Check out the complete recap and results roundup of all of this week’s World Series of Boxing results.
Week 4 WSB Results:
The Arlans are still in business while Season III semi-finalists, the Mexico Guerreros continue to struggle in Week 4 of the World Series of Boxing’s (WSB).
None other than WSB’s own superstar Ukrainian Sergiy Derevyanchenko led the home side’s assault on the struggling Latin American team as the Light Flyweights (46-49kg), Bantamweights (56kg), Light Welterweights (64kg), Middleweights (75kg) and Heavyweights (91kg) all took to the ring this afternoon.
Bout of the match
Zhanibek Azhibay took on Christian “Gato Gordo” Bielma of the Guerreros in an absolute war between the two WSB debutants at Light Welterweight. At this point, the Mexicans hadn’t managed a single win yet this season, which was incredible given that just six months ago, the Season III semi-finalist Guerreros team looked capable of beating anyone on their day. Both fighters came out fast but the Arlans athlete looked dominant in the first round, stunning the new Guerrero early on by using his reach. In round two, the “Fat Cat” began to drive his way forward and significantly improved his work rate. The Guerrero used his aggression well and got himself back into the bout to make it one round each. In the third the Mexican used the same tactics again with an extremely fast tempo and very aggressive style to overwhelm his opponent. Bielma took the round but looked like he was fading through the exertion towards the end. The question was: could he maintain the strategy for the fourth before allowing himself to go into survival mode if needed in the final round? However, nice that might have been for Bielma, Azhibay fought back and with the Guerrero only taking a split decision in the 4th, the bout was too close for Bielma to be able to step off the gas in the final round. With the bout still wide open, the Kazakh stunned the Mexican a few times in the fifth with heavy blows but Bielma just about hung on to win the closest bout so far this season and end the run of defeats suffered by the Mexican boxers.
Boxer of the match
Sergiy Derevyanchenko was as magnificent as ever in the ring today against the debutant Diego Moreno Amador. It was difficult as a neutral not to feel anything but extreme sympathy for the young Guerrero as he made his first appearance in the WSB against the competition’s most successful ever fighter. This was the proverbial baptism of fire for the Guerreros’ new lad and the Ukrainian landed some wonderful combinations to the body and several fabulous uppercuts and overhand rights throughout the fight. The Guerrero tried to circle out of danger and use his jab. He fought back gamely, but in reality he was completely out-gunned with Derevyanchenko landing punches at will. By halfway through round four, the referee had seen enough, and he sensibly stopped the bout to give the master Derevyanchenko TKO number six and win number 20 in his WSB career.
The turning point
Heavyweight Vasilii Levit returned to the ring for the Arlans following his surprise win in Week 1 of the season against experienced Baku Fires Campaigner Abdulkadir Abdullayev. That was a real upset, with Levit showing that he may well carve himself a place among the very best in the weight category this year. His opponent Christian Demaj of Albania meanwhile had the unfortunate record of 0-3 going into this bout and was keen to turn that around. Sadly for him, it soon transpired that he lacked the ability to do so against a boxer of Levit’s emerging class. Nonetheless Demaj won the opening round, but the bout was not just downhill from there for the Albanian fighter, but a veritable ski slope. The Kazakh boxer came back aggressively in round two leaving the Albanian looking wobbly on his way back to his stool. And by the middle of round three, Demaj was lucky to still be in the fight. He failed to come out for the fifth round with the Guerreros head coach sensibly protecting his fighter and calling the bout off early. This was an important win for the Arlans in the battle to make it back to the top of the group since with the Cubans as rivals, every bout will count. For the Guerreros though it was another crushing defeat with their team now needing to make urgent progress if they are to make it to the Playoffs this year.
Fact/Stat of the match
Prior to the Guerreros win today, they had gone 12 bouts without a victory. So “el Gato Gordo” made an important contribution to the team’s season; hopefully one which will act as a catalyst for the re-emergence of the Guerrero spirit of old.
