Mike Reed Stops Soto in 2nd; Vows, “Best Is Yet to Come”

03/16/201503/15/2015 Paul Jones

By Justin Jones & Paul “Paparazzi” Jones: Washington, DC – Unbeaten light welterweight Mike “Yes Indeed” Reed (13-0, 6 KOs) recorded his 13th consecutive victory on Saturday night’s Keystone Boxing “Capital City” Card at the Sphinx Club in DC by seeking and destroying Edgardo “Eddie” Soto (12-9, 4 KOs), 38, in less than six minutes of work. Reed recorded his third and final knockdown – two knockdowns in the first – 2:10 into round two before the referee called a halt to the bout.

There’s no other way to sum up Yes Indeed” Reed’s intent and demeanor other than a man on a mission. As soon as the timekeeper sounded the opening bell, Reed began walking Soto down and landing power punches to the body and head. There was no slow start; no finesse; no feeling out his opponent; it was all business.

OPEN ‘MIKE’: Rising Prospect Mike “Yes Indeed” Reed Vows to Bring Top Rank to DC — Mayweather/Pacquiao Predictions, More!

03/07/2015 Paul Jones

Photo © (top) Christopher Smith; (bottom) Daniel Kucin, Jr. | Illustration – Paul “Paparazzi” Jones
On March 14, super lightweight prospect Mike “Yes Indeed” Reed (12-0, 6 KOs) takes his unblemished record back to the nation’s capital where he headlines a Keystone Boxing card at the Sphinx Club in Washington, DC.

At just 22 years old, Reed has a ton of upside and he is coming off a 6-0 campaign in 2014. To cap off his win streak, Reed earned a unanimous decision victory in November over ¬previously unbeaten Oscar Valenzuela (8-1-1, 5 KOs) at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska. Because Reed’s bout was part of Top Rank’s card featuring WBO Titlist Terence Crawford’s (25-0, 17 KOs) near shutout of Raymundo Beltran (29-7-1, 17 KOs), the DC product received some well-deserved exposure that he intends to build on starting with his fight next Saturday.

Drumroll Please: Our Nominees for Boxing’s Top Honors in 2014 are…

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By Paul “Paparazzi“ Jones and Justin Jones

Tis the season of giving and we aim to pass on some holiday cheer to a group of fighters that we believe deserve top honors. In some categories, we also offer honorable mention. Without further ado, here are our front-runners for 2014’s major boxing superlatives:

Knockout of the Year

“Paparazzi” Jones — Amir Mansour KO7 Fred Kassi. Amir “Hardcore” Mansour’s (21-1, 16 KOs) clock-cleaning 7^th round KTFO of Fred Kassi (18-3, 10 KOs) was my top choice. This highlight-reel KO deserved an R rating for Strong Violence and it was SI.com’s Knockout of the Year (KOTY).

The Year in Review: Six Notable Fights in 2014 – Part I — Pacquiao, Hopkins, Froch, More!

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By Paul “Paparazzi“ Jones – Photo © (clockwise) Paul “Paparazzi” Jones/ESB; Steve Lopez/ESB; Al Santiago/ImageSantiago; Chris Farina/Top Rank | Illustration – Paul “Paparazzi” Jones

In this two-part review, I chronicle six of the most anticipated bouts of 2014. In Part I, I cover three key fights from the first half of the year. In Part II, I describe three fights from the remainder of the year and list match-ups that deserve honorable mention.

I selected each of these contests based on their ability to produce drama, historical significance, and/or sustained action. In addition, I emphasize tilts with pound-for-pound and title implications.

Kovalev Grounds “The Alien”

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All that Remains is a Win vs. Stevenson to Unify the Light Heavyweight Division

By Justin Jones and Paul “Paparazzi” Jones | Photo © Paul “Paparazzi” Jones – Atlantic City, NJ – Many questioned whether WBO champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (26-0-1, 23 KOs) could defeat future Boxing Hall of Famer and former WBA/IBF champ Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins (55-7-2, 32 KOs) in a Light Heavyweight unification bout. People pointed to Kovalev’s limited competition, the lack of a signature win, and a sizeable gap in experience between the two.

