Yan Zak to Face Stephen Nyamhanga

Yan Zak is scheduled to face Stephen Nyamhanga in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on September 13. Zak is an undefeated cruiserweight prospect.

Zak, a 25 year old, is coming off a six-round unanimous decision victory against veteran journeyman Victor Chvarkou in last month. The Israeli from Ashdod entered the fight with an injured hand and intended to go rounds against a defensive-minded foe. Nyamhanga poses an altogether different challenge.

A 26 year old from Mianzini, Tanzania, Nyamhanga is a free-swinger. BoxRec lists his record as 3-2-1, but his record is at least 4-3-1 with 4 KOs. He comes out of the corner firing. Nyamhanga has been rocked early in fights against Hassan Athuman and Mohamed Mtambo, but he came back to win both by KO. Against Athuman, Nyamhanga was wobbled  and hurt in the first before scoring a comeback KO in the second round. Nyamhanga didn't wait until the second round to recover against Mtambo and score a knockout.

Nyamhanga is lanky guy, coming up in weight. He carries power and throws punches from odd angles. He also doesn't let his opponent rest at any point during the three-minute rounds. But he is wild, and a superior technician like Zak should take advantage of Nyamhanga's openness, as long as his hurt hand has healed. Zak will need to watch out for those wild bombs, but if he does he very well may be able to stop the tough Tanzanian early. It will be exciting to find out.

Yan Zak Embarasses Victor Chvarkou

Cruiserweight Yan Zak performed a balletic beatdown of veteran Victor Chvarkou by unanimous decision in a six-rounder at Vere Basketball Palace in Tbilisi, Georgia today. After a slow start, Zak embarrassed his tough Belarusian foe.

Entering the ring to hardcore sounds of No Sons of Mine's Not Meant to Strive, Zak began the fight cautiously. Chvarkou, a 39 year old, feinted, slipped Zak's jab, and used his counter right to carry a slow first round.

After the first, Zak's cornerman Artur Zlatopolsky waved a towel in front of his fighter's face ostensibly to cool him off. Instead, it served to light a fire under the 25 year old Israeli. Zak looked like the Jewish Ali in the second round: boxing, dancing, and punching circles around the befuddled bearded Belarusian.

From the second round onward, the difference in class was as a wide as the Black Sea. Zak's cheetah-like hand-speed made Chvarkou's rather pedestrian punch-quickness look slower than a snail. As a result, Chvarkou decided to keep his hands close to home, only attempting to win in the opening round and at the beginning of the final one.

Zak landed some ridiculous shots. At one point, he connected with a clean lead right, brought his hand back, and smashed the same lead right onto the left side of Chvarkou's skull. Zak hit the target with a counter left uppercut from the outside. He kept both hands down in the pocket and then unleashed a four-punch combination from the oddest angles; each punch hit the mark. He also left his right hand out with his legs in an orthodox stance, but his body titled like a southpaw. Chvarkou was confused and couldn't block the left hook that came out of that bizarre setup.

Zak told The Jewish Boxing Blog he carried an injured right hand into the fight, "So we decided to fight slowly all six rounds. We also wanted experience." The injury explains why he started too slowly in the first and why he didn't press too hard for the knockout. Zak said he couldn't hit hard with the damaged right. The only problem with going rounds against Chvarkou is that Zak is several levels above and could develop some bad habits against lesser opposition It's rare that a 3-0 fighter should step up the competition, but Zak is just that skilled.

The judges' scores were not announced, but Zak won by decision. The JBB scored it 59-55 for Zak. He's 3-0 with 2 KOs. Chvarkou tumbles to 6-26 with 3 KOs.

Yan Zak and Victor Chvarkou Make Weight

Yan Zak and Victor Chvarkou both made the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds ahead of their clash tomorrow at Vere Basketball Palace in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Zak, a 25 year old Israeli with a 2-0 record, has weighed 199.3 and 200.3 pounds in his two pro fights, according to BoxRec. He arrived in Tbilisi on Tuesday. This will be his second prizefight in the city.

Chvarkou is a 39 year old Belarusian with a ton of experience. His 6-25 record belies his quality as a fighter. He has almost always been the B-side in the opponent’s hometown. As a result, he’s been ripped off more than once.

