Tag Archives: Tony Lee

Q & A with Tony “2Sharp” Lee (7,1), Lee vs McLaurin / State title..June 21 …

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Another one of Minnesota’s favorite fighters, Tony “2Sharp” Lee is ready to claim the Minnesota 135 pound title. A fight between he and McLaurin has been talked about for some time and Seconds Out Promotions decided to make it happen. There has been some build up and verbal barbs cast as each fighter wants to stake his claim as best in class. From the outside looking in, activity seems to be Lee’s biggest weakness as he has faired well against common opponents he shares with McLaurin and boasts only one loss in 8 fights. Below is a quick Q & A we did with Lee….Go to soboxing.com for ticket information.

Tony "2Sharp" Lee, courtesy Jesse Kelley, MinnesotaBoxing.com

ESPN in Minnesota.. How cool is that?

Lee….ESPN coming to Minnesota is a blessing. It gives MN an opportunity to display what we have here. MN gets a soft rep and it’s not a true statement! So very cool. Very exciting! There are a number of interesting fights on this stacked card.

What fights aside from yours spark your interest?

Lee….Honestly I support all MN fighters. But my focus has been nothing but what I have to take care of. Playing my part that is all. Honestly.

Jeremy McLaurin and you have shared some thoughts about one another. Is there some bad blood there?

Lee…..Jeremy came out talking smack about me. I just said a simple fact. And that was that we were scheduled to fight each other after January’s card. It was an agreement. He is hostile because he knows I am a threat. We have faught before in the gloves. Do deep down I think he took what I said out of context and made it personal! And now it most definitely is!!!

How much does fighting for the MN 135 strap mean for you?

Lee…..Fighting for the MN state light weight title means everything to me. I started out at brunettes and Johnny Montanez held that title and was the last to do so. So it is fitting that I claim it in respect and in honor.

How has training camp gone? And where are you getting most of your work in at?

Lee…..Training camp has been the best yet since I’ve turned pro. It was a little discouraging when the original match got postponed from may 18th til June 21st. But I took a week off and rested and got right back on it.

Is 135 a weight you plan to stay at?

Lee…..I feel better then ever! I’ve been getting work from strong forces. Dalton outlaw, Miguel Tillman, Kenneth Glenn Maurice fuller, brad patraw. Its been great working with different styles leading up to this! I do plan on staying at 135. Its suits me well.

You and McLaurin share several opponents. Does that help in preparing for this fight?

Lee….It really doesn’t affect me, styles make fights. And I could fight the same person 5 times but everytime I would change something within my style. So I don’t really look at that as beneficial. Every fight is its own fight.

Truax vs George… How do you see this going?

Lee….I see truax winning a unanimous decision. He’s a smart fighter! They are both tough.

Thank you for taking the time, is there anything you would like to add?

Lee…. I appreciate the interview!!! Tony 2sharp Lee

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Q & A with Jeremy “Lights Out” McLaurin, He fights for MN state title June 21..

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Jeremy "Lights Out" McLaurin, courtesy Jesse Kelley MinnesotaBoxing.com

“Lights Out” McLaurin (10,5) is set to fight for Minnesota’s 135 pound strap. He faces Tony Lee (7,1) June 21, on the undercard to Truax/George.. McLaurin vs Lee are the type of fights I am sure Minnesota’s boxing commission envisioned when setting up a ranking system to fight for state titles. In a pretty competitive weight, these two are deserving of being a state title holder. After McLaurin beat Gary Eyer by UD in Hinckley he went on to fight world-class talent on the road. While not gaining victories he got valuable experience under the most difficult  circumstances, fighting on the road, and against promoted fighters. Jeremy McLaurin has been a fan favorite in Minnesota and winning the belt at 135 pounds would be a great achievement. While he recently has spent time at 126, he feels the move back up in weight will also be a move towards more victories… But, first things first, (7,1), Tony “Too Sharp” Lee… Q & A with McLaurin below…. Follow MNBoxingLeague on facebook.

Your fight June 21 against Tony Lee was set for a couple different dates. How has the start and stop of camp affected your training?

McLaurin….There was no stop. Just in better shape that’s all.

Do you feel your experience with some of the nations top fighters on others promotions will benefit you fighting on such a high profile card?

McLaurin….Yes. I’ve been past 5 rounds…. With some of the best!!! He hasn’t!!!

You have looked really good at 126.. What has prompted you to do this fight at 135?

McLaurin….Thanks!!! I went 7-0-5ko’s. I have all my knockouts at 135. I think I was better at this weight. I’m able to hold on to all my muscle mass. I will be Stronger for this fight!!!

