PHOTO of Virgil Hill, courtesy of Shane Balkowitsch

February 26

Melrose, MA, USA: Feather: Ryan Kielczweski (22-0) W KO 1 Carlos Fulgencio (19-54-1). Super Middle: Gary O’Sullivan (19-1) W TKO 2 Larry Smith (10-26-1). Feather: Jonathan Guzman (18-0,1ND) W TKO 5 Juan Guzman (22-5)

Ryan Kielczweski vs. Fulgencio

Quick win for the “Polish Prince” as he finishes experienced loser Zuniga in the first. After a couple of exchanges Kielczweski got through with a jolting right to the head and when Zuniga lifted his defence Kielczweski landed a thumping left to that body. Fulgencio was on his way down when another right just helped him on his way. The 25-year-old from Quincy makes it six wins by KO/TKO. No big tests so far but the former NGG silver medal winner and twice New England GG champion has done everything asked of him so far. Fulgencio, 34, is on a steep downward spiral with 10 losses in a row, eight of the losses by KO/TKO including four inside the first round.

O’Sullivan vs. Smith

“Spike” O’Sullivan gets his third win in a row with a stoppage of outclassed Smith. The Cork 30-year-old used a sustained body attack to soften-up Smith and continued those tactics in the second putting Smith down twice from body punches. Smith made it to his feet but a few more thumps from O’Sullivan forced the referee to intervene. Now 12 wins by KO/TKO for O’Sullivan. His loss was a defeat by a wide unanimous decision against Billy Joe Saunders in July 2013. He took a year out and had a big win in November stopping Anthony Fitzgerald in 75 seconds in a grudge match in Dublin. Gary signals his nationality with a shave head with just enough hair for an Irish cross on the back of his head. Texan “Slow Motion” Smith, 36, is in need of another part-time job being 0-21-1 in his last 22 fights.

Guzman vs. Guzman

Jon Guzman won this battle of Dominican Republic Guzman’s. The younger man was just too strong for Juan Guzman scoring two knockdowns before the fight was halted in the fifth round. The 25-year-old Jon has won 18 by KO/TKO but the opposition has been very low level. Juan’s level of opposition has been even weaker with 13 victims never winning a fight and his last two opponents having combined records of 0-58.

February 27

Antalya, Turkey: Heavy: Tony Thompson (40-5) W TKO 9 Odlanier Solis (20-3). Cruiser: Aziz Karaoglu (3-0) W PTS 10 Maurizio Lovaglio (18-11). Light Heavy: Avni Yildirim (3-0) W TKO 3 George Beroshvili (16-5-2).

Thompson vs. Solis

Thompson beats Solis again as the hugely overweight Cuban surrenders in his corner. Solis actually made a good start using his superior skills and hand speed to slot home right hand shots and he built a lead over the first four rounds. His work rate started to drop from the fifth with Thompson starting to eat into the Cuban’s lead and it was the American’s southpaw jab and right hooks that started to control the fight. Solis was still in it in the sixth but by the seventh Thompson was coming on strong and Solis fading. Thompson totally bossed the eighth grinding Solis down and battering away at his defence for the full three minutes. Despite the efforts of his corner and his promoter Solis refused to answer the bell for the ninth round and virtually ended his career as a top level fighter. The 43-year-old Thompson, who had taken a split decision over Solis in March last year, wins the WBC Continental Americas title but with Thompson only rated by the WBC and then only at No 14 and Solis No 15 with the WBC it will not make much impact on Thompson’s faint hope of another title shot. For Solis, 34, it was likely the last chance saloon after this abject surrender.

Karaoglu vs. Lovaglio

Local fighter Karaoglu retains the WBC Mediterranean title in his first defence with points win over seasoned Italian Lovaglio. It was a tough, close battle with both fighters having to climb off the floor and the Turk not paying much attention to the rules which put Lovaglio at a disadvantage. It was fairly even after seven rounds with Karaoglu staging the stronger finish. Scores 97-91, 95-92 and 95-93. The first score did not reflect how close this was. Turkish-based Karaoglu was going past the second round for the first time so this will have been good experience for him. “The Angel” Lovagio,33, the Italian champion, was coming off a one round win over Rosario Guglielmino for the vacant national title just 20 days earlier . He was the angel here. Definitely not Karaoglu. Lovaglio is rated No 16 by the EBU.

Yildirim vs. Beroshvili

Yildirim gets his second win in two weeks as he halts Beroshvili in three rounds. The local fighter had the power and finally chased down Beroshvili in the third. A series of hard punches saw Beroshvili to go down and although he beat the count he was taking more punishment when the Georgian’s corner threw in the towel. A former top amateur for Turkey, Yildirim wins the vacant WBC Youth Intercontinental title. Beroshvili has never won a fight outside Georgia but he usually manages to go the full distance.

Sheffield, England: Super Bantam: Ryan Burnett (7-0) W TKO 2 Isaac Owusu (23-8). Burnett was looking for an early finish and after forcing the fight in the first he ended it early in the second. He took the Ghanaian to the ropes and slammed home punch after punch until the referee intervened. Belfast’s 22-year-old won a gold medal at the World Youth Olympics and in the same year a silver at the World Youth Championships both at 48kg. He makes it 6 wins by KO/TKO and is a real prospect. Southpaw Owusu, 29, a former Ghanaian champion and CBC title challenger, has 5 losses by KO/TKO.

Indio, CA, USA: Welter: Pablo C Cano (29-4-1) W PTS 10 Juan C Abreu (18-2-1). Super Bantam: Diego De La Hoya (9-0) W PTS 8 Manuel Roman (17-4-3,1ND). Super Light: Everton Lopes (1-0) W PTS 6 Evan Woosley (2-7,1ND).

Cano vs. Abreu

Cano gets deserved majority decision over Abreu but Dominican makes him fight hard for it. Abreu made the better start with Cano taking time to get into the fight and not being able to get inside Abreu’s longer reach. From the fourth Cano finally solved the puzzle and was going to the body and forcing Abreu onto the back foot, It was where Cano would win the fight and he had Abreu under pressure rocking the Dominican badly in the seventh. Cano did enough over the closing rounds outworking and outlanding Abreu and even a strong finish by Abreu could not claw back the advantage Cano built in the middle rounds. Scores 97-93, 96-94 and 95-95. The 25-year-old “El Demoledor” has failed in fights for the WBC super light title against Erik Morales and the WBA welter title against Paul Malignaggi and lost to Shane Mosley on points for the WBC International title. He suffered another set back when he was stopped on a cut against Fernando Angulo last March. He was inactive for 11 months before returning to action just 20 days ago with a one round kayo of Jorge Silva so badly needed to win this one to continue his rebuilding. The only result of any meaning on 27-year-old Abreu’s record was a points loss against Humberto Soto last March. The poor level of his opposition made it look as though this would be an easy win for Cano, but Abreu pushed him hard all the way. He blotted his copy book here with a deliberate punch after the final bell and pushing the referee.

