The Mouthpiece covers the Independence Brawl, LeBron “King” James is coming to Philadelphia, and features Shera Mae Patricio, Johnny Rivera, Jaclyne McTamney, Tyhler Williams, Ali Ellis, and Christian Ortiz performing “All Victorious
By: George H. Hanson Jr., Esq.
Date: July 25, 2026
Venue: The Fillmore– Philadelphia, PA
Promoter: Brian Costello, Blue Corner Promotions
Matchmaker: Nick Tiberi
Ring Announcer: Henry “Discombobulating” Jones
Referees: Shawn Clark & Eric Dali
Ringside Doctor: Alberto Giardini
Ringcard Ladies: Mya Cardona, Alanah Jennings & Andrea Z.
Timekeeper: Alice “The G.O.A.T” Grady
Cutmen: Billy Briscoe & Danny Davis
Coverage: Blue Corner Media @bluecorner_entl
Gloves: “Put Up Your Dukes” brand – www.kdukesboxing.com
Photos: Darryl Cobb Jr.
Where do I begin? On Friday, the news broke that LeBron “King” James was joining our beloved Philadelphia 76ers, and the city erupted with excitement. Philadelphia had already been riding high since July 1st, when the trade for Jaylen Brown became official. I was euphoric then, convinced that Brown—an intellectual giant with exceptional leadership qualities—had the talent and mindset to help lead the Sixers to an NBA title.
With James now in the mix, I am already looking forward to a parade in 2027.
If you have read this far, you may be wondering why I am talking about basketball instead of boxing. As we say colloquially, “Calm down, playa!” There must be a little buildup before we get down to business. I simply wanted to capture the energy and excitement in the air across Philadelphia. Against that backdrop, another night of professional boxing – eleven bouts – 64 scheduled rounds – from Blue Corner Promotions – Discombobulating Jones ring announcing – was the perfect dessert after a full-course week of sports excitement. Thank you Brian Costello and team.
In tonight’s main event, a scheduled ten-round bout for the vacant WBA Gold Bantamweight title, Shera Mae “Da Beast” Patricio (9 wins – 0 losses – 0 draws – 3 kos) of Waianae, Hawaii, faced Natalia Francesca (8 wins – 7 losses – 0 draws – 0 kos) of Cataluña, Spain. The two battled through ten action-packed rounds without a dull moment, carrying the fight to the final bell.
One judge scored the bout even, 95-95, while the other two favored Patricio by scores of 98-92 and 97-93, giving her a majority decision victory. With the win, Patricio captured the belt and headed back to Hawaii alongside the many family members who made the trip to witness the rise of the island’s next superstar.
Referee Clark delivered the required instructions, and both fighters returned to their corners before the opening bell. Patricio, age twenty-three, came forward behind her jab, looking to apply pressure early. Francesca, fourteen years her senior, circled the ring and often retreated while working her own jab. The round was extremely close, with both fighters trying to dictate the pace and rhythm of the bout. Clark also warned Patricio for striking behind the head.
Patricio stayed in constant motion and never took a backward step. The 2023 National Golden Gloves champion pressed the action for all ten rounds, even adding sound effects— “Bing, bing, bing!”—whenever she threw punches, evoking fond memories of old kung fu movies. There were no knockdowns, and neither fighter appeared in danger of being left on the canvas. Still, Patricio’s relentlessness and refusal to retreat made the difference.
Over the final three rounds, she landed the cleaner and more frequent shots against a resilient opponent. This was an important test for the young pugilist. Patricio proved she has the stamina, will, and mindset to box effectively over ten rounds against a tough opponent who has never failed to answer the final bell. It is only a matter of time before Patricio captures her first world title.
In the tenth bout—the co-main event—Philadelphia junior welterweight Johnny “Different Breed” Rivera Jr. (11 wins – 0 losses – 0 draws – 5 kos) showcased his skills with a dominant unanimous decision over Derrick “Soldier” Murray (20 wins – 12 losses – 1 draw – 6 kos) of Saint Louis, Missouri. Rivera pitched a shutout on two judges’ scorecards, 100-90, and lost only one round on the third, 99-91.
The twenty-year-old Philadelphia phenom was simply too much for the thirty-eight-year-old journeyman. Rivera used his jab beautifully and gave a masterclass in the art of hitting without being hit. Credit Murray for coming to “get down” and not “lay down,” but Rivera’s hand speed, ring intelligence, and boxing acumen were overwhelming.
