><br />Landman is a 19 year old from Kiryat, Israel. He has been trained in the art of combat almost as long as he's been trained in the art of using the potty. His father Shai began coaching him when Yonatan was just four years old. After a decade of kickboxing, Yonatan switched to boxing four years ago.<br /><br />For six weeks Landman prepared to fight Ramazan Babayev, a 33 year old veteran of ten fights from Lankaran, Azerbaijan. The day before the fight, the promoter told Landman that Babayev had broken his leg. Yonatan and Shai didn't know anything about the new opponent, Agayev Gasim, who was two pounds heavier than Yonatan. In fact, Yonatan still doesn't know his name.<br /><br />It didn't matter. Landman (110.7 pounds) landed a sharp jab and a sweeping right to score a quick knockout of his overmatched opponent, who came in at 112.5 pounds. Landman credits his father's game plan for the victory. "I did exactly what my father told me to do," Yonatan told <i>The Jewish Boxing Blog</i>, "and it worked out better than expected."<br /><br />Landman is next scheduled to fight on March 5 at the famed Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra, Ghana. BoxRec currently lists Landman's opponent as Simon Tackie (0-2).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBbv8_LOrX4eF5svU5iRV43u15Bcd1K92sqCJz8wot23JKPEWs-BCKqHqjk_zYSfbvWZS90_NVtXYxpF93-DiLrjebuw6hob_8Bnfxb6hG0w7hTh3PNLbjAPwE7ywHd2lfjzvoOW1O1komWfCfs0dhlZRCRFTe1dA-aW_Gdf3vDA978xr-scNTXkKqubE/s1080/Yonatan%20Landman%20wins%20debut.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="755" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBbv8_LOrX4eF5svU5iRV43u15Bcd1K92sqCJz8wot23JKPEWs-BCKqHqjk_zYSfbvWZS90_NVtXYxpF93-DiLrjebuw6hob_8Bnfxb6hG0w7hTh3PNLbjAPwE7ywHd2lfjzvoOW1O1komWfCfs0dhlZRCRFTe1dA-aW_Gdf3vDA978xr-scNTXkKqubE/w280-h400/Yonatan%20Landman%20wins%20debut.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-4409778981806441792024-01-31T21:00:00.010-05:002024-01-31T21:06:40.271-05:00Preview of Cletus Seldin vs. Jose Angulo<p>Cletus Seldin is scheduled to fight Jose Angulo on March 15 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, USA. The card is being promoted by Tom Loeffler's 360 Promotions.<br /><br />Seldin is a 37 year old puncher whose record is 27-1 with 23 knockouts. His best win might be an eleventh round knockout victory over Zab Judah to capture the NABA junior welterweight title back in 2019. Seldin then fought only twice over the next four years. This will be the Hebrew Hammer's second fight in five months, a welcomed increase in activity. In October, he knocked out Patrick Okine in a slugfest.<br /><br />A 27 year old with a record of 16-7 (9 KOs), Jose Angulo is the junior welterweight champion of Ecuador. He is 16-0 in his home country and 0-7 in the United States, including the territory of Puerto Rico. In Ecuador, he has only faced three winning opponents and those three combined for a mediocre 18-12-3 record. In the United States, his opponents were a combined 75-4-1 when Angulo faced them (not including Seldin). Angulo fought twice on ShoBox, home to top prospects through the years. Some of his other losses were to former world champion Alberto Machado and two well-regarded prospects Ernesto Merchado and Cain Sandoval.<br /><br />Because of his uneven record, it's hard to rate Angulo. Perhaps his most enlightening fight came on ShoBox against Alejandro Guerrero, who was 11-0 when they fought in 2020. Angulo was competitive and lost by majority decision. Guerrero has since lost four straight.<br /><br />Angulo has the tools to beat Cletus Seldin. Jose is athletic with quick feet. He has the ability to box and move, a style which could negate Seldin's power. The problem for Angulo is he never boxes and moves for more than a few brief moments at a time. Instead, he tends to stand in punching range with his left low and throw hard two and three punch combinations. Angulo falls into lulls too often and just covers up. He almost never tries to counter his opponent's attack, and his jab doesn't serve much purpose.<br /><br />Jose Angulo is from the coastal town of Guayaquil and has fought many times in Ecuador's mountainous capital city of Quito, so he's likely endured the ten-hour bus ride down the ten thousand-foot Andean mountain range. That means he oozes courage. The Ecuadorian has a decent chin, but his punch resistance has been known to fade significantly throughout fights, resulting in four stoppage losses. He withstood many clean shots from Guerrero, but Alberto Machado beat him down by the eighth.<br /><br />If Angulo can stick and move all fight, he's got a chance to nick a decision, but his low left, lack of counter punching, and willingness to cover up when receiving incoming fire all formulate a recipe for a Cletus Seldin knockout victory.