The Past Week In Action 29 September 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.

 24 September

 

Moscow, Russia: Cruiser: Rakhim Chakhkiev (24-1) W PTS 8 Hamilton Ventura (14-2-1). Chakhkiev comes off the floor to get unimpressive unanimous decision over modest Brazilian. Over the first two rounds Chakhkiev was trying to walk down the taller Brazilian but was crude usually employing long lunging southpaw lefts with Ventura slow and boxing by numbers. His long jab whilst lacking power had nuisance value as Chakhkiev did not seem to be able to get past it. In the third Ventura pawed with the jab but then sent a straight right down the pipe and a surprised Chakhkiev was knocked on his butt. He was up quickly but for the rest of that round and much of the fourth it was Ventura coming forward and looking to get home with another right. Chakhkiev was unsettled and cut but then slammed home a left hook that dumped Ventura into the ropes and down with just one second left in that fourth round.  The Brazilian survived and although Chakhkiev edged the sixth and seventh just before the bell at the end of the eighth Ventura landed a right to the chest and again Chakhkiev went down. The referee had sent Ventura to a neutral corner and was about to start a count but Chakhkiev leapt up and waived his arms to indicate he slipped and the referee fell for it and Ventura lost the benefit of a genuine knockdown. Scores 77-73, 77-74 and 76-75. The 32-year-old Russian gets his eighth win since losing to Krzys Wlodarczyk for the WBC title in 2013. He is rated WBC 3/IBF 4 (2) WBA 11 but will have to do better than this if he is going to win a title. Ventura, 32, was slow and predictable and lasted less than one round against Yunier Dorticos last year and was having his first fight since last September so should not have been this tough.

 

September 25

 

East London: South Africa: Fly: Makazole Tete (14-0-1) W PTS 12 Armando Torres (21-15). Light: Xolani Mcotheli (13-2) W KO 4 Vusumzi Tyatyeka (18-5,1ND). Feather: Macbute Sinyabi (26-4) W PTS 12 Sydney Maluleka (15-7). Super Feather: Aphiwe Mboyiya (11-2-1) W PTS 12 Sibusiso Zingange (6-1-1). Super Bantam: Bongani Mahlangu (17-6) W PTS 12 Mfusi Maxhayi (11-6-1).

Tete vs. Torres

Tete gets the unanimous points win but the scores don’t reflect how close the fight was. Tete found the Mexican journeyman a tougher than expected opponent. When he had space Tete was comfortable with his superior skills but too often he found himself backed up to the ropes and under pressure. Tete had gone to the body early but never really sustained his attacks and was constantly caught by counters from the more experienced visitor. The South African probably had a small lead at the half way point but Torres was stronger over the second half of the fight. It looked close and Tete might expect to benefit from home advantage and did  but the scores were no reflection of what was a hard, close fight. Scores 119-109, 118-110 and a much more realistic 115-113. Tete, the brother of Zolani Tete, retains his IBO Inter-Continental title. He is known as “The Professor” and is studying at a University looking to get a degree in sports management but he should have been smart enough to make this an easier fight. Torres, 34, lost inside the distance in fights for the interim WBA and minimumweight titles and is now 2-6 in his last 8 fights.

Mcotheli vs. Tyatyeka

Mcotheli wins the vacant IBO International title with inside the distance win over Tyatyeka. Mcotheli had promised to end this one quickly and he did. He was too fast and accurate for Tyatyeka who looked a badly used fighter. Mcotheli won the first three rounds and then slammed home a body punch in the fourth that ended the fight. The local fighter, a former IBO Inter-Continental champion at super feather, now has 10 wins by KO/TKO. His losses have been against the much more experienced Jasper Seroka for the South African super feather title and a tenth round stoppage against former IBF champion Malcolm Klassen in April this year. Former South African title challenger Tyatyeka was inactive in 2014 and was 0-1-0,1ND this year.

Sinyabi vs. Maluleka

Sinyabi retains his IBO Inter-Continental title with close unanimous decision over Maluleka. Sinyabi was to have faced former IBF champion Takalani Ndlovu but ended up against a late sub Maluleka who is rated at super feather by the BSA but is really a featherweight. It looked a gift for Sinyabi but in the end he had to fight hard to avoid defeat. Sinyabi opened well building a big lead by the mid-point of the fight but then things changed. Maluleka fought back hard landing heavy overhand rights to get back into the fight and by the end it was very close. If Maluleka had stuck to his task and cut out the clowning he could have sprung an upset. Scores 115-113 twice and 115-112. Former South African super bantam champion Sinyabi looked close to a world title shot when he ran up 12 wins in a row by KO/TKO but lost a IBF eliminator in Thailand and was beaten in 2014 for the IBO world title. Former South African champion Maluleka was 2-3 in his last fights going in but performed above expectations.

Mboyiya vs. Zingange

Mboyiya continued the IBO jamboree by winning their vacant All-African title. Former South African feather champion Mboyiya had a slight edge in experience and an even slighter edge in a very closely fought contest. It could have gone either way but southpaw Mboyiya got the judges verdict on scores of 115-113 twice and 115-114. After consecutive losses in tough fights against Sinyabi and Lusanda Komanisi Mboyiya is 3-0-1 in his last 4 fights. Zingange, another last sub, was jumping from six rounds to twelve at short notice so put up a good performance.

Mahlangu vs. Maxhayi

Mahlangu retains his South African title with close verdict over his No 8 challenger Maxhayi. They put up a good scrap with Mahlangu just doing enough in the torrid exchanges to edge the decision. Scores 116-112, 116-113 and 115-113. First defence of his title for the 35-year-old southpaw “Mr Dancing Shoes” who has won 5 of his last 6 fights. Maxhayi, also a southpaw, had won his last 8 fights.

 

Ontario, CA, USA: Super Bantam: Daniel Roman (17-2-1) W PTS 10 Erik Ruiz (14-4). Welter: Giovanni Santillan (17-0) W PTS 8 Ernesto Ortiz (10-3).

