Nelson and Belasco battle to draw; De Alba decisions Carrainde to highlight card at Valley Forge Casino Resort

Valley Forge, PA (October 6, 2014)--This past Saturday night, In front of a near capacity crowd at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, Naim Nelson and Ryan Belasco battled to an 8-round majority draw for the UBF All America's Jr. Welterweight title while Frank De Alba scored an 8-round unanimous decision over Jesse Carradine which highlighted a 5-bout card. The show was promoted King's Promotions and Peltz Boxing.   Nelson and Belasco battled to a close nip and tuck battle.  The fighter's styles were opposite of conventional wisdom heading into the fight as it was Belasco who was ahead when the fight was a boxing match while Nelson was getting the slightly better of the action in close.  It seemed going down the stretch it was Belasco who was in front and one judge did agree by awarding Belasco the fight 77-75.  He was overruled 76-76 on the remaining two cards thus rendering the split draw.   Belasco of Wilmington, DE is now 18-6-4.  Nelson is now 12-0-1.   In the co-feature, De Alba won his 12th consecutive fight as he he scored a knockdown in a nicely contested 8-round battle.   De Alba controlled the action moving in an out.  The taller Carradine tried to box from the outside and would occasionally get in a solid shot.  De Alba worked the body well but it was a short right hook that sent Carradine to the deck in round five.  Both guys fought hard throughout and even though he was the winner, De Alba had some swelling in his face.   De Alba of Reading, PA won by scores of 79-72, 78-73 and 76-75 and is now 14-1-2.  This was his 12th consecutive win and is unbeaten in 16 straight.  Carradine of Las Vegas is now 8-4-2. Anthony Prescott scored three knockdowns and finally put Shawn Sutton away at of2:19 of round three of their scheduled 4-round Welterweight bout. Prescott dropped Sutton with right hands in each of the three frames and there was doubt that Sutton would be allowed to continue after round two.  Prescott only had to work another 2:19 and he dropped and hurt Sutton and the fight was over. Prescott of Cherry Hill, NJ is now 4-3-2 with 2 knockouts.  Sutton of Norristown, PA is now 0-3. Travis Thompson scored a 4-round majority decision over Benjamin Burgos in a battle of hard luck Lightweights. Thompson of Pottstown, PA won by 39-37 twice and 38-38 and is now 6-11-3.  Burgos, of Mount Pocono, PA is now 1-9-1. Christian Molina remained undefeated by scoring a 50 second stoppage over Josue Rivera in a Jr. Welterweight bout. Molina dropped Rivera for the ten count from a combination in the corner. Molina of Allentown, PA is now 3-0 with 2 knockouts.  Rivera of Philadelphia is 2-6. Photos by Jeff Julian / King's Promotions

Nelson to risk undefeated record against Belasco in UBF All America's title fight this Saturday at Valley Firge Casino Resort

UBF All Americas Jr. Welterweight title bout to between Nelson & Belasco to serve as co-feature to De Alba - Carradine this Saturday

