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Anthony Joshua KOs Kubrat Pulev in London
In front of actual fans the real Anthony Joshua showed up and uppercut his way to victory by knockout over Bulgaria’s Kubrat Kulev on Saturday.
“I stuck to what I do best,” said Joshua.
Around 1,000 fans saw Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs) decisively knock down the sturdy Pulev (28-2, 14 KOs) numerous times before finally ending the fight at Wembley Arena, in London, England. Joshua retains the IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight world titles.
Now, only fellow Englishman Tyson Fury holds a claim as the king of the division with the WBC belt.
But on this night, Joshua showed the aggressive and formidable style that led many to tab him as the best heavyweight in the world. Not the fighter who jabbed and moved around the ring against Andy Ruiz a year ago.
It was a display of a true heavyweight power puncher.
Pulev had only lost to former champion Wladimir Klitschko many years ago. A rough start against Joshua in the third round saw him go down twice. He also escaped a near stoppage in that round for turning his back, but he survived.
Joshua was pinpoint with his jab and fluid with his combinations. To see a large heavyweight with that kind of speed and power was impressive.
Yet, Pulev managed to hang around and looked to use his power right hand to turn things around. But while trying to land that right, he was open for the uppercut and Joshua was not timid about using it.
“Boxing is about less talk more action,” Joshua said.
After a strong third round the next several rounds saw Joshua trying to connect with another big bomb and holding on the inside. It was a tactic he used often.
In the ninth round Joshua connected with some stiff jabs and then erupted with three successive right uppercuts that snapped Pulev’s head back. Another right uppercut sent the Bulgarian fighter to the mat. He got up and after a few seconds Joshua feigned another left jab and rocketed a right cross that delivered Pulev down for good at 2:45 of the round. The referee counted to 10.
Now, it seems a showdown between the two British heavyweights is about to take place.
“It’s all about the legacy and the belt. if that means Tyson Fury let it be Tyson Fury,” said Joshua. “I know who I am, I’m ready to fight. Whoever is next. I’m a warrior.”
His promoter Eddie Hearn said a Fury and Joshua fight makes sense.
“Starting from tomorrow that’s the only fight we want to make,” said Hearn.
Other Bouts
It took about five minutes for Lawrence “The Sauce” Okolie (15-0, 12 KOs) to eliminate five-day replacement Nikodem Jezewski (19-1-1) by knockout and win the vacant WBO cruiserweight world title.
Okolie floored Jezewski with a body shot immediately in the first minute of the title fight. He then caught the Polish fighter with another right to the temple that staggered the late replacement. Another counter right cross dropped Jezewski who managed to get up and continue.
But Jezewski could not escape in the second round when Okolie fired a right cross through his guard and down went the Polish fighter for good. Referee Bill Edwards stopped the fight at 1:45 of the second round to give Okolie the WBO cruiserweight world title.
“That is another undefeated fighter that I got rid of today,” said Okolie of his victory over Jezewski, a late replacement for another Polish fighter Krzysztof Glowacki who tested positive for the coronavirus. “When they try to box, that’s what happens to them.”
Matchroom Boxing Promoter Eddie Hearn said the original foe will get his turn.
“(Okalie) was supposed to fight Glowacki but he will do the same to him,” said promoter Hearn. “Lawrence Okolie is the biggest punching cruiser.”
Hughie Fury (25-3) out-hustled Poland’s Mariusz Wach (36-7) to win by unanimous decision in a rough and tumble heavyweight fight that saw numerous head collisions and punches behind the head and kidneys.
I guess that’s London style officiating.
Neither heavyweight was ever hurt but Fury was the busier fighter and utilized a steady jab from both the conventional and unorthodox stance. Two judges scored it 100-90 and a third 99-91 all for Fury, the cousin of WBC heavyweight titlist Tyson Fury.
Martin Bakole (16-1, 12 KOs) out-battled Sergey Kuzmin (15-2, 11 KOs) to win a regional heavyweight title by unanimous decision after 10 rounds.
Both heavyweights had their moments. Bakole used a long left jab and riveting rights to score early and often. But Kuzmin was able to connect with solid blows of his own midway through the fight. The judges scored it 98-92, 97-93, 96-94 all for Bakole.
“This was big a fight. I was hoping to go for a knockout, but this was a tough guy,” said Bakole, a native of Democratic Republic of Congo. “Now I’m ready for anybody.”
Kieron Conway (16-1-1) floored Macaulay McGowan (14-2-1) and won every round to win the middleweight fight by unanimous decision after 10 rounds.
A Conway left uppercut put McGowan down in the ninth round and the taller middleweight was the busier fighter. Two judges scored it 100-89 and a third 100-90 for Conway.
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Results from the Chumash Casino where Akhmedov Gave a GGG-like Performance
Shades of Triple G.
Kazakhstan has another middleweight killer as Sadriddin Akhmedov overran veteran Raphael Igbokwe to win by knockout on Friday evening.
