The Past Week in Action 18 November 2013
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.
November 12
Hollywood, FL, USA: Light Middle: Norberto Gonzalez (20-2) W PTS 10 Michael Oliveira (21-2). Light Heavy: Yunieski Gonzalez (13-0) W KO 8 Jinner Guerrero (7-2). Light Middle: Yuri Foreman (32-2,1ND) W KO 1 Javier Gomez (14-12). Heavy: Robert Alfonso (3-0) W PTS 4 Jamal Woods (3-9-1).
Gonzalez vs. Oliveira
Mexican Gonzalez gets upset win over WBA No 11 Oliveira. The 32-year old Gonzalez shook local favourite Oliveira in the first only to be floored by a right in the second. Gonzalez took the eight count and then scored with hard hooks and uppercuts in the third and fourth. Olivera began to show the effects of battle with swellings by both eye and Gonzalez showed a cut under his right after a clash of heads in the seventh. Gonzalez was finding Oliveira an easy target and although the Brazilian was still throwing punches he was absorbing a beating and being outscored. A volley of uppercuts sent Oliveira down in the tenth and he showed guts to get up just as the bell sounded to end the fight. Scores 9-91 twice and 96-92. Big win for the “Deamon”, a former star performer for the Mexican amateur team. He suffered losses to Antwone Smith and Mark Jason Melligan and was inactive for almost three years before returning with a win in February. Now he is in line for some big fights. Oliveira, 23, “The Brazilian Rocky”, had been kayoed in nine rounds by Acelino Freitas in June last year but rebounded with four wins.
Gonzalez vs. Guerrero
The Cuban “Diamond” proves too hard for Ecuadorian Guerrero. The Cuban was coming forward throwing hard right from the first. Guerrero tried to match him with hooks but it was an unequal contest. Gonzalez ended it in the eighth with a hard right that put Guerrero down and he could not beat the count. The 28-year-old defector was a good class amateur in Cuba but never quite made it against some tough opposition there. He has won 6 of his last 7 fights by KO/TKO. First fight outside South America and second loss inside the distance for Guerrero.
Foreman vs. Gomez
Foreman got it over quickly as he shook Gomez early with a sharp left. With the Mexican visibly hurt Foreman went for broke and sent Gomez sliding to the canvas with a left and the Mexican was counted out. All over in 116 seconds. The 33-year-old Belarus-born, American-based Israeli, a former WBA champion, took almost two years off for reconstructive surgery on his right knee after losing to Pawel Womak in March 2011. Mexican Gomez is 2-5 in his last 7 fights with all losses early finishes.
Alfonso vs. Woods
Alfonso continues to win without impressing. He had Woods hurt in the middle rounds but had to go the distance. Scores 60-54 from all three judges. The 6’4” tall, 27-year-old Alfonso was a Pan American and World Cup gold medallist and competed at the 2008 Olympics but has not sparked so far as a pro. Poor Woods is 1-8-1 in his last 10 fights.
November 14
London, UK: Heavy: Anthony Joshua (3-0) W TKO 2 Hrvoje Kisicek (5-7). Joshua gets the job done against modest opponent. After winning the first round the 2012 Olympic gold medallist gets home with a left uppercut, right and left hook combination. The Croatian made it to his feet but was in no condition to continue and the referee waived it off. The 6’6” (198cm) 24-year-old has won all the fight by KO/TKO. Kisicek had lost on points to unbeaten Hughie Fury in October.
Hollywood, CA, USA: Welter: Konstantin Ponomarev (22-0) W TKO 3 Rogelio Castaneda (26-19-3,1ND). Heavy: Charles Martin (12-0-1) W TKO 4 Joe Dawejko (8-3-2).
Ponomarev vs. Castaneda
WBC Youth champion Ponomarev gets a win but not a satisfying one. The 21-year-old Russian took charge from the start being quicker and more accurate than Mexican Castaneda. He opened a cut on the forehead of Castaneda in the first. Castaneda returned the compliment in the second, cutting Ponomarev over his left eye. Ponomarev was on top in the third but it was a surprise when at the end of the round Castaneda told the referee he could not continue due to a leg injury. Eleven wins by KO/TKO for “Talant” but on his US debut he was hoping for more of a chance to impress. Third loss in a row for the 37-year-old Castaneda since returning from three years out.
Martin vs. Dawejko
After a slow first round southpaw Martin picked-up the pace and rocked Dawejko with left. Martin had big edges in height and reach and was on top again in the third taking Dawejko to the ropes ands scoring with straight lefts. Martin opened Dawejko up with the jab in the fourth and then put Dawejko down with a right hook. After Dawejko got up Martin was working him over when Dawejko’s corner threw in the towel and the referee stopped the fight. The 27-year-old Martin was having his 10th fight of the year. He has 10 wins by KO/TKO. “Polish Thunder” Dawejko, 23, was considered a hot prospect when he turned pro after winning a gold medal at the World Youth Championships but he is small for a heavyweight and has now won only one of his last 5 fights.
November 15
Barranquilla, Colombia: Middle: Alex Theran (16-0) W PTS 12 Javier Carrera (13-2). Light: Luis E Flores (15-1) W TKO 3 Alfonso Perez (8-4).
Theran vs. Carrera
Southpaw Theran wins but Mexican Carrera him fight hard. The local favourite floored Carrera in the second. After an even third the ever advancing Carrera picked up rounds four and five but the hard punching Theran took the sixth and seventh with sparkling 5 and 6 punch combinations only for Carrera to come back to pocket the eighth. The ninth and tenth were close, but the superior power and speed saw Theran sweep the last two rounds and take the wide unanimous decision, but he knew he had been in a fight. Scores 108-100, 107-101 and 106-102. “The Prince”, 24, WBA No 7, is one of the best prospects in Colombia. He wins the vacant WBC Latino and WBA Fedelatin titles. Carrera showed plenty of aggression and a good chin and was a very good test.
Flores vs. Perez
It took Flores three rounds to get going but when he did the speed and power of his combinations was too much for the tall Venezuelan Perez. Flores just walked through the defence of Perez and shook him badly with a quick flurry of punches. The referee stepped in and gave Perez a standing count. Flores then drove Perez across the ring with hard rights and lefts until Perez slumped down by the ropes. The referee halted the fight immediately without a count. Flores, 26, wins the vacant WBA Fedebol title and makes it 13 wins by KO/TKO. Perez, (a 5’10” (178cm) super feather) had won 4 of his last 5 fights.
Mar del Plata, Argentina: Light Heavy: Roberto F Bolonti (34-2) W KO 5 Manuel Banquez (7-3-2). Easy win for Bolonti over poor Colombian opposition. After a quiet first round in the second and third Bolonti was getting through with hard lefts and rights to the chin of Banquez. There was nothing coming back from the Colombian and a right to the body put him down in the fourth. Another body punch put Banquez down in the fifth and he took the count kneeling on the canvas. Seventh defence of his WBC Latino title for Bolonti and 23rd win by KO/TKO. The 34-year-old “Hemlock” had his title chances exposed in losing a very wide unanimous decision to Tony Bellew in November last year and his four wins since then have been against poor opponents. Only one win in his last five fights for Banquez.
