The Past Week in Action 17 June 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.

                                   The Past Week in Action 17 June 2015

June 10

 

Tokyo, Japan: Super Bantam: Shingo Wake (19-4-2) W PTS 12 Mike Tawatchai (35-8-1). Feather: Hisashi Amagasa (29-5-2) W PTS 10 Patomsith (12-3).

Wake vs. Tawatchai

Wake wins IBF eliminator with wide decision over Tawatchai. The Japanese southpaw was just too quick for his slower Thai opponent. Wake had the physical advantages to box on the outside and Tawatchai was always a step behind the much quicker local fighter. The movement and hand speed of Wake allowed him to build a commanding lead. He opened a cut over the left eye of Tawatchai in the third and had him ready to go in the seventh but just could close the fight out. Tawatchai fought hard and did a bit better over the late rounds but was in deep trouble in the last. A left floored the Thai just before the last bell and the referee counted to the eight and the bell went. Scores 119-110 twice and 118-109. Nine wins in a row for Wake, 27, who is now the mandatory challenger for Carl Frampton. Tawatchai was the highest rated challenger in the IBF ratings at No 3 as the No 1 and 2 spots were vacant. How the 29-year-old got to be that high only the IBF know.

Amagasa vs. Patomsith

Amagasa towered over Thai Patomsith and handy out a steady beating to his game opponent. The 5’10 ½” (179cm) Japanese fight floored southpaw Patomsith in the fifth with a left to the body but the Thai showed grit by getting up and having a good sixth round and was still there at the final bell. Scores 99-91, 98-91 and 98-92. Amagasa came near to fame when he floored Guillermo Rigondeaux twice in a challenge for the WBA/WBO super bantam titles in December only to be halted in the eleventh. This is his first fight since then and he is rated WBO 12.Patomsith retained his record of not being stopped but is an uninspiring 4-4 in his last 8 fights.

 

Khon Kaen, Thailand: Bantam: Suriyan (43-6-1) W TKO 2 Jomar Fajardo (14-8-2). Super Fly: Kongfah (22-0) W TKO 5 Wilbur Andogan (10-20-4)

Suriyan vs. Fajardo

Suriyan gets fortunate win over Filipino Fajardo. Suriyan was his usual implacable self coming forward behind a stiff jab and throwing straight rights. Fajardo was boxing cleverly with good movement and looking to counter, Suriyan got through with some good shots but Fajardo was ducking under the rights and staying out of trouble. In the second Suriyan was following his rights with left hooks which were catching Fajardo as he ducked away from the rights. The fight was warming up when Suriyan landed a left and  as Fajardo was backing away from another punch he fell backwards to the canvas. At first the referee waived his hands to say no knockdown but Fajardo was sitting on the canvas indicating a problem with his right shoulder and the fight was stopped with Suriyan the winner. The former WBC super fly champion has lost only one of his last 22 fights. Fajardo, 23, is 0-4-1 in his last 5 fights and the draw was a shock draw with Francisco Rodriguez the undefeated IBF/WBO champion.

Kongfah vs. Andogan

Kongfah moves to 22 wins and shows both his strengths and weaknesses. For the local the good part was his stalking of Andogan following him around the ring and when he had Andogan on the ropes firing bunches of hooks to the body. The bad part was how wide open he was with Andogan scoring time and again with straight rights in centre ring and with head-jerking uppercuts when on the ropes. Luckily for Kongfah Andogan is no puncher so the Thai was able to keep pressing and pressing. Despite scoring with those uppercuts in the fifth at the end of the round Andogan indicated a problem with his left hand and was unable to continue. The 23-year-old Kongfah is exciting to watch and has won 6 of his last 7 by KO/TKO but his defence is very porous. Andogan, 25, fought hard but did not have the power to get Kongfah’s respect.

 

June 12

 

Chicago, IL, USA: Super Welter: Erislandy Lara (21-2-2) W PTS 12 Delvin Rodriguez (28-8-4). Light Heavy: Artur Beterbiev (9-0) W TKO 7 Alex Johnson (16-3). Heavy: Artur Szpilka (19-1) W TKO 3 Manuel Quezada (29-10).Middle: Domonique Dolton (17-0) W TKO 5 Victor Fonesca (9-6-1). Cruiser: Eleider Alvarez (17-0) W TKO 2 Anatoliy Dudchenko (19-4).

Lara vs. Rodriguez

Lara hands out a beating to brave but limited Rodriguez to retain his WBA secondary title.

The Cuban southpaw was too quick and accurate and just could not miss Rodriguez with his right or the straight lefts. The pattern changed little in the one-sided bout with Rodriguez trying to get inside only to be caught time and again with that Lara jab and rocked by hard lefts. In the fifth a perfect right jab/straight right sent Rodriguez back and down to the canvas. He was up easily enough and the bell went before Lara could capitalise on that success. It seemed at times as though Lara was content to cruise along in second gear. He hurt Rodriguez again at the end of the eighth and outboxed the slower man over the ninth and tenth. Lara landed a left in the eleventh which had Rodriguez tumbling backwards and down but this time it was due to their legs becoming tangled and no count was applied. Lara had Rodriguez wobbling in the last but failed to press and settled for a wide decision. Scores 120-107 from all three judges. First defence of his WBA title for 32-year-old Lara and he also wins the vacant IBO title. His only losses have been a majority decision to Paul Williams and a split decision against Saul Alvarez. Wins over Alfredo Angulo, Austin Trout and Ishe Smith are not the ingredients of legendary status and Lara must be careful not to end up bracketed with Guillermo Rigondeaux as talented but not exciting. Talent itself is not enough. Dominican-born 35-year-old Rodriguez was having his third world title shot having drawn and lost to Isaac Hlatshwayo in previous fights for the IBF welterweight title. He is now 4-6-2 in his last 12 fights and without a win since May 2013. He had been inactive for exactly a year when he suddenly was popped into the WBA ratings issued on 16 May at No 12 .

Beterbiev vs. Johnson

Bererbiev finally goes beyond the fourth round as substitute Johnson holds out until the seventh. Southpaw Johnson got throught the first round without damage as he used his jab on the outside and stifled Beterbiev’s attempts to work inside. Beterbiev had more success in the second putting Johnson under pressure and scoring with combinations to head and body and working Johnson over on the ropes in the third. The fourth saw the Russian getting into his stride with Johnson having to soak up some hurtful head shots but staying there to the end of the round to be the first fighter to make Beterbiev answer the bell for the fifth round. Beterbiev made him pay for that as he floored Johnson for the first time with a sharp left hook. Johnson was up early but again under pressure and later in the round a left/right combination sent Johnson tumbling into the ropes for a second count. Beterbiev eased the pressure a bit in the sixth allowing Johnson to stay on his feet but the Russian ended it in the seventh. He floored Johnson for the first time with a left hook and when he registered the second knockdown of the round with right hook the referee promptly halted the action. No real test for 30-year-old Beterbiev and he maintains his 100% score of wins by KO/TKO. Johnson, 33, was having his first fight for almost nine months and although he had halted one-time prospect Henry Buchanan in his last fight he had lost wide points decisions to Luis Garcia and Eleider Alvarez.

