The Past Week in Action 3 November 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.

 October 30

 

Tokyo, Japan: Straw: Kosei Tanaka (4-0) W TKO 10 Ryuji Hara (18-1).

Youngster Tanaka springs a surprise as he wins OPBF title in his fourth fight against previously unbeaten champion Hara. Tanaka had height and reach on his side but readily decided to mix it with Hara who made the better start. They fought on even terms most of the way with the scores at the end of the fourth round reading 38-38 on all three cards. This was an excellent battle between fighters with very different styles. Tanaka upright and throwing straight punches and the much smaller Hara busier and relying on hooks and uppercuts. Although Tanaka had Hara hurt with a right in the fifth there was not much between them at the end of the eighth with two judges seeing it even and one having Tanaka in front 77-76. The ninth was an incredible round. They stood toe-to-toe exchanging hooks and uppercuts with neither taking a backwards step. There was no defence, just offence. Suddenly Tanaka caught Hara with a series of head shots that had the smaller man’s head pinging and sent him reeling into a corner. Tanaka threw 20 punches with Hara too busy trying to block or a void the shots to counter and he looked to be in deep trouble. When Hara finally broke free he simply shrugged off the punishment he had taken and this time he threw a series of punches with Tanaka now the man covering up and Hara was still throwing punches as the bell sounded. In the tenth Hara suddenly looked very tired. His punches had no power and Tanaka forced him back landing head punch after head punch with the referee stepping in and stopping the great little fight. The 19-year-old can springboard that OPBF title into a fight for the JBC title and from there to a world title fight although he will be tempted to skip the JBC title if he can get the opportunity to break the Japanese record by winning a world title in his fifth fight. The 24-year-old Hara fought his heart out and was very much in the fight until that tremendous ninth round seemed to drain him. He can come again.

 

Hollywood, CA, USA: Super Middle: Avtandil Khurtsidze (29-2-2) W TKO 5 Eddie Hunter (10-11-2). Light Middle: Stan Skorokhod (8-0) W TKO 2 David Lopez (4-11-3).

Khurtsidze vs. Hunter

The “Georgian Tornado” proves too good for Hunter. Hunter was able to keep Khurtsidze on the outside in the first round due to his height and longer reach. Khurtsidze solved the puzzle in the second and got inside to work the body. In the third Khurtsidze floored Hunter early and hurt him again near the end of the round. Hunter had to soak up more punishment in the fourth and the pain continued into the fifth with Hunter’s corner throwing in the towel and the referee stopping the fight. Only one loss in his last 22 fights for Khurtsidze. That loss was on points against Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam for the interim WBA middle title in 2010. Five losses by KO/TKO for Washington prelim fighter Hunter.

Skorokhod vs. Johnson

Ukrainian hope Skorokhod overpowers late substitute Lopez in two rounds. Skorokhod, a former good level amateur, was able to score with hard shots throughout the first. He hurt and bloodied southpaw Lopez with a right in the second and Lopez’s corner man threw in the towel just past the halfway mark in the round. Six wins by KO/TKO for Skorokhod who was having his first fight outside the Ukraine. Lopez has lost 9 of his last 10 fights, but this was the first time he has lost by KO/TKO.

 

Plymouth, MA, USA: Light Welter: Danny O’Connor (24-2) W KO 4 Andrew Farmer (18-3). Light Welter: Sharif Bogere (26-1) W KO 5 Fernando Garcia (30-7-2). Middle: Mark DeLuca (12-0) W TKO 4 Ryan Davis (24-14-3. Middle: Jason Quigley (3-0) W KO 1 Greg McCoy (3-4-1).

O’Connor vs. Farmer

No sign of ring rust as O’Connor kayos Farmer. O’Connor made a good start flooring a competitive Farmer in the second round. He also took the third but Farmer came into the fight in the fourth scoring with some good punches before a clash of heads opened a small cut at the side of O’Connor’s right eye. With the blood starting to affect his vision O’Connor upped his pace and after snapping Framer’s head back with a southpaw jab then sunk a straight left into Farmer’s body to finish the fight. O’Connor, 29, was having his fight since losing a split decision to Vivian Harris in October last year. The former NGG and US Amateur champion admitted he is not a big puncher, this is only his eighth win by KO/TKO, but at least the fight generated some excitement which has not always been the case. The “Doo Man” Farmer, 29, had built his impressive statistics on a diet of poor opposition on the boxing backwaters of Virginia and O’Connor was too much for him-or perhaps it was the sound made by the Boston Police Gaelic Column of Pipes and Drums which piped O’Connor into the ring. That can be intimidating unless you are Irish or Scottish.

Bogere vs. Garcia

The Ugandan “Lion” Bogere hits too hard for Mexican Garcia. Bogere was scoring with hard punches from the outset dropping Garcia with a left for a brief count at the start of the second. It was one-way traffic with Bogere busier and more active although Garcia tried to match the Ugandan and paid the price. A right from Bogere deposited Garcia on the canvas in the fifth and the referee completed the ten count with Garcia making no attempt to rise. The 26-year-old Ugandan took 13 months out after losing to Richar Abril in a challenge for the WBA title and this is the third win  inside the distance since he returned to action Garcia, 25, had rebounded from consecutive losses to Raul Hinojosa and Jose Felix Jr with three wins against low level opposition. This is his fifth loss by KO/TKO.

