The Past Week In Action 6 April 2016

ERIC ARMIT | April 6, 2016 | 0 Comentarios/ Comments

Miss any of this week’s action in the sport? Get caught up with “The Past Week in Action” by Eric Armit; with a review of all major cards in the boxing for the past week.

The Past Week In Action 6 April 2016

March 30

New York, USA: Super Feather: Tevin Farmer (21-4-1) W PTS 10 Gamaliel Diaz (39-14-3). Middle: Devaun Lee (7-2) W PTS 10 Chris Galeano (10-1). Cruiser: Travis Peterkin (16-0-1) W PTS 8 Larry Pryor (9-13). Middle: Artur Akavov (16-1) W TKO 6 Todd Manuel (11-11-1). Super Light: Shemuel Pagan (8-0) W PTS 6 Ryan Picou (2-8-1).`

Framer vs. Diaz

Farmer floors former WBC champion Diaz three times on the way to a wide unanimous decision. The Philadelphian southpaw was quicker from the start and a hard left hook put Diaz down in the first round. Diaz survived and tried to upset Farmer’s more stylish boxing with aggression. He had some success but Farmer stuck to his boxing slipping the shots from Diaz and banging home hard counters. Diaz landed his best punching in the sixth getting though with a straight right, but a left from Farmer floored Diaz for the second time. Diaz was on the attack again in the seventh and again had some success but a shot from Farmer sent his gumshield spinning. Diaz showed his experience by staging big attacks in the eighth and ninth but any thoughts of affecting the verdict disappeared when he was floored and cut in the last round. Scores 97-90 twice and 95-92 all for Farmer. The 25-year-old “American Idol” Farmer, the WBC No 14 has wins over Viktor Chernous and Daulis Prescott and is ready to move up. Diaz, 35, the former WBC super feather champion, is not the force he was as he is now 1-5-1 in his last 7 fights.

Lee vs. Galeano

Lee upsets house fighter Galeano. How you saw this one rested on whether you favoured quantity or quality. Galeano set a fast pace he boxed on the outside using his southpaw jab throwing lots of combinations but with Lee also scoring hard punches and shaking Galeano with a right in the fifth. The rounds were close and Galeano made up any leeway by the end of the ninth but Lee clearly dominated the last round and took the decision. Scores 97-93 and 96-94 for Lee and 96-94 for Galeano. Lee, from Queens, wins the New York State title. His losses had been to very modest opposition so he performed above expectation here. For Galeano, 23, it’s a setback but he can rebound.

Peterkin vs. Pryor

Peterkin gets back into winning ways with decision over game but overmatched Pryor. The classy southpaw controlled the fight with his jab and was scoring with combinations. Pryor never really got into the fight. He was constantly caught with straight rights and body punches but despite a cut over his left eye in the early rounds he stayed there to the bell. Scores 80-72 from all three judges. The 25-year-old From Brooklyn was having his first fight since being held to a draw by Lenin Castillo in August. Pryor, 34, has lost his last four fights, all to unbeaten fighters.

Akavov vs. Manuel

“Wolverine” Akavov halts Manuel to continue his winning run. Akavov slowly broke Manuel down before flooring him in the fourth with a body punch. When Manuel got up another series of body punches put him down. Manuel made it out of the round and lasted through the fifth but another knockdown in the sixth saw the referee stop the fight. The 28-year-old Russian southpaw is rated WBO 5 despite a lack of any rated opposition. He has won his last 11 fights. Manuel falls to 7 losses in his last 8 fights.

Pagan vs. Picou

Former top amateur Pagan has to climb off the floor to win. He took the first round pressing Picou and getting home with good combinations. He was sailing along in the second looking for a quick win but was pulled up by a right which shook him. The danger sign was there but Pagan again easily took the third. In the fourth he ran into trouble in the shape of a left hook from Picou that sent him down. He was partially off balance but it was enough for a 10-8 round for Picou. Pagan regrouped and outscored Picou over the last two rounds to save his unbeaten record. Scores 57-56 twice and 58-56 all for Pagan. The 27-year-old from Brooklyn “The Chosen One” was a five-time New York GG champion but came up painfully short at the top winning silver and bronze at the US National Championships and NGG’s and also missed out on Olympic berth. Picou kept his record of not losing by KO/TKO, but is now 1-6-1 in his last 8 fights.

March 31

Algiers, Algeria: Cruiser: Zine Eddine Benmakhlouf (22-4-1) W RTD 6 Lars Bucholz (27-8). French-based Algerian Benmakhlouf retains his WBFed title with stoppage of Bucholz. Benmakhlouf bossed this one from the start. Bucholz was too slow to really pose any threat. The German came in as a late substitute. He had won his last three fights against poor novices. He did not look in any kind of shape and with Benmakhlouf focusing his attacks on the body Bucholz quickly tired and was a static target. In the sixth Benmakhlouf rocked him with a right and drove Bucholz along the ropes landing more head punches. The bell went and Bucholz walked back to his corner shaking his head and the fight was over. The 38-year-old Benmakhlouf was having his first fight for a year and was making the second defence of his WBFed title. He lost on points to Roy Jones in 2013, his only loss in his last 13 fights.

April 1

Washington, DC, USA: Super Light: Adrien Broner (32-2) W TKO 9 Ashley Theophane (39-7-1). Light: Robert Easter (17-0) W TKO 5 Algenis Mendez (23-4-1,1ND). Super Feather: Gervonta Davis (15-0) W TKO 6 Guillermo Avila (16-6).Light Anthony Peterson (37-1) W PTS 10 Samuel Kotey Neequaye (22-2). Middle: Desmond Nicholson (17-1) W PTS 8 Joshua Okine (28-6-1). Super Middle: J’Leon Love (22-1,1ND) W RTD 5 Michael Gbenga (21-25).

