Month: March 2017

Golovkin Defends IBF Middleweight Title for Third Time With UD Win Over Jacobs

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By: Raymundo Dioses

Unified middleweight titleholder Gennady Golovkin made his third successful defense of the International Boxing Federation title with a unanimous decision win over Daniel Jacobs at the famed Madison Square Garden in New York in front of 19,939 fans on March 18, 2017. 

Golovkin, (37-0, 33KO) faced a stiff challenge in Jacobs, who pressed the champion to the full twelve round distance for the first time in his career.  Golovkin fought behind a steady jab and recorded a knockdown via right hand in the fourth round. 

“I respect Daniel Jacobs, and he did a very good job and clean job,” Golovkin said.  “Daniel Jacobs is my favorite fighter — quality, very good fighter after I knocked him down. I respect his team.”  Golovkin’s consecutive knockout win streak ended at 23 with the Jacobs bout. 

Jacobs, (32-2, 29KO) did not show up to make the agreed weight for the day-of-fight weigh-in and was thus ineligible to win the IBF title.  It was unknown how much Jacobs weighed by fight night as the Brooklyn native did not weigh-in for HBO.  Jacobs remained competitive following the fourth round knockdown yet ultimately was outpointed by the Kazakhstan countryman by the scores of 115-112 twice and 114-113. 

Golovkin, who won the IBF title in October 2015 via knockout win over David Lemieux, now stands just two more defenses away from matching longtime IBF middleweight (and light heavyweight) champion Bernard Hopkins.  Hopkins set the record of middleweight title defenses at 20, with Golovkin trailing by two with 18 defenses.

Fiordigiglio retains IBF I/C title in Italy

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Italian contender Orlando Fiordigiglio (27-1, 12 KOs) successfully retained his IBF I/C belt at jr. middleweight on Saturday night in Siena (Tuscany), Italy. The 32-year-old Fiordigiglio, a former Italian and European Union titlist, had to sweat and grit, but he was able to get past the always game Howard Cospolite (now 15-6-2, 6 KOs) of France. The French challenger started the bout at a high pace, trying to match the upset he caused in Denmark in May 2015, when he stopped the previously unbeaten Abdul Khattab. Fiordigiglio, however, was able to weather the storm and seemed to have success with his counterpunching during the middle rounds. At the beginning of round nine, though, a cut caused by an accidental headbutt a few rounds earlier forced British referee Mickey Vann to stop the contest and read the scorecards. All of the judges had it 87-85 Fiordigiglio, who was then awarded the technical decision and kept his crown.

De Loach Wins Vacant USBA Super Welterweight Title, Hurd Wins Vacant IBF Super Welterweight Title

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By Raymundo Dioses

De Loach Wins Vacant USBA Super Welterweight Title

Justin De Loach needed only two rounds to dispatch Chris Pearson in a minor-upset that occurred on the undercard of a Mayweather Promotions fight card from The Pechanga in Temecula, California on February 24, 2017. 

De Loach, (17-1, 9KO) knocked Pearson to the canvas twice in round two, with Pearson taking the full count following the second knockdown as De Loach notched a KO win at 2:30 in round two. 

With the win De Loach picks up the vacant USBA super welterweight title. 

Hurd Wins Vacant IBF Super Welterweight Title

Jarrett Hurd fought Tony Harrison for the vacant IBF super welterweight title at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama on February 25, 2017 and after a slow start and many competitive back and forth rounds, was able to drop and stop Harrison in round eight. 

“I did it! Tony Harrison was a tough opponent. We knew he would use a lot of movement in the fight. The game plan was to wear him down as the fight wore on. One thing I do well is keep my composure. We knew landing shots to the body and keeping the pressure on him was going to eventually break him down,” said Hurd.

Hurd, (20-0, 14KO) is now the IBF’s newest champion.  The title became vacant a few weeks before the bout after former champion Jermall Charlo, who won the belt in 2015 and made three successful defenses, made the decision to vacate and move up to the middleweight division.