Dirrell defeats Gbenga

By Boxing News - 02/02/2013 - Comments

By Scott Gilfoid: Super middleweight Andre Dirrell (21-1, 14 KO’s) looked incredibly sharp tonight in defeating Michael Gbenga (14-7, 14 KO’s) by a lopsided 10 round unanimous decision at the Convention Center, in McAllen, Texas, USA. The final judges’ scores were 100-87, 100-87, and 100-88.

Dirrell, 29, knocked Gbenga down with a beautiful right uppercut in the 9th, and had him staggering around. In the 10th, Dirrell appeared to knock Gbenga down but the referee ruled it a slip but it looked like a clear knockdown to me.

Dirrell hurt Gbenga with a hard right hand in the 7th round, and was teeing off on him the entire round.

In the earlier rounds, Dirrell toyed with Gbenga, hitting him with jabs, hooks and right hands. Gbenga found it really hard to land his own shots due to Dirrell’s incredible Matrix-like defense.

Gbenga did land a couple of hard right hands in the 4th round that probably would have knocked out a lesser talent than Dirrell, but it had no effect on him. What it did do was motivate Dirrell to continue his schooling of Gbenga.

In the 5th, Gbenga had a point taken away for throwing a low blow. Gbenga kept fighting but he was pretty much a punching bag.

All in all, it was a great performance from Dirrell. I mean, it wasn’t the early KO that he was looking for, but he was barely in the fight and he should be able to return to the ring in March like he’s talked about to continue to stay busy.

Dirrell wants to go after Carl Froch’s IBF super middleweight title and he hopes to be fighting an eliminator bout by the end of this year. Froch likely won’t have the IBF title by then, but that doesn’t matter. Dirrell wants whoever has the IBF title because he wants that strap.



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