Check out Eric Armit’s comprehensive fight reports The Week in Boxing – August 21, 2018.

 

Highlights:

-Carl Frampton stops Luke Jackson to retain the interim WBA featherweight title

-Tyson Fury gets in ten rounds of work in beating Francesco Pianeta and looks likely to go on to fight Deontay Wilder in the US later this year

-Cristofer Rosales retains the WBC flyweight title with kayo of Paddy Barnes

-JT Doheny scores upset win over Ryosuke Iwasa to win the IBF super bantam title

-Bryant Jennings stops Alex Dimitrenko in nine rounds

Jesse Hart and Jason Sosa score wins

-Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov retains IBO super feather title with two round demolition of Robinson Castellanos

-Carlos Cuadras returns with a win

 

                    WORLD TITLE FIGHTS (IBF,WBA,WBC, WBO only)

August 16

 

Tokyo, Japan: Super Bantam: T J Doheny (20-0) W PTS 12 Ryosuke Iwasa (25-3). Super Fly: Koki Eto (23-4-1) W KO 6 Delfin de Asis (9-6).

Doheny vs. Iwasa

Doheny starts a remarkable few days for Irish boxing with an upset victory over champion Iwasa to win the IBF title. The champion made a good start against his fellow southpaw using his jab well. He quickly opened a long gash under the right eye of Doheny, which trickled blood throughout the fight, and also sent him back on his heels with a right. Doheny has a quirky style with plenty of movement, dropping his hands on occasion and leaping in with quick attacks. From the second Iwasa was having trouble dealing with Doheny’s style and the challenger was quicker to the punch springing forward with his jab and landing hard lefts. Iwasa scored with a vicious body punch in the second but it was Doheny’s round. The third and fourth were close but Iwasa was having trouble finding Doheny with his jab and Doheny was getting through with quick punches with Iwasa sporting a swelling over his right eye. After four rounds Doheny ahead on two cards 39-37 with the Japanese judge having Iwasa 39-37up. Iwasa had a better fifth as he had his jab on target and boxed his way back into the fight. From there Doheny took over. He hustled Iwasa outworking him and scoring with fast lead rights and long rights. It was untidy at times but Iwasa was just not quick enough with his counters. Scores after eights were 78-74 twice and 77-75 all for Doheny. Iwasa needed to win the ninth but it was Doheny’s round. His smart footwork and clever upper body movement took Iwasa’s jab out of the fight and he was first to the punch with his own jab and scoring with rights. With his title slipping away Iwasa fought hard over the tenth and eleventh and took those but he needed a knockout to win and Doheny was fresher and more accurate in the last and he ran out a clear winner. Scores 117-112, 116-112 and 115-113 for Doheny. Irish-born but now an Australian citizen. the 31-year-old Doheny was very much an outsider here as Iwasa was a higher level opponent than those Doheny had beaten previously but Doheny showed that he has the speed and skill to match anyone in the division. Iwasa was making the second defence of his title. He lost to Lee Haskins on a sixth round stoppage for the interim bantamweight title in 2015 but had won his last six fights.

Eto vs. de Asis

Eto gets his fifth win a row by KO/TKO as he finishes Filipino southpaw  de Asis with a body punch. Much the taller boxer Eto scored early with his left jab and left hooks to the body and dominated the action. In the sixth a right to the body collapsed de Asis and he was counted out. Former interim WBA flyweight champion Eto lost to Carlos Cuadras in a challenge for the WBC super flyweight title in 2015 but his run of six wins sees him rated WBC 5/WBO 7/WBA 9 so another title fight is not out of the question. Eto is one of three boxing brothers but his twin brother Daiki and brother Shoga are leaving it to Eto to win a title for the family. Three losses by KO/TKO for de Asis.

 

August 18

 

Belfast, Northern Ireland: Feather: Carl Frampton (26-1) W TKO 9 Luke Jackson (16-1). Fly: Cristofer Rosales (28-3) W KO 4 Paddy Barnes (5-1).

Frampton vs. Jackson

Frampton retains the interim WBO title in a one-sided fight against Tasmanian Jackson who is in way over his head but lasts until the ninth round.

Round 1

Both fighters were cautiously probing with their jab at the start. Frampton missed with a couple of rights but kept pressing and had some success when he trapped Jackson on the ropes. The challenger was sticking to his jab and what scoring there was came from Frampton

Score 10-9 Frampton

Round 2

Frampton was pacing after Jackson for much of the round. He was not throwing many punches but was able to get home with hooks to the body from both hands. Jackson was a bit more adventuress trying a few rights but not landing enough to threaten Frampton.

Score 10-9 Frampton                                                         Frampton 20-18

Round 3

Jackson changed his tactics in the third. He decided to take the fight to Frampton and they stood and exchange hooks and uppercuts. Frampton’s punchers were more accurate and more powerful and he was getting through to head and body. Jackson was banging home some good left hooks and although getting the worse of the exchanges he was still coming forward at the bell.

Score 10-9 Frampton                                                         Frampton 30-27

Round 4

Jackson took the fight to Frampton again. That put him range of some clubbing rights to the head and left hooks to the body. Jackson got through with some rights of his own but they lacked the power of Frampton’s who seemed to be in cruise control mode.

Score 10-9 Frampton                                                         Frampton 40-36

Round 5

Frampton made a fast start coming out throwing punches. He was tending to only throw shots in two’s but they were enough to put Jackson on the back foot. Frampton dropped the pace over the middle of the round but finished with a series of strong punches to head and body.

Score 10-9 Frampton                                                         Frampton 50-45

Round 6

Jackson spent most of the early part of the round with his back against the ropes as Frampton teed-off on him trying to find a gap for his straight right. Again the pace slowed in the middle of the round and Jackson’s work rate had dropped dramatically. It was Frampton’s round but it was now a one-sided fight.

Score 10-9 Frampton                                                         Frampton 60-54

Round 7

Frampton’s round. He was boxing on the outside landing hard jabs and left hooks to the body. After a lively start Jackson was soon on the back foot being hurt with lefts to the body and able to do nothing to keep Frampton at distance. He landed a good left hook to the body but his punches had sting value but not stopping power so Frampton was able to press hard.

Score 10-9 Frampton                                                         Frampton 70-63

Round 8

Jackson decided to stand his ground in this round. He was throwing a lot more punches and had some success to the body and landed a quick combination to the head. None of this disturbed Frampton who was throwing hard, accurate punches with the power to force Jackson back and rock him a couple of times. With just 30 seconds to go in the round Frampton dug a blistering left hook into Jackson’s body which forced the Tasmanian to go back a couple of steps and then down onto one knee. He was up at four and after the eight count despite being nailed with a straight right managed to keep out of trouble to the bell

Score 10-8 Frampton                                                         Frampton 80-71

Round 9

Frampton was just looking to land one big punch to finish the fight. Jackson kept moving and fired some counters. Eventually Frampton took him to the ropes and landed a couple of punches. Jackson came off the ropes and Frampton drove him across the ring landing a left that snapped Jackson’s head and as the Tasmanian reached the ropes the towel came in from his corner.

Too easy for “The Jackal” who never really seemed to engage top gear but still had enough to outclass a brave challenger. Third win for Frampton since losing his WBA title to Leo Santa Cruz. IBF champion Josh Warrington was in attendance to issue a challenge to Frampton and that would be a great fight. Not a unification as Oscar Valdez is the real WBO champion but a great fight. This was too big a step up in opposition for 33-year-old Jackson. He was No 5 with the WBO but that was due to his winning their WBO Oriental title and not to the quality of his opposition, Although he had only 16 pro fights behind him he was an elite level amateur being Captain of the Australian Team at the 2012 Olympics. Now he goes home to rebuild.

