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Saturday, April 29, 2023

Carolina Duer Drops Decision to Gabriela Bouvier

Super bantamweight Carolina Duer dropped a split decision to Gabriela Bouvier tonight in their high-level crossroads fight at Polideportivo los Polvorines in a suburb of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Duer and Bouvier are both former world champions.

Duer, a 44 year old from Buenos Aires, outboxed Bouvier over the first three rounds. In a masterful display of ring generalship, Duer dictated when and where the two fighters would exchange. Weathering two headbutts and a low blow, she landed flush shots at will. Carolina switched stances and found a bit more success as a southpaw. 

Bouvier, a 31 year old from Uruguay, managed to trap Duer in the corner in the fourth. With Duer stationary, Bouvier was able to put her punches together. Both found some joy in the fifth, a swing round that Bouvier may have edged.

Duer found her rhythm again in the sixth and walked Bouvier into big shots over the next three rounds.

The Argentine fighter landed a hard right towards the end of the eighth round. Bouvier, though, was relentless. She caught Duer again in the ninth and landed a number of clean blows in the round. She carried the momentum into the final round although Duer had her moments in the tenth.

Two judges scored the bout for Bouvier: 97-93 and 96-94. One had is for Duer 96-94. The Jewish Boxing Blog scored it 96-94 for Duer. When the decision was announced, Bouvier looked shocked and began to weep teas of joy. 

After the bout, a dejected Duer and her coach stated that they felt Carolina deserved the decision. Duer, a legend in the sport, is now 20-7-2 with 6 KOs. Bouvier improves to 17-12-1 with 3 KOs.

Friday, April 28, 2023

Carolina Duer and Gabriela Bouvier Make Weight

Carolina Duer and Gabriela Bouvier both made weight ahead of their super bantamweight clash tomorrow at Polideportivo los Polvorines in a suburb of Buenos Aires, Argentina.  This is a high-level crossroads fight between two former world champions.

Duer (20-6-2, 6 KOs) weighed in at 121 pounds. The 44 year old is a former super flyweight and bantamweight world champion. She has weighed more than 121 pounds five times in her career. Her heaviest was last fight in 2021 when she came in at 129.8 pounds. Her lightest weight was 114.5 pounds back in 2011. Duer's weight today indicates she's in very good shape for this fight.

Bouvier (16-12-1, 3 KOs) weighed in at 119.3 pounds. BoxRec doesn't have weights listed for ten of the 31 year old Uruguayan's fights, but her lightest recorded was 109.3 pounds back in 2013 when she won the South American flyweight title.  Last June, she came in at 127.3 pounds against Skye Nicolson. Bouvier has been heavier than she weighed in today in five or her last six fights. That could mean she's in better shape than usual or she's a bit weight-drained. We'll find out tomorrow!

A preview of the fight can be found here. This bout is scheduled for ten-two minute rounds for an alphabet organization's minor title. The bout is slated to be shown on Fox Sports Argentina.

courtesy of Carolina Duer's IG page

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Stefi Cohen to Face Nikkia Williams

Dr. Stefanie Cohen is scheduled to face Nikkia Williams on June 9 at Commerce Casino in Commerce, California, USA. Williams will be a good test for Cohen.

Cohen is a 31 year old native of Venezuela with a record of 3-1-1 (one KO). She is now based in southern California and trains under the tutelage of Pedro Santiago Jr. In her last bout, Stefi got back in the win column against Leanna Calderon this past February, but she has suffered from stamina issues in her last two fight.

The exhaustion was evident against Devanny Cuevas last July. Cohen lost that fight by unanimous decision. Against Calderon, Cohen landed a gorgeous counter straight right in the second round to score a knockdown. When Calderon rose, Cohen wisely jumped on her, knocking her back with a right. But then Stefi curiously backed off. Either the stamina issues resurfaced or she suffered an undisclosed injury, but Calderon controlled the rest of the four-round affair.

Williams will test Cohen's stamina issues. She is a 29 year old from Los Angeles with a record of 0-1. She trains out of the Wild Card gym. Eric Brown, who worked with the late Zachary Wohlman, joined Eric Tucker in Williams's corner for her debut on April 14 against Gloria Munguilla.

