(Picture: Photo Wende) By Scott Gilfoid: WBO cruiserweight champion Marco Huck (37-2, 26 KO’s) will making an optional title defense on August 30th against #13 WBO Mirko Larghetti (21-0, 13 KO’s) of Italy in a fight that will be staged at a yet to be determined venue in Germany. Larghetti, 31, has faced mild competition during his 5-year pro career. Larghetti’s last win was against a fighter named Attila Palko (17-13, 13 KO’s) last month.
Huck will be making his 13th defense of his WBO title strap, although you can make an argument that he should have lost it already because he was clearly beaten by Ola Afolabi in their second fight in 2012. That was the fight that scored a 12 round draw in which Huck was dominated in the first 6 rounds, and he appeared to lose at least 2 of the last 6 rounds.
Larghetti was scheduled to fight Huck earlier this year, but the fight got sidetracked due to an injury that Huck suffered during training. Larghetti is still not quite over the cancellation of that fight, saying “I was ready back then and I am even more ready now,” said the 31-year-old, adding: “Hopefully, Huck is more careful with his hands this time. I want to show him and the boxing fans that I am a better fighter and the man to put an end to his title reign.”
Larghetti has very little chance of winning this fight because he’s taking such a big step up in class. It’s kind of disappointing that Huck is dipping down to No.13 WBO to make his optional title defense because he could do far, far better than this in terms of finding a suitable opponent that his German fans would be interested in seeing him fight.
This fight looks like more of a record-padding/title milking fight for the 29-year-old Huck than a fight where he’s giving his fans a match-up that they want to see or care about.
Huck said “This will be Larghetti’s first and last world title fight. When I am done with him he will wish not ever having shared the ring with me.” “The Captain” has a motto for this fight: “I will make Spaghetti out of Larghetti!”
I’d rather see Huck fight someone along the lines of Rakhim Chakhkiev, Thabiso Mchunu or lunga Makabu rather than seeing him fighting the likes of Larghetti.
Huck has fought 43-year-old Firat Arslan in two out of his last three fights. I don’t mind Huck taking an occasional fight against an older fighter like Arslan, but I’d much prefer to see how Huck would do against someone like Mchunu.
You have to wonder why Huck’s promoters at Sauerland aren’t matching him against this guy, because I see him as a much better fighter than anyone Huck has ever faced before during his career.
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