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.

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.

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.

Several Jewish Boxers Honored

Several Jewish boxers have been honored recently. Jill "The Zion Lion" Matthews (1995-1999) was inducted into the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame earlier this month.

Gary "Kid" Jacobs (1985-1997), whose autobiography is available for purchase, was elected into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Hopefully, his former manager, Mickey Duff, will be elected next year. The Jewish Boxing Blog will have a review of Jacob's book Fightback shortly.

Harry "Kid" Brown (1915-1932) will be elected into the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame this year. He'll join his younger brother Joe, a boxer and world-renowned sculptor.

Cletus "Hebrew Hammer" Seldin (2011-present) was honored by the Jewish Sports Heritage Association earlier this month. Seldin gave an impassioned speech denouncing antisemitism.

Seldin Wins Tough Fight by MD

Junior welterweight Cletus Seldin defeated Yeis Solano by majority decision in a tough fight at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, USA on 360 Promotions St. Patrick’s Day card this evening. Seldin’s constant pressure and activity carried the contest.

The 38 year old Seldin, wearing purple sequin trunks, came out to Rick Derringer’s “Real American” as a portion of the crowd chanted “Hamma, “Hamma!” Solano, a 32 year old Colombian, marched to the ring to “Lejos de Casa” by Dandy Bway.

Seldin came out of the gate like a bull. Solano, a southpaw who is naturally right handed, immediately fought off the backfoot. In the pocket, the “Hebrew Hammer” dipped to his right. Solano soon caught on and started landing straight lefts.

Seldin had Solano against the ropes throughout the fight, beginning in the second round. Seldin ravaged the body to take the round and even the score. But Cletus’s left eye started to swell.

The third started with some heated exchanges that didn’t do much damage. Solano boxed well, connecting with right hooks. “El Tigre” maintained the momentum into the fourth. He walked Seldin onto his hooks and straight lefts. After four, Seldin appeared to be down three-to-one and searching for answers. Someone from press row joked, “Looks like he left his hammer at home tonight.”

Cletus possesses superior stamina compared to most fighters and it served him well in this fight. He never relented, never stopped throwing his hands. Conversely, Solano wore down. He got on his bike in the fifth as Cletus kept after his midsection.

To start the sixth, referee David Fields called the doctor over to look at Seldin’s eye. Once allowed to continue, he launched a big right. Solano alternated between holding and running. To his credit, the Colombian came back in the seventh and was responsible for the eye-catching shots. Cletus though never stopped bullying Solano against the ropes.

Seldin needed a convincing eighth and final round and he delivered. Solano mostly tried to survive, perhaps thinking he was ahead, or perhaps he was gassed. Seldin exhibited a great motor right through the final bell.

One judge had it a draw; the same score as The Jewish Boxing Blog. But two judges scored the bout for Seldin, 78-74, 77-75. After the fight, Cletus and his wife announced that they have a baby on the way. Daddy Hammer is now 29-1 with 23 KOs. Solano falls to 16-5 with 10 KOs. Mazel tov to the Seldins!

Seldin and Solano Make Weight

Cletus Seldin and Yeis Solano both made weight ahead of their clash tomorrow at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, USA. Seldin came out with a leprechaun hat and tossed it into the crowd before the ceremonial weigh-in.

Seldin (28-1, 23 KOs) came in at 139.2 pounds. This is the lightest the 38 year old Seldin has been since the William Silva fight in 2021, three bouts ago. His lightest was 138.25 pounds against Zab Judah in 2019. His heaviest was 148 pounds early in his career.

Solano (15-4, 10 KOs) weighed 139.4 pounds. This is the lightest the southpaw has weighed since 2019, which was his first fight in the United States. The 32 year old Colombian's lightest weight was 130 pounds ten years ago. His heaviest was 143.75 pounds in 2021.

