By Cliff Rold

28-year old Ukrainian Lightweight Ivan Redkach (18-0, 14 KO), fighting out of Los Angeles, California, remained undefeated on Friday night at the Morongo Casino Resort and Spa in Cabazon, California, scoring two knockdowns and forcing a corner retirement after six against 30-year old Ghanaian veteran Yakubu Amidu (21-6-2, 19 KO), also fighting out of Los Angeles.

Both men weighed in at 137 lbs.  The referee was Ray Corona.  

Redkach outboxed Amidu early but not easily.  Steadily, Amidu drew Redkach into the sort of fight where he had a chance.  They battled in close quarters in the fourth and Amidu bothered Redkach with a body shot in the fifth.  A low blow to Redkach in that round didn’t look pleasant either.

Redkach had an answer in round six.  Two knockdowns had Amidu is serious trouble.  After the second, it looked like Amidu wasn’t sure if he would continue.  He did and fired back.  Amidu survived to the bell but the punishment was deemed too much in the corner.  Amidu would retire before the start of the seventh.  The official time of the stoppage was 3:00 of round six.

Redkach entered the bout rated #5 by the IBF at Lightweight and #10 by the WBA at Jr. Welterweight.

A pair of undefeated Jr. Middleweights presented judges with the classic case of volume versus precision punching.  Volume won.

Taller and using it, 22-year old Alantez Fox (14-0-1, 4 KO), 155, of Forestville, Maryland, won an eight-round majority decision over 22-year old Patrick Day (9-1-1, 5 KO), 154, of Freeport, New York.  Early on, it was Fox dictating the fight with his long jab.  Fox got closer as the fight progressed but it was Fox whose hands were moving more.  The final scores reflected the scoring difficulties at an even 76-76, overruled at 78-74 and a too-wide 80-72.  The referee was Jerry Cantu.

In the televised opener, 26-year old Ukrainian Middleweight Ievgen Khytrov (8-0, 8 KO), 163, fighting out of Brooklyn, New York, walked through undefeated 37-year old Maurice Louishome (8-1-1, 4 KO), 161, of Colorado Springs, Colorado in three one-sided rounds.  The referee was Ray Corona.

The 2011 World Amateur champion and 2012 Olympian wasted little time laying a beating.  He dropped Louishome with a right late in the first and nearly did it again before the bell.  Louishome was warned for losing his mouthpiece after a violent right hand left him little choice in the matter in round two.  A final, flush right hand in a night full of them sent Louishome wobbling back in round three and Corona invoked the mercy rule at :24 seconds of round three.   

The card was broadcast in the US on Showtime as part of its “ShoBox” series, promoted by DiBella Entertainment.

Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene and a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com