(Photo credit: Naoki Fakuda) By Shane Newsome: After a highly entertaining week of boxing from a number of counties including three world title fights and a number of our favorite boxers in action, its easy to get lost in the hype and lose track of what is really happening out there so here is your impartial look back on Saturday 27th April 2013 in the world of boxing.
And we start our journey in Sheffield, Yorkshire, UK and the main event Amir Khan (28-3) vs Julio Diaz (40-8-1) here was another night that Bolton’s Amir Khan should have made easy work of a lesser opponent though instead we had ourselves yet another night of hearts beating, on the edge of our seats watching a technically sound offensive boxer holding on for dear life after being caught time and time again through defensive frailties.
Watching this fight, I thought Amir won it despite a late push from Diaz but its hard to see where Khan goes from here. Another shot at Philadelphia banger Danny Garcia doesn’t look too appealing right now for Khan after shipping punishment as he did in what was meant to be an easy win for him.
As for the other big fight on this card between Deontay Wilder (28-0) and Audley Harrison (31-7) I will keep my review short and sweet just as the fight itself was. Is it time for Audley to retire? I think so. Deontay future world champion? I’d like to see him face a world level fighter we know has a good chin AND boxing skills before I personally cast an opinion on that, for now his is still the enigma he was two days ago.
The other fights on this card though perhaps all ‘went to plan’ as we saw Olympic Bronze Medalist, Anthony Ogogo (1-0) make light work of his pro debut looking strong, powerful and impressive doing so, the future looks bright for the Lowestoft Middleweight. Haroon Khan (1-0)(Amir’s younger brother) didn’t have as easy of a night but still pull off a win. Nonetheless I can see the brackets next to the super-flyweight’s name because of a more famous brother following him round for a long time. Finally from this card it was a sad night for fans of Nate Campbell (36-11-1) who was slowly beaten into a should be retirement by British lightweight Terry Flannigan (20-0). Sadly, I don’t see the American Nate, who was shipping punishment until pulling himself out at the end of the fourth because he ‘hurt his hand’ and retiring at all and this does have a look of a fighter who is out of money after an illustrious career trying to make anything he can whilst his heart still beats. We’ve seen it before and no doubt we will see it again.
Next we go to Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany where #1 WBO Light-heavyweight contender Juergen Braehmer (40-2) done exactly what he was asked to do in his ‘keep-busy’ fight in getting his well over-matched opponent out of there as quick as the 2nd round. The next time we see Juergen in the ring he will be opposite WBO Champion Nathan Cleverly and that undoubtedly will be a much tougher night for the German. As for his counterparts light middleweight Jack Culcay (14-1) and light-heavyweight Dustin Dirks (27-1), who were both meant to win relatively simple fights, both lost. Culcay who had the tougher fight on the night lost an unexpected close split-decision and its anyone’s guess where he goes from here. Dirks on the other hand who has been slowly found out by what should be lesser opponents suffered a TKO loss when his corner threw in the towel after they saw his being picked apart and taking too much punishment over 10 round in a fight he was supposed to win. I cant imagine Sauerland Promotions being too patient with him after a performance like that.
Now over the Atlantic and to Brooklyn, New York, USA where WBA & WBC Light-welterweight champion Danny Garica (26-0) was pushed close but defended his titles against veteran Brooklynite Zab Judah (42-8). Garcia looked as if he would have an easy night to begin dishing out body shots and big head shots as if they were free leaflets knocking his opponent down in the 8th and wobbling his numerous times but it was this that would be his undoing and he began to tire late on as Zab rallied, wobbling his opponent a few times and won the final rounds. Ultimately though not doing enough as his face at the end of the fight said even before the scorecards were read out for Judah this may be the end of a line and that’s nothing to be ashamed of as he has had a great career but it has been said and proved time again boxing is a young man’s game. Garcia on the other hand I can see him getting worked out very soon and I see either Lamont Peterson or Lucas Matthysse comfortably beating him based on this performance.
Also on this card WBO Middleweight champion Peter Quillin (29-0) put in an impressive performance in dropping challenger Fernando Guerrero (25-2) four times before the fight was stopped. In my preview to this fight, I was questioned for predicting Quillin to make ‘relatively light work’ of this fight and it wasn’t due to a lack of respect for Guerrero, just a show of respect for the fighter that is Peter Quillin, and he proved me right and my doubters wrong. I see Quillin in the top 2 in the Middleweight division along with Gennady Golovkin and a fight between the two would be a dream fight. I hope happens sometime soon.
We cross the US and to Ontario, California, USA and perhaps the upset of the night when Haitian born Heavyweight Bermane Stiverne (21-1-1) shocked American Chris Arreola (35-3) in a bloody brawl. We saw Arreola pressing the early action before being knocked down in the third from a true heavyweight shot right at the end of round 3, which turned the fight on its head and in to Bermane’s pocket in which it stayed as he walked away an easy unanimous decision winner according to the judges scorecards. It’s difficult to see Arreola bouncing back from this one quickly and its hard to see him getting another tittle shot now. As for Stiverne, if he is matched well in his next few fights, I don’t see why he shouldn’t get a title shot.
And last but not least we find ourselves in Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina where WBC Middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (51-2-2) had one of the toughest nights of his career in his home country but coming through it victorious in beating formerly unbeaten Brit Martin Murray (25-1-1). Murray fought a good fight and knocked Martinez down once legitimately and once more though the ref deemed it just a slip and it wasn’t enough as the Mancunian admitted to take the belt off a fighter in his own backyard. Despite the win, Martinez is beginning to look old and is being knocked down regularly in his fights. I cant see him getting through another fight with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr with another win nor can I see him surviving fights between Peter Quillin or Gennady Golovkin.
Finally, Luis Carlos Abregu (35-1) came through his fight with Canadian Antonin Decarie (27-2) with a unanimous decision in front of his home fans. In another interesting fight between Cardiff’s Gary Buckland (27-2) and Argentine Fernando Saucedo (48-5-3), we saw a strange turn of events as it was scheduled to take place after the fight between Sergio Martinez and Martin Murray but wasn’t able to do so as Argentine fans stormed the ring after the main event and rendered it usable for this bout. I cant see this fight now being remade and that is truly a shame.
With yet another week full of fight action coming up look for yet another of my preview’s this Friday. Thank you for reading and have a good week all.
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