The Past Week in Action 17 May 2015

 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 boxing for the past week.

                                   The Past Week in Action 17 May 2015

May 15

 

San Jorge, Argentina: Super Welter: Marcelo E Coceres (17-0-1) W KO 6 Mateo D Veron (20-16-2,2ND ).

Impressive win for FAB No 5 “El Terrible” Coceres as he floors and kayos former Argentinian champion Veron. Coceres was in command from the start of this one before ending it in the sixth. A straight right to the chin put Veron down, He was up and heard out the eight count but Coceres pounced and another right to the chin ended the fight. The 24-year-old local fighter was making the second defence of his WBC Latino title. He has 9 wins by KO/TKO including 5 in his last 6 fights. Veron 25 has lost 7 of his last 8 fights. He has earlier career wins over Guido Nicolas Pitto who holds a victory over Jack Culcay, Carlos Herrera (24-4), Marcos Vergara (28-2) and Jorge Heiland.

 

Catamarca, Argentina: Super Welter: Juan M Bonanni (27-6-3) W PTS 10 Carlos S Chumjbita (14-4). Cruiser: Daniel A Sanabria (20-4) W PTS 10 Miguel A Bulacios (7-4-1).

Bonanni vs. Chumjbita

Bonanni bravely goes into Chumjbita’s backyard and gets split decision in a hard close fight. Bonanni was the better boxer but Chumjbita stayed right in front of him making the more experienced fighter work hard all the way. Bonanni built a lead but by the ninth Chumjbita had whittled it down. He staged a strong finish but Bonanni did just enough to deserve the verdict. Scores 96-94 and 95-94 for Bonanni and 96-94 for Chumjbita. Bonanni, 27, retains the WBC Latino title. He has won 7 of his last 8 fights and is FAB No 6. Chumjbita, 24, the FAB No 7 welter is 2-3 in his last 5 fights with all three losses coming in title fights.

Sanabria vs. Bulacios

Sanabria makes a successful defence of his Argentinian title with split verdict over Catamarca’s Bulacios. Sanabria had problems early with the unorthodox style of Bulacios who was constantly changing guard, throwing punches from every angle and generally making things awkward for the champion. Over the second half of the fight Sanabria began to solve the puzzle and as Bulacios tired over the late rounds Sanabria pulled away for a deserved win. Scores 99-95, 98 ½-95 ½ for Sanabria and 97 ½-97 for Bulacios. First defence for the 32-year-old Sanabria who has won 6 of his last 7 fights. His South American title was not on the line. “The Cobra” Bulacios, 26, the FAB No 8 is 4-4 in his last 8 fights.

 

Punchbowl, Australia: Feather: T J Doheny (11-0) W PTS 12 Marco Demecillo (20-3-1).

Big win for Irishman Doheny as he outclasses experienced Filipino. The Portlaoise fighter, now based in Australia dominated the action and took the decision on scores of 120-108, 120-109 and 118-109. The 28-year-old southpaw was making the fourth defence of his WBA PABA title and will probably now improve on his WBA No 13 rating. Demecillo, 24, a former Philippines super fly champion had a 19 fight unbeaten streak but has now gone to 2-4 in his last 6 against tough opposition.

 

Chicoutimi, Canada: Super Welter: Steve Butler (12-0) W TKO 2 Felipe De la Paz Teniente (15-5-2). Light Heavy: Guillaume Tremblay-Coude (6-0-1) W TKO 1 Richard Arsenault (3-1-1).

Butler vs. Teniente

Butler lives up to his “Bang Bang” nickname as he blows away Mexican Teniente in two rounds. In the first Butler stalked the Mexican patiently as Teniente sped round the perimeter of the ring just stopping to throw a brief flurry of punches. Butler finally let his hands go driving Teniente back with a straight right and a combination put Teniente down on his knees. The Mexican got up but the bell went immediately for the end of the round. Butler was throwing bombs in the second and two rights to the head saw Teniente go down on one knee. Teniente tried to dance his way out of trouble but Butler kept throwing head punches until a right to the head had Teniente down for the second time in the round and the fight was stopped. Still only 19 Butler has 10 wins by KO/TKO including 8 in his last 9 fights. The former Canadian amateur champion, the grandson of Marshall Butler, the first guy to beat John Stracey as a pro, is keeping busy as this makes 12 fights in 14 months. “Black Scorpion” Teniente was supposed to be a tough test. He was 2-3-2 going in but the losses were to Adam Etches (15-0), veteran Silverio Ortiz and Dmitry Mikhaylenko (18-0).

Tremblay-Coude vs. Arsenault

Southpaw puncher Tremblay-Coude makes it five wins by KO/TKO as he halts novice Arsenault late in the first. The 26-year-old southpaw was known for fighting on the ice rink when playing in the North American Hockey League but now he is giving the boxing ring a try. Arsenault, a former MMA exponent, was just overwhelmed but Tremblay-Coude’s power.