Boxer Briefs: Catching Up with Boxing’s Heavy Hitters & Rising Stars—Bryant “By-By” Jennings

10/19/2014 Paul Jones

Undefeated Heavyweight contender Bryant “By-By” Jennings awaits his title shot

By Justin Jones – Bryant “By-By” Jennings’ (19-0, 10 KOs) is patiently waiting for reigning WBC Heavyweight Champion Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs) and undefeated mandatory challenger Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs) to strike a deal and set a date for their bout.

Jennings’ eagerness for the Stiverne vs. Wilder fight to take place runs deeper than the boxing enthusiast who sees the bout as a compelling fight, one laced with numerous storylines (e.g. will Wilder’s KO streak continue? Will Stiverne deliver Wilder’s first professional loss? Etc).

Boxing Goes High-Tech with GoPro

10/11/2014 Paul Jones

Paul “Paparazzi” Jones & Justin Jones | Photo © Paul “Paparazzi” Jones — Top Rank’s October 4th fight card at the Bally’s Event Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey featured Glen Tapia’s (22-1, 14 KOs) demolition of Donatas Bondorovas (18-6-1, 6 KOs). However, a small gadget featured on the undercard could change the way we experience the sport. Indeed, it appears that professional boxing is flirting with GoPro technology.

GoPro, Inc., the electronics corporation based in San Mateo, California, is among the vanguard in producing high-quality photo and video capture devices. The brainchild of billionaire, Nick Woodman, the GoPro has recorded everything from hiking to extreme sports and it has become a permanent fixture in ESPN’s X Games.

Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia Tames Bondorovas in AC — Hart, Zewski, Reed, More!

10/05/2014 Paul Jones

By Justin Jones & Paul “Paparazzi” Jones | Photo © Paul “Paparazzi” Jones

Atlantic City, NJ – Junior Middleweight Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia (22-1, 14 KOs) continued on the comeback trail with his second consecutive knockout victory stopping Donatas Bondorovas (18-6-1, 6 KOs) in the main event of a seven-fight Top Rank card at the Bally’s Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City.

Once again, Tapia showed that working with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach has been a worthwhile investment. Tapia, who won via 4th round TKO, looked more patient and calculated in the ring than he did in his previous fight. The Passaic native also worked behind a steady stiff jab from the outset, which enabled him to set up his power shots with precision. Tapia landed thudding right hands, hooks, and body shots on Bondorovas with regularity.

Mike “Yes Indeed” Reed Vows to Impress in His Top Rank Debut — Glen Tapia, More!

10/03/2014 Paul Jones

Light Welterweight prospect fights Juan Montiel in his Top Rank debut

By Paul “Paparazzi” Jones & Justin Jones | Photo © Daniel Kucin, Jr.

Undefeated Junior Welterweight Mike “Yes Indeed” Reed, 10-0 with 6 KOs, takes an important step in his pro career when he faces Juan Montiel (7-6-3, 2 KOs) this Saturday in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The six-round bout, featured on the undercard of the Junior Middleweight matchup between Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia (21-1, 13 KOs) and Donatas Bondorovas (18-5-1, 6 KOs), marks the first contest for Reed as a Top Rank fighter. While there is pressure to validate his signing, the 21-year-old Reed is not concerned about succumbing to it.

Glen Tapia Crushes Collins in AC — Kirkland, Cotto, More!

06/15/2014 Paul Jones

Atlantic City, NJ – Although Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia (21-1, 13 KOs) made quick work of Keenan Collins (15-9-3, 10 KOs), stopping him early in the first round of Top Rank’s “Solo Boxeo” main event, there was noticeable change in the 24-year-old Junior Middleweight’s attack, patience, and movement.

He wasn’t merely focused on head-hunting or brawling to “please the crowd,” as stated by a candid Tapia in his post-fight interview at the Bally’s Hotel and Casino–which was filled with Tapia fans donning Team Tapia shirts and shouting “Jersey Boy.” Tapia displayed more attention to detail in this comeback effort after suffering his first loss to hard-hitting James Kirkland (32-1, 28 KOs) and a lot of that can be credited to working with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach.

“Freddie demands perfection out of me and whoever he trains. If I do something good he lets me know it’s good, but it needs to be perfect,” Tapia said. “I feel like I’m a smarter fighter now and not just fighting with my heart. I’m actually putting my shots together now and being patient. I’m back and better than ever.”