A unanimous decision it was, but Arash Usmanee’s win over formerly undefeated Chris Howard on Saturday at Atlanta was no gimme.
“I won most of the rounds, but it was not an easy fight,” the former Red Deer Boxing Club star and Montreal-based fighter said Tuesday.
“The guy was really tough.
“He kept coming and throwing punches and when the final bell rang he was till trying to win the fight. So that made for an exciting bout as well as a sweet victory.”
Usmanee improved to 18-0 (with nine knockouts) and captured the vacant WBC Continental Americas lightweight title in the process.
Howard slipped to 14-1 after suffering his first pro defeat at the Grand Ballroom in Atlanta.
Usmanee looked poised and confident as his American opponent came out hard with the support of his hometown crowd. The busier and more accurate fighter throughout, Usmanee also upped the pace in the latter stages as Howard appeared to fade.
“I think everything of mine was a little bit better than his, not just my fitness,” said the 30-year-old, who stills calls Red Deer home.
“My will was a lot greater, as well as my skills, my ability and my experience. The guy was really a hard-headed, ignorant dude and wouldn’t learn, so I had to keep punching.”
Usmanee didn’t want to compare his weekend bout with his performance in a hard-fought, unanimous-decision victory over Innocent Anyanwu of the Netherlands in mid-February at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
“They were two different fights. That other one (versus Anyanwu) I had other problems outside of boxing, other things on my mind,” he said.
Certainly the health of his mother, who recently suffered a stroke and is now in an extended care facility in Red Deer, weighed on his mind.
“And that is still there, although she’s doing OK now,” he said.
Due to the fact the Saturday bout went 10 rounds, Usmanee’s next fight won’t take place until June.
In the meantime . . .
“I’ll come home soon to visit with friends and family for awhile,” he said.
gmeachem@www.reddeeradvocate.com