DENIS INKIN vs KAROLY BALZSAY

Two well-matched fighters from the Universum stable meet in a 168-pound title bout on Jan. 10 when Russia’s Denis Inkin defends his WBO title against mandatory challenger Karoly Balzsay, a Hungarian southpaw with outstanding amateur credentials.

Balzsay’s fellow-countryman Zsolt Erdei will be appearing in the joint main event when he defends his WBO light-heavy title against Ukrainian southpaw Yuri Barashian. Balzsay and Erdei train together under coach Fritz Sdunek and it would be a tremendous boost for Hungary if each man wins his fight.

Erdei is a clear favourite to beat Barashian but Inkin versus Balzsay is about as close as it gets. Both men are undefeated, and the respect on both sides is obvious, with each camp saying basically the same thing, which is that this is a fight that either boxer can win.

I haven’t see a lot of Balzsay but he did impress me in his KO win over Brazilian Jose Hilton Dos Santos. My notes described Balzsay as “sharp-punching, quick, aggressive”. He hurt Dos Santos in every round before flattening the Brazilian with a big left hand in the fifth.

As an amateur Balzsay boxed for Hungary in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and was a silver medallist in the European championships, where he defeated Romania’s Lucian Bute. He has been brought along carefully and has been winning almost every round of every fight. In his most recent appearance he knocked out Argentinean Jose Clavero with a right hook in the fifth round. Balzsay is 29, and after 19 wins in a row he is ready to go in with the best fighters in the super middleweight division.

Inkin, 30, is the more experienced professionally, with 34 successive wins. As an amateur he was twice a world military champion while serving in the Russian army, and he beat Britain’s Carl Froch in an international tournament.

Balzsay seems to be the faster fighter and I think he is the bigger hitter, but Inkin is a smart fighter with a solid boxing technique. There was some criticism of the decision when Inkin beat Fulgencio Zuniga to win the vacant WBO title, but from what I saw of this fight — just several selected rounds — Inkin was outboxing the Colombian. Zuniga was very busy but Inkin seemed to land the better-quality punches.

Inkin has fought at a higher level than Balzsay. Apart from the win over Zuniga, he knocked out the tall, rangy veteran Mario Veit in what was a big fight in Germany. Balzsay’s southpaw style could be a factor, but Inkin didn’t seem to have too many problems in a fight of his that I saw when he outscored the competent South African left-hander Peter Mashamaite.

Balzsay could get off to fast start with his quick moves and crisp hitting, but Inkin usually has a sound defence and he is an accurate puncher, and I think that he can begin to time the Hungarian for right hands as the bout goes deeper.

Inkin has been floored a couple of times, against Jamaican Ovill McKenzie and Argentinean Martin Bruer. These seemed in the nature of flash knockdowns, however. I liked Inkin’s consistent, steady fighting when he beat Zuniga, but he faces a more difficult fight against Balzsay due to the Hungarian’s speed and southpaw skills.

Each man, in fact, is facing his stiffest test.

For me, this is, in wagering parlance, a pick ’em fight. I give Inkin a narrow advantage because of his experience but there’s really nothing to choose between these excellent fighters.