The Eight Count Review: 13th - 15th March 2026
Titles, prospects, contenders, knockouts; all the ingredients of the sport were on fragrant display from the 13th to the 15th of March.
Image Courtesy of Eight Count.
Introduction
The entity known as Eight Count began as a miniscule side-project for a writer without direction; it has grown into something of genuine substance, retaining the core message of providing a platform for the fringes - the subversive and the outsider.
A duration of time like this one - with an intense variation of events - it is only right to revisit our original blueprint for this rendition of the Eight Count Review. It was, after all, a duration that saw the exchange of world titles, an emergence of contenders and prospects, as well as a generational conflict on the global stage.
Friday 13th March 2026
Osceola Heritage Park, Kissimmee, Florida, U.S.A.
Najee Lopez Vs. Manuel Gallegos - WBA Continental Americas & WBO Latino Light-Heavyweight
Najee Lopez (16-0) versus Manuel Gallegos (22-4-1) was a delight.
After all, it is not too often that two dangerous men share the ring with the intention of giving an honest and genuine account of themselves. Yet, that is what both men gave; it was not about the two trinkets on the line or the positions that they give, but it came down to desire and want and the intangibles of a fight.
Both men are notorious for enjoying a close and hellacious fight, too. Lopez had beaten three competent and tough opponents via stoppage last year, whilst Gallegos lost against Khalil Coe (11-1-1), who he had stopped in the same year. Together, they were certainly going to pursue that particular plan - stoppage or nothing.
In that, the spectator was given more than something.
They both threw in the opening and their exchanges were frantic. In the second, there was a scarlet flow down the side of Lopez’ face, after heads came to clash. It was merely another dimension in what became a captivating collision. Gallegos hurt Lopez with one right-hand and, by the end of the stanza, Lopez had done the same to Gallegos.
It was more back-and-forth than tennis and more bloody than a Saturday night elsewhere in Florida. Assuming, of course, the nightlife in Florida is anything like the scenes within.
Duration after duration, both men threw heavy punches, with Lopez abandoning his jab in favour of a gruelling and protracted contest with his Mexican foe, who stood as his toughest physical test. The body, however, remained a clear focus for the Georgia puncher.
Gallegos, meanwhile, put his energy into the accumulating swelling on Lopez’ face, accompanying the bulbous side of his head. Again, all both men could do was throw - and throw damn hard.
The seventh was, very much, the crescendo of their contest. Lopez hurt Gallegos and sought to put the Mexican away in a move that, in retrospect, lacked any sort of calculation. Gallegos threw a short right-hand that put Lopez on the floor. It was a dire scene. One that developed even further as they came in too close once more; this time, it was Gallegos who bore the brunt of the damage.
Lopez knew it was close - it was time to reintroduce the jab. Without a doubt, it changed everything. It gave Lopez the means to flood Gallegos with shot after shot, stunning the Mexican and ending his aspirations. Referee Chris Young called a halt to the matters at 2:41 of the eighth.
Najee Lopez won via eighth round TKO to propel his prospects through the regional and fringe light-heavyweight division.
Lopez Vs. Gallegos Undercard
Controversy can easily define the chief-support of the night, as Dominic Valle (13-0) came out of his contest with Eduardo Ramirez (29-6-1) with a contentious unanimous decision.
Akin to the main feature, it was one in which both men were drawn into much more of a brawl that what would’ve suited their approach to the ring. Mexico’s Ramirez put together a typical Mexican flurry to begin their collision, clearly connecting more often than Valle, who is closing in on the fringes of contendership.
Valle’s jab was productive in the second, as it kept Ramirez from stringing shots together in a flow, but there were still some body shots that leaked through and kept Valle honest. Certainly, it was boxer versus brawler in the most proto-typical sense.
Again, Valle capitulated to Ramirez’ pressure in the third and it gave Ramirez another clear round, won via pressure and combination punching. In a more educated contest, Valle would not have been hit nearly as much as he was in this one. Although, education comes through learning, which Valle certainly engaged with, minute after minute.
Ramirez was comfortable by the fifth, secure in the knowledge that each punch was having an effect on Valle. Especially as Valle was sensitive and went at Ramirez without thought. More to the point, Valle was cut in the seventh, which only provided more problems.
