A thrilling May on Polish rings: Lodzik, Szeremeta and Włodarczyk win
MAY 14, 2023 [ZĄBKI, BABILON PROMOTIONS]
In Ząbki, Jan Lodzik (8-0, 2 KO) defeated Konrad Dąbrowski (11-4, 1 KO). His opponent boxed effectively off the back foot and offered resistance throughout the first three rounds. Lodzik’s relentless pressure, however, caused Dąbrowski to visibly tire in the fourth. In the fifth round, the Pole landed a powerful right hook, increased the pace and unleashed a barrage of punches. Dąbrowski dropped to one knee twice, and after the second knockdown the referee stopped the bout.
MAY 19, 2023 [ZŁOTÓW, TYMEX BOXING NIGHT]
In the main event, Yevgeniy Makarchuk (8-0, 3 KO) claimed another scalp in Polish boxing, this time defeating Łukasz Maciec (28-7-1, 5 KO). The styles of the two fighters did not produce the most entertaining spectacle. There was a lot of clinching and little in the way of interesting action, while the judges differed sharply in their assessment after ten rounds. One had Maciec winning 96:94, but the other two awarded the victory to Makarchuk, 97:93 and 98:92. It is worth recalling that Makarchuk, born in Belarus and living in Poland, had defeated Tomasz Nowicki two months earlier.
Tomasz Nowicki (11-3, 4 KO) ended a three-fight losing streak by defeating the once-formidable Johan Perez (27-13-2, 16 KO). The Pole opened with left hands to the body. Early in the second round, he landed a left hook upstairs, then added a right hook a minute later. In the third, both men engaged in more open exchanges. With Perez against the ropes, Nowicki fired a three-punch combination. Every shot landed, and Perez found himself in trouble. The veteran survived the crisis and made it to the break, remaining dangerous at times. Late in the fifth round, Nowicki landed a left hook on the jaw and spectacularly knocked out his opponent.
Earlier, Kamil Kuździeń (9-0, 3 KO) and Artjom Rażnik (1-1-1) fought at a good pace. The Ukrainian, boxing on the counter, initially caused problems for the fighter from Częstochowa. Kuździeń nevertheless dominated the second half of the bout and won. The judges were not unanimous, scoring it 59:54, 56:58 for Rażnik and 58:56. Kuździeń won by a two-to-one decision.
Paweł Brach (1-0) did not disappoint against fellow debutant Karol Siwek. From the outset, it was a one-sided performance. Siwek was in trouble late in the first round, but the bell saved him. He fared somewhat better in the second. Half a minute before the end of the third, he took a knee after a series of body shots and was counted for the second time before the break. The one-minute rest allowed him to recover. For the final three minutes, Karol ran and made it to the final bell with Brach, which was an achievement in itself. There could only be one score: 40:34. Two judges scored the bout that way, while the third had it 40:33.
Earlier, Wasyl Halycz (1-0-1) defeated Bartosz Kwiatkowski (1-2-1, 1 KO). Halycz, known for his bare-knuckle appearances, came out attacking but looked for the left hook too often and missed with it. His boxing was predictable, but his pressure and harder punches were enough for all the judges to award him the win—58:56, 59:55 and an exaggerated 60:54.
MAY 20, 2023 [BIAŁYSTOK, KNOCKOUT PROMOTIONS]
Kamil Szeremeta (24-2-1, 8 KO) enjoyed a very successful rematch, breaking down Nizar Trimech (10-5-2, 4 KO). The Frenchman did not come out for the fourth round. There was plenty of excitement and exchanges from the start. In the second, the Pole landed a series of hooks to the body, then caught Trimech with a straight right late in the round. The opening of the third was calmer, but midway through the round Szeremeta countered with an excellent left hook and sent the Frenchman to the canvas. He battered Trimech’s head and body until the final bell. Trimech survived, but at the urging of his corner he did not come out for the next round.
Sylvera Louis (9-9, 4 KO) did everything he could to clinch, but Krzysztof Włodarczyk (62-4-1, 42 KO) broke him down in the seventh round. In the opening round, Diablo landed a hard left straight on the Canadian, adding left hooks under his right arm. The next two rounds followed a similar pattern. The Pole methodically hunted Louis with straight lefts and hooks to the body, while Louis responded with clinches and occasional bursts. In the fourth, Włodarczyk landed a spectacular left hook to the body, causing his opponent to visibly fold. Diablo went back to his hooks in the fifth and sixth rounds, but this was only a taste of what was to come. Midway through the seventh, he caught Louis with a right uppercut and sent him to the canvas. The Canadian got up, but after another combination and a further powerful right uppercut, it was all over.
Mateusz Tryc (14-2, 7 KO), a two-time quarterfinalist at the European Olympic boxing championships, suffered his second consecutive stoppage defeat. While a knockout at the hands of Leonardo Carrillo could be regarded as an accepted risk, this time Andrzej Liczik’s charge was supposed to rebuild at the expense of Petro Lakockij (2-2, 2 KO). The Ukrainian came to fight from the outset and competed with the Pole on equal terms at close range. It was excellent to watch, although Tryc would once have probably dealt with such an opponent much more quickly. Early in the fifth round, Mateusz shook Lakockij with a right uppercut. Several dozen seconds later, the Ukrainian answered with the same punch, followed with another uppercut and sent the Pole to the canvas. Tryc rose at the count of nine, but the referee looked him in the eyes and stopped the fight despite the fighter’s protests.
Rafał Wołczecki (9-0, 6 KO) recorded another quick win, stopping Pavla Albrecht (16-21, 13 KO). The opening minute was spent sizing each other up, but moments later the Pole hurt his opponent with a powerful right hook to the body. Forty seconds later, a left-right combination produced the first knockdown. Albrecht was counted twice more before the end of the round—after a countering right hook and another left-right combination. In the second, the Czech merely delayed the inevitable. The fourth knockdown came after an excellent counter left hook, the fifth after punches to the head and body, and the end came with a superb left hook to the liver. Albrecht let out a cry of pain. The Wrocław fighter claimed his ninth victory.
Jan Czerklewicz (10-1, 3 KO) recorded a milestone victory. Jiri Kroupa (5-12-1, 4 KO) was stopped late in the second round. The Polish light heavyweight came out aggressively from the start, while his opponent focused primarily on defense. In the first round, Czerklewicz worked over the Czech’s body, then added uppercuts with both hands at the beginning of the second. Half a minute before the end of the round, Kroupa took a knee after a long combination from the Pole and was counted to eight. He wanted to continue, but a towel came flying from his corner.
Kamil Gardzielik (16-0, 4 KO) was given an opponent against whom improving his knockout statistics was expected. He quickly dispatched Vojtech Majer (4-7, 4 KO). The Polish middleweight landed a right hook in the first round, trapped his opponent against the ropes and, after a long unanswered barrage, forced the referee to stop the fight.
Earlier, Mateusz Wojtasiński (4-0, 1 KO) comfortably outpointed Bazargur Jugder (8-17-2, 3 KO). Wojtasiński is gradually developing from a talented youngster into a mature fighter. His punches are gaining power, and he himself is growing in confidence. This time, he controlled his opponent effectively with his left hand. Whenever Jugder tried to attack, the Pole answered with a neat right cross while moving away. It was by far his best performance since signing a professional contract.
Source: bokser.org
