NEW YORK CITY, NY — In the main event of a night of boxing broadcast on DAZN from Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater, Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade took his scalpel and chiseled away at Artur “Wolverine” Akavov for eleven-plus rounds en route to a 12th round TKO victory, retaining his WBO world middleweight title in the process.
It was Andrade’s first defense of his WBO strap since winning it convincingly against Walter Kautondokwa in October. That contest was originally supposed to pit Andrade against Billy Joe Saunders, who was replaced by Kautondokwa after failing a drug test.
It wasn’t a particularly hard night at the office for the 30 year-old Rhode Island native. Andrade set the distance early, kept his fellow southpaw opponent at bay, all the while methodically peppering in shots clean shots round after round.
The former ‘08 US Olympian, Andrade, shifted into cruise control in the early goings and never changed gears. Akavov had no answer as to how to get inside Andrade’s reach or mount any significant offensive attack.
Eventually, Andrade broke through in the 9th round when a left hand opened a nasty cut over Akavov’s right eye that would trouble him for the remainder of the fight.
After sustaining continuous damage in the ensuing rounds, referee Arthur Mercante, Jr. decided enough was enough and stopped the contest at the 2:36 mark of round 12. Although bloody and beaten, the stoppage seemed unnecessary as only :24 seconds remained and Akavov was not in any clear danger.
The result snapped a three fight win streak for the Russian, Akavov, and also marked the second time the 33 year-old has come up short in a world title fight. He also dropped a unanimous decision to Billy Joe Saunders for the very same WBO title in 2016. His only other professional defeat also came via the cards against Oleg Lissev in 2012.
Andrade remains well positioned to score a bigger fight for a bigger payday later in 2019. Fellow middleweight title holders and DAZN fighters, Canelo Alvarez (WBC) and Daniel Jacobs (IBF), will meet in a monster unification clash set for May 4 in Las Vegas.
Cano Stuns Linares, Stops Him In 1!
Veteran Mexican fighter Pablo Cesar Cano (32-7-1, 22KO) scored the biggest win of his career and shocked the boxing world in the process, flooring former three-division world champion Jorge Linares (45-5, 28KO) three times in the opening round of a scheduled twelve en route to a first round TKO victory.
About :30 seconds into the contest, the 29 year-old Cano landed an overhand right that exploded above Linares’ left ear and sent the flashy Venezuelan thudding to the mat. Cano kept the heat on, and didn’t allow Linares to ever fully recover. Another Cano right sent Linares to the canvas again, and shortly after, Cano connected with a left hook that dropped his 33 year-old counterpart for the final time. Linares beat that ensuing ten count, but a one last Cano flurry put Linares on unsteady legs, and referee Ricky Gonzalez stepped between the two fighters to stop the contest at the 2:48 mark of round one.
The result now becomes the signature win that has seemingly eluded Cano for his entire career. Prior to tonight, each time Cano has stepped up in competition, he has come up short. Fighters who have had their hands raised against Cano include former world champions Paulie Malignaggi, Shane Mosley, and Erik Morales.
This was the second fight back for Linares since losing via stoppage to Visiliy Lomachenko in the very same venue last may. Linares bounced back from that loss with a KO win over Abner Cotto in September.
Each of Linares’ five career losses have come via stoppage.
With the knockout, Cano retained his WBC International Silver Super Lightweight Title, a belt he won against the previously unbeaten Ruslan Madiev in September.
This fight was only Linares’ second fight at 140 lbs., and first against a true junior welterweight. The classy vet, who debuted professionally in 2002, now needs to consider how to move forward and give thought as to which division suits him best.
He’s Got The Power: TJ Doherty Retains Title, Stops Takahashi in 11
TJ “The Power” Doheny (21-0, 15KO) made his first successful defense of his IBF world super bantamweight belt, stopping Japan’s Ryohei Takahashi (16-4-1, 6KO) in the 11th round.
The Irish-born Australian champion set the tone early, finding his target with crisp jabs and pistoning lefts from his southpaw stance.
About a minute into the second round, the two combatants clashed heads which produced almost identical cuts over the bridge of their noses, between the eyes.
The 32 year-old champion turned up the heat in the third and administered three lefts in rapid succession that sent an already off-balance Takahashi to the mat.
Doheny, who claimed his strap by decisioning then-champion Ryosuka Iwasa in Tokyo in August, seemed to get off first in every exchange and never let Takahashi get comfortable. Eventually, punches began to accumulate and take their toll on the challenger.
As the rounds progress, Takahashi’s offensive bursts proved less and less effective, while Doheny’s shots were still finding their home.
After landing a clean combination in the 11th round, referee Michael Ortega stepped in at the 2:18 mark and called a halt to the contest.
Doheny’s win sets up a potential bantamweight unification clash between Doheny and fellow Matchroom Sports client and WBA champion, Danny Roman (26-2-1, 10KO), who joined Doheny in the ring after the bout.
Chris Algieri Edges Daniel Gonzalez in Ten Round Clash
Chris Algieri (23-3, 8KO) scored a controversially wide unanimous decision victory against fellow New Yorker, Daniel “El Gallo” Gonzalez (17-2-1, 7KO) in a closely contested ten round junior welterweight contest.
