The Past Week In Action 13 September 2016: Golovkin, Gonzalez Remain Undefeated
By Eric Armit
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 14 Sep 2016
September 9
Reading, PA, USA: Middle: Daniel Jacobs (32-1) W TKO 7 Sergio Mora (28-5-2). Light: Robert Easter (18-0) W PTS 12 Richard Commey (24-1). Welter: Kermit Cintron (38-5-2) W TKO 7 Manny Woods (15-5-1) Frank De Alba (20-2-2) W KO 2 Kiun Evans (12- 3-1). Middle: Jorge Heiland (28-4-2) W TKO 2 Angel Hernandez (17-19-1). Heavy: Travis Kauffman (31-1,1ND) W TKO 2 Josh Gormley (22-6). Super Middle; Chris Brooker (11-1) W PTS 8 Elvin Ayala (28-8-1).
Jacobs vs. Mora
Jacobs retains the secondary WBA title with stoppage of Mora. Both just probed with their jabs early in the first. Jacobs then began to walk Mora down tracking him along the ropes looking menacing and with real malice behind his punches. Mora kept moving, occasionally switching to throw a right jab and cleverly ducking away from the punches. Mora started the second round on the front foot probing with his jab. Jacobs rushed in with an attack but bounced off Mora and down on his back. He was up immediately and it was not a knockdown. Jacobs then switched to southpaw which momentarily flummoxed Mora and Jacobs unleashed a series of punches with Mora ducking and diving to avoid most of them. Jacob?s kept up the pressure and the switch of stance was bringing his left hook into play more. Jacobs went back to orthodox in the third and Mora had a good round for all but the last ten seconds. He moved well, jumped in with quick punches and stayed out of trouble. In the last ten seconds Jacobs landed a left hook to the chin and with Mora stuck in a corned he threw a barrage of punches. Mora ducked and twisted and made most of them miss but some hard ones landed. It was a similar picture in the fourth. Mora kept switching guard popping out jabs and moving. Jacobs stepped up the pace and was chasing Mora along the ropes trying to nail the elusive ?Latin Snake?. At the end of the round with Mora on the ropes Jacobs leapt in punching but missed and his elbow caught Mora on the top of his head. Mora went down complaining about the elbow. He was up quickly and the bell went as the referee completed the eight count. It was obvious by now that Mora did not have the power to keep Jacobs out and things were looking ominous for him. All of the action in the fifth came in the last ten seconds. Mora leapt in with a hard right left combination to the head. Jacobs fired back and as Mora turned away trying to escape a punch from Jacobs landed on the back of Mora?s head and he went down. Again he was up quickly and again complained bitterly about the punch but the referee applied the eight count as the round ended. Both fighters had switched to southpaw at times in that sixth round and Jacobs started the seventh boxing southpaw. He quickly switched back and was letting his hands go more. Mora was ducking under punches and trying to scuttle away. He twice went down on his knees to escape the pressure with neither occasion being counted as a knockdown. Mora was looking tired and Jacobs was getting stronger. In the seventh a left hook and a chopping right saw Mora slump to the canvas half way out under the bottom rope. He made it to his feet but Jacobs blasted away and Mora went down again. He was up at eight but another series of punches saw him slump forward to his knees and the referee stopped the fight. This was a rematch arising from last August when Mora suffered an ankle injury in the second round and could not continue giving Jacobs an inside the distance win. The 29-year-old ?Miracle Man? Jacobs was making the fourth defence of this secondary version of the title and he now has 29 wins by KO/TKO. He naturally is calling out Gennady Golovkin and the WBA have mandated the fight and he has the power to be in with a punchers chance. Mora, 35, a former WBC super welter champion had not fought since that August fight but found the WBA ratings elevator which landed him in the top 15 in June. He is not talking retirement.
Easter vs. Commey
This was a quality fight between two quality boxers and it went right down to the line with Easter just pulling out the win over the last two rounds and collecting the vacant IBF title. In the first Easter made good use of his small edges in height and reach to work his jab with Commey cleverly getting inside and scoring with some body punches. It was close but Easter just did enough to win it. In the second Easter trapped Commey on the ropes for the first two minutes of the round but Commey was scoring inside and when the fight moved to ring centre Commey landed the best punch so far, a long right that crashed into Easter?s chin and gave the Ghanaian the round. Easter made good use of his jab and straight rights in the third and fourth but Commey had some success getting inside and landing hooks to the body in a couple of close rounds in a close fight. Scores after four rounds were 39-37, 37-39 and 38-38. Commey pressurised throughout the fifth and had some success when he got inside. Easter was moving and jabbing and landed a sharp right uppercut which was the best punch in the round. Commey kept up the pressure in the sixth and seventh but Easter was again accurate with his jab and scored with sneak rights and some good left hooks to take both rounds. Easter had swept the middle rounds so Commey needed to find a way to get back in the fight and he did that in the eighth. Easter had been boxing well but as he came forward a short right to the chin from Commey buckled his knees and Easter?s glove touched the canvas. He bobbed up quickly but it It was a knockdown. Easter recovered quickly and after the eight count he landed some good straight rights but it went in the books as an 10-8 round for Commey. Scores after the eighth were 76-75 twice for Commey and 77-74 for Easter. Now it was Easter who needed to get something back and he took the fight to Commey more in the ninth but Commey upped his game and dominated the tenth and with two rounds to go the Ghanaian was up 95-94 on two cards and Easter up 95-94 on the third. Easter took the eleventh as he boxed on the outside with Commey too often swiping empty air and the cleaner work coming from Easter. It was all up for grabs in the twelfth and Easter made a great start. He landed a short right that had Commey dipping at the knees and holding on. He took Commey to the ropes and landed a series of head shots with Commey lunging forward and catching Easter around the waist. The impetus carried Commey forward and as Easter stepped back he slipped to the canvas but it was no knockdown. Easter took Commey back to same area of the ropes and kept him there for the remaining two minutes of the round. Commey looked exhausted. He was punching back but it was Eater landing more and better shots to the bell taking the last round, the split decision and the title. Scores 115-112 and 114-113 for Easter and 114-113 for Commey. The tall 25-year-old from Toledo was going twelve rounds for the first time but he paced the fight well. He joins a list of champions that includes Jorge Linares, Terry Flanagan and Anthony Corolla. All high quality fighters about on a par with each other. Former Commonwealth champion Commey, 29, came so close to victory. A strong last round would have won him the fight and he certainly deserves another shot and would have a good chance against Easter in a return and against any of the other three champion.
Cintron vs. Woods
An unfortunate ending gives Cintron a victory. The local fighter was winning this one easily and in the seventh Cintron trapped Woods against the ropes. As Woods lurched forward trying to escape they both tumbled to the floor with Woods landing heavily. When they both regained their feet Woods indicated an injury and was unable to continue and the referee applied the stoppage. With the 36-year-old former IBF welter champion closing in on 16 years as a pro a win is a win no matter how it comes. After losing to Saul Alvarez in a challenge for the WBC super welter title in 2011 Cintron had only three fights in almost five years but this is his third low level win in the last four months. Woods is 2-2 in his four fights this year.
