by Cliff Rold
It wasn’t the first time. It will happen again many times over. Take a touted young fighter just breaking into his own, add in an experienced veteran with little to lose, and come up with a round of scores no one but the judges seem to agree with.
Outcry ensues.
Former WBA Jr. Welterweight titlist Andriy Kotelnik (31-4-1, 13 KO) has every right to feel wronged by unanimous scores of 116-112 saying he was defeated by WBC/IBF 140 lb. titlist Devon Alexander (21-0, 13 KO). He didn’t lose eight rounds on Saturday night. He also is justified, after a solid effort, in feeling he did enough to win.
Justified, but maybe not entirely correct.
The same could be said for veteran former Light Heavyweight titlist Glen Johnson (50-14-2, 34 KO). Who can blame him for the disappointment he expressed after a narrow defeat to IBF beltholder Tavoris Cloud (21-0, 18 KO)? He had less a case for victory than Kotelnik did but was involved in such a grueling affair as to tug at the gut, seeing Johnson come up just short again.
But come up short he did and, while bad for Johnson, it was a boon for a Light Heavyweight division waking up to the fulfillment of a talented young core which might just make for the sort of defining round robin few fighters have the chance to be a part of.
More on that to follow after a closer look at the main event. Let’s go to the report cards.
Grades
Pre-Fight: Speed – Alexander A; Kotelnik B; Post: A; B+
Pre-Fight: Power – Alexander B; Kotelnik C+; Post: Same
Pre-Fight: Defense – Alexander A-; Kotelnik B+; Post: B; B+
Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Alexander A; Kotelnik B; Post: B; B+
Looking at the fight as a whole, looking at Alexander-Kotelnik through the prism of who whooped who worse, coming up with a winner is easy. By night’s end, it was clear Kotelnik had gotten the better of things. Unfortunately for the Ukrainian, title fight boxing is scored as a sum of twelve rounds. Without knockdowns, the assumption is a 10-9 score for any round no matter if the winning gap was wider in one frame than another. Kotelnik won his rounds bigger; Alexander won his rounds close.
At the end of the night, that added up to a score of 114-114 on this scribe’s card.
Kotelnik’s accuracy, and thudding shots, were hinted at early but the activity of Alexander was complimented by enough landing leather to give him a lead through four rounds Kotelnik never quite made up. Scoring six of the last eight rounds for Kotelnik left him just shot of the upset he might have had in an era of fifteen rounds fights.
In the pre-fight report card, while picking Alexander, the question was raised as to whether the more similar reach and height in this fight would result in a better showing than Kotelnik had against Amir Khan, losing a wide decision his last time out. It was a resounding yes. If he carried more power, the exhaustion Alexander was showing down the stretch might have resulted in a trip to the floor.
Alexander showed off a lot of the things which have, and should keep, fight followers enthused. His speed and style is world class. However, he also showed that he’s not yet a finished product. His big hometown stage had him moving much more than had been the case against Junior Witter or Juan Urango, neglecting the more flat footed punching he showed there. He came out edgy and never relaxed.
Kotelnik was the opposite, showing little in the way of nerves and applying an approach aimed at winning over the long haul. Kotelnik has been in with a number of top guys, seen all the looks, and he gave Alexander a lesson in the value of his own education. Both men landed their share of blows but where Alexander’s best stuff was to the body or straight (if only touching) southpaw lefts through the guard of Kotelnik, the Ukrainian was able to time eye catching shots and pummeled his man near the ropes in the second half.
Those who felt Kotelnik had done enough to win have more room to argue than those on the other side. All can agree that he stays among the best in the world at 140 and that suffering the indignity of an 8-4 decision was hogwash.
The same score ended up across the board in the chief support action. It deserves to be questioned as well.
