Polish Professional Boxing in October 2022: From Spectacular Knockouts to High Drama
OCTOBER 1, 2022 [KARLINO, ROCKY BOXING NIGHT]
In front of his home crowd in Karlino, Mateusz Polski (3-0, 3 KOs) put on an impressive performance. The former European Championships and European Games medalist dispatched Adam Ngange (20-8-2, 13 KOs) in the very first round. In doing so, he claimed the professional Polish junior welterweight title. Earlier, former heavyweight Kacper Meyna (9-1, 5 KOs) defeated Michał Bańbuła (13-35-5) by technical knockout after the third round. Almost exactly a year earlier, he had also won, but then he needed the full eight rounds.
Karol Welter (12-1, 3 KOs), who is making steady progress, earned a unanimous decision over Evander Rivera (7-1-1, 3 KOs). The judges scored it 77:75, 78:74 and 77:75. Radomir Obruśniak (7-1, 2 KOs) dealt with Cosmas Cheka (27-15-7, 7 KOs), winning 79:73 and 78:74 twice on the scorecards. Kajetan Kalinowski (4-1, 3 KOs) made a successful return after the first loss of his career. The cruiserweight tournament winner defeated Jiri Svacina (15-55, 4 KOs). From the outset, it was clear that the only question concerned the margin of victory. Kalinowski, who had sparred with Michał Cieślak among others during his preparations, boxed for six rounds and won 60:54. Dominik Harwankowski (10-0, 2 KOs) recorded a milestone victory, comfortably outpointing Yon Segu (20-12-2, 6 KOs). Heavyweight Artur Bizewski (5-0, 5 KOs), meanwhile, knocked out Andras Csomor (18-36-2, 14 KOs) in the opening round.
OCTOBER 1, 2022 [BIELSKO-BIAŁA, BABILON BOXING SHOW]
After a 40-month layoff, Khoren Gevor (35-10, 17 KOs) started the bout aggressively. When he began to tire, an accidental clash of heads opened an eyebrow cut. That secured him a victory over Łukasz Stanioch (9-1, 2 KOs). It is difficult to say definitively whether the Szczecin fighter could have made up the deficit. The former European champion, however, gradually began to slow down. After two judges’ cards were tallied, Gevor was ahead. Deservedly so.
Earlier, Łukasz Pławecki (5-0-2, 3 KOs) broke down Mateusz Lis (3-2, 1 KO), who quit in the seventh round while also objecting to referee Bubak’s work. Damian Kiwior (9-5-1, 1 KO) did not enjoy a successful rematch. Pablo Mendoza (12-12, 12 KOs) drew him into a firefight from the start. He had the heavier artillery, and his punches made a greater impression with every exchange. Near the end of the sixth round, referee Arek Małek stopped the one-sided contest after a count.
OCTOBER 1, 2022 [LUBLIN, KNOCKOUT BOXING NIGHT 24]
In the main event of KnockOut Boxing Night 24 in Lublin, a sharp Michał Cieślak (23-2, 17 KOs) broke down and knocked out Krzysztof Twardowski (9-4, 6 KOs). The Radom bomber went on the attack immediately, but Twardowski slipped his punches or quickly tied him up. In the second round, Cieślak changed tactics. He waited for his opponent and began drawing him into exchanges. In the third round, the two-time cruiserweight world-title challenger suffered an accidental cut after a clash of heads. The injury only angered him. First he landed a hard jab, then a short right hook, and Twardowski dropped to one knee for the first time. Moments later, a right uppercut produced a second knockdown. The bell saved Krzysiek from further trouble. Cieślak continued to control the action in the fourth round, throwing hooks upstairs. He ended the fight in the fifth, however, landing a spectacular left hook to the liver. Knockout.
In the first eight-round fight of his career, Rafał Wołczecki (7-0, 4 KOs) defeated tough journeyman Pavel Semjonov (26-23-2, 10 KOs). As is his style, the Wrocław fighter looked for close range and boxed behind a tight double guard. His opponent accepted the challenge. Wołczecki displayed intelligent, measured boxing, although he lacked some changes of pace and bursts of acceleration. In the fifth round, he landed several heavy left hooks under the right elbow, then added a right hook in the sixth. At one point he connected cleanly with a left hook, but slipped and did not follow up. The bout went the full eight rounds. The judges unanimously favored Wołczecki, 78:74 and 80:72 twice.
