Behind the Results w/e 5th February
February 3
Tokyo, Japan: Feather: Satoshi Hosono (19-1) W PTS 10 Kazumasa Kihara (12-2-1). “Bazooka” Hosono, 27, comes from behind to retain his Japanese title with unanimous verdict over Kihara. The taller Kihara controls the first three rounds with his height and reach advantages, but a heavy right in the fourth shakes him up and from then on Hosono is the boss. The under pressure Kihara deducted a point for holding in the ninth but lasts the distance. Hosono wins on scores of 98-92 twice and 97-93. Hosono lost to Poonsawat for the WBA secondary super bantamweight title in January last year and this is his third win since then.
Albany, USA: Light Welter: Mike Faragon (14-0) W PTS 8 Shamir Reyes (18-8-2, 1ND). The “Baby Faced Beast” Faragon, 23, wins wide unanimous verdict over Reyes. Supposed to be a lightweight bout, but southpaw Reyes came in 7lbs overweight. Faragon agreed to go ahead with the bout anyway and won easily on points. Scores 79-73 twice and 78-74. Only one win in his last eight for Reyes.
February 4
Santa Ynez, USA: Cruiser: Lateef Kayode (16-0) W PTS 10 Nick Iannuzzi (16-2). Feather: Luis Franco (9-0) W PTS 10 Leo Miranda (32-3). Freddie Roach-trained Kayode, 27, gets a reality check as Florida’s Iannuzzi refuses to stand and trade and makes it a tough night for unbeaten Nigerian. Kayode doing all of the forcing and most of the missing. “Showstopper” Iannuzzi, 34, looks to be ahead with his jab and move tactics, but then Kayode finishes strongly. Iannuzzi lands punch after the last bell which costs him a point. In good learning fight Kayode, taken the distance for the first time since winning his pro debut on points and retains NABO and NABF titles. Scores 98-91, 97-92, 95-94 (which would have been a draw but for the deduction). Same for Cuban Franco as Mexican southpaw tests his chin.
Southpaw Miranda, 28, throwing bombs from the first bell. Miranda scores what looks a knockdown in the first, but it is ruled a slip. Franco, 29, using hand speed and movement, and occasionally fighting in the pocket in some exciting exchanges, gets into the fight. Great fifth round sees Miranda scoring heavily, and Franco fighting back at the end of the round, with both fighters hurt. Miranda stays with his body attack and keeps it close. Franco goes back to his boxing in late rounds and takes the split decision on score of 97-93, 96-94 and 94-96. Franco, a world junior champion and 2004 Olympian, retains WBO Inter-Continental title. Miranda had won his first 30 bouts, 28 by KO/TKO, but against tougher opposition, has lost three of his last five.
Fort Worth, USA: Super Middle: Brian Vera (18-5) W PTS 10 Sergio Mora (22-2-2). Upset of sorts as Texan Vera, 29, wins bloody war over Mora. Tough fight with Vera the naturally bigger fighter forcing the fight. Mora cut over both eyes. Vera put the pressure on early and Mora, 30, comes on in the middle rounds to make it anybodies fight. Vera seems to take the last round as Mora tires and split decision goes to hometown fighter on scores of 96-94, 96-94 and 94-96. Vera, who had been kayoed in two rounds by Jaidon Codrington in the 2007 “The Contender” series, had lost four out of five going in, including a points loss to Craig McEwan in 2009. On the other hand he has wins over Andy Lee and Sebastien Demers. Former WBC light middle champ Mora, “The Latin Snake”, who won the 2004 “The Contender” tournament, was having his first fight since drawing with Shane Mosley in September.
Ontario, Canada: Heavy: Neven Pajkic (16-0) W PTS 10 Johnnie White (22-4). Heavy: Tye Fields (45-2) W TKO 3 Ray Olubowale (8-5-1). A very rocky ride for 33-year-old Canadian champion Pajkic. He dominates the early rounds going forward and attacking the Louisianan. However a big right in the sixth hurts Pajkic and from then on it is an even fight with White, 26, finding his way through the Bosnian’s guard and rocking him on numerous occasions. A shaky Pajkic keeps punching back down the stretch. Scores 96-94 twice and 97-93 for Pajkic, but not a popular decision with the crowd. Somehow this is said to be for the NABA Canadian title, whatever that means, and why was a guy from Louisiana fighting for it? White’s record deceiving as he has now lost four of his last five since stepping up.
First round of this heavyweight match goes to former Canadian champion Olubowale as he makes the running and scores against a tentative Fields. Fields takes over in the second and soon has Olubowale rocking with some big swings. More of the same in the third, and after some more heavy head punches and with Olubowale not fighting back, the referee stops the fight. “Big Sky” Fields is 6’8” tall and “Mount Kilimanjaro” Olubowale 6’7”, their combined weights came to 549lbs, but to put the record of Fields into context he was kayoed in 57 seconds by Monte Barrett. The 40-year-old Olubowale was having his first fight since June 2009.