Saint-Quentin, France: Feather: Anthony Buquet (9-6-2) W TKO 10 Philippe Frenois (16-9-1). Super Feather: Guillaume Frenois (32-1) W PTS 6 Santos Medrano (11-27-3,1ND). Light Heavy: Tony Averlant (19-8-2) W PTS 8 Remigijus Ziausys (20-54-4).
Frenois vs. Buquet
Unfancied Buquet pulls off a surprise as he halts local fighter Frenois to win the vacant French title. Buquet, 33, really just a bantam who had fought for the French fly title in his last fight, was two points behinds on the cards and badly cut over his right eye when he found the punch, a right to the temple, to stun Frenois and his follow-up attacks saw nothing coming back from Frenois and the fight was stopped. Frenois was using his physical advantages and a good jab to pile up the points but after he was cut in the fifth round Buquet increased his work rate and it paid off. Fifth win inside the distance for Buquet. Frenois, 28, was hoping to become the fourth family member to win this title. His two half-brothers Cyril and Jerome Thomas and his brother Guillaume are past title holders.
Frenois vs. Medrano
Frenois far from his best as he has his first fight since losing to Devis Boschiero for the European title in September. He took a while to get going and although he had Medrano rocking in the last two rounds he had to settle for a unanimous decision. Some rebuilding to be done by the 32-year-old southpaw. Nicaraguan Medrano is 2-8 in his last 10 fights, but usually goes the distance.
Averlant vs. Ziausys
The tall Averlant uses his jab to control the fight with the Lithuanian late sub. Ziausys showed guts and even did enough to make a couple of rounds close. Scores 80-72 twice and 78-74. Averlant, 29, had lost 3 of his last 4 but two were split decisions against Eduard Gutknetch and Mounir Toumi and also a second round stoppage by Juergen Braehmer in April. Ziausys has only failed to last the distance once.
Les Mureaux, France: Super Bantam: Ali Hallab (16-0-1) W PTS 12 Angel Lorente (5-5-1). Fly: Redouane Asloum (11-1-1) W TKO 5 Gianpietro Marceddu (7-2). Light: Daouda Sow (13-0) W KO 5 Jevgenijs Fjodorovs (9-42-6).
Hallab vs. Lorente
Local star Ali Hallab, the former WBO European champion, won the vacant WBC Mediterranean super bantamweight with a wide unanimous decision dominating Spaniard Angel Lorente from start till final bell. The brave, but outboxed, Lorente was almost stopped in rounds 6 and 7 but showed guts to survive. Being well in front Hallab took a break in rounds 10 and 11 as the fast pace caught up with him. His training had been interrupted by a sprained ankle which may have slowed him also. Scores 120-108, 119-111 ands a generous to Lorente 118-110. The 32-year-old Hallab is of Lebanese ancestry. He competed for France at two Olympics and was a World Championship bronze medallist. Lorente, EU No 23, is a former Spanish super bantam champion.
Asloum vs. Marceddu
Asloum, brother of former WBA fly champion Brahim, won the vacant WBC
Mediterranean flyweight title stopping Italian Gianpietro Marceddu inside 5 rounds. Asloum, 32, started well easily winning the first two rounds but the visitor edged the third. Marceddu made a good start in the fourth but Asloum took over again to win the round. Soon after the start of the 5th Marceddu seemed to make signs to his corner and complained about trouble with the sight in his left eye. His corner wisely threw in the towel. First title for Asloum who was stopped in six rounds for the French title in March last year. The EU No 14, Asloum was a multi-time French amateur champion at 48kgs and an Olympian. Italian Marceddu lacked experience with only one eight round bout behind him.
Sow vs. Fjodorovs
Rare kayo ending for Olympian Sow. In his first fight for 17 months the 30-year-old southpaw looked more relaxed than previous fights and made it three wins by KO/TKO against experienced Latvian loser Fjodorovs. Sow has talent as he showed in beating Jose Pedraza and Yordenis Ugas on the way to his 2008 silver medal but needs to get serious about his career.
Gien, France: Middle: Michel Mothmora (24-22) W PTS 12 Stephan Horvath (11-1). Emotional night for veteran Mothmora. At 33, and after 13 years a pro, he finally wins a title and in his hometown. In a tough fight he had to come back from being hurt a couple of times by unbeaten Czech Horvath but his best training camp and plenty of determination saw him get the split decision. Scores 116-112, 116-113 and 113-114. A career best run of 9 wins in his last 10 fights has seen him rise to No 2 in the FFB rankings. He had intended to retire after this fight but is having second thoughts. Trained by Lukas Konecny Horvath made it close and will feel he should have got the decision in a close fight.
Hamburg, Germany; Middle: Hamid Rahimi (23-1) W TKO 8 Boris Barschow (0-1). Rahimi wins but not likely to advance his reputation with this one. Barschow, having his first pro fight, actually came out aggressively over the first two rounds with Rahimi doing little. From the third Rahimi began to get going and Barschow was under pressure. Rahimi almost finished it in the seventh putting the professional journalist down. In the eighth a hard right has Barschow badly rocked and his trainer Rudiger May threw in the towel. Rated a ridiculous No 8 by the WBO, the 30-year-old Afghan boxer was fighting to raise funds to establish a school of journalism in his home country. That is no excuse for fighting a 46-year-old who was having his first pro fight. It should have been an exhibition if anything.
Barnaul, Russia: Light Middle: Pavel Mamontov (8-1-1) W PTS 12 Kanat Kartenbayev (10-7-2). Middle: Fedor Chudinov (8-0) W PTS 10 Jimmy Colas (32-10). Light: Eduard Troyanovsky (16-0) W KO 2 Mike Odhiambo (11-5).
Mamontov vs. Kartenbayev
Thirty-year-old local Mamontov boxes his way to an easy win over Kazak. With only one win inside the distance the former Russian champion just did not have the power to end this one early and was content to go the full twelve and retain his interim PABA title. Second win on his return after 18 months out of the ring. Kartenbayev, 35, goes to four losses in a row. Old rivals Evander Holyfield and Nikolai Valuev attended the show.
Chudinov vs. Colas
Prospect “The Classic” Chudinov just too busy for French veteran Colas. The 26-year-old Russian set a high workrate and never really allowed Colas to get into the fight. Colas had taken the fight at two weeks notice and tired near the end but had never lost inside the distance and used his experience to get to the final bell despite being badly rocked in each of the last three rounds. Scores 100-90 from all three judges. The former World Cadet champion had stopped 6 of his previous 7 victims so got a good learning fight out of Haitian-born 33-year-old Colas.
Troyanovsky vs. Odhiambo
“The Eagle” has an easy time against Kenyan Odhiambo. After feeling out Odhiambo in the first Troyanovsky started to breakdown the Kenyan in the second. A left to the body put Odhiambo down and he stayed there. Now 13 wins by KO/TKO for the 33-year-old Russian and his fourth second round finish in a row. “Tyson” Odhiambo loses inside the distance for the third time.
Ubon Ratchatheni, Thailand: Super Fly: Srisaket (23-3-1) W TKO 9 Hirofumi Mukai (9-3-1). Fly: Nawaphon (18-0) W KO 2 Crison Omayao (16-7-2). Bantam: Suriyan (31-5-1) W KO 2 Singnamcha (0-1).