One bludgeoning body shot from Valle hurt Ramirez in the eighth and suggested, perhaps, that Valle had come through the worst. Not quite, as Ramirez threw some confident hooks in the ninth to win that duration, too. Valle went to the jab in the last duration, but lost that one too, as Ramirez threw more and more and more.
Only one score reflected the nature of the contest; Mike Ross gave a 96-94 in favour of Valle, whilst Braddan Jackson and Max Parker Jr. both gave an extremely wide 98-92. Certainly, Valle might need a few more fights on the fringes before entering the mixture at 130lbs - a division of threat, given the events in Dublin.
Outside of the primary feature, there was another light-heavyweight contest that also drew some interest, as Dante Benjamin (14-0-1) beat Angel Lozano (8-1) over a distance of eight.
It was far more one-sided than either of the contests that would follow, especially the one fought in the same weight class. Benjamin, wearing the colours and patterns of Freddy Krueger, fought with a nightmarish accuracy, to the dismay of Lozano.
Immediately, Benjamin drew influence from his shorts to draw damage from the nose of Lozano, with a scything right-hand. Through consistent use of the jab and an accompanying right-hand, Benjamin was detonating with minimal effort.
Lozano kept his best for short bursts, but failed to truly provide any problems over the distance. Efrain Lebron’s 80-72 was likely the most accurate score, with Benjamin winning a unanimous decision with a 78-74 and tight 77-75.
Benjamin versus Lopez could potentially mix into an interesting regional contest, although, perhaps one that sees Lopez regressing in progress.
ProBoxTV is not a promotional house known for inconsistent scores. That was evident in a super-flyweight competition, where Delvin McKinley (14-5-1) won out against the unbeaten prospect Christian Chessa (6-1) via majority decision in six.
It was a short notice effort from McKinley, with only two weeks to prepare, but the brawl that came from it was completely worth it. McKinley put his pedagogy into practise against the inexperienced Cheesa, producing some swelling around the eye of Cheesa with some obscured uppercuts.
Not a one-sided affair, Cheesa was strong enough to even out some of the contest, particularly with the left-hook. McKinley, again, applied his knowledge to greater effect, throwing the right-hand at obtuse angles to prevent Cheesa’s momentum from building throughout.
Mike Ross gave a margin of 57-57 for a draw, whilst Braddan Jackson and Max Parker Jr. were in agreement with their 56-58 verdicts for McKinley, who is managed by ‘Cornflake’ Lamotta.
Another of the Valle family came through their attraction in a far less divisive manner, as Kenyan Valle (3-0) outpointed Anel Dudo (4-7-1) over six in the super-bantamweight division.
Straightforward was a defining word for this one, as Valle sought to switch stances and maintain distance with his long, lengthy reach to outbox Dudo, who could not produce any meaningful answer.
The only point of interest came at the last thirty seconds, with Valle hurting Dado with some left-hooks, thrown in succession. There were two scores of 59-55 and another of 60-54 for Valle.
There were three other contests that were resigned to online broadcast.
Jeovanny Estela (15-2) fought at 154lbs, after two losses in great, competitive fights and a year out of the ring. In this venture, however, Estela secured a win - in dominant fashion, producing a knockout of Jorge Rodrigo Sosa (8-15). It should, hopefully, propel Estela into the regional mixture once more.
Lightweight prospect Miguel Rosario Paredes (6-0) gave Shaquille Rushing (0-11-1) his ninth consecutive loss, in a career that has been defined by losses, aside from one, lone, draw.
It went the distance, however.
Saturday 14th March 2026
3Arena, Dublin, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
James Dickens Vs. Anthony Cacace - WBA World Super-Featherweight
Emotions were flaring at the 3Arena in Dublin.
It was, after all, a celebration of previous IBF and IBO World Super-Featherweight title-holder Anthony Cacace (25-1), who won out on a decision against James ‘Jazza’ Dickens (36-6) to come into possession of the WBA World Super-Featherweight title.
What it was not, however, was a great mixture of approaches.
The pace was far more calculated than anyone had anticipated, given the prior performances of both men. Rather, it was a slow and tentative opening, with feints and the occasional body shot, seemingly favouring Dickens.