De Alba vs. Evans
De Alba gets quick win against overmatched Evans. After taking the first round De Alba floored Evans with a right in the second. Evans beat the count but was put down again by a left and counted out with the count continuing after the bell. The 29-year-old hometown southpaw makes it 9 wins by KO/TKO. After losing his first pro fight De Alba went undefeated in his next 19 until losing to unbeaten Omar Douglas in December last year. He has rebounded with three inside the distance wins this year. Evans went 12-0-1 in his first 13 fights but since moving up to tougher opposition he suffered back-to-back KO/TKO losses to Roberto Marroquin and Jesus Rojas before this one.
Heiland vs. Hernandez
Hernandez was a late selection and did not last long. Hernandez did not hide from the fight but his lunges left him wide open and the hard punching Argentinian southpaw scored two knockdowns in the first round. It was over early in the second with just a smidgen of controversy. Hernandez was again lunging forward but was shaken by a left he continued to take the fight to Heiland but a hard straight right to the chin saw Hernandez bend over and sag at the knees. His gloves had just touched the canvas when Heiland landed a light right to the back of Hernandez?s head. He dropped to his knees complaining about the last punch but the referee stopped the fight. The 29-year-old ?El Gaucho de Pique? is the WBC No 1 but has been marking time since his upset victory over Matthew Macklin in November 2014 with a couple of bouts over un-taxing local opposition before this win. He would be a no-hoper against Gennady Golovkin but the WBC have a duty to give him a chance as he has been their No 1 for 9 months. In boxing some fighters are the hammer and some are the anvil. Hernandez was brought in as an anvil and took a hammering. He now has 9 losses by KO/TKO and has lost 7 of his last 8 fights.
Kauffman vs. Gormley
Kauffman gets another win for Reading but no satisfaction to be had here. Kauffman easily took the first round and would have won eventually. However early in the second round a right caught the left shoulder of Gormley and may have dislocated it. Whatever the extent of the injury Gormley turned away with Kauffman still throwing punches. Gormley went down briefly and then got up but was obviously in pain and went down again clutching his shoulder. He was unable to continue so the fight was stopped. The 31-year-old Kauffman?s nickname is ?My Time? but after over ten years a pro he has made no real progress. His one big fight was against Chris Arreola in December. Arreola won on points but tested positive for marijuana so the result was changed to a No Decision. This is Kauffman?s first fight since then and fighting guys such as the 42-year-old Gormley who was inactive from 1999 to 2015 and was stopped in three rounds by Andy Ruiz in July is not going to move him any closer to his time.
Brooker vs. Ayala
Brooker has to fight hard to get majority verdict over veteran Ayala. Scores 79-73, 77-74 and 76-76. The 25-year-old from Philadelphia was taking a big step up in quality of opposition but handled it well as he made it 8 wins in a row, Ayala, 35, was having his first fight since losing on points to unbeaten Sergiy Derevyanchenko in August last year.
Moscow, Russia: Super Light: Eduard Troyanovsky (25-0) W TKO 2 Keita Obara (16-2-1). Cruiser: Rakhim Chakhkiev (26-2) W KO 2 Alejandro Valori (21-11)
Troyanovsky vs. Obara
Troyanovsky again shows his power as he overwhelms Japanese challenger Obara. It was jab and move from both fighters initially until Troyanovsky began launching right crosses which just whistled by Obara?s chin. Ironically the best punch Troyanovsky landed was a left hook but Obara scored with a right of his own which seemed to shake Troyanovsky. Early in the second Troyanovsky crashed a right onto the jaw of Obara. The Japanese fighter wobbled and Troyanovsky landed a couple more punches before driving Obara across the ring. Troyanovsky continued to throw punches and Obara fell into the ropes going out under the middle rope and falling right off the ring apron and onto the floor. Troyanovsky did a celebratory back flip only for Obara to climb back into the ring 23 seconds after he had tumbled out of the ring. By the time the referee had assured himself Obara was OK to continue 30 seconds had passed and there had been no count. As soon as the action continued Troyanovsky drove Obara to the ropes and landed a succession of lefts and rights to the head and the referee stopped the fight. Now 11 wins in a row by KO/TKO for the 36-year-old Russian ?Eagle? who was making the second defence of his IBF title and the third of his IBO title. Troyanovsky (Troyvanovskaya) did not turn pro until he was 29 and did not win any high level tournaments as an amateur. Only three of his opponent have lasted the distance and he was impressive here. Obara, 29, lost his first pro fights so was 16-0-1 going into this and was a former undefeated OPBF and Japanese champion but was blown away by Troyanovsky.
Chakhkiev vs. Valori
Chakhkiev only needs one body punch to get rid of poor Argentinian. An untidy first round saw Valori doing most of the work. He is slow and carrying a lot of surplus weight and his work was really restricted to crude swings a couple of which landed. Chakhkiev looked tense and did not really open up much with the only excitement in the round coming when Chakhkiev sent the Argentinian flying backwards to the canvas with a push. Valori started the second round aggressively but Chakhkiev landed a long straight left to the body and Valori went down in agony and was counted out on his knees. Second win for the 33-year-old Russian southpaw since losing on a fifth round kayo to Ola Afolabi for the IBO title in November. Former Argentinian champion Valori moves down to 8 losses by KO/TKO. Any time he moves up he loses and has been beaten by Nathan Cleverly, Micki Nielsen, Imre Szello and Denton Daley. He is not in the Argentinian ratings as he fights for an organisation not recognised by the Argentinian Boxing Federation.
Chelyabinsk, Russia: Super Bantam: Evgeny Gradovich (22-2-1) W PTS 10 Eusebio Osejo (28-18-3,1ND). Super Feather: Mirzhan Zhaksylykov (10-1) W PTS 10 Rimar Metuda (10-1).
Gradovich vs. Osejo
Gradovich has to fight hard to get a split decision over Osejo. This was a fast-paced bout with both looking to attack. Gradovich was constantly coming forward but Osejo was scoring with his southpaw jabs and slinging wide hooks many of which pierced the guard of the former IBF champion. In the second Osejo landed a couple of straight lefts and as Gradovich tried to move inside another left landed on the right side of his neck. It unbalanced Gradovich and sent him down. Gradovich was up immediately protesting it was a slip but the referee applied the eight count and as it came from a punch it was a genuine knockdown. Osejo dominated the rest of the round scoring freely and doubling and tripling his right hooks as Gradovich tried lunge inside. Osejo had complained about a thumb in the eye and by the start of the third there was a swelling under his eye. Both scored with regularity in the third. Gradovich was rolling forward with short quick bursts of punches and Osejo was still getting through with his right hooks. A left to the head seemed to shake the Nicaraguan. From the fourth Gradovich just kept walking forward throwing punches and the constant pressure saw the Nicaraguan?s work rate drop. From the fifth it looked as though Osejo may have injured his left as he almost exclusively used his right jab and right hooks. The swarming attacks from Gradovich gradually slowed Osejo. He was still banging home some spectacular salvos of right hooks but Gradovich just kept coming and punching. Osejo?s work became ragged as he had to position himself to use the right in situations where his left would have been the natural punch. The sheer volume of Gradovich?s punches was winning him rounds but after such a good start from Osejo it was close. Scores 96-93 and 95-94 for Gradovich and 95-94 for Osejo. This was a much stiffer test than expected for the 30-year-old ?El Ruso Mexicano? as he returned to the ring for the first time since being stopped in four rounds by Oscar Valdez in April. He was getting hit too easily and too often in what should not have been a difficult fight for him. The 30-year-old Spanish-based Osejo did not fight like a man with 17 losses on his record. He is a former Nicaraguan champion at super bantam and feather and has been in with tough opposition such as Cris Mijares, Guillame Frenois, Rene Alvarado and Jhonny Gonzalez but is now 0-3-1 in his last 4 fights.
