Odelia Ben Ephraim to Face Teresa Makinen in 50-50 Fight

Odelia Ben Ephraim is scheduled to fight undefeated prospect Teresa Makinen at Pabellon Lara Gonzalez in Santa Pola, Valencia, Spain on September 27. This contest should be a high-speed battle involving ever-changing tactics.

Ben Ephraim, a 25 year old from Blagnac, France, has experienced a lot of changes since her last fight. She left her gym and signed with a new promoter. Her 5-4 record belies her tremendous ability. The former French featherweight champion throws constant combinations while picking her punches well.

Ben Ephraim's opponent is no pushover. Makinen is a 21 year old from Finland who is based in Spain. A decorated amateur, Makinen has started her pro career with three straight victories, including one over veteran Eva Cantos.

Makinen throws combinations as well. A supremely skilled boxer, she is great at getting her head off the line when she punches. She'll be very difficult to counter to the head. The Finnish fighter has yet to finish an opponent, but her power shouldn't be underestimated.

If Makinen thinks Ben Ephraim will come into this fight with a B-side mentality, she's dangerously mistaken. Ben Ephraim will want to pressure the younger prospect and work the body, a risky proposition, but the best way to wear down the elusive Makinen.

Though Makinen has the makings of a world class fighter, Ben Ephraim's toughest opponent on September 27 might be the judges. She has been unlucky in her four losses, and this fight will take place in Spain, where Makinen has had all three of her professional fights.

Ben Ephraim-Makinen is slated for eight two-minute rounds in the junior featherweight division.

André Zeitoun's New Book

André Zeitoun is out with an autobiography of his view from the corner. Zeitoun was a Muay Thai fighter and is a legendary coach in the sport. He has lots of ties to Jewish boxers including his father, who was an amateur boxer, Odelia Ben Ephraim, and Odelia's father David.

Zetoun's book Le Plus Bleu Coin du Monde, in French, can be purchased here

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Yan Zak to Face Stephen Nyamhanga

Yan Zak is scheduled to face Stephen Nyamhanga in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on September 13. Zak is an undefeated cruiserweight prospect.

Zak, a 25 year old, is coming off a six-round unanimous decision victory against veteran journeyman Victor Chvarkou in last month. The Israeli from Ashdod entered the fight with an injured hand and intended to go rounds against a defensive-minded foe. Nyamhanga poses an altogether different challenge.

A 26 year old from Mianzini, Tanzania, Nyamhanga is a free-swinger. BoxRec lists his record as 3-2-1, but his record is at least 4-3-1 with 4 KOs. He comes out of the corner firing. Nyamhanga has been rocked early in fights against Hassan Athuman and Mohamed Mtambo, but he came back to win both by KO. Against Athuman, Nyamhanga was wobbled  and hurt in the first before scoring a comeback KO in the second round. Nyamhanga didn't wait until the second round to recover against Mtambo and score a knockout.

Nyamhanga is lanky guy, coming up in weight. He carries power and throws punches from odd angles. He also doesn't let his opponent rest at any point during the three-minute rounds. But he is wild, and a superior technician like Zak should take advantage of Nyamhanga's openness, as long as his hurt hand has healed. Zak will need to watch out for those wild bombs, but if he does he very well may be able to stop the tough Tanzanian early. It will be exciting to find out.

Brooklyn Barwick Wins by Stoppage

Brooklyn "The Big Deal" Barwick defeated Sindy Berrio in Medellin, Colombia tonight. Barwick's aggression forced Berrio into an untenable spot.

The 25 year old Barwick came out of the corner as if her shoes were on fire. She raced after her 24 year old opponent, launching bombs. Barwick barely threw the jab, but when she did, it stopped Berrio in her tracks. At one point, the New Yorker illegally landed an overhand right on the break. Though against the rules, the punch showed Barwick's mean-streak in the ring. Brooklyn's best shots were to her taller foe's body.

Berrio winced when hit with a two-piece to her midsection. It was the beginning of the end, as she started looking for a way out of the bout. Shortly after the body assault, the fighters' heads clashed. Berrio raised her hands as if to call timeout and the referee complied, giving Berrio some time to recover. He then warned Barwick for butting, but it wasn't either fighter's fault. Berrio brought her head down, and Barwick came forward while throwing.

