JAMES CRAYTON

Nickname: "Too Sweet"

   Las Vegas, Nevada's James "Too Sweet" Crayton was a highly skilled boxer who faced many of the top names in boxing over his 14 year Pro boxing career.

   April 7, 1994 saw Crayton begin his campaign with a 2nd round ko over Augustin Rocha.  He stayed busy, VERY busy and by early 1995 he had built his record to 15-2, 9 ko's.  Notice was served on Aug. 24, 1995 when Crayton went to the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles and destroyed fellow prospect Saul Duran (18-1, 14 ko's) by knockout at 2:34 of the first round.

   3 fights later, Crayton found his self in New York facing NABF Featherweight Champion Derrick "Smoke" Gainer (15-3, 8 ko) in a non-title affair.  Crayton was stopped in the 10th and final round.

   From that point on, Crayton hardly ever faced anthing less than contender level competition, and faced some of the top names in the Jr. Lightweight and Lightweight divisions.  In 1997 James got his first title chance when he squared off with undefeated Arnulfo "Chico" Castillo (22-0, 14 ko).  James was stopped in round 9 of that battle.

   The competition level remained high as he faced world champions John John Molina, and Gabe Ruelas, losing 10 round decisons to both.  2 wins later he found his self challenging Juan Lazcano (13-1-1, 9 ko) for the WBF his Lightweight Championship.  It was a close one with Lazcano getting the 12 round nod by majority decision.

   Sept. 1997 brought a tragic result to Crayton's bout against world ranked "Jumpin" Johnny Montantes (28-3, 22 ko's).  Crayton won via KO in round 5 of the bout, Montantes later died from injuries sustained in the bout.

   James Crayton continued to win and earned a shot at the NABF Lightweight Championship when he faced champion Golden Johnson (13-1-2, 9 ko) at Foxwood's in Connecticut.  Another close bout, but it was Johnson defending his title on scores of: 116-113, and 116-112 x 2.

   He continued to fight a high level of opposition including: Ahmed Santos, Stanley Longstreet, and Chris Linson Jr. to put his self in position for another title challenge, this time it was the NABA Lightweight Title held by Javier Hector Valadez (14-7, 12 ko).  It was Crayton's night as he claimed the title belt via 5th round knockout.  He would defend the title once, and then lose it in a close but unanimous decision to Ivan Robinson.

   James would get one last shot at a world title belt when he faced Antonio Diaz (31-2, 22 ko) for his IBA Jr. Welterweight Championship.  He was unsuccessful as "Tonio" Diaz stopped him in round 7.

   James Crayton marched on and faced more top names including:  Pedro Saiz, Donald Camarena (WBC Continental Americas Jr. Welter Title), Stevie Johnston (twice), Ernesto "baby" Zepeda, Julio "The Kid" Diaz, Jose Armando Santa Cruz, Javier Jaurgei, Andre Berto, Joaquin Zamora, Matt Vanda, and many others.

   Crayton fought his last pro bout on May 17, 2008 when he faced unbeaten Super Middleweight Caleb Truax (5-0, 3 ko) and was stopped in round 4.

James "Too Sweet" Crayton ended his colorful career with a pro record of: 34 wins, 28 losses, 2 draws winning 21 by knockout.  His long lean physique and technical boxing style made him a threat to so many of boxing's top names.

Click Here to see James' entire pro ledger:  JAMES CRAYTON ENTIRE PRO LEDGER

If you would like to see James "Too Sweet" Crayton in the ring, I have the following bouts available on DVD:

