Under the Radar Fight Results is back for its weekly edition. This is where I gather up all the relevant results in the sport beyond what I already covered in separate pieces. This week we have tons of Rio Olympians, a former pound for pound elite fighter, Rod Salka, and more. What else could you want?
On the Radar Results
Valdez and Ramirez defend and entertain on ESPN
Joseph Parker and Hughie Fury pour bleach in our eyes
Good night, Dmitry. Dorticos advances by knockout
Linares narrowly defends over Campbell on HBO
Under the Radar Fight Results
Saturday, September 23rd
Nico Hernandez (3-0, 2 KOs) UD6 Kendrick Latchman (1-5-1, 1 KO), super bantamweights – Kansas
Surprise American 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Nico Hernandez continues to promote locally in his native Kansas, this time putting together a better show. His opponent dropped out last minute, however, necessitating a late replacement. With no time for an opponent to cut weight down to flyweight, Hernandez ended up fighting at super bantamweight against low level fighter outweighing him by three weight classes. While Hernandez did not struggle, he was unable to finish his bigger foe and was stretched the distance for the first time.
Tramaine Williams (13-0, 5 KOs) UD10 Derrick Murray (13-3, 1 KO), featherweights – Kansas
In 2014, Williams was a rising prospect signed with Top Rank who was set to make his Madison Square Garden debut on the Wladimir Klitschko/Bryant Jennings undercard. Two days prior to that event, however, he was arrested as part of a raid on narcotics and firearms. After about a year in prison, Williams returned to the sport with Roc Nation. With that firm all but out of the sport, Williams here fought on one of Nico Hernandez’s Kansas cards. Williams is now 4-0 since his return to the sport.
Zhilei Zhang (18-0, 14 KOs) TKO1 Byron Polley (30-22-1, 13 KOs), heavyweights – Kansas
Also on the Kansas card, Chinese heavyweight Zhilei Zhang picked up his fifth consecutive first round finish against veteran journeyman Byron Polley. Zhang, a two time Olympian and 2008 silver medalist, is just treading water here at 34. I wish he would sign with a bigger promoter and get some more relevant fights as he actually looks like a well sized, decent athlete of a heavyweight, but for now that unfortunately remains a bit of a pipe dream.
Rod Salka (24-4, 4 KOs) UD8 Jayro Duran (10-4, 9 KOs), welterweights – Pennsylvania
I know what you’ve been thinking. It has been far too long since you’ve had some Rod Salka in your life. Well, fear no longer, the former Danny Garcia punching bag took his first fight in a little over a year this weekend. Salka is now 5-0 since that 2014 farce with Garcia, but all those fights came against guys even Rod Salka could beat. Actually, this is a major catch-22 situation for his career. If being a guy that Rod Salka can beat completely illegitimizes you as an opponent, how does Rod Salka ever get a credible win? Best leave this one for the philosophers.
Abraham Lopez (23-1-1, 16 KOs) RTD Isao Gonzalo Carranza (15-10-1, 9 KOs), featherweights – California
In May, on the eve of Canelo versus Chavez Jr, Abraham Lopez entered the ring against Jesus M Rojas as an unbeaten and significant Golden Boy prospect. After being dominated and finished, he left that night with the perception of being a busted one. With the continued high level success of Rojas, however, it is increasingly plausible to suggest that Lopez is still a credible prospect and that he only lost in May because he was in much deeper than anyone realized. Granted, Lopez should have already lost to Julian Ramirez on HBO as well, but the Rojas loss is still less devastating than it looked at the time. Here Lopez returned for an easy, get well bout on the undercard of Jorge Linares and Luke Campbell.
Nonito Donaire (38-4, 24 KOs) UD10 Ruben Garcia Hernandez (22-3-1, 9 KOs), featherweights – Texas
It is disappointing to see 34 year old Filipino legend Nonito Donaire return to featherweight here. He is already notably diminished as a fighter. This is not to say he still isn’t a good professional because he is, but I don’t think anyone could look at the Filipino Flash in 2017 and say he is even really close to the guy that styled over the lower weight classes from 2007 to 2012. In his previous three fight dalliance at the weight a few years ago, Donaire did not look especially inspiring. To be a lesser version of himself and up too high in weight is not likely to end well for Donaire. Here he picked up a secondary WBC belt that could eventually lead to a clash with their titleholder, currently Gary Russell Jr.
Keith Tapia (18-1, 11 KOs) UD10 Lateef Kayode (21-2, 16 KOs), cruiserweights – Texas
Last May, Keith Tapia lost a wide decision in a ShoBox prospect matchup with Andrew Tabiti. That fight wasn’t particularly memorable and he had basically been forgotten, but this one sided win over a former title challenger in Lateef Kayode does a lot to restore his status. Kayode was once a minorly hyped prospect himself, but three losses (though two were overturned to no contests due to drug test failures) ended that. Tapia dropped Kayode at the end of the sixth here, had him at least a little hurt a couple other times, and basically won every second of the fight. This should be the last we hear from Lateef Kayode anywhere near this level.
