Karmazin Upsets Ouma, Wins IBF 154-pound Title
ByDavid A. Avila (July 15, 2005)
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LAS VEGAS, July 14 - Russia's Roman Karmazin battered Kassim Ouma repeatedly in capturing the IBF junior middleweight title in a major upset at the Orleans Casino Arena on Thursday.
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Karmazin, who has been ranked for several years, finally got his chance and took advantage of the left-handed Ouma's flaws in knocking down the African fighter twice en route to a unanimous decision.
"Ouma was really tough but he's no super star," said Karmazin (34-1, 22 KOs) of St. Petersburg, Russia. "My fight with Keith Holmes was tougher."
From the second round on Karmazin used his left hand to jab and measure the forward moving Ouma (21-2-1, 13 Kos) then let loose with right hands through the gloves that found their mark almost every time.
"He couldn't miss with the right hand counter," said Karmazin's trainer Freddie Roach. "He just had his number after the second round."
Ouma rallied in the middle rounds by crowding the Russian fighter, but an adjustment by Karmazin kept the African fighter at bay and unable to land the knockout punch he needed to get back into the fight.
"He kept reaching with his jab and Roman would land that right hand," Roach said. "Ouma didn't make any adjustments."
The judges scored the fight 118-108, 116-110, 117-109 for Karmazin. Ouma, who was recently signed by Golden Boy Promotions, was primed for a junior middleweight showdown with Winky Wright.
"I told everyone he's no super star," Karmazin said.
Several years back, Karmazin was set to fight Oscar De La Hoya, Ouma's new promoter, but the East L.A. fighter, who was then a welterweight, suffered a broken hand. Perhaps this was payback for Karmazin.
"I'll give Ouma a rematch if he wants it," he said.
The Ugandan fighter was taken to a local hospital for a medical check-up after complaining of a headache.
Mexico's Marco Antonio Rubio (29-2-1, 28 Kos) beat David Toribio to the punch and took him out seconds later in a knockout victory that should put him in contention for a junior middleweight title shot.
Both Rubio and Toribio (13-1, 7 Kos) fired right hands in the second round but Rubio's landed first with a thud. The Dominican Republic fighter beat the count, but Rubio followed that knockdown with a four-punch combination that dropped Toribio again. Referee Jay Nady didn't even count and called the fight off at 1:26 in the round.
San Diego's Aaron Garcia (5-0) won the cross-border featherweight battle against Tijuana's Carlos Mota (1-1-1) with a second round technical knockout. Garcia's straighter punches continually beat Mota's wide-sweeping blows. After Garcia pinned Mota in the corner and landed more than a dozen punches, referee Toby Gibson halted the fight at 1:23 in the round.
In a cruiserweight bout, Mexico's Ramiro Reduncindo (3-0) easily won by unanimous decision over Moses Matuvo (2-7-3). The fight pit a three-minute fighter versus a 30-second fighter. All three judges scored it 40-36 for Reduncindo.
ByDavid A. Avila (July 15, 2005)
Send this page to friend Give us your feedbackLAS VEGAS, July 14 - Russia's Roman Karmazin battered Kassim Ouma repeatedly in capturing the IBF junior middleweight title in a major upset at the Orleans Casino Arena on Thursday.
See More MaxTV
VideosIt's good to be a member
"Ouma was really tough but he's no super star," said Karmazin (34-1, 22 KOs) of St. Petersburg, Russia. "My fight with Keith Holmes was tougher."
From the second round on Karmazin used his left hand to jab and measure the forward moving Ouma (21-2-1, 13 Kos) then let loose with right hands through the gloves that found their mark almost every time.
"He couldn't miss with the right hand counter," said Karmazin's trainer Freddie Roach. "He just had his number after the second round."
Ouma rallied in the middle rounds by crowding the Russian fighter, but an adjustment by Karmazin kept the African fighter at bay and unable to land the knockout punch he needed to get back into the fight.
"He kept reaching with his jab and Roman would land that right hand," Roach said. "Ouma didn't make any adjustments."
The judges scored the fight 118-108, 116-110, 117-109 for Karmazin. Ouma, who was recently signed by Golden Boy Promotions, was primed for a junior middleweight showdown with Winky Wright.
"I told everyone he's no super star," Karmazin said.
Several years back, Karmazin was set to fight Oscar De La Hoya, Ouma's new promoter, but the East L.A. fighter, who was then a welterweight, suffered a broken hand. Perhaps this was payback for Karmazin.
"I'll give Ouma a rematch if he wants it," he said.
The Ugandan fighter was taken to a local hospital for a medical check-up after complaining of a headache.
Mexico's Marco Antonio Rubio (29-2-1, 28 Kos) beat David Toribio to the punch and took him out seconds later in a knockout victory that should put him in contention for a junior middleweight title shot.
Both Rubio and Toribio (13-1, 7 Kos) fired right hands in the second round but Rubio's landed first with a thud. The Dominican Republic fighter beat the count, but Rubio followed that knockdown with a four-punch combination that dropped Toribio again. Referee Jay Nady didn't even count and called the fight off at 1:26 in the round.
San Diego's Aaron Garcia (5-0) won the cross-border featherweight battle against Tijuana's Carlos Mota (1-1-1) with a second round technical knockout. Garcia's straighter punches continually beat Mota's wide-sweeping blows. After Garcia pinned Mota in the corner and landed more than a dozen punches, referee Toby Gibson halted the fight at 1:23 in the round.
In a cruiserweight bout, Mexico's Ramiro Reduncindo (3-0) easily won by unanimous decision over Moses Matuvo (2-7-3). The fight pit a three-minute fighter versus a 30-second fighter. All three judges scored it 40-36 for Reduncindo.
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