Eric’s Snips and Snipes – The Past Week In Action

The Past Week in Action

Highlights:

-Gilberto Ramirez destroys Sullivan in four rounds with body punches

-Joseph Diaz wins vacant WBC interim lightweight title with decision over Javier Fortuna

-Tim Tszyu marches on as he halts Steve Spark in three rounds and Filipino Joe Noynay stops unbeaten Liam Wilson.

Seneisa Estrada and Naoko Fujioka win in Female title fights

-Unbeaten Kazak hope Tursynbay Kulakhmet scores an inside the distance win.

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World Title/Major Shows

7 July

Sydney, Australia:

Super Welter: Tim Tszyu (19-0) W TKO 3 Steve Spark (12-2).

Super Feather: Joe Noynay (19-2-2) W TKO 5 Liam Wilson (9-1).

Tszyu vs. Spark

In a fight for the vacant Commonwealth title Tszyu blows away Australian welterweight champion Spark flooring him twice with body punches in the third round to force the finish. Spark came out throwing punches and taking the fight to Tszyu. Once Tszyu stated to use his longer reach he was able to force Spark back with jabs and land clubbing rights to the head. Tszyu was walking Spark down with Spark jumping in with short bursts of punches but Tszyu was landing hooks to the head and body and was the heavier puncher.

Spark tried to take the fight to Tszyu in the second but a series of heavy hooks soon had him retreating and Tszyu drove him around the ropes connecting with hooks and uppercuts with a stumbling Spark in trouble. He fired back an occasional punch but his head was being snapped back by hooks and uppercuts as he took a one-sided beating and the fight could have been stopped. In the interval the contents of an ice bucket from Sparks’s corner was knocked over and ice cubes were scattered across the ring with the start of the third round being delayed by about a minute as the cubes were swept out of the ring. It was a genuine accident and not a ploy on behalf of Spark’s corner.

Spark again tried to trade punches with Tszyu but was being heavily punished and a left hook to the body sent him down. Spark beat the count and tried to fight his way out of trouble but another body punch dropped him to his hands and knees and the referee immediately stopped the fight. Too easy for Tszyu as he wins the vacant Commonwealth title and retains the WBO Global belt.

He announced that his preferred next opponent was Britain’s Liam Smith which would be a good fight for both men. Spark was a late substitute coming in at just one week’s notice. A much anticipated fight between Tszyu and Michael Zerafa fell through when Zerafa backed out of the contest citing concerns over COVID-19 restrictions between Zerafa’s State of Victoria and New South Wales where the fight was to be held. Spark showed courage but was way out of his depth.

Noynay vs. Wilson

World rated Filipino southpaw Noynay proves too good for Queenslander Wilson. Noynay put Wilson on the floor with a left in the first round but Wilson recovered and banged back to take the second. The third was close with Wilson getting through with good left hooks but a series of punches put Wilson down again in the fourth. He was still unsteady in the fifth and after a left to the head dropped him again the fight was stopped. Noynay, the WBO No 7, was too quick and punched too hard for Wilson. A huge blow for Wilson but at 25 he can rebound.

9 July

Los Angeles, CA, USA:

Light Heavy: Gilberto Ramirez (42-0) W TKO 4 Sullivan Barrera (22-4).

Light: Joseph Diaz (32-1-1) W PTS 12 Javier Fortuna (36-3-1,2ND).

Light Fly: Seneisa Estrada (21-0) W PTS 10 Tenkai Tsunami (28-13-1).

Fly: Naoko Fujioka (19-2-1) W PTS 10 Sulem Urbina Ochoa (12-2,1ND).

Light: Sparkinson Wilson Castillo (15-0) W TKO 2 Miguel Contreras (11-10)

Ramirez vs. Barrera

Ramirez crushes Barrera in four rounds with body punches. The first round saw very little action as both fighters were cautious trying to establish their jab and seeing what the other fighter had to offer. Ramirez was taking the fight to Barrera in the second getting through with jabs, connecting with a strong right hook and punching to the body.

Ramirez continued to attack the body in the third and late in the round as Barrera came forward Ramirez fired a bunch of punches ending with a left hook to the body that saw Barrera lurch to one side stumble to the ropes and then go down on his hands and knees. He beat the count and although Ramirez landed another two body punches Barrera made it to the bell. After Ramirez connected with another left hook to the body in the fourth Barrera threw a couple of counters but then in a delayed effect walked away from Ramirez to the ropes and went down on one knee.