Roman vs. Ortiz

Roman retains NABF Junior title with wide unanimous decision over Ruiz. In the first round it was a case of good news/bad news for Ruiz as he did enough to make it clearly his round but also had his nose damaged by a punch. From the second to the forth Roman clearly outpunched Ruiz in the exchanges being quicker and more accurate. Ruiz fought back hard in the fifth upping his work rate and was barrelling forward and competitive in the sixth but without really doing enough to win either round. Roman shook Ruiz with a right early in the seventh but they fought on equal terms in the eighth. Ruiz was rocked again in the ninth but did enough to edge the round and they went toe-to-toe for the three minutes of the last round. Scores 99-91 twice and 98-92. The 25-year-old “Baby Faced Assassin” makes it 9 wins in a row. He has wins over Giovanni Caro and Chris Martin and is rated No 15 by the WBA.  Ruiz, 24, was 13-1 in his first 14 fights but is now 1-3 in fights in 2015 having suffered losses to Jessie Magdaleno and Manuel Avila in consecutive contests.

Santillan vs. Ortiz

“Gallo de Oro” Santillan given eight hard rounds by Ortiz and gets by on a majority verdict.. The San Diego southpaw took this one with a good start and a good finish but Ortiz took the middle rounds. Over the early rounds Santillan was busier and more accurate particular with body punches but then seemed to go off the boil and the middle rounds generally belonged to Ortiz. By the end of the sixth the fight looked about even. Santillan was the stronger over the last two rounds forcing Ortiz to fight with his back to the ropes and he dealt well with any counters Ortiz tried. Scores 80-72, 78-74 and 76-76. Santillan deserved the win but the first two scores were too wide. The 23-year-old remains a winner but after seven fights at eight rounds should be ready to move up.”Fantastico” Ortiz, 21, did not live up to his nickname but gave Santillan a tough test.

 

 

Buenos Aires, Argentina: Welter: Ricardo R Villalba (15-2-1,1ND) W TKO 6 Carlos S Chumbita (15-5). Villalba wins the vacant South American title with stoppage of Chumbita. Villalba used a sharp jab and some tasty rights to take the first three rounds. Chumbita came into the fight in the fourth with hooks to head and body but Villalba was still getting the better of the exchanges. Chumbita had some success in the fifth as Villalba abandoned his jab which allowed the smaller fighter to get inside. The success was short-lived and in the sixth a quick left/right followed by a right cross to the chin put Chumbita down. He made it to his feet but was on shaky legs and the referee stopped the fight. Local fighter Villalba, 25, the FAB No 3, welter has recovered from a shaky 1-2 run in three fights with three wins in a row. Second loss by KO/TKO for Chumbita who is 3-3 against reasonable level domestic opposition

 

September 26

 

Birmingham, ALB, USA: Heavy: Deontay Wilder (35-0) W TKO 11 Johann Duhaupas (32-3). Heavy: Charles Martin (22-0-1) W TKO 3 Vicente Sandez (15-5). Heavy: Andrzej Wawrzyk (31-1) W TKO 3 Mike Sheppard (24-19-1). Heavy: Dominic Breazeale (16-0) W PTS 10 Fred Kassi (18-4-1). Welter: Bryant Perrella (11-0) W TKO 5 Patrick Boozer (11-4). Super Welter: Terrell Gausha (16-0) W PTS 8 Eliezer Gonzalez (15-2). Super Feather: Mario Barrios (12-0) W KO 1 Eduardo Rivera (10-3-2).

18

Wilder vs. Duhaupas

Wilder retains the WBC title with stoppage of too brave but limited Duhaupas. The only things Duhaupas had going for him were a good chin and grim determination and that was never going to be enough to make this any other than a one-sided contest. In the first round a punch from Wilder opened a cut on the bridge of the Frenchman’s nose and the cut bled throughout the fight. Duhaupas got a measure of revenge in the second when a punch started a swelling below Wilder’s left eye. Despite bravely walking forward throwing punches when he could Duhaupas was never able to add to that damage. Over those first three rounds Duhaupas was walking into jabs, uppercuts and hooks. He blocked some with his typical European high guard but a lot got through and the jabs and uppercuts were jerking his head back in round after round. The fourth saw Wilder warming to the task and landing more uppercuts and a flood of uppercuts in the fifth had Duhaupas soaking up some ferocious punishment and only just making it out of the round. In the sixth Wilder seemed to lose focus and forget what he was there for as he did some showboating to his local fans. He was back on song in the seventh spearing Duhaupas with jabs and hooks and although Duhaupas started the eighth with a flurry of punches at the end of the round the referee warned Duhaupas that he might stop the fight if it continued to be so one-sided. Wilder piled on the punishment in the ninth and after shaking Duhaupas with a left hook in the tenth drove the challenger back around the ring. At the end of that round the doctor examined Duhaupas looking at the cut on his nose but let the fight continue.  Wilder came out firing in the eleventh a succession of head punches which had Duhaupas covering up on the ropes which then saw the referee stop the fight over the protests from Duhaupas. Second defence of his WBC title for the 29-year-old “Bronze Bomber” and 34^th win by KO/TKO. He showed some improvements in the way he made more use of his uppercuts but this was a fight against a hand-picked opponent who had limited time to prepare and had nothing in his arsenal to threaten Wilder. Alex Povetkin will be a much tougher opponent. Duhaupas, 34, had earned his title shot with a points win over Manuel Charr which without being unkind probably said more about Charr than it did Duhaupas. The Frenchman showed courage but nothing else really.

Martin vs. Sandez

Martin marches on but Sandez was one very short step on the road to a title shot.

