Undercard results of Cermeno-Anurak show in China

Report, Photos by Joe Koizumi

Beneath the WBA 122-pound title bout of Nehomar Cermeno finishing Thai challenger Anurak Thisa in three rounds, there happened some important bouts under Liu Gang’s Max Power Promotions on Friday (September 30) in Wenzhou, China.

XiaoJun Qiu (21-3, 10 KOs) acquired the WBA China super-bantamweight belt by finishing Filipino southpaw Robert Udtohan (23-2-3, 15 KOs) at 1:39 of the third round in a scheduled twelve rounder. Qiu had failed to win the vacant WBA 122-pound belt via last-round stoppage by Nehomar Cermeno in Beijing last June. But his promoter Liu Gang positively plans to have him meet Cermeno again with the same belt on the line this coming December. Qiu is now coached by Jeff Mayweather and showed his improvement in this fight.

Very busy-punching speedster Can Xu (10-2, zero KO) won the WBA international super-feather belt as he pounded out a unanimous decision (118-110 twice, 117-110) over Nicaraguan Ramiro Blanco (14-1-3, 7 KOs) over twelve. The first half was really a see-saw bout with each taking every other round, but the lanky Chinese, in the second half, had the upper hand with his superior volume of punches and maintained the pressure until the end. Despite his lack of convincing power, the Chinese windmill Xu will be a next prospect behind XiaoJun Qiu.

Gigantic Chinese southpaw, 6’6” Zhilei Zhang (12-0, 8 KOs) dropped Gogita Gorgiladze (32-13, 27 KOs), from Georgia, three times and quickly stopped him at 1:17 of the opening session in a scheduled eight. Zhang, the silver medalist in the super heavyweight class in the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, utilized his right hand and good height to demolish the shorter rival at his disposal. Zhang also participated in the next Olympic Games in London only to lose a 15-11 decision to Anthony Joshua, and then turned professional in the US in 2014.

FanLong Meng (8-0, 4 KOs) came off the canvas twice and swept all other rounds to win a majority decision (76-74 twice, 75-75) over Zura Mekereshvili (18-6, 14 KOs), from Georgia, over a light heavyweight eight in the curtain raiser.