Tag: landing early and often before scoring a trio of knockdowns in the third round

Stevenson crushes Bellew in six; Kovalev destroys Sillakh in two

Posted on by boxingstrategist

Stevenson crushes Bellew in six; Kovalev destroys Sillakh in two

By Dave Spencer at ringside

In a grudge match, WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson (22-1, 19 KOs) scored a sixth round TKO over mandatory challenger Tony Bellew (20-1-1, 12 KOs) on Saturday night at the Colisee de Quebec, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Stevenson stalked Bellew the entire fight, finally dropping Bellew in the sixth with a big left hand. Stevenson then pummeled Bellew to get the referee’s stoppage. Time was 1:50. “The dwarf knocked him out,” said Stevenson afterward.

Undefeated WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (23-0-1, 21 KOs) showed why he such a force in the division and all of boxing Saturday night by destroying Ismayl Sillakh (21-2 17KO) with the first defense of WBO 175 pound belt. Sillakh stayed on the perimeter of the ring for the first wound and showed good movement before a Russian missile attack was launched in the second with the final time being at :52 seconds. One right hand removed whatever doubt there may have been in this one, crushing the challenger down into the canvas. Sillakh managed to beat the count, but it was merely academic as he pounded by a greater attack than the original onslaught. Kovalev told the crowd he’d be more than willing to fight Stevenson or any of the other champions within the division in next fight.

The table is now set for a showdown between Stevenson and Kovalev.

Welterweight Jo Jo Dan (32-2 17KO) won a narrow 116-111, 110-117, 114-113 split decision over previously undefeated Kevin Bizier (21-1 14KO) in an exciting action packed bout of two Quebec fighters in an IBF Elimination fight. Controversy almost carried the day in this one as referee Jean Guy Brousseau deducted a point from Dan in the 10th round for holding after the Romanian born southpaw had hit the deck twice in the frame and a total of three times in the contest. Dan set a blistering pace and worked the body for much of the fight over a tough and determined Bizier who certainly wasn’t without moments of his own, landing the harder shots of the two and slowing down the quicker Dan who wins the NABA IBF Intercontinental belts with the victory.

Middleweight slugger David Lemieux (31-2 29KO) scored knockdowns early and often, totalling seven of them before the corner of them before the corner of Jose Torres (27-6 24KO) finally threw in the towel at 1:48 of the 7th round. Lemieux was dominant scoring a pair of knockdowns in the second, the sixth, the seventh and single eight count in the fourth round. It marked the first time Torres had ever been stopped and the first time Lemieux has stopped anybody past the 5th round.

Undefeated welterweight Mikael Zewski (22-0 17KO) launched a hailstorm of destruction versus a game but way over-matched Ryan Davis (24-12-3 9KO) of East Saint-Louis IL. The undefeated Trois Rivieres Quebec product was a blur, landing early and often before scoring a trio of knockdowns in the third round, the official time coming at 2:01. Davis was more resilient than a lot of Zewski’s opponents who fold at the first hint of pressure, but it was wave after wave from the 24 year old who never missed the target all night.

What was supposed to be a step up for undefeated heavyweight Didier Bence (9-1 3KO) ended up being a knock down as the fighter suffered a surprising TKO loss to provincial rival Eric Martel Bahoeli (10-3 6KO). Bahoeli scored with a left hook in his opponent’s corner that had Bence grabbing the ropes with both hands before going down to his knees for an eight count. In a hockey arena that has seen it’s share of Montreal-Quebec rivalries, this one belonged solely to the hometown fighter Bahoeli who once presented with an opening, wasted no time in closing the show. Bence never fully recovered and couldn’t tie up his opponent and ended up touching down twice more, the final time with his right hand brushing the canvas and being defeated by virtue of the three knockdown rule. The TKO victory came at 1:44 of round 2.

Hometown middleweight Sebastien Bouchard (8-0 2KO) got action underway at the Colisee in Qubec City with a one-sided 60-54 decision from all three judges over Mohammed Slimani (4-2 3KO). Both fighters took turns unloading combinations but Bouchard’s were much more numerous and effective over the six round opener. Some good body work looked as if Bouchard might have an early night as his opponent looked fatigued at times but was able to hang in to the end.

Two-time Olympian Artur Beterbiev served notice that it won’t be long until he is at the top end and not the bottom of a card featuring the world’s top light-heavyweights. The Russian born fighter who now calls Montreal home had no problem moving to 3-0 with a KO victory at 2:49 of the first round, dismantling 35 year-old veteran Billy Bailey (12-18 4KO) of Bakersfield California. A perfectly placed straight right hand put Bailey down to his knees where referee Michael Griffin waived it off. Beterbiev continues to look very polished and it looks only to be a matter of time until his record is on par with those headlining tonight’s HBO telecast card.

 

 

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