Sports

Lamont Peterson Retires After Crushing KO Loss

WASHINGTON INFORMER — The career of one of the Beltway region’s most legendary boxers came to an end Sunday. D.C. welterweight and three-time former world champion Lamont Peterson was knocked out in the 10th round by Sergey “Samurai” Lipinets of Beverly Hills, Calif., in the main event of the card at the MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, Md.

Published

5 years ago

April 3, 2019

Gary Williams Special to The Informer

By Gary Williams

The career of one of the Beltway region’s most legendary boxers came to an end Sunday.

D.C. welterweight and three-time former world champion Lamont Peterson was knocked out in the 10th round by Sergey “Samurai” Lipinets of Beverly Hills, Calif., in the main event of the card at the MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, Md.

After the bout, Peterson announced his retirement to the crowd and to viewers watching on FS1.

“It’s been a long career but today is the day,” he said.

The bout was fought at close range throughout, with Peterson successfully landing body shots early. In the fifth, the round-ending bell rang prematurely but neither boxer seemed to be affected.

In the second half of the bout, Lipinets took control. In the 10th round, he connected with a solid right hand that made Peterson stumble. Lipinets would throw a series of blows that dropped Peterson to the canvas.

Peterson’s trainer and father figure, Barry Hunter, threw in the towel and leaped into the ring to hug Peterson, forcing referee Harvey Dock to stop the bout with seconds left in the round.

Peterson ends his career with a 34-5-1 record, 17 of his wins by knockout. He is one of six D.C.-area boxers to hold three or more world titles in the four major governing bodies (WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO), joining Sugar Ray Leonard, Simon Brown, William Joppy, Mark Johnson and Hasim Rahman.

Lipinets, himself a former world champion, is now 15-1, 11 KOs.

It was a tough night for both Peterson brothers, as super lightweight Anthony Peterson battled Argenis “La Tormenta” Mendez of Yonkers, N.Y., to a 10-round draw.

Peterson spent most of the bout on the outside moving side to side. Each man took turns initiating the action but neither gained a strong advantage in the exchanges.

Judge John Gradowski saw the bout for Mendez, 96-94 while judge Larry Hazzard Jr. scored the bout for Peterson by the same score. Judge Paul Wallace saw the draw at 95-95.

Peterson is now 37-1-1, 24 KOs. Mendez is 25-5-2, 12 KOs.

In a close co-feature contest, “The Quiet Assassin” Jamontay Clark of Cincinnati won a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Vernon “Subzero” Brown of Chicago.

Brown, the shorter of the two boxers, landed the biggest blow of the night, a right hand that made Clark stumble against the ropes in the third round. Referee Kenny Chevalier ruled it a knockdown, saying the ropes held Clark up. However, Clark was able to withstand Brown’s assault and come back with punches of his own that landed solidly against Brown.

Clark won by scores of 96-93 (twice) and 95-94 to raise his record to 14-1, seven KOs. Brown loses for the first time and he is 10-1-1, seven KOs.

Alexandria, Va., super welterweight Brandon “Bulldog” Quarles lost by eight-round split decision to Aaron Coley of Hayward, Calif.

Coley was the more aggressive boxer in the contest as he was the first to land shots most of the way. Quarles fought gamely and won Gradowski’s scorecard at 77-75. Judge Dave Braslow and Hazzard both saw the bout for Coley, 78-74 and 79-73. Quarles’s record drops to 21-5-1, 10 KOs. Coley is now 16-1-2, seven KOs.

Baltimore super middleweight Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson won a relatively easy four-round unanimous decision over the debuting Jaime Meza of Compton, Calif.

Simpson dropped Meza with a straight left hand early in the first round and proceeded to dominate him the rest of the way. Two judges scored the bout 40-35 while one had it 40-36. Simpson is now 3-0, two KOs.

Hyattsville, Md., super featherweight Cobia “The Soldier” Breedy won by six-round technical unanimous decision over Francisco Fuentes of Hemet, Calif.

The bout was a very competitive one with Breedy gaining a slight advantage with his punches. Both men were coming forward and a clash of heads seemed inevitable. The clash came 38 seconds into the sixth round and opened a gash on the eye and over the nose of Fuentes. After looking at the cut, ringside doctors said Fuentes could not continue.

Gradowski and Wallace scored the bout 58-56 while Hazzard saw the bout 59-55 for Breedy, who remains undefeated at 12-0, three KOs. Fuentes is now 15-8-1, four KOs.

D.C. welterweight Kareem “Reemo” Martin won a six-round split decision over Joaquin “Chico” Chavez of Commerce, Calif. Martin was the aggressor throughout the contest but Chavez did not back down. Both men landed nice punches but Martin seemed to have an edge.

Braslow and Gradowski both scored the bout for Martin, 60-54 and 59-55, respectively while Hazzard saw the fight for Chavez, 59-55. Martin is now 12-2-1, three KOs while Chavez fell to 9-19-3, two KOs.

Clarksburg, Md., middleweight Mark “Sayless” Duncan lost a six-round split decision to Arturo Izquierdo of Las Vegas by way of Costa Rica.

Izquierdo had a strong offense in the first two rounds and gained a big advantage when he dropped Duncan with a left hand early in the second round. Duncan, competing in his first six-round bout, was able to come back and make it close, even getting the win on Hazzard’s card at 57-56. Gradowski and Wallace saw the bout at 57-56 for Izquierdo.

Duncan lost for the first time as a pro and is now 3-1, three KOs. Izquierdo’s record rose to 6-2, two KOs.

In the opening contest, 2018 National Golden Gloves champion Adrian “Playtime” Benton of Cincinnati won a four-round unanimous decision over veteran Archie Weah of Monrovia, Liberia. Benton was dominant and won by 40-36 across the board. Weah is now 2-13.

In bouts that took place after the main event contest, Hyattsville super lightweight Patrick Harris won a six-round unanimous decision over Bergman “The Snake” Aguilar of San Jose, Costa Rica. Harris was extremely sharp during the contest and dominated the bout, winning by shutout (60-54) on all three judges’ scorecards. Harris remains undefeated at 15-0, eight KOs while Aguilar fell to 14-5-1, four KOs.

Ramon Cardenas, a featherweight from San Antonio, won an eight-round split decision over Ryan Lee “Stone” Allen of Jackson, Mich. Both men were in a very tough, close battle throughout the contest before Cardenas eked out the win by scores of 58-56 on two cards. Allen won one card by the same score. Cardenas is now 17-1, nine KOs while Allen fell to 8-3-1, four KOs.

Also, “The Next Big Thing” Keeshawn Williams of D.C. won a six-round unanimous decision over Evincii “Prize Fighter” Dixon of Lancaster, Pa. Williams was in complete control and won by shutout (60-54) across the board. Williams is now 5-0-1, one KO while Dixon fell to 7-22-2, two KOs.

This article originally appeared in the Washington Informer.

Gary Williams Special to The Informer

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Oakland WNBA Player to be Inducted Into Hall of Fame

The Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame (MESHOF) announced that it will induct Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, a former WNBA player and Oakland Technical High School graduate at its inaugural Curt Flood Platinum Award Ceremony in February. Gray-Lawson’s Platinum Award is part of the Hall of Fame’s 24th Annual Bay Area induction and award ceremony, where four other retired professional athletes will be honored.

Published

3 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Photo Courtesy of Alexis Gray Lawson.

By Post staff

The Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame (MESHOF) announced that it will induct Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, a former WNBA player and Oakland Technical High School graduate at its inaugural Curt Flood Platinum Award Ceremony in February.

Gray-Lawson’s Platinum Award is part of the Hall of Fame’s 24th Annual Bay Area induction and award ceremony, where four other retired professional athletes will be honored.

The banquet and ceremony will be held from 5:45 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, at the George P. Scotlan Convention Center at Oakland’s Marriott Civic Center Hotel.

“I am truly honored to receive this incredible nomination,” said Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, who, along with college teammate Devanei Hampton, lead Oakland Tech to its second consecutive state title in 2005. “It took a village to raise me and get me here, and I truly am excited to continue the legacy.”

Gray-Lawson, a “second team” Parade All-American and an All-State honoree, as a senior in ’05, was chosen for the California Interscholastic Federation sportsmanship award. She only lost one game throughout her four-year career in high school. Her jersey was retired at Oakland Tech and placed in the National High School Hall of Fame as a four-time All-City recipient, averaging 17.2 points per game during her career.