In her debut, Williams showed she is an effective offense fighter but has serious defense liabilities. Williams couldn't handle Munguilla's pressure and punch volume in the first two rounds. Nikkia's neck must be made of the same stuff as bobblehead dolls, because Munguilla kept snapping Williams's head back only for Williams to keep coming forward. Munguilla seemed a bit tired in the third, and Williams took advantage. She backed up Munguilla, trapped her on the ropes, and won the round.

If Cohen lets her hands go, her punches will find the target. Williams's paid zero attention to defense in her debut. If Cohen spends much of the fight waiting on the outside, Williams is going win. She will let her hands go if allowed to and will be in fighting shape. Nikkia is extremely tough, and Cohen shouldn't go for the knockout. Staying in close and using lateral movement to pivot around Williams will lead to a wide victory.

Fortunately, Stefi hasn't had to show just how tough she it because she hasn't taken too much punishment in the ring. But she has shown tremendous courage to go from the pinnacle of the powerlifting game to the bottom rung of the boxing world. 

This bout is scheduled for four two-minute rounds. Currently, BoxRec has the bout in the flyweight division. Williams fought as a flyweight in her debut, but Cohen has never weighed in below 116.5 pounds. The event will be televised on UFC Fight Pass.

Saturday, April 22, 2023

An Improved Sagiv Ismailov Dazzles in Victory

Sagiv Ismailov displayed an impressive level of improvement in his fifth pro fight against Ruslan Lebedenko today at Tondi 17 Boxing Hall, in Talinn, Estonia. The 20 year old Israeli, who was a light heavyweight for this fight, won the four-rounder by decision.

Ismailov was committed to his jab for nearly the entire fight. He varied it well, throwing it to the body, chest, and head. Sometimes he used it as a range finder, other times to set up a combination, and still others to do damage itself.

At one point in the first round, Ismailov faked a jab to the body, and redirected the shot to the head, surprising Lebedenko, a 35 year old native of Ukraine. The jab helped Ismailov win the round, but he also connected with a big right and later, a counter left hook.

Ismailov showed his improved boxing IQ in the second round. After largely jabbing in the first, he began landing straight rights off his jab in the second. He also threw a beautiful jab that split Lebendenko's guard. The third round was an even better round for Sagiv.

Ismailov unleashed an all-out assault on Lebedenko's body in that third round. After smashing several left hooks to the body, Ismailov smoothly shifted into the southpaw stance in order to add more leverage to another left to the body. Lebedenko, who now resides in Talinn, folded at the midsection in pain.

Apparently, standing eight counts are allowed in Estonia, because the referee began raising his fingers one by one even though Lebedenko didn't fall to the canvas or retreat to the ropes. His cornerman then climbed onto the ring apron, which is often a cause for disqualification, but the referee allowed the fight to continue after reaching the count of kaheksa. To his credit, Lebedenko showed great heart to finish the round.

In the corner after the third round, Lebendenko's cornerman couldn't be bothered to climb through the ropes and half-heartedly swirled a towel in front of his charge. Meanwhile, Ismailov received sage advice in addition to one of coach Evgheni Boico's customary muscle-waking massages.

Lebedenko tried a new strategy in the final round. He touched Ismailov with light jabs and then moved. It certainly worked better than his previous strategy, but Ismailov still landed several hard blows, including a left hook that seemed to wobble the Ukrainian.

Ismailov's skills and thought process were both much improved in this fight. In the past, he had switched to southpaw because of balance issues, but his stance-switches today were intelligent and purposeful. His distance and timing were also much better than in previous fights.

But it wasn't a perfect fight. Ismailov was a bit inconsistent in keeping his right glove up when jabbing and also in bringing that left back after throwing. Lebedenko landed some counter lefts over the low right and some counter rights before the jab-hand could get back. Sagiv also hunted the knockout in the fourth, loading up too much instead of letting the KO come.

Regardless, Ismailov posted the best performance of his career. All three judges scored the bout 40-35 for the Israeli. He is now 5-0 with 2 KOs. Lebedenko falls to 0-2.


Friday, April 21, 2023

Sagiv Ismailov to Fight in Estonia Tomorrow

Super middleweight Sagiv Ismailov is scheduled to fight Ruslan Lebedenko tomorrow at Tondi 17 Boxing Hall, in the beautiful city of Talinn, Estonia.

Ismailov is a 20 year old Israeli with a 4-0 record and 2 KOs. He last fought in Israel in February against tall southpaw Kristi Doni. In that fight, Sagiv showed an improved jab and corrected stamina problems from his previous fight.

