LINCOLN, CALIFORNIA – Regarded by many as an uncrowned super featherweight champion, Juan Carlos Burgos aims to put the disappointment of a controversial draw with Rocky Martinez in January in his rearview with an impressive showing against replacement opponent Yakubu Amidu in the ESPN2 Friday Night Fights main event emanating from the Thunder Valley Casino Resort tomorrow night.
Burgos (30-1-1, 20 KOs) of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico was outright robbed according to many aficionados who witnessed his challenge of Martinez’ WBO title on HBO back in January. In what in retrospect became perhaps the first of many odd collections of scores this calendar year, Judge Tony Paolillo had the fight 116-112 Burgos, but was overruled by Waleska Roldan’s puzzling 117-111 tally for Martinez and the even card of John Signorile, 114-114.
Originally Burgos was scheduled to meet former title challenger Daulis Prescott, but the latter had to pull out with kidney stones. On less than two weeks notice, Banner Promotions managed to secure the rugged Amidu (20-4-1, 18 KOs) of Los Angeles, California by way of Accra, Ghana as a replacement for the twelve-round bout. The WBO Intercontinental Lightweight title is at stake, which virtually guarantees the winner a world ranking at 135-pounds.
The Vince Vaughn-managed Amidu provided a stiff test for lightweight contender Ji-Hoon Kim last January on ESPN2, losing a ten-round decision in an action fight. The WBO #2 ranked super featherweight Burgos has never fought above 135-pounds before and would not have tomorrow night had Prescott remained the opponent. Though it was not the original plan, a win Friday allows Burgos’ team the option to seek a meaningful fight at 135- or 130. Burgos weighed-in at 134, while Amidu came in at 133.
In the televised co-feature, WBO #13 ranked 130-pounder Josenilson Dos Santos fights out of his native Brazil for only the third time as a professional, taking on Miguel Gonzalez (21-3, 15 KOs) of Cleveland, Ohio in a ten-round lightweight bout.
Dos Santos (26-1, 16 KOs) of Santana de Parnaíba, Sao Paulo, Brazil suffered his lone defeat to title challenger Diego Magdaleno back in 2009. Since Dos Santos has gone 12-0 all in Brazil. Gonzalez is coming in off of a fairly wide unanimous decision over faded former champion Miguel Acosta. Dos Santos scaled 135, while Gonzalez made 136-pounds.
In a four-round light middleweight swing bout, 2012 Ukrainian Olympian Taras Shelestyuk looks to continue his undefeated run against Bryan, Texas’ Adam Ealoms (3-3-3, 1 KO).
Shelestyuk (4-0, 3 KOs) of Los Angeles by way of Sumy, Sumy Oblast, Ukraine advanced to the semi-finals at the Summer Games in London last year before turning professional in the United States under the promotional umbrella of Banner Promotions in March. The southpaw Ealoms has three professional defeats, but the combined record of those opponents was 18-0-1 entering those contests. Shelestyuk scaled 148-pounds Thursday, while Ealoms came in at 148.5.
In the second swing bout, 6’9” heavyweight monster Justin Goslee (1-0, 1 KO) of Los Angeles takes on Kosetatino Sinoti (0-2) of Long Beach, California in a four-rounder. Sinoti, no small man himself, will be staring up at an opponent about nine inches taller for the first and likely last time of his career.
Goslee, a novice boxer based on his limited amateur experience, pummeled his debut adversary, but failed to halt his attack even after scoring knockdowns. Hopefully for Sinoti’s sake, Goslee, nicknamed “Big Daddy Kane,” will adhere to the rules of the ring a little more closely in his second outing. Goslee weighed-in at 315.4-pounds, while Sinoti tipped 229.
Former amateur standout Fedor Papazov (11-0, 8 KOs) of Tuapse, Krasnodar Krai, Russia makes his U.S. debut against better-than-his-record journeyman Joaquin Chavez (4-7-2, 2 KOs) of Los Angeles in a six-round lightweight bout.
Papazov was a veteran of numerous Russian National and European Union Championships before turning professional in his native Russia back in 2009. Chavez has taken on some of the top up-and-coming lightweights and junior welterweights of the West Coast with varying success, but has continually provided quality opposition each time out. Papazov weighed-in at 135-pounds, with Chavez coming in at 136.6.
Los Angeles’ Jarrod Tennant will make his professional debut against Brandon Adams (0-1) of Stockton, California in a four-round light middleweight bout. Tennant was a late addition to the card after several others fell out against Adams. The Stockton native drew a very tough assignment for his pro debut in May in the aforementioned Taras Shelestyuk. Now Adams, who scaled 149, gets a second try for win number one against an opponent that likely has over 100 less bouts of amateur experience than did Shelestyuk. Tennant weighed in at 150-pounds.
In a rematch over two years in the making, 6’7 ½” heavyweight Razvan Cojanu (6-1, 3 KOs) of Los Angeles by way of Voinesti, Dambovita, Romania looks to avenge the lone loss of his career against veteran spoiler Alvaro Morales (6-13-7) of Las Vegas, Nevada in a four-round bout.
Cojanu entered his debut in 2011 having represented Romania at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but it was the less than body beautiful Morales that walked out of the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino the majority decision victor that night. In the two-plus years since, Morales has gone 0-4-2 including bouts against three previously unbeaten foes, one of which was heavyweight contender Malik Scott. Cojanu, a frequent training mate of legendary James Toney, weighed in at 281-pounds, while Morales scaled 306.
Tickets for the event, promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing Promotions, are available online at Ticketmaster.com.
Quick Weigh-in Results:
WBO Intercontinental Lightweight Championship, 12 rounds
Burgos 134
Amidu 133
Lightweights, 10 Rounds
Dos Santos 135
Gonzalez 136
Light Middleweights, 4 Rounds
Shelestyuk 148
Ealoms 148.5
Heavyweights, 4 Rounds
Goslee 315.4
Sinoti 229
Lightweights, 6 Rounds
Papazov 135
Chavez 136.6
Light Middleweights, 4 Rounds
Adams 149
Tennant 150
Heavyweights, 4 Rounds
Morales 306
Cojanu 281
Photos by Erik Killin
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com or on Twitter @MarioG280.