Through two, three and four, Dickens was the man to hit then avoid any sort of return that Cacace could produce, in both stances. One might describe ‘The Apache’ as one-paced in a way that suggested that the machine was breaking and bellowing. However, in the fifth, it struck Dickens - and stuck hard. The champion was, by all means, hurt and retreating into survival alone.
By the sixth, any of the anticipation came to another lull, as both went straight to throwing singular shots once more, rather than turning their gears. Again, the pace had become slow.
There was little development in this, leading into the final stanzas. It was not the sort of contest that either man had wanted to produce, given the nature of the event. More so, it was not the sort of scorecards that such an event deserved to close on.
Olena Pobyvailo’s 113-115 for Cacace was acceptable; Jan Christensen’s 112-116 and Giuseppe Quartarone’s 113-116 for Cacace were less so; none of the cards gave Dickens any credit.
Anthony Cacace won via unanimous decision to lift the WBA World Super-Featherweight title. Either unification in the States or Hayato Tsutsumi (7-0) are the only acceptable options, going into the year.
Pierce O’Leary Vs. Maxi Hughes - IBO World Super-Lightweight
Pierce O’Leary (19-0) is the sort of man that nobody in the regional super-lightweight mixture would want to fight.
Strong, accurate and spiteful, it is those very ingredients that put a definitive beating on late-replacement Maxi Hughes (29-9-2) within a stretch of five for the IBO World Super-Lightweight title, previously held by contemporary Adam Azim (14-0).
O’Leary fought with a sense of authority from the opening bell, crushing anything coming from the crafty Hughes and throwing some genuinely ravenous shots to the body. The sound alone was frightening enough, when it could be heard over the malaise of Irish fans, chanting their man into doing further damage.
Distressingly, there was no escape for Hughes. It was a beating that the Yorkshireman would have to sustain.
A fusillade of hooks immediately burst upon Hughes’ eye and produced swelling and discolouration that was noticeable. After another one-sided fifth, it was called by the corner of Hughes. Nothing more than a mercy.
Pierce O’Leary won the IBO World Super-Lightweight title via retirement in the fifth. At this point, it would be fantastic to see O’Leary in his own headline slot, potentially against Mark Chamberlain (17-1-1) or a fringe contender on the world scene.
Jono Carroll Vs. Colm Murphy - IBO World Super-Featherweight
Sometimes, two men come together in a transitional phase of their respective careers. That was not the case in this one, as Jono Carroll (26-3-1) had enough to earn a split-decision over the Commonwealth Boxing Council Featherweight title-holder Colm Murphy (16-1) over a duration of twelve.
At the onset of the contest, it was the lengthy Murphy who kept the contest at his preferred pace, with a prodding jab that kept Carroll away from close-quarters. Reduced to leaping in with wide, obtuse shots, it seemed as though Carroll would not figure out a method to overcome the long and lethal Murphy.
He would, however, with a rather simple approach.
Carroll put ego on the line, drawing Murphy in close. Carroll, after all, has been in the ring with some hard-hitting fighters and Murphy - with his 37% knockout ratio - was not one of them. Throwing at close-quarters was favourable and something that Murphy was more than happy to indulge, to his detriment.
By the end of their encounter, it was clear that Carroll had adjusted early enough to secure a close, slight victory. This was reflected in scores of 116-112, 117-111 and another 112-116 in favour of Murphy.
Jono Carroll lifted the vacant IBO World Super-Featherweight title. Rather than fight on, however, it would be favourable to see Carroll retire on a high, with a minor world title to claim.
Dickens Vs. Cacace Undercard
Ryan Garner (19-0) is another fighter at 130lbs aching for a shot at one of the titles on offer. After possessing the BBBofC British, Commonwealth Boxing Council and EBU European Super-Featherweight titles, it seems only fair that Garner earn such a chance at world honours.
This one, however, was straightforward.
Despite a few miscalculated swings reaching Garner, Mexico’s Cristian Bielma (19-13-2) was not at the same level as Garner, who secured the finish in the third to win before the final bell. It is easy to imagine Frank Warren positioning Garner as an opponent for either Cacace or Carroll, in the aftermath.
