By Brad Snyder and Dwjuan Frazier at ringside
Photo: Tom Casino/Showtime

by fightnews.com

In the main event matchup, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa Shields dominated her opponent Szilvia Szabados (15-9, 6 KOs), improving to 2-0 and becoming the new NABF Middleweight Champion. Szabados attempted to stick around in the early rounds, as she traded blows with Shields, though not with the same authority. Eventually, the hard-hitting rights and lefts of Shields to the dome of Szabados proved to be overwhelming. In the fourth round, Shields bursted out of her corner on a mission to get things over with, and so she did. The referee stopped the match at the 1:30 mark of the round.

Bantamweight Nikolay Potapov (17-0-1, 8 KOs) won the WBO NABO championship by split decision (96-94 Potapov, 96-94 Nieves, 96-94 Potapov) over Antonio Nieves (17-1-2, 9 KOs) in the co-main event of the evening. What played out as a chess match had Potapov opening a cut in the corner of Nieves eye in the 6th round. The 10 round battle did prove that both fighters are very close in talent and are not far from each other at this stage in their careers.

The 8-round welterweight matchup between Wesley Tucker (14-0, 8 KOs) and Ed Williams (12-1-2, 4 KOs) was absent one thing: slow-dance music. The two fighters hugged and danced their way around the ring without throwing one significant punch the whole fight. Tucker won a unanimous decision in a fight that heard many boos from the crowd for of its lack of excitement.

Bantamweight Joshua Greer, Jr. (12-1-1 5 KOs) answered his fight week promise by knocking out James Gordon Smith (11-1-1NC, 6 KOs) at the 2:06 mark of the 6th Round. Greer controlled the fight with speed and accuracy, knocking down Smith in the 5th Round. Smith battled throughout the fight but could not match Greer in connecting first. The Knockout in the sixth was a vicious right to the head causing Smith to fall awkwardly, ending his unbeaten record.

Bantamweight Ja’Rico O’Quinn (6-0, 5 KOs) kayoed his adversary Szilveszter Kanalas (14-5, 10 KOs) at the 1:23 mark of the 1st round. Kanalas wasn’t prepared for the speed of O’Quinn, who sent Kanalas to the canvas with a vicious right hand to the head, extending his undefeated streak in the process.

In a wild and entertaining fight Welterweight Bakhtiyar Eyubov (12-0, 10KOs) defeated durable Gilbert Venegas (15-27-5, 8KOs) by Unanimous Decision (60-54, 59-55, 60-54). Eyubov was willing to trade punches with Venegas throughout the six round bout. In the later rounds Eyubov was able to still throw the cleaner and more powerful punches.

In a welterweight matchup Larry Ventus (9-11-1, 4 KOs) won a four-round unanimous decision over his opponent Darryol Humphrey (3-9, 1 KO). Ventus was unfazed by Humphrey’s advances and showed incredible patience as he waltzed to an easy win. All three judges scored the fight 40-32.

Heavyweight Marcus Carter improves to (4-0, 4 KOs) with his TKO victory over Henry Wright (0-1). Carter landed the bigger punches and was able to knockdown Wright in the 1st and 3rd Rounds. The referee stopped the fight at the 1:12 mark of the fourth round to give Carter the TKO victory.