Friday Night Boxing Roundup

Spread out across the globe last night were some decent fights, so lets get busy! There was no world title bout on offer, but a few former major title champions were in action. Ex-IBF Super Flyweight kingpin Felix “El Macho” Machado may have seen his career was ashore as the Venezuelan southpaw came up short in Panama City, Panama. Machado dropped a wide points decision to the far less experienced Anselmo Moreno and the point deduction in the sixth didn’t help things for “El Macho” as he loses the opportunity to resuscitate his flagging career as well as cage the vacant WBA Fedecentro and Fedebol titles. Also on the bill, Joel Cerrud outpointed Armando Rojas to keep the Panamanian Super Feather belt.

Heading north to the States, Glenn “The Filipino Bomber” Donaire won two regional American belts at flyweight, the NABF and the NABO, in Oklahoma. After failing to stem the tide of Donaire’s heavier artillery, opponent Cesar Lopez was deducted a point for a low blow during a twelfth and final round of the contest.

Over in Tampa, Florida, super middleweight Rubin Williams continued his comeback from being knocked out by Jeff Lacy a year ago with a uneventful eight round unanimous decision over difficult journeyman Richard “The Alien” Grant. In other action, heavyweight Sherman Williams decisioned Earl Ladson over six rounds.

Taking a long trip across the Atlantic, next up it’s Durban, South Africa where Irvin Buhlalu dropped rival Benedict Dlamini in the first enroute to a close points win to retain his South African Lightweight title for the second tile. Buhlalu is a study in determination, coming back numerous times after having suffered losses to some of the best men on the domestic scene including Isaac Hltashwayo and Mzonke Fana in the past.

Next up it’s Finland where Amin Asikainen knocked out Christophe Tendil in the fifth to grab the vacant European Union Middleweight crown in Helsinki.

Going on now to Southeast Asia, warhorse Jeffery Onate prevailed in a free for all against Vinvin Rufino for the Philippine Featherweight title in Manilla. Despite canvassing Rufino in the second, Onate hit the deck himself in the seventh, tenth and eleventh rounds but still was declared the winner by wide margins.

Heading Down Under, Ahmed Elomar stopped Raymundo Abesia in the eleventh to take the vacant IBF Pan Pacific Featherweight trophy in Sydney. In other action, two-time world title challenger Hussein Hussein and his brother, Nedal Hussein, also a two-time world title challenger, were victorious.

Still in Australia, heavy handed local man Tim “Tiger” Bell lost his Australian Light Heavyweight crown to spoiler Heath Stenton by ten round unanimous decision in Melbourne.

And to cap off our Friday night coverage, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francisco Antonio Mora crushed Manuel Alvarez via third round knockout to take the vacant WBO Latino Super Middleweight title. Mora was returning from a loss in January to former IBF Light Middle Champion Kassim Ouma for the NABO 154 lb belt.