Tag Archives: Seconds Out Promotions

Minnesota’s pro boxing champs and rankings….

Posted on by
1

Among Minnesota’s boxing fans, those that don’t just follow hometown heros, and those who look deeper than what a promoter or promotion tells them, have had mixed feelings about Minnesota’s new ranking system and processes for becoming a state champ. Ever since the “State Champ” came back into play with Zach Walters winning and defending his state title one time over 5 years, while several quality and most think favored fighters were avoided. The only state title given any credit had been at middle weight. The middles seemed to understand sport/sportsmanship in their competition, giving each worthy foe an opportunity to challenge to see who REALY is the best at a given weight. Vanda, Bonsante, Kolle, Truax, all fought each other. Some a few times…

Mr. Walters decided abusing the belt system would be great to start up his new promotion by creating and naming his own title challengers, causing the Minnesota Boxing Commission to step in and try to set up a system of rankings and rules for winning and defending state titles. This should be and probably will be a good thing for local boxing and helping promotions to challenge their fighters and make for better fights for the fans and for the growth of what for many years has been known as a farm league for guys on the rise elsewhere…

The problem, not all weight classes have active boxers. Walters and Sands took full advantage of the rules and bought themselves a belt! (winning it by beating a guy who had not boxed since 2010 and is now (2,2)…) Nothing new here, those in Minnesota have seen this act come out of Duluth for 10 years… If it works, don’t break it! Unless of course you’d like to compete on a national level against worthy opponents. Duluth, MN will probably be at Jungle Boys feet no-matter the facts, but it hurts those trying to go about boxing in a sporting fashion… Do we want to promote bullying? Does Duluth want to be the new home of pro wrestling? There has been a good reason Minnesota on the whole has distanced themselves from Duluth fighters and “belts without meaning.” Okay, Okay, rant finished. But statements that Al Sands and Jungle Boy Walters have made about taking on the best and cleaning out the state are a farce unless of course you live in Duluth MN….

This brings us to a real title State title fight…

On the undercard of “Golden” Caleb Truax (21,1,1) vs Don “Da Bomb” George (24,3,2) June 21… Seconds Out Promotions and Warriors Boxing is bringing a stellar undercard featuring what we feel is a legit Minnesota State boxing championship… Tony Lee (7,1) vs Jeremy McLaurin (10,5) for MN 135 pound strap… This is the sort of fight I am sure Minnesota’s commission and rankers had in mind when setting things up. Both Lee and McLaurin have been in tough, with McLaurin getting a wide UD over Duluth’s Gary Eyer.. Along with that, both Lee  and McLaurin have fought and impressively defeated Joel Flores and went one and one with Hector Orozco…

I think Minnesota’s top promoters will do their best to handle the states belt system with respect and most things will come out in the wash. The beauty of boxing, if you step up, you will find out where you truly stand… No matter how much protection received from promotion and managers…

Below is Minnesota’s official rankings for May, beside is how we see it… (ours do not follow  same guidelines… main difference, is since we don’t have the amount of boxers as many boxing mecca’s, we use those who have fought in a weight.)

First the League’s P4P list…. 1. Caleb Truax (21,1,1) Middle 2. Cerresso Fort (16,1,1) Middle 3. Jason Litzau  (29,3) lightweight 4. Andy Kolle (25,4) middle 5. Ismail Muwendo (13,0) Super Featherweight.

Minnesota’s official rankings in bold below.

Heavyweight 201 plus

1. Joey Abell 2. Rafael Butler 3. Aaron Green 4. Ray Edwards 5. Serhiy Karpenko

We wouldn’t have any changes in the top 5 here. Both Abell and Karpenko are believed to be fighting in separate bouts June 21….

Cruiserweight 176-200

State Champ. Al Sands.

1. Tyrone Gibson 2. Harley Kilfain 3. Lucas St. Clair 4. Joe Lorenzi

5. John Moxey

We would have Phil Williams, Gibson, Lorenzi one,two and three. Harley has been on a pretty long losing streak. St. Clair hadnt fought since 2010 just being easily beaten by Sands…

Light-heavyweight 169-175

1. Phil Williams 2. Harley Kilfian 3. Tim Taggart 4. Lexie Keshick 5. Jerome LaBarge

We agree with this, like cruiser, just not any title worthy fights… Phil Williams could easily be champ at both light-heavy and cruiser if he desired.

