Murat Gassiev Stops Peter Kadiru as Joe Joyce Suffers Another Setback in Moscow

Moscow wasn’t exactly short of talking points before the opening bell, and by the end of the night there were two heavyweight stories impossible to ignore. Murat Gassiev defended his WBA heavyweight title with another stoppage victory, while Britain’s Joe Joyce saw his comeback end in disappointment after unbeaten Russian Artem Suslenkov forced an eleventh-round stoppage. Elsewhere, several unbeaten fighters kept their momentum going as IBA Pro 19 delivered a busy night of action in Moscow.

Main Event

Murat Gassiev improved to 34-2-0 after stopping Peter Kadiru in the sixth round to retain his WBA heavyweight title.

Kadiru, now 23-2-0, stepped in on short notice and showed plenty of ambition early, but Gassiev’s relentless pressure and heavy body work gradually took control of the contest. The champion trapped Kadiru on the ropes repeatedly before another sustained attack in round six prompted the challenger’s corner to throw in the towel, ending the fight by technical knockout.

It wasn’t a surprise result, but it was another reminder that Gassiev remains one of the division’s most dangerous finishers when he starts breaking opponents down.

Co-Main Event

The bigger talking point for British fans came in the chief support as Artem Suslenkov moved to 15-0-0 with an eleventh-round TKO victory over Joe Joyce.

Joyce, now 16-5-0, was hoping to relaunch his heavyweight career after a lengthy lay-off, but Suslenkov simply never allowed him to settle. The unbeaten Russian piled on the pressure throughout before Joyce was eventually unable to continue in round eleven.

It’s hard not to wonder where Joyce goes from here. His toughness has never been in doubt, but another stoppage defeat raises fresh questions. For Suslenkov, meanwhile, this was comfortably the biggest win of his professional career.

Other Title Fights

Sharabutdin Ataev remained unbeaten with a unanimous decision victory over former world champion Jose Uzcategui, earning himself a WBA light heavyweight title shot.

Pavel Sosulin kept his unbeaten record intact by outpointing Eddy Colmenares over ten rounds via unanimous decision in a competitive super welterweight contest.

Tamerlan Ozdoev claimed the WBA Asia East lightweight title with an eighth-round knockout of Shivam.

Undercard

Arslan Yallyev stopped Murad Khalidov by TKO in round three after taking control with his jab and reach.

David Dzukaev stayed unbeaten with a unanimous decision over Aleksei Egorov after ten competitive cruiserweight rounds.

Vadim Musaev defeated Farahat Manilola by unanimous decision over ten rounds at welterweight.

Muslim Gadzhimagomedov forced Kevin Martinez to retire after round eight, earning a ninth-round RTD victory.

Vyacheslav Rogozin enjoyed a successful professional debut, outpointing RV Deniega by unanimous decision over six rounds.

Closing Thoughts

Gassiev strengthened his position at the top of the heavyweight scene with another stoppage, while Suslenkov announced himself with the biggest win of his career. It was a night where established names handled business, but one where Joyce’s future may dominate the conversation long after the final bell.