Wild Saturday: Astrolabio Upsets Rigondeaux in Dubai, Russell and Martinez Win in Vegas, Taylor Wins Split in Glaskow
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
On a strange Saturday, February 26, 2022, filled with confusion and controversy during the Pandemic, five major boxing bouts took place, with several bouts involving defending world champions and former champions, all with controversial results.
At Dubai Arena, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, lightly regarded Vincent Astrolabio, 17-3 with 12 knockouts, General Santos City, Philippines, dropped aging Guillermo Rigondeaux, 20-3 with 13 knockouts, Miami, Florida, by way of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, with a lucky knockdown in the eighth round to win the vacant World Boxing Council International Bantamweight title in ten rounds by scores of 95-94, 95-94, and 95-94. Rigondeaux, a former World Bantamweight and Super Bantamweight champion, was boxing evenly, and without the knockdown, the bout would have been a split draw. At age 41, Rigondeaux, who lost his second consecutive fight, may be fading due to age and a lack of personal motivation, though his three losses were in regional and world title bouts.
Fernando Martinez, 14-0 with eight knockouts, Buenos Aires, Argentina, won a unanimous decision over southpaw Jerwin Ancajas, 33-2-2 with 22 knockouts, Panabo City, Philippines, to win the International Boxing Federation World Super Flyweight championship. Ancajas, who won the title by sixth round stoppage over James Conlan in Belfast, Northern Ireland in November 2017, had been unbeaten (9-0-1) in his previous 10 world championship bouts.
Jimmy Kelly, 26-2 with 10 knockouts, Wythenshawe, United Kingdom, won the vacant World Boxing Organisation Global World Middleweight title by 10 round decision over Kanat Islam, now 28-1 with 22 knockouts, Oxnard, California by way of China. The scorecards went three different ways 97-93, 96-94, 95-95 for Kelly.
The Tartan Tornado, Josh Taylor, 19-0 with 13 knockouts, Haddington, Scotland, United Kingdom, won a 12 round split decision over Jack Catterall, 26-1 with 13 knockouts, Chorley, United Kingdom, to retain the unified World Super Lightweight title. Taylor, cut twice around the left eye, and down in the eighth round, was deducted a point after the eleventh round for punching after the bell. Catterall was deducted one point for excessive holding in round 10.
At Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada, junior welterweight and former world champion Victor Postol, 31-3 with 12 knockouts, Marina Del Rey, California, by way of Ukraine, age 38, was topped at 2:31 of the 12th and final round by Gary Antuanne Russell, now 15-0 with 15 knockouts, Capitol Heights, Maryland. Perhaps the fact his family is still trapped in war torn Ukraine had affected Postol’s mental concentration, perhaps not, it’s hard to say, but he could have finished the bout when referee Mike Ortega prematurely stopped it.
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