Szpilka vs. Quezada

“The Pin” gets easy win over a rapidly fading Quezada. The tall Pole boxed well. He was too quick for the plodding Quezada and worked the angles slamming home his southpaw jabs and scoring with fast, accurate combinations. Quezada, who was having his first fight for over a year never really got started and Szpilka was able to use his longer reach to slot home punches for all three rounds with Quezada deciding to retire at the end of the third. The 26-year-old Szpilka took ten months out after being halted in ten rounds by Bryant Jennings in January 2014 but got a big win in November when outpointing Tomasz Adamek and added a win over Ty Cobb in April. He has 14 wins by KO/TKO and is rated WBC 9/WBO 9/IBF 10(9). Mexican Quezada, 37, has lost six in a row now and this was his first fight since being crushed in two rounds by Andy Ruiz in May last year.

Dolton vs. Fonesca

Detroiter Dolton goes to 17 wins with victory over outclassed Fonesca. Dolton had too much of everything for Fonesca who was outpunched and outboxed in each of the five completed rounds. The Kronk trained Dolton worked the body continually and at the end of the fifth Fonesca retired. The tall 25-year-old Dolton won a gold medal at the Ringside World Championships and the US Blue & Gold Tournament but lost to Keith Thurman at the US  Olympic Trial for the 2008 Olympics. He has 9 wins by KO/TKO. Mexican Fonesca, 22, was having his first fight for seven months and had lost his last two but both to unbeaten fighters.

Alvarez vs. Dudchenko

“Storm” Alvarez is a real force at cruiser and is ready for bigger fish. He had Dudchenko under pressure in the first and finished it with one thunderous left hook early in the second. Dudchenko made it to his feet but the legs attached to those feet were going in different directions and the referee stopped the fight. The 31-year-old Colombian has 10 wins by KO/TKO. He had to go the full ten rounds to outpoint  Alex Johnson in May last year but scored a crushing victory over South African Ryno Liebenberg in October. Hand injuries have plagued him but he is a high class fighter. Ukrainian Dudchenko, 36, was having his first fight in just under a year following a seventh round stoppage loss against current IBF No 1 light heavy Nadjib Mohammedi

 

Rio Turbio, Argentina: Welter: Adrian L Veron (14-0) W TKO 3 Juan Pablo La Cuadra (18-2-2). This looked competitive on paper but “Chucky” Veron just brushed La Cuadra aside. La Cuadra was on the defensive from the start with Veron forcing him to the ropes and in control. He floored La Cuadra in the second and was bombarding him in the third when the fight was stopped after La Cuadra’s corner threw in the towel. The 26-year-old southpaw, an international class amateur, wins the vacant WBO Latino title and has 10 victories by KO/TKO. He is the FAB No 6. La Cuadra, 36, has a very heavily padded record built against very poor opposition outside the FAB sphere.

 

Edmonton, Canada: Light: Cam O’Connell (7-0-1) W PTS 8 Mike Perez (17-7-4). Super Welter: Sammy Vargas (21-2-1) W TKO 3 Cesar Chavez (26-9).

O’Connell vs. Perez

Good win for O’Connell as he floors and outpoints Mexican Perez. O’Connell had Perez on the back foot from the outset with the Mexican in survival mode early. O’Connell did a patient job of tracking Perez bossing the fight with his jab and slamming home body punches as Perez tried to cover up on the ropes. Perez fought back well enough with counters to pick up a round or two but was never a force. The hard work almost paid off for O’Connell in the last round as he floored Perez with a right but there was  just too little time remaining for him to finish the job and Perez survived. Scores 79-72, 79-73 and 78-73. First time at eight rounds for the Red Deer fighter, a former Canadian amateur champion, who had won his last four fight by KO/TKO. Toronto-based Perez, 30, is 2-2-2 in six fights in Canada.

Vargas vs. Chavez

Colombian Vargas rebounds from defeat to halt Chavez. Vargas pressurised the Mexican over the first two rounds before dropping Chavez with a left hook. Chavez managed to get up but was in no condition to continue and the fight was stopped. After winning his first16 fights the 26-year-old Vargas suffered an upset loss to Mexican Pablo Munguia. He then won his next five before being halted in four rounds by Errol Spence in April. Now 9 losses by KO/TKO for Chavez.

 

Tartu, Estonia: Middle: Artur Akavov (13-1) W Michel Mothmora 27-23).

Akavov retains the WBO European title with points victory over Frenchman Mothmora. The fight was a very staid affair over the first six rounds with Akavov generally edging things and having good rounds in the second and fourth but then the fight heated up. In the seventh a left from Akavov floored Mothmora who beat the count but was still shaky and bleeding heavily from the nose at the end of the round. Akavov looked on his way to an inside the distance victory when he again put Mothmora down in the eighth. The Frenchman has quite a few KO/TKO losses early in his career but has improved and he banged back in the ninth to put Akavov down. The remaining rounds were hard fought and close but Akavov got the unanimous decision. The 27-year-old Russian “ Wolverine” was making the second defence of his WBO title and has won his last 8 fights. Mothmora, 34, had turned his career around being 12-2 in his last 14 fight with the losses both being to Karim Achour for the French title.

 

Villeneuve sur Lot, France: Super Feather: Samir Ziani (20-2-1) W TKO 8 Sebastien Cornu (13-14-3). Ziani delights his local fans as he halts Cornu in eight to retain the French title. Cornu had the reach to box on the outside against the aggressive Ziani but instead chose to trade with the champion Ziani slowly broke down the challenger with hooks to head and body and fast left/right/left combinations. Cornu was already tiring by the fifth and was hurt and on shaky pins in the round. He made it through the sixth and seventh although taking heavy punishment. In the eighth two head punches put Cornu down. The challenger got up and seemed to want to continue but his trainer threw in the towel which should have happened earlier. Southpaw Ziani, 24, was making the first defence of his national title and gets only his fourth win by KO/TKO. He was unbeaten in his first 16 fights but in 2013 lost to Samir Kasmi for the vacant EU title and in December last year lost a close decision to Richard Commey. This is his second win since then. “Scorpion” Cornu, 31, fails at the third attempt to win the French title and has now lost his last 5 fights.

 

Calais, France: Middle: Joffrey Jacob (10-0) W PTS 8 Artur Sankowski (3-7)

Joffrey keeps the Jacob family tradition going by winning his tenth bout. The 23-year-old youngest member of the Calais fighting family spent the first round seeing what the Pole brought to the table and then went to work. He was quicker, more accurate and stronger scoring with quick combinations to head and body. Fortunately for Sankowski Jacob is a light puncher and the Pole was around to put in a big effort in the seventh but was still outboxed. The 23-year-old Jacob, the brother of European champion Romain Jacob, was up at eight rounds for the first time and topping a show for the first time. Sankowski is 3-5 in his last 8 fights.

 

Lichtenberg, Germany: Welter: Rico Mueller (19-1-1) W PTS 12 Rey Labao (27-7). Welter: Robert Maess (14-0) W RTD 9 Fernando Ferreira da Silva (33-5-1). Cruiser: Isa Akberbayev (16-0,1ND) W PTS 12 Julio Cesar Dos Santos (27-5).

Mueller vs. Labao

Mueller retains IBO Inter-Continental title with clear points win over Labao. The German was hard pushed at the start as Filipino Labao was quickly into his stride working inside and scoring to the body. After three rounds Mueller was finding a home time and again for well placed counters on the aggressive visitor and blocking the Filipino’s hooks. Mueller was hampered by a cut from a clash of heads but he boxed carefully and took the well deserved decision. The 27-year-old German was making the third defence of his title and had won his last 10 fights. Labao, the GAB light champion, is now 3-3 in his last 6 fights but in there are two wins in Japan against reasonable level opposition.

