Check out Eric Armit’s comprehensive report in The Week in Boxing – July 24, 2018!

 

Highlights:

-Oleg Usyk becomes king of the cruisers and wins the magnificent Muhammad Ali trophy with one-sided victory over Murat Gassiev

-Jamie Munguia retains the WBO super welter title with decision over Liam Smith

-Alberto Machado retains the secondary WBA super feather title with decision over Rafael Mensah

-Simphiwe Khonco beats Filipino Toto Landero to retains IBO minimumweight title

-Fedor Chudinov gets very questionable win over Nadjib Mohammedi

-Jaron Ennis goes to 21-0 with win

-Curtis Stevens returns with a win and then the riot starts!

-Marcos Villasana gets controversial decision over unbeaten Cuban Pablo Vicente

                                        WORLD TITLE FIGHTS

July 21

Moscow, Russia: Cruiser: Olek Usyk (15-0) W PTS 12 Murat Gassiev (26-1,1ND).

Usyk vs. Gassiev

Usyk outclasses Gassiev to win the WBSS series. With that win comes the magnificent golden Mohammed Ali trophy and the owner ship of all four versions of the world title.

Round 1

Neither fighter landed a punch of any consequence. Usyk kept prodding with his jab. Very few of those jabs landed but at least he was throwing punches whereas Gassiev looked to have his arms tied to his body and hardly threw a punch.

Score 10-9 Usyk

Round 2

Usyk dominated this one. He was just stabbing out his right jab and throwing a couple of uppercuts. Gassiev tried to take the fight to Usyk but he was too slow and Usyk was able to move out of range and then back in and work the jab again.

Score 10-9 Usyk                                                                          Usyk  20-18

Round 3

To win this fight Gassiev needed to force hard and get in close but he showed no signs of doing that. He was a little livelier in the third and managed to land a couple of punches but was being outboxed. Usyk was threading light jabs through Gassiev’s guard and landing straight lefts but they were light punches and he was not looking to stand and trade

Score 10-9 Usyk                                                                          Usyk 30-27

Round 4

Gassiev stepped up the pace at the start of the round walking through Usyk’s jab and landing to the body. He also got through with an overhand right. Usyk soon took over again slotting home right jabs and scoring with a quick three-punch combination .Gassiev was trying to cut the ring down but Usyk was too quick and kept popping Gassiev with jabs.

Score 10-9 Usyk                                                                          Usyk 40-36

Official scores:  40-36, 39-37, 39-37 all for Usyk

Round 5

Usyk kept moving kept jabbing and kept Gassiev out. The lack of aggressive intent from Gassiev was making it easy for Usyk who was much too quick with his hands and his movement. He landed a couple of straight lefts but was still going for quantity rather than power. Gassiev was getting beaten but not taking a beating.

Score 10-9 Usyk                                                                          Usyk 50-45

Round 6

Usyk was now throwing more combinations. They were quick and plentiful. Many were blocked or fell short but enough got through to offset a slightly more aggressive start by Gassiev. He was doing a poor job of cutting down Usyk’s space and too often hiding behind a high guard to block Usyk’s punches but then finding Usyk had gone when he went to counter.

Score 10-9 Usyk                                                                          Usyk 60-54

Round 7

Target practice for Usyk. The story of the fight was encapsulated that after seven rounds Usyk had not once been forced to the ropes. He was using quick ,long steps to circle Gassiev in mid ring almost always moving away from Gassiev’s right and threading punches through the Russian’s guard.

Score 10-9 Usyk                                                                          Usyk 70-63

Round 8

Another round for Usyk. He was moving and throwing punches in bunches of two or three light shots. A frustrated Gassiev was lunging forward swinging  his right but rarely connecting. Every now and then Usyk would land with a burst of punches and Gassiev would stop shake his head take a deep breath and then prowl vainly forward again.

Score 10-9 Usyk                                                                          Usyk 80-72

Official scores: 80-72, 79-73, 79-73 all for Usyk

Round 9

Win the fight? It was hard to see how Gassiev was going to win a round. This was a dominant round for Usyk. He drove Gassiev to the ropes with a series of head punches and was finally putting some power into his jab and banging home straight lefts. The best punch of the round was a left uppercut that stopped Gassiev in his tracks.

Score 10-9 Usyk                                                                          Usyk 90-81

Round 10

Gassiev was fighting like a beaten fighter. His work rate had never been high now it dropped to almost zero. He was being caught by fast, light burst of punches from Usyk and just swiping his hands as if trying to disperse a cloud of mosquitoes. It seemed that if Usyk decided to take a chance and stand in front of Gassiev and pile on the pressure to see if Gassiev might fold.

Score 10-9 Usyk                                                                          Usyk 100-90

Round 11

Usyk boxed his way through this one. He constantly scored with three-four punch combinations with Gassiev static in front of him just trying to block the punches. When Gassiev did fire back the foot work of Usyk took him out of distance and then took him back into the pocket to repeat the process. There was no fire and not even a spark in Gassiev’s work.

Score 10-9 Usyk                                                                          Usyk 110-99

Round 12

No last round heroics from Gassiev. He tried to come forward and threw some punches with bad intentions but that was just a token effort. Usyk was still showing fast footwork and banging home punches. There was no power in them. It was as if he was shadow boxing but enough were landing to clearly take the round and he even fitted in an Ali Shuffle before the final bell.

Score 10-9 Usyk                                                                          Usyk 120-108

Official scores: 120-108, 119-109, 119-109 for Usyk

The big Ukrainian southpaw simply outclassed Gassiev and owns the cruiser division now. There is talk of a fight with Tony Bellew but with the possible exception of Mairis Breidis  it is difficult to see any of the current bunch of cruisers really posing any problems for 31-year-old Usyk and by next year he could be forced to move up to heavyweight to find some big fights. Gassiev is still only 24 and his wins over Denis Lebedev, Krzys Wlodarczyk and Yunier Dorticos indicate that he could probably beat any cruiser except Usyk. A fight with Mairis Breidis would be a good match and as we have seen in the heavyweights the sanctioning bodies will soon be putting on pressure for mandatory defences so Usyk may not get to hold all four titles for long.

 

Las Vegas, NV, USA: Super Welter: Jamie Munguia (30-0) W PTS 12 Liam Smith (26-2-1).Super Feather: Alberto Machado (20-0) W PTS 12 Rafael Mensah (31-1).

Munguia vs. Smith

Munguia retains the WBO title with a wide unanimous decision over Smith but the scores do not really reflect what an all-action, entertaining and brutal affair this was

Round 1

Good start from Smith as he unleashed a right to the head and then a left to the body. As Munguia came forward Smith again showed some strong left hooking and after Smith landed an overhand right and a couple of left hooks Munguia nodded to acknowledge the quality of the punches. Munguia had Smith backing off with a left hook to the body but was wild with some of his punches.

Score 10-9 Smith

Round 2

Munguia was punching with real power in the second. His style is a loose one and he occasionally  swings wildly and when he did Smith stepped in with overhand rights and lefts to the body. Munguia was landing with hard rights to the head and did enough to take the round but Smith’s rights had already started a swelling under Munguia’s left eye.

Score 10-9 Munguia                                                                     Tied 19-19

Round 3

This was a close round. Munguia was trying to take Smith out with every punch. Smith was fighting a more controlled fight looking to counter Munguia’s swinging shots. Both landed heavily as the contest really heated up and Smith’s more controlled boxing just edged it.

Score 10-9 Smith                                                                         Smith 29-28

Round 4

Munguia marched forward throughout the round. He was throwing plenty of swinging punches but was low on accuracy. Smith kept a tight guard. He had to absorb some hard punches but finished the round strongly scoring with a left to the body and a right to the head.

Score 10-9 Smith                                                                         Smith 39-37

Official scores: 38-38, 39-37 Munguia, 38-38

Round 5

Munguia launched a ferocious attack at the start of the round powering forward firing left hooks forcing Smith around the ring and snarling with aggression. Smith weathered the storm and landed some good sharp counters but Munguia was the one on top at the end of the round.

Score 10-9 Munguia                                                                     Smith 48-47

Round 6

Munguia was walking forward letting his punches go. Often leading with a left hook. Smith was having a good spell late in the round and scored with a hard right. Munguia countered with a left hook the landed high on the side of Smith’s head just behind his ear which sent Smith staggering back and down. He was up at eight but was caught with some more head punches before the bell.

Score 10-8 Munguia                                                                     Munguia 57-56

Round 7

Munguia started the round pounding Smith on the ropes with hooks and uppercuts . Smith managed to get off the ropes and speared Munguia with a couple of jabs and left hooks but Munguia was too strong. He forced Smith back under a succession of powerful hooks and uppercuts. He was trying to overwhelm Smith but Smith kept finding room for a counter or two

Score 10-9 Munguia                                                                     Munguia 67-65

Round 8

Smith outboxed Munguia for most of this round. Munguia’s work rate dropped and Smith was able to score with his jab and left hooks to the body. Munguia was getting through with hooks late in the round until the fighters got tangled and both fell to the canvas.

Score 10-9 Smith                                                                         Munguia 76-75

Official scores: 77-74, 79-72 and 78-73 all for Munguia

Round 9

This was a brutal round. Munguia was forcing Smith back under a hail of huge uppercuts and it looked as though Smith was in deep trouble when once again the scourge of the loose tape struck and the fight was stopped whilst Munguia’s corner did  some repair work. Munguia again started to land big shots but Smith banged back with a four-punch combination and you could almost see Munguia wondering what he had to do to stop Smith as most of his previous opposition, including defending champion Sadam Ali crumbled under the pressure.

Score 10-9 Munguia                                                                     Munguia 86-84

Round 10

They both had good spells in this one. Munguia got a severe warning for going low but his raw power had him on top as he hammered home body punches before Smith staged a strong finish to the round.

Score 10-9 Munguia                                                                     Munguia 96-93

Round 11

Yet another brutal round. Munguia’s strength was telling and he pounded away at Smith’s body pumping his arms and driving Smith back. Smith continued to land some quality counters but Munguia kept whacking away at the body.

Score 10-9 Munguia                                                           Munguia 106-102

Round 12

Two desperately tired fighters did what they had done throughout the twelve rounds and gave everything. Once again the strength of Munguia was the telling factor and he took the round but it was great to see Smith urging Munguia to stand and fight as the bell approached.

Score 10-9 Munguia                                                           Munguia 116-111

Official scores: 116-111, 119-108 and 117-110 all for Munguia

Munguia was a clear winner but ignore the scores Smith made him fight for every round, for every point for every minute. He burst on the scene with his crushing victory over Sada Ali but still needed to prove himself. He showed the raw power that overwhelmed Ali, a great chin and a great heart. At just 21 he is still developing and is very crude at times, a bit like a 154lbs George Foreman, and is big for the weight and must have had a big advantage in weight after bulking up post the weight-in. he was making the first defence of his WBO title and I can’t see the WBO’s No’s 2-5 (Smith was No 1) Dennis Hogan, Julian Williams, Brando Cook or Takeshi Inoue  posing any problems for him. Former WBO champion “Beefy” Smith, 27, gave everything here.  He had his tactics spot on over the early rounds but eventually the Mexican was just too big and too powerful for him. It is difficult to see where another world title chance might come from for him but boxing is a sport where the whole scene can be changed by just one fight.

Machado vs. Mensah

Machado retains his secondary WBA title with a one-side unimpressive win over an outclassed challenger in Mensah

Round 1

This pairing of southpaws saw the champion Machado quicker to the punch and more accurate. Mensah showed some good defensive work but came up short with his punches. Just before the bell as they both missed with a punch Machado followed with a right hook to the chin that deposited Mensah on his rump. He was up quickly and the bell went when the eight count was over.

Score 10-8 Machado

Round 2

Machado outworked Mensah. He was quicker with his jab and throwing sharp combinations with Mensah throwing one punch at a time and being predictable. Machado was also more mobile then Mensah whose footwork looked stilted.

Score 10-9 Machado                                                          Machado 20-17

Round 3

Machado forced the action all the way. He was working well with his right jab and getting through with some chopping lefts. Mensah was on the back foot and short with his jabs and too slow with his counters.

Score 10-9 Machado                                                          Machado 30-26

Round 4

Another round for Machado. He was walking Mensah around the ring going to the body with a series of hooks and uppercuts. Late in the round he rocked Mensah with a left to the head and the Ghanaian staggered back to the ropes. Machado blasted away with both hands and Mensah looked to be on his way to the canvas when the bell went and the referee grabbed him. He was on unsteady pins on his way back to his corner.

Score 10-9 Machado                                                          Machado 40-35

Official scores: 40-35,40-35,40-35 for Machado

Round 5

Machado went after Mensah looking to finish it. He was getting home straight lefts to the head and the referee was watching closely poised to step in. However Mensah did not buckle under the pressure but absorb more lefts and even tried a couple of wild lefts of his own late in the round.

Score 10-9 Machado                                                          Machado 50-44

Round 6

A more studied round from Machado. He kept sticking the jab in Mensah’s face and pinging him with straight lefts but without any real fire. Mensah tried a few rights but he looked flat-footed and slow.

Score 10-9 Machado                                                          Machado 60-53

Round 7

Machado had definitely dialled things down. His work rate was lower, there was less snap in his punches and that allowed Mensah to use his jab a lot more. Despite the slow action it was still Machado landing more.

Score 10-9 Machado                                                          Machado 70-62

Round 8

This performance was not doing Machado’s “El Explosivo” nickname any good. The Puerto Rican was just going through the motions in a lacklustre way. Mensah was livelier because Machado let him be and it was Mensah’s best round but a late surge from Machado gave him the round

Score 10-9 Machado                                                          Machado 80-71

Official scores: 80-71,80-71,80-71 for Machado

Round 9

Finally Machado stepped-up the pace. He was opening Mensah up with his right jab  hooking off the jab and firing straight lefts to the head. He sent Mensah into the ropes with a straight left to the chin and was sustaining his attacks exerting constant pressure with little coming back from Mensah but the Ghanaian took the punishment without looking too shaken.

Score 10-9 Machado                                                          Machado 90-80

Round 10

Machado was letting fly with straight lefts again in this one. He was landing on  the head of Mensah but again the Ghanaian was able to take them and he landed a couple of sharp lefts of his own. Machado went off the boil as the round petered out.

Score 10-9 Machado                                                          Machado 100-89

Round 11

Another nothing round. Machado was quicker than Mensah and threw more punches but he was cruising not looking to turn up the heat. He landed a right hook that hurt Mensah but did not follow up. Mensah threw a few punches but was usually out of range.

Score 10-9 Machado                                                          Machado 110-98

Round 12

Machado did so little in this round it was impossible to give it to him. Mensah fired jabs and lefts and outworked a flat Machado and it was noticeable at the bell that there was no celebration from Machado’s corner no lifting their gut in the air after a poor fight.

Score 10-9 Mensah                                                            Machado 119-108

Official scores: 120-107, 120-107 and 120-107 for Machado

This was a poor performance by Machado in a poor fight. It suffered in comparison to the lay-it-all –on-the-line efforts of Munguia and Smith. The 27-year-old Machado was making the first defence of his secondary WBA title and will want to forget this one. He had won his last 14 fights by KO/TKO many of those fights against tougher opposition than Mensah but that Machado was somewhere else on this night. Mensah was a poor challenger and a ridiculous No 1. The WBO do no one any favours when they manipulate their ratings in this way. Mensah had had only one fight outside Ghana, had not been in a bout scheduled for ten rounds since 2015 and never fought an opponent even remotely near the ratings. He showed some skill and stuck to his task without folding but Golden Boy, Queensbury and Don King must have been hoping for more entertaining than this mismatch for a major TV show.

For the undercard for these shows see below

 

July 20

 

 

Sloan, IA, USA: Welter: Jaron Ennis (21-0) W TKO 3 Armando Alvarez (18-1). Heavy: Zhilei Zhang (19-0) W KO 1 Eugen Buchmueller (11-3). Light: Thomas Mattice (13-0) W PTS 8 Zhora Hamazaryan (9-1). Super Light: Montana Love (11-0-1) DREW 8 Kenneth Sims (12-1-1). Light Heavy: Fanlong Meng (13-0) W TKO 1Chris Eppley (11-5). Heavy: Darmani Rock (12-0) W PTS 6 Marquis Valentine (5-3).

Ennis vs. Alvarez

Ennis again impresses as he brushes aside unbeaten Alvarez with four knockdowns in the third round. Over the first two rounds Ennis put on a dazzling display of speed and skill. Switching guards and angles and going to head and body Ennis put on a faultless performance and punctuated in a brutal third. Ennis had switched to southpaw and a right shook Alvarez. A further series of head punches forced Alvarez down on his hands and knees. Alvarez beat the count and managed to hold and evade trouble but a corrosive right to the body saw him take a step back and then go down. Again he beat the count. Back at orthodox Ennis stalked Alvarez and landed a right uppercut and a left hook for the third knockdown. Alvarez tried to hold hoping to see out the round but was driven around the ring. Ennis landed a chopping right and a left to the body and Alvarez dropped to his knees with the referee immediately waiving the fight off. The 21-year-old from Philadelphia wins the vacant WBC US title and makes it 19 wins by KO/TKO including 11 in a row. A former US Youth and National Golden Gloves champion Ennis now has brothers and former pros Derek and Farah helping guide his career alongside father Derek Snr who developed all three of his sons. Ennis is a huge talent. Floridian Alvarez had done most of his fighting in USA and Trinidad and Tobago and had beaten some decent level opposition.

Zhang vs. Buchmueller

Southpaw Zhang gets a first round win but seems to be on a slow boat to nowhere. The big Chinese fighter ended this one with a wicked left to the body that put Buchmueller down. The 35-year-old “Big Bang” gets his fifteenth win by KO/TKO. He is being kept busy but very carefully matched. He won bronze medals at the 2007 and 2009 World Championships and although he failed to medal at the 2011 Championships he scored a win over Joseph Parker.  He won silver at the 2008 Olympics losing to Roberto Cammarelle and competed in London where he lost to Anthony Joshua.  German-based Kazak Buchmueller, 37, suffers hid first inside the distance loss.

Mattice vs. Hamazaryan

Mattice gets a win to retain his 100% record but it looks a very poor verdict. Armenian Hamazaryan is small for the weight at 5’5” but that helped him get under Mattice’s jab and work inside. He also showed some good defensive work before exploding a laser-like right to the chin in the second that put Mattice down heavily. Mattice beat the count and managed to make it to the bell. Mattice did a bit better over the middle rounds but Hamazaryan was landing the harder punches and built a good lead. Mattice put in a big effort in the seventh but another right from the little Armenian had him on shaky pins and Hamazaryan finished strongly to look a clear winner. Not to be. Somehow two judges had Mattice the winner by 76-75 twice with the third judge rightly giving the decision to Hamazaryan 77-74. Inexplicable but a too familiar product of the way fights are decided. Mattice, who credits boxing with saving his life by getting him off the streets and into the gym, had beaten some reasonable level opposition but he needs to take some lessons out of this contests if he is to continue undefeated. Hamazaryan, 22, after turning pro and fighting in Russia  was having his second fight in the USA. He showed plenty of promise in this fight. He was unlucky here but showed enough to ensure he will get more work.

Love vs. Sims

An excellent match-up sees Love and Sims end up all even in an exciting contest. Chicago’s “Bossman” Sims was having his first fight since losing his unbeaten tag on a majority decision against Rolando Chinea in July last year. There was bit of rust showing but even then he seemed to make a good start being busier and more accurate. He rocked Love with a right in the second and had a slight lead. As Love got into his stride over the middle rounds he rocked Sims in the fifth with a right hook to the head and sent his mouthguard flying. It was close to the end. Sims certainly looked to have done enough to get the verdict but no one had any real problems with the drawn result. Scores 77-75 for Love, 77-75 for Sims and 76-76. The vacant WBC Silver Youth title remains vacant. Cleveland’s Love ,23, a National Golden Gloves bronze medallist, was in his toughest fight to date and showed up well. Sims had been inactive due to requiring surgery for an injury to his left elbow. With no adverse effects he will want to keep active. In the amateurs he was National PAL Champion twice, won bronze medals at the National Golden Gloves and US national Championships, won gold at the US Elite Championships and competed at the World Championships so he has considerable experience at the highest level as an amateur.

Meng vs. Eppley

Meng makes it a double of firsts for China as he halts Eppley in quick time to move to eight wins by KO/TKO. The tall Chinese southpaw is also being carefully matched. The 30-year-old “Cold Blood” also had a long successful time as an amateur winning gold at the World Combat Championships twice taking silver at the Asian Championships, competing at the 2012 Olympics and at two World Championships. Eppley, 37, dips in and out of boxing and this is his fourth loss by KO/TKO.

Rock vs. Valentine

Way down the card Philadelphian hope Rock eases past Valentine. “Rock Solid” Rock has seven wins by KO/TKO. He is making progress under the radar. He was USA champion at Junior and Youth level a gold medal winner at the National PAL Tournament. In 2014 he won a gold medal at the World Youth Championships and the Pan American Youth Championships plus silver at the Youth Olympic Games. In 2014 he was named Philadelphia’s Amateur Boxer of the Year at the annual Briscoe Awards. In 2015 he won both the national Golden Gloves and US National title

San Martin, Argentina: Welter: Luis Veron (15-0) W KO 5 Carlos Aquino (18-5).

Prospect Veron punches too hard for Aquino. After studying Aquino in the first in the second Veron was banging home left hooks to the ribs and dropping in overhand rights. Aquino tried to take the fight to Veron but was getting punished. In the fifth a right to the body saw Aquino turn away and bend over with both gloves touching the canvas. He was given an eight count. Two more body punches and a push saw Aquino go down again. He protested the push but when the action resumed yet another right to the body put Aquino down on his knees. He made it to his feet but the referee continued to the ten count. The 26-year-old Veron, the Argentinian No 3, was making the first defence of his WBO Latino title and collects his eighth win by KO/TKO. He was a member of the Argentinian Condors team in the WSB in 2013, 2014 and 2015 and is the younger brother of former Argentinian super welter champion Matteo. His younger brother Nicolas won on the undercard to this show. Aquino suffers his fourth loss by KO/TKO. Aquino had previously lost in shots at both the interim and full WBO Latino title.

 

Laval, Canada: Cruiser: Jean Pascal (33-5-1,1ND) W TKO 8 Steve Bosse (1-1).

Pascal stops Bosse. The former WBC and IBO light heavyweight champion ended a one-sided contest with a booming left hook. Bosse tried to take the fight to Pascal but had no answer to Pascual’s left hook. Pascal’s work was untidy over the first two rounds but he nearly ended the fight in the third. A left hook had Bosse stumbling and another put him down heavily. He beat the count but was caught with a couple more heavy punches before the bell. Pascal rocked Bosse again at the start of the fourth and with a heavy right in the fifth before dropping his work rate in the sixth and seventh as he seemed to be tiring. In the eighth Pascal drove Bosse to the ropes and landed a right then with Bosse’s chin exposed landed a humongous left hook that sent Bosse to his knees. Bosse manage to climb to his feet but was unsteady and the referee stopped the fight. Pascal, 35, was a career heaviest 193 ¾ lbs but has said he will fight on and get down to light heavy. Bosse, 36, was a star “enforcer” in the Quebec semi-professional hockey league and a former MMA fighter. He was crude but strong and managed to land some heavy rights but could not handle Pascal’s left hook. He had injured his bicep in training so will now have an operation for the injury and will return to the ring as he has a big following.

 

Cancun, Mexico: Super Feather: Lamont Roach (17-0-1) W RTD 6 Deivi Julio Bassa (20-5,1ND). Roach gets back to winning ways with victory over experienced Colombian Bassa. Roach controlled this one all the way. He kept marching forward applying pressure and Bassa lacked the power to keep Roach off.  After taking the first two rounds Roach floored Bassa with an overhand right late in the third. Roach continued to hunt Bassa down in the fourth and fifth. The Colombian southpaw was in full retreat throwing little back and a left to the head in the sixth had him stumbling. He was rocked again later in the round and retired in his corner. The 22-year-old Roach from Maryland now has seven wins by KO/TKO. In his last fight in April he fought a split draw with Orlando Cruz. It should have been a win but the referee incorrectly counted a knockdown against Roach when replays showed he was tripped. As an amateur he was Maryland/ DC champion seven times and won gold medals at the National Golden Gloves, National Police Athletic League, Ringside World Championships and US Youth Championships. Bassa, 37, suffered consecutive losses in 2017 to Joet Gonzalez and Ronny Rios but had managed to get a win in a low level affair in February.

 

El Monte, CA, USA: Cruiser: Alexey Egorov (6-0) W RTD 6 Lateef Kayode (21-4,2ND). Russian champion Egorov gets his second win in the US as he beats Kayode in six rounds. The Russian was too strong for the Nigerian. He kept upping the pressure in round after round until after the sixth on the ringside physician’s advice he was pulled out of the fight. The 27-yearold Egorov certainly has some high-level experience as an amateur behind him as he was twice Russian champion and won a gold medal at the European Championships. He scored three wins over Italian Clemente Russo and boxed in the AIBA pro boxing. Now 35 Kayode’s best days are behind him. He was 21-0, 2ND when he challenged Denis Lebedev for the WBC title in 2015. He was then inactive until losing to Keith Tapia in September 2017 and with a defeat against Andrew Tabiti has lost four in a row. The two No decisions were due to Antonio Tarver and Luis Ortiz both testing positive after winning fights against Kayode

 

Kissimmee, FL, USA: Fly: Jonathan Gonzalez (20-2-1ND) W Julian Yedras (24-3).  Gonzalez outpoints an aggressive but rusty Yedras. Southpaw Gonzalez boxed with skill on the back foot. Yedras piled forward throughout the fight but Gonzalez was too quick and too smart for him. Yedras had a little success when he could trap Gonzalez on the ropes but too often he was chasing shadows. Gonzalez was slotting jabs through the Mexican’s defence and firing quick combinations and then moving before Yedras could respond. Any hope Yedras may have had that Gonzalez would slow were unrealised and the Bronx-born Puerto Rican won every round. Scores 100-90 for Gonzalez from all three judges which wins him the vacant WBO Latino title. Great things were expected from Gonzalez after he won gold at the World Junior Championships and the Central American and Caribbean Games as well as three Puerto Rican national titles. His career was going along nicely until an overly ambitious match with former world champion Giovanni Segura which led to a fourth round kayo loss and a later knockout by Filipino Joebert Alvarez. “Bomba” Gonzalez, 27, took a year out after the Alvarez loss and this is his third win since returning. He is rated WBA 7/WBO 8/IBF 15 (13)/WBC 15. Yedras 28, lost to Kosei Tanaka for the vacant WBO minimum title in May 2015 and this was his first fight since December 2015

 

July 21

 

Moscow, Russia: Super Middle: Fedor Chudinov (18-2) W PTS 12 Nadjib Mohammedi (40-6). Middle: Magomed Madiev (11-0-1) DREW 10 Guido Pitto (25-6-1). Cruiser: Mairis Breidis (24-1) W PTS 10 Brandon Deslaurier (11-2-1). Super Feather: Denis Shafikov (40-4-1) W PTS 10 Jhon Gemino (17-11-1). Super Welter: Sergey Vorobiev (7-0) W PTS 10 Konstantin Ponomarev (34-1). Super Middle: Vlad Shishkin (7-0) W KO 5 Gasan Gasanov (15-7-1).

Chudinov vs. Mohammedi

Chudinov gets split decision over Mohammedi but he did not win the fight as this was a disgraceful verdict. From the start Chudinov was taking the fight to Mohammedi but finding the Frenchman a cagey, clever boxer but he did enough to take the first. Mohammedi was not backing up in the second but matching Chudinov jab for jab. He outboxed Chudinov being quicker with his jab and getting through a flustered Chudinov’s guard with quick light punches. A ram rod jab and big rights gave Chudinov some success in the third but Mohammedi was bobbing and weaving and penetrating Chudinov’s guard with bunches of quick blows. The fourth saw a frustrated Chudinov just charging forward swinging wildly . He was walking through Mohammedi’s punches but Mohammedi’s punches were land and Chudinov’s were not. Chudinov changed tactics and went onto the back foot in the fifth fighting a more controlled fight which worked better for him. Mohammedi took the sixth and seventh. He was standing in front of Chudinov firing combinations mostly to the head. They were coming thick and fast if light but the sheer quantity was forcing Chudinov onto the retreat and he was being swamped by them and just relying on head down swing wildly tactics-and usually missing. The eighth saw Chudinov get back to trying his jab. Mohammedi was not as accurate and the action was messy at times in a more even rounds. Mohammedi upped the pace again in the ninth. He was peppering the static Chudinov with punches from all angles and using excellent upper body movement to leave Chudinov swinging in vain. Mohammedi outclassed Chudinov in the tenth. He was bobbing, weaving changing angles and planting punch after punch on Chudinov who almost his mouthguard at one time. By the end of the round Chudinov had his head down just wind-milling his arms hoping to hit something. Mohammedi had been working at a humungous rate pumping out punches. He landed a classic right hook to body/right uppercut combination at the start of the eleventh but the energy expended over the fight finally caught up with him. He was tiring allowing Chudinov to bully him back and land some clubbing punches. Both had good patches in the last but Mohammedi was out-landing Chudinov and at the bell he was celebrating. There was no arm raised in triumph by Chudinov even after the scores were read out. Scores: 116-112 Chudinov, 115-113 Chudinov and for me the most accurate score 118-111 for Mohammedi-he was robbed. Former WBA champion Chudinov retains the WBA International title. He is No 1 with the WBA but George Groves beat him in six rounds for the vacant WBA title in 2017 and would beat him again if they met. Mohammedi, 33, a former French and European light heavy champion was knocked out in three rounds by Sergey Kovalev for the IBF/WBA/WBO titles in 2015 and in two rounds by Olek Gvozdyk in 2016 but in his last three fights had beaten useful opposition in Roman Shkarupa, Hakim Zoulikha and Hadillah Mohoumadi.

Madiev vs. Pitto

Madiev remains unbeaten and retains his WBA Asian title but fails to lift the vacant IBF International title with draw against Argentinian Pitto. Excitement was in short supply in this one. Now based in Spain Pitto can be a handful on his night but as neither he nor Madiev are the hard-punching aggressive type neither was really troubled during the fight. Despite that it was a hard contest with both having to put in solid work but there never being much between them. Pitto looked a little unlucky but the gap was not wide enough to argue about. Scores 96-94 for Madiev, 96-94 for Pitto and 95-95. The 23-year-old Russian is No 10 with the WBA but that reflects his holding their little bitty Asian title and has nothing to do with the fighters he has beaten. Pitto, 31, had a couple of good results when he first relocated to Europe beating 27-1 Reda Zam Zam and scoring a huge upset victory over then unbeaten Jack Culcay but loses to Culcay and WBO super welter champion Zaurbek Baysangurov put some realism into his hopes.

Breidis vs. Deslaurier

Breidis gets a win but in a very flat performance against Frenchman Deslaurier. Breidis was tracking Deslaurier around the ring behind a strong jab. Deslaurier kept on the move and tried switching to southpaw but he was not throwing enough punches to make that a useful move. Although a tubby figure Deslaurier moved quickly and covered up well with Breidis seemingly content to boss the fight but not go for a quick finish. When he had Deslaurier trapped on the ropes Breidis was scoring with clubbing rights to the head and left hooks to the body. Deslaurier was doing a good job of covering up. He threatened occasionally as he let fly with some big swings and he landed a good right hook in the third. Deslaurier was given some recovery time in the fourth after a low punch from Breidis. Breidis was landing plenty of punches but Deslaurier was absorbing them without looking troubled and again he caught Briedis with a heavy right when Briedis got careless. The pattern of the fight stayed the same right through to the final bell. Breidis was tracking Deslaurier moving in and firing three or four punches then taking a couple of steps back and repeating the process. Deslaurier kept switching guards and kept throwing wild rights in the hope of landing one and then setting off around the perimeter of the ring. Deslaurier gave it a try in the last standing and throwing big punches but Briedis was never troubled and scored with accurate shots from both hands as the round ended. Score 100-90 for Breidis from all three judges. This was a very ordinary performance by the Latvian.  A world away from his showings against Marco Huck, Mike Perez and Oleg Usyk but it was a nothing fight so he probably found it hard to put a great deal into it. Deslaurier, the official challenger for the French cruiser title  had won his last nine fights but against much lower grade opponents than Breidis.

Shafikov vs. Gemino

Shafikov gets his second win in eight weeks as he outpoints useful Filipino Gemino. In typical Shafikov fashion the little Russian southpaw outworked and out mauled Gemino. Shafikov was marching forward often leading with lefts. Gemino was showing some good footwork, a strong jab and some quick counters but Shafikov was walking through them and banging to the body. Shafikov pressed and pressed getting inside and whacking home body punches. Gemino showed some nice skills but Shafikov bullied him into a corner at the end of the third and landed a series of head punches to the bell. Gemino was greeting the incoming Shafikov with slick hooks and uppercuts but nothing was keeping Shafikov out and he was pounding Gemino in close landing southpaw straight rights and hooking to the body. It was round after round of ceaseless pressure and gradually Gemino’s work rate dropped as he tired. Punches from Gemino opened a small cut over the left eye of the Russian tank. Shafikov rocked Gemino with a left in the ninth and outworked Gemino in the last. Score 100-90 twice and 98-92 for Shafikov.  The 33-year-old Djingis Khan is flirting with the super feather division as he seeks a fourth world title shot and for once he was up against a fighter even smaller than himself. Gemino has gone in the opposite direction. He started as a flyweight, won the Philippines title at super bantam  and is now fighting at super feather. He scored a big win when knocking out Toka Kahn Clary in 90 seconds in September 2016 but is now 2-4 since then.

Vorobiev vs. Ponomarev

Big shock as Vorobiev takes a split decision over previously unbeaten Ponomarev. Late last year Ponomarev turned down the chance to fight an IBF eliminator against Carlos Ocampo so it was Ocampo who went through to challenge Errol Spence. A chance to fight Spence or any other world champion is miles away now after this loss to Vorobiev. Perhaps Ponomarev took Vorobiev too lightly as he certainly made a slow start allowing Vorobiev to get some confidence and take the fight to the younger but more experienced Ponomarev. Eventually Ponomarev’s better skills got him into the fight but from the sixth he was handicapped by a cut over his right eye. He was eating into Vorobiev’s lead but Vorobiev virtually clinched the decision by badly shaking Ponomarev in the ninth. Ponomarev staged a strong finish to make it very close. Scores 97-93 and 96-94 for Vorobiev and 96-94 for Ponomarev. This is a big win for the 23-year-old Vorobiev who had less than 15 rounds as a pro behind him going into this one. Ponomarev, 25, turned pro at 17 and he may have felt that he did not need to go into the eliminator with Ocampo at this time. The top two spots in the IBF ratings were vacant and he was No 4(2) behind Ocampo. After turning away from the eliminator he dropped out of the IBF welter ratings and before this fight was down at No 13 super welter and will lose that rating now.

Shishkin vs. Gasanov

Russian hope Shishkin moves up to ten rounds for the first time and captures the vacant WBA Continental title with stoppage of southpaw Gasanov. Shishkin was content over the early rounds to let Gasanov come forward and slot home quick, accurate counters. Gasanov was trying hard but having no success. He became frustrated and paid the price in the fifth when a crunching shot to the body took away his legs and he went down and could not get up. Fourth win by KO/TKO for the 26-year-old Shishkin. Had a successful time as an amateur winning gold at the Russian Under-22 Championships and the World Cup of Petroleum Countries. He won gold at the prestigious Istvan Bocskai Memorial Tournament beating Brit Lawrence Osueke in the competition. Gasanov had come down from light heavy and had won 3 of his last 4 fights.

 

Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Mexico: Light: Marcos Villasana Jr (22-6) Pablo Vicente (12-0,1ND). Villasana gets a split decision over Cuban Vicente as two point deductions cost Vicente the victory. The young Cuban was quicker and more accurate with his work. Villasana switched tactics from working inside to working outside but in each case Vicente did the better work. A very low punch from Villasana saw Vicente given some time to recover but no penalty was levied against Villasana. Vicente occasionally allowed his work rate to drop but what hurt him even more were points harshly deducted for a punch that landed on Villasana’s back which happened when Villasana turned away from Vicente’s right and in the tenth a further deduction for pushing Villasana’s head down. That also seemed harsh as earlier in the round the referee had warned Vicente for pushing Villasana off and not for pushing his head down. Villasana had probably won the round with some good hooks and uppercuts inside making it a 10-8 round. Vicente outpunched Villasana in the eleventh and twelfth. Most of the action was inside and it was the Cuban landing cleaner and harder shots. Scores 115-112 and 114-113 for Villasana and 114-112 for Vicente. For me even with the deductions Vicente was a clear winner but the 24-year-old Panama-based Cuban suffers his first loss. Villasana has wins over Jose Felix and Nery Saguilan but I can’t see him emulating his father who was WBC featherweight champion in 1990/91.

 

Buenos Aires, Argentina: Light: Gustavo Lemos (17-0) W TKO 3 Miguel Acosta (12-7-1). Lemos massacres poor Acosta. “El Electrico” was landing heavily in the first and almost ended it in the second. A right floored Acosta and although he beat the count he was badly shaken and in deep trouble when the referee stepped in and gave him a standing count. He survived that round but had to take another standing count in the third before a booming right put him face down on the canvas and the referee waived the fight over. The 22-year-old Lemos wins the IBF Latino title to add to the super light title he already holds. The Argentine No 2 has nine brothers. He lost his first amateur fight but claims a run of 34 wins after that. Acosta, the Argentine No 3, won the IBF light title in March with a win over 17-0 Luis Rueda so was a real test for Lemos.

 

Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic: Middle: Curtis Stevens (30-6) W TKO 4 Carlos Cruz (18-3). Bantam: Junior Almonte (10-0) W TKO 1 Sander Diaz (7-4-1). Super Feather: Luis Porozo (12-0) W TKO 2 Alan Guzman (20-5).

8

Stevens vs. Cruz

Stevens wins on a night of disgrace in the Republic as a full scale riot breaks out and the police struggle to quell the trouble with bottles and chairs flying about and even some gunshots heard. In the fight Stevens used a focused body attack against the local fighter and gradually wore him down. Finally late in the fourth Cruz’s corner indicated to the referee to stop the fight and that’s when the rioting broke out and continued for some time. Stevens was having his first fight since being knocked out in three rounds by David Lemieux in March last year. He wins the vacant International Boxing Association title so I guess he can call himself a world champion of sorts. Cruz’s record is very heavily padded with 17 of his victims having just 16 wins between them and the only two opponents of a decent level both knocked him out within three rounds.

Almonte vs. Diaz

Almonte gets another inside the distance win as he destroys Venezuelan teenager Diaz inside a round. Diaz made whirlwind start but Almonte waited for the storm to blow itself out and then floored Diaz heavily with a hard combination. Diaz made it to his feet but was wobbly and the referee stopped the fight .All over in just under two minutes. “Bombita” Almonte, the Dominican champion, was making the first defence of his WBC Fecarbox title and registers his eighth win by KO/TKO. Despite his unimpressive record the 18-year-old Diaz only lost on a very close decision against unbeaten Yeison Vargas and by a majority decision against McJoe Arroyo.

Porozo vs. Guzman

Ecuadorian Porozo retains the WBA Fedecaribe title with second round stoppage of Dominican Guzman. The former Olympian moves to six wins by KO/TKO. Guzman has stepped up to better opposition five times and lost inside the distance five times.

 

Munich, Germany: Super Middle: Shefat Isufi (27-3-2) W PTS 12 Mohamed El Achi (14-2-3). Isufi wins an entertaining contest to retain his WBO Inter-Continental title. The two fighters were well matched with Isufi generally the one on the front foot forcing the action. Neither fighter was hurt and they both had good spells. Isufi’s jab was stronger and he started and ended well with Frenchman El Achi doing well in the seventh and eighth when he was letting fly with both hands. Isufi had the more effective jab and that plus his forcing the fight gave him the verdict. The German-based Serb is a ridiculous No 3 with the WBO because of the title he holds and his win over Peruvian David Zegarra. To even think of put him in with Gilberto Ramirez would be a joke. El Ach looked limited but useful.

 

Accra, Ghana: Super Feather: Patrick Ayi (19-0) W PTS 12 Abraham Osei-Bonsu (12-3-1). Light: Sherrif Quaye (15-1-1) W KO 7 Benjamin Lamptey (10-2-1). Super Feather: Michael Ansah (15-8-2) W PTS 10 Isaac Dowuona (7-3). Super Feather: Oluwaseun Wahab (17-0) W TKO 6 Moubi Sarouna (20-11). Light Heavy: Stephen Abbey (14-16) W TKO 6 Emmanuel Danso (28-4).

Ayi vs. Osei-Bonsu

This fight was a headliner for the show to honour the great Azumah Nelson. Ayi won the Ghanaian title from champion Osei-Bonsu with a gutsy display when a shoulder injury-probably a dislocation-forced him to fight for the last five rounds effectively with only one useable arm. Osei-Bonsu forced the fight early but was wild with his attacks. The switching hitting Ayi showed good defensive work and some accurate counters and Osei-Bonsu was soon marked up with bruising under both eyes. A frustrated Osei-Bonsu lost a pointy in the fifth for wrestling Ayi over and was a long way behind by the seventh. During that round Ayi suddenly broke from the action showing signs of a problem with his right shoulder but he boxed on and despite that disadvantage fought his way to victory on a split decision. Scores 117-114, 117-115 for Ayi and 117-114 for Osei-Bonsu. Only two of Ayi’s previous opponents had positive records and he had never been past eight rounds before but he won clearly here in a brave display. Osei-Bonsu finally won the national title in December at the third attempt and was making his first defence.

Quaye vs. Lamptey

Quaye wins the vacant National light title with kayo of former victim Lamptey. Quaye made a positive start and built a lead over the first three rounds. Lamptey got into the fight in the fourth. He shook Quaye with a right in the fifth but by the end of the round Quaye was back in control. He dominated the sixth and put Lamptey down and out with a right in the seventh. “No Size” Quaye’s only loss was a split decision in a fight for the vacant ABU title against Moroccan Mohamed El Marcouchi when a point deduction cost him a draw. He had won a split decision over Lamptey in 2016 for the vacant National super light title. Former National title holder Lamptey was having his first fight since that 2016 loss.

Ansah vs. Dowuona

Ansah greater experience won him this title eliminator. The fight was close early but then Ansah took control and boxed his way to the unanimous decision. Scores 99-90, 99-93 and 99-94 for Ansah. The 28-year-old “One Bullet” has had three shots at winning a National title so will be hoping to make it fourth time lucky. Dowuona has now lost 3 of his last 4 fights.

Wahab vs. Sarouna

Wahab halts poor Sarouna in six rounds. The 27-year-old Nigerian-born Wahab has done all of his fighting in Ghana and is both the Ghanaian and the WBA Pan African champion. He has 11 wins by KO/TKO but is still really untested. Togolese Sarouna, 45, was having his first fight for almost four years but it is always possible he may have had a fight or two Togo in that time.

Abbey vs. Danso

Abbey halts Danso in a minor upset. The much taller Abbey was having trouble keeping the aggressive Danso out and was forced to fight on the back foot for much of the time. In the sixth as Danso came forward Abbey landed a crunching right which put Danso on the floor. He staggered to his feet at eight but the referee wrapped his arms around him and stopped the fight. “Warrior” Abbey had lost his last eight fights and looked on the way to losing this one before he dropped the bomb on Danso, First lost to a Ghanaian fighter for Danso. He had lost to Robin Krasniqi in Germany in 2014 and was coming of losses in Macau and Russia.

 

Budapest, Hungary: Bantam: Prince Patel (16-0-1) W TKO 5 Julias Kisarawa (29-5-1). England’s Patel continues his very busy schedule with stoppage of Tanzanian Kisarawa in Budapest. The 25-year-old southpaw, the WBO European champion, was having his tenth fight of 2018. He has won 11 of his last 12 inside the distance but since he moved his base to Hungary in late 2017 the level of his opposition has been low. Tanzanian Kisarawa was knocked out in the first round by Australian Jason Moloney in October and had won two easy fights back home.

 

Magallanes, Philippines: Feather: Waldo Sabu (13-12) W KO 2 Ernesto Saulong (21-4-1). Super Light: Al Rivera (20-3) W TKO 1 Heri Andriyanto (23-27-2

Sabu vs. Saludar

This was not supposed to happen. Local fighter Saludar, a very recent world title challenger was supposed to be in just a keep busy fight against very modest Indonesian Sabu. Indonesians are brought in to lose not win. Saludar had breezed comfortably through the first but was hit by a bolt of lightning in the second. As Saludar came forward Sabu threw a wild roundhouse left that crashed into the chin of Saludar and laid him out cold. Only the third win by KO/TKO for Sabu who was 2-6 in his last 8 fights. “Chocolate” Saludar was having his first fight since losing on points to Ryosuke Iwasa for the IBF bantam title in March.

Rivera vs. Andriyanto

Quick? This one was over in 15 seconds. They both walked out of their corners and Andriyanto extended his left upwards to touch gloves. Rivera threw a southpaw right over the top of Andriyanto’s glove which landed on the side of the Indonesian’s head. He went down but rolled over and got to one knee. He was trying to rise but unsteady and after getting to nine the referee just waived the fight over. Not the done thing Mr Rivera. However the referee usually says touch gloves and come out fighting and not touch gloves and then touch them again. The 25-year-old Filipino is a big puncher with 18 wins by KO/TKO including 10 in his last 11 fights. Poor Andriyanto has lost 6 of his last 7 fights but this is only his ninth loss by KO/TKO.

 

Bang Phun, Thailand: Bantam: Nawaphon (42-1) W PTS 12 Yodsingdaeng (16-8). Bantam: Srisaket (46-4-1) W TKO 1 Young Gil Bae (28-7-2).

Nawaphon vs. Yodsingdaeng

Nawaphon collects the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council title with a wide points victory over fellow Thai Yodsingdaeng. Nawaphon was in charge all the way snapping out his jab and scoring with straight rights. Yodsingdaeng showed some eccentric moves and was not an easy target but was not throwing enough punches to be a threat. The fight was already decided when Nawaphon scored a knock down and Yodsingdaeng also lost a point for holding. Neither fighter was looking to engage in the last but the referee told them both to actually do some fighting and Yodsingdaeng sprung to life and landed some heavy shots on a retreating Nawaphon to the final bell. Scores 119-107 twice and 118-108 for Nawaphon. His sole loss was a third round stoppage by Juan Hernandez for the WBC flyweight title in March last year. In April this year he halted former IBF champion Amnat Ruenroeng in five rounds for the WBC ABC super fly title. Yodsingdaeng (Likit Chane) gets his fourth loss in a row.

Srisaket vs. Bae

WBC champion Srisaket keeps his hand in as he overwhelms poor Bae. Srisaket showed he was taking this non-title fight serious as he was letting fly with southpaw lefts even as the echo of the bell was still fading. A desperate Bae clinched and went down pulling Srisaket with him. Srisaket was stalking the rapidly retreating Bae hammering home  hard rights and lefts with Bae trying to hold. Srisaket drove Bae into a corner and clobbered Bae with punches until a big left saw the Korean slump to the floor and the referee immediately waived the fight over. Too easy for Srisaket. In the past in a fight like this Srisaket might have soft-pedalled for a few rounds just for the work but he showed a really tigerish approach as he looks to make a defence of his WBC title in October. Bae, 38, was stopped in nine rounds by Wanheng for the WBC Minimum title in 2015 but he could not manage nine minutes against a fired-up Srisaket.

 

Mashantucket, CT, USA: Super Light: Mykquan Williams (12-0) W PTS 8 Matt Doherty (8-5-1). Super Middle: Lennox Allen (21-0-1) W TKO 3 Willis Lockett (16-24-6,2ND).

Williams vs. Doherty

A bit of over time here for Williams as he has to go the distance to beat Doherty. Williams had scored six first round wins including three in his last three fights so going into the second round was just a distant memory. He looked on the way to making it four in a row when he put Doherty down twice in the first but Doherty was not finished. He made it to the bell and although outboxed by the quicker Williams he stayed competitive and did his job by extending Williams past the sixth round for the first time in his career. Scores 80-70 twice and 77-73 for Williams. The 20-year-old neighbourhood fighter won a hatful of Junior titles and looks a good prospect. Doherty can still boast that he has never loss inside the distance. He had won 4 of his last 5 fights.

Allen vs. Lockett

Allen makes one of his rare appearances and halts Lockett in three rounds. The Guyanan dropped Lockett in the first and stayed on top thought the second before putting Lockett down with a body shot at the end of the third and the referee immediately stopped the fight. Southpaw Allen is 33 and it has taken him 14 years to put together 22 fights. This was his first contest since October 2015 which is typical of his stop-start approach. Lockett, 41, is now 2-10-1 in his last 13 fights

 

Las Vegas, NV, USA: Middle: Yamaguchi Falcao (16-0) W  PTS 10 Elias Espadas (17-4). Brazilian Falcao continues unbeaten with a unanimous decision over Espadas.

Falcao came out firing and his sheer aggression saw him outpunching Espadas in the first. A low punch from Espadas caused a break in the second. Immediately after the action resumed as Falcao attacked Espadas briefly touched the canvas with one knee and was given a count. The third was fairly even with both deciding to do some showboating and when they did exchange punches it was with the craft of two kids in a school fight just closing eyes and swinging but Espadas landed the better punches. A clash of heads in the fourth saw Espadas cut on the bridge of his nose and when later in the round Falcao’s head banged into Espadas face again the referee deducted a point from the Brazilian. Before the end of the round both fighters had lost their mouthguards and needed them replaced and Falcao sent Espadas sprawling on the canvas from a punch to the back of the head. The Brazilian lost his mouthguard for the second time in a round that seemed to go on and on. Falcao had a good fifth rocking Espadas with two lefts but the action was untidy and their styles did not gel. Espadas did a bit better in the sixth as they punched away wildly at times and the seventh was close. Falcao landed some good lefts in the eighth but also landed some punches to the back of the head and lost his mouthguard for the third time. Falcao threw less than Espadas in the ninth but was more accurate but again the action was frantic and Falcao was being careless with his head. Falcao had a big tenth. He had Espadas trapped on the ropes and landed a series of lefts to the head. It looked as though Espadas might go. He did not crumble but took some more heavy hits before the bell. Scores 96-92 twice and 95-93 all for Falcao. The 2012 gold medal winner is already world rated being WBC 9/WBA before this fight. He has speed and power and should now be looking to go in with a rated fighter. He had a point deducted here but it could easily have been two or three. Mexican Espadas had won his last seven fights but had never been past eight rounds before and tired in this one.

 

Memphis, TN, USA: Super Light: Vivian Harris (33-12-2,1ND) W PTS 12 De Marcus Corley (51-31-1). Super Middle: Lanell Bellows (18-2-2,1ND) W TKO 4 Lamar Harris (9-1564).

Harris vs. Corley

What goes around comes around as Harris gets revenge for a close decision loss to Corley in May last year. This was the first fight since that May loss for Harris and he was just that bit sharper in the contest between two 40+ year-old pros both being former world super light title holders. Harris relied heavily on rights, the traditional response to a southpaw, and was getting his punches off first  and had a big third round but there was never a great deal between them. Scores 116-112 twice and 118-110 all for Harris. The 40-year-old from Guyana wins the vacant American Boxing Federation Continental Americas title which is a long way down from the WBA title he held from 2002 to 2005.Corley, 44, was WBO champion from 2001 to 2003 so it is strange their paths never crossed until 2017. Corley is now 1-3 in his last 4 fights but is quite capable of going on to the 100 bouts mark. Only another 17 to go DeMarcus.

Bellows vs. Harris

Bellows gets a needed win with fourth round stoppage of Harris. Bellows looked to be a good prospect when he put together a run of ten wins that took him to a 16-1-1 record. Since then things have been a bit bumpy. He lost a split decision to Decarlo Perez, had a kayo loss changed to a No Decision when his opponent gave a positive test. He had a low level wins and his last fight was a technical draw. Eight losses by KO/TKO for Harris.

 

Villa del Rosario, Venezuela: Super Light: Roiman Villa (18-0) W KO 2 Carlos Saenz (19-2).  For Villa it is now 18 fights and 18 wins by KO/TKO as he knocks out elderly Colombian Saenz in two rounds in defence of his South American title. He has required less than 36 rounds for his 18 wins so is averaging two rounds per win. Better opposition required I think. Saenz, 43, gets only his second loss by KO/TKO.

 

July 22

 

Umtata, South Africa; Minimum: Simphiwe Khonco (19-5) W PTS 12 Toto Landero (10-3-2). Bantam: Jonas Matheus (11-2-1) W PTS 12 Makazole Tete (17-3-2).

Khonco vs. Landero

Khonco makes a successful defence of his IBO title with unanimous decision over Filipino Landero. The pace these two set was ferocious with Landero generally piling forward trying to offset his lack of skills with aggression. Khonco was boxing in a more controlled way either getting his jab off first or slipping Landero’s punches and landing sharp counters. Just a couple of seconds before the bell to end the first as they swapped punches a huge left hook suddenly had Landero’s knees wobbling but he bit down on his mouthguard and pitched back into the fight.  Khonco’s classy work gave him the edge but Landero although wild at times never stopped marching forward. An exciting seventh saw Khonco force the Filipino back around the ropes banging to the body with Landero taking some hefty shots but banging back in one of the most sustained periods of action in the fight. Landero was picking up a few rounds scoring well with rights but he was behind and needed a big finish. A tired Khonco remained controlled and matched the Filipino to the bell to emerge a clear winner. Scores 116-112 twice and 117-112 all for Khonco. The little Eastern Cape “Chain Reaction” was defending his IBO title for the third time. After an indifferent start to his career he is 13-1 in his last 14 fights with the loss being a close one against Hekkie Budler for the WBA and IBO titles in 2015. If he decides to look at one of the big four titles then he is at No 2 with the WBC so that could provide an opportunity. Landero, 22, may not have impressive looking statistics but they are deceptive. In his last fight he lost on points too Knockout CP Freshmart for the WBA title with one judge scoring it a very close 113-115 and in June last year he won a split decision over Vic Saludar who won the WBO title in Japan just eleven days ago.

Matheus vs. Tete

Namibian Matheus wins the vacant IBO International title with unanimous decision over Tete. The Namibian champion won on scores of 117-111 twice and 118-111. Now six wins in a row for Matheus. Tete, a former South African flyweight champion and the brother of Zolani, lost to Gideon Buthelezi in a challenge for the IBO super fly title in 2015 but had won 4 of his last 5 fights. This show was to honour the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Nelson Mandela.

 

Fight of the week: Jamie Munguia vs. Liam Smith

Fighter of the week: Olek Usyk

Punch of the week: There were some real beauties this week. The Jean Pascal left hook that put Steve Bosse down in the eighth and the Gustavo Lemos right that saw  Miguel Acosta land face down and out but the best was the huge left swing by Waldo Sabu that laid out cold favourite Ernesto Saulong

Upset of the week: Sabu’s win over Saulong was not supposed to happen and neither was Sergey Vorobiev (6-0) beating Konstantin Ponomarev

One to watch: Jason Ennis 21-0 and honourable mention to fellow Philadelphian Darmani Rock