The Past Week in Action 13 May 2024

Did you miss any of the heart-pounding action in the world of boxing this week? Fear not, as Eric Armit has got you covered with ‘The Past Week in Action’! Prepare to be thrilled as we dive into a comprehensive review of all the major cards from the past week, bringing you up to speed on every knockout, upset, and champion’s triumph in the ring.

Highlights:

-Vasyl Lomachenko stops George Kambosos to win the vacant IBF lightweight title and also takes the IBO title from champion Kambosos

-Pedro Guevara wins the WBC interim super fly title with split decision over Andrew Moloney.

-Mixed night in Pasay City for Filipinos as former IBF and WBA super bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales knocks out Thai Nattapong Jankaew in the first round but unheralded Mexican Kenbun Torres stops WBO No 1 bantamweight  Reymart Gaballo also in the first  round.

– In a good weekend for female boxing Erika Cruz retains the WBA super bantam title in draw with Nazarena Romero, Olympic gold medallist Lauren Price beats champion Jessica McCaskill on a technical decision to win the IBO and WBA welterweight belts, Cherneka Johnson outpoints Nina Hughes to win the WBA bantamweight belt and  Kristy Hill holds on to her Commonwealth super feather crown with split decision  over Fatuma Zarika

-Sergey Lipinets returns to action with a win over Robbie Davies

-In a bad night for Japanese boxers in South Korea Australian Tej Pratap Singh outpoints Kazuto Takesako to win the  OPBF Middleweight title and Filipino Vince Paras decisions former WBA light fly champion Hiroto Kyoguchi

-Denzel Bentley stops Danny Dignum in a clash of former WBO middleweight title challengers and there are wins for Nathaniel Collins and Ryan Garner

-Heavyweights Mourad Aliev and Jose Larduet score inside the distance wins in Cologne.

 

Major Shows

 

MAY 11

London, England: Middle: Denzel Bailey (19-3-1) W TKO 2 Danny Dignum (1621-1). Feather: Nathaniel Collins (15-0) W PTS 12 Francesco Grandelli (18-3-2). Super Feather: Ryan Garner (15-0) W PTS 10 Liam Dillon (13-1-1). Super Feather: Archie Sharp (25-0) W PTS 8 Reuquen Arce (17-14-2). Super Feather: Royston Barney-Smith (10-0) W PTS 8 Jonatas Gomes de Oliveira (6-9).

Bailey vs. Dignum

Bailey stops Dignum in two rounds. After some early probing in the first Bailey scored with a strong right and looked confident. Dignum came alive just before the bell connecting with a good southpaw left. In  the second Bailey drove a right to the body of Dignum which sent Dignum to the canvas. He beat the count but was floored by another right to the body. He made it to his feet but was immediately under pressure and Bentley landed a right to the head that put Dignum down for the third time. He again made it to his feet but after completing the eight count the referee waived his arms to end the fight. Bailey wins the vacant WBO International title with his sixteenth inside the distance victory. Former  WBO  title challenger Bailey had lost his British title on a majority decision against Nathan Heaney in November. Dignum, also a former WBO title challenger, was having his first fight for thirteen months and was just blown away by the power of Bailey.

Collins vs. Grandelli

Collins wins the vacant European Silver title with a unanimous decision over Grandelli. Promising start from Collins as he took possession of the centre of the ring then stepped forward quickly landing body punches on the circling Italian and dominated the action. Grandelli was more positive in the second trying to take the centre of the ring but the faster hands and better accuracy of Collins gave him the round. As they traded punches in the third a flying elbow from Grandelli crunched into the nose of Collins giving the Scot a heavy nose bleed. Collins continued to outbox Grandelli the fourth and fifth with the Italian too slow to come forward and walking onto counters. Grandelli managed to close the distance in the sixth forcing Collins to stand and trade but a fierce attack in the seventh had Grandelli spending much of the round pinned against the ropes. Grandelli upped the pace of his attacks from the eighth applying plenty of useful pressure forcing Collins to be drawn into close exchanges which favoured Grandelli. The ninth was close but jabs and straight rights from Collins saw him edge the tenth. There was more pressure from Grandelli in the eleventh as he stayed on top of Collins working to the body. The last saw both fighters standing and trading and the round could have been scored either way but Collins’s early lead was never really threatened and he won on scores of 116-112 twice and 117-111.

