Baku 2015 European Games: 15 Weight Classes battle for gold
The very first edition of the European Games will begin on June 12 in Baku, Azerbaijan with the boxing competition scheduled to open on June 16. Thousands of fans will have an opportunity to experience amazing boxing matches during the sixteen days of competition in Crystal Hall venue.
10 men’s and five women’s weight classes are set to compete in the multi-sport event, as Europe’s best boxers will all attempt to earn a coveted gold medal.
There has been much anticipation regarding the European Games in many sporting circles, and boxing is expected to play a pivotal role in the event.
“These first European Games are a great opportunity for our boxers in 10 men’s and five women’s weight classes to compete in such a multi-sports event ” said Dr Wu.
30 quotas for the AIBA World Boxing Championships Doha 2015 will be granted to the top three boxers in each men category, and for the first time ever, European boxers from all three of AIBA’s competitions will battle against each other for gold medals with a total of 220 men and 66 women boxers competing.
Katie Taylor returns to action
Five-time AIBA Women’s World Champion, six-times European Continental Champion and London 2012 Olympic Games gold medalist Katie Taylor is one of the most decorated and successful boxers in history, and despite her many accomplishments, the 28-year-old is hungry for even more success in Baku.
The Irish star wants to add an inaugural European Games gold medal to her glittering collection, but her mission will not be easy, as Russia’s AIBA Women’s World Champion Zinaida Dobrynina has recently moved up to Lightweight (60 kg).
With all eyes on the gold medal machine, will Taylor maintain her undefeated streak, or can the talented Russian triumph in Azerbaijan?
Vystropova vs Beliakova expected to dazzle
Azerbaijan’s defending EUBC European Women’s Continental Champion Elena Vystropova has moved down to Light Welterweight (64 kg) to give herself the best chance of a gold medal in her home country, but the looming threat of Russia’s current AIBA Women’s World Champion Anastasia Beliakova is one which could derail those carefully laid plans.
Beliakova has lost just once in 2015 which makes her a dangerous opponent in Baku, while the support of the Azeri crowd could give Vystropova an added emphasis to succeed.
Ones to watch in the event
Britain’s London 2012 Olympic Games winner Nicola Adams was forced to miss the last edition of the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Jeju due to injury, but she returned to action with a gold medal in the Boxam Tournament last month.
The Women’s Flyweight class (51 kg) boxer has plans in Baku to avenge the defeat she suffered a year ago to Bulgaria’s Stoyka Petrova in the EUBC European Women’s Continental Championships.
Russia’s dangerous duo of Aleksandr Besputin and Maksim Koptyakov are both previous EUBC European Continental Championships gold medalists, which makes them favourites at Welterweight (69 kg) and Middleweight (75 kg).
The Russian delegation also contains talented newcomers including Bator Sagaluyev (49 kg), EUBC European Youth Continental Champion Vasiliy Vetkin (52 kg) and multiple international tournament winner Bakhtovar Nazirov (56 kg).
APB and WSB boxers aim to impress
Italy’s Valentino Manfredonia finished top of the World Series of Boxing (WSB) Season V Individual Rankings at Light Heavyweight (81 kg), which earned him an immediate quota for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
The European Games represents a different challenge for the talented Italian however, and he faces a tough task to win gold with Ukraine’s AIBA Youth World Champion Oleksandr Khyzniak, Netherlands’ EUBC European Continental Championships silver medallist Peter Mullenberg and Russia’s strong WSB boxer Pavel Silyagin all potential rivals in Baku.
Azerbaijan’s two-time AIBA World Champion Magomedrasul Medzhidov is one of the most dominant Super Heavyweight (+91 kg) boxers in the world, and has recently impressed in AIBA Pro Boxing (APB).
One of the highlights of the European Games could be a clash between Medzhidov and Britain’s Commonwealth Games winner Joseph Joyce, who enjoyed a very successful season in WSB.
European Games stats and facts
The European Games will be held across five women weight classes: 51 kg, 54 kg, 60 kg, 64 kg and 75 kg, while the ten men weight classes involve: 49 kg, 52 kg, 56 kg, 60 kg, 64 kg, 69 kg, 75 kg, 81 kg, 91 kg and +91 kg.
