Ren: Magomed Ismailov vs. Olanrewaju Durodola & Rashid Dautovich Kodzoev vs. Lenar Pérez Fransua RBR

Round 3

Pérez is getting very comfortable at his preferred range, medium-long, and starting to dissect Kodzoev with a bit of whatever he wants. Pérez in a partially reclined pose lands double jabs, crosses, clubbing rights, and hooks on an increasingly helpless and defenseless Kodzoev. A few looping overhand rights or high left hook leads for Kodzoev get through when he storms the gates, but Pérez is able to jerk his upper body away, then adjust his feet accordingly to reset and begin flooding Kodzoev with fast accurate counters while he follows.

10-9 Pérez

30-27 Pérez

 

Lebedev on the literal edge of his seat at ringside, looking stressed.

I'm guessing Kodzoev is his boy.

 

Round 4

Pérez is dominating, getting into a rhythm and starting to lather up with several clean unanswered punches at once. A smooth 1-2 is followed by a smartly turned over hip-action left hook, then a banger of an uppercut on the flat of the jaw as Kodzoev finally, reluctantly, takes a step back in straight lines. This pattern continues, with Kodzoev bravely and desperately flurrying back in the face of superior firepower and skill, hopelessly outclassed, head getting jolted violently in every direction as the shots continue to rain down (or up). Pérez increases the heat, going for a stoppage - and gets it as the ref saves a too-tough-for-his-own-good Kodzoev without waiting for a knockdown that might take too long in coming.

TKO4!!

 

Superb performance by the Cuban, now 10-0 with ten knockouts.

 

Kostya looks ancient, damn. Especially sitting next to Povetkin. They are 52 and 42 respectively but look at least 2 decades apart.

 

Max Shcherbakov vs. Albert Karmazyan, ??x2" rounds @ heavyweight

(exhibition/bareknuckle)

 

Don't blink during this freakshow.

 

Shcherbakov rushing in straight away throwing crazy hooks from something resembling a Cus D'Amato stance (but with terrible footwork). Karmazyan is dropped by a glancing right hand, but may have simply been off balance as the ref doesn't give him a count. For the most part "Coach" is backing away landing pot shots, and has opened up SEVERAL cuts on the face of Max the Ax. Karmazyan probably takes R1.

 

This has graduated from a fun wild fight with an "anything can happen" feel, to a straight up ass kicking. Shcherbakov is getting sliced & diced, and gives up his back at one point, ducking and twirling away into the ropes, with Karmazyan unrelenting and just landing shots on the back of his head until he turns to face him again (with the ref just watching, bemused).

 

Max quits, RTD2!

 

With his obvious affinity for pumping iron, face tats, and charging at taller opponents playing the intimidation game, Shcherbakov clearly thinks he is prime Mike Tyson ...but as the coach just showed, he is closer in reality to McBride and Williams era Mike Tyson. A very poor man's copy of it, at that.

 

Mark Vyacheslavovich Petrovsky vs. Collins Omondi Ojal, 6 rounds @ heavyweight

 

This is the pro debut for amateur star Mark "The Siberian Man" Petrovsky, while Collins "The African Lion" Ojal (born in Kenya but now professionally based in Switzerland) is 6-1-1.

 

At least we only had to sit through a couple of anthems (Kenyan and Russian, no Swiss). We're past midnight local Moscow time already...the main event could be getting underway as late as quarter to 1am if this goes the distance.

 

Ooh, a switch-hitter... (Petrovsky)

Effective from both stances, too.

Interest piqued.