By Alexey Sukachev (at ringside)
Boxing Academy, both a modern gym and a promotional company, guiding its fitness and boxing instructors into the pro game, made its prizefighting debut tonight at its own gym in Luzhniki, Moscow Russia. Russia 2 and Fight Club TV have broadcasted the event, which was held in a tiny gym with a specific atmosphere of glamour, swag and fighting mentality.
Unfortunately, the show got three major blows to its originally pre-planned card. WBA #9 light middleweight Kanat Islam (18-0, 15 KOs) and his Kazakhstani compatriot Zhankozh Turarov (16-0, 11 KOs) saw their bouts cancelled due to what was reported as unspecified intrinsic discrepancies in their teams, while Dmitry Bivol (1-0, 1 KO), arguably the most talented fighter on the card, who was scheduled to face capable veteran Konstantin Piternov (18-6, 9 KOs), was forced to withdraw soon after the weigh-in due to flu complications.
Fighting in the main event was local hero Vladimir Goncharov, Russian heavyweight champion. He didn’t waste too much time, dropping well-travelled Bolivian journeyman Saul “El Fenix Asesino” Farah (52-20-3, 46 KOs) three times with his right hand in two minutes before the fight was stopped at 2:02 of the first round. Farah, 34, came in horribly out of shape weighing-in at about 240 lbs and standing just 5’10’’ short. Goncharov, 29, improves to 4-0, 3 KOs.
In the best clash of the night, willing Russian Armenian Vaginak Tamrazyan and undefeated Russian Alexander Filichkin produced an absolute barnburner in a fight for a vacant Russian welterweight title. Both combatants willingly mixed it up an entire fight, with Tamrazyan being a bit more active at the end to snatch a split decision in a bout, which has everyone standing at the end. Scores were: 99-91 and 97-95 – for Tamrazyan (5-1, 1 KO), and 96-94 – for Filichkin, who drops down to 13-1, with 4 KOs, after going 4-0, 2 KOs, in his latest fight overseas. BoxingScene had it a draw: 95-95.
In what was the upset of the night, unheralded Russian Ruslan Berchuk (12-5, 6 KOs) has soundly beaten experienced Belarussian veteran Andrey Isaev (26-5, 8 KOs), who had previously lost narrowly to such established fighters as Rendall Munroe and Kamil Laszczyk and was stopped on cuts by 20-0 Kevin Mitchell in 2006. Berchuk, 27, who is known for striking with upsets from time-to-time, was more willing of the two, and he dominated Isaev in the midst of the fight to clinch a decision. No scores were announced, and BoxingScene had it 78-74 – for Berchuk.
Former European and two-time Russian national heavyweight champion Sergey Kuzmin didn't impress in his second pro fight against limited Argentinean Emilio Ezequiel Zarate (18-14-3, 9 KOs). Kuzmin, lazy with his jab and seemingly overweight, was better in every round and dropped Zarate in round six with a right hand but failed to get the job done. He is now 2-0, 1 KO. BoxingScene had it 60-53, and no scores were announced.
Local gym #1 lady Ekaterina Izotova (4-0-1, 2 KOs), supported ringside from Russian fighting bombshell Anastassia Yankova, made a short work of debutant Yana Denisova. After dominating the first round, Izotova opened a major cut on the side of Denisova’s head, and the fight was then stopped at 0:59 of the second round.
It took local gym rat Vladimir Cheles (1-0, 1 KO) of Moldova just one left hook to disintegrate rookie fighter Yuri Sotnikov (0-1), who was stopped at 1:27 on a thrown towel.
Super middleweight hard-hitter Igor Selivanov, 20, who is guided by Oleg Bogdanov, engaged into a brawl with Chechen native Murad Dalkhaev (3-5, 2 KOs) and came out as a winner in a scheduled six-rounder with a unanimous decision. BoxingScene had it 58-56 – also for Selivanov, who is now 5-0, 4 KOs.
Local Armenian Gegam Mktchyan (4-2, 1 KO) outpointed Moscow-based Cameroonian trialhorse Valery Essomba Ngongo (0-5) over six rounds. Ngongo was down three times, but each time was ruled a slip by referee Baban Nadyrov. Nevertheless, BoxingScene had it 60-51.
Debuting instructor Valery Tretyakov (1-0, 1 KO) debuted in a scorching knockdown fiesta against 19-year old Kyrgyz Suyunbek Kerkizbayev (0-1). The latter was down once in the first, once in the second and twice in the third round, before the fight was stopped at 1:40 of the third. Tretyakov was briefly down in the second.
Finally, another Bogdanov’s protégé Nikita Biryukov (1-0) debuted with a hard-fought split decision over Sergey Martirosyan (1-1). Scores were: 39-38, 39-38 – for Biryukov, and 37-39 – for Martirosyan.