 

Panama City, Panama: Feather: Bryan De Gracia (15-0-1) W KO 6 Manuel Vides (18-4). Bantam: Edgar Valencia (7-1-1,1ND) W PTS 10 Everardo Castillo (12-6-1,1ND). Welter: Cesar Rivas (8-1-1) DREW 10 Omir Rodriguez (6-1-1). Light: Eric Castro (11-6-2) W KO 1 Eric Walters (9-1-1). Fly: Ricardo Nunez (27-5) W TKO 5 Iwier Hernandez (9-6-1).

De Gracia vs. Vides

Despite giving away huge amounts of height and reach De Gracia dominates Vides for five rounds before putting him down and out in the sixth. The 21-year-old chiricano wins the vacant Panamanian title and is also a winner of the Copa Don Jose Sulaiman. He now has 12 wins by KO/TKO and has won 5 of his last 6 fights inside the distance. He looks one of the best young prospects in Panama. Vides, 24, freakishy tall and thin was knocked out in two rounds by Juan Carlos Revco for the WBA secondary flyweight title in March last year and is tall even for a featherweight.

Valencia vs. Castillo

Novice Valencia just edges out Castillo to collect the vacant Panamanian bantam title. Not surprisingly both fighters thought they had won this one but Valencia just edged it. Scores 96-94 twice and 97-93. First time past six rounds for the 24-year-old southpaw who also wins the Copa Don Jose Sulaiman at this weight. Castillo, 25, had lost in a previous shot at the national super bantam title.

Rivas vs. Rodriguez

The Panamanian welter title remains vacant after this draw of former good class amateurs. Scores 96-94 for Rivas, 97-93 for Rodriguez and 95-95. Rivas has reversed his only loss but specialises in close decisions as he had won on a majority verdict in each of his last two fights. The 25-year-old was a gold medal winner at the Central American Games. Rodriguez, 22, had also reversed his only loss and was a silver medallist at the Central American Games. The Copa Don Jose Sulaiman may have to be shared unless there is a return.

Castro vs. Walters

An upset sees Castro halt Walters late in the first round. Walters had stopped Castro in 5 rounds in April last year. Castro, 29, now has 10 wins by KO/TKO and wins the Panamanian and WBC Latino titles and the Copa Don Jose Sulaiman. Castro had failed in a shot at the Panamanian super feather title in February last year but with ten wins now by KO/TKO he was always dangerous. Walters was a heavy favourite after winning his last 6 fights.

Nunez vs. Hernandez

This was supposed to be an easy fight to get Nunez some ring time after a long lay-off. It nearly went wrong when the light punching Hernandez floored Nunez in the third round. Nunez was more surprised than hurt and banged back to put Hernandez down three times in the fifth. Nunez, 27, lost in shots at the IBF and WBA secondary fly titles and had been inactive for 15 months. Venezuelan Hernandez loses by KO/TKO for the second time.

 

Oviedo, Spain: Welter: Aitor Nieto (16-3) W Pavel Semjonov (12-3-2).

Local “El Diamante” Nieto wins the IBF East/West European title with close unanimous decision over Estonian Semjonov. This was an exciting bout with Nieto the better boxer and Semjonov piling in to try to get past the educated jab of the Spaniard. Nieto’s tactics were hit and move but Semjonov was determined and managed to bludgeon his way inside even getting carried away enough to land a couple of punches after the bell to anger of the crowd. The Estonian began to tire fighting in spurts at the end of rounds to catch the judge’s eyes. Nieto continued to use his hand speed and accuracy to gather the points but Semjonov’s aggression made it a close fight. Scores 117-112, 115-113 and 115-114. The 31-year-old local fighter, the Spanish champion, is EBU No 8. He has won 7 of his last 8 fights but the loss was a biggie to Ahmed El Moussaoui for the EU title. Semjonov, 30, has lost three other hard fights on the road against Sherzod Husanov (16-0-1), Daniele Petrucci (29-1-2) and in Spain against Sergio Garcia (16-0). He had picked up two wins back in Estonia before this one.

 

Sheffield, England: Bantam: Jason Cunningham (16-2) W RTD 9 Nasibu Ramadhani (15-6-1). Welter: Dale Evans (10-2-2) W PTS 8 Adil Anwar (21-5).

Cunningham vs. Ramadhani

Cunningham wins the vacant CBC title as Tanzanian retires after nine rounds complaining of a shoulder injury. The Doncaster southpaw had trouble with the awkward style of fellow-southpaw Ramadhani and took a while to settle into a rhythm. When he could tie the elusive Ramadhani down he was able to score with flurries of punches particularly the left hook and seemed on his way to victory when Ramadhani retired with an injury to his left shoulder. The 25-year-old former ABA champion had suffered an unexpected loss to Ross Burkinshaw in a previous challenge for the CBC title in September and lost by a single point against Jason Booth in a British title eliminator in November but has now won three in a row. Doncaster is flying high right now as Cunningham joins Jamie McDonnell and Gavin McDonnell as a title holder. Ramadhani never looked like winning but he gave Cunningham some unpleasant moments.

