(Shawinigan) Christian Mbilli offered his best imitation of Lucian Bute at the top of his form, Saturday at the Gervais Auto Center in Shawinigan, when he defeated the Englishman Mark Heffron with a violent left hook to the liver.
The only difference is that instead of taking a few rounds to prepare his opponent, Mbilli (27-0, 23 KOs) only took 40 seconds to get rid of Heffron (30-4 -1, 24 KO).
Mbilli thus retains his International belts from the World Boxing Association (WBA) and Continental of the Americas from the World Boxing Council (WBC) for super-middleweight. He should also keep his rankings, which the Englishman wanted to steal from him thanks to his “superior boxing IQ”.
We’ll come back for that.
Mbilli ranks first among WBC contenders, second in the WBA, and third in the International Boxing Federation (IBF) as well as the World Boxing Organization (WBO).
The Mbilli clan will now be able to turn their attention to the formidable Ukrainian Sergiy Derevyanchenko. Eye of the Tiger Management invited the media this Tuesday, to the Videotron Center in Quebec, to announce the fight will take place on August 17.
Mbilli barely broke a sweat. After placing a few jabs to measure his distance, he sent Heffron to the mat with his first serious attack.
When referee Mike Griffin approached for the count, it was clear that the Oldham boxer was not going to get up.
Arslanbek Makhmudov quickly returns to victory
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Arslanbek Makhmudov
Arslanbek Makhmudov wanted to forget his last performance against Agit Kabayev. It’s mission accomplished on this side.
Miljan Rovcanin (27-4, 18 KOs) perhaps had the best intentions in the world, but the heavyweight from Serbia is absolutely not part of the world elite. It took Makhmudov (19-1, 18 KOs) a little less than two rounds to prove it on Saturday at the Gervais Auto Center in Shawinigan.
Presented in the semi-final of the super-middleweight clash between Christian Mbilli and Mark Heffron, this heavyweight duel reminded everyone of Makhmudov’s great power.
In the first round, Marc Ramsay’s protégé almost sent Rovcanin outside the ring. A violent left left the Serb stunned on his feet. The next right sent him to the mat. Rovcanin took a long look toward his corner, where he was being told to keep calm.
Rovcanin never regained his senses and the break did little to allow him to fight on equal terms. After avoiding the worst for most of the round, a right hook hit him in the side of the head and the Serb fell violently into the cables, unable to get up before the count of 10.
All smiles, Makhmudov celebrated with his corner in the ring. The first step in this return to the big fights in the division has been successfully completed.
Mathieu impressive
Wilkens Mathieu (9-0, 6 KOs) vs Przemyslaw Gorgon (17-13-2, 6 KOs). Competed at 172 pounds, Wilkens appears to have the power to hold his own at light heavyweight. He also sent the Pole to the mat with a solid right uppercut to the face launched in a sneaky counterattack. Gorgon entered the fight without being able to defend himself and found himself on the canvas.
In the second, after two solid right hooks to the head, Gorgon preferred to kneel on the ground. Before the round ended, Mathieu almost sent him through the cables, earning a third count for the Pole.
It was finally in the fourth that Mathieu finished the job, sending Gorgon to the mat twice. The second time, Albert Pafulo Jr. did not even offer a count to the Jaworzno pugilist, stopping the fight after 38 seconds of action.
Guerrero expeditious
Christopher Guerrero (11-0, 6 KOs) took no time to defeat the American Kenny Larson (7-2-1, 5 KOs). Guerrero first sent Larson into the ropes with a solid right hook, followed by a left to the head.
After an eight count, Larson went on the attack. It hurt him. Guerrero trapped him with a left hook to the head. Referee Alain Villeneuve was about to intervene when a right hand finished the job.
The midweight scored his sixth knockout. at exactly 2:16 of the first round.
Moreno Fendero (6-0, 4 KOs) dominated his fight against the average Argentinian veteran Rolando Mansilla (19-15-1, 9 KOs), who used all his experience to avoid falling to the floor.
Fendero had the upper hand in all rounds and received scores of 60-54 from two judges. The third gave a 10-8 round for a total of 60-53 and a unanimous decision victory.
Gaumont was hot
Alexandre Gaumont (11-0, 7 KOs) and Santiago Fernandez (8-1-1, 4 KOs) offered one of the best fights of the evening.
Gaumont, however, got his money’s worth in this very hotly contested duel. Middleweight Buckingham notably found himself in trouble following a solid left hook to the face in the fourth. Ditto in the fifth, when he was saved by the bell following a percussive right to the head.
However, he recovered in the final rounds, which allowed him to win by split decision. He obtained the favor of two judges, 78-74 and 77-75; Fernandez received a 78-74; a decision which was criticized in the Gervais Auto Center.
Jhon Orobio (9-0, 8 KOs) already has a fight planned for June 6 and he did not want to hang around against the Argentinian Alexis Gabriel Camejo (8-3-2, 1 KO .). The latter, however, demonstrated his excellent qualities as a boxer, while the Colombian, protected by Marc Ramsay, gave him absolutely every shot in his arsenal, hitting him several times solidly.
Camejo will be able to boast of having been the first not to be knocked out. by Orobio, who simply ran out of time. The Argentinian was content to receive without giving, except for a brief moment in the fourth, where the two boxers exchanged without protecting themselves, to the great pleasure of the crowd. Unanimous decision of 40-36 on all three cards for Orobio.