Lazarev off Thursday's Card in Canada

Igor Lazarev was scheduled to face hot prospect Wyatt Sanford this Thursday, but he and his team are unable to make the fight. Lazarev is based in Israel and the hostilities between the country and Iran have made it too difficult to leave for the fight in Canada. Lazarev was scheduled to arrive tomorrow.

Eye of the Tiger Promotions, the company hosting the event, shared a bout sheet earlier today with Lazarev's name still present. His team, however, told The Jewish Boxing Blog that he had passed up the fight.

Lazarev was going to be in tough against Sanford, a former Olympian. Igor, who holds a record of 9-4-1, hasn't fought in over two years. But it was a great opportunity for the 38 year old veteran. The event will be broadcast on ESPN+, and a good showing certainly would've helped Lazarev's career. Of course, a bad performance could've spelled the end.

Sanford is now scheduled to face Mark Andrejev.

Igor Lazarev to Face Olympian Wyatt Sanford

Junior welterweight Igor Lazarev is in tough on June 27 against 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Wyatt "The Kennetcook Kid" Sanford at Centre Videotron in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Lazarev heads into the fight with quite a few disadvantages.

The only advantage the Russian-born resident of Ashdod, Israel possesses is pro experience. Lazarev's record stands at 9-4 with 3 KOs. He's boxed 56 professional rounds in nine different countries, including six dominant rounds against Polish prospect Dominik Harwankowski in 2022. Lazarev completely exposed the home fighter, but was robbed blind by the Polish judges. Igor has also faced prospects Angelo Peña and Greg McGuiness.

Lazarev is now 38 years old and hasn't fought in two years and four months. He'll have a slight height disadvantage, and his hands aren't as fast as Sanford's, which are blazing quick. Sanford, a highly-touted 26 year old prospect from Kennetcook, Nova Scotia, is a southpaw. He's 2-0 with two first round stoppages and is signed with the home promoter, Eye of the Tiger. The Canadian is also the naturally bigger man. He likes to lead in order to counter the opponent's counter. His hands are fast and fluid and he knows when to go to the body.

In Sanford's pro debut last month, he scored a knockdown with a right hook, but his straight left is also very dangerous. His second fight took place last Thursday, when he wiped out Tomas Lastra.

The overhand right is the premier punch for Lazarev, who is also a vicious body puncher. He'll need to set up his power shots because Sanford is too slick to get hit by lead rights. The two-time Olympian poses a tall task for the tough Israeli. With everything against him, if Igor gets out of the first round, consider it a win.

courtesy of Nir Roitman

Exciting Month For Fans of Jewish Boxing

From February 9 to March 3, six Jewish boxers fought in what amounts to a great few weeks for fans of Jewish boxing. The fighters went 5-0-1, and the draw should've have been a win.

Even going back a bit earlier, there was plenty of Jewish boxing news. On January 27, Stefi Cohen was supposed to fight, but an unusual issue with her opponent's weight forced a cancellation of the contest at the last moment.

The next week were the Israeli amateur championships. On February 4, Odelia Ben Ephraim fought Anaelle Angerville for the French featherweight title but lost by split decision.

The great run for Jewish boxers started on February 9th when Sagiv Ismailov, Igor Lazarev, and Alex Karchevski all won their fights in Ashdod, Israel.

On February 17, Shawn Michael Sarembock fought in an all-action affair in Mexico. The judges called it a majority draw, but Sarembock deserved to win.

On February 23, Stefi Cohen faced a game opponent to come away with a unanimous decision.

Finally, Ben Ephraim was back in action on March 3. This time she won a convincing unanimous decision in France.

Check out highlights from these fights:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jewish Boxing (@jewishboxing)

Ismailov, Lazarev, and Karchevski All Win

Sagiv Ismailov, Igor Lazarev, and Alex Karchevski all won today in Ashdod, Israel. Ismailov took on Kristi Doni in a super middleweight bout, lightweight Lazarev fought Vladislav Gaureac, and Karchveski battled Cvintilian Lisii in another super middleweight contest.

Ismailov, a 20 year old, showed good discipline by working off the jab. His jab also helped to disguise his overhand right and lead left hook. Doni, a tall 19 year old southpaw, was more tentative than usual because of Ismailov's hard shots. Ismailov bent down to his left too often, exposing his right side, but Doni wasn't able to capitalize.

The Albanian landed the occasional straight left, but he spent too much of the fight shaking his head after Ismailov connected with his overhand rights. Doni was game, but Ismailov maintained pressure throughout the fight. The JBB scored the contest 40-36 for Ismailov. 

Sagiv won with two scores of 40-36 and a third of 40-37. He is now 4-0 with 2 KOs. Doni falls to 2-3 with 2 KOs.

In the first round of his bout, Lazarev controlled center ring and then rocketed forward forcing Gaureac back into a corner where Igor unloaded on the 20-year old Moldovan. Lazarev, 36, was best when he was aggressive but in control. While many rights landed later in the first with Gaureac in the corner, Igor missed a wild overhand right when the Moldovan ducked.

