The Past Week In Action

January 4

Barthelemy vs. Usmanee

Miami, USA: Super Feather: Rances Barthelemy (18-0) W PTS 12 Arash Usmanee (20-1). Light Middle: Jonathan Gonzalez (16-0-1) W PTS 10 Derek Ennis (23-4-1). Super Middle: Roberto Acevedo (7-0) W TKO 1 Francisco Rios Gil (17-17). First card in the USA in 2013 and straight into controversy as Barthelemy gets a hotly contested decision over Usmanee.

The Cuban had height and reach advantages over the Afghan-born Canadian and edged the first two rounds as Usmanee ran into counters when trying to get inside. Usmanee boxed with more control in the third, but Barthelemy took the fourth, closing with a good left hook. Also in the round a clash of heads saw Usmanee with a cut on the bridge of his nose. Usmanee was on top in the fifth and sixth as he was the busier and more accurate fighter.

His pressure forced Barthelemy to ignore his boxing and get involved in a brawl. Usmanee also seemed to edge the next two rounds to build a lead. The Cuban took control in the ninth and tenth as he scored with eye-catching shots. That tenth round again saw Usmanee cut in a clash of heads, this time by his right eye.

The eleventh went to Barthelemy as he caught the advancing Usmanee with counters, but the Canadian was on top for the whole three minutes in the last having Barthelemy rocking. Scores 116-112 twice and 115-113. It was a good fight with 26-year-old Barthelemy very lucky to get the decision. It was the first time the Cuban had gone beyond eight rounds and it showed in his exhaustion in that last round.

Usmanee, having been in three ten round fights, gauged the pace better, and deserved to get something out of the fight. Hopefully his effort will get him some more TV exposure. This was described as an IBF eliminator for the No 2 spot with Barthelemy No 6 and Usmanee being slipped in the latest IBF ratings at No 14, without having fought since June.

Puerto Rican Gonzalez got a deserved but split decision over Ennis. It was not an exciting scrap with both fighters being methodical rather than adventurous and that approach saw the early rounds devoid of sustained exchanges. Ennis, who came in 6lbs over the agreed weight, was just not doing enough and giving away rounds. There was more action in the middle rounds as they finally traded hooks and uppercuts.

Ennis took the fight to Gonzalez over the next three rounds, but Gonzalez took over in the closing round as Ennis tired. Scores 98-92, 97-93 and 95-95. The tall 23-year-old Gonzalez won a silver medal at the Pan American Games, and represented Puerto Rico in the World Championships and the Olympics. He won his first 13 pro fights by KO/TKO, but has had to go the distance in his last four fights.

He was coming off a draw with former WBO champion Serhiy Dzinziruk in September. He weighed 11lbs heavier for that fight. Philadelphian Ennis, 32, was having his first fight since October 2011. Ennis was on a good run with ten wins and victories over Ermosele Albert and Gabriel Rosado (who fights Gennady Golovkin for the WBA and IBO titles later this month).

Puerto Rican prospect Acevedo took only 62 seconds to blow away poor Gil. The 25-year-old has four wins by KO/TKO. Mexican Gil has now lost 9 of his last 10 fights.

Bangkok, Thailand: Super Fly: Denkoasan (59-3-1) W PTS 12 Galih Susanto. Eighth defence of his PABA title for Thai as he easily outpoints obscure Indonesian. The 36-year-old former WBA flyweight champion wins on scores of 119-109 twice and 118-110. He is No 3 with the WBA. Susanto had only one traceable fight before this, but a lot of boxing in Indonesia goes unreported.

January 5

Tacoma, USA: Light Welter: Robert Frankel (32-12-1) W TEC DEC 5 Jermaine White (17-6). The 32-year-old Frankel makes it 4 wins in his last 5 fights as he beats White on a technical decision at the Halquist Productions’ “Battle on the Boat 90”. Frankel always looked to be on his way to a win. After an even first round Frankel floored White twice in the second. The first with a right to the chin and the second with a barrage to the body.

Frankel kept up the pressure in the third and White twice”lost” his mouthpiece to get some respite. The fourth was mainly fought on the ropes with White having some success. The end came in the fifth. Again they were fighting on the ropes with Frankel scoring well when a clash of heads, that looked more like a butt, saw Frankel cut over his right eye.

The referee stopped the fight so that the Doctor could inspect the cut, and the Doctor ruled the cut to severe to continue. Frankel wins on scores of 49-44 twice and 50-43. Frankel has good wins over Derrick Campos, Bobby Pacquiao and Ric Dominguez, but losses to David Diaz, John Molina and in May to Cleotis Pendarvis shows that he tends to lose when he steps up in class. White, 30, has lost to Campos, Anthony Peterson, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, and in his previous two fights lost on points against Paul Spadafora in 2009 and after almost three years out to Gabriel Bracero in June last year.

Minneapolis, USA: Super Feather: Ismail Muwendo (12-0) W PTS 8 Anthony Napunyi (14-12). A clash of two Africans sees Uganda’s Muwendo take a wide decision over Kenyan Napunyi. “The Sharp Shooter” was just too strong for a defence minded Napunyi as he retained his USA Mid American title for the third time. Scores 79-72 twice and 80-72. The 24-year-old represented Uganda at the 2007 World Championships. Napunyi, 30, has now lost his last eight fights, but against tough opposition.

