The Past Week in Action with Eric Armit

Highlights:

-Naoya Inoue crushes Juan Carlos Payano inside a round in the WBSS bantamweight tournament

-Kiryl Relikh gets close decision over Eduard Troyanovsky to retain the WBA super light title and move into the semi-finals of the WBSS Tournament

-Ken Shiro makes successful defence of his WBC light fly title with stoppage of Milan Melindo

- Artur Beterbiev knocks out challenger Callum Johnson in IBF light heavy title defence but suffers shock knockdown on the way

-Daniel Roman halts Gavin McDonnell in WBA super bantam title defence after a great little contest

-Srisaket retains WBC super fly title with comfortable decision over Iran Diaz

-Jack Catterall keeps on track for a world title shot with a decision over Ohara Davies in a disappointing fight

-Tomas Rojas scores upset victory over Jhonny Gonzalez and Luis Nery returns with a win in Mexican action

-Jessie Vargas and Thomas Dulorme fight to a draw and Jarrell Miller crushes Tomas Adamek on Chicago show

World Title Shows

October 6

Chicago, IL, USA: Super Bantam: Daniel Roman (26-2-1) W TKO 10 Gavin McDonnell (20-2-2). Light Heavy: Artur Beterbiev (13-0) W KO 4 Callum Johnson (17-1). Welter: Jessie Vargas (28-2-2) DREW 12 Thomas Delorme (24-3-1). Heavy: Jarrell Miller (22-0-1) W KO 2 Tomasz Adamek (53-6).

Roman vs. McDonnell

In a classic puncher vs. boxer clash just as the fight seemed to be going McDonnell’s way Roman finds a punch to end the contest in the tenth and retain his  WBA title.

Round 1

This was a fast-paced fight from the outset. At 5’5” Roman was giving away lots of height and reach to the 5’9 ½” McDonnell so he was moving in behind a high guard and throwing plenty of hooks to the body. McDonnell was circling the ring firing jabs and letting go rights but Roman just did enough to edge a close round.

Score 10-9 Roman

                         

Round 2

McDonnell was on the front foot for much of this one. He was working solidly behind his jab and landing some nice hooks. Over the latter part of the round he was staying in the pocket a little too long and Roman began to get through with hooks and just took another very close round.

Score 10-9 Roman                                                                                     Roman 20-18

Round 3

McDonnell opened this round by scoring with a sharp left hook and a straight right. He continued to work well with his jab but Roman was getting through with hooks to the body and closed the round strongly to win this one.

Score 10-9 Roman                                                                                     Roman 30-27

Round 4

This was proving to be a fight of the highest quality. The contrasting styles were producing an entertaining contest. No wild swings here with plenty of action and hardly a punch wasted. McDonnell took this round with excellent work with his jab and quick hooks inside and he held off a late surge from Roman that was becoming a feature of Roman’s tactics.

Score 10-9 McDonnell                                                                               Roman 39-37

Round 5

McDonnell was moving and jabbing and then going toe-to-toe with Ramon over the first two minutes of this round but Roman came on strong late. He scored with a series of uppercuts with McDonnell losing his mouthguard but bringing blood from Roman’s nose. Roman’s round but only just.

Score 10-9 Roman                                                                                     Roman 49-46

Round 6

Roman’s round. McDonnell was busy, busy throwing lots of jabs and hooks but Roman was landing the harder punches. He landed a great left hook and followed that with an overhand right as he put McDonnell under strong pressure before the bell. 

Score 10-9 Roman                                                                                     Roman59-55

Round 7

Another close round with no sign of the pace dropping. McDonnell worked hard with his jab and had Roman on the back foot for much of the round as he drove forward firing hooks. Ramon once again came on strongly at the end landing some clubbing shots to the head to off-set McDonnell’s early work and steal the round.

Score 10-9 Roman                                                                                     Roman 69-64

Round 8

McDonnell outboxed and outscored Roman in this round. He was working everything off the jab and getting home with quick bursts of punches to the body. This time it was McDonnell in charge over the last thirty-seconds catching Roman with a peach of a left hook.

Score 10-9 McDonnell                                                                               Roman 78-74

Round 9

Another round for McDonnell. The pace remained hot and the quality of punching from both men remained high but McDonnell was busier and more accurate and again it was he who finished the round with a flourish.

Score 10-9 McDonnell                                                                               Roman 87-84

Round 10

McDonnell was well on his way to winning the tenth and the fight seemed to be going his way. He had Roman on the back foot and he banged home hooks to the body. He was just doing too well and that made him confident enough to stand and trade heavy punches with Roman. Suddenly a short right from Roman saw McDonnell dip at the knees and Roman pounded him with head punches driving him across the ring and McDonnell went down on his hands and knees. In a confused way McDonnell got up and then dropped to his haunches again and when the eight count was completed the referee had a good look at him and stopped the fight. When he needed a punch Roman found it and he showed how he has grown into the role of a champion. This is the third defence of his title and win No 18 by KO/TKO. Naturally there is talk of unifications fights with Isaac Dogboe or Rey Vargas. McDonnell played his part in a high quality fight. His two losses have both come in world title fights as he dropped a majority decision to Rey Vargas for the vacant WBC title in February last year. He had fought his way back into contention with victories over unbeaten Gamal Yafai and former champion Stuart Hall and a third world title fight in 2019 is not out of the question.

Beterbiev vs. Johnson

In his first fight for eleven months Beterbiev retains the IBF title in a short but explosive fight against Johnson that sees both fighter on the floor.

Round 1

Both started confidently poking out jabs and throwing some testing rights. Johnson believed he had the power to win. He was taking the fight to Beterbiev and landed a couple of rights. In a frantic exchange a punch from Beterbiev had Johnson hanging on. He recovered and tried to take the fight to Beterbiev again but missed with a punch and went forward between the ropes. As he pulled himself back with his defence down he was floored by a right hook. He beat the count and the bell went before Beterbiev could do any more damage.

Score 10-8 Beterbiev

Round 2

Johnson still marched forward behind a high guard  in second. He landed a right but as they traded punches the power shots from Beterbiev had Johnson hurt . He fired back and landed a booming left hook counter that sent Beterbiev back and down heavily. The champion was up quickly but on unsteady legs. Johnson spent too long looking for one more big punch and let Beterbiev off the hook.

Score 10-8 Johnson                                                                                  Tied 18-18

Round 3

This round was a close-quarters battle. Johnson landed a right and another strong left  hook. Beterbiev was working his jab and the firing clubbing head punches and got the better of the exchanges and Johnson was cut over his right eye.

Score 10-9 Beterbiev                                                                          Beterbiev 28-27

Round 4

Johnson was marching forward with Beterbiev on the back foot. Johnson landed a sharp right to the head and forced Beterbiev to a corner. As Johnson stood and traded punches two rights, the second to the top of the head, sent Johnson down on his back. He struggled to his knees but was counted out.

The 33-year-old Montreal-based Russian has won all of his 13 fights by KO/TKO averaging less than four rounds per fight but that chin-checking left hook from Johnson almost caused an upset. He has no mandatory challenger as the first two slots in the IBF ratings are vacant and a fight with either WBO champion Eleider Alvarez or WBA champion Dmitry Bivol would be a big attraction. Johnson, also 33,  obviously came with the belief that he had the power to win this one. It is a pity that the punch that floored Beterbiev came so late in the round but he paid the price for his aggression in the shape of counters from the big punching champion. He wants another shot at the tile.

