Former long-reigning WBO cruiserweight king Marco Huck will put the disappointment of his scrapped summer fight with Ovil McKenzie behind him, as he will face dangerous contender Dmytro Kucher in Germany on November 19. Huck, who last boxed in February – beating the tough Ola Afolabi in their fourth meeting, this fight being Huck’s first fight back since losing his WBO belt to Krzysztof Glowacki in a great action fight last year – will defend his IBO belt.
Kucher, 24-1-1(18) was last seen destroying Enzo Maccarinelli to take the vacant European title. Showing his punching power (albeit against a faded force in Enzo) the 32-year-old Ukrainian can now arrive on the world scene; if he can beat Huck. Huck, 39-3-1(27) and one of the true warriors of the sport, who is seemingly never in a bad fight, has had a long and hard career (it is amazing to think he is still just 31) and it’s anybody’s guess how much he has left to offer at elite level.
This is not to suggest Huck is anywhere close to finished, it’s just that those hard, hard fights must catch up with him one day. Against Afolabi last time out, Huck did look to be about back to his old self, the Glowacki loss having no obvious ill effects, but how much did Afolabi, another fighter who has never had anything given to him, have left himself? In Kucher, Huck will be fighting a fresh, dangerous puncher.
The action should be good, as it is in every Huck fight, such is his style of boxing, and Kucher just might find himself in the right place at the right time. Beaten only by Illunga Makabu (last seen being halted in the third round by Tony Bellew) via very close decision, Kucher has also fought decent opposition in Steve Herelius and former Huck foe Geoffrey Battelo. The Huck fight, though, will be Kucher’s first pro bout in Germany.
Warhorse Huck has to be the pick to win, mostly due to his great experience, but those gruelling battles will catch up with him one day.