Tonight on Eddie Hearn’s card in Monaco, a lightweight clash that was widely looked at by plenty as a 50-50 affair turned into a one-sided masterclass. In a clash of southpaws, one from Yorkshire, the other from Ireland, Maxi Hughes showed he has plenty left in the tank at age 34 as he dominated a game but outclassed Gary Cully over ten rounds.
Hughes hurt the 28-year-old from Ireland numerous times throughout the fight; his right hand served him well as a jab and as a power shot, and the older man’s left hand served him even better. Hughes rocked his man plenty of times, and he opened a nasty cut to Cully’s right eye in round six. In some rings, the cut would have been bad enough to see the fight stopped. Instead, it went all the way. The scores were academic: 100-90 across the board for Hughes.
Now 28-7-2(6), Hughes said post-fight that he feels fresh, while Hearn said he now aims to get Hughes “a big one” next time out. Cully, who will perhaps need plastic surgery, so horrific was his cut eye, is now 18-2(10), and it could prove to be a long way back for him.
Hughes was magnificent tonight, turning a crossroads fight that plenty of good judges felt could have gone either way into his show. Despite giving away a good deal of height and reach, Hughes outmaneuvered Cully. He fought him from angles, and his big lefts and rights to the head landed frequently. With some good bodywork also thrown in, Hughes was totally on point tonight.
Cully showed real heart and never looked to quit, but he could never get anything going in the fight, and he tried as he did. Cully should perhaps have been pulled out by either the doctor or by his corner, so nasty was his cut eye. But Cully made it to the final bell, at what price we do not yet know. Can Cully possibly come back from tonight’s loss, which was really a beating?
Hughes, who was so unlucky not to have been awarded the decision when he fought George Kambosos some time ago, showed tonight how experience really can be the biggest factor in a fight.
