Ramirez vs McKenzie was labelled a mismatch from the moment it was announced. Taking the IBF Cruiserweight championship bout at just 11-days-notice, Britain’s Ovill McKenzie did more than just perform beyond expectations in Buenos Aires, Argentina – he came awfully close to pulling off the upset. Credit where credit is due, McKenzie, the current British and Commonwealth champ, didn’t shame himself by donning the alias ‘The Upsetter’.
After 12 rounds of competitive action, the official scorecards came in at 114-114, 115-113, and 115-113. This bout will likely be disputed by a lot of boxing fans who tuned in, but personally I have no qualms with the result. My own scorecard came in bang on 114-114.
Ramirez landed the harder, more telling blows of the fight, but often found himself struggling to close the distance. McKenzie was effective with the jab and was surprisingly mobile, demonstrating some commendable footwork. This fight ended in a Draw for a reason: close rounds, and quite simply, it was too difficult to separate either man’s efforts. That’s my feeling, anyway.
Ramirez will of course return to Argentina with the IBF title, but will now receive a fair bit of grief for his under par performance. Replacement opponent. 11 days notice. A draw. It just doesn’t sound good. It makes you wonder just what the originally billed Yoan Pablo Hernandez would have done to Ramirez. The drawing board now awaits, no doubt…
As for McKenzie, he may be kicking himself for not pressing the action more in this encounter. But a Draw against the champ, away from home, and as a heavy, heavy underdog, this achievement may as well be considered a victory. It is, after all, probably the last championship affair he’ll be involved in.
Ramirez now stands at 22 wins, 2 defeats, 1 draw, 17 knockouts, while McKenzie drops to 25 wins, 12 defeats, 1 draw, 13 knockouts.
Let us know your take on Ramirez vs McKenzie in the comments, fight fans.
Mark Phillips is the Head Staff Writer/Assistant Editor at BoxingBase.com, and provides worldwide news, coverage and analysis – he can be reached via our Contact Page.
