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.

Successful Night for Gloves and Doves in Israel

Gloves and Doves, a program run by former professional boxer Tony Milch that promotes peace and coexistence in the Middle East, hosted a successful night of boxing in Isfiya, Israel this past evening. Former world champion Rabbi Yuri Foreman along with former world title challenger and current promoter Dmitriy Salita both sent their support for the event.

A current pro, Yotham Shalom, boxed in a three round exhibition while another active boxer Igor Lazarev refereed. Sagiv Ismailov, who is 2-0 as a pro, also laced up the gloves. Members of the Israeli national amateur boxing team also showcased their skills in the ring. They are of different backgrounds and religions but represent one country. The featured attraction of the evening was Adham Kayouf, a Druze fighter from Isfiya.

Gloves and Doves is an endeavor worthy of support regardless of one's politics. Peace benefits us all and while sports may not work miracles, it can create progress. Ping-pong diplomacy helped thaw relations between China and the United States during the 1970s ultimately leading towards an economic relationship between the two nations. Cricket has helped direct tensions between India and Pakistan to the pitch instead of the battlefield. And athletes such as Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis, and Bill Russell helped bridge the racial divide in the United States and set the stage for increasing integration.

With the recent deadly conflict in Israel, an initiative that promotes peace and coexistence in the Middle East is needed now more than ever. Boxing is an apt avenue to create progress towards that goal. Boxers pound each other during the fight and yet often form a lifelong friendships after the final bell has rung. To donate visit their crowdfunding page and follow Gloves and Doves on Instagram. A replay of the event can be watched here.

Lazarev and Shalom Off Kiev Card

As Israel attempts to prevent the new variant of covid-19 from entering its borders, Ben Gurion airport will remained closed until at least February 20 according to The Times of Israel. Igor Lazarev and Yotham Shalom, both based in Israel, were scheduled to fight on Saturday in Kiev, Ukraine.

According to Tony Milch, Gloves and Doves founder who has worked with both Lazarev and Shalom and is a friend of Shalom's father, the two Israelis won't be able to fight on the Kiev card due to Israel's travel restrictions and the airport's closure.

While the seven-day average of new covid-19 cases in Israel is somewhat down from its peak of over 8,000 in mid-January, the seven-day average is still over 6,000, higher than at any point in 2020.

Shalom to Fight on February 13 Card in Kiev

Yotham Shalom is scheduled to fight on February 13 at Club Atlas in Kiev, Ukraine. Hakan Ozdemir is penciled in as Shalom's opponent. Igor Lazarev is on the same card.

Shalom's last prizefight took place on October 27, 2019. Saturday's fight will end a sixteen-month layoff. That 2019 fight, which also took place in Kiev, has been Shalom's only professional boxing match since 2017. Yotham has fast hands and feet and uses a hit-and-don't get hit style. He is 2-0-1 with one KO.

Ozdemir (0-2) is a 28 year old native of Turkey. He lost  by way of first round knockout in his last fight to the aforementioned Lazarev. That bout was held last December. Ozdemir was also stopped in his first fight a year ago.

Four Jewish Boxers Fight in Boxing Event to Help Kids with Special Needs

Four Jewish boxers were featured on a four-fight card at the Jewish Cultural Center Beit Grand in Odessa, Ukraine last Sunday. Igor Lazarev, Miroslav Kapuler, Yotham Shalom, and Aki Azrael Mishaev competed in separate bouts for a charity event. The night raised funds to help kids with special needs. To make a donation to this worthy cause, please follow this link.

British Jewish boxer Tony Milch, who was originally scheduled to fight on the card, but suffered a cut in training, opened the night with an in-ring introduction, and he worked Shalom's corner. In addition to this event, Milch is working on another positive project. He founded Gloves and Doves, which is focused on contributing to peace through boxing in the Middle East.
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In the main event, Igor Lazarev outworked Dmytro Kostenko to win by unanimous decision. Igor, a 33 year old lightweight from Israel, is fun to watch. He constantly throws punches and is aggressive from the opening bell or, in this case, gong (the timekeeper had a gong with Chinese kanji on it). In the past, the Ashdod resident had been too wild while pressuring, but he displayed impressive control while mounting his offense in this one.  Lazarev is a ferocious body puncher with either hand and showed it in this bout.

Kostenko is a 41 year old from Ukraine who sports a poor record- only two wins in 19 previous fights. However, 17 of his 20 fights have taken place in the past two years, and he's never been stopped. He fought like a man with that track record. Dmytro was a competent counterpuncher who amazingly withstood Lazarev's sustained body assault.

Kostenko landed some nice left hooks to the head in the second round. He connected with some straight rights in the fourth. He was feeling so good, he taunted Lazarev in the fifth. Lazarev didn't take kindly to the taunts, and after taking some more body shots Kostenko soon spit out the mouthpiece to buy some time. The Ukrainian lost his mouthpiece twice more, in the sixth and in the eighth, and both times he absorbed body blows. Referee Vadym Lavrenets probably should have been more proactive in curtaining Kostenko's mouthpiece spitting.

Make no mistake though, Lazarev wont he first five rounds handily with pressure, body punches, and a sprinkle of counters for good measure. This was the first time Lazarev has seen the seventh round in his career and he did get touched more in the sixth and seventh, but he finished strong. He may well have been the first fighter to stop Kostenko had the veteran not intentionally lost his mouthpiece those three times.