At the press conference, Cletus Seldin said he belongs on the 360 Promotions' St. Patrick Day card because he's 3% Irish. The Hebrew Hammer is about as Irish as a potato latke, but Cletus showed appreciation to promoter Tom Loeffler for including him on this show. Seldin told Inside The Ropes that he has tried to get on cards up and down the East Coast this past year, but the free agent hasn't much luck. Seldin's last fight was on 360 Promotions' St. Patrick's card last year.

The weigh-in can be viewed at Fight Hub's YouTube page. The Jewish Boxing Blog's preview of the fight can be viewed here.

Seldin-Solano is scheduled for eight rounds and will be streamed on UFC  Fight Pass's YouTube page. The event is scheduled to start at 4pm New York time, and Seldin's fight in the third bout.

Preview of Cletus Seldin vs. Yeis Solano

Cletus Seldin is now scheduled to fight Yeis Gabriel Solano on March 16 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, USA. His original opponent on the 360 Promotions card was Issouf Kinda, who was replaced a couple of weeks ago.

Seldin, a 38 year old New Yorker with a record of 28-1 (23 KOs), last fought a year ago at the same venue in an event run by the same promotor. The "Hebrew Hammer" started strong against Jose Angulo, scoring a knockdown in both of the first two rounds before winning by majority decision. In the meantime, Cletus, who proposed to his long time girlfriend immediately after the Angulo fight, got married.

Solano (15-4,10 KOs) is no pushover for Seldin. The 32 year old southpaw from Colombia doesn't have the prettiest record, but the man called "El Tigre" has been in tough in recent years. After winning his first twelve fights in his native land and two in Mexico, he relocated to Las Vegas. His last five fights have all been in the United States against good fighters.

On ShoBox, Solano effectively fought off the ropes against an aggressive Argentine named Elias Araujo in 2019. Though Araujo controlled the tenor of the fight, Solano scored a knockdown in the fourth and countered enough to earn a split decision victory.

A year and a half later, Solano returned to ShoBox where he lost his undefeated record to Mykquan Williams, who outboxed the Colombian. After a split decision defeat to Alberto Palmetta, another Argentine, Solano was dominated by Gabriel Gollaz nearly two years later. Gollaz won by sixth round KO.

Last November, Solano retreated to the ropes against fellow southpaw Kelvin Davis in an attempt to draw the taller man to him. Davis wisely kept his range and convinced Solano to leave his hands at home. Davis scored a late knockdown and a wide unanimous decision victory.

An experienced amateur, Solano is a natural righty with a good right hook. He can fight in different styles, but recently prefers to stay on the perimeter and counter. Seldin will want to bully Solano, keeping him on the ropes because it will neutralize Solano's southpaw advantage if the Colombian is squared up with his back to the ropes. However, Solano is the rare fighter who seems to enjoy fighting off the ropes.

When Seldin fought Zab Judah, a southpaw, he spent some of that fight as a lefty which is another route he could go if he needs it. Seldin switched to southpaw against William Silva when he was being outboxed. Solano can box, but not like Judah or Silva. Seldin should use his strength advantage and muscle Solano, but be mindful of counters.

Seldin-Solano is scheduled for eight rounds and can be streamed on UFC Fight Pass.

Preview of Cletus Seldin vs. Issouf Kinda

Cletus Seldin is scheduled to face Issouf Kinda on March 16 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, USA in an intriguing clash of styles. This will be the second consecutive year Seldin has fought on Tom Loeffler's 360 Promotions' St. Patrick's Day weekend event.

Seldin (28-1, 23 KOs) is a puncher, and the 38 year old's overhand right is his best punch. In his last three fights- against William Silva, Patrick Okine, and Jose Angulo- Seldin has struggled at times. Silva outboxed Cletus for several rounds until the Hebrew Hammer turned the fight and completed a stunning comeback in the seventh round. Some felt Okine was ahead when Seldin starched him in the sixth. The JBB had Seldin ahead at the time of the stoppage, but there was no doubt that Okine landed some bombs. Cletus started fast against Angulo and was on the verge of stopping the tough Ecuadorian, but Angulo boxed effectively down the stretch.

