By Peter Lim
The Soviet Union might have lost the Cold War but that didn’t seem to take the fight out of its boxers. A trio of fighters from former Soviet Republics, all born around the time the Soviet Empire was disintegrating, reined terror upon their American opponents at the Houston Club in Texas.
Most terrifying of the three, was Russian cruiserweight Medzhid Bektimirov, 7-0 (6 KOs), who cornered 6-foot-five Mathew Thompson, 2-4-1 (1 KO), and separated him from his senses with a volley of wrecking ball lefts and rights in just 23 seconds of the first round. Thompson lay unconscious for several minutes and had to be stretchered out of the ring.
Fighting his tenth fight in as many months as a pro, lightweight Bahodir Mamadjonov, 10-0 (6 KOs), dropped Aaron Anderson, 2-12 (1 KO), twice in the second round en route to stopping him with a barrage of body shots in the third. On top of his whirlwind fight schedule, Mamadjonov, of Uzbekistan, has fought a more experienced level of opponents than most fighters at this stage of their careers. He had previously defeated Michael Clark, 42-8-1 (18 KOs), three weeks ago, and Archie Ray Marquez, 12-2 (8 KOs), last November.
Bahitar Eyubov, 2-0 (2 KOs), a short, stocky junior middleweight from Russia, stopped Jhaquis Davis, 0-1, in the third round. Trapping Davis against the ropes, Eyubov uncorked a triple left hook, the first two to the head and the third to the ribcage, that sank Davis to his knees. Davis beat the count but the referee decided he had taken enough punishment and waved it off.
Also on the card, former NFL linebacker Morlon Greenwood made a successful pro debut by knocking out Jonathan Bryce, 0-1, in the first round. Greenwood, 33, had played for the Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders over a 10-year NFL career.
The card was staged by Savarese Boxing Promotions.