Adam Olaniyan (1-0) put in a simple, destructive debut against Jan Bezouska (2-3) of Czechia.
After all, Olaniyan is strong and fit, whilst Bezouska is flabby and worn. Oleniyan is young and not even near his prime, whilst Bezouska is nearing the end of his prospects. Oleniyan is an amateur prospect with expectations of a fruitful professional tenure, whilst Bezouska is an unknown with too little time to produce the same. Clearly, a mismatch that tells us little about Olaniyan. However, it was still a great show.
After fifty-nine seconds, Olaniyan had beaten Bezouska and put his man on the floor for the count. The sort of debut that anyone would want. Frank Warren should give Olaniyan multiple outings, within the year.
Thomas Carty (11-1) is a rather different heavyweight.
Without the skill and without the shape of Olaniyan, Carty put on a prolonged performance against German Skobenko (6-19-2) of Russia.
After his ACL injury, Carty kept it careful but still easily beat Skobenko, who offered nothing of substance over a duration of six. It appears that Carty desires a contest with ‘The Romford Bull’ Johnny Fisher (14-1). That would be a fun scrap, one that Fisher would win, if Carty came in like this.
There is a palpable excitement about Steven Cairns (14-0), one that is evident in every performance that the man from Cork has put on, including this finish of Peacock Gym’s Arnie Dawson (8-2).
Both came to fight in their exciting contest, with Dawson operating as the taller man and Cairns as the strong puncher.
Eventually, the punishing shots came to a crescendo, as Dawson became acquainted with the floor on three occasions throughout that ninth stanza, all via Cairn’s vicious overhand right. Giuseppe Quartarone waved it off in the ninth, giving Cains a minor title with the World Boxing Association as a result.
It should be a great year for Cairns, as Warren can push Cairns into the mixture at lightweight.
Eoghan Lavin (8-0) is not an exciting fighter or one with a particularly enthralling style. However, his knockout of Liam Walsh (9-1-2) in their Boxing Union of Ireland Celtic Middleweight title contest was a fantastic one, certainly the best effort that Lavin has given, to this point.
Both men were trading throughout their eight rounder, with everything in the balance in the last stretch. Lavin, however, found that precious combination of punches to put Walsh away.
Eoghan Lavin won via TKO in the eighth. Again, opportunities should come in, throughout the year.
Bobbi Flood (1-0) was another man to put on the sort of debut performance that any prospect would want, spending little over a minute in the ring with the inconsequential Bela Istvan Orban (6-20-2). Another mismatch, but one that gave us an insight into Flood’s offensive ability.
Certainly, Flood should have ample opportunities to flood spectators with more knockouts, this year.
Gary Cully (19-2) came to the ring after a year of absence, fighting at super-lightweight against Benito Sanchez Garcia (17-18-4). It went the distance of six, with Cully less of a menace than prior to his initial loss to Jose Felix (41-7-1), years prior.
At lightweight, Barry McReynolds (4-0) won out over Jonatas Rodrigo Gomes De Olivera (6-39) over four rounds. There seems to be a growing support for McReynolds.
Eugene McKeever (2-0) and Davey Joyce (2-0) both won minor contests after the main event, via stoppage.
Pabellón De La Casilla, Bilbao, Pais Vasco, Spain
Jon Fernandez Vs. Somay Bilal - EBU European Super-Lightweight
The life and times of Jon Fernandez (29-3) have been interesting, to say the least.
A fighter with wins and losses in both Spain and the United States, Fernandez has always been on the fringes of the 140lbs division, where fighters like Dalton Smith (19-0) and Pierce O’Leary have opted to fight other opposition, rather than the EBU European Super-Lightweight titleist.
Rather that sharing the ring with another notable fighter, Fernandez fought Somay Bilal (18-2) in a defence of his European honours. It was a tough order, especially for a voluntary.
Bilal, known as the Dutch Super-Lightweight title-holder, fought at an aggressive and offensive pace, using physicality to cause disruption to Fernandez’ more orthodox ways. It was not clean. When Fernandez fought his own way, there was a clear disparity in their aptitude, but Bilal never made it a great fight to watch.
