Full Undercard Results from the Wilder – Fury Card at the MGM Grand

Full Undercard Results from the Wilder – Fury Card at the MGM Grand

Las Vegas, NV — Tonight’s mega-fight between undefeated heavyweights Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury was buttressed by a nine-fight undercard. The prelim accorded the status of the semi-main was a heavyweight contest between Californians Charles Martin and Gerald Washington billed as an IBF title eliminator.

Martin formerly held the IBF belt. Anthony Joshua sheared it from him, ending Martin’s title reign after only 85 days, the shortest in history. Martin, a southpaw, appears to have improved since then. Tonight he scored a one-punch knockout, knocking Washington on the seat of his pants in the second minute of the sixth round with a straight left hand, bringing a sudden conclusion to what had been a rather drab affair. Washington beat the count but was in no condition to continue and referee Tony Weeks waived it off. Martin advanced to 28-2-1 with his 25th knockout. Washington, a 37-year-old Navy veteran and former USC defensive end, fell to 20-4-1. All four of his losses have come by stoppage.

WBO world 122-pound title-holder Emanuel Navarrete, 31-1 (27 KOs) extended his winning streak to 26 with an 11th-round stoppage of Jeo Santisima (19-3). Navarrete, a busy bee who is big for his weight class, was making the fifth defense of the title he won in December of 2018. In the 11th, Navarrete took a breather, lying with his back against the ropes, and then rushed after Santisima with a storm of punches that forced referee Russell Mora to intervene. Santisima, making his first start outside his native Philippines, had won 17 straight coming in since starting his career 2-2. Mora, in the estimation of many, should have stopped the fight a few punches sooner.

Junior middleweight Sabastian Fundora, a 22-year-old southpaw nicknamed The Towering Inferno, improved to 14-0-1 with a 10-round unanimous decision over Australia’s Daniel Lewis (6-1). Lewis is listed at 5’10”, but at the weigh-in, the 6’6” beanpole Fundora appeared to be at least a foot taller. Lewis, a 2016 Olympian had his moments getting inside Fundora’s long reach, but ate too much leather as he pressed the action. The scores were 99-91, 98-92, and 97-93.

In a junior welterweight contest shortened from 10 to eight rounds, former U.S. Olympian Javier Molina scored a mild upset over former world title challenger Amir Imam, winning a unanimous decision. The scores were 79-73 and 78-74 twice. The 30-year-old Molina improved to 22-2. Imam, who lost for the third time in 24 starts, was making his second start under the Top Rank banner since shaking loose of Don King.

In a great action fight in the welterweight class, Petros Ananyan, a 31-year-old Brooklyn-based Russian, came on strong in the late rounds to score a 10-round upset over previously undefeated Subriel Matias. Ananyan (15-2-2) rocked Matias with four chopping rights followed by a left hook in round seven. The ropes kept Matias from falling and referee Robert Byrd properly called it a knockdown. Puerto Rico’s Matias had won all 15 of his previous pro fights inside the distance.

Gabriel Flores Jr, a 19-year-old lightweight from Stockton, CA, remained unbeaten with a wide 8-round decision over Matt Conway of Pittsburgh, PA. Flores, 17-0 (6 KOs) knocked Conway (17-2) to the canvas in the opening round, but the Pennsylvania lad hung tough and had his moments in a contest that was more competitive than the final scores (79-72, 80-71 twice) indicated.

Featherweight Isaac Lowe, a neighbor and training partner of Tyson Fury in Morecambe, UK, improved to 20-0 (6 KOs) with a lopsided 10-round unanimous decision over Mexico’s Alberto Guevara (27-6). It was an ugly scrum in which both fighters had three points deducted for a variety of infractions. Lowe effectively sealed the win when he knocked Guevara down with a short left in the eighth frame. The scores were 95-88 and 96-87 twice.

Las Vegas native Rolando Romero improved to 11-0 (10) with an impressive second round stoppage of Arturs Ahmetovs in a junior welterweight contest slated for eight rounds. Romero knocked Ahmetovs down twice, first with a straight right and then with a left hook before the bout was stopped at the 1:22 mark.  It was the first pro loss for Akhmetovs (5-1), a 30-year-old Latvian now based in Delray Beach, FL.

In a 4-round welterweight contest, Vito Mielnicki Jr, a 17-year-old phenom from Roseland, NJ, improved to 5-0 with a unanimous decision over Corey Champion (1-3). Mielnicki knocked Champion to his knees in a neutral corner in the waning seconds of round one, but Champion made it the final bell. The scores were 40-35 across the board.

Photo credit: Al Applerose

Be sure to check back in for a full review of the Wilder vs Fury II Main Event.

To comment on this story in The Fight Forum CLICK HERE