Chris Colbert retained the WA Interim Super Featherweight title with 12-round unanimous decision over Tugstsoght Nyambayar at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
Colbert dominated the action with his and an occasional flush power punch, with the late-replacement Nyambayar never able to get close to land anything of significance.
Colbert landed 218 of 622 punches; Nyambayar was just 78 of 332.
Colbert, 130 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 118-110 twice and 117-111, and is now 16-0. Nyambayar, 129.6 lbs of Mongolia is 12-2.
Chris Colbert:
“He carried power for a 126-pounder. Boxing is about hitting and not getting hit. I had to use my Muhammad Ali tactics and float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.
“We had a tremendous training camp. We sparred a lot with a bigger guy in Michel Rivera. I had a lot of practice using my speed and jab in camp. The jab is always a key in this sport.
“This was a great fight and ‘Tug’ did a great job coming in off only a week and a half of training for me. I take off my hat to him and wish him nothing but the best in his career.
“I’m very slick. It’s not that easy to hit me. If you get me with one, you got lucky.”
Rivera stops Fernandez in 8
Michel Rivera scored an emphatic eighth round stoppage over Jon Fernandez in a scheduled 12-round lightweight bout.
In round six, Fernandez landed a hard right hand that sent Rivera down to the canvas for the first time. In round eight, Rivera landed a jab that was followed by a booming right that splattered Fernandez face-first on the canvas, and the fight was immediately stopped at 44 seconds
Rivera, 134.4 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 21-0 with 14 knockouts, Fernandez, 135 lbs of Spain is 21-2.
Michel Rivera:
“Fernandez is a good fighter who hits hard, but he doesn’t have the skill that I have. I had to get him tired and I knew I could get to him. My coach was telling me that my right hand would be able to land. Once I landed it, I knew right away that the fight was over.
“I was trying to find the distance, and around round 6 or 7 the distance got a little tighter.
“Fernandez is a good boxer, and I know that he has good condition. He has great experience and he is good in Spain. I know that he fights with good European talent.
“You can see that he is a top guy with a good record and experience. I know that he is tough clearly.
“I can fight with Ryan Garcia, I can fight with Teofimo Lopez, and I’m not joking. I know that I can fight with any of the top five in the lightweight division. I live in the gym and I have made the sacrifices to be great and I have a great team behind me.
“I’m so excited, beyond happy. Fernández was a strong, experienced opponent that forced me to change the gameplan I had going in.
“I had a plan, but I had to throw I away once he got me with a punch. I knew since the first round that I would have to be careful with him. He had heavy hands and was taller than me, but I was faster and more skilled overall.
“To be honest, I felt like I was winning on the cards anyway. My corner would tell me ‘you lost this (round)’ and I felt I was up 5-2.
“(Looks at his medal) This goes for Rolando Romero. Once I do face him, I would like to go up against Gervonta Davis or Teofimo López next.”
