Let’s review this past weeks boxing action, but first. Thank you Jose Zepeda and Ivan Baranchyk.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
PRODUCTION PARK STUDIOS, YORKSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM
Golden Contract results
In the Golden Contract final at the Production Park Studios in Yorkshire, UK, 🇬🇧Ohara Davies (22-2-0, 16KO, 139 3/4) defeated 🇬🇧Tyrone McKenna (21-2-1, 6KO, 139 3/4) by majority decision in a 10 round Super-Lightweight bout.
In the Light-Heavyweight semifinals , 🇬🇧Liam Conroy (18-6-1, 9KO, 174 3/4) was stopped by 🇷🇺Serge Michel (11-1-0, 8KO, 174 3/4) in four rounds.
The Featherweight finals bout between Ryan Walsh and Jazza Dickens was postponed.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2ND
OSCEOLA HERITAGE PARK, KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA
Young prospect upset on Telemundo
In a scheduled 10 round bout from Osceola Heritage Park, in Kissimmee, Florida, 20 year old Featherweight boxing prospect 🇲🇽Carlos Flores (20-1-0, 11KO, 125lbs) suffered his first loss as a professional. Flores was knocked out in the sixth round by 🇲🇽Dennis Contreras (23-10-1, 21KO, 126lbs) on Friday nights broadcast on Telemundo.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3RD
MGM GRAND, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
Combat Chaos in Vegas
If you didn’t see what boxing fans are calling the fight of the year between Jose “Chon” Zepeda and Ivan “The Beast” Baranchyk, you need to. If you have, you still need to read Tre Berry’s recap here.
Haven Brady Jr debuts at Featherweight
Zepeda vs Baranchyk undercard
It was a successful pro debut for 🇺🇸Haven Brady Jr. (1-0-0, 1KO, 125 3/4lbs) of Albany, Georgia. The 18 year old Featherweight stopped Philadelphia’s 🇺🇸Gorwar Karyah, (2-2-0, 2KO, 124lbs) 30, with 33 seconds left in the fourth and final round.
Brady who is trained by Otha Jones Jr. in Toledo, Ohio, is balancing the start of his boxing career with the beginning of his college experience, as he is currently studying biological sciences at Clark State University in Atlanta. As an amateur Brady accumulated a record of 65-10-0, 30KO.
Duke Ragan picks up second pro win
Zepeda vs Baranchyk undercard
In his debut this August Cincinnati, Ohio’s 🇺🇸Duke Ragan (2-0-0, 1KO, 126 1/4lbs) finished Luis Alvarado with a quick first round knockout.
Saturday night in Las Vegas, Ragan had to put a full four rounds of work in to pick up the unanimous decision shutout (40-36 on all three cards) over MMA journeyman 🇺🇸John Moraga (1-2-0, 1KO, 127 3/4lbs) of Phoenix, Arizona, who took the fight on three days notice.
Ragan fought through a cut brought on by accidental headbutt and some decent counter shots from Moraga, but all in all he was in full control working from the outside with his jab.
The biggest takeaway with Ragan at this point is he still carries an amateur habit of foreshadowing his work by letting out yelps of “yah, yah” when throwing punches. It’s something he should work to stop as a more seasoned opponent will use it against him to time and counter him.
Gabriel Flores picks up win 19 over Kielczweski
Zepeda vs Baranchyk undercard
Rising Lightweight prospect 🇺🇸Gabriel Flores Jr (19-0-0, 6KO, 131 3/4lbs) overcame a wake up call after 🇺🇸Ryan Kielczweski (30-5-0, 11KO, 131lbs) delivered a left hook that sent the 20 year old from Stockton, California stumbling back but didn’t put him on the canvas.
The rest of the way Flores controlled the action, using his jab and footwork to keep the fight where he wanted it and staying way more active with his punch output than his 31 year old opponent from Massachusetts.
This was the first fight in 2020 for Kielczweski who has lost two of his last three overall. For Flores this was his third win in as many fights in 2020, and his sixth fight in a row to go to the cards.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3RD
MICROSOFT CENTER, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
The Barrientes brothers pick up wins U.S. debut
Brothers Angel and Chavez Barrientes were born on American soil in Honolulu, Hawaii, but Saturday night they fought in the United States for the first time, at the Microsoft Center in Los Angeles, California. In their first two fights as professionals, the twins, 18, fought in Tijuana, Mexico.
🇺🇸Angel (3-0-0, 2KO, 120 3/4lbs) picked up a six round unanimous decision (59-54, 59-54, 59-54) over 🇲🇽Fernando Ibarra (121lbs), who has a losing record (2-4-0, 0) and isn’t yet 21 years old himself but has been in tough in his last three fights, with Barrientes being the third straight rising prospect he’s taken on after Robeisy Ramirez and Joseph Adorno. Barrientes was penalized 1 point for holding in the third. As for 🇺🇸Chavez (3-0-0, 2KO, 123 1/2lbs) he picked up a unanimous decision in six (60-54, 60-54, 59-55) over Ivan Varela (3-3-0, 1KO, 123 3/4lbs).
Magsayo tested
In the main event, promising 25 year old Filipino Featherweight 🇵🇭Mark Magsayo ( 21-0-0, 14KO, 127lbs), took a 10 round split decision (96-94, 94-96, 100-90) over opponent 🇲🇽Rigoberto Hermosillo (11-3-1, 8KO, 126 1/2lbs), 28, of Mexico. The scorecard that shows Magsayo sweeping the rounds is… that card we as boxing fans have become too accustomed to, this fight was close and Magsayo edged this one out.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4TH
MARSHALL ARENA, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM
Joshua Buatsi stops Marko Calic in seven rounds
British Light-Heavyweight Joshua Buatsi, who sits high on many boxing fans list in the division, got back to work after being out of the ring for more than a year.
The 27 year old Accra, Ghana native who calls London home, fought through some heavy rust to eventually stop 33 year old Marko Calic of Croatia in seven rounds. Calic delivered heavy shots on Buatsi, leaving the Olympic bronze medalist with a swollen left eye and behind by several rounds on many observers cards at the time of the stoppage.
While the sharp offensive skills of 🥉🇬🇭🇬🇧Buatsi (13-0-0, 11KO) were on display Sunday, his defensive flaws were exposed by 🇭🇷Calic ( 11-1-0, 6KO) more than any other fight he has been in thus far, but again the 14 month layoff is something to keep in mind.
Cameron wins title
On the Buatsi-Calic undercard, 🇬🇧Chantelle Cameron (13-0-0, 7KO) defeated 🇧🇷Adriana Dos Santos Araujo (6-1-0, 1KO), sweeping all three cards (100-90) to win the vacant WBC Womens Super Lightweight title.
COMBAT PROJECT 