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In November, 2012, Marco Huck retained his WBO cruiserweight title by UD after appearing to get outfought by challenger Firat Arslan and tonight, the pair engage in a rematch at Hans Martin Schleyer Halle in Stuttgart, Germany.
The first fight was a genuine war, with each man taking turns on offense and defense while standing toe to toe, shoulder to shoulder. Arslan appeared to beat Huck at his own game, better able to penetrate the static high guard that each fighter employed as a defense.
Amazingly, ex-WBA champ Arslan, 42 years of age at the time, had much better stamina than Huck, 27 at the time, who was reeling and holding on by the twelfth round.
Arslan also took a lot less punishment to the head than Huck as the challenger blocked most of the champion’s efforts on his gloves while battering Huck with hooks and particularly the left uppercut.
Huck was most successful with body shots but despite putting his full weight into them, the punches had absolutely no effect on the durable Arslan.
Each man has had a fight since that time, with Huck making a successful majority decision defense in his fourth clash with Ola Afolabi this past June and Arslan achieving a points win over Varol Vekiloglu in April of last year.
What can we expect this time once the bell rings in Stuttgart?
Assumably Huck, 36-2-1 (25), will be in better shape this time, but what of he was in peak form the last time out? It’s no secret he longs to permanently move up in weight, where he beat up WBA champ Alexander Povetkin but did not get the decision in a brief foray at heavyweight during 2012.
Could Arslan, 33-6-2 (21), pull off another feat of endurance 14 months later and now at the age of 43? If he can and Huck is struggling to make the cruiserweight limit, we could see the end of the four year reign of “Kapt’n Hook” as WBO champion.
But, if Huck is indeed in better shape for this one, he’ll use that added energy to keep on the move, punching and getting away, and not just sit on the ropes and become a heavy bag as he did in the first fight.
If that happens, Huck should retain his belt for the 12th occasion.
One of the support bouts on the bill sees the return of much-hyped British heavyweight David Price, 15-2 (13), after two consecutive KO losses to former title challenger Tony Thompson.
After several changes of opponent, for a variety of reasons, Price will now meet Hungary’s Istvan Ruzsinszky, 12-9-1 (8), who only holds two wins over opponents with winning records.
The level of eventual opponent Price now faces is understandable in light of his suffering two straight devastating knockouts, more so than the wisdom of his handlers having him scheduled to face Dereck Chisora, Evgeny Orlov and then Konstantin Airich.
But, Ruzsinszky apparently can punch a bit and will obviously be gunning for Price’s fragile jaw and psyche as what does he have to lose if it doesn’t work?
