NEW YORK CITY — Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs (35-2, 29KO) earned a twelve-round split decision victory over Sergiy “The Technician” Derevyanchenko (12-1, 10KO) to capture the vacant IBF Middleweight Championship, capping a night a boxing in front of 4,691 paying fans at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater. At the end of the contest, judge Julie Lederman (114-113) scored the fight for the Ukrainian, Derevyanchenko, while Tom Schreck (115-112) and Steve Weisfeld (115-112) both had it for the Brooklyn native, Jacobs.
It was a thirty-six minute violent chess match between two familiar adversaries who have sparred an estimated 300-plus rounds together.
Before the fight, both fighters shared trainers, Andre Rozier. Rozier and Gary Stark, Sr. co-trained Derevyanchenko, while Rozier served as Jacob’s sole trainer.
When the opportunity arose for the two stablemates to square off for the vacant IBF Middleweight Title, decisions had to be made, and Derevyanchenko’s co-training duo would fracture. Stark, Sr. took over as the lone trainer for Derevyanchenko, who now lives in Brooklyn, while Rozier stuck with Jacobs, who he has been training since he was 14.
Each fighter left their Brooklyn homes and flew out west for training camp. Jacobs in San Carlos, CA and Derevyanchenko, in Colorado Springs, CO.
When the bell sounded tonight, under the bright lights of Broadway, both fighters knew they had a huge opportunity in front of them, and both fought like they had nothing to lose.
It didn’t take long for fireworks to explode, as late in the first round Jacobs, 31, dropped Derevyanchenko, 32, with a looping right hand that found a home behind the Ukrainian’s left ear.
The smaller Derevyanchenko, who as an amateur compiled a record of 320-90, continually worked his way inside Jacobs reach and fired off loaded shots that, at times, tested Jacob’s twin. In an effort to keep Derevyanchenko at bay and off balance, Jacobs continually switched from orthodox to southpaw, but the machine-like former 2008 Olympian continually pressed forward, not content to be kept on the outside.
In the sixth round, Jacobs delivered a huge right uppercut as the Ukrainian fighter tried to march his way to the inside. Although thrown with every ounce of body weight behind it, Derevyanchenko ate it well, stopping only momentarily before continuing forward, hunting for action.
“The Technician” operated in machine-like fashion, forward, forward, forward. But when the two fighters engaged, Jacobs seemingly bested Derevyanchenko during most of their exchanges. If he didn’t land the most punches, he landed the cleaner, more powerful ones.
The result marks the third straight victory via the scorecards for Jacobs, a osteosarcoma survivor. During that stretch, Jacobs’ other wins have come against Luis Arias and Maciej Sulecki.
For Jacobs, this was also the first fight back inside the walls of Madison Square Garden since losing a closely contested decision to Gennady Golovkin in March 2017. Jacobs’ only other professional defeat came via one punch KO in the fifth round of a bout with Dmitry Pirog in 2010.
This was the first fight at the Garden, first attempt at a world title, and first taste of defeat for Derevyanchenko.
After the fight, Jacobs called out fellow middleweight title holder, Canelo Alvarez (50-1-2, 34KO). Alvarez is fresh off signing a record $365 million 5-year, 11-fight deal with DAZN, which also has a deal with Matchroom Boxing, the promoter of Jacobs.
Explosive! Machado Blasts Evans Wins Inside 1
It took only 2:25 for Puerto Rico’s Alberto “Explosivo” Machado (21-0, 17KO) to drop Yuandale “Money Shot” Evans (20-2, 14KO) three times and retain his WBA super featherweight title. The fight was almost over as soon as it began, as the southpaw Machado, 28, caught and dropped Evans, 29, for the first time with a crisp left cross. Cleveland’s Evans never fully recovered, and Machado, smelling blood in the water, quickly met Evans with a flurry of punches. The Freddie Roach trained Machado then threw a left cross that opened up Evan’s guard, and then shot a nose-crushing right straight down Broadway that rocked Evans and sent him to the mat for the second time. Referee Ricky Gonzalez was generous with his ten count, trying to buy Evans all the time he could. But the few extra seconds Evans was gifted made no difference, as Machado once again fired off vicious shots on an already groggy Evans, and then ended the fight in explosive fashion, rocketing one more right straight through Evans’ shotty guard, sending him violently to the mat for the third and final time.
