By Alexey Sukachev & Per Ake Persson
O2 World Arena, Berlin, Germany - WBA #12 light middleweight Jack Culcay-Keth (13-0, 8 KOs) acquired his first professional title in very easy fashion, when his bout with experienced French veteran Frederic Serre (13-7, 3 KOs) was stopped in the midst of the third round after a bad cut, suffered by the Frenchman.
Culcay, 26, 2009 Milano amateur world champion, who has recently been transferred to Sauerland Event from Universum Box-Promotion, looked superior to his opponent in the first couple of rounds, being faster and sharper, landing punches in combinations and getting little punishment in return. Serre used his stiff right hand to create some problems to Culcay in the second but it wasn't enough to win this lap of the competition. Early into the third, Serre, 31, suffered a bad cut over his left eye, possibly after some hard landed punches by the Golden Jack. He was examined by a ringside physician, allowed to continue fighting but he was in no position to do so, and the fight was stopped by referee Guiseppe Quartarone just moments after.
This fight became the fifth in the card and, unlike many of Sauerland's events, all of the fights (to this point) have ended inside the distance. Culcay-Keth is now the WBA Intercontinental 154lb titleholder.
------------
In another light heavyweight contest, WBO #7 ranked German prospect Dustin Dirks (25-0, 19 KOs) went through some very hard moments in his battle with Czech-based Georgian Sandro Siproshvili (25-14, 12 KOs) to win a much harder bout than many of us expected.
Siproshvili, 29, was an underdog in comparison with 23-year old Dirks but a very live underdog. Despite German's dominance in the first four rounds and in spite of a bleeding cut over his right eye, the Georgian was very aggressive and had some success by landing big, looping shots. The fifth turned into hell for Dirks, who found himself in trouble by eating one punch after another from Siproshvili. The latter unleashed an impressive two-minute flurry of unanswered but partially blocked punches. Dirks wilted under this barrage but managed to remain in the upright position. Oppositely, Siproshvili punched himself out and looked very weary. He was able to survive in the rocking sixth round but was being punished mecrilessly in the seventh. He ate a number of big blows but never went down up until 2:05 mark, when his head coach stepped in and grabbed the still fighting but heavily beaten Georgian warrior.
------------
WBO #5 Robin Krasniqi (38-2, 14 KOs) showed why he can be a threat to the elite light heavyweights, including reigning WBO champion Nathan Cleverly, and did it with a great mix of technique and hardly expected heavy power. On the opposite side was previously undefeated WBO #12 ranked Serdar Sahin, 30, who proved his potential worth in a number of lesser and less meaningful contests. This time, however, he was reduced to a very small value and nullified right after that by the 25-year old prospect.
In a bout of two expatriates - one from Kosovo and one from Turkey - younger Krasniqi was the dominating force. He cut the nose of Sahin with his first jabs of the fight and connected with a hard right cross just after that. Krasniqi's right hand proved to be the decisive weapon in this match-up. After easily bobbing and weaving out of the harm's way the higher ranked fighter landed a thunderous right uppercut and put Sahin down. In rounds two and three, action was going on in much milder tempo but Krasniqi was the better fighter nevertheless, showing both nice body feints and sudden, stinging right hands. Sahin had some moments too but he was limited to sparse activities and was unable to get much of them.
The fourth stanza saw an expected end of the fight when the WBO European titleholder landed another huge right uppercut and sent Sahin down. The Turk beat the count but after carefully looking into his eyes referee Franck Michael Maass rightfully made the correct decision in waving the fight off. Official time of stoppage was 0:46. By impressively stopping Serdar Sahin (20-1, 13 KOs) Krasniqi acquired the vacant WBO international light heavyweight title and took another step into the right direction.
----------------------------------------------
Carlos Caicedo, 29, is nicknamed El Tyson Orense, and he surely looked one... when he fough in his native Equador. However, after moving to Europe he is just 0-5-1, and he showed why in his bout with up-and-coming 20-year old German super middleweight Tyron Zeuge. Caicedo was aggressive and looked physically the stronger of the two, but he was too wild and too inactive with his virtual aggressiveness to pose any problems to Zeuge. The latter contolled the fight for two rounds with his jab before knocking Caicedo out pretty bad with a hard left hook to the chin in the third ound. Time was 2:58. Caicedo is now 4-6-1, 4 KOs, while Zeuge is 3-0, with 3 KOs.
------------
Young light welterweight Felix Lamm (3-0, 1 KO) got his first ever stoppage victory (as a pro) moments ago at O2 World Arena in Berlin, Germany. Lamm dominated the first three rounds of his fight with Spanish journeyman Eloy Rebollo (1-6), 31, before dropping him twice in the fourth stanza. Rebollo, who started his pro career in 2011 as did Lamm, 22, was first dropped after a right hook to the chin and then after a huge left to the solar plexus. Lamm went berserk after the second knockdown and unleashed a nice series of punches prompting a referee to call a halt at 1:33.
------------
ADD COMMENT