“He’s a tough guy, but I’m a tough guy too,” said Akhmedov of his Texas foe.
Akhmedov (15-0, 13 KOs) excited the crowd at Chumash Casino with a strong performance against a gritty Igbokwe (17-6, 7 Kos). The Kazakh fighter has Gennady Golovkin’s old trainer Abel Sanchez at his side.
It was evident in the first round that Akhmedov wields power, but it was also evident that Igbokwe was not going to quit. Blow after blow was absorbed by the Texas-trained fighter and he continued to press forward.
Akhmedov telegraphed his overhand rights but fired quick and accurate left hooks. Igbokwe withstood the power for round after round.
At the end of the fifth round both fighters continued to fire punches after the bell rang. It angered the two middleweights.
Akhmedov must have still been angry when the sixth round began as he erupted with a 12-punch barrage. Several big blows connected and the Texas fighter was in trouble. Though Igbokwe escaped the first barrage he was unable to avoid the second and the fight was stopped by referee Rudy Barragan at 56 seconds of the sixth round.
The Kazakhstan fighter thanked his fan support and his new trainer Sanchez.
“Every morning at 7 a.m. he wants to kill me,” Akhmedov said of Sanchez.
Other Bouts
A battle between Olympians saw Carlos Balderas (15-2, 13 KOs) knock out Cesar Villarraga (11-11-1) in the sixth round for the win at super lightweight.
A one-two combination found the mark for Balderas at 56 seconds of the sixth round. Villarraga beat the count but once the fight resumed the referee stopped the fight after Balderas connected with another right.
“My coaches told me it was there,” said Balderas of the right cross that finished the fight.
Balderas fought for Team USA in the Olympics and Villarraga for Team Colombia.
Super welterweights Jorge Maravillo (10-0-1, 8 KOs) and Damoni Cato-Cain (8-1-2) fought to a split draw after eight back-and- forth rounds.
Cain-Cato sprinted ahead for the first three rounds behind subtle pressure and focusing on the body then the head against the taller Maravillo. Then, it stopped.
Maravillo stopped retreating and used his long stiff left jabs as a probe and counter punch and became the stalker instead of the prey. It turned the fight around. But Cain-Cato was reluctant to give up too much territory and fought through a damaged left eye to keep the match tight. After eight rounds one judge saw Maravillo the winner, another saw Cato-Cain, and a third saw it even for a split draw.
It was a fitting score.
Angel Carrillo (4-0-1) out-pointed Joshua Torres (0-2-2) with combination punching and in-and-out maneuvers to win by decision. Though 14 years younger, Carrillo wore a protector near his chest. Twice he placed it far above his belly button and was never warned.
Fidencio Hernandez (3-0) was the more polished fighter and used straighter punches and a tighter defense to shut out Laguna Beach’s Josaphat Navarro (1-3-1) and won by unanimous decision.
In her pro debut Perla Bazaldua (1-0) won by knockout over Mollie Backowski (0-4) in a super flyweight contest. Bazaldua fights out of Los Angeles and has long been touted as a one of that city’s best amateur prospects. Now she is a pro.
Photo credit: Lina Baker / 360 Promotions
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 308: SoCal Rivals Rocha and Curiel Rumble and More
Avila Perspective, Chap. 308: SoCal Rivals Rocha and Curiel Rumble and More
Decades ago, battles between regional warriors were as common as freeway traffic in Los Angeles during rush hour.
Bobby Chacon repped San Fernando Valley, Mando Ramos came from the docks of San Pedro, Danny “Little Red” Lopez lived in Alhambra and Ruben “Maravilla Kid” Navarro hailed from East L.A. And they rumbled repeatedly with each other.
The boxing sphere in California has grown much larger despite the closure of boxing palaces such as the Olympic Auditorium, Hollywood Legion Stadium, Great Western Forum, the L.A. Coliseum and Wrigley Field.
Those were classic venues.
Today in the 21st century boxing continues to grow.
Golden Boy Promotions presents SoCal regional rivals Santa Ana’s Alexis Rocha (25-2, 16 KOs) facing Hollywood’s Raul Curiel (15-0,13 KOs) in a welterweight clash on Saturday, Dec. 14, at Toyota Arena in Ontario, Calif. DAZN will stream the main card and YouTube.com the remainder.
Ontario is located in the Inland Empire known as the I.E.
Rocha, 27, has grown into a crowd favorite with a crowd-pleasing style developed by Orange County boxing trainer Hector Lopez. I remember his pro debut at Belasco Theater in downtown L.A. He obliterated his foe in three rounds and the small venue erupted with applause.
Wherever Rocha goes to fight, his fans follow.
“Anyone I face is trying to take food away from my family,” said Rocha.
Curiel, 29, has traveled a different road. As a former Mexican Olympian he took the slower road toward adapting to the professional style. Freddie Roach has refined the Mexican fighter’s style and so far, he remains unbeaten with a 10-fight knockout streak.