Rosales vs. Barnes

Rosales retains the WBC title in an exciting, classic clash of little men. One brutal body punch ends the challenge from Barnes.

Round 1

Although giving away height and reach Barnes was using good hand speed to land his jab and let go with some good combinations. Rosales was just that little bit slower with his jab but was throwing some flashy combinations.

Score 10-9 Barnes.

Round 2

Rosales was letting his hands go more in this one. He had Barnes on the back foot. They stood and traded body punches a couple of times with Rosales beckoning Barnes to stay inside and exchange shots. Rosales was scoring with hooks to the body and Barnes showing some good mobility and letting fly with a good combination just before the bell.

Score 10-9 Rosales                                                                      Tied 19-19

Round 3

Rosales switched to southpaw in this one. This was a fast-paced bout and they were both letting the punches fly at the start of the round. Barnes scored with a series of hooks upstairs and down and again they went toe-to-toe with Rosales rocking Barnes back with a right to the head and an uppercut inside. Barnes had his arms pistoning out punches in what was already a great little scrap.

Score 10-9 Rosales                                                                      Rosales 29-28

Round 4

Rosales seemed to be getting on top. He had Barnes on the retreat and was scoring with both long punches on the outside and hooks inside. Barnes was launching quick bursts of hooks and showing some good defensive works. Suddenly just before the bell as Barnes walked in Rosales landed a vicious right hook the body and Barnes went down in agony. He rolled around the canvas but was still on his back when the referee reached eight and waived the fight over.

Rosales was making the first defence of the WBC title he won with an upset victory over unbeaten champion Daigo Higa in Japan in April. The 23-year-old Nicaraguan makes it 19 wins by KO/TKO. He gets his first win in the UK having lost to Khalid Yafai and Andrew Selby in previous visits. With Selby rated No 1 by the WBC it seems likely that Rosales will be back in the UK later this year. Barnes, 31, showed that even with only five pro fights he is world class and they will be looking to get him another title shot next year. He had to settle for bronze at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics so he will want to reach gold standard as a pro.

For undercard see under date

 

 

August 17

 

Indio, CA, USA: Super Feather: Andrew Cancio (19-4-2) W PTS 10 Dardan Zenunaj (14-5). Super Welter: Greg Vendetti (20-2-1) W PTS 10 Yoshihiro Kamegai (27-5-2).

Cancio vs. Zenunaj

The way this one started it looked likely to be an easy night for Cancio. He was getting through with some hard punches from both hands in the first. He landed a short right and then a left hook that knocked Zenunaj back on his heels and continued to land heavily to the bell. After a brief flourish from Zenunaj at the start of the second Cancio took over and won that round and the third and built a good lead. However Zenunaj just kept coming and slowly increased the pressure. Cancio was still finding gaps for hooks and uppercuts and was obviously quicker and more accurate but Zenunaj opened a cut on the bridge of Cancio’s nose and was forcing Cancio to stand and trade more. Zenunaj was walking through Cancio’s punches and Cancio looked tired in the eighth. The ninth saw plenty of furious exchanges with Cancio taking the round. Zenunaj was on top of Cancio in the last but needed a knockout and that never came. Scores 99-91 twice and 96-94. There was no doubt about the winner but it looked closer than the first two scores indicate. Cancio was really on a roll after a win over Rocky Juarez in 2012 but then he lost big fights against Roger Gonzalez, Ronny Rios and Joseph Diaz. He took 2017 out and this is his second win this year. Kosovon-born Zenunaj was based in Belgium and won the Belgian featherweight title. He now does his fighting mostly in the USA and is 1-2 in some tough tests over the past year.

Vendetti vs. Kamegai

“The Villain” Vendetti certainly played that part here as he outworked favoured Kamegai to take a comfortable unanimous decision. Kamegai’s fights have traditionally been wars of attrition with Kamegai grinding his opponents down with a high work rate and plenty of pressure. In this case Kamegai seemed to lack some of his past fire and made a slow start. When he did get rolling Vendetti was more than equal to the task. Vendetti was busier and more accurate and he matched Kamegai punch for punch when they traded. Kamegai landed some hard body shots but Vendetti never wilted and fired back with body punches of his own and was a good winner. Scores 98-92 twice and 97-93 all for Vendetti. This was only the second fight outside of the New England area for Vendetti and his opposition had been passable at best but this is his sixteenth win in a row and he should creep into the rating on the basis of this performance. Kamegai, the WBA No 14, has been in some wars and at 35 that looks to be catching up on him. This was his first fight since losing to Miguel Cotto for the vacant WBO super welter title in August last year

 

Worcester. MA, USA: Middle: Jose Antonio Rivera (42-6-1) W TKO 7 Larry Smith (10-38-1). Super Welter: Khiary Gray (16-4) W TKO 1 Antonio Chaves Fernandez (9-34-4,1ND).

Rivera vs. Smith

Some just can’t stay away. Now 45 former WBA welter and super welter champion Rivera returned to the ring with a win. Smith was no kind of test but he did hang around long enough to give Rivera some rounds of work. It took a while for Rivera to shed seven years of rust but his work to the ribs broke Smith down and one body punch too many saw Smith turning away in agony and the referee stepped in to end the punishment. Rivera had won his last three fights when he quit the ring in July 2011and after this win it is likely he will continue his comeback. Poor Smith is now 0-33-1 in his last 34 fights.

Gray vs. Chaves

Home town fighter Gray ended this one in quick time. He hunted down Fernandez before putting him down with a right. Fernandez struggled to his feet before the ten count but the referee stopped the fight. Now twelve wins by KO/TKO for 25-year-old Gray and a welcome one as he was 1-3 in his previous 4 fights. Brockton’s Fernandez now has nine losses by KO/TKO and has won only two of his last 15 fights.

 

Bolivar, Argentina: Super Bantam: Diego Ruiz (19-2) W PTS 10 Diego Pichardo (18-16-1). Ruiz wins the fight but loses his WBC Latino Silver title as he fails to make the weight. Ruiz had more power but southpaw Pichardo comes to fight and although he had to soak up punishment all the way he stayed to the end. Ruiz came close to victory in the sixth. He landed a good combination and then floored Pichardo with a straight right. Pichardo beat the count but was floored again this time by a fearsome left hook. He went down heavily but somehow made it his feet and survived. Ruiz rocked Pichardo again in the ninth but the gutsy Dominican was still there at the final bell. Scores 99-90, 98-90 and 97-91 for Ruiz. It is surprising that the 24-year-old “Prophet” failed to make the weight as he is Argentinian bantamweight champion. He has won his last eight fights. Pichardo is rarely in a bad fight but he is now 1-5 in his last 6 fights.

 

Tokyo, Japan: Feather: Satoshi Shimizu (7-0) W TKO 4 Shingo Kawamura (16-4-1). Super Fly: Akira Yaegashi (27-6) W TKO 7 Hirofumi Mukai (16-6-3).