Garner vs. Dillon

Garner scores unanimous decision over Dillon in a small hall classic. Dillon came flying out of his corner throwing punches driving Garner to the ropes and they stood and exchange punches with both landing some good body shots and Garner finishing the round nailing Dillon with a series of hooks. That set the pattern for the fight. Dillon continually came forward trying to force Garner to the ropes with Garner driving him back and digging in some rib-bending body shots. Dillon had some success when he managed to pin Garner against the ropes but inevitably it was Garner who landed the cleaner and harder punches. Dillon had to soak up a lot of punishment in the fourth but each time bounced back advancing in a crouch behind a high guard looking to score inside but his best chance to win was to keep the pace hot in the hope that Garner might tire. Garner was cut over the left eye in the fifth and a fired-up Dillon despite bleeding from the nose, had a good sixth. Garner shook Dillon with an uppercut in the seventh and now Dillon was cut over his right eye. Garner continued to outscore the storming Dillon over the eighth and ninth and just had that bit more left as they just stood and swapped punches through the last. A great little fight of the sort for which the York Hall is famous. Garner won on scores of 99-92, 98-92 and 98-93 to retain the WBC International title. Second loss in a row for former British champion Dillon who had lost his British title and failed in a challenge for the Commonwealth title when being outpointed by Reece Bellotti in February. If courage won fights Dillon would be a world champion.

Sharp vs. Arce

WBO No 5 Sharp survives near disaster in the first round to out score Argentinian Arce. Just twenty seconds into the fight Sharp was nailed by a left hook that sent him down heavily. He beat the count but was on shaky legs and went down again under a fierce attack from Arce. Again, Sharp beat the count but there were two minutes left in the round. Arce went crazy throwing wild, crude punches and although he landed a couple more times Sharp survived. Sharp scored a flash knockdown in the second when an off balance Arce touched the canvas and Sharp then proceeded to outclass Arce. He was able to score repeatedly through what little idea of a guard Arce possessed and by the end of the fight was dropping his hands and showboating. The referee’s score was 77-73 for Sharp. Arce had lost his last three fights but in one of those losses floored Ray Moylette.

 

Aberdeen, Scotland: Super Welter: Dean Sutherland (17-1) W TKO 10 Sion Yaxley (13-1).

Sutherland wins the BBB of C Celtic title with stoppage of champion Yaxley. Sutherland established a lead early with some calm and composed boxing but then seemed to fall off a bit in the middle rounds. He was fired up again in the eighth before driving Yaxley to the ropes in the ninth. Yaxley escaped briefly but was soon against the ropes again and Sutherland unleashed a volley of punches until the referee stopped the fight. Fourth victor on the bounce for Sutherland since losing to Louis Green in a fight for the vacant Commonwealth title in 2022. Welshman Yaxley was making the first defence of the Celtic title.

 

Cardiff, Wales: Welter: Lauren Price (7-0) W TEC DEC 9 Jessica McCaskill (12-4-1). Feather: Rhys Edwards (16-0) W PTS 10 Thomas Patrick Ward (34-2-1). Super Middle: Mark Jeffers (18-0) W TKO 5 Darren Johnstone (8-1). Heavy: Hughie Fury (28-3) W TKO2 Patrick Korte (21-4-1). Light Heavy: Lewis Edmondson (9-0) W PTS 8 Joel McIntyre (20-9).

Price vs. McCaskill

Price wins technical decision over champion McCaskill to collect the IBO and WBA titles. Price used smart footwork a strong right jab and straight lefts to take control from the first. McCaskill had trouble getting past Price’s jab. She was swinging wildly at times with Price picking her off with quick bursts of punches at distance, countering her on the way in and tying her up inside. McCaskill was looking to drag Price into a brawl and was warned for wrestling  tactics in the second but Price kept her composure jabbing and scoring with lefts and then ghosting away from McCaskill’s attacks leaving the champion swiping air. A clash of heads in the fifth started a swelling over McCaskill’s left eye and Price targeted the injury with some sharp rights. A frustrated McCaskill just could not shut Price down and her wild swings were leaving her open to counters. The swelling over McCaskill’s left eye worsened  and was hampering her vision. She survived one doctor’s inspection but with the eye almost closed the fight was stopped just seconds into the ninth  and it went to the score cards with Price winning 90-82 on all three cards. An impressive performance from Olympic gold medallist Price who will go on to win more titles. McCaskill has held titles at both welterweight and super lightweight and was 7-2-1 in title fights.

Edwards vs. Ward

The pace on this fight was fast from the  start. Both are good boxers. The first saw both have some success but Edwards quick and accurate jabbing gave him a slight edge in the second and third. Ward turned on the pressure over the fourth and fifth getting inside the jab of Edwards and scoring to the body. Edwards was back on top in a close seventh boxing well on the outside and he was stronger over the closing rounds with Ward cut over his left eye in the tenth. Edwards collected the vacant WBA Inter-Continental title on scores of 98-92 twice and 99-91. The right winner but the scores were a bit unkind to the work put in by Ward. First professional title for Welshman Edwards who is progressing well. After being undefeated in his first 34 fights and looking close to a title shot Ward was floored and stopped by Otabek Kholmatov in March 2023 with Kholmatov being the one to go on and make an unsuccessful challenge for the title.