Wrap up
Mardan Berikbayev looked solid against Jose Zaleta Reyes as they made their WSB debuts at Light Flyweight. With both athletes being southpaws, they somewhat negated each other’s game. The Kazakh boxer was light on his feet and looked very confident throughout. It was nice to get a look at Berikayev in competition. As the Kazakhstan and Astana Arlans number two to World Champion Birzhan Zhakypov, he doesn’t get selected often for an obvious reason. He dominated across the first two rounds but the 19 year old Mexican was not being overawed by the occasion. Both boxers deserve credit for keeping it clean and displaying good boxing skills throughout, but the win went to Kazakhstan.
Elsewhere Meirbolat Toitov took on Sergio Chirino Sanchez of the Guerreros at Bantamweight. Toitov went into this bout with a record of 2:1 including a victory over Best WSB Boxer of 2013 and Mexico Guerreros team captain Elias Emigdio last season. So this was a big task for the 19 year old Mexican debutant. Sanchez looked extremely confident going out however and took to the centre of the ring in his orthodox stance against the southpaw Kazakh, who boxed with a low guard. The Kazakh was able to get through with some very clean shots while the Mexican looked to counter punch. In round three, the Mexican got caught with a body shot and got handed a standing eight for dropping. Toitov managed the bout from thereon out, picking the advancing Mexican off with his jab through the 4h and 5th. The Mexican deserves credit though for pursuing the bout to the end despite being out-boxed throughout. Thus we can even say, he was out boxed, but not out fought.
Ukraine 5-0 Argentina: The Otamans go top
The Ukraine Otamans have thrown down the gauntlet to Group A rivals the Dolce & Gabbana Italia Thunder by overwhelming the 4th placed Argentina Condors side in a fantastic display of boxing as the Flyweights (52kg), Lightweights (60kg), Welterweights (69kg), Light Heavyweights (81kg) and Super Heavyweights (91+kg) showed their stuff.
Despite the depressing score line however, it wasn’t all bad news for the Condors with some better performances from the Latin American side that bode well for the remainder of the season.
Bout of the match
European Champion Pavlo Ishchenko looked fantastic for the Otamans at Lightweight against the very talented Brian Nuñez of Argentina. The Condor’s boxer made good use of his jab in round one, but the Ukrainian managed to work well on the inside. Despite Ischenko’s experience, the bout was extremely close. The Argentinean seemed to be better at distance whilst the local boxer was more compact and made more use of hooks and overhands. The Condor’s boxer also impressed in Week 1 this season in what was a difficult WSB debut against World silver medallist Robson Conceicao of the Italia Thunder. He seems to be very unlucky with his draws because he has been able to push both of those world class boxers close, but his WSB record is now 0-2 which does not reflect his ability as a boxer. A great win for Ishchenko however over very talented opposition and a very exciting bout.
Boxer of the match
Oleksandr Ganzulia looked extremely powerful at Light Heavyweight against Leandro Luna of the Argentina Condors. The Ukrainian was completely dominant in this bout; landing hard body shots and uppercuts at will. Luna tried to use his jab and a hard looking right hand from a tight guard to score on his opponent, but he wasn’t able to sustain his offense. In the gaps, the Ukrainian would use the Argentinian’s body like a heavy bag to practice his whole repertoire on. The Ukrainian style seems to be to mount unspectacular but unrelenting and grinding offensive pressure which wears his opponents down. In its ugliness there is something beautiful about this tactic; and there is certainly something to be admired in his incredible physical conditioning.
The turning point
Welterweight Denys Lazarev took on Luis Veron, the two time Argentinian national champion. Veron took this bout so close that for some time it looked as though he was going to take it. He boxed with is leading left hand very low, which allowed him to fire his jab out from unpredictable angles. He clearly knew his way around a boxing ring and took the opening round from all three judges. He looks like a good find for the Argentinians this season. As the bout wore on Veron went over three rounds for the first time in his career, and both boxers began to fatigue. However, the Ukrainian was still hanging in there and in a bout that was extremely close, the Ukrainian managed to squeeze out the win in the final round. And thus turn the tide of the whole match in the Otamans favour.
