By Gary “Digital” Williams
There will be a pro boxing card coming to a new location in Washington, DC. A TAC Promotions/Putney Promotions card will take place tonight at the Merrick Recreation Center.
Headlining the card will be the return of DC welterweight Jonathan “Bad Badger” Baxter who will be in a six-round contest against veteran Joseph “Trouble” Figueroa of the Bronx, NY. Baxter (8-1, seven KO’s) lost his pro debut in November of 2016 but has won eight straight bouts in North Carolina and Georgia. This includes a second-round TKO of Isaiah Robinson on August 19 in Greensboro, NC. Figueroa (11-62-5, three KO’s) will be the most experienced foe Baxter has faced. Figueroa has lost eight in a row but has gone the distance in every bout. Figueroa is coming off a four-round unanimous decision loss to Osnel Charles on April 27 in Durham, NC.
Bladensburg, MD featherweight “The Dark Menace” Tiara Brown (3-0, two KO’s) will be on the card in a four-round rematch against Natalie King of Wilson, NC (0-7). The two met each other on March 25 at the University of the District of Columbia and Brown won by four-round unanimous decision.
Glenarden, MD super lightweight Drayvontay Speed Rawls will be in a scheduled six-round contest against Robert “Hitman” Hill of Gulfport, MI. Speed Rawls (8-1-1, six KO’s) will look to bounce back from suffering his first pro loss — a six-round split decision to Dion Richardson on July 13th in Glen Burnie, MD. Hill (7-34-1, one KO) competes against a Beltway Boxer for the second straight time. Hill lost a four-round unanimous decision to Shynggyskhan Tazhibay on August 12 at the Howard Theatre in DC.
DC welterweight Cornell Hines will take on veteran Clifford “The Magician” McPherson of Cleveland, OH in a four-round bout. Hines (1-0, one KO) made his pro debut on April 29th in Springfield, VA and scored a first-round TKO over Zachary Johnson. McPherson (2-33-1, one KO) has lost 31 bouts in a row including a second-round TKO to Lavonte Earley on February 11th in Chattanooga, TN.
Making his pro debut on this card will be DC lightweight Dionte Burts who will battle Molique Artis of Wilson, NC in a four-round contest. Burts fought numerous times in the local Golden Gloves over his amateur career. Artis (0-4) lost by first-round TKO to Jahmal Dyer on April 8th in Greensboro, NC.
Also on the card, Yonkers, NY middleweight Bryant Pappas will return to action for the first time in 2017 when he takes on Jason “Micro Tyson” McClure of Paris, AR, who has not fought since October of 2011. Pappas (16-2-1, 16 KO’s) last fought in December of 2016 and notched a first-round TKO over Andrew Hartley in Johnson City, TN. McClure (1-9) lost by second-round KO to Elliott Forman in Russellville, AR. McClure and Pappas met one time before in September of 2010. Pappas scored a fourth-round TKO in Paris.
Newark, NJ light heavyweight Alan Lawrence will be in a four-rounder against Henry Mercer of Rocky Mount, NC. Lawrence (2-0, two KO’s) has won both his bouts by first-round knockout. Mercer (2-13, one KO) will be trying to break a three-bout losing streak.
Here is the scale watch:
Jonathan Baxter 148.6 vs. Joseph Figueroa 153.8
Drayvontay Speed Rawls 138.6 vs. Robert Hill 140.4
Tiara Brown 132.6 vs. Natalie King 132.6
Cornell Hines 144.2 vs. Clifford McPherson 146.8
Dionte Burts 134.4 vs. Molique Artis 137.6
Alan Lawrence 178 vs. Henry Mercer 174.4
Bryant Pappas 167 vs. Jason McClure 169.4