Heavy Handed Huck Hammers Godfrey

ERFURT, GERMANY – They checked Marco Hucks gloves and wraps before the fight.Only his bare hands and legal padding were applied. Thats all Huck needed to completely cream willing but wiped out Matt Godfrey,now 20-2 (10).

Huck, now 30-1 (23), says he wants to make a big statement in every fight from now on.

The 25 year old WBO Cruiserweight titlist certainly did so on the latest stop of his busy German road tour, tonight in Erfurt, Thuringia. Hucks statement came at the expense of American challenger Godfrey, who hit the canvas three thuddingtimes but never stopped fighting back in front of 3,303 fans at the Messehalle.

It was an excellent performance, maybe Hucks best, against a foe who had a legitimate claim to a top ten ranking.

Erfurt, where Martin Luther attended university from approximately 1501 to 1505, is a horticultural hotbed located in the center ofGermany. Any questions about whether the still somewhat unproven Huck would either bloom or wilt against respectable Godfrey were quickly answered.

The affair was pretty much a done deal drubbing by the time Godfrey had been droppedin the second session, but Godfrey deserves respect for showing up ready to fight for three frenzied minutes of every round, at least for as long as it went.

There seemed to be an unusual amount of women present, many with florescent dyed hair. Perhaps it was due to a music festival with open air metal nearby. Nothing like some headbanging followed by some head banging.

Godfrey strutted in to Eminem while Huck entered to liverockand pyrotechnics with a very purposeful stride. You could tell a big storm was brewing, and Huck seemed perfect for it.

I was really throwing good, accuratepunches tonight but I did get excited, assessed the unmarked Huck accurately. He was brave to keep on getting up and trying. When my right hand lands clean theres nothing anybody can do.

I did my best but hes the champion because hes very strong and he has a lot of class, said the undisgraced thoughcompletely thrashed Godfrey, who emerged looking not too bad for the wear.

By the time referee Gino Rodriguez waved Huck off at 2:18 of the 5th frame, Hucks black leather mitts had played yo-yo with Godfrey up, down and all around the ring. Godfreyfought as a southpaw for the abbreviated duration of the bout, and circled both ways to temporarily avoid trouble.If he was planning on switching stances, he never got the chance.

Huck quickly cut the ring off from multiple angles and flurries.Godfrey sunk to the canvas again in the 4th after what looked like a low blow, but either way it had to hurt as Huckforced him around the strands.

Questions about Hucks defense were moot. He didnt need it.

Godfrey mounted a consistentcounter attack and often fired first, but he just didnt have any power compared to the brick like Huck. Godfreys relatively low KO ratio probably helped him secure the European payday. Godfrey leaned away and dodged many of Hucks wild shots but the numbers were way against Godfrey through sheer, violent volume.

Huck stayed composed behind a balanced assault andblasted Godfrey down again twicein the 5th as the assembled swarm howled like Ginsburgs ghost. Every time Godfrey went down he got up quick and ready for more. Huck never held back.

Godfrey collapsed into a neutral corner after the stoppage, vividly validating the verdict. Call ita mercy rule.It was Hucks 4th successful defense.

What a great crowd, beamed Huck after he climbed the ring posts. I got power from them! Huck gave a shout to his Yugoslavian roots, but judging from all the German flags around hispromotional profiles, it seemsthe transplant gets more adopted with every victory.

Huck looked very strong, but we may never know just how much opposition he had before him. Meanwhile, Huck waits for a pending big unification tilt, perhaps in a rematch of Hucks only loss, a tough 07battle with USS Steve Cunningham, who recently signed with Hucks promotional company Sauerland Event.

There are murmurs of a possible cruiserweight tournament. Meanwhile, Sauerland books the consistently active Huck into halls with a capacity of around 4,000 and Huck keeps filling them up. So far the menu consists of rugged tutorial opposition hoped to groom Huck for an extended run atop the division, where there are a large number of sturdy if unspectacular 190 pounders.

This was a fine card, with a promising patron age demographic much under 40, with dozens of pre-teens and younger children. The crowdmanaged to stay vocal under sauna like conditions in an industrial metallic sweatbox after a daywhich for this time of year in Germany raises more global warming questions.

Huckelectrified the scene.

Count on him to do it again, but that doesnt mean hes ready to beat the best.

Sometimes they crank the smoke machines up until your eyes water and the hallresembles one of those smoky old black and white fight club snaps. This was one of those evenings.

Huck may never make it all the way into the International Boxing Hall of Fame ranks of classic warriors,but hesure looked like one tonight.