Whilst usually the main action of a weekend of boxing is on a Saturday night this weekend really is 50-50 with a lot of really good fights coming on Friday as well as Saturday. The first set of bouts come from Russia where there is a really mouth watering card featuring a number of world class fighters and a main event that could end up being the fight of the year. On paper the weakest bout on the Russian card is a Light Heavyweight bout between Dmitry Bivol (1-0, 1) and Konstantin Piternov (18-6, 9). This 6 rounder however is an amazing test for the unbeaten 24 year old who will be fast tracked if he can look impressive here. This is the sort of match making we love and it's a shame we don't see more of it. In a 10 round Heavyweight bout we will see former Heavyweight world title challenger Manuel Charr (27-2, 16) take on the very capable Johann Duhaupas (31-2, 20) in a really good bout to see where both men are heading. The loser here likely falls off the radar somewhat whilst the winner should be moved towards a major bout, perhaps a Europe title fight or a world title eliminator. A second 10 round is set to take place at Cruiserweight as former world title challenger Rakhim Chakhkiev (21-1, 16) takes on former WBA “interim” champion Valery Brudov (42-5, 28). This should be a straight forward win for Chakhkiev, though we suspect he needs to do more than just “win” and instead he needs to look fantastic, if he wants his team to push him towards a world title bout later in the year. Another fringe level Cruiserweight on this card is the monstrously hard hitting Dmitry Kudryashov (16-0, 16) who will be hoping to continue his run of destruction and retain the WBA International Cruiserweight title as he battles former world title challenger Francisco Palacios (23-2, 14). Palacious has never been stopped and twice ran Krzystof Wlodarczyk close, though is now 37 years old and has certainly seen better days. We see another unbeaten puncher in action at 140lbs where Eduard Troyanovsky (20-0, 17) will be taking on the once beaten Aik Shakhnazaryan (15-1, 6). Shakhnazaryan lost his unbeaten record last time out when he was upset by the unheralded Abner Lopez and for some reason his team are really throwing him to the wolves here with Troyanovsky being a devastating puncher. This could be over quickly. In the main event we will see the tough, exciting and heavy handed Denis Lebedev (26-2, 20) defending his WBA Cruiserweight title against the free swinging Youri Kayembre Kalenga (21-1, 14). This has the potential to be something very special and we'd be shocked if this was anything short of breath taking. Both guys have their limitations but both have styles that should gel to give us a engrossing war of attrition. Staying with Cruiserweights we also get a brilliant match up in Argentina where the heavy handed Victor Emilio Ramirez (21-2, 17) takes on the highly skilled, though sometimes lazy, Ola Afolabi (21-3-4, 10) for the IBF interim title. This is probably not going to quite catch fire like the other bout but it should be equally as engrossing and we'd not be shocked if this was a brilliant back-and-forth bout between two men who are eager to score a bit win. In the US there are two cards of note. The most interesting of those is on ESPN where fans get the semi-finals in this years Boxcino tournaments. In the Light Middleweight tournament we'll see the very promising Stanyslav Skorokhod (9-0, 7) battle against John Thompson (15-1, 5) in a bout that looks good on paper. We've got to back the unbeaten Ukrainian here, especially considering how good he looked in the quarter final, though it's still a very solid match up. The other semi-final at 154lbs will see the exciting Brandon Adams (16-1, 11) take on US based Armenian Vito Gasparyan (15-3-5, 8) in what looks like a much more competitive match up than the other one. We favour Adams for this semi but Gasparyan is better than his record indicates. The other tournament is at Heavyweight where we again see two interesting looking bouts. One of those will see veteran Andrey Fedosov (26-3, 21) battle against Lenroy Thomas (19-3, 9). In their quarter finals Thomas just sneaked past Jason Estrada after a tie-breaker round whilst Fedosov battered Nat Heaven in 173 seconds. It's fair to say Fedosov is the big favourite but it's a good for Thomas to make a name for himself. The other bout will see Razvan Cojanu (13-1, 7) battle against the big hitting Donovan Dennis (11-1, 9). Cojanu also needed an extra round to get through his