Our resident boxing writer Diego Morilla serves up a full weekend wrap-up of the most relevant boxing events in the worldwide scene. Every fight that matters is right here, in one place, and at one click away. Follow Morilla on Twitter at @MorillaBoxing
Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. 6
David Lemieux TKO 10 Gabriel Rosado, middleweights
Canadian boxing continues to improve and flourish. Lemieux (33-2, 31 KO) is part of a wave of talented Canadian fighters looking for a chance under the American spotlight, and he may have achieved just that with this demolition job over a respected contender in Brooklyn’s Rosado (21-9, 13 KO), who gave his usual best but fell short once again in a big challenge, but not before putting on a terrific performance. The pace was frantic for most of the bout, but the combination of Rosado’s leaky defense and Lemieux superb speed and controlled aggression ended up making the difference for the Canadian fighter. Rosado visited the canvas in the third round and sustained a horrific swelling on his left eye, which had began to swell in the all-out, fight-to-the-death, round of the year candidate that was the fourth episode. The injury, however, proved a determining factor in the stoppage, which came midway through the 10th round on the ringside physician’s advice. Terrific win for Lemieux, who gains a foothold in a thriving and revitalized middleweight division.
Hugo Centeno Jr. KO 5 James De La Rosa, middleweights
In a terrific performance, Centeno Jr. (22-0, 12 KO) served notice of his intentions to invade the top 10s of the world with a demolishing stoppage of a usually durable De La Rosa (23-3, 13 KO). The southpaw Centeno expanded his highlight reel in explosive fashion in this bout, in which his long, looping straight left found a home on De La Rosa’s face all night long. After a few excessively cautious rounds, Centeno unleashed a few murderous lefts that landed flush on his foe’s head and sent him down hard for the full count towards the end of the fifth round.
Thomas Dulorme SD 10 Hank Lundy, junior welterweights
A superbly talented fighter is definitely on his way back to the top 10. Dulorme (22-1, 14 KO) still has a defensive problem to deal with if he will ever become the sensation he was back in 2012 when he first exploded into the scene and before his devastating loss to Carlos Abregu, but he has kept a steady pace in his comeback trail, and he took care of a terrific opponent in Lundy (25-4-1, 12 KO), while showcasing the phenomenal speed and power that caught everyone’s attention a few years ago. A murderous right hook by Dulorme from his southpaw stance sent Lundy to the canvas in the very first round, and he produced a few dominant rounds after that until Lundy came back with a vengeance midway through the scheduled 10 rounder. Lundy attempted a late surge trying to steal a few more points but Dulorme had already piled up enough points to win. At least that’s what two of the judges saw, because he won by 96-93 and 97-92 in two cards while another judge saw a 96-93 card for Lundy. It was a make-or-break challenge for both of them, and Dulorme made the most of it with a performance that should net him at least an elimination bout in the near future.
Montreal, Dec. 6
Jean Pascal NC 2 Roberto Bolonti, light heavyweights
Talk about the wrong stuff. The fight started on the wrong foot and ended even worse. Pascal (29-2-1, 17 KO) was supposed to face Donovan George, with Lucian Bute facing Bolonti (35-3-0, 24 KO) in the undercard, but when those two fighters called off their commitment to fight for separate reasons, a match was made to save the already weak PPV card. The fight itself seemed on its way to becoming a solid scrap, as the usually durable Bolonti appeared to be right in the fight from the first round. But then, disaster struck again. Pascal hit Bolonti with a clearly illegal right hand on the break while Bolonti was holding his left hand. Bolonti went down hard and stayed there until the ringside physician was summoned onto the ring. When it became clear that Bolonti was not going to get up, the fight was called off and declared a no contest. Pascal accused Bolonti of not wanting to continue the fight, Bolonti accused Pascal’s team of using their leverage to change a DQ into a no-contest to save his fight against Sergey Kovalev, and in the midst of it all, a video surfaced on YouTube in which Bolonti’s manager appears to yell “don’t get up” to his man, in a clear attempt to force a favorable call in his favor. A truly forgettable affair, for everyone involved.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2bytqq_jean-pascal-vs-roberto-feliciano-bolonti-06-12-2014_people
Hermosillo, Mexico, Dec. 6
Juan Francisco Estrada UD 10 Joebert Alvarez, super flyweights
Estrada (31-2, 22 KO) scored another terrific performance, albeit in a non-title bout. This time, the victim was a solid, previously unbeaten contender in Alvarez (14-1-1, 6 KO), who had no chance against Estrada’s superior punching power and overall boxing skills, dropping a decision by scores of 98-92 and 99-91 (twice).
Jackie Nava UD 10 Sayda Mosquera, female junior featherweights
Nava (31-3-3, 13 KO) is one of the most consistent female boxers in the world, and she has managed to stay at the very top of her division for several years. This time, she toyed around with a defenseless Mosquera (7-1-1, 6 KO) in a non-title 10-rounder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH-83_Kr6x8
Hernan Marquez D 8 Ricardo Roman, bantamweights
Only a few months ago, Marquez (38-5-1, 28 KO), nicknamed “Tyson”, was considered one of the best men in his division, producing entertaining fights continuously against the best fighters in the world. Now, the former world flyweight champion is struggling against journeymen like Roman (14-5-1, 7 KO), against whom he could only muster a lackluster draw in eight rounds.
