Usyk dethrones Głowacki, Piątkowska claims WBC title
Olexandr Usyk (10-0, 9 KO) unanimously outpointed Krzysztof Głowacki (26-1, 16 KO) in the main event of Polsat Boxing Night at Gdańsk’s Ergo Arena. The Ukrainian took the WBO cruiserweight title from the Pole and handed him the first defeat of his career.
The opening round belonged to the challenger. Głowacki applied pressure, but Usyk effectively kept him at bay with his right jab. He also countered twice with his left hand. After the break, “Główka” managed to drive his opponent onto the ropes and land a short combination, but in the center of the ring the Ukrainian still ruled, primarily thanks to his straight right.
In the third round, Usyk controlled the action for long stretches, outboxing the champion with a superb jab. However, 45 seconds before the end, Głowacki landed a powerful left hook. The fourth round was better for the Pole. He closed the distance, attacked the body and created openings for left hooks upstairs. The fifth round was close and even.
In the sixth round, Usyk again extended the distance and regained control with straight punches. “You have to push him onto the ropes, Krzysiek,” trainer Fiodor Łapin advised during the break. The seventh round looked better for Głowacki, but the Ukrainian continued to land more cleanly and calmly. The next three minutes resembled a game of boxing chess. Both men waited for the other to make a mistake.
The first two minutes of the ninth round went to the fighter from Wałcz, but late in the round Usyk landed a right hook and a left uppercut. In the tenth, he found his rhythm, slipping Głowacki’s attacks and answering with counters. Głowacki’s punches made the bigger impression, but the Ukrainian landed more often and more accurately.
Usyk’s advantage grew further in the eleventh round. Głowacki briefly lost concentration in the center of the ring and absorbed a series of light but accurate punches. In the final round, he launched a determined attack. He even knocked Usyk down with a barrage of punches near the ropes, but the referee did not rule the sequence a knockdown. After a brief surge, the Ukrainian responded with excellent combinations and sealed the victory.
After the final bell, the judges were unanimous: 119:109, 117:111 and 117:111 for Usyk.
Ewa Piątkowska (10-1, 4 KO) defeated Aleksandra Magdziak Lopes (16-4-2, 1 KO) to win the vacant WBC women’s world title in the junior middleweight division. Piątkowska landed a powerful left hook in the opening round, but her opponent quickly answered with a long straight right.
“The Tigress” won the first round, but in the second “the American Pole” effectively countered from the defensive. After the break, Piątkowska changed her tactics and began her attacks with punches to the body. She hit noticeably harder, although at times she walked into her opponent’s counters.
In the sixth round, Piątkowska landed a powerful right to the solar plexus and sent her opponent to the canvas. Magdziak Lopes explained that her feet had been badly positioned, but the referee ruled it a knockdown and counted to eight. This gave the Pole added confidence. In the seventh and eighth rounds, she also began landing her right hook effectively.
With 30 seconds remaining in the ninth round, Piątkowska smashed home a left hook, but Magdziak Lopes took the punch without any visible effect. In the final two minutes, the Pole increased the tempo further and did not let the victory slip away. The judges scored it 96:93, 97:93 and 96:93 for Piątkowska.
Andrzej Wawrzyk (33-1, 19 KO) stopped Albert Sosnowski (49-8-2, 30 KO) to win the Polish heavyweight title in the ring in Gdańsk. The former European champion tried to initiate attacks with body punches and close the distance, but the much faster Wawrzyk moved well and countered effectively.
There were few clean punches in the first round. Near the end of the second, Wawrzyk landed a left-right combination and rocked “The Dragon.” Sosnowski cleverly clinched and then survived the crisis. Almost exactly with the bell, Andrzej landed another powerful right while moving backward.
In the third round, however, it was Sosnowski who found the target with a left hook. Wawrzyk backed up and briefly looked for a clinch himself. He recovered quickly, but Albert once again finished the round strongly, this time with a right hook.
Wawrzyk quickly regained control. Midway through the fourth round, he leaned back onto his rear foot and landed a right uppercut. Late in the round, he battered his opponent with a series of punches by the ropes, opening a cut over his left eyebrow. After the break, Sosnowski was still bleeding, which made his task even more difficult. Wawrzyk dominated, although he was caught once by a double jab.
