(SOUTHHAVEN, Miss.) The World Series of Boxing (WSB) officially reached the halfway point of the league’s inaugural season Saturday with the Mexico City Guerreros once again overwhelming the Memphis Force with a 5-0 win.
The Guerreros, behind three WSB newcomers, earned their first road victory of the season to move to a respectable 3-3 on the year and back into second place behind the front-running Los Angeles Matadors in WSB Americas action. The Guerreros had a similar start to the season against the Force with a 5-0 victory as well in Mexico City, November 19. Meanwhile, the Memphis Force fall to 1-5 on the year and continue to struggle having dropped four matches in a row.
Braulio Avila (Tiaxcala, Mexico) got the evening started for the Guerreros with a unanimous decision over Detelin Dalakiev (Pleven, Bulgaria) of the Memphis Force in the bantamweight/119 pounds/54kg weight class to run his record to 2-1 on the year. Dalakiev, the 2009 World Champion, is struggling in WSB action, going 1-2 in his first three bouts and loss in a unanimous decision to Avila, 49-46, 49-46, 50-45.
Josip Duric (Zagreb, Croatia) of the Guerreros defeated Chris Jones (Dallas, Texas) of the Force in his WSB debut at middleweight/161 pounds/73 kg, dropping Jones to 0-3 on the season. After losing the first round to Jones and settling in to the new format of the WSB, Duric wouldn’t lose another round the rest of the way and scored a unanimous decision over Jones, 49-45, 49-45, 49-45. A big 10-8 decision among among all three judges in the fourth round proved to be the deciding factor.
Imre Szello (Cegled, Hungary) was impressive in his first WSB bout back on November 26 and through the first round tonight, but couldn’t find the same result the last four rounds against Kennedy Katende (Sundsvall, Sweden), another new addition to the WSB field. The Swedish Olympian Katende got the better of the Hungarian Olympian Szello in a unanimous decision, 48-47, 48-47, 49-46.
The results were similar for Force boxer Cam Thompson (Uniondale, N.Y.) who was equally impressive his first time out as a WSB boxer, but was dealt a similar fate as Szello Saturday in his matchup with Jose Payares (Caracas, Venezuela) in the battle of heavyweights. Payares, a 2008 Olympian, handed Thompson a decisive unanimous decision loss by winning every round on all three judge’s score cards, 50-45, 50-45, 48-47.
There was no bout in the lightweight/61 kg division as the Memphis Force were unable to field a boxer in that weight class. Both lightweight boxers the Force have are currently serving medical suspensions including Raynell Williams (Cleveland, Ohio) and Yahman Phelps (Cincinnati, Ohio). MC Guerrero Angel Gutierrez (Queretaro, Mexico) will receive the walkover in the weight class given he makes weight on Friday.
WSB Americas action resumes January 27 featuring rematches from week six as the Force will again entertain the Guerreros while the LA Matadors (5-1) host the Miami Gallos (3-3) all on the same night.