Zhaksylykov vs. Metuda
Kazak fighter Zhaksylykov wins the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Silver title with wide unanimous verdict over young Filipino southpaw Metuda. Zhaksylykov was constantly pressing the fight with Metuda forced to fight on the back foot. The body punches tired the young Filipino and Zhaksylykov was a clear winner. Scores 99-91 twice and 98-92 for Zhaksylykov. The 31-year-old Zhaksylykov won his first 9 fights but was then inactive for six years before returning with a loss in a four round fight in February. Metuda, 22, was having his first fight outside of the Philippines.
Toronto, Canada: Cruiser: Denton Daley (15-1) W KO 9 Sylvera Louis (8-5). Heavy: Olek Teslenko (7-0) W RTD 2 Daniel Cota (17-8-1).
Daley vs. Louis
Daley wins the vacant Commonwealth title with kayo of fellow Canadian Louis. Although Louis had edges in height and reach the power was with Daley who forced the fight all the way constantly breaking through Louis?s guard with heavy rights. Louis stayed competitive countering well and playing his part in a stirring scrap but eventually began to tire. The end was brutal as in the ninth Daley landed a sickening right uppercut and a chopping right, but Louis was already on his way down from that uppercut. Louis made to his feet but then tottered and fell down again and the referee quickly stopped the fight. The 34-year-old from Brampton becomes the first Canadian to hold the Commonwealth title since Troy Ross who held the cruiser title from 2007 to 2008 (it is very old fashioned to call it the British Commonwealth title as the Commonwealth now encompasses many different independent nations of equal status) . ?Dangerous? Dalton?s only loss was a biggie as he was stopped in 12 rounds by Youri Kayembre Kalenga for the interim WBA title in November 2014. This is his fourth win since then and he is No 8 with the WBA. Since Louis is the current Canadian champion that title may also have been on the line. Louis, 34, from Montreal has had to fight heavyweight to get some action but was knocked by unbeaten Ryad Merhy in December for the WBC International Silver title before beating Milos Pantelic in a Canadian title fight in April.
Teslenko vs. Cota
Teslenko gets meaningless win as Cota retires after two rounds citing an arm injury. The contest was a farce with the unbeaten Toronto-based Ukrainian not really bothering to get out of third gear against a fat, slow, crude opponent. The 24-year-old Teslenko has yet to go past the second round. He has 6 wins by KO/TKO and one on a second round disqualification. Cota, 5?10? (178cm) was 187lbs when he turned pro. He was 244lbs for this one.
Thailand, Light Fly: Kompayak (58-5) W RTD 7 Frans Damur Palue (12-14-2).
As usual Kompayak was willing to walk through punches to land his own and he shook Palue with a right in the first. A very low left hook at the start of the second put Palue down and saw Kompayak get a warning and Palue some time to recover. Kompayak continued to roll forwards absorbing hooks and uppercuts from Palue and scoring with his trade mark combination of a left to the body and a right to the head. In the fifth Kompayak broke tradition and actually snapped Palue?s head back with three left jabs but he also handed out some withering body punches. Palue almost quit at the start of the seventh complaining of a thumb in his left eye. The referee took him back to his corner but they pushed him back into the fight and after a painful seventh Palue was done and retired. The former WBC light fly champion now has 40 wins by KO/TKO but his war of attrition approach must take its toll eventually. Indonesian Palue suffers loss No 7 in his last 8 fights.
Las Vegas, NV, USA: Super Light: Steve Claggett (24-4-1) W PTS 10 Emmanuel Robles (15-1-1). Super Middle: Neeco Macias (13-0) W TKO 5 Rolando Garza (9-1). Light: Ismail Muwendo (18-0) W PTS 6 Eliseo Cruz (9-2-1).
Claggett vs. Robles
Canadian Claggett gets hard earned decision over Robles but had to settle for a split decision when he seemed to have won clearly. Claggett kept the pressure on the unbeaten southpaw throughout a fast-paced contest. Robles was at his best when he had some room to work his right jab or when catching Claggett on his way in but Claggett too often pierced the southpaw?s guard with his rights. Robles lacked real power and Claggett was also able to get close and work the body. As a result Robles used his jab less and began to try to counter with hooks and uppercuts. Robles staged a strong start to the seventh but his attacks were broken up by rights from Claggett. The Canadian continued his body attack as they both tired. Robles was landing some good counters and fought hard over the closing rounds but Claggett?s extra power made him a clear winner. Scores 98-92 twice for Claggett and 96-94 for Robles. Claggett,27, wins the vacant WBA-NABA title. He is 9-2 in his last 11 fights with the losses being a very close disputed decision to Konstantin Ponomarev in 2015 and a majority verdict to Chris van Heerden in April this year ?Renegade? Robles, 28, had a good win in 2014 over Cuban former amateur star Yordenis Ugas-who beat Jamal James last month- and had made steady progress now he needs to do some rebuilding.
Macias vs. Garza
?Rooster? Macias breaks down Mexican Garza inside five rounds. It was war from start and these two came out firing and went toe-to-toe for much of the early action. From the third Macias began to take control as Garza was finding the pace too hot. Macias was banging home some impressive southpaw rights with Garza relying on a sharp left hook but Macias kept coming forward and putting Garza under pressure. There were still some fiery exchanges but Garza was getting the worst of it and fading fast. A right to the head knocked Garza off balance in the fifth and although it was a questionable knockdown at the end of the eight count the referee had a long look at Garza and stopped the fight. The 25-year Macias gets his seventh win by KO/TKO and picks up the vacant WBC USNBC title. Garza 24 was trying eight rounds for the first time and only one of his victims had a positive record so Macias was a step too far for him.
Muwendo vs. Cruz
Minnesota-based Ugandan Muwendo returns to the ring with a win. He had a lot of rust to shake off and although he did not get an inside the distance win the rounds were useful as he took the unanimous decision. Scores 60-54 twice and 59-55. The 28-year-old ?Sharp Shooter? was having his first fight since April 2015 after being sidelined due to an arm injury which led to surgery. He competed at the World Championships for Ugandan before relocating to the USA. Cruz was coming off his first loss, a three round stoppage by unbeaten Russian Ivan Baranchyk in June.
Edmonton, Canada: Light: Cam O?Connell (12-0-1) W TKO 3 Norbert Kalucza (11-2). Light Heavy: Ryan Ford (8-0) W PTS 6 Victor Palacios (13-13-2).
O?Connell vs. Kalucza
O?Connell keeps up his busy schedule and makes it 9 wins in a row as he halts Hungarian. The fighter from red Deer was in control and forced the stoppage half way through the third. The 27-year-old Canadian, a former Canadian amateur champion, is rated No 3 in Canada and has 7 wins by KO/TKO. Kalucza, 29, suffers his first loss by KO/TKO and his second loss in a row having been outpointed by Welshman Dai Davies in July.
