By Alexey Sukachev

A sad end for a fallen star is always a gross shock for his fans. Roy Jones Jr. (54-8, 40 KOs) suffered one of the most brutal knockouts in his illustrious career on Saturday night in Moscow, Russia, being momentarily frozen by Denis Lebedev’s furious combination and then nearly annihilated with a subsequent right hook to the head. Lebedev (22-1, 17 KOs), who is ranked #1 by the WBO and #4 by The Ring #4, got his soundest victory (and by a landslide) over the aging legend in what was quite an even fight beforehand.

Scores at the time of stoppage (2:50 of the tenth round) were: 90-81 (Evgueny Gorstkov) – for Lebedev, 85-86 (Keith Hughes) – for Jones, and 87-84 (Daniel Van de Wiele) – again for Lebedev. The first couple of scores should be dismissed as inadequate because Lebedev was clearly ahead but no near as far as the Russian judge (and former heavyweight amateur star) saw it. BoxingScene saw it 87-84 – for the local southpaw banger, who wasn’t at his best but still managed to control the pace of the fight until the very end.

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TO HIT OR NOT TO HIT

Discussion immediately broke out about the legitimacy (both moral and formal) of the last punch, thrown by Lebedev. Jones, who revived some of his old magic in the ninth with a beautiful right-left combination and a right hand to follow it and then had Lebedev on the ropes in the tenth, received several left hands in succession and then was made unconscious by a follow-up barrage of brutal uppercuts. It was when Lebedev stopped for a while, looked at referee Steve Smoger, saw him not stepping in to end the massacre and then added a finishing hook to already defeated opponent, who landed face first to the canvas.

The majority of the crowd was badly stunned by a cruelty of the end. People rose in disbelief, some cried, some not. Jones lay unconscious for several minutes before he got up and greeted local supporters and opposite fans, who greeted him in return. It’s worth noting that local public was very generous towards the fallen warrior, who received a storm of applause. Oppositely, Lebedev was severely dismissed over the Ru-Net by a number of casual observers and some witnesses, who insisted that the last punch was unnecessary by all possible standards.

Several anonymous polls around the web proved that an attitude towards Team Lebedev changed largely to a negative note, much due to the last punch, thrown by the Russia’s Fighter of the year (2009 & 2010).

This reporter’s personal opinion, however, differs largely from a common point of view. Denis Lebedev is a fighter, and prizefighting is no ballet or figure skating. It’s a brutal sport where people put their own life at risk and in constant danger. It’s also a scene of the most inherent bestial instincts, which cannot be erased even by the very nature of a man. Sensing the scent of danger and being tricked by Roy Jones’ own tactics of constant trickery and possum-play Lebedev chose to end matters whenever a chance came his way. Moreover, he did exactly what a real fighter should have done, and that is fighting to an end. The last punch, as cruel as it was, was also fully legal and strictly followed the very nature of pugilism.

More important is the question, if the famed referee did a quality job by not putting a halt to the fight at the very end of round ten. Yours truly has no other choices but to give Steve Smoger the benefit of the doubt for his decision. The American referee is known for giving fighters every chance to make it to an end. Smoger is known for borderline late stoppages, and this reputation has been built through years of refereeing. It’s hard to believe that Team Jones wasn’t aware of the choice of the third man in the ring. It’s equally difficult to believe that they didn’t know about some notable features of Smoger’s manner of work. So, the rules were set. And it’s also important to underline that Smoger hasn’t done anything against his principles. He gave the legendary champion every chance to get out with decision, and it wasn’t his fault that Jones was unable to last the distance. Quite possibly he was late to signalize a stoppage but he hasn’t violated his own mindset.

It’s true, however, that Team Lebedev will suffer some immediate reputational damages. It is not unexpected though. Had he knocked out the all-time great talent early in the fight, fans would have dismissed the achievement because of how little had been left of Roy Jones. Had he cruised to a hard-fought decision, one to be dismissed would have been Lebedev, who would have been rendered as nothing more than a mediocre boxer at very best. The truth is that Lebedev is neither a great fighter nor a mediocre one. He can get a couple of belts later in his career, but at 31 he will never be remembered as an outstanding champion. However, after all is said and done, he will be recalled as a man who has a win over a true magician of the squared circle. Not a bad deed to remember, while details will vain away as the time passes by.