Maess vs. da Silva

Maess had to make the fight as da Silva spent most of the time circling the ring perimeter and just prodding right jabs. When he did come forward throwing punches sharp hooks and uppercuts from Maess quickly had him on his bike again. da Silva nailed Maess with a right cross in the second but it was the only punch he threw. Maess was moving in throwing 3 or 4 punches but then strangely backing off. However by the third he was following through with his attacks hammering home body punches with da Silva standing and trading more. The next four rounds showed little variation with Maess continuing to stride forward taking da Silva to the ropes and banging in left hooks and da Silva standing and trading in short bursts and rapidly tiring. Through the eighth and ninth da Silva was just soaking up hooks to the body and straight rights to the head and it was no surprise when he retired at the end of the ninth. The 24-year-ol Berliner has won all 14 fights by KO/TKO and collects the Global Boxing Council title. He is strong but limited and needs to cure himself of the habit of throwing 3 or 4 punches and then retreating instead of following through. da Silva, 37, has a typical Brazilian record heavily padded with home wins against poor opposition but he took Australian hope Jeff Horn the distance in July last year.

Akberbayev  vs. Dos Santos

Akberbayev retains his GBC title in his first defence with hard fought decision over Brazilian Dos Santos. This was the most competitive of the three fights with Dos Santos getting through with his share of hard punches and the Kazak fighter forced to dig deep to get the close unanimous decision but looking lucky to do so. The 31-year-old Kazak has been a traveller with his first 7 fights taking place in 6 different countries. The no decision on his record was a stoppage loss to Anthony Ferrante in New York which was changed to no decision when Ferrante tested positive for a banned substance. Dos Santos, 37, has mixed in good company such as Dymtro Kucher, Tony Bellew and Micki Nielsen in those five losses of his.

 

 Pathum Thani, Thailand: Super Feather: Terdsak (57-5-1) W KO 4 Roldan Aldea (9-2-1). Easy win for veteran Terdsak as he halts overmatched Filipino in five rounds. The 33-year-old Thai “Pit Bull” has only lost to the very best in Joan Guzman, Juan Manuel Marquez, Steve Luevano, Takahiro Ao and Orlando Salido. His bout with Salido was an epic with Salido down three times and Terdsak four but he has dropped out of the ratings so another shot at a title may never come. Aldea, 21, had won his last 7 fights but is a novice, brave but in over his head.

 

London, England: Light Heavy: Mike Shinkwin (11-0) W TKO 3 Bela Juhasz (9-5). Cruiser: Tony Conquest (15-2) W PTS 8 Jiri Svacina (12-15).

Shinkwin vs. Juhasz

Shinkwin extends his winning run to eleven with stoppage of Hungarian. The Southern Area champion had the fight well in hand and ended it in style in the third with a body punch that left Juhasz unable to continue. The Bushey 27-year-old gets his fourth win by KO/TKO and is ready to move up. Juhasz, 28, loses inside the distance for the third time and is now 6-3 in his last 9 fights.

Conquest vs. Svacina

Former CBC champion Conquest gets what he needs from tough Czech veteran Svacina-eight rounds of work. “The Conqueror” found himself up against a tricky opponent who did what he needed to stay there for the whole eight rounds without winning or sharing one. Referee’s score 80-72. Second win for Conquest since losing his CBC title to Ovill McKenzie in April last year. Svacina , 38, has lost his last 8 fights but has only lost twice by KO/TKO in his 27fights.

 

Glasgow, Scotland: Super Middle: David Brophy (13-0-1) WPTS 8 Darren McKenna (5-15-3). Super Welter: John Thain (12-2) W PTS 6 Chris Jenkinson (8-20-2).

Brophy vs. McKenna

Prospect Brophy shakes some rust with points win over McKenna. The up side was that he looked sharp and outboxed and outpunched the competitive McKenna who did enough to win a round and share another. The downside was Brophy being cut in a clash of heads but once that heals he will be looking to continue his march to a title. Referee’s score 79-73. The 25-year-old Scot was having his first fight for 8 months. McKenna, 30, was having his first fight since losing to the now CBC champion Luke Blackledge.

Thain vs. Jenkinson

Former Scottish amateur champion Thain was also returning after a period of inactivity and as with Brophy he got the type of return bout he needed with experienced Jenkinson. The tall Edinburgh fighter showcased his talent with Jenkinson doing enough to take a round and share a round even though losing clearly. Referee’s score 59-55. The 27-year-old Thain was starting his rebuilding process after losses last year to Ronnie Heffron and Kris Carslaw and is said to be considering going back down to welter. Five points losses in a row for Jenkinson but only three losses by KO/TKO in his 30 fights.

 

New York, NY, USA: Bantam: Elton Dharry (19-5-1) W TKO 3 Miguel Robles (12-5-2).

Brooklyn-based Guyanan Dharry breaks down Puerto Rican Robles and after a dominant second round hands out more punishment and late in the third the referee had seen enough and halted the fight. Dharry, 29, has 12 wins by KO/TKO. He has turned his record round with correct preparation for bouts. He was 3-5-1 in his fight 9 fights and has now won 16 on the bounce. Reportedly he promoted this show. Robles, 33, was having his first fight for 15 months and has lost his last 4 including a seventh round kayo by Randy Caballero. No real test Dharry needs to push the promoter to get him better matches.

 

June 13

 

New York, NY, USA: Feather: Nicholas Walters (26-0) W PTS 12 Miguel Marriaga (20-1 ). Light: Felix Verdejo (18-0) W PTS 10 Ivan Najera (16-1). Light Heavy: Sean Monaghan (25-0) W TKO 10 Fulgencio Zuniga (27-11-1). Super Light: Mike Reed (15-0) W PTS 8 Luis Joel Gonzalez (11-2-1). Super Feather: Jason Sosa (16-1-3) W TKO 5 Santiago Bustos (7-7-1).

Walters vs. Marriaga

Walters failing to make the weight was a huge disappointment for the fans, HBO and the fighter. The odds were already against the less talented Marriaga and giving away a lot of weight to the much heavier Walters just made his job impossible.- The Jamaican showcased his ample skills against a limited opponent. Marriaga tried hard but Walters was in a different class. The first two rounds were edged by Walters as he scored with hooks from both hands with Marriaga countering with shots of his own but his punch output was low. Marriaga increased his work rate in the third and slammed home some good shots in the fourth but Walters was doing most of the scoring. They traded heavy punches in the fifth, sixth and seventh with Walters again taking the rounds and he shook Marriaga badly with a right in the eighth. In the ninth as Marriaga moved in behind a left/right combination Walters countered with a right to the head which sent Marriaga tumbling backwards. The Colombian fell into the ropes and ended up sitting on the bottom rope and the referee rightly counted it as a knockdown. The bell came before Walters could capitalise on that. The Colombian then seemed to go into survival mode for a while as Walters dominated the action with Marriaga under too much pressure to force the much stronger Walters back.  Marriaga woke up in the last round but by then he needed a knockout and that was never on the cards and Walters took the wide unanimous decision. Scores 119-108, 118-109 and 117-110. Where the 29-year-old “Axe Man” heads now I don’t know. There was talk of a fight with Vasyl Lomachenko but initially the Ukrainian seemed to ruling that out although with better discipline Walters may still make feather and try to regain his title. At super feather there is not a great deal to be offered.  Japanese fighters Takashi Miura and Takashi Uchiyama hold the WBC and WBA titles respectively, Jose Pedraza is the new IBF champion and Roman Martinez is WBO champion. Walters would start favourite against any of those four but it depends on whether the fights can be made. It’s a case of wait and see. There is a conspicuous lack of quality wins on the 28-year-old Marriaga’s record so he will probably head back to Colombia and run up a sequence of home wins then hope to get another title shot. It’s very much a possibility.

