Organizzazione Pugilistica Italiana Since '82/Matchroom: Fabio Turchi vs. Nikolajs Grišunins RBR

Fabio Turchi vs. Nikolajs Grišunins, 10 rounds @ cruiserweight

 

He probably has a few million fewer thirsty, panty-splooging IG followers but honestly Luke is more attractive IMO.

 

Don't-a blink, this one maybe gonna be a spicy meat-a-ball.

 

Turchi looks jacked, even more so than usual...but his mustachio situation is straight up comedy. He definitely belongs in a Black Hand flick set in the late 19th century (parallel with the prequel segments of the Godfather trilogy), or in a 1970's gay porn.

 

Round 1

Grišunins is pawing out with the right jab, reeling it back responsibly to a resting spot fixed high against his forehead. Grišunins not giving Turchi any easy openings, but the younger man driving his way in with an incisive southpaw jab of his own and bopping Grišunins atop the hairline with heavy lefts. Not much in this, otherwise - they're both just posing and circling.

10-9 Turchi

 

Round 2

Grišunins is carefully jabbing while stepping counter-clockwise, occasionally winging a cheeky light hook off the jab when he gets the jump on Turchi circling. Grišunins is barely scooting backward to dodge a big front-foot left uppercut by Turchi. Grišunins copped a bloody nose somehow, but I think all that has connected for Turchi so far (at least on Grišunins' face) is jabs.

10-9 Turchi

20-18 Turchi

 

Round 3

Grišunins is taking wider and more rapid steps to his right to give Turchi a wide berth. Long corkscrew lefts on the body landing for Turchi anyway. Turchi working his way in behind a very heavy right jab pumped through Grišunins' palms to jolt him on the nose. Grišunins is baited into an exchange in the center of the ring and rocked by a right hook. Grišunins treading water attempting to gain respect with two and three punch combos now, his legs seeming to have abandoned him and forced him to brawl in self-defense. Turchi just keeps stalking, crisscrossing from left to right with a few lateral steps before stopping on a dime and reversing, and pumping out that hard jab shaving the bridge of Grišunins' nose on an incline. More nice lefts on the body from Turchi.

10-9 Turchi

30-27 Turchi

 

Very mature performance by Turchi, compared with nearly all of his that I've seen before.

I was going to say it kind of reminds me of how López surprised us last week - except, you know, López emerged from the chrysalis and showed up his metamorphosed self against somebody in the p4p top 5, while Turchi saved his for...an over the hill Latvian journeyman.

 

Yep. But this is an improved version of the banger he was a few bouts ago, has ironed some of the kinks out. No fixing slow feet, though. Best you can do is aim for economical footwork and excellent timing, like Joe Louis.

 

Round 4

Grišunins is hanging in tough, squeezing off a few desperate hail-Mary lefts and in fact grazing Turchi a time or two - but all it takes is one ponderous but timely and well-measured counter left down the pipe from Turchi and Grišunins is rattled and shrinking backward. They mostly just fence with the southpaw jab, with Turchi both throwing & landing more and doing LOADS more physical damage with his. Grišunins' face is a mess.

10-9 Turchi

40-36 Turchi

 

Turchi's jab and shot placement have come a long way.

 

Round 5

Grišunins is looking grizz-uesome, cuts now sprouting up all over his head. He has heart, though - gotta give him that. Turchi eats a few chopping lefts but barely notices them skidding down off his jaw as he continues to peck at Grišunins with the jab, laser-focused, and work the body after stunning him with it and closing the distance whenever he can get a lick in.

10-9 Turchi

50-45 Turchi