Ford vs. Palacios
Ford gets another victory as he outpoints Mexican Pereyra; The Edmonton fighter took the unanimous decision and is now looking to get a fight for the Canadian light heavy title although currently being No 6 at super middle. A former professional MAA fighter he scored an impressive win in April when he travelled to Thailand and stopped unbeaten Olympic gold medallist Manus Boonjumnong in five rounds. Palacios is batting 0-5 in visits to Canada.
Rio Gallegos, Argentina: Super Welter: Adrian Veron (17-1) W KO 2 Alejandro Gomez (14-30-6). Veron destroys Gomez in two rounds. The hard punching southpaw from Buenos Aires attacked the body early and had Gomez ready to go in the second. He floored him early in the round and then put him face down on the canvas with a left uppercut. A hand injury to Varon delayed this fight originally and then the intended opponent withdrew and Gomez stepped up as a substitute. The 27-year-old ?Chucky? gets his eleventh win by KO/TKO. Gomez, 39, had suffered only three losses by KO/TKO going into this one.
Santo Domingo, DR: Heavy: Carlos Negron (17-1) W KO 1 Andy Perez (20-4). Middle: Enrique Collazo (10-0-1) W RTD 2 Eduardo Mercedes (31-15).
Negron vs. Perez
Negron tries to get his stuttering career going again with easy win in Santo Domingo. The tall Puerto Rican only needed one left hook to the body to put Perez down and he stayed there. The 28-year-old 6?3? (198cm) Negron looked a good prospect when he turned pro after competing at the 2008 Olympics. He won his first 13 fights but then crumbled dramatically being halted in four rounds by Epifiano Mendoza in 2011. He had one fight in 2012; one in 2013, was inactive in 2014 and did not fight in 2015 until December. This is first fight this year and he moves to 13 wins by KO/TKO. Dominican Perez, 39, built a record against the usual abysmal opposition served up in the Dominican Republic but has now lost 4 of his last 5 fights all inside the distance.
Collazo vs. Mercedes
Collazo massacres Dominican Mercedes. The tall Puerto Rican hurt Mercedes with his first punch and scored four knockdowns before Mercedes retired at the end of the second round. The 6?2? (188cm) 27-year-old Collazo has good amateur credentials being a three-time Puerto Rican champion, winning a gold medal at the Central American and Caribbean Championships and competing at the 2012 Olympic. He now has 8 wins by KO/KO including 5 first round blow-outs. Mercedes had won his last 3 fights but against opposition who had only one win between them and this is his 14th loss by KO/TKO.
September 10
London. England: Middle: Gennady Golovkin (36-0) W TKO 5 Kell Brook (36-1). Bantam: Lee Haskins (34-3) W PTS 12 Stuart Hall (20-5-2). Fly: John Riel Casimero (23-3,1ND) W TKO 10 Charlie Edwards (8-1). Super Feather: Martin Joseph Ward (15-0-2) W TKO 8 Andy Townend (16-4). Super Middle: Callum Smith (21-0) W RTD 6 Norbert Nemesapati (21-4). Super Middle: Paul Smith (38-6) W TKO 5 Daniel Regi (28-14). Super Bantam: Kid Galahad (20-0) W TKO 4 Emiliano Salvini (17-24-2).Super Bantam: Gavin McDonnell (16-0-2) W PTS 8 Robin Zamora (6-3). Welter: Connor Benn (4-0) W KO 2 Joe Ducker (0-2-1).
Golovkin vs. Brook
Golovkin retains his three titles with stoppage of brave Brook who put up some spirited resistance until the ferocity of Golovkin?s attacks and the danger to Brook of continuing to fight with a fracture to the orbital bone around his right eye brought a sensible surrender. Golovkin was pressing the fight from the first bell using his jab to force Brook back and already looking dangerous with rights. Brook boxed coolly firing his own jab. Golovkin took Brook to the ropes and seemed to wobble Brook badly with a right. He was then tigerish with his follow up attacks. Brook took a couple more hard shots but then fought his way off the ropes with some good punches of his own. He then boxed cleverly until the last 20 seconds when he had Golovkin on the back foot and fired home some hooks. Brook had a good second round. He spent much of it on the retreat as Golovkin prowled after him. Brook was making Golovkin miss badly with his punches whilst slotting home his jab. He landed a good overhand right and then peppered Golovkin with some hard combinations with Golovkin unable to score in return. It was a round where you caught a brief glimpse of why some people thought Brook had a chance in this fight but it was a false dawn. Brook went down early in the third but it was ruled a slip. Golovkin was in Brook?s face for the whole three minutes chasing the challenger around the ring scoring with jabs, left hooks and clubbing rights. Brook kept pawing at his face by his right eye and was obviously injured. Despite that he unleashed some fast combinations with Golovkin nodding in appreciation before marching forward again. The fourth saw the fast pace maintained. Brook tried to stay in ring centre and box more but Golovkin soon had Brook on the retreat both scored with some good punches but the round somehow lacked highlights. Interestingly after four rounds two judges had it even at 48-48 and the third had Brook in front 39-37. Golovkin was fearsome in the fifth he quickly took Brook to the ropes and pounded away with hooks and uppercuts. Brook was again touching his glove to the right side of his face and was in some distress. Golovkin was relentless forcing Brook to the ropes and landing a series of head punches. Brook?s second climbed on the ring apron waiving a towel but he was behind the back of the referee and Golovkin landed some more heavy punches until the second threw the towel into the ring and the referee stopped the fight. The 34-year-old Kazak retains his IBF/IBO/WEBC titles with the WBA refusing to sanction the fight for their title. Golovkin has won his last 23 fights by KO/TKO and it is difficult to see who can beat him at middle but Daniel Jacobs certainly merits a shot. Brook, 30, showed some flashes of real quality but Golovkin just punched too hard for the Sheffield fighter and jumping two divisions to tackle a powerful and quick beast such as Golovkin proved too much. Brook will now face a long period of inactivity as it will take time before the broken orbital bone heals after surgery.