Chvarkou has typically fought as a heavyweight but has campaigned in the cruiserweight division more and more. Two hundred pounds is still on the lighter side for the bearded Belarusian, who has another fight scheduled for September 13.

Zak-Chvarkou is scheduled for six rounds. Visit here for a preview.

Yan Zak to Face Viktar Chvarkou

Cruiserweight prospect Yan Zak is scheduled to face veteran journeyman Viktar Chvarkou on July 25 at Vere Basketball Palace in Tbilisi, Georgia. Chvarkou is a tricky opponent for a relatively inexperienced pro.

A 25 year old, Zak is 2-0 with 2 KOs. The resident of Ashdod, Israel has been particularly impressive in his first two professional fights. He completely dominated Darshan Singh in May in Zak's debut. Three weeks later, he forced Mukkhiddin Rajapbaev to quit after the first round. Trainer Artur Zlatopolsi has Zak ready to face a tough opponent in his third career bout.

Chvarkou's 6-25 record isn't stellar, but it's actually an indicator that the 39 year old can fight. Born in the Soviet Union in what is now Kazakhstan, Chvarkou represents Belarus and lives in Poland. He turned pro in 2016 and has been in tough ever since.

Standing about 6'4", Chvarkou is the consummate B-sider. His main goal is not to be knocked out, so he can fight again quickly. If he feels like he can win, he'll try, but if the opponent becomes too dangerous, Viktar will fight to survive. Early in his career, he opened up more and targeted the body. Evgeny Romanov clobbered him with a hellacious left hook in Chvarkou's second pro fight, earning a third round stoppage victory.

Georgia will be the ninth country Chvarkou has traveled to, fighting hometown favorites all along the way. In his third fight, the judges stole the bout from him and awarded it to Zamig Atakishiyev. It's not the only time he has been on the wrong side of a bad decision.

Trained by Andrej Gronovs, Chvarkou knows how to survive. He understands distance and mostly avoids the midrange. On the outside, he paws with the jab and looks to land counter rights. On the inside, he holds, especially against tall British heavyweight prospects such as Tommy Fletcher, Luis Wright, and Lewis Williams. The Belarussian isn't adverse to using foul tactics when needed and was disqualified for intentional headbutts in a 2019 bout against Christian Thun that Viktar was winning.

Chvarkou has lasted the distance against some known opponents. He heard the bell both times he fought Callum Johnson, who once knocked down Artur Beterbiev. He has only been stopped three times: in his second fight against Romanov, due to an injured right hand against Nelson Hysa, and against Arlo Stephens he was caught cold in the first by a looping right hand that he didn't see.

Unless he thinks he can win, Chvarkou will approach this contest against Zak cautiously. He just lost a decision last week and has a fight scheduled for September. He presents a challenge for the young prospect, though. The veteran is going to try to muck things up on the inside and stay out of range on the outside. It's up to Zak to find the right punches to stop the tough Belarussian. Chvarkou drops his hands a bit when he throws, which could leave him open to Zak's counters, but Yan will most likely need to lead in this contest. Combinations that start with jabs or hooks to the body and end with rights to the chin, could be the ticket for Zak.

This bout is scheduled for six rounds in the cruiserweight division.

Yan Zak Stops Mukhiddin Rajapbaev

Cruiserweight Yan Zak dominated Mukhiddin Rajapbaev today at New Sport Hall in Tbilisi, Georgia. Rajapbaev made a business decision by quitting after a rough first round.

A 25 year old from Ashdod, Israel, Zak used his height advantage from the opening bell, keeping Rajapbaev on the end of his jab and continuously moving out of range. He found openings for his left hook to the body and straight right over the top.

Rajapbaev came out jabbing, but the 37 year from Tashkent, Uzbekistan could not find the target. Meanwhile, Zak experimented with walking down the shorter man, trapping him in the corner at one point, and teeing off on the 28-fight veteran. Zak then incorporated a combination involving a right to the body and left hook upstairs into his attack.

Zak got the experience of receiving instructions in the corner for the first time as a pro as Rajapbaev quit towards the end of the one- minute rest period. Mukhiddin was visibly wincing after the fight was waved off. The body assault had done the damage.

Zak boxed beautifully and went on the attack at the right moment. It was a stellar performance. He got away with keeping his hands low this time, but against tougher competition, he’ll need to be careful.