Lebedenko is a 35 year old from Kherson, Ukraine who now fights out of Talinn. He lost his only pro fight to Sweden's 5-0 Adam Belalia last month in the artsy city of Tartu. Lebedenko, who took the fight on short notice, was knocked down late in the first and pulled out of the fight after the round.

Lebedenko weighed in at 165.8 pounds while Ismailov came in at 170. For a time, Ismailov was scheduled to face another opponent at a 172-pound catchweight, but that opponent was too heavy and backed out. Lebedenko had originally been scheduled to fight Ismailov, pulled out, the other opponent was found, he pulled out, and then Lebedenko reconsidered.

Regardless of the pre-fight shenanigans, Lebedenko is the right opponent for Ismailov at this stage of the young Israeli's career. While the opponent is certainly no world-beater, a fight on the road against a grown man should be a good test.

courtesy of Arena Boxing Promotions

Thursday, April 20, 2023

Carolina Duer to Face Gabriela Bouvier on April 29

Carolina Duer is scheduled to face Gabriela Bouvier on April 29 at Polideportivo los Polvorines in a suburb of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Both fighters are former world champions. Duer is a boxing legend and recently made expert Malissa Smith's list of the top 5 Jewish female boxers of all-time.

Duer (20-6-2, 6 KOs) is a 44 year old native of Buenos Aires. She now lives in southern Florida. Duer has held a version of the super flyweight and bantamweight world titles during her career, which began in 2007. She is 10-3-1 in world title fights (not including bouts for "interim" belts). She can box and she can brawl. In recent fights, she has relied on her experience more, fighting in bursts and clinching when need be.

Duer participated in a reality show called The Challenge: Argentina this year and is constantly in the gym. She has recently sparred with Stefi Cohen, Avril Mathie, and Ivan Baranchik. But she hasn't been very active inside the prize-ring of late. Her last fight was a four-rounder in August of 2021. That has been her only pro fight since November of 2019.

The 31-year-old Gabriela Bouvier (16-12-1, 3 KOs) turned pro in 2010. She's from Aiguá, Uruguay, a rural town almost three hours outside of the capital, Montevideo. Before one fight, it was announced that Gabriela was from Montevideo; she shook her head, looked at her trainer, and gave him a sarcastic smile.

A tough fighter with good skills, Bouvier's record is a bit deceiving. Seven of her twelve losses have come in world title bouts. She has only lost to good fighters, including three to Mariana Juarez. Duer has also dropped one fight to Juarez. But Gabriela's wins have not been nearly as impressive as Duer's. Bouvier has only four wins against opponents who had winning records when they fought the Uruguayan. Her world title win came against a 6-4-1 fighter for a vacant belt. She defended it once before losing it. Her record in world title bouts (2-7) is unusual for this era because of the number of title chances she's had.

Bouvier throws a technically-sound punch with either hand. Her follow-through is a bit elongated, which generates more power, but also leaves her open to counters. She has been stopped only three times in 29 fights, an impressive record for someone who eats a lot of clean punches. Bouvier isn't at all concerned with defense. She keeps her hands up, but if the guard happens to block a punch, so be it, it was surely an accident. No matter, she can take a good shot

Instead, Bouvier is solely focused on attacking her opponent. She has three weapons: the straight right, the left hook, and her forehead. Many of her opponents have been nailed in the face with a Bouvier butt. Those headbutts might be called "intentional accidents," because Gabriela often leads with her head. For a clincher like Duer, it's a major concern.

Bouvier took nearly three years off from 2019 until last year. In her comeback fight, Bouvier was thoroughly outboxed by southpaw Skye Nicolson, who avoided Bouvier's head by using her foot and hand speed from the outside. After 16 years in the ring, Duer might not have the necessary speed to replicate Nicolson's mastery of the sweet science anymore, so it's setting up to be a rough fight for Duer: win, lose, or draw.

Duer and Bouvier have another common opponent in addition to Juarez. Both have beaten club fighter Silvia Fernanda Zacarias with Duer doing so twice.  In all, Bouvier represents a good test for Duer. If Duer wins, it proves she's still at world level. If not, another world title would likely no longer be a possibility.

This bout is scheduled for ten two-minute rounds and is for an alphabet organization's minor trinket.

