DE LA CRUZ SERVES AS TARGET PRACTICE FOR KLASSEN
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 14 Apr 2008
Former IBF super featherweight champion Michael Klassen, who was once considered as a possible opponent for Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, has scored a seventh round knockout over unknown Filipino boxer Joel de la Cruz.
Super Sport reported that de la Cruz ?had nothing to offer. He served as target practice and did not even take a telling blow when he stumbled back, landed on his behind and stayed down to be counted out at 2 minutes 9 seconds of the seventh round.?
The fight was on the undercard of the IBF junior lightweight title fight in which Cassius Baloyi regained the title in what was described as a ?classic scrap? at the North-West University Sports Complex in Mafikeng, South Africa.
Two of the judges had Baloyi, who won his sixth world championship, ahead on their scorecards while the third judge scored it a draw. Alex Levin of the US had Baloyi the winner 117-111, Mickey Vann of Britain also had it for Baloyi 116-112 but Germany?s Ingo Barrabas scored it a 114-114 draw.
The report on the de la Cruz fight said Klassen seemed to be intent on getting a few rounds under his belt.? It said the former world champion never put his weight behind his punches and merely stuck to a jab-jab-hook pattern against his Filipino opponent who had no right to be in the ring with Klassen.
Boxrec.com listed de la Cruz as a super bantamweight with a 1-3 record going into the fight in South Africa with two of his three defeats coming by way of stoppages. He lost by a fourth round TKO to Jake Verano and before that by a second round KO to Danny Boy Bantilao.
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