Super Middleweight 161-169

1. Caleb Truax 2. Phil Williams 3. Cerresso Fort 4. Bobby Kliewer 5. Jon Schmidt

Again, pretty much agree, but Kolle has fought there in the last two years and would rank above Kliewer and Schmidt in our opinion…

Middleweight 155-160

State Champ. Caleb Truax

1. Cerresso Fort 2. Andy Kolle 3. Charles Meier 4. Michael Faulk 5. Jon Schmidt

Agree for the most part with list… Rob Brant and Tyler Hultin could be in consideration…. Meier fights Hultin June 21 and could shake things up if they don’t hit 154. (We fully expect Meier/Hultin to be at light-middle 154)

Jr Middleweight 148-154

1. Andy Kolle 2. Cerresso Fort 3. Dave Peterson 4. Antonio Johnson 5. Jamal James

Understand the ranking given Fort/Kolle was fought at 155, but I think 1 and 2 could be swapped…

Welterweight 141-147

1. Jamal James 2. Mohammed Kayongo 3. Hector Orozco 4. R.J. Laase 5. Javontae Starks

To those wondering about Orozco being ranked ahead of Laase… They fought twice, the first fight was at welter, with Orozco winning close SD… When Laase won by UD to avenge loss they fought at Junior Welter… I think 3 through 5 are interchangeable at this time.

Jr. Welterweight 136-140

1. R.J. Laase 2. Tony Lee 3. Hector Orozco 4. Winston Anderson 5. Mike Davis

We agree with the rankings here. Lee beat Orozco at this weight but lost to him at Welter.

Lightweight 131-135

1. Jason Litzau 2. Ismail Muwendo 3. Tony Lee 4. Jeremy McLaurin 5. Gary Eyer

Again, hard to argue with these rankings, but Lee or McLaurin will be champ after June 21. Over the last couple years talks of McLaurin/Muwendo, Litzau/Muwendo have come up without fights happening…

Jr lightweight 127 – 130

1. Jason Litzau 2. Wilton Hilario 3. Ismail Muwendo 4. Jeremy McLaurin 5. Brad Patraw

Again, pretty set in stone list. Just like lightweight, lots of interesting fights here.

Featherweight 123 – 126

1. Jeremy McLaurin 2. Gary Eyer 3. Hassan Wasswa 4. Jonathan Perez

5. Nate Seelye

Another tough weight to judge and really not ready for title.. Not sure if some of these guys will see this weight again.

Jr. Featherweight 119-122

State Champ. Vicente Alfaro

1. Antwan Robertson 2. Brad Patraw 3. Jake Backus 4. Brad Herroff

There are two more weight classes that serve as a mix of above fighters.

One thing to look forward to is that under Minnesota boxing’s new rules “champs” will have to defend their titles or prove there was not an opportunity to do so. ( may be easier said than done)…. Like we have said from the beginning we do believe the negatives will shake out and there will be weak divisions. It’s our hope that the Minnesota boxing commission may learn from the Al Sands vs St Clair fight, that just because they have 5 guys, does not mean a title is warranted. It’s too late now, but the bright side is that Walters and Sands may end their fear of an actual fight and try and avenge the brutal beating Gibson put on Al Sands before he went on the give-me tour. Phil Williams, TJ Gibson, Joe Lorenzi could all make for nice fights and help undo some of the damage Promoter/Manager Walters has done to MN boxing.

 

June 21 ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” in Minnesota!!

Posted on by

Remember, Seconds Out Promotions, May 18 card has been moved to the undercard of this exciting event… Caleb Truax vs Don George, Jeremy McLaurin vs Tony Lee, Tyler Hultin vs Charles Meier… and much, much, more!! Minneapolis Convention Center June 21. Brought to you by Seconds Out Promotions and Warriors Boxing. Follow MNBoxingLeague on facebook.