Lares, Puerto Rico: Feather: Jayson Velez (15-0) W TKO 5 John Alberto Molina (28-15-3). Light: Mike Perez (12-0-1) W TKO 8 Marcos Herrera (6-4-1). Light Welter: Daniel Jimenez 20-3-1) W KO 5 Miguel Angel Munguia (18-18-1). “La Maravilla” Velez, 22, outclasses experienced Colombian veteran Molina, 33, who absorbs a beating. Molina’s corner refuses to let him come out for fifth. Now twelve by KO/TKO for Velez. Molina, who challenged for the WBO light fly title in 2002, is now a super-bantam and has lost seven of his last eight. Perez, 21, has too much of everything for modest Herrera. Shows he can box or brawl as he dominates fight and then turns on the heat in the eighth with a blistering attack that forces the stoppage.
In first fight since August 2009, Jimenez takes time to shake of some rust but then is too good for Mexican Munguia and finishes it in fifth. Two of his losses have been to Jesus Chavez and Roman Martinez. Munguia has won just two of his last eleven, but gave John Murray a good fight in Las Vegas in 2007.
Williamsburg, USA: Heavy: Chauncy Welliver (46-5-5) W TKO 4 James Haynes (21-16-2,1ND). No trouble for Welliver as he floors poor 45-year-old Haynes twice and halts him in four. This was for the WBC Continental Americas title, so they must have been too busy counting the sanction fee to notice how bad a match this was. Now eleven wins in a row for Welliver since stoppage loss to Odlanier Solis in 2008, but all pretty poor opposition.
Laval, France: Welter: Stanislas Salmon (22-1-1) W TKO 5 Joaquin Carneiro (10-3). Light Middle: Cedric Vitu (30-1) W PTS 6 Ionut Trandafir Ilie (13-8-1). Fighting in his hometown, French champion Salmon, 26, has no trouble with inexperienced Brazilian southpaw and halts him in fifth to win the WBC Mediterranean. Same for 25-year-old southpaw Vitu, the French light middle champion, as Romanian settles for survival and losses every round in non title fight.
Berne, Switzerland: Welter: Riad Menasria (29-2-1) W PTS 6 Stan Sakic (1-5). No danger here for Menasria as he wins every round against Bosnian novice who also looses a point for holding in the last round. Scores 60-53 from all three officials. First fight for Algerian since loss to Craig Watson in November 2009.
Southport, Australia: Light Heavy: Les Piper (13-6-3) W PTS 10 Josh Clemshaw (29-19). Comprehensive win for 27-year-old Piper in battle of former Australian champions. Piper loses a point for low blows in the ninth but still takes the verdict on scores of 99-90, 99-91 and 97-92 over 34-year-old “Chainsaw” Clemshaw. Piper is a former undefeated super middle champ and Clemshaw held light middle and middle titles. They were also both unsuccessful competitors in the Australian super middleweight version of “The Contenders”.
February 5
Tokyo, Japan: Super Fly Tomas Rojas (35-12-1,1ND) W PTS12 Nobuo Nashiro (14-3-1). Bantam: Malcolm Tunacao (28-2-3) W TKO 6 Daigo Nakahiro (21-4-1). Super Fly: Hirofumi Mukai (5-0) W PTS 10 Sonny Boy Jaro (31-10-5). Mexican Rojas just retains his WBC title with a unanimous verdict over former WBA champion Nashiro. In his first defence, southpaw Rojas, 30, used his height and reach advantages to keep the bout at a distance. Nashiro, 29 pressed the action, but was frustrated by the defensive tactics of the champion, and also lost a point when Rojas was cut in an accidental clash of heads in the seventh. Despite a desperate finish burst by Nashiro, Rojas retained on scores of 116-111, 116-113 and 114-113. Rojas had been kayoed in two rounds by Vic Darchinyan for the WBC and WBA titles in December 2009. Nashiro has had two reigns as WBA champion.
Filipino “Eagle Eye” Tunacao, 32, makes successful third defence of his OPBF title as he halts late substitute Nakahiro in six rounds. The former WBC flyweight champion has lost only once, on a technical decision, in his last 20 fights. Nakahiro lost to Pongsaklek in a challenge for the WBC fly title in 2006. Southpaw prospect Mukai was the only Japanese winner as he won a wide points victory over experienced Filipino Jaro. Scores 99-92 twice and 99-93. Mukai, 25, was having his first ten round bout. Jaro, 28, has had shots at both the WBA and WBC light fly titles.
