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In a battle of ex-heavyweight champions looking for another crack at world honors, former WBA titlist Nikolay Valuev won that organization’s official eliminator by outfighting past WBO beltholder Serguei Lyakhovich over twelve rounds at Neurmberg Arena in Nuremberg, Germany.
At 7 feet tall and weighing 321 pounds, Valuev proved simply too big for Lyakhovich to get a grip on and the big Russian pumped out a pole-like jab to keep the 6 foot 4 Belarus man right where he wanted him.
Lyakhovich showed a sturdy chin to take many flush Valuev right hands but was never a danger to the former WBA ruler and it was no surprise when Valuev was awarded the 120-107, 120-108 (twice) decision.
Valuev moves to 48-1 (34) and into the mandatory challenger position of the man who took his WBA title, Ruslan Chagaev. Lyakhovich, 23-3 (14), loses his second bout in a row but will likely move into another title fight in the near future after a few stay busy bouts.
On the undercard, former WBO title challenger Kali Meehan, 34-3 (28), stopped journeyman Jeremy Bates, 22-16-1 (18), in the third while another heavyweight Francesco Pianeta, 15-0 (9), knocked out Donnell Wiggins, 24-10-4 (14), who had been a super middleweight as recently as two years ago, in the third.
Former IBF Cruiserweight Champion “King” Arthur Williams, 43-15-1 (30), was stopped in the fifth by prospect Alexander Frankel, 14-0 (10), and light middle Alexander Abraham, 19-0-1 (14), outpointed Choukri Yentour, 18-3 (7), over eight.
Karo Murat, 16-0 (11), stopped Sergey Kharchenko, 15-10-2 (10), in the tenth to win the vacant EBU-EE Super Middleweight crown.
