The Past Week In Action June 15,2010

Eric's latest weekly global boxing digest - the best on the web, bar none.  Look out for his 'Snips and Snipes' column too which gives you insights you'll get nowhere else.

June 9

Seine-Maritime, France: Light Welter: Chris Sebire (21-4) W PTS 8 Damien Martin (10-7-2). French champion Sebire, 25, wins clear unanimous verdict despite injury to his right hand which may force him to rest for a while. Sebire has lost here to Peter McDonagh and Mike Grant.

June 10

Mansfield, Australia: Light Heavy: Shane McConville (6-0-4) W PTS 10 Phil Maley (4-2-1). Light Middle: Phil Holiday (39-7-1) W PTS 10 Jason Kanofski (13-4-3). McConville, 25, makes successful first defence of Aussie title with points win to put him 2-0-1 ahead in series with novice Maley. Both boys cut and McConville takes majority verdict on scores of 98-92, 96-94 and 95-95. South African veteran Holiday, a former IBF lightweight champion, 40, wins vacant Australian title with split decision over Kanofski. Scores 97-93, 96-95 and 97-98.Only Holiday’s second fight after seven years out of the ring. Kanofski, 25, lost in a challenge for the Aussie welterweight title in May. Switch-hitting Kanofski starts well, but experience and body punching of Holiday wins out. Fight good enough for the promoter to pay both guys a Aus $500 bonus in the ring after the contest. Holiday lost here at Bethnal Green in a WBU title fight to Colin Dunne in 1999.

Saint-Etienne, France: Cruiser: Rachid El Hadak (20-8-1) W PTS 12 Roman Kracik (31-4-1). These two fought a draw in 2008, but this time there was no doubt as French champion Hadack, 36 led from the bell and was too busy and too accurate for 38-year-old Czech. Hadack retains WBA European title on scores of 120-110, 119-109, and 118-110. El Hadak last loss was on points to David Dolan in 2008.

 Mexico City, Mexico: Super Feather: Gamaliel Diaz (27-9-2) W TKO 10 Ismael Gonzalez (20-16). Former WBC feather challenger Diaz, 29, touches down briefly from a punch after the bell at the end of the first but then busts up the right eye of Gonzalez in fourth. Gonzalez seems to have the better of it in seventh and eighth but body punches get to him and a body punch provides the finish in the tenth. Diaz retains WBC CABOFE title. Gonzalez is 3-9 in his last twelve, but came to fight.

June 11

Montreal, Canada: Middle: David Lemieux (23-0) W KO 1 Elvin Ayala (20-5-1). Super Middle: Brian Vera (17-4) W TKO 3 Seastien Demers (31-3). Welter: Alfredo Chavez W KO 2 Manolis Plaitis (15-0-1). Welter: Kevin Bizier (11-0) W RTD 7 Johnny Navarrete (14-4-1). Heavy: Wayne John (4-0) W TKO 5 Patrice L’Heureux (24-5-1). Very mixed night for Canadian boxers. Impressive show from 21-year-old Lemieux. He shakes Ayala in first 20 seconds, floors him twice with right hooks and finishes with third knockdown, all within 164 seconds. Lemieux wins vacant WBC International title and makes it 22 by KO/TKO. Ayala, 29, lasted into the twelfth round against Arthur Abraham in IBF challenge in 2007.

Upset as Texan Vera loses first two rounds then floors Canadian Demers in third. Demers up before count starts but Vera, 28, floors him again and then is teeing off when referee stops the fight. Vera always given tough fights. The pre-fight records of his last five opponents, including Demers,and a loss to Craig McEwan, add up to 99-2! He holds a stoppage win over Andy Lee. Demers lost to Arthur Abraham for IBF middles title in 2007. Yet another upset as Mexican novice Chavez kayos previously undefeated Canadian champ Plaitis 55 seconds into the second round. Prospect Bizier steadies the ship with useful Mexican Navarrete, 22, retiring at the end of seventh, but another upset as novice John, 30, dominates 38-year-old L’Heureux, and former Canadian champion’s corner asks the referee to stop the fight.