Srisaket vs. Mukai
Srisaket has no problem in retaining his WBC title in his first defence against game but outclassed Japanese challenger Mukai. Srisaket had Mukai backing up from the start. A left put Mukai down in the second and the fight was one-sided. Srisaket was forcing the pace and Mukai did not have the power to turn the fight. He was absorbing a beating and did well to stay on his feet. Srisaket’s work rate dropped in the middle rounds but he picked up the pace again and battered away to Mukai’s body. Finally the Japanese fighter’s corner threw in the towel at the end of the ninth. Early career losses in Japan saw 26-year-old Srisaket 1-3-1 in his first five fights. Since then he has won 22 in a row 20 by KO/TKO. Southpaw Mukai, 27, did not belong in the ring with the champion.
Nawaphon vs. Omayao
WBC No 5 Nawaphon kayos fading Filipino Omayao. Now 13 wins by KO/TKO for the 22-year-old Thai but the opposition has been poor. Omayao, the Philippines strawweight champion, has 4 losses and a draw in his last 5 fights.
Suriyan vs. Singnamcha
Rubbish match sees former WBC super fly champion Suriyan kayo novice Singnamcha in two rounds. Thirteen wins by KO/TKO for Suriyan but you have to wonder how anyone can approve a former world champion fighting a guy having his first fight. Sometimes this business stinks.
Blackpool, England: Light Middle: Jack Arnfield (17-0) W PTS 10 Max Maxwell (16-30-3). Hometown fighter Arnfield steps up to middleweight and extends his winning run with win over Maxwell. The 24-year-old 6’2” (188cm) Arnfield dominated with his jab but Maxwell as usual made it a difficult night with his survival tactics. The referee took a point from Maxwell in the last for spitting out his gum shield four times. Referees score 100-90 as Arnfield wins the International Masters title. Now 19 losses in a row for Maxwell but he can still pose problems to the young up comers.
November 16
Ontario, CA, USA: Super Middle: Andre Ward (27-0) W PTS 12 Edwin Rodriguez (24-1). Super Middle: Brandon Gonzales (18-0-1) W PTS 10 Jon Nelson (18-1). Middle: Sergio Mora (25-3-2) W TKO 5 Milton Nunez (26-9-1). Super Feather: Jon Arrellano (14-2-2) W PTS 8 Charles Huerta (18-4). Light: John Molina (27-3-1) W TKO 2 Jorge Pimentel (27-21) ). Light: Oscar Molina (8-0) W TKO 4 Carlos Sanchez (6-5).
Ward vs. Rodriguez
Rodriguez failing to make the weight and a referee who deducted two points from each fighter after getting hit when trying to break the fighters were all that was notable about this. Apart of course from Ward showing on his return that he is still the man. With Rodriguez failing to make the weight Ward’s WBA title was not at stake and he handled Rodriguez with ease. He was just too quick and too accurate for the Dominican who was usually short with his punches. Ward’s offence kept Rodriguez from launching any attacks of his own and he rarely let his hands go. When he did he usually paid for it as Ward was able to counter quickly, accurately and with power. Rodriguez was trying to make it into a brawl and at times it was a bad tempered bout. Things came to a head when they continued to punch after the bell in the fourth only for the referee to catch a punch as he tried to break them. An enraged official then took two points of each fighter and threatened to disqualify any fighter who broke the rules after that. Ward hurt Rodriguez with a left in the third and simply outboxed him in every round. At the end of the last a clash of heads saw Rodriguez cut over his left eye. The gap between the fighters was too wide for it to be a good fight, but Ward looked sharp on his return. Scores 118-106, 117-107 and 116-108. Ward looks ready to assume command of the division. Rodriguez was 2lbs over the limit and chose to pay a forfeit rather than try to reduce. Initially it was agreed he would pay a $200,000 forfeit and would weigh-in at less than 180lbs on the day of the fight. He came in at 179.8lbs. However the WBA rules call for a much higher forfeit of up to 45% of the fighters purse. Rodriguez got $800,00 and Ward $2,000,000.
Gonzalez vs. Nelson
Nice win for emerging Gonzalez. The taller Nelson tried to force the action but Gonzalez boxed well using his jab to break-up the attacks and getting through with plenty of counters of his own. Gonzalez built a big lead and then had Nelson in trouble in the last as he tried to wrap it up early. Scores 98-92 twice and 99-91. First fight for Gonzalez since breaking into the ratings with a draw against Thomas Oosthuizen in June. The 29-year-old is no IBF 6(4) and WBC 15. First ten round fight for 27-year-old Nelson who goes back to the drawing board.
Mora vs. Nunez
Nunez came out blazing but Mora covered up and although he was caught with a few shots he boxed along until the storm blew itself out. Once he went to work there was only going to be one winner. A systematic body attack slowed Nunez and set him up for the finish. A left to the jaw put Nunez down in the fifth and although he managed to make it to his feet Mora jumped on him and a barrage of shots saw the referee stop the fight. The 32-year-old “Latin Snake” had been down after losing a split and a majority decision against Brian Vera but rebounded with a win over Grzegorz Proksa in June and is WBA No 10. Colombian Nunez is 2-5 in his last 7 against tough opposition.
Huerta vs. Arrellano
Favourite Huerta took the first two rounds in this one and then faded. Arrellano got into the fight from the third and his busier and more accurate work saw him build a lead. Huerta took the seventh as he tried to turn the tide but it was not enough and Arrellano fought hard in the last to protect his lead. Scores an unkind 80-72, a fair reflection in 78-74 and a too close 76-76. “Lil’ Thunder” was bouncing back from two losses and a draw in his last three fights, all against tough young prospects in Roman Morales, Jessie Magdaleno and Juan Reyes. Former top amateur Huerta took 14 months out following back-to-back losses to Raul Hirales and Chris Martin and had scored two wins since his return.
Molina vs. Pimentel
Molina blasts out late sub Pimentel in two. Molina was walking Pimentel down from the start. He caught up with the Mexican in the second and put him down for a five count with a right. Pimentel got up only to be put down again with a left. He made it to his feet but after another knockdown the referee halted the massacre. Molina has won 3 of his last 4 after being blasted out in 44 seconds by Antonio DeMarco for the WBC title in September last year. It has been a bit of a switchback in those other three fights with a kayo win over Dannie Williams being followed by a loss to Andrey Klimov and then a stoppage of Mickey Bey. Fourth loss in a row for Pimentel and 17th over all.
Molina vs. Sanchez
Molina just too much for game Sanchez. The Mexican Olympian was always in command but the game Sanchez tried to work inside to deny the youngster punching room. Molina increased the tempo in the fourth and Sanchez soaked up some fierce shots from both hands. At the end of the round the doctor advised the referee to stop the fight. Seven wins by KO/TKO for the 23-year hot prospect. Sanchez has lost 4 of his last 5 fights.
Greenhithe, England: Super Middle: James DeGale (17-1) W PTS 12 Dyah Davis (22-4-1). Light Welter: Lenny Daws (26-3-2) W PTS 6 Tony Pace (4-6-1). Middle: Chris Eubank Jr (12-0) W TKO 6 Frankie Borg (8-2). Light Heavy: Arfan Iqbal (7-0) W TKO 6 Leon Senior (10-2).
