Wach Upsets Teper in Germany, Wins IBF Regional Title By 12 Round Decision
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Leipsig, Arena, Poland (March 20th, 2017)– Some upsets do not figure. Erkan Teper has been beaten by 12 round decision for the second consecutive time in Germany. In the main event bout at Leipsig Arena, in Leipsig, Germany, on Saturday evening, March 18, 2017, Mariusz Wach, 33-2, 17 knockouts, Warsaw, Poland, won for the first time in Germany, and probably earned a shot at one of the alphabet world heavyweight titles again, by scoring a 12 round decision upset over Teper, 16-2 with 10 knockouts, Ahlen, Germany. Wach had height advantage, but one other factor was blatantly clear. Extra weight no longer benefits Teper against superior world class main event 12 round opponents. Teper fights between 224 and 265 pounds, and got outworked on this occasion, not moving so well against the technically skilled Wach.
Wach’s game plan, to get to center ring an outbox Teper cautiously and carefully with a consistent jab, while blocking counter attempts and then clinching, remained consistent. Teper evidently believed he could outwork Wach and would get the hometown decision, but it was not to be. Wach won seven rounds on two scorecards, and eight rounds on the third scorecard. Teper need to win only one round on the two 115-113 scorecards for those two judges to give him a majority draw. It has often been said one round makes the difference. Therefore the scoring was closer than the 12 round split decision Teper lost to Christian Hammer in October 2016 in Hamburg.
Wach has fought between 245 and 274 pounds. At 6’7 1/2’ tall, 258 pounds still worked better for him than the shorter 6’5” Teper, who obviously gained some weight after the weigh in, which ultimately slowed him down. Danny Jacobs, after the 160 pound weigh-in with Gennady Golovkin for the unified middleweight title at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York this past weekend, did not show up for the IBF morning of the fight 170 pound weigh-in requirement to keep his strength, so the IBF title was not at stake for Jacobs. In Teper’s case, even though there was no IBF second weigh in and the vacant IBF belt was on the line for both combatants, Teper just entered the ring a little bit too heavy, which made him too flat-footed. The bout was clean, with good sportsmanship by both fighters.
Erkan Teper vs. Marius Wach, 54 min.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J37ECSEy18w
Result: Mariusz Wach Win 12 Erkan Teper, Heavyweights
Wach wins vacant International Boxing Federation East/West Europe Heavyweight title
Scoring: 115-113, 115-113, 116-112 Wach. Referee: Jean-Pierre Van Imschoot.
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