Gaureac had success in the second round by touching Lazarev and then moving. He had the more eye-catching shots in the round connecting with a 1-2 and a straight left-right hook combo. Lazarev's primary joy in the round came in clinches; he fired away at the body with his free right hand. But it wasn't enough to win the round.

Lazarev mauled Guateac in the third forcing more clinches and allowing for more of Lazarev's free hand beating the body. At one point, the Moldovan went for a walk and Igor changed after him landing some hard blows in the process, especially the overhand right. The Israeli won the fourth round with sustained aggression to take the fight by majority decision. Two judges scored the bout 39-37 and another had it even. The JBB scored it 39-37 for Lazarev. Igor is now 9-4 with 3 KOs. Gaureac's record falls to 0-4.

Karchevski won his debut by decision. Lisii, a 23 year old from Moldova, showed some slick defense and counters on the ropes in the first. He went to the body effectively and threw straight combos to down the middle. Karchevski, a 31-year old, completely swung the fight in the second. Out of a high guard and pressing forward, he savagely assaulted Lisii's body. At one point, Karchevski landed a beautiful right uppercut off of a combination to the body. The highlight of the round came when both men unleashed huge left hooks at the same time; Karchevski's landed spectacularly while Lisii's came up short.

Karchevski stalked his opponent in the third and landed the right hand at will. Lisii resorted to taunting most of the round, a sure sign of frustration. Karchevski remained composed, continuously punctuating his combinations with one final blow. Lisii turned to southpaw at times, but that didn't work for him.

In the fourth, Karchevski was steady and solid. He walked in behind his jab. As Lisii kept his hands low looking to load up from weird angles, Karchevski refused to fall for the bait. Alex finished a successful debut with an impressive right-left uppercut-right combo.

Though Karchevski doesn't possess the fastest hands, his timing and technique made up for it. Many debutants become anxious and lose their form in their first pro fight, but Alex maintained it throughout. The judges saw the bout for Karchevski 40-36 (twice), 40-37. The JBB scored the bout 39-37 for Alex. He is now 1-0 while Lisii is 1-2 with one KO.

Pro boxers Mikhael Ostroumov, Itay Gershon, and Aki Mishaev watched the action from ringside. Former Olympian and ex-pro boxer Shlomo Niazov was the referee for Lazarev-Gauteac.

Weights from Ashdod

Three pro Jewish boxers are taking part in tomorrow's event in Ashdod, Israel. Sagiv Ismailov, Igor Lazarev, and Alex Karchevski all weighed in today ahead of their separate matches.

Ismailov (3-0, 2 KOs), a 20 year old Israeli super middleweight, came in at 167.8 pounds. This is the heaviest of his pro career by a slim margin: 0.2 pounds. His lightest was 163.5 two years ago. Kristi Doni (2-2, 2 KOs), a 19 year old Albanian, also weighed in at 167.8 pounds, which is under the 168-pound super middleweight limit. We have weights for three of Doni's past fights and they range from 164.5 pounds to 170.  For The JBB's preview of this match, click here.

Doni and Ismailov (courtesy of Evgheni Boico)

Lightweight Lazarev came in at 132.5 pounds. This is a typical weight for the 36 year old veteran who sports a record of 8-4 with 3 KOs. His lightest for a pro bout came in his last fight when Igor weighed 131 pounds. He came in a quarter pound over 135 twice in his career, the heaviest he has tipped the scales for a fight. Vladislav Gauteac (0-3), a 20 year old from Moldova, has two recorded weights: 132.8 and 139.3 pounds. His weight for this fight was in the middle at 134.9 pounds. For a preview of this bout, click here.

Karchevski, a super middleweight trained by Vitali Kaganov, is making his pro debut tomorrow. The 31 year old weighed in at 168 pounds. Last week, he made the finals of the Israeli national amateur championships, which was fought over the weekend. In the tournament, he fought in the 80 KG division or about 176 pounds. Cvintilian Lisii (1-1 one KO), a 23 year old from Moldova, has one recorded weight of 157.5 pounds. In the other bout, he did fight a super middleweight. Lisii was 167.6 pounds for this contest. For a preview, click here.

Alex Karchevski (courtesy of his IG page)

All three bouts are scheduled for four rounds.

Igor Lazarev to Fight Vladislav Gauteac

Lightweight Igor Lazarev is scheduled to fight Vladislav Gauteac in Ashdod, Israel on February 9. Lazarev has technically lost his last three fights to opponents who now have a combined record of 21-0. Gauteac is the right opponent for Lazarev to stop his losing streak.

Lazarev (8-4, 3 KOs), a 36 year old Israeli, is a five year pro. After beginning his career 8-1, he has lost his last three, but he deserved to win one of those contests. Last March, Igor dominated local prospect Dominik Harwankowski in Poland, but the judges, one of which was Harwankowski's mentor, incredibly scored the fight for the local man. Against another undefeated local prospect, Greg McGuinness of England, Lazarev fought valiantly. In the fourth round of that 2021 fight, Igor landed incredible no-look punches but lost by decision.

