Miami, FL: It is a very rare occurrence to have a world title bout in South Florida. In fact, it has been several years since the area has seen one. However, this past Thursday, boxing fans were treated to three of them on the same card. Matchroom Boxing promoted a great event, which was held at the Meridian at Island Gardens in Miami. Famous celebrities and boxing personalities were on hand that night, including: Shannon Briggs, Claressa Shields, André Dirrell, Bernard Hopkins, Devin Haney, and more. The venue was the right fit, and the event was streamed live via DAZN worldwide.
In the first title fight of the night, the WBA & IBF Super Bantamweight unified champion, Danny “The Baby-Faced Assassin” Roman, put his belts on the line against up-and-coming challenger, Murodjon “MJ” Akhmadaliev. There was a lot of back-and-forth action throughout the bout. However, Akhmadaliev seemed to have springs in his feet and energy to burn all of the way through the final bell. Neither man was phased by the other’s power at any point during the bout. By the end of the all-action-packed fight, it was Akhmadaliev who raised his hand in victory. And, rightfully so, as his punch output well exceeded that of the defending champion. The judges got this one right, and the world now has a new unified champion. With this victory, Akhmadaliev improved his unblemished record to 8-0 with 6 KOs while Roman dropped to 27-3 with 10 KOs.
In what should have been the co-main event, IBF Super Feathweight Champion, Tevin “American Idol” Farmer, put his distinguished belt on the line against a dangerous Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz. Farmer looked far from his usual self as he barely showed any aggression and seldom came forward. He was slow getting off his punches, and his formidable defense, which has made him so successful in his career, was lackluster at best. Diaz, on the other hand, brought the fight to the defending champ, coming forward, showing aggression, getting his shots off first almost every time. He fought a near-perfect fight, which granted him the victory, and Jo Jo is now the new IBF Super Featherweight Champion of the world. The only blemish on Diaz’s record was back in May 2018 when he dropped a decision to WBC Featherweight Champion, Gary Russell, Jr. (30-1, 18 KOs), whose only loss is to the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs). Suffice it to say, Diaz is in great company, as he appears to have elevated his status in the world of boxing. With this victory, Diaz moves to 31-1 with 15 KOs while Farmer drops to 30-5-1 with 6 KOs.
In what was slid in as the co-main event for some reason, YouTube sensation, Jake Paul, made his professional debut against YouTube counterpart, Ali Eson Gib. Gib, who was also making his pro debut, never stood a chance, as he was smaller in stature, had a much shorter reach, was visibly much lighter, had no power, and had zero skill. I don’t understand why anyone thought this would have even be a good match-up. Doomed from the opening bell, Gib was dropped four times (three officially) – all inside of 2:30 – before the referee showed mercy and waived off the contest. Or, maybe there was a three knockdown rule imposed in this bout? Doesn’t matter. It was a garbage fight thrown in just for the YouTube fans of these two men. It wasn’t real boxing.
In the main event of the night, WBO Middleweight Champion, Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade, put his belt on the line in a mandatory defense against Luke Keeler, the organization’s European Middleweight Champion. Within the first five seconds of the bout, Andrade floored Keeler, who beat the count. In the second round, Andrade showed he has the power that many feel he lacks, as he again put down Keeler, who continued to be pushed backwards seemingly with almost every Andrade power shot. Keeler again beat the count, and then a fight finally ensued. Andrade let off the gas just enough to allow Keeler to build back up his confidence for the next few rounds, possibly even giving up a round or two to him. But, Boo Boo eventually made Luke pay for it in Round 9 when he “unleashed the beast” and pulverized Keeler, causing the referee to end the onslaught at 2:59 of that round. No upset here!
In conclusion, Andrade did what he came to do while still showing there’s room for improvement and possible flaws in his game. But, are there really flaws or was he just “Hollywooding” the whole thing to draw in potential opponents? Demetrius is struggling to get fighters like Jermall Charlo, Gennady Golovkin, and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez – all belt-holders in his current division – to face him. With this victory, Andrade moves to a very impressive 29-0 with 18 KOs and now looks for his next dance partner.
Mike Feinberg
TFN Reporter
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