５月１０日フロリダ州マイアミのココナッツ・グローブ・コンベンション・センタ ーで行なわれたＷＢＡ世界ライト級タイトルマッチ、チャンピオンのオルズベック ・ナザロフ対同級１位の挑戦者ラベンダー・ジョンソンの１２回戦は、７回１７秒 ナザロフがＴＫＯ勝ちで６度目の王座防衛に成功しました。
Coconuts glove Convention Center, Miami,Florida
May 10
lzbeck Nazarov successfully defended his title by way of technical knock out
in his World Boxing Association light weight tile match with the American
challenger Johnson. It was his sixth successful defense.
Lavender Johnson, NO.1 contender was stopped at 17seconds in the 7th round
of the scheduled 12-round contest.
第１ラウンドから落ち着いてジョンソンの動きを見るナザロフはサウスポー・スタ イルから右リードに続く左を顔面に浴びせてジョンソンをロープ際まで吹っ飛ばし 、再三あわやダウンというところまで追い込みます。
From the starting round, Nazrof who at first cautiously observed the challenger in the southpaw stance suddenly landed his right connecting his left to the head, which sent Johnson to the ropes and he narrowly escaped being knocked down.
２回に入ると自慢の強打でたたみかけるナザロフに対してジョンソンも速いコンビ ネーションで必死の応戦を試みます。続く３回、ナザロフはジョンソンをロープに 追いつめて顔面を 連打し、ジョンソンはたまらずダウン。
In round 2, Nazarof continuously attacked the challenger with his trademark hard punches while Jonson desparately counterattacked with his fast one-two conbination. In the third round, Nazarof chased the American to the ropes and landed several hard blows to the head which sent him to the canvas.
その後も試合はナザロフのペースで進み、６回、嵐のような連打でジョンソンを２ 度目のダウン。さらにナザロフの連打は容赦なくジョンソンに浴びせられラウンド 終了のゴングと同時にジョンソンは３度目のダウン。カウントは続行されましたが ジョンソンはかろうじて立ち上がり、ここで６回終了。
In the following two rounds, Nazarof mostly controlled the bout and in the 6th the Russian attacked the American with his tremendous hard blows knocking down the challenger. The champion relentlessy gave some more punishment to the challenger. Johnson hit the canvas for the third time in this bout just before the bell rang and referee continued to count but the American challenger managed to break the count. The challenger was saved by the bell but it was clear for everyone that this bout will end soon.
そして続く７回、ダメージの深刻な様子のジョンソンはあっという間に人間サンド バックにされてしまい、４度目のダウンを喫すると同時にレフェリーが割って入り ジョンソンを救いました。
Sure enough,in the next 7th round as soon as the bell rang, Johnson who was severely damaged in the previous round became a human sand back and was sent to the canvas again fouth time in this bout. The referee cut in and halt the bout declaring the TKO on the spot to save the challenger.
間違いなく今夜最高の試合を演じたナザロフですが、この試合がアメリカで放送さ れなかったのは残念でなりません。放送されていたら、きっともっと大きなセンセ ーションを巻き起こしていたことでしょう。
Undoutedly Nazarof fought the best fight tonight but to our great regret, this bout was not televised in America. Otherwise the Russian would have become a much bigger sensation.