The Past Week In Action 11 August 2014

Miss any of this week’s action in the sport? Get caught up with “The Past Week in Action” by Eric Armit; with a review of all major cards in the sport. 

                                    The Past Week In Action 11 August 2014

August 7

 

Corpus Christi, TX, USA: Super Feather: Abner Cotto (18-2) W PTS 10 Jerry Belmontes (19-5). Light Welter: KeAndre Gibson (11-0-1) W PTS 8 Jose Hernandez 14-8-1). Super Fly: Oscar Cantu (8-0) W PTS 6 Joseph Rios (13-10-2).

Belmontes vs. Cotto

Cotto gets the decision over home town boxer Belmontes. The fight never really caught fire and both guys did as much missing as landing. The difference was in the respective work rates. Cotto was throwing more punches and Belmontes with the quicker hands was relying on fewer but more accurate punches. Belmontes hurt Cotto with a right to the body in the first and the Puerto Rican lost a point in the second round for a low blow. Cotto preferred to work on the outside and picked up the pace and built a narrow lead and held it to the end. Scores 96-93, 95-94 for Cotto and 95-94 for Belmontes. Both fighters needed to win this one and it was the 26-year-old “Pin” Cotto, a second cousin to Miguel Cotto, who got it. After 16 wins in a row Cotto, a former Pan American Games silver medallist, was flattened in one round by Omar Figueroa in April last year. He rebounded with a good win over useful Daniel Ruiz but then lost a unanimous decision to Francisco Vargas in March and could not afford another loss. For Belmontes “The Corpus Christi Kid” a win was crucial as he is now 2-5 in his last 7 fights. Losses to fellow prospects Eric Hunter, Andrew Cancio and Fernando Vargas had put his future in doubt. However he bounced back with a win over Aussie Will Tomlinson (21-0-1) and lost to Omar Figueroa on a split decision in a challenge for the WBC light title. With Figueroa in the audience a good win might have seen Belmontes get another chance at the WBC title, but once again, at 25, his future is in the balance. Like Cotto he was an outstanding amateur he was a World Junior Championships bronze medallist, and US Under-19 runner up who beat Terrence Crawford in their amateur days. Promise not fulfilled

Gibson vs. Hernandez

Gibson remains unbeaten with split decision over Hernandez. Gibson had the edge in skills so Hernandez set out to nullify that edge by roughing-up the St. Louis fighter. A messy first round saw both fighters tumble to the floor. Hernandez continued the rough-house tactics throughout the fight. With both boxers landing hard body punches Gibson kept his boxing together and edged most of the rounds. Hernandez threw Gibson to the canvas in the last and got a warning but Gibson was unfazed and got the decision. Scores 79-73 and 78-74 for Gibson and 77-75 for Hernandez. Gibson, 24, beat Jesse Vargas as an amateur and is making steady progress. Texan “Loco” Hernandez, 27, was 1-2 in his last three going in. The losses were a majority decision against Nigerian Robert Osiobe and in his last fight in August last year a stoppage loss against Rustam Nugaev. Sandwiched between those two losses were a very good inside the distance win over Canadian Tony Luis (15-0).

Cantu vs. Rios

Texan prospect Cantu given six hard rounds by more experienced Rios but takes wide unanimous decision. When he used his height and reach to stay on the outside Cantu was fine, but Rios taught him a few lessons about fighting on the inside. Cantu clearly won the first two rounds but by clinching and smothering Cantu’s work Rios was much more competitive over the next two. Cantu stayed outside for the last two rounds and deserved the decision. Scores of 60-54 twice and 59-55 do not reveal how competitive Rios made this. The 23-year-old Cantu, the WBC USNBC champion, was the winner of a US Championships silver medal and NGG bronze and competed at the World Youth Championships but lost out at the US Olympic Trials. Texan Rios, 32, is a former US NBC champion. He is 3-5 in his last 8 fights.

 

Barranquilla, Colombia: Light Middle: Kanat Islam (18-0) W KO 5 Fidel Monterrosa Munoz (32-10-1,1ND) Islam moves to 18 wins as he stops Munoz. After an even first round Munoz seemed to edge the second. The third was again an even round but that was as good as it got for Munoz. By the fourth Munoz was finding it tough against the stronger and bigger Kazak boxer and he was already tiring. Kanat increased the pressure in the fifth and ended the fight with a series of head shots. Kanat moves to 15 wins by KO/TKO. This was to be a defence of his WBA Fedelatin title but Munoz failed to make the weight. You won’t find Kanat on any amateur records. The 29-year-old was born in China and under the name Hanati Silamu won an Olympic bronze in 2008. Munoz 26 lost to Humberto Soto for the WBC light title in 2010. He was 23-1 going into that fight now he is a light middle and is 9-9-1,1ND in his last 20 fights.

 

August 8

 

Fallon, NV, USA: Light Middle: Willie Nelson (23-1-1) W PTS 10 Luis Grajeda (17-3-2). Super Middle: Jason Escalera (15-2-1) W PTS 8 Norbert Nemesapati (14-1). Super Feather: Joel Diaz Jr. (17-0) W TKO 3 Kevin Aguilar (8-2-1). Heavy: Zhang Zhilei (1-0) W KO 1 Curtis Lee Tate (7-5).

Nelson vs. Grajeda

Nelson wins but has a couple of scares along the way. Nelson at 6’3” (191cm) had huge advantages in height and reach and was the better boxer and took the first two rounds. It got scary for Nelson in the third when a right cross from Grajeda had his legs buckling and he had to hold on to see out the round. Nelson was back in charge in the fourth but the next crisis was just a few rounds away. In the eighth a tremendous right uppercut inside from Grajeda nailed Nelson and he only just survived the round. After that Nelson used his physical advantages to sweep the last two rounds with Grajeda always dangerous. Scores 98-92 from all three judges. Second win for 27-year-oild Nelson since a year out due to surgery for an elbow injury. He has seven wins in a row including victories over Yudel Jhonson, Mike Medina and Lucian Cuello and is WBC No 5. “The Mexican Slayer” Grajeda, 27, came close to an upset but has tended to lose when he steps up being outpointed by Jermell Charlo and Pablo Munguia.

Escalera vs. Nemesapati

Escalera comes in as a late sub and outpoints Hungarian teenage hope Nemesapati. It was bombs away from the first bell with Nemesapati staggering Escalera and looking close to a stoppage win only for Escalera to recover and fight back hard. Escalera was walking down the 18-year-old Nemesapati working inside and throwing quantity rather than quality punches. He floored Nemesapati with a left hook in the third but the Hungarian recovered well. Escalera proved the stronger of the two but Nemesapati was willing to stand and trade making for a hard close-quarters battle that gradually wire down and tired the young Hungarian. Escalera stayed in close with his arms pumping out short shots  and deserving the wide unanimous decision but with Nemesapati showing enough to indicate in his first appearance in the USA and at just 18 he remains a promising fighter. Hoboken’s “Monstruo” Escalera.29 was 1-2 in his previous three fights but the win was in his last fight when he beat another European hope in Sweden’s Olympian Naim Terbunja. “Noble” Nemesapati, the WBC Youth champion, won his first pro fight on points and won his next 13 by KO/TKO.

