By Amy A. Kaplan: On the wild night of November 4, Casino Miami Jai Alai transformed into a brawlers’ paradise. At the centerpiece of this event was Noel Mikaelian as he clowned around with Ilunga Makabu, dropping him faster than a hot potato one minute into the third round.
Kicking off with the main event, we witnessed the crowning of a new WBC Cruiserweight Champion as Noel Mikaelian took control from the get-go. This was a display of sheer, unadulterated power as Mikaelian stopped Ilunga Makabu cold, one minute into the third round. Picture this: Makabu hits the deck in the second round, and from there, it’s a one-way street as Mikaelian, all Miami swagger, German precision and Armenian grit, rains down a storm of punches.
Mikaelian wasn’t just throwing hands; he was composing a symphony of blows, a concerto of uppercuts and jabs that had the crowd on their feet. And when he said he didn’t expect to knock out his opponent so early, we all felt that twist of surprise. But hey, when you’ve trained like a beast and carry the spirit of Max Schmelling in your gloves, what else can you expect?
Now, shifting gears to the co-main event where Jonathan Guidry, the reigning NABA Gold Heavyweight Champion, threw down with Jesus Escalera. Guidry, hailing from Dulac, LA, was not there to play patty-cake. Oh no, he stepped into that ring, looked destiny in the eye, and decided he wasn’t done yet. Guidry’s overhand right sent Escalera to dreamland for a full ten count. Boom! And just like that, Guidry defends his title.
Guidry later remarked, throwing shade as casually as punches, that he felt like it was just a sparring session. If that was a sparring session, then I’m the Queen of England. The man was on fire, and his family at ringside? You could see that this win was personal.
Moving on, we had Cassius Chaney entering the ring with Trevor Bryan for the vacant WBC Continental North American Championship. Chaney, a Connecticut man with a plan, executed a second-round knockdown that had us all gasping. He saved the final curtain call for the seventh round with an uppercut that could’ve registered on the Richter scale. Chaney walked out of that ring not just with the belt but with a knockout that’ll replay in highlight reels.
Down the card, we had a couple of bouts that kept the excitement high. Alexander Castro delivered a body shot heard around the world against Hector E. Bobadillia, securing a TKO in the third round. And in the super middleweight division, Corey Caad schooled Isiah Hart with a unanimous decision victory.
Isaiah Efrain Riquelmy and Rondale Hubbert danced the brutal ballet for six rounds, with Riquelmy clinching the unanimous decision. That ring was his classroom, and boy, did he school his opponent.
In conclusion, if you weren’t at Casino Miami Jai Alai, you missed out on a spectacle of athleticism, strategy, and pure, heart-pounding excitement. The champions stood tall, the contenders learned lessons, and the fans? Well, we had huge fun!