General Villegas, Argentina: Light Welter: Claudio Olmedo (19-2, 1ND) W PTS 10 Guillermo de Jesus Paz (18-20-3,1ND). El Pumita” makes successful second defence of his interim WBC Latino title. Always in command but not able to supply the finish he wins on scores of 100-92, 99-91 and 99-94. Durable journeyman Paz, a southpaw, has a 2009 win over a fading former WBA champ Raul Balbi and beat Martin Coggi in May. Only one of his losses has been inside the distance.

San Diego, USA: Feather: Chris Martin (18-0-2) W PTS 8 Adolfo Landeros (20-14-1). Youth, speed and agility do it for “SD Kid” Martin as Mexican Landeros, 30, fights only in spurts. No knockdowns as Martin wins on scores of 80-72 twice and 79-73 and retains Californian State title. Landeros now lost six of last seven.

June 12

New York, USA: Light Fly: Ivan Calderon (34-0-1) W PTS 12 Jesus Iribe (16-7-5). Will Rosinsky (12-0) W TKO 3 Angel Gonzalez (6-8-1).Fly: Tadashi Okada (3-0-1) W PTS 4 McWilliam Arroyo (3-1).Big surprise, a Calderon fight without cuts. Puerto Rican has to climb off the floor in second, and then turns on master class of skilful southpaw boxing to which Mexican Iribe has no answer. Sixth successful defence for Calderon as two officials give it to WBO champion Calderon, 35, by 118-109 and the third is more generous to Iribe with 116-111. The 5’0” tall, former WBO straw and light-fly champ, has taken part in 18 “world” title fights with 17 wins and a technical draw. Iribe has had shots at the WBC and IBF light fly titles.

Easy for former top amateur Rosinsky as he hurts Gonzalez in each round and loser stays in his corner at end of third. Upset as Japanese novice, floors, cuts and outpoints hot prospect Arroyo who fights dumb fight looking for kayo with every punch, and pays the price. Scores 39-36 and 38-37 twice, so knockdown made the difference. Okada fresh from sparring with Rodel Mayol.

Puebla, Mexico: Fly: Julio Cesar Miranda (32-5-1) W TKO 5 Richie Mepranum (22-2-1). Super Bantam: Rodolfo Hernandez (18-1-1,1ND) W KO 1 Rey Cajina (8-5-2,1ND ). Middle: Rigo Alvarez (24-2) W TKO 2 Mauro Romero (2-1). Almost an all-southpaw battle as Miranda constantly switching. Favourite Mepranum starts well with his clever counter punching in toe-to-toe action, but it changes in second when a Miranda body shot hurts the 23-year-old Filipino. Miranda, 30, continues body attack in third, but Mepranum also scoring well. A left hook has southpaw Mepranum down but not too badly hurt at the bell ending the fourth. “Pingo” hunting game Mepranum down and pressure tells at the as Filipino almost punched out. More relentless pressure in fifth and wicked body hooks put Merpranum down twice and fight stopped. Miranda wins vacant WBO title. Third title shot for “Pingo” after losses to Pongsaklek and Moruti Mthalane. Mepranum young enough to come again.

“Fofo” Hernandez puts away poor Nicaraguan to win vacant NABO title. Now 17 by KO/TKO for Hernandez, nine in the first round. Alvarez, 32, a former Rubio victim, makes it 18 by KO/TKO as he floors Romero twice in second in abysmal match..

Marrakech, Morocco: Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (24-0) W KO 8 Omar Weiss (40-10-3).Super Bantam: Ali Hallab (8-0) W PTS 12 Alex Vladimirov (9-4-1). Cameroon-born N’Jikam, WBA No 3, wins every round. Clash of heads has Argentinian Weiss, 37, badly cut in third. Only his awkward style keeps him in the fight until a body punch finishes him. N’Jika, who is eligible to fight for the Commonwealth title, wins the vacant WBC International title. Former amateur star Hallab wins vacant WBA European title with easy unanimous verdict over Bulgarian who lost in Hartlepool to Ricky Owen in 2006 .