Diaz vs. Aguilar

Californian Diaz makes it 13 wins by KO/TKO as he halts late stand-in Aguilar in three rounds. Diaz, 22, who was 85-10 as an amateur,  building on a good win over Canadian Tyler Asselstine in May. First loss by KO/TKO for Aguilar.

Zhilei vs Tate

Chinese heavy Zhilei lands two lefts and the much smaller and lighter Tate is down and out after a farcical 17 seconds. The 31-year-old 6’6” (198cm), 260lbs southpaw spent a long time at the highest level in the amateurs competing at the 2003/2005/2007/2009 and 2011 World Championships winning bronze medals in 2007 and 2009. He picked up silver at the Beijing Olympics but lost to Brit Anthony Joshua in London in 2012. Third first round loss for Tate.

 

Pittsburg, PA, USA: Welter: Sam Vasquez (16-0) TKO 9 James Stevenson (21-1). Light: Monty Meza Clay (37-3) W TKO 10 Alan Herrera (32-7). Feather: Claudio Marrero (16-1) W TKO 2 Felix Perez (8-7). Middle: Ievgen Khytrov (6-0) W TKO 1 Willie Fortune (17-2).

Stevenson vs. Vasquez

Vasquez marches on with stoppage of fellow unbeaten fighter Stevenson on “Iron Mike” show and wins the vacant IBF USBA title. It was a close fight with southpaw Vasquez’s superior hand speed and power seeing him through. Vasquez took the first two rounds but Stevenson put Vasquez on the back foot and used good uppercuts to take the third. Vasquez took the fifth with some hard body punches to establish a good lead. The sixth swung one way and then other. Vasquez had Stevenson hurt early but got careless and his knees were buckled by a left late in the round. From there Vasquez took control winning the seventh and then flooring Stevenson in the eighth. Stevenson saw out the round but was taking heavy punishment in the ninth when the fight was stopped. The 28-year-old Vasquez makes it seven wins by KO/TKO on the bounce and 12 in all. A soldier who served two terms in Iraq Vasquez was Army and Inter Services champion and a NGG silver medalist, but lost out at the US Olympic Trials. Stevenson, 31, lacked the depth of experience that Vasquez had as an amateur and Vasquez marked a big step in quality of opposition for him. As for nicknames I call it a draw Vasquez goes by “The Who Can Mexican” and Stevenson “Keep’em Sleepin”.

 Meza Clay vs. Alvarado

Meza Clay gets second win on comeback as he halts Herrera in a battle royal. They traded shots from the first bell with neither willing to give ground. Meza Clay had a slight edge with more upper body movement to deflect Herrera’s shots but it was action all the way. It heated up in the fourth as Herrera butted Meza Clay and Meza Clay promptly butted him back so they were even exchanging butts. Meza Clay put Herrera down in the sixth but the Mexican just got up and punched back. From the start Meza Clay had found Herrera an easy mark for overhand rights and he caught Herrera with a series of them in the eighth. Meza Clay kept up the punishment in the ninth and it was two left hooks, an uppercut and a series of follow-up punches that saw the fight stopped. The 33-year-old diminutive (5’2” 157cm) Meza Clay was out from December 2012 until May this year partially due to some concussion issues. In 2009 he lost tough back-to-back fights to Jorge Solis in an IBF feather eliminator and to Fernando Beltran and this was his eighth win since then. Even as a late substitute “Explosivo” Herrera, 24, was a brave choice for this second comeback fight for Meza Clay. The Mexican has won 21 fights by KO/TKO and had Mickey Bey on the floor before losing to him on points in May.

Marrero vs. Perez

Down the card on this show Marrero gets his second win of the year. In the first round body punches from Marrero already had Perez wincing. In the second another body punch put Perez down and the fight was stopped. Marrero is putting bricks back in the wall after Argentinian Jesus Cuellar floored and outpointed him in a fight for the interim WBA title in August last year. The 25-year-old Dominican southpaw is WBA No 6 so another shot could come his way next year. Puerto Rican Perez has now lost 5 of his last 6 fights.

Khytrov vs. Fortune

Ukrainian Khytrov was on top of Fortune almost before the sound of the bell had faded. He took Fortune to the ropes and unloaded heavy shots forcing the referee to stop the massacre after just 30 seconds. The 25-year-old has won all six of his fights by KO/TKO. As an amateur he was World Amateur champion in 2011 beating eventual Olympic gold medallist Ryota Murata. In the 2012 Olympics he tied on scores but lost on count back to Brit Anthony Ogogo. He was also European Youth champion and a silver medal winner at the World Youth Championships. “Fortune 500” looked a reasonable test on paper with his only other loss being on points against Tureano Johnson but was blown away. Watch for Mr. Khytrov to make waves in the pro ranks.

 

General Villegas, Argentina: Super Bantam: Fabian Orozco (23-3-2) W PTS 10 Lucas Carranza (19-9-3). Minor upset as Orozco wins match between two in-form fighters to lift the Argentinian title from holder Carranza. “Demon” Orozco, the naturally bigger fighter simply dominated from first to last and won a wide unanimous decision. Scores100-93 ½, 99-94 and 99-94 ½.  Now 9 wins in his last 10 fights for the 28-year-old new champion. Southpaw Carranza, also 28, had lost only one of his last 16 fights.

 

Florencio Varela, Argentina: Middle: Claudio Abalos (27-13-3) W PTS 12 Mateo Veron (19-12-2). Abalos retains the South American title with split decision over Veron. It was not a great fight with neither fighter being very elegant and the referee was busy with both breaking the rules on occasion. Veron looked to have floored Abalos with a straight right in the third but it was ruled a slip. The fight was very close over the first sixth rounds but Veron built a lead by taking the seventh and eighth. As Veron tired Abalos turned the fight in the tenth as a right uppercut and southpaw left cross put Veron down. He survived but Abalos slugged and brawled his way through the last two rounds to just deserve the decision. Scores 116-111 and 115-113 to Abalos and 115-112 to Veron. The 33-year-old local fighter retains his South American title for the fourth time. He is FAB No 2. “El Chino” Veron, 25, has lost three in a row including a defeat against Mark Heffron in Dublin in February, he is FAB No 4.

 

Catamarca, Argentina: Welter: Cesar Barrionuevo (26-3-2,1ND) W KO 1 Jhon Teheran (15-1). Super Bantam: Oscar Escandon (23-1) W KO 6 Julian Aristule (24-6).