VALLEY FORGE, PA (October 2, 2014)--This Saturday night at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, undefeated Jr. Welterweight Naim "The Dream" Nelson (12-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will take on Ryan Belasco (18-6-3, 3 KO's) of Wilmington, DE in an 8-round bout for the UBF All America's title that will serve as the co-feature bout to a championship night of boxing promoted by King;s Promotions and Peltz Boxing.   In the main event, Frank De Alba will take on Jesse Carridine in a 8-round Jr. Lightweight bout.   "Training has been great.  I have had no injuries and I am in terrific shape.  I have trained harder for this fight than any other fight,"said Nelson.   Nelson knows that Belasco is a worthy opponent but he is prepared for the task at hand.   "Ryan brings a lot of experience.  He has more than twice the amount of fights.  He was already a pro when I started my amateur career.  He has decent skills as he can box and bang.  It should be a great test."   With each passing win, Nelson knows that every fighter is gunning a little harder trying to put that first loss on him.   "It comes with the territory.  When you start getting to double-digit wins, you can feel guys wanting to take that zero from you.  Guys get up for you.  They train harder then they do for other fights which is great that we can bring the best out of each other."   Nelson is looking forward to adding another belt to his trophy case that already has the Pennsylvania Lightweight title in it.   "The UBF title adds to this fight.  I have that Lightweight state title.  I plan on staying at 140 lbs. unless I can find a big fight at Lightweight.  I am just happy to be able to fight for a 2nd title where there are so many fighters that don't even compete for any.  These are the types of things that will help me reach my ultimate goal and that is to fight for a world title."    Nelson finished, "I think this will be a tremendous fight.  It has been a year in the making and I know we will both lay it all on the line.  I think this fight will rival my (2012 war) with Victor Vasquez.    Naim "the Dream" Nelson is known as one of the hardest workers in the area. He consistently takes on tough opposition and continues to win. He has only one KO on his perfect 12-0 ledger but he's extremely strong and physical in the ring. His opponents can attest to that.    With team of trainer Rory Bussey, Strength coach James "Fink " Edwards and new  adviser Stephen Edwards.  Edwards is  trainer/adviser to red hot Jr. Middleweight contender Julian "Jrock Williams and up and coming prospect Kyrone "Shut It Down" Davis. Nelson believes he has big things coming. If Nelson is successful in this fight he is looking to take on bigger names in the lightweight and junior welterweight divisions. In the 8-round main event,Frank De Alba (13-1-2, 5 KO's) of Reading, PA will take on Jesse Carradine (8-3-2, 4 KO's) of Las Vegas in a Jr. Lightweight bout.   Shawn Sutton (0-2-1) of Norristown, PA will fight Anthony Prescott (3-3-2, 1 KO) of Cherry Hill, NJ in a 4-round Jr. Middleweight bout.   Christian Molina (2-0, 1 KO) of Allentown, PA battles Josue Rivera (2-5, 2 KO's) in a 4-round Jr. Welterweight bout.   Travis Thompson (5-11-3, 3 KO's) of Pottstown, PA will box Benjamin Burgos (1-8-1) of Mount Pocono, PA in a 4-round Lightweight bout Tickets for this great night of boxing are priced at $125, $75 and $45 and can be purchased by calling Kings Boxing at 610 587-5950 or Peltz Boxing at 215 765 0922

Carridine ready for big opportunity against De Alba this Saturday at Valley Forge Casino Resort

UBF All Americas Jr. Welterweight title bout to between Nelson & Belasco to serve as co-feature to De Alba - Carradine this Saturday

VALLEY FORGE, PA (October 1, 2014)--This Saturday night at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, Jesse Carradine (8-3-2, 4 KO's) will trek all the way from Las Vegas to try to pick up the most significant win of his career when he takes on Frank De Alba (13-1-2, 5 KO's) of Reading, PA in the 8-round Jr. Lightweight main event.   The show is promoted by King's Promotions and Peltz Boxing.   Carradine has been training hard in advance of this opportunity.   "Camp has been pretty good.  I have been putting in the perennial work.  We have been working hard,"said Carridine.   Carradine has not seen a lot of De Alba but he feels he will be prepared for whatever that native of Reading, PA will bring to the table.   "I don't know much about De Alba other than he is a southpaw who loads up on his shots.  He comes forward and I will be prepared for all that."   Carridine has stepped up in the past but came up just a bit short against current IBF Featherweight champion Evgeny Gradovich, undefeated Jr. Lightweight prospect Omar Douglas and undefeated Lightweight prospect Karl Dargan.   "I believe my experience in being in those types of fights will be a big factor.  I try to face a good level of competition to make myself better.  It motivates me for this upcoming fight."   He knows that a win over the streaking De Alba will put himself in a good position in the Jr. Lightweight ranks.   "I think a win will boost me one step at a time.  I am looking to put on a good show.  I know it won't be a walk in the park, but a win will help me reclaim my status and put me back on the winning track."   The 27 year-old Carradine finished by saying, "I am feeling good, lean and mean.  I am happy for this opportunity and I want to thank King's Promotions for giving it to me."   In the 8-round co-feature, Naim Nelson (12-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will take on Ryan Belasco (18-6-3, 3 KO's)  of Wilmington, DE for the UBF All America's Jr. Welterweight title.   Shawn Sutton (0-2-1) of Norristown, PA will fight Anthony Prescott (3-3-2, 1 KO) of Cherry Hill, NJ in a 4-round Jr. Middleweight bout.   Christian Molina (2-0, 1 KO) of Allentown, PA battles Josue Rivera (2-5, 2 KO's) in a 4-round Jr. Welterweight bout.   Travis Thompson (5-11-3, 3 KO's) of Pottstown, PA will box Benjamin Burgos (1-8-1) of Mount Pocono, PA in a 4-round Lightweight bout Tickets for this great night of boxing are priced at $125, $75 and $45 and can be purchased by calling Kings Boxing at 610 587-5950 or Peltz Boxing at 215 765 0922

