Kevin Vladimirovich Johnson vs. Vitaly Viktorovich Minakov & Solomon Adebayo vs. Sergey Kuzmin RBR

Kevin Blue Vladimirovich Johnson vs. Vitaly Viktorovich Minakov, 4 rounds @ heavyweight

 

Wtf is this entrance?

Heavy metal, a bunch of male & female performers cosplaying Mad Max Fury Road, rusty barrels, weaponry, pyro and flamethrowers, acrobats on pogo shoes.

Then out rides Kingpin in two-seater motorcycle wearing a blacksmith's helmet.

Amazing.

 

Big Nik Valuev on color.

 

Minakov has dudes in traditional red & black waist-sashed Russian garb sharpening axes and halberds, doing somersaults, and dancing around with bullwhips.

Now ushanka-clad sword dancers.

Deep voiced singer doing some kind of folksy dirge over an industrial beat.

Overall fairly low-key relative to Johnson's, but still over-the-top.

 

Weights:

Johnson 111.2kg (245lbs)
Minakov 126.5kg (279lbs)

 

Only a third of the weight difference there was in Papin vs. Hardy...

 

Round 1

Minakov is throwing quick light flurries at the head and then uppercutting to pry the guard of Johnson out from his chest. Nothing doing. Johnson is shelled up, waiting to counter. A trickle of right hands from Johnson. More shoeshines by Minakov stepping forward. Very little snap on anything, just volume punching the way you would do a bag drill in a boxercise class. Johnson is catching shots on his arms and shoulders, but not throwing anything in return - so the little bit that Minakov does land is essentially all that's landing either way.

10-9 Minakov, woof

 

Round 2

Minakov circling in close on Johnson and throwing light straight high flurries. Johnson tries countering with underhanded body shots. Johnson keeps bending his elbow and pressing it out into Minakov's midsection to bump him away. Short left hooks tapped on the chin by Minakov in the pocket as he leans on Johnson to pin him into the ropes. Johnson poking him with the occasional counter body shot but very few and far between. Minakov rocked by a left hook delivered as Johnson clears his way off the ropes! Minakov now retreating.

10-9 Johnson, barely

19-19

 

@UnleashtheFURY your boy looks like ass today. He's somehow slower than the 37 year old version of Kuzmin that fought earlier.

I'd pick Papin to spark him out in a round.

 

Round 3

Minakov is now letting Johnson jab him across the ring. Johnson striding confidently in, mixing in some right hands on the body. Minakov tries rocking back and using head movement to slip jabs but Johnson finds him anyway. Minakov tries reclaiming the forward momentum. Johnson makes him miss and pay, stinging him with counter jabs. The crowd boos Minakov's indecisiveness as he plods up to about two paces from Johnson and hesitates at the jab's full extension range. Johnson burying rights into the gut, making Minakov huff and puff.

10-9 Johnson

29-28 Johnson

 

Round 4

Minakov is reaching in, missing, getting countered or snatched up in a headlock and then released. Johnson flicking out constant jabs, missing a bunch but keeping Minakov offensively castrated. Johnson is waiting for Minakov to come charging in, and tries a big check hook but Minakov pumps the brakes. Minakov holds and hits. Ref letting them grind and dirty-box on the inside. Uppercuts traded. Flurry by Minakov, everything blocked. Johnson gets free of the ropes and snaps out jabs to either side of Minakov's head. Flush right hand on the kisser by Johnson.

10-9 Johnson

39-37 Johnson