Team Arnaoutis Speaks Out!

After Mike Arnaoutis’ fight fell out last Thursday, manager Jimmy “Zeek” Hartofilis was far from a happy camper. Arnaoutis was scheduled to headline last Thursday against late minute replacement Ilido Julio but the New Jersey State Athletic Commission pulled the fight at the last minute due to a 9 pound weight difference.



Arnaoutis, who was originally scheduled to face Troy Browning, did not attend the card and was reasonably upset over the situation. Pound For Pound, the card’s promoter also had to give a refund to a number of fans who specifically bought tickets to see Arnaoutis fight.



Garden State Fight Scene: Jimmy, I have heard different stories about what happened once Mike got off the scale. The commission told me at the show they axed the fight immediately after the weigh in while others claim they didn’t can the fight until Thursday morning. What really happened?



Jimmy Hartofilis: Mike got on the scale and weighed 143.4 (while) he had his chain and his underwear on. Julio weighed in at 134.5 and they (the commission) never said anything! Mike went to the car and grabbed something to eat and the commissioner said he had to reweigh. Julio then claimed Mike was supposed to weigh 141 lbs but the contact he signed said 141.5 plus two (meaning either fighter could weigh up to 143.5 lbs).



Why (Julio) came in so light, I don’t know. He got off the scale and got something to drink. He may have come in light because he worked out the morning (of the weigh in) but it made no sense.



We weren’t made aware of the fight cancelation till 10:30 Thursday morning. I was notified by (promoter) John Lynch that the fight was pulled because of the weight. I spoke to the commissioner that morning and we had a nice talk. I suggested a re-weigh in Thursday since Mike is not one to gain weight. The commissioner said he didn’t want to do that since everybody would try to use this as an example if we did so.





MY: The whole weigh in situation was strange to begin with. While we don’t know if Julio was training or not, the fight weight was clearly in the Junior Welterweight range, where he had been fighting the last few years. Do you think that Julio perhaps misread the contract? It was strange for him to come in so light especially considering his last recorded weight was 142.5.



JH: Maybe he was light when he signed the contract.



MY: Approximately how many tickets did Team Arnaoutis sell for the show?



JH: We sold 250 plus tickets. The commissioner asked that our fans still come and enjoy the fights but our fans honestly weren’t going to come without him fighting.



MY: Let’s get back to the original opponent for a minute that Mike was slated to face, Troy Browning. Browning pulled out with an upper respiratory infection just a few days before the fight. Some people believe that Browning’s issue was with the weight since he did not weigh anywhere near the 142 lb contract weight in ten years. Do you think that he may have pulled out due the inability to cut ten pounds off the weight he has been fighting at since he is 41 years old and fighters at that age don’t move down in weight?



JH: From what I understand the day he signed the contract he weighed 148 lbs and that was six weeks ago. They said he was having a good camp and was sweating it up at the gym. Supposedly he got sick the last week of camp and couldn’t train.



My issue was why he had to wait until Monday night (to pull out of the fight). He really screwed a lot of things up and I know that if he was sick, he would have known a few days earlier.



MY: Browning’s manager contacted Garden State Fight Scene and said he wants to make the fight on another card. Do you have another fight date scheduled? Is Browning still a possible opponent? He has never been stopped and all three of his losses came against good fighters.



JH: I don’t think he is a potential opponent because of what he did. Where are the doctors notes? If he was doing the right thing he would have gave a heads up. Troy isn’t a guy we need to fight again since nobody knows who Troy is and it wasn’t a big fight or anything.



MY: What do you have to say to Mr. Aaron Davis; the New Jersey Athletic Commissioner?



JH: I am on good terms with him but I think he was worried that Mike was going to come in too heavy against Julio. (Honestly) he didn’t only screw me but he screwed a big part of the show.



MY: Jimmy thanks for coming on to clarify some things. Is there anything you’d like to add in closing?



JH: Mike had a great training camp for this fight and had a new trainer. Mike was injury free and 100% ready to fight. The fans were ready to go but in the end, they (the commission) screwed us. Mike was bent out of shape (after the fight was called off) and he just left for Greece. They offered us a fight on September 19 but he wouldn’t have been ready for that since he peaked already.



Mike apologizes to his fans for what happened. I wan to thank our new trainer Ray McCline for a great camp and the Lynches for the opportunity. There are some big fights (possibly in the works) and we hope to fight again soon.