Vargas vs. Delorme

Vargas and Dulorme end all even with Vargas letting the win slip away on a last round knockdown. The early rounds saw an unexpectedly quick starting Dulorme almost put Vargas down in the first with a hard left. Vargas got over that bit of trouble but in the second a clash of heads saw Vargas cut over the right eye. Vargas took a round to recover from those early mishaps but was finally rolling in the fourth stunning Dulorme with a right and then pouring on the punishment in a big round for the former WBO champ[ion. The fifth, sixth and seven were close rounds with both fighters having good spells and if one had success the other was quick to fire back.  A punch from Dulorme reopened the cut over the right eye of Vargas in the eighth and worsened the injury which continued to leak blood. Vargas looked to be slightly ahead after nine and in the tenth he drilled Dulorme with a blazing right to the head and Dulorme dropped to one knee. Dulorme was up early and did not seem too badly hurt. Dulorme fought back hard over the eleventh but Vargas was in front going into the last. All he had to do was stay out of trouble but with just seconds remaining in the fight a right from Dulorme knocked him off balance and his glove touched the floor. That counted as a knockdown and a 10-8 round for Dulorme which gave him a draw,. Scores 113-113 twice and 115-111 for Vargas.  The WBC Silver title remains vacant as Vargas sees his second fight in a row end up tied after his draw with Adrien Broner in April. Vargas is rated in the top three by all of the main sanctioning bodies and will probably get another big fight next year. For Dulorme, who dropped out of the ratings after losing to Yordenis Ugas in August last year, this result will give him a boost back into the top 15.

Miller vs. Adamek

Miller crushes Adamek in a mismatch. From the outset it was obvious that this was going to end early. The 41-year-old 6’1 ½” 227lbs Pole was dwarfed by the 6’4” 317lbs Miller. It was like David vs. Goliath but with David armed with a feather duster. In The first Adamek was able to come inside and land some punches to the body and  he also landed a combination to the head. None of those punches registered with Miller and it was obvious that Adamek did not have to power to overcome the huge physical handicap. Miller was walking Adamek down and getting through with cuffing hooks. Fighting on the retreat Adamek was able to score with counters but a right from Miller shook him and already it looked a lost cause. Miller ended it in the second. He marched forward pouring hooks and uppercuts at a retreating Adamek. A right saw Adamek stumble and after Miller missed with a couple of punches he landed a right hook and Adamek dropped to one knee. He swayed as the referee counted and started to rise but before he was up as the count reached eight the referee waived the fight over. Now 18 wins in a row for the 30-year-old “Big Baby and 19 wins by KO/TKO. He has yet to be given a real test with Mariusz Wach and Johann Duhaupas the best known names in his list of victims. He is huge, strong and quicker than he looks and is No 2 with the WBA and No 3 with the WBO but will have to wait in line for a shot at Anthony Joshua. Adamek, a former WBC light heavy and IBF cruiser champion. has had a great career but he should end it now.

Pak Kret, Thailand: Super Fly: Srisaket (47-4-1) W PTS 12 Iran Diaz (14-3-3).

After a number of tough assignments Srisaket gets a less exacting fight as he easily outpoints a clever but light powered Diaz in the third defence of his WBC title.

Round 1

Diaz had height and reach over Srisaket and the Thai marched forward from the first bell. He was ignoring defence to get inside and work on the challenger’s body. Diaz moved well and scored with sharp counters from both hands but it was Srisaket’s round.

Score 10-9 Srisaket

Round 2

Three minutes of pressure from Srisaket. This time Diaz chose to stand and trade more. He again showed some nifty foot work and scored with some right but Srisaket was the heavier puncher and was finding the target with his southpaw lefts.

Score 10-9 Srisaket                                                                                   Srisaket 20-18

Round 3

A good round by Diaz. He began by taking the fight to Srisaket and then went onto the back foot. Srisaket was ignoring his jab and leading with his left. Quick footwork by Diaz had Srisaket stretching with his punches and leaving himself open to counters.

Score 10-9 Diaz                                                                                           Srisaket 29-28

Round 4

Srisaket upped the pace in this one. He kept driving forward leading with his left and digging punches home to the body. Diaz again showed good skills but a straight right just before the bell shook him.

Score 10-9 Srisaket                                                                                   Srisaket 39-37

Round 5

Srisaket focused entirely on the body in this round. He was again leading with his right off his left foot and hardly using his left at all. He was finding Diaz an elusive target but sent the challenger stumbling back with a right to the head.

Score 10-9 Srisaket                                                                                   Srisaket 49-46

Round 6

Srisaket continued to land with lefts to the body but it was an unimpressive show from the champion. He was throwing one punch at a time and good movement from Diaz had him looking crude and open to counters.

Score 10-9 Srisaket                                                                                   Srisaket 59-55

Round 7

Three minutes of relentless pressure from Srisaket in this round. He was walking through Diaz’s jab and ignoring the challengers counters to score throughout the round with lefts to the body.

Score 10-9 Srisaket                                                                                   Srisaket 69-64

Round 8

The pressure and the body punches were beginning to tell and Diaz slowed and he looked to be tiring. Srisaket scored with a couple of lefts to the head but Diaz was denied a genuine knockdown. As they traded in close he drilled Srisaket with a right uppercut to the chin. Srisaket slid sideways and then went down but it was ruled a slip.

Score 10-9 Srisaket                                                                                   Srisaket 79-73

Round 9

Another round of Srisaket marching through Diaz’s punches to land with lefts. For once Srisaket threw a multi-punch combination and Diaz stood and punched with him in the first moment of sustained action in the fight. There was more controversy here as Srisaket went down again. As he moved forward a right from Diaz landed on his temple. That unbalanced Srisaket and his feet slipped from under him and it could very easily have been counted as a knockdown. Srisaket finished the round strongly again rocking Diaz with a left and the Mexican was now cut under his right eye.

Score 10-9 Srisaket                                                                                   Srisaket 89-82

Round 10

Diaz was cut over his left eye in a clash of heads in this one. Srisaket was throwing more combinations and driving Diaz around the ring. He shook Diaz with a right/left/right combination and with blood dripping from both cuts a stoppage looked likely but Diaz kept punching and kept moving.

Score 10-9 Srisaket                                                                                   Srisaket 99-91

Round 11

Heads clashed early in the round and Srisaket was given a warning. He continued to pile on the pressure but Diaz did not buckle. Heads clashed again with Diaz complaining to the referee. Lefts from Srisaket saw Diaz buckle at the knees twice but he kept moving and kept punching and outworked Srisaket over the last minute to take a close round.

Score 10-9 Diaz                                                                                     Srisaket 108-101

Round 12

After a low key start they stood and traded punches, Srisaket landed three heavy lefts but Diaz ended the fight driving Srisaket back just throwing punch after punch with Srisaket ducking, bobbing and weaving but not finding the space to counter but his early work just gave the champion the edge.

Score 10-9 Srisaket.                                                                           Srisaket 118-110

Official scores: 119-109, 119-109 and 120-108 for Srisaket.

This was not an impressive performance by the Thai. Too often he was throwing just one punch at a time and the elusive Diaz made him look crude at times. It may have been a fight Srisaket had trouble getting enthusiastic over and there are much tougher jobs ahead for him. It is very strange that he was 1-3-1 in his first five fights and has now lost only one of his last 47 fights. Diaz showed plenty of skill and a willingness to trade but did not have enough power to keep Srisaket out and coming down from super fly may have been a struggle.

