A roundup of the past week’s notable boxing results from around the world: Sunday at Osaka, Japan
Kazuto Ioka W12 Noknoi Sitthiprasert Retains a flyweight title Scores: 117-110 (twice), 116-111 Records: Ioka (22-1, 13 KOs); Sitthiprasert (62-5, 38 KOs)
Rafael’s remarks: Fighting in his hometown, Ioka, 28, retained his belt for the fifth time in an entertaining fight he maintained control of all the way against Sitthiprasert, 30, of Thailand. Referee Raul Caiz Jr. penalized Ioka one point for a low blow in the third round, but he continued to go to the body throughout the fight, slowing Sitthiprasert down.
Marlon Tapales TKO11 Shohei Omori A bantamweight title remains vacant Records: Tapales (30-2, 13 KOs); Omori (18-2, 13 KOs)
Rafael’s remarks: In 2015, Tapales, 25 of the Philippines, knocked out southpaw Omori, 24, of Japan, in the second round of a non-title bout. Meeting in a rematch, Tapales was supposed to defend his bantamweight title but was stripped for weighing 120 pounds, two over the division limit. The fight went on anyway and Tapales dropped Omori in the final seconds of the 10th round and got the stoppage 16 seconds into the 11th round of what had been a close fight, 95-94 on all three scorecards. Saturday at Carson, California
Oscar Valdez W12 Miguel Marriaga Retains a featherweight title Records: Valdez (22-0, 19 KOs); Marriaga (25-2, 21 KOs) Scores: 119-108, 118-109, 116-111
Rafael’s remarks: Valdez, 26, of Mexico, made his second title defense and survived a rough fight with dangerous mandatory challenger Marriaga, 30, of Colombia, in the main event of Top Rank’s PPV card. It was the kind of win that should make Valdez better because he was forced to deal Marriaga’s intense pressure in the toughest fight of his career. Forget those wide scores — this was a competitive and action-packed fight, but one Valdez, who took some good shots, deserved to win. They spent much of the fight going toe to toe, but if there was any doubt that Valdez was in command, he erased it by dropping Marriaga, now 0-2 in featherweight title fights, with a great left hook to the head in the 10th round.
Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez W12 Max Bursak Retains a super middleweight title Records: Ramirez (35-0, 24 KOs); Bursak (33-5-1, 15 KOs) Scores: 120-106 (three times)
Rafael’s remarks: Perhaps his nickname should be spelled Zzzzurdo because this was as sleep-inducing as it gets. Ramirez, a 25-year-old southpaw from Mexico, returned from a year layoff because of a hand injury that required surgery to make his first defense against Bursak, 32, of Ukraine, and they put the crowd to sleep with a fight less interesting than a television test pattern. Ramirez won every monotonous round but never really hurt Bursak, whose priority seemed to simply be to go 12 rounds. Bursak was also penalized one point for excessive holding in the fifth round and again in the 11th round.
Shakur Stevenson (1-0, 0 KOs) Tech. Dec. 6 Edgar Brito Featherweight Scores: 60-54 (three times) Records: Stevenson (1-0, 0 KOs); Brito (3-3-1, 2 KOs)
Rafael’s remarks: Stevenson, 19, of Newark, New Jersey, who claimed silver at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and was the most celebrated member of Team USA, made his pro debut with a shutout of Brito, 22, of Phoenix. Brito was tough but Stevenson’s speed and skills were too much. Head-butts were also common as Brito suffered a cut over his left eye in the second round and one over his right eye in the third round when he intentionally butted Stevenson and was docked one point. Just after the sixth round began, the doctor called for the fight to be stopped because of Brito’s cut and it went to the scorecards, which were academic. It was a solid debut for a possible future star, who is due back May 20 on the Terence Crawford-Felix Diaz undercard.
Jessie Magdaleno TKO2 Adeilson Dos Santos Retains a junior featherweight title Records: Magdaleno (25-0, 18 KOs); Dos Santos (18-3, 14 KOs)
Rafael’s remarks: Magdaleno, a 25-year-old southpaw from Las Vegas who upset Nonito Donaire to win the belt in November, crushed Dos Santos, 25, of Brazil, in his first defense. Magdaleno looked razor sharp as he dropped him with a clean right hook in the second round, battered him around the ring and then dropped him again with a pair of right hands. Dos Santos went down to a knee and referee Lou Moret was quick with the hook, waving it off without a count at 2 minutes, 51 seconds.
Also on the card, junior welterweight Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (1-0, 1 KO), 25, who won a 2016 Olympic gold medal for Uzbekistan and now fights out of Los Angeles, made his pro debut with a second-round knockout of Victor Vazquez (7-3, 3 KOs), 21, of Yonkers New York. Vazquez scored a knockdown seconds into the fight before Gaibnazarov stormed back to stop him with a left hand at 1 minute, 28 seconds of the second round. Saturday at New York Shawn Porter defeated Andre Berto by TKO in the ninth round on Saturday in New York. AP Photo/Gregory Payan
Shawn Porter TKO9 Andre Berto Welterweight title eliminator Records: Porter (27-2-1, 17 KOs); Berto (31-5, 24 KOs)
Rafael’s remarks: In a crossroads match between former welterweight titleholders it was the fresher, younger Porter, 29, of Las Vegas, who mostly had his way with the older, faded Berto, 33, of Winter Haven, Florida. It was a good fight with fierce changes on the inside, but it was also often messy because of numerous head-butts that left both fighters cut. Porter was relentless as he broke down Berto to the head and body and dropped him with a right hand in the second round and with another in the ninth round. Moments later, Porter drilled an unsteady Berto into the ring post and referee Mark Nelson called off the fight at 1 minute, 31 seconds. It was a huge win for Porter, who earned a mandatory rematch with unified titlist Keith Thurman, who edged him in a terrific fight last June.
