RCM Weekend Recap: Munguia and Lomachenko Win by Kayo, Bloody Vargas Survives, More
*Photo Credit: Top Rank
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Friday May 11, 2018, and Saturday May 12, 2018, were busy days in the boxing world.
Former New York State Athletic Commissioner Bob Duffy used to tell this reporter of the dangers of taking on a last minute opponent you don’t know anything about. Such was the case when Brooklyn’s Sadam ‘World Kid’ Ali took on unknown 29-0 Jaime Munguia of Tijuana, Mexico. Among Munguia’s 25 knockouts, were 19 of his past 20 opponents getting knocked out. Andre Rozier, in the corner of Ali, apparently did not get the message Munguia was Ring Magazine’s Prospect of the Year in 2016. The Nevada State Athletic Commission turned down Munguia as a last-minute opponent for Gennady Golovkin in favor of Vanos Martirosyan, who had not been in the ring four months short of three years.
Munguia knocked down Ali twice in the first round, and again in the second round. Ali went down in the third round, ruled a slip. Munguia then knocked down Ali for good in the fourth round and finished him, to win the World Boxing Organization World Super Welterweight title at Barclays Center.
Munguia towered over Ali in height, and looked like a big sized monster next to a little kid. Munguia entered the ring as a full-fledged 170 pound light heavyweight contender. Munguia apparently can lose the weight to get to either 154 or 160 pounds. GGG and the Nevada State Athletic Commission may have no choice but to approve Munguia for GGG now, if GGG can get by Saul Canelo Alvarez later this year in the 160-pound world title rematch.
Sadam Ali had won the title by decisioning Miguel Cotto in his last bout, but Cotto was old, and Sadam Ali is really just a blown up 147-pound welterweight, which is the division he should return to if he wishes to continue his career to any degree.
Result: Jaime Munguia TKO 4 Sadam Ali, Super Welterweights (1:02)
Munguia wins World Boxing Organization World Super Welterweight Title
Referee Gary Rosato stopped contest with Sadam Ali on the canvas in round 4.
Sadam Ali down twice in round one, again in rounds two and four. Down by at least 40-32 on the scorecards, Sadam Ali could no longer mathematically win the bout if he got up.
Meanwhile, 2012 Olympic gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko went to 11-1 and won the World Boxing Association Super World Lightweight title by knocking down Jorge Linares in the tenth round to win. Lomachenko was the better technical boxer, but Linares had enough power to knock Lomachenko down in the sixth round. The coup-de-grace appeared to be a Lomachenko liver shot, and looked like a carbon copy of the equalizer liver shot Gerry Penalosa landed to knock out Jhonny Gonzalez in the seventh round of their World Bantamweight title bout in August 2007.
The bout was even between Lomachenko and Linares when Linares gave up, with one judge having the bout 86-84 Linares, another 85-85 even, and the third judge had it 86-84 Lomachenko. It can be said Lomachenko, a Ukrainian living in Oxnard, California, could have trouble finding opponents in the near future, given his high level of ability. Linares, now 44-4, a Venezuelan fighting out of Tokyo, Japan, will be back.
Result: Vasyl Lomachenko TKO 10 Jorge Linares, Lightweights (2:08)
Lomachenko wins WBA Super World Lightweight title
Referee: Ricky Gonzalez. Lomachenko down in the sixth round, Linares down in the tenth round.
At Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York, 32-0 Rey Vargas of Otumba, Mexico, bleeding profusely from the left and right eyes from accidental head butts, retained the World Boxing Council Super Bantamweight title by 12 round decision over shorter by nasty power shot artist Azat ‘Crazy’ Hovannisyan, now 14-3, a Freddie Roach-trained Armenian out of Los Angeles, California. Azat was game, walking right in on the taller Vargas, has a Thomas Hearns style reach, but crazy Azat, short but with contempt, took Vargas’ best shots, and countered back with power. Azat was bleeding from a cut on the left eyebrow too, and the bout could easily have gone to the cards, with both men a bloody mess, giving Vargas the technical win. However, the contest was heated and competitive. The ringside doctor the bout run the distance despite the blood coming from both fighters.
Result: Rey Vargas Win 12 Azat Hovannisyan, BantamweightsVargas retains World Boxing Council Super Bantamweight title
Scoring: 118-110, 117-11, 116-112 Vargas. Referee: Charlie Fitch.
In Villa Angela, Argentina, 11-10-2 Guadalupe Bautista of Mexico City, Mexico, scored a major upset and won the vacant International Boxing Federation World Light Flyweight title in 8-1-1 Andrea Soledad Sanchez’ hometown by stopping her in eight rounds!
Result: Guadalupe Bautista TKO 8 Andrea Soledad Sanchez, Light Flyweights
Bautista wins International Boxing Federation World Light Flyweight title
Referee Rodolfo Stella stops the contest.
Russian lightweight Isa Chaniev won a 12 round decision over Ishmael Barroso of Venezuela to retain the IBF Inter-Continental and WBO International Lightweight titles.
Devin Haney, the Las Vegas, Nevada Floyd Mayweather Promotions lightweight prospect, at age 19 went to 19-0 by stopping Mason Meynard in the ninth round at 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the Showtime, Shobox: The Next Generation card, a showcase for future talent. 15-0 light heavyweight prospect Charles Foster of New Haven, Connecticut, won an eight round decision over 15-0-1 Alvin Vermall Jr. on the undercard. 12-0-1 Ukrainian super bantamweight prospect Arnold Khegai won an eight round decision over Adam Lopez, and 8-0 Philadelphia super lightweight prospect Jeremy Cuevas stopped Hector Marengo in the second round. Chicago 16-1-1 super bantamweight prospect Joshua Greer Jr. dropped and stopped Glenn Dezern in the eighth round.
Femke Hermans of Belgium won the vacant WBO World Super Middleweight Female title by decisioning Nikki Adler over 10 rounds in Adler’s hometown of Augsburg, Germany. Italy’s Mohammed Obbadi won the vacant EBU Flyweight title on home territory by unanimous 12 round decision in Florence, Italy, over Aramis Torres of Las Palmas, Spain. 20-5 Ecuadorean welterweight Erick Bone won his fourth comeback bout in a row, after losing four in a row, by winning a 10 round decision of Cameron Krael of Las Vegas at Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Atlantic City, New Jersey Hall of Fame promoter Diane Lee Fischer Cristiano promoted her first 2018 Dee Lee Promotions card, six bouts at PAL Center in Hockessin, Delaware. Cruiserweight Anthony Caputo Smith came off the canvas in the first round to come back and knock out Tyler Seever in the first round of the brief but explosive main event. Ring announcer Nino Del Bueno worked Sugar House Casino for the King’s Promotions card Friday night in Philadelphia, then headed to Delaware to call the Dee Lee Promotions card.
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