quarter-final, narrowly out pointing Ed Fountain, whilst Dennis stopped the previously unbeaten Steve Vukosa in 4 rounds. Of these two bouts it's the Cojanu Vs Dennis bout that holds a lot more intrigue than the other semi-final. On the other card there will be prospects galore as Showtime do one of their most interesting Shobox cards in recent memory. In the most notable bouts we get Middleweight action with one of the two most notable match ups being a bout between the the hard hitting Ievgen Khytrov (9-0, 9) and fellow unbeaten Aaron Coley (9-0-1, 6). Khytrov, who famously beat Ryota Murata in the 2011 World Amateur Champions final, will be expected to destroy Coley but that says more about Khytrov than it does about Coley. If we're being totally honest Khytrov looks like the best Middleweight prospect on the planet and is going to be a nightmare for anyone but the truly elite. The other Middleweight bout will see Sergiy Derevyanchenko (4-0, 3) battle the once beaten Alan Campa (13-1-0-1, 9). Whilst we think Khytrov is the better prospect it does seem like Derevyanchenko is being moved a bit faster, at 29 years old however he's not got a year or two to waste and at his current pace he'll be fighting to titles by the end of 2016 at the very latest. On paper this looks like a test but we can't see Campa lasting 8 rounds with Derevyanchenko. Another notable prospect in action here is Frank Galarza (16-0-2, 10) who will be up against Sheldon Moore (13-2-1, 9). Galarza had a sensation 2014 with 5 wins, including an excellent KO against the then 14-0 John Thompson. Moore shouldn't be too tough for Galarza but could make for an interesting match up for the with the unbeaten power-puncher.
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Klitschko pulverizes Pulev, Farias wins female title, Gamboa picks up win and Kalenga destroys Daley11/17/2014 This past Saturday was a big one in some ways for boxing fans. They had a major Heavyweight world title bout, a major female bout, a very interesting Cruiserweight contest and the return of a very exciting fighter. It may not have stopped the world in it's tracks but it was certainly and interesting day for fans around the globe. The first of day's big bouts came from Germany where Heavyweight world champion Wladimir Klitschko (63-3, 53) scored a stunning knockout against the previously unbeaten Kubrat Pulev (20-1, 11). The bout saw Pulev dropped twice in the opening round and again the third round before attempting to fight back. Sadly for Pulev as he began to open he was clocked himself by a vicious left hook that left him flat on the canvas for the count. It was a spectacular finish to what had been an enjoyable Klitschko fight, not something we've been able to say in recent years. Just a division lower, and in Canada, fans saw another sensational finish as WBA interim Cruiserweight champion Youri Kayembre Kalenga (21-1, 14) stopped the previously unbeaten Denton Daley (12-1, 6). Daley could have been saved in round 10 but the referee allowed them one to reach a relatively nasty end with Daley taking a real beating in round 12. When the referee eventually stepped in it was too later and Daley was on his way to dream world. We'll be honest and say we like Kalenga and would love to see him fighting some of the other top Cruiserweights as he is so exciting to see in full flow. In Mexico we had two other bouts of note. One of those was an intriguing female WBC Light Welterweight bout between former WBC Lightweight queen Erica Anabella Farias (21-1, 10) and 4-weight world champion Alejandra Marina Oliveras (31-3-2, 16). The fight was an all Argentinian affair and was a highly competitive bout as both gave fantastic accounts of themselves in one of the best female bouts of the year. Sadly for Oliveras she was unable to impress the judges who gave Farias the decision and the title in what was really a great all-action female contest. On the same card fans also saw Cuban sensation Yuriorkis Gamboa (24-1, 17) make light work of Joel Montes de Oca (18-4, 10). This was Gamboa's first bout since suffering a knockout loss to Terence Crawford and it appears that he has his eyes on a fight with Takashi Miura in 2015. (Image courtesy of Sumio Yamada) This past Saturday was one of the best days this year for boxing fans who really had a day to remember with some great fights, high octane action and real excitement. For us the most exciting bout came from the US and was the Yoshihiro Kamegai Vs Robert Guerrero bout, but that's mentioned