The Past Week in Action 11 September 2023

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.

Highlights:

-Yves Ngabu halts champion Floyd Masson in six rounds to win the IBO cruiserweight title

-Christian Mbilli gets his 25^th win and Steve Claggett continues his run of victories in Canad

-Radivoje Kalajdzic, William Foster and Jonas Sultan win in Plant City

– Zaur Abdullaev, Vidan Minasov, and Evgeny Romanov are victorious on a crowded show in Chelyabinsk

 

SEPTEMBER 6

 

Chiang Mai, Thailand: Bantam: Petch CP Freshmart (73-1) W TKO 4 Pnhi Vinh To(3-1).

Petch stops an incredibly gutsy Vinh To in the fourth round. In the first Vinh kept trying to take then fight to Petch throwing punches but was walking onto left hooks and uppercuts. A left to the side of the head put Vinh To down in the second. He made it to his feet and continued to walk into punishment despite being shaken a number of times and with his mouthguard knocked out of his mouth at the bell. Vinh To has no reverse gear so he absorbed a brutal beating in the third and was cut over his right eye and floored by a straight left. He just got up and walked forward throwing punches. In the fourth Vinh To drove Petch to the ropes and unloaded a bunch of punches. Petch seemed to have tired from hitting Vinh To and Vinh To was connecting with hooks from both hands and had Petch stumbling back. Vinh survived a doctor’s inspection of cut and as the action restarted Petch uncorked a wicked right hook   that sent Vinh To crashing to the canvas with the referee immediately halting the fight. Petch (Tasana Salapat) was making the third defence of the ABC Asian title and makes it 52 wins by KO/TKO. He was 48-0 at the start of his career before losing on points against Takuma Inoue for the WBC interim title, and has now won his last 23 fights.  Vietnamese Vinh To showed an iron chin but was disgracefully over matched. The three fighters he had beaten had never won a fight.

 

Plant City, FL, USA: Radivoje Kalajdzic (28-2) W TKO 8 Michael Ellison (14-5). Super Feather: William Foster (16-0) W TKO 9 Misael Lopez (14-4,1ND). Bantam: Jonas Sultan (19-6) W PTS 8 Frank Gonzalez (12-4).

Kalajdzic vs. Ellison

Serbian-born Kalajdzic pounds Ellison to defeat in eight one-sided rounds. From the opening bell Ellison was having problems with the speed and accuracy of Kalajdzic’s jab. Ellison attacked hard at the start of the second and third but Kalajdzic fended him off and took control behind his jab following in with rights to the head. Ellison connected with a big right late in the third but was bleeding heavily from the nose by the end of the round. Kalajdzic was again on target with his jab in the fourth and landed some heavy right crosses with Ellison swinging wildly and missing. Ellison drove forward throwing punches in the fifth but was being caught with counters and he had no answer to Kalajdzic’s jab and in the sixth was increasing under fire from rights. Kalajdzic coasted through the seventh circling Ellison with jabs and just covering up when Ellison threw wild punches. In the eighth a right from Kalajdzic sent Ellison down heavily. He beat the count but Kalajdzic jumped on him and connected with a couple of head punches that had Ellison reeling and the fight was stopped. Now twenty wins by KO/TKO for Kalajdzic. His losses have come in the form of a split decision against Marcus Browne and a fifth round stoppage by Artur Beterbiev in a challenge for the IBF title in 2019. This is his fourth win since then. England’s Ellison suffers his second inside the distance defeat in his first fight in the USA.

Foster vs. Lopez

Foster wins the vacant WBA Fedecentro belt with ninth round victory over Lopez. Foster made an impressive start using his longer reach jabbing strongly then coming in behind the jab  with long rights and left hooks to the body. By the third Lopez had a swelling by his right eye and was almost floored only keeping himself from falling by grabbing the top rope. Foster continued to pound Lopez in the fourth but Lopez banged back with some useful left hook to the body. Both looked tired in an untidy fifth. Lopez started to clown around in the sixth flapping his arm and taunting Foster. That seemed to unsettle Foster but in the seventh Foster was back on top driving Lopez around the ring landing a series of rights to the head and taunting Lopez. Forster continued to land rights to the head in the eighth. Lopez fired back but was being allowed to take too much punishment. Uppercuts from Powell snapped Lopez’s head back twice and at the end of the round a booming right sent Lopez tumbling back and down. He made it to his feet and the bell had gone. There was more pain for Lopez in the ninth and he was allowed to take too much punishment until he slumped to the floor under a series of punches and the referee signalled the end.  Tenth inside the distance win for Foster. His brother Charles is a light heavyweight with a 22-1 record. Third loss this year for a too brave Lopez

