By Alexey Sukachev

Salle des Étoiles, Monte Carlo - Russian Armenian welterweight David Avanesyan (21-1-1, 11 KOs) snatched a very little piece of a world crown when he stopped experienced Venezuelan veteran Charlie Navarro (25-8, 20 KOs) inside ten rounds for a vacant WBA interim welterweight crown. Previously rated #10 by the WBA Avanesyan should be regarded as another fringe contender rather than a real champion, with Keith Thurman (WBA "regular" champion) being recognised as the only meaningful WBA champion in this weight class.

However, it's also to be noted that Avanesyan, 27, displayed some maturity, resilience and dedication to take regalia from a rather sophisticated WBA #9 rated contender. Both combatants boxed in spurts. Avanesyan, whose only loss came in his second pro fight against future super featherweight title challenger Andrey Klimov, was an aggressor in the first half of the bout. Navarro countered his foe on many occasions but the Russian Armenian was just a bit quicker that the 36-year old Venezuelan. Both landed some looping shots, Avanesyan connecting much to the body of Navarro, the other catching his southpaw opponent with righ hands on his way in.

Navarro turned more aggressive after the fourth, when Avanesyan showed signs of fatigue. He was inaccurate though, losing a point in the fifth fow punching low. Avanesyan was against the lead from the midst of the seventh. David used his skills and conditions to outbox Navarro in the eighth. Still the fight wasn't decided after that rond. However, somewhere in the ninth, Avanesyan connected well right into the left eye of Navarro. After a few more ounches, Venezuelan took a knee at the ropes, hurt and rocked a bit. He got up at nine but was too hurt for referee Stanley Christodoulou to let him continue, blood dripping right from his right eye with a possible dangerous damage being inflicted. Time of stoppage was 1:50.

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Showing little improvement in his technical arsenal and revealing (once again) his limits and flaws, WBA #9 cruiserweight Youri Kayembre Kalenga (22-2, 15 KOs) has nevertheless become the first fighter ever to stop durable and determined Argentinean Roberto Feliciano Bolonti (36-5, 25 KOs) in nine rounds. Former WBA light heavyweight title challenger Bolonti was making his debut at a new weight class.

Kalenga, 27, showed poised and danger he possesses in April, when he pushed reigning WBA 200lb champion Denis Lebedev almost to his limits in a close albeit clear loss. Bolonti was thought to be a fighter who would allow the France-based Congolese to test his punching power. Despite fighting some serious opposition, including Juergen Braehmer, Tony Bellew and Danny Green, the Argentinean has never been stopped - except for a scandalous bout against Canadian Jean Pascal, which at the end was ruled a "no contest". Bolonti, 36, decided to be defensive against a hard-charding Congolese, however.

Kalenga, however, was throwing wide, looping shots that were too inaccurate to tag the Argentinean cleanly. Bolonti answered well with left hooks in the first couple of rounds, using a hole in Kalenga's defense - a critically lowered right hand, which hasn't protected his chin. The pattern was changed in the third, when Kalenga has finally found his way to Bolonti's jaw with a left hook of his own - and dropped him twice in the stanza. Boloni has been thinking much more of going the distance than anything else.

The Argentinean used every possibility to stay upright and to sustain Kalenga's power. He used some dirty tactics, including a dangerous use of his head - a foul he was twice (in the seventh and in the ninth rounds) penalized points for by the Italian referee Guiseppe Quartarone. Kalenga didn't help either by lacking finesse and throwing too wildly. However, midst into the ninth the Congolese missed wildly against with a left hook, was forced into the close quarters, missed badly again with a right hand but connected cleanly with a following left hand on Bolonti's way out. The Argentinean went down hard, and the count was stopped for good at five. Time of stoppage was 1:35 of the ninth.

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In a classic encounter between an elusive boxer-stylist and an aggressive slugger, the latter proved to be a notch ahead this time, as Kazakhstani Zhanat Zhakiyanov (26-1, 18 KOs) "dethroned" Panamanian Yonfrez Parejo (17-2-1, 8 KOs), holder of the WBA interim bantamweight title, with a close split decision.

WBA/WBO #2 and IBF #3 Zhakiyanov, 32, was riding an impressive twelve-fight knockout streak, stemming back from November 2010 and his last decision win - a victory over bitter Uzbek rival Bahyt Abdurahimov. The Kazakh puncher has been a natural force ever since, albeit mostly against limited opposition but also with the fifth-round KO of capable Frenchman Karim Guerfi for a vacant EBU title. Zhakiyanov was gunning for a shot at reigning WBC 118lb champion Shinsuke Yamanaka but his team chose to move the other direction in 2015. He was rated #6 by the TBRB at the time of the fight.

Trained and pumped up by former multi-time champion Ricky Hatton Zhakiyanov thrusted forward from the opening bell and followed the pattern, which hasn't changed for entire twelve rounds. The Kazakh pressed the action, ate his share of jabs and right hands but often walked through them to tag WBA #1 rated Parejo, 29, on the certain occasions. Parejo, who was making the first defense of his belt, and who was 6-0, 3 KOs, since 2012 kayo loss to Hugo Ruiz, moved sneakily, very much resembling his more talented and much more skilled countryman Anselmo Moreno (a long-time WBA champion). Parejo hasn't been hurt until the tenth-round, when Zhakiyanov has finally got him with some hard left hooks, but he withstood late pressure and was frustrating the Kazakh stalker until the final bell.

At the end, Hall-of-Famer Stanley Christodoulou (ZAF) saw it 115-113 - for Zhakiyanov, Levi Martinez (USA) had it 116-112 - for the Panamanian, and Guiseppe Quartartone (Italy) scored the bout 116-113 - for the Kazakh. BoxingScene had it in the midst: 114-114 - a draw.

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Little-known but seemingly talented Chinese super bantamweight Jun Qiu Xiao (19-2, 9 KOs) made his out-of-Asia debut and did it with a bang. The WBC #1 rated 122lber crushed Frenchman Amor Belhadj Ali (14-4-1, 2 KOs) in eleven rounds to further cement his position and title ambitions.

Xiao, 25, started very fast, dropping Ali twice in the first couple of rounds, then slowed down but was still winning against the Frenchman before thrusting in the eleventh to get a road stoppage. With this win Xiao retained his WBC Silver super bantamweight title and also added a vacant WBA international belt.

Ali, 29, was stopped for the first time in his career. Xiao is improving quickly, going 6-0, 5 KOs, recently, including a smooth run (4-0, 3 KOs) in 2015. The Chinese fighter lost both times on close road decisons to the same fighter - a Japan-based Filipino Johnathan Baat - those losses being avenged at home with wider scores in their third match.