De La Hoya vs. Roman

De La Hoya continues to carry the family banner as he overcomes his biggest test so far winning every round over seasoned Roman. “The young “Golden Kid” was just too quick as he peppered Roman with fast, accurate combinations. Roman tried to hold and spoil and managed to get home with the occasional counters but De La Hoya was always firing back with flashing flurries and Roman could never pin him down long enough to do any damage. It was De La Hoya’s first eight round fight but he stood the pace with no trouble and was happy to trade with Roman as he boxed his way to a comfortable decision. Scores 80-72 from all three judges. De La Hoya, 20, the cousin of Oscar, is making excellent progress. He has good amateur credentials having been Mexican champion and Independence Cup silver medal winner he also won and lost in bouts with fellow-prospect Oscar Valdez. He is too good a prospect to take any chances by overmatching him but Roman was a good test. Roman, 27, gave Randy Caballero a good ten rounds in 2012 but was outclassed by Leo Santa Cruz in a WBC title fight being stopped in two rounds, the only time he has failed to last the distance.

Lopes vs. Woolsey

Brazilian Lopes gets his pro career off the ground with points win over late choice Woolsey. The Brazilian had Woolsey on the floor in the first but the fighter from Kansas refused to fold and gamey stayed the course without ever looking like winning a round. Scores 60-53 from all three judges. An outstanding amateur in 2011 Lopes became the first Brazilian to win a gold medal at the World Championships. He also won a silver medal at the Pan American Games beating Jose Pedraza on the way to the final and was twice a silver medalist at the South American Championships. At the 2012 Olympics he had the misfortune to come up against Cuban Rosniel Iglesias so did not medal. One to watch. Woosley has 6 losses and a no decision in his last 7 fights but did the job he was paid for here.

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Huntington, NY, USA: Super Light: Cletus Seldin (16-0,1ND) W TKO 5 Johnny Garcia (19-3-1). Welter: Ray Serrano (21-2) W PTS 10 Jerry Bryan (17-6). 

Seldin vs. Garcia

Seldin came out firing and scored with some good rights in the first with Garcia willing to stand and punch with him and scoring with a hard right of his own one of which saw Seldin’s knee brush the canvas but it was not ruled a knockdown. Seldin continued to be the more effective in the second and through the third and fourth where both fighters seemed to pay scant attention to the rule book as Garcia tried unsuccessfully to take Seldin out of his stride and was repeatedly caught with hard counters . Seldin was totally in control in the fourth with Garcia doing well to soak up the punishment but in deep trouble by the end of the round. Seldin continued to score with cracking head and body punches in the fifth. Two rights turned Garcia’s legs to jelly and Seldin continued to fire away until the referee rightly decided that Garcia had suffered enough and stopped the fight. The 28-year-old “Hebrew Hammer” retains his WBC International Silver title and makes it 12 wins by KO/TKO. Initially competing in MMA and at body building championships Seldin did not take up boxing until he was 22 and has built a good record against reasonable level opposition. Garcia, 32, loses by KO/TKO for the first time and was a decent 6-1-1 going into the fight.

Serrano vs. Bryan

Serrano comes on late to get majority verdict over Bryan. Both fighters were cautious over the first two rounds with Bryan the busier and probably building a lead. In the third Bryan fired home an overhand right and a short left that put Serrano down. Serrano recovered well and after a good fourth he floored Bryan with a straight right left hook combination in the fifth. Serrano suffered a cut up near his hairline in a clash of heads in the sixth and survived a doctor’s inspection. The knockdown unsettled Bryan and over the closing rounds Serrano was forcing the fight more and was the busier fighter which turned the decision his way. Scores 97-91, 96-92 and 94-94. Philadelphian “Tito”, 25, collected 18 wins in a row before suffering consecutive inside the distance losses to Karim Mayfield in 2012 and Emmanuel Taylor in January 2013. He was then inactive until returning with a win last November and another one in January so he is back in the groove with three wins on the bounce. “Holywood” Bryan, 29, but from the less glamorous Patterson, won his first 13 fights but is now 4-6 in his last 10. A former double NGG champion, US Under-19 champion and PAL gold medal winner he beat John Molina and Danny Garcia in the amateurs. He has had very little luck as a pro with a split decision loss to Sadam Ali and a majority defeat against Mike Zewski but has wins over former undefeated European champion Yuri Romanova and Issouf Kinda.

Caseros, Argentina: Middle: Cristian F Rios (19-6-2) W TKO 3 Martin F Rios (15-4-2,1ND). C Rios repeats a previous win over M Rios and retains the Argentinian title. The challenger just edged the first two rounds but in the third southpaw C Rios landed a deadly combination that put M Rios flat on his back. The referee started to count but it was obvious M Rios was out cold and he abandoned the count to get M Rios medical attention. The 31-year-old winner had collected the title with a come from behind stoppage of M Rios last August and this was his second defence. He has a draw with world rated Jorge Heiland. Former champion M Rios had won the title with huge upset as he knocked out Billi Godoy( 29-2) in five rounds in July. He was FAB No 3 challenger to C Rios.

Berlin, Germany: Super Middle: Cagri Ermis (18-9-2) W PTS 12 Juergen Doberstein (17-2-1). German/Turk Ermis ignores the odds and outpoints Doberstein to retain the IBF East/West European title and win the IBF Mediterranean crown with close unanimous decision. With his physical advantages Doberstein was expected to box his way to victory but the smaller Ermis was getting inside from the second round. The ring was small and Doberstein was often pinned on the ropes. He used some good movement and strong counters but too often it was Ermis who was bossing the fight and he did enough work to just deserve the decision. Scores 115-113 twice and 115-112. The 31-year-old Ermis, a former WBFed champion, missed 11 months from a broken hand but since returning in 2014 has now added three wins to take his current streak to 10. Kazak-born Doberstein, 26, was unbeaten in his last 13 and looking to move up to a higher level. He claimed he was upset by accusations from the Ermis team just 15 minutes before the scheduled fight time that he had received an injection of a banned substance which had his dressing room in an uproar but he should have kept his focus.

