May 7th 2016 was a great night for boxing enthusiasts with fight nights in Las Vegas, Manchester and Hamburg.
The 155-pound fight between the young lion Saul Alvarez and a bit older challenger Amir Khan ended exactly as I predicted (see my earlier post on the subject). I haven’t seen the fight yet, but apparently Khan used movement and his superb speed to confuse Alvarez for the first four or five rounds. Yet as I predicted, Alvarez only needed one good shot to the chin to send King Khan down on the canvas. Khan was knocked out from his socks by an overhead straight right counter in the 6th round. Khan fought valiantly, but his chin wasn’t at the same level as his skill, speed and heart. The outcome might lead to great fights between Amir Khan and Kell Brook and also Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin. Khan said after the fight that he intends to return to welterweight, while Alvarez an his promoter Oscar De la Hoya hinted at facing Golovkin next. In the Las Vegas undercard former IBF middleweight champion David Lemieux beat Glen Tapia.
In Manchester, UK, WBA lightweight champion Anthony Crolla won a fighting victory against previously unbeaten Ismael Barroso. Apparently Barroso got tired after the 6th round and Croll dropped him in the 7th.
In Hamburg, Germany, heavyweights Kubrat Pulev and Dereck Chisora of Team Sauerland faced each other in the main event. The plot of the EBU title fight followed my prediction. Chisora pushed forward from the first bell onwards, using a tight shell and good upper body movement to deflect the taller Pulev’s jabs and crosses. Chisora tried to land his overhead shots but only managed to do so once or twice. Pulev was much more effective with his jab and clinched continuosly as Chisora got close. The match was a dirty one with all the clinching and holding and the referee doing nothing to prevent it. Chisora hammered Pulev’s body as well as he could when they wrestled and occasionally threw a rabbit punch or two. Neither fighter could really hurt the other. Pulev managed to land well occasionally, and Chisora staggered the Bulgarian once with a good left hook. In the end, Pulev won the dirty fight with a split decision. He probably should have been granted a unanimous decision, but a win is a win. Chisora was not happy about it, complaining that Pulev and the referee were in league against him. I have to say it did remind me of Vladimir Klitschko’s holding against Aleksandr Povetkin with the referee allowing it. Pulev is now on his way against a possible World title match against IBF champion Anthony Joshua. I don’t see Pulev winning that one if he gets that far. Chisora fought well but was once again lacking in success. He might consider retiring before becoming just a journeyman instead of a contender.
The Puncher's Counter 