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POST-FIGHT QUOTES

Kostya Tszyu in the ring after the fight to AAP: “Now that we got past Roy, we start looking ahead to our next challenge. I want to bring Denis to Australia to fight Danny Green. I think the fans would love to see that fight.”

IBO cruiserweight champion Danny Green (31-3, 27 KOs) puts his title at risk against famed American veteran Antonio Tarver (28-6, 19 KOs) on July 20 in Sydney, Australia. Interestingly, both Green and Tarver have previously scored brutal knockout wins over Roy Jones Jr. in 2004 and in 2009 respectively.

Denis Lebedev: “I want to thank everybody who has helped me before and during the fight, and who has supported me. Lots of casual fans, everymen from the streets of Russian cities shook hands with me and wished me a good luck. There were the powers that be who offered me any aid possible without taking any favours in return. “You can just come to us and ask whatever you want”, they said. “Our doors are always opened for you”. I’m glad I was able to achieve this feat without any side help though.

We have carried out an enormous amount of work, and I’m very glad it has resulted in my victory. My team has dedicated itself to the fight even more this time than to Marko Huck. Though I have done tonight everything I can as was the case in Huck fight too. Maybe, every dog has its day, and my day is tonight. Had I won against Huck in Germany, I wouldn’t have faced Jones this time. We shall see what is next for us later”.

- What was your plan for the fight?

- We did some homework before the fight. My main task was to get control of the bout, never to lose my composure, to pressure my opponent and to get a win one piece after another. Multi-punch combinations aren’t what we have been looking for. It’s just a useless loss of energy. Two or three blows in succession were much more effective against such an elusive fighter as Jones. Surely, we have lots of thing to re-evaluate and to improve till the next fight.

- Was Jones fighting the way you had anticipated beforehand?

- Yeah. Roy was as quick and as agile as we have predicted. His punches aren’t as rapid as they were in the past but he is still blisteringly fast. Everyone, who had predicted an easy win for me, could have seen how hard it really was. It was an honest victory, not an underset.

- Which moment of the fight was the most difficult?

- It was around the sixth round. I have vigorously prepared my body to this test but my fuel ended suddenly in the midst of the collision. I don’t know why I have suddenly got fatigued. It was like my fight with Marko Huck, like final rounds in that fight. I was afraid the story can repeat itself. I was forced to increase the output in championship rounds and I’m glad I haven’t made the same mistake and preserved some energy till the very end. Championship’s experience has surely helped me in this case.

- What did Kostya Tszyu say to you between the rounds?

- He acknowledged me if he was glad with a particular round or not. Kostya was mostly satisfied with my boxing. If not, he just said to me what I should have improved in the coming round.

- Were you disappointed that the audience was supporting Roy Jones and not you?

- I was disappointed for a moment or two. But Roy Jones Jr. is a Legend. His kindness was so enormous that I was positively shocked. There are lots of fighters who seem to be kind-hearted and unfocused only to employ serpent-like attacks and to stab you just in time when you aren’t prepared for that. I don’t like it. Roy Jones is different. He fought me to the end, and I have nothing but an utmost respect for him.

- Don’t you think Roy Jones just surrendered to you?

- No, I don’t think so. What is about you? No, this is a joke. I don’t even want to convince you. Jones fought to the end. It was an honest battle.

- What went wrong in the fight? What haven’t you accomplished during this battle?

- I tried to catch him with my counter left hook. I waited him to throw his right hand to connect with my money punch in return. But I saw in his eyes that he has read my plans. So I was unable to counter him effectively. His right hands were lightning-fast and very sudden. I have been training my counter left during the training camp. I was able to hit my sparring partner but Roy Jones was truly untouchable.

- Nikolay Valuev admitted after the final count that he had mixed feelings. He was glad for you but it was very hard to see a fallen legend. What have you felt when Roy Jones was down and badly hurt and unconscious?

- As an every day man, I feel very bad for Roy. But this is boxing, and I was also close to be hit mercilessly in one of the moments. This is an exceptional kind of sport. I’m sure Roy would have felt bad for me if I was knocked out cold by one of his punches. It was a great honour to shake his hand afterwards.

