Russia’s Alexander Povetkin defended his WBA heavyweight title on Saturday night with a majority decision win over Germany’s Marco Huck, who was making his debut in the division from cruiserweight.
The fight was scored 114-114, 116-113 and 116-112 to the Russian, but Huck produced a brave performance over the 12 rounds in Stuttgart.
Having defended his WBO cruiserweight title eight times, this was Huck’s first fight at heavyweight and the 27-year-old give away 9kg.
Photo: EPA
Saturday’s win leaves the 32-year-old Povetkin with a record of 24 victories, including 16 knock-outs, and no defeats.
After a lively first round, Huck was warned for holding by referee Luis Pabon, while Povetkin caught the Serbian-born German with two right hooks in the second.
Povetkin landed several powerful body shots in the third as he managed to briefly pin Huck to the ropes, but the challenger landed a good right.
Huck clearly took the fourth with several shots on two separate occasions, but the challenger was again warned for a punch to the back of the head.
Huck went toe-to-toe with the champion midway through the seventh and a clean shot to the chin had the Russian wobbling.
At the start of the eighth, Povetkin landed several good head shots of his own and when a small cut opened under Huck’s left eye in the 11th, the Russian had Huck in real trouble.
Huck still managed a full shot to the face in the 12th and the challenger finished with a flurry of punches with both fighters exhausted at the final bell.
British boxer Dereck Chisora, who caused controversy by brawling with ex-champion David Haye last weekend in Munich, returned to Germany and was ringside in Stuttgart to watch the fight.
Having lost to WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko on Feb. 18, Chisora remains under investigation by Munich police for his part in the brawl during the post-fight press conference when he threatened to shoot Haye.
Chisora faces a hearing before the British Boxing Board of Control hearing in London on March 14.
CLEVERLY v KARPENCY
AFP, CARDIFF
Nathan Cleverly outclassed US challenger Tommy Karpency to easily retain his WBO light--heavyweight crown at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on Saturday.
The talented Welshman dominated his opponent from start to finish of a one-sided contest to extend his record to 24-0, including 11 knockouts, with a unanimous 120-108, 120-108, 120-108 victory.
Karpency, ranked No. 11 by the WBO, was never in the contest as Cleverly pummeled him with shots to the head and the body, -seemingly connecting at will through the Pennsylvania southpaw’s feeble defense.
Fighting before a Welsh crowd for the first time in four years, Cleverly was always in control against Karpency, who spent much of the bout trapped on the ropes without showing any willingness to trade blows.
The only blight on an otherwise polished display for Cleverly was his failure to force a stoppage against an opponent who was on his back foot from the outset.
The defeat saw Karpency’s record go to 21-3-1 with 14 knockouts.
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
Arne Slot has denied that Darwin Nunez was dropped from Liverpool’s win against West Ham because of a training-ground row with a member of his coaching staff. The Liverpool head coach on Sunday last week said that Nunez was absent from the 2-1 victory at Anfield, having felt unwell during training the day before, although the striker sat behind the substitutes throughout the game. Speculation has been rife that the Uruguay international, whom Slot criticized for his work rate against Wolves and Aston Villa in February, was left out for disciplinary reasons. Asked on Friday to clarify the situation, Slot said: “He
RSS