This was a poor match. Martin had height, reach and skill to spare over the rotund Mexican. In the first “Prince” Charles could hardly miss Sandez with his southpaw rights jabs and straight lefts. It was a stroll in the park for Martin and he had Sandez hurt with a series of punches over the last ten seconds of the round. In the second Martin floored Sandez with a straight left to the chin. Sandez was up at 9 ½ but fought on and Martin did not really press things which allowed Sandez to see out the round. In the third as Sandez was walking in Martin nailed him with a straight left that dumped Sandez on his backside. Once again Sandez got his feet reluctantly at 9 ½ and was obviously neither wanting to nor able to continue and this one-sided/learn nothing fight was over. The 29-year-old Carson southpaw again showcased his skills and power but once against a very sub-standard opponent. He has won his last 11 fights by KO/TKO and somehow the WBO have moved him all the way up to No 2 because he fights for their WBO NABO title. Fight low-climb high-only in boxing. Mexican Sandez was just too slow and short to pose any threat.

Wawrzyk vs. Sheppard

Another poor fight sees tall Pole Wawrzyk floor Sheppard flour times before the fight is waived off. The 6’5” (195cm) Pole was able to control the first three rounds by just plodding forward and prodding/.snapping out his left jab. Shepherd was too small and too slow to be competitive. In the third Wawrzyk landed a thunderous overhand right that dumped Sheppard down against the ropes. Sheppard got up at nine and when the action resumed he was put down by another right. Once again Sheppard arose slowly at about 9 ½ but the referee decided he was okay and the fight continued. A right to the top of the head put Sheppard down for a third time and the referee did not realise that Sheppard’s body language said get me out of here and again let him continue. Two thudding rights to the head saw Sheppard go down for the fourth time and finally the referee just waived the fight over. The 28-year-old Wawrzyk was destroyed in three rounds by Alex Povetkin in a fight for the secondary WBA title in 2013. He had two wins early in 2014 against oldies Danny Williams and Frans Botha and was then out for 14 months due to injury before returning with a win in July this year. There had been talk of a fight with Wilder but thankfully Duhaupas got the job instead as I doubt Wawrzyk would have lasted more than three rounds. Sheppard, 40, now has 13 losses by KO/TKO. He is OK at a medium level but always gets well beaten when he is moved up.

Breazeale vs. Kassi

Breazeale gets the win but also a wake-up call as the shorter and older Kassi showed that the former Olympian is still very much a work in progress. Breazeale towered over Kassi and looked confident enough at the start and was letting his hands go over the first three rounds. That changed when Kassi began to confuse things with guard changes and good lateral movement that took Breazeale out of his comfort zone and out of his battle plan. Breazeale was still able to find the target with his jab and some heavy body punches but was unable to string any combinations together with Kassi ducking and diving his way inside and scoring with short hooks picking up the points and making the bigger man look slow. Although Breazeale had never been past the eighth round in a fight and only once past the sixth he had relative youth and strength on his side and was fresher over the last couple of rounds but at the end it looked as though it was a fight that could have gone either way. Once again the scores were not reflective of the action as the judges saw it a ridiculous 100-90, 98-92 and 97-93 all for Breazeale. The 30-year-old 6’7” (201cm) “Trouble” extends his winning streak and probably learned more about himself in this fight than any of his previous 15. He was coming off wins over Victor Bisbal (21-2) and Yasmany Consegura (17-0) and Kassi had drawn with Chris Arreola in his last fight so on paper this looks a good win. Cameroon-born “Big Fred” Kassi, 36, and just 6’0” (183cm) tall is getting used to giving away height, reach and weight-36lbs here and 21lbs against Arreola-but his main problem has been inactivity with just one fight in 2013 and one in 2014 but his showings against Arreola and Breazeale should get him some more assignments.

Perrella vs. Boozer

Perrella gets another inside the distance win in this all-southpaw scrap. Boozer was taking the fight to Perrella in the first and forcing Perrella onto the back foot. Perrella was boxing coolly and landing counters whenever he saw a gap. Perrella hurt Boozer with a chopping left in the second that had Boozer backing up with Perrella scoring with hooks to the head and body. In the third it was one-way traffic with Perrella walking Boozer down. He was opening Boozer up with his right jab and then stepping inside with hard punches from both hands and there was little coming back from Boozer. Perrella was going to the body more in the fourth and Boozer was taking quite a bit of punishment and looking tired. Boozer came out firing in the fifth but was walking onto uppercuts which quickly doused his fire. Perrella landed two thudding lefts to the head that sent Boozer staggering back across the ring to the ropes. A volley of punches put Boozer down on his knees. He got up and was very shaky but was allowed to continue until he was staggering around under a rain of punches and the fight was stopped. The 26-year-old former top amateur Perrella has 10 wins by KO/TKO including eight in a row now. Boozer, 26, showed some good skills but could not match Perrella’s power.

Gausha vs. Gonzalez

Olympian Gausha also extends his winning run with hard fought points victory over tough Puerto Rican Gonzalez. Scores 77-73 twice and 78-72. The fight was closer than that as Gausha scored a knockdown in the fifth and Gonzalez was deducted a point for low punches. The 28-year-old from Cleveland has scored good wins over Luis Grajeda and Norberto Gonzalez. Puerto Rican Gonzalez was very much a live opponent having only lost on points to sill unbeaten Julian Williams who halted Luciano Cuello in one round earlier in the week.

Barrios vs. Rivera

Highly touted Texan prospect Barrios takes just over 2 minutes to get rid of Rivera. The tall Texan needed one overhand right and it was all over with Rivera down and out. The 6’0” (183cm) Barrios has seven wins by KO/TKO and is tipped to be a future star. Stronger tests are need. Mexican Rivera is 1-3-1 in his last 5 fights with all three losses coming inside one round.

