Marco Huck and Firat Arslan will make for an exciting and action-packed cruiserweight bout.
Arslan's career is back on the uptick—even at 41 years old. On the strength of a draw with highly touted Alexander Alekseev, Arslan's name carries a bit more weight now in the cruiserweight division. His record stands at 32-5 with 21 KOs, and he would like nothing better than to add another win to his total.
His opponent on Saturday hasn't been in the sport as long, but he's definitely made his mark. Huck (pronounced Hook) is the reigning WBO cruiserweight champion. He is coming off two disappointing finishes in his most recent bouts. However, he still owns an impressive 34-2 record with 25 KOs.
He lost a controversial majority decision to Alexander Povetkin in a venture into the heavyweight division in February. In May, he drew with Ola Afolabi in an exciting bout that I thought he won.
Huck had won 15 straight fights before those two bouts.
At 27, he's facing a man 14 years his senior. Arslan needs to win this fight if he hopes to continue his career at a high level. Huck already may have a shot at a major payday with heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.
Per RT.com, Klitschko is said to be interested in fighting the German cruiserweight because of his exciting fighting style, and experience at heavyweight.
Winning this fight would add some validity to a Huck-Klitschko matchup.
Here's the specifics for this bout
When: Saturday, November 3, 3 PM ET
Where: Gerry Weber Stadium, Halle, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
The Book on Huck
Tale of the Tape (per BoxRec.com)
Age: 27
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 199 pounds vs. Afolabi
Reach: 73"
Stance: Orthodox
Huck isn't a fighter with great fundamentals. He stays a bit too upright, especially during exchanges. He is a decent counter-puncher, but he doesn't have exceptionally fast hands.
What Huck does have is solid instincts, a strong chin, decent power, and a ton of heart. This guy comes to fight every time he laces up the gloves. Even if a fighter is technically more skilled, Huck can compete by outworking him.
All of the positives and negatives were on display in this fight with Povetkin:
Huck didn't earn a win over Povetkin, but he took his victory in the bout shown below against Rogelio Omar Rossi. His underrated punching power was on display in this bout.
You can watch the entire video, or you can jump to the 8:10 mark for the fireworks.
Staying busy is key for Huck.
His opponent is rugged and experienced, but Huck may be able to take advantage of him late in the fight. He has kept himself in excellent condition of late, and it has enabled him to be effective deep into fights.
That may be the time he can take over this fight.
The Book on Arslan
Tale of the Tape (per BoxRec.com)
Age: 41
Height: 5'11.5"
Weight: 198.75 pounds vs. Alekseev
Reach: Unlisted
Stance: Southpaw
Arslan loves to bang on the inside. He covers well, and he tries to sneak in counter hooks from his southpaw stance. He doesn't bring much of a jab, and prefers to entice his opponents into fighting in forehead to forehead battles.
He probably won't have to find Huck, as he also enjoys fighting on the inside.
Arslan is the much older fighter, but he has shown good stamina in his most recent fight with Alekseev. If he is to pull the upset on the much younger Huck, he's going to have to make him respect his power early.
If he can do that, his controlled brawling style could dictate the tempo of the fight.
Prediction
Huck can make this a much easier fight by using his jab, and not allowing Arslan to lure him into an in-fighting brawl. Huck can generally have success in that style of a fight, but it better suits his opponent in this one.
I expect Huck to win a clear decision in a competitive fight.
Follow Brian Mazique and Franchiseplay on YouTube and Twitter for reactions, analysis and news from the world of sports and sports video games
Subscribe on YouTube
Follow @BrianMazique
Follow @franchiseplay
Like us on Facebook
Read more Boxing news on BleacherReport.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment