Behind the Results, w/e 6th March 2011
Eric celebrates East Fife's rich vein of form with a tour starting in South Africa and ending in Guanajuato.
March 1
Kempton Park, South Africa: Heavy: Light Heavy: Johnny Muller (9-0-2) W TKO 9 Roedolf Venter (11-4). Heavy: Zack Mwekassa (9-2) W TKO 4 Epiphanie Pipi. Unfortunate ending to a good, close fight.
Muller scored a knockdown in the fourth, but hit Venter a couple more times when he was down, so was lucky to avoid disqualification. The bout was pretty even in the ninth, but Venter badly twisted his knee and was unable to continue. First defence of South African title for Muller. Venter, who has been a low as 150lbs in his career, had won two bouts last year, after returning from almost four years out of the ring. Congolese fighter Mwekassa, in his first fight in 17 months, halts Ghanaian who does not come out for the fourth round.
March 4
Melbourne, Australia: Welter: Victor Chernous (12-1) W PTS 8 Steve Heremia (16-6-1). Light Heavy: Blake Caparello (6-0-1) W PTS 8 Mike Bolling (12-2).Clever boxing Australian champion Chernous, 26, just edges out New Zealander. Heremia, 25, forces action, and busier, but Ukrainian Chernous’ tight defence and sharp counters give him majority verdict on scores of 79-74, 77-76 and 77-77. In all southpaw scrap Caparello scores upset as he floors and outpoints Bolling. Caparello, 24, scoring good counters to aggressive Bolling, 26, and in front. Shaken in seventh he bangs back to hurt Bolling in last. Scores 78-71, 77-74 and 76-75.
Deurne, Belgium: Welter: Jackson Osei Bonsu (34-4) W PTS 10 Jose Del Rio (11-2). Bonsu uses considerable height and reach advantages to win wide unanimous decision over southpaw Spanish champion Del Rio. Third win for 30-year-old Ghana-born Bonsu since crushing loss to Randall Bailey in one round a year ago. Scores 97-92 twice and 98-91.
Montreal, Canada: Super Feather: Arash Usmanee (11-0) W TKO 5 Isaac Bejarano (9-10-1). The 29-year-old former top amateur used a relentless body attack to beat Bejerano. The Mexican was cut in the second round, floored in the third and floored twice more in the fifth, when his corner threw in the towel. Usmanee, won gold at the 2005 Multi-Nations in Liverpool, was Canadian national champ in 2005/6/7, and competed at the Commonwealth Games and the 2007 World Championships. Bejerano has failed to win any of his last eight.
Helsinki, Finland: Super Middle: Piotr Wilczewski (29-1) W TKO 11Amin Asikainen (28-4). Light Welter: Denis Shafikov (26-0-1) W TKO 5 Nugzar Margvelashvili (18-10). Feather: Andreas Evensen (14-2) W TKO 3 Yordan Vasilev (9-21-2).Light: Edis Tatli (14-0) W PTS 8 Stuart Green (15-11). Cruiser: Juho Haapoja (14-2-1,1ND) W TKO 4 Mantas Tarvydas (17-10). Pole Wilczewski wins vacant European title with stoppage of local fighter Asikainen. Finn starts better despite being cut in clash of heads in first. Wilczewski, 32, has better third round. Both have good moments with Finn ahead at the end of seventh. Pole turns the fight around in the eighth as he floors Asikainen with a right. Asikainen complains punch lands on the back of his head. Asikainen takes the ninth, but in the eleventh Wilczewski hurts Asikainen and then lands a crunching fight which puts Asikainen down. He beats the count but is in no condition to continue. Seventh win for Wilczewski since being halted by Curtis Stevens in July 2009. Former European middleweight champion Asikainen, stopped by Matthew Macklin for the middleweight title in September 2009, may now retire and go into training.
EBU No 3 Shafikov floors Georgian with a body punch in the fourth and sustained attack in fifth brings finish. Now 15 by KO/TKO for 25-year-old Russian, who has a win over former WBA champion Raul Balbi. Margvelashvili beat Barry Hughes and lost to Andy Morris. Former WBO challenger Evensen scores three knockdowns on the way to stopping Vasilev. The 25-year-old Colombian-born Norwegian lost on points to Ricky Burns in December. Former Finnish amateur champion Tatli,23, wins unanimous decision over Scot Green. Scores 80-72 twice and 79-73. Haapoja, 30, halts Lithuanian to go to nine wins by KO/TKO, and unbeaten in ten since losing to world rated Denis Bakhtov in May 2008.
