Where are they now? Q and A with Darren” Checkmate” Maciunski

Where are they now? Q and A with Darren” Checkmate” Maciunski

By: Lou McLaughlin – Darren” Checkmate” Maciunski was a former top level super welterweight contender in the 1990’s. He fought from 1992 through 2002. Interestingly, he got his fighting nickname “Checkmate” from having been an avid chess player as a young teenager and compares boxing to a chess match. He finished his career on a win against Leo Edwards and a record of 20 -8 in 2003. His record does not adequately describe his career. He had 40 amateur bouts before turning pro and fought many of the major names of that era including Kevin Kelly and Fernando Vargas. He had wins over vastly more experienced boxing luminaries veterans Meldrick Taylor then 34-3- 1 and James McGirt 73-4-1. He fought on major televised networks including HBO, USA’s Tuesday Night Fights, and ESPN. His career took him to Australia, Denmark, and Italy. 

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Q & A: Jerry Odom – fighting 6th pro fight September 13 at Newark’s Robert Treat Hotel

jerryodomFast rising prospect Jerry “The King’s Son “Odom took time to give an exclusive interview to Fightnews. The 20 year old from Bowie, Maryland has had five fights since his pro debut in October 2012. In a manner reminiscent of young Mike Tyson’s early rise all five have ended within the first round. Total ring time in five fights being 6 minutes 23 seconds. Odom has risen from a troubled youth in the Paradise projects of Washington D.C. to a Golden Gloves champion. At 14, he stood in a D.C. courtroom in front of a judge he knew was tired of seeing him. It was Jerry’s third time there. . The youngster was looking at serious time. His uncle proposed a last-ditch solution: He would take Jerry. Ken Williams, a home builder, asked the judge to let Jerry live with him and his parents in Bowie. It is in this environment that Jerry received the opportunity to turn his life around. He has fully grasped this opportunity. The super middleweight has drawn a lot of attention from community for his natural knockout punching power. He has recently signed with GH3 Promotions and is scheduled to fight September 13th at Newark’s Robert Treat Hotel in his first bout outside of the D.C. area.

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Main Event’s press conference for Tomasz Adamek fight August 3rd at Mohegan Sun on MSNBC

665Today, Main Events CEO, Kathy Duva held a press conference to announce to the media Tomasz “Goral” Adamek’s next fight and opponent. The Totowa, New Jersey based Main Events in association with Peltz Boxing presents on Saturday August 3rd  a three fight program featuring Adamek 48 – 2  facing Hartford’s Tony Grano 20 – 3 – 1 in a ten round heavyweight bout at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT.

Adamek a native of Zywiec, Poland who now resides in Jersey City, New Jersey normally draws a huge contingent of local Polish fans when he fights in his adopted home state. The fight will be televised on MSNBC Sports Network. The televised portion of the broadcast has been dubbed “Three to See”.

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Results of ESPN fight card from West Orange, N.J.

By: Lou McLaughlin -ringside – Boxing returned to West Orange, N.J. at the Richard J. Codey Arena (formerly South Mountain Arena) this past Friday night June 14 after an absence of 20 years. The bouts were brought by Greg Cohen Promotions and Gabe LaConte’s First Round Promotions. Gabe LaConte has been a force in New Jersey boxing for decades. Gabe was inducted last year into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame for his many years work as a promoter in the Garden State. Three of the fights were telecast live by ESPN.

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