Check out Eric Armit’s comprehensive report in The Week In Boxing – November 21, 2017!

Highlights:

-Jerwin Ancajas impresses as he retains his IBF title with crushing victory over Jamie Conlan

-Carl Frampton wins on his return to action but is cut and floored in gruelling test against Horacio Garcia

-Zolani Tete sets new record for fastest win in a world title fight as he obliterates Siboniso Gonya in 11 seconds

– Paddy Barnes and Jono Carroll get inside the distance wins in Belfast

-Anthony Dirrell stays on course for a shot at regaining his super middleweight title

-Tomasz Adamek continues his comeback with win over Fred Kassi

Julian Williams outpoints former IBF champion Ishe Smith

 

November 16

 

Cancun, Mexico: Super Fly: Jose Martinez (20-0-1) W KO 4 Jesus Martinez (23-3). Welter: Alexis Rocha (10-0) W KO 1 Pascal Salgado (12-8).

Martinez vs. Martinez

Puerto Rican Jose Martinez impresses in stoppage win over Colombian Jesus Martinez. Both were trading punches in the first Jose staggered Jesus with a right and then took him to the ropes and unloaded with both hands with Jesus fighting his way off the ropes. In the second Jose continued to press. Jesus tried to punch back but was rocked on a couple of occasions. Jose was breaking Jesus down in the third with uppercuts and left hooks to the body and just before the bell Jesus dropped to his knees. Early in the fourth a left hook to the body saw Jesus go down on one knee and he was counted out. Jose M, 25, wins the vacant WBO NABO title and now has 13 wins by KO/TKO. He has wins over a couple of experienced opponents in Armando Vazquez and Juan Palacios. Second loss by KO/TKO for Jesus Martinez.

Rocha vs. Salgado

Golden Boy prospect Rocha annihilates Salgado. In the first real exchange Salgado scored with a right hook to the body of Rocha and as Salgado started to back up Rocha landed a seriously wicked left to the body that resulted in Salgado going down on one knee in agony whilst the referee tolled the ten. Rocha, 20, the brother of former WBC super bantam champion Ronny Rios, was US Junior Olympic champion at 14. He has seven wins by KO/TKO. Not bad for a kid who took up boxing because he weighed 205lbs when he was just 13. Colombian Salgado is 2-5 in his last 7 fights with all 5 losses by KO/TKO.

 

November 17

 

Flint, MI, USA: Super Middle: Anthony Dirrell (31-1-1) W TEC DEC 6 Denis Douglin (20-6). Welter: Jamontay Clark (13-0) W PTS 8 Domonique Dolton (19-2-1). Super light; Ryan Karl (15-1) W PTS 8 Kareem Martin (9-2-1). Super

Dirrell vs. Douglin

Dirrell keeps on track for a title shot with technical decision over Douglin. Douglin made a positive start working his jab well but late in the first round a right from Dirrell staggered him. Dirrell threw a pile of punches with Douglin bobbing weaving and holding to survive. After that Douglin was giving Dirrell some problems with his southpaw stance and aggressive approach. Dirrell was the stronger and shook Douglin again with a right in the fourth and countered Douglin’s rushes with sharp hooks and uppercuts. Douglin forced his way inside and had some good spells roughing  up Dirrell but there was too much clinching. Douglin had Dirrell in a corner in the sixth and then wrestled Dirrell to the floor and the referee deducted a point. Later in the round a clash of heads saw Dirrell suffer a serious cut over his left eye and it was affecting his vision so the fight was halted and the score cards decided the outcome. Scores 48-47 twice and 49-46 all for Dirrell although it was strange that the sixth round was not scored. Fourth win now for the 33-year-old hometown fighter Dirrell since losing his WBC title to Badou Jack in 2015. At WBC No 2 he is in line for a shot at his old title. “Momma’s Boy” Douglin is now 6-3 in his last 9 fights with the other losses coming against George Groves and David Benavidez.

Clark vs. Dolton

Clark maintains his 100% record but has to settle for a majority verdict over Dolton. The 6’2” (188cm) southpaw Clark used his longer reach to fight on the outside in the first and was able to score with counters as Dolton tried to work his way inside. Dolton did better in the second scoring with some rights from close action. The third was fairly even with Clark again using his jab and sharp counters. In the fourth as heads bumped Clark was cut on his right eyebrow. Good corner work kept it in check but Dolton finished the round on top. Clark just edged some good exchanges in the fifth and the sixth was close with Clark managing to find space to use his jab and fire accurate lefts. Dolton had a good seventh as he pressed hard and they both had some success in the last. Scores 78-74 and 77-75 for Clark and 76-76. The 23-year-old “Too Quiet” Clark was coming off a good win over unbeaten Ivan Golub in June. As an amateur he won gold medals at the US PAL Tournament, US National Elite Championships at the Jose Aponte Tournament in Puerto Rico and a silver medal at the US National Golden Gloves and also competed at the World Championships. Detroit’s Dolton, 27, has a draw with Oscar Molina and his loss was to Justin DeLoach but had won his last two fight. He was a high class Junior but lost out to Keith Thurman at US Trials for the 2008 Olympics.

Karl vs. Martin

Karl overcomes a slow start to get unanimous decision over Martin. Martin jumped on Karl in the first firing rocking him early and landing bundles of hooks with Karl forced onto the defensive . As heads banged together in the second Karl was cut on his forehead and Martin was scoring with the more eye-catching shots. In the third and fourth Karl was outworking Martin in the exchanges firing hook after hook with Martin trying to punch with him but taking more than he was giving. They exchanged body punches for much of the fifth and sixth. They continued to trade in the seventh but a big attack from Karl in the last had Martin close to going down. Scores 78-74 twice and 78-75 all for Karl. Texan Karl, 25, is building again after a stoppage loss to unbeaten Eddie Ramirez in February and this is his second win since then. Martin, 22, was stopped in nine rounds by David Grayton last year but had scored a low level win in August.

 

Ontario, CA, USA: Welter: Giovanni Santillan (23-0) W RTD 4 Dodzi Kemeh (19-2). Super Light: Manuel Mendez (15-2-3) DREW 8 Abraham Cordero (13-3-2). Feather: Erick Ituarte (19-1-1) W TKO 1 Gustavo Molina (25-17).

Santillan vs. Kemeh

Santillan gets a protested stoppage of Kemeh. Santillan was the boss in this one as he constantly found gaps in the defence of the Ghanaian to bang home jabs and body punches. Kemeh was rolling forward but was too slow to really trouble Santillan with his own attacks and could not come up with an answer for the sharp accurate punches and southpaw style of Santillan. Despite this he was in no real trouble at the end of the fourth but walked to a neutral corner. He re-orientated himself and then went back to his own corner. Seeing this the referee called the doctor to examine Kemeh and the doctor advised the fight be stopped over protests from Kemeh and his team. Santillan was making the first defence of his WBONABO title. The 25-year-old “Golden Boy” makes it 13 wins by KO/TKO. Kemeh was having his first fight outside Ghana. He record has been built on mediocre opposition with ten never having won a fight and six with negative records. He showed some ability here but not enough.

