By Dirk Fries
Germany’s Marco Huck retained his WBO cruiserweight title after beating his Argentinean opponent Hugo Hernan Garay Saturday night in Munich.
The world cruiserweight WBO champion Huck can now relax after knocking out the Argentinean after one minute and 10 seconds in the tenth round.
Huck’s win was not only big for his professional career but also for his personal life as he said he would not get married – he will take his girlfriend to the altar at the end of the month – if he were not a champion.
“It was the first time my future wife and my mother were ringside, so I really wanted to impress them,” Huck said afterwards.
Of course it was also crucial for his boxing life as this will improve greatly his chances to fight big name opponents – once he moves up to the heavyweight circuit.
Huck’s resumé in at the cruiserweight is starting to look more and more impressive with every bout. The Bosnian-born Huck has collected 33 victories in 34 fights, winning 24 of them by knockout. Garay dropped to 34-6 with 18 KOs.
Saturday night it sure wasn’t easy as Huck was ready to confess after holding up the belt once more.
“My opponent proved a worthy match up”, Huck said. “He came through my defense several times. I felt the impact all the way through my legs, that’s how hard he was hitting .”
Yet Huck was the one sending the decisive blows, finally sending the crowd of 4,000 at Munich’s Olympia Ice Arena into a frenzy in the tenth round.
The crowd had quickly sensed that its guy needed some special support this time. Loud chants of “Huck” and other supports – some in Huck’ native Bosnian tongue – erupted after well-placed combinations or when Huck was forced to the ropes by Garay.
Huck’s opponent seemed a changed man after losing. During the days preceding the bout the Argentinean had ran his mouth extensively, calling Huck a slow turtle, saying that he was hoping to “kill him” in the ring.
Yet in the postgame interview, Garay he recognized Huck’s fierce competiveness and agility. Once the referee called the fight, the Argentinean was proved off on both accounts. Huck walked out of the ring, wearing the belt – having showcased his fighter skills.
But Garay rightfully walked out with his head high. Huck really needed the fans behind him – because Garay proved a worthy opponent. After going to his knees in the first round, the Argentinean was the more active fighter for the first third of the fight – moving Huck around the ring and spraying him with hits to his body.
In the end, all that does not matter. What matters is that Huck was able to improve on his reputation as a knock out fighter. That’s exactly what the crowd and the TV audience wanted to see – and all the other promoters looking for big future fights in heavyweight boxing.