Marco Huck in June 2024. (Picture by Tristar Media/Getty Photos)
Former cruiserweight titleholder Marco Huck will snap a close to four-year hiatus from boxing when he returns on Saturday.
Huck, who held the WBO 200-pound title for six years and made a file 13 profitable defenses, will face Evgenios Lazaridis in a scheduled 10-round heavyweight contest at Estrel Conference Middle in Berlin, Germany.
“Effectively, clearly 4 years is a very long time to not compete,” Huck (42-5-1, 28 knockouts) advised The Ring earlier than explaining his absence. “I’ve had a fractured hand just a few years [ago], adopted by just a few minor setbacks. Fortunately, I’m wholesome for the final couple years and the need to struggle remains to be large, so I made a decision to return again. I nonetheless love boxing and the competitors, which is most vital.”
The 39-year-old veteran clearly nonetheless feels he has one thing to supply.
“I need my profession to finish worthy of an awesome champion,” he defined. “Moreover, I see the competitors within the heavyweights, I see the chance I’ve, offered I keep in the perfect psychological and bodily form.”
And that begins in opposition to European stalwart Lazaridis in a struggle that ought to give a barometer of what Huck has left within the tank.
“Evgenios is an effective and skilled fighter who has fought loads of high heavyweights,” mentioned Huck. “I imagine he is an effective take a look at for me at this level of my profession.”
Nonetheless, Huck isn’t getting too far forward of himself and needs to see how issues play out earlier than naming explicit targets.
“I plan from struggle to struggle now,” he defined. “I wish to come again, win this one and carry on constructing. Hopefully, I’ll work myself again within the title image.”
Huck punches Firat Arslan throughout their rematch in 2014, which might mark the twelfth protection of Huck’s WBO cruiserweight title. (Picture by Martin Rose – Bongarts/Getty Photos)
Huck sat for years at No. 1 in The Ring’s cruiserweight scores, damaged by a detour to heavyweight wherein he misplaced a considerably controversial determination to Alexander Povetkin. That place started to slip after a stoppage loss to Krzysztof Glowacki in 2015. He has shared the ring with a bunch of high fighters, is well-rested, and that ought to serve him effectively after some robust defeats by the hands of Mairis Briedis and Oleksandr Usyk, the latter through the 2017-18 World Boxing Tremendous Collection. If he’s nonetheless in a position to compete at a very good stage, by no means thoughts world stage, this author believes that Huck may power a stoppage within the second half of the struggle.
Lazaridis (19-5, 13 KOs) has been knowledgeable since 2013. The Germany-based Greek received his first 11 bouts earlier than dropping a detailed determination to Erkan Teper, and two fights later he was surprisingly stopped by Samuel Kadje in 5 rounds.
The 36-year-old obtained again to successful methods earlier than dropping to Agit Kabayel (UD 10), future European champion Oleksandr Zakhozhyi (KO 1) and the up-and-coming Mourad Aliev (UD 10). These three losses have been interspersed with three first-round knockout victories in six-rounders.
Huck-Lazaridis shall be broadcast on DAZN at 2 p.m. ET/ 11 a.m. PT.
Questions and/or feedback could be despatched to Anson at [email protected].
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