This is the dashing of a Beltway dream some 18 years in the making! Why did it happen?

Here it is -- The top Beltway Boxing card of 2007. This was the third annual "Bombs Away on Pearl Harbor Day card on December 7. This was one of the most competitive cards seen along the Beltway in recent memory, including a great bout between undefeated welterweight Tim Coleman of Baltimore and North Carolina's Martinus Clay.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #94 - Post-Fight from Pikesville!

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I recap the third annual Baltimore Pro Boxing "Bombs Away on Pearl Harbor Day" card from the Pikesville National Guard Armory in Pikesville, MD -- one of the most competitive cards in recent memory.

This card tied for the best of 2007. I take you back to August 3 of 2007 for an exciting card of pro and amateur boxing from Rosecroft Raceway in 200z. This card would get the nod for best sustained crowd response. The fans in attendance were into this card from the first bell of the amateur bouts all the way through the pro portion of the card.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #75 - Post-Fight Wrap-Up From Rosecroft Raceway!

Henry "Discombobulating" Jones and I discuss an exciting night of boxing from Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD. We also reflect about the passing of DC Boxing and Wrestling Chair Dr. Arnold McKnight.

Number 3 on the list was the highest profile card of the year -- The night the undefeated Peterson Brothers returned home to DC to fight in front of their home crowd and a nationally televised ESPN2 audience. Let's go back to May 25, 2007..

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #57 - Post-Fight Wrap-Up From DC!

It was an exciting, star-studded night at the DC Armory. "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I recap a solid "American Champions" card including the bouts you didn't see on TV.

Here is number four on the list of Best Beltway Cards of 2007. This took place on September 15 at the ABC Sports Arena in Springfield, VA. This card featured some great prospects from Virginia.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #83 - Post-Fight from ABC Sports Complex!

Major League Boxing's Joe Hensley and I recap a solid boxing card from the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA. This is the first wrap-up show sponsored in part by UndisputedBrand.com.

In this BATB classic, I decided to post the audio wrap-ups from the top five cards of 2007. We start with number 5 -- a card that took place at my alma mater, Howard University in Washington, DC.

The card featured one of the best bouts of the year -- a matchup between DC light heavyweight prospect Reginald Taylor and veteran Philadelphia fighter Jameel Wilson -- as well as the return of Clarence Vinson.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #65 - Post-Fight Wrap-Up from Howard University!

In this Post-Fight Wrap-Up from Howard University's Burr Gymnasium, "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I talk about a card that had great fights and an unfortunate scenario in the main event.

Let me take you back to one year and five days ago -- May 12, 2007. This is a post-fight show after Jimmy Lange's last victory, his eighth round TKO over Fontaine Cabell. After this podcast, Lange said that he suffered a bad rotator cuff injury that has kept him out of action since.

Lange does plan to return to action in July followed by a big show in November in the same location where this show took place --The George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears joins me on the commentary.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #55 - Post-Fight Wrapup from the Patriot Center!

"The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears and I discuss a championship-caliber card at the George Mason University Patriot Center. Included in this broadcast is an exclusive interview with the new WBC Continental Americas Junior Middleweight champion, Jimmy Lange.

Last September, I caught up with former light heavyweight contender "Boxing" Andrew Maynard. A native of Laurel, MD, Maynard (26-13-1, 21 KO's) was a gold medalist at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea and was a highly respected contender who just fell short of winning a world pro title.

Here is the audio interview with Maynard, who now lives in Harlingen, TX.

Gabcast! Boxing Along the Beltway #84 - BATB Legends Interview -- Andrew "Smilin' Drew" Maynard!

From Harlingen, TX, Beltway Boxing Legend and 1988 Olympic Gold Medalist Andrew Maynard talks frankly about his amateur and pro career and how the "Sugar Ray Leonard Survival Kit" didn't help his career.

One of the greatest boxers to ever come out of the DC/Maryland/Virginia corridor – William Joppy – announced his retirement on February 29, shortly after losing to Lucian Bute by 10th round TKO in Montreal, Canada. Joppy was bidding for his fourth world title. It's not surprising that Joppy fought as long as he did in that bout. It's typical of the boxer that he was and the man that he is.

Joppy was a boxer that everyone enjoyed watching. No matter who he was against, Joppy always displayed a throwback attitude about the sport that made him so much fun to watch.

Joppy made his pro debut on February 26, 1993 with a fourth-round unanimous decision over Dwayne Tennet in Camp Hill, PA. Joppy then embarked on one of the longest knockout streaks in Beltway Boxing history, winning his next 12 by KO.

It was the 12th knockout in the run that provided me with my very first "Uh-Oh" moment in covering boxing in the Beltway region. An "Uh-Oh" moment takes place when someone puts on a great performance in the ring and you turn to someone and say "Uh-Oh, he could really be somebody!" For Joppy, that moment for me took place on May 13, 1994 at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD against a tough Pennsylvania boxer named Carl Sullivan, a guy who fought other future champs and contenders such as Gerald McClellan, Tony Thornton and Charles Brewer before he stepped into the ring with Joppy. Sullivan used that experience and rocked Joppy early in the bout. There were murmurs in the crowd that maybe Joppy was another blown-up prospect who wasn't ready to step up.

But in the fourth round, Joppy landed some vicious right hands that eventually stopped Sullivan and pushed Joppy's record to 13-0, 12 KO's. After calling the bout for a local pro boxing show, I turned to my color commentator Charles James, and said "Uh-oh! We could have something here!"

