By Alexey Sukachev
After more than a year off, “Knight Alexander” Bakhtin (26-0, 11 KOs) has finally come back to the squared circle tonight at “Mashinostroitel” Palace of Culture in his new hometown of Balashikha, Moscow Region, and showed no signs of ring rust whatsoever.
Supported by local fight fans, IBF #5 ranked bantamweight fascinated the crowd with his trademark poise and sharpness, which have never been fully demonstrated by him since the return to Russia from Japan.
Bakhtin, 29, who is an all-time Japanese record holder (the most number of consecutive defenses of the Japanese 118lb title), easily dominated former IBO champion Mbwana Matumla (19-6, 11 KOs) over ten one-sided rounds. Bakhtin, a rangy and smooth operator, trained by Alexander Zimin (who has also trained Yuri Arbachakov, Orzubek Nazarov and Nikolay Valuev among others), was light on his heels, peppered Matumla with the left jab and stalked him over the ring with hard right hands to the temple and occasional left hooks to the body.
Matumla answered rarely, threw almost no significant punches and was in survival mode since the opening bell. He also proved to be too durable and too game for Bakhtin to be taken out. A lopsided score 100-90 was thrice repeated by judges Vladimir Nazarov, Evgueny Gorstkov and Baban Nadyrov, and rightfully so. Referee was Alexander Kalinkin.
Next for Bakhtin might be a big fight on May 22 Roy Jones vs Denis Lebedev undercard.
On the same fight card, Russian super bantamweight champion Andrey Bogdanov (12-1-1, 4 KOs) should have been fought dangerous Kazakh Zhanat Zhakiyanov (13-1, 6 KOs) but this bout has been scratched off for undisclosed reasons.
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Ural Boxing Promotions (president – Evgueny Vainstein) arranged a night of boxing at “Znamya” Palace of Sports in Noginsk, Moscow Region, also near Balashikha. There were five match-ups and one minor title at stake.
In the main event, Aslanbek Kozaev (16-0, 5 KOs) came down in weight and had a hard time defeating rugged and powerful Kenyan James Onyango (6-3-1, 6 KOs) over twelve rounds for a vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council junior welterweight title. Kozaev looked drained after a sudden weight loss and was floored twice during the fight (once in the third round and once in the tenth); the first time being ruled a slip. However, his advantage in technical department proved to be too much for Onyango to overcome, and the Kenyan fighter lost a competitive unanimous decision with scores 118-110 (Mikhail Sakharian), 116-111 (Olena Pobyvailo) and 116-112 (Doniyor Ergashev).
WBC #14 welterweight Anton Novikov extended his winning series up to 21-0, with 8 KOs, following the fourth-round TKO of Thai Somchai Nakbalee (12-11-1, 5 KOs), who looked as inept as ever. Also 18-year old rising light welterweight star Konstantin Ponomarev (8-0, 5 KOs) sparkled with some starry qualities in the fourth-round stoppage of usually game Russia-based Ukrainian Anatoly Sidorov (5-5-1). His 21-year old colleague and 2010 sensational debutant Alexey Glukhov (4-1, 2 KOs) stopped Oganez Ayvazyan (2-2-1) also in four. Finally, heavyweight Aram Dashchyan (2-0, 1 KOs) knocked out debuting Alan Gubaev in two.
Still undefeated prospects Novikov, Kozaev and Ponomarev fought for the third time this year and all of them are expected to come back in May 2011.
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Tough Russian welterweight journeyman Roman Seliverstov (12-8, 3 KOs), who was last seen in the ring a year and a half ago, pute one in the win column on Friday night in Podolsk, Moscow Region. Seliversov, who is a way better fighter than his lousy record suggests, made an easy night of overmatched Alexander Ivakhnov (2-3). Seliverstov, 35, hit Ivakhnov with every punch in the book and finally forced him to retire after the third. Roman, while not a ranked fighter (he has never ever pretended to), has dominating wins over former world title challengers Michael Trabant (43-2-1) and Cosme Rivera (31-12-2). Sergey Stepkin of Union Boxing Management promoted this event.
Other results:
Sergey Sergeev (2-1) UD 4 Gevorg Akopyan (0-1-1)
Hrachik Markaryan (1-0, 1 KO) TKO 2 Mikhail Lidovskiy (0-2)
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A year and a month since its first appearance in a long time, professional boxing is finally back in the Udmurt capital of Izhevsk as local promoter Rodion Obada (Production Center “Italmas”) loads up another fight card in association with leading Russian promoters German Titov (2007 & 2008 Russian Promoter of the Year) and Kirill Pchelnikov. Obada will also be aided by the Udmurt Boxing Federation and local governing bodies. The latest Izhevsk show featured two world-class Russian performers in hard-charging cruiserweight Denis Lebedev and bantamweight stylist Alexander Bakhtin. This time witnesses, who are planned to fill in the national Circus (which was the venue of the previous tournament) are promised another interesting night.
In the main event of the night, junior welterweight Fariz Kazimov (12-1-1, 3 KOs), who is best known for his controversial win over DeMarcus Corley in November 2009, continues his way back to recognition after chains of injuries with a twelve-rounder against Uzbek tough guy Sherzod Nazarov (12-4, 10 KOs). A vacant interim WBC Asian Boxing Council belt will be at stake.
Also scheduled to take part in the show are hard-hitting former super featherweight amateur star Fedor Papazov (6-0, 4 KOs) and Albanian heavyweight Bedarin Toma (3-1, 1 KO), who are both scheduled to appear in non-title six-rounders. Three local amateur standouts Evgueny Kochurov, Alexey Astakhov and Evgueny Ermakov will fire up the audience before major competitions.
