By Alexey Sukachev
Moscow was, is and will be a heart of Russian boxing, both for political and geographical reasons. But the Moscow region is also a hotbed of fisticuffs, Podolsk, Chekhov, Lyubertsy and Balashikha leading the field. Tonight the valor of it has been featured at the Balashikha Ice Arena as a part of a huge annual card, which celebrated Victor Ageev and his boxing school.
The card consisted of two parts: an amateur tourney in the morning and five professional fights in the evening, which symbolizes Ageev’s career. One of the best Soviet amateur boxers in history, he has never got a chance to win something big both in the paid ranks and also at Olympics (due to misconduct with a law).
However, he was a four-time USSR (1963, 1965-1967) and twice European (1965, 1967) middleweight champion, when it mattered more. For the last quarter of century and more he has been serving as a president of the Professional Boxing Federation of Russia, being one of its principle creators.
In the main event, WBO #11 local lightweight Roman Andreev faced his most awkward opponent to date and was forced to work hard for a win. Namibia’s native Abraham Nduendapo (15-4, 5 KOs), supported by a small bunch of his compatriots, was fighting for the first time outside his native land. He was raw, at times more of a street-fighter than anyone else.
In the opening rounds, his approach wasn’t working properly. Andreev timed his opponent, easily jumped off his will swings and added pressure. The Namibian was doing more movements than needed but his fuss was ineffective as he was kept pressed. In the mid rounds Andreev was still a better fighter but he started to show signs of fatigue. Nduendapo, nicknamed Energy and having a seemingly endless pile of power, landed several hard and dangerous shots in the closing rounds but it was Andreev, 30, who rocked his 33-year old opponent in the closing round of the fight.
All three judges had it unanimously for Andreev: 116-112, 117-111 (also scored by BoxingScene, and 118-111) – who retained his WBO I/C lightweight title for the first time. He is 19-0, 13 KOs, now.
Reutov native Alexey Papin, a signee of the World of Boxing, which was an organizer of the show, showed his best in a quick blowout of veteran Argentinean Sergio Alberto Anjel (12-2-1, 6 KOs), who has lost his second straight in Russia. After a slow start, cruiserweight Papin scored several big shots, pinned Anjel to the corner and finished him off with a combination based on a left hook at approximately 2:14. Papin improves to 6-0, 5 KOs.
In a minor upset, once-defeated Balashikha resident Alexander Sharonov (8-1-1, 4 KOs) was taken to a draw by journeyman Alexey Tukhtarov (3-9-4, 3 KOs). Sharonov did what he could but he had lapses, and Tukhtarov capitalized on them over the course of an eight-rounder. Tukhtarov has lost his last even.
22-year old Kazakh best female fighter Firuza Sharipova (3-1, 1 KO) continued her road to a championship fight with a one-sided six-round drubbing of debuting Yulia Chernoborodova punctuated by a unanimous decision. Sharipova’s lone loss came at the hands of Sofya Ochigava (2012 London Olympics silver medalist) in her debuting fight.
Odintsovo native Artem Ogannessian (1-0, 1 KO) debuted with an easy destruction of no-hoper Igor Ivanov (1-11) in his first bout as a pro. The three-knockdown rule ended the contest in round one.
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