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Shiming passes 10-round test, Rigondeaux scores controversial KO

Fighters Network
19
Jul
Zou Shiming (R) throws a right hook at Luis De La Rosa on July 19, 2014, in Macau. Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank.

Zou Shiming (R) throws a right hook at Luis De La Rosa on July 19, 2014, in Macau. Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank.

 

Zou Shiming passed his first ten-round assignment on Saturday, defeating Luis De la Rosa by unanimous decision at the Venetian Resort in Macau, China. The scores were 99-91 on two cards and 97-93 on the third.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist Zou (5-0, 1 knockout) of Zunyi, China faced his most experienced professional opponent to date in De la Rosa (23-4-1, 13 KOs), a former title challenger from Colombia whose only previous losses came against titleholders Mauricio Fuentes, Merlito Sabillo and Raul Garcia.

Zou had little trouble getting the better of De la Rosa, however, using his superior movement and jab to tag the slower Colombian. De la Rosa sustained a cut in round five from an accidental headbutt that threatened to end the fight prematurely.



Zou showed signs of improvement in his fifth fight under six-time Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) Trainer of the Year Freddie Roach, staying in the pocket when needed and working the body better than he had in previous fights.

 

Rigo, Sanchez score first round KOs

Rigondeaux_vs Kokietgym Macau farina

Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank

 

RING junior featherweight champ Guillermo Rigondeaux, who was competing in his final fight under the Top Rank banner, seemed to be in a hurry to get on the phone with potential suitors. Facing Thailand’s Sod Kokietgym, the two clashed heads midway through the first round. Kokietgym went down clutching his head but the accidental butt didn’t produce a cut.

Accounts will vary from this point, but what’s clear is that Kokietgym still appeared to be dazed from the head clash when he was instructed by referee Mark Nelson to resume fighting.

Rigondeaux (14-0, 9 KOs) appeared to touch Kokietgym’s gloves as a sign of sportsmanship before blasting him with a right hook-left cross combination that sent him back to the canvas. Kokietgym rose up in considerable pain but the fight was waved off at the 1:44 mark.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist scored his first knockout since the Teon Kennedy win five fights ago, while Kokietgym (63-3-1, 28 KOs) loses for the first time since losing two bouts to Daniel Ponce De Leon nearly a decade ago.

Meanwhile middleweight Gilberto Ramirez (29-0, 23 KOs) had no problem dispatching Australia’s Junior Talipeau, scoring three quick knockdowns to end the fight at 1:58 of the first round.

Ramirez, a rangy, 6-foot-2 southpaw from Mazatlan, Mexico, scored the first knockdown a minute into the fight with a lead right uppercut that sent Talipeau (20-3-1, 7 KOs) scuttling to the canvas.

Another right uppercut stunned Talipeau once he rose up and a follow up barrage resulted in the second trip to the canvas. There was hesitation from the referee about allowing the fight to continue, but once action resumed Talipeau was a sitting duck, being dropped from a straight left cross where the fight was stopped without a count.

 

Viloria keeps career alive with KO win

Brian Viloria_vs Zuniga_farina

Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank

 

Former junior flyweight and flyweight titleholder Brian Viloria kept his career alive with a fifth-round knockout of Mexico’s Jose Alfredo Zuniga. After four rounds of back-and-forth action, Viloria (34-4, 20 KOs) ended the fight with one left hook to the body, keeping Zuniga (11-6-1, 5 KOs) down for the ten count at the 1:42 mark.

The 33-year-old Viloria was fighting for the first time in Macau since his split decision loss there to Juan Francisco Estrada in April of 2013. Viloria has now won two straight fights since then.

HBO will air the Zou-De la Rosa and Sanchez-Talipeau bouts on same-day tape delay beginning at 5 p.m. ET, while the Rigondeaux fight will be aired on Unimas at 11p.m. ET in the U.S.

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