Jeffers vs. Johnstone

Jeffers scores a brutal fifth round stoppage over a competitive Johnstone. Johnstone was coming forward throughout the first but Jeffers was quicker with his jab and landed a couple of sharp rights. Jeffers changed tactics in the second and third coming forward more behind the jab and looking dangerous with some sweeping hooks. Johnstone boxed and traded punches but lacked the power to keep Jeffers out and had to absorb some solid shots to head and body. Jeffers had Johnstone reeling under a barrage of hooks and uppercuts in the fourth. It looked as though Johnstone might not last the round but he staged a recovery forcing Jeffers back with straight lefts and rights at the bell. Jeffers provided a spectacular finish in the fifth. He forced Johnstone back with hooks to the body and then unloaded with hooks until a brutal right to the head stunned Johnstone and sent him slumping to the canvas with the referee immediately stopping the fight. Sixth win by KO/TKO for Jeffers. Johnstone had won the Scottish Area title in February.

Fury vs. Korte

Fury stops Korte in the second. Korte flew out of his corner throwing wild punches. Fury went onto the back foot measuring Korte with jabs and shook him with a right. Korte kept flinging himself forward but Fury easily avoided his punches. Korte was trying to force Fury into a brawl but Fury stuck to his jab adding an occasional hefty right one of which rocked Korte at the bell. A clash of heads had resulted in a small cut over Fury’s left eye. The cut had Fury looking to get rid of Korte in the second round and he was forgetting his jab and just firing right crosses for a while. Finally, a series of rights had Korte floundering and the referee stopped the fight

Edmondson vs. McIntyre

Good early work from Edmonson as he switched his attack well from head to body and set a fast pace. McIntyre just could not find a way into the fight and Edmondson scored with some nice body punches in the third and fourth. McIntyre finally had some success in the fifth and sixth as Edmondson’s work rate dropped but Edmondson edged a close seventh and just  outworked a tiring McIntyre in the eighth. The referee scored it 80-72. Edmondson a clear winner but the score a bit wide. Edmondson was moving up to eight rounds for the first time so some useful experience for him. Fifth consecutive loss for McIntyre.

 

MAY 12

 

MAY 12

 

Perth, Australia: Light: Vasyl Lomachenko (18-3) W TKO 11 George Kambosos (21-3). Super Fly: Pedro Guevara (42-4-1) W PTS 12 Andrew Moloney (26-4,1ND). Bantam: Cherneka Johnson (16-2) W PTS 10 Nina Hughes (6-1). Heavy: Hemi Ahio (22-1) W TKO 1 Lucas Browne (31-6). Heavy: Joe Goodall (11-2-1) W TKO 10 Faiga Opelu (16-5-2). Cruiser: Imam Khataev (7-0) W TKO 6 Ricards Bolotniks (20-8-1).

 Lomachenko vs. Kambosos

Lomachenko beats Kambosos putting on a master class of boxing skills then floors and stops him in the eleventh round. Lomachenko took control from the start. He was too quick, too mobile and too clever for a strangely subdued Kambosos. The Australian spent most of the fight on the back foot never putting Lomachenko under any pressure. That allowed Lomachenko to control the pace of the fight. He tracked the retreating Kambosos around the ring choosing his moment to spring inside and land quick bursts of punches with Kambosos too slow to block them or to land any counters. When Kambosos did come forward throwing punches he was being caught with counters on the way in and Lomachenko was able to slide away from Kambosos’s attacks and then come back to slot home southpaw jabs and fast, accurate straight lefts. Those attacks by Kambosos were rare events and he was just not throwing enough punches to give Lomachenko any concerns. Kambosos tried to be more aggressive over the middle rounds but he was getting the worse of the exchanges as Lomachenko constantly changed angles and found gaps for straight lefts. There was no evidence of a plan B for Kambosos. He continued to retreat around the perimeter of the ring making an occasional foray to the centre of the ring and then retreating as Lomachenko drove starlight lefts through his guard. For me Lomachnko had won every round before ending the one-sided affair in the eleventh. A left to the body saw Kambosos take a couple of steps back and then drop to kneel on one knee. He beat the count but another two lefts to the body sent him down on his knees and the referee waived the fight over as the towel came flying in from Kambosos’s corner.