Verdejo vs. Najera

With each fight Verdejo looks more and more like a future star of Puerto Rican boxing. Texan Najera had not come to be a sacrificial offering and he competed well over the first two rounds with Verdejo just edging them. From the third Verdejo moved up a gear and from that point any chance Najera had disappeared. The young Puerto Rican was slotting home jabs and fast combinations and had Najera trapped on the ropes and hammered away at him until the bell. Verdejo found yet another gear in the fourth and despite desperate efforts by Najera to counter or block the punches coming his way Verdejo was also increasing the power. In the fifth they were trading shots in centre ring when Verdejo landed a stunning left hook which knocked Najera backwards and down on the seat of his pants. Verdejo tried to finish it then but a gritty Najera survived and Verdejo seemed to take his foot of the gas in the sixth. In the seventh as Najera barrelled forward a short left hook put him on the floor again. Najera got up and continued to try to take the fight to Verdejo. The Puerto Rican hope continued to land heavy punches over the next three rounds rocking Najera with a hard right in the tenth but the Texan did not crumble and was still there at the finish. Scores 100-88 twice and 99-89. The 22-year-old Verdejo retains the WBO Latino title. His opposition has not been top drawer but Oscar Bravo, Sergio Villanueva,and Marco Antonio Lopez are useful building blocks in his road to experience. Right now he is rated WBA 3/WBO 8 but the standard of opposition does not merit those ratings so it is style over substance but he looks capable of going all the way to a world title. Najera, also 22, was moving up to ten rounds for the first time and also facing a much higher level of opponent than at any other time. He showed a good chin and plenty of guts but he will need more than that to progress further.

Monaghan vs. Zuniga

Monaghan overcomes the resistance of Zuniga to get a late win. After a cautious opening the fight came alive in the second as both fighters stood and traded looking to take control of the fight. Monaghan came out on top but Zuniga continued to look to trade. Monaghan was landing the better placed and more powerful shots but Zuniga was not ready to back down and although rapidly marking up due Monaghan’s head punches he stayed competitive over rounds three to five. It was a fast paced bout and both began to tire and the fight became messy for a while with too much clinching. It looked as though Zuniga was going to last the full route but in the ninth his work rate had dropped to almost nothing and he went down from what looked like a push but after climbing off the floor he went straight back down and the referee stopped the fight. Monaghan, 33, makes it 16 wins by KO/TKO. There are no “names” on his record but he is rated WBA 5(4)/IBF7/WBC7/WBO8 and any thought of putting him in with Sergey Kovalev or Adonis Stevenson should be resisted but I am sure he would take the chance if it came along. Colombian Zuniga, 37, fought for the WBO super welter title in 2003 and has also had shots at the WBO,IBF and IBO super middle titles and the IBF light heavy crown. He is 3-7 in his last 10 fights with three wins being easy victories back in Colombia

Reed vs. Gonzalez

Reed remains unbeaten with unanimous decision over Gonzalez in an all-southpaw match. Although making a measured start Reed took the fight to Gonzalez for all eight rounds and was able to unload fast hard combinations that prevented the Puerto Rican from getting a foothold in the fight. Gonzalez never gave up trying but the class gap was too wide and the only downer for Reed is that for all his dominance he could not put Gonzalez down or out. Scores 80-72 twice and 80-73. The 22-year-old “Yes Indeed” a former NGG champion is making steady progress. He is in the eight rounds category at the moment and should be ready to move up after 2 or 3 more fight. Gonzalez, 25, was moving up to eight rounds for the first time and did well to last the full distance.

Sosa vs. Bustos

Sasa makes it 12 wins in a row as he batters away at Spaniard Bustos before stopping him  in the fifth. Sosa almost took Bustos out in the second but the Mallorcan had not lost inside the distance and survived. The punishment wore the little Spaniard down and in the fifth he was forced to take a knee after Sosa landed a hard combination. Bustos made it to his feet but was  put down again and the fight was stopped. Sosa, 27, was 4-1-3 in his first eight fights with the loss being a short notice fight against a much heavier opponent. Since then he accumulated 11 wins by KO/TKO in his run of 12 victories. Bustos, 32, has now lost his last 3 fights . he is 1-3 in fights in Britain with an upset win over Ben Jones as his best result.

 

Birmingham, AL, USA: Heavy: Deontay Wilder (34-0) W KO 9 Eric Molina (23-3). Super Feather: Jose Pedraza (20-0) W PTS 12 Andrey Klimov (19-2). Light: Dejan Zlaticanin (21-0) W TKO 4 Ivan Redkach (18-1). Super Welter: Julian Williams (20-0-1,1ND ) W TKO 6 Armen Ovsepyan (14-5). Welter: Bryant Perrella (9-0) W TKO 1 Abraham Alvarez (20-9-1). Light Heavy: Ahmed Elbiali (11-0 ) W KO 1 Donta Woods (8-5 ). Super Middle: Juan Ubaldo Cabrera (23-0) W PTS 8 Tim Hall (9-21).

Wilder vs. Molina

Predictable end to Wilder’s first defence of his WBC title as he knocks out a dogged Molina. With the exception of one brief moment in the third Wilder was in control throughout. He was stalking Molina using his big edge in reach to spear Molina with long lefts and banging home straight rights. After two rounds of this, both won by Wilder, Molina had his big moment in the third when a hard left hook saw Wilder’s legs stiffen but the champion recovered although Molina had pocketed his one and only winning round. The breaking down got underway in earnest in the fourth when Wilder floored Molina with a left late in the round. Molina made it to his feet and did not seem badly hurt and the bell went before Wilder could add to his troubles. Wilder registered two more knockdowns in the fifth. After sending Molina to the ropes with a couple of hard rights Wilder moved in just as Molina was turning his back and a Wilder left put the challenger down. When he got up Molina was shaky and Wilder stunned him with a right and again Molina was turning away when a right put him on the canvas. He got up and survived the round. Wilder seemed to go off the boil and show signs of tiring as he dictated in the sixth, seventh and eight without looking like putting Molina down again. Molina was finding the target with an occasional right and one of those shots in the eighth seemed again to stagger Wilder. By that time the crowd was getting restive over Wilder’s failure to close out the fight. He provided the finish in the ninth. He pulled his upper body back from two prodding jabs from Molina then stepped forward with a right cross that crashed into Molina’s head. Molina stumbled away again turning his back but this time he tumbled into the ropes and down to the canvas lying spread-eagled with the referee promptly waiving his hands and stopping the fight without a count. The 29-year-old “Bronze Bomber” is taken past the fourth round for only the second time as he gets win No 33 by KO/TKO. He is allowed one easy defence now he will be expected to face a more formidable challenger next time. Molina, 33, lost his first pro fight on a first round kayo but then won his next 18 before Chris Arreola also stopped him inside a round in 2012. He had then scored five more wins over very modest opposition and done nothing to merit a title shot.

