Through 4.5 rounds, Marcus Browne had some success with the game plan to attempt to wrest WBC and IBF light heavyweight straps from ArturBeterbiev at Bell Centre in Montréal on Saturday night. Then, the legs and lungs told the Staten Islander that he’d not be able to continue to use mobility and movement to the same degree—and the Russian, who rose to 17-0, showed the PBC boxer that his KO streak is no fluke.
In rounds 5 and 6 and 7, Beterbiev took the reins and drove the fight in the direction he wanted. The 36 year old stayed close to Browne, and his touches piled up as the loser stopped scooting and so his elusiveness game dropped off. A gusher cut in the center of AB’s forehead from an accidental butt had him looking like a wrassler who went a bit heavy on the blade. The doc told the talent he’d get one more round after the sixth but he allowed the hammer fisted man from Dagestan to keep plying the trade.
The end came 46 seconds into the ninth, as a left hand delivered swiftly and with hard thud behind it to the liver zone sent Marcus to a knee.
Waves of pain accompanied every count by the ref, and people watching on ESPN+ could see that by the count of eight, Browne knew it was end game.
Beterbiev, who craves a fight against Canelo Alvarez, has stopped the opposition in each of his 17 victories.
The 31 year old Browne (now 24-2) I think has some decent things to take from the experience, despite his being dropped in the seventh and finished in the ninth. His focus and adherence to a plan in the first 40% were effective.
Coach Derrick James had wanted the New Yorker who relocated to Dallas to get work with James, to turn the tables a bit on Beterbiev.
No, not turn into a terminator type, but yes, send messages to the Russian that he’d not be able to dictate terms as he’s accustomed to would be a way to saddle Beterbiev, promoted by Yvon Michel along with Top Rank, with his first pro L.
The theory was sound, the execution decent to begin, but that Beterbiev is a top 15 pound for pounder, and the heaviness of his hands, and his accuracy can make strategies deteriorate quickly.
“We win this fight,” a pleased Beterbiev said in the ring after getting his hand raised. “This is another experience in my career. This is boxing. You never know what happens in boxing. I’m happy to get the win.”
And what might be like to do next? “I have two world titles. I am open to fighting the other champions in my division. I am happy I had the opportunity to give the great fans of Montreal a memorable championship fight!”
Founder/editor Michael Woods got addicted to boxing in 1990, when Buster Douglas shocked the world with his demolition of the then-impregnable Mike Tyson.
The Brooklyn-based journalist has covered the sport since for ESPN The Magazine, ESPN.com, Bad Left Hook and RING. His journalism career started with NY Newsday in 1999.
Michael Woods is also an accomplished blow by blow and color man, having done work for Top Rank, DiBella Entertainment, EPIX, and for Facebook Fightnight Live, since 2017.