It was the second fight at Madison Square Garden for Machado, and his second successful title defense. Machado won his belt with an 8th round KO of Jezreel Corrales in October 2017.
Evans’ only other loss also came via first round stoppage in 2012 courtesy of Javier Fortuna.
Hardy Defeats Vincent Again, Claims WBO World Female Featherweight Title
In a rematch of their hotly contested 2016 bout, Heather “The Heat” Hardy (22-0, 4 KO) once again outpointed Shelly “Shelito’s Way” Vincent (23-2, 1KO) to win the vacant WBO World Female Featherweight Title.
Fists came fast and furious throughout all ten rounds as both fighters immediately met in the center of the ring in the opening round and let their hands fly. For the most part, it was a jabless affair; a fight full of power punches thrown at a furious pace. And from the start, neither fighter was able to impose their will on the other. The longer, leaner Hardy, 37, tried her best to throw her shots from a distance, but Vincent, 39, revenge on her mind, continually bull-rushed past Hardy’s defense and landed clean blows of her own.
By the early-middle rounds, both fighter’s faces began to show evidence of being tagged repeatedly. Vincent’s face was beginning to match the color of her mostly-red trunks, while Brooklyn’s Hardy’s face began to puff and swell, and turn light pink.
The action failed to cease as the two fighter’s continued to go toe-to-toe round after round. It wasn’t until the late-middle rounds that Hardy finally gained some separation and clearly won rounds. At the end of ten, judges Glenn Feldman and Kevin Morgan scored it 97-93, while Alan Rubenstein saw it 99-91, all in favor for the new champion, Hardy.
In their previous bout, a 2016 contest in Coney Island, NY, Hardy, a former Former WBC super bantamweight and featherweight champion, eked out a majority decision, as judges turned in cards of 95-95, and 99-91 and 97-93, for “The Heat.”
It was the first fight at Madison Square Garden for Hardy, and her second fight back inside the squared circle since stepping into the octagon for a three-fight stretch from June 2017 to February 2018, amassing a 2-1 record fighting in Bellator.
For Vincent, the loss is the second of her career, both coming courtesy of Hardy.
Mati Outpoints Freeman For Second Career Win
Reshat “The Albanian Bear” Mati (2-0, 1KO) easily outpointed fellow welterweight Keasen Freeman (4-5, 2KO) to earn a unanimous decision victory. This was the first win via the scorecards for Mati, who made his professional debut earlier this month, stopping Adan Ahumada inside 3. Mati scored a knockdown via a beautifully thrown right uppercut in round 3. At the end of the bout, all three judges agreed on a score of 40-35 for Mati. The loss marks the fifth straight defeat for Freeman, who has also been defeated by notable names, Tyrone James and Gary Antoine Russell.
Butaev Demolishes Cosio, Jr., Retires Him In 3
Russian-born Brooklyn-transplant, Radzhab “Python” Butaev (10-8, KO) made quick work Panama’s Azael Cosio, Jr. (21-8-2, 18KO), retiring him after three rounds of their welterweight contest, originally slated to go ten. Butaev, 24, who turned pro in 2016 after compiling an amateur record of 453-9, used his superior skill set and power to blast through Cosio’s guard and brutally batter his 37 year-old counterpart to the body and head. After the third round commenced, Cosio, Jr.’s corner decided it wasn’t their night asked referee Gary Rosato to call a halt to the contest.
The result marked the seventh time out ten career fights for the Joel Diaz-trained Butaev that ended before the fourth round.
