Jordan Panthen stops Ravshan Hudaynazarov in second round
Jordan Panthen is absorbing as much information as he can to become a legit middleweight prospect, and, so far, so good.
The 27-year-old Hawaiian knocked out former prospect Ravshan Hudaynazarov Thursday night inside The Hangar at the Orange County Fair and Events Center in Costa Mesa, California. Panthen improved to 8-0, 7 knockouts.
“He was a tough fighter with much more experience than me, but we stuck to the game plan and stayed busy on the inside with combinations to the head and body,” said Panthen after the fight. “It’s a great victory, but I’ll be right back in the gym getting ready for what’s next.”
Both fighters were on the attack from the opening bell, putting forth solid exchanges. It was Panthen’s hooks and crosses to the head and body that began to take their toll, particularly in the second round.
A series of punches early during the second round dropped Hudaynazarov to the canvas. Hudaynazarov beat the count, but was met with a barrage of punches, forcing referee Jerry Cantu to step in and stop the fight at 1:11.
The 27-year-old Panthen, who is originally from Poughkeepsie, New York and now resides in Honolulu, Hawaii, previously fought in February 15, also in Costa Mesa, knocking out Adam Diu Abdulhamid in the opening round. On October 26, Panthen defeated respected gatekeeper Cameron Krael by unanimous decision.
Panthen is trained by Julian Chua, who also trains former world titleholder Regis Prograis, newly-crowned WBA cruiserweight titleholder and light heavyweight prospect Kareem Hackett. He fought five times in 2023 and hopes to stay as active this year.
“Hard work is always the key,” said Panthen, who last month spent time sparring and training alongside former WBO world junior middleweight titleholder Tim Tsyzu. “I train to dominate, not just to win and then the fights are the fun part. I can’t wait to go again.”
Hudaynazarov (19-6, 14 KOs) had not fought since March 2022, losing by decision to then-unbeaten prospect Joseph Spencer.
The 39-year-old Uzbekistan native now living and training in Las Vegas, has lost six of his last eight bouts.
In a clash of cruiserweight prospects, Juan Higuera defeated Ricky Frausto (6-2, 1 KO) of nearby Santa Ana by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bout for Higuera, who improved to 6-1, 3 KOs.
Higuera is originally from Tijuana, Mexico and now resides in Provo, Utah.
The card was promoted by longtime Southern California promoter Roy Englebrecht.
Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached at santio89@yahoo.com
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