Guadalajara, Mexico: Light Middle: Austin Trout (22-0) W PTS 12 Rigo Alvarez (26-3). Straw: Jesus Silvestre (20-2) W KO 4 Yader Escobar (23-4). The crude Alvarez exposed by better boxing of former top amateur Trout who outclasses Mexican and lifts vacant WBA secondary title with a wide unanimous verdict on scores of 119-108 from all three officials. Southpaw Trout was just too quick for the slow Alvarez and was able to score freely through the poor defence of Alvarez. First fight for Trout since November 2009, but no rust showing. Alvarez, 33, the elder brother of Matthew Hatton opponent Saul Alvarez, is rethinking his future.
Silvestre impressive as he floors Escobar twice and then finishes useful Nicaraguan with a body shot in the third. Now 16 by KO/TKO for “Negrito” who is close to a shot at the WBA title. The only loss for Silvestre in his last 13 fights was to WBO champion Donnie Nietes in a non title fight. Cartagena, Colombia: Light Fly: Jesus Geles (12-1-1) W PTS 12 Ramon Garcia (15-2-1). Super Bantam: Jhonatan Romero (15-0) W PTS 10 Mario Macias (22-7). Light Welter: Darley Perez (19-0) W PTS 10 Alejandro Heredia (8-6-1). Split decision goes to the hometown fighter as the WBO clear up who is their interim champion. Geles, 22, gets the better start, but Mexican southpaw Garcia, 28, going forward all the time and looks the stronger. Geles boxes on the outside with clever counters, but still looks lucky to get the decision. Scores 115-113 twice and 110-118. Third defence for Garcia.
Local hopes Romero, 24, and Perez, 27, extend their unbeaten runs with comfortable points victories. Romero beats former NABF champion Macias on scores of 99-91 twice and 98-95 to win the vacant WBO Latino title and Perez wins over Venezuelan 98-92 twice and 98-93. Mexico City, Mexico: Straw: Juan Hernandez (18-1) W PTS 12 Moises Fuentes (12-1). A bad night all round for WBC No 1 Hernandez. Firstly “Churritos” fails to make the weight and loses his NABF title on the scales. Then he has a tough fight to get past novice Fuentes on a split decision. Hernandez had the classier boxing and was in control early but Fuentes scored well with hooks and came into the fight as Hernandez tired. Scores 115-112, 115-113 and 113-115.
Leon, Nicaragua: Feather: Rene Alvarado (13-0) W KO 2 Bismark Alfaro (11-14,3ND). Having stopped Alfaro in three rounds in December Alvarado was determined to get it over quickly. He jumped on Alfaro from the first bell and kept up the pressure before ending it with a volley after 104 seconds of the second round. His twin brother Felix also scored a win on the card. Now eight by KO/TKO for Alvarado. Alfaro has lost ten in a row since beating Gavin Reid in 2009.
Maywood, USA: Super Middle: Dyah Davis (18-2-1) DREW 10 Francisco Sierra (23-3-1). Light Oscar Meza (21-4) W PTS 8 Leo Martinez (15-15). A boxer vs. Puncher contest sees Davis unlucky as he seems to do enough to win over banger Sierra, but has to settle for a majority draw. Scores 95-95 twice and 98-92. Good performance for Floridian Davis, 29, the son of Olympic gold medalist Howard Davis Jr. Mexican Sierra had scored a win over previously unbeaten Don George in July last year, and his losses have been to world rated Rigo Alvarez and Edison Miranda. Meza, 24, too good for journeyman Martinez. Registers a knockdown in seventh and wins on scores of 80-72, 78-73 and 79-72. “El Estudiante” Meza has lost just two of his last 17 and they were to Mercito Gesta and Brandon Rios, and includes a win over Jorge Paez Jr on his record.
Bayamon, Puerto Rico: Light Welter: Jose A Gonzalez (14-0) W KO 5 Derrick Campos (20-11). Super Fly: McWilliams Arroyo (6-1) W TKO 1 Manuel Galaviz (3-5). Gonzalez, 27, marches on with easy win over modest opposition. “Chelo” scores knockdown in the third and continues the pressure until the referee saves Campos in fifth. Now ten by KO/TKO for Gonzalez, but fifth loss in a row for Campos. Former world amateur champion Arroyo, 25, floors and finishes Mexican teenager at the end of the first round.
Tokyo, Japan: Fly: Toshiyuki Igarashi (13-1-1) W TKO 3 Takayasu Kobayshi (16-4-3). Former Olympian Igarashi, 27, wins vacant Japanese title. Hard punching prospect dominates from first and is in control and punishing Kobayashi when referee stops it. Second shot at winning national title for both fighters. Igarishi competed for Japan at the 2004 Olympics and the 2005 World Championships.