The seventh round was arguably the most exciting of the fight, with both combatants waging war toe-to-toe. During the exchange, Murray’s mouthpiece was dislodged, causing a brief pause in the action. Referee Dali stopped the fight momentarily, had the mouthpiece replaced, and the bout resumed at the same frenetic pace. Overall, it was a wonderful performance by the young Rivera, who demonstrated in his second ten-rounder that he has the poise and stamina to go the distance with ease.
Where do I begin with Philadelphia featherweight Jaclyne “The Assassin” McTamney (4 wins – 0 losses – 0 draws – 1 ko), a registered nurse and graduate of La Salle University? Under the guidance of trainer Mark Robertson, each performance has been more impressive than the last, and I remain confident she will become a world champion.
I was in press row for her previous fight on April 3rd in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where she earned a unanimous decision—40-36 on all scorecards—against nine-fight veteran Lauren Michaels.
Tonight, McTamney rocked the house, boxing brilliantly for six rounds, dropping Colleen “Chaos” Davis (4 wins – 5 losses – 1 draw – 1 ko) of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, twice. She won a unanimous decision by scores of 60-52, 60-52, and 60-53.
The opening round was fought on even terms, with McTamney pressing the action while Davis bounced on her toes and fired back. Then, with approximately fifteen seconds remaining in the round, McTamney sent Davis crashing into the canvas with a perfectly timed overhand right. Somewhat shaken, Davis rose as referee Dali reached the count of three. He wiped her gloves, allowed the action to resume, and the bell rang shortly after to end the opening round.
McTamney continued pressing the action in the second round, landing another overhand right that forced Davis to lose her mouthpiece. Still, the Pittsburgh native showed her mettle, kept coming forward, and fought with conviction. “The Assassin” found paydirt again in the third round, reintroducing Davis to the canvas with another overhand right. Once more, Davis rose to her feet and the fight resumed. McTamney’s supporters began chanting, “Jackie, Jackie, Jackie!” as Davis battled her way to the end of the round.
McTamney dominated the remaining three rounds and never took her foot off the gas. To Davis’s credit, however, she refused to wilt like a willow in the heat. She stayed competitive round after round despite being outgunned. It was no surprise that McTamney captured a unanimous decision, but Davis deserves credit for making it an entertaining and tactical match that brought the best out of both combatants.
In the opening bout of the afternoon, welterweight Timur Homitov (2 wins – 0 losses – 0 draws – 0 kos) of Uzbekistan, fighting out of Philadelphia, earned a four-round unanimous decision over tough southpaw Jaylen Green (3 wins – 2 losses – 0 draws – 2 kos) of St. Louis, Missouri. The six-foot-one Uzbek put on a classic boxing lesson, using his height and reach to control the action. In the third round, he sent Green to the canvas with a combination. Round after round, Homitov outboxed his adversary, pressed the action, and looked for an early finish.
Nevertheless, Green refused to accept an early retirement and showed considerable courage. It was a wonderful and necessary test for the young Uzbek fighter.
The second bout of the night featured heavyweights Justin Litz (0 wins – 1 loss – 0 draws) of Pennsylvania against debuting Maurice “Mayhem” Morris of South Carolina. Litz redeemed himself after losing his debut on April 11th at the 2300 Arena, where he dropped a four-round unanimous decision to his amateur days’ nemesis, Sanjay Davis.
The six-foot-three, 238-pound Litz was determined not to suffer a second loss. He turned the tide in the second round, dropping Morris with a right uppercut. In the third, he sent Morris down again with a body shot, though Morris was upright as referee Dali reached the count of eight. Despite visiting the canvas, Morris refused to surrender. Later in the third round, an illegal kidney shot from Litz took him off his feet. Dali recognized the infraction and gave Morris enough time to recover. After the short respite, the action resumed, and Litz pounced on Morris like a lion on a gazelle across the Serengeti Plains. Dali stepped in and called a halt, declaring Litz the winner by technical knockout at 1:37 of round three in an extremely entertaining fight.
With his father and trainer in his corner, Philadelphia super-middleweight Billy “El Flaco” Briscoe Jr. (6 wins – 1 loss – 1 draw – 5 kos) wasted little time dismissing John Brewer (4 wins – 18 losses – 1 draw – 2 kos) of Jefferson City, Missouri. Briscoe earned a technical knockout victory at 2:16 of the first round.
Briscoe answered the opening bell, working behind his jab and stalking Brewer. The twenty-six-year-old Philadelphian grew up in a boxing gym and is an extremely talented boxer who earned his stripes through the amateur ranks and by sparring with many of the top professionals in the City of Brotherly Love. For that reason, I would have been surprised had Brewer made it to the final bell.
