Anthony Dirrell is defeated by Caleb Plant in the ninth round. American Caleb Plant defeated his fellow countryman Anthony Dirrell in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) super middleweight eliminator in the evening’s less-than-stellar fight Wilder vs. Helenius.
Before being able to get back up, Dirrell required several minutes of in-ring medical attention. After the knockout, Plant made a degrading gesture by impersonating an undertaker to celebrate his triumph.
Plant’s record improved to (22-1, 13 KOs), and Dirrell’s rose to (34-3, 25 KOs).
Heavyweight matchup: Carlos Negron vs. Frank Sanchez
By technical knockout in the ninth round, heavyweight Frank Sánchez of Cuba defeated Carlos Negron.
The bout lacked excitement and was dull. Negrón was knocked to the ground by Sánchez in the ninth round. Negrón rose to his feet, but Sánchez fought back fiercely, forcing the referee to end the fight.
Negron dropped to (24-1, 14 KOs), while Sanchez dropped to (25-4, 20 KOs).
Gary loses against Emmanuel Rodriguez Thomas Russell
The International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight elimination match saw Puerto Rican Emmanuel Rodrguez defeat Gary Antonio Russell via technical decision.
Despite not being the favourite, Rodriguez easily controlled the bout and outperformed Russell at all occasions. Russell was on the verge of being knocked out when Rodriguez floored him in the eighth round.
When Rodrguez was cut in the ninth round due to a head-on collision, the Puerto Rican’s corner stated that he was unable to continue, and the fight was decided by scores, with Rodrguez winning 100-90, 99-91, and 99-93.