Manuel Charr vs Christopher Lovejoy was heavyweight boxing’s mystery match, and the results in Cologne on Saturday night did not disapppoint.
There was an element of farce all week about the proceedings, and it continued right to the very end as Charr failed to complete a cartwheel after knocking out the overmatched American inside two rounds.
Lovejoy a heavyweight unicorn
Charr (now 32-4 with 18 wins inside distance) had been out of the ring for almost four years before this fight. Lovejoy meanwhile was the heavyweight division’s unicorn. His 19-0 record (19 KOs) had come entirely on small shows in the Mexican town of Tijuana.
It was incredible then, that right up until the eve of the fight reports had this one being sanctioned by the World Boxing Association (WBA) for it’s regular title (Charr is the body’s ‘champion in recess’). As it was, it ended being scheduled for 10.
Lovejoy, who had been scheduled to fight Dave Allan on the Usyk vs Chisora undercard, reportedly arrived in Germany without a trainer or even a cutman. And he tipped the scales at 306lbs (21st 12lbs).
Lovejoy picks up cult following
But the American gained something of a cult following among the boxing crowd on Twitter, who had followed his journey to the German city with fascination.
When fight night arrived the action did not last long, and it proved what many had feared – Lovejoy was not ready for this level. He showed a shocking lack of defensive capability, with even holding not coming as first nature.
The end came swiftly in the second round, pretty much the first time Charr had loaded up with any meaningful shots. He pinned Lovejoy on the ropes and unleashed a flurry of shots which sent the man from Las Vegas to the deck.
The 37-year-old Lovejoy would not beat the count, though he did take to social media afterwards, vowing that he will be back.
So comes to an end one of boxing’s most mysterious matches – the sort the sport is famous for. Now we wait to see what is next for both Charr and Lovejoy.
