By Alexey Sukachev
Following the Klitschko brothers in their footsteps (but at a less scale) the Chudinov brothers are both "WBA Interim champions of the world" in middleweight and super middleweight divisions. Joining his elder brother Dmitry (a middleweight) is now WBA #2 rated Fedor Chudinov, who has just blitzed fellow undefeated Australian and WBA #4 super middleweight Ben McCulloch (14-1, 11 KOs) in two rounds in a really frightful way.
The fight was the main event of the show, promoted by Vladimir Hryunov at Dynamo Ice Palace in Krylatskoye, Moscow, Russia. Both combatants have surely shown their best entertaining capabilities to local fans, rumbling all fight long... albeit for a short period of time. Much stronger Chudinov, 27, wasn't bothered by the Australian's punches but his own bombs shook McCulloch from the starters. Chudinov's greatest asset was his overhand right. He probed it a couple of times in the first, then began to continuously land it in the second.
Unfortunately (for himself), McCulloch was too brave for his own good, trying to pay back for every eaten shot. Midst into the second, he was engaged into a high-octane encounter, landing some, eating some, but he was already a bit groggy, when Chudinov suddenly landed another overhand right. McCulloch was out cold even before he touched the ground. Referee Jean-Louis Legland almost immediately stopped the count and asked medical staff to enter the ring. McCulloch was unconscious for ten minutes but luckily was able to get up after that, dealing some scary moments to fans in attendance.
No official time of stoppage was announced. Chudinov is now 12-0, 10 KOs, and looks to be entering top-ten waters of his weight class.
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In a boring heavyweight warm-up fight, comebacking Russian/Belarussian Alexander Ustinov improved his record to 30-1, 22 KOs, following an uneventful unanimous decision over well-travelled American / New Zealander Chauncy Welliver (55-10-5, 22 KOs).
Fighting for the first time since his best career win over David Tua - now under Vladimir Hryunov promotion - Ustinov was quite active and looked fairly well but pudgy Welliver wasn't bothered by his efforts, using his thick body to decrease power of Ustinov's punches. Using his old-school double-ankle defense he prevented more punishment to be dealt though. The guest fighter did little other than surviving with dignity but did it well. He was wrestled down at the end of the fifth for some scary moments but conitnued to fight through a grimace of pain.
No scores were announced. BoxingScene had it 80-72 - for Ustinov, who was previously promoted by K2.
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It took Kazakh lanky cruiserweight Isa Akberbayev just 83 seconds and a single meaningful right hand to get the rid of fragile Belarussian Igor Karavaev (6-8, 5 KOs). Karavaev was down hard and barely beat the count of referee Evgueny Gorstkov. Still he was too wobbly to be let go on. Akberbayev (14-0, 10 KOs), 31, is 4-0, 3 KOs since suffering a brutal kayo from the hands of Anthony Ferrante, which was later reversed to the NC, when Ferrante failed a post-fight drug test.
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Former Azerbaijani amateur standout Ramal Amanov (7-0) continues to win and... not to impress. Tonight the liquid stylist suffered a deep cut over his left eye and thus came as a fifth-round TD winner of a one-sided contest against solid-bearded Ugandan Solomon Bogere (12-2-2, 10 KOs).
Amanov, as always, moved backwards laterally, using his serpent-like jab to control Bogere at the distance. On rare occasions he jumped in for a shot or two, then immediately flew out of danger. Bogere was aggressive but landed almost no punches.
In round three, the Ugandan moved forward way too eagerly forcing a clash of heads with a subsequent bad cut over Amanov's left eye. The Azerbaijani fought till the end of round four, then a bit more in the fifth until the fight was halted and he was awarded a technical decision.
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Young welterweight Alexander Sharonov (4-0, 2 KOs) successfully passed the stiffest test of his young career, getting past hard-nosed Russian veteran Vyacheslav Yakovenko (7-19-1, 3 KOs) in a tense eight-rounder.
Yakovenko used all his vast experience to hang on as long as he can. Sharonov tried to knock the awkward for out but Yakovenko was very elusive albeit very limited offensively. After eight rounds (no point deductions and no knockdowns) all three judges awarded it to Sharonov with undisclosed scores. Yakovenko has lost his sixteenth straight since getting his last win more than six years ago.
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In a minor upset, grizzled veteran Konstantin Piternov (18-6, 9 KOs) has re-invented a fontaine of youth and used it to come back to his stellar amateur days, coupled with once-studied professional power, and to blitz inexperienced challenger Alexey Stakanchikov (3-2, 2 KOs), a minor favorite to some experts, in just two minutes for a vacant Russian light heavyweight title. Piternov became a champion five years since capturing Russian super middleweight title.
Stakanchikov, brute and physically strong, was no match for Piternov, 31, who immediately jumped on his opponent, landed several major shots and finally dropped Alexey at the end of the first minute. Proud Stakanchikov continued to fight but was punished mercilessly for another minute before going down again. Stakanchikov fell several times on his way up, so referee Evgueny Gorskov chose to wave the fight off.
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Crimean heavyweight Pavel Doroshilov (2-0) has edged Uhandan import Morris Okola (4-2, 2 KOs) in a two-way four-rounder with a unanimous decision. Okola gave as much as he could and he definitely was a better fighter than Doroshilov's first pro opponent - who was no other than Danny Williams. BoxingScene scored it 39-37 - for Doroshilov.
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Dilmurod Satybaldiev (6-1, 2 KOs), once a Ukrainian boxer then turning into a Russian fighter after the Crimean event, acquired a vacant Russian super middleweight title with a very hard-fought win over grizzled veteran Karen Avetisyan (9-8-1, 4 KOs).
Younger Satybaldiev thrusted after an even start to take the first part of the fight with his multi-punch combinations and activitty. Experienced Avetisyan waited as much as he could, took some punishment and was passive to preserve some energy for the late rounds. He was hurt a couple of time but stood very firm against the Crimean, whose energy began to vanish after the midst of the fight. Satybaldiev was running out of gas in the closing rounds but managed to outboxer determined Avetisyan, though the final round was in favour of the Russian Armenian.
Final scores were: 97-93, 97-93, and 100-91 - for Dilmurod Satybaldiev. Avetisyan is the only man (besides Bernard Hopkins and then-stopped Darnell Boone) to last the distance against world light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev.