Shakhram Giyasov easily disposes of Patricio Lopez Moreno!
Unified super bantamweight champ Murodjon Akhmadaliev’s mandatory defense against Ryusoke Iwasa highlights an Easter weekend card at the Humo Arena in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The entire card is a showcase of world champions, rising contenders, and hungry prospects from Uzbekistan. One of those fighters being blessed with the spotlight to showcase his talents is rising junior welterweight, Shakhram Giyasov (11-0, 9 KO). He squares off Mexico’s Patricio Lopez Moreno (28-5, 20 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round contest.
The 27 year-old from Bukhara, Uzbekistan has a stellar amateur pedigree which includes a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic games.
As a pro, he’s shown speed, skills, power, and toughness. His highlight performance was a first-round, 41-second knockout of former world title challenger Darleys Perez in August 2019. He followed that up with a third round knockout over Wiston Campos. Currently ranked six in the world by the WBA at junior welterweight, Giyasov is on the fast track towards a possible world title shot.
EASY WORK!
Moreno is more of an unknown fighter. The 26-year-old southpaw from La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, is a late substitute for former world lightweight title challenger Isa Chaniev. the Uzbek, given his talent, did what fighters are expected to do against late replacements!
Facing a tall, lanky fighter who likes to keep the fight at distance, Giyasov started the bout by applying steady pressure. At the end of round one, Moreno was bleeding from a cut in his hairline from a shot off the top of his head.
The pressure continued in the second round. Giyasov was pounding the Mexican with punches to the body. At the tail end of the round, a bombardment of punches put Moreno on one knee. As a result, you could tell the end was near.
In round three, the man from Uzbekistan went for the finish. It was an all-assault of shots as he swarmed his opponent. With fifty seconds to go in the round, a right hand to the head put Moreno face down! He was in that position for a good six seconds before jumping to his feet. Regardless of beating the count, the referee decided to waive the fight off.
In truth, this was a total mismatch and a showcase bout for Giyasov. He did what he had to do against an inferior foe and made sure he showed the difference in class. Whether this win moves him up in the rankings, Matchroom Boxing should revisit the fight with Chaniev as that match-up presents a good challenge for the former Olympian.
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