Tony Grygelko (Seconds Out Promotions) answers questions about Caleb Truax, Joey Abell and MN Boxing

Posted on by
Tony Grygelko (second from left), Courtesy SnapLocally.com

Tony Grygelko (second from left), Courtesy SnapLocally.com

 

M….Seconds Out Promotions has been very busy the last couple years, how hard has it been putting so many shows together?

 

Tony Grygelko…. Our team has put a tremendous amount of hard work in over the years and there has been struggles along the way but we have never stopped our progression towards becoming not just the best fight promotion in the Midwest but to be considered one of the best in the world. Our endeavor has been no different than any other company trying to make it in this volatile economy and we have been able to keep growing because we understand that in today’s market you need to be innovative and have the ability to change the mold of the industry that you are working in. We have branched into promoting hybrid events which have included both boxing and MMA, along with launching into the MMA market as a whole. We have provided true value to our fighters that we have represented and most of all, we have provided our fan base with some of the most exciting events that Minnesota has ever seen.

 

 
M…..You are now quite active in MMA as well as boxing. I am a fan of both sports but that does not always seem to be the case with boxing fans and MMA fans, why do you think that is? And do you thinking working with both sports helps fans from the other to gain more understanding and enjoyment from each combat sport?

 

Tony Grygelko…. What I see with MMA is a younger age demographic that has a hunger for a high impact and fast paced sport to fill their entertainment needs and that is exactly what MMA  brings them but I think we have witnessed a big change in the fight fans over the year. By exposing the younger demographic to the sport of boxing we have created a more complete fight fan who comes to both of our events to enjoy the explosive matchups. 

 
M….What is the story with Joey Abell’s fight in Africa, is that fight still happening?

 

Tony Grygelko…. It sure is! We just signed the contract yesterday and the fight will now be taken place on May 29th.
 

M….I have talked with several fighters who have felt Abell’s power and they all confirm it to be world class, what do you see in Joey Abell’s future?

 

Tony Grygelko….  I think Joey has all of the attributes to become a champion and his power is like nothing most people in boxing have ever seen but I the most over looked skill that Joey has is his speed. There is nobody in boxing today that is as big as Joe that can match his hand speed.

 
M….”Golden” Caleb Truax, what comes to mind?

 

Tony Grygelko….  Total package!! Not just a the total package of a boxing champion but the total package of a amazing person. He dedication to self improvement is what makes him very special. The kid is truly “Golden”!

 

 
M…. I along with many others have noticed Truax’s rapid growth over the last year, what do you attribute that to?

 

Tony Grygelko….  It’s because he understands that he is only as good as the people he surrounds himself with. He has great people in his corner that make consistent efforts to help him and Caleb understands the value of them. When I say people in his corner I don’t just mean his management or his trainers, it’s also his family, friends, and most of all his fans!

 
M….I thought Kerry Hope was a great victory for Truax, what are your thoughts from that fight and Kerry Hope as a fighter?

 

Tony Grygelko…. I think we saw exactly what we wanted to see. Caleb was in a tough fight that challenged him to learn after each round, that’s the type of fights you need are building towards a championship.  Kerry Hope could have beaten any other middleweight in the state that night, he just happened to run into the best of them all.

 

M….You guys answered many a fans request by putting on Truax vs Williams, how did this fight come together?

 

Tony Grygelko….  Well Caleb and Phil are in my mind the best middleweights in the state. I know Phil has struggled over his last couple of fights but he has now found a new focus and I believe we are going to see a new Phil Williams on April 23rd.

 
M….What do you see this fight doing for its winner?

 

Tony Grygelko….Well I would love to see Kolle step up and fight either one of these fighters. I don’t think he could last one round with fighters that possess the power that both Caleb and Phil have. Remember the Paul Williams fight!!! I really don’t think that fight will happen so I think the winner of the April 23 fight will look to get out on the national scene.

 

M….Do you have the rest of the card rounded out? Or any hints as to what other fights we may see?

 

Tony Grygelko….Well we had Marcus LeVesseur and Mike Richman slated to compete in MMA action but they had the UFC tryouts and well let’s just say they won’t be able to fight on the 23rd.  As for the boxing we are looking to put Jon, Charles, and Ismail to a test. We are also happy to announce that we will have Antwon Robertson and Derek Winston on the card. Both these fighters are original products of Lyke’s Boxing Gym.