Fact/Stat of the match
Despite losing all three of their matches so far, the Condors have still claimed a point and lie in 4th place in the table. This is because they won two of the five bouts in their match against the USA Knockouts, which entitles them to the point. This could prove pivotal later in the season if they hope to make it to the Playoffs.
Wrap up
Kazat Usenaliev took on Christian Roda at Flyweight during the opening bout of the evening. This was an excellent match-up fought at a blistering pace. Usenaliev, who is the Kyrgyzstan National Champion, confidently took to the centre of the ring against the aggressive Argentinian. Roda proved to be a man that was impossible to deter and he remained committed to the cause despite being out-boxed. In the end it was the classy performance by debutant Usenaliev that took the win for the Otamans.
Igor Plevako struggled against Luis Bravo at Super Heavyweight. The Argentinian was surprisingly springy on his feet for a big man but he took a standing count in round one and looked to be in trouble early. After that tricky start he recovered very well in round two and absolutely nailed his opponent in round three. Despite the fact that Bravo looked good thereafter and dominated much of the normal run of play, the right hand of Plevako scored two other hard blows that resulted in eight counts during the course of the bout, and it was indeed the Ukrainian who won.
Poland 0-5 Azerbaijan: Bad Boys Firing on all cylinders
The Azerbaijan Baku Fires pulled off a staggering away win in Poland tonight against a weak looking Hussars side. Despite being drawn as underdogs in the so-called “Group of Death”, this is very bad news indeed for the Poles who have yet to win a bout this season.
In tonight’s action we had the Light Flyweights (46-49kg), Bantamweights (56kg), Light Welterweights (64kg), Middleweights (75kg) and Heavyweights (91kg) slipping through the ropes and dancing on the canvas.
Bout of the match
Bantamweight Marek Pietruczuk went face to face with Gairbek Germakhanov. This was an excellent bout between two real fighters. Both were willing to exchange ferociously in a fantastic display of boxing. The Pole deserves credit for bravery given the experience of his opponent. The Azeri came into the match with a record of 10-2 which was difficult for the debutant. Germakhanov moves beautifully in the ring and is able to switch sides at will and boxed with his hands low in the later rounds as he looked to draw his opponent on. The young Hussar looked good but Germakhanov was outstanding throughout and represents a real prospect for the Fires this season.
Boxer of the match
Piotr Gredke of the Hussars had a difficult match-up with Georgian WSB veteran Jaba Khositashvili at Middleweight. In yet another example of a trial by fire (and yet another unfortunate pun tonight), this was a very hard bout for the young Polish boxer in what was really a fairly one sided affair. The Fires boxer was able to stroll past his hard working but inexperienced opponent. As with all the other Hussars Poland boxers who took to the ring this evening, Gredke struggled to find his range and was unable to dictate the distance at which the bout was fought, and as all fighters know: he who controls the distance controls the bout, which is exactly what Khositashvili did.
The turning point
Light Welterweight Damian Kiwior took to the ring for the local team against the Fires Gaybatulla Gadhialiyev. The Azeri hasn’t fought in the WSB since Season I but looked good on his return to out-gun his Polish opponent. He was a slippery customer, being able to switch from one side to the other at will, and moving his head like a snake to avoid the Hussars linear punches. The Pole, an orthodox boxer with obvious power, struggled to cope with the class of his opponent in what was a rude welcome to the WSB. Gadhialiyev on the other hand is a very exciting boxer to watch, and we can only expect him to improve as the season progresses. Once the Azeri’s hand was raised, the rest of the match had already become a damage limitation exercise for the Hussars.
Wrap up
Elsewhere Ibiyev Magomed stormed past his Hussars Poland rival Arkadiusz Lubomski at Light Flyweight with a 3:0 victory and scoring 50:45 on all three judges’ score cards for an emphatic start to the young southpaw’s WSB career.
His Azeri team mate Danis Latypov made very short work of his Polish opponent Mateusz Malujda who got caught very early on in the opening round with some heavy shots and was unable to recover. From our angle it looked as though there may have potentially been some form of lower body injury sustained as well which affected the fighter’s mobility, though that has not yet been confirmed. In any event, the corner threw in the towel just 55 seconds into the first round to save the beleaguered Pole from what was quickly becoming a very sticky situation.
