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There were two interesting fight cards this weekend, each featuring a world title contest as the IBF super middle and WBC cruiserweight belts were on the line in America and Russia, respectively.
On Saturday, the action took place at the Agganis Arena in Boston, MA as super middle southpaws James DeGale and Andre Dirrell clashed during an enthralling contest for the vacant IBF strap.
31 year old American Dirrell came into the bout the more experienced boxer, having faced Carl Froch and Arthur Abraham during the Super Six tournament in 2009 and 2010.
The Michigan man generally fights in a very negative style off the back foot but once the bell rang against the 29 year old DeGale, Dirrell was aggressively offensive, going forward with sharp jabs and left crosses.
The strategy backfired in the second round however, as DeGale, already bleeding from the right eye, detonated an overhand left that Dirrell never saw coming. The Flint native was floored but rose quickly on very shaky legs.
DeGale wasted no time in bettering his work, once again flattening Dirrell, who again made it back up but this time was saved by the bell to end the round.
The Englishman hurt Dirrell again in the third but could not produce another knockdown. Dirrell recovered his senses by the fourth but was again getting caught with hard shots in the fifth.
After the midway point of the contest, the tide began to turn as DeGale slowed down, allowing Dirrell to get back in the fight. The American was the busier man from the seventh frame through the tenth but the tourist woke back up over the last two rounds to capture a UD by scores of 114-112, 114-112 and a rather wide 117-109.
DeGale wins the vacant IBF super middle title and improves 21-1 (14), to while Dirrell falls to 24-2 (16). It was the first world title opportunity for both men.
The undercard in Boston saw ex-WBA super middle challenger Edwin Rodriguez, 27-1 (18), continue his campaign as a light heavyweight, gunning down previously undefeated Texan Craig Baker, 16-1 (12), at 2:22 of the third frame.
On Friday, the lights were on in a packed Luzhniki Arena in Boxing mad Moscow as two big names on the Russian scene were in fine form.
WBC cruiserweight boss Grigory Drozd, 39-1 (27), retained his belt for the first time since taking it off Krzysztof Wlodarczyk last September.
The 35 year old from Odintsovo squared off with Polish veteran Lukasz Janik, 28-3 (15), who had previous losses to Ola Afolabi and Mateusz Masternak.
This was Janik’s first world title bout and Drozd’s greater big fight experience proved too high a hurdle to leap as the Pole was knocked down in the seventh before getting stopped at 0:50 of the ninth, with the champion having won every previous round on the scorecards.
Chief support in Moscow came from former WBA heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin, 29-1 (21), who gave Ireland-based Cuban Mike Perez, 21-2-1 (13), a very short and effective boxing lesson.
Perez neglected his defense in the early going as Povetkin snaked a hard shot to the jaw of “The Rebel” while the pair were tangled up and down went the visitor.
It’s amazing that Perez got up as he was felled straight onto his back but that act of bravery just got him more punishment as Povetkin went right in for the kill and forced a halt to the fight at 1:31 of the very first round.
With the win, Povetkin retains the WBC Silver title and is probably on the short list to face the winner of WBC champion Deontay Wilder’s title defense against Eric Molina next month.
If Povetkin vs. Wilder does occur later this year, the well-schooled Russian could be a very difficult proposition for “The Bronze Bomber”.
