|
||||
|
MULVANE, Tej zaum. (Tej zaum 21, 2018) — History was made this past Saturday night on the “SUPERBOX LIVE: High Stakes” pay-per-view card, thaum 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and local hero, Nico Hernandez, knocked out Hungarian challenger Szilveszter “Lub ntsiag to tus neeg tua neeg” Kanalas in the opening round to capture the vacant International Boxing Association (IBA) Flyweight World Championship in only his fifth professional fight, ntawm Kansas Star Arena nyob rau hauv Mulvane, Kansas.
In the first world title fight ever held in Kansas, Hernandez (5-0, 4 Kos) overwhelmed Kanalas (14-7, 9 Kos), the former World Boxing Federation (WBF) super flyweight world champion, to become the youngest (22) IBA world champion ever, as well as setting the record for the fewest pro fights needied to become IBA world titlist.
SUPERBOX LIVE: High Stakes was launched as Super Channel’s new live boxing series,SUPERBOX LIVE, nyob rau hauv lub koom haum nrog KO Night Boxing LLC, and it aired live exclusively in Canada on Super Channel.
Integrated Sports Media distributed “SUPERBOX LIVE: High Stakes” in the United States on cable, satellite and digital pay-per-view as it was live-streamed worldwide on FITE.TV app and website (excluding Canada).
Hernandez was aggressive from the opening bell, pounding Kanalas’ head and body. A Hernandez left hook to the body really hurt Kanalas, who went down from a right that followed the vicious liver shot. Kanalas beat Hall of Fame Steve Smoger‘s count, and it was only a matter of time before Hernandez would end the fight. It came soon, right after another body-and-head combination put the over-matched Hungarian on the mat for the second and final time.
“A lot of people underestimate my power,” Hernandez said after the fight. “I believe that once he felt my power, I don’t think he wanted it anymore. I felt like I took his heart away. I was patient, I wanted it to go a few rounds to see what he had, but I took his heart away. I can’t really be disappointed because I am a world champion now.”
“Nico was explosive Saturday night and he showed killer instinct,” pab txhawb John Andersen commented. “He was going to box, but I think he smelled fear, and Nico got into Kanalas’ head. He sensed it and jumped on him.”
Before he left the ring, Hernandez took the microphone in the center of the ring and called out three-time Olympian and two-time Olympic bronze medalist, “Irish” Paddy Barnes (5-0, 1 KO), who was the favored to win a gold medal in the flyweight division at the 2016 Olympics. He was eliminated in the round of 16 and Hernandez took home the bronze medal. “There’s a bronze medalist from (Northern) Ireland, Paddy Barnes, and that’s who I’d really love to fight.”
“I think that’s a fight we should start a conversation about,” Andersen remarked. “It’s not line Barnes is 21 (nws yog 31) and I don’t know of a lot of 30 or older flyweights. It makes a lot of sense and can be a big fight. They’re both Olympic bronze medalist, already fought in scheduled 10 thiab 12 round fights, and have belts. (Barnes is the WBO Intercontinental flyweight champ). Nico needs to step up in terms of competition, heev. I think they should get in the ring and then we can see what happens.
“If they don’t want to make this fight right away, maybe we can build it up by putting them on the same card, and then fight next year. This fight makes a lot of sense for both fighters and Nico has already said he wants to fight Barnes.”
Hernandez joined reigning IBA world champions, teeb heavyweight Sergey Kovalev and junior middleweight Mark DeLuca, as well as past IBA world champions such as Hall of Famers Oscar tsib la Hoya, George foreman, Roberto Duran thiab Arturo Gatti, in addition to starsRoy Jones, Jr., Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosely, James Toney, Mikkel Kessler, Eric Morales, Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, Glen Johnson thiab Antonio Tarver.
2011 Russia Junior Championships gold medalist Andrey Afonin (6-0, 3 Kos) kept his undefeated record in tact when Pedro “El Reguilete” Rodriguez (23-4, 19 Kos), the Cuban native and former World Boxing Association (WBA) Fedalatin cruiserweight champion, was unable to answer the bell in the third round of the co-featured event.
Unbeaten Ukrainian heavyweight Oleksandr Teslenko (13-0, 11 Kos), promoted by DiBella Entertainment and fighting out of Toronto, nres Terrance “Big Jim” Marbra (9-6, 7 Kos) nyob rau hauv lub thib ob puag ncig.
Undefeated Washington featherweight Victor Morales, Jr. (9-0, 5 Kos) was too much forDavid Berna (15-4, 14 Kos), of Hungary, who complained of an elbow injury and lost by way of a second-round technical knockout, in the televised opener.
In the television swing bout, which was held prior to the main event, popular Wichita junior welterweight Jeff Strum (3-0, 2 Kos) kept the train rollin’ with a second-round knockout of Nigeria-native Archie Weah (2-11).
In the most competitive fight of the night, as well as the lone match that went the complete distance, St. Louis cruiserweight Leroy Jones (3-3, 2 Kos) won a four-round unanimous decision over Kansas City, KS favorite Chris Harris (2-3-2, 2 Kos).
Sau kom tiav tau rau hauv qab no:
RAUG RAWS NTAUB NTAWV TAU
MAIN kev tshwm sim – VACANT IBA FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Nico Hernandez (5-0, 4 Kos), Wichita, KS
WTKO1 (2:52)
Szilveszter Kanalas (14-8, 9 Kos), Pecs, Hungary
(Hernandez won vacant IBA World flyweight title)
CO-FEATURE – Heavyweights
Andrey Afonin (6-0, 3 Kos), Kursky, Russia
WTKO2 (3:00)
Pedro Rodriguez (23-5, 19 Kos), Miami, FL by way of Cuba
HEAVYWEIGHTSs
Oleksandr Teslenko (13-0, 11 Kos), Toronto, Canada by way of Ukraine
WKO2 (0:30)
Terrance Marba (9-6, 7 Kos), Saint Petersburg, IBCE
CRUISERWEIGHTS
Leroy Jones (3-3, 2 Kos), Saint Louis, MO
WDEC4 (39-37, 39-37, 39-37)
Chris Harris (2-3-2, 2 Kos), Kansas City, KS
JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS
Jeff Strum (3-0, 2 Kos), Wichita, KS
WTKJO2 (2:56)
Archie Weah (2-11), Norcross, GA by way of Liberia
FEATHERWEIGHTS
Victor Morales, Jr. (9-0, 5 Kos), Vancouver, WA
WTKO2 (2:56)
David Berna (15-4, 14 Kos), Budapest, Hungary
Canadian fight fans can contact their local cable provider to subscribe to Super Channel and all that it offers, xws li hwm series, movies thiab ntau npaum li cas, rau raws li tsawg li $9.95 tauj ib lub hlis.
Venum (www.venum.com) is the official gloves and apparel provider for SUPERBOX LIVE.
NTAUB NTAWV:
www.konightboxing.com, www.internationalboxingassociation.com
Twitter: @NicoMHernandez @KONightBoxing @SCSportsTV Kansas_Star @KansasStarArena @IntegratedPPV @Fitetv @NeonStarSE