on other parts of the site. That was a really amazing brawl between two men who seemed happy to put on a show and just unleash power shots on one another from close range. It was the perfect ending to a fantastic day. Prior to the Kamegai/Guerrero bout we had previously had two other televised bouts on the same show. The most notable of those was the WBO Featherweight title contest between former amateur standout Vasyl Lomachenko (2-1, 1) and the previously unbeaten, and very highly regarded, Gary Russell Jr (24-1, 14). The bout was Lomachenko's second successive title bout, following a controversial loss to Orlando Salido, and he took the lessons from his loss last time out and looked an improved fighter. Sadly for Russell Jr his string of limited opponents prior to this bout did him no favours and he seemed to lack a plan B choosing to just throw a lot of flurries from out of range rather than work his way towards the Ukrainian. Although the scorecards were read out as a majority decision for Lomachenko it seemed a clear victory for the Ukrainian who made Russell Jr miss repeatedly. Despite the win, which sees Lomachenko tying the long standing record of Saensak Muangsurin, there were flaws in what he did and he seemed to only show flashes of his true talent, hopefully he'll manage to fight at a higher pace for longer in fights rather than just a few bursts. Also if Lomachenko can find a real killer instinct he will be genuinely phenomenal. The opening bout from the broadcast on Showtime was another excellent match up as former 2-weight world champion Devon Alexander (26-2, 14) beat up the brave but limited Jesus Soto Karass (28-9-3-1, 18) in what was a very entertaining contest. Soto Karass did as he usually does and brought the action though Alexander was equal to it using his boxing, movement and han speed to land near enough at will with power shots. To his credit Soto Karass never stopped trying but he was the clear loser in what was an entertaining show opener. Prior to the US action there was also a televised card from South Africa that was headlined by a contest between Middleweight contenders Martin Murray (28-1-1, 12) and Max Bursak (29-3-1, 12). The bout, for the WBC Silver Middleweight title wasn't particularly enjoyable to watch, in fact it was a gruelling hard bout to watch though one that was clearly won by Murray who will likely be hoping to set up a world title fight later this year. Unfortunately for him a bout with WBC champion Miguel Cotto seems very unlikely instead he'll likely have to chase after the IBF title currently held by Felix Sturm, though we'd love to see him share the ring with Gennady Golovkin. On the same card in South Africa fans also saw a Cruiserweight battle to remember as Youri Kayembre Kalenga (20-1, 13) took the fight to Poland's Mateusz Masternak (33-1, 23) from the off. After 6 rounds it appeared to be all Kalenga though he then started to slow and the final few rounds were certainly more competitive, however the fight should never have been a split decision as it was scored, thankfully however the judges gave the right man the win. Interestingly this was for the WBA interim Cruiserweight and in theory Kalenga should be fighting Denis Lebedev in an up coming fight that could well be an absolute thriller. Also on the South African card was the WBA Minimumweight title fight between Hekkie Budler and Pigmy Kokietgym. One other bout of note, which took place on a smaller American card the one we've already mentioned, was an IBF Light Heavyweight eliminator between Nadjib Mohammedi (35-3, 20) and Anatoliy Dudchenko (19-3, 13). We were expecting this to be a competitive contest but Mohammedi just dominated the contest and forced the referee to save Dudchenko in the 7th round. This result makes Mohammedi the #1 contender to Bernard Hopkins and we'll admit that could be an interesting contest, at least more so that some of Hopkins's other recent bouts. (Image courtesy of Shwotime) This coming Saturday is a big one for a number of Asian fighters such as Yoshihiro Kamegai, who battles Robert Guerrero in a huge bout Stateside, and Pigmy Kokietgym, who will be hoping to win the WBA Minimumweight title, but it's not just Asian's in big fights. The Kamegai/Guerrero bout is part of a high profile triple header in Carson, California. Whilst it's technically the main event more fans are interested in the shows sole title bout which will see former amateur sensation Vasyl Lomachenko (1-1, 1) battle against the unbeaten Gary Russell