Litzau Calling Out USBA Boxing Champ Mtagwa

ByBoxing Press

Featherweights Rogers Mtagwa, of Philadelphia, and Alvin Brown, of Kansas City, will go through their final workouts this weekend in preparation for their scheduled 12-round USBA title fight next Wednesday, Aug. 2, at the New Alhambra in South Philadelphia. ESPN 2 will televise beginning 9 pm est. While beating Brown is Mtagwa’s main concern, there already have been preliminary discussions for a fall fight with unbeaten (19-0, 17 K0s) prospect Jason Litzau, of St. Paul, MN.

Representatives from the Litzau camp, including Main Events’ Carl Moretti, will be at ringside for the Mtagwa-Brown fight next Wednesday. Mtagwa, 27, will be making his second defense within seven weeks. He knocked out challenger Artyom Simonyan, of Glendale, CA, in four rounds in the same ring June 16. A pro since 1997, Mtagwa has scored 15 knockouts on his 20-10-2 record.

This will mark Mtagwa’s second fight under trainer Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts. A former middleweight contender who is one of three men to defeat Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Watts trained former world champions Buster Drayton, Calvin Grove and Charles Brewer.

Mtagwa won the vacant USBA title July 8, 2005, in New Haven, CT, when he rallied to knock out Joe Morales, of San Antonio, TX, in 10 rounds. Brown, 36, puts the finishing touches on his training this weekend under the guidance of Melvin Wesley. He will fly to Philadelphia on Monday.

A pro since 1997, Brown has a 26-8 record, 12 K0s. He has won his last three, including a 12-round decision over Angelo Luis Torres, of Lakewood, WA, for the vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA) 126-pound title.

The scheduled eight-round junior middleweight semifinal features Jose “El Macho” Medina, of North Philadelphia, against Clarence “Sonny Bono” Taylor, of Wilmington, DE. Medina is 13-6, 10 K0s; Taylor is 10-9-2, 5 K0s.

Chucky Cavallo, of Trenton, NJ, gets his toughest test against Michael Eatmon, of Wilson, NC, in a six-round contest. Cavallo is 9-0, 3 K0s; Eatmon is 9-5, 6 K0s.

Two undefeated left-handed junior middleweights collide when Kaseem Wilson, of Philadelphia, takes on Wes Hobbs, of New York, in another six-rounder. Wilson is 3-0-1, 2 K0s; Hobbs is 4-0-1.

Popular Glenn Turner, a bouncer at the Wild Onion bar/restaurant in Rosement, PA, takes on DeAndre McCole, of Akron, OH, in a six-round cruiserweight match. Turner is 7-3-3, 2 K0s; McCole is 4-14-3.

Three four-round bouts open the card at 7.30 pm.

ESPN 2 boxing analyst Teddy Atlas will be on hand to sign copies of his nationally acclaimed book Atlas, From The Streets To The Ring: A Son’s Struggle To Become A Man. The book will be on sale at the New Alhambra and Atlas will be available to sign at a special table from 7 to 8 pm.

Atlas’ book, an autobiography, has received extremely favorable reviews nationwide since its release in early May.

Tickets for the eight-fight card are priced at $35, $45, $50. They are on sale at the offices of Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc. (215-765-0922) or at www.peltzboxing.com.