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. 

Stefi Cohen to Face Kedra Bradley in January

Dr. Stefanie Cohen is scheduled to face Kedra Bradley on January 27 at Quiet Canyon Country Club in Montebello, California, USA . The two had been scheduled to face each other in October.

Cohen, a 30 year old is 2-1-1 with one KO. She has had to endure a number of cancellations during her brief pro boxing career. Stefi had been scheduled to fight Paola Ortiz in California on October 22. Ortiz backed out and Bradley, a 26 year old former college basketball player, was inserted as a late replacement, but the fight never happened. Cohen said at the time that Bradley backed out at the last second.

At the time, The Jewish Boxing Blog published a preview of the scheduled Cohen-Bradley fight, which can be found here. Since then, Bradley (1-5-1) has fought once. On November 19, Bradley gave up nearly five pounds to bantamweight Michelle Morales (4-0). They fought next door to Morales's hometown and yet, Bradley came away with a split draw, a very impressive showing against a heavier undefeated opponent.

Cohen-Bradley is scheduled for four rounds.

Top 5 Jewish North African Boxers

Ron Schneck's Top 5 Jewish North African Boxers

Ron Schneck has made invaluable contributions to the field of Jewish boxing history. An expert on the subject, there is likely no one alive who knows more about Jewish boxers from North Africa. Over the years, he has been very generous in sharing his knowledge with The Jewish Boxing Blog.

Ron acknowledges there are many great boxers who were considered for this list, which he was asked to limit only to Jewish boxers from North Africa. Boxers with North African heritage but who were born and raised in Europe such as Fabrice Benachou and Stephane Haccoun were not eligible. Even so, it's a very strong list.

1. Robert Cohen
2. Alphonse Halimi
3. Victor "Young" Perez
4. Felix Brami
T5. Nessin Max Cohen
T5. Emile Chemama



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