Shortly after the action resumed, the two fighters knocked heads again. This time, Berrio had been swinging her head wildly in an attempt to avoid Barwick's barrage of blows. The referee insisted Berrio fight. Instead, she took a knee and arose at the count of nine. After she got up, she indicated that she didn't want to continue, and the fight was waved off a minute and 40 seconds into the action. The left side of Barwick's head showed damage from the butts.

Barwick is now 3-0 with 3 KOs. If her head heals in time, she has a fight scheduled for September 13 in Medellin against Katherine Tineo (1-3). Berrio falls to 0-2.

Brooklyn Barwick Weighs in

Brooklyn "The Big Deal" Barwick weighed in ahead of her clash against Sindy Berrio in Medellin, Columbia today. She was a fit and ready 119.5 pounds for the junior featherweight affair.

Barwick arrived in Medellin two days ago. While wandering around the city, she stumbled upon a kosher restaurant. Though she ate arepas, a Colombian staple, upon arriving, she refueled on fish and chips after the weigh-in with fellow fighters Nisa Rodriguez and Ny "Super Fly" Nakhjiri, and coach Jimmy Sosa.

Berrio is a 24 year old from San Juan de Uraba, Colombia. A late replacement, she is 0-1. In her debut in April, she faced a very experienced opponent named Alys Sanchez and was stopped in the first round. She was a lightweight against Sanchez. The 122 pound limit seems to be more of a natural weight for Berrio.

This bout is scheduled for four two-minute rounds.

The Jewish Jolter: Ronnie Cohen

Jewish fighters are often stereotyped as intelligent, crafty boxers. Southpaws are typically slick cuties. When you combine the two, you get Ronnie Cohen, a wild-swinging power puncher who rose out of a dysfunctional childhood to become an exciting brawler during his brief professional boxing career.

Ronald Cowell was born to Richard and Rosalie née Klein in 1937. Ronald was the middle of three children and was raised in Brooklyn, New York. His dad made a $1,000 a year working for the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal government agency. But Richard, who left high school after ninth grade, was unemployed when he was drafted into the military in October of 1940.

By the time Ronnie was 13, his family had dissolved. His mother was serving time in prison, and his parents had divorced. His father started a new family with a waitress named Susan. Richard supported his new wife and the couple's young son, Ronnie's half-brother, by working part time loading newspapers onto trucks before delivery.

Ronnie, along with his older brother Richard and his sister Lillian, survived together at Leake and Watts Children's Home, an orphanage in Yonkers. The children yearned for their mother, Rosalie, who had been immured at the Women's House of Detention, a prison of deplorable condition which such assorted women as Mae West, Ethel Rosenberg, and Angela Davis once reluctantly called home. The prison was reserved for rebels, lesbians, and Jezebels in addition to those who may have done something illegal.

Upon her release, Rosalie volunteered extensively for the American Legion beginning in 1952 to honor her father, a veteran of World War I. She encouraged her sons to enter the military.

Ronnie took up his mother's suggestion. An athlete who allegedly once got a tryout with the New York Yankees, he learned to box while in the military. He decided to change his name for his newfound profession. "Cohen sounds like a fighting name," he reasoned.

On February 10, 1959, Cohen fought veteran Chuck Bloss to a split draw in six rounds of scintillating, show-stealing action.  After two decision wins, Cohen fought Leroy Howard in April. Their fight was the highlight of the night as Cohen floored Howard in the first with a looping left to the body. The same punch to the head, knocked out Howard in the second. 

Cohen fought Bloss in a rematch on June 28. This time, he stopped Bloss in the sixth round, but there was an unfortunate downside to the victory. Fewer than 500 fans showed up to watch the fight at the Kingston Armory in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The silver lining was the crowd was three times bigger than the promoter Gus Shorts's previous show.

The win over Bloss in the rematch started a streak of twelve consecutive knockouts and fourteen straight victories for Cohen over the course of a year. Ronnie was on such a streak that Madison Square Garden's legendary matchmaker Teddy Brenner placed him alongside Emile Griffin, Florentino Fernandez, and Jose Fernandez when listing the current crop of elite welterweights.