Evans vs. Anwar

Evans beats former prospect Anwar with a big finish as Anwar fades. The Welsh fighter took a little while to figure out the awkward style of Anwar but had Anwar badly hurt by body punches in the fourth. He came close to a stoppage as he put Anwar down in the sixth. In the eighth a right put Anwar down again and although he got up his legs were wobbly and Evans put him down again but just could not close the fight out. The 23-year-old “Big Boy”, a former British Youth champion, had beaten Mark Thompson and Sam Eggington in the 2013 Prizefighter and scored a victory over Erick Ochieng in 2014 but was cut and halted by Larry Ekundayo in a British title eliminator in March so this was a significant victory for him. Anwar “The Platinum Kid” looked to going places when he compiled an 18 bout unbeaten streak but a loss to Darren Hamilton for the British title derailed him and he went 2-2 in fights against modest opposition before this loss.

 

Phoenix, AZ, USA: Super Light: Jose Benavidez (23-0) W TKO 12 Jorge Paez Jr (38-562,1ND). Super Light: Antonio Orozco (22-0) W PTS 10 Emmanuel Taylor (18-3). Light Heavy: Trevor McCumby (18-0) W KO 2 Fabiano Pena (11-2-1). Super Middle: David Benavidez (9-0) W TKO 2 Ric Campillo (9-8-1,1ND).

Benavidez vs. Paez

Benavidez holds on to his interim WBA title with late stoppage of Paez. Benavidez had the edge in both height and reach and when he stayed off the ropes he was in control of this one, Benavidez took the first round using his jab and body shots to tot up the points. Paez had a better second round as he was able to take Benavidez to the ropes and work inside the longer reach of the champion. In the third a right hook to the body in a delayed action made Paez  touch down on one knee on the canvas and the referee applied a count. Paez was hurt but survived by holding to the end of the round. Paez had recovered by the fourth but Benavidez kept him on the outside and dominated the round. They exchanged hard punches in the sixth with Benavidez getting home with punches to the head and Paez going to the body. The referee halted the action briefly in the seventh after a low punch from Benavidez and again there were some furious exchanges. The eighth saw both fighters have good spells with Paez taking Benavidez to the ropes and getting through to the body and Benavidez firing home some searing combinations. Benavidez switched to southpaw for a while in the ninth and edged the round staying in centre ring but a relentless Paez kept pressurising trying to turn the fight his way. Benavidez edge the tenth and eleventh where there were plenty of fiery exchanges with both landing hard punches. Just when it looked like it would go the distance the champion landed a right and a thumping left that dumped Paez into the ropes. Paez made it to his feet but was unsteady and the referee decided rightly to stop the fight. The 22-year-old 5’ 11” (180cm) from Phoenix was making the first defence of the title he won with a decision over Mauricio Herrera in December. He has 16 wins by KO/TKO. He is finally delivering on the promise he showed when at 16 he became the youngest ever NGG champion. He just failed to make it a double as he lost to Frankie Gomez for the US National title. He signed with Top Rank when just 17. Paez, the son of Jorge Snr. a man, who colourful does not even come close to describing, had a 10 bout steak halted when he lost to Vivian Harris in March 2014 and had then fought a technical draw before beating Ronald Morales (16-1) in February. Paez was not in the WBA ratings but you do not have to be to fight for the interim title which seems pretty daft as you have to be in the ratings to fight for the full title but not for the interim title which. It is either a world title or it isn’t!

Orozco vs. Taylor

Mexican Orozco wins unanimous decision in well matched fight between two fringe contenders. Orozco made the better start taking the fight to Taylor in the first cutting down the ring and scoring to the body as they traded shots. Orozco kept up the pressure in the second with Taylor under fire and getting a warning as he continually tried to duck under Orozco’s punches. Taylor started to get into the fight more in the third moving and boxing but Orozco was still getting home with hard punches and he had a good fourth round buzzing Taylor with a right late in the round to put himself in a clear lead. Taylor did a bit better in the fifth but had a lot of ground to make up. Orozco staggered Taylor with a right in the sixth but by the end of the round Taylor was the one landing the harder shots. Orozco did a better job in the seventh but Taylor was again landing some good punches and a swelling was showing under Orozco’s right eye. Taylor was behind at this point and needed a strong finish. He was the fresher fighter in the eighth and was again landing the better punches. The ninth was closer as Orozco tried to swing things back his way. Taylor probably edged the last as he boxed on the outside against a tiring Orozco, but he was just a little too late with his rally. Scores 96-94 twice and a way out 98-92. This was a real test for both fighters and the 27-year-old “Relentless” Orozco can count it as his best win over a fighter younger and every bit as talented and ambitious as himself. The IBF No 9 has gone the distance in each of his last three fights and will benefit from the experience. Tranzformer” Taylor, 24, had lost 2 of his last 3 fights but the losses were against Chris Algieri and a twelve round fight against Adrien Broner but he has wins over Ray Serrano (18-1), Victor Cayo and Karim Mayfield (18-1-1). He was a silver medal winner at the US National Championships as an amateur and is sure to bounce back from this loss.

McCumby vs. Pena

McCumby again shows his pure power with kayo of late substitute Pena. The hard-punching young prospect almost ended it in the first as he floored Peña twice in the  round. Pena survived but only for a short while as a right hook from the former top amateur put Pena down and out. Now 15 wins by KO/TKO for the 22-year-old former US Under-19 champion from Glendale, Arizona has real power and it will need to better opposition to test him. Brazilian-born Pena, 27, came in as a late sub and was coming off his first loss when he was halted in 5 rounds in March by unbeaten Vyacheslav Shabranskyy.

