SAN DIEGO, April 9, 2016 – Working toward the main event of the evening, aspiring boxers did their best to make an impression with fight fans in the non-televised undercard bouts.
By far the most spectacular result, Ukrainian Olek Sander Gyozdyk of Ukraine (9-0, 6 KOs) thrilled the crowd with a spectacular and sudden knockout win over Nadjib Mohammedi of France (39-5, 24 KOs) The straight right to the chin at 2:06 of the second round earned Gvozdyk the North American Boxing Federation title.in the light heavyweight division. Gvozdyk resembles Gennady Golovkin with his ring command and power. He is one to watch in the near future. Sergey Kovalez, who also beat Mohammedi, was ringside getting a good firsthand look at Gyozdyk, which says a lot.
Sergey Kovalev and Terence Crawford took in the early bouts Saturday in Las Vegas. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank
Lithuanian welterweight Egidijus Kavaliauskus went the distance and remained undefeated with a unanimous decision over Deniz Ilbay of Germany (15-1, 8 KOs). “The Mean Machine” pitched boxing’s equivalent of a shutout by winning every round on all three judges’ scorecards. It was only the second decision and by far the longest fight of Kavaliauskus’s career.
Lithuanian welterweight Egidijus Kavaliauskus (left) went the distance and remained undefeated with a unanimous decision over Deniz Ilbay of Germany. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank
An excited group of supporters watched hometown prospect Devin “New Money” Haney (4-0, 2 KOs) of Las Vegas earn a victory on his biggest stage to date over Rafael Vasquez of Puerto Rico (22-5, 0 KOs) by unanimous decision. Trainer by Floyd Maywether Sr., who has high hopes for the 17-year-old super featherweight, Haney showed good speed against an ill equipped though game opponent. Sitting among Haney’s family and friends and watching a boxer on the rise in his early days reminds you what boxing is all about. The nickname tells you where Haney’s supporters think he’s heading.
Also winning on the undercard: Leon Bauer (8-0, 6 KOs) will take a win home to Germany after a decision over Ilshat Khusnulgatin (12-2, 6 KOs) of Russia in their super middleweight bout.
Trained by Abel Sanchez, who also trains Gennady Golovkin, welterweight Konstantin “Talent” Ponomarev, just 23 years old and originally from Russia, remains undefeated (30-0, 13 KOs), putting the first loss on the record of Brad Solomon of Lafayette, Louisiana (26-1, 9 KOs). Ponomarev wins the NABF welterweight title.
Gayle Lynn Falkenthal, APR, is President/Owner of the Falcon Valley Group in San Diego, California. She is also a serious boxing fan covering the Sweet Science for Communities. Read more Ringside Seat in Communities Digital News. Follow Gayle on Facebook and on Twitter @PRProSanDiego.
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Copyright © 2016 by Falcon Valley Group
