Gvozdyk Returns, Foster and Barrios Win WBC, Pero Wins WBA, Marrero Scores Three Knockdowns, Wembley Results
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
*Photo Credit: athletistic.com
Saturday night, February 11, 2023, was a night of comebacks and triumphs, most noteworthy for one fight in which one participant suddenly turned away from his opponent and stopped fighting during what had been a most competitive regional title bout battle to that point.
On an otherwise uneventful nine bout card at The Derby Room Pomona at Fairplex, in Pomona, California, in which scheduled light heavyweight Jorge Miranda pulled out, veteran Josue Obando stepped in at the last minute as an opponent. Former World Boxing Council World Light heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk, 18-1 with 14 knockouts, Oxnard, California, made a successful comeback, outpointing Obando, 20-35-2 with 14 knockouts, Guadalajara, Mexico, over six rounds, winning every round. Obando, a crafty journeyman survivor, has lost nine of his last 10 pro bouts late, losing by stoppage or decision between rounds five and round eight.
At The Alamodome, in San Antonio, Texas, O’Shaquie Foster, 20-2 with 11 knockouts, Houston, Texas, won the vacant World Boxing Council World Super Featherweight title by 12 round decision over previously undefeated Rey Vargas, 36-1 with 22 knockouts, Otumba, Mexico. Vargas, the former World Boxing Council World Super Bantamweight and World Featherweight champion, looked frustrated trying to move up in weight class, getting outworked by Foster the whole way. One judge gave the former two division world champion Vargas only one round. Vargas, who fought all previous 36 bouts in his career between 119 and 125 pounds, would be wise to go back down to the featherweight division. Scoring went 119-109, 117-111, 116-112 for Foster.
Both preliminary bouts to the main event ended in eighth round stoppages. Cuban southpaw heavyweight Lenier Pero, 9-0 with six knockouts, Miami, Florida, appeared to be trailing on all three scorecards when his bout with Ukrainian Viktor Vykhurst, now 11-1 with seven knockouts, Las Vegas, Nevada, ended abruptly. Pero landed a shot to the ribs of Vykhurst. Some of Vykhurst’s ribs were broken, and Vykhurst turned away from Pero, dropped his hands and gave up. Pero continued punching until referee Rafael Ramos stopped the bout almost immediately at 2:28 of the eighth round, giving Pero the vacant World Boxing Association Fedelatin Heavyweight title.
In the other preliminary to the main event bout, welterweight Mario Barrios, 27-2 with 8 knockouts, San Antonio, Texas, stopped Jovanie Santiago, 14-3 with 10 knockouts, Dorado, Puerto Rico, at 1:42 of the eighth round, to win the vacant World Boxing Council Continental Americas Welterweight title. Barrios was giving Santiago a brutal beating, with Santiago trying to hang on for dear life with referee Mark Calo oy stopped it.
On the undercard, Dominican southpaw lightweight Claudio Marrero, 27-5 with 19 knockouts, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, scored a fifth round knockout of Gonzalo Fuenzalida, 12-2 with three knockouts, Las Vegas Nevada, by way of Santiago de Chile, Chile. Marrero knocked down Fuenzalida in the third and fourth rounds, and knocked him out for ten count of referee John Schorle at 0:43 of the fifth round.
Major Fight Results from Wembley Arena, Wembley, United Kingdom
Zak Chelli Win 10 Anthony Simms Jr., Super Middleweights
Chelli wins vacant WBA Continental Super Middleweight title
Tyler Denny Win 10 Brad Pauls, Middleweights
Denny retains BBB of C English Middleweight title
Adam Azim Win 10 Santos Reyes, Super Lightweights
Azim wins vacant WBA Continental Lightweight title
Stephen McKenna Win Referee’s Technical Decision 4 Brandon Denes, Welterweights
Los Angeles Irish welterweight prospect McKenna goes to 13-0 with 12 knockouts
Carolina Dubois Win TKO 3 Feriche Mashaury, Female Lightweights (0:47)
6-0 female London southpaw Dubois rises to number two in British ratings, and number ten in worldwide BoxRec rankings with stoppage win over 10-8 Tanzanian veteran Mashaury.
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