Broner vs. Theophane

Broner fails to make the weight and throws away his secondary WBA title but halts Theophane. Theophane started out working behind a stiff jab and throwing left hooks to the body. Broner was padding forward and scored with an overhead right and some hooks of his own to the body to just edge a close first round. Theophane started the second confidently scoring with his jab and some clumping rights but Broner kept coming and over the second half of the round he scored with some scorching left hooks to the body which had Theophane wincing. He backed Theophane to the ropes but missed with a wilds right and slipped to the floor. That gave Theophane a lift and he went onto the front foot throwing a stiff jab and some left hooks but Broner fired back with left hooks of his own to again just about take the round. Theophane moved up a gear at the start of the third driving Broner to the ropes and scoring with some straight lefts and hooks to the body. Theophane was the aggressor with Broner not letting his punches go. That changed in the last minute when a right to the head from Broner sent Theophane reeling into the ropes and a left hook again had Theophane hurt for Broner to take the round clearly. It was the same in the fourth with Theophane starting the round on the front foot but Broner coming on strong at the end as he had Theophane hurt with a series of uppercuts and body punches. At the end of the fourth the judges all had Broner in front 39-37 twice and 40-36. Over the fifth, sixth and seventh Broner was finding the target with some head-snapping uppercuts but Theophane was scoring with enough punches of his own and sustaining his attacks to remain competitive and very much in the fight with the judges finding it hard to split them over those rounds. By now Broner was showing a small cut under his right eye and Theophane swellings under both eyes. Theophane tried to come forward throughout the eighth and was scoring with some hooks and rights but Broner whilst throwing less had the power and was banging home left hooks to the body and right uppercuts. After eighth round the judges had Broner in front 78-74 twice and 77-75. Early in the ninth Broner shook Theophane with a right inside and took him to the ropes unloading hooks and uppercuts. Theophane got off the ropes but a left uppercut and a thudding right to the head sent Theophane spinning across the ring trying to escape. Broner followed him and repeated the left hook to the body and right to the head as Theophane now staggered to the other side of the ring and the referee stepped-in to halt the fight over protests from Theophane. Broner called out Floyd Mayweather Jr but is wasting his breath there is nothing in it for Mayweather in beating Broner who by only fighting in short burst did not set the crowd alight. London-born Theophane was competitive throughout but lacked the power to hurt Broner.

Easter vs. Mendez

Easter gets his biggest win so far as he halts former IBF super feather champion Mendez in five rounds. Mendez started out on the front foot with Easter content to box on the retreat and counter. He did that effectively enough to edge the first two rounds. In the third Mendez used some lead rights to score in close and he put that round in his pocket. There was more holding than fighting at the start of the fourth and Easter was warned for a low punch. Late in the round a right from Easter clipped Mendez on the top of his head and suddenly he was in trouble. Easter pounded him around the ropes and although Mendez fired back some combinations he still looked shaky. Easter forced the fight in the fifth. He was scoring with combinations inside landing left hooks and right uppercuts. Mendez was firing back but suddenly his punches had lost their snap. Easter drove Mendez back to the ropes and then landed a thunderbolt of a chopping right that saw Mendez slide down the ropes to rest on his side. He used the ropes to drag himself upright as the count reached six but after counting the eight the referee looked hard at Mendez and stopped the fight with no protest from Mendez. The tall 25-year-old from Toledo has now won five on the bounce inside the distance. His opposition before this fight had been getting tougher bit by bit in small increments but this was a big leap in achievement. Mendez had a very rocky time in his defences as IBF champion. He was held to a draw by Canadian Arash Usmanee, was knocked out by Rances Barthelemy only for the fight to be declared a No Decision due to the kayo punch landing after the bell, and then lost on points to Barthelemy. Despite that he moved up to lightweight last year and scored two good wins over Daniel Evangelista and former IBF champion Miguel Vazquez so was a very live test for Easter.

Davis vs. Avila

Davis gives quality performance in stopping Avila. Both were letting their punches go in the first but Davis was catching the eye with his southpaw straight lefts and finished the round with a couple of good hooks to the body. In the second a clash of heads saw Davis momentarily go back to the ropes and paw at his left eye but there was no cut and Avila took advantage of the clash to score with some long rights. The third started at funereal pace with neither boxer throwing a punch until Davis suddenly slammed home a left uppercut which opened a gash under the left eye of Avila and then let fly with a number of head shots. Avila survived a doctor’s inspection of the cut and as it was under the eye the fight continued. The fourth also saw neither fighter throwing much over the first half of the round but a late combination from Davis had Avila hurt and on the ropes and Davis was unloading with both hands at the bell. An uppercut from Avila was the only punch landed in the first 90 seconds of the fifth but again as the round neared its end Davis pounced and a short straight left to the head dumped Avila on the floor against the ropes. He was up at six and the bell went as the referee reached eight. Early in the sixth Davis put Avila on the ropes and scored with a bunch of searing uppercuts and the referee stopped the fight. An impressive display of box/punching by David. The 21-year-old from Baltimore makes it 14 wins by KO/TKO including inside the distance wins in each of his last six fights. The former NGG and twice PAL Champion really looks the goods. Mexican Avila has now lost by KO/TKO three times but he gave it a good try here. He is now 4-3 in his last seven fights with the other two losses to good opposition in Romulo Koasicha and Miguel Marriaga

Peterson vs. Neequaye

Peterson wins unanimous decision but Neequaye never really out of the fight. Both boxers were willing to stand and exchange with Peterson having more power but Neequaye able to stand the pace. Peterson landed with heavy rights in round after round but Neequaye refused to back down and did enough scoring with jabs and rights of his own to pick up some rounds. Neequaye was rocked in the third but his punches started a swelling under the left eye of Peterson. Despite a warning for a low punch Peterson worked the body throughout the fight and outscored Neequaye in most rounds but never looked close to an early finish as Neequaye battled to the end. Scores 100-90, 97-93 and 96-94 all for Peterson although the middle score looked the most accurate. Peterson, the 31-year-old brother of former IBF super light champion Lamont, lost on a disqualification to Brandon Rios in a WBA eliminator in 2010 but then had only two fights in the next 37 months. He was more active with two wins in 2015 and with this victory has won his last 7 fights but the opposition has not been strong enough to get him a rating. Neequaye, 32, lost in two rounds to Fernando Carcamo in the ESPN Boxcino in February 2014 and had one win in March 2015 so this was his first fight for a year.

Nicholson vs. Okine

Nicholson wins wide decision over Ghanaian but has his run of inside the distance victories snapped. Nicholson won with a focused body attack but Okine is an experienced and tough fighter and he was never in any danger of not going the distance. Scores 80-72, 79-72 and 78-74. After an upset stoppage loss to Lekan Byfield (5-5-2) in 2014 Nicholson, 23, then won six on the bounce by KO/TKO before this fight. Okine, 36, a former CBC champion ( in the space of one week I stepped in the ring to present his championships belt to his opponent after he lost to Kevin Anderson and a few days later stepped on a stage to give him the CBC Dennie Mancini Trophy for his two title victories earlier in the year. Thought about wearing a wig for the second one so he would not recognise me). Okine had been knocked out in three rounds by Marco Periban in October.