210 men’s boxers will be competing in the event, with Azerbaijan, Germany and Russia all sending the maximum number of 15 boxers to Baku.
Ukraine, France, Britain, Italy and Ireland have also sent strong squads with multi-medal expectations.
The participating 41 nations all have boxers competing in the tournament: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine.
61 men and 23 women boxers qualified to Toronto 2015 PanAm Games
AIBA together with American Boxing Confederation (AMBC) have confirmed today the names of boxers, who have qualified to Toronto 2015 Pan American Games following the Qualification event, which took place in Tijuana, Mexico on 4-9 June 2015.
“I would like to congratulate all the boxers on reaching the Pan American Games, especially our women boxing stars Marlen Esparza and Claresa Maria Shields from the US who – I know – have worked really hard to qualify. Marlen and Claresa are true Ambassadors for women boxing in the world, they also demonstrate world class boxing skills and I cannot wait to see them compete in Toronto. I would also like to wish all our athletes the best of luck for the upcoming competition”, said AIBA President Dr Ching-Kuo Wu.
Toronto 2015 PanAm Games will take place on 10-26 July 2015 and will involve over 7,000 athletes from Latin America, South America, the Caribbean and North America. Boxing will be one of the 36 sports represented at the Games.
American Boxing Confederation (AMBC) President Osvaldo Bisbal said: “I am very excited about the upcoming PanAm Games in Toronto and the fact that boxing will be so well represented by some of our strongest men and women boxers. I am looking forward to witnessing pure boxing action in the spirit of fairplay, sportsmanship and respect”.
23 nations have secured at least one quota place for the upcoming Pan American Games in Toronto following the qualification event in Tijuana.
Dominican Republic: 9 quotas
Brazil, Colombia: 8 quotas
Argentina: 7 quotas
Guatemala, Mexico, United States of America, Venezuela: 5 quotas
Canada, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico: 4 quotas
Bahamas: 3 quotas
Chile, AIBA Team (Ecuador), AIBA Team (Peru): 2 quotas
Barbados, Bolivia, Dominica, El Salvador, Honduras, Trinidad & Tobago, Virgin Islands: 1 quota place
See below the list of qualified boxers:
Weight (n° of quota places for Toronto 2015 Panamerican Games)
46-49Kg (7 places):
Kevin Adonis Arias (NIC)
Yuberjen Herney Martinez (COL)
Victor Daniel Santillan (DOM)
Jason Alen Melik Elliston (USA)
P.G. Tondo (CAN)
Junior Zarate (ARG)
Alvaro Vargas (GUA)
52Kg (7 places):
Antonio Bruno Vargas (USA)
Ceiber David Avila (COL)
Juliao de Miranda (BRA)
Leonel de los Santos (DOM)
Eduard Johan Bermudez (VEN)
David Alejandro Jimenez (CRC)
Eddie Valenzuela (GUA)
56Kg (6 places):
Hector Luis Garcia (DOM)
Carlos Andre dos Santos (BRA)
Jorvi Edgar Ferroñan (AIBAP)
Juan Reyes (GUA)
Segundo Padilla (AIBAE)
Franco José Gutierrez (NCA)
60Kg (7 places):
Luis Angel Cabrera (VEN)
Fadir Hernandez (COL)
Jose Javier Rosario (PUR)
Ronan Nahuel Sanchez (ARG)
Kevin Alfonso Luna (GUA)
Elvis Severino Rodriguez (DOM)
Merin Jesus Zalazar (HON)
64Kg (6 places):
Joedison de Jesus (BRA)
Luis Angel Feliciano (USA)
Rashield Abena Williams (BAH)
Eduardo Sanchez (CRC)
Lucas Iván Gimenez (ARG)
Carlos Daniel Tobar (GUA)
69Kg (6 places):
Roberto Custodio (BRA)