October 5

Bell Ville, Argentina: Cruiser: Dario Balmaceda (18-17-2) W KO 8 Mariano Gudino (12-2). Super Bantam: Javier Chacon (27-4-1) W TKO 9 Roman Reynoso (21-3-2).

Balmaceda vs. Gudino

Balmaceda wins the vacant South American title with a powerful show against home town fighter Gudino The local fighter edged the first round but in the second Balmaceda landed a fierce left hook and two rights that put Gudino down. He survived and had a good fourth and the fifth was close but a punch from Balmaceda had opened a gash on the forehead of Gudino. He survived a couple of inspections by the doctor. Balmaceda took over the fight from the sixth and in the eighth a left hook followed by a right cross put Gudino down again and he was counted out. The 34-year-old Balmaceda was blown away inside a round by unbeaten Italian Fabio Turchi in February but has now won three in a row. Gudino was coming off a points loss to Joel Tambwe Djeko in Belgium in May.

Chacon vs. Reynoso

After a slow start Chacon finally wars down and stops Reynoso. Over the early rounds with Chacon not working hard enough and having trouble finding the range Reynoso was able to build a small lead. Once Chacon finally got going he just punched too hard for Reynoso. He piled on the pressure with the referee giving Reynoso a standing count in the eighth. In the ninth a left hook drove Reynoso into a corner and he dropped to the canvas under a shower of punches. He got up but was dazed and actually reached out to touch gloves but Chacon hammered him with a left hook then unloaded a series of head punches and with Reynoso on his way down the referee stepped in and stopped the fight. The 37-year-old “Wasp” wins through to the final of a national super bantamweight competition. Chacon lost big fights against Jamie McDonnell for the secondary WBA bantam title in 2014 and in six rounds against Isaac Dogboe for the WBO International super bantam  title in July last year. He had rebounded with a stoppage of 21-1-1 Claudio Echegaray in the semi-final of the national tournament in August.”220 Volts” Reynoso had lost only one of his lest twenty-five fights.

Melbourne, Australia: Bantam: Mark Schleibs (10-0) W PTS 10 Robert Trigg (3-3-1).

Local boxer Schleibs remains unbeaten and collects the Australian title with unanimous verdict over champion Trigg in an entertaining ten round fight. . Schleibs was the better boxer but Trigg pressed him hard forcing Schleibs to the ropes and cutting down his space. Schleibs dominated when the action was in the centre of the ring and his hard, accurate counters gave him the edge over most of the fight but Trigg fought hard to try to hold onto his title. Scores 100-90, 98-91 and 97-93 for Schleibs. Who had won his last four fights by KO/TKO and was going ten rounds for the first time. Trigg was making the first defence of the title and played a big part in making this an excellent Australian title fight.

Northbridge, Australia: Light: Kye MacKenzie (20-1) W TKO 7 Mark Bernaldez (17-2). Super Light: Brandon Ogilvie (21-2-1) W TKO 5 Arief Blader (23-31-2).

MacKenzie vs. Bernaldez

Mackenzie wins the vacant WBO Asia Pacific title to continue his impressive run but has to come off the floor for victory. He put Filipino prospect Bernaldez down  in the fourth but Bernaldez fought back to put MacKenzie down in the fifth. Mackenzie took control again and floored and halted Bernaldez in the seventh. The 26-year-old “Mr Frenzy” gets his sixth win as he rebuilds after a 2015 loss to Jack Asis for the IBO title. The Australian No 1 now has 17 wins by KO/TKO. Bernaldez suffers his second loss by KO/TKO.

Ogilvie vs. Blader

Ogilvie halts poor Indonesian in the fifth to keep busy. The 24-year-old “Brilliant” from Perth, the Australian No 2, has lost only once, on points, against George Kambosos in his last 18 fights. Nine losses in a row for Blader.

Ghent, Belgium: Welter: Meriton Karaxha (20-5-2) DREW 10 Steve Jamoye (24-6-1). Middle: Kevin Ongenae (10-6-2) DREW 10 Kevin Vanderheyden (8-0). Light: Jean Pierre Bauwens (43-5-2) W PTS 6 Angelo Turco (8-10-2).

Karaxha vs. Jamoye

The BeNeLux title remains vacant after Karaxha and Jamoye finish all square. Scores 96-94 for Karaxha, 97-93 for Jamoye and 95-95. It was a good close fight and certainly worth doing again. Albanian-born Karaxha, the Belgian champion, has lost only one of his last eleven fights. Jamoye was coming off a first round kayo loss against Florin Cardos for the vacant European Union title in May but he is a scrapper and these two are well matched.

Ongenae vs. Vanderheyden

The Belgian title remains vacant after Ongenae and Vanderheyden also fought to a draw. Ongenae could and should have won this one. He was the better fighter on the night but he seemed to coast in some rounds and in a close fight that cost him the victory. Scores 96-94 for Ongenae and two scores of 95-95.After a run of eight wins Ongenae slipped badly losing both of his fights last year. Vanderheyden was moving up to ten rounds and facing his toughest opponent so far. This one could also go again.

Bauwens vs. Turco

Bauwens gets a very much needed win in front of his home support as he outpoints Turco. In his first fight for ten months Bauwens took a little while to get into his stride but was much too good for Turco and handed out a steady beating. Scores 60-54 from all three judges. The 30-year-old “Junior” is fighting his way back after suffering back-to-back losses for the first time in his career. The former Belgian and European Union champion was 37-1-1 at one stage but has fallen away from that form. Turco was 0-4-2 coming into this fight.

Manzano, Italy: Super Light: Massimiliano Ballisai (22-5) W PTS 10 Luca Maccaroni (12-5-1). Fly: Mohammed Obbadi (17-1) W PTS 6 Llia Beruashvili (8-5).

Ballisai vs. Maccaroni

Ballisai retains the Italian title with comfortable points win over local boxer Maccaroni. Reacting to encouragement from the home crowd southpaw Maccaroni made a good start forcing the fight and often pinning Ballisai to the ropes over the first three rounds and looked to have moved into the lead. In the fifth the fight changed as Ballisai sent Maccaroni down with a right and controlled the fight from there. Maccaroni kept trying to get on the front foot but Ballisai outboxed and outlanded him the rest of the way. Scores 97-92 twice and 98-91 for “El Loco” Ballisai. The winner is a former undefeated national lightweight champion and European title challenger. He had a spell of three losses in a row against Edis Tatli, Yvan Mendy and Timo Schwarzkopf but came back to win the Italian title in May. Maccaroni was having his second shot at the national title.

Obbadi vs. Beruashvili

EBU No 2 Obbadi gets six rounds of useful work against Georgian. Obbadi used some clever footwork and fast attacks to cope with the longer reach of southpaw Beruashvili. The 25-year-old Moroccan-born Italian had Beruashvili badly shaken in the fourth but failed to finish him and had to go the full six rounds for a comfortable win. Scores 60-54 for Obbadi from all three judges. Obbadi’s only loss is a retirement against current WBC champion Cristofer Rosales in October last year. He is No 7(5) with the IBF. Beruashvili no real threat and suffers his third loss in his last four fights.

Belfast, NI: Super Feather: Marco McCullough (21-4) W PTS 10 Ruddy Encarnacion (39-27-4). Super Bantam: Tyrone McCullagh (12-0) W PTS 10 Josh Kennedy (11-1). Welter: Paddy Gallagher (14-4) W TKO 3 Jay Byrne (7-6). Light Heavy: Steven Ward (9-0) W DISQ 3 Rolando Paredes (15-8-2).). Super Feather: Nathaniel May (20-1) W PTS 8 Ruslan Berchuk (12-9).

