Huck handles Minto, keeps WBO title
OLDENBURG, Germany — After three knockdowns and a possible broken nose, Brian Minto's corner had seen enough.
Minto's handlers threw in the towel at the beginning of the 10th round Saturday as Marco Huck successfully defended his WBO world cruiserweight title against the Butler boxer.
The 35-year-old Minto (34-4), fighting for the first time as a cruiserweight, was knocked down in the third, fifth and ninth rounds by powerful right hands thrown by Huck (29-1, 22 KOs).
"Huck is very strong," Minto said to international journalist Johannes Berendt after the fight. "He can punch really hard. He deserved to win tonight."
As Minto came toward the middle of the ring at the start of Round 10, his corner conceding the decision, the two fighters embraced.
"It was a spectacular fight and I really take my hat off to Minto," Huck, 25, told Berendt. "I was surprised how many shots he could take. I knocked him down three times, but he refused to give up.
"He has a big heart and you have to give him a lot of credit for carrying on."
The win marked Huck's third successful defense of his WBO title. The loss was the second in a row for Minto, who suffered a fourth-round TKO defeat to Chris Arreola in December.
Arreola weighed 50 pounds more than Minto, prompting the Butler fighter to drop pounds and switch to cruiserweight. He weighed in at 198 pounds, as did Huck, Friday.
Minto was the aggressor for much of the fight and reportedly threw more punches. Huck landed numerous counters, however.
Bad Left Hook, a boxing website, reported that Minto likely would have been ahead on points if not for the knockdowns. The website's reporter had the fight scored 86-82 for Huck at the end of nine rounds.
Huck was warned once for rabbit punches — punches to the back of the head — during the bout. Minto was cautioned once for a low blow.
Minto was knocked down in the third round when a short counter left hook by Huck set up his overhand right.
After another right hand dropped Minto in the fifth round, the fight reportedly turned into a bit of a brawl with Huck "appearing gassed," according to boxingnews24.com.
That same website reported that Minto won Rounds 6-8 as Huck was inactive while Minto pursued him, landing body punches.
A double jab and a right hand floored Minto in the ninth round, though, and Huck landed two more powerful right hands as the round ended.
The blow that injured Minto's nose occurred during that ninth round. He was taken to the hospital after the fight.
"Marco is incredibly explosive and powerful," Huck's coach, Ulli Wegner said. "This was a good test. Minto came back all the time, so it was important that Marco controlled his power and stamina."
Huck's manager, Wilfried Sauerland, called Huck "the most spectacular fighter in Germany."
On the undercard, WBO Intercontinental light heavyweight champion Karo Murat defended his title with a unanimous decision over Tommy Karpency of Pennsylvania.
