NABA super lightweight champion Cletus “The Hebrew Hammer” Seldin (26-1, 22 KOs) scored a spectacular seventh round knockout over William Silva (28-3 16 KOs) on Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. A flush overhand right by Seldin laid out Silva for the count. Time was :24.
Said a euphoric Seldin after the victory, “This was the hardest training in my life. Just a year ago I was sleeping on the floor, after three cancellations of a fight. I am 100% giving myself an A+ on this, for all the hard work and determination I had to get here.”
“We always went for body, head, body, head, and coming up with the right hand. If you go back and look at what my trainer said for that round, he said, ‘two jabs and throw a short overhand right.’ He wasn’t getting up after I landed those two big right hands.”
“The distance was close and I was able to land them. I went for the home run on that right-hand combination and got the knockout.”
In other action:
Super lightweight Petros Ananyan (16-2-2, 7 KOs) scored a majority decision over Daniel Gonzalez (20-3-1, 7 KOs) to win the vacant WBA Continental Americas title. In a bout with ebbs and flows, Ananyan prevailed 95-95, 96-94, 96-94
Super lightweight Will “Ill Will” Madera (17-1-3, 10 KOs) spoiled the U.S. debut of Jamshidbek Najmitdinov (17-2, 14 KOs). Madera steadily broke down Najmitdinov and the referee halted the bout after five rounds. Najmitdinov appeared to have a broken nose and injured arm.
In a clash of unbeaten super welterweights, Cesar “The Rain Man” Francis (9-0, 6 KOs) won an eight round unanimous decision over Jose Roman (11-1, 5 KOs). Francis dropped Roman in round four en route to a 78-73, 78-73, 79-72 win.
Madera with another impressive outing. I’d like to see him take on someone like Nakatani before jumping to the elites.
It’s overdue Seldin needs to step up and fight world class fighters in their prime…Last time he fought somebody good in their prime he got dropped multiple times.
Seldin is a club fighter with limited potential. Put him in with anyone descent, and he will get KTFO. I am sorry, but I am not impressed. He fought 1 good fighter in his career, and he was lucky to go the distance in a terrible defeat.
Speaketh … FJB.
Fredrick J. Brandon III.