 

London, England: Super Middle: Fedor Chudinov (14-0) W PTS 12 Frank Buglioni (17-2-1Feather: Ryan Walsh (19-1-1) W PTS 12 Samir Mouneimne (15-2-1). Super Bantam: Bobby Jenkinson (9-1-1) W TKO 11 Lewis Pettitt (17-2). Super Welter: Gary Corcoran (14-0) W PTS 10 Rick Skelton (13-1). Super Welter: Ahmet Patterson (16-0) W TKO 8 Giorgi Ungiadze (31-25). Welter: Bradley Skeete (21-1) W TKO 3 Mark Thompson (27-5). Dereck Chisora (22-5) W PTS 10 Marcel Nascimento (18-11).

17

Chudinov vs. Buglioni

Chudinov retains his secondary WBA title with clear points victory over game Buglioni. Southpaw Chudinov took the first round by edging the battle of the jabs with his right being just that bit sharper and more accurate than Buglioni’s orthodox left. Chudinov was coming forward and forcing Buglioni on the back foot but the challenger scored with some good combinations in the second. Chudinov  got into his stride in the third and also dominated  the fourth and fifth thumping home his right jab and slotting punches through a not too solid defence of Buglioni. The challenger was also getting through with counters but Chudinov shrugged the shots off and continued to march forward. The sixth was a case of good news/bad news for Buglioni. He was finally able to get home some of his best shots including his right to the body and at the end of the round a right seemed to shake Chudinov. The crowd was in uproar and Buglioni was throwing punches trying to capitalise on his success. Unfortunately he landed another right after the bell which put Chudinov down. Buglioni may not have heard the bell due to the crowd baying in excitement at his success but the referee deducted two points for the infringement. Buglioni was on top again at the start  of the seventh with Chudinov’s confidence momentarily shaken. That was short lived and Chudinov ended the round strongly. That was the high point for Buglioni. Chudinov was back in control with Buglioni looking tired. The challenger managed to hurt Chudinov just before the bell in the eighth but Chudinov had done enough in the early part of the round to make it his. The ninth saw Chudinov focusing on the body and hurting Buglioni with a series of lefts and rights with the fight slowly draining out of a tired looking Buglioni. Over the last three rounds Chudinov had Buglioni constantly under pressure as he tried to end the fight inside the distance. Buglioni had very little left over those rounds and showed guts to stay on his feet and last to the final bell. Scores 120-106, 118-108 and 117-109 which show the Russian’s dominance. Chudinov, 28, won the vacant secondary WBA title with a split decision over Felix Sturm in May his only win of note so far. The plan is for a return with Sturm later this year and a convincing win there would heighten his profile. His brother Dmitry lost his interim WBA title to Chris Eubank Jr in Britain so a modicum of revenge against Brits for the Chudinov family. “Wise Guy” Buglioni was steered into the title chance by some shrewd management as he had done little of note since losing to Sergey Khomitsky in 2014 and only getting a split draw with unrated Lee Markham in May. He gave it his best shot here and had Chudinov shaken a couple of times but was well beaten in the end. He is a popular fighter and has a big following so could get steered to another title shot next year.

Walsh vs. Mouneimne

Walsh makes history as together with his twin Liam they become the first twins to hold British titles at the same time. Having said that this was a controversial decision in a close, hard fought contest. Mouneimne got the jump on fast starter Walsh by coming out throwing punches to edge the first round. The next three rounds were close with neither really dominating. Walsh had a big round in the fifth when he floored Mouneimne with a hard combination a punch of which also opened a cut over the left eye of Mouneimne who lost his momentum for a while. When Mouneimne got back on an even keel he stuck to the ring centre utilising his jab to blunt the attacks from Walsh and looked to have closed the points gap from the knockdown. Both fought hard over the closing rounds to capture the eyes of the judges and although again many rounds were close Mouneimne looked to have secured at worst a draw. Two of the judges saw it differently scoring the fight 117-111 and 116-112 for Walsh whilst the third had Mouneimne the winner at 114-113. The only loss for the 29-year-old Walsh came in 2012 when he lost on points to Lee Selby, the current IBF champion for the British and CBC titles. He had returned with two low level wins last year and this was his first fight since November.  Conversely Mouneimne, 28, is the only fighter to have beaten Selby which he did in 2009 when they were both novices. His only loss was against Josh Warrington, also in 2013, for the vacant CBC title and he had won three minor fights since then. Mouneimne was so angered by the decision that he stated he is retiring but hopefully he will reconsider and rebuild.

Jenkinson vs. Pettitt

Jenkinson gets upset come-from-behind win over favourite house fighter Pettitt. The fight went as planned until the eleventh round. Pettitt was able to outbox his less experienced foe most of the way being too quick and slick for Jenkinson. The longer the fight went the more the odds should have favoured Pettitt as he had experience of fights going into the championship rounds whereas Jenkinson had only once gone past round six. Pettitt had Jenkinson hurt on a number of occasions and used good body punching to give him an edge but he seemed to tire from the ninth round. All of that good work and the strategy counted for nothing in the eleventh round. Despite being outboxed Jenkinson had never been discouraged and seemed to be getting stronger. Although not a noted puncher when he saw an opening in the eleventh he slammed home a wicked left hook that put Pettitt down. Pettitt made it to his feet but Jenkinson jumped on him and landed a series of hard punches and the referee rightly stopped the fight. Jenkinson, 23, the BBB of C Midland Area champion wins the vacant CBC belt and gets only his second win by KO/TKO. Just 18 months ago Jenkinson was floored twice and stopped in two rounds by Spaniard Francisco Rodriguez who had a 1-2 record at the time in his 5 fights since then Jenkinson had gone 4-0-1 but those 5 inexperienced opponents had combined records of just 14-1 so this looked a safe fight for Pettitt. That’s boxing. Pettitt, 25, had won his last 9 fights and although the opposition had not been strong winning the WBA Inter-Continental title had seen him elevated to No 4 in their ratings. This loss was a big blow to him but he is young enough to rebuild.

