Bivol Beats Zurdo, Dirrell and Williams Return, Rakhimov Wins IBF

By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (November 6th, 2022)– This past weekend, Friday, November 4, 2022, to Sunday, November 6, 2022, featured significant action packed results in the boxing world. In the major event of the weekend, World Boxing Association Super World Light Heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol, 21-0 with 11 knockouts, Indio, California, by way of Kyrgyzstan, won a unanimous 12-round decision over southpaw challenger and ex-super middleweight champion Gilberto’Zurdo’ Ramirez, 44-1 with 30 knockouts, Mazatlan, Mexico, to retain his title on the Matchroom DAZN card at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Bivol (a candidate for Fighter of the Year after defeating Saul Alvarez and Ramirez, both distinguished super middleweight champions attempting to move up in weight) used superior hand speed to outwork Ramirez. Strangely, Ramirez tried to outbox Bivol, but the reverse resulted, with Bivol landing 131 of 643 punches thrown, a 20 percent punches landed rate. Ramirez landed 107 of 878 punches thrown, a 12 percent success rate. Bivollanded 64 jabs to 38 thrown by Zurdo, and Bivol landed 67 power shots to 69 landed by Ramirez. Overall, Bivol landed 29 percent of his punches, to 21 percent for Zurdo. It should stand to reason if Canelo could not outbox Bivol on ability alone, neither could Ramirez. Bivol pressured Ramirez instead of vice versa. If the game plan does not work, change the game plan. Ramirez stopped his last five light heavyweight opponents at 175 pounds by applying pressure, after moving up from 168 pounds/ Bivol landed far more jabs and right hand leads than he should have. Zurdo won only two or three rounds on the scorecards.

In the preliminary bout to the main event, the Freddie Roach trained Shavkatdhzon Rakhimov, 17-0-1 with 13 knockouts, Los Angeles, California, by way of Tajikistan, came off the canvas in round three to score a ninth-round stoppage of Zelfa ‘The Brown Flash’Barrett, 28-2 with 16 knockouts, Manchester, Lancashire, United Kingdom, and win the vacant International Boxing Federation World Super Featherweight title. Rakhimov went headhunting for three rounds, and got dropped by a pinpoint Zelfa right hook near the end of round three. Barrett fought the bout as a counterpuncher and was winning going into round nine. Barrett appeared to have issues with his right leg midway into round nine, perhaps a leg cramp or Charley horse which suddenly hindered his mobility. Rakhimov immediately overpowered and dropped him. He got up, and unable to move on the right leg, opted to fight toe to toe with Rakhimov, before getting dropped on his back for the second and final time. Rakhimov will now defend his title against 15-0 former IBF World champion Joe Cordina of Cardiff, Wales, who was stripped of the IBF title due to hand surgery.

In another Abu Dhabi undercard bout of major importance, Chantelle Cameron, 17-0 with eight knockouts, Northampton, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom, won a 10-round decision, two-minute rounds, over Jessica McCaskill, 12-3 with five knockouts, Chicago, Illinois, to claim the undisputed WBA, WBC, WBO, IBF and IBO World Female Super Lightweight championship, unifying all five major belts.

In Sydney, Australia, ‘The Super Samoan’, UFC veteran Mark Hunt, 1-2-1, age 48, Newcastle, Australia, trained by David Tua, scored a fourth-round stoppage at 1:48 of rugby star turned boxer Sonny Boy Williams, 9-1 with four knockouts, Sydney, Australia, after dropping him in a heavyweight contest. Hunt was behind on all scorecards at time of this victory, said by Hunt to be his final ring appearance.

At the Armory in Minneapolis, Cuban southpaw David Morrell, 8-0 with seven knockouts, Minneapolis, Minnesota, knocked out Aidos Yerbossynuly, 16-1 with 11 knockouts, Las Vegas, Nevada, by way of Kazakhstan, at 2:34 of the 12th and final round, to retain the World Boxing Association World Super Middleweight title (regular).

On the Armory undercard, former WBC and IBF World Super Middleweight champion Andre Dirrell, 29-3, with 19 knockouts, Lake Worth, Florida, scored a tenth-round knockout at 1:30 of Cuban Yunieski Gonzales, 29-5 with 17 knockouts, Miami, Florida. Both combatants are 37 years old. Dirrell survived. Gonzalez did not.

Also on the undercard, former WBA, IBF and IBO World Super Welterweight champion Julian Williams, 29-3-1 with 16 knockouts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, won an eight-round decision over Ronald Mansilla, 18-12-1 with eight knockouts, Parana, Argentina. Mansilla came in to go the distance and did so, losing a point in round five for excessive spitting out of the mouthpiece. This was the first win for Williams in three and a half years, since he defeated Jarrett Hurd in May 2019. For the second time in nine months, unbeaten welterweight prospects 16-0-3 Kent Cruz of Saint Louis, Missouri, and 13-0-2 Soviet Georgian southpaw Enriko Gogokhia of Woodland Hills, California, battled to an eight-round draw.






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