Boxing Results: Michel Rivera Loses to Frank “The Ghost” Martin!

By Boxing News - 12/18/2022 - Comments

By Ken Hissner: At Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, Saturday on Showtime, promoters Tom Brown, Leonard Ellerbe, Sampson Lewkowicz in the Main Event previously unbeaten Michel “La Zarza Ali” Rivera lost to unbeaten southpaw Frank “The Ghost” Martin who scored a knockdown in the seventh taking a 12 round decision.

In co-feature, former IBF Super Middleweight champion Jose”Bolivita” Uzcategui met Vladimir Shishkin.

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In the main event, Lightweight ranked No. 8 Michel “La Zarza Ali” Rivera, 24-1 (14), #134 ½, of Santo Domingo, DR, and Miami, FL, lost by a decision to southpaw ranked No. 7 Frank “The Ghost” Martin, 17-0 (12), #134 ¾, of Dallas, TX, who scored the lone knockdown over 12 rounds.

In the first three rounds, the southpaw Martin was the aggressor, outworking and out-landing Rivera due to his faster hand speed and bodywork. In the fifth round, Rivera came back, taking his first round.

In the seventh round, a left and a right hook from southpaw Martin on the chin with half a minute remaining in the round and down went Rivera getting an 8-count from Referee Kenny Bayless. He managed to get to the bell.

In the eighth through the tenth rounds, Martin controlled the action coming forward, getting inside the reach of Rivera, outworking and out-landing him dominating each round.

In the eleventh round, with a little over a minute remaining, Martin landed a combination on the chin having Rivera in trouble. He somehow managed to get to the end of the round. In the twelfth and final round, Martin used an effective jab and left to the body of Rivera, winning yet another round.

Scores were 117-110, 118-109 and 120-107, and 119-108 by this writer.

In the co-feature, former Super Middle champ No. 7 ranked Jose “Bolivita” Uzcategui, 32-5 (27), #167 ½, of El Vigia, VZ, Las Vegas, NV, lost by majority decision to No. 9 ranked Vladimir Shishkin, 13-0 (8), #167 ¾, of Stepnoe, RUS, Detroit, MI, over 12 rounds, in an IBF title eliminator.

In the first two rounds, Uzcategui was the aggressor against the taller Shishkin, having an edge. In the third round, Shishkin came back well, using a solid left hook to the chin of Uzcategui. In the fourth round, Shishkin hit Uzcategui behind the head, causing him to go down when Referee Celestino Ruiz warned Shishkin of the foul.

In the fifth through the seventh rounds, Shishkin used his reach well following his jab with rights to the chin of Uzcategui. In the ninth round, referee Ruiz warned Shishkin about rough tactics after Uzcategui had rocked him with a solid right on the chin. Uzcategui kept up the pressure being well behind, taking another round forcing Shishkin to back up from the pressure.

In the eleventh round, Uzcategui kept up the attack taking a close round. In the twelfth and final round, Uzcategui rocked Shishkin with a right cross on the chin in the opening minute. In the final minute, Shishkin rocked Uzcategui with a left hook on the chin.

Scores 115-115, 117-111 twice, and 116-112 this writer.

WBC International Bantamweight champion ranked WBC No. 6 Vincent “Asero” Astrolabio, 18-3 (13), #117 ½, of General Santos City, PH, knocked out Nikolai Potapov, 23-3-1 (11), #117, of Podolsk, RUS, Brooklyn, NY, at 1:26 of the sixth round of a scheduled 12 rounds world title eliminator.

In the first round, Astrolabio landed a right on the side of the head of Potapov that looked like a knockdown, but referee Robert Hoyle for some reason waved it off. In the final seconds, Astrolabio knocked Potapov down with a right that looked like on the back of the head for an 8-count from Referee Hoyle.

In the third round, Potapov came back well, landing a 3-punch combination at the midway point on the chin of Astrolabio. In the fourth round, referee Hoyle warned Astrolabio for hitting behind the head of Potapov in a round won by Potapov.

In the fifth round, after a minute, a right uppercut followed by a left hook to the head from Astrolabio on the chin, and Potapov, in a delayed knockdown, took a knee for an 8-count from referee Hoyle. In the sixth round, a right from Astrolabio on the chin drove Potapov into the ropes and down, taking the full ten count from referee Hoyle.

Super Light Omar “El Relampago” Juarez, 14-1 (5), #?, of Brownsville, TX, defeated Austin “The Dream” Dulay, 15-4 (11), #?, of Nashville, TN, ten rounds.

Super Welter Bakhram Murtazaliev, 20-0 (15), of Grozny, RUS, Oxnard, CA, Roberto “Tito Junior” Valenzuela, Jr., 20-3 (19), #?, of Agua Prieta, Sonora, MEX, 10 rounds

The ring announcer was Jimmy Lennon, Jr.