By: Ken Hissner
Tom Brown’s TGB Promotions and Showtime featured 3-division world champion Mikey Garcia winning his fourth division title defeating IBF World Super Lightweight Champion Sergey “Samurai” Lipinets in the main event. The event was held at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, TX, Saturday night.
Photo Credit: Showtime Boxing Twitter Account
IBF World Super Lightweight Champion Sergey “Samurai” Lipinets, 13-1 (10), of KAZ, and Beverly Hills, CA, lost his title to the former WBO Featherweight, Super Featherweight and WBC Lightweight Champion Mikey Garcia, 38-0 (30), of Moreno Valley, CA, over 12 rounds.
In the first round almost a minute went by with little connecting. There were mostly jabs by both boxers with Garcia landing a couple of combinations. In the second round Lipinets does a lot of feinting and using the jab. Garcia landed several chopping rights to the head. With a minute left in the round Garcia rocked Lipinets with a right to the chin. Garcia had a bloody nose.
In the third round Lipinets opened up rocking Garcia who came right back with combinations. Lipinets kept his left hand low while Garcia had his up high. In the fourth round Lipinets landed an overhand right to the head. Referee Lawrence Cole warned Lipinets for a low blow. Garcia landed a lead right to the chin.
In the fifth round Garcia landed a triple left hook. Midway Lipinets landed several left hooks to the head. Garcia countered well. Lipinets ducked into a Garcia left hook. In the sixth round Garcia used his jab well. Lipinets landed a straight right. Garcia came back with a solid right to the head. Garcia landed a combination but got countered by a Lipinets left hook to the chin.
In the seventh round Garcia landed a chopping right and got countered by a right. A counter left hook by Garcia dropped Lipinets at the midway point of the round. Lipinets was up at eight and cut on the left eye brow. In the eighth round Garcia landed a lead right to the head. Lipinets drove Garcia against the ropes with a flurry of punches. Garcia landed a hard right to the chin just prior to the bell.
In the ninth round Garcia boxed well for the first half of the round. Lipinets landed a right followed by a left hook driving Garcia back a few steps. In the tenth round Lipinets kept the pressure on Garcia. At the midway point Garcia rocked Lipinets with a lead right to the chin. Lipinets missed a right and was countered by a Garcia left hook. Garcia ended the round with a right cross to the head of Lipinets.
In the eleventh round Lipinets landed a hard left hook to the head of Garcia. Lipinets came back with a combination to the head. Garcia landed several lead right hands to the head. Both boxers landed left hooks to the head. In the twelfth and final round Lipinets was looking for a knockout seemingly behind. Lipinets landed a solid left hook to the chin. Both fighters left it out in the final minute of the fight.
Judges scores Mark Calo-Dy 116-111 and Julie Lederman and Nelson Vasquez 117-110. This writer had it 116-111.
“I want to thank the beautiful fans in San Antonio for their support. He was very strong and prepared. There were moments I felt I may have hurt him but didn’t want to chance getting hit with an overhand right. I would like to go back to lightweight and unify and back to super lightweight and unify,” said Garcia. “I thought his experience won him the fight,” said Lipinets.
In a rematch the former IBF World Featherweight and IBF World Super Lightweight Champion Cuban Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy, 26-1 (13), of Las Vegas, NV, lost in a lopsided decision to the new champion Kiryl “Mad Bee” Relikh, 22-2 (19), of Minsk, Belarus, for the vacant WBA World Super Lightweight title.
In the first round Barthelemy with hands held high kept moving as Relikh chased. Relikh landed combinations when he was able to catch up with Barthelemy. Barthelemy ended the round with a pair of body shots. In the second round Relikh had Barthelemy on the ropes landing have a dozen unanswered punches.
In the third round Relikh landed more than half a dozen punches keeping Barthelemy on the ropes. Barthelemy landed a combination to the head of Relikh while in the middle of the ring. Relikh landed the best punch of the round a solid right to the head of Barthelemy. In the fourth round Barthelemy stayed in the middle of the ring quite a bit and got out punched when he did. Not much jabbing in the fight as both fighters are head hunting.
In the fifth round Barthelemy was warned about a low blow by referee Luis Pabon. Relikh got through the defense of Barthelemy with uppercuts and straight punches. In the sixth round Barthelemy landed a left hook to the head but got countered by Relikh with his left hook. Barthelemy forced by holding Relikh to go backwards into the ropes and to the canvas. Relikh continued to outwork Barthelemy.
In the seventh round for the third time in the fight Barthelemy warned for low blow and deducted a point. That didn’t stop Relikh from out landing him. In the eighth round Barthelemy landed a 3-punch combination to the head of Relikh. Relikh used a jab and left hooks with chopping right hands to body and head of Barthelemy.
In the ninth round Barthelemy fights in spurts while Relikh lands heavy handed punches. Barthelemy “shoe shines” at the end of the round trying to steal the round in the judge’s eyes. In the tenth round Relikh continued out working Barthelemy. Half way through the round both fighters were throwing punches at each other to the first delight of the fans. What may have looked like a good body punch by Barthelemy was low. A left hook by Relikh to the head of Barthelemy was countered with a flurry of punches.
In the eleventh round only in spurts does Barthelemy land left hooks to the body of Relikh. Barthelemy’s style is not entertaining to the fans and shouldn’t be to the judges. In the twelfth and final round Barthelemy switches from orthodox to southpaw and back. Relikh landed a double left hook to the body. Barthelemy comes forward but not throwing many punches as Relikh countered well. With five seconds to go once again Barthelemy lands a low blow and loses another point. It looked like a shut out for Relikh but since their first fight did and he lost you never know with judges.
Judge Palacano 118-109 Judge Ramos Judge Montoya. This writer had it 120-107.
“The difference this time was I did it with my new trainer. I am very happy and dreamed of this and now it is done,” said Relikh.