WBC #6, IBF #9 lightweight Zaur Abdullaev (14-1, 8 KOs) won by twelve round unanimous decision over former WBC champion Dejan Zlaticanin (24-3, 16 KOs) to claim the vacant WBC silver title on Saturday night at the RCC Boxing Academy in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Abdullaev took over early and went on to win 118-110, 119-109, 117-111.
2016 Olympic heavyweight gold medalist Evgeny Tishchenko (9-1, 6 KOs) took a completely one-sided ten round unanimous decision over faded former contender Dmitry Kudryashov (24-5, 23 KOs) to win the vacant WBC International cruiserweight title. Rated at #14 by the IBF, 6’5 cruiser Tishchenko dropped Kudryashov in round one and dominated all ten rounds. Scores were 99-90, 100-89, 100-89. Two bad losses in a row for Kudryashov.
In a huge upset, Mexico’s Jessica “La Magnifica” Gonzalez (8-5-2, 1 kO) claimed the WBC interim female bantamweight title by ten round split decision over previously unbeaten 30:1 favorite Tatyana Zrazhevskaya (11-1, 3 KOs. Scores were 96-94, 98-93 for the aggressive Gonzalez, 96-94 for Zrazhevskaya. Entering the fight, Gonzalez was 0-4-1 in her last five and hadn’t fought for three years. Her last win was in 2014, so this result was quite unexpected.
Out of the ring for three years, hadn’t won any fight in seven years, had never won a fight outside of Mexico and she goes to Russia and beats an undefeated 29 year old Russian. Given all of that, that’s probably one of the best wins anyone is going to have this year. Good for you Jessica Gonzalez.
Great accomplishment for Gonzalez. My question is how did she qualify for a title shot to begin with? Don’t challengers have to be ranked?
The only thing I can think of is that maybe she was a late replacement? Looking at the card, she was the only Mexican fighter on it, so maybe she came in late?? But now that I’m looking at it, the last girl the Russian defended against was another Mexican and she was 0-3 in her fights before that fight. Apparently she could just defend against anyone.
Gonzalez is the interim champion now, the full champion is Yulihan Avila, who Gonzalez beat in 2014. Maybe they can get that rematch going.