Sultan vs. Gonzalez

Sultan floors and outpoints Gonzalez. Sultan attacked hard in the first and in the second Sultan showered Gonzalez with punches pursuing Gonzalez around the ring until Gonzalez tumbled to the canvas and was given a count. Gonzalez saw out the round but was rocked a couple of time in the third and fourth. A Sultan left hook dropped Gonzalez to his hands and knees butSultan then landed a couple more punches whilst Gonzalez was on his knees and was deducted two points. Sultan finished strongly with Gonzalez constantly holding and making it to the last bell. Sultana scored a big win when he outpointed John Riel Casimero in 2017 but lost on points to Jerwin Ancajas in a shot at the IBF super flyweight title in 2018 and against Paul Butler for the interim WBO belt in February 2022 and this is his first fight since then. Local fighter Gonzalez was coming off three low level wins in Colombia.

 

SEPTEMBER 7

 

Montreal, Canada: Super Light: Mathieu Germain (23-2-1) W PTS 8 Jose de Leon Jasso (13-4-1. Light: Lucas Bahdi (15-0) W TKO 5 Eliot Chavez (11-6-1).

Germain vs. Jasso

Germain  cruises to victory against limited Mexican Jasso. Germain was much too skilful for a tough Jasso and won a wide unanimous decision on scores of 80-72, 79-74 and 78-74. Fifth win in a row including victories over domestic opposition in the form of Steve Claggett and Steven Wilcox. Jasso is 0-2 in Canada after losing to unbeaten Mark Smithers in July.

Bahdi vs. Chavez

“Prince” Bahdi again shows his power with a fifth round kayo of Chavez. Bahdi floored Chavez in then fifth and although Chavez made it to his feet a right and left from Bahdi put him down again and he knelt and made no attempt to get up. Bahdi won his first eleven fights by KO/TKO seven in the first round. This is inside the distance victory No 13 for the Canadian a double Canadian champion in the amateurs. Fourth loss by KO/TKO for Chavez who in his last fight in July last year lost on a disqualification against Harlem Eubank for twice hitting after the break call.

 

Indio, CA, USA: Bantam: Manuel Flores (16-1) W KO 2 Jerson Ortiz (17-,1ND). Welter: Raul Curiel (13-0) W KO 10 Courtney Pennington (17-7-3).

Flores vs. Ortiz

Flores stops an eccentric Ortiz in the second round. Ortiz was ducking low then throwing himself forward slinging wild and wide punches and Flores caught him with a left hook  that dropped him. Ortiz was up quickly but sent down again later in the round by a left but beat the count and ducked and held to the bell. A left hook staggered Ortiz in the second and when he went down under a series of punches the referee just waiving then fight over. Twelfth win by KO/TKO for Flores and sixth loss in his last seven fights for Ortiz.

Curiel vs. Pennington

Curiel halts Pennington just ten seconds before the end of the tenth round. Curiel was coming forward in the first with Pennington on the back foot stabbing out jabs with Garcia vainly trying to cut off the ring. Pennington was a bit more adventurous in the second staying in the centre of the ring and trying some rights before circling the ring to frustrate Curiel. With clever movement Pennington’s evaded Curiel’s attacks in the third and fourth with Curiel finally managing some success with hooks at the end of the fifth. Pennington looked to be slowing in the sixth with Curiel scoring with hooks to the body and Pennington holding more. Curiel upped the pressure in the seventh and had a big eighth trapping Pennington in a corner and unloading punches to the bell before doing a little dance of delight on the way back to his corner. Pennington was forced to stand and trade in the ninth. Pennington was exhausted in the tenth and with thirty seconds left Pennington decided to put in a strong finish but that put him in the line of fire and when a series of punches sent him back into the ropes the referee stopped the fight with only ten seconds remaining in the round. Curiel was making the third defence of the NABF belt. Pennington, 36, was coming off a low-level win but retired after six rounds against James Metcalf in December.

