Joshua Feldman Poised for Hometown Return in August

Junior middleweight prospect Joshua Feldman is scheduled to return to the ring after a thirteenth-month layoff. The 21 year old is slated to fight at the Cabo Beach Club in his hometown of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa on August 15.

The 7-0 southpaw has been working with trainer Brandon Woods States-side at DLX Boxing in Las Vegas for about a year. When he first arrived at DLX, Feldman ran into Tomer Benny, a highly-touted amateur boxer from Israel.

Josh had been training with Colin Nathan, the world class trainer based in Johannesburg. Nathan, who runs No Doubt Management in addition to the Hot Box Gym, counts world champions among his large stable. Feldman has nothing but love and respect for Nathan, but he felt the move to the U.S. was the right decision at this stage in his career.

In Vegas, Feldman has been getting high-level sparring in preparation for his first pro fight in his hometown. His previous seven fights, three by KO, were in and around Johannesburg.

David Malul Stops Julius Thomas in the Second

"King" David Malul dominated Julius "June Bug" Thomas Jr., scoring a second round TKO at the Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA tonight. Since Malul observes Shabbat, his fight was the last of seven on a Boxing Insider Promotions card. His rights to the body, set up a series of overhand rights that led to the stoppage.

Thomas, a 36 year old from Youngstown in Ohio, entered the ring first to Bossman dlow's "Motion Party." Malul, a 23 year old from Queens, came next to The Script's "Hall of Fame."

Thomas started the fight as a southpaw while Malul applied steady foot pressure in the early stages of the fight. He was initially a bit tentative, feeling out Thomas before committing to his attack. His coach, Mike Stellate, kept yelling, "50, David, 50!" Showing the jab, David dug several hard rights to the body, forcing Thomas to switch to an orthodox stance. Malul then threw left hooks to the body.

In the second round, David dipped, which caused Thomas to anticipate another right to the body. Instead, an overhand right dazed the fighter from Youngstown. Thomas had his moments in the second as Malul pushed the tempo, but he constantly ceded ground. Backed into a corner, Thomas missed and was countered by a huge overhand right. Malul followed with another bomb, flooring Thomas in his own corner. Thomas's trainer began giving him instructions until a commission official told her that coaching wasn't allowed in that situation.

Malul recognized that Thomas was in bad shape and constantly connected with overhand rights. At one point the two fighters stopped, believing the referee had called, "Break." When the referee waved them to fight, Malul punished Thomas with two overhand rights that forced an end to the fight.

"I eat, sleep, and breathe the body shots," David said after the fight. Those body shots set up his second round blows to the head beautifully. Defensively, he blocked many of Thomas's attempts, including the uppercut. Malul looked sharp defensively and his offensive game plan set up the knockout.

Fifteen minutes after the fight, when the crowd had filed out of Tropicana's showroom, David climbed back into the ring and soaked up the scene, accomplishing his fifth pro win in as many tries. It was his third knockout. Thomas falls to 1-4-1 with one KO.

David Malul and Julius Thomas Weigh In

"King" David Malul and Julius "June Bug" Thomas both weighed in ahead of their clash tomorrow night at the Tropicana Hotel & Casino. Boxing Insider Promotions is putting on the card. Initially announced as a welterweight bout, it's now scheduled to be contested at junior middleweight+.

Malul weighed in at 154 pounds, the heaviest of his brief career. His lightest was 146.5 pounds in his debut against Lucien Hannah in 2024. The 23 year old from Queens sports a record of 4-0 and 2 KOs.

Thomas came in at 155 pounds, also the heaviest of his career. His lightest was 144 pounds, but this is the third time he has weighed at least 150 pounds for a fight. Thomas is a 36 year old from Youngstown, Ohio. His record is 1-3-1 with one KO.

Malul was visibly annoyed at Thomas after the face off. He'll have his opportunity to show his disdain for Thomas in the four-rounder, which will take place after Shabbat tomorrow. Boxing Insider has a feature on David and his observance of Shabbat.

Check out a preview of Malul-Thomas.

The Professional

The second installment in writer Andrew Rihn's "Hitting the Books" series is The Professional by W.C. Heinz.

Visiting training camps used to be an important part of covering boxers. Writers often relied on their creativity to morph the smallest tidbit into a bombshell revelation. Such was the clamoring for information on the part of boxing fans. These days, as the popularity of the boxing industry dwindles in the United States, fighters' camps are rarely covered, save for a few silly video clips that often have nothing to do with the camp or the upcoming fight.

In the novel The Professional, Heinz's narrator, the fictitious writer Frank Hughes, is embedded in the camp of Eddie Brown, a middleweight challenger trained by the grizzled old manager Doc Carroll. Though almost nothing of note happens, the story is gripping because of its realism. It's about routine and relationships. About professionalism and working towards a goal. Quiet confidence and humbling disappointment. The only major events that happen before the culminating fight are a death in the camp, a television appearance, the press conference, and the weigh-in. Yet, the mundane occurrences during training are crafted in such a way as to be fascinating.

Many boxing books, particularly those about the Prohibition period, play up the mob ties of the fighters. Hughes explains, "Two or three of the people in the mobs were playing with fighters. It was never quite as serious as they have made it in the bad books and motion pictures. It was rather the way a man of means will keep a show dog. It was a point of prestige."

Jackie Fields said of mobsters, "All those guys loved athletes, especially fighters. In those days, boxing was the number-one sport." In the same vain, Ruby Goldstein claimed many of the best boxers had mob sponsors. They happened to be the ones with money and an interest in boxing, but often authors take conspiracies between the mob and boxing too far, as Heinz indicates.

Interestingly, Jews aren't featured much in the book. At one point, Eddie Brown's trainer says, "Hands are a fighter's tools... He's got to take care of his tools. A fighter busts his hands and he's nothin'. I see many a good fighter have to tap out with bad hands, You remember Danny Bartfield?" The Danny Bartfield reference aside, the novel takes place after the golden age of Jews in boxing, which is generally regarded as 1920-1950.

The Professional also shines light on the biases of media members and the cozy relationships they can develop with fighters and managers. Frank Hughes tries to conciliate his desire to see Brown win and his close relationship with Carroll with his assignment. Every decent boxing writer encounters the conundrum of balancing relationships with the fighters with the responsibility of producing an honest account.

The next Hitting the Books entry is Fat City by Leonard Gardner.