Jr (24-0, 14) for the vacant WBO Featherweight title. Lomachenko lost in his first attempt at the title, losing to an over-weight Orlando Salido, though will feel confident that the experiences from that fight will help him here as he attempts to tie the long standing record of Saensak Muangsurin. For Russell Jr this is finally a chance to prove that he's as good as he, and the American media, proclaim him to be. We tend to feel Lomachenko is the more skilled, stronger, more physically imposing and, despite the records suggesting otherwise, the more experienced. Russell Jr is the faster of the two and is "the home fighter" but that is pretty much all of his advantages. The other part of the triple header will see former multi-weight title holder Devon Alexander (25-2, 14) battle against the brave but limited Jesus Soto Karass (28-9-3, 18). Karass is a genuine warrior but has a lot of limitations and we feel Alexander will make him pay for those limitations, however Alexander himself looked like a broken man last time out when he was bullied, battered and beaten by the rough house tactics of Shawn Porter and if Soto Karass saw that fight he will fancy his chances against the more skilled fighter. Although not part of the main broadcast this same American show will also include the return to the ring of former Light Heavyweight champion Chad Dawson (31-3-0-2, 17) who will be fighting against the limited George Blades (23-5, 16). The 39 year old Blades has been hand selected as the fall guy for Dawson who comes into this bout on the back of back-to-back stoppage defeats, including an opening round blow out loss to Adonis Stevenson. Although Dawson is expected to win this bout, it's more about the performance than the result and anything but a shining performance will see Dawson cast aside as a "shot" fighter. Whilst not a major bout this show is also expected to feature the debut of Fabian Maidana (0-0), the younger brother of Macos Maidana. Maidana will be fighting against Alejandro Artiaga (3-8, 1) in a bout that is expected to make Fabian look like a star despite it only being his debut. We know it's early but we're going to be following this young man carefully over the coming years. Over on a card in Monaco, which includes the Pigmy Kokietgym fight, we again get several other notable bouts. Arguably the pick of those is a WBA interim Cruiserweight title fight between the once beaten Polish fighter Mateusz Masternak (32-1, 23) and the heavy handed French based Congolese fighter Youri Kayembre Kalenga (19-1, 13). Kalenga may have a loss on his record, a huge shock loss at that, but we've been very reliably informed that it was a home town robbery that could well have done more harm for Latvian boxing than good. Both guys here can punch, both can fight and both have plenty of question marks leading us to feeling that this could be the fight of the night. We know many fans are favouring Masternak but for us this is a 50-50 bout and we'd actually sway in favour of Kalenga. The other major bout on this Monaco show will see Britain's Martin Murray (27-1-1, 12) battling against Ukrainian Max Bursak (29-2-1, 12) in a very interesting bout for the WBC Silver Middleweight title. Some fans feel that Murray was hard done by when he fought Felix Sturm and Sergio Martinez whilst other feel he was very fortunate to remain a contender after his contentious victory, late last year, over Sergey Khomitsky. Likewise many felt Bursak was unfortunate against Jarrod Fletcher, earlier this year, whilst people also though he was fortunate against Nick Blackwell. We don't mean to sound nasty but we'd suggest both of these fighters stay away from Gennady Golovkin if they wish to remain top contenders as their inconsistencies could really bite them. As for the fight with each other it should be an entertaining back and forth affair though we'd not be shocked by any result at all. A final bout of note, which will be in the US, will see Anatoliy Dudchenko (19-2, 13) battle against Nadjib Mohammedi (34-3, 20). We believe the winner of this contest will be a mandatory for American legend Bernard Hopkins though neither man would be likely to give "B Hop" a tough night at the office. (Image courtesy of WBANews) |
InternationalWe know that not every fight involves an Asian fighter but a lot of fights do affect Asian fighter. As a result we've decided to add this new section to Asian boxing where we look at selected International bouts. Archives
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