After nine fights in less than a year, Red Deer boxer Arash Usmanee was ready for a break but first he needed to take care of business Friday night in Montreal, and he did so in spectacular fashion stopping Laszlo Balogh of Hungary in three rounds.
In the first round Usmanee, 15-0, 8 KO’s tried for the early knockout. He was able to dictate the pace, but not land the punches he was looking for.
“I get so excited, I am too excited when I fight,” said the World Boxing Association ninth ranked super featherweight in the world. “He was getting away with some awkward movements and making me miss a little bit.”
Usmanee’s corner was able to settle him down between rounds, and in the second frame, the former five time Canadian National Amateur Champion, was able to dissect, Balogh, 13-7-1, 7 KO’s, in methodical fashion.
“I started cutting the corners, and when I caught him in the corner, I wouldn’t throw crazy hard punches, I would pitter-pat, pitter-pat and then explode with two hard shots,” explained Usmanee. “After the first round, he was in survival mode already.”
By the third round the Red Deer boxer was able to break through his opponents defence by going to the body, resulting in three knockdowns and the TKO victory.
“We have been working to the body in the gym so much that we have been hurting people sparring,” said Usmanee. “I was hitting him, hitting him and then all of a sudden bop, I hit the button, and he went down. It was a left hook to the mid-section, the solar plexus.”
Usmanee followed up the first knockdown, by dropping Balogh with a right hook to body.
“People were saying in the back row, they could hear the body shots landing to the body,” said Usmanee. “I just picked, pick, pick and then I got him with a right hook to the left side and he was done.”
Balogh got back up but Usmanee drove him to the canvas for the third time forcing the referee to stop the contest.
Usmanee, who fights out of Montreal, will take a much-deserved month off and return to his hometown of Red Deer to recharge his batteries. After which he will return to Montreal to train, hoping to fight again in early November.
The Red Deer boxer’s star has been on the rise, not only on a National but also on an International level.
Famed boxing trainer Freddie Roach recently approached his management about the possibility of Usmanee sparring with Manny Pacquiao, in preparation for Pacquiao’s November bout with Juan Manuel Marquez.
Usmanee’s notoriety has also had some negative results. Prior to the Balogh bout he was offered a bout with rising U.S. star Gary Russell Jr., 17-0, 10 KO’s on HBO, but Russell’s people turned down the bout, choosing to take on a lesser opponent.
At the same time, Usmanee’s manager Douggy Berneche was offered a fight in Ireland against Patrick Hyland, 23-0, 10 KO’s. Berneche said yes, but Hyland’s team said no.
“The guys who are going to catapult me to the next level, are refusing (to fight),” lamented the undefeated prospect.