 

SEPTEMBER 8

 

Gatineau, Canada: Super Middle: Christiaan Mbilli (25-0) W KO 4 Demond Nicholson (26-6-1). Super Light: Steve Claggett (36-7-2) W PTS 10 Carlos Sanchez (24-2). Middle: Alexandre Gaumont (9-0) W PTS 8 Ulices Tovar (8-1). Light: Luis Santana (10-0) W TKO 2 Sergio Palafox (9-4).

Mbilli vs. Nicholson

The middleweight division is in limbo until Saul Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo is over and done with but Mbilli is waiting in the background to land a title shot. He put in another impressive performance here as he dismantled experienced Nicholson in four rounds. He forced the taller Nicholson to take a knee with a body punch with just 57 seconds-gone in the first round. Nicholson survived but was down again in the second from a right to the head. Mbilli attacked hard in the third looking for a finishing punch but Nicholson survived to the bell. Mbilli cornered Nicholson in the fourth and blasted Nicholson to the floor with a left to end the fight. The Cameroons born Mbilli has only been taken the distance four times. He is No 1 with the WBC and was making the fifth defence of the WBC Continental Americas belt. Nicholson was the first fighter to take Edgar Berlanga past the first round when losing on points against Berlanga and his other losses have been against Jesse Hart and Demetrius Andrade.

Claggett vs. Sanchez

Claggett floors Sanchez three times and wins by a mile on the cards. Claggett has been in great form with six consecutive inside the distance wins in a row. He tried hard to make it seven but a determined Sanchez refused to crumble. Claggett sent Sanchez to his knees with a left to the body in the fourth and he was down again early in the sixth from a left hook. The third knockdown came from body punches in the seventh but Sanchez made it to his feet and to the final bell. Claggett won on scores of 99-89 twice and 98-89 to retain the NABF belt. In his current run Claggett has beaten Tony Luis, 26-2-2 Rafael Guzman and former WBA secondary title holder Alberto Machado inside the distance. Second loss by KO/TKO for Mexican Sanchez who was coming off wins over 20-2-2 Elvis Torres and 21-0 Alexander Duran.

Gaumont vs. Tovar

Home town fighter Gaumont wins by three scores of 79-73 but the fight was by no means that one-sided. Tovar took the fight to Gaumont in every round with Gaumont on target with jabs and left hooks. Undeterred Tovar just kept coming and there were plenty of fierce exchanges. Gaumont had to rebound from a low blow in the second and was badly shaken in the third but opened a cut over Tovar’s left eye in the fourth.  Gaumont won but he knew he had been in a fight after having taken less than seven rounds to win his last four fights and going past the fourth round for the first time.

Santana vs. Palafox

Santana stops Palafox in two rounds. The visitor from Mexico came in seven pounds over the contract weight but Santana blew away Palafox with the referee stopping the fight in the second. The 25-year-old from Montreal is a former Canadian Junior, Youth, National and Golden Gloves champion. Palafox was having his first fight since December 2031.

 

Casoria, Italy: Light: Gianluca Picardi (12-2) W PTS 10 Rafael Hernandez (36-18-4).

Picardi wins the vacant IBF Mediterranean belt as he floors and outpoints Hernandez. The hometown southpaw had too much skill for Hernadez but does not have the power to go with it. He dropped Hernandez in the fifth and won every round. Scores 100-89 twice and 99-90. Hernandez, 42, had been 4-0-1 in his last five fights but against very low standard domestic opposition.

 

Chelyabinsk, Russia: Light: Zaur Abdullaev (18-1) W RTD 3 Roman Andreev (25-1). Light: Vidan Minasov (12-1) W PTS 10 Rene Alvarado (33-13). Super Light: Ivan Kozlovsky (9-0) W PTS 10 Isa Chaniev (15-5-1). Super Light: Khariton Agrba (12-0) W RTD 9 Alexander Duran (21-2). Middle : Vadim Tukov (12-0) W KO 4 John Bopape (14-9) Super Feather: Ivan Chirkov (11-0) W PTS 10 Edixon Perez (27-9-1). Heavy: Evgeny Romanov (19-0) W PTS 10 Wilmer Vasquez (12-2-2). Super Middle: Pavel Silyagin (13-0-1) DREW 10 Evgeny Shevdenko(16-1-1).

