Via Ken Hissner: At Resorts World Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, Saturday via ESPN with credit card on ESPN+. In the 2016 Olympian Main Event and WBC Continental America middleweight champions were Zhanibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly and European champion Danny Digum for the WBO Interim World Middleweight title.
In the 2016 Olympian Main Event WBC Americas Americas the middleweight champion and 2nd place was Zhanibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly, 11-0 (7), #160, of Zhilandy, KAZ and Oxnard, CA , Euro Champion and No. 3 ranked Danny Digum, 14-0-1 (8), #159, in Essex, UK, 12 rounds, for the vacant WBO Interim World Middleweight title.
In the first round, Alimkhanuly defeated Digum with a combination of five punches to the chin to score an eight from referee Tony Weeks.
The former 2012 Olympic and WBO Super Featherweight Champion is about to lose the title to Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring, 23-4 (11), #135, of Cincinnati, OH, this time to NABF lightweight champion Jamaine.” The Technician” Ortiz, 16-0-1 (8), #135, or Worcester, MASS, 10+ rounds, for NABF and USBA light titles available.
In the first inning, Ortiz appeared on the south side for most of the inning but that didn’t help him in his efforts to confuse Herring to no avail. In the second inning, Ortiz twice in the last minute of the round shook Herring’s chin from southpaw and orthodox. In the fifth inning, Herring didn’t do enough to get Ortiz into the ring.
In the sixth inning at the halfway point, the older Herring at 36 got his second wind and landed firmly left on the younger’s chin at 26 Ortiz. In the seventh and eighth rounds, Ortiz started bouncing around the ring trying to land a big punch and do it in the final seconds but let the round go to Herring.
In the ninth round, both were somewhat dominant with Ortiz being younger, quicker and away from the shove and they used their forearms to corner Herring into the rope without warning from referee Robert Hoyle.
In the tenth and final round on the eve of the biggest win of his career, Ortiz stayed in the middle of the ring for a change to what older Herring looked like enough to win.
The score is 96-94, 97-93 double this writer.
Welterweight Olympian Delante “Tiger” Johnson, 4-0 (3), #142.4, of Cleveland, OH, scores a double kill to stop Agustin Kucharski, 8-5-1 (3), #143.2, of Buenos Aires , ARG , at 0:54 of round 3 of the 6-round schedule.
In the first inning, Johnson landed a right that caused a cut under Kucharski’s right eye. In the third round, both punches with Johnson finished first from the right and knocked Kucharski down with an 8.
Right after that was another right from Johnson as Kucharski was throwing wide left and he went down when his corner hit the towel. Johnson is managed by multi-fighters manager David McWater.
In the ESPN+ section of the event are the following five matches.
WBA Featherweight 2nd place Adam “Blunose” Lopez, 16-3 (6), #126.8, of Glendale, CA, excelled twice to return and defeat 2012 Olympian William “El Gago” Encarnacion, 19-3 ( 15), #126.2, by San Juan de la Maguana, DR, over 8 action packed innings.
In the first inning, a Lopez threw an uppercut when a chop right from Encarnacion to the chin sent Lopez to an 8-point count from Referee Raul Caiz, Jr. at the top of the round. In the second inning, barely a punch landed due to Lopez running as mid-point both unloaded each other to the bell.
In the fourth round, a three-punch combo from Encarnacion landed as Lopez was trying to counterattack and knocked Lopez from the right on the chin on the second count of 8. Lopez boxed his way to the bell.
In the fifth and sixth innings, all of Lopez turned south to give Encarnacion a boxing lesson. In the seventh inning, it was all about action with Encarnacion forcing action and Lopez counter-attacking well. In the eighth and final round, a fight broke out with Lopez in the first round with a good body attack as Encarnacion got a second wind with both throwing at the bell.
The score is 76-74, 77-74 twice with this 75-75 writer.
Lightweight Carlos “Karlos” Balderas, 13-1 (11), #132, of Santa Maria, CA, beat Ruben “El Tigrillo” Cervera, 13-3 (11), #130.80, of Santa Marta, COL, via 6 innings.
In the first inning, a left hook from Balderas to the chin knocked Cervera midway through to be counted eight points by referee Tony Weeks. For the next three rounds, Balderas was looking for a big punch that never came despite winning the rounds.
In the eighth and final round, Balderas finished excellently to win even though a knockdown in the first round was expected to finish off his opponent. The referee is Alan Huggins.
The score is 57-55, 58-54 double that of this writer.
In a two-year comeback Super Featherweight bout, former WBO Super Bantamweight champion Jessie Magdaleno, 29-1 (18), #127.2, of Las Vegas, NV, easily defeated Southpaw Edy “Dinamita” Valencia, 19-7-6 (7), #126.8, of Culiacan, Sinaloa, MEX, over 8 rounds.
In the first four rounds, Valencia was the aggressor as Magdaleno counter-attacked enough to take three of them. In the fifth to seventh season, Magdaleno continued to commit more crimes by chopping Valencia on the head with his right hand. In the eighth and final round, Magdaleno tried to add time but in vain to win easily.
This writer’s score is 80-72.
Featherweight superweight Duke Ragan, 6-0 (1), #127.6, of Cincinnati, OH, beat Victorino Gonzalez, 5-2 (2), #127, of Pawley’s Island, SC, over 4 rounds .
For the first three innings, Ragan controlled with his stab. In the fourth and final round, Ragan easily won the round with a solid body attack.
Nampaw lightweight Giovanni “GIO” Cabrera, 20-0 (7), #135.4, of Chicago, IL, beat Elias “El Macho” Damian Araujo, 21-5 (8), #135.4, of Rufino, Santa Fe, ARG and Fresno, CA, over 8 rounds.
For the first four innings, Cabrera fought hands on his side to pick his shots while Araujo had the edge over him for the most part. In the fifth and sixth innings, Cabrera used the top left lane effectively as Araujo went low in. In the 1/8 and final round, they all belonged to Cabrera.
Welter southpaw Kasir Goldston, 4-0 (1), #141.6, Albany, NY, Yaniel Alvarez Telemaco, 2-1(1), #141.8, by Ciego de Avila, Cuba, and Hutto, TX, 6/4 innings.
Lightweight Charlie Sheehy, 2-0 (2), #134.8, of Brisbane, CA, southpaw Bernnell Jenkins, 2-1 (1), #133.6, of New Orleans, LA, 4 innings.