Creil, France: Light Middle: Cedric Vitu (31-1) W PTS 10 Mahdi Nekaies (15-6). French champion Vitu does himself no favours as he forgets his boxing and mixes it with Nekaies in the first round, and comes out with a cut over his left eye. After that Vitu makes his superior southpaw skill count and scores well to head and body. Nekaies has a good seventh, but Vitu in charge and he stages a big attack in the last but can’t put Nekaies away. Vitu , rated No 6 by EBU, makes second successful defence of his title.
Livorno, Italy: Light Middle: Lenny Bottai (13-1) W PTS 12 Sergei Melis (17-4). Feather: Alberto Servidei (30-0-2) W PTS 10 Massimo Morra (21-6-3). Italian champion Bottai, 33, wins vacant IBF International title with unanimous decision over Estonian Melis. Bottai did not turn pro until he was 30. “Baltic King” Melis challenged for the same title at super middle in October, and has only lost to good opposition. Southpaw Servidei, 35, wins unanimous verdict in competitive bout between two experienced fighters. Retains Italian title for second time in his second spell as champion. The former undefeated European champion is rated No 2 by the EBU, but despite his 32 fight unbeaten run, he is not rated in the top 15 by any of the four sanctioning bodies. Morra, 37, is a former Italian super bantam and feather champion, and this was his first fight since losing the feather title to Davide Dieli in July.
Iztacalco, Mexico: Feather: Rafael Guzman (28-2) W TKO 3 Jorge Ibarra (10-6-1). Impressive performance by 24-year-old Guzman. The tall, slim fighter from Guadalajara floors Ibarra at the end of the second and then jumps on him again at the start of the third, and a continuous barrage of punches brings the finish. Now 19 by KO/TKO as he rebuilds after shock one round loss to Carlos Cardenas last March.
Managua, Nicaragua: Super Feather: Eusebio Osejo (18-9-2) W T DEC 4 John Jackson (15-2-1). Super Fly: Carlos Rueda (16-4-1,2ND) W TKO 4 Ernesto Castro (10-12-2). Local southpaw Osejo, 25, comes in as a late sub and scores upset technical victory. Jackson has height and reach advantages, but Osejo takes the fight inside. Jackson’s corner want the fight stopped after he is cut on left eyebrow after clash of heads in third. Fights goes on. Jackson, 25, floors Osejo but loses a point for hitting him when down, and with his cut worse in fifth the fight is stopped and goes to the cards with Osejo winning the vacant NABA title on scores of 48-44 twice and 48-45. Good homecoming for Nicaraguan super bantam champ Osejo who in recent contests has fought in Costa Rica, Mexico, France, Italy and Angola. Rueda, 27, and Castro, exchange knockdowns with Rueda coming out on top. Rueda is floored in the second, but scores knockdowns in first, second and fourth and the referee stops it.
Porrino, Spain: Bantam: Ivan Pozo (32-6-1) W PTS 10 Adonis Rivas (22-13-3,1ND). Big win for 31-year-old Pozo as he takes a close verdict over former WBO super fly champion Rivas to win WBC Mundo Hispano title. The Spaniard wanted to box, and the Nicaraguan wanted a toe-to-toe war. Pozo dominated with his better skills, but was cut badly in head clashes. Rivas, deducted two points for careless use of the head. Pozo, a former European bantam and undefeated flyweight champion, lost to Omar Narvaez for the WBO fly title in 2008. Rivas has won only one of his last nine now.
Lap Lae, Thailand: Feather: Chonlatarn (37-0) W PTS 12 Ti Yamagata Aguelo (14-4-1). Thai makes successful seventh defence of his WBA Asian Council title as he hands out a boxing lesson and one-sided beating to modest Filipino. Chonlatarn, 26,who looked about to end the fight in the middle rounds, found the Filipino had a tough chin and eventually won on scores of 118-110 twice and 119-109. Chonlatarn is rated No 2 by both the WBC and WBO.