When the bell sounded for the sixth round, Sosnowski retired from the fight. He was having problems with his vision. Despite his opponent’s clear advantage, the former European champion performed creditably and had his moments.
The third fight of the card was for a title. Patryk Szymański (17-0, 9 KO) narrowly defeated Jose Antonio Villalobos (9-2-2, 5 KO) to win the WBC youth world junior middleweight title. The Pole showed character, but the decision sparked controversy.
Several fierce exchanges took place in the opening round. Szymański’s physical advantage was apparent from the start, although Villalobos remained dangerous. In the second round, the Argentine surprised the Pole with a left hook and moments later was faster in a right-for-right exchange. A minute later he added another left hook, and after landing a body hook, Szymański quickly clinched.
After the break, the fighter from Konin settled his boxing and began dictating the terms again. The referee incorrectly counted Villalobos, although there had been no punch to justify a knockdown. Most importantly, Szymański seized the initiative and opened a cut over his opponent’s right eyebrow.
The fourth round was chaotic and even. Villalobos felt very comfortable in that kind of fight. Szymański was in trouble in the fifth. He punched infrequently and was too focused on finding one decisive blow. The Argentine scored with light punches, particularly to the body.
The first two minutes of the sixth round also did not go the Pole’s way. Finally, Szymański landed a right cross and, a dozen seconds later, followed with a left hook. It appeared that he had rocked his opponent, but he was unable to capitalize on the opportunity.
In the next round, the Pole finally began boxing instead of engaging in a brawl. He set up his opponent with the jab, consistently attacked the body and regained the advantage. He continued to dominate for two minutes of the eighth round, but then surrendered the initiative. Villalobos gained momentum and in the ninth round chased the Pole hard, opening a cut on his left eyelid.
The final three minutes were better for Szymański, but the Argentine appeared to have slightly more energy left. The judges’ scores were split: 96:94 for Szymański, 94:95 for Villalobos and 95:94 for the Pole. The decision was controversial, as was the earlier erroneous count. Szymański should nevertheless draw the appropriate conclusions from this fight.
Michał Cieślak (14-0, 10 KO) had no trouble breaking down the experienced Giulian Ilie (21-11-2, 7 KO). The bout ended in the second round. Cieślak boxed aggressively and without compromise from the outset. When the Romanian covered up tightly, the fighter from Radom began consistently pounding his body with hooks.
Early in the second round, Cieślak landed a short right in close. Ilie protested, claiming he had been hit in the back of the head, and dropped to one knee, but Leszek Jankowiak began the count. The Pole went after his opponent, missing a little, until he finally fired a right cross. This time Ilie struggled to rise by the count of nine.
Cieślak immediately closed in and overwhelmed his opponent with punches, knocking him down for the third time. The Romanian got up and assumed his stance, but a towel came flying from his corner. There were ten seconds left before the bell. Quick, easy and enjoyable—for Polish fans, at least.
In the light heavyweight bout that opened the card, Paweł Stępień (5-0, 4 KO) outpointed Norbert Dąbrowski (18-5-1, 7 KO) after a difficult battle. The opening was cautious. Both men were primarily looking for body punches that could pay dividends later in the fight.
The action became more interesting in the second round. “Noras” initially held a slight edge, but 30 seconds before the end, Stępień landed a right cross. Dąbrowski started the third round well and twice drew his opponent into a left-hand counter. The round once again finished in Paweł’s favor.
In the fourth round, Stępień landed a right uppercut and followed moments later with a right hook. At the start of the fifth, Dąbrowski surprised his opponent with a short left to the jaw by the ropes. He sensed his opportunity and went on the attack. He did not cause much damage, but his activity earned the judges’ approval.
Dąbrowski applied more pressure in the sixth round. He threw more punches, but a brief surge from Stępień was enough to give him the round. Paweł landed by the ropes and immediately followed up with a longer combination. The next round looked similar. Norbert seemed to be pressing forward, but Stępień’s punches made the bigger impression.
The final three minutes summed up the entire fight. The bout remained close, but Stępień’s powerful counters after leaning back appeared to settle the round. The judges were unanimous, scoring it 79:73, 79:73 and 77:75 for Paweł Stępień.
Source: bokser.org