Lazarev improves to 5-0 with two KOs after the judges scored the bout 80-72, 79-73, and 79-74 in his favor. Kostenko is 2-17-1 with all of his fights going the distance.
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Miroslav Kapuler, a 22 year old Israeli junior middleweight made his debut on the card. He defeated another debuting fighter, Stanislav Davydenko a 23 year old from Ukraine. Kapuler, a southpaw, took control of center ring from the outset. Davydenko was defensive-minded even though the fight started slowly. Midway through the round, Kapuler landed some hard lefts to the body. A bit later, he landed a perfect straight left to the body. Davydenko folded and stayed down for the ten count.

Kapuler is now 1-0 with one KO and Davydenko is 0-1.
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Yotham Shalom controlled the action against Piotr Ghilas with his speed and his hit-and-don't-get-hit style to win a unanimous decision. In the first two rounds, Ghilas, a 29 year old from Moldova, looked like an angry pedestrian chasing a speeding car that just swiped him. He hopelessly followed Shalom, who landed head-snapping shots from the outside with impressive speed and got out of harm's way just as fast.

Shalom, who hadn't fought in a professional boxing match in nearly two years, slowed a bit in the third. He was still too fast for Ghilas who only managed to touch Shalom's gloves on occasion. Shalom switched to southpaw for a bit in the stanza and landed eye-catching lead lefts from range.

Shalom attacked to start the fourth but quickly reverted to his typical style of stick-and-moving. Ghilas, who was badly outclassed in the first three rounds, did have moments of true success in the final round, but he paid the price. Shalom had landed countless punches that staggered Ghilas all fight and in the last period, the Moldovan's was hit cleanly so many times, he looked like a bobblehead doll.

Shalom's speed and boxing ability were impressive, but he could have followed up his stagger-inducing shots and perhaps earned a knockout. He always chose to box instead. He also circled to his left, directly into an orthodox fighter's strong hand. Against this particular opponent, it didn't matter, but it might be a different story against a better foe.

Notably, Shalom weighed in as a featherweight while Ghilas was a lightweight. Shalom rightly swept the three judges' scorecards, 40-36 to advance to 2-0-1 with one KO. Ghilas is now 0-2 and has yet to win a round in his professional career.
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In the opening bout of the evening, Aki Azrael Mishaev defeated Gheorghi Croitor by unanimous decision. Mishaev, a 33 year old junior middleweight from Israel, entered with a menacing camouflage headscarf. Both fighters jabbed, moved, and bounced in the first round. Mishaev landed several heavy rights to the body and a left hook up top during the round. Croitor, a 22-year old from Moldova, retaliated by throwing left hooks to the body.

In the second, Croitor decided to pressure, abandoning the jab. It didn't work and Mishaev threw a double jab-right uppercut combination that was the best rally of the round. He potshotted and used his slick yet awkward movement to avoid Croitor's attempts.

Mishaev felt more confident in the third and began walking down the game Moldovan. The Israeli even switched to southpaw briefly. Mishaev went for the knockout in the final round, throwing huge power shots while grunting loudly. Some landed, but none put Croitor in any real danger. Croitor did seem tired by the time the final gong rang.

Mishaev, whose first name is listed as Arkadi on BoxRec, won with scores of 40-36, 40-37, 39-37. He is now 1-0. Croiter is 0-3, but exhibited far more skill than his record suggests. The problem for the Moldovan was Mishaev seemed to have a game plan whereas Croitor didn't.

The fights can be watched here.

Jewish Boxers to Fight in Ukraine on Sunday for Worthy Cause

Both Igor Lazarev and Yotham Shalom are scheduled to take part in separate bouts on Sunday, October 27 in Odessa, Ukraine. The event is designed to help children with special needs. For more about that program and for an opportunity to contribute, you can click on this link.

Lazarev (4-0, 2 KOs) won a split decision victory over Leandro Xhelili less than a month ago. He is slated to participate in an eight round bout with Dmytro Kostenko, a 41 year old from Ukraine. Kostenko has fought in eight different countries but hasn't won in many of them. His record is an uninspiring 2-16-1. However, Kostenko defeated a 9-1 British fighter last year for one of his two victories, and the Ukrainian lightweight has never been stopped.

Shalom (1-0-1, one KO) is a featherweight who has fought twice in France including his last one on December 2, 2017. His opponent is scheduled to be Piotr Ghilas (0-1), a 29 year old from Moldova. This bout is scheduled for four rounds.

Tony Milch had been preparing to box in an exhibition match on the card, but he sustained a cut under his right eye in sparring last week. Nevertheless, Milch will be in Odessa helping out. He also has an update on his Gloves and Doves program, which you can read more about here.

Milch is raising funds for a boxing card that would bring a boxing team from London, England to Israel to face a team of Jews and Arabs. To learn more and contribute, you can click here.

Newcomers Miroslav Kapuler and Aki Azrael Mishaev are also penciled in to be on the card. Kapuler faces Artur Davydenko (1-4), a 19 year old welterweight from Ukraine.

Mishaev battles Gheorghi Croitor (0-2), a 22 year old lightweight from Moldova. Croitor was stopped in the third round by Lazarev last December. Both fights are scheduled for four rounds.

Yotham Shalom, Undefeated Junior Lightweight

Yotham Shalom, a junior lightweight from Israel, fought his first two professional fights last year. In April of 2017, he stopped Patrik Major in the third round of a bout in France. Major fell to 2-12.

Shalom next fought Lucas Cabeo on December 2 in France. Cabeo, who weighed in at the junior lightweight limit of 130, was nearly two pounds heavier than Shalom. Cabeo took the first two rounds, but Shalom fought back in the third and fourth rounds to salvage a draw. Cabeo's record became 0-1-1 after the fight, but the 20 year old is now 2-2-1. Shalom, who also has experience in Thai boxing, is 1-0-1 with one KO.