Lazarev has been stopped twice in his pro career. Against Binal Shakhmandarov in 2019, Igor was simply caught early and never got into the fight. In his last bout, Lazarev was pulled out after the second round against hot prospect Angelo Peña this past April.

Gauteac is a tall southpaw from Moldova. The 20 year old is 0-3. He can take a punch, has good upper-body movement, and is willing to let his hands go. In clinches, he throws a sneaky behind-the-back punch. But Gauteac has his shortcomings. He doesn't possess the sharpest punch technique, and he brings his hands back low. Vladislav has a beginner's habit of lifting his chin and leaning his head back in exchanges.

After being stopped in the second round of his first fight against Christopher Mouafo last July, Gauteac lost a decision to Alessandro Fersula in November. Fersula pressed forward and took advantage of Guateac's exposed chin. He landed straight rights all fight long. Guateac used his feet to try to keep distance, but he typically moved straight back with his hands down.

In his last fight, a contest last month against Anatoli Conopliov, Guateac showed improvement. He snapped his jab and connected with an ill-intentioned left hook in the third round. The fight could have been called a draw, though he was tagged in the fourth round. In a fight refereed by former pro boxer Shlomo Niazov who represented Israel in the 1984 Olympics, Guateac lost by unanimous decision.

Lazarev can box, but he's effective on the front-foot as well. Because Guateac keeps his hands low, Lazarev may not have the same success to the body as usual, but he should be able to land the straight right up top regularly.

This affair is scheduled for four rounds.

2022: Year in Review

Canceled fights and curious decisions defined the year in Jewish boxing. Sadly, there were more canceled or postponed fights this year than actual fights. The Jewish Boxing Blog summed up the frustratingly unfair outcomes in an article last month.

David Alaverdian went 2-0-1 with 2 KOs in the pro ranks. He deserved to win the draw. Shawn Sarembock improved his record to 8-0 with 8 KOs. Stefi Cohen and Isaac Chilemba each went 1-1 this year. Igor Lazarev lost both of his fights but deserved to win one of them.

On September 15, four Jewish boxers took part in three bouts in Ashdod, Israel. Kickboxing star Itay Gershon won his pro boxing debut. Prospect Sagiv Ismailov won his third fight, and Aki Mishaev scored a knockout in his second fight. Ismailov, Mishaev, and Lazarev are among the Jewish boxers scheduled to fight on a card in Bnei Ayish, Israel on February 9. The resurgence of pro boxing in Israel is a big development.

There were quite a few boxing exhibition events in Israel this year, a great way to grow the sport in the country. Former world champion Hagar Finer put on a couple of them. Mor Oknin, Mikhael Ostroumov, and Nikita Basin were among the Jewish pro boxers to take part in such shows.

Former world champion Robert Cohen Z"L and heavyweight contender Tim Puller Z"L passed away this year.

The JBB reviewed Holocaust Histories, a podcast about boxers victimized during the Shoah. The reviews of books published this year or late last year include Boxing in Atlantic City, Gangsters vs Nazis, and The Unexpected Danny Green.

Some noteworthy profiles of past Jewish boxers were of Charley Phil Rosenberg, Henry Nissen, Ray Miller, Jack "Kid" Berg, and Izzy Zerling. Then, there was a look back at the wild Israeli amateur boxing scandal in 1988 and the night in 1929 when five Jewish boxing stars fought to raise money for the Jews of British Palestine. Two articles examined the different brands of boxing gloves and the importance of pad work.

The JBB conducted interviews with a few Jewish boxers this year. The interview with Yuri Foreman became two articles, one on his ambitions and another on his reflections. There were two separate interviews with David Alaverdian, one in article form, and a different one in video form. Shawn Michael Sarembock told The JBB his inspiring story. And the two articles about Dmitriy Salita concentrated on his career as a boxer and his work as a promoter.

As for The Jewish Boxing Blog, this year was amazing! Two of the last four months have seen the most traffic in the nearly 13-year history of this site. The other two months were not far behind. The number of followers of the Jewish Boxing Instagram page has more than tripled in the past year, and Twitter followers have doubled in the past two years. A special shoutout to supporters of the Jewish Boxing BuyMeACoffee page ($3 for all newsletters). You are truly appreciated!

Next year looks like there will be a few pro debuts, which is exciting. And hopefully, there will be many more fights. All the best to you and yours.

Several Jewish Boxers in Action on Israel Card in February

A boxing show to be held on February 9 in Bnei Ayish, Israel will feature several Jewish boxers in action. Currently, Jewish boxers are scheduled to take part in four different fights.