Irving Cohen, the manager of former middleweight world champion Rocky Graziano claimed, "Pound-for-pound, Ronnie hits harder than Rocky."

Ronnie's manager Scoop Gallello brought him to Charley Goldman, the legendary trainer of Rocky Marciano and a former bantamweight. "So far as being a boxer, you can throw that idea out the window," Goldman told Gallello. "Just teach him a little defense and how to bob and weave a bit so he doesn't catch too many punches. His wallop will take care of the rest."

Alan Goldstein of the Baltimore Morning Sun once wrote, "Cohen, a wild swinging southpaw with a tremendous wallop in either fist, had about as much chance of developing into a Fancy Dan boxer as Primo Carnera."

Throughout 1960, writers debated Cohen's Jewishness. Ultimately, it was uncovered that his mother Rosalie was born Jewish, while his father Richard was not. The curly-haired Cohen identified as Jewish throughout his career.

Steve Ward leans on Ronnie

Midway through 1960, Cohen's win streak snapped when Gale Kerwin knocked him down three times in the second round on August 8 at Madison Square Garden. A win over Kerwin would have earned him a shot at Benny Paret's welterweight championship. It would be the closest he'd come to a title shot. Ronnie won two of his next three, all at St. Nicholas Arena and all ending in stoppages. He then finished his career with six straight losses, showing that power without the requisite skill can only get a fighter so far.

Cohen's last win came on December 12, 1960 against Eddie Antonetti, a fighter with a losing record. Cohen stopped him in the eighth and final round, but at a cost. "I think I see birds," he said aloud in the locker room after the fight. "They're not supposed to come out until day time, but I think I see them." A doctor came into the room and asked, "How do you feel, Ronnie?"

"I feel fine," he replied. "Got an aspirin?"

On December 11, 1961, Cohen officially retired from the ring. In 33 action-packed fights, he finished with a record of 20-11-2 with 16 KOs and he was stopped five times. The state athletic commission recommended the retirement based on the wars he had fought. "Cohen made a stir a few years ago," Larry Merchant wrote in 1964. But "he was easy to hit."

Cohen fought in charity exhibitions throughout the 1970s. Chico Vejar, who initiated many of the charity events, was a common opponent. In 1978, he was honored along with Frank Sinatra, Jack Dempsey, Cat Davis, and another Jewish boxer named Bobby Halpern by the Westchester County Veteran Boxers Association. Cohen was the lone boxer inducted into the county's boxing Hall of Fame that year.

Ronnie Cohen died on February 4, 2007. The southpaw slugger provided hope for Jewish fans in America at a time when fewer and fewer f their fellow tribesmen were lacing up the gloves.

Sources
Apmann, Sarah Bean. The Women's House of Detention. Off the Grid. Jan. 29, 2018.

Burke, Billy. "Old Timer's Scrapbook. Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader. May 23, 1960. Pg. 19.

"Cohen TKOs Bloss." Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader. Jun. 29, 1959. Pg. 19.

"Cohen's Ring Career Ends." The Standard-Star. Jan. 15, 1962. Pg. 16.

"Dempsey, Sinatra to be feted at boxing dinner." The Herald Statesman. Jun. 22, 1978. Pg. 42.

Diaz, Joey. "Rosalie Cowell, 81, American Legion Volunteer." The Miami Herald. May 9, 1997. Pg. 260.

"Getting Punchy." Fremont Times. Jan. 6, 1961. Pg. 10.

Merchant, Larry. "Jewish Youth Who Came to Fight." 

Mullins, Eddie. "Charity Games Coming." The Amarillo Globe-Times. Jan. 30, 1961. Pg. 10.

Sparse Crowd Sees Sugar Hart Drop Foe in First Round." Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader. Apr. 29, 1959. Pg. 37.

U.S. Censuses from 1940 and 1950. 

Daniel Ivanovski Off Tomorrow's Kentucky Card

Cruiserweight prospect Daniel Ivanovski was scheduled to face Anthony Price tomorrow in Louisville, Kentucky. The card is is still on, but this fight has fallen through.

Ivanovski is a 24 year old with a record of 4-0 with 3 KOs. He last fought in February. This is the second fight he has had scheduled that fizzled out since then.

