The Past Week in Action 21 June 2021: Another Monster Performance by Inoue
By Eric Armit
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 22 Jun 2021
Highlights:
-Naoya Inoue crushes Filipino Michael Dasmarinas with body punches in three rounds to retain the IBF and WBA bantamweight titles
-Jermall Charlo scores wide unanimous decision over brave Juan Montiel in WBC middleweight title defence
-Jaime Munguia’s power proves too much for Pole Kamil Szeremeta who retires after six rounds.
-Former WBO super bantamweight champion Isaac Dogboe takes majority verdict over Adam Lopez in featherweight clash
-Gabriel Rosado flattens unbeaten Bektemir Melikuziev with one stunning right hand
-Felix Sturm continues his comeback with a points win over James Kraft
-South African Ludumo Lamati wins the vacant IBO super bantamweight title with majority decision against Mexican Jose Estrada Garcia
World Title/Major Shows
19 June
Las Vegas, NV, USA: Bantam: Naoya Inoue (21-0) W TKO 3 Michael Dasmarinas (30-3-1). Feather: Isaac Dogboe (22-2) W PTS 10 Adam Lopez (15-3.Super Light: Lindolfo Delgado (12-0) W PTS 8 Salvador Briceno (17-7).
Inoue vs. Dasmarinas
In another “monster” performance Inoue destroys Filipino Dasmarinas inside three rounds.
Round 1
Inouye was tracking the constantly moving Dasmarinas looking to land with his right. Dasmarinas kept moving a poking out jabs but was wary of Inoue’s power. A right to the body and a left hook to the head gave Inoue the round.
Score:10-9 Inoue
Round 2
Dasmarinas showed more aggression in the second leaping inside and scoring with some southpaw lefts. Inoue continued to hunt Dasmarinas. He shook the challenger with a right and landed a quick combination that saw Dasmarinas drop to his hands and knees. He was up at five and when the action resumed Inoue landed some wicked left hooks to the body but Dasmarinas made it to the bell.
Score: 10-8 Inoue Inoue 20-17
Round 3
Dasmarinas jabbed and moved in the third with Inoue stalking him and looking to land more lefts to the body. He finally caught up with Dasmarinas and a series of punches ending with a left hook to the body sent Dasmarinas down in pain. He made it to his feet but Inoue rushed him to the ropes and connected with another left hook to the body and as Dasmarinas went down the referee waived the fight over. Inoue retains the IBF and WBA titles with his eighteenth inside the distance victory. He is now 16-0 in world title fights with 14 wins by KO/TKO in those 16 fights-and at 28 there is more to come. Dasmarinas did not have strong credentials with a win over Karim Guerfi and a draw with Manyo Plange his only tests against world rated opposition and he just could not stand the power of the Inoue left hooks to the body.
Dogboe vs. Lopez
Dogboe continues his featherweight campaign as he holds off a strong late surge by Lopez to take a majority decision. The little Ghanaian was in control over the first two rounds putting Lopez under pressure and scoring with hard rights. Lopez had a better third getting on the front foot and outscoring Dogboe. Dogboe was giving away considerable height and reach but he was able to get inside in the fourth and was still dangerous with rights. The fifth and sixth were close with Lopez pressing harder and Dogboe boxing more and probably just edging them. Dogboe rocked Lopez in the seventh but Lopez had Dogboe holding on after landing a right in the eighth. Lopez had a big ninth shaking Dogboe with a couple of rights and he outlanded Dogboe in the last but his late dominance was not enough to get the decision. Scores 97-93 and 96-94 for Dogboe and 95-95. Second win for the former WBO super bantam title holder since suffering back to back losses against Emanuel Navarette. Lopez’s other two losses have been a majority verdict against current WBO super bantamweight title holder Stephen Fulton back in 2017 and a stoppage by Oscar Valdez in which Valdez was down early.
Delgado vs. Briceno
Delgado goes the distance for the first time with unanimous decision over Briceno. In his first fight for 21 months Delgado made a slow start. He took a few rounds to get back in the groove and start timing his punches. Briceno had height and reach over Delgado and was competitive early working his jab well and bringing blood from Delgado’s nose. As Delgado picked up the pace and began to put his punches together Briceno quickly faded and over the closing rounds was really just looking to survive. Scores 79-73 twice and 80-72 for Delgado a Pan American Games silver medallist and 2016 Olympian who had not previously been take past the sixth round. Briceno has fallen into the job of testing promising younger fighters.
