The Past Week in Action 20 June 2017
By Eric Armit
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 21 Jun 2017
-Andre Ward stops Sergey Kovalev and brings down a storm of controversy over low punches with a protest lodged
-Guillermo Rigondeaux flattens Moises Flores with a punch that lands a split second after the bell with the Nevada Commission and the WBA reviewing the decision
-Tyrone Zeuge retains secondary WBA title with comprehensive win over Paul Smith
-Emanuele Blandamura retains European title
-Impressive wins for Dmitry Bivol, Luis Arias, Paddy Barnes and Yves Ulysses
June 15
Montreal, Canada: Welter: Custio Clayton (12-0) W PTS 10 Johnny Navarrete (33-10-1).Super Middle: Shakeel Phinn (14-1) W TKO 2 Pablo Zamora (33-15-1).
Clayton vs. Navarrete
Clayton continues unbeaten as he outclasses experienced Mexican Navarette. Clayton?s left was constantly in Navarrete?s face and the Mexican was never really able to mount any significant challenge. Over the second half of the fight Navarrete faded and Clayton had him in deep trouble in the last but just could not find the punch to finish the job. Scores 100-90 for Clayton from all three judges. Clayton collects both the vacant IBF International and WBC Continental Americas titles. The 29-year-old Montreal-based native of Nova Scotia, the Canadian No 2, may just be the best Canadian prospect out there right now. He was Canadian champion three times competed at two World Championships and was a quarter-finalist in the London Olympics. He lost to Errol Spence in the 2011 World Championships but in his vested days scored wins over Oscar Molina, Cameron Hammond and Tommy Langford. ?Cowboy? Navarrete, 29, has only lost by KO/TKO twice and is the best fighter Clayton has faced so far. He beat Jorge Paez Jr in December and was a respectable 16-3 in his last 19 fights.
Phinn vs. Zamora
The ?Jamaican Juggernaut? rolls on. After taking the first round Phinn floored Zamora with two rights to the head. Zamora beat the count but looked reluctant to continue. When the count was finished Phinn backed him into a corner and a straight right floored Zamora with the referee waiving the fight off without a count. The 26-year-old Canadian champion has won his last 13 fights and this is his ninth win by KO/TKO. It was a showcase for Phinn looking to impress the Yvon Michel Group who confirmed Phinn has earned a contract. Argentinian Zamora, 36, drops to 11 losses by KO/TKO but was 6-3 in his last 9 fights.
June 16
Accra, Ghana: Middle: Walter Kautondokwa (15-0) W TKO 5 Obodai Sai (32-3). Super Light: Kpakpo Allotey (11-0) W TKO 3 Tackie Annan (8-6). Super Feather: Patrick Okine (18-3-1) W PTS 10 Michael Ansah (12-8-2). Light: Rafael Mensah W PTS 8 Edward Kambasi (6-8).
Kautondokwa vs. Sai
Kautondokwa blasts out local hope Sai to retain his WBO African title. Kautondokwa had big edges in height and reach and used his left jab both to break up Sai?s attack and as a range finder for straight rights and left hooks. Sai tried to work his way inside as both let their hands go briefly in the first. Sai was trying to throw rights over the top of Kautondokwa?s jab in the second but was a bit wild with his punches. Kautondokwa hardly threw a punch in the round he was just on the back foot prodding the jab. Kautondokwa was throwing more and loading up on his punches in the third showing a wicked left hook to the body. Sai was also landing inside but again was often missing badly. A Kautondokwa left hook rocked Sai back on his heels in the fourth and he pinned Sai to ropes scoring with more left hooks. Sai fought his way off the ropes but again Kautondokwa was getting through with those left hooks. Sai steadied himself and got back into the fight but Kautondokwa was really loading up on his punches. Kautondokwa was ramming home jabs and left hooks at the start of the fifth. As they stood toe-to-to Kautondokwa scored with a short uppercut inside and followed that with a thunderous left hook to the chin. Sai staggered back on wobbly legs then fell into the ropes and went down on one knee. He was up at five but leaning over holding on to the ropes and after the eight count the referee stopped the fight over protests from Sai. The 32-year-old Namibian was impressive. He showed good skills and real power. After winning his first fight on points ?The Executioner? has won 14 on the bounce by KO/TKO. He resembles fellow-countryman Julius Indongo having a similar style, being tall, over 6?0?, and having a punch. Former Commonwealth champion Sai had a disastrous start to his attempt to break into the US market being knocked out in 22 seconds by Derrick Webster but he is a much better fighter than that and the ease with which Kautondokwa handled him and then finished him was impressive. This was being talked about as a WBO title eliminator but with Kautondokwa No 10 and Sai No 12 it would be ridiculous for Kautondokwa to become the mandatory challenger for Billy Joe Saunders but this is the WBO so who knows but it would not be an easy night for Saunders .
Allotey vs. Annan
Allotey wins the vacant national title with stoppage of Annan. The 23-year-old from Accra has 8 wins by KO/TKO but the standard of his opposition has been low. All six of Annan?s losses have come by KO/TKO.
Okine vs. Ansah
Okine beats Ansah for the second time in three months. The former Commonwealth title challenger had returned to action after 18 months out with a fifth round stoppage of Ansah in March. He is 7-1 in his last 8 fights since losing to Lee Selby for the Commonwealth title in 2012. Ansah is 3-5 in his last 8 fights.
Mensah vs. Kambasi
Mensah continues to score meaningless victories as he pads out his record. After 30 wins he is no further forward really than when he first turned pro and remains unrated. Kambasi is 2-6 in his last 8 fights
Detroit, MI, USA: Cruiser: Alexey Zubov (15-1) W PTS 10 Demetrius Banks (9-1,1ND). Welter: Bakhtiyar Eyubov (13-0) W TKO 1 Cesar Berumen (27-36-1).
Zubov vs. Banks
Zubov makes it five wins on the bounce as he gets wide unanimous decision over Banks. The Detroit-based Russian had an edge in reach and used that intelligently. He was able to slot home jabs to pile up the points and also use the same punch to disrupt any rhythm the unbeaten Bank?s tried to establish. Zubov was in control so there were few highlights. He had Banks shaken a few times but never came near an inside the distance win. Scores 99-91 for Zubov from all three judges. The 30-year-old former Russian Police champion and national team member was floored and outpointed by Constantin Bejenaru in April last year and is being carefully reconstructed. Too big a step up in standard of opposition and fight distance for Banks as this was his first ten round fight.
