WBC, WBO, and IBF Light Heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev stopped former WBA Super Middleweight champion Callum ‘Mundo’ Smith in the seventh round on Saturday night at the Centre Videotron in Quebec City, Canada.
In the co-main event, WBO world bantamweight champion Jason ‘Mayhem’ Moloney won a majority decision over Saul ‘The Beast’ Sanchez in an all-action twelve rounds.
In the main event, 2-time Olympian, WBC, WBO, and IBF Light Heavy champ Russian Artur Beterbiev, 20-0 (20), stopped WBC No. 1 ranked and former super middle champ Callum ‘Mundo’ Smith, 29-2 (21) at 2:00 of the seventh round of a scheduled 12 rounds.
In the first round, Beterbiev came out firing for an entire minute. Smith came back in the second minute well with a looping right hand and off the ropes. In the final minute, Beterbiev came back to take control.
In the second round, Smith came out using his longer jab. Halfway through the round Beterbiev landed a solid right to the body of Smith. In the final minute, Smith landed a double left hook to the chin of Beterbiev, taking the round.
In the third round, near the end of the first minute, Beterbiev landed a solid jab, knocking back the head of Smith. In the final thirty seconds, Beterbiev drew blood from the nose of Smith with a right uppercut on the chin and partly on the throat with swelling under the right eye started.
In the fourth round, after a minute, Beterbiev opened up, having Smith in trouble with Referee Michael Griffin took a close look. In the final thirty seconds, Smith fought back well enough to get to the bell.
In the fifth round, up until the midway point, Smith held his own matching Beterbiev punch for punch. In the final minute, Smith became the aggressor for half a minute until Beterbiev’s jab went to work drawing blood from the nose of Smith. In the sixth round, Beterbiev lands several rights to the chin of Smith.
Halfway through the round Smith lands a left hook to the body of Beterbiev. By the end of the round, there was swelling around both of Smith’s eyes, losing all six rounds.
In the seventh round, after a minute, Beterbiev landed several punches, dropping Smith for the first time in his career for an 8-count from Referee Griffin. Seconds later, Beterbiev dropped Smith with a combination on the chin. Smith’s trainer, Buddy McGirt, stepped into the ring to call a halt.
In the co-main event, WBO bantam champ Jason ’Mayhem’ Moloney, 27-2 (19), won a majority decision over Saul ‘The Beast’ Sanchez, 20-3 (12) over 12 action rounds.
In the first two rounds, Sanchez kept coming forward, matching Moloney jab for a jab, but Moloney used an effective left hook to the body, taking the rounds.
In the third round, an accidental clash of heads opened up a cut on Moloney’s right eye. In the fourth round, Moloney had Sanchez backing up the entire round, though the blood flows from his right eyebrow.
In the fifth round, Moloney dominated until the final twenty seconds when Sanchez landed a hard right on the chin. In the sixth round, Moloney had Sanchez on the ropes for the most part. In the seventh round Moloney comes out with a three-punch combination to the chin of Sanchez.
Sanchez came back to dominate in the final minute, outworking Moloney.
In the eighth round, Moloney worked the body, but Sanchez matched him punch for punch, taking a close round. In the ninth round, both had their moments, with Moloney pulling it out. In the tenth round, Sanchez had the better of it for two minutes before Moloney took over at the final minute.
In the eleventh round, the crowd cheered for the final minute of non-stop action of a close fight. In the twelfth and final round, Moloney, being the champion, showed why until the final half minute with the fans cheering and Sanchez coming back well. Referee Mark Nelson.
Scores were 114-114 and 116-112 twice. 115-113 KH.
2016 Olympian, WBC Continental Americas, and WBA International Super Middle champ Christian ‘Solide’ Mbilli, 26-0 (22), stopped game Rohan ‘No Mercy’ Murdock, 27-3 (19) after six rounds of a scheduled ten rounds.
In the first round, Mbilli, the aggressor, outworked Murdock, whose jab with a minute remaining, knocked back the head of Mbilli.
In the second round, Mibilli had Murdock against the ropes the entire round with an effective right uppercut until the final thirty seconds. In the third round, Murdock started throwing rights to the chin in the final minute after being outworked the first two minutes in a war!
