Salinas Set For March Ring Return In Atlantic City

Alejandro Popo Salinas will look to rebound after a forgettable 2018 which saw the 24-year-old Youngstown native lose a unanimous decision in a one-sided bout against Ugandian southpaw, Suliman Segawa in his lone match of the year at the Palermo Center in March.

Salinas (9-2, 8 KOs), who took a brief hiatus away from the gym following the disheartening defeat is slated to take on an opponent who has yet to be determined on March 23 in Atlantic City, NJ at the Showboat Hotel in what will be his first match with Atlantic City-based Rising Star Promotions. 

With his focus once again on boxing, Salinas has been back at Southside Boxing Club working with champion trainer Jack Loew to get the hard-hitting super featherweight back on track after seeing his six-bout win streak that had dated back to December 2015 come to an end.

"I'm training like my future depends on it," said Salinas when asked about his mindset on his return.

Salinas was on the cusp of putting himself on the super featherweight radar in September 2017 when he defeated previously undefeated Duran Vue in Las Vegas on national television in convincing fashion.

Stay tuned to Youngstown Boxing News as we will have more information as details become available.

Rosta Signs With Bellator MMA

Anyone who has seen Dalton Rosta fight, whether in a cage or in the ring knew that the 23-year-old New Castle native had the makings to be a superstar.

Rosta, who fights as a light heavyweight in the cage just took a huge step forward to reaching stardom as the highly touted undefeated prospect has signed on with Bellator MMA according to FloCombat.

Known as a knockout artist, Rosta is 7-0 in MMA with all his wins coming by way of knockout while also maintaining an undefeated record as an amateur heavyweight boxer.

Rosta, who recently graduated from Youngstown State University last fought in October when he stopped Michigan native Cody Brundage at a BCM promoted show in Mansfield, OH.

Stay tuned to Youngstown Boxing News as I hope to get an interview with Rosta in the near future.

Rosenberger Fights To A Draw As Matt Conway Stays Perfect With Main Event Victory

Danny Rosenberger throws a punch on Lenwood Dozier
Thanks to Lee Photography Group LLC for the picture.

Made Men Promotions has been known to put on great boxing shows and this past Saturday night was no different as a capacity crowd in the Ballroom at Mountaineer Casino and Resort were treated to an entertaining night of boxing.

While the crowd was left satisfied with the action in the ring, Youngstown native Danny Rosenberger was left with disbelief after he seemingly outworked his opponent over the duration of their four round super welterweight contest only to hear the fight was scored a majority draw.

Rosenberger went to work early and took control when he backed Washington, D.C. native Lenwood Dozier into a corner and landed a series of the body of Dozier (10-21-3).

Over the course of the fight, Rosenberger seemed to be in control as he stayed defensively strong while firing off and landing combinations.

Rosenberger (4-6-4) had Dozier wobbled a few times, including in the third round when he landed a hard straight right to the head of Dozier snapping his head back.

"I'm very disappointed in the decision," Rosenberger said postfight.  "I had him hurt a few times and landed the much cleaner and clear shots.  To me, I  feel like outboxed him".

Though he was disappointed, Rosenberger vowed to let the judge's decision add fuel to his fire. 

"I just can't leave it in the hands with these judges anymore," said Rosenberger.  "This just motivates me to go back out there and work even harder than I have been.  I'm not done and I'll be back".

In the evening's main event, Pittsburgh native Matt Conway stayed perfect and improved his record to 16-0 with a hard-earned eight round unanimous decision victory over Zacatecas, Mexico native Jose Martinez (11-17).

Though he got had to work hard in a match which saw both fighters countering well and landing body shots at a high rate, Conway saw plenty of positives in the victory while showing nothing but respect to his opponent.

"My opponent was tough and now I'll have the experience to know what it's like to go into the later rounds with an opponent who can stick with me punch for punch," said Conway.  "I won't be shaken or caught off guard by someone who's matching me in the later rounds".

Though his opponent had his fair share of bright spots over the course of the 8 round super featherweight contest, Conway had no fear in a decision going against him despite a few questionable decisions earlier in the evening.

"I was confident I boxed well enough for the judges to clearly see I won," said Conway who is a student of the sport and plans to get back into the gym as soon as possible.

"I'll have a few days to rest then I'm right back in the gym while everything is still fresh in my head like the things I need to work on, the things I did well, and what I need to do better as well as things I didn't do what I should have done," stated Conway.  "I think we're going to work on turning angles more after this fight, they worked well so I want to get better at it".

While Matt Conway walked away victorious, his older brother Mike fought to a four round draw in what may have been the evenings most entertaining bout.

Conway, who was coming off of an 8-month layoff from the ring for a shoulder injury overcame a slow start and seemed to do enough to defeat David Pena of Odenton, Maryland in the lightweight showdown.

Conway, who had a strong second and third round despite his opponent dancing and taunting sustained a cut in the early stages of the fourth round which he later needed stitches on. 

"The cut happened right in the beginning of the fourth round either from a headbutt or an elbow," said Conway.  "I felt it dripping and knew I was cut and honestly that was the first cut I've had.  As the round went on it clouded my vision a little so I just tried to close the eye and deal with it".

Though he was bloodied and disappointed with the decision, Conway remained upbeat knowing the fans got their money worth.

"It was a tough and entertaining fight," stated Conway.  "I feel I started to hit my groove in the last round.  It was hard to get comfortable and readjust every few seconds but I thought I squeezed it out three rounds to one just by pushing the fight.  I was a little disappointed but the crowd was pleased with the fight and they voiced their opinion on the decision so that's all I needed".

One fight that didn't end with a judging controversy was the complete destruction which Elwood City native Rosalindo Morales put on his opponent, Cleveland native Jeremy Abram (2-2) in the evenings co-feature.

"The first couple of rounds I was trying to figure out my opponent because he was taller than I was", said Morales of his performence.  "Other than that I was just trying to fight my fight and control the fight the best I could".

With the crowd squarely in his corner, Morales eventually figured out the taller Abram and outclassed him for the duration of their 4 round super lightweight which appeared close to earning a stoppage late in the fourth round when Morales appeared to hurt Abram.

Morales was quick to give thanks to the huge crowd that made the roughly one hour trip from Ellwood City to New Cumberland, WV.

"The crowd being there for me really helped me out and boosted my confidence a lot", said Morales when asked what role the crowd played in his performance.

While he plans to enjoy the victory with his family, Morales was quick to mention that he plans to be back in the gym sooner than later.

"It won't be long until I'm back in the gym," stated Morales.  "I want to enjoy the days with my family but I will get to the gym as soon as possible".

FULL RESULTS

SEMI-PRO BOUTS

Andrew Odell (Mingo Junction, OH) KO2 over Tyler Barker (Bellaire, OH)

Zack Odell (Mingo Junction, OH) UD over Devron Ford (Morgantown, WV)

Davon Whitson (East Liverpool, OH) SD over Justin Milan (Parkersburg, WV)

PRO BOUTS

Welterweight - Damon Towns (Raleigh, NC) KO1 over Karl Butler (Annapolis, MD

Middleweight - Jordan Rosario (Jersey City, NJ) UD over Lee Rodriguez (Port Chester, NY)

Lightweight - David Pena (Odenton, MD) and Mike Conway (Pittsburgh, PA) - Draw

Heavyweight - Michael Balogun (Upper Marlboro, MD) KO1 over Danny Calhoun (Chicago, IL)

Super Welterweight - Danny Rosenberger (Youngstown, OH) and Lenwood Dozier (Washington, DC) - Draw

Super Lightweight - Rosalindo Morales (Ellwood City, PA) UD over Jeremy Abram (Cleveland, OH)

Super Featherweight - Matt Conway (Pittsburgh, PA) UD over Jose Martinez (Zacatecas, MEX)

Ellwood City Native Rosalindo Morales Ready For Biggest Challenge To Date

There comes a time in a young boxers career that he eventually steps up the level of competition and finds his place in the sport of boxing.  

For Rosalindo Morales (2-0) of Ellwood City, PA, that fight might very well be tomorrow night as the undefeated super lightweight takes on 2-1 Cleveland native Jeremy Abram at Mountaineer Casino in a scheduled four-round bout.

For Morales though, the step up in competition meant a step up in his training.

"I haven't' had many off days training for this fight," said Morales.  "I'm training and working to increase my skill lever every chance I get and most days I workout and train two or even three separate times".

