CHAMPION AGAIN
Dirrell is reunited with the WBC title, but not without controversy,
Anthony Dirrell becomes a two-time world title-holder in Minneapolis
AN idea that needs to be explored is that when a fight is terminated as controversially as was Anthony Dirrell’s with Avni Yildirim, rather than make the result final, instead let them resume the battle from that point on at a later date. There seemed to be something grossly unfair about the way in which Dirrell won the vacant WBC super-middleweight title by a split technical decision when it was determined that the cut over his left eye was too severe for him to continue in the 10th round. Because it was ruled that an unintentional butt had caused it, they went to the scorecards, where two favoured Dirrell by 96-94 margins (Tim Cheatham and Mike Fitzgerald). The other was 98-92 (Juergen Langos) for Yildirim.
The disparity in the scoring is understandable when you consider that virtually every round was close, although the two favouring Dirrell appeared spot on. Both men were guilty of initiating contact with their head, Dirrell slightly more. But what is more disturbing is the WBC’S experiment of reverting back to open scoring on a partial basis. The public was unaware of how the match was officially progressing, but the corners were informed of the scores. This is not to say that Dirrell’s team did not make every effort to keep his cut under control, but where would the motivation be to do so if they knew the scorecards were favourable to their man if it were stopped? As unsatisfactory as the ending was, the bottom line is that Dirrell, a cancer survivor, is a WBC champion for the second time. The Flint, Michigan man made it clear afterwards that he wants to cash out in his next fight, then call it a career.
Yildirim was written off beforehand, in large part due to how dreadfully he performed in being KO’D early by Chris Eubank Jnr in 2017. He redeemed himself to an extent against Dirrell, but it was of little consolation as he stormed out of the ring, feeling that he was deprived of becoming Turkey’s first world title-holder.
The Istanbul native fought a determined fight, keeping the pressure on at all times and constantly punching. However, his lack of power allowed Dirrell to lay back and fight in spurts. When Dirrell attacked, he landed the cleaner and harder blows, finding a home for big right uppercuts. The cut that would ultimately result in Dirrell being pulled out occurred in the seventh and was reopened in the 10th. On the surface, it did not appear to be that bad, but the medics said the muscle of the eye was at risk. When the fight was stopped, Yildirim went into a wild celebration, thinking he was the new champion, before the harsh reality set in. Mark Nelson officiated the bout.
It has been years since Minneapolis has produced a world-class talent, but the lanky Jamal James could be on the verge of joining the elite in the welterweight ranks. James is a model citizen who, when not boxing, volunteers his time in the youth community. His rise continued in front of his hometown fans at the Minneapolis Armory (Warriors Boxing) when he made Janer Gonzalez retire on his stool at the end of the sixth round of a 10. Gonzalez displayed his quality when he landed jabs and looping rights. The Colombian taunted James at every opportunity he could, hoping to make him lose his composure. The local man, though, took it up a level instead, rattling off quick combinations to which Gonzalez had no answer. A left hook to the body dropped Gonzalez for an eightcount late in the sixth, convincing him it would have been futile to come out for the seventh. Gary Miezwa refereed.
A year ago, Fresno, California’s Mark Anthony Hernandez and Miami-based Dominican Jeison Rosario boxed to a six-round draw. That is where they might have stood again had it been the same scheduled distance, but this one was slated for 10. Rosario came on strongly in the seventh as Hernandez faded. In the ninth, a left hook dropped Hernandez for ‘seven’, and it was stopped shortly thereafter at 2-45. Celestino Ruiz was the referee.
THE VERDICT New champ Dirrell wants one more fight before calling it quits; Yildirim likely won’t be the opponent but he deserves to be.