2021 Year in Review in Jewish Boxing

For the second year in a row, covid-19 dominated the storyline. Fighters contracted the virus, fights were canceled or postponed, and a new variant threatens to continue the trend into 2022. In addition, Zachary Wohlman tragically passed away in February.

Despite the pandemic, some Jewish boxers were able to fight this past year. The biggest win came in October when Cletus Seldin knocked out William Silva in the seventh round of their fight in Brooklyn. One of the alphabet organizations ranks the 35-year-old Seldin in their top ten in the junior welterweight division. The New Yorker seeks a big fight in 2022.

Other world class competitors, Yuri Foreman and Isaac Chilemba, weren't able to secure wins this year. Foreman dropped a majority decision to Jimmy Williams in June after testing positive for covid-19 in March. Chilemba had a controversial draw with Fedor Chudinov in February and a unanimous decision loss to Pavel Silyagin in November. Chilemba called Silyagin a future world champion.

David Alaverdian and Shawn Sarembock both went 3-0 in 2021. Alaverdian, a flyweight, is 5-0 with 4 KOs. Sarembock, a junior middleweight, is 7-0 with 7 KOs. Miroslav Kapuler, a junior middleweight, won two fights in 2021 to improve his record to 3-0 with one KO. Mor Oknin won his debut in April.

Former two-division world champion Carolina Duer and powerlifting world record holder Dr. Stefi Cohen also had a successful year in the ring. At the age of 43, Duer won a decision over Silvia Fernanda Zacarias in August. Cohen has started her career 1-0-1. She stopped Haydee Zapa in the third round of their fight in the Dominican Republic in June. Cohen fought Marcela Nieto to a draw in September.

Igor Lazarev was 1-1, Benny Sinakin went 0-1, and Nikita Basin was stopped in both of his bouts after a twenty-month layoff.

John Jarrett's The Great Benny Leonard, Jeffrey Sussman's Holocaust Fighters, and J. Russell Peltz's Thirty Dollars and a Cut Eye were all published in 2021.

A big thank you to everyone who followed The Jewish Boxing Blog this year and a special thank you to those who offered their support on BuyMeACoffee.com. Stay tuned for big things in 2022!

The Perils of Cutting Weight

Making weight is one of the toughest challenges a professional boxer faces. In order to come in under a contractionally obligated weight limit, pros typically not only train constantly, but also eat healthily. "You can’t out train a bad diet," says Tony Milch, a former 14-2 professional boxer who currently runs the Gloves and Doves program. Boxing isn't just a job; it's a lifestyle

There are times when a fighter is unable to make the weight through diet and exercise alone. When that happens, the boxer is forced to cut weight. Cutting weight essentially means shedding pounds quickly in a short period of time. It's dangerous, and it's difficult.

Here's what a number of boxers had to say about cutting weight:

"I was always in training when I was a pro. Cutting weight is one of the hardest parts of training," says Milch.

"I don't cut much weight anymore, but when I used to in the amateur days, I would say, uh, even if I tried to explain how horrible it is, I wouldn't be able to." says David Alaverdian (5-0), a 28 year old flyweight prospect.

"It's the hardest part of boxing," claims Cletus Seldin (26-1), a 35 year old junior welterweight contender. Seldin is one of the few boxers who has actually gone down in weight, beginning his career in the 147 pound division.

"Cutting the weight was becoming not only a chore, it was terrible for my health and conditioning," Callum Smith (28-1), a 31 year old former super middleweight world title belt-holder told DAZN after moving up to light heavyweight.

"It’s hell on earth. You're hungry 24/7, you're thirsty 24/7... Your body feels like your insides are getting cooked. And this might go on for 2-3 weeks," explains Benny Sinakin (6-1), a 24 year old light heavyweight prospect.

"When it's a real weight cut, it feels like you might die," says Dmitriy Salita (35-2-1), a junior welterweight world title challenger who hung up the gloves in 2013 and is now a promoter.

Record-breaking powerlifter Stefi Cohen, a 29 year old featherweight who is 1-0-1 as a pro boxer needed just one word to describe what cutting weight feels like: "Hunger."

***

There are several ways to cut weight just before the weigh-in. Benny Sinakin explains, "You have to sit in the sauna, go running, hit the bag, and basically do heavy cardio to burn [off the weight]. And you have to wear a sauna suit on top of that."