Tokyo, Japan: Super Bantam: Shingeo Wake (18-4-2) W KO 1 Jimmy Paypa (16-3-1). Wake scores one-punch kayo of Filipino Paypa. Both are southpaws and quick on their feet. Paypa, occasionally switching to orthodox was forcing the action with Wake boxing cleverly on the retreat. Paypa lashed home a big right cross to the face and another quick left/right combination that had Wake under pressure. The Filipino was the one doing the scoring and was on his way to winning the round when Wake slammed home a left uppercut that put Papa down on his back. He rolled over and struggled to his feet at nine but his legs were spaghetti and the referee completed the ten count. Paypa needed help to get back to his corner. The 27-year-old Wake was making the fifth defence of his OPBF title and all of his defences have ended inside the distance and this is his 11th win by KO/TKO. He is rated WBA2/WBC3/IBF 6(5)/WBO 15. He is very quick fleet-footed fighter but I am not sure he would make entertaining fight with WBA/WBO champion Guillermo Rigondeaux or be strong enough against Leo Santa Cruz, Carl Frampton or Scott Quigg. He must have bitten hard on his mouthpiece in the fight because no amount of tugging by various parties could remover it for the post-fight photos in the ring. It sounds silly to say it but Paypa, 21, looked good until hit with that thunderbolt. After being 2-2 in his first four fights he was 14-0-1 in his last 15 fights going into this one and was GAB No 6.

Madrid, Spain: Super Middle: Mariano Hilario (12-2) W KO 2 Raul Asencio (7-45-2). Hilario flattens experienced veteran Asencio in the second. Asencio spent the first round avoiding trading with Hilario but that could not last. In the second Hilario landed a crunching right that put Asencio down by the ropes on his face out cold. There was some concern for Asencio as he was out for several minutes but he eventually recovered. The 28-year-old Dominican-born “Shark” , the EU champion, now has six wins in a row including good victories over Samy Anouche (15-1-1) in France and Roberto Cocco in Italy. Next up he fights Hadillah Mohummadi for the vacant European title on 14 March. Spaniard Asencio, 40, has won only one of his last 16 fights so a poor match.

Basel, Switzerland: Heavy: Arnole Gjergial (27-0) W PTS 8 Zoltan Csala (6-1).

Kosovan Gjergial wins unanimous decision over Hungarian. Csaba was giving away a lot of height and reach so his tactics mostly consisted in rushing attacks trying to break through Gjergial’s guard to get inside. Gjergial boxed well on the retreat scoring with hard, clean counters which were picking up the points. Csala did enough pressing and landed enough to make the fight competitive but Gjergial was a clear winner. Scores 79-73 twice and 78-74. The 30-year-old Swiss-based “Cobra”, the EBU-EE champion ( an EBU title for European fighters whose countries are not part of the European Union) had won his last 13 fights by KO/TKO so it was disappointing that he did not add to the 5 losses by KO/TKO on Csala’s record. He needs to move the level of opposition up a few notches if he is to make an impact. Hungarian champion “Furioso” Csala was going past 4 rounds for the first time and gave Gjergial 8 good rounds of work without every being dangerous.

February 28

Belfast, NI: Super Bantam: Carl Frampton (20-0) W TKO 5 Chris Avalos (25-3). Welter: Viktor Plotnykov (32-2) W PTS 12 Denton Vassell (21-2). Heavy: Dillian Whyte (14-0) W KO) 4 Beka Lobjanidze (10-1). Welter: Paddy Gallagher (7-2) W PTS 4 Miguel Aguilar (11-14). Super Feather: Anthony Cacace (11-0) W PTS 8 Santiago Bustos (7-5-1). Middle: Conrad Cummings (6-0) W PTS 8 Robert Palenzuela (3-1-1). Feather: Marco McCullough (12-1) W TKO 1 Malkhaz Tatrishavili (9-9).

Frampton vs. Avalos

Hugely impressive display from Frampton as he first outboxed and then destroyed a worthy No 1 rated challenger in Avalos to retain the IBF title. The first round saw both start cautiously but Frampton got home with a couple of good right crosses and Avalos was given a warning after twice hitting on the break. In the second Avalos was forcing the fight trying to get close and work inside but Frampton scored with a hard left to the chin. The two got mixed up with Avalos’s right arm trapped under Frampton’s arm and given a slight twist as they parted. Avalos obviously felt a little pain but for some reason assumed that he would be given a time out and turned away from Frampton. With the referee not having signaled any break Frampton rightly stepped forward and landed a couple of punches before Avalos realised the fight was still on. Frampton ended the round by landing a good right. Avalos was slightly taller and had a longer reach but was not using that reach and as he again forced the fight in the third he was throwing sweeping punches and Frampton was banging out straight strong jabs that despite his shorter reach were thudding into the face of Avalos. Avalos was looking to go toe-to-toe and Frampton was more then ready to do the same. The referee let them work inside where both were landing well but a shot from Frampton rocked Avalos and the challenger was bleeding from the mouth by the end of the round. In the fourth Frampton was scoring with that jab and getting home rights and Avalos was becoming wild with his punches as he tried to throw the Belfast fighter out of his stride. Frampton started the round with a right over the top and ended it with left/right combination that had Avalos bloody and dispirited. So far I had given every round to Frampton and it was difficult to see how Avalos was going to turn things around. I don’t know if he had come up with a plan but if he did one crushing right cross to the chin from Frampton in the fifth made it obsolete. Avalos was badly shaken and Frampton drove him to and along the ropes scoring with head snapping punches. The referee was ready to stop it and Frampton provided him with perfect time to do it as two huge rights crashed home and as Avalos staggered on wobbly legs the referee made a perfectly timed stoppage. “The Jackal”, 28, turned in a near perfect performance as he showed how good his underrated jab is and proved once again that he has fearsome power in both hands. Scott Quigg was in the audience and a fight between these two would be a huge draw. One of the pleasures was to see Frampton’s manager Barry McGuigan set a new record for the over 50’s high jump as he leapt in the air in the ring in celebration of Frampton’s victory. Avalos, 25, gave it his best shot here. He had never before lost inside the distance but he was caught time and again by Frampton’s counters and was unhinged by a right that would have knocked over most fighters. He is still young at 25 and his wins over Yenifel Vincent (23-0-2), Drian Francisco (24-1-1) Rolly Lunas and Yasutaka Ishimoto show he is a world class fighter who came up against a far better fighter on the night. A great night in Belfast.

