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The WBA Super World Middleweight title is currently held by Felix “Leonidas” Sturm, and he looks to defend that title, for the eleventh time, tonight against Matthew “Mack the Knife” Macklin.
Sturm’s record stands at 35-2-1, 15 KO’s while Macklin’s stands at 28-2-0, 19 KO’s.
Sturm is an accomplished champion, having only fought outside of his native Germany four times, once in Croatia , twice in Hungary and once in the states against Oscar De La Hoya, where the Golden Boy was gifted a very dubious decision over Sturm back in 2004.
Sturm had a good amateur career, qualifying for the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, but lost to Jermain Taylor. The German was good enough to get there though, using a style that he has seemed to carry over well into the pro game.
He is very good at the weight and has competed there with no problems for a long time now, a solid professional; he fights behind a high, tight guard, which is hard to get through and is always there.
Rarely will you see Sturm tiring or lapsing in concentration, he is almost robotic in that respect. A bit like Arthur Abraham, but far more active.
As Sturm is a very well schooled, competent boxer, Macklin is going to try and draw him into a scrap, as really that’s the only way the Englishman can win.
Sturm can punch, but not that hard, his KO ratio is round the 40% mark. Combination punching is good as is his footwork to enable him to open different angles, but he is just lacking that big bang.
De La Hoya is obviously the stand out name on Sturm’s resume, but he has fought Javier Castillejo twice, although in one of those fights Felix was knocked out, the only time he has been stopped. However, Sturm did come back and fight Castillejo again, taking the decision over twelve rounds.
Sturm beat Sebastian Sylvester on points, Khoren Gevor, Giovanni Lorenzo and recently knocked out the much-touted Ronald Hearns. Again, Sturm is a good, seasoned pro and will have his gameplan and he will stick to it. The Macklin fight takes place in Sturm’s back garden, as the majority of his fights do, and he is the defending champion so it’s up to Macklin to go and take the fight to Sturm.
Macklin also had a good start in the amateurs. In 2001 he picked up the British national senior ABA welterweight title, not quite as glittery as Sturm’s but Macklin has a good amateur pedigree too.
We have seen good technical ability from Macklin before; we have also seen very lacklustre performances from him. A good fighter, probably not as technically sound as Sturm, but what Macklin lacks in technical ability he makes up for in heart.
Many times, we have been entertained by Macklin standing toe-to-toe and brawling. He is good at it to be fair, and he carries heavier hands than Sturm with a KO ratio of 63%.
In terms of opponents faced, Macklin has been in with good domestic and European guys.
Namely Jamie Moore for the British light middle title which Macklin lost by KO, but lost no fans in the process as this fight was superb, all action, all heart. These two went at it hammer and tongs for ten rounds until Moore caught Macklin and left him face first on the canvas, but both men elevated themselves in the boxing and public opinion after that fight.
Sturm has yet to be in this kind of a fight, has yet to show his grit and determination like Macklin and Moore did.
Wayne Elcock was the next opponent Macklin would get a shot at for the British title, the middleweight belt this time, and Macklin destroyed Elcock in three rounds.
Afterward, Macklin went for the European title against Amin Asikainen. Macklin was the underdog here, as Asikainen was ranked by sanctioning bodies and held wins over the likes of Sylvester. Macklin blew Asikainen away in a round, with a cracking left hook out of a crouch, and when Asikainen got up, a series of rights left him in the corner, dumbfounded.
In Macklin’s last performance however, against Ruben Varon, he looked very much as if he did not know what to do, out of ideas, so “Mack the Knife” just kept clubbing Varon.
Macklin got the decision win, and yes, it was a late opponent, but is he a champion or not? Where was the heart that he had showed in past performances?
Macklin has good fundamentals and he can use them well when he is pressure fighting, which is what he needs to do tonight. I cannot see him taking a decision, Sturm’s hometown or not. Sturm will be too tight.
Macklin needs to get in and break Sturm’s heart if he is to win, drag Felix into a fight, get on the inside of his guard and plant a few straight down the pipe. He has the power to hurt Sturm whereas, Sturm, I doubt, has the power to hurt Macklin.
If Sturm is very disciplined, which he probably will be, he will keep Macklin on the outside and outbox him, to take the decision victory.
