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What a difference a month makes and with the recent happenings in the ring in Philly and elsewhere, the deck has been shuffled and as usual a few new faces appear in this months pound for pound top 10 list. From late July to the end of August there have been some outstanding cards and credit has to be given to promoters J. Russell Peltz, Greg Robinson & Dee Lee for putting out a high quality product in their most recent efforts. During this stretch there have been some very competitive fights, quite a few upsets and few fighters return to our area and also some top names ventured outside of our area to get their names noticed on a higher level. It is starting to get thick in the area and due to recent events inside and out of the ring, there is a new number 1 for the time being, a big drop in the standings and a couple of guys falling out of the top 10 for this month. September is looking like a down month in Philly but its going to hit the fan soon after as there are three fight cards scheduled for October. Four members of the top 10 are scheduled for action as Mike Jones, Harry Yorgey, Chucky Cavallo & Dave Brunelli all have fights signed, sealed and delivered. For those who aren't familiar with this list, the rules are simple. The fighter does not have to be born in Philly but has to fight on the Philly circuit and beat worth while fighters. There is a 5 win minimum and you must have been active within the past three months. To those of you who want to beef about not having guys like Bernard Hopkins on the list, I have that covered too with the top 10 Philly born national pound for pound list. As always, this is up for debate and your feedback is appreciated so hit me with an email giving your 2 cents.
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| 1. |
 Mike "Machine Gun" Jones Welterweight 10 - 0 (10ko's) |
His punching power thrills people, his team continues to step up the
opposition in every fight and just about everyone who has watched him
fight believe he is the real deal. On the strength of a knockout win
over Martinus Clay in Niagara Falls last month and steam rolling over
Doel Carrasquillo, Mike Jones takes over
the top slot on the top 10 list. If you haven't seen him yet live, go
run out and by a ticket now. The Mt. Airy Machine Gun is slowly but
surely capturing the attention of everyone in the area who watches the
fights. In a short time he has already walked through a pair of tough
journeyman who are more than capable of beating a good prospect on any
given night. though it is still early in his career, it will be
interesting to see who will be put in front of him next. Could this be
the start of a long run at the top? Another strong performance against a
game opponent will give him the nod, then again if Yorgey sticks around
and lights a ring on fire like he is known to do, things could be
interesting...
Last Month Ranking #2 |
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| 2. |
 "Lightning" Harry Yorgey Jr. Middleweight 19 - 0 - 1 (9ko’s) |
After weeks of debate, Harry Joe slides to number 2 through no fault of his own.
As much as we love watching Yorgey fight, it is evident that he has hit
his ceiling here on the local level and is the time is right for him to
mix it up with the higher caliber opponents and cash in bigger checks
for his almost guaranteed good night of work. Most recently, he was a
victim of a fight fall out in Atlantic City which could have possibly vaulted
him into the national spotlight. While the situation was unfortunate,
big things still await the Bridgeport brawler as he is itching to land
an important fight that puts his name on the map in an open Jr.
Middleweight division. In his last fight which came in June at The Blue
Horizon, he gave a ruffian named Edson Aguirre a nice thumping
over 8 rounds. The aforementioned fight fall out against Luis Alberto
Santiago came at the end of August and more than likely would have been
televised on ESPN. It's all good though because that means one more
treat for his loyal fan base as Harry Joe is said to be headlining at
The Blue on October 12th against an opponent TBA. Yorgey picked it up
big time around this time period last year so watch out, we could be in
for something great. Last Month Ranking - #1 |
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| 3. |
Joey Abell |
He's Baaaaack! But for how long? After a few months on the road, Minnesota
Ice returned to his home away from home on September 7th and absolutely
crushed the usually durable Levon Warner in 1 round. Pound for Pound he
is the best puncher in town, there aren't many men in the world who can
absorb his thunderbolt of a left. The former defensive end has stayed
busy in his new line of work this year going 7 - 0 with 7ko's while
fighting in Sweden, Chicago and his native Minnesota with two of those
outings coming at The Blue. He is scheduled to face a stiff in Sweden on
September 14th which will most likely result in his 17th KO. It is
unclear what is next after that. Many in his camp call his lone loss a
fluke, why not avenge it at The Blue in October? Earlier this year,
Abell knocked a guy completely out of the ring twice in a fight. History
aside, if you like watch fighters who really lay the wood to their
opponent, Joey Abell is your guy. He hits like an all star and usually
finishes it quick, just how we like it! But, a big white heavyweight who
can punch is usually a cash cow in the business so he may be moving on
for good very soon.
Last Month Ranking # unranked |
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4. tie |
 Max Alexander lt. Heavyweight 14 - 0 - 1 (2ko's) |
The Camden, NJ Light Heavyweight just got the biggest break in his career
as he made the cut to compete in Season 3 of ESPN's The
Contender Series. After two years of taking care of business on the
Philly scene, he will compete against 9 other fighters who are by far the
most talented group any season has
produced. It will be interesting to see how he fares against a mix of
young prospects, tough journeyman and fringe contenders. Be sure to tune
in as Max will be asked to "tow the line" within the next couple of
weeks. When in the ring, he is a slick counter punching type who usually
piles up the points and using the entire ring to his advantage. The only
downfall so far has been a case of the sore hand. If he can get past
that problem, the future could hold big things because he has a nice mix
of skill and marketability. Last Month Ranking # 4 |
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| 4. tie |
Chucky Cavallo |
The 6"3' punching machine from Trenton NJ continues to step up the
competition as he is rumored to next fight against Richard Stewart
(brother of No Joke and good fighter in his own rite) at the Wachovia
Spectrum on October 19th. In his previous fight, Cavallo got some
spotlight on national TV as he opened an ESPN Friday Night Fights card
with a convincing win over old war horse Marlon Hayes. Early in his
career, he was labeled as slow and sloppy but after two years of
learning on the job, in particular when Andre Hemphill knocked him down
and lit a fire under his ass, The Italian Assassin
has kicked it up a few notches and developed into a legitimate up and comer worth keeping a close eye
on. It will probably never happen but I would love to see a Cavallo vs.