Pedraza vs. Klimov

Pedraza wins the vacant IBF title as he outclasses Russian Klimov. Pedraza bossed this one from first bell to last. His hand speed, movement and use of angles were too much for Klimov to handle and he never got a foothold in the fight. It did not help that the first punch from Pedraza in the opening round broke Klimov’s nose and that injury spilt blood for the rest of the fight. Pedraza’s nickname is “The Sniper”  but a sniper tends to fire single bullets. Pedraza was more like a machine gun as he threw his punches in bunches. To show how easy it was for Pedraza he fought the first six rounds as orthodox and the second half of the fight as a southpaw. Klimov lacked the speed, skill and power to be competitive and all he had to offer was grit as the Puerto Rican’s punches left him with cuts and bruises to go with the broken nose but he stayed there to the end. Scores 120-108 twice and a generous to Klimov 119-109. The 26-year-old Pedraza will face tougher tests than this but he showed classy skills and good punch power and a unification match with WBO champion Roman Martinez would be a big fight for Puerto Rican bragging rights. Klimov, 32, had past wins over Matias Gomez and John Molina but was outclassed by Terrence Crawford in 2013 losing every round and had done little since then to deserve a rating let alone a shot at the vacant title.

Zlaticanin vs. Redkach

Zlaticanin springs his second upset as he stops previously unbeaten Redkach in this all-southpaw fight. The little Montenegrin always gives away lots in height and reach but is a hustling, bustling little ball of aggression. The fast start by Zlaticanin caught Redkach off guard as Zlaticanin denied him space to punch and just kept rumbling forward. There is nothing fancy about Zlaticanin and his style is ugly but effective and he took the first two rounds. Redkach started to open up a bit in the third trying to stay off the ropes and get his jab working and got a short break after a low punch from Zlaticanin saw the fight paused whilst the Ukrainian recovered. Zlaticanin was rumbling forward in the fourth and drove Redkach to the ropes. He landed clubbing shots to head and body and as Redkach tried to fight his way off the ropes he nailed the Ukrainian with an overhand left which sent Redkach down on one knee. He was up quickly and took the rest of the eight count. Zlaticanin came storming in trapping Redkach on the ropes and launching punch after punch. Redkach fired a couple of punches back but was then overwhelmed by Zlaticanin punches and sagging against the ropes when the referee stopped the fight. Redkach queried the stoppage but he looked in deep trouble and was not punching back. The 31-year-old 5’4” (163cm) Zlaticanin had shown in his win over Ricky Burns in June last year just what a handful he was. Perhaps in the long run Redkach may have been able to outbox him but Zlaticanin never gave Redkach a chance to find out. He was rated WBC No 1which in this crazy sanctioning body world means that the other bodies did not include him in their ratings but with Redkach being WBC No 2 effectively this was a final eliminator so next to face the little Montenegrin could be champion Jorge Linares. Redkach, 29, blew his chances of a world title fight and has a big rebuilding job to do before he gets back into consideration

Williams vs. Ovsepyan

Williams stays unbeaten, gets an inside the distance win, retains his WBC Continental Americas title and continues to impress. “J-Rock” had Ovsepyan on the floor in the first with a right and that set the pattern for the fight. Williams was unloading to head and body of Ovsepyan in each of the subsequent rounds with the Armenian showing guts by standing up under the punishment. It got too much for him in the sixth. Williams landed a big left which had Ovsepyan on dodgy pins and when another right crashed home the referee stopped the fight. Now 12 wins by KO/TKO for the lanky Williams. He has scored wins over useful opposition in Orlando Lara, Freddy Hernandez and Joey Hernandez . Although he came up short in the big tournaments as an amateur he is rated WBC 9/WBA 11and has an impressive combination of skill and power. Armenian Ovsepyan was having his first fight since being outpointed by Brad Solomon in May last year and was never in with a chance after that first knockdown.

Perrella vs. Alvarez

Perrella makes it 8 wins by KO/TKO as he halts the more experienced Alvarez in the first round. The tall southpaw has won his last 6 by KO/TKO and has a total of 4 first round wins. The 26-year-old Floridian was a good class amateur but lost out to Errol Spence and Sammy Vasquez at the US Olympic Trials. No real tests so far but he is a good prospect.   Mexican Alvarez was 17-1-1 in his first 19 fights but is 3-11 in his last 14 with all of his losses being by KO/TKO.

Elbiali vs. Woods

Egyptian-born Elbiali did not hang around but blasted out Woods in just 64 seconds. The 24-year-old Miami-based fighter must have been upset at being taken the distance in his last fight after 9 wins in a row by KO/TKO. He has 6 first round finishes. Woods is heading in the other direction. After winning his first 8 fights he has now lost 5 in a row with all of the losses to unbeaten fighters.

Cabrera vs. Hall

In his first fight for a year Dominican Cabrera has to work hard to take unanimous decision over Hall. Cabrera was a clear winner but Hall did enough to be competitive all the way and gave Cabrera a tough test on his return. Scores 78-74 twice and 77-75. The 36-year-old Cabrera won a gold medal at the 2003 Pan American Games beating Jean Pascal and Yordanis Despaigne and also scored a win over Alfredo Angulo in the Central American and Caribbean Games but failed to medal at the 200 and 2004 Olympics before turning pro. He has spent 10 years as a pro getting nowhere much. Hall is 2-7 in his last 9 fights but usually goes the distance.

 

Bristol, England: Bantam: Lee Haskins (31-4) W TKO 6 Ryosuke Iwasa (19-2). Light Heavy: Bob Ajisafe (16-2) W KO 4 Daniel Wanyonyi (21-7-2).

Haskins vs. Iwasa

Justice prevails as Lee Haskins finally gets the chance to win a version of a world title and takes it literally with both hands. In the first round Iwasa showed a neat accurate jab but Haskins was using quick reflexes and upper body movement to avoid Iwasa’s punches and countering landing a hard left and catching Iwasa flush on the chin to give the local fighter the first round. Haskins also took the second clearly. He very rarely blocks punches using upper body movement to make his opponent miss and he then has both hands free to counter and he shook Iwasa with big left and following right and scored with the same combination later in the round and had opened a small cut on the bridge of Iwasa’s nose. The third was more even as Haskins was wild with his counters but over the last minute he got his timing back and caught Iwasa with quick shots from both hands. Iwasa had his best round so far in the fourth as he landed a hard left to Haskin’s head and later caught the Bristol fighter with right and straight southpaw left with Haskins off target with his counters. The fifth was close but Haskins was no longer slinging wide punches but much shorter straighter ones and doing the cleaner scoring. The end when it came in the sixth was dramatic. Haskins stepped inside Iwasa’s lead and landed a thunderbolt of a left cross and suddenly Iwasa was all at sea. Haskins tried to land more punches but Iwasa was already on his way down. He climbed up at the count of six and when the eight count was finished Haskins drilled home another left which sent Iwasa into the ropes and the local hero was landing thudding head shots with nothing coming back from Iwasa when the referee stopped the fight. Haskins, 31, wins the interim IBF title with champion Randy Caballero being sidelined for an extensive period with an injury. The scenes of jubilation were understandable as the road to the title has been a long one for the talented Haskins and those that have supported and believed in him over the years particularly Chris Sanigar. He had watched whilst fighters he had beaten such as Stuart Hall and Martin Ward fought for titles but now the frustration is over. Iwasa, 25, had nice skills and looked to be finding a way to deal with the unique style of Haskins until that bolt from the blue turned his dreams to ashes.