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Mikhael Ostroumov Sustains an Injury

Southpaw super middleweight Mikhael Ostroumov burst onto the pro scene in 2020 with four pro fights. He won three of them and deserved to win the other one, a majority draw against an undefeated opponent. All four fights took place in Russia.

Since then, Ostroumov has suffered injuries to his knee and his shoulder, which have hampered his promising career. The 25 year old from Afula, Israel has fought in a couple of amateur bouts and an exhibition match since, but his pro career had been put on hold.

Ostroumov recently traveled to Germany to restart his life as a prizefighter, but unfortunately, he suffered an injury while preparing for a fight. He is now back in Israel.

The setbacks have understandably been frustrating for Mikhael, who is very passionate about boxing. On his Instagram page, he echoes Canelo Alvarez's motto, "No boxing, no life." Hopefully, he can heal quickly and get back to doing what he loves.

Monday, April 17, 2023

David Alaverdian Discusses His Last Fight

"It was a such a weird shot. It knocked my wind out," undefeated Israeli boxer David Alaverdian told The Jewish Boxing Blog in a recent phone interview. In the fourth round of his fight last Monday against Ernesto Irias, Alaverdian absorbed a body shot that put his career in peril.

Throughout the opening three rounds, Alaverdian stayed in front of Irias, loading up with his punches and trying to knockout the Nicaraguan. "During the first three rounds, I loaded up too much," he admitted. "In the second round, I saw him repeatedly touch his nose and look at his glove. He was looking for blood. I thought he was hurt, so I went for the knockout."

But David didn't get the stoppage. "It was a mistake to try to hurt him," he said. "I got tired from throwing so many hard punches. I didn't pace myself. I should've realized this guy's not going anywhere."

The 29 year old from the coastal town of Nahariya confessed that he underestimated Irias heading into the fight. "I saw some of his fights and thought he had bad technique and no skills. I knew he was tough. I knew he had an iron chin, but I wanted to try to prove something. It was stupid," David said. While impressed with Irias's relentless attack against former world champion Cristofer Rosales, David put too much stock into Ernesto's flat performance in his last fight back in January against Junior Zarate.

Throughout the interview Alaverdian repeatedly highlighted just how awkward Irias was to fight. "You can't really prepare for his style. There's no sparring for something like that. In the U.S., especially in Las Vegas, everyone fights so technical." Irias's awkwardness was the primary reason why David, a switcher, mostly fought in the orthodox stance. "He was too awkward to fight as a southpaw. I couldn't find the right angles without leaving myself open."

After sparring six rounds one day in preparation for the bout, David began feeling fatigued and came down with a sore throat. Those symptoms quickly expanded to include a headache and congestion to the point where he had trouble breathing. David believes either his seasonal asthma flared up or he caught a virus, but in either case, it meant five days away from training.

Meanwhile, Irias was in great shape. He had been preparing to fight Dewayne Beamon in March. That fight was pushed back to April 8 and ultimately cancelled. Irias then took the fight with Alaverdian.

Irias landed a hard body shot in the first, but David's adrenaline allowed him to ignore the pain. When that same body punch landed in the fourth, David was too tired to immediately shake it off. He survived the round and came back to the corner where head coach Cedric Ferguson and Floyd Mayweather Sr. were waiting for him.

Both Ferguson and Mayweather remained calm. "That's what I love about Cedric. He's calm in crazy situations," David said. "He's such a good coach and a good person." After the near-disastrous fourth, Cedric advised David, "Don't stand there and exchange punches."

"I started slow in the fifth, but I had my full energy back in the sixth," Alaverdian revealed. In that final round, Alaverdian saw Irias waving him in to stand and fight. "When I saw him doing that, I knew he was frustrated, and I knew I would win." Though David gave his overall performance a C+, he was most proud of his ability to "completely change my fighting technique in the middle of the fight." He continued, "It showed I'm versatile. If one thing doesn't work, I'm able to change tactics."

For those who may criticize his stick-and-move strategy in the final round and a half, he says, "The crowd went crazy the whole fight, but I'm here to win. Why wouldn't I keep boxing? It was working!" David said he loved fighting in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas for the first time as a pro and enjoyed all of his friends coming out to support him. "There were more people there than I thought there would be."