 

M….The last couple of years have been quite active in Minnesota boxing, how do you see boxing in our state?

 

Tony Grygelko….I think we rate up there with some of the most active states. We certainly have the talent and the fans to be considered the best state of boxing. Hell we are the Midwest right? As my good friend Roger Mayweather always says… The best fighters come from the Midwest!

 

M….What are some things you think Minnesota boxing fans have to look forward to?

 

Tony Grygelko…. Well lets all come out and support the two best Middleweights in the state on April 23 and at that event I have a real big announcement to make for June!

 

M…. How would you rate Minnesota’s fighters? Any guys you are excited about?
 

Tony Grygelko….The best fighters come from the Midwest!
If I was going to dip into the vast talent pool here in Minnesota I would want to work… I’m not telling!

 

Well if you look at the true 8 weight classes in boxing you could say Minnesota is talent rich.

Flyweight

Antwan Robertson

Bantamweight

Vincente Alfaro

Featherweight

Ismail Muwendo

Lt Weight

Jason Litzau

Welter

M Kayango

Middle

Caleb Tuax

Lt Heavy

Marcus Oliveria

Heavy

Joey Abell

 

 

Fighter that I am the most excited about is Cerresso Fort. I think with the right team this kid could be very good. I think he has made some move recently that has shown the he really is ready to start making some big steps with his career. I wish him the best of luck!

 

M….Thanks for sharing with our readers. Is there anything you would like to add?

 

Tony Grygelko….Don’t forget to get your tickets for the St Paul Brawl. Tickets are available at www.ticketweb.com

2010

Posted on by
Truax (right) Courtesy SnapLocally.com

Truax (right) Courtesy SnapLocally.com

 

2010 looks to be a fun year for Minnesota boxing. Matt Vanda and Phil Williams have big fights on the 29th of this month and February has pro boxing in each of its first two weekends. From all I have been told and read both MSC and Seconds Out Promotions plan on another very busy year of boxing. Andy “Kaos” Kolle called out Matt Vanda and Caleb Truax towards the end of 2009 and rumor has it that Kolle/Vanda could be right around the corner if all goes well. The Fistic Mystic reported that there were bids sent out to Hinckley Grand Casino for a Caleb Truax/Kenny Kost fight and Matt Vanda / Andy Kolle 2, with Vanda/Kolle 2 winning out (Fistic also reported that nothing was final on Vanda/Kolle as contracts were not done at that time). Lets hope that both of these fights stay alive or at least some pairing of these four happens. Below are some MN vs MN fights we would love to see in 2010 if things continue to go well for the fighters mentioned. Big national or tv fights rank high in our book, but this is just Minnesota possibilities and we realise some of them may not make sense to the fighters for several reasons.

 

Jason Litzau, Courtesy of SnapLocally.com

Jason Litzau, Courtesy of SnapLocally.com

 

Jason Litzau vs Wilton Hilario – We know this is probably a pipe dream for the time being

 

Andy Kolle vs Caleb Truax – This fight seems a ways off with what has been reported

 

Vanda landing on Williams, courtesy SnapLocally.com

Vanda landing on Williams, courtesy SnapLocally.com

 

Andy Kolle vs Matt Vanda – Probably the biggest fight out there in terms of money and turnout

 

Matt Vanda vs Caleb Truax – Another pipe dream as they share the same gym and trainer

 

Caleb Truax vs Phil Williams – I really like this fight

 

Joey Abell vs Raphael Butler – I still would like to see this fight, but dont have much hope of it happening

 

Gary Eyer (right), Courtesy SnapLocally.com

Gary Eyer (right), Courtesy SnapLocally.com

 

Gary Eyer vs Jeremy McLaurin – might be too soon for such a meeting, but I love the fight.

 

Brad Patraw vs Ismail Muwendo – weights are slightly different and this may also be too soon, but I love this fight.

 

Jeremy McLaurin, Courtesy SnapLocally.com

Jeremy McLaurin, Courtesy SnapLocally.com

 

Jeremy McLaurin vs Ismail Muwendo – same as above

Taking the time to give back.

