The Lightweight portion of the 2014 Boxcino Tournament kicked off Friday night at the Edgewater Casino in Laughlin, Nevada. All four fights created fireworks, making it clear that the tournament format and six round fights created a sense of urgency within the boxers which produced the action.
Chris Rudd (13-1, 8 KOs) Def. Yakubu Amidu (21-5-2, 19 KOs) via Unanimous Decision
From the start, Rudd stayed on the outside and used his reach to keep Amidu from closing the space. Amidu had success in round two and got the better of Rudd during their exchanges. After getting out-boxed in the first half of round three, Amidu ended the frame by smothering Rudd. In round five, Rudd used his legs to circle Amidu and kept the Gayayn at bay with his jab. Amidu pressed the action in round six and had Rudd on his bicycle. After six the fight was declared a draw, which led to a winner takes all seventh round. Rudd won it decisively, en route to the unanimous decision victory.
Petr Petrov (33-4-2, 15 KOs) Def. Fedor Papazov (14-1, 9 KOs) via Unanimous Decision
The fight began with both Russian’s throwing power punches. Although Petrov was landing the cleaner more affective shots, Papazov was busier. As Petrov began to dig to Papazov’s body, he continued to come forward and land punches of his own. Papazov had his moments throughout the fight, but Petrov landed the heavier punches in route to a unanimous decision victory. All three judges scored the bout 58-56 for Petrov.
Miguel Gonzalez (23-3, 16 KOs) Def. Miguel Mendoza (21-3-2, 21 KOs) via Split Decision
From the opening bell Mendoza charged Gonzalez with his head down and threw wild looping punches. Gonzalez used his defense to avoid most of Mendoza’s shots, but in round two the two fighters met on the inside where Mendoza scored with body punches and landed uppercuts through Gonzalez’s guard. The Cleveland native alternated rounds from fighting in a phone booth, to boxing on the outside, both he did well enough to build a lead going into the sixth. In the final round Mendoza came out with a sense of urgency and landed some clean power shots which drove Gonzalez into the ropes. It wasn’t enough, as Gonzalez squeaked out a split decision victory, 56-58, 58-56, 58-56.
Fernando Carcamo (16-5, 13 KOs) Def. Samuel Neequaye (21-1, 15 KOs) via Round 2 TKO
Right out of the gate Neequaye pressed the action, while Carcamo kept his distance. When Neequaye got within range, Carcoma picked him off with solid body shots. One of those punches landed as the fighter’s feet were tangled, sending Neequaye to the canvas in what referee Jay Nady ruled a knockdown. A minute into the second, Carcoma hurt Neequaye with a left hook, straight right combination that made the Gayanian unsteady on his feet. After stumbling across the ring and getting hit with flush shots, Nady stepped in and stopped the fight, just as Neequaye went sprawling onto the canvas.
Fight of the Night- Petr Petrov vs. Fedor Papazov
Round of the Night- Round six of Miguel Gonzalez vs. Miguel Mendoza
KO of the Night- Fernando Carcoma’s second round TKO over Samuel Neequay
March 8 Semi-Finals
Chris Rudd (13-1, 8 KOs) vs. Petr Petrov (33-4-2, 15 KOs)
Miguel Gonzalez (23-3, 16 KOs) vs. Fernando Carcoma (16-5, 13 KOs)
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