A roundup of the past week's notable boxing results from around the world:
Saturday at Krakow, Poland
Eric Molina KO10 Tomasz Adamek
Heavyweight
Records: Molina (25-3, 19 KOs); Adamek (50-5, 30 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Throughout his 17-year career, Adamek, perhaps the No. 1 fighter in Polish history, gave it his all, and this fight with Molina was no different. But all good things must come to an end. Adamek, 39, made yet another entertaining fight but the former light heavyweight titleholder, cruiserweight champion and longtime heavyweight contender appears to be all done and headed for a second retirement after getting knocked out.
After back-to-back decision losses to Vyacheslav Glazkov and countryman Artur Szpilka in 2014, Adamek retired. But less than a year later he returned and knocked out popular countryman Przemyslaw Saleta, who ended his 2½-year retirement for the bout, in the fifth round in September. Molina, 33, of Raymondville, Texas, may not be a world-beater but he's much fresher and way more dangerous than Saleta. Still, Adamek was ahead 88-83 on all three scorecards going into the 10th round of what had been an exciting fight, as most Adamek fights are. But in the waning seconds of the round, the 6-foot-4, 232-pound Molina nailed the 6-1½, 223-pound Adamek with a flush right hand to the chin and flattened him. Adamek went down hard with his body halfway under the bottom ring rope. He tried to beat the count, but was a tick too late and referee Leszek Jankowiak counted him out at the final bell of the round.
Adamek said going into the fight that a loss would end his career and he plans to stick by that this time. For Molina it was a career-best victory 10 months and two fights since he was knocked out in the ninth round by Deontay Wilder in a world title bout.
If this indeed is the end for Adamek, he leaves the ring having given boxing fans many thrills. His two wins against Paul Briggs in light heavyweight title bouts were enthralling action fights. The first fight against Briggs, for a vacant belt in 2005, was a wildly violent slugfest in which Adamek bled profusely from his nose, which had been broken a week or so earlier in training camp. But Adamek hid that fact from his own team because he wanted to fight so badly. His split decision against Steve Cunningham in their first fight to win the cruiserweight title was a classic fight of the year contender in 2008. His upset of heavyweight Chris Arreola in 2010 was one of his finest hours. And although he lost by 10th-round knockout challenging then-heavyweight titleholder Vitali Klitschko in a massive event in Poland in 2011, he showed tremendous heart and bravery. And who could forget the raucous crowds he packed into the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, where he was a hero to the region's Polish community.
Saturday at Liverpool, England
Callum Smith TKO1 Hadillah Mohoumadi
Super middleweight - title eliminator and wins European super middleweight
Records: Smith (19-0, 14 KOs); Mohoumadi (20-4-1, 15 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Smith, 25, one of the four fighting Smith brothers, was very impressive in front of his hometown fans as he not only claimed the European title but won the world title eliminator that made him the mandatory challenger for the winner of the April 30 bout between titleholder Badou Jack and former titlist Lucian Bute.
Smith blew out Rocky Fielding in an explosive first-round knockout in November and was as impressive his next time out as he took apart Mohoumadi, 35, of France. Mohoumadi came out very fast, backed Smith up immediately and had him covering up. But Smith did not seem in any serious trouble before unleashing an excellent counter left hook that nailed Mohoumadi and backed him up. Smith continued to throw punches and every time he landed Mohoumadi seemed to feel the impact based in his reaction. A right hand sent Mohoumadi into the ropes and Smith went to town, dishing out about 20 unanswered punches, including landing some head-snapping left hands, before referee Francisco Alloza Rosa had no choice but to step in at 1 minute, 41 seconds.
Tom Doran TKO2 Luke Keeler
Middleweight
Records: Doran (17-0, 7 KOs); Keeler (10-2, 5 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: In February 2015, Doran, 28, of Wales, won a three-round decision against Keeler, 28, of Ireland, in the semifinals of a "Prizefighter" middleweight tournament. The rematch was a wild two-round shootout in which both guys were down in the first round, perhaps an early round of the year candidate. First it was Doran who hit the deck courtesy of a clean overhand right. As soon as he got to his feet they began trading bombs before Doran connected with a left to send Keeler to his backside with 30 seconds left.
They continued to trade with abandon in the second round until Doran landed a flush counter left hand to the chin that sent Keeler to the mat face first. He beat the count but Doran then ended the fight in brutal fashion, connecting with seven shots, including a left hand that decked Keeler again as his corner was throwing in the towel at the same time referee Ian John-Lewis waved it off at 1 minute, 37 seconds. If you like sloppy, quick slobber knockers, check this one out.
