In an Atlanta showdown on Friday, middleweight Andreas Katzourakis staged a remarkable rally after being dropped from a Raphael Igbokwe left hook. After that 30-second jolt, Katzourakis shifted gears by the second round and was a human hurricane by the fifth, raining down a series of vicious combinations on Igbokwe. The final bell for Igbokwe rang in the eighth when Katzourakis let loose an 11-punch salvo that compelled the referee to call it a day at the 2:18 mark. Hailing from the historic city of Athens, Katzourakis now boasts an undefeated 11-0 tally, with nine of those wins being KOs. As for Igbokwe, his record now reads 16-5. The Twitter-sphere couldn’t get enough of Katzourakis, eagerly awaiting the next time the Greek dynamo laces up his gloves.
While in the super middleweight division, Donte Layne had a debut that can only be termed as explosive. Layne dispatched Nathan Mitchell to the mat in just the inaugural round of their bout, putting an end to the contest at 2:29 with a ferocious left. Aged 20 and hailing from Elmont, NY, Layne came into the pro scene with a robust 74-11 amateur sheet, complete with four U.S. National titles. Clocking in at 166.8 lbs, he clearly confirmed that the hype surrounding him was not misplaced.
Fast forward to Saturday evening in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where Yan Santana sustained his impressive KO streak, stopping Jostin Ortiz Maysonet in their opening round. The win elevates Santana’s unbeaten score to 9-0, all of which are KOs, and also marks his third straight conquest over a previously unbeaten opponent.
Finally, at The Showboat in Atlantic City, Christopher Pearson slugged it out toe-to-toe with Derrick Webster in a ten-round battle for the NBA Super Middleweight World Championship. The scorecards were as even as the punches, resulting in a split draw. One card favored each boxer with a 96-94 score, while the third card remained neutral at 95-95. Pearson, celebrated for his potent hooks and targeted body shots, now has a 17-3-1 ledger, whereas Webster is standing at 29-4-1.