After running his record to 18-0, 15 KO's, Joppy participated in his first 10-round contest on April 29, 1995 at the USAir Arena in Landover, MD, putting on a solid performance in a unanimous decision win over Joaquin Velasquez. That fight put Joppy in solid title contention. But five months later, Joppy was robbed of his first title when he had to settle for a draw against Rodney Toney for the NABF Middleweight title.

The draw, however, did not derail Joppy from going for the big prize – a world title shot – that he would receive on June 24, 1996 in Yokohama, Japan. Joppy traveled to the home country of WBA Middleweight titleholder Shinji Takehara and proceeded to decimate Takehara in front of his people. Joppy won by ninth-round technical knockout to win the title. So thorough was the defeat, Takehara never fought again.

After two title defenses, Joppy lost the title in a controversial 12-round decision loss to Julio Cesar Green on August 23, 1997. Joppy went down in the second, came back to knock Green down in the third, and fought the bulk of the bout with a broken hand. Joppy avenged the loss to Green and won back his title in January of 1998 then defended it against a well past his prime Roberto Duran.

Then, in January of 1999 Joppy had a major battle outside the ring. Joppy was leaving his gym when his van was struck by a car. Joppy suffered a vertebrae fracture in his neck and a cut on his forehead. After doctors feared Joppy had suffered a permanent spinal injury, Joppy was back in the ring just nine months after the crash and defended his title successfully in the rubber match against Green on September 24, 1999 in front of his home crowd in DC.

For me, however, the defining moment of William Joppy's career will actually be in a loss – May 12, 2001 in Madison Square Garden against Felix Trinidad. There are actually two reasons for this.

The first one comes from a press conference concerning this bout and the rest of Don King's "Middleweight Championship Series." This conference took place at Howard University's Crampton Auditorium in DC. I had the opportunity to witness both Joppy and another Beltway product – WBC Middleweight champ Keith Holmes – take part in the biggest press conference of their pro careers and then tell them how proud I was they had gotten to this point.

I was privileged to attend the actual bout, hoping that Joppy – the natural middleweight --could defeat the superstar welterweight moving up in class -- Trinidad. Joppy showed the usual heart during the bout but was stopped in the fifth round. But here is why this was a defining moment. There were so many in the largely pro-Trinidad crowd (who obviously, somehow, could tell I was rooting for Joppy) who came up afterwards and said how proud they were of Joppy for the heart that he showed. It was an amazing site.

Even in defeat, Joppy gave the fans their money's worth, just like he did in victory.

Being the true fighter that he was, Joppy barely acknowledges his third title, the one he won against Howard Eastman in November 2001. By then, Bernard Hopkins had defeated Trinidad to win the undisputed title and, inexplicably, the WBA gave him the title of "Super Champion" and Joppy won the "WBA" title. Joppy told me that he wasn't the champion, Hopkins was. Joppy would get an opportunity against Hopkins but lost a 12-round decision in December of 2003.

By this time, legal and personal issues took their toll on Joppy. Assault charges were filed against Joppy in 2004 and 2005 that were later dropped. This was followed by the tragic passing of his two-year-old daughter a year later. But Joppy fought on until his loss to Bute last Saturday.

One of the major benefits of following boxers in a specific area of the country is that you get to see a fighter develop throughout his career. There has been no boxer I have enjoyed covering more over the past 20 years than William Joppy. I ranked him third behind Simon Brown and Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson among the best boxers to come out of the Beltway area in the last 20 years. Joppy joined Brown, Johnson and his idol, Sugar Ray Leonard as the boxers who have won three or more world titles.

It has been an honor and a pleasure to say I saw William Joppy box in person. Joppy was a true warrior in and out of the ring.

This is an opening to a card that took place on October 7, 2006 at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. Undefeated Waynesboro, VA cruiserweight "JC Superstar" Juan Carlos Robles taking on Dumfries, VA's Derek "D-Mos" Amos in a four-round matchup. This bout was voted the best of 2006 on Boxing Along The Beltway.

Yours truly is doing the play-by-play and "The Fight Doctor" Jerome Spears handles color commentary.

This is from a main event held at the George Mason University Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA on October 7, 2006. The bout features Jimmy Lange (from the Contender season 1) vs. Thomas Wilt of Altoona, PA. This is a 10-round contest.

Since I am still relatively new to the Yardbarker Community, I thought I would take this opportunity to jot down a few comments on why I do what I do when it comes to pro boxing.

There are many writers who write for boxing internet sites who want to cover the whole boxing scene. They want to go to Las Vegas and Atlantic City and do interviews with the heavy hitters of the sport. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

But for the last 21 years, I have looked at boxing in an entirely different way. I love covering the prospects of the sport. And when I am fortunate to live in an area that has been the home of so many great prospects, I don't have far to go.

I was born and raised in Washington, DC, a city that has a rich and not too well known boxing history. Joe Louis fought Buddy Baer at Griffith Stadium in May of 1941. One of the greatest light heavyweights of all time -- Bob Foster -- called DC his home at the height of his career. And of course, one of the greatest boxers of all time -- Sugar Ray Leonard -- fought out of the DC area.

Leonard's success has spawned two generations of great fighters from the DC/Baltimore/Northern Virginia area -- The area known as the Beltway because that is the major highway that connects all three points. Over the past 21 years, I have been fortunate to have covered and interviews 13 world champions from this area, many of them I saw fight for the first time before their fifth pro bout. Names like Simon Brown, William Joppy, Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson and Hasim Rahman are just some of the greats that I have gotten to know over the years.