Despite the dangers, making weight is extremely important even if that means cutting. Missing weight can lead to fines, canceled fights, or ridicule from the press. Joan Guzman- an Olympian and two-division world champion with enormous talent- should be a household name, but he made a career of badly missing weight. He lost money, chances at more world titles, and a platform to fight regularly on HBO. On one occasion, Guzman made weight but his fight was ruled a no contest when he tested positive for a diuretic.

If Guzman's career is a cautionary tale about the dangers of missing weight, Danny O'Connor's is a cautionary tale about trying to make weight.

O'Connor was set to fight for his first world title against Jose Ramirez, a 140-pound belt-holder, on July 7, 2018. During his career, O'Connor had fought between the junior welterweight and junior middleweight divisions. But in his previous two fights he came in under the 140 pound junior welterweight limit and therefore felt he could continue to make the weight. On the day before the fight, O'Connor was two pounds overweight with the weigh-in just hours away. He went to the sauna to shed the remaining pounds.

O'Connor passed out when he left the sauna. When he woke up, he was incoherent. "Four bags of fluids did not hydrate him," writes Mark Whicker. "O’Connor was hospitalized and his kidneys approached dysfunction."

Danny O'Connor hasn't fought since. Just as it was heating up, his career ended.

***

The timing of the weigh-in often enters discussions about weight cutting. These days, most weigh-ins are held the day before the fight. The move away from day-of weigh-ins was made because it was too dangerous for a weight-drawn fighter to step into the ring after only hours of rehydration. Yet, this has caused separate issues. Allowing for more time to rehydrate and eat has incentivized fighters to push the limits of weight cutting so that they can hold a significant weight advantage come fight night. Michael Rosenthal discusses the debate further in The Ring. Holding multiple weigh-ins might be the answer. 

***

About the legendary Panamanian boxer Roberto Duran, conditioning coach Leo Thalassites, who would eventually become the oldest living cop in the U.S., once told Bernard Fernandez, "He's always been able to take off weight, but he didn't always take it off the right way."

Taking off the pounds "the right way" is the best option to avoid a dangerous weight cut. Boxers tend to share similar ideas about how to lose weight safely, but in practice they each do it a bit differently.

Amateur boxer Chananya Davids says of making weight responsibly, "It's a whole long process that takes a month."

David Alaverdian says, "Morning is cardio, and evening is boxing." The 112 pounder eats healthy food and never balloons up to more than 120 pounds. Typically, his walking around weight is even less than that.

Dr. Stefi Cohen, the powerlifting boxer who earned a PhD in physical therapy and exercise physiology, stresses the most fundamental aspect of losing weight is to burn more calories than you put in, what she calls a calorie deficit. "In order to lose weight you must be in a calorie deficit," she says. Tony Milch concurs. He advises, "Train really hard and take in fewer calories, so burning more than you're fueling gets you down to weight!"

Milch was "never more than seven to ten pounds over even two months out from a fight." He took in "loads of water and carbs during the day only, but not at night." Milch would, "run on empty in the morning and then fuel up."

Kerry Kayes, a former bodybuilder who is now a strength and nutrition coach, agrees with Milch about hydration. "Water weight is not true body mass weight. A two liter bottle of water weighs four pounds, so if a boxer doesn't drink the bottle of water, he think he won't weigh the four pounds. The reality is when you cut back on water, your body starts to hold water, which is the worst thing you can do," Kayes told Sky Sports.

"The best way to get rid of water is to drink lots of water," says Kayes. That's because a hydrated fighter sweats easier. 

"The best way to lose weight is to eat adequate amounts of protein and cut back on carbohydrates." Kayes argues that if a boxer cuts back on protein, the body cannibalizes muscle and once it does that, the body's metabolism slows which makes losing weight very difficult.

Dr. Cohen agrees with Kayes about the importance of protein. When it comes to losing weight, she recommends, "Eat protein with all your meals." According to Cohen, as long as the protein is consumed within 24 hours of the workout, the benefits are the same as if it's immediately consumed.

***

Cutting weight is a process filled with horrors, but even losing weight the "right way" is difficult. Most professional boxers work another job or two, so they're trying to make weight while also working. For the more famous boxers, media requests skyrocket during fight week, just when weight loss is at its most urgent period.  And then there's the agitation we all feel when we're on a diet. But for boxers, the stakes are much higher.

Even Milch, who "never cut too much," explains, "It's hard because you get on edge when close to a fight, but that's what makes a professional."

