On a thrilling Saturday night at the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, lightweight Frank “The Ghost” Martin (18-0, 12 KOs) squared off with 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Artem Harutyunyan (12-1, 7 KOs) in a WBC lightweight title eliminator. Harutyunyan had started strongly, out-boxing Martin in the early rounds with his superior skills. However, Martin bounced back from the sixth round onward, exerting increasing pressure on Harutyunyan who eventually took a knee in the twelfth round. Despite Harutyunyan’s efforts to dodge his opponent, Martin’s powerful shots and relentless pressure paid off, securing scores of 114-113, 115-112, and 115-112.
Meanwhile, in the co-main event, Elvis Rodriguez (15-1-1, 13 KOs) claimed an impressive seventh-round stoppage against the former WBC 140-lb champion Viktor Postol (31-5, 12 KOs). Rodriguez stunned Postol with a powerful right hand, then maintained the offensive, forcing the referee to intervene just 23 seconds into the seventh round. Up until the sixth, Postol had seemed in control, exploiting Rodriguez's single-shot style. However, a knockdown late in the sixth significantly shifted the momentum in Rodriguez’s favor.
Elsewhere on the card, welterweight Freudis Rojas (11-0, 11 KOs) extended his perfect record with a seventh-round knockout of Diego Sanchez (19-3, 16 KOs). Rojas dominated the bout, and his unyielding assault in the seventh round prompted Sanchez’s corner to withdraw their fighter. With this set of stunning bouts, the evening certainly delivered on excitement, showcasing both the tactical and raw power aspects of boxing at its finest.
Official event highlights:
In the other event, WBA #11, IBF #14 light heavyweight Conor Wallace (11-1, 8 KOs) faced off with Mat “The Machine” Sheehan (10-2, 7 KOs) at the Fortitude Music Hall in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The fight ended abruptly as Wallace claimed a first-round knockout victory, establishing his dominance in the ring. The highly coveted WBA Oceania, IBF Pan Pacific, and WBC Australasia titles were all up for grabs during the bout.
In another riveting bout in Mexico City, WBC #3 Alan David Picasso (25-0-1, 13 KOs) retained his unbeaten status as he went up against Sabelo Ngebinyana (15-6-1, 11 KOs) in a WBC super bantamweight eliminator. The fight reached its climactic end in the sixth round, with Ngebinyana’s corner throwing in the towel.
Image Credit: Premier Boxing