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.

Odelia Ben Ephraim Drops Split Decision to Angerville

Odelia Ben Ephraim lost by split decision in her bid to become the French featherweight champion tonight at Salle les Iris in Lormont, France against Annaelle Angerville. Angerville captured the vacant title with the win.

Two judges gave the bout to Angerville 79-73 and 78-74. The third judge saw Ben Ephraim as the winner, 77-75. This was a rematch; Angerville scored a points victory in the first one when the referee scored the bout 39-37 for her. 

Ben Ephraim is now 3-2. Both of her losses have been close and come against the more experienced Angerville, a former Muay Thai world champion and successful kickboxer. Angerville is now 5-1-1 as a pro boxer. More details to come...

Odelia Ben Ephraim and Annaelle Angerville Make Weight

Odelia "Thunder" Ben Ephraim and Annaelle Angerville both made the featherweight limit ahead of their fight for the French title tomorrow at Salle les Iris in Lormont, France. This is a rematch of a 2021 bout in which both boxers were making their pro debuts. Angerville won the decision that night.

Ben Ephraim (3-1) is a 23 year old from France. In her last fight on June 18 against Karla Merida, Odelia pressed forward and showed impressive infighting on route to a points victory. In addition to her boxing career, she is also a talented artist. For this fight, Ben Ephraim weighed in at 123.5 pounds, the lightest of her career. Her heaviest is 126. She has to be considered the underdog in this fight, but she is very much a live dog.

Angerville (4-1-1) is a 33 year old from France. Of Haitian heritage, she is a former Muay Thai world champion and a successful kickboxer. Many Muay Thai fighters and kickboxers use a squared-up stance and throw lopping shots, but Angerville has shown good balance and the ability to throw straight shots in her fights. She has adapted well to pro boxing. Angerville weighed in at 125.7 pounds, which is comfortably within her usual range. Her lightest for a pro boxing bout was 123 while her heaviest was 129.5 pounds.

Regardless of the outcome, both fighters must be commended for taking on such tough opponents early in their pro boxing careers. This contest is scheduled for eight two-minute rounds.

Alex Karchevski to Face Cvintilian Lisii Next Week

Super middleweight Alex Karchevski is scheduled to make his pro debut next Thursday, February 9, in Ashdod, Israel against Cvintilian Lisii. Karchevsky was originally scheduled to face Leon Balandine, who pulled out with an injury. Though Lisii is a replacement, he's more experienced than Balandine, and it should be a more competitive match.

Karchevski is a 31 year old from Lod, Israel. A decorated amateur, he can fight in different styles but prefers to fight on the front foot. As an amateur, he has fought in the heavyweight division on down, so he's the naturally bigger man.

Lisii (1-1, one KO), a 23 year old from Moldova, is an experienced kickboxer. He fought well in his pro boxing debut against Roberto Tranquillo, who was 4-0, on November 5 in Italy. Lisii throws a powerful right. Against Tranquillo, he dipped his left shoulder and landed a big overhand right, good straight rights, and a couple of right uppercuts. Defensively, he covered up and used upper-body movement.

In the third round, Tranquillo reddened the Moldovan's face and backed him into a corner before scoring a knockdown. Tranquillo then landed a right to the body while Lisii was down, but the Italian received no admonishment from the ref. Lisii showed perseverance when he rose, landed two hard rights, and scored a flash knockdown. He was put down for the count in the fifth, though.

Lisii won his first pro fight on December 2 when he stopped Ion Marius Tanca, a southpaw cutie making his debut. Lisii's right again did all the work. A right to the body put Tanca down in the second for the count.

Lisii was less effective when he switched to southpaw in both fights. Typically boxers want to circle away from an opponent's backhand, which is usually the stronger hand, but Karchevski will want to circle away from the right regardless of Lisii's stance. That is if Karchevski, who may pressure, does any circling at all. Lisii's technique lost quality as the fight against Tranquillo progressed and he's hittable, but his right is dangerous.

One weird thing to watch for: Lisii's shoe has come untied in both of his fights. Will he make it three in a row? This bout is scheduled for four rounds.