What I have found over the years is that people who don't live in the DC area know how great our area is for boxing but people who actually LIVE in the area don't. That is the reason for my type of writing. This is why I try to talk about my area for Boxing as often and as best I can.

If anyone has a question about a certain boxer in the Beltway area, please don't hesitate to email me. I'll get back to you as quick as I can. As I say in my profile, feel free to visit my blog, Boxing Along The Beltway for the latest in Beltway Boxing news. I will try to post video of some of the cards and bouts that I have done play-by-play for and would like your feedback on those as well!!

Thanks for letting me share!

As we embark on another great year of Beltway Boxing, I want to share with you an article that chronicles what could and should have been. I pay tribute to three fallen Beltway Boxers.

MOST TRAGIC SITUATIONS: The deaths of Rueben Bell, Jerry Ballard and Beethavean Scottland

During this 15-year period, the Beltway Boxing area lost three of its potentially brightest stars. I know there were many that even I'm not aware of, but these touched me personally because I had the opportunity to work around them.

Out of the three, Bell was the youngest and probably the one with the most potential. Bell was fighting as a junior middleweight and middleweight and he had tremendous power. Not only were he scoring one-punch knockouts, he was scoring FIRST-punch knockouts as in, the first punch he threw in a bout, he knocked a guy out.

Unfortunately, as Bell started to rise in competition, his attitude about the sport started to go sour. In the biggest match of his career – a 10-round bout against Paul Vaden in 1995 in which the winner was to get a world title shot – Bell came in unprepared. Talent alone made the 10-round decision a close one. If he had been in the best shape, Bell would have won easily. Vaden went on to get the title shot and defeat Vincent Pettway for the IBF Junior Middleweight title.

Two years later, September 12, 1997, Bell got another shot at glory. Now fighting as a middleweight, Bell took on former three-time world champion and DC resident Simon Brown in a nationally-televised bout in Pikesville, MD. Brown was on the downside of his great career and many thought Bell would take care of the veteran easily. Through the first three rounds, Bell did exactly that. But in the fourth and fifth rounds, something went wrong. Bell wasn't throwing as many punches and looked sluggish. At the end of the fifth round, Bell sat on his stool and didn't get back up. The bout was over.

What we didn't know then was that would be the last time we would see Bell in a boxing ring. After the Brown bout, Bell was informed that he had stomach cancer. Fortunately, it was in its early stages and could be treated. Bell immediately went for treatment at the Washington Hospital Center. The prognosis was becoming excellent for Bell's return to the ring. But fate played a part in this and Bell's past, which had been littered with numerous run-ins with the law, caught up to him.

Someone named Tomar Locker apparently watched the bout between Bell and Brown. According to later court records, Locker kept hearing Bell's nickname "Ratman" and thought it might have been the same person who organized the shooting and killing of he and his girlfriend in 1994. The girlfriend died. Bell was never formally charged with any involvement in the situation but Locker wanted revenge. He got his revenge on February 5, 1998 when he walked into the Washington Hospital Center lobby and saw Bell as he was waiting for his latest treatment. Locker opened fire and killed Bell. Locker was later found not guilty by reason of insanity. At just 24 years old, Reuben Bell's promising boxing career and, more importantly, his life had been snuffed out.

Promising heavyweight Jerry "The Technician" Ballard's passing hit hard for a couple of reasons. The DC native was seemingly on the way to rebuilding his career after a tough knockout loss to now-WBA heavyweight champion John Ruiz in 1998.

Prior to that loss, Ballard had a solid career, holding victories over fellow DC native Corey "T-Rex" Sanders and former Cruiserweight contender Vincent Boulware. The Boulware bout was for the NABO Heavyweight title. His last two wins were against trial horses Jason Waller and Garing Lane. Ballard put Lane in the hospital with a devastating knockout on the "Triple Jeopardy" card at MCI Center on April 24, 1999.

During the press conference after the "Triple Jeopardy" card, I was getting ready to interview Ballard on tape for a local radio sports show. Just as we started, Don King decided to start the conference and I never got to do the interview. It would be the last time I would see Ballard alive. On August 24, 1999, Ballard was murdered at the age of 32. I truly regret never getting a chance to do that interview.

The death of Beethavean Scottland was the one most closely associated with the actual sport of boxing. On June 26, 2001, Scottland stepped into the ring aboard the USS Intrepid Museum in New York to face George Khalid Jones. Scottland took the bout on just five days notice.

Just a day before he accepted the bout with Jones, I saw Scottland at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie. Scottland was scheduled to fight there against Baltimore's Dana Rucker, but Rucker hurt his ankle and had to back out of the fight. Bee came to the show and we briefly talked. I remember telling him how disappointed I was that he wasn't able to fight that evening. At that time, neither one of us knew about the Jones bout.

When Scottland walked into the ring on the 26th, he looked ready but from the first bell, something seemed wrong. Jones was in control in the early going. Bee showed the heart that he was famous for and stayed in the bout, but he just couldn't get the full advantage. Despite all this, Scottland was ahead on one of the cards. All he had to do is survive the 10th and final round and he would have at least gotten a draw.

Unfortunately as we know, Scottland suffered a TKO in the final round and slipped into a coma. Five days later, Bee Scottland was gone at the age of 26. What a tragedy.

I have to mention something about Bee's funeral, because it provided me with probably the most touching moment I've ever shared in my sportswriting career. Just about everyone I've ever known in Beltway Boxing was there. George Khalid Jones was there also, along with his trainer, the legendary Lou Duva. Jones told folks afterwards that he really was afraid to come, thinking that people there would take out their sorrows on him. The exact opposite happened. There was a whole lot of support for him. Some encouraged him to win the light heavyweight title in Bee's memory. We all knew that this was a tough moment for him as well. Unfortunately, Jones' career did suffer because of this. The love shown for both Bee and Jones that day was just incredible.