Grades
Pre-Fight: Speed – Cloud B+; Johnson B/Post: Same
Pre-Fight: Power – Cloud B+; Johnson B+/Post: Same
Pre-Fight: Defense – Cloud B; Johnson B+/Post: B; B
Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Cloud B; Johnson A/Post: A; A
Eight rounds to four wasn’t a travesty here like it was in the main, but it was still at least one round too many for Cloud. It wasn’t the toughest fight to score, with both men winning the bulk of their rounds decisively (and both did that at least five times each). That said, youth prevailed and Cloud certainly did not lose.
The experience of the fight could make him a winner twice over. Given an abundance of inactivity (this was Cloud’s third fight in 24 months), Cloud has only begun to see world class competition. What was seen Saturday is why there is so much to be excited about at 175 lbs. Cloud, an outstanding athlete, has responded to his challenges as a fighter by raising his game in successive outings. He’s proving to have world class stuff and makes it watchable all night.
Johnson has had world class stuff for years and it was on display again Saturday. He stunned Cloud in the second and showed tremendous courage in the fifth and sixth rounds. Round five saw Johnson as hurt as perhaps he’s ever been. Not even in his 1997 stoppage loss to Bernard Hopkins did his legs ever look as shaky as Cloud had them. Johnson absorbed massive shots, survived, and was still taking leather in round six only to turn the tide.
Johnson, despite his career collection of earned and unearned losses, is proof that fighting the best regularly is the best recipe in mastering one’s game. The gutsy display against Cloud was proof of the professional pride and character behind his aptitude.
It didn’t quite result in a Fight of the Year leader, though the first half seemed to be heading there. Rounds 7-12 were more about consistent action and blue collar effort than the wild swings or reckless savagery that mark a lasting classic. Still, that was a scrap and one any fight fan could walk away from knowing they saw the best of two men whose best is worth watching.
Looking Ahead
The future is at hand and for Cloud it’s bright if promoter Don King can keep him in the ring. He showed some mild fatigue in spots but fought through it. Cloud fighting regularly will iron out the wrinkles. While the iron simmers, he can turn his eyes to next Saturday’s Chad Dawson-Jean Pascal Light Heavyweight title tilt. Any combination of these three is must-see boxing. More exposure will bring the paydays the action they’ll produce deserves.
Eventually, members of the Super Six Super Middleweight tournament and maybe even undefeated Lucian Bute will rise from a division below. The ingredients are there to keep Light Heavyweight hot for a few years. Johnson isn’t done as a factor in that mix. While he might be 41, it’s not an old 41 yet. Heck, for years folks wondered if Hopkins had improved enough to beat Roy Jones. By the time they fought, no one cared. Hopkins-Johnson II is intriguing and it would be a real fight.
Jr. Welterweight, like Light Heavyweight, is ripe with possibilities and long in future. For now though, it’s also a perception game among three young talents in Alexander, Timothy Bradley and Amir Khan. Saturday further clarified, and strengthened, WBO titlist Bradley (26-0, 11 KO) as the man to beat and the man with the least questions to answer (even if all have plenty more to prove). The chatter is about Alexander-Bradley. If that can’t happen, Kotelnik-Bradley would be a hell of a fight in the interim, not just in comparison shopping terms but also in fistic terms.
Comparison shopping can’t be avoided though. Alexander wasn’t as good as Khan was against Kotelnik for sure. Neither landed a ton clean on the Ukrainian, but the WBA beltholder Khan got hit back less. Alexander conversely hasn’t shown the chin issues which still dog Khan (23-1, 17 KO) and will until he faces someone with any sort of pop again. Alexander’s wins over Witter and Urango were not erased Saturday any more than memories of Khan being cranked out by Breidis Prescott or rocked about by Willie Limond have been made moot.
Both can nod to the past in forecasting potent futures. Jr. Middleweight great Terry Norris got whacked out in two by Julian Jackson before making his mark. Heavyweight Riddick Bowe had Tony Tubbs before he got to Evander Holyfield. It is to say that these are still guys in their 20s, with less than 30 fights, all still carving their place, all still learning. Perception games are fun. Eventually, it will all (one hopes) be settled in the ring and we’ll all get to enjoy seeing which perceptions end up shaping reality.
Report Card Picks 2010: 19-10
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