Lomachenko was in front 99-91 on two cards and 98-92 on the third. He wins the vacant WBC lightweight title and takes the IBO belt from Kambosos. He was asked about a fight with WBA champion Gervonta Davis but refused to comment on that saying he wanted to spend time with his family. A disappointing performance from Kambosos  who was never in the fight in any meaningful way

Guevara vs. Moloney

Guevara takes a close split decision over Moloney. Both fighters like to be on the front foot looking to pressure their opponent and trade plenty of punches. That was the pattern for much of the fight. Moloney had the better of the exchanges in the first and third with Guevara targeting Moloney’s body having the edge in the second and fourth. The fifth saw Guevara again landing body shots and he rocked Moloney with right. Moloney came right back in the sixth to connect with some useful head punches to even things up and had a productive seventh connecting with left hooks and outscoring Guevara. The eighth saw Guevara step up the pressure as his body punches looked to be slowing Moloney and he held off a late surge from Moloney to again even things up. Guevara carried that impetus into the ninth and tenth just getting the better of some fierce trading. The eleven was critical but Guevara was the one applying heavy pressure and looked to have won the round opening a three point gap. Moloney staged a strong finish and took the last making it very close to call. The judges scored it 115-113 twice for Guevara and 116-113 for Moloney. Mexican Guevara, a former WBC light flyweight champion, won the interim WBC super fly title with this victory having lost to Carlos Cuadras on a split decision  for the same interim title in November. Moloney has been an interim champion but is 0-4, 1ND in shots at winning a full title. He was disgusted at not getting the decision and announced he was retiring. Lets see if he sticks to that. May has been a bad month for the Moloney twins with Jason losing his WBO bantam title to Yoshiki Takei six days earlier.

Johnson vs. Hughes

Johnson wins the WBA belt with majority decision over champion Hughes.  The early rounds went to Hughes with her busy, aggressive style. She was throwing lots of leather in bursts and swinging wide hooks. Johnson was more accurate but just being outworked. Hughes looked to have swept the first four rounds with those tactics. Johnson upped her own work rate and took the fifth and sixth scoring well in both rounds. Hughes responded by continuing to put Johnson under pressure and did enough to take the seventh. Johnson landed a good right in the eighth but was not matching the work rate of Hughes. Perhaps her 41 years and her busy style began to catch up with Hughes as Johnson was the stronger over the last two rounds winning them both. There followed what was a distressing moment of farce as the ring announcer mistakenly announced Hughes as the winner only to realise he had made a mistake and corrected himself to say Johnson had won on scores of an unjust 98-92 and 96-94 for Johnson and 95-95. Former IBF champion Johnson had lost her IBF title being beaten on a unanimous decision by Ellie Scotney in June last year. Hughes was making the second defence of the WBA title and looked an unlucky loser.

Ahio vs. Browne

Ahio stops Browne in the first round. These two immediately got down to business. The smaller Ahio I(he was giving away 5” in height and nearly 40lbs in  weight) was walking forward throwing hooks but Browne fired straight back as they both ignored defence. Ahio walked through Browne’s punches and sent him down with a right to the head. Browne managed to get to his feet but was shaky and bloody. The referee let the fight continue but Ahio landed a couple more head shots on the tottering Browne and the referee stopped the fight. Now 17 wins by KO/TKO for New Zealander Ahio. Third inside the distance defeat in a row for 45-year-old Browne who announced his retirement…

Goodall vs. Opelu

Goodall wins the vacant WBA Oceania title with last round stoppage of Opelu. The 6’5 1./2” Goodall made it ten wins by KO/TKO as rebounds from losses to Justis Huni and Efe Ajagba. Samoan-born Opelu made a splash when he stopped 19-0 Hemi Ahio in four rounds but came down to earth when  being stopped inside a round by Joseph Parker in May last year.

Khataev vs. Bolotniks

Australian-based Russian Khataev continues his winning ways with stoppage of Latvian Bolotniks. Khataev used a focused body attack to wear down Bolotniks then floored him three times in the sixth to force the stoppage. Khataev, who lost to Ben Whittaker on a split decision at the Tokyo Games, has won all of his fights inside the distance taking less than 17 rounds for his seven wins. Former WBO European champion Bolotniks suffers his sixth loss by KO/TKO.

 

MAY 8

 

Plant City, FL, USA:  Super Light: Sergey Lipinets (18-3-1) W PTS 10 Robbie Davies Jr (23-5). Heavy: Fernely Feliz (8-0) W PTS 8 Cesar Navarro (11-2). Light: Tsendbaatar Erdenebat (10-0) W TKO 3 Alberto Mercado (17-7-1).

