Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Bruwer & Andreas Kotelnik vs. Alexander Benidze RBR

Round 3

Kotelnik is putting together lead rights and left hooks, moving in and out of range. Wild roundhouse rights by Benidze, throwing from too far out. Kotelnik is landing the chopping right as Benidze grinds in, ducking and putting up lazy jabs. Kotelnik flips out his left elbow to stop Bendize's scooping body shots as he slides in. Kotelnik is covering up as he circles away, then countering when Benidze picks up his pace to rush in with bombs. Kotelnik is tagged by a hacksaw right as Benidze jumps inside. Benidze goes for a couple of side-whackers but Kotelnik steps away too quickly for him.

10-9 Kotelnik

30-26 Kotelnik

 

Round 4

Kotelnik is sticking the jab in Benidze's face and using quick double-steps either backward or to either side to prevent Benidze from ever landing with him. Right uppercut on the flank by Kotelnik squatting in, before pulling out and resuming his circular movement. Benidze is following in a turtle shell, lowering himself to get attacking leverage on body uppercuts and maybe submarine up in front of Kotelnik to surprise him. Kotelnik is able to outpace him easily, seeing everything coming, answering with light straight flurries on the bridge of the nose of Benidze. Kotelnik circles left, stepping forward to avoid the corner, and Benidze smashes at his body with both hands. Kotelnik drops his elbows to absorb most of it and then begins to cut Benidze up with the 1-2 as Benidze tires and slows his output.

10-9 Kotelnik

40-35 Kotelnik

 

Epi Mendoza is probably still the best name on there but his resume is awesome for only five deep. Lomachenko's is better, as have been a few others, but they're rarities.

Usyk's is better than Rigondeaux's and Shumenov's through five. (both considered guys who got matched very tough in a hurry because of their amateur pedigree)

 

Round 5

Kotelnik is drilling away on the head of Benidze with the right hand, doubling and even tripling it up as he dials him like a rotary phone. Kotelnik blocks with his yellow glove, jabs with the blue while stepping around Benidze, and lets the rights cascade down into Benidze's face as he ducks in looking to explode with offensive displays that never quite find target. Kotelnik is only grazed with the odd high fly-ball right on the temple.

10-9 Kotelnik

50-44 Kotelnik

 

Round 6

Kotelnik is actually looking tired, both on his stool and once the bell rings, from landing so many punches on Benidze. Kotelnik takes it easy here in the sixth, pumping single and double jabs and cruising away. Benidze is flailing but can't lay a glove on Kotelnik, outside the same old pinky scrapes, touching Kotelnik's spiky hair more than his actual flesh.

10-9 Kotelnik

60-53 Kotelnik

 

Round 7

Kotelnik is now trotting in either direction, wide around Benidze, letting him walk onto left jabs without much sting on them, barely closing his fist and letting accumulation pile up. Flurries by Kotelnik, mixing from head to body as Benidze charges in. Benidze leans forward, arms wrapped over his face, lobs in a few sloppy underhanded body shots and grabs Kotelnik around the waist. Both tired. Jab by Kotelnik. Right on the hip by Benidze.

10-9 Kotelnik

70-62 Kotelnik

 

Round 8

Kotelnik is on his bike, faking Benidze out with a few steps leftward and then springing right with head bowed. Wild body rams from Benidze, marching in applying heavier pressure than in the 1st-7th. Kotelnik is able to evade him but lacks the energy to use much of the ring. More holding now. Kotelnik clubs Benidze on the side of the head with his right in the clinch. Double jab by Benidze, scoring and backing Kotelnik up. Angry now, Kotelnik doubles a chopping right in Benidze's face. Clinch. Double slapping left hook up top by Benidze, blocked but allowing him to grind in close and muscle Kotelnik back. 1-2 by Kotelnik. High slapping right by Benidze. Jab by Benidze. Clinch. Kotelnik pushes off and lands a right backing up. Double right by Kotelnik.

10-9 Kotelnik but closer, action-packed round.

80-71 Kotelnik

 

UD for Kotelnik.

 

For sporting fifty months' rust he actually looked pretty good.

Benidze was game and tough and has an unconventional style, but Kotelnik managed to mostly keep it a boxing match...and when it became more of a wild melee at the end he got the best of that as well.

 

That would be great, and he could easily do it.

Him beating Wlodarczyk now (even if 'just' by decision) actually would be more impressive than Beterbiev destroying Cloud in his sixth.

 

Previously unbeaten Maidana (legit, non-robbery)
Rees
Abdullaev
Gonzalez

Alexander, M'Baye I & II, and Witter if you include fights where he did enough but got robbed.

I don't like Khan, either - but I do admit that Kotelnik is a really good name on his resume, among the best on there. (Judah and Collazo were both past it, and Barrera shot to bits - so the best names Khan has without asterisks on them are Kotelnik, Malignaggi and Maidana)