Gray-Lawson received scholarships in volleyball, softball, and basketball before deciding to travel up College Avenue to the University of California, Berkeley. There, she played in more basketball games (143) than any other player in Golden Bears’ history. She finished her career as the Bears all-time 3-point leader (211), and she is ranked third in scoring with 1,982 points.

An All-Pac 10 and honorable mention All-American in 2010, Gray-Lawson also was the top player at 5’8” or under for the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award. Later that year, she was a third-round pick of the Washington Mystics in 2010 and played with the Phoenix Mercury of the Women’s National Basketball Association in 2011 and 2012. She also played professionally overseas in Turkey and Israel.

Other inductees are Clifford Ray (Basketball); Lee Lacy (Baseball); Spencer Haywood (Basketball); and Mohinder Singh Gil (Track & Field).

Organizers say the event promises to be a “historic and celebratory evening,” and iconic personalities from across the professional sports industry and its various disciplines will attend.

The no-host cocktail hour begins at 5:45 p.m.; dinner at 6:45 p.m.; and the ceremony at 7:45 p.m. All times are prompt. General tickets are $250.00; Seniors (65 and older) $150.00, and students $50. This includes dinner and the ceremony. Tables of 10 are available as well, and early purchase is recommended.

MESHOF is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring athletes from all corners of the globe who have made significant contributions to the world of sports and broadening the public’s understanding of the contributions people of color have made to professional sports; and to provide educational life skills and mentorship opportunities for deserving youth. Proceeds will help maintain the City of Oakland’s Curt Flood Field, Oakland Parks & Recreation, and MESHOF’s after school and mental health initiatives.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.multiethnicsportshof.com. For additional information, please contact: Arif Khatlib @ afrosportshall@aol.com or India Alston @ india@beamcreativehouse.com

Oakland Post

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Entertainment

O.J. Simpson, 76, Dies of Prostate Cancer

Orenthal James (O.J.) Simpson, who rose to fame as a college football player who went on to the NFL and parlayed his talents in acting and sportscasting, succumbed to prostate cancer on April 10, his family announced.

Published

6 days ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Orenthal James (O.J.) Simpson. Wikipedia photo

By Post Staff

Born and raised in San Francisco, the Galileo High School graduate was recruited by the University of Southern California after he was on a winning Junior College All-American team.

At USC, he gained wide acclaim as a running back leading to him becoming the No. 1 pick in the AFL-NFL draft in 1969 and joining the Buffalo Bills, where he had demanded – and received — the largest contract in professional sports history: $650,000 over five years. In 1978, the Bills traded Simpson to his hometown team, the San Francisco 49ers, retiring from the game in 1979.

Simpson’s acting career had begun before his pro football career with small parts in 1960s TV (“Dragnet”) before “Roots” and film (“The Klansman,” “The Towering Inferno,” Capricorn One”).

He was also a commentator for “Monday Night Football,” and “The NFL on NBC,” and in the mid-1970s Simpson’s good looks and amiability made him, according to People magazine, “the first b\Black athlete to become a bona fide lovable media superstar.”

The Hertz rent-a-car commercials raised his recognition factor while raising Hertz’s profit by than 50%, making him critical to the company’s bottom line.

It could be said that even more than his success as a football star, the commercials of his running through airports endeared him to the Black community at a time when it was still unusual for a Black person to represent a national, mainstream company.

He remained on Hertz team into the 1990s while also getting income endorsing Pioneer Chicken, Honey Baked Ham and Calistoga water company products and running O.J. Simpson Enterprises, which owned hotels and restaurants.

He married childhood sweetheart Marguerite Whitley when he was 19 and became the father of three children. Before he divorced in 1979, he met waitress and beauty queen Nicole Brown, who he would marry in 1985. A stormy relationship before, during and after their marriage ended, it would lead to a highway car chase as police sought to arrest Simpson for the murder by stabbing of Brown and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994.

The pursuit, arrest, and trial of Simpson were among the most widely publicized events in American history, Wikipedia reported.

Characterized as the “Trial of the Century,” he was acquitted by a jury in 1995 but found liable in the amount of $33 million in a civil action filed by the victims’ families three years later.