Cuba 5-0 Russia: Domadores still unbeaten
We have seen the Cuban’s boxing before, but ask yourself this: How many times have you seen them boxing at home? Never of course in the WSB, but extremely rarely even in AIBA Open Boxing (AOB) events unless you are extremely lucky. We often speak about the tremendous home advantage enjoyed by teams like Dolce & Gabbana Italia Thunder and Astana Arlans Kazakhstan, but this was something we have never seen before.
If you thought the Cubans looked good on the road, then you will have been stunned by watching them in La Havana where they looked absolutely invincible in front of an enormous and vocal crowd, with the Light Flyweights (46-49kg), Bantamweights (56kg), Light Welterweights (64kg), Middleweights (75kg) and Heavyweights (91kg) all showcasing their craft.
Bout of the match
Erislandy Savon won an important final bout against the veteran Russian boxer Vitaly Kudukhov. The Russian who has fought in all three previous seasons of the WSB and has wins over the likes of current WSB number 2 ranked Heavyweight Filip Hrgovic of the Astana Arlans Kazakhstan and a TKO win over Chouaib Bouloudinats of the Algeria Desert Hawks. Kudukhov entered the ring with a record of 6-4 but Savon is not the Pan American Champion for nothing. The Russian having taken a beating in round one, adjusted his approach and started to close with his opponent and turn it into a scrap. He used spoiling techniques that were very ugly but nonetheless tactically exactly what was needed. The match wasn’t the most beautiful of the evening, but because of the experienced Russian’s tactics, it was possibly the most competitive.
Boxer of the match
It was going to take a spectacular performance to knock Yosbany Veitia off the top slot for this category tonight (see below). Yet Luis Ramon achieved just that at Middleweight. The tall southpaw was sublime against Andrey Efremenko of the Russian Team. He was extremely economical in the ring and smooth in his movements. His evasion skills were incredible. He basically boxed the entire 5th round with his hands by his sides. The Russian was just unable to get near him for much of the bout, while the Cuban’s own punching repertoire was excellent. Luis barely seemed to get out of second gear and his showmanship and mobility was reminiscent of a young Muhammad Ali. All in all it was a perfect boxing display, the kind of performance that young fighters dream about. To give credit to his opponent, Efremenko was willing to chase the bout and in no way backed down from the classy Cuban.
The turning point
Although this was only the first bout, such was its impact psychologically that the Russian team were completely unable to respond thereafter. World bronze medallist Yosbany Veitia looked outstanding at Light Flyweight. He was so confident against Bator Sagaluev that he boxed with his hands down for most of the time. The Russian boxer was able to catch him for this every now and then, but nothing came close to bothering him. Veitia took to the centre of the ring with the confidence of a world class master of the sport. He looked so good in the ring and his jabs seemed so sharp that it looked like he could have beaten anyone in the world last night. Yosbany took his personal record to 2-0 and you have to wonder if there are many out there who are capable of beating him this year.
Fact/Stat of the match
Over 14,000 people came to watch the first ever Domadores match. That set a new WSB record. The crowd were good natured and highly vocal meaning that Havana will be an extremely difficult place for teams to visit if the country’s boxing fans continue to rally around their boys in this way.
On a side note, Erislandy Savon got a knowing cheer of approval from the crowd when he chose to volt over the top rope in the manner formally used by his six-time World Champion and three time Olympic gold medal winning uncle, Felix Savon.
Quote of the match
“Well he’s a bit special isn’t he, this Luis…” – The Commentator sums up the skills of our boxer of the match nicely.
Wrap up
Elsewhere at Bantamweight, Marcos Forestal fought a tight match on his WSB debut with Mukhammed Shekhov in which the Cuban number two pick had to work hard to battle past the Russian. Shekhov however was unfortunate not to come away with more and now goes to 0-4 in the WSB following a cut stoppage.