Corcoran vs. Skelton

Corcoran wins this clash of unbeaten British fighters in a disappointing fight. Their styles did not mix well with Corcoran having difficulty settling against the southpaw stance of Skelton. Corcoran was the aggressor forcing Skelton on the back foot and often pinning him on the ropes but not really landing much when he had him there. Corcoran was scoring with body punches but Skelton was boxing well and presenting a difficult target whilst scoring with good counters of his own. Late on Skelton suffered a cut over his right eye and the fight was a mixture of good exchanges and untidy clinches with Corcoran doing enough to be a clear winner. Referee’s score 97-94 for the  24-year-old “Hellraiser”. Corcoran really was the local fighter here living just a short distance from Wembley but he did not need  home advantage and was coming off a good win over Rick Godding (21-0-1) in July. He is now in line for a shot at the British title. Cumbrian Skelton’s best win had come against veteran Bradley Pryce in February but he was second best here.

Patterson vs. Ungiadze

Patterson gets stoppage win over awkward Georgian. Patterson had the perfect start when he floored the usually durable Ungiadze in the first round. Ungiadze got up and showed his best survival manoeuvres to stay out of trouble for the rest of the round. Patterson had a hard time against a fighter solely concentrating on surviving and was frustrated in round after round. Finally in the eighth Patterson manages to carry through a sustained attack landing some hard rights and the referee stepped in to stop the fight. Turkish-born “Punch Picker” Patterson,27 goes to five wins by KO/TKO . There are no big names on his record so far but he has made good progress. Ungiadze, 31, has only lost four times by KO/TKO in his 25 defeats so a reliable if frustrating travelling loser.

Skeete vs. Thompson

Skeete retains his WBO European title with third round injury win over Thompson who retired early in the third with a suspected broken hip. Second successful defence for 27-year-old from South London who is No 9 with the WBO and coming off a win over experienced Brunet Zamora. Bad luck for 34-year-old Thompson who had returned from 15 months inactivity with a win in June.

Chisora vs. Nascimento

Chisora gets 10 rounds of work and that is about all that came out of this fight. The former undefeated European champion and WBC title challenger was at his heaviest since losing to Tyson Fury back in 2011 and did not look sharp. He had an awkward opponent in the 6’5” Brazilian who had come to survive and Chisora just lacked that determination to get Nascimento out of there. There was too much clinching and mauling against the ropes for the fight to generate any excitement and in the end it was a boring fight from which Chisora got some ring time and Nascimento avoided a stoppage loss so is able to take another assignment anytime soon. At 31 Chisora is not old for a heavyweight and he gets a chance to resurrect his career when he fights either the EBU champion Erkan Teper or challenger Robert Helenius. That fight is on December 19 and Chisora is EBU mandatory challenger so will get a shot at the winner. Nascimento, 34, has now lost 9 of his last 11 fights and as boxing needs losers will be kept busy.

 

Milan, Italy: Welter: Paul Malignaggi (34-7) W PTS 8 Laszlo Fazekas (27-22-1). Super Light: Renato De Donato (16-3) W KO 4 Gyula Tallosi (9-6). Welter: Antonio Moscatiello (19-2-1) W KO 3 Jozsef Gerebecz (7-14-2,1ND).

Malignaggi vs. Fazekas

Malignaggi eases to win over willing but outclassed Hungarian. Malignaggi was in a different class too quick and clever for Fazekas and won without every stretching himself. Fazekas tried to force the fight over the first two rounds but had little success and it was even worse in the third when he had a point deducted for low blows. Malignaggi showed his class in the fourth when he rocked Fazekas with an uppercut and a right hook but he did not follow through. Fazekas kept pressing in the fifth and sixth but was constantly caught by fast, hard combinations from Malignaggi. Over the last two rounds Malignaggi was just putting on an exhibition and cruising to victory. Scores 80-71 twice and 79-72. The fight was a sell-out and Malignaggi seems set to have a last fling European campaign. He is eligible to fight for the European title and  is already rated No 3 by the EBU. The EBU title is currently vacant but Italians  Gianluca Branco and Leonard Bundu meet for the title on November 22 so a fight against the winner would be a big draw in Italy. Fazekas, 25, has already had over 50 fights and is 5-5 in his 10 fights this year. Typically it is 5 home wins and 5 away losses and all on points which makes him the perfect visitor.

De Donato vs. Tallosi

Just a chump change keep busy fight for “The Surgeon” and a rare win by KO/TKO. De Donato had Tallosi down twice in the second round and down and out in the fourth. Only the second win by KO/TKO for the tall 29-year-old southpaw who does not make it into the EBU top 16 and is down at 22 in the EU rankings. Hungarian Tallosi now has six losses by KO/TKO.

Moscatiello vs. Gerebecz

On the other hand EBU No 13 Moscatiello is a puncher and he quickly disposed of Hungarian veteran Gerebecz. After a slow first round he put Gerebecz down in the second and ended it with three more knockdowns in the third. Now 14 wins by KO/TKO for the 32-year-old Italian champion. Gerebecz , 37, has lost 5 of his last 6 fights.

 

Puerto Penasco, Mexico: Fly: Juan Francisco Estrada (33-2) W KO 10 Hernan Marquez (39-6-1). Light: Miguel Berchelt (27-1) W TKO 5 Josue Bendana (9-6-4). Bantam: Luis Nery (17-0) W KO 2 John Mark Apolinario (18-6-3).