Lipinets vs. Davies

Lipinets floors and outpoints Davis in a war. Lipinets put Davies under pressure and connected with some solid hooks to take the first round, Davis boxed with real skill in the second, third and fourth having Lipinets under firs at the end of each round and looked to have built a lead. Lipinets finally caught up with Davies in the fifth landing some overhand rights that sent Davies down. He beat the count and boxed his way to the bell but was leaking blood heavily from his nose and mouth. Lipinets marched forward in the sixth and seventh landing clubbing hooks but Davies showed some good defensive work and constantly pinged Lipinets with jabs and landed hooks of his own but must have been affected by the blood flowing from his nose and did not have the power to keep Lipinets out. Lipinets connected with a powerful right early inn the eighth but Davies took it well only for a left hook to the body to send him tohis hands and knees. He was up at nine but a right to the head put him down again later in the round. Davies then moved and jabbed but had to absorb some clubbing shots rom Lipinets. Amazingly in the closing seconds Davies took the fight to Lipinets and was bombarding Lipinets with punches. Davies showed amazing resilience as he stayed in front of Lipinets in the ninth and whilst Lipinets still landed some heavy stuff Davies was throwing more and connecting more and often forcing Lipinets to retreat under fire. The tenth encapsulated the fight with Lipinets marching forward throwing bombs and Davies jabbing, moving and landing right hand counters. Only in the last minute did Davies show any sign of tiring. Lipinets won on scores of a ridiculous 98-89, 95-92 and 96-91. It had been a stirring contests with the mixture of styles, the dramatic knockdowns the always threatening power of Lipinets and the courage of Davies.

Feliz vs. Navarro

Feliz outpoints Navarro. Navarro took the fight to Feliz from the start trying to get inside the taller man’s longer reach. Feliz boxed well on the back foot and connected with thudding counters as Navarro came forward. Navarro landed a very low left hook in the third with Feliz getting some recovery time and Navarro  was paying a price for his aggression with a swelling under his left eye. Feliz occasionally let himself be dragged into a brawl and the pace slowed. Navarro’s left eye was almost closed over the late rounds as Feliz dominated the action and boxed his way to the win. Scores 79-73 twice and 78-74. First eight round fight for the 27-year-old 6’2” former US National champion. Navarro had won his last three bouts.

Erdenebat vs. Mercado

Mongolian Erdenebat was conceding height and reach to fellow southpaw Mercado but bobbed and weaved his way inside in the first two rounds and connected with straight lefts and some useful right hooks. Mercado had some success with his jab and straight lefts early in the third until Erdenebat opened up and shook Mercado with a series of hooks and uppercuts. Late in the round a right hook opened a cut on Mercado’s left eyelid and the fight was stopped. Erdenebat won gold medals at the Asian Championships and the Asian Games and a bronze at the World Championships but lost to eventual silver medallist Shakur Stevenson in the 2016 Olympics and eventual gold medallist Albert Batyrgaziev in the Tokyo Games. Third defeat in a row for Puerto Rican Mercado-all tough matches.

 

MAY 10

 

Collegno, Italy: Light Heavy: Stefano Abatangelo (28-8-1) W PTS 10 Nasser Bukenya (8-5-1). Welter: Andrea Fontana (12-1) W TKO 8 Joshua Riccardo (9-2).

Abatangelo vs. Bukenya

Local veteran Abatangelo wins the vacant IBF European belt. Over the first half of the fight Abatangelo found it hard to get to grips with the awkward Dutchman. Abatangelo did plenty of attacking but the taller Bukenya used his reach to score and landed some ponderous rights as he managed to keep Abatangelo out. The Italian did better over the second half of the fight managing to close Bukenya down and work to the body with Bukenya slowing. Abatangelo shook Bukenya in the eighth but Bukenya countered well in the ninth only for Abatangelo to produce the goods in the last to emerge a close but deserving winner. Score 97-93 and 96-94 for Abatangelo and 96-95 for Bukenya. Abatangelo, 41, has been a pro for 18 years and is a three-time Italian champion. Ugandan-born Bukenya might have got the decision in Holland.

Fontana vs. Riccardo

Fontana hands out a beating to a limited Riccardo before stopping him the eighth round. Fontana used his longer reach and better skills to handle the attacks of Riccardo who just kept lunging forward into counters. Fontana floored Riccardo in the third and fourth rounds and forced a third count in the fifth. When a left rocked Riccardo in the eighth his corner threw in the towel. “The Doctor” wins the vacant  IBF Mediterranean title with his sixth victory by KO/TKO. Rome’s Riccardo came in on the back of three wins.

 

Manila, Philippines: Super Bantam: Marlon Tapales (38-4) W TKO 1 Nattapong Jankaew (12-4). Bantam: Kenbun Torres (14-5) W TKO 1 Reymart Gaballo (27-1).

