On paper this past Sunday was an intriguing day in the Heavyweight division, sadly however it was one that flattered to deceive and gave us less than what we had expected.
The first, of three, Heavyweight bouts in Russia lasted just 12 seconds, yes 12 seconds. This was because the destructively hard hitting Apti Davtaev (7-0, 7) was in the mood to impress and did so by swiftly disposing of Oleksandr Nesterenko (9-3, 4). On paper this seemed like a step up for Davtaev, especially when you consider Nesterenko had previously gone almost 3 rounds with the once touted Denis Boytsov, but it really failed to test Davtaev in the slightest.
The second Heavyweight contest on the show didn't last much longer as Edmund Gerber (24-2, 15) easily beat Mexico's Vicente Sandez (13-4, 9) in just 2 rounds.
Sadly the highest profile Heavyweight bout of the night was the most disappointing as an out of shape Ruslan Chagaev (33-2-1, 20) managed to narrowly squeak past a frustrating Fres Oquendo (37-8, 24) to claim the WBA title. Chagaev controlled the early stages of the fight with ease as Oquendo did little but the second half of the fight became a struggle for Chagaev as he ran out of gas and seemed to get by by virtue of Oquendo lacking the desire to win. Had Oquendo wanted to win we genuinely believe he'd be the owner of the title and not the man who lost a majority decision.
The win for Chagaev saw him becoming a 2-time world champion though he appears to be a champion there for the taking.
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