In 2006, Jones fought for the first time in Maryland, taking on Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson at Michael's Eighth Avenue. In the crowd was Bee's widow, Denise, who was rooting hard for Jones. Later, the two would meet for the first time. They would become friends. Even the most positive moments can come out of the most tragic situations.

I decided to share my thoughts on pro boxing in the DC/MD/VA corridor for 2007. We had a great year this year and I wanted to tell the YardBarker community all about it.

The year 2007 will be remembered as a pivotal one for the Beltway Boxing community. Boxers in DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia made great strides to the point where for the first time in a number of years, fans of the area can truly define where a number of their favorite boxers are ranked.

This was also a very active year for the region as 37 cards took place. Maryland held 18, Virginia regulated 15 and the District of Columbia had four.

Here is the best from one of the best years in recent Beltway Boxing History:

The Five Best Beltway Boxing Cards of 2007

1a: December 7 â€" Pikesville National Guard Armory, Pikesville, MD.

Rarely has there been a card in the Beltway area with so many razor-thin decisions that no one had any complaints about. This six-bout card, promoted by Baltimore Pro Boxing, saw all six bouts go the distance and three bouts end in draws. Two of the bouts ranked among the best bouts of the year and two other bouts were rematches that were either as good as or better than the first time around.

1b: August 3 â€" Rosecroft Raceway, Fort Washington, MD

This card shares the honor of card of the year because it was the most exciting card of 2007. It was also a model card to show how the combination of amateur and pro bouts on one card is supposed to work. The amateur portion of the card featured three of the most talked about young boxers in the area (Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell, Abodurin Akinyanju and Dusty Harrison) as well as some great pro prospects in Alexander "The Great" Johnson, Horace "The Reason" Grant and Thomas "KO" Snow. There was no better consistent crowd response than on this Keystone Boxing card.

3. May 25 â€" DC Armory, Washington, DC

The highest-profile card of the year featured two of not only the Beltway's best, but also the world's best contenders. The Undefeated Peterson Brothers put on solid performances on this ESPN-televised card. NABO Lightweight champ Anthony Peterson successfully defended his title with a ninth-round TKO over Luis Ernesto Jose while Lamont Peterson scored an eighth-round TKO over veteran John Brown. On the undercard, Beltway Boxing prospects Reginald Taylor, Ty Barnette and Jessie Nicklow all remained undefeated.

September 16 â€" ABC Sports Arena, Springfield, VA

Exciting cards were plentiful in the Commonwealth of Virginia in 2007. However, the Left Hook Promotions card that took place at the ABC Sports Complex was filled with competitive bouts. This included a main event that completed one of the better area stories of the year â€" The resurgence of junior welterweight Jaime "The Punisher" Palma who won an eight-round unanimous decision over veteran Dean "Pit Bull" White. Also, some of Virginia's best prospects were on the show, including junior middleweight Andrew "Doo Man" Farmer, cruiserweight Terry "T-Brick" Roy and junior welterweight Todd "White Lightning" Wilson. All won in good, exciting performances.

June 23 â€" Howard University, Washington, DC

DC's cards were few in number, but two of them managed to make this list. This Babie Girl Promotions card featured a brand new venue as well as controversy and one of the best bouts of the year. Former US Olympian Clarence Vinson made his return after more than a year's absence and won a 10-round unanimous decision over Robert DaLuz. However, Vinson lost an opportunity to win the WBC USNBC Bantamweight title because he came in over the 118-pound limit. Also, there was an outstanding co-feature between local prospect Reginald Taylor and Philadelphia's Jameel "Black Gold" Wilson as well as a dominating performance by local junior welter Reggie "The Mechanic" Holly. There was also history on this card as Michelle Hall became the first female to referee a pro bout in the Beltway.

Five Best Beltway Boxing Bouts of 2007

December 7 â€" John Mackey vs. Tony Cygan, Pikesville National Guard Armory, Pikesville, MD

This was far and away one of the best bouts seen in the Beltway area in many years. These were two prospects that simply enjoyed performing the "sweet science." Mackey, a native of DC who now lives in Montgomery, AL, traded solid head and body shots with the Baltimore native Cygan. Both men showed incredible class as they traded smiles and gestures of sportsmanship throughout the bout. Mackey won by six-round unanimous decision.

June 23 â€" Reginald Taylor vs. Jameel Wilson, Howard University's Burr Gymnasium, Washington, DC

Until the December 7 card, this six-round contest was the clubhouse leader as bout of the year. This was a classic youth vs. experience bout between undefeated light heavyweight prospect Reginald "Rat Man" Taylor and veteran Jameel "Black Gold" Wilson. Both boxers turned fighting in close quarters into an art form, trading head and body shots. Wilson took the advantage in the middle rounds but Taylor showed strong resilience to come back with a strong sixth round to win the bout.

May 12 â€" Jimmy Lange vs. Fontaine Cabell, George Mason University Patriot Center, Fairfax, VA

The rematch of one of the best Beltway bouts of 2006 had a lot of excitement and a solid performance by the hometown hero, Lange. As in the first bout, both men were very aggressive, but Lange deserves credit for fighting seven rounds with a torn rotator cuff, that he hurt in the first round. Lange did a great job in wearing Cabell down. Lange dropped Cabell with a solid right hand late in the seventh round before stopping Cabell 55 seconds into the eighth round. The win gave Lange the WBC Continental Americas Junior Middleweight title, but put him on the shelf for the rest of 2007. Lange is slated to return in March.