For many boxers, the toughest fight comes not in the ring, but in the weeks, days, and hours before stepping onto the scales. Even before a single punch is thrown, their health is on the line.

Sarembock Trying to Break the Seventh Fight Curse

Shawn Sarembock is scheduled to fight tonight at the famed Big Punch Arena in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. The junior middleweight from Arizona is currently 6-0 with 6 KOs since he turned pro in 2019. The thirty year old will hope to break the seventh-fight curse that has plagued Jewish boxers for the last several years.

The last fighter covered by The Jewish Boxing Blog to raise their record to 7-0 was Tony Milch. Milch scored a six-round points victory over Daniel Borisov on March 7, 2015. He'd go on to win his first 13 pro fights.

On January 16, 2016, Dustin Fleischer won a unanimous decision victory over Lionel Jimenez to go to 6-0. He subsequently retired from prizefighting.

David Kaminsky was 6-0 when he stepped into the ring against Clay Collard on June 18, 2020. Collard came out with a split decision victory denying Kaminsky a 7-0 record. Kaminsky hasn't fought since as he recovers from a knee injury.

Three months later, on September 20, Igor Lazarev attempted to get his seventh victory in as many fights. But Binali Shakhmandarov caught Igor, who could never find his way back into the fight, with a brain-scrambling punch. The ref stopped the contest in the second round, and Lazarev's record fell to 6-1. He is now 8-2.

On April 3 of this year, Benny Sinakin was 6-0 heading into his fight with Afunwa King. King won by majority decision. Benny hasn't been in the ring since.

Sarembock is the fifth Jewish fighter to reach the 6-0 mark since, but if he wins tonight, he would be the first to go 7-0 in over six and half years.

Sinakin Off November 27 Card

Light heavyweight "Bulldog" Benny Sinakin (6-1, 3 KOs) is off the November 27 card at 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. He had originally been aiming to fight on September 17 but was rescheduled for the November date.

It has been a tough year for most of us but especially Benny. Sinakin, a 24 year old from Philadelphia, suffered his first career loss in his last fight. In April, the Jewish Bulldog dropped a majority decision to Afunwa King.

In the run-up to that fight, Benny acknowledged he faced numerous distractions. More significantly, one of his coaches, who had acted as a dear mentor to him, passed away over the summer.

Best wishes and much love to Benny.

Schedule Update for Several Boxers

Dr. Stefi Cohen (1-0, one KO) is currently in Dubai, United Arab Emirates for her fight against Marcela Nieto this Saturday, September 18. For more information on the fight, check out this article. The JBB will have full coverage of this bout.

"Bulldog" Benny Sinakin (6-1, 3 KOs) is scheduled to fight on November 27 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, according to multiple sources. BoxRec lists his opponent as fifty-fight veteran Josue Obando. The JBB will have a preview closer to the fight date. Sinakin is coming off of his first loss, a close decision to Afunwa King. Benny had been scheduled to comeback this Friday, but his return bout will take place two days after Thanksgiving, instead.

Sinakin's fight is penciled in for six rounds. His only other six round affair was the loss to King, but the distance wasn't the problem in that fight. Benny started slowly before finding his rhythm late. November will be about seven months after the loss, which is a good amount of time to get back in action. Benny didn't rush back too quickly before he was mentally ready, but he will not have let the loss fester too long and allow it to gnaw at his career.

In an interview with Knuckle Up over the weekend, David Alaverdian (4-0, 3 KOs) said his management is working on getting him a fight for October 7 in Tucson, Arizona. Nothing has been finalized. Alaverdian trains constantly, doing cardio in the morning and boxing later in the day. He eats healthy as well, and as a result he only needs to cut about five or six pounds to make weight at any given moment.

Mor Oknin (1-0, one KO) told The JBB he is planning to fight in Mexico next month. Oknin's debut also took place in Mexico. He won by way of first round TKO over Angel Campoy. Oknin had begun to assert control of the contest when Campoy bowed out due to injury.

Three Jewish Boxers Scheduled to Fight in September

Cletus Seldin, Benny Sinakin, and Dr. Stefi Cohen are all scheduled to fight in September on separate cards. Each of the three fighters are at a different stage in their careers.

Seldin, the veteran, is scheduled to fight on September 4 at the Paramount Theatre in Huntington, New York, USA. The "Hebrew Hamma" is 25-1 with 21 KOs. This would be Seldin's 18th fight at the Paramount. The 34 year old will have had a 19-month layoff between fights when Labor Day weekend comes around.

