Controversial fight: Cuba beats Astana Arlans

The Astana Arlan’s Head Coach Korchynsky’s prediction of 3:2 was right, though not in favor of his Wolves. The Alpha Wolves lost to Cuban Domadores for the first time this season, Tengrinews reports citing Vesti.kz. The most anticipated fight between the Champions of the 3rd season Astana Arlans and the unbeaten Cuban Domadores started in the flyweight category (-52 kg) on December 13. Experienced Wolf Miras Zhakupov took on Gerardo Cervantes. The bout was not easy, and it promised to set the tone for the night. Zhakupov showed a great footwork, easily getting away from Cervantes’ fists but landing some accurate punches on the opponent. The Cuban talent Cervantes displayed some admirable stamina against his experienced WSB opponent. Zhakupov clearly dominated 3 rounds. The Cuban tried hard to fight back in the 4th round but in the end, Miras Zhakupov’s leather gloves shook the Cuban confidence in their invincibility. It became the first loss for previously unbeaten Tamers (1-0). The judges gave 48-47, 48-47, 48-47 points in favor of the Arlan. In the lightweight category (-60 kg), Zhandos Momunov of Astana Arlans fought against Cuban Lazarao Alvarez. The Arlan debutant started off with confidence and threw Alvarez for the loop with his boxing in the first round. But the Olympic Champion Alvarez got back in quickly, landing some severe punches on Momunov. The Arlan did not cover up and left his arms dangling. The confidence of the Arlan started wearing off sometime in the third round. Alvarez won Momunov with 49-46, 50-44, 50-46 points. After the fight the Head Coach Korchynsky said that Momunov did not have enough “strength and mastery” to win the Cuban. Momunov’s loss evened the score (1-1). Bakhytzhan Kozhabekov, a debutant from the Astana Arlans, fought against Cuban superstar Arisnoidys Despaigne in the welterweight category (-69 kg). Kozhabekov confidently dominated the squared circle in the first round and knocked down the Cuban in the first round. But the Cuban Tamer certainly bested him in the following rounds. The Cuban bobbed and avoided most of Kozhabekov’s attacks. Despaigne became more aggressive and his quick jabs brought the young Arlan to a TKO in the 3rd round. “His (Kozhabekov’s) opponent was of a higher level,” admitted Korchinsky after the fight. The debutant’s loss brought the scores to 1-2. The heavyweight category (-81 kg) bout, a decider, became the most controversial fights of the night. Reliable Hrvoje Sep, a Croatian Arlan, met Julio La Cruz on the ring. Sep’s aggressive and pushy boxing shattered La Cruz’s confidence. The Cuban boxer showed some impressive footwork but it did not save him from heavy punches of the experienced Arlan. In the first rounds the Cuban who was mostly concentrating on defense tried clinching Sep using his heights. Sep, who was shorter than his opponent, used the close range to land some deadly punches on the Cuban. The referee should have given a warning to La Cruz for clinching Sep for 2 rounds. Then Sep split La Cruz’s eyebrow and knocked him down. “I do not agree with the judges. The opponent was not fighting, but was simply running away. Throughout the fight he hit me 5-6 times. What can you do, it is boxing. I won, but my opponent was a two times World Champion. It says it all,” Sep told Vesti.kz. Sep admitted that the Cuban boxer made a great use of the ring, but the Arlan was still able to close the gap. “From the first round, the Cuban was clinching Sep, and instead of giving a warning to La Cruz, the referee starting giving warnings to Sep,” said the Head Coach of Astana Arlans noting that the judging was either deliberately unfair or unprofessional. The controversial fight ended with the Cuban's win and the overall loss of the Arlans. But the Wolves were not done with the Tamers who were trying to master them. Another Croatian of the Arlans Filip Hrgovic fought against Jose Angel Larduet of the Cuba Domadores in super heavyweight category (+91 kg). The more strongly built Hrgovic was confident against Laduent, who got up in weight to the super heavyweight category only recently. The iron fists of the experienced Wolf brought the Cuban Tamer to the standing 8 count in the third round. The Arlan won the first two rounds and made the Cuban coach throw in the towel. Filip Hrgovic proved that the Astana Wolves are not easy to tame and that they fight till the very end. The Cuban Tamers won the Astana Wolves with 3-2. This was the first loss for the Champions of the 4th Season. At the same time, it was the first time the Cubans lost 2 bouts, as they won all their three previously fights 5-0. The victory was not easy for the Cubans because the Astana Wolves would not give up their Champion title without a fight. The Cubans are the leaders of the B group. The Astana Wolves are second in the B group. The Wolves will have their next fight in Poland against Poland Hussars in January 10, 2014.