The Heavyweight Boxing Federation

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Claybor

Always good stuff here!

Woohoo, my 1st fight coming up on the 20th.

Thanks, Claybor. It's possible that I'll have that card written up over the weekend.

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Man, it was a huge task to read through everything. You've written alot of stuff like I said it took me a couple of weeks to finish. You've done a hell of a job so far with the continuity and development of characters like Elmer Ray and Jack Johnson. I've been following this thing since day one and like you said it's been a crazy ride getting here. It's going to be weird when the IBL becomes the main focus and we're not dealing with all the guys that we've been following for the last almost 3 years.

Thanks, Romy. Yep, the IBL will be the main focus for a time as stage two of the HBF's WC/1D tourneys will start eight weeks after stage one finishes and the other tournaments (American, European etc.) will start six weeks after stage one. Even so, I'll still make sure that the build up to the upcoming HBF tournaments is exciting and interesting, aswell as continuing to chronicle the QL in appropriate detail.

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation of post #1476)

The Johannesburg auditions have proven just as promising, with an 18 year-old who not only hails from the same region as Nelson Mandela but is also named after him booking himself a place in the African Championship tournament with some eye-opening performances.

"That Nelson Ndungane kid is as pure a boxer as I've ever seen," said HBF scout Gil Roberts. "Really light on his feet, evasive and quick. Those hands of his are like lightning, I tell ya. Only weighs about 185 but he still has some filling out to do, so that won't be a problem. Not overly aggressive but he's got those ring smarts, you know? Always seems to be one step ahead of his opponents. We've got high hopes for him."

Born in the Eastern Cape town of Mthatha, Ndungane presented as something of an introverted, shy individual earlier in the week but had really opened up to the HBF staff by the time Thursday and Friday rolled around. He expressed a great desire and ambition to bring success to his nation.

"I am proud of where I come from and what I'll be representing," he said in a tone of conviction. "I know that the Americans are very strong in the sport, and the thought of challenging their dominance excites me. It's something I look forward to."

Amongst the others to have impressed in the South African capital are a pair of tough sluggers in their early twenties, Jaque Botha and Francois Burger. The two Afrikaners have waged a fierce rivalry, clashing in the ring and out and making it clear that they have a potent dislike for each other.

"I look at him as my enemy," said the 6'4", blonde-haired Botha. "It's obvious that we'll both be in the tournament and to be honest he'll be my biggest obstacle. It's nothing personal, you know? He'll be standing in my way so I can't think of him as anything but an enemy. I can't afford to relate to him as a friend."

Burger has preferred to do his talking with his fists, displaying a level of aggression and power that no one else at these auditions has been able to match. He's a 5'11' ball of muscle, his shaven head only adding to the sense of intimidation that emanates from him.

*

This first week of the federation's latest auditions has been a good one and it will be interesting to see what next week's visits to New Zealand and Nigeria will bring...

[kenyan_cheena]

HALFWAY THERE

Sunday 18 August 2002

Following last night's Madison Square Garden fight card, the seventh and final series of stage one in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament has reached its midpoint. As a result, the makeup of Groups One and Four in stage two are now complete. They illustrate that the federation did a pretty good job of seeding the tournament's entrants, with twelve of the sixteen positions going to competitors who were expected to qualify.

Group One features three party crashers, including the young man who defied the so-called experts and the federation's scouts, 108th-seeded Italian Sante Amonti. He is by far the lowest-seeded fighter to qualify and his feat will be rewarded with a clash against the tournament's #1 seed Gene Tunney to start stage two. While also admirable, the efforts of Harry Thomas and Alex Stewart in winning a place in the second stage are not as surprising. Stewart rode a tightrope of nailbiters in stage one and it will be interesting to see if that good fortune will stay with him for the remainder of his campaign. He faces a tough test in the shape of the Californian Sam McVey to start stage two.

GROUP ONE

1(1) GENE TUNNEY (USA), 7-0-0(2)
2(8) SAM MCVEY (USA), 7-0-0(1)
3(20) DONOVAN RUDDOCK (CANADA), 5-0-2(1)
4(12) GEORGE CHUVALO (CANADA), 5-1-1
5(45) HARRY THOMAS (USA), 6-1-0
6(17) FLOYD PATTERSON (USA), 5-1-1
7(40) ALEX STEWART (ENGLAND), 5-1-1
8(108) SANTE AMONTI (ITALY), 5-1-1(1)

Matchups for series one of stage two:

Tunney vs Amonti
McVey vs Stewart
Ruddock vs Patterson
Chuvalo vs Thomas

While Group One includes a handful of unexpected entries, the same cannot be said for Group Four. It's ridiculously solid from top to bottom, featuring a number of the federation's most impressive competitors. These eight men will have to be at their best each time they step in the ring because there's really no easy clashes to be seen. Arizona's Zora Folley is the only member of the group who was not seeded to progress but his 4-1-2(1) record is all one needs to see to know he'll be a tough proposition.