1. PAT CHAVEZ #1                          [w-4]
2. TONY WILSON                           [w-6]
3. ARNULFO "Chico" CASTILLO    [tko-by-9] {WBO Inter-Continental Jr. Light Title}
4. JOHN JOHN MOLINA #1 (Rds. 1-4, 8-10 of 10)    [L-10]
5. PAUL RAMIREZ                        [w-6]
6. JUAN LAZCANO                      [L-12] {WBF Light Title}
7. DANIEL LUJAN                         [tko-4]
8. GOLDEN JOHNSON                 [L-12] {NABF Light Title}
9. AHMED SANTOS                     [Draw-10]
10. CHRIS LINSON JR.                 [tko-7]
11. JOHN JOHN MOLINA #2        [L-10]
12. IVAN ROBINSON                    [L-12] {NABF Light Title}
13. PEDRO SAIZ                            [w-10]
14. ANTONIO DIAZ                      [ko-by-7] {IBA Light Title}
15. JULIO ALVAREZ                     [L-10]
16. STEVIE JOHNSTON                [Tech-L-9] (Fight stopped on Cut)
17. ERNESTO "Baby" ZEPEDA      [tko-7]
18. JULIO DIAZ                             [L-10]
19. ALVARO AGUILAR                [L-10]
20. JAVIER JAUREGUI                 [L-10]
21. ARTURO MORUA                   [L-10]
22. DONALD CAMARENA           [L-12] {WBC Continental Americas Jr. Welter Title}

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ANTHONY SHULER

Nickname: "Showtime"

   Indianapolis' Anthony "Showtime" Shuler started with 3 straight tko victories.  He was then matched up with undefeated Lou Bizarro (12-0) and lost a 6 round decision.

   After tasting his first defeat, he ran off a 7-0-1, 5 ko streak to earn a shot at the Indiana State Jr. Middleweight Championship.  It was Dec. 3, 2002 when Shuler faced highly respected Victorio Belcher (33-5-1, 21 ko) and he came through with an 8th round tko victory to win the State Title.

   4 wins later, Shuler found his self with a 14-1-1, 11 ko record, and was challenging for the WBC Continental Americas Jr. Middleweight Title.  It was a close bout, but after 12 hard fought rounds, Champion Alex Bunema (23-3-2, 12 ko) got the unanimous decision on very close scores of 114-112, and 115-111 x 2.

   Shuler's performance was good enough to keep his popularity intact, and in his next fight he was matched against fellow Indiana favorite, former World Title challenger, and former USBA Champion Harold Brazier who had an amazing record of 105-16-1, 65 ko.   The huge disparity in experience didn't matter, and Shuler shined as he won handily on scores of 97-93, and 99-91 x 2.  It was an impressive win, and catapulted Anthony into his first and only world title shot.

   May 8, 2004 was the date and Shuler had to travel to the backyard of former IBF World Champion Luis Ramon "Yori Boy" Campas (81-6, 68 ko) to fight for the vacant IBA Jr. Middleweight championship.  Shuler was shocked as he went down twice before being stopped at 1:16 of the opening round by Campas.

  

   Shuler never got another chance at a title, but he did face more big names including his April 2007 battle against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (30-0-1, 23 ko) on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao vs Jorge Solis.

   He finished his career as tough as it had ever been, facing opponents with a combined total of 103-5-1, 66 knockouts, and 2 former or future world champions in his final 5 bouts! 

Anthony fought his last pro bout on August 18, 2012 as he traveled to Dallas TX to face undefeated Jonathan Nelson (16-0, 7 ko), where he lost a 6 round decision to end his pro career.

Anthony "Showtime" Shuler finished with a final record of 20 wins, 9 defeats, winning 14 by knockout.  He was the State Jr. Middleweight Champion, squared off with many champions, and fought for the IBA World Title.  A record that any professional boxer can be proud of.

Click Here to see: Anthony Shuler's entire Pro Ledger

If you would like to see Anthony "Showtime" Shuler in action, I have the following bouts available on DVD:

1. TONY AULT                                  [tko-3]
2. VERDELL SMITH                          [w-8]
3. JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR.         [ko-by-2]

Contact me via e-mail: The Boxing Guru


  

  

EMANUEL AUGUSTUS (Emanuel Burton)

 
Emanuel Agustus started out his career under his birth name "Emanuel Burton", defeating Jamie Cooper via 6 round Decision, and after losing his next bout by decision few had an idea of the notoriety he would achieve.

