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.
The Past Week in Action 20 August 2013
August 14
New York, NY: USA: Light Middle: Boyd Melson (12-1-1) W PTS 8 Jason Thompson (5-7-3). Heavy: Tor Hamer (21-2) W TKO 1 Kertson Manswell (23-8). Super Middle: Lennox Allen (17-0-1) W PTS 6 Mike Gbenga (16-9).
Melson vs. Thompson
Melson survives cut to overcome Thompson and clean up draw on his record. The tall 31-year-old southpaw built an early lead as he boxed on the outside and used his reach advantage. Thompson eventually managed to work inside and got into the fight. Melson suffered a cut over his right in the sixth round and survived a doctor’s examination. In the seventh it was Thompson who was cut over his right eye. Both fought hard in the last round but Melson put the result beyond doubt when he floored Thompson. He won the unanimous decision on scores of 78-73 twice and 77-74. The 31-year-old, popular West Point graduate and ex-Army and Inter-Services champion donates his purses to support stem cell trials. He and Thompson had fought a draw in October. Thompson, 32, now has 4 losses and 3 draws in his last 7 fights.
Hamer vs. Manswell
Thankfully Hamer made this short as Manswell is a shot fighter with a clutching style. After some messy non-action late in the first round Hamer, 30, floored the 36-year-old Manswell with a hard right. Manswell made it to his feet but was dropped with a left hook at the bell. Manswell was hoping for a disqualification and put on a fainting act but no one was impressed and the result stood. Second win for former Prizefighter champion Hamer since losing his unbeaten record against Vyacheslav Glazkov in December and win No 14 by KO/TKO. Bahamian Manswell goes to 5 losses in a row and the second first round loss in his last three fights.
Allen vs. Gbenga
Southpaw Allen, 28, keeps his stuttering career going with wide unanimous decision over tough but wild and limited Gbenga. Scores 59-55 twice and 60-54. “2 Sharpe” Allen from Guyana was having only his second fight since May 2011 and his first since July last year. Only 19 fights in 9 years as a pro is glacial progress. Nigerian Gbenga has lost his last three in a row now. He had shots at the Commonwealth title at both super middle and light heavy.
August 16
Chicago, Ill, USA: Light Heavy: Andrzej Fonfara (24-2,1ND) W KO 9 Gabriel Campillo (22-6-1,1ND). Heavy: Artur Szpilka (16-0) W TKO 5 Mike Mollo (20-5-1). Light Welter: Adrian Granados (12-2-2) W TKO 6 Mark Salser (15-1).
Fonfara vs. Campillo
Youth and strength beat skill and experience in this one. Southpaw Campillo had his right jab working from the first and was able to thread shots through the leaky defence of the Pole. Fonfara had some success with rights but after a fourth round dominated by Campillo the Pole was showing a cut below his left eye. Fonfara was having some success in the fifth and by the end of the round Campillo, whilst still in charge, was being troubled by a swelling by his right eye. The Spaniard had a good seventh forcing Fonfara on the retreat, but Fonfara was closing the distance and looking a bit more dangerous. The eighth saw Fonfara rocking Campillo with a right to the side of the head at the end of the round. Sensing Campillo was tiring and ready to be taken in the ninth Fonfara shook Campillo with a right and then a volley of punches saw Campillo fall to his knees. He was finished and made no real attempt to beat the count. Rated WBO 3/IBF 4/ WBC 7, the 25-year-old Fonfara has wins in the WindyCity over Byron Mitchell, Glen Johnson and Tommy Karpency and is a huge draw with the Polish contingent in and around Chicago. He has 14 wins by KO/TKO. The No Decision was a fight he won in 2009 but tested positive for steroids and was given a derisory suspension. Former WBA champion Campillo is now 34 and seems ready for retirement. He has now lost 3 of his last 4 fights, but the other losses were to Tavoris Cloud and Sergey Kovalev so a tough road.
Szpilka vs. Mollo
When they fought in February the 6’4” (193cm) Pole had to climb off the floor in the first and fourth rounds before halting Mollo. As before the tall southpaw tried to use an extended right both as a block to stop Moll launching attacks and as a measuring stick for his straight lefts. As before Mollo was able to barrel past the right. He shook Szpilka with a left in the second, but Szpilka answered with a hard left of his own. In the third Szpilka was scoring with his left, but Moll got inside and floored the Pole with a short left hook to the chin. Szpilka was shaken but held on and although Mollo had him down at the end of the round this was more of a wrestling job and was not counted as a knockdown by the referee. Mollo’s work rate dropped in the fourth which allowed Szpilka to recover. In the fifth with Mollo cut by the right eye Szpilka was again finding the range with his lefts and one of those sent Mollo to the canvas. He made it to his feet at nine, but was finished and the referee stopped the fight. “Pin”, 24, moves to 12 wins by KO/TKO and has wins over Jameel McCline, Taras Bidenko and Brian Minto. Mollo has won only one of his last six fights and has not recorded a win inside the distance since 2007 so it must be concern that he has floored Szpilka three times in two fights. Mollo had been inactive from August 2010 up until the first fight with Szpilka in February this year. At 33 he is definitely at the veteran stage, but there are fights for him if he wants to continue.
