PROBELLUM EVOLUTION LIVE – PETER MCGRAIL IN STUNNING KO WIN IN DUBAI
DUBAI, MARCH 19 – Peter McGrail bamboozled and beat up Alexandru Ionita to reinforce his reputation as one of boxing’s hottest prospects.
McGrail forced his Romania rival to quit at the end of the second round at Probellum Evolution in Dubai tonight having overwhelmed him with a level of punch variety he had not encountered before.
Liverpool’s McGrail was an outstanding amateur and won medals at the European Championships, Commonwealth Games and World Amateur Championships, but he has made a flawless start to life as a professional and this win takes him to 3-0.
The 25-year-old drew blood from the nose of his opponent in round two as he turned on the style for the fans in the Middle East and after the beleaguered Ionita slumped on his chair, it was decided he felt the force of McGrail’s punches for long enough.
McGrail is next scheduled to fight in Liverpool, on April 22 as part of a massive bill which is headlined by Paul Butler’s world title fight with John Riel Casimero, and he wants a step up in rounds and class of opponent.
“I’m looking for an eight round fight next and I want a tougher opponent too,” said super-bantamweight McGrail.
“But I trust my team at Probellum and Richard Schaefer to deliver me the right fights at the right time,
“It is not a matter of if, but a matter of when I reach the very top.”
Ireland’s former super-bantamweight world champion TJ Doheny produced a punch-perfect performance to stop Mexican rival Cesar Juarez in less than two rounds.
Doheny, 35, was sharp and accurate from the first bell and floored Juarez with a wonderfully timed left hook from the southpaw stance.
Juarez got to his feet but Doheny pounced and having connected with several more clean shots, the referee stepped in between the fighters and brought an end to the scheduled 10 rounder at 2:23 of the second session.
Doheny, who is now 23-3 as a pro, was thrilled with his performance.
“It feels great and I am very happy to be getting the stoppage, ” Doheny, nicknamed ‘The Power’, said.
“I felt every shot I hit him with, not just the left hook that floored him, and I knew I was breaking him down.
“I’m buzzing and I want more rounds!”
Probellum star Shabaz Masound, who stopped Yoann Boyeux on the opening night of Probellum Evolution, said he would relish a crack at Doheny.
“I would love that fight him, he’s a former world champion and I would fancy my chances,” said the 10-0 man from Stoke-on-Trent.
PROBELLUM EVOLUTION LIVE – SHABAZ MASOUD SHINES IN DUBAI
Britain’s fast-rising super-bantamweight star Shabaz Masoud delivered a statement of intent by stopping Yoann Boyeux in Dubai.
The ‘Maverick’ dazzled at Probellum Evolution and bamboozled his hugely experienced French rival, forcing him to quit at the end of the second of 10 scheduled rounds.
Masoud moves to 10-0 with this career-best win and said he wanted to leave his mark on the big stage in the Middle East.
“I came out for the first bell and I was looking for the stoppage – I wanted to make a bit of a statement,” said Masoud, who hails from Stoke-on-Trent.
“I’m ready for step-ups in class now, I’ve been saying that for a long time. I know what I am capable of and my team and my family know what I am capable of.”
Earlier on the stacked card, Bakhodir Jalolov took less than five rounds to cement his status as a future heavyweight champion with a brutal beatdown of Kamil Sokolowski.
The 6’7″ Olympic gold medallist scored a knockdown in round two with a cuffing shot that Sokolowski brushed off but the Big Uzbek was repeatedly hurting his Polish opponent with backhands to the body.
At the beginning of round five, Jalolov made a telling breakthrough when his lethal left hand dropped Sokolowski just seconds after the bell.
Further punishment was dished out by a menacing Jalolov and Sokolowski fell to the canvas once more under a barrage of clubbing shots, prompting the referee to step in and bring a halt to the contest at 1:17 of the round five.
“I’m ready to compete with the best in the heavyweight division and I am coming for all of the belts, and I know my time is coming,” Jalolov said after the fight, as he moved to 10-0 as a professional, with as many knockouts.
Jalolov is being primed for a big fight in the United States this summer as he builds towards a shot at the heavyweight crown.
Poland’s Eryk Apresyan opened Probellum Evolution with victory over Burak Akkus, dropping his rival with a body shot.
Sultan Al Nuaimi was next in action at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, and the home fighter out-pointed Tanzania’s Hamza Mchanjo over six rounds.
