Murat Gassiev retains WBA heavyweight title at the spectacular IBA Pro 19
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 12 Jul 2026
Lausanne, Switzerland — IBA PRO 19 delivered an unforgettable, sold-out night of world-class boxing in Moscow at the VTB Arena, treating fans to an action-packed card featuring championship bouts, elite international match-ups, and thrilling IBA Bare Knuckle contests.
The boxing night in Moscow was headlined by WBA heavyweight world champion Murat Gassiev representing Russia, defending his title against German heavyweight Peter Kadiru. Gassiev entered the ring for the first defence of the title he captured at IBA PRO 13, while Kadiru stepped into one of the biggest opportunities of his professional career.
Gassiev controlled the centre of the ring from the opening bell, patiently applying pressure with heavy body attacks and sharp right hands. While Kadiru stayed disciplined and used his movement to land occasional counters, even enjoying a competitive fifth round, the champion's relentless pace steadily wore him down.
In the sixth round, Gassiev raised the tempo and pinned Kadiru to the ropes with a barrage of heavy combinations. With the challenger unable to respond, Kadiru's corner threw in the towel to end the contest.
In the co-main event, unbeaten Russian Artem Suslenkov delivered the biggest victory of his career by stopping former Olympic silver medallist Joe Joyce in the 11th round to retain the WBA Continental heavyweight title. Despite conceding height and reach, Suslenkov dominated from the opening bell, using relentless pressure and heavy combinations to disrupt Joyce's rhythm and force him onto the back foot.
The sustained assault finally broke down the experienced Briton, who indicated he could no longer continue in the 11th round, handing Suslenkov a statement technical knockout win that firmly established him among the top heavyweight contenders.
Among the standout performances, WBA's No.1-ranked super welterweight contender Pavel Sosulin extended his unbeaten professional record with a victory over Eddie Colmenares, while rising prospect Vyacheslav Rogozin outboxed the more experienced Filipino RV Deniega over six rounds.
Reflecting on the continued global expansion and commercial success of the series, IBA Secretary General and CEO Chris Roberts OBE praised the scale and momentum of the event: "IBA PRO 19 at the VTB Arena was another massive statement for us. Packing out major arenas has become the standard for the IBA, proving that our formula works and that fans are hungry for the high-energy, world-class boxing nights we are putting together.
Our focus remains on giving the athletes the biggest possible global stage and putting on a show that delivers from the first bell to the last. This latest sold-out crowd in Moscow shows the incredible momentum we have right now as we continue to grow our events globally."
IBA PRO 19 official results:
Murat Gassiev (Russia) vs Peter Kadiru (Germany) — Gassiev wins by technical knockout in Round 6 (corner retirement).
Artem Suslenkov (Russia) vs Joe Joyce (Great Britain) — Suslenkov wins by technical knockout in Round 11.
Pavel Sosulin (Russia) vs Eddie Colmenares (Venezuela) — Sosulin wins by unanimous decision.
Vyacheslav Rogozin (Russia) vs RV Deniega (Philippines) — Rogozin wins by unanimous decision.
Elmar Guseynov (Azerbaijan) vs Vyacheslav Meshcherkin (Russia) — Guseynov wins by unanimous decision (IBA Bare Knuckle).
Arslan Yallyev (Russia) vs Murad Khalidov (Russia) — Yallyev wins by technical knockout in Round 3.
Sharabutdin Ataev (Russia) vs Jose Uzcategui (Venezuela) — Ataev wins by unanimous decision.
David Dzukaev (Russia) vs Aleksei Egorov (Russia) — Dzukaev wins by unanimous decision.
Vitaly Starykh (Russia) vs Maxim Gorbatko (Russia) — Starykh wins by unanimous decision (IBA Bare Knuckle).
Muslim Gadzhimagomedov (Russia) vs Kevin Martinez (Mexico) — Gadzhimagomedov wins by RTD in Round 9.
Vadim Musaev (Russia) vs Farahat Manilola (Uganda) — Musaev wins by unanimous decision.
Tamerlan Ozdoev (Russia) vs Shivam Jangra (India) — Ozdoev wins by technical knockout in Round 8.
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