El púgil boricua noqueó en cinco asaltos a Marco Antonio ‘Kua Kua’ López

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Félix ‘El Diamante’ Verdejo logró lo que pocos atletas han logrado recientemente: un lleno a capacidad en el Mario ‘Quijote’ Morales.

Ante casa llena en el hogar de los Mets del Baloncesto Superior Nacional, Verdejo noqueó en cinco asaltos a Marco Antonio ‘Kua Kua’ López. El fin vino a los 1:45 de ese episodio, cuando el réferi Luis Pabón detuvo la contienda tras la segunda caída del mexicano.

Verdejo (17-0, 13 nocauts) salió calmado y con la guardia alta. Caminó en semicírculos buscando ángulos de ataque. A mediados de round dio un gancho al costado pero López (22-6, 13 nocauts) no lució sentido. El boricua entonces utilizó el jab y retrocedió cuando el mexicano tiró a su abdomen.

En el segundo asalto ambos peleadores se encontraron en el centro del cuadrilátero. Verdejo llegó arriba con una derecha larga, luego abajo con dos ganchos. López ripostó sin efectividad. El peleador local buscó el contragolpe y el visitante conectó dos derechas a la oreja, colando el golpe por detrás de la alta guardia de Félix.

La ofensiva de Verdejo cobró fuerza en el tercero. Ya no marcaba con las manos, sino que buscaba herir.

Llegó bien con derechas largas y con la zurda curva. López retrocedió los tres minutos. En los segundos finales López evadió con eficacia una seguidilla de golpes y Verdejo sonrió malévolo, consciente de que el mexicano estaba alerta a sus ataques.

Para el quinto, López no tiraba y retrocedía hasta llegar a las cuerdas. Aún no lo  habían sentido, pero ya se dedicaba a sobrevivir. Fue entonces que Verdejo lo estremeció varias veces con el recto de derecha desde lejos, luego con un oper izquierdo de cerca. Poco después lo pilló en la esquina azul y lo derribó con una combinación.

López se reincorporó, pero no tenía escapatoria. Quedaba mucho tiempo en el episodio y Verdejo se lanzó sobre él combinando sin clemencia. Tras varios opers y ganchos al rostro, López volvió a caer, esta vez visiblemente herido. El árbitro Luis Pabón lo consideró inapto para seguir la contienda y detuvo el encuentro a los 1:45 de ese asalto.

“Estoy contento y agradecido por esta Victoria”, dijo Verdejo, quien conquistó la faja regional Latino de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo en las 135 libras, ante un rival que no dio el peso y que noche superaba las 160 libras.

“Peleamos con calma y la mano del nocaut llegó, gracias a Dios”, agregó. “Ricky me dijo que trabajara poco a poco, que combinara y que atacara al cuerpo”, concluyó.

Felix Verdejo brilla en su isla

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Kovalev’s arm is lifted aloft by the fight referee after stoping Pascal in the eighth round

Russia’s Sergey Kovalev stopped Canada’s Jean Pascal early in the eighth round Saturday night to retain his three world light heavyweight titles.

The large Bell Centre crowd booed when referee Luis Pabon stopped the fight, with the dazed Pascal (29-3-1) against the ropes from a series of blows from Kovalev (27-0-1).

And the Canadian wasn’t happy with the stoppage, immediately calling for a rematch after the bout was stopped, insisting: ‘I was still in the fight.

Russian Kovalev retained his WBA, WBO and IBF titles during the bout in Montreal
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Kovalev (right) lands a right to the head of Canadian Pascal during the light heavyweight bout

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The Russian Kovalev (left) lands a left to Pascal’s body during the unified bout in Montreal
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The fight was the first time that Pascal (right) had been stopped in his career

‘Kovalev looked to have won seven of the eight rounds in the scheduled 12-round bout.

‘How I started I didn’t like,’ said Kovalev. ‘But after the fourth round I got control of Jean and what you saw — I got him with a good right hand and he lost.’

Kovalev retained his WBA, WBO and IBF titles. Pascal, the former WBC champion from Montreal, was stopped for the first time in his career.

Kovalev (left) hands a head shot on Pascal with his right during the fight at the Bell Centre

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Kovalev (right) gets a punch with his right to the head of Pascal as his opponent tries to avoid it

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Canadian Pascal (right) lands a body shot on Kovalev during their championship bout

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Pascal looks dazed in his corner as he is given a pep talk during the fight at the Bell Centre

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Pascal gets the standing count from the referee after falling in the third round of the fight

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/boxing/article-2995617/Sergey-Kovalev-stops-Jean-Pascal-eight-rounds-retain-titles.html

Sergey Kovalev,

Sergey Kovalev,from Russia, holds up his belts after defeating Jean Pascal, from Montreal, with an 8th round TKO Saturday, March 14, 2015 in Montreal. Kovalev defends his World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization light-heavyweight titles.  Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS –

Jean Pascal showed plenty of heart, plenty of guts — just as advertised. But he also appeared to be overmatched against Sergey Kovalev.

Kovalev retained his three light-heavyweight titles — the World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization — with an eighth-round technical knockout against Laval’s Pascal Saturday night before approximately 12,000 Bell Centre spectators.

The end came at 1:03 of the round. Kovalev scored with a left against the ropes, then quickly landed an overhand right, prompting Puerto Rican referee Luis Pabon to stop the bout. Moments earlier, Kovalev was dropped, but Pabon ruled it a slip.

Pascal looked on in disbelief, as though he was shocked, when the fight was stopped.