What has sparked some of the verbal barbs between you and Lee?

McLaurin….He’s not too Sharp!!! He’s two faced and I’m going to beat his ass for it.

How much motivation is gotten by fighting to be a MN state Champ in a very competitive match-up?

McLaurin….It’s great motivation and I’m very happy to be in this spot. It will be competitive if I let it. That’s if I make the fight harder then it should be.

What’s the gym like with you, Caleb and Charles all training for big fights?

McLaurin…..We’re all working for the same goal, being Victorious with our hands raised. We’ve been Sparring together, trying to make our Team better. We’re a Family. Blood, Sweat and Tears.

What are your thoughts of ESPN coming to Minneapolis?

McLaurin….I think it is great for Minnesota boxing and after the fight I hope they will be back for more great fights.

How do you see Truax / George going?

McLaurin….George is going to have a big problem on his hands for this fight.

What should fans expect from your fight with Lee?

McLaurin….It’s not going the distance…

Thanks for taking the time, is there anything you would like to add?

McLaurin….I would like to Thank my Family, friends and fans for all their love and Support!!! We’re Ready. See you Fight Night!

Go to soboxing.com for ticket information.

MN Boxing notes

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There is much to talk about in Minnesota boxing… June 21 is coming fast and word of other Minnesota fighters getting back in the ring is sprouting as well. Much more to come. Been recovering from surgery and hope to get back on top of things soon…. We have been able to keep our FB page up to date, Follow MNBoxingLeague on facebook.

All reports show team “Golden” Caleb Truax are living in the gym and film room. His fight against Don “Da Bomb” George will be aired on ESPN June 21… We hope to catch up with Truax and share his thoughts as this fights approaches.

Camps for both Jeremy McLaurin and Tony Lee are confident in their fighters going in to their 135 Minnesota title fight. Q & A’s with both men in the coming weeks. June 21..

Tyler Hultin and Charles Meier have had ample time to prepare for this long awaited regional showdown between two of Minnesota’s most exciting fighters. Look for Q & A’s with both of these combatants as well. June 21…

MinnesotaBoxing.com reported some fights being discussed as well….

A showdown between Duluth’s RJ Laase and Saint Paul’s Allen Litzau seems to be coming together for August 16th at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN. Although not officially signed and set, the two outspoken fighters are not pulling any punches in regards to the potential fight.
“I’ve been trying to get this fight for 3 years now” said Laase (11-1, 7 KO’s). “I hope he (Litzau) is serious this time because I want to beat the best version of him as possible. He likes to talk a lot and I plan on shutting his mouth in August.
The 31 year old Litzau (13-8, 7 KO’s) admits he has taken short notice fights recently unprepared but says he has already begun training and with more then two months to go, he says he doesn’t believe Laase will be able to touch him when they meet.
“When I have the right time to prepare for a fight, it’s a whole other level” said Litzau. “I will have over two months to prepare for this fight. I really don’t know much about him (Laase) but it really doesn’t make a difference. I’m not afraid of anybody around here. I’d fight (Floyd) Mayweather! I think this will be a great fight for the Minnesota fans and look forward to putting on a good show as always.” Full article on MinnesotaBoxing.com

 

 

Minnesota’s pro boxing champs and rankings….

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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.

 

Picks on tonight’s big fight by some of Minnesota’s finest boxers…

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Just like most odds maker’s and boxing-heads, The majority of Minnesota’s pros feel Floyd Mayweather Jr. will do like he has always done and Win tonight. That’s not to say that is who all will be rooting for, but it seems to be the safe pick and probably rightfully so.. We’d like to thank the guys who got back to us on very short notice… Below are some of Minnesota’s pros picks… Follow MNBoxingLeague on facebook.

Showtime Boxing

Tony Lee – Lee fights May 18 against Jeremy McLaurin for Minnesota’s 135 pound title…

I got Guerrero. I just think Mayweather having his dad as his lead trainer is going to backfire. Looking at their past and how they didn’t get along at all. And now having them together tells me Mayweather is desperate for a huge change. And I just think Guerrero being a strong southpaw is going to give Mayweather a lot of trouble. Saying that, I know if Guerrero wins. It will still be a huge upset. Im going off a gut feeling here! Because Mayweather, is Mayweather!

 

Joe Lorenzi – Lorenzi own’s Lorenzi’s Boxing Gym in West Duluth and is on a two fight win streak in his comeback to pro boxing….

