McCarter scores unanimous win over Hernandez in Mexico City, keeps Braekhus fight on course.

Former multi weight female world champion Layla McCarter 40-13-5 (10) travelled the 2000 Miles to Mexico City for the second time in 2 years to score her 40th Profesional victory on Friday night, earning a well deserved unanimous decision over tough 21 year old Erika Hernandez 6-2-1 in her opponents back yard at the Deportivo lazaro Cardenas sports centre ballroom..
The 38 year old who has held versions of world championships in the featherweight, super featherweight, lightweight, super lightweight and super welterweight divisions was having her 4th outing in 2 years, having remained unbeaten for the last 10 years with 17 straight victories. Her opponent, a relative novice, was coming off her only loss to Jessica Camara last October in what was her first trip outside of Mexico in only a 2 year career. For McCarter slip-ups were out of the question , regardless of the opponents resume, with a huge 2018 dust up with unified Welterweight Champion Cecilia Brækhus ordered by the IBF on the immediate horizon.
Following a short glove brand delay issue in the ring the bout got under way with McCarter quickly showing her authority, forcing Hernandez onto the back foot, visibly shaking the local girl frequently, highlighting the gulf in experience.. To her credit Hernandez showed her grit in the second in an attempt to gain the visitors respect, landing with single shots, yet finding herself on the end of accurate counters towards the end of the round.. The action followed a similar pattern into the third, but with McCarter setting traps for the deliberate youngster, who predictably walked onto shots in an attempt to land anything significant.. The fourth proved to be an untidy round, with Hernandez unkempt tendency to repeatedly dip low cause several messy head clashes, McCarter enjoyed the cleaner success with the Mexican looking increasingly frustrated.. Hernandez opened round five behind the jab, but soon found herself reverting back to her rugged swinging, too often standing straight in front of McCarter, and being punished for doing so.. Hernandez failed to adapt into the sixth and continued to walk onto obvious counters, Layla occasionally lowering herself into a brawl, more suited to the Mexican, although coming out with the upper hand.. Layla boxed to orders at the start of the seventh, exposing the immaturity of Hernandez, dominating the action in every department, even standing and out-slugging the 21 year old towards the end of the round.. The American kept the majority of the action at distance throughout the final round, fencing at the desperate youngster, scoring with authority and far more frequency to earn what appeared a quite decisive unanimous win, keeping the Braekhus fight on course for the new year..

Povetkin books date with Joshua with ugly win over Hammer.

Former WBA heavyweight champion, currently ranked #2 by the WBA, Alexander Povetkin 33-1 (23 Ko’s) scored a drawn out unanimous 12 round points victory over WBA #3 Christian Hammer 22-5 (12 Ko’s) tonight at the DIVS in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Povetkin was forced to create action in a bout where Hammers main objective was to survive at all costs.. The Romanian was penalised a point in the 7th for excessive holding and did little more than nullify Povetkins best work.. The fight was untidy, and the result predictable.. Povetkin winning all but a single round by scores of 120-107, 120-108, 118-108.
The victory earned Alexander the WBO International and WBA Intercontinental titles and according to promoter Andrey Ryabinskiy, has almost certainly secured a shot at Anthony Joshua for the former Olympic champion..

Povetkin twice failed drug tests prior to important bouts with American imports Deontay Wilder and Bermaine Stiverne in 2015 and 2016 but appears to have been miraculously exonerated of his misdemeanours..  On this showing the Russian appeared sluggish and flat, mostly due to Hammer’s unwillingness to engage..   Povetkin is possibly the smallest of the current heavyweight landscape but has proven in the past that he has the tools to compete with the bigger guys..   Joshua would be a huge ask following this showing.

Rigondeaux quits in 6.. Lomachenko dominates Cuban.

In a much anticipated battle of Olympic champions, WBO junior lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko 10-1 (8 Ko’s) completely outgunned Guillermo Rigondeaux 17-1 (11 Ko’s) over the first half of a surprisingly one sided affair before the Cuban retired in his corner prior to the start of the seventh, with what later emerged as an injured left hand, last night at The Theater in Madison Square Garden, New York.
Lomachenko gained control of the fight after a slow start, going on to craftily dominating almost every round, in a performance that should essentially slide him into the running to be considered the current pound for pound number 1.
Rigondeaux found the task increasingly daunting as the rounds went on, steadily landing far fewer shots and struggling with Lomachenko’s movement.. Round 3 saw the Cuban’s workrate drop even further, the round he would later reveal as the session where the injury occurred..
A frustrated Rigondeaux had a point deducted in the sixth for holding, as well as finding himself on the end of some scathing hooks, visibly shaking the now demoralised fighter.. The round ended without and real indication of Guillermo’s distress.. Rigondeaux failing to answer the bell for the preceding round..

Lomachenko was ahead on all three judges scorecards at the time of the stoppage: 

59-54, 59-54 and 60-53.

It was startling to see such a complete fighter in his own right, quit in such menial circumstances during the most momentous fight of his career.. I expected more fortitude from a fighter of Rigondeaux’s caliber regardless of the enormity of the task..

Lomachenko wittily commented later that he’s considering altering his name to No-Mas-Chenko.. revealing that Rigondeaux never once posed him an ounce of trouble..

Unheralded Caleb Truax dethrones IBF Champion James DeGale.

In a surprise upset, 29-3-2 (18 Ko’s) Caleb Truax of Minnesota hustled his way to a unanimous points verdict over James DeGale 23-2-1 (14 Ko’s) to take ahold of the IBF Super-Middleweight championship tonight at London’s Copper-Box Arena.. DeGale got off to a fast start before fading to the highly driven challenger in the middle rounds.. Truax took complete hold of the action in a torrid 5th round where he repeatedly hurt the champion who consistently opted to lie on the ropes.. James appeared a shadow of his usual self having recently recovered from shoulder surgery, possibly returning prematurely to world title action.. Truax executed a punch perfect plan and looked every inch championship materiel on this occasion, having failed on his two previous challenges..

Scores were 114-114, 115-112, 116-112.