GLENDALE-Facing sure retirement if he lost Russia’s Roman Karmazin survived a 10th round knockdown and rallied bravely to win the IBF middleweight elimination fight by knockout against Colombia’s Dionisio Miranda before a largely partisan crowd on Friday.
Karmazin (40-3-1, 26 KOs) needed a win to continue his quest for another world title but didn’t face a patsy in Colombia’s Miranda (20-5-2, 18 KOs) who wielded serious firepower as the former junior middleweight champion discovered at the Glendale Civic Auditorium.
After a slow two rounds it was Miranda who erupted with some overhand rights that wobbled Karmazin in the third round. Several more rights found their mark for the Colombian.
Karmazin worked the body in the fourth and found success. Both fighters were cut from a clash of heads around the eyebrow area.
In the fifth and sixth rounds Karmazin mainly sat back and countered against Miranda who kept trying to land that right hand. With 10 seconds remaining in both rounds Karmazin stepped on the gas to win the rounds.
The seventh round saw Karmazin open quickly then cruise by. Miranda began shooting a stiff jab that found its aim but it was too little too late to win the round.
A big Miranda right hand connected in the eighth and the Colombian followed it was some accurate jabs that forced Karmazin to rethink strategy a bit. It was Miranda’s best round in a while.
After nine rounds of not firing left hooks, Miranda shot a hook to Karmazin then followed it with a here-it-comes right hand that floored the Russian fighter. Though he could never follow up cleanly, it was a sure 10-8 round for the Colombian.
In the 11th round it was Karmazin rallying with some well-placed combinations. A right hand dropped Miranda with a thud to suddenly turn things around. Karmazin opened up with some more combinations and crashed a right hand on the chin that sent Miranda down for good. Referee James Jin Kin didn’t even bother to count at 2:34 of the frame. A happy Karmazin has escaped yet another grueling test.
“Roman never does anything easy,” said Steve Bash, one of the co-promoters of the fight along with Art of Boxing Promotions.
Other bouts
Russian junior welterweight Anatoliy Dudchenko (8-2, 6 KOs) knocked down Denver’s Isaac Atencio (2-2, 2 KOs) three times on his way to a lopsided six round decision. All three judges scored it 60-51 for Dudchenko.
Heavyweight prospect Andrey Fedosov (21-1, 17 KOs) stopped veteran Lionel Butler (32-16-1) of Perris in 2:30 of the second round.
Chris Davis (1-0) knocked out Netza Wilson (0-1) at 2:58 of the first round. It was both fighters heavyweight debut.
Former junior middleweight contender Shibata Flores (44-10, 26 KOs) returned to the ring after a seven years and looked pretty sharp against veteran Roberto Valenzuela (51-49-2). Two rounds of pounding forced Valenzuela to end the fight in his corner.
Armenia’s Arthur Bernetsyan (1-0) shut out Oxnard’s Francisco Solis (0-4) after four rounds in a junior lightweight bout. A point was deducted from Bernetsyan for holding and hitting but he still won every round. The judges scored it 39-35.
Celebrities
James “Lights Out” Toney headed a long list of boxing and entertainment celebrities. Also in attendance was Charles Dutton, Cedric the Entertainer, Mia St. John, Kina Malpartida, Francisco “Panchito” Bojado, Terry Norris, Wayne McCullough and others.
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