Via Ken Hissner: At the Gold Coast Convention Center, Broadbeach, Australia, in front of a large crowd Saturday via ESPN+ in the Main Event IBF World Cruiser Champion, Mairis Briedis of Latvia, looked upset during the event. a brutal, bloody battle with Australia’s Jai Opetaia, 12+ years old. rings.
In the main event, IBF world cruiser class champion, Mairis Briedis, 28-1 (20), #199, of Riga, Latvia, nampaw Jai Opetaia, 21-0 (17), #198 ½, of Gold Coast, New South Wales, Australia, 12 laps.
In the first round, there was little action, as Briedis wrestled Opetaia to the canvas mid-round. Briedis suffered a cut on his right eyebrow late in the match. In the second round, the aggressor Opetaia had a good round but possibly broke his jaw. In the third round, it ended, with Briedis landing on the right, knocking out Opetaia’s head in the final seconds of the round.
In the fourth round, Opetaia injured Briedis with a solid upper-right hit from his southpaw challenger that drained the nose of Briedis, who went to the wrong corner at the end of the round. In the fifth round, Opetaia continued to deal enough damage as blood gushed from the nose of Briedis, whose best punch was the last of the round, a punch to the chin of Opetaia, who had taken another round.
In the sixth round, the Opetaia challenger uses his stab to drain the nose of Briedis, who in the middle of the match can see his title change hands. At the end of the first minute, Briedis rocked Opetaia with a punch to the chin, causing him to hold on tight. It was the best round for the champion so far.
At the end of the first minute, Opetaia landed a right hook on Briedis’ chin, which started bleeding. Midway through the round, a scrape on Opetaia’s right chin shook Briedis. In the tenth round, Briedis landed a right chin butt that kept Opetaia in a bad state towards the end of the first minute of the round. Briedis may need a knockout and have a big inning.
In the eleventh inning, Briedis, also with a cut on the bridge of his nose, landed well with the upper right cut while Opetaia, whose jaw was swollen and possibly broken, tried hard enough to keep it close, lose the match. In the twelfth and final round, Briedis continued to let Opetaia hold out for the rest of the round, hurting inside with Briedis’ top right lane.
Briedis also cut on the right eyebrow at the end. Referee Chris Flores gave up.
Scores are 116-112, 115-113 and 116-112, with this writer 115-113 for Opetaia.
In a rematch with his first win over Mazoudier by division, WBA Oceanis Super Welterweight champion Joel “Cama KO” Camilleri, 22-8-1 (10), #153 ¾, of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, took lost in a split decision Koen “Malicious” Mazoudier, 9-2 (4), #153 ¼, in Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia, over ten tough rounds.
In the first two innings, there was no feeling between the two of them. Mazoudier started better, but midway through, Camilleri finished stronger. In the fourth round, the aggressor Mazoudier landed multiple punches on Camilleri’s chin at the last minute, leaving Camilleri on the run.
During the fifth round, at some point the Mazoudier will turn south. Normally, it’s Camilleri’s mess that Referee John Watson does a great job of breaking. In the seventh round, Mazoudier continued to finish off the stronger of the two. Camilleri’s right eyelid was chopped off in the final seconds of the round. Halfway through the eighth lap, Camilleri wrestled Mazoudier to the canvas. Mazoudier continues to have the advantage at this point.
In the ninth inning, Mazoudier let Camilleri hold more than usual, trying to stop him due to a cut. In the final thirty seconds of the tenth and final round, Mazoudier landed a solid punch to the chin as Camilleri crashed just before the bell.
Scores are 98-92 Mazoudier, 96-95 Camilleri and 99-92 Mazoudier with this writer being 97-93 Mazoudier.
11th Oceanis and WBA Lightweight Champion and 9th IBF Men’s Faris “Le Fox” Chevalier, 13-2 (7), #174 ½, of Paris, France and Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, were saddened. when the deciding point was split between Southpaw Conor Wallace, 9-1 (6), #174 ½, of Newry, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom and, Queensland, Australia, more than ten rounds for WBA Oceanis and IBF Pan Pacific were available. .
In the first round, it was all Chevalier, counter-attacking as late as possible until the last seconds when Wallace landed a coordinated landing on Chevalier’s chin. In the second half, Wallace made good use of his reach, with Chevalier at the back. In the third and fourth innings, Wallace continued to attack as he had a good round against world contender Chevalier.
In the sixth round, Chevalier became the aggressor, sucking Wallace’s nose with his left hand. In the seventh inning, Chevalier was back well again, landing his left on the chin of the taller Wallace. In the final seconds of the eighth round, Wallace landed hard left on Wallace’s chin, possibly to steal the round.
In the ninth inning, Chevalier was trying to do a closer fight while looking behind while Wallace had slowed down. In the tenth and final round, Chevalier managed to equalize, but Wallace’s reach prevented him from committing enough attacks to win the eyes of the crowd.
Scores are 96-94 Chevalier, 98-92 Wallace and 98-92 Wallace, with this writer at 97-93 Wallace. Referee Paul Tapley.
Middleweight Issac “Headsplitter” Hardman, 13-1 (11), #160, of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, knocks out Beau “The Momma’s Boy” Hartas, 6-2 (4), #159 ½, of Canberra, Prime Minister Australian Dollar Territory, Australia, at 2:49 of the first of ten scheduled rounds.
In the first half, Hardman played better, and in the final fifteen seconds, a rough lead from Hardman by the chin and down sent Hartas squared off to referee Paul Tapley who immediately waved.