I’ve got $. He is too fast, has better defense and he chose his opponent because he knows he can beat him. I see it as a boring fight. He will beat Guerrero to the punch and move/run away from him. He is not going to trade with the bigger guy. That’s not his style.

 

Caleb Truax – Truax (21,1,1) is known as Minnesota’s P4P best by most and will be fighting Don George (24,3,2) on ESPN June 21….

Mayweather’s on a different level. Guerrero will make it tough in the early rounds trying to rough Floyd up, but Mayweather will adjust and outclass Guerrero for a late stoppage or UD win.

 

Gary Eyer – Eyer is on a 3 fight winning streak, and coming off of a thrilling victory last weekend against Blake Franklin…

After watching the shows about the fight, a little bit of me believes Guerrero can win, he’s a lefty with a good punch but Floyd has a good defence and good chin and is the bigger faster guy. I think Floyd is gonna win 10-11rd tko. If Guerrero wins that would be awesome and there is going to be more people coming in the gyms every day to start boxing.

 

Jeremy McLaurin – McLaurin is set to face Tony Lee for the Minnesota 135 title May 18…

Mayweather for Sure!!!

 

Andy Kolle – Kaos Kolle (25,4) is one of Minnesota’s most accomplished fighters and is looking to get back in the ring soon…

Hard to bet against Floyd, against anybody. Floyd UD

Javontae Starks – Starks (6,0) has gotten back to boxing recently and fights on Seconds Out Promotions May 18 card.

Mayweather…too smart.too sharp… Mayweather on points

 

Tyler Hultin – Hitman Hultin also fights May 18 in what should be a thrilling fight against another always fun to watch fighter, Charles Meier…

Mayweather, he’s the smarter puncher! He’s smart in all aspects of the game! He will adapt to Guerrero, maybe not right away but it will happen! Guerrero will bring the fight no doubt! But I just don’t see him victorious! But I don’t see a KO either!..

 

Charles Meier – Sir Meier (7,2,2) fights fellow “fight of the night” boxer Tyler Hultin (5,1,2) on May 18′s action packed card…

Mayweather is too smart for him, and too slick… I think Guerrero will be tough for a round or two but when Money figures him out he probably stops him or beats him bad…

“Sir” Charles Meier (7,2,2) to fight Tyler “The Hitman” Hultin (5,1,1) May 18, on the Caleb Truax undercard.

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Hitman has a date April 13 that he must get by first, but the signing of Meier/Hultin for May 18 is sure to be a fan pleasing fight… And could launch one of them into the 154 pound conversation regionally… Also announced was Jeremy McLaurin vs Tony Lee and from barbs thrown at each other over social media, there is no love lost between Lee and McLaurin… The show will feature Caleb Truax’s return to the ring from surgery… This show is promoted by Omega Presents… Follow MNBoxingLeague on facebook and twitter. We are still working on our twitter, but FB is very active…

Hultin (right) photo courtesy Jesse Kelley, MinnesotaBoxing.com

Close to 5000 people watched history Saturday night. Caleb Truax and Matt Vanda electrified the crowd for 10 rounds…

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For 17 years Matt Vanda has been Minnesota’s most electrifying fighter and biggest draw. Win, lose, or draw, the fans were getting their money’s worth. Saturday night, in Vanda’s final fight, he brought the crowd, action, will, determination, and everything you’d expect from The Predator for 10 full rounds…. Vanda clearly did not come to just say goodbye, he came to end things with a victory… But “Golden” Caleb Truax had other plans.. On a night of great action, capped off by Truax/Vanda, the main event was also the fight of the night. Michael Faulk proved many, myself included, that he can bring the boom and excitement as he surprised most with a thrilling KO of crowd favorite Jon Schmidt…. It may have been the only stoppage of the evening, but it would be worthy of KO of the night on many a card….Follow MNBoxingLeague on Twitter. and MNBoxingLeague on Facebook.

Caleb Truax over Matt Vanda by UD in 10…… The scores from the judges had it as close as 2 points and as far as 9… I was too busy enjoying the great action to score for myself other than having Truax ahead in rounds… This was one of those rare local match-ups where the crowd was proud and loud for both fighters, every round ending with people standing and cheering on both men.. Vanda came determined and ready to rumble!! He attacked in every round… Equally impressive was Truax doing the same thing… This was the dance all had hoped for but some did not see coming… While Truax clearly won, Vanda did not lose.. As the rounds pilled up, so did Caleb Truax’s lead, but each round was its own fight and it lasted all 10, no breaks, no rounds off, just action, sweat and work… Both fighters hurt each other and both came right back to the middle of the ring… In the end, Truax’s size and skill won the fight. But they both won the night, frankly, the fans were the biggest winners of all, this was one of, if not the best all action MN vs MN fight I have witnessed… Again, I don’t want to take away from Truax’s victory… He won, he deserved to win, and he was impressive.. He just keeps getting better and there is little doubt in peoples minds that big things are on the horizon for Golden Truax… Very fitting way for Vanda’s career to end and Truax to take the lead and carry the torch going forward…

