"GREAT NIGHT AT THE FIGHTS"
By Rocky Morales at ringside
Reprinted from BoxingNews.com
Hassan N’Dam (31-1, 18KO) won a clear cut unanimous decision victory over tough, but limited, challenger, Curtis Stevens (27-5, 20KO) on Wednesday night at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. Stevens had his moments but was dropped in the eight round by a perfect right cross counter and was simply outboxed all night by the former WBO middleweight champion, N’Dam. Scores were 116-111, 116-111, 119-108. With the victory, N’Dam becomes the mandatory challenger to IBF champion Sam Soliman.
Undefeated power puncher, Frederick Lawson (23-0, 20KO) battered slick, but aging, 36 year old veteran, Ray Narh (26-6, 21KO). Narh was put on the canvas in the second round by a left hook, again in the eighth round by a left hook counter and punished until the final bell. Lawson showed no compassion for his fellow Ghanian countryman and easily won by unanimous decision with scores of 99-89, 95-93 (inexplicably by Judge Gwen Adair) and 99-89.
#9 WBC rated featherweight, Miguel Marriaga (19-0, 17KO), steamrolled over solid fringe contender Chris Martin (28-4-3) stopping him at 2:30 of the sixth round. Martin was cut earlier in the bout from a punch and dropped hard earlier in the sixth round by an uppercut. Martin was never in the fight against the power punching Colombian.
In a cruiserweight bout, Isa Akberbayev (13-0, 9KO) was the winner over Geovanni Serran (5-8, 1KO) by way of TKO victory at the 2:20 of the fourth round. The 6’3″ Akberbayev towered over the obese 5’7″ Sarran and knocked him down with a right cross midway through the fourth round before battering him enough for the referee to call an end to the fight.
In a walkbout four round middleweight bout, 2008 Olympian from Ukraine, Sergiy Derevyanchenko (2-0, 1KO) won a unanimous decision victory over Lekan Byfield (5-6). Byfield went down from a hard right cross in the second round, again in the third round from a body shot and again in the fifth round from a right cross but Derevyanchenko had to, ultimately, settle for a wide decision victory. Scores were unanimous at 40-33 in favor of Derevyanchenko.
“Boxing At Barker” was presented by King Sports at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, CA. Celebrities in attendance included Sylvester Stallone, Dustin Hoffman and Cuba Gooding Jr. and the UCLA Marching Band made an appearance parading around the venue between bouts.
( Jody Cranston / Boxing California ).
( Barker Hanger / Santa Monica ).
