DENIS INKIN vs FULGENCIO ZUNIGA

With three hard-to-pick fights, the Universum promotion in Hamburg on Saturday is one of the most intriguing German shows in years. All three fights are intriguing and worthy of being main events in their own right.

The 12-rounder between undefeated Denis Inkin and Fulgencio Zuniga for the vacant WBO super middle title is a fascinating contest.

Inkin, a Russian promoted by Universum and who does most of his boxing in Germany, was originally due to meet Karoly Balzsay, the unbeaten Hungarian, but Balzsay suffered a cut in sparring and Zuniga comes in at about 18 days’ notice.

This is a well-deserved opportunity for the Colombian Zuniga, but obviously the short notice is a disadvantage. Inkin, though, had been preparing to meet a southpaw in Balzsay, so the change of opponent affects him adversely, too.

I make this the toughest fight of Inkin’s career. He has won 33 consecutive bouts with 24 opponents stopped but he has never met anyone like Zuniga, a durable, high-energy fighter who sets a busy pace and throws lots of punches. Inkin is much more of a methodical sort who likes to fight at steady, measured pace.

Inkin’s best win was his seventh round knockout over the towering Mario Veit a couple of years ago. That was a very close fight for six rounds, but in the seventh Inkin broken through with some heavy shots to body and head, dropping Veit twice.

Inkin, 30, was not impressive in his last fight, though, when he was knocked down by the ordinary Argentinean, Martin Bruer, although he came back to win comfortably on points.

I wonder exactly how much confidence Universum has in Inkin. He was twice matched with Carl Froch in a WBC eliminator in Britain but pulled out each time, first with a virus, then due to two slipped discs, apparently. Illness and injury can happen to anyone, but I know that that in the Froch camp they feel that Inkin’s people didn’t really fancy this mandatory elimination match in England, even though the Russian does hold a win over Froch in the amateurs.

Instead of going the WBC route, Inkin is now boxing in a WBO title bout, Joe Calzaghe having just announced that he is giving up the belt. (Originally Inkin vs Zuniga was to have been for the interim title only.)

This is a tough fight in which to pick a winner even though the site favours Inkin. Zuniga is a tough, well-conditioned fighter who has some boxing ability as well as being a high-volume puncher. He destroyed a previously unbeaten Russian, Victor Oganov, last September, outclassing a fighter considered a seriously hard hitter, and he fought well in a blood-spattered loss to Kelly Pavlik, even scoring an early knockdown. Zuniga was in Montreal sparring with Lucian Bute when he got the call to meet Inkin.

This is the sort of fight that could test the judges, with Zuniga likely to be busier, Inkin being more precise.

The fight looks a toss-up to me, but due to the site and Zuniga’s late call I am giving the edge to the Russian. Assuming there are no cuts — Zuniga has had problems in this regard — I see a long, probably full-distance fight, with Inkin’s usually sound boxing ability getting him home.