He was up at six but Ramirez landed another left to the body and Barrera went down with the referee immediately stopping the fight. A very impressive display by Ramirez. He looked sharp and was putting his punches together well with the body shots the icing on the cake of a towering performance. His preferred choice for his next opponent is Dmitry Bivol the holder of the secondary WBA title. Cuban Barrera had been stopped in twelve rounds by Dmitry Bivol in a challenge for the WBA secondary title in 2018.His only other inside the distance loss.

Diaz vs. Fortuna

Local fighter Diaz wins the vacant interim WBC title as he outscores Fortuna. Southpaw Diaz was quicker into his stride and more accurate and outscored Fortuna over the first two rounds. Fortuna had a much better third round being the busier and the round was made even better for him when a clash of heads resulted in a cut over the left eye of Diaz which bled throughout the fight.

Diaz looked on his way to pocketing the fourth round but he was deducted a point for a punch to the back of Fortuna’s head and Fortuna edged in front in the fight as he outscored Diaz in the fifth. Diaz stayed cool despite the cut and rallied to take a close sixth and the seventh with some sparkling combinations. He was throwing less than Fortuna but was finding the target more often and focusing on the body of the Dominican southpaw.

They battled at close quarters in the eighth with Fortuna probably doing enough to take the round but from there Diaz took control. The body punches had weakened Fortuna and Diaz took the ninth and rocked Fortuna with a right in the tenth. Diaz was stronger and swept the last two rounds to put the decision beyond doubt. Scores 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112 for Diaz. He had lost his IBF super featherweight title when he failed to make the weight for a defence against Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov in February a fight that ended in a draw. Diaz looked much stronger in this fight not having to battle with his weight.

He came into the fight as a replacement for Ryan Garcia who withdrew to deal with his mental health problems. Diaz is looking to fight either Garcia or WBC real title holder Devin Haney. Fortuna, a former holder of the secondary WBA super featherweight title, had scored good wins over Sharif Bogere, Jesus Cuellar and Antonio Lozada but at 32 time is running out for him to win another title.

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Estrada vs. Tsunami

“Super Bad” Estrada is too quick and too busy for WBO Female title holder Tsunami. The Californian constantly switched guards and used good movement to slip away from Tsunami’ who kept plodding forward but without much success. Tsunami had a good seventh but then was hurt badly in the eighth and as she tired from the fast pace Estrada finished strongly. Scores 98-92 twice and 99-91 for Estrada. She adds the WBO Female light fly title to the WBA Female minimum title she already holds. Tsunami was defending her title for the fourth time.

Fujioka vs. Ochoa

Fujioka defies Old Father Time as she retains her WBA Female title with a majority verdict over Mexican Ochoa. It might have been expected that the 45-year-old Fujioka would start fast and fade over the late rounds but the opposite occurred. It was Ochoa who did better over the early rounds being quicker and piercing Fujioka’s guard with left hooks and countering Fujioka when the champion came forward. From the fifth the harder punching from Fujioka put her in control and Ochoa’s work rate dropped. Fujioka had a big seventh round and then outfought Ochoa over the last three rounds to emerge a good winner.

Scores 99-91 and 96-94 for Fujioka and 95-95. The 99-91 was too wide. Fujioka was making the third defence of the WBA title in her first fight for two years. She did not turn professional until she was 34 and has held titles in five weight categories and is 11-2-1 in title fights. Second loss in a row for Mexican Ochoa.

Castillo vs. Contreras

Castillo scores brutal win over Contreras. Southpaw Castillo used his long reach to outscore Contreras in the first. He was coming in behind his jab in the second and as Contreras leant back to avoid Castillo’s jab he put himself in the firing line for a thunderous left from Castillo that sent him toppling back to the canvas out cold and the fight was waived over. Twelfth win by KO/TKO for Dominican Castillo.

10 July

London, England:

Light Heavy: Lyndon Arthur (19-0) W TKO 9 Davide Faraci (15-1).

Arthur vs. Faraci

Arthur struggles to subdue Faraci but produces a savage finish. Faraci just took the first round as Arthur made a slow start. Arthur sent Faraci stumbling back with a left hook in the second. Faraci put his glove on the canvas to avoid going down but the referee did not count it as a knockdown and Arthur staggered Faraci again later in the round.