Simpson would be ensnared in the criminal justice system 12 years later when he was arrested after forcing his way into a Las Vegas hotel room to recover sports memorabilia he believed belonged to him.

In 2008, he received a sentence of 33 years and was paroled nine years later in 2017.

When his death was announced, Simpson’s accomplishments and downfalls were acknowledged.

Sports analyst Christine Brennan said: “… Even if you didn’t love football, you knew O.J. because of his ability to transcend sports and of course become the businessman and the pitchman that he was.

“And then the trial, and the civil trial, the civil case he lost, and the fall from grace that was extraordinary and well-deserved, absolutely self-induced, and a man that would never be seen the same again,” she added.

“OJ Simpson played an important role in exposing the racial divisions in America,” attorney Alan Dershowitz, an adviser on Simpson’s legal “dream team” told the Associated Press by telephone. “His trial also exposed police corruption among some officials in the Los Angeles Police Department. He will leave a mixed legacy. Great athlete. Many people think he was guilty. Some think he was innocent.”

“Cookie and I are praying for O.J. Simpson’s children … and his grandchildren following his passing. I know this is a difficult time,” Magic Johnson said on X.

“I feel that the system failed Nicole Brown Simpson and failed battered women everywhere,” attorney Gloria Allred, who once represented Nicole’s family, told ABC News. “I don’t mourn for O.J. Simpson. I do mourn for Nicole Brown Simpson and her family, and they should be remembered.”

Simpson was diagnosed with prostate cancer about a year ago and was undergoing chemotherapy treatment, according to Pro Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter. He died in his Las Vegas, Nevada, home with his family at his side.

He is survived by four children: Arnelle and Jason from his first marriage and Sydney and Justin from his second marriage. He was predeceased son, Aaren, who drowned in a family swimming pool in 1979.

Sources for this report include Wikipedia, ABC News, Associated Press, and X.

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Arts and Culture

Gov. Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom Host 2024 Hall of Fame Ceremony

Former Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and three other African Americans were among 10 luminaries inducted into the 2024 Class of the California Hall of Fame on Feb. 8. The 17th Annual California Hall of Fame ceremony was held at the California Museum.

Published

2 months ago

February 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Willie Brown, Former California Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor, was proud to be among the Hall of Fame inductees. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

By California Black Media

Former Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and three other African Americans were among 10 luminaries inducted into the 2024 Class of the California Hall of Fame on Feb. 8.

The 17^th Annual California Hall of Fame ceremony was held at the California Museum.

“The California Hall of Fame is one of our families’ favorite traditions as it is a time to come together to celebrate remarkable Californians as well as their loved ones because we know that it is about partnerships,” Siebel Newsom said. “The governor likes to say that California is a dream factory because it doesn’t matter what zip code or background you come from, the California dream is alive and well to everyone who calls this state home.”

The other Black honorees were filmmaker Ava DuVernay; Federal Judge and civil rights leader, the Hon. Thelton Henderson; and basketball Hall of Fame player and broadcaster Cheryl Miller.

“It’s what I’ve been waiting for and to be among a great group of individuals that also deserve the honor,” Brown told California Black Media on the event’s red carpet before the ceremony began. “No, I never thought someone from Texas would be recognized this way. But here I am, and it all happened in the great state of California. It’s a fantastic feeling.”

Other 2024 inductees are: master chef and “mother of fusion cuisine” Helene An; computer scientist and “father of the internet” Vincent A. Cerf; all-female pop punk band The Go-Gos; Chicano Rock band Los Lobos; former U.S. Secretary of Defense and Congressman Leon E. Panetta; and artistic director and choreographer Brenda Way.

This year’s honorees join a history-making club with over 150 inspirational Californians previously inducted for their groundbreaking achievements and personifying the state’s innovative spirit.

“It’s just a humbling experience. I want to thank the Governor and First Partner. Who would have thought 100 years ago (that I would be inducted?) It’s incredible,” Miller said after her induction. “I want to thank the governor and First Partner for an incredible event.”

During his acceptance speech, Henderson said he was deeply honored.

“You know, it really would have been a really big deal to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in the area where I grew up, for example, South Central Hall of Fame, or the Watts Hall of Fame, or the Straight Out of Compton Hall of Fame,” he said. “But being inducted into the California Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame of the greatest state in the country in this great nation is something else.”