Hard work is nothing new to Morales as the 25-year-old who is finishing his sixth year in the Marine Corps Reserve, an experience he carries with him into the ring.

"I'm able to control my mind to stay focused and disciplined on training for the fight and stay focused while in the ring because the hard training being in the military" explained Morales who moved to Ellwood City when he was 11-years-old from San Antonio, TX.

His military experience won't be the only factor helping Morales in the ring against Abram as he will be fighting within an hour of his hometown allowing for his fanbase to come out and support him, a luxury he enjoyed his two previous fights as well.

"Having the large amount of fans and support I've had at the past two fights really got me hyped up," stated Morales.  "It helps a lot more than people think and I appreciate all the support from my fans as it helps motivated me to go harder and give the fans what they want to see in a fight".

Like many young fighters in the infant stages of their careers, Morales has learned that support from sponsors plays as important of a role as fan support.

Just how important are these sponsors to Morales?

"Very important," said Morales when asked about his relationship with his sponsors he proudly displays on his fight shirt.  "I owe a lot of credit to my sponsors for helping me out with my training, travel, and attire and it means a lot to have such good support especially since most of my sponsors are from around or in Ellwood City".

Tickets for tomorrow nights event are available at the Made Men Promotions website at www.mademenpromotions.com until midnight tonight (Friday) and will be available at the door which opens at 6:00 PM tomorrow.

Team Rosenberger Confident Heading Into Saturday's Bout At Mountaineer

Tom Cordell, Danny Rosenberger, Brian Needham

Following a busy 2018 which saw him step between the ropes 6 times, Danny Rosenberger is ready to put the rollercoaster type year behind him and get 2019 started with a bang.

Rosenberger (4-6-3) will take on 37-year-old Suitland, MD native Lenwood Dozier (10-21-2) this upcoming Saturday night in a scheduled 4-round super welterweight contest at Mountaineer Casino, his second fight with Brian Needham of Combat Athlete Performance Academy on his team alongside trainers Tommy Cordell and Sam Calderon.

Needham, who owns the performance center located in Howland where Rosenberger spends about half his time working out at alongside Downtown Boxing Club in Youngstown puts the 28-year-old boxer through workouts aimed to maximize his stamina in the ring.

"We work on explosiveness, quick pace, and timing as far as how much time he has left in the round and how much energy his putting out and breathing and recovery", said Needham, a U.S. Marine combat veteran.  "Recovery is a big thing, we want him to recover as fast as possible between that round so Tommy can give him direction that he can actually listen to".

With Needham getting his fighter in the top condition of career, Cordell sees nothing but positives with Rosenberger's new training methods.

"This is exactly what he needed," Cordell said.  "He needed to get in better shape and Brian does his thing with him here and Sammy and I do our thing with him at our gym and we all work together as a team and it's working out great he's a lot stronger and his winds gotten a lot better".

Cordell was quick to reiterate though that all this hard work Rosenberger has put into this camp will go for nothing if he fails to execute the game plane inside the ring.

"The fact of the matter is you can do all this stuff but if you don't let your hands go in fights like we talk about then all this work is for nothing".

While Cordell has noticed the improvement in his fighters conditioning and power, nobody feels the results more than Rosenberger himself.

"I feel great, best shape of my life I'm in right now," said Rosenberger with confidence.  "Tommy has me in shape with the mitts and combinations and Brian has me shape with my breathing and recovery".

While Rosenberger has himself in the best shape of his life, he like Cordell knows he needs to let his hands go this fight.

"I have to let my hands go and throw more than he does and land the smart shots and put on a show on for the crowd and show everybody what I'm capable of".

For those wishing to check out Combat Athlete Performance Academy, you can visit them at their website at www.combatathletepa.com/ or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/combatathletepa/.

Tickets for Saturday nights boxing card being put on by Made Men Promotions are available online by visiting www.mademenpromotions.com.

                      

Brotherly Love: Pittsburgh's Conway Brothers Push Each Other To Be The Best

The life of a boxer is far from an easy one many have even referenced it as the toughest and loneliest sport on the planet. 

Luckily for brothers Matt and Mike Conway of Pittsburgh, they have each other to lean on and to push one another in and out of the gym as they both prepare for bouts this upcoming Saturday at the Mountaineer Casino and Resort Ballroom.