Jermell Charlo KO6 Charles Hatley Retains a junior middleweight title Records: Charlo (29-0, 14 KOs); Hatley (26-2-1, 18 KOs)
Rafael’s remarks: Coming off an 11-month layoff, Charlo, 26, of Houston, couldn’t have been more impressive in his first title defense as he shredded Hatley, 31, of Dallas, his mandatory challenger coming off a 17-month layoff. Charlo ripped through Hatley with ease after an acrimonious lead-up to the long-delayed bout. Charlo’s right hand was terrific. He used to score a clean knockdown in the third round and then, after nailing Hatley with several shots, finished him with another booming right hand in a sensational knockout of the year contender that dropped Hatley to the mat face-first as referee Harvey Dock immediately waved off the fight at 31 seconds. Charlo wants a unification fight, especially with Jarrett Hurd, and it would be hard not to make Charlo the favorite.
Amanda Serrano TKO8 Dahiana Santana Wins a vacant women’s bantamweight title Records: Serrano (32-1-1, 24 KOs); Santana (35-9, 14 KOs)
Rafael’s remarks: Serrano, 28, a Puerto Rican from Brooklyn, made women’s boxing history as she became the first female to win a world title in five weight classes in a one-sided thrashing of Santana, 32, of the Dominican Republic, who was not eligible to win the belt because she was four pounds over the 118-pound limit. Serrano had beaten Santana badly to the point where the fight was nearly stopped after the fourth and seventh rounds by the ringside doctor. It finally was when referee Benjy Esteves stepped in at 1 minute, 14 seconds of the eighth round as Serrano battered Santana along the ropes. Saturday at Erfurt, Germany Arthur Abraham cruised to a 12-round win against Robin Krasniqi on Saturday in Germany. Patrick Pleul/EPA
Arthur Abraham W12 Robin Krasniqi Super middleweight title eliminator Scores: 118-110, 117-111 and 115-114 Records: Abraham (46-5, 30 KOs); Krasniqi (46-5, 17 KOs)
Rafael’s remarks: Former middleweight and two-time super middleweight titlist Abraham, 37, of Germany, looked done when he lost his 168-pound belt to Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez last April by shutout decision in an awful performance, But now he is on course for a rematch after winning a clear-cut decision against Krasniqi, 30, of Germany, to earn the mandatory shot. As usual, Abraham didn’t throw many punches but the judges obviously preferred his clear power advantage — he rocked Krasniqi several times — over the busier but not very effective Krasniqi. Saturday at Leicester, England
Avtandil Khurtsidze TKO5 Tommy Langford Wins a vacant interim middleweight title Records: Khurtsidze (33-2-2, 22 KOs); Langford (18-1, 6 KOs)
Rafael’s remarks: Brooklyn, New York-based Khurtsidze, 37, of the Republic of Georgia, dominated Langford, 27, of England, to claim an interim belt that makes him the mandatory challenger for titlist Billy Joe Saunders (24-0, 12 KOs) of England. Khurtsidze, who prepared for the fight by sparring with Daniel Jacobs, was his usual relentless self, winging power shots and marching forward. Langford had nothing to keep him off and, in the fifth round, Khurtsidze hammered him with a left hand to the head to knock him into the ropes and down hard. Langford beat the count but was in rough shape and referee Phil Edwards waved it off 27 seconds into the round. Khurtsidze could meet Saunders July 8 in London.
Zolani Tete W12 Arthur Villanueva Wins a vacant interim bantamweight title Scores: 120-107, 119-108 (twice) Records: Tete (25-3, 20 KOs); Villanueva (30-2, 16 KOs)
Rafael’s remarks: South Africa’s Tete, a 29-year-old southpaw and former flyweight titlist, was supposed to face Villanueva, 28, of the Philippines, in an eliminator, but the day before the fight it was elevated to an interim title bout when titleholder Marlon Tapales failed to make weight for a defense, was stripped and then won his bout, leaving the full title vacant. Tete cruised, knocking Villanueva down with a straight left hand in the 11th round as his three-fight winning streak ended. Saturday at Liverpool, England
Martin Murray W12 Gabriel Rosado Middleweight Scores: 119-109, 116-112, 114-114 Records: Murray (35-4-1, 16 KOs); Rosado (23-11, 13 KOs)
Rafael’s remarks: Murray, 34, of England, who is 0-3-1 in world title fights at middleweight and super middleweight, returned to middleweight and won his second fight in a row as he outfought the tough Rosado, 31, of Philadelphia, who is 0-2 in middleweight title fights. Rosado, who lost his second in a row and for the sixth time in his last eight bouts, was understandably upset over the ridiculous 119-109 scorecard but there is no question that Murray, the better fighter, deserved the win. Thursday at Verona, New York
Michael Perez W10 Marcelino Lopez Junior welterweight Records: Perez (25-2-2, 11 KOs); Lopez (32-2-1, 17 KOs)
Rafael’s remarks: Coming off a sixth-round knockout loss to Peter Petrov in September in a lightweight title eliminator, Perez was in need of a win as he returned to junior welterweight in the main event of the “Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN.” Perez, 27, of Newark, New Jersey, got that win but it wasn’t easy; Lopez, 30, of Argentina, dropped him with a clean left hook in the eighth round, bloodied his face and swelled his right eye. Yet Perez was able to pull out the split decision over Lopez, whose three-fight winning streak ended as he faced his most notable opponent.
Also on the card, welterweight prospect Rashidi “Speedy” Ellis (18-0, 12 KOs), 23, of Boston, won an entertaining majority decision against John Karl Sosa (13-3, 6 KOs), 24, of Puerto Rico, who dropped his third fight in a row. The judges had it 97-93, 97-93 and 95-95.
