by James Slater – Though an earlier date for the fight was postponed, middleweights Matthew Macklin and Dmitriy Pirog are at last set to fight. Scheduled to meet on April 16th in Macklin’s hometown of Birmingham, the two will decide the European 160-pound title currently held by 27-year-old “Mack The Knife.” Making the first defence of the championship he won in superb style when he smashed the respected Amin Asikainen to defeat inside a single round in September, Macklin faces a very hard fight.
Macklin, 26-2(18) but unbeaten as a middleweight, last fought in December, when he pounded out a ten-round points win over Rafael Sosa Pintos; while Russia’s Pirog last boxed in June of last year, when he won an impressive 12-round UD over the experienced Kofi Jantuah. Both men know a tough fight awaits them in April..
Unbeaten at 14-0(11), the aggressive and exciting-to-watch 29-year-old from Russia is seen by some good judges as one of the best prospects in the world today. An attacking fighter who throws a lot of punches, is solid at the weight and appears to have a good chin, Pirog could very well ruin Macklin’s plans of one day soon attempting to become a world middleweight ruler.
Having boxed just once as a pro outside of his native Russia (last time out, in Germany), Pirog may not be exactly thrilled at having to travel to the UK to face Macklin, and maybe this home advantage will prove to be a significant one for the defending European champ. But if Pirog is not at all fazed by Macklin’s vocal fans, etc, a fierce battle will likely rage. Both men have a good arsenal of punches at their disposal, and both have shown a good work-rate in fights.
Macklin, who has been stopped just once as a pro, has a clear edge in experience, with twice as many fights under his belt than Pirog – many of them against good men. On the other hand, Pirog is hungry and some would say he has a touch more natural overall talent than the younger man. Macklin is a most talented fighter himself, of course, but he is not all that hard to tag cleanly – or at least he has been hit quite a bit in some of his past fights. Macklin does appear to be right at his peak today, though – his recent form having been excellent.
Close to a toss-up fight, this one looks to me as though it will go down to the wire. Both men will have to dig deep, and a fast start from both is likely. There could be some furious exchanges during many of the rounds, and a battle of attrition will ensue. I go for Macklin to dig deeper than at any time since his heroic, but losing (light-middleweight) fight with Jamie Moore; before pulling this one out with a close decision.