Vassell vs. Plotnykov

From the outset Plotnykov was using his jab as a range finder and then throwing right crosses which were getting home. Vassell was trying to bob and weave to get close but that left jab right hand from Plotnykov were the only clean punches registering. It was the fourth before Vassell had any success in getting inside but Plotnykov was cleverly tying the Brit up inside and even that round probably went to the Ukrainian. The fifth saw Plotnykov doing more holding and although Vassell landed a good left Plotnykov shot back a hard right. In the sixth instead of holding Plotnykov was pushing Vassell away and again Vassell was unable to do any work inside. Plotnykov was given a stern warning for holding in the eighth and that seemed to inspire Vassell who was hunting the Ukrainian down and although Plotnykov was getting through with counters it was Vassell’s round. The ninth was close and at the start of the tenth Plotnykov was given a final warning for holding. Vassell lost his mouth guard and after it was recovered he walked into Plotnykov and was nailed by a right that put him down. He was up at three and took the eight count but was very shaken and luckily the bell went. The eleven was painful as Plotnykov landed punch after punch and Vassell was on his heels and looked near to exhaustion. Plotnykov put Vassell down again in the last and the referee hard a hard look at Vassell but let it continue and Vassell lasted the distance-just. Scores 118-108 from all three judges. The 37-year-old, 5’11” (180cm) Ukrainian wins the vacant IBF Inter-Continental title, a former European title challenger he had only one fight in 2014, a two round win in October, but he looked sharp. He is No 13 with the WBO. Former CBC champion Vassell, 30, lost to Frankie Gavin for the CBC and British titles in June 2013 and was then inactive until September last year when he lost on a stoppage to Sam Eggington in a British title eliminator. He had returned with a win in January.

Whyte vs. Lobjanidze

A very disappointing fight sees Whyte continue his run of inside the distance wins. Georgian Lobjanidze was supposed to be a knockout puncher but we will never know because he hardly stopped retreating long enough to throw a worthwhile punch. Whyte, who is a puncher, took his time as Lobjanidze spent two rounds avoiding exchanges. In the third Whyte thumped in some good body punches which slowed Lobjanidze. The Georgian did not look enthusiastic and when a left/right combination seemed to cuff Lobjanidze on each side of his head he went down on his knees and reluctantly arose at 9 ½ and the referee completed the count. A pity that the opponent proved so reluctant as White was getting major exposure for the first time. A former 26-year-old MMA competitor White beat Olympic gold medal winner Anthony Joshua in his first amateur fight. Joshua was having his fourth fight. White had a break in his career through a ban for testing positive for a banned substance but is making up time and this was his tenth win in a row by KO/TKO. Lobjanidze, 33, had good amateur credentials and although his statistics looked good they were hollow with every fight in Georgia and only one opponent having a positive record.

Gallagher vs. Aguilar

Gallagher gets easy win as Aguilar decides to try to survive. The first time Gallagher landed a substantial punch the power was enough to make Spanish-based Aguilar decide that he would do what he could to avoid that happening again. Gallagher tried to break open the Nicaraguan to repeat that success but had to settle for a points win. Referee’s score 40-35.The 25-year-old Belfast “Pat-Man is a former Commonwealth gold medal winner beating current world rated super middle Callum Smith in the final and he also boxed for a season in the WBS. His two losses both came in the same Prizefighter Tournament where he lost in the quarter-final only for the winner to become unwell and have to be taken to the hospital. Gallagher went through to the semi-final but also lost there. Despite those losses he is one to watch. Aguilar is 1-9 in his last 10 fights but his win last month was an upset victory over Javier Garcia (15-3-1).

Cacace vs. Bustos

The bearded Cacace had huge advantages in height and reach and made excellent use of them. Another problem for Bustos was Cacace ability to effortlessly switch guards. Cacace was able to slot and slam home punches from both hands at distance and catch Bustos time and again as he tried to get inside. The Spaniard had to leap in and reach with his punches and although he never stopped trying he had only limited success. Cacace was boxing elegantly and punching with real power and often shook Bustos but the Spaniard soaked up the punishment and was dangerous with his wild swings. The height difference sometimes worked against Cacace as his shots flew over the head of a ducking Bustos but by the end Bustos was sporting a lump under his left eye and had been outboxed for the whole eight rounds. Referee’s score 80-71. The Belfast 26-year-old has style and power and is ready for better opposition. Despite his lack of experience Bustos, 32, was very much a live opponent have knocked out Matty Tew and in November and scored an upset decision win over Ben Jones but he was never able to really get close enough to be competitive in this one.

Cummings vs. Palenzuela

“Dynamite Cummings too strong for game but limited Spaniard. The local fighter was all-aggression taking Palenzuela to the ropes and working him over to head and body. He was able to get home with hard combinations with Palenzuela initially resisting and then allowing himself to be backed to the ropes. The pattern was the same in every round with Palenzuela spending most of the time on the ropes, often deliberately, and countering when he could. Cummings was working away to body and head, hurting but never looking likely to halt the Spaniard and he clearly won every round. Scores 80-72 from the referee. The 23-year-old Cummings perhaps took more punches than he needed to but over the last two rounds he showed a lot more movement and is a good prospect. Palenzuela showed a good chin but poor tactics in constantly backing to the ropes and into corners but he made Cummings work for his win.

McCullough vs. Tatrishavili

McCullough crushes fragile Georgian in quick time. The Belfast prospect clipped Tatrishavili on top of the head with the first right he threw and Tatrishavili’s legs did a little dance. McCullough did not seem to realise he had shaken the Georgian and was stabbing out his jab patiently looking for an opening. A couple more rights caught the Georgian as he came in head down throwing wild swings. Another right landed on Tatrishavili’s temple and this time he staggered badly and turned away in distress. The referee immediately stopped the fight after just 69 seconds. The 25-year-old WBO European champion now has 5 wins by KO/TKO in his last six fights including a stoppage of former world title challenger Willie Casey. McCullough was an outstanding youth and junior champion winning five Irish titles and also collected a bronze medal et the European Union Championships but a hand injury hampered his time as an amateur so he turned pro. His uncle was a British and CBC champion so he is following an already trodden path.