Tom Hill of the United Kingdom was given the nod by all three ringside judges in his bout with Ireland’s Rohan Date.
Hill, who moves to 10-2 as a professional, dropped his opponent in the sixth round and took the contest 77-75, 77-75 and 76-75.
Joshua Ridgewell dominated a blood-stained super-featherweight contest with India’s Suraj Ram.
Ridgewell, from Essex in England, was in control from the off and moved to 2-0 as a professional when the referee stopped the fight in round three due to a nasty cut above Ram’s right eye.
“After that, I’m very happy,” buzzed Ridgewell.
“I landed some really nice shot and stopped everything he was trying to do.”
PROBELLUM EVOLUTION LIVE – ESTELLE MOSSELY RETAINS WORLD TITLE ON HISTORIC NIGHT
DUBAI, MARCH 18 – Estelle Mossely retained her IBO lightweight title with a split decision victory over Yanina del Carmen Lescano after an absorbing contest in Dubai.
Mossely and Lescano were making history by clashing in the first ever female world title fight to be held in the Middle East – and the fight lived up to expectations.
At the end of 10 close and highly competitive rounds, the judges were split but two of the officials gave the nod to France’s Mossely, with scores of 96-94 and 97-93, while the other gave it to Lescano with a score of 96-94.
The 29-year-old – an Olympic gold medallist from 2016 – admits she will need at least two more fights before she is ready for a unification contest with either Katie Taylor or Amanda Serrano, who meet next month in New York.
But Mossely’s third defence of her lightweight title keeps alive hopes of a huge showdown later in the year.
Mossely has also made no secret of her desire to return to the amateur ranks to compete in May’s World Amateur Championships before coming back to the professional side of the sport.
“It was a hard fight, I had not fought in more than a year and she was very tough,” Mossely, now 10-0, said after her win.
“I must have two or three more hard fights to be ready for a unification bout with either Taylor or Serrano.”
Argentina’s Lescano, 26, was bitterly disappointed with the judges’ decision and was adamant she had done enough to take the IBO strap from Mossely, but two of the ringside judges thought otherwise.
PROBELLUM EVOLUTION LIVE – HOVHANNES BACHKOV PUMMELS RIVAL TO SCORE TKO WIN IN MENACING PERFORMANCE
DUBAI, MARCH 19 – Hovhannes Bachkov forced the referee to step in and spare Cristian Coria further punishment after pummelling his Argentinian rival in Dubai tonight.
The dark horse of the super-lightweight division mauled Coria for seven rounds before the official waved it off near the end of the next session, deciding the 39-year-old had taken too many shots.
Bachkov, who sustained a relentless pace and threw an incredibly high volume of punches, now moves to 3-0 as a professional and with Probellum’s backing, the Armenian plans to be in world title contention in double-quick time.
The 29-year-old, an Olympic bronze medallist, cuts a menacing figure and in becoming only the second man to stop the experienced and tough Coria, he sent a warning shot to the super lightweight division.
Bachkov targeted the right hand side of Coria’s body throughout, hammering the 39-year-old with sickening left hooks, and though he has exceptional amateur credentials, his come-forward style looks tailor made for the pros.
“I planned that and tonight I did my job effectively and quickly,” said the outstanding Armenian.
Britain’s Khalid Ayub extended his perfect start to life in the pros with an impressive win over Annem Sivareddy of India.
The UK’s Ayub was trying to force the stoppage in a dominant display but had to contend with a points win, which moves him to 3-0 as a pro.
In the opening bout of the evening, Fahad Al Bloushi of the UAE moved to 8-1 as a professional with a points win over Mohamed Kashinde of Tanzania.
Al Bloushi was given the nod by all three ringside judges, by scores of 59-58 and 58-56 (twice).
India’s Faizan Anwar saw off the challenge of Khojiakbar Qodirokhunov over eight rounds at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, winning 80-72, 78-74 and 80-72 on the scorecards.
Lightweight Bader Samreen dropped Denis Bartos twice in the fourth round of their contest to score an impressive stoppage win.
The referee waved the contest off at 1:47 of the session after Samreen sent his Czech rival to the floor with a crunching uppercut.
Dubai-based Brit Jamie King sent Naveen Verma to the floor with a heavy left hand in the third round of their cruiserweight bout, but had to settle for a points win after four rounds. King moves to 3-0 as a pro.
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