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.

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.