DeLuca vs. Davis

Former Marine DeLuca makes it 9 wins by KO/TKO. De Luca trapped Davis on the ropes in the first and floored him with a series of hard punches. It did not get much better for Davis in the second as he shipped more punches and finished the round with a cut under his left eye. A sustained body attack from DeLuca in the third saw Davis down early from a left hook and although he made it to his feet he was put down on one knee by another body punch later in the round. He stayed on his feet for all of the fourth round but was heavily punished and his corner retired him at the end of the round. The 26-year-old “Bazooka” makes it 5 wins by KO/TKO in his lat 6 fights. Davis 36, has lost 5 in a row, 4 by KO/TKO but has been pitched in with tough opposition such as Vanes Martirosyan, Ishe Smith and Mike Zewski

Quigley vs. McCoy

I’ll join the parade carrying banners saying Quigley is a great prospect. The 23-year-old Irishman landed a devastating right that dumped McCoy in Quigley’s corner with no chance of beating the count. A former World Championships silver medal winner and a gold medal winner at the European Senior, European Youth and European Under-23 championships Quigley is a good bet to make it to the top. McCoy was out of his class by a long way.

 

October 31

 

General Pinto, Argentina: Light Welter: Marcelino N Lopez (30-1-1) W TKO 5 Diego M Aguilera (9-2).

Lopez proves too strong for game Aguilera. Both started by snapping out their jabs and then trading in short bursts. Lopez was content to box on the back foot and although the action was balanced he seemed the more compact fighter. It was more of the same in the second until at the end of the round Lopez dug in a good left hook to the body which had Aguilera backing up to the ropes and a series of shots followed by a left hook saw Aguilera staggering side wards and about to go down when the referee stepped in and gave him an eight count. The bell rang as the count was completed. Aguilera came out strongly at the start of the third but Lopez was winning the battle of the jabs and loading up on his punches. A clash of heads left Aguilera with a bump on his forehead but he came forward throwing combination as the round ended. Lopez stepped-up the pace in the fourth with Aguilera forced onto the back foot and holding in close. He was still stabbing out his jab and finding gaps in the defence of Lopez but lacked power and was under heavy pressure at the end of the round. Lopez was walking Aguilera down in the fifth. He trapped him on the ropes and landed some hard punches before un-corking a left hook that crashed onto Aguilera’s jaw and put him down. The referee bent down and took a look at Aguilera and waived the fight off as Aguilera arose protesting the stoppage but it was the right decision. Lopez wins the vacant South American title as he rebounds from his first loss when Pedro Barboza outpointed him in July and took away his unbeaten tag, his Argentinian title and his world rating. The 22-year-old “Cobra” Aguilera showed good skills but despite having scored all of wins by KO/TKO he was a sharp rather than a powerful puncher and could not match Lopez.

 

Melbourne, Australia: Super Feather: Billy Dib (38-3) W TKO 8 Ruben Manakane (14-12-1). Super Feather; Bilel Dib (15-1) W TKO 6 Anshori Anhar Pitulay (8-13-2).

Dib vs. Manakane

Dib wears down young Indonesian before scoring knockout. Although fighting with a lowered guard Dib boxed conservatively using plenty of movement and keeping the fight open not giving the hard punching visitor any chance to land big shots. Gradually Manakane’s face showed the signs of battle from the constant, powerful jabs from Dib. In the eighth with the Indonesian sporting swelling around both eyes a right to the side of the head put Manakane down and he was unable to beat the count. Just a keep busy fight for the 29-year-old former IBF feather champion who had beaten Alberto Garza on points in July. After the fight Dib revealed that he had been suffering from flu and was actually in hospital and on a drip recovering from the flu in the two days before the fight. Dib is now rated No 8 super feather by the IBF. The 21-year-old Manakane had turned his career around. He was 7-9 in his first 16 fights but 7-2-1 in his last 10 going into this fight.

Dib vs. Pitulay

Dib makes it a family double as he halts Pitulay in six rounds of a poor match. It was an easy night for Dib against an inferior opponent. He had no trouble reaching the Indonesian with punches in every round. He floored Pitulay with a body punch in the fourth and just when it looked as though Pitulay would be there at the bell Dib put him down twice more in the sixth and last round and the fight was stopped. The 25-year-old “Baby Face” a former undefeated Australian champion and now ANBF No 4, makes it 6 wins by KO/TKO. Pitulay, 29, a former PABA feather champion was having his first fight for almost two years.

 

San Martin, Argentina: Cruiser: Victor Ramirez (21-2,1ND) W KO 2 Deon Elam (13-2). Ramirez survives first round scare-but only just. The former WBO champion was giving away height and reach to the 6’4” (193cm) American and had to try to get inside. At the off Ramirez took Elam to the ropes and dug in couple of body punches. Elam turned off the ropes and then used a prodding jab to set up right crosses. The American was letting his hands go scoring with right crosses and lefts to the body. Ramirez landed a good combination of his own as he forced Elam to the ropes. Ramirez missed with a wild left and Elam landed a hard right that landed high on the side of the head of Ramirez which sent the Argentinian staggering into the ropes with Elam landing three more chopping rights and Ramirez tumbling half out of the ring through the middle ropes. The referee jumped in and as Ramirez untangled himself and started walking to a neutral corner he stumbled badly and almost went down. He was obviously badly shaken and when the eight count was completed Elam fired another hard right cross, a left hook to the body and a series of short punches. Ramirez staggered and went down on his back by the ropes. Ramirez got up walked across the ring on unsteady legs to a neutral corner. The referee gave him an eight count and then noticed that Ramirez had “lost” his mouthguard. He walked Ramirez back to his corner to have the mouthguard put in again and even gave Ramirez time for a quick drink. In all 26 seconds elapsed from Ramirez going down until the referee instructed them to box on. With just 45 seconds left in the round Ramirez walked straight into Elam and they just blasted away with both landing heavy punches and both being staggered until the bell to end the round. Elam looked to be in control again at the start of the second prodding out the jab and shaking Ramirez with a long right cross. Suddenly a short left from Ramirez landed on the side of Elam’s jaw and his legs wobbled. They exchanged hooks and then a stiff jab from Ramirez was followed by a thunderous right which crashed onto the chin of Elam and he collapsed to the canvas face first and did not move whilst the ten count was completed. It was two minutes before he was able to rise. A real scare for the 30-year-old “El Tyson del Abasto” who moves to 17 wins by KO/TKO and five wins in a row that way since returning to the ring in December. He retains his IBF Latino title for the fourth time and is rated No 4 by that body. Californian Elam, 34, had Buddy McGirt in his corner. He loses inside the distance for the first time as he manages to grasp defeat from the jaws of victory. He was inactive from May 2010 until returning in February this year.

 

Toowoomba, Australia: Super Feather: Jack Asis (32-18-5) W KO 2 Isaias Sampaio (19-9). Light Welter: Kris George (7-0) W PTS 10 Amor Tino (14-20-4). Super Feather: Brayd Smith (11-0) W KO 3 Cid Edson Bispo Ribeiro (15-6).

Asis vs. Sampaio

Asis delights the fans in his adopted hometown with second round kayo of Brazilian Sampaio. The 31-year-old Filipino “Assassin” makes it 11 wins and a draw in his last 12 fights.  He wins the vacant WBA Oceania title. Despite the clear kayo the Brazilian’s corner men appealed to the promoter and the referee to restart the fight and let their man continue. Asis now has 17 wins b y KO/TKO and is ANBF No 1. Sampaio, 28, the Brazilian champion, had won his last four fights by KO/TKO, but this is his 8^th loss that way.

George vs. Tino

George nearly finishes this one early but has to work hard in the end. Tino had come in as a very late replacement and was caught cold and put down twice in the first round. George could not apply the finish and paid for it. Tino fought the only way he knows how walking forward and pressurising George. Despite flooring Tino in the sixth George found he had to stop trading with the Filipino and start to box and was able to stay out of trouble and ease his way to a unanimous verdict as a tiring Tino lost his mouthpiece four times. Scores 98-93 twice and 98-90. The 25-year-old State champion and ANBF No 6 wins the vacant WBA Oceania title. Tino certainly earned his money after coming in so late but he is now 0-10-2 in his last 12 fights.

Smith vs. Ribeiro

Promoter’s son Smith remains unbeaten as another Brazilian falls in two. Having the edge in height, reach and skill Smith floored Ribeiro at the end of the second round and the referee stopped the one-sided fight mid way through the third round. The 23-year-old “Great White” has 9 wins by KO/TKO. He is WBC Youth Silver champion and ANBF No 1. All of the 39-year-old Ribeiro losses have come by KO/TKO and all inside three rounds

 

Creastmead, Australia: Heavy: Malik Scott (37-2-1) W PTS 10 .Alex Leapai (30-6-3).

Scott vs. Leapai

Avery predictable outcome as Scott outboxes the slower Samoan. The visitor stayed on the outside over the first two rounds wary of Leapai’s power and using his big advantages in height and reach to pick Leapai off with jabs. From the third he was able to stand closer and use his superior hand speed to land quick combinations. Leapai seemed to be hampered to some extent by a calf injury which had delayed the fight by a week. He continued to rumble forward but by the fifth his right eye began to close from the jabs he was walking onto and he lost his mouthguard a couple of time. It was one-way traffic until the last when Leapai put in a big effort trying to save the fight with some heavy swings but he was not successful. Scores 100-90, 99-91 and 97-92. First win for the 34-year-old Scott since his abysmal 96 second collapse against Deontay Wilder in March. First fight for 35-year-old Leapai since being outclassed and stopped by Wlad Klitschko in a title fight in April. Leapai said he would take some time before deciding whether to retire and a fight with current world rated CBC champion Lucas Brown might tempt him.

 

Breuil le Sec, France: Light Yvan Mendy (30-3-1,1ND) W PTS 10 Aboubeker Bechelaghem (9-6-1). Mendy retains his French title with hard fought unanimous decision over Bechelaghem. Scores 97-93, 96-93 and 97-95. Fourth defence for the 29-year-old “Lion” won has won 9 of his last 10 fights with the loss being to WBC No 1 light welter Viktor Postol in 2012. Bechelaghem, the mandatory challenger, did better than expected as he was 2-4  in his previous 6 fights .

 

Henin-Beaumont, France: Bantam: Omar Lamiri (13-1) W TKO 7 Hassan Azaouagh (16-9). Lamiri retains his EU title after hard fight with hometown boxer Azaouagh. Over the first two rounds Lamiri struggled to solve the style of Azaouagh but he started to take control late in the third finally forcing Azaouagh onto the back foot. At the end of the fourth round two cards had the fighters level at 38-38 with the fourth having the challenger up 39-37. Azaouagh was still getting through with swinging hooks to the body. It was still a close fight at the end of the sixth with two cards having it 57-57 each with the third having Azaouagh up 58-56. Lamiri pulled the fight out of the fire in the seventh with a huge right hook which put Azaouagh down. He made it to his feet but Lamiri scored with a series of uppercuts and the referee stopped the fight. First defence of his EU title for the 25-yerar-old former undefeated French champion and fifth win by KO/TKO. He has won his last 7 fights including victories over Karim Guerfi (19-1) and Anthony Settoul (19-2). Azaouagh, 28, a former French flyweight champion and EBU No 9 loses inside the distance for the second time.

 

Cuxhaven, Germany: Heavy: Christian Hammer (17-3) W PTS 12 Inneu Beato Costa Junior (15-1). Light Heavy: Karo Murat (26-2-1) W TKO 4 Leo Tchoula (9-7).