<br /><br />This bout is scheduled for eight rounds, but if Angulo doesn't box, look for it to end in the fourth or fifth.</p>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-39970819990451257332024-01-29T22:04:00.000-05:002024-01-29T22:04:05.279-05:00Josh Feldman to Fight in March<p>Junior middleweight Josh Feldman is scheduled to fight on March 8 at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, South Africa. The 19 year old from Cape Town is 2-0.</p><p>Feldman, a southpaw, won both of his fights by decision. He is fluid, throws hard combinations, and is defensively responsible. His next step is to build his attack throughout the fight, which is not always easy in four-rounders.<br /><br />In preparation for his third pro fight, Feldman has been training with another 2-0 South African prospect named Owen Venganayi. No opponent has been named for the March 8 contest.</p>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-41998737987396496772024-01-26T23:49:00.012-05:002024-01-27T23:21:18.010-05:00Stefi Cohen to Fight in March<p>Dr. Stefanie Cohen is scheduled on fight on March 1 at Tropical Park Equestrian Center in Miami, Florida, USA. The card is promoted by Mundo Boxing.<br /><br />The are a few interesting notes surrounding this bout. Cohen has been training with her old coach Dr. Pedro Diaz. She had linked up with Pedro Santiago when she moved to Southern California. Both are good trainers although Diaz is more known in the sport.<br /><br />Under Diaz's tutelage, Cohen mostly boxed behind her jab at range. Because of her short stature, impressive strength as a world record-holding powerlifter, and late start in boxing, it probably makes more sense for her to be a mauler who roughs up her opponents on the inside. It's a credit to Cohen and her coaches that she has made so much progress with her technique, but it feels like trying to reinvent the wheel.<br /><br />This fight is scheduled to take place in the super bantamweight division (122 pounds), which seems like a good fit for Cohen. She cut all the way down to flyweight (112 pounds) for her last fight, which couldn't have been easy.<br /><br />She is scheduled to take part in a six-rounder, which would be her longest bout. She has struggled with stamina issues in several four-rounders throughout her career, so the jump up in rounds before showing she can sustain an attack for four rounds could be presumptuous. Cohen's stamina issues have come in fights where she has been 118 pounds or below, so the higher weight could serve to rectify concerns about her endurance.<br /><br />This bout marks Cohen's seventh career fight. She last fought in June and has been in the ring twice each year since she turned pro in 2021. The 31 year old started boxing in her late twenties, so more activity in the ring is the best way to overcome her late start. Of course, it must be understood it isn't easy for fighters to get on a card regularly these days. Last fall, Cohen trained with legends Carolina Duer and Yesica Bopp as well as prospect Lupita Medina. Stefi has been getting good work, but sparring isn't the same as fighting.<br /><br />Cohen is managed by her significant other Tristan Hamm, which might be the most treif name there is. Hamm, an outdoor influencer from Canada, knocked out a Logan Paul lookalike last Saturday on a Misfits card. Incidentally, Boxrec lists Misfits boxing as something distinct from professional boxing. Hopefully, Cohen's opponent on March 1 is a fighter the caliber she has faced thus far and not a lookalike.<br /><br />No opponent has been announce for Cohen as of yet.</p>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-41450069378320791752024-01-25T12:00:00.010-05:002024-01-29T11:02:39.429-05:00Eric Seelig Elected to Atlantic City Boxing Hall of FameErich "Eric" Seelig was elected to the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame in the pioneer category as part of its 2024 class. Seelig began boxing professionally at the age of 21 in 1931. Eleven months into his career, he won the German middleweight title. A month after Hitler gained power in 1933, and a day before the Reichstag fire, Seelig won the German light heavyweight title. The Nazis soon stripped him of his titles and sent him into exile. That expulsion ultimately saved his life.<br /><br />Seelig fled to France where he lost two decisions to Marcel Thil, but otherwise performed well. In 1935, Seelig immigrated to the United States. A top contender, he lost close decisions to Billy Conn and Fred Apostoli. Eric received a shot at the world middleweight title in 1939. The champion, Al Hostak, stopped him in one. Seelig's best win was a seventh round TKO victory in 1935 over an older Mickey Walker, a legendary two-division world champion.