Saturday at Helsinki
Johann Duhaupas KO6 Robert Helenius
Heavyweight
Records: Duhaupas (34-3, 21 KOs); Helenius (22-1, 13 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: A few years ago, Helenius, 32, a Sweden native but popular in his adopted country of Finland, was getting a ton of hype as a future top contender and perhaps a titleholder someday. Injuries and promotional issues sent him into a two-year layoff until he returned in early 2015. He won three fights in a row and then faced Duhaupas, 35, of France, who showed a big heart in an 11th-round knockout loss challenging world titleholder Deontay Wilder in a one-sided fight in September. But Duhaupas has now won two fights in a row since facing Wilder with this upset of Helenius. He dropped Helenius with a right hand in the fourth round and then landed another clean right hand to the middle of his face that dropped him flat on his back late in the sixth round. Helenius struggled to his feet, but then staggered into the ropes and fell again as referee Jose Guadalupe Garcia waved off the fight as the round was ending. Helenius was down for several minutes receiving medical attention.
Saturday at Port Hueneme, Calif.
Francisco "Chia" Santana W10 Ed Paredes
Welterweight
Scores: 100-90 (three times)
Records: Santana (24-4-1, 12 KOs); Paredes (36-6-1, 24 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: In his second fight since signing with Top Rank late last year, Santana, 29, of Santa Barbara, notched a shutout decision against Paredes, 31, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, in the "Solo Boxeo Tecate" main event on UniMas. Despite the one-sided scores, this was anything but an easy fight. It was brutal and both fighters took punishment. An accidental head-butt began to swell Paredes' left eye in the first round and things never got better for him as he lost his third 10-round decision in his past four fights. Santana threw many more punches than Paredes and kept a fast pace throughout the blowout. He won his second fight in a row since getting a shot to fight on HBO last April and dropping a 10-round decision to Sadam Ali.
Also on the card, 2012 Russian Olympic light heavyweight gold medalist Egor Mekhontsev (12-0, 8 KOs), 31, who fights out of Los Angeles, dropped Victor Barragan (12-10-1, 3 KOs) twice in the second round, again in the third and yet again in the fifth round in a fifth-round knockout victory.
Saturday at Mexico City
Moises Fuentes TKO1 Rommel Asenjo
Flyweight
Records: Fuentes (24-2-1, 13 KOs); Asenjo (28-5, 20 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Former strawweight world titleholder Fuentes, 30, of Mexico, stormed to an early knockout win against Asenjo, 28, of the Philippines, to win his fifth fight in a row since a ninth-round knockout loss challenging junior flyweight titleholder Donnie Nietes in May 2014. Fuentes hurt Asenjo very badly with a combination midway through the round. Asenjo grabbed on to him but when Fuentes broke out of the clinch, he battered Asenjo, landing about a dozen unanswered blows as he cowered in a corner until referee Jose Medel Jr. stepped in to wave it off at 1 minute, 48 seconds. Asenjo came into the fight having won two fights in a row but they were against opponents with records of 13-40-1 and 9-11-1. Before those two wins, unified flyweight titlist Juan Francisco Estrada knocked him out in the third round 13 months ago.
Saturday at Tlalnepantla, Mexico
Jhonny Gonzalez TKO2 Justin Savi
Junior lightweight
Records: Gonzalez (60-10, 50 KOs); Savi (28-5-2, 18 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Former bantamweight and featherweight world titleholder Gonzalez, 34, of Mexico, won his second fight in a row since an upset decision loss to Jonathan Oquendo in September on the Floyd Mayweather-Andre Berto undercard. Gonzalez dominated Savi, 31, of Benin, dropping him in the first round with a left hook. Savi, 0-2-1 in his past three bouts, barely survived the opening round and then Gonzalez took him out in the second, hammering into the ropes with a left hand and teeing off until referee Laurentino Ramirez Oropeza stepped in at 1 minute, 45 seconds.
Also on the card, former junior middleweight world titlist Carlos Molina (25-6-2, 8 KOs), 32, who lived most of his life in Chicago but was deported to his native Mexico because was caught in the United States illegally and with a past criminal record, busted up Reyes Sanchez (26-8-2, 15 KOs), 30, of Mexico, and won a unanimous decision, 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74, in a welterweight bout. Molina won his third fight in a row since losing a decision and his belt to Cornelius "K9" Bundrage in October 2014.
Friday at Washington, D.C.
