ESPN FNF delivered a twin-bill featuring strangers in the night Ji-Hoon Kim, Ameth Diaz, Ruslan Provodnikov -  and old favorite Emanuel Augustus who arrived on four days notice.

 

Show opens with jr. welters Provodnikov facing Augustus - and the question was how much the old veteran Augustus would have left in the proverbial tank.

 

Augustus playing it straight in stanza one makes it an action affair but the Siberian slugger earned the edge - both exchanged combinations that caught the eye.

 

Stanza two sees Augustus drawing even in another quick paced round that had Emanuel displaying flashes of his earlier days - continues over rounds three and four although the pace slows.

 

Then numero cinco with Provo landing a left-hook body punch followed with overhand right to the head and Augustus is down - beats the count but is in serious trouble late in the stanza.

 

The Siberian grabs number six, but then takes stanza seven off - still, for all practical purposes the scribbling was on the wall. Provodnikov enjoyed a big stanza eight that saw Augustus nailed with a stray incomer that found the belt line - referee Ramos reacted to Augustus’ theatrics and offered him some rest.

 

Then numero nine with Ruslan on the offense - a barrage of power punches capped with a right hand and Augustus is down. He beats the count but a follow up drops him a second time and Ramos quickly calls it no-mas at 1:50 mark of the round.

 

Post Scripts: Ruslan Provodnikov (15-0, 10 KOs) ~ age 26 - made it a busy fight, and when the time was right picked up the pace. Not the biggest puncher but had plenty left come the closer. Entertaining club fighter at this point.
                    Emanuel Augustus ( 38-32-6, 20 KOs) ~ age 35 model - but with a  now 76 kept appointments, it’s time for career change. Would make a superb tutor for new faces and seasoned fighters alike in need of upgrading.

……………………………….....................................................................................
 

 

The Ji-Hoon Kim - Ameth Diaz main event became a proverbial quickie when the South Korean suddenly turned things around at the 2:59 mark of the opening stanza with a big right hand that dropped Diaz, along with the curtain.

Kim arrived at 20-5, 17 by KO - still a baby at age 23 - Diaz at 27-9, 10 KOs at age 26, was having no trouble finding Kim over much of action  opening stanza - but, it appeared the visitor from Panama City, Panama had arrived for his USA debut armed with a chin imported from the Orient.

 

J-Hoon Kim has earned another look - is numbered among the top ten under the IBF banner - but the top-dogs at 135 are a hungry bunch - think Kim at 23 still has time to grow.

 

Referee report: Robert Gonzales finishes pre-fight ring instructions by blessing both fighters with a “Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.” 

 

Good grief!

 

With luck, maybe Gonzalez will invite Rafael Ramos along on a missionary assignment - and forget to return.

 

GEL -