The Past Week in Action 28 July 2015
July 23
Panama City, Panama: Super Feather: Jezreel Corrales (18-1,1ND) W TKO 2 Felix
Sabez (17-2). Light: Ricardo Nunez (12-2) W TKO 2 Barnie Arguelles (11-5).
Corrales vs. Sabez
Southpaw Corrales wins the vacant WBA Fedecaribe with stoppage of Dominican Sabez.
The 24-year-old Panamanian floored Sabez in the first and after two more knockdowns in the
second the fight was stopped. Corrales is unbeaten in his last 18 fights with 17 wins and one
no decision. He is rated WBA 4 and WBC 8.
Nunez vs. Argüelles
Nunez gets revenge for previous loss to Arguelles. The 21-year-old Panamanian “Scientist”
had been knocked out in two rounds by Arguelles in January snapping his 10 fight winning
streak with all ten wins by KO/TKO, now he is back on track. Arguelles, also Panamanian,
has now lost 4 of his last 5 fights.
July 24
London, England: Light Heavy: Frank Buglioni (17-1-1) W TKO 5 Fernando
Castaneda (23-10). Light Heavy: Billy Joe Saunders (22-0) W TKO 4 Yoann Bloyer (1728-2). Super Feather: Mitchell Smith (13-0) W KO 1 Dennis Tubieron (19-5-2). Heavy:
Dereck Chisora (21-5) W TKO 1 Bega Lobjanidze (13-4). Super Welter: Gary Corcoran
(13-0) W PTS 10 Rick Godding (21-1-1). Cruiser: Ovill McKenzie (25-12) W TKO 2
Janne Forsman (19-2). Super Bantam: Lewis Pettitt (17-1) W TKO 7 Antonio Horvatic
(7-19). Super Middle: Jamie Cox (19-0) W TKO 1 Blas Miguel Martinez (21-8-1).
Buglioni vs. Castaneda
With his WBA title shot postponed Buglioni had to settle for facing Mexican Fernando
Castaneda for the WBA International title. That was ruined when Castaneda came in 7lbs
over the weight. It must have difficult for Buglioni to motivate himself but he easily outboxed
Castaneda setting things up with a stiff jab and hard rights. He had controlled every round
before landing a left hook and then a right which put Castaneda down face first on the canvas.
He tried to get up but was in no condition to fight on. The 26-year-old “Wise Guy” goes to 13
wins by KO/TKO and will get his title shot against Fedor Chudinov in September. No one
should be too surprised at Castaneda failing to make the weight. His weight record is
unbelievable. In August last year he weighed 146 ½ lbs in losing to Silverio Ortiz and in
November he fought for the vacant WBC Fecombox title and weighed 196lbs! Perhaps he has
a removable third leg.
Saunders vs. Bloyer
Saunders takes a keep busy fight as a warm-up for his title fight with Andy Lee on 19
September and halts Frenchman and fellow-southpaw Bloyer in four rounds. Saunders
allowed himself the luxury of coming in at 173 ¼lbs and naturally looked a tad fleshy.
Saunders had too much class for the very poor French southpaw and it was really a case of
how long Saunders wanted to let the fight last. Boyer had some success with rights in the
second but that was as good as it got for him. In the third Saunders knocked Boyer down with
a left to the head. Boyer made it to the vertical only to be laid horizontal again by another
left. He made it as far as the fourth round but a hard right put him down on his knees in the
fourth and the fight was stopped. Just some ring time for the talented 25-year-old although
since Lee is a southpaw that might have made it worthwhile. Bloyer, 32, now has 11 losses
by KO/TKO and is 2-10 in his last 12 fights.
Smith vs. Tubieron
Smith continues to impress as he dismisses experienced Filipino Tubieron late in the first
round in defence of his WBO Inter-Continental title. A vicious right to the body saw
Tubieron on the floor writhing in agony with a suspected broken rib. The Filipino had gone
twelve rounds in losing a wide decision to Josh Warrington in April which could mean
something or nothing. However it was a real show of power from the unbeaten 22-year-old
“Baby Faced Assassin”. The 25-year-old Tubieron “The Shark” moves down to three losses
by KO/TKO. He is a former WBC International champion and has mixed in good company
with all five losses coming on his travels.
Chisora vs. Lobjanidze
Chisora does quick job on Georgian. Chisora followed Lobjanidze around the ropes trying a
couple of jabs and then threw an overhand right which crashed onto the Georgian’s chin and
he went down on his side. The referee started the count but quickly stopped and waived the
fight over with Lobjanidze needing a whiff of oxygen to help him recover. All over in 29
seconds. The 31-year-old Zimbabwe-born Londoner was having his first fight since being
halted in 10 rounds by Tyson Fury in November. He is looking to get back into the picture
with a European title fight against Erkan Teper a possibility. He is rated No 5 in the latest
EBU ratings but of those above him Fury, Alex Povetkin and Anthony Joshua all have other
fish to fry and Kubrat Pulev has no plans for a fight at this time. The 6’4” (193cm)
Lobjanidze has a typical Georgian record. Wins at home but has lost inside the distance on
four tough overseas assignments.
Corcoran vs. Godding
Corcoran wins British title eliminator with unanimous decision over Godding. This was much
closer than the scores make it look. Corcoran had to overcome a cut over his left eye caused
by a clash of heads in the second round and a shaky fifth to come out the winner. Corcoran
was coming forward from the first bell and his aggression netted him the first two rounds
with Godding finally finding some room and doing enough clean work to take the third.
Corcoran was just moving forward relentlessly denying Godding space and working inside to
head and body and he swept the next five rounds with Godding countering when he could
with some nice shots but too few to help him in the points scoring. Godding scored with a
good uppercut in the ninth but still could not dissuade Corcoran who won the tenth. Scores
99-91, 99-92 and 97-93. The 24-year-old “Hellraiser” was in his first ten round fight but
showed limitless stamina so that was no problem but he is in a tough division. Godding, 30,
had turned in a great performance back in 2012 when he fought a draw with former European
champion and world title challenger Rafal Jackiewicz in Poland but then had only one fight
in 2013 and was inactive throughout 2014. This year he had taken part in just one four round
fight and one six round fight so hopefully will be more active and come back stronger.
McKenzie vs. Forsman
McKenzie bludgeons Finn to defeat in two rounds to win the vacant WBA Continental title.
The CBC and British champion floored Forsman in the first with a heavy right hook to the
body. Forsman got up and struggled through to the bell. McKenzie finished it in the second as
two thumping rights to the head put Forsman down for the second time. Forsman just made it
to his feet but was wobbly and the referee rightly halted the fight. Now 13 wins by KO/TKO
for the 35-year-old from Jamaica following on from good wins over Tony Conquest, JonLewis Dickinson and Matty Askin and he is now No 13 with the WBA. Forsman, 32, had
won his last 7 fights and this is only his second loss by KO/TKO.
Pettitt vs. Horvatic
Pettitt gets stoppage win. Pettitt is streets ahead of Croatian Horvatic in skill, power and
speed. From the first round Pettitt showcases his excellent jab and is already cruising. He
takes Horvatic to the ropes in the second and gets through with good punches to head and
body. The pattern does not changed much over the next four rounds as Pettitt is scoring at
will and getting home with uppercuts, hooks and always the jab. The one-sided fight is ended
in the seventh as Pettitt traps Horvatic on the ropes and hammers home some hard punches
that see the Croatian drop to the canvas and the fight is halted. Too easy for 25-year-old
Pettitt as he goes to 8 wins in a row. Horvatic had lost 9 of his last 10 fights going in.
Cox vs. Martinez
Cox is starting to motor again as he continues his comeback from a long lay-off. Cox came
out firing and Martinez never had a chance to get into the fight. Cox simple overwhelmed
him with punch after punch until after a left hook Martinez went down on one knee to try to
get out of the storm. Martinez got up but was shipping more punishment when his corner
threw in the towel. The 28-year-old from Swindon, a former undefeated CBC champion, was
inactive in 2012, had one fight in 2013 and none in 2014. This is his second win since
returning in February. He wins the vacant WBO Europe title which will probably see him
leap into the WBO top 15 for beating a guy who came in 8 ¼ lbs over the contract weight.
Cox is in a tough division but he has power and skill. Although he is Swiss Martinez is the
current Spanish super middle champion.
Florencio Varela, Argentina: Light: Fernando D Saucedo (56-6-3) W PTS 10 Leandro
Pinto (18-7-2). Saucedo outclasses Brazilian. This was too one-sided to be interesting.
Hometown fighter Saucedo had won a unanimous decision over Pitto in February and this
time won by an even larger margin. Saucedo controlled the fight with his jab and shook the
Brazilian with a right in the second. The Argentinian rocked Pitto with a right cross in the
fifth and hurt him with a body punch in the sixth but never looked like winning inside the
distance and used the jab and cross throwing in some sharp uppercuts to shut Pitto out. Scores
100-90 twice and 99-91. The 33-year-old former WBA feather and IBF super feather
champion wins the vacant interim WBC and WBO Latino titles. His title losses to Chris John
and Rances Barthelemy are his only defeats in his last 42 fights. Pinto, 38, is 3-3 in his last
six fights and had scored a useful win in Argentina in April.
Orange, Australia: Super Welter: Sam Ah-See (13-0-1) W PTS 8 Arnel Tinampay (2219-10). Heavy: Solomon Haumona (22-2-2) W TKO 4 Felipo Fonoti Masoe (3-9)
Ah See vs. Tinampay
Hometown fighter Ah-See returns with a good performance as he decisions Filipino
Tinampay. In his first fight for nine months he took a round to get back in the groove and had
a shaky third but then he had his southpaw jab working, in fact overworking as he had carried
an injured left hand in to the ring so could only use left sparingly and only went through with
the fight because it was in his hometown. Tinampay was taking the fight to Ah-See and
forcing the pace but due to good body punching by Ah-See by the fifth Tinampay was
slowing and by the sixth his right eye was almost closed. Scores 80-72, 78-74 and 78-76. The
only blemish on the record of the 24-year-old former top amateur is a technical draw and he
subsequently beat the same opponent to win the Australian title which he subsequently lost
due to inactivity. Tinampay, 31, has yet to lose inside the distance but Australia is not a
happy place for him as he has suffered six losses down under.
Haumona vs. Masoe
Veteran Haumona has his first fight since October 2013 and overwhelms Masoe in four
rounds. The New Zealand-born Haumona had Masoe down twice and on shaky pins when the
fight was finally halted. The 39-year-old goes to 20 wins by KO/TKO. He was 20-1-2 in his
first 23 fights and won the Australian and OPBF titles before being stopped in ten rounds by
Kevin Johnson in April 2013. He had one more fight in October that year and this was his
first fight since then. Masoe, also from New Zealand, has now lost 8 of his last 9 fights.
Mexico City, Mexico: Feather: Romulo Koasicha (25-4) W TKO 7 Guillermo Avila (153). Koasicha wins the vacant Mexican title with stoppage of Avila. For the first three rounds
this was a hard, close fight with both fighters standing and trading hooks and uppercuts. From
the fourth Avila suddenly tired, could be the Mexico City altitude, but whatever it was it
signalled a turning point in the fight. Koasicha put Avila down with a hard combination late
in the fourth but Avila got up and lasted to the bell. Koasicha kept up the pressure in the sixth
and ended it in the seventh. A left to the body put Avila down and after the mandatory eight
count Koasicha was punishing Avila again when the referee stopped the fight. Koasicha,
rated WBC 10/WBO 14 makes it 14 wins by KO/TKO. He gets his third win since being
outclassed and losing a wide unanimous decision against Lee Selby in May last year. Avila,
23, suffers his second loss by KO/TKO. All his losses have been against very good
opposition
East London, South Africa: Welter: Tsiko Mulovhedzi (10-7-3) W TKO 5 Ali Funeka
(36-5-3). Super Fly: Lwandile Sityatha (20-3-1) W PTS 12 Gideon Buthelezi (14-5).