Houston, TX, USA: Middle: Jermall Charlo (32-0) W PTS 12 Juan Montiel (22-5-2) .Super Bantam: Angelo Leo (21-1) W PTS 10 Aaron Alameda (25-2). Light: Isaac Cruz (22-1-1) W PTS 10 Francisco Vargas (27-3-2). Feather: Miguel Flores (25-4) W PTS 8 Diuhl Olguin (15-18-4).
Charlo vs. Montiel
Charlo retains the WBC title with a wide decision over a limited but extraordinary tough and very strong Montiel. Charlo was hurting Montiel early in the first two rounds with body punches but Montiel was looking to stay in front of Charlo switching guards and trading punches despite getting the worse of the exchanges. Charlo had Montiel under heavy pressure in the third connecting well to the body. Montiel landed a good left which was his best punch to this point but Charlo was again landing with both hands. Although Montiel again found the target with a left he was taking punishment to the body. After Charlo rocked Montiel with a right at the start of the fourth a low punch from Montiel paused the action. Montiel tried to walk through some wicked left hooks from Charlo and they traded punches to the bell. Charlo could have made this easier for himself but he was looking to take Montiel out instead of boxing. Charlo staggered Montiel with a right in the fifth and piled on the punches but Montiel showed a good chin. He looked on his way out when Charlo trapped on the ropes in the sixth and unloaded with punch after punch but Montiel came back and landed two crisp left hooks to the body late in the round. The pace dropped in the seventh and eighth with a dogged Montiel rolling forward constantly changing guards taking whatever Charlo threw and firing long punches. Charlo suffered a small cut over his right eye and his work was looking ragged as Montiel took the eighth. Somehow Montiel just kept walking through some savage punishment in the ninth and Charlo, whilst doing most of the scoring, was nowhere near as cool or dominant and he could not stop Montiel almost sauntering forward as Montiel connected with a strong left hook straight right combination. Absorbing punches does not win you rounds, landing them does. Montiel was doing a great job of absorbing punches over the tenth and eleventh and although he also scored with some clubbing body punches Charlo was landing more even as he looked arm weary from hitting Montiel so much for so long. Charlo wanted to box through the last but after doing that for the first half of the round he was forced to brawl at the end. Scores 120-108, 119-109 and 118-109 for Charlo. Fourth defence of the WBC title for Charlo. On the basis of punches landed the score reflected Charlo’s advantage but not the resilience and strength of Montiel. The fact that Jaime Munguia knocked Montiel out in two rounds, the only time Montiel has lost inside the distance. shows just how powerful Munguia is and as he is No 1 with the WBC we could see an explosive title fight later this year.
Leo vs. Alameda
Leo just scrapes past Alameda on a majority verdict. Both scored well in the opening round and that is how the fight progressed with both having some success and with every round close. Leo pressed the action hard in the second and third connecting with strong body punches but southpaw Alameda was catching Leo on the way in with useful counters. Leo worked the body over the middle rounds with Alameda landing head-snapping uppercuts as they fought fiercely through the seventh and eighth with Leo looking to have edged in front. Alameda did better in the ninth again with hooks and uppercuts and with the fight poised to go either way they fought evenly through last. Scores a strange 98-92 and 96-94 for Leo and 95-95. First fight for Leo since losing his WBO super bantam title to Stephen Fulton in January. He is currently No 6 with the WBO and No 9 with the WBC so has some way to go to get a title shot. Alameda was also coming off a loss in a title match having been outpointed by Luis Nery in a fight for the vacant WBC belt in September. He was No 10 with the WBC so may now drop down in the ratings.
Cruz vs. Vargas
Cruz gets a career best win as he is just too young and too strong for former champion Vargas. Cruz’s tactics were to stand off letting Vargas come to him and then lunging inside scoring with overhand rights and left hooks to the body. He was bullying Vargas on the inside and when Vargas managed to push Cruz out he just regrouped and chose his time to come forward again. Vargas was landing solid shots but they were having no effect on hard man Cruz and Vargas was being forced to fight at a strength-sapping pace. Despite being met with some stiff counters Cruz was always able to get inside and the body punching began to slow Vargas. Vargas had a good sixth outscoring Cruz and they both landed solid shots in the seventh but Cruz was banging away to the body and Vargas was showing a small cut over each eye. Cruz dominated the ninth with Vargas tending to hold more inside. A wild last round saw Cruz firing hard shots with both hands and outscoring Vargas. A clash of heads opened a bad gash over the right eye of Vargas. The doctor had a look at it but decided to let the fight continue and as Vargas stumbled forward under punches from Cruz he fell to his knees and the referee treated that as a knockdown. Scores 100-89, 99-90 and 97-92 for Cruz important wins over Diego Maldonado and 24-0 Jose Matias Romero have seen the 5’4” Cruz climb to No 2 with the IBF and No 3 with the WBA but in a division ruled by Teo Lopez and Gervonta Davis and with Devin Henry and Vasyl Lomachenko in the wings he will find it tough to win a title. Former WBC super feather champion “El Bandido” Vargas still has plenty to offer but at 36 the glory days are over.