Luis Oliva was extremely lively at Light Welterweight against Radzhab Butaev of Russia in a bout where both boxers picked up a warning for various misdemeanours. This was possibly the most high octane bout of the evening between two WSB debutants, but it was Oliva who came away with the win.
Italy 4-1 Germany: Team Deutschland crushed
Despite heading into the match a bout down owing to a walk-over, the Dolce & Gabbana Italia Thunder defeated their German opponents in what was a very easy night in the office for the stylish Italian squad.
It was the turn of the Flyweights (52kg), Lightweights (60kg), Welterweights (69kg), Light Heavyweights (81kg) and Super Heavyweights (91+kg) to grace us with their talent tonight in Assisi as the Germans were knocked from first to third place in the Group A table.
Bout of the match
Irishman David Oliver Joyce returned to the WSB in a thriller against World bronze medallist Domenico Valentino of the Italia Thunder. The Irishman, who boxed for two seasons with the WSB’s former Turkish Franchise amassing a 5-1 record, looked great against Valentino but was unable to stem the Italian tide. Joyce seems to hit harder than most men in the Lightweight category, and likes to surge forward with hooks, straights and overhands. Valentino meanwhile tried to stay on the move and use his jab and cross to score. Whilst Joyce seemed to have the best of round two, in round three the Italian’s speed shone through. This was the way the bout continued to develop, an exciting, fast-paced affair which the Italian won.
Boxer of the match
Joe Joyce seems to have quickly won over the Italian fans at Super Heavyweight who were chanting his name within the first round of his Thunder debut against Ali Kiydin of Germany. Kiydin was perhaps unlucky with the opponent he drew for his first ever WSB bout, having stepped in at the last minute for the injured Erik Pfeifer. Not only did Joyce tower above his German opponent by some distance, it also took Olympic gold medallist Oleksandr Usyk to stop him last year. Nonetheless, Kiydin looked dangerous in round two when he buzzed Joyce a little, before the Englishman upped his work rate in the third round. Joyce had a huge fourth round where he left the German wobbling like a tree in the wind and the Eagles boxer was literally saved by the bell. The coach was obliged to throw in the towel a few seconds into the fifth as Joyce’s barrage continued unabated.
The turning point
Vincenzo Mangiacapre took on the dangerous Arajik Marutjan of Germany. Like a miniature version of his World Champion, captain Clemente Russo, Mangiacapre boxes with his hands very low and his feet flat. It is quite an unusual style for a Welterweight to adopt. Frankly it didn’t work for him in the World Championships and it wasn’t working that well for him tonight either. Blocking punches with your chin is not a tactic that most boxers would choose to adopt, especially when you are not actually that good at evasion. Yes he won the bout comfortably, but he was getting hit unnecessarily and you got the feeling that he could have gotten caught badly at any time. It is a risky game to play. He looked at his best however when charging forward and working the body and head of his opponent on the inside, where he was extremely good. In the end he pulled it off to take the score to 4-1 for the hosts, thus totally denying the German’s any points at all.
Fact/Stat of the match
Daniele Scardina took on Igor Teziev of Team Germany in a battle of the debutants at Light Heavyweight. This was technically an exhibition bout following the withdrawal of the selected Italian boxer. Nonetheless to warm the crowd up and to give their younger boxers experience, both teams agreed to allow these young men out and into the ring. It was highly competitive, but it ended up being yet another win for the Italia Thunder.
Peculiarly in another random fact of the day: two of the five referees stumbled onto the floor in this evening’s bout. We don’t think we have seen that before.
Wrap up
WSB veteran Vincenzo Picardi took on WSB debutant Stevan Maleika of Team Germany at Flyweight. The Italian boxer went into the bout with a record of 8-2 in the WSB over three seasons and looked to open his Season IV in style. The experienced Italia Thunder star, who won an Olympic bronze medal in 2008, took to the centre of the ring whilst the German tried to circle. The southpaw Picardi was excellent and remained in complete control of the bout with the German totally out-classed. Maleika wasn’t really able to lay a glove on Picardi from the second round on and the Italian took the bout easily.
