Fast Results from Atlantic City: Bivol-Pascal Plus Full Undercard

HBO is at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City tonight where Kathy Duva’s Main Events presents an 8-bout card topped by Dimitry Bivol’s third defense of his WBA world light heavyweight title. In the opposite corner is former lineal light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal who has had an illustrious career but at age 36 is seemingly past his prime.

Indeed, Pascal fought like a fighter who had too many miles on his odometer. Bivol was far busier — he put his punches together whereas Pascal did not — and he won lopsidedly. The scores were 117-111 and 119-109 twice. There were no knockdowns in what was largely an uneventful fight.

Young guns from Eastern Europe now dominate the light heavyweight division.  Perhaps juicy fights for Bivol await with Artur Beterbiev and/or Oleksandr Gvozdyk. As for Pascal, he’s been frequently referenced as a borderline Hall of Famer and tonight he did nothing to help his cause.

Co-Feature

Junior featherweight Morodjon Akhmadaliev improved to 5-0 (3 KOs) with a ninth round stoppage of Isaac Zarate.  A 2016 Olympic silver medalist after losing in the semis to Cuban standout Robeisy Ramirez, Akhmadaliev dominated from the get-go over his light hitting opponent who had scored only two knockouts in 22 bouts while compiling a 16-3-3 record. But Zarate, born and bred in southern California, showed uncommon valor in standing up to Akhmadaliev’s hard punches for as long as he did. He was still on his feet when the referee stopped the fight.

Undercard

Although he wasn’t an Olympic medalist, junior middleweight Israil Madrimov had such a strong amateur background that he was bumped into a 10-round fight in his first professional engagement. Tonight he won his pro debut with a sixth-round stoppage of Denver-based Vladimir Hernandez (10-3) who had won three straight against capable opposition but was no match for Madrimov. Hernandez was dropped in the third, but which time his left eye was bloody and swollen, but he toughed it out for three more rounds before the bout was stopped.

Junior welterweight Shakhram Giyasov, the first of the three fighters from Uzbekistan to showcase his wares on tonight’s card, impressively stopped Mexican veteran Miguel Zamudio (41-12-1) in the opening round. A silver medalist at the Rio games, the undefeated Giyasov has stopped five of his six opponents at the pro level.

In a 12-round heavyweight contest with a minor title at stake, Segey Kuzmin (14-0, 11 KOs) stopped LaRon Mitchell (16-2) in the sixth round. A 38-year-old public school physical education teacher in Oakland, Mitchell hadn’t previously been stopped.

Philadelphia lightweight Karl Dargan (19-1) won an 8-round unanimous decision over Mexico’s limited but sturdy Moises Delgadillo (17-18). All three judges scored it 78-73. Dargan was making his third start since returning to the ring this summer after a three-and-a-half year absence.

In a welterweight contest scheduled for six rounds, Logan Yoon, a fast-rising 20-year-old Hawaiian, improved to 14-0 (11) with a fifth round stoppage of Hamza Sempewo. Originally from Uganda, the 37-year-old Sempewo has lost five straight inside the distance.

In the first bout of the evening, Russian heavyweight Evgeny Tischenko, a 2016 Olympic gold medalist, improved to 3-0 in his U.S. debut with a second round stoppage of Mexico’s stumpy Christian Mariscal (11-2).

Check back for Bernard Fernandez’s ringside report.

Photo credit: Tom Briglia / Main Events

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