Love vs. Gbenga

Love hands out a one-sided beating to Gbenga. Love was too skilful and too quick for the strong but limited Gbenga. Love scored a flash knockdown in the fifth and Gbenga’s corner retired their man before the start of the sixth. Love, 28, suffered an upset when he was kayoed by Rogelio Medina in 2014 but scored three wins in 2015 against reasonable level opposition. Wins have become rare for Gbenga but he scored one last time out when he took a surprise verdict over Marcus Vinicius de Oliveira (24-2-1) in February

Barcelona, Spain: Super Feather: Miguel Roman (55-11) W TKO 8 Juli Giner (18-2-1). Super Welter: Isaac Real (15-1-1) W TEC DEC 4 Artem Karpets (21-2). Super Light: Sandor Martin (26-1) W PTS 10 Steve Jamoye (19-2-1).

Roman vs. Giner

Roman wins WBC eliminator with stoppage of Giner. The Catalonian fighter made a promising start as he slotted hard punches through the guard of the Mexican. From the third Roman managed to get inside and forced Giner into the trenches. It was now Roman’s fight and Giner had to stand and trade instead of boxing. Giner was still getting through with punches but they lacked power and the body punching from Roman was dominating the action. The sixth was the decisive round as they engaged in fiery exchanges in a last desperate attempt by Giner to turn the fight around. He failed and although both faces were showing bruising Roman handed out heavy punishment in the seventh trapping Giner on the ropes and firing home punches until the bell saved Giner. It was a temporary reprieve as Roman unloaded on Giner in the eighth. A right to the head put Giner down and although he got up he was put down again and the fight was stopped. “Mickey”, 30, gets win No 42 by KO/TKO. He has lost to Jonathan Barros for the secondary WBA feather title and to Antonio DeMarco for the WBC light title but a run of 17 wins has seen him climb to No 3 with the WBA and with Giner being No 2 he is in line for a third title shot. Spaniard Giner, 32, had lost to veteran Ruddy Encarnacion for the EU title in 2014 but he climbed high in the ratings by winning the EBU title with a stoppage of Frenchman Romain Jacob (23-0).

Real vs. Karpets

Real gets the win on a technical decision. The first round was close but in the second Real scored an important knockdown and then edged the third. In the fourth a clash of head saw Real cut on the forehead and the cut was too bad for the fight to continue so at the end of the round it went to the score cards. Scores 40-35, 40-37 and 39-37 all for Real. The former 34-year-old European champion won the EBU title in 2014 with a stoppage of Emanuele Della Rosa (33-1) but lost it on a close decision to Jack Culcay later the same year. This is his fifth win since the Culcay loss and he is now No 4 with the EBU. Polish-based Ukrainian Karpets won his first 21 fights against un-taxing opposition but now has back-to-back losses having been beaten in five rounds by Pole Kamil Szeremeta in February.

Martin vs. Jamoye

Young Spanish hope Martin just too hot for Belgian. Martin won every round and punctuated his victory with a body punch which floored Jamoye in the eighth. Jamoye had gone the distance in losing to big punching Luca Giacon and he was able to get up and stay in the fight to the final bell. Scores 100-89 twice and 100-90. The 22-year-old southpaw from Barcelona, the EU champion, looks the best prospect in Spain right now. He dropped a decision to Frenchman Alex Lepelley in 2013 but has bounced back with 11 wins. Jamoye, 24, the younger brother of former European champion and WBC bantam title challenger Stephane is a talented boxer but lacks power.

Cournon d’auvergne, France: Super Welter: Kamal Mohamed (19-3) W PTS 10

Dieudonne Belinga (13-7-1). Mohamed gets the decision to lift the French title. This was a hard, close fight with both fighters being in trouble at times with Mohamed tumbling along the ropes under Belinga’s attack and sliding half way out of the ring with only the ropes stopping him falling all of the way. Mohamed recovered and he twice landed big rights that had Belinga staggering but somehow staying up. Scores 97-93 and 96-94 for Mohamed and 97-93 for Belinga. It was close and could have gone either way but the hometown fighter got the decision. Mohamed has won 6 of his last 7 fights with the loss being for the French welter title in January. Southpaw Belinga was making the first defence of his title and his team protested the decision.

Bacolod City, Philippines: Bantam: Rey Megrino (22-20-4) DREW 12 Jonathan Baat (30-7-5). Super Feather: Carlo Magali (20-7-3) W TEC DEC 10 Mark Gil Melligen (21-7-1). Super Fly: Rene Dacquel (17-6-1) W KO 9 Lucky Tor Buamas (7-1).

Megrino vs. Baat

The interim OPBF title remains vacant after this draw between two experienced Filipinos. Megrino extends his unbeaten run to 8 and southpaw Baat is 5-2-2 in his last 9 fights with the losses in tough fights against Rodrigo Guerrero and Liborio Solis.

Magali vs. Melligen

Magali goes ahead in a three bout sequence against Melligen. Magali had early success knocking southpaw Melligen down with a big right. Melligen got up and fought back hard to make the fight close. A punch from Magali opened a cut over Melligen’s right eye in the ninth and a clash of heads in the tenth saw the fight stopped with Magali in front on the cards. Magali adds the interim OPBF title to the IBF Pan Pacific title he already holds. The GAB No 8 super bantam is 5-1-1 in his last 7 fights. Melligen, 28, was briefly world rated after a good run but losses last year to Vinvin Rufino and in a low level eight round fight in Japan derailed him. These two fought twice in 2008 going 1-1.

Dacquel vs. Buamas

Dacquel wins the interim OPBF title with sensational kayo of Thai Buamas. Dacquel had built a good lead when he pulverised Buamas with a right followed by a stunning left that put Buamas down and out cold. The 25-year-old “Commander” a former GAB and WBC Youth champion makes it 6 wins by KO/TKO. Buamas just fed on diet of novices.

