Moments ago in Khimki, Russia, Evgeny Romanov pounded out a tough, damaging decision win over an incredibly game Dmitry Kudryashov.
The two men banged away, both being badly swollen by the end, the winner especially, and both guys had to dig very, very deep. In the end, Romanov won the decision, the verdict being a unanimous one. Romanov is now 16-0(11). Kudryashov, the same age at 35, falls to 24-4(23).
Going in, there seemed to be almost no way this fight would go the distance. Kudryashov’s leaky defense and less than granite chin would let him down at some point if his raw punching power did not get him the KO. So the thinking went anyway. Instead, the two men slugged it out in a grueling affair that must have taken plenty out of the pair of them.
Kudrayshov was not his explosive self, instead showing patience early. Romanov was doing more work, bagging the rounds. Kudryashov was not throwing the type of bombs we have grown accustomed to seeing from him. By the later rounds, both men were feeling the pace and both warriors were swelling up around the eyes. Kudryashov, knowing he was behind on points, drove himself on, his heart and courage something to behold.
Both men knocked some lumps out of each other and they both tested the other’s body. There were no knockdowns, this in itself a surprise. It looked towards the end as though either man might collapse from sheer exhaustion. This was no classic in terms of skill, but the desire and toughness both men showed in spades made the fight one well worth watching.
Who knows where Romanov goes from here, or Kudryashov. Both guys will need a good, long rest, that’s for sure. Romanov is now the holder of the WBC silver title at bridgerweight. This new division, much-maligned, might get accepted if more of the fights contested at the weight is as entertaining as this one.
Both men deserve a ton of praise from we fans. Again, it wasn’t pretty, but both men fought hard for a full 12 rounds.
