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Jermell Charlo KOs Tony Harrison Plus Other Fight Results from Ontario
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ONTARIO, Calif.-After falling behind on the scorecards Jermell Charlo unloaded a barrage on Tony Harrison that sent the champion down twice and forced the WBC super welterweight title to change hands once again before a stunned crowd on Saturday.
Houston’s Charlo (33-1, 17 KOs) regained the super welterweight title by knockout from Detroit’s Harrison (28-3, 21 KOs) to settle a bitter grudge before several thousand fans at Toyota Center. It settled a war of words that had been transpiring for more than a year.
“He held the title too long and I had to come back and get it,” Charlo said
The last time Charlo and Harrison met it was the Houston fighter who held the world title but he was out-worked and out-boxed by Michigan’s Harrison a year ago in Brooklyn. For 10 rounds their fight on Saturday was basically a repeat of the same fight.
Charlo broke out quick with a full attack mode that sent Harrison to the floor with a swarming attack. Harrison rode out the ensuing storm and eventually Charlo gassed out. That allowed Harrison to figure out a counter-attack.
Harrison used a short quick right uppercut to momentarily stop the charging Charlo and kept the Texas fighter guessing on his future charges. It also reminded Charlo that Harrison had possessed danger in those short and precise punches.
Soon the Detroit fighter began to target the body while mixing the attack. Charlo had no answer but tried to counter with swarm after swarm but was not effective. Round after round seemed to be put in the bank for Harrison who showed a cool and calm approach contrasted to Charlo’s wild swarms.
But in the 11th round Charlo unleashed another swarm and caught the slightly taller Harrison with a double left hook that floored the Detroit boxer who beat the count. Charlo kept the pressure on and unleashed a five-punch combination and down went Harrison again. He got up and was met with a swarming attack and though Harrison was still standing, referee Jack Reiss stopped the fight at 2:28 of the 11th round.
“I got the belt back and I didn’t leave it up to the judges,” Charlo said.” Tony is a former champion. He had a lot on the line. I dominated and I knocked him out.”
Harrison complained slightly to the referee for the stoppage but realized he was on tenuous ground after three knockdowns in the fight.
“Jack is a championship referee. I started getting a little lax and got caught,” Harrison said. “He earned it. I hate it, but he earned it.”
It was a good thing the fight was decided by knockout. Two judges had Charlo winning though Harrison was putting on a boxing clinic until the Houston fighter lowered the boom.
Heavyweights
Heavyweights knocked each other down three times for five rounds in an energetic fight before Nigeria’s Efe Ajagba (12-0, 10 KOs) powered by Georgia’s Iago Kiladze (26-5-1, 18 KOs) to finally win by knockout.
It looked like Ajagba was going to have an easy victory after dropping Kiladze with a right cross in the second round. That was only the beginning.
In the third round Ajagba nearly floored Kiladze again who teetered but did not fall. As the Nigerian waded in to finish the fight he was caught with a counter right cross and down went Ajagba. The crowd erupted in cheers but the Nigerian got up quickly and both heavyweights opened up with wild swings with neither landing. The fans roared their approval.
After a rather timid fourth round Ajagba moved in quicker for the attack and found an opening for a right cross that dropped Kiladze once again. And once again he got up on unsteady legs ready to fight. But his corner wisely felt the fighter from the Republic of Georgia was not capable of continuing and threw in a towel that prompted referee Tom Taylor to end the fight.
Olympian Has Fallen
Dreams of an undefeated 2019 for Olympian Karlos Balderas were crashed by Mexico’s Rene Giron who knocked out the taller fighter with a hellacious left hook in the sixth round of their lightweight match.
It was not a lucky punch.
The shorter but muscular Giron floored Balderas in the third round with a similar left hook. Balderas got up before the count but was on unsteady legs. Referee Ray Corona allowed the fight to continue and the bell rang a second later. Balderas had escaped a knockout loss.
But Balderas could not find an answer for the always attacking Giron who despite very short arms was able to muscle his way under the sharp jabs and ripping rights coming from the Santa Maria fighter who fought on the 2016 US Olympic team.
Giron was able to fight inside and pummel the body of Balderas who tried sharp combinations from the outside but just could not keep the Mexican from Queretaro from diving in with blows. He also could not keep the pace of the Mexican fighter who was relentless in his attack and did not telegraph his blows.
In the sixth round a right uppercut from Balderas snapped Giron’s head back and blood came pouring out from the Mexican fighter’s nose. But as the round closed Balderas fired a one-two combination and was countered by a Giron left hook. Down went Balderas who collapsed from the blow. He slowly got up but was unable to beat the count of referee Ray Corona who ended the fight by knockout at 2:59 of round six.
