Light heavyweight Isaac "Golden Boy" Chilemba dominated highly-regarded power puncher Denis Grachev at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethleham, Pennsylvania. Chilemba's defensive skills kept Grachev's dangerous overhand right at bay throughout the bout.
Chilemba (22-2-2, 9 KOs), wearing gold trunks and weighing just under the 175 pound light heavyweight limit, grabbed control of the fight from the outset by dictating pace with his jab. Grachev (13-3-1, 8 KOs), who was just over the limit, touched Isaac early, but Chilemba repeatedly snapped his jab in Grachev's face.
In the second round, Chilemba became more aggressive and added an array of power punches to his arsenal. He never initiated a body assault, but with his reach advantage and defense, he didn't need to. Chilemba used subtle upper and lower body movement in order to avoid Grachev's punches and remain in position to land thudding counters. Whenever Grachev was ready to throw one of his bombs, Chilemba had already moved out of the way and was in position to attack.
Chilemba looked extremely impressive the whole night. In the sixth and eighth rounds, he decided to fight on the inside and trade with Grachev. Isaac came away with a bloody nose in the sixth, but his hand speed helped him win those exchanges anyway. In the ninth, Chilemba was cut on the right side of his head because an apparent head clash. Grachev's left eye was bleeding and swollen for much of the bout because of Chilemba's lead rights.
The judges rewarded Chilemba for his dominance. Isaac, who landed about 200 more punches than did Grachev, won with scores of 100-90 and 99-91 (twice).
Chilemba's masterful performance puts him in the discussion for a title shot. Grachev's style was tailor made for Chilemba, but Isaac has the defensive skills and ability to counter to challenge the best in the division.
No comments:
Post a Comment