Dejan Zlaticanin becomes the first Montenegran to win a world championship
VERONA, N.Y. - It had the look of a mismatch from the start.
Franklin Mamani, from Bolivia, a last minute replacement to fight highly skilled and undefeated Dejan Zlaticanin of Montenegro for the vacant WBC lightweight title, appeared to be overmatched from the opening bell, consistently getting beat to the punch.
The matchup lasted about as long as expected. Just 54 seconds into the third round, Zlaticanin unleashed a flurry of punches on Mamani, who was on the ropes, and mixed it up with stiff jabs, head shots and body shots that wore on Mamani, who spent most of the fight trying to defend himself, unable to mount much of an offense.
Zlaticanin, a hard-hitting southpaw, finished the Bolivian with a straight left to the jaw as Mamani's head snapped back. Referee Charlie Fitch recognized that Mamani was unable to defend himself and stopped the fight.
"This is for the fans who came to support me," Zlaticanin said. "I knew I would knock him out, but I really felt it in the first round. He stood too close to me. I want (Jorge) Linares next. He can't run from me anymore."
The fight, at the Events Center in the Turning Stone Casino here, was part of the undercard of the Ruslan Provodnikov-John Molina Jr. main event.
Zlaticanin, a southpaw, improved to 22-0 with 15 KOs. Mamani fell to 21-2-2, 12 KOs. Zlaticanin is the first Montenegran to win a world title.
"I think I made my fans from Montenegro proud," he said. "I think they will be delighted. They don't know yet, but in a few days they will know."
Zlaticanin was originally supposed to fight Jorge Linares for the WBC lightweight title, but Linares had to pull out with a fractured hand. Linares was eventually stripped of his title.
Linares was replaced by Emiliano Marsili (32-0-1, 14 KOs) but days before the fight, Marsili pulled out, citing a stomach ailment, and at the last minute, Mamani took the fight.
"I got hit in the head with a good shot and there was nothing I can do," Mamani said. "I felt good in the fight up until that point, but that one shot to the head was a good shot."
Monroe decisions Thompson: In a battle of former Boxcino champions, Willie Monroe, a local (Rochester, N.Y.) product, knocked John Thompson down twice en route to a unanimous decision victory in a 10-round middleweight bout. Monroe (20-2, 6 KOs) had the crowd behind him as he danced around the ring, picking his shots against the slower Thompson, and dropped him in the once with a left hook midway through the second round, then again three rounds later with a stiff jab to the throat. Monroe, whose last fight was a knockout loss to middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin last May. Monroe, the Boxcino middleweight champion in 2014, won by scores of 96-92, 95-93 and 98-88. "(Thompson) was a tough fighter, he wanted it bad and he was in shape," Monroe said. "I had the two knockdowns. I'm glad it went 10 rounds. It showed I can still do the 10 rounds after the layoff." Thompson, the 154-pound Boxcino champ, fell to 17-3 (6 KOs)
Fedosov KOs Heredia: Russian heavyweight Andrey Fedosov had his left hook working Saturday night, and Mario Heredia had no answer for it. Heredia was knocked down four times, each time following a devastating left hook by Fedosov, before referee Richard Pakozdi stopped the scheduled 10-round bout 1:33 into the sixth round. Fedosov, ESPN's Boxcino heavyweight tournament champion last year, improved to 29-3 (24 KOs) while Heredia fell to 13-2 (11 KOs). "I'm ready to fight for a title," the Russian said.
(Zlatican photo by Amanda Wescott, Showtime)