Zak is now 2-0 with 2 KOs. There was talk of him fighting next on July 4. Rajapbaev falls to 12-16-1 with 8 KOs. This was the thirteenth time he has been stopped.

Yan Zak and Mukhiddin Rajapbaev Make Weight

Cruiserweights Yan Zak and Mukhiddin Rajapbaev both made weight ahead of their clash tomorrow at New Sport Hall in Tbilisi, Georgia. Rajapbaev represents an experienced opponent for Zak's second pro fight.

Zak (1-0, 1 KO) weighed in at 199 pounds. This is only a quarter of a pound away from what the 25 year old weighed in his debut, a first round knockout of Darshan Singh on May 3.

Rajapbaev (12-15-1, 8 KOs) weighed 197.8 pounds. He was a middle and super middleweight before 2020 and has since ballooned into the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions. The lightest the 37 year old resident of Tashkent, Uzbekistan has weighed since 2020 was 191.3 pounds against Yury Kashinsky in 2021. The heaviest he came in at was 212.8 pounds this past April 24.

Rajapbaev was asked to take off his shoes and shirt before weighing in, which may have been the difference in making weight. Zak has a significant height advantage, but Rajapbaev has a lot of experience being the shorter man. This bout is scheduled for six rounds.

For a preview of Zak-Rajapbaev, visit here. Video of the weigh-in can be found here.

Yan Zak to Face Veteran Mukhiddin Rajapbaev

Cruiserweight Yan Zak is scheduled to face Mukhiddin Rajapbaev on Saturday at New Sports Palace in Tbilisi, Georgia. Rajapbaev is a veteran of 28 fights and will look for an early knockout.

Zak- a 25 year old from Ashdod, Israel- dominated his pro debut earlier this month when he stopped Darshan Singh in the first round on May 3. Zak is a boxer-puncher with a distinguished amateur pedigree. He's in tough in his second fight against a 17-year pro.

Rajapbaev is a 37 year old from Tashkent, Uzbekistan with a record of 12-15-1 (8 KOs). He has been stopped 12 times. Rajapbeav has basically had two careers. He fought as a middleweight and super middleweight with a clean face and a hair carved in the shape of a horse shoe before the covid pandemic. During this stage, he had a winning record. His best win came in 2012 against Konstyantyn Rovenskyy, who was 17-0-2 when they faced. Rajpbaev scored knockdowns in the third and seventh rounds, catching the towel from Rovenskyy's corner while finishing the second one. A disputed draw against Maksym Bursak in 2018 represented another strong performance. Bursak constantly held as Rajapbaev marked up the left side of his face with overhand rights.

The second part of Rajapbaev's career has taken place after covid. He gained 25 pounds and has fought as an undersized cruiserweight and heavyweight. Sporting a clean-shaved head, bushy beard, and a dad bod, the Uzbek hasn't won a fight at the heavier weights. In fact, his last win came back in 2018, a first round KO of Bobur Alimov after Rajapbaev had been rocked early.

Rajapbaev, who has fought in front of Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov, starts each fight loading up on looping power shots around the opponent's guard. He shows the left to land the overhand right, which has true power behind it. He used that right against Yedil Kozhamberdiyev in 2020, putting down his Kazakh foe early in the fight. Rajapbaev controlled the first three rounds, and deserved another knockdown in the third that was ruled a slip, but Kozhamberdiev came back in the forth to pound the fight out of the Uzbek.

A month ago, Rajapbaev lost by way of "Russian Retirement," a phenomenon in Russia where the B-side wins a round and then promptly quits during the rest period with a mysterious injury. After quitting following a successful first round against the enormous Takhir Mamedov on April 24, Rajapbaev raced to the middle of the ring and shadowboxed for a few moments.

Zak will need to be carful in the early moments against Rajapbaev. He needs to be wary of the right and not fall for the decoy left. Zak has a good jab, which is effective against Rajapbaev. The native of Uzbekistan is a rough guy who has been known to land rabbit punches. He walks forward and throws from awkward angles but leaves himself square, which opens him up for counters. He also goes to body.

It will a good test early in Zak's pro career. This fight is scheduled for six rounds.

Yan Zak Dominates in Debut

Cruiserweight Yan Zak burst onto the pro scene with a dominating first round knockout against the more experienced Darshan Singh today the Round 10 Boxing Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Zak showed he was several classes above Singh in a convincing display of boxing and punching.

Wearing nondescript red trunks with white trim, Zak peppered his jab into Singh's face and body to keep the free-swinging brawler from India at bay. The 25 year old  Israeli then scored with a punishing left hook to the body. He soon worked in his right to both the head and body. Singh was quickly in bad shape and a left hook to the body forced him to take a knee. The referee reached the count of ten about two minutes and twenty seconds into the fight.

Zak's performance was thorough. He boxed well, showed devastating power to the body, picked his punches well, and was extremely accurate. He kept his hands low to bait Singh so Zak could counter the wide-punching 20 year old. Zak's Reyes gloves were so quick that when Singh even thought about throwing, Zak's straight shots were already landing.

If Zak concentrates on a pro career, he has the tools and the style to go far. He's 1-0 with 1 KO while Singh is now 2-5 with 2 KOs. This was the first time the durable Singh has been stopped.

Yan Zak Weighs In Ahead of Debut

Yan Zak, the 25 year old decorated amateur from Israel, weighed in ahead of his clash against Darshan Singh tomorrow at the Round 10 Boxing Club in Dubai, U.A.E. Zak is one of the most decorated amateur Jewish boxers in years.

From Ashdod, Zak arrived in Dubai yesterday and weighed in today. BoxRec lists the fight at heavyweight, but Zak's team told The Jewish Boxing Blog that the fight is actually scheduled to take place in the cruiserweight division. Zak has primarily fought at 200 pounds as an amateur recently.

Unofficially, Zak weighed 198 pounds. Singh (2-4, 2 KOs) was 189.5 pounds. The 20 year old from Badiala, India has been as light as 182.5 pounds (his last fight) and as heavy as 202.8 pounds (his first fight).

Zak-Singh is scheduled for six rounds. For a preview of the fight, visit here.

Yan Zak to Make Pro Debut May 3

Yan Zak is scheduled to make his professional debut against Darshan Singh at the Round 10 Boxing Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The 25 year old Israeli's debut has been long awaited.

Zak is a decorated amateur. He won gold at the U22 European championships in 2022 and has a wealth of experience fighting at the world championships and other important tournaments. Zak is noted for his rivalry with the respected Loren Alfonso of Azerbaijan.

A resident of Ashdod, Zak can fight in a variety of styles, but is primarily a boxer-puncher. Coached by Artur Zlatopolski of the Tyson Mireli Team, Zak boxes with an in-and out-style in the Russian mold. But he is not one-dimensional. Against a classy boxer like Alfonso, Zak mauled the Cuban-Azeri to negate his quickness. Zak's prospects in the pro game are exciting to contemplate.

His opponent, Darshan Singh, is a 20 year old from Badiala, Punjab, India with a record of 2-4 with 2 KOs. Singh is no pushover. He has a good chin, can slip punches, and has improved since his debut. In that 2023 debut against Manbir Manbir, Singh launched wide haymakers and exhibited poor footwork. In February this year, Singh showed progress in a fight against the much heavier Jaipal Singh. He developed a jab, straightened out his punches a bit, and moved more fluidly.

Singh took hard rights to the face in the fourth round against Manbir. Jaipal, who outweighed Darshan by nearly 60 pounds, dug into his body shots and connected with clean rights to the head. Yet Darshan stood up to the blows in both fights, showing not only a good chin, but a fighter's heart. He took the punishment even while the ring lights flashed and rotated into the fighters' eyes in both contests.

All of Darshan Singh's fights have been in and around the cruiserweight division either in his native state of Punjab or the neighboring state of Haryana, both home to many people of the Sikh religion. Sikh men typically adopt the surname Singh to show equality and reject caste hierarchies, which is why four of his six opponents have shared the same name. Women assume the surname Kaur. Sikhs often keep with them a kirpan, or small curved dagger, as part of their faith. Singh may need to use it in the ring against Zak to have a chance.

Zak will need to be careful against the free-swinging Singh, but his debut is hopefully the beginning of an promising career. Zak will have six rounds, so he should remain patient and try to break down the durable Singh instead of aiming for a one-punch knockout. Singh already has gone eight rounds, so the distance won't be a problem for him while the six-round length will be an adjustment for Zak.

Yan typically fought at around 200 pounds as an amateur, but this fight is scheduled as a heavyweight contest. The last quality Jewish heavyweight pro was Roman Greenberg.

2025 Israeli National Amateur Championships

It's time to be bullish about Israeli amateur boxing. The national championships, which took place on a basketball court in Lod this past week, was littered with pugilistic talent.

Nothing exemplifies that point better than Alex Karchevski's early round exit this year. The 33 year old light heavyweight is a multi-division national champion and is 1-0 as a pro. But he fell to Rony Partouche in a highly-skilled battle. Karchevski kept his guard high and tight, looking for openings to unleash power shots. Partoushe used fluid combinations, picking his punches well, on route to a quality upset victory. But the 80 KG division in Israel is such that Partoushe lost in the next round of the tournament.

International stalwarts Yan Zak, Daniel Ilyushonok, and Miroslav Kapuler were also present in the ring. The 27 year old Kapuler is perhaps the most successful Israeli amateur boxer of his generation. Now a middleweight, he won the national title in a grueling fight against Ahmad Jabarin. Kapuler's 3-0 as a pro, but hasn't fought for pay in over three years. Fans of Jewish boxing would love to see the slick intelligent boxer back as a prizefighter.

Yan Zak had the most impressive performances in the tournament. The 25 year old heavyweight, who has had a number of successes on the international stage, stopped each of his three opponents. If he goes pro, he would instantly be a highly rated prospect in the cruiserweight or heavyweight divisions. Fans hope he goes in that direction soon.

Ilyushonok, a light heavyweight born in 2002, is a little younger than Kapuler and Zak and needs just a little more seasoning before jumping into the pro ranks. But he has all the tools to go a long way, particularly length and power.

Cruiserweights David Bazov, a 21 year old southpaw who nearly went pro in 2023, and Arik Prilutsky, who is younger and bigger than Bazov, fought in a competitive final at 86 KGs. Prilutsky scored a knockdown in the first, but was bloodied in that round. Bazov boxed, landing many sneaky right hooks in a rough fight that was fought at a high level. Bazov was awarded the victory, much to Prilutsky's chagrin.

Tomer Benny, a southpaw welterweight, flirted with the pro ranks last year. The 20 year old dominated his first fight, but was badly cut in the semifinal. That should put his pro debut on hold for a while until he heals. Igor Novokov eventually won the gold.

Another Benny, Benny Nizard, fared the same fate in the junior middleweight final. The former French national champion is 1-0 as a pro. He relocated to Israel in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks. The 20 year old southpaw was cut by an accidental butt when his taller opponent leaned into him in the second round. The fight was stopped and the victory was awarded to his opponent, Muhammad Isa. Afterwards, Nizard teased an upcoming announcement about his pro career.

Shlomo Niazov, a 1984 Olympian with a pro record of 4-1, graced the fans and boxers with his presence.

Israeli boxing is in need of funding and hopefully some deep-pocketed benefactors will see the opportunity for the sport to grow in the country. The tournament is neither streamed nor televised. Exposure will only inspire the next generation. National champs don't automatically get to fight in international tournaments because of a lack of funding. They miss out on a chance to improve against better boxers. This needs to be corrected for Israeli boxing's future.

Unfortunately, the Israel Boxing Association is still affiliated with the corrupt International Boxing Association (IBA). The IBA was suspended from running the boxing tournament at the 2020 Olympics and subsequently banned for repeated corruption. A new- hopefully less corrupt- organization called World Boxing hopes to take up the mantle and keep the sport in the Olympics. The Israel Boxing Association should recognize which way the winds are blowing and change course.

Kapuler Advances in Final Olympic Qualifying Tournament

In the final qualifier for the 2024 Olympics, Miroslav Kapuler and Yan Zak have made the round of 32 in their respective weight classes.

Junior middleweight Kapuler faces Tiago Muxanga, a 23 year old from Mozambique, on May 28 in the afternoon session (Bangkok, Thailand time). Muxanga has some quality experience in the amateur ranks for a young guy. Kapuler beat Carl Hield 5-0 in the round of 64. Muxanga stopped his opponent in the first round.

