Check out Eric Armit’s comprehensive report in The Week In Boxing – August 29, 2017!
August 25
Miami. OK, USA: Middle: Sergiy Derevyanchenko (11-0) W TKO 12Tureano Johnson (20-2). Middle: Hugo Centeno (26-1) W KO 3 Immanuwel Aleem (17-1-1). Super Welter: Charles Conwell (5-0) W TKO 3 Rey Trujillo (1-2-1). Light: Austin Dulay (11-0) W RTD 3 Carlos Padilla (16-6-1). Super Middle: Demond Nicholson (18-2-1) W RTD 2 Josue Ovando (15-17-1).
Johnson vs. Derevyanchenko
Derevyanchenko hands out ferocious beating to Johnson to move in to the IBF mandatory position putting him in life for a shot at the winner of Gennady Golovkin vs. Saul Alvarez. Both fighters showed strong jabs early. Johnson, choosing to box southpaw was on the front foot most of the time. Although giving away height and reach Derevyanchenko was boxing cleverly getting his punches off and moving before Johnson could counter effectively. Johnson went to his orthodox stance and stepped up the pressure in the second and third but he was walking onto punches as Derevyanchenko was scoring with hard left hooks to the body and rights to the head. Johnson continued to advance over the fourth and fifth but Derevyanchenko was still scoring with clubbing rights and also adding some choice uppercuts and Johnson was showing a swelling under his right eye. Johnson briefly switched to southpaw in the sixth but it made no difference as he was not using his jab but just trying to bull his way inside and paying for it in the coin of uppercuts and hooks from Derevyanchenko. The pattern was repeated over the next five rounds with Johnson showing no signs of having a plan B and Derevyanchenko constantly jarring the Panamanian’s head with chopping short rights and left hooks and uppercuts. Johnson did have some success opening a cut on the lip of Derevyanchenko but was taking a beating in round after round. A fierce attack from Derevyanchenko at the start of the eleventh and again at the end had Johnson in trouble taking more heavy punishment. He bravely fought on but he now had a cut over his left eye and a swelling by the same eye. Really the referee or Johnson’s corner could have stopped the fight earlier and perhaps should have but Derevyanchenko ended it in the last with a series of head punches that put Johnson over with the referee immediately waiving the fight off. Russian “Technician” Derevyanchenko, 31, gets his ninth win by KO/TKO. He was a high class amateur competing at the World Championships and the Olympics and going 22-1 in the WSB. He is not the quickest in the world but is strong with good power and a solid chin. Johnson, 33, lost to Curtis Stevens on a controversial stoppage in 2014 and had rebounded with six wins but he was allowed to take too much punishment here and it remains to be seen how that will affect him.
Centeno vs. Aleem
The tactics in this one were dictated by the physical differences between the two fighters. The 6’ 1 ½” (187cm) Centeno was looking to box on the outside with the 5’9” (175cm) Aleem trying to get under or past Centeno’s jab. Honours were about even in the first but Centeno dominated the second. He was constantly slotting home the jab, showing good movement and hand speed and rocked Aleem with a right/left. After a frustrating second round Aleem tried to force the fight more in the third. He was leaving gaps and Centeno looked to have shaken him with a right. Aleem continued to come forward but Centeno stepped in with a crushing left hook that put Aleem down on his back. The referee started the count but abandoned it at five and waived the fight over. It was some time before Aleem was able to get up. It was a dramatic one-punch knockout. Centeno is rebuilding after being stopped in ten rounds by unbeaten Pole Maciej Sulecki in June last year so this was a big win for the 26-year-old Californian who makes it 14 wins by KO/TKO. Aleem, 23, had fought his way into the world ratings with an upset victory over unbeaten Ukrainian Ievgen Khytrov for the WBC Silver title in January. He was rated No 7 by the WBC but Centeno has dumped him back down the ladder and he will have to start again.
Conwell vs. Trujillo
Olympian Conwell puts in some overtime as he has to go past the second round for the first time in stopping overmatched novice Trujillo. The 19-year-old from Cleveland is keeping busy as this is his fifth fight in four months. Trujillo came in as a late replacement
Dulay vs. Padilla
Southpaw hope Dulay remains unbeaten with impressive win over Padilla. Dulay wasted no time finding his range and he shook Padilla up a couple of times in the first. Padilla came into the fight in the second and rocked Dulay with a left hook but also landed a punch after the bell. In the third Dulay initially showed some excellent boxing skills and then banged home a right hook. Padilla signalling for Dulay to do it again-often a sign that a boxer is hurt-Dulay obliged with a vicious right to the body and then a left and right to the head that saw Padilla slump to the floor. Padilla was up immediately and although Dulay landed three more straight lefts Padilla fought back hard. He actually landed the last punch of the round but his corner pulled him out of the fight. Dulay, a 21-year-old from Tennessee, makes it 8 wins by KO/TKO. He claims only 13 losses in over 100 amateur fights and collected some Regional titles. Colombian Padilla, 28, lost to Emanuel Lopez for the interim WBA super feather title in 2015 but since then is 1-4 against strong opposition,
Nicholson vs. Obando
Nicholson starts his rebuilding with win over modest Obando who retired in his corner after two rounds. Nicholson had put on a career best performance in drawing with Immanuwel Aleem in July last year but was floored and lost a split decision to Canadian Steve Rolls in June. With this win Nicholson has now scored 17 inside the distance victories. Mexican Obando has now lost 9 of his last 10 fights.
Hinckley, MN, USA: Middle: Caleb Truax (28-3-2) W TKO 10 KeAndrae Leatherwood (20-5-1). Cruiser: Al Sands (20-2) W TKO 7 Mengistu Zarzar (6-1-1). Super Light: Markus Morris (11-3) W TKO 3 Tony Lee (11-2-1).