DeGale vs. Davis
DeGale just too quick and too slick for Davis. DeGale was able to get in with his southpaw shots and out before Davis could counter. The Brit tended to keep his hands at hip level and use clever upper body movement to confuse Davis and make him swat air in every round. DeGale getting his punches off first and easily outboxing Davis set the pattern for the first six rounds However over rounds 7,8 and 9 it was Davis making the running. He was coming forward with more determination and DeGale’s workrate dropped. It looked like a crisis point but DeGale had a good tenth shaking Davis with a good left hook and after dominating the round spent the last 20 seconds just dancing round with his hands down with a frustrated Davis unable to do anything to cut off the ring. DeGale did enough to take the last two rounds and a wide unanimous decision. Scores 118-110 from all three judges. A clear win for DeGale but not a sterling performance and he hinted that knee trouble had hindered his preparations. Davis, 32, the son of Howard Davis, was solid but too slow. He said afterwards that he had suffered a fractured jaw in the second round so showed guts to keep plugging away. Second defence of his WBC Silver title for the 27-year-old former Olympic gold medal winner and he is now looking for a shot at Sakio Bika with a final eliminator against Mexican Marco Periban the doorway.
Daws vs. Pace
Daws, 34, bounces back from his controversial loss to Michele Di Rocco for the European title with a workmanlike points win over 20-year-old Welshman Pace. Daws had the experience and skill but Pace kept firing and had some success with hooks in the second and third rounds. Apart from that the slicker boxing of Daws picked up the points. Referee’s score 58-56.
Eubank vs. Borg
Eubank turns a good performance into a sensational one with a devastating one punch finish. Eubank Junior boxed well within himself over the first two rounds with Welshman Borg trying to hustle him out of his stride. Eubank’s class began to show from the third and he was handing out some heavy punishment. However, Borg was not giving up and continued to press. He did it once too often in the sixth and a terrific right uppercut from Eubank crashed into his jaw. Borg went down heavily. Astonishingly he actually got up but was staggering on unsteady legs and the fight was stopped. The 24-year-old Eubank can irritate with his posing and sometimes puts out a low workrate, but he is shaping up to be a real threat and this was his fourth win in a row by KO/TKO. Welsh champion Borg’s only other loss was an eighth round stoppage against Danny Butler in July last year. Both fighters came in at short notice.
Iqbal vs. Senior
Prospect Iqbal has power but it is of the raw variety. He was walking Senior down and trying to land a big right hand for all of the fight. He landed it in the first and Senior was down and badly shaken but it came at the end of the round. He was floored again in the second and every time Iqbal landed that right Senior was in trouble, but Senior hung in there and tried to fight back. The end came in the sixth when a huge right put Senior down. He got up and again tried to fight back but was getting caught with more punches when the fight was stopped. The 22-year-old from Derby was going past the fourth round for the first time but sets such a slow pace that stamina was not a problem. He certainly has power in his right but needs a lot of polishing. First loss inside the distance for 33-year-old Southern Area champion Senior who had won his last 9 fights.
Laughlin, NV,USA: Super Feather: Jose Felix Jr. (26-0-1) W TKO 3 Santos Benavides (23-5-2). Super Bantam: Chris Avalos (23-2) W KO 3 Rolly Lunas (34-9-1). Welter: Jose Benavidez (18-0) W TKO 2 Abraham Osuna (16-5-1). Super Feather: Saul Rodriguez (11-0-1) W Cesar Valenzuela (4-3-1).
Felix vs. Benavides
“Josesito” Felix may just be the hidden danger in this division. The 21-year-old Mexican just punched too hard and too quickly for experienced Benavides. After landing heavy punches in each of the first two rounds Felix floored the Nicaraguan in the third. Benavides got up but was shipping more punishment and the referee stepped-in to save him. The youngster from Los Mochis broke though when he climbed off the floor to beat Luis Cruz (20-1) in September and has beaten Meacher Major and former WBO super feather title challenger Joseph Laryea. The latter in one round. He is IBF 4(3) and WBO 15. Southpaw Benavides, 31, was coming off back-to-back losses to Bryan Vazquez for the interim WBA title and WBC No 2 lightweight Denis Shafikov .
Avalos vs. Lunas
Impressive win by “Hitman” Avalos over experienced Filipino Lunas. Avalos showed his power from the start and Lunas just could not match him. After softening up the Filipino in the first two rounds a hard left/right combination put Lunas down heavily. He arose but was still rocking and the fight was halted. The 24-year-old Avalos has 17 wins by KO/TKO. Split decision losses to Chris Martin and Jhonatan Romero interrupted his progress for a while but wins over Yenifel Vincent (23-0-2) and Drian Francisco (24-1-1) have seen him rise to WBO No 1. Lunas, 30, lost to Anselmo Moreno for the WBA bantam title in 2008 but he had won his last 7 fights, 6 by KO/TKO, and was a very live opponent on paper.
Benavidez vs. Osuna
Benavidez is back. The young prospect made it look easy against Osuna. He floored the Mexican at the end of the first. Osuna had not really recovered in the second and was down twice more with the referee then stopping the fight. The 21-year-old from Phoenix was having his first fight since October last year due a injured right hand and will be looking to make up for lost time. The former NGG champion turned pro at 17. He now has 14 wins by KO/TKO. Osuna had been unbeaten in his first 14 fights, but has now lost 4 in a row.
Rodriguez vs. Valenzuela
Yet another prospect gets a win as 20-year-old “Kid Dinamita” applies pressure and is looking for a quick finish. He found it in the third putting Valenzuela down with a right Although Valenzuela made it to his feet a few more hard shots from Rodriguez saw the fight halted Eight wins by KO/TKO for Rodriguez with the draw being a technical one.
Verona, NY,USA: Heavy: Vyacheslav Glazkov (16-0-1) W PTS 10 Garrett Wilson (13-7-1). Light: Karl Dargan (14-0) W PTS 10 Mike Brooks (10-1-1). Light Heavy: Isaac Chilemba (21-2-2) W PTS 10 Mike Gbenga (16-10).
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Glazkov vs. Wilson
Glazkov has to adjust to facing a very late and physically much different substitute and is given a good fight by Wilson. Glazkov boxed his way to victory as the much shorter Wilson tried to barrel in throwing wild swings. It was an awkward fight for the Pole but he was able to score easily with his jab and got through with plenty of quick rights and left hooks to the body. A clash of heads saw Glazkov cut over his right eye in the third and he let his pace drop in the middle rounds which gave Wilson a small foothold in the fight. However there was only going to be one winner and “The Czar” took the decision on scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93. This was supposed to be Glazkov’s big night but it went bust when Tomasz Adamek pulled out at short notice citing illness. The only blot on the 6’3” (190cm) Ukrainian’s record is a draw with Malik Scott in February and he is IBF 10(9)/WBO 14. Wilson, 31 and just 5’9” (175cm) had problems reaching Glazkov but he did manage to shake the Pole in the seventh and did a great show-saving act. In his last fight he lost on points against Alex Alekseev in an IBF cruiser eliminator in February.
