Sunday 5 November 2017 07:16, UK
Sergey Lipinets claimed the IBF world title by beating Akihiro Kondo, while Shawn Porter defeated Adrian Granados after a thrilling scrap in Brooklyn.
Porter was pushed all the way by Mexico's Granados in a gruelling and exciting clash, eventually taking the verdict via three scores of 117-111.
The victory handed the American the vacant WBC silver welterweight title and Porter will now hope to get a rematch with WBC champion and old rival Keith Thurman.
The contest was predicted to be an exciting affair and it lived up to expectations and more as both fighters willingly went toe to toe, relentlessly trading leather over twelve rounds of pulsating action.
To no surprise, Porter adopted his typical bullish style, but he was met head-on by the Mexican in the opening periods.
Despite the non-stop action that ensued, 'Showtime' was always just that one step ahead, producing the smarter and more technically astute boxing and often getting the better of the exchanges against Granados.
'Tigre' proved resilient, game and hugely entertaining, but it was Porter who earned the unanimous decision.
Speaking after the fight, the American said: "My hat goes off to Granados, I hit him with some stuff, he's a tough kid and a warrior.
"I'm going to rest up and then do what we have to do to make the Keith Thurman rematch."
Russia's Lipinets, by way of Kazakhstan, overcame a nasty cut to dominate Japan's Kondo over twelve rounds to become a world champion in just his 13th professional fight.
The 28-year-old super-lightweight outworked and outclassed Kondo, 32, as he got his hands on the IBF belt recently vacated by American Terence Crawford.
Lipinets quickly seized control of the contest, bouncing around the ring in the opening periods, working behind a snapping jab to land some spiteful combinations to both the head and body.
The unbeaten Russian pretty much cruised through the first five rounds before a crashing head clash in the sixth encouraged the Japanese super-lightweight back into the contest.
Kondo did manage to find occasional success with his left hook, but ultimately it was not enough as Lipinets took the verdict via scores of 118-110 and 117-111 twice.
