BoxRec

Andreev vs. Fonseca for WBA Gold Lightweight Title in Moscow

WBA #10 ranked lightweight Roman Andreev (24-0, 17 KOs) is one of those fighters who impress every time they step inside the ring. The only problem for Andreev, who was once ranked #1 by the WBO, is his low activity. The Russian has fought just four times over the last three-and-a-half years, yet he was convincing each time, stopping capable opponents Craig Evans and Pavel Malikov during the span.

Andreev’s activity has seen his increase recently after he had started working with Vladimir Hryunov, a long-time leading Russian promoter. Andreev, 35, will also be a headliner of Vladimir Hryunov’s next promotion, which takes place tomorrow on Friday at the Vegas City Hall on the western outskirts of Moscow.

The show is officially promoted by World Total Kombat Federation with the support of the Russian Boxing Federation. A vacant WBA Gold lightweight belt will be at stake in the division, which is ruled by the WBA Super (and IBF/WBO) champion Teofimo Lopez. The WBA "regular" champion is Gervonta “Tank” Davis.

Opposing Andreev is the 29-year old Nicaraguan Freddy Fonseca (29-5-1, 20 KOs). Fonseca failed to win big on a foreign soil but had a number of wins over fellow countrymen, including Eusebio Osejo, Moises Castro and others.

In the chief supportive fight of the night, middleweights Edgard Moskvichev (11-1-2, 4 KOs) and Gennady Martirosyan (26-5, 11 KOs) will collide in a long-awaited cross-roader.

Moskvichev is just 23, while Martirosyan celebrated his 41st birthday in February. While Moskvichev is a young up-and-comer with no recognizable achievements, Martirosyan is a former WBO middleweight world title challenger. In September 2011 he challenged then-champion Dmitry Pirog in an all-Russian collision only to be stopped on cuts after ten complete rounds.

Four and a half years since his last fight, light heavyweight Andrey Kalyuzhniy (14-2, 12 KOs) is expected to fight in Russia for the time in career. Kalyuzhniy had been competing exclusively in Chine for five years before his temporary retirement. Facing the Russian is former WBA super middleweight title challenger Server Emurlyaev (23-2, 8 KOs), 35, who came back in February after more than eight years off the ring.

Other eight-rounder include:

• Flyweight Elena Savelieva (6-1, 4 KOs) against Kristina Sargasyan (2-0)

• Super middleweight Rokhman Akhmetkhanov (1-0, 1 KOs) versus Victor Plotnikov (33-11, 15 KOs)

• Welterweight Alan Khugaev (12-0, 6 KOs) versus Elvin Akhundzada (4-6, 2 KOs)

Also on the card is light heavyweight David Gladun (4-1, 1 KO).

Roman Andreev Gets Off The Floor To Decision Freddy Fonseca in Tough Fight

Top Russian promoter Vladimir Hryunov celebrated his 54th birthday with a nice-packed event at the Vegas City Hall on the western outskirts of Moscow. Roman Andreev obliged to congratulate the promoter with a fan-friendly scrap against Nicaraguan Freddy Fonseca, which earned him a vacant WBA Gold lightweight title via a unanimous decision.

It was a hard fight for the local puncher from the get go. Southpaw Fonseca, 29, let it known early into the first that he does possess an equalizing punching power. Andreev was shaken with a right hook midst into the first, and soon was sent down with a straight left hand. It wasn't a scary knockdown, nor it was a flash one. Andreev, himself known as a big puncher, regrouped but it was Fonseca's round.

In the second and in the third, the WBA #10 rated Russian made slight adjustments but otherwise just rumbled with the Nicaraguan. Both Fonseca and Andreev felt the power of each other. The Russian chose to come forward under fire, risking another knockdown or even a knockout, while the Latino fighter clinched and held whenever possible. Andreev, 35, landed a huge right uppercut at the end of the third to punctuate his comeback. Fonseca answered with the uppercut of his own in the fourth, a close round, which saw both fighters trying to execute their chances in exchanges.

Trench warfare continued into the fifth and into the sixth, with Andreev getting the upper hand by landing a bit more frequently than the Nicaraguan. Fonseca, on the other hand, had his chances, specifically with smashing right hooks. Both fighters neglected bodypunching and remained relatively fresh at the midpoint. Facial damage was the comeuppance. Fonseca had his cheeks puffed and his face was reddened, while a nasty cut was opened over Andreev's left eye by the eighth.

Both combatants continued rumbling during the last third of the fight but Andreev, while shaken at some points - mostly by right hooks of Fonseca, didn't let himself and the fans down taking the punishment well. Meanwhile, Fonseca felt signs of fatigue and was less active with his counterpunching in championship rounds. A major factor was also a point, deducted from Fonseca by referee Yuri Koptsev in the twelfth round, for constant holding.

At the end, all three judges had it for the Russian: 117-109, 116-110 and 115-111. BS was in agreement with the latter score. Andreev remain undefeated and moves up to 25-0, 17 KOs, while Fonseca is down to 29-6-1, 20 KOs, with a nice road performance.

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Ukrainian welterweight Victor Plotnikov (33-12, 15 KOs) continued his sad path of a human punching bag, being stopped in one by ex-wrestler Rokhman Akhmethanov (2-0, 2 KOs). The Chechen native started punching right away, cornered his 43-year-old opponent and unleashed a brutal series of punches, prompting the referee's stoppage at 1:59 of the round.