Venky's Mumbai Fighters went down 0-5 to Baku Fires in the quarterfinals return leg of the World Series Boxing 2011-12 on Sunday. The winner advanced to the semifinals, overcoming the shock of a 2-3 first leg defeat at T-Box indoor arena, Malad against VMF, making a debut in WSB.
The heavyweight bout between Baku's orthodox boxer Denys Poyatsyka (Ukraine) and Mumbai's Paul Koon (USA) ended in a split points decision 2-1 in favour of the former at the end of a gripping fight.
Baku Fires fighters scored unanimous 3-0 points decision in the other four bouts staged at the Olympic Sports Centre in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Koon had struggled with injuries, missed the opening match against Milano Thunder due to a sparring injury followed by hand injury. He dominated early exchanges but took a few stinging shots. The Baku fighter won 48-46, 46-48, 48-46.
In the bantamweight opener, 21-year-old Russian Magomed Kurbanov started with a sensational victory over Mumbai Fighters' pocket dynamo Ivan Ilnytskyy (Ukraine). WSB debutant and southpaw Isa Isayev, competing in the lightweight category, proved too classy for 2004 Olympian Diwakar Prasad, who scored 45-50 in all three rounds.
Middleweight Heybulla Mursalov (Azerbaijan), number two among WSB boxers in his category, battered Konstantin Snigour (Israel). Light heavyweight Ramazan Magomedau, the WSB topper from Azerbaijan) took apart Leanid Charnabayeu (Belarus) with a calculated performance. Baku Fires takes on Milano Thunder in the semifinals.