Minimum: Daluxolo Mangcotywa (5-5) W TKO 8 Lonwabo Roboshi (8-3).
Mulovhedzi vs. Funeka
Mulovhedzi springs a big upset and win the IBO title as he stops Funeka who must now be
near the end of his career. After a competitive first round with both boxers trying to gain the
edge Mulovhedzi then took control. Despite giving away height and reach to the more
experienced champion Mulovhedzi was able to use a sharp, accurate jab to open Funeka’s
guard and bang home hard rights. Funeka just fell apart as Mulovhedzi scored three
knockdowns in the third round and came close to finishing the fight in the fourth as Funeka’s
legs had gone. A right put Funeka down in the fifth and although he beat the count another
right had him on wobbly legs and the referee stopped the fight. After a poor start to his career
that saw him go 3-7-1 in his first10 fights Mulovhedzi is now 7-0-2 in his last 9 including
winning the South African title and making four successful defences. He had scored a good
win by halting Mzolisi Yoyo in April but this fight was on a different level. His main delight
in winning the title was that his 103-year-old father was alive to see him become a world
champion. Funeka, 37, had reached the top in 2008, 2009 and 2010 beating Zahir Raheem
and then losing a majority decision to Nate Campbell for the vacant IBF/WBA/WBO light
titles, fighting a majority draw and then losing a split decision with Joan Guzman both fights
being for the vacant IBF light title. He tested positive for the banned diuretic after the second
fight and was suspended for nine months. He never really returned to those high level fights
winning and losing against Zolani Marali for the IBO light title and winning the South
African light and then IBO welter. After a 20 year career he seems finished.
Sityatha vs. Buthelezi
Sityatha retains the IBO title with very controversial split decision over Buthelezi. Sityatha,
the hometown fight, looked to have been outboxed by the quick and clever southpaw
Buthelezi but the judges did not all agree. Two gave the win to Sityatha by 117-111 and 115113 and the third and more accurate had Buthelezi winning 115-113. Second successful
defence for 27-year-old Sityatha and he will rarely be luckier. Buthelezi, 29, has had only 19
fights but has crammed a lot in. He is a three division IBO champion having held the
minimum, light fly and super fly titles and is the only fighter to have beaten Hekkie Budler
which he did in winning the IBO light fly title in 2011. On the down side he was crushed in
two rounds by Adrian Hernandez for the WBC light fly title and after winning a split decision
over Edrin Dapudong for the vacant IBO super fly title he was flattened inside a round in a
return match. Hopefully the IBO will order a return after this controversial outcome.
Mangcotywa vs. Roboshi
Mangcotywa wins the vacant South African title with stoppage of Roboshi, First fight for the
East London fighter for 16 months and sixth win by KO/TKO. Roboshi had won his last four
fights.
Tenerife, Spain: Light: King Daluz (11-2-2) W Felix Lora (18-16-5).
Daluz keeps on track for a shot at the Spanish title with unanimous decision over experienced
Lora. Daluz had Lora down in the fifth and Lora also lost two points for various infractions
making the scoring very one-sided. Scores 59-52 twice and 60-51. The 27-year-old lanky
local fighter has moved down after losing in a shot at the light welter title against Ignacio
Mendoza in June last year. Dominican-born Lora, 31, has now lost six in a row but can be a
difficult proposition on his night.
Ontario, CA, USA: Super Bantam: Daniel Roman (16-2-1) W PTS 10 Daniel Noriega
(28-10-1). Super Bantam: Isaac Zarate (12-1-1) W KO 4 Jesus Serrano (8-3-2).
Roman vs. Noriega
Roman wins wide unanimous decision but is forced to fight hard for the win. Noriega took
the fight to Roman from the start and not being a big puncher Roman had trouble staying off
the ropes and keeping Noriega out. Despite that it was Roman who was doing most of the
scoring both outside and in and he constantly picked up the points with his counters and more
than held his own on the infighting. Scores 100-90 twice and 98-92. A good learning fight for
the 25-year-old Californian and he also wins the vacant WBA-NABA title. Now 7 wins in a
row since his loss to Juan Reyes in 2013. He has useful scalps in Giovanni Caro and Chris
Martin. Noriega, 30, had won his last three low level fights but has plenty of experience and
tested Roman.
Zarate vs. Serrano
Zarate wins this all Mexican fight. Serrano was competitive early with Zarate disturbed by a
cut suffered in a clash of heads in the first round and spending too much time with his back
against the ropes in the second. Zarate gained control of the fight in the third by staying in
ring centre and ended it in the fourth with a left to the body. Serrano made it to his feet but
was still in some distress so the fight was stopped. The 23-year-old Zarate is 7-0-1 in his last
8 fights with the draw being against useful Juan Reyes. Second loss by KO/TKO for Serrano
who had won 7 of his last 8 fights going in.
New York, NY, USA: Feather: Yenifel Vicente (27-3-2,1ND) W TKO 3 Manuel de los
Reyes Herrera (21-17-1). Second win in a row by KO/TKO for Vicente as he tries to rebuild
after back-to-back losses in 2014. He nearly ruined the night for himself and any future sex
life for Herrera when he slammed home a blatantly low punch in the first round. Herrera was
in considerable agony and took a long time to recover which raised the prospect of a
controversial ending. However Herrera finally was ready and able to continue and the round
completed. Despite that first round incident Vicente did not change his tactics and continued
to make the body his target, this time legally, and a weakened Herrera was floored late in the
second. Vicente floored Herrera twice with a series of punches in the third round and
although Herrera managed to get to his feet on each occasion he was on shaky legs and the
fight was stopped. After being unbeaten in his first 28 fights the 29-year-old from the
Dominican Republic then went 3-3 in his next six with a good win in there against Jorge Diaz
(17-0) but losses to Chris Avalos, Juan Antonio Rodriguez and Eric Hunter. Colombian
Herrera, 34, has lost 5 of his last 6 fights.