Arthur was on the front foot in the third scoring with a couple of heavy rights to the body and forcing Faraci to hold. In the fourth a body punch had Faraci hurt and Arthur finished the round by landing heavy hooks to the head. A series of head punches had Faraci in trouble at the end of the fifth with the bell coming to his rescue. Faraci recovered and looked to have won a slow-paced sixth. Two right crosses from Arthur were the only punches of note in the seventh and Faraci outworked a tiring Arthur in the eighth.

In the ninth Arthur landed a heavy right cross over a lazy jab from Faraci that sent the Italian down. He made it to his feet but a fierce left uppercut and a right to the head put Faraci down again. He beat the count but when two more rights to the head staggered him the referee stopped the fight. Arthur retains the WBO Inter-Continental title but laboured until the explosive finish in the ninth. Faraci was competitive all the way but did not have the power to match Arthur.

Almaty, Kazakhstan:

Super Welter: Tursynbay Kulakhmet (4-0) W TKO 10 Aleksei Evchenko (19-15-2).

Light: Isa Chaniev (15-3) W KO 3 Nurtas Azhbenov (11-1).

Kulakhmet vs. Evchenko

Local southpaw Kulakhmet floors Evchenko early but the durable Evchenko manages to stay around to give Kulakhmet some valuable ring time. Kulakhmet won every round and handed out plenty of punishment before flooring Evchenko in the tenth and then forcing the stoppage with a minute left in the fight. Kulakhmet, who won the WBC International title in his second pro fight, is being fast-tracked towards a world title fight. Only the second time Russian Evchenko has been stopped.

Chaniev vs. Azhbenov

Back-to-back losses in 2019 have made it a rocky road for Chaniev and unbeaten Azhbenov was given a good chance of winning this one. It looked a reasonable forecast when Azhbenov floored Chaniev at the end of the first round. Chaniev survived and early in the third knocked out Azhbenov with a crunching right to the chin. Chaniev was stopped in two rounds by Richard Commey in a fight for the vacant IBF lightweight title in February 2019.

Fight of the week (Significance): Gilberto Ramirez’s win over Sullivan Barrera puts him line for a title shot

Fight of the week (Entertainment); A few examples but no all out wars this week.

Fighter of the week: Gilberto Ramirez for his crushing win over Barrera

Punch of the week: Some good ones here in the left from Sparkinson Wilson Castillo which pole-axed Miguel Contreras and an uppercut from Lyndon Arthur which almost beheaded Davide Faraci but I just give it to the crunching right to the chin by Isa Chaniev that flattened unbeaten Nurtas Azhbenov

Upset of the week: None as most fights went the way forecast.

Prospect watch: None I have not already spotted but a couple to keep my eyes on.

Observations

It was good to see crowds back at the shows. It meant Gilberto Ramirez could jump up on the ring post and raised his arms in triumph in front of a cheering horde instead of a dozen officials just about to leave for a pee.

Strange scoring makes news in big fights but if the fight is not the headliner it hardly rates a tsk.tsk. In the Argentinian Female title fight between Yamila Abellaneda and Estefan Alaniz two judges had it 98-92 for Abellaneda and the third scored it a draw and in the WBO Female title fight  between Naoko Fujioka and Sulem Ochoa one judge scored it 99-91 for Fujioka and one scored it 95-95. It happens every week but only becomes a concern when it is a high profile fight.

The Ramirez vs. Barrera show in Los Angeles consisted of twelve fights adding up to 110 rounds-luckily they did not all go the distance or you could have had a few wives suing for desertion.

Sometimes our sport disgusts me. On the show in Kazakhstan some matchmaker and presumably some local administrator though that the fight between Ivan Dychko and Dennis Bakhtov was acceptable. You had the 6’9” 30-year-old Dychko against the 5’ 11 ½” 41-year-old Bakhtov with Dychko having won his nine fights by KO/TKO and Bakhtov losing his last eight fights five of them by KO/TKO with the most recent one in September 2020 seeing Bakhtov knocked out in 40 seconds by a 2-0 novice. I felt sick when Bakhtov was floored by Dychko in sixty seconds and lay on the canvas with his body shaking and his legs twitching in the air. A duty of care-forget it.