A recap of the three main events for three separate cards for the weekend of 08/15/14
08/15/14: Rustam Nugaev-Denis Shafikov
The weekend kicked off with a great edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights in a bout that lived up to its billing. Rustam Nugaev and Denis Shafikov squared off at the Chumash Casino in an IBF eliminator in the lightweight division. Both men showed tremendous heart and each boxer proved to have an iron chin in a bout that was as entertaining as a boxing match you will ever see. In my preview to the fight, I mentioned that Shafikov's great footwork, speed and his ability to mix it up by fighting on the outside and being able to get in and get out could be a problem for the straight-forward Nugaev. That ultimately proved to be the difference.
Shafikov started the first round off by measuring the distance between him and Nugaev and landing crisp combos from the outside while Nugaev looked to be feeling Shafikov out. Nugaev came out more aggressive in the second round and tested Shafikov's chin against the ropes numerous times in the round but Shafikov's superior foot and hand speed were on full display by the end of the round.
Nugaev had more success in the third round and started to land combos of his own while finally forcing Shafikov to fight his fight and engage on the inside. It was Shafikov, however, who got the best of Nugaev in the firefight that broke out in round three. Shafikov landed devastating combos that started with punishing body shots and finished with huge uppercuts and left hooks that temporarily interrupted the activity of Nugaev. Both men continued to tee off in round four and the firefight ensued. Nugaev continued to walk Shafikov down in the fourth and did a great job of forcing Shafikov to fight his fight and seemed to be gaining momentum with his clean combos and aggressiveness. An accidental headbutt opened up a cut above the left eye of Rustam Nugaev in round four.
The momentum shift failed to capitalize in round five and Nugaev's lack of defense and tendency to walk in a straight line became apparent. Shafikov resorted back to his boxing and used his jab to set up beautiful combinations that began with brutal bodywork and finished with 1-2's to the head that began to severely swell Nugaev's left eye. Nugaev continued to press forward and landed nice uppercuts through the guard of Shafikov against the ropes, but Shafikov did a great job of bouncing off the ropes and continue his well-rounded attack. Again, round six saw Nugaev continue his relentless pressure but Shafikov's speedy combinations from the outside started to slow Nugaev down by the end of the round. Roung six concluded with a brutal left hook from Shafikov that looked to temporarily stop Nugaev in his tracks while Shafikov unloaded left and right hands to the head and body until the ring of the bell.
The three rounds going into the ninth and final round were completely one-sided and Nugaev's punches started to lose steam and the accumulation of punches from Shafikov began to take it's toll on Rustam Nugaev. Rounds seven and eight looked similar to round six and by the end of round eight, it looked as if the Nugaev's corner or the referee were on the verge of stopping the fight, but Nugaev fought on. Shafikov's boxing skills and in-and-out fighting were again on full display in the ninth round and after a body shot had Nugaev backtracking, a lunging right hand from Shafikov pushed Nugaev into the ropes and the referee had saw enough and stopped the fight at the 1:45 mark of the ninth round.
This was a fight that absolutely lived up to the hype before the bout and both guys put on an absolute show. Rustam Nugaev had been in a handful of entertaining bouts on ESPN2 since making his American TV debut last year and this one proved no different. His relentless style and constant pursuit of his opponent is something to be admired and the amount of heart and grit he showed in this bout was second to none. The toughness he displayed while absorbing large amount of punishment from Denis Shafikov was inspiring. It was obvious this was a man who worked his whole life for this opportunity to put himself in a position for a title shot and there was absolutely no quit in him.
Denis Shafikov put on a fantastic performance and his well-rounded game was the star of the night. His fast combinations and great footwork combined with his ability to mix it up and fight off the front and back foot proved to be the difference Friday night. The style that Rustam Nugaev presented is the polar opposite of what Shafikov would be facing if he were to rematch Miguel Vazquez, but the added time spent at Freddy Roach's Wild Card gym might just give the IBF champ something extra to to think about. Shafikov's skills are apparent and I believe he would make for a great fight against any other title holder in the lightweight division. Denis Shafikov proved he is a problem for anyone at 135lbs.
08/16/14: Yoan Pablo Hernandez-Firat Arslan
IBF cuiserweight champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez returned Saturday night in Germany to defend his title for the fourth time since his victory over Steve "USS" Cunningham in 2011. The German based Cuban defended his title against the tough and rugged Firat Arslan who fought for a world title for the second time in 2014, losing by TKO to Marco Huck in the sixth round back in January. The 43 year old Arslan gave Huck a very tough fight in 2012, losing a close decision that ultimately earned him a rematch earlier this year. Hernandez scored an impressive knockout of Alexander Alekseev in his last fight, but many fans thought he looked vulnerable after appearing to get stunned on a couple occasions by the German based Russian. Arslan displayed tremendous heart throughout the fight and his aggressiveness and relentless pursuit of Hernandez nearly earned him the IBF title, but his efforts fell just short of championship glory.
