Braehmer beats Meroro; Balzsay stops Sartison; Chakhkiev, Gomez and Chagaev win

By Boxing News - 04/21/2012 - Comments

By Jim Dower: Making his first defense of his WBA World super middleweight title champion Karoly Balzsay (25-2, 18 KOs) stopped former WBA champ Dimitri Sartison (29-2, 18 KOs) by a 12th round TKO on Saturday night at the Sport and Congress Center, Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.

Balzsay was having problems with Sartison’s pressure and power shots in the 2nd half of the fight. However, Balzsay turned it on in the 12th round to knock Sartison down with a big right hand to the head. Following the knockdown, Balzsay teed off on the hurt Sartison until the referee halted the action at 2:25 of the 12th.

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Fighting another easy tune-up bout, former WBO light heavyweight champion Juergen Braehmer (38-2, 30 KOs) dominated a completely outclassed Vikapita Meroro (21-4, 9 KOs), beating him by a 10 round unanimous decision. Braehmer, 33, had Meroro down in the 4th, but was unable to finish him off. The fight had a routine of Meroro charging Braehmer and getting tagged with right hooks and left hands round after round. It was all pretty predictable and hopelessly one-sided from start to finish.

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Former 2008 Olympic heavyweight gold medalist for Russia Rakhim Chakhkiev (13-0, 10 KOs) was too good for the rusty and over-matched aidon Codrington (20-3, 16 KOs), stopping him in the 1st round. Codrington, a former contestant for the reality television series “The Contender”, was making his first ring appearance in a year and half and it showed. Codrington was knocked down two times by Chakhkiev before the fight was halted at 1:56 of the 1st.

Chakhkiev will now likely fight former interim WBA World cruiserweight champion Steve Herelius in his next bout. Herelius, 35, hasn’t fought since being stopped in the 7th round last year by Yoan Pablo Hernandez.

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33-year-old former World Boxing Association heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev (29-2-1, 18 KOs) defeated 39-year-old journeyman Billy Zumbrun (25-13-1, 15 KOs) by a 3rd round knockout in a scheduled 8 round bout. The fight was halted at 1:26 of the 3rd.

Chagaev, #8 WBA, is trying to get another title shot. He was beaten by Alexander Povetkin by a 12 round unanimous decision in an attempt to win the vacant WBA heavyweight title last August. Chagaev was beaten by IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko by a 9th round TKO in June of 2009. Chagaev held the WBA title from 2008 to 2009.

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38-year-old former WBC cruiserweight champion Juan Carlos Gomez (50-3, 38 KO’s) defeated Darnell Wilson (24-15-3, 20 KOs) by a 4th round TKO to avenge his 10 round majority decision loss to Wilson last September. Things were looking good for the 37-year-old Wilson in the 3rd after he knocked Gomez down. However, the fight was abruptly halted in the 4th when Wilson suffered a cut.

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31-year-old former WIBF Women’s International Boxing Federation featherweight champion (29-1, 10 KOs) Ina Menzer ((29-1, 10 KO’s) defeated Doris Koehler (8-11-1, 3 KOs) by an eight round unanimous decision. It was Menzer’s third consecutive win since being beaten by Jeannine Garside by a 10 round decision in July 2010.

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Ante Bilic (26-2, 13 KOs) defeated WBO European middleweight champion Rafael Bejaran (14-1, 6 KOs) by a 12 round unanimous decision to capture his World Boxing Organization European title.

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Undefeated Marcel Meyerdiercks (22-0, 5 KO’s) defeated Santiago Allione (18-8-1, 7 KO’s) to win the vacant WBO Inter-Continental featherweight title.