On Saturday, February 21, Latvian boxer Jevgenijs Aleksejevs defended his IBF European champion title in Riga.
Dream Boxing as part of the “KOK’128” fight show, he faced Italian boxer Damiano Falcinelli (17-2-2) and secured victory by split decision (96-94, 96-94, 95-95) after 10 rounds. With this win, Aleksejevs successfully defended his International Boxing Federation (IBF) European middleweight title (up to 73 kg) for the first time.
In the opening round, Aleksejevs placed strong emphasis on body shots, landing them consistently. In the second round, Falcinelli responded and became the more active fighter in the ring. The Italian was more aggressive in the next two rounds as well, while Aleksejevs continued targeting the body effectively and frequently engaged in clinches.
As the fight progressed, the Italian boxer threw each punch with knockout intent, while Aleksejevs fought more tactically and accurately. In the ninth round, both fighters exchanged heavy combinations, though neither was in serious danger. It is worth noting that during the fight, the Italian landed several punches to the back of Aleksejevs’ head.
With this victory, Aleksejevs improved his professional record to 20-0.
