By Alexey Sukachev
Stechert Arena, Bamberg, Bayern, Germany - It took Denis Boytsov five years to become the most promising heavyweight prospect in the division. At 23, Boytsov had experience, youth, punching power and support system to become the heir apparent to the Klitschko's throne... possibly. It took him five more years to see his career ruined. His downward spiral continued tonight at the Stechert Arena, where he suffered his first and painful defeat to WBO #8 Australian (by way of Samoa) Alex Leapai. The latter defended his WBO Asia Pacific title, scoring two knockdowns en route to a big win. Official scores were: 98-90 and 96-92 (twice) - for the guest fighter. BoxingScene was in agreement with the first score.
WBO #1 and WBA #9 Boytsov started slowly, looked rusty against a heavy-handed opponent. Leapai was clumsy - as always - but he forced Boytsov to taste his immense power early on. Round one was mostly in the Russian's favor. Leapai evened things up in the next two rounds. Boytsov hugged his opponent, whenever there was danger, amd he pushed and mauled him, landing short right hands to the head and body. But Alex slightly wobbled him with several big hooks. One of them - a huge left swing made Boytsov's legs wobbled in the second. Leapai was as dangerous in the third as he was in the second - specifically at the end of the stanza. More importantly, Boytsov got several warnings from referee Danny Nelson for constant foul tactics. However, he looked better in the third than he was before, and his revival peaked in the fourth.
The fifth was hard for Boytsov early on, when he ate several big shots but he surged during the last minute and a half against his hard-hitting opponent. The sixth was much worse, as Leapai landed several very big swings during the stanza, and Boytsov was forced to seek his safety in numerous clinches. It got even worse in the seventh, and it was also the round when Leapai scored his first knockdown with a very short right hook in close quarters followed by a left hook to the whiskers. In the eighth, Boytsov was looking for a shelter but hardly found any, as he was pressed all around the ring. Leapai also ate several significant blows and was down twice - both times on slips rather than of punches.
In the ninth, the fight was almost finished after Leapai scored another knockdown at the ropes. Boytsov continued to be hit time and time again in the tenth and final round. A huge win for Leapai, who improved his record to 30-4-3, 24 KOs. Boytsov's career is in mud, even though his record looks impressive at 33-1, 26 KOs, and he is just 27 years of age.
---------------------
IBF #5 light heavyweight Dmitry Sukhotskiy (now 21-2, 16 KOs) scored one of his most important career wins and revived his stagnating career with a major TKO 4 win over capable German Eduard Gutknecht (25-3, 9 KOs). The fight was the IBF 175lb eliminator, which positions the 32-year old Russian for a shot at title, currently owned by ring legend Bernard Hopkins.
It was 31-year old Gutknecht, however, who started fast. IBF #3, WBC #8, WBO #10 and WBA #11 rated 175lber was as fluid as always in the first couple of rounds. He was also aggressive at the same time, delivering well-placed shots at the body and head of Sukhotskiy. The latter was lethargic and didn't resemble a fighter, who placed then-champion Juergen Braehmer on the brink of a TKO loss four years ago, also in Germany. Sukhotskiy was rusty, couldn't pick his punches together and landed just several hard shots (mostly right uppercuts) in the first six minutes. Gutknecht, meanwhile, was successful with his right hands.
The pattern has changed drastically at the beginning of the third, when one of Sukhotskiy's jabs immediately created a huge haematoma over the left eyebrow of the German. His eye rapidly closing Gutknecht tried to impose his will on the Russian but Sukhotskiy was well aware of his attempts and avoided looping shots, finding some spots to land his right bombs again. After the third Gutknecht's eye was totally shut, yet he was allowed to continue. With one eye, he lost the start and the end of the fourth but took its midst, landing some heavy shots on still-rusty Sukhotskiy. That was his last hooray - after the end of the fourth, Polish referee Leszek Jankowiak has seen enough and waved the fight off. BoxingScene had it 39-38 - for Gutknecht at the time of stoppage, while Sukhotskiy got a bit of a Christmas gift way too early.
---------------------
Noel Gevor (9-0, 5 KOs), born in Yerevan, Armenia, as Norair Mikaelyan, got another win with a well-earned unanimous decision over tough Czech-based Georgian Sandro Siproshvili (27-17, 13 KOs) in eight heated rounds. Gevor, his stepfather and a well-known super middleweight Khoren Gevor in his corner, moved forward and threw multiple combinations to the head and body of Siproshvili. The Georgian mostly covered behind a tight block in the first three rounds, then began to hit back regularly. Yet Gevor's domination was cleraly seen as he was just plain bigger, harder and more intensive than Siproshvili. The Georgian was never in danger of being stopped and sustained Gevor's pressure well. However, his loss was punctuated in the eighth and last round with a deep cut over his right eye. Boxing Scene had it 79-73 - for Gevor.
---------------------
A week after his previous win, 2012 Swedish Olympian Anthony Yigit (7-0-1, 2 KOs) got yet another win but once again disappointed those, who thought he was something special. Fighting against professional loser Michal Vosyka (1-7-1) Yigit showed elusiveness, fitness, ability to throw shots and... a total lack of serious punching power. Yigit was all around his Czech opponent but as he mixed his punches, very few dangerous shots came out of the feather-fisted light welterweight. Nevertheless, Yigit dropped his foe with a left to the chin in the second and, finally, got the job done at 0:17 of the sixth round after a non-stop barrage of pot-shot punches. Vosyka clearly wasn't dazed but just failed to find a moment for a counter punch.
---------------------
It took 18-year old Germany-based Armenian Wanik Awdijian (7-0, 4 KOs) just one shot to drop fellow undefeated Frenchman Stephane Cuevas (now 3-1-1, 1 KO) hard on the canvas. It was a crushing right hand moments after the opening bell. Cuevas got up but he shouldn't have. Awdijian immediately jumped on the 25-year old, pinned him to the corner, and got the job done with a furious barrage of punches. Time was exactly 1:00 of the opening round, when referee Ingo Barrabas saw enough.
---------------------
Hulking Swedish southpaw heavyweight Otto Wallin (4-0, 3 KOs), who made his professional debut in June, went the distance for the first time in his career against durable Czech journeyman Thomas Mrazek (7-44-6, 5 KOs), outpointing him over four. Wallin was controlling the action and wobbled Mrazek in the final round. Both fighters also exchanged punches at the end of the third, and Wallin wasn't only hitting but was also getting hit at the time. He is still a work in progress.
---------------------