Rising flyweight prospect Jasir “King Ja” Junior headlines Teflon Promotions’ Philadelphia boxing showcase with a majority-decision victory over Tyrone Arzeno Jr., while Derek Moore, Alexander Marrero, Jerome McNeil, and Vaughn Adams deliver memorable performances
By: George H. Hanson Jr., Esq.
Date: October 31, 2026
Venue: First District Plaza – Philadelphia, PA
Promoters: Dominic Walton—Teflon Promotions
Matchmaker: Dominic Walton
Media: Allanah Richman
Ring Announcer: Kyle Brown
Referees: Shawn Clark & Eric Dali
Doctor: Dr. Tony Al-Amin
Ring card Ladies: Bri & Nia
Timekeeper: Alice “The G.O.A.T” Grady
National Anthem: La’meer Jhon
Coverage: YouTube – Abrams Boxing
Commentators: Marc Abrams & Chris Kennedy
Gloves: “Put Up Your Dukes” brand – www.kdukesboxing.com
Ring: Ricardo “The Ringmaster” Caraballo @ricardosringrental
Photos: Darryl Cobb Jr.
Oh Jah Jah Jah Jah Jah Jah Jah Jah Jah
(Oh Jah Jah oh Jah Jah oh Jah Jah yeah)
Sing it loud!
(Oh Jah Jah oh Jah Jah oh Jah Jah yeah)
Goodness gracious Lord have mercy
The devil’s on the move, and the world’s gone crazy
Police in the streets shootin’ down black babies Glory Allelujah for the young and the innocent
Yeah, run fo’ yo life, the time has come
For us to strengthen our defenses
Hey Babylon, you know it won’t be long
Oh, and we’ll be going back to Zion
I eagerly anticipated this show from Dominic Walton, aka “Teflon Dom,” a former professional fighter turned promoter and elite talent agent. With Walton at the helm, publicist Allanah Richman overseeing publicity, media presence, and press strategy, Kyle Brown delivering his signature entertainment on the mike, and the beautiful Bri and Nia handling ring cards, I expected another epic night of Philadelphia boxing. For Halloween, Brown wore the outfit and mask of Victor von Doom, one of Marvel Comics’ most iconic supervillains, setting the stage for another highly entertaining event. Let me set the scene.
Eddie Murphy wrote and released the song “Oh Jah Jah” the week the 2014–2015 Ebola outbreak began, amid unrest in Ferguson, ISIS violence, and police shootings. He felt roots reggae, modeled on Bob Marley’s approach, could address these serious global issues more effectively than a standard R&B track. Tonight, I borrowed the opening line to spotlight flyweight Jasir “King Ja” Junior (1 win – 0 losses – 0 draws – 1 kos) Newburgh, New York headlining the main event, hoping you would forgive the missing “h” linking “Jah” to his nickname, “King Ja.” After watching his debut on June13th at this same venue, I knew what to expect as he approached the ring: King Ja was on the move, and the arena was about to go wild!
The 21-year-old, 16-time USA National Amateur champion, listed at 5 ft 1 inch, debuted in this building on June 13th with a spectacular first-round knockout. For his second fight, he was headlining a six-round main event against Philadelphia’s Tyrone “Too Sharp” Arzeno Jr. (5 wins – 2 losses – 0 draws – 5 kos), nine years older and three inches taller. I briefly wondered whether Arzeno was too risky an opponent so early in his career. Then I remembered: this was King Ja, who began boxing at three under his uncle Leonard Lee and had 456 amateur bouts behind him. With polished skills and power in both hands, Arzeno was an ideal test for Junior’s exceptional talent and pedigree. Oh Ja! Ja! Goodness gracious Lord have mercy!
The bout was an entertaining chess match that delivered on the hype from the weigh-ins. The size difference was obvious, but even a silverback gorilla might not have fazed King Jah. From the opening bell, he jabbed the bigger Arzeno’s head and body, using quick footwork and head movement to evade the return fire. Despite a four-fight knockout streak, Arzeno could not land a decisive punch on King Jah, who was slicker than a greased pig.
Jasir Junior showed round after round why he is a special fighter. Who says a shorter boxer cannot control a bout with a jab? King Jah did just that, using shoulder rolls and slips to evade Arzeno’s punches. For boxing purists, the blend of fast-paced action and strategy was a treat. Neither fighter went down nor appeared in danger of being knocked out, but King Jah’s brilliant boxing gave him the edge over a formidable opponent. Junior won the entertaining, tactical contest by majority decision, with scores of 60-54, 58-56, and 57-57. “Goodness gracious. Lord have mercy!”
The night opened with a four-round bout between debuting Philadelphia featherweight Derek “Maestro” Moore and David Bedai Quiros (0 wins – 1 loss – 0 draws) of Tijuana, Mexico. Flanked by his accomplished training trio—Pennsylvania Hall of Famer Coach Shar’ron Baker, Lando Rosa, and Marcus Rosa—Moore entered the ring as Quiros waited patiently.
Having watched Moore in the amateurs and admired his sharp boxing mind, I was eager to see how he would adapt to professional fighting. He met every expectation, looking as relaxed as if he were strolling through a park on a warm spring day. His favorite fighter, the late, great world middleweight champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler, must have been smiling from beyond: Moore went about his business much like the Marvelous One.