Hammer vs. Costa Junior

WBO European champion Hammer wins every around against poor Brazilian opposition. Costa’s record of 13 wins by KO/TKO led to a cautious start by Hammer but it soon became apparent that Costa was a poor boxer. Hammer was able to score at will with his jab against a slow opponent with a leaky defence. Costa was only boxing to survive and despite some heavy punishment and a last round knockdown due to a body punch he lasted the distance. Scores 120-108 twice and 120-107. A poor fight but win No 10 in a row for the 27-year-old German-based Romanian (real name Ciocan). His losses came in back-to-back fights against Taras Bidenko and Mariusz Wach in 2010 and he has since scored wins over Leif Larsen and Kevin Johnson. He is rated No 9 by the WBO but that flatters him. Brazilian “Gigante” Costa, 34 and  6’3” (192cm) is WBO Latino champion and rated a ridiculous No 15 by them.

Murat vs. Tchoula

Murat returns to the ring with a win in another poor match. This time there was an excuse as Tchoula came into the fight at just a few hours notice after original opponent Varol Vekiloglu suffered an injury on the way to the stadium. Tchoula was to have fought in a fight down the bill. Murat was able to do what he liked in the fight just using it as a paid sparring session. He breezed his way through three rounds and in the fourth a left hook followed by a right hook saw the referee halt the fight to save Tchoula from too much punishment. First fight for Iraqi-born German Murat since losing to Bernard Hopkins for the IBF title in October last  year. Tchoula, Cameroon-born, German-based, has lost his last 6 fights.

 

Rezzato, Italy: Feather: Carmine Tommasone (13-0) W PTS 10 Mario Pisanti (14-2-1). Super Bantam: Vittorio Parrinello (3-0) W PTS 6 Luca Genovese (0-7).

Tommasone vs. Pisanti

Tommasone wins the vacant Italian title at his first attempt with majority decision over Pisanti. It started badly for Tommasone as he found himself on the floor in the first round from a right hook to the chin. He looked to have risen too quickly but boxed his way to the bell. Pisanti also took the second round and by the start of the third Tommasone was down on the points and cut on his left eyebrow in a clash of heads. From there it had to get better and it did. Tommasone began to use his superior skills scoring well with the jab and straight rights against the southpaw Pisanti. He continued to avoid getting involved in any sustained exchanges and as Pisanti tired he built a good lead. In the last he stood and traded again only to get nailed by the best punch Pisanti had landed since the first round, but he was able to absorb the shot and finish the fight. Scores 96-93, 95-94 and 95-95 with Tommasone looking to have won much clearer than the score suggested. The 30-year-old new national champion, a former Italian amateur champion, was rated EU No 19. Hometown fighter Pisanti, 35, a former undefeated champion was inactive from June 2013 until returning with a win in September this year.

Parrinello vs. Genovese

Former top amateur Parrinello eases his way to points win. Against the much slower Genovese Parrinello was able to exhibit his full range of skills constantly switching guards and  planting jabs and rights through Genovese’s defence. Parrinello had height and reach on his side and it was only in the last round that Genovese had any success at all. Parrinello has left it late turning pro at 30. As an amateur he was Italian champion 5 times, won bronze medals at the European Union Championships and World Military Championships and competed at, but failed to medal in, the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and 2007/2009 and 2011 World Championships. Genovese had also lost on points to Tommasone and has not yet been beaten inside the distance.

 

Manezh, Russia: Cruiser: Murat Gassiev (19-0) W TKO 1 Engin Karakaplan (12-5-1). Gassiev finishes Karakaplan in first round. Gassiev quickly drove the Turk to the ropes and sank in left hooks to the body. Karakaplan came off the ropes and landed a good left hook to the body only for Gassiev to again drive him to the ropes. A left hook to the body was followed by a right cross which caught Karakaplan on the temple. He stumbled forward and then went down on one knee. He was up at eight but his legs were wobbly and the referee stopped the fight. All over in 99 seconds. The 21-year-old 6’3 ½” (192cm) Russian now has 13 wins by KO/TKO and wins the vacant IBF Inter-Continental title. French-based Turk Karakaplan, the French champion was 10-0-1 in his last 11 fights including a victory over useful Jean Marc Monrose but Gassiev just punched too hard for him..

 

Trnava, Slovakia: Cruiser: Tamas Kovacs (25-1) W PTS 10 Hamza Wandera (18-8-3,1ND). Fly: Robert Kanalas (5-0) W TKO 2 Ben Major (3-1).

Kovacs vs. Wandera

“Tomi Kid” Kovacs gets repeat win over Wandera. Over the first two rounds Kovacs was just edging the work and although a clash of heads in the third saw him suffer a small cut over his left he had Wandera in deep trouble at the end of the round. Southpaw Wandera was roughing things up and the referee deducted a point from him in the sixth round and again in the eighth by which time the Kenyan’s right eye was almost closed by a swelling. Both were tired with Kovacs doing enough to also collect the late rounds. Scores 100-88 twice and 97-91. The Slovakian had won a split decision over Wandera in 2011 for the vacant WBO European title ( a Kenyan!!) but won more clearly this time and collected the WBFed International title. His loss came in a challenge to Beibut Shumenov for the WBA title in December when “Tomi Kid” was slaughtered being floored in each round before being halted in the third. Wandera, 31, usually wins at home and loses on the road. He is the younger brother of former IBF champion Kassim Ouma.

Kanalas vs. Major

Kanalas wins the clash of young Hungarians. Despite Major being the taller Kanalas had no trouble reaching him with punches in the first. Early in the second a right put Major down. He beat the count but was shipping more hard punches when the referee halted the action. The 23-year-old Kanalas wins the vacant WBFed International title with his third victory by KO/TKO. He was a European Schoolboys silver medal winner and a World Youth quarter finalist. Major, just 18 was out of his class here.