McCullough vs. Encarnacion

McCullough beats experienced Encarnacion but has to climb off the floor to win. McCullough boxed well on the back foot over the first half of the fight. Encarnacion scored with some powerful body punches but McCullough countered well and was edging the rounds. McCullough then began to lose his way too often standing and trading inside. A clash of heads shook McCullough in the sixth and Encarnacion was able to land a volley of punches. A big right from Encarnacion rocked McCullough in the seventh but the visitor lost some headway in the eighth when a left hook saw him dip with his glove toughing the canvas resulting in an eight count and a 10-8 score. Encarnacion knew he now needed a stoppage to win and in the ninth he floored McCullough with a right. McCullough beat the count but was in deep trouble and a stoppage looked possible but the Belfast man made it to the bell and then had a good last round. Scores 97-91, 96-92 and 95-93 for McCullough. The Belfast 29-year-old wins the vacant IBO International title. Inside the distance losses against Isaac Lowe for the Commonwealth title and Ryan Walsh for the British title derailed McCullough for a while but this is his fourth win on the bounce. “The Black Wolf” Encarnacion, a Dominican-born Spaniard, is a former European Union feather champion.  He has taken plenty of short-notice fights in the other guys backyard but showed again here even at 39 he can be a dangerous opponent.

McCullagh vs. Kennedy

McCullagh comprehensively outboxes Kent’s Kennedy to win the vacant WBO European title. Kennedy fought hard all the way and never stopped rolling forward working the body trying to slow the Northern Island southpaw but McCullagh was much too quick and skilful. He opened a cut under the left eye of Kennedy in the fifth and continued to rake him with punches to head and body with Kennedy unable to do anything to change the pattern of the fight. By the end McCullagh was in total control and cruising and a clear winner. Scores 99-91, 99-92 and a too close 96-94 all for McCullagh. The 28-year-old “White Chocolate”, a former European bronze medallist, was coming off a good win over unbeaten Scott Joe Ham and collecting this title will see the WBO slip him into their world ratings. Kennedy, a former BBB of C Southern Area feather and English super bantam champion just met a better fighter on the night.

Gallagher vs. Byrne

Gallagher wins the BUI (Boxing Union of Ireland) title with win over Byrne in an unfortunate ending. There was plenty of action over the first two rounds with Gallagher just coming out on top and looking to have hurt Byrne with a body punch late in the second. In the third a clash of heads saw Gallagher emerge with a cut by his left eye. Gallagher fired back with a series of punches and suddenly Byrne was in trouble and went down. When he got up he was indicating that he has injured his shoulder and could not continue and the fight was stopped. In his last fight in April Gallagher had Brad Solomon on the floor before losing a split decision in the WBC welterweight tournament. Byrne has now lost 3 of his last 4 fights with all three losses coming in BUI title fights.

Ward vs. Paredes

“Quiet man” Ward gets win but again a disappointing ending. Ward was well on his way to victory over Mexican Paredes when the referee decided that the consistent head work from the Mexican was unacceptable and threw him out in the third round. The tall 28-year-old from Belfast was a top level amateur winning three Ulster championships and a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games. Paredes very much an in-and-out performer and this was one of his “out” efforts.

May vs. Berchuk

Australian “Cheeky” May has his first pro fight outside of his home country and outboxes Russian Berchuk. Referee’s score 79-73. May, 23, has won his last 16 fights but tragically lost his long time trainer Peter Stokes to cancer and must still be feeling that loss. Berchuk has lost 3 of his last 4 fights with all of the losses being against unbeaten boxers.

Barnsley, England: Light: Robbie Barrett (17-3-1) W PTS 10 Matty Fagan (12-4). Light: Andy Townend (22-4) W PTS 8 Henry Janes (12-23-3). Fly: Kyle Yusaf (14-0) W RTD 6 Conor Blackshaw (6-3). Bantam: Josh Wale (27-9-2) W PTS 6 Rafael Castillo (14-47-3).

Barrett vs. Fagan

Barrett wins on all three cards to become IBF European champion. The local fighter was a big favourite but never really took control until very late in the fight. Fagan was competitive and made the fight close as both had good spells. The decisive moment came in the eighth. Barrett was beginning to take control and floored Fagan with a southpaw left. Fagan beat the count but the fight had slipped from his grasp and Barrett finished strongly to emerge a clear winner. Score 96-93 twice and a harsh 98-91all for the former British champion. Barrett won the British title by climbing off the floor twice to outpoint Scott Cardle in April last year. In his first defence in October he was stopped in seven rounds by Lewis Ritson, his only loss in his last 13 fights. Fagan was 6-2 in his last eight fights with the losses being on points against good opposition in Gary Buckland and Joe Murray.

Townend vs. Janes

As with Barrett vs. Fagan this one was also close until late. Townend was not in his best form and looked sluggish. Janes was very much in the fight with two rounds to go but a big right from Townend which put Janes down in the seventh really settled matters and with a good eighth Townend opened a gap in the points. Referee’s score 77-74 for Townend.  The Barnsley fighter is now 15-1 in his last 16 fights losing only to world rated Thomas Patrick Ward. He stopped Jon Kays in three rounds in May last year in a fight for the vacant Commonwealth super featherweight title but failed to make the weight so could not win the title. He was ¼ lb under the super light limit here. Welshman Janes was 2-0-1in his last 3 fights.

Yusaf vs. Blackshaw

The talented Yusaf wins the vacant English flyweight title as Blackshaw retires after six rounds. Yusaf made this harder than it needed to be by taking Blackshaw too lightly and letting himself be drawn into a brawl. He was not using his superior skills and it took an ear-bashing from his corner before he started to box on the outside from the fourth.  From then he was in control and on the way to victory before Blackshaw retired with a hand injury. The Sheffield “Golden Kid” is No 8 bantamweight in the European Union ratings. Blackshaw, the European Union No 6 flyweight, had won his last 6 fights.

Wale vs. Castillo

With a fight for the vacant European title scheduled for 26 October this was a risky fight for Wale as injury could have scuppered that plan. However Wale dialled back on his usual aggression and Castillo was able to be in the fight more than he usually is. There was a cut but it was the Spanish-based Nicaraguan who was cut as Wale boxed his way to a win. Referee’s score 58-56 to Wale. Seven wins in a row for Wale who meets Frenchman Georges Ory for the vacant title in a very winnable fight Castillo is predictable-24 losses in a row.

Tampa, FL, USA: Light Heavy: Radivoje Kalajdzic (24-1) W TKO 1 Alex Theran (20-3).

Kalajdzic blows away Theran. A fired-up Kalajdzic quickly found the range and drilled Theran with a straight right. With Theran on the ropes a series of punches forced him to slump to the floor. He was up quickly but Kalajdzic wobbled him with a left and then piled on the punches until Theran dropped again and the referee immediately stopped the fight. All over in 70 seconds. “Hot Rod” Kalajdzic goes to 17 wins by KO/TKO. After amassing 21 wins in a row in a 2016 fight he had Marcus Brown on the floor before losing a split decision.  After a good win over unbeaten Travis Peterkin in September 2016 he was inactive until returning with a win in July this year. Born in Bosnia Kalajdzic and his family fled to Serbia during the Bosnian war before eventually moving to the United States when he was seven. Colombian Theran was having his first fight for two years and looked very fleshy. All three of his losses have come by KO/TKO against good level opposition.