Truax vs. Leatherwood
Truax returns with a win but has to come from behind. The early rounds provided very little entertainment. Both fighters were looking to fight inside but the action was marred by too much holding. Leatherhead went in front over the first six rounds and an upset look on the cards when he took the seventh. From there nothing went right for Leatherhead. In the eighth a couple of rights from Truax shook Leatherhead badly and whilst trying to buy time he was deducted a point for holding. Truax floored Leatherhead in the ninth and Leatherhead lost another point in the tenth again for holding. As the round progressed it was obvious those punches in the eighth had damaged Leatherheads jaw and the doctor advised the fight be stopped as the jaw looked to have been fractured or broken. Truax lost on a last round stoppage when challenging Daniel Jacobs for the secondary WBA title in 2015 and slipped out of the ratings after losing inside a round to Anthony Dirrell in April last year. He returned with a win over mediocre opposition in August last year and this is his first fight since then. Leatherwood, 28, had won 6 of his last 7 fights with the loss being on points against Andy Lee last year.
Sands vs. Zarzar
Sands “The Haitian Temptation” moves to 20 wins, 18 by KO/TKO with stoppage of relative novice Zarzar. A first round loss to Phil Williams in 2015 snapped a 13 bout winning run for Sands but he has now won five on the bounce by KO/TKO since then. Liberian-born Zarzar, 34, a former street fighter who moved to the US when he was ten but did not start boxing until he was 29 had drawn with Phil Williams in January.
Morris vs. Lee
Morris wins the fight but loses his State title when he failed to make the weight. Despite being rocked in the first round Morris banged back and had the better of the second round then floored Lee twice in the third and the referee stopped the fight. The 27-year-old from Duluth has won 6 of his last 7 fights and moves his total of wins by KO/TKO to 8. Lee, 31, had an eight fight unbeaten run up to June 2015 and this was his first fight since then.
Corona, CA, USA: Super Feather: Erick Ituarte (18-1-1) W PTS 8 Alberto Torres (10-1-2). Heavy: LaRon Mitchell (16-0) W TKO 3 Mike Bissett (14-10).
Ituarte vs. Torres
Ituarte retains his NABF Junior title but only gets by modest Torres on a split verdict. Ituarte built an early lead going to the body and landing flashing combinations. Torres did not crumble under the pressure and came into the fight over the middle rounds before Ituarte took over again over the seventh and eighth. Scores 78-74 twice for Ituarte and 77-75 for Torres. Now 11 wins in a row for the 22-year-old Californian-based Mexican. Torres had won his last six fights but Ituarte was a big step up in standard of opposition for the Californian.
Mitchell vs. Bissett
Mitchell massacres Bissett. The unbeaten Californian southpaw overwhelmed poor Bissett scoring five knockdowns before the fight was mercifully stopped in the third round. An injury had kept the 37-year-old teacher out of action for a while but he was handing out punishment from the first bell. He floored Bissett four times in the second round and the fight was stopped after the fifth knockdown in the third. Mitchell retains the NABF Junior title and has 14 wins by KO/TKO. In the amateurs he was a silver medallist at the US National Championships which got him a ticket to the US Olympic Trials where he beat Donovan Dennis and Dominic Breazeale but lost twice to Lenroy Thompson (now known as Cam Awesome) whereas Breazeale went on to land the spot in London with Mitchell as alternate. Bissett had won his last 4 fights but this is his sixth loss by KO/TKO.
Quilmes, Argentina: Super Welter: Javier Maciel (31-6) W TKO 4 Sergio Lopez (10-2). Fly: Junior Zarate (8-1) W PTS 10 Diego Pichardo (16-11-1). Super Bantam: Fernando Martinez (1-0) W TKO 4 Juan Haran (0-2).
Maciel vs. Lopez
Maciel survives early storm to destroy Lopez. No feeling out here as both boxers were throwing bombs from the start. Lopez was forcing the fight and took the first round with some heavy punches from both hands. Maciel came out firing in the second shaking Lopez with hooks and uppercuts from but a clash of heads saw him suffer a bad cut on his forehead. The injury forced Maciel to box more cautiously and he lost the momentum. Lopez took the third scoring with some hefty rights and also throwing in some hands down slick movement. Lopez was bossing the fourth scoring with sharp jabs and left hooks to the body. Maciel then started to bang home rights. Just before the bell he drove Lopez to the ropes and staggered him with a right to the head. Lopez slid along the ropes and a left to the body and a big right to the head put him down. The referee started to count but then waived the fight off. “La Bestia” Maciel, 32, a former Argentinian champion and WBO title challenger, needed the win after three losses in a row. This is victory No 22 by KO/TKO for him. Lopez, 26, had won his last 6 fights, 5 by KO/TKO and he was in front in this one until Maciel exploded.
Zarate vs. Pichardo
In a fast-paced contest former Elite level amateur Zarate gets useful win over experienced Dominican southpaw Pichardo. Zarate made a good start edging the first and then clearly taking the second. He was quicker and doing some good work to the body. The third was closer but Zarate also took that one. Pichardo rallied and had more success with his aggression to get back in the fight by winning the fourth and fifth. From there Zarate took over mixing aggression and defence well and looked to have won the remaining rounds as he fought his way to the unanimous decision. Scores 99-93 ½, 98 ½-95 ½ and 97 ½-94 all for Zarate. The 5’0” tall 27-year-old Zarate was Argentinian amateur champion and competed at the World Championships in 2007 and 2011 and the South American Games. He was a member of the Argentinian Condors team in the WSB and was 5-3 in his eight bouts. Now 5 losses in a row for 32-year-old Pichardo.
Martinez vs. Haran
Olympian Martinez gets his pro career off the ground with stoppage of fellow-novice. Haran. The 26-year-old from Buenos Aires competed at the World Junior & Senior Championships and the 2016 Olympics.
Managua, Nicaragua: Super Fly: Jordan Escobar (11-3-2,1ND) W PTS 9 Elton Lara (14-2,2ND). Minimum: Byron Rojas (21-3-3) W PTS 8 Nelson Luna (7-8-3,2ND). Light: Winston Campos (28-3-5) W RTD 2 Martin Cardona (22-8-0).
Escobar vs. Lara
In the best fight of the night Escobar wins the vacant WBA Fedecentro title with split verdict over Lara. This one was fought at a frantic pace over the early rounds which saw Escobar getting through with his power punches to build a good lead. Over the second half of the fight the early pace caught up with both fighters and the action slowed with Lara eating into Escobar’s lead but just coming up short. Scores 87 ½-85 and 87-85 for Escobar and 87-84 ½ for Lara. Escobar was 6-0-2,1ND in his first 9 fights but 4-3 in his last 7 so a needed win. Lara was 2-1,2ND in his first 4 fights and included in there was a loss and a ND against Escobar but he then won his next 12.