Estrada vs. Marquez

Estrada floors Marquez seven times on his way to successful fifth defence of his WBA/WBO titles. The short-armed Marquez had to get close to stand any chance as Estrada had a big reach advantage and real power. Over the first five rounds Marquez was going toe-to-toe and was competitive with the crowd on its feet after thrilling punch-fests in the third and fifth rounds. Both were firing body punches but Estrada was blocking those from Marquez and softening up the challenger and dominating the exchanges and eventually Estrada’s power began to tell. In the sixth after hurting Marquez with a right body punches put Marquez down twice. Estrada continued to go to the body and scored two more knockdowns in the seventh. Estrada seemed to change tactics in the eight working to the head but he returned to the body in the ninth and floored Marquez with a left hook. The end was near and two more knockdowns in the tenth.  The last knockdown was from a thunderous  right to the head which put Marquez down on the canvas face first as the referee waived the fight over. The 25-year-old “El Gallo” moves to 24 wins by KO/TKO and badly wants a shot at the last man to beat him Ramon Gonzalez who outpointed Estrada back in 2012. Marquez, 27,  a former WBA fly champion, gets his fifth loss by KO/TKO. He had done nothing  of note since losing in eleven rounds against McJoe Arroyo in June last year but the WBA “ratings elevator suddenly jumped him from nowhere to No 3.

Berchelt vs. Bendana

Berchelt gets another inside the distance win as he slowly dismantles Nica Bendana. Over the first round Bendana used his jab to keep Berchelt out but from the second the beat down began. Berchelt has improved getting more variety into his work but as with Estrada it was the body punches which got the job done. He put Bandana down in the third and punished him in the fourth before putting him down with a series of punches in the fifth. The referee started the count but the local commissioner rang the buzzer telling the referee to stop the fight. The 23-year-old “Scorpion” the WBC No 6 makes it 24 wins by KO/TKO including 6 in a row since his shock 99 seconds blow away loss to Luis Eduardo Flores in March last year. Bandana, 20, was 6-0-2 in his last 8 fights but way out of his league here.

Nery vs. Apolinario

Nery gets impressive win over Filipino Apolinario. After an even first round Nery landed a bomb that put Apolinario down and out in the second. The young prospect from Tijuana has recorded 12 wins by KO/TKO including 7 in his last 8 fights . His last two opponents were Carlos Fontes (19-2) and Filipino Jether Oliva (22-2-2) so he is being tested instead of protected. First loss inside the distance for Apolinario who drew twice with Roberto Vazquez for the interim WBA bantam title and lost on points to Koki Kameda for the secondary WBA title.

 

Lodz, Poland: Heavy: Tomasz Adamek (50-4) W TKO 5 Przemyslaw Saleta (44-8). Heavy: Nagy Aguilera (19-9) W TKO 10 Marcin Rekowski (16-2). Light Heavy: Dariusz Sek (24-2-1) W PTS 10 Pedro Otas (30-2). Super Middle: Kamil Szeremeta (12-0) W PTS 8 Patrick Mendy (16-9-1). Cruiser: Michal Cieslak (10-0) W KO 1 Shawn Cox (18-7). Light Heavy: Maciej Miszkin (18-3) W TKO 4 Tomasz Gargula (17-1-1).

14

Adamek vs. Saleta

Although taller and with a longer reach Saleta was coming forward over the early rounds but was not really throwing or landing much. Adamek was scoring with counters but they had very little effect on Saleta. The bigger man kept coming forward in the second and third but was just too slow and Adamek was getting through with jabs and hooks. The fight was effectively over at this point Saleta was already cut under his left eye but more importantly had suffered an injury to his left shoulder which turned out to be a fractured collar bone. He tried to pull out a win with big right hands but had no success and retired at the end of the fifth round.  Adamek will try to revive his career but at 38 time is not on his side. Saleta, 47, was having his first fight since beating Andy Golota in February 2013

Aguilera vs. Rekowski

Aguilera gets controversial late stoppage win over Rekowski. Aguilera showed his danger from the start as he put the local boxer down with a right to the body in the first round. Rekowski had a better second round but Aguilera took the third. Rekowski finally got his act together and was busier and outboxing the slower Dominican fighter. Rekowski was shaking Aguilera with some tasty right uppercuts through the fifth and sixth. In the eighth a clash of heads saw Aguilera cut over his left eye. Later in the round he deliberately butted Rekowski and had a point deducted. The round got even worse when a shot from Rekowski put Aguilera down with a left hook and in the interval between the eighth and ninth Aguilera was complaining of blurred vision in his left eye. Rekowski took the ninth and only needed to stay on his feet in the tenth to win the fight. With the bell imminent Aguilera landed a right hook the sent Rekowski staggering into the ropes badly hurt. The referee could have stopped the fight immediately as Rekowski was out on his feet but instead he gave him a standing count. When the action  resumed and before Aguilera could land another meaningful punch the referee stopped the fight with just two seconds left in the last round. Aguilera, 29, suffered back-to-back points losses in 2014 to Dominic Breazeale and Gerald Washington but this win should get him a couple of useful pay-days including a return if Rekowski wants it. As for the 37-year-old Pole who did not turn pro until he was 34 he was naturally angry at the stoppage when he was so close to victory. He had reversed his only loss by outpointing Oliver McCall so this was quite a set-back and he will want to reverse this one as well.

Sek vs. Otas

Sek gets wide unanimous decision over limited Brazilian. The Polish southpaw controlled the fight from the start getting through Otas defence with punches to head and body. Otas was wild with his attacks and had to eat counters for his troubles. Sek was mainly on the back foot but slotting home counter after counter with ease. Sek made a big effort to finish it with a barrage of punches in the ninth but Otas survived to the last bell. Scores 100-90 from all three judges. Third win in 2015 for the 29-year-old southpaw. The EBU No 7’s losses have been to Robert Woge and Robin Krasniqi. Otas , 37, is typical of so many Brazilian boxer, he wins at home and flops on the road.

Szeremeta vs. Mendy

Szeremeta gets unanimous verdict but Mendy makes him work hard for the win. Szeremeta took a few rounds to come up with an answer to the Gambian’s unorthodox style but with the use of some hefty left hooks he finally took control and did enough over the second half of the fight to deserve the decision. Scores 78-74 twice and 79-73. The 25-year-old is a former Polish amateur champion who represented Poland at the European and World Championships. As a pro he has useful wins over Lukasz Wawrzyczek and Rafal Jackiewicz. Mendy, 24, is a tough opponent on his night having drawn with Dmitry Chudinov and beaten Virgilijus Stapulionis (22-2).