“I want to fight the best in the division,” said Curiel who is originally from Guadalajara.
Super welter hitters
Another top-notch fighter on the card is super welterweight Charles Conwell from Cleveland, Ohio. Conwell (20-0, 15 KOs) faces Argentina’s undefeated Gerardo Vergara (20-0, 13 KOs) in the co-main event.
Conwell may be the best kept secret in boxing and has been dominating foes for the past several years. He has solid defense, good power and is very strong for this weight class. Very Strong.
“I got to go out there and dominate,” said Conwell. “This is a fight that can lead me to a world championship fight.”
Golden Boy Promotions got lucky in picking up this fighter who could compete with any super welterweight out there. Anyone.
Vergara, 30, is another Argentine product and if you know anything about that South American country, they groom strong fighters with power. Think Marcos Maidana. This will be his first true test.
“I really hope he (Conwell) backs what he is saying,” said Vergara.
Marlen Esparza vs Arely Mucino
Former flyweight world titlists finally meet, but at super flyweight.
Olympic bronze medalist Marlen Esparza fights Mexico’s Arely Mucino in a fight that should have taken place years ago. Both are both coming off losses in title fights.
Esparza has the “fast hands” as she said and Mucino the “aggressive style” as she mentioned at the press conference on Thursday in Ontario.
It’s a 10-round affair and could mark the end for the loser.
Friday Night Fights
Undefeated middleweight Sadridden Akhmedov (14-0, 12 KOs) headlines a 360 Promotions and faces Raphael Igbokwe (17-5, 7 KOs) in the main event on Friday, Dec. 13, at Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, Calif. UFC Fight Pass will stream the event.
Akhmedov hails from Kazakhstan and if you remember legendary Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin also hails from that region. Tom Loeffler the head of 360 Promotions worked with GGG too among other legends.
Is Akhmedov the real deal?
Former American Olympian Carlos Balderas (14-2) is also on the card and fights veteran Cesar Villarraga (11-10-1) who has been known to upset favorites in the past.
Fights to Watch
Fri. UFC Fight Pass 7 p.m. Sadridden Akhmedov (14-0) vs Raphael Igbokwe (17-5).
Sat. DAZN 10:30 a.m. Murodjon Akhmadaliev (12-1) vs Ricardo Espinoza (30-4).
Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Alexis Rocha (25-2) vs Raul Curiel (15-0); Charles Conwell (20-0) vs Gerardo Vergara (20-0); Marlen Esparza (14-2) vs Arely Mucino (32-4-2).
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Cardoso, Nunez, and Akitsugi Bring Home the Bacon in Plant City
Cardoso, Nunez, and Akitsugi Bring Home the Bacon in Plant City
The final ShoBox event of 2025 played out tonight at the company’s regular staging ground in Plant City, Florida. When the smoke cleared, the “A-side” fighters in the featured bouts were 3-0 in step-up fights vs. battle-tested veterans, two of whom were former world title challengers. However, the victors in none of the three fights, with the arguable exception of lanky bantamweight Katsuma Akitsugi, made any great gain in public esteem.
In the main event, a lightweight affair, Jonhatan Cardoso, a 25-year-old Brazilian, earned a hard-fought, 10-round unanimous decision over Los Mochis, Mexico southpaw Eduardo Ramirez. The decision would have been acceptable to most neutral observers if it had been deemed a draw, but the Brazilian won by scores of 97-93 and 96-94 twice.
Cardoso, now 18-1 (15), had the crowd in his corner., This was his fourth straight appearance in Plant City. Ramirez, disadvantaged by being the smaller man with a shorter reach, declined to 28-5-3.
Co-Feature
In a 10-round featherweight fight that had no indelible moments, Luis Reynaldo Nunez advanced to 20-0 (13) with a workmanlike 10-round unanimous decision over Mexico’s Leonardo Baez. The judges had it 99-91 and 98-92 twice.
Nunez, from the Dominican Republic, is an economical fighter who fights behind a tight guard. Reputedly 85-5 as an amateur, he is managed by Sampson Lewkowicz who handles David Benavidez among others and trained by Bob Santos. Baez (22-5) was returning to the ring after a two-year hiatus.
Also
In a contest slated for “10,” ever-improving bantamweight Katsuma Akitsugi improved to 12-0 (3 KOs) with a sixth-round stoppage of Filipino import Aston Palicte (28-7-1). Akitsugi caught Palicte against the ropes and unleashed a flurry of punches climaxed by a right hook. Palicte went down and was unable to beat the count. The official time was 1:07 of round six.
This was the third straight win by stoppage for Akitsugi, a 27-year-old southpaw who trains at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card gym in LA under Roach’s assistant Eddie Hernandez. Palicte, who had been out of the ring for 16 months, is a former two-time world title challenger at superflyweight (115).
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