Though the brothers have fought on the same card before, this one seems to be a little more special as the older Conway, Mike is coming back from a shoulder injury which he was forced to rehab for 11- months prior to resuming his boxing workouts.

"It's been a great rehab and our strength coach really pushed me," said Mike about his return from a shoulder injury which has kept him out of the ring since June.  "It's feeling a lot stronger than its ever been and my left hook is going to be a big thing".  

While the Mike, 24, will look to not only rebound from an injury but also defeat after suffering a decision loss to Latorie Woodberry at the Rivers Casino this past summer, his younger brother Matt will look to keep his perfect record intact.

Though Matt, 23, has built up more fanfare and recognition with his 15-0 record, there is no bigger fan of his than Mike.

"We feed off each other," said Mike (3-2) who will face off against David Veras Pena (0-1) in a 4-round super lightweight contest.  "I know he's where I want to be in my career where he's at right now so I know it pushes me".

Matt, who will take on Jose Antonio Martinez (11-16) in a scheduled 8-round super featherweight contest in the evening's main event was quick to echo his brother's remarks of feeding off one another's energy through camp.

"The things he's doing right now is what I'm doing for an eight-round fight so he should have the utmost confidence that he can go balls to the wall for four rounds".

The Conway brothers know that besides one another, they would not be in the position in which they are without their team.

"The biggest ones behind us right now are our coaches, our dad, our strength coach, coach Ryan Rimsek, and Skeets Lavandosky they put in with us for the past ten weeks pushing us physically and mentally and we can't thank them enough," said Matt.

While they both will enter the ring alone this upcoming Saturday night, the Conway brothers know they are not going to battle alone.

Fight Week: Made Men Promotions Brings Pro Boxing Back To Mountaineer

Pro boxing will return to the Mountaineer Casino and Racetrack Ballroom located in New Cumberland, West Virginia as Made Men Promotions returns for the first time in 2019 with a loaded card billed as Cupid's Knockout.

Youngstown's Danny Rosenberger (4-6-3) will be in action for the first time in the new year as he looks to put his unanimous decision loss at the Palermo Center in Campbell in November behind him.

Danny Rosenberger

Rosenberger is slated to take on Lenwood Dozier (10-21-2) of Suitland, Maryland in a 4-round super welterweight contest.

Headlining the event will be undefeated Pittsburgh super featherweight Matt Conway taking on Mexico native who now resides in New Mexico, Jose Antonio Martinez (11-16).

Matt Conway

Conway, 23, who is currently 15-0 with 6 KOs will be joined in the ring that evening with his 24-year-old brother, Mike who is coming back from an injury and fighting for the first time since June.

Mike Conway

The older Conway brother whose record stands at 3-2 is slated to take on 33-year-old Puerto Rican native David Veras Pena (0-1) who now calls Odenton, Maryland home.

Undefeated Ellwood City, Pennsylvania fighter Rosalindo Morales will return to action for the first time since September as the 25-year-old super lightweight will put his 2-0 record on the line against 30-year-old Cleveland native Jeremy Abram (2-1) in a 4-round matchup.

Rosalindo Morales

An interesting bout on the card includes the return of one time highly touted prospect, 24-year-old  Dusty Hernandez Harrison.

Hernandez Harrison will be fighting for the first time since 2016 as the Washington DC native following a lengthy layoff due to a dispute with his previous promoters, Roc Nation.

With his contract issues and a gun charge which has since been dismissed behind him, Hernandez Harrison will look to get back to being active as the 30-0-1 fighter will make his return at Mountaineer against 35-year-old Mexico native Ulises Jimenez (23-23-1) in a 6-round middleweight contest.

Other bouts slated for the evening according to BoxRec.com include the following:

-Mike Balogun (11-0, 8 KOs) of Upper Marlboro, Maryland taking on Kentucky native Cory Phelps (16-11-1) in a 6-round heavyweight matchup.

- Raleigh, North Carolina native Damon Towns will make his pro debut against Baltimore, Maryland native, 34-year-old Karl Garcia Butler (0-1) in a 4-round welterweight contest.

Tickets are currently available on the Made Men Promotions website by clicking here.

Stay tuned to Youngstown Boxing News as we will have a writeup on the Conway brothers on Tuesday and a writeup on Rosenberger on Thursday as well as full recap and story on the fights following the event.