Right off the bat there's an absolutely fascinating matchup between the Sydney silver medallist Riddick Bowe and America's gold medallist from Barcelona '92, Ray Mercer. The 29 year-old Jacksonville native has not been shy in the past when it comes to highlighting the lack of respect he feels he's had to endure. No doubt he'll be out to prove that he's just as deserving of it as some of the more highly regarded HBF competitors. Mercer brings back-to-back losses into stage two and he'll certainly be doing everything he can to avoid seeing that extended to three against Brooklyn's undefeated "Big Daddy".

GROUP FOUR

1(5) RIDDICK BOWE (USA), 7-0-0(4)
2(9) SAM LANGFORD (CANADA), 7-0-0(1)
3(4) LARRY HOLMES (USA), 6-0-1(2)
4(16) JIMMY YOUNG (USA), 5-0-2
5(13) KEN NORTON (USA), 5-1-1(2)
6(32) EARNIE SHAVERS (USA), 5-1-1(4)
7(41) ZORA FOLLEY (USA), 4-1-2(1)
8(21) RAY MERCER (USA), 4-2-1(1)

Matchups for series one in stage two:

Bowe vs Mercer
Langford vs Folley
Holmes vs Shavers
Young vs Norton

The winners of each group will clash in the tournament semi-finals.

"We're more than happy with the way the groups have turned out," said federation president Michael Vincennes. "There's a couple of surprises in there but overall, it shows that we pretty much got it right when we seeded the tournament. Stage one has been fantastic and will continue to be for the next couple of weeks but I think I can say with confidence that once stage two arrives, the standard of competition is going to reach a whole new level."

Stage one of the World Championship tournament will conclude on Saturday the 31st of August, with the highly-anticipated second stage to kick-off on the night of Friday, October 25...

[Romdawg88]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

GROUP ONE

1(1) GENE TUNNEY (USA), 7-0-0(2)
2(8) SAM MCVEY (USA), 7-0-0(1)
3(20) DONOVAN RUDDOCK (CANADA), 5-0-2(1)
4(12) GEORGE CHUVALO (CANADA), 5-1-1
5(45) HARRY THOMAS (USA), 6-1-0
6(17) FLOYD PATTERSON (USA), 5-1-1
7(40) ALEX STEWART (ENGLAND), 5-1-1
8(108) SANTE AMONTI (ITALY), 5-1-1(1)

Matchups for series one of stage two:

Tunney vs Amonti
McVey vs Stewart
Ruddock vs Patterson
Chuvalo vs Thomas

Pretty good group. Sante is going to lose every match during Stage Two. I'm rooting for Patterson of course and I give him a good shot at beating Ruddock, Chuvalo, Thomas, Stewart, Amonti, and a outside shot of upseting Tunney. If he comes through this thing with a winning record I'll be happy. He has to beat Ruddock in that first match through to have a shot of doing that.

[kenyan_cheena]

HBF GOES WORLDWIDE

Sunday 18 August 2002

The Heavyweight Boxing Federation will cover most corners of the globe during the coming seven days with fight cards being staged in North America, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Carribean. The action kicks off tomorrow at London's Millenium Dome with an all-English main event between Jack Gardner and Bruce Woodcock. The winner will join Australia's Peter Jackson in stage two of the World Championship tournament. Jackson himself has the goal of claiming the #1 seeding in Group Three of stage two, something he'll achieve with a win against James Tillis on the undercard.

On Tuesday the Molson Centre in Montreal, Quebec hosts the semi-finals of the Canadian Boxing League with the main event being a potentially fantastic clash between the league's top two seeds, Robert Cleroux and Olympic Champion Lennox Lewis. Expected to sweep his way through the CBL, Lewis suffered a surprising defeat at the hands of John Ferguson back in June and will be keen to avoid the same fate against Cleroux. The card will also feature opening action in Groups Five and Eight of the federation's Qualifying League, with a number of rookies set to make their debuts.

Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas is the venue for Wednesday's event. Detroit's Johnny Summerlin and Clarence Henry of Los Angeles will go toe-to-toe in the main event for a place in the WC tournament's second stage while Florida Alliance member Oliver McCall takes on Oklahoma's Tommy Morrison with 1st place in Group Three of the 1st Defense tournament up for grabs.

The HBF returns to Nigeria on Thursday with Omovo Okocha and Ike Ibeabuchi attempting to set up an all-Nigerian African Boxing League tournament final. Like Tuesday's event, this one will also be an eight-bout affair with another sextet of Qualifying League contests preceeding the ABL semi-finals. The federation makes its Puerto Rican debut on Friday, Escobar Stadium in San Juan hosting the card. World Championship tournament competitors Jimmy Ellis and Phil Muscato are scheduled to duke it out for stage two progression in the evening's headliner.

The week's action will conclude in the Philippines on Saturday night with the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City the venue when Houston native Cleveland Williams attempts to secure a stage two berth in the World Championship tournament against the New Yorker Renaldo Snipes. The card will also feature a distinctly Californian flavour, with USC member Mike Weaver looking to finish on top of Group Six in the 1st Defense tournament and Texas-born Los Angeles resident Jack Johnson stepping into the ring against the Mexican Manuel Ramos. Johnson was recently seen partying with Oxnard native, USC member and World Championship tournament 8th seed Sam McVey, leading to speculation that the man known as "The Galveston Giant" had become a member of the talented entourage.

It figures to be an exciting seven days of action, one which will answer a number of questions leading into stage two of the World Championship and 1st Defense tournaments...

[Romdawg88]

Damn, KC you've just been banging stories out in the last couple of days. Some good cards coming up. I'm hoping Cleroux takes out Lewis it would be great if Lewis missed out on the finals after all the early hype he got.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Damn, KC you've just been banging stories out in the last couple of days. Some good cards coming up. I'm hoping Cleroux takes out Lewis it would be great if Lewis missed out on the finals after all the early hype he got.

I'm still really pi$$ed off about my Tigers missing the playoffs (see the OT thread), but concentrating on the HBF helps take my mind away from that.

Lewis ending up in the Qualifying League would be one of the bigger surprises in the federation but I must admit that such an outcome would make for a great story. Just imagine if it happens and he ends up in Group One. You and Mike would have to slug it out with him much earlier in your careers than expected.

[kenyan_cheena]

GARDNER RALLIES FROM EARLY KNOCKDOWNS
TO SECURE DRAW AND SPOT IN STAGE TWO

Monday 19 August 2002

In one of the most dramatic bouts of stage one of the HBF's World Championship tournament, Englishman Jack Gardner fought back from being floored twice in the 2nd round to hold compatriot Bruce Woodcock to a draw at a packed out Millenium Dome in London. The result was a considerable upset as most experts believed Woodcock would be far too strong for Gardner. It also means that Gardner has qualified for stage two of the tournament in front of his fellow Englishman. Both men have finished with records of 5-1-1 but because the first three tie-breakers (head-to-head, strength of victory (record) and strength of victory (seeding)) cancelled each other out, Gardner progresses due to his higher tournament seeding (Gardner 27, Woodcock 43).

If one had only watched the opening two rounds they would wonder how on earth Gardner prevailed. After wearing a trio of damaging blows and a series of crisp combos in the opening round, Gardner looked finished in round two after a left hook dropped him on his backside forty seconds into the round. He rose on unsteady legs at the count of eight but was down again a minute later from a stiff, flush straight right. This time he was on his feet at four and even though he survived the round, it seemed only a matter of time until Woodcock put him away for good.

The 43rd seed continued to dominate in the early stages of round three, finding the mark with another straight right and a crunching uppercut within a minute of the bell. Gardner appeared completely outclassed but this would prove to be one of those bouts where the momentum takes a complete 180 degree turn in an instant. That instant came at the 1:15 mark when Gardner bounced a hard right off the top of Woodcock's head. The blow staggered the 22 year-old and led to Gardner finishing the round in style, finding the mark with a left-right salvo, a punishing right hook and a number of penetrating jabs. The crowd came to their feet in appreciative applause as the round ended, excited that Gardner was finally in the contest.

After Gardner dominated the 4th with aggression and precision there was no doubt about it. He now had a real chance of victory and Woodcock wore a perturbed expression as he sat on his stool during the intermission. He gazed across the ring at Gardner who replied to his regard with a resolute, determined countenance.