The swelling around Alaverdian's eye has since subsided. Now 8-0-1 with 6 KOs, he looks to the future. Plans often fall by the wayside in boxing, but David, who fought as a super flyweight last week, wants to move down to light flyweight and fight in August in Las Vegas if he had it his way.

He believes that's his best shot at achieving his ultimate dream: winning a world title.

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Cletus Seldin Becomes a Free Agent

Cletus Seldin and Star Boxing have parted way after more than a decade in business together. Seldin has been publicly amicable about the split. On Instagram, he wrote, "As Star Boxing and I have mutually agreed to part ways, we look back at the great success, triumphs, and enjoyable relationship over the last eleven years. We will always cherish those wonderful memories and the bond of our friendship that helped propel our mutual success in this game of boxing that we both love so much. Thanks for the memories, Joe DeGuardia. You will never be forgotten as I embark on the next part of my boxing journey."

Seldin, nicknamed the Hebrew Hammer, is a 36 year old with a record of 26-1 with 22 KOs. His career has stalled in recent years. After defeating Zab Judah nearly four years ago, he has fought only twice. He stopped journeyman Luis Eduardo Florez in February of 2020. His last fight came on October 2021, a stoppage victory over William Silva.

In the meantime, Seldin has had multiple fights fall through for a variety of reasons. This change might be the best thing for the junior welterweight contender's career.

Friday, April 14, 2023

Dr. Stefi Cohen to Fight on June 9

Dr. Stefanie Cohen is scheduled to fight at The Commerce Casino & Hotel in Commerce, California, USA on Friday, June 9. The card will be run by 360 Promotions.

Cohen is a 31 year old with a record of 3-1-1 (one KO). A native of Venezuela, she began her career based in Miami, Florida, but has since moved out to California. She is now trained by Pedro Santiago Jr. and fights out of the Churchill Boxing Club.

In February, Cohen won a close unanimous decision against Leanna Calderon thanks to a huge knockdown in the second round. Cohen countered Calderon with a perfectly timed right, her best punch as a pro.

In recent months, Stefi's boxing career has been hampered by fight cancellations. Though she has shown consistent and impressive improvement throughout her career, she does need to improve her stamina. She has been winded in her last two fights.

This bout is scheduled for four two-minute rounds and will air on UFC Fight Pass. No opponent has yet been named.

Update: Here's the recap of her fight June 9 fight.

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Top 5 Jewish Female Boxers

Malissa Smith's Top 5 Jewish Female Boxers

Malissa Smith is the author of A History Of Women’s Boxing, the first comprehensive narrative of the sport The Ring magazine dubbed "The Bible of Women's Boxing." Smith speaks and writes frequently about the sport and with her two co-hosts, developed the popular WAAR Room podcast focused on sports justice. Smith maintains positions in boxing as a founding board member of the IWBHF, an elector for the IBHOF, and as a member of the The Ring’s women’s ratings panel. Maintaining her own wellness, she trains at the world-renowned Gleason’s Gym and writes pieces for her blog, Girlboxing.

It should be noted this incredible list is in chronological order. Smith, who is the preeminent chronicler of women's boxing, also wanted to mention the legendary boxing manager, Jackie Kallen.

1. "The Jewess of Wentworth Street"
2. Jill "The Zion Lion" Matthews
3. Sarah Deming
4. Hagar Shmoulefeld Finer
5. Carolina Raquel "La Turca" Duer



Other Top 5s
Jewish Bareknuckle Boxers
Jewish Boxers since 1960
Jewish South African Boxers
Jewish Londoner Boxers
Jewish Dutch Boxers
Jewish French Boxers
Jewish Israeli Boxers
Jewish British Boxers
Jewish Canadian Boxers
Jewish North African Boxers


Monday, April 10, 2023

David Alaverdian is Impressive Early, Shrewd Late in Victory

Super flyweight David Alaverdian dominated the first half of his fight against the rugged Ernesto Irias in their six round affair tonight at the Westgate Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Alaverdian seemed to hit a wall before bouncing back thanks to a shrewd change in strategy.

Irias, a 27 year old veteran from Managua, Nicaragua, had his phone stolen in January. He came out in the first round like Alaverdian was the culprit, savaging the body of the 29 year old native of Nahariya, Israel. While Irias spent most of the fight as a southpaw, Alaverdian fought mostly in the orthodox stance and exhibited an effective jab in the first. Irias's body work had won him the first half of the opening stanza, but Alaverdian snatched the round back with some overhand rights and tons of head-snapping jabs.