Iligan City, Philippines: Feather: Cirilo Espino W PTS 12 (18-11-2) Adones Aguelo (18-8-1). Mild upset as Filipino No 2 Espino outpoints No 1 Aguelo to win vacant national title (GAB). Espino was just too strong for Aguelo who was weakened by weight-making efforts. Espino scored a knockdown in the sixth and won on a unanimous decision. The 30-year-old “Slugger” is 8-2 in his last ten fights, with the losses coming on the road in Indonesia and Japan. Aguelo, 24, the interim champion, lost to Vinvin Rufino for the same title in 2010. Five of his losses have also been on the road.

Cebu, Philippines: Super Fly: Jason Canoy (16-3-2) W TKO 1 Arlon Batingal (7-6). Super-Feather: Jessie Cris Rosales (11-0-1) W PTS 10 Rolly Lino (4-8-1). Promising youngster Canoy wins the lesser Philippines Boxing Federation (PBF) title with a stoppage of Batingal. It was an anti-climax as a punch from Canoy opened a cut which caused the bout to be stopped. The 22-year-old Canoy has eleven wins inside the distance. Batingal is now 3-5 in his last eight fights. Rosales, 21, won a national novice tournament in 2011, but a lack of a punch may hold him back. The durable Lino has lost 3 of his last 4 fights.

Mexico City, Mexico: Super Feather: Edgar Puerta (21-4-1) W TKO 8 Abraham Rodriguez (24-14-4). Light Fly: Ganigan Lopez (22-5) W TKO 3 Josue Vega (15-11). Light Welter: Reyes Sanchez (24-4-2) W TKO 5 Ramiro Alcaraz (12-2-1). Puerta retains his WBC Silver title as he wins a war, but has to overcome a bad cut on his left eyebrow to get there. It was the excellent jab of Puerta which saw him establish a lead.

Rodriguez was willing to stand and trade and in a wild sixth he had Puerta reeling from a combination. Puerta fired back and they fought furiously to the end of the round. In the eighth a right to the body from Puerta stopped Rodriguez in his tracks. He then drove Rodriguez to the ropes and was landing with heavy shots to the head and body and the referee stopped the fight.

The 30-year-old “Chananon”, rated No 6 by the WBC, had won the title with an impressive kayo of world rated Carlos Cardenas. He has now won ten in a row, nine by KO/TKO. Puerta was close to suicide after his young daughter was killed in a traffic accident. A good class amateur when he lived in California, he recovered from that despair by turning to professional boxing in which he found a purpose to help him continue. “Marvin” Rodriguez, 27, lost inside the distance for the seventh time. Earlier in his career he beat Alan Herrera and drew with current WBC No 12 Alejandro Sanabria, but has now won only one of his last six fights.

Southpaw Lopez just steamrollers Vega. “El Zurdo” scored knockdowns in both the first and second rounds. Another knockdown in third ended the fight. Second win in a row for Ganigan, 31, the WBFederation champion and former WBC Silver champion. He has bounced back well after a crushing two round defeat against Filipino Denver Cuello in May. In November he won the WBF title with a points decision over tough Luis Ceja (22-2-3 at the time). “Chin-Chan Vega, who came in as a late sub for WBC Silver champion Jesus Silvestre, had turned his career around with 12 wins in his last 13 fights, but was out of his class.

Alcaraz also found the step-up in class too much. A left from “The King” Sanchez opened a cut on the right eyebrow of southpaw Alcaraz in the first round. Sanchez was then in total control. He floored Alcaraz in the third and even a couple of low blows from Alcaraz in the fourth could not turn the tide. The fifth was all Sanchez with Alcaraz soaking up punishment and it was no surprise when he retired at the end of the round.

The 27-year-old Sanchez is another former WBC Silver champion. He won the title with a good victory over Daniel Estrada (23-1-1) in 2010, but lost it to future WBC champion Antonio DeMarco in a WBC eliminator in 2011. He also lost a paper thin decision to current IBF light champion Miguel Vazquez in 2007, and won the WBC Youth title with a stoppage of then unbeaten (27-0) Ali Chebah. Alcaraz was credited with a 17-1-1 record going into the fight.

Tokyo, Japan: Fly: Akira Yaegashi (16-3) W KO 9 Saenmuangloei (15-5-3). Light Fly: Naoya Inoue (2-0) W KO 1 Ngaoprajan (10-11). Former WBA strawweight champion Yaegashi comes alive late in a dull bout. Yaegashi, normally an all-action, entertaining fighter, was too fast and skilful for his Thai opponent, and seemed content to just box his way to victory.

He suddenly woke up late in the ninth and exploded a left hook to the body which put the Thai down for the count. The 29-year-old lost his WBA title to Kazuto Ioka in a unification match in June, his only loss in his last ten fights. Former WBC International champion Saenmuangloei is WBC ABC champion at flyweight and has only lost once inside the distance.

Yet another teenage sensation from Japan. Former top amateur Inoue kayos Thai champ Ngaoprajan with a left hook to the chin just 110 seconds into their fight. Inoue, 19, as with Ioka, also failed to make the Japanese team for the 2008 Olympics. In his two fights he has kayoed the Philippines strawweight and Thai light flyweight champion, so look for him to suddenly appear in the WBA or WBC ratings. The 35-year-old Thai was not a tough test being 3-7 in his last ten fights.