After being awarded a disputed unanimous decision win over Firat Arslan (33-6-2, 21 KO) in Nov. 2012, WBO cruiserweight champion Marco Huck (36-2-1, 25 KO) will give the veteran a rematch. The fight will take place at Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.
It was originally supposed to happen in Sept. 2013, but it was postponed after Huck suffered an elbow injury. Since the first meeting, both Huck and Arslan have scored decision wins.
Huck defeated Ola Afolabi in June 2013. It was another rematch after a controversial win in May 2012. Arslan outboxed Varol Vekiloglu in March, so he'll have a bit of rung rust to shake off in Saturday's bout.
At 43 years old, this could be Arslan's last chance to win another world title. He won his first and only world championship in 2007 when he defeated Virgil Hill.
Some felt Arslan did enough to win the first fight. Huck is trying to leave no doubt this time around. Here's how you can watch.
When: Saturday, Jan. 25 at 1 p.m. EST
Where: Hanns-Martin-Schleyer Halle, Stuttgart, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
TV: BoxNation
Live Stream: LiveSport.TV (region restricted)
The Book on Huck
Because the 29-year-old German doesn't fight a clean, fluid style, or possess devastating power, his fights are often difficult to judge. Thus, he has so many close and controversial decisions on his record.
Huck isn't much for defense. He's a pure brawler who isn't difficult to hit. He shows great stamina and that is what usually propels him to victory. Allan Fox of Boxing News 24 credits Huck's longevity and durability:
Ignoring some of his controversial decisions, Huck is doing a good job of winning and staying on top of the division. A lot of fighters would have slipped a notch by this point in their careers if they had taken the kind of punishment to the head that Huck has taken. But he doesn’t have any problems fighting this style and he’s not showing any signs of slipping.
It would be great to see Huck take on the likes of Guillermo Jones or Yoan Pablo Hernandez at some point, but he has a tough assignment in Arslan to handle first.
The Book on Arslan
Arslan was obviously upset with the decision in his first fight with Huck. Because of the success he had against the champion, Arslan is going into Saturday's fight very confident. He told Jake Donovan of Boxing Scene:
"I am feeling like the world champion since my first fight against Marco, which I actually won. Now it is time to collect my belt from him."
That can be partially dismissed as pre-fight bravado, but you have to think Arslan believes he can actually pull out the win in the rematch. As Steve Kim of Max Boxing indicated when he spoke to Arslan after the first fight, the challenger took the action to Huck.
In many eyes, he outworked him. If he duplicates, or improves his performance, will the judges give him the nod this time?
Prediction
As a pure competitor, it is hard to find a fighter more fierce than Huck. When he steps in the ring, he gives maximum effort and empties the tank.
Arslan is similar, but at some point, the age disadvantage has to show. The challenger is 14 years older than Huck. In what will probably be another grueling contest, Arslan is more apt to slow down late.
Huck will outlast him again for another—less controversial—unanimous decision victory.
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