 

Brighton, England: Light Middle: Lloyd Ellett (16-0) W TKO 3 Gergo Vari (14-7-1).

The Brighton “Lightning Bolt” wins the vacant International Masters title with kayo of Hungarian. Wearing a Michael Jackson mask into the ring Ellet was walking down Vari throughout the first round hurting him with body punches and shaking him near the bell with a straight right. Vari was slightly dazed in a clash of heads but was a lot more dazed by a right that put him down. The Hungarian got up and lasted out to the bell. At the start of the third another right from Ellet put Vari down and the fight was over. Now 4 wins by KO/TKO for the 27-year-old as he adds the International Masters bronze to the British Masters he already holds. Now 3 visits to Britain and 3 losses by KO/TKO for 30-year-old Vari.

 

Nashville, TN, USA: Welter: Joan Guzman (34-1-1,1ND) W KO 5 Kevin Carter (11-70-1,2ND). Guzman returns to the ring with a win. The former three-time world champion easily outboxed 44-year-old Carter for four rounds and then put him down and out in the fifth. First fight since losing to Khabib Allakhverdiev in November 2012. Amazing when you think that a fighter can win world titles in three different divisions rising from super bantam to lightweight, suffer only one loss in 37 fights (to Allakhverdiev) when challenging for a title at light welter and yet be considered some king of failure for not realising his “full” potential. Now 38 it seems Guzman never will be able to convince us of that as his lack of discipline has let him down at crucial points in his career. Now 12 losses in a row for Carter.

 

November 1

 

Chicago, IL, USA: Bantam: Tomoki Kameda (31-0) W PTS 12 Alejandro Hernandez (28-11-2). Light Heavy: Andrzej Fonfara (26-3,1ND) W PTS 10 Doudou Ngumbu (33-6). Super Feather: Javier Fortuna (26-0-1) W KO 5 Abner Cotto (18-3). Bantam: Koki Kameda (33-1) W TKO 4 Omar Salado (24-9-2,1ND). Middle: Caleb Truax (25-1-2) W TKO 8 Scott Sigmon (24-6-1). Welter: Alex Martin Jr (7-0) W PTS 6 Travis Hartman (12-21-1). Welter: Semajay Thomas (5-0) W TKO 2 Paul Pindroh (4-1-1). Welter: Jamal James (15-0) W TKO 8 Cameron Kreal (6-7-2).

Kameda vs. Hernandez

Kameda retains the WBO title with split decision over Mexican Hernandez which left people wandering which fight one of the judges was watching. The youngest member of the Kameda family took control of this fight from the first round and despite Hernandez walking forward throughout Kameda built a big lead. The champion was slicker and busier and although he was not able to hurt Hernandez the challenger was not able to work effectively. It was the eighth round before Hernandez finally got untracked but after he won that round Kameda rebounded to take the ninth, despite being cut over his left eye Hernandez had a better tenth but with a swelling Kameda seemed to coast over the last two rounds thinking he was too far in front to be caught. Scores 115-113 twice and 113-115 with even the first two scores looking generous to Hernandez. The 23-year-old “El Mexicanito” was defending his title for the third time and having his first fight in the USA. He showed plenty of skill and the only thing that was missing was a big punch. Next up he could face Brit Jamie McDonnell in a unification fight. “Little Clown” Hernandez, 28, was the WBO interim champion. He was having his third try at winning a full WBO title having lost to Omar Narvaez for the fly crown and drawn with Marvin Sonsona for the vacant super fly title after Sonsona had forfeited the title on the scales.

Fonfara vs. Ngumbu

Fonfara gets the win but does not impress. Ngumbu built an early lead as Fonfara had problems solving the French-based fighters style. It was a twitchy jerky aggressive style with punches from wide angles and it was the third round before Fonfara was able to settle down and use his jab effectively. In the fifth he managed to drive Ngumbu to the ropes with a left but even then the rounds remained close. Fonfara staged the stronger finish being busier and more accurate with Ngumbu tiring and not letting his punches go as he had early on. That strong finish allowed Fonfara to take the decision clearly although the scores did not reflect how close some of the rounds were. Scores 97-93 twice and 98-92. The 26-year-old Chicago-based Pole was having his first fight since flooring Adonis Stevenson whilst losing on points in an unsuccessful bid foe the WBC title. He is WBC No 6 and could easily get another title shot but his lack of speed and a loose defence makes it unlikely he will beat the best. DCR-born Ngumbu, 32, was a good level opponent having won on his travels against good quality fighters such as Aleksy Kuziemski, Vyacheslav Uzelkov and Johnny Muller.

Fortuna vs. Cotto

Fortuna supplies a quality finish to a wreck of a fight. Southpaw Fortuna was the better boxer and used speed and aggression to take the first round. Cotto had no answer to the combinations of the Dominican, or at least no legal answer. A blatant rabbit punch in the second put Fortuna down. The referee inexplicably applied a count and at the end of the round deducted a point from Cotto for the foul. Can’t have it both ways. Either it was a legal punch and the count was justified or it was a foul and the count was an example of poor refereeing. It did not get any better in the fourth with Cotto landing a series of low punches and Fortuna going down on one knee from the last. He was given time to recover but no warning was issued to Cotto. At the end of the round an angry Fortuna threw a punch after the bell which looked to just miss Cotto. A t first Cotto did not react and then at his corner’s urging fell to the canvas hoping for Fortuna to be disqualified. That did not work. Luckily for the fight in the fifth a left hook from Fortuna put Cotto down and out. An ugly fight. The 25-year-old Dominican, a former undefeated interim WBA champion, makes it 18 wins by KO/TKO. The only slight blemish on his record is a draw with Luis Franco in August last year and this was his fourth win since then. He is rated WBA 2 and WBC 6. Cotto, 27, a second cousin of Miguel Cotto, did himself no favours in his fouling tactics here as he suffers his second loss by KO/TKO.  He was knocked out inside a round by Omar Figueroa and outpointed by Francisco Vargas but had rebounded with a win over Jerry Belmontes and was the WBC No 13.

