Ruslan Chagaev (2nd L) from Uzbekistan celebrates after knocking out Germany's Francesco Pianeta (R) in the first round of their WBA world heavyweight boxing title fight at the Getec-Arena in Magdeburg, Germany, Saturday. — AP
BERLIN — World heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev successfully defended his WBA belt Saturday with a first-round knockout as challenger Francesco Pianeta was put down twice in the brief bout. After undisputed heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko was promoted to the WBA's ‘Super' champion in 2011, Chagaev successfully defended the World Boxing Association heavyweight belt he won last year with a points win over US fighter Fres Oquendo. In a dramatic opening bout in Magdeburg, southpaw Chagaev left Germany's Pianeta on all fours on the canvas with two rapid left hooks with less than 90 seconds gone. Although the challenger survived the count, Pianeta was put down again just before the bell with another left hook on the ropes. As he struggled to get to his feet, the 30-year-old gave the referee little option but to stop the fight as Pianeta's bid to become Germany's first heavyweight champion since Max Schmeling in 1932 ended in embarrassment. Pianeta, the German and European heavyweight champion, suffered only the second defeat of his career in his 34 professional bouts having previously lost in 2013 on a technical knockout after being put on the canvas three times by Klitschko. The 37-year-old Uzbekistan-born Chagaev, who has been nicknamed ‘White Tyson' first won the WBA world title in 2007 when he beat Russian giant Nikolay Valuev on points, but then lost to Klitschko in 2009 to suffer the first defeat of his career. He was defeated on a unanimous decision by Alexander Povetkin in 2011, but has now bounced back with seven straight wins to leave him with a record of 21 knock-outs in 34 wins with two defeats and a draw. Thurman stops Collazo Keith Thurman defeated Luis Collazo by technical knockout in the eighth round of their welterweight fight Saturday at Tampa, Florida. With a loud hometown crowd behind him, Thurman aggressively stalked Collazo during the first four rounds and landed a wide assortment of power punches to the head and body. Collazo was cut on the corner of his right eye in the sixth round, and Thurman opened up the cut with several power punches to the face in the seventh. Collazo's corner officially threw in the towel at one second into the eighth round. Thurman improved to 26-0 with 22 knockouts and retained his WBA regular welterweight title. Collazo, a former world champion, fell to 26-7. — Agencies
