Dmitrii Bivol improved to 25-1 (12 KOs) with a dominant victory over Eifert, who fell to 13-2 (5 KOs).
The fight took a clear direction in the opening round when Bivol dropped Eifert with a left hook to the chin with 1:23 remaining. Eifert beat the count, but the knockdown set the tone for the rest of the night.
Bivol controlled the second and third rounds with his jab and superior footwork. There was little action in the fourth, but Bivol still dictated the pace. By the fifth round, he began opening up more offensively and was consistently outworking Eifert.
The sixth and seventh rounds followed a similar pattern, with Bivol using his jab to keep Eifert on the end of his punches. Eifert continued to press forward but struggled to land anything meaningful.
By the eighth and ninth rounds, frustration was beginning to show. Eifert was missing almost everything he threw, and his face had become increasingly reddened from Bivol’s steady stream of jabs.
Bivol increased the pressure in the tenth round while receiving little in return. During the final minute of the eleventh, he dug left hooks to the body and looked briefly interested in forcing a stoppage. Eifert survived, but entering the final round, the only remaining question was whether he could hear the final bell.
The German challenger spent much of the twelfth round in survival mode, moving and holding as Bivol chased him around the ring. After 15 months away, Bivol appeared content to collect rounds, shake off the rust, and leave with a comfortable victory.
The scores were 120-107 on all three cards.
Shekhov Outpoints Betancourt
Super bantamweight southpaw Mukhammad Shekhov improved to 18-0-1 (4 KOs) with a unanimous decision victory over Yerny “El Mostrico” Betancourt, 27-3 (21 KOs).
Betancourt had some success during the middle rounds, particularly between the second and sixth, as he pressed the action and often outlanded the moving Shekhov. The Uzbek boxer relied heavily on movement and defense, making for a tactical fight that never fully caught fire.
Betancourt enjoyed one of his better moments in the closing seconds of the seventh round when he trapped Shekhov in a corner and landed several punches.
During the later rounds, Shekhov found more success with lead left hands to the body and repeatedly tied up Betancourt whenever exchanges developed inside.
The judges scored it 118-110, 118-110, and 119-109.
Tukov Holds Off Papeschi
Middleweight Vadim Tukov remained unbeaten at 17-0 (7 KOs) with a decision victory over Sebastian Papeschi, who dropped to 23-6 (9 KOs).
Papeschi started well and appeared to edge the first two rounds before Tukov settled into the fight in the third. The fourth round saw damage develop around Papeschi’s left eye, possibly from a punch or an accidental clash of heads.
Papeschi responded strongly in the fifth and sixth rounds, outworking Tukov and forcing the Russian onto the back foot. Tukov was bleeding from the mouth during portions of the contest and had to work hard to regain control.
From the seventh through the ninth, Tukov landed the cleaner punches and slowly rebuilt his advantage. The tenth and final round was one of the most competitive of the fight, with both men having success.
The scores were 96-94 and 98-92 twice.
Zon Stops Garcia
Super middleweight southpaw Nikita Zon improved to 12-0-1 (10 KOs) by stopping Nahuel Garcia, 18-4-1 (16 KOs), in the fourth round of a scheduled 10-round bout to capture the WBA Gold title.
Garcia struggled to get started from the opening bell. Zon controlled the first round with ease and continued to dictate the action in the second while opening a cut on Garcia’s nose.
The pattern remained unchanged in the third. Garcia landed only sporadically, while Zon stood directly in front of him at times, seemingly daring him to throw more punches.
The fight ended in dramatic fashion in the fourth round. Zon scored three knockdowns, with the final two coming from body shots. After the third trip to the canvas, referee Salva stepped in and waved off the contest.
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