The evening’s main event witnessed WBC Cruiserweight Kingpin Noel Mikaelian (27-2, 12 KOs) lay waste to Ilunga Makabu (29-4, 25 KOs) with a third-round termination. Makabu hit the deck in the second, but it was just a teaser; the real show was Mikaelian’s arsenal of punches that left the former champ bewildered and beaten. With the precision of a chess grandmaster and the force of a sledgehammer, Mikaelian, Miami’s adopted son via Armenia, not only grabbed his first world title fight by the horns but also threw it to the ground with gusto.
Meanwhile, in the co-feature bout, Jonathan Guidry (20-1-2, 12 KOs), who holds court as the NABA Gold Heavyweight sovereign, defended his realm against Jesus Escalera (19-1, 19 KOs). The first round was a teaser, a two-way traffic of fists, but soon Guidry showed he was the boss, sending Escalera to dreamland with an overhand right that could’ve knocked the “E” off “Escalera” on the scoreboard.
On the undercard, Cassius Chaney (23-1, 16 KOs) put on a boxing clinic, showcasing that Trevor Bryan (22-2, 15 KOs) might need to revise his defensive drills. After a display that would’ve made his namesake proud, Chaney turned off Bryan’s lights in the seventh round with an uppercut that could’ve split atoms, scooping up the vacant WBC Continental North American Championship like it was left there just for him.
The scorecards? Well, they were just for formality. Mikaelian was ahead on all, obviously enjoying the arithmetic of success. His post-fight words? “Didn’t see the KO coming this early, but the victory? Absolutely.” And why wouldn’t he? After all, he trained like a man possessed with the ghost of Max Schmeling, claiming the first German triumph on American turf in almost a century.
Guidry was equally dismissive of his outing, comparing the brawl to a light sparring session and hinting at his readiness to devour whoever is served up next on Don King’s platter of pugilists. As for Escalera, Guidry expected more from the man, only to find that he was boxing in a higher league that night, a fact that was not lost on the attending family members who fueled his drive to victory.
Chaney’s reflections? A textbook case of cool confidence. He saw through Bryan’s game like a pane of clean glass and capitalized on it. That KO? More than just a win, it was a thunderbolt that supercharged his faith in himself and his team.
MIDDLEWEIGHT ATTRACTION – 8 ROUNDS
- Alexander Castro (12-1, 10 KOs) vs. Hector E. Bobadillia (9-17-1, 4 KOs)
- Result: Castro wins by TKO at 1:15 of Round 3 following a body shot.
- Scorecard: 20-16 Castro on all three Judges’ cards
SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT ATTRACTION – 6 ROUNDS
- Isiah Hart (6-5-1, 4 KOs) vs. Corey Caad (5-4, 2 KOs)
- Result: Caad wins by Unanimous Decision
- Scorecard: 60-54, 59-55, 59-55 Caad
LIGHTWEIGHT ATTRACTION – 6 ROUNDS
- Isaiah Efrain Riquelmy (6-1, 4 KOs) vs. Rondale Hubbert (15-26-3, 9 KOs)
- Result: Riquelmy wins Unanimous Decision
- Scorecard: 60-54 Riquelmy on all three Judges’ cards