Dargan vs. Brooks
Dargan too fast too skilful for the willing but crude Brooks. Dargan is a class boxer and used his jab and hard uppercuts to pile up the points. Southpaw Brooks kept chugging forward but he was too slow and inaccurate to really trouble the former amateur star. Despite his dominance Dargan never looked like winning inside the distance but cruised to a points win. Scores 99-91 twice and 98-92. The 28-year-old from Philadelphia, a double US amateur champion and Pan American gold medal winner, had only one fight in 2012 but is finally being more active. Brooks, 26, had built his record against much lower level opposition and was never in this fight.
Chilemba vs. Gbenga
In his first fight since losing to Tony Bellew Malawian Chilemba managed a nearly routine win over Nigerian Gbenga. Chilemba was far the more skilful and busier and had no trouble outboxing the former Commonwealth title challenger. The only moment of discord came in the fifth when a big right had Chilemba momentarily rocking. After that he again took control and had Gbenga holding on in the closing rounds. Scores 79-73 twice and 80-72. The 26-year-old Chilemba was within touching distance of a world title fight only to lose his return with Bellew. He is still up at No 4 with the WBC so is very much in the picture. Four losses in a row for Gbenga.
Vratsa, Bulgaria: Light Middle: Sergey Rabchenko (25-0) W PTS 12 Bradley Pryce (34-15). Middle: Adam Etches (14-0) W KO 2 Andrejs Loginovs (14-31-1). Bantam: Ryan Burnett (4-0) W PTS 6 Sergio Perez (4-2). Light: Scott Jenkins (11-0) W TKO 4 Rakhim Mingaleyev (27-67-2).
Rabchenko vs. Pryce
Rabchenko wins but makes heavy weather of it against game late substitute Pryce. The European champion looked to be on his way to an inside the distance win as he took the first two rounds and then handed out a pasting in the third. Pryce was looking rattled and marked up and was forced to take a standing count. Rabchenko continued the pressure over the next two rounds going to the body. However his workrate dropped and Pryce came into the fight taking the sixth and eighth on two cards. From the ninth Rabchenko took control again and swept the last three rounds to widen the points difference. No doubt about the winner as Rabchenko retained his European title for the third time and his WBC Silver title for the first time on scores of 120-107, 118-110 and 117-110. Rabchenko, 27, the WBC No 1, remains in line for a title shot but whether the WBC will force Floyd Mayweather to fight him in a moot point. Former Commonwealth champion Pryce, 32, has lost 5 of his last 6 fights.
Etches vs. Loginovs
The Sheffield “Bomber” makes it 9 wins by KO/TKO in a row as he halts experienced Latvian in two rounds. Now 12 wins by KO/TKO in total for the hard-punching 22-year-old from the Hatton team. Five losses in a row for Loginovs.
Burnett vs. Perez
Belfast prospect gets six useful rounds under his belt against Spaniard. Burnett, 21, floored Perez with a right to the body in the second but was unable to repeat the feat and had to settle for a wide unanimous verdict. Scores 60-53, 60-55 and 59-54. With three wins achieved in a total of less than 5 rounds Burnett effectively doubled his experience in this fight. He is a great prospect who claims 94 wins in 98 amateur fights. Perez was also having his first 6 round fight.
Jenkins vs. Mingaleyev
“Hot Shot” Jenkins makes it a good night for the Hatton team as he forces experienced loser Mingaleyev to retire at the end of the fourth round. The 22-year-old has six wins by KO/TKO. The 46-yearold Mingaleyev is without a win in his last 29 fights but usually goes the distance.
Albertslund, Denmark: Middle: Patrick Nielsen (21-0) W TKO 5 Jose Pinzon (24-6). Feather: Dennis Ceylan (9-0) W PTS 8 Edgar Torres (5-7-1). Cruiser: Micki Nielsen (11-0) W KO 1 Bjoem Blaschke (9-3). Super Middle: Simen Smaadal (8-0) W TKO 4 Leo Tchoula (9-4).
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Nielsen vs. Pinzon
Nielsen marches on but Mexican Pinzon makes it easy for him. Pinzon had plenty of aggression and no defence. He persisted in walking forward taking punches to get inside and although he was scoring with some of his shots he was absorbing more. He had some success on the inside but was eating up jabs and rights in the third. In the fifth a left from Nielsen caught the Mexican flush and he went down. He arose but was still badly shaken and the referee stopped the fight. Win No 10 by KOTKO for the 22-year-old southpaw who was fighting in front of his home crowd. He retains his WBA & WBO Inter-Continental titles and is rated WBO 3/WBA 4/IBF 6 and more realistically on the basis of his opposition EBU No 9. Pinzon, 26, had won 4 of his last 5 fights.
Ceylan vs. Torres
Ceylan started fast as usual and put Torres down in the first with a left hook. He hurt Torres again before the end of the round and it looked as though it might be an early night. However, despite the best efforts of the Dane, Torres was a good survivor and he refused to go down again. Ceylan, 24, never lost a round and after 4 wins by KO/TKO in his last 5 fights he went eight rounds for the first time, so a good leaning fight and a small test of his stamina. Scores 80-71 from all three judges. The 22-year-old Mexican now has 4 losses and a draw in his last 5 fights.
Nielsen vs. Blaschke
Nielsen shows his power again with quick win over German. Nielsen had Blaschke under pressure from the first and near the end of the round floored him with a left to the body. The German was in some pain and did not make it back to his feet. Now 9 wins by KO/TKO for the 20-year-old 6’3” (190cm) southpaw. He needed to come back with a bang after failing to impress in a points win over Sandro Siproshvili last month. First loss inside the distance for 35-year-old Blaschke.
Smaadal vs. Tchoula
With a big crowd of Norwegians cheering him on Smaadal finally halted troublesome late sub Tchoula. The Cameroons fighter scored well in the first but then Smaadal used his height and long reach to keep Tchoula out. Smaadal put Tchoula down at the end of the third. Two more knockdowns in the fourth saw the fight stopped. The 24-year-old, 6’2” (188cm) “North Sea Defender” has three wins by KO/TKO. Three losses in a row for German-based 33-year-old Tchoula.
San Luis Potosi, Mexico: Super Bantam: Jorge Arce (62-7-2,1ND) W KO 8 Jose Carmona (22-4). A brutal war sees Arce halt Colombian Carmona in eight. In the early rounds Arce was forcing the pace but showing rust as he was not as quick or accurate as in the past. The taller Colombian, a late substitute, used good skills to jab and counter and was very much in the fight despite being rocked in the third and floored in the fourth. Carmona made good use of his jab and movement to counter the aggressive Arce. In the eighth there was some messy wrestling as Arce bulled in. Carmona did not look in trouble but suddenly Arce took him to the ropes and got through with six or seven head punches sending Carmona sliding down to the canvas in a corner. The referee immediately stopped the fight. Arce, 34, got the win on his comeback in his search for a title in a fifth division. Carmona was eventually taken to hospital on a stretcher and underwent two operations. He is stable but critical at this time.
Villahermosa, Mexico: Super Feather: Daniel Ponce De Leon (45-5) W PTS 10 Joksan Hernandez (23-6-1). Light Robert Manzanares (25-1) W KO 3 Alejandro Barrera (22-16). Welter: Ivan Alvarez (15-5) W PTS 10 Jorge Romero (24-7). Welter: Silverio Ortiz (28-14) W TKO 7 Jorge Silva (20-5-2). Super Feather: Juan Pablo Sanchez (26-11,1ND) W TKO 5 Raul Hinojosa (11-3-1).