This fight against Kinda (20-6), a 36 year old from Burkina Faso, is shaping up to be another challenging contest for the "Hamma." When he was first starting out, Kinda left his family and traveled to New York in the hopes of achieving his dreams of success in the ring. Initially, he worked six days a week in a restaurant and trained whenever he found the time.

Kinda, like Seldin, was formerly promoted by Star Boxing. Nicknamed the "Volcano," he started his career 16-0 before suffering an unlucky loss to Chris Howard in 2013. Kinda greedily snatched momentum of the fight when Howard's eye swelled shut from an earlier headbutt. The judges gave the truncated fight to Howard, much to the dismay of Kinda, announcer Teddy Atlas, and most observers. Issouf then lost an ugly fight to Jeremy Bryan, one in which the Burkinabé was far too passive.

Kinda is a boxer who moves well, has good hand speed, and throws fluid punches. Boxers have been known to give Seldin trouble, although he has developed a new tactic of just touching his opponents when he's being outboxed. That serves to lull the opponent into a false sense of safety before Seldin inevitably hammers them.

Kinda began boxing at the age of three, a big advantage over Seldin, who came to the sport much later. Issouf will also have a height advantage But Cletus holds a significant power surplus. Kinda only has nine knockouts. In a wild fight against Jimmy Williams in 2017, Kinda landed a flush left hook on the AARP-eligible referee Steve Smoger, who took the punch well.

But Kinda is an unassumingly strong man like his fellow countryman Félix Houphouët-Boigny. Against Javier Loya, Kinda crunched an overhand right onto Loya's chin earning a massive knockdown and leading to a stoppage soon after. Issouf doesn't have the best chin. The Volcano has been extinguished early three times, although they were against top guys: Jose Ramirez, Ismael Barroso, and Arthur Biyarslanov.

Dating back to 2016, Kinda had lost three in a row, not including the loss to Jimmy Williams which was later ruled a no contest, before he won a couple of fights in Ghana last September against lesser competition.

Seldin-Kinda is scheduled for eight rounds and will be streamed on UFC Fight Pass.

Cletus Seldin to Face Issouf Kinda in March

Cletus Seldin is scheduled to face Issouf Kinda on March 16 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, USA. Seldin last fought on March 15, 2024 at the same venue.

Seldin is a 38 year old with a record of 28-1 with 23 KOs. Nicknamed the "Hebrew Hammer," he's a devastating puncher with real power. Sitting ringside at he fight against Patrick Okine in 2023, Seldin's punches had a very different sound than everyone else's. His best punch is his overhand right, but his left hook has done a lot of damage in recent fights.

Kinda (20-6, 9 KOs) is a 36 year old native of Burkino Faso. Nicknamed the "Volcano," Kinda has assumed the role of  gatekeeper. All but his last three fights have been in the United States. He has faced very tough competition including Jose Ramirez, Ismael Barroso, and Arthur Biyarslanov. Kinda fought twice last year, both in Ghana against opponents with losing records.

This fight is scheduled for six rounds and will be streamed on UFC Fight Pass. Check back for a full preview.

Year in Review: 2024

This year was defined by young prospects in the early stages of their careers. Yonatan Landman started his 7-0 with 7 KOs this year. Joshua Feldman went 3-0 with 3 KOs. David Malul scored two knockout victories to get his career rolling. Daniel Ivanovski went 2-0 with two KOs to start his career. Benny Nizard and Doron Zinman both won their debuts. The oldest of these prospects is just 23 years of age. It's an exciting time to be a fan of Jewish boxing!

More established Jewish boxers didn't see much action in 2024. Cletus Seldin won his one fight back in March. Odelia Ben Ephraim dropped her two fights, both for titles. For others, it was a case of canceled fights.

The Jewish Boxing Blog not only covered the current scene, but also looked back at several past Jewish boxers. They include Phil Lolosky, Joey Silver, Stuart Finer, Mushy Callahan, Willie Jackson, Joey Kaufman, Haim Zilberschmidt, Mike Clancy, and Soldier Bartfield. The JBB also provided an overview of Jewish boxers in China.

