By Wayne Bartlett: Alex Arthur captured the interim WBO super-featherweight title this Saturday night, after impressively stopping the awkward and classy southpaw Kobo Gogoladze in 10 rounds at the International Arena in Cardiff.
In a tough test for the Scot, Arthur overcame a slow start tonight as he adjusted to his opponents sharp punching and slippery style to gradually grind down Gogoladze, eventually flooring the Georgian in rounds 6, 8 and 10 en route to the stoppage.
Coming into the ring with a 20-1(8) record, the Philadelphia based Georgian Gogoladze carried with him the reputation of a tricky, former amateur star that had to be respected. The assertion’s of the visitor proved to be correct, as throughout the early rounds Gogoladze’s good movement and whipping punches appeared to be troubling Arthur.
Edging ever closer however to his elusive adversary, the Scotsman sunk a hard right cross to the body of Gogoladze within the opening minute of round four and again found success with the same shot moments later - both punches clearly registering with the Eastern European.
It wasn’t all plain sailing for Arthur in round four though, as the 29-year-old was forced to nurse a nasty looking cut underneath his right eye after a clear head butt from his shorter opponent.
The 34-year-old southpaw managed to edge the following round 5, but shipping a heavy lead left hook in the round as well as showings of tiredness, were encouraging signs for Arthur.
The encouragement for the Scot was founded in round 6 as finally Gogoladze started to unravel.
Applying pressure throughout the sixth, Arthur was connecting more now than at any point in the fight, even managing a dubious knockdown when a Gogoladze slip after a punch was deemed necessary of a standing eight count by the referee. A 10-8 round for the Brit.
Round 8 saw ’The Cobra’ again on the deck.
Now willingly engaging in exchanges with Arthur, the now fatigued visitor succumbed to a left hook to the head that pitched him forward onto his taller opponent before sliding to the canvas once more.
After a point deduction in round 9 due to dangerous use of the head, the writing was on the wall for a desperate looking Gogoladze, and we didn’t have to wait to long for the end.
After being floored once more in the tenth - this time with a scrappy yet effective triple left hook in close quarters - a weary Gogoladze bravely clamoured to his feet to almost see out the round but a series of unanswered punches was enough to prompt referee Manuel Oliver’s intervention at 2.48 of the round 10.
His record now standing at 25-1(19), this win not only secured the WBO interim title for the ever improving Arthur, it also instates the Scot as mandatory challenger to the world class ‘full’ WBO super feather champ Joan Guzman.
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