Despite a valiant attempt, Azinga Fuzile’s attempt to gatecrash the world rankings was unsuccessful in Kazakhstan on Saturday night as he lost on points against WBA number two Sultan Zaurbek.
After a promising early start, Fuzile’s energy and aggression faded down the stretch as he struggled to contain the Kazakh’s strength and intensity in their junior lightweight 10-rounder.
The judges saw it similarly, awarding the win to the home fighter 98-92, 98-92, and 97-93.
In a high quality battle of southpaws, both came out fast, sharp, and purposeful. Fuzile, known for his educated jab, found his rhythm early. He controlled distance expertly and used his lead hand like a surgeon’s scalpel, repeatedly disrupting Zaurbek’s forward momentum.
By the third round, Fuzile appeared to have taken control of the tempo, and in the fourth, he landed a beautifully timed counter right hook that wobbled Zaurbek – an early sign that he had the sharper tools at mid-range.
Zaurbek, fighting in front of a roaring home crowd, absorbed the early pressure but never looked rattled. His resilience began to show by the sixth, and by the eighth, the fight had begun to turn. The Kazakh brawler upped his tempo, unleashing heavy artillery with both hands. Though Fuzile remained composed and defensively sound, the sheer weight of Zaurbek’s punches began to wear him down.
In rounds eight through 10, Zaurbek’s physicality became the defining factor. He bullied his way forward, throwing bombs that pushed Fuzile onto the back foot. The South African, who had looked so assured early on, suddenly seemed without answers. His jab lost its sting, and his movement slowed, as Zaurbek surged with renewed energy, buoyed by the crowd and the smell of blood.
By the championship rounds, it was all Zaurbek.
Fuzile, brave and skilled, simply couldn’t keep the charging tank off him. The final bell found him exhausted and out of ideas.
After three successive wins, Fuzile is back in no-man’s land. As he showed here, he’s far too good for run of the mill fights, but it’s equally true that in all three of his most high profile bouts he has fallen short.
At 28, he is near his physical prime. But does he want it enough?