The JBB conducted some memorable interviews with Ira Berkow, Lev Jackson, and David Malul. Books reviewed this year include Then the World Moved On, The Promise of Women's Boxing, Smash Hit, Murder on Federal Street, and The Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame.

A special thank you to the readers of The Jewish Boxing Blog and to the supporters on Buy Me a Coffee. I'd also like to publicly thank the boxers who took the time to offer their insights throughout the year. 

News and Notes

Cletus Seldin will be honored by the Jewish Sports Heritage Association in its class of 2025. Past honorees include Boyd Melson, Yuri Foreman, and Dmitriy Salita. Seldin's career record is 28-1 with 23 KOs. The 37 year old last fought in March. After defeating Jose Angulo by majority decision, he proposed to his girlfriend in the ring. She said yes!

*****

Stefi Cohen has been arrested twice recently. The world-record powerlifter was first arrested in May over a situation involving her ex-boyfriend. She was arrested again a couple of weeks ago for theft.

*****

The Sweet Science published my article about the time welterweight champion Joe Dundee held an entire ballpark hostage because he wanted more money. A riot ensued and Dundee, his manager, and the promoter were all arrested for false advertising.

Cletus Seldin Ranked by WBA

After Cletus Seldin secured his seventh consecutive win on March 15, the WBA ranked him number 8 in their welterweight ratings. Seldin is 28-1 with 23 KOs. His last two fights have been at 142.5 pounds.

Seldin has made the most of his opportunities and he should be viewed as a contender, but the alphabet organizations' ratings should be taken with a grain of salt. The WBA actually has two welterweight world champions. The IBF doesn't have a number one or number two contender, but it does rank 3-15. Within the four "major" organizations' top 15, 44 different welterweights are listed. No single welterweight is rated by each of the four organizations.

The best ratings organizations are the Transnational Boxing Rankings and The Ring. Their ratings are quite similar, agreeing on the champion, Terence Crawford, and eight of the ten contenders. But both only include a top ten. Seldin didn't make either list.

BoxRec's ratings are based on a mathematical formula and rank Seldin as the 102nd best junior welterweight, which is preposterously low. BoxRec's rankings are often criticized within the industry. They are less corrupt than the alphabet organizations' rankings, however.

Rgardless of the WBA's rankings, Seldin has established himself as a contender. Hopefully, the 37 year old lands a big fight soon.

Seldin Starts Strong, Wins Decision

Cletus Seldin defeated Jose Angulo by majority decision tonight at Madison Square Garden Theater. He scored a knockdown in each of the first two rounds before Angulo moved more to get into the fight.

Seldin-Angulo was supposed to open the televised portion of the 360 Promotions card, but it ended up being the third fight of the night. The crowd chanted, “Hamma! Hamma!” before the start of the bout. Cletus, the 37 year old puncher, came out aggressively. He used agile footwork to close the distance and targeted Angulo’s body with rights. The body work set up a monstrous overhand right that sent the 27 year old Ecuadorian to the canvas. The fight looked over, but Angulo courageously got back on his feet.

Seldin continued to target the body in the rest of the round. In the second, he came out with the same strategy, but added an uppercut. A left hook landed high on Angulo’s head for the second knockdown of the fight. The Ecuadorian ran for most of the round as Seldin slung left hooks. He managed to connect with a counter right as Seldin rushed forward with more abandon than before.

Angulo spent the next several rounds straddling the line between running and boxing. He started the third well, and landed a jab shortly before Seldin slipped and fell. Referee David Fields ruled no knockdown. Jose then ran until he found the right uppercut, which would be his most consistent weapon the rest of the way.

The fourth was close as Seldin continued to land rights to the hip in the hopes of slowing down Angulo. Meanwhile, Angulo relied on those right uppercuts and added a left hook to the body late in the round. Seldin trapped Angulo on the ropes a couple times in the fifth and managed to split his guard down the middle.

Angulo started the sixth fast, but the round quickly fell into a similar pattern as the previous one. Angulo was accurate on the move, but threw fewer punches than Seldin, who landed the harder shots.