It was not a sustained performance, but one that clearly put Fernandez above Bilal. The scorecards gave Bilal no grace, for those ugly tactics; Jon Fernandez won via unanimous decision scores of 120-108, 119-109 and 119-108.
Certainly, a contest against Pierce O’Leary would be welcome, or against another contender. Maybe Jack Rafferty (26-0-1) could share the ring for the EBU European Super-Lightweight title.
Fernandez Vs. Bilal Undercard
Jokin Garcia Vs. Gianluca Ceglia - EBU European Silver Lightweight
One division below, Jokin Garcia (14-2-1) secured another strength, after the prior year saw Garcia fight in the WBC Grand Prix and win the Spanish Lightweight title.
In this co-feature, Garcia won out on the EBU European Silver Lightweight title against previous holder of the title, Italy’s Gianluca Ceglia (22-6-1), who is known for his stoppage loss to Sam Noakes (17-1) at York Hall on his ascent to a title challenge.
Garcia was sharper and more spiteful than Ceglia, who is known to fade through tough instances and opposition. It was unanimous in favour of Jokin Garcia, at the conclusion of twelve. Countryman Rafael Acosta (17-1) holds the full EBU European Lightweight title and a contest between the two would be more than logical.
Previous Spanish Welterweight title-holder Jon Miguez (20-1-1) put in a straightforward victory against Brandon Rivera (5-3-1) over a distance of eight.
Miguez might be known to those in the United Kingdom for beating out James Moorcroft (20-5-2) via knockout, but also holds a draw against Jordy Weiss (34-1-1) for the EBU European Welterweight title and a loss to another Frenchman in David Papot (30-1-1) for the WBO Global Welterweight belt.
This could easily get Miguez into the picture once more.
It was a night of the super-lightweights, as Saul Luna (11-3-1) won over journeyman Elvis Bonnin (2-3) via points after six.
Last year, Luna and Ander Amatriain (12-1-1) fought two contests for the Spanish Super-Lightweight title. They drew on the first occasion, whilst Amatriain came through their second with a dramatic knockout in the last minutes.
It is easy to imagine that those in the national picture are constructing the chance for another encounter between the two.
Olympian Oier Ibarreche (1-0) put on an exceptional shutout performance against Marouane Nmili (1-3) over four, with the amateur pedigree of Ibarreche completely evident.
Ibarreche, after all, had gone the distance against Erislandy Alvarez (50-6) at Liverpool’s World Boxing Championships. Nmili, from Morocco, stood no chance and lost every duration.
Jesus Laso (9-1) and Jaime Fuentes-Pila (2-0) both came through their contests against journeymen with relative ease.
Kindarena, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France
Enzo Marguerite Vs. Oswaldo Gonzalez Huerta - WBC Youth World Super-Welterweight
France is gaining traction on the world scene once more, after a lull of decades. Christian Mbilli (29-0-1) is the dangerous WBC World Super-Middleweight titleist, whilst Kevin Lele Sadjo (27-1) also prowles in such a division.
At 154lbs, Bakary Samake (19-0) is close to securing his own shot at the WBC World Super-Welterweight title and could easily become a notable threat at that weight.
Enzo Marguerite (8—0) is another prospect in that division, chasing the same title as his countryman. Here, the WBC Youth World Super-Welterweight title was on the line as Marguerite overcame Oswaldo Gonzalez Huerta (7-2) of Mexico.
In the other fight on that card, Baptiste Cheval (1-0) of Brooklyn’s New York Athletic Club shut out journeyman Tornike Ilashvili (1-5-1) over four in the middleweight division.
Sunday 15th March 2026
Yokohama Buntai, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Nonito Donaire Vs. Riku Matsuda
There was a concern that Riku Matsuda (10-1) could become another of Japan’s prospects to leap too soon and, as a result, fail.
Yet, there was nothing to be concerned about. Rather, the heavy-handed prospect won out over multi-weight titleist Nonito Donaire (43-10) via TKO in the late stages of their conflict.
Donaire’s greatest application came at the onset of the contest, as Masuda gave ‘The Filipino Flash’ enough space to operate with one-two combinations, both at the centre of the ring and against the ropes.
Although, throughout the initial four, it was clear that Masuda was a symbol for reinvigorated youth; one that Donaire could not challenge as he would’ve in his own prime. Perhaps, the time had come.