Eyubov vs. Berumen
Houston-based Eyubov blows away Berumen inside a round. Eyubov landed a vicious left hook to the body then switched and drove a left hook to the head of Berumen who went and landed on his back. He managed to get up before being counted out and an over eager Eyubov landed a couple of shots and then pushed Berumen to the floor. He got up but not for long as a left hook to the body dropped him to his knees in pain. Again he beat the count but was being driven around the ring with lefts and right to the head and the referee stopped the fight. Now eleven wins by KO/TKO for the 30-year-old ?Bakha Bullet? from Kazakhstan. He has wins over good level opposition in Jared Robinson and Karim Mayfield. Oldie Mexican Berumen, 39, now has 13 losses by KO/TKO.
Coquelles, France: Super Welter: Joffrey Jacob (16-0-1) W TKO 2 Joel Duchemin (5-7-2). Jacob retains the French title with stoppage of Duchemin. After an even first round Jacob battered Duchemin to the floor early in the second. Duchemin made it to his feet but his nose, possibly broken, was bleeding heavily and as Jacobs continued to unload on Duchemin the referee stopped the fight. Second defence of the national title for the 25-year-old from Calais who continues to be the flag bearer for the famous Jacob dynasty. This is only his third win by KO/TKO and he is down at No 20 in the European Union ratings so a long way to go yet. Duchemin, the French No 6 middleweight, lost on points over eight rounds against Jacob in June last year and is now 1-4-1 in his last 6 fights.
June 17
Las Vegas, NV, USA: Light Heavy: Andre Ward (32-0) W TKO 8 Sergey Kovalev (30-2-1). Super Bantam: Guillermo Rigondeaux (18-0) W KO 1 Moises Flores (25-1). Middle: Luis Arias (18-01ND) W TKO 5 Alf Magomedov (18-2). Light Heavy: Dmitry Bivol (11-0) W TKO 4 Cedric Agnew (29-3).
Ward vs. Kovalev
Ward retains the IBF/WBA/WBO titles with controversial stoppage of Kovalev who seemed to be badly weakened by low punches.
Round 1
A poor first round saw Kovalev on the front foot with Ward looking to counter. Neither fighter landed a punch of note and there was too much clinching. Kovalev probably did just a bit more than Ward to edge it with Ward already showing a small swelling under his left eye.
Score 10-9 Kovalev
Round 2
Kovalev was taking the fight to Ward throughout the round and scoring well with stiff jabs. There was a break in the round after Ward landed a left hook below the belt and Kovalev was given some recovery time. Kovalev had got through with some hard jabs and landed a good/right left combination.
Scores 10-9 Kovalev 18-20
Round 3
This was by no means a classic. There was too much holding and wrestling with neither fighter landing much. Again what clean work there was was coming from Kovalev with Ward showing plenty of good movement but very little offence. Kovalev again banged home a right/left to Ward?s head
Score 10-9 Kovalev 27-30
Round 4
Ward finally got into the fight. He was slotting home his jab and being first to the punch, ducking under big rights from Kovalev and scoring then tying Kovalev up. The referee stopped the fight and warned both fighters about the holding and the heads clashing. Kovalev was marked under the left right now.
.Score 10-9 Ward 37-39
Round 5
There was less clinching and more punching in the fifth. Both got through with some good punches but Kovalev was the one coming forward throwing more and landing more.
Score 10-9 Kovalev 46-49
Round 6
Too much clinching and wrestling again. Ward had his jab working and blocked or ducked much of Kovalev's work and just edge the round with a good final 10 seconds but all of the rounds had featured so little in the way of exchanges that they could be scored either way.
Score 10-9 Ward 56-58
Round 7
The referee worked harder than either fighter over the first minute of the round with constant clinching and wrestling. Over the second minute Ward was more aggressive and quicker with his punches. Kovalev stepped back from the action after a low left hook from Ward but the referee indicated for Kovalev to just get on with it as he was not going to order a time out.
Score 10-9 Ward 66-67
Round 8
Ward was fired up for the eighth. He came out punching taking the fight to Kovalev. As he forced Kovalev back he went low with a left. Once again there was a pause but the referee saw nothing wrong with Ward?s punches and just indicated for the action to continue. The two punches that landed about belt level did not look that hard or even definitely low. As the action continued Ward landed a left hook to the body which Kovalev again indicated he thought was low. Suddenly Ward was on top and landed a big right to the head. He caught Kovalev with more punches with Kovalev trying to hold on. Ward drove Kovalev back with a couple of punches one of which a left hook landed half on the belt and half below. On the ropes Kovalev dropped his hands and bent over with Ward landing a couple of left hooks which because of the angle at which Kovalev was bent landed below the belt. With Kovalev sitting on the middle rope with his hands down the referee stopped the fight leaving Kovalev bent double clasping his testicles. A very controversial ending.
Official scores after 7 rounds 67-66 and 67-66 for Ward and 68-65 for Kovalev.
Ward wins but those low punches played a major part in that. Ward did seem to be coming on strong in the eighth and the big right he landed certainly rocked Kovalev but the low punch before might have weakened Kovalev. I assume there will be a protest although initially Kovalev seemed to accept the decision and talked about being 34 and doing something else with his life. Ward remains unbeaten and will now have to look at his many options with WBC champion Adonis Stevenson a fight that would unify all four titles but one that does not seem to interest Ward. He has talked about going to cruiser or even heavyweight but neither seems a good option. However with Eleider Alvarez winning a WBC final eliminator and with Artur Beterbiev, Dmitry Bivol and Nathan Cleverly in the queue as well as Stevenson there are plenty of possibilities.
Rigondeaux vs. Flores
It was a night of controversies with Rigondeaux retaining the WBA title and winning the IBO title with a first round kayo of Flores. The only problem was that the chilling last punch landed after the bell. Flores had big edges in height and reach but just could not nail down the brilliant Cuban stylist. Rigondeaux was blocking or ducking under the punches from the Mexican and scoring with quick southpaw lefts. As they traded punches at the end of the round Rigondeaux had his right glove on the back of the Mexican?s head pulling him onto left uppercuts. He landed a couple to the body and then one to the chin of Flores. The referee jumped in and pulled Rigondeaux away turning with the Cuban to warn him about holding and hitting. He had his back to Flores and did not realise that Flores was now lying spread-eagled on the canvas. When he turned the look of shock on the referee?s face showed he had not been aware of the impact of that last punch and for a couple of seconds he knelt by Flores unsure of what to do but then he counted Flores out and summoned help for Flores. He consulted with other officials and it was ruled the last punch was legal although HBO? tape showed it had landed after the bell. I feel an appeal coming on. Poor old Rigondeaux. The 36-year-old ?Jackal? gets criticised for not being entertaining and when he does produce an explosive finish it only produces controversy. Remembering what happened when Rances Barthelemy knocked out Argenis Mendez after the bell to end the second round of their fight don?t be surprised a rematch is ordered. Rigondeaux again displayed his talent but is still No 1 in the ?who needs him club? Flores loses his IBO title perhaps!