A Night of Thunder September 19th!

Bally’s Atlantic City in association with Main Events and Pat Lynch Boxing presents “Night of Thunder: A Tribute to Arturo Gatti”. Teon Kennedy, 13-0, 5 KO’s of Philadelphia, PA, takes on Lante Addy, 6-4, 4 KO’s of Accra, Ghana, in the main event of what promises to be a great evening of local boxing talent, Saturday, Sept. 19th.

Arturo Gatti fought in association with Bally’s so many times everyone involved felt it would be appropriate to honor his memory there. In true Gatti style, the card will be packed with exciting local favorites. Teon Kennedy was the 2004 National Golden Gloves Flyweight Champion, 2X PA Golden Gloves Champion and is widely considered the best super bantamweight fighter on the east coast. Lante Addy is the former WBO Intercontinental Bantamweight Champion and is currently the West African Bantamweight Champion.

On the undercard, Anthony Flores, Philadelphia, PA 8-0, 5KO’s will be featured in a 6-round Super Featherweight bout against Victor Valenzuela, 6-0, 1 KO of Passaic, NJ. Atlantic City fighter, Alfred Kinsey, 6-3-1, 3 KO’s will battle Philadelphia’s Garrett Wilson, 4-2, 2 KO’s in a 6 round Light Heavyweight fight. Also on the card will be Jason Escalera, a Light Heavyweight from Union City, NJ, 6-0, 6 KO’s in a 6 round bout, opponent TBA. Steven Martinez from Bronx, NY, is making his pro debut on August 27th in a 4 round bout, opponent TBA. Newcomers, Josh Mercado of Cape May, 1-0, will fight a Welterweight 4 rounder against Joel Nieves of Allentown, PA, in Nieves’ pro debut.

“Bally’s is very pleased to participate in this special night of boxing featuring a ‘Tribute to Arturo Gatti’. Bally’s and Caesars sponsored the majority of Arturo’s fights in Atlantic City. It is time we acknowledge Arturo for not only his Championship boxing ability but also his tremendous support of the Atlantic City community,” Said Ken Condon, Sports and Entertainment Consultant for Harrah’s Entertainment.

Arturo Gatti’s manager, Pat Lynch, said, “So many of the people who came to Gatti’s nine straight sellouts in AC, including fights 2 and 3 of the legendary Gatti-Ward series, want to get together one more time and toast his memory.”

“Our matchmaker Russell Peltz is putting together a card that will live up to the Gatti tradition. There are many local fighters known for their exciting performances. The fighters who were chosen have quite a legacy to live up to“ said Main Events CEO, Kathy Duva.

The event will be at Bally’s Atlantic City. Tickets go on sale Monday August 24th. Ticket prices $75 & $50. Available through Ticketmaster 800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets. Doors 7pm, 1st bout 7:30pm.




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Rooney, Escalera victorious; Murphy-Torres Draw in a Ballroom Classic!

From the moment I entered North Bergen’s Schuetzen Park, there was a feeling of disappointment. As reported on Garden State Fight Scene, the main event between Junior Welterweight contender/big time ticket seller “Mighty” Mike Arnaoutis and late replacement Ilido Julio was axed at the last minute by the New Jersey State Athletic Commission due to a nine pound weight difference.



Team Arnaoutis was livid because Julio was just half a pound under the minimum weight that would have made the fight good to go. Double quarter pounder with cheese anyone? Even with many of the people involved upset over the Arnaoutis fight and some last minute ticket refunds, the show went on.



In the co-main turned main event, popular Light Heavyweight Bobby Rooney of Bayonne shut out North Charleston, SC’s Toris “The Bull” Brewer over eight rounds. Rooney used his long jab and straight right hand to his advantage, tagging the shorter Brewer to the head consistently. Rooney was also effective with a straight right hand followed by a left hook to the body, dropping Brewer with the aforementioned combination in the sixth round.



The game Brewer took a number of solid shots and spent most of the bout on the defensive, showing little if any offensive firepower during this eight round contest. All three judges had the bout the same way we did, 80-71 for Rooney, who upped his record to 11-2 (6 KO’s). Brewer fell to 16-4 with 7 knockouts. The bout was dedicated to Rooney’s late brother Sean, who passed away in July.