De Leon vs. Hernandez
De Leon has too much experience and power for Hernandez. De Leon used his jab well to take the first round and then floored Hernandez in the second with a right hook. De Leon was down in the third but it was ruled a slip. Hernandez started the fourth aggressively but a body shot from De Leon had him badly hurt and the referee gave him an eight count. De Leon was in control in the fifth and sixth despite a slight cut on his left cheek one of many clashes caused by Hernandez’s “careless” use of his head. A right hook and straight southpaw left almost had Hernandez down in the seventh but he fought back on equal terms in the last three rounds. Scores 100-89 from all three judges. The 33-year-old former WBO super bantam and WBC feather champion is now trying to win a title in a third division. Hernandez, 27, is a good quality fighter but always comes up short against top opposition.
Manzanares vs. Barrera
Young Manzanares gains revenge for the only blot on his record. The tall 18-year-old floored Barrera with a left hook to the body in the first and repeated the dose in the second with Barrera only just getting through to the bell. Another left hook in the third put Barrera down and he took the count on one knee. Manzanares, who turned pro at 15, has 21 wins by KO/TKO. He suffered a shock sixth round stoppage loss against Barrera in November last year. The 34-year-old Barrera has lost 12 of his last 13 fights with the victory over Manzanares sitting up there like a sore thumb.
Alvarez vs. Romero
Southpaw Alvarez wins wide unanimous decision over useful Romero. The 25-year-old Alvarez floored Romero in the first and fourth rounds and dominated the rest of the fight but somehow Romero survived. Two good wins in a row for Alvarez after a spell of 3 losses in 4 fights. Three losses in a row for 23-year-old “Koky” Romero who has been in with Danny Garcia, Pablo Cesar Cano and Roberto Ortiz.
Ortiz vs. Silva
“Chamaco” continues his run of good form with a stoppage of useful “Pantera” Silva. Ortiz just edged the early rounds as the fighters went toe-to-toe in hot action. The power of Ortiz saw him on top in the third and he shook Silva with a right to the temple in the fourth. Ortiz continued to hand out punishment until the referee stopped the fight late in the seventh round. The 30-year-old “Chamaco III” has won 8 of his last 9 fights including victories over Fernando Angulo, Mahonri Montes (25-0-1) and Armando Robles (23-1-2) with the only loss being to Humberto Soto for the WBFederation title. Silva was good class opposition having draw with Yoshihiro Kamegai (21-0) and gone the distance with Alfredo Angulo in 2012.
Sanchez vs. Hinojosa
“The “Lizard” gets a lucky win over Hinojosa. Sanchez was under pressure from the outset with Hinojosa taking him to the ropes and landing heavy shots. Hinojosa continued to walk Sanchez down in the second and third. Finally in the fourth Sanchez began to take over and landed hard combinations. One punch opened a bad cut on the left eye brow of Hinojosa and he failed to answer the bell for the fifth round. Sanchez, 25, has won 7 of his last 8 with the loss being to Jorge Romero. Southpaw Hinojosa was unbeaten in his last 13.
Hamilton, New Zealand: Heavy: Alex Ustinov (29-1) W PTS 12 David Tua (52-4-2). Light Heavy: Robert Berridge (22-1-1) W TKO 10 Daniel MacKinnon (21-8-1).
Tua vs. Ustinov
Easy win for Ustinov as he takes wide unanimous verdict over Tua. With Ustinov at 6’7 ½” (202cm) and Tua 5’10” (178cm) the fight was easy for Ustinov. He was able to stay on the outside scoring with long jabs and straight rights. Tua just could not close enough to pose a danger and was not letting his punches go, looking for one big shot to change the fight. It did not happen. Strong refereeing stopped Ustinov from clinching and wrestling on the inside which meant Ustinov had to put out more effort and he tired over the late rounds but was never troubled. Scores 119-109 twice and 119-110. The 36-year-old Belarus-born Russian was rated IBF 8(7)/WBA 12(11)/ WBO 15 but was halted in eleven rounds by Kubrat Pulev in September last year and shown to be just too slow for the top level. Samoan-born Tua, 40, having his first fight since losing to Monte Barrett, was hoping to propel himself into a world title fight but then reality kicked-in. He announced his retirement.
Berridge vs. MacKinnon
If the main event was a one-sided bore this was totally the opposite. Both fighters handed out and soaked up punishment in the early rounds. Berridge made the better start and busier start whilst looking for openings for his trade mark left hooks which Mackinnon was almost inviting by holding his right hand too low. One of those hooks had Mackinnon suffer a swelling around his right eye. Both landed heavy shots in the fifth but this was no brawl with boxers showing good skills. Although he was being troubled by the swelling by his right eye Mackinnon had a big sixth trapping Berridge on the ropes and letting fly with a volley of punches which left Berridge with a bad cut on his left cheek. Berridge shrugged that off to floor Mackinnon in the eighth. MacKinnon rebounded to put Berridge down in the ninth only to be floored himself by a body punch before the end of the round. Berridge now had the upper hand and he put together a barrage of hard shots in the tenth round and put MacKinnon on the floor. He got up but was in no condition to defend himself and the fight was stopped. “The Butcher” makes it 18 wins by KO/TKO and seven wins in a row since losing a majority decision to Blake Caparello in May last year. The 28-year-ols southpaw wins the vacant PABA and WBO Oriental titles. Third loss by KO/TKO for fellow New Zealander MacKinnon, 28, who lost a majority decision to Caparello in July. MacKinnon complained of headaches after the fight. He then collapsed in the dressing room and was rushed to hospital unconscious and underwent brain surgery. He later regained consciousness and is in intensive care but awake and talking.
Mercedes, Argentina: Super Middle: Mateo D Veron (19-9-2,2ND) W TKO 7 Ricardo M Ramallo (15-4-1). Veron wins this battle of punchers. Ramallo had early success as he floored “El Chino” in the first. After that Veron proceeded to give “El Rayo” Ramallo a boxing lesson. In the second a volley of hooks to the body and hard rights to the chin had Ramallo in deep trouble. It was all Veron again in the third and fourth but a clash of heads left him with a bad cut on his left eyebrow. Veron used a sharp jab and good movement to frustrate Ramallo in the fifth and was outboxing and outscoring him in the sixth. In the seventh, with Ramallo tiring, Veron scored to head and body and then put Ramallo down with a right to the chin. The referee stopped the fight without bothering to count. The 24-year-old Veron wins the interim WBC Latino title. He has wins over Carlos Herrera, Mark Vergara and Jorge Heiland, but lost on points in July to Billi Godoy for the WBC International title. Second loss by KO/TKO for Ramallo who had won 6 and drawn one of his last 7 fights. He lost in three rounds to Marco Antonio Rubio in 2011.
Brisbane, Australia: Light Heavy: Damien Hooper (5-0) W TKO 2 Yodkhunsuk (2-0). Welter: Jeff Horn (5-0-1) W TKO 1 Aswin Cabuy (14-44-3). Welter: Paddy Murphy (9-0-2) W PTS 8 Adrian Campbell (11-13-1). Light Middle: Cameron Hammond (5-0) W PTS 8 Joel Dela Cruz (17-19-2).