Heavyweight Yan Zak next fights on May 30 in the afternoon session. He faces the gigantic Mucahit Ilyas of Turkey who had a bye. Zak beat Malcolm Preston Matthes 4-1. A southpaw, Matthes led with his head costing him two points. Zak suffered a cut by his right eye when Matthes initiated a butt in the second round.

Two Jewish Pros to Compete in Final Olympic Qualifier

David Alaverdian and Miroslav Kapuler are scheduled to represent Israel in the final Olympic qualifier beginning tomorrow. The event, to be held in Thailand, is the last shot for boxers to make the 2024 Paris Olympics. The last Jewish boxer to fight in the Olympics was Miroslav's brother, Pavlo Ishchenko, who competed for Ukraine in 2012.

Alaverdian is 8-0-1 with 6 KOs as a pro. Professional boxers have been allowed to compete in amateur tournaments since 2016. David will fight in the flyweight (51 KG) class. He is one of 51 boxers competing for four qualifying spots. His first bout is scheduled for Saturday against Chon Ryong So of North Korea. So won bronze at last year's Asian Games.

Kapuler is a 3-0 pro. The southpaw fights in the junior middleweight division (71 KG), which has 70 boxers vying for five Olympic spots. Miroslav faces Carl Hield of the Bahamas on Sunday in the round of 64. Hield is a battletested 37 year old who is 6-0 as a pro, all in Colombia.

Yan Zak and Daniel Ilyushonok are two Israeli amateurs who will take part in the qualifying tournament. Zak is a heavyweight (92 KG). One of 42 boxers battling for three spots, Zak fights Malcolm Preston Matthes of New Zealand on Monday. Ilyonshonok fights as a light heavyweight (80 KG). Fifty four light heavies are aiming for one of four spots. Ilyushonok takes on Paul Andrei Aradoaie of Romania on Saturday.

Follow the tournament here.

Miroslav Kapuler Advances to Quarters in Europeans

Junior middleweight Miroslav Kapuler won his first two fights at the European amateur championships in Belgrade, Serbia run by the EUBC. The EUBC is affiliated with the IBA, who has been banned by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) from running the boxing tournament at the Olympics because of corruption. So this tournament is not an Olympic qualifier. Last year's European Games served as a qualifying tournament instead.

Kapuler, a southpaw who will turn 27 on April 28, is the lone pro boxer from the Israeli contingent. Pro boxers are allowed to fight in amateur tournaments since a rule change in 2016. Kapuler, who also uses the surname Ishchenko, is 3-0 as a pro and last fought for money in 2021. Prospect Yan Zak and Yonatan Arnon, also competed in the tourament for Israel.

Kapuler won his first preliminary bout by unanimous decision over Lithuania's Aleksandr Trofimcuk by boxing beautifully in the pocket: launching intelligent combinations and slipping Tromfimcuk's counters. In the round of 16 the next day, Kapuler completely controlled the contest against Pavel Kaminin, an Estonian from the ethnically Russian eastern city of Narva. Kapuler showed more aggression than usual and loaded up on sledgehammer lefts while Kaminin, who is 2-0 as a pro, mostly held Kapuler as if they were attending a high school dance. Referee Anar Babanli missed an early third round knockdown by Kapuler and then admonished the Israeli for rabbit punching when Kaminin turned his head and scolded Kapuler for arguing that point, but he was fair otherwise.

Heavyweight Yan Zak dominated 2020 Olympian Uladzislau Smiahlikau in the round of 16 by unanimous decision behind his jab and adroit footwork. Smiahlikau suffered a cut by his right eye in the third round. Astonishingly, two judges awarded the Belarussian with a round. In the quarterfinals, Zak faced his rival Loren Alfonso Dominguez of Azerbaijan. A slippery boxer in the Cuban mold, Alfonso fights with his hands down and embarrasses his opponents by making them miss and making them pay from odd angles. He was more serious than usual against Zak and seemed to barely edge the first two rounds. Zak pummeled Alfonso in the third, but three judges incredibly gave the round to Alfonso. Nevertheless, the right man won.

Middleweight Yonatan Arnon was stopped in the last second of his bout by an experienced opponent from Serbia, Almir Memic, in the round of 16. Arnon landed some counters and potshots, but was outclassed by Memic's pressure and looping right. Memic scored three standing eight counts and knocked out his Israeli opponent's mouthpiece several times.  A bit unfairly, the referee stopped the contest with no time left.

