By Gary “Digital” Williams

The next pro card in the Beltway (Washington, DC area) will be on Friday, March 8th at Live! Casino in Hanover, MD and it looks like an interesting card that is scheduled to feature a number of all-Beltway encounters. This will be a card promoted by the husband and wife team of Tony and Christen Jeter, the second card they have promoted at Live! Casino. The first card, held on August 18th, was chosen the Beltway Boxing Card Of The Year.

The main event on this card will be a matchup for the vacant Maryland State Super Middleweight championship as Demond “D’Best At It” Nicholson of Laurel battles Jessie “The Beast” Nicklow of Baltimore.

Nicholson (20-3-1, 19 KO’s) is the reigning WBC USNBC Super Middleweight champion who won that title on the August 18th card, knocking out Isaac Rodrigues in the sixth round. Nicholson successfully defended his title on December 8th scoring a second-round KO over Fernando Castaneda in Bowie, MD.

Nicklow (27-9-3, nine KO’s) makes his first attempt at a regional title in his 13-year career. The 2006 Beltway Boxing Rookie of The Year last fought on August 25th and lost by third-round TKO to Trevor McCumby in Glendale, CA. Nicklow is undefeated in the state of Maryland (26-0-3, eight KO’s).

Baltimore super middleweight “Dangerous” Donald Wallace will take on Pablo Velez of Durham, NC in a six-round bout. Wallace (3-1-1, two KO’s) was in the 2018 Beltway Boxing Bout Of The Year when he scored a sixth-round TKO over Ashton Sykes on the August 18th Hanover card. Velez (7-3-1, five KO’s) will look to break a three-bout losing streak which includes a first-round knockout loss to Mike Snider on August 25th in Wheeling, WVA.

Undefeated Bowie, MD super lightweight Greg “Sharpshooter” Outlaw, who recently signed a promotional contract with Kings Promotions of Reading, PA has been added to the card. Outlaw (7-0, two KO’s), one of our Beltway Boxing Prospects Of The Year for 2018, was previously promoted by Evander Holyfield’s Real Deal Promotions. However, Outlaw was released from that contract when that promotional company ceased operations. In his last outing, Outlaw won a six-round unanimous decision over Mack Allison IV on December 8th at the AC Jordan Arena at Bowie State University in Bowie, MD. Outlaw is scheduled to take on Tyrone Crawley, Jr. of Philadelphia, PA (7-1-1) in a six-round encounter. Crawley is coming off an eight-round majority draw with Ricardo Garcia on August 10th in Philadelphia, PA.

In a six-round, all-Beltway bout, lightweight “The Red Comet” Dante Cox of Elkridge, MD will face off with Glenarden, MD’s Drayvontay Speed Rawls. Cox, who works in a restaurant at Live! Casino (3-0, two KO’s), scored a third-round TKO over Varon Webb on the August 18th Live! Casino card. Speed Rawls (10-1-1, seven KO’s) has a two-bout winning streak that includes a fourth-round TKO over Matt Murphy on June 16th in Laurel, MD.

There will be a four-round super middleweight contest featuring two locals looking for their first win. AJ “We Are” Williams of Cockeysville, MD will take on Dameron Kirby of Washington, DC. Williams, a former collegiate boxer at Penn State University, has not fought since April of 2013 when he lost his pro debut by a four-round majority decision to Issa Coulibaly in Salisbury, MD. Kirby (0-2) lost both of his bouts by first-round TKO in 2017, including a loss to Genc Pllana in October of 2017 in DC.

In a four-round featherweight bout, the debuting Ebrima Jawara of Germantown, MD will battle Malik “Li’l Leak” Loften of Suitland, MD. Jawara was a fixture on the Beltway amateur scene competing in the Washington Golden Gloves, the Mayor’s Cup and the 2016 Olympic Trials. Loften (1-1, one KO) looks to bounce back from a four-round unanimous decision loss to Martino Jules on February 3rd in Bethlehem, PA.

Also making his pro debut will be Baltimore lightweight Brandon Chambers will face Christopher Haney of Glendale Heights, IL in a four-rounder. Chambers has little amateur experience but he is a seven-year veteran of the Baltimore City Police Department. Haney (0-3-1) comes off a four-round split-decision draw with Paris Williams on July 29th in Gary, IN.

Newport News, VA heavyweight Jerry “Slug” Forrest will be in action against Grover Young of Memphis, TN. This will be an eight-round contest. Forrest (23-2, 19 KO’s) is coming off a first-round TKO over Jaudiel Zepeda on February 9th in Norfolk, VA. Young (13-25-3, nine KO’s) broke an eight-bout losing streak with a fourth-round TKO over previously undefeated Javonta Charles on July 21st in Memphis, TN. Young’s last two losses in his streak both came against Forrest — a six-round unanimous decision loss to Forrest in June of 2017 in Baltimore and a first-round disqualification in Norfolk in August of 2017.