Charles Meier over Travis Perzynski by MD in 8…. This too was a war, both fighters hit the mat and both came  back swinging… Very close fight, and with the knock-downs canceling each other out, I had Meier’s superior boxing skill win a close one… Great fight and on most nights, fight of the night… Love to watch both guys again!

Mohammed Kayongo over Gilbert Venagas by UD in 6…. This was a war from start to finish, another great action packed fight… Kayongo’s ring rust was there, as I think if more active this would have been an easier night for him. Fortunately for Kayongo, he can also bang and thats what it took to get the W.

Mike Faulk over Jon Schmidt by first round TKO…. Wow! I have been hard on Faulk and his style… Big ups to Faulk and the boom he DOES have…. As most, I expected Faulk to use his solid defense and pick and choose his spots. Well, Faulk let fly and caught Schmidt flush, and that was that… Schmidt proudly got to his feet but was unable to continue… Hope to see both fighters in action again soon…

Tony Lee over Leonard Overstreet by UD in 4….. It took Lee all 4 rounds, but he was the better fighter.. This victory seems to pave the way for Lee vs McLaurin…

Kenneth Glenn over Damion Hill by UD in 4…. This was a fun fight and I to had Glenn the victor…

Jeremy McLaurin over Dewyane Wisdom by UD in 4…. I was told before the fight that Wisdom may pull off an upset here.. He did not, but he gave McLaurin all the work he wanted. Wisdom bullied his way inside and tried to stay there all 4 rounds. McLaurin used superior boxing skill and landed the more precise punches, but Wisdom was there all fight and he too landed… I hate four round fights, very hard to score… I had McLaurin winning close fight. This looks to lead in to McLaurin vs Lee….

Q & A with one of the midwest’s best 130-135lb boxer,Tony Lee (6,1)

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Tony “2Sharp” Lee (6,1) is one of the upper midwest’s best 130-135 pound fighters and has proven to be willing to get in the ring with anyone. Lee is coming off of a highlight reel KO of Joel Flores this past February. Below is a quick Q & A we were able to do with Lee.

Since turning pro in December of 2009, what has been the biggest thing you have learned about pro boxing?

Lee….You can never be too confident! Don’t stray away from what initially works for you… always have faith and commitment.
Nobody would argue that you have taken the easy path in this sport. I have yet to hear of you shying away from a fight, who would be on your wish list for the next few fights?
Lee….Thats up to my camp and fans. My goal is to be world champ in the next few years! Whatever steps or opponents are in the way of my ultimate goal, I have to and will walk upon and threw them..
Coming off of your hugely impressive KO of Flores this past February, how disappointing is it to not have gotten back in the ring since?
Lee….Its bewildering and disappointing  to be honest. But I cant cry over spilled milk. My job is to be in shape and ready. I don’t think the inactivity will occur again in the future. The ball must keep rolling and my camp realizes that. So adjustments are being made to benefit staying active.
You’ve fought in the 130′s and 140′s, ideally what weight would you like to campaign at? 135 is the weight we are most comfortable and in shape at.
Lee….At the time being, 135
Perfect world, how many fights would you like to have 12 months from now?
Lee….8 would be perfect. Staying active and small breaks in between.
Do you have any fights in the works you would like to talk about?
Lee….Looking at mid september. And very anxious and in prep for it!
Every fighter and manager thinks they have the best talent in a weight class. Aside from yourself, how would you rank MN’s 130 pound fighters?
Lee….Theres good fighters at my weight. Im not the one to rank them. I give Ismail, Litzau, Hilario, Mclauren all credit.
What advise would you give an amateur boxer thinking about making that step towards the pro game?
Lee….Have fun and get as much experience as you can. Cuz the pro game is a whole new world with scouting  opponents, management, selling tickets. ETC. Gets a little stressful at times.
Thanks for taking time to let us know a little more about you. Is there anything you would like to add?
Lee….End of the day when the smoke clears I’m always going to show respect to anyone who respects me. And even if you dont. I probably will! Just how I was raised. God is great and I’m excited to display this rare talent he has given me!!! Thank you for the interview!
We’d again like to thank Mr. Lee for taking the time to let us get to know him a little better…

