VICTOR RAMIREZ vs MARCO HUCK

After a game failure against Steve Cunningham in December 2007, Marco Huck has regrouped with six stoppage wins in a row to earn a second chance to win a world cruiserweight title, but he faces a rough night against Argentina’s WBO champion Victor Ramirez in Halle, Germany on Saturday.

In Cunningham, “Käpt’n” Huck met a slick, sharp boxer with good movement and fast hands. For his second world title attempt, Huck meets an entirely different type of fighter. Ramirez is very strong, tough and uncomplicated. His style is to push forward and go to work with heavy punches, mostly hooks and swings. I have often thought with Huck that he likes to be the bully in the ring. The same applies to Ramirez. The Argentinean is at his best when he can impose his strength and toughness on the other man. Something, then, will have to give.

Although he held the South American title, Ramirez was little known until his stunning upset win over the undefeated former amateur star Alexander Alexeev in January, when he withstood an early pasting and broke down the southpaw sharpshooter with strength and stubbornness. Whereas other fighters had wilted or backed off when Alexeev opened fire, Ramirez just kept on coming. By the ninth Alexeev was looking exhausted, and Ramirez battered him all over the ring. It was no surprise when the German-promoted Russian boxer was pulled out by his corner before the start of the 10th.

Huck will need to be in tiptop condition and ready for a 12-round ordeal, because Ramirez seems capable of withstanding an inordinate amount of punishment.

It does seem as if Huck knows what awaits and has prepared accordingly. He told the German media that he learned a lot from the fight with Cunningham, when he expended great amounts of energy trying to blast his opponent out of the fight and left himself open to the jabs and combinations that gave the defending champion control of the contest.

It does seem that Huck has tried to be more disciplined in his subsequent fights, and he will need to pace himself on Saturday and not go haywire trying to land big punches because he doesn’t want to go into the later rounds with his energy level running low against this powerhouse type of opponent.

Huck, 24, is the more experienced boxer and has fought opponents of better quality than those Ramirez has boxed. Huck’s best win by far was his decision over the well regarded Russian, Vadim Tokarev, two years ago. He won convincingly even though one judge amazingly scored the fight a draw.

While both Ramirez and Huck can punch and take a punch, the German fighter does seem to have better technical prowess. Huck’s preferred method is to cover up behind a defensive wall and let the other man hit arms and gloves, then come blasting back with bursts of heavy hitting, but he is capable of jabbing and using the ring.


Huck’s last two fights were knockouts over opponents who were outclassed by his power, but before this he was extended by a couple of strong pressure fighters, Frantisek Kasanic and Jean-Marc Monrose, who were fighters of the Ramirez type.

Kasanic lasted into the ninth round, Monrose all the way into the 12th. Neither man could be considered as strong or as hard punching as Ramirez, but they were similar to the Argentinean and Huck handled them both.

Ramirez looked ordinary in his last fight when, on home ground in Argentina, he barely eked out a win over the durable but unremarkable Ali Ismailov. He was far too easy to hit in that fight and he seemed to be trying to coast home instead of letting his hands go.

Perhaps Ramirez totally underestimated Ismailov, but it was an unconvincing, undisciplined performance. I would expect Ramirez, 25, to be much more fired-up and focused for Saturday’s fight. The way he struggled against Ismailov made me wonder, though, if maybe Ramirez’s win over Alexeev had an element of luck about it.

All things considered, I like Huck's chances. Huck should be able to get off with scoring shots to build up points, and I think he has enough seasoning to tuck up, clinch when necessary and ride out the rough spots when Ramirez comes in slugging.

I see this as a very dangerous fight for Huck, though. He didn’t have things all his own way against Monrose, and I regard Ramirez as considerably more formidable than the French fighter. Ramirez advances like a tank. If he can keep taking Huck’s punches while landing some of his own he can make his presence felt in every round and, if a give and take struggle develops, Ramirez might be able to win a battle of attrition by outlasting the German boxer.

Huck’s better boxing ability and edge in experience will, I feel, see him through to a hard-fought victory, either on points or by a very late stoppage, but this is one of those fights that is likely to keep the viewer in suspense until the last punch has been thrown.