FELIX STURM W12 KHOREN GEVOR

One of the best, toughest fights on a busy boxing weekend was in Nürburg, Germany, when Felix Sturm retained his WBA middleweight title with a unanimous but seemingly close decision over a very determined Khoren Gevor.

I had some video/audio problems watching the fight but it looked to me like a bout in two halves — Gevor early, Sturm late.

Gevor was throwing punches at an astonishing rate in the opening stages, and although Sturm blocked a lot on his tight guard he was, it seemed, being clearly outworked and outscored.

Sturm was doing some good scoring with left hooks to the body, though, sinking in some hurtful shots that ultimately proved to be strength-sapping. Sturm’s left-hand blasts under the southpaw’s right elbow were impressively delivered, but initially they were not affecting Gevor too badly, and when Sturm’s trainer Michael Timm, assured the champion that alles gute I must admit that, to me, all looked good for the other side.

Gradually, though, Sturm began to take command and in the championship rounds he simply looked the better, more effective fighter.

I mentioned in the preview that Sturm had seemed, in recent bouts, to be looking stronger and punching harder, and he won this fight on superior strength and heavier hitting. He was often under pressure, but as the fight progressed Gevor’s punch-volume was being counteracted by Sturm’s more spectacular-looking shots.

As I wasn’t viewing under ideal conditions I did not keep a round-by-round score, but I had the strong sense that Sturm needed a big finish if he was to keep his title, and he provided one, hammering the tiring Gevor in the last two rounds, although the gritty Armenian challenger kept fighting through his fatigue — Gevor looked almost exhausted but he wouldn’t give up.

Two judges had this close for Sturm, the other had it wide. Online scorers watching on German TV had Sturm dominating the fight, 117-111, while my photographer pal Sumio Yamada, had it 116-112 in Sturm’s favour — Sumio said that it was apparent, up close, that, while Gevor was busy, Sturm was doing the really hard hitting.

Sturm didn’t box in the way I had expected. I envisaged him using the ring, jabbing and countering. Instead, he stayed right in front of Gevor, looking to hurt him rather than outpoint him. Gevor fought his heart out, and no challenger could have given a gamer effort. Meanwhile, Sturm showed that he is capable of weathering an early storm and gritting out a win. Sturm has his detractors, but, for me, the Bosnian-born champ is a real fighter, and had this been one of the old 15-rounders I don’t think that Gevor, admirably though he fought, would have made it to the final bell.