The 34 year-old Algieri got out to a fast start, making a conscious commitment to hammer away at Gonzalez’s body. Theoretically, that should have paid dividends as the fight bore on, however, Gonzalez seemed seemed to gain momentum round after round.
By the middle rounds, it seemed that the Woodhaven, Queens native, Gonzalez, was fighting the fight he mapped out in camp. He was applying pressure, forcing Algieri to constantly be on the move, and landing shots in the process. To his credit, Huntington’s Algieri, countered slickly, and for the most part avoided eating any big blows. In the seventh round a clash of heads late produced a nasty welt and cut under Algieri’s left eye.
At the end of ten the judges scorecards of 98-92, 97-93, and 96-94 for Algieri were met with boos upon reading.
Tonight marked Algieri’s second fight back in the ring since taking time off after getting TKO’d by Errol Spence, Jr. in 2016. The former Manny Pacquiao foe decisioned Angel Hernandez in November.
Gonzalez only other career defeat came via TKO courtesy of Danny O’Connor in 2017.
Put Her In The Books! Serrano Captures Title In 7th Weight Division
Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (36-1-1, 27KO) once again made history, needing just :35 seconds to defeat Eva Voraberger (24-6, 11KO) to capture the WBO world female super flyweight championship in her record breaking seventh weight division.
Serrano was simply in another league, throwing punches fast and furious from the onset, overwhelming Voraberger. Serrano landed a beautiful combination that culminated with a vicious left that landed right under Voraberger’s rib cage, forcing her down to a knee where she was counted out by referee Sparkle Lee.
Serrano last fought in September when she won the WBO world female super lightweight title against Yamila Esther Reynosa in Brooklyn. That fight took place at 140 lbs. In an unprecedented move, Serrano cut 25 lbs. and dropped six weight divisions for tonight’s fight where she went on to earn her seventh weight world title, this time in the 115 lb. division.
Serrano’s lone blemish remains a 2012 unanimous decision loss against Frida Walberg in 2012 in Sweden.
Tonight’s win makes it 21 straight for Serrano. The fight also marks the first of a three-fight deal for Serrano with DAZN, which, if all goes according to plan, will culminate with a female super-fight pitting her against the WBO female lightweight champion and former Irish gold medal Olympian, Katie Taylor.
Reshat “The Albanian Bear” Roars Past Borteye
Reshat “The Albanian Bear” Mati (3-0, 2KO) manhandled Benjamin Borteye (4-4 4KO), knocking him down and finishing him off in the first of their scheduled 4 round welterweight scrap. The 20 year-old Albanian-American, Mati, overwhelmed his gun-shy and awkward counterpart from the bell. Mati, who like Sosa, also trains at Atlas Cops & Kids, dropped Borteye midway through the round with a huge right hand, and kept his foot on the gas, landing one final blow that knocked Borteye off balance and back into the ropes, which held him upright. The referee stopped the contest then and there, resulting in the first round TKO for Mati.
Julian Sosa Runs Record to 13-0-1, Stops Nzau in 4
Welterweight Julian Sosa (13-0-1, 5KO) made it two for two for Brooklyn boxers on the night by TKO’ing Congo’s Dieumerci Nzau (11-7, 8KO) in a contest originally slated for 6 rounds. Sosa, who fights out of Atlas Cops & Kids and is trained by Aureliano Sosa, used nifty footwork to create angles to cleanly land on Nzau. Lead lefts hooks were arguably Sosa’s best punches, but it was a right hand that dropped his 30 year-old counterpart in the third round. Nzau never answered the bell for round 4 and the contest was halted. The official time of the stoppage was 2:59 of round 4.
Solomon Bounces Back, Notches First Career Win
Brooklyn heavyweight Nkosi Solomon (1-1) rebounded nicely from suffering a shocking defeat in his pro debut by earning a unanimous decision victory against former two-time Georgia Golden Gloves champion, Rodriguez Cade (2-4, 2KO). The 24 year-old Solomon, who was once the #1 ranked US amateur in the super-heavyweight division, won definitively, but not pretty. Cade’s game plan was pretty simple — try to land a big shot and knock Solomon out. Not the worst idea considering Solomon was put down twice in his pro debut back in October. Tonight, however, Solmon’s defense was a bit more buttoned up and he was able to avoid his 29 year-old counterpart’s biggest punches.
Solomon’s best round was undoubtedly the third, in which he floord Cade with a huge overhand right. At the end of four, all judges scored it a shutout for Solomon, 40-35.
Golden Boy Prospect Hines Stays Perfect
Golden Boy Promotions welterweight prospect, Cornell Hines (4-0, 2KO) shook off some ring rust and survived a tough challenge from Farhad Fatulla (1-3) en route to a four round majority decision victory. The 25 year-old DC native, Hines, who fought only once last year struggled to get into any sort of offensive rhythm, but did enough to eke out a win on the judges’ cards. Scores were 38-38, and 39-37 twice for Hines. The match kicked off a night of fights broadcast live on DAZN from the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City that will culminate with Demetrius Andrade defending his WBO middleweight title against Artur Akavov.
