By Jeff Aranow: Former IBF lightweight champion Robert Easter Jr. (21-1-1, 14 KOs) fought to a 12 round draw against former two division champ Rances Barthelemy (27-1-1, 14 KOs) on Saturday night in a failed attempt to capture the vacant World Boxing Association lightweight title at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in Nevada. The Easter Jr. vs. Barthelemy fight was televised by Showtime.
The scores were 115-113, 115-113 Barthelemy 115-113, and 114-114. Boxing News 24 had Barthelemy edging it by a 115-113 score. This was the type of fight that hardcore fans would like to watch if they were into looking at chess-match type fights. Both guys were fighting in a slick manner, and not doing much slugging, which is what they needed to do i order to win the fight
It’s unclear whether the two fighters will face each other in a rematch. That aught to be fun if they do it again.
Viktor Postol vs. Mohamed Mimoune – RESULTS
Former World Boxing Council light welterweight champion Viktor Postol (31-2, 12 KOs) easily defeated the light-hitting Mohamed Mimoune (21-3, 2 KOs) by a 10 round unanimous decision in a WBC 140 lb title eliminator to decide a mandatory champion for WBC champion Jose Ramirez. The scores were 98-92, 97-93, and 99-91. The lanky 5’11” Postol threw nonstop punches, and got the better of Mimoune in virtually every round of the fight. Boxing News 24 scored it for Postol by a 99-91 score.
The WBC already has a mandatory for WBC light welterweight champion Jose Ramirez in Josh Taylor. Regis Prograis is also in line for a title shot against Ramirez. Prograis holds the interim WBC light welterweight title. Postol, 35, previously held the WBC title, but he was beaten by Terence Crawford by a one-sided 12 round unanimous decision in 2016. Postol had come back from that loss with two wins, but then he was beaten last year by Josh Taylor by a 12 round unanimous decision last June. That was a much closer fight than the judges turned in, but Postol did appear to lose.
Efe Ajagba vs. Michael Wallisch – RESULTS
The powerful heavyweight prospect Efe Ajagba (10-0, 9 KOs) destroyed Michael Wallisch (19-2, 12 KOs) of Germany by a second round knockout. Ajagba knocked Wallisch down in the second round. Ajagba got a little carried away in nailing Wallisch while he was down. After Wallisch got back up, the 6’5″ Ajagba opened up with a flurry of shots that ended with the fight. The official time of the stoppage was at 1:40. It’s high time that 2016 Nigerian Olympian Ajagba’s management need to step him up against better opposition, because he’s winning too easily against the level of opposition he’s being fed.
Other boxing results on Saturday’s Easter Jr. vs. Barthelmy card:
Terrell Williams SD 10 Justin DeLoach
Ranfis Javier Encarnacion TKO 2 Jose Bustos
Flavio Rodriguez MD 6 Gaku Takahashi
Ranfis Javier Encarnacion TKO 2 Jose Bustos
Clay Burns UD 6 Yovani Rodarte