Carl Frampton made the first defense of his IBF Super Bantamweight title with a 5th round stoppage over mandatory challenger Chris Avalos in front of a sold out crowd at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
It was the type of raucous win and performance that Frampton needed to not only further solidify himself in the position, but to cross the next level potentially into stardom.
After a clinch in round two, Frampton drilled Avalos with a left hook while Avalos thought there was a time out. That shot split Avlaos’ lip. Frampton continued to land hard one-two combinations. Frampton showed some battle scars as he started to develop a a mouse around the right eye.
In round five, Frampton rocked and buckled Avalos all over the ring until a hard right hurt Avalos and referee Howard Foster saved a noticeably hurt Avalos at 1:33 of round five. Frampton is now 20-0 with 14 knockouts. Avalos, falls to 26-3.
“It’s unbelievable. This place is my home. I knock out people when I fight here,” said Frampton.
Said Frampton’s promoter, former world champion and Hall of Famer, Barry McGuigan, “I said this before, this is the best Super Bantamweight in the world. People think its (Guillermo) Rigondeaux, but Carl is. He is a sensational fighter and over the next couple of years, we will prove that.”
Next up for Frampton could be a mega-showdown with WBA Super Bantamweight champion Scott Quigg in what would be a major domestic showdown with world wide implications.
“I want it, It’s a huge fight,” said Frampton.
Said Quigg, who was sitting ringside, “It was a good performance. Avalos was game. I want the fight. The British people want the fight.”
McGuigan finished by saying, “I am sure Scott would come here. He has to remember who is the real champ and who packs arenas. We will compromise on some issues.”
Dillian Whyte scored a 4th round stoppage over Beka Lobjanidze in a scheduled 10-round Heavyweight bout.
Whyte landed a hard left to the side of the head that sent Lobjanidze to the canvas and he was unable to beat the referee’s count at 1:10 of round four.
Whyte, 247 lbs of London is now 14-0 with 11 knockouts. Lobjanidze, 228 lbs of the Georgia Republic is now 10-1.
Viktor Plotnykov scored a 12-round unanimous decision over Denton Vassell to capture the IBF Intercontinental Welterweight title.
In round ten, Plotnykov landed a big right that sent Vassell to the canvas. In round twelve, Vassell started to bleed from his nose and inside his mouth. Later in the round, Plotnykov landed another hard right that sent a hurt Vassell to the ropes and was ruled a second knockdown.
Plotnykov, 146.4 lbs of Ukraine won by scores of 118-108 twice and 115-111 and is now 32-2. Vassell, 147 lbs of Manchester, England is now 21-3.
Anthony Cacace won a 8-round decision over Santiago Bustos in a Super Featherweight bout.
In round three, Cacace landed a left and right that was followed by a shove by Cacace that sent Bustos to the canvas but it was a ruled a knockdown.
Cacace, 132.4 lbs of Belfast won by a 80-71 tally and is now 11-0. Bustos, 130.2 lbs of Spain is now 7-5.1
The show kicked off with a battle of unbeaten Featherweights that saw Conrad Cummings get a 6-round decision over Roberto Palenzuela by the score of 60-54.
Cummings is now 6-0. Palenzuela is now 3-0-1.
