Gassiev stops Kadiru to defend WBA heavyweight title

Murat Gassiev dominated Peter Kadiru before securing a sixth-round TKO victory after his corner threw in the towel.

Murat Gassiev lived up to expectations and defended his WBA heavyweight title with a decisive TKO victory over Peter Kadiru.

From the start, Murat Gassiev set the pace and put Peter Kadiru under significant pressure with powerful punches. Murat Gassiev relied primarily on his powerful hooks and uppercuts, while Peter Kadiru, unfortunately, showed little of his own. Especially in the fourth round, it was really only Murat Gassiev who was on the offensive, while Peter Kadiru spent much of the time defending.

In the fifth round, however, Peter Kadiru briefly had his best spell and landed a few good shots. Murat Gassiev remained dominant, however, and didn’t let it faze him. In the sixth round, he picked up the pace again and drove Peter Kadiru into the corner. There, he landed a few quick punches before Peter Kadiru’s corner threw in the towel, ending the fight.

For Murat Gassiev, this is another strong step toward the world’s elite. As for Peter Kadiru, it was clear that his preparation was a bit lacking. It should be noted, however, that he stepped in on very short notice and really had no opportunity to prepare.

I think Murat Gassiev’s performance was very strong, and he clearly demonstrated what he’s capable of. He basically dominated the fight from start to finish and guided Peter Kadiru exactly where he wanted him to go. With Peter Kadiru, you could just tell that he was a little overwhelmed overall. I feel really bad for him, since he barely had any time to prepare properly. I hope he doesn’t let this get to him too much.