Marvin Cabrera (MEX)
Juan Ramón Solano (DOM)
Carl Leviticus Hield (BAH)
Lester Junior Silva (NCA)
Alberto Ignacio Palmetta (ARG)
75Kg (6 places):
Jorge Luis Vivas (COL)
Jason Fabian Ramirez (CRC)
Raul Sanchez (DOM)
Joseph Alexander Cherkashyn (CHI)
Magdiel Omar Cotto (PUR)
Endry Jose Saavedra (VEN)
81Kg (7 places):
Carlos Andrés Mina (AIBAE)
Juan Carlos Carrillo (COL)
Rogelio Romero (MEX)
Michel de Souza (BRA)
Adrian Michael Biscette (BAR)
José Moya (CRC)
Marcos Rubén Escudero (ARG)
91Kg (4 places):
Deivis Julio (COL)
Juan Gonçalez (BRA)
Joaquín Berroa Lugo (DOM)
Miguel Angel Veliz (CHI)
91+Kg (5 places):
Rafael Duarte (BRA)
Laurent Jr. Clayton (ISV)
Alberto Edgar Ramirez (MEX)
Kieshno Marlon Major (BAH)
Simon Kean (CAN)
W48-51Kg (8 places):
Marlen Esparza (USA)
Mandy Marie Bujold (CAN)
Claudia de los Angeles Perrales (NCA)
Tayonis Anaonis Cedeño (VEN)
Ingrit Lorena Valencia (COL)
Sulem Urbina (MEX)
Nadia Joeunifer Barriga (BOL)
Monica Gonzalez (PUR)
W60Kg (8 places):
Caroline Veyre (CAN)
Kiria Tapia (PUR)
Dayana Erika Sanchez (ARG)
Victoria Torres (MEX)
Stefani Lopez (AIBAP)
Valerian Kezial Spicer (DMA)
Karla Patricia Herrera (ESA)
Mirkin Sena (DOM)
W75Kg (7 places):
Claresa Maria Shields (USA)
Yenebier Adelina Guillen (DOM)
Lucia Noelia Perez (ARG)
Chimere Crystal Taylor (TRI)
Flavia Tereza Figueiredo (BRA)
Jessica Paola Caicedo (COL)
Francelis Dilmar Carmona (VEN)
AIBA announces changes to senior management
Dr Ching-Kuo Wu, President of AIBA announced today the dismissal of Mr Ho Kim from his position as AIBA Executive Director with immediate effect.
In order to ensure that there is no interruption to the work of AIBA and in accordance with Article 39.2(H), Dr Wu has immediately appointed the current Deputy Executive Director Mr Karim Bouzidi, to the position of Executive Director. Mr. Karim Bouzidi also remains Chief Executive Officer of World Series of Boxing.
Dr Wu declared: “It is time for AIBA and the world of boxing to move in the new direction and therefore I feel that new vision and leadership are paramount for us to achieve our four year plan, which was unanimously approved at the AIBA Congress in Jeju. I would like to thank Mr Kim for his contribution to the development of AIBA and the respectful relationships we have maintained during his 8 years tenure”.
Results: APB Cycle I Round 1 (52 kg and 64 kg)
Mexico City, Mexico, hosted the AIBA Pro Boxing Fly and Light Welterweight Cycle I Round 1 on 10 June according with the following results.
FLY 52 KG – WEDNESDAY, 10 JUNE
Location: Mexico City – Venue: Plaza Condensa
Exceptional Elias Emigdio defeats Fernando Martinez in Flyweight rematch
Elias Emigdio (MEX) is one of the most successful flyweight (52 kg) boxers in the world, and after eight gruelling rounds in Mexico City, Mexico he enjoyed a superb victory over Fernando Martinez (ARG) in front of his home fans.
Emigdio had previously defeated Martinez in the Ranking Phase of APB, and the Mexican star achieved success in their Cycle I Round 1 rematch as well.
Despite fighting in hostile territory, Martinez looked confident prior to the fight which led him to take control of the opening round with some aggressive shots making their mark on his opponent.
From the second round onwards Emigdio found his range, and the fight soon became an attritional battle with plenty of action taking place in the middle of the ring.
