Abdullaev Stops Linares in Final Round in Dramatic War in Russia

By Carlos Costa

In a thrilling war, world-ranked Russian Lightweight Zaur Abdullaev (15-1, 9 KO’s) scored the most important win of his 5-year pro boxing career by twice dropping and stopping brave former world champ Jorge “El Niño de Oro” Linares (47-8, 29 KO’s) of Venezuela in the final round of their dramatic battle tonight in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

With his climactic victory, the 27-year-old Zaur Abdullaev retained his WBC Silver Lightweight title and positions himself so well for a possible shot at the WBC Lightweight World Title later this year.

Linares, 36, started effective while displaying his customary good boxing skills and wide repertoire of punches, but the constant relentless aggressive, coming-forward pressure from the younger Abdullaev saw him prevaling over Linares tonight, just secounds away from the final bell.

Linares went down hard two times in that fateful final stanza, falling near the ropes, coming up on his feet those two times, just to receive more artillery from the Russian dynamo till the Swiss referee intervened halting the onslaught, waiving off, spearing the big-heart Linares from really unnecessary damage.

It was a fantastic, thrilling, dramatic win for the 5′ 9″ Russian Zaur Abdullaev who might now become mandatory challenger to the coveted green and golden WBC Lightweight Crown.

The author Carlos Costa can be reached at carlos512@hotmail.com and WhatsApp +639184538152.