The Colosseum Sport Hall, Grozny, Russia was the setting for the WBA World heavyweight title contest between defending champion Ruslan Chagaev and challenger Lucas Browne on Saturday night.
Orthodox Browne started the contest on his toes and using the ring with southpaw Chagaev pressing. The Australian’s tactics were not as expected, as he looked to create space and use his jab rather than charge forward. The champion, slow of foot, had trouble closing the distance effectively.
The movement and sharp straight punching from Lucas was impressive while Chagaev had success with hooks in the first few rounds. The fifth round was competitive with Ruslan landing hurtful hooks and Lucas landing a powerful straight right, both having the power to more than gain the others attention.
The champion was bullish and purposeful in the sixth, left hands causing a cut over the challenger’s right eye. It’s a “Big Daddy” fight so you expect a cut. A clubbing right hand dropped Browne, with thirty seconds remaining, he was up quickly. Ruslan was unrelenting and going for the kill, another left causing the weary Aussie to stumble. The bell sounded but another four shots were fired off by the champion.
Browne’s response in the seventh was to unload with plenty of right uppercuts and with the champion responding, we were in a brawl and a battle of wills. The pace was frantic and the round ended forty seconds too early, both breathing hard after having traded so much leather.
The eighth saw Browne box and move well, ninth was pretty quiet. With just under a minute remaining in the tenth, the pair threw right hands and it was Chagaev that found himself hitting the canvas. Browne’s right had landed perfectly. Chagaev was up by the count of eight but extremely unsteady. The big banger from New South Wales, blood splattered on his face, was now going in for the finish. Clubbing right after clubbing right followed, on target, against the Uzbekistan boxer who was being held up by the ropes. After too many unanswered punches, referee Stanley Christodoulou rightly saved the proud champion from any more punishment.
The underdog had prevailed. He turned up in great shape, fought to a game plan and when needed dug deep and fired back. In doing so, Lucas Browne created history by becoming the first ever Australian to hold the Heavyweight Championship of the World. The fight had blood, guts, drama and an upset – you gotta love this sport.
New WBA champion Lucas Browne remains undefeated at 24-0, 21 KOs while Ruslan Chagaev is now 34-3-1, 21 KOs.