Barrionuevo vs. Tehran

On paper this looked a good match between to hard punchers but it was over early as Barrionuevo retained his interim WBC Latino title inside a round. Late in the first round local hope Barrionuevo cornered the unbeaten Colombian and landed a four punch combination a right to the chin, a hook to the body, a right to the jaw and a finally another right to the body and Teheran did not beat the count. Now 18 wins by KO/TKO for 25-year-old southpaw Barrionuevo, the FAB No 4, who has lost only one of his last 25 fights. Colombian Tehran, 29, had won 5 of his last 6 fight by KO/TKO and had a total of 12 wins by KO/TKO including 11 in the first round. Impressive sounding but 9 of his opponents had never won a fight. Barrionuevo now has 8 wins in the first round.

Escandon vs. Aristule

Escandon enjoys success in his second visit to Argentinian rings. Escandon was in charge all the way relentlessly coming forward landing with hard shots to head and body. He increased the pace in the fifth flooring Aristule with a left-right combination. In the sixth he applied the finish putting Aristule down with a classic left to the body and right to the chin and Aristule took the count on one knee. The 30-year-old Colombian, the WBA No 3,  was having his first fight since losing a split decision to Nehomar Cermeno for the interim WBA title in August last year. Now 16 wins by KO/TKO for Escandon who traveled to Argentina in 2001 to floor and stop the current interim WBA feather champion Jesus Cuellar in seven rounds. He is the only man to have beaten the 24-1 Cuellar. First loss by KO/TKO for 30-year-old southpaw Aristule the FAB No 9

 

Santa Rosa, Argentine: Light: Sergio Gil (16-3-2) W PTS 12 Cristian Coria (21-3-1).

“Gauchito” Gil wins the vacant South American title with close unanimous decision over Coria. Local fighter Gil wins a fight where one round was an echo of the previous one with few highlights. Gil, the home town fighter was just a little busier and more accurate with Coria showing good defense but not enough offence. The only excitement came in the eighth when Coria had Gil badly hurt but failed to capitalise on that success. Scores 115-113 twice and 114-113. Gil, 23, adds this title to the IBF Latino one he already holds. He has lost only one of his last 11 fights and is FAB No 3. “El Zorro” Coria, 31, admitted he had not done enough to win in the other guy’s town. He had won 7 of his last 8 fights and was one place below Gil at No 5 in the FAB Ratings.

 

Newcastle, Australia: Light Welter: Chad Bennett (34-4-3) W KO 5 Stevi Ongen Ferdinandus (15-7-1). “Hollywood” Bennett makes it 10 wins in a row, 9 inside the distance with kayo of Indonesian. He adds the vacant WBC EPBC title to his collection. The 41-year-old is WBA No 9/WBO 10. Four losses by KO/TKO for southpaw Ferdinandus .

 

Rome, Italy: Light: Manuel Lancia (11-0-1) W PTS 10 Pasquale Di Silvio (17-7-1). Middle: Domenico Spada (39-5) W PTS 6 Nikola Matic (10-25).

Lancia vs. Di Pasquale

Lancia retains the Italian title with second win over former champion Di Silvio. After a slow first round Lancia floored Di Silvio in the second with a left hook. Di Silvio got up and showed plenty of guts to survive the bombs being lobbed his way. However from then on it was Lancia forcing the fight and scoring heavily and also showing good upper body movement to frustrate the counters from Di Silvio. It did not help Di Silvio’s cause when he was cut in the fifth but he fought hard to the bell, picking up a round here and there although losing clearly. Scores 98-92, 97-91 and 96-93. Second defence of the title for 27-year-old Lancia who had won the title from Di Silvio in July last year on a very questionable decision. This time there was no doubt over who won. Di Silvio, 34, had challenged Emilio Marsili for the EBU title in January and was floored and outpointed. Unfortunately although there was no doubt about the result of this fight trouble started in the ring and then spread to the crowd with a small scale riot ensuing.

Spada vs. Matic

Spada eases back with points win over Croatian Matic. Just a six round work-out for Spada in his first fight since losing to Marco Rubio in April and a warm-up for his October 25 fight in Monaco against Martin Murray for the WBC Silver title..

 

Mexico City, Mexico: Welter; Edgar Ortega (15-1) W Daniel Rosario Cruz (8-1).

Ortega gets majority decision to give Rosario his first loss. They went right at it from the first bell with Puerto Rican Rosario making the better start. Ortega took the third round and in the fifth a clash of heads saw Ortega cut on his right eyebrow which was a target for Rosario for the rest of the fight. Rosario was staggered in the sixth and from then “Nene” Ortega was able to erase the Puerto Rican’s lead and build a narrow one of his own. The fight became untidy as both fighters tired and Ortega clinched the decision by having Rosario in trouble in the tenth. Scores 98-92, 97-93 and 95-95. Now 9 wins in a row for Ortega. Rosario, 26, had won his last 5 fights by KO/TKO, four in the first round.

 

Betania, Panama: Bantam: Liborio Solis (18-3-1) W TKO 2 Jose Carlos Vargas (14-10-1). Once again Solis comes in overweight but this time it was not a title fight. The former holder of the secondary WBA super fly title came in 2lbs over the contract weight. He was a class above Mexican Vargas and did not need the weight edge. He floored Vargas late in the first and then put him down twice more in the second and the fight was stopped. The 32-year-old Venezuelan lost his WBA title on the scales when he failed to make weight for a unification fight with Daiki Kameda in December. He won the fight but still seems to have a very casual approach to making the weight. Vargas has lost 7 of his last 8 fights.

 

La Coruna, Spain: Super Middle: Xesus Ferreiro (12-3-1) W Jose Manuel Iglesias (5-2). Home town fighter Ferreiro retains Spanish title on a unanimous decision but only after desperate battle against Iglesias. Ferreiro came out to dominate but Iglesias got home early with some good one-twos and stood his ground. The champion was in front after three rounds but Iglesias was dangerous. In the fourth Iglesias scored with good punches to head and body and with Ferreiro trapped on the ropes and in trouble Iglesias let slip a good opportunity to get an upset. He did the same in the fifth when he floored Ferreiro and had him ready to go but again let the champion off the hook. Both tired from the seventh with Ferreiro taking that round and the eighth only for Iglesias to bang back in the ninth and again have Ferreiro shaken. Knowing it was close they threw everything into the last round to try to swing things their way. Scores 95-94 twice and 96-93 for Ferreiro. First defence for the 29-year-old, a former Spanish light heavy champion, who has now won 6 of his last 7 fights. “Punk Prince” Iglesias put up a great show as this was his first time past six rounds.

