By: Matthew N. Becher

Premier Boxing Champions presented another edition of its “Friday Night Lights Out” series on Spike TV, live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

The fights that were featured were chalked full of former to current world champions, and both matches with historic implications being held in the balance.

Marco Huck (38-2-1 26KO) vs. Krzystof Glowacki (24-0 15KO): WBO Cruiser weight Championship

Both of these fighters came to the US for the first time ever in their respected careers. Huck to try and break the record of consecutive title defenses in the Cruiser weight division (13) and Glowacki, to show the boxing world who he is and become a World champion while doing so.

The beginning of the fight was an unusual start for people who are used to seeing Marco Huck fight. He normally comes out aggressive and tries to assert himself onto his smaller opponents. Krzystof Glowacki came out in his southpaw stance and began immediately working the body of Huck, throwing big shots and showing that he was ready to go toe to toe with the reigning champion.

The overall pace of the fight was slow and to Glowacki’s advantage for the first half of the fight. Huck stayed away, rarely throwing more then a few power punch attempts, as Glowacki kept his lead foot on the outside of Huck’s and was able to land the better, more powerful shots.

In the sixth round, the tide began to change. Huck was slowly starting to put his combinations together and late in the round, Huck landed a huge overhand left, which dropped Glowacki for the first time in his career. Glowacki barely got up by the refs count of ten and seemed to be completely done for. When the fight resumed, Huck attacked, but was knocked back by a flurry of punches from a hurt Glowacki. Both men exchanged viciously in what could be considered a round of the year candidate.

As the fight wore on, Huck continued to take control of the pace. He was landing the cleaner more effective punches and his plan may have been to take the younger, less experienced fighter into the deeper rounds. This plan did not seem to work, as Glowacki was no more tired then Huck himself, and was still throwing powerful punches.

In the eleventh round. In a fight that seemed all but out of reach as far as the scorecards would be concerned. Krystof Glowacki did something that no fighter has done before. He landed a two punch combination that put Marco Huck onto the canvas for the first time in his career. Huck was able to get up, but was hurt and once the ref let them continue, Glowacki attacked with a vicious swarm of punches that put down the champ Huck for the final time.

And even though it would later be said that Marco Huck was leading on all three of the official judges scorecards, it didn’t matter, Krystof Glowacki intercepted what was supposed to be a historic night for Huck and instead became the new WBO cruiser weight champion of the world

Glowacki KO11 2:39

Antonio Tarver (31-6 22KO) vs. Steve Cunningham (28-7 13KO): Heavyweights

Both of these fighters are former world champions. Tarver a 4x champion in the Light heavyweight division, is 46 years old, vying for a chance to make history and become the heavyweight champion of the world. His opponent, Steve Cunningham, is a former 2x champ in the Cruiser weight division. He is hoping to get a shot at Deontay Wilder. Both men were fighting to keep their careers going, but neither did much to impress anyone or show that they deserve any type of shot at the heavyweight title.

The beginning of the fight started as most fights do, slow, with both men feeling the other out. Nothing much changed in the next eleven rounds.

Steve Cunningham was the busier fighter. He threw more punches, but not consistently enough to say he convincingly won any round or actually hurt Tarver.

Antonio Tarver, for the most part, just tried to throw one big punch, which he landed very few and far between, which shook up Cunningham maybe two times throughout the fight.

The rounds melded into one another with each fighter just getting more and more tired as the fight progressed, and less and less action as they grew tired.

Neither of these men are true Heavyweights. They started out in smaller divisions for a reason and would not make it against the Wilders or Klitschkos of the division.

The fight ended the way it should have. A draw, and a boring one at that.

115-113 Cunningham, 115-114 Tarver, 114-114 Split Draw

———–

Post Fight Quotes:

ANTONIO TARVER
“I knew they weren’t educated on my defense and ring generalship. I threw the harder punches and wasn’t tired. I controlled the tempo, kept my jab busy and feel like I outboxed him too.

“He didn’t hurt me and couldn’t get to my body. I did what I had to do but didn’t get the win. We got a draw and I’m not satisfied with it at all.”

STEVE CUNNINGHAM
“I’m the man I’ve always been before and after the fight, and this decision, you won’t find me kicking and screaming.

“I have nothing to be ashamed of and I’ll get together with my team and family and talk about what we do next.”

KRYSZTOF GLOWACKI
“The US market is now open to me, and fans around the world are going to have to respect the cruiserweight division now.

“When I was knocked down in the sixth round I didn’t know where I was and it took me a whole round to regain myself. I still cannot hear well. I was listening to my corner though and when I heard that there was only one minute left in the eleventh round I knew I had to come on strong.

“I’ve always had a thing against bullies and Huck was trying to bully me in there. So I brought it to him. I want to thank all my fans in Poland and from around the world for supporting me. We kept “believing” and that’s how we won this world title. This is the biggest night of my life.”

Leave a Comment