World Weekend Boxing Roundup: Bradley, Lomachenko, Zhakiyanov

It was a good weekend at the fights and we go straight to the Thomas and Mack Center in America’s Boxing capital, Las Vegas where the WBO welterweight title was fought over last night by champion Tim Bradley Jr, 33-1-1 (13), and challenger Brandon Rios, 32-3-1 (24).

Former WBA lightweight champion Rios reportedly gained over twenty pounds since the previous day’s weigh-in and his performance confirms that evidence of a weight-drained boxer as Bradley had no trouble whatsoever hitting his adversary while avoiding most of what was thrown his way.

Bradley boxed rings around Rios and used body shots to produce his first stoppage victory in four years as a spearing left to the midsection put the 29 year old California resident down in the ninth before overwhelming Rios moments later to prompt referee Tony Weeks to call a halt to the action at 2:49 of the round.

“Desert Storm” retains his WBO belt for the first time in his second reign as champion and now is in a great position to engage in unification bouts with the other titlists at welterweight or perhaps Floyd Mayweather Jr will come out of retirement and face the one fighter that he arguably avoided in the latter stages of his career.

Rios is reportedly contemplating retirement following the third loss in his last five appearances.

The undercard saw a dominant title defense by WBO featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko, 5-1 (3), who stopped outgunned Mexican challenger Romulo Koasicha, 25-5 (15).

A two-time Olympic gold medallist, Lomachenko started his pro career at world class level and hopefully will rematch the only man to put a loss on his record; Omar Salido, in early 2016.

Jumping across the big ditch, we land at Echo Arena in Liverpool, England where super middleweight Callum Smith, 18-0 (13), wasted no time in stamping his authority over the domestic division with a shocking first round KO of north-east rival Rocky Fielding, 21-1 (12), to annex the vacant British title.

From the start, Smith and Fielding were off like a shot, winging huge punches with both men being shaken by hard shots.But Smith hit the target earlier, dropping Fielding three times before the bout was stopped at 2:45 of the very first round.

Smith joins three of his brothers as having held British titles and will likely get a world level opportunity in the near future.

At Salon des Etoiles in Monte Carlo, bantamweight Zhanat Zhakiyanov, 26-1 (18), won his 21st consecutive bout by posting a 116-113, 115-113, 113-116 split decision over Yonfrez Parejo, 17-2-1 (8), to capture the vacant Interim WBA belt.

Light welter Ruslan Provodnikov, 25-4 (18), took a big step to get back to world level with a fourth round TKO of Jesus Alvarez Rodriguez, 14-1 (11).