Angulo had his best round in the seventh when he landed a hard right uppercut and several left hooks to the head. Seldin was never in trouble and finished the round with a good right.

Angulo continued throwing left hooks and right uppercuts in the final round, but he held more than he had previously. There was a long delay from the moment the final bell rang until the scorecards were read.

Seldin won on two judges’ cards 78-72 and 77-73. The third judge preferred Angulo’s movement, giving him five rounds, but with Seldin’s two knockdowns, that card read 75-75. The Jewish Boxing Blog scored it 77-73 for Seldin. He is now 28-1 with 23 KOs while Angulo falls to 16-8 with 9 KOs.

Courtesy of 360 Promotions

After the decision was announced, Cletus took the microphone and proposed in the ring to his girlfriend Jessica, who accepted. Mazel tov to the newly engaged couple!

Cletus Seldin and Jose Angulo Weigh In

Cletus Seldin and Jose Angulo weighed in ahead of their clash tomorrow at the MSG Theater in New York. Both weighed in a few pounds south of the welterweight division.

Seldin, a 37 year old New Yorker, weighed in at 142.4 pounds. That was the same weight he was for his last fight in October against Patrick Okine. It is well within the Hebrew Hammer’s normal range. With a record of 27-1, Cletus will be hunting his 24th knockout tomorrow.

Angulo, a 27 year old from Ecuador, tipped the scales at 143.6 pounds. He was a lightweight for his second pro fight back in 2016. Since then, Angulo (16-7, 4 KOs) has vacillated between the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions with four exceptions. In 2018, he weighed 152 pounds for two fights. In 2021, he came in at 148 pounds for two others.

Both fighters are in excellent shape for tomorrow’s scheduled eight rounder to be televised on UFC Fight Pass. The Jewish Boxing Blog’s preview of Seldin-Angulo is here.

Courtesy of 360 Promotions

Cletus Seldin Speaks at Opening Press Conference for March 15 Bout

Cletus Seldin addressed fans and media at the opening press conference of a 360 Promotions event scheduled to take place on March 15 at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York, New York, USA. Seldin is expected to take on Jose Angulo on a card headlined by Callum Walsh.

“Finally! Finally! It took me six years to get back to this opportunity," Seldin began. It has actually been even longer, over twelve years, since he last fought at Madison Square Garden Theater. His mention of six years likely references the point when he neared the top of the sport. At the end of 2017, Seldin fought on HBO in back-to-back months. After a jaw-dropping third round knockout of Roberto Ortiz on November 11 that year, Cletus suffered his only career defeat a month later. Pundits instantly wrote him off.

Touching on his inactivity since his HBO stints, Seldin said, "I've been held back through this entire time. And for me to be here at Madison Square Garden in New York has been one hell of a ride."

Cletus then turned his attention to the March fight before laying out his credentials. "I’m excited! I'm going to show the best version of "The Hebrew Hammer." We're fighting at Madison Square Garden! I’m 27-1 with [23] knockouts. I'm ranked 9th in the world by the WBA."

Recognizing this is a moment of heightened antisemitism and his role as an athlete is to inspire the fans, Cletus declared, "And if there’s ever been a time for a Jew in New York to be fighting and winning, it’s now!"

He concluded, "So come out March 15. Irish crowd, Jewish crowd, one hell of a place. New York, we are ready to rock and roll!”

Preview of Cletus Seldin vs. Jose Angulo

Cletus Seldin is scheduled to fight Jose Angulo on March 15 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, USA. The card is being promoted by Tom Loeffler's 360 Promotions.

Seldin is a 37 year old puncher whose record is 27-1 with 23 knockouts. His best win might be an eleventh round knockout victory over Zab Judah to capture the NABA junior welterweight title back in 2019. Seldin then fought only twice over the next four years. This will be the Hebrew Hammer's second fight in five months, a welcomed increase in activity. In October, he knocked out Patrick Okine in a slugfest.