Maha Sarakham, Thailand: Super Fly: Rakniran (11-0) W PTS 12 Hashimu Zuberi (9-1). Super Feather: Chonlatarn (60-2) W PTS 6 Amos Mwamakula (12-6-2).

Rakniran vs. Zuberi

Rakniran gets a wide unanimous decision but Tanzanian Zuberi makes him fight hard all of the way. Zuberi had some success in the first three rounds coming forward throwing bunches of punches. Many of them got through but they lacked power and a lot of them, particularly his rights, landed as slaps with the inside of the glove. Rakniran was not throwing as many punches but he was more accurate and his punches were harder. He was also targeting the body whereas too often Zuberi was head hunting and missing a lot. The pace of the fight was ferocious and it seemed impossible that Zuberi, who was wind milling punches for three minutes of every round, could last twelve rounds. They were both exhausted by the end. In the last Rakniran landed a couple of huge rights and a left to the body but to his credit Zuberi never stopped coming forward even if he was stumbling by then. The cleaner, more accurate and harder punches came from Rakniran who just about won every round. Scores 120-1108 twice and 119-109 but that does not reflect the brave effort from Zuberi. The Onesongchai Gym fighter Rakniran, fighting in his hometown, wins the interim WBO Asia Pacific title as he moves up from six rounds to twelve for the first time. Zuberi, 20, had plenty of flaws in his technique but plenty of guts and a good chin and did not disgrace himself.

Chonlatarn vs. Mwamakula

Chonlatarn gets win over Tanzanian. This was an exercise in frustration for Chonlatarn as Mwamakula danced around the ring often with his hands held below hip level and occasionally stopping to throw a quickly flurry of pit-a-pat punches. Chonlatarn was just walking after the Tanzanian. He cornered Mwamakula in the second and unloaded with some head and body punches. After one exchange Mwamakula actually dropped his hands grinned and nodded in appreciation of a combination from Chonlatarn and held out his glove for a tap from Chonlatarn to show his appreciation. Too friendly. Chonlatarn continued his pursuit with Mwamakula finding time to stop and do some clowning but despite his best efforts Chonlatarn won every round but could not put the pesky Tanzanian away. Chonlatarn has lost to Chris John on points for the WBA feather title and Vasily Lomachenko for the WBO title. He has won his last 8 fights and is No 3 with the WBO. Mwamakula, 25, was certainly a fast mover but as with Zuberi tended to land his punches with an open glove but he gave Chonlatarn six rounds of work.

Los Angeles, CA, USA: Feather: Manuel Avila (19-0) W Rene Alvarado (23-6). Super Light: Gilberto Gonzalez (26-3) W TKO 6 Luis Arceo (28-14-4).

Avila vs. Alvarado

Avila moves up in class and wins unanimous decision over Alvarado. Avila made the better start getting his jab into gear early and getting his punches off first. Alvarado was a step behind over the first three rounds as Avila scored with some nice counters and refused Alvarado’s request to get into a brawl. Alvarado stared to make some inroads in the fourth and had some success as a punch opened a small cut on Avila’s right eye lid. Avila boxed on the outside in the fifth to regain control but Alvarado scored with some good rights in the sixth. Avila was again outboxing Alvarado over the late rounds but also getting the best of the exchanges finding the target with his jabs and overhand rights and although Alvarado kept pressing to try to replicate the success he had in the middle rounds he needed a big punch and Avila never gave him a chance to land one, Scores 97-93 twice and an unkind 100-90 all for Avila. Excellent leaning fight for the 23-year-old Californian. He has a win over Cuban Yoandris Salinas who drew with Scott Quigg for the secondary WBA in 2013 and on this showing could be looking for a world title fight in 2017. Nicaraguan Alvarado, 27, a former WBC Silver champion, is not the force he was as he falls to 3-4 in his last 7 fights. The other three losses have been to quality opposition in Rocky Juarez, Eric Hunter and Andrew Cancio.

Gonzalez vs. Arceo

Gonzalez gets another inside the distance win as he floors and stops experienced Arceo in this all-Mexican contest. It was Arceo who got his nose in front in the first round as his sharp jab pierced Gonzalez’s guard and brought blood from Gonzalez’s nose. The nose would continue to bleed but Gonzalez switched to southpaw in the second and Arceo’s jab lost its impact and Gonzalez used his own skills to edge the second round. They both decided to stand and trade in the third with Gonzalez getting the better of the action. Straight rights from Gonzalez in the fourth saw Arceo taking punishment and the fifth was all Gonzalez as a cut opened over Arceo’s left eye and he was adding his own blood from a nose injury to that already being provided by Gonzalez’s nose. In the sixth a left hook from Gonzalez put Arceo down face first on the canvas. Somehow he made it to his feet but the towel came in from his corner and the fight was stopped. The lanky Gonzalez, 28, was having his first fight for nine months which might explain his slow start. He gets his eighth win on the bounce by KO/TKO and his total of wins by KO/TKO goes up to 22. Arceo, 37, has seen better days. This is his fourth loss in a row by KO/TKO.

Ft Lauderdale, FL, USA: Super Middle: Roamer Alexis Angulo (18-0) W PTS 8 Claudio Abalos (30-15-3).

Angulo continues his wandering and remains unbeaten with unanimous decision over Abalos. The 32-year-old Colombian has fought in Colombia, Dominican Republic, Argentina, Germany, Turkey and of course the USA. Southpaw Abalos, 35, the South American champion, had won 6 of his last 7 fights. The loss is to WBC No 1 middle Jorge Heiland in September and he had rebounded with a win in February over useful Noe Gonzalez Alcoba when he climbed off the floor twice for victory.

