Fast-Rising David Morrell Dominates and Stops Gritty Aidos Yerbossynuly

Premier Boxing Champions has found a home at the venerable Minneapolis Armory. Tonight’s visit was the thirteenth by Al Haymon’s organization. In the main event, 24-year-old Cuban southpaw David Morrell, who resides here when he isn’t training at Ronnie Shields’ Houston-area gym, successfully defended his WBA (secondary) 168-pound title with a smashing 12^th-round knockout of teak-tough but overmatched Aidos Yerbossynuly who was a bloody mess when Morrell terminated the match in the final stanza with a hellacious right hook.

Yerbossynuly, who is from Kazakhstan, was making his third appearance in a U.S. ring and his first as a main-eventer. He was game to the end but out of his element and absorbed a lot of punishment before the vicious punch that concluded the match. Morrell, who is big for the weight class, advanced to 8-0 with his seventh win inside the distance. It was the first pro loss for Yerbossynuly who was 16-0 (11) heading in.

Co-Feature

In a surprise, middleweight Brian Mendoza, subbing for Cuban southpaw Yoelvis Gomez who had to pull out with a wrist injury, scored a fifth-round TKO over Jeison Rosario. Mendoza had Rosario on the deck twice. In round two, a left hook to the body forced the Miami-based Dominican to take a knee. In the fifth round, a right uppercut knocked Rosario on all fours. He beat the count but was wobbly and the referee properly stopped the fight. The official time was 0:35 of round five.

New Mexico native Mendoza, 21-2 (15 KOs) was making his third appearance at this venue. Rosario, who briefly held a version of the 154-pound world title, slumped to 23-4-1.

Other Bouts of Note

Ukrainian-born Polish middleweight Fiodor Czerkaszyn who trains in Fort Lauderdale, took a step up in class and passed with flying colors, scoring a lopsided decision over Nathanial Gallimore. The scores were 100-90, 99-91, and 97-93.

Gallimore (22-6-1), from the Chicago area via Jamaica, never did get into a rhythm while losing for the fifth time in his last seven starts. Czerkaszyn (21-0, 13) stays unbeaten.

In a light heavyweight match between battle-tested veterans nearing the end of the line, Andre Dirrell (29-3, 19 KOs) scored a 10^th-round stoppage of Yunieski Gonzalez, the Miami-based Cuban. Gonzalez, 21-5, was on his feet when the bout was halted, but on a short leash after taking a battering in the previous round.

In an 8-round contest, Philadelphia’s Julian “J Rock” Williams, who held two versions of the 154-pound title after upsetting Jarrett Hurd, began his second comeback with a wide decision over Argentine trial horse Rolando Mansilla. The judges had it 80-71 and 79-72 twice. The were no knockdowns, but Mansilla (18-12-1) had a point deducted in round five after losing his mouthpiece for the third time.

Williams, who suffered a shocking upset at the hands of 12-4 Vladimir Hernandez in his previous bout 13 months ago, upped his record to 28-3-1.

Someone’s “O” didn’t go when St. Louis’ Kent Cruz (16-0-3) and Enriko Gogokhia (13-0-2) fought eight rounds to a majority draw. One of the judges favored Gogokhia, an LA-based fighter from the Republic of Georgia, but he was overruled by his colleagues who each had it 76-76. This was a rematch. They fought an 8-round draw in February on the Thurman-Barrios card in Las Vegas. A trilogy, anyone?

Photo credit: Esther Lin / SHOWTIME

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