An unsuccessful night for “Master.” Frenchman won the interim WBA title bout
Mateusz Masternak (32-1, 23 KOs) lost a split decision in Monte Carlo to the highly awkward Youri Kayembre Kalenga (19-1, 13 KOs) of France. The winner captured the interim WBA cruiserweight title. The fight began with a strong attack from Kalenga. The Frenchman tried to overwhelm the Pole with punches to the head and body, forcing him onto the defensive. He continued to dictate the terms in the second round. “Master” was careful defensively, but remained too inactive. Piotrek Wilczewski pointed this out to him in the corner. Kalenga again came forward in the next round, but Masternak blocked most of his punches with his gloves. The Pole relaxed in the closing seconds and made his presence felt. After the next break, “El Toro” once again began with a strong burst. Early on, he landed a right hand between Masternak’s gloves. Kalenga increased the pace and threw a lot of punches, but Masternak calmly waited for his opportunities and countered from time to time.
The fifth round looked similar. Kalenga constantly pressed “Master” and forced him onto the defensive. After the round, the Pole’s trainer once again urged his charge to stop backing up and use the one-two combination more often. A slight breakthrough came in the sixth round. Masternak followed his corner’s instructions, boxed more actively, and his left hook under the right elbow was particularly effective. His opponent certainly felt it. In the seventh round, “Master” increasingly picked Kalenga off with straight punches, while the Frenchman was no longer as dynamic as he had been early on. Kalenga regained the initiative in the eighth round and caught the Pole off guard several times, although none of the shots landed cleanly. It was clear, however, that the body punches were having an effect. Kalenga returned to his corner visibly tired. In the following round, Masternak continued to wait for his opponent, letting his chaotic attacks pass and responding with accurate punches. Despite his fatigue, Kalenga remained dangerous, so the Pole still had to stay alert.
By the tenth round, the Frenchman was already badly exhausted. He dropped his hands to his hips and was breathing heavily. “Master” landed with his left jab, but he too was increasingly feeling the effects of the fight. Kalenga’s attacks nevertheless made the stronger impression, and the judges likely awarded him the round. The pace clearly dropped in the penultimate round, and the boxers landed few punches. In the closing seconds, Kalenga summoned the last of his energy, landed a shot and finished the round with a chaotic burst. In the final round, “El Toro” was barely standing, yet he continued to press forward against the Pole. Masternak landed several accurate right straights in response, but it was not enough to give him the round. After twelve rounds, the judges scored the fight a split decision: 115-113 for Masternak, and 115-113 and 116-112 for Kalenga.
source: bokser.org