Shimizu vs. Kawamura

Former amateur star Shimizu makes a successful defence of the OPBF title with win over fellow southpaw Japanese No 5 super bantam Kawamura. The challenger made a fast start taking the fight to the much taller Shimizu landing well to the body and reddening the area around the right eye of Shimizu. From there it was Shimizu’s fight as he began to rake Kawamura with his southpaw right hooks and left crosses. Kawamura tried to fight back in the third but Shimizu’s power punches were landing and now it was Kawamura showing facial damage. In the fourth a blistering left from Shimizu put Kawamura down and the fight was stopped. Shimizu, now 32, was an elite level amateur and did not turn pro until he was 30. He competed at the 2008 Olympics and in London in 2012 beat Isaac Dogboe but had to settle for a bronze medal after losing to Luke Campbell in the semi-finals. He also represented Japan at the 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011 world championships and had over 100 amateur fights. At his age he can’t afford a slow road and he won the OPBF title in his fourth fight and this is his third defence of the belt. He is already rated IBF 6(4).WBC 6 and the plan is to have him fighting for a world title in late 2019. Kawamura had won his last three fights but now has his third loss by KO/TKO.

Yaegashi vs. Mukai

Yaegashi keeps alive his hope of becoming a four division champion with stoppage of Mukai. This one was a war. Mukai had height and reach over Yaegashi and made good use of those advantages in the first round. Yaegashi was getting past the jab in the second and scoring with hot body punches. Mukai fought back hard in the third and fourth trying to keep Yaegashi outside and he scored with some hefty body punches in the fifth. It was torrid stuff in the sixth with Mukai scoring with a bunch of punches only for Yaegashi to punctuate a stirring round with a right that had Mukai floundering. Yaegashi jumped on Mukai in the seventh driving him to the ropes bombarding Mukai with punches until the referee stepped in to save Mukai. The 35-year-old former WBA minimum, IBF light flyweight and WBC flyweight champion gets his second win this year. He was being written off after losing his IBF title to Milan Melindo on a first round stoppage in May last year. He is rated in the top 15 by three sanctioning bodies the IBF, WBA and WBO but at light flyweight so the super fly title might be too much of a stretch

 

Panama City, Panama: Super Bantam: Yenifel Vicente (33-3-2,1ND) W KO 2 Andres Garcia (13-7-2). Super Bantam: Wilner Soto (21-4) W KO 5 Julio Escudero (16-8-1,1ND). Super Feather: Eric Walters (12-3-1) W PTS 9 Eduar Marriaga (12-1).

Vicente vs. Garcia

Dominican puncher Vicente blows away Mexican Garcia inside two rounds. In the first Vicente was letting Garcia lead and then countering him with left hooks. Garcia scored with some left hooks of his own. Vicente was warned for a left hook that went low but it was still his punch of choice. Vicente trapped Garcia in a corner at the start of the second only for Garcia to punch his way out into the centre of the ring. Vicente then launched a ferocious attack scoring with hooks and uppercuts from both hands finally landing a left hook to the body that dropped Garcia to his knees. He was up at nine but had lost his mouthguard and got some relief whilst that that was replaced. When the action resumed Vicente landed a couple of hard rights and then a right cross that put Garcia on his back and he was counted out. The 32-year-old Florida-based Vicente retains the interim WBO Latina title. He was 25-1-2 at the start of his career before consecutive losses in 2014 to Juan Antonio Rodriguez and Eric Hunter. He has rebuilt with eight wins on the bounce by KO/TKO earning him the No 13 spot in the WBO ratings and lifting his inside the distance total to 25 including a kayo in 2015 that was Knockout of the Year on Premier Boxing Champions. Garcia suffers this third loss by KO/TKO but was a respectable 9-1-2 before this defeat.

Soto vs. Escudero

Soto wins the vacant WBA Fedecentro title with stoppage of Escudero after a total war. Ne genteel introduction here as these two went toe-to-toe from the first bell. Neither seemed to have heard of defence and Soto was blasting shots to head and body with Escudero somehow absorbing them and landing some heavy rights of his own. That was the pattern of the fight and the only change was that gradually the power of Soto gave him domination. Escudero was taking a beating and his work rate dropped but he refused to cave in and refused to go on the defensive so they were trading punches for three minutes of every round. Something had to give. Either Soto would punch himself out or Escudero would crumble. Finally in the sixth with Escudero on the ropes Soto landed a whole series of head punches and the referee had seen enough and stopped the fight over protests from Escudero. Colombian Soto gets back to winning ways after being knocked out in nine rounds by former world title challenger Cesar Juarez in April. Twelve wins by KO/TKO for Soto. Panamanian Escudero loses inside the distance for the second time in a row. He was knocked out in the first round by Caril Herrera in August last year and judging by Escudero’s punch resistance in this fight Herrera must have used a baseball bat-or perhaps Soto is not as big a puncher as his record might indicate.

Walters vs. Marriaga

Walters must have missed the read through of the script because he was not expected or intended to win this one. Marriaga is a former star amateur of whom big things were expected. He did not just lose; he was outclassed by the very ordinary Walters. The writing was on the wall from the fourth when Walters put Marriaga on the deck but really Marriaga had never looked like winning in a poor fight spoilt by too many clinches. Scores 88-82 twice and 90-80 all for Walters. The Panamanian was 2-3 in his previous five fight s all against modest local opposition with two of the losses being first round knockouts and the other a second round knockout. Colombian Marriaga a former Colombian amateur champion who competed at the 2012 Olympics was a big disappointment in his first fight outside Colombia.

 

August 18

 

Belfast, Northern Ireland: Heavy: Tyson Fury (27-0) W PTS 10 Francesco Pianeta (35-5-1).Cruiser: Steven Ward (8-0) W PTS 8 Steve Collins Jr (12-2-1). Middle: Luke Keeler (15-2-1) W PTS 8 Dwain Grant (2-5-1). Super Feather: Marco McCullough (20-4) W PTS 6 Jordan Ellison (10-16). Super Light: Sam Maxwell (9-0) W RTD 3 Chris Truman (13-10-2). Middle: Conrad Cummings (14-2-1) W PTS 6 Nicky Jenman (20-13-1). Super Welter: Steven Donnelly (1-0) W PTS 4 Kevin McCauley (15-172-12).. Light Sean McComb (1-0) W TKO 4 Rey Mora (7-39-1).

Fury vs. Pianeta

Fury gets in useful ten rounds in easy win over Pianeta. Fury was much too mobile for Pianeta. In the first round Tyson stood in a corner holding the ropes with each hand and just bobbing and weaving with Pianeta unable to land a punch on Fury’s unprotected head.  Pianeta was just too slow and Tyson was able to land left hooks to the body and swing rights around Pianeta’s guard to land on the head. Pianeta had occasional success when he could catch Fury on the ropes but they were morsels that Fury kindly fed to him. Pianeta tried standing back and beckoning for Tyson to come to him but Tyson preferred to be the one to choose the tactics and just stayed outside scoring with his fast jabs. Tyson’s movement and hand speed were leaving Pianeta a step behind all the time but the big Italian stuck to his task. Fury was content to box well inside himself never really looking rattled by Pianeta’s lunging attacks. Pianeta was given some recovery time in the seventh after a punch from Fury strayed low and it seemed that if any punch would finish the fight early it would be one of Fury’s left hooks-a legal that is. Fury’s work rate seemed to drop in the eighth but in the ninth he introduced some variety by turning southpaw and throwing more. Initially he was not loading up on his punches but he let some heavy shots go just before the bell. It was exhibition stuff in the last as Fury constantly switched guards, sometimes just slotted home jabs and on other occasions landing strongly to the Italian’s body only to back off and let Pianeta go the full ten rounds. Referee’s score 100-90. The fight was too one-sided to be entertaining but that was not the purpose of the fight. It was to get Fury ten rounds of much needed work . The big man showed he still has the speed and mobility that took him to the top. It appears that he will now fight Deontay Wilder in the US which will be a tremendous fight. Whether the two fights Tyson has had since returning have prepared him for someone as quick and dangerous as Wilder is questionable. Dillian White remains Wilder’s mandatory challenger but the WBC would probably have no problem in approving such a big fight as Wilder vs. Fury. Pianeta was never meant to be a threat to Fury. It would have been stupid to take any risks at this stage of Fury’s return and Pianeta was a sensible choice for the work Fury needed and he did his job