A 27 year old with a record of 16-7 (9 KOs), Jose Angulo is the junior welterweight champion of Ecuador. He is 16-0 in his home country and 0-7 in the United States, including the territory of Puerto Rico. In Ecuador, he has only faced three winning opponents and those three combined for a mediocre 18-12-3 record. In the United States, his opponents were a combined 75-4-1 when Angulo faced them (not including Seldin). Angulo fought twice on ShoBox, home to top prospects through the years. Some of his other losses were to former world champion Alberto Machado and two well-regarded prospects Ernesto Merchado and Cain Sandoval.

Because of his uneven record, it's hard to rate Angulo. Perhaps his most enlightening fight came on ShoBox against Alejandro Guerrero, who was 11-0 when they fought in 2020. Angulo was competitive and lost by majority decision. Guerrero has since lost four straight.

Angulo has the tools to beat Cletus Seldin. Jose is athletic with quick feet. He has the ability to box and move, a style which could negate Seldin's power. The problem for Angulo is he never boxes and moves for more than a few brief moments at a time. Instead, he tends to stand in punching range with his left low and throw hard two and three punch combinations. Angulo falls into lulls too often and just covers up. He almost never tries to counter his opponent's attack, and his jab doesn't serve much purpose.

Jose Angulo is from the coastal town of Guayaquil and has fought many times in Ecuador's mountainous capital city of Quito, so he's likely endured the ten-hour bus ride down the ten thousand-foot Andean mountain range. That means he oozes courage. The Ecuadorian has a decent chin, but his punch resistance has been known to fade significantly throughout fights, resulting in four stoppage losses. He withstood many clean shots from Guerrero, but Alberto Machado beat him down by the eighth.

If Angulo can stick and move all fight, he's got a chance to nick a decision, but his low left, lack of counter punching, and willingness to cover up when receiving incoming fire all formulate a recipe for a Cletus Seldin knockout victory.

This bout is scheduled for eight rounds, but if Angulo doesn't box, look for it to end in the fourth or fifth.

Cletus Seldin to Fight in March

Cletus "Hebrew Hammer" Seldin is scheduled to fight on March 15 at the Madison Square Garden Theater in New York, New York, USA according to BoxRec. With a record of 27-1, Seldin is a 37 year old power puncher from Long Island. He boasts 23 KOs.

In his last two fights, Seldin has relied on impressive knockouts to win fights that were close. In 2021, Seldin was getting outboxed by William Silva until the Hammer adjusted his style and scored a knockout in the seventh round. Last October, Cletus was in a tough fight against another puncher, Patrick Okine, as both guys launched bombs at one another. With his face swollen and marked up, Seldin stopped the show in the sixth.

The Jewish Boxing Blog had Seldin up three rounds to two at the time of the Okine stoppage, but he was absorbing a lot of punishment to that point. At the end of the fifth round, a heckler in the second row yelled, "It's not as easy as you thought, Cletus!" Just before Seldin landed the knockout blow, an intoxicated white fan from Connecticut who was seated in the front row declared, "White boy's about to get knocked out!"

Unbeknownst to the heckler, Cletus knew Okine could bang. Before the fight, Seldin told The JBB, "He's a hell of a puncher. He throws big crazy shots." Cletus did admit after the fight that he didn't expect Okine to hit quite that hard. Likewise, the inebriated fan didn't know that Okine had suffered from stamina issues throughout his career while Seldin is a fitness freak and finishes strong.

Since becoming a promotional free agent last year, Seldin has been more active. From February 2020 until last October- a period of over three and half years- Cletus fought once, the Silva fight. The fight in March would be his second in five months. His fight against Okine was on a Boxing Insider show. The March bout is promoted by 360 Promotions.

Seldin told The JBB on January 25 that he is officially on the card. His bout is scheduled for eight rounds in the junior welterweight division. BoxRec lists an opponent, but Seldin there's nothing official yet.

Cletus Seldin battled Patrick Okine on October 10, 2023 at Sony Hall

Year in Review: 2023

This year has been a great one for Jewish boxing! We got more fights and thankfully, fewer cancellations.

