#WSBV Day 11 – Astana Arlans Kazakhstan magnificent in Miami as they defeat USA Knockouts
28 March 2015
#WSBV Day 11 USA vs Ast
An excellent away performance in Miami resulted in a 5-0 whitewash victory for Astana Arlans Kazakhstan against USA Knockouts.
This is Kazakhstan’s eleventh successive win in Season V of the World Series of Boxing (WSB) while the American team have now lost four of their last five matches.
The first bout of the evening was a close one, and had huge significance for the rest of the match,
Temirtas Zhussupov was awarded the fight on two scorecards by just one point, while American Light flyweight (49 kg) Joshua Franco edged the bout by a solitary point on the third card.
Meirbolat Toitov then temporarily headed to the top of the Bantamweight (56 kg) rankings after defeating USA’s Francisco Martinez on points.
Martinez began the weekend second in the Bantamweight rankings, and won the first round in Miami, but Toitov took control of the action from then on and sealed the victory.
The win for Toitov hugely increases his chances of qualifying for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games via WSB, though with just one match of the Regular Season to go, Martinez may have lost his opportunity.
Kazakhstan’s win was secured at Light welterweight (64 kg) as Samat Bashenov moved up the WSB rankings when he earned a split decision verdict over Tyrek Irby.
Meiirim Nursultanov then moved to third in the Middleweight (75 kg) standings after beating American debutant Kalvin Henderson who displayed a lot of potential in their bout.
Nursultanov is just one point behind Arlen Lopez and Hurshidbek Normatov with one match to go for the Middleweights.
The closest division in WSB is the Heavyweight (91 kg) weight class, where only one fighter will qualify for Rio 2016 via the competition.
After Cuba’s Erislandy Savon won on points in China, Kazakh Vasiliy Levit sealed his sixth win of the campaign to stay level with the Domadores in the rankings.
For the first time this season Levit went the distance with an opponent, as USA’s Adrian Taylor performed well in the first and last rounds.
In two weeks time the Olympic qualification for all of these weight classes will be determined, and the mayhem in Miami has set everything up perfectly for an entertaining end.
Astana Arlans Kazakhstan visit Puerto Rico Hurricanes next week, while USA Knockouts meet Azerbaijan Baku Fires.