Kameda vs. Salado

Koki makes it a family double with a win over Salado. The elder of the three champion boxers moves to 18 wins by KO/TKO. The 27-year-old southpaw is a former WBA light flyweight, WBC flyweight and undefeated secondary WBA bantam champion. He is rated No 2 super fly by the WBA. The nearest that the 34-year-old Salado has come to a big title was a draw with Ulises Solis for the IBF light fly title in 2006. He has now lost 4 of his last 5 fights with the four losses all coming by way of KO/TKO but all against former world champions.

Truax vs. Sigmon

Truax extends his unbeaten run to eight with stoppage of Sigmon. The Minnesota middleweight was outpunching Sigmon all the way. He scored throughout with hard body punches and head shots. Sigmon lacked the power to complete and his face was soon showing the effects of the battle with damage around both eyes. He survived a doctors inspection in the seventh round. Sigmon lost a point early in the eighth for holding but was shipping heavy punishment again when the fight was stopped. The 31-year-old “Golden” now has 7 wins and a draw since flooring but losing to Jermain Taylor in 2012. Sigmon is 2-3-1 in his last 6 fights.

Martin vs. Hartman

Martin, one of the best local prospects, boxed his way to victory again experienced loser Hartman. The local 5’ 10” (187cm) 25-year-old, a three-time Chicago Golden Gloves champion won a silver medal at the 2011 NGG’s and gold at the 2012 NGG’s and was US Olympic Team Alternate for London. Hartman is 2-8 in his last 10 fights but did his job here.

Thomas vs. Pindroh

Thomas, another good local prospect makes it three wins by KO/TKO on the bounce as he floors Pindroh twice with rights in the second round and the fight is stopped. The 21-year-old former US National Champion just failed to make it through the US Trials for London.

Jones vs. Kreal

Yet another prospect to watch but this one from Minneapolis. James was not on top form but was boxing his way to a clear win when he found the punch to end matters in the last. A left hook put Kreal down early in the eighth and the fight was stopped. The 22-year-old James is tall for a welter at 6’2” (188cm). He has 8 wins by KO/TKO and has registered victories over Robert Osiobe, Mohammed Kayongo and Wayne Martell. The 22-year-old Kreal loses inside the distance for the first time.

Izegem, Belgium: Light Middle: Sasha Yengoyan (31-1-1) W TKO 2 Shavlego Tsamalaidze (8-4-3). Light Middle: Ayoub Nefzi (22-3-1,1ND) W PTS 8 Giorgi Ungiadze (28-21).

Yengoyan vs. Tsamalaidze

Yengoyan overpowers Georgian in two rounds. “Le Bestia del Este” started off at a measured pace as if intending to get a few rounds of work out of the fight but when the Georgian caught him with a hard shot late in the first that intent went out of the window. Yengoyan was loading up on his shots in the second round and dropped Tsamalaidze twice with body punches with the towel coming in from the Georgian’s corner after the second knockdown. The 29-year-old Armenian has 21 wins by KO/TKO and ten wins in a row since his sole loss to Aslanbek Kozaev in 2012. He is rated EBU No 6. Tsamalaidze, 23, had won 4 of his last 5 fights but his score outside Georgia is 0-4.

Nefzi vs. Ungiadze

Nefzi wins this one but it was closer than the scores suggest. The Tunisian fought his usual awkward style with a few irregularities thrown in. Ungiadze shook Nefzi with a punch in the second and looked to have built a lead over the opening rounds. He was also helped when Nefzi lost a point for running away from his opponent and turning his back on him. Nefzi staged a strong finish and had done enough to deserve the decision but the scores did not do justice to Ungiadze early work. Scores 77-74 twice and 78-73. The 34-year-old Antwerp-based Nefzi was coming off a points loss against Yengoyan and his other losses have been on the road against highly rated fighters such as Emanuele Della Rosa and Nikola Stevanovic

 

Rome, Italy: Super Middle: Giovanni De Carolis (22-5) W PTS 12 Geard Ajetovic (25-10-1). Super Middle: Massimiliano Buccheri (17-1-1) W PTS 6 Bart Grafka (10-13-1).

De Carolis vs. Ajetovic

De Carolis battles his way to close but deserved decision over Ajetovic. The fireworks started in the first round when a left hook from De Carolis deposited Ajetovic on the canvas. The Serb recovered well and took the fight to the Italian but De Carolis scored with some more hooks to build a lead. De Carolis had the edge in both height and reach but never got to use them as his jab was not strong enough to keep Ajetovic out and Ajetovic forced him into constant exchanges and close quarter work. Ajetovic was the stronger and also had a good selection of hooks which he displayed to the discomfort of the Italian. De Carolis was the quicker and busier and landed some heavy shots but Ajetovic just shrugged them off and kept piling in. Over the last three round De Carolis finally started to use his superior skills and boxed more but it continued to be a close, hard fought match with the Italian just having the edge and getting the decision. Scores 115-111, 115-112 and 114-113. The “Roman Emperor” was pushed hard all the way in this one but deserved the decision. The 30-year-old local collects the vacant IBF Inter-Continental title and makes it 10 wins in his last 11 fights with the loss being on points against Arthur Abraham in October last year for the WBO Inter-Continental title. He is EBU No 11. Ajetovic, 33, had won 4 of his last 5 fights including a victory over Vyacheslav Uzelkov and his display here could only have enhanced his reputation.