The less experienced Jan Czerklewicz (9-1, 2 KOs) defeated Marek Matyja (20-4-2, 9 KOs) by a majority decision. After a quiet opening round, a very interesting fight began in the second. Czerklewicz landed several left hooks, but in the third and fourth rounds Matyja began drawing him onto a straight right. It seemed that the Oleśnica fighter was taking control. In the fifth, Janek lengthened his combinations, often finishing with a right uppercut, and got back into the fight. The following minutes were closely contested. Every successful move by one fighter was answered by the other. The result remained up for grabs entering the final round. Matyja started it better, landing a left hook, but Czerklewicz answered with a hard right. The judges scored it 76:76, 77:75 and 79:73 for Jan.
Kamil Szeremeta (23-2-1, 7 KOs) and Mateusz Wojtasiński (3-0, 1 KO) added wins to their records. The young Wrocław fighter dominated Sylwester Zięba (1-3) from the opening bell, consistently attacking the body. Four knockdowns were not enough to end the fight early. The score of 40:32 across the board best reflected the action. Former European middleweight champion Kamil Szeremeta, meanwhile, had some difficulty with ambitious Władysław Gela (12-5, 7 KOs), but controlled the fight throughout. Before the eighth round, referee Grzegorz Molenda stopped the contest. The Ukrainian protested, but he had vomited in his corner shortly beforehand and his trainer signaled that he was withdrawing him.
OCTOBER 8, 2022 [RUDA ŚLĄSKA, SILESIA BOXING]
Robert Talarek (27-15-3, 18 KOs) picked up his second win of the year, although he did not impress. His opponent, Thodoris Ritzakis (4-4-1), tried from the outset to impose the pace on the more experienced fighter, who was sluggish on the night. Talarek had several good moments and was able to draw his opponent onto counters, but his boxing lacked spark and aggression. After eight rounds, the judges awarded him the victory, 77:75, 77:75 and 78:74.
Damian Knyba (9-0, 5 KOs) went eight rounds for the first time. He defeated experienced Konstantin Dowbiszczenko (9-11-1, 6 KOs). From the start, the Pole controlled the bout with his jab. He worked extensively on his feet, avoiding punches, although shots thrown on the move lacked some power. More body work would also have been useful. Trained by Piotr Wilczewski, Knyba increasingly read the action well and stopped punching mindlessly into his opponent’s guard. Dowbiszczenko focused mainly on defense, and when he tried to attack, Knyba was able to catch him in rhythm and counter. The Pole went through a rough patch in the sixth round, which his opponent quickly sensed and used to raise the pace. It was a valuable lesson for the future. After the final bell, the judges scored it 78:74, 77:75 and 79:73 for Knyba.
Ioannis Evmorfiadis (2-0, 1 KO) defeated Dawid Turek (0-2-1) for the second time, this time by third-round TKO. Witold Lisek (4-0, 2 KOs) performed below expectations. He defeated Athanasios Droutsas (0-2), but failed to impress. One judge even scored it a 38:38 draw, while the other two awarded the Pole a 40:36 victory. Lisek won every round, but there was more chaos than organized boxing in the ring.
OCTOBER 22, 2022 [ŚWIERADÓW-ZDRÓJ, MB BOXING NIGHT 14]
MB Boxing Night 14 ended in absurd circumstances. Artjoms Ramlavs (15-2, 8 KOs) was announced as the winner first, but moments later Damian Wrzesiński’s (26-2-2, 7 KOs) hand was raised. The opening was even and chaotic at times. Neither fighter could build a clear advantage. In the fifth round, the Latvian dropped Wrzesiński, but that only motivated the Pole. Wrzesiński boxed much better in the subsequent rounds. After the final bell, however, the judges unanimously favored Ramlavs. It soon emerged that the supervisor had added up the scores incorrectly. An altercation broke out in the ring. Promoter Grabowski tried to take the belt from the Latvian, promoter Borek explained the situation to his camp, and the supervisor apologized and accepted the blame. Ultimately, Damian won narrowly on the judges’ cards: 96:93 and 95:94 twice.
Łukasz Wierzbicki’s (22-1, 8 KOs) fight lasted just half a minute. Frank Rojas (25-6, 24 KOs) first missed the welterweight limit, then the agreed catchweight, and on fight day exceeded a third agreed limit as well. Wierzbicki punished him with a rapid stoppage. In the very first exchange, he landed a left hook. Rojas backed onto the ropes and took another left, and when he hung on the ropes, the Pole added one more punch from the left hand. Knockout.
