Nunez stops Rakhimov in IBF eliminator

Eduardo Nunez now stands as Joe Cordina’s mandatory challenger

In what was by all accounts a phenomenal action fight, super featherweight contender Eduardo Nunez kept his 100% knockout rate intact by stopping Shavkat Rakhimov in the latter’s native Tajikistan.

You can watch the bout in its entirety on IBA’s official website, which is something more promoters need to do.

Nunez (27-1, 27 KO), a slight underdog, flipped the script on the pressure-savvy Rakhimov (17-2-1, 14 KO) and ultimately battered him into submission in the eleventh round. The win marks “Sugar’s” 17th in a row and the third time in his last five fights that he’s stopped his opponent in the double-digit rounds.

It also earns him a mandatory shot at champion Joe Cordina. Both men share a promoter in Eddie Hearn, who got so excited at the finish that he wound up hitting his head on a pot dangling from his ceiling, so odds are that we’ll see the pair share a ring this year if Cordina gets past Anthony Cacace in May.

Matchroom clearly have someone special on their hands and I’m eager to see him get a shot at the big time.

As for Rakhimov, he’s now dropped two straight and sits at 2-2-1 since since an impressive comeback knockout of Azinga Fuzile in 2019. It’s a skid that’s exponentially more worrying on paper than in practice, as he knocked out Zelfa Barrett and went toe-to-toe with Cordina and JoJo Diaz, but he once again leaves a major fight empty-handed.