April 2

Liverpool, England: Super Middle: Callum Smith (19-0) TKO 1Hadillah Mohoumadi (20-41). Super Middle: Rocky Fielding (22-1) W PTS 12 Christopher Rebrasse (24-5-3). Light: Scott Cardle (19-0-1) DREW 12 Sean Dodd (10-2-1). Middle Tom Doran (17-0) W TKO 2 Luke Keeler (10-2). 19

Smith vs. Mohoumadi

Smith shatters Mohoumadi in 104 seconds to win the EBU title and a WBC final eliminator. Mohoumadi was the architect of his own down fall. He came out punching and drove Smith to the ropes punching with both hands. Smith then launched his own attack and drove Mohoumadi back. They stood and traded and a punch from Smith seemed to shake Mohoumadi. Smith now had Mohoumadi on the ropes and tried to keep him there. Mohoumadi scored with a good left hook and Smith backed away using a high guard to block punches from the advancing French fighter. Once again a right from Smith made Mohoumadi’s legs quiver. Instead of going into defensive mode Mohoumadi chose to stand and exchange punches. Smith scored with a double left hook to head and body and then drove Mohoumadi to the ropes with three rights. With Mohoumadi on the ropes and badly shaken Smith poured in punches landing a series of head shots and with Mohoumadi’s guard crumbling under the barrage the referee jumped in to stop the fight. Huge win for 25-year-old “Mundo” Smith who moves to 14 wins by KO/TKO as he adds the EBU title to the British and WBC Silver titles he has already won. He was No 1 with the WBC going into this one so is the mandatory challenger to Badou Jack and is now right up there with James DeGale and George Groves. In his last fight he had stopped previously unbeaten Rocky Fielding inside a round and now has 10 wins in the first round. Mohoumadi’s decision to try to take Smith out of his stride by an all-out attack backfired spectacularly and this is his first loss by KO/TKO. The 35-year-old Frenchman had given DeGale twelve hard rounds when losing on points in 2012 but was blown away here.

Fielding vs. Rebrasse

Fielding comes back with a win but a very controversial one. Rebrasse sent out a danger signal as he rocked Fielding in the first and then built on that in the second with a series of hits rounded off by a right that put Fielding on the floor. The Frenchman as on top and landing hard punches in the third and things were looking serious for Fielding. He had to do something and in the fourth he was letting his punches go and it was his turn to shake up Rebrasse with a left but even then the Frenchman hit back with a straight right and had a good fifth. Fielding got into the fight over the next three rounds but Rebrasse was still landing the harder and more frequent punches and although many rounds were close Rebrasse seemed to have done enough in the early rounds to deserve the decision but Fielding had a big eleventh and although rocked again in the last the judges were impressed with Fielding’s fight back and he got the decision. Scores 114-113 twice for Fielding and 115-113 for Rebrasse. Fielding wins the vacant WBC International title and gets back into the picture and in fairness Rebrasse was never going to be an easy opponent for a return to action after the shattering loss to Callum Smith. Former European champion Rebrasse is 2-3 in his last 5 fights with all three losses on points to British fighters, first to George Groves then Callum Smith and now Fielding.

Cardle vs. Dodd

It seems these two could fight ten times without a clear winner and this is the second close and controversial decision in their two fights. Cardle won the first with a stoppage when behind on points in the last round. Cardle started out boxing . He is quick and slick and that was where his victory could be built. Dean needed Cardle on flat feet trying to match him punch-for-punch. At the end of the third a clash of heads saw Cardle cut in a repeat of their first fight when Cardle shed plenty of blood. Both fighters landed heavy punches in the fifth but Dodd had the better of the sixth and seventh. Cardle was cut again in the eighth, this time on the left eyebrow and it was now a close quarter battle which was the fight Dodd had looked for. Cardle was giving as good as he was getting and it was a close fight to the end with Dodd looking to have done just enough to edge the verdict only to come up short for the second time. Scores 116-114 for Cardle and 114-114 twice making it a majority draw. Looks like a third fight is needed.

Doran vs. Keeler

Doran beats Keeler in a short but dramatic Wales vs. Ireland Celtic clash. A big right from Keeler in the first put Doran down. It looked over but Doran made it to his feet and as Keeler moved in to finish it a left hook from Doran put Keeler on the floor. Keeler survive to the bell and came out firing in the second. Once again a left from Doran put Keeler down. He managed to get up but was in deep water and the follow-up attack from Doran saw the fight stopped. Doran, 28, wins the vacant WBC International title and gets his seventh win by KO/TKO. With the WBC International title he is on the verge of some big fights. Keeler’s only other loss was also to Doran in last year’s Prizefighter Tournament”.

Helsinki, Finland: HEAVY: Johann Duhaupas (34-3) W KO 6 Robert Helenius (22-1). Light Heavy: Sami Enbon (11-0) W PTS 8 Ismail Abdoul (58-37-3). Cruiser: Tamas Lodi (18-6-2) W KO 3 Juho Haapoja (26-6-2).

Duhaupas vs. Helenius

Stunning victory for Duhaupas over local hero and unbeaten Helenius. It was chin and stamina that won this one as Duhaupas just walked through everything Helenius chucked at him before knocking out the tired Swedish-born Finn. Both are big men with Helenius just a bit taller and Duhaupas just a bit heavier. In the first Helenius was scoring with right uppercuts and left hooks and landed two head shots as Duhaupas just kept walking forward behind a high guard generally ignoring the punches and trying to get Helenius to the ropes. In the second Helenius was on the back foot and slamming home counters to head and body with little coming back from Duhaupas. Helenius was again scoring with counters on the Frenchman in the third but he was not halting the forward march of Duhaupas and there was a worrying sign for the locals when a right rocked Helenius. He was again teeing off on Duhaupas at the end of the round. In the fourth a right to the head from Duhaupas saw Helenius totter back a few steps and then fall forwards on to his knees. He beat the count but was under pressure on the ropes at the end of the round. Duhaupas had Helenius backing up in the fifth but Helenius produced a right uppercut that shook Duhaupas but was unable to capitalise on it. In the sixth once again that jab had Helenius on the retreat. He scored with a left uppercut but was looking tired and there was no snap in his punches. Suddenly in mid ring Duhaupas stabbed home a jab and crashed a straight right onto the chin of Helenius who fell over backwards landing spread-eagled on the canvas and was counted out. Huge win for the 35-year-old French “Reptile” as he collects the vacant WBC Silver title. He had shown his chin and strength in losing in the eleventh round against Deontay Wilder for the WBC title in September. All of the versions of the heavyweight title are being contested soon and when the smoke clears this win could put Duhaupas in line for another title shot. After two years out due to injury Helenius had returned last year with three wins over very modest opposition. He is still a big ticket seller and will fight on but this was a crushing defeat for the 32-year-old Viking.

