Rau'Shee Warren: record, next fight and profile →
Rau’shee Warren had Zhanat Zhakiyanov on the canvas twice in the opening round of their fight last month. But it was Warren who nonetheless wound up on the losing end of a split decision, dropping his bantamweight title in the process.
Lightweight: Mike Garcia returns to the ratings for the first time in well more than a year. In the second fight of his comeback, after being shelved by contract matters, he obliterated a tough opponent in Dejan Zlaticanin. His return sends Zlaticanin plummeting and forces Felix Verdejo from the top ten.
ZHANAT “ZZ” ZHAKIYANOV personified courage and persistence as he shocked Rau’shee Warren to become Ricky Hatton’s first world champion as a trainer. The Kazakh rallied after suffering two knockdowns in the first round to take the WBA and IBO bantamweight crowns in front of a large and hostile crowd at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio.
Rau'shee Warren vs. Zhanat Zhakiyanov Fight Photos Gallery - TOLEDO, OH - In the co-main event, three-time U.S. Olympian Rau'shee Warren (14-2, 4 KOs) came out strong from the opening bell as he utilized his hand speed and power by knocking Zhanat Zhakiyanov (27-1, 18 KOs) of Kazakhstan not once, but twice.
Kazakhstan's Zhanat Zhakiyanov survived two first-round knockdowns to upset Rau'shee Warren by split decision on Friday and claim the WBA and IBO bantamweight world titles. On the same card in Toledo, Ohio, unbeaten Robert Easter retained his International Boxing Federation lightweight title with a unanimous decision over Puerto Rico's Luis Cruz.
Huntington Center in Toledo, OH - In the co-main event, three-time U.S. Olympian Rau'shee Warren (14-2, 4 KOs) came out strong from the opening bell as he utilized his hand speed and power by knocking Zhanat Zhakiyanov (27-1, 18 KOs) of Kazakhstan not once, but twice.
Zhanat Zhakiyanov pulled off a remarkable comeback Friday night. The courageous contender from Kazakhstan survived two first-round knockdowns to upset Rau’shee Warren by split decision in their 12-round fight for Warren’s WBA/IBO super world bantamweight championships in Toledo, Ohio. Warren was about a 5-1 favorite entering their title fight, which Bounce TV broadcast from Huntington Center.
Unbeaten Robert Easter hopes to put on a show in front of hometown fans in Toledo, Ohio, on Friday when he puts his lightweight world title on the line against Puerto Rico's Luis Cruz. "I have a very tough fighter in front of me. Cruz is going to come to fight and put on a show, but I'm prepared to deliver a knockout," said Easter, who brings a record of 18-0, with 14 knockouts to the bout. Cruz is 22-4 with one drawn and 16 knockouts.
Undefeated lightweight world champion Robert Easter and Puerto Rican contender Luis Cruz hosted a final press conference before Easter makes his first world title defense as he headlines Premier Boxing Champions: The Next Round on Bounce at the Huntington Center in Easter's hometown of Toledo, Ohio.
Pretty much every fighter says they want to impress with their performances. That’s no different for Rau’shee Warren, who wants to stand out in the first defense of his bantamweight world title by showing even more of what he can do.