Panama City, Panama: Super Feather: Pablo Vicente (13-1) W TKO 3Irving Berry (23-9-2). Super Feather: Orlando Mosquera (5-1-1,1ND) TEC DRAW 6 John Valencia(3-1-3

Vicente vs. Berry

Cuban prospect Vicente too young and too talented for veteran Berry. Vicente handed out a steady beating to Berry until late in the third round when one of Berry’s seconds jumped into the ring and asked for the fight to be stopped. The 25-year-old Vicente’s only loss was on a very controversial split verdict against Marcos Villasana Jr in Mexico in July. In Cuba Vicente started out as 48kg fighter and won medals in the National Tournaments up to 60kgs before moving to Panama.. Former WBA featherweight title challenger Berry was 18-1-2 before losing to Jonathan Barros for that WBA title in 2010. He is on the down slope now being 1-6 in his last 7 fights but losses to Tomas Rojas, Jezreel Corrales, Jhonny Gonzalez and Kid Galahad are in the list of guys he has lost to in that run so no easy nights.

Mosquera vs. Valencia

The Panamanian title remains vacant after this fight ended in a technical draw. Both fighters suffered bad cuts in a clash of heads and were unable to continue so it went to the cards. Scores 58-56 for Mosquera and 59-55 for Valencia and one scores tied at 57-57 so they will have to do it all again.

October 6

Leicester, England: Super Light: Jack Catterall (23-0) W PTS 12 Ohara Davies (18-2). Super Feather: Sam Bowen (14-0) W KO 4 Horacio Cabral (21-3). Super Feather: Archie Sharp (14-0) W PTS 10 Leon Woodstock (11-1).  Heavy: Daniel Dubois (9-0) W PTS 10 Kevin Johnson (32-11-1). Middle: Mark Heffron (21-0) W TKO 4 Aryee Ayitey (15-8).

Catterall vs. Davies

Catterall retains the WBO Inter-Continental title with unanimous decision over Davies in a disappointing fight. The much anticipated clash failed to deliver as neither fighter looked willing to take too many chances and there was too much posing and not enough punching. Catterall boxed cautiously respecting the power of Davies but worked well with his southpaw jab and took both opening rounds but not by much. Davies came into the fight strongly in the third and fourth to even things up. Neither fighter was looking capable of opening a big gap in the scoring but Catterall had the better of what action there was in the fifth and rocked Davies with a hard left in the sixth. Davies clawed his way back into the fight with a good seventh but Catterall’s excellent work with his right jab saw him take the points in the eighth. It swung back to Davies in the ninth as he seemed to sense he was behind. Catterall made a big move by outscoring Davies over the tenth and eleventh to put himself in the driving seat. Davies put in a big effort in the last but in his aggression he was leaving gaps that Catterall was able to exploit to land accurate left counters and Catterall was a clear winner. Scores 115-113 twice and 118-110 with the last score looking too wide. The 25-year-old Catterall is No 2 with the WBO and champion Maurice Hooker defends the title against the No 1 Alex Saucedo on 16 November. That makes it fairly certain that Catterall will be in a position to fight the winner sometime in early 2019. Davies lost to Josh Taylor for the Commonwealth and WBC Silver titles in July last year but had re-established himself with wins over unbeaten Tom Farmer and 21-1 Paul Kamanga. He is better than he showed here in a fight where the styles did not meld and can rebuild again in 2019.

Bowen vs. Cabral

British champion Bowen impresses in stoppage of Cabral to win the vacant WBO International title. Bowen gave Cabral a torrid time in the first bundling forward and scoring with hurtful left hooks and uppercuts but the Argentinian used some clever upper body work to avoid much of the punishment. Cabral chose to stay inside in the second to deny Bowen leverage but Bowen was still the one doing the effective work. Bowen used his jab more in the third and also scored with a series of hooks and uppercuts. Cabral again showed some good defensive work but his own punches lacked power and Bowen rattled his chin with a straight right. Bowen had Cabral trapped on the ropes for much of the fourth. Cabral eventually worked his way off the ropes. Bowen drove him back there and leaped in with a vicious left hook to the body with Cabral dropping to the canvas in agony and being counted out. The 26-year-old “Bullet” gets his tenth win by KO/TKO. Cabral , the Argentinian No 4 lightweight, came in over the weight limit so could not have won the title but then he never looked likely to do so after the first bell.

Sharp vs. Woodstock

Sharp takes Woodstock’s WBO European title with close unanimous decision. There had been plenty of words exchanged between these two on Social Media and they turned those words into punches to produce an entertaining ten rounds. Sharp got a great start flooring Woodstock with a left hook in the first. Woodstock quickly recovered and in the second both fighters scored with some choice punches. There was a contrast in styles with Sharp taking the unorthodox hands down approach throwing punches from a variety of angles and Woodstock a more orthodox style using a stiff jab and quick straight rights. Sharp edged the second again scoring well with a left hook counter but Woodstock had a good third scoring well with his jab and landing a hard right cross. Woodstock started the third by banging home a couple of rights but Sharp dropped into an orthodox style and used his hand speed to repeatedly get through with jabs and swinging hooks. Sharp changed his tactics again in the fifth standing in front of Woodstock and outworking him inside. The rounds continued to be close and full of furious exchanges with both fighters having good spells. Woodstock pressed hard but in the end could not overcome the handicap of the knockdown in the first and Sharp’s taking the second which left him three points behind after two rounds. Scores 96-93 for Sharp from all three judges. The 23-year-old Sharp will now get a top 15 rating from the WBO which means in theory that he could fight for a world title in his next fight which shows how ridiculous this WBO policy is. Sharp is a very talented young fighter but miles away from being ready for something like that. Woodstock was making the first defence of the WBO European title and he has plenty of time to rebound from the loss.

Dubois vs. Johnson

Dubois outpoints veteran Johnson and goes past the fifth round for the first time. In a slow, disappointing fight Johnson did what he was there to do. He spent much of the fight on the ropes frustrating the young Dubois and never really threatening. Dubois tried to blitz Johnson over the first two rounds forcing Johnson to the ropes and bombarding him with hooks and uppercuts but Johnson covered up well and never looked in trouble. As the fight developed Dubois dialled back his efforts and paced himself as he realised he faced the longest fight of his short career. Johnson showed occasional signs of aggression particularly in the fifth but not many and spent more and more time against the ropes content to take what punishment Dubois handed out and focusing on making it to the final bell unhurt. A frustrated Dubois just could not find the punch to end the fight but the experience of going ten rounds was worth more than a meaningless inside the distance win. All three judges had it100-91for Dubois. At 21 the Londoner does not need to be rushed so there will probably be a few more learning fights to come. Johnson. 39, took both Vitali Klitschko and Tyson Fury the distance but has now lost 8 of his last11fights including three this year and losing to young prospect is his role now.

Heffron vs. Ayitey

Heffron racks up another win as he halts Ghanaian Ayitey in four rounds. Heffron floored Ayitey twice before the referee called the fight off. The 26-year-old “Kid Dynamite”, the WBC International champion, now has 17 wins by KO/TKO and is looking to challenge Jason Welborn for the British title in what will be a tremendous match. First loss by KO/TKO for former Ghanaian champion Ayitey.

Tijuana, Mexico: Bantam: Luis Nery (27-0) W TKO 3 Jason Canoy (27-9-2),

Filipino Canoy was never in with a chance here. Nery, the bigger man had Canoy down in the first thirty seconds of the fight with a straight right. Canoy made it to his feet but was badly shaken. Nery tried desperately to finish staggering Canoy a couple of times but Canoy was punching back at the bell. Nery was finding the lunging Filipino an easy target in the second but again a gutsy Cano was trying to come forward and throwing lots of punches. Nery was landing some heavy shots in the third and had Canoy in trouble a couple of times, Canoy kept trying to punch his way out of trouble but eventually a storming attack from Nery forced him to the floor. Canoy just beat the count but was driven to the ropes and was being pounded with punches. He was firing some of his own but when Nery landed a trio of head-snapping shots the referee stopped the fight despite Canoy’s protests. It was a good stoppage. The 23-year-old former WBC bantam champion is fighting his way back from disgrace after losing his title on the scales before beating Shinsuke Yamanaka in March. This fight was for the vacant WBC Silver title so that is a big step on the road back. Canoy suffers his first loss by KO/TKO and is now 3-4 in his last 7 fights.

Mexico City, Mexico: Super Feather: Tomas Rojas (50-16-1,1ND) W PTS 12 Jhonny Gonzalez (66-11). Light: Isaac Cruz (15-1-1) W KO 1 Angel Chan (5-3-1).

Rojas vs. Gonzalez

Gonzalez risked his WBC No 4 rating in this contest between former champions and paid the price as Rojas used clever skills to outscore his fellow Mexican and win the majority decision. Southpaw Rojas boxed on the back foot countering the advancing Gonzalez and avoiding getting dragged into a close-quarters brawl. Rojas looked to have edged the first three rounds and in the fourth a clash of heads opened a bad cut over the right eye of Gonzalez. It was a good news/bad news scenario for Rojas. His opponent was cut but under the WBC rules the referee deducted a point from Rojas making the scores after four rounds 39-36 and 38-37 for Rojas and a dissenting 39-36 for Gonzalez. Over the next four rounds Gonzalez continued to force the pace but Rojas kept his boxing together and used sharp accurate jabs to just keep his nose in front. Gonzalez had closed the scores but only slightly to 77-75 and 76-75 for Rojas and 78-74 for Gonzalez. Over the last four rounds Gonzalez tried hard to overwhelm Rojas with pressure but Rojas seemed the fresher fighter and he withstood the pressure got the better of the exchanges and emerged a deserving winner. Scores 116-112 and 114-113 for Rojas and 114-114. The 38-year-old “Worm” Rojas, a former WBC super fly champion, was fighting four division higher than he had as champion/ He had lost two of his last three fights  but a title fight in 2019 is not out of the question. Two-division champion Gonzalez, 37, had reeled-off eight wins in a row but may have blown his chance of another title shot with this defeat.

Cruz vs. Chan

“Pitbull” Cruz finishes Chan inside a round. The young local prospect had Chan under pressure from the start and late in the round he landed a hurtful left hook to the body that put Chan down and he was unable to beat the count. Cruz is now 10-0-1 in his last eleven fights including eight wins by KO/TKO. Chan was 5-0-1 in his last six fights.

Baguio City, Philippines: Super Fly: Cris Paulino (19-3) W rtd 6 Jomar Fajardo (15-12-2).

Southpaw Paulino wins the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council title as Fajardo gives up the fight after six rounds. Paulino had everything going for him. He was bigger, quicker, and more skilful and had the power. Fajardo kept marching forward but paid the price in the shape of strong left hand counters from Paulino. Paulino showed some classy foot work and was always in position to thread jabs through the defence of the advancing fellow-Filipino. Late in the sixth Paulino landed a series of chopping lefts to the head that staggered Fajardo and led to his retirement at the end of the round. Consecutive inside the distance losses to Koki Eto and Vic Darchinyan saw Paulino out of the ring for two years before returning in December 2017. This is his sixth win since then. Poor Fajardo has had a tough time and is 1-8-1 in his last ten fights. He caused something of a sensation when he held the then WBO minimumweight champion Francisco Rodriguez to a draw in a non-title fight in 2014 but that is just a faint memory now.

Nosalowy Dwor, Poland: Cruiser: Krzys Wlodarczyk (56-4-1) W TKO 2 Al Sands (20-4).Middle: Fouad El Massoudi (15-11) W TKO 4 Patryk Szymanski (19-1).

Wlodarczyk vs. Sands

A slow first round saw Sands the more active throwing plenty of jabs and moving inside with hooks but he did not seem to have a lot of power. The better punches came from Wlodarczyk who landed a neat hook and a sharp uppercut. After an exchange of punches in the second Wlodarczyk drilled Sands with a strong left jab. Sands went back and down. He was up at the count of five and walked to a corner. The referee reached eight and wiped Sand’s gloves and indication the fight should continue but Sands dropped to his haunches and seeing that the referee stopped the fight. It looked as though the jab had given Sands a broken nose. The 37-year-old “Diablo” Wlodarczyk has won 7 of his last 8 fights beating 22-0 Noel Gevor and Olan Durodola but being knocked out by Murat Gassiev for the IBF title in October last year. He is preparing for the next WBSS cruiser series. The 31-year-old Minnesota-based “Haitian Temptation” Sands gets his second inside the distance loss in a row having been knocked out in two rounds by unbeaten Russian Yury Kashinsky in December.

El Massoudi vs. Szymanski

Frenchman El Massoudi gets an important win as he halts unbeaten Polish prospect Szymanski. El Massoudi had Szymanski on the floor in the first round. It looked to be from a punch but video evidence showed it was a combination of a clash of heads and a forearm that did the damage. Szymanski was badly shaken and never really recovered. The second was a close round but El Massoudi dominated the third rocking Szymanski badly with a right. In the fourth El Massoudi drove Szymanski to a corner and the Pole dropped to the floor under a storm of punches. The referee started the count but the towel came in from Szymanski’s corner. El Massoudi had lost 6 of his last 7 fights so this was a good night for him. Szymanski, 25, was a Polish and World Youth champion so big things were expected from him. It will be interesting to see how he recovers from this.

Quebec City, Canada: Heavy: Dillon Carman (14-3) W KO 4 Simon Kean (15-1). Middle: Steven Butler (25-1-1) W TKO 3 Jordan Balmir (10-1).Super Light: Batyrzhan Jukembayev (14-0,2ND) W KO 7 Patricio Moreno (20-2).

Carman vs. Kean

This was intended to be another victorious night for Canadian heavy hope Kean but former national champion Carman tore up the script. Kean did enough to edge the first round but looked slow and poorly balanced. The first sign of things to come appeared in the second when a right from Carman sent Kean down. Kean beat the count then floored Carman in the third and cut him under his right eye. The fourth saw Carman taking advantage of Kean’s poor defence. He put Kean on the back foot and dropped a floundering Kean with a chopping right to the head. Kean tried to rise but never made it and was counted out. “Big Country” Carman ran up seven wins by KO/TKO, including a third round kayo of Donovan Ruddock, but lost his Canadian title when he was stopped in two rounds by Mladen Miljas in December. This win nets him Kean’s WBC Francophone and the vacant WBA-NABA titles. He has 13 wins by KO/TKO and only two of his fights have gone the distance. Kean, 29, had won his last seven fight by KO/TKO but against some poor opposituion and that had helped hide some basic flaws and he was found out here. He will be rebuilt slowly but this loss is a serious reality check.