NELSON, BELASCO SQUARE OFF AT FINAL PRESSER FOR OCT. 4 UBF TITLE FIGHT AT VALLEY FORGE CASINO RESORT

September 24, 2014--Valley Forge, PA-Junior welterweights Naim Nelson and Ryan Belasco are looking forward to their long-awaited showdown set for Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Valley Forge Casino Resort. At stake is the vacant Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) 140-pound title. Nelson, 24, of Philadelphia, PA, and Belasco, 30, of Wilmington, DE, had been scheduled to collide more than one year ago, but a hand injury sustained in training by Nelson canceled the match. "I'm looking forward to finally fighting Belasco," Nelson told the press last night at the Valley Forge Casino Resort. "The hand injury set me back but everything has been fine since then." Joining Nelson was his long-time trainer Rory Bussey and his new manager, Stephen Edwards, who also manages junior middleweight sensation Julian Williams. A pro since 2011, Nelson comes into this fight off an eight-round decision victory over previously unbeaten lefty Jerome Rodriguez, of Allentown, PA, last May 16 at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia. Last year Nelson (12-0, 1 K0) won the vacant Pennsylvania lightweight title by earning a 10-round decision over Victor Vasquez, of Philadelphia. He also has defeated Osnel Charles, of Atlantic City, NJ. Belasco (18-6-3, 3 K0s) has not boxed since Oct. 13, 2012, when he lost a 10-round decision to Rod Salka in Pittsburgh, PA. The loss to Salka snapped a four-fight win streak for Belasco, who also has defeated Tyrell Samuel, of Baltimore, MD . The only common foe is Vasquez, who was stopped in five rounds by Belasco in 2008. "I've been idle this year because my wife just had our baby and that has been slightly more important to me than fighting," Belasco joked. "I'm anxious to get back into the ring and win a title, any title. The UBF belt would be fine with me." Junior lightweight Frank Santos de Alba, of Reading, PA, proudly brought his UBF belt to the press conference. He defends Oct. 4 against Jesse Carradine, of Las Vegas, NV. "I'm up for the challenge," said De Alba, who is 13-1-2, 5 K0s. "They say Carradine is tough and he's only been stopped once, by Karl Dargan, who is a solid lightweight. I'm a natural junior lightweight, 130-pounder." Others fighters on the card in attendance included heavyweight Maurice Byarm, of Philadelphia; lightweight Travis Thompson, of Pottstown, PA; welterweight Shawn Sutton, of Norristown, PA. Tickets for this great night of boxing are priced at $125, $75 and $45 and can be purchased by calling Kings Boxing at 610 587-5950 or Peltz Boxing at 215 765 0922

Boxing Results from The Valley Forge Casino - June 15, 2013

 

Yorgey Edges Kennedy in Hotly-Contested Rematch

By Tony Penecale (Ringside)

It’s a rare occurrence when a sequel lives up to the original, much less surpasses it.  Often it lacks originality and it falls short with attempts to recreate the action and drama of the classic that it follows.  But sometimes, you find one like “The Godfather II” or “The Empire Strikes Back” where the sequel not only becomes an equal, it becomes the superior entity.

For local-favorite Harry Joe Yorgey and upset-minded Julius Kennedy, the rematch of their back-and-forth battle in March turned out to be another hard-fought classic in front of a raucous Pro-Yorgey crowd at the Valley Forge Casino in King of Prussia, PA.  

As in the original, it was Yorgey’s superior conditioning and strong finish that allowed him to win another closely-contested battle and capture the vacant WBF North America Middleweight title in the process.

