Unheralded German Viktor Dick, a last minute substitute for Omar Siala, caused a huge shock at the Calafatti hall in Vienna, Austria last Saturday (June 26), battling local hero Gogi Knezevic to an absolute standstill and winning the World Boxing Federation Intercontinental Middleweight title in a major upset.
While Knezevic, who was expected to win on his way to a world title shot against Kreshnik Qato, the Albanian World Boxing Federation champion, had a glittering record of 18-2-1 to match his silver trunks, Dick could easily be underestimated with his 10-10 record coming in.
But in contrast to Knezevic, he had stepped in with anyone coming his way and was thus a hardened warrior. He never took a backward step and after holding his own pretty well over the first four rounds, he basically took over from the fifth onwards.
Knezevic was deducted a point in round eight for repeatedly spitting out his gumshield and was finally and mercifully halted, a completely spend force by then, by referee Ernst Salzgeber at 2:38 min. of the tenth round. After nine rounds, judges Erwin Straub and Willi Vogl had the hometown favourite behind 87:84 and 87:83 respectively, while the third judge, Josef Temml, came up with a rather strange 85:85 score.
In the second World Boxing Federation title fight on this bill, Swiss-Albanian Sefer Seferi, now 11-0 (10), had no problems easily brushing aside Hungary’s Viktor Szalai, also a last-minute substitute for Adnan Buharalija, in just two rounds of a mismatch. Referee Salzgeber stopped the carnage after three knockdowns at 1:31 of the second round and expectedly awarded Seferi the WBFed Intercontinental cruiserweight crown.
WBFed president Howard Goldberg of South Africa was ringside and said: “Seferi is a very strong and exiting fighter. When he next defends the title against top opponents, I am sure he will show a lot and make quite some headlines.”