Ajisafe vs. Wanyonyi

Ajisafe wins the vacant CBC title with fourth round win over Kenyan Wanyonyi. Southpaw Ajisafe had height and reach over Wanyonyi and did what clean scoring there was in the first round with Wanyonyi trying ineffective head first rushes to get inside. In the second Ajisafe landed two straight lefts which knocked Wanyonyi over. He got up slowly and when the fight resumed gained some respite by rushing forward launching swinging punches which had Ajisafe on the back foot but by the end of the round Wanyonyi was again under fire. Ajisafe took the third as he was able to land cuffing shots with Wanyonyi limited to wild rushes which were  telegraphed with Ajisafe easily able to counter them. In the fourth Ajisafe unleashed a storm of punches which drove Wanyonyi across the ring and the Kenyan slumped down in the corner and stayed there as the referee initially counted and then just waived the fight over. The 32-year-old “Lionheart” has emerged as a real force after years of being overlooked. He had just one fight in 2010,2011,2012 and 2013 but is now getting regular fights and good exposure and improving as a fighter because of it. The 26-year-old Wanyonyi, who started out as a middleweight, had decent looking statistics but there was no substance and he looked crude and limited

 

Vaasa, Sweden: Heavy; Robert Helenius (21-0) W KO 3 Beka Lobjanidze (12-3). Light Heavy: Sami Enbom (9-0) W TKO 5 Beqa Aduashvili (12-1). Light Heavy: Janne Forsman (19-1) W PTS 6 Shalva Meleksishvili (7-3-1). Super Welter: Jussi Koivula (18-2) W PTS 6 Michael Obin (5-4).

Helenius vs. Lobjanidze

Helenius continues his comeback with easy win over inexperienced Lobjanidze. He had the Georgian down with a body punch early in the first round and put him on the floor again in the second. “The Nordic Nightmare ended it in the third with a body punch with the referee counting out the Georgian. The 31-year-old Swedish-born Finn was having his second fight after two years out through injury. He was high in the ratings before the injury but has now dropped out so has some rebuilding to do. Lobjanidze is 2-3 in his last 5 fights with inside the distance losses to Dillian Whyte and Otto Wallin.

Enbom vs. Aduashvili

Enbom remains unbeaten with stoppage of Georgian. The first round was about even but after that the Finnish southpaw dominated with the fight finally being stopped in the fifth round. The 27-year-old “Boom Boom”, twice a runner-up and once a champion at the Finnish National Championships, has 5 wins by KO/TKO. Aduashvili, 23, was venturing outside Georgia for the first time and moving up to eight rounds for the first time.

Forsman vs. Meleksishvili

Forsman makes it Finland 3 Georgia 0  with wide unanimous decision over Meleksishvili. The Finnish boxer handed out steady punishment but Meleksishvili stood up too it and fought back hard and did enough to take a couple of rounds on one card and make it an entertaining fight. Scores 60-55, 60-56 and 58-56. Most of the 32-year-old Forsman’s victims have been low quality and he was knocked out by Hungarian Tamas Lodi for the WBO European title in 2013. This is his seventh win since then but all 4 and 6 rounds against undistinguished foes. Meleksishvili’s second fight outside Georgia and second loss.

Koivula vs. Obin

Koivula eases his way back into the winning column with comfortable points victory over Swedish-based Ugandan Obin. The Finn took every round on all three card so 60-54 from all three judges. First fight for 31-year-old Koivula since a disappointing effort in losing wide unanimous decision to Italian Marcello in February. The tall African has now lost 4 of his last 5 fights, all on points

 

Aix-en-Provence, France: Bantam: Karim Guerfi (22-3,1ND) W PTS 8 Arnoldo Solano (14-9). Guerfi gets back into action with eight rounds of work with Nicaraguan Solano. The former European and interim WBA title challenger was forced to work hard by Solano and although the judges all saw the fight as 80-72 for Guerfi that did not reflect the good work put in by Solano. Guerfi won clearly to keep his hopes of another shot the European title alive. With champion Lee Haskins’s win at the weekend the European title will be vacant and the EBU No 4 will be hoping to get a shot but the official challenger is Zhanat Zhakiyanov who knocked out Guerfi in five rounds in April last year to take the Frenchman’s title. Five losses in a row for Solano who also went the full eight rounds with Gamal Yafai last month.

 

Paris, France: Super Middle: Samy Anouche (17-2-1) W PTS 10 Hakim Zoulikha (21-7). Super Light: Franck Petitjean (14-4-3) DREW 10 Chris Sebire (23-9-1). Heavy: Carlos Takam (32-2-1) W KO 5 Michael Sprott (42-24). Light: Marvin Petit (15-1-1) W PTS 6 Remy Nguema (4-3). Super Light: Yvan Mendy (31-4-1,1ND) W PTS 6 Felix Lora (18-16-5). Bantam: Nordine Oubaali (6-0) W KO 1 Artur Moysesyan (6-1). Light: Daouda Sow (17-0) W PTS 6 Sylvain Chapelle (14-19-2).

Anouche vs. Zoulikha

Anouche gets the decision in this non-title fight but only just. Zoulikha was the smaller man and got off to a great start as he floored French champion Anouche with a left hook in the first round. Anouche got up and with his better southpaw skills gradually worked his way into the fight although the aggressive Zoulikha kept rumbling forward and held on to his lead until he began to tire in the later rounds. A punch from Anouche opened a cut over the left eyebrow of Zoulikha in the eighth and Anouche finished the stronger to just deserve the decision. Scores 96-93 and 95-94 for Anouche and 95-94 for Zoulikha. The 29-year-old Anouche lost his first pro fight but then went 15-0-1 in his next 16 before being halted by Spaniard Mariano Hilario for the EU title in February last year. He was out for nine months and this is his second win since his return and he rated No 15 by the EBU. Former French light heavy champion Zoulikha, 28, has now lost his last three, all tough fights.

Petitjean vs. Sebire

Petitjean holds onto his national title but by the smallest margin. This one was close all the way with the fight swinging one way and then the other. Sebire looked just a shade unlucky not to get the verdict but it was so close that Petitjean probably did not deserve to lose his title. Hopefully they will have a return as Sebire deserves another chance. Scores 96-94 to Petitjean, 96-95 to Sebire and 95-95. Petitjean, 27, was making the second defence of his title. He has some good results and some poor ones so a bit unpredictable. Former champion Sebire took Brits Chris Jenkins and Bradley Skeete the full distance in two fights in two weeks last year.

Takam vs. Sprott

Takam kayos Sprott in a keep busy fight. The hard-punching Cameroon fighter was just too strong for Sprott who showed his usual cagey survival skills for a few rounds. Unfortunately Sprott took the bout at just two weeks notice and began to tire. Sprott was shaken but also shook Takam with a left hook in the fourth but Takam closed the bout in the fifth with another left hook which put the Brit down for the count. Second win for the 34-year-old Takam since his tenth round crushing by Alex Povetkin for the WBC Silver title in October and win No 25 by KO/TKO. Sprott, 40, had lost inside a round to Kali Meehan and Anthony Joshua in his last two fights but gave a better account of himself here despite the  handicap of little preparation.