Yorgey, 160, of Bridgeport, PA, started quickly, putting on a boxing clinic using his sharp jab and movement to befuddle and neutralize the physically-imposing Kennedy, 160, of Windsor Mill, MD.  Yorgey was able to control the action and pace while Kennedy tried to force the fight inside, his single punches hitting only air.

As in their first meeting, Kennedy started getting closer in the 3rd round, trying to bull Yorgey to the ropes and smother him.  Yorgey found success in landing crisp counter punches off the ropes but the in-close fighting seemed to favor Kennedy.

The momentum started to swing in Kennedy’s favor in the 4th round as he landed several hard punches, including one after the bell which led to a brief war of words between the fighters.  Yorgey continued to fight Kennedy inside through the 5th and 6th rounds, landing at a higher volume while Kennedy’s punches were harder, with his thudding body shots thundering through the arena.

Kennedy enjoyed his best round in the 7th, stalking Yorgey, and landing several big shots.  Yorgey countered inside but his punches lacked the same zip, seemingly a result of Kennedy’s debilitating body shots.

Yorgey seemed to find his second wind in the 8th round and turned the tide, attacking Kennedy’s body with several vicious hooks.  A combination late in the round jarred Kennedy’s mouthpiece out, bringing a welcome respite to the slowing Maryland fighter.

With the fight virtually even, Yorgey took control over the final two rounds, landing hard combinations as Kennedy was becoming increasingly fatigued.  Yorgey sent the crowd into a frenzy, punctuating the evening with a great combination at the bell.

Judge Lynne Carter scored the bout even 95-95 but was outvoted by Dave Greer and Alan Rubenstein who both scored in favor of Yorgey by the identical score of 96-94.

Yorgey improves to 27-2-1 (12) while Kennedy falls to a deceptive 7-6-1 (3).

The main undercard bout featured a Philadelphia neighborhood war between Tevin Farmer and Victor Vasquez.  The crowd was split with Vasquez’s supporters waving Puerto Rican flags only to be offset by a group of vocal fans sporting “Team Farmer” t-shirts.

Farmer, 133, coming off an uninspiring performance at his last visit to Valley Forge, came in focused and determined, and rewarded the fans with a boxing clinic against the courageous but overmatched Vasquez, 136.

Farmer, a smooth-boxing but light-punching southpaw, set the tempo early and couldn’t miss with laser left hand.  By the 2nd round, Farmer was dominating the action, carving up Vasquez, whose left eye was seriously swelling.

Vasquez became increasingly desperate and tried to force the action, only resulting in Farmer hitting him at will in a virtuoso performance.  The final hope for Vasquez’s supporters came when Farmer seemed to slow in the 7th round, opening the possibility of a last-round comeback.

Unfortunately for them, Farmer was simply taking the round off so he could impressively close the show.  Impressive it was as Farmer convincingly punished Vasquez until referee Blair Talmadge decided to stop the bout at the 1:58 mark.

Farmer improves his record to 11-4-1 (2) while Vasquez sees his record fall to 16-8-1 (7).

In other bouts:

In a battle of southpaws, Kamarah Pasley, needed two rounds to shake off the ring rust from a two-year layoff, before impressively dismantling Jeremy Stauffer over six exciting rounds en route to a majority decision win.

Pasley, 198, Philadelphia, seemed lethargic early, allowing Stauffer, 191, Reading PA, to come straight ahead and wing homerun punches.  Stauffer continued to dominate with a relentless attack while Pasley was content to find his rhythm and counter with snapping punches off the ropes.

Early in the 3rd round, referee Benji Estevez penalized Pasley a point for holding, seemingly digging him into a huge hole.  Pasley quickly dug himself out and turned the momentum, timing Stauffer with a flush uppercut, flooring him hard.

Stauffer again found some success in the 4th round but it was Pasley that took over again in the 5th, ripping left hands, both straight and looping,  that sliced open a cut over Stauffer’s right eye.  Pasley kept the momentum through the 6th, stymying his desperate opponent.

George Hill scored the bout even 56-56 while Dave Greer and Lynne Carter both favored Pasley by identical 57-55 scores.

