By Danny Winterbottom Marco Huck made a controversial 10
th successful defence of
his WBO world cruiserweight title with a unanimous point’s decision
over 42-year-old Firat Arslan inside the Gerry Weber Stadium in Halle,
Germany on Saturday.
Scores of 115-113 twice, posted by vastly experienced British judges
Paul Thomas and Mickey Vann, and an unfathomable 117-111 from Mr
Giustino De Giovanni made sure Huck retained his title and kept alive
his chances of landing a mooted fight with heavyweight boss Wladimir
Klitschko.
Southpaw Arslan (14st 2 1/2lbs), from the Friedberg area of Bayern,
started the contest as he meant to go on as he marched straight onto the
chest of the champion behind a high held guard. Huck (14st 3lbs)
seemed content at first to allow Arslan to be in such close proximity as
he landed a stinging left hook to the body with his back against the
ropes. Soon however the challenger began to find a gap between the
champions defence with a short left uppercut. As is customary with the
Berlin favourite Huck began to unload punches in the closing 10 seconds
of the round to edge a close session on my card.
Arslan upped the pace in round two, defying all of his 42 years as he
forced Huck against the ropes. Huck ripped a left to the body as the
challenger worked upstairs bloodying the nose of the champion. The
former WBA world champion was willing to walk through anything Huck
fired back at him and despite a late rally from Huck in the final few
seconds Arslan levelled things up.
A pattern was emerging by the third session with the contest boiling
down to a battle of the left hands. Arslan’s short uppercut inside and
Huck’s ripping body shot he utilised in an attempt to slow down the
challenger who was 15 years his senior. Despite this concentrated body
attack there appeared no let-up in the ferocity of the challenger as he
made life uncomfortable for Huck in the close exchanges. The champion
suddenly burst into a flurry of straight punching with seconds left in
the round in an attempt to catch the eye of the judges and steal the
round.
Sweat sprayed from the head of the champion in the fourth as Arslan
landed another left uppercut with alarming ease. Huck had no option but
to work off the back foot as he failed to match Arslan’s work rate.
His brief retort was a left and right roundhouse combination to the
body.
With the nose of the champion still leaking blood Arslan almost
sprinted across the ring with youthful enthusiasm that belied his over
40 status to begin the fifth. Huck landed his staple left hook to the
body and both tried uppercuts that missed. Arslan landed a right to the
body followed by a left to the head and Huck shot a right into the
midriff of the challenger but it was the Friedberg man that landed the
cleaner blows.
Huck physically “shoved” Arslan off him in the seventh as he tried to
make room for his punches. Better work from the champion saw him land
four unanswered straight right hands through the tight guard of the
challenger as there were signs the older man could be tiring.
Both landed heavy blows in the eighth as Huck’s face showed the scars
of battle. Arslan was undeterred in his quest to continually pressure
the champion but it was the increased punch output of Huck that caught
the eye.
Huck seemed to have found an answer to the marauding attacks of the
challenger through rounds nine and 10 as he measured the range to land
on his man before he could close the distance. Arslan continued to work
inside when the opportunity presented itself but Huck scored with the
cleaner shots as the fight entered the final two rounds of a pulsating
contest.
Both men battled hard in what was descending into a war of attrition.
With blood smeared across his cheek Huck laid it all on the line in an
attempt to hold onto his WBO title but Arslan wouldn’t be denied.
Arslan stood frozen to the spot in disbelief as Huck was declared the winner.
“I’ve never experienced anything like this decision. I landed clean
punches and he only scuffed me” said a disgruntled Arslan after the
contest.
“This kind of thing is ruining boxing. I landed so many punches.
The whole crowd knows who won that fight. I’ve been robbed. I should
be world champion today.”
Not surprisingly the champion disagreed “I’m not a judge but I think I landed more punches” he said.
Arslan dropped to 32-6 (21) whilst the champion improved to 35-2 (25)
and may still land a money spinning shot at heavyweight boss Wladimir
Klitschko.
WBO number four ranked light heavyweight Dustin Dirks (26-0) (19) won
an eight round unanimous decision over Brazilian Cleiton Conceicao
(18-5-2) (14) and claimed the vacant WBA Intercontinental title in a
scrappy, clinch ridden affair. Dirks dropped his man in round two and
then Conceicao proceeded to hold and spoil his way through 10 more
uneventful rounds. Scores were 117-107, 117-108 and 120-104.
Heavyweight Edmund Gerber (22-0) (14) won an eight round decision
over Darnell “The Ding-a-Ling Man” Wilson (24-16-3) (20). Wilson, who
didn’t appear to be in the greatest shape, staggered Gerber badly at the
end of round one and was unfortunate that the bell sounded. Gerber
recovered to do enough to win in an unconvincing performance. Scores were 79-73, 79-73 and 79-74.
Light heavyweight Robert Woge (10-0) (9) battered Serhiy Demchenko (14-4) (10) into submission in five rounds.
Enrico Koelling W6 Ivan Maslov (Cruiserweight).
David Graf W8 Blanchard Kalambay (Cruiserweight).
Tyron Zeuge W6 Matingu Kindele (Super Middleweight).
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