Benavidez vs. Campillo

David makes a family double as he floors poor Campillo three times for a second round stoppage. The 18-year-old brother of Jose has 8 wins by KO/TKO and 7 have come in the first round. Thirty-nine-year-old Campillo loses by KO/TKO for the fifth time.

 

Hartford, CT, USA: Light: Rey Ojeda (17-0) W PTS 10 Monty Meza Clay (36-5). Super Bantam: Luis Rosa (20-0,1ND) W TKO 5 Jonathan Perez (33-11,1ND). Super Welter: Ivan Golub (8-0) W TKO 5 Henry Beckford (2-2).

Ojeda vs. Clay

Ojeda wins unanimous decision over Clay and gets good exposure on ESPN. The young Puerto Rican was having his first fight in the US and needed to impress. It was difficult to do as the 5’2” (157cm) Clay was swarming busy bee throwing himself forward round after round. Ojeda had big edges in height and reach and despite the difficulty of punching down at a target that made itself even lower by coming in in a crouch Ojeda did the job well. He showed good movement to keep Clay off balance and slammed home jabs and counters as Clay barrelled in. Clay had some success in the third but was always just a step behind the quick Ojeda and had to eat a lot of punches as he tried to get inside. A right from Ojeda rocked Clay in the fifth and for once Ojeda was doing the chasing but Clay recovered well. Things got even worse for Clay in the eighth when a clash of heads opened a bad cut over his right eye. Clay needed a knockout to win and although he got through with some good punches in the ninth with the clever, quick boxing of Ojeda that was never on the cards and Ojeda was a long way in front at the end. Scores 99-91 twice and 98-92.

Rosa vs. Perez

Puerto Rican-born local resident Rosa makes it ten wins by KO/TKO as he halts Perez in fifth. Rosa took the fight to Perez from first to last firing off hard combinations and confusing Perez with guard changes. He was focusing on the body and swept the first two rounds. Perez had a better third but Rosa was still coming forward. In the fourth the sheer pressure from Rosa saw Perez slip to one knee and an over-eager Perez landed a punch when Perez was on the canvas resulting in a point deduction. Rosa continued his body attack with some straying low and Perez wilted badly until the referee had seen enough and halted the fight in the fifth round. The 24-year-old “KO King” Rosa makes it 10 wins by KO/TKO. He is managed by his mother and trained by his father so a family business in action. He won a silver medal at the US National Championships and as a pro already has good wins over Jorge Diaz (17-2) and Luis Orland del Valle (18-1). He is No 15 with the WBC. Colombian Perez, 28, now has 9 losses by KO/TKO.

Golub vs. Beckford

Golub gets win over late substitute Beckford. The Ukrainian banger was firing bombs from the start rocking Beckford with a southpaw left in the first and working the body in the succeeding rounds. Beckford showed some life in the third when rocked Golub with some accurate counter punches but his lack of preparation showed and the body attack wore him down. In the fifth a left to the body put Beckford down and although he made it to his feet a barrage of punches from Golub saw the fight stopped. The 26-year-old Brooklyn-based “Volk” has six wins by KO/TKO and had a very successful spell in WSB but some of the claims of his achievements as an amateur don’t stand up to scrutiny. Novice Beckford came in at one day’s notice so did well to last 5 rounds.

 

May 16

 

Malvinas Argentina, Argentine: Cruiser: Cristian J Medina (12-1-2) DRAW 10 Patricio V Pitto (8-2-2) Medina hols on to his WBC Latino title with majority draw with Pitto. This was a battle fought on equal terms most of the way. Medina tended to take charge of ring centre and score well with his left jab and hooks to the body. When he could keep the dangerous Pitto out he looked comfortable but Pitto kept driving inside. Medina had a big sixth round but Pitto staged a strong finish but just did not seem to have done enough with Medina deserving but not getting a close decision. Scores 95-95 twice and 96-94 to Medina. The 25-year-old “Maravilla” Medina the FAB No 2 lost his first pro fight so is now unbeaten in 14. Pitto the FAB No 3 is now unbeaten in his last 5 fights.

 

Vierzon, France: Super Welter: Frank Haroche Horta (39-14-5) W PTS 10 Karim Merroudj (14-5-2). Horta goes to war as usual and retains his national title with a unanimous decision over Merroudj. The challenger had some success when he could find punching room but he lacked the power to keep the aggressive champion out. Scores 98-93, 97-94 and 96-94 for Horta. The rugged 34-year-old “F2H”, a former French welterweight champion was making the first defence of his title. Only losing on a majority decision against Andy Lee in April looks a very good result now. He is EBU No 16. “Lion Heart” Merroudj, 29, had won 5 of his last 6 fights with the loss being on points against the now WBA interim champion Jack Culcay in December.

