By Alexey Sukachev

There are certain reasons to fight for. Punch Boxing Promotions, a relatively new face in the pugilistic business, led by Aram Davtyan, found its specific ground (and reason) to fight for. They tell us fighters should fight for the future. And it’s exactly how their series is named – “Fight for the Future”.

There have already been several installments in Moscow the last year, and this past Saturday (October 8) tradition continued at old famous “Krilya Sovetov” arena, a hotbed of Muscovite boxing.

Leading the card were two ethnic Armenians, who have recently been dominating the second level of the local fight scene.

In what was the evening’s main event, comebacking Aik “The Humanoid” Shakhnazaryan (19-2, 10 KOs) scored his fourth consecutive stoppage win, halting once-defeated Argentinean Javier Jose Clavero at 1:38 of the eighth round to acquire a vacant WBC International Silver light welterweight title.

Interestingly, Clavero’s record is now very much similar to that of the Armenian: 19-2, 5 KOs. He was fighting for the first time out of his native land. Shakhnazaryan, meanwhile, looks solid a year and a half since his crushing defeats to Abner Lopez and future titleholder Eduard Troyanovskiy.

Local stylist Vage Sarukhanyan (14-1-1, 2 KOs) got his possibly biggest career win, when he had toughed it out against former WBC featherweight champion Gamaliel Diaz. The Mexican import, who stellar moment came across four years ago in a road win over Takahiro Aoh, tried to press the Armenian but Vage was elusive and annoying with his potent jab. It wasn’t pretty but, at the end, it was effective as he scored a unanimous decision over ten rounds: 96-94, 98-92, and 100-89. Diaz has lost his fourth straight and now down to 39-15-3, 18 KOs.

Dangerously punching lightweight Alexander Podolskiy (interestingly, he is from Podolsk, just like another lightweight / junior lightweight Andrey Klimov is out of Klimovsk) dropped Mexican Juan “El Veneno” Ocura (11-6-1, 4 KOs) with seconds left in round ten. It wasn’t enough to get him another stoppage, but it was more than enough for a unanimous decision: 97-92, 97-92, and 97-93. Podolskiy is now 7-0, 3 KOs.

Rapidly rising light welterweight Manvel Sargsyan (14-0, 8 KOs) had to work hard against young Mexican Patricio Moreno (19-2, 14 KOs), and he had done just that, topping the Latino import over  eight rounds: 78-74 (x2), and 80-73.

In an international match-up, Filipino journeyman Jose Ocampo (20-9-1, 13 KOs) dropped Argentinean Pablo Martin Barboza (24-10, 9 KOs) once in the first, and once in the sixth rounds to punctuate his narrow win: 57-56 (x2), and 58-54.

Other results:

Islam Dumanov (5-0, 3 KOs) UD 8 Vaginak Tamrazyan (11-3, 3 KOs). Scores: 79-74, 77-75, and 77-75.

Nikol Arutyunov (4-0, 1 KO) TKO 5 Otabek Ibrahimov (3-1, 3 KOs)

Vazir Tamoyan (6-1-1, 3 KOs) TKO 4 Vyacheslav Yakovenko (7-23-1, 3 KOs). Yakovenko was down twice in the second round.

Evgueny Vazem (5-3, 2 KOs) SD 6 He Su Khan (4-1, 1 KO). Scores were: 57-55 (x2) and 54-58. Khan was down in the first.

Nareg Abgaryan (1-0, 1 KO) TKO 4 Xyumoyun Rustamov (0-1)

Vladimir Sarukhanyan (3-0, 2 KOs) TKO 3 Jamshid Rihsiev (5-2, 3 KOs)