Rojas vs. Luna
This proved to be a tougher fight for Rojas than it looked on paper. Luna took some of the early rounds and Rojas had to stage a strong finish to get the unanimous decision and save his world rating. Scores 77-75 twice and 78-74 all for Rojas. The 27-yerear-old Rojas had a brief reign as WBA champion as he beat Hekkie Budler in March 2016 then lost the title Knockout CP Freshmart ( in this case I will go away from the advertising ring name and hence CP will be Thammanoon Niyomtrong) in his first defence in June. The scores in that fight were 115-113 from all three judges and since he fought in the Thai’s backyard he deserves a return shot and is in the mandatory position with the WBA. Luna, also a Nicaraguan, fought well above himself and had lost his last two fights.
Campos vs. Cardona
Local fighter Campos has too much power for Mexican import Cardona. Campos was bigger and better than Cardona and handed out severe punishment in the first before flooring Cardona twice in the second round. Cardona retired in his corner before the start of the third. Twenty-six-year-old Campos gets his seventeenth win by KO/TKO and is now 11-0-1 in his last 12 fights. Cardona, really just a featherweight drops to five losses by KO/TKO.
Harare, Zimbabwe: Cruiser: Illunga Makabu (21-2) W KO 4 Mussa Ajibu (28-10-5). Heavy: Elvis Moyo (6-5-2) W KO 4 Bernard Adie (15-6).
Makabu vs. Ajibu
Poor bit of matching sees DRC world rated fighter Makabu floor Malawian Ajibu twice on the way to a fourth round knockout. The 29-year-old “ Junior” Makabu gets his second win since being stopped by Tony Bellew in May last year for the vacant WBC title. Three inside the distance losses in a row for Ajibu whose brave management put him in with Olan Durodola and Maksim Vlasov in his previous two fights.
Moyo vs. Adie
Moyo uses a focused body attack to stop the 6’8 ½” (204cm) Kenyan Adie in four rounds . The Zimbabwean “Bulawayo Bomber” reportedly wins the WBFederation All-African title and his second victory since returning from four years of inactivity. Moyo, 33, is reportedly going to fight in Britain in November but at 6’1” and 260lbs he is going to have to work hard to get in shape before then. Fourth loss by KO/TKO for the 44-year-old Adie.
August 26
Las Vegas, NV, USA: Super Welter: Floyd Mayweather Jr (50-0) W TKO 10 Connor McGregor (0-1). Super Feather: Gervonta Davis (19-0) W KO 8 Francisco Fonseca (19-1-1). Light Heavy: Badou Jack (22-1-2) W TKO 5 Nathan Cleverly (30-4). Welter: Yordenis Ugas (20-3) W PTS 10 Thomas Dulorme (24-3). Cruiser: Andrew Tabiti (15-0) W PTS 10 Steve Cunningham (29-9-1). Super Light: Juan Heraldez (13-0) W PTS 10 Jose Miguel Borrego (13-1).
Mayweather vs. McGregor
A huge event but a very ordinary fight with few highlights. Predicable victory for Mayweather. The fight was not the farce many anticipated and McGregor was competitive early but his lack of boxing experience and basic skills found him out. The only surprise was the tactics used by Mayweather as he jettisoned his skills and brawled his way to victory throwing less than 20 jabs in the whole fight.
Round 1
McGregor took the fight to Mayweather from the start. He showed a reasonable right jab and scored with a couple of long lefts to the body. He was already taunting Mayweather by occasionally clasping both hands behind his back and landed a sharp left uppercut the best punch of the round. Mayweather was very cautious and gave the round away by throwing only two or three punches.
Score 10-9 McGregor
Round 2
Mayweather took a more positive role in the second landing some sharp counters. McGregor switched guards a couple of time and his unconventional style was making Mayweather cautious although Mayweather just shaded the round.
Score 10-9 Mayweather 19-19
Round 3
This round was a non-event as neither fighter landed anything of note. McGregor kept working sticking his jab in Mayweather’s face and Mayweather was throwing too few punches with the punch stats showing he had thrown just 12 punches over these opening three rounds.
Score 10-9 McGregor 28-29
Round 4
Mayweather finally came alive in this one. He was walking forward behind a high guard getting close and scoring with short hooks. Ironically it was McGregor throwing the jabs and Mayweather doing the brawling.
Score 10-9 Mayweather 38-38
Round 5
Mayweather continued to walk forward relentlessly and McGregor did not have any idea of how to stop Mayweather’s march. Mayweather was again scoring with punches inside with McGregor’s lack of boxing experience showing as he was swatting and flapping with his punches. Mayweather pushed McGregor in the face after the bell and the referee responded by giving Mayweather a hefty push in the back that sent him stumbling to his corner.
Score 10-9 Mayweather 48-47
Round 6
McGregor’s UFC upbringing showed here. As Mayweather turned his back and moved away from a clinch McGregor followed landed a series of punches on Mayweather’s back and the back of his head until the referee stepped in and just pushed them apart without admonishing McGregor. This was the best round so far for Mayweather as he pressed all of the way and connected with a series of long rights. McGregor was tiring and there was no power in his punches.
Score 10-9 Mayweather 58-56
Round 7
McGregor got through with some punches at the advancing Mayweather early in the round but then Mayweather took over. He rocked McGregor with long rights and left hooks with McGregor visibly wilting and in full retreat with his defence in disarray.
Score 10-9 Mayweather 68-65
Round 8
McGregor probably had his best spell since the fourth but he still lost the round clearly. Mayweather scored with a couple of left uppercuts that snapped McGregor’s head back and again found the target with long rights and even threw a few jabs.
Score 10-9 Mayweather 78-74
Round 9
The ninth was a painful round for McGregor. Twice punches from Mayweather caused his knees to sag and he was stumbling around being caught by punch after punch. He was hardly able to raise his hands as Mayweather pounded him with shots. No knockdown but so one-sided I felt it was worth a two point difference.
Score 10-8 Mayweather 88-82
Round 10
Mayweather ended it emphatically. He sent McGregor staggering back with rights to the head and McGregor almost went down. Mayweather fired home two lefts to the head which saw McGregor slump into the ropes and after another right to the head the referee stepped in and stopped the fight.
Official scores: 89-81, 89-82 and 87-83
Mayweather was adamant that having reached 50 wins he will now retire. Some will question whether this fight should be counted in the total but irrespective of the circumstances it was a fight under the same rules and regulations as all of the other 49. Mayweather walks away as the richest boxer-and perhaps even the richest athlete-of all time. There are critics and I have often been one of them but taken over his full career he is one of the truly greats. McGregor did better than expected but boxing is a totally different sport to UFC requiring many specialised skills which McGregor did not possess and had no chance to learn. He also walks away a rich man. The UFC wants him back and there is a cue of pro boxers who are keen to fight him but whether he goes back to UFC, decides to give boxing another try or retires he can say he was part of the richest event in the sports history.
Davis vs. Fonseca
Davis loses his title as he fails to make the weight and then struggles to overcome modest challenger Fonseca before getting a controversial win.
Round 1
Davis showcased his defensive skills and scored with some sharp uppercuts. Fonseca, who has height and reach over Davis, landed a couple of rights but did a lot of missing and the round went to Davis
Score 10-9 Davis
Round 2
Fonseca had some success at the start of the round raking Davis with long punches. The fight became untidy with the referee warning them both for wrestling. Davis finished the round strongly firing home fast combinations.
Score 10-9 Davis 20-18
Round 3
A close round. Fonseca was troubling Davis with his reach advantage and scoring with straight rights. Davis was spending too long looking for openings and not throwing enough punches but when he did let his hands go he landed some hard combinations.
Score 10-9 Davis 30-27
Round 4
Fonseca’s round as Davis made a gift of it to Fonseca. Davis clowned his way throught most of the round. In the early part of the round he stuck his hands behind his back or ducked and bobbed but threw no punches. When he got too clever dropping his hands in close he paid as Fonseca landed a hard combination and instead of firing back Davis did an exaggerated stagger.
Score 10-9 Fonseca 39-37
Round 5
Fonseca’s again. The difference was that one fighter was working for three minutes of the round and one was only fighting in bursts. Fonseca was finding plenty of gaps to slot his punches home. Davis looked dangerous when he did cut loose but was being outworked
Score 10-9 Fonseca 48-47
Round 6
Davis finally got down to work in this one. He boxed on the back foot sliding home his right jab and scoring with straight lefts but he still could not resist a bit of clowning and verbal taunting. Fonesca kept pressing but just could not nail Davis down.
Score 10-9 Davis 58-56
Round 7
Fonseca kept coming forward and was proving a difficult opponent. Davis lost his balance against the ropes and threw his left arm over the middle rope to stay up leaving himself open and Fonseca landed a heavy right cross. His best punch so far. When Davis did get serious he was changing angles and getting home sharp hooks and uppercuts and just edged a close round.
Score 10-9 Davis 68-65
Round 8
Davis was fired up at the start of the round driving Fonseca back. As Fonseca came forward their feet got tangled and Fonseca tripped and fell forward trying to grab on to Davis to stay up. Davis threw a left that swung around behind Fonseca’s head and landed on the back of the Costa Rican’s head. Fonseca went down on his hands and knees clutching the back of his head and the referee counted the Costa Rican out. As Fonseca was down on his hands and knees Davis came over and mocked him by going down on his own hands and knees. It was almost two minutes before Fonseca was up and sitting on a stool.
Davis showed lack of discipline in coming in 2lbs over the weight and by fight time had bulked up enough to give him a big weight advantage over Fonseca. Whether it was the additional weight to blame Davis did not look sharp. He has said he is going to remain at 130lbs and will seek to get his IBF title back. The final punch clearly landed on the back of Fonseca’s head. Whether it was hard enough to end the fight only Fonseca knows but it is possible that the Nevada Commission may change the verdict to No Decision. Some observers were making comparisons between Davis and Adrien Broner and wandering if this was going to be another case of a wasted talent but on the back of this one fight that is a big stretch and the 22-year-old Davis just had a bad night. Fonseca, 23, drew his first pro fight so was on a 20 bout winning streak but the opposition had been modest at best. He showed some good skills and was competitive although Davis looked to be getting on top at the end.
Jack vs. Cleverly
Jack becomes a two division champion as he batters Cleverly to defeat to lift the secondary WBA title and send the Welsh fighter into retirement.
Round 1
Cleverly established his jab early and also banged home some hard rights. Jack was mostly on the back foot but showed a sharp jab of his own and was firing fast combinations to edge the round.
Score 9-10 Jack
Round 2
The fast pace continued in the second. Cleverly was at his best and had some success when he stuck to the basics using his jab and throwing right crosses. Jack was countering well and he too was landing some big rights. Just Cleverly’s round
Score 10-9 Cleverly 19-19
Round 3
Cleverly continued to march forward in the third. He was getting through with some jabs and hooks but was tending to throw just one or two punches at a time. Jack was slotting home jabs and firing rapid combinations through the champion’s guard and edged the round.
Score 10-9 Jack 38-39
Round 4
Cleverly made a good start to the fourth. He was piercing Jack’s guard consistently with jabs and Jack was finding it hard to slip them. Instead the challenger walked forward and began to throw heavy hooks from both hands. A big left hook shook Cleverly as Jack poured on the punishment. Cleverly managed to get his jab going again but more thumping head punches from Jack had Cleverly trapped on the ropes and under pressure at the bell.
Score 10-9 Jack 47-49
Round 5
Jack came out firing in the fifth banging home hooks and uppercuts from both hands as Cleverly tried to cover up and weather the storm. He managed to get on the front foot for a short period and then Jack again landed a succession of short hooks before a right uppercut shook Cleverly and sent him into retreat. Jack trapped Cleverly on the ropes and raked Cleverly with hooks and uppercuts. Cleverly bobbed and weaved and occasionally fired a counter but Jack continued to pound away at one time glancing over his shoulder to see if the referee was going to step in and with nothing coming back the referee eventually did just that.
After relinquishing his WBC super middle crown the 33-year-old “Ripper” becomes the first two division champion in Sweden’s boxing history. He will now be looking for a shot at one of the other champions to unify the title. He has mentioned WBC champion Adonis Stevenson and Stevenson has said he is interested but as Jack’s title is only the WBA regular one it can’t be a unification fight. Despite wins over Anthony Dirrell, George Groves and Lucien Bute (originally a draw but changed to a disqualification win for Jack when Bute tested positive for a banned substance) and a draw with James DeGale Jack is a bit like a “Tim Bradley clone” in not getting the credit he deserves. Welshman Cleverly,30, a former WBO champion looked to be heading for retirement after losing on points to Andrzej Fonfara in 2015 but he was handed a lifeline in the shape of a fight against Juergen Brahmer for the WBA secondary title in October and he forced Brahmer to a fifth round retirement. He has announced his retirement and as a two division champion he has made a sensible and timely decision .
Ugas vs. Dulorme
Ugas gets unanimous decision over Dulorme in an incident filled fight. Ugas, a former star of the Cuban amateur team, just edged the first round and came close to victory in the second. He floored Dulorme with a damaging right uppercut and although Dulorme beat the count a right hook put him down for the second time. He survived the round but also lost the third as took time to recover from that near disaster. The fourth, fifth and sixth were close as Dulorme was getting inside and working the body. Some of those shots strayed low and Ugas complained to the referee. The seventh was a see-saw round for Dulorme. He strayed low again and this time the referee deducted a point but late in the round he found a left hook to put Ugas down. The eighth and ninth were again close, hard fought rounds. In the tenth Dulorme landed yet another low punch and was deducted a second point and the two deduction cost him a majority win. Scores 93-92 twice for Ugas and 94-91 for Dulorme. The 31-year-old Ugas was a sensation as a young amateur winning a World Championship gold at 19 and going on win gold at the Pan American Games, a bronze at the Olympics and be Cuban champion five years in a row. Despite that he stumbled early as a pro and after back-to-back losses to Emmanuel Robles and Amir Imam he was out of the ring for two years. He returned in August last year with an important win over unbeaten Jamal James and followed that by snapping the unbeaten streak of Bryant Perrella. French Guinea-bon Puerto Rican Dulorme lost only one of his first 23 fights before being floored three times and stopped in six rounds by Terrence Crawford in a challenge for the WBO super light title in April 2015. He was out for a year before returning with three decent level wins.
Tabiti vs. Cunningham
Tabiti makes it a good night for Mayweather fighters as he takes unanimous decision over Cunningham in a slow paced unexciting contest. The younger quicker man won this one. Cunningham came forward throughout the fight tracking Tabiti but rarely catching him. Although he was conceding height and reach Tabiti was not looking to fight inside. Instead he used his quicker hands and clever movement to stay in range and pepper Cunningham with rapid combinations from both hands and be away before Cunningham could retaliate. Cunningham had some success when he could pin Tabiti to the ropes and landed some beefy rights but that did not happen often enough to help the cause of the former champion. Tabiti increased his work rate steadily and boxed using intelligent if not entertaining tactics. Cunningham just did not have the speed of foot or punch to turn the fight his way and Tabiti was a deserving winner. Scores 97-93 twice and 100-90 all for Tabiti. The 27-year-old “Beast” from Chicago was making the second defence of his NABF title and also won the vacant USBA crown. He came up short in the big competitions as an amateur getting a silver at the US national Championships and a bronze at the National Golden Gloves. He competed at the final US Olympic Trials but losses to Mike Hunter and Joseph Williams ended his Olympic hopes. Now 41 Cunningham is still rated in the top 10 by the IBF but found Tabiti too young and too fast.
Heraldez vs. Borrego
The superior skills of Heraldez help him box his way to victory in a clash of unbeaten prospects. Over the early rounds Heraldez used his quicker hands and clever movement to box on the outside. Borrego was chasing but not doing a good enough job of cutting the ring down and Heraldez was able to build a commanding lead as he swept the first five rounds. Borrego kept pressing and Heraldez began to slow Borrego began to find the target with some crunching left hooks wobbling Heraldez late in the sixth and taking the seventh. The fight looked to be turning Borrego’s way but Heraldez rallied to outbox Borrego in the eighth. All of Heraldez’s work looked to be wasted as he was dropped heavily by a left hook in the ninth. He was in deep trouble but manage to clinch his way to the bell and safety. He took no chances in the last and boxed his way to the unanimous decision. Scores 97-92 twice and 96-93 all for Heraldez. The 27-year-old member of the Mayweather team had almost 100 amateur fights and was National Police Athletic League champion so worth keeping an eye on. Mexican Borrego will know that he will have to get into his stride much faster in future. He was a top level amateur and at 19 has time to learn from his mistakes.
Carson, CA, USA: Super Welter: Miguel Cotto (41-5) W PTS 12 Yoshihiro Kamegai (27-4-2). Super Bantam: Rey Vargas (30-0) W PTS 12 Ronny Rios (28-2). Feather: Joet Gonzalez (17-0) W KO 5 Deivi Julio Bassa (19-3,1ND). Feather: Emilio Sanchez (15-0) W KO 5 Danny Flores (15-10-1). Welter: Alexis Rocha (9-0) W KO 1 Esau Herrera (18-10-1).
Cotto vs. Kamegai
Cotto wins the vacant WBO title with wide unanimous decision over the brave but very limited Kamegai in a fight where the pattern rarely varied and gave Cotto’s stamina a tough test.
Round 1
Kamegai made his expected aggressive start. He was walking forward behind a high guard and firing punches from both hands. Cotto was forced onto the defensive and although he blocked or slipped many of the punches from Kamegai the Japanese fighter did enough to take the round.
Score 10-9 Kamegai
Round 2
Kamegai only knows how to fight one way and that is attack, attack and attack again. This time Cotto made him pay time and again as he scored with counter after counter. Kamegai has great stamina and an iron chin but he was near the back of the queue when they handed out defence and his nose was already bleeding heavily.
Score 10-9 Cotto 19-19
Round 3
Cotto was finding Kamegai an easy target as the Japanese fighter kept walking in on a straight line and was caught by jabs, hooks and uppercuts. Kamegai had some success when he was able to catch Cotto on the ropes but Cotto never lingered there for long. Cotto was warned after almost wrestling Kamegai through the ropes and almost out of the ring but again it was his round.
Score 10-9 Cotto 29-28
Round 4
Still no let up in the forward march of Kamegai. The sheer volume of his punches meant he was landing some hooks and uppercuts but not many. Cotto snapped Kamegai’s head sideward with a big right and later made him step back with a strong uppercut. Kamegai walked forward again and Cotto scored with an array of punches but Kamegai was unmoved.
Score 10-9 Cotto 39-37
Round 5
Kamegai was fighting the only way he knew how and never countenanced any Plan B approach. Cotto stayed off the ropes in the fifth which cut down on the inside work of Kamegai. The Puerto Rican was warned for pushing Kamegai off but on the credit side he blasted Kamegai with 5-6 punch combinations .
Score 10-9 Cotto 49-46
Round 6
Cotto landed more heavy rights in this round. A couple of those had Kamegai’s head snapping sideward again and although he was occasionally forced to take a step back he kept rebounding only to walk into more quality shots from Cotto.
Score 10-9 Cotto 59-55
Round 7
Kamegai’s only hope was that the 36-year-old legs of Cotto would give out so he had to continue to play the role of plank of wood to the Cotto buzz saw The tactics looked to have a chance in this round as he outscored Cotto landing short chopping punches with Cotto looking tired and letting his work rate drop.
Score 10-9 Kamegai 68-65
Round 8
Cotto was back in charge in the eighth. He moved more showed good upper body movement and fired rapid combinations through the porous guard of Kamegai and ended the round with a peach of a left hook to the head
Score 10-9 Cotto 78-74
Round 9
No sign of Cotto slowing as he moved and punched throughout the round. Kamegai kept pressing but also kept getting clobbered inexorably by booming counters from Cotto.
Score 10-9 Cotto 88-83
Round 10
Kamegai made a determined start to the tenth and matched Cotto early. When Cotto started to unload Kamegai actually dropped his hands and ducked and bobbed and weaved (too little defensive skill too late).Cotto pummelled him with head shots before the bell but ended the round showing a cut up on his forehead.
Score 10-9 Cotto 98-92
Round 11
The eleventh was a messy round as both fighters were tired. Kamegai continued to hunt Cotto and continued to get nailed with counters.
Score 10-9 Cotto 108-101
Round 12
Somehow Kamegai had the stamina to keep rumbling in the last but there was no snap left in his punches and his guard was still missing allowing Cotto to do enough to take the round.
Score 10-9 Cotto 118-110
Official scores 120-108, 119-109 and 118-110
Kamegai proved to be the perfect comeback opponent for the 36-year-old four division champion who was having his first fight since losing to Saul Alvarez in November 2015. He was forced to go twelve rounds and fight for three minutes of every round. It was a real test of his fitness but Kamegai was too open and too predictable to test any other facet of Cotto’s work. Cotto has said he will have just one more fight and wants the winner of Saul Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin but he would be a loser against either. The 34-year-old Japanese warrior Kamegai showed a great chin, tremendous stamina and very little skill but his pressure made it an entertaining fight.
Vargas vs. Rios
Vargas retains the WBC title with unanimous decision over local hero Rios. This one was close over the early rounds. Rios made a good start getting past the long reach of Vargas to score with body punches. Vargas used his reach and some sharp body punches to show well in the second but in the third it was Rios impressing with left hooks to the body but overall Vargas was busier and more accurate. Good distance work and again some choice left hooks from Vargas put him well ahead after six but Rios came into the fight in the seventh, eighth and ninth rounds pressing hard and it seemed as if he might turn the fight his way. Vargas got back on top in the tenth slotting home jabs and peppering Rios with combinations. Rios was still dangerous with left hooks but not able to land as many as he had earlier in the fight. He was being outboxed and outscored and Vargas boxed his way through the last round knowing he already had the fight won. Despite some frantic last ditch efforts from Rios the champion was a clear winner. Scores 118-110 twice and 115-113. The first two scores looked too wide and the last two close. The 26-year-old Mexican “King” was making the first defence of the title he won on a majority decision over Gavin McDonnell for the vacant title in February. Santa Ana native Rios, 27, made Vargas fight hard here and he can rebuild and will challenge again for a title sometime in the future.
Gonzalez vs. Bassa
Gonzalez pressures all the way before halting Bassa in the fifth. In a quiet first round the best punch was a left hook from Gonzalez that threw southpaw Bass off balance but it was mainly a round of study by both fighters. Gonzalez was busy busy in the second pressing the fight working the jab and going to the body but not really able to land anything of consequence. Gonzalez stepped up the pace in the third and fourth taking Bass to the ropes and raking him with hard combinations with the Colombian showing signs of weakening. In the fifth a right from Gonzalez dumped Bass on the floor. He beat the count and tried to survive by running and holding but when two more rights sent him stumbling back to the ropes the referee stopped the fight. The 23-year-old Californian was inspired to take up boxing by watching an Oscar De La Hoya fight and now he is one of the rising youngsters in the Golden Boy team. As an amateur he was US National Junior champion. He lost out at the US Olympic Trials for the 2012 Games but later in the year won a gold medal at the 2012 US National Championships beating Gervonta Davis in the first series on a disqualification. He has nine wins by KO/TKO. Colombian Bassa now has three losses by KO/TKO. He won his first 17 fights before being stopped in ten rounds by Kenichi Ogawa in 2015 and was 2-1,1ND going into this one. He competed at the World Championships, World Military Championships and Pan American Games and won a silver medal at the South American Championships before turning pro at 32.
Sanchez vs. Flores
Sanchez batters a game but out-gunned Flores to defeat. Sanchez was quicker and had the edge in power. He scored with some sparkling right uppercuts in the first as Flores marched forward. They traded punches throughout the second. Flores scored with some good head punches but Sanchez banged home a whole series of left hooks to the body and kept Flores pinned to the ropes for the last two minutes of the round pounding away with hooks and uppercuts. Flores battled back in the third as he pressed hard for three minutes and landed some hefty left hooks but over the closing 30 seconds Sanchez hammered home a series of right uppercuts. Sanchez started the fourth with more right uppercuts and late in the round landed a couple of crunching left hooks to the chin. There was some concern over the punishment Flores was taking and after Sanchez staggered him with a left hook and scored with some more lefts and rights the referee stopped the fight. The 23-year-old Californian moves to 10 wins by KO/TKO. As an amateur he was both US National and National Golden Gloves Junior champion and competed at the US trials for the 2012 Olympic Team. Flores drops to 1-7-1 in his last 9 fights.
Rivera vs. Sanchez
This one did not start well for Rivera. Less than one minute into the fight he landed a low left hook which sent Sanchez down on his knees in agony. Sanchez was given time to recover and the referee deducted a point from Rivera. When the action resumed Sanchez was winging wild hooks and leaving himself open. Rivera suddenly switched to southpaw and his next punch, a thunderbolt of a left hook, put Sanchez down flat on his back and after starting the count the referee waived the fight off. The 25-year-old Puerto Rican was halted in three rounds by Adrian Hernandez in a challenge for the WBC light fly title in 2014. He is 6-0-1 since then and is No 5 with the WBO. This loss makes it two first round blow outs in a row for poor Mexican Sanchez.
Rocha vs. Herrera
Rocha was giving away a substantial amount in both weight and experience but it made no difference. Rocha was letting his southpaw straight lefts go from the outset. Herrera tried to hold on the inside to deny Rocha leverage and was given a warning. A few moments later a perfect southpaw right hook to the chin put Herrera down and he never looked like beating the count. The 20-year-old Californian followed his brother Ronny Rios into boxing and was an outstanding Junior winning a gold medal at the US Junior Olympics at just 14, reaching the quarter-finals of the World Junior Championships and winning six national titles. One to follow. Herrera, 33 falls to seven losses by KO/TKO.
Hurlingham, Argentina: Super Welter: Ricardo Villalba (18-3-1) W DISQ 8 Hector Saldivia (46-5). Home town fighter Villalba wins Argentinian title and retains WBO Latino title as Saldivia is disqualified for butting. Saldivia started in his usual aggressive manner but a right from Villalba started a swelling under the left eye of Saldivia. With his superior experience Saldivia quickly had Villalba spending time trapped on the ropes but Villalba was countering well. Villalba had a big fourth round this time taking Saldivia to the ropes and landed a series of punches which saw the referee stop the action and give Saldivia a standing count. With the swelling beginning to close his eye Saldivia increased his pace and took rounds five, six and seven. However in the seventh after he butted Villalba a couple of times and opened a cut over his left eye the referee deducted a point from Saldivar. Villalba survived a doctor’s inspection but in the eighth Saldivia was again guilty of a butt and this time the cut was worsened and with Villalba unable to continue the referee disqualified Saldivia. Now 6 wins in his last 7 fights Villalba. Saldivia, 33, lost to Kell Brook in an IBF title eliminator back in 2012 but had won 5 of his last 6.
Olavinlinna, Finland: Light Heavy: Niklas Rasanen (14-1-1) DREW 10 Patrick Mendy (17-13-3). Light Heavy: Sami Enbon (16-1) W TKO 4 Stanislav Eschner (5-4-1). Welter: Jussi Koivula (23-4-1) W DISQ 3 Pal Olah (7-10-1). Super Feather: Tuomo Eronen (19-4) W TKO 3 Giorgi Abuladze (9-2-1).
Rasanen vs. Mendy
Local southpaw Rasanen disappoints in draw with much travelled Mendy. The Finn made the better start putting himself in front by managing to box on the outside against Mendy who is really a natural middleweight. After that bright start Rasanen faded for a while as Mendy managed to get past the Finn’s reach and work inside roughing Rasanen up and rustling him out of his stride. There were some furious exchanges but over the seventh and eighth Rasanen slowed and his work rate dropped. The Finn rallied over the closing rounds as Mendy was the one tiring and the draw looked a fair decision. Scores 97-96 for Rasanen, 96-95 for Mendy and 95-95. The 30-year-old “ Drummer Boy” Rasanen won his first 13 fights before being knocked out in eleven rounds by Mariano Hilario for the European Union title in December but had returned to the winning column with a points victory over Argentinian Ricardo Ramallo. British-based Gambian Mendy, 26, is now 2-6-2 in his last 10 fights which have been in seven different countries and he can give anyone a tough night when in top condition.
Enbon vs. Eschner
Easy win for southpaw Enbon. He handed out punishment over the first three rounds before flooring Eschner twice in the fourth to force the stoppage. Enbon won his first 14 fights but then was halted in six rounds by world rated German Dominic Boesel in March. This is his second win by KO/TKO since then. Fourth loss by KO/TKO for Czech Eschner.
Koivula vs. Olah
Koivula gets win in a scrappy fight. Koivula was a couple of classes better than the Hungarian. Olah was finally disqualified for constantly turning his back on Koivula. Koivula has lost tough fights in challenges for the European and European Union titles but has now won 4 of his last 5 fights. Four losses in a row for Olah.
Eronen vs. Abuladze
Southpaw Eronen has no trouble with Abuladze. The Finn floored the inexperienced young Georgian in the third and the fight was stopped. Fifth win in a row for the 36-year-old local. Two fights outside Georgia for Abuladze and two losses inside the distance.
Neu-Isenburg, Germany: Light Heavy: Denis Liebau (22-1) W Francisco Cordero (37-8). Super Welter: Gerome Quigley (18-0) W TKO 2 Orlen Padilla (23-7-1).
Liebau vs. Cordero
Liebau retains his WBU (German version) title as Colombian Cordero retires with a hand injury. This looked a total mismatch in the first. Liebau had big height and weight advantages over a vastly overweight and glacially slow Cordero. Liebau was able to box safely outside and pummel Cordero with jabs and hooks with Cordero only throwing occasional wide swipes. Cordero came to life in the second stabbing out jabs and letting go with both hands. Liebau suddenly found himself in a fight being forced onto the back foot as Cordero came in swinging. Fortunately for Liebau there was very little power in Cordero’s punches and he was wide open for counters. The effort of actually fighting for those three minutes seemed to have exhausted Cordero and he retired at the end of the round complaining of an injury to his left hand. The 36-year-old German Liebau, who promoted the show, lost to world rated Dominic Boesel on an eleventh round stoppage last year and this is his third win since then. Cordero was a super feather when he turned pro in 2007 now he is a light heavy. He is no taller than he was as a super feather but a lot fatter.