In the co-feature, hard hitting Super Middleweight Jason “Monstruo” Escalera 7-0 (6 KO) of Union City, NJ heard the final bell for the first time as a professional, taking a frustrating unanimous decision over Morristown, NJ’s Andre Espeut 2-1 (1 KO). Espeut spent most of the fight in close quarters but was far more concerned with leaning on than hitting his opponent. Espeut’s style made it difficult for Escalera to connect with the kind of punch that sent his first six opponents home early. Escalara landed a few decent left hooks and right hands but was unable to put together much of a performance since his opponent spent most of the fight in his own version of survival mode.



“I expected him to box but his leaning and holding threw me off”, Escalera said about his awkward opponent. “I did the best I could with his style.”



Scores were 39-37 and 40-36 twice for Escalera. GSFS scored the bout 40-36 Escalera, who tried his hardest to make the bout somewhat interesting.



Jersey City Cruiserweight Patrick “Paddy Boy” Farrell upped his record to 4-0 (3 KO’s) after stopping Independence, MO’s Dustin Schnakenberg 2-2. Farrell controlled the first round but was unable to drop Schnakenberg, who spent most of the stanza on his bicycle. Farrell had little trouble in the second; putting Schnakenberg down thrice before the bout was mercifully called to a halt at 2:18.



Three time New York Golden Gloves champion Steven Martinez of Bronx, NY made his pro debut a successful one, stopping St. Joseph Mo’s Keith Collins 2-3 (2 KO’s) in the opening round. Martinez quickly got on the inside of Collins, stunning him with a volume of solid punches. Collins quickly ended up against on the ropes and Martinez unloaded on him until the bout was stopped at 2:15. Martinez got off to a solid start as a pro and is the nephew of world Junior Flyweight champion Ivan Calderon.



I can’t say it enough; boxing is a funny game. The 2006 bout between Floyd Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya was supposed to save the sport but did more damage than good, as the casual fans that forked over $54.95 for this snoozefest most likely gave up on the sport. Even though De La Hoya and Mayweather got the last laugh with $75+ million in combined earnings, the negative impact that the heavily promoted fight had on boxing was invaluable.



Many of boxing’s best fights are not even covered by major news sources. Whether it took place in a third world country or a small club show, countless slug outs went unmentioned. Lucky for me, I was on hand to witness an unforgettable four round war on a non descript fight card.



In arguably the best fight I have ever attended, Sparta’s Chris Murphy 3-0-1 (3 KO’s) and Jersey City’s Abraham Torres 1-3-2 battled to a four round draw. From the opening bell, Torres and Murphy fought as if there were no tomorrow, trading heavy hooks while neglecting even the idea of fighting defensively. Murphy was buzzed late in the round from the high volume of punches he ate but fought valiantly.



The second literary had me out of my seat, as the two continued to trade punches in close quarters with right hands from Torres being the most telling of the many blows that landed. The third stanza was just as good as the previous two, where Murphy was the busier fighter but Torres landed his fair share of clean shots as well. Torres had a solid fourth, nearly dropping an exhausted Murphy in the center of the ring after a barrage of hooks. The gutsy and exhausted Murphy battled back valiantly, leaving it all in the ring.



Scores were 39-37 Torres and 38-38 twice, forcing the draw. Words honestly couldn’t describe this all out war, as I’d have to write a mural to describe this sensational scrap. Luckily, those who weren’t on hand it can view it on gofightlive.tv.



Murphy notified GSFS that a six or eight round rematch would likely happen down the road. I can’t wait!



In the first bout of the night, Chris “Smooth Operator” Green of Asbury Park scored a six round unanimous decision over Luquan Lewis of Wyandach, NY. Green boxed well and dropped the game Lewis in the third with a crisp left hook.



“I got my feet wet again after the tough loss”, Green said in regards to his previous fight, a unanimous decision loss to an underrated Mondre Pope. Scores were 60-53 across the board.



The promoter of record was Pound for Pound Promotions, who are headed by John Lynch. New York Giants star running back Brandon Jacobs was also on hand, as he co-managed a few fighters on the card.

Arnaoutis-Julio is Off!!!!