Flores vs. Olguin
After losses in two big fights Flores had to produce a strong finish to get the split decision over fellow Mexican Olguin. Flores made a good start as he swept the first three rounds based on a focused body attack. Olguin began to roll in the fourth taking the fight to Flores and outscoring him inside. Flores managed to turn the tide and just did enough over the seventh and eighth to give him the edge. Scores 77-75 twice for Flores and 77-75 for Olguin. Flores was coming off consecutive losses to Leo Santa Cruz for the vacant WBA super feather title in November 2019 and to Eduardo Ramirez last December. Olguin had a poor 1-5-1 run of results before this contest.
El Paso, TX, USA: Middle: Jaime Munguia (37-0) W RTD 6 Kamil Szeremeta (21-2). Super Middle: Gabriel Rosado (26-13-1) W KO 3Bektemir Melikuziev (7-1). Welter: Raul Curiel (10-0) W TKO 9 Ferdinand Kerobyan (14-2). Welter: Blair Cobbs (15-0-1) W TKO 5 Brad Solomon (29-4). Welter: Alexis Rocha (17-1) W TKO 2 James Bacon (26-5).
Munguia vs. Szeremeta
Munguia pounds a gutsy Szeremeta to defeat in six rounds. A low-key even first round saw both fighters trying to establish their jabs. Munguia turned up the heat in the second banging home left hooks to the body and putting together some flashy and hurtful combinations before rocking Szeremeta with a left hook to the head. In the third Munguia was boxing more than he has in the past but it was the power in his long sweeping hooks and body punches that were doing the damage. Szeremeta tried to fire back but lacked the power to match Munguia and his head was being snapped back by uppercuts in the fourth and fifth. Munguia handed Szeremeta a savage beating in the sixth driving Szeremeta around the ring connecting with straight rights, left hooks and uppercuts and Szeremeta wisely retired at the end of the round. The former WBO super welterweight champion’s skills are improving but it is the power that has brought him 30 inside the distance wins that makes him such a force. He is No 1 with both the WBC and WBO so a title shot this year looks on. Szeremeta was having his first fight since retiring after seven rounds against Gennady Golovkin in an IBF title fight in December.
Rosado vs. Melikuziev
Rosado comes off the floor to flatten heavy favourite Melikuziev with a single right thunderbolt in the third round. After a slow start Melikuziev attacked fiercely at the end of the first round with Rosado dropping to one knee under a shower of clubbing head punches. He did not look too badly hurt and the bell went as he arose at eight. Melikuziev scored with straight southpaw lefts and body punches throughout the second and was too quick for the slower Rosado. It was looking too easy for the Uzbek and he made a confident start to the third darting in and landing with body shots. An overconfident Melikuziev was coming with his hands down and the next time he did it Rosado met him with a thunderous counter right that froze Melikuziev before he pitched face down to the canvas. Melikuziev tried to rise but fell on his side with the referee waiving the fight off and summoning help for the Uzbek. In his last fight in November 2020 the 35-year-old Rosado had lost a very close split decision to Daniel Jacobs. He lost to Gennady Golovkin and Peter Quillin in world title shots but with Melikuziev No 7 with the WBA that right might earn him a third title shot. Big setback for Melikuziev but at 25 he can come again perhaps with a little less arrogance next time.
