WBA Heavyweight ‘Champion in Recess’, Mahmoud Charr, returned after an absence of well over three years to stop Christopher Lovejoy inside two rounds of their scheduled ten rounder in Cologne, Germany.
After multiple setbacks, both promotional and enforced through a failed drug test, Charr was due to face Trevor Bryan in defence of his WBA title earlier this year, but the fight fell through with just days to spare due to ‘Visa issues’.
Don King still managed to get his charge Bryan a shot at the vacant belt, with Charr made ‘Champion in Recess’, and Bryan promptly dealt with late replacement Bermane Stiverne to win the title.
Lovejoy is currently involved in a contractual dispute with King, and that scuppered a clash with Dave Allen at the last minute late last year, and briefly threatened to derail his clash with Charr. There could yet be repercussions of taking the fight in Germany.
‘Pretty Boy’ Lovejoy came into the fight on the back of 19 wins from as many fights, all in Mexico.
Charr and Lovejoy did thankfully make it to the ring, and the action was short while it lasted.
Just one minute into the second round, Charr trapped Lovejoy into the corner and let go of a flurry of punches that dropped the American to his knees. He was unable to beat the referee’s count, and Charr was declared the winner, celebrating with a cartwheel that went wrong.
It was as much of a bizarre spectacle as we expected, and Charr will now likely pursue finally getting a fight with Bryan delivered.
Elsewhere on the bill, Heavyweight gatekeeper, Christian Hammer, returned after a wide November 2020 defeat to Tony Yoka, and he posted a third round stoppage win against Patrick Kowoll.
Ukrainian Heavyweight Viktor Vykhryst destroyed Jacek Krzysztof Piatek inside a round in what was a battle of unbeatens. A massive right hand flattened the 48 year old Pole, and he was flat on his face and out.
Turkish Super Lightweight, Volkan Gokcek, notched a second round win against Giorgi Mtchedlidze, who came into the contest unbeaten in his first five fights.
At Light Heavyweight, Mohammed Bekdash scored multiple knockdowns in a first round stoppage win against Mindia Nozadze. Also at Light Heavyweight, debutant, Branimir Malenica stoped Norbert Magyar in two.