Abdullaev vs. Andreev

Abdullaev impresses in beating Andreev on a third round retirement. Andreev was the aggressor driving forward throwing rights but Abdullaev dropped him with a counter in the first . Andreev was still piling forward in the second and third but Abdullaev was boxing cooly behind  a sound defence and was piercing Andreev’s defence with damaging jabs. By the end of the third Andreev was bleeding heavily from a cut on the bridge of his nose and choose not to continue. Armenian Abdullaev, 29, has beaten former WBC lightweight champion Dejan Zlaticanin, Jorge Linares, Jovanni Saffron and Ricardo Nunez and now Andreev in his last five fights.  Andreev, 37, was having his first fight since winning the WBO Gold title in November 2020.

Minasov vs. Alvarado

Minasov outpoints Alvarado. This fight went in three stages. The younger and quicker Minasov went in front in the early rounds. Alvarado came on over the middle rounds as Minasov struggle to maintain the pace he had set. It looked as through Alvarado might do enough to pinch the decision but Minasov found something extra and finished strongly rocking Alvarado in the tenth. Minasov got the decision but no scores were announced. This is a big win for 26-year-old Minasov and was a big hurdle in quality of opposition even though Alvarado, a former holder of the secondary WBA super feather title, had lost 5 of his last 6 fights.

Kozlovsky vs. Chaniev

Kozlovsky gets another “name” victim as he wins a majority decision over Chaniev. It was an entertaining mix of styles with Chaniev aggressive and attacking and southpaw Kozlovsky defending well and countering. The better quality work came from Kozlovsky and he looked a clear winner but one judge disagreed with two judges giving it to Kozlovsky 98-92 and 97-93 and the third scoring it 95-95. The Russian southpaw had beaten a way over the hill former IBF, IBO and WBA super lightweight champion Julius Indongo in May and Chaniev had lost to Richard Commey for the vacant IBF lightweight title in 2019.

Agrba vs. Duran

Agrba remained unbeaten with a win over Panamanian Duran. There were no knockdowns but the power and hand speed of Agrba were too much for Duran. Agrba consistently found the target with rights to the head and Duran did not come out for the tenth round. Southpaw Agrba, twice Russian champion and a European Games silver medal winner is claimed to have had a 305-16 record as an amateur but Box Rec shows 17 losses. Panamanian Duran lost his unbeaten record when he was defeated on a technical decision by Mexican Carlos Sanchez in April.

Tukov vs. Bopape

Tukov gets his fifth inside the distance victory as he beats South Africa Bopape in four rounds. Tukov floored Bopape twice in the second round and ended it in the fourth. A right to the head and a left hook to the body had Bopape turning away spitting out his mouthguard and going down on his knees to be counted out. Tukov is making steady progress. South African champion Bopape had won his last five bouts.

Chirkov vs. Perez

Chirkov wins a unanimous decision over Perez in a competitive scrap. Chirkov had the longer reach and better skills and was catching the oncoming Perez with hooks and uppercuts. Perez was rocked a few times but Chirkov is not a big puncher and Perez kept advancing being able to work inside and land some useful shots of his own to make it an uncomfortable night for Chirkov but the home boxer was a good winner. No scores announced. This was Chirkov’s first ten round fight and he paced it well. Venezuelan Perez was 3-0-1 in recent action.

Romanov vs. Vasquez

Romanov outpoints Vasquez. The obese Vasquez managed to land a few punches in the first but after than he slowed and was an easy target for Romanov’s jabs and straight rights. It was a slow ponderous fight with Romanov having to go the full ten rounds to take the unanimous decision. This was one of the fights on the show for which the scores were not announced. The 38-year-old Romanov had been hoping to get a shot at the WBC Bridgerweight title but was dropped from the WBC ratings when the sanctions against Russian boxers came into force. He can point to one interesting result from his time as an amateur having stopped Deontay Wilder in three rounds in a Russia vs. USA International in 2008. Vasquez, 42, competed at the 2004 Olympics and then turned pro. He went 9-0-2 and then was inactive from 2010 until 2019. He fought at 91kg (200lbs) at the Olympics but was 297lbs for this fight 65lbs heavier than Romanov.