Haskins vs. Hall
Haskins retains his IBF title with victory over mandatory challenger and former victim Hall. Haskins is hard to beat and impossible to look good against and his tricky southpaw style had Hall very hesitant as the champion did enough to edge the first round. Hall was hesitant in the second scoring with jabs and straight rights but Haskell finished the round strongly drawing the lead and slotting home counters. Haskins clearly took the third keeping Hall on the outside and countering Hall?s charges. Hall did better in the fourth scoring with long rights and although Haskins scored with some counters it did not seem to be enough to win the round. Haskins took over again in the fifth as Hall was unable to get to grips with the clever, sometimes eccentric work of the champion. It was a similar story in the sixth with a frustrated Hall missing with some wild swings and Haskins making him pay with sharp lefts. Hall was showing a swelling under his right eye and even this early the fight seemed to be slipping away from him. Hall marched solidly forward in the seventh. Haskins was spearing him with punches from hip level but Hall stayed focused knowing he had to keep on pressing to slow Haskins. The pressure started to pay off in the eighth and ninth as Hall landed long rights and left hooks with Haskins looking a bit ragged in his work and getting caught with punches he was slipping in the earlier rounds. Haskins was still a little in front but the gap had shrunk over the last three rounds. Haskins showed some great skills in the tenth moving, changing angles and scoring with quick light punches but the solid work was coming from Hall and three times his punches rocked the champions head. Early in the eleventh a left to the head sent Haskins stumbling along the ropes. He recovered and was again firing through with light punches but near the end of the round a right sent Haskins into the ropes and he was forced to hold on. Hall was relentless in the last chasing Haskins around the ring walking onto to some counters but landing enough himself to take the round. Scores 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113 all for Haskins. From my view the 155-113 was the nearest reflection to the fight and even then I though Hall unlucky not t get at least a draw. However one of the judges had given Haskins all of the first 9 rounds, another had given him all of the first 7 and the other judge had given Haskins 5 of the first 6. The 32-year-old Bristol ?Playboy? was making the second defence of his title. He had beaten Hall clearly in a fight for the European title in 2012, but this one was a different fight altogether. Hall was his mandatory challenger so with this fight out of the way he can choose his next opponent but it won?t come much tougher than this. Hall, 36, a former IBF bantam champion, looked to be out of the picture after losing his IBF title to Paul Butler and then losing for the vacant title to Randy Caballero. However he fought his way back into contention with a points win over Rodrigo Guerrero in April and came oh so close here although the judges did not see it that way.
Casimero vs. Edwards
Casimero retains his IBF title with dramatic stoppage of challenger Edwards. Casimero was coming forward tracking Edwards throughout the first round. Edwards showed a stiff jab and quick movement making Casimero look crude at time but the Filipino did enough to edge the round. Edwards was perpetual motion with feet, body head and gloves constantly moving. Casimero was not letting his hands go but looking to land one big punch with Edwards not giving him much of a target in a close round. Edwards was working well with his jab in the third with Casimero landing the occasional right. The power was with the champion with Edwards going for pace not power and boxing well. Casimero had no chance of out-jabbing Edwards so he was just using his jab as a range finder for his rights and they began to connect in the fourth with a right uppercut momentarily unhinging the challenger?s knees. Neither fighter had any substantial success in the fifth. Edwards was moving well and stabbing his jab and scored with a couple of rights and Casimero connected with a right to the head late in the round. Edwards continued to box on the outside in the sixth firing jabs and long rights. Casimero started ducking under the jab and landing long rights to the body but Edwards landed a sharp right late in the round. Casimero scored with a couple of good rights to the head at the start of the seventh and Edwards was not moving as quickly as he had been. Over the last minute Casimero landed a series of heavy rights and lefts that had Edwards holding and a right saw Edwards dip at the knees in an ominously good round for Casimero. The champion hunted Edwards down throughout the eighth landing heavy rights to the head with Edwards looking slower and having nothing in the way of power to keep Casimero out. Edwards had a much better ninth. He was back on his toes working the jab and slipping Casimero?s punches in a round he probably edged. Edwards was boxing well in the tenth when the roof fell in on him. They both launched left hooks and Casimero?s landed on the chin of Edwards sending him crashing down on his back. He climbed to his feet at seven and the referee had a long look at him before letting the fight continue. Casimero leapt in as Edwards staggered back across the ring to the ropes and after a couple of head punches from Casimero the referee made a well-timed stoppage. After the ninth round the scores were 90-81, 88-83 and 87-84 all for Casimero. The 26-year-old from Cebu City was making the first defence of his IBF title in his second spell as champion. He had lost his title to Amnat Ruenroeng in a seriously flawed fight in June last year but gained his revenge with a fourth round kayo of Ruenroeng in May. Coming to London held no terrors for Casimero as he has fought in South Africa, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Thailand and China and survived a very scary riot when winning in Argentina. A go anywhere fight anyone champion. Edwards is just 23 and has been a pro for just 21 months. He showed excellent skills here but just lacked the power to keep Casimero out for twelve rounds. He will be back.
Ward vs. Townend
On paper this was a contest between two well-matched fighters but in the end Ward was totally dominant. In the first round Ward was quicker to the punch and landed a left hook and a straight right to punctuate his dominance. Townend stayed competitive but Ward showed excellent defensive skills and scored repeatedly with counters gradually grinding Townend down. Ward continued to control the fight outboxing and outscoring Townend and had a big sixth round. He shook Townend badly with a left hook and Townend also lost him mouthguard under the pressure. The round was so one-sided that it looked as though the fight might end then. However Townend had a better if not good seventh round to stay in the fight. Ward was in charge again in the eighth and unloading some heavy hits and with nothing coming back from Townend the referee halted the fight. Ward, 25, wins the vacant British title and gets his eighth win by KO/TKO. Ward was coming off a good win over experienced Ruddy Encarnacion in defence of his WBC International title. Of the two draws on his record one was a technical draw and the other was in a good ten round fight with Maxi Hughes and Ward halted Hughes in five rounds in the return. He is rated No 3 by the EBU. First loss by KO/TKO for the 27-year-old Townend who had won his last 9 fights. He just met a better fighter on the night but can come again.
Smith vs. Nemesapati
Smith retains his WBC Silver title as he cuts down brave but out-gunned Hungarian. Nemesapati came out full of confidence in the first taking Smith to the ropes and landing hooks from both fists. Smith had big advantages in both height and reach and landed some good straight punches but Nemesapati kept hustling forward getting inside and landing an occasional right in a even first round. Smith dominated the second and third rounds. He used his reach and strength to put Nemesapati on the back foot and tracked the Hungarian around the ring landing hooks and straight shots with Nemesapati too busy covering up to launch any attacks of his own. Nemesapati?s early confidence had gone as he realised the size of the task in front of him. Nemesapati did much better over the early part of the fourth. Smith had wound his attacks back and Nemesapati was able to stay in ring centre and do some work of his own. Smith turned the heat on again over the last minute and Nemesapati was soaking up punishment to the bell. It was a similar story in the fifth with Smith starting slow and careful and then opening up late in the round. The sixth was painful to watch as Smith banged home lefts hooks and rights to the head. A big left hook to the body saw Nemesapati crumple to the floor and the bell went just as the eight count finished with Nemesapati then retiring. The big Liverpool fighter is a monster in the ring as he has shown in crushing both Rocky Fielding and Hadillah Mohoumadi inside a round. He is No 1 with the WBC so should get his title fight early in the New Year and I would take him to come out the winner. The 21-year-old Hungarian champion Nemesapati turned pro at 17. He has been carefully matched for much of the time but when he has faced a real test such as Schiller Hyppolite and Umar Salamov he has been well beaten and I am surprised his management took this fight just three weeks after he lost every round against Salamov.