From the opening bell, Moore—tall for a featherweight at 5 ft 9 inches—pressed forward, keeping Quiros at the end of his jab. Resembling a smaller Tommy “The Hitman” Hearns, he rarely stepped back, mixing jabs and straight rights to the midsection with occasional combinations. He stalked Quiros like a lion hunting a wildebeest on Tanzania’s Serengeti plains. Round after round, Moore maintained the pressure, landing to the head and body as Quiros retreated. Quiros fought back and frequently switched stances to confuse him, but Moore was sharper, quicker, and more effective. Just when we thought we had seen it all, Moore capped his performance with an overhand right that dropped Quiros with ten seconds left in the round. Surprisingly, Quiros rose by referee Eric Dali’s count of three. Dali checked that he could continue, and the fight resumed shortly before the bell. Moore’s impressive debut ended in a shutout: all three judges scored it 40-35. Maestro!
In the third bout, Philadelphia junior featherweight Alexander “The Great” Marrero (1 win – 0 losses – 0 draws – 0 kos) earned a four-round split decision over the tough, talented Alexander Mancil (0 wins – 2 losses – 0 draws) of Raleigh, North Carolina. The scores—39-37 twice and 37-39—reflected a close contest that could have gone either way. Mancil boxed brilliantly in the opening round, pressing the action and twice catching Marrero with a straight right. I scored the round for Mancil and assumed the judges did too. In the second, Mancil kept advancing while Marrero countered, with jabs accounting for most of the scoring punches. To his credit, Marrero sidestepped and answered with quick combinations. That close round set the pattern for the rest of the fight, with the hometown fans cheering loudly whenever Marrero threw a punch.
Had Mancil won, I doubt anyone would have protested or demanded LASIK surgery or mandatory eye exams for the judges. Marrero faced an excellent boxer whose record belies his ability and showed an iron chin, composure, and commitment to his game plan. His ability to rally after losing the opening round will make him difficult to beat. I hope his next bout is a six-rounder; he was still fresh as a daisy at the finish. If I were Teflon Dom, I would sign Mancil—arguably the best winless fighter I have ever seen. He has talent and simply needs a promoter to guide his career – having only three fights in six years – debuting October 9, 2020, and the second one February 2, 2021.
An extra-long nickname raises expectations of an electrifying performance. When ring announcer Kyle Brown introduced Jerome “Java Lava Mr. Do Damage” McNeil in the second bout, I sensed he would deliver. At the bell, McNeil (0 wins – 1 loss – 0 draws) attacked Jerry James (0 wins – 1 loss – 0 draws) of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who wore blue trunks barely long enough to cover his protective cup.
With trainer Johnny Rivera in his corner, McNeil pressed forward from a southpaw stance, throwing every punch with knockout intent. James circled and punched on the move, recalling Bootney Farnsworth, Jimmy Walker’s character in the 1975 classic “Let’s Do It Again,” starring Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby, Calvin Lockhart, and John Amos. McNeil pursued his retreating opponent, whose punches were wide, switching stances and working behind jabs and straight lefts. The action-packed round left James defending on the move. With half a minute remaining, Java Lava lived up to his name, landing a straight left to James’s solar plexus from the southpaw stance. James fell onto his back, writhing in pain. Referee Dali immediately stopped the fight as Dr. Al Amin came to his aid. Fortunately, James could sit on a stool about two minutes later and leave the ring under his own power. McNeil won by knockout at 2:37 in the first round.
In the fourth bout, Philadelphia cruiserweight southpaw Vaughn “V-Hustle” Adams (1 win – 1 loss – 0 draws – 1 kos) fought entirely from an orthodox stance, shutting out Bamidele Gray-Adele (0 wins – 2 losses – 0 draws) of High Point, North Carolina. All three judges scored his unanimous-decision victory 40-36. Behind a stiff left jab, Adams controlled the action, backing up Gray-Adele and landing occasional straight rights.
Adams (L.) using the left jab
Gray-Adele launched overhand rights from a distance, but Adams blocked them with his shoulder or intercepted them midair. It seems likely that Gray-Adele had watched Adams’ third-round technical-knockout loss to Shawn Schultz on June 13th at this venue. Adams delivered a disciplined, focused performance, jabbing consistently and blocking or rolling with every straight right. He won every round on my scorecard, pairing his attack with sound defense. V-Hustle is back in the winner’s circle, and I look forward to his next fight.
Teflon Dom staged another terrific night of boxing, enjoyed by Philadelphia legends including Judge Jacqui Frazier-Lyde, her husband Pete Lyde, Hammerin’ Hank Lundy, Damon Feldman, and Jibril Noble. Kyle Brown, Bri, and Nia once again hosted with flair, and Brown’s Halloween costume enhanced the show’s production value. Teflon Dom keeps climbing toward the pinnacle of boxing promotion. Jasir “King Ja” Junior is about two years away from claiming one of the four major world title belts. I hope the great Eddie Murphy leads his ring walk for his first title defense, singing “Oh Jah Jah.” “Goodness gracious, Lord have mercy!”
Continue to support the sweet science, and remember, always carry your mouthpiece!