Max Alexander showdown to see just who is the best young Light Heavy
fighting in this town.
Last Month Ranking # 4 |
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| 6. |
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Hammerin' Hank hasn't fought since June but you can expect his name to pop
up somewhere soon as the South Philly junior welterweight has stayed
consistently busy since turning pro in 2006. He is being moved along at
a steady pace, first going through a group of other fighters in the
early stages, then progressing to fight against seasoned veterans who
don't win often but serve as stepping stones for hopefuls still getting
their feet wet. His last fight came
on August 2nd at The Armory taking a one sided decision over the very
experienced Andre Baker and has spent time lacing them up in Rhode
Island & Connecticut as well as Philly. If you haven't seen him yet, let
me tell you he means business in the ring and throws punches with bad
intentions behind them. Like I said, Hammer Time will be coming to a
ring near you soon hopefully against some higher caliber competition. Last Month Ranking # 7 |
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| 7. |
Derek "Pooh" Ennis
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Skill wise, there probably isn't anyone on this list who can match the
tools of Derek Ennis. For the majority of his last outing at The
New Alhambra, those wares were on display as he was giving a boxing
lesson to a tough customer named Alphonso Williams of Pittsburgh. In one
split second it went from impressive showing to TKO loss as he got
caught with a hard left hook that ended the fight. Though he went down
on this night, Ennis is too skills to be considered out of the mix. The
Ennis camp says this is something they will learn from and go back to
the drawing board to find a formula that will get them back to the top
where they feel they belong. In the ring, Ennis is a smooth boxer who
packs a good punch. In his two previous fights to his most recent
outing, Ennis blew away his opposition. He might have been down but
don't count him out because the name Ennis carries a lot of weight
behind. Last Month Rank - #3 |
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| 8. |
 Dave Brunelli Heavyweight 8 - 2 (3ko's) |
The stage is set for one the more interesting heavyweight fights we have
seen in a while as Team Brunelli prepares for their toughest challenge
to date when they take on Mark "Oak Tree" Brown in a fight that has
major pound for pound list implications. Brunelli has been on a hot run
as of late, winning twice this summer in impressive fashion over Aaron
Lyons, the only man to ever beat Joey Abell, and later beating Mike Jones of Michigan.
The big ticket from Mayfair has become a hot name with a big fan
following and is looking to prove that he is a worthy of being
considered a main attraction in Philly. A win over Oaktree cements his
status as a legitimate headliner at certain venues, a loss knocks him
out of the rankings. To assure victory, it is rumored that the Brunelli
camp has been working with former Heavyweight champ Haseem Rahman to
prepare for battle. Will it be enough? Team Brunelli thinks so, get your ticket
now to find out for yourself! Last Month Ranking # 8 |
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| 9. |
 Tyric "Too Sweet" Robinson Jr. Welterweight 7- 1 (3ko's) |
After a busy summer, Too Sweet will take the next step as he is
scheduled for his first 8 rounder on the upcoming Power Productions card
against an opponent yet to be named. His career has been a tale of two
Tyric Robinson's, depending on which one shows up, you could either be
in for an exciting fight or a close shave. In his last fight, Too Sweet
was on point and gave a boxing lesson to Mike Mendez in what amounted to
an impressive 4th round knockout win. Prior to that, he made a pit stop
in North Carolina and dominated but in June he had his hands full with
the unknown Justin Danforth, the type of slip up we have seen before
although he did do enough to win. In the ring, he is a smooth operator who
patiently waits for the right moments to strike. His pure boxing skills
and movement are his strengths and he also packs a good punch. Overall,
Tyric could be a classic case of fighting to the level of his opponent
and needs a skilled fighter in front of him to bring out the best. Last Month Ranking # 9 |
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| 10. |
"Kid Vicious" Joe Christy Middleweight 8-11-3 (2ko's) |
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Throw the record out the window for a minute because South Philly's Joe
Christy is tougher than a $2 steak. There are other fighters out there
with more polished skills, stricter guidelines for who they fight and
more wins on the resume. While most guys take on opposition where they
are the strong favorite, Kid Vicious will take on a tough fighter and
give them hell.
What he lacks in the overall talent department he more than makes up
with in heart and that has to count for something. In his last fight, he
beat Clarence "Sonny Bono" Taylor (who holds a scaled down version of a
world title) in an outstand two way action fight. Although he is more
known for wild brawls, this time he cleaned up his act a bit, listened to
his corner men and boxed for a while, only breaking it down into an all
out rumble when absolutely necessary. It is not official yet, but word
out of the Goodfellas Gym is that they want yet another fight with Bono,
this time with the title on the line. What the hell, the first 3 times
were wars so why not a 4th? There are others who will go further in
their career but not as many give you your moneys worth every time out.
Last Month Ranking # unranked |
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Honorable mentions – Isaac Suarez, Mark "Oaktree" Brown, Gabriel Rosado, Gee Culmer, Teon Kennedy, Jules Blackwell, Latif Mundy, Kaseem Wilson, John Poore. |
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Copyright © 2004 Philly Keith Sports
