VITALI TAJBERT W12 HUMBERTO GUTIERREZ

Vitali Tajbert’s win over Humberto Gutierrez on Saturday was a perfect example of the “styles make fights” adage.

Last December, Tajbert was well beaten by Sergey Gulyakevich for the WBC super featherweight title. Then Gulyakevich lost to Humberto Gutierrez in Mexico. Form clearly favoured Gutierrez to beat Tajbert. Yet Tajbert soundly defeated the Mexican boxer.

How could this happen? It’s easy, really. Gulyakevich’s high-pressure, high-activity style was all wrong for Tajbert. Gutierrez, although a tall southpaw who hits hard, is much more of a technician. Tajbert was able to outsmart and outscore Gutierrez in a technical boxing match that was conducted on lines favourable to the German Olympic bronze medallist.

For eight rounds this was the anticipated nip and tuck fight, with Gutierrez having some success with the right jab and straight left hand from his southpaw posture while Tajbert was a bit too cautious, seeking to land his punches with the minimum risk of getting countered.

I thought Tajbert took over in the last four rounds as he increased the tempo of his boxing, landing quick punches and slipping out of range before Gutierrez could quite figure out what was happening. Although Tajbert isn’t regarded as much of a puncher, he is accurate, and he had Gutierrez looking battered around the eyes, with blood streaming from the Mexican boxer’s nose, in the closing rounds.

Tajbert’s deep amateur background helped him here. He probably boxed plenty of tall southpaws on the international tournament circuit. I don’t think that Gutierrez had faced anyone quite like Tajbert, though. Tajbert looked loose and relaxed, feinting with his gloves and his shoulders, keeping Gutierrez guessing before attacking in rapid spurts.

It was a disciplined, smart display of boxing, and Tajbert closed out the fight in style, really pasting a tired, bloodied and discouraged Gutierrez in the last round. Tajbert isn’t exciting, but he can box very well, and I was pleased that he went out to finish strongly. As it turned out he didn’t need the last round to get the decision — but it doesn’t hurt to make sure.