25 July
Las Vegas, NV, USA: Light Heavy: Sergey Kovalev (28-0-1) W KO 3 Nadjib
Mohammedi (37-4). Light Heavy: Jean Pascal (30-3-1,1ND) W PTS 10 Yunieski
Gonzalez (16-1).Light Heavy: Sullivan Barrera (16-0) W TKO 8 Hakim Zoulikha (21-8).
Super Feather: Joel Diaz (19-0) W TKO 4 Alejandro Rodriguez (24-18-1).
21
Kovalev vs. Mohammedi
Kovalev retains his IBF/WBA/WBO titles with stoppage of Mohammedi. A cautious opening
saw both fighters probing with their jabs. Kovalev looked much bigger physically and
Mohammedi was just sticking to his jab. Kovalev tried some overhand rights as the round
ended but there had not been much action. Mohammedi came out aggressively in the second
with a flurry of punches but Kovalev then came forward himself but missed with two rights
and slipped over avoiding a couple of counters from Mohammedi. When the action resumed
Mohammedi got through with a right but was then tagged by a right to the head and staggered
back a couple of paces. Kovalev steamed forward following Mohammedi to the ropes and
landing two more rights to the head with Mohammedi slumping down to his hands and knees.
He arose at eight and Kovalev banged home some more rights and a left hook and then
bundled Mohammedi to the floor with the referee rightly not counting it as a knockdown.
Kovalev rushed in but they tangled and again Kovalev bundled Mohammedi to the canvas.
The referee warned Kovalev for pushing before signalling for the fight to continue. Kovalev
marched after Mohammedi landing three more rights but the Frenchman stepped inside and
held until the bell. Mohammedi was forcing Kovalev back at the start of the third and
Kovalev was only looking to land the right and not working openings so was missing with his
heavy shots. With about 40 seconds left in the round Kovalev opened Mohammedi up with a
right cross and then landed a crushing straight left to the head. Mohammedi tumbled to the
canvas on his back. He was up at seven but rubbing at his left eye and would later say that he
got thumb from Kovalev in the eye. He continued to rub the eye and ignored the count
looking as though he did not intend to continueand the referee waived the fight off. The 32year-old Russian was making the sixth defence of his WBO title and second defence of his
IBF/WBA titles. He goes to 25 wins by KO/TKO including 11 in his last 12 fights with only
Bernard Hopkins lastingf the full twelve rounds in that run. All sorts of speculation as to who
will be next with Artur Bererbiev and Jean Pascal in the mix but not evidently Adonis
Stevenson or WBA secondary champion Juergen Braehmer and any talk of a fight with WBO
No 1 Dominic Boesel should be binned as he has typically never fought a “name” fighter.
Pascal vs. Gonzalez
Pascal looks lucky to escape from this one with a win on his record. Gonzalez started
confidently putting Pascal under pressure to clearly take the first round. In the second Pascal
decided to stand and trade and they exchanged hard shots with the round close but Pascal just
doing enough to even things up. Gonzalez was working the body with good effect and looked
to be doing the more effective work in the third with Pascal throwing plenty but not as
accurate. Pascal improved his game in the fourth out landing Gonzalez with hard counters
and the fifth could have gone either way as could the sixth. The seventh swung one way and
then the other as Pascal started out aggressively but Gonzalez finished the round strongly to
edge ahead. The eighth and ninth were Gonzalez’s rounds as he outworked Pascal and looked
to have done enough to win the fight. Pascal tried to launch a big effort in the last but
Gonzalez matched him punch for punch to maintain his winning position. The judges saw it
differently as they all scored the fight 96-94 for Pascal. It wasn’t robbery as many rounds had
been close but it was the wrong decision. The stats showed Gonzalez to be by far the busier
and he also landed more but not by a big margin. The score cards showed that the judges only
all agreed on four rounds giving the first to Gonzalez and the fourth, sixth and seventh to
Pascal so plenty of controversy but the results says Pascal won and that’s what the records
will say. It keeps Pascal’s hopes of a title fight alive. The 32-year-old Haitian-born former
WBC/IBO light heavy champion is No 5 with the WBC, No 7 with the WBO, No 9 with the
IBF and No 9 (8) with the WBA but it will be money that decides if and when he gets the title
shot. Cuban Gonzalez, 30, had no “names” on his record and only the WBC had him rated
and that down at No 13. In this crazy sport losing will probably now get him rated by some of
the other bodies.
Barrera vs. Zoulikha
Barrera halts Frenchman Zoulikha in eighth but Zoulikha makes it a hard fight. Barrera
opened the first round with a body attack with Zoulikha not intimidated and firing back with
rights to Barrera’s chin. Both were trading hard punches in the second when a left hook
landed and Zoulikha went down but although it was counted it looked dubious. Barrera hurt
Zoulikha for real before the end of the round but a right from Zoulikha in the third had
Barrera taking a more cautious approach. In the fifth a clash of heads saw Barrera cut over
the left eye and Zoulikha having success with his rights whenever he could take Barrera to
the ropes. Barrera handed out heavy punishment in the seventh and continued that into the
eighth and a left hook put Zoulikha down for the second time in the fight. He got up but was
taking heavy licks when the referee stopped the fight. The tall 33-year-old Cuban makes it 11
wins by KO/TKO. His only win over a “name” was a January stoppage of a washed-up Jeff
Lacy but he is No 10 with both the WBA and WBO and No 9 with the IBF. As an amateur he
scored wins over both Chad Dawson and Beibut Shumenov and was World Junior champion.
Former French champion Zoulikha has lost his last four fights.
Diaz vs. Rodriguez
Diaz moves to 19 wins with stoppage of Rodriguez. After a quiet opening round Diaz went to
work in the second flooring Rodriguez twice both times with left hooks. Rodriguez survived
the third round but early in the fourth Diaz landed a right that sent Rodriguez down again and
the fight was halted. The 23-year-old Californian has 14 wins by KO/TKO. No major tests
but he has a win over useful Canadian Tyler Asselstine. Mexican Rodriguez was a late choice
for opponent. He is now 3-5 in his last 8 fights and this was his ninth loss by KO/TKO.
