Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing sends his congratulations to the winner and still undefeated heavyweight Magomed “Mago” Abdusalamov (16-0, 16 KOs) after his crushing TKO 2 (1:57) over former world title challenger and long-time top contender Jameel “Big Time” McCline in Moscow, Russia, on Saturday night.
Fighting on the undercard of the Vitali Klitschko vs. Manuel Charr WBC Heavyweight Championship fight, Abdusalamov picked up the vacant WBC United States (USNBC) heavyweight title by dropping and stopping McCline with a single, devastating right hook.
But it wasn’t easy.
Known for pulling off surprises throughout his career, McCline was able to catch Abdusalamov with his own powerful right hand early in round one and drop him for a legitimate knockdown.
“McCline put a little scare into us,” said a happy Lewkowicz, post-fight. “But Mago handled it very well. He was a little hurt, but he got up, weathered the storm and was in control of the fight by the end of the round. This is heavyweight boxing. He’s going to have to be able to come back from big shots like that and now we see he can do it. It was a great test that he passed impressively.”
Lewkowicz says the performance against McCline, coupled with his previous strong showings against ever-increasing levels of opponent, should be enough to warrant Abdusalamov’s ascension to the upper levels of the division.
“We’ll be petitioning to have Mago placed in the top 10 of all the organizations, based on this victory. It’s clear he’s moving into position for a big fight soon against another top guy, with a title fight not long after that. He did with one punch what a long line of champions and top contenders could not do to Jameel McCline. Mago showed heart and power and determination and there is no doubt now that he belongs among the world’s best heavyweights.”