Moments ago, Garden State Fight Scene was informed that tonight's ten round main event between "Mighty" Mike Arnaoutis and Ilido Julio was called off due to a large difference in weight. Julio, a last minute replacement, came in at 134.5 lbs to Arnaoutis 143.5, prompting the commission to ax the bout.

The card will however go on with the opening bell slated for 7 pm at North Bergen's Schuetzen Park.




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Troy Browning Out; Ilido Julio In!

Garden State Fight Scene has learned that tough veteran Troy Browning of Willingsboro, NJ had to pull out of his fight against "Mighty" Mike Arnaoutis due to an upper respiratory infection. Filling in on short notice is 54 fight veteran Ilido Julio 38-15-1 (34 KO's) of Miami, FL by way of Turbo, Columbia. The majority of Julio's success came at Super Flyweight (115 lbs) but he has been fighting the last three years at Junior Welterweight, albeit unsuccessfully. Julio has dropped nine of his last twelve fights but has won three in a row by knockout, albeit against inferior opposition.

Arnaoutis-Julio is scheduled for the ten round main event Thursday night at Schuetzen Park in North Bergen. The card is being promoted by Pat Lynch's Pound for Pound Promotions.





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Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillan to Headline in Asbury Park this October?

Sources have informed Garden State Fight Scene that a card is in the works for early to mid October at the Convention Hall in Asbury Park. The word is that Middleweight prospect Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillan 20-0 (15 KO's) of New York would headline. Quillan was noted by ESPN.Com's Dan Rafael as one of boxing's top prospects in 2008 but injuries have kept him out of the ring since September. Quillan was scheduled to top a Winky Wright promoted fight card last Wednesday in New York but due to unforseen circumstances, the card was canned.



Local favorites Chris Green, of Asbury Park, Bobby Rooney of Bayonne are both scheduled to appear on the card, assuming neither is injured during their respective bouts this Thursday at Schuetzen Park. Also slated to appear on the card is Cruiserweight Justin Ridgway of Colts Neck. Ridgway, 1-0, is a stablemate of top rated contender BJ Flores and would be making his first appearance in New Jersey.



More details will follow.

Garden State Prospect Watch: Chris Murphy

From center ice to the squared circle, Chris Murphy is a fighter.

A Sparta, New Jersey native with a professional ledger of 3-0 (3 KO’s), Murphy’s come forward fighting style erected from his first love, hockey.

Murphy first picked up a stick at age five and exclusively played hockey throughout most of his childhood. His first amateur boxing match was at 15. While time has helped him progress as a fighter, Murphy was always a major hit on the ice, pun intended.

Less than two years after his first fight, Murphy took his act to Canada after being recruited during an AAU hockey tournament. The 17 year old Murphy spent the next three years north of the United States playing in the renowned Canadian Junior Hockey League. Murphy then received a hockey scholarship from Merrimack College, playing one year before venturing into hockey’s minor leagues.

Just like most athletes, Murphy had aspirations to play professional sports at the highest level. Research led me to his stats, which included six goals and nine assists in 2005 for a team called the Pee Dee Cyclones. While he may not have scored as many goals or dished out the number of assists he wanted to, Murphy built a reputation as a tough S.O.B. on the ice.

Murphy had 26 fights during his first year as a professional, compiling a total of 226 penalty minutes. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out the way he had planned. Although he was very much the Donald Brashear of minor league hockey, Murphy never made it to the next level; playing briefly with four teams from 2005-2007 before walking away from his first love for good.

“I wanted to make it to the NHL but I quit the sport at age 22 because I didn’t think I could realistically make it anymore”, Murphy reminisced.

With hockey out of the way, Murphy rededicated himself to boxing. Murphy previously fought a few times per summer, lacing the gloves up during hockey’s offseason. The majority of his fights were in 2007 and 2008, finishing up as an unpaid boxer with a mediocre 20-8 record. His most notable bout was a decision loss to National Golden Gloves champion and fellow New Jerseyan Dennis Douglin.

“It’s funny because (when I look back at my amateur career), I was 200 lbs for most of my early fights”, said Murphy, who plans to drop to the 147 lb Welterweight limit shortly.

It seems like every time a fighter turns pro nowadays, his track record includes a ton of victories and an amateur championship in a significant tournament. An excellent example is stablemate Jeremy Bryan, an 11-0 pro prospect who won both the National Golden Gloves and the PAL championship in 2004 and 2005. Even without the amateur pedigree that a lot of fighters have, Murphy is far from concerned.

