By Alexey Sukachev

Trans-Caucasian fighters are making headlines. While the best amateur boxers on the planet were picked together in Baku, top Georgian and Armenian pugilists gained some attention from continental boxing aficionados last weekend in the pro ranks.

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In Kiev, Ukraine, Elite Boxing Promotions arranged quite a strange local club show at “Freestyle” sports arena on Monday. There were no announcements in the media and one couldn’t find any banners across the city. Moreover, no tickets were sold to the fans and all of witnesses managed to get in by private invitation only. However, those who were able to take their seats weren’t disappointed with the action.

In the main event, Kiev-based Georgian middleweight slugger Avtandil Khurtsidze (26-2-2, 16 KOs), who was once ranked #1 by the WBA and who now holds the IBO's version of the belt, made short work of glass-shot American Jason LeHoullier (21-7-1, 8 KOs) in a non-title affair. Immediately after the opening bell, short and stocky but immensely aggressive Khurtsidze (nicknamed “Tornado”) went right after the American. LeHoullier went down twice in the first and once in the second stanza before his corner threw in a towel at 2:37 of the round. WBO #12 and IBF #14 Khurtsidze, 32, is clearly in need for sterner challenges. LeHoullier, 33, who lost his seventh straight fight after going 21-0-1 in the first part of his career, is well advised to hang’em up.

In a co-featured bout of the evening, local junior welterweight Victor Postol (15-0, 8 KOs) got a lopsided decision over tough Venezuelan Felix Lora (14-8-5, 8 KOs). Extremely wide scores – 100-87 and 100-85 (twice) – didn’t reflect how hard and dirty this fight really was. Lora, who is known for a streak of upsets, gave a stern test to Postol but was unlucky to be penalized twice in the seventh (for hitting below the belt and for a dangerous use of his head) and once in the ninth round. Postol was also credited with a knockdown in the very same stanza.

Rising cruiserweight power Dmytro Kucher (13-0, 10 KOs) scored a dominating but unspectacular win over durable Georgian Sandro Siproshvili (25-10, 12 KOs). Ale scorecards read the same: 80-72 – for Kucher.

Other results:

Marat Kulumbegov (3-0, 2 KOs) UD 4 Vladimir Borovskiy (21-44-2, 10 KOs)

Nikita Lukin (12-19-2, 5 KOs) TKO 1 Khasan Vishnyakov (0-8)

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Also on Monday, former four-time title challenger Khoren Gevor (32-7, 17 KOs) interrupted his disappointing series of losses with a dominating sixth-round stoppage of rugged Latvian journeyman Olegs Fedotovs (14-8, 10 KOs), who previously went the distance with Irish Andy Lee.

Gevor was headlining a night of boxing at Carre Theatre in Amsterdam, Holland. He previously lost by kayo to IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (in 2007), and close decisions to WBA middleweight king Felix Sturm (in 2009), WBA super middleweight titleholder Dmitry Sartison (in 2010) and was disqualified against WBO super middleweight beltholder Robert Stieglitz this April.

In a co-main event, WBA #8 ranked Colombian junior welterweight Ignacio Mendoza (32-6-2, 21 KOs) needed just two rounds to wipe out unworthy Brazilian Juciel Lima Nascimento (22-12-1, 15 KOs). Mendoza was coming off a sensational first-round blowout of previously undefeated Ukrainian Vladimir Kravets.

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Another ethnic Armenian stepped into the spotlight last Saturday in Barnaul, Russia. It’s where local based enforcer Karen Avetisyan (4-3-1, 1 KO) avenged his spirited loss to Konstantin Piternov (13-2, 4 KOs) from a year ago, with a hard-fought but well-deserved majority decision over twelve rounds. Scores were 118-111, 116-112 and 115-115 – for Avetisyan, who is now the WBC Asian Boxing Council and Russian super middleweight champion. Avetisyan lost to Piternov via the second-round TKO in an all-action slugfest in 2010 and then subsequently was defeated on points by unbeaten Maks Limonov and Sergey Kovalev.

In another title fight of the night, local hero Pavel Mamontov (5-1-1) scored a unanimous decision over hard-punching Felix Amoev (3-1, 3 KOs) to retain his Russian light middleweight title. Finally, another Armenian Rudolf Asaturyan (9-5, 4 KOs) got his first victory in three years by outpointing rugged Gennady Maximov (3-6, 2 KOs) on points. The show was promoted by Petr Rubtsov and German Titov.

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Robert Swierzbinski (6-0, 1 KO) is the new BBU middleweight champion following his hard-fought win over Belarussian Ruslan Rodivich (7-3, 7 KOs) this past Saturday in Grajewo, Poland. Scores were 59-55 – across the board. Dariusz Snarski promoted this event.

Other results:

Khavazhy Khatsygov (5-0, 3 KOs) UD 6 Maurycy Gojko (17-26-1, 6 KOs)

Krzysztof Rogowski (1-0, 1 KO) KO 1 Andrey Nurchniski (3-3, 1 KO)