By John DiSanto at ringside
Photos: Sumio Yamada

In the 12-round co-feature bout, Brooklyn’s Chris Colbert, 14-0, 5 KOs, captured the vacant interim WBA junior lightweight title belt with a lopsided decision over Jezreel Corrales of Panama, 23-4, 9 KOs on Saturday night at the Liacouras Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

After nine slow-moving rounds, the fight finally picked up in round ten when Colbert dropped Corrales with a left hook-right cross combo. Then in the eleventh Colbert shoved Corrales completely out of the ring, prompting referee to Shawn Clark issue a warning. The two boxers closed the fight with an active final round. Colbert took the decision by scores of 116-111 and 117-110 twice.

Photos

Photos/Report: Boxing Bob Newman

Former WBO light heavyweight world champion Eleider “Storm” Alvarez (25-1, 13 KOs) scored a devastating seventh round knockout over Michael “Cannon Handz” Seals (24-3, 18 KOs) on Saturday night at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY. Alvarez ended a tactical fight with he connected with a massive right hand to put seals down for the count. Time was 3:00.

After the fight Alvarez said, “During training camp, we practiced {the right hand} over and over. My trainer was mad at me at first because I wasn’t doing what he was asking. Finally, we got the knockout…I was out of the ring for 11 months. I wanted to come back as the fighter that beat Kovalev, and this is what we practiced for.”

Lightweight Felix “El Diamante” Verdejo (26-1, 16 KOs) scored a ten round unanimous decision over Manuel Rey Rojas (18-4, 5 KOs), his first bout since linking up with new trainer Ismael Salas. Workmanlike performance with Verdejo outboxing Rojas for the duration. Scores were 99-91, 97-93, 98-92.

“I give myself a ‘C.’” said Verdejo afterward. “I want to keep working hard and keep developing because I want to look like an ‘A’ fighter. I have the desire. I have the hunger. I’m going to keep working hard for all the Puerto Ricans and all the Boricuas.” Continue reading “Ex-champ Alvarez KOs Seals in seven”

By John DiSanto at ringside

Junior middleweight Joey Spencer, 10-0, 7 KOs, Linden, MI, pitched a shutout against Reading, PA’s Erik Spring, 13-4-1, 1 KO, in a 6-rounder. Spencer chased Spring, loading up on every punch he threw, but the fight never really ignited. Spencer just piled up points and kept pressing. Finally in the closing seconds, Spencer whacked Spring with a left hook that staggered him to the ropes. It was the best punch of the fight and the only time Spencer’s touted power was on display on this night. It looked like he had Spring, however time ran out and Spencer had to settle for a points win. The scores were all 60-54. The referee was Eric Dali.

Mexican Jorge Cota, 30-4, 27 KOs, stopped Thomas LaManna, 28-3-1, 10 KOs, Millville, NJ, in round five of their scheduled 10-round junior middleweight contest. Cota controlled the action and administered a thorough beating while it lasted. LaManna landed a few clean shots but it wasn’t enough to stop Cota from chugging forward and landing consistently. As early as round one, LaManna’s face showed wear and tear, and it only got worse as the bout progressed. Finally in round five, LaManna’s corner asked for the stoppage and referee Gary Rosato complied. The time was 1:22 of the fifth.

In a 4-round welterweight fight, Vito Mielnicki of Roseland, NJ, 4-0, 3 KOs, was extended to the limit for the first time as a professional by Preston Wilson of Parkersburg, WV, 6-4-1, 4 KOs. Although he failed to score his fourth straight knockout, Mielnicki swept all four rounds and won the unanimous decision by three scores of 40-36. Continue reading “Undercard Results from Philadelphia”

Photos: Team SES / Gercke + Helmke

IBO welterweight champion Sebastian Formella (22-0, 10 KOs) of Germany soundly defeated Nicaraguan Roberto Arriaza (18-2, 14 KOs) on Saturday night at the sold out Edel-Optics.de Arena in Hamburg, Germany.

Arriaza started out strong landing some very solid overhand rights. It actually looked like he was on his way to pulling off the upset. Formella completely turned the fight around by the midway point beating Arriaza at all facets, outboxing him and actually beating him to the punch in exchanges. Although never really hurting Arriaza, he comfortably racked up the points en route to the unanimous decision. The official judges’ scorecards 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.

Unbeaten heavyweight prospect Peter Kadiru (7-0, 3 KOs) of Germany excited the hometown fans with a thrilling sixth round TKO over Czech Tomas Salek (11-2, 9 KOs).

More photos and results…

In a clash of unbeaten super middleweights, Vladimir Shishkin (10-0, 6 KOs) pounded out a one-sided ten round unanimous decision over Ulises Sierra (15-1-2, 9 KOs) on Friday night live at the WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa. Shishkin pressed the action en route to a 100-90, 99-91, 99-91 verdict.

Unbeaten bantamweight Ja’Rico O’Quinn (14-0-1, 8 KOs) outpointed Oscar Vasquez (15-3-1, 3 KOs) in an eight-round contest. Scores were 79-73 3x.

The card was the 250th edition of ShoBox, the prospect-oriented series that has featured 81 future world champions since its inception in 2001.

Now campaigning at middleweight, unbeaten former WBO jr middleweight champion Jaime Munguia (35-0, 28 KOs) scored an eleventh round KO against Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan (30-4, 21 KOs) on Saturday night at The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

Former WBC female heavyweight champion Alejandra “La Tigre” Jimenez (13-0-1, 9 KOs) moved down to super middleweight to dethrone WBC and WBO female world champion Franchon “The Heavy-Hitting Diva” Crews-Dezurn (6-1, 2 KOs) by ten round split decision. Jimenez walked down Crews-Dezurn early, and Crews-Dezurn rallied down the stretch. Scores were 97-93, 98-92 Jimenez, 97-92 Crews-Dezurn. Continue reading “Munguia stops O’Sullivan in middleweight bow”

By Kurt Wolfheimer at ringside

Light heavyweight Joe Smith, Jr. (25-3, 20 KOs) dominated Jesse Hart (26-3, 21 KOs) over ten rounds on Saturday night before a crowd of 3,415 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, but only won by split decision.

Hart had vowed to avenge Hall of Fame Bernard Hopkins’ loss to Smith in 2016, but instead Smith made it 2-0 against Philly.

In a clash between unbeaten super middleweights, Steven “Stone Cold” Nelson (16-0, 12 KOs) won by eighth round TKO over Cem Kilic (14-1, 9 KOs). Terence Crawford stablemate Nelson progressively broke down Kilic until Kilic’s trainer Buddy McGirt got on the ring apron to protect his fighter from further damage. Time was 1:44. Continue reading “Smith dominates Hart, wins split decision”