Texas roundup: Sergey Kovalev, Teofimo Lopez, and Richard Commey post impressive victories

The fists were flying at The Star in Frisco, Texas on Saturday night. Three world title fights and lots of action in “The Lone Star State”.

Sergey Kovalev (33-3-1 28 KO’s) W UD 12 Eleider Alvarez (24-1, 12 KO’s) Under the guidance of new trainer Buddy McGirt, Kovalev regained his world title and is now a 3-time world champion. Kovalev took Alvarez’s right hands well and used fast combinations and volume punching to get the better of former champ Alvarez.

Teofimo Lopez (12-0, 10 KO’s)’s) KO 7 Diego Magdaleno (32-3, 13 KO’s)

Teofimo Lopez delivered another exciting performance with a 7th round knockout over veteran Diego Magdaleno. Lopez was in control for every second of the fight and came out and delivered a brutal knockout, off of 2 blistering left hooks, to finish a too-game-for-his-own-good Magdaleno in the 7th round. After the fight both Max Kellerman and former world champion Andre Ward went off on both the corner of Magdaleno and referee Gregorio Alvarez, neither of whom showed any concern for a clearly out-gunned Magdaleno. He should never have come out for the 7th round and the beating he took in that round was completely unnecessary. Why the referee, or his corner, didn’t stop it sooner is beyond me. After Magdaleno got dropped with the 2nd left hook he was completely done and yet the ref stood over top of him and counted like he might get up. Incredible.

Both Ward and Kellerman commented on the incompetence of the referee after the fight. Lopez, while talented and exciting, needs to learn that mocking a downed opponent while he is receiving medical attention won’t win any fans. Look for Lopez, the most exciting young contender in boxing, to return in March or April as “The Take-Over” rolls on. (Texas is a great state for boxing, they love the sport, but they have a notoriously weak commission and many incompetent officials).

-Oscar Valdez (25-0, 20 KO’s) TKO 7 Carmine Tommasone (19-1, 5 KO’s). Valdez impresses in 5th title defense and first fight since coming back from an 11-month break after breaking jaw in his last fight. They are talking about bringing Valdez back on March 23. (After the fight Tommasone proposed to his girlfriend in the ring…she said Yes!).

-Richard Commey (28-2, 25 KO’s) TKO 2 Isa Chaniev (13-2, 6 KO’s). Commey was impressive as he wins the vacant IBF lightweight title. With the win, Commey earns a title shot against WBA/WBO champion Vasyl Lomachenko.

Undercard action.

-Janibek Alimkhanuly (5-0, 2 KO’s) TKO 5 Steven Martinez (18-5 13 KO’s)

-Enriko Gogokhiia (10-0, 5 KO’s) TKO 3 Vitor Freitas (15-4, 9 KO’s).

- Jason Sanchez (14-0, 7 KO’s) TKO 2 Daniel Olea, (13-7-2, 5 KO’s)

-Pat Day (17-2-1, 6 KO’s) W 10 Ismail Iliev (11-1-1, 3 KO’s) by scores of 98-92, 96-94, 97-93.

-Bakhram Murtazaliev, (15-0, 12 KO’s) TKO 9 Elvin Ayala (29-13-1, 13 KO’s).