Buccheri vs. Grafka

Buccheri wins every round against Pole Grafka. The 30-year-old “Boom Boom” just does not deserve such a powerful sounding nickname as he has only one win by KO/TKO. He is rated No 1 super middle in Italy a couple of places ahead of De Carolis. Grafka has lost 5 of his last 6 but usually goes the distance.

 

Tokyo, Japan: Light Fly: Yu Kimura (15-2-1) W TEC DEC 7 Atsushi Aburada (9-7). Flyweight: Tetsuma Hayashi (25-2-2) W T^KO 3 Ryutaro Taira (8-5-2).

Kimura vs. Aburada

Kimura retains JBC title with technical decision over Aburada. The champion made a slow start giving Aburada the first round. From the second Kimura controlled the fight with his jab. He was easing his way to a points win when a clash of heads saw Aburada cut over his left eye. It went to the score cards and Kimura took the decision on scores of 69-64 from all three judges. Second defence of the title for 30-year-old Kimura who has won 11 of his last 12 fights and is rated WBO 12/WBA 15. Aburada, the JBC No 11, was moving up to the 10 round class for the first time after winning his last two fights

Hayashi vs. Taira

Hayashi outclasses Taira and lands a volley of wicked body punches to finish the fight. The 26-year-old JBC No 2 has 9 wins by KO/TKO and has 7 wins and a draw in his last 8 fights. He is hoping for a second shot at the national title having lost to Takuya Kogawa in a challenge back in 2012. The unrated Taira s 1-4-1 in his last 6 fights.

 

Mexico City, Mexico: Light: Nery Saguilan (31-4-1) W PTS 12 Shoki Sakai (17-5). Super Bantam: Rey Vargas (22-0) W TKO 8 Silvester Lopez (22-9-2). Welter: Javier Molina (16-1) W PTS 6 Luis Prieto (8-4).

Saguilan vs. Sakai

Saguilan retains his WBC USNBC Silver lightweight title with unanimous decision over Sakai. When he wasn’t posing or clowning Saguilan was showcasing a good range of skills against a tough challenger. The Japanese fighter had height and reach over Saguilan and used the jab well in the first round to score against Saguilan who was hiding behind a high guard. It was the same scene in the second until late in the round when a right hook shook Sakai badly. Saguilan then got serious for a while and was scoring with hard body shots. Sakai proved his fitness by absorbing the punches and fighting back but those body shots would slow Sakai later in the fight. Saguilan was quicker and more accurate but it was not one way traffic and Saguilan was showing a cut above his left eye and a cut lip as Sakai landed enough to make the fight close and Saguilan lost focus with his occasional clowning. Saguilan staged a strong finish finding a couple of those damaging right hooks which had hurt Sakai in the second round to open a gap at the end. Scores 116-112 from all three judges. The 26-year-old “Pantera” is rated No 11 super feather by the WBC and although he now has 5 wins in a row his record is dotted with four losses in bouts he might have been expected to win. Sakai, 23, had done most of his fighting in Mexico and had won 4 of his last 5 fights.

Vargas vs. Lopez

Vargas gets second win over Lopez after their first fight saw Lopez bow out with a injured knee. Vargas had height and reach over Lopez and dominated the early rounds scoring with stinging jabs and body shots from both hands. Lopez was a tough cookie and he stood up to the punishment and retaliated with some good hits of his own. The Mexican came out in Vargas eventually and for a while he was standing and trading with Lopez and making the fight harder than it need to be. Once he went back to his boxing he began to dish out severe punishment and had Lopez trapped on the ropes and under fire in the eighth when the referee stopped the fight. When these two fought in March Vargas had to climb off the floor and battle hard until the knee injury took Lopez out of the fight in the seventh round. Fourth defence of his WBC Youth Silver title for the 23-year-old hot prospect and win No 19 by KO/TKO. He is WBC 4/IBF 6/WBO 10 and could be fighting for a world title in 2015. The 27-year-old Filipino Lopez is 2-5 in his last 7 fights with all 5 losses against very good opposition and all in the other guy’s territory.

Molina vs. Prieto

The former amateur star made it a family double over Prieto but only just. He made hard work of getting a split decision over novice Prieto for his seventh straight victory. The 24-year-old Olympian beat Karl Dargan, Jeremy Bryant, Brad Solomon and Kevin Bizier as an amateur but is struggling to get established as a pro. The Californian is the brother of Oscar and Carlos. Oscar outpointed Prieto in September.

 

Caguas, Puerto Rico: Feather: Wilfredo Vazquez Jr (24-4-1) W PTS 8 Jonathan Arrellano (15-5-2), Super Feather: Alberto Machado (9-0) W KO 2 Alvin Torres (7-2-2). Light Flyweight: Miguel Del Valle (10-22) W PTS 6 Israel Vazquez (9-1-2)

Vazquez vs. Arrellano

Vazquez gets win but has to fight hard for majority decision. Arrellano used his jab well in the first and scored well with a combination to the body as Vazquez made a cautious start. Vazquez began by pressing the fight in the second using his own jab to take over but both fighters were rocked by punches in the round. In the third Vazquez stopped standing and trading and began to use his skills to control the action in that round and into the fourth. The fifth saw him go back to trading and in the sixth he had Arrellano on the ropes throwing punches with both hands looking for a finish to impress his father who was back in his corner. Arrellano has not lost inside the distance and he showed his power by battling back and attacking a tiring Vazquez over the last two rounds. Scores 78-74, 77-75 and 76-76. The 30-year-old Puerto Rican collects the vacant WBC USNBC feather title in a much needed win. After being unbeaten in his first 21 fights, and winning the WBO super bantam title, he then went 3-4 in his next seven losing his title to Jorge Arce, dropping a split decision to Nonito Donaire in a challenge for the vacant WBO super bantam title being, beaten on a majority decision by unsung Yasutaka Ishimoto and losing a split decision to Marvin Sonsona in his last fight in June. “Lil Thunder” Arrellano, 27, was unbeaten in his first 14 fights but against tougher opposition he has gone 2-4-1 in his last seven, but he gave Vazquez a tough test in this one.