London. England: Heavy: Tyson Fury (24-0) W TKO 8 Christian Hammer (17-4). Middle: Chris Eubank Jr. (19-1) W TKO 12 Dmitry Chudinov (14-1-2) . Super Feather: Liam Walsh (18-0) W TKO 5 Joe Murray (15-2). Super Middle: Frank Buglioni (16-1) W TKO 1 Ivan Jukic (21-4). Welter: Bradley Skeete (19-1) W KO 1 Anzor Gamgebell (20-8-3). Super Bantam: Lewis Pettitt (16-1) W TKO 1 David Kvaratskhelia (5-15).

Fury vs. Hammer

Fury clears the way for a fight with Wlad Klitschko (or Bryant Jennings-nothing is 100 per cent sure in boxing) with stoppage of Hammer. Fury continues to show progress shaking off some bad habits that made him look vulnerable at times. Fury had a huge edge in reach and used that to slot home punches at distant. If the Romanian did get inside then Fury was big enough to tie him up and then push him out. An additional problem for Hammer was the way that Fury effortlessly switch guards and was snapping out his jab from either guard with real power. As the fight progressed an increasingly frustrated Hammer was just not able to get close and the jabs were marking his face. Fury had been boxing a controlled fight but he let his hands go in the fifth forcing Hammer back before flooring him with a right. Hammer was badly shaken and only the bell saved him from an early defeat. Fury was back to peppering Hammer with the jab showing good movement and banging home hard punches from both hands. Hammer was just soaking up punishment with no way of changing the pattern of the fight and after another painful round in the eighth he retired on his stool a well beaten fighter. The 26-year-old 6’9” (206) Tyson retains the WBO International title and after his comprehensive dismissal of Dereck Chisora his boast of beating Klitschko seems to be gathering substance. He has shown improvement even since that win over Chisora in November so bring it on Wlad (or Bryant). Hammer had won his last 10 fights with victories over Leif Larsen and Kevin Johnson but Fury was just too big and technically astute for him.

Eubank vs. Chudinov

Eubank shrugs off his loss to Billy Joe Saunders and leaps into the higher reaches of the WBA ratings with hugely impressive win over unbeaten Chudinov to take the Russian’s interim WBA title and perhaps replace him as No.1 in their ratings. The fight was close over the first four rounds but Eubank has learned his lesson from the Saunders fight where he made a slow start and gave away many of the early rounds. This time he was edging the rounds with his quicker hands and more accurate punching giving him the edge but with Russian “Night Wolf” Chudinov getting in some strong left hooks and rights. A clash of heads saw Chudinov cut over his left eye in the second but it was not a factor. However Eubank was just getting warmed-up and in the fifth he was slotting punches through and around Chudinov’s guard and banging home hooks and uppercuts with Chudinov looking shaky. Now the Russian’s work rate was dropping and his movement slowing. Eubank just continued to pile on the agony and although Chudinov bravely kept walking forward he was taking a beating. During some heated trading in the eighth a hook from Eubank sent Chudinov’s mouthguard flying and in the ninth Chudinov was cut over the right eye and the cut over his left eye worsened. Despite this he was showing no sign of crumbling under the pressure. That was the case until the last round. A left hook had Chudinov badly shaken and any thoughts of counter punching disappeared under a bombardment of blows from Eubank which left the referee with no choice but to save the courageous Russian from any more punishment. The 25-year-old son of the former WBO champion was well ahead on two cards at the end with the scores being 108-101, 107-102 and a too close 106-103. Eubank has said he wants a return with Saunders but he has no need to go over that ground as this win has made him interim WBA champion and taken him within sight of a title shot. Chudinov, 28, was making the third defence of his interim title and in 2014 beat Dane Patrick Nielsen (22-0) and veteran Mehdi Bouadla in title fights. He has a strong promotion group behind him who will look to rebuild quickly. He is the elder brother of Fedor who will defend his WBA interim super middle title against Felix Sturm in May. Dmitry was an outstanding Junior winning gold medals at the World Cadets, World Juniors and European Juniors but failed to get to the finals of any of the big Senior tournaments before turning pro in the USA in 2007.

Walsh vs. Murray

Walsh proves his superiority over Murray in convincing style. After a cagey first round Walsh had his southpaw jab working well and was thudding home punches to the body. Murray was finding the pace too hot and in trying to tie Walsh up received a warning for holding in a third round dominated by Walsh. He was gradually breaking Murray down and Murray was on the floor in the fifth. The referee ruled it a slip but Walsh seemed to have landed a punch which the referee missed and Murray looked shaky when he got to his feet. Any dispute over the slip became irrelevant in the sixth when a hefty uppercut from Walsh caught Murray flush and he turned his back on Walsh in surrender and the referee stopped the fight. Walsh retains his British and CBC titles. These two had fought for the CBC title in 2013 with Walsh winning a majority decision. Murray claimed he had won that one so a return was inevitable even if it took a while to come about. “Destiny” Walsh, 28, has now made 5 defences of his CBC title and three of his British title. He has wins over Scott Harrison, Gary Sykes and Domenico Urbano and is rated WBO 7/IBF 13(12). He has grown as a champion as he showed in the way he disposed of Murray here. He is always improving and is creeping up under the radar and a real danger. Huge disappointment for the talented Murray the brother of former British champion and world title challenger John. As an amateur he won a bronze medal at the World Championships and beat current WBC super fly champion Carlos Cuadras. He was inactive for 14 months after losing to Walsh and had a two round win on his return in November so a lack of ring time may have hampered him.

Buglioni vs. Jukic

Jukic looked good on paper but not so good on canvas. “Wise Guy” Buglioni blew away the Croatian southpaw in just 85 seconds to retain his WBO European title. First defence of his WBO Europe title for Buglioni and win No 12 by KO/TKO. The WBO No 9 moves to 4 wins by KO/TKO since his stoppage loss to Sergey Khomitsky last April. Jukic, 33 lasted 67 seconds longer when Chris Eubank Jr floored him twice and halted him in 2:23 seconds in July.

Skeete vs. Gamgebell

Skeete rebounds from his first pro loss with a blow-out of poor Georgian to win the vacant WBO European title. It took the South London fighter just 114 seconds and two knockdowns to win the title. He had the Georgian backing up with some stiff jabs before flooring him with a right. Gamgebell made it to the vertical only for two more rights to put him down and out. The 27-year-old Skeete had lost a close decision to Frankie Gavin for the British and CBC titles but it was a smart decision to get him right back on track with a title win and possibly a world rating with the WBO. As I said recently the WBO have no European ratings and the only indicator for Gamgebell is that he is No 84 in the BoxRec European ratings at super lightweight but it is a big boost for Skeete. The 23-year-old Georgian had 9 fights in 2014 losing just two but they were losses to unbeaten fighters in Timo Schwarzkopf(13-0) in one round and Nicolas Gonzalez (8-0) in two rounds. He had won two low level matches at the end of the year.