Smith vs. Regi
Smith gets in some useful ring time against Hungarian Regi. The first round saw Smith establish his jab early and controlling the action with neither fighter really throwing any big punches. Smith began to warm to the job in the second landing a hard right to the head a left hook to the body and a long right. Regi was trying to jet through with jabs and long shots but Smith was blocking or dodging the punches. A right to the body hurt Regi at the end of the round but he countered with a right of his own. In the third a left to the ribs sent Regi down in agony but he got up and tried to fire back and survived the round without further punishment. Regi was trying to take the fight to Smith in the fourth but a short right which actually landed on the Hungarians neck put him down. He beat the count but chopping right to the head put him down again. He was up quickly but another right saw him touchdown briefly for the third count in the round. Smith tried to end it but with less than 20 seconds left Regi was still there at the bell. The Hungarian showed some nice skills at the start of the fifth until a wicked right to the body saw him go down on one knee and spit out his mouthguard. He was up at eight and got a bit of extra time as his mouthguard was put back in. He tried to stand and trade with Smith but a right to the body put him down again. He got up but after counting off the eight the referee stopped the fight. A useful work out for 33-year-old Smith as he gets his third win this year. He is rebuilding after three losses on the bounce twice against Arthur Abraham and in May last year to Andre Ward. He probably still has at least one more big title fight in him. Regi, 35, showed a decent level of skill but loses whenever he steps up.
Galahad vs. Salvini
Galahad gets his second win since serving a suspension for a anti-doping violation. He was in charge all the way in this one being too quick and too skilful for the Italian veteran. Galahad put Salvini down in the third and was dishing out punishment in the fourth when the referee stopped the fight. The Sheffield 26-year-old had won British, Commonwealth, European and WBC International titles before his suspension so he has a lot of lost ground to make up. The 37-year-old Salvini, a former Italian champion has now lost his last four fights.
McDonnell vs. Zamora
McDonnell stages a strong finish to outpoint competitive Nicaraguan teenager. Considering his lack of experience Zamora made this a very close fight most of the way. McDonnell showcased his skills and made good use of his jab but Zamora also scored well with lefts to make the fight even after five rounds. A big right uppercut from McDonnell in the sixth shook Zamora and as the Nicaraguan tired McDonnell piled on the pressure to open a winning gap. Referee?s score 78-76 for McDonnell. The 30-year-old twin of Jamie, the holder of the secondary WBA bantam title, is No 2 super bantam with the WBC so could be trying to make it a family double of champions next year. The 18-year-old Zamora performed much better than his very modest record indicated he would and as had never done more than six rounds before he did well to give the WBC No 2 such a hard fight.
Benn vs. Ducker
Benn gets another inside the distance win as he blows away Ducker inside two rounds. A right/ left combination put Ducker down in the first and he was down again later in the round. In the second a hard combination put Ducker down again and he took the ten count. The 19-year-old son of the former world champion has three wins by KO/TKO and is learning the game as he goes along and showing improvement each time. Brave Ducker way out of his depth.
Inglewood, CA, USA: Ramon Gonzalez (46-0) W PTS 12 Carlos Cuadras (35-1-1). Super Welter: Yoshihiro Kamegai (27-3-2) W RTD 8 Jesus Soto Karass (28-11-4,1ND) W. Light: Ryan Martin (16-0) W PTS 8 Cesar Villarraga (9-2).
Gonzalez vs. Cuadras
Gonzalez confirms his greatness as he gets his fourth title in different divisions. The pattern in the first round was pretty much as expected with Cuadras boxing smartly on the back foot slotting home jabs and snappy counters and Gonzalez moving in and land short hooks of his own and probably doing enough to take the round. There was no doubt who took the second. Despite persistent jab from Cuadras reddening Gonzalez?s face the Nicaraguan went up a gear and chased Cuadras for most of the round scoring with hooks and uppercuts and landing a choice uppercut which was the best punch in the fight to that point. Cuadras did better in the third. Gonzalez continued to hunt Cuadras down but the Mexican was slipping most of the punches and scoring with long raking left hooks and quick rights. Cuadras might have pinched the round but it was very close and over the three rounds the stats showed Gonzalez throwing more and landing more. The hot pace continued in the fourth. Cuadras started it with a flurry of quick but light punches from both hands. Gonzalez began to chase Cuadras done again landing long left hooks and short punches from both hands. He looked to have hurt Cuadras with a body punch before Cuadras fired another salvo to again make it a close round but another one for Gonzalez who was showing bruising under his left eye. Cuadras turned on the style in the fifth. After pumping out some jabs he unleashed rapid 5/ 6 punch combinations and did a little foot stamping dance to acknowledge the quality of his own work. That arrogance wound up Gonzalez who tried to make Cuadras pay and landed a long straight right but the Mexican fired another series as the round closed. Cuadras had a good sixth. Again he was going for speed rather than power and was throwing combinations with blinding speed and then moving before setting himself and doing it again. Half way through the round a small cut opened outside the right eye of Gonzalez but the blood was trickling down the side of his face and not into his eye. Gonzalez was back on top in the seventh. Cuadras tried some of his quick combinations but Gonzalez kept on top of the Mexican ramming home hooks and uppercuts to head and body with Cuadras unable to find any relief from the storm. Cuadras continued to go for quantity and not quality in the eighth. He was throwing his quick burst of punches. Gonzalez was landing the power shots but Cuadras had the higher work rate. They both showed signs of tiredness in the ninth neither being as sharp or accurate as they had been and again it was a case of whether you went for the burst from Cuadras or the thumping shots of Gonzalez and for me Gonzalez edged it. Cuadras was now cut over his right eye from a clash of heads and this one could result in the blood running into his eye. Gonzalez also took the tenth. Cuadras was no longer able to speed around the ring and found himself being dragged into some toe-to-toe exchanges which went Gonzalez?s way. At the end of the round Gonzalez was getting work from his corner on a rapidly growing lump under his right eye and Cuadras was slumped on his stool exhausted. Despite that sign of exhaustion Cuadras put in a great effort in the eleventh he was up on his toes firing home flashing combinations. Over the second minute of the round Gonzalez was the one landing the punches but Cuadras came back to life over the last minute and had Gonzalez backing up and being bombarded by punches. They were two exhausted men in the twelfth both somehow dredging up their last reserves of energy. Cuadras took the round. He found the energy to change angles and counter Gonzalez who was arm weary and just pushing out punches. Cuadras got through with some shots as the round closed and had Gonzalez stumbling and almost out on his feet. It had been an epic battle between two of the best little fighters in the world today but Gonzalez deservedly won his fourth division title. Scores 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113 all for Gonzalez who is now the WBC super fly champion. The 29-year-old Nicaraguan was taking part in his 15th world title fight and no one can argue that he is one of if not the best pound-for-pound fighter today. Cuadras, 28, showed both the ability and heart of a champion but just met one of the greats. He put up a fighting performance that would have seen him beat any other super flyweight-but not ?Chocolatito?.