Alaverdian dominated the second round as he connected with many hard power shots. As a southpaw he landed a straight left and then an overhand left. He added some more straight rights and jabs as a righty as he bloodied Irias's nose. The third round was even better for David.

After the assault to the head in the second round, Alaverdian understood he wasn't going to knock out Irias with a punch upstairs, so he started landing to the body with both hands. To end the round, he had Irias on the ropes and unleashed a rapid fire combination to the body and then punctuated it with a head shot. At that moment it actually seemed as if David could do the unthinkable: stop the iron-chinned Ernesto Irias.

He couldn't. And round four was Alaverdian's worst as a pro. The fourth round was a microcosm of the night. The show started thirty minutes late, the turnbuckles in the the red corner and one of the neutral corners were embarrassingly askew, and the ring card girls didn't have ring cards. Irias was listed as 1-0 in the tale of the tape and the broadcast team seemed oblivious to the mistake. Both Alaverdian and Irias comically were listed as middleweights.

At his best, Irias is a volume puncher who doesn't mind running through fire to land his shots. That's just what he did in the fourth. He started the round by shoe-shining, but quickly began landing harder blows. He scored with uppercuts, shook off Alaverdian's left hook to the body and overhand right, and came back with a combination up the middle. He landed some hurtful right hooks to the body and a couple of eye-catching lefts to the head. By the end, David looked tired and in a bit of trouble.

Irias went for the win in the fifth, continuing to fight like a buzzsaw. Halfway through the round, Alaverdian completely changed his strategy. He knew he couldn't stop Irias and fighting toe-to-toe invited unnecessary peril. So David began to touch and move. The plan thwarted Irias's momentum although it didn't do much damage.

To the portion of fans that lust for blood, Alaverdian's performance in the sixth and final round was surely distasteful, the type of boxing that elicits boos. But to fans of the sweet science, it was a work of art. David mostly stayed in the pocket and continuously ducked under the taller Irias's punches. Irias, a veteran professional fighter, couldn't hit his opponent. After slipping the shots, the Las Vegas-based Israeli popped up to pop Irias with some lighter blows. Ernesto became frustrated and demanded Alaverdian stand in front so he could punch him. As the late Zachary Wohlman once said, "It's called boxing, not stand there and get punched in the face." Alaverdian outboxed and out-thought Irias in that final round.

Three veteran Vegas judges turned in their cards. Kermit Bayless and Dave Moretti both scored the bout 59-55 for Alaverdian. Patricia Morse Jarman curiously had the bout even at 57. The Jewish Boxing Blog scored the fight 58-56 for Alaverdian. Only the fifth was a possible swing round.

Alaverdian moves his record up to 8-0-1 with 6 KOs. It was the best possible outcome: he got a win against a tough opponent and grew as a fighter in the ring. Ernesto Irias is now 15-7-1 with 9 KOs. He has lost his last four fights, but he has still never been stopped.

Sunday, April 9, 2023

David Alaverdian and Ernesto Irias Weigh In

David Alaverdian made the super flyweight limit of 115 pounds ahead of his fight against Ernesto Irias at the Westgate Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on Monday, April 10. He weighed in at 114.4 pounds.

Alaverdian (7-0-1, 6 KOs) has weighed in between 110.5 and 115.7 pounds during his pro career. He was 110.5 pounds against Angel Meza last November. A couple of weeks later, he weighed in at 115.7 for his fight against Edgar Mendoza Hernandez. Alaverdian thought the scale was off for that Mendoza Hernandez fight. He was 115.3 five hours before the weigh-in. All he did was go to the bathroom, but the scale at the weigh-in showed him somehow gaining weight. There were no such issues before his fight tomorrow. 

Irias (15-6-1, 9 KOs) weighed in at 114.1 pounds today. He has weighed in between 108 and 114.5 pounds for the fights listed on BoxRec. His weight isn't noted for eight of his fights. He came in at 108, the light flyweight limit, back in 2016. He was 114.5 in 2018. Recently, he has hovered just above the 112-pound flyweight limit.

