Photo Associated Press

In a sure fight of the year candidate, WBA champion in recess Guillermo Jones (39-3-2, 31 KOs) scored an upset eleventh round TKO over a very game WBA cruiserweight champion Denis Lebedev (25-2, 19 KOs) on Friday night at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia. The 41-year-old Jones had a good first round cutting Lebedev was cut over the right eye. Lebedev came out very aggressive in round two, but Jones did his share of damage too. Same scenario in round three. Lebedev’s eye was swollen shut. Jones took more big shots in round four, but worked over Lebedev in round five. Lebedev came back strong in the sixth round and punished Jones in the seventh. Lebedev dominated round eight, but Jones found his second wind in round nine targeting Lebedev’s eye. Lebedev’s face was swollen grotesquely after round ten. Lebedev, fighting virtually blind, finally went down in round eleven. Jones wins by KO. Jones’ promoter Don King, written off by some a few months ago, is back in the game with a new world champion.

WBA regular heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (26-0, 18 KOs) annihilated previously unbeaten Andrzej Wawrzyk (27-1, 13 KOs). After a slow round one, Povetkin dropped Wawrcyk with a huge right hand early in round two, then punished Wawrcyk for the rest of the round. Povetkin dropped Wawrcyk twice in round three to end it. Time was 2:03. With the win, Povetkin ensured his $23 million showdown with WBA/IBF/WBO/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko later this year. WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko was looking on at ringside.

Middleweight Dmitry Chudinov (9-0, 6 KOs) scored a third round TKO over 42-year-old former “Contender” winner Grady Brewer (30-16, 16 KOs). Chudinov dominated the fight and Brewer quit after round three.