Arias vs. Magomedov
?Cuba? Arias continues unbeaten as he halts Magomedov in five rounds. In an open, competitive first round both fighters were willing to trade with both showing strong jabs and favouring left hooks to the body. Arias had a good second round scoring with some sharp right uppercuts and looking to have buzzed Magomedov late in the round with a right. The third was a bit more even with Magomedov working behind a solid jab and throwing left hooks to the body but Arias was throwing more and was finding gaps for his rights. Arias was on top early in the fourth beating Magomedov to the jab, scoring with lefts to the body and again with right uppercuts. Arias was given a warning for hitting on the break. In the fifth Arias opened up with some stiff jabs and then landed a clubbing right to the head of Magomedov. The Russian shuddered and another clubbing right put him down. He was unsteady when he got up but after having a good look at him the referee let the fight continue. Arias jumped on Magomedov and although Arias was unable to land a meaningful punch as Magomedov staggered the referee jumped in and stopped the fight just as Magomedov was throwing a left hook but it was a good stoppage. The 27-year-old Arias was making the second defence of his IBF USBA title and is No 9 with the IBF. A former top amateur Arias won US titles at Junior, Under-19 and Senior level scoring wins over Tony Harrison, D?Mitrius Ballard and Jesse Hart on the way to the National title but lost to Hart in the final Olympic Trials for the 2012 US team. Second set back for Russian Magomedov, 27, who lost to unfancied Andrew Hernandez last year.
Bivol vs. Agnew
Bivol was fast out of the gate. He was banging stiff jabs through Agnew?s guard and landing rights to the body. He staggered Agnew with a left hook which curved around Agnew?s guard and a straight right . Agnew went back to the ropes and Bivol unleashed a series of punches that sent Agnew sliding along the ropes and down. After the eight count Agnew spent the rest of the round standing in a corner hiding behind a high guard with Bivol unable to prise it open. Bivol dominated the second round banging home stiff jabs scoring with rights to the body and landing a peach of a left hook that had Agnew blinking. Bivol had Agnew trapped in a corner twice in the third with a series of head punches almost sending Agnew down again and the referee was watching closely as it was so one-sided. In the fourth Agnew just hid behind a high guard with Bivol firing punches. Some got through but even when Bivol stood back in the hope Agnew would open up the Chicago fighter just maintained his high guard and made no attempt to throw any punches. A punch from Bivol that landed near the right eye of Agnew saw him turn away and the referee waived the fight over. The 26-year-old Kyrgyzstan born-Russian interim WBA champion makes it nine wins by KO/TKO. He impresses me more every time I see him. He has a compact style, real power and a good boxing brain and by 2018 should be ready to go for a real title. Agnew lost on a seventh round kayo against Sergey Kovalev for the WBO title in 2014 and disappointed in losing a split decision to Samuel Clarkson in 2015 and was never in the fight here.
Wetziar, Germany: Super Middle: Tyron Zeuge (21-0-1) W PTS 12 Paul Smith (38-7). Super Middle: Stefan Haertel (14-0) W PTS 10 Patrick Mendy (17-13-2). Middle: Patrick Wojcicki (8-0) W PTS 6 Henri Kekalainen (9-4). Super Middle: Denis Radovan (5-0) W PTS 6 Josip Duric (3-2). Super Feather: Stephen Smith (25-3) W KO 1 Karoly Gallovich (10-3).
Zeuge vs. Smith
Zeuge retains the secondary WBA title as he proves too quick on the night for Smith and wins by a wide margin on all three cards.
Round 1
Zeuge was that bit quicker with his jab and was moving in scoring and getting out. Smith was looking to counter but had no success.
Score 10-9 Zeuge
Round 2
Smith let his hands go more in the second scoring with a right early but Zeuge was stabbing home his jab. He landed a nice left hook and some quick combinations.
Score 10-9 Zeuge 20-18
Round 3
Smith had a good third. He got through with stiff jabs early and landed a series of rights. Zeuge tried to finish the round strongly but Smith stayed in charge
Score 10-9 Smith 29-28
Round 4
Zeuge was back in charge in the fourth. He established his jab early threw quick combinations and kept Smith on the back foot with the challenger hardly throwing a meaningful punch.
Score 10-9 Zeuge 39-37
Round 5
Zeuge dominated the round with his jab. Sometimes he slotted it through Smith?s defence but more often it was used just to keep Smith off balance or as a precursor to some wide rights around the challenger?s gloves and onto the side of his head.
Score 10-9 Zeuge 49-46
Round 6
Zeuge started the round with some good body punches. Smith upped his work rate and showed more aggression but Zeuge?s jab was in the challengers face constantly and whereas Zeuge was throwing fast combinations Smith was tending to throw one punch at a time.
Score 10-9 Zeuge 59-55
Round 7
This was not a barn-burner of a fight. It was a tactical battle between two very good technical boxers but Smith needed to change the course of the fight and soon. Zeuge landed some hard body punches at the start of the seventh. Smith kept marching forward but even on the back foot Zeuge was scoring with his jab and firing quick rights with Smith just not throwing enough punches.
Score 10-9 Zeuge 69-64
Round 8
Smith had a better eighth. He was more aggressive letting his punches go and putting Zeuge under pressure. Zeuge hit back hard twice pinning Smith to the ropes and landing some straight rights but Smith was firing back at the bell but I thought Zeuge just edged it.
Score 10-9 Zeuge 79-73
Round 9
Smith seemed to have been pacing himself as he was more active in this round throwing some menacing rights. Once again it was Zeuge's jab and quick 3 and 4 punch combinations that were giving him the edge despite a strong finish to the round from Smith.
Score 10-9 Zeuge 89-82
Round 10
Zeuge?s round. He started by snapping Smith?s head back with jabs and throughout the round was getting through with rights and lefts with Smith too slow to block or counter and Zeuge showing some nice defensive upper body movement.
Score 10-9 Zeuge 99-91
Round 11
The best round of the fight. Over the first minute they finally just stood and traded punches with no thought of defence and both landed some heavy rights. It suited Smith more than Zeuge and over the second minute Zeuge went back to the head snapping jabs only for Smith to launch furious attacks to the bell and take the round.
Score 10-9 Smith 108-101
Round 12
Zeuge must have known he only had to see out the round to win the fight but he did not take that approach. Instead he did most of the attacking and was willing to stand and trade. Just before the bell as they came together Zeuge threw a right to the body and a left to the chest and as their bodies clashed Smith was sent tumbling back to the floor. He protested that he was pushed over but the referee applied a count and as he completed the eight count the bell went leaving an angry Smith complaining but one could see that from the referee?s position it looked as though the left had caused the knockdown. In the end it made no real, difference to the outcome.
Score 10-8 Zeuge 118-109
Official scores: 119-108,119-108,119-108 all for Zeuge
The 25-year-old German is growing into the title. He has show improvement In his skills and also shown increased maturity since his draw with Giovanni De Carolis in July last year. Smith, 34, just did not have the speed to be competitive on the night. Six of Smith?s losses have been to world champions, three of them in world title fights. There are more pay days for him if he wants them.
Haertel vs. Mendy
Haertel gets another win but Mendy makes it a difficult night for the unbeaten German. Haertel made good use of his jab to take the first round and in an untidy second also outboxed Mendy. It got worse for Mendy in the third when he was deducted a point for carless use of his head. Haertel boxed cleverly over the middle rounds but Mendy was really rolling and Haertel was being frustrated by the good upper body movement of the Gambian as Mendy began to make inroads to the German?s lead. A clash of heads saw Haertel cut over the left eye but he kept his boxing together and as they fought hard to the final bell he held on to his lead. Scores 96-93 twice and 95-94 all for Haertel. The scores when you take account of the point deduction from Mendy show how hard Mendy pushed him. The 29-year-old Haertel is getting some good tests and his lack of power is not hindering him too much at this stage but might do when he moves up. He was German amateur champion in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2013, competed at the 2011 and 2013 World Championships and lost to Anthony Ogogo in the quarter-finals of the 2012 Olympics. He is being sensibly matched as a pro. English-based Mendy can give anyone a tough test on his night. He is 3-8-2 in his last 13 fights which have taken him to six different countries.
Wojcicki vs. Kekalainen
Wojcicki continues unbeaten with a unanimous decision over Finn Kekalainen. The young German prospect was giving away height and reach but had a strong first round. Kekalainen had trouble keeping Wojcicki out in the second but he looked to have edged the third and the fourth was even as Wojcicki seemed to coast for a while. However Wojcicki came on strong over the fifth and sixth to run out a clear winner. The 25-year-old Wojcicki was German amateur champion in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and represented Germany at both the European Championships and the 2012 Olympics so it will be interesting to see how he develops. Kekalainen, 25, was a good opponent for Wojcicki at this stage as he had gone ten rounds in fights for both the WBC and IBF Youth titles.
Radovan vs. Duric
The Juergen Brahmer-trained Radovan much too talented for Croatian Duric. The German fighter dominated the fight from beginning to end but despite landing plenty of heavy shots could not break Duric and had to settle for a points win. Radovan,24, German champion in 2011 and 2012 is another of the talented youngsters coming out of the amateur ranks and into the Sauerland Team. Novice Duric did his job of giving Radovan some useful ring time.
Smith vs. Gallovich
Former world title challenger Smith partially saves the night for the Smith family as he dismisses poor Gallovich in 72 second. Body punches put Gallovich down early and although he beat the count he was soon on the floor again and this time stayed there for the full ten count. The 31-year-old younger brother of Paul, lost to Jose Pedraza for the IBF title and Jason Sosa for the secondary WBA title. He is No 10 with the WBC and No 1 with the EBU so still opportunities out there for him. Two losses by KO/TKO for Hungarian Gallovich.
Saint-Vincent, Italy: Middle: Emanuele Blandamura (27-2) W PTS 12 Alessandro Goddi (30-2-1). Heavy: Carlos Takam (35-3-1) W KO 2 Ivica Bacurin (27-12-1). Heavy: Matteo Modugno (18-0) W Revaz Karelishvili (8-1). Super Middle: Andrea Di Luisa (17-4) W Mattia Scaccia (4-2). Super Light: Andrea Scarpa (21-3) W Giorgi Abramishvili (18-11-1). Super Feather: Devis Boschiero (41-5-1) W Lesther Cantillano (3-3).
Blandamura vs. Goddi
Blandamura retains the European title with close unanimous decision over Goddi in this all-Italian clash. Blandamura boxed cleverly to take an early lead. Blandamura was cautiously sticking almost exclusively to the jab and finding enough gaps to edge the rounds and was in front 39-37 on two cards with the third reading 38-38. Over the middle rounds Goddi pressed harder and his aggression saw him get back into the fight and keep it close and he clawed back the initial lead of Blandamura over the fifth six and seventh only for Blandamura to take the eighth. The fight poised to go either way as the scores were 76-76 twice and 77-75 for Blandamura. However just as he had won the eighth Blandamura began to take over the fight. He had paced the bout better and increased both his work rate and his accuracy as Goddi faded. Over the late rounds both tired with too much clinching but Blandamura had moved into a winning lead after eleven rounds and despite a big effort by Goddi in the last Blandamura had done enough to earn the decision. Scores 115-113 twice and 116-112 all for ?Sioux? Blandamura. Having lost inside the distance to Billy Joe Saunders and Michel Soro in previous attempts the 37-year-old Italian won the European title with a split decision over fellow countryman Matteo Signani in December. ?Highlander Goddi, 29, a former undefeated Italian champion, was 19-0-1 in his last 20 fights going into this one. He was No 8 with the EBU and another title shot could come along for him.
Takam vs. Bacurin
Takam obliterates Bacurin inside two rounds. Takam nearly ended it in the first putting Bacurin down twice. Bacurin made it out of the round but a devastating hook put him down and out in the second. The 36-year-old Cameroon-born Takam is now a French citizen and is No 3 in the EBU ratings. This is win No 27 by KO/TKO for him. Croatian Bacurin has lost inside the distance to both Tony Bellew and Dillian Whyte.
Modugno vs. Karelishvili
Modugno eases back with a win. The unbeaten Italian was too big and too good for the modest Georgian as he shed some rust from an 18 month lay-off due to surgery on an arm injury. Modugno had won every round before Karelishvili pulled out of the fight with an army injury of his own. The injury cost the 29-year-old 6-6 ?? (200cm) Modugno his Italian title so he will be looking to get that back. Two fights outside Georgia and two losses inside the distance for 6-6 ?? (200cm),
Di Luisa vs. Scaccia
Di Luisa a class above Scaccia and stops him late in the first round. The former undefeated Italian and European Union champion was having his first fight since being halted by George Groves in five rounds in January 2016. He is No 4 in the Italian ratings but loses heavily when he steps up. Scaccia , the Italian No 9, not in this class.