“After I knocked him down in the third round, I saw his eyes were rolled back like he was hurt, but he has the heart of a lion,’’ Giron said. “He didn’t want to lose his undefeated record in front of his people. When he got up, I was like, ‘Wow! He got up! He’s up!’ So I kept on him and left everything in the ring. I’m really happy. Karlos had said he fought with the best and he was an Olympian. Well, I fought a lot of people too and you see the result.’’
Other Bouts
Middleweights Hugo Centeno Jr. (27-3-1,14 KOs) and Juan Macias Montiel (21-4-1, 21 KOs) fought to a split draw after 10 back and forth rounds. Centeno used lateral movement to evade the always stalking fighter from Los Mochis, Mexico but in the latter half of the fight Montiel seemed to step up the tempo and batter the body.
Montiel suffered a cut in round eight but was able to sustain a more pronounced attack in the last three rounds as Centeno tried to pot shot his way to victory. After 10 rounds one judge scored it for Centeno 97-93 and another 96-94 for Montiel. A third judge scored it 95-95 making the fight a split draw. Fans were not happy by the decision but it was a very close middleweight struggle.
Russia’s Petr Khamukov (5-0, 2 KOs) won by knockout at the end of the second round over Maceo Crowder (2-4, 1 KO) in a middleweight fight. Khamukov floored Crowder with an overhand right in the first round. In the second round an exchange of punches seemed to cause problems with Crowder’s vision. At the end of the second round Crowder said he could not continue.
Colombia’s Oscar Escandon jumped into action at the opening bell and staggered Zhack Tepora early with a right cross. Both featherweight fighters exchanged with Escandon delivering a left hook and right to the body that sent the Filipino fighter to the floor for a count of 10 by referee Jack Reiss. Escandon was the winner by knockout at 1:30 of the first round.
“This fight was very important to me because I know I needed to win if I wanted to continue forward with my career,’’ Escandon said.
San Antonio’s Ray “Tito” Guajardo (5-0, 4 KOs) knocked out New Orleans super welterweight Donnis Reed (3-5, 2 KOs) with a three-punch combination at 1:40 of the first round. Reed was taken by stretcher to a nearby hospital. No word on his status.
Photo credit: Al Applerose
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Bivol Evens the Score with Beterbiev; Parker and Stevenson Win Handily
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It was labeled the best boxing card in history.
That’s up for debate.
And there was some debate as Dmitry Bivol avenged his loss to Artur Beterbiev to become the new undisputed light heavyweight world champion on Saturday by majority decision in a tactical battle.
“He gave me this chance and I appreciate it,” said Bivol of Beterbiev.
Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs) rallied from behind to give Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KOs) his first pro loss in their rematch at a sold out crowd in the Venue Riyadh Season in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Like their first encounter the rematch was also very close.
Four months ago, these two faced each other as undefeated light heavyweights. Now, after two furious engagements, both have losses.
Beterbiev was making his first defense as undisputed light heavyweight champion and made adjustments from their first match. This time the Russian fighter who trains in Canada concentrated on a body attack and immediately saw dividends.
For most of the first six rounds it seemed Beterbiev would slowly grind down Bivol until he reached an unsurmountable lead. But despite the momentum he never could truly hurt Bivol or gain separation.
Things turned around in the seventh round as Bivol opened up with combinations to the head and body while slipping Beterbiev’s blows. It was a sudden swing of momentum. But how long could it last?
“It was hard to keep him at the distance. I had to be smarter and punch more clean punches,” said Bivol.
Beterbiev attempted to regain the momentum but Bivol was not allowing it to happen. In the final 10 seconds he opened up with a machine gun combination. Though few of the punches connected it became clear he was not going to allow unclarity.
Using strategic movement Bivol laced quick combinations and immediately departed. Betebiev seemed determined to counter the fleet fighter but was unsuccessful for much of the second half of the fight.
Around the 10th round Beterbiev stepped on the gas with the same formula of working the body and head. It gave Bivol pause but he still unleashed quick combos to keep from being overrun.
Bivol connected with combinations and Beterbiev connected with single body and head shots. It was going to be tough for the referees to decide which attack they preferred. After 12 rounds with no knockdowns one judge saw it a draw at 114-114. But two others saw Bivol the winner 116-112, 115-113.
“I was better. I was pushing myself more, I was lighter. I just wanted to win so much today,” said Bivol.
Beterbiev was gracious in defeat.
“Congratulations to Bivol’s team” said Beterbiev. “I think this fight was better than the first fight.”
After the match it was discussed that an effort to make a third fight is a strong possibility.
Heavyweight KO by Parker
Joseph Parker (36-3, 24 KOs) once again proved he could be the best heavyweight without a world title in knocking out the feared Martin Bakole (21-2, 16 KOs) to retain his WBO interim title. It was quick and decisive.