Tapales vs. Jankaew

Tapales destroys overmatched Jankaew. The former IBF and WBA super bantam champion dropped the Thai in a neutral corner early in the opening round. It wasn’t a heavy knockdown and Jankaew made it to his feet. Tapales then drove Jankaew back to the neutral corner and floored him with an overhand right. Jankaew beat the count but when he was sent down again the referee stopped the fight. Southpaw Tapales won the IBF and WBA titles with a split decision over Murodjon Akhmadaliev in April 2013 but was knocked out by Naoya Inoue in December. A fight that saw both the IBF and WBA titles of Tapales and Inoue’s WBC and WBO titles up for grabs. This is Tapales first fight since the loss to Inoue and he wins the WBC Asian Continental belt.  If Inoue decides to try his hand at featherweight then Tapales is No 2 with the WBC and well placed with the IBF and WBA so will be in the mix. Jankaew was 2-3 going into the fight with his two wins coming against fighters who had no previous record.

Torres vs. Gaballo

If Tapales beating Jankaew was 100% predictable Torres beating Gaballo was a huge shock. Gaballo was taking the fight to Torres and landed four or five good left hooks. As Gaballo came forward again Torres nailed him with a huge left hook to the head that sent Gaballo staggering back. Two more left hooks put Gaballo down on his back. He watched the count and was up at eight but two more left hooks put him on the floor again. He struggled to his feet but wobbled into the ropes and the fight should have been stopped. Despite that the referee let the fight continue and Torres unloaded punch after punch until Gaballo slumped to the canvas and the referee waived the fight off. A huge win for Torres and a huge upset as Gaballo was No 1 in the WBO ratings so blew a shot at champion Jason Moloney. Mexican Torres was unrated ( Box Rec had him at No 92) and had lost three of his last four fights against very modest opposition. Gaballo had been 24-0 before losing on a fourth round kayo against Nonito Donaire in a challenge for the WBC bantam title in 2021 but had rebounded with three wins.

 

MAY 11

 

Cologne, Germany: Heavy: Mourad Aliev (11-0) W TKO 3 Dilan Prasovic (17-4). Heavy: Jose Larduet (13-0,1ND) W TKO 4 Luis Garcia (15-7). Hussein Muhamed (17-1, 1ND) W PTS 8 Ali Kiydin (16-3). Super Middle: Leon Bauer (21-0-1) W PTS 8 Dominik Ameri (22-23). Middle: Bujar Tahiri (17-0) W KO2 Angel Barroso (8-4). Super Middle: Serhat Guler (6-0) W KO 3 Carlos Galvan (20-13-2). Super Welter: Younes Zarraa (11-0) W PTS 8 Robin Zamora (21-29).

Aliev vs. Prasovic

Southpaw Aliev dismantles Prasovic in three rounds. The 6’7 ½” Aliev towered over Prasovic who from the first bell was just looking to survive. Aliev put Prasovic down just before the bell to end the second round and twice more in the third before the referee stopped the fight. Aliev retains the WBC International Silver belt with his eighth win by KO/TKO. He was disqualified in the Tokyo Olympics against Frazer Clarke. Montenegrin Prasovic was 200lbs when losing to Lawrence Okolie in a challenge for the WBO cruiser title but was 232lbs for this fight which shows the condition he was in.

Larduet vs. Garcia

Larduet steamrollers obese Venezuelan. Garcia was throwing wild swing punches in the first two rounds but with no accuracy and little power and Larduet had him on the retreat as he banged home some solid jabs and heavy hooks with Garcia spitting out his mouthguard three times. Larduet continued to hammer Garcia in the third with Garcia losing his mouthguard three times and being given a standing count. Larduet forced an exhausted Garcia to the floor in the fourth and the referee just waived the fight over. Cuban Larduet is strong but ponderous and is being kept away from any risky fights. Garcia was pathetic.

Muhamed vs. Kiydin

Muhamed outscores Kiydin. Both of these fighters were badly in need of a win as they were both coming off inside the distance defeats. Kiydin was giving away 6” in height and 35lbs against the 6’5” Hussein and had to soak up some brutal punishment over the early rounds. Muhamed had slowed by the fourth and Kiydin had some success with lunging attacks but was too small and too light to really compete and over the seventh and eighth Muhamed was landing slow but heavy shots but never looked likely to stop Kiydin. No scores given. Muhamed was having his first fight since being kayoed in three rounds by Zhan Kossobutskiy in a fight for the WBC International title in November 2022.  Kiydin had been stopped by both Aliev and Larduet last year.

Bauer vs. Ameri

Ameri had lost 14 times by KO/TKO and Bauer was aiming to make that 15 as he threw plenty of right crosses. Ameri rode them out and when he went down in the third it was from a punch to the back of the head so no count applied. Bauer just could not get Ameri out of there and Ameri grew in confidence in round after round and was finding the target with rights and lefts of his own making a frustrated Bauer work hard. Bauer upped his pace over the seventh and eighth and ended up a worthy winner. No scores given.

