IVAN REDKACH BLASTS YAKUBU AMIDU IN FIRST SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION OF 2015

Credit: Esther Lin/SHOWTIME

CABAZON, Calif. (Jan. 9, 2015) – Undefeated prospect Ivan Redkach (18-0, 14 KOs) was impressive in a sixth-round knockout victory over Yakubu Amidu (19-6-2, 17 KOs), who failed to get off his stool following the sixth round in Friday’s main event of ShoBox: The New Generation from Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa in Cabazon, Calif.

Working for the first time with new trainer Robert Garcia, Redkach, of Los Angeles by way of Ukraine, started out slow as he found his range, with the durable Amidu handling his power in the opening rounds. Amidu, of Los Angeles by way of Ghana, started slow but picked up the pace in the fourth and then was docked a point by referee Ray Corona for repeated low blows in the fifth.

Amidu, who had never been knocked down in 26 professional fights, suffered two knockdowns in the sixth, with the first coming after a quick right followed by a hard left and the second after an onslaught of power punches. Amidu barely beat the count both times, but he simply couldn’t handle the power of Redkach, who landed 45 percent of his power punches.

“I was getting ready to knock him out,” Redkach said.  “I was going to finish him before his corner stopped the fight.  I would have finished him in the next round.

“I hadn’t been in the ring for sixth months, so I had to feel him out in the beginning before we attacked,” said Redkach. “That was the game plan with Robert Garcia.  I was in perfect physical condition. I will be a world champion very soon.  That is my dream.”

Amidu complained that a leg injury was the reason he quit on his stool.

“I hurt my knee in the last round when I fell on it,” Amidu said.  “I was OK after the knockdown, but when I stood up I felt something in my knee.  I didn’t stop fighting because of the punches; I stopped because I hurt my knee.”

Credit: Esther Lin/SHOWTIME

While Amidu complained of a hurt knee after the fight, the California State Athletic Commission stated that the bout was stopped due to punches.  By rule, the commission rules that a knockout.

SHOWTIME Analyst Steve Farhood was impressed by Redkach, who has been labeled by many boxing pundits as a hot prospect to watch.

“It was a very impressive victory because Amidu had never been down and had fought much better opposition,” Farhood said.  “It’s not that Redkach beat him, it’s the way he beat him.  When Redkach debuted on ShoBox we billed him as a lightweight terror and he didn’t really fight that way.  But tonight he fought smart and in the sixth round the terror came out.  He showed he had legitimate power.”

Credit: Esther Lin/SHOWTIME

In the co-feature, undefeated junior middleweight prospect Alantez “SlyAza” Fox, of Forestville, MD, kept his undefeated record intact with an eight-round majority decision victory over previously unbeaten Patrick Day, scored 76-76, 78-74, 80-72.

Fox (14-0-1, 4 KOs), who is 6-foot-5, was able to keep Day at distance with his highly effective jab, averaging 54 jabs a round with a total of 436 jabs thrown in just eight rounds. Day (9-1, 5 KOs), who went past six rounds for the first time in his career, wasn’t able to come forward and looked frustrated in later rounds as he entered unchartered territory.

“I was able to land my jab,” said the 22-year-old Fox. “I kept moving and was able to stay off the ropes. I kept him on the outside with my jabs and movement. That definitely was the advantage that I had over him in the fight. It wasn’t just my height that worked; it was my movement and range.

“I was anxious before the fight, but once I was in the ring I settled down,” said Fox, who was making his SHOWTIME debut. “I’m very thankful for the opportunity and am very excited for big things to come.”

Day seemed frustrated with the decision saying, “I think I did enough to win. I think that I landed the better, harder, cleaner, more effective punches.  I thought that’s how professional boxing is scored, but I guess not tonight.  His height wasn’t a huge issue because I still think I won, but it was definitely an obstacle.”

Credit: Esther Lin/SHOWTIME

In the ShoBox: The New Generation opening bout, 2012 Olympian Ievgen “Ukrainian Lion” Khytrov (8-0, 8 KOs) remained undefeated with a dominating third-round technical knockout victory over outmatched Maurice “The Natural” Louishomme (8-1-1, 4 KOs).

Khytrov, of Brooklyn, N.Y., by way of Ukraine, controlled the fight from the outset, lighting up Louishomme, of Colorado Springs, Colo., with aggressive right hands and uppercuts to the body that sent Louishomme staggering on multiple occasions in a fight that was entirely one-sided.

Khytrov was highly accurate, landing 53 percent of his power punches, 51 percent of his jabs and 52 percent of his total punches. Referee Ray Corona stopped the fight just 24 seconds into the third round after a hard right from Khytrov sent Louishomme’s mouthpiece flying for the third time and awarded Khytrov the technical knockout.

“I was just concentrating and trying to get some work in,” Khytrov said. “I wasn’t in there just looking for the knockout.  I was looking for chances, but I wasn’t going to force it.  The plan was to get some rounds in and really start pushing in the fourth.

“I’m ready to take on anyone. It’s been hard to get fights, but we’re just going to go home and prepare for the next one.”