 

August 9

 

New York, NY, USA: Light Welter: Lamont Peterson (33-2-1) W TKO 10 Edgar Santana (29-5). Middle: Daniel Jacobs (28-1) W TKO 5 Jarrod Fletcher (27-2). Welter: Danny Garcia (29-0) W KO 2 Rod Salka (19-4). Welter: Sadam Ali (20-0) W PTS 10 Jeremy Bryan (17-4). Light Welter: Anthony Peterson (34-1) W KO 1 Edgar Riovalle (37-19-2 ). Light Heavy: Marcus Browne (12-0) W TKO 1 Paul Vasquez (10-6-1). Light Middle: Prichard Colon (11-0) W PTS 6 Lenwood Dozier (9-7-1). Super Middle: D’Mitrius Ballard (6-0) W TKO 1 Barry Trotter (2-2).

Peterson vs. Santana

A poor main event saw Peterson retain his IBF title by handing out a beating to game Santana. From the first round Peterson was beating on the body of Santana. The champion was just too quick and powerful and Santana never really got into the fight. Peterson had the edge in skill but from the third chose to stand and punch working the body and dominating the action. Santana was trying hard but was short on power and could not match the work rate of the champion.  It looked to be near the end in the fifth when Peterson set himself and landed punch after punch and Santana could not stem the tide. The fight should have been stopped then, but Santana showed guts by coming out for the sixth to face more punishment. The punishment continued until the tenth when the ringside doctor told the referee that it should be stopped and it was over. Third defence of his IBF title for 30-year-old Peterson who hope to get Danny Garcia next. Santana. 35, showed a great chin but that was never going to be enough. He lost a close decision to Mike Perez in 2012 but he jumped into the IBF ratings in May after beating 40-year-old Mike Clark which is farcical.

Jacobs vs. Fletcher

It is always nice to get a happy ending to a story and there was plenty to be happy about in the courageous fight Jacobs had put up to overcome a rare form of cancer to win a title. Of course the story is not over but this crushing victory for Jacobs over Fletcher gets him the vacant secondary WBA title and there are further chapters to come. A quick finish looked on the cards as Jacobs put Fletcher down with left hook in the first round. It was horrendous round for Fletcher and he struggled to survive as Jacobs found the target time and again with hard punches. Instead of following up in the second round Jacobs eased up later explaining that he was concerned about punching himself out. That allowed Fletcher into the fight and the Aussie had a better second round and edged the third as he had Jacobs on the back foot. After an even fourth Fletcher made a good start to the fifth and then the roof fell in. Fletcher was caught by left hooks and then dropped by a right and the fight was stopped. The 27-year-old was having his second shot at a title having been surprisingly halted inn five round by Dmitry Pirog for the vacant WBO title in 2010. Fletcher 27, had suffered a crushing second round loss to Brit Billy Joe Saunders for the CBC title in 2012 but had battled back with six wins beating good class opposition in Robbie Bryant, Randy Suico and Max Bursak. He was WBA No 2 but on this evidence rightly turned down as an opponent for Gennady Golovkin.

Garcia vs. Salka

On paper and on canvas this was a poor match. Garcia caught up with Salka in the second round and floored him with a right. Salka got up  only to be floored by another right. When he went down again from a left hook the referee halted the fight without bothering to count. Luckily the WBA and WBC refused to accept this as a title match so it was made at the catch weight of 142lbs. Garcia did not need this poor match on top of a disappointing showing in his title defence against Mauricio Herrera in March. The talk now is of a unification fight with Peterson. Salka, 31, got a career best win in April when he beat Alexi Collado (18-0) but weighed just 132 ¼ lbs so for that to qualify him to fight for the title at 140lbs would have been ridiculous

Ali vs. Bryan

The best fight of the night saw two former top amateurs clash. Ali got a deserved split decision in his toughest test so far. The first two rounds were fairly even but Bryan hurt Ali in the third to take that round and then staggered the unbeaten New Yorker in the fourth. Ali banged back to have Bryan shaky in the fifth and sixth in what was turning out to be a close scrap between two well-schooled boxers. With the scores close the ninth proved decisive as Ali landed a beauty of a left hook which put Bryan down. That gave him a 10-8 edge in the scoring and with Bryan still not fully recovered Ali then won the last round to get a three point advantage over the last two rounds, enough to get him the verdict. Scores 96-93 twice for Ali and 96-93 for Bryan. The 25-year-old “World Kid” adds the vacant WBO Inter-Continental title to the WBO NABO title he already holds. “Hollywood” Bryan is 4-4 in his last 8 fights with the other three losses being to prospects Vince Arroyo, Ron Cruz, and Amir Imam, but he was coming off a good win in February over Issouf Kinda. As an amateur Ali competed at the 2008 Olympics and scored wins over Rico Ramos, Terrence Crawford, Jerry Belmontes and Francisco Vargas. Bryan was NGG champion in 2005 and 2006 but lost to Danny Garcia in the Olympic Trials.

Peterson vs. Riovalle

There were some very poor matches on the undercard and this was one of them. Riovalle was a late replacement and probably weakened from making the weight. Peterson opened up with some vicious body punches and then landed a left hook which put Riovalle down and out cold after just 2:41 of the first. Peterson, 29, the younger brother of Lamont, was once touted as a better prospect than Lamont, but since losing on disqualification to Brandon Rios in an IBF eliminator in 2010 has now had just four fights in almost four years. It is early days but he finished this one decisively, is rated No 12 by the IBF and with more action could be back in the title picture next year. Mexican Riovalle, 27, has sprung a few surprises in the past but has now lost 10 times by KO/TKO and lost 5 of his last 6 fights.

Browne vs. Vasquez

Browne blows away Vasquez in mis-match. Browne came out punching, took Vasquez to the ropes and landed a right to the body and a left to the chin and as Vasquez went down heavily the referee quickly waived the fight over without a count after just 28 seconds. Browne punches too hard for fights like this to be of value as he puts the opposition away without getting any rounds under his belt. The 23-year-old Olympian has 9 wins by KO/TKO, 6 in the first round. Vasquez, 36, has lost 4 of his last 5 fights.

Colon vs. Dozier

Puerto Rican “Digget” Colon was another one in need of ring time after winning his first ten fights by KO/TKO. He tried hard to get Dozier out off there but Dozier refused to fold. Colon won every round. Scores 60-54 from all three judges. The 21-year is a protégé of Felix Trinidad and joins an impressive list of young unbeaten Puerto Rican fighters worth keeping an eye on. Dozier, 32, had climbed off the floor to go the full eight rounds with Yudel Jhonson in April.