Hollywood, CA, USA: Fly: Brian Viloria (36-4) W TKO 1 Omar Soto (23-12-2).
Feather: Guy Robb (16-1) W PTS 8 Edwin Solis (6-4-3). Super Light: Abner Lopez (234) W PTS 6 Daniel Calzada (11-15-2). Light: William Silva (22-0) W KO 5 Adam Mate
(15-5).
Viloria vs. Soto
Viloria returns in top form as he blows away old foe Soto inside a round. The “Hawaiian
Punch” took only 122 seconds to deposit Soto on the floor three times to force the stoppage.
Back in 2010 Viloria had only just edged out Mexican Soto on a split decision but this job
was finished much quicker. The 34-year-old former IBF/WBC light fly and WBA/WBO fly
champion is now hoping to land a fight with Roman Gonzalez-be careful what you wish for.
Fourth fight for Viloria since losing his WBA/WBO fly titles to Juan Francisco Estrada in
2013. He is No 1 with the WBO, No 2 with the WBC and No 3(2) with the IBF so either a
return with Estrada or a shot at Gonzalez is a real possibility. Soto, 35, has had three world
title shots and lost them all by KO/TKO. This was his first fight since September 2013 but
Viloria gave him no time to shed any rust.
Robb vs. Solis
Robb survives a couple of cuts to get unanimous decision over Solis. The first cut on his right
eyebrow came in the second round and was caused by a punch. At that point Solis was very
much in the fight. From the third Robb took over and slowly began grinding Solis down.
Robb was cut again in a clash of heads in the sixth but just continued unloading on Solis until
the end of the eighth. Scores 79-73 from all three judges. Robb, 26, who recently signed with
Top Rank, has won nine on the bounce since being stopped in 2012 by still unbeaten Joel
Diaz in a fight which saw them both on the floor. Mexican Solis, 27, lost on points to Toka
Kahn Clary in March but before that he had gone 3-0-3 against good level opposition.
Lopez vs. Calzada
Tijuana’s Lopez makes it 2-0 in fights north of the border as he outpoints Calzada. The tall
25-year-old dominated the fight and opened a cut over the right eye of Calzada with a punch
in the last round and took the decision on scores of 59-55 twice and 60-54. He has won 11 of
his last 12 fights losing only to Alejandro Barrera (25-2) in August last year and has scored
four wins since then including a victory over Aik Shakhnazaryan (15-0) in January. Calzada,
24, has now lost 6 of his last 7.
Silva vs. Mate
Too many Brazilian fighters have record that flatter their ability but at first sight that does not
apply to lanky William Dos Santos Silva. In his first fight under the Top Rank banner the
Brazilian first outboxed and then halted Mate. The end came in the sixth round when a right
to the body floored Hungarian Mate who was unable to rise within the allotted ten seconds.
The 28-year-old 6’1” (185cm) “Baby Face” Silva has been a pro since 2006 and has 13 wins
by KO/TKO. He actually had a couple of fights in Miami back in 2009. Before turning pro he
represented Brazil at the 2003 Pan American and World Cadets, won a gold medal at the
South American Juniors and a silver at the PanAmerican Juniors and also fought at the
prestigious Jose Che Aponte and Batalla De Carabobo amateur tournaments. One to watch.
Hungarian “Bad Boy” Mate, 24, was stopped inside a round by Stephen Ormond in 2013 but
had won his last three fights.
Las Vegas, NV, USA: Cruiser: Beibut Shumenov (28-0-1) W PTS 12 BJ Flores (31-2-1)
Feather: Claudio Marrero (19-1) W KO 3 Rico Ramos (24-5). Cruiser: Isiah Thomas
(15-0) W PTS 10 Jordan Shimmell (19-1). Heavy: Mike Hunter (9-0) W TKO 1 Mike
Bissett (9-8).
Shumenov vs. Flores
Shumenov collects the interim WBA title with unanimous decision over Flores. Shumenov
started out looking to trade with Flores but then showed boxing smarts by utilising skills he
had not previously hinted at to outbox the aggressive Flores. It was a good fight but not an
exciting one. Although it was close Shumenov was the busier letting his hands go whilst
Flores was unable to cut off the constantly moving Shumenov and seemed to be looking to
land single punches. He had expected a more aggressive approach from the Kazak but was
being outworked by the quicker Shumenov who was using good lateral movement to nullify
the attacks of Flores.. Shumenov built a lead early only for Flores to pocket a couple of the
middle rounds before Shumenov took over again and built a winning lead. A right from
Flores sent Shumenov into the ropes in the last but it was too late in the round for Flores to be
able to capitalise on that punch and Shumenov was still there at the bell a clear winner.
Scores 116-112 from all three judges. The 31-year-old Shumenov, a former WBA and IBA
light heavy champion who lost his title to Bernard Hopkins in 2014, becomes the first Kazak
fighter to win titles in two divisions but this is only an interim title. Flores, 36, had lost on
points to Danny Green for the IBO title in 2010 but with no fights in 2013 he has totalled just
eight fights in almost five years. He felt he won this one but was in the minority and it will be
a struggle to get another title shot.
Marrero vs. Ramos
Marrero strengthens his case for a title fight as he blasts out Ramos in two rounds. After a
first round without much action early in the second Marrero landed a thunderous southpaw
left that flattened Ramos with the referee immediately waiving the fight over. The 26-yearold Dominican southpaw now has 14 wins by KO/TKO. He lost a close unanimous decision
to Jesus M A Cuellar for the interim WBA title in August 2013 and has stayed active without
the opposition being anything special and he is currently No 6 with the WBA. This is a huge
blow to former WBA super bantam champion Ramos. He looked great when knocking out
Akifumi Shimoda for the WBA super bantam title in 2011but the lost the title the following
year when a body punch from Guillermo Rigondeaux ended his short reign. Since then he has
now gone 4-4 in 8 fights and lost the important ones. He is only 28 but faces an uncertain
future after this crushing loss.
