SportItalia: Mauro Forte vs. Levan Tsiklauri RBR

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Vincenzo Bevilacqua just defeated Nikola Matic on points in their super welterweight 6-rounder.

 

Mauro Forte vs. Levan Tsiklauri, 10 rounds @ featherweight

 

This is for the vacant WBC Mediterranean 126lb title. Viorel Simion was the first (and last) person to hold this belt, defending it twice in his reign which ended nine years ago.

 

Direct stream here:

https://www.sportitalia.com/livestream/sportitalia-channel-live-streaming/885278

 

Anthems; first Georgian, then Italian.

 

...speaking of Bombardierul, if anyone cares to know, he's competing a week from today in his first outing since his loss to Scott Quigg fifteen months ago in an IBF world title eliminator. No rust-shaking tuneup, either, he's jumping straight in with 13-0 (8) boricua Top Rank prospect Jean Carlos Rivera.

 

Round 1

Forte is working the high southpaw jab on Tsiklauri, not letting him get set and chasing him from one corner into the next. Forte swatting right hooks off the jab as he backs Tsiklauri up. High but wide guard from Tsiklauri, keeping his elbows outside his chest, flanking his pectorals, and gloves lined up over them, spread far apart, using the left in front to pick off some of Forte's jabs and keeping the right clamped onto the rear side of his own jaw, twisting counterclockwise to absorb Forte's occasional left hand leads on the back of his fist. Lead right hooks followed by left crosses by Forte, throwing pot-shot two-pieces from outside in a very fast & loose manner, arms held down when not punching. Tsiklauri doing very little except paw out with defensive left jabs on the backfoot or rain down poorly aimed chopping flurries in the direction of his attacker while he scrambles clear of the corners.

10-9 Forte

 

Tsiklauri is Forte's third Georgian opponent in eleven professional contests. Forte has only registered two stoppages, but one (against the first of his Georgian foes) came on cuts...so, not a big puncher.

 

Round 2

Tsiklauri is tightening up his defense, keeping his palms glued together while hopping around, giving Forte plenty of space to burn energy in pursuit with his long strides and lunging overhand lefts. Poking left jabs on the belt line from Tsiklauri on the outside, grazing at best and mostly falling short or nudging the upper thigh. Forte is able to connect on the up-&-over left hand, feinting it straight but then raising the altitude by a few inches and then sending the glove hurtling forward to knock into the space between Tsiklauri's eyes. Forte using lots of rolling jab-feints to keep Tsiklauri honest while backing him up and having target practice with the left more or less unopposed.

10-9 Forte

20-18 Forte

 

Round 3

Tsiklauri is getting stamped on the bridge of the nose with the left hand fairly regularly now. Forte is playing around, bracing against the ropes and letting Tsiklauri grow bold and toss a 1-2, ducking past him and doing a pirouette with his knees bent, zapping Tsiklauri with a counter while turning him. Forte starting to mix in some body shots, but not sitting down on anything - just tattooing his opponent from outside with straight three punch combos and sidestepping with a light smacking right hook. Tsiklauri getting frustrated, lunging, getting countered flush.

10-9 Forte

30-27 Forte

 

Round 4

Forte continues toying with Tsiklauri, and is successfully enraging him enough to elicit a jousting charge behind a left arm outstretched like a lance to set up Tsiklauri's right hand, which never quite lands as Forte is able to dip back against the ropes and bounce past him, or simply duck & spin. Tsiklauri putting together sustained 4 & 5 punch combos, very aggressive but only hitting arms or air while Forte squats & shimmies by the ropes, light-sabering with his forearms to intercept whatever he doesn't slip or duck. Forte landing jabs on the forehead of his taller opponent from mid-range, ducking & weaving, and popping him with straight combos and hooks, Tsiklauri completely thrown for a loop by the foot speed & lefty stance. Flush (but not spiteful) counter lefts by Forte casually tossed past the 1-2 of Tsiklauri, and some quick left uppercuts for good measure.

10-9 Forte

40-36 Forte