Jewish Boxing in 2025

The year in Jewish boxing was dominated by two newcomers with very different backstories and fighting styles. Yan Zak and Brooklyn Barwick are both in their mid-20s and both made their professional debuts this year, but the similarities stop there.

Zak, a 25 year old Israeli, is a decorated amateur. He won the gold medal at the U-22 European Championships a couple years ago and has competed - and even defeated - some of the very best amateurs in the world. He turned pro in May and ends the year with a record of 5-0 with 3 KOs against stiff competition. Zak is a terrific prospect, but the challenge will be to find opponents good enough that his skills won't regress. Hopefully, he refrains from picking up bad habits against foes who are not nearly as good as him.

Barwick, on the other hand, comes from the world of influencer boxing. The 26 year old American had no amateur experience before turning pro in March. In many ways, Zak and Barwick represent two divergent paths in the sport of boxing currently. Whereas the amateur standout Zak has only recently cultivated his social media presence, Barwick's social media game is ahead of her boxing ability. A brawler, Barwick has improved tremendously in her six pro fights, all knockout victories, feasting on inexperienced Latin American fodder. She talks a good game, but is also putting in the work in the gym, where she is catching up after a late start in boxing.

David Alaverdian returned from an extensive layoff with an impressive decision victory in February. He coached in Israel much of the year. Cletus Seldin won a decision in March, but recently came back with an adverse finding for PEDs before his last fight.

Joshua Feldman and Doron Zinman, who both won in February and again in May, have spent much of the year training Las Vegas under the tutelage of Brandon Woods. Lev Jackson came back and won two fights in Mexico this year, both by knockout. Odelia Ben Ephraim lost her fight. She was the B-side in Spain against a stylish undefeated prospect. Though Ben Ephraim's record was 0-1 and she had to leave her old gym because of pettiness from its management, her 2025 represented the best of boxing. She didn't look to pad her record; instead, she took on a difficult challenge, gave the fans a high-level and thrilling fight, and keeps working to get better.

Danielle Cohen and Devin Struben won their fights in 2025. David Malul not only took two decision victories, but started his own promotional company, in New York of all places, no easy task. Daniel Ivanovski was 2-0, both fights within eight days of each other. Yonatan Landman didn't fight this year, but is training hard and spoke with The JBB in February.

Past Jewish boxers Larry Boardman, "The Corn Belt Ace" Hymie Wiseman, "A Laborer in the Entertainment Business" Benny Franklin, "The Human Sponge" Alf Ros, "The Casino" Dino Berkowitz, "The Jewish Jolter" Ronnie Cohen, "The Conqueror of Jackie Fields" Harry Wallach, legendary promoter Don Elbaum, and Hall of Famer Jill Matthews were all remembered by The Jewish Boxing Blog this year.

On a personal note: I published several articles for other websites during the first half of the year. I hope to continue doing so in 2026. Away from boxing, 2025 was something of a monumental year for me professionally, which somewhat diverted my attention away from The JBB the last few months. Fans of Jewish boxing don't have to worry though, The JBB is committed to providing the fans with the usual quality of coverage about all things Jewish boxing past, present, and future. Thank you all for your support.

2025 IBA World Championships Round Up

Three Jewish fighters fought in the 2025 IBA World Championships in Dubai, UAE. Two have fought professionally and another non-Jewish Israeli pro boxer took part in the tournament. Yan Zak, Miroslav Kapuler-Ishchenko, and Daniel Ilyushonok all made respectable showings in the amateur championships.

Cruiserweight Yan Zak, a 25 year old with a pro record of 5-0 with 3 KOs, reached the quarterfinals with two victories in the tournament. He outpointed Portugal's Jose Antonio Dos Santos Rodriguez in the round of 32 and then beat Ecuador's Marlo Delgado Suarez. Zak suffered a cut above the left eye heading into his quarterfinal fight against Armenia's Rafayel Hovhannisyan. Zak, who had won a grueling pro fight against Abdul Ubaya on November 29 and two bruising amateur fights within the week, ran out of gas and was outboxed by Hovhannisyan.

Middleweight Miroslav Kapuler also made the quarters, but he had to win an extra bout to get there. Kapuler is 3-0 as a pro, but it has been several years since he participated in a prizefight, choosing to fight primarily as an amateur. A nasty headbutt busted up Kapuler's nose and blackened his eyes in his opening contest against Osward Talaka of the Solomon Islands. The fight was stopped in the second and Kapuler won on points.

The southpaw Kapuler faced further damage against Kenya's Edwin Owuor, mostly caused by Owuor's head. Kapuler was slick and smart in taking another victory and avoiding an injury stoppage. The 28 year old Israeli next faced Juan Gonzales, and outboxed the Colombian. He was scheduled to face Sabrizhan Akkalykov of Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals, but Kapuler was unable to compete due to the continued damage he had endured throughout the tournament.