Round five would turn out to be the best of the fight, the combatants trading some punishing blows. Gardner started strongly before Woodcock balanced the ledger in almost no time at all, a pair of left hooks and a punishing right to the ribs bringing him into the round. They went toe-to-toe during the final minute, Gardner scoring with a sizzling right cross before a fantastic exchange ended with a flush left hook from Woodcock. But Gardner ended the round brilliantly, a right uppercut being followed by a winging right and a thudding left hook to complete the stanza.

It was obvious that the final round would be crucial and Gardner was the one who seized the moment. It looked like he had almost subdued his stronger opponent after the 5th and that belief was confirmed as Gardner continued to chop away at Woodcock in the 6th. The 27th seed was coming home with a wet sail, hurting Woodcock with a succession of lefts and rights, keeping him off balance with that potent jab. The determination and desire to succeed was there in Gardner's eyes and he finished the bout with a tremendous flurry, a pair of jabs setting up a straight right/left hook/right hook salvo that forced a wobbly Woodcock to wrap him up as the final bell sounded.

Gardner pumped his fist in the air, confident that he'd done enough to avoid defeat. When the verdict was announced he remained jubilant. While one judge had favoured Woodcock (57-55) the other two had both scored it a 56-56 draw, making the result a draw and confirming Gardner's passage into stage two of the tournament. He was carried around the ring on the shoulders of his corner crew, the audience on their feet applauding one of the most stirring fightbacks in the federation's short history.

A look at the punch totals show the extent of the turnaround that took place over the course of the bout. After two rounds Woodcock had landed 43 punches and Gardner just seven. During the final four, Gardner connected with 144 (84 in the final two rounds combined) while Woodcock found the mark with 61. Overall Gardner landed 151 of 339 (44.5%), Woodcock 104 of 294 (35.4%).

"No one gave me a chance!" exclaimed an excited Gardner. "Everyone just wrote me off, you know? I took that and used it as my motivation. He came out really strong but something just clicked in that 3rd round and once I got on a roll there was no way I was going to let up."

Woodcock's disappointment was painfully evident as he departed the ring. The fact that he'd led the bout by four points on all three cards after just two rounds and still failed to record a victory will no doubt torment him for some time. His 5-1-1 record is currently the best of all fighters who have failed to qualify for stage two in either the World Championship or 1st Defense tournaments, a distinction that he will not be proud of. It's very likely that he'll be installed as the #1 seed in the upcoming European Championship tournament.

***

In the Co-Feature Australia's Peter Jackson finished stage one with a perfect 7-0 record after a comfortable unanimous decision victory over James Tillis (59-54, 58-55, 60-54). It was Jackson's sixth consecutive UD win and secured the #1 seeding in Group Three of stage two for the Carribean-born Aussie.

After a slow start Jackson dropped Tillis with a stinging body shot early in round two. From that point on the 6th seed was never troubled, although he noticeably took his foot off the gas in the final two rounds. Jackson cut Tillis over the left eye in round four and landed 129 of 227 punches (56.8%). Tillis connected with 64 of 267 (24.0%), the loss his third in a row and dropping his record to 1-4-2(1), disappointing considering his 59th seeding in the tournament.

"I just went out there to do enough to get the win," said Jackson. "That's my honest assessment of the fight. The guy looked a little underdone and maybe he wasn't feeling like fighting tonight, so that made it a bit easier for me. Didn't need to push myself too much, which I'm happy about. It's nice to get that #1 seeding for stage two but that won't make it any easier for me to finish on top. The way it looks like working out is that one loss might be enough to ruin anyone's chances and Jacky Johnson's probably going to be in the group, too. That'll be a huge fight but I can't afford to look ahead to it yet."

Jackson has lived up to the federation's expectations during stage one and it's fitting that he's earned that #1 seeding for stage two. He has a great chance to crash what many assume will be an all-American semi-final party come late 2003 and it will be a joy to watch his progress through the tournament's second stage.

Final standings at the top of Group Six

1. 1(6) PETER JACKSON (AUSTRALIA), 7-0-0(1)
2. 2(27) JACK GARDNER (ENGLAND), 5-1-1

3. 3(43) BRUCE WOODCOCK (ENGLAND), 5-1-1(3)

(Still to come: The London Undercard)

[Romdawg88]

I wouldn't mind a shot at Lewis. That would be a fun fight and I would greatly enjoy the victory. So what are the chances of him ending up in group one, how are you exactly deciding which semi-finalists end up in what groups in the QL.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

I wouldn't mind a shot at Lewis. That would be a fun fight and I would greatly enjoy the victory. So what are the chances of him ending up in group one, how are you exactly deciding which semi-finalists end up in what groups in the QL.