Woodland Hills, USA: Light Heavy: Yusaf Mack (29-3-2) W PTS 12 Otis Griffin (23-7-2). Light: Ray Beltran (23-4) W RTD 8 Carlos Vinan (10-8-4). Good fight, pity about the scoring. Mack 31, wins IBF eliminator with split decision over Griffin. Higher work rate gives Mack the edge and he seals it with a knockdown in the last round. Looks a clear winner and two judges see him ahead on scores of 119-108 and 116-111, but somehow the third judges gives it to Griffin on scores of 114-113! Mack, who was halted by Glen Johnson in an IBF eliminator in February 2010, his last fight , now goes on to challenge Tavoris Cloud. Like Mack, Griffin, 33, had done nothing to deserve to be in an eliminator. Beltran has to come from behind to stop Ecuadorian Vinan. After a good first round, Beltran falls behind as Vinan sweeps the next three rounds to build a lead. Mexican southpaw Beltran, 29, gets back into the fight in the fifth and from then on Vinan soaks up plenty of punishment and his corner retire him before the start of the eighth. “Sugar” Beltran did not fight between losing to Ameth Diaz in September 2008 and January 2010, when he returned with a good win over David Torres. This was his first fight since beating Torres. Vinan, 31, had pulled off a shock win last July when he halted former European champion Anthony Mezaache. Beltran wins vacant USBA title.
Indio, USA: Light: Vicente Escobedo (23-3) W PTS 10 Walter Estrada (38-14-1). Light Welter: Sharif Bogere (19-0) W KO 1 Shamir Reyes (18-9-2,1ND). Escobedo looked on the way to a quick win when almost floored Estrada in the first, but the clever veteran survived and made it an uncomfortable night for the former Olympian. Escobedo finally put the 34-year-old Colombian down in the seventh, but suffered a cut by his right eye in the eighth. Escobedo boxed his way to victory but finished up with two cuts by his right eye and on the left side of his forehead. A clear unanimous decision on scores of 97-92 twice and 96-93 for Escobedo, who needed a boost after losses to Mike Katsidis and Roberto Guerrero. Colombian Estrada had been showing some form with a draw with Canadian Logan McGuinness and wins over Vern Kimbrough and Nate Campbell. Estrada lost to Scott Harrison for the WBO feather title in 2004 and to Kevin Mitchell in 2008. Ugandan prospect Bogere puts experienced Reyes down twice and halts him in one round. Now twelve wins by KO/TKO for the 22-year-old Ugandan, but Reyes without a win in his last seven.
Kissimmee, USA: Light Heavy: Ismayl Syllakh (15-0) W PTS 10 Yordanis Despaigne (8-1). Light Welter: Ray Narh (25-1) W PTS 10 Freddie Norwood (43-4-1). Ukrainian Syllakh continues to impress as he floors and out points former Cuban amateur star Despaigne. Syllakh hurts then floors Despaigne, 31, in the second round, and inflicts cuts over both eyes. Syllakh then boxes on the retreat and with Despaigne unable to get inside the Ukrainian controls the fight all the way for wide unanimous verdict on scores of 98-91 twice and 99-90. Syllakh retains NABF title. Despaigne was a bronze medalist at the 2003 World championships and in the 2004 Olympics beat Jean Pascal but lost by one point to Andre Dirrell. Ghanaian Narh, 32, gets easy win over 41-year-old former WBA feather champion Norwood. “The Emperor” retains his WBC USNBC title and makes it 14 wins in a row as he controls the fight with his jab, and southpaw Norwood, having his first fight since July 2009, loses two points for infringements. Scores 100-88 twice and 99-89.
Atlantic City, USA: Light Middle: Giorbis Barthelemy (25-8-2) W TKO 2 Derek Ennis (22-3-1). Major upset as “Pooh” Ennis is crushed in two rounds by Cuban veteran Barthelemy, who comes in as a late substitute. The 38-year-old southpaw Barthelemy, not considered a puncher, hurt then floored Ennis right at the end of the first round. Ennis was up at seven and the bell went. The Cuban, who had failed to make the weight, went straight after Ennis at the start of the second and had the Philadelphian lying on the lower rope and badly hurt when the fight is stopped. Barthelemy was out of the ring for six years before returning with one fight in December, so it looked a safe job for Ennis, who saw a ten bout winning streak ended.
March 5
Anaheim, USA: Light Middle: Saul Alvarez (36-0-1) W PTS 12 Matthew Hilton (41-5-2). Heavy: Seth Mitchell (21-0-1) W TKO 2 Charles Davis (19-22-3). Super Feather: Adrien Broner (20-0) W PTS 10 Daniel Ponce de Leon (41-3). Super Middle; James Kirkland (26-0) W KO 1 Ahsandi Gibbs (10-3). Middle; Daniel Jacobs (22-1) W TKO 1 Bob Kliewer (11-13-2). No real surprise here as 20-year-old Mexican Alvarez proves too strong, and punches too hard for Hatton. Alvarez has Hatton bleeding from the nose in the second, but Hatton also raises a swelling on the Mexican’s right cheek. Hatton is cut on the right eyelid in the fourth and constantly caught with solid body shots. Hatton scores well with his jab, but from the eighth on it is all Alvarez who goes looking for the finish. Hatton resorts to some holding to survive, but also shows good stamina and great courage to stay there until the end. Alvarez lost a point for a low blow in the ninth, but it made no difference to the result as the red-headed young Mexican wins on scores of 119-108 on all three cards and becomes the youngest ever holder of the light middleweight title. Alvarez failed to make the agreed weight of 150lbs, coming in at 151 ½ lbs, but made the division weight, so is the champion.