The fast hands and wicked inside hooks of the Mexican fighter caused Martinez to occasionally step back, which led to more pressure from Emigdio to the delight of his watching fans.
Martinez began to increase his own punch output as the rounds progressed, but the exceptional head movement of Emigdio allowed him to evade shots and fire back with even more attacks.
Mexico is notorious for its exceptionally high altitude which can challenge the stamina of fighters, yet despite tiring in the last two rounds, Martinez never wilted even when faced with extreme pressure.
A dynamic last 30 seconds electrified the crowd with both men swinging wildly and regularly, and after all eight rounds was completed, the referee raised the hand of Emigdio after he had been awarded the victory by the judges.
The Mexican star will next meet Ilyas Suleimenov (KAZ) in Cycle I Round 2 after the flyweight stopped Jasurbek Latipov (UZB) in round four of their contest.
Suleimenov was dominant from the outset, and his aggressive punches to the body forced the two-time AIBA World Championships medalist to pull out of their contest midway through the bout.
Match results:
Iliyas SULEIMENOV (KAZ) W.P. TKO R4 vs Jabursek LATIPOV (UZB)
Elias EMIGDIO (MEX) W.P. (78:74/76:76/77:75) vs Fernando MARTINEZ (ARG)
LIGHT WELTER 64 KG – WEDNESDAY, 10 JUNE
Location: Mexico City – Venue: Plaza Condensa
Wonderful Juan Pablo Romero outpoints Chabane Fehim in Mexico City
AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) made its debut in Mexico City, Mexico on Wednesday evening, where two Cycle I Round 1 light welterweight (64 kg) matches thrilled a packed and appreciative crowd.
The audience was particularly riveted by the main event featuring home star Juan Pablo Romero (MEX) against Chabane Fehim (FRA), and their match was an engrossing and thrilling spectacle.
Romero made his entrance to the ring while wearing a traditional sombrero, and began the contest with boundless energy as he used the rapturous cheers of the crowd to his advantage.
Fluid combination punching is a quintessential trait of Mexican boxing, which is a skill Romero has completely mastered.
Dazzling left and right hands to both the head and body troubled his French opponent, and Romero’s excellent stamina allowed him to be unrelenting in his attacks.
Fehim’s tight guard was essential against the swarming Romero, and though the French fighter mainly concentrated on defence, his punches were effective on the rare occasions he let his hands go.
It was the Mexican star who impressed more however, as he caught the eye of the judges with blistering flurries at the beginning and the end of rounds.
The eighth and final frame displayed three minutes of technical brilliance from both fighters, and they hugged as the last bell rang in an outstanding show of respect.
All three judges awarded the victory to Romero 78-74, and he will next fight Yoelvis Hernandez (VEN) in Cycle I Round 2 after the South American star outpointed Vyacheslav Kyslytsyn (UKR) in his APB debut.
Match results:
Yoelvis HERNANDEZ (VEN) W.P. (78:74/78:74/76:76) vs Vyachelav KYSLYTSYN (UKR)
Juan Pablo ROMERO (MEX) W.P. (78:74/78:74/78:74) vs Chabane FEHIM (FRA)
Results: APB Cycle I Round 1
(49 kg, 52 kg, 56 kg and 81 kg)
Lausanne, 7 June 2015 – Guyiang, China, and Sofia, Bulgaria, hosted the AIBA Pro Boxing Light Fly, Fly, Bantam and Light Heavyweight Cycle I Round 1 on 6 – 7 June according with the following resutls.
LIGHT FLY 49 KG – SATURDAY, 6 JUNE AND SUNDAY, 7 JUNE
Location: Guyiang – Venue: Guiyang International Conference & Exhibition Cent
Carlos Quipo upsets Zhonglin Wu in Light Flyweight classic
Two nights of outstanding AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) light flyweight (49 kg) action took place this weekend in Guiyang, China, where Ecuador’s Carlos Quipo defeated China’s own Zhonglin Wu in the headline bout.