Enbon vs. Ismail Abdoul

Enbon gets split decision over Belgian veteran. Enbon built an early lead as he was quicker and fitter than Abdoul. However the Belgian’s heavier punch and his experience in pacing a fight allowed him to come on late and a draw would probably have been a fairer result but it was close enough to have gone either way. Scores 79-73 and 79-74 for Enbon and 78-74 for Abdoul. The 28-yeard-old Finnish southpaw is a neat boxer but will struggle when the opposition gets tougher. Abdoul, 39, he of the iron chin, was 2-0-1 in his last three fights including a victory which gave him the vacant Belgian title.

Lodi vs. Haapoja

Lodi knocks out Finn Haapoja and may have written finis to the Finn’s career. The first two rounds were fairly even although Haapoja seemed a bit shaky whenever Lodi landed. In the third a right uppercut from Lodi put Haapoja down and despite his best scrabbling efforts he was counted out. Although a good puncher, 14 wins by KO/TKO going into this one, the 26-year-old Hungarian was an uninspiring 4-5-1 in his last 10 fights so it was a fight Haapoja was expected to win. Haapoja, a former EU champion, lost in challenges for the EBU title and twice for the WBC Silver title and his punch resistance seems to have gone.

Krakow, Poland: Heavy: Eric Molina (25-3) W KO 10 Tomasz Adamek (50-5). Heavy: Andrzej Wawrzyk (32-1) W TKO 7 Marcin Rekowski (17-3). Welter: Michal Syrowatka (14-1) W PTS 10 Rafal Jackiewicz (48-15-2). Cruiser: Michal Cieslak (12-0) W TKO 4 Francisco Palacios (23-4). Cruiser: Mateusz Masternak (37-4) W PTS 10 Eric Fields (24-4).

Adamek vs. Molina

Molina writes an end to the career of Adamek. As expected Adamek was better over the early rounds as Molina is a slow starter. Even as Adamek was in front a right to the side of the head in the second shook the Pole. It was a similar story in the third with Adamek getting the better of the early part of the round with Molina too often allowing himself to be backed to the ropes but with a Molina right again signalling danger. Molina finally won a round in the fourth as he upped his pace. Adamek was countering but there was very little power or accuracy to his punches. At the end of the sixth Molina had Adamek shaken with a series of hard punches and the visitor was scoring better in the seventh. Although his higher work rate had seen him build a good lead the fight was getting away from him so Adamek put in a big effort in the eighth and his renewed aggression paid off in the ninth as well. Unfortunately that was a last fling for Adamek. Going into the tenth all three judges had Adamek in front 88-83. That became immaterial. Molina walked forward missing with a left as Adamek stepped back but Molina continued forward and a single right to the chin saw Adamek tumble down half way under the ropes. He used the ropes to drag himself to his feet but just as he became shakily upright the referee counted off the tenth second and waived the fight off. Both the fight and Adamek’s career were over. With this win The 33-year-old “Drummer Boy” from Texas gets his 19^th win by KO/TKO and puts him in line for some big fights. He had come up short in the past in a one round blow-out against Chris Arreola and a ninth round kayo loss to Deontay Wilder for the WBC title. Adamek, 39, has had a great career being WBC light heavy champion and IBF cruiser champion. He also had a good campaign at heavy having a run of 11 wins in 12 fights with victories over Arreola, Michael Grant, Eddie Chambers and Steve Cunningham but losing on a tenth round kayo against Vitali Klitschko for the WBC title. His good run came to an end in 2014 with consecutive losses to Vyacheslav Glazkov and Artur Szpilka. He had re-launched his heavyweight campaign with a win over fellow Pole Przemyslaw Saleta in September but announced his retirement after this fight.

Wawrzyk vs. Rekowski

Wawrzyk wins this domestic match with stoppage of Rekowski. Late in the first round a right floored Rekowski and after that Wawrzyk was always in control. He used his height and reach advantages scoring with his jab and straight rights with Rekowski never really able to sustain his attacks. Rekowski made a big effort to turn the fight in the fifth just going forward throwing punches but again he had trouble getting past Wawrzyk’s jab. In the sixth a right put Rekowski down. He made it to his feet and survived to the bell-just. It was over in the seventh when a left hook from Wawrzyk had Rekowski staggering and the referee stopped the fight. The 28-year-old 6’5” (195cm) Wawrzyk makes it 18 wins by KO/TKO. He was stopped in three rounds by Alex Povetkin in a challenge for the secondary WBA title in 2013 and this is his fifth win in a row by KO/TKO since then. Rekowski, 38, lost and won in fights with Oliver McCall and lost on points to Nagy Aguilera in September.

Syrowatka vs. Jackiewicz

Syrowatka gets revenge for his only loss as he outpoints veteran Jackiewicz. When they fought in December Jackiewicz sprang a surprise by stopping the unbeaten Syrowatka in four rounds. This time Syrowatka took no chances he boxed conservatively using his superior movement and hand speed to outbox the older man. Jackiewicz was too slow and not throwing enough punches. He had some good spells but just could not land anything significant and the fight looked a lot more one-sided than the scores indicated. Scores 96-94 twice and a more reflective 98-93 all for Syrowatka and the 28-year-old Pole can now move forward again. Former European champion “Braveheart” Jackiewicz, 39, has already retired once-briefly-but is not yet talking a second retirement.

Cieslak vs. Palacios

Cieslak gets impressive stoppage win over former title challenger Palacios. Cieslak was putting pressure on Palacios in the first round with the New York-based Puerto Rican firing back as they both landed heavy punches. Cieslak kept up the pressure in the second and third with Palacios being caught with hard left hooks and having to use all of experience to get off the ropes and out of the corners, but even then he was still trading punches. In the fourth a right to the chin from Cieslak put Palacios over. He beat the count but the follow up attack from Cieslak saw the referee stop the fight. Now 8 wins by KO/TKO in total and 5 wins in a row by KO/TKO for the 26-year-old Pole. Palacios, 38, came close to a title when he lost a disputed split decision to Krzys Wlodarczyk for the WBC title in April 2011. It was September 2012 before he got the ordered rematch but he lost that on a close but unanimous decision. He was then inactive for two years before returning with a couple of low level wins but in April last year was knocked out in 52 seconds by Dmitry Kudryashov which was his last fight. At 38 and with two inside the distance wins on the bounce the future looks very limited for Palacios.