Pettitt vs. Kvaratskhelia

Pettitt has an early night as he floors poor Georgian Kvaratskhelia three times with body punches and the fight is stopped. All over in 2:19 seconds. Now 6 wins by KO/TKO for Pettitt. Kvaratskhelia has 8 losses by KO/TKO and this is his fourth first round loss in his last 6 fights.

Ghent, Belgium: Light: Jean Pierre Bauwens (37-1-1) W PTS 12 Yoann Portailler (17-5). Cruiser: Yves Ngabu (13-0) W TKO 4 Gabriel Lecrosnier (18-31-4). 11

Bauwens vs. Portailler

Bauwens retains his EU title with unanimous decision over Frenchman Portailler. This was a good, hard fought battle with the local fighter building a good lead but with Portailler pressing him hard. Bauwens held on to that lead with a strong finish over the last three rounds but the fight was much much closer than the scores indicate. Scores 117-111 twice and a harsh 119-109. “Junior” Bauwens, 26 , lost to Ruben Nieto back in 2013 but has fought his way back with ten wins in a row. In a tough division he is No 4 with the EBU. Bauwens was fighting in his home city and the proceeds from the fight will go towards buying a larger house for the Bauwens’ family as I reported in a Snips piece earlier. Portailler, 28, had a winning run of 10 broken when he lost his French super feather title to Samir Ziani in June. Included in those ten wins was a fourth round stoppage of prospect Brett William Smith (15-1-1) on Smith home territory of Brisbane so travel held no fears for him.

Ngabu vs. Lecrosnier

Belgian Ngabu continues his rise with a stoppage of Frenchman Lecrosnier. The 26-year-old Belgian champion put Lecrosnier down three times in the fourth round and the fight was stopped. Ngabu has won 10 of his last 11 fights by KO/TKO but is down at No 26 in the EU ratings until he steps up the quality of opposition. Lecrosnier, 29, is 3-13-2 in his last 16 fights and down at No 6 super middle in the FFB ratings but had been campaigning at light heavy where he fought a good draw with Mehdi Amar in May.

Saint Lo, France: Super Light: Franck Petitjean (14-4-2) W PTS 10 Alex Lepelley (17-3-1). Petitjean retains French title with hard fought unanimous decision over favourite Lepelley. The local, a light-punching southpaw, boxed his way to victory with scores of 98-92, 97-93 and 95-94. Petitjean, 27, has turned his career around going 8-2-1 in his last 11 fights and this was the first defence of his title. Lepelley, 32, the EBU No 16, was expected to come out on top after building a run of 13 wins before losing on points to Ricky Burns in October. In the winning run he had beaten Canadian Steve Claggett (15-1-1) in Edmonton and Sandor Martin (15-0) in Spain.

Milan, Italy: Super Light: Michele Di Rocco (39-1-1) W TKO 9 Kasper Bruun (19-2-1). Welter: Alessandro Caccia (13-1) W TKO 6 Renato De Donato (14-3).

Di Rocco vs. Bruun

Fourth successful defence of his European title for “The King” Di Rocco. There was some concern over Di Rocco’s ability to make the weight but in the end the Italian showed no ill effects as he slowly broke down the Danish challenger. Bruun got through with some sharp jabs early and showed good technical skills early but these faded under pressure from the champion. There was some banging together of heads but the referee soon put a stop to that. Di Rocco had most success when he could take Bruun to the ropes and score with hooks and uppercuts and it was a left to the body that put Bruun down in the fifth. Bruun was badly hurt but the bell went before Di Rocco could take advantage of the situation. Bruun did well to block and evade many of Di Rocco’s shots but the Italian was starting to look for power and accuracy rather than just work rate. Bruun was taking more punishment as he slowed and in the ninth from no discernable punch he suddenly turned away from Di Rocco and went down on one knee. Bruun got up and looked as though he might carry on but the referee stopped the fight. Now 17 wins by KO/TKO for Di Rocco. His only loss was back in 2007 when he was stopped in seven rounds by Giuseppe Lauri, a loss that cost him his EU title. Since then Di Rocco has won 23 in a row including a revenge win over Lauri for the same EU title. Rated IBF 5(4)/WBC 8 he has some unfinished business with Brit Lenny Daws who he beat for the vacant EBU title on a very disputed decision in 2013. Bruun, 27, was lucky to get the title fight as he had been clearly beaten by Anthony Yigit in his last fight in April. He may now retire to look after the family business .

Caccia vs. De Donato

Caccia wins the vacant WBC Latino title with stoppage of De Donato. “Caccia” translates to “hunter” in English and that was the pattern here. Local fighter De Donato’s nickname is “The Surgeon” and he tried to live up to that with precise southpaw right jabs but Caccia was coming forward, pressing and scoring with straight rights and right hooks. The styles blended well and it was a good fight with plenty of trading but a sign of things to come saw Caccia hurt De Donato with solid right to the body in the fifth. Caccia landed a cracking left to the body in the sixth and De Donato went down in pain. He made it back to his feet but another left to the liver puts him down again. The game local climbed off the floor but a series of heavy rights saw the referee step in to stop the fight. The 26-year-old Caccia was coming off a surprise kayo loss against Latvian Ivans Levickis in September so a good recovery. Former Italian super light champion De Donato, 28, loses inside the distance for the second time.