Benny Sinakin, the up-and-comer, is scheduled to return to the ring on September 17 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Sinakin is 6-1 with 3 KOs after suffering his first pro defeat last April at the same venue. This will be Bulldog Benny's fourth prizefight in 2300 Arena. Six of his seven bouts have been in his hometown of Philadelphia.

Stefi Cohen, the novice, is slated to have her second pro fight on September 18 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. Cohen won her debut by way of third round stoppage on June 4. The 29 year old native of Venezuela is a record-breaking weightlifter with a million Instagram followers.

Neither Seldin, Sinakin, nor Cohen have an announced opponent.

Sinakin Cites Distractions, Weight-cut for Subpar Performance

Light heavyweight Benny Sinakin declared, "I will bounce back," in the wake of his first professional loss. On April 3, Sinakin dropped a majority decision to underdog Afunwa King at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Jewish Bulldog wrote an Instagram post in which he acknowledged relationship and employment troubles in the run-up to the fight with King. In addition, Sinakin revealed his car had been "ransacked." The thieves "even stole the cover to my engine."

Most relevant to his performance in the ring, Sinakin noted that he was forced to cut a significant amount of weight in a compact period of time. At the start of the year, Benny weighed 218 pounds. "I trained like a dog and drained myself to make weight," Sinakan said. He lost about 44 pounds to make the light heavyweight limit on April 2. He admitted, "I'm my own worst enemy to put myself [through] that cut." Incidentally, King was a half a pound over the division's limit at the weigh-in.

King deserves credit, too. He now sports a decent record of 3-1, but his opponents were 10-0 when he faced them. Currently, his opponents are a combined 18-0, subtracting their fights against the Nigerian native. King's lone loss was in a competitive fight against an Olympian. The pandemic has forced prospects to face high-risk, low-reward opponents such as Afunwa King. As a result, a loss on one's record likely won't be the scar it had been pre-pandemic.

Plenty of fighters have suffered early setbacks and gone on to greatness in boxing. Jamel Herring, who fought a career-defining fight on the same day as Bulldog Benny's defeat, suffered two surprising losses mid-career and appeared to solidify himself as a gatekeeper before transforming into a champion. Fellow Philly fighter Tevin Farmer was 7-4-1 journeyman before turning his career around and earning a world championship.

Of the loss, Sinakin said, it's "just another obstacle in the way." At 6-1 with 3 KOs, Benny proclaimed, "I'm here to stay."

Sinakin Falls to King by Majority Decision

Light heavyweight Benny Sinakin suffered his first professional defeat at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania tonight. Matched up against Afunwa King, who is quietly making a name for himself as an upset specialist, the Jewish Bulldog lost by majority decision.

Sinakin seemed uncomfortable from the outset. His balance was all over the place, and he even succumbed to clinching in the opening round, which is never a good sign. King controlled center ring and found a home for his overhand rights. Benny was willing to enter firefights in the second round, but he slapped with his punches and dropped that round, too.

The third and fourth rounds were close. Sinakin appeared a bit gassed in the third. By that point, the fight had become a battle between King's overhand rights and Sinakin's left hooks.

The Bulldog wasn't himself the entire fight, but he showed flashes in the fifth. Perhaps Benny was reminded in the corner that the jab is a legal punch, because he began the penultimate round using it effectively. Had he utilized the jab from the beginning, the result likely would have been different. Sinakin's jab served to remind King that he too was allowed to jab. Sinakin, however, got the better of the dueling sticks.

In that round, Sinakin also seemed to finally get his bearings defensively. He expertly slipped King's shots. Benny still couldn't find his timing on his power shots from the outside, but it was the only round he won clearly.

In the final three minutes, both fighters smelled victory and let their hands go. But both guys showed improved defense. Sinakin landed some check hooks as King marched forward sans jab. King managed to connect with another overhand right, but he couldn't find the target as easily as in the first few rounds. King's head was his best weapon down the stretch.

One judge saw the fight even at 57 apiece. The other two judges overruled the first card and granted King the victory. Both scored the contest 58-56.

This was Sinakin's first six rounder. The 23 year old from Philly is now 6-1 with 3 KOs. King, a Nigerian-born resident of the Bronx, rises to 3-1 with one KO.

