Birardi, Bakshi with wins, fight between Dietz and Salami ends in a draw

Per-Ake Persson

Cruiserweight Oronzo Birardi (10-0) opened Queensberry´s (along with Goldstar and Top Rank) big show at the Rudolf Weber Arena in Oberhausen on Saturday night by knocking out Serbian Miloslav Savic (9-11-1) 59 seconds into the fourth round. It was scheduled for ten.

WBA Intercontinental middleweight champ Gleb Bakshi (6-0) impressed in stopping Mexican challenger Juan Jose Rodriguez Duran (22-2) 54 seconds into the first round. Duran made an aggressive start and looked good but Bakshi caught him with an overhand right and then floored him with a left hook. Duran got up but was out of it and it was stopped.

Big heavyweights Daniel Dietz (15-1-1) and Seun Salami (9-0-1) fought to a draw after six rounds. Don’t let their respective records fool you but it was a good, tough fight where both gave their all. Salami, from Austria, appeared to outwork his bigger opponent in the early rounds but tired down the stretch.

Heavyweight Kevin Saszik (10-0) knocked out Brian Zwart (6-7) in the first round of heavyweight fight that was scheduled for 8 rounds.

Promising heavyweight Nevie Tiafack (3-0) had no problems in stopping German-based Pole Piotr Cwik (9-6) 1.50 of the second round. Cwik took a beating to the head and body and took a count before it was stopped. Tiafack, a former Olympian, will go places.

Roman Fury (6-0) outboxed and stopped late-sub Kevin Greenwood (6-12) in the third of a one-sided six-rounder. Fury, a southpaw, didn’t seem to be in top shape and slapped with his punches but he showed good hand speed and Greenwood, who doubles as a bare-knuckle fighter, was outclassed.