This was the second meeting of the two boxers in APB, and after the Chinese star won their first contest on points, Quipo earned victory in their rematch after making some excellent adjustments.
A frenetic pace was set over all eight rounds as each boxer controlled certain parts of the fight, but it was Quipo whose punches were more accurate, and he gained in confidence and swagger as the bout progressed.
Many light flyweight contests often involve a lot of movement, yet in this fight there was plenty of action in the middle of the ring, with the two boxers going toe-to-toe as they attempted to impress the judges.
Quipo’s left hooks often stopped Zhonglin from producing his own shots at the right time, and despite the adulation from his home crowd, the Chinese fighter could not produce his best work in Guiyang.
After eight rounds of extreme intensity Quipo’s hand was raised with his success sealed, and he will now meet current AIBA World Champion Birzhan Zhakypov in Cycle I Round 2 after he defeated Patrick Lourenco for the third time in APB.
Two more light flyweight matches took place on Sunday in China, beginning with Mongolia’s Ariunbold Ganselem who surprisingly defeated two-time European Champion David Ayrapetyan, while Leandro Blanc outpointed Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Fazil Juma Kaggwa.
Match schedule Saturday:
Patrick LOURENCO (BRA) vs Birzhan ZHAKYPOV (KAZ) W.P. (74:78/73:79/75:77)
WU (CHN) vs Carlos QUIPO (ECU) W.P. (78:74/74:78/76:76)
Match schedule Sunday:
Ariunbold GANSELEM (MGL) TKO R5 vs David AYRAPETYAN (RUS)
Leandro BLANC (ARG) W.P. (78:74/78:73/76:76) vs Fazil KAGGWA (UGA)
FLY 52 KG – SATURDAY, 6 JUNE
Location: Sofia – Venue: Sofia Hall
Fearless Flyweights Aleksandrov and Mohammadpour shine in Sofia
The first two flyweight (52 kg) AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) Cycle I Round 1 matches took place on Saturday night from Sofia, Bulgaria, headlined by local legend Aleksandar Aleksandrov winning an epic contest.
Bulgarian hero Aleksandrov reached the quarter-finals of the London 2012 Olympic Games, but his performance against Redouane Asloum will live long in the memory as they engaged in a classic bout.
Aleksandrov competed wearing camouflage shorts, and his style in Sofia had a military precision, with focused attacks and a tight defence his main weapons.
Asloum was composed in response despite fighting in hostile territory, with his combination punching was particularly impressive.
The momentum swung throughout each round, and after the completion of all eight frames, the judges awarded the victory to Aleksandrov as a result of his cleaner work.
He will now meet Sajad Mohammadpour in Cycle I Round 2, after the Iranian debutant sensationally defeated AIBA World Championships silver medalist Mohamed Flissi.
Mohammadpour’s punches startled Flissi on several occasions in their bout, and his relentless energy also confounded the decorated Algerian fighter.
Two further flyweight matches will take place on June 10 in Mexico City, Mexico.
Match schedule:
Mohammed FLISSI (ALG) vs Sajad MOHAMMADPOUR (IRI) W.P.
Alexandar ALEKSANDROV (BUL) vs Redouane ASLOUM (FRA)
BANTAM 56 KG – SATURDAY, 6 JUNE AND SUNDAY, 7 JUNE
Location: Guyiang – Venue: Guiyang International Conference & Exhibition Cent
Melian and Njangiru both earn important Bantamweight victories in Guiyang
China’s Guiyang International Conference & Exhibition Centre was the venue for the AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) bantamweight (56 kg) Cycle I Round 1 matches this weekend, with four excellent contests impressing the watching fans around the world.
The home fans in attendance were left disappointed after the main event however, as Chinese star and two-time Asian Games silver medalist Jiawei Zhang lost to Kenya’s Benson Gicharu Njangiru via a second round technical decision.
Njangiru will now meet Alberto Melian in Cycle I Round 2 after the Argentine boxer defeated reigning AIBA World Champion Javid Chalabiyev in Guiyang.
Although Chalabiyev won the first round of their contest, Melian recovered well and began to impress from the second frame onwards.