Tahiri vs. Barroso

Tahiri finishes Barroso in two rounds. After a slow first round Tahiri landed a left hook to the body on the advancing Barroso who dropped to his hands and knees and was counted out. Now nine wins by KO/TKO for Tahiri but still no real tests for German Tahiri. Venezuelan Barroso suffers his third inside the distance loss.

Guler vs. Galvan

Guler continues to progress. Galvan made a promising start. Guler landed some good rights to take the opener but Galvan did enough to just edge the second. Guler ended it in the third with a vicious left  hook the body that had Galvan dropping to his knees and counted out. The Turkish prospect continues to build on his impressive win over 19-1 Leon Bunn. Ninth loss by KO/TKO for Spanish-based Colombian Galvan.

Zarraa vs. Zamora

Zarra boxed well over then first two rounds setting a fast pace jabbing well and scoring with sharp counters against the always willing Zamora. The third round saw Zamora starting to find the range and there were some fiery exchanges. Zamora looked to have scored a knockdown in the fourth but the referee ruled it a slip and they both had some success in the fifth. Zamora tired in the sixth and Zarraa took control again. He boxed his way to victory but never really subdued Zamora so a useful test for the German hope. Eight losses in his last nine fights for Nicaraguan southpaw Zamora.

 

Aguascalientes, Mexico: Super Bantam: Eriks Cruz (17-2-1) DREW 10 Nazarena Romero (13-0-2). Super Feather: Eduardo Hernandez (35-2) W TKO 7 Daniel Lugo (27-3-1). Super Light: Misael Cabrera (15-2-1) DREW 10 Randy Leon (14-0-2).

Cruz vs. Romero

Cruz holds on to her WBA title  with a split draw against Argentinian Romero, It was volume vs. Power as Cruz employed her usual high work rate and Romero was always dangerous with her strong jab and heavy counters. Cruz made a fast start pressing hard with Romero trying to use her jab to create some punching room. Cruz was also clever in putting in big efforts late in a round to sway the judges. Cruz looked to have built an early lead before Romero started to find the target with power shots. Cruz had a good seventh scoring with combinations but Romero boxed intelligently over the last three rounds using her jab stem Cruz’s attacks and scoring with counters as Cruz forged forward. Lots of rounds were close and a draw looked a fair result. Scores 97-93 for Cruz, 97-93 for Romero and 95-95. Cruz had lost her WBA featherweight title in a points defeat against Amanda Serrano in February 2023 when all five versions were on the line but had rebounded to decision Mayerlin Rivas to win the WBA super bantam belt. Romero had held the interim WBA title and in June last year fought a technical draw against Rivas for the title only for Cruz to then beat Rivas.

Hernandez vs. Lugo

Hernandez grinds down Lugo to win a typical Mexican-style war in the seventh round. Hernandez was looking to take the fight to Lugo occasionally dropping his hands to encourage Lugo to stand and exchange punches. That almost back fired in the third when a combination stunned Hernandez and forced him to a corner. Lugo unloaded a series of punches and Hernandez was in trouble but made it to the bell. From there Hernandez took over dragging Lugo inside to go toe-to-toe trading but the excitement level soared as Lugo banged back hard in the fifth. The pressure from Hernandez began to weaken Lugo and in the seventh Hernandez took Lugo to the ropes and bombarded Lugo with punches until the referee came in to save Lugo. Hernandez was back in the ring for the first time since losing on a twelfth round stoppage against O’Shaquie Foster in a challenge for the WBC super-feather title in October when Hernandez had a winning lead on two cards and was 22 seconds from being champion. Lugo was a live opponent having beaten Josh Warrington and then won the secondary WBA feather title by stopping Leigh Wood only to lose the title to Wood in a return

Leon vs. Cabrera

Leon and Cabrera fight to a majority draw. Cabrera scored a flash knockdown and looked to have done enough to win. He kept Leon under constant pressure with Leon unable to use his longer reach to keep Cabrera off. Leon was just not busy enough to get into the fight in any substantial way with Cabrera outscoring him inside. Leon looked to have shaken Cabrera with a body punch in the seventh but was unable to build on that. The judges saw it as 95-95 twice with Cabrera 96-94. Cabrera’s two losses have come against credible opposition in Canadian Mathieu Germain and 17-0 Luis Torres. Leon, 21,had faced mainly mediocre opponents.

 

Incheon, South Korea: Middle: Tej Pratap Singh (19-7-3,1ND) W PTS 12 Kazuto Takesako (16-2-1). Fly: Vince Paras (21-2-1) W PTS 10 Hiroto Kyoguchi (18-1).  Light Fly: Masataka Taniguchi (18-4) W TKO 5 Jaysever Abcede (22-14).