Gomez Palacio, Mexico: Middle: Marco Antonio Rubio(47-5-1) W PTS 12 Sam Miller (20-4). Middle: Marcos Reyes (15-1) W KO 11 Jose Luis Zertuche (21-6-3).. Miller warned for butting in second and has a point taken away for the same offence in the seventh. Rubio, 29, cuts Californian-based Colombian over his left eye in fourth and goes on to almost close both of Miller’s eyes. Miller scores well with counter punches but Rubio in control in most rounds and wins unanimous verdict of 117-110 and 116-112 . Wins vacant WBC International title. Fiery fight sees Reyes retain his WBC Fecombox title as he kayos veteran Zertuche, 37. Floors him twice and finishes him with a body punch. Reyes has 13 by KO/TKO.

Rumilly, France: Light Middle: Sebastien Madani (29-1) W PTS 12 Jurijs Boreiko (17-22-1). Bantam: Karim Guerfi (15-0) W PTS 6 Faycal Messaoud (4-15-1).Former undefeated French champion “Coco” Madani much too good for Latvian journeyman Boreiko. No knockdowns, but Madani strength and power make it an easy night as moves to 21 straight wins taking the verdict on scores of 119-109, 118-110 and 117-111 to collect vacant WBA European title. Boreiko’s record, three wins in his last 16 fights, shows just how little quality control is exercised by the WBA, but the Latvian can claim to have had Kreshnik Qato on the floor in his losing effort here in March last year. Prospect Guerfi again showcases his skills as he outclasses Messaoudi. Has him hurt in second and fifth but can’t apply the finish. Only two wins by KO/TKO for 23-year-old, but has talent.

Huatabampo, Mexico: Light: Sergio Rivera (25-5-2 ) W PTS 12 Cesar Soto (62-20-3). A close, tough fight as southpaw “Pollero” Rivera,28, retains his WBC FECOMBOX on a majority verdict Scores 116-114, 116-116 and an incredible 120-111! Former WBC champion Soto, who lost his WBC title to Prinnce Naseem Hamed in 1999, had won six of his last seven and should have won this one.

Hollywood, USA: Heavy: Lance Whitaker (35-6-1) W PTS 12 Andrey Fedosov (21-2). Heavy: Damian Wills (28-2-1) W PTS 10 Lionel Butler (32-17-1,1ND).Russian Fedosov, 24, looks on the way to an easy victory as he sweeps the early rounds and scores a knockdown over veteran Whitaker in fifth. Whitaker uses jab to get back into the fight and does better in the later rounds but points win hotly disputed. Scores 114-113, 115-112 and 112-115. The 6’8” Whitaker, 38, bounces back from loss to Oliver McCall in October. Whitaker scored a one round win over Matt Ellis last August. Fedosov winning streak broken at 15,including his last nine by KO/TKO. Good scrap between 30-year-old Wills and 42-year-old Butler. In ninth Butler cut badly but floors Wills in same round. Wills just too young for game Butler, and wins comfortable decision on scores of 98-91 twice and 99-91. Willis now has six wins in a row since losing to Kevin Johnson in 2007. His other loss was to Chris Arreola. Butler, was kayoed by Fedosov in January. It was 15 years ago that Butler surrendered in a WBC eliminator to Lennox Lewis.

Krynica Zdrog ,Poland: Cruiser: Pawel Kolodziej (26-0) W TKO 12 Parfait Amougui Amougou (8-3-1). Cruiser: Lukasz Janik (20-1) W PTS 8 Gabor Halasz (27-14).Kolodziej, 25, winning by a mile, has a dip in tenth as he seems to run out of gas. In last round Pole scores with big right and Cameroon-born Amougou is in trouble and fight stopped when Kolodziej scores a knockdown. Big Kolodziej, 6’5” retains WBFed title, but Amougou has no place in any “world “ title fight. Second win of the year for Pole who stopped Mark Krence in three rounds in March. Prospect Janik, 24, wins every round against experienced Hungarian prelim fighter Halasz.

June 15

Hollywood, USA: Heavy: Timur Ibgragimov (28-2-1) W PTS 12 Oliver McCall (54-10,2ND). Uzbek Ibragimov, 35, gets career moving again with unanimous decision over former WBC champ McCall, 45, as he wins wide unanimous decision on scores of 119-109 and 117-111 twice. Almost eleven years since McCall won the big one with second round stoppage of Lennox Lewis.