 

San Luis Potosi, Mexico: Super Feather: Eden Sonsona (34-6-2) W TKO 2Adrian Estrella (22-1). Feather: Romulo Koasicha (24-4) W KO 4 Jesus Santillan (9-13). Light: Jairo Lopez (18-3) W TKO 9 Fermin de Los Santos (29-15-2)

Estrella vs. Sonsona

Sonsona gets huge win as he halts local hero Estrella to win the WBC International title.

Estrella had height and reach over southpaw Sonsona but rarely made use of those advantages as he inevitably led with rights having obviously been told that was the punch to beat a southpaw. Many landed but he was leaving himself open. Sonsona was doing the stalking but he was swinging wildly and although he looked dangerous Estrella was just that bit quicker with his hands and took the first round.  Estrella walked out in the second taking the fight straight to Sonsona unleashing a straight right and a left to the body. He let the left dropped by his side. He ducked under a left from Sonsona and as he came up with his left still low he was nailed by an overhand right from the Filipino. Estrella went down side wards to the canvas. He was up at 5 but walked over to his corner with the referee continuing to count and after looking closely at Estrella he rightly stopped the fight. Huge upset and huge win for Sonsona. The 26-year-old Filipino a former GAB super fly and bantam champion with only 12 wins by KO/TKO was not considered a power puncher. He had losses against very good opposition in Kohei Kono, Silence Mabuza and Pungluang and was 14-1-2 in his last 17 fights with the draws being of the technical variety but with the loss being a ninth round kayo against Jonathan Oquendo in 2010. He is now unbeaten in his last 10 fights. He was unrated going in but will now jump into the reckoning. “Diamante” Estrella, 23, was looked on a sure thing with wins over Dante Jardon and Celestino Caballero but in previous fights he had shown a porous defence and paid the price here for carelessness and poor technique. He is too good a draw not to be rebuilt but now he will be seen as beatable and will have to be carefully matched,

Koasicha vs. Santillan

Local fighter Koasicha keeps busy with win over short-notice substitute Santillan. Koasicha made good use of his jab to create openings and kept the pressure on Santillan. Eventually Santillan decide to stand and trade and Koasicha made him pay for it as a hard left hook to the body in the fourth round put Santillan down and he decided not to get up again. The 24-year-old Koasicha has 14 wins by KO/TKO. He is WBC No 10 but had a lesson in realism when Brit Lee Selby outclassed him in May last year.  Now 8 losses by KO/TKO for Santillan.

Lopez vs. De los Santos

“Doberman” Lopez comes through a stiff test as he halts world rated De los Santos. Lopez had a good start as he put the more experienced fighter on the floor in the first round. De los Santos recovered quickly and took the fight to Lopez. They then proceeded to put on a great little fight with lots of toe-to-toe trading. Lopez generally had the edge as he used good footwork to break off and score on the outside and was more accurate with his combinations. Lopez constantly complained about low blows from De los Santos who had a point deducted. Lopez ended things in the ninth with two powerful uppercuts. De los Santos was badly shaken by the first and went down after the second and immediately indicated an injury to his jaw forcing the fight to be stopped. Lopez has 12 wins by KO/TKO and has won 13 of his last 14 fights. The loss was a split decision last May against Nery Saguilan and he rebounded from that with a points victory over former IBF super feather champion Juan Carlos Salgado. He is not in the ratings yet but soon will be. De los Santos had lost only once, to Ghislain Maduma, in his last 21 fights and had won his last five to a tough opponent for Lopez.

 

Inowroclaw, Poland: Super Welter: Damian Jonak (39-0-1) W PTS 10 Ayoub Nefzi (23-5-1). Jonak wins bloody battle over Belgian-based Tunisian “Prince”. In the first round a clash of heads saw Nefzi cut on his left eyebrow but he showed nice skills to protect the cut and survived the round. Nefzi boxed well to edge the second round. Jonak took the third and then put Nefzi down in the fourth with a right hook. The Tunisian got up but was hurt again by a body shot and needed all his skills to stay in the fight. Jonak continued to press in the fifth gong to the body with Nefzi also scoring with some good counters.  The sixth, seventh and eighth were close but another clash of heads opened a second cut over Nefzi’s eye. They fought a hard technical battle over the last two rounds with Jonak doing enough to ensure a clear victory. Scores 99-91, 97-93 and 97-92. The 32-year-old Pole has wins over Alex Bunema, Jackson Osei Bonsu, Kris Carslaw and Bradley Pryce but is only EBU No 7 and does not appear to have progressed much after 40 fights. Nefzi, 35, keeps his record of not losing inside the distance despite having been in with opposition such as Emanuele Della Rosa, Nikola Stevanovic and Sasha Yengoyan.

 

Ukhta, Russia: Feather: Andrey Bogdanov (20-1-1) W PTS 12 Naciff Castillo (17-6-2).

Bogdanov wins vacant WBU (German Version) title with wide unanimous verdict over Mexican. The 33-year-old “Gentleman” makes it 14 wins in a row. The EBU No 9 is a member of Russia’s Special Forces and was given special leave to train for this one. Castillo did well as this was his first fight for 15 months.

