Anthony Dirrell got the better of it in an abbreviated rumble with Denis Douglin from Flint, Michigan, and on Fox Sprts 1 Friday evening. In the sixth round, the super middleweights butted heads, and a slice opened on the left eye of the hometowner, Dirrell. We’d have to go to the cards, because of the early ending. The cards read: 49-46, 48-47, 48-47, Dirrell and yes, the judges got it right.
The doc had recommended that Dirrell call it a night.
The two had talked harsh trash the last couple days, but hugged it out after the clash. Dirrell, in fact, played the peacemaker, as some fans jawed at Douglin’s mom, Saphya, his trainer. Dirrell encouared her to come into the ring, to be safe.
In the first, two hooks, and then a right hand, by Dirrell, had the crowd buzzed late in the round. The NJ native Douglin was holding to survive, or maybe just make sure he was able to make it out of the round, so he could get warmed up properly.
In the second, the lefty Douglin pressed, so he’d not get ground down by the more powerful hitter. DD looked to go to the body, have the taller man drop his hands. Dirrell used his height to good effect, was good at keeping the range he wanted, to start the third. DD got another warning for going low. The Michigan boxer was loading up with the right and DD was seeing and slipping. A right upper, then straight right landed clean on Douglin at 50 seconds remaining.
In round four, we saw a right uppercut land on DD. Both hands were elanding on Da Mama’s Boy. In the fifth, Douglin was pushing punches, and their velocity was not stigning Dirrell, putting fear into him. Douglin was still pressing, stubborn in a good way. It looked like a 175 versus a 160 at times.
To the sixth—we saw the ref took a point from Douglin. Dirrell was teeing off more but Douglin tried to rough-house and clinch, especially after throwing, so he’d not get countered. A cut on Dirrell’s left eye had him blinking as the doc and ref assessed. We would go to the cards, after the accidental butt.