Sagiv Ismailov (3-0, 2 KOs), a 20 year old Israeli, is scheduled to face Kristi Doni, (2-2, 2 KOs) a 19 year old from Albania, in a super middleweight affair. Ismailov last fought in September, earning a unanimous decision victory over fellow Jewish boxer Nikita Basin. Doni last fought in November. He was stopped in the fourth round against the undefeated Mohamed Elmaghraby.

Igor Lazarev is set to return against Vladislav Gaurec (0-3), a 20 year old from Moldova, in a lightweight contest. Lazarev, a 36 year old resident of Israel, is 8-4 with 3 KOs. Lazarev has dropped his last three fights to opponents who now boast a combined record of 21-0. Lazarev deserved to win one of those fights, a bout last March against Dominik Harwankowski. Lazarev was stopped in his last fight against Angelo Pena in April. Gaureac last fought on December 2, a unanimous decision loss.

Aki Mishaev (2-0, 1 KOs), a 36 year old Israeli, is set to face debutant Andrey Bordyoug at welterweight. Mishaev scored a second round TKO in his last fight in September. BoxRec lists Bordyoug's home country as Israel, but nothing more is known about him at this time.

Alex Karchevski is slated to make his pro debut on the card. The 31 year old Israeli is an experienced amateur boxer. He is scheduled to face Leon Balandine, who is also making his debut. Baladine is a 21 year old from Israel.

All bouts are scheduled for four rounds. The Jewish Boxing Blog will have more information about and previews of these fights in the coming weeks. 

Frustratingly Unfair Decisions

There is an old anti-Semitic trope that asserts Jews run the world, and since boxing is part of the world, they run boxing, too. This line of thinking is particularly deleterious, because it casts suspicion on any individual Jew who achieves success. At one time, Jews were certainly overrepresented as boxing promoters, but overrepresentation, of course, does not equal control.

If, for some peculiar reason, we accept the anti-Semites' view that Jews control boxing, it certainly hasn't helped Jewish boxers. This year has seen several frustratingly bad decisions go against Jewish fighters.

The worst decision came in Poland this past March. Igor Lazarev dominated the local kid, Dominik Harwankowski. The Jewish Boxing Blog scored the bout 59-55 for Lazarev, but the local judges disagreed. Eugeniusz Tuszynski, Tomasz Chwoszcz, and Arek Malek scored the fight 59-55, 58-56, and 58-56 respectively for their fellow countryman. The JBB soon learned that Arek Malek had a significant conflict of interest considering he was Harwankowski's mentor.

On November 11, David Alaverdian showed off his skills against local prospect Angel Geovanny Meza Morales in Mexico. The JBB scored the fight 59-55 for Alaverdian. The judges' scores are a bit of a mystery, but one had it 59-55 one way, another scored it 56-58 the other way, and the third judge saw it 57-57 for a spit draw.

The most bizarre incident dates to Mor Oknin's fight on February 26 in Agua Prieta, Mexico. Oknin claims he defeated Jose Cariaga by fourth round TKO. BoxRec lists the result as a third round TKO victory for Cariaga. The JBB investigated and was told by an editor of BoxRec that the site has "lots of problems with wrong reports." BoxRec posts whatever result the local commission reports. This fall, Oknin told The JBB that an effort to overturn the result was ongoing.

There has been no evidence of anti-Semitism as a motivation for any of these bad decisions. They were almost certainly erroneous decisions made to favor the local fighter regardless of the background of the opponent. The pro game is so decentralized that local commissions can pretty much do whatever they want. 

Jewish boxers also suffered from bad decision in amateur boxing this year. During the European Amateur Championships in May, Alaverdian and Miroslav Kapuler were the victims of curious judging. In Alaverdian's fight, two judges inconceivably scored the third round for his opponent. Kapuler clearly controlled the second round of his bout, but two judges inexplicably scored the round for his opponent. Judge Johany Maden of France was the common denominator in both decisions, scoring against the Israelis regardless of their performance in the ring.

The IBA, which ran the European amateur champions, is so corrupt it has been barred from running the Olympic boxing tournament. That corruption is the likely culprit for those bad decisions.

For all the power a faceless group of Jews supposedly possesses, it sure hasn't helped actual Jewish boxers. Those boxers have been on the short end of some terrible decisions this year, not because of their religious persuasion, but because the amateur game is shrouded in corruption and the pro game is so decentralized that results are determined by the whims of individual commissions.

Kaminsky Coaches, Lazarev Acts

David Kaminsky has been coaching rapper Blueface for a celebrity boxing match against former NBA player Nick Young, also known as "Swaggy P." Kaminsky, a 21 year old southpaw middleweight, has trained Blueface before. David guided the emcee to a victory in a bareknuckle match last year.

Kaminsky hasn't been in the ring for two years. He had a few fights scheduled over the past few months, but they fell through. The Blueface-Swaggy P match is scheduled for July 30 in Los Angeles, California, U.S. Look for Blueface to come away with the victory.