 

Durban, South Africa: Cruiser: Illunga Makabu (19-1) W KO 11 Thabiso Mchunu (16-2). Middle: Chris Buthelezi (24-12-3) W KO 1 Rocky Junior (14-3). Super Welter: Frans Ramabola (4-0) W PTS 10 George Mdluli (7-2-1). Bantam: Siboniso Gonya (8-1) W PTS 10  Onela Qongwana (10-3-1).

Makabu vs. Mchunu

Makabu comes from behind to kayo South African Mchunu in WBC eliminator. After a round of study Mchunu went ahead in this all-southpaw fight using a strong jab to establish command. He was finding the target consistently through Makabu’s porous defence and avoided the bombs from the DRC fighter. He had Makabu rocking in the third round and scored heavily in the fourth. He seemed well on his way to a win when the stamina just drained out of him and Makabu took over in the later rounds.  He had Mchunu in deep trouble in the seventh but under the open scoring Mchunu’s early efforts had him in front on all three cards. From then it was all Makabu as he battered and bludgeoned his way through Mchunu’s defence until a left uppercut to the head put Mchunu down and out in the eleventh. After losing his first pro fight when he was halted in just 28 seconds by another debutant Makabu has won 18 in a row, 17 by KO/TKO with unbeaten Dymtro Kucher the only one to have lasted the distance against him. He was rated WBC3/WBA 4/WBO 5 so is now in line for a shot at Grigory Drozd for the WBC title. Mchunu, 27, was rated WBO 1/IBF 7(5)/WBO 12 but has blown his chances of a title shot. He had climbed the ratings with wins over Flo Simba, Eddie Chambers and Olanrewaju Durodola but “The Rock” crumbled and now some serious rebuilding is required.

Buthelezi vs. Junior

Local fighter Buthelezi continues his good run with first round win over Brazilian but with some controversy. Mid way through the first round Junior went down and was counted out but there was no punch. He was dazed from a clash of heads which was missed by the referee. Buthelezi will take the win no matter how it comes. The South African champion has turned his record around with 8 wins and 2 draws in his last 10 fights. Not bad for a guy who was 8-9-1 in his first 18 fights and has been a pro for over 20 years. The 44-year-old Junior is probably finished for the year as he had only one fight each in years 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Ramabola vs. Mdluli

Ramabola wins the vacant WBA Pan African title with split decision over local fighter Mdluli. . The home fighter’s cause was not helped by defective boots which he discarded for the second half of the fight and fought barefooted. Scores 97-94 and 96-94 for Ramabola and 97-94 for Mdluli which looked ridiculous as Ramabola was a clear winner. Ramabola was jumping up from six rounds to ten for the first time and had only 13 rounds of action prior to this fight. Mdluli, 32, was only marginally more experienced having been ten rounds in losing to Johannes Mwetupunga in 2013.

Gonya vs. Qongwana

Gonya scored one win for Durban as he comfortably outscored Qongwana for the vacant WBA Pan African title in a fight that was not helped by some poor refereeing. Scores 98-91, 98-92 and 98-93. Gonya is BSA No 5 at super bantam and Qongwana is No 10 at bantam

 

London, England: Light: Adam Dingsdale (13-2-1) W PTS 10 Mike Devine (13-3-1). Feather: Jamie Speight (13-7) W PTS 10 Ian Bailey (12-18-1). Light: Danny Connor (12-9-2) W TKO 3 Andy Harris (3-26-1). Super Light: Johnny Coyle (10-0-1) W PTS 10 Phil Bowes (9-2). Welter: Johnny Garton (14-1-1) DREW 10 Martin Welsh (12-4-1).

Dingsdale vs. Devine

Dingsdale gets decision over Devine in a good fight. Dingsdale’s Southern Area title was not at stake after Devine failed to make the weight but both fighters fought every bit as hard as to make no difference. As long as Dingsdale was able to use his jab to keep Devine out he was on safe ground but Devine made that hard by getting inside and making it more of a scrap. Devine had a good fifth round getting through with rights but despite the pressure from Devine Dingsdale was the busier boxer and more accurate. He was the stronger over the late rounds and deserved the referee’s decision. Score 99-94. Dingsdale’s losses have been to world rated fighters in Stephen Ormond for the WBO European title and Derry Matthews and the former amateur international has rebounded well from those. “Chunky” Devine, 26, was a little too chunky but he made Dingsdale fight hard. He had reached the final of the Prizefighter last year and his loss in the final was his only loss in his last 12 fights going into this fight.

Speight vs. Bailey

This one could not have been closer as Speight retained his Southern Area title with paper-thin decision over Bailey. This was a case of Speight the boxer wanting an open fight and pressure fighter Bailey crowding and squeezing down space on Speight. Many rounds were very hard to score and Bailey got through with heavy rights and Speight worked his jab and slammed home body shots. Speight got the referee’s verdict by 96-95 but it was not popular in some quarters. Speight needed the win after a run of 5 losses in his previous 6 fights but the losses had been on points to a high level of opposition such as Josh Warrington and Lewis Pettitt both of whom are world rated. Bailey also needed the win after being 3-6-1 in his last ten but again high level opposition such as Warrington, James Tennyson and John Quigley and last time out he had halted unbeaten Ryan Doyle

Connor vs. Harris

“Cassius” Connor gets a win as a bad cut halts his fight with Harris. After an even first round Connor seemed to edge the second and third. The rushing attacks of Harris eventually led to a punch from Connor opening a bad cut on the forehead of Harris above his left eye and with the blood interfering with his vision the fight was stopped before the start of the fourth round. Connor, a former Southern Area champion had drawn and lost to Mike Devine in his previous two fights but had been pitched in some tough matches in his nine losses. Harris is 0-19-1 in his last 20 fight but barring cuts he usually goes the distance.