Tony “2Sharp” Lee (6,1) light welterweight / lightweight and RJ “T-Rex” Laase (8,1) welterweight

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Tony Lee

Minnesota Boxing’s best boxers at and around welterweight, Tony Lee (6,1) and RJ Laase (8,1) have had their names mentioned together for as long as Lee has been a pro. Over the last year there have been several informal talks of the two best welters squaring off to see their progression going forward on their path to all pro fighters goal of making a stamp nationally. The elephant in the room is  Mohammed Kayongo (15,2), whom most would consider tops at this point, has at times priced himself out of fights, been ducked by those on the build, or has had troubles outside the ring. None of the welters on rise have entertained fights with Kayongo for reason’s listed above and the risk vs reward involved with that fight. All that said, camps for both Laase and Lee feel any big showdown between the top three should take place further down the road.

RJ "T-Rex" Laase

For Laase (8,1), a new trainer and team has been huge. Those who have witnessed him training or in his two fights since forming a stronger team know this is not T-Rex from even 10 months ago. According to his team, we will see him campaigning at or closer to 140 as that is where he plans to make his move nationally…

Tony Lee (6,1) has been taking fights ranging from lightweight to welter for his first 7 bouts. I’ve got no inside information but think Lee’s best days will come right around 130. He is a very skilled fighter with deceiving power. I would love to see him in with Minnesota’s Jeremy McLaurin at a catchweight of 128/129.

Mohammed Kayongo (15,2), he has been off for 2 years but never retired. I do not know all the reasons for his long lay-off but had a conversation a week ago with his trainer who is actively trying to get him some ring action.

In conclusion to my ramblings; in the end, Laase, Lee, and Kayongo, will all be at different places in their careers in the next 12 to 24 months. Lee fighting at or below 130, Laase staying at 140, and Kayongo back in action. The welter landscape is wide and plenty of boxers in it, most under 6 fights. Time will shake things out as the best continue their quest to be the best, not just in the region, but making the right moves to be prepared for the big stage and national recognition….

Punches in bunches….

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Things really are heating up for midwest fighters. Last Saturday brought nearly 1500 fans to   Wessman Arena to Watch RJ “T-Rex” Laase enter the promotional game. It was a $10 a ticket show and nobody left disappointed. One fan said after Winston Anderson’s debut (now 1,0), “that might have been the most exciting round of boxing I have seen.” Everyone was talking about Dustin “Bull Dog” Mason and Aaron “Gorilla’ Green’s impressive stoppages. But the night belonged to T-Rex and Kaos. Andy “Kaos” Kolle may have put on the performance of his career in fighting one handed for almost the whole fight. He broke his left (he is a southpaw) in the first round of an 8 rounder. Kolle proceeded to put on a display of tremendous heart, footwork and boxing skill in winning a wide UD over the much bigger opponent. RJ “T-Rex” Laase (8,1) got more love from the crowd than he could have ever imagined. The crowd went absolutely nuts when T-Rex entered the ring and somehow got even louder after his thrilling KO of Donny Drama…..Clips from Northland’s News Center

There are three shows confirmed for the next couple months. April 28, Minot ND is putting on a boxing event featuring primarily local talent, half of the card may be Kickboxing or another form of martial art. May 12 brings boxing back to Minneapolis featuring Wilton Hilario vs Jeremy McLaurin in the main event. Great Fight! Also on this card is the debut of amateur stand out Robert Brant. A fight many are itching to see is Dustin “Bull Dog” Mason vs “Bad” Brad Patraw, these two have some bad blood. Glad RDS and Cory Rapacz were able to get it done. Aaron “Gorilla” Green, Tony Lee and Donny Drama will also be fighting on this card.

June looks to bring fans two shows, one confirmed, June 23 at Black Bear Casino featuring Al Sands (2,1). Al will be looking to come back from being stopped in his last fight by area fighter TJ Gibson (1,2). It is also said they plan on having a MN Jr. Middleweight title fight to be announced Tuesday. Minnesota’s best 154, Andy “Kaos” Kolle is on the shelf with a broken hand, so my guess is Dave Peterson vs ?. It is not yet known if this is a promotional title or a sanctioned MN belt. Details are slim on the other June show but we have been told it is happening.

Last but most important, Caleb “Golden” Truax will be fighting in the main event of Showtime’s next televised card, April 20. He will be fighting Jermain Tayor, who is looking to get back to the top of his class. Personally, I think Truax is about to shock the world..

 

Todd Bechthold