November 17 â€" Andrew Farmer vs. Curtis Smith, ABC Sports Arena, Springfield, VA

This bout proved that some fathers have no apprehension in testing the abilities of their sons. Scott Farmer of Left Hook Boxing Promotions cannot be accused of giving his son â€" Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer an easy road to a title. Such was the case when Farmer fought Curtis Smith of Atlanta and won a six-round split decision. Farmer took advantage early in the bout with quick and accurate punches. But in the sixth round, Smith landed a sneaky uppercut and followed up with a barrage of punches that made Farmer slump to the canvas. However, Farmer gamely got up and managed to win the bout.

December 7 â€" Tim Coleman vs. Martinus Clay, Pikesville National Guard Armory, Pikesville, MD

The main event on this card was a very spirited bout between one of the busiest boxers in the Beltway in Baltimore welterweight Tim "Pit Bull" Coleman and tough veteran "Magnificent" Martinus Clay of Wilson, NC. Coleman, fighting for the ninth time in 2007, was fighting in his first scheduled 10-round contest. Clay was fighting an undefeated boxer for the seventh consecutive time. Coleman got off to a great start, landing solid shots in the first two rounds. Clay used his experience to gain a strong advantage in the middle rounds. Coleman, fighting with a right hand that was broken in the fifth round, used great defense to set his offense in the latter stages. However, both men could only manage a draw. Coleman plans to drop to 140 pounds in 2008, but he says he wants a rematch with Clay.

Five Best Beltway Boxing Knockouts of 2007 (not including Wilson-Nwodo)

There is no question that Darnell Wilson's 11th round knockout of Emmanuel Nwodo was the knockout of the year among Beltway Boxers. However, the bout didn't take place in a Beltway location. These were the top five that took place in the Beltway area.

1. March 10 â€" Elias Bouloubassis, first-round KO over Vincent Robbins, Pikesville National Guard Armory, Pikesville, MD

This was the first pro victory for the "Golden Greek," a super middleweight from Reisterstown, MD. The former Marine had two earlier bouts end in draws, but the one thing that was prevalent in his career was his power, which he brutally displayed in this rematch against the York, SC, -based Robbins. The first bout in December of 2006 ended because of an accidental headbutt. This time, Bouloubassis left no doubt as he jumped on Robbins early with solid left and right hands. Robbins was out on his feet. In just 15 seconds, the bout was over. The knockout is reportedly the fastest in the history of the super middleweight division, eclipsing Allen Green's 2005 knockout of Jaidon Codrington by three seconds.

2. May 30 â€" Nick Collins, second-round TKO over Terrell Nixon, Michael's Eighth Avenue, Glen Burnie, MD

This was a gutsy knockout victory for Collins, a middleweight from Bel Air, MD. Collins bounced back from being dropped in the first round by the Cincinnati, OH-based Nixon. Collins started strongly in round two, using solid shots to back Nixon off. With 10 seconds remaining in the second, Collins caught Nixon with a straight right hand that dropped Nixon to the canvas. Nixon beat the count, but was not fit to continue. Collins won the bout at 2:58 of the second round.

3. May 11 â€" Jessie Nicklow, third-round TKO over Matt Berkshire, Du Burns Arena, Baltimore, MD

Nicklow, an undefeated, promising junior middleweight from Severn, MD had only one minor blemish on his record, a first-round technical draw against Matt Berkshire of Morgantown, WVA two months earlier. The rematch turned out to be a quality performance by Nicklow who dropped Berkshire with two brutal left hands. The bout was stopped at 1:20 of the third round.

4. October 7â€"Willis Lockett, third-round TKO over Calvin Riley, Hilton McLean Tysons Corner Hotel, McLean, VA

Yet another rematch, except the result was very similar to the first bout. Takoma Park, MD cruiserweight Willis "The Prophet" Lockett defeated Olney, MD's Calvin Riley in the third round in August. Lockett did it again two months later scoring a crushing right hand. Riley beat the count but was unfit to continue. The time of the bout was 1:05 of the third.

5. November 17 â€" Stennis Floyd, first-round TKO over Ed Edwards, ABC Sports Arena, Springfield, VA

No one made a more explosive pro debut in the Beltway area than Bristow, VA light heavyweight Stennis "Hard Banging" Floyd, who scored a wicked first-round knockout over Ed Edwards of Wilson, NC. Edwards sent two solid right hands that dropped Edwards for the count at 59 seconds of the round.

Five Best Beltway Boxing Stories of 2007

1. Gary Russell Jr. becomes first Beltway Boxer since 2000 to make US Olympic Team

This was a story more than a decade in the making. Since before his teens, the 19-year-old Russell, a native of Capitol Heights, MD, has had many Beltway Boxing observers dreaming the Olympic dream.

Russell was the youngest member of the US Elite amateur team and was named the USA Boxing Athlete of the Year in 2005, so making the Olympic team was thought to be a done deal. However, Russell lost his first bout at the Olympic Trials this past August and was put into the consolation bracket. Russell regrouped and won six straight bouts in six days, including two victories over the boxer that beat him in the first round to win the berth, becoming the first Beltway Boxer since Clarence Vinson to make the Olympic Team. Only three other US amateurs â€"- Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr. and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. have won Olympic berths out of the consolation bracket. In October, Russell officially punched his ticket to Beijing.