Kovalev remains undefeated and improved to 27-0-1 with 24 knockouts. Pascal slipped to 29-3-1.

Sergey Kovalev v Jean Pascal

Sergey Kovalev (right) lands a punch to the head of Jean Pascal during their unified light heavyweight championship bout at the Bell Centre on March 14, 2015 in Montreal.  Photo:  Richard Wolowicz /  Getty Images

Kovalev looked like he had Pascal finished in the third round, when he scored with a right hand. Pascal slipped slightly through the ropes and appeared in serious trouble.

But he survived and came on in rounds five and six, swinging from the fences and scoring with overhand rights. Pascal was wild and unorthodox, throwing punches from angles and landing as often as he could. But he also missed as frequently.

It was clear and obvious Kovalev was the more polished and accomplished boxer. Indeed, the Russian-born Kovalev had Pascal hurt with a left hook near the end of the seventh round. Pascal stumbled back to his corner.

Sergey Kovalev v Jean Pascal

Jean Pascal (right) lands a punch to the head of Sergey Kovalev during their unified light heavyweight championship bout at the Bell Centre on March 14, 2015 in Montreal.  Photo by Richard Wolowicz /  Getty Images

 

Kovalev was making the fifth defence of the WBO title he captured in 2013 against Nathan Cleverly, stopping him in the fourth round.

Kovalev has dismantled all opponents who have gotten in his way since then, although many have lacked star power. Those included Ismayl Sillakh, Cedric Agnew and Blake Caparello. The latter caught Kovalev off-balance, knocking him down in the opening round, before Kovalev roared back to stop him in the second. He defeated Sillakh in November 2013 at the Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City.

Kovalev had hoped for a unification bout against Blainville’s Adonis Stevenson, the World Boxing Council 175-pound champ. Indeed, a deal had been agreed upon according to Main Events and HBO. But things changed after Stevenson signed with Showtime.

Stevenson said he wanted a fight against veteran Bernard Hopkins. But Hopkins eventually pulled an about-face, signing to put his version of the light-heavyweight titles up against Kovalev last November in Atlantic City. The winner would control three of the division’s four titles.

Kovalev dropped Hopkins in the first round, scoring with the first decent punch of the bout, but never could provide the finishing salvo. Hopkins appeared to be in survival mode and lost a unanimous decision. It marked the first time Kovalev fought beyond the eighth round.

Pascal, meanwhile, lost his first title opportunity back in 2008, vanquished by Carl Froch when they met for Froch’s super-middleweight belt.

Undaunted, Pascal moved up to the light-heavyweight division, capturing the WBC title against Adrian Diaconu. Pascal beat him again in their rematch, then handed Chad Dawson the first defeat of his career before fighting Hopkins to a majority draw. When they met in the rematch five months later, Pascal lost a decision in May 2011.

Pascal scored a unanimous decision against Lucian Bute in January 2014, but had fought only once since then, capturing a two-round no-contest against Roberto Bolonti last December.

It was hardly the ideal way to tune-up for Kovalev.

http://montrealgazette.com/sports/sergey-kovalev-beats-jean-pascal-with-eighth-round-tko-at-bell-centre

Date:  Saturday, March 14, 2015

WBO/WBA/IBF  LT. HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BOUT

Location:   Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Promoter:    Main Events (Kathy Duva)  / Interbox (Jean Bedard)

Supervisor:  Luis Perez

Referee:   Luis Pabon

Judges:   Cesar Ramos (68-64); Richard James Davies (68-64); Zoltan Enyedi (68-64)

Results:   The Champion Sergey Kovalev retained the WBO/WBA/IBF Lt. Heavyweight Title against Jean Pascal by TKO in round number eight.

TV:  USA HBO   Hungary Sport 2   Canada Indigo   Canada Viewers Choice

Date:  Saturday, November 22, 2014

WBO  FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BOUT

Location:  Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, Macao S.A.R., China

Promoter:   Top Rank / Bob Arum

Supervisor:   Luis A. Perez

Referee:    Luis Pabon

Judges:  Michael Pernick (120-107) \ Patrick Morley (120-107) \ Salven Lugumbay (120-107)

Results:   The Champion Vasyl Lomachenko retained the WBO Featherweight Title by Unanimous Decision against Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo.

TV:   Hungary Sport 1   USA HBO PPV   New Zealand Sky Arena

Date:  Saturday, March 1, 2014

WBO Lightweight Championship Title

Location:  Scottish Exhibition Centre, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Promoter:  Matchroom Boxing

Supervisor:  István Kovács

Referee:   Luis Pabón

Judges:   Salven Lugumbay (116-112), Alejandro Lopez Cid (117-111), Zoltan Envedi (116-112)

Result:  Terence Crawford obtained the WBO Lightweight Title by unanimous decision.

 

ZaurBaysangurov

World Boxing Organization (WBO) president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel announced today the referee and judges who will work the July 6 world title fight between WBO light middleweight champion Zaurbek Baysangurov (28-1, 20 KOs) and undefeated official challenger Demetrius Andrade (19-0, 13 KOs) to be held at the Sport Palace in Kiev, Ukraine in a K2 Promotions presentation. The referee will be Luis Pabon from Puerto Rico, the judges for the Baysangurov-Andrade bout will be Ingo Barrabas (Germany), Thomas Miller (USA) and Hernando Steidel (Puerto Rico). Supervisor will be Igor Mazurov from Russia who is a member of the WBO Executive Committee and the president of the Federation of Professional Boxing of Russia.

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/baysangurov-andrade-officials-201347