It wasn’t a world championship fight, but Simon Kean must have felt the same way Steven Butler did when he lost in California in the spring.
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Butler then faced Janibek Alimkhanuly in a world championship fight, which he quickly lost in the second round. It was then said that the 28-year-old boxer had to think about his future. He will return to the ring at the Montreal Casino in a few weeks.
Kean suffered only his second defeat in 25 professional fights after being eliminated. by Joseph Parker in the fourth round on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
However, Kean is already 34, so the future is a little closer for him than perhaps for Butler.
Honorable
Kean showed great courage when he entered the arena alongside a former world champion.
And we’ve seen why Parker, a 31-year-old New Zealander, is still among the heavyweight elite.
Faster, better footwork, more precise shots: his entire arsenal was simply better than that of the Trifluvien, who despite everything delivered an honorable performance.
Kean’s mistake was that he invited Parker to attack him seconds before the uppercut, which sent him to the ground until he counted to ten. He got exactly what he wanted, it was almost a scene from a movie.
Arslanbek Makhmudov made short work of junior Anthony Wright. Courtesy of Mikey Williams / Top Rank
Bad opponent
The other boxer from the Eye of the Tiger stable, Arslanbek Makhmudov, had a better night, dismissing junior Anthony Wright in just 70 seconds. The referee stopped hostilities because Wright could no longer defend himself.
It’s a stunning victory, but without any real progress for the pugilist of Russian origin, who undoubtedly still picked up a few points thanks to the speed of his victory.
However, in hindsight we tell ourselves that it was probably Kean who should have fought Wright and that Makhmudov, who is aiming for a world championship fight, would have been better off fighting Joseph Parker.
The following
We now have to wonder what happens next with Makhmudov, who deserves to work with the elite in his category, which Wright was not. Could Parker be the Lions’ next opponent? That would make sense.
We might have a quick answer as another gala is scheduled for December 23rd in Riyadh and it seems the Saudis have a penchant for heavyweight cards.
Martin Bakolé, who knocked out Carlos Takam in the fourth round in Saturday’s preliminary fights, could also be an interesting opponent for Makhmudov.
Takam is the only boxer to have pushed the lion to his limits in a ten-round fight in September 2022.