Golden Boy and DAZN teamed up for a night of championship boxing, and in the main event, Joseph ‘Jo Jo’ Diaz and Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov couldn’t be separated in a majority draw in California on Saturday.
Diaz (31-1-1, 15 KOs) lost his IBF Super Featherweight title on the scales, as he came in over three pounds overweight at Friday’s weigh-in, but Rakhimov (15-0-1, 12 KOs) was unable to claim the vacant belt for himself as the contest went to a stalemate.
The first three rounds was give and take stuff, with Diaz intent on hurting his man on the counter with hard shots, but Rakhimov made the brighter start on the whole, outworking his opponent in the first half of the contest.
Rakhimov output though seemed to dip from there, allowing the Californian to inch his way back into the argument. The second half of the bout belonged to the former world champion, as he took control down the stretch to leave the result up in the air.
The contest went to the cards, and a 115-113 tally for Diaz was overruled by two verdicts of 114-114 to ensure the fight ended in a draw.
The 28-year-old wasn’t too happy with the conditions inside the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, and made his feelings known.
Joesph Diaz Jr. talks about missing weight before the fight.
“My health is more important. I’m not gonna go and risk my life to try to make weight. At the end of the day I’m doing this to take care of my family and take care of myself.” pic.twitter.com/5Hm7iWr2Zj
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) February 14, 2021
“I couldn’t make weight like I used to” said Diaz post-fight.
“They don’t have a sauna here, they had me walking around my room with the f**king heater on, it was completely different to how a world title fight should be.
“I’m doing this for myself and my family. That’s the person that I need to look out for, myself and nobody else.”
Castano topples Teixeira to claim WBO Super Welterweight title
In the South American derby, Argentina dominated Brazil, with Brian Castano becoming the new WBO Super Welterweight champion by widely winning on the cards against former champion, Patrick Teixeira.
Castano (17-0-1, 12 KOs) began with intent, pinning Teixeira (31-2, 22 KOs) on the ropes and landing solid shots in the first frame.
The Argentine was willing to walk through his opponent, and it was forcing the champion to trade to try to fend Castano off, which looked a dangerous game.
The 31-year-old was relentlessly applying pressure to Teixeira, and the man from Sao Paolo was having trouble getting out of the way of constant power punches, as the onslaught continued in the first third of the contest.
Teixeira did have success with body shots and uppercuts in the fifth, but Castano continued to chug forward and cut off the ring, not allowing the 30-year-old a moment’s peace.
Teixeira opted to be more aggressive in the second half of the fight, but the pattern continued, and the tenth saw him walk onto a crunching Castano right to the head which buckled him momentarily.
Need That Belt On This Side, Lil Homie Gotta Handle Up. 🦁 #TrynaAvoidPolitics
— JERMELL CHARLO (@TwinCharlo) February 13, 2021
Teixeira was trying his utmost, but his punches simply were not having an effect on Castano, and the onslaught continued to the final bell, with Teixeira badly hurt in the dying moments of the fight. He bravely made it to the final bell, where the result was academic.
Scores of 120-108, 119-109 and 117-111 reflected Castano’s dominance as he became new champion and puts him on course for an undisputed showdown with unified WBA ‘Super’, WBO and IBF titlist, Jermell Charlo.
At Super Bantamweight, Ronny Rios (33-3, 16 KOs) pitched a near shutout in a wide points win against Oscar Negrete (19-3-2, 7 KOs). Two scores of 100-90 and a third at 99-91 confirmed Rios’ comfortable nights work.
Shane Mosley Jr (17-3, 10 KOs) took the vacant WBO NABO Super Middleweight title, as he forced Cristian Olivas (20-8, 17 KOs) to retire at the end of five rounds, with the Mexican’s eye completely closed.
Shane Mosley Jr. gives Olivas his first loss by stoppage. 💪 pic.twitter.com/5ZG1DISY2Q
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) February 14, 2021
At Featherweight, Azat Hovhannisyan (19-3, 16 KOs) made it five knockout wins on the bounce with an eighth round stoppage of Enrique Bernache.
Bernache (24-13, 12 KOs) was down in the second, and stopped on his feet with just over half a minute remaining of round eight.
Victor Morales Jr (14-0, 7 KOs) remained unbeaten, winning every round of eight against Rodrigo Guerrero (26-10-2, 16 KOs) at Featherweight.
Another impressive KO victory by ‘The Bully’! @BMelikuziev #DiazRakhimov @daznboxing pic.twitter.com/8r4J4GKZwr
— Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyBoxing) February 14, 2021
Bektemir Melikuziev (7-0, 6 KOs) stopped Morgan Fitch (19-5-1, 8 KOs) in three at Light Heavyweight, and Dalis Kaleiopu (1-0, 1 KO) made his professional debut, stopping Eduardo Sanchez (2-4), also inside three.