Light heavyweight Daniel Ilyushonok is a 23 year old southpaw who has yet to turn pro. A stand-up boxer, he has become one of the better amateurs in Israel in recent years, representing the country in many of the big tournaments. He comfortably outboxed Tautuarii Nena of French Polynesia in the round of 32. In the round of 16, Ilyushonok faced the far more experienced Agejev Artjom, who was able to get inside against Daniel and take the victory.

Ahmad Shtiwi, a 26 year old Israeli, made the light welterweight quarterfinals. A 9-0 pro, he won two fights before coming up short against Yertugan Zeinulinov of Kazakhstan.

The IBA has been banned from running the Olympic boxing tournament for repeated egregious corruption. A new amateur entity, World Boxing, runs a competing amateur world championships. Though many countries have defected to World Boxing, Israel currently remains a member of the IBA.

Cletus Seldin Tests Positive for PED

Cletus Seldin had made weight ahead of his potentially career-defining fight against Kevin Hayler Brown, scheduled for tonight at the Caribe Royale Orlando in Orlando, Florida, USA. But he is out after testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone, according to reporter Dan Rafael.

This is not the first time Seldin has been found to have elevated testosterone in his system. While climbing the WBC rankings in 2016, he tested positive with a testosterone/epitestosterone ratio of about 20 to 1 that February. The allowable ratio is 4 to 1. He also tested positive for stanozolol, an anabolic steroid. As a result of the adverse findings, the WBC suspended Seldin for six months.

Seldin had a fight on June 15, 2017 that was not sanctioned by the WBC. His T/E level was again elevated at a rate of about 21 to 1. His promoter at the time, Joe DeGuardia explained, "Cletus has had testosterone therapy. It's not like he's trying to hide anything or gain an unfair advantage. He wrote it on the sheet when VADA came to test him." 

Later that year, Seldin fought on HBO twice.

In 2019, Seldin battered Zab Judah so thoroughly, Judah had to have surgery for a brain injury. He was in a coma for two days. On VladTV, Judah claimed Seldin "has been taking banned substances for years." He said Seldin had been taking a methamphetamine. A lawsuit filed by Judah against Seldin is still pending. David Berlin, an attorney and the former Executive Director of the New York State Athletic Commission, filed a statement of support for Seldin in the case.

Seldin has risen through the ranks of the WBA in recent years and was scheduled to fight Brown for the organization's interim title. Seldin's positive result today will likely close the book on his career, if not completely in boxing, then at least on his dream of achieving a world title... unless he is exonerated.

Kevin Hayler Brown now faces Amos Cowart, who had been scheduled to fight on the undercard.

Cletus Seldin and Kevin Brown Both Make Weight

Junior welterweights Cletus Seldin and Kevin Hayler Brown both made weight ahead of their clash tomorrow at the Caribe Royale Orlando in Orlando, Florida, USA.

Seldin (29-1, 23 KOs) came in at a svelte 138.2 pounds after training in the California mountains with Ruben Chavez. He was a quarter-pound over 138 against Zab Judah in 2019. Cletus is one of the few boxers who has moved down in weight as his career has progressed. Early in his career, he was slightly over the welterweight limit, but he has been consistently in the high 130s and low 140s in recent years.

Seldin arrived in Orlando earlier today, sporting a luscious mullet. "I've put 100%, put every effort into this one moment to prevail," he told announcer Curran Bhatia.

Brown (8-0, 3 KOs) weighed in at 139.4 pounds for this fight. He has been as low 139.5 pounds twice in his career. His heaviest was 143.5 pounds in his 2022 debut.

For a preview of Cletus Seldin vs. Kevin Hayler Brown, click here.

David Malul's Fight Cancelled

Welterweight prospect and promoter "King" David Malul was scheduled to fight at the Stormont Vale Events Center in Topeka, Kansas, USA this Saturday, but his fight was cancelled.

Just a month after his successful promotional debut and fourth pro victory, Malul had planned to enter the ring. But his fight against Charser Granberry is off. Frankly, Granberry, who is still slated to be on the Kansas card, is nowhere near the Malul's level.

David won his two fights this year by decision. He was forced out of commission for a few months with a busted nose. He's 4-0 with 2 KOs.

Preview of Cletus Seldin vs. Kevin Hayler Brown

Cletus "The Hebrew Hammer" Seldin is a decided underdog in his upcoming fight against Kevin "Alfa" Hayler Brown. Seldin will be traveling to Brown's home turf for their bout on Saturday at the Caribe Royale Orlando in Orlando, Florida, USA. The undefeated Brown has fought all of his contests at the same venue.

Despite the odds that favor Brown as heavily as -1800, the 39-year-old Seldin has a real opportunity to upset the decorated amateur from Camaguey, Cuba. But these odds haven't materialized out of thin air. There's a decent chance that Brown shuts out Seldin in their twelve-round affair for a WBA trinket as part of that organization's annual conference.

The 31 year old has the faster hands and sharper skills than the New York slugger. Brown escaped to the United States to pursue a professional career just before his homeland Cuba revoked the ban on prizefighting. Since, the Las Vegas-based Brown has won all eight of his paid bouts with three knockouts.

