USA Weekend Recap: Kovalev Shines, Wilder Survives, Dirrell Crumbles, Tarver Jr. Rises
*Photo Credit: Frank Franklin AP
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Heavyweight Action
Deontay Wilder of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, retained his World Boxing Council World Heavyweight title, surviving a near knockout in the seventh round to drop and stop Cuban defector Luis ‘King Kong’ Ortiz at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Wilder, 40-0, stopped the 28-0 Ortiz, who claims to be 38 years old but who appeared to be older. Ortiz has been around the heavyweight division for years, and finally got a WBC title shot. The Wilder win keeps alive the potential Anthony Joshua versus Deontay Wilder heavyweight mega unification bout possibility in the near future. 25-0 Tyson Fury stated on Instagram he would knockout Wilder if given the opportunity. Ex-world champion Fury has been inactive since November of 2015, though rumors of a comeback persist.
At Madison Square Garden, 12-0 heavyweight prospect Cassius Chaney of Connecticut won by second-round knockout on The Garden undercard.
At SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 3-11 heavyweight journeyman Ronny Hale of Texas ruined the pro debut of Philadelphia’s Dominique Mayfield, knocking him out in the first round.
Cruiserweight Action
Kevin ‘KO Kid’ Larena of Johannesburg, South Africa, 20-1, retained his International Boxing Organization World Cruiserweight title with a 12 round unanimous decision over challenger Dmytro Kucher of Kiev, Ukraine.
Oregon’s 19-0 Mike ‘White Delight’ Wilson won the vacant WBA-NABA Cruiserweight title with a 10 round decision over Mario Aguilar of Sonora, Mexico.
At Coeur d’Alene Casino, in Worley, Idaho, Spokane Washington’s 11-0-1 Patrick Ferguson retained the WBC USNBC Cruiserweight title with a 10 round decision over Mario Munoz of Kansas in the main event. 9-0 cruiserweight prospect Craig Thompson stopped Dennis Halllman in the second round in the preliminary bout to the main event.
Light Heavyweight Action
In a battle of Russians, Sergey Kovalev stopped game challenger Igor Mikhalkin in the seventh round on cuts to retain his WBO, IBA and EBP World Light Heavyweight titles. Russian Dmitry Bivol retained is WBA World Light Heavyweight title by stopping Cuban defector Sullivan Barrera at 1:41 of the twelfth and final round. Both world title bouts were at Madison Square Garden.
Super Middleweight Action
Four significant super middleweight bouts took place at Barclays Center. Jose Uzcategui of Tijuana, Mexico, stopped Andre Dirrell after eight rounds in a rematch to win the IBF World Super Middleweight title. Uzcategui had been disqualified in their previous titular match for hitting Dirrell after the bell. Dirrell was trained by new trainer Virgil Hunter, the trainer of Andre Ward, Dirrell’s Olympic teammate, but it didn’t help.
New York’s Alicia Napoleon won a 10 round decision over Belgium’s Femke Hermans to win the vacant Female World Boxing Association Super Middleweight title.
Contenders Sergiy Derevyanchenko of Crimea, Russia, and Willie Monroe Jr. of Rochester, New York, both won their respective undercard bouts at super middleweight on the same card to remain in the mix.
At The Garden, super middleweight prospects Vaughn Alexander, 11-0, of Missouri, and Meiirim Nursultanov, 11-0, of Kazakhstan, both won their undercard bouts to remain unbeaten.
Middleweight Action
5-0 middleweight prospect Antonio Tarver Jr. won at Banquet Masters, in Clearwater, Florida. He is the son of former world light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver.
Super Welterweight / Junior Middleweight Action
Freeport, New York’s Patrick Day won the vacant WBC Continental Americas Super Welterweight title by 10 round decision over Kyrone Davis at Barclays Center. At Madison Square Garden, super welterweight prospects Alexey Evchenko of Russian, Madiyar Askayev of Kazakhstan, Bakhram Murtazaliev of Russia, and Frank Galarza of Brooklyn all won their bouts at The Garden. Christopher Brook won an eight round decision over durable Jamaal Davis at SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Welterweight Action
From Sky Ute Casino, in Ignacio, Colorado, Layla McCarter stopped Victoria Cisneros in eight rounds to win the vacant Female GBU and WIBF World Welterweight titles.
Super Lightweight / Junior Welterweight Action
At SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia, Puerto Rico’s Anthony Mercado ruined the 7-0 record of Philadelphia’s Tyrone Crawley Jr., stopping him after three rounds in an upset. Crawley is the son of former Philadelphia lightweight contender Tyrone ‘Butterfly’ Crawley. Yonkers super lightweight Victor Vazquez knocked out Philadelphia’s David Gonzales in the first round in another upset. For clarity, Victor Vazquez is no relation to Philadelphia veteran lightweight Victor Vasquez, who spells his last name with an ‘s’.
Lower Weight Classes Action
In bantamweight action in the main event at SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia, 14-0 Philadelphia prospect Christian Carto continued to rise, winning an eight round unanimous decision over 12-1 James Smith of Detroit, Michigan.
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