Coyle vs. Bowes

Southpaw Coyle remains unbeaten with a points victory over Bowes in an all-southpaw fight and lifts the vacant Southern Area title. This was fairly even over the early rounds with the better boxing of Coyle giving him a slight edge but Bowes was throwing enough punches to make it close and uncomfortable. Over the closing rounds Coyle was able to outbox a tiring Bowes on his way to a merited win. Referee’s score 97-94. Another good fight on a show that illustrates how entertaining small hall boxing can be. Coyle, 22, won the 2014 welter Prizefighter Tournament and is making good progress. “Quicksilver” Bowles, 30, has a win over former British feather champion Paul Appleby but lost last time out in October to Joe Hughes for this same title.

Garton vs. Welsh

Another sparkling fight on this well matched card as “The Pexican” Garton holds on to his Southern Area title with a draw against Welsh. This was a fight that featured both skill and aggression as the two fighters showed good technique in attack and defence. Both made good use of their jabs with Garton showing a strong right and Welsh scoring with left hooks to the body. Neither was really able to take charge of the fight and in the end a draw was a fair result. Referee’s score 96-96. Second defence of his Southern Area title for 28-year-old Garton whose only loss came on a cut eye against Sam Eggington in the 2014 Prizefighter. Welsh, 34, a former English title challenger, had only one fight in 2013 and one in 2014 but showed no rust here.

 

Inglewood, CA, USA: Middle: Gennady Golovkin (33-0) W TKO 6 Willie Monroe Jr (19-2). Fly: Roman Gonzalez (43-0) W TKO 2 Edgar Sosa (51-9). Bantam: Ivan Morales (28-0) W KO 8 Danny Flores (14-7-1).

Golovkin vs. Monroe

Golovkin again proves he is head and shoulders above the middleweight opposition as he halts Monroe. There was only ever going to be one pattern to this fight. Monroe would move-backwards-and Golovkin would pursue. So it proved in the first round although Monroe despite being under pressure kept his boxing together with Golovkin showing just how good he is at cutting down an opponent’s space. In the second Monroe was just pushing out his right jab with no power and Golovkin stepped inside and landed an over hand left that sent Monroe tumbling side wards to the canvas. Monroe could be seen murmuring “get up, get up” to himself and was up at 8 but badly shaken. He tried to box on the back foot to get out of trouble but a series of head shots had him desperately trying to duck and dive but a right to the head unhinged his legs and another right sent him over onto his back. He got up and took the eight count and although another series of punches had his legs shaking he survived through a mixture of evasive tactics and actually standing and trading. Monroe changed his tactics in the third getting inside and trying to deny Golovkin leverage for his punches whilst scoring with some of his own. Golovkin seemed irritated by the fact the fight was not already over and Monroe was able to sneak home some good counters but they lacked any power. Monroe used the same tactics in the fourth staying close and working inside with hooks. He landed two left/right combination in a row and was finding gaps but he was not setting himself for power and although Golovkin was throwing less punches his were heavy clubbing shots. Monroe had his best round in the fifth as he was finding gaps with Golovkin ignoring defence and looking for a punch to end the fight. Monroe was ducking under a lot of Golovkin’s punches and coming back with fast counters. Just 25 seconds into the sixth Golovkin scored with three hooks inside and then a right that sent Monroe stumbling backwards to the ropes. Golovkin followed him in and landed a chopping right that shook Monroe and then a series of head punches that had Monroe tumbling forward and down on his hands and knees. He looked a beaten fighter and if he got before the referee counted 10 then it was at 9 ¾ and when the referee asked him if he wanted to fight on Monroe seemed to indicate he was finished for the night and that was the end.  The 33-year-old GGG retains the WBA and IBO titles ( the meaningless WBC interim title was only on the line for Golovkin to lose as Monroe had refused to comply with the WBC rulings on weight monitoring). Golovkin goes to 30 wins by KO/TKO  and 20 in his last 20 fights. The 28-year-old Monroe performed heroics to survive that dreadful second round and actually make Golovkin look human for three rounds as he boxed cleverly and countered well. However he did not have the power to stop the relentless forward march of Golovkin and finally paid the price. Golovkin vs. Saul Alvarez at catch weight would be an explosive mix.