“Catch him when he is coming in,” said Parker, 33, about his plan.
After original foe IBF heavyweight titlist Daniel Dubois was forced to withdraw due to illness, Bakole willingly accepted the match with only two days’ notice. Many experts and fans around the world were surprised and excited Parker accepted the match.
Ever since Parker lost to Joe Joyce in 2022, the New Zealander has proven to be vastly improved with wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang. Now you can add Bakole to the list of conquests.
Bakole, 33, was coming off an impressive knockout win last July and posed a serious threat if he connected with a punch. The quick-handed Bakole at 310 pounds and a two-inch height advantage is always dangerous.
In the first round Parker was wary of the fighter from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He kept his range and moved around the ring looking to poke a jab and move. Bakole caught him twice with blows and Parker retaliated.
It proved to be a very important test.
Parker refrained from moving and instead moved inside range of the big African fighter. Both exchanged liberally with Bakole connecting with an uppercut and Parker an overhand right.
Bakole shook his head at the blow he absorbed.
Both re-engaged and fired simultaneously. Parker’s right connected to the top of the head of Bakole who shuddered and stumbled and down he went and could not beat the count. The referee stopped the heavyweight fight at 2:17 of the second round. Parker retains his interim title by knockout.
“I’m strong, I’m healthy, I’m sharp,” said Parker. “I had to be patient.”
Shakur Wins
Despite an injured left hand southpaw WBC lightweight titlist Shakur Stevenson (23-0, 11 KOs) won by stoppage over late replacement Josh Padley (15-1, 6 KOs). It was an impressive accomplishment.
Often criticized for his lack of action and safety-first style, Stevenson was supposed to fight undefeated Floyd Schofield who pulled out due to illness. In stepped British lightweight Padley who had nothing to lose.
Padley was never hesitant to engage with the super-quick Stevenson and despite the lightning-quick combos by the champion, the British challenger exchanged liberally. It just wasn’t enough.
Even when Stevenson injured his left hand during an exchange in the sixth round, Padley just couldn’t take advantage. The speedy southpaw kept shooting the right jabs and ripping off right hooks. At the end of the sixth Stevenson briefly switched to a right-handed fighting style.
Stevenson used his right jabs and hooks to perfection. Double right hooks to the head and body seemed to affect the British challenger. A clean left to the body of Padley sent him to the floor for the count in the ninth round. It was a surprising knockdown due to his injured left. Padley got up and the fight resumed. Stevenson unloaded with right hooks to the body and down went the British fighter once again. He got up and tried to fight his way out but was met with another left to the body and down he went a third time. Padley’s corner tossed in a white towel to signify surrender. The referee stopped the fight at the end of the round. Stevenson scored his 11th knockout win.
Photo credit: Mark Robinson / Matchroom
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Early Results from Riyadh where Hamzah Sheeraz was Awarded a Gift Draw
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After two 6-round appetizers, British light heavyweights Joshua Buatsi and Callum Smith got the show rolling with a lusty 12-round skirmish. Things went south in the middle of the seven-fight main card when WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames locked horns with challenger Hamzah Sheeraz. This was a drab fight owing to a milquetoast performance by the favored Sheeraz.
Heading in, the lanky six-foot-three Sheeraz, whose physique is mindful of a young Thomas Hearns, was undefeated in 21 fights. Having stopped five of his last six opponents in two rounds or less, the 25-year-old Englishman was touted as the next big thing in the middleweight division. However, he fought off his back foot the entire contest, reluctant to let his hands go, and Adames kept his title when the bout was scored a draw.
Sheeraz had the crowd in his corner and two of the judges scored the match with their ears. Their tallies were 115-114 for Sheeraz and 114-114. The third judge had it 118-110 for Adames, the 30-year old Dominican, now 24-1-1, who had Ismael Salas in his corner.
Ortiz-Madrimov
Super welterweight Vergil Ortiz Jr, knocked out his first 21 opponents, begging the question of how he would react when he finally faced adversity. He showed his mettle in August of last year when he went a sizzling 12 rounds with fellow knockout artist Serhii Bohachuk, winning a hard-fought decision. Tonight he added another feather in his cap with a 12-round unanimous decision over Ismail Madrimov, prevailing on scores of 117-111 and 115-113 twice.
Ortiz won by adhering tight to Robert Garcia’s game plan. The elusive Madrimov, who bounces around the ring like the energizer bunny, won the early rounds. But eventually Ortiz was able to cut the ring off and turned the tide in his favor by landing the harder punches. It was the second straight loss for Madrimov (10-2-1), a decorated amateur who had lost a close but unanimous decision to Terence Crawford in his previous bout.
