Two-time Olympic super-heavyweight champion Bakhodir Jalolov posed more questions and provided fewer answers about his heavyweight title credentials following and eight-round decision win over Vitaly Kudokhov, who is now 7-4 (3 KOs).
The Uzbek southpaw was made to work through his 16th professional fight at the IBA Pro in Saint Petersburg in Russia.
Jalolov boxed well within himself, fighting largely off the back foot, flicking out his southpaw jab and while Kudokhov kept coming, Jalolov maintained control and often maintained the distance.
Now 31, the US-based Uzbek left-hander started steadily and picked an uppercut with his rear hand in the third while often keeping his hands low. With a minute left in the round, he raked Kudokhov – a 36-year-old from Russia – with one-twos that stopped his opponent in his tracks.
Kudokhov, however, was roughing Jalolov up on the inside, and through round four he kept marching forward, making an increasingly uncomfortable Jalolov work.
The Uzbek star rattled his man with a bodyshot and he was looking for that left uppercut against his short, squat opponent in the fifth.
Kudokhov’s pace and ambition did not fail him. Jalolov was boxing as though he had another six rounds to go but there was just two left and Jalolov was being forced back and seemingly starting to tire.
Kudokhov was warned for coming in head-first in the seventh and was also caught by a short right hook but Jalolov struggled to keep Kudokhov at bay, shipping a right hand near the bell and failing to send out a statement to a heavyweight division that is set for a transitional period in the next 12-18 months.
A muted Jalolov, now 16-0 (14 KOs), did not celebrate, and stepped over the top rope and returned to the dressing room without being interviewed.