Curiel vs. Kerobyan
Curiel comes from behind to stop Armenian Kerobyan in the ninth. Kerobyan outworked Curiel over the first three rounds using a strong jab and chopping rights to put Curiel on the back foot. Curiel upped his punch output over the fourth and fifth but the Armenian was the stronger and Curiel’s work was sloppy as Kerobyan connected with rights to the head. Curiel finally began to take control in the eighth. He rocked Kerobyan with head punches and suddenly Kerobyan was in trouble. Curiel was driving the Armenian around the ring with Kerobyan unsteady at the bell. A low punch landed by Kerobyan paused the action in the ninth as Curiel was given time to recover and when the fight resumed Curiel drove Kerobyan to the floor with a right. Kerobyan was up quickly but looked unsteady. Curiel then pounced on Kerobyan and staggered him with an uppercut forcing the referee to jump in and stop the fight. Curiel, 25, wins the vacant NABF title with the eighth win by KO/TKO in his last nine contests. After losing a tight decision against Blair Cobbs Kerobyan had regrouped with three wins and looked good here until he fell apart.
Cobbs vs. Solomon
Cobbs too young and too strong for Solomon. Cobbs made a strong fast start putting the older Solomon under plenty of pressure and scoring heavily in the first three rounds. Solomon finally began to settle in the fourth connecting with clever counters early in the round but it was a brief respite for Solomon as Cobbs attacked strongly and Solomon faded. A series of punches from Cobbs saw a tiring Solomon drop to his knees and the fight was stopped. Philadelphian southpaw Cobbs is making steady progress. Now 38 Solomon has wasted his talents with just one fight each in years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Rocha vs. Bacon
Rocha rebounds from defeat against Rashidi Ellis and destroys Bacon in two rounds. Southpaw Rocha began the fight with a cluster of lefts to the body. Bacon began to fire back but Rocha was winning the exchanges and looked to have the harder punch. In the second Rocha was loading up on his punches and when Bacon tried to match him a burst of body punches and a right to the head floored Bacon. He arose at seven but Rocha took him to the ropes and landed some more before a brutal right dropped Bacon face down under the bottom rope and the fight was waived off. Impressive rebound performance by 23-year-old Californian Rocha. Bacon had been in good form with 7 wins in his last 8 fights but was overpowered here.
16 June
Sydney, Australia: Heavy: Justice Huni (5-0) W TKO 10 Paul Gallen (11-1-1).Middle: Isaac Hardman (11-0) TKO 4 Emmanuel Carlos (12-2).Middle: Andrei Mikhailovich (16-0) W TKO 2 Alex Hanan (13-1). Feather: Sam Goodman (9-0) W TKO 6 Nort Beauchamp (18-5). Cruiser: Jason Whateley (9-0) W TKO 4 Victor Oganov (32-9).
Huni vs. Gallen
Huni retains the Australian title with last round stoppage of outclassed but brave Gallen. Huni was 6” taller, 15lbs heavier and 17 years younger than Gallen and all of those factors together with Huni’s superior speed and mobility left Gallen with little chance of winning. Huni rocked Gallen with a right in the first and came close to a stoppage in the third. He then used his longer reach to score with hard body shots with Gallen rolling forward but with the exception of a close fifth having little success. The body punches tired Gallen and by the ninth he had little left and only just survived the round. In the tenth a huge left from Huni floored Gallen. He climbed to his feet but the referee stopped the fight. All three judges had Huni in front 89-82 at the finish. The 22-year-old Huni from Brisbane was making the third defence of the national title and he will now go on to compete at the Tokyo Olympics. Gallen, 39, a former Rugby player, showed tremendous heart but was out of his league in every sense here.
Hardman vs. Carlos
Hardman retains the Australian title with stoppage of Carlos. “Headsplitter” Hardman was scoring well in the firsts with rights. Carlos was cut high on his forehead in a clash of heads in the second and they trade punches fiercely with Hardman getting the better of the exchanges. Hardman dominated the third and then put Carlos down with a right in the fourth. Carlos made it to his feet but was in a bad way and as Hardman attacked the referee came in and stopped the fight. Ninth inside the distance win for the 25-year-old Queenslander. Carlos had won his last five fights.
Mikhailovich vs. Hanan
In a clash of unbeaten fighters Mikhailovich stops Hanan in two rounds. A beauty of a left hook put Hanan on the floor in the second. He beat the count but was floored by another left hook and although he made it too his feet the fight was stopped. The 23-year-old Russian-born “Renegade” has nine wins by the quick route and was too good for Hanan who had never really been tested previous to this fight.
Goodman vs. Beauchamp
Former amateur star Goodman outboxes and then stops Beauchamp. Goodman was scoring at distance with his jab and then landing heavy counters to the body as Beauchamp came forward. Beauchamp managed to get inside and was more competitive in the third but Goodman handed out steady punishment in the fourth and fifth with both the referee and doctor warning Beauchamp that unless he showed more the fight could be stopped. When Goodman connected with some heavy punches in the sixth the referee stepped in to save Beauchamp. Fifth win by KO/TKO for the 22-year-old Goodman who collects the vacant Australasian title. He was Australian Youth champion and won a bronze medal at the World Youth Championships. Thai-born New Zealander Beauchamp suffers his third loss in a row.
