By GM Ross: In a close heavyweight contest this weekend in Barrie, Ontario, Neven ‘No Surrender’ Pajkic added the NABA Canada title to his championship inventory, scoring a unanimous decision victory over Louisiana State champion Johnnie White. According to our friends over at theboxingexaminer.com, “even though Pajkic landed more frequently, each round was very difficult to score because White would land huge crowd pleasing punches that were easy for the judge’s to see.”
The scorecards indicated a close contest, with two judges scoring the contest 96-94, while the other had it 97-93. Some fans clearly disagreed with the officials and booed as Pajkic’s arm was raised in victory. The next challenger for Pajkic’s Canadian Boxing Federation (CBF) crown was also decided on Friday night. In a heavyweight title eliminator, Tye ‘Big Sky’ Fields knocked out former CBF champion Raymond Olubowale in less than three rounds, earning a shot at Pajkic’s CBF laurels in the not too distant future.
The “fight of the night,” according to the Boxing Examiner’s Rick McLean, was Lindsay Garbatt’s defense of her WIBA super featherweight title against Jelena Mrdjenovich. Garbatt won the vacant title in 2010 via a split decision victory over Mrdjenovich (the former WBC champion) in Edmonton and improved upon this outcome Friday in Barrie. The first five rounds were close, but in the sixth Garbatt shifted things in her favor, scoring with a right hand that opened a large cut over Mrdjenovich’s left eye. According to McLean, Mrdjenovich fought back in the seventh, showing her best work of the night, only to be pushed back by Garbatt in the eighth. The last two rounds were close, but ultimately Garbatt did enough to earn a majority decision victory, 96-95, 96-94, 95-95.
In other action in Barrie Milos Pantelic fought to a draw with Tafo Asongwed, Denton Daley knockout out Taylor Bull in two rounds, Jason Douglas earned a decision over former CBF champion Frank White and red-hot prospect Steve Franjic ended Ty MacDougall’s night in three rounds.
In Puerto Rico, Mikael Zweski kept his perfect record intact, scoring a unanimous decision victory over Joseph De Los Santos of the Dominican Republic. According to Benoit Dussault of Fanatique.ca, Zewski will be back in action on March 5, on the Saul Alvarez-Matthew Hatton undercard.