Masternak vs. Fields

Masternak too good for Fields. After a quiet opening round Masternak outboxed Fields the rest of the way. He had better skills but Fields was staying in the fight with his occasional attacks. The American had most success when he could trap Masternak on the ropes but that did not last long as Masternak was always able to use his jab to force Fields back and take the fight to the ring centre where his speed and movement gave him control. Masternak shook Fields with a right over the American’s lazy left in the fifth and scored with some good punches in the seventh. Fields stepped up his attacks in the eighth but Masternak was not in any trouble and the Pole finished strongly in the last two rounds looking unsuccessfully for a punch to end the fight early. Scores 100-90 twice and 99-91 all for Masternak. The 28-year-old former undefeated European champion won his first 30 fights but is now 6-4 in his last ten with defeats against Grigory Drozd and split decision losses to Youri Kayembre Kalenga and Johnny Muller and a close points defeat against Tony Bellew in December for the vacant EBU title. He is still in the ratings at WBA 10/IBF 14(12)/WBO 14 and is capable of giving any rated cruiser a good fight. Fields was a top class amateur but has not made it as a pro. This is his first fight since a fourth round kayo loss to Yunier Dorticos in April 2014.

Mexico City, Mexico: Super Bantam: Edivaldo Ortega (24-0-1) W PTS 10 Juan Carlos Sanchez (21-5-1). Fly: Moises Fuentes (24-2-1) W TKO 1 Rommel Asenjo (28-5).

Ortega vs. Sanchez

Ortega wins this all-southpaw contest and gets his biggest win so far. Sanchez was able to use his skill and experience over the early rounds to keep Ortega out but slowly he was forced to stand and trade due to pressure from Ortega. There was too much holding in the late rounds which had the audience booing but Ortega settled the result with a knockdown in the ninth which put the fight beyond former champion Sanchez. Scores 99-91, 98-93 and 96-93 all for Ortega. “Indio” Ortega-he uses that nickname to honour that great Mexican battler Gaspar “Indio” Ortega-already has good wins over Rey Perez, Christian Esquivel and Roberto Castaneda. He is not rated yet but soon will be. Sanchez, 25, had two reigns as IBF super fly champion but is slipping being 2-3 in his last five fights.

Fuentes vs. Asenjo

Fuentes crushes the much smaller Filipino inside a round. Fuentes was head and shoulders above Asenjo which meant the little Filipino had to come forward and try to get inside. Fuentes missed with a with left but seconds later as Asenjo moved in a short left hook from Fuentes made his legs wobbly badly and Asenjo desperately grabbed Fuentes around the waist to stay upright. After the referee pulled them apart a right to the head and a left to the body sent Asenjo back into a corner. Flores then just punched away as the Filipino’s knees sagged. He did not go down but the referee stepped in to save Asenjo. The 30-year-old “Moi” a former undefeated WBO minimumweight champion, is 15-1-1 in his last 17 fights with wins over Raul Garcia, Ivan Calderon, Omar Salado, Francisco Rodriguez Jr and Oswaldo Novoa but went 0-1-1 in two WBO light fly title fights first drawing and then losing to Donnie Nietes.. Asenjo, 27, at 5’2” was just too small to tackle a big puncher such as Fuentes. He lost in three rounds to Raul Garcia for the WBO minimumweight title and to Juan Francisco Estrada for the WBA/WBO flyweight titles.

Tlalnepantla, Mexico: Super Feather: Jhonny Gonzalez (60-10) W TKO 2 Justin Savi (28-5-2). Super Welter: Carlos Molina (25-6-2) W PTS 8 Reyes Sanchez (26-8-2). 14

Gonzalez vs. Savi

Gonzalez disposes of overmatched Savi. Once the brawl outside the ring was over (there was a minor riot in the audience with beer and chairs flying) Gonzalez proceeded to break down Savi. A straight left put Savi down in the first round and with Gonzalez firing home body punches in the second Savi retreated to a corner and Gonzalez was unloading on him when the referee stopped the fight. First defence of his WBC International Silver title for 34-year-old Gonzalez as he gets win No 50 by KO/TKO. Benin’s Savi won his first 23 fights and went as far as winning the WBC Silver title, but as the opposition has climbed in quality he has fallen to 3-3-2 in his last 8 fights.

Molina vs. Sanchez

Molina outpoints Sanchez. Molina was just too good and too strong for Sanchez who pressed forward for most of the fight but Molina was the one doing most of the scoring. Sanchez’s cause was not helped by a cut on his left eyelid suffered in a clash of heads in the fourth and he took a lot of punishment in the sixth only just surviving the round. Scores 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74 for Molina. The Chicago-based Mexican former IBF super welter champion working his way back. After losing his title to Cornelius Bundrage in October 2014 he took 11 months out and this is his third win since returning. Sanchez, 30, is a good domestic level fighter but one who loses when he steps up.

Port Hueneme, CA, USA: Welter: Francisco Santana (24-4-1) W PTS 10 Ed Paredes (36-6-1). Light: Luis Ramos (26-2) W PTS 8 Cristobal Cruz (40-20-4). Light Heavy: Egor Mekhontsev (12-0) W KO 5 Victor Barragan (12-10-1).

Santana vs. Paredes

Santana wins every round against Paredes. He had Paredes on the retreat from the start walking Paredes down and taking him to the ropes and working him over. From the first round Paredes was hampered by a swelling by his left eye which worsened throughout the fight. Santana continued to press and to score with overhand rights and left hooks with Paredes occasionally standing and trading and having some success, but very little. Santana had Paredes rocking in the last but Paredes was still there at the final bell. Scores 100-90 from all three judges for Santana. The tall 29-year-old Californian had a ten bout winning streak broken when he lost on points to Sadam Ali in April. Paredes had his own run of 14-0-1 broken with back-to-back losses to Alfonso Gomez and Alan Sanchez in 2014 but returned with a win in December last year.

Ramos vs. Cruz

Ramos gets hard eight rounds from veteran champion Cruz as he works his way back into the reckoning. Ramos got the better of the action but it was far from easy. A clash of heads in the second saw Cruz cut over his left eye and Ramos cut up on his head. Ramos continued to get the better of the exchanges and he put Cruz down in the sixth. It looked like an inside the distance win but Cruz banged back to put Ramos down with a right in the seventh. Ramos did enough to take the last round. Scores 78-72 from all three judges. After winning his first 23 fights 27-year-old Ramos then lost consecutive fights against Ricardo Williams and Fidel Maldonado. He was out of the ring for almost two years until returning with two wins last year. Cruz, 36, the former IBF feather champion is now just a name for younger fighters to add to their record and is 1-9-3 in his last 13 fights.