Whateley vs. Oganov
A farcical mismatch sees Whatley beat Oganov in four rounds. Whatley at 6’5” was 9” taller than Oganov and was also 14 years younger. Oganov had nothing to offer. He had occasional success with lunging attacks in the third but he was cut and soaking up punishment in the fourth and his team threw in the towel. Russian-born 44-year-old Oganov was carrying 29lbs more than the 168lbs he weighed when he turned pro in 1998.
17 June
Hurlingham, Argentina: Super Middle: Marcelo Coceres (30-2-1) W TKO 2 Nelson Rosalez (5-4).
Coceres scores two knockdown in the second round to finish overmatched Rosalez in a fight for the vacant WBA Fedebol title. Sixteen inside the distance wins for Coceres who lost on an eleventh round kayo against Billy Joe Saunders for the WBO super middle title in 2019. Second inside the distance loss for Rosalez.
18 June
Sheffield, England: Fly: Rosendo Guarneros (19-4-2) W PTS 12 Tommy Frank (13-2).
Huge disappointment for local fighter Frank as he lets an early lead slip away and loses a split decision against Mexican Guarneros. Good boxing saw Frank pile up the points over the early rounds holding off the aggressive attacks of the visitor. Pressure from Guarneros saw him get into the fight over the later rounds. It seemed as though Frank might have just done enough but the officials came up with scores of 117-112 and 115-113 for Guarneros and 115-113 for Frank. When they met in December Guarneros won as Frank retired after eight rounds due to a shoulder injury. Guarneros had lost on points to Sunny Edwards in 2019 and as there are few flyweights in Britain he may be asked back again. Frank will get an early chance at redemption as he is scheduled to fight unbeaten Kyle Yousaf for the vacant British title in August.
Beziers, France: Light: Jaouad Belmehdi (11-0-3) W Sylvain Chapelle (17-27-2)
Hometown fighter Belmehdi retains the French title with wide unanimous decision over Chapelle. Belmehdi used his longer reach and better skills to control this one all the way. Belmehdi had won his last four fights by KO/TKO and shook Chapelle early but Chapelle survived and never stopped trying. He was eating punches all night without ever threatening Belmehdi’s dominance but preserved his record of never losing inside the distance. Scores 100-90 twice and 98-91 for 23-year-old Belmehdi. This is Chapelle’s fifth unsuccessful tilt at winning a French title.
19 June
Kempton Park, South Africa: Super Bantam: Ludumo Lamati (18-0-1) W PTS 12 Jose Estrada Garcia (12-2-1). Welter: Thulani Mbenge (18-1) W TKO 3 Jabulani Makhense (11-1). Super Welter: Brandon Thysse (14-2-1) W TKO 10 Tomi Silvennoinen (9-4).Super Welter: Roarke Knapp (12-1-1) W RTD 2 Benoit Makangila (12-1-2) Cruiser: Johnny Muller (23-9-2) W PTS 10 Akani Phuzi (11-2).
Lamati vs. Estrada
Lamati wins the vacant IBO title with a majority decision over Mexican Garcia in a fight that would have graced any title. Lamati had to be at his best to withstand the pressure from Garcia. Boxing when he could Lamati had the edge in skill but the pulsating pressure from Garcia too often found Lamati forced to stand and trade punches. The South African had scored well when he could create some space and established a good lead after nine rounds but Garcia had more left and he rocked Lamati and opened a cut under his right eye in the tenth. Lamati was under pressure again in the eleventh and a cut was opened over the South Africa’s right eye. Despite the cuts Lamati showed a warrior’s spirit somehow finding the strength to fight hard to the last bell to emerge a deserved winner-but only just. Scores 116-112 and 115-113 for Lamati and 114-114. Wins over experienced opposituion such as Luis Melendez, 27-2 Alexis Kabore and Filipino Richie Mepranum have lifted Lamati to No 7 with the WBC and now he has a title. Garcia was 10-0-1 in his last 11 fights including a victory over 17-1-1 Luis Lebron last year.