Silyagin vs. Shvedenko

This looked a good match on paper and there were high hopes it would turn out to be a good fight. That did not happen. It was a very low key fight with too many clinches and both boxers having difficulty putting together any sustained attacks and lacking accuracy in their work. It was announced as a split draw but again no scores were given. A disappointing performance from unbeaten Silyagin. Shvedenko had lost his unbeaten tag when he was defeated on points by William Skull in July last year.

 

Glasgow, Scotland: Heavy: Joe McFarlane (15-8) W TKO 8 Mohammad Saleem (5-1).

McFarlane wins the vacant Scottish Area heavyweight title with an eighth round stoppage of Saleem. Both are big heavy guys so it was very much a trial of strength and a tough, entertaining one.  McFarlane came out on top with an eighth round stoppage. He is a former Scottish Area cruiserweight champion and was having his second shot at the heavyweight title. Scottish heavyweight champions are a bit like the standing joke about busses. When McFarlane lost to Nick Campbell for the vacant title last year it was the first Scottish Area heavyweight title fight for 71 years now two have come along in 18 months. Fijian-born Saleem gave his all and will want another shot.

 

SEPTEMBER 9

 

Buenos Aires, Argentina: Light Fly: Junior Zarate (22-4) W PTS 10 German Valenzuela (17-6). Minimum: Sol Cudos (6-0-2) W PTS 10 Jazmin Villarino (6-3-2). Super Light: Ruben Neri Munoz (14-1) W TKO 4 Azel Peralta (10-5-2).

Zarate vs. Valenzuela

Zarate successfully defended his IBF Latino title with a unanimous decision over Mexican Valenzuela. Zarate made the better start and moved into a lead. Valenzuela gradually overcame his slow start and the fight was close at the end of the sixth. Zarate took control after knocking Valenzuela down in the seventh and he outscored Valenzuela over the closing rounds to win on scores of 98-91, 97-92 and 96-93. Zarate, 32, has now won his last eight fights. Valenzuela falls to 1-4 in his last 5 fights.

Cudos vs. Villarino

Cudos make history as she becomes the first Argentinian and South American minimumweight champion. This one was mostly fought inside. The early rounds were well balanced but over the second half of the fight the strength and higher work rate of Cudos proved the difference and she took the decision on scores of 99-91, 97-93 and 96-94. A good win over Villarino a former WBA gold champion who lost on points against Seniesa Estrada for the WBA minimum title in November.

Munoz vs. Peralta

Munoz wins the vacant IBF Latina title with fourth round stoppage of Peralta. The heavy punching Neri demolished Peralta. He was landing hurtful straight rights and left hooks to the body over the first two rounds and a left hook to the body had Peralta dropping to one knee in the third. In the fourth Munoz backed Peralta into a corner and landed a right cross that had Peralta slumping to the canvas and taking the full count. Munoz registers his tenth victory by KO/TKO. He lost on points to Orlando Mosquera in May in Panama for this same title which then became vacant. One win in his last five outings for Peralta.

 

Gold Coast, Australia: Fly: Andres Campos (16-1) W KO 8 Bienvenido Ligas (15-4-2).

Chilean Campos wins the vacant IBO Inter-Continental title with an eighth round victory over Filipino Ligas. Campos continually marched forward in the early rounds getting inside the taller man’s guard and putting Ligas under pressure. Ligas was forced onto the back foot but he was scoring with accurate counters and shook Campos a couple of times. Body punching from Campos began to have their effect from the sixth with Ligas down in the seventh and a series of body punches in the eighth saw Ligas drop to his knees and he was counted out. Campos was having his first fight since losing to Sunny Edwads in a challenge for the IBF title in June. First inside the distance loss for Philippines champion Ligas.

 

Moreton Bay, Australia: Cruiser: Yves Ngabu (22-2.1ND) W TKO 6 Floyd Masson (13-1). Cruiser: Luke Modini (10-0) W KO 2 Benjamin Kelleher (16-6-2).