Pasley evens his record at 6-6 (2) while Stauffer drops to 7-3-2 (6).

Frank Santos DeAlba won another battle of southpaws with a six-round decision over upset-minded Jamell Tyson

DeAlba, 131, Reading PA, pressed the action early and landed the majority of clean punches against Tyson, 131, Rochester NY.  Tyson was able to land a fair share of counter punches but not enough to halt his aggressive opponent.

DeAlba punctuated his performance, flooring Tyson with a big left in the 5th round and hurting him again in the 6th round before coasting to the final bell.

All three judges favored DeAlba by scores of 60-53 and 58-55 (twice).

DeAlba improves to 8-1-2 (3) while Tyson falls to a deceptive 3-10-2 (1).

Making his first appearance of 2013, undefeated prospect Todd Unthank-May made a triumphant return from a shoulder injury, shutting out the passive Mike Wilmer over four one-sided rounds.

Unthank-May, 179, Philadelphia, came to the ring sporting a Bernard Hopkins-like executioner mask and tiger-striped trunks.  He was certainly the predator against southpaw Wilmer, 179, Huntington WV, dressed as the prey in zebra-striped trunks.

Unthank-May controlled all six rounds against an opponent who is hard to look good against.  His superior technique was rewarded by the judges who awarded him a unanimous decision by scores of 59-55 and 60-54 (twice).

Unthank-May remains undefeated at 7-0 (2) while Wilmer sees his record fall to 4-6 (3).

Damon Allen was effective in using his height, reach, and superior skillset to offset the aggressive, rough-house tactics of the appropriately named Travis “The Animal” Thompson.

Allen, 137, Philadelphia, was able to land clean punches from the start against his defensively-deficient opponent.  Thompson, 139, Pottstown PA, never stopped attacking, and, as his frustrations mounted, he resorted to wrestling and trying to goad Allen into a slugfest.

Allen maintained his composure and weathered Thompson’s late storm en route to a unanimous decision by scores of 40-36 and 39-37 (twice).

Allen improves to 2-0 (1) while Thompson drops to 4-10-2 (3).

Making his professional debut, Khalib Whitmore, a protégé of famed trainer Brother Nazim Richardson, was successful with a workman-like performance over Lamont Capers.

Whitmore, 181, Philadelphia, a well-schooled southpaw, applied steady pressure and brought the fight to the overmatched, Capers, 184, Hawley PA.  Whitmore landed his straight left throughout and won a unanimous decision, all three judges scoring the bout 40-36.

Whitmore wins his pro debut and is now 1-0 while Capers falls to 1-2.

In a matchup of young professionals making their pro debuts, Antonio Dubose scored four knockdowns in defeating John Portillo over four rounds.

Dubose, 126, Philadelphia, effectively used his superior handspeed to land punches at will against Portillo, 123, Lancaster PA.  A right hand to the body late in the round dropped Portillo to the canvas.  Dubose scored two more knockdowns in the 2nd round, both with counter lefts.  Dubose dropped Portillo again as the seconds ticked down in the 4th and final round.

Dubose easily won the decision by scores of 40-33 and 0-32 (twice).

Dubose wins his pro debut to go 1-0 while Portillo loses his and is 0-1.

In the opening bout of the evening, undefeated Javontae Starks weathered the fast start by George Sosa, before settling down and dissecting him with a brutal body attack over six rounds.

Starks, 151, Minneapolis MN, started the bout by trying to box on the outside but was quickly smothered by the hard-charging Sosa, 150, Reading PA.  Starks found an opening to land hard counter punches to the body which took the wind out of Sosa’s sails.

Sosa continued to work hard but could not keep pace with the body shots that Starks used to control the action.  All three judges scored the bout for Starks by scores of 58-56 and 59-55 (twice).

Starks remains perfect at 7-0 (5) while Sosa falls to 7-4 (6).

The event, promoted by Marshall Kauffman’s King Promotions, was another tremendously successful event with approximately 2,000 fans packing the ballroom.  With the increasing popularity of boxing and mixed martial arts cards held there, the next show at the Valley Forge Casino is scheduled for Friday, August 23.