Quigley vs. Padilla
Quigley wins the vacant WBU (German Version) title with stoppage of Colombian. Padilla came to fight and had Quigley on the back foot in the first round as he stormed forward throwing hooks to the body. Quigley steadied himself and was scoring with hard counters by the end of the round. In the second Quigley went hunting. He trapped Padilla in a corner and staggered him. Padilla escaped only to be forced to the ropes again and a fusillade of punches from Quigley had him slumping to the canvas. He beat the count but as Quigley unloaded more punches the fight was stopped. The 33-year-old from Maryland makes it 16 wins by KO/TKO half of them one round finishes. He fought in Washington last month winning the vacant USBO title. Quigley was a good level amateur but walked away from the sport for six year before turning pro in 2013. Padilla 31 had won 7 of his last 8 fights but against very low grade opposition in Colombia with six of his victims having only 4 wins between them.
Vilnius. Lithuania: Light: Isa Chaniev (11-1) W PTS 12 Jean Pierre Bauwens (42-4-2). Super Welter: Virgilijus Stapulionis (29-5-1) W PTS 10 Pavel Mamontov (12-5-2). Light Heavy: Yoann Kongolo (9-0) W PTS 10 Salambek Baysangurov (8-1).
Chaniev vs. Bauwens
Chaniev gets a good win as he takes wide unanimous decision over former EU champion Bauwens. This was a one-sided fight with Chaniev in control from the start. He swept the first four rounds clearly. Bauwens looking worth a share of the fifth and looked to have edged the seventh but that was all. The Belgian was cut over the left eye in the eighth and was never in the fight after that. Scores 119-109 twice and 120-108 all for Chaniev. The 24-year-old Russian wins the vacant IBF Inter-Continental title at the second attempt having been outpointed Fedor Papazov (19-2) for the vacant title in May. Bauwens, 29, has been unimpressive in recent fights and was well beaten here. He was married on the Saturday previous to this fight and his new bride was in the audience.
Stapulionis vs. Mamontov
Local fighter Stapulionis has his first fight in his home country for two years but struggles to get by Mamontov. Scores 96-94 twice and 97-93. The 31-year-old “Lithuanian Terminator” wins the vacant IBF Baltic title. He is working his way back after consecutive losses to Patrick Day and Magomed Kurbanov. Mamontov has lost 4 of his last 5 fights three of them to unbeaten fighters.
Kongolo vs. Baysangurov
Swiss fighter Kongolo wins the vacant WBC International Silver title but it is a close run thing. Baysangurov was quicker off the mark and looked to have taken three of the first four rounds. Kongolo did well in the middle rounds to get himself a small lead but the eighth and ninth were close and late in the last round he was nailed with a hard punch and was in deep trouble and only just made it to the bell. Scores 96-94 twice for Kongolo and 95-95 which shows how close this one was. The 29-year-old Swiss made a name for himself in kickboxing and Koshiki Karatedo a form of full contact karate before concentrating on boxing. Ukrainian-based Russian returned to action with a win last year after six years out of the sport.
Benidorm, Spain: Feather: Kiko Martinez (38-8-1) W KO 3 Lorenzo Parra (32-13-2). Martinez beats an over the hill Parra in four rounds. Martinez floored Parra in both the first and second rounds before putting the Venezuelan down twice more in the third to end the fight. Second win for the former IBF super bantam champion as he rebuilds after losing a majority verdict to Josh Warrington in May. Parra, 39, a former WBA fly champion was floored four times in losing to Brit Sam Bowen in July so that is now 9 losses on the bounce and 8 knockdowns in his last two fights.
Mashantucket, CT, USA: Welter: Jimmy Williams (14-0-1) W KO 4 Issouf Kinda (18-5). Controversy and near riot as Williams gets win over Kinda. Both landed some heavy stuff in the first. A left hook from Williams looked to have put Kinda down but the referee ruled it a slip. They continued to trade hard punches and in the fourth as they exchanged shots the referee stepped in trying to break them. Despite the referee’s efforts they both kept punching and a shot from Williams put Kinda down. The referee counted Kinda out but the loser’s corner felt that the punch was landed after the break was called and was illegal and they invaded the ring sparking ugly scenes inside and outside the ring. The result stood and Williams makes it 6 wins by KO/TKO and retains his WBC USNBC title Kinda, 29, from Burkina Faso, won his first 16 fights but is now 2-5 in his last 7.
Uthai Thani, Thailand: Fly: Amnat Ruenroeng (18-1) W TKO 3 Thongchai Kunram (6-13). Former IBF champion Ruenroeng eases his way back with third round stoppage of Thongchai in a poor bit of matching. First fight for Ruenroeng since being floored four times when losing his IBF title to John Riel Casimero in May last year. Thongchai now 9 losses in a row 7 of them by KO/TKO.
August 27
Ashikita-gun, Japan: Minimum: Ryuya Yamanaka (15-2) W PTS 12 Tatsuta Fukuhara (19-5-6). Yamanaka wins the WBO title with victory over the champion Fukuhara. Local fighter Fukuhara made his usual aggressive start rumbling forward trying to pin down the stylish Yamanaka. He had success with those tactics over the first three rounds but from the fourth the clever boxing and accurate counters from Yamanaka turned the fight his way. Fukuyama kept going to the body trying to slow the challenger but it was Yamanaka who was picking up the points. Knowing he was behind Fukuhara staged a strong finish but just came up short. Scores 115-113 twice and 116-112 all for Yamanaka. An indication of how close the fight and the rounds were is that the rounds were all scored 10-9 by the judges scored but they differed in their round by round scores only being unanimous in their scoring of the seventh and ninth rounds. Yamanaka, 22, makes it eight wins in a row. Southpaw Fukuhara, 28, won the interim title on a split decision over Mexican Moises Calleros in February and was subsequently upgraded from interim to full champion so lost the title in his first defence.
Fight of the week: Mayweather vs. McGregor-only joking folks! Nothing really stood out. Kamegai’s relentless pressure meant the Cotto fight was twelve rounds of action but I go for Rey Vargas vs. Ronny Rios which was more competitive
Fighter of the week: Serhiy Derevyanchenko for his crushing victory over Tureano Johnson with honourable mention to Badou Jack now a two division champion
Punch of the week: The left hook from Hugo Centeno which flattened Immanuel Aleem with honourable mentions for one punch finisjhes to Janiel Rivera and Alexis Rocha
Upset of the week: None
One to watch: Alexis Rocha 9-0