When on form, Melian is one of the best boxers to watch in APB as he has a very exciting style which is also incredibly disciplined, and his sharp jabs and solid movement caused constant chaos for Chalabiyev who was unable to utilise his own tactics in the match.
The decorate Azeri athlete did claim some success in the latter stages of the bout, but the rounds that Melian had already accumulated proved to be too much, and the South American star claimed the victory on two scorecards, with the third judge considering the contest a draw.
Two other bantamweight bouts took place this weekend, as Germany’s Hakan Erseker defeated Venezuela’s Yoni Blanco, while Sangmyeong Ham outclassed Finland’s Matti Koota.
Match schedule Saturday:
Yoni BLANCO (ECU) vs Hakan ERSEKER (GER) W.O.
Sangmyeong HAM (KOR) TKO R.7 vs Matti KOOTA (FIN)
Match schedule Sunday:
Alberto MELIAN (ARG)W.P. (77:75/76:76/75:77) vs Javid CHALABIYEV (AZE)
Jiawei ZHANG (CHN) vs Benson NJANGIRU (KEN) T.D. R2
LIGHT HEAVY 81 KG – SATURDAY, 6 JUNE
Location: Sofia – Venue: Sofia Hall
Spas Genov produces his Bulgarian best after success in Sofia
Two world class AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) light heavyweight (81 kg) contests took place on Saturday in Sofia, Bulgaria as the weight class began its round of Cycle I Round 1 matches.
In the main event of the evening, Bulgaria’s own Spas Genov enjoyed a decisive points victory over 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medalist Kennedy St Pierre after an excellent performance.
Genov stopped six of his seven opponents during his stint in professional boxing, but his style has improved even further in APB as he now displays a wonderful full range of boxing ability to go along with his much vaunted power.
The Bulgarian star was cheered like a conquering hero when he made his way to the ring, and the adulation continued throughout the bout as he constantly pressured St Pierre with sharp shots and frequent combinations.
St Pierre is a rugged and tough competitor, but with the exception of impressing in rounds four and five, the Mauritian star could not find a successful way into the fight.
Genov stepped up the compression in the latter rounds of the fight, with his energy and stamina another decisive attribute.
After the completion of all eight rounds, Genov was named the winner by unanimous decision, and he will now meet Mathieu Bauderlique in Cycle I Round 2 after the French boxer surprisingly stopped Ireland’s Joseph Ward in Sofia.
It was a remarkable result as Ward looked comfortable and dominant in the first two rounds, with his jab working especially well.
Everything changed in round three however when Bauderlique began to find his best form, and a ferocious barrage of punches forced the referee to stop the contest in the next frame because a dazed Ward was unable to fight back.
Two more light heavyweight matches will take place in a fortnight in Guiyang China.
Match schedule:
Mathieu BAUDERLIQUE (FRA) TKO R4 vs Joseph WARD (IRL)
Kennedy ST PIERRE (MRI) vs Spas GENOV (BUL) W.P. (79:73/79:72/78:74)
Results: APB Cycle I Round 1
(91 kg and 91+kg)
Lausanne, 4 June 2015 – Marrakesh, Morocco, and Milan, Italy, hosted the AIBA Pro Boxing Super Heavyweight and Heavyweight Cycle I Round 1 on 5 June according with the following match results.
SUPER HEAVY 91+ KG – FRIDAY, 05 JUNE (20:30 GMT+1)
Location: Marrakesh – Venue: Palais des Sports Congress
Magomedrasul Medzhidov produces magic in Morocco over Mohammed Arjaoui
An absorbing night of super heavyweight (91+ kg) AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) action in Marrakesh, Morocco was headlined by a scintillating fight between hometown hero Mohammed Arjaoui and two-time AIBA World Champion Magomedrasul Medzhidov.
The clash displayed all of the classic APB characteristics, as both men worked hard throughout with many flashes of brilliance in between.
Despite competing in hostile territory, Medzhidov looked composed from the outset, and after a close first round, the Azeri star knocked down Arjaoui towards the end of the second frame with a fierce left hook.