Cieslak vs. Cox

Cieslak destroys Cox in 84 seconds. Cox came out aggressively only to get hammered by two right hooks. Cox was badly shaken and Cieslak jumped on him with a barrage of punches which put Cox down and the referee did not even bother with the count. Two first round wins in a row for the 26-year-old 6’3” (190cm) Pole following his 106 seconds stoppage of Jarno Rosberg last month.. Barbadian southpaw Cox, 40, was knocked out in two rounds by Denis Lebedev for the interim WBA title in 2012 and has lost 5 of his last 6 fights by KO/TKO with none of the fights going past the third round.

Miszkin vs. Gargula

“Handsome” Miszkin too good for previously unbeaten Gargula. Miszkin had his left jab working from the start and added more right crosses and uppercuts. Gargula had no answer to the younger man’s attacks and quickly went into survival mode. A succession of hard punch in the fourth had Gargula just covering up and with nothing coming back the referee stopped the fight. After winning his first 15 fights Miszkin then lost three on the bounce in 2013/2014, but has recovered well with three wins this year including a good domestic victory over Pawel Glazewski ((23-3) in April. Gargula, 41, turned pro in 2000 but was inactive from February 2004 until returning with a couple of low level wins this year.

 

Ekaterinburg, Russia: Super Feather: Evgeny Chuprakov (14-0) W KO 8 Dmitry Kirilov (31-7-1). Chuprakov wins the vacant WBO European title with kayo of experienced Kirilov. Chuprakov was forcing the fight but Kirilov, a former IBF super fly champion, used his wide experience to blunt the attacks of his fellow Russian. Chuprakov got on top from the start of the fifth as he attacked the body and had Kirilov in trouble. The body attack took its toll and a left hook to the body in the eighth dumped Kirilov against the ropes and he was counted out. The 25-year-old local fighter with the strange nickname of “Happy Gilmore” makes it 8 wins by KO/TKO but he has not really yet been tested but will still get a stupid top 15 rating from the WBO just for being their European champion. Kirilov, 36, was IBF super fly champion in 2007/8 but was inactive for five years between 2008 and 2013. He had lost to Marco McCullough in his only fight in 2014 and was beaten by Denis Ceylan in March this year.

 

Lemoore, CA, USA: Heavy: Andy Ruiz (25-0) W PTS 8 Joel Godfrey (17-15-1). Super Welter: Danny Valdivia (9-0) W KO 6 Jeremy Ramos (9-2). Middle: Esquiva Falcao (11-0) W KO 2 Zoltan Papp (7-2-1).

Ruiz vs. Godfrey

Ruiz returns to the ring and sheds some rust on the way to a win over late stand-in Godfrey. This one was a bore. The Mexican prospect looked slow and ponderous despite his efforts to reduce his weight. Godfrey was there to survive and in round after rounds he allowed Ruiz to back him up to the ropes where he just covered up and let Ruiz bang away at his gloves and body. That was pretty much the story of the fight. Scores 80-72 from all three judges. At 6’2” and almost 250lbs Ruiz lacks mobility and will have problems when he comes up a fighter with any real speed and skill. This was the 26-year-old Ruiz’s first fight for nine months and coming down 20lbs from when he beat Siarhei Liakhovich in December is progress of a sort. He retains the NABF title but they are not usually 8 round fights. Godfrey, really just a tall cruiser has lost 6 of his last 7 fights.

Valdivia vs. Ramos

Valdivia stops Ramos in an exciting scrap. After some fiery exchanges in the first round an explosive second saw Valdivia flooring Ramos and then Ramos getting up and putting Valdivia down. The fight steadied down to an entertaining fight. Valdivia has the power but not the defence to go with it so his fights do tend to be exciting. He ended this one with a thumping right in the sixth which had Ramos badly shaken and opened a cut over his right eye. When follow-up punches put Ramos down the referee stopped the fight. The 23-year-old Californian wins the vacant NABF Junior title and has 7 wins by KO/TKO. First loss by KO/TKO for Ramos who had won his last 5 fights.

Falcao vs. Papp

Brazilian Falcao beats outclassed Hungarian in two rounds. Southpaw Falcao spent the first round trying to walk down the Hungarian who was asking for trouble with his casual style holding his left at hip level. Papp showed a sharp jab but Falcao staged a strong finish to the round with Papp under pressure. In the second Falcao was looking to wrap things up. He had Papp tapped in the ropes early and then landed two chopping rights and a left to the head that saw Papp slump to the canvas with his head out under the ropes. He was obviously not going to get up but the referee decided to toll the ten instead of getting Papp help. The 25-year-old Olympic silver and World Championships bronze medallist has won 7 of his last 8 fights by KO/TKO and should be ready for ten rounds fights next year. Papp, also a southpaw, loses inside the distance for the second time in a row.

 

Bahia Blanco, Argentina: Fly: Juan Carlos Reveco (36-2) W PTS 10 Breilor Teran (14-13-1). Reveco keeps busy whilst waiting for a title shot and easily outpoints Venezuelan Teran. Reveco took command of centre ring from the start and had no trouble getting through with his left jab, straight rights and trademark left hooks to the body. Teran was careful to keep his right stuck to his side to block those left hooks but was doing very little scoring of his own. Reveco occasionally let go some spectacular combinations and turned up the heat in the ninth and tenth looking to end it early but had to settle for a distance win. Scores 100-90 twice and 99-91. The 32-year-old “Coton” is now in line for a revenge fight against Kazuto Ioka who took the secondary WBA title off the Argentinian with a majority decision in Japan in April. Teran, 30, lost against David Sanchez for the interim WBA super fly title last year has now lost 4 of his last 5 fights.