Hooper vs. Yodkhunsuk
Hooper wins a wild one. The 21-year-old former Olympian was dumped on the canvas in the first round by the Thai and almost floored again at the end of the round. Hooper took his revenge flooring and stopping Yodkhunsuk in the second. The ANBF No 3, part of the Ricky Hatton team, makes it four wins by KO/TKO but it is worrying that he was so careless against a Thai novice.
Horn vs. Cabuy
Another quick finish for top prospect Horn. The 25-year-old Australian champion ended it with a body punch. Fourth one round finish in total and second in a row for Horn following his one round demolition of Samuel Colomban in September. The draw was of the technical variety. Second first round loss in a row for Cabuy.
Murphy vs. Campbell
Dundalk’s Murphy, 26, the ANBF No 8, has to climb off the floor in the first round but recovered to overcome the height and reach edges of Campbell and take the decision.
Hammond vs. Dela Cruz
Olympian Hammond continues to make progress as he had eight good learning rounds with Filipino Dela Cruz before taking a wide unanimous decision. The 24-year-old “Hammer” is another Aussie in the Ricky Hatton camp. Seven losses in a row for Dela Cruz.
Gladstone, Australia: Heavy: Mark de Mori (25-1-2) W PTS 12 Ivica Perkovic (20-22). Welter: Todd Kidd (11-2-1) W TKO 9 Ruben Kennedy (6-8). Heavy: Hunter Sam (8-2-2) W PTS 10 Clarence Tillman (11-14-2).
De Mori vs. Perkovic
Good learning fight for de Mori as the pudgy Croatian makes him go the full twelve rounds. “The Dominator”, himself Croatian-born, was always in command but Perkovic used good defensive skills, i.e. holding, to make de Mori go beyond the eighth round for the first time. De Mori was the busier fighter and the more accurate puncher but Perkovic brawled his way to making some of the rounds close. De Mori won on scores of 118-110 twice and a strange 115-113. de Mori is a well muscled and powerful fighter but has short arms, so a short reach, and is slow with limited skills. He wins the vacant WBFoundation title. The taller Perkovic, 39, is 3-8 in his last eleven fights but has gone the distance with Alex Dimitrenko and Alex Ustinov.
Kidd vs. Kennedy
Former amateur star Kidd may finally be getting his pro career off the ground as he wins the vacant WBFoundation title with a late stoppage of Kennedy. The 28-year-old dominated the Australian 64kg division as an amateur but has stuttered as a pro. He is only rated No 6 by the ANBF and lost inside the distance to Addisu Tebebu (3-2-3) so he has a lot to prove but at least has managed to win his last 3 fights. Kennedy is 2-7 in his last 9 fights so not exactly a legible contender for any title.
Sam vs. Tillman
ANBF No 6 Sam was giving away height and reach to New Zealand-based Yank Tillman but had youth on his side and boxed his way to the verdict. Five losses in a row for Tillman.
Saint-Malo, France: Welter: Ludovic Duval (8-13) W PTS 8 Damien Martin (17-7-4). Duval springs major upset with points win over hometown fighter Martin. Duval the FFB No 12 super middle had lost 5 of his last 6 fights but deserved his victory. The 33-year-old has fought anywhere from super middle to light middle and now under new management is hoping this win over FFB No 1 Martin will get him a title chance. Martin was unbeaten in his last 9 fights.
Ludwigsburg, Germany: Heavy: Erkan Teper (12-0) W TKO 1 Martin Rogan (16-5). Welter: Timo Schwarzkopf (13-0) W PTS 10 Junior Witter (41-7-2).
Teper vs. Rogan
Teper gets his second first round win over a veteran Brit as he halts Belfast’s Rogan inside a round. It was a heavy flooring and after medical attention Rogan seemed to be indicating he had also suffered a jaw injury. Teper had halted Michael Sprott in one round in August. The 6’5” (195cm) 31-year-old of Turkish descent has 8 wins by KO/TKO but is still not seen as more than a local threat. The 42-year-old former Commonwealth champion Rogan has now lost inside the distance to Sam Sexton twice, Tyson Fury and now Teper, so his “Iron Man” nickname is outdated.
Schwarzkopf vs. Witter
Prospect gets his biggest win as he outpoints former WBC champion Witter on a hotly disputed majority decision. It was a close fight with a controversial knockdown credited to Schwarzkopf in the last round swinging it his way. Witter had a big edge in skill and looked to have scored a knockdown in the third, but the referee did not register it as a knockdown. Schwarzkopf came into the fight more over the second half, but was still eating counters and finding Witter an elusive target. In the last Witter was given a count despite being thrown to the canvas and not put there by a punch. Scores a ridiculous 98-91, 96-94 and 95-95 with even the latter being generous to Schwarzkopf. The 22-year-old Albanian (real name Festim Kryeziu) also has a win over former interim WBA champion Ismael El Massoudi. The 39-year-old Witter would probably have got the decision in Britain and still has the skills to trouble most opponents.
Nuremburg, Germany: Middle: Nuhu Lawal (15-0) W KO 3 Hassan Saku (11-10). German-based Nigerian Lawal retains his GBU title as he kayos Swedish-based Ugandan Saku in the third with a body punch. Now 6 wins by KO/TKO in a row for the former amateur international. The 37-year-old Saku has lost 4 of his last 5 fights.
Szentes, Hungary: Super Middle: Balazs Kelemen (19-0) W PTS 10 Attila Baran (13-8). Lajos Mark Nagy (16-0) W TKO 4 Ferenc Zold (17-19).
Kelemen vs. Baran
Both started cautiously but it was evident from the start that Kelemen was the quicker and more skilful. He had a good fourth but was set back on his heels by a right hook in the fifth but blasted back to rock Baran in the sixth. Kelemen won the late rounds with Baran standing up well to the punishment. Kelemen wins the vacant Hungarian title with scores of 100-90,100-92 and 98-92. The 35-year-old “Balu” is hoping for a fight with Robert Stieglitz as he is No 10 with the WBO despite not even managing to get into the EBU top 20 (he is No 24 in the EU ratings). Baran had lost a 4 round fight against a 7 fight novice in his last fight.
Nagy vs. Zold
Easy for 23-year-old Nagy. He scored with a good combination at the end of the first then got through to head and body with good punches in the second and third. The fourth was totally one-sided and Zold’s corner threw in the towel. Ten wins inside the distance for Nagy. Seventh consecutive loss inside the distance for poor Zold.
Tampico, Mexico: Light: Abdiel Ramirez (21-1-1) W TKO 6 Lupe Rosales (31-10).
23A Experienced “Bronco” Rosales was under pressure from the start but used his experience to blunt the attacks of the aggressive younger fighter. They were both trying for the kayo with every punch but after a wild third Rosales seemed to take control throwing more leather than Ramirez who was still looking to end it with one shot. Ramirez finally broke through in the sixth and exploded all over Rosales getting through with about 30 unanswered shots and forcing the referee to stop the fight. The 22-year-old Ramirez retains his WBC Fecombox title and makes it 19 wins by KO/TKO. He had an early career draw with Mauricio Pintor but was halted in two rounds by Rene Gonzalez in July last year. He has bounced back with 7 wins. The 32-year-old Rosales is 3-6 in his last 9, but all of the losses have been to quality opposition and this is only the second time he has failed to last the distance.