Working behind his jab and probing for openings, Briscoe came forward like a lion studying its prey on Kenya’s Maasai Mara. With nearly two-thirds of the round gone, he caught Brewer with a devastating combination that sent him to the canvas. Brewer was upright as referee Clark reached the count of seven. Clark wiped his gloves, checked his condition, and signaled for the fight to resume. Briscoe seized the moment, unleashed three vicious shots, and forced Clark to step in to save Brewer from imminent danger. The fight was over.
The fourth fight featured nineteen-year-old featherweight Otabek Melikov (3 wins – 0 losses – 0 draws – 1 ko) of Uzbekistan, fighting out of Philadelphia, against Taran “Social Media King” Ward (6 wins – 20 losses – 0 draws – 4 KOs) of St. Louis, Missouri. With trainer Mark Robertson in his corner, Melikov boxed judiciously, using his jab and combinations to control the action and win all four rounds on my scorecard. He delivered a textbook performance, switching stances to show his versatility while giving Ward nothing positive to report on social media.
I was especially impressed by Melikov’s elusiveness—his ability to sidestep punches while staying in range to counter. To his credit, Ward tried to match his opponent’s output, but he did not have enough ammunition in his arsenal to launch a formidable offense. It was another impressive performance by Melikov.
The fifth bout, a scheduled four-round lightweight scrap, was total domination by southpaw Carlos Rivera Delgado (3 wins – 0 losses – 0 draws – 0 kos) of Chester, Pennsylvania, against Deonta Williamson (4 wins – 9 losses – 0 draws – 4 kos) of Saint Louis, Missouri. Delgado sent Williamson to the canvas four times—once in the opening round, twice in the second, and once in the final stanza—on his way to a one-sided unanimous decision by scores of 39-31 on all three cards. Delgado also lost a point in the third round, hitting Williamson while he was on the canvas.
There is little else to say about the fight, except that Williamson may have been looking ahead to an upcoming bout and seemed determined to avoid the automatic suspension that follows a knockout loss. Nevertheless, his effort deserves appreciation. He went down four times, got up four times, and finished the one-sided fight on his feet. As for Delgado, I would strongly recommend that he study Sugar Ray Leonard’s fights and learn how to finish an opponent. There is no way a fighter should score four knockdowns and fail to win by stoppage. I rest my case.
The domination continued in the sixth fight of the night as twenty-one-year-old Philadelphia lightweight Christian Ortiz (8 wins – 0 losses – 0 draws – 6 kos) won every round against twenty-five-year-old Luis Orlando Arroyo (5 wins – 4 losses – 0 draws – 0 kos) of Sonora, Mexico. Ortiz earned a unanimous decision by scores of 60-53 on all three cards.
Decked out in exquisite black-and-pink trunks, Ortiz’s sartorial splendor was surpassed only by his performance. He used his jab effectively, then sidestepped or stepped back to evade Arroyo’s responses. It was artful, economical defensive wizardry that demonstrated the young boxer’s intelligence.
In the second round, Ortiz sent Arroyo to the canvas with an overhand right followed immediately by a left hook. Arroyo was upright as referee Dali reached the count of three. Dali dusted his gloves, determined he was fit to continue, and allowed the fight to resume. There were no more knockdowns, but Ortiz relished the limelight and gave the audience a wonderful display of boxing for the remainder of the bout. I am looking forward to his next fight.
You have made it this far, so prepare yourself for a bit of hilarity from the seventh bout. Since traditional press-row, ringside seating has largely disappeared at local fights—replaced by social media influencers who cannot write a structured paragraph and whose collective boxing knowledge could fit comfortably on the back of a postage stamp—I now move among the audience as well. Thus, I stood in front of the broadcast booth next to two gentlemen Pedro Feliciano and Ed Rivera – trainer Johnny Rivera’s brother and uncle respectively.
The seventh bout featured junior welterweights Tyhler Williams (10 wins – 0 losses – 0 draws – 6 KOs), a Philadelphia southpaw trained by Johnny Rivera, against Naheem “The Dream” Parker (6 wins – 4 losses – 0 draws – 2 KOs) of Camden, New Jersey.
Williams pitched a shutout, winning a unanimous decision by scores of 60-54 on all three cards. Still, the fight became even more entertaining because of Pedro Feliciano’s running commentary. He cheered for Williams throughout, and as Williams stalked Parker, Feliciano yelled, “Put belt to ass, Tyhler!” Williams approached his opponent behind a crisp jab, attacked the body, and consistently got the better of the exchanges.