Ballard vs. Trotter

Ballard wastes no time in crushing Trotter. After stalking Trotter for a couple of minutes Ballard took him to the ropes and just teed-off with a series of hard punches. With Trotter not fight back the fight was halted at the 2:35 mark. The 21-year-old Ballard, the 2012 NGG champion who lost to Jesse Hart at the US Olympic Trials, has five wins by KO/TKO and has managed less than 13 rounds of boxing in his six fights. The 37-year-old Trotter never looked like being any kind of test.

 

Monterrey, Mexico: Straw: Francisco Rodriguez Jr. (15-2) W PTS 12 Katsunari Takayama (27-6,1ND). Super bantam: Tomas Rojas (44-14-1) W PTS 10 Irving Berry (22-6-2). Light Welter: Alejandro Barrera (24-2) W PTS 10 Abner Lopez (19-4) W.

Rodriguez vs. Takayama
Rodriguez wins unification fight with unanimous decision over Takayama in an all-out war for all twelve rounds. Takayama came flying out of the gate in the first round with the young Mexican caught by surprise but then exchanging punches in a toe-to-toe battle. Rodriguez had settled by late in the round and pulled Takayama up short with a wicked left hook to the body. Takayama just edged the second with his fast jabbing but again late in the round a punch from Rodriguez saw Takayama’s legs shake. In the third a left hook to the chin put Takayama down, but he got up and actually took the fourth with his constant attacks. The middle rounds were fought at a furious pace with both fighters landing hard shots and neither paying much attention to defence. The body punches from Rodriguez began to have an effect and he again shook Takayama with a punch in the tenth. They exchanged punch after punch over the last two rounds but with no open scoring Takayama did not know he needed a kayo to win but he could not have fought and harder anyway. A great fight which Rodriguez won on scores of 115-112, 116-111 and a ridiculous 119-108. Still only 21 Rodriguez is now IBF and WBO champion but Takayama did everything he could to hold on to his IBF title and can be proud of his participation in a wonderful contest. Apart from an early loss in a six round bout Rodriguez’s only other defeat was a seventh round stoppage against the great little Roman Gonzalez last September and he rebounded with a great result when he lifted the WBO title by halting Merlito Sabillo (23-0-1) in March. Takayama, 31, a former WBC champion, will be hoping for a return.

Rojas vs. Berry

Rojas just too good for Panamanian Berry and wins unanimous decision. It was a one-sided fight with “The Worm” able to get through with southpaw jabs and right hooks to the body. It looked likely that Rojas would win inside the distance after punishing Berry in the third and fourth rounds but Berry took the punishment and made it to the final bell. Scores 100-90 twice and 98-92. The 34-year-old former WBC super fly champion lost to Shinsuke Yamanaka for the WBC bantam title in 2012 but that is his only loss in his last 9 fights and he has scored wins over useful opposition Julio Zarate, Enrique Bernache and Jose Cabrera. Berry, 28, was considered a good prospect when he lost only one of his first 21 fights, but is 4-5 in his last 9 including inside the distance losses to Jonathan Barros for the vacant secondary WBA title and Nicholas Walters.

Barrera vs. Lopez

Barrera wins unanimous decision to help get his career back on track. Lopez was the favourite for this one as he was on a roll with 7 wins in a row, 6 by KO/TKO. Despite this the local fighter overcame the big edges Lopez enjoyed in height and reach to take the unanimous decision. The 27-year-old was unbeaten in his first 19 fights but going in was 4-2 in his last 6. In his winning run Lopez had beaten Humberto Gutierrez and Ric Dominguez and will rebound from this.

 

Sevastopol, Ukraine : Middle: Dmitry Chudinov (14-0-2) W TKO 3 Mehdi Bouadla (30-6). Middle: Arif Magomedov (12-0) W PTS 12 Patrick Mendy (15-8-1). Light Welter: Ramal Amanov (6-0) W PTS 6 Wilfrido Buelvas (15-3)

Chudinov vs. Bouadla

Chudinov retains interim WBA title with stoppage of Frenchman Bouadla. In the first round Chudinov was throwing hard punches from both hands to head and body. Bouadla was getting through with jabs and rights but lacked the power and Chudinov was just walking through the punches. Near the end of the round as Bouadla was preparing to throw a right Chudinov got through with his own to the body and put Bouadla down on one knee in agony. He was up quickly and took the 8 count by which time there were only ten seconds left in the fight during which Chudinov had Bouadla in a corner trying to find a finishing punch but ran out of time. In the second Bouadla chose to stand and trade which was a big mistake. He was able to get through with shots to the chin of Chudinov but the Russian was again landing to head and body with left/right combinations and a barrage of shots forced Bouadla to take a knee again. He was up at 4 but being chased around the ring and another series of punches punctuated by a stunning right cross saw him go down on one knee again. He was up quickly but was just trying to survive as Chudinov walked him along the ropes landing with punch after punch. The bell saved Bouadla as he was about to go down and the fight should have ended then. Some of his counters had got through as Chudinov was showing small cuts alongside each eye. Chudinov was teeing off on Bouadla in the third with nothing coming back. A left hook knocked Bouadla into the ropes and he went down on one knee again. He was up at the count of three. When the eight count was completed he walked into centre ring only for a left/right combination to put him down and the fight was stopped. Second title defence for the 27-year-old “Night Wolf” and his ninth win by KO/TKO. He is a former World and European gold medallist at both Cadet and Senior level. Bouadla, 32, lived up to his “Brave Heart” nickname but was out of his class. He was halted in eight rounds by Arthur Abraham for the WBO middle title in 2012. He had won his last four fights against lower level opposition. It was difficult to understand how a fighter with his experience just stood and traded and  not once tried to get inside and clinch when he was getting caught time and again with heavy punches  .

Magomedov vs. Mendy

Magomedov wins wide unanimous decision over Mendy who does well to last the distance. Both started at a fast pace with Magomedov the quicker but Mendy boxing well. In the second Magomedov landed an overhand right to the chin which put Mendy down. He got up and used his experience to frustrate Magomedov’s attempts to finish him and got home with a good right of his own before the bell. Magomedov continued to press the action and was winning the rounds but Mendy was making it hard for him. At the end of the seventh a straight right from Magomedov sent Mendy down into the ropes. He was up immediately and the bell went after the completion of the eight count. In the next round Magomedov again landed a long right and Mendy fell back into a corner not hitting the canvas but supporting himself on the ropes. He took the eight count and defied the attempts of Magomedov to nail him again. Mendy was never really in trouble after that and did enough to pinch a couple of rounds. Scores 120-105, 119-106 and 118-107

The 22-year-old Russian wins the vacant WBA Inter-Continental title. Going twelve tough rounds with the experienced Mendy will have been a good addition to his learning curve.  He was coming of an impressive three round win over unbeaten Colombian prospect Alex Theran (16-0) which again indicates his potential. British-based Gambian-born Mendy has lost only once by KO/.TKO and that was to British puncher Callum Smith but he bounced back to beat Lithuanian Virgilijus Stapulionis (22-2) and in 2013 fought a draw with Chudinov.