<br /><br />After he retired from boxing 1940, Eric moved to Atlantic City with his wife where he trained fighters. He passed away in 1984. Seelig is also a member of the the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (1992) and the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame (1999).<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSnqZAcRiOG0LbDhY0N5x8b4hNMKoTqJI9AErIVmx_CxUPSt-dcyy_DSLnZ1S74LTz42gAi_H5afgOnJlYpoRDLWzwQfeLBVDiTLSTrBMEIzaBsxNd3hfv0k50k2cVe1Lplb6EaB0m8tiD9a7Jo5d3qgla2iIMV_I2t-e5TnZwJxUIVtiR_4k1jg_-EM/s255/ErichSeelig.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="200" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSnqZAcRiOG0LbDhY0N5x8b4hNMKoTqJI9AErIVmx_CxUPSt-dcyy_DSLnZ1S74LTz42gAi_H5afgOnJlYpoRDLWzwQfeLBVDiTLSTrBMEIzaBsxNd3hfv0k50k2cVe1Lplb6EaB0m8tiD9a7Jo5d3qgla2iIMV_I2t-e5TnZwJxUIVtiR_4k1jg_-EM/s1600/ErichSeelig.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erich Seelig</td></tr></tbody></table>Other Jewish inductees include Sampson Lewkowicz, Randy Gordon, and Jay Larkin, who were all elected in the special contributor category this year for the Atlantic City Hall.Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-82703950255766988632024-01-21T22:39:00.004-05:002024-01-21T23:04:55.462-05:00Review of Murder on Federal Street<a href="https://amzn.to/3HLZUHP">Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, Fixed Fights, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing</a><div>By Sean Nam</div><div>2023</div><div><br />Pretty southpaw Tyrone Everett was the talk of South Philadelphia during the 1970s. Seemingly a future champion who vacillated between outboxing his opponents and standing in the pocket and knocking them out, Everett's life was snuffed out in the house of one of his girlfriends, a woman who happened to be the estranged wife of a Black Mafia leader. The girlfriend, Carolyn McKendrick, allegedly pulled the trigger in a jealous rage although some close to the case believe she took the fall for more powerful figures who were actually to blame for the murder.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>In Murder on Federal Street</i>, Nam does a masterful job recounting Everett's career. Torn between his reality as a local star and his aspirations of world fame, Everett is a complicated and imperfect man, one who lived a thought-provoking life. The writing is superb and the research intricate and illuminating. The shorter sections on race relations in Philadelphia and the role of the Black Mafia in the city provide excellent context. If there's anything to quibble about this book, it's that those sections could have been woven into Tyrone Everett's story a little tighter.<br /><br />The truth is, there is virtually nothing to criticize. Nam uses high-minded references and an elevated vocabulary that would make a professor of literature reach for a thesaurus, but impressively manages to create an unpretentious and effortless read. The topics of murder and the mafia lend themselves to sensationalist coverage, but Nam treats them with empathy and humanity.<br /><br />Throughout his career, Everett had a close relationship with his manager, Frank Gelb, but a frostier one with his promoter Russell Peltz, both of whom are Jewish and act as main characters in the drama. Though not Jewish himself, Everett wore a Star of David on his trunks in several of his fights. Nam concludes he did so to channel the popularity of his rival Bennie Briscoe. Briscoe, who fought in a much higher weight class but often received top billing above Everett, wore a Star of David on his trunks to honor his manager. Yiddish words are not only sprinkled into the narrative, but thankfully are used appropriately. Nam even scores a rare interview with former world champion Mike Rossman.<br /><br /><i>Murder on Federal Street</i> is a fascinating story and a fantastically written book. It's highly recommended reading for any boxing fan, particularly those interested the sport's history in Philadelphia or during the 1970s.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/4b35jrb" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="227" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Uh_NCCrPMJGXHXSyxvb2vz5R6VhVrplobcWEyVCINGhyG4zP38K3t12QsPScfQMgac0z3Bcqo6ECz07anEURWSY8Z78OS8a42hSa-pAuexi9eDcUoYlMMwEmCbiORSn1ZN8OnYD8eCqZ8mIFyQvkdgKDiOG-egDUs11kbYUQd-2JnASuhn9FSKsCucw/w260-h400/Murder%20on%20Federal%20Street.