RCM Boxing Weekend Recap: Avanesyan Retains EBU, Vazquez Returns, Pigford KOs Aryee
By Robert Brizel, Head Boxing Correspondent
London, UK (October 3rd, 2021)– Saturday, October 2, 2021, yielded some interesting boxing results, with European Boxing Union Welterweight champion David Avanesyan and former International Boxing Federation World Lightweight champion Miguel Vazquez being the most prominent names back in action to win as boxing October begins.
Avanesyan, 28-3-1 with 16 knockouts, Newark, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom, by way of Taybnskoe, Russian Federation, dropped Liam Taylor, 23-2-1 with eleven knockouts, Middleton, Lancashire, United Kingdom, in the first round en route to a second round stoppage. Taylor took an aggressive go for broke approach from the opening bell, leaving himself open for counter power shots by providing openings. Avanesyan found the angles.
Given Avanesyan’s two explosive dynamite destructions of formidable Kermin LeJarraga, the unwise Taylor should have taken a more careful technical approach at Wembley against a dangerous foreign champion and world class foe. Taylor threw caution into the wind, and came forward Jack Bodell style swinging for broke. Like Jerry Quarry’s one round destruction of then British and European Heavyweight champion Bodell at Wembley in November 1971, Taylor went down in the first round and got up as Bodell did.
The patient Avanesyan did not finish Taylor in the first round (as Quarry did with Bodell), instead coming forward with pressure, leaving Taylor with no hiding spots and finishing him on his feet in the second round. The Jerry Quarry style ending in Great Britain was coming, though. Good stoppage by referee Mark Lyson after Avanesyan hit Taylor with some wicked power shots to the head. Avanesyan, the winner, retained the EBU title on this occasion. When EBU champion Bodell lost to Quarry 40 years ago, his BBB of C, Commonwealth British Empire and European Heavyweight titles were not at stake against Quarry. Bodell lost his European title to Jose Manuel Urtain, and his two British titles to Danny McAlinden, both knockout losses, in his next two bouts, and then retired.
Avanesyan is due for a shot at a share of the world welterweight titles. 37-0 WBO world champion Terence Crawford fights Shawn Porter at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on November 20, 2021. WBC and IBF world champion Errol Spence Jr. is recovering from eye surgery. 27-4 WBA Super champion Yordenis Ugas, a Cuban fighting out of Miami, is available after decisioning Manny Pacquiao to win the title on August 21, 2021, as a late replacement for Spence at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Many other world-class fighters, such as ex-champions Kell Brook and Danny Garcia, WBO International champion Vergil Ortiz Jr., Jaron “Boots” Ennis, Kudratillo Abdukakhorov, Josesito Lopez and Adrien Broner are available. Avanesyan’s British handlers have the means to move Avanesyan against top-flight opposition, and should do it immediately as he has demonstrated is worthy of top-flight opposition as he is world-class. Why not Brook? Avanesyan has knocked out every other British face. Perhaps that is the reason.
Former International Boxing Federation World Lightweight champion Miguel Vazquez, 44-10 with 17 knockouts, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, age 34, won a 10 round decision over 30-4-2 Oliver Flores, at Verite Social Venue in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, to win the vacant World Boxing Association Fedelatin Lightweight title. This was the second consecutive win by Vazquez at lightweight. Vazquez is 12-0 with nine regional and world title wins at 135 pounds. Vazquez is 36-8 in other divisions. Vazquez left the lightweight division after losing his IBF title to Mickey Bey in 2014. Lightweight is the weight class where Vazquez clearly should be.
British super welterweight prospect Joe Pigford, 18-0 with 17 knockouts, Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom, knocked out 26-10 Isaac Aryee of Accra, Ghana, in the fifth round at Wembley Arena. Pigford has a 94 percent knockout ratio, but in his 18 wins, only Aryee and London’s Aarron Morgan have winning records. Pigford remains untested against main event opposition, and has yet to step up in class of opponent. Still, British fight fans like the knockout, and Pigford has provided them for those seeking to see blood.
At Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan, 15-4 Ryoji Fukonaga of Tokyo retained the Japanese, OPBF, and World Boxing Organisation Asia Pacific Super Flyweight titles with a 12 round majority decision win over 15-0 Kayate Kaji of Tokyo. In the opening bout of a four-bout card at Rollerworld, Derby, United Kingdom, the pro debut of Heanor Derbyshire female lightweight Hannah Jones was ruined by 4-5 Czech Republic’s Tereza Dvorakova. Referee Kevin Parker scored it 40-38 for Dvorakova. At Oldham Leisure Center in UK, 7-61-6 lightweight journeyman Lee Connelly of Killamarsh drew over four rounds with 18-4-2 ex-British Featherweight champion Ryan Doyle of Gorton. At Jose Gatica Stadium in San Luis, Argentina, Friday, October 1, 2021, 11-13-1 middleweight David Ezekiel Romero of Buenos Aires was disqualified by referee Julio Cesar Gomez at 0:18 of the second round for rabbit punching 10-1 Williams Herrera of Cordoba. Romero dropped Herrera twice with rabbit punches. 19-3-1 Luis Alberto Veron of Buenos Aires retained the South American Welterweight title by 10 round decision over Leonardo Amritrano of San Luis.