Adrien Broner TKO9 Ashley Theophane
Junior welterweight - a junior welterweight title remains vacant
Records: Broner (32-2, 24 KOs); Theophane (39-7-1, 11 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Chaos surrounded Broner heading into this fight both in terms of non-boxing and boxing issues. "The Problem" was wanted in his hometown of Cincinnati on two outstanding arrest warrants for felony assault and aggravated robbery in which he is accused of assaulting a man and robbing him of $12,000 at gunpoint outside a bowling alley after losing the money to him in a night of gambling on their games. The DC Boxing and Wrestling Commission licensed Broner -- which was ridiculous -- after clearing his appearance with Ohio authorities, who made a deal with the 26-year-old fighter that he will turn himself on Monday, and then he can post $100,000 bail. As it relates to boxing, Broner missed weight (140.4) and was stripped of the title when he made no effort to lose 0.4 pounds. He paid Theophane, 35, of England, an extra $50,000 for missing weight for what was supposed to be his first title defense. It was the second time in his career that Broner, a four-division titleholder, lost a belt for missing weight. The same thing happened with his junior lightweight title in 2012.
When the bell rang, however, Broner did his thing, which was dominate Theophane, who did not get the fight on merit. He got it because of his connection -- his promoter is retired superstar Floyd Mayweather, who, by the way, Broner called out after the fight in a WWE-like scene as Mayweather laughed at ringside.
Theophane, whose six-fight winning streak ended, put on a very game effort in front of the sold-out crowd of 8,172 but he was outclassed by Broner, who had much better speed, power, defense and technique. He hurt Theophane with a left hand in the third round and nearly stopped him in the fourth round, the round he predicted he would score the knockout. He got it in the ninth. Theophane was fading, his legs were shaky and Broner cracked him with an overhand right, a left to the body that appeared below the belt and another right that sent Theophane across the ring, which caused referee Luis Pabon to wave the fight off at 1 minute, 10 seconds.
After the fight Broner said he would move back up to welterweight and wanted to fight Mayweather. He also said he was interested in a shot at titleholder (and friend) Danny Garcia. But Broner isn't going to be fighting anyone so soon, at least until he deals with potentially serious legal problems.
Robert Easter Jr. TKO5 Algenis Mendez
Lightweight
Records: Easter Jr. (17-0, 14 KOs); Mendez (23-4-1, 12 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Easter, 25, of Toledo, Ohio, is a blue chip prospect who should command your attention. He is a nearly 6-foot lightweight with a lanky build, long arms, a powerful jab and tremendous power in his right hand that flows effortlessly. Watching him erase Mendez, a former junior lightweight titleholder, with one right hand immediately brought to mind another fighter with similar attributes -- the late former lightweight and junior lightweight champion Diego Corrales.
Easter was taking a huge step up in competition against Mendez, 29, a Dominican Republic native fighting out of Yonkers, New York, who outpointed former lightweight titlist Miguel Vazquez in his previous fight. Mendez was not some shot, old fighter. For Easter to dominate him with an array of punches, including his jab and right uppercut, and then take him out was very impressive.
Mendez got caught on the ropes in the fifth round and Easter unloaded a short overhand right that caught him clean on the side of the head and dropped him. It was a spectacular punch that Mendez never saw. He struggled to his feet but he was gone and referee Billy Johnson called off the fight at 2 minutes, 43 seconds. If Easter were a stock the advice would be to buy as much as possible.
Gervonta Davis TKO6 Guillermo Avila
Junior lightweight
Records: Davis (15-0, 14 KOs); Avila (16-6, 13 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Davis, a 21-year-old prospect from Baltimore, is a gifted offensive fighter whom Floyd Mayweather raves about. He got to strut his stuff on Spike as he took apart Guillermo Avila, 23, of Mexico. Davis, a southpaw, needs to shore up his defense and refine some of his moves, but he's fun to watch. He hurt Avila repeatedly during the dominant performance. He cut him over the left eye in the third round and battered him in the fourth round, in which he almost got the stoppage. He dropped Avila with a left hand down the pipe late in the fifth round. In the sixth round, he got the stoppage, backing Avila in the ropes and landing a series of flush right uppercuts before referee Michelle Myers stepped in at 29 seconds. Keep an eye on this kid.
Friday at Los Angeles
Manuel "Tino" Avila W10 Rene Alvarado
Featherweight
Scores: 100-90, 97-93 (twice)
Records: Avila (20-0, 8 KOs); Alvarado (23-7, 16 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Avila, 23, of Fairfield, California, used his speed, fast combinations and counterpunching ability to outbox Alvarado in a fight that served as the main event for Golden Boy's "LA Fight Club" card on Estrella TV. Alvarado, 27, of Nicaragua, lost his second fight in a row and for the third time in his past four.
"I felt that the fight went in different stages in which he would win or I would win," Avila said. "I know I needed to work on my inside game and stick to the game plan. I'm excited to get back in the gym and hopefully 2016 will bring more action inside the ring for me."
Alvarado did not dispute the decision. "I felt that this decision was fair," he said. "We are obviously in his house, but I felt that throughout the fight it was a very close match. I'm excited to go back to Nicaragua, and work on my technique. Hopefully, if given the opportunity I will come back and fight in Los Angeles."