 

Puerto Colombia, Colombia: Super Bantam: Hugo Berrio (20-5-1) W PTS 10 Nelson Suarez (3-2-2). Berrio gets unanimous decision over late stand-in Suarez. The Colombian had Suarez in deep trouble in the  third and  only the bell saved Suarez in the fifth. It was not all one-way traffic with the clever boxing of Suarez frustrating the home boxer and allowing the Venezuelan to pick up a couple of rounds but an overhand right from Berrio in the ninth again rocked Suarez. Scores 98-92, 98-93 and 97-92. Berrio is 4-1-1 in his last 6 fights and has been in with tough opposition in the past such as Oscar Escandon, Nehomar Cermeno and Andres Gutierrez. As a late sub and lacking experience Suarez performed better than expected.

 

Caivano, Italy: Feather: Carmine Tommasone (15-0) W PTS 12 Jon Slowey (19-2). Bantam: Gianpetro Marceddu (6-3-2) DREW 10 10 Pio Antonio Nettuno (7-8-2). Super Welter: Orlando Fiordigiglio (22-1) W PTS 6 Nikola Matic (13-29).

Tommasone vs. Slowey

Local fighter Tommasone wins vacant EU title with wide unanimous verdict over Scot Slowey. The first two rounds were close with Tommasone just letting his hands got a bit more to edge them. Slowey had his southpaw right jab working well in the third as he closed the points gap. The fourth and fifth were good rounds for Tommasone as he scored well with hooks from both hands to put Slowey on the back foot and a right to the chin in the fifth shook the Scot. The Italian was totally in command in the sixth and seventh and it is lucky for Slowey that Tommasone is a light puncher as he pierced the Scot’s guard with a number of hard punches. Slowey kept fighting back hard but Tommasone was in the groove and if anything increasing his work rate. Slowey made a big effort to turn the tide in the tenth and eleventh rounds but Tommasone remained in control and ended the twelfth with a series of right hooks to confirm his superiority. Scores 119-110, 119-111 and 118-110. The 31-year-old former undefeated Italian champion “Mr Wolf” will be hoping to get a shot at the winner of the fight between Sofiane Takoucht and Rudy Encarnacion. Slowey, 25, had won his first 16 fights before losing his Scottish title to Kris Hughes in June last year. He had scored three low level wins since then and just came up against a better fighter this night.

Marceddu vs. Nettuno

Marceddu and Nettuno end up all even with the Italian title remaining vacant. It was a close fight with Nettuno generally taking the fight to Marceddu and Marceddu boxing on the back foot and showing more skill. He needed those skills after a right from Nettuno put him on the floor in the third round and rocked him again in the fourth. Marceddu survive those worrying moments and staged a strong finish as Nettuno tired but seemed lucky to get away with a draw. Scores 96-93 to Marceddu, 97-93 to Nettuno and 95-95. They will have to do it all again. Marceddu, 40, a three-time kick-boxing world champion, did not turn pro until he was 35 and had lost his last two fights. Nettuno, 29, had lost his last 8 fights and was making his fifth attempt to win this title.

Fiordigiglio vs. Matic

Fiordigiglio almost ends it in the first but then takes it easy. An uppercut to the body put Matic down in the opening round and it looked like an early night. However a hand injury suffered by Fiordigiglio caused the Italian to box more cautiously and he settled for winning every round and getting six rounds of work. First fight for the 31-year-old from Tuscany since having a 21 bout winning streak ended when he was stopped in eleven rounds by Cedric Vitu for the vacant EBU title in June. Croatian-born B&H champion Matic is 3-7 in his last 10 fights.

 

Pavia, Italy: Welter: Gianluca Frezza (24-3-2,2 ND) W PTS 6 Cristian Pastarini (3-10).

Milanese boxer Frezza puts in six not too demanding rounds against Pastarini. Frezza was too quick and accurate for the aged Pastarini and boxed his way to a unanimous verdict winning every round. The 35-year-old former unbeaten Italian champion was having his first fight since a loss to Charles Manyuchi for the WBC International in July which broke a 13 bout unbeaten run. Nine losses in a row for 40-year-old Pastarini but all on points.

 

September 27

Osaka, Japan: Fly: Kazuto Ioka (18-1) W PTS 12 Roberto Domingo Sosa (26-3-1). Minimum: Katsunari Takayama (30-7) W TKO 8 Ryuji Hara (19-2).

Ioka vs. Sosa

Easy defence of his secondary WBA title for Ioka in front of his home crowd. He was just too quick and too skilful for Sosa who swished air for all twelve rounds. Ioka showcased his excellent defensive skills slipping parrying and dodging all of Sosa’s attempts to land any meaningful punchers. Sosa never gave up trying but he was eating counters in round after round. He had a good sixth round but other than that it was Ioka all the way. The local fighter tried to finish it in the last after hurting Sosa with a body punch but the challenger survived to the bell. Scores 119-109 twice and 120-108. First defence of the secondary title he won with a majority verdict over Argentinian Juan Carlos Reveco in April. Sosa, 30, won his first 24 fights but is now 2-3-1 in his last six.

Takayama vs. Hara

Takayama makes it a double for boxers from Osaka as he overcomes a slow start to halt fellow-countryman Hara. After an even first round Hara got through with punches to head and body to take the second and third rounds. An additional problem for Takayama was a bad cut under his left eye after a clash of heads in the third. Takayama woke up in the fourth and from then on dominated the action. His continuous two-handed attacks were just too much for Hara to handle. Takayama quickly wore Hara down, had him badly hurt in the seventh and ready to go in the eighth when the referee stopped the fight. The 32-year-old Takayama first won the WBC minimum title in 2005 and after losing that won the IBF title. He lost that in a unification fight with WBO champion Francisco Rodriguez in August 2014 and then won both titles by beating Go Odaira for the vacant title in December. This is his second defence. Hara, 25, a former OPBF champion was lucky to get the title shot after losing his OPBF title to 3-0 Kosei Tanaka in October.