The 154lb division has seen increased activity as of late. With Winky Wright gaining notoriety as a slick southpaw that defeated legend Tito Trinidad with ease, he still stands as the king of the division if he returns from Middleweight. Fernando Vargas is also in the process of making a return to action, staying in the Jr. Middleweight division. Ricardo Mayorga looks to be active in the division as well, having recently lost the opportunity to fight Javier Castillejo to Vargas. Besides Wright, the most shining player in the division is Kassim Ouma. The Dream is known for being very strong physically, emitting a very high work rate. The African boxer stays true to his heritage, always conditioned and always ready to exchange.

Karmazin is a product of the Russia, which has become increasingly more common in professional boxing since the dismantling of the Soviet Union. Karmazin also keeps true to the hard Russian work ethic within the ring, and a very awkward European style that looks like a wider, lankier, and eastern version of a Thomas Hearns. Although his punching power is not the heaviest in the division, it was enough to earn him a good start Thursday night against Kassim.

Kassim Ouma entered the fight with his usual confidence, going straight at Karmazin with hands held high in a Winky Wright fashion. The Russian consistently backed up with hands held at chin level, and his elbows held out in an unorthodox style. Karmazin would surprise the audience as well as Ouma, landing hooks to the body and head at will. Karmazin utilized the left hook to the body throughout the fight, but it would reach its full potential when he dropped Ouma in the third round. Ouma bravely raised himself off of the canvas only to be floored again by a left hook, overhand right combination. This would be the start of a very long night for Ouma.

The Dream never seemed to find his rhythm. He moved forward the entire night, but never let his hands go. Kassim was not himself, looking confused and almost complacent at times during the fight. Karmazin was the more effective puncher, moving backwards and allowing Ouma to walk into hooks and right hand uppercuts. The pace of the fight slowed a bit as the rounds went on, but Karmazin dominated Ouma with superior ring generalship and much more effective punching. Although both fighters tired by the later rounds, Ouma’s face illustrated the rough night that he sustained. By the end of the twelfth, Karmazin had his hands raised with a unanimous decision in front of the Las Vegas crowd with scores of 118-108; 116-110; and 117-109.

On the undercard, Jr. Middleweight prospect Marco Antonio ‘El Veneno’ Rubio had a victorious night against unknown Dominican David Toribio. Many fight fans saw Rubio suffer his first round knockout loss to Kofi Jantuah on a previously televised Boxeo de Oro. He has comeback to win his last three, and looked much sharper and crisper under the tutelage of trainer Fernando Castrejon. El Veneno came out a bit stiff at first, but landed the stronger punches. Veneno knocked his opponent down in the second with a crushing right hand. Rubio would attack again after the count, finishing it in the second at the 1:35 mark. Rubio, a 6' 1" Jr. Middleweight, has unusual strength in this division, and displayed a much improved defense. With a few more fights in the U.S., the Mexican born fighter will be a force to reckon with in the increasingly popular Jr. Middleweight division.