SHAKHRAM Giyasov extended his unbeaten streak last night on the Ennis-Stanionis undercard in Atlantic City, knocking out Franco Ocampo in four rounds.
The WBA number one welterweight contender made his first appearance in 2025 under emotional circumstances following the death of his daughter last month. Giyasov, 31, remained composed and assured in the ring, however, and stuck to the task against the Argentine, who could never match his opponent’s punch quality and power.
Known for shots straying below the beltline, Giyasov’s first significant punch of the 10-round bout did just that, but this was quickly acknowledged with a touch of the gloves. Ocampo returned the favour not long after, however. Boxing from a wide stance and at range, the Uzbek began catching Ocampo with overhand rights and left hooks. With less than forty seconds left in the opening frame, it was the left hook that nailed Ocampo and sent him staggering backward. Giyasov attempted to finish the job there and then. Ocampo did go down for the count, but time ran out with the clock ensuring he’d be saved and come out for round two.
Ocampo was now wary of what and when to throw his own shots, knowing Giyasov had significant advantages. Whether it was from distance or in the pocket, Ocampo knew that any time he tried to score with a punch, there was imminent danger waiting for him. Giyasov continued looking for the shots that earned him success in round one, and toward the end of the second, his trusted left hand stung the nose of Ocampo.
To his credit, Ocampo hung in there but was never competitive enough to win any of the rounds, and in the third, he found himself backed up once again, this time thanks to body shots beginning to chip away at his chances of going the distance. Giyasov was fully in control, but a moment of complacency at the beginning of the fourth saw his head snapped back as Ocampo flicked out a right hand. The 2020 Olympic silver medalist got back down to business with another overhand right and soon dropped his hands, attempting to draw Ocampo out so he could finish the task at hand.
The end came at 1:57 of the fourth when a stabbing right to the liver dropped Ocampo and left him in considerable pain. It was soon clear he wasn’t beating the count, with the impact of the punch too much for him to recover. Referee David Franciosi waved the bout off as Ocampo fell to his third defeat, the first, however, to end with him knocked out.
Speaking to DAZN’s Chris Mannix afterward, Giyasov explained what he had been working on in camp to ensure another victory.
“Good camp for us. We are working more body work, more body shots and more combination for knockout. We got it, we did it.”
After the death of his daughter, it would have come as no surprise if he chose not to fight on last night’s card, but Giyasov said he made a promise to his child, which he intends to fulfil.
“For me very, very hard. Hard camp. Because I lost my daughter. She see me now, watching me. She pray for me. I promised her I’d be world champion.”
Respectful applause broke out from the crowd at Boardwalk Hall. Giyasov eventually broke down, shedding tears for his beloved daughter.
“It’s fight for my daughter, it’s victory for my daughter. I promised my daughter I be world champion. She believed me, I did it. I know. Give me chance, I do it.”
Giyasov moves to 17-0 (10 KOs) while Ocamp drops to 17-3 (8 KOs).
