Mathew Macklin: Ready to Upset Felix Sturm on Saturday
By Donald C. Stewart
Mathew Macklin 28-2, 19 KO’s, has been forgotten.
Since being in the ring in December 2010 when he beat Ruben Varon in Liverpool, Macklin has yet to open his 2011 account but he has certainly made his presence felt. Macklin was slated to fight on the Khan-McCloskey undercard against Khoren Gevor, but was already in negotiations apparently to fight Felix Sturm 35-2-1 15KOs. Macklin withdrew from the Gevor fight to sign off on the Felix Sturm fight for the WBA 160 pound crown.
Now who could blame him? Actually everyone seems to be having a try!
Macklin had been unhappy with the finer details of the Gevor fight and then in came Sturm with a definite offer and so the story goes history was made and the past became a foreign country. Macklin did not, however escape that easily. The whole negotiation has been called a farce and other things too but this is a genuine opportunity for Macklin that he cannot afford to turn down.
And so Macklin enters the ring in Cologne in Germany the massive underdog and this year underdogs in British boxing have not been doing so well. Ryan Rhodes has returned from Guadalajara without a belt having been outclassed against the very mature and classy Saul Alvarez whilst Matthew Hatton the underdog suffered a similar fate against the same fighter in March.
It would appear that to be successful you need to be the favorite. David Haye and Adam Booth will be looking to buck that trend in July but in the meantime Macklin could start a new trend on their behalf when he takes on Sturm.
Sturm has a great deal in his favor. Firstly, he fights at home and not an adopted home a la Klitschko but his real home. How much of an advantage that can be has nothing to do with unfairness in terms of what advantage it brings you through pressure on the judges but the type of support psychologically that fans baying for your opponent’s blood brings.
Secondly Sturm has been in with De La Hoya and a better class of opponent than Macklin. The experience that Sturm brings with him may be a huge advantage for him in this fight. Wins against Ronald Hearns the aforementioned Khoren Gevor and Sebastian Sylvester 34-4-1 16KOs leave Macklin’s record trailing.
Macklin has defended successfully his European title but the step up in class needed here will stretch his abilities. Of that there is no doubt. Sturm is known for his solid defense and a killer jab but to defeat him the sheer hunger and raw desire that Macklin has for this contest and to be crowned a world champion has to be evident from the first bell.
This is truly a boxing contest as Sturm does not have the punching power to deliver a knockout and Macklin has never lost to a middleweight. It should go the distance unless Macklin is able to unleash some of the power inside Sturm’s defense and stop the bout. Sturm has been in some wars inside the ring and this will play to Macklin’s advantage. He may have got his chance at just the right time and there is absolutely no doubt that a fighter who has to stay on for every 12 round fight will lose a piece of themselves in it somewhere.
Of his last 10 fights only two have been stopped inside the distance with round seven seemingly being his lucky number!
Sturm however is not a fighter who goes down easily and has an excellent chin. Macklin can rest assured that with Sturm’s home advantage and usual tactics of starting slowly, picking off the early rounds until he has an advantage that Macklin will have to scrap for every point. Macklin is an aggressive fighter and one that is well worth watching. It will either be a contest for the boxing connoisseur or a scrap for the masses.
Some have suggested a draw would not be a massive surprise but Macklin knows that he got this opportunity at the time that ought to be right for him. Sturm has been World Champ for 4 years with 8 successful defenses and a draw against Randy Griffin meaning he has the belt. Macklin is the hungry boy that whilst he is ranked outside the top 10 is being given the chance that others would relish. If he wins the prospect of an all UK dust up for a unified crown becomes a possibility. Sergio Martinez has just signed on to take on the European champion Darren Barker. Another fight where the British boxer is the underdog.
First up is clearly Macklin’s world glory tilt. The 25th June will see more British tears. Whether in triumph or defeat is hard to say but come the end of 12 rounds I would not be surprised if I heard the phrase “and the new…” at the end of the fight.