Scarpa vs. Abramishvili
Tall Italian Scarpa continues his gentle rebuilding process with uninspired unanimous decision over young Georgian. No real highlights as Scarpa easily outpointed the visitor. Scarpa has lost only one of his last 21 fights but in the defeat he lost every round against the very promising Brit Ohara Davies for the WBC Silver title in November. This is his second win since then and he is Italian No 2 and No 8 with the EBU. Like most Georgians Abramishvili does not travel well.
Boschiero vs. Cantillano
Just a keep busy pay day for former European champion and WBC title challenger Boschiero. He dominated the fight from bell to bell but Nicaraguan novice Cantillano refused to buckle and made Boschiero work hard for the unanimous decision. The 35-year-old Boschiero loses the big ones now. He lost twice to Romain Jacob in European title fights, was halted by Stephen Smith and outpointed on his USA trip by Mario Barrios.
Montreal, Canada: Super Light: Yves Ulysse (14-0) W PTS 10 Ricky Sismundo (31-10-3). Heavy: Simon Kean (10-0) W KO 5 Marcelo Nascimento (23-15), Welter: Ayaz Hussain (13-1) W PTS 8 Armando Robles (31-7-2,1ND). Welter: Mathieu Germain (10-0) W PTS 8 Pablo Fuego (12-4). Super Welter: Steven Butler (19-1-1) W KO 2 Damian Mielewczyk (10-4). Super Light: David Theroux (12-2) W PTS 6 Francisco Perez (16-9-1).
Ulysse vs. Sismundo
Ulysse gets by far his best win to date with a wide unanimous decision over experienced Filipino Sismundo. The young Canadian showed excellent footwork and fast hands. Sismundo took the fight to Ulysse all the way but the local fighter refused to be drawn into any toe-to-toe stuff. Sismundo was down in the second but it did not look that convincing. A left to the temple from Ulysse saw Sismundo starting to dip under the following right and go down on one knee. He was up immediately and back to putting pressure on Ulysse but the Canadian proved to have a solid defence and he countered effectively to run out a clear winner. Scores 98-91 twice and 99-90 for Ulysse. The 28-year-old Ulysse was a two-time Canadian amateur champion competed at the 2011 and 2013 World Championships and was a quarter-finalist at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. This was a good win as the Japan-based 30-year-old Sismundo had fought a draw with Dierry Jean and outpointed Ghislain Maduma in previous visit to Canada and has fought in eight different countries.
Kean vs. Nascimento
Kean gets another inside the distance wins as he shows improvement with each fight. Although both fighters were the same height, 6?5? (196cm) Nascimento had a longer reach and he used it well in the first round getting through the Canadian?s guard and giving Kean an uncomfortable opener. Kean fired back in the second flooring Nascimento, although it looked as much a slip as a knockdown. However at the end of the round Kean did put Nascimento down with a body punch which landed right on the bell. He hurt Nascimento with another body punch in the fourth. In the fifth a left hook to the chin sent the Brazilian staggering into a corner. After landing a couple of body punches Kean then got through with a big right to the jaw. Nascimento managed to get off the ropes but tottered across the ring to another corner looking out into the crowd and after two more punches from Kean he went down half out under the bottom rope and the referee stopped the fight. The 29-year-old from Trois-Rivieres wins the vacant IBO Inter-Continental title, his first pro title, and gets his ninth win by KO/TKO. As an amateur he was Canadian champion in 2011 and 2014 and competed at both the 2012 Olympics and 2015 Pan American Games. Not bad for a guy who almost ended up having to have a leg amputated after an accident and spent months in a wheelchair and on crutches. There is still a lot of room for improvement but so far so good. Nascimento is popular as a travailing loser. This is his eighth loss by KO/TKO but on the credit side he was coming off a win over an unbeaten local boxer in Poland.
Hussain vs. Robles
Hussein makes great start but then has to box his way to victory. The hard-punching Canadian had the visitor down twice in the first round but Robles is a very experienced fighter and managed to get out of the round. From there Hussain won every round but over the second and third he was looking too much for a big punch as he sought the knockout. Robles went the distance but it is doubtful if he could have done so had Hussain not broken his right index finger when scoring the first knockdown. Scores 80-70 from all three judges. The 25-year-old ?La Machine? suffered a shock 75 second loss against unbeaten Russian Evgeny Pavko in May last year but has rebounded with three inside the distance wins over three decent level opponents. Southpaw Robles, 39, was 2-3,1ND going in but the three losses were against Jose Zepeda, Anthony Yigit and Canadian Samuel Vargas so all tough assignments.
Germain vs. Fuego
Former top amateur Germain continues to build as he gets a wide unanimous verdict over Spaniard Fuego. He created the first real excitement of the evening with his aggressive attacks and had Fuego rocking a few times. Fuego refused to buckle and although he went down on one knee when under pressure in the seventh he recovered and was still there at the final bell. Scores 80-71 for Germain from all three judges. The 27-year-old ?G-Time? a former Canadian Junior champion who had over 80 amateur fights and won six Golden Gloves titles is building a big following. The tall 30-year-old Spaniard Fuego has been unsuccessful in two shots at the Spanish title and was 4-1 in his last 5 fights.
Butler vs. Mielewczyk
Butler starts his restructuring process with kayo of inexperienced Pole Mielewczyk. Butler went straight after Mielewczyk shaking him up a couple of times in the first round before finishing the fight in the second. Butler landed some hard head punches which had blood pouring from the nose of Mielewczyk and then landed a brutal right to the chin which floored Mielewczyk and the referee stopped the fight without a count. The 21-year-old ?BANG BANG? was having his first fight since a crushing loss to Brandon Cook in January. Now 16 wins by KO/TKO for the 21-year-old Canadian No 5. He said he had come though a bad time recently with the death of his grandfather Marshall Butler, the first fighter to put a loss on John Stracey?s record. First loss by KO/TKO for Mielewczyk and his third loss in fights in Canada.
Theroux vs. Perez
Theroux rebounds from a loss as he wins every round against Mexican Perez. Although Theroux won every round Perez pressed him hard and there plenty of fiery exchanges to keep the crow interested. Scores 60-54, 60-54 and 60-54. The 23-year-old Theroux is a good ticket seller. This is his first fight since losing a split decision against Jose Emilio Perea in October. Perez is now 2-5 in his last 7 fights but he made a good opponent style-wise for Theroux.
Belfast, Northern Ireland: Super Feather: Jonjo Carroll (14-0) W PTS 12 John Quigley (14-1). Light: Craig Evans (17-1-2) W PTS 10 Stephen Ormond (24-4). Fly: Paddy Barnes (3-0) W PTS 10 Silvio Olteanu (16-12-1). Super Light: Tyrone McKenna (14-0-1) W KO 4 Ferenc Katona (8-7-1). Light Heavy: Steven Ward (4-0) W TKO 4 Istvan Orsos (16-41-2). Light: David Oliver Joyce (1-0) W TKO 2 Gabor Kovacs (26-11-1).
