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Friday, February 28, 2014

Groenteman Gets Rematch Against Tsirimokos

Junior welterweight Barry Groenteman will have a chance to avenge a loss last year against Vango "The Greek" Tsirimokos. The bout is scheduled for March 17 at Theater aan de Parade in Den Bosch, Netherlands.

On October 14 last year, the Belgium-resident, Tsirimokos took a close eight round decision over Groenteman. Since that bout, both men haven't had a lot of success. Vango took part in a tournament in Belgium about three weeks after the Groenteman fight. He won by unanimous decision in the semi-final, but was KOed in the second round of the final on the same day. He then was stopped in January against a debuting fighter. Tsirimokos is now 6-4 with 1 KO.

Groenteman (9-7-2, 2 KOs) lost to Hedi Slimani by decision last month in the only fight since the loss to Vango. Groenteman is looking to snap a two-fight losing streak. Despite his seven losses, Groenteman has shown a sturdier chin than has Vango. Barry has never been stopped during his pro career.

The bout is scheduled for six rounds. Groenteman has gone six or more rounds 13 times. Tsirimokos has gone at least as many rounds only four times.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Chilemba to Face Grachev in March

Light heavyweight Isaac Chilemba is scheduled to face Denis Grachev on March 15 at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This is Chilemba's biggest fight since he faced Tony Bellew twice in 2013.

Chilemba (21-2-2, 9 KOs) followed up his controversial draw and subsequent loss to Bellew with a win over Michael Gbenga in November. Isaac is a crafty defender whose downfall can be an overly-selective offensive attack.

Grachev (13-2-1, 8 KOs), a 31 year old Russian, has a better resume than his record suggests. Three of his past four wins have come against undefeated fighters with over ten wins each. The most impressive victory came in the form of a KO against a then undefeated highly touted prospect Ismayl Sillakh. Grachev also gave former world champion Zsolt Erdei his first loss.

But Grachev has lost two of his last three bouts. Grachev's first loss came at the hands of former world champion Lucian Bute in 2012. Grachev, whose best punch is an overhand right that explodes out of a wide stance, was stopped in the first round of his last fight against Edwin Rodriguez.

The card will be televised on NBC Sports in the U.S. This bout is scheduled for ten rounds.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Milch Wins by Decision

Tony Milch defeated Ben Robinson on points Friday night at Camden Centre in London, England. Milch, a junior middleweight, showed more skill against his heavier opponent.

Referee Jeff Hinds scored the bout 39-37 for Milch. In Britain, four-round bouts are only judged by the referee. Milch moves his record to 4-0 with one KO while Robinson falls to 0-2.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Melson Wins at Roseland

Boyd Melson defeated Donald Ward by majority decision in the last ever boxing match in Roseland Ballroom history. Ward took the fight on ten days notice, a late replacement for Mike Ruiz, who backed out.

Before the bout, Ward expected Melson to try to brawl with him. Melson fought smarter than that. During the first two rounds, Melson rushed in when he found an opening for his left. Initially, Ward came charging in, but he ran into a straight left and remained passive for the rest of the bout. Nicknamed "Rainmaker," Melson effectively cut off the ring and controlled the center.

In the third round, Ward finally showed signs of aggression, landing a number of rights to the body. Melson was warned for hitting behind the head in the round and a cut developed around his right eye after a butt. Ward won the round and changed momentum.

The following round was nearly disastrous for Boyd. He later claimed his suffered a brachial plexus injury, which resulted in a heavy numb right arm. He shook his right repeatedly, but couldn't throw it. With Ward surging, Melson could've lost the fight right then. Instead, he landed with lefts. The setback was a learning experience for Boyd, who won the round anyway.

In the corner, Melson told his coach, "I learned he's a sucker for the straight left," adding the obvious, "Coach, I have no right hand."

Melson continually landed those lefts and then leaned to avoid any counters. It took too long for Ward to adjust. Though Ward had never fought a southpaw until that night, he was known to switch stances. By staying in a southpaw stance, Ward could have better neutralized Melson's straight left. Ward also should have circled to his left to avoid his opponent's left hand. He did neither and lost a slow fifth round.

Ward came back in the sixth and attacked Melson's body again. Melson showed his right hand more, but without conviction. At the end of the round, referee Eddie Cotton yelled, "Stop." Melson threw a right afterwards and immediately, told Ward, "Sorry."

Melson dictated the pace of the seventh and eighth rounds, becoming slightly more confident in his right and landing with his left.

Julie Lederman scored the fight 79-73; Don Trella had it 78-74; and Kevin Morgan inexplicably saw it 76-76. The Jewish Boxing Blog scored the fight 78-74 for Melson. A major component of the fight was Melson's weight issue. He weighed in at the second heaviest of his career and couldn't even make the 160 pound middleweight limit. Ward, a native of Memphis, was only 155 pounds and has now lost three of his last four fights.

After the bout, Cotton tried to raise Melson's right in triumph, but Boyd begged him to raise his left instead. Melson moves his record to 14-1-1 with 4 KOs and Ward falls to 6-4 with 3 KOs.

The Roseland Ballroom, opened in 1922, will close down in April. The Manhattan venue has been a staple for Broadway Boxing and has feature a number of current Jewish boxers. This was Melson's fifth appearance at Roseland. Dmitriy Salita, Yuri Foreman, and Ran Nakash all fought at Roseland.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Wohlman Wins By Decision

Zachary "Kid Yamaka" Wohlman won by majority decision against Luis Hernandez at the Florentine Gardens in Hollywood California. The judges scored the bout 39-37 (twice), 38-38.

Wohlman came in the lightest of his career, weighing in at 142.8 pounds. He grabbed his third consecutive win and pushes his record to 7-1-1 with one KO. Hernanadez, who was coming off Hernandez is now 2-6 with two KOs.