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, Dec. 6
Adrian Estrella KO 1 Edwin Lopez, junior lightweights
The “Diamond” shines on. Estrella (20-0, 18 KO) is one of Mexico’s fastest-rising stars, and the unbeaten future champ continued his way towards a title bout with a destruction of Lopez (21-4-1, 19 KO), who could barely last two minutes under the barrage of fists served by Estrella. It won’t be long before Estrella finds himself with a championship belt strapped around his weight, and his chance may come as soon as in his next fight.
Oldenburg, Germany, Dec. 6
Juergen Braehmer KO 1 Pawel Glazewski, WBA “regular” light heavyweight title
Braehmer (45-2, 33 KO) is not precisely a demolition expert, but he became one in this bout against Poland’s Glazewski (23-3, 5 KO) when he caught him with a devastating hook to the liver that sent him down in pain when barely a minute had passed since the opening bell. The German fighter thus defended his WBA light heavyweight champion for the third time.
Denis Boytsov UD 8 George Arias, heavyweights
Boytsov (35-1, 26 KO) bounced back from his lone loss with a workmanlike win over Arias (55-12, 41 KO) in a confidence-builder.
Glendale, Calif., Dec. 6
Jose Felix Jr. KO 3 Luis Solis, lightweights
Felix Jr. (28-1-1, 22 KO) continued in his comeback trail with a solid stoppage over Solis (15-6-4, 12 KO) after dropping him once in the second round.
Brian Viloria KO 4 Armando Vasquez, bantamweights
“The Hawaiian Punch” keeps trudging on. Viloria (35-4-2, 21 KO), a former Olympian and world champion, stopped Vasquez (20-14-2, 5 KO) with a hook to the body, his trademark punch, midway through the fourth round.
Saul Rodriguez TKO 6 Juan Solis, lightweights
Rodriguez (15-0-1, 12 KO), a promising unbeaten lightweight, scored a stoppage over Argentina’s Solis (20-9, 9 KO) when the visiting fighter failed to beat the count barely a minute into the sixth round.
Hamilton, New Zealand, Dec. 6
Joseph Parker KO 4 Irineu Beato Costa Junior, heavyweights
A highlight-reel demolition job, indeed. Parker (12-0, 10 KO) was working on Costa quite nicely, taking his time and scoring with both hands, until a murderous jab-straight right combo sent the Brazilian fighter down like an oak being uprooted by a bulldozer. Parker is a work in progress and he has a long way ahead of him yet, but this win should take him at least one notch up in his career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6zF7e0VZvg
Hurstville, Australia, Dec. 6
Billy Dib TKO 2 Isaias Santos Sampaio, featherweights
Dib (39-3, 23 KO), a supremely talented and tough former IBF featherweight champion managed by hip-hop star 50 Cent, is slowly clawing his way back to the top, and this time he stopped Brazil’s hard-punching Sampaio (19-10, 19 KO) in two rounds, while looking good in the process. Hopefully he will take his act to the next level in his next bout, in a division that could use his talent.
Issy-les-Moulineaux, France, Dec. 5
Mateusz Masternak MD 10 Jean Marc Mormeck, cruiserweights
In a crossroad fight, Masternak (33-2, 24 KO) got the win against a former titlist in Mormeck (37-6, 23 KO), after 10 hard-fought rounds, with scorecards of 98-92, 99-92 and 95-95 for a majority decision win. Mormeck announced his retirement after the loss.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4jlkyoCIok
Sydney, Australia, Dec. 3
Daniel Geale UD 10 Jarrod Fletcher, middleweights
Geale (31-3, 16 KO), a former middleweight titlist, worked his way towards a commanding decision win over Fletcher (18-3, 10 KO) by scores of 119-108 across the board in a homecoming bout. Fletcher visited the canvas in the fifth round of an otherwise uneventful and dominant performance by Geale.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpdua820e7g
Mark Flanagan UD 10 Shane Quinn, cruiserweights
A lovely little scrap, indeed. Flanagan (17-4,10 KO) and Quinn (10-2-1,8 KO) fought over ten spirited rounds in a memorable performance for both of them, in which they both managed to stagger each other during the entire, back-and-forth action. In the end, Quinn’s two trips to the canvas proved the determining factor in the bout, and the younger Flanagan took the victory in this crossroad bout by scores of 96-94, 95-93 and 97-92.
Paul Gallen TKO 1 Anthony Watts, heavyweights
In rugby-crazy Australia, a fight between two rugby players is always something to behold. In this one, Gallen (2-0, 2 KO) stopped the notoriously lesser talented Watts (1-1, 1 KO) in the very first round, even though the stoppage was induced by an injury.