Carroll vs. Quigley
A war was forecast and a war it was as these two southpaws contested the vacant IBF East/West European title. After a close first the fight exploded in the second as Carroll floored Quigley heavily. Quigley made it to his feet but was badly shaken and went down again. After the count Quigley tried to punch his way out of trouble and Carroll ended the round with a cut over his left eye. Quigley quickly recovered from the trauma of the second and used some nice skills to take the third and fourth. The fight swung to Carroll again as his all out aggression saw him take the fifth and sixth and although the seventh was close Carroll was using his superior strength to keep Quigley on the back foot. The pendulum swung Quigley?s way as he landed some big shots and edged the ninth and tenth. The eleventh provided a torrid three minutes as the two battled head to head and Quigley looked to have done enough to take the last round. Scores 115-111 twice for Carroll and 114-113 for Quigley. Dubliner ?Celtic Warrior? Carroll,25, wins his first pro title and will be looking to kick on from here. Liverpudlian Quigley, 27, will feel he was unlucky. He had never gone past eight rounds before and this is only his second fight since being out of the ring for two years so with a bit more activity he will be hoping to get a return with Carroll
Evans vs. Ormond
This looked to have the makings of a real scrap on paper but did not turn out that way with too much wrestling and holding. The early rounds were close as Evans was busier in the first and Ormond showed his power with a hard left hook in the second. Evans was outworking Ormond and built a lead. Over the middle rounds both fighters were guilty of holding and the rounds were close due to the lack of effective work from either man. Both fighters went over a couple of times as they wrestled each other to the floor but Evans was again doing the cleaner work and edging the close rounds. Evans floored an exhausted Ormond twice late in the last round to cement his victory. Scores 99-89, 97-91 and 96-93 all for Evans. The 27-year-old Welsh southpaw retains the WBO European title and holding that title has him at No 9 in the WBO ratings with the prospect of a shot at Terry Flanagan for the WBO title. Ormond 34 was hoping a victory would do the same for him. He had won 7 of his last 8 fights but his opposition has not been strong and the chance of a title shot has effectively gone.
Barns vs. Olteanu
Barnes comes through a very tough test and has to settle for a majority decision over veteran Olteanu. The opening rounds saw both fighter cautious. Barnes did enough good work to take the first and in the second a punch from Olteanu buzzed the Belfast fighter. The rounds continued to be close. Barnes was quicker and worked the body well. Olteanu was pressing hard and also working well inside. Both fighters had periods of supremacy over the middle rounds with Barnes continuing to box well and Olteanu continuing to roll forward and put pressure on the local fighter. The body work and the march of time told over the last two rounds as Olteanu tired and Barnes outworked the little Romanian to just edge his way to the decision. Scores 97-93 and 97-94 for Barnes and 95-95. ?Leprechaun? Barnes, 30, wins the vacant WBO European title which will catapult him into the WBO ratings but this fight gave him some idea of how tough the pro game is. Spanish-based Olteanu, 39, has never gotten the breaks. He is a former European and European Union champion and came so close to a title when he lost a split decision to Daiki Kameda for the WBA title in Japan in 2010. He is now 2-6 in his last 8 fights with all six loses coming in the other guys territory and including this one three have been by majority decisions. A great professional.
McKenna vs. Katona
McKenna knocks out late substitute Katona in a contest between southpaws. The local fighter was landing heavy punches over the first three rounds. Katona was trying to walk through the punches but was absorbing some hurtful body punches. The Romanian was determined to walk forward again in the fourth but a stunning uppercut from McKenna put him down and he was counted out. McKenna, 27, gets his sixth win by KO/TKO. The draw on his record was a technical one when McKenna was cut too badly to continue. Katona gets his fourth loss by KO/TKO and is 2-6-1 in his last 9 fights.
Ward vs. Orsos
Ward gets his first inside the distance win as he halts Orsos in four rounds. Ward had Orsos down in the first and sent his mouthguard flying in the second but Orsos didn?t buckle despite the punishment. The body punching began to take effect and in the fourth and the Hungarian was reeling under a hail of punches when the referee stopped the fight late in the round. The 27-year-old 6?2? (188cm) ?Quiet Man? Ward won a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games . Southpaw Orsos, 35, another late substitute, has now lost 6 of his last 7 fights.
Joyce vs. Kovacs
Another former top amateur crosses over as Joyce turns pro with a win. Joyce made an impressive start as he fired home hard body punches in the first and then staggered Kovacs with a left hook in the second. Joyce poured on the punches until the referee stepped in to save Kovacs. The 30-year-old Irish Olympian is a former Irish amateur champion and twice won gold medals at the European Union Championships before competing at the 2009 and 2011 World Championships and the 2016 Olympics. Some query over the identity of Kovacs who did not seem to fit the style or size of the Gabor Kovacs given in BoxRec. If it was Kovacs then that is his sixth loss by KO/TKO.
Comitan, Mexico: Welter: Jose Zepeda (27-1,1ND) W DISQ 6 Miguel Zamudio (39-10-1). Feather: Emanuel Lopez (26-6-1) W PTS 10 Carlos Cardenas (22-14-1).
Zepeda vs. Zamudio
Zepeda gets win as Zamudio is disqualified for a deliberate butt in the sixth round. Zepeda took Zamudio to the ropes early in the first and kept him there firing home straight lefts and body punches from both hands and he continued to hand out punishment in the second. It was more of the same in the third but a clash of heads saw Zepeda suffer a deep cut in the hairline above his left eye. That encouraged Zamudio and he was able to stay in the ring centre and trade with Zepeda but the action was slow. In the fifth Zepeda scored with some cracking lefts just before the bell. In the sixth an intentional butt by Zamudio opened a bad cut over the left eye of Zamudio and after ascertaining that the cut was too bad for Zepeda to continue the referee disqualified Zamudio. Zepeda was well on his way to a win but the two cuts will sideline him for a while. He lost in a shot at the WBO title against Terry Flanagan in 2015 when he suffered a dislocated shoulder. He wins the vacant WBO International title which hopefully will get him elevated from his too low No 11 position. Former interim WBA title challenger Zamudio had won his last four fights but was on his way to defeat here before he was thrown out for one butt too many.
Some sources show this as a win for Zepeda by TKO but that is incorrect it was definitely a disqualification and Zepeda is not ?orthodox? but a southpaw.
