On the big Wembley bill this Saturday, Brixton's Keith Long challenges Dennis Bakhtov for the WBC international heavyweight title (despite allegedly vowing to have nothing more to do with the WBC after they demoted Ricky Hatton in their rankings) over 12 rounds.
Bakhtov stopped fellow Russian Alex Vassilev in eight rounds to win the title in 2001, and successfully defended it with a fifth round win over Matthew Ellis at the York Hall a year later. That must have been a highly satisfying win for the champion from St. Petersburg. Ellis had previously outscored him at the same venue in a four-rounder.
Bakhtov has remained unbeaten since that loss in September 2000. The only other man to beat him in an 18-fight career, Alexei Varakin, was also beaten convincingly in a rematch. (Verarkin went on to floor Long heavily in a subsequent fight in London, though the Brixton man rallied to stop his man a round later).
So Bakhtov, 16-2 (12), can say he's beaten every man he's faced in his career to date and comes into this fight on a winning run of 12, 10 of them inside the distance. That's a good run by any standards.
Long, in contrast, has been very inactive of late and is still basking in the relative glory of his British and Commonwealth title challenge to Danny Williams in September 2002, when in a clash of Brixton rivals, he put up a gritty showing and survived the full 12-rounds before conceding a 117-113 decision on the referee's scorecard.
Since then, Keith has been scheduled to box Michael Sprott three times in a final eliminator for another crack at Danny, but each time pulled out at late notice (his fight with Williams also took three attempts to make). Sprott was eventually rewarded with a straight shot at the title.
He was also scheduled to challenge Bakhtov in October, but again pulled out injured. He's boxed only once since the Williams challenge in fact: a first round knockout over Alvin "Slick" Miller last February - a fight that saw the winner down himself before the end. Long was also floored - as we know - by Alexei Varakin in the fight just prior to challenging Williams, but rebounded to stop the game Russian in the fourth.
Once you get him in a boxing ring, he certainly doesn't lack for heart.
Like Bakhtov, Long is a stocky, strong-looking fellow with a good dig, but at 35 and with only the one round behind him since last February - and only 11 fights in over six years as a pro (eight wins), starts as a definite underdog in this one. He can't be ruled out completely. He showed he could raise his game in the Williams scrap, applies plenty of dogged pressure in all his fights, and puts his meagre fight record down to injuries and being avoided.
But the once granite chin has shown signs of crumbling recently, and all the inactivity won't help him at his age. Bakhtov should have the sharpness and timing to win clearly on points.
Keith Long up against it...
-
shakermaker
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 333
- Joined: 09 Dec 2003, 11:21
So far so good. No pull outs.......I think I can remember the Russian in with Ellis a couple of years ago. This is a cross roads fight for Keith, he needs a win or to at least look competitive. His inactivity is gonna surely have a big impact on his stamina if the fight does go beyond the half way mark.
I'm glad Franky isn't going back on his word with never working the WBC again
I'm glad Franky isn't going back on his word with never working the WBC again