The Berlin professional boxer Enrico Kölling has clearly missed the jump to the world championship throne. In the fight for the vacant IBF title, the 27-year-old semi heavyweight was defeated by the favourite Russian Artur Beterbijew in Fresno, California, by technical knockout on Sunday night. in round 12.
With a victory, Kölling could have become the first German boxer since Max Schmeling in 1930, who crowned himself champion in the USA.
“I was hit very hard by a right-wing, and that’s what I was forced to do,”said Kölling:”He’s a monster, merciless. He kept hitting and hitting and ending it. He’s someone nobody wants to fight. And I took the fight.”
For Kölling it was his second defeat in the 25th minute. Professional fight of his career. For the curry sausage and soft ice cream parlor owner, this also means the missed opportunity to emulate another German boxing icon. Henry Maske held the IBF belt in the semi heavyweight from 1993 to 1996.
The German held up well against the knockout engine Beterbiyev, who celebrated his twelfth early victory in the twelfth fight, for a long time. He scored a few goals from time to time, but the Russians’ dominance was simply overwhelming, and Kölling was the first fighter to beat Bethbiyev over the seventh round.
Kölling didn’t get the chance to win the World Championship until September. Originally, the duel between him and Bethbiyev was supposed to be a World Cup elimination fight. But after the resignation of Champion Andre Ward (USA) the fight had been upgraded.