Lopez vs. Cardenas
Venezuelan Cardenas suffers horrendous robbery as he outclasses Lopez in everybody's eyes except the three that matter. Cardenas boxed on the back foot over the first two rounds. He was slotting home jabs and quick hooks and Lopez was too slow to counter. Lopez did a bit better in the third but a confident Cardenas was still doing all of the scoring and frustrating Lopez with his speedy footwork. Cardenas stood and traded more in the fourth and fifth but that did not make things any better for Lopez as Cardenas was beating him to the punch and it was now Lopez on the back foot. Lopez had a better sixth as he was able to find the target with his jab and work the body. In the seventh and eighth Cardenas had cut out the fancy footwork but Lopez was constantly walking onto counters. A low left hook from Lopez in the eighth brought a short halt whilst Cardenas recovered. Lopez did a little better in the ninth but looked to need a knockout to win. Cardenas outboxed and outlanded Lopez in the last-and then got robbed. Scores 100-90 twice and 100-92 all for Lopez! The result was a disgrace and the scores more so. Cardenas won this one clearly. It would be stretch to give Lopez even two rounds and the result was condemned by the media being described as one of the worst decisions in the history of boxing in Mexico with calls for action by the local Commission. Everyone sees a fight differently but this was a truly disgraceful decision. Former WBA interim champion Lopez gets his sixth win in a row but does not deserve it. Cardenas, a Venezuelan who has been based in Mexico for a few years, falls to 2-9 in his last 11 bouts. His nickname is ?The Prophet? but no way he could have foretold how the judges were going to score this one.
Caguas, Puerto Rico: Super Feather: Jose Lopez (19-1-1) W PTS 10 Orlando Cruz (25-6-1). Welter: Derrick Cuevas (16-0-1) W RTD 3 Tomas Mendez (24-10).
Lopez vs. Cruz
Lopez gets his biggest win so far as he grinds down Cruz for a clear victory. Although giving away huge amounts in height and reach the more experienced Cruz took the first round with some flashy combinations and the second was close. Lopez had been looking to counter but in the third he took the fight to Cruz and in both that round and the fourth both fighters had some success. It changed in the fifth as Cruz stormed forward and Lopez scored with two left hooks that had Cruz badly shaken and holding on to survive. Lopez was making better use of longer reach and continued to attack hard and took the sixth and seventh and in the eighth he handed out heavy punishment with Cruz again in trouble on the ropes and forced to hold to survive. In the ninth Cruz was just looking to stay in the fight and was clinching to smother the work of Lopez. In the last Lopez went all for a stoppage staggering Cruz with a right but again Cruz clinched and used his experience to make it to the final bell. Scores 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 all for Lopez. The 23-year-old ?Wonder Boy? was making the first defence of his WBO International title and he is No 6 with that body. Southpaw Cruz, 35, has lost in WBO title fights against Orlando Salido and Terry Flanagan and may be on the verge of just becoming a scalp to be collected by young fighters coming through.
Cuevas vs. Mendez
Cuevas continues to obliterate the opposition, The unbeaten local pounded Dominican Mendez for three rounds and Mendez retired at the end of the third round. A good level amateur Cuevas has won his last 11 fights 10 of them by KO/TKO. Fifth loss by KO/TKO for Mendez.
Melbourne, Australia: Middle: Michael Zerafa (22-2) W TKO 6 Tomas Reynoso (10-2-1). Zerafa makes it five wins in a row as he knocks out Argentinian Reynoso in the sixth round. It was Zerafa?s fight all the way as he had Reynoso down in the second and fifth rounds before ending the fight in the sixth. The 25-year-old local won his first 15 bouts before losing on points to Arif Magomedov in Russia and then being crushed by Peter Quillin in five rounds in 2015. He had three wins in 2016 against reasonable level opposition and is now the Australian No 2. New Zealand-based Reynoso had won his last three fights.
Cornwall, Canada: Light: Tony Luis (24-3) W PTS 10 Cam O?Connell (15-1-1).
Luis returns to his home town and wins the vacant WBA-NABA title with unanimous points victory over O?Connell. Luis kept it simple working the jab and staying cool under pressure. Early in the fight he had already had O?Connell cut and bleeding and was in control. O?Connell played rough with some illegal head work but Luis stuck to his game plan and was a clear winner. Scores 98-92 twice and 100-90. The 29-year-old ?Lightning? came in as a short notice replacement to challenge Derry Mathews for the interim WBA title in 2015 title and only lost the decision by two points on two cards and three on the other which was a very creditable performance at such short notice. The Canadian No 1 has won 5 in a row since then against a very acceptable level of opposition. O?Connell, the Canadian No 2, was stepping up both in the standard of opposition and to ten rounds and was well beaten.
Aarhus, Denmark: Super Middle: Lolenga Mock (40-14-1) W PTS 10 Luke Blackledge (23-4-2).
Fighting in his adopted home town Mock gets well deserved unanimous decision over Blackledge. Mock made an unusually quick start for him showing speed and accuracy to edge the first two rounds. Blackledge got in to his stride and looked to have taken the third and it looked ominous for Mock when Blackledge also took the fourth. After Blackledge opened the fifth well Mock began to roll again and turned the fight his way. The Dutch-based veteran ended the fifth strongly and then had Blackledge in trouble in the sixth. From there Mock boxed his way to victory Blackledge did enough to edge one of the closing rounds but Mock was a clear winner. Scores 98-92, 97-93 and 96-94 all for Mock although the first score seemed harsh on Blackledge. The 45-year-old ?Lumumba Boy? (at 45 he needs another nickname) gets his ninth win since returning to the ring. He has beaten some respectable opposition with Blackledge probably his highest profile test so far. He is No 14 with the EBU but could go looking for some version of a world title before retiring. Former Commonwealth champion Blackledge, 26, is now 1-2 in fights in Denmark having broken a few Danish hearts with a career ending kayo of Mads Larsen and being beaten on points by Erik Skoglund when he was very unlucky not to get at least a draw.
Tallinn, Estonia: Heavy: Robert Helenius (25-1) W RTD 6 Evgeny Orlov (17-15-1). Helenius treats this one a stroll in the park as Orlov retires after six uninspiring rounds. Orlov is 6?9 ?? (207cm) tall and that is all he has going for him. He is painfully slow lumbering about the ring pushing out punches with no accuracy and no leverage. Helenius never had to get out of first gear. He is no ballet artist himself but was too quick both with his punches and his footwork for the Russian. Orlov had some success when he could bull Helenius to the ropes but when there was any space Helenius was spearing Orlov with jabs and landing rights to the body .The referee took a point off Orlov for one too many fouls in the fourth and a punch that landed on the Russian?s hip saw him limping to the ropes with Helenius unloading punches but Orlov pushed himself off the ropes and was not in real trouble. Helenius began to take the fight seriously in the fifth standing his ground more and spearing Orlov with jabs and scoring to the body. The referee again deducted a point from Orlov for using his elbow to push Helenius back. Orlov made a big effort at the start of the sixth but then faded away. He did not take a lot of punishment but retired at the end of the round. He had come in as a late substitute and considered he had earned his money. A nothing fight which did nothing for the prestige of the vacant WBC Silver title.