Buoyed from the support of his home fans, Arjaoui recovered well from the knockdown, and began to make his way back into the fight by using lateral movement and picking his shots well.
Medzhidov’s power was clear for all to see however, and the force of his shots was so strong that his Moroccan opponent did not feel comfortable attacking too often because one mistake would have seen him back on the canvas again.
Arjaoui took the fifth round on all three scorecards as Medzhidov seemed to tire, but he could not maintain the momentum, and was again forced back too often.
After eight rounds of immense quality, two judges awarded Medzhidov the victory with cards of 78-73 and 78-74, while the third judge scored the fight a draw.
Medzhidov will now meet four-time Romanian National Champion Mihai Nistor in Cycle I Round 2, after Nistor defeated Magomed Omarov.
Due to a head injury suffered by Nistor the contest was stopped in the fourth round, and Nistor secured a split decision victory as the bout went to the scorecards up to the point of the stoppage.
Elsewhere in Marrakesh, Turkish debutant Ali Eren Demirezen enjoyed a dream APB debut when he stopped France’s Tony Yoka, while Ali Kiydin earned a fourth round TKO success over Ahmed Samir.
Match results:
Tony YOKA (FRA) vs Ali DEMIREZEN (TUR) TKO R5
Mohammed ARJAOUI (MAR) vs Magomedrasul MEDZHIDOV (AZE) W.P. (74:78/73:78/76:76)
Mihai NISTOR (ROU) W.P. Round 4 (38:38/38:38/37:39) vs Magomed OMAROV (RUS)
Ali KIYDIN (GER) TKO R4 vs Ahmed SAMIR (EGY)
HEAVY 91+ KG – FRIDAY, 05 JUNE (20:30 GMT+1)
Location: Milan – Venue: Discoteca Alcatraz
Clinical Clemente Russo defeats Roman Golovashchenko in Milan
The Heavyweight (91 kg) division of AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) produced four excellent fights on Friday night in Milan, headlined by a superb performance from Italy’s Clemente Russo who comprehensively outboxed Roman Golovashchenko in front of a delighted audience.
Chants for Russo reverberated around the building prior to the beginning of his fight, and the decibels grew ever louder as the boxers made their way to the ring.
Golovashchenko was knocked out by Russo in an earlier APB match, and the tall Ukrainian fighter began their rematch with a very high defensive guard to try and negate the power of his Italian opponent.
Russo took control from the outset, as he evaded the frequent Golovashchenko jabs with regular and accurate combination punching.
Each round followed a similar pattern, with the two-time AIBA World Champion starting slowly, before pressurising and punishing any mistakes from Golovashchenko.
Towards the latter stages of the fight Russo began to use a variety of different punches, with his overhand rights and left hooks particularly effective.
Despite losing every round on all three scorecards, Golovashchenko always worked hard, but his inability to throw more than one punch at a time hindered any opportunity to impress the judges.
Due to Russo’s excellent tactics, he maintained his stamina throughout the contest, and finished as strongly as he had started.
All three judges awarded Russo the victory 80-72, and he will next meet Anton Pinchuk in Cycle I Round 2 after the Kazakh boxer defeated Chouaib Bouloudintas.
Pinchuk has a remarkably strong jab which he used well in Milan to win his contest 78-74 on two scorecards, while the third judge scored the fight a draw.
Elsewhere in Italy, London 2012 Olympic Games bronze medalist Tervel Pulev outpointed the previously undefeated Marko Calic, while David Graf enjoyed a debut APB victory over Argentina’s Yamil Peralta.
Match results:
Marko CALIC (HRV) vs Tervel PULEV (BUL) W.P. (77:75/78:74/77:75)
Yamil PERALTA (ARG) vs David GRAF (GER) W.P. (75:77/77:75/75:77)
Anton PINCHUK (KAZ) W.P. (76:76/78:74/78:74) vs Chouaib BOULOUDINATS (ALG)
Clemente RUSSO (ITA) W.P. (80:72/80:72/80:72) vs Roman GOLOVASCHENKO (UKR)