Mekhontsev vs. Barragan

Mekhontsev floors and halts Barragan. The Russian had Barragan’s eye swelling from a punch in the first then put Barragan down twice in the second. He scored another knockdown in the third but could not close the fight out. Barragan fought back in the fourth but a left put Barragan down in the fifth and the fight was stopped. The 31-year-old southpaw makes it 8 wins by KO/TKO. As an amateur he was Olympic, World and twice European champion so has the credentials but it is a pity he did not turn pro 3 or 4 years ago. Barragan now 1-6-1 in his last 8 fights.

Dolores, Argentina: Feather: Matias Rueda (26-0) W KO 3 Nestor Paniagua (26-9-2). Rueda gets another win by KO/TKO with a little bit of controversy thrown in. A cautious first round was followed by a second in which Rueda started to land some heavy punches. In the third they were in a clinch and when the referee called break they stepped back but Rueda quickly threw a right to the body and Paniagua went down and was counted out. Paniagua and some of the crowd were unhappy but the referee is not required to say box on so it was quick but perfectly legal. The 27-year-old “Little Cobra” was making the seventh defence of his WBO Latino title. He makes it 23 wins by KO/TKO but despite his No 2 rating with the WBO there are no names in his record. Sixth loss by KO/TKO for the 36-year-old much travelled Argentinian Paniagua.

Tokyo, Japan: Super Bantam: Yusutaka Ishimoto (28-8) W PTS 10 Yosuke Fujihara (16-4). Super Feather: Kenichi Ogawa (18-1) W KO 9 Satoru Sugita (11-3-1).

Ishimoto vs. Fujihara

Ishimoto floors challenger Fujihara twice on the way to successful defence of his national title. It was a one-sided fight most of the way with Ishimoto flooring Fujihara with a straight right in the second and continuing his domination from there. After five rounds the judges all had Ishimoto in front 49-45. Fujihara had a big seventh round as he had Ishimoto rocking and hanging on. In the same round there were head clash with Ishimoto having two cuts opened on his forehead and Fujiwara by his right eye. The rough stuff continued in the eighth but in the ninth a right uppercut from Ishimoto put Fujihara down again then they both fought hard through the tenth. Scores 98-90 from all three judges for 34-year-old Ishimoto, the WBO No 8 who was making the first defence of his JBC title. Fujihara, the JBC No 1, was moving up to ten rounds for the first time.

Ogawa vs. Sugita

World rated Ogawa knocks out Challenger Sugita in national title defence. Sugita did enough to take the first round as Ogawa seemed tense. From the second Ogawa began to roll scoring well with his jab and body punches and he established a lead with the judges having him in front after five rounds 50-45, 49-46 and 48-47. Ogawa pressed over the next three rounds with both landing good shots and Ogawa had a swelling around his right eye and his nose dripping blood as Sugita fought back. In the ninth a right followed by a left hook put Sugita down. He struggled groggily to his feet and the towel came in from his corner. Now 15 wins by KO/TKO and 10 wins in a row for 28-year-old Ogawa the WBC No 8. Sugita, the JBC No 1 had won his last 5 fights by KO/TKO but was in his first ten round fight.

General Santos City, Philippines: Minimum: Vic Saludar (12-2) W PTS 10 Lito Dante (11-6-3). Fly: Jack Bornea (11-1) W PTS 10 Renerio Arizala (13-4-1). Feather: Hiroshige Osawa (30-3-4) W TKO 1 Yon Armed (12-6-1).

Saludar vs. Dante

Saludar retains his WBO Asia Pacific title with wide unanimous verdict over Dante. The champion was just too quick and too clever for Dante and outboxed him all the way. Dante kept coming forward but was constantly running into counters and with a punch opening a cut on his left eyelid and that side of his face swelling it was a painful and frustrating fight for Dante. Scores 99-91 twice and 100-90. The 25-year-year old local fighter was knocked out in six rounds by Kosei Tanaka for the WBO minimum title in December, a fight he was very much in until the KO, now he is hoping to land another shot. Dante, the GAB No 5, is now 7-3 in his last 10 fights.

Bornea vs. Arizala

Bornea retains his WBO Asian Pacific Youth title with points win over a competitive Arizala. Bornea went out in front taking the first and shaking Arizala badly with a southpaw right to the body in the second. Arizala survived that crisis but Borneo continued to attack switching guards and scoring with body shots. When Arizala was still there in the late rounds it was the challenger firing to the body and making Borneo fight hard for the win. Scores 97-93 twice and 96-94. The 20-year-old champion from General Santos City was making the first defence of his title and has won his last 5 fights. The unrated Arizala is 2-4 in his last 6 fights.

Osawa vs. Armed

Osawa keeps his string of wins by KO/TKO going as he halts poor Indonesian Armed in the first round. The hard-punching Filipino-based Japanese fighter floored Armed with a right/left/right combination. Armed made it to his feet but a couple of hooks put him down again and the fight was stopped. The 29-year-old Osawa wins the vacant WBO Asia Pacifica title. He is 16-0-1 in his last 17 fights and this is his eighth win in a row by KO/TKO. He always donates a percentage of his purses to a disability charity. Former Indonesian champion Armed was having his second shot at this title.

Ekaterinburg, Russia: Light Heavy: Vasily Lepikhin (17-1-1) DREW 8 Mark Chimidov (3-3-1). Lepikhin under performs and is lucky to escape with a draw. It was the first fight for Lepikhin since losing his unbeaten record to Isaac Chilemba last year. Chimidov started well and finished strongly again a lethargic Lepikhin who salvaged a draw with a better showing over the middle rounds. Scores 78-75 for Lepikhin, 77-75 for Chimidov and 76-76. The 30-year-old Russian “Professor” will have to improve on this to get back in the ratings. Above expectations performance from Chimidov

Newport, Wales: Middle: Lee Churcher (13-3-1) W KO 2 Balazs Horvath (24-17).

Local fighter Churcher wins the vacant WBFed Inter-Continental title with kayo of Horvath. It was too easy for the Welshman as he floored Horvath in the first and then knocked him out with a right in the second. The 35-year-old Churcher makes it seven wins in a row. Hungarian Horvath,36, no kind of test as he has now lost 15 times by KO/TKO.