German cruiserweight Noel Gevor Mikaelyan achieved a pivotal moment in his career by defeating Congolese fighter Ilunga Makabu to win the vacant WBC Cruiserweight championship. Gevor’s accomplishment marks a new chapter in his journey, following his victory at the Casino Miami Jai Alai in Miami, Florida, on Saturday, November 4th, as the main event of the promotion by Don King Productions.
It took just three rounds for Noel Gevor (27-2, 12 KO’s) to dispatch Ilunga Makabu (29-4, 25 KO’s), a testament to his improved boxing skills, which allowed him to stop an opponent best known for his high knockout rate.
The first round largely favored Gevor, though there was not much noteworthy action as both fighters seemed to be finding their footing.
It was the second round that defined the match, as Gevor knocked down Makabu, setting the stage for what would happen in the next round.
During the third round, Makabu was clearly unsteady, and Gevor took full advantage, knocking Makabu down with a combination of punches. Clearly unable to continue, the referee intervened and stopped the match after roughly a minute since the round started, marking Gevor’s win as a stoppage/technical knockout victory.
Gevor now holds the WBC cruiserweight championship, a title left vacant by Badou Jack (28-3-3, 17 KO’s), making him one of four world champions in the division.
Although this is a significant win for Noel Gevor, he won’t have much breathing room, as Badou Jack is still designated as the WBC champion-in-recess and is expected to challenge for the title he relinquished following his match at bridgerweight.
As clarified recently, Jack was the previous holder of the WBC belt but had to vacate his title due to his plans to challenge WBC bridgerweight champion Lukasz Rozanski (15-0, 14 KO’s).
The inclusion of Ilunga Makabu in the match raises some questions, given that he was coming off a loss to Badou Jack in February, resulting in him losing his WBC title. Despite his recent loss, Makabu still received an opportunity to fight for a world title, which likely contributed to his early stoppage loss. It should be noted that Makabu had been stopped in all of his past three victories prior to his defeat against Noel Gevor, marking his fourth loss.
The fight card also featured several other fighters with some recognition in the boxing world. Former WBA ‘regular’ heavyweight champion Trevor Bryan (22-2, 15 KO’s) suffered an upset defeat to fellow American Cassius Chaney (23-1, 16 KO’s), a relatively lesser-known name in the division.
Despite Bryan’s experience and impressive resume, he was unable to handle Chaney’s efforts and power and was knocked out in the seventh round by Chaney. This loss marked Bryan’s second career defeat and is significant, given that he wasn’t facing a top contender like Daniel Dubois (19-2, 18 KO’s) this time around.
Another American heavyweight, Jonathan Guidry (20-1-2, 12 KO’s), enjoyed considerable success in comparison. Facing the previously unbeaten Jesus Escalera (19-1, 19 KO’s) with a 100% knockout ratio, Guidry surprised onlookers by knocking out Escalera in just the second round of the fight. This remarkable outcome instantly propels Guidry past Trevor Bryan, establishing him as one of America’s most promising and exciting heavyweights.
