Yan Zak to Fight Arshdeep Singh Batth

Cruiserweight Yan Zak is scheduled to fight Arshdeep Singh Bhatt this Saturday at  the New Olympic Sport Palace in Tbilisi, Georgia. This will be Zak's forth pro fight in Tbilisi.

Zak is 6-0 and has been dominating the competition thus far in his pro career, which began a year ago. The 26 year old from Ashdod, Israel has consistently fought more experienced foes, three of them with winning records. Nicknamed the "terminator," he typically boxes, utilizing eye-catching counters and creative combinations.

Singh is a 27 year old from the village of Chakar in southern Punjab, India. His older sister, Olympian Simranjeet Kaur, inspired Arshdeep to take up boxing when he was 11 years old. With a record of 11-2 with 9 KOs, Singh is another experienced opponent with a winning record. He traveled to New Zealand early in his career and upset an undefeated local fighter there back in 2024. That same year, he traveled to Slovakia where he lost to journeyman Pavol Garaj.

Singh keeps a high guard and is a good, tough fighter, but he's likely not on Zak's level in terms of speed and skill. Boxing has brought Singh all over India. He's fought in Chandigarh - a capital city shared by the states of Punjab and Haryana. Bangalore, Mumbai, Goa, and New Delhi have been other locales for his fights.

Zak and Singh share a common opponent. Zak blasted out Darshan Singh in one round while Arshdeep went the eight-round distance in their first fight and scored a second round KO in the rematch. This bout is scheduled for eight rounds.

Brooklyn Barwick Getting Ready for May 16

Brooklyn Barwick is currently getting ready for her U.S. debut on May 16 at the Moore Building, located at the South Carolina Fairgrounds in Columbia, South Carolina. She has started her cut to make the featherweight limit.

Barwick will have a familiar face in her corner in Jimmy Sosa, a highly respected coach who has guided Brooklyn throughout her pro career. Jimmy's well-regarded brother Aureliano will be a new addition to the corner. This will mark Barwick's first pro fight since a dubious loss to Grecia Novas for the NBA featherweight strap in February. Barwick was disappointed not to get the decision against Novas, not only because she believed she won the fight, but also because she considers holding the NBA belt a great honor. This current version of the National Boxing Association dates back more than forty years.

The 26 year old based in New York is taking a step back from Team Boxing League because of her pro boxing commitments. After a rough fight against Novas, a veteran not above using dirty tactics, and her last tough TBL outing,  Barwick should target a softer touch. She's now past the point of fighting debutants, but an opponent with some experience would be beneficial.

Barwick will be traveling to Charlotte to link up with the local Chabad to pick up kosher meals for her drive to Columbia. Brooklyn's mom will join her on the trip. It will be the first time her mom will watch one of her pro fights live.

With a record of 6-1 (6 KOs) and three TBL fights, Brooklyn has been remarkably active since beginning her career less than 14 months ago. She's looking to stay busy to increase her experience, but she's planning on taking a break in July to go on Birthright, another step in her journey towards converting to Orthodox Judaism.

In Memory of Steve Silver

Steve Silver went 5-1-1 as a pro in 1969 after an impressive amateur career in Minnesota.

Steven James Silver was born on March 24, 1944 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His father, Alexander, was born in Russia and worked as a salesman photographer. He traveled door-to-door offering to take pictures of families and selling them portrait packages. This was a precursor to when people would go to Sears to get their family portraits taken in the latter part of last century. Steve's mother, Molly, was born in Minnesota, and had four children.

The Silvers lived in the North Side area of Minneapolis, historically a hub of Jewish life in the city. It was the largest Jewish area between Chicago and Denver. In the mid-1940s, Minneapolis was described as "the capital of antisemitism in the United States." Mayor Hubert Humphrey worked tirelessly to combat that reputation and help transform the city into a Civil Rights leader for Jews and Blacks.

Steve began competing as an amateur in 1960, representing Unity House. That year, the 15-year old lightweight made it to the finals of the Minneapolis Golden Gloves in the novice division, known as Class C. Silver was stopped in the second round of the finals against Doug MacArthur. He moved down to featherweight later that February.

Silver moved back up to lightweight for 1961 and fought in several local tournaments. By 1962, he had moved up to Class A and fought Gary Nadeau in the featured bout of one Golden Gloves preliminary show. He won the city Golden Gloves that year, decisioning Dave Christian. He was recognized as "an outstanding boxer" and "highly regarded."