Williams controlled the action and dominated the fourth round, beating Parker around the ring for roughly twenty seconds. The thirty-one-year-old Parker moved as though his feet were stuck to the canvas, resembling a fighter well beyond his years. His timing was also off, as the twenty-eight-year-old Williams repeatedly beat him to the punch.
In the fifth round, Feliciano blurted out, “Oh my God, somebody help this motherfucker!” referring to Parker, who was taking a shellacking from Williams. He followed with, “Give him that Nyquil, Tyhler,” hoping for a knockout. The final round mirrored the previous ones. Williams kept his foot on the gas, blanketed Parker, and hit him at will, leaving no doubt about his dominance.
His trainers will not say what I am about to reveal: it is time for Parker to retire. His movement resembles that of a fighter far beyond thirty-one. Then again, what do I know? Parker is scheduled to face Juan Marrero on August 22nd in Philadelphia.
Give yourself a round of applause if you have read this far. Before embarking on this literary voyage, I decided to save the ninth bout for last—an all-Philadelphia matchup.
Why? Because it featured the one and only Greg “Hot Shot” Hackett (4 wins – 25 losses – 1 draw – 0 kos): trainer, comedian, relationship counselor, and professional boxer.
I was at Hackett’s professional debut on April 11, 2008, at the legendary Blue Horizon, where he lost a four-round unanimous decision to super-middleweight Joel Delapaz on a card promoted by Blue Horizon Promotions. Hackett is the only active boxer from that card eighteen years ago.
I would have advised heavyweight Ali Ellis (9 wins – 0 losses – 1 draw – 3 kos) not to take this fight. Hackett knows every trick in the book, and this scheduled six-rounder was destined to reach the final bell. Having been ringside for four of Ellis’s fights, I knew he was in for an extremely frustrating night.
The thirty-nine-year-old Hackett, flanked by his two teenage sons, Mekhi and Jahari, and trainer John “Paperboy” Solomon, emerged from the dressing room as Teena Marie’s 1981 track “Square Biz” blared through the house speakers:
Hee!
Everybody get up!
Flash back, who’s that dancing to the latest?
Suave de bone, the greatest, ooh, he sure is moving me
That’s what I said, though, you didn’t know yet
All of it was kismet, soon to be made history
So, don’t you have no doubt, I’m gonna spell it out
I’ll hip you to the Tee’, that is
I got the best, the most, baby, from coast to coast
And I don’t wanna boast, but I love you, square biz
I’m talking square biz to you, baby
Square, square biz
I’m talking love, that is
Square, square biz
The thirty-eight-year-old Ellis made his ring walk, but Hackett’s entrance overshadowed it. Referee Clark delivered the required instructions, the fighters returned to their corners, the gong sounded, and the bout began.
Ellis landed a few body shots in the opening stanza, while Hackett connected with an overhand right and smiled in a way that evoked fond memories of the great Jack Johnson. The second round offered little action, with plenty of holding and gesturing. It soon became clear that Hackett’s tactics were frustrating Ellis, distracting him from his mission.
By the third round, Hackett was talking to Ellis while interacting with the audience. Ellis was trying to win a boxing match; Hackett was there to entertain. He talked, smiled, and gave his best impression of the late, great Gypsy Joe Harris—slipping, sliding, and avoiding punishment with his back on the ropes.
In the fourth round, Hackett picked up Ali and threw him to the canvas, forcing referee Clark to deduct a point for the infraction. Rounds five and six followed the same pattern. Hackett played to the crowd, talked throughout, and bobbed and weaved effortlessly to avoid Ali’s punches. Yes, Hackett was losing on the scorecards, but he was not absorbing meaningful punishment.
He went the distance without being hit by anything of consequence. Ali won all six rounds because he was the one throwing punches, but it was a pyrrhic victory—one for the record book and, at the same time, a commentary on Ali’s boxing acumen.
I rest my case!
It was another great night of gloved combat in “The Capital of Boxing”—Philadelphia. Among those enjoying the action were several Philadelphia boxing dignitaries, including our favorite uncle, Hall of Fame promoter J. Russell Peltz, and his lovely wife, Linda; Jamil Ali, President of the USA Boxing Mid-Atlantic Region Local Boxing Committee; Joey “The Tank” Dawejko; Jesse “Hollywood” Hart; Naim “Nightmare” Nelson and Shannel “The Sniper” Butler.
Brian Costello, we are looking forward to King James, Jaylen Brown and the 76ers at your next show.
Thank you, Sir.
Continue to support the sweet science, and remember, always carry your mouthpiece!
ghanson18@icloud.com
