TalkingBoxing Articles
TalkingBoxing’s Weekend Roundup
WED November 9, ROGER GORDILLO -
Friday Novovember 4th
Coming off back to back losses to IBF Super Bantamweight champion Israel Vazquez and USBA Super Bantamweight Champion Agapito Sanchez, Art Simonyan fought Gilberto Sanchez Leon to a split Decision win in Montebello, California.
In a fight that was probably made as a confidence builder for Simonyan, who only won by way of split decision over a 13-4-2 fighter only seems to bring Simonyan closer to becoming a journeyman who can box, Simonyan moves up to 15-2-1, 7KO’s.
In Ventura, California, former featherweight champ Kevin Kelley, 57-6-2, 38 KO’s, now on the comeback trail, would drop recent Johnny Tapia conqueror Sandro Marcos, 25-13-2, 21 KO’s, seconds into the first round with a vicious body shot which kept the Mexican fighter on his knees till about the count of eight. Marcos would survive the round even, staggering Kelley and later dropping him in the second. In the fourth, Kelley would floor Marcos and as the action continued Kelly would immediately jump on his opponent sending him to the canvas giving the referee reason to halt the bout.
On The undercard former Shobox prospect Tony “The Tiger” Ojeda lost his second straight fight in a bout against Eleazar Contreras Jr. Things do not look good for Ojeda, who’s record now drops to 13-5-1, 8 KO’s, while Contreras improves to 27-4-2, 10 KO’s.
Over at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan, undefeated Super Middleweight prospect Anthony Dirrell, 6-0, 6 KO’s, kept his flawless win / knockout streak alive as he destroyed Kevin Butts, 8-7-1, 4 KO’s, within 22 seconds into the opening round.
From New York, New York at the Hammerstein Ballroom, fast rising Middleweight John Duddy, 13-0, 12 KO's, added another knockout to his record scoring a 4th round TKO over Bryon Mackie 25-12, 8 KO’s.
Live on Shobox at the Buffalo Run Casino, Miami, Oklahoma, unbeaten junior middleweight Sechew Powell, 18-0, 11, KO’s, outboxed Archak Ter-Meliksetian, 15-2, 12 KO’s, in Showtime’s main event. The taller Archak came forward aggressively with power punches at times controlling the match, but throughout the fight, Powell would box his way to a victory via wide scores on the judges' cards.
On the undercard, Jaidon “The Don” Codrington, 9-1, 9 KO's, Was downed for good after 18 seconds of the opening stanza as fellow super middleweight prospect Allan Green, 18-0, 12 KO’s , checked the “Chin checkers” chin.
Codrington is one half of The “Chin Checkers”, a group that he himself and friend and fellow boxer Curtis Stevens created. After being bombarded with a hail of shots, Codrington laid limp against the bottom ropes and later would remain lifeless on the canvas for several minutes. Later after review at a nearby hospital, it was determined the fighter had suffered a concussion and was later released.
On the untelevised portion of the card, fellow “Chin Checker” Light Heavyweight Curtis Stevens , 9-0, 8 KO’s, stopped opponent Corey Budd, 7-8, 7 KO’s, by way of TKO in the first round of a scheduled six round match. Also appearing on the card was Junior Middleweight Andre Berto, 8-0, 6 KO’s, who also ended his match by TKO in the first round of their scheduled six round match. His opponent Maurice Chalmers drops to 6-7-1, 3 KO’s.
Saturday Novemvber 5th
From Caesars Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada, Showtime Championship Boxing in the main event Jeff "Left Hook" Lacy, 21-0, made easy work of Scott Pemberton, 29-4-1, as he dropped the “Sandman” twice in the second round to defend his IBF super middleweight title. After going down like a sack of potatoes during the second knockdown, Referee Vic Draculich waived off the fight without a count.
In the co main event Rafael Marquez, 35-3, 31 KO’s, defended his IBF Bantamweight strap and picked up the IBO strap as well as he defeated South African Silence Mabuza, 18-1, 15 KO’s.
Marquez clearly troubled Mabuza as he never appeared to be himself as he usually fights at a quick pace throwing multiple combinations. Marquez, who looked more like his brother Juan Manuel one the best counter-punching technicians in the game as Marquez, boxed beautifully waiting to land his power punches.
In the first round, Marquez would badly hurt Mabuza a delayed reaction knockdown would half his body wavering forward and back trying to go down then immediately collapsing. Mabuza would survive the round and the fight would continue with Marquez simply outclassing his opponent.
In the fourth as a cut began to worsen over the right eye of Mabuza, the ringside physician stopped the bout about a minute into the fourth making Marquez the winner by TKO.
After the match, Showtime’s Al Bernstein would comment on the cut being caused by an accidental head butt and not by a clean punch but as Showtime aired the clip showing a head butt it was not clear enough to show if it indeed started a cut. Don’t believe the hype, there is no need for a rematch as it was Marquez’s skill that won the bout and there’s no doubt in my mind that the out come was inevitable. This is why I picked Marquez to win and not buy into the hype as many of my peers did.
On the untelivised portion of the card, 'Contender' Joey Gilbert would improve to 10-1, 7 KO’s against James North 7-8-1, 2 KO’s amd heavyweight Chazz Witherspoon moves to 9-0, 6 KO’s, while his opponent Demetrice King falls to 9-11, 7 KO’s.
From Braehead Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, Scott Harrison, 25-2-2, 14 KO’s, retained his WBO Featherweight Title with a unanimous decision victory over Nedal Hussein, 39-3, 25 KO’s, by scores of 116-111, 116-111, 117-111.
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