An accidental clash of heads in the fifth became a sign of a closing contest, as Donaire wore crimson and Masuda wore a wry smile, whilst throwing punches in close to disturb Donaire further.
This went on in the sixth, as Masuda bellowed with combinations against a concerning Donaire. By the seventh, it was a sore sight. The once dominant Donaire was on the floor, after a deathly left-hand, thrown with intent. Whilst Donaire got to his feet physically, the man who had done so much in the sport was gone, left on that floor.
More damage was enough for the corner to save their man. Whilst Donaire had cut Tsutsumi close in his challenge for the WBA World Bantamweight title, there was no doing so in this instance.
Riku Masuda won via TKO8 in a generational clash. One that could be seen as a baton pass, as Masuda has received the right to challenge for the WBA World Bantamweight title. By all means, another contest with Seiya Tsutsumi (13-0-3) would be beyond fascinating. Although, it is more likely to be Antonio Vargas (19-1-1), given Tsutsumi’s injuries.
Anthony Olascuaga Vs. Jukiya Ilmura - WBO World Flyweight
Whilst Nonito Donaire’s tale comes to a close, contemporary WBO World Flyweight title-holder Anthony Olascuaga (12-1) continues to excel with another dominant, strong defence against Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation belt-holder Jukiya Ilmura (9-2).
Strengths and weaknesses were both evident throughout Olascuaga’s performance, as a strong and bludgeoning opening overwhelmed Ilmura, who did not possess the physical punch to deter Olascuaga. At the same time, it is clear that Olascuaga can become too invested into offense, at the expense of defence; this could potentially harm Olascuaga in other defences or unifications.
Ilmura was more than willing to trade, but could not punch and suffered, round after round. A hematoma became grotesquely obvious, like the representation of pain. The pace was too much for Ilmura, who was spared further damage in the ninth.
Anthony Olascuaga won via TKO9 to retain the WBO World Flyweight title. There are plenty of options for Olascuaga, with the likes of Olimjon Nazarov (32-5) occupying the WBO rankings and two other titleists that Olascuaga could unify against. Masamich Yabuki (19-4) would be a carnivorous option.
Knockout CP Freshmart Vs. Shokichi Iwata - WBC World Light-Flyweight
After losing his WBA World Minimumweight title to Oscar Collazo (14-0), it seemed as though Knockout CP Freshmart (29-2) would not have enough left to return to the world stage. That was wrong.
However, Freshmart’s reign as WBC World Light-Flyweight titleist was brief. In a voluntary defence against previous WBO World Light-Flyweight titleist Shokichi Iwata (16-2), it was clear that Freshmart could not compete. It was one way traffic from Iwata, who only lost one duration prior to the stoppage.
A cut on Freshmart was the culprit in the early finish, caused by a punch from Iwata that was incorrectly ruled as a clash of heads by Cesar Castanon Varela. Two scores of 79-73 and one 78-74 were initiated, at the time of the stoppage.
Shokichi Iwata became a two-time titleist with a technical decision victory in the eighth, with the ambition to produce more of a fruitful reign than his previous as WBO World Light-Flyweight titleist. Another contest with Rene Santiago (15-4) for the WBA, WBO and WBC World Light-Flyweight titles would be a great feature, on the condition that Iwata brings a more thoughtful plan.
Donaire Vs. Masuda Undercard
Ryusei Matsumoto (8-0) beat Yuni Takada (16-10-3) in a more conclusive way than their prior contest, as both fought over the distance of twelve for the WBA ‘Regular’ World Minimumweight title. It was a near shut-out, with no competitive edge.
It was a unanimous decision, with scores of 120-108, 120-108 and 120-108 across all three cards.
Featherweight Natsuki Kuramochi (1-0-1) came out of a duration of four with Hayato Aiko (2-2-1) with a draw. Unfortunate for their progress.
Card of the Weekend - Lopez Vs. Gallegos
Fight of the Weekend - Anthony Olascuaga Vs. Jukiya Ilmura
Stoppage of the Weekend - Najee Lopez TKO8 Manuel Gallegos
Performance of the Weekend - Riku Matsuda