Phoenix, AZ, USA: Heavy: Charles Martin (20-0-1) W TKO 10 Raphael Zumbano (35-10-2). The first round saw Martin jabbing well and scoring with rights to the body. Zumbano went down but it was a slip. Near the end of the round a punch from Martin landed very low. The referee halted the action and Zumbano was given time to recover. Southpaw Martin was using his jab as a range finder and throwing quick but light combinations. Zumbano, tactics were to walk forward behind a high guard and try to land a wild right swing. The fight was fought at a very pedestrian pace with Martin almost too casual and Zumbano just plodding forward and rarely lowering his high guard long enough to throw a punch. Martin scored with a hard straight right late in the fourth and just before the bell sent Zumbano to the ropes with a left but the bell went before he could develop his attack. Zumbano, who chose to stand in his corner between rounds, actually threw a few jabs and right crosses in the seventh but by the end of the round the lumps and bumps on his face showed where Martin had been able to pierce his guard in every round. Martin woke up late in the ninth getting some snap into his punches for once and landing some hard hooks to the body. Martin came out fast in the tenth. He drove Zumbano into a corner with a left hook and a big right. He continued to score with uppercuts driving Zumbano across the ring to the ropes. More head shots and when Zumbano tried to hold he tossed him across the ring into a corner. There he slammed home left hooks and head snapping uppercuts until Zumbano slumped to his knees and the fight was stopped 5 or 6 punches too late. Martin makes it 18 wins by KO/TKO, the last 10 in a row including wins over Joey Dawejko and Kertson Manswell but for much of this fight he was at walking pace and it was really just a paid sparring session. Brazilian Zumbano had gone 12 rounds with Shannon Briggs but he is ponderous and there must be some awful fighters in Brazil for him to amass 35 wins.

Rosarito, Mexico: Bantam: Luis Nery (16-0) W TKO 5 Jether Oliva (22-3-2).

“Pantera” Nery comes through his fist main event in impressive style as he halts useful Filipino Oliva. The local fighter showed good skills in taking the first round and real power in the second when he put Oliva down twice. He was on top in the third and fourth with Oliva trying hard to get into the fight but having no success as Nery continued to slam home heavy punches to head and body. Oliva was down from a righty hook in the fourth and his corner would not let him out for the fifth. This was Nery’s first fight scheduled for ten rounds and following his win in December over Carlos Fontes (19-2) he is on the rise. This is his tenth win by KO/TKO. Oliva, 27, the “General Santos City General “ had only previously lost in two world title shots against Ulises Solis for the IBF light fly title and to Moruti Mthalane on a split decision for the vacant IBO flyweight title in March last year. He had rebuilt with a couple of wins and was rated IBF 10(9) but his management admitted they made a bad mistake in taking this fight at bantamweight as Nery was too big and strong.

Cancun, Mexico: Light: Ivan Cano (23-6-2) W PTS 10 John C Aparicio (27-89. Bantam: Edgar Jimenez (19-11-2) Drew 10 Humberto Morales (12-11-4,1ND).

Cano vs. Aparicio

Cano continues his progress with unanimous decision over Aparicio. Neither fighter was able to get through with enough hard punches to make it exciting but as the fight progressed Cano took control and was hunting down Aparicio and had him badly rocked in the sixth but could not finish the fight and had to go the distance. Despite a last round effort from Aparicio Cano was a clear winner. The WBC No 7 was coming off two draws with Javier Prieto for the WBC Silver title and looks flattered by the rating. He is hoping to get a world title shot after three more fights but that is overly ambitions. Aparicio has lost to tough opposition in Roberto Ortiz, Fernando D Saucedo and Ghislain Maduma. This was his first fight for ten months.

Jimenez vs. Morales

Jimenez retains his WBC Fecarbox title-but only just. After ten hard, close rounds one judge voted 96-94 for Jimenez but the other two officials had it a tie at 95-95. Third defence of his title for the 22-year-old former Mexican flyweight champion   “Power”. He can punch but his chin is not solid. Morales has steadied the ship somewhat. After a run of 5 losses and a no decision he now has 4 wins and 2 draws against good local level opposition.

Merida, Mexico: Super Feather: Eduardo Torres (17-0) W Francisco J Perez (14-4-1). Torres extends his winning run with unanimous decision over useful Perez. “Lalo” Torres made a hesitant start and was shaken by a couple of punches in the third. Then it was a case of Torres having seen what Perez had he then started to dish out some punishment of his own and Perez was the one under pressure and getting the worst of the exchanges. Body punches from Torres eventually took their toll and in the tenth a salvo of punches forced Perez to his knees. He made it to his feet and survived a barrage from Torres to make it to the bell. Scores 98-91, 97-93 and 97-92 for 27-year-old Torres. He is ready for better opposition. Perez keeps his record of not losing by KO/TKO- but only ust. He was 7-1-1 going in.

Managua, Nicaragua: Fly: Roman Gonzalez (42-0) W TKO 3 Valentin Leon (38-28-3). This fight was a bit of a treat for the home fans but little else. Gonzalez, for me one of the best fighters in any division, just boxed his way through the first round before getting serious in the second. Mexican veteran Leon does not belong in the ring with a fighter such as Gonzalez so thankfully this was over early. He hunted Leon down and floored him at the end of the round. It was all over in the third as Leon first of all slipped to the canvas but later a sustained barrage from Gonzalez saw the referee stop the fight. The 27-year-old “Chocolattito” the WBC fly champion and former undefeated WBA minimum and light fly champion has 36 wins by KO/TKO with 16 of his last 18 fights ending that way ( the Gennady Golovkin of the lower divisions ?).He is hoping for exposure on HBO which would bring his talents to a wider audience. Leon, 35, has 17 losses by KO/TKO but was 8-3 in his last 11 fights so a minor revival.

Renedo de Pielagos, Spain: Super Welter: Sergio Garcia (17-0) W PTS 8 Pavel Semjonov (10-3-2). “El Nino” Garcia makes his way to 17 wins with decision over Semjonov. The unbeaten Spaniard found Semjonov came to fight and although Garcia dominated all the way Semjonov proved to a tough if limited opponent. Spanish champion Garcia, managed by Sergio Martinez is still young but needs stronger opposition if he is going to develop. He is not in the EU top 29 and only No 6 in unofficial Spanish ratings so there is good local opposition he can tackle. Estonian Semjonov , 29, a former national amateur champion, has been in a couple of hard overseas assignments but coped well only losing on a split decision to Sherzod Husenov (16-0-1) in Russia and taking Italian Daniele Petrucci (29-1-2) the distance.

Paisley, Scotland: Light: Andrejs Podusovs (7-9-1) W PTS 10 Jordan McCrory (8-1-1) W. Heavy: Gary Cornish (20-0) W TKO 1 Mario Goles (17-3). Welter: Matthew McAllister (9-0) W PTS 6 Danny Little (3-6-1).

Podusovs vs. McCrory

Minor upset as Fife-based Latvian Podusovs wins vacant British Masters title by edging out neighborhood favourite McCrory. Referees score 96-94. Podusovs, an in-and-out performer, is a past holder of the British Masters super feather title. McCrory, 23, is the Scottish Area champion.

