Batyrzhan Jukembayev demolished Ivan Redkach with the cold efficiency of a hitman wiping blood off his shoes, making everyone wonder why Redkach even bothered to show up after being stopped in the fifth round.
Right from the start, Jukembayev (23-1, 17 KOs) displayed a kind of brutal artistry with his fists, pounding Redkach (24-7-1, 19 KOs) into submission as if he was just there to pad Jukembayev’s highlight reel. Redkach, pushing 38 and looking older by the minute, threw punches like he was afraid they might actually land, parading around the ring with the defensive prowess of a man who’d rather be anywhere else.
By the second round, the spectacle had turned sadistic. Jukembayev’s body shots landed with the thud of inevitability, each one a cruel reminder to Redkach (and anyone watching) of his impending doom. Redkach’s attempt at trash-talking seemed like a plea for mercy disguised as machismo, an act so pitiful it was almost comical.
Come the fourth round, the charade was up. Redkach staggered around, absorbing punishment like a human punching bag, while Jukembayev doled out pain with the precision of a sniper. It was clear Redkach was outclassed, outgunned, and out of his depth, serving merely as a living target for Jukembayev’s relentless assault.
The referee, perhaps the only person with a sense of mercy, finally called it quits at 2:11 in the fifth, stepping in like a director yelling cut on a scene that should have ended ages ago. Even Paulie Malignaggi, from his commentator’s perch, suggested it was high time for Redkach to retire, lest his next fight end up being his last in more ways than one.
Terence Crawford, present in the audience, must have felt like he was at a funeral rather than a fight, witnessing the slow, torturous end of Redkach’s career.
Results:
- Jukembayev wins by TKO in the 5th round
- Jonhatan Cardoso wins by Split Decision (SD) after 10 rounds
- Charles Harris wins by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 6 rounds