ATLANTIC CITY, NJ–Eleider Alvarez sat for almost three years as a mandatory challenger for Adonis Stevenson’s WBC Light Heavyweight title. It was well worth the wait as Alvarez scored a spectacular come from behind 7th round stoppage over WBO champion Sergey Kovalev before a sold out crowd at the new Hard Rock Hotel.
Kovalev boxed well over the first part of the fight, and then turned up heat in round four by landing hard power shots.
With Kovalev widening his lead, and cutting Alvarez under the left eye in round six, Alvarez came out in round seven by landing a huge right that stumbled and dropped Kovalev. Kovalev was badly hurt and took a big combination that sent him to the deck for a 2nd time. Kovalev was sent over the brink with a vicious combination that plummeted “The Krusher” to the canvas for a 3rd and final time, and the fight was 2:03.
Alvarez, 174.4 lbs of Montreal is 24-0 with 12 knockouts. Kovalev, 174 lbs of Chelyabrinsk, RUS is 32-3-1.
“I can’t describe how I feel,” said an elated Alvarez, thanking God and his entire team including trainer Marc Ramsey and promoter Yvon Michel, along with his family and the people of both Quebec and Colombia.
“I wanted to show him I’m strong, I have a good chin, and I’m ready for big things,” said Alvarez. On the knockout blow, Alvarez said “We practiced that punch during training camp, and that’s how it went … I always practiced that punch in training.”
Alvarez, a native of Colombia, had waited on a title shot as the WBC mandatory challenger for three years. When offered, he jumped at the chance to face Kovalev, earning him tremendous respect. Now he sits at the top of the division. Asked if he’d like to face the winner of the co-main event, Dmitry Bivol, Alvarez said “I’m ready for the best in the world. I’m ready for the best in the division. I’ve been waiting for five years. I’m ready for anybody.”
Speaking on Instagram from the back of an ambulance en route to a local hospital, an upbeat Kovalev reassured fans he was all right. “I am on my way to the hospital to check my head, check my body … I feel OK. Thank you everyone, thank you very much to all the fans around the world for your support. I love you, and I’m fine.”
Dmitry Bivol defended the WBA Lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Isaac Chilemba.
The fight started out with a fast pace with a number of exchanges in the first four rounds. Bivol got the better with faster and harder shots. Bivol then settled the fight down and used his boxing ability and timely power punching to win by scores of 120-108 twice and 116-112.
Bivol, 174.6 lbs of St. Petersburg, RUS is 14-0. Chilemba, 175 lbs of Malawi is 25-6-2.
“Chilemba is a good fighter, and he had champion spirit tonight,” said Bivol. “He is a strong fighter. I want to fight more good fighters. I don’t know who my next opponent will be.
“We will see what will happen … I just want to fight the best fighters.”
Chilemba said, “I believe I won every round from the fifth. I pushed Bivol backwards and made him miss. I deserve a rematch.”
Meririm Nursultanov stopped Jonathan Batista at the end of round two of their scheduled eight-round middleweight bout.
Nursultanov dropped Batista in round two, and Batista was too hurt to continue.
Nursultanov, 159.4 lbs of Astana, KAZ is 8-0 with 7 knockouts. Batsita, 1636 lbs of San Pedro, DR is 17-15.
“I didn’t like that he quit. I wanted a real knockout, so it is not how I planned.” Nursultanov said he had a solid five weeks of training camp and “I was ready, 100 percent.” To his fans, ‘The Sultan’ said “Thank you everybody, thank you Atlantic City. It’s a very good place and I hope to come back here again.”
Karl Dargan came back from a two-year Hiatus to register a six-round unanimous decision over Jonathan Perez in a lightweight bout.
Dargan, 135.6 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 60-54 on all cards, and is now 18-1. Perez.136 lbs of Braanaquilla. COL is 37-23.
Dargan said he was satisfied with the results after the layoff. “I mainly wanted to get the rounds in. There are a lot of things I saw that I could have done. But I didn’t want to make no mistakes.” Dargan said the win gives him new motivation going forward. “It was like a pro debut again. I’m going to stay ready, and stay in the gym. As long as I am healthy, I am going to keep moving.”
Frank Galarza stopped Alexis Duarte in round two of their scheduled ten-round junior middleweight bout.
In round two, Galarza dropped duarte with a left hook to the body. After an exchange, Galarza dropped Duarte with another left to hook to the body that sent Duarte to the canvas for the ten-count at 1:57.
Galarza, 154.4 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 20-2-2 with 12 knockouts. Duarte, 151.6 lbs of New York, NY is 13-6-1.