Mbenge vs. Makhense
This was the most anticipated fight on the show but it turned out to be a one-sided triumph for Mbenge. From the first bell Mbenge used a strong jab to put Makhense on the back foot . A clash of heads saw Mbenge cut on the inside of his mouth but he maintained the pressure and dominated the action in the second. Mbenge connected with a series of left hooks to the head in the third which had Makhense reeling and then some hard rights saw Makhense stumbling and pitching forward as the referee stepped in and stopped the fight. Former IBO champion Mbenge shows he is still very much a force with his fourteenth win by KO/TKO. His only defeat was a very close point loss against unbeaten Sebastian Formella and with this win he has now collected both the ABU and the WBA Pan African titles since that 2019 defeat. Makhense had beaten some good domestic opposition but could not match Mbenge for power.
Thysse vs. Silvennoinen
Thysse scores a late stoppage of Finn Silvennoinen. Thysse was quicker and a much better boxer than the limited Silvennoinen in a fight which never really caught alight. With Silvennoinen deducted a point for holding in the ninth Thysse looked on his way to a comfortable points win until he dropped Silvennoinen with an uppercut early in the tenth. Silvennoinen beat the count but was put down again by a right to the body and counted out. Fourth consecutive win for Thysse who is No1 in the South African ratings. Third defeat in a row for Silvennoinen
Knapp vs. Makangila
Local boxer Knapp makes it ten quick wins as he defeats previously undefeated Makangila. No knockdowns but Knapp handed out a solid beating with Makangila not answering the bell for the third round. Knapp’s lost was a seventh round stoppage by Thysse in November 2019. Congolese fighter Makangila was having his second fight in South Africa and is 0-1-1 there now.
Muller vs. Phuzi
Muller gets split decision over Phuzi. The more experienced Muller had won the WBA Pan African title with a unanimous points victory over Phuzi in December and simply outworked Phuzi this time in a lacklustre affair to hold on to the belt. Scores 97-93 twice for Muller and a strange 96-94 for Phuzi. Muller has been a pro for twelve years and in his glory days scored wins over Kevin Lerena and Mateusz Masternak. Phuzi has scored wins over Namibians Wilberforce Shihepo and Vikapita Meroro.
Hamburg, Germany: Light Heavy: Felix Sturm (42-5-3,1ND) W PTS 10 James Kraft (19-1-1). Heavy: Hussein Muhamed (17-0) W PTS 10 Senad Gashi (21-4). Super Middle: Vincent Feigenbutz (33-3) W KO 9 Nuhu Lawal (27-9).
Sturm vs. Kraft
Sturm continues his comeback with unanimous demission over unbeaten Kraft. The 18-year younger Kraft tried to set a fast pace and take the fight to Sturm and made the former title holder work hard. Kraft threw plenty of punches rocking Sturm in the fifth but Sturm’s experience was the important factor. He stayed cool scoring with solid, accurate punching and when under pressure blocked, dodged and used clever upper body movement to get away from Kraft’s punches. There were no knockdowns and neither fighter was ever in trouble so Sturm managed ten rounds of useful work to prepare himself for bigger fights. Scores 99-93, 97-94 and 96-94 for Strum. At 42 and having been out of the ring for almost four years before returning with a win in December Sturm has a limited shelf life. Kraft had been kept away from any tough tests but boxed well here and is still only 24.
Muhamed vs. Gashi
Muhamed wins the vacant WBC International Silver title with victory over more experienced Gashi. Muhamad cleverly used his longer reach and 5” height advantages to work on the outside with Gashi having success with body punches. Gashi slipped to the canvas under pressure from Muhamed in the second and was given a count. There were some fierce exchanges in the fifth with Muhamed scoring a genuine knockdown. Pressure from Gashi over the late rounds made the fight close but he could not claw back the points from the two knockdowns with Muhamad emerging a clear winner. Scores 97-91, 96-94 and 95-93 for Muhamad. This was a big step in quality of opposition for the 6’5” German Muhamad who adds another interesting factor the heavyweight division in Europe. Kosovon-born southpaw Gashi has come up short in step-up fights against Carlos Takam and Dereck Chisora.
Feigenbutz vs. Lawal
Feigenbutz keeps busy with a ninth round win over Lawal. Over the opening rounds Feigenbutz settled for dominating the centre of the ring and controlling the fight with his jab. He upped his pace from the fourth before flooring Lawal in the fifth. Feigenbutz kept up the pressure and ended it the ninth when with Lawal pinned against the ropes he landed a cluster of punches and Lawal went down and was counted out. Although nothing is signed the talk is of a match with Sturm which would be a big attraction. Lawal, 39, falls to 2-7 in his last 9 fights.
Guadalajara, Mexico: Cruiser: Anderson Silva (2-1) W PTS 8 Julio Cesar Chaves Jr (52-5-1,1ND). Middle: Ramon Alvarez (29-8-3,1ND) W PTS 8 Omar Chavez (38-7-1). Super Welter: Damian Sosa (18-1-0) W PTS 10 Abel Mina (13-1). Super Light: Jorge Melendez (14-7-2) W PTS 8 Kevin Torres (17-2-1).
Silva vs. Chavez
Another black eye for boxing as UFC senior citizen Silva takes a split decision over Chavez Jr. The contract weight for this fight was 182lbs and, not for the first time, Chavez came in 2.4lbs over and this time he had to pay $100,000 to Silva for that failure. Although Chavez made a good start over the second half of the bout Silva, 42, out threw and outlanded Chavez who was 10lbs heavier than in his last fight in November. That indicated how hard he trained for this one and he tired badly late in the fight as Silva continued to find the target with jabs and some punches out of his UFC bag of tricks. A cut and exhausted Chavez just faded out of the fight and squandered his early lead. Scores 77-75 twice for Silva and 77-75 for Chavez but Silva looked to have won this one clearly. Silva who some consider to be the best of all time in MMA, had one pro fight in 1998 which he lost and one in 2005 which he won. He aims to continue in boxing. Chavez, 35, really should retire.
Alvarez vs. Chavez
In a clash of two members of Mexican boxing’s first families Alvarez goes 2-1 ahead in his series of bouts with Chavez as he wins a unanimous decision. Alvarez was the aggressor throughout. A clash of head opened a deep gash on the forehead of Chavez in the fourth but the fight continued with Alvarez landing more and the harder punches. Scores 80-73 twice and 79-73. First fight for Alvarez, Canelo’s elder brother, since being knocked out by Erislandy Lara in fight for the vacant WBA secondary title in August 2019. Chavez, the son of Julio Cesar, had lost to novice Oziel Santoyo in his last fight in June 2019.
Sosa vs. Mina
Mexican “Samurai” Sosa wins the vacant WBO Latino title with split verdict over Ecuadorian Mina. Scores 96-94 and 95-94 for Sosa and 96-94 for Mina but it was a very controversial decision and Mina looked unlucky.
Melendez vs. Torres
Melendez delighted his home city fans as he took a very thin decision over “Diamond Boy” Torres. Scores 77-74, 77-75 and 76-74 for Melendez who was a very modest 3-3 going into this fight against Torres who had scored wins in his last seven contests.
This show was to celebrate the career of the great Julio Cesar Chavez. On an emotional evening he boxed an exhibition against Hector Camacho Jr in what Julio has promised will be his last ever appearance in a ring and Canelo worked his corner for the last round of the exhibition. It is a pity that his two sons did not perform better but the night was really about Julio Cesar Snr. a World Champion six times over three weight divisions with 107-6-2 career record.
Brisbane, Australia: Super Middle: Rohan Murdock (25-2) W TKO 3 Les Sherrington (38-16).
Murdock crushes a shot looking Sherrington. Murdock put Sherrington down three times with the referee waiving the fight off after the third knockdown. Eighteen inside the distance wins for Murdock who was stopped in eleven rounds by Zack Parker in his last fight in March 2020. Sherrington, 38, has now suffered 6 inside the distance defeats in his last 7 outings.
Golden Sands, Bulgaria: Super Welter: Yosif Panov (19-3) W PTS 10 Angel Emilov (10-31).
Panov wins the vacant Bulgarian title as he eases to a unanimous decision over Emilov. Scores 99-90, 98-91 and 98-95 for Panov. After being 2-3 at the start of his career “The Viper” has scored 17 consecutive victories over opponents who would be flattered to be described as modest. Emilov has won only one of his last ten fights.
Munich, Germany: Super Emre Cukur (17-1) W PTS 10 Geard Ajetovic (31-24-2).
Cukur gets routine win over experienced survivor Ajetovic. Tall southpaw Cukur was able to outbox Ajetovic and alternated between fighting on the back foot and using his jab to force Ajetovic onto the defensive. Ajetovic was just too slow to pose any threat and Cukur was able to do some showboating but with only three wins by KO/TKO did not have the power to stop Ajetovic. Cukur tired badly over the last three rounds but still won every round. A points loss to unbeaten Davide Faraci indicates Cukur will struggle against good level opposition. Serb Ajetovic, 40, falls to 0-91 in his last 10 fights but has never been stopped.