Port Gentil, Gabon: Cruiser: Taylor Mabika (17-2-1) W PTS 12 Alexandru Jur (15-1). Mabika wins the vacant WBC Mediterranean title with split decision over unbeaten Romanian Jur. After a cautious first round the fight proved exciting and competitive. Almost too competitive for the local fighter as Jur had a big fourth round with Mabika in deep trouble after a right uppercut from Jur and only just surviving the round. Jur continued to pose problems for Mabika. The Gabonese fighter came on strong over the late rounds but looked fortunate to get the decision. Scores 117-111 and 116-111 for Mabika and 115-113 for Jur. . The 38-year-old French-based Mabika suffered back-to-back losses to quality fighters in Arsen Goulamirian and Krzys Glowacki in 2013 but is 8-0-1 in his last 9 picking up the WBC ABU and the IBU and WBFederation world titles along the way. Jur, based in Italy is a former undefeated Belgian light heavy and WBC Francophone title holder.
Manchester, England: Light: Joe Murray (21-2) W PTS 8 Henry Janes (10-21-2). Super Middle: Mark Heffron (16-0) W PTS 6 Bartlomiej Grafka( 18-27-3,1ND1-6-1ND).
Murray vs. Janes
Murray makes it six wins on the bounce with points victory over Janes. Murray was given a good eight rounds of work. He had Janes down in the fifth but Janes was not finished and got back in the fight with Murray losing a point in the sixth for holding. In the end the Manchester ?Genius? won by 78-74 on the referees card. The 30-year-old Murray?s two losses have both been against Liam Walsh in Commonwealth title fights. He was out for 13 months after the loss to Walsh in 2015. A fifth round kayo of unbeaten Danish prospect Rashid Kassem in October showed he is a force again. Welshman Janes gave a very creditable performance and was 3-0-2 in his last 5 fights.
Heffron vs. Grafka
Heffron taken the distance by seasoned traveller Grafka. The Oldham ?Kid Dynamite? floored Grafka in the third but could not keep him there and had to settle for winning every round. Referee?s score 60-53. The 25-year-old Heffron had won six in a row by KO/TKO all inside three rounds but Grafka was made of sterner stuff and the Pole usually finishes on his feet.
Hurlingham, Argentina: Super Welter: Diego Chaves (26-2-1) W KO 2 Juan Carlos Prada (32-4-1). Welter: Fabian Maidana (13-0) W TKO 4 Pedro Verdu (19-16-3).
Chaves vs. Prada
Chaves destroys Prada inside two rounds. Chaves was loading up on his punches from the start. He was letting fly with big rights and left hooks. He had Prada staggered twice with rights. Prado punched back but did not have the power to discourage Chavez. It was clear that this one would be over early. In the second Chaves landed a right to the body that had Prada on the retreat and another right to the body dumped him on the canvas. He made it to his feet and after the count tried to punch his way out of trouble. A powerful right to the body again had Prada retreating to the ropes. Prada threw a right but Chaves stepped inside and landed a right flush to the chin of Prada and followed with more punches as Prada slid down to the canvas to his knees. Chaves landed a punch to Prada?s shoulder whilst the Venezuelan was technically down but got away with it and the Venezuelan made no effort to get up as he was counted out. Now 22 wins by KO/TKO for the 31-year-old former interim WBA champion. He lost his interim title to Keith Thurman in 2013 and threw away potential victory against Brandon Rios getting disqualified for elbowing Rios in the face when he was in front on two cards in the ninth of ten rounds. This is his third inside the distance win in a row against a reasonable level of opposition. Prada, 32, was 30-0-1 in his first 31 fights but since then had suffered inside the distance losses against Luis Abregu, Jack Culcay and Carlos Adames.
Maidana vs. Verdu
A bad night for Venezuelan visitors as Maidana halts Verdu in four rounds. Verdu took the fight to Maidana in the first throwing lots of punches and was keen to stand and trade with the unbeaten Maidana. Maidana got into his stride and had Verdu hurt in the second and third. In the fourth a big right from Maidana stopped Verdu in his tracks and in a delayed action he then went down. He beat the count but with Maidana teeing off with more hard punches the referee stepped in to give the Venezuelan a standing count. It did not help as after the count Maidana landed a couple more bombs and the referee stopped the fight. The 24-year-old ?TNT?, the younger brother of Marcos, makes it 10 wins by KO/TKO. The WBA No 14 was a successful amateur with a silver medal at the World Youth Championships and a bronze at the World Youth Olympic Games. Verdu is now 1-6-1 in his last 8 fights and this is his eighth loss by KO/TKO.
Frisco, TX, USA: Super Light: Fidel Maldonado (24-3-1,1ND) W PTS10 Pablo Cano (30-5-1,1ND). Maldonado climbs off the floor and gets important split decision over Cano. Over the opening three rounds Maldonado controlled the action against a slow-starting Cano. In the fourth Cano dropped Maldonado with a hard combination and the Mexican took that round and the fifth to even up the scores. From there the rounds were all close. Maldonado steadied the ship and edged the sixth and seventh to get back in front. Cano seemed to tire over the late rounds but fought hard and Maldonado was pushed all the way. Scores 97-92 twice for Maldonado and 96-93 for Cano. Maldonado, the 25-year-old ?Atrisco Kid? wins the vacant WBC Fecarbox title. He is 11-1-1,1ND in his last 14 fights with the loss being a biggie in the shape of a fifth round stopped by Amir Imam in 2015. Cano, 27, a former interim WBA champion has seen his career slow down after losing to Paul Malignaggi for the secondary WBA title in 2012 but was coming off a good win over Mauricio Herrera.
Fight of the week: Nothing real stood out from an entertainment point of view with Jonjo Carroll vs. John Quigley about the best
Fighter of the week: But for the controversy Andre Ward or Guillermo Rigondeaux might be the names here so I will go for Tyrone Zeuge who comprehensively beat experienced Paul Smith with Yves Ulysse for outpointing dangerous Ricky Sismundo worthy of mention.
Punch of the week: Guillermo Rigondeaux?s uppercut that laid out Moises Flores-pity about the timing. The uppercut from Walter Kautondokwa that unhinged the legs of Obodai Sai was also spectacular.
Upset of the week: None as all of the fights went the way expected.
One to watch: Yves Ulysse and Luis Arias both had good wins.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eric Armit.
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