This bout is scheduled for six rounds. The fight can be watched pay-per-view here (BXNG TV via Vyre). The JBB has ordered from them; they're legit.

courtesy of Karla González (@karlitausa31)

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Preview of David Alaverdian-Ernesto Irias

David Alaverdian is scheduled to face his toughest opponent as a pro when he enters the ring against Ernesto "El Destructor" Irias at the Westgate Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on Monday, April 10.

Alaverdian is a 29 year old from Nahriya, Israel. He boasts a record of 7-0-1 with 6 KOs. A vicious body puncher, David is a switcher and possesses a smart jab from either stance. He's more of a power puncher as a righty and utilizes angles better as a southpaw. A boxer-puncher, he has very fast hands and feet and explosive athleticism. Alaverdian enjoys fighting taller opponents. These are all attributes that will greatly help him against Ernesto Irias.

Irias is a 27 year old from Managua, Nicaragua. He sports a record of 15-6-1 with 9 KOs. In addition to being younger, more experienced, and taller with a longer reach, Irias has also faced the better opposition as a pro. Early in his career, which began in 2015, Irias was a power puncher. He started 4-0 with 3 KOs thanks a left hook that often took time to load up. In his fifth fight, Irias was exposed by undefeated southpaw Melvin Lopez, who took advantage of Irias's wind-up and picked off Irias before he could throw.

Ernesto's next opponent, the shorter Jordan Escobar, won the fight with uppercuts, a punch that many future opponents would land against Irias. But "El Destructor" showed improvement against Escobar as he no longer loaded up on the left hook, he just let it go to great effect. The Escobar fight launched Irias into the best period of his pro career. He won ten straight fights from 2017-2019 and scored six KOs in the process.

At his best, Irias is a buzzsaw with a stone chin. He has a powerful left hook that mostly aims for the head, but he occasionally digs to the body. Against southpaws he has a sneaky straight right. His overhand right usually misses the mark and his punch technique is not textbook, but he catches his opponents off-guard with his unusual form. He's a little bit like a poor man's Emanuel Navarrete. Irias gets his knockouts from throwing constant combinations until his foes wilt to the canvas. However, against Cristian Narvaez, he earned a one-punch KO with a straight right against the southpaw. That fifth round KO victory in 2018 earned Irias the WBC Latino flyweight belt.

In Cristian Narvaez's next fight, he went the six-round distance with Sunny Edwards. So Irias posted a better result against Narvaez than did the current world champion.
courtesy of David Alaverdian's IG page. Made by Noam Maor

Ernesto Irias retained his Latino title by wearing down Escobar in their rematch on route to a sixth round stoppage win. Though Ernesto clearly isn't a student of the sweet science, the brawler has gotten a better result in each of three rematches throughout his career, which is an indication of his ring IQ. In that second Escobar fight, Irias briefly switched to southpaw. It's a stance he has taken more and more with each fight, but unlike Alaverdian, Irias is ineffective as a lefty. Ernesto lunges with his punches and is even more prone to eating shots as a lefty than in the orthodox stance.

Irias is 1-4-1 in his last six fights dating back to a 2019 draw against undefeated German Mirco Martin in Germany. The Nicaraguan was a bit unlucky to only come away with a draw in that one. He then split two fights against Jenn Gonzalez, a good fighter with a mediocre record. Irias fought as a southpaw too much in their first fight but won the rematch by split decision. He hasn't won since.

Ernesto knocked down Wilmer Blas twice in their bout, but neither was called a knockdown and when a headbutt cut Blas by his right eye in the sixth, the fight went to the cards. Blas, who sports a losing record, won the decision. After over a year off, Irias was outclassed and outboxed by former world champion Cristofer Rosales. In January, Irias looked flat in Argentina against Junior Zarate. In those last two bouts, Irias won just two out of a total of twenty rounds on the judges' cards.

Irias won't beat Alaverdian in a chess match on the outside. David will likely also win a firefight because of his hand-speed advantage and his punch technique, but that's really Irias's only chance at victory. He must let his hands go and either catch David on the end of his looping punches or win a decision by being more active. David will probably attack Irias's body early and often. While he throws uppercuts, it's not typically his go-to punch, but David may find a home for it more than usual. We may also get to see Alaverdian unleash his explosive "breath taker" if he has Irias against the ropes.

Irias has never been stopped as a pro. It would be an impressive feat for Alaverdian, and one that just might happen. This bout is scheduled for six rounds. It can be viewed by following the link provided at ReidBoxing.com.