Mendez vs. Cordero

Mendez escapes with a majority draw after a struggle with aggressive Cordero. Mendez had the better skill set but Cordero was tigerish and kept crowding Mendez the whole way drawing Mendez into a brawl. This was Cordero’s first fight for 17 months but it did not show as he started fast and maintained that pace. Instead it was Mendez who took time to find his timing and distance and then the fight was even and hard to score. Initially Cordero was declared the winner but later a check of the score cards showed an error and the final scores were 76-76 twice for a draw and 77-75 for Cordero. Mendez, 27, lost his first pro fight then went 18 fights undefeated before being halted by Mohamed Rodriguez in an upset in June. Cordero,22, also lost his first paid fight and was then 13-1- 1 in his next 15 before being halted by Mike Reed in June last year.

Ituarte vs. Molina

Ituarte overwhelms Molina for early win. Ituarte came out fast and put Molina under pressure. He drove Molina to a corner and showered him with punches. Molina tried to fight his way out of the corner but was forced back by a right and the referee stepped in and stopped the fight. Mexican-born “All American Boy” Ituarte , 23, extends his winning run to twelve and breaks out of the rut of split decision wins in his last two fights. Only three wins by KO/TKO say a lack of power but try telling Molina that. Twelfth loss by KO/TKO for Molina so maybe that explains it.

 

Sloan, IA, USA: Bantam: Max Ornelas (10-0-1) W PTS 10 Nick Otieno (31-12). Super Welter: Nathaniel Gallimore (20-1-1) W KO 1 Esau Herrera (18-11-1).

Ornelas vs. Otieno

Teenager Ornelas too young and too quick for ancient Kenyan. Ornelas was taller with a longer reach so was able to score from distance and punished Otieno with hooks and uppercuts as he moved in. Otieno has plenty of experience but was too slow to be a threat and Ornelas rocked him a few times. Despite that Otieno showed a good chin and went the full ten rounds. Scores 100-90 from each judge for Ornelas. The draw on the record of the Las Vegas-based 19-year-old “Baby Face” was a technical one. Otieno, 44, is a former WBC International and ABU champion. He has been too good for domestic opposition but just not good enough to get beyond that level.

Gallimore vs. Herrera

Jamaican Gallimore again shows his power and his potential. He had Herrera on the back foot with strong jabs. Herrera was backed to the ropes and as he tried to launch an attack off the ropes a chopping right to the head put him down and he struggled but could not make it to his feet. “No Problem” Gallimore, 29, announced himself with a destructive win over Justin DeLoach and now has 17 wins by KO/TKO. He is now rated WBA 4/IBF 7(6)/WBO 10/WBC 14. He moved to the US at the age of eleven and is a former Chicago Golden Glove champion. Mexican Herrera falls to 6 losses in his last 7 fights.

 

Osaka, Japan: Light Fly: Tetsuya Hisada (30-9-2) W KO 4 Takeru Kamikubo (13-3). Hisada retains the Japanese title with stoppage of Kamikubo in a scrap between two hometown fighters. Hisada had trouble connecting with his punches over the first three rounds as the challenger made good use of his jab to keep Hisada out. Hisada’s corner told him to up his work rate and press harder. In the fourth he shook Kamikubo badly with a right hook then took him to the ropes and put him on the canvas with a left hook. Kamikubo just managed to get to his feet but was unsteady and was counted out. Now 19 wins by KO/TKO for the 33-year-old Hisada. His run of eight wins in a row, seven by KO/TKO, has seen him rise to WBA 3/IBF (7)/ WBO 8 /WBC 10 and with Japanese fighters holding three of the four world titles there could be a chance of a title fight in 2018 but his profile may not be high enough to interest Japanese TV. Kamikubo, 21, the Japanese No 5 was moving up to ten rounds for the first time.

 

Bangkok, Thailand: Super Bantam: Nop Kratingdaenggym (21-1) W TKO 5 Swedi Mohamed (12-4-2).  Nop (Anurak Thisa)  just too strong for game Tanzanian Mohamed.  Nop handed out some fierce punishment to the fragile looking Mohamed but Mohamed stayed in the fight. In the fourth in a brutal finish Nop staggered Mohamed with a fierce left hook and then put him down with a series of head punches. Mohamed was up at four but after the eight count was completed Nop landed a  flurry of body punches and then a thunderous right to the head. Effectively that finished the fight but as Mohamed did not go down Nop was able to drive him along the ropes landing more to the head until Mohamed reached a corner and turned his back on the fight and the referee stepped in then. Now four wins for Nop since being stopped in nine rounds in a challenge for the secondary WBA super bantam title by Nehomar Cermeno in September last year. Nop wins the vacant WBA Asia Pacific title. Mohamed just a prelim fighter who had never been past four rounds in a fight.

 

November 18

 

Belfast, NI: Super Fly: Jerwin Ancajas (28-1-1) W TKO 6 Jamie Conlan (19-1). Bantam: Zolani Tete (26-3) W KO 1Siboniso Gonya (11-2). Feather: Carl Frampton (24-1) W PTS 10 Horacio Garcia (33-4-1).Fly: Paddy Barnes (5-0) W KO 6 Eliecer Quezada (21-7-3,1ND). Super Feather: Jono Carroll (15-0) W TKO 6 Humberto de Santiago (15-5-1). Super Feather: Marco McCullough (18-4) W TKO 3 Josh Baillie (5-4). Light: David Oliver Joyce (5-0) W RTD 3 Rey Cajina (14-46-5). Light Heavy: Steven Ward (6-0) W PTS 6 Przem Binienda (2-14). Cruiser: Tommy McCarthy (11-1) W PTS 6 Blaise Mendouo (4-8)

Ancajas vs. Conlan

Filipino Ancajas uses crunching body shots to beat brave challenger Conlan and retain the IBF title.

Round 1

Both fighters showed good hand speed early with a few minor exchanges of punches. Conlan landed a nice pair of right hooks. Ancajas landed a body punch which initially had no effect but then Conlan walked away from the action shaking his right leg. He staggered and then went down on his knees. He kept shaking his right leg but got up and was ready to continue after the eight count but looked to have some limit on his mobility from the body punch and Ancajas did enough to take the round.

Score 10-9 Ancajas

Round 2

Conlan was still having problems with his right leg. Southpaw Ancajas was starting to find the target with his right jab and the range for his log lefts and took the round. Conlan now had an addition problem as a clash of heads saw him with a cut on his left eyelid.

Score 10-9 Ancajas                                                                                    20-18

Round 3

Ancajas was pressing the fight in the third scoring with his jab and going to the body with his left. Conlan seemed a bit more mobile and scored with a couple of nice counters until a thumping straight left to the body had Conlan backing off in pain. He almost went down but Ancajas jumped on him took him to the ropes and Conlan slipped to the canvas under a pile of body punches. He made it to his feet and after the eight count Ancajas threw a blizzard of punches just as the bell sounded.

Score 10-8 Ancajas                                                                                    30-26

Round 4

Ancajas totally dominated this round. He was coring with his right jab his main focus was Conlan’s body. He was driving home long lefts and then getting close and landing hooks. Just before the bell he landed a left to the body which hit Conlan on the band of his trunks so technically low. Conlan went down on his hands and knees badly hurt. He made it to his feet at eight just as the bell went.

Score 10-8 Ancajas                                                                                    40-34

Round 5

Conlan was on the front foot at the start of the round as the pace slowed. He scored with a good right and later with a left hook to the body. Ancajas drove him back with a long left that again landed low and the referee stopped the action and gave Ancajas a warning. When the action resumed another exchange of punches saw Ancajas land another low punch which sent Conlan to the floor and the referee deducted a point from the champion. Ancajas almost sent Conlan down with a body punch just before the end of the round

Score 9 (10-1pt)-9                                                                                      49-43

Round 6

Early in the round a right from Ancajas hooked around Conlan’s guard and landed high on the back of the head and Conlan went down, He held the back of his head but got up but after taking a good look at him the referee waived the fight over.

Ancajas W TKO 6

Ancajas was making the third defence of his IBF title. The 25-year-old “Pretty Boy” has 19 wins by KO/TKO and has won his last 15 fights. All of his defences have been on the road and his three challengers had combined records of 76-5 so no easy road. He showed excellent skills and real power. The 31-year-old Conlan found this just too big a step up. He showed his expected skilful boxing but just lacked the power to match the Filipino.

Tete vs. Gonya

Tete retains the interim WBO title and sets a new record for the fastest win in a title fight as he knocks out Gonya with the first punch of the fight. The fighters came out of their corner and started to circle each other when Tete threw a lightning fast southpaw right hook to Gonya’s chin. Gonya went down and out cold and it was a worrying extended period before he was able to recover. The time given was eleven seconds as the 29-year-old “First Born” makes it 21 wins by KO/TKO. That’s ten wins in a row for the former undefeated IBF super fly champion including victories over quality opposition such as Paul Butler and Arthur Villanueva. He is one of the best fighters to come out of Africa and can still achieve more. On paper there was a huge gap in both ability and experienced between Tete and Gonya but in fairness to Gonya he had scored a good win over the 23-2-1 Immanuel Naidjala in Namibia and that punch from Tete was a real bolt from the blue.

Frampton vs. Garcia

Frampton gets a win but in a tough fight which sees him suffer a controversial knockdown and two cuts as inactivity and a spirited effort from Garcia make it a gruelling battle. Frampton was on target early with his jab and scored with a leaping left hook. Frampton continued to outbox Garcia and although the Mexican did launch an attack Frampton took the round clearly and looked to be confident and in control. Frampton also took the second he was more accurate and quicker with his jab and landed some heavy rights late in the round. In the third Frampton was picking Garcia off with the jab and then stepping with a quick bunch of hooks. Garcia tried to press harder at the end of the round and landed a good left hook but that was another one for Frampton. The fourth was close Frampton was scoring with good counters but he was staying in the pocket too long and Garcia was starting to get through with hooks to the body from both hands in a round that could have been scored to either man. Frampton was again the more accurate in the fifth, Garcia had increased his punch output. Frampton was blocking and slipping many but the pressure from Garcia was building and Frampton was cut over his right eye in a clash of heads. Garcia continued to march forward in the sixth. He trapped Frampton on the ropes and scored with some clubbing head punches. Frampton was still finding gaps for high quality counters but again it was a close round which Garcia might just have edged and Frampton was now cut over his left eye. In the seventh Frampton was on the back foot landing good counters but Garcia kept coming. As they traded in the centre of the ring Frampton went back and down. He protested it was a slip but the referee indicated it was a punch and gave Frampton a count. Frampton had the better of the exchanges after that but it was a 10-8 round for Garcia. The play back showed that Frampton’s foot slipped out from under him as he pulled back to avoid a punch but the referee did not have playback to rely on and called it as he saw it. Frampton got a point back by taking the eighth. Initially he out brawled Garcia and then outboxed him. Both had good spells in the ninth but Frampton ended the round strongly landing three left hooks and a right to the head to take it. Frampton was down in the round but it was clearly a slip. Two tired guys battled away in the last and again for me Frampton was more accurate with Garcia just pumping his arms without caring where they landed. Scores 98-93, 97-93 and 96-93 all for Frampton. The lead he built over the early rounds proved vital and although I saw him a clear winner the scores were unkind to the tremendous effort Garcia put in over the last five rounds. The is was Frampton’s first fight since losing the WBA feather title to Leo Santa Cruz in January. He is currently rated WBC1/IBF2(3)/WBA 3/WBO 7so he is the mandatory challenger to WBC champion Gary Russell but Frampton will need another fight before he takes on Russell. Garcia did better than expected. He won his first 29 fights before losing to Hozumi Hasegawa in Japan and had gone 3-2-1 against very modest opposition leading up to this fight and was unrated by any of the four sanctioning bodies. It is not impossible that this showing could even land him a title fight. It will have certainly boosted his profile.

Barnes vs. Quezada

Barnes gets his first win by KO/TKO as he finishes Quezada with a body punch after six entertaining rounds. Barnes boxed with real class in the first. He was slotting home jabs and then firing flashing combinations. Quezada fought in bursts walking through the jab to land hooks to the body with Barnes showing some excellent footwork in a busy first round. Quezada was finding the hand speed and movement of Barnes too much for him but he forced Barnes to the ropes at the end of the round only to be put down by a right to the head. Although Quezada was already down Barnes deliberately landed a right to the Nicaraguan’s head. The referee gave Quezada a count and gave Barnes a stern warning. The third featured some furious exchanges with Barnes just standing toe-to-toe with Quezada as they exchanged hooks and uppercuts. If Quezada was going to win he needed to be crowing Barnes to nullify the speed and movement of the Belfast fighter, Instead in the fourth it was Barnes pursuing Quezada and this time Barnes was getting in landing punches and getting out and not getting dragged into a brawl. Barnes was the aggressor again in the fifth but landed a punch on the belt line and Quezada was allowed some time to recover and the referee made it clear that one more foul would see at least a deduction. Barnes dominated the rest of the round but was again drawn into some toe-to-toe stuff. In the sixth Barnes pressured Quezada relentlessly. The Nicaraguan tried to punch back but a left to the ribs put him down on his hands and knees and he was counted out. The 30-year-old “Leprechaun” from Belfast wins the vacant WBO Inter-Continental title. He already holds the WBO European title and is No 14 with that body. He showed great skills but also showed he loves a fight which might be dangerous against a bigger puncher than Quezada (8 wins by KO/TKO). The 26-year-old Nica lost a split decision to Cristofer Rosales in March and had gone 1-0-1 since then.

Carroll vs. de Santiago

A focused and fired-up Carroll bludgeons Mexican de Santiago to defeat. In the first Carroll boxed behind a tight southpaw guard. He had no trouble dealing with the crude attacks of de Santiago and scored with strong right jabs and some quick lefts to the body. In the second.de Santiago tried switching southpaw but Carroll was hunting him down and getting through with hooks. One strayed low and de Santiago was given some recovery time. When the fight started again Carroll unleashed a furious attack and de Santiago stood and punches with him in a few seconds of frantic action. A clash of heads saw Carroll cut over his left eye. Carroll attacked with hooks again in the third and another went low with Carroll warned and de Santiago given another comfort break. A clash of heads opened a cut over the right eye of Carroll but he launched a sustained attack forcing de Santiago to the ropes and battered away as de Santiago started to slide down and continued punching even when de Santiago’s right arm was trapped in the ropes with the referee jumping in to stop the fight. A ruthless victory for the 25-year-old “Celtic Warrior” from Dublin. He was coming off a good win over unbeaten John Quigley and gets his first win by KO/TKO with a victory that earns him the vacant IBF Inter-Continental title. de Santiago, 24, just could not handle the fierce attacks from Carroll and gets his first loss by KO/TKO. He had taken unbeaten Tasmanian hope Luke Jackson the distance in September

McCullough vs. Baillie

McCullough punches too hard for Baillie. The Belfast fighter boxed well in the first before hurting Baillie with a left hook in the second. McCullough ended it in the third flooring Baillie heavily and although Baillie made it to his feet he was wobbling and the fight was halted. The 27-year-old McCullough makes it 11 wins by KO/TKO. He has lost inside the distance in shots at both the Commonwealth and British titles but he can get back to that level again. Baillie had won 3 of his last 4 fights.

Joyce vs. Cajina

Irishman Joyce puts in storming performance and gets Cajina out of the fight after three rounds. A typically aggressive Joyce was banging home hurtful left hooks to the body in the first round. He strayed low with one in the second which gave Cajina a brief break. That was only temporary and after a painful third round where Joyce bombarded Cajina with more body punches Cajina retired at the end of the round. Fourth win by KO/TKO for the 30-year-old Joyce. He was a five-time Irish Elite champion, a European Union gold medal winner and competed at both the World Championships and the 2016 Olympics. Nicaraguan Cajina move to 18 losses in a row.

Ward vs. Binienda

Ward was always in control as he boxed his way to victory against Binienda. Despite his poor record Binienda came to fight and gave Ward some good rounds. Ward dominated the first with some cool boxing and landed some heavy punches. Binienda tried to come forward more in the second looking to trade and that allowed Ward to find gaps and score with his power punches. Binienda took more punishment in the third being rocked by a powerful left and looked ready to go but hung in there. Ward took the fourth and fifth and was trying hard to put the Pole away in the sixth but Binienda was still there at the bell. Referee’s score 60-55 for Ward. The 27-year-old “Quiet man” from Northern Ireland is a former Ulster champion and won a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Now 13 losses in a row for Binienda.

McCarthy vs. Mendouo

McCarthy gets points win over tough Mendouo in an entertaining fight. Neither fighter did much in the first round but things picked up in the second and third. Mendouo likes to come forward and that suited McCarthy who landed some clubbing shots. In the fourth McCarthy cut loose with a fusillade of hard hooks rocking Mendouo but Mendouo fought back. McCarthy again had Mendouo hurt in the fifth but Mendouo kept coming and was still pressing at the final bell. Referee’s score 60-55 for McCarthy. The London-born McCarthy was another top flight amateur. He won a bronze medal at the World Youth Championships; a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games competed at the World Championships and was looked on as a possible medallist for Rio but turned pro instead. Cameroon-born Mendouo was also a top level amateur winning a bronze medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, was twice African champion and competed at the World Championships and the 2012 Commonwealth Games. He went missing from the Cameroun team after the Games and stayed in England.

 

Atlantic City, NJ, USA: Welter: Ray Serrano (24-4) W DISQ 8 Enver Halili (10-1). Welter: Thomas Lamanna (25-2) W PTS 10 Samuel Amoako (23-17). Super Bantam: Jorge Diaz (19-5-1) W PTS 8 Adam Lopez (16-2-2).

Serrano vs. Halili

Serrano gets win over Halili on disqualification. Serrano was his usual aggressive self and Halili had trouble finding any space. He was fading over the second half of the fight and “lost” his mouthguard in the sixth, seventh and eighth rounds and was finally disqualified. Serrano has won 8 of his last 9 fights but the loss was an important one against Dusty Hernandez Harrison. He wins the vacant WBC Fecarbox title on his way back into the ratings. Kosovon Halili was moving up to ten rounds for the first time and Serrano was too steep a step.

Lamanna vs. Amoako

Lamanna has too much skill for strong but limited Ghanaian Amoako. Lamanna won every round as the 100-90 score from all three judges show. The 26-year-old “Cornflake” retained the IBF Inter-Continental title. He has lost important fights to Antoine Douglas and Dusty Hernandez Harrison but is an attractive fighter and good ticket seller so will work his way back to another big fight. Ghanaian Amoako, a former Commonwealth title challenger is 2-13 in his last 15 fights.

Diaz vs. Lopez

Diaz starts to build his career again after a spell of one win in his last five fights but he took a tough one on the road back as Lopez was also coming off a poor run. It was close but Diaz just had the edge and took the decision on scores of 76-75 from all three judges. He wins the vacant WBC Fecarbox title. Diaz was 1-4-1 going into this one with three of the losses to unbeaten fighters. Texan Lopez was 1-1-2 in his last 4

 

Las Vegas, NV, USA: Super Welter: Julian Williams (24-1-1) W PTS 10 Ishe Smith (29-9). Light Heavy: Lionell Thompson (19-4) W PTS 10 Earl Newman (10-1-1). Feather: Tugstsogt Nyambayar (9-0) W PTS 8 Hermonito Dela Torre (19-1). Super Middle: Lanell Bellows (17-3-1) W TKO 7 Fabiano Pena (15-10-1).

Williams vs. Smith

Williams gets wide unanimous decision over former IBF champion Smith. Williams led this from the start. He was getting his punches off first in the opening round with Smith not letting his hands go enough. A clash of heads in the second saw Smith cut over his left eye and he was thrown by that with Williams attacking hard and taking the round. Despite Smith shown more aggression in the fourth Williams took that one too. The fifth was possibly the best round in the fight as Smith dominated early with left hooks and Williams banged back over the second half of the round but Smith’s earlier work took it. Smith also had a good sixth but in the seventh Smith was again cut in a clash of heads as Williams took the round and finished strongly over the last three rounds to emerge a clear winner despite suffering a hand injury. Scores 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 all for Williams. The 27-year-old “J Rock” from Philadelphia was knocked out in five rounds by Jermall Charlo in a challenge for the IBF title in December but had come back with a win June and is rated WBC 6/IBF 8(7)/WBO 13. The 39-year-old Smith just started too slow in this one. He had scored good level wins over Tommy Rainone and Frank Galarza but this was his first fight for 14 months and it showed.

Thompson vs. Newman

Thompson floors and decisions Newman to continue his good run. Although the smaller man Thompson was showing clever movement and getting his jab home quicker over the first two rounds whilst Newman was having difficulty in finding his range. Thompson shook Newman with a right in the third and then sent him into a corner with another right. He blazed away until the referee stepped in and gave Newman a standing count. Newman  saw out the round with no more trouble. That could not be said for the fourth round where a left hook wobbled Newman and then another burst of punches saw Newman drop to one knee. He was up at eight and actually showed his best form so far as he had his jab on target and landed some rights. The fifth, sixth and seventh saw Newman pressing hard. He was varying his attacks but not throwing enough punches and Thompson was still quicker with his jab and picking up the points. Newman had a better eighth as he found the target with left hooks and right crosses. Newman also finished strongly on the last two rounds  but could not make up for Thompson’s early dominance. Scores 97-91 twice and 96-92 for Thompson. The 32-year-old Thompson was coming off good wins over Donovan George and Steve Lovett. Newman, 26, had drawn with Paul Parker in his last fight and Parker had a win over Thompson on his record but Newman could not copy that result.

Nyambayar vs. Dela Torre

Nyambayar gets off the floor to win this clash of unbeaten fighters. After a fast, close first round Nyambayar rocked Dela Torre with a right but the Filipino gained revenge in the second. Late in the round as Nyambayar came storming in Dela Torre nailed him with a perfectly timed right counter sending Nyambayar to the canvas. Nyambayar was up quickly and as the bell had gone he was able to just walk back to his corner. A right from Nyambayar had Dela Torre stumbling in the third as the Mongolian began to have the better of the quick-fire exchanges and he was more accurate with his shots in the fourth. The Mongolian took the fifth with sharp accurate jabs and rights and opened a cut over the left eye of Dela Torre. The young Filipino pressed hard over the last three rounds trying to turn the fight his way but Nyambayar showed excellent defensive work and was outpunching Dela Torre in the exchanges. Scores 78-73 twice and 79-73 all for Nyambayar. The 25-year-old “King Tug” was an outstanding amateur but just came up short at both the 2009 World Championships and the 2012 Olympics having to settle for silver medals at both competitions. The 23-year-old Dela Torre showed some class skills but has failed so far to live up to his early promise and has disappointed in his three fights since relocating to the US.

Bellows vs. Pena

Bellows gets a much needed win as he halts Pena in seven rounds. The 31-year-old locally-based fighter had a ten bout winning streak until he lost consecutive fights to Decarlo Perez and Mike Snider. This is his first fight since losing to Snider in June and his tenth win by KO/TKO. Mexican-based Brazilian Pena falls to nine losses by KO/TKO having been stopped in three rounds by Blake Caparello in Australian five weeks ago.

 

New York, NY, USA: Bantam: Duke Micah (21-0) W PTS 10 Jose Santos Gonzalez (23-5). Welter: Freddie Lawson (25-1) W RTD 3 Fidel Munoz Monterrosa (38-15-1,1ND). Super Feather: Bryant Cruz (18-2) W TKO 3 Angel Luna (11-4-1).

Micah vs. Gonzalez

Micah has to fight hard to get win on his first bout in the US. The former Commonwealth champion from Ghana took the first two rounds with some solid boxing. A clash of heads saw Gonzalez with a cut over his left eye and fearing the fight might be stopped Gonzalez upped his pace. Micah allowed his jab to fall into disuse as he tried to worsen the cut instead of sticking to his boxing. Gonzalez’s corner kept the cut under control and Gonzalez was no longer worried by it. Micah pressed the action but that suited Gonzalez who showed slick moves in getting past Micah’s jab and scoring with quick counters. The rounds were close with Micah throwing more and Gonzalez showing greater accuracy and the decision could have gone to either fighter or ended all even but the judges just gave it to Micah.  Scores 96-94 twice for Micah and 95-95. The 26-year-old “Baby Faced Terminator” is rated WBO 8/WBC 14 but Gonzalez is a different opponent to those he has met in the, past and this was a good learning fight and it showed weaknesses that can be worked on. Gonzalez suffered back-to-back losses to South Africans Mzuvukile Magwaca and Zolani Tete but no disgrace there and hopefully this showing will get him some more work.

Lawson vs. Munoz

Lawson continues his comeback with win over Muniz. Lawson had floored Muniz twice in the second round and looked on the way to a stoppage win. Munoz had indicated in the second that he had injured an arm and after surviving the third he retired at the end of the round. The 28-year-old from Ghana lost to Kevin Bizier on a tenth round retirement in November 2015. A win there would have landed him a shot at Kell Brook for the IBF title but he was pulled out of the Brazier fight due to a fractured jaw. That led to him being out of the ring until returning with a majority decision over Sakima Mullings in March this year. Colombian Muniz is competitive at a modest level but losses whenever he tries to step up.

Cruz vs. Luna

Cruz gets much needed wins as he has too much power for Luna. Cruz attacked hard over the first two rounds and that paid off in the third. A right from Cruz put Luna down heavily and he was too badly shaken to be allowed to continue. Cruz had won his first 16 fights but then went 1-2 in his next three with the most recent result being a stoppage by Ryan Martin in March. The 27-year-old “PeeWee” gets his ninth win by KO/TKO. Dominican Luna has now lost 4 of his last 5 fights but against good level opposition.

 

Tacoma, WA, USA: Super Middle: Mike Gavronski (25-2-1) W TEC Dec 8 Andrew Hernandez (19-8-1). Gavronski keeps up his good run with a split technical decision over a competitive Hernandez. Both worked their jabs in an even first with Gavronski taking the second as he pressed Hernandez hard. The third and fourth were close but Gavronski was rolling in the fifth scoring on the inside and he continued that impetus into the sixth. His inside work continued to give Gavronski the edge in the seventh and Hernandez was cut over his left eye. They were again fighting inside when late in the eighth they got tangled and Gavronski pushed Hernandez to the canvas. Hernandez had injured his right ankle and was unable to continue. Since it was an unintentional foul the result was decided by the cards with Gavronski in front 78-74 on two and Hernandez 77-75 up on the third. Now 11 wins in his last 12 fights for “Imagine Me” Gavronski who was coming off a good win over Brian Vera. Now three losses in a row for Hernandez.

 

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: Heavy: Guillermo Jones (41-3-2,1ND) W PTS 12 Ytalo Perea (10-3-2). Super Light: Alberto Puello (13-0) W KO 1 Ricardo Gutierrez (11-2-1). Feather: William Encarnacion (15-0) W KO 2 Julio Cesar Cruz (11-4). Heavy: Abigail Soto (9-0) W RTD 4 Frank Mola (8-11). Light Heavy: Lenin Castillo (17-1-1) W TKO 1Julio Cesar Cruz (11-4). Yomar Medina (17-0) W TKO 6 Alejandro Ramos (8-3). Middle: Carlos Adames W RTD 6 Adrian Perez (7-3)

Jones vs. Perea

Jones gets split decision in slow, slow heavyweight fight. Jones had height and reach over Perea and boxed mostly on the back foot. Neither man will ever be accused of being fast. The fight started at a slow pace and that never really changed as neither fighter looked capable of lasting out twelve rounds at anything above walking pace. Perea was coming forward for most of the fight but Junes was slotting jabs and clubbing rights through Perea’s guard as he advanced. Perea had some success with his jab and also when he got close enough to fire punches to the ampler target the obese Jones presented. The pattern did not change much. Occasionally Jones would come forward and throw some punches and Perea showed some good defensive moves ducking and then countering. Perea had a slight edge in hand speed but Jones was too big and too heavy and Perea did not have the power to hurt Jones.  Neither fighter was able to dominate and there was never much between them in any round but Jones just finished the better. Scores 107-102 and 105-104 for Jones and 107-102 for Perea. Jones wins the vacant WBA Fedelatin title. Typically for the WBA even though Jones had not fight for 16 months he was rated No 15 by them and this is a drugs cheat who tested positive for a banned substance in both 2013 and 2014 with the 2014 test forcing the cancellation of the return fight with Denis Lebedev. Jones had tested positive after they fought in 2013. When he turned pro Jones weighed 148 lbs supposedly for this he was 229lbs but from the size of him he must have only put one foot on the scales as he looked much heavier than that. Ecuadorian Perea, 24, was considered a good prospect when he beat Julio Cesar La Cruz, Dominic Breazeale, and Simon Kean in the amateurs but he has not looked anything like a prospect as a pro.

Puello vs. Gutierrez

Puello blows away Mexican Gutierrez inside a round. A right to the body was all that was required with Gutierrez going down for the count. “The Wasp” retains the both the WBC Latino and WBA Fedelatin titles and has eight wins by KO/TKO. He is one of the best prospects in the Republic. Gutierrez loses inside the distance for the second time and is really just a prelim fighter.

Encarnacion vs. Cruz

Former top amateur Encarnacion punches too hard for Mexican Cruz. Encarnacion was hunting Cruz in the first and put him down with a right to the head. Cruz beat the count and tried to fight back but only just made it to the bell. In the second Encarnacion took Cruz to the ropes and landed a left and right to the head that saw Cruz drop to the floor. He was up and ready to continue after the eight count. He tried to punch his way out of trouble but a right to the body put him down again and the referee stopped the fight. Now 13 wins by KO/TKO for the 29-year-old former Olympian Encarnacion .First loss by KO/TKO for Cruz but this was his first fight for over two years.

Soto vs. Mola

Soto wins the vacant Dominican title as Mola retires at the end of the fourth. This fight was fought at something even slower than walking pace. Soto was somewhat fitter than Mola and did what scoring there was. In the fourth he pinned Mola to the ropes and landed some head punches. Mola survived but he was too tired to even raise his hands. At the end of the round Mola’s seconds started unwrapping his gloves effectively pulling their man out of the fight.  First ten round fight for Soto but he is too slow to get beyond national level. Nine losses inside the distance for Mola.

Castillo vs. Perez

Castillo crushes pathetic Perez. Castillo had a much longer reach and found Perez and easy target. Late in the round he forced Perez to the ropes with three stiff jabs and then landed a right cross that put Perez down. He made it to his feet but again dropped after a couple of head punches. He was up quickly but another right put him on the floor and the fight was stopped. The 29-year-old Castillo has 12 wins by KO/TKO. He drew with Travis Peterkin and lost to unbeaten Joseph Williams.  As an amateur he competed at the 2008 Olympics and World Championships. Perez, 41, was a late substitute. He has lost 7 of his last 8 fights with all seven losses inside three rounds.

Medina vs. Ramos

Medina gets another inside the distance win as he is too slick and too powerful for the Mexican. Ramos just a prelim fighter was too crude with his attacks. Medina was able to score from the outside with his jab and evaded the wild swings of Ramos before countering. In the sixth there was a spat over what Ramos saw as a punch to the back of the head and he threw a punch at Medina on the break. Both fighters got angry and fought mad. After stepping back from some wild rights from Ramos Medina countered with a right uppercut that put Ramos down and knocked his mouthguard flying. Ramos made it to his feet but did not know where he was and the referee stopped the fight. The 23-year-old Dominican makes it 15 wins by KO/TKO including 12 in his last 13 fights but against low level opposition, Second loss by KO/TKO for Ramos.

Adames vs. Perez

Adames has too much talent for inexperienced Perez. Adames tried hard to put Perez away but the Venezuelan took his punishment and in the end his corner pulled him out at the end of the sixth round. Adames, 23, was a top level amateur and looks destined to become a world title challenger in another couple of years. Southpaw Perez fought hard but now has two losses by KO/TKO.

 

Buenos Aires, Argentina: Super Feather: Matias Rueda (29-1) W TKO 4 Guillermo Soloppi (22-19-2,1ND). Super Fly: Juan Jurado (14-0-3) DREW 10 Lucas Fernandez (11-1-1).

Rueda vs. Soloppi

Easy win for Rueda. He had big edges in height and reach over Soloppi and used them to build a good lead over the first three rounds as he boxed on the back foot letting Soloppi walk on to counters. Just seconds into the fourth as Soloppi tried to move inside Rueda landed a vicious short right uppercut to the chin which put Soloppi on the floor. He managed to beat the count but was swaying and unable to stand straight and the referee stopped the fight. Third win for Rueda following his second round stoppage by Oscar Valdez for the vacant WBO feather title in July last year. The 29-year-old “Little Cobra” goes to 26 wins by KO/TKO and takes one round more than he did in beating Soloppi in three rounds in 2015. Soloppi, 32, drops to five losses by KO/TKO and also to six losses in a row. His South American title was not on the line.

Jurado vs. Fernandez

Jurado draws with Fernandez in defence of his WBO Latino title. The challenger made the better start as he edged the first two rounds. Jurado got into the fight over the next two rounds as he worked well with body punches. The middle rounds were close with Fernandez  just looking to have edged ahead. Jurado made things close with a good last round. It did not look enough but the judges came up with a drawn verdict. Scores 96-94 for Jurado, 97-93 for Fernandez and 95-95. The 30-year-old Jurado is Argentinian champion but his national title was not on the line. Fernandez is his No 1 challenger so they should meet soon for the national title.

 

Brussels, Belgium: Super Light: Mohamed El Marcouchi (19-1) W PTS 8 Felix Matamoros (9-15). US-based Belgian hope El Marcouchi returns to his home city for a win. He has no problems in outpointing one of the Barcelona loser’s guild as he takes every round against Nicaraguan Matamoros. Scores 80-72 for El Marcouchi from all three judges. The Miami-based 29-year-old ABU champion has now extended his winning run to 17. Matamoros is 2-7 in his last 9 fights including two losses to Steve Jamoye in Belgium and to Brit Frankie Gavin.

 

Aix-en-Provence, France: Super Bantam: Sofian Bellahcene (8-13-1) W PTS 10 Thomas Barbier (7-20-1). Cruiser: Siril Makiadi (9-1) W TKO 9 Anthony Prunier (11-8-1).

Bellahcene vs. Barbier

Bellahcene retains the French title with close, controversial decision over Barbier. Neither fighter is ever going to get past domestic level but they put up a good entertaining contest in which the decision could have gone either way with local fighter Bellahcene favoured by the judges. Scores 96-94 twice and 96-95 for Bellahcene who was making the second defence of his title. He had lost twice to Barbier so he is now 1-2 and a fourth fight is required. Barbier, 34, almost had his career ended in 2014. He was ready to challenge the then champion but a brain scan showed a problem which was later clarified and he was relicensed but too late for that title shot.

Makiadi vs. Prunier

Makiadi makes it a good night for champions as he halts Prunier to retain the French cruiser title. Since losing his first pro fight in 2012 Makiadi has scored nine wins in a row four by KO/TKO. Prunier challenged for the French super middle title in 2009 but only returned to the ring last year after six years away. He was No 5 in the French ratings.

 

Laval, France: Welter: Jordy Weiss (18-0) W KO 4 Jonathan Valero (8-3).

Local hero Weiss wins the vacant WBC Mediterranean title with kayo of Spaniard Valero. After a cautious first round Valero had a strong second round forcing Weiss to the ropes and scoring well there. Weiss got off the ropes and finished the round stronger and dominated the third. In the fourth a right hook to the chin floored Valero and he was counted out. “The Gypsy” gets only his third win by KO/TKO. Second loss by KO/TKO for Valero.

 

Balaruc-les-Bains, France: Feather: Sofiane Takoucht (32-3-1) W PTS 8 Lesther Cantillano (3-9). Just a workout really for Takoucht as the former European and EU champion wins easily against Nicaraguan survivor Cantillano. Thirty-two-year-old southpaw Takoucht had only one fight in 2015 and was inactive ion 2016. He won the vacant IBF International title in February and is pencilled in for a defence in March so some useful ring time here. Now nine losses in a row for Cantillano, eight of them on points.

 

Neustadt Glewe, Germany: Cruiser: Tervel Pulev (6-0) W TKO 1 Mikheil Khutsishvili (44-36-6). Pulev blows away another poor opponent in a mismatch. Pulev towered over the dumpy Khutsishvili and immediately had the Georgian backing up with a series of jabs. A right cross to the side of the head shook Khutsishvili who half turned away complaining it had been a punch to the back of the head. Pulev then tracked Khutsishvili around the ring before landing some solid shots to head and body that dropped Khutsishvili. He was up quite quickly but leaning back against the ropes and did not protest when the referee stopped the fight on completion of the eight count. All over in 108 seconds during which Khutsishvili threw just one jab-and that missed. Pulev makes it six wins by KO/TKO taking less than 13 rounds for them but this was a farce and it was Pulev’s second fight in a week. He would have done better to go to the gym for some sparring. It was Khutsishvili second stoppage loss in 21 days and his nineteenth in his career.

 

Dusseldorf, Germany: Welter: Deniz Ilbay (19-1) W DISQ 7 Domenico Urbano (26-6-1). Cruiser: Kai Robin Havnaa (11-0) W PTS 8 Ramazi Gogichashvili (30-22-2).

Ilbay vs. Urbano

Ilbay retains his Global Boxing Union title for the second time when Urbano is disqualified. Ilbay was able to get through with quick combinations to head and body with Urbano too slow to be competitive. Urbano began to rough Ilbay up and was warned for hitting with his elbow before having a point deducted for repeating the offence. In the seventh the elbow went in again and Urbano was disqualified. Ilbay, 22, scored an impressive win when he went to Namibian and beat local favourite Bethuel Ushona for the vacant WBFederation title in June last year but never defended the title. His only loss was to unbeaten Egidijus Kavaliauskas in Las Vegas in April last year. He revealed after this fight that he had two screws in his right hand to help heal an injury. Urbano, 41, a former European Union featherweight champion was having his first fight for 19 months.

Havnaa vs. Gogichashvili

Norwegian Havnaa gets in some ring time as he goes the distance to win a unanimous decision over Georgian. It is the first time Havnaa has had to go the distance for a win and the first time he has gone past five rounds. The 29-year-old from Arendal is the son of the late Magne Havnaa the former WBO cruiser champion who died in a boating accident in 2004 at the age 40. He is trained by former WBA super feather and light champion Joey Gamache. Havnaa is hoping his next fight will be back home in Norway in February. Gogichashvili like most Georgian boxers does not travel well but earned his money here.

 

Essen, Germany: Cruiser: Serdar Sahin (27-2) W KO 3 Diego Sanabria (59-19-3,1ND). Sahin wins the vacant WBFederation title with kayo of Sanabria.  Sahin was tracking Sanabria in the first keeping the Argentinian on the back foot with stiff jabs and landing some straight rights. Sanabria threw a couple of punches but that was all. Sahin continued to pace forward in the second mostly just stabbing with his jab and only late in the round throwing a combination. Sanabria did throw a few hooks but other that that was just going back and hiding behind a high guard. Thankfully it was over in the third Sahin landed a couple of good rights and as Sanabria moved inside a right to the body put the Argentinian down on his knees and he knelt and watched the referee count to ten. The 35-year-old “Berlin Bomber” gets win No 18 by KO/TKO. His two losses have come when he has tried to step up to better competition but was beaten by Robin Krasniqi and Tony Averlant, The 43-year-old Sanabria has good looking statistics but he is not licensed by the usually recognised Argentinian Boxing Federation. He is 48-3-3 in his last  54 fights but 31 of his victims had never won a fight and 7 others could only muster 8 wins between them and the rest were not much better.

 

Manzano, Italy: Super Bantam; Luca Rigoldi (16-1-1) W TKO 6 Daniele Limon (16-6-1). Rigoldi continues his winning run with stoppage of Limone to retain the European Union title. The young Italian southpaw made his usual aggressive start but over the first two rounds Limone stayed cool and countered well particularly with rights. Rigoldi upped the pace and began to get on target with hooks to the body. Limone already looked to be fading over the fourth and was badly shaken by a right in the fifth. In the sixth Rigoldi landed a hard left hook that floored the challenger. Limone tried to make it to his feet but the referee stopped the fight. The 24-year-old Rigoldi was making the first defence of the EU title and has now won seven on the bounce. Limon, 33, is now 1-5 in title fights with the one win have earned him the Italian feather title in 2013. He has lost twice in shots at the EU title.

 

Ciudad Obregon, Mexico: Light Fly: Gilberto Parra (26-3.1ND) W TKO 4 Leyman Benavides (13-6-1). Parra has too much power for light punching Benavides. The Nicaraguan came out punching putting Parra on the back foot and to the ropes with a shower of hooks and uppercuts and straight rights. The round was half over before Parra found space to throw any punches and even then Benavides again forced him back to the ropes and threw a cluster of punches. Over the last minute Parra cut loose with left hooks to the body and scored with a couple of right uppercuts and it was Benavides on the ropes at the bell. Parra really worked Benavides over in the second before dropping him late in the round with two left hooks to the body. Benavides was up at nine and stood and traded with Parra for the three minutes of the third but there was no real power in his punches and Parra was scoring with spectacular right uppercuts. It was over in the fourth as Parra trapped Benavides on the ropes and blasted away with both hands until Benavides dropped to one knee. He arose just a s the referee reached ten. Local fighter Parra wins the vacant WBC Silver title and has 21 wins by KO/TKO. He was beaten in nine rounds by Donnie Nieto for the WBO light fly title in 2015 and has rebuilt with seven wins. He is rated IBF 10(8) and WBC 12.Benavides gets his second loss by KO/TKO. He was a poor level fighter to be fighting for what is considered to be one of the star prizes in the WBC trophy collection.

 

Czestochowa, Poland: Heavy: Tomasz Adamek (52-5) W PTS 10 Fred Kassi (18-7-1).Welter: Lukasz Wierzbicki (14-0) W PTS 10 Michal Zerominski (13-2-1). Cruiser: Adam Balski (11-0) W PTS 8 Demetrius Banks (9-3). Light Heavy: Robert Parzeczewski (18-1) W TKO 3 Sais Mbwela (43-25-5).

Adamek vs. Kassi

Adamek gets close unanimous win over Kassi in a slow paced fight. Kassi spent most of the first round just circling the perimeter of the ring pushing out right jabs as if he had decided to fight southpaw. Adamek did the chasing and the scoring. Kassi changed guard often in the second but was still only throwing occasional jabs. A clash of heads opened a cut high on the forehead above the left eye of Adamek. Adamek was still coming forward in the third and managed to land some heavy rights. Kassi was still going backwards still switching guards and just stabbing out his jab until the last minute of the round when he became more adventurous and moved to the ring centre and threw more punches. Kassi continued that impetus into the fourth and outscored Adamek even cornering the home fighter at one point. The blood from Adamek’s cut was running down the left side of his nose and affecting his vision and he kept pawing at it, Kassi again did most of the scoring in the fifth. He was warned twice to keep his head up and the referee had the doctor examine Adamek’s cut but the fight continued. A clash of heads at the start of the sixth saw Kassi cut over his left eye. That encouraged Adamek who scored well for the rest of the round. Kassi was given a final warning over carelessness with his head.  Adamek had the better of the seventh and the eighth as he outworked and outlanded Kassi. A tiring Kassi was a bit more active in the ninth but Adamek chased Kassi down and did the scoring in the tenth. Scores 96-94 twice and 97-93 all for Adamek. The 40-year-old Pole looked better than when beating Solomon Haumona in June but will struggle against younger and faster fighters now.  Kassi 38, is strong but limited. He has now lost 5 of his last 6 fights but the losses have been to Amir Mansour, Dominic Breazeale, Hughie Fury and Jarrell Miller so all fights he would be expected to lose anyway.

Wierzbicki vs. Zerominski

Wierzbicki wins the Polish title with split decision over Zerominski. Southpaw Wierzbicki boxed well on the retreat over the first couple of rounds but with Zerominski having a slight edge. In the third a left from Wierzbicki had Zerominski buckling at the knees but Zerominski came back with a good attack at the end of the round. The fourth was a quieter round but in the fifth a left to the body had Zerominski in trouble but he took it well and had a strong attack to take the sixth. The seventh and eighth both saw Wierzbicki start the round well on top only for Zerominski to fire back over the closing minute. Wierzbicki looked to have taken the ninth and Zerominski had the better of the tenth making a very close contest. Scores 96-94 and 96-95 for Wierzbicki and 97-93 for Zerominski. The 26-year-old Wierzbicki makes it two good wins in a row as he beat 20-0 Robert Tlatlik in June. Zerominski, 30, was 6-0-1 in his last 7 fights.

Balski vs. Banks

Balski wins every round against Banks. Balski was doing the attacking over the first two rounds with Banks often forced to work with the ropes against his back. Banks came to life early in the third catching the Pole by surprise with his furious attack but Balski rode out the storm and ended the round the stronger. A right from Balski sent Banks to the boards in the fourth and after the eight count a low punch from Balski gave Banks some additional recovery time. Balski seemed content to just outscore banks over the next three rounds and the fight did not come alive again until a hectic last when both were letting their punches go. Scores 80-70, 80-71 and 79-72 all for Balski.  Initially it was looked on as a not very impressive performance for Balski but later he went to hospital with a fractured jaw that he suffered in the second round. Now three losses in a row for Banks.

Parzeczewski vs. Mbwela

This one was too easy for Parzeczewski. He had over 5” in height over the ancient Tanzanian and sent Mbwela into the ropes with a right early in the first. He continued to attack Mbwela but the Tanzanian hid behind a high guard. Over the second Parzeczewski went to the body trying to bring Mbwela’s guard down. That worked and in the third a right floored Mbwela. He was up and after the eight count a short right hook put him down for a second time. Once again he got up but when he was shaken by a left the referee had seen enough and halted the massacre. The 24-year-old Parzeczewski fighting in his home town has now won 7 of his last 8 fights by KO/TKO against some reasonable level opposition. Mbwela, 39 falls to 12 losses by KO/TKO.

 

Ezkabarte, Spain: Middle: Ruben Diaz (25-1-2) W PTS 12 Rafal Jackiewicz (49-18-2). Diaz and Jackiewicz clash in a battle of veterans that sees Diaz retain the EU title in a hard fought contest. Diaz pressed the fight hard and Jackiewicz was willing to stand and trade. It made for an exciting fight with both having spells of dominance. Jackiewicz was too often pinned to the ropes and outworked and Diaz landed the harder punches but there was never much in the rounds and Jackiewicz was competitive to the end. Scores 116-112 twice and 117-111 all for Diaz. The 37-year-old Basque is unbeaten in his last 24 fights going back to 2002 in a career with a few interruptions. This is his first defence of the EU title. Jackiewicz, 40, is a former undefeated European champion who lost a majority decision to Jan Zavcek for the IBF title in 2010.

 

Manchester, England: Middle: Reece Cartwright (19-1) W Darryl Sharp (5-25).

Cartwright continues his busy schedule with points victory over Sharp. Although not managing to win a round Sharp gave his usual competitive performance but the 6’3” (191cm) Cartwright was too slick and had too big a reach advantage for Sharp to be a real threat. Referee’s score 80-74 for Cartwright. The 23-year-old from Leeds gets his third win in six weeks as he rebuilds after shock loss to Rafael Chiruta in July. Sharp has lost eleven on the bounce but gave Matthew Ryan a good fight for the BBB of C Central Area title two weeks ago.

 

Fight of the week:  Carl Frampton vs. Horacio Garcia with Frampton pushed hard all of the way

Fighter of the week: Jerwin Ancajas a classy and powerful show against Jamie Conlan with honourable mention to the devastating Zolani Tete

Punch of the week: .Has to be the right from Zolani Tete that knocked Siboniso Gonya out cold in 11 seconds with honourable mention to Paddy Barnes body punch that halted Eliecer Quezada and the right uppercut from Martin Rueda that ended his fight with Guillermo Soloppi

 Upset of the week: None

One to watch:  Dominican Alberto Puello 13-0

 

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