Panama City, Panama: Super Fly: Keiver Fernandez (23-1-1) W PTS 9 Keyvin Lara (30-4-1).
Panamanian-based Venezuelan Fernandez just gets by Nicaraguan Lara on a split decision. It was eight rounds of war and a candidate for Panamanian Fight of the year. Fernandez won on two scores of 86-85 with the third judge going for Lara by the same score. Fernandez wins the vacant WBA Fedelatin title but his impressive figures hide a standard Venezuelan padded record with 18 of those he has beaten having “amassed” six wins between them. Lara was knocked out in the eleventh round by Kazuto Ioka in a challenge for the secondary WBA flyweight title in 2016
Miami, FL, USA: Welter: Harold Calderon (25-0) W RTD 4 Ramal Amanov (16-4).
Calderon halts late substitute Amanov in four rounds. From the first Calderon was targeting Amanov’s body and the Miami-based Azeri quickly began to wilt. Calderon kept up the pressure rocking Amanov and pounding to the body until Amanov’s team pulled their man out of the fight. Chicago-born Nicaraguan Calderon has 17 wins by KO/TKO but has been carefully matched. Amanov suffers his fourth inside the distance loss in a row.
Atlanta, GA, USA: Super Welter: Yuri Foreman (35-3,1ND) W Jimmy Williams (17-5-2,1ND).
It looks like the end of the road for Foreman a former holder of the secondary WBA super welterweight title as he loses a majority decision against Williams. Scores 77-73 twice for Williams and 75-75. They were to have clashed in March but Forman reported sick the day before the fight so it never happened. Williams went 14-0-1 at the start of his career but has struggled since then. Foreman 40 won the WBA title in 2009 but lost it to Miguel Cotto the following year.
Fight of the week (Significance): The victories for Naoya Inoue, Jermall Charlo and Jaime Munguia could all prove to be significant over the next six months.
Fight of the week (Entertainment): Ludumo Lamati vs. Jose Estrada Garcia was war all the way with honourable mention to Keiver Fernandez vs. Keyvin Lara in Panama
Fighter of the week: Inoue again lives up to his “Monster” billing
Punch of the week: The left to the body from Inoue that finished Dasmarinas was fearful but that single right counter from Rosado that flattened Melikuziev gets my vote.
Upset of the week: UFC veteran Anderson Silva outpointing Julio Cesar Chavez Jr was an upset but Chavez brought it on himself
Prospect watch: Russian-born New Zealand middleweight Andrei Mikhailovich 17-0 is progressing well
Observations
It was good to see the career of the great Julio Cesar Chavez celebrated in Guadalajara. JCC boxed an exhibition with Hector Camacho Jr. and his sons Julio Cesar Jr and Omar also boxed on the show. The Chavez dynasty was not the only family in attendance as Ramon Alvarez, the elder brother of Saul, won over Omar Chavez and Canelo climbed in the ring to be in JCC’s corner for the last round of the exhibition-whisper it but there is another Alvarez about as young Johan, a nephew of Saul and Ramon, won his first pro fight on the show.
How times change with Australian heavyweight champion Justice Huni now off top compete at the Tokyo Olympics. Gone are the days when the Games were for amateurs.
About the Author
Born in Scotland, Eric Armit started working with Boxing News magazine in the UK in the late 1960’s initially doing records for their Boxing News Annual and compiling World, European and Commonwealth ratings for the magazine. He wrote his first feature article for Boxing News in 1973 and wrote a “World Scene” weekly column for the magazine from the late 1970’s until 2004. Armit wrote a monthly column for Boxing Digest in the USA and contributed pieces to magazines in Mexico, Italy, Australia, Spain, Argentina and other countries. Armit now writes a Weekly Report covering every major fight around the world and a bi-weekly Snips & Snipes column plus occasional general interest articles with these being taken up by boxing sites around the world. He was a member of the inaugural WBC Ratings Committee and a technical advisor to the EBU Ratings Committee and was consulted by John McCain’s research team when they were drafting the Ali Act. He is a Director and former Chairman of the Commonwealth Boxing Council. Armit has been nominated to the International Boxing Hall of Fame the past two years (2019 and 2020) to which he said, “Being on the list is an unbelievably huge honour.”
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eric Armit.
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