Thomas vs. Shimmell
Thomas comes out on top in clash of unbeaten former top amateurs from Michigan and
collects the vacant USBA title. Southpaw Thomas chose to fight on the outside and use his
skills to avoid the more powerful Shimmell. The fight was much closer than the scores show
but there was too much holding and wrestling with both fighters on the floor from those
activities rather than from a punch. By boxing on the outside Thomas was forcing Shimmell
to overreach with his punches and was able to counter but neither fighter had a high work
rate. Although the statistics showed Shimmell had thrown and landed more punches he
admitted to having an off night but was upset that the scores made it look as though he was
never in the fight. Scores 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93. The 6’4” (193cm), 26-year-old Thomas
who beat Shimmell as an amateur, was trained by Manny Steward and considered a hot
prospect when he won a gold medal at the 2005 World Cadet Championships in Liverpool in
2005 but did not really kick on from there although he took a bronze medal at the 2007
NGG’s where he lost to Deontay Wilder. After nearly seven years as a pro he has not been
active enough or fought at a high enough level for someone with his talent. Shimmell, 6’3”
(191cm) also 26, and a former NGG champion and World Championships contestant had
been a lot more active but not really tested but he had a bad night and will come again
Hunter vs. Bissett
Hunter gets another win as he halts Bissett in 71 seconds. Hunter shook Bissett early and then
drove him to a corner and was banging home shots to head and body. Bissett was not
punching back and the referee stopped the fight. Now 6 wins by KO/TKO for the 27-year-old
former NGG and US National champion who went out at the 2012 Olympics only on count
back after finishing 10-10 with Artur Beterbiev. Bissett is 4-5 in his last 9 fights but had won
his last two.
Derby, England: Middle: Nick Blackwell (18-3-1) W TKO 6 Damon Jones (13-1, 1 ND).
Heavy: Hughie Fury (16-0) W PTS 10 George Arias (56-13). Welter: Lenny Daws (30-32) W PTS 8 Mikheil Avakyan (30-21-4).
Blackwell vs. Jones
Pressure finally pays off for Blackwell as he retains his British title with stoppage of Jones.
For five rounds this was a fight southpaw Jones was winning. He boxed smartly on the retreat
slotting home jabs and banging in hooks to the body from both hands. Blackwell was trying
to walk the challenger down but smart lateral movement and well placed punches frustrated
Blackwell’s efforts to trap Jones. Blackwell was banging home left hooks to the body when
he occasionally managed to trap Jones on the ropes but was just not letting his punches go.
Blackwell had some success half way through the fifth but Jones ended the round with a
series of counters and at that stage I had him winning every round. Blackwell tried to up his
pace in the sixth and although Jones was still getting through with right jabs and straight lefts
he seemed to be slowing. Just when it looked as though Jones had pocketed another round
Blackwell took him to the ropes and as they traded a thunderbolt right from Blackwell
crashed into the jaw of Jones who went down heavily. The bell had gone a split second after
Blackwell landed the punch and although Jones made it to his feet the referee stopped the
fight and Jones did not dispute the referee’s call. First defence of his British title for 24-yearold Blackwell and his eighth win by KO/TKO. His losses have been to Martin Murray, Billy
Joe Saunders and a close decision against Max Bursak so class opposition. He now has five
wins and a draw in his last six fights with the draw against dangerous Sergey Khomitsky and
he has a win over John Ruder (20-1) which netted him the title. Jones boxed with speed and
skill for five rounds and 2:59 seconds of the sixth and the punch he took would have put most
fighters down. He had the edge in skill but just did not have the power to keep Blackwell out.
Fury vs. Arias
A 6’6” (198cm) 20-year-old against a 5’ 11 ½” (181cm) 41-year-old fighter tells you all you
need to know about this fight. Aging Brazilian Arias just kept plodding forward behind a high
guard trying to catch the younger man but never coming near to succeeding. Fury was able to
land jabs, hooks and uppercuts and slide away before Arias could launch any counters. Fury
was moving too much to really sit down on his punches and at times just flapped either a long
left or a long right and some quick follow-up punches which lacked real power. The pattern
did not change for all ten rounds with Fury predictably winning them all but we learned very
little we did not already know and this was just glorified sparring for Fury. Referee’s score
100-90. At 20 Fury is still very green but he will not have taken much of value out of this
poor match. Arias was slow and ponderous and he lost on points to Johnny Nelson for the
WBO cruiser title in 2001that puts him into context.
Daws vs. Avakyan
Daws keeps busy with win over Georgian. Daws easily outboxed Avakyan and won every
round but had a frustrating night as Avakyan was just focused on survival and as a result lost
two points for holding. Referee’s scores 80-70. The 36-year-old Daws, twice a former
undefeated European Union champion, has been kept waiting two years for a promised return
fight with Michele Di Rocco who took a very controversial decision over Daws in June 2013
for the vacant European title. He is the mandatory challenger but there is no date set for the
bout. Avakyan was an acceptable test having only lost on a split decision against Chris
Goodwin for the vacant WBFed title in 2014 and going 5-4 in his 9 fights prior to this one
with the four losses coming in four different countries.
Mar del Plata, Argentina: Light Heavy: Roberto F Bolonti (36-3) W TKO 2 Williams
Ocando (13-3). Bolonti demolishes overmatched Venezuelan in two rounds. Bolonti took
control of the centre of the ring and of the fight in the opening round and punished Ocando
with uppercuts and left hooks to the body. In the second Bolonti landed a series of lefts and
right uppercuts and eventually a left hook to the body and a right to the head had Ocando out
on his feet. The referee applied a standing count and then asked Ocampo to step sideward’s to
him and it was obvious that Ocampo was too groggy to comply and the fight was stopped.
The 36-year-old “La Bestia” now has 25 wins by KO/TKO. He lost to Juergen Braehmer for
the secondary WBA title in June last year and then his fight with Jean Pascal in December
ended in a controversial no decision. This is his first fight since then. Ocampo, 26, suffers his
second loss in a row by KO/TKO.