Mitchell overpowers Davis. Floors him in the first and three times in the second for quick win. “Mayhem” Mitchell, 28, makes it 14 by KO/TKO. Southpaw Davis, 39, had drawn with Monte Barrett in January. Big win on paper for “The Problem” Broner as he takes a unanimous decision over former WBO super bantam champion Ponce de Leon. The styles did not make a good fight with Broner boxing cautiously and using his considerable skills to nullify the harder punching of the Mexican southpaw. Broner was not as busy as de Leon, but was more accurate with his punching. Strange scores as two judges had Broner just edging out de Leon on 96-94 and the third having Broner eight points in front on 99-91. Broner, who was accompanied into the ring by Aaron Pryor, wins the WBO Intercontinental title at super feather, but has been as high as 140lbs, and this also gave him an advantage over de Leon, who is a featherweight at best.
Texan southpaw Kirkland, 26, returns after a second spell in jail and comes out firing. Overwhelms poor Gibbs and puts him down and out in just 34 seconds. Equally easy for Jacobs, now trained by Freddie Roach, who floors poor Kliewer twice with rights in 104 seconds and referee stops it after the second knockdown.
Newark, New Jersey: Light Welter: Zab Judah (41-6,2ND) W TKO 7 Kaizer Mabuza (23-7-3). Super Middle: Tarvis Simms (27-1-1) W PTS 8 John Mackey (13-6-2).Judah, looking back to his best, as he outboxes strong South African. Judah, 33, and with Pernell Whitaker in his corner, sticks to his boxing and is too fast and skillful for South African. Mabuza marching forward has some success in the fourth with a flash knockdown, and also has a good sixth, shaking Judah. However, when a southpaw straight left from Judah landed in the seventh, it put Mabuza half way through the ropes. The referee let the fight go on, but Mabuza was badly hurt and another barrage ended the fight. Judah regains the IBF title that he first won in 2000, coincidentally by beating another South African Jan Bergman. This was the 17th world title fight for Judah. Mabuza, 31, had won his last eight, including a stoppage of former WBO champion Kendall Holt. Southpaw Simms, 39, wins unanimous verdict over fellow southpaw Mackey on scores of 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74. Mackey had beaten Canadian prospect Donald Orr in June.
Tepic, Mexico: Light Humberto Soto (55-7-2,1ND) W PTS 10 Fidel Munoz (25-3). Super Fly: Juan Alberto Rosas (33-6) W PTS 10 Jesus Vazquez (19-6-1). Feather: Miguel Beltran (23-1) W KO 4 Roberto Tamayo. Super Bantam: Felipe Urucuta (19-1) W TKO 2 Jose Tamayo (1-12). “La Zorrita” Soto, one of the few champions who still take part in non-title fights, goes over old ground as he comprehensively outpoints former challenger Munoz. When Soto, 30,defended his title against Munoz in September it was a close fight but this time Soto floored the 22-year-old Colombian in the first round, and although Munoz did ok in the second and third, from then on Soto dominated the rest of the way. Scores 100-88, 100-90 and 98-92. As in the first fight, Munoz was deducted a point for a low blow. He had taken a lot of punishment to the body in the seventh, so this was his idea of retribution. This a warm-up for Soto’s return with Urbano Antillan on May 7.
“The Monster” Rosas given a much tougher test than expected against late sub Vazquez. The experience and strength of Rosas told in the end, but the decision was not popular, even though he was fighting in his hometown. Easy wins for Beltran and Urucuta. Beltran, 21, makes it 16 by KO/TKO as he floors Tamayo twice on way to kayo and “Campeon Azteca” finalist Urucuta ,25, puts away poor Tamayo in second for win No 15 by KO/TKO.
La Plata, Argentina: Super Middle: Ezequiel Maderna (13-0) W PTS 10 Ruben Acosta (24-5-5). The tall, former Olympian, Maderna, 24, boxes his way to unanimous decision over experienced Acosta and wins Argentinian title. Using his superior height and reach and carrying the most power, Maderna dominated the fight from the centre of the ring. Acosta only really came into the fight in the last three rounds as he saw his title slipping away. Scores 99-93 ½, 98-93, 98-96 ½. Maderna competed at the 2007 World Championships and lost to Shawn Estrada at the 2008 Olympics. This was the second title defence for Acosta, 32, who also holds the South American title, and who lost to Robert Stieglitz for the WBO title in January 2010.
Tokyo, Japan: Bantam: Shinsuke Yamanaka (14-0-2) W TKO 10 Ryosuke Iwasa (8-1). In an all-southpaw battle, giving away height and reach,Yamanaka,28, starts slowly but then the fight develops into a great little fight which it seemed would go all the way. However, the Japanese champion finally made his strength tell, and battered a tiring Iwasa in the last round and the fight was stopped. First defence for Yamanaka and eighth win by KO/TKO in a row. He is already rated a very flattering No 2 by the WBA.
Krynica Zdroj, Poland: Cruiser: Pawel Kolodziej (28-0) W PTS 12 Felix Cora (22-5-2). Welter: Rafal Jackiewicz (38-9-1) W KO 2 Tarik Sahibeddine (12-8). Heavy: Andrzej Wawrzyk (21-0) W PTS 8 Ivica Perkovic (15-10). Light Heavy: Dawid Kostecki (36-1) W PTS 6 Juan Nelongo (21-12-1). Welter: Krzysztof Bienias (41-4-1) DREW 6 Juan Martinez Bas (8-16-1). The 6’5” tall Kolodziej uses his height and reach advantages to outbox the aggressive Texan Cora, 31, who just could not get inside the Pole’s defence often enough to turn the fight. Scores 118-110 twice and 116-112. Kolodziej, 30, rated No 7 by the EBU, wins vacant WBA International title. Cora lost to Enad Licina in an IBF eliminator in November.
Former undefeated European champion “Braveheart” Jackiewicz wastes no time with 39-year-old Moroccan. Floors him with a body punch in the first then puts him out with a right in the second. Jackiewicz lost on a majority decision to Jan Zaveck for the IBF title in September, and that is the only loss that the Pole has suffered in the 24 bouts since he lost to Ted Bami in 2004.The 6’5” tall Wawrzyk, 23, too big and strong for game 36-year-old Croat Perkovic, who was having his first fight since 2007, and wins wide unanimous decision on 80-71 on all three cards.
“Gypsy” Kostecki, 29, rated No 2 by the WBC has a routine night winning every round against 41-year old Spaniard. Scores 60-54 from all three judges. Nelongo lost to Clinton Woods for the European title in 2000. Should have been an easy night for Bienias but in the end he had to struggle to get a majority draw with Spaniard Bas. Scores 57-57 twice and 58-57 for Bienias. Bienias lost to Kell Brook and Junior Witter here. Bas has won only two of his last eleven, and was beaten by Neil Sinclair in 2008.
Rosarito, Mexico: David De la Mora(22-0) W TKO 5 Victor Rodriguez (16-18). Bantam: Arturo Badillo (19-1) W TKO 7 Ricardo Armenta (12-8-1). Light Welter: Juan Pablo Lopez (19-0) W KO 2 Cris Chavez (21-17). De la Mora does not have it all his own way against Rodriguez De la Mora takes first two rounds, but then Rodriguez outboxes him over the next two. De la Mora brings the end in the fifth as drops Rodriguez with a right and although Rodriguez beats the count he is in no condition to continue. Now 15 by KO/TKO for 22-year-old De la Mora. For Rodriguez it is ten losses in a row, nine by KO/TKO. Also a rocky night for “Fuerte” Badillo. Has to climb off the floor in the second and overcome a bad cut on his left eyelid before stopping Armenta in seventh. Second win for Badillo since being halted by Colombian Ronald Barrera in April. Lopez marches on as he kayos experienced Chavez with a body shot in second. Now 18 by KO/TKO for the untested youngster.
Guanajuato, Mexico: Light Welter: Jose Lopez ( 8-0-1) W PTS 12 Jhonny Navarette (17-5-1). “Piston” Lopez remained unbeaten and retained his interim WBC Fecombox title as he took a unanimous verdict over Navarette. The fast combination punching of Lopez gave him the edge over a tough opponent, whose only loss inside the distance has been to Canadian prospect Kevin Bizier. Navarette started the better, but hard rights from Lopez put him in command. Navarette came back to have Lopez hurt in the eighth and tenth, but he tired over the last two rounds and Lopez swept to victory. Lopez, who beat former WBC feather champion Cesar Soto in his last fight, takes it on scores of 117-111, 117-112 and 117-116.