Amanov vs. Buelvas

In a six-rounder, former amateur star Ramal Amanov (6-0) of Azerbaijan just barely got past tough Columbian Wilfredo “La Roca” Buelvas (15-3, 9 KOs). The difference was a point deduction in favour of  southpaw Amanov in round five of what was an even contest before and after that. Scores were 57-56 (twice) for Amanov and 57-57 – a draw. Amanov escapes with either a majority or a split decision for the third time in six fights. He is yet to score a convincing victory. The 29-year-old Amanov is a former World University champion and world Silver medalist. Buelvas, also a southpaw, lost on points to Humberto Soto for the WBC International Silver title in June last year .

 

Kempton Park, South Africa: Light Heavy: Ryno Liebenberg (16-0) W PTS 12 Denis Grachev (13-4-1). Super Bantam: Thabo Sonjica (20-2) W PTS 12 Roli Gasca (22-5-1). Cruiser: Kevin Lerena (10-0) W PTS 8 Marcos Ahumada (14-3). Super Feather: Ashley Dlamini (15-2) W KO 1 Thanduxolo Dyani (11-4).

Liebenberg vs. Grachev

Liebenberg overcomes the handicap of a cut received in the first round and goes on to outpoint Russian Grachev. The South African was cut over the right eye in the first from a clash of heads and it bled throughout the fight. Grachev seemed to be in the lead after three rounds but Liebenberg shook him with two big rights in the third round and took control from then. Things were evened up in the fourth when Grachev was cut high up on the right side of his forehead and as with Liebenberg’s injury that too leaked blood to the end. After four rounds the scores were 40-36 and 39-37 for the South African and 38-38. Liebenberg was effective with his strong jab but Grachev was quick and determined and it was a stirring contest.  The last looked a more balanced view of the fight to that point.  Liebenberg outboxed the Russian over the next four rounds but Grachev was working hard, staying in the fight and giving Liebenberg his toughest test so far. Scores after eight were 78-74 twice and an already ridiculous 80-72 for Liebenberg. Both fighters were hampered by their cuts over the last four rounds with Liebenberg having only partial vision as the blood from the cut ran into his eye but he bossed the late rounds to take the unanimous decision on scores of 120-108, 117-111 and 116-112. The last score better reflected the huge effort the Gradovich put in despite not being able to match Liebenberg in power he showed speed and skill and a good chin and made the South African fight hard in every round. Liebenberg wins the vacant WBC Silver title to add to his WBC International title. He showed in this fight that he can box when he has too and did not panic when badly cut but changed his game plan to deal with the handicap. He confirms his status as one of the danger man in the division and a title fight in 2015 must be in his future. “Drago’s Son” Grachev emerged from the pack with wins over Ismayl Sillakh (17-0) and Zsolt Erdei (33-0) but a first round loss to Edwin Rodriguez and a wide points defeat against Isaac Chilemba had seen him fall to WBC 14.

Sonjica vs. Gasca

A poor fight sees Sonjica win on a wide decision after already forfeiting his IBO title on the scales so the title was only there to be won by Gasca. The size difference between the two fighters with Sonjica mach taller made for an untidy, messy fight. In addition by fight time he also had a bid pull in weight. Southpaw Sonjica was able to use his height and reach to dominate but his having to punch down took away much of his power until he started throwing more uppercuts. Gasca had trouble getting inside and when he did it often just led to clinch after clinch. Gasca had his best rounds in the seventh when he floored Sonjica and the eighth when he shook the South African with a left but otherwise it was Sonjica’s fight. Gasca lost a point for hitting Sonjica on the back of the head and Sonjica floored Gasca in the eleventh. Scores 116-109 twice and 117-109. Poor discipline cost Sonjica his title. Suspicions were raised when he failed to make the official weight-in reportedly due to missing his plane. A special weigh-in was arranged for later in the day and he came in 5lbs over the limit with rumors that he had been a lot heavier only a short period before. Both his trainer former IBF super bantam champion Welcome Ncita and the shows promoter Rodney Berman made it clear that Sonjica would have to be more disciplined if he wanted to progress further. He was WBC No 10, had reversed his two losses to Macbute Sinyabi, beaten former IBF super fly champion Simphiwe Nonggayi and beaten Silvester Lopez and Toto Helebe but now he has some serious thinking to do about which division he should be fighting in. Filipino Gasca, 25, a former OPBF champion was having his second shot at this IBO title having lost on points to Alex Bakhtin in 2012.

Lerena vs. Ahumada

Lerena wins unanimous decision and gets some useful rounds in against Argentinian. In his first fight since November the young South African took a couple of rounds to get in the groove. Although he dominated once he was warmed-up he was off with his  power shots against a slow but rugged opponent. Lerena was forcing the fight keeping Ahumada on the back foot and setting a higher work rate., but Ahumada was dangerous with the occasional southpaw left. Lerena hurt Ahumada with a couple of shots in the seventh but did not look like putting the visitor away. Scores 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75.  The 22-year-old “Lean Machine” had not gone beyond six rounds before so it was a good test. Ahumada, 27, had won 5 of his last 6 fights. His two previous losses were in wild scarps against Alejandro Valori. In their first fight he had Valori down twice in the first round but was stopped himself in the fourth and in his last fight in February against Valori for the Argentinian title his Oscar attempt failed as he was disqualified for simulating a low blow. Insult and injury.

Dlamini vs. Dyani

Dlamini gets a quick win as he puts Dyani away in 122 seconds. Despite this being his first fight for almost 14 months Dlamini showed no rust Dlamini landed a thunderous right which put Dyani down and out. Now 9 wins by KO/TKO for the diminutive Dlamini (5’1”/155cm) who has been a pro for six year but only had one ten round fight. Now four losses in a row for Dyani. The two fighters were team mates at the 2006 Commonwealth Games but neither won a medal.

 

Bethlehem, PA, USA: Light Heavy: Vasily Lepikhin (16-0) W TKO 5 Robert Berridge (24-2-1). Heavy: Vyacheslav Glazkov (18-0-1) W PTS 10 Derric Rossy (29-9). Heavy: Joseph Parker (10-0) W TKO 3 Keith Thompson (7-3).