Machado vs. Torres

Machado makes it 4 wins in a row by KO/TKO. In an all-Puerto Rican contest Machado scored with good combinations to the body in the first. In the second he jabbed his way in and then put Torres down and out with right hook. Now 7 wins by KO/TKO for the very tall (5’10” 178cm) 34-year-old Machado who did not turn pro until he was 32 so has no time to waste.

Del Valle vs. Vazquez

Veteran loser Del Valle springs an upset and puts a dampener on the night for the Vazquez family. Despite an eleven year age gap southpaw Del Valle won this one clearly. Lefts put Vazquez down twice in the second and he was rocked badly in the third. From that platform Del Valle went on to win the unanimous decision. Scores 58-54 twice and 59-53. The 38-year-old “Samurai” was supposed to be an easy mark for “The Crown” as he was 1-17 in his last 18 fights going in and had lost on points to Vazquez in 2012.  Curiously his only win in that run was in 2013 over an unbeaten fighter with a 9-0-2, record just like Vazquez . The 27-year-old son of the great Wilfredo had won his last 7 fights but had no answer to the southpaw lefts of Del Valle.

 

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain: Cruiser: Cesar Cordoba (7-0) W TKO 5 Ibrahim Lopez (9-2-1). Cordoba wins the Spanish title with stoppage of champion Lopez. The challenger asserted his authority early flooring Lopez in the second and although Lopez fought hard Cordoba was dominating the exchanges. Lopez was more than willing to trade and it made for an exciting fight. It ended in the fifth when with Lopez pouring blood from a broken nose and under pressure the referee stopped the fight over the protests of the brave champion. Only the seventh fight in three years as a pro for Cordoba and his first past six rounds. He has won his last six fights by KO/TKO. The former top amateur from Barcelona won a gold medal at the prestigious Box Am tournament and had a stoppage win over British prospect Callum Johnson. First defence since winning the national title in 2012 for hometown fighter Lopez who after winning his first 9 fights is 0-2-1 in his last three.

 

Aberdeen, Scotland: Super Feather: Darren Traynor (9-0) W TKO 5 Krzys Rogowski (8-9). Super Feather: Ronnie Clark (12-1-2) W TKO 3 Janis Puksins (4-21-2,1ND).

Traynor vs. Rogowski

“Trayn Wreck” Traynor wins the vacant International Masters Silver title with victory over Pole. The local boxer had Rogowski down twice and the Pole retired at the end of the fifth round. Four wins by KO/TKO for 28-year-old Traynor. Rogowski, 33, is now 2-6 in his last 8 fights and 1-7 in visits to Britain.

Clark vs. Puksins

Scottish southpaw “The Shark” Clark eases back with a stoppage of perennial loser Puksins. Clark, 29, lost his unbeaten tag when beaten on a split decision by Troy James in a British title eliminator in September so will be looking to get back into the title picture in 2015. Latvian Puksins, also a southpaw, is 0-13 in fights in Britain.

 

Washington, DC, USA: Welter: Dusty Hernandez Harrison (24-0) W KO 1 Mike Clark (44-12-1). Light Middle: Jarrett Hurd (13-0) W KO 1 Terry Cade (4-7-1).

Harrison vs. Clark

Harrison destroys veteran Clark inside a round. Harrison came out and used his height and reach advantages to establish his jab early. He used one of  those jabs to set Clark up and then a right to the head sent Clark down and out. Predictably all over in just 100 seconds. The 20-year-old local hope makes it 13 wins by KO/TKO but this was a poor match. The 41-year-old Clark, who failed to make the contract weight, has lost 5 of his last 6 fights with three of those losses being one round blow outs. Once a top amateur he is now just a minor stepping-stone.

Hurd vs. Cade

Hurd take a bit longer than Harrison but gets the job done in similar fashion and also in the first. Cade had the height and reach this time but he did not know how to use either. A jab from Hurd set it up and a crunching right put Cade down and out. The 24-year-old Hurd lived up to his “Swift” nickname as he ended it with 21 seconds left in the round. He has 8 wins id the last two both ending in the first round making it four first round wins in total. Poor Cade has lost 5 in a row, the last thee all by KO/TKO.

 

Lula, MS, USA: Heavy: Shannon Briggs (57-6-1,1ND) W KO 1 Richard Carmack (12-6,1ND).

Another farcical win for Briggs as he kayos a vastly overweight Carmack inside a round. Carmack tried an occasional jab but Briggs was able to walk right through them. Left hooks to the body put Carmack down three times. Carmack, 26, has lost his last 6 fights three of them by KO/TKO. He weighed a whopping 292lbs, that’s 133kgs or 21 stones, so fat in anyone’s language. The 42-year-old Briggs was 260lbs or 118kgs or 18 ½ stones so not exactly sylph-like. Challenging Wlad Klitschko whilst fighting opponents such as Carmack is laughable but in their typical idiotic logic the WBA rate him No 7 !!!!!!!!!!!!!