Kabayel-Zhang
No heavyweight has made greater gains in the last 15 months than Agit Kabayel. The German of Kurdish descent, whose specialty is body punching, made his third straight appearance in Riyadh tonight and, like in the previous two, fashioned a knockout. Today, although out-weighed by more than 40 pounds, he did away with Zhilei “Big Bang” Zhang in the sixth round.
It didn’t start out well for Kabayel. The New Jersey-based, six-foot-six Zhang, a two-time Olympian for China, started fast and plainly won the opening round. Kabayel beat him to the punch from that point on, save for one moment when Zhang put him on the canvas with a straight left hand.
That happened in the fifth round, but by the end of the frame, the 41-year-old Zhang was conspicuously gassed. The end for the big fellow came at the 2:29 mark of round six when he couldn’t beat the count after crumbling to the canvas in a delayed reaction after taking a hard punch to his flabby midsection.
Kabayel remains undefeated at 26-0 (18 KOs). Zhang (27-3-1) hadn’t previously been stopped.
Smith-Buatsi
The all-British showdown between light heavyweights Joshua Buatsi and Callum Smith was a grueling, fan-friendly affair. A former 168-pound world title-holder, Smith, 34, won hard-earned unanimous decision, prevailing on scores of 115-113, 116-112, and a ludicrous 119-110.
There were no knockdowns, but Liverpool’s Smith, who advanced to 31-2 (22) finished the contest with a bad gash in the corner of his right eye. It was the first pro loss for Buatsi (19-1), an Olympic bronze medalist who entered the contest a small favorite and was the defending “interim” title-holder.
This contest was also a battle of wits between two of America’s most prominent trainers, Buddy McGirt (Smith) and Virgil Hunter (Buatsi).
Check back shortly for David Avila’s wrap-up of the last three fights.
Photo credit: Mark Robinson / Matchroom
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Cain Sandoval KOs Mark Bernaldez in the Featured Bout at Santa Ynez
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Northern California’s Cain Sandoval remained undefeated with a knockout win over Mark Bernaldez in a super lightweight battle on Friday on a 360 Promotions card.
Sandoval (15-0, 13 KOs) of Sacramento needed four rounds to figure out tough Filipino fighter Bernaldez (25-7, 14 KOs) in front of a packed crowd at Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez.
Bernaldez had gone eight rounds against Mexico’s very tough Oscar Duarte. He showed no fear for Sandoval’s reputed power and both fired bombs at each other from the second round on.
Things turned in favor of Sandoval when he targeted the body and soon had Bernaldez in retreat. It was apparent Sandoval had discovered a weakness.
In the beginning of the fourth Sandoval fired a stiff jab to the body that buckled Bernaldez but he did not go down. And when both resumed in firing position Sandoval connected with an overhand right and down went the Filipino fighter. He was counted out by referee Rudy Barragan at 34 seconds of the round.
“I’m surprised he took my jab to the body. I respect that. I have a knockout and I’m happy about that,” Sandoval said.
Other Bouts
Popular female fighter Lupe Medina (9-0) remained undefeated with a solid victory over the determined Agustina Vazquez (4-3-2) by unanimous decision after eight rounds in a minimumweight fight between Southern Californians.
Early on Vazquez gave Medina trouble disrupting her patter with solid jabs. And when Medina overloaded with combination punches, she was laced with counters from Vazquez during the first four rounds.
Things turned around in the fifth round as Medina used a jab to keep Vazquez at a preferred distance. And when she attacked it was no more than two-punch combination and maintaining a distance.
Vazquez proved determined but discovered clinching was not a good idea as Medina took advantage and overran her with blows. Still, Vazquez looked solid. All three judges saw it 79-73 for Medina.
A battle between Southern Californian’s saw Compton’s Christopher Rios (11-2) put on the pressure all eight rounds against Eastvale’s Daniel Barrera (8-1-1) and emerged the winner by majority decision in a flyweight battle.
It was Barrera’s first loss as a pro. He never could discover how to stay off the ropes and that proved his downfall. Neither fighter was knocked down but one judge saw it 76-76, and two others 79-73 for Rios.
In a welterweight fight Gor Yeritsyan (20-1,16 KOs) scorched Luis Ramos (23-7) with a 12-punch combination the sent him to the mat in the second round. After Ramos beat the count he was met with an eight punch volley and the fight was stopped at 2:11 of the second round by knockout.
Super feather prospect Abel Mejia (7-0, 5 KOs) floored Alfredo Diaz (9-12) in the fifth round but found the Mexican fighter to be very durable in their six-round fight. Mejia caught Diaz with a left hook in the fifth round for a knockdown. But the fight resumed with all three judges scoring it 60-53 for Mejia who fights out of El Modena, Calif.
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