Molly sometimes watched her son's fights. She stood in the back, pacing nervously. Luckily for Molly, Steve was a skillful boxer who preferred to counterpunch rather than brawl.

While attending the University of Minnesota, Steve moved to welterweight in 1964 and made the finals of the city Golden Gloves, falling to southpaw Ron Lyke. Lyke would go on to win the Upper Midwest Golden Gloves championship.

Two years later, Silver won the city Golden Gloves welterweight title by defeating Rafael Rodriguez in the finals. He made it to the semifinals of the Upper Midwest Golden Gloves. Rodriguez, who got in as an alternate, won the title. Nevertheless, Steve was elected the tournament's "Best Sportsman." In a rematch between Silver and Rodriguez a week later designed to help Rodriguez prepare for the National Golden Gloves, Silver won by split decision. Steve was named as Minneapolis's best Jewish athlete in 1966, earning him the Hy Truman Memorial Award.

In 1967, Silver moved over to the East Side Gym. He faced Rodriguez again in the city Golden Gloves final, this time at junior welterweight. Silver landed left hooks to the body, but the judges preferred Rodriguez's "showy head shots." Nicknamed "The Rifle," Rodriguez won the Upper Midwest Golden Gloves again that year, repeated in 1968, and won the welterweight tournament in 1970. He went on to have a long pro career, facing several champions: Billy Backus, Hedgemon Lewis, Bruce Curry, a win over Denny Moyer, and went the distance against "Sugar" Ray Leonard in Baltimore.

The next year, Silver fell in the city finals again, this time to Gary Kemling. He moved up to middleweight before the end of the year but decided to turn pro. He won his debut on February 26, 1969, a three-round stoppage victory against Bobby Crawford.

Two weeks later, Steve faced Frank Jimenez. Despite a 1-1-1 record, Jimenez had achieved a similar level of amateur success, was the naturally bigger man, and outweighed Silver by five pounds. Jimenez won by decision. Two weeks after that, Steve beat 3-0 Simon Maestros by split decision.

Silver then got a new team, including manager Gene Fesenmaier and trainer Floyd Joyner. Joyner was a recently retired heavyweight who had fought professionally for 14 years. He fought Bobby Hill in June. Silver and Hill had both worked as sparring partners for veteran Duane Horsman. Silver won the battle of the sparring partners by decision. Minnesota Twins pitcher Dean Chance was reportedly in Silver's corner for the fight.

Tom Anderson, a local promoter getting back in the game after several years away, said, "Good Jewish boxers have always done well in Minneapolis, and Steve Silver can be brought along." Things were looking up.

Two days later, Silver out-pointed late substitute Tom Heisler. After a draw in July, Silver got the opportunity to spar with Emile Griffith. 

On October 6, Silver won a snooze-fest against fellow counterpuncher Chuck Lewis on a show promoted by Anderson. That turned out to be Silver's last pro fight. He finished with a record of 5-1-1 with one KO.

After his career, he moved to California. Marriages to Arlene and Roxine ended in divorce. When he died on October 25, 2025 at the age of 81, he was survived by his two daughters Alondra and Dawn, three grandchildren, and one great grandchild.

Sources

Connor, Jack. "Golden Gloves 'Families' Do Well in Tournament." The Minneapolis Star. Feb. 19, 1966. Pg. 12.

Cullum, Dick. "Boswell Upset by Morgan in Golden Gloves." The Minneapolis Star Tribune. Feb. 12, 1967. Pg. 47.

Cullum, Dick. "Dick Cullum." The Minneapolis Star Tribune. May 6, 1969. Pg. 23.

Hengen, Bill. "Roaming Around." Minneapolis Star. Sep. 16, 1966. Pg. 31.

"Minnesota Edges Rochester for Golden Gloves Team Championship." The Austin Daily Herald. Feb. 22, 1966. Pg. 8.

"Silver, Harmon Finish Workouts." The Minnesota Star Tribune. Jun. 22, 1969. Pg. 54.

"Steven James Silver Obituary." The Minnesota Star Tribune. 

Stone King, Dan. "Chance Makes Pitch - Boxing, not Baseball." The Minneapolis Star Tribune. June 18, 1969. Pg. 57.

Weber, Laura. "From Exclusion to Integration: The Story of Jews in Minnesota." Minnesota Historical Society. Sep. 14, 2015.