   He battled on undercards mostly in Louisiana and Texas before being noticed as a special boxer who gained lots of fans.  The win that really put the spot light on him was Nov. 19, 1996 when he traveled to Ponce, Puerto Rico with a record of 8-6-3, 2 ko and was brought in as an "opponent" for Puerto Rican Lightweight Champion Wilfredo Negron (12-1, 9 ko).  Emanuel Burton scored a shocking upset via majority decision.  That win pushed him up into the rankings, and boosted his level of competition.

   He went on to face contender after contender, prospects, champions, everyone wanted to have their skills "tested" against Emanuel Burton.  U.S. Olympian Dezi Ford, Danny Acevedo, Diosbelys Hurtado, Juan "Golo" Gomez, David Toledo, and Louie Leija among them.

   Sept. 26, 1998 Burton traveled to the U.K. and won his first title belts - both the IBF & WBO Inter-Continental Jr. Welter Title Belts via 7th round stoppage of defending champion Jon Thaxton (16-3, 8 ko).  He got his first world title shot one year later - Sept. 17, 1999 in Las Vegas Nevada when he challenged Antonio "Tonio" Diaz (29-2, 21 ko) for his IBA Jr. Welterweight title belt.  Burton lost his world title bid but pressed on, fighting more top names including Teddy Reid (15-3-1), John John Molina (50-6), Gerald Gray (17-4-1) and even faced an up and coming prospect named Floyd Mayweather Jr. (23-0).

   In 2001 Emanuel Burton legally adopted his step-father's name of Agustus and became Emanuel Agustus.  He campaigned on and added top name after top name to his ledger including:  Mike Griffith, "Irish" Micky Ward, Leonard Dorin, Leavander Johnson, Carlos Vilches, Omar Weis, Kelson Pinto, David Diaz, & Alvaro Aguilar.

   April 2, 2004 saw Agustus get his 2nd chance at a world title and he made the most of it in a bout televised on espn2.  He upset defending IBA Jr. Welterweight Champion Puerto Rico's Alex Trujillo (23-1, 17 ko's) by unanimous decision via wide scores of 119-108, 118-109, and 117-110.  Emanuel would lose that title in his first defense via disqualification in a bout he was leading at the time of the stoppage.

   Controversy followed Agustus his entire career, and in his next bout he lost a controversial split decision to Courtney Burton (20-2, 11 ko).  The bout, televised on espn2, was a wild affair which included Agustus being penalized a point for "Spinning his self out of a clinch".  After 10 rounds the scorecards were all over the place... 98-94 for Agustus, 97-92 for Burton, and 99-90 for Burton.

  Augustus' unorthodox and clowning style kept him in demand for boxing events around the country.  An 8th round tko win over highly regarded Ray "Sucra" Oliveira (47-10-2, 22 ko) earned him a shot at the NABF Jr. Welterweight title in October 2005 against unbeaten Herman Ngoudjo (11-0, 8 ko) in Montreal, Canada.  It was a close but unanimous decision loss over 12 rounds for Augustus.

   Emanuel battled on and faced more top names including:  Jaime Rangel, a rematch victory by 8th round knockout over Courtney Burton, Almazbek "Kid Diamond" Raiymkulov, Ruslan Provodnikov and unbeaten Charles Hatley.  That run included unsuccessful challenges for the WBO Inter-Continental Jr Welter Title, and the WBO Asia Pacific Jr. Welterweight Title, as well as winning the vacant WBC Continental Americas Jr. Welter and vacant WBO Oriental Welterweight Titles.

   His final bout happened Jan. 29, 2011, on the undercard of Timothy Bradley vs Devon Alexander at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan.  where he lost a decision to local favorite - unbeaten Vernon "Ice Man" Paris (23-0, 14 ko) over 8 rounds.

Emanuel Augustus earned a cult following over his 13 1/2 year pro boxing career.  He is remembered as an entertaining and skilled boxer who was a threat every time he entered the ring.  He finished his colorful career with a final record of:  38 wins, 34 losses, 6 draws, winning 20 by KO.

Quite an honor!