Posted on by
Joey Abell, loading food for thankful families

Joey Abell, loading food for thankful families

 

Last night Lyke’s gym opened its doors to the community. In the true spirit of Thanksgiving, Seconds Out Promotions, Lykes Gym, Epic Realty Inc, and Cub Foods worked along side some of Minnesota’s best boxers to give back. Working with several churches in the community, family’s who maybe would not have been able to enjoy the usual Thanksgiving  feast will now have it with all the fixings. Joey Abell, Caleb Truax, and the other professional boxers spent much of the evening handing out boxes loaded with Thanksgiving delights.

 

Jim Maurine handing out a box of food

Jim Maurine handing out a box of food

 

Caleb Truax shared that when he was growing up, his family didnt always have the funds to put a Thanksgiving meal on the table, and that he was happy to be able to help in his way. That spirit of giving was on full display last night as the fighters, managers, and trainers were all doing thier part in handing out Thanksgiving meals. Tong Grygelko had a yellow vest and flashlight to direct traffic outside of the gym. He said these tough economic times have hit everyone hard and added  that there are some within the gym family who will now also be able to have Thanksgiving meals.

 

Willshaun Boxley

Willshaun Boxley

 

Isn’t this what the Holiday Season is supposed to be all about? Our hats go off to everyone involved.

November 20, The Golden Age, Press Release

Posted on by

 

Truax-Daniels IBA Title Fight Headlines November 20!

 

For Immediate Release

 

calebtruax_newlrgSt. Paul, MN – Unbeaten Super Middleweight “Golden” Caleb Truax will vie for his first title Friday November 20 against former world champion Carl Daniels in the main event of Seconds Out Promotions’ “The Golden Era” live from the St. Paul Armory.

 

Truax, 13-0 (9 KO’s), has been impressive thus far during his young career. The Osseo, MN native stopped five of his last six opponents, including an impressive TKO over veteran Patrick Perez in July.

 

Daniels, of St. Louis, MO, is a former WBA Junior Middleweight champion and fought the likes of Bernard Hopkins, Julio Cesar Green, Julio Cesar, Laurent Boudouani and Chad Dawson. The 69 fight veteran is Truax’ most experienced foe to date.

 

The Truax-Daniels matchup is scheduled for ten rounds, with the winner claiming the IBA Americas Super Middleweight championship.

 

In the co-featured bout of the evening, hard hitting Welterweight Muhammad “African Assassin” Kayongo of St. Paul returns following a one year absence to challenge James Todd of the United Kingdom. Kayongo, 14-2 (10 KO’s) and Todd, 2-1-1 (1 KO) are scheduled to do battle over 10 rounds for the IBA Intercontinental Welterweight title.

 

Kayongo-Todd is expected to be far more competitive than it looks on paper, as the latter was an elite amateur, former member of the Calzaghe Training Camp and now part of the illustrious Talon Boxing Camp in Big Bear, CA.

 

Former amateur star Michael Faulk of St. Paul takes on Ryan Soft, 1-0-1 (1 KO), of North Dakota in a four round Junior Middleweight bout. Faulk, 1-0 (1 KO), was rated the #2 amateur in the nation by USA Boxing.

 

Middleweights Charles Meier, 3-1 (2 KO’s), and Josh Rodriguez, 4-10 (3 KO’s) will meet over four rounds. Marvin Rodriguez, 2-2 (1 KO), challenges Silas Ortey, 4-7 (3 KO’s), also in a four round Middleweight affair.

 

Super Bantamweights Felix Martinez of Bloomington, MN squares off against Ugandan Phillip Adyaka in a four rounder. Martinez and Adyaka are both looking for their first professional victory.

 

Mixed martial artist Derek Abrams meets Caleb Wolf over three 5 minute rounds in the Featherweight (145 lb) division and Welterweight Jedidiah Jones makes his debut against an opponent TBA, also in a three rounder.

 

Lightweight prospect Jeremy McLaurin, 5-0 (4 KO’s), and local favorite Jon “The Iron Man” Schmidt, 9-1 (6 KO’s) are slated to appear in separate bouts.

