Results and Recaps from NYC where Hamzah Sheeraz was Spectacular

Results and Recaps from NYC where Hamzah Sheeraz was Spectacular

Boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh and his confederates were back in New York City tonight with an attractive show anchored at a new venue for the sweet science, Louis Armstrong Stadium, a 13,400-seat tennis arena in the borough of Queens. All of the four bouts on the main card were fan-friendly, wiping away the stench from Turki’s May 25 Times Square stinker.

The show also produced a new star in Hamzah Sheeraz. In his first fight at 168 and his first fight with trainer Andy Lee, the rangy fighter from Ilford in East London scored a devastating knockout over Edgar Berlanga.

After two feeling-out rounds, the fight heated-up somewhat in round three, a prelude to the fireworks in the next round when Sheeraz put Berlanga on the canvas twice with blistering combinations. Berlanga was saved by the bell, but it took only two more punches – a straight right hand followed by a glancing left hook – for referee David Fields to intervene. The end for the Boricua came at the 17-second mark of round five.

Sheeraz (22-0-1, 18 KOs) was coming off a gift draw against Carlos Adames. “All the abuse I took on social media made me a more hungry fighter,” said the Englishman of Pakistani descent.

“It’s scary how far he can go,” said Andy Lee, a protégé of the late, great Emanuel Steward.

Berlanga, a very slight favorite, was 23-1 coming in with his only setback coming at the hands of Canelo Alvarez in a bout that went the full 12 rounds.

Stevenson vs Zepeda

Newark southpaw Shakur Stevenson, a former Olympic silver medalist, retained his WBC lightweight title and his undefeated record with a wide decision over previously undefeated William Zepeda. The fight was more entertaining that one would surmise from the scorecards (119-109, 118-110, 118-110).

Zepeda (33-0 heading in) is a buzzsaw with an engine that doesn’t quit. He reportedly tagged Stevenson with more punches than Stevenson ever received, but all but a few were glancing punches as the heavily favored Stevenson, who improved to 25-0 (11), cemented his reputation as one of the best defensive boxers in the history of the sport.

Puello vs Matias

In a good action fight that could have gone either way, Puerto Rico’s Subriel Matias become a two-time, 140-pound champion with a majority decision over previously undefeated Alberto Puello. The scores were 115-113 (x2) and 114-114.

In building a 22-2 record, Matias scored all of his wins inside the distance. But tonight he was pushed the full 12 by the counter-punching Dominican southpaw Puello (24-0 heading in) who went the distance for the seventh straight fight.

Matias finished the fight more marked-up, but rarely took a backward step. Turki Alalshikh announced that he will fight again in November in Saudi Arabia against England’s undefeated (18-0) Dalton Smith who will be moving up in class and be a decided underdog. Moreover, Alalshikh says that he plans to match Puello against the winner.

Morrell vs Khataev

The opener of the main card was a hugely entertaining affair between light heavyweights David Morrell and Imam Khataev that was tarnished somewhat by a debatable decision. The verdict was split with Morrell getting the nod on two of the cards (96-93; 95-94) with the dissenter favoring Khataev 95-94, a score that jibed with the DAZN talking heads and with this reporter tuning in at home.

To Morrell’s credit, he got off the canvas and pulled the fight out of the fire with a strong finish. The knockdown occurred in round five. Khataev, who had Morrell fighting off his back foot for much of the fight, put Morrell down with a looping overhand right.

A 27-year-old, Minneapolis-based Cuban looking to rebound from his setback to David Benavidez, Morrell, a 6/1 favorite, improved to 12-1. The 31-year-old, well-traveled Khataev, a former Olympic bronze medalist for Russia whose thick torso, come-forward style and heavy hands invite comparison to stablemate Artur Beterbiev, suffered his first defeat after winning nine of his first 10 fights by knockout.

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