After the bout, Galarza reflected on the win. “I feel good, I feel like a rock star at the Hard Rock! There is always room for improvement.”
Galarza was treated for a cut on top of the head after the bout. “I think he gave me a head butt, he gave me a little laceration on the top of my head. But we executed – you know, he was a little wild. We came in and stood tight, stayed low, and went for the body. We did the job, we took him out with a body shot.”
Galarza said he has ambitious plans for his next fight. “I want to start getting some names, get some TV, some HBO. Let’s start fighting someone big!”
Bakhram Murtzaliev destroyed Fernando Carcamo 41 seconds into their ten-round junior middleweight bout.
Murtzaliev pounded and dropped Carcamo with a vicious right hand. Carcamo got up very wobbly, and the fight was stopped.
Murtzaliev, 153 lbs of Grozny, RUS is 13-0 with 11 knocoiys Carcamo, 154 lbs of Ciudad, MEX is 23-9.
“It happened so fast, I still don’t understand,” Murtazaliev admitted. “I just left, and I am in the dressing room already. Of course, I’m very happy. A win is a win. We are moving forward fast.” Murtazaliev said he wants to fight a world champion next for a title. To his fans, Murtazaliev said, “Thank you very much for supporting me. Please continue to support me, I promise I will show you the best fights.”
Mediyar Askkeyev stopped Eduardo Flores in round four of their scheduled eight-round junior middleweight bout.
Flores was deducted a point in round three for spitting out his mouthpiece due to the beating he was taken. Finally in round four the bout was stopped after an Ashkeyev flurry.
Ashkeyev, 153 lbs of Merki, KAZ is 10-0 with six knockouts. Flores, 153 lbs of Quito, ECU is 24-30-4.
“I listened to my trainer Marcos Contreras, I followed his direction and you see the results,” said Ashkeyev. “I’m very happy with the results I showed today. I will keep moving forward.” Ashkeyev said he heard the fans cheering their approval. “I heard everybody. I’m very proud of all my fans.”
Denis Douglin won a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Vaughn Alexander in a super middleweight bout.
Douglin, 167.2 lbs of Marlboro, NJ won by scores 100-90 and 99-91 twice. Douglin is now 20-6. Alexander, 1664 lbs of St. Louis, MO is 12-1.
“I give myself a C-plus,” said Douglin of the win. “I had a little bit of ring rust. I felt like I should have done more to him in the earlier rounds. It took a little bit to get comfortable. Fighters shouldn’t be fighting once a year. It took me time to shake off the nerves, but once I felt good, I felt good. I’ll be back in the gym on Monday. I’m from Jersey, so people are looking for me to keep coming.”
After the fight, Alexander said it just wasn’t his night. “The dude was tough like I knew he would be.” Alexander said he would now give some thought to his future. “I have to go and think about what I want to do – I don’t know.”
Enriko Gogokhia won a six-round unanimous decision over Rontes Montes in a welterweight bout.
Gogokhia, 147.4 lbs of Zugdidi, Georgia Republic won by scores of 60-54 on all cards, and is now 8-0. Montes, 148/8 lbs of Barranquilla, COL is 18-10.
“I felt very good,” said Gogokhia after the bout. “I’m happy with only 50 percent of everything. I won, but I didn’t knock him out. I didn’t fight for nine months due to injury. This was a good warmup for the next fight. I’ll fight everybody they give to me.”
Gogokhia had a message for his loyal fans. “Thank you very much to everybody who came to support me. I’m going to show you very nice fights in the future.”
In a battle of undefeated junior middleweights, Ismael Villareal won a four-round unanimous decision over Kieran Hooks.
Villareal, 156.4 lbs of Bronx, NY won by scores of 39-37 on all cards, and is now 3-0. Hooks, 156.4 lbs of Philadelphia is 3-1-1.
Villarreal called it a good fight. “I feel great. I am happy that I got to Puerto Rico and prepare myself for this. I think that really helped a lot for this fight,” said Villarreal. “I want to say thank you for everybody supporting me, and especially Joe (trainer Jose Santiago) for telling me to go to Puerto Rico to train.”
Villarreal, 20, son of former super lightweight fighter Otilio Villarreal, is building his own fan base and legacy, while simultaneously carrying a full course load at Brooklyn Community College, majoring in secondary education. Villarreal will be back to school in a few weeks. And then? “Whatever fight is next, I’m going to fight. Hopefully it’s soon.”
“It was a great night of boxing, Boxing is back in Atlantic City,” declared Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events.
Photos by Ronnit Zalayet