Ward vs. Collins

Ward outboxes Collins in what promised to be an explosive fight. It did not really reach those heights but it was entertaining. Although their pro experience seems similar Ward had a long and successful time as an amateur whereas Collins, the son of former WBO middleweight and super middleweight champion Steve Senior, turned pro with no amateur experience. That additional experience gave Ward the edge. Ward generally controlled the action landing some big head punches and piling up the points. There was a moment of danger in the sixth when a right from Collins rocked Ward but he got through that minor crisis and supplied a strong finish to take the decision. Referee’s score 79-75 for Ward. The 28-year-old “Quiet Man” was Ulster champion and competed at the 2010 Commonwealth Games where he won a silver medal and also boxed at the 2014 Games. Collins lost to Paddy McDonagh in June last year down at light heavy but has now moved up to cruiser.

Keeler vs. Grant

Keeler just marks time with a win over novice  Grant. Keeler got some useful rounds of work here as Grant stayed the full distance. Keeler put Grant down in the fifth but the fighter from the West Midlands showed real grit in getting up and taking Keeler the distance and doing well enough to take a round. Referee’s score 79-73 for WBO European champion Keeler. Winning that WBO  title with a points victory over Conrad Cummings in April gets Keeler a No 13 rating so he will be hoping for a big fight next time out. Grant was a late substitute.

McCullough vs. Ellison

McCullough makes it three wins on the bounce as he decisions Ellison in an entertaining contest. Ellison did enough to keep it close over the first three rounds but McCullough took over from there. Ellison stayed competitive but was outworked and McCullough was a good winner. Referee’s score 60-55 for McCullough. The 28-year-old from Belfast is 6-2 in his last ten fights with the losses coming at featherweight against Isaac Lowe for the Commonwealth title and Ryan Walsh for the British. Now he is trying his luck at super feather. Four losses in his last 5 fights for Ellison.

Maxwell vs. Truman

Liverpool’s Maxwell gets win over Truman. The power of Maxwell just proved too much for Truman and after three one-sided rounds Truman stayed in his corner, The lanky 29-year-old gets his sixth win by KO/TKO. Maxwell was British and English Champion as an amateur . He collected a bronze medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games losing to Josh Taylor and boxed for the Lionhearts in the WSB. In the amateurs he scored a win over Albert Selimov, the only fighter to beat Vasyl Lomachenko in the amateurs. Now six  losses in a row for Truman all against unbeaten fighters.

Cummings vs. Jenman

Cummings pounds out a win over Jenman as he gets back on track after a loss to Luke Keeler for the vacant WBO European title in April. .Cummings was handing out heavy punishment all the way. Jenman was too busy defending to do much attacking but he showed some good defensive work. Cummings stepped-up the pressure for round after round but Jenman did not cave in and lasted the distance. Referee’s score 60-54. “Dynamite” Cummings, 27, has lost important fights on a split decision to 28-2-1 German Ronny Mittag and a wide unanimous verdict against Keeler so the road back starts here. Former BBB of C Southern Area champion Jenman gets his fourth loss in his last four fights but all against good opposition.

Donnelly vs. McCauley

Impressive first showing for former elite amateur Donnelly. He dominated the fight against the experienced McCauley showing style and power. He had McCauley hurt in the second and the third but McCauley fought hard in the fourth to last the distance. Referee’s score 40-36 for Donnelly . The 29-year-old from Ballymena was a quarter-finalist at the 2016 Olympics, boxed in the AIBA WSB and collected a bronze medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games where he beat Canadian Custio Clayton. Durable survivor McCauley, 38, has lost his last 18 fights but only twelve of his 155 losses have come inside the distance. His next fight will be No 200 for him and that should come early next month as he has three fights scheduled for the next eight weeks,.

McComb vs. Mora

Yet another top amateur turning pro as McComb registers a win. The tall southpaw just punched too hard for gutsy Mora. McComb was firing a whole series of lightning quick punches from the start. He was adding lots of power to that speedy and Mora had to absorb some corrosive uppercuts and body punches. The Nicaraguan didn’t cave in but he was in deep trouble in the  fourth when the referee had seen enough and stepped in to save Mora from more agony. McComb, 26, was a three-time Irish Elite Champion, won a bronze medal at the European Games and was a quarter-finalist at the World Championships. One to follow for sure. Barcelona-based Mora falls to a ridiculous 40 losses in a row and this is tenth loss by KO/TKO.

 

Atlantic City, NJ, USA: Heavy: Bryant Jennings (24-2) W TKO 9 Alex Dimitrenko (41-4). Super Middle: Jesse Hart (25-1) W TKO 3 Mike Gavronski (24-3-1,1ND). Super Feather: Jason Sosa (21-3-4) W PTS 8 Rey Blanco (14-5). Feather: Shakur Stevenson (8-0) W PTS 8 Carlos Ruiz (16-5-2). Bantam: Christian Carto (16-0) W PTS 8 Javier Gallo (25-16-1,1ND). Welter: Thomas LaManna (26-2-1) W PTS 8 Matt Strode (25-6). Heavy: Olek Teslenko (14-0) W PTS 6 Avery Gibson (9-6-4). Light: Joseph Adorno (9-0) W TKO 1Agustine Mauras (6-5-3).

Jennings vs. Dimitrenko

Both fighters opened cautiously with very little action of any consequence over the first three rounds. Dimitrenko had height and reach over Jennings but Jennings was much quicker. Dimitrenko tried to keep Jennings out with his long jabs but Jennings was slick enough with his jab his jab to overcome the difference in reach. They both scored their first real power punches in the third and in the fourth a right to the side of the head put Jennings down. He made it to his feet and to the bell without any further trouble. From the fifth the mobility and speed of Jennings turned the fight strongly his way. Dimitrenko is a one-paced fighter and that pace is slow.  Jennings managed to get past the Ukrainian’s reach more and more with each round and was punishing Dimitrenko inside. An already slow Dimitrenko began to slow even more. Jennings was firing combinations with Dimitrenko floundering when his jab was not giving him any control in the fight. As Dimitrenko tired Jennings upped his pace and the fight became one-way traffic. In the eighth Jennings shook the Ukrainian with a left hook and then landed a succession of punches that put Dimitrenko down.  Dimitrenko was hurt and exhausted and in the ninth as they worked inside a big right uppercut sent Dimitrenko down. The referee immediately waived the fight off with Dimitrenko protesting the stoppage. Good win for the 33-year-old from Philadelphia. Wins over unbeaten fighters Artur Szpilka and Mike Perez took Jennings to a title shot in 2015 but he lost a wide decision to Wlad Klitschko and later in the year he was stopped by Luis Ortiz. He took almost two years out after that loss but has five in a row now and is rated WBO 8/WBA 11so there could be a title shot for him next year. At 36 Dimitrenko has nowhere to go really. He has lost important fights to Eddie Chambers, Kubrat Pulev and Joseph Parker and is likely to become a test for climbing young fighters. In his last fight before this one curiously he drew but won. He was held to a draw by unbeaten Miljan Rovcanin but Rovcanin lost three points for fouls and under the German BDB rules for suffering three points deductions he was disqualified with the result changed to a win for Dimitrenko!