In the fourth rounds final minute a right from Mbilli on the chin knocked out the mouthpiece of the gutsy Murdock whose right eye has a shiner.
Mbilli’s earlier bodywork got the best of the action. In the fifth round’s final minute, Mbilli had Murdock against the ropes, rocking him with rights to the chin, somehow staying on his feet.
In the sixth round, with his corner threatening to stop it, Murdock came out firing with all the guts in the world but was outgunned by Mbilli. At the end of the round, the corner of Murdock called a halt. Referee Steve St. Jermain.
Olympic Silver Medalist Imam Khataev, 6-0 (6), stopped late substitute Michal Ludwiczak, 17-12-1 (9) at 2:17 of the second round of a scheduled ten rounds for the vacant NABF Light Heavy title.
In the first round, it was all Khataev looking for an early knockout against a late sub in Ludwiczak having his nose bleeding.
In the second round, Khataev dropped Ludwiczak with a left on the chin for an 8-count. Later in the round, Khataev landed a flurry of punches without return before referee Alain Villeneuve wisely called a halt.
Welter Mexican Christopher ‘Machine Gun’ Guerrero, 10-0 (5), defeated Sergio ‘Cheko’ Garcia, 7-4 (4) in eight solid rounds.
In the first three rounds, for the most part, Guerrero slips punches well and countering. In a close round, Guerrero had an edge.
In the fourth round, Guerrero used an effective jab. In the final seconds, Garcia landed a left uppercut on the chin, knocking the head of Guerrero back.
In the fifth round, both had their moments, with the faster hands of Guerrero landing Garcia. The sixth round was a big one for Guerrero, who went to Garcia’s body and did some showboating.
In the seventh round, it went back and forth, with Guerrero’s body work having an edge. In the eighth and final rounds final minute, the fans were yelling to their delight of the boxers letting it all hang out, and both were tired at the end.
The referee was Albert Padulo, Jr. The scores were 79-73 and 78-74 twice.
Light Heavy Mehmet Unal, 8-0 (7), stopped Dragan Lepei, 22-7-2 (10) at 0:57 of round one of a scheduled eight rounds.
In the first round, it was Unal on the attack. Fifty seconds into the round, a solid right from Unal high on the temple and down went Lepei for an 8-count from referee Martin Forest. Upon rising, he fell into the referee, who called a halt.
In a super feather rematch, Leila Beaudoin, 11-1 (1), reversed a loss to Elizabeth ‘LaBonita’ Chavez Espinosa, 4-6-3 (1) over 8×2 rounds.
In the first four rounds, Espinosa chased Beaudoin, who countered her enough to reverse her only loss. In the sixth and seventh rounds, Espinosa started landing her rights to the chin, easily taking both rounds.
In the eighth and final round Beaudoin finally stopped running and went head to toe with Espinosa in a close round. Referee Martin Forest.
Scores were 78-74 twice and 77-75.
Middleweight southpaw Moreno ‘The Soldier’ Fendero, 3-0 (2) stopped Victor ‘Corbef’ Hugo Flores, 7-3 (3) at 2:16 of the first round of a scheduled four rounds.
In the first round after a minute there may have been a clash of heads when a left on the chin from Fendero and down went Flores for an 8-count complaining while referee Alain Villeneuve. With a minute remaining in the round, a right hook on the chin from Fendero on the chin and down went Flores for a second time and another 8-count.
Upon rising and taking the count, he dropped to a knee, causing the referee to call a halt.
Super Middle Wilkens Mathieu, 6-0 (3) defeated Jose ‘LaFiera’ Arias Alvarez, 3-2 (1) over four rounds.
In the second round final minute, Mathieu pushed Alvarez in a crouch to the canvas, and Referee Albert Padulo, Jr. “blew it,” calling it a knockdown for an 8-count. Mathieu is a day before his 19th birthday, and Alvarez is 39.
In the third round, Alvarez fought back well, but Mathieu was chasing him down and had too much firepower for him. In the fourth and final round, Wilkens went for the stoppage, and Alvarez was in survival mode.
The scores were 40-36 and 40-35 twice.