Igor Lazarev, a lightweight based in Israel, recently played a bodyguard in an Israeli television show. The 36 year old has lost his last three pro fights although that streak is misleading. Against Dominik Harwankowski in March, Igor had a career-best performance. But the Polish judges backed the local boy in a horrendous decision. it turned out that one of the judges had been Harwankowski's mentor in a clear conflict of interest.

Update: The entire celebrity boxing card scheduled for July 30 has been postponed because of an injury to one of the main event fighters.

Igor Lazarev Stopped in Action-Packed Fight

Igor Lazarev was stopped following the second round of his fight against Angelo Peña at Stadttheater Bern in Bern, Switzerland tonight. After two exciting rounds in which Lazarev was outclassed, his corner asked the referee to stop the fight.

Lazarev, a 35 year old from Israel, strutted to the ring wearing white trunks with red trim to the song "Live and Let Die" by Guns N' Roses. His dark hair trimmed short, Lazarev sported his familiar thin goatee.

When the opening bell rang, Peña rushed forward in his southpaw stance whipping his fast hands at Igor. His right hooks damaged Lazarev's body from the outset and would prove to be one of the 26 year old Swiss fighter's most potent weapons. Halfway through what would turn out to be a disastrous round for Lazarev, Peña smacked Igor's body with yet another right hook which forced Lazarev to bend over in agony.

Lazarev quickly righted himself and continued to fight back. He landed some of his own blows to the body, but they didn't have the intensity of Peña's punches. Two minutes and eleven seconds into the fight, Peña connected with yet another right hook to the body. Lazarev paused a moment and then fell.

Igor beat the count and used his veteran guile to stay in the fight. He held and moved and threw back just enough. The Israeli displayed guts in the second round. He landed a straight right to open the period. Then a jab stung Peña's face. He did well in the pocket, which helped negate Peña's hand speed advantage. Lazarev even had some good moments fighting off the ropes. But Peña landed two vicious left uppercuts and continued with the body assault. The left uppercut was the other punishing weapon in Peña's arsenal, and he unleashed it brilliantly.

Though Igor had a better second round than first, his corner grabbed the referee's attention to stop the fight after the round. The referee asked Lazarev for confirmation, and he nodded. Peña, whose bloody lip was receiving attention from his cutman, was informed of the stoppage and ran to a neutral corner before leaping onto the ropes with his hands raised in victory.

Lazarev, who is now 8-4 with 3 KOs, did not repeat his incredible performance of last month, when he thoroughly beat undefeated prospect Dominik Harwankowski only to have the decision stolen from him by allegedly corrupt judging. But he was valiant against a classy opponent. Peña showed real skill. He cut the ring off effectively, maintained balance, possessed fast hands, attacked the body, and exhibited a high boxing IQ. Peña, who is now 2-0 with 2 KOs, looks like a prospect to watch.

Igor Lazarev and Angelo Peña Weigh In

Lightweight Igor Lazarev is scheduled to face Angelo Peña tomorrow at Stadttheater Bern in Bern, Switzerland. Lazarev is 8-3 with 3 KOs and Peña is 1-0 with one KO.

Lazarev came in the lightest of his pro career at 131 pounds today. Peña was 130.5 pounds when he stepped on the scale. Igor had weighed in between 131.5 and 135.3 pounds during his nearly four years as a pro. Lazarev averages 4.5 rounds a fight. Peña, a 27 year old based in Switzerland, weighed 133.8 pounds for his lone prizefight which lasted a minute and 35 seconds into the second round.

Lazarev, a 35 year old from Israel, fought brilliantly against undefeated prospect Dominik Harwankowski less than a month ago on March 19. The Jewish Boxing Blog scored the bout 59-55 for Lazarev. As it turned out, Harwankowski's mentor was one of the judges who gifted the Polish fighter a unanimous decision victory in the worst decision The JBB has ever covered.

Lazarev hopes to repeat his stellar performance from last month. He also hopes the judging in Switzerland will be fairer. This bout is slated for six rounds and can be viewed via Fite.tv. Here is The JBB's preview of the fight.

Alleged Corruption in Lazarev-Hawankowski Scoring

On March 19, Igor Lazarev faced local product Dominik Harwankowski at Hala Widowiskowo-Sportowa in Świecie, Poland. Lazarev fought incredibly well and deserved to win. The Jewish Boxing Blog scored the bout 59-55 in favor of Lazarev. The judges, all from Poland, disagreed. Two judges scored the bout 58-56 for Harwankowski, a preposterous score that did not reflect the action in the ring. The other judge's score was even worse, 59-55 for Harwankowski.

"Igor was very disappointed," Lazarev team member Evgheni Boico told The JBB. "But it's all good. This is another adventure and experience."

New information has come out about the relationship between Harwankowski and one of the judges. The Jewish Boxing Blog has learned that Arek Małek (also known as Arkadiusz Małek) had a close association with Harwankowski when Dominik was a young child.

Journalist and Polish boxing expert Kacper Bartosiak told The JBB, "You know what was most outrageous about this decision? One of the judges was the same guy that raised Harwankowski as a boxer from [a] very young age!"