Hart vs. Gavronski

Hart keeps busy as he takes out Gavronski in three rounds  Hart made a strong start rocking Gavronski with some hurtful punches to head and body in the first. Gavronski did better in the second but again it was Hart doing the heavier scoring. In the third a downward chopping right floored Gavronski. He was up quickly but after the eight count was over Hart strode forward and dropped Gavronski with a couple of left hooks. Gavronski made it his feet but was on very shaky legs and the fight was stopped. Now 21 wins by KO/TKO for Hart who immediately called out WBO champion Gilbert Ramirez demanding a return after losing a very close verdict to Ramirez for the title in September last year. This was just too much of a step up for Gavronski and resulted in his second loss by KO/TKO.

Sosa vs. Blanco

It is a case of back to the future for Sosa as he returns to action with a win which he hopes will be the first step on the way to a future chance at another title. Sosa found Blanco a handful but was picking up the points and the rounds. He came close to making the judges superfluous. He floored Blanco early in the eighth and again late in the round but Blanco survived. Scores 79-69, 78-70 and 77-72 for Sosa. The 30-year-old from New Jersey came out of nowhere to hold Nicholas Walters to a draw and then climbed off the floor to beat Javier Fortuna to win the secondary WBA super feather title. He made an impressive defence by outpointing Steve Smith in November 2016 but had a bad 2017 being stopped in nine rounds by Vasyl Lomachenko in a challenge for the WBO title and losing a majority verdict to Yuriorkis Gamboa. He is No 9 win the WBC so could work his way to a title chance.  Puerto Rican-based Blanco was having his first fight in 17 months and is now 1-3 in his last 4 fights.

Stevenson vs. Ruiz

Stevenson boxes his way to victory. The talented youngster made a measured start over the first two rounds. He was content to let Ruiz come forward and make him pay by landing hard and accurate counters. Ruiz kept pressing but in each round he was getting buzzed by southpaw lefts from Stevenson. The pattern changed very little and Ruiz lacked either the power or the craft to be competitive as Stevenson eased his way to victory. All three judges has Stevenson winning 80-72.It was not a sparkling performance but it is understood that Stevenson injured his right hand in the second round so was boxing with a handicap-you might say. The 21-year-old Olympian from Newark has a court case in Florida pending but irrespective of the outcome will probably need a bit of time off to let the hand heal. Mexican Ruiz gave Hozumi Hasegawa a hard fight back in 2015 but is 2-3-1 since then.

Carto vs. Gallo

Carto keeps the family flag flying high as he outpoints experienced Mexican Gallo. Carto dominated the fight jolting and jarring Gallo with straight rights and left hooks. Gallo stood up to the punishment but he took a solid beating and did well to stay on his feet at times, Scores 80-71, 80-72 and 79-73. Carto must be wondering where he left his punch . After winning his first eleven fight by KO/TKO he has had to settle for points wins in his last five. The 21-year-old Philadelphian comes from a fighting family. His late Uncle Frankie packed 56 fights into a five year career ending with a 40-13-3 record against world class opposition such as Billy Graham, Chalky Wright, Lulu Costantino and Phil Terranova. Uncle Nunzio was 27-2 in a short pro career. Gallo, 35, has mixed in high class company losing a majority decision to WBC light fly champion Rodel Mayol and beating former interim WBA super fly champion Jose Salgado last year.

LaManna vs. Strode

This was Lamanna’s fight from bell to bell. He was finding the target over the first three rounds with Strode getting warnings for low punches in the second and third. LaManna took the fourth with some fierce hooks and Strode went down in the fifth. It was questionable but the referee gave Strode a count. Strode managed to have some success when he could drag LaManna into a brawl but was outboxed and outlanded over the sixth and seventh. The fight was already won when Strode lost a point in the last for a punch to the back of LaManna’s head to widen the points gap. Scores 79-71 on all three cards for LaManna. The 26-year-old “Cornflake” from nearby Millville has lost important fights against Antoine Douglas and Dusty Hernandez Harrison but is now 5-0-1 in his six most recent fights including a creditable draw with Gabriel Bracero. Strode had a run of four losses in a row with tough opposition such as Mike Alvarado and 25-0 Jose Benavidez but had outpointed veteran Dennis Sharpe in May.

Teslenko vs. Gibson

Montreal-based Ukrainian Teslenko wins unanimous decision over Gibson. Teslenko had Gibson on the floor in the first but it was a questionable knockdown. The Ukrainian continued to get the better of the exchanges with crafty Gibson doing enough to make some of the rounds close but it was a dull fight with Gibson getting away with too much holding. Teslenko put in a big effort over the last two rounds trying for an inside the distance win but Gibson was never in any real danger. Scores 60-54, 59-54 and 58-55 for Teslenko. The 6’4” Teslenko had won 10 of his last 11 by KO/TKO but Gibson is a survivor. He has never lost by KO/TKO and has taken Mike Hunter and Simon Kean the distance.

Adorno vs. Mauras

Teenage sensation Adorno blows away poor Mauras in 99 seconds. He floored Mauras with a volley of punches and although Mauras beat the count he was being rocked by more shots as the referee jumped in to stop the fight. Adorno, 19, turned pro at 17 and all nine of his wins have come by KO/TKO, all inside three rounds and seven in the first round. The opposition has been distinctly inferior at this time but he has wiped them all out with real power. Mauras now 0-5-2 in his last 7 fights

 

Los Mochis, Mexico: Bantam: Carlos Cuadras (37-3-1) W TEC DEC 7 Ricardo Nunez (29-8). Light: Jose Felix (37-3-1) W PTS 6 Emmanuel Herrera (4-5). Super Light: Juan Romero (8-0) W PTS 6 Jose Valenzuela (6-4).

Cuadras vs. Nunez

Cuadras gets a technical decision over Nunez after suffering cuts over both eyes. A lively opening round saw Cuadras getting the better of the exchanges landing a series of left hooks and getting his punches off first. Nunez fired back with some good hooks  but it was Cuadras round. Nunez piled on the pressure in the second. He had Cuadras on the retreat under a hail of hooks and uppercuts with Cuadras looking uneasy at times. Cuadras banged back before the bell shaking Nunez twice with rights. Nunez kept up the pressure in the third with Cuadras landing some good rights but being outworked. A clash of heads opened a bad cut over the right eye of Cuadras and Nunez seemed to have edged the round. Cuadras class began to tell over the fourth and fifth. Boxing on the retreat he was walking Nunez onto some crisp, accurate counters and blocking or avoiding the Panamanian’s punches. Cuadras continued that success into the sixth landing some hard counter rights with Nunez too often swishing air as Cuadras slipped his punches. A clash heads just before the bell saw Cuadras cut over his left eye and the cut over his right eye was bleeding heavily. Both fighters could see that the cuts were too bad for the fight to go much longer so they came out throwing punches in the seventh. Both landed with hurtful shots but the quality punches were coming from Cuadras. At the end of the round it was ruled that the cuts were too bad for Cuadras to continue so it was decided on the score cards with Cuadras in front 68-63 twice and 69-63. This was the former WBC super flyweight champion’s first fight since undergoing treatment for drug and alcohol abuse and he looked very vulnerable at times. He wins the vacant WBC Latino Silver title and as he is No 10 in the WBC ratings at bantam he may stay at that weight. Nunez proved a handful for the former champion. The lanky Panamanian lost in title shots to Moruti Mthalane for the IBF flyweight title and to Juan Carlos Reveco for the secondary WBA flyweight  title but has fallen away and has now lost 3 of his last 4 fights