“You have to realize that these guys with 400 fights get hit a lot.”

So far, so good for the 25 year old former hockey player, who is perhaps a real life Happy Gilmore opposed to the ridiculously overused real life Rocky.

Murphy jolted into the professional ranks this February, stopping Kenneth Meeks just one minute and twenty seven seconds after the opening bell. He wrapped up his second bout even quicker, putting James Walker away in 1:12. I attended his last fight, a third round TKO over La-Take Williams, a bout in which he stalked his opponent from the opening bell before overwhelming him with an onslaught of punches.

During a recent sparring session I attended at the Passaic Boxing Club, Murphy wasted little time in getting on the inside of the 6’1 Bobby Rooney. In a sparring session or a fight, most pugilists feel each other out early on before attempting to set the tone. Not Murphy. No matter whom he fights or spars Murphy admits he can only go in one direction; forward.

Murphy’s next journey into the ring will take place on August 27 against fellow North Jerseyan Abraham Torres 1-3-1 of Union City. Come fight night, Torres will step into the ring for the first time in over two years. Regardless of Torres’ record, Murphy dismisses the idea of taking his opponent lightly.

“I heard he is tough and comes to fight so I am training as if it were a twelve round fight (not a four rounder).”

How far the all-action Murphy goes remains to be seen, his fan friendly style does not make him the hardest guy to hit, as Rooney and Glen Tapia were able tag Murphy with some good shots during the sparring session I observed.

“I looked up to guys like Arturo Gatti (whose co-trainer Mike “Mikey Red” Skowronski heads training duties for Murphy) and Ray Mancini”, Murphy said, which clearly explains why he fights the way he does.

Regardless of who stands across the ring, whether it be a 200 lb sparring partner or a skilled boxer during a real match, Murphy will press the fight from bell to bell.





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Pound For Pound Promotions Returns Thursday at Schuetzen Park!

On Thursday August 27 at the elegant Schuetzen Park in North Bergen, Junior Welterweight contender "Mighty" Mike Arnaoutis 22-3-2 (10 KO's), of Atlantic City by way of Athens Greece will look to rack up his second straight victory against tough veteran Troy Browning 20-3-1 (8 KO's). Arnaoutis will headline his second consecutive show at Schuetzen Park since his devastating defeat against Victor Ortiz on HBO in March. The 41 year old Browning has dropped his last three fights by decision (including to local favorite Pawel Wolak) but made major waves in the boxing world by upsetting highly touted prospect Julio Garcia on ESPN in 2007. The Arnaoutis-Browning match up is slated for ten rounds.


The eight round co-feature is between local favorite Bobby Rooney 10-2-1 (6 KO's) of Bayonne, NJ and Toris "The Bull" Brewer 14-3 (6 KO's) of South Carolina. Rooney, whose ring entrance is led by Beetlejuice of Howard Stern fame, scored an impressive first round stoppage of Brian Bernard in June.

Lightweight Chris "Smooth Operator" Green 2-1 (1 KO) of Asbury Park, NJ will take on North Bergen's own Ricardo Rosas 2-5-1 (1 KO). Green will look to rebound from his tough decision loss to Mondre Pope in June.

Hot prospect Jason "Monstruo" Escalara 6-0 (6 KO's) of Union City, NJ will square up against Andre Espeut 2-0 (1 KO) from Morristown NJ in a four round Light Heavyweight contest. Escalara is one of New Jersey's best kept secrets and has phenomenal punching power.

Exciting brawler Chris Murphy 3-0 (3 KO's) of Sparta, NJ will do battle against fellow New Jerseyan Abraham Torres 1-3-1 of Union City over four rounds at Junior Middleweight. Garden State Fight Scene spoke with Murphy last week and our exclusive interview with him will be posted shortly.

Cruiserweight Patrick Farrell 3-0 (2 KO's) of Jersey City, NJ is taking on Edinburg, VA's Scott Hosaflook 2-4 in a four rounder. The all action Farrell is truly a crowd pleaser.

Rounding out the card is a four rounder between pro debutant Steve Martinez of the Bronx and Saint Joseph,MO's Keith Collins 2-2 (1 KO).

Those who cant make it can watch the card on GoFightLive.TV