Petit vs. Nguema

Former French champion Petit gets unanimous verdict over French-based Gabon fighter Nguema. The Gabonese fighter makes a bright start forcing Petit to the ropes in the first and scoring with some clean shots. Petit gets into his stride in the second levelling things up and his busy work rate soon finds Nguema concentrating on defence and he tires over the last two rounds. Scores 59-55 twice and 58-56. The 24-year-old Petit was 14-0-1 in his first 15 fights including a victory over Joel Durand for the vacant French title. He lost the title in his first defence to Yvan Mendy in June 2013 and did not return to action until getting a win in February. Nguema, 35, found this too big a step after only very modest opposition in the past.

Mendy vs. Lora

The above mentioned Mendy handed out a beating to Spanish-based Lora but had to settle for a points victory. The former French champion had Lora down twice from left hooks once in the first round and again in the second.  Lora is an accomplished survivor and despite the best efforts of the hard-punching Frenchman he managed to see out the remaining four rounds without too much trouble. Scores 60-52, 60-53 and 59-52. “The  Lion” Mendy, 30, was having his first fight after losing on points to Finn Edis Tatli for the vacant European title in April. Dominican Republic-born Lora, 31, has lost his last six fights. He has lost only once by KO/TKO but this was nearly No 2.

Oubaali vs. Moysesyan

Oubaali again shows power and class as he disposes of unbeaten Moysesyan inside a round. A left hook to the head brings the first knockdown. Moysesyan goes down twice more and the fight is over. The 28-year-old former star amateur won the French title in his fifth fight and gets his third win inside a round. Don’t know how far he can go but he is certainly one to watch. Moysesyan was actually coming off a win outside Georgia which is pretty rare.

Sow vs. Chapelle

Sow returns from WBS action but gets a tougher than expected fight from Chapelle. Sow had to climb off the floor in the fourth and stage a strong finish to get the controversial split decision and remain undefeated. Scores 59-53 and 58-53 for Sow and 57-56 for Chapelle. The 32-year-old southpaw won the French title in 2012 but did not defend it and has been fighting only six round fights ever since. Chapelle, 28, has failed in three attempts at winning a French title. He has never won a fight by KO/TKO so surprising he put Sow down.

 

Brescia, Italy: Super Welter: Cedric Vitu (42-2) W TKO 11 Orlando Fiordigiglio (21-1). Heavy: Salvatore Erittu (27-2) W PTS 10 Fabio Tuiachi (27-4).

Vitu vs. Fiordigiglio

From being a beaten fighter Vitu finds the strength to beat down and stop Fiordigiglio to win the vacant European title. After three close rounds the home fighter took the lead. He was simply outboxing the more experienced Frenchman using a quick, accurate jab and sound defensive work to pile up the points. By the end of the seventh it was looking bad for Vitu. He was letting Fiordigiglio dictate the fight and his corner was frantically trying to get Vitu to increase his work rate. In the ninth for the first time Fiordigiglio showed signs of tiring whereas Vitu still looked strong and the Frenchman took the tenth so that at the end of the round he had clawed his way back into the fight being level with Fiordigiglio on two cards but still a point behind on the third. The eleventh brought a dramatic finish. Fiordigiglio was stalking Vitu with both men now looking tired. As Fiordigiglio came forward Vitu landed a hard left hook to the head. Fiordigiglio looked shaken but continued to press his attack. As they exchanged punches Vitu cracked home a right cross and suddenly everything just drained out of Fiordigiglio and he staggered backwards across the ring to the ropes. Vitu literally ran across the ring and started pounding the Italian with head shots with Fiordigiglio trapped on the ropes The Italian was defenceless and taking hard punches and the fight should have been stopped then. Instead the referee let it continue and Vitu again had Fiordigiglio on the ropes landing punch after punch with Fiordigiglio not even able to raise his hands. It was finally stopped making Vitu the new champion. The 29-year-old French southpaw had lost a split decision to Sergey Rabchenko in Manchester in 2012 for this title and for a while it looked as though it was going to slip out of hands again before that sensational eleventh round. The 30-year-old Fiordigiglio showed enough to say that he will return again to try for this title. Reportedly 45 days before the fight he came off a scooter and cracked his collarbone but his team felt he was fully recovered. It was great little fight shown by both French and Italian TV and a good advert for the sport.

Erittu vs. Tuiachi

Erittu wins the Italian title with wide unanimous verdict over champion Tuiachi. After a cautious start(Erittu’s two losses both came within the first two rounds) Erittu was able to box behind his jab with Tuiachi trying to press the action but rarely letting his punches go. Erittu has a habit of holding his left hand very low but Tuiachi never really threatened to take advantage of that. The champion was warned for hitting on the break in the second when he landed a shot to Erittu’s head. Erittu made more of it than seemed necessary and was given a minute to recover. Tuiachi lost a point in the seventh for spitting out his gumshield. Other than those mild incidents Erittu was content to box his way to victor. Scores 99-90 from all three judges. Erittu,34, a former national cruiser champion, moved up after being knocked out in 30 seconds by Maurizio Loviglio for the Italian cruiser title in February last year. Tuiachi, also a former Italian cruiser champion, was making the first defence of his title.

 

Palmerston, New Zealand: Heavy: Joseph Parker (14-0) W TKO 2 Yakup Saglam (34-4,1ND). Welter: Jeff Horn (10-0-1) W TKO 3 Richmond Djarbeng (19-3-1). Heavy: Izuagbe Ugonoh (12-0) W PTS 8 Julius Long (16-18).

14

Parker vs. Saglam

Parker started just prodding out his jab. Saglam was letting go wild right swings which the big New Zealander easily evaded. Parker got serious then landing a right cross to the head and two left hooks to the body. He took Saglam to the ropes and landed a thudding right on the side of Saglam’s head which had the Turk staggering away. Parker cut loose punching Saglam across the ring and landing more hard shots with Saglam lurching forward and clinching. Saglam threw a couple more wild swings and managed to avoid further trouble to the bell. Saglam started the second trying to bore in head down to put Parker on the back foot. Instead Parker drove Saglam back with his jab and then scored with two hard rights which sent Saglam down on his back. He was up at seven but the towel came flying in from his corner. The 23-year-old Parker was making the fourth defence of his WBO Oriental title and the PABA title. He has 12 wins by KO/TKO and has won 8 of his last 9 fights that way but has yet to face a real test. There is time for that and he does not need to be rushed. I still feel he leaves his chin vulnerable with his too upright stance but he is certainly a good prospect. The 38-year-old Saglam’s record is heavily padded with poor to at best moderate victims. He has lost inside the distance to Manuel Charr and Odlanier Solis which is understandable but losing to six fight prospect Mike Wallisch is probably a better measure.

Horn vs. Djarbeng

Australian Hall destroys Ghanaian Djarbeng inside three rounds. Horn had Djarbeng shaken twice in the opening round. First with a right to the head and later with a left hook. Just when it looked as Djarbeng might get through the second round safely a left hook right cross had him down and he only just made it to the bell. Horn ended it with two more knockdowns in the third with the fight being stopped. The Brisbane 27-year-old has 8 wins by KO/TKO and he was defending his WBO Oriental and PABA title and wins the (ridiculous) WBA Pan African title. Horn was a two-time Australian amateur champion and represented Australia at the World Championships and 2012 Olympics. Like Parker he is one to watch. He is rated WBO 13/WBA 15. Ghanaian Djarbeng had won 19 fights in a row which is not difficult they way they make matches in Ghana. He was rated WBA 11 for winning the Pan African title by beating a guy with a 12-11-1 record(farcical).