Felix vs. Herrera

Local hero Felix returns to his home town for the first time in seven years and gets a needed victory but has to fight much harder than expected for it. Scores 58-57 twice and 59-56. The 27-year-old “Josesito” was 27-0-1 until losing to Bryan Vasquez for the interim WBA super feather title in 2014. He rebounded with eight wins in a row but lost to Jonathan Maicelo in 2017 and to Marcos Villasana in April this year. Novice Herrera came in as a very late substitute  and performed beyond expectations.

Romero vs. Valenzuela

Olympian Romero made good use of his physical advantages and greater experience and won every round against Valenzuela with all three judges scoring it 60-54 for Romero. He has impressive amateur achievements including being Mexican champion, winning a bronze at the Central American and Caribbean Games and competing at the World Junior and Senior Championships, the Pan American Games and the 2016 Olympics. Valenzuela not really in with a chance here as he gets his fourth loss in a row.

 

Los Angeles, CA, USA: Super Light: Batyr Akhmedov (5-0) W KO 9 Ismael Barroso (20-3-2). Akhmedov climbs off the floor to beat Barroso. In a fierce battle between two hard punching southpaws Akhmedov found himself on the canvas in third after being caught by a hard left from Barroso. He was badly shaken but had recovered enough to take the fight to Barroso by the end of the round. From there he made adjustments and took the fight inside. He outworked the dangerous former interim WBA champion and built a winning lead. He ended the fight in the ninth with a left to the body that dropped Barroso to his knees and the Venezuelan was counted out. Don’t be fooled by the lack of experience on Akhmedov’s pro record. As an amateur he boxed under the name of Batuhan Gozgec for Turkey. He was Turkish champion, won a bronze medal at the 2015 Strandja Memorial Tournament, which was a qualifier for the Olympics, and his bronze medal there sent him on to represent Turkey at the 2016 Olympics. Born a Uzbek, was Russian-based and fought for Turkey! He has been rushed to the top fighting ten rounds in only his third fight and winning the vacant WBA Inter-Continental title which he was defending here. He was rated No 8 by the WBA before this win. Barroso gets only his second loss by KO/TKO. The other one came against Anthony Crolla in Manchester when he challenged for the WBA lightweight title. That loss also came from a body punch.

 

Hanover, MD, USA: Super Middle; Demond Nicholson (19-3-1) W KO 6 Isaac Rodrigues (25-3). Welter: Ivan Golub (15-1) W PTS 10 Lanardo Tyner (34-14-2,2ND). Super Light: Mykal Fox (18-0) W PTS 10 DeMarcus Corley (51-32-1).

Nicholson vs. Rodrigues

Nicholson wins an entertaining contest with a knockout in the sixth  Both fighters are recognised punchers and there was plenty of heavy exchanging throughout the competitive fight. Brazilian Rodrigues was coming forward for most of the fight with Nicholson meeting him with powerful jabs and matching him for body punches. A right from Nicholson shook Rodrigues in the second but Rodrigues came back to have a good third. They swapped punches throughout the fourth and fifth with Rodrigues suffering a cut in a clash of heads. Nicholson won it in the sixth. He cornered Rodrigues and unleashed a series of punches with Rodrigues falling to his knees from a final body punch and unable to beat the count. After a creditable draw with Immanuwel Aleem in 2016 Nicholson’s road to the top hit a couple of bumps as he lost to Steve Rolls on a split decision in 2017 and was stopped in seven rounds by Jesses Hart in April this year. With this win he picks up the WBC USNBC title and gets his eighteenth win by KO/TKO. Rodrigues, 33, had run up eight wins in succession, seven by KO/TKO including overpowering useful Frankie Filippone in four round in June but this time the puncher had his ticket punched.

Golub vs. Tyner

Golub gets his second win of the year as he takes wide unanimous decision over seasoned campaigner Tyner. The Ukrainian southpaw was 5” taller than Tyner and was able to use his longer reach to control the fight. Tyner kept rolling forward trying to get close enough to do some effective work but had problems getting past the jab. When he did get past the jab Golub used some powerful hooks to make it uncomfortable for the elderly “Pain Server” and Tyner was never really a threat. Score 100-90 twice and 99-91 for Golub. “The Volk” was climbing the ratings until losing an upset decision to Jamontay Clark last year but he returned with a win over Fidel Monterrosa Munoz in January. Tyner, 43, was 4-4 going into this one. He was considered a good prospect when he won his first 19 fights but then losses to Mike Aranoutis, Lamont Pearson and Saul Alvarez and others have seen him go down the journeyman route. He has two No Decisions on his record in one of which he lost to Chris Pearson only for both fighters to fail the post fight drug test.

Fox vs. Corley

Fox makes it 18 wins with victory over oldie Corley. With Fox at 6’3 ½” 192cm and Corley at 5’7” 170cm the tactics were predictable  with Fox looking to use his physical advantages to box at distance. It worked for much of the time but Corley’s lack of height was offset by his vast experience. He pressed forward for the whole fight finding his way past the jab enough to give Fox an uncomfortable night. Fox used some good defensive moves to frustrate Corley inside and although Corley finished the stronger Fox was a good winner and the scores flattered Corley. Scores 96-94 twice and 98-92 for Fox.  The 22-year-old “Professor” is still only facing moderate opposition but has plenty of time so no need to take risks yet. Former WBO super light champion Corley, 44, keeps busy and wins occasionally. Only 16 more fights to the 100 Chop Chop!

 

Auckland, New Zealand: Cruiser: Pat Ferguson (13-0-1) W TKO 7 Panuve Helu (10-2-1). Washington State fighter Ferguson wins a version of the New Zealand title with stoppage of Helu. As with many Pacific Island fighters Tongan Helu is vertically challenged and wastefully waisted. In other words he is small and very round. Ferguson had reach and height over the 5’8” Helu and was much quicker. He was able to score from the outside and when he went inside he could score and get out without getting hit. He dominated the fight but Helu never stopped trying. He absorbed a lot of punishment but was just too slow. In the seventh Ferguson rocked Helu with a right and then crowded him to the ropes. With Helu trapped in a corner Ferguson spent the next 40 seconds pumping out punches with nothing at all coming back from Helu before the referee finally decided to stop the fight . The 27-year-old from Spokane was US National Champion at 91kgs in 2015 and holds the WBC USNBC title. He is trying his hand in New Zealand with his manager Chauncy Welliver who had some good results down there. This is Ferguson’s eleventh win by KO/TKO. Helu had won his last six fight by KO/TKO but the opposition only had nine wins between them.

 

Mandaue City, Philippines: Light Fly: Christian Araneta (16-0) W KO 12 Jerry Tomogdan (25-10-4). Super Feather: Jaber Zayani (15-0) W PTS 10 Eduardo Mancito (16-9-2). Fly: Jobert Alvarez (18-2-2) W PTS 10 Gerpaul Valero (22-22-4).

Araneta vs. Tomogdan

Southpaw Araneta wins the vacant WBA ABC Silver title with brutal kayo of more experienced Tomogdan with just two seconds left in the fight. Araneta built a good lead with some clever boxing and accurate punching and after eight rounds was in front on all three cards with scores of 79-73 twice and 78-74. From there Araneta seemed to take his foot off the gas and just outbox Tomogdan content to go the distance. Entering the last round Araneta was in a winning position in front on two cards 108-101 twice and 107-102. He was still not going all out allowing Tomogdan to come forward. Just before the bell Tomogdan took Araneta to the ropes and threw a bunch of punches. Araneta responded with a gigantic left uppercut that laid Tomogdan out cold and the referee immediately abandoned the count. It was a worrying time as It took about ten minutes for Tomogdan to recover. The 23-year-old  from Cebu City has 14 wins by KO/TKO. He was world rated until a shoulder injury suffered last year led to 13 months of inactivity but he returned with a win in April. He has plenty of talent and power and is a great prospect. Fellow-southpaw Tomogdan, the Philippines No 4, had faced a much higher class of opposition than Araneta having lost to Wanheng in 2015 in a challenge for the WBC Minimum title. He was 4-1-1 going into this but comes away with his fifth loss by KO/TKO.

Zayani vs. Mancito

Frenchman Zayani gets split decision over Filipino Mancito. Zayani used his edges in height and reach to stem the attacks of Mancito but the Filipino was able to get inside and looked to be doing the more effective work. The result hinged on a knockdown scored by Zayani in the seventh round and that 10-8 was the difference that gave Zayani a lucky victory. Scores 96-93 and 95-94 for Zayani and 96-93 for Mancito. The 27-year-old Zayani wins the vacant WBO Oriental title. He turned pro in Canada and has fought in France, Mexico the USA and Thailand with the Philippines his sixth different arena in 15 fights. Now 4 losses in his last 5 fights for Mancito but without the knockdown this would have been a split decision win for him

Alvarez vs. Valero

Alvarez gets split decision over modest Valero with some bizarre scoring. The former top rated challenger came out a winner by 100-90 and 98-92 with the third judge having Valero the winner 96-94! The 28-year-old southpaw from General Santos City was 14-0-1 before losing on points to Juan Francisco Estrada in 2014. He rebounded in style with a kayo of Puerto Rican Jonathan Gonzalez only to suffer a crushing first round defeat against Miguel Cartagena. He is now 3-0-1 since that loss. Valero was 1-4-1 going into this fight.

 

Fajardo, Puerto Rico: Light: Alfredo Santiago (10-0) W TKO 4 Cristian Mino (19-2). Super Light: Subriel Matias (11-0) W TKO 4 Breidis Prescott (31-14). Bantam: Abimael Ortiz (6-0-1) W TKO 5 Jantony Ortiz (8-1).

Santiago vs. Mino

Santiago stops Mino in four rounds to win the vacant WBC Fecarbox title. Whoever made this match did not check the physical sizes of the two boxers and the fight was farcical at times. Santiago towered over Mina so much so that when Mino drove forward in a crouch his head was level with Santiago’s waist. That itself presented some problems for Santiago as Mino was agile and not an easy target. However it was  a case of how long it would take for Santiago to nail the elusive Argentinian. After a frustrating first round Santiago dropped Mino late in the second with a left hook. Mino was up at six but had lost his mouthguard. After that was replaced the little Argentinian threw himself forward head down slinging punches and made it to the bell. Mino began the third with more head down charges but a counter from Santiago knocked his mouthguard out. When the action resumed Santiago was almost running to catch up with Mino and a punch saw Mino’s mouthguard on the canvas again. In the fourth Santiago trapped Mino on the ropes and floored him with a left and a right. Mino beat the count but a couple of chopping rights sent him stumbling along the ropes and the referee stopped the fight. Dominican-born Santiago, a former high level amateur, gets his third win by KO/TKO. He already has wins over Jayson Velez and Arturo Santos but there was no glory to be had in this mismatch. How the 21-year-old Mino found 19 opponents to beat is explained by the very poor level of opposition he has met.

Matias vs. Prescott

“ Browny” Matias crushes a game Prescott in another impressive performance. In the first round Matias seemed content to track Prescott just stabbing out probing jabs. Prescott was on the retreat and not looking to engage. Matias came to life at the end of the round with a couple of combinations. Matias went to work in the second putting real snap into his jab and landing clubbing hooks from both hands. Prescott landed some heavy counters but Matias marched through them and pounded to head and body. It was more of the same in the third only this time Prescott decided to stand and trade. He showed some of his class of past in the quality of his punches but Matias was on top of him landing brutal shots. The pressure overwhelmed Prescott and he went into retreat under a  bombardment of hooks and uppercuts until a big left hook   dropped him to his knees. He made it his feet at seven but looked finished and he did not lift his hands until the referee asked him to do so for a third time. Again Matias was unloading with hard punches but Prescott made it to the bell. His body language said he was finished and he only came out for the fourth very reluctantly and was under fire immediately. He tried to punch back but after another series of heavy hits from Matias Prescott spun away and went down. He climbed to his feet but the referee waived the fight over. The 26-year-old Matias, fighting in his home town, looks a great prospect certainly one to note for the future. He has won all eleven of his fights by KO/TKO and all inside four rounds with another member of the Prescott family former WBA feather title challenger Daulis and 28-1 Adrian Estrella on his list of victims. At one time Breidis was 21-0 including a first round win over Amir Khan but at 35 he on the downhill slope with 6 losses in his last 7 fights, but all against opponents who were heavy favourites to beat him

Ortiz vs. Ortiz

“Hands of Stone” Abimael wins this all-Ortiz clash of unbeaten fighters. It was a high quality contest between two gifted fighters. Abimael did the pressing with Jantony on the back foot and countering. Both were landing hard body punches and whenever Abimael landed a heavy shot Jantony promptly upped his rate and fired back. It was a close quarters battle on reasonably even terms over the first two rounds. From the third the relentless pressure from Abimael put him in charge as he pumped out punches with both hands. In the fourth it was head-to-head for three minutes with Abimael in charge. Ortiz was staying inside trying to cut down on Abimael’s leverage but his own output dropped. In the fifth a left hook to the body saw Jantony drop to his knees. He got up very slowly only just beating the count. In his rush to finish the fight Abimael wrestled Jantony to the floor and they both went over. It was not counted as a knockdown but again Jantony was very slow in getting to his feet and as Abimael drove him along the ropes and down the referee stopped the fight. With Jantony having been a top level amateur Abimael was a slight underdog but he was just too strong and his power offset Jantony’s better skills as he registers his fourth win by KO/TKO. Jantony, 24, represented Puerto Rico at the 2012 Olympics and the 2013 World Championships but was out-muscled by Abimael in this one.

 

Cutral Co, Argentina: Middle: Marcelo Coceres (24-0-1) W PTS 10 Cristian Zarate (9-2).  Coceres beats former top level amateur Zarate and collects the vacant WBO Latino title. This was a poor fight that only caught fire at the end. After a couple of even rounds the bigger and stronger Coceres did what scoring there was. He had Zarate hurt on a couple of occasions but it was a dreary fight. In the last round Coceres shook Zarate with a huge right that sent him into the ropes. Coceres then landed a series of hard punches and just when Zarate looked like going down the bell went. Scores 97-93 twice and 98-92 for “El Terrible” Coceres the Argentinian No 2. Zarate the Argentinian No 10 had won his last seven but was going ten rounds for the first time and nearly didn’t make it.

 

Chihuahua, Mexico: Middle: Mario Lozano (33-8) W TKO 10 Saul Roman (43-12). Super Welter: Carlos Ocampo (23-1) W KO 3 Jesus Rojas (11-5-3).

Lozano vs. Roman

Lozano wins the WBC Fecombox title with a late stoppage in this fight between two experienced campaigners. These two had 58 wins by KO/TKO between them so it was expected to be over early but instead it was a hard fought battle that seemed destined to confound expectations and go the full twelve rounds. The crucial round was the seventh in which a bad cut was opened on the left eyelid of Roman. They continued to pound each other in an exciting match until the twelfth when the referee asked the doctor to examine the cut and he advised the fight be stopped. Now 24 wins by KO/TKO for Lozano.  After losses to Charles Hatley, Vanes Martirosyan and Jermell Charlo, Lozano has been only a rare campaigner having just one fight each year in 2015, 2016 and 2017but has upped his schedule a little as this is his second win this year. Roman almost made it to a title fight when he fought Vanes Martirosyan in a WBC eliminator in 2011 but was halted in seven rounds. He has kept busy and had won six in a row before this loss,

Ocampo vs. Rojas

Ocampo returns from devastating loss to Errol Spence and gets a win. Ocampo did all of the scoring in the first but Ruiz survived and banged back strongly in the second. In the third a left to the body put Ruiz down and he was counted out.

At 22 Ocampo has plenty of time to rebuild after that first round loss to Spence in a challenge for the IBF title. This victory move him to 14 wins by KO/TKO. Local fighter Rojas was way out of his class and has now lost four times by KO/TKO.

 

August 20

 

Ekaterinburg, Russia: Super Feather: Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov (12-0) W TKO 2 Robinson Castellanos (24-14). Super Welter: Magomed Kurbanov (15-0) W PTS 10 Charles Manyuchi (22-4-1). Super Feather: Muhammadkhuja Yaqubov (12-0) W KO 1Victor Gonzalez (18-2). Heavy: Evgeny Tischenko (1-0) W TKO 5 William Ocando (19-7).
Rakhimov vs. Castellanos

Rakhimov disposes of experienced Castellanos inside two rounds. Both were throwing some meaningful body punches early with Rakhimov prowling after Castellanos and looking dangerous. He tried a hard right but missed and tumbled to the floor. He quickly recovered and after Castellanos landed a good right a couple of hooks put the Mexican down. He was up at five and after the eight count they traded punches to the bell. A straight right sent Castellanos down against the ropes in the second. Castellanos beat the count but he got up slowly and looked shaken. He tried to punch his way out of trouble but a series of punches put him down again. He beat the count but a body punch put him on the floor for the third time in the round and the referee stopped the fight. The 24-year-old Tajik-born Rakhimov retains the IBO title with his tenth win by KO/TKO. He looks strong and can punch. He competed at the World Championships for Tajikistan but failed to get to the medal stage. In his last two fights Mexican Castellanos, 36, had beaten Yuriorkis Gamboa on a seventh round stoppage in May last year and lost a technical decision to Jezreel Corrales for the WBA super featherweight title in July.

Kurbanov vs. Manyuchi

Kurbanov wins unanimous decision over Manyuchi. Their styles did not mix well. There was a bit too much posing and holding with both fighters sloppy at times. When they were serious both landed with some heavy shots with Kurbanov the more accurate and stronger. Scores 99-91 twice and 97-93 for Kurbanov. Despite the absence of any rated or even near rated fighters in his list of victims the Russian “Black Lion” is No 4 with the IBF and No 7 with the WBA. Zimbabwean Manyuchi, the former WBC Silver and WBC International champion at welterweight was high in the ratings with a 19-1-1 run but a crushing first round stoppage loss to Kudratillo Abdukakhorov last year has seen him drop out of the listings.

Yaqubov vs. Gonzalez

Yaqubov wins the vacant WBC International title with first round kayo of Mexican Gonzalez. Southpaw Yaqubov was stalking the taller Mexican looking to land a big left. He missed with a few but was able to keep coming forward as Gonzalez was not looking to engage. Just when it looked as though Gonzalez was going make it out of the round Yaqubov landed a hard left to the solar plexus which dropped Gonzalez to his knees in pain and he was counted out. The 23-year-old Tajik has won 5 of his last 6 by KO/TKO. He looks a useful young boxer. Gonzalez, 19, had won his last five fights.

Tischenko vs. Ocando

Another top amateur heavyweight enters the pro ranks as Tischenko opens his account with a stoppage of Venezuelan Ocando. The 27-year-old 6’5” (196cm) Russian had a stellar time as an amateur. He was European Youth champion in 2009, European Under-23 Champion in 2012, European and World champion in 2015 and won Russia’s only gold medal at the 2016 Olympics. Sixth loss by KO/TKO for Ocampo.

 

Mt Hunter, Australia: Super Welter: Tommy Browne (39-7-2) W TKO 3 Ebenezer Lantei Lamptey (29-4). Tommy Browne wins three world titles in one fight. The experienced Australian halted Ghanaian Lamptey in the third round. Browne landed a hard four-punch combination in the third that sent Lamptey to the ropes. Browne then pounded away with a series of punches and with Lamptey not throwing anything back the fight was stopped. The 35-ywear-old local gets win No 16 by KO/TKO and collects the vacant WBFoundation, UBO and UBF world titles. Browne started out as a super feather but went down to feather for challenges against In-Jin Chi for the WBC title and Chris John for the WBA title. He eventually went up to middleweight losing to Tony Mundine in January this year. Browne was having his last fight in Australia as he is now going to see if he can get into some big fights in the UK or USA. Lamptey’s record flatters him as 19 of his first 20 opponents had only one win between them and the other fighter beat Lamptey. He did move up to some stiffer opposition but lost to Chad Bennett and Bethuel Ushona-the only two quality fighters he faced. This was his first fight for a year.

 

Fight of the week (Entertainment): Wilmer Soto vs. Julio Escudero in Panama City a war all the way with honourable mention to Akira Yaegashi vs. Hirofumi Mukai

Fight of the week (Significance): Tyson Fury’s win over Francesco Pianeta if it leads to Fury vs. Wilder and if not then Carl Frampton’s win over Luke Jackson which could lead to Frampton vs. IBF champion Josh Warrington

Fighter of the week: TJ Doheny beating Ryosuke Iwasa in Japan to win the IBF super bantam title with honourable mention to Cristofer Rosales who did the same against Paddy Barnes

Punch of the week:  There were quite a few this week. The body punch from Rosales that ended his fight with Barnes, the chopping right from Jesse Hart that floored Mike Gavronski and the uppercut from Bryant Jennings which floored Alex Dimitrenko in the ninth but I go for the Christian Araneta left uppercut which had Jerry Tomogdan out cold before he even hit the floor.

Upset of the week: JP Doheny beating Ryosuke Iwasa in front of his own fans in Japan and honourable mention to Greg Vendetti for his win over Yoshihiro Kamegai

One to watch: Christian Carto from Allentown 16-0 11 wins by KO/TKO.