Cornish vs. Goles

The “Highlander” adds another kayo win to his score. The 6’7” (201cm) fighter from Inverness needed only one straight right to the temple to put Goles down. All over in 59 seconds. He has 12 wins by KO/TKO and is rated No 16 in the EBU-EU ratings. He is hoping to break through in 2015 but will have to be more active after only two fights last year. Croatian Goles, 34, had a bad 2014 as his run of 17 wins was ended with a stoppage loss to Alex Petkovic for the GBU title and disqualified in three round against Aussie Mark de Mori for the WBU (GermanVersion) title,. He was coming off a win last month.

McAllister vs. Little

McAllister remains unbeaten with victory over Little. The Aberdonian was having only his second fight in 14 months but shed the rust quickly and outboxed Little all the way. Referee’s score 60-54. Next up for 26-year-old McAllister, the brother of former double CBC champion and EBU title challenger Lee, will be a fight for the Scottish Area title. Five losses in his last 6 fights for Little but only one loss inside the distance.

Cannock, England: Middle: Damon Jones (13-0,1ND) W TEC DEC 5 Grant Cunningham (10-1). Welter: Rob Hunt (20-3-2) W PTS 8 Liam Richards (11-4).

Jones vs. Cunningham

Visitor Jones wins close technical decision over Cunningham. From the outset Jones was using his southpaw jab to probe for openings and Cunningham coming in behind a high guard found it difficult to score. It was the same in the second with Jones also digging in hard body shots. Cunningham forced things in the third and fourth driving inside and landing good combinations. In the fifth the referee stopped then fight due to a cut on the right eyebrow of Jones and it went to the cards with the referee scoring it 48-47 for Jones. The fight was just warming up nicely and hopefully there will be a return. The 21-year-old Jones will be hoping his victory in this English title eliminator leads to a title fight. “Maximus” Cunningham says goodbye to his unbeaten record but he too can rebuild.

Hunt vs. Richards

Hunt gets his first title as he outpoints Richards for vacant British Masters Bronze title. Hunt had huge advantages in height, reach and experience over Richards. The odds were even further stacked against Richards as he had previously been a British Masters champion at super feather and was coming in as a third substitute after two others pulled out. Hunt controlled this one with his jab and strength but Richard never stopped trying to get under the jab and score inside but size-wise it was man against boy and Hunt won every round. Referee’s score 80-72. Three wins a row for 29-year-old local fighter Hunt who finally wins a title after almost 9 years as a pro. Richards had challenged for the English super bantam title in 2011 and was having his first fight in almost three years did a good show-saving stint and kept his record of never losing by KO/TKO.

Doncaster, England: Super Feather: Andy Townend (11-3) W TKO 3 John Green (3-2-1). “The Kayo Kid” Townend makes it four wins in a row as he halts inexperienced Green in a non-title fight. Townend put Green down twice with body punches. The 25-year-old Central Area champion now has 8 wins by KO/TKO and recently won an eliminator that guarantees him a shot at the English title. Only six fights for Green but this was already his second fight scheduled for ten rounds.

Tampa, FL, USA: Super Light: Julian Rodriguez (9-0) W TKO 1 Raul Tovar (14-9-1). Middle: Esquival Falcao (7-0) W Mike Tufariello (4-2-1).

Rodriguez vs. Tovar

“Hammer hands” Rodriguez gets the job done in quick time. The Top Rank prospect cut loose early and put Tovar down three times to force the stoppage after just 119 seconds. An impressive display of power as Rodriguez moves to 8 wins by KO/TKO, the last 7 in a row and gets his fourth 1st round finish. Texan Tovar had taken both Chris Algieri and Danny O’Connor the distance in eight round fights so was supposed to give Rodriguez some problems. It has taken Rodriguez less than 18 rounds to collect his nine wins.

Falcao vs. Tufariello

Brazilian southpaw Falcao took a bit longer than his stable mate Rodriguez but scored two knockdowns and halted Tufariello in the second. The 25-year-old Olympic silver and World Championships bronze medal winner has settled in as a pro and this is his fourth win in a row by KO/TKO. Tufariello may be nicknamed “Italian Stallion” but he was never in this race. Falcao towered over him in height and talent.

Bismark, ND, Cruiser: Virgil Hill (51-7) W TKO 2 Jimmy Campbell (11-8).

Hill brings down the curtain on a great career as he halts Campbell in two rounds in front of 4,000 adoring fans. Hill established his jab early and hurt Campbell with one in the opening round. Campbell did not know how to deal with the jab and when Hill anded to the body with the punch in the second Campbell went down on one knee and the fight was stopped. Just turned 51, the four time WBA light heavy and cruiser champion is already in the Hall of Fame where he deserves to be. His fellow Olympic roommate Evander Holyfield was on hand to support Hill. They were both members of the 2004 Team where Hill won a silver medal and Holyfield was disqualified in his semi-final bout. They were both robbed. Oh Campbell-yes. The 37-year-old Londoner was having his second fight in three years and has lost his last six fights by KO/TKO so no chance of a party pooper.

Outapi, Namibia: Feather: Oscar Chauke (33-9-3) W PTS 12 Gottlieb Ndokosho (16-4,1ND).

Chauke wins IBF International title from Ndokosho with wide unanimous decision. Over the first four rounds Chauke was scoring with jabs and uppercuts with a rusty Ndokosho not able to find a way into the fight. Knowing he had fallen behind to the delight of his fans Ndokosho came out hard in the fifth and sixth and seemed to be eating into Chauke’s lead. The more experience South African halted the revival as he used fast combinations to get back on top in the seventh and eighth and had Ndokosho on shaky legs in the ninth. The tenth saw a swelling hamper Ndokosho’s vision through his left eye and he was unsteady and wild with his attacks. Chauke finished strongly over the championship rounds and was a clear winner with Ndokosho a well beaten fighter. Scores 119-108, 117-110 and 116-111. The 34-year-old former “Golden Boy” had too much experience for Ndokosho. They had clashed in South Africa back in 2010 when Chauke won on a first round stoppage. Chauke, a pro since 1999, is a former South Africa and WBFed super bantam and current South African feather champion. He lost to Takalani Ndlouv for the WBFound feather title and lost on a split decision to Jeffrey Mathebula in an IBF eliminator. This is his first fight outside South Africa but he was coming off a points loss to Macbute Sinyabi in February. Ndokosho had won 7 on the bounce by KO/TKO since losing to Chauke against modest opposition and this was his first fight in nearly 9 months.

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