Małek, who turned in one of the 58-56 cards, was a journeyman boxer based in Poland.  He last fought professionally in 2014 and finished with a record of 13-70-5. Małek has been a judge since 2016.

"The judges were appointed by Polska Unia Boksu - a newly founded body that was created in order to improve the standards of refereeing," Bartosiak explained, "That attempt clearly failed."

Polska Unia Boksu came into being in August of 2020. Its website displays its mission statement, a quote from president Jarosław Kołkowski:

"We want, together with people who think similarly, to civilize the professional boxing market in Poland and improve its quality. This includes the introduction of uniform rules for players, judges, promoters and managers, including those relating to disciplinary liability, limiting the phenomenon of doping and improving the quality of judging."

The JBB reached out to president Kołkowski and Polska Unia Boksu for comment about the apparent conflict of interest involving Małek judging his protege's fight and the poor judging but did not receive a reply for this story.

Bartosiak gave his view of the judges' cards, "That was a shameful and unexplainable decision." It is now up to Kołkowski and the commission to acknowledge and rectify that horrible decision.

Igor Lazarev Shines in Controversial Loss

Igor Lazarev, who was a smidge above the lightweight limit, lost a highly controversial decision against hometown lightweight prospect Dominik Harwankowski tonight at Hala Widowiskowo-Sportowa in Świecie, Poland. Lazarev, who completely controlled the action from the third round onwards, deserved to win.

Harwankowski, a 21 year old from a town an hour's drive from the venue, should not have been declared the winner even if the fight was held in his living room and the judges were his family members or his childhood pet. He took the first round with his snapping jabs and cupping rights.

The second round was the turning point in the fight. Harwankowski landed his quality jab here and there, but Lazarev's defense was slippery. He used tricky upperbody movement to get inside and maul the younger Pole throughout the rest of the bout. He found success with this strategy midway through the second stanza. Lazarev's body assault also began to take shape in the round.

There isn't an ethical way to score any of the next three rounds for Harwankowski. The 35 year old Lazarev boxed the best rounds of his career. He frustrated Harwankowski's smooth boxing from the outside and maneuvered his way in close. Once inside, Lazarev varied his shots beautifully. He smashed the prospect's face with a right uppercut. He landed left hooks to the head and body. A right over the top crashed down on Harwankowski. And Igor's best punch, the right to the body, found a home on the Pole's left side.

Perhaps a judge could've given Hawankowski the fourth round if only left hooks were counted. It was a nice punch for him in the round. Of course, that's not the way boxing is scored. Lazarev dominated with the same shots that helped him carry the third. He also added a little counter right that told Hawankowski, "I can hit you any time I want." While Igor's offense was punishing, his defense remained excellently awkward.

In the fifth round, Lazarev landed a left uppercut and a straight right combination that knocked out Harwankowski's mouthpiece and bloodied his nose. The young fellow spent the rest of the round running. He switched to southpaw a couple of times just to slow the coming onslaught. Lazarev probably should have pressed his attack further, but he didn't want to walk into anything and instead picked his battles. A wide smile exposed the fun he was having teaching the young home fighter a lesson.

The final round was more of the same. Igor was clearly loving it. Harwankowski possessed speed and skill but was too predictable and couldn't fight on the inside. When the final bell rang, Lazarev wore a huge grin. His team had devised a masterful gameplan. His performance was so good, they couldn't take it away from him. Could they?

As referee Krzysztof Bubak, who was very good, held both men's hands, Igor continued to smile. Dominik looked dejected, his face marked up. As the seconds ticked away, Igor became increasingly worried. His smile slowly diminished. Then, the ring announcer revealed the decision. Judges Tomasz Chwoszcz and Arek Malek scored the bout 58-56 or four rounds to two for Hawankowski. Those are horrible scorecards. Eugeniusz Tuszynski, however, outdid them both. His 59-55 card for Hawankowski was shamefully egregious.

The Jewish Boxing Blog scored the fight 59-55 for Lazarev. If the plan was to give the hometown fighter a terrible decision, they could have called it a draw. A unanimous decision victory for the local kid is inexcusable. It begs the question to supervisor and inspector Paulina Pietras, Polski Unia Boks president Jarosław Kołkowski, and the three judges Tomasz Chwoszcz, Arek Malek, and Eugeniusz Tuszynski: Was this terrible decision a matter of incompetence or corruption (niekompetencja lub korupcja)?

Because of the worst decision by far The JBB has witnessed in over twelve years of coverage, Lazarev is now 8-3 with 3 KOs. Hawankowski is laughably 8-0 with two KOs. Lazarev is scheduled to face highly touted prospect Angelo Peña in April. Hopefully, the judging is fairer in Switzerland.

Weights for Lazarev-Harwankowski

Igor Lazarev and Dominik Harwankowski weighed in for their bout scheduled for tomorrow at Hala Widowiskowo-Sportowa in Świecie, Poland. Lazarev, a 35 year old from Israel, is 8-2 with 3 KOs. Harwankowski (7-0, 2 KOs) is from a town just an hour's drive from the venue.  He is a 21 year old prospect.

Lazarev weighed in a fraction above the lightweight limit at 135.4 pounds. It is the heaviest of his pro career by a couple of ounces. His weight has been remarkably consistent throughout his career, staying between 131.5 and 135.5 pounds.

Hawankowski tipped the scales at 134.5 pounds or a half pound below the lightweight limit. Though a tiny bit taller than Lazarev, Hawankowski has weighed as little as 128.5 for a fight last July. His heaviest weight was 135.

This bout is scheduled for six rounds. The Jewish Boxing Blog's preview of the bout can be found
here.

photo courtesy of Arena Boxing

Igor Lazarev to Face Angelo Peña

Igor Lazarev is scheduled to face Angelo Peña on April 15 at Stadttheater Bern in Bern, Switzerland. This fight was originally scheduled for last December 26. Lazarev currently has two bouts on the docket within a month of each other.

Lazarev, a 35 year old Israel, is 8-2 with 3 KOs. He started his pro career 6-0. His last fight was a competitive points defeat to Greg McGuinness in a six-rounder. Early in his career, Lazarev pressured and attacked his opponent's body. Recently, he's boxed more.

Peña is a 27 year old southpaw who was born in Madrid, Spain and now fights out of Bern. In his lone prizefight, Peña stopped Irakli Shariashvili in the second round on December 26. The much shorter Peña utilized his fast hands to throw numerous combinations. He displayed quick feet and a willingness to vary his punches. He scored two knockdowns in the second round. The first came from a left to the head at the end of a combination. The second was caused by a vicious right hook to the body.

Shariashvili was at his best in the brief moments in which he bullied Peña on the inside. Lazarev will want to stay inside and try to maul Peña. That may negate Angelo's foot and hand speed advantages and also his southpaw stance. Too often though, Shariashvili covered up in front of Peña and allowed the shorter faster man to fire away.

Shariashvili, a 23 year old from Rustavi, Georgia with a 7-11-1 record, has also fought Igor Lazarev's other scheduled opponent, Dominik Harwankowski. Shariashvili lasted the six round distance against Harwankowski 16 days before his fight against Peña. Lazarev is supposed to fight Harwankowski on March 19.

As is the case with Igor's scheduled fight against Harwankowski, the contest with Peña is slated for six rounds. Both fights are slated for the junior lightweight division although none of the three men have fought in the 130 pound division regularly. In fact, Hawankowski is the only one to have ever weighed in under 130 as a pro, and he only did it once.

Lazarev to Face Undefeated Foe

Igor Lazarev is scheduled to fight undefeated prospect Dominik "Harwan" Harwankowski on March 19 at the Sports and Entertainment Hall in Stężycy, Poland. If it happens, this will be an interesting match between two guys with good records.

Lazarev (8-2, 3 KOs), a 35 year old residing in Israel, lost his last fight against undefeated prospect Greg McGuinness on November 27. McGuinness was an aggressive fighter, the antithesis of Igor's next opponent. Against McGuinness, Igor lost by referee's decision, 59-55, which was a reasonable score. Had the fight been in Lazarev's home of Ashdod though, it might have been ruled a draw. Lazarev showed some impressive no-look boxing skills in the fight, but ultimately had trouble with McGuinness's pressure.

Against Harwankowski , a 21 year old from Poland, Lazarev will need to be the one pressuring. The man with the copy-and-paste last name prefers to maintain distance.  BoxRec lists Harwankowski at 5'9" with a 67" reach, but on film he looks taller and his arms look longer.

Harwankowski is 7-0 with two KOs. Sometimes a low KO ratio can indicate a lack of power, and sometimes it can indicate tougher-than-usual opposition. In Harwankowski's case, it might be a bit of both. His punch technique is not the tightest and at times he slaps with his shots, but he has already faced some tough veterans. He scored his two KOs in his first three fights against relative novices. He beat 3-0 southpaw Michal Bulik in his fourth fight by decision and has faced grizzled veterans in his last three bouts.

Against Georgian Giorgi Gachechiladze in July, Harwankowski let his hands go often. He also switched stances. The young Pole, who almost has more letters in his name than years on this Earth, was much better as a righty. As a southpaw, his technique fell apart. He often threw his left from a low position in that stance. He got away with it because Gachechiladze didn't mount much offense, but against a more ambitious foe, the low left could be a liability. While Harwankowski is not a finished product, he is a legit prospect. Of the 27 pro rounds he has boxed, he's only lost three of them.

Lazarev's strategy should be to stay on the inside and attack Harwankowski's long lean body. Fortunately, that happens to be Lazarev's strength. Harwankowski has fought as many as six rounds only twice while the Israeli has gone six rounds five times including an eight-rounder, so a sustained body assault should wear down the youngster. A grueling match favors Igor, because he is incredibly resilient in the ring, even for a boxer. But if he can't get inside, Harwankowski will pick him apart.

This bout is scheduled for six rounds.

2021 Year in Review in Jewish Boxing

For the second year in a row, covid-19 dominated the storyline. Fighters contracted the virus, fights were canceled or postponed, and a new variant threatens to continue the trend into 2022. In addition, Zachary Wohlman tragically passed away in February.

Despite the pandemic, some Jewish boxers were able to fight this past year. The biggest win came in October when Cletus Seldin knocked out William Silva in the seventh round of their fight in Brooklyn. One of the alphabet organizations ranks the 35-year-old Seldin in their top ten in the junior welterweight division. The New Yorker seeks a big fight in 2022.

Other world class competitors, Yuri Foreman and Isaac Chilemba, weren't able to secure wins this year. Foreman dropped a majority decision to Jimmy Williams in June after testing positive for covid-19 in March. Chilemba had a controversial draw with Fedor Chudinov in February and a unanimous decision loss to Pavel Silyagin in November. Chilemba called Silyagin a future world champion.

David Alaverdian and Shawn Sarembock both went 3-0 in 2021. Alaverdian, a flyweight, is 5-0 with 4 KOs. Sarembock, a junior middleweight, is 7-0 with 7 KOs. Miroslav Kapuler, a junior middleweight, won two fights in 2021 to improve his record to 3-0 with one KO. Mor Oknin won his debut in April.

Former two-division world champion Carolina Duer and powerlifting world record holder Dr. Stefi Cohen also had a successful year in the ring. At the age of 43, Duer won a decision over Silvia Fernanda Zacarias in August. Cohen has started her career 1-0-1. She stopped Haydee Zapa in the third round of their fight in the Dominican Republic in June. Cohen fought Marcela Nieto to a draw in September.

Igor Lazarev was 1-1, Benny Sinakin went 0-1, and Nikita Basin was stopped in both of his bouts after a twenty-month layoff.

John Jarrett's The Great Benny Leonard, Jeffrey Sussman's Holocaust Fighters, and J. Russell Peltz's Thirty Dollars and a Cut Eye were all published in 2021.

A big thank you to everyone who followed The Jewish Boxing Blog this year and a special thank you to those who offered their support on BuyMeACoffee.com. Stay tuned for big things in 2022!

Lazarev Off Tomorrow's Card, Kaminsky to Announce Fight Date

Igor Lazarev was scheduled to fight Angelo Peña tomorrow, Sunday December 26 in Bern, Switzerland. Peña will now make his debut against a different opponent as Lazarev is now off the card. Lazarev is a lightweight while Peña, the local amateur star, fought as a featherweight in the unpaid ranks. It would be hard to imagine Lazarev, at 35 years old, would still feel strong dropping down to 126 pounds for the first time in his career. 

Lazarev fought twice in 2021. In June, he beat Marius Col by majority decision in a six-round bout. A month ago, Igor dropped a decision on points to Greg McGuinness, an undefeated prospect. Lazarev is now 8-2 with 3 KOs.

In a recent Instagram post, David Kaminsky acknowledged that 2021 has been a tough year for him. He hopes to announce a fight date early in 2022. David has been recovering from a serious knee injury.

The 21 year old Israeli is based in California, USA. Currently sporting a 6-1 record with 3 KOs, Kaminsky last fought in June of 2020 when he lost to Clay Collard by split decision. David has primarily fought around the middleweight limit.

Sarembock Trying to Break the Seventh Fight Curse

Shawn Sarembock is scheduled to fight tonight at the famed Big Punch Arena in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. The junior middleweight from Arizona is currently 6-0 with 6 KOs since he turned pro in 2019. The thirty year old will hope to break the seventh-fight curse that has plagued Jewish boxers for the last several years.

The last fighter covered by The Jewish Boxing Blog to raise their record to 7-0 was Tony Milch. Milch scored a six-round points victory over Daniel Borisov on March 7, 2015. He'd go on to win his first 13 pro fights.

On January 16, 2016, Dustin Fleischer won a unanimous decision victory over Lionel Jimenez to go to 6-0. He subsequently retired from prizefighting.

David Kaminsky was 6-0 when he stepped into the ring against Clay Collard on June 18, 2020. Collard came out with a split decision victory denying Kaminsky a 7-0 record. Kaminsky hasn't fought since as he recovers from a knee injury.

Three months later, on September 20, Igor Lazarev attempted to get his seventh victory in as many fights. But Binali Shakhmandarov caught Igor, who could never find his way back into the fight, with a brain-scrambling punch. The ref stopped the contest in the second round, and Lazarev's record fell to 6-1. He is now 8-2.

On April 3 of this year, Benny Sinakin was 6-0 heading into his fight with Afunwa King. King won by majority decision. Benny hasn't been in the ring since.

Sarembock is the fifth Jewish fighter to reach the 6-0 mark since, but if he wins tonight, he would be the first to go 7-0 in over six and half years.