Tolmajyan drops decision in boxing return

Glendale’s Gapo Tolmajyan made his return to the boxing ring on Tuesday night after 14 months away from competion.

Unfortunately for the Glendale Fighting Club fighter, it was not a victorious return, as Raynell Williams remained undefeated when he handed Tolmajyan a unanimous decision loss in an eight-round lightweight bout at the Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Pennsylvania. The Premier Boxing Champions card aired live on Fox Sports 1.

Williams (10-0, five knockouts) earned scores of 79-73 twice and 78-74 over Tolmajyan (14-5-2, three KOs). Tolmajyan is 0-3-1 over his last foru bouts.

Tolmajyan made things very interesting in the eighth round, however, when the southpaw staggered Williams with a straight left hand and followed up with a couple more overhand lefts. Williams was able to grab on to Tolmajyan enough to recover and run out the clock for the decision.

Williams landed 130 of 407 (32%) punches, landing double what Tolmajyan (65 of 243 for 27%) did.

Tolmajyan had fought in California for 19 of his previous 20 professional bouts with the only exception being a fight in 2011 in his native Armenian before his trip to Pennsylvania on Tuesday.

Previously, Tolmajyan had faced six other undefeated opponents and had gone 3-3 with his last unbeaten foe being Jose Pedraza in August of 2013. Pedraza won a unanimous decision.