By Alexey Sukachev
In the TV opener at the LG Arena in Birmingham, England, 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medalist James DeGale moved on to 8-0, with 6 KOs, after a little bit controversial but nevertheless impressive first-round stoppage of 'Dynamite" Carl Dilks (now 14-3, 5 KOs) to retain his WBA International super middleweight title and to win the final BBBofC 168lb domestic title eliminator.
DeGale took the first minute to measure the distance between him and Dilks with his sneaky but hard right/left jab and to switch stances a bit. He started his light-speed combinations in the second minute using each angle to penetrate his durable foe with a variety of punches. He rocked Dilks a bit with the straight right to pin the opponent to the ropes, then delivered several fast combinations in the center of the ring and, finally, pinned Dilks to the ropes once more with seconds left in the first. There DeGale was able to connect with several more punches and Dilks' legs became a little bit wobbly prompting referee Howard Foster to step in at 2:54. The stoppage seemed a little too early as Dilks was definitely in the fight and was fighting back even though he was being overwhelmed at the same time.
In a post-fight quickie, Frank Warren called out George Groves to settle down all his inconsistencies with DeGale in a cross-roader between two best British super middleweight young guns.
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In the first of three pre-planned European championships, Czech rugged enforcer Lukas Konecny (45-3, 22 KOs) proved his superiority over local boy Matthew Hall (23-3, 16 KOs) to seize the vacant EBU crown at light middleweight limit. Konecny, who is best known for two narrow, give-and-take affairs with ex-champion Michele Piccirillo and the present 154lb stalwart Sergey Dzinziruk, will now drastically improve his WBO #6 and IBF #9 ranking to get closer to his second world title shot.
Konecny gave Hall a chance to work his ground in the starting rounds. Hall went in throwing thudding hooks to the body but the Czech utilized his shell-like defence and used his ankles wisely to block a majority of Hall's punches. He did little in return in the first but started to overcome the Brit with his higher precision and smarter ring activity to take the second stanza. Both fighter relied on body punches but Hall's were blocked or softened while Czech's penetrated Hall's defense, sometimes at will. The third stanza was pretty close but yet again in Konecny's favour.
Round four was the first one which wasn't close. Konecny moved all around Hall and landed by far cleaner and better punches. Hall bravely fought back but Konecny was just too experienced for him as he was in those type of fights before. Round five was once again pretty close as the guest fighter took the stanza off to re-group himself. Konecny came back in the sixth and was simple unstoppable. He turned into aggressor for the second time in the bout (the first being in the fourth) and started to punish Hall badly. In the second minute, he connected with a devastative combo with an accent on his right hand and finally put Hall on his knees. The Machester native barely beat the count but seconds after was dropeed right at the ropes by another devastative right hand by Konecny, and referee Guido Cavalleri chose not to issue any counts stopping an already one-sided affair at 1:53 of the sixth. BoxingScene had it 49-46 - for the Czech at the time of stoppage.
Matthew Hall announced his retirement in a TV interview right after the fight.
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Somebody's 'O' had got to go, and it turned out to be Karo Murat's 'O'. But it wasn't easy for Caerphilly native Nathan Cleverly; until it lasted Cleverly-Murat was one of the best encounters the United Kingdom has seen this year. Unfortunately, this epic battle was stopped right after the ninth round by referee Marc Nelson (and on the advice of a ringside physician), and this certain stoppage also seemed to be a bit premature and was protested by Karo Murat himself. Nevertheless, Cleverly is now 20-0, with 10 KOs, and he is also the WBO light heavyweight mandatory challenger at the title currently owned by another German Juerghen Braehmer. Former EBU super middleweight beltholder Murat (22-1, 13 KOs) suffered his first ever professional loss.
The fight itself was a barnburner from the opening bell. Much taller IBF/WBO #3 and "The Ring" #9 Cleverly became an aggressor but he used a distance not getting inside for no reasons and fighting with the extent use of his considerable reach advantage. He winged with haymakers of various sorts but his punches lacked power in them and they also were mostly blocked by Murat's trademark shell-like defense, which is also a trademark of Ulli Wegner's proteges. Cleverly was however much more active to take both the first and the scond stanzas. Murat punched in spurts, resembling Arthur Abraham's usual style but his actions were scarcer.
In the third, WBO #2, IBF #9 and "The Ring" #6 Murat, while eating his diet of Welshman's hooks and especially uppercuts, started to break Nathan's composure and violated his range. Cleverly found himself in an uncomfortable position and was to battle extremely hard to get an edge at the very end of the stanza with another series of punishing combinations which landed cleanly on Murat's chin. The German saw the difference in a power and became considerably more aggressive in the fourth. It was an even round with Cleverly being more precised, active and quicker, and Murat being much more tougher and punching bigger. Both fighters showed signs of fatigue after that.
Rounds five and six saw Cleverly catching his second wind. He was once again much more active while Murat's defense detorriated down the stretch. However, the German showed and incredible ruggedness and stubborness, eating one punch after another but trying to retaliate at the first possibility. In round seven, he started to be punished more and more consistently while delivering less in return with each fought minute. Notably, Cleverly didn't work German's body as he had usually done in his previous fights.
In round eight, the Welshman tried his best to stop Murat inside the road and he was pretty close to accomplishing this hard task when his right uppercut stunned Murat badly with thirty seconds remaining in the stanza. Murat utilized Oliver McCall and Marion Wilson to survive that round under heavy fire. Round nine was once again one-sided but Murat was doing his job of fighting back with zeal. Nevertheless, his chin was triple-checked in this one and the bridge of his nose was bleeding at the end of the ninth. After the end of this round, referee Marc Nelson invited the ringside doctor to take a look at the German fighter. He wave it off to a much surprise of Team Murat at 0:01 of the tenth round ending this magnificent fight. It could have been one-sided but it was very hard for the winner even despite lopsided scorecards.
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There should be at least one stinker on each huge and entertaining card. The WBO welterweight eliminator and one of the biggest British fights in last few months, between WBO #1 and WBC #15 British 147lb champion Kell Brook and one-time world title challenger Michael Jennings, had several signs of a possible stinker but, for good or not, it didn't go a full distance, after a stoppage in the beginning of the fifth due to a major laceration over Jennings' right eyebrow. Accordingly, Brook (22-0, 15 KOs now) was awarded a TKO vctory over Jennings (36-3, 17 KOs) and also retained his WBO I/C and British welterweight regalia.
A performance wasn't impressive from the start. Both boxers employed a jab-and-move strategy to produce an even first round. Rounds two and three were slightly in Brook's favour who connected with several notable right hands to WBO #9's chin. Brook looked lackluster, however, and fought with little fire in his eyes and no dynamite in his punches. He was an aggressor though as Jennings was content with his stick-and-move style and did little except of lateral movement and rough tactics on the inside. He took the fourth by being just more energetic and active than Brook who took a stanza off.
In the beginning of the fifth, Jennings was tagged with a left uppercut of Brook, which didn't hurt him but produced a nasty cut over his right eye. Referee Terry O'Connor didn't went a second and called for a ringside physician (notably not the same one as was in Cleverly-Murat fight). He immediately waved the bout off after a few words from the doctor. Time was 0:27 of the fifth. Frank Warren said afterwards that Kell Brook would be ready for his title opportunity after just a couple of fights. WBO reigning champion is none other than Manny Pacquiao.
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While internationally David Haye is the best British heavyweight, and "A-Force" Audley Harrison is coming just after him, Commonwealth titlist Sam Sexton and British titleholder Derek "Dell Boy" Chisora collided in a rematch of Sexton's sixth-round TKO loss and also in a clash for two of Britain's most valuable belts to define the best UK boxer at domestic level. It was Derek Chisora who came out as a winner with a chilling ninth-round TKO.
Both fighers were accurate and consistent in the first round but there weren't any heated exchanges. Rounds two and three were pretty slow with both boxers doing a hard work of working each other's bodies. Sexton used his lean left hab to frustrate Chisora, while the Zimbabwan native did his share of damage with buzzing hooks on the inside. Chisora was a bit better in the second and in the thrid, while Sexton got bigger in the fourth. Round five was also in Sam's favour as he was doing well in head-hunting.
Another turnaround approached in the sixth. It was when Chisora finally got his rhythm. On the other hand, Sexton's stamina was fading down the stretch. Chisora wasn't very active as well but he landed more significant blows in the sixth. In the seventh, it was all Chisora who couldn't stop delivering big haymakers one after another to rock Sexton once and again. Sam was lucky not to fall down under this fire. "Dell Boy" took the eighth stanza off but then suddenly emerged big in the ninth. He was gradually breaking Sexton down during this round until the last minute of the round. From that point on, Chisora established a minute-long hustle combo, with almost every punch landing cleanly on Sexton's chin. Amazingly, Sexton was standing under this bombardment till the last seconds and only when he began slowly falling down, referee John Keane intervened (maybe well too late) and waved the battle off. Time of stoppage was 2:53 of the ninth.
Derek Chisora is now 14-0, 9 KOs, with two domestic belts around his waist. Sexton falls down to 13-2, with 6 KOs.
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One shot and it was all over as the seemingly reviving career of former WBO cruiserweight champion Enzo Maccarinelli (32-5, 25 KOs) broke into pieces after a terminating left counter hook by Germany-based Ukrainian Alexander Frenkel (23-0, 18 KOs), who acquired Enzo Mac's European championship and possibly earned his spot in the upcoming cruiserweight version of the Super Six tournament. Time was 2:30 of the seventh round.
The end was pretty unexpected in terms of this single fight but was anticipated in terms of Maccarinelli's previous brave but too fragile career. The Welsh Italian (WBO #7, WBC #8 and WBA #10) scored three first-round destructions en route to a rendezvous with young hot up-and-comer for Team Sauerland; Frenkel (WBA #3, WBC #7, IBF #10 and WBO #12) had several stoppages of classy but well-beyond-their-peaks opponents like Arthur Williams and Kelvin Davis. It was a collision of two major gunslingers where a full distance wasn't expected.
Nevertheless, the starting round was pretty measured and slow. After that Enzo Maccarinelli gradually improved his ring approach and started delivering heat to Frenkel. Working behind his jab he tried to pin the German to the ropes and unload a powerful combination with an accent on two body punches from both sides and a left hook going right after that. Frenkel was ofthen hit by one or two punches (rounds two and three saw his body a bit hurt from his right side) but avoided most punishing punches by the Welshman. However, his chin was checked several times and proved to be of excellent quality.
Round four was once again in Macca's favour as he was just too active in comparison with negative Frenkel. But Frenkel's inactivity wasn't caused by his fatigue but rather turned out to be a specifically designed plan. He delivered some whipping shots and rocked Enzo Maccarinelli several times at the beginning of the fifth and caused a cut over the Welshman's right eye. Round six, however, was once again for a local fighter.
In round seven, Maccarinelli decided to press the action and it was the wrong decision. He threw a big right hand, Frenkel ducked under his slow punch and connected with a annihilating left hook which put Enzo heavily on the floor. He bravely stood up but was in no condition to continue. Amazingly, Finnish referee Erkki Meronen let the fight go which was a very dangerous decision based on Welshman's history. In several seconds, Maccarinelli ate a three-punch combo with a chilling left hook at the end and went down unconscious, which marked the end of the fight, his comeback and probably his entire career. He was given oxygen and barely made it to his feet even after several minutes. Frenkel showed tremendous class and didn't celebrate his victory with any enthusiasm.