Bialystok, Poland: Light: Matt Zegan (43-6-2) W PTS 8 Dariusz Snarski (32-31-2). Zegan wins this battle of veterans on a majority decision. Zegan took the first round but Snarski battled back to take the next two. Over the remaining five rounds there was little between them with Snarski having the higher workrate but Zegan being the quicker and more accurate. Zegan had Snarski badly rocked in the last and that was enough to give him the decision on scores of 78-73, 77-75 and 75-75. The 37-year-old Zegan, a former WBO lightweight title challenger when he lost a majority decision to Artur Grigorian in 2003, was having his first fight for three years. Snarski, 44, was having his first fight since beating Krzys Cieslak for the WBFoundation title in December 2010. Snarski is ok if he avoids fighting in Britain. He is 1-17-1 in 19 fights there.
Lugogo, Uganda: Light Welter: Solomon Bogere (12-1-1) W PTS 12 Osgood Kayuni (14-2-1). Bogere wins split decision over Malawian to take the vacant ABU title, but is given a tough fight and there is some weird scoring. The Ugandan just edged the first three close rounds but was nailed and badly hurt by a left hook in the fourth. It was still close after eight rounds but with Kayuni cut on the left eyebrow Bogere staged the stronger finish to get the decision. Scores 1191-109, 116-112 and 110-118. Bogere’s only loss was a third round kayo against Russian Valeriy Brazhnyk (22-0-1) in 2010. Kayuni,29, was coming off a points loss to Charles Manyuchi in March.
Southampton, England: Light Heavy: Tony Hill (12-3) W KO 2 Tomas Kugler (14-33-1). Light: Matty Tew (13-3) W PTS 6 Andy Harris (3-9).
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Hill vs. Kugler
Hill wastes no time in putting away last substitute Kugler. After forcing the Czech back with left jabs and shaking him with a right hook in the first a southpaw left hook to the chin put Kugler down and out in the second. Four wins in a row for the local 27-year-old since losses to Kerry Hope and a devastating 30 second blast out by Billy Joe Saunders for the vacant Commonwealth middle title. Kugler is 2-15 in his last 17 fights but saved the show.
Tew vs. Harris
Tew came in as a late sub on this show and despite a poor third round outpointed another late sub in Harris. Referee’s score 59-56. Tew, 31, bouncing back from two losses in a row,
Aberdeen, Scotland: Super Feather: Darren Traynor (7-0) W Pts 10 Yordan Vasilev (15-32-2). Welter: Matt McAllister (7-0) W PTS 6 Billy Campbell (3-3).
Traynor vs. Vasilev
This should have been an uneventful night and an easy win for Traynor but instead he only just squeaked by travelling loser Vasilev. The 27-yerar-old “Trayn Wreck” was down twice in the first round and was then playing catch-up. He only just made it taking the decision 96-94 on the referee’s scorecard. The 27-year-old from Aberdeen wins the vacant International Masters but a few danger flags will have been flying after this one. Bulgarian Vasilev, 30, is 1-13 in 14 fights in the UK.
McAllister vs. Campbell
Routine victory for the “Hawk” as McAllister wins every round. The smooth boxing Aberdonian takes the decision on the referee’s card 60-54. Now training at the Ricky Hatton gym the 24-year-old younger brother of Lee is making progress. Now 3 losses in his last 4 fights for fellow-Scot Campbell.
Walsall, England: Super Feather: Troy James (15-2-1) W TKO 1 Chris Male (12-2). Welter: Steven Pearce (8-2) W KO 5 Rob Hunt (17-3-2).
Male vs. James
Chris Male had two good minutes in this fight as he used his height and reach to dominate the opening exchanges. That ended when a left-right combination from James floored the Dudley fighter. Male got up and took the mandatory count. A left hook and a right put him down again and he banged his head against the canvas which brought the medics dashing into the ring. Male recovered and was ok. James, 30, retains the Midlands Area title and wins a BBB of C eliminator. He has five win by KO/TKO and has won 6 of his last 7 fights. Male, 31, loses inside the distance for the first time
Pearce vs. Hunt
Minor upset as Pearce beats Hunt to win the vacant International Masters title. It was the body attack of Pearce that made the difference. Hunt was never able to make his height and reach advantages tell and Pearce finished it in the fifth with a series of body punches which saw Hunt taking the full count whilst on one knee. Pearce, a former Midlands Area champion, had lost 2 of his last 3 fights inside the distance so needed a win. Hunt, 28, has hit a rocky patch after being unbeaten in his first 15 fights
Bethlehem, PA, USA: Welter: Ronald Cruz (20-2) W TKO 3 Hector Munoz (22-12-1). These two went at it hard from the start. Munoz got his jab working and did well over the first two rounds. However, the power was with Cruz and he put Munoz down with a right in the third round. Munoz got up but was put down again by a straight right. He arose again only to be floored by a left hook and the fight was stopped. Now 15 wins by KO/TKO for 27-year-old Puerto Rican Cruz who is rebuilding with three straight wins by KO/TKO after losses to Antwone Smith and Ray Narh. Munoz is 3-8 in his last 11 fights but was coming off a win over Hector Camacho Jr in September.
Abbreviations
ABC=Asian Boxing Council an affiliate of the WBC
ABU= African Boxing Union a WBC affiliate
ANBF=Australian National Boxing Federation who administer Australian titles
BBB of C=British Boxing Board of Control
BBB of C Southern/Central/Midlands/Scottish Area etc. British Area titles
B & H=Bosnia & Herzegovina
BSA=Boxing South Africa responsible for administering boxing in South Africa
CISBB-WBC title covering the rump of the USSR and the Slovenian Boxing Board
DRC=Democratic Republic of the Congo
EBU=European Boxing Union
FAB=Argentinian Boxing Federation
FFB=French Boxing Federation
GAB=Philippines Games & Amusement Board responsible for administering boxing in the Philippines
IBF=International Boxing Federation a sanctioning body
IBO=International Boxing Organisation
JBC =Japanese Boxing Commission
NABA=North American Boxing Association, a WBA affiliate
NABF=North American Boxing Federation a WBC affiliate
NABO= North American Boxing Organisation, a WBO affiliate
NGG=US National Golden Gloves
NZPBF=New Zealand Professional Boxing Federation a national sanctioning body
OPBF=Orient & Pacific Boxing Federation
PABA=Pacific & Asian Boxing Association, a WBA affiliate
UBO=Universal Boxing Organisation a sanctioning body
USBA= United States Boxing Association, an IBF affiliate
USBO=United States Boxing Organisation
WBA=World Boxing Association a sanctioning body
WBC=World Boxing Council a sanctioning body
WBFed=World Boxing Federation, a sanctioning body
WBFound=World Boxing Foundation, a sanctioning body
WBU=World Boxing Union, a sanctioning body
IBF WBA Rating=Both bodies leave vacancies in their ratings so when showing a IBF or WBA rating fore a fighter where there is a vacant position ahead of them in the rankings which affects his rating I will put his numerical rating i.e. No 6 and in brackets and his rating based on the number of fighters ahead of him so IBF 6 (5) his shows his numerical position is 6 but there are in fact only 5 fighters listed ahead of him due to one of the higher rating positions being vacant.
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