Narrabri, Australia: Welter: Cameron Hammond (13-0) W TKO 5 Sedat Tasci (8-2-4).
Light: David Browne (22-1-1) W TKO 5 Tom Ford (7-5-2). Super Welter: Tommy
Browne (29-6-1) W PTS 6 Pramool (1-17-1).
Hammond vs. Tasci
Hammond crushes Tasci in five. The WBA No 13 had his jab working early and Tasci had no
answer, well no legal answer. Hammond took the first three rounds and then Tasci’s
frustration showed as he was warned twice for rabbit punches. In the fifth Hammond used a
couple of jabs to set Tasci up and then drilled home a right cross to the chin that put Tasci
down. The Turkish-born fighter made it to his feet but a volley of hard accurate punches from
Hammond were enough to see the referee stop the fight. Third win in a row by KO/TKO for
25-year-old Olympian Hammond and third defence of his WBO Oceania title. He competed
at the 2010 Commonwealth Games where he lost to Callum Smith and the 2012 Olympics
losing to Canadian Custio Clayton, both were close fights. Tasci, 30, represented Turkey with
great success winning silver and gold at the World Cadet Championships and competing at
the 2004 Olympics
Browne vs. Ford
Browne extends his winning run to seven with stoppage of Thai Ford. The 28-year-old
Browne’s only loss was a technical decision against Billy Dib in March 2012. . He had one
more fight in October 2009 and was then inactive until December 2013 but has been fighting
regularly since then and winning. Ford, real name Weerachit Kitee, is 1-4-2 in his fights in
Australia.
Browne vs. Pramool
Tommy, 32, the elder brother of David, lost on points to In-Jin Chi for the WBC feather title
in January 2005 and for the WBA title to Chris John in August of the same year. He
continued active until being stopped by Lenny Zappavigna in 2008 and was then inactive for
five years. On returning he has had one fight in 2013 and one in 2014 so let’s hope he will be
more active. All of Pramool’s fights have been in Australia
Halifax, Canada: Super Bantam: Tyson Cave (27-3) W TKO 5 Antonio Olguin (9-5-1).
Super Welter: Brandon Brewer (15-0-1) W PTS 8 Salomon Rodriguez (8-5-2).
Cave vs. Olguin
Cave climbs off the floor to halt Olguin. Cave did not let the knockdown or two very low
punches in the second round blow him off course and he slowly eroded Olguin’s resistance
flooring him in the fourth and then having him hurt and defenceless in the fifth when the fight
was stopped. The 33-year-old local southpaw, the WBA No 7, makes it 10 wins by KO/TKO.
He lost a very close decision to Oscar Escandon for the WBA secondary title in December
and is hoping to get a shot at the title later in the year. Mexican Olguin has lost 3 of his last 4
fights.
Brewer vs. Rodriguez
Brewer easily outpoints poor Rodriguez but does not seem to be making any progress. Scores
80-72 twice and 80-73. At 31 he is short on time. He is No 2 in the NCC ratings but is yet to
be matched with an opponent of any note. Mexican Rodriguez is 1-4-1 in his last 6 fights.
Braamkamp, Germany: Super Middle: Rafael Bejaran (18-2) W PTS 8 Zura
Mekereshvili (10-3). Super Middle: Juergen Doberstein (18-2-1) W TKO 3 George
Aduashvili (19-15-1).
Bejaran vs. Mekereshvili
Bejaran gets unanimous decision in a real battle. Bejaran had the skills but Mekereshvili just
marched forward behind a high guard and often managed to force Bejaran to just stand and
trade. The exchanges were crude but exciting. Both fighters threw haymakers and mostly
missed but kept swinging. What boxing there was came from Bejaran who had a stiff jab and
kept switching guard and piling up the points but he could not stop Mekereshvili coming
forward and was constantly being dragged into a brawl. The 33-year-old Bejaran, a
Dominican Republic fighter based in Hamburg, is a former WBO Europe champion and was
having his second fight after a break of two years. Georgian Mekereshvili, 21, has a good
chin and had won his last three fights.
Doberstein vs. Aduashvili
Doberstein given an easy fight to get him back in the winning column. It was obvious from
the start that Doberstein was in for an early night. He moved around the static Georgian
slotting home fast jabs and right crosses with Aduashvili too slow to respond. The Georgian
threw a wild punch and ended up on the floor and also tried dropping his hands to lure
Doberstein in and received a right cross for his trouble. The second saw Doberstein driving
Aduashvili back with his jab and firing long rights to the body with Aduashvili just trying
inaccurate and slow counters and already looking exhausted. The third was target practice for
Doberstein who scored with rights and lefts to the head sending Aduashvili down on one
knee. Doberstein continued to hand out punishment and Aduashvili’s second climbed onto
the rig apron with the towel but the referee signalled him away just as Doberstein landed two
more head punches that put Aduashvili down and then the referee allowed the towel.
Doberstein, 26, Kazak-born, German based gets only his fifth win by KO/TKO. He had a 13
bout unbeaten run ended in February when he lost to Cagri Ermis. Now 12 losses by
KO/TKO for Aduashvili
Los Mochis, Mexico: Super Bantam: Cesar Juarez (17-3) W PTS 12 Juan Carlos
Sanchez (20-4-1). Fly: Moises Fuentes (22-2-1) W KO 6 Oswaldo Novoa (14-6-2).
Juarez vs. Sanchez
Juarez comes from behind to beat Sanchez. Despite suffering a one point deduction in the
first round when Juarez was cut in a clash of heads Sanchez built a substantial lead over the
first eight rounds. His southpaw skills allowed him to punish the less talented Juarez who
found himself well behind and cut. However to compensates for his lack of technique Juarez
attacked relentlessly in every round and Sanchez slowed and tired. The ninth saw Sanchez
struggling to keep Juarez out and in the tenth he was exhausted and on shaky legs and floored
at the end of the round by a overhand right with the bell saving him. Juarez continued to
batter away at Sanchez who was shaken and needed all of his experience and courage to last
out the round. Juarez tried desperately to put Sanchez away in the twelfth and after a series of
punches Sanchez went tumbling out of the ring, off the apron and onto the floor. He was
entitled to a 20 count under those circumstances and made it back into the ring at the count of
18 and survived the rest of the round. Scores 114-111 twice and 114-112. A stirring contest
and a big win for Juarez with Sanchez rated No 2 by the WBO. Juarez was coming off a close
points victory over former WBC title challenger Cesar Seda in March and he was rated No 6
by the WBO. Sanchez, 24, a former IBF super fly champion who lost his title for failing to
make the weight in his first defence had been knocked out in ten rounds by Zolani Tete in an
IBF eliminator in November 2013. He was then inactive before returning with a win over
Colombian Luis Melendez in March this year.
Fuentes vs. Novoa
Fuentes halts Novoa in clash of former world champions. Flores got a great start flooring
Novoa in the first round. However Novoa was far from finished and he went on the attack
with Flores having problems countering Novoa’s attacks. The fight was anybody’s going into
the sixth but it looked bad for Flores when he was deducted a point for a low punch.
Undeterred Flores went to the body again and a hook put Novoa down and he was unable to
beat the count. “Moi” a former WBO minimumweight champion drew with Donnie Nietes
for the WBO light fly title. He then won the interim title before being knocked out by Nietes
for the full title in May last year. This is his third win since then and he is now No 2
flyweight with the WBO. Novoa, 33, is a former WBC minimumweight champion but he
could only manage a draw with Mario Andrade (6-5-4) in February.
Managua, Nicaragua: Super Light: David Bency (6-5-1,1ND) W PTS 10 Junior Ramirez
(12-1). Fly: Marvin Solano (13-0) W PTS 8 Carlos Rueda (23-9-2,2ND).
Bency vs. Ramirez
The plans went awry here as Bency outfought unbeaten Ramirez to revenge an earlier loss.
There was very little action in the first two rounds but in the third a right from Bency put
Ramirez down. When he got up Ramirez was there for the taking on very unsteady pins but
Bency was too cautious and lost his chance. Southpaw Ramirez slowly fought his way into
contention but Bency was the aggressor throwing bunches of punches and although Ramirez
did enough to make it close he just failed to close the gap opened by that knockdown. Scores
96-93 and 95-94 for Bency and 95-94 for Ramirez. Bency, 26, wins the interim WBC Latino
title. He had rebounded from a run of 0-4-1,1ND including a points loss to Ramirez, and had
a run of three wins going in but was a big outsider. Ramirez, 20, the WBC Youth champion
will want a quick return to erase this loss as he was well below form.
Solano vs. Rueda
Solano continues his winning run but has a tough night against more experienced Rueda.
Solano had to survive a few rough rounds when the bigger, hard punching Rueda had him
badly wobbled but he did survive and scored repeatedly with sharp counters in every round to
earn the unanimous decision. Scores 77-75 twice and 78-74. Best win so far for the 24-yearold Solano. As an amateur he was Nicaraguan champion and won a silver and bronze medal
at the Central American Games and represented Nicaragua at the Pan America Games. Rueda
31 lost to Cris Mijares for the IBF super fly title in 2011.
Liverpool, England: Super Light: David Barnes (29-3-2) W PTS 10 Andy Colquhoun
(13-1). Super Feather: Gary Sykes (28-4) W PTS Ibrar Riyaz (4-84-3).
Barnes vs. Colquhoun
Barnes earns another shot at a British title with razor-thin decision over Colquhoun. Referee’s
score 95-94. The 34-year-old Manchester southpaw, a former British champion, lost to
Frankie Gavin in 2013 for the British and CBC super light titles and was inactive for 18
months before returning with a win last March. “Chico” Colquhoun, 24, was in his first ten
round fight and Barnes constituted a big step up in the level of his opposition but he showed
he belongs at this level and his time will come.
Sykes vs. Riyaz
Sykes returns for the first time since losing to Liam Walsh for the British and CBC titles and
as usual Riyaz did his job of giving Sykes six round of ring time. Former British super feather
champion Sykes won 60-54 on the referee’s card and will be looking to climb back into
contention and get revenge for his loss to Walsh in November. As usual Riyaz was a shortnotice sub and went the distance. In fact out of his 84 losses he has only lost three times by
KO/TKO.
July 26/27
Lagos, Nigeria: Super Welter: Sule Olagbade WPTS 12 Rasheed Abolaji. Light Welter:
Olaide Fijabi W PTS 8 Kazzem Ariyo. Light: Prince Nurudeen Fatai W PTS 8
Chibuzor T.Boy. Super Middle: Sunday Ajuwa W PTS 8 Olufemi Ajayi.
Olagbade retains his national title with a split decision over Abolaji. Fijabi takes unanimous
decision over Ariyo. Fatai wins split decision over T.Boy and Ajuwa gets split decision over
Ajayi. The fights were held on the evening of 26 July and over into the early hours of 27 July.
Three split decisions which shows good competitive matching. Former WBA light heavy title
challenger Joe Lasisi was one of the judges.
July 27
Tokyo, Japan: Super Light: Akihiro Kondo (22-6-1) W TKO 4 Patomsuk (30-3-1).
Kondo outclasses a slow ponderous Patomsuk and halts him in four. The Japanese fighter
was just too quick for the Thai veteran. Kondo was moving around the crude and almost
static Patomsuk and scoring with stiff jabs and sharp rights. He rocked the Thai badly late in
the first and unleashed a furious attack with the referee looking close to stopping the fight but
the bell came to save Patomsuk. The Thai was badly cut on his left eyebrow and took heavy
punishment in the second and third round being made to look slow and crude. Late in the
fourth Kendo again shook Patomsuk badly and handed out heavy punishment as the Thai was
trapped on the ropes. Patomsuk escaped but the referee had seen enough and stopped the
fight. Former Japanese light champion Kondo gets a needed win and he is now 3-3 in his last
six fights. Patomsuk, 32, looked a lot older tonight. He had been stopped in six rounds in
March by Ik Yang in what was laughingly labelled an IBF eliminator.