Lepikhin vs. Berridge

Russian dark horse Lepikhin dominates and then crushes Berridge. From the start the Russian towered over Berridge and was forcing Berridge onto the back foot. The New Zealander was trying to draw the jab and get inside with quick short hooks and although Lepikhin was coming forward scoring with the jab and hard shots to the body the Russian was not letting his punches flow. He fired four hooks to the body at the start of the second but was then looking to land one big punch allowing Berridge to buzz around  leaping in with quick hooks. Finally in the dying seconds of the round Lepikhin landed a right cross that sat Berridge down on the bottom rope. He was up immediately but the bell went at the end of the eight count. Lepikhin twice shook Berridge with rights to the chin in the third but Berridge took the punches well stumbling forward and clinching until his head cleared and showed good southpaw skills and fast hands to penetrate the Russian’s guard. The fourth saw Lepikhin still stalking and Berridge being busy and trying to stay out of the corners. In the fifth Lepikhin landed a left hook to the body and a right to the chin and Berridge stumbled back with his glove touching the canvas. He took the eighth count but Lepikhin jumped on him immediately and floored the Kiwi with a left hook. Again Berridge was up immediately but when a left hook to the body had him in agony and a right to the head made him stagger into a corner the referee stopped the fight. “The Professor” Lepikhin, 29 was impressive in his first fight outside Russia showing real power in his body punches and right crosses. He might have progressed more but was inactive between May 2010 and April 2013 when he returned to score three first round wins over mediocre opposition. This win gives him the PABA and WBO Oriental titles and will put him in the world ratings. Since Berridge was also having his first big time exposure in the USA and putting his world rating on the line you have to wonder who chose to put the 5’8” (173cm) Berridge in with the 6’3 ½”(192cm) Lepikhin. From the first bell it was obvious that Lepikhin was too big and strong and Berridge did well to last as long as he did. The 29-year-old “Butcher” was WBO 9 and WBA 12 (11) and had won his last 9 fights by KO/TKO but took the wrong fight at the wrong time.

Glazkov vs. Rossy

Glazkov given a scare as he only just edges out experienced Rossy on a majority decision. After a slow start it developed into a good scrap with both fighter letting punches go but neither really dominating. Rossy was the busier fighter throwing more and landing more than Glazkov. He looked to have built a small lead over the middle rounds and with Glazkov suffering a cut under his left eye in the eighth was close to springing an upset. Unfortunately the eighth round was also the one in which the hard work caught up with Rossy and as he rapidly tired his work rate dropped. Glazkov took the eighth, had a big ninth and had Rossy hanging on in the last to save himself from an embarrassing set-back. Scores 98-92, 96-94 and 95-95. The first score was a travesty with the latter two reflecting a close, hard fought contest. Ukrainian “Czar” Glazkov, 29, had risen to No 2 with the IBF after clearly beating Tomasz Adamek in March so this was a fight he could not afford to lose. He is a former World University champion and World Championships silver medalist but at the Beijing Olympics he had to pull out of his match with Zhang Zhilei who he had beaten at the World Championships. Rossy, 34, was 4-6 in his last 10 fights going in but had beaten Joe Hanks (21-1) in his last fight in May. This performance will get him plenty more engagements.

Parker vs. Thompson

Parker wins in his second showing in the USA. The New Zealand prospect used his excellent jab to keep Thompson on the defensive. There was little coming back from Thompson but Parker took his time softening-up with the jab and looking for the opening for the big punch. In the third he landed a series of head shots and with Thompson on the ropes he pierced his guard with a crunching right uppercut through the middle. Thompson went down badly hurt but got up at eight. Parker then drove him along the ropes with a right to the body. He battered Thompson from corner to corner landing heavy rights and when Thompson slumped to the canvas again the fight was stopped. Still only 22 the 6’2” (188cm) Parker has a strong jab and has 9 wins by KO/TKO including Frans Botha and Brian Minto in his list of victims. It also helps that he is trained by top trainer Kevin Barry It is early days but he has a punch and Hollywood looks but Thompson is now 2-3 in his last 5 fights was no real test for him. Let’s hope we find out more about him as a fighter when he tackles veteran Sherman Williams in Auckland in October.

 

Queretaro, Mexico: Super Bantam: Andres Gutierrez (30-0-1) W PTS 12 Mario Macias (26-13,1ND). Light: Francisco Javier Perez (12-4) TEC DRAW 6  Aristides Perez (24-8-2). Light Fly: Jesus Silvestre (29-5) W TKO 3 Eduardo Cruz (15-10-1).

Gutierrez vs. Macias

Gutierrez retains WBC Silver title but has to climb off the canvas for his win. Gutierrez took the first two rounds but in the third a right uppercut from Macias put the champion down heavily. That silenced the home town fans as Gutierrez was badly hurt. He saw out the round and then banged back in the fourth so well that despite the knockdown two judges had him in front and one had it all level at the point. From then Gutierrez got the better of the action boxing on the outside against Macias who was mainly relying on wide hooks. Over the last two rounds Gutierrez did all he could to get Macias out of there but the challenger fought hard to the end. Scores 118-109, 117-110 and 116-111. The 21-year-old “Little Jaguar” was making the third defence of his Silver title . He is WBC No 1 but he was given a rude shock in that third round. “ Huracan” Macias, 29, who came in at short notice, lost to Koki Kameda for the secondary WBA bantam title in 2011. He is now 3-6 in his last 9 fights.

Perez (FJP) vs. Perez (AP)

AP throws away a win due to frequent fouls. The Colombian veteran needed all of skills to survive when a right to the chin from FJP had him on shaky legs. He survived and had the better of the action in the fourth and fifth only to lose a point in each round for low blows. AP was back in the fight in the sixth but with his face badly swollen the doctor decreed that he could not continue and the points were even so a technical draw. But for the two points deducted AP would have won. The 21-year-old Mexican FJP had won 5 of his last 6 going in. AP. 33, lost in two rounds to Humberto Soto for the WBC super feather title in 2009. He had won his last 4 fights.

Silvestre vs. Cruz

Former interim WBA straw champion Silvestre rebounded from a poor result in April by flooring Cruz three times for the stoppage. His stock was high after only going down on a split decision against Ryo Miyazaki for the WBA title in 2013 but an eight round loss to novice Eduardo Martinez in April put a dent in his armour.

 

Glendale, CA, USA: Welter: Jose Zepeda (20-0) W TKO 3 Adrian Garza (8-4). Super Feather: Jose Felix Jr. (27-1-1) W TKO 6  Alejandro Rodriguez (21-14-1). Light: Ivan Najera (14-0) W PTS 8 Stan Martyniouk (13-2). Super Middle: Esquiva Falcao (4-0) W TKO 2 Malcolm Terry (6-4). Welter: Egidijus Kavaliauskas (6-0) W Ben Whitaker (7-0).

Zepeda vs. Gasca

Californian Zepeda again impresses with third round stoppage of Garza. After comfortably taking the first two rounds Zepeda destroyed Rodriguez with body punches putting Rodriguez down three times in the third to force the finish. The 25-year-old southpaw, trained by Richard Alcazar who trained Oscar De La Hoya in his glory days, has 16 wins by KO/TKO including 13 in his last 14 fights with only experienced Robert Frankel lasting the distance in that sequence. He is already rated No 14 by the IBF. Mexican Garza, 23, loses inside the distance for the first time.

