Ismayl Sillakh (15-0, 12KOs) passed a big test tonight by scoring an early knockdown in route to a unanimous decision win over Yordanis Despaigne (8-1, 4 KOs).
From the outset Sillakh peppered his opponent with jabs, and countered Despaigne repeatedly with hard hooks when he lunged in. Two such right hands hurt Despaigne badly and dropped him in round two. With under 10 seconds remaining, the experienced Cuban survived the round.
Aside from a brief flurry in round five when Sillakh was pinned and hurt on the ropes, Despaigne found himself following after his opponent for the rest of the fight. For his trouble, Sillakh continued timing Despaigne with jabs and hooks at mid-range. By round six, Despaigne sported cuts above both eyes. In addition, Sillakh had begun finding a home for the left hook to the body. Despaigne taunted Sillakh late by pounding his chest, hoping to goad him into a slugfest. Sillakh refused to bite.
Sillakh’s unanimous decision was punctuated by scorecards of 99-90 and 98-91 twice. The win is expected to earn Ismayl Sillakh a Top 10 ranking at light-heavyweight.
On the undercard, Ray Narh (25-1, 21 KOs) defeated Freddie Norwood (43-4-1, 23 KOs) by decision in a welterweight bout. The taller Nark was able to dictate the pace of the contest and outbox Norwood with superior reach and speed. Late in the fight, Norwood received a two-point deduction for what was deemed intentional rabbit punching. Norwood, who turned pro in 1989, last held a title when he reigned as the WBA featherweight champion from 1999-2000. He is 1-3 in his last four bouts.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 