Granados vs. Salser
Granados builds on his draw with Kermit Cintron as he climbs off the floor twice before halting previously unbeaten Salser in the sixth. The 23-year-old Mexican “Tiger” was careless in the second round and was put down heavily by a left hook. He was badly hurt and only just survived the round. Granados was the quicker of the two and boxed well in the third. However, in the fourth his leaky defence allowed Salser to get through with a right and Granados was down again. He lasted out the round and knowing he was behind on points forced the pace in the fifth with Salser willing to stand and trade. In the sixth Granados put Salser down with a body punch. Another body punch put Salser down and the referee stopped the fight. Only one loss in his last 14 fights for Granados, and the loss was a majority decision against unbeaten former amateur star Frankie Gomez. First fight since August last year for 31-year-old Salser.
Surat Thanmi, Thailand: Fly: Amnat Ruenroeng (11-0) W TKO 4 Takuro Habu (11-8-2). Straw: Fahlan Sakkreerin (22-2) W PTS 8 Wilbert Andogan (9-12-4).
Ruenroeng vs. Habu
Former top amateur Ruenroeng has no trouble with unrated Japanese challenger and retains his IBF Asian title. He floors Habu twice in the fourth and the fight is stopped. The 33-year-old Thai left it late to turn pro after competing at the 2008 Olympics and getting a World Championships bronze. On the way to winning the Kings Cup in 2008 he inflicted a rare defeat on Japan’s Kazuto Ioka. Now four losses by KO/TKO for Habu
Sakkreerin vs. Andogan
Twenty-year-old Thai Sakkreerin gets decision over Filipino. No real test as Andogan has one draw and six losses in his last seven fights.
Florencio Varela, Argentina: Super Feather: Fernando D Saucedo (50-5-3) W PTS 12 Sergio Medina (39-6-1). Saucedo outclasses Medina to win the vacant WBC Silver title. Saucedo had the superior skill and more variety in his work. He built an early lead with the crude Medina often forced to fight with his back to the ropes. A frustrated Medina lost a point in the third for careless use of the head but got into the fight in the fifth and sixth as Saucedo, 32, seemed to be coasting. Medina ruined his good work as he lost another point in the sixth for a rabbit punch. Saucedo was back in charge in the seventh which saw yet another butt from Medina resulting in a third point deduction. Saucedo swept the rest of the rounds to win a wide unanimous decision on scores of 119-106, 117-108 and 116-119. “El Vasco”, the FAB No 1 and WBC No 13, has lost only one of his last 36 fights (to Chris John on points for the WBA title) but the opposition has been modest at best. He will now get a big promotion for beating a guy who was not even rated in the WBC super feather division until after the fight was agreed, and then was only No 20. “Rocky” Medina the FAB No 3 feather, has won numerous titles but in his world title shot he was crushed in 98 seconds by Juan Manuel Lopez for the WBO super bantam title in 2008. He 6-5-1 in his last 12 fights.
Santa Ynez, Cal, USA: Light Middle: Francisco Santana (17-3-1) W PTS 10 Freddy Hernandez (30-5,1ND). Not a great fight, but an important win for Santana. Both fighters are tall for light middles but Hernandez just had the edge in both height and reach. However he failed to use them and Santana was usually first to the punch getting in and out before Hernandez could respond. Hernandez was looking slower and just not busy enough. The former WBC welter contender came into the fight more in the middle rounds but it was Santana who was doing the cleaner work. Fighting his first ten round fight Santana seemed to tire late but Hernandez just could not raise his game enough to press the less experienced fighter over the closing rounds. Scores 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92 were a bit severe on Hernandez who lost but not by those margins. The 27-year-old Santana’s losses have come against fellow prospects Karim Mayfield (twice) and Jermall Charlo. This was his fifth win in a row and his biggest scalp by a long way. Mexican Hernandez is 34 and has lost 5 of his last 6. He blew his big chance in 2010 when he lost in 127 seconds to Andre Berto in