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br /></div>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-42121716266951843582024-01-14T21:11:00.014-05:002024-01-14T21:19:44.681-05:00Mike Silver's Top 5 Jewish Boxers since 1960<div><b>Mike Silver's Top 5 Jewish Boxers since 1960</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Mike Silver is perhaps the most knowledgeable person on the planet about Jewish boxing history. His book <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3RWCVOF">Stars in the Ring</a>: Jewish Champions in the Golden Age of Boxing</i> is one of the seminal works on the subject. He curated the exhibit "Sting Like A Maccabee: The Golden Age of the American Jewish-Boxer" at The National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, and co-curated the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival's centerpiece program, "Jews, Boxing & Hollywood." His other two books <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3Hkc8qM">The Arc of Boxing</a>: The Rise and Decline of the Sweet Science</i> and <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3O2oMOJ">The Night the Referee Hit Back</a>: Memorable Moments from the World of Boxing</i> are both extremely well-regarded as well. Silver has also written for <i>The Ring</i>, the <i>New York Times</i>, and <i>Boxing Monthly</i> among many other publications.</div><div><br />This terrific list covers the period of Mike Silver's interest in boxing. For an in depth profile of this great historian, see "<a href="https://www.jewishboxingblog.com/2023/12/the-lasting-legacy-of-boxing-historian.html">The Lasting Legacy of Boxing Historian Mike Silver</a>."</div><div><br /></div>1. Alphonse Halimi<div>2. Mike Rossman<br />3. Saoul Mamby<br />4. Fabrice Benichou<br />5. Felix Brami<br /><br />Honorable mentions: Nessim Max Cohen, Gary Jacobs, Yuri Foreman, David Oved, Dmitriy Salita, Sauveur Benamou.<br /><br /><br /><br />Other Top 5s<br /><a href="https://www.jewishboxingblog.com/2023/12/top-5-jewish-south-african-boxers.html">Jewish South African Boxers</a><br /><a href="https://www.jewishboxingblog.com/2023/10/top-5-jewish-boxers-from-london.html">Jewish Londoner Boxers</a><br /><a href="https://www.jewishboxingblog.com/2023/09/top-5-jewish-dutch-boxers.html">Jewish Dutch Boxers</a><br /><a href="https://www.jewishboxingblog.com/2023/07/top-5-jewish-french-boxers.html">Jewish French Boxers</a><br /><a href="https://www.jewishboxingblog.com/2023/04/top-5-jewish-female-boxers.html">Jewish Female Boxers</a><br /><a href="https://www.jewishboxingblog.com/2023/03/top-5-jewish-israeli-boxers.html">Jewish Israeli Boxers</a><br /><a href="https://www.jewishboxingblog.com/2023/01/top-5-jewish-british-boxers.html">Jewish British Boxers</a><br /><a href="https://www.jewishboxingblog.com/2023/01/top-5-jewish-canadian-boxers.html">Jewish Canadian Boxers</a><br /><a href="https://www.jewishboxingblog.com/2022/12/top-5-jewish-north-african-boxers.html">Jewish North African Boxers</a></div>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035405505587470264.post-4559140072266170722024-01-12T13:44:00.001-05:002024-01-12T13:44:33.090-05:00Odelia Ben Ephraim Off January 27 Card<p>French featherweight champion Odelia Ben Ephraim is out of a scheduled fight against European featherweight champion Sheila Martinez. Ben Ephraim is experiencing hand issues and won't heal in time for the January 27 fight. Martinez is now scheduled to defend the title against Annaelle Angerville on that date in San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain.<br /><br />Ben Ephraim's injury comes at an inopportune time as she matched up well against Martinez. The European champ is tall, long, awkward, and fights rough. The 25 year old from Spain has no qualms about shoving her forearm into an opponent's face. Martinez has improved dramatically in her last two fights though, evolving from a crude brawler to a boxer who uses her height and reach advantages to better effect. Her technique is far from textbook and her footwork is poor, but her unconventional style does make for some punches from unexpected angles. Nevertheless, the champ is quite hittable, and with Ben Ephraim's precision accuracy and intelligent combinations, Martinez would have been in trouble.<br /><br />Instead of Ben Ephraim, Martinez will now defend her title against former French featherweight champion, Annaelle Angerville, a 34 year old who was a world champion in Muay Thai. Angerville barely snuck by Ben Ephraim in their two fights, the most recent taking place a year ago. That bout was for the vacant French featherweight title, which Angerville won by split decision. If Angerville beats Martinez, another fight against Ben Ephraim could make for a high-level defense, but she may not want to tempt fate with a third match against her compatriot.</p>Jewish Boxinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11456646510795692350noreply@blogger.com0