Welterweight Aram Amirkhanyan won a split decision over undefeated Gor Yeritsyan in a tactical co-feature bout Friday at Commerce Casino in Commerce, California.
Two judges scored it 96-94 for Amirkhanyan, while one had it 96-94 for Yeritsyan.
Both fighters hail from Armenia and have history traveling together in the amateurs. Amirkhanyan (15-1-1, 4 KOs), billed as being from Russia, won the fight – but he was arguably no more active than the idle Yeritsyan (19-1, 14 KOs). The bout saw the fighters mostly keeping their distance and feinting in the first half, though Yeritsyan, 29, staggered Amirkhanyan, 34, with a right hand at the end of the fifth round.
Though Yeritsyan seemed to gain control, Amirkhanyan’s larger size appeared to give him pause, and forward pressure could have awarded Amirkhanyan some swing rounds. Amirkhanyan also opened a cut on Yeritsyan, forcing him to fight more cautiously. The fight turned rough, with Yeritsyan, trained by Freddie Roach, facing perhaps the toughest test of his career.
The judges favored Amirkhanyan’s work, and many pundits believed Yeritsyan had done enough to win.
Iyana “Right Hook Roxy” Verduzco (2-0) won a six-round unanimous decision over Colleen Davis (3-2-1, 1 KO). Verduzco, 21, of Los Angeles, opened a cut over the left eye of Davis, 33, of Pittsburgh, with a lead right hook in the first round. Verduzco’s superior skill and amateur experience allowed her to dominate the bout, though Davis showed toughness throughout. All three judges scored the fight 60-54.
Junior lightweight Abel Mejia (5-0, 3 KOs) overcame a second-round knockdown to stop Jose Jesus Correa (6-10, 4 KOs). Correa, 36, of Mexico, floored Mejia, 21, of Orange, California, with an overhand right in the second round. But Mejia rallied with a perfect left hook in the fourth and final round for the knockout. The fight was stopped at 0:55.
Junior lightweight Jaybrio Pe Benito (5-0, 4 KOs) stopped Michael Land (1-5-1, 1 KO) in the second round of their scheduled four-round bout. Benito, 26, from Hawaii and trained by Roach, dominated with powerful punches.
Land, 24, who traveled without cornermen, found himself trapped in a corner after a flurry of 3-4 punches, which prompted the referee to halt the fight at 1:30. Land, believing the stoppage to be premature, pushed Benito away when approached after the fight.
Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.
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