Round one started off as a feel out round for Hernandez, while Arslan came out with a high guard and pushing straight forward towards Hernandez. From the opening bell, it was clear Arslan was going to try his best to make it a rough night for Hernandez. Arslan began round two by stalking Hernandez and landing his first meaningful punches off the night- a couple of left hooks that landed through the guard of Hernandez. Arslan continued to follow Hernandez around the ring and landed a nice left uppercut that pushed Hernandez to the ropes, following up with a right hand while the champion had his hands down. Hernandez came back with a nice 1-2 that didn't discourage Arslan, who continued to push forward but not throw or land much until the end of the round where both guys exchanged punches on the ropes. Hernandez got the best out of the exchanges in that round and it seemed as if he was on his way to out-boxing Arslan who had the right idea, but seemingly not enough creativity.
Hernandez had his way with Arslan in rounds three and four and it wasn't until round five where Arslan finally came forward with a purpose and started to land more meaningful punches. Arslan caught Hernandez with a short left hook while Hernandez was shelling up against the ropes and not throwing anything in return. Hernandez refused to utilize his jab to keep Arslan off of him and Arslan smothered Hernandez and started to work the body. Hernandez came back with body shots of his own but ultimately got pushed back to the ropes where he continued to shell up and not throw anything in return. Hernandez finished the round with a big body shot and his best work of the round was to the body.
Arlsan's best work of the fight starts in the sixth round where where he landed a nice body shot while Hernandez was on the ropes and followed up with a left hook and uppercut that grazed Hernandez's chin. Arslan followed up with a nice combo on the ropes with Hernandez trying to counter but landing on Arslan's gloves. Arslan landed his best shot of the fight to this point at the end of the sixth where he snapped Hernandez's head back. Hernandez finished the round with more devastating body work which had yet to discourage the 43 year old. In the seventh round, Arslan started to throw more combos and increase his activity, but got countered with a couple of uppercuts that snapped his head back and Hernandez looked to be taking back control of the fight.
Both guys were active in round eight, but Hernandez's body work finally seemed to be taking a a slight toll on Arslan. Arslan finally started to double up his jab and as a result landed a big uppercut. But by the end of the round, both guys seem to start severely tiring. Hernandez landed one of the best punches of the bout with a big right hand with his back against the ropes that snapped Arslans head back violently. Arslan continued to move forward but his activity dropped tremendously.
In round ten, Arslan changed his tactics and started to keep his distance and utilize his jab more. Arlsan started to counter Hernandez by the end of the round and the change in game plan seemed to be a good decision. By the start of round eleven, Hernandez was completely gassed and his activity dropped dramatically. His output dropped in each of the final three rounds and Arslan continued to keep his distance and it seemed he thought he had the fight won. Neither guy threw much in the final round and both guys were absolutely gassed and seemed to have thought they had the fight in the bag. Arslan continued to keep his distance and noticeably fought very careful until the final bell.
Yoan Pablo Hernandez won a split decision with two cards going his way and one going to Arslan. Arlsan gave a great effort and did not look his age until the final few rounds of the fight. The fight was very close and I believe a draw would of been fair- although I had Hernandez winning by a round. It was a bit of a disappointing performance by Hernandez who started to gas out in the later rounds and his activity was almost non-existent at times. The champion let himself get tagged on the ropes and didn't throw his jab enough to keep Arslan off of him. Hernandez's lack of activity at times and stamina issues down the stretch led to this fight being as close as it was. In the end, the champion did just enough to squeak out a victory and the decision was fair. There were a handful of rounds that could of gone either way, as evident by the split in the judges scorecards.
08/16/14: Kell Brook-Shawn Porter
Sheffield native Kell Brook traveled to The United States to challenge IBF welterweight king Shawn Porter at the Stubhub Center in California. Porter, fresh off his dismantlement of Paulie Malignaggi came into this fight as the favorite to defend his title. This was Brook's second stateside appearance and he certainly made the most of it.
Shawn Porter's explosiveness and and athletic ability was well apparent from the opening bell. The shorter Porter's game plan was to make it a dog fight and rough Brook up on the inside. Brook was having none of that and did a fantastic job of out boxing Porter and using his stiff jab and distance punching to pick Porter off as he lunged in. Porter was a bit more crude Saturday night then what we're used to seeing and would wildly lunge in without setting up his punches or work with any jabs. His movement was fine- but through 12 rounds his corner could not find a way to adjust to Brook's game plan and clinching on the inside.
Brook set a game plan from the very beginning of the fight and stuck to it in hostile territory. The most impressive thing about Brook's performance was how he maintained his composure throughout the fight. He never panicked, never abandoned his game plan and never let Porter get comfortable and engage in the dogfight that Porter needed to be successful. Brook's sticking and moving worked to perfection and he looked very comfortable for twelve rounds.
Many people were unimpressed with Brook's clinching throughout the fight but Porter did himself no favors by lunging in wildly at times without utilizing his jab to set his work up. Porters lack of setup work ultimately caused him to smother himself and get held by Brook- who continued to tag Porter as Porter looked for a way to get in. A scorecard of 114-114 seemed a bit outrageous, I had the fight closer to 117-111 for Brook and felt he did a great job of out boxing Porter for the majority of the fight and did not allow Porter to get in any kind rhythm.
Shawn Porter is an explosive athlete and his "bulldog" style could create problems for anybody. A little bit more utilization of his jab and set up work and he should find himself back in a position to challenge a top fighter. As for Brook, he has set himself up with a massive payday and the options are endless. A domestic mega-fight against fellow Brit Amir Khan seems to be a logical next step for both boxers. A fight with P4P king Floyd Mayweather next year could also be a possibility, as could a fight with Manny Pacquiao
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