Kamegai vs. Karass
Kamegai puts behind him a controversial draw in a previous fight with Karass. Kamegai dominated this one from the start. He was quicker and more accurate than the lumbering Karass and had the Mexican backing off in pain with a left hook to the body in the first and then battered Karass on the ropes and landed some rights to the head. They brawled their way through the next three rounds going toe-to-toe. Karass landed some heavy rights to the head and left hooks to the body but Kamegai won the rounds as he constantly landed his own right and scything hooks to the body from both hands outworking and outpunching Karass. There was very little variety in the rounds with both standing on flat feet ignoring defence and just throwing punch after punch. Kamegai was trying to pick and place his punches but Karass was head down arms pumping and too often missing the target. The Mexican did a bit better in the fifth and sixth with Kamegai on top in the seventh. Karass started the eighth coming forward but was walking onto punches. They were in a clinch and Karass pushed forward taking Kamegai to the ropes where they were tangled until the referee separated them. Suddenly without a punch landing Karass backed away across the ring with Kamegai in chase and although the Japanese fight landed only one light right Karass went down on his knees. He only just made it to his feet at nine and the referee took a long time and gave Karass a couple of tests before letting the fight continue. Kamegai tried hard to end it but Karass held on tight and made it the bell retiring in the interval. The 33-year-old from Tokyo felt he had beaten Karass clearly when they fought to a split draw in April. This time he took the verdict out of the judge?s hands as he hammers Karass to defeat. The former OPBF and Japanese champion now has 24 wins by KO/TKO. He can box but never turns away from a fight so always provides plenty of action. Karass, also 33, looked much older. He has been a quality fighter with wins over Selcuk Aydin and Andre Berto on his record but has gone to the well too often and looked slow and ponderous here.
Martin vs. Villarraga
Martin wins unanimous decision over late replacement Villarraga. The tall Martin used his physical edges to box his way through the first three rounds as poor Villarraga slipped and slid on some no quality boots and could not get past the Cleveland fighters jab. In the fourth a right from Martin put Villarraga down. He beat the count and from that point things improved for him. Martin now had the scent of an early finish in his nostrils and instead of continuing to box on the outside he chose to fight. That allowed Villarraga to work the body and he was more competitive even though losing clearly. Scores 79-72 twice and 78-73 all for Martin. The 23-year-old ?Blue Chip? Martin is a former US Under-19 champion. He just failed to make the US Olympic Trials for 2012 when losing in a Last Chance Qualifier.He has been sensibly matched against a reasonable level of opposition. Colombian Villarraga has done all of his fighting in California in 4 and 6 round prelims.
Mariehamn, Finland: Heavy: Robert Helenius (23-1) W KO 1 Konstantin Airich (23-18-2).Light Heavy: Dairon Lester (6-0) W PTS 8 Tomasz Adamek (25-13-2).
Helenius vs. Airich
This bit of rubbish did not last long. Apart from a 30lbs weight edge Helenius also towered over Airich meaning the Kazak-born fighter had to try to get inside. He managed to lunge forward throwing a couple of ineffectual punches and Helenius landed a solid right to the body. Airich collapsed to his knees writhing in pain and was counted out. All over in less than 50 seconds. The 32-year-old ?Nordic Nightmare? was having his first fight since a sixth round kayo loss to Johann Duhaupas in April but a farce like this is just a waste of his time and as he came in at a career high of 262lbs he obviously did not train too hard for the fight. German-based Airich, 37, is a long way over the hill and down the other side. This is his twelfth loss by KO/TKO and in his current 2-10 run 8 of those ten losses have come by KO/TKO.
Lester vs. Adamek
Cuban Lester gets a unanimous decision over tough Czech Adamek. The Finnish-based southpaw had the edge in speed and skill but Adamek is an experienced battler and made it a competitive fight. Lester was on the floor in the seventh although it seemed to be the result of a low punch. He got his revenge by flooring Adamek in the last round to emerge a clear winner. Scores 78-73, 77-73 and 77-74 all for 30-year-old Lester. This was the first time Lester has had to go past the sixth round for a win so some good experience. As an amateur in Cuba he won a bronze medal in the national championships and represented Cuba in a number of international tournaments with his results showing under the family name of Jimenez. ?Jumbo? Adamek, 36, has been unsuccessful in three shots at the European Union title but has mixed in good company.
Stockholm, Sweden: Super Light: Anthony Yigit (18-0-1) W PTS 10 Armando Robles (31-5-2,1ND). Heavy: Otto Wallin (16-0) W PTS 8 Osborne Machimana (21-9-2). Heavy: Dereck Chisora (26-6) W KO 2 Drazan Janjanin (13-8). Light Heavy: Naim Terbunja (10-1) W PTS 6 Baptiste Castegnaro (8-9).
Yigit vs. Robles
Yigit marches on but fellow-southpaw Robles makes him work hard. As usual Yigit was quick moving lots and throwing plenty of punches with both hands. He was accurate but was not making a dent in the rugged, experienced Mexican. Robles was not slow himself and he pressed hard and had some success. Yigit had a big sixth but Robles remained competitive making Yigit work until the late rounds when he began to tire. Scores 100-91, 98-92 and 98-93 all for Yigit. The 25-year-old Swede of Turkish-descent beat DeMarcus Corley in three rounds in December but was pushed all the way in getting a majority decision over Phil Sutcliffe Junior in May. He was a star of the Swedish amateur team winning the Swedish title in 2009/2010 and 2012, was Nordic champion and competed at both the World Championships and the Olympic Games. He has plenty of talent but could do with a bit more power. Now 38, Robles went 25-1-1 in his first 27 fights before he suffered back-to-back losses to Silverio Ortiz and Jesus Gurrola. He was knocked out in 44 seconds by Jose Zepeda in April last year but had won his last two fights.
Wallin vs. Machimana
Wallin gets unanimous decision over a vastly overweight Machimana. The tall Swedish southpaw was able to control the fight with his jab as Machimana moved at glacial pace and only threw occasional punches. Wallin had too big a target to miss and Machimana was content to survive. It was eight rounds of work for Wallin who shows some improvement from his earlier fights. Scores 80-72 twice and 79-74. The 25-year-old 6-5 ?? (197cm) Swede has wins over the usual European suspects but has to be matched carefully. The 37-year-old Machimana is the South African champion but a Michelin Man with 297 lbs (135kg) slopping over a 6?3 ?? (192cm) body is a condemnation of the heavyweight division in South Africa.
Chisora vs. Janjanin
Predictably easy win for ?Del Boy? Chisora. He dominated the first round before taking Janjanin to the ropes in the second and landing a left hook to the body. It did not look a thunderous punch but Janjanin went down on his knees. Chisora?s body language showed disgust as he strolled back to his corner not even looking back as the referee counted Janjanin out. The Bosnian fighter protested he had beaten the count but the referee had done the right thing. The 32-year-old Londoner should be nicknamed ?Rubber Man? for the way he keeps bouncing back from losses. This was his first fight since losing a split decision to Kubrat Pulev for the vacant European title in May. He has lost big fights to Vitali Klitschko for the WBC title and to David Haye and Tyson Fury but is still rated IBF 11/WBC 14 so he may yet fight his way into another big contest with his name being bandied about in the Finnish papers as a possible opponent for Robert Helenius who won a very controversial verdict over Chisora in 2011. Janjanin is 2-4 in fights this year including losses to Alex Dimitrenko on points and Enad Licina inside the distance.
Terbunja vs. Castegnaro
Terbunja gets his third win this year as he gets his career back on the rails. The clever boxing Kosovo-born Terbunja had his left jab working overtime but he lacks power. He did have Castegnaro in deep trouble in the third but Castegnaro revived. He staged a strong finish in the last round despite a cut so emerged with some honour and has yet to lose by KO/TKO. Scores 59-55 twice and 59-56. The 31-year-old Terbunja was Swedish amateur champion in 2004/05/07and 08 and competed at the World championships in 2005/2007 and 2009 and at the 2008 Olympics and must be the only Swedish fighter to win a US National Golden Gloves title. Great things were expected but in his eighth fight in July 2014 he lost a split decision to Jason Escalera and did not fight again until June this year. Castegnaro had a run of 7 losses in 8 fights but had won his last two.