Felix vs. Rodriguez

Felix gets back into the winning groove after his very close decision loss to Bryan Vasquez for the interim WBA title in April. Over the first couple of rounds Felix was content to let Rodriguez press and come forward and he just countered with fast shots from both hands. The effect of the counters began to show in the third and fourth with Rodriguez bleeding heavily enough from the nose to indicate an injury. Felix was comfortably in charge in the sixth when Rodriguez went down on one knee indicating a problem with his right hand. The injury was deemed too serious for Rodriguez to fight on so the fight was stopped. The 22-year-old “Josesito”, who lost by one point on two of the cards for the Vasquez fight is sure to challenge for a title again, probably in 2015, and has the talent to succeed. Rodriguez is 2-6-1 in his last 9 fights but there have been tough matches with Ray Beltran and Jose Pedraza and the draw was against Robert Marroquin

Najera vs. Martyniouk

Najera gets split decision over fellow prospect Martyniouk. Their respective heights governed how this fight would pan out. Najera at 5’5” (165cm) was giving away a whole bundle of height and reach to the 5’10” (178cm) Martyniouk. Najera’s natural style is to get inside and brawl so it suited him. Martyniouk was looking to keep some punching room and use his jab to set Najera up for counters. Martyniouk took the early rounds but the constant attacks from Najera tired him and it was the little fighter from San Antonio who bossed the later rounds. In the end it was the busier work rate against the less but more accurate stuff from Martyniouk and Najera deservedly got the decision. Scores 79-73, 78-74 for Najera and 77-75 for Martyniouk. After winning 8 of his first 9 fights by KO/TKO the 21-year-old Najera has won his last 5 on points gaining some valuable experience on the way. Estonian-born Martyniouk, 29, a bronze medal winner at both the US National Championships and the NGG’s, was having his first fight since beating Dave Rodela in July last year

Falcao vs. Terry

Brazilian prospect Falcao a class above Terry and ends it quickly. He put Terry down in both the first and second rounds and the fight was halted. The 24-year-old southpaw, a silver medalist in London and a World Championship bronze medal winner has two wins by KO/TKO. He beat British prospect Anthony Ogogo at both the Olympics and World Championships and lost to Japanese fighter Ryota Murata at both events. Murata is now his stable mate at Top Rank. Three losses in a row for Terry

Kavaliauskas vs. Whitaker

Kavaliauskas too powerful for Texan Whitaker. The former Lithuanian amateur star was walking down Whitaker from the first round. He floored Whitaker in the second round but with the Texan focused on survival it was the early in the fifth before he finished the job putting Whitaker down twice. After winning his first fight on points it is six wins by KO/TKO on the bounce for the Oxnard-based 26-year-old. He competed at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and won a bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships. This was too big a step for State champion Whitaker to climb.

 

Caseros, Argentina: Light Welter: Gabriel Punalef (18-5-3) W PTS 10 Sergio Escobar (26-22-3). Southpaw Punalef retains WBC Latino title with unanimous points victory. The fight was all Punalef for the first six rounds as he built a good lead forcing Escobar on to the back foot and scoring with shots to head and body. From the seventh Escobar was working the body and Punalef’s work rate dropped but Escobar was only putting on the pressure in spurts and Punalef did just enough to preserve his lead. Scores 96-94 twice and a very different 99-91. “Chilo”, 30, now has 9 wins in a row and has lost only one of his last 17. “Loco Lima” Escobar, 31, a former WBC Latino champion at light and current Argentinian super feather champion, had lost a majority decision to Marcelino Lopez for the Argentinian lightweight title in May.

 

Narrabi, Australia: Super Feather: Corey McConnell (14-1-1) W TKO 7 Ryan Sermona (16-6). McConnell wins the WBC International title with cut stoppage of Filipino Sermona. McConnell’s only loss was a stoppage against Lee Selby for the CBC title in 2013. Only the second win by KO/TKO for the 28-year-ols Aussie. “Crusher” Sermona , 26, the IBF No 10, was making the first defence of the title he won by beating Matt Garlett in December.

 

Abbreviations

ABC=Asian Boxing Council an affiliate of the WBC

ABF=Asian Boxing Federation. I assume this is an affiliate of the IBF

ABU=African Boxing Union an affiliate of the WBC

ACC=WBC Asian Council Continental title

ANBF=Australian National Boxing Federation who administer Australian titles

BBB of C=British Boxing Board of Control

BBB of C Southern/Central/Midlands/Scottish Area etc. British Area titles

BDB= Bund Deutscher Berufsboxer one of the German boxing bodies

B & H=Bosnia & Herzegovina

BSA=Boxing South Africa responsible for administering boxing in South Africa

CBC=Commonwealth Boxing Council a sanctioning body for titles competed for by citizens of Commonwealth countries

CISBB-WBC title covering the rump of the USSR and the Slovenian Boxing Board

DRC=Democratic Republic of the Congo

EBU=European Boxing Union

FAB=Argentinian Boxing Federation

FFB=French Boxing Federation

GAB=Philippines Games & Amusement Board responsible for administering boxing in the Philippines

GBC= Global Boxing Council a sanctioning body

IBA=International Boxing Association a sanctioning body

IBF=International Boxing Federation a sanctioning body

IBO=International Boxing Organisation a sanctioning body

JBC =Japanese Boxing Commission

NABA=North American Boxing Association, a WBA affiliate

NABF=North American Boxing Federation a WBC affiliate

NABO= North American Boxing Organisation, a WBO affiliate

NGG=US National Golden Gloves

NZPBF=New Zealand Professional Boxing Federation a national sanctioning body

OPBF=Orient & Pacific Boxing Federation

PABA=Pacific & Asian Boxing Association, a WBA affiliate

PBF=Philippines Boxing Federation, a sanctioning body in the Philippines

UBF=Universal Boxing Federation a sanctioning body

UBO=Universal Boxing Organisation a sanctioning body

USBA= United States Boxing Association, an IBF affiliate

USBO=United States Boxing Organisation an WBO affiliate

WBA=World Boxing Association a sanctioning body

WBC=World Boxing Council a sanctioning body

WBFed=World Boxing Federation, a sanctioning body

WBFound=World Boxing Foundation, a sanctioning body

WBU=World Boxing Union, a sanctioning body

IBF WBA Rating=Both bodies leave vacancies in their ratings so when showing a IBF or WBA rating for a fighter where there is a vacant position ahead of them in the rankings which affects his rating I will put his numerical rating i.e. No 6 and in brackets and his rating based on the number of fighters ahead of him so IBF 6 (5) shows his numerical position is 6 but there are in fact only 5 fighters listed ahead of him due to one or more of

the higher rating positions being vacant.