Boxing In Europe: Weekend Results

There were a two interesting bills on the Continent this weekend aside from Sugar Jackson Bonsu’s triumph over Carlos Baldomir and Nicolai Valuev’s WBA title defense against Evander Holyfield.

On Saturday, there was a show at Yunost Sports Palace in Zaporizhia, Ukraine with the headlining bout an excellent contest for the IBO Intercontinental Cruiserweight belt, won by reigning champ Vitaliy Rusal, 23-0 (16), over WBF titlist Jozsef Nagy, 20-3 (14), on points.

Also on the card, Interim WBA Welter kingpin Yuriy Nuzhnenko, 28-0-1 (13), saw action, posting a ten round unanimous decision over Uzbekistan’s Ikbal “Black Panther” Kurbanov, 8-3 (3), in a ten rounder.

Southpaw welter prospect Dmitrij Nikulin, 16-0 (5), won his contest with Georgia’s Aleksandre Benidze, 10-9-1 (5), after eight rounds in a rematch.

On Friday in Ploiesti, Romania, Ionut “Jo Jo” Dan Ion, 23-0 (13), fought his third contest in a row in his native land after an extended stay in Montreal, Canada, adding the WBC Continental Americas Light Welterweight title to go along with his NABA belt by dramatically knocking out California based Mexican Miguel Casillas, 27-6-1 (18), in the eleventh round.

On the undercard, Viorel Simion, 10-0 (4), retained the WBC Mediterranean title with an eighth round stoppage of Zsolt Nagy, 12-5 (5).

Former European Union Bantamweight Champ Eugen Sorin Tanasie, 16-1-1 (6), won his second in a row following an unsuccessful attempt at the European crown by posting a six round split decision against former Spanish Featherweight boss Juan Garcia Martin, 15-6 (8).