Sebastian Wiktorzak (1-0, 1 KO), one of the stars of the Polish national team, enjoyed a successful professional debut. The Szczecin fighter, a quarterfinalist at last year’s World Championships, defeated Eduard Vaisa (4-1, 1 KO). From the outset, he switched stances and looked for openings in his opponent’s defense. Midway through the second round, he hurt him with a left hook to the body. He repeated the attack by the ropes, and another shot to the liver area ended the fight.
Arkadiusz Zakharyan (3-0, 1 KO) controlled the first half of his fight with Paul Peers (2-3, 2 KOs). He faded somewhat later on, but carried the victory through to the end. After six rounds, the judges scored it 58:56 and 59:55 twice for the Pole.
OCTOBER 28, 2022 [ROME]
Ewelina Pękalska (6-1) lost a unanimous decision in Rome to Stephanie Silva (7-0), the EBU European super-flyweight champion. The Italian impressed from the first round with her lead-hand work, precision and activity. The 35-year-old Pole had her moments, but her bursts did not produce enough. After the final bell, the judges scored it 97:93 and 98:92 twice for the 27-year-old Silva.
OCTOBER 29, 2022 [ZAKOPANE, KNOCKOUT BOXING NIGHT 25]
Mateusz Masternak (47-5, 31 KOs) put on a masterful performance. He comfortably defeated previously unbeaten Olympian Jason Whateley (10-1, 9 KOs) and earned mandatory-challenger status for the cruiserweight world title. The IBF recognized the bout as an official eliminator, so the stakes were enormous. Apart from the first round, in which Whateley landed two right crosses, the fight belonged to the former European champion. From the third round onward, Masternak repeatedly jabbed the Australian and damaged his eye. In the fourth, he added a left hook and a left hook under the right elbow. His advantage continued to grow. From the sixth round, when Master lengthened his combinations, the only question was whether the determined Whateley would make it to the final bell. The Australian was counted in the seventh, and almost exactly with the bell ending the ninth, he was rocked by a right hook. He survived to the final bell, however. The judges unanimously favored Masternak, 117:110, 118:109 and 119:108. Now it is time for the world champion, Jai Opetaia (22-0, 17 KOs).
A major and unpleasant surprise was the defeat of previously unbeaten Mateusz Tryc (14-1, 7 KOs) by heavy puncher Leonardo Carrillo (16-4, 15 KOs). The opening round gave no indication of what was to come. The Pole pushed his opponent to the ropes, worked at close range and won the first three minutes. At the start of the second, however, he absorbed a left hook. He failed to learn the lesson. Seconds later, the Colombian landed another left, this time to the forehead area, completely shutting the Pole down. Knockout.
After a long layoff, Krzysztof Włodarczyk (61-4-1, 41 KOs) took a while to find his rhythm. Once he did, we saw the old, familiar Diablo. Mobile Cesar Hernan Reynoso (17-18-4, 8 KOs) troubled the former two-time world champion for several rounds. He switched stances, worked on his feet and absorbed the punches. Włodarczyk waited patiently, although a similar strategy could prove risky against better opponents. The Argentine weakened as the fight progressed. In the sixth round, Diablo landed a right uppercut and sent him to the canvas. Moments later, he repeated the attack. Several seconds after that, he added a left hook, sending Reynoso down for the third time. A towel came flying from the Argentine’s corner.
Adam Balski (17-2, 10 KOs) made an impressive and rapid return after his narrow loss to Babić. In the ring in Zakopane, he dismantled Nicolas Holcapfel (12-10, 10 KOs). The bout had little story to it and ended after two minutes. Following a feeling-out opening minute, the Kalisz fighter fired a right hook to the area around the ear after a left jab, dropping his opponent. The dazed Slovak struggled to rise by the count of eight, but moments later he went down again after another left jab. The fight was stopped.
Laura Grzyb (8-0, 3 KOs) turned in another good performance. The Pole defeated previously unbeaten Marian Herreria (3-1). Grzyb worked well on her feet and controlled the distance more effectively. The Spaniard had her moments, but generally the fight unfolded on the Pole’s terms. Particularly effective were the sequences in which she extended her combinations to three or four punches. After the final bell, the judges scored it 77:75, 78:74 and 80:72 for Laura.
source: bokser.org