Eimantas Stanionis (3-0, 3 KOs) KO1 Oscar Valenzuela (9-3-1, 5 KOs), welterweights & Misael Rodriguez (3-0, 2 KOs) TKO2 Race Sawyer (0-4), middleweights & Money Powell (4-0, 3 KOs) TKO6 Rey Trujillo (1-3-1), middleweights – Texas
Richard Schaefer is playing the long game with Ringstar Promotions. Here are three of his young prospects that were on display on the World Boxing Super Series undercard on Saturday. The biggest name of the bunch is Misael Rodriguez and his surprisingly rare Mexican Olympic medal, but counter intuitively he looks like the least promising of the trio. Both 19 year old American prospect Money Powell and Lithuanian Olympian Eimantas Stanionis appear to be better athletes at this stage, or at least they had prior to these fights. I have not found video of this card below the Tapia/Kayode fight.
Friday, September 22nd
Sergio Garcia (25-0, 13 KOs) RTD7 Felice Moncelli (17-5-1, 5 KOs), junior middleweights – Spain
24 year old Spanish prospect and secondary title holder Sergio Garcia returned for another win on the same level he has been functioning on in Spain. Garcia is basically just notable because he holds the WBC Silver belt as that is a valid path to an eventual world title shot. I’d like to see him take a shot at a European title soon, especially if Cedric Vitu still holds it. Without a fight like that, it is difficult to gauge what potentially, if any, Garcia has on the world level.
Egidijus Kavaliauskas (18-0, 15 KOs) TKO7 Mahonry Montes (33-7-1, 22 KOs), welterweights – Arizona
Power punching two time Lithuanian Olympian continued his development with Top Rank on their Friday night ESPN card before the main broadcast. Kavaliauskas is 29 now and still fighting eight rounders, though he rarely goes that distance. Here he got kind of a weird stoppage in which the doctor let Montes go despite a bad destroyed eye, only to have the referee for some reason stop it moments later when Montes was mounting offense. The eye was really a mess though. Kavaliauskus, brilliantly nicknamed The Mean Machine, is an odd mix of skills. He has a brilliant, sledgehammer of a jab which he punishes his opponents with constantly. It really is a great one. Yet, he can’t work off it. When he throws other shots they are ultra violent, downright reckless combinations in which he throws his entire body and soul into. Montes was able to catch him at times during those and a better fighter might just put him out doing the same.
Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (3-0, 1 KO) UD8 Victor Rosas (9-7, 3 KOs), junior welterweights & Robson Conceicao (5-0, 4 KOs) RTD3 Carlos Osorio (13-8-1, 5 KOs), junior lightweights & Michael Conlan (4-0, 4 KOs) TKO2 Kenny Guzman (3-1, 1 KO), Arizona
Three of Top Rank’s major prospects were in action too. Conlan got the ESPN time and looked like his brawling self. I am not sure his ceiling is as high as Top Rank would like it to be, but he is going to be a fun ride if he doesn’t change his style. Uzbekistani Fazliddin Gaibnazarov and Brazilian Robson Conceicao both won gold in Rio. They are also both strangely loose, winging fighters for such successful amateur pedigrees. Of the two Conceicao is much more dynamic, but he is also 28 already.
Devin Haney (17-0, 11 KOs) UD8 Enrique Tinoco (16-5-3, 11 KOs), lightweights – Pennsylvania
Self promoted, 18 year old Floyd Mayweather Sr trained Devin Haney is one of the more interesting prospects in the sport. Instead of pursuing an Olympic bid as one of the nation’s top youth amateurs, Haney chose to turn pro in Mexico just days after his seventeenth birthday. Due to his age, it was much easier for him to get fights in Mexico and accordingly ten of his professional bouts have come within the country. At 17 fights into his career already at 18 years of age, Haney is probably on a Canelo track where we get thirty or so fights in before the competition really picks up. Haney remains self promoted, but he will probably be forced to sign with a major promoted eventually to get the shots he will want. Any of them would take him.
Tuesday, September 19th
Antonio Russell (9-0, 7 KOs) KO3 Cristian Renteria (7-6, 6 KOs), bantamweights & Gary Antuanne Russell (2-0, 2 KOs) TKO1 Jesus Lule (11-24-1, 2 KOs), junior welterweights – Pennsylvania
Gary Russell Jr’s two brothers were both in action on the off television undercard of Tuesday’s PBC on FS1 show. Though Antonio is farther along in his career, 21 year old Gary Antuanne is the major prospect here. In Rio, Gary Antuanne Russell lost to eventual gold medalist Fazliddin Gaibnazarov by controversial decision in the quarterfinals. Had that split decision gone his way as many thought it should have, he would have medaled and been a real threat to win gold. Antonio never quite made it to that international level as an amateur.