2. Maryland becomes industry pioneer in promoting and regulating pro-am cards.

The state of Maryland was very busy in regulating boxing cards. Maryland regulated 18 boxing cards, marking the fourth straight year that the state has hosted more than 15 cards in a year. Sixteen of the 18 cards featured a number of amateur boxers that fought prior to the pro boxers on the show. The Maryland State Athletic Commission worked hand in hand with not only different promoters in the state, but also with both the Potomac Valley AAU and the South Atlantic Boxing Association who handled amateur programs in Prince George's County and Baltimore, MD respectively. Fan response was very favorable and Maryland State Commission Executive Director Patrick Pannella was asked to give a presentation during USA Boxing's Annual Convention in Houston, TX in November.

3. DC licenses first female professional boxing referee â€" Michelle Hall works June 23 card at Howard University.

This was an extremely overlooked story. Michelle Hall, a local amateur official and inspector in Virginia, received an opportunity to work as a referee on a pro card, becoming reportedly the first female to referee a pro bout in Beltway Boxing history. Hall worked two bouts on the June 23 card at Howard University's Burr Gymnasium and was very accomplished in her work.

4. Beltway Boxers win nine major regional titles.

A number of local boxers made solid strides in their careers by winning major regional titles. Lamont Peterson won two titles (WBC US Junior Welterweight, NABO Junior Welterweight) as did Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson (Trans-America (Canada), USBA Cruiserweight and Tony "The Tiger" Thompson (WBC Continental Americas and NABO Heavyweight) Thompson and Anthony Peterson (NABO Lightweight) won regional titles en route to achieving number one contender status in their respective weight classes.

Even former world heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman captured the USBA Heavyweight title during his quest to regain the world title. Only one of the regional titles was won in the Beltway area. Jimmy Lange captured the WBC Continental Americas Junior Middleweight title on May 12 in Fairfax, VA.

5. Jaime Palma wins six straight bouts to go from under .500 to Virginia State Lightweight champ to ranked number 14 in USBA rankings.

Many boxing fans may remember the story of Freddie Pendleton, who went from an under. 500 record to win the IBF Lightweight title. Pendleton's story is the blueprint that Alexandria, VA lightweight Jaime Palma has been following since 2005. At that time, Palma was 7-10-1. Palma started his six-bout winning streak in 2006 with three wins against under.500 competition. But in 2007, Palma stepped up his game with three more wins against tougher competition. A six-round unanimous decision win against tough Richmond trialhorse Edward Anderson raised some eyebrows. Palma then won the Virginia State Junior Welterweight title with a fifth-round TKO over Artie Benbury. But it was his eight-round unanimous decision win over Dean White on September 15 in Springfield, VA that caused some in the boxing world to take notice. At the end of 2007, Palma cracked the USBA lightweight rankings at number 14.

The Five Best Beltway Boxing Rookies of 2007

1. Bayan Jargal, Arlington, VA (5-0-1, three KO's) A native of Mongolia, Jargal started his career in late November of 2006 with a first-round TKO of Patrick Bozeman. Still technically a rookie, Jargal didn't fight again until May 12, 2007 when he scored another first-round TKO over veteran Shane Gierke in Fairfax, VA. Jargal's only minor setback came in a May 31 bout against Jaime Rodriguez in Glen Burnie, MD. Jargal battled Rodriguez to a four-round draw in the only bout where he was a little slower on the draw than usual. Since that bout, Jargal has looked very impressive and has already moved up to six-round bouts, winning by unanimous decision over Reggie Holly on November 8 in DC and scoring a second round TKO over Nathan Francis on December 15 in DC.

Jargal is as technically sound as it comes and does show solid power and focus. He is the choice as Beltway Boxing Rookie of the Year for 2007.

2. Alexander "The Great" Johnson, Oxon Hill, MD (4-0, three KO's) a tall, lanky light heavyweight, Johnson has shown impressive power in his first year. Johnson has scored two first-round knockouts and was in complete control during his last outing, a four-round unanimous decision over Zeferino Albino on November 29 in Glen Burnie. If Johnson can do a better job in controlling his emotions, he could be a dominant prospect in 2008.

3. "War Time" George Rivera, Charlottesville, VA (6-1, three KO's) A rapidly-improving junior middleweight who bounced back very well from an early loss. After winning his pro debut with a first-round knockout over Clarence Horne on February 3 in Fisherville, VA, Rivera was stunned with a second-round knockout loss to Charles Norwood just 14 days later in Winchester, VA. Since that loss, Rivera has reeled off five straight impressive victories. Rivera has also quickly attracted a large fan base, known as "La Familia" that stretches from Virginia to Rivera's birthplace of Queens, NY.

4. Todd "White Lightning" Wilson, Arlington, VA (3-0, one KO) A boxer who, if he continues to be successful, may renew interest in collegiate boxing. A champion from VMI, Wilson has shown solid talent in his short pro career. Wilson made his pro debut with a second round TKO over Jay Watts on April 28 in Fisherville, VA and has scored unanimous decision victories over starter opponents Henry Goss and Edward Anderson. Wilson is another young boxer who is gaining quick popularity in the area.

5. "The Golden Greek" Elias Bouloubassis, Reisterstown, MD (3-0-4, three KO's) Bouloubassis, a super middleweight, has had one of the strangest rookie years of any boxer in recent memory. The four draws on his record don't look great, especially when two of them were technical draws, caused in part by Bouloubassis's straight-ahead style. But when he plants his feet and throws, he has as much power as anybody around, as evident by his 15-second knockout of Vincent Robbins and his knockouts of Jessie Horton and Rakeem Carter. Needs to develop a jab to progress, but he is still a fun boxer to watch.