Conversely, Seldin hasn't been at his best in recent performances. He won a war against Patrick "Yam Mallet" Okine by sixth round TKO in 2023. "I didn't expect all the bombs he threw," Seldin told The Jewish Boxing Blog after the battle of the blunt instruments. In March of 2024, Seldin started strong against Jose Angulo, scoring two heavy knockdowns before uncharacteristically fading down the stretch and holding on for a majority decision win. After the Angulo fight, Seldin proposed to his girlfriend in the ring.

This past March, Seldin looked unimpressive in another majority decision victory, this time against Yeis Solano. After the Solano bout, Seldin and his new bride announced the coming of their first child.

Now a dad, Seldin will need to recapture the devastating knockout power the Hammer has possessed throughout his 31-fight career (29-1, 23 KOs, 1 NC). It will be tough to catch Brown, who constantly varies his guard and uses unpredictable upper-body movement to dissuade his opponent's attack. Brown has a quick jab and his hands are so fast, he can land lead rights from the outside and get out of harm's way in time. "Alfa" can box on the backfoot, but he is also adept at applying subtle foot pressure when he wants to come forward.

Brown can be hit, though. He's susceptible to counter rights, and opponents have been able to land the occasional left hook on him. Though Seldin has 23 more pro fights than Brown, Brown actually has fought at least ten rounds more times (five-three). Because of Seldin's power and the accelerated pace of Brown's progression, Seldin's experience advantage is only 140 rounds to 63 despite the 31-8 fight differential. Yet, Brown does seem to fade in his ten-rounders with lacunas in the consistency of his attack.

Seldin can either go for broke early, not allowing Brown to settle into the fight and pick apart Cletus, or he can lull Brown into a sense of overconfidence. Kevin was knocked down against Idalberto Umara in the fourth round of his fifth fight. Brown sometimes keeps his left low, which could open the door for Seldin's best punch: the overhand right. Seldin needs to make it a rough fight, pounding Brown's left biceps, hip, and thigh to wear down the Cuban's guard and slow his movement. Remember, a shot to the thigh is only illegal if the ref sees it. A right to the arm, left hook to body could be an effective combo for the new dad. On the other hand, Brown will want to box on the outside and remain away from the mire to follow form.

The twelve-round Seldin-Brown battle will be streamed on BoxLab Promotions' YouTube channel.

Barwick Eviscerates Vizcaino

Junior featherweight Brooklyn Barwick knocked out Yosmeilin Vizcaino in about 16 seconds of the first round yesterday at Club Ciro Perez in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic.

The 26 year old based in New York came out with a jab and then went to Vizcaino's body for a four-punch combination. Vizcaino threw wide shots upstairs which missed the target as Barwick came in low. Barwick then exploded upwards with a stunning left hook, followed by a concussive one.

Vizcaino flailed backwards and down to the canvas. She instinctively held her gloves up, but could not rise from the seat of her pants within the allotted ten seconds.

Barwick's coach, Jimmy Sosa, banned her from eating Oreos, so Brooklyn celebrated making weight with a giant apple pie. "It's not an Oreo!" she declared. She celebrated her victory with - what else - Oreos.

Barwick is now 6-0 with 6 KOs, but her ledger on BoxRec doesn't reflect that success. Two of her fights in Colombia have been held up. Barwick spoke with inspector Johan Bolivar and Colombian Federation president Alberto Torres to no avail. As a result, Barwick has gotten her lawyer involved.

Brooklyn Barwick Weighs In

Brooklyn Barwick weighed in ahead of her fight tomorrow in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. She scaled 122 pounds after cutting two and half pounds in thirty minutes the day before. Reportedly, her opponent is slated to be Yosmeilin Vizcaino, who also made weight.

Barwick, whose weight is right around average for her pro career so far, adhered to the concept of tzniut for the weigh-in, dressing modestly in a Teep Territory rash guard. She'll also wear a fight suit prepared by Teep Territory into the ring. Her suit will be an ode to Israel and the Jewish people.

Barwick is in the process of converting to Orthodox Judaism and refueled at the Chabad of Dominican Republic in Santo Domingo where she ate salmon, rice, pita, and hummus. Before her pro debut, Barwick made a bargain with G-d, saying that if she won, she'd finally initiate the conversion process that she had been considering since she was a little girl. This promise has powered her pro career.

Hers will be the first fight on the card, so that it will take place before Shabbat. With fights typically happening Friday and Saturday nights, finding a card that isn't on Shabbat can be a challenge, one that Orthodox Jewish boxers such as Dmitriy Salita, Yuri Foreman, and David Malul have had to negotiate. Salita and Malul are both promoters who schedule events on other days. Barwick hopes to jump on their cards to avoid conflict with Shabbat.

Though Barwick boxed more in her last fight, she's looking to come out aggressively in this one. She moved apartments after a recent breakup and is looking to take out her anger and frustrations on her opponent in this four round affair.