Roy Jones Jr.: “Thank you, guys. Thanks to all of you. I’m very glad to come to Russia. Denis is very strong, very determined. I think he will remember this night for a very long time”.

- You have always been known for your exceptional timing. What has went wrong in the last ten seconds of the fight?

- I knew the end was near. But I didn't see the punch that knocked me out. It happens sometimes.

- Have you enjoyed a support from local fans?

- Yes, I have. It was truly wonderful.

- How do you feel now?

- Thanks, I’m fine. It was an even fight. I have demonstrated once again that I can still cope with the best fighters in the world.

- What has disappointed you the most?

- It was the moment when I lost my focus and received a punishing blow which I shouldn’t have hit with. It was really sad. 

- Do you feel Denis Lebedev is the best fighter in cruiserweight division?

- I think so. He is ready to get a deserved victory in the title fight.

Kostya Tszyu, former undisputed 140lbs champion and IBHOF entrant (class of 2010): “I have received tons of positive impressions during the month and a half when I worked with Denis. We have carried out a nice body of work. But there’s always a place for future improvement. It was a horrific test for Lebedev tonight. He won over a truly good boxer who forced Denis to dig deep and to summon all his spirits to get a deserved achievement. This victory will help Denis to make a large step up in class and to polish his future performances. Tonight he has accomplished eighty percents of what I have asked him for”.

As for me, I’m very glad to be a part of this accomplishment. It was a historical fight for Russian boxing. We have never staged such sound fights against such legendary pugilists earlier. But it’s only the beginning. We shall invite more stars and superstars of boxing to fight in Russia. We shall make more competitive tournaments. Tonight we have made just a tiny step into the right direction. Expect more from us in future”.

Vladimir Hryunov, promoter of the event: “According to my sources, more than seven thousands of fans filled in a venue, which can nominally be a host only for 4500 spectators. This fact speaks for itself. Everything was almost smooth, and the only thing which has slightly marred an entire event is the moment when the great fighter was knocked out cold. We worry for Roy’s health but I hope everything will be ok”.

- What is next for Denis?

- Let’s wait a bit. I’m sure Denis will fight at the same venue the next time. As for Sasha Bakhtin, we are currently in negotiations with Vic Darchinyan to bring him to fight Bakhtin in Russia. Alexander Povetkin also has a great future in front of him. We shall see him soon in a huge fight.

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OTHER COMMENTS

Nikolay Valuev, former two-time WBA heavyweight champion: “Was it an honest fight? It surely was. Look at Jones. He suffered a horrible knockout. It’s a real tragedy. He will feel pain in his head for several months at least. Roy has visibly and drastically tired in the later rounds. He was fighting on sheer will and he even was able to land some punches but… his age took the toll. It was a very sad end for a true master of the ring. As for Denis I congratulate him on this achievement. He is a new, bright star of Russian boxing”.

Valery Belov, former coach of Denis Lebedev and Alexander Povetkin: “Denis has done a great job tonight and deserved to get a victory over Roy Jones. I think if not a knockout in the tenth round he would have won the fight anyway. Denis has lost the first round, and some rounds were even, but a majority has been won by Lebedev

Denis has shown everything he had and was more active fighter of the two. He was in control of the fight but lost some moments when he waited too long to start yet another attack. Denis should be smarter the next time. There were moments when he lost his composure and allowed Roy to hit him hard”.

Dmitry Pirog, WBO middleweight champion and the only Russian to hold a piece of the world title: “I always worshipped Roy Jones as a genius but tonight I rooted for Denis. I was even disappointed when Lebedev looked bad and got hit hard. I wished that the fight would last the distance, and there would be no knockouts. I’m disappointed with this outcome. It’s a sad end. But Denis has done a right thing by finishing Jones. I would have done the same. It’s boxing and either you will win the fight or it’ll be your opponent”.

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UNDERCARD

Bakhtin – Beranza

Alexander Bakhtin (27-0, 11 KOs), who is currently ranked #5 by the IBF at bantamweight class and #7 by the WBC at super bantamweight limit, fought at 122 lbs and schooled tough but aging Mexican upset master Jose Angel Beranza (33-20-2, 19 KOs) over ten lopsided rounds. Bakhtin was as economic as he usually is. He combined crisp right jab with sudden one-two combinations to the head of the Latino fighter, then immediately move back and made some side-steps to confuse his opponent and to avoid some punishment in return. Luckily (or sadly in retrospective) the Russian fighter, who also holds all-Japanese boxing record for the biggest number of domestic title defenses at bantamweight, isn’t in possession of a hard punch, so he was unable to end maters preliminarily. All three judges saw it as a near-shutout: 100-90 (Baban Nadyrov and Vladimir Nazarov) and 100-91 (Alexander Kalinkin). BoxingScene also had it 100-90 – for the Russian.

“It was a hard opponent for me. Awkward and viscous Mexican is a typical representative of this school of boxing. Also, I wasn’t fully prepared for this fight. Had I been better prepared for Beranza, I would have ended the bout with a kayo. I was also too emotional. I was fighting with a live TV coverage all over Russia so I felt an additional pressure. Nevertheless, it was a good win for me”, said Bakhtin afterwards.

Sillakh – Wandera

Flashy California-based Ukrainian Ismayl Sillakh (16-0, 13 KOs) clearly dismissed tough but limited Ugandan light heavyweight champion Hamza Wandera (12-3-2, 11 KOs) in three painfully one-sided rounds. Wandera, who was coming off a controversial loss to WBO #6 Slovakian/Hungarian Tamas Kovacs, was just in another league with Sillakh and didn’t belong to the same ring with a dark-skinned Ukrainian. WBC #6 and IBF #14 Sillakh just toyed with his opponent before several brutal combinations put Wandera down in the third. He got up – thanks to a long count by referee Steve Smoger – but was later dismissed after all in the same stanza.

“It was a good performance by Ismayl”, said his manager Ivaylo Gotzev afterwards to this reporter. “We shall now rest a bit and then get back to the gym for future fights. I want to bring Sillakh back to ESPN in a main event somewhere in autumn to defend his NABF title. We shall seek for a major cable channel to broadcast us after that. Sillakh is a star in the making – make no mistake about it”.

Campbell – Nazarov

Former undisputed lightweight champion Nate Campbell (34-8-1, 25 KOs) continued his comeback with a successful but incoherent decision over tough but limited Uzbek brawler Sherzod Nazarov (12-5, 10 KOs) to erase bad memories of his April loss to Danny Garcia. The fight wasn’t entertaining by any means but Campbell, who looked rather rusty, cleanly outboxed his less polished opponent. Scores were: 79-73 (Evgueny Gorstkov), 79-74 (Alexander Kalinkin) and 80-73 (Vladimir Nazarov) – for Campbell. BoxingScene scored it 80-72 – also for Campbell.

- How can you assess your performance tonight?

- It was good given I had only two weeks to prepare for this fight. No, even less. I had just eight days to get on board and to fight this guy. I came here to fight smart. I didn’t do anything difficult, I just boxed.

- Will you continue fighting as junior welterweight?

- No, I’m going down in weight. I’ll continue fighting as a lightweight, at 135 pounds.

- What is next for the Galaxxy Warrior?

- I have no idea yet but it’s gonna be some good.

Evans – Berchuk

22-year old southpaw banger Yaundale Evans (14-0, 10 KOs) won his first ever professional title with a chilling knockout of durable and determined trialhorse Ruslan Berchuk (4-3, 1 KO) in the fifth round. Evans had little troubles with Berchuk but was hit hard on several occasions especially in the starting rounds. The end came after a smashing right hook by the American, which had Berchuk down on his feet and completely out of the fight. Evans acquired a vacant WBC Youth Intercontinental interim super featherweight title.

- Berchuk is a really good boxer. He was a strong opponent. I was forced to jab my way to the victory as he was ready to my southpaw stance and to my right hook.

- Were you hurt by his right hand, his money punch in the opening stanza?

- He hit me cleanly in the first round but I wasn’t hurt. It was rather a slip than a taste of his power.

- Was Berchuk better than your last Filipino opponent?

- He truly was. This Russian guy was way harder to defeat.

- What is next for you?

- I’m preparing for some showtime in Oregon. I expect a TV date, maybe on ESPN, in July and I’m ready to bring the best.