As you've seen, the top two seeds in each QL group are empty. Once all the feeder league tournaments are over, the losing finalists and semi-finalists will be seeded in the QL according to their overall win-loss-draw records during the tournaments. The losing finalists will get the top eight seedings, the losing semi-finalists the next sixteen. If Lewis was to make the final and lose, it's possible that he could come out as the #1 losing finalist, which would put him in group one.

[Romdawg88]

Ah, for some reason I was thinking that only the losing semi-finalists would get put into the QL. Don't know were I got that idea. I think I have to worry about Lewis ending up in my group as I doubt the winner of Cleroux/Lewis will lose in the finals and if he loses in the semi-finals he'll grab a seeding higher then 24th I would guess. If I had to guess I would say that the number one seed will be the loser of the African Boxing League's final.

Hell of a comeback by Gardner to come off the deck twice and get the draw.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Ah, for some reason I was thinking that only the losing semi-finalists would get put into the QL. Don't know were I got that idea. I think I have to worry about Lewis ending up in my group as I doubt the winner of Cleroux/Lewis will lose in the finals and if he loses in the semi-finals he'll grab a seeding higher then 24th I would guess. If I had to guess I would say that the number one seed will be the loser of the African Boxing League's final.

Hell of a comeback by Gardner to come off the deck twice and get the draw.

Yeah, now that I look at it, it's unlikely that Lewis would end up in Group one if he lost. Even so, if he does end up in the QL he could possbily end up in your group in stage two.

I couldn't believe Gardner pulled that out. Woodcock was literally killing him for the first two and a half rounds and then it just turned around completely. Hell of an effort and he fully deserves his spot in stage two.

[kenyan_cheena]

THE LONDON UNDERCARD

Opening Bout

Dallas native Randy Stephens scored his second professional victory, defeating the Australian Bill Lang by unanimous decision (58-55, 59-54, 58-57).

Lang tasted the canvas at the end of the opening round and was competitive for much of the fight, especially in round three when he gave Stephens all kinds of trouble. Even so, the Texan was just a little bit better and he swept the final three rounds on two of the judge's cards.

Stephens finishes his time in the 1st Defense tournament with a 2-4-1 record while Lang failed to achieve a victory at 0-5-2.

Preliminary 1

Philadelphia's Gus Dorazio recorded his second consecutive victory and extended his undefeated streak to six bouts with a unanimous decision win over King Solomon (58-56, 59-55, 58-56). It was a contest that was more or less uneventful, with Dorazio content to do just enough against an opponent who showed only occasional signs of troubling him.

Despite having avoided defeat since his debut loss to Tommy Morrison, it's been a frustrating campaign for Dorazio. He was involved in a trio of consecutive draws against Amos Johnson, Oliver McCall and Bill Lang in April, May and June and while his final tournament mark of 3-1-3(1) will guarantee him a higher seeding in the Continental Americas tournament, he'll surely look back with some regrets.

Preliminary 2

Germany's Heinz Neuhaus finished his time in the World Championship tournament with an unimpressive split decision victory over the winless Pennsylvanian Bob Baker (58-57, 57-58, 59-56). After a spirited opening round the bout settled into a period of mediocrity that showed exactly why the two combatants came into the evening with a combined record of 1-11. Round six saw the best action of an otherwise unimpressive contest.

Support Bout

Recording his third consecutive victory, South Africa's Johnny DuPlooy may have booked himself a surprise berth in the upcoming African Championship tournament. In a bout that featured four knockdowns, he KO'd Idaho's James Ellis early in round five with a flurry of blows, the final one a pulverizing straight right that had Ellis out cold.

It was an action-packed contest with Ellis on the canvas midway through the opening round after a left-right combination. DuPlooy continued to control proceedings in round two and into the 3rd before Ellis turned the tables with a hard right to the body as the bell was sounding. The punch sent DuPlooy to one knee and Ellis built on that with an impressive 4th round, hurting the South African on two separate occasions before flooring him for a second time with a right cross late in the round.

Once again DuPlooy was saved by the bell and he then brought an abrupt finish to the bout early in round five with that brilliant combination.

Having gone winless in his first four bouts, DuPlooy is now 3-3-1(1) while Ellis, who brought a two fight winning streak into the contest, is 2-4-1.

