Weekend Recap: Sam Soliman Wins Rematch! Berlanga Rolls, Billy Dib Wins DQ,
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
The weekend of March 18 to 20, 2022, was one of action packed boxing action. Although the fighters involved are not box office megastars, the best statement to be made is the fighters deserve praise for making their best effort to remain active in the boxing game, despite the ongoing presence and impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic worldwide.
The first bout of note was a minor upset, the biggest upset of the weekend. Hot and cold former female International Boxing Federation World Junior Flyweight champion Tamara Elizabet Demarco, 10-4, no knockouts, Buenos Aires, Argentina, scored a tenth round split technical decision win and win the World Boxing Organisation World Flyweight title over previously undefeated Debora Anahi Lopez, 20-1-1 with one knockout, Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the Athletic Club in Luis Guillion, Argentina. An accidental clash of heads in the ninth round caused a deep gash on Lopez, who ultimately was ruled unable to continue. Demarco was up on two of the three scorecards at the end of the ninth round. A rematch after Lopez heals would seem to be in order.
At the Gold Star Coast, Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia, Billy Dib, 48-6 with 27 knockouts, Sydney, new South Wales, Australia, won the International Boxing Federation International and World Boxing Organisation Oriental Lightweight titles down under in a minor upset sixth-round disqualification over previously undefeated Jacob Ng, 15-1 with 11 knockouts, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Ng, thinking their match a WWE event instead of boxing, put Dib into the hospital by body slamming Dib to the canvas. Ng, ahead on all three scorecards, could have boxed his way to the win already in hand before resorting to fouling with an illegal tactic not tolerated by referee Steve Marshall. Blake Minto won a 10 round split decision over Austin Frost in another all-Australian battle on the undercard to win the vacant International Boxing Federation Asia Oceania Welterweight title in a clean bout refereed by former International Boxing Federation World Lightweight champion Phillip Holliday in the preliminary bout to the main event.
Former International Boxing Federation World Middleweight champion Sam Soliman, age 48, still at it, now 47-16-1 with 19 knockouts, Melbourne, Australia, won the vacant Australia Victoria State Middleweight title with a six-round split decision win over Jesse White, 6-2, Melbourne, Australia in a rematch. Soliman is next scheduled to fight 11-2 Troy O’Malley of Newcastle in May 2022.
Former World Boxing Association World Super Middleweight champion Giovanni De Carolis, 30-10-1 with 14 knockouts, Viterbo, Italy, stopped Georgian journeyman 14-20-1 Giorgi Abrahmashvili, after one round, in Cinisello Balsamo, Lombardia, Italy, a mismatch. 16-0 Nicholas Esposito of Bonamerde, Italy, retained the Italian Welterweight title with a 10 round unanimous decision over 33-10-3 Toby Loriga of Crotone, Italy, on the same card.
19-1 Kenshiro Teraji of Kyoto, Japan, regained the World Boxing Council World Light Flyweight championship with a third-round knockout over 12-4 Masamichi Yabuki of Nagoya, Japan, in City Gym in Kyoto, winning a rematch of a tenth round stoppage loss to Yabuki at City Hall in September 2021.
At Wembley Arena, London, United Kingdom, 29-3-1 David Avanesyan, fighting out of Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom, retained the European Welterweight title with a first round stoppage of 15-1 Oskari Metz of Helsinki, Finland. 15-0 Hamza Sheeraz of London, United Kingdom knocked out 13-5-1 Jez Smith of Middlesex, United Kingdom, in the second round, to win the vacant World Boxing Council Silver Middleweight title.
At USC Galen Center in Los Angeles, California, 19-1 welterweight Alexis Rocha of Irvine, California, stopped previously undefeated southpaw Blair Cobbs of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the ninth round of a scheduled 10. Cobbs is now 15-1-1. Uzbekistan light heavyweight prospect Bektemir Melikuziev knocked out 34-8 David Zegarra of Lima, Peru, in the second round.
At Madison Square Garden Theater in New York City, 19-0 Edgar Berlanga won a 10 round unanimous decision over 21-2 Steve Rolls of Toronto, Canada, to retain the WBO NABO Super Middleweight title. Scores went 97-93, 97-93, 96-94 for Berlanga. 17-0 Puerto Rican welterweight John Bauza outpointed 37-5 Tony Luis of Cornwall, Canada over eight rounds. 13-0 super welterweight Xander Zayas of Sunrise, Florida, won an eight-round decision over 12-3-1 Quincy Lavallais of Kenner, Louisiana.
At Duty Free Tennis Stadium, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, 18-0 Sunny Edwards of London, United Kingdom, retained the International Boxing Federation World Flyweight title with a 12 round unanimous decision over 12-2 challenger Muhammad Waseem of Quetta, Pakistan. Former World Boxing Association World Super Lightweight champion 27-1 Regis Prograis of Houston, Texas, stopped 22-3-1 Tyrone McKenna of Belfast, Northern Ireland, in the sixth round. O’Shanie Foster won a 12 round decision over Muhammadkhuja Yaqubov to retain the World Boxing Council Silver Super Featherweight title. 22-2-1 super featherweight prospect Jono Carroll of Dublin, Ireland, scored a fourth-round stoppage of 21-2-1 Patrick Ayi Aryee of Accra, Ghana. 10-0 Estelle Mosselly of Bagnolet, France, retained the IBO Female World Lightweight title with a 10 round split decision win over 10-2 Yanina Lescano of Concordia, Argentina.
At Leeds United FC Banqueting Suite, Leeds, United Kingdom, hats off to 0-23 super lightweight ringer Carl Turney of Sussex, United Kingdom, who battled to a four round draw with rising 1-0 prospect Brodie Carroll of Leeds. There’s nothing like getting over on your opponent’s hometown crowd. Likewise, at Magna Centre in Yorkshire, United Kingdom, 6-0 lightweight prospect Kane Salvin of Sheffield, Yorkshire, United Kingdom, got outpointed by 0-2 Karl Sampson, also of Sheffield, Yorkshire, United Kingdom. Referee Michael Alexander scored it 40-37 for Sampson, who trained harder than Salvin, apparently.
At Paramount Theatre in Huntington, Long island, New York, 14-0 Oleh Dovhun of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, outpointed 7-2 Geram Eloyan, Brussels, Belgium, by 10 round decision, to retain the NABA Super Bantamweight title.
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