Singh vs. Takesako

A big show for South Korea but with three top fights without any Korean in the line-up and a couple of upsets. Indian-born Australian Singh never let the harder punching Takesako settle. He brought the fight inside to nullify Takesako’s power and generally outfought and out landed Takesako winning a deserved split decision on scores of 115-113 twice against a 116-113 for Takesako. Singh, 37, a former Australian champion wins the OPBF title. Defending champion Takesako lost his unbeaten tag when he was stopped in eight rounds by Meiirim Nursultanov at this same venue in April last year.

Paras vs. Kyoguchi

Filipino Paras pulled off an upset as he outpointed former IBF and WBA minimum title holder Kyoguchi. All-out aggression and a high work rate helped Paras but much of his work was ruined by a lack of accuracy. To many it seemed as though Kyoguchi’s much better quality work and precision punching were more than enough to offset the volume from Paras so the result although unanimous was controversial. Scores 97-93 twice and 96-94 for Paras who gets revenge for losing on a wide unanimous decision against Kyoguchi in 2018 in a challenge for the IBF minimum title. Paras is 8-0-1 in his last nine outings. After beating Paras in 2018 Kyoguchi moved up to light flyweight winning the WBA belt and making four defences before losing to WBC champion Kenshiro Teraji in a unification match in 2022.

Taniguchi vs. Abcede

Taniguchi provided the lone victory  for Japan as he stopped experienced Filipino Abcede in the sixth round. Abcede is very much a spent force and had to soak up plenty of punishment. Taniguchi lost a point in the fourth for low punches but dropped Abcede twice in the fifth and forced the stoppage in the sixth. Taniguchi lost his WBO minimumweight title on a second round stoppage by Melvin Jerusalem in January 2023 but has bounced back with two wins and is No 3 with the WBO. Fourth inside the distance defeat in his last five fights for Abcede.

 

Blackpool, England: Super Feather: Kristy Hill (7-2) W PTS 10  Fatuma Zarika (34-14-2).

Hill vs. Zarika

Hill retains her Commonwealth title with a split decision over Zarika. This was a fast-paced entertaining fight. Hill used good footwork and accurate jabbing and Zarika was always bustling forward throwing hooks trying to get inside to work, Zarika had plenty of experience against higher class opposition and was often able to bob and weave her way inside the longer reach of Hill and score to the body and it looked at times as though she might overwhelm Hill. Hill worked well on the backfoot slotting home jabs and straight rights and worked consistently whereas Zarika tended to fight in short but fierce bursts. It was close and competitive to the last and for me the cleaner and more accurate work from Hill won her the fight but a draw would not have been unfair. Scores 96-94 twice for Hill and 97-93 for Zarika. Good win for Hill who had lost on points to Elif Nur Turhan for the vacant WBC International title in November. US-based Kenyan Zarika  is a former WBC super bantam champion

and was 10-1 in her last 11 fights.

 

Fight of the week: (Significance): Vasyl Lomachenko is a champion again and there are some good fights to be made at lightweight

Fight of the week: (Entertainment): Sergey Lipinets vs. Robbie Davies saw plenty of action and spice was added by three knockdowns. Honorary mention to Ryan Garner vs. Liam Dillon a typical small hall war. If courage won fights Liam Dillon would be a world champion

Fighter of the week: Vasyl Lomachenko a craftsman supreme

Punch of the week: The left hook from Kenbun Torres that marked the beginning of the end for Reymart Gaballo gets my vote

Upset of the week: Kenbun Torres had lost three of his last four fights and was facing the WBO No 1 in Gaballo so a huge upset.

Prospect watch: Russian light heavyweight Imam Khataev an Olympic bronze medallist and 7-0 with 7 wins by TKO is worth keeping an eye on.

 

Observations

Rosette: To the ladies for a good weekend for female boxing.

Red Card: To the ring announcer who announced Nina Hughes as the winner over Cherneka Johnson then had to correct his error and announce Johnson as the winner. You can imagine the rollercoaster of emotions the two fighters suffered. You only had one job to do…………

-A boxers record can reveal lot-and hide a lot. Take Mexican super featherweight Eduardo Hernandez. He turned pro at 16 and has had 37 fights winning 32 by KO/TKO and losing 2 by KO/TKO. So only 3 of his fights have gone the distance and if you like knockouts he is your man as his record says. He has only once gone past ten rounds in any fight. Unfortunately, that was a challenge for the WBO super feather title and he was stopped just 22 seconds before the end of the fight with O’Shaquie Foster when 110-99 and 107-102 in front on two cards. On the deceptive side you have the record of German super middleweight Dominik Ameri who had won his last 8 fights  making him an acceptable opponent for 20-0-1 Leon Bauer. The records of the eight guys he had beaten were 15-130-6, 13-91-0, 0-4, 4-13-1, 15-143-6, 4-6, 9-58-4 and 41-70 so 8-0 but against opponent with 515 losses between them!