By Alexey Sukachev
European heavyweight champion Agit Kabayel (18-0, 13 KOs) successfully retained his blue belt for the second time, stopping overmatched Serbian Miljan Rovcanin (19-2, 13 KOs) in three rounds.
WBC/IBF #10 rated heavyweight was in full control of the fight but he didn't rush early on, using his superior power and quickness to dominate Rovcanin. There was nothing serious in the first round, but in the second Kabayel did land some hard overhand rights at the ropes to trouble the Serbian.
The Germany-based Turk continued to exert damage during the third, finally dropping Rovcanin on a succession of punches. The Serbian boxer got up but was soon dropped down again - and once again by a right hand, effectively stopping the contest.
Kabayel, 25, acquired his belt in March 2017 with a win over Belgian Herve Hubeaux, then retained it on a decision over Dereck Chisora in November 2017. Rovcanin, 24, is best known for his DQ loss to Alexander Dimitrenko in late 2017.
A promising encounter between two young and undefeated, rising heavyweights turned into a total disaster following a totally unsportsmanlike conduct of both Tom Schwarz and Senad Gashi, which has finally culminated un a DQ loss for the latter and an ugly mess right after the bell with both teams involved.
The pair looked wonderfully matched before the start of the fight. Hulking (6'6'') Schwarz, 24, was 20-0, 13 KOs, and ranked WBO #5 and IBF #14 going in. The Spain-based Kosovar Gashi, 28, was considerably stockier at 6'1'' but ended all his fights within four rounds, going 16-0, 16 KOs, albeit against very questionable opposition.
After the feeling out process in the first, things got nastier in the second. Smaller but more energetic Gasho often drove bigger Schwarz into the corners to unload series of wild bombs landing without necessary precision and power to really trouble the German. When power wasn't enough Gashi answered with bitter fouling, hitting the German in the nose with his own head. It was a blatant foul worth of an immediate DQ if anything.
However, Schwarz made it uglier by dropping his trembling body on the canvas in an infamous soccer-like style, giving a stark impression of numerous football simulants as the hit wasn't THAT powerful to cause even a shade of such reaction.
After spending some time on the canvas, Schwarz got up, and the fight continued with two points deducted from Gashi. Round three was even but in the fourth it got ugly again as both fighters paid more attention to each other's attempts to foul one another than actually boxing. Finally, Gashi produced another stupid headbutt with another shameful reaction by the German. Worse was a fact that the fight was allowed to continue after two more points, deducted from Gashi, who - at that moment - could only be saved from a kayo.
The fifth was heated but the apex of this foul festival was reached midst into the sixth, when the referee has finally DQed Gashi for yet another foul and another outburst of Schwarz emotion. It hasn;t ended there though, as Gashi went to Scwarz, who was provoking local crowd and his fans with untimely celebration. Gashi pushed his foe, which resulted in a fight after the fight. Gashi's cornerman rushed in to stop Schwarz, was hit by him and all broke loose for several minutes after that.
After all, Gashi was DQed 1:12 into the sixth but Schwarz, who retained his BDB and WBO I/C heavyweight titles, was similarly responsible for ugly clashed as was his opponent.