Ugonoh vs. Long

Nigerian Ugonoh easily beats Long. The Polish-based fighter was working hard to get inside the reach of the 6’9” (206cm) Long who was busier taunting Ugonoh than fighting. He floored Long with an overhand right in the fourth and won the unanimous decision. Scores 79-73 twice and 78-73. The 28-year-old 6’4” (193cm) Ugonoh has gained valuable experience from acting as a sparring partner for Wlad Klitschko and this was his first fight over eight rounds. New Zealand-based Long, 38, has now lost 10 of his lat 11 fights.

 

Budivelnik, Ukraine: Light Heavy: Umar Salamov (13-0) W KO 4 Tomas Adamek (23-11-2 ). Cruiser: Iago Kiladze (24-1) W PTS 8 Lukasz Rusiewicz (19-20). Cruiser: Ismayl Sillah (22-2) W PTS 8 Arturs Kulikauskis (16-25-5 ).

Salamov vs. Adamek

Salamov beats experienced Adamek with perfect body punch. Salamov was forcing the fight making use of a sharp jab to open up Adamek for right crosses but Adamek was firing back in a good first round. Early in the second Salamov landed a chopping right to the side of the head which put Adamek down on his knees. He was up at five and did not seem badly hurt and although he shipped some more heavy rights was banging back by the end of the round. The third was more even with Adamek staying off the ropes and establishing his jab. Salamov was on the back foot for much of the round but still dangerous with his right. Early in the fourth a right to the head and a wicked left hook to the body from Salamov put Adamek down on his hands and knees in agony. He was counted out and needed some time to recover. The 20-year-old 6’3” (191cm) Kiev-based Russian makes it 11 wins by KO/TKO and wins the WBO European title. Adamek is his best opponent so far. He has a good jab, fast hands and a hard punch but has little head movement and just comes forward in a straight line. Czech Adamek , 34, had won his last three fights but against modest opposition.

Kiladze vs. Rusiewicz

Kiladze just too big and quick and outpoints game Pole. The 6’3 ½” (192cm) Georgian-born Kiladze had huge advantages in height and reach over the beefy, bulky Rusiewicz and was able to stay on the outside using quick footwork and fast hands to pile up the points. Rusiewicz did his best to get inside but was wild with his rushes and Kiladze tied him up on the inside. Kiladze rarely got involved in trading and used a prodded jab, fast right cross and footwork to constantly frustrate Rusiewicz who was reduced to wild swings. Scores 80-72 twice and 80-73. Kiladze, 29, won his first 20 bouts before being knocked out in two rounds by Youri Kayembre Kalenga in 2013. He was out of the ring for ten months and this is his fourth win since his return. Rusiewicz, 33, had won 5 of his last 6 fights but against low level opposition.

Sillah vs. Kulikauskis

Sillah returns with an easy win over southpaw Kulikauskis. Sillah treated this one as paid sparring. He was almost too casual as he switched guards and when boxing orthodox never lifted his left off his thigh and stood right in front of the Latvian just using head movement to avoid the punches. He was able to thread hard punches from both hands through the porous guard of Kulikauskis rocking the Latvian’s head. In the sixth as Kulikauskis came off the ropes with his arms low Sillah crashed home a thunderous right to the chin. Kulikauskis tumbled back into the ropes with his eyes glassy and as the ropes propelled him forward he sagged at the knees with his gloves brushing the canvas before he staggered upright. The referee gave him an eight count and the bell sounded as the count was completed. Sillah tried to finish it in the seventh hurting Kulikauskis with a right cross, slamming through a punch flush on the Latvian’s jaw and digging in a wicked left hook to the body. But Kulikauskis has a solid chin and plenty of guts  and made it to the last bell. Scores 80-71 from all three judges. The 30-year-old Californian-based Ukrainian looked on his way to a title shot before being stopped in eight rounds by Denis Grachev in 2012. He was out for ten months and then did some rebuilding in 2013 before getting an undeserved shot at Sergey Kovalev’s WBO title in November 2013 and being knocked out in two rounds. This was his first fight since then. Kulikauskis has fought in 11 different countries but only been beaten by KO/TKO three times. Have chin will travel.

 

 

Hollywood, CA, USA: Light: Jose Felix (30-1-1) W PTS 10 Yakubu Amidu (21-7-2). Cruiser: Murat Gassiev (22-0) W KO 2 Rodney Moore (17-10-2). Feather: Carlos Carson (18-1) W TKO 4 Heriberto Delgado (11-3).

Felix vs. Amidu

Felix had a good grip on this fight for eight rounds then it got hairy. The young Mexican was able to outboxed the Ghanaian using plenty of movement and quick combinations to keep the strong but limited Amidu at bay. The Ghanaian needed to cut down Felix’s space but despite constantly marching forward he was always a step behind and the occasional punch he landed did not trouble Felix. It could be that Felix became careless as he went for an inside the distance victory. In the ninth he put Amidu down with a right to the head but the Ghanaian was up quickly and later in the round he floored Felix with a right uppercut. Felix got up but was badly shaken and the bell went before Amidu could do any more damage. The Ghanaian was trying desperately to nail Felix again in the last and in his frustration pushed Felix out through the ropes which earned Amidu a warning and gave Felix some respite from the pressure. He boxed his way to the bell and the unanimous decision. Scores 97-93 twice and 98-92. The 23-year-old Josesito Jr. lost the big one when he was outpointed by Bryan Vazquez for the interim WBA super feather title in April last year. He has scored four wins. since that defeat and is up at lightweight where he is rated No 10(9) by the IBF. Amidu’s best result was a draw with Juan Carlos Burgos but he has now lost three in a row.

Gassiev vs. Moore

Gassiev served up a soft one in Moore and stops him in two rounds. The Russian had all the physical advantages and spent the first round stalking Moore without really doing more than probing with his jab and trying an occasional right cross. He was all business in the second adding left hooks behind the jab. Moore tried to come forward but instead was marched across the ring to the ropes where Gassiev slammed home some thumping left hooks to the body and rights to the head. A clubbing right put Moore down on one knee. He was up at seven but a left to the body and two rights to the head put him down on one knee again and he knelt there whilst being counted out. The 21-year-old 6’3 ½” (192cm) Russian “Iron” has 16 wins by KO/TKO including 7 in his last 7 fights. He is big and hits hard but looked a tad mechanical in his approach. Texan Moore, 39, was having only his second fight in two years and has now lost 8 in a row but this is the first time he has lost by KO/TKO.

Carson vs. Delgado

Carson wins war against fellow Mexican but again has to overcome a cut. These two were exchanging hard punches form the sound of the first bell with Carson the more accurate as Delgado was winging wide but dangerous shots and had blood coming from Carson’s nose by the end of the round. In the second a hard right from Carson put Delgado down but his fellow-Mexican got up and blasted back with some power punches of his own. A clash of heads in the third saw Carson cut for the third time in his last four fights. Carson ended the contest in the fourth flooring Delgado twice with left hooks and the referee stopped the fight. The 25-year-old from Tijuana lost his first pro fight so this win takes him to 18 on the bounce 12 by KO/TKO but the cuts must be a worry. Delgado, 21, also from Tijuana won his first 11 fights down in Mexico and has now lost three in a row in the USA.