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
MONDAY 19 AUGUST 2002
MILLENIUM DOME, LONDON, ENGLAND


OPENING BOUT

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Three
6(46) Randy Stephens UD6 7(54) Bill Lang

PRELIMINARY 1

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Three
5(38) Gus Dorazio UD6 8(62) King Solomon

PRELIMINARY 2

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Six
6(91) Heinz Neuhaus SD6 7(107) Bob Baker

SUPPORT BOUT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Six
5(75) Johnny DuPlooy KO5 8(123) James Ellis

CO-FEATURE

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Six
1(6) Peter Jackson UD6 4(59) James Tillis

MAIN EVENT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Six
2(27) Jack Gardner D6 3(43) Bruce Woodcock

[kenyan_cheena]

HBF'll be back in action within the next six hours, folks. Started writing up an article at work yesterday that I should be able to finish today.

[kenyan_cheena]

JERSEY PRIDE IN EFFECT

Story by Michael Davies for the Newark Telegraph

Monday 19 August 2002

A month has now passed since that Toms River Wednesday night when Heavyweight Boxing Federation competitor Joe Jeannette entered the ring accompanied by a large group of fellow Jersey boxers (and other athletes), drapped in the colours of our Titans and carrying the state flag in what was a stirring display of New Jersey pride.

Indeed, pride would be the appropriate word as Jeannette revealed on the night after his unanimous decision victory over Johnny Summerlin.

"This is what Jersey pride is all about, man," he had said. "Jersey's gonna be representin' to the fullest from now on, absolutely."

A couple of days after that successful Ritacco Center evening Jeannette stated that he planned to emulate the moves of fellow HBF World Championship tournament entrants Elmer Ray (Florida) and Sam McVey (California) in bringing a group of local boxers together to train in an atmosphere that would be beneficial to all, a group to represent the state of New Jersey. Unsurprisingly, the entourage would be known as "Jersey Pride".

Numbered amongst the group are HBF fighters Steve Hamas, Bruce Seldon and Harold Carter, aswell as a quartet of International Boxing League competitors in Mickey Walker (Middleweight), Ike Williams (Lightweight), Dwight Braxton (Light-Heavyweight) and Rubin Carter (Middleweight). It's a talented eight-piece, with Hamas and Jeannette having already booked themselves a place in stage two of the World Championship tournament and Walker and Williams expected to do some major damage in the upcoming IBL regional qualifiers.

But it hasn't just been about boxing for the group. Jeannette's troubles with the law in the time before he started in the sport have been well documented, likewise his "turning away" from the drug dealing scene that threatened to destroy his life. The North Bergen native's parish priest Father Alfredo Ciccone has had a huge influence on Jeannette since their first meeting just over a year ago. It's led to Jeannette reconciling with his family and becoming a positive presence in the New Jersey community, the 26 year-old using his newfound celebrity to draw attention to many social issues such as drug abuse and homelessness.

In accordance with this, Jeannette was responsible (along with help from his fellow Jersey Pride members) for organising the celebrity softball event that took place this past Saturday at Campbell's Field in Camden. The day raised much needed funds for a number of Jersey charity organisations, the 6,425 seat stadium packed to capacity for the day. Amongst the celebrities that attended were Seinfeld's Jason Alexander, rapper/actor Ice-T, Bruce Willis, Sopranos creator David Chase and r'n'b diva Mary J. Blige. A huge barbeque lunch was also part of the day's festivities.

"All of us are in a position where we can really make a difference," said Jeannette during the day. "I never thought I'd be able to have this kind of effect on other people's lives. It's a gift and it's all because of the workings of the Lord and Father Ciccone. I thank the Lord every day that he brought Freddie into my life, you know? I'm certain that without him I would have continued down that path to destruction. Just looking at what we've been able to do here today, I have to pinch myself to make sure that this life I'm living isn't a dream."

It's going to be a very busy next couple of weeks for the members of Jersey Pride with no less than six of them stepping into the ring between now and the end of the month. In the HBF Jeannette goes up against Billy Daniels at Caesar's Palace on Wednesday before next week sees Hamas, Seldon and Harold Carter in action on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, respectively. IBL Middleweights Walker and Rubin Carter will make their professional debuts on Thursday the 29th at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

"Yeah, it's an exciting time for us," said Jeannette, smiling. "Stevie's got a chance to finish on top of the group and Ace can make stage two if he gets up against Bonavena. We're really lookin' forward to seeing Rube and Mick make their debuts, also. Hoping we can all get through without a blemish. That'd be something."

In and out of the ring, it's clearly an exciting time for Jersey Pride. It will be interesting to follow their progress during these next two weeks...