Both Sinakin and Alaverdian Make Weight in Separate Bouts

Benny Sinakin weighed in under the light heavyweight limit today for his fight against Afunwa King at the 23000 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. King came in at 175.5 pounds. Sinakin is 6-0 with 3 KOs while King is 2-1 with 1 KO. This bout is scheduled for six rounds. A stream can be viewed here.

David Alaverdian made weight for his bout against Daniel Pacheco, which will be held at Polideportivo Centenario in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico. Both fighters came in at 113.1 pounds. Alaverdian (2-0, 2 KOs) will face "Woku" Pacheco (4-5, 2 KOs) in a four round flyweight affair. A stream can be viewed here.

Sinakin to Face King on April 3

Light heavyweight Benny "The Jewish Bulldog" Sinakin is scheduled to face Afunwa King at 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA on April 3. Boxing is always an unpredictable sport, a reality exacerbated by the covid-19 pandemic, but if this fight happens, it's good  tough matchmaking for Sinakin.

Sinakin is 6-0 with three KOs. The Philadelphia-native had been fighting regularly since turning pro in 2018 before the pandemic shut down the sports world. This will be the 5'11" 23-year-old's first fight since he swept the cards against Leroy Jones a year ago.

King (2-1, one KO) marks the third fighter with a winning record Sinakin would face. King is a 32-year old from Nigeria who resides in Bronx, New York. The 5'10" King has faced prospects with a combined 4-0 record. In each fight King was expected to lose. His opponents have gone a combined 6-0 since facing him. King is better than his record suggests.

The New York man possesses several strengths. King keeps his hands moving and throws punches from unorthodox angles. He has shown enough power to wobble his foes. In his lone loss, King's overhand rights bothered Juan Carrillo, a 2016 Olympian. Carrillo, a southpaw, scored with some superb right hooks and overhand lefts, but King proved he owns an iron chin.

Sinakin should be able to take advantage of King's weaknesses if Benny is on his game. King is often open to be countered while in the midst of throwing a punch. Carrillo beat him by boxing, landing crisp potshots. King's last opponent, Nadim Salloum, was too defensive and didn't take advantage of the openings in their fight a year ago. King was also a little bit more defensively responsible in that fight.

Sinakin is a better technical fighter. Though he has a tendency to load up and throw wide at times, the Philly fighter should have the option to stand and trade relying on his better punch technique or to box and move relying on his better balance and superior jab. But King's activity, toughness, and awkwardness should pose a legitimate challenge.

This bout is scheduled to be both fighters' first six rounder.

Sinakin Remains Undefeated

Light heavyweight Benny "Jewish Bulldog" Sinakin defeated veteran Leroy Jones by unanimous decision tonight at Bally's in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Sinakin dominated the fight. Jones was very defensive and fought ugly. He was deducted a point on two occasions, once in the third and another in the fourth, for excessive holding. Jones was hurt just before the final bell to end the third round.

The Jewish Bulldog often rushed in and threw hard combinations trying to find holes in Jones's tight guard. Sinakin wasn't afraid to attack the body. He didn't jab much on the way because he didn't have to. The few times Jones released his hands, he unintentionally warned Benny with a loud yell. Sinakin swiveled his hips from time to time to taunt Jones, who still refused to engage.

Sinakin swept the cards with each of the three judges scoring the contest 40-34. Sinakin is now 6-0 with three KOs while Jones, who still hasn't been stopped, is 3-8 with two KOs.

Sinakin has a New Opponent

Light heavyweight Benny Sinakin is now scheduled to face Leroy "The Jackhammer" Jones this Saturday at Bally's in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Jones has the most experience of any opponent Sinakin has faced.

Sinakin is 5-0 with three KOs. He stopped Ferris Golden in the third round of his last fight in October.

Jones is 3-7 with two KOs. The Nigerian-born resident of St. Louis, Missouri has never been stopped, but he has lost seven of his last eight bouts. All three of his wins have come in the state of Kansas against foes who did not possess a winning record.

Jones, 29 years old, is seven years older than Sinakin, but he has a one-inch height advantage according to BoxRec. This bout is scheduled for four rounds.

Sinakin Returns in March

Benny Sinakin is scheduled to return to the ring on March 7 at Bally's  in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The light heavyweight is slated to battle Francisco Ariri Neto in a four round affair.

Siankin (5-0, 3 KOs) has fought all of his pro bouts in his hometown of Philadelphia. The Jewish Bulldog fought four times in the sixth months he turned pro, but his career has slowed a bit since. Sinakin earned his fifth victory after a six month layoff. When March 7 rolls around, it will be five months since his third round TKO victory over Ferris Golden.

Neto is a month away from becoming a quadragenarian and cannot boast of a decent record. The Brazilian-born Massachusetts-resident is 1-8. His one win was a TKO victory almost a year ago, but seven of his eight losses we by knockout. In six of those losses, Neto didn't even last a round, including his last five fights.

Neto has a 17-year age disadvantage and a three and half inch height disadvantage against Sinakin. Neto has been as light as super middleweight and as heavy as cruiserweight. Two fights ago, Neto gave up 60 pounds to his opponent, Justin Rolfe. While Neto will certainly suffer from a talent deficit against Sinakin, the weight disparity won't be as unfair.

Sinakin is 5-0

Benjamin "Jewish Bulldog" Sinakin, a 22 year old light heavyweight from Philadelphia, defeated Ferris Golden at the Met in his hometown last Saturday night.

Sinakin earned a third round technical knockout against the 27 year old from Ohio. Sinakin is now 5-0 with three KOs. Golden is now 1-1.

Sinakin Rises from the Canvas to Win

Light heavyweight Benny "The Jewish Bulldog" Sinakin was knocked down in the second round of his bout at The Met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania last night. His veteran opponent, Patrick Pierre, threw a hard right hand to score the knockdown.

Sinakin survived the adversity and won the next two rounds.  He had taken the opening three minutes as well. Two judges even gave him an extra point despite not scoring a knockdown. Those two scored the fight 38-36 in Benny's favor and the third had it 38-37 for the Bulldog.

With this unanimous decision victory, Sinakin, who was outweighed by nearly three pounds, improves his record to 4-0 with two KOs. Pierre falls to 3-7 with one KO. he had won his last fight, but now has lost five out of his last six.

Benny Sinakin to Face Pierre on April 26

Benjamin "The Jewish Bulldog" Sinakin is scheduled to fight Patrick Pierre at The Met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 26. The light heavyweight contest is slated for four rounds.

Sinakin (3-0, 2 KOs) is coming off of a first round stoppage over the winless Ronald Lawrence at The Met in February. Pierre (3-6, one KO), a native of Brooklyn, is a 36 year old of Haitian heritage. Pierre moved to New Orleans in 2014 for his boxing career according to Peter Finney Jr.

Nicknamed "Concrete," Pierre debuted as a professional in 2017 and has been busy in the ring since. He's had five fights since last summer. Against Manjaro Hills on August 11, Pierre jabbed well and went to the body, but he kept his guard too low, which allowed Hills to land potshots and one-twos over the top. That's good news for Sinakin, who landed an overhand right and a left hook over the top to score the knockout in his last fight. But Pierre was game against Hills. He never showed signs of being hurt. During the sixth and final round, Hills attempted to get in Patrick's head when he asked, "You tired?" Pierre responded, "No," and took the round; the only one he won.

Most of Pierre's fight have been in Louisiana which- with all due respect to Regis Prograis- is not known as a boxing hotbed. Pierre started his career 2-2, but then dropped his next four fights in a row. He was stopped in two of them. He defeated Rashad Jones, a fighter with a losing record, by fourth round TKO in his last fight in January to stop his losing streak. Pierre has fought as low as super middleweight and as heavy as 183 pounds.

Though Pierre has a one-inch height advantage, Sinakin has a fifteen year age advantage. All of Sinakin's bouts have been in the respected fight town of Philadelphia. This will be Benny's second match at The Met.

Sinakin Wins, Israeli Draws, and Kaminsky's Fight Cancelled

Both Benjamin Sinakin and Tamar Israeli were featured on last Saturday's card at the Met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. David Kaminsky was originally scheduled to fight February 8, then the 16th, and now maybe in March.

Sinakin, a light heavyweight, only stayed in the ring for two minutes and forty two seconds before earning a KO victory over the winless Ronald Lawrence. Sinakin landed an overhand right left hook combo that put Lawrence down for the count. This is the third straight fight Lawrence has been knocked out in the first round; a streak that dates back to 2012. He was knocked down by Todd Unthank May in his debut before going the distance. Lawrence is now 0-4. This opponent posed less of a challenge than Sinakin's first two. The Jewish Bulldog, who came in at 173.3 lbs- the same as his opponent- is now 3-0 with two KOs.