 

Tickets are $25 for general admission and $55 for VIP. General admission for children under 13 is $5. Tickets to “The Golden Era” are available by calling 612-807-5547. Doors to open at 7 and the first bell is slated for 8 pm.

 

The St. Paul Armory is located at 600 Cedar Street St. Paul, MN 55101

When retired professional boxer Tony Grygelko found himself unable to stay out of the gym, he realized that his passion for boxing was undeniable. At age 29, Grygelko formed Seconds Out Promotions. By utilizing the vast boxing knowledge of world-class trainer Ron Lyke, Grygelko and Seconds Out quickly became a hit.

Through determination, integrity and hard work, Seconds Out strives to become a top promotional firm by giving young fighters the ability to showcase their talents to a worldwide audience, along with offering fans the highest quality of entertainment. Seconds Out is committed to recruitment and development of the best and brightest young fighters to help achieve our mission.

Seconds Out Promotions’ current stable of pugilists includes undefeated prospects “Golden” Caleb Truax, Marcus Oliveria, Michael Faulk, Ismail Muwendo, Jeremy McLaurin, dynamite fisted Heavyweight Joey “Minnesota Ice” Abell, Willshaun Boxley, Charles Meier, Jon “The Ironman” Schmidt, and Mohammed Kayongo.

 

november-20-fight-poster2

 For more information, go to www.soboxing.com

Seconds Out Promotions is bringing the Boom. November 20th show quickly becoming a night of champinions.

Posted on by

thegoldenage

 

I was pleasantly surprised to wake up to some more huge Seconds Out Promotions news. Along with thanks for support, Tony G confirmed big things coming. As was reported yesterday, Willshaun Boxley has a huge fight in November against the toughest opponent of his career. We already knew Caleb Truax was fighting for a belt on November 20th, now there is another, maybe even bigger title fight. Mohammed Kayongo will be fighting James Todd of the the UK for an IBA World Title. bbc.co.uk Also check out boxrec.com for Nov 20 card at the St. Paul Armory. Seconds Out Promotions has already blown everyone else away in volume of shows, now they are looking to finish the year with some fireworks. Hats off to Tony G and the Seconds Out team.

 

 

 

From eastsideboxing.com

 

Toddy looking to take the Title 

James “The Sandman” Todd coming off his first career loss in a desperately close fight against amateur superstar Dean Peters Jr has now jumped straight back in at the deep end and been handed an amazing opportunity to fight for the IBA world welterweight title. His opponent is another accomplished amateur and holds an impressive 14-2 record as a professional Mohammed Kayongo. Seconds Out Promoter Tony Grgelko used all his skills as a promoter to give these guys the opportunity. continue reading here.

Oct. 17 gets moved back to Nov. 20 at the St. Paul Armory

Posted on by
"Golden" Caleb Truax in white trunks, Courtesy SnapLocally.com

"Golden" Caleb Truax in white trunks, Courtesy SnapLocally.com

 

 

Seconds Out Promotions has rescheduled their Oct. 17 card. I have not gotten all the details, but it looks like Truax will still be fighting for an IBA belt. As for the rest of the card, we will wait and see what they have in store. From the brief conversation I had with Tony G via text, it sounds like there will be some nice surprises. Seconds Out Promotions seems quite excited about the change as well as some other plans they have for Minnesota and beyond. Stay tuned for more information on this date change and Soboxing’s other future plans.

“Wanted” Seconds Out Promotions, August 8 card as it stands

Posted on by

from soboxing.com

 

August 8th (Boxing) Wyatts Earps Bar

6 Rds
Super Bantamweight 122-126 Lbs
“Liberty Title’s Main Event Bout”

Willshuan Boxley (5-1) Vs. James Frank

6 Rds
Lt Middleweight 154-160 Lbs

Robert Kamya (16-10) Vs. Joshua Rodriguez (4-9)

4 Rds
Bantamweight 118-122 Lbs

Felix Marteniz (0-3) Vs. Jake Backus(Pro Debut)

4 Rds
Middleweight 154-160(Lbs)

Charles Meier (2-1) Vs. Travis Pryzanski (0-1)

4 Rds
Middleweight 154-160(Lbs)

Marvin Rodriguez (1-2) Vs. Dan Copp (0-1)