Two more fights have been added to the schedule. Yan Zak is scheduled to face Stephen Nyamhanga on September 13 in Dubai. Odelia Ben Ephaim will be back in action on September 27 in Spain against Teresa Makinen. The Jewish Boxing Blog will have previews of both fights in the coming days.

Amendments to the Muhammad Ali Act Threaten Boxers' Rights

The Muhammad Ali Act, passed in 2000, granted boxers certain rights in the United States. It said promoters couldn't thrust coercive contracts onto them. It created regulations for sanctioning body rankings. It forced promoters to disclose their show's profits to the participating boxers. It made promoters honor their contracts.

The criticism of the Ali Act is that it's been toothless. Attorneys general have not brought violators to trial. It also hasn't fixed a lot of the problems that plague boxing. But the Ali Act was an important start in protecting the fighters from exploitation. Recently, Representatives Brian Jack, a Republican from Georgia, and Sharice Davids, a Democrat from Kansas, introduced legislation that could potentially strip boxers of those hard-earned rights guaranteed by the Ali Act.

"The clear intent is to favor a single promotional entity," said Patrick English, an experienced combat sports lawyer.

"This bill is designed for exactly one party," said longtime boxing lawyer and manager Kurt Emhoff. "It's not there to help the sport."

"I just can't rationalize any reason for this [bill] other than trying to let TKO have a pathway to a potential boxing monopoly," said another experienced combat lawyer, Erik Magraken.

Proponents of the proposed Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act tout provisions that would set minimum pay at $150 a round and an increase in insurance requirements as positive protections for the fighters. Even these seemingly beneficial clauses are problematic. The minimum pay is essentially moot in the current reality and the insurance premiums increase is negligible. The only result of these additions will be to handcuff small promoters.

The larger issue, however, is this new act would create something called a Unified Boxing Organization (UBO). UBOs wouldn't have to abide by the current regulations enacted in the original Ali Act. "The main story is this punches at the heart of the Ali Act protections," Magraken argued on Emhoff's podcast. "That’s what this bill really does."

To qualify as a UBO, a promotional body must have its own training facility, rehab center, and onsite testing capability. These parameters - though undefined in the bill - describe TKO, the company that runs the UFC, whose boxing wing is called Zuffa Boxing.

A 2014 anti-trust lawsuit against the UFC showed that all fighters combined to make only about 20% of the company's profits. Headlining boxers typically make considerably more than that. UFC fighters would have had no idea of their worth without the lawsuit because the UFC doesn't disclose its revenue for specific events. MMA fighters aren't covered by the 2000 Ali Act.

If this proposed act passes, UBOs, for which Zuffa would quality, wouldn't have to reveal their revenue to the fighters, leaving the athletes in the dark about how much they're worth. It's why UFC fighters are so underpaid. This proposed act also allows UBOs to act as sanctioning bodies, ranking fighters and giving out their own belts. The point seems to be to allow for Zuffa to create a monopoly within American boxing, which would be a terrifying eventuality for fighter pay. But if Zuffa falls short, boxing could see even more trivial world championship belts with more nonsensical rankings.

Of the boxers The Jewish Boxing Blog contacted for comment on this story, only a couple responded, viewing this proposition as negative for themselves and their sport. "It gives too much power to promoters," one fighter said. Brooklyn Barwick summed up the feeling by saying, "That ain't fair, but there's nothing I can do about it."

Boxers don't have a union. The Association of Boxing Commissions put out a statement in support of the new act, but they didn't consult their own Athlete's Voice Committee, a seven member panel of retired fighters started in 2023, before doing so. "A lot of fighters might not be paying attention, Magraken explained. "Five, ten years from now, pro boxing might look very different in the United States. And looking back, the question's going to be, 'Why didn't you do something about it? Why didn't you speak up?'

"There's a very short window for fighters to wake up and pay attention."

Contacting the MMAFA, a union of MMA fighters and their trainers, is one method for boxers to take collective action. Another is to lobby their representatives in Congress. Drawing media attention to the pending loss of protections for fighters who risk their lives for the fans' entertainment, is another tactic.

Magraken summed up the bill succinctly, "Very little of substance is given. A whole lot of substance is being taken away." Only a coordinated and concerted effort by those affected can prevent the impending loss of fighters' rights. Those warriors deserve the support of all those who love the sport of boxing.