TORONTO -- Pan Am Games boxing champion Arthur (The Chechen Wolf) Biyarslanov won his pro debut in short order Saturday night, stopping Mexican welterweight Ernesto Cardona Sanchez in the first round.
The Montreal-based Biyarslanov found his range early and eventually knocked the Mexican down in the corner with a flurry of punches. Wanting no more, Sanchez (3-6-0) stayed down and the fight was halted at 2:34.
Biyarslanov, 85-13 as an amateur, defeated Cuba's Yasniel Toledo at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto. The 23-year old southpaw, based out of Montreal, was the only Canadian male boxer to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
NABA welterweight champion Samuel Vargas of Toronto faced undefeated Argentine Adrian Gabriel Pereiro in a catchweight of 144 pounds in the main event of the "Risky Business" boxing card at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Returning to the ring after an 11-year absence, hard-hitting Halifax middleweight Moncef (Buddy) Askri won by TKO over Mexico's Jesus Javier Mendoza at 1:40 of the first round. The 37-year-old Askri improved to 11-0-0 while Mendoza slipped to 7-7-1.
Askri stepped away from the sport for a variety of reasons. He began to have hand problems, his lifestyle started to go south and then his father passed away.
He kept saying to himself he would get back training next month.
"Next month turned into six months. And then it turned into a year. And then years," he said prior to the fight.
In April, he weighed 205 pounds. But three months training twice sculpted his body to a lean 160 pounds.
Paris-born American-based cruiserweight Simon Adde (3-0-0) earned a split four-round decision over Jhevani Dixon (1-1) of Mississauga, Ont.
Toronto middleweight Mponda Kalunga (3-2-0) won a unanimous four-round decision over Thad Ridsdill (1-1-0) of Oshawa, Ont.
The card was put on by Lee Baxter Promotions, in association with Athlete Development and Management.
