Boxing News Boxing News
It wasn’t the busiest of Friday nights across the globe but there were a few good fights on tap and we begin in America where former IBF Lightweight Champion Paul Spadafora, 41-0-1 (16), started another comeback by winning every frame of an eight rounder against Shad Howard, 13-11-3 (6), at the Avalon Hotel in Erie, PA.
32 year old Spadafora was appearing in just his fifth contest since WBA titlist Leonard Dorin held him to a draw in their unification bout of 2003, which was coincidentally the last world title bout that “The Pittsburgh Kid” has taken part in.
At the Utopia Theatre in The Bronx, NY, light middle Andrey Tsurkan, 26-3 (17), bounced back from losing his NABF title via split decision to Yuri Foreman in December to stop ex-IBF welterweight title challenger Jessie Feliciano, 15-7-3 (9), in the eighth of a scheduled ten rounder.
The Bronx based 30 year old Russian fighter has now gone 7-1 over his last eight bouts and is steadily climbing the ladder towards a world title opportunity.
Also on the bill, well-traveled Polish heavyweight Albert Sosnowski, 43-1 (26), continued to build his resume with a fifth round finishing of Terrell Nelson, 8-5 (5).
Heading north of the border, we hit the Arena in Repentigny, Quebec, Canada where southpaw middleweight prospect Renan St Juste, 17-1-1 (12), won his ninth on the trot by stopping Elkeana Saunders, 8-2-1 (4), in the eighth and final round while NABA Super Feather Champ Benoit Gaudet, 16-1 (7), KO’d Pedro Javier Torres, 39-22-9 (10), in the third.
Heading over to Europe, at Gymnase Lassalle in Vesoul, France, local man Frederic Tripp, 24-15 (8), won the IBF International Light Welter Crown by stopping Georgia’s Nugzar Margvelashvili, 15-3 (5), in the seventh.
Back across the Atlantic and into the Caribbean where at Coliseo Antonio R. Barcelo in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, lightweight prospect Roman Martinez, 19-0-1 (11), pounded out a ten round unanimous decision over steel chinned Mexican battler Cristian Favela, 15-15-4 (9), and Dominican hardman Francisco Lorenzo, 32-4 (14), saw off Jesus Salvador Perez, 25-20-3 (14), by points decision after eight rounds.
Since Friday’s report is so brief, we’ll thow in a fight card from Thursday night and jump all the way over to the Palasport in Cecina, Italy, where super middle prospect Luca Tassi, 12-0 (4), caged the vacant WBC International crown via a fifth round technical decision over Vignan Mustafa, 8-1 (3), and two time former European cruiserweight title challenger Vincenzo Rossitto, 36-5-2 (22), stayed busy with a third round TKO of Hungarian journeyman Sandor Forgacs, 4-18 (1).