Lemoore, CA, USA: Heavy: Andy Ruiz (29-0) W PTS 10 Franklin Lawrence (21-3-2). Light: Ray Beltran (31-7-1,1ND) W TKO 5 Miguel Mendoza (22-9-2). Super Welter: Danny Valdivia (12-0) W PTS 8 Gilberto Pereira dos Santos (12-4).
Ruiz vs. Franklin
Nothing spectacular here but a fight Ruiz had to win and he did clearly. The Mexican started well and despite his usual obese-like figure he was quicker to the punch than the aging Lawrence and built a big lead. However, worryingly, he began to tire over the closing rounds and a younger, fitter fighter than Lawrence might have had a chance but at 40 Lawrence was every bit as tired himself and could not take advantage of Ruiz lower work rate. Scores 99-91 twice and 100-90 all for Ruiz. He retains his NABF title and protects his eliminator with Hughie Fury next month. With his weight/height ratio it is easy to become fixated on Ruiz?s weight. He was 252lbs for this and seems to have settled at around 250lbs. He seems happy there and is deceptively quick. Lawrence had good wins in 2010/2011over Lance Whitaker and Jason Estrada but going into this one you could barely describe him as active. He had just one fight each in years 2012,2013 and 2014 and was inactive in 2015. He won a low level fight in March this year
Beltran vs. Mendoza
Beltran continues his comeback after suspension with one-sided win over fellow-Mexican Mendoza. No knockdowns but Beltran beat on Mendoza for four rounds before the referee stopped the fight in the fifth. Second win for Beltran since he failed to make the weight for his fight with Takahiro Ao for the vacant WBO light title in November 2014 and tested positive for anabolic steroid stanzanol. He needs better opposition so we can find out if he can get back to the top level. Mendoza is now 1-7 in his last 8 fights and was blasted out inside a round by Puerto Rican prospect Alberto Machado in April.
Valdivia vs. dos Santos
Valdivia remains unbeaten and keeps his NABF Junior title with unanimous decision over Brazilian. Valdivia was younger quicker and fitter but dos Santos made him work hard. Brazilians rarely travel well but dos Santos earned his money and pushed the younger fighter all the way. Valdivia had scored 6 KO/TKO wins in his last 7 fights including three first round wins in his last 4 fights so this was good experience for him. Scores 77-75 twice and 78-74 all for Valdivia. The 24-year-old Mexican is being sensibly matched and progressing well. Former Brazilian champion dos Santos, 39, failed to make the weight. He was coming off a stoppage loss but had taken unbeaten Luis Arias the full ten rounds in March.
Tacoma, WA, USA: Super Middle: Mike Gavronski (21-2-1) W TKO 6 Mike Carr (11-1). Gavronski gets impressive stoppage win over unbeaten Australian Carr. Both worked their jabs well over the opening round with Gavronski scoring often enough with his left hooks to take the round. Both fighters upped the pace in the second as they traded hard combinations. Carr increased his work rate in the third and fourth but Gavronski began to focus on Carr?s body and got through with some thumping hooks. The Australian took the fifth as he had Gavronski on the back foot and scored well with both hands. The Australian was doing well in the sixth until a Gavronski left hook and a series of rights put him down. He made it to his feet but was on wobbly pins and after the eight count Gavronski slammed home a series of punches that saw the referee make a well-timed stoppage. The 30-year-old local favourite had suffered an upset stoppage loss against Dashon Johnson in November but this win will restore his prestige as he makes it 14 wins by KO/TKO. Carr, 25, a former undefeated Australian champion had pretty well cleaned up the middleweight division at home with wins over Serge Yannick, Zac Awad and Renold Quinlan and was hoping to launch a US campaign in this fight. He is still a very good fighter and has plenty of time to rebuild.
Tokyo, Japan: Super Feather: Kenichi Ogawa (19-1) W TKO 10 Kento Matsushita (34-10-7). Ogawa retains the national title with late stoppage of Matsushita. The fight was close over the first five rounds. Ogawa scored well with rights to the body and opened a cut over the left eye of Matsushita with two of the judges having Ogawa in front 48-47 and the third all square at 48-48. Ogawa began to pull away over the next three rounds scoring with some hard left hooks to the body but Matsushita fought back hard to take the ninth. At the start of the tenth the scores were 87-84, 87-85 and 86-85 leaving Matsushita needing a last round kayo. Instead it was Ogawa who ended it in the tenth as he floored Matsushita with a left hook and a right uppercut and the referee stopped the fight. Ogawa, 28, making the second defence of his Japanese title, has scored 16 of his 19 wins by KO/TKO and is rated IBF 10(8)/WBC 12/WBO 14. Matsushita, 35, the JBC No 1 gets his third loss by KO/TKO. He has been unsuccessful now in five tries to win a national title.
Tupi, Philippines: Super Feather: Romero Duno (11-1) W KO 2 Paiboon (16-9). Super Bantam: Rey Gaballo (15-0) W KO 1 Yodpichai (12-14), Feather: John Vincent Moralde (17-0) W KO 1 Hagibis Quinones (5-19-1).
Duno vs. Paiboon
?Ruthless? Duno disposes of poor Thai inside two rounds. Duno had Paiboon down from a body punch in the first and floored him twice in the second with the referee counting the Thai out. Duno, 20, wins the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council title but this was a poor match. He is No 2 in the Philippines ratings at feather and has 10 wins by KO/TKO. The 37-year-old Paiboon is 4-9 in his last 13 fights.
Gaballo vs. Yodpichai
This one was a terrible mismatch. Gaballo had huge edges in height and reach and Yodpichai hardly managed to throw a punch. Inside the first 15 seconds a left to the head staggered Yodpichai. The Thai tried a head down rush but a right sent him staggering across the ring. Yodpichai was pathetic, every punch had him wobbling and as he lunged forward he fell down. Gaballo tracked the Thai around the ropes and then landed three rights with Yodpichai finishing face down on the canvas. For some stupid reason the referee decided he had to count ten over the poor Thai. The 20-year-old Gaballo, ?The GenSan Assassin? makes it 12 wins by KO/TKO including ten first round endings. He is No 1 at super fly in the Philippines ratings but wins the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council super bantam title. This was a disgrace as a title fight. Poor little Yodpichai gets his ninth loss by KO/TKO.
Moralde vs. Quinones
The mismatching continued in this one as a body punch from Moralde put Quinones down and he was counted out three second before the end of the first round. The 22-year-old Miami-based Filipino had to climb off the floor to get a split decision over prelim fighter Jimmy Aducal in April but did not waste much time here. He was unfortunate enough to have taken a decision over Australian Brayd Smith in March last year with the young Australian tragically collapsing and dying two days later. Poor Quinones needs to be saved from himself. This is his fifth loss in a row by KO/TKO with four of the m ending in the first round.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eric Armit.
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