Monday 13 June 2016 12:12, UK
Vasyl Lomachenko and Demetrius Andrade dazzled and Enzo Maccarinelli bowed out. Here's what we learned over the weekend...
With many UK boxing fans already gearing up for the colossal Sky Sports Box Office event on June 25, when Anthony Joshua defends his world title against Dominic Breazeale following George Groves v Martin Murray, Chris Eubank Jr v Tom Doran and more, there was a dearth of world title action on these shores.
Over in the US, though, there was plenty to sink the teeth into as Sky Sports 1 screened a triple-header illuminated by the returning Demetrius Andrade. Elsewhere, Vasyl Lomachenko recorded an emphatic and historic victory over Roman Martinez. Both look like pound-for-pound players.
Let's take stock of what was learned over the weekend...
Two world titles in two different weight divisions; a successful career, but absolutely astonishing when you factor in that Lomachenko's brutal knockout of Martinez on Saturday night was only his seventh professional bout. Lauded by some as the greatest amateur boxer of all time (and his record of 396-1 might dampen argument to the contrary), the Ukrainian is smoothly transferring success to the paid ranks.
The speed, timing and accuracy of Lomachenko's shots is impressive, and he has a trademark footwork move too - pouncing around the left of his opponent in an almost half-circle and as they turn, rapping in a left before driving home a short right hook. Martinez wasn't the first to be left bewildered by the move. What finished him eventually, though, was a left-uppercut to right-hook delivered with devastating precision. Prior to facing Lomachenko in New York, Martinez had been stopped just once in a 34-fight career.
The new WBO super-featherweight champion, who seems likely to stay at 130lbs and defend his more recently-acquired world title, could opt to try and avenge his March 2014 split decision defeat to Orlando Salido next up. Like his old foe Martinez, Mexico's Salido is another all-action fighter and a reunion with Lomachenko would guarantee entertainment. At times, there were audible gasps around Madison Square Garden as Lomachenko set about Martinez and if he continues to blast opponents aside in such fashion, he could soon challenge Gennady Golovkin as American boxing's No 1 import.
Demetrius Andrade is back and is looking and sounding very, very serious about establishing himself as the super-welterweight division's king. After leaving Willie Nelson hopelessly outclassed, Andrade earmarked the Charlo twins, Jermall and Jermell, as his primary targets. Andrade used to wear the WBO belt now adorning Liam Smith's hips but it's the brothers from Texas, who hold the IBF and WBC crowns, 'Boo Boo' wants to take on first. One at a time, you presume...
It wasn't a flawless performance against Nelson - and few can have expected one as the Rhode Island star has fought just three times since November 2013. Andrade is loaded with such talent that at times, boxing seems to come too easily to him. In some of the intervals between rounds, his father/trainer Peter was clearly irritated with slight lapses of concentration. A crisp uppercut from Nelson was his most eye-catching success of the fight but, unfortunately for the underdog, Andrade's blip in defensive discipline only served to prove he has a decent chin to go with his natural skill.
The WBA world champion is another smooth southpaw - Cuba's Erislandy Lara. Like Andrade, Lara is a former world amateur champion. A clash between the two would probably be a boxing skill-fest for the purists and could conceivably end up happening next year with three of the division's world titles on the line. Before that, Andrade is expected to ruin the reign of both the Charlos.
There's a new WBC world lightweight champion and his name is Dejan Zlaticanin. You may remember him for outpointing Ricky Burns in Glasgow two years ago but it wasn't until Saturday night that he finally managed to become Montenegro's first ever boxing world champion. The southpaw nicknamed 'Dynamite' had far too much power for late-notice stand-in Franklin Mamani, who was stopped in the third.
At 5'4", Zlaticanin is more than four inches shorter than WBA world champion Anthony Crolla and more than five inches shorter than WBO king Terry Flanagan. Do not be fooled - what the 33-year-old lacks in height and reach he makes up for with speed and power. Once inside, his hooks are compact and travel over the shorter distance to their target with great velocity.
In his fight previous to Saturday, Zlaticanin stole the show at Deontay Wilder's maiden world heavyweight title defence - producing a thunderous overhand left in the fourth to sink an unbeaten Ivan Redkach to the canvas all at once. There was no mercy shown upon the resumption, either, as the fighting pride of Podgorica leapt in to pin Redkach against the ropes to bombard and force the stoppage. Zlaticanin joins Crolla, Flanagan and Jorge Linares as a lightweight world champion. It's tough to rank them.
There was a sad sight at London's York Hall on Saturday evening. Enzo Maccarinelli - a former world cruiserweight champion - suffered a stoppage at the hands of Dmytro Kucher in the very first round. The popular Welshman swiftly announced his retirement from the sport.
It's been a rollercoaster ride for 'Big Mac.' The question marks over his chin were raised as early as his fourth fight, which ended in knockout defeat at Swansea Leisure Centre - but Maccarinelli went on to achieve major titles with his own heavy-handed style. Following that 2000 disappointment, Maccarinelli went on a knockout spree of his own that climaxed with a ninth-round stoppage of Marcelo Fabian Dominguez for the interim WBO world title at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
After three further successes, Maccarinelli put the full title on the line against David Haye at The O2 only to be stopped in two. Defeats to the likes of Ola Afolabi, Denis Lebedev and Juergen Braehmer followed, but he returned to the ring in March 2015. A stunning knockout of the legendary Roy Jones Jr back in December hinted at one last journey to a title shot but a left hook from Kucher shattered the dream. Maccarinelli is sensible to call it a day.