Gonzalez vs. Sosa

The relentless power of Gonzalez just overwhelms Sosa as he retains his WBC title with a second round stoppage. Gonzalez was stalking in the first with Sosa showing the skills that made him such a great WBC light fly champion. In the second round Gonzalez stepped up the pace and stung Sosa with a right cross. He then forced Sosa back landing three or four more of those right hands and pursuing until Sosa had his back to the ropes. A wicked left hook to the body was followed by a brain jarring right cross that sent Sosa to the canvas. The Mexican was up at 7 but you could see defeat in his eyes. Being the warrior he is Sosa tried to fight his way out of trouble but a series of head shots from Gonzalez forced him back and down on his backside. Again he got up and tried to trade but Gonzalez beat down his effort and just landed punch after punch with Sosa never having a chance to escape the storm long enough to try to counter and he was literally beaten to the canvas. The referee immediately waived the fight over and in a wonderful gesture Gonzalez kneeled down beside Sosa and embraced him and planted a kiss on his cheek. A mark of respect from one great fighter to another. The 27-year-old Nicaraguan “Chocolatito” a three division champion was making the second defence of his WBC title and now has an incredible 37 wins by KO/TKO including 18 in his last 19 fights and he has a win over current WBA/WBO champion Juan Francisco Estrada. Perhaps this exposure will get him the credit he deserves as to me he is the best little fighter since Ricardo Lopez. Sosa, 35, made 11 defences of his WBC light fly title. He lost his title when a blatant butt from Rodel Mayol fractured his jaw in their fight in 2009. He has now challenged unsuccessfully for the WBC fly title three times but no one has ever brutalised him the way Gonzalez did. It may be time to retire but he can do so as one of the best light flyweights ever and a tremendously popular fighter.

Morales vs. Flores

Southpaw Morales extends his winning streak against over matched Flores. Morales dominated from the start. He was much too good for Flores handing out a steady beating in every round scoring freely to head and body with Flores trying to fight back but lacking the skill or power to be competitive. The seventh was brutal as Flores was being beaten down and in the eighth he was on the ropes and dropped his hands after a series of head shots and the referee stopped the fight. The 23-year-old “Maravilla” is a long way from copying elder brothers Erik and Diego in winning a world title and after an initial fanfare his career almost seems to have hit a plateau for a while. Now 5 losses and a technical draw in his last 6 fights for Mexican Flores.

 

Washington, PA, USA: Super Feather: Rod Salka (21-4) W KO 6 Noel Echevarria (11-6). Light Heavy: Tommy Karpency (24-4-1) W Rayco Saunders (23-26-2).

Salka vs. Echevarria

Salka wins the vacant WBA-NABA title down at super feather with knockout of southpaw Echevarria. Not surprisingly Salka used a right hand to win this one. Supposedly the perfect answer to a southpaw Salka scored repeatedly with rights against the out-gunned Puerto Rican. It worked over the first three rounds although Echevarria made a better fight of it in the fourth and fifth as he managed to score some rights of his own. It was all over in the sixth when a right to the body put Echevarria down for the count. He was taken out of the ring on a stretcher and went to hospital for observation. Only the fourth win by KO/TKO for32-year-old Salka. “Lightning Rod” is rebuilding after the flak he unfairly received for getting a fight with Danny Garcia in August. Last time out he got a wide unanimous verdict over Monty Meza Clay. Now 6 losses in a row for Echevarria.

Karpency vs. Saunders

Just a keep busy outing for Karpency. He showed excellent southpaw skills as he out boxed veteran Saunders being too sharp and quick and winning every round without every looking likely to end it early. Scores 80-72 from all three judges. His win over Chad Dawson in October was a huge upset but he has yet to capitalise on it. In previous attempts to step up he lost every round against Nat Cleverly for the WBO title and was halted in seven round by Andrzej Fonfara for the IBO title. A third title shot is not impossible but with Sergey Kovalev and Adonis Stevenson holding the titles it is a tough division for challengers.

 

Seville, Spain: Welter: Jorge Fortera (13-0-1) W TKO 4 Koba Karkashadze (19-7). Super Feather: Ruddy Encarnacion (34-23-4) W PTS 6 Michael Carrero (12-39-4). Super Welter: Ruben Varon (43-8) W PTS 6 Jose Lopez Clavero (5-3-1).

Fortera vs. Karkashadze

Fortera hits too hard for Georgian. The tall Spaniard took the first three rounds and had Karkashadze on the ropes and in trouble in the fourth when the referee stopped the fight. Now 5 wins by KO/TKO for Fortera. The draw was a technical one. The Spanish No 5 is hoping Aitor Nieto will relinquish the title opening the way for Fortera to get a shot at the crown. Karkashadze has a typical Georgian record. He is 4-6 in his last 10 fights with the 4 wins at home and the 6 losses on the road,

Encarnacion vs. Carrero

The “Black Wolf” keeps busy with a points win over Nicaraguan Carrero. The 36-year-old Encarnacion won every round. He is the EU champion and is 11-0-1in his last 12 fights and is still waiting for a shot at the EBU title. Ten losses in a row for Carrero who lost a technical decision to Encarnacion last July.

Varon vs. Clavero

Experienced Varon eases his way back to the winning column with points victory over fellow-Spaniard Clavero. Now 36 Varon lost on points against Felix Sturm for the WBA title way back in 2003 and gave Matthew Macklin a good fight in losing to the Brit for the EBU title in 2010. Last time out he was knocked out in seven rounds by unbeaten Italian Orlando Fiordigiglio in March last year again for the EBU title. Three losses in a row for former Spanish title challenger Lopez Clavero.