Luis Nery stops Azat Hovhannisyan in the 11th round of the intense brawl

Instant Classic?

Former two team president Luis Nery stopped Azat Hovhannisyan in round 11^order The 122-pound Battle of the Year candidate’s ring on Saturday night at the Fox Pomona Theater in Pomona, California.

Nery (34-1, 26 KOs) used his super boxing skills as much as he could to try to control the match and avoid undue punishment but Hovhannisyan (21-4, 17 KOs) stiff Snake turned the match into a brawl through sheer will.

CRAZY WOOD LUIS NEY A 💥#NeryHovhannisyan pic.twitter.com/JvL2356CP3

– DAZN boxing (@DAZNBoxing) February 19, 2023

The quicker, more athletic Nery will have his moments of power, shots on target that the sluggish Hovhannisyan cannot see. Then Hovhannisyan, undaunted by the punishment, would respond by hitting Nery.

It was a pattern of fighting, back-and-forth that in some cases evolved into toe-to-toe madness.

Hovhannisyan performed well in the ensuing rounds, perhaps slowing Nery down with his consistency. Then, in the last minute of the 10th, southern player Nery made a difficult finish, followed by a combination that sent Hovhannisyan down.

The Los Angeles-born Armenian got to his feet but was injured, which forced him to stay in survival mode until the end of the round.

Naturally, Hovhannisyan, although still not at 100% form, took on Nery in the 11th Round. The Mexican waited his moment until he saw the right moment to jump in and do it. that in the middle of the inning. He landed two left hooks followed by a spin, leaving Hovhannisyan stunned once again.

And that was more than enough for referee Ray Corona, who intervened immediately after the mess and stopped the game. The official time is 1:51.

The Mexican player is leading all 3 cards after 10 rounds, 96-93, 96-93 and 95-94.

Nery then credited Hovhannisyan for his brave effort and then looked to the future: He’s aiming for the winner of a tentative fight between 122-pound unified champion Stephen Fulton and weightlifter Naoya Inoue.

Saturday’s match is considered a title elimination match.

“I knew it was going to be a very tough fight,” he said. “Azat is a very tough fighter. We gave the fans an incredible performance. [Now] I want the winner between Naoya Inoue and Stephen Fulton. I feel ready for the world championship.”

Hovhannisyan could not say much.

“We’re disappointed with the result, but that’s boxing,” he said. “There was a lot of back-and-forth action, and we did all we could.”

And then, few.