Tamar Israeli won her fight on one judge's card, three rounds to one. But the other two judges saw things differently and Israeli's fight against Karen Dulin was deemed a majority draw. Dulin, a 43 year old from Rhode Island, weighed in nearly two pounds lighter than Israeli for their featherweight affair. She is now 3-16-1 with one KO. Israeli moves to 2-0-1 with one KO.

Initially, junior middleweight David Kaminsky was scheduled to fight at Sportsman Lodge in Los Angeles, California on February 8. A kitchen fire forced a postponement and a relocation. The card was moved to February 16 at Florentine Gardens in Hollywood, California. At some point, Kaminsky fell off the card. BoxRec current has Kaminsky slated to fight on March 23 with no other details attached. There is an event in Costa Mesa, California on that date.

Sinakin and Israeli to Fight on February 23

Light heavyweight Benjamin "The Jewish Bulldog" Sinakin and super featherweight Tamar "Princess" Israeli are both scheduled to fight on February 23 at The Met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The card will be promoted by Hard Hitting Promotions.

Sinakin (2-0, one KO) scored a first round stoppage over Darren Gibbs on November 16. He won his debut a month and ten days earlier.

Israeli's next fight will mark a year and nine month hiatus from the ring. In her previous contest Tamar (2-0, 2 KOs) stopped Lashanda Tabron on May 20, 2017. Her debut was a first round KO victory three months earlier.

Both Sinakin's and Israeli's bouts are slated for four rounds. Neither has an opponent as of yet.

The JBB is Back! An Update

The Jewish Boxing Blog is now back. I apologize for not providing any updates and for not getting back to anyone kind enough to email me. I am thrilled to announce the reason I was incommunicado is because my wife and I had twins. They are now a year and a half, and my head is finally just above water.

Since The JBB's last post in January of 2017, not a ton has happened in the world of Jewish boxing. Yuri Foreman hasn't been in the ring since that last post, but he is considering a comeback according to hints he's dropped on Facebook.

After suffering competitive defeats to the best light heavyweights in the world, Sergiy Kovalev, Olexandr Gvozdyk, and Eleider Alvarez, Isaac Chilemba beat Blake Caparello, an Australian boxer whose three losses have been to world class opposition. After the victory in March, Chilemba lost a decision to Dmitry Bivol, a Russian fighter who might be the next light heavyweight star. Chilemba is now 25-6-2 with 10 KOs.

Boyd Melson retired with a 15-2-1 record and flirted with a run for Congress, even raising money for the endeavor.

Carolina Raquel Duer lost two split decisions to Maria Cecilia Roman on August 4, 2017 and then exactly one year later. Duer's record is now 19-5-1 with 6 stoppages.

Tony Milch, the British junior middleweight, out-pointed a 90-fight veteran Arvydas Trizno in May of 2017. Afterwards, Milch suffered his first two career losses. A fifth round stoppage loss to 17-1 (at the time) prospect Matt McCarthy took place on October 10, 2017. Fewer than four months later Milch dropped a close decision to 47-fight veteran Danny Little, who picked up only his seventh victory. Perhaps the 37 year old jumped into the ring too quickly after the TKO loss.

Zachary Wohlman went1-1-1 in 2017. His win was a stoppage victory, Kid Yamaka's second career KO. Each of the three fights were against boxers with more professional fights than Wohlman, but each opponent had a losing record. Wohlman last fought on November 3, 2017, a 4th round KO loss. He is 10-3-2.

After falling to undefeated prospect Charles Foster, Sam Horowitz has faced two opponents with quality records. He lost to David Murray in April of 2017 and then drew with Daniel Najera four months later. He also knockout Skylar Thompson, but the fight was later ruled an exhibition because Thompson weighed too much. Sam retired with a 6-3-2 and 5 KOs.

Dustin Fleischer retired in May of 2017 with a 6-0 record and 5 KOs.

Two young fighters have surfaced since 2017. David Kaminsky is an 18-year old southpaw junior middleweight. The 3-0 boxer punches in combination and attacks the body. He has scored two knockouts thus far and is promoted by Top Rank. Benny "The Jewish Bulldog" Sinakin is a 21 year old light heavyweight from Philadelphia. The former amateur standout is 2-0 as a professional with one knockout and one shutout decision victory.