Emanuel Augustus entire Pro Ledger - Click here

If you want to see Emanuel Augustus in action, I have the following bouts available on DVD:

 

EMANUEL AUGUSTUS (BURTON) VS 

BILLY CODDINGTON                    [Draw-4]
IVAN ROBINSON                         [L-10]
WILFREDO NEGRON                     [w-8]
DIOBELYS HURTADO                    [L-10]
JON THAXTON                        [tko-7] {IBF Int-Cont/WBO Int-Cont Jr. Welter}
TERRELL FINGER                       [ko-8]
ANTONIO DIAZ                        [L-12] {IBA Jr. Welter Title}
TEDDY REID                           [L-12] {Interim NABF Jr. Welter}
JOHN JOHN MOLINA                     [L-10]
FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR.        [tko-by-9]
MIKE GRIFFITH                        [tko-10]
MICKY WARD                    [L-10]
LEONARD DORIN                 [L-10]
LEVANDER JOHNSON                  [Draw-10]
CARLOS WILFREDO VILCHES            [tko-8]
OMAR WEIS                           [L-10]
KELSON PINTO                      [L-10]
COURTNEY BURTON #1                 [L-10]
RAY OLIVEIRA                            [tko-8]
JAIME RANGEL                      [tko-10]
ALVARO AGUILAR                        [Draw-8]
ALEX TRUJILLO                       [w-12] {IBA Jr. Welter}
FRANKIE FIGUEROA [L-8]
KID DIAMOND (Almazbek Raiymkulov)     [L-10]
MARTEZE LOGAN                        [w-8]
RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV              [tko-by-9]

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JACOB ROMERO

Nickname: "Razor Sharp"

    After a rather short but successful local amateur career, Albuquerque's Jacob Romero turned pro on August 5, 1995 and what a way to start!  His pro debut bout was televised world wide on a Cedric Kushner "Heavyweight Explosion" card, and it was a wild affair against fellow Albuquerque Pro Debuting - Marty Maestas.  The match went 4 wild rounds and ended in a draw via majority decision.

   Jacob continued to appear on local undercards in New Mexico and because of his smooth calculating and precise punching style he earned the nickname "Razor Sharp".  He built a record of 8-0-1, 4 ko's including wins over highly regarded fellow local favorites Rick Ortega & Frank Cordova, both by decision.

   August 8th, 1998 saw Jacob in one of his most highly anticipated showdown bouts, against fellow Albuquerque prospect Lyrant "Unpredictable" Warrior (6-1, 2 ko's).  Romero stopped his rival at 2:12 of round 6 to remain undefeated and become considered the top prospect on the Albuquerque boxing circuit.

   Romero would then move up to his first 10 rounder in a co-main event against Denver's Eugene Lopez.  Jacob was impressive, winning a unanimous decision on scores of 98-90, 99-89, and 98-92.

   He was defeated for the first time in his next bout against Jose Limones, being stopped in the 10th round in front of a shocked Las Vegas, New Mexico crowd.  He came back against highly respected fellow New Mexican Shawn Gallegos (7-1) but lost a 6 round decision to Gallegos.

   After a 3 year layoff, Romero fought his final pro bout on May 13, 2006 at the Ford Pavilion in Albuquerque, but was dropped in round 1 and stopped in round 3 against Las Cruces, NM's Dale McCartey.

Jacob finished up with a pro record of 10 wins, 3 losses, 1 draw, winning 5 by knockout.  He never challenged for a title, but was a favorite of New Mexico boxing fans for the decade+ that he appeared on local events.

Jacob "Razor Sharp" Romero's entire pro ledger: click HERE

If you would like to see Jacob in ring action, I have the following bouts available on DVD:

1. MARTY MAESTAS                      [Draw-4](PD)
2. RICKY ORTEGA                          [w-4]
3. PABLO ONTIVEROS                   [ko-3]
4. FRANK CORDOVA                      [w-4]
5. BEN DOMINGUEZ                       [tko-4]
6. LORENZO ESTRADA #2             [tko-4]
7. ROBERTO AGUIRRE                  [ko-2]  
8. GARY TRIANO                             [w-6]
9. LYRANT WARRIOR                     [tko-6]

_____________________________________________________
Amateur:

1. Moises Martinez
2. Jesus Vargas
3. Marty Maestas

Contact me via e-mail