The world light heavyweight champion of the World Boxing Association (WBA), and local idol, Beibut Shumenov, successfully defended his title with a six round technical knockout over three-time former world champion William Joppy at the Ice Palace in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.
The champion established his jab early, keeping Joppy at the distance to connect hard combinations in the first. Despite staying ahead all the time, Joppy threw few punches in the second, which made Shumenov take the opportunity to strike hard to the head.
The challenger came out more aggressive in the third and even tried to connect with his own jab. Shumenov did well, connecting with a harsh straight right to the head at the end of the round.
In the fourth he tried to put more pressure on Joppy, but only found a wall of defense and returned to throwing more straight rights.
A hard straight punch sent Joppy to the canvas in the fifth. The former champion made it up and took punishment from Shumenov until the bell.
The sixth and last was all Shumenov, who was on the prowl and beat the American challenger from corner to corner. The champion threw big shots to the body and head, and knocked Joppy down again, at which point the referee intervened and stopped the fight.
Shumenov advanced his record to 11-1 and 7 KOs. Joppy fell to 39-7-2 with 30 KOs.
In the co-feature, Uzbekistan native Ravshan Hudaynazarov (14-0, 12 KOs), rated No. 13 by the WBA, won the WBA FEDALATIN Welterweight title by 10th-round technical knockout due to a deep cut over Jose Luis “Chelin” Cruz’ right eye. A devastating body puncher, the 26-year-old Hudaynazarov dropped Cruz (41-8-2, 33 KOs) with a left hook to the liver late in the opening round, but his Mexican opponent proved to be as tough as advertised. Cruz had fought a draw with Carlos Baldomir and took Shane Mosley the full distance.
On the advice of the ring doctor, the referee stopped the fight in the 10th round, but Hudaynazarov gained invaluable experience having never before fought more than six rounds. He won every round on the three judges’ scorecards through nine in a thoroughly convincing performance.
Former Kazakhstan National Amateur Champion Alexandr Zhuravskiy (11-0, 8 KOs), fighting out of Las Vegas, kept his perfect pro record intact by knocking out Ruben “Modern Day” Galvan in the sixth round to capture the WBA International Super Lightweight Championship. Zhuravskiy methodically broke-down Galvan, who had been stopped only twice in 45 previous fights, flooring him with a left and then immediately jumping on him with a 1-2 combination that ended the fight.
Unbeaten Interim PABA Light Heavyweight Gayrat Akhmedov (16-0-1, 10 KOs), rated No. 6 by the WBA, successfully defended his belt when Tursunboy Absullakimov was unable to answer the bell to start the fifth round