Butler vs. Balmir

Comfortable win for Butler over Balmir. Butler took control immediately dominating from ring centre and slotting jabs through the defence of Balmir. In the second Butler began to unload with some hefty rights and opened a cut over the right eye of Balmir. Butler continued to pile on the punishment in the third and finished the fight in the fourth. He opened Balmir up with some jabs and then drove home a short right uppercut inside which sent Balmir reeling back off balance. His gloves touched the canvas and he was given a count. When the action resumed Butler pounced on Balmir landing a series of vicious hooks and uppercuts until the referee jumped in and stopped the fight. Butler, 23,wins the vacant WBC Francophone title. He has 23 victories by KO/TKO including a stoppage of experienced Carson Jones. He was stopped in seven rounds by Brandon Cook in January last year but has rebuilt with seven inside the distance wins and is No 6 with the WBO. This was too big a step up in quality of opposition for Balmir.

Jukembayev vs. Moreno

For the second fight in a row Jukembayev comes off the floor for a win. The Kazak southpaw  found himself on the floor in the first round from a left to the head. He recovered and put Moreno down in the second. Jukembayev dominated the rest of the fight before putting Mexican Moreno down for the count with a body punch in the seventh. After a stumbling start that saw the 27-year-old Jukembayev’s first two fights end as No Decision due to cuts he has now won 14 on the bounce, 12 by KO/TKO. Fellow southpaw Moreno was having his first fight since taking a split verdict over Mauricio Pintor in March last year. This is his first loss by KO/TKO.

Buenos Aires, Argentina: Middle: Marcelo Coceres (25-0-1) W PTS 10 Davi Eliasquevici (14-7-1).

Coceres much too good for Eliasquevici. Coceres had lots of height and reach on his side and a far superior skill set. Eliasquevici kept marching forward fighting out of a crouch and was occasionally dangerous with some swinging hooks. Coceres was able to showboat dropping both hands, spearing Eliasquevici with jabs at distance and scoring with clubbing rights. Coceres came close to ending the fight in the eighth when he sent Eliasquevici down under a succession of head punches. Eliasquevici beat the count but the bell rang before Coceres could do any more damage. The local fighter breezed through the ninth and tenth for an easy victory. Scores 100-89 from all three judges for “El Terrible” who retains the WBO Latino title. The Argentinian No 1 has won 24 in a row. Eliasquevici is now 1-5 in his last six fights.

Sydney, Australia: Middle: Wade Ryan (16-7) W TKO 9 Les Sherrington (37-12).

Southpaw Ryan wins the vacant OPBF title with stoppage of seasoned pro Sherrington. The 28-year-old local, the Australian No 3, gets his fifth win by KO/TKO. He is now 6-2 in his last 8 fights losing decisions to unbeaten Tim Tszyu and Commonwealth champion Mike Zerafa. Sherrington, 36, is on the slide and is 2-5 in his last 7 fights with all 5 losses by KO/TKO. 

Bruay-la-Buissiere, France: Bantam: Vicente Legrand (28-0) W KO 1 Khvicha Gigolashvili (18-29).

Legrand just keeps in shape with a first round win over Georgian Gigolashvili but he may be in trouble. Legrand is scheduled to defend his European title against Andrew Selby in Newport, Wales on 27 October. However there must be a minimum period of 28 days between contests for someone fighting in a European title match and he has breached that rule. Gigolashvili has won only two of his last eight fights and the two wins were back home in Georgia.

Traunreut, Germany: Light Heavy: Serge Michel (8-0) W TKO 3 Sheldon Lawrence (11-2). Heavy: Petar Milas (13-0) W KO 4 Mirko Tintor (14-2-1).

Michel vs. Lawrence

Michel wins the vacant WBC International title with stoppage of Trinidad & Tobago’s Lawrence. Michel “The Bavarian Sniper” took centre ring and worked his jab threading his left through gaps in the defence of Lawrence and getting home with some hard rights. Lawrence banged back in the second but was floored late in the round. He survived but was staggered early in the third and as Michel piled on the pressure and a right sent Lawrence stumbling the referee stopped the fight. The Russian-born German competed at the 2013 World Championships. He lost to Joshua Buatsi at the European qualifier for the Olympics but earned his place in Rio by coming second at the World Qualifier but then failed to medal. Lawrence had won his last five fights but Michel was just too good for him.

Milas vs. Tintor

Croatian Milas wins the vacant WBC Mediterranean title with fourth round kayo of Bosnian Tintor. Milas outboxed southpaw Tintor over the first three rounds. He was quicker and more accurate with his punches and showed good footwork to avoid the rushes of Tintor. A left hook floored Tintor in the forth and a volley of punches sent him down for the second time with the referee applying the full count. The 23-year-old Milas gets his ninth win by KO/TKO. He has a stoppage victory over Kevin Johnson and won a unanimous decision over Francesco Pianeta two months before Pianeta lost on points to Tyson Fury. The 6’4 ½” (194cm) Croat never took his boxing seriously as an amateur but is building nicely as a pro and has crept into the European Union ratings at No 18. Tintor had won his last seven fights.

Wolfsburg, Germany: Middle: Patrick Wojcicki (12-0-1) W PTS 12 Sven Elbir (12-1).Super Welter: Abass Baraou (3-0) W RTD 2 Robert Maess (22-2).Middle: Denis Radovan (11-0) W TKO 1 Florian Wildenhof (29-6-1).

Wojcicki vs. Elbir

Wojcicki holds on to his IBF Inter-Continental title with close unanimous decision over German “Batman” Elbir. Over the early rounds Wojcicki outboxed the aggressive Elbir. Stiff, accurate jabs, some precise counters and good footwork blunted Elbir’s attacks. Wojcicki was switching his punches smoothly from head to body and looked well in control. Over the late rounds Elbir was able to get inside as Wojcicki slowed and was forced to stand and trade more. Elbir continued to march forward and was eating into Wojcicki’s lead but ran out of rounds. Scores 115-113 twice and 116-112 all for Wojcicki/ A deserving winner but he had to fight hard to hold onto that early lead. The 27-year-old Wolfsburg boxer will be looking to step up to challenge for the EBU or European Union title but due to the modest level of his opposition he is down at No 22 in the EU ratings. As an amateur he was German champion in 2009, 2010 and 2011and competed at both the 2011 World Championships and 2012 Olympics. Elbir was in his first fight scheduled for more than eight round but showed good stamina and paced the fight well.

Baraou vs. Maess

Some are already tagging Baraou as the best prospect in German boxing. He added some substance to that description as he bounced the more experienced Maess off the floor a few time over the first six minutes and Maess corner pulled their man out of the fight at the end of the second round. The 23-year-old Baraou failed to qualify for Rio but in 2017 but won the gold medal at the European Championships beating Scott McCormack and Vincenzo Mangiacapre on the way to the final. He took bronze in the 2017 World Championships losing to Cuban Iglesias in the semi-final. This is the first defence of his German title which he won in his second pro fight. After 19 wins against modest opposition Maess is being found out and this is his second loss in his last three fights.

Radovan vs. Wildenhof

Radovan gets this one over quickly. In the first he was scoring well with his jab early and just before the bell a right hook to the head sent fellow-German Wildenhof down and he could not beat the count. The 25-year-old from Cologne gets his fifth win by KO/TKO. As an amateur he won German titles at every level from schoolboy to Seniors. Wildenhof was 6-1-1 in his last 8 fights but against mediocre opposition.

Tokyo, Japan: Super Feather: Hironori Mishiro (6-0-1) W DREW 12 Masaru Sueyoshi (18-1-1).