Kapuler fights in the quarterfinals against Vasile Cebotari, a Moldovan who is 15-0 as a pro, on Wednesday April 24 in the evening session.

Alaverdian Out of European Games

David Alaverdian lost by split decision to Attila Bernath of Hungary at the European Games in Krakow, Poland today. The close, competitive bout was marred by some curious judging.

Two days before his 30th birthday, Alaverdian (8-0-1 as a pro) was not given a fair shake against the 23 year old Bernath. Both guys switched stances as Alaverdian fought the first round at range. Bernath proved to be a good clever fighter who landed a number of sneaky shots on the inside in the first round. Four of the five judges scored the swing round for the Hungarian.

Bernath started the second round touching Alaverdian as the Israeli came forward. David finished the round connecting with big shots to the head. He also landed some hard left hooks to the body in the round. If this had been a pro fight, Alaverdian would've won the round on the judges' cards because he landed all of the harder blows. But Bernath won the round on each of the five judges' cards because he landed more clean punches, even though they were far less damaging.

Both competitors knew the score heading into the third, so Alaverdian stalked and fired away while Bernath literally ran to the far side of the ring on a couple of occasions. Bernath landed a few shots early, but Alaverdian managed to catch the Hungarian and repeatedly whack him with huge punches. Bernath was beaten up pretty badly in that last round.

Two judges gave the fight to Bernath 29-28 while one gave it to Alaverdian by the same score. The two other judges failed at their job. Maximo Abalos of the Philippines scored the third round for Bernath and gave the Hungarian the fight 30-27, which is an inconceivable score. He wasn't the worst offender, though.

Nagy Ismail Hamed Osman of Egypt should not only never judge another boxing match, he shouldn't even judge the prettiest Pomeranian at the Westminster Kennel Club. He turned in the worst scorecard in the history of The Jewish Boxing Blog's coverage, scoring the bout 30-25(!) for Bernath giving two(!) 10-8 rounds to the Hungarian. No other judge even had one round 10-8. After incomprehensibly calling the first two rounds 10-8, he somehow saw fit to give Bernath the third. Even if you had it 29-28 for Bernath, Osman was four points off in a three round fight! People this incompetent need to be thrown out of all levels of boxing.


Note: Israeli amateurs Daniel Ilyushonok and Yan Zan both advanced the round of 16. Twenty year old light heavyweight southpaw Ilyushonok punctuated an ugly fight with a beautiful right uppercut to score a third round KO over Altin Shala of Kosovo. In a big upset, Zak, a 23 year old heavyweight, beat Loren Alfonso Dominguez of Azerbaijan by spilt decision, 4-1. Alfonso Dominguez, a gold medalist at the '21 World Championships and bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, was deducted two points in the second round for infractions, which ultimately cost him the bout. Ilyushonok and Zak fight on Monday in separate matches.

2021 Israeli Amateur Championships

The lines between the amateur ranks and the pro game have become increasingly blurred in boxing. Some Jewish boxers who have turned pro were able to fight in last week's Israeli amateur championships. After going pro, Miroslav Kapuler, Yotham Shalom, Mikhael Ostroumov, and Arthur Abramov all took part in the tournament held in Oranit.

Kapuler, who has also fought under the surname Ishchenko, dominated the 71 kg division. He stopped his first opponent in the second round and then swept his next two foes five to nothing on points. Miroslav is 2-0 as a pro with one KO. He last fought professionally in April.

After a bye in the quarterfinals, Shalom edged a victory in the semis by the score of 3-2. He swept the finals of the 57 kg division 5-0 on points. Yotham is 2-0-1 as a pro with one KO. His last fight for pay was a decision victory in 2019. He has been scheduled to fight professionally since then, but his fights have fallen through due to covid-19 restrictions.

Ostroumov stopped his opponent in the semis of the 86 kg division in the first round of the contest after earning a bye in the quarters. The tough body-assaulting southpaw dropped a decision in the final to 21-year old Yan Zak. Mikhael, sometimes spelled Mikhail, is 3-0-1 as a pro with one KO.

Abramov was stopped by Zak in the third round of their semifinal encounter. Arthur won his lone pro fight by way of first round knockout. That bout took place in January of 2020.

The entire tournament results can be viewed here.