After Alexander Gustafsson has been knocked down stood the blue-and-yellow hope in London for fellow countryman Jack Hermansson, ranked eighth in the world in middleweight, who met the top-of-form Chris Curtis.
The American came to the match with eight straight victories, six of which were via finish.
But tonight the winning streak ended.
Jack Hermansson put in a strong effort and won a unanimous decision after three rounds. The numbers were written as 29-28, 29-28, 30-27.
Uddevallasonen offered fine footwork, great variety in his attacks, high punch volume and behaved with discipline when Curtis showed frustration.
Pointed finger with both hands
Midway through the second round, Hermansson looked set to end the bout as he pushed the American up against the cage and fed punches and elbows, but Curtis managed to get away. “The Joker” was credited with 47 hits in the second round compared to 19 for his opponent.
Before the third and final round, Curtis was heard saying to his trainer: “I can’t reach him”.
The frustration became even more evident in the final stages of the bout when Curtis yelled at Hermansson, pointed with both hands and gestured that he thought the Swede was running around the cage instead of fighting. When the verdict was announced, he gave the thumbs down and left the cage.
– He mocked me and I had a little too much adrenaline so something slipped out of me in the heat of the moment. I’m sorry for that and apologize to Chris, I, who am usually so kind, said Hermansson in the victory interview afterwards.
Want to go to a match in Sweden this year
“The Joker” would actually have faced British star Darren Till, who pulled out of the match at short notice. The Swede does not rule out that the match will be canceled in the future, even though it was the second time that Till pulled out.
– It would be a bit scary to book that match again, but they say the third time is good, so maybe it is. Above all, I would like to go to the match at the gala in Sweden later this year, says Hermansson.
A gala on Swedish soil in 2022 has not yet been confirmed, but there have been rumors about the month of November.
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