Ngabu vs. Masson

Ngabu bludgeons Masson to defeat in six bloody rounds to lift the Australian’s IBO title. Ngabu was padding forward behind a high guard waiting to get inside before throwing punches. Masson was circling the ring stabbing out right jabs and trying rights to find gaps in Ngabu’s guard. At the end of the round Masson scored with a series of lefts and rights but Ngabu shrugged them off. Ngabu went to work in the second crowding the retreating Masson and getting through with hefty body punches. Some of Ngabu attacks were wild but he was muscling Masson against the ropes denying Masson punching room. At the start of the third a right from Ngabu sent Masson staggering back into the ropes and he went as far down as the lower ropes before rebounding. Since the ropes clearly held Masson up he should have been given a count. Masson tried to stand and use straight lefts to put Ngabu on the back foot but Ngabu was walking through the punches and brawling inside. He was landing clubbing shots from both hands rocking Masson with a left late in the round. Masson started the fourth trying to dance around the ring but Ngabu did a good job of cutting off the ring. Masson put together a useful set of punches but they were having no effect on Ngabu and Masson was now badly cut over his right eye, on the bridge of his nose and from his mouth. His face was looking a mess. The referee asked the doctor to examine Masson at the start of the fifth round but the doctor let the fight continue. Masson tried to stand and swap punches but was driven back and his was a lost cause. In the sixth a left hook had Masson stumbling sideways and then down to his hands and knees. He made it to his feet but stumbled and was unsteady and the referee stopped the fight. Belgian Ngabu was a dangerous choice. His losses had come in a seventh round stoppage by Lawrence Okolie which cost Ngabu his European title and a split decision against Evgeny Tishchenko in Russia in May that was blatant robbery.-so some justice for Ngabu. Masson was making the first defence of the title he won with a points victory over Fabio Turchi in April but Ngabu was just too strong and Masson had neither the punch or the strength to keep the Belgian out.

Modini vs. Kelleher

Modini wins the Australian title with one punch kayo of champion Kelleher. Both were cautious in the first with the taller Modini just sticking out his right jab and trying to find the range with his left and Kelleher circling looking for a chance to get inside. Modini started the second sending out straight lefts but both continued to be cautious until Modini stepped inside and landed a short left to the head that dropped Keller face down on the floor. Kelleher rolled around trying to get up but was counted out. Eighth inside the distance win for the 6’3” Modini. Kelleher was making the first defence of the national title.

 

Munich, Germany: Light Heavy: Shefat Isufi (38-4-2) W PTS 10 Armenak Hovhannisyan (14-4-1). Light Heavy: Ezequiel Maderna (31-11) W T KO 3 Timur Nikarkhoev (26-6). Light Heavy: Yehor Velikovskyi (10-0) W TKO 8 Omar Garcia (18-10).

Isufi vs. Hovhannisyan

Isufi overcomes a slow start to win a wide decision over Hovhannisyan. It was Hovhannisyan who made a promising start doing enough to take the first round and keep the fight close to the end of the fourth. From there Isufi took control he outworked Hovhannisyan who slowed as he tired. Isufi never had Hovhannisyan in any trouble as he bossed the action in a fight that never caught fire. Scores 99-91 twice and 98-92 for Serbian-born German Isufi. He lost on Points against Billy Joe Saunders in a fight for the vacant WBO super middle title in 2019 and this is his eleventh win since then. Hovhannisyan is 1-3 in his last four fights.

Maderna vs. Nikarkhoev

Maderna gets a rare away win as he stops Belgian Nikarkhoev in the third round.  There was an early indication of danger when Maderna rocked Nikarkhoev with a left hook late in the first and the second was close with Maderna having a slight edge. In the third as Nikarkhoev came forward he let his right drift away and Maderna hammered home a left hook to Nikarkhoev’s head which sent Nikarkhoev down on his back. He beat the count but Maderna landed a series of hooks and uppercuts that sent Nikarkhoev flying into the ropes and the referee came in to save Nikarkhoev. Maderna is now 2-9 in fights outside of Argentina with the other win being a fifth round kayo of unbeaten English prospect Karol Itauma in January. Fifth loss by KO/TKO for Russian-born Nikarkhoev

Velikovskyi vs. Garcia

Velikovskyi stops Garcia in the eighth round. Velikovskyi used his edges in height and reach to control the action. Garcia’s attacks were few and wild and it was a dull one-sided fight with few highlights. Velikovskyi had problems with the negative survival tactics of Garcia. It was a surprise when in the eighth Velikovskyi exploded with a right cross that sent Garcia down heavily. Garcia made it to his feet but the follow-up attack from Velikovskyi saw the referee stop the fight. First fight for nine months and his sixth win by KO/TKO for Velikovskyi. Venezuelan Garcia has lost 5 of his last 6 fights.

