Boxing News Boxing News
In a major Continental upset, Belorussian super feather Sergey Gulyakevich outpointed the heavy handed reigning European Champion Leva Kirakosyan over twelve rounds at Datch Forum in Milan, Italy last night.
26 year old Gulyakevich outboxed the favored Kirakosyan, an Armenian residing in Spain, and managed to avoid the champion’s massive punching power while annexing the European title via the varying scores of 120-108, 118-110 and 115-113.
Kirakosyan, 26-5 (17), had previously won eight of his last twelve bouts by KO and had twice victimized British Champion Carl Johanneson during that period. Gulyakevich, 24-1 (12), had been stopped on cuts last year in a failed bid to lift the European title from Alex Arthur before the Scotsman gave up the belt and won the WBO crown.
Also on the bill in Milan, European Flyweight Champ Andrea Sarritzu, 27-3-4 (10), of Sardenia, Italy gunned down challenger Lahcene Zemmouri, 16-9-1 (9), of Spain, in seven rounds to retain his title for the third time. The pair met back in 2000 with Sarritzu stopping Zemmouri in four frames.
European Union Cruiser strapholder and local hero Giacobbe Fragomeni, 24-1 (10), kept his belt with a twelve round majority decision against French import Rachid El Hadak, 12-6 (4), by scores of 118-111, 116-112 and 114-114.
At 38, steel-chinned former amateur standout Fragomeni will likely have one more chance to mount an a assault on the full European crown, currently held by Denmark’s undefeated Johny Jensen, who KO’d Vincenzo Cantatore in two rounds earlier this month.
