OUTSTANDING Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk advanced to the semi-finals of the World Boxing Super Series, and defended his WBO cruiserweight title, when he halted Marco Huck inside 10 rounds at the Max Schmeling Halle in Berlin on Saturday (September 9).
Huck was a long reigning world champion, the veteran compared to Usyk, who was only going into his 13th professional prizefight. But the skilled Ukrainian was a London 2012 gold medallist and took control from the start, using his southpaw jab and moving round Huck.
Huck tried barrelling forward but Usyk remained a step ahead, directing the action but not rushing himself. It still left Marco struggling to connect with anything of note. Usyk slid under his shots to open up with a hard combination, swinging freely before skipping clear.
He took his time, constantly jabbing, waiting to send hard lefts to the body, softening up Huck all the while. He cranked up the pace in the later rounds, catching Huck with vicious back hands that jolted him badly.
By the tenth round Usyk was swarming all over him, hammering gleefully at Huck, who had run out of ideas, run out of energy and run out of time. He shrunk beneath his guard and Usyk scored with waves of hurtful punches to prompt referee Robert Byrd to stop it at 2-18.
