Valuev Retains Title; McCline Injures Knee
The bizarre ending came late in the third round, when McCline dislocated his left kneecap after taking a swing at Valuev. McCline fell to the canvas and, when he was unable to stand, the bout was stopped and McCline was taken from the ring on a stretcher. This marks McCline's third - and in all likelihood final - title shot -- his previous title bids came against Wladimir Klitschko and Chris Byrd.
Both fighters landed some heavy blows in the early going, which only made the sudden stoppage that much more disappointing to the 9,000 spectators in Basel, Switzerland (that's right, Switzerland!).
This marks Valuev's third successful defense of his WBA title, but it was far from a satisfying win. Valuev raises his record to 46-0 -- only three wins shy of the undefeated heavyweight record held by Rocky Marciano (not that the two records are even remotely comparable in terms of quality of opposition). Next up for Valuev could be a mandatory defense against Ruslan Chagaev in April.
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Comments
- whittylad says:
come back lennox just to expose this valuev for what he is,an overated circus act.
- paul says:
i said it once and i’ll say it again….somebody put McCline out of his misery…..yo to be that big and powerful and to fight like a rabbit…uggghhhhhhh..but to his credit he was swinging ok 4th chance get it right or retire
- Ben Wiser says:
teh, I think McCline could have won too. Sad. It’s really sad to be V’s size and have little punching power. Once he get’s in with an A-level, he’s done. Too bad there are only about 3 A-levels.
- BTR says:
If Valuev would train with Emanual Steward or another notable U.S. trainer who can teach him to harness his power and improve his balance–he WILL BE UNBEATABLE!!! THAT’S RIGHT. Simple fact: he outweighs everyone by 100 pounds. Once he makes contact on someone’s head continually—they will wear down. That’s what happened to Monte Barret and Mcline was next. Sure they all fight well for a couple of rounds—but they will wear down!!!
That’s a fact!!!!! - jan rrr says:
well..
no matter who trains him he is beatable if marciano style is used.get inside,get punished,get points or ko.simple.