Ty Barnett, Kevin Rivers Jr. Headline D.C. Boxing Show Tonight
by Gautham Nagesh
WASHINGTON, DC–After a brief hiatus, boxing returns to our nation’s capital tonight at the serendipitously named Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest D.C. A slew of local prospects are scheduled to fight including Kevin Rivers Jr., Mike Reed, Renaldo Gaines, David “Day Day” Grayton and Danny Kelly.
Top Flight Productions will present the show, which will be headlined by Ty Barnett vs. Stephan Alexander (above) at a catchweight of 138 lbs. The last time we saw Barnett (right) was in August, when he fell short in the biggest fight of his career against Filipino lightweight contender Mercito Gesta. The inactivity could make Barnett susceptible early, especially since his beard hasn’t always held up in recent fights.
Alexander should provide a challenge in the 10-rounder; the Norfolk, Virginia native has some pop, as evidenced by his knockdown of Stiff Jab favorite Terron Grant in October. Alexander was unlucky to lose a split decision in that fight, and has reeled off two straight wins in his hometown since. If Barnett comes out rusty, he could find himself in for a short night. But if this goes the distance, expect Ty to win the decision.[[MORE]]
The co-feature matches unbeaten local featherweight prospect Kevin Rivers against Rasool Shakoor, from my hometown Jackson, Michigan. Shakoor is 32 years old and apparently we overlapped at Jackson High School, though we didn’t know each other. Shakoor has been boxing for 14 years and currently trains out of 5th Street Boxing in Michigan Center, which is run by trainer Bob Kerr.
Shakoor is trained by Butch Bertram, and both were pleasantly surprised to encounter a fellow Jackson native so far from home.
“He’s a good fighter,” Shakoor said of Rivers, referencing his opponent’s “big amateur career.”
“I never expect my fights to be easy,” Shakoor added.
His plan is to “try to be smart, and not get caught up in the moment.” He offered no predictions, perhaps appropriate for a fighter that has lost four straight since upsetting unbeaten prospect Kieyon Bussey in January 2010. His overall record stands at 3-11-1 (1 KO).
Rivers wasn’t interested in knowing anything about his opponent, preferring instead to focus on himself. This is the youngster’s first six-rounder in his eighth professional fight, but he got some good preparation by going four rounds with the tough Jason Rorie last month. That fight was eventually broadcast on Comcast Sports Network; Rivers said his first TV exposure got his fans very excited.
“Because I performed in a good fashion, they were even more enthusiastic,” Rivers said of his supporters.
Rivers told me he’s staying ready for when he gets that call for a real test against another prospect. He isn’t worried about his first six-rounder, and credited Marcus Craig, his strength and conditioning coach at No Xcuse for keeping him prepared. Rivers said his routine is largely unchanged.
“It’s the same training, just harder. We’ve got to step it up,” Rivers said. Still, his “body is used to going rounds” from his days as a decorated amateur, and he doesn’t anticipate any problems against Shakoor. Rivers weighed in near the featherweight limit at 126.6 lbs, while Shakoor was right on the catchweight of 128.
Unbeaten Waldorf, Md. prospect Mike Reed is chomping at the bit for his fight against DeMarcus Rogers after his fight last month was cancelled. Reed weighed in just below the catchweight of 144 lbs. for this bout, but previously told us he plans to eventually cut down to lightweight. Rogers is making his pro debut, which promises to be a short one.
“I’m feeling really good. I’m just ready to put in work,” Reed told us. “I’ve been training for this fight for two months.”
The card will also feature a strong presence from Headbangers, who are still the dons of the local boxing scene. Junior middleweight prospect David “Day Day” Grayton will look for its fifth stoppage in as many fights against Jamaal Davis of Lynchburg, Va. Davis lost his only pro fight, but weighed in almost five pounds heavier than Grayton (158.4 vs 153.8 lbs.).
Davis’ extra weight might have been partially due to the fact he wore his long johns on the scale. To his credit, Grayton didn’t seem concerned. We expect another stoppage, perhaps in the second round. Grayton’s gym-mate Danny Kelly is scheduled to continue his journey at heavyweight against Rayshawn Myers, but Myers hadn’t shown up at the weigh-in by the time we left. For the record, Kelly looked svelte on the scales at 234.4 lbs.
Another Headbangers product, Antonio Magruder, will make his professional debut against Alan Beeman of Providence. Magruder is 21 years old and has been boxing since he was 12. He’s spent the past five years at Headbangers under the tutelage of head trainer Barry Hunter and his colleagues, Jamie and Patrice Harris. Magruder won the Junior Olympics and Silver Gloves in the 119-lb weight class, but plans to fight at junior lightweight (130 lbs.) in the pro ranks.
Magruder described himself as a boxer-puncher and unsurprisingly looks up to the Peterson brothers. He was less impressed by Beeman, whose last two fights were both losses at the same venue to Rivers and Renaldo Gaines last year.
“He’s fat,” Magruder said of Beeman, who weighed in at 142.6 lbs. Antonio weighed in at a ready 137.8 lbs., and predicted a bodyshot to his opponent’s soft midsection would end the fight in the second round.
Also making his pro debut on the card is Monrico Goldson, a middleweight from Salisbury, Md. Goldson weighed in at 162.2 lbs. for his bout against fellow debutante Darryl Fields, who weighed in at 160.8 lbs. Local lightweight Renaldo Gaines will look for his fifth win in six fights against Anthony Smith II. Both weighed in a shade over 133 lbs.
Barnett is acting as the face of this show, but the promoter of record is April Hairston. Matchmaker is Brian Dillon. First bell is scheduled for 7 p.m., so if you’re there by 7:30, you should be good. Tickets are available at the Convention Center; hopefully we’ll see you there.