Friday Global Boxing Results: Solomon, Kirkland, Ramos Get Wins

Updated for the Tua-King fight from New Zealand. Remember that today we'll have another batch of live coverage. At 5pm EDT, we'll be here for Klitschko-Solis, and hopefully able to get in Rigondeaux-Casey at 6pm EDT. Then tonight at 10, Bute-Magee.

Costa Mesa, California (Full Recap)

• Luis Ramos Jr. MD-8 Jose Hernandez: Scrappy Texan Hernandez gave his all and made this a back-and-forth fight, a sleeper candidate for Fight of the Month. The 79-73 card in favor of Ramos was weak, but it's a good fight worth taking a look at for sure. Ramos was tested and then some. I didn't know if it was just me thinking that Hernandez had done enough to win the fight, but it seems that's the prevailing thought tonight. Both Jake Donovan of BoxingScene.comm and Rocco Morales of fightnews.com seem to feel the same, that Ramos was lucky to leave with his perfect record intact.
  
• James Kirkland KO-2 Jhon Berrio: Kirkland's comeback is a work in progress, but the vicious slugger is now 27-0 (24 KO) following a second round destruction of Berrio. Kirkland is due back on April 9, when he'll be part of the Morales-Maidana PPV. No opponent has been named.
• Francisco Contreras UD-6 Adolfo Landeros: Dominican lightweight prospect Contreras improves to 16-0 (13 KO) with a decision win over the well-traveled Landeros (20-18-1, 9 KO), who has now lost eight straight and 10 of his last 11 dating back to 2006. This was Landeros' highest-ever fighting weight, and he has come in as low as 113 pounds in the past. Notable names who have beaten Landeros along the way include Jhonny Gonzalez, Martin Castillo (twice), Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., Guillermo Rigondeaux, and Ronny Rios. Contreras, who is now based in New Jersey, was an impressive amateur and is a legitimate prospect.

Hollywood, Florida (Full Recap)

• Brad Solomon UD-10 Demetrius Hopkins: Same old Demetrius Hopkins, who falls to 30-2-1 (11 KO), and Solomon took advantage of D-Hop's apparent lack of interest in actually fighting. Solomon improves to 17-0 (7 KO), but I still see him to be a cautious bet as a long-term prospect. Unfortunately, what was a proper matchup on paper turned out to be all but a brisk workout for the Louisiana native.
• Yan Barthelemy UD-10 Francis Ruiz: Game Ruiz, in on very short notice replacing Chris Avalos, gave it his best shot, but was knocked down in the third round and largely outclassed by former gold medalist Barthelemy (12-2, 4 KO), who has been a disappointing pro thus far.
• Cedric Boswell UD-10 Oliver McCall: Scores were 99-91, 99-92 and 98-92 for the 41-year-old Boswell (34-1, 26 KO), who overcomes the 45-year-old McCall (55-11, 37 KO).

South Auckland, New Zealand

• David Tua UD-10 Demetrice King: James Bennett of 3 News in New Zealand did a great job covering this one with quick updates, so if you want a full story of the fight, head over there and read the updates as they rolled in. King's tough chin proved out again, but Tua was simply much too good for him, according to Bennett, and that's about what should have been expected. Tua is now 53-2-2 (43 KO), while King falls to 15-20 (13 KO). Tua has no real future as a legitimate player in the heavyweight division, though. That ship sailed years ago.
  

Polanco, Mexico

• Dante Jardon TKO-1 Humberto Martinez: Super featherweight prospect Jardon (16-1, 14 KO) picked up a couple of more minor trinkets as he builds his record, scoring another early KO. Martinez (20-6-1, 14 KO) has never won outside of his native Colombia, and isn't even that good in Colombia.

Clermont-Ferrand, France

• Hugo Kasperski TKO-1 Milton Nunez: On the surface this isn't really that notable a result; Kasperski (16-1, 12 KO) is a French prospect, and without meaning to generalize, the French aren't exactly known these days for their great contributions to boxing. The reason I bring this up is to remind you that Nunez (22-3-1, 20 KO) was recently granted a chance to fight for a vacant alphabet title. An interim title, yes, but who are we kidding with this "interim" crap? In August, he was knocked out in the first round by Gennady Golovkin, almost two years after being knocked out in the first round by Nilson Julio Tapia, himself no superstar. Nunez is a great example of another reason to completely disregard every single one of these dumb belts that mean nothing, no matter who holds them.