Other quality rookies: Earl "Mighty Mouse" Cole (welterweight, Baltimore, 2-1, one KO), Lawrence Jones (junior middleweight, DC, 2-1, one KO), Danny Kisner (Glen Burnie, MD, 1-0, one KO), Travis "O.T.T. Mallin, (bantamweight, Fairfax, VA, 2-0, one KO), Edgar "The Tiger" Torres (junior welterweight, Springfield, VA, 2-0, two KO's)

The Five Best Beltway Boxing Prospects of 2007

1. Tim "Pit Bull" Coleman, Baltimore, MD (14-0-1, three KO's) No boxer in the DC/MD/VA region has progressed as well as this welterweight prospect. Coleman advanced in all facets of the game â€" work rate, competition and length of rounds. Coleman fought nine times in 2007, working a total of 55 rounds. Coleman also progressed in his competition, defeating the likes of Jason Champion, Richard "Tiger" Lee Hall, Doel Carrasquillo and Scott Ball, before fighting a tough 10-round draw against Martinus Clay in his last outing on December 7. Also during the year, Coleman went from six-to eight to 10 rounds this year. Plans to drop to 140 pounds in 2008, where he may find an increase in power.

Because of his progression, Tim Coleman is the selection as the 2007 Beltway Boxing Prospect of the Year.

2. Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall, Baltimore, MD (14-0-1, two KO's). Fought only four times this year, but fought solid gatekeeper-style opponents. The super middleweight advanced as a boxer-puncher with an improving ability to adapt to the opponent he is facing. In his best win of the year, Paschall won an eight-round unanimous decision over Richard Stewart on August 25 in Ocean City, MD by using movement and sharp jabs. In his last outing against Randy Pogue on November 29 in Glen Burnie, MD, Paschall was more of a puncher and was able to pound out a six-round decision.

3. Horace "The Reason" Grant, Riverdale, MD (10-1, seven KO's). This heavyweight prospect appeared in eight contests this year, progressing nicely, All 2007 opponents had .500 or better records. Grant improved his power and scored nice knockouts against the likes of Glenn Williams, Mike Sheppard and Harvey Jolley. Grant will be a solid heavyweight prospect to watch in 2008.

4. Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow, Severn, MD (14-0-1, five KO's). The 2006 choice for Rookie of the year, the junior middleweight prospect progressed slightly in 2007. A major difference for Nicklow was his power, as he scored three solid knockouts this year. Fought his first undefeated fighter in Matt Berkshire and after the first bout ended in a first-round technical draw, Nicklow scored his best knockout of the year in the rematch, a third-round TKO. This prospect will be looked upon to make a move in 2008.

5. Reginald "Rat Man" Taylor, Washington, DC (8-0, four KO's). A good light heavyweight prospect who stepped up his game late in 2007, Taylor has yet to have an opponent who has an under.500 record. Put on a great performance in a six-round war against veteran Jameel Wilson in June. However, reportedly did not perform well in winning a six-round decision against 14-2 Jermain Mackey on November 17 in Turks and Caicos. If Taylor can start the year well, he could be heard from in 2008.

Other quality prospects: Ty Barnette (junior welterweight, DC, 12-0-1, nine KO's), Andrew "The Doo Man" Farmer (lightweight, Front Royal, VA, 9-1, six KO's), "JC Superstar" Juan Carlos Robles (cruiserweight, Waynesboro, VA, 9-0, four KO's), Terry "T-Brick" Roy, (cruiserweight, Front Royal, VA, 7-0-1, six KO's), Thomas "KO" Snow, (featherweight, Capitol Heights, MD, 10-0, eight KO's).

The 2007 Beltway Boxer of the Year is…

Darnell "The Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson, Takoma Park, MD (22-5-3, 19 KO's) In a year where there were many Beltway Boxing standouts, Wilson's impact on the cruiserweight division places him slightly above his Beltway brethren. Wilson continued the turnaround that began in September 2006 with a fourth-round TKO over Daniel Judah with three quality knockout performances that set the cruiserweight division on his ear.

On January 19, Wilson traveled to Edmonton, Alberta, CA and scored a second-round TKO over hometown hero Dale Brown, marking the first time Brown had been knocked out on his home turf.

Then on February 23 in Scranton, PA, Wilson endeared himself to a nationally televised ESPN audience by scoring a third-round knockout over former IBF Cruiserweight champ Kelvin Davis.

But it was his sickening 11th round knockout over fellow Beltway Boxer Emmanuel Nwodo on June 29 in Staten Island, NY that truly sent shockwaves throughout the division. The knockout has already been a fixture on numerous year-end polls as the knockout of the year and made Wilson a household name in the Cruiserweight division. Wilson is slated to defend his USBA Cruiserweight title against undefeated BJ Flores in his third straight ESPN2 appearance on February 8 in Dover, DE.

A year ago, Wilson had four straight losses and was thought of as an also-ran. Now, he is a legitimate contender and is recognized as the 2007 Beltway Boxer of the Year.

Other Beltway Boxers deserving of consideration:

Tony "The Tiger" Thompson, (heavyweight, Washington, DC, 31-1, 19 KO's) If Wilson had not had such an impactful year, Thompson would have won this award going away. Thompson won two regional titles and leaped above two contenders in Timor Ibragimov and Luan Krasniqi, defeating the latter by fifth-round knockout in Krasniqi's own home town of Hamburg, Germany to become the number-one ranked contender in the WBO and one of the most feared contenders in the division. Thompson continued his undefeated streak, which has now stretched over a seven-year period. If all goes well, Thompson will face the winner of the unification bout between WBO champ Sultan Ibragimov and WBC titleholder Wladimir Klitschko. Thompson is scheduled to be on the undercard of the unification bout on February 20.