Some of the best:
Focused for Battle looks at several boxers' mindset during the referee's final instructions at center-ring right before the opening bell.
Sagiv Ismailov Wins Under Difficult Circumstances explores the trials an Israeli boxer faced just to take part in a fight in Germany in the wake of the Hamas attacks on October 7.
David Alaverdian Discusses His Last Fight shows what the talented fighter experienced during his gritty bout in April. The article also broke news of a virus that has kept David out of action ever since.
The Promoters' Screwjob is a behind-the-scenes look at Shawn Sarembock's personal introduction to the dirty side of boxing.
The Lasting Legacy of Boxing Historian Mike Silver is a retrospective on the man who wrote one of the  most important books about Jewish boxing history, Stars in the Ring.
Odelia Ben Ephraim Wins French Featherweight Title recaps the fight with great analysis from the fighter herself.
The Flying Hammer is a profile of Cletus Seldin: professional power puncher and part-time skydiver.
CSAC Cancelled Cohen-Bradley Due to "Large Weight Disparity" features reporting on why Stefi Cohen's January fight against Kedra Bradley was nixed at the last minute.

Recap of the fights:
Cletus Seldin ended a two-year hiatus with a win in a rough fight in October. Carolina Duer dropped a disputed split decision in April. Undefeated prospect Sagiv Ismailov fought four times in 2023. The recap of his last fight has links to the other three. Dr. Stefi Cohen went 2-0 with a win in February and another in June. David Alaverdian needed to make adjustments to win his bout in April. Odelia Ben Ephraim went 2-1 this year including a dominant victory in March. Mor Oknin grabbed a "W" in September. Three Jewish fighters won in Israel in February.

This year The Jewish Boxing Blog began covering the pro careers of Ben Ephraim, Josh Feldman, Alex Karchevski, Lev Jackson, and Sahar Meir.

History:
The Top 5 series continues to look at the best 5 Jewish boxers in a particular area or category. Expect more Top 5s in 2024.

This year featured profiles of Alf Mansfield (a tough flyweight who fought Jimmy Wilde), Harry "Kid" Brown (an intelligent pioneer), Jack Silver (a popular Cali lightweight in the '20s), Frankie Fink (the "Yiddisher Cowboy"), Benny Pascal (a tough Philly fighter), Willie Buff (a pro star who embellished his amateur creds), and Ovadia Hochman (an amateur boxer who reinvented himself after scandal).

Sadly, Kenny "Bang Bang" Bogner passed away this year. Here is his obituary.

Book Reviews:
The Fighter of Auschwitz by Erik Brouwer
Stars and Scars by Jeff Jones
Matthew Saad Muhammad by William Dettloff
Family, Gangsters & Champions by Ramon Antonio Vargas
Tony Canzoneri by Mark Allen Baker
Baseball, Nazis & Nedick's Hot Dogs by Jerry Izenberg


Thank you all for reading this year! You can support The Jewish Boxing Blog by following on X/Twitter, Instagram, and Threads; subscribing to the Jewish Boxing newsletter at Buy Me a Coffee for a one-time payment of $3; and using Amazon affiliate links on The JBB's Featured Books page. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Squabbles at WBA Convention

The 102nd WBA convention in Orlando, Florida, USA featured some incidents involving Jewish boxers and a Jewish promoter. Two-division world champion Carolina Duer, promoter Sampson Lewkowicz, and power puncher Cletus Seldin all attended the convention.

Duer of Argentina got into a public argument with Lewkowicz of Uruguay during the convention. The argument can be viewed here. Both are speaking Spanish, their native tongue.

Lewkowicz got into a far more heated argument when the son of Elvis Grant Phillips, the founder of Grant gloves, allegedly spit in the promoter's face. Here is a video of the aftermath. Former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins leapt to Lewkowicz's defense. At one point, Hopkins came close to Phillips. Seldin played the role of peacemaker, stepping in between Hopkins and the Phillips family.

Boxing Scene reports the alleged spit was "due to a disagreement during the session that pertains to the sanctioning of mandatories and interim-titles." Lewkowicz has pressed charges against Phillips.