 

Nagoya, Japan: Fly: Kento Hatanaka (15-0) W PTS 12 Akira Hoshuyama (9-1).

Local fighter Hatanaka wins this clash of unbeaten fighters to lift the vacant WBO Asia Pacific title on a close unanimous decision in a great scrap. Hatanaka made the perfect start as he dropped Hoshuyama with a left to the body in the first round.  Hoshuyama banged back scoring with plenty of southpaw lefts and the fight developed into a toe-for-toe battle for round after round until they both eventually tired from the frantic pace with Hoshuyama just failing to claw back the points from the impetus that early knockdown gave Hatanaka with the judges scoring it 115-112 twice and 114-113 for Hatanaka. Kento is aiming to emulate his father Kiyoshi who was WBC super-bantam champion in 1991.

 

Hermosillo, Mexico: Super Light: David Moreno (16-0-1 W PTS 10 Dubiel Sanchez (20-2-2).

David Moren outpoints a tenacious Sanchez. Southpaw Sanchez had a good first round. He was lunging inside hustling Moreno and landing hooks from both hands. Moreno settled in the second round landing at distance and countering Sanchez on the way in. Moreno was the one doing the pressing in the third. He was using his jab to put Sanchez on the back foot and Sanchez was having trouble getting inside to work. They traded punches in a wild fifth as Sanchez tried to battle his way inside and was wildly flinging punches but the quality punches were coming from Moreno  and he upped his output handing out plenty of punishment. The pace seemed to slow at the start of the sixth as Sanchez looked for openings instead of diving in but by the seventh Sanchez was back to trying to beat down Moreno’s defence with the sheer volume of his punches but with little power or accuracy and Moreno was scoring with jabs and straight rights. Sanchez never stopped flinging himself forward eating counters to get inside where he could pump out short hooks and at times it looked as though he might overwhelm Moreno but Moreno, although clearly tiring, kept making space and countering and outfought Sanchez over the closing rounds to be a clear winner. Scores 99-90. 97-92 and 96-93 for Moreno. The 21-year-old from Tijuana was given a tough test in his second venture at ten rounds. The draw on his record came against 26-2-1 Rafael Guzman and he won the WBC Silver title in April. Sanchez, also from Tijuana, lost on a late stoppage against 20-3 Jorge Garcia in 2021 but had rebounded with three inside the distance victories.

 

Panama City, Panama: Light: Pablo Vicente (23-1,1ND) W TKO 2 Jorge Moya (13-2-1).

Vicente has an easy night as he halts Colombian Moya. After dominating the first he ended the contests with body punches in the second. That’s now 17 wins by KO/TKO for the Cuban who is No 2 with the WBC and No 4 with the WBA.

 

Fight of the week: (Significance): Christian Mbilli’s latest win cements his place as No 1 with the WBC.

Fight of the week: (Entertainment):The fight in Nagoya between Kento Hatanaka and Akira Hoshuyama was a great scrap

Fighter of the week: Yves Ngabu for his brutal stoppage of Floyd Masson to lift the IBO cruiserweight title

Punch of the week: The right hook from Petch C-P Freshmart that finished Pinh Vinh To was brutal. Honourable mention to the left hook from Ezequiel Maderna that floored Timur Nikarkhoev.

Upset of the week: No real shocks as Ngabu looked a tough opponent for Masson

Prospect watch: Super Featherweight William Foster III 17-0 looked good in beating Misael Lopez

 

Observations

Rosette: Nothing outstanding

Red Card: To William Foster III. With Misael Lopez receiving treatment after taking heavy punishment Forster mimed digging a grave then walked over to where Lopez was being treated and mimicked dragging Liopez’s body across to the grave dumping it in and stamping the ground flat. Infantile and unacceptable.

Observations:

-Two good nicknames this week: Jonas “One Punch Zorro” and Demond Nicholson “D’Bestatit”

-Matching 73-1 Petch CP Freshmart against 3-1 Pnhi Vinh To was a disgrace and it was compounded by the amount of punishment Vinh To was allowed to take. This was a WBC ABC title fight so the WBC needs to have a long hard look at this as it was a disgrace to boxing and the WBC’s name is right there with it.