Anthony Peterson (lightweight, Washington, DC, 25-0, 18 KO's). Peterson had a solid year, winning four times (with three knockouts) and has spent the year as the WBO's number-one ranked lightweight contender. Peterson will not rest on his laurels in 2008 as he is slated to defend his NABO Lightweight title against tough Guadalupe Rosales on ShoBox on January 4.

Lamont Peterson (junior welterweight, Washington, DC, 23-0, 11 KO's). Peterson started to shed the image of a pure boxer by scoring three stoppages in 2007. The most impressive knockout came in front of his hometown crowd on national television against veteran contender John Brown on May 25. Peterson registered an eighth-round TKO in that bout. Peterson then won the NABO Junior Welterweight title, stopping Frankie Santos in the sixth round on September 7 in Biloxi, MS. Like his brother, Anthony, Lamont Peterson looks to make a move for a world title as he defends his NABO title against undefeated Antonio Mesquita on the same January 4 ShoBox card.

In Memoriam:

Dr. Arnold W. McKnight â€" Chair of the District of Columbia Boxing and Wrestling Commission for 12 years.

Bobby Glassmeyer â€" Long-time Maryland boxing trainer

Lorado Williams â€" Baltimore, MD amateur boxer

Truman E. Tuttle â€" One of the most notable names in amateur boxing. Tuttle headed the DC and the National Golden Gloves program for many years.

Alton Rice â€" a DC amateur and professional super middleweight boxer.

Ernest "Sonny Boy" Williams â€" DC lightweight who boxed in the 1950's.

Jeffrey Arnold â€" the older brother of former welterweight contender Derrell Coley.

The Five Stories to Watch in 2008

1. Can the Beltway have four world champions again? The DC/MD/VA area is poised to do something that has not been done since 1996. With Darnell Wilson, Tony Thompson and Lamont and Anthony Peterson, the Beltway is in position to win four world titles in 2008. In 1996, Mark Johnson, Keith Holmes, Sharmba Mitchell and William Joppy accomplished that feat. Going into 2008, Thompson and Anthony Peterson are ranked first in their respective division. Lamont Peterson is ranked third by the WBC and Wilson is ranked seventh by the WBO.

2. Will the 2008 Rookie Class be better than 2007? The 2007 Beltway rookie class was one of the best in recent years. But 2008 could be even better. Three of the members -- amateur standout Fernando Guerrero of Salisbury, MD, Bristow, VA's Stennis Floyd and Harold Orji of DC -- already made victorious pro debuts late in 2007. . Beltway Boxing fans are also anxiously awaiting the debut of Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell, who has already had a number of high-level pro boxing promoters talking about him.

3. Will DC increase its number of pro cards in 2008? While DC only had four pro cards in 2007, two of them were quality cards. The Nation's Capital hopes to increase its total under new Boxing and Wrestling Chair Jason Turner. A good sign of progress is that there are reportedly cards already slated for February and March of 2008. The first DC card of 2007 didn't take place until April.

4. Will Gary Russell Jr. Medal at the Olympics?

The bulk of the summer of 2008 will focus on Russell Jr. who will be trying for an Olympic medal in Beijing, China in August. The 19-year-old from Capital Heights, MD will try to continue a standard set by the likes of Norvel Lee, Sugar Ray Leonard and Andrew Maynard â€" who all won gold medals in Olympic competition.

5. Will Jimmy Lange bounce back from injuries to get into world

title contention?

Arguably, the Beltway's most popular boxer, the Great Falls, VA junior middleweight won the WBC Continental Americas Junior Middleweight title in 2007 but suffered a torn rotator cuff injury in the title win over Fontaine Cabell in May. Lange is scheduled to return in late March and needs to stay healthy to be a serious contender. Who Lange will face and how he will progress will be an interesting story in the coming year.

This is a brief article about a very brief yet somewhat successful period in Beltway Boxing history. It involved four men who were very talented but did not receive the absolute success they were looking for. Still no group managed by the same people have achieved this type of success. That may change in the very near future because the Peterson Brothers, Tony Thompson, Ty Barnett and Reginald Taylor are all under the same management umbrella (Peake

Management Group). The Hard Corps serve as an historical blueprint to that success.

The HARD CORPS represented the identity of the Beltway Boxing scene during the early-to-mid nineties. Four young undefeated boxers who were managed and trained by the same people. If you're an old-school pro wrestling fan, it was reminiscent of the "Four Horsemen" in the NWA/WCW.

For a short time, Derrell "Too Sweet" Coley, Reggie "Showtime" Green, Rueben "Ratman" Bell and Gerry "Rock" Payne were ready and poised to take over the sport. Their manager was Barry Linde, a self-made millionaire who didn't seem to be afraid to spend that money. They also had three of the top trainers around in Leonard Langley, Al Scott and Vardell McCann. How could they lose?

Unfortunately, it didn't turn out exactly the way we wanted it to. The best the group could manage was three NABF titles (two for Coley and one for Green) and two IBC titles (one for Coley and one for Payne). The group broke up in the midst of inability to move successfully to the world championship level, personal problems and untimely death (the murder of Bell in February 1998). Despite this, no local boxing camp has come close to this type of organized success.