Day Wins Hard-Earned Decision Over Veteran Ayala
Patrick Day (16-2-1, 6KO) scored a gutsy ten round unanimous decision victory, claiming the WBC Continental Americas Super-Welterweight Championship over 37 year-old former world title challenger Elvin Ayala (29-12-1, 13KO). Early on in the bought, Ayala, a veteran with 260 professional rounds in his rear view, was able to go blow for blow with Day, occasionally catching his 26 year-old counterpart with clean punches. It didn’t take long for that to change, however, and by the third round, the younger and physically bigger Day, began began to impose his will on the aging veteran.
Round after round, Day was able to walk down Ayala and unload shots, while barely having to deflect any return fire. In the seventh, Ayala mounted a bit of a rally, letting his hands fly more freely. The New Haven, CT native began walking forward and meeting Day halfway, gaining back some of the real estate he was willing to concede during the middle rounds. Eventually, though, Day regained control of the contest and continued to best his foe until the final bell. When the ten rounds concluded, all judges scored the contest in favor of Day, 100-90, twice, and 99-91.
The two blemishes on Day’s record both came in 2015. The first loss, a shocking one, came courtesy of Carlos Garcia Hernandez who stopped Day inside one. The other loss, a UD, was to the long and lanky Alantez Fox later that year.
For Ayala, tonight’s result makes it four straight losses and six in his last seven contests. In fairness to the tough veteran, he continually shares the ring with top-level opposition. Some fighters who have defeated Ayala during the course of his fifteen year career include Vaughn Alexander, Alantez Fox, Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Curtis Stevens, David Lemieux, and Arthur Abraham. Perhaps Ayala’s biggest professional accomplishment remains his 2007 draw with former world champion Sergio Mora.
Joyce Earns Decision In Lightweight Slugfest
In his US debut, Irish native David Oliver Joyce (9-0, 7KO) earned a hardfought unanimous decision victory over Mexico’s Jorge Rojas Zacazontetl (4-5-1, 2KO) in a six round scrap. The two lightweights traded knockdowns early courtesy of left hooks, with Joyce dropping Zacazontetl in the first and Zacazontetl returning the favor the following round. Both fighters were willing to forego defense in favor of landing their own shots, left hooks in particular, but as the bought went on it was Joyce who continually got the better of Zacazontetl. Toward the end of the fifth, the 30 year-old Irishman began to punish Zacazontetl, landing at will and snapping his counterpart’s head in all directions. Zacazontetl was able to survive the onslaught, the round, and the fight, but ultimately lost the decision. Judges Larry Hazzard Jr. and Kevin Morgan scored it 58-53, while Alan Rubenstein scored it 58-54, all for Joyce.
Heavyweight Prospect Jalolov Batters Wright, Retires Him In 4
DiBella Entertainment heavyweight prospect, Bakhodir Jalolov (3-0, 3KO), delivered a thorough beating to Tyrell Wright (9-3-2, 6KO), retiring him after the fourth of a scheduled six rounds. The 6’6” southpaw used his height and reach advantage to keep Jersey City’s Wright out of range, all the while delivering violent one-two’s round after round. Jalolov, who is trained by Joel Diaz and who represented Uzbekistan at the 2016 Rio Olympics, dropped Wright midway through the fourth with a straight left hand. Wright was able to beat referee Harvey Dock’s count, but seconds later, Jalolov opened up a huge gash over the right eye of Wright courtesy of another left. That would be the final punch of significance, as Wright’s corner informed Dock that they are stopping at the fight at the end of the fourth.
Donnelly Easily Outpoints Cervera In US Debut
Former 2016 Irish Olympian Steve Donnelly (4-0, 1KO) cruised to an easy decision against fellow super welterweight Ray Cervera (0-3) to kick off a night of fights live from the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. The 30 year-old Northern Irishman, who sported USA-themed trunks, dropped his 27 year-old counterpart three times en route to a 40-33 win on all three official scorecards.
