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Nedal lacked spark
Was it weight-making?
By
Mike “Kryptonite” Altamura
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'Skinny' Hussein (left)
and Oscar Larios pose at the MGM Grand,
three days before their Vegas fight. |
NEDAL
“Skinny” Hussein no doubt is a world
class competitor. His
bodypunching, particularly the left rip, is
as dangerous a weapon as any
fighter possesses in the 122-pound division.
But earlier today [Sunday EST], following a
promising second round, Hussein was far too
defensive minded, and failed to fire away downstairs,
en route to losing a 118-110, 119-109, 120-108
decision to WBC junior-featherweight king, Oscar
“Chololo” Larios.
The Mexican world champ,
54-3-1 (35 KOs), making his seventh title
defence, didn’t appear to stagger or hurt
the 26-year-old Lebanese
Australian in the course of 12 rounds. But with
such little coming back,
Larios swept most rounds on sheer work-rate
and aggression alone.
Hussein met only his second
loss in 38 fights, the other coming against
feather king Manny Pacquiao via a controversial
10-round cut-eye stoppage.
Hussein’s approach
in this fight was peculiar. Usually a very effective,
offensive-minded fighter, this time from as
early as the third round he
appeared lacklustre, missing a spark - which
is difficult to understand,
considering he waited so long to get a taste
of one of the champions.
In an interview with this
writer back in May, Hussein indicated he might
have some complications making 122. Was this
the case? Maybe he was weight-drained, and thus
incapable of maintaining a sustained offence.
Was he injured? In recent
years, Hussein has had several physical
complications, ranging from hand difficulties,
to nose and back problems.
For my money, something was not right, because
the Nedal “Skinny” Hussein I know
is a real warrior, with the talent and drive
to bring a world title home.
THE main
event of this Oscar De La Hoya-promoted show,
the third battle between Mexican warriors Erik
Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, was absolutely
scintillating. Another battle for the ages,
with the underdog Barrera pulling through to
win a razor-thin majority decision to capture
the WBC junior-lightweight strap launching him
into the rare group of fighters to capture world
straps in three weight divisions.
Mick O'Brien's
Olympic Boxing Academy
Phone/Fax: 61 08 9445 2667 Mobile:
0417 936 707 |
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