We’ve already detailed what happened in the main event of the Riyadh card titled The Last Crescendo and covered the two brief heavyweight battles. Now it’s time to summarize the dynamics of the remaining four fights that completed last night’s fantastic event: Buatsi vs. Smith, Ortiz vs. Madrimov, Stevenson vs. Padley, and Adames vs. Sheeraz.
Joshua Buatsi vs. Callum Smith – WBO Interim Light Heavyweight Title
A thorough analysis would be needed to determine what material Joshua Buatsi’s head and body are made of because the sheer number of brutal shots he took without flinching last night would have been enough to bring down an elephant. Yet, the tough fighter of Ghanaian descent stood stoically and kept pushing for the win until the very end, albeit unsuccessfully.
Callum Smith clearly had the edge in the first half of the fight thanks to his superior accuracy and work rate, also displaying superb conditioning. The second half was more evenly contested, with Buatsi relying more on his jab and managing to put Smith under some pressure at times, though never giving the impression that he could truly turn the tide.
Official scores: 113-115, 112-116, 109-119 – Smith wins by UD.
Our scorecard: 111-117.
Vergil Ortiz Jr vs. Israil Madrimov – WBC Interim Super Welterweight Title
Madrimov started the fight in his usual style, moving with the agility and quickness of an eel and constantly changing directions to unsettle his opponent. However, Ortiz didn’t fall for the trick and remained patient, maintaining tight defensive coverage while applying calculated pressure.
As the rounds progressed, the American puncher gradually increased the intensity, landing effectively to the body and forcing Madrimov to expend tremendous energy to avoid close range exchanges. After enduring a brutal ninth round, Madrimov resorted to experience and veteran tactics (including some shoulder and elbow use) to survive the final rounds, but he certainly didn’t do enough offensively to win.
Official scores: 115-113, 115-113, 117-111 – Ortiz wins by UD.
Our scorecard: 117-111.
Carlos Adames vs. Hamzah Sheeraz – WBC Middleweight World Title
Sheeraz had a relatively positive start but seemed overly concerned with keeping his distance, circling excessively and relying on a repetitive left jab. Adames, for his part, applied only mild pressure in the first four rounds, refraining from launching an all-out attack. However, noticing his opponent’s lack of urgency, the Dominican decided to shift gears.
From the fifth round onward, Adames fully took control, closing the distance skillfully and using relentless head and upper body movement to neutralize Sheeraz’s counters. The Englishman looked increasingly uncomfortable trying to land clean shots, often freezing in place and taking punishment without responding. Minute after minute, Adames built what should have been a comfortable lead on the scorecards.
Official scores: 114-115, 118-110, 114-114 – DRAW.
Our scorecard: 116-112.
Shakur Stevenson vs. Josh Padley – WBC Lightweight World Title
Not even the most die-hard critics of WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson expected Josh Padley—who took the fight on short notice, replacing Floyd Schofield just days before the event, and after working his day job as an electrician—to pull off an upset.
And indeed, Stevenson strolled to an effortless victory, winning every round while even allowing himself to engage at close range more often than usual. Padley fought with heart and determination, but lacking serious punching power and being vastly outmatched in every aspect of boxing, he simply had no way to make a difference. As the fight wore on, he was progressively broken down until the inevitable conclusion in the ninth round—three consecutive knockdowns, all from body shots.