There was a Japanese title and an OPBF title on the line here but neither changed hands as these two fought savagely to a draw. The fight started badly for Mishiro when he was put down by a right hook in the first round. He recovered but Sueyoshi continued to score well with his jab and after four rounds was in front with two judges having it 39-37 and the third 40-36, all for Sueyoshi. Over the middle rounds Mishiro had his jab working and was banging home hooks to the body and began to eat into Sueyoshi’s lead. After eight rounds Sueyoshi was still in front on two cards at 78-74 and 77-75 with the third seeing it even at 76-76. Mishiro closed the gap by clearly winning the ninth and tenth only for Sueyoshi outscore him in the eleventh and two judges gave Mishiro the last to make it terribly close. Scores 115-113 Sueyoshi, 115-113 Mishiro and 114-114. Mishiro, a University Graduate and member of the Watanabe gym, holds on to his OPBF title in his first defence and Sueyoshi, the WBO No 7, keeps his Japanese title in his third defence. This was a tough, entertaining fight so hopefully there will be a return.

San Juan, Puerto Rico: Feather: Jonathan Oquendo (28-5) W TKO 6 Jose Lopez (20-2-1).

Oquendo continues his comeback with stoppage of “Wonder Boy” Lopez. The fight started badly for Oquendo as a right to the head floored him in the opening round. He was not badly hurt and took control of the fight from the second when he split open Lopez’s lip with a punch. Oquendo kept barrelling in forcing Lopez to the ropes and denying him punching room. Lopez was looking like a beaten man by the fourth and Oquendo landed some heavy shots in the fifth. Body punches in the sixth saw Lopez dropping his guard to block the shots but Oquendo switched to the head and with Lopez under fire and not throwing anything back the fight was stopped. Now 19 wins by KO/TKO for the 35-year-old Puerto Rican. He was goiung along well until loses to Wilfredo Vazquez Jr and Abner Mares derailed him. He rebounded with an upset victory over Jhonny Gonzalez in September 2015 and that landed him a shot at the WBA feather title three months later. He lost that fight on points to Argentinian Jesus Cuellar and was then inactive in 2016 and had only one fight in 2017 before returning with a win over Daulis Prescott in August this year. He hopes this victory over Lopez will get him a title shot against WBO champion Masayuki Ito. Neither he nor Lopez are in the ratings but let’s not forget where the WBO is based so a rating and a title shot in 2019 are quite possible. Some of the shine had worn off "Wonder Boy” Lopez in a draw and two losses against very modest opposition.

Paisley, Scotland: Light: Ahmed Ibrahim (7-2-1) W TKO 5 Ryan Collins (13-3-2). Bantam: Scott Allan (9-3-1 W PTS 10 Gary Rae (8-1).

Ibrahim vs. Collins

Good win for Ibrahim as he floors in-form Collins in the fourth and the fight is stopped early in the fifth due to facial damaged suffered by Collins. The bad news for “The Black Assassin” Ibrahim is that he failed to make the weight so the BBB of C Celtic title remains vacant. Ibrahim makes it 4 wins in his last 5 fights with the defeat being against rated Ohara Davies. Collins was also on a good run with five wins and then  two technical draws against unbeaten Charlie Flynn for this same Celtic title.

Allan vs. Rae

Minor upset as Allan takes unanimous verdict over previously unbeaten “Razor” Rae Allan was the busier fighter and outworked Rae. In his left uppercut he had the punch that made the difference. The former Scottish Area champion collects the vacant Celtic title partially living up to his nickname of “Title Taker”. Paisley’s Rae was moving up to ten rounds for the first time.

Brooks, CA, USA: Super Middle: Ryan Bourland (16-2) W PTS 10 Jose Hernandez (19-5-1). Light: Joel Diaz Jr (24-1) W KO 1 Miguel Huerta (28-16-1).

Bourland vs. Hernandez

Bourland gets revenge win over Hernandez / When these two met over eight rounds in February Hernandez took the majority decision. This fight was every bit as close but this time Bourland came out the winner on a majority vote on scores of 97-93 twice and 95-95. That gives the 30-year-olf Bourland nine wins in his last ten fights. Hernandez’s win over Bourland was his seventh in a row but that streak was snapped in June with a loss against Mike Lee.

Diaz vs. Huerta

Diaz returns to the winning column with first round kayo of Mexican oldie Miguel Huerta. Diaz need a booster after being stopped in two rounds by Regis Prograis in June last year and this victory is a first step on the road to recovery. Huerta, 40, drops to nine losses by KO/TKO. He has now lost 6 of his last 7 fights but the quality of the opposition has been strong.

The show featured a very touching salute to the  memory of Hall of Fame promoter and matchmaker Don Chargin who died last month. Don and his wife Lorraine were an iron fist/velvet glove partnership except that it was Lorraine who was the iron fist. Two great boxing people who I was proud to call friends.

St. Petersburg, FL, USA: Light: William Silva (26-2) W TKO 9 Jose Forero (13-8-1).

Brazilian Silva halts Panamanian Forero in nine rounds. The tall, 6’1”, Brazilian wins the vacant American Boxing Federation Continental Americas title with his fifteenth victory by KO/TKO. After winning his first 23 fights Silva was outpointed by Felix Verdejo in 2016. He scored a couple of low level wins and was then bounced on the canvas a few times and stopped in six rounds by Teo Lopez in his last fight in July this year. Forero has won only one of his last six fights.

Philadelphia, PA, USA: Heavy: Darmani Rock (13-0) W KO 4 Pedro Rodriguez (23-6)

Rock gets another win but is not on top form. The 6’5” Philadelphian looked to be carrying too much weight and made a slow start. From the second he began to land heavily to the body of the disgracefully overweight Cuban. Rock ended it in the third dropping Rodriguez with a right to the body and a left hook with Rodriguez going down and being counted out. Eighth win by KO/TKO for the 22-year-old Rock. As an amateur he was Youth Olympic Games and PanAmerican Youth champion and took gold medals at both the National Golden Gloves and US National Championships but failed to get through the US Olympic Trials for Rio. He was 275 ½ lbs here and has to be careful. Not everybody is a Jarrell Miller or Andy Ruiz who carry lots of weight but are still quick. Rodriguez was fat. He started out in 2010 as a cruiser weighing 188lbs but was 56lbs heavier for this fight.

October 7

Renteria, Spain: Bantam: Sebastian Perez (10-0-1) W PTS 12 Jacob Barreto (10-2).

Local fighter Perez wins both the European Union and Spanish titles with unanimous verdict over Barreto. The Basque fighter proved stronger and paced the fight better. His hard, accurate hooks gave him a definite edge and he came out on top on scores of 118-111, 117-111 and 115-113. The 22-year-old “Whip” will now have to give up one of the titles  as he cannot hold a national title and a European title so the Spanish title will probably be vacant soon. Barreto had won his last nine fights but was well beaten here.

Fight of the week (Entertainment): Artur Beterbiev vs. Callum Johnson was explosive whist it lasted. Honourable mentions to Daniel Roman vs. Gavin McDonnell quantity with quality and Archie Sharp vs. Leon Woodstock a real scarp.

Fight of the week (Significance): Naoya Inoue vs. Juan Carlos Payano which must have raised danger flags for the rest of the WBSS bantamweights.

Fighter of the Week: Nana Inoue- chilling

Punch of the week: Callum Johnson’s left hook that put Artur Beterbiev over was special as was mark Bowen’s left hook that destroyed Horacio Cabral but that one right from Inoue tops them all, Inoue straight right, Bowens left hook to the body

Upset of the week: Dillon Carman’s kayo of unbeaten Simon Kean and